With a yelp she landed on the hard ground in the middle of the forest. She coughed, looking around as much as she could. It took a minute to understand where she was. It was the same area they had been in when fighting Madara but something was off. And not just because there was no sign of a battle.
She realized that the darkness that formed must have been what was sending Naruto and Sasuke back. But instead she fell in. There was no more Sasuke. No more Naruto. No more Kakashi-sensei. Not a single person she knew personally and grew up with was no longer here. After a minute of letting it all sink in, she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was then she realized her arm was seared badly.
She had some chakra left and began to heal as much as she could. It looked worse than it was as she concentrated. She had to stop healing, feeling her body want to give out right then and there. She healed most of it, a scar would probably be the extent of what remained now. She tore her pants and wrapped, doing what she could.
The whole time all she could do was think back to what happened, trying to wrap her head around it. It couldn't be possible to travel through time. It had never even been thought of before; no one had ever heard of a jutsu that had anything to do with time. She wanted to scream, call out to her friends. Why couldn't she and Kakashi go through too? They could have worked together like a team and figured it out. It bothered her greatly, but she couldn't find anger about it. Tears began to pour out as she let go of her composure. All she could do is cry now as realization came to her the more she thought about it. She may never see her friends again.
After many hours she picked herself up, determined her directions and began walking. All she could do now was make her way towards Konoha, if it was even there. Its establishment would give her an estimate of what time period she was in. She knew enough history to figure out the year from that context. She kept telling herself she was thinking about it way too hard and was getting a headache.
She groaned as she started to walk through the forest, looking around to find some indication of if she was right or wrong. They had been battling for so long that going on for too long would be hazardous to her health. Especially draining her chakra for a constant heal like she was. But she had to at least push on until she got out of the clearing.
She started to run, already figuring out a plan. The ocean would be an indicator if she went the right way or not, considering she was not completely sure which way to go. Depending on the location of battle she would have to reach water within a few hours. If it would be the right waterway to follow back to the Land of Fire depended on her ability to find south and east. She was so disoriented that even simple things were getting difficult to understand.
After a while she began to think of her predicament. What should be the best course of action? There were not many options, the only thing to do now was to make the sacrifice worth it. She made it back so she could do what Naruto and Sasuke were going to do. But how? She wanted to change the future in order to save them but it was all too much to bear. They had knowledge of things she did not. And even if things did change, she would never see them again.
"I agreed to it for a reason. I believe this plan will work."
The first hokage's words echoed in her mind and she stopped for a moment. Did he come back too? How could he have? And why? It shouldn't be possible, she saw him fade before landing her. Did he know something she did not? Then it hit her. Uchiha Madara. It was all because of Uchiha Madara. If she could somehow stop him now then things would change drastically. Unfortunately this was Madara, so his power was of course ridiculously strong. Sakura knew that the only reason she was able to get far was because of Naruto and Sasuke, but she had a chance to show she was stronger and swore that she could do it without them.
She took a second to let it all sink in. Madara was powerful, but that was because of all the years of experience. He didn't have all that experience yet if she was sent to the right time. In fact he would only know so much and didn't have the deadly techniques he did when they fought against him. There was actually a chance she could be on par, especially with her seal. He was the key to stopping what started. If she was stuck here, the only thing that could be done was keep Madara from going down this path. Maybe killing him would be the best option if it's possible. She had no idea what Naruto and Sasuke could have done but that's the only thing she can do to stop him herself. She groaned and sat down, let out a breath and fell to the ground. She was too tired to think anymore. She finally hit her limit.
It had only been a couple days but she finally found the ocean. Sakura wasn't too worried, being able to determine which way was North and knew how to find her water source. Now she just needed to follow it for a couple days until she was sure she entered the Land of Fire. She had been right in her original direction, even with a hazy thought process. She looked to the water, wanting to jump in to cool off but decided against it. It was a nippy night and she didn't need to deal with getting sick. As a medic, even though you could heal yourself you still avoid situations that would require this.
She growled at the moon's reflection when she started to feel fear, she didn't dare look at it. All she wanted now was to yell and let out her anger on it, the reminder of what happened. Madara and Kaguya both caused so much anxiety she could not bear to think about it half the time. Her mind kept racing on what to do next that she barely knew when the days and nights passed by.
She sighed while sitting down. She would rest for a few hours before heading all the way to the Land of Fire. She wanted to make sure she had enough Chakra stored in the seal before heading out so she could use it to help stay away. The amount of time it would take to get there would be cut down by a third if she was able to keep going without sleep or take much of a break. The faster she got there, the faster she could get a plan together.
