Chapter 41: First Change
Sakura sat up suddenly in bed. She was breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. She grabbed her heart and felt it pounding as if she had just run a race. There was an odd feeling, as if she had just avoided an extreme danger. As her heart calmed down she felt a twinge in her back like she over extended fresh scar tissue.
She got out of bed to investigate this, she hadn't been wounded in a while, and almost never in the back. She got to her mirror the have a look at her back, positioning herself so she could do so. And there it was, right where she felt the pain, on the back right behind the heart. It was a small scar, a stab wound from a sword or kunai.
Sakura slowly got back to her bed, wondering how in the world she could acquire such a scar overnight. These thoughts carried her into sleep. When she woke the next morning she decided to get a better look at the scar, she took a second mirror and went back to her wall one, but when she tried to find the scar she couldn't. She looked again, the way she had at night, but still, the scar was now gone, as if she never had it. Now Sakura was confused. And as soon as she was ready she went over to Tsunade's office to tell her about it.
When Sakura walked into the office it was to find Tsunade closely inspecting her right arm. She stopped when she saw Sakura enter, "something wrong?" she asked looking at the expression on Sakura's face.
"Nothing as important as something with your arm," Sakura said walking up to Tsunade.
"Last night it hurt and I thought I saw a scar there, but I was wrong, nothing there," Tsunade said showing Sakura her arm.
"The same happened to me, but it was a scar on my back," Sakura said.
Before Tsunade could say something the doors opened and Nomad and Sage walked in. Tsunade sighed and sat down while Sakura stepped to the side, signaling them to go ahead.
Nomad nodded to Sakura and turned to Tsunade, "firstly I'd like to say that I will be staying here in Konoha. The other eleven still need to decide, but I already have," Nomad said.
"Well, thank you for choosing to become a part of Konoha. Would you need help finding a place of residence?" Tsunade asked.
"Not at the moment. If others chose to stay it'll be a larger house that is needed," Nomad said and Tsunade nodded.
"My news isn't as easy going I'm afraid," Sage said.
"What's wrong?" Sakura asked.
"Did either of you wake in the night with scars of wounds you don't recall having, only to have the scars vanish in the morning?" Sage asked.
Both Sakura and Tsunade nodded slowly, "how did you know?" Sakura asked.
"Something changed. We don't know what, but the scars show it. Them being gone shows that the change has been completed. Everyone who was involved had the same experience as you did, the only difference is they might not have had the scars," Sage said.
"Why not? What was changed? Who changed it?" Sakura asked.
"One possible future led to something that would gain you and others wounds, the scars are from those wounds. When you woke that future could still happen, but by morning it couldn't, a fight could come, but history will not repeat," Sage said.
"But who changed it?" Sakura asked.
"And why are you telling me?" Tsunade asked.
"Others are bound to bring it to your attention, you must tell them some sort of fabrication. Something like an enemy who can alter dreams or something," Sage said.
"That's not possible though, people can't alter dreams or make those scars," Tsunade said.
"I could alter a dream, make it appear so real you thought it was, thus meaning the scar was part of it," Sage said.
"You can?" Sakura asked shocked.
"Yes, it would be difficult, but I could," Sage said.
"So that's the excuse you want me to give?" Tsunade asked.
"No, chose another if you wish. Just make sure they're all the same," Sage turned to face Sakura, "and no one is to know the truth behind it all," he said, Sakura nodded.
"But who made the change?" Sakura asked.
"I can not answer that," Sage said.
"Why not?" Sakura asked.
"If you were supposed to know, you would," Sage said turning back to Tsunade.
"Yes, fine, wonderful, was there anything else?" Tsunade asked.
"No, what is in store for us, no one knows," Sage said turning around.
"Are you saying you know of a planned attack on Konoha?" Tsunade demanded rising to her feet.
"No, I'm saying no one knows," Sage said before he and Nomad left.
"Should we start preparing everyone?" Sakura asked.
"They already are, since the whole business with the Alliance started, I just hope I can make it to the end," Tsunade said sitting down again.
"Have the elders picked the next Hokage yet?" Sakura asked.
"No, and even if they did, I wouldn't step down until this was finished, I don't want the next Hokage caught up in something like this," Tsunade said.
x-X-x
Naruto was doing target practice when two beings came up behind him. he stopped what he was doing and looked to see Isis and Link standing there, "Hey guys, it's been a while," Naruto said,
"Yeah, it has. What were you up to these past two years?" Isis asked.
"Training without the distractions Konoha has. Plus a few stray missions here and there. How 'bout you, getting used to Konoha?" Naruto asked.
"Yes," Link said nodding and looking around.
"Fairly well, though Dozez doesn't socialize at all," Isis said.
"Yeah, he's kind of a downer," Link said.
"From what I can tell, all the three man teams have one guy who's antisocial, very quiet, and usually the strongest on the team. It's almost like a rule," Naruto said with a slight laugh.
Link laughed too, "yeah, it does kinda seem that way," she said.
"Yeah, but, anyway…" Isis said.
"Huh? What's up?" Naruto asked confused.
"We're heading out in a few days. Going back to the Grave," Isis said.
"Really? Not liking Konoha that much?" Naruto asked.
"No, it's good here, we've just been away from home for to long," Link said.
"Yeah, I know the feeling," Naruto said nodding.
There was a long pause between them before someone spoke again, "yeah, well, we're just telling everyone we know now so it's not so hard the day we leave," Link said.
