Haruno Sakura trained and trained and trained, dammit. The training grounds had become the repositories for her blood, sweat and tears. The fruits of her labor arrived under the accelerated instruction of Kaguya. On the training grounds of Konoha, hidden well under sophisticated genjutsu, Sakura practiced her most advanced Wood Release Techniques as of yet.
Slowly, Sakura stretched her arm out and called upon the earth and the water that lay within the ground. It was as thoughtless as breathing now, the way the thick and sturdy cherry blossom tree sprung illustriously, proudly, from the dirt and exploded into bloom, sending pink petals swirling into the dark night.
Mokuton is without a doubt recognized as a dead kekkei genkai belonging to the First Hokage, thought Sakura. I better keep my affiliation with the ancient gods a secret, but I can't let these skills go uncultivated. Remember, it isn't enough to be better than your peers. You have to be better than yourself, if you want to change the future.
Sakura turned to the practice dummy, short pink locks swaying under the moonlight, chakra coils tightening like a cobra ready to strike. She raised her outstretched hand and immediately thick, forest-like vines sprouted from the ground and wrapped themselves around the dummy. Sakura closed her fist and at once the roots constricted, and the dummy was brutally crushed, vines both squeezing and piercing the practice dummy.
Useful technique for someone living in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, she thought. The very forest she was in was the same Hashirama created in order to give Konoha a home. Mokuton in Suna might be another matter. She did not know enough theoretical knowledge behind Mokuton, and Kaguya wasn't a patient teacher. She expected excellence. The way her vines constricted around her opponent reminded her a little of Gaara's Sand Binding Prison. Then again, Sakura found no surprise in noticing similarities between her and the jinchūriki.
The other abilities that had arrived with the ingestion of the God fruit; bloodline limits, mutations of those bloodline limits, dimensional ninjutsus and unimaginable power of the mother of chakra, needed to be tested out in utmost secrecy, and mastered to some degree by the start of the chunnin exams. That gave her less than one month until the Forest of Death, where she could truly begin changing the fate of this timeline, where she would slaughter Orochimaru where he stood, prevent him from planting the curse mark on Sasuke, and stop the invasion.
She was aware of Sasuke's surveilling presence and had no trouble concealing her nighttime activities. He saw her training, usually various ninjustsu that would explain the state of the practice dummy, but nothing of her ancient powers, or the way chakra seemed to call when she beckoned.
She breathed the night air as she stealthily moved through forms, focusing on the shape, durability, and speed of her Wood Release under Kaguya's rigorous instruction. She had seen the technique's terrible power with her own eyes and even summoned the great slug, Katsuuyu in order to revive her comrades during the Shinobi wars. She could feel that her contract with Katsuuyu and her slug fleet was still intact.
Unfortunately, Mokuton was at it's best when aiming to kill. Though the wood was sturdy and could block attacks, constrict around others, and pierce bodies, Sakura knew well that her wood also had the capacity to suck someone's chakra right out of their body, like a kind of life leech. There was also Wood Release transformation and Wood Clones, which create a completely identical, fully functioning version of the caster. She was neither Senju nor Uchiha, nor Hyuuga, so if anyone saw her practicing… well, things would get very complicated, very quickly.
Mokuton's sheer usefulness made it too tempting to ignore, so this is where she decided to begin, however she would need to practice hard with the Byakugan, Rinnegan, Sharingan, and Mangekyo Sharingan techniques in order to be ready to for the Forest of Death. If she could, Sakura planned to slay Orochimaru in the forest. Casualties during the chunnin exams were relatively rare but not unheard of; no one would think twice if Orochimaru and the body he occupied died in an unsupervised battle where only the winner knew what happened. And if Sakura couldn't kill Orochimaru, then goddamit she would send him hurtling into the desert or ice dimensions, never to return.
As she moved through the night, Sakura considered how this would change the invasion. Ifshe could master the Wood Clone technique, she could be in two places at once. One clone matching her chakra reserves would stay and help the village contain the invasion, and the other would subdue Gaara, possibly even turning him against the invasion (for which, she knew, he cared little). It was at least a possibility.
She trained until the early hours of the morn, went home to sleep for a few hours, and woke up early to start training again. If Orochimaru did die in the Forest, it would be as the old saying goes: the top of one mountain is the bottom of the next, for she knew if she beheaded the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru's unfortunately capable apprentice, Kabuto, would surely take his place. But in the event of Orochimaru's death, could Kabuto really mobilize the Sound and Suna ninjas into going forward with the attack? She wasn't sure, but had to assume to worst.
…..
Just as Team 7 went to greet their new training partners, they were accosted by three ANBU. Sakura raised a brow. One stepped forward and coughed before speaking.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Haruno Sakura, you have been summoned by the Sandaime. Oh, how convenient, we need you three as well. " He was referring to Neji, Tenten, and Lee, who had just appeared at the meeting spot.
Sakura's eyes narrowed. The second ripple in the pond, for this particular calling had not happened in her previous timeline. However, she knew even then that the canonical structure of her past timeline was already somewhat perverted. Her mission was complicated: She needed to try and preserve that timeline, because it made her mission easier; yet she also needed to make sure the timeline didn't repeat, for that was Sakura's mission itself. The group traveled to the Hokage tower together, trudging up it's winding, circular structure. Finally, Sakura nodded to the ANBU guarding the door, and she announced their arrival. Sakura noticed that Gai and Kakashi were already in the room.
"Ah, thank you for coming. I have a joint mission for your teams." The Sandaime motioned them in. His eyes lingered on Sakura and she nodded in deference.
The old man blew on his pipe to encourage the smoldering embers. "I hate to give this sort of unsavory mission to you, especially as genin, but it seems I have no choice. We need some intelligence from a War Lord and Sakura-chan, you seem to be exactly his type. This is a time sensitive issue…" Sarutobi sighed. Sakura stiffened; Sarutobi knew she was older than she appeared, but to assign such a mission just before the chunnin exams?
Sarutobi must be doing this for a reason.
Sasuke was glaring at the Hokage with irises made of fire, arms tightly folded at his chest.
"Ojii-chan! You can't be serious! A seduction mission for Sakura-chan? We're only 12!"
Naruto seemed to have a lot to say about their new mission.
Sakura hit him over the head and then bowed to Hiruzen.
"My apologies for my teammate's outburst. As you know, this mission is well within my capacity for completion. Please continue," invited Sakura with a huff, straightening her back and returning to perfect posture; the stiff of her spine and strength in her shoulders spoke of confidence. Not lazy, but not hyperaware.
The Hokage nodded at the younger girl.
"This is a low-B ranked mission. I'm trusting you. You will play the part of a nobleman's daughter traveling across the country. We have already dispatched a messenger, designed to be interrupted, with knowledge of your journey and portrait. That War Lord has already made preparations."
"What kind of intelligence needs to be recovered, Hokage-sama?" the pink haired shinobi asked, gaze unwavering. Indifferent. She might as well have an ANBU mask on.
It was a side of Sakura that Sasuke and Naruto had never seen; Kakashi had caught a glimpse once or twice in the past. Her teammates looked at her strangely. She sent them glares which essentially translated into "behave" their ways.
"Simply recover the scroll locked inside the bottom most cabinet of the War Lord's bed. His name is Lord Onigumo. The intelligence we need is in that scroll. He will probably have duplicates around for safe keeping, so make sure to destroy those as well," Sarutobi answered her stare with one of his own.
"The pay is good," he added a little weakly.
Sasuke visibly bristled. What the hell?
Sasuke's inner elder echoed his sentiments, but not without adding that handling this sort mission with caution was well within her capability.
Perfect! Sakura thought. A chance for her to use the dojutsu that she'd been practicing with Kaguya, as she now had the abilities of several bloodlines, in particular that of the Senju, Uchiha, and a bit of the Hyuuga style. Once she cornered the perverted bastard alone in his bedroom, she would get what she wanted with a single glance, if all went well.
Can't another leaf shinobi simply henge into someone matching the War Lord's type?
Well, given that, despite the unpleasant aspects of the mission, she would be able to practice her dojutsu, she happily accepted the mission.
"Because of the nature of this mission," continued the Hokage. "We will be sending another genin team with you, consisting of Tenten, Rock Lee, and Hyuuga Neji; and of course, their instructor, Might Gai."
Sakura let out an exasperated sigh. "I hate playing the hime. Nevertheless, your will is my command, Hokage-sama."
Ah, she almost forgot the most important question.
"Do I need to leave the War Lord alive?"
Sarutobi grinned at the girl. "No. You have my permission to kill on site."
Sakura returned his expression with a teeth-bearing, ferocious grin that was quickly spreading wide across her face.
That simplified things.
Once again, the other genin in the room looked at Sakura, who appeared to them like a twelve year old girl but in truth was a battle worn, tested shinobi with the chakra reserves of a goddess, a little nervously; they were unsettled by how easily she spoke of killing, how she even seemed to relish it.
Sarutobi pressed on with his explanation: "You will be moving as a caravan, "guarding" your hime. The War Lord's men will ambush you here," Sarutobi point to a spot on a map which was unfurled on his desk, at a narrow part of the path surrounded by high ridges in which to hide, "and you will allow him to capture you, Sakura. Neji and Sasuke, your job is to monitor Sakura's situation from a distance, as with your bloodline limits, your sight penetrates walls whether they be wood, stone or dirt. The rest of you will be providing back up according to Sasuke and Neji's reports. I suspect the War Lord's men won't know he'll be dead by the time Sakura is done dealing with him. Take them out and provide support for Sakura's escape."
So Sasuke and Neji will be watching me? She hoped her Quiet Kage technique would work even when she was using chakra. This was, she thought not for the first time, the perfect chance to test out her dojutsu on a live subject.
"One last question, Hokage-sama," said Sakura. "Would you like me to 'disappear' his body or will there be hunter-nin following us, ready to do just that?"
Sarutobi chuckled lightly. "You are ever so thorough, Sakura-chan. It would be nice if you could take care of the body. Do you think that is within your capabilities?"
Ah, so that's why he's doing this. His ANBU operatives probably reported on my training schedule. He's giving me exactly what I need: an opportunity to test out my new skills.
Sakura smiled wickedly in return. She had an idea of what she was going to do. Her chest puffed with the pride of a medic-nin.
"Of course, Hokage-sama."
Neji and Sasuke were scowling and Naruto was lost in the fantasy of seeing Sakura as his "hime". Kakashi looked contemplative and Gai just smiled broadly.
"How fortunate we are to have received this youthful challenge! It is an honor!" Gai said enthusiastically.
"Sakura, we have to get you all dolled up. Come with me, as for the rest of you brats, meet each other at the gate at noon, tomorrow. At noon," Sarutobi hissed at Kakashi. Kakashi had the gall to smile innocently in return, only earning him further scorn from the Hokage.
Sakura inwardly winced. Even in her old timeline, Sakura wasn't particularly fond of seduction missions, and she couldn't hold a candle to Ino's skills, though the blonde had passed on a few foolproof tricks for when she needed to approach men during a mission. Plus, anyone who craved the body of a twelve year old girl was worthy of death.
Ino, Ino, Ino… you wouldn't believe the situation I've gotten myself into. I'll protect you this time around, you and your precious ones, Sakura thought idly. I suppose since we probably won't match in the preliminaries, I'm going to have to train you up a bit, won't I? Can't have my mortal rival gallivanting around as a weak, though admittedly gorgeous, kunoichi…
Sakura nodded as the others filtered out of the Hokage's office. Sarutobi gestured for a woman to come in; Sakura had to apologize for staring because the woman before her was beautiful in every way. Her figure like that of an hourglass, her skin was a sparkling alabaster, her makeup and hair, dark as midnight, were both works of fine art—it was all perfect, not a hair out of place, not a loose thread to be found.
"Sakura, this is Madame Hoari and she will be preparing you for your mission. I'm told beauty doesn't arrive in a day, but Madame Hoari is the best, so you will start today. Madame Hoari, I trust you can take it from here?" The Sandaime smiled cordially as he introduced the two.
I suppose all Kages must be natural diplomats to some extent, noted Sakura with some amusement. I wouldn't call Naruto a diplomat, but he sure has a way of bringing people together. He will be great, one day. He's pretty great already, though.
The features on Madame Hoari's face, set in a delicate expression of respect and welcome, were almost hidden as her dark, silky hair spilled over her shoulders as she bowed to both of them, before smiling gracefully.
"Hai, Hokage-sama. Haruno-san, please come to this address tonight." She handed Sakura a paper with the location of her spa printed on it. Sakura thanked her for it.
After Madame Hoari left, Sarutobi was silent for a time, simply puffing on his pipe as he waited for words to come. Finally, he asked:
"Sakura-chan, you said that you could squash the invasion where you stood, did you not?"
Sakura recalled the words well. She had meant them. "Hai, Hokage-sama."
Sarutobi put his hands together and his eyes rested on Sakura's form and figure. "You sent me a missive that said you needed to speak with me about an unforeseen problem."
Sakura tried to be delicate. She herself didn't know what to do about this issue.
"Hai, Hokage-sama. After rigorous training, I have come up with a way to squash the invasion, however there is a problem. Sarutobi-sama, I must inform you that I arrived in this time with some… extra powers. To squash the invasion, I would need to employ those powers."
Sarutobi nodded, catching on quickly. "What would happen should others witness your… additional powers?"
Sakura gulped. "There are two options, Hokage-sama. But in truth I would only be able to stand one."
"What are the options?" he asked gently. Sarutobi stepped around his desk and settled for leaning on it's surface.
"One, after the invasion is over, I leave the village and become a wandering ninja before the council stages a revolt and tries to kill something they cannot control." She was blunt and spared no kindness for herself nor Sarutobi. It was true. People feared what they could not control.
"Or…"
"Or what, Sakura-chan?" Sarutobi put a hand on her shoulder, urging her forward.
"Or I use my mind control powers on the whole village and make them forget what they saw. Those are the options if my powers are discovered, Hokage-sama."
Wind blew through the open window and time seemed to stop under the pale moonlight. Sarutobi shook his head. This wasn't right.
"Sakura-chan, you cannot abandon Konoha. Our village needs you," he implored.
"There is no reason to believe I cannot help our village by taking out unseen dangers from afar," Sakura stated, a little too plainly.
Sarutobi couldn't figure out why, but this girl was making him suddenly furious. His voice rose as he demanded of the young shinobi:
"And what of Naruto? What of Sasuke and Kakashi? Have you given up upon your comrades?"
This man has a point. How can you prevent Neji's death and Ino's death, prevent Pein's attack, protect your teammates, etcetera, child, if you are not with them?
Sakura closed her eyes and sighed; Sarutobi realized it was the first visual indication that these two options were indeed deeply troubling to her. But she did not want to make the same mistake Itachi had made when he left Sasuke all alone in the world.
"Alright, alright, old man. I have heard your grievances. So, go ahead and write 'keep Sakura's powers a secret and keep team 7 together' and put it at the top of your priority list, as I will. I will try to think of something else. My team should know, but as to when, I will be the arbiter of that decision. And please, Hokage-sama, write a letter to your successor informing them of my existence. Surely with forewarning of the attack, Konoha will be much better prepared this time around… However, please consider it a favor just in case the timeline moves as it did before. I believe it is prudent."
Sarutobi nodded silently. He continued writing something, but Sakura could tell he was deep in thought. His eyes refocused on her.
Sakura tapped her chin for a moment. Her viridian eyes lit up. "Ah, I should mention: While Orochimaru does indeed enter the chunnin exams, his very talented apprentice participates as well. He is a Leaf Shinobi by the name of Yakushi Kabuto. His demeanor is diplomatic and amiable. The impression he leaves is that of a paper ninja, someone with judicious use of knowledge but possessing nothing to help him on the battlefield; however, this could not be farther than the truth. He specializes in medical ninjutsu and he's more than proficient. I fear that even if I succeed in incapacitating Orochimaru, Kabuto will not only revive his master, he will also make sure the invasion occurs. He might even have a way of aggravating the Jinchūriki… I doubt that Orochimaru and Kabuto would go in without a second, third, and fourth plan, should the first fail."
Sarutobi nodded, taking the information in and occasionally scribbled notes on a scroll with disappearing ink, the contents no doubt written using some kind of cipher.
Sakura began walking in circles around the Hokage's room like she used to, when it was her own to use.
Sarutobi noticed and smiled a little, thinking old habits die hard.
"Have one of Anko's snake's tail our group through the Forest of Death so that I can report back as soon as possible. Also, I'd like to pick my competitor for the preliminaries," Sakura instructed.
The Hokage raised a brow. "Preliminaries?"
Sakura answered with a coy smile. "Yes, Sarutobi-sama. These applicants are quite a precocious group of young ones."
"Then, of course you may, Sakura-chan. I assume you will contact me when you decide on whom your opponent will be," and then Sarutobi took a long look at Sakura. His eyes were filled with a lifetime of wisdom, and a deep love for Naruto, had been made luminous by the Will of Fire, were currently brightened by the light of the moon. It was as if he was contemplating something far off and away; then, with a small smile and a sigh of resignation, Sarutobi said quite plainly:
"Anything for your mission."
After that, Sakura was excused, but she couldn't help feel strange about the nature of their last exchange… something seemed, off. Something concealed behind that comforting smile. However, she couldn't very well barge into his office again and demand what he meant when, on the surface, they'd both been clear and succinct. "Anything for the mission" was what she was supposed to say. She trudged down the circular staircase, lost in the vain attempt to divine what Sarutobi's words meant, and the ways in which it different from what he said.
The odd thing is that Sarutobi didn't even lie per se. He simply didn't tell her the truth, didn't clarify his words. And for some reason this made her worry for the old man.
As Sakura exited the Hokage tower in the late evening, she noticed that Uchiha Sasuke was on her tail. She sighed, running small hands through pink locks. She had actually been looking for him.
"Sasuke, come out. I need to speak with you for a moment," Sakura stated a little nervously. Sasuke noticed immediately and led them to an empty street just off the main road.
"What is it?" He was always straight to the point.
Hear her out, young one, counseled his elder.
I already know that! Sasukesnarled inwardly.
"Well…" Sakura looked very hesitant. "I need access to the Uchiha library. Specifically, I need scrolls that pertain to the Sharingan's different forms and techniques."
Sasuke lifted a brow. "Why…?"
Sakura sighed as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "I can't tell you yet, that's the hardest part. You're just going to have to trust me."
It dawned on Sasuke that this could be a marvelous opportunity for him. "Oh? And what will you give me in return?"
Then he smirked.
Sakura looked a little desperate.
Seems like she is in a bit of a tough spot, observed Sasuke. Well, that certainly gives me the upper hand.
Sasuke thought for a minute and consulted his elder.
"I will allow you access to the Uchiha scroll library—" at this Sakura smiled,—"if you grant me two wishes," Sasuke said. If he was trying to hide his smugness, it wasn't working.
Sakura's face fell.
It's not like I have another choice.
She kept her gaze firm. "Okay, what do you want?"
Sasuke gave her one his rare smiles…. It looked almost mischievous.
"One, close your eyes."
Sakura closed her lids, felt the breeze on her neck and the heat of Sasuke's breathe as he suddenly closed the space between them.
"And two, don't kill me for what I'm about to do."
"What are you about to do—"
Sasuke's hand snaked it's way around and into her candy floss hair, holding her head in place. Lightly, ever so delicately, he pressed his warm lips to hers. It was an innocent kiss; after all, they were so young. But it was enough, enough to prove something. While Sasuke was reveling in the tingling heat and amusement he felt at her surprise, Sakura was momentarily incapacitated.
'What the hell?!' Sakura thought wildly. She blushed, hard.
Oh Kami-sama, she thought. It took her a minute,—and it goes without saying that when she was young, this was possibly her greatest fantasy,—to recover from her temporary state of shock.
"Uchiha, stop playing games with me!" It didn't take her long to detangle herself from his grip on her hair, but the arm he'd come to rest on the small of her back was proving more difficult to move.
"Enough of this,—acting or playing or whatever it is," she hissed.
"I am not playing games, Sakura." Sasuke's voice was as steadfast as his onyx gaze. There it was, that patented Uchiha advantage over other men. Onyx turned to a deep, bottomless crimson, spinning endlessly.
Uh oh, she thought hurriedly. I need a distraction.
"That was my first kiss,—"
"In this timeline, you mean," and then Sasuke shut up, realizing the mistake he had made.
Sakura's viridian orbs narrowed.
Timeline..? She thought. She spoke slowly and cautiously.
"You mean new life, right?"
Not for the first time, Sasuke found himself fumbling his words in front of Sakura.
Quickly, boy! Fix your mistake before she digs any deeper.
"Yeah, that's what I meant."
Sakura stomach twisted. Sasuke had kissed her. Sasuke had initiated the kiss. And that bit about the timeline, was that a mistake or had he figured out more than he was supposed to know about her mission?
I wonder if he will stay, thought Sakura, a little detached. She remembered her lifelong promise to Naruto, to everyone, when she made the choice to come to a separate timeline, that she would make things right. The passion of the Will of Fire burned brightly within Sakura.
Orochimaru will meet his death and Sasuke won't have any reason to leave.
"I don't like this mission we're going on tomorrow," Sasuke whispered into her ear. His breath was hot on her clavicle compared to the nighttime breeze. He had her backed up against the wall of the alley; Sasuke propped his arm above her head, and extended to lean on the wall so he hung over Sakura like a giant bird in the night.
"Promise me you'll be careful," he lifted her chin so their eyes met. Sasuke took up Sakura's hands in his, bigger, warmer palms. "You will, won't you?"
Sakura found herself drowning in those deep red and onyx orbs, it was as if they were putting her in a trance, destroying her apprehensions toward him. She finally found her voice:
"I don't take unnecessary risks… but I'll be careful." She breathed in. "It's late so… I think I have to go prepare for the mission. You know, beauty treatments and sleep and all."
Even as Sasuke held Sakura against him, he could feel her dissolve into a fragrant storm of cherry blossom petals. He breathed in the aroma, her scent. He smiled in his own, mildly expressive way. This was progress.
Take that, Hyuuga, Sasuke thought.
….
Sakura made her way to the address indicated on the card she'd received from Madame Hoari. True to her word, Madame Hoari really did treat Sakura like a princess, but who knew that being a hime took so much effort?
First, the elegantly dressed Madam Hoari of impeccable composure led Sakura through what must have been her own spa. Sakura followed her along a winding path, decorated with rocks on the outer edges and surrounded by beautiful and fragrant flora. Sakura stopped a moment to appreciate the utter silence besides the crickets chirping. Madame Hoari stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors and looked back at Sakura with a grin.
"I hope you're ready for this, Haruno-san."
They entered the room together, which was large, spacious, and filled with the scent of light incense. Madame Hoari clapped her hands and an army of attendants filed into the room.