It had only taken Sakura twenty four hours, give or take, with high speed to reach a specific part of the beach she recognized. Her Chakra was fully restored and her wounds mostly healed. Though she had a nasty scar already formed from the lightning strike. She stood at the beach, staring out as the sun rose and illuminated the sky. It was so pretty, especially when you could see no reflection from the water. For a moment she was able to calm her thoughts, sighing with aggravation.
She would need food soon. Even though she had her seal she could feel her body starting to give out. She had forgotten about food, too distracted with thoughts and plans. The last time she had any type of food was hours before they headed out to aid Naruto. Using up her Chakra the way she did was stressful and she was still getting used to it. Training with Tsunade was intense and she could do so much now but her endurance and stamina could only hold out for so long.
"If only I was able to hold out a bit longer," Sakura thought to herself, sighing once again.
"Who are you? What is your purpose here?" a very demanding and deep voice called from behind her in the forest.
She turned around to see a tall man with red hair, his long bangs tied by his chin while the rest held up in a bun. His eyes were dark blue and glared at her with caution. He wore black clothing with armor that reminded her of the First but in a gray color with close guarding shoulder pads and bandages wrapping around his shins. His hand grabbed onto his sword as she turned to look at him. It confused her for a minute, unsure as to why he would even react in such a way.
"I mean no harm. I am just trying to get somewhere," she told him, putting her hands in the air. She needed to avoid fighting as much as possible.
"Why do you have that mark?" he asked aggressively.
"Mark?" she asked, confused.
"The mark Mito-sama possesses. It is a symbol identifying her own within the Uzumaki clan…"
"Uzu…maki?" Sakura's eyes widened. Naruto's clan?
Sakura tried to think of something fast, going through every excuse she could think of. She couldn't tell him, or anyone, where she was from or why she was there and definitely couldn't explain the Seal. Her mind was too scrambling with the Uzumaki. She never really heard of Mito or the Uzumaki Clan in history. Then she remembered Tsunade mentioning her grandmother by the name Mito. She was at times alongside the first hokage in history. She looked up at this man and stood straight, causing him to glare with slight confusion.
"My name is Sakura and I have just been in battle. I am too weak to do anything right now. I take no sides. This is… a seal put on by my Shishou," she started, hoping he would leave her be so she could try to fix the mess she was in. "As I said before I mean no harm."
"Why should I trust you?" he asked, starting to stand down.
"Because as you see I am in no condition to fight anyone. Honestly, I don't really have much of a home any longer," she said, using her torn battle outfit to her advantage. Though she was feeling drained and wasn't sure if she could fight if it came down to it. And if she had to use any other technique then it would only cause problems.
"What clan do you hail?" he asked.
"I… I no longer have a family here." She didn't have to lie, she didn't have a clan here and was alone now. The sudden realization that she no longer had her parents either started to sink in. She had been so involved with everything going on she had no time to process just how drastic it was coming back.
"So you have no clan then?" he asked with sympathy.
She glanced away for a moment, trying to speak as he began walking closer. He seemed a bit saddened by his assumption, this was a war torn era after all. Sakura nodded before hearing something behind her. Before she could react, a hit on the back of her head sent her down as she blacked out.
Sakura was not a morning person, anyone who knew her would know all too well. But as soon as she could smell dumplings, fish and other various foods that made her mouth water, she jumped up from where she was laying and saw a small spread of food. It all looked delicious and all she could think about was digging into it all. She completely forgot where she was and did not question how she got there. Her only thought was food. She didn't even notice someone was already by the sliding door.
"So you have finally woken up?" a woman said startlingly to her. "So you do have the mark... If you wish to eat now then eat your fill. Mito-sama will be here within minutes to speak with you."
With that she left the room, leaving Sakura completely confused. She would have thought twice about it but immediately went for the food. She couldn't help but stuff her face quickly, trying to savor the taste. It was so much better than any food she had tasted back home. Even her favorite restaurant had nothing on this.
"You must have been exhausted and starving to eat that much," another voice said, closing the door as she walked in. Sakura almost choked on her rice, alarmed.
She wiped her mouth and looked at the woman to blame. She had red hair in two buns with a talisman dangling from each one, a crown adorned atop her head. Her yukata was teal with a light pink flowery design, red trimming and a red obi. She had dark colored eyes and light coloring on her lips. She was so beautiful, something about her screamed royalty. She sat on her knees by Sakura.
