Chapter 25: Beginnings

Sana Nara was tall. Her hair was longer than most Nara and coloured a dark brown that she styled in a high ponytail with points that spiked out in all directions in the familiar style that the Nara hair did. Her eyes were slanted and dark, her expression was usually without much emotion, but her eyes were curious. She wore a traditional kimono of brown and pale green and didn't wear jewelry. She was normally quiet and subdued, her voice was polite and feminine, and she looked the most comfortable around her younger sister.

The only reason that Shouta knew her at all was through Shikata, who had been forced to be the middle-man and introduce Shouta and Hikari to more people in the village on orders from his father and Lady Sakura. Shouta was glad that he had been able to meet Sana, who was seventeen like he was, and Chojime, who was a year older. Lady Sakura was his peer in age alone, in all other manners, Shouta was a subordinate. He hadn't managed to bridge the gap to proper friendship like Hikari had managed to do with her as yet. The only thing that Shouta knew for absolute certain was that Sana Nara was the complete opposite of Hikari Shimura.

Hikari's hair, for starters, a far more vibrant brown with an almost red tone to it. She had a fringe that parted in the middle and hung to her eyebrows, and her hair was usually braided back on either side of her head and tied back into a long ponytail, with a strap and a ribbon that changed colour almost daily. But he'd noticed that she'd taken to wearing a red ribbon more often, which Shouta knew was because of her admiration for Lady Sakura, whose own headband was red. Hikari wore her shinobi headband, which had a black band, around her head as Lady Sakura did, and he didn't think she'd grow to be much taller than Lady Sakura either. Hikari was pretty short.

Shouta always thought her head looked busy, but it suited her. Her eyes were brown, but not dark. In the sun they were closer to amber than bark, and they were large and round, opening even wider when she was surprised, scared, happy or amazed. Her cheeks were always tinged with a little pink, but she blushed at everything and when she was especially embarrassed her entire face went a deep shade of red. Shouta didn't think he'd met anyone as expressive as she was before. In general, Hikari was the kind of person who could walk into a room of people in a low mood and lift the entire place up with her smile. She had a cheerful disposition that people responded too positively. But Shouta had seen her shutter that part of her away in favour of focus. She was dedicated, determined and when she felt strongly about something, she wasn't afraid to speak her mind, a trait that Shouta was both frustrated by and strongly admired.

Since their odd fight the last night of the festival, he'd barely been able to speak to her. Hikari had avoided him as much as she could, and Shouta was sick of it. He hated to say that he missed her, but Hikari had been a central person in his life for six months and her presence meant something to him. His hand froze in the air as his entire body jolted with the realisation that struck him. He shook his head and drew his hand back.

"That's not - I don't - " he muttered under his breath.

"Shouta?" Lady Sakura called out to him from down the aisle.

He looked up and saw she was looking at him with concern. She put down the potted plant she was holding onto the workbench and quickly walked over to him.

"Are you all right? You're pale."

"Fine, fine," he said quickly.

She kept frowning.

"You're not okay."

She took his arm and led him to the wooden seat in the corner of the greenhouse.

"What happened?"

He looked at her strangely.

"I don't think I should say," he said after a moment.

She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips, and made a face that shouldn't have reminded him of Hikari, but did. Hikari had taken on several of Lady Sakura's mannerisms. He groaned and put his face in his hands.

"Okay, Shouta, you're really worrying me right now," Lady Sakura said, real concern in her voice.

Shouta swallowed. Being around Lady Sakura and Hikari had really changed the way he reacted. Before, when he was surrounded with the usually stoic and withheld members of his clan, he'd never have shown so much of what he was feeling so outwardly.

"Do you want me to fetch Hikari?" Lady Sakura asked.

"No!" Shouta blurted out, looking up.

She was slightly startled and then her frown deepened.

"What the heck is going on with you two? Did you have a fight?"

"Something like that," Shouta muttered.

Lady Sakura hummed in thought and let out a big sigh and leaned on the edge of the table beside Shouta.

"You know, I don't really know how to handle being your teacher in this kind of situation," she said. "Do you want me to do anything?"

She sounded uncertain. Shouta shook his head.

"No," he replied. "It'll pass."

Probably, he thought. He hoped so.

"Is there anything you want to talk about? You never know, I might be able to help."

Shouta gave her a small shrug. He was grateful, but he didn't want to talk about the fact that he was realising that he was feeling things more than friendship towards Hikari.

"Well." She pursed her lips. "You still look pale. Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Shouta felt some exasperation at her worry.

"I'm fine," he said.

"So how is your training with Madara?" She asked, not-so-smoothly attempting to distract him with a new topic.

"I'm surprised you have to ask," Shouta murmured.

Lady Sakura scoffed.