Oh Kami-sama, why have you forsaken me? Sakura thought inwardly. She put on a shaky smile. This was a hundred times more intense than Ino's periodic makeovers, before her beloved best friend was sliced in half during Konoha's last and final stand, felled by the hand of Hoshigaki Kisame, who was, in turn, brutally tortured and then beheaded by Sakura.
First, they attended to her nails, cleaning them, pushing back the cuticles, clipping hangnails; they applied a special serum to her feet and performed a strong-armed callous removal. Then the attendants applied red nail polish to both her fingernails and toes. After her manicure and pedicure dried thanks to a handy wind and fire jutsu cast by one of the attendants, Sakura was led to a luxurious bathing space. There was a large bathtub at the room's center and the tiles beneath formed a mosaic of the Goddess of Beauty's form under a shining sun. Sakura entered the bath, a little shyly, and very much aware of her not-yet-womanly body. As the attendants massaged her shoulders, they added what Sakura identified as rose and lavender essential oils to the bath, all the while applying some sort of softening treatment to her hair and skin. After she soaked for a while, Sakura exited the bath and the attendants rushed to help her put on a robe.
"It's alright, I can,—" Sakura began, a little wary of the ferocious look in every attendants' eyes.
"Haruno-san, you must complete your transformation into a hime. You must act as if your attendants dress you everyday. Please keep this in mind. Come here, Haruno-san. Please sit in this chair," said Madame Hoari as she gestured to the furniture in front of her. The Madame fingered her wet, uneven, kunai-aided haircut and motioned for her attendants to bring her hair styling tools to her sidet. When they came, the varied tools were laid out on a tray.
Like a civilian surgeon, thought Sakura.
"I am going to cut your split ends and even things out a bit, and then add a little shape and body. Just leave it to me," said the Madame gently.
Sakura simply nodded and the woman went to work, first using a simple set of scissors, then switching to what looked to Sakura like a 10 blade. Likening the Madame to a surgeon wasn't far off the mark. Sakura closed her eyes at the request of the attendants gladly. The bath had relaxed her and she was sleepy.
Finally, Madame Hoari spoke: "We aren't finished, but I'd like to show you the fruits of our labor so far."
Sakura opened her eyes and Madam Hoari held up a mirror to Sakura's face when the attendants finished tying her white, silken robes.
When Sakura looked in the mirror she almost did a double take.
Her hair was soft, smooth, and silky. It had body; it had shimmer.
Her skin was resplendent as the stars.
"Hokage-sama has instructed that you stay here overnight, as we must prepare your outfit tomorrow anyway."
The attendant led her to a pleasant bedroom and Sakura nodded quietly, acquiescing to sleep the moment she closed her eyes.
…..
The next morning, the real circus began. Skincare preparation, makeup, and hair, alone took hours.
How ridiculous! Sakura thought in a huff.
First, the attendants applied primer to her face. After a base coat of light foundation,—"who would hide skin like this?" one of the attendants had chirped,—another attendant placed rouge on her cheeks and lips. Her cupid's bow became even more distinct. A light but imperceptible dusting of highlighter above Sakura's cheekbones elongated her features but kept her looking natural; with the addition of the highlighter, light bounced around Sakura's eyes so her irises looked like dancing emeralds. A muted blush was a natural choice because any shade of pink would be more noticeable considering her hair color.
It struck Sakura how much of her femininity she had relinquished in her pursuit of world peace, and the life of a shinobi in general. She in no way regretted her choice but she couldn't help feeling a little… well, pleased. It was nice to dress up sometimes.
Then Sakura remembered the reason she was getting a makeover was to appeal to a disgusting, salivating, and perverted War Lord and she scowled. Next, the attendants carefully curled and applied two coats of mascara to her lashes top lashes, before delicately sweeping her bottom lashes with the dark liquid, so that her eyes looked even larger and more alluring, as a hime should be. All the while, the attendants and Madam Hoari coached her on noble decorum, and how one might act in a situation where they were kidnapped. While the remarkably beautiful woman instructed Sakura, the dutiful attendants filled in Sakura's eyebrows with a pencil.
"Did you know we had to custom make this, Haruno-san? I've never seen natural pink hair and eyebrows!" said one of the more bubbly, conversational attendants. Sakura was a little envious of her noteworthy bust and blond hair; in fact, the attendant's features reminded her of a certain Sannin/mother figure whose memory she was trying not to disappoint.
As Sakura engaged with the blond, the other attendants then carefully brushed her brows into a clean arch. Despite the bells and whistles, Sakura was still twelve, so she doubted anybody normal would be attracted by her appearance. She simply looked like a very beautiful and naive doll. Sakura quickly analyzed her most-useful features and devised ways to take advantage of her hime-like appearance, and put them took good use.
Innocence, righteousness, and fear-crossed with the desire to be brave. It's all in the eyes, thought Sakura.
But we must not forget posture, commented Kaguya idly.
"Ah, it's finally time to put on the kimono. We prepared it specially for you, Haruno-san." Madame Hoari motioned for her employees to bring out the outfit. Probably to make the experience more exciting, Madame Hoari and her attendants made Sakura close her eyes as they dressed her. She felt the layers of Kimono being added to her outfit, one by one. Sakura felt the hands of Madame Hoari and her attendants tie what she assumed to be an obi around her waist. Then, a string with a bell to emphasize her waist even further. She felt someone slip a jade hairpin into her locks, and this was the final touch.
"You may open your eyes now, Haruno-san," said Madame Hoari softly, but with a note of elegant satisfaction. The attendants giggled, waiting for Sakura's reaction. Sakura opened her eyes and well and truly gaped.
"This is… me?"
The kimono they'd chosen was colored a deep, midnight blue. Decorating the most outward layer were butterflies made of golden thread, which sparkled with their own shining candescence. The obi around her middle was a soft, sweet lilac color. The thin, red string around her waist added to the way they had purposefully emphasized her tiny middle by calling attention to the ratio between her shoulders, waist and hips. Even Sakura had to admit… she looked beautiful.
