The sun was setting down so fast. Sakura was surprised by the sudden shift in time. It felt just like moments ago that she was eating with Sasuke. Now the sky was in a hue of colors, mixing from pink to orange. And as for Sakura, she was walking down the streets of Konoha, heading back to the comforts of her home.

After spending the afternoon lounging in the grass with Sasuke, they finally decided to part for the day. Kakashi never made it to lunch, and Sakura silently thanked Kami for that. He probably got caught up with some future Hokage business.

That would certainly explain what Naruto was summoned for as well.

It didn't matter. All that mattered was that she was given this opportunity to enjoy a day with Sasuke. And judging by how it went, Sasuke didn't mind it. He surprisingly stayed longer than she would have guessed.

When they finished up, Sakura gave Sasuke Naruto's bento.

"Why did you make Naruto a kyaraben?"

"Huh?"

"You made Naruto a character bento?" Sasuke opened the lid, finding onigiri balls decorated into Team 7.

"I-is something wrong with that Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha did not immediately respond, but instead, pulled out a onigiri of himself. The onigiri was decorated with seaweed, displaying an annoyed look at the Uchiha.

Sasuke scowled.

"Sakura, you don't need to make this for Naruto. You aren't his mother, and that idiot is too old for this anyway."

"A-ano…" Sakura was taken aback. It was childish, wasn't it: making a decorative bento for someone who's practically an adult? But Sakura never thought of it to be bothersome before, for the few times that she made it for Naruto before the war. In actuality, she enjoyed the aesthetic of preparing the bento even if Naruto would be the only one to eat it. It was a moment of peace and calm. "Well, I guess I make them because it makes me feel special, same for Naru—"

She was caught off guard by the view of the Sasuke onigiri gone.

"Eh?..." Sakura froze while the Uchiha swallowed the rice ball. "S-SASUKE-KUN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? THOSE ARE FOR NARUTO!"

Sasuke wiped his lips, scoffing. "Are you kidding Sakura? I'm not going to let that dobe eat my face."

"But—"

The girl was cut short as Sasuke gestured the bento to her. "Here." Sakura didn't move. "Well?"

"Well what?"

Sasuke shoved the bento closer to the girl. "Eat yours."

"W-what?" Sakura swiped the bento out from Sasