She squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the light. Morning finally came around and Sakura felt like she was up all night. Her mind would not stop racing throughout the night, thinking about the current situation and going over the story Hashirama had told her. If his plan worked out then there was still a risk due to the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan which would lead to the Rinnegan. He didn't really explain how he was going to prevent Madara from turning this time but if he knew what happened already then at least things could be changed.

She knew now that going with the Uzumaki may actually be for the best. If things worked out she would be stuck here and would have to move on with her life. Needless to say she would be stuck in this era anyway, so might as well make the best of it. Right now her main priority would be to gain Mito's trust and hope the rest of the clan would accept her. She sat up and rubbed her eyes before throwing her covers off. She grabbed the yukata she wore last night and put it on. She slid her door open and began to walk around the compound. Some people were already up, getting ready to depart. Uzashi glanced her way, pardoning himself before running to see her. Sakura stopped for a moment so he could catch up.

"Ohayo Sakura-san," he greeted with a smile.

"Ohayo. When do we leave?" she asked politely.

"When Mito-sama has completed her preparations. I take it you will be joining us?" he smiled.

"I will. Have you seen... Hashirama?" she asked looking around to see if she could spot him anywhere, hoping he did not leave.

"I had last seen him..." he started, his hand to his chin as he thought. "I do believe he went to the main house," he chuckled.

"Arigato," she bowed, walking off to the main house.

"May I accompany you?" he said, jogging up next to her.

"Ugh… sure." Sakura looked at him. "Usashi-san, why did you defend me?" He looked at her with a curious gaze.

"I suppose it is because I cannot help but sympathize with you. You had said you no longer have a family, something I understand. I have my clan but the rest of my direct family have been killed with the ongoing war," he told her as he looked away.

She stopped walking and looked down, hoping her hair would cover her face. That was the last thing she expected, but in reality it made sense. Especially with this current era. She had not expected that, forgetting a clan and family were not always the same.

"Sorry, I should not have asked," she bowed.

"Sakura-san please... it is no problem I assure you," he said in a panic. "It has been many years and I have Mito-sama. I was the one sympathizing with you."

She looked up to see him with his hands up defensively and a nervous, panicking look on his face. It reminded her of Naruto a little bit; as it seemed some traits Naruto had inherited were without a doubt from the Uzumaki Clan. She gave him a small smile, hoping he would calm down.

"I guess I should have said it in a different way," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Even so I know that is hard. I am sorry for that," she said as they turned the corner.

"It is alright. I was young after all and at least I know they died doing the right thing," he shrugged.

"How so?" The smile he gave actually looked as if he was proud.

"The Land of Whirlpool has some the Uzumaki clan had saved from this war. Originally a compound a few miles from here was the place they would take them so everyone orphaned or left alone had a place to stay. Uzushiogakure was formed so that the clan themselves had a separate home. Those who they deemed worthy could possibly live there as well. Some marriages were also an acceptable way to gain recognition. This is the only mainland place we have to come to otherwise. My parents were here with a group trying to help people when they were all attacked. They had killed our rivals but practically died in the process, saving the people who lived there."

"That is..." she started, trying to figure out what to say.

"If it had not been for my parents and my older sister then many people would have died. After that, the Clan Leader moved everyone to the Land of Whirlpools and had this place built so we had a compound to stay until we finished our business. And those not of our clan can stay as long as they keep everything proper. If we found people who needed a place someone would take them away immediately to avoid the previous disaster," he explained, trying to think of any detail he may have left out.

"I guess I got different treatment because I am a Shinobi and caused chaos," she said with a weak smile.

"Exactly. When I heard you had no family I felt the need to help you regardless. If you did not have the same mark as Mito-sama you may have been given a chance," he said looking at her.

Just as they walked around the corner they saw Hashirama and Mito standing together talking. From afar you could see a small smile on Mito's face as she talked with enthusiasm. It was hard to tell what they were talking about but the two halted as Sakura began to approach, Hashirama still filled with enthusiasm. Though Mito's smile changed back to her usual demeanor, ready to discuss further plans.


Hashirama had practically left without another word to anyone after he had a small chat with Sakura. He would contact her as soon as he could and would let her know how far back they actually were. Apparently the clans clashed so much throughout the years it was difficult to tell exactly when they were... even for him. As soon as Mito had gotten the word out, the clan gathered and went on their way. They had taken a day to get close to the edge of the Land of Fire to get closer to the Land of Whirlpools. They were currently riding a few small boats back to Uzushio, making Sakura nervous. She would have to speak with the clan leader with Mito and she hadn't even spoken with the woman much. It was uncomfortable being around her and Hashirama made it worse with whatever he did or said earlier.

