"You understand your mission correct, you know what you have to do" a voice echoed around the decimated and barren battlefield, the Fourth Great Ninja War lost with only two survivors, not even the reanimations were among them.
The seventeen year old kunoichi took a shuddering breath "Yes, in order to save everyone I will complete this SS Rank Mission" her eyes held a tired, yet determined light within their depths as she stood stock still before the lone male.
He looked her over, taking in her height a whopping 5ft 3 and a half inches tall, her weight a mere one hundred pounds, with shoulder blade length pink hair of all colors and peridot colored eyes, Sakura Haruno the name she went by.
Obito nodded "Good, I will now begin" he said bluntly using his blood as the jutsu mediator "You will have very limited time to save them" he spoke, wanting to warn the young woman of what was to come in just a few minutes.
Sakura grit her teeth "I know Obito, but I won't fail" she clenched her hands as she made her vow, this was a mission she couldn't botch up no matter what happened, even if she was low on chakra and all she had left was her 100 Healing Mark to help her in a sticky situation.
"At least you understand how important this mission is, that Naruto would have lunged right in without thinking and Sasuke, I won't go into details" Obito winced, not telling the pinkette his thoughts on the Uchiha, surely his plan wouldn't have been very good.
It was difficult and Sakura lowered her eyes to the ground at the mention of her crush and everything he'd tried to do "They'll have the life they deserve this time around" her head snapped up willing to sacrifice herself for them, for Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi.
This earned a very small reluctant smile "Just make sure you find my dumbass and stop me before I go to far" Obito went right back to being serious as his strength waned, loosing blood at a much more rapid pace now as he started drawing the seals on the ground.
When he was done with that, he began a very long list of complicated hand signs "How will I make the past you believe me and what about Zetsu, weren't you two buddy, buddy then" she inquired suddenly.
A soft curse flew from his bloody lips "True, lure me out, bait me, taunt me into leaving Zetsu, I'm sure as soon as you tell me my name that will be enough" Obito grimaced stalling on a hand sign before catching himself just a second later.
"Great" Sakura groaned putting her head in her hands feeling exhausted all over again as the cold rain soaked into her ruined shirt and she actually felt the beginnings of being sick taking over her, it was exactly what she needed 'Not, note the sarcasm' she thought inwardly.
Obito continued going through hand signs at a rapid pace and the seal on the ground surrounding the pinkette took on a soft red hue "The whole of the ninja world now rests on your shoulders alone Sakura Haruno, do not fail" he spoke again after some time.
Her head snapped in his direction "I know that" she spat "You think I'll let Naruto or Sasuke or anyone suffer what I, we've been through" Sakura growled a fire growing in her heart, she was a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf Village.
The Will of Fire had been instilled into her so deeply "Nothing not even Kaguya Otsutsuki herself will be able to stop me" she hissed, glad to see that fire, Obito nodded in acceptance, assuring himself that everything would be fine.
Just a moment later the signs were finished "Then may the kami be with you and your journey is safe" Obito murmured approaching the young woman "And may fate be kind to you and that you find a life for yourself" he whispered.
Bending his head down, as her eyes widened, their lips brushed, he pushed the last of his chakra into her, restoring less than half of her chakra reserves, but it would be enough to get her where she needed to be at least.
Moments later a bright red light overtook the lone survivors of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Obito fading as if he never existed and Sakura, being taking to the past, to the day all their troubles truly began, she landed against the ground harshly.
Though the impact didn't deter her as she leaped to her feet, senses honed already on the trio she assumed were the Rain Orphans chakra, along with Hanzo, Sakura took off through the muddy streets, emerald orbs glittering dangerously.
As she weaved and jumped over the civilians of the Rain Village, her heart pounding against her ribs brutally and body so wound, her only destination to where those four were, she hit the cliff running not once slowing her sprint.
Until she saw them, soaked to the bone, Hanzo holding Konan hostage, him throwing a kunai down to Nagato, who picked it up and Yahiko, though she only knew him as Pein, rushing at the red head intending on ending his life to save the woman he loved.