"Whatever you and everyone else assumes, I don't know everything he thinks." She glanced down at him. "You look a lot stronger than you did a month ago," she observed.

He felt it.

"Lord Madara is a strict and disciplined sensei." Shouta gave her a teasing smirk. "Unlike some people I know."

Lady Sakura gave him a look of amused disbelief.

"Oh! What a horrible student you are!" She exclaimed, laughing.

Shouta laughed a little.

"He has helped me with mastery over my Sharingan," he continued, "and pushes me to hone my skills with little room for error. It's best not to frustrate him."

"That I know well," she drawled, a tired look briefly crossing her face. Then she smiled. "Well. You might be getting combat lessons from a far superior shinobi, but don't get lazy in your medical studies."

She looked around the greenhouse.

"Do you have an interest in plants?"

Shouta nodded.

"I never knew how many uses there were for them," he said. "It's fascinating to learn about the different ways they can be applied to medicine."

Lady Sakura's fingers drummed on the table and she looked at him thoughtfully. Shouta wondered what she was considering.

"How much do you know about poison?" She asked.

"Close to nothing," he replied.

She bit her lip and her fingers continued to drum.

"It would be interesting to learn about them," he offered.

Lady Sakura gave a little smile, but it wasn't happy or pleased.

"It will be necessary as well," she said with a strange nostalgia to her voice.

Shouta frowned a little. Sometimes he had the feeling that she was hiding some huge secret, with some things she said or some ways she acted.

"Necessary?" He asked.

"War's a terrible thing, and I don't believe that we'll be at peace forever," she said. "The other nations are forming their own villages, and what do you think that will lead too?"

Shouta shrugged.

"An imbalance of power," Lady Sakura said. "Lord Hokage received word that Wind and Earth are at the beginning of forming their villages. So that will make four villages by the end of the year. I think the Land of Water will create one too."

"So the imbalance of power will create a war," Shouta said with some concern.

"Undoubtedly," Lady Sakura replied.

"But surely Lord Hokage won't let that happen," Shouta said. "He's so… against war."

She scoffed.

"Yes, but even Hashirama can't force every nation to bend to his will. He's not a tyrant dictator, luckily for us, though he could be if he wanted. He's definitely powerful enough."

"This is why you've been so insistent on the hospital and quality of the medics and raising the standard or care," Shouta said suddenly. "You're preparing."

Lady Sakura gave him a slow nod.

"I don't want to leave the future to chance."

"You're thinking very far ahead," he said with some amazement.

"Everyone is," Lady Sakura shrugged. "We're shinobi. I want to save as many of my comrade's lives as I can, so I'm doing what I'm capable of, and that's making great medics."

Shouta looked at her with newfound respect. She was only two years older than he was, yet Lady Sakura considered things with a much broader scope than he ever imagined. He was instantly curious about all the things she had planned and hadn't shared.

"No wonder you get along with Shikata so well," Shouta said.

Sakura looked at him with a confused frown.

"You're both geniuses."

Sakura burst out laughing.

"I'm not a genius," she chuckled. "I was really good at studying, and I've just had a lot of experience and some really amazing sensei and people to learn from."

"Right," Shouta said.

He didn't believe that she wasn't a genius of some kind.

"Really!" She defended her opinion. "When I was a kid, I was a completely annoying little girl, totally obsessed over this handsome and powerful boy named Sasuke," she said with a fond smile.

Shouta hadn't really heard her talk about her past much, so this was intriguing to hear.

"And I was so weak. All I cared about was my appearance, I was terrible. Really. You would've hated me," she laughed.

"So what changed?" He asked.

"I became a member of a team and was thrown into the real world and realised I wasn't as good as I thought I was," she said, with some sadness. "I was ignorant, and I was slapped in the face with the harsh reality of shinobi life."

She glanced at him and chuckled apologetically.

"Sorry, you don't want to hear this."

Shouta shook his head.

"No, actually, I really do."

She gave him a funny look and then launched into a story about her past, and Shouta listened to her speak with rapt attention. He noticed there were times when she stumbled over something and seemed to change her mind or correct herself with some details, but he knew from things she'd said in the past and what he'd picked up on from Lord Madara and Lord Hokage, that there were things about Lady Sakura it was better not to ask, so he didn't press her. Instead, he smiled as she regaled her stories and escapades of her adventures with Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi, and although he had no idea who any of the people in her stories were, he still liked to hear about them. She became a little more subdued when she spoke of two of her friends, Itachi and Shisui, and Shouta recognised that Itachi was the one he'd heard about before. The man Sakura had been in love with before Madara.

"I forgot for a while, being around them so much, how powerful they were," she mused. "Shisui was even faster than Tobirama, I think."

Shouta looked at her doubtfully.

"Even Lord Madara, or Yuri, isn't as fast as Lord Tobirama," he said.

Sakura grinned.

