—Restart—

by PulpFreeJuice

Originally from a war-ridden future ruled under Sasuke’s iron fist, Haruno Sakura comes back in time to make everything right again. Though changing the future is much harder than one might think. SasuSaku. Don’t own Naruto.

22. twenty-two

Hey guys, pulp here with the next chapter of —Restart—! I'm currently taking THE hardest class my school has to offer this year, and so it took a while to get this chapter out; and despite that, there was a lot I planned to cover in this chapter and so it was going to take longer than usual, anyway. Even so, I tried to get it out at an optimal time.

I apologize in advance for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes I missed in editing. I'd hate to take away from the reading experience.

Expletive warning in advance, but it's all very mild, so you were warned!

Have a nice read!

—Restart—

"dread"

She was awoken by the whistle of the early birds beyond the window and the steady stream of daytime light washing her face in a golden hue, peeking out through the curtains.

It took a moment, but her eyes were soon fully open and focused and she hauled herself out of the way of the light. Just before she fell asleep again, she remembered that her own couch wasn't ever this comfy.

Eyes darting open again, she shot upwards and off of the couch.

Sasuke's couch.

'That's right, I slept over.'

'It's already super bright outside; let's beat it.'

Rubbing excess sleep out of her eyes, the Haruno robotically arranged the throw pillows of the couch and folded the graciously given blanket and laid it on the armrest to be found.

It didn't take much searching to eventually end up on the veranda, and Sakura sat down to strap on her sandals.

"Leaving without even a hello?"

She jumped, and her loose shoe slipped right back off as she turned to the direction of the voice to see Sasuke in comfy clothing and slippers, a folded blanket being hauled beneath his arm. While awake, the blank face he was giving her told her he wasn't quite alert yet. "I...I should have left several hours earlier."

He only stared at her for a moment before continuing to pad around the house. "At least get some breakfast before you head out," he called over his shoulder.

Sakura watched him turn into the kitchen with a craned neck, before she straightened herself and went after him.

Busied with rubbing gunk out of her eyes, it was a shock to step onto the biting tiled floor yet again. She managed to rein in her surprise to only a gasp and speed walked over to the stool near the island. "Yeah, I know," Sasuke said, face obscured from behind the fridge door, "It gets me every time, too." He closed the fridge with several packaged items in his arms, his back to her.

Sakura didn't say anything, but rather leaned into the island to fully appreciate the kitchen and it's various trinkets. The Uchiha mansion truly was beautiful, regardless of the time of day. The window above the sink let in rays of natural light that made the metal objects positively sparkle, and it smelled of exotic spices and fruits.

Sasuke set down the items onto the counter, and began fumbling with the cabinets. "Do you want cereal, or...?" He asked her, unsure and distracted. She was at attention in a moment. "...um, what are you making?" She asked tentatively.

"I don't know yet."

Sakura's brows furrowed, confused at his response. "How do you not know?"

He shrugged, still not looking at her as he compared various seasonings. "I usually just whip something up with random ingredients. Doesn't always taste bad, and keeps things interesting." He eventually decided and slid the cylinder of spice across the counter with the rest of the ingredients.

The pinkette's mouth parted slightly with interest. With the limited ingredients he had, you'd think there wouldn't be much variety in the meals. She stood from her perch, ignoring the cold of the floor, and closely examined the food items he chose as Sasuke looked for a pan.

'He is a really different person in the morning.'

'Tell me about it...'

Sakura fingered the various foods on the counter. "What do you think you can make with..." Bacon, several individual eggs, assorted vegetables, seasoning of both leaves and grounds, and of course lots of tomatoes. "...this?"

With a pan in hand, Sasuke finally turned to her, finally aware. "What do you think I could make with it?" He questioned her.

Sakura, caught off guard at the question, could only stutter as he began to unpack the foods from their various containers, and spoke again. "Meat and eggs are pretty versatile. What are you thinking?"

He looked her in the eyes again for an answer, and Sakura froze. "I...I don't know."

"...that's okay."

He turned back to the work, busying himself with oiling the pan and preparing it on the stove for the food. "I consider it a training exercise," he said. "Being able to make something quick and worthwhile with random variables sprung onto you. My brainstorming has gotten better and faster doing this, along with my cooking skills. I also went shopping before the mission, so that helped," he explained honestly.

"That's...actually pretty cool," Sakura admitted, her interest piquing again. "So, do you know what you're making yet?"

"...probably a frittata. Yeah, a bacon and spinach frittata. With a salad," he decided. "Hey, could you grab a bowl for me and start on the salad? A wooden one, in the cabinet above the toaster."

Sakura moved to do so, quickly pulling one out and passing it to him, who accepted it and poured most of the greens into it. "Hey, do you know how to cut tomatoes?"

She's done it a few times before. "Yeah, I do."

"Could you cut-no, dice them up into the bowl?"

"Sure!"

Grabbing a knife from a prepared cutting board, she set to work with the sound of sizzling oil and eggs next to her. It didn't take long for her to finish, and she sweeped the diced fruit into the wooden bowl and began to mix it in with a spoon Sasuke handed to her. "Do you want seasoning or dressing in it?" She asked Sasuke, who was pouring cut-up bacon into the pan.

"That depends. Do you?"

Sakura didn't catch on for several moments before his meaning hit her. "...wait, this is for both of us?"

"Did you really think I could eat all this on my own?"

"I don't know, I figured you were a big eater."

"Not that big; you'd have to roll me around."

She giggled quietly at his humor, knife in hand. Unfortunately, the tip of the blade grazed her palm, and she yelped as blood began to bead.

"Hey, be careful!" Sasuke said, his hands already cradling her own wounded one. He moved it around to see the injury with a wrinkle in his brow. His hands were warm and dry, just as she remembered them to be. It took everything in her not to blush at the affectionate showing. "There's first aid in the drawer to your left; and don't get any blood in the salad," he said, moving back to his post at the pan. "...your hands are really rough," he burst out randomly. He was right; with the way she's been working herself these past few months, her callouses and scars have dramatically increased, and not all of them have had time to fully heal. "Cover all your open wounds."

"R-right," Sakura said, mind still stuck on the thought of his touch as she peeled the wax layers off of the bandage in her hands.

Soon, the work was done and the food was finished; two servings of bacon and spinach frittatas with garden salad. Though, Sakura did notice Sasuke's plate had a noticeably larger amount of tomatoes than her own. "How's your hand? Can you eat with that?"

Sasuke questioned offhandedly, chopsticks balanced in his left hand.

"I'll be fine. Thanks for the breakfast."

"My pleasure. You'll need it anyway."

"For the group training..?"

"For our spar."

Sakura's own chopsticks halted at her lips. "...right. The spar."

Sasuke chewed silently on his meal, taking note of her reaction, before turning to her. "...Hn. Thanks again for agreeing to spar against me, despite not wanting to. But...why don't you want to? Are you afraid you'll hurt me?"

"What? No! I'm afraid that-..." Sakura quickly cut herself off. She didn't want to offend him.

"What is it?" Sasuke pressed when she paused. "Just tell me."

"...could you make me a promise?"

The boy in question didn't say anything for several moments before he finally responded, voice low and wary. "That depends on the details."

"Promise me that during the Chūnin Exams, you won't go out of your way to make yourself known. Same goes for Naruto."

"What?" Sasuke blurted unabashedly. "That's when we're supposed to show off our skills to all the other villages and the Hokage so we can be promoted!"

"Did you really think that's all there was to it?" Sakura responded without missing a beat, fully turning to him with a frown. "There's so much more to the event than that. Not only are we showing off to our Kage, we're showing off to any potential enemies and freely giving info on our skills to other rival villages! If we're seen as worthy we will be promoted, despite the light shows!" She briefly thought back to Shikamaru, the only of their group of rookies to be promoted to Chūnin, even though he forfeited at the last moment. "And you especially need to be careful. We know for sure there are dangerous people out there looking for you, who probably have a lot of information on you and know we're scheduled for the Exams this winter. Chances are, they'll come for you again, and this time we might not all be there to take them on."

Sasuke looked stunned, and then subdued at the reminder of yesterday's events. He said through gritted teeth, "I will be strong enough to fight them off next time."

"If we're going to spar, you're clearly doubting that strength. And I can't put my trust in a half-hearted promise."

Sakura could see the clench of his jaw through his skin, before he relaxed his body all at once and let out a deep sigh, hands running through his hair anxiously. "Well, if you think I'm not strong enough now, I'll get stronger in time for them!...we all will."

