A/N: (Updated: March 10th 2021)

Hello my lovely readers.

Those who left me reviews last chapter... you guys ... thank you! I am really thankful for your responses — all of them.

Your reactions to the text and knowing that I pulled on your heartstrings, that's like "a cherry on top" sort of feeling. So thank you! I am going to try my best to keep writing! Your responses work magic! (Here I am, thinking, oh shitt... I wonder if I can get any creative writing done this week amidst studying... and boom then there's me typing away past midnight)

It's also the reason that I have decided to update today - you see I had a bit of a writing frenzy last night after spending much of it reading my heavy textbook on Roman History for my seminar. I think you'll see a mild inspiration from it in this chapter. XD

To answer some of the questions without any spoilers:

sorry NaluGrey, it's not a dream sequence. yes, we will see Izumi again, at some point. As per her feelings for Itachi — stay tuned :D Sakura sharing a kiss with Itachi is a pivotal moment in their growing relationship, because it pushes them to evaluate their feelings, especially now that they are apart. A few of you seem to believe that the Senju are not behind Mikoto's assassination. Well, all I can say is that the circumstances surrounding Mikoto's death will come to light by chapter 16 — that's not a spoiler, that's a teaser.

This chapter is a little bit different, but quite necessary moving forward.

I am doing my best to stay motivated, to keep writing, cause I absolutely love it and I want to write more stories. Probably with Itachi x Sakura in the future. I am so glad that there are so many of you that enjoy my work. Alright, I'm done talking.

This story is rated M — you have been warned.

Happy Reading! ^^

Chapter 11. A Missing Senju

Sakura, sakura, sakura petals

dancing with the wind,

leading you, thieving you

from a place you once called home.

Her hands quickly reached to cover her eyes as the intense fluorescent light blinded her. There was the familiar sound of hospital machines, keeping track of her vitals — the steady beep of her heart monitor forcing her awake. The bright light dimmed, and Sakura opened her eyes, looking wildly around her surroundings. She was at her place of work — the Senju General hospital. She was back in her original time. She was lying in a hospital bed, an IV drip hooked into her right forearm. She glanced over to the saline bag that hung above her bed, noticing that it was nearly empty. Her head was pounding angrily — she felt as if it were going to explode. What happened? How did she end up back in time? The last thing she remembered was fading in front of the Uchiha and her calling for Itachi. How was she back and why now? Was her work finished in the past? She winced slightly as she attempted to sit up, then she opted for the button on the side of her bed, letting the bed move her into a sitting position.

"Take it easy Sakura."

"Tsunade-sama? What... why am I here?" Sakura asked as she noticed her mentor standing over her.

"You don't remember? You missed your morning surgery with Shizune. It's not like you to not show up on time, I usually have trouble keeping you out of the hospital," Tsunade commented as she sat down on the edge of the bed, nursing in her hand a white clipboard.

"I'm sorry I don't remember how I got here," Sakura said as she rubbed her sore forehead.

"Your uncle brought you in. The silver-haired fox that owns a dojo?"

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"The very same. He's gone now to pick up your mother and bring her here. I told him I'd keep an eye on you until they have arrived. Then again, you are my protégé, and I wanted to make sure you'd be alright," Tsunade provided as she proceeded to give her a check-up.

Sakura did as Tsunade motioned, recognizing the basic eyesight test as she followed the red pen in Tsunade's hand.

"What's wrong with me?" Sakura asked.

Tsunade clicked the pen and wrote into the clipboard in her arms, quickly scribbling down notes onto the chart. Then she flipped back several pages — looking over what seemed like bloodwork results — before she spoke once more.

"Nothing serious, minor concussion from the fall. Seems to be that you fainted from overexerting yourself once again. Because of that I am putting you on a temporary medical leave for two weeks. I don't want to see your foot inside this hospital for two weeks," Tsunade ordered, her stern face hiding her worry for her protégé.

"I..."

"No complaints. Two weeks Sakura. You need the time off. You have been cramming medical research and new procedures into your brain every day on top of that you have been working sixteen to twenty-four-hour shifts. Enough. I am not going to have my star resident burn out like this. You need to take better care of yourself. Now, I will release you into the care of your mother once she arrives. For now, rest. That's an order Doctor Haruno," Tsunade ordered as she got up from her seat and made her way towards the door.

Sakura willingly slumped back down, letting her sleep take her once more.

Later.