"Shisui the Teleporter, Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique," she reeled off two titles. "He was so masterful of the body flicker and so fast that it looked like he was created clones of himself. It was incredible to witness. Truly, not even Tobi moves fast enough to create an after-image."

"That's… very impressive," Shouta said.

Sakura nodded.

"Very. Plus, he was a master of genjutsu as well, but even he wasn't as skilled in that as Itachi."

"Itachi was powerful too?"

"I think… well, in true to-the-death battle, probably Itachi would defeat Shisui. Itachi was a genius on a level even higher than Madara and Shikata," she said softly. "If he was still alive now you'd be able to see just how powerful he really was, and how kind. I think Itachi rivaled Madara and Hashirama, but he only fought because he had too, not because he wanted it."

"He rivaled Lord Madara and Lord Hokage?"

Lady Sakura nodded.

"You can ask Madara if you don't believe me," she said.

Shouta shook his head. If she was telling him to ask Lord Madara, who he knew wouldn't exaggerate or embellish, then Lady Sakura was likely right about Itachi's potential power. Lady Sakura was quiet a moment and then she laughed and frowned.

"How funny that all my closest friends and most beloved people were Hokage-level shinobi, and then there's me, always just barely reach them."

Shouta folded his arms over his chest.

"I saw the Nine-Tails stab a claw through you and then you healed yourself like it was nothing."

"Hashirama could've done the same thing with much less effort," she said. She pushed herself off the edge of the table. "In any case, we've got work left to do."

"Lady Sakura," Shouta said slowly getting to his feet. "Do you really not consider yourself as powerful as them?"

She looked a little surprised at his question.

"I don't think anyone in the world is as powerful as Hashirama, not even Madara, and I'm certainly not as powerful as him or Tobirama. If I had to fight them for my life, I would die."

"Even with your seal?"

She nodded, looking at him curiously. Shouta frowned.

"I think you're underestimating yourself," he said.

"How so?"

She sounded a little amused now.

"Apart from Lord Hokage, both Lord Madara and Lord Tobirama would die of wounds you could easily survive. If you land the right punch on either of them, you could incapacitate or kill them in a single hit."

"The key word is if," Lady Sakura replied, and Shouta had to admit she was right. It was easier said than done against such opponents. "Thank you for believing in me, but I have a long way to go before I reach their level."

There was something in her voice that made Shouta curious.

"You're going to find a way to do that, aren't you?"

She grinned.

"You're so curious today, Shouta. I like it. But if you must know, yes. In a little while, I think I'll be going away for some training."

"For how long?" He asked, suddenly alarmed.

She shrugged.

"I don't know, but it won't be for a while yet. There's no way I'm going to leave before you and Hikari are ready."

He felt a knot in his chest release hearing that assurance.

"I hope you're feeling better," she said. "Because you've distracted me from my work long enough."

Shouta had been feeling better right up until she said that. Then all those confusing feelings rushed back at him at once and he sighed, turning back to the plants that lined the wall and inspecting them, while his head turned again with irritating thoughts about Hikari.

Sakura returned to her office from the greenhouses feeling refreshed, only to find two elderly Uchiha seated within and all her happy feelings vanished in an instant. She paused in the doorway a second before they both turned to her.

"Hello," Sakura said, feeling immediately flustered. "Uh, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I didn't realise you were coming," she apologised.

"It's quite all right, Lady Sakura," the woman said.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly with recognition.

"Oh, Kana, hello," she said.

Kana inclined her head.

"This is my husband, Usui."

Sakura walked into the room and stood awkwardly at the side of the two seated Uchiha and gave an odd kind of bow.

"Nice to meet you."

She heard Usui snicker, she blushed with embarrassment and straightened up a little.

"There's no need to be so formal, you look very odd," Usui said.

Sakura blushed even harder.

"I'm going to sit down," she murmured.

"Good plan," Usui said with a nod.

Sakura wasn't sure if he was mocking her or just joking. She sat and swallowed her nerves, giving them as polite a smile as she could with her jumping nerves and confusion.

"So what can I do for you both?" Sakura asked them, settling into her chair.

"We apologise if we've interrupted your work. But my husband was insistent on meeting you."

"Yes, I wanted to know who the girl that turned Madara's head was," he said with a knowing grin.

"Oh," Sakura said, not sure what else to say.

She looked at Kana, who gave nothing away with her blank face. She turned back to Usui, who was grinning at her in a more childlike yet shrewd way than she had expected.

"Oh, no need to be shy," Usui said. "Madara's made it quite clear he's in love with you."

Sakura's cheeks felt hot.

"But that boy's always been a hardheaded young fool, off in his own world, doing what he likes."

Sakura had never heard Madara described as a hardheaded young fool, and she barked a surprised laugh before clamping her mouth shut and trying not to smile.

"I'm sorry," she apologised, her voice wavering. "I've just never heard him described that way before."

"Usui believes that age gives you permission to be rude," Kana said.

"I lived a good long life and now I want my fun," Usui defended himself. "But I won't apologise for being an Uchiha through and through. I want the best for my clan, and that means making sure young Madara hasn't been taken for a fool by a pretty face."

Sakura wasn't sure why she didn't get immediately angry at the old man, but something about the way he spoke, or the look in his eye, made her want to laugh more than yell. He wasn't being combative, he just did his concern with attempts at humour and his age, and Sakura appreciated his honesty - as brusque as it came across with his slight teasing. She felt a little more settled when she spoke again, a little smile on her face.

"If there's something you'd like to know, please feel free to ask me," she said.

Usui folded his arms over his chest, his wrinkled face taking on an almost comically thoughtful look and he leaned back in his chair slightly. Kana sighed a little beside him.

"Lady Sakura, although we're here because of my husband's whim, we are also Elders of the Uchiha Clan, and have a message from the council, requesting to meet formally with you," Kana explained.

Sakura cleared her throat and nodded, she had expected that.

"I'm honoured by the invitation," she said politely.

"You will accept?"

"Of course." She hesitated. "For a month from today."

"A month?" Kana asked, frowning slightly.

Sakura nodded.

"I don't mean to be rude, I have arranged meetings with the other clans as well, and I had already planned to meet with the Uchiha clan last."

"Why last?" Usui asked. "You don't like us?"

Sakura opened her mouth and then closed it, looking at him with a little confusion.

"My best friend is Matsuri Uchiha," she said, "and I - " she cleared her throat, " - I care very deeply about Madara. Of course, I like the Uchiha clan."

Usui gave her a sly grin.

"Care deeply, eh?"

Sakura clenched her jaw and her lip twitched.

"The Uchiha clan is going to be the last clan I have an official visit with because it's going to be the most important one," she explained.

"Planning to announce something special?" Usui asked.

Sakura gave him a coy little shrug, joining his game of innuendo. Usui laughed at her, and she saw a twinkle in his eyes that reminded her of Tenji when he teased Itachi.

"You know, Sakura Nara, Kana and I aren't like those other old bats who make up the Elders," Usui said. "I'm quite happy to see someone new come in and shake things up a bit, I feel like we've gotten a little stuck in our ways."

"Um, thank you?"

"Madara's lucky he's a bit terrifying at times, otherwise those old meddlers would've walked all over him when he took his father's place years back," Usui said with a little scoff.

Sakura didn't know what to reply so she sat quietly while Usui continued.

"Boy's got his fathers stubborn streak, but he knows the value of peace despite his love for war - " Sakura unconsciously clenched her jaw at that. " - so I'll bet the rest of my years that you must be some strong young woman to make him so set on you."

He opened one of his dark eyes wide, his dark grey eyebrow high on his forehead, and he stared at her with a question and a challenge and Sakura wondered if the old man was as crazy as he seemed and desperately hoped the rest of the Uchiha Elders were like him, but she had a feeling he was like Shisui - one of the odd ones in the clan. Kana, Sakura saw, remained quiet, even though she knew a lot about Sakura's abilities. Sakura took a deep breath and thought carefully before answering Usui.

"Lord Uchiha," she said with respect, he seemed to like that. "I'm young, and I'm an unknown and uncertainty to your clan, but with as well as you seem to know Lord Madara, I think you're more than aware that if he didn't consider me beneficial, he wouldn't associate with me."

Her mouth twisted slightly at how clinical she sounded. She let out another breath and gave a weak smile.

"I love Madara, and I want the Uchiha clan to thrive, even if the clan doesn't want or like me. I think you'll find me just as stubborn as he can be, with a heftier punch."

"Can you really destroy mountains?" Usui asked her, his face settling into something more curious than challenging.

Sakura nodded.

"With the right amount of propulsion."

Usui turned to his wife.

"I think she'll be fine, what do you think?"

Kana shook her head and gave Sakura a small smile that was barely more than a tug at her lips.

"I've seen Lady Sakura in action, she can hold her own, but politics is another beast and we shall see."

The words felt like an ominous cloud hanging around Sakura's head. Kana wasn't as lively as her husband seemed to be. They parted a few minutes later, with Usui giving Sakura a grin that she wasn't sure was menacing, jovial or friendly, and left Sakura in a state of confusion at exactly what had just happened and whether or not they had any positive feelings toward her at all.

Madara's office door burst open in a manner that announced the only person in the village who'd ever dare interrupt him in such a way: Hashirama Senju.

"I am famished," Hashirama announced.

"How fascinating," Madara drawled.

"Come on, Madara, come eat with me," Hashirama pleaded, giving him wide eyes and a lip pout that might have been cute on a little girl but was ridiculous on a grown man.

