Note: Set in the Japanese Imperial Era during the Heian Period, under the reigning Emperor Murakami-tenno. Some of the events are from real occasions that occurred during the said Era, however, most of which are purely fictional.
Based loosely on the hit Korean Historical Series Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. But if you have not watched the series, you can still read this story.
A Naruto Historical AU.
Most of the quotes that will be featured in this story are from Nikita Gill, Atticus and yours truly.
"senbonzakura"
lit. meaning: a thousand cherry blossoms
Description:
A University girl from modern era Japan found herself waking up in the body of Haruno Sakura one thousand years back in time during the Heian Period, the reign of Emperor Madara-susano during the Tenryaku Era when the powerful Uchiha Clan rule the Imperial land.
Left with no way to return back to present, she adjusted to her new life and inevitably got tangled with the Imperial Princes. As she was able to witness before her eyes everything that occurred in history during that time, unbeknownst to her, she will soon change the future of two of the Imperial Princes.
[Prologue]
Tokyo, Japan
Modern day 2021
Sometimes she wonders what it would be like to live in the past.
But the thought would be gone as fast as it invaded her mind, concluding to herself that there is no point in dwelling about something that had already occurred and long since gone. The thought that was so fleeting like the transient life of the cherry blossom petals that would fall from the tree with a mere swoosh of the breeze. The cherry blossoms that day were in full bloom. The scenery that reminded her so much of her life as a high school student, young and naïve and so easy to fall for the person she thought would be the one.
She remember as the cherry blossom petals rain down from the trees aligning the sidewalk, decorating the ground in what seem like a sea of pink perianth, she thought it would be a perfect time to confess her love to the person she devoted her heart to ever since she laid her eyes on him. As cliché as it may have seem now, it was such a magical moment then. When he accepted her confession with a smile that made her fall ten times harder than when she first met him during the entrance ceremony. They were a happy couple then, at least for a few years in their relationship. She thought those evanescent felicity would last at least for a short while.
But how foolish was she to think that everything would never change.
And the reason why she sometimes wonders what it would be like to live in the past is to be able to avoid the pain that certain event brought to her, tearing her heart to million tiny fragments like the raindrops that could never be counted.
They say a heart break is as silence as it is deafening. So quiet it was so eerily terrifying and sad how a broken heart could weep without letting out a single sound. And it is almost as though silence is the only way the universe could pay its respect to the sound of a heart falling apart.
"What's wrong?" her roommate asked her that night when she came back to their dorm, her hair that was dyed in pink like the cherry blossoms down the street was soak and so were her clothes. It was raining, the downpour getting heavier by the minute and it was as though the heavens were weeping the heart that just got broken that night.
"I was right," she said, her voice low and tired. "He's cheating on me. I was about to surprise him because it's our anniversary, but instead I was the one who got surprised when I saw him and that girl together. The audacity of them kissing in public."
Then the tears started to fall. Half out of heartbreak and the other half out of frustration.
Her roommate walked up to her with a towel in hand as she drapes it across her shoulders while rubbing them in a reassuring way.
"Come on Sakura, why don't you take a shower. I'll ready some food and drinks while you're in bathroom and we could talk all about it, how's that?"
Sakura nodded, she was afraid if she speak her voice would just crack and she might cry louder. As the lukewarm water from the shower fell down her body, so was the salty liquid falling down her eyes, the sound of the water drowning her howling heart.
After changing into a much comfortable clothes, Sakura found herself sitting on the floor, inside the small living quarter of their dorm, across her was her roommate she had shared a dorm with since last year.
"Now, let's drink this out!" she said, lifting the glass, her voice loud and Sakura knew she's trying to cheer her up. And as a friend who is being cheered, Sakura gave her a smile, though the smile is not as wide as the ones she had always mustered before.
As they drink the night away, the liquor actually helped Sakura to fall in a deep slumber, momentarily forgetting everything wrong with her life.
The next morning, as she sat in the boring History lecture, the voice of the Professor slowly got muffled in the background as she looked out the glass window. The cherry blossom trees could be seen from there and she thought how nice of a scenery it could have been had it not for the memory of when she confessed her undying love to him.
Sakura tuned in again just in time when the Professor was going over an important note.
"And as for the final output for this semester, you will be writing a term paper about the Heian Period during the Tenryaku Era, the reign of Emperor Madara-susano."
A chorus of whine and protest could be heard but the students can really have nothing to do about it. To Sakura, at least the term paper would keep her mind away from the unpleasant memory.
At least she thought so for a while.
But that mid-noon, right after the lecture, just as she was walking back to her dorm, she saw him.
He was alone this time and Sakura felt her heart started to beat faster. But she knew it was not the same as when her heart was beating fast when she was confessing to him.
"Sakura," he said when he noticed her and walked up to her. "I was actually going to call you. Can we talk?"
"S-Sure," she couldn't help the slight stutter when she was reminded of what she saw yesterday. The memory still freshly intact in her mind and the scene inevitably started playing again. "I also wanted to ask you something."
Sakura told him about what she saw the other day and he waited for her to finish. "I mean, I could be mistaken. Maybe it wasn't you or something. You know, it's dark and I really don't kno—"
"Let's break up."
He didn't even let her finish.
Those words left his mouth like it was so easy for him to end the four years they had been together.
"What?"
"Did I stutter?" he asked. "I said, let's break up."
"Was it because of the girl you were with yesterday?"
"So what if it's because of her? This relationship isn't even functioning so why bother keeping it?"
He wish he could lie, feed her words that even though she knew were not the truth she'd still believe him. She wished he'd deny it and ask for forgiveness because she would forgive him in a heartbeat.
That's how foolish of a girl Haruhi Sakura is.
And her foolishness had wreck her to the point that she found herself sitting by the bridge in the public park, in the middle of the noon, a bottle of liquor in hand as she hugged her knees.
"Ah…I really…really shouldn't have given my whole heart to him," she muttered, the alcohol registering in her system. "Granny Chiyo in heaven, you were right when you told me I should be careful when giving my heart to a guy."
She looked up, the sky was clear compared to yesterday and it was as if the heavens were mocking her. Last night it cried together with her, but today it's as clear as a sunny summer morn. She brought the bottle to her lips and gulped what little liquid remain in the bottle before she put it down next to at least three empty bottles as she took a new one. But when she was about to lift it up, she felt someone was holding the bottle down and Sakura looked to her side to see a man trying to get the liquor.
"Mister, it's mine," she said, trying to take it back.
"We could share," he countered, giving her a smile that showed some of his decaying teeth.
Sakura was silent for a second before she nodded and gave the bottle to the man. "You can take it, mister. I think I've had enough drink as much as I've had enough of this useless life. Ah, I wish I could just disappear from this world! Or from this lifetime at least."
The man hissed and Sakura flinched as she looked at him. "Be careful what you say out loud. The heavens are clear today," he muttered, a tone that carried what sounded like a threatening advice.
Sakura absolutely had no idea what he meant by that as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. But she thought the man had gone mad so she just ignored his words with a shrug.
"But you know mister, wouldn't it be nice to live in the past?"
The man took a deep breath before he closed the bottle and lie comfortably on his satchel. "Don't think much about the past that you will lose sight of the present. You are living in the now, not in the yesterday."
For someone who is homeless, he sure knows a lot, Sakura thought. But she couldn't possibly disagree. He was right, Sakura remembered the words spoken to her often by her Granny Chiyo.
It is fine to reminisce the past once in a while, but you must remember that you are living in the present. The past is meant to be remembered, there is nothing else you can do but remember or forget.
Sakura let out a sigh as she rested her chin on her knees. Her emerald eyes shine the brightest on a sunny afternoon and the river looks refreshing as much as it is tempting to jump. But Sakura shook her head to get rid of such thought.
"There's no way I'll be jumping there," she said as she stood up.
Not five seconds after she said that, she saw a young girl slipped from the edge of the bridge and her eyes widen, a loud gasp escaping her lips as she put her hands to cover her mouth. She looked back at the man from earlier but he is already snoring and deep in his slumber. The people around the park were far and seem busy to the point that they did not notice a girl drowning in the river.
"There's no way I'll be jumping there," she repeated. "There's no way…I'll be jumping…ah! Fine!"
She made up her mind, closing her eyes tightly as she run to the edge of the bridge, her action caused a few heads to turn to her and they finally noticed the girl just as Sakura jumped from the bridge and down the cold river.
Come to think of it, her Granny Chiyo always told her she's a kind young girl who always put others before herself. And maybe that's why, that moment, she did not hesitate jumping in the river to save the girl.
After making sure the girl is safe and sound, Sakura was about to hold the outstretched hand of the man in the boat but something pulled her back. It was as though an invisible force wrapped its fingers around her ankles, dragging her down, deeper and deeper into oblivion.
The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness were the two celestial bodies, the moon and the sun, visible in the clear sky that day.
And then there was darkness.
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Note: I'm really looking forward to working on this book so if you managed to find this and liked the Prologue, do leave some reviews, I would be glad to read them!
Next update the Princes will be introduced!
Thanks for reading.