Sakura let in a breath of air at the team-oriented behavior. His hands left his mussed hair and he leveled his eyes on her, a focus in them she hasn't seen in a long time. "So, are you going to fight me or not?"

The remains of their breakfast were left cold and abandoned.

[Restart]

Sakura waited only five minutes in the spacious yard as Sasuke put on his mission gear, as she fell asleep in her own and needed no preparation.

'I must stink, then.'

'After the spar, we've gotta head back home to clean up our look.'

It wasn't long before Sasuke emerged from inside the house and into the porch to see her sitting on it. It was a wordless exchange as they both moved to the middle of the field, fingers flirting with their respective weapons pouches. Their eyes didn't leave each other's, trained on every slight movement the latter might make.

Inwardly, Sakura let a frown take her features.

'...I need to throw this match.'

'Hell no!'

'But why not? I don't even know if I'm better than him, and what if I am? What'll happen to our team dynamic and the sportsmanship I've tried to instill in him?'

'The Sasuke of several months ago would lash out if his strength was doubted. The Sasuke of today is tired and docile and worried he isn't working hard enough for not only himself, but his team, too.'

'...point taken.'

'Anyway, you're the one who's scared he'll ruin the Exams for you all. The least you can do is give him a fair fight before emotionally manipulating him into submission.'

'I don't-!'

'You DO.'

"Do you need me to-!"

"Should I-!"

They both stopped as they interrupted each other. Sasuke pursed his lips awkwardly. "You go first," Sakura invited. "This was your idea, after all."

"Right," he agreed. "I need to know where I stand, so...no holds barred. Let's just not kill ourselves over this. And, Sakura."

Viridian eyes locked into onyx. "Y-...yes?"

"Seriously. Don't hold out on me."

The girl in question nodded. "I was going to say the same thing."

Sasuke's fingers moved fast, and he fired a blade towards her just as the words left her lips. Sakura sidestepped it, running towards Sasuke with chakra pulsing around her fingers. In retaliation, Sasuke only threw another kunai at her head, and she deftly avoided it, only feet away at this point. As her hand reached for his collar, she came away with only air as he ducked and slid through the large gap between her legs, shooting a shuriken towards her from the low angle with his non dominant hand and using the other to push himself back onto his feet and into the trees above, chakra signature gone.

Sakura had milliseconds to turn her head to catch all that, and as she did the spiky blade nicked her cheek and drew blood before it embedded itself into the tree trunk behind her.

'Without chakra, he's faster and more agile than I.'

"Fine, be that way then," the pinkette muttered to herself before propelling herself into the trees. He hadn't used as much chakra as she has yet, and still drew first blood. Reaching out her senses, she tried to find his signature, but thanks to her own guidance, it was hidden perfectly.

'If I can't catch him off guard, I'll lure him out.'

Sakura quickly cast the False Surroundings Genjutsu over the treetops, and many deactivated paper bombs came into existence along the stretches of bark, interconnected by several flammable ninja wires all clasped in a clone of her's left hand. In their right, a match alight with a flame. Lunging from their spot, it set the wires down on the ground in the middle of the grassy clearing and the match next to it. The moment the wires caught fire, Sasuke appeared in a crouch with a foot over the fire, effectively snuffing it.

There!

The real Sakura appeared next to him, and based on his onyx orbs, he fell for the Genjutsu if only for a moment. He made to pull away, but Sakura had his arm in her famous grip, pushing some of her own chakra into it. She pulled away with an angered hiss as his Lightning chakra shocked the limb, and Sasuke was gone in a flurry of leaves.

But this time, Sakura imprinted herself onto him, so she tailed him in the treetops without trouble.

She chose to save her chakra during the chase rather than waste it on a speed boost, and predictably Sasuke was only getting farther. But his impatience soon ran out as she knew it would, and when he finally turned to face her, she had a chakra-laden fist ready for him.

The Uchiha brought up an arm and skillfully blocked the attack with lightning running through the limb, grabbing her wrist and effectively shocking her as he used the excess chakra buildup to throw her down and out of the trees with great force, barreling to the field. With healing taking less energy than attacking, she braced herself for the impact.

An impact that never came.

She landed on sturdy threads of sticky ninja wire that made a makeshift landing pad for her, and with eyes sharpened she soon realized the seemingly reckless throws of weaponry Sasuke demonstrated earlier were all threaded with wire through the hoops, stretching from tree to tree.

He was playing her from the start!

As she flexed her arms in preparation to stand, the gummy substance kept her from completing the action; it stuck her arms and legs in place, vulnerable. It took only seconds before Sasuke emerged from the trees, fingers flashing through hand signs to complete the Uchiha's signature Fireball Jutsu.

'...well, at least we know he's taking this seriously.'

A sweltering flame burst from his lips, a finger below them directing it right down to her. Sakura writhed, but it did no good as she was firmly adhered to the wires' surface.

'Damn. There's only one way I know to get out of this..'

'You'd better hope he doesn't see you.'

The flames finally reached her, but there wasn't a sound of distress on her part. Sasuke landed deftly on the ground in a crouch, and as the smoke cleared, a charred log lay in the web, Sakura nowhere to be found.

He jumped back to his feet with alarm. "A Substitution? How?!" Finally, his eyes bled into a familiar ruby red and darted around the area, searching for her signature.

'A Substitution without hand signs...what a neat little trick you learned in the War.'

'You're distracting me.'

Sakura, back in the treetops and signature masterfully gone, decided to put her rarely touched dagger to use. Through the hoop that latches it onto her weapon's pouch, she took a page out of Sasuke's book and pushed chakra-conducting wire into it.

Peeking at the boy from behind the trunk, he still hadn't pinpointed her location, but he was getting awfully close as his eyes traveled over to her direction more than necessary. Now or never.

The dagger went gliding down to Sasuke, and with his Sharingan he easily caught it from the sky and distinguished her position. But unlike her, with those eyes in a few more seconds he'll see the string. Sakura pulled on the ends of the fiber with a strong hand, effectively yanking Sasuke along and pulling it taut. With that same hand, she let a fierce blast of Lightning chakra run through the wire. When Sasuke reflexively lessened his grip, the Haruno rushed chakra to her legs to push her out of the trees; she was upon Sasuke in milliseconds. She was so close to his face that when his eyes finally rose to meet hers, she could see each individual fleck of black in the surrounding red of the irises.

Her hand rose, and clenched around his throat.

All the breath that left his body in a wheeze tingled Sakura's face as they both hit the ground hard, but Sakura using the Uchiha to break her fall. Before he could reach for his weapon's pouch, The pinkette used the cord to pull the dagger back to her hand, and rested it against his throat. "Yield, Sasuke."

He froze when the cool metal was placed onto his jugular. They stared each other down for several seconds, but eventually Sasuke's eyes melted to black once more. "Fine. I yield."

Sakura jumped up from on top of him, and offered a hand to help him up. He took it and was pulled to his feet. As they began to dust themselves off, Sasuke spoke. "Thanks."

The girl in question angled her head towards him. His back was to her. Rather than assure him, there was another question pushing its way to the surface. "...so what happens now?"

Still without looking at her, he wiggled his shuriken from out of a tree's bark. "Now? I train till I drop to get ready for the Exams."

Sakura smiled and shook dirt off her knife. "Me too."

[Restart]

It didn't take long to clear the yard of any weapons. Sakura sat on the veranda, guzzling a water bottle Sasuke gave to her before briefly going inside.

'Sasuke and I are leaving Naruto behind, again.'

'You give him so little attention, Saku-chan!'

'There have been some pressing issues lately, okay?'

'At least teach him something new at group training today before Kakashi gets back.

'I promise I will.'

Then, a thought struck her. "Hey, Sasuke?" She yelled to inside the house.

"What?" His voice was distant, but clear.

"...do you think Kakashi-sensei will make it back to Konoha on time?"

"He's a grown man; don't sweat the details." His voice got louder as he got closer, and when he emerged from behind the doors Sakura physically couldn't keep her eyes from wandering, and it was a shameful revelation.

It was a wonder to how he could be indoors for five minutes and strip down to only his shorts. His bandages, shoes, arm guards and more importantly his shirt where nowhere to be found on his body, leaving her to marvel at his young yet toned physique. He sat down next to her and reached for his own water bottle, but it froze as it reached his lips when he noticed her steady gaze. "...what?"

Sakura was too stunned to say anything.

'There is no way I am ogling a twelve year old right now.'

'Oh, but that's exactly what you're doing.'

"...wow, you're a perv."

At that, Sakura snapped out of her trance. "What? Who? Where's the perv?"

Sasuke's eyebrows raised dubiously while his lips stretched into a playful smirk. "You. You're the perv."

"Oh, don't even start."

"I guess you can't escape your fangirl roots."

"That was forever ago!"

"That was a few months ago."

"I don't see your point."

"Don't worry, I get it. I'm irresistible to many."

"You..!"

Sasuke laughed lightly and stood with his water bottle. "Fine, be that way then." As he walked, he froze at the doorframe and looked back. "Oh, yeah. You can use the shower here...if you want."

Sakura angles her body towards him, fully believing he was joking. But when she saw those awaiting eyes, she realized that was an actual offer that was actually on the table. "But...we have group training after this."

"I don't plan to exert myself, only to work on the elemental jutsu and then practice my shurikenjutsu, and I'd rather not be covered in dried sweat all day. I've got errands to run before I can start intensely training."

Sakura could only blink. She too planned to let her body rest today, other than the spar, and fully recover from yesterday's events. She's perfected her Lightning Jutsu, too, so all she could really do is help Naruto along. A shower wouldn't hurt. But here? "Um...I'll take you up on that offer. Thank you."

"Well then, ladies first."

"No, you go on ahead. I'll tidy up the kitchen."

When Sasuke disappeared into the house, Sakura rose to her feet and padded into the kitchen. Sasuke thoughtfully opened all the windows to let the summer sun stream in and heat the tiles, if only a little.

With a bit of searching, she was able to find plastic wrap and set to work preserving the salvageable food. Stuffing the wrapped plates into the fridge, Sakura caught a glimpse of herself in the steel exterior as she closed the door.

While she was far from matted, dirt and leaves still clung to her body due to dried sweat, and her gear was untidy and reeked of nature. A thin line of blood from a shallow cut crusted on her cheek, and tiny sticks were caught in the tangles of her hair.

Oh, her hair. With further inspection, her bangs still framed her face and relatively kept their original length, but the back was all jagged edges with no rhyme or reason, and the sticks weren't helping.

She ran her fingers through the locks, but they were soon caught in nasty curls. It took some effort to pull them out, and she sighed. Maybe she should visit the salon before training.

"Why not just ask your mom to style it for you?"

The Haruno startled; once again, she let her guard down. She turned her head to see Sasuke in a clean set of ninja gear, a towel wrapping round the back of his neck to rest on either shoulder, catching the droplets of water from his untamed hair. She must have spoken out loud, then. "I-I could, but it might take a while having to explain how it happened. I'd hate to keep you and Naruto waiting."

Sasuke took the towel from his neck and laid it atop his head, running it across his wild black locks as he filled a canteen from the tap. "Naruto and I can start on our own; although I can't guarantee I won't kill him before you arrive. You need to make your family more of a priority, too. They don't know you're back, do they?"

"Ah-...you're right. They don't."

"Go check in with them so they don't have to worry unnecessarily. Plus, if your mother can give you a haircut, please make haste. You look like something the cat dragged in."

Sakura glowered, But didn't let him rile her up any further. She wasn't that easy. "Where's your shower?"

He frowned, his teasing not having worked on her this time. "Upstairs, to your right all the way down the hall. Put your clothes in the hamper so they'll be ready by the time you're out."

"Okay, thanks."

The pinkette padded up the stairs and turned to the right. Even from here, she could see the white tiles of the bathroom. Just as Sasuke said, she made haste, throwing her gear into the hamper (excluding her undergarments, she wasn't risking that one) and pushing it out the door for Sasuke to find before hopping into the shower. It was nothing at all like her own, with every surface covered with products, but rather only three different bottles for hair and skin, plus a soap bar. She made quick work of cleaning off her body, and paid heaps of attention to her hair, lathering it generously and combing out all the knots with her fingers. Lots of loose strands came out, which was very worrying but her hair was back to its soft and shiny state worthy of her academy days, despite being butchered in the back. By the time she had fully dried and rinsed her mouth out with water, freshly laundered clothes laid outside the door for her.

Sakura ran down the stairs to see Sasuke just leaving out the door, a backpack slung on one shoulder and a hand in his pocket. She hurried to put on her sandals, and he seemed surprised when she matched his pace. "That was quick," he commented.

"Not really," Sakura responded. "Most of it was spent pampering my hair. Thanks again for washing my clothes for me. You know, you've been really thoughtful lately!" She flashed him a genuine smile, pearly whites and all. Sasuke flinched, surprisingly, and turned his head away. Sakura thought she imagined the burn of red on his ears, until she blinked and it was still there. Involuntarily, her eyes began to narrow at the behavior. What's up with him?

"Are you implying I'm not always thoughtful?" She found it weird how he quickly diverted the conversation and went on the defense rather than accept the compliment and then move on, but this was Sasuke and she's never been good at deciphering his emotions.

"I'd say you're usually begrudging at most, and that's when promised something in return or blackmailed; you're honestly not giving in the slightest."

"Choke."

"Unfortunately I can't do that, I need to see my parents in perfect health," she joked, walking backwards to still face him, grinning all the while. Sometimes he was just so...uplifting to be around. Or maybe that was the love talking. "I promise I won't be more than an hour! Don't get too rowdy without me!" As she spoke, she progressively turned her back on him and walked further.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"See you!"

When Sakura tilted her head back one last time as she ran ahead, Sasuke's lips erupted into a smile, and quite a wide one, before he hid it behind his turtleneck.

Or...maybe she was seeing things.

[Restart]

Sasuke sat beneath an intimidating oak tree, the clumped leaves shading him from Konoha's summer heat. His pack lay next to him, and he ran concentrated lightning to gather in his left palm with half-lidded eyes, mind elsewhere; his thoughts were surrounded by pink.

If someone asked him why he reacted so defensively to her thanks, he wouldn't be able to give even a semblance of an answer, because he didn't know at all why! Rather than accuse the girl, why not just accept the gratitude and move on, dignity intact? Why suspiciously turn it back on her when she was only being courteous?

She flashed him a genuine smile, pearly whites and all.

Thinking about it again, Sasuke felt his stomach constrict uncomfortably, and the Jutsu dispersed in his hand. That damned smile. Those damned glittery eyes and perfectly carved lips! It's so much easier to be around her when too tired or busy to embarrass himself, like when training or after an argument. But even then, he feels such a strong need to keep her in a good mood he goes out of his way to tease and joke when he really doesn't have to; he's never had to. And when she's happy around him, his own mood lifts higher than its been in weeks, and he'll smile and laugh which he hasn't done in years.

And again, he can't figure out why. What is it about her that makes him so...at ease? She's been distracting him ever since they left the Academy and he's getting sick of it. If some higher power could just send a sign so he could figure out why he keeps reacting in these ways-

"Hey, Sasuke. Are trying to date Sakura?"

Uncharacteristically, Sasuke spluttered, literally spluttered, and for several seconds couldn't string together a proper excuse-no, sentence. He isn't making excuses...is he? It took several moments of silence to rearrange his thoughts, and the Uchiha felt a burn rise to his face. "...what are you talking about, idiot?" His response was calm and simple, unlike the Sasuke of a minute ago.

Naruto stopped messing with his Wind Jutsu and turned to fully face Sasuke, stunned after that...spectacle. "...uh, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"That."

"What?"

"That!"

"I'm not following."

"Don't play dumb, you just overreacted over Sakura!"

"...I did no such thing."

"You hesitated! You totally just overreacted over her!"

Naruto plopped down beneath the tree next to Sasuke, who was covering his face with his turtleneck, pretending to focus on his Jutsu. Naruto could see slips of Sasuke's tomato-red cheeks and ears through the fabric. "Gotta be honest though, didn't think the tables would turn like that, dattebayo."

At this, Sasuke angled his head towards Naruto, ready to refute any point with the redness dying down. "What are you going on about now?"

"I mean, Sakura used to have the biggest crush on you in the Academy; everyone knew that much. And, well...all the guys were sure you were gay. The girls refused to believe it, though."

"I'll make it clear now that i'm not gay."

Naruto could feel Sasuke's usual hostility rising again, but decided to pry further anyway. "And now, she's getting over you and you like her!"

"...of course I like her. Kind of a requirement, being on a team together."

Not really, but Sasuke chose to disregard that in favor of acting innocent. From the look of Naruto's face, he wasn't amused.

"Like, you like-like her. Not in a friendly way, you catch my drift? More...romantically."

"I don't."

"But you do."

Sasuke was beginning to get annoyed with this line of conversation, and although he wouldn't admit it, worried. "Where's your proof?"

The Uchiha thought he could catch Naruto off guard, but the boy seemed to be paying much more attention than he thought.

"As long as I've known you, you've never offered as much to anyone as you do to Sakura and her schemes. And I say Sakura because it's her influence that causes you to hang out with the both of us and go out of your way to do things for your team, and little to none of mine," Naruto explained matter-of-factly.

"You also go out of your way to cheer her up when she's down, which includes offering her even more of your time and resources and even faking a cheery or teasing mood for her sake; you've never cared so much about maintaining a peaceful atmosphere with someone before. And when you're around her, it's obvious that she makes you genuinely happy, and the way she treats you can put a damper on your mood in an instant that lasts for hours. And I don't know for sure, but you seem to open up to her about a lot of things, and very easily, mostly when it comes to your own strength, which is a topic you guard jealously. Your arrogance and stubbornness is unrivaled, dattebayo."

That last comment made Sasuke's eyes narrow, but he was too busy thinking of Naruto's many good points. It was true; he can't recall ever going so far out of his way just to see a grateful smile on someone else's face. Sakura was right earlier; he isn't normally so generous.

"So I conclude by saying you want to date her."

"But I don't."

"But you do. You have a crush on her."

"Tch. It's some other emotion. Like protectiveness." The Uchiha closed his eyes, agitated. Sasuke didn't want to think he was protective of Sakura, but it was leagues better than the alternative. So not to let Naruto in on his internal panic, Sasuke responded coolly, "I can assure you, I don't feel that way towards her."

"...Sakura, how long have you been standing there?"

At that, Sasuke's eyes shot open, and his neck cracked with the force he whipped it upwards to look for her presence, a warmth spreading across his face again. This conversation would be hard to explain..!

...when he came up with nothing, even going so far as to look for her chakra signature, Sasuke slowly turned to Naruto, eyes flashing red with a warning.

To his credit, he quickly backtracked. "Okay, I admit, that was wrong and I hadn't meant to go that far. But still! It's so obvious you have a thing for her!"

"Do I have to run my words through your skull?! I don't like Sakura in any sort of romantic way!"

"...you sure? Because if you act now, you could probably still win her over."

At that, Sasuke paused and once again he didn't know why. All he knew was that he didn't have a crush on her, but would still like to thoroughly explore this line of thought. He turned his body to Naruto, pulling his knees to his chest as Naruto did the same. "...what do you mean?"

"All things considered, the Academy wasn't all that long ago, dattebayo. Only a few months of getting over you compared to six years of pining. Unless you really disgusted her, she's probably not completely out of love yet. Have you seen any signs of a lingering interest?"

Hmm...right, this morning. She froze when she saw him without a shirt. But then again, she defended herself from being a fan girl soon after. So maybe freezing is a normal female reaction? They always do it in movies. Sasuke's eyes narrowed again as he thought; nothing else stood out to him as much. In fact, now that he thought about it, she was quite clearly trying to put him behind her romantically. "...not that I know of."

"Well, that's not a good sign. But if you're so sure that you don't have feelings for her, I guess it wouldn't matter."

Sasuke didn't react; he could feel Naruto had more to say.

"But...just to be sure. Iruka-sensei taught me this one a while ago; never thought I'd have to use it..."

"Sasuke's curiosity won out over keeping a mysterious air. "What? What'd he say?"

"Lean in closer; this is top secret info, y'know?"

Obediently, Sasuke leaned in much closer, disregarding his usual need for personal space in favor for his want of details.

"Iruka-sensei told me...how to know when you're in love with someone. You should test it out when you have a chance, just for that extra reassurance, dattebayo."

"Come on, what is it?"

Naruto leaned in further and moved to speak in Sasuke's ear, his breath sharing secrets onto his skin. After several seconds, both moved back, and Sasuke looked honestly intrigued. "...and you're sure it'll work?"

"Or Sensei is a liar."

They stared dubiously at each other for several moments, before simultaneously sighing and going back to their own separate activities, as though they weren't just centimeters apart.

There was a comfortable silence between the two as they worked independently.

...For a moment.

"And you're sure you're not gay, dattebayo?"

"Do you want to die that badly?"

[Restart]

Snip, snip, snip.

The sound was repetitive, but in a soothing way as Mebuki Haruno trimmed her daughter's hair, nagging all the while.

"I can't believe you cut it so short, Sakura! You could've had a little restraint, despite the predicament."

The girl in question sighed, seated on a bench in the household's bathroom while a bucket caught the falling strands, mind elsewhere. "There was no time, Mama."

"I know that, but I'm sure the fire on your hair didn't even reach your shoulders! And you didn't have to shear it off like you did; now I have to cut it even shorter to make it even!"

...yes, she lied to her mother about the situation in which her hair had been cut. Chopping it off due to an accidental fire sounded much better than saying she was held hundreds of feet in the air by her skull by a man ready to kill her, and decided to freefall. The woman worried too much over her daughter as it was; she can't have her pulling the mother card and trying to guilt Sakura into refusing missions. "It's okay Mama, I don't care about the length as long as it looks decent enough for the public eye."

Her mother quieted for several moments, before murmuring, "you've always doted on your hair religiously; and now you're saying you're fine with it all off?"

Again, the roseate sighed. "That was in the Academy, and over a boy. I'm a ninja now, and it was due to necessity."

"...you've always told me you preferred it longer. It bothers you, doesn't it?"

Her mother had always been able to read her like a book. She bit back a third sigh and kept quiet as an answer. While she had adjusted to having a bob as a hairstyle, she really did prefer it longer like during her early Genin days. And now, it's been cut more than ever before. At least in the original timeline, it wasn't so boyish and she pulled it off rather well. "It was due to necessity," she repeated.

"...do you think you'll grow it back out?"

"Most definitely."

After a while, Sakura's mother had finished, and brought Sakura to look at herself in the mirror above the sink. Her mother managed to adjust her bangs enough so that she'd have a side part rather than a middle part, and the pink hair rested in a voluminous arch atop her head, with the rest of the hair on the opposite end cut so short it didn't go past her ear. Everything in the back had been settled; no jagged edges, it laid on her head and neck obediently, and her hair was thick and fluffy enough to give the illusion of it being a tad longer.

It was far from something she favored, but it didn't look bad at all. "What do you think?" Mebuki questioned, grabbing her daughters shoulders with a wide, encouraging smile.

Sakura gave one of her own.

"I like it."

"Well of course you do; my baby girl is a badass!"

Luckily for her, her mother was fast with her fingers and she still had a half an hour before her allotted sixty minutes was up, so she went to her room and took off her spandex shorts.

A green smudge laid on the inside of her left thigh, and she traced the bruise with trembling fingers. It was beginning to take the shape of a rhombus, and Sakura was terrified of what that would mean in her next fight if she left it to fester.

'We need to seal it.'

'I don't have anything to seal it with; and even if I did, what seal would I use?'

'The Fourth Hokage mentored you, scramble some things together and figure something out!'

'Right.'

Peering around her pink room, she stood and began rifling through drawers until she found a brush and ink from when she wanted to learn calligraphy as a kid. It's not specifically for sealing, but it'll do till she can scrounge together money to buy the expensive items.

She set the brush and ink container on the floor and sat down next to them, propping up her left leg so the bruise would be easy to access.

Dipping her brush into the old ink, she set to work on a simple and fast storage seal to lock it away. It wasn't an object, so it won't work as well, but it'll do till Sakura can go through a full-blown containment seal with better supplies.

Pushing her chakra into the intricate strokes, it glowed blue, before the bruise and ink vanished from her skin. All that was left was a tiny symbol; the kanji for storage. "I should've done this ages ago," she muttered to herself, "Before it had gotten out of hand." She rose to her feet and slipped on her shorts again, reflexively reaching into her pouch for her hitai-ate. As she moved the headband to her head, she froze. Is that really where she wants to keep it? What if it falls off?

She held it in her hands and turned it over to see the cool metal and the engraving of her village, with passing knicks of kunai and shuriken marking the surface. "A ninja of Konoha," she said to herself. The same Konoha that will crumble in a decade. That will lose its best and worst, and whose Will of Fire will sputter and crackle with dying embers before it's extinguished completely.

She looked out her bedroom window to see citizens of every walk of life, out in the streets laughing and joking as they went to their workplaces, children playing in the parks and shinobi traveling from roof to roof. And a little further, she saw the Hokage Tower, and all the countless life-changing decisions made by the most powerful in those soundproofed walls.

She thought about Sasuke, then Itachi. Then Kabuto, then the Sound Four, then Orochimaru.