At least with the rest of the Uzumaki it was easy going and they did not say anything about her being there. Kind of the way it was with Uzashi. It made it a little easier to think and clear her head but when she thought about talking with the leader she started to panic inside. But she ignored as best as she could, hoping things worked out okay. She started to miss everyone in times like these. Sure she was able to get through things on her own but it was nice having her friends, no matter how close they were if they were close at all, by her side. She really missed Konoha most of all. That was one thing that kept her going; the thought of being able to be back in her village. Even if it was a slow start, things would get better.

She could have a somewhat normal life again, as well as being close to the Hokage as well. She wondered what she would do about Mito. She was supposed to be his wife in the future but the relationship is a bit broken. Mito seemed like she liked him but at the same time she also got furious with him. Sakura hated the fact she may have gotten the habit from hanging around Naruto and Ino too much but she had the urge to get involved and try to fix things.

They finally arrived after what seemed like hours upon hours of being on water. She stepped out and looked around, walking with the rest just past the trees. She was instantly reminded of team seven's first mission; the place had a similar feeling to the Land of Waves but had a more sophisticated feel to it. The houses were more traditional of course and the pillars around had the Uzumaki symbol on them. There was plenty of space, with a few buildings that looked like something from Konoha.

She watched as people in the streets stopped what they were doing to greet those who arrived back. You could just see how they were all so close knit, families coming out of the houses just to greet their loved ones. She giggled when Uzashi was jumped and knocked down by the children of the village. He knew it was coming but didn't brace himself, instead allowing them to knock him down so he could hug them all.

"You come with me," Mito said as she passed, leading the way down the street.

Mito fit this place perfectly; the way she looked and how she was calm and collective, without Hashirama in the picture. Many of the Uzumaki in the village had this feel about them too. It was so strange to Sakura, especially since the only Uzumaki she had ever known was a loud mouth who had a short fuse. Unless you counted Tsunade who, even if just a descendant, still had that blood flowing through her veins. Tsunade and Hashirama had more of a resemblance than she and Mito, so it may not count. Sakura followed Mito to a large tower that looked like a smaller version of the Hokage tower. As she passed, people would look at her. Some would have a naive confused look while others would have a cautious look. She felt so out of place with all the redheads. Only a select few had a different hair color and facial feature, whom she could only guess were the people Uzashi had mentioned were saved.

"Stay here for a moment," Mito said, opening the sliding door.

Sakura began to worry after a few minutes, twiddling her thumbs. She almost didn't notice the little girl who tugged on her yukata. She looked at the little girl who had barely looked like her teenage years. Her hair was a bright red in a ponytail that had many different colored ribbons in it with bangs cut just above her dark green eyes. The pretty purple yukata she wore had many dirt spots and tears on the bottom and she wore no shoes.

"Your hair is pretty," she said, avoiding eye contact.

"Uh, Thank you," she smiled. "What is your name?" Sakura bent down on her knees to look at the girl better.

"Uzumaki Miyo," she answered with excitement.

"My name is Sakura, it's nice to meet you."

"Why did Mito-sama bring you here? We haven't been allowed new visitors for a long time," Miyo said, glancing in her direction curiously.

"I am a doctor. I am going to be healing people here," she replied. She saw the girl instantly perk up with interest.

"I could help. Do you need someone to help?" she asked shyly. Sakura couldn't help but smile, thinking of Hinata back in the academy days when seeing the way this girl blushed and acted.

"I could use a guide. Or someone to help me gather what I need when I need it," she offered. Miyo actually looked her in the eyes with such interest.

"I can do that. I know every inch of the village and can get anything anyone needs," she said with glee.

"Yeah when you sneak into peoples houses," Uzashi said walking up behind her with crossed arms.

"It was one time," she heard the girl mumble.

"Sakura-san, I see you met my cousin." Sakura gasped in surprise, looking between the two.

Their attention was suddenly drawn back to the sliding door, where Mito stood. The woman took a moment to sigh and glanced at Sakura. She looked between them all and gave a nod to Uzashi. He nodded in response and motioned for Miyo to follow him.

"Wait," Miyo quickly untied a red ribbon from her hair and gave it to Sakura. "Take this," she smiled as she practically shoved it at Sakura before running off with Uzashi trying to chase after her.

She stood while tucking it away in her sash. She was about to turn inside but Mito stopped her with a slight urgency in her eyes, grabbing a headband from her sleeve and handing it to Sakura while tapping her forehead. She immediately understood and put it on to cover her mark. With that she followed Mito inside, making her way to the middle of the room where they both sat on their knees. Before them were a few elders, one with gray hair who looked older than the Third Hokage and the one beside him with pale brown hair and a scar along the right side of his face.

