6. It felt like the Fourth Shinobi War again…

It felt like the Fourth Shinobi War again, she heard weapons clattering, shouts, there were bodies everywhere. The battle started in the night, and they fought well into the morning.

Serving under Hashirama felt assuring. He was an experienced warrior and he gained respect naturally. His men followed him into death without question or hesitation. His strategies were sound and he never asked from his men what he would not do himself.

In the battle she was one of the stronger shinobi and as such she tried together with Hashirama and Tobirama to reduce the casualties to a minimum. She healed the men whenever she could and tried to save their lives in battle as well.

But she couldn't save everybody. She had, during her brief time as part of the Senju clan, become acquainted with some of the men that died. There had not been enough time to form strong friendships, but every life was important to her and every death a grievance.

And then Uchiha Izuna happened upon her while she was healing a young warrior, a child almost. She heard the kunai whistling through the air and deflected it with her own, never stopping the green chakra flow towards her patient. But the glimpse she caught of his face made her falter. Inkblack hair and matching eyes, noble and stoic features. The resemblance with Sasuke was uncanny, and for a moment she was suspended in between the past and future. She knew who he was instantly. And then she realised with a start that he was not trying to target her, but the boy she was healing and an intense fury took hold of her.

"State your name so that I may know my enemy" she said coolly, her rage contained, while she stared into his inkblack eyes.

He blinked at her determined words, his fine eyebrows frowned: "Enemy? Are you a kunoichi?"

She answered by throwing a kunai at him with an easy flick of her wrist. He easily dodged it, but looked puzzled.

The he answered: "Uchiha, Izuna".

She charged him, her fury giving her wings and remembered in time that she did not need him to know yet how accomplished she was. She had tried to stay low in the battle up till now and used no chakra enhanced punches or kicks that would catch the eyes of the Uchiha. She needed subtlety to surprise him in order to render him unconscious.

He was so breathtakingly handsome, like all Uchiha's but with the same stoic and expressionless face. She felt emotions stir once again, when her thoughts drifted towards the person that bore the same expressionless features. Uchiha Sasuke resembled Izuna like two drops of water. They could be brothers. She felt a pang in her heart, of emotions long buried, snapping. But she couldn't afford to be emotional. This was not Sasuke, this was her enemy!

He hadn't activated his sharingan yet, so he did not take her seriously yet. She smirked inwardly. What an idiot! This was one of the first lessons she was taught in school, never underestimate your opponent!

She flew at him with a string of taijutsu moves, but tried to pretend that she was surprised by his speed. She cursed at him, to lead him on in his idea that she was a weak female. It was a precarious balance that she needed to keep up. He was an Uchiha after all and his powers were formidable. If they would fight full out she doubted if she could win from a sharingan user. However she had years of training with Sasuke. She knew the weak points in the sharingan and she knew how to avoid being trapped in his eyes. Also she was very good at dispelling genjutsu.

Unfortunately he was very good at Gōkakyū no Jutsu. His last attack she barely managed to outrun. She heard him laugh and yell at her: "Just give up you Senju bitch!" She felt anger rising. The nerve! If he only knew what she was doing!

After a few series of attacks to test his capabilities she got serious. She had stalled the fight long enough. Now she just had to get him unconscious and then tie him with chakra ropes. Easy right?

She tried out a few attacks but he blocked every single one of them. Then he managed to kick her into a tree. The tree cracked and fell by the impact. While he was admiring his own handywork, she exploded in a flurry of cherry blossom leaving him bewildered.

The same technique as that Senju? Impossible! Who is this girl? He had never seen her before and she didn't seem like a Senju at all with her pink hair. The realisation hit him then. She was a stranger, he had no intel on her. He suddenly felt wary.

Then the air above him moved. He looked up. She came down with her leg held out, kicking him in his chest and he felt himself being beaten into the earth with immense force. A large crater formed.

What an impossible strength! She is not what she seemed, I underestimated her.

He flicked on his sharingan. He had to get serious now or he would lose this fight! While crawling out of the crater, the tomoes in his eyes were spinning and he saw her tensing up. She evaded his eyes expertly. They taught her well.

They fought seriously now. He stayed clear from her hits and punches, for the damage they did to the landscape around them when she missed made him apprehensive. What an impossible strength and chakra control!

Sakura in turn was wary as well. Izuna's movements and strategies were fast, impeccable and dangerous due to his Sharingan. Again and again he predicted where she would move in the fight. It was unnerving and wearing her out. His fire jutsu became more intense, scorching her arms at one point. She kept on trying to evade him, stretching the battle to wear him out, waiting for the opportune moment that she needed. But it was hard.

Fatigue took hold of her slowly but surely. Izuna must have read the signs, for he surprised her with a series of taijutsu attacks that were relentless, with powerful chakra enhancement. He managed to kick her through a tree trunk, pain exploding in her back that she healed quickly. She saw a flash of Mangekyō Sharingan and ice creeped up in her heart. It came to that already...

She flew backwards still, her back hitting another tree trunk, and blood spurted out of her mouth. Pain erupted again in her just healed back and she felt dizzy for a moment. Then, a warm arm around her low back, followed by a tugging sensation. Within a few seconds, she stood panting, behind Izuna on the battlefield.

Uchiha Izuna wheeled around, his eyes wide. " You!"

Of course it was Tobirama that had caught her, using hiraishin to transport them to another position on the battlefield. Relief washed over her. She stood shakingly, pushing away from Tobirama's chest. She felt his hand linger on her lower back for a moment. His voice resounded over her head.

"Yes, me!" Then, he whispered in her ear: " Sakura-chan, he is successfully worn out, do you have a plan?"

She contemplated his question. A plan? Yes, she had a plan, but things got more complicated now that she had coaxed him unwillingly towards the Mangekyō Sharingan already, a technique she had been uncertain of, if he mastered it. This was too dangerous. The only other solution came to mind in the wake of loving memories of honey colored eyes and blond hair. Yes. She would use that technique. It would end things quickly. But Tobirama could cause trouble here, there was no time to inform him. But she saw no other solution. She stared at him seriously. "Hai, I will distract him so you can kick him unconscious and bind him with chakra."

He nodded. Face grim.

"But Tobirama…." she chewed her lip: "It will be severely disturbing for you to see. There is no time to explain, but you have to trust me." She grasped his arm with force, emphasizing her words. "I will be ok."

He frowned, but nodded.

But it wasn't enough. She turned his face toward her with her hand, looking him straight in the eye: "Tobi, promise to trust me: I will be ok."

He widened his eyes at her seriousness. He surveyed her, face schooled. "Do you trust me?" she insisted.

"I trust you."

Then she smiled at him and made the hand signs to perform Tsunade's Ninpō Sōzō Saisei Byakugō no Jutsu. The movements came to her as if ingrained in her very being, it made her feel warm and complete.

Tobirama noticed with interest, alien markings crossing her face, stretching further along her body. They originated from the diamond shaped seal on her forehead. He felt the pulsating chakra that was contained behind the seal spread like wildfire across her body, powering her up. His sensory senses picked up the increase of power in detail. The amount of chakra is incredible! What is this jutsu?

But before he could ask her, she sprinted towards the Uchiha at high speed. He startled, he knew her regular speed, and this was the next level! Amazing! Then the second thought hit him, making him feel cold inside. She is running straight at him! What is she thinking! He cursed loudly, calling her, but his throat seemed full of sawdust, the words came out soft and rough. He knew he should not distract her, for she might die. But his body and brain seemed to short circuit.

Her voice entered his brain like a soothing force and he tried to shut out any emotion that had surfaced watching her run towards certain death. I made a promise and I trust her. Do I trust her?

Years of mental training made him force fear and doubt down and away. He could not be distracted by emotion. It could endanger her if he did. He forced his mind into the now, into the variable of reality and their many outcomes. The outcome of battle was just a calculation of options, pain a matter of perspective and choice. Yes...

He readied himself for attack. When she was close to his enemy he would use the mark he gave her. With Hiraishin he could win him over and bind him, maybe kick his ass. Then save the future.

Emotions kept swirling upward though. His heart was hammering in his chest. What is she doing!

And then, as if in a dream, he saw time slow down and the thing he feared happened. She ran flatout towards him, crashing herself full out, into his sword. He saw the blade protruding out of her back and heard the sickening ripping sound of metal through flesh. Red blood seeped out of the wound slowly, lazy almost.

His heart stopped, his breathing stopped. Emotions that he didn't know he had, surfaced with force and aggression. It took him all his self control, his carefully built up self control to suppress and ignore the grief and despair and to not transport himself to her to hold her.

It took him everything to not kick the Uchiha's head from his body or nail him to the ground with his sword.

It took him everything he had to punch him unconscious and tie him business-like with chakra, securing him.

It took him everything to stay objective, rational, emotionless.

To stay Senju Tobirama.

And after he completed the objective they had fought for, he mechanically turned around to look at her and his heart stopped for the second time. The grief washing over him, was the same hollow and empty feeling that swallowed him, in the dark days of his little brother's death on the battlefields of his father. He felt all energy leave him suddenly, making him sink to his knees.

Her blood penetrated his pants, still warm. He felt it soak further, slowly crawling upwards on his skin. With shaking hands, he lifted her upper body from the ground and held her into his chest and felt a sob clawing his way out of his chest. He felt empty, a deep nothingness and behind it, a boiling pit of rage that he dared not touch.

Then he heard her murmuring "Tobi…." His sob erupted from him, surprising himself. Then he gasped in surprise, almost to tears.

"Tobi, I am ok. Just trust me… " When he dared looking at her face, she smiled faintly and a green glow surrounded her wounds. Steam was rising from them. She sat up pushing at his reluctant hands, that were trembling with concern still. But she persisted and then pulled the blade with a grunt out of her body, while the wounds healed. Leaving not even a scar nor scratch.

He was rooted on the spot: " You….."

She smiled at him. "Yes, me. I told you to trust me." She saw emotions follow each other quickly on his face. She feared for a moment he would break down, but he smiled after a while. "You scared me." he said simply.

Her face softened: " I know. I didn't think I would need this technique. If I had thought it possible I would have informed you in advance. I am sorry."

"Only the result counts, Sakura. I guess you hinted on this technique when you explained why you felt guilty that you didn't save Hyuuga Neji."

She fell quiet, rubbing her arms for a moment. "Yeah….." He held her softly and then he pulled her up, inspecting her wounds.

Izuna had regained consciousness very quickly and was staring shocked, at the scene unfolding before him. This girl! She planned this from the start! Her bravery shocked him. She nailed herself willingly to his sword, almost died and then pulled his katana out of her body as if she removed a splinter! Her courage surprised him and angered him. This kunoichi! She beat me with sheer bravery and with medical skills no less!

When Madara noticed his brother bound, the fight between him and Hashirama took off to another level. Sakura watched in awe when history ran its course before her eyes. She knew the outcome, but what if she altered the future already? What if Hashirama tried to kill himself and Madara did not stop him? She felt an intense relief when the ending seemed to go just like the history scrolls. The future was looking bright. Konoha would be built and Madara was a less pained and troubled soul.