Glancing back down at her hitai-ate, she was startled to see it was no longer in her hands, but rather rested on her forehead with the slightest weight; the same way the best of the best wore theirs.

And it felt so irrevocably right.

[Restart]

By the time Sakura made it to Training Ground Seven, Sasuke had Naruto in a headlock and was screaming angrily in his ear while Naruto screamed for his life. "I already told you, usuratonkachi! I don't care about-" suddenly he stopped, and dropped Naruto in an instant.

"Sakura?" They said simultaneously, a strange expression of distress on their faces. Sakura frowned, but held no real malice. "An hour later, as promised. Sasuke, I didn't think you'd actually pounce on Naruto. What caused it this time?"

For once, Naruto didn't say a word in his defense, and looked to Sasuke from his spot on the ground to answer. The look Sasuke gave him was full of disbelief and betrayal.

Sakura ran her eyes over both of them, suspicion settling in her gut.

'What happened with these two?'

'Don't think too much on it; they're always keeping something from us.'

'That was last timeline.'

'It could happen again.'

"He wouldn't shut up about his ramen preferences," Sasuke blurted out after a beat of silence, and Naruto was quick to agree and surprisingly, apologize.

...yeah, something definitely happened.

"Anyway," the Haruno drawled, "Let's get back to work. Naruto, if you've already mastered your Wind Jutsu, how about you also master walking on water? You practiced some last time, I know you've got the hang of it. And after that, we can work on powering up our Jutsu on the water instead of land."

"Good idea, Sakura-chan!" Naruto jumped to his feet and made his way towards the lake in the Training Ground.

"I think I'll do that, too," Sasuke commented, unlatching his shuriken holster from his thigh and tossing it under the large tree. "This Jutsu is getting too repetitive. Maybe you're up for another spar?" He questioned her, the makings of a smirk on his lips.

Sakura gave him a smirk of her own. "Maybe next time. Spar with Naruto for once, hmm?"

"If you say so," the Uchiha amended, shrugging casually and also making his way to the lake. "...nice hair, by the way."

Sakura began unlatching her own holster and pouch, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "T-thank you; I wasn't too sure if I liked it."

She didn't notice how Sasuke turned his head around to scan her face for a reaction, but the redness had already died down.

Looks like today was for water training.

[Restart]

They sat in a semblance of a circle, each sprawled out on their backs and breathing heavily, drenched. Originally they separated to do their own individual training, but soon Naruto said something unsightly and Sasuke in turn did something unsightly, till they ended up brawling and miraculously staying on top of the water for a few minutes, until they both simultaneously fell in and Sakura had to drag them out since they still didn't stop wrestling, despite being submerged.

Although, it was good practice, so she'll give them that.

After several minutes of circulating healing chakra throughout her body, Sakura quickly sat up and ushered the boys to do the same, who didn't bounce back quite as fast as she.

"Hey, you two. We should go to the 'thing' today," she prompted. Naruto and Sasuke are still panting for air.

"...what do you mean?" Sasuke replied, still flat on his back.

She scooter closer so any onlookers wouldn't hear her. "I mean, the mission was a failure and we need to report back. Who knows what'll happen if we don't?"

"Why do we still have to involve ourselves with them?" Naruto finally sat up. "Sasuke was in real danger, 'ttebayo, and I don't want to risk that again. What is there to gain from all this?"

"Information," Sasuke replied, also righting himself. "We don't know what the true goal of this 'thing' is. We don't know just how many crimes they've committed against Konoha and we don't know how involved they are with all the larger-scale operations, positive or negative. And we don't know if the Hokage has any idea about this. Once we answer these questions, we bring our findings to the Hokage like the loyal ninjas we are and leave the 'thing' for good. Letting something like this fester in the shadows would not be the right move."

"But are you really willing to die for this cause? Our careers are just beginning. The Chūnin Exam is this winter. Sasuke, you could have been abducted just yesterday!" Naruto cried, brows furrowing.

"The life of a shinobi is a difficult and death-ridden one, Naruto," Sakura started. "Look, I get that you want us all to be safe, but this is an opportunity too good to pass up. If this 'thing' gets bigger and continues to plague the village with its record, that could destroy us. Those pictures back in Wave had something to do with Sasuke's clan, and we need to find out what, and not only for our sake," She glanced at Sasuke, "But for everyone else who died that day by that man's hand." It hurt her heart to say such things about Itachi, but she had no other choice. "We have to keep going."

There was a silence between the trio, before Sasuke slowly nodded his head. "We have to keep going."

[Restart]

"You came to report back?" Smith asked as she and Team Seven descended the stairwell.

"Yes," Sasuke answered in a clipped tone. "We don't need you to escort us."

"I'm not escorting you, 'Raven'," she spit his name out with poison, "I'm going with you. I was on that mission, too, you know."

Sasuke openly glowered. "Tch."

Naruto and Sakura shared a wary look. Smith was going to be there too? What a pain.

"Well, it isn't all bad," Smith added quietly. "At least you turned in your forms before the missions; Leader-man is a real stickler about that one."

Sakura's heart seemed to stutter as she raced through their memory to see if they had turned it in. And just as Sakura thought, it was still hidden beneath her bed with her other valuables. And if she hadn't turned it in, there's no way Naruto did.

He turned to them, dressed head to toe in black cloth and a porcelain, ANBU-esque mask covering his features. Through the holes, she could see glints of his brown eyes staring back at them unblinkingly.

"I'm not one for pleasantries, as you see. Take it and leave," he said, gesturing to a trio of white scrolls sitting atop the corner of his mahogany desk. "Fill it in by this day of next month and turn it in to the Missions Quarter, not necessarily as a group. Then, and only then, will you begin taking missions. If you fail to adhere to these orders, well. Your punishment will be issued accordingly."

Damn..! She didn't turn it in, and neither did Naruto for sure! What'll their punishment be..?

"Speaking of this 'Leader'," Sasuke said suddenly, interrupting Sakura's panicked thoughts, "Is he an older man with short hair hair in a robe with bandages across one eye and using a cane? With a crisscross scar on his chin?"

"Yeah, actually," Smith confirmed, glancing backwards towards Sasuke as the stairwell was nearing its end. "So you saw him that day?"

Sakura was quick to lend an ear. So Danzo was spearheading this organization, and now she had proof! "Smith. Do you know his real name and identity? And what does he do around here?"

"Yeah, everyone does. Shimura Danzo-sama, one of the village Elders and a teammate of Hiruzen. Our leader has a lot of authority over ground!" She boasted as Team Seven gaped. One of Hokage-sama's closest associates, his teammate, running a crooked corporation like this literally under his nose? Despicable. "He doesn't come often, but when he does he makes sure everything is running smoothly and gathers the forms of all the new recruits and completed missions so we don't have to send someone to deliver them. Then again, the other Units are much larger than this one and more important, so I can't blame the guy."

Sakura raised a brow. She heard mention of units when she'd stumbled upon all this by chance. Sai and Yamato's info on ROOT was pretty much limited to the main, adult ninja. "You know we're new here. Tell me more about these Units."

The stairwell finally ended, and they now had to walk down the long hallway, flanked by other young criminals going their own places on both sides. Smith continued, while Naruto and Sasuke's ears were ever so open. "The organization could be described as a tree. Several different branches holding several different leaves, but in the end it's all the same trunk. The Units would be the branches, and the leaves would be the soldiers and so on."

"...what do the other Units do, and what's the purpose of this one?" Sasuke ventured.

"Too many little ones to mention them all; I don't know all that many in the first place. But there is the regular ROOT, where adult elite shinobi are trained into Danzo-dependent killing machines to carry out all the dirtiest missions that go into the over ground system."

"And the people over ground don't know about them, either?" Naruto asked.

"Everyone over Chūnin is aware; it really is a large organization. The other Units are a lot lesser known, though. Some, even Hiruzen is clueless about."

"Is there a Unit that gathers photographic evidence, by any chance?" Sakura advanced.

"So you have heard of us. Some people from this Unit go over ground to gather images of the location of each hideout so we don't lose track of any and in case one of them goes rebel or missing. Others also take pictures of major events, important figures and potentially important figures, dead or alive. Leader-man always gets those delivered personally to his desk. The rest of the work we do here is mostly trading medicines and poisons with other villages, big and small." So that explains the pictures and the red strings on the bulletin back in Wave. Some Youth Root must have been trying to piece together the inconsistencies of an event, most likely the Uchiha Massacre, before returning the information to Danzo. But even though that's worrying, it has nothing to do with the seal pattern on the wall. She hadn't looked at the scroll she kept since she was in that basement, from what she learned during the war, there were no seals involved in the event.

Sakura bit her lip, debating whether or not she should ask this next question. "...I visited Wave a while back, and I found something similar to what you're describing. But there was also a seal pattern on the wall, and it looked like it was recently brushed on. Any idea what that might've been?" Sasuke glanced at her sharply, with a look that spoke just enough. Stop questioning. Naruto glanced at her and then Sasuke worriedly.

She averted her eyes. "Hey, Smith. Are there any jobs heading into Wave any time soon?"

The girl in question was quiet for several moments. They were nearing the double doors at the end of the hallway. "...I don't often go sifting through the mission scrolls, but there might be one if you check. Or go look if anyone has already accepted the missions on the bulletin and see if you could tag along."

Sakura gave the girl a smile usually reserved for their real identities. "You've been a great help. I already feel more knowledgeable about this place."

Smith didn't return the smile, opting instead to push the heavy door open with both hands to reveal the quiet calamity of the room. "It's kind of my job. Plus, you guys came from so far. I couldn't imagine traveling all the way from Iwa to Konoha, just to work for us!" Simultaneously, Team Seven froze. Right there, she made an error just now.

'Didn't she say a while ago that she recognized the boys?'

'She had to have recognized them as Konohagakure nin, not from Iwa of all places.'

'...so she knows that we aren't supposed to be in this organization.'

As they resumed walking, Sakura glanced at Smith. Her eyes were hooded, but alert; the same as ever. She didn't notice her own mistake. Or maybe she didn't want them to know it was intentional..? She glanced at Sasuke, and he looked at her before angling his head towards Naruto, who looked at Sasuke then Sakura. She knows that they aren't supposed to be there.

'...maybe she shouldn't be here, either.'

Sakura's expression twisted into stone. From now on, she wouldn't be so forthcoming with her own information around this girl, and her 'brother' if she really had to.

Smith knocked briskly on the door leading into the big man's office, before pushing it open with a hand. There he was, in the same outfit from the last time she saw him. Except this time, rather than coolly expecting their presence he was hunched over several stacks of paper, looking somewhat frazzled. He didn't notice them enter at first, not until Smith cleared her throat and he finally angled his head upwards, eyes peering at them through the porcelain mask. "State your purpose."

"Mission report," she responded smoothly.

"Then hurry it up, I don't have all day," he snapped, finally raising his head and balancing his jaw in his gloved hand, seeming to glower.

Through her peripherals, Sakura watched her male teammates' eyes narrow in sync, and she was tempted to do the same. What a change from the professional attitude he showed last time they were in here.

As Smith rambled on about the failed mission, Sakura scanned the room. Other than the masses of unattended work covering every surface of his mahogany desk, the room was well cared for. The large bookshelves lining the sides of each room were filled to the brim with thick-spined tomes and scrolls of varying sizes and colors. There was a fan rotating quietly from its position on the ceiling, and the room was devoid of windows, getting its light from an electrical source, white lamps embedded into the floor, walls and ceiling. The room looked like a simple official's office.

'But there's nothing simple about him at all.'

Sakura glanced at Smith and the agent behind the desk. Neither paid attention to Team Seven, still conversing. Sakura caught Sasuke's attention and gestured towards her own eyes. He nodded subtly, before lowering his head and turning on his Sharingan, eyes dragging over every surface.

"You there, in the red."

Sakura snapped to attention when she was called, the masked man's eyes focused on her. He seemed...angry. "Your colleague states that you had turned in your form, and yet I do not recall seeing you in my office again before yesterday. Is this true?" Wide-eyed, Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura with worry, and she returned the stare with surprise. So they both turned in their forms? She was the only one?!

Turning her head, she faced the man again, feeling the beginnings of sweat along her brow. "...well, yes, but-"

"Do you even realize how badly this muddles things?" His words were slow and controlled, but with palpable fury. "I needed those files for a reason, soldier."

"I can come back later today and turn it in then-"

"It's too late for that now!"

Now, Sakura was beginning to irk. "How's it too late?"

"The last batch of forms are already on their way to Leader-sama and you expect me to bother him again with a sole scroll?!"

"If you care so much, I'll turn it in myself! Where's his office?" Sasuke and Naruto looked at her with a gaze full of disbelief at her bold display of insubordination.

"Try it, and I'll throw you out myself."

"Then why the big fuss?!"

He stood suddenly, slamming his hands down on his desk and stacks of paper toppled over, spreading across the ground. "Because this is protocol! Because Kabuto will have my head if he doesn't get that scroll!"

The sudden silence in the room was full of meek surprise, despite knowing who this 'Kabuto' was or not. He'd said too much. The only thing they really knew was that he was never mentioned before when it came to Danzo's daily deliveries. And by the way the masked official froze up, they shouldn't have known any better, anyway.

Sakura was stunned for only a moment before she felt her blood warm at the thought of him. Of course that snake would be involved in this business. She'd be surprised if he wasn't! But the real question is...

"What does this Kabuto have to do with my scroll?"

The man stayed silent, lowering himself slowly back into his padded chair. Sasuke came up from behind Sakura, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Without missing a beat, Naruto did the same. "It seems like the one who isn't following protocol here is you," the Uchiha sneered. "Tell us who and why this person is taking her form, or we're leaving."

The team could almost feel the man gritting his teeth from behind the porcelain. "...leave, then. I've still got plenty of soldiers who can actually complete these jobs."

Sakura didn't move, stubborn as always, so Naruto and Sasuke had to take her hands as they walked her briskly out of the room, kicking up documents along the way. Smith's fervent apologies as she followed were white noise to each of their ears.

As they pushed open the heavy doors, the usual bustle of the Headquarters had disappeared, and rather each masked agent stood stock still in their tracks, as all heads turned to watch them leave the room, without a word said.

In the silence, Sakura eerily realized how much they all looked like clones of another as she was pushed through the crowd, down the hallway, up the stairs and out the door.

[Restart]

"My place. Now," Sasuke said, fingers still entwined with Sakura's as they speed-walked down the bustling streets at noon.

The Haruno ripped her hand from his grasp, and soon Naruto's, too. "No, we need to go to his lab first!"

Sasuke gaped at her. "You know who this guy is?" Naruto asked in his stead. "And you didn't say anything?"

"I didn't think it was going to be important," Sakura amended. The trio began walking again once several adults pushed past them. "I was hoping for an internship at the hospital a while back, when I was called in without any interview by this guy asking me to work for him in the Toxicology Unit."

"So his day job is at the hospital in a position of authority," Sasuke said. "But that's great news. Was he recruiting you because he knew you were in the 'thing'?"

"At the time, I didn't know he knew and I still don't know if that's why he did it," Sakura explained. "He claimed it was because the mission to Wave was released and he read about the town clinic. I refused the offer, though."

"But you said you were hoping for a job? Why refuse?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know, he just...gave off this slimy vibe, you know? Manipulative and eerie. Like a snake, almost. I didn't want to work under a guy like that, who knows what he'd be like." It wasn't the whole truth, but it was close.

"Either way, we shouldn't go in broad daylight," Sasuke added. "There isn't a reason for us to be there, and there definitely isn't a reason for you to be there. Plus, he could still be in there working. Let's just wait out the day and head over there at night."

"What are we looking for when we get in there?" Naruto asked.

"Anything incriminating," the Haruno responded. "Who knows what he's planning to do with that scroll; it's proof that I signed my soul off to an illegal drug cartel. If we can blackmail him before he blackmails us, chances of getting kicked out of the ninja program after all of this settles might lower. Who knows, this may be a small piece of evidence to a much bigger crime."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke smirk as he walked. "Imagine that," he started, "heroes of the village."

"Got a nice ring to it, eh?" Naruto exclaimed, winding his arm around Sasuke's shoulder. To Sakura's surprise, he wasn't pushed off. "When I become Hokage, I'll be sure to give you a cozy position at the top."

Sasuke snorted. "If you become Hokage."

"A little faith?"

'It's good that they've gotten closer.'

'But you've gotta admit, it's entertaining to watch them at each other's throats.'

"For now, let's go to Sasuke's, and Sakura, you should grab your scroll from your house," Naruto decided, arm still slung around the boy in question. "We'll have time to make a real plan. And when the sun sets, its go-time, 'ttebayo."

Sakura laughed. "Maybe a bit later in the evening."

[Restart]

Rather than dusk, it was closer to midnight when the gang left the compound, and with the summer weather it was darker than normal; the classic case of losing track of time in each other's company. A day full of training, eating, cleaning and chatting ate away at the hours and soon, it was time to act.