"Eh, it has been a while since I had a decent meal," she said blushing with embarrassment.
"Pink hair?" she mumbled with an inquisitive look.
"Yeah. Not the most inconspicuous," she replied with a nervous laugh.
"I am Uzumaki Mito, as I am sure you have been made aware," she smiled with a slight bow.
"Hai. My name is Sakura,"
"That mark... I was told you had it put on by your Shisho," Mito stated. Sakura nodded, wanting to eat more so badly, but decided not to be rude. "I find it hard to believe. It is the mark..."
"Only you have. So I have been told."
"Uzashi," Mito huffed. "You understand why I ask? I myself created this seal as an Uzumaki. Someone wandering around out there with the knowledge of this is suspicious."
"I am sorry Mito-sama," Sakura bowed slightly. "I do not think I have the answer you are looking for."
"Is the information that sensitive?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing like that. I... don't know why she gave it to me," she replied. She hoped the lie would be convincing enough to stop her from interrogating.
She half expected the woman to keep pressing the matter. Though it would be odd seeing as when she woke, she was greeted with food and a simple conversation. It was a little off to her, but this woman seemed to be understanding. She also reminded her of Tsunade's calmer and serious side. She looked to the ground and sighed.
"Understood." Mito stood and opened the sliding door, looking back at Sakura. "If you have no clan or affiliation, you are welcome to stay here with us. We know about loss; it is never easy and we could not imagine being on our own."
"Wait..." she stopped her, taken aback. "Why are you being so kind to a stranger?"
"You are harmless to us. I sense no ill will." Mito gave her a simple smile before leaving.
Sakura wasn't stupid. She could tell how fake the smile Mito gave her was. She had spent enough time with Sai, and forcing her own a good portion of her life, to know a good difference between real and fake smiles. It did seem a little too convenient for them to give her a place to stay and have this much generosity for a stranger in these war torn times. But their actions were met with understanding. They had to deal with the white Zetsu pretending to be people from the Shinobi Alliance and that itself caused a big trust problem. In war you could never be too careful.
She had to give it to them, but they did take the opportunity to add a strange herb to the Miso soup that would paralyze her Chakra and possibly paralyze her in the process. She had only read about it from a medical book Tsunade had given her but because Sakura had some information on it, she was able to make a quick antidote. She stood still on a branch, looking around carefully before continuing to leap through the trees.
It was probably an interrogation tactic as it was easy to counter the herbs they gave her. Thus she found an Uzumaki to make her a specific tea to treat the issue without them knowing. When Mito found out, Sakura had already taken it and ran. She had been running from them for hours but regardless she had food in her system so maintaining her stamina and endurance would be a bit easier now. She didn't have to rely on all the Chakra she had. It would take time for it all to fully return, especially since the antidote did take time to neutralize everything fully.
Most of them seemed to have retreated, not wasting their time on her. Mito on the other hand was still going strong with ambition. Sakura treated the situation as if it was a more serious training exercise with her Shisho. This in turn helped considering Mito and Tsunade did have some similar qualities, though because it was a different time Sakura was able to use more advanced stuff to get away easier. But Mito was a sensor type. Her Shisho was not. This was the biggest issue she was going to encounter. Instead of setting up traps and running, she had to either run or stop to fight. Mito was eventually going to catch up and Sakura didn't know the area very well and was at a disadvantage.
A kunai flew at her from the side without warning. She jumped down to avoid it, ready to get into a fighting stance as she landed but instead had to grab the sword that tried to stab her. Their eyes locked, both determined to beat the other. Mito now wore the Uzumaki battle armor, just like Uzashi. Sakura threw her off and aimed for the woman. Mito jumped back and Sakura hit the ground, causing the area around to break apart.
She looked back up at Mito whose wide eyes couldn't seem to leave the ground. Obviously this kind of power hadn't been seen yet in this era. She snapped out of it and grabbed her kunai, going after Sakura with an intent to kill. Sakura jumped into the trees and grabbed the stray kunai, using it to block the others' throw at her. She grabbed another and ran off with Mito close behind.
"Futon: Yashi no Shotto!" Mito shouted, punching her palms forward, causing powerful whirls of wind to flow from her arms. She struck near Sakura, causing her to fall from the trees.
She took the opportunity to land and throw one at Mito, jumping at her as well. The Uzumaki dodged her attack, slicing Sakura's side with her short sword as she passed with a missed punch. Sakura took her chance to elbow Mito in the back, directly to the lung area. She fell to the ground with a great deal of force, practically gasping for air. She recovered as quickly as she could and threw her sword at Sakura.