I wish Tsunade-sama could see this, thought Sakura wistfully. She was always nagging me to 'use my womanly assets,' as she put it. Ino was like her, in that way.
Her surrogate mother would have been proud. Her surrogate sister would have been surprised and then so curious she might even attempt to use the Yamanaka kekkai genkai to learn the reason behind Sakura's transformation.
She was just that nosy, thought Sakura with fondness.
"This kimono isn't just an ornament, Haruno-san," added Madame Hoari. "There are many places to hide ninja tools in this garment." Sakura grinned and proceeded to fill the invisible pockets of silk with her poisoned weapons.
"Am I ready?"
"Yes, Hime-chan. Remember to keep to noble decorum and act properly scared when they take you. Your team will be right behind you," Madame Hoari said.
Hmm. She knows more about our mission than I expected, thought Sakura. She looked at the position of the sun in the sky.
"Time to meet my teammates at the gates."
Sakura began to walk towards the exit but the Madame stopped her. "You shall arrive in a carriage. You're the daughter of a noble, remember?"
Sakura lifted a brow but made no effort to contradict her. "Alright, here I go." She spotted the carriage at the entrance of the spa and then thought about it.
It bore repeating: "How about I meet you at the gates? Carriages really aren't my style."
"Wait! Haruno-san!" called Madame Hoari, but her voice was already fading as Sakura dissolved into a storm of petals. Madame Hoari sighed. Sarutobi had mentioned this possibility.
I hope she doesn't dirty that kimono, thought Madame Hoari a little amusedly. She had come to like the little pink haired shinobi.
…
When Sakura opened her eyes, she was at the gates of Konoha. Both teams had gathered at the entrance. And all of them had reactions to her transformation.
Naruto was delighted, crying, "Sakura-chan! You look so beautiful! You really are a hime."
Neji, who stood, transfixed, was able to be more direct. "Ahem, I think that outfit suites you, Sakura."
I probably remind the Neji of his mother, Sakura mused. And Naruto is just being sweet.
Lee looked on enthusiastically. "Sakura! You truly exude the power of youth!"
Tenten just smiled knowingly. While the boys marveled at her beauty, Tenten admired the pink-haired shinobi's ability to fight in such unwieldy clothing. And judging by yesterday, Tenten knew Sakura was a worthy match for any shinobi they might meet on the way. But Sakura really did look like the delicate daughter of some noble clansman.
Sakura turned to face Sasuke but suddenly stilled because her gaze was met with a hungry, red set of Sharingan eyes, as if Sasuke meant to drink her image in, every detail, down to the final stitch of her kimono, in order to preserve this memory forever. Unlike the Hyuuga, whose eyes were naturally hard to read given the lack of visible pupils, Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were as expressive as the verdant darkness. Something not-quite-lust but perhaps jealousy lit a fire behind those spinning pinwheels.
Isn't she marvelous? remarked Sasuke's inner elder.
Indeed…Sasuke didn't usually have much to say in the first place, but he couldn't recall a time when he had been so speechless that even his co-consciousness had very little to say.
If you want her, go get her, growled the elder Sasuke quite suddenly. However, in order for you to remain together, you must not only improve your skills by an enormous amount, but you must also work in concert with the Uzumaki boy.
As for training, well, I suppose I could pass down a jutsu or two.
Sasuke smiled infinitesimally, the equivalent of him jumping for joy. Sasuke terminated his internal conversation. Sasuke wracked his brains for something to say, but all he could squeeze out was:
"Is that you, Sakura?"
At this, cherry stained lips turned upward in a small but ferocious smile. "Thank you for your compliments, my dear teammates. Ready to kick some ass?"
Naruto jumped and whooped, punching the air enthusiastically. Lee was only slightly less boisterous than Naruto, and immediately began walking on his hands in celebration; Neji, for all his coldness, cracked a smile. Tenten pounded her fist into her palm—she was ready for action. Sasuke simply watched Sakura, rather like a falcon.
Kakashi grinned at their reactions, particularly Sasuke's. "Now, now, it's time for our "hime" to enter her transport," he said as the carriage rolled up to the village gates.
Sakura nodded and as she went to climb the stairs of the carriage, she was surprised to find Sasuke's pale hand hanging in the air, face up, ready to accept her palm in order to help her into the carriage. Sakura stared at Sasuke with suspicion, but he returned her heated gaze with a look of studied innocence. She accepted his hand and was surprised by how warm it was… somehow, in her subconscious, she had decided Sasuke's body temperature must be as cold as his disposition. She felt shame as a medic-nin. In a strange, metaphorical way, that was one of the major differences between the Sasuke from her first timeline and the one that stood before her, in her second timeline; one was cold, and the other was heat…and Sakura was comforted by that fact.
I stalked, fought for, and loved him for years. Does he think I am unable to see that mischievous little turn of his lips? thought Sakura.
As he grasped her hand, Sasuke slowly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. It was a whisper of touch, and only lasted for a flash of a second. It was a small but significant gesture that probably went unnoticed by all, except perhaps Kakashi. Viridian and crimson eyes met for the briefest of moments, and in that second it was as if Sakura experienced a tremendous longing for Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, that didn't belong to her younger self, the weakling who had wanted to save Sasuke but had not the power to do so, but belonged to her soul. Her heart slammed against her chest and it took all the discipline in the world not to instinctively reach up and immediately take her own pulse.
I did not experience this in my first timeline, Kaguya, Sakura called with panic laced in her voice, entering her fully realized mental plane immediately, consequences be damned.
What is this… feeling?
Even I cannot stop two souls destined for reunion, child.
Kaguya's voice took on a rare note of gentleness. She understood the pangs of love that defied time and lasted across dimensions. Others would say that such a love is enviable, but Kaguya knew better. To be so tied down by the existence of another, especially if they were by nature dismissive, was torture. There could be no better example of a "ball and chain" than the fates of true soulmates. Not all soulmates, and there weren't many to begin with, accepted their fates. Some attempted to defy their own hearts and suffered dearly for it; but even worse, the heart to which they were connected by fate, suffered even more.