Stopping at the entrance to the compound, Sakura pulled a kunai from the pouch on her hip. "You ready, Sasuke?" She asked him.

"Just do it," he said, presenting his arm to her.

With only a moment's hesitation, Sakura dragged the blade along Sasuke's bicep, ripping the fabric extensively and letting blood spill from the laceration. He flinched deeply despite himself. "The hospital is close, so you shouldn't faint," Sakura explained to him.

Naruto ran through a series of hand signs before he morphed into a forgettable boy with dark hair and eyes in a drab outfit, chakra covering his body in a light sheen. He adjusted the simple pack slung on his shoulder. "Don't forget, guys," he started, "Sakura goes around the back. Sasuke, the front entrance, and I'll go to the first basement floor."

"Let's go," Sasuke said through gritted teeth, and the trio jumped to the empty rooftops.

It didn't take long before they reached Konoha Hospital, still obviously bustling at this time of night and illuminated by various lights. Sakura was the first to separate, dissolving into leaves and reappearing at the back entrance of the building. Naruto went in from the front and made a beeline for the stairs, while Sasuke came in last, calling out to a few nurses close by.

"Uchiha-san! What happened to your arm?" one of them said as a small crowd of staff gathered around the boy in question.

Sasuke winced dramatically. "Training accident. I-I think it's infected..." more nurses gathered around, fussing over the clan child.

On a floor below this, Naruto threw his pack on the ground and rummaged through it, hiding in the shadows beneath the stairs. "I meant to use these for the Monument, but this'll work nicely," he muttered to himself, his signature grin out of place on his different face.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out an aluminum can that sloshed with liquid, and then several more that he snagged from a prank store. Making a clone, he fled the scene and left his doppelgänger with the cans. One by one, he tugged on the safety pin attached to each canister, and from his position in the shadows threw them one by one into the halls and people clamored to get away.

There were only seconds before the liquid was transformed into a potent, colorful gas, and the entire floor erupted into rainbows and people screamed for staff. People worried over Sasuke on the ground level and people poured in from the basement, clearing the floor Sakura was on and the one above that in minutes.

Hearing the commotion from the floor above her, Sakura knew both Naruto and Sasuke has succeeded. Putting on a henge of a nameless hospital personnel several years her senior, complete with gloves, she disappeared, and reappeared at the door of Kabuto's office. Searching for chakra signatures and sounds, she waited for a moment before trying the door.

"Damn, locked," she muttered before pulling a fabricated senbon from her darkened hair, dropping it from the tight bun. She wrestled with the lock for a moment before there was a telltale click. Opened.

Pushing aside the door, Sakura made a beeline for Kabuto's desk. That's where most people hide things they want in sight at all times. She ripped open the drawers and rifled through each one's contents. Patient logs, prescription documents, to-do lists, nothing of interest. There had to be something!

The Haruno switched to the bookshelves and scanned the spines of each tome. It was all medical. As she searched, her hope steadily disappeared. What if he kept it on his person? It'd make sense; that way it couldn't be found. Or..what if in this timeline, there truly is no ill will?

Sakura didn't linger on that for long. There's no way he's up to any good.

She turned her back to the shelves and went to the desk again. She didn't even know what to look for, this was impossible! Her heart rate quickened. The distraction could be over any second now. Kabuto could walk in any second now. She could be caught red-handed any second now-

'What was that?'

'What was what?'

'That glittery thing in the bottom left drawer!'

Moving towards the specified drawer, Sakura pulled out a simple-looking letter. Judging by its weight and stiff form, there was definitely something beneath the flap. She tried to flip it open, but to no avail. Then, she caught sight of a faint blue sheen glossing the paper as she pulled.

It was sealed with chakra; it must be Kabuto's chakra.

Immediately, her suspicion rose. No need to go to such an extreme to seal a letter unless you really wanted its contents to stay secret.

There was a crash, and Sakura didn't react, save her head whipping towards the closed door. She quickly pocketed the letter into one of the many patches in her lab coat and fled the room as she found it.

And just in time, because as she walked down the hallways personnel came streaming back down onto the Toxicology floor, some caked in color and looking irritated.

She essentially ran towards the exit and made her way to the front of the building, where Sasuke was waiting with a bandaged arm sitting on a bench with Naruto next to him, henge and backpack nowhere to be found. They both caught sight of her and rose, eyes watching her expectantly.

She met their stare. "Wasn't much, but I found something."

[Restart]

"What do you think is inside?" Sasuke asked Sakura from his living room floor where they regrouped. "Something concerning the 'thing'?"

"What else could it be?" Naruto reasoned. "Unless he's involved in something else shady; wouldn't put it past him or the rest of them."

"Yeah, it's probably concerning the 'thing'. But what about it..?" Sakura muttered as she turned the letter over in her hands. Her stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of Kabuto's meddling.

"So what are we waiting for? Open it." Sasuke said expectantly. Sakura nodded, and ran her own chakra from her hands onto the letter. The paper shined again in its resistance. Kabuto must have put a lot of time into sealing this. She frowned, and Sasuke took note of her reaction. "You can't open it?"

"...I don't know. Maybe, but my chakra alone doesn't seem to have enough strength, despite my control."

There was silence for a few moments, before Naruto's hand found Sakura's on top of the letter. She rose her head to look at him, waiting for an answer. "If you need more chakra, let's put all this boring training to some use, huh, 'ttebayo?"

Sasuke's hand was then on Naruto's, and he gave her a reassuring nod. "If you can't do it alone, we can do it together."

Sakura found herself smiling at the two, and nodded back as they all closed their eyes to gather their chakra. Quietude stretched on for a moment, as they brought their individual chakras together as one. Sakura felt a surge of power as they whittled away at the letter's guarded exterior. And soon, the chakra shield dispersed.

"It's open!" Naruto cried as they all separated for him to snatch up the paper and pull out its contents. A simple collection of folded papers were enclosed. The Uzumaki spread them all out across the floor and the three progressively skimmed each one, holding their breath.

Before letting out collectively in haggard breaths and not being able to find more air.

"What...what is this..?" Sasuke muttered, disbelief coloring his tone.

6/25/20XX

I have received information that our target will be participating in the Chūnin Examinations set to be held this November in Sunagakure. Putting the mark on them would be optimal during the Exams. They are going with the rest of their squad, a pink haired medic in red and the blonde orange wearing Jinchūriki. Incapacitation of the other two may be necessary before the Exams.

7/03/20XX

The chosen operatives have gathered the sufficient amount of information for our assignment, and weapon preparation can begin. The Kazekage has been notified about the cancellation of our previous plans, and is none the wiser to our revised version. The Suna Jinchūriki is still set to be released. I've left the drawn plans and in a remote area near Konoha's borders for your timely arrival.

6/19/20XX

The operatives have contacted me with information that this year's Chūnin Examinations set to be held in Konohagakure have been postponed till November, newly held in Sunagakure. I feel as though our assignment set for the third portion of Konoha's Chūnin Examinations should be cancelled and revised to now be held in Suna to achieve the same end goal. No word yet on the contents of the Exams.

7/01/20XX

I have been notified on your plans to ambush Squad Seven when on the Youth ROOT assignment. My Lord, I beg of you not to for the reason they stay none the wiser to our upcoming plans, and the rest of their village along with them.

6/17/20XX

I have been informed that fugitive Uchiha Itachi has been repeatedly spotted near Konoha's borders. I implore you to be careful, My Lord.

"Kabuto's coming..for us. There's going to be another attack..." Sakura breathed out. It's happening. She thought she had prevented it, but it's happening.

"And it's going to be at the Chūnin Exams with all of our friends." Naruto's words were so toneless it sent a chill down Sakura's back.

Sasuke was silent; deathly silent and deathly still. When Sakura glanced at him worriedly, any color that he might have had was drained from his complexion. Even his aura was starting to ward her off. Slowly, she began to reach a hand out to his shoulder. "Sasuke..?"

Before she could even touch him, he slapped her hand away.

Hard.

Sakura flinched powerfully and jerked backwards while Naruto jumped to his feet indignantly. "What the hell, Sasuke! What's wrong with you?"

"He's here."

It only took a moment. Sakura and Naruto's memories backtracked to the day they were first together as a team on the rooftops. Sasuke's words that day replayed in their mind's eyes, and a fear seized them.

Naruto lunged for Sasuke, holding him by the shoulders. "Sasuke. You can't. It's not time yet, you're not ready-"

"Get off me!"

Naruto was on his back in milliseconds. Sasuke rose, and stared down at him with spinning ruby eyes soaked with rage.