Madara rolled his eyes.

"In case you hadn't noticed, Hashirama, I am working."

Hashirama stuck out his tongue in mock disgust.

"You need to take a break and come to lunch with me. We haven't been in ages," he wailed. "Please, please, please!"

Madara sighed tiredly.

"Would you please shut up, you overgrown mushroom head."

Hashirama froze like he'd been pierced through the heart before immediately sulking.

"You're so cruel. My hair wasn't that bad!"

"It was the worst haircut I've ever seen in my life," Madara replied. "You had absolutely no fashion sense as a child, I'm amazed you ever managed to marry Mito, who is very sensible in all the departments that you are not."

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Hashirama whined. "I just wanted to eat lunch with my best friend in the whole world."

Madara stared at him and gave a quietly resigned groan.

"Fine," he muttered. Hashirama's mood immediately lifted. "But no sake!"

Hashirama jutted out his jaw in annoyance and disappointment.

"You're such a killjoy."

"Don't insult me or I won't come," Madara said, walking past him and into the hall.

"You insult me all the time!" Hashirama exclaimed. "How is that fair?"

"Yet you still seek out my company," Madara said. "You're a masochist."

Hashirama gasped.

"I am not."

Madara scoffed.

"Then you're something else. A simple-minded fool, perhaps."

Hashirama's mood dropped again, and he slumped as he walked, his gait slowing to a shuffle. Madara didn't slow down to wait for him, it was a well-practiced routine of Hashirama's that he had no time for. He was barely five steps ahead before Hashirama realised he wasn't going to slow and called out.

"Wait for me!"

"No," Madara replied. "If you're too slow I'll eat without you."

Hashirama mumbled under his breath and Madara raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shot him a sickly sweet fake smile and Madara shook his head.

"Really now," Madara muttered. "My best friend is a fool."

"Best friend?" Hashirama perked up, just as Madara knew he would. "You said I'm your best friend?"

"Did I?"

"You did! I heard it." He was practically skipping.

"Did you?" Madara questioned.

Hashirama stuck his tongue out in a very adolescent manner.

"You're lucky I'm not Sakura," Madara intoned, unimpressed. "She would have punched you through the wall by now."

Hashirama shivered slightly, which amused Madara.

"She's scary."

Madara chuckled.

"Indeed."

He had heard several stories from Shouta about Sakura losing her temper in and around the hospital, and Madara was secretly glad they didn't work together because he was certain there would be a lot more conflict in their relationship. Hashirama hummed thoughtfully, and Madara noticed the hesitant glances Hashirama was casting at him. He stopped.

"What is it?" He asked impatiently. "Clearly there's something on your mind. Just spit it out."

Hashirama pursed his lips.

"Do you recall what Tobirama said the Kumo shinobi suggested?"

Madara frowned, remembered, took a deep breath, and then shook his head.

"No, Hashirama," he said firmly. "It's not going to happen."

"Don't forget that I'm only mentioning this out of respect for our friendship," Hashirama said sternly as they walked out the doors of the Tower.

Madara shot him a glare.

"I only received the message an hour ago and haven't informed Sakura yet."

Madara folded his arms over his chest and looked at Hashirama with a hard gaze.

"It's a decision that has to be made by the council. My vote is no."

Hashirama sighed.

"It's actually an appealing offer."

At that, Madara stared at Hashirama in disbelief. What could that irritating gnat of a shinobi have proposed that would make Hashirama even consider working alongside a group they had all decided not to trust?

"I want to foster good relations between our countries. This could be a way to do that," Hashirama said with some pleading for understanding in his face.

"You really are a fool," Madara hissed.

Hashirama flinched slightly, looking a little hurt.

"Madara, this is bigger than your relationship. If you can't think about this without bias, then you can't be a part of the decision-making."

Madara contained his anger with an angry expression and a scoff that release some of his building annoyance.

"I don't value this village any less than you. Don't insult me," he said. "If you send Sakura out of the country, there's a very high chance it will end in a diplomatic incident. Either they'll try something, or she'll get into a situation that will end badly, and a third incident will not end peacefully."

Hashirama narrowed his eyes a little, but he didn't refute what Madara said.

"You don't seem to trust her," he said eventually.

"I would trust her with my life," Madara retorted in a low voice. He looked away. "I just don't trust her with her own," he muttered with a frown.

"What does that mean?" Hashirama asked, looking at him curiously and concerned.

Madara glanced sharply at Hashirama, and then away again, regretting agreeing to step out for lunch with him and opening his mouth at all.

"Madara, what do you mean?" Hashirama asked again, more insistent.

"She's reckless," Madara said after a moment. "She throws herself into dangerous situations and barely scrapes out alive. Every time she's been involved in something she's ended up in the hospital, it's a pattern."

"We've hardly seen her in any situation that wasn't extreme," Hashirama said in a gentler voice.

Madara took a few breaths. Hashirama didn't understand. He thought that Sakura confiding in them more meant she wasn't still trying to do things all on her own. Madara knew she wasn't as adjusted as she appeared to the rest of the world. Hashirama hadn't seen her quiet moments, the shadows that crossed her eyes, or the deep sadness that came over her at times. Madara was worried about her acting on an impulse when she knew better. That wasn't something he could explain well, so instead, he just shook his head.

"It's not my choice in any case," he muttered under his breath. "If you both decide this idiotic idea is worth pursuing, I won't stop you."

Hashirama blinked in surprise.

"But know that I don't like it," Madara stated with finality.

Hashirama gave him a resigned look.

"That's fine, I'm used to your stubbornness."

Madara raised an eyebrow.

"You have no right to call me stubborn, you single-minded wood-head."

Madara would never admit aloud that he had no idea what he was saying, or that he was enjoying himself as he said it. He couldn't bear to see any smug satisfaction directed at him from either of the Senju's. Hashirama's eyes widened.

"Wood head? At least my hair doesn't look like it's been electrocuted."

Madara's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, it's a big improvement from your mushroom head days," Madara said with sarcasm and eyed his hair distastefully. "I often mistake you for a woman from behind."

Hashirama gasped.

"I don't look like a woman! My hair is very manly."

"No, no, of course not. It's so shiny and silky and looks very masculine when you flick it about," Madara said turning away. "Come on, Hashirama, I thought you wanted food."

Hashirama spluttered behind him and Madara smirked, knowing he would be fretting about his hair for days now.

"Hurry up, I'll buy you sake," Madara offered to speed things along.

Hashirama's entire mood lifted and Madara felt the excitement buzzing in the air around him.

"I knew you'd come around! Sake makes everything better," Hashirama said happily, seeming to forget all the insults they'd been throwing at each other.

Madara didn't forget. He was planning to send for Tobirama when Hashirama was drunk enough, and then Hashirama suffer, and Tobirama would suffer in his own way, which was a bonus. Madara was nothing if not efficient in his pettiness.

The day was surprisingly warm for winter, the sky was cleared of grey clouds, and was a pleasant blue with wisps of white and a cold sun. It was a nice break from the biting cool that had come with the snows, that seemed to have passed. The sun glinted off the layers of melting snow, and it crunched under the boots of the villagers as they surveyed the newly opened grounds of the Konohagakure Ninja Academy.

It wasn't the same as Sakura's academy, but it was similar in size and feel. She knew that Tobirama had been part of the design process for the academy and that he'd poured over Itachi's notes and diagrams, implementing many of the parts of the school that Sakura and Itachi had grown up with, and leaving other parts out for future extensions. Sakura stood in the doorway of a room that smelled much newer than she remembered. She hadn't been expecting that her old classroom had been built to almost the exact same specifications, but standing and looking in, she was overcome with the onslaught of memory and nostalgia.

She slowly walked inside and walked to take the seat she'd always taken. It was odd, being alone and an adult in the classroom. She slightly gently, and glanced at the door when a flash of white made her chest jump until she realised that, of course, it wasn't Kakashi, but Tobirama who appeared.

"Judging by your face, I'd say it has come out quite correct," he said to her.

Sakura let out a sigh and leaned on down the desk, her arms spread wide and wrists hanging over the front edge. She smiled.

"How did you know?"

"I had specific instructions to follow," Tobirama said, stepping into the room.

Sakura pushed herself up to lean on her elbows.

"Itachi had a knack for unexpected presents," she said wryly.

"A familiar seat?" Tobirama questioned.

Sakura nodded.

"Very," she said.

"Come with me," Tobirama said, walking to just outside the door.

Sakura frowned slightly and the followed him.

He looked up above the door, and Sakura's eyes followed his, and she gasped.

"Something new," he murmured, putting a hand on her shoulder.

SAKURA ROOM

"Tobi, that's…" Sakura's eyes welled up.

His hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Just a show of appreciation, Saki," he said quietly.

"Appreciation?" Sakura sniffed. "For what? Being a pain in your side?"

She chuckled. He gave her a fond smile. His hand moving from one shoulder to the other, pulling her into a gentle side hug.

"Among other things," he teased lightly. "Like saving my life."

"When did I do that?" She frowned.

"When you sent Mito out for the Nine-Tails and the Gold and Silver Brothers were killed."

Sakura startled, her eyes slightly wide.

"I didn't realise you knew," she said after a moment.

"My brother doesn't keep secrets from me," he said.

"I should have guessed."

Tobirama let her go when the corridor became a little more crowded with people.

"Is this okay?" He asked, his eyebrows a little furrowed.

Sakura looked down from the name plaque above the room and smiled at him.

"I'm a little overwhelmed."

"The opening ceremony will begin soon," he said. "Want to walk outside for a while?"

She nodded. Fresh, cool air would maybe help to blow out the feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her. She was feeling weighed down with missing her friends in a way she hadn't for a long time. She walked out the doors of the academy and saw the tree that would one day hold a swing, and Sakura's mind was immediately assaulted with memories of Naruto. So many that she could move, and Tobirama, who turned back to look at her sounded far away. Sakura lifted her hands to her face, and her fingertips came back wet with the tears streaming down her face.

"Sakura? What's happened?" Tobirama sounded worried.

"I need to go," she breathed. "I just - I need to be alone."

"You can't go."

Tobirama's firm voice snapped through her tumultuous thoughts. She looked at him in some surprise. She hadn't heard him direct that tone of voice at her for a while. She blinked at his stern face. He gave her an exasperated sigh.

"You need to be here for the ceremony," he said. "You can't leave, you're one of the councilors, respect that position."

Sakura clenched her jaw tightly, half angered at how he spoke to her, half annoyed by her self. She looked away for a moment and then she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"What did you do to my daughter?"

Sakura whipped her head to the other side to see Shikaru and Shikata standing there. Shikata was giving Tobirama a glare, which was unusual to see on his generally apathetic face. Shikaru was glancing between the two of them with some concern. Tobirama folded his arms over his chest and sighed.

"I did nothing."

Shikata's eyes narrowed and he walked to stand between Sakura and Tobirama, facing Sakura. Sakura looked at him in surprise, and he studied her for a moment before sighing.

"You cry too much," he muttered. "Here."

He held out a cloth and she took it with a little smile.

"Are you sure that icicle didn't do anything?"

Sakura almost choked on her laughter.

"Excuse me?" Tobirama's voice was dangerously low and incredulous. "Icicle?"

Sakura covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook with laughter.

"Did that little pinecone head call me an icicle?" Tobirama asked again in disbelief.

Sakura's shoulders shook even harder until she couldn't hold in her laughter and doubled over, reaching out and gripping Shikata's arm.

"All right, all right," Shikata said. "Are you better now?"

"Ye-yeah," Sakura panted through her laughter.

She held her stomach, which ached from laughing and used Shikata to pull herself back up to standing. She looked up at Tobirama, who was staring with narrowed eyes and a disbelieving expression at Shikata and struggled not to lose herself to laughter again.

"So it was harder than you thought to come here?" Shikaru asked her.

Sakura wiped the tears from laughter, and stood straight, putting her shoulders back.

"But I'm better now." She slung her arm over Shikata's shoulder and gave him a smile. "Thanks, Shika."

He shrugged and then maneuvered out of her side hug, much to Sakura's chagrin, and he walked back over to stand beside his father, whose concern had faded from his face into a familiar expression of amusement.

"If the scene we've created is over, shall we head over to the stage?" He asked them, then nodded to the gate. "The Hokage's arrived, and has stolen your spotlight."

Tobirama scoffed and Sakura peeked around Tobirama's broad frame, smiling slightly at his perturbed expression. Hashirama had indeed stolen all the attention that Sakura's crying had garnered them. People flocked to him, and Madara, who had been walking beside him, disentangled himself from the crowd and walked over to Sakura. As she expected, he immediately noticed that there was something off about her. He looked at Tobirama.

"What did you do?"

Sakura started laughing again.

"Why does everyone think that I did something?" Tobirama asked exasperated.

Shikaru joined Sakura in laughter and Madara looked at them all with a slightly confused expression, smiling a tiny bit when Tobirama threw his hands in the air in annoyance and defeat and walked off.

"What was that about?" Madara asked, a single raised eyebrow.

Sakura shook her head.

"Don't worry," she said with a small smile. "Tobirama was just giving me some tough love."

Shikata scoffed and Sakura rolled her eyes lightly at him. Madara glanced back at Hashirama then to Sakura.

"I'll see you after?" He asked.

"Sure," she replied with a smile, and Madara gave her a small small, and Shikaru a nod of acknowledgment before walking back to rescue Hashirama from the gaggle around him.

"Shall we greet Sasuke, Sakura?"

For a split second, Sakura looked at Shikaru with some confusion, and then she realised he was talking about Sasuke Sarutobi, not Sasuke Uchiha. Being at the academy was affecting her more than she realised, but she had to pull herself together. Sasuke Uchiha belonged to Sakura Haruno, and she wasn't that person anymore. She was Lady Sakura Nara now, a councilor of Lord Hokage, and she needed to be there to do her job for her village. She sniffed and wiped her nose and face.

"Do I look okay?" She asked.

"Of course," Shikaru replied gently as she fell into step beside him. "You always do."

She gave him a vaguely annoyed face.