"Futon: Kaze no Uzu," Mito quickly made hand signals and sucked in. She blew out a massive gust of air that concentrated itself to a smaller shape, breaking through any and every obstacle, mostly trees, as she attempted to hit Sakura.
Sakura jumped up to avoid it but Mito quickly moved her head to her direction, making the wind vortex shoot upward with high speed. She had to think fast since she wasn't able to do too much more. Mito was faster than expected, matching Naruto and Sasuke even, and she started to use jutsu on top of that. Both of which she had never even heard of before.
Sakura grabbed a branch and pushed herself away, placing her free hand to her side. She then jumped to the ground and smashed the ground, causing the woman to fall before running off. She needed to extract the poison that she knew was on that sword as quickly as possible. If it wasn't amazing chakra and sensing skills it was sealing techniques. If it wasn't sealing techniques it was poison. The Uzumaki clan sure were stubborn and powerful which was a good yet dangerous combination. It all made sense now; why Naruto was capable of anything if he set his mind to it.
"Sakura!"
Sakura was caught off guard for a moment, when she heard that voice. Within a quick second her mood changed and she turned to the side to see if she was correct. There he was, the First. He stood there, somewhat confused when he saw her fleeing. She stopped and turned his way, her aura raging with anger. He knew her name. It had to be him, the hint of familiarity on his face gave him away. It all came back to her at once. This was their plan. To let them die instead of returning together, and now she was here by accident. Alone. He crumbled away but apparently still made it back as well. And all her anger at the situation built up heavily.
"Shannaro!" she shouted, punching him right in the face and making him fly back a few yards.
It didn't matter if he knew what he did or not, she had been so pissed that it was hard to hold back at this point in time. It was one thing when he pushed her without warning, but it was another thing when she was forced into the past without knowing what the hell she was supposed to do.
"I was... just going to help..." he whined, sitting up, holding what could be a broken nose.
"You... just..." She let out an aggravated huff.
"I guess I may actually deserve that," he said, maneuvering his nose as he stood. "You do not seem to be doing too well in this era." She stood there staring at him with disbelief.
"How are you here?" she asked.
"I was able to send myself back. Though only my soul. I was able to gain my future memories in order to stop what happened in our world," he said walking over to her, with caution. "Only two could pass through and I knew you would need guidance."
Sakura looked down, suddenly feeling a bit lost. This was too much to deal with. Only two? So it was only set for Naruto and Sasuke, the rest of them really were meant to die. Which meant… they died instead.
"Forgive me, I didn't think it through. I wanted a chance to stop this," he said in a regretful tone. "No one else would have come."
"I get it," she said, letting it sink in.
Hashirama quickly grabbed her and got them both out of the way to avoid the various gusts of wind. Sakura had almost forgotten about Mito, they were still in the middle of a battle. She swallowed the lump that built in her throat and took a deep breath. She would have to deal with her emotions later when she had time. She got into a fighting stance as the woman jumped out from the trees, ready to fight.
"Mito-san!" Hashirama exclaimed with surprise.
"You." Mito pointed her sword towards him, eyes glaring. "You. Senju Hashirama, correct?"
"I am Mito-san. We do not have any intention to harm you or your clan. This girl is alone here and means no harm. I promise you this," he spoke with seriousness, making Mito ease up.
"I suppose your word is as much as I can get. We have never had issues with the Senju and I will not be the one to start a feud," she said as she lowered her sword.
"I appreciate this Mito-san," he sighed, relieved. She put her sword away and turned to leave.
"The poison is not deadly as long as you remove it in the next twelve hours." With that she started to walk away. Sakura sighed, clutching her side as she had forgotten her wound had been there.
"Wait, Mito-san. I understand this is a strange request. Could we perhaps talk about an alliance of clans?" His words stopped her for a moment.
"That is not the best idea Senju-san," she said without stopping.
"Wait! Here me out," he said, chasing after her.
Sakura could only stand there, gawking at the site. Mito ignored him as much as possible while he kept trying to convince her. The First was not what Sakura had expected, especially seeing him act this way. She began to walk to catch up, keeping distance but just enough to try to hear what was going on. This era was going to be difficult to handle, but she had no choice but to get used to it. Hopefully with his memories, it would make things a little easier. At least she wasn't completely alone now.
Futon: Yashi no Shotto - Wind Release: Palm Shot
Futon: Kaze no Uzu - Wind Release: Wind Vortex
I know, original isn't it :p