Sakura's hand was rubbed red from Sasuke's retaliation, but she held it out towards him again despite this. "Sasuke, with this new information there are other things we need to take care of first. You can't go in and get blindsided, there's going to be an attack on Suna!"

Sasuke didn't even look at her, grabbing his pouch from the coffee table and walking with a purpose towards the front door. Sakura's own anger spiked as she watched him go.

"...I thought you were better than this, Sasuke."

He stopped.

"...You're being selfish."

"Selfish?!" Sakura screamed. "Me?! We've already had an argument like this before, and already you're falling back into your old ways. The only one being selfish here is you!"

"That bastard killed my family!" Sasuke cried, finally facing her. "He made we watch it all for hours on end and left without a trace. This is the closest he's been since, this is the closest I've been to reach my goal and to avenge everyone, and you expect me to sit here and worry about an attack still half a year away?! You're being selfish!"

Sakura stormed up to him. "You're being stupid! You're going to get hurt, you aren't strong enough to beat him! I don't know what I'd do with myself if he killed you!"

Sasuke kept walking away. "Figure it out! I don't care if I die, as long as he goes down with me."

"You aren't thinking straight! You'll regret this, you need to give your life more credit! It's precious!" This time, Sakura didn't hesitate in grabbing his wrist. He struggled in her hold and tried to throw her off, but Sakura held on and struggled with him.

"Get...off!" He was able to throw her to the ground without remorse. She screamed in pain as her back hit the hard floor. At this, Naruto came behind Sasuke and restricted his arms.

"Sasuke, please, listen to reason! You don't even know where he is! He could be gone by now!"

"Piss off! You wouldn't understand! Let me go, or I swear to god..!"

Sakura struggled to her feet after her second hit, and tried to grab Sasuke, but he broke from Naruto's hold and fought back again. From this distance, she could see a second tomoe in his red eyes.

'Hold him down!'

She pounced on him for the second time that day, and he hit the hardwood with a loud thud. Pushing his arms above his head and straddling his legs, she charged medical chakra in her free hand. Naruto watched with wide eyes from across the room, righting himself on the floor and clutching his arm.

"Yield, Sasuke!" She cried, but to no avail as he continued to resist.

"Hell no! Now get off-!"

With her chakra-saturated hand, she tapped his neck and found his Vagus nerve, and he collapsed beneath her, boneless.

With caution, she raised herself off his legs and covered her mouth due to the shock. She shared a frightened look with Naruto, who was still frozen on the ground. "Oh god," she whispered, "what did I do?"

Naruto jumped up and gathered her in his arms. "We had no other choice, he just wasn't listening. You did the right thing."

She reflexively wrapped her arms around him as he did the same. "I knocked him out; I assaulted him. He still hadn't left the compound, I could have done it another way-"

"None of us were thinking straight," Naruto consoled her. Loosening his hold, he turned to look at Sasuke's immobile body sprawled on the floor. He looked peaceful. There was silence for several moments. "...Sasuke said he was going to kill himself over his brother," Naruto choked as he spoke. "Sasuke...he doesn't value his life enough."

Sakura rested a reassuring hand on Naruto's back, before moving to haul Sasuke into her arms. "Let's move him to his bed."

The walk was a quiet and tense one, and Sakura remembered the path to the room she agreed she wouldn't cross into. She laid him onto his soft mattress, and took a sticky note from his nightstand and scribbled a message for him.

As the two left the room, closing the door behind them, too many thoughts swirled around in Sakura's head. How was she ever going to be able to talk to Itachi if Sasuke'd go on a rampage at his very name? If Sasuke can't be trusted to behave, how will they stop the ambush at the Chūnin Exams? And what about the Unit Sakura was just thrown out of? It's been a while, but the full weight of her mission crashed onto her again, and she stumbled in her steps.

'There's too many variables to control at once...I don't know how much longer I can juggle all this on my own.'

'No one else is coming to help. You need to stay focused on the task at hand. What needs to happen right now?'

"Right now.." the pinkette whispered. "Right now...we need to be in the forests." She all but ran towards the mess of letters on the floor and collapsed onto her knees before them, arranging them chronologically. Naruto stood beside her, peering over her shoulder silently.

"There," she revealed, pointing at one document. "There's something hidden in the woods near Konoha's borders for Kabuto's 'Lord' to snatch up." She angled her head to look up at Naruto from her crouch. "It's the newest date, but who knows if someone has already grabbed it. They could be on their way to do it right now! Naruto, we have to go."

Sakura stood and quickly made her way over to the veranda, and a worried Naruto followed at her heels. "What about Sasuke? If he wakes up, we're just going to let him run around again?"

"Leave a clone to watch over him and if it pops like it did in Wave, we'll know to come back," she explained, one sandal already strapped. "I've taught you to Shunshin. We'll be here immediately if he's up."

"Maybe I should stay back and watch him myself," Naruto suggested, lagging in getting ready to leave. "You know more about this than I do, and you're a lot stronger and cunning than me even if you do get in trouble, so-"

"Naruto, don't degrade yourself. In your own ways, you're on par or even farther than Sasuke and I. Right now, I need you to help me, no one else."

His words stuttered at that, but Sakura was already pulling him along and out the door, just as a clone materialized in the home.

[Restart]

The skies no longer had hues of red and pink and orange, but only a mysterious inky purple allure overhead, and the only light in the forests barely beyond Konoha seeped in from the cracks between the leaves of the tall, burling Hashirama trees from the full moon's glow.

Naruto decided to search the West, while Sakura searched the East border for whatever package may lie in wait.

On her knees, she picked at the ground with cracking fingernails and skin, crudely tearing it apart with a kunai as she sent of waves of chakra through the Earth in an attempt to catch Kabuto's own chakra wrapped around the delivery.

As she tore another chunk of earth from the ground, a bit of hope left her.

'Someone's probably already taken it.'

'But what if they haven't? We can't just let them get to it.'

'You're right, but I don't believe it.'

"I wonder if Naruto's had any luck," Sakura mumbled as she patted the uprooted dirt back into the ground. Involuntarily, her mind wandered to other things; Sasuke, like it always does.

She's positive she saw Itachi that night. But why was he there? For Sasuke? How long has he been out of hiding, and why not cover his tracks as well as he always did? Was he related to the mystery mission Kakashi should be back from by now? His sudden presence in the timeline makes no sense. How will she get him alone to talk? Is he hostile?

'Maybe you can trap him in Nanami's dimension.'

'Not at my skill level, I can't. Nine years from now, easily, especially after all that training just to be here. I'll just have to hope he'll be willing to talk. And then I'll bring up my plans for the Akatsuki.'

'Apparently, he's close, too. What if he's the one who got the package, or...is coming to get it?'

There was an unnatural swish of leaves and the crumble of dirt, before a dry thud. Then, an almost silent scream.

Sakura jumped to her feet and ran through the forest to follow the sound, her heart racing in her chest. Was it Naruto? Did he find something...or someone?

Jumping out from the bushes and breathing heavily, she found herself in an empty clearing, with a freshly dug hole. Pushing her chakra towards it, there were faint signs of another's chakra that used to be here. And it was Kabuto's.

'I knew it!'

'But now someone has it.'

The Haruno stretched out her essence in waves all around her. She felt a ghost of a presence right on the edge of her range. They're still here. "Come out, now!" She yelled into the trees. Her voice echoed out into hollow silence.

She sighed worriedly, and turned around to pursue them.

Till she came face to face with Ino, clothes ragged and covered in grime, who pointed a dirtied blade at her neck.

Sakura's heart nearly jumped out of her chest, but she knew to stay tense. "...I-Ino? What are you even doing here at this time of night?"

Ino didn't move the blade, and Sakura caught a glimpse of a nicely wrapped package in the girl's opposite hand; one that reeked of snake.

Slowly, Sakura's eyes dragged back to Ino's suddenly icy ones. "...Ino?"

"Don't move, Sakura. We need to talk, and now."

"Give me the package, Ino."

"You need to listen to me first."

"I'm not kidding, hand it over right now."

"It's important! We're in trouble!"

Sakura paused at this, and really looked at Ino. Her body resembled one of her own; young and fresh and naive. But the look in her eyes...it was far too similar. She had the same look when she first appeared in the past. Blood pumping anxiously, she carefully asked, "...who's we?"

"In the future, 'we'. I was sent here to tell you Lady Tsunade is in trouble. We need to go back, now."

( I can't show you on , but I was recently gifted fanart for my original story, —Restart— on a separate platform! Thanks a TON, and I love you all and this story so much! )