Sakura threw herself between the Uzumaki and orange haired idiot, Yahiko slammed into her, and the kunai was pushed through her back, his brow eyes widened at the sight of her and Nagato looked shocked that someone had recklessly done what she'd just done.
Even Hanzo looked shocked though she couldn't tell through the pain and fucking rain "STOP HANZO" she screamed at him dislodging herself from the kunai, her blood washing away from the never ending sprinkle.
Weapons were lowered, her breathing was harsh as she staggered forward, jade eyes pinned to Hanzo of the Salamander, then Sakura straightened and she walked straight up the cliff to stand before the man.
"These three are innocent of the crime you are accusing them off, Danzo has blinded you from the truth, those men he showed you were not of Stone, but of Leaf, he wants the treaty between the two villages to be broken and pushed the blame on the Akatsuki" she breathed.
Then held out her hand, free of her gloves for the moment "I can show you if you let me, everything that will happen should you try to kill them" Sakura locked eyes with Hanzo daring him to take her hand.
Hanzo did and memories flowed through him, seeing through her eyes and someone else's at the same time, he jerked back seconds later, looking the young woman over, then down to the bluenette still bound and further down the cliff to Yahiko and Nagato.
It wasn't often that he would admit his mistakes but he would this time "I concede, what I have done here may never be forgiven, at least we all walk away with our lives in tact" Hanzo bent undid the binds on Konan, then turned with Rain Shinobi on his heels and vanished into the distance.
Sakura dropped to her knee's, heart slowing as the immediate danger passed, then she was turning to the woman still kneeling next to her, shocked that nobody had gotten hurt "Here let me see your hands" her own glowed green.
Curiously Konan did as requested and the pinkette healed her wrists from the rope burns "Thank you err" it occurred to her that she didn't even know the girls name, even if she had just saved them all from certain death.
Her emerald orbs softened "Sakura Haruno and don't mention it" then she was on her feet helping the woman down the cliff to her teammates, Yahiko and Nagato checked Konan over for themselves deeply impressed that they'd walked out of this scott free.
"I'm Yahiko, the Leader of the Akatsuki, this is Nagato and Konan, my first and second in command of our little organization" the orange haired man looked the girl up and down taking in her tattered attire and haggard appearance.
Nagato shot his friend a glance "Before you hound her with questions Yahiko, we should let Haruno-san rest, right Konan" he glanced to the only other female standing around and the bluenette nodded hastily.
"Exactly come on Sakura, you look like you could use a bath, some warm clothes and good food" Konan smiled gently, taking notice of how young the girl actually looked and it made her wonder at Sakura's age.
Sakura smiled gratefully "That would be nice Konan-san" she stated following after the trio as they walked back towards the direction of the village, or tried as was her case, but her legs refused to move, her body was already run down and she'd used most of her chakra to get here in the first place.
The red head frowned "Here Haruno-san if you'd like you can lean on me as we walk" he instantly offered, it was only fair considering she had saved them all from certain death and Hanzo had admitted that they weren't the ones at fault, this Danzo person however was.
"Oh thank you Nagato-san" she let him wrap his arm under her arms and help her walk, proving he was an Uzumaki through and through, though this was only the first part of her mission, just a small sliver, already things weren't looking as bleak as she thought they'd be.
By the time they arrived at the Akatsuki base Sakura was little more than dead weight "Go on Sakura-san, get some rest, we'll talk in the morning" Yahiko sent her off with Konan and the bluenette helped the pinkette get into warm clothes and find a bed to sleep in apparently eating would have to wait until the morning.
The seventeen year old kunoichi was all to eager to fall into the healing sleep that her body needed sorely from fighting for several days for her life, massive loss of chakra and blood, and then coming to the past to save the Rain Orphans, and with little more than a sigh, Sakura fell asleep dreaming of a much better, happier future.