The one in the middle had long white hair, a mustache and a squared-off goatee. The other side of him was a man with long burgundy hair and streaks of white beginning to form. The final person was a woman with the same colored hair and streaks, though she had hers tied into three buns going downwards behind her. Mito and Sakura both bowed slightly as they bowed back.

"This is the girl you spoke of?" the one the left asked.

"Yes Ojii-sama, she is recommended by the Senju and is an excellent doctor," she replied.

"Sakura-san, huh? Interesting. I heard you were able to cure the paralysis poison my granddaughter gave you. And that you escaped with stealth," he commented, eyeing her.

"Hai," she nodded, feeling uneasy. She thought being around Mito was bad but being around this man was intimidating.

"We have not had many doctors with such quick skills. It is intriguing to say the least," he said while looking between the two. "Where did you learn these abilities?"

"My Shisho. She was very skilled when it came to healing and she had passed down her techniques to me," she replied as truthfully as she could. He nodded before replying.

"I am Clan Elder, Honshi. From what I have been told, Senju Hashirama wishes for you to aid us." He said, stroking his beard. "What do you think, Ashina-sama?"

The man in the middle groaned, closed his eyes and crossed his arms as he thought about it. He had a look that seemed more important than the others. Sakura guessed he must have been the clan leader. Ashina opened his eyes as he rose, walking over and beginning to circle the pair. His hands were firmly behind his back as he walked back to his spot though he did not sit. The silence was becoming maddening to her, waiting to hear what they said. She did not understand why she would be brought here if they did not want her there, so why go through this?

"I want to hear it from you. What clan do you hail?"

"Clan?" Sakura's voice got caught in her throat. She had not expected such forward questions. She remembered what Hashirama had said before and talked to her about it so she continued. "I do not really have a clan. A family name maybe but one not important enough to even recognize. I hail from the Land of Fire in a small village. If you want to know my life story I can gladly go over every detail," she remarked as her attitude got the best of her.

"Is that so?" He chuckled deeply after sitting back down. "The Senju expect us to take in a stray with no name whom they found from crossfire. Last time we did that, many of our family died."

"If we were to do so, how would we be sure she is not a spy for them." The burgundy haired man spoke with arms crossed and his head held high.

"With the supervision of myself," Mito spoke up. The room was suddenly filled with gasps of shock as she stood.

"Mito-chan, this is not a responsibility you should take lightly," her grandfather almost chastised.

"The Senju have been neutral with us for a long time. We are practically kin to another, we need trust to begin somewhere. I do not believe she is a spy. In fact If her abilities of healing can beat out current doctors then why not allow her to teach us. We all lost family but to prevent it we should be open to some possibilities. Our sealing is coveted by many so why not use this oppertunity to our advantage," spoke calmly and diplomatically. Sakura was impressed at her composure in such a situation and concerned of her stand on it.

"Explain yourself Mito-san?" Ashina asked with an intense gaze.

"I do not know what Hashirama has planned for the future but his intentions were the truest I have ever seen in a shinobi when speaking with him. Sakura is innocent in this, that much is a fact not an opinion based on suspicion."

"I see." The man nodded. "Very well then I will allow it." The other elders began to protest but he put his hand up violently fast and they kept quiet.

"Arigato gozaimasu," Sakura bowed, a little relieved.

Mito sat back down and bowed as well. How did she keep such a stance in front of elders without a huge fuss? Whatever the first did or said must have really impressed Mito. Sakura did not expect her to be so defensive, especially with how she was treated when meeting the woman. Did she have a hidden agenda? Whatever the case, Sakura was glad the brunt of it was settled.


Sakura was currently in the bath house relaxing in the steaming water. She heard Mito mumbling under her breath, mostly insults, as she undressed and undid her hair. It was so sudden and she was so lost in thought, an amusing sight to see. Sakura groaned as the woman began to step in the water, feeling inadequate about herself. Mito had a perfect slim figure to match her height and her boobs were much larger than Sakura. It was hard to see with the clothing she wore. Not quite as big as Tsunade but that gene came from somewhere for sure.

"Sakura-san, are you alright?" Mito asked with concern.

"Yeah. Just thinking," she sighed.

"If you have any problem you can speak with me. You are going to be living with us for quite some time thanks to the predicament," she said softly, brushing her long hair into the water with her fingers. She seemed different, more relaxed and happy.

"I just need time to get adjusted to things," she replied, looking away.

"If you say so." Mito did not push the matter as she closed her eyes to relax.

Sakura knew she would have to get to know Mito a bit more, but the day had been overwhelming and she needed to let it all go. Hell that last time she had a bath like this was well before the war had started. The simple washrooms she's used in this time could only do so much and to be able to now lay in warm water and allow her muscles a chance to unwind should not be wasted on her mind. Tomorrow was a new day and she could begin to move forward.