"Do I look presentable as a councilor?"

Shikaru chuckled.

"Yes, yes," he said. "Stop worrying so much."

The three of them joined the throng of people who were walking to the back of the building, where the dais had been set on the training field, where the opening speeches would be made. Classes weren't due to start for three more days, and the kids who were running around all looked anxious to get started, which made Sakura feel relieved and happy there was so much interest.

"Lady Sakura!"

Sakura heard a young voice call out to her excitedly, and turned to see Danzo weaving through the crowd to her.

"Lady Sakura!"

Sakura forced a smile onto her face.

"Hello Danzo," she said to him.

He grinned at her.

"I'm going to start classes here in three days! Isn't that great?"

Her forced smile softened into something more sincere.

"It is," she agreed. "I think you're going to have a great time."

He nodded.

"Me too."

Sakura looked around.

"Is your father here?" She asked.

Danzo shrugged.

"Somewhere talking to some people. I didn't want to stay, it was boring."

She chuckled.

"You should go find him, the opening ceremony will begin soon. You don't want to miss it."

"Are you going to teach some classes?" He asked. "Hika said you're a good teacher and you teach things at the hospital."

"I teach medical ninjutsu," Sakura said. "That's going to be a class for the kids a little older than you. But I might come and show your classmates a thing or two sometime."

Danzo beamed.

"Can you show them how you can break the ground and mountains? You're a really powerful shinobi and medical jutsu is boring," he said with a scrunched up nose.

"There are more important things to being a shinobi than just power," Shikata said, surprising Sakura.

She saw a slight frown on his face. Danzo matched Shika's frown with one of his own.

"Who are you?"

"Shikata Nara," Shika replied, crossing his arms over his chest in a very Tobirama-like manner. "Sakura's brother."

Sakura suppressed her smile. Danzo looked between Sakura and Shikata.

"You don't look like brother and sister," he said after a moment.

"What's your point?" Shikata challenged him.

"Shika," Sakura sighed.

He glanced at her then shrugged and unfolded his arms and shoved his hands in his pocket. She turned back to Danzo and knelt down so she was at his face level.

"Danzo, don't forget this, okay? It's the secret to being the best shinobi you can be."

He looked eagerly at her. She smiled and poked him in the chest, right where his heart is.

"To be strong is to act for others, not yourself."

He frowned.

"I don't get it."

"You will one day," she said, rising to stand. I hope. "Go find your father, okay? I'll see you soon."

He nodded and waved.

"Bye Lady Sakura!" He called as he ran back into the crowd.

Sakura watched him go for a moment before she turned to Shikata.

"What was that?" She asked him.

Shikata shrugged, but she could still see him frowning a little. His eyebrows creased in the middle.

"Shika?"

"I don't like him."

"He's six," Sakura said flatly.

Shikata gave her a glance.

"Still," he answered. "I don't like him."

Shikata walked off leaving Sakura and Shikaru alone, both a little surprised.

"Has that ever happened before?" Sakura asked Shikaru.

Shikaru looked after his son for a moment before he looked back at Sakura.

"No," he answered, looking at her studiously. "But I wouldn't doubt his instincts."

Sakura turned away. She continued walking through the crowd, and despite knowing he was waiting for an answer, Sakura didn't reply.

On the raised dais stood the eight chosen academy instructors, all from different clans. Madara, Tobirama, and Sakura all stood to the side, while Hashirama and Sasuke Sarutobi stood at the podium before the crowd of shinobi, parents, children, and villagers. Sakura smiled at Mito and Matsuri, who both stood just off the dais with their children. Kagami waved at her and she waved back.

Sasuke opened the ceremony with a short speech thanking the clans for their cooperation, for the contractors and engineers who helped construct the school and then introduced the instructors, who all received a smattering of applause. Hashirama concluded the ceremony with a short speech, also adding his thanks to Sasuke for his inexhaustible work in getting the academy organised, to Tobirama who worked closely with the engineers and designers, to Madara who aided in selecting the instructors and, finally, he thanked someone Sakura never expected. He thanked Itachi.

"Unfortunately Itachi Uchiha wasn't with us for long, but he carried a deep unwavering love for Konoha and all its people, and died protecting us all. In the weeks before his untimely death, Itachi left us with the foundations and ideas that led to this academy being built so quickly and efficiently. So, in honour of his memory, the opening of the Konohagakure Ninja Academy is dedicated to Itachi's memory, wisdom, and foresight."

Sakura felt her tears gather again but forced them back with sheer will. She looked ahead unblinkingly, straining to keep her face free from too much emotion. The entire day had been incredibly overwhelming, but at the same time, as she glanced over the crowd, caught sight of the eager faces of the young children, and saw the buildings behind them, Sakura felt an immense amount of pride and knew that Itachi would be looking upon the scene and smiling.