"Yeah, we might not see you again before we leave so we'll say our goodbyes now," Isis said before he and Link bid Naruto goodbye and walked away.
"He hopes to see us again, they all do," Link said once they had left Naruto.
"Yeah, I know, I just hope we don't," Isis said back.
x-X-x
Tsunade sat in her office massaging her temples. On top of what happened with her and Sakura about the dreams, and what Sage had told her, several people had already come in asking about the mystery scars.
She had been forced to tell them the story that Sage had given her. Tsunade agreed that the truth shouldn't be told to everyone, but so far, all that asked were the ones that could be told and trusted to keep quite.
But of course when things like 'so far' are said or thought, life has the impeccable timing of proving you wrong. Now was no exception. As Tsunade thought that she could have trusted those with the dream a knock came on the door.
The person entered when Tsunade called for them to do so and Naruto walked in the room. Tsunade sighed, 'he's probably got the dream too. Any story I tell him could easily make its way to public ears. Just one push too many and he could spill it all…' Tsunade thought.
"Granny I was just wondering…" Naruto started.
"Does this have something to do with a dream last night?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto stopped abruptly, and looked and Tsunade in an odd way, "what about my dream last night?" he asked in utter confusion.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "you didn't have some weird dream about a scar or something?" Tsunade asked.
"No, why should I?" Naruto asked.
"You shouldn't," Tsunade said regaining herself, "now what was it you wanted?" she asked.
"Do you know that the Grave ninja are leaving soon?" Naruto asked.
"Really? They hadn't cleared it with me…" Tsunade said slowly.
"Yeah, they were acting kinda weird. It might just be that I never really got to know them, but something might be wrong," Naruto said.
"Where are they planning on going?" Tsunade asked.
"They said they wanted to head back to the Grave cause they haven't been home in such a long time," Naruto said.
"Something's definitely wrong. If they go back to the Grave they'll get either killed or thrown in jail for what they did with the Alliance. The Grave village has an almost zero tolerance policy," Tsunade said.
"What should we do?" Naruto asked.
"You do nothing, this is a mission for someone with the byakugan," Tsunade said.
"But… I just…" Naruto started.
"Got back from a mission, and complained yesterday about wanting more time here after getting back," Tsunade said.
"They're not leaving today!" Naruto yelled.
"No, but the mission would start today," Tsunade said. Naruto crossed his arms in anger and grumbled something, Tsunade grinned at him, "Is that all you wanted to tell me? If so you can leave," Tsunade said.
"No, that's not all. What happened about my dreams last night?" Naruto asked, his expression having changed.
"Tell me the dream and I'll tell you if there's something wrong with it," Tsunade said.
"What's going on though? Did someone tell you I had a weird dream or something? How would you know?" Naruto asked.
"It was loosely mentioned, though you weren't specified. I was guessing about you," Tsunade said.
"Oh… well it was weird, but I didn't think anything of it," Naruto said.
"What happened?" Tsunade asked.
"That guy I was with when I was dead was in it. He said things were changing and for me to be ready," Naruto said.
"Seems like a normally weird dream to me," Tsunade said waving her arm.
Naruto nodded slowly before leaving. Once the door shut behind him Tsunade stood up and began pacing in her office.
'Everyone around him had the dream but he didn't…is there something important about this? Should I ask Jiraiya, or the elders? Or the Twelve? No, I think I might rely on them to much, plus the elders are busy discussing the next Hokage. The Twelve could take it to be more than it really is, and Jiraiya, what could he say? It's probably best left alone,' Tsunade thought.
x-X-x
Somewhere hidden in the Wind country eleven beings were conferring over the possibilities of the dreams they had. Theirs were similar to Sakura's and Tsunade's, waking with scars that were gone by morning.
The meaning behind the dreams was completely unknown to them. Or rather, one had an idea, "it is a premonition of war. If we do not time it properly, the wounds we dreamt of will come to pass," White said.
"How do we time it properly?" Kraik asked.
"The three are returning aren't they?" Vox asked.
"Yes, they are telling those they need to, and saying they are returning home to the Grave village," Red said.
"Fools, if that story reaches the Hokage…" Vox said.
"Dozez isn't that foolish," Black said.
"Not only that, he won't let anything stop him. I almost hope Konoha tries to stop him, then he'll bring them and the twelve down," Vox said.
"But he would be nearly useless in any other fight," Gaze said.
"Plus Isis and Link probably wouldn't make it out," Lerah said.
"Yes, we don't want to lose them," Vox said.
"So what, we wait for them to get here before we attack?" Red asked.
"We have to, the right time won't be before they are here, and they may be able to aid us in finding it," White said.
"Can…can I kill…can I kill them?" Mulow asked shaking in excitement.
"Yes, anyone who isn't from the Alliance you can kill once we get into the village," Vox said.
"Hehe, blood… lots of blood," Mulow said as he started to drool.
"But if they get out the village let them go, only the ones in the city," Black.
"And it we marked them you must leave them as well," Tzet said.
Mulow looked at them and started bouncing up and down. "Listen to them Mulow, they're only guiding you," Kraik said.
Mulow looked at the floor in front of him, his eagerness for death and decay nearly taking over him, "The world will run red with the blood of our enemies," Gaze said.
"Isn't that everyone?" Zigg asked.
"Exactly," Vox said with a twisted grin.