Sakura was sitting up in her patient bed, scooping up red jello out of its container with a plastic spoon. Her eyes were focused on the tv as she watched a historical soap opera, completely immersed in the storyline. It brought back the thoughts of Niwamachi and the Uchiha clan, and she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She spent weeks with them, adapting rather quickly to live in the simpler era. Her eyes shifted from the television onto the plastic chair pushed against the corner — on it was her navy kimono, one of the gifts given to her by late Mikoto. It was proof that her time-traveling experience was real, and that was all that mattered. Sakura glanced back to the soap opera, trying her hardest not to think of the Uchiha at the moment.

When the door to her room slid open, she was stunned to see a familiar pair.

"Kakashi-sensei? Mama?" Sakura said as she looked up at her two visitors, dropping the red jello onto the tray.

Sakura pushed the tray of food aside as the blonde woman rushed towards her. Sakura smiled as her mother wrapped her arms tightly around her. She returned the embrace happily as she pressed her face against her mother's shoulder. It felt like forever since she saw her mother and it felt like coming home, staying in her warm embrace. She felt safe.

"Sakura! What on earth is going on?" Mebuki asked as she broke the embrace and began to look over her daughter to see any sign of injury.

"I'm ok, just overworking myself as usual. I'm sorry to have caused you to worry," Sakura eased as Mebuki looked over her all worried.

When the blonde woman pulled away from her daughter, she sat down at the edge of the bed.

"You do seem paler than usual. Perhaps Doctor Haruno needs a vacation?" Kakashi offered.

"Ahhem … I have placed Sakura under temporary medical leave. She is not to step a foot inside this hospital for two weeks," Tsunade piped in, as she stood by the glass door, arms folded across her chest.

"Well then that's it. You will spend the time with me. You always enjoy spending time at home in the garden and my apothecary. Kakashi you'll drive us back to Hisogawa won't you?" Mebuki looked at the gray-haired man.

"Of course," Kakashi agreed and then he pointed to the clothes for Sakura to change into," I'll give you girls privacy. I'll wait in the car."

"Arigatou Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said with a smile.

The silver-haired man waved — as if it were no problem — and he made his way out of the room. Tsunade pulled back a screen and let Mebuki assist Sakura in changing out of the patient gown and into her civilian clothes.

Sakura looked around her small apartment while her mother busied herself emptying her fridge. It has been weeks since she had seen her little sanctuary. She was half expecting the place to look dirty, covered in dust, and yet everything seemed clean and organized — as if she never left. As she ventured past her kitchen, she made her way down the hall towards her bedroom. At first her eyes fell onto her bed, noticing the white Uchiha haori and dark navy hakama, neatly stacked one on top of the other at the edge of her bed. Her heart raced as she quickly rushed over to it and reached over, touching the familiar fabric. Her hold on it became firm — as if she was scared it would disappear. It was real. Her journey was real. Her hand gently caressed the red uchiwa fan. They were all real. He was real. She collected the set and placed it in her travel bag, needing it with her as she packed the rest of her clothes and toiletries. She would be gone for two weeks, and she was already determined on how she would spend it. She smiled at her determination. How ironic that when she was in the past, she wanted nothing more than to return to this time, and now that she was back, she felt like she was stuck in a place she didn't belong. The gods were playing with her. She collected her laptop from the desk and packed it in along with the charger. She would find a way to see them again.

"I think I have everything mama," Sakura called out to her as she zipped up her bag and made her way out of the bedroom, just to meet her mother as she closed her fridge.

"Good. I took out all the perishables and packed them to take with us. Wouldn't want the food to go to waste," Mebuki said as she pointed to the plastic bag sitting on the counter filled with food.

Sakura nodded and smiled," Of course, now let's go. I'm looking forward to seeing how your garden is fairing."

Three weeks later.

She was sitting on her couch in her cozy apartment, staring vividly at the thick textbook sitting on her wooden coffee table. She was nursing a hot mug in her hands, blowing onto it to cool down the hot brew. It took her nearly three weeks to locate this particular weighty tome — oh the joys of searching for old scrolls and books and chronicles in the old Konoha library. She sighed as she set down the mug onto the coffee table and she turned her attention to the dusty book.

HISTORY OF THE LAND OF FIRE

A Brief overview

Konoha, originally known as Niwamachi has been the capital city of the land of Fire for nearly three centuries. From very early age, the city was considered one of the most affluent places to live and prosper. It was famous for its large markets, filled with thousands of goods from all the other lands. In this volume, we will uncover the founding of the great capital city now known as Konoha and the important historical figures that led to its creation. Further, we will uncover secret scrolls of the forgotten clans of Niwamachi.