That was the price of rebellion: watching your soulmate suffer while you are too weak and weary to help them.
No, Sakura snarled, her fists balled so tight that her fingers turned white. You and I defied fate when we came here, Kaguya. I will be the one to determine my own fate.
I have confidence in you, Sakura. I suggest you allow yourself the benefit of friendship in this timeline. If Sasuke doesn't leave, would you consider accepting his affections?
…This time around, I won't be so easy to catch, Kaguya. Anyone who wants to partner with me, must match me, said Sakura, regaining a little color in her cheeks as she spoke confidently. Amusement lit like a fire in her eyes.
Sakura's emerald orbs momentarily told the truth before she cloaked her emotions with the great power of her superego.
Sakura returned to reality, hand resting in Sasuke's, before their palms parted as she gracefully lifted the cloth of her kimono, making it possible to enter the carriage. Sakura couldn't help but notice the way the hand that Sasuke held tingled with residual heat. Now that she was alone, she allowed a blush to spread across her cheeks.
Oh, Kami-sama, thought Sakura, are you blessing me or forsaking me?
Kaguya chuckled. The wise mind is able to entertain both propositions at once.
Kaguya, tell me, is there even a Kami-sama?
Classified, said Kaguya flatly.
What is power without knowledge? Sakura countered.
Kaguya smiled at the girl within which she resided. The girl was starting to sound like her.
You'll just have to make do with what you have.
The carriage began it's journey to the pass. Sakura noted sourly how bumpy carriage rides were. She wondered if this was really the most popular civilian mode of transportation and then thanked the memory of her parents for encouraging her Shinobi dreams.
Team 7 took up visible positions around the carriage while Team Gai followed at the rear from a distance. Everything went as planned. About an hour and a half into the trip, a gloved hand reached inside the window to push away the screen. It was Kakashi.
"Sakura-chan," whispered Kakashi, "we are approaching the narrow valley. Prepare yourself, and remember not to lose your temper and kill them before you reach the War Lord's bedroom."
"Hai, sensei," Sakura said in her acerbic, ANBU voice.
Kakashi raised a single, wolf-grey brow. Somehow, without words, the man could communicate "bullshit" very clearly.
"You know me too well," she grumbled a moment later.
The carriage trundled along until Sakura felt a sudden stop. Twelve unfamiliar chakra signatures emerged from the valley and attacked the carriage and shinobi surrounding it. The fight didn't last long. She sensed henged Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi "lose" and collapse on the battlefield.
"Our only job is to retrieve the hime! This is what our master has asked of us!" yelled one thug, probably the one in charge. She felt them grab hold of the carriage and Sakura let out a calculated, high pitched scream of terror.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded from inside the carriage, as any noble daughter would in such a situation.
"Don't worry girlie, where we're taking you, you'll want for nothing. Our master has business with you."
Sakura thought she should hype up the drama. She pounded weakly on the sides of the carriage and yelled, "What have you done with my guard? Where are the Konoha Shinobi who accompanied me?"
"They were no match for us, Hime-chan," an unfamiliar voice called out. She mimicked a sob (no need to ruin Madame Hoari's hard work), and settled into her role as the scared hime. They went along and Sakura started asking questions she thought a 12 year old, scared but noble princess might ask. She let hesitance flood her voice:
"Is the man you're taking me to… a kind man? Why does he want me?"
She heard a chorus of knowing laughter follow her remarks. "Whatever it is that he does want, Hime-chan, you'd better give it to him. He doesn't take kindly to being disappointed."
She settled into silence. She thanked her Quiet Kage technique for it's dangerous misrepresentation of her powers. After a while the carriage stopped and someone opened the door to the carriage. A hand reached into the carriage and the man said, "It's time to come out, Hime-chan."
She hesitated as if she was scared.
"Hime-chan. Hand. Now."
She gave a little shriek of fright and then gingerly placed her palm in the man's hand.
"Don't damage the cargo," the one who Sakura had identified as the leader warned.
They were in front of a large compound. She was surprised by it's natural beauty. She sensed her team not far behind. Sakura played the part of wide-eyed child as she was ushered by what seemed to be the main guards of the compound. She was sure Neji and Sasuke could see exactly where she was and what she was doing. She walked the path and was led into a large room where War Lord Onigumo was sitting on a plush, royal purple pillow and an antique wooden chair, dressed very decadently. It was clear Lord Onigumo was surrounded by "yes men". He was overfed, overindulged, and probably being scammed by his own accountant pairing up with another merchant.
That's what I would do, thought Sakura idly.
Lord Onigumo's eyes landed on Sakura and his face twisted in a gross display of pleasure.
Is he salivating? Sakura asked her co-consciousness.
If it weren't for the mission, he would be long dead. Everyone here would be, snarled Kaguya.
Agreed.
Lord Onigumo motioned for her to sit. Trays of rich, oily foods were placed in front of her. She spotted the oysters and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.
Most of these dishes are aphrodisiacs. How disgusting.
She started picking at the food in false nervousness.
"You are so pretty. No need to be on guard," purred the War Lord, looming over her. "Eat and drink to your heart's delight." He grabbed her neck and opened her mouth, literally shoving sake down her throat, which, Sakura could immediately tell, was also mixed with a much stronger aphrodisiac.
The upside of being a medic-nin? Sakura had the ability to quickly burn off the alcohol and drugs she consumed. She thanked her Shishou for teaching her this trick,—she'd never lost a drinking contest since,— and slowly but surely feeding her poisons to increase her natural resistance to them. Sakura quickly identified the numbing agent in the sake. Here came the real performance.
Sakura gasped loudly as the paralytics had a very quick delivery system. Her large, innocent eyes widened with confusion as the hime struggled to realize what was happening to her. Her breathe came and went in a panicked staccato. Sakura's hands started to shake,—her eyes widened again with false fright,—as she pretended to feel the numbing ingredient work. She tried to stand but deliberately fell back onto her knees.
"What…?"
Sakura collapsed on her side, hitting the floor with a thud. One of the guards gathered her limp form in his arms and turned toward his master.
The War Lord smiled viciously. "Take the little Hime to my bedroom. I will join her there shortly."
The guard walked down a narrow hall and made two right turns. Left. Right. Left. Right. Sakura silently memorized the ins and outs of the compound.
Just need to wait for the bastard to show up to claim his prize, then we can practice our dojutsu!
I don't know why you keep calling it our dojutsu; the power is yours, said Kaguya, but her tone reminded Sakura of an adult fondly patting a child's head.
The guard laid her on the bed and left promptly. Sakura stayed in the same position, seemingly unable to move, pink hair fanned out behind her on the pillow. She used her chakra to bring about the usual outward symptoms of an aphrodisiac induced excitement. Soon, she was panting again, flushed with an "involuntary" blush and had the appearance of being overheated. She was breathing hard, trying to look confused and weak.
Sakura heard the sliding doors open. Though she could not turn her head, her eyes swiveled and she nearly scrunched up her nose in disgust.
"Make sure nobody disturbs us! Or I'll have your hands chopped off." The War Lord smiled as the doors shut behind him. He took his time, lighting incense and shedding his most outward coat. The War Lord strode across the room towards Sakura, expecting obedience. Sakura inwardly grinned as his guard cautiously moved away from the door and escaped to the outside.
"Hello, Hime-chan. I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to have some fun."
"What a coincidence, so do I," returned Sakura with a smirk. In an instant, she was standing on the bed, staring down the War Lord.
Looks like it's go time!
Sakura closed her eyes, sending chakra there to activate her dojutsu. Her eyes turned a kaleidoscopic green and she caught the War Lord in her Infinite Tsukuyomi. He immediately fell under her genjutsu, keeling forward in his unconscious state. She caught him and laid him on the bed temporarily.
First, let's find the scrolls. Killing him will be sweet revenge.
Her eyes easily found the original scroll under his bed, which she stuffed into her robes, and the location of the replicas. Her eyes flashed briefly as she thought:
Amaterasu!
Immediately, the copied scrolls burnt with black flames until their existence was completely vanished. She turned to the unconscious War Lord and released him from her genjutsu; he looked haggard and hardly like a "War Lord" when he returned to consciousness after 72 hours of mental torture, which only lasted a moment in the real world. She used the very same jutsu she had used on the scrolls to eviscerate the War Lord. He screamed and rolled on the floor, unable to put out the godly fire. His shrieks and wails were heard by no one, as Sakura both lined the windows and door with chakra and placed a seal on the door so as to prevent any interruption, no matter what went on in that room.
It worked! She thought excitedly. Looks like my job is done, and there will be no evidence left.
Sakura grinned. To Sasuke and Neji, hopefully the only thing they would see was her standing in front of the War Lord, him suddenly falling, rolling around, and the scrolls being destroyed all at once. But they would never know that she used Amaterasu, only that she had applied some kind of chakra that ended in the War Lord and the copy scrolls' erasure from this world.
Sakura toyed with her candyfloss hair, sighing like she had a secret.
I suppose I'm feeling a little mischievous, but is it really my fault? This place is filled with disgusting thugs who would deflower a 12 year old child.
Sakura released the chakra sealing the sound-proof doors. She gave a loud shriek that was sure to be heard by all in the compound. She called this ninjutsu, one of her own devising:
Ninpo: Heaven's Roar!
At its first level, the jutsu worked so that for every person affected within the radius, the cry would draw them in and seem as if the source was just around the corner; it was as if someone was shouting into their ears. The higher levels of the jutsu tended to be strictly for enemies rather than communication. She knew this wasn't part of the plan, but it was just the opportunity she'd been waiting for.
Sasuke and Neji were probably confused right now, but she doubted she could fool Kakashi. But even Kakashi wasn't fast enough to prevent what she was about to do. Sakura checked quickly, expanding her chakra throughout the compound to see if any of the dungeon's cells held innocents. It seemed as if she had arrived just after whoever they were holding was sold into slavery.
Dammit, Sakura snarled. These fucking bastards are worse than trash. All for a bit of coin.
"The War Lord is injured!" she shrieked in a high pitched, frightened voice. It didn't take long for all of the War Lord's vessels to congregate outside the bedroom. She heard them speaking.
"He said not to disturb him, no matter what we heard…" said one of them.
That won't do, thought Sakura. "Someone help! He just collapsed!"
The guards barged into the room, exactly as Sakura had planned.
"Finally," she commented darkly. "Why don't we put an end to this pathetic charade?"
Sakura could just hear Kakashi groaning.
"Goodbye!" She said, smiling sweetly.
Then, Sakura's face betrayed her true feelings,—hatred, anger, fury, confidence, and above all, satisfaction—as she raised a blue, chakra-coated fist and slammed it against the floor. Sakura, knowing just how dangerous her cherry-blossom punch could be, immediately jumped high in the air, rocketing through the collapsing ceiling, vaulting up and away from the quaking mess, and then shunshined just out of destruction's reach. The entire compound crumbled into itself, taking the entire organization with it.
Shame about the garden, I suppose, Sakura mused.
Technically she hadn't gone against the Hokage's order. She grinned from the tree branch upon which she was standing, and after giving the pile of rubble one last look, ran in the opposite direction, towards her teammates.
….
Hey readers! Thank you for reading! Let's try to get up to 10 reviews by next chapter, ne? I put some sasusaku in there, some sakura badassery, and added a new mission. What did you guys think?
with love,
—Peregrine Passage