Establishing Niwamachi

The former palace was the crown jewel of Niwamachi and the place of many political debates and historic battle planning. At first, Konoha was nothing more than a large estate of the Adachi clan, build around the ancient Shinto temple of Kannon. The Adachi clan was responsible for maintaining the peace within the land of Fire. The head of the clan was known as the daimyō. One of the most prominent fire daimyō was Adachi Nobutoshi, (see Adachi clan family tree on pg. 45). It was his vision to expand his territory and create a thriving society. This ambition came to fruition very quickly for within the next ten years, Adachi land was growing vastly with buildings and new inhabitants. His success grew as he began to invite various prominent clans to join the newly established city. Out of all of the clans that decided to join the Adachi family and create a permanent home in the Niwamachi valley, seven were chosen to become the daimyō's council (see Adachi council on pg. 105). This system only lasted several years due to a large conflict that emerged between two of the largest noble clans of Niwamachi (see The Legend of Missing Senju on pg. 328-29). This conflict eventually led to the exile of the Uchiha clan under the hands of the Adachi council to the outskirts of the city (see The Uchiha Conflict pg. 327). Adachi Nobutoshi was succeeded by his son Adachi Shinsuke a few years later, who continued to uphold the newly established council system, ushering Niwamachi into a new era.

Her hands moved quickly, flicking through the thin pages furiously as she searched for the information on the missing Senju and the Uchiha. Her fingers landed onto the drawing of a red uchiwa fan, causing her to stop her aggressive page-flicking as her eyes focused on the text.

The Uchiha Conflict

The Uchiha Conflict is one of the rather infamous conflicts in the land of Fire's history. The clan head during this time was Uchiha Madara (see pg. 77 for the Uchiha clan family tree) a well-known battle-hardened warrior across all the lands. It began with the disappearance of a Senju child in the middle of the night. This kidnapping was assumed to be caused by Madara's younger brother Uchiha Izuna. The Senju clan demanded the child's return and the head of the responsible party. Senju burned the Uchiha crops and vice versa, they stole goods from one another, until they eventually clashed swords with one another. This led to the death of Uchiha Izuna at the hands of Senju Tobirama. The Adachi council (of which both clans were a member of) did nothing to stop the issue from escalating. Upon his brother's death, Madara wished to eradicate the entire Senju clan to save his family. The Uchiha bloodshed did not end until Senju Hashirama defeated Madara in a fearsome battle (see "The Battle of Nakano Valley" pg. 310). The leadership of the Uchiha moved onto Madara's youngest brother Uchiha Fugaku. As a result, the Uchiha were cast out of the city permanently and ordered to pay quarterly a hefty sum to the Adachi council. Eventually, the Uchiha clan began to antagonize and revolt against their punishment which led to its complete eradication, joining the fate of other forgotten clans. Out of the original seven clans only three remain to this day; Senju, Hyūga, and Shimura.

Sakura pulled away from the weighty tome and leaned back into the couch. Her eyes were closed, as if she were attempting to stop herself from bursting into tears. She inhaled deeply as her body began to shake. Was this the fate of the Uchiha? They all died at the hands of Senju? A whole clan gone and for what? Her thoughts ventured towards the kind Uchiha she met, how the compound was filled with laughter and merriment despite being considered social outcasts of the Niwamachi society. She took a deep breath once more, trying her hardest not to break down once more — she has spilled enough tears in the last two weeks to last a lifetime. She needed to act. She needed to change this history. She leaned forward towards the history book, and she flicked the page over, her eyes falling onto the text once more.

The Legend of the Missing Senju

The story of the missing Senju princess has been discussed over the last three hundred years by various scholars. There have been numerous theories laid out, but none of them have been supported by any evidence. According to the Senju scrolls, the missing Senju was the only child of Senju Tobirama (see Senju clan on pg. 14) and Adachi Ai. The Senju daughter had very prominent features not seen in any other residents of the land of Fire except her own mother: rose-coloured hair and striking green eyes. This child of mere two years, was stolen in the middle of the night from her bed and never seen again. Based on the Senju sources and Adachi council chronicles, the Uchiha clan was held responsible for the thievery and disappearance of the Senju daughter.

The following is an excerpt from Senju Tobirama's personal scrolls:

"Accursed Uchiha! He dares to enter my home and steal my child in the dead of the night! He dares to lay his hands upon her and leave behind the wretched uchiwa in her bed. For this insult, this offense, I will have his head. I will destroy the Uchiha clan for thieving away my little light, my little Hanae."

Nearly twenty years later, according to the personal scrolls of Adachi Shinsuke the daimyō of Niwamachi, the daughter of the Senju returned in the guise of a female physician and under the care of the Uchiha clan.

The following is an excerpt from Adachi Shinsuke's personal scrolls:

"A shamed doctor came forth insisting that the Uchiha clan has employed a pink-haired witch. I summoned the council at my earliest convenience and demanded the presence of the Uchiha clan and this supposed witch. I was not aware of the Senju-Uchiha conflict prior to this altercation as it was my father who dealt with it previously. Senju Hashirama insisted to summon his younger brother to clarify that this woman was possibly a Senju. Upon seeing the pink-haired witch, Tobirama believed her to be his long-lost daughter. I found it odd that the witch denied this claim at once. I permitted her to leave with the Uchiha clan for there was proof of her innocence presented by the clan head."

Sakura slammed the heavy book shut. Her hands were shaking as her breathing rapidly increased. There she was, written in the historical books, or scrolls or whatnot. That was a mention of her in the past — it wasn't a dream or a hallucination. It was the concrete proof of her presence among the clans of old. As her eyes fell onto the Uchiha clan symbol on the white haori currently placed next to her on the couch — she had to go back. If the history books were any indication, this clan extermination would have to be prevented. The solution was simple. She had to find a way to return to the past. Sakura looked at the red uchiwa and smiled — as if she already knew deep inside that this time, her journey will be permanent.

In the past.

"Niisan."

Itachi tensed at the sound of his younger brother's voice. He was sitting near the bank of the river, watching the familiar Naka waterfall from a safe distance, enjoying his peace and quiet. It was a late afternoon and what Itachi wanted nothing more right now was peace and quiet. He was not particularly fond of this interruption.

"What is it?" Itachi answered as he glanced over his shoulder, looking at Sasuke.

Sasuke was seated on his horse a few meters away from his brother. He got off his horse and slowly made his way over to his older brother.

"Still on edge as usual. What's gotten into you?" Sasuke asked.

It was not that he did not enjoy his sibling's presence. He simply just hadn't had the energy to even speak to another human being. He was far away, still processing the loss he endured. He stopped visiting his mother's resting place for it brought him nothing but anger. Itachi loved his family, but he needed his space. And for the moment, Itachi was in his own world, his small getaway from the responsibilities of clan heir and older brother. Being away from the compound meant he could be himself — that he could mourn in peace and not focus on the current mess of things that seemed to follow the Uchiha clan at every turn.

"It's her, isn't it?" Sasuke asked as he sat down next to him.

Sasuke was met with silence as his brother did not bother to look at him. Instead, Itachi's focus remained on the cascading falls, watching the water bounce down amidst the rocky terrain. His thoughts ventured towards his last visit to this place. The last time he was here was the night everything changed. This was the place where he and Sakura shared their first kiss. He exhaled softly at the mere memory of the rosette. It was his first visit to this place since Sakura disappeared several weeks ago. And yet, wherever he went, there she was — like some sort of reminder of her time in this era, whether it'd be the Inari shrine that they frequented together, the meadows filled with herbs where he'd watch her collect them into her wicker basket happily, or her now abandoned home, which was still frequented by young Satsuki on a nearly daily basis. He would be a liar if he said he did not miss her. He needed to see her again. He cared for her deeply. Hell, he cared too much.

Sasuke sighed as he stood and made his way towards the bank of the river.

"Why are you here?" Itachi suddenly asked, his voice calm as usual.

"I volunteered to come. I am to collect you. Your presence is required at the main hall. It seems Madatachi is insisting that your marriage to his granddaughter is the top priority at this moment. I guess they are done mourning the loss of the matriarch," Sasuke said as anger started to well up within him — he reached down and collected a flat rock from the shallow edge.

"Sasuke," Itachi said as he stood up, hoping to calm his younger brother.

This was something inevitable. He knew his brother's anger was justified. They have been mourning the loss of Mikoto for the last three weeks. He himself struggled with the loss of his mother as he couldn't even attend her funeral — damn his blasted injuries, preventing him from paying his respects.

"The elders want nothing more than install a new matriarch as soon as possible. Shisui had to stop Aoi from killing Saizō for even suggesting that otousan step down as patriarch. Apparently to the elders our father seems unstable!" Sasuke continued as he grabbed a flat rock into his hand.

He turned the stone over in his hands, as if he was examining for a moment before he furiously chucked it into the water.

"I hate them. The lot of them. I don't understand how you are willingly marrying Madatachi's granddaughter," he exclaimed in anger as he chucked another rock into the water and then reached for another.

"I am not marrying Izumi," Itachi stated, breaking his silence.

Sasuke turned around to see his older brother standing up and then making his way towards his steed. He dropped the rock from his hand and uttered a soft," what?"

"I'm breaking the omiai," Itachi said simply as he climbed atop Nobu," Now let's go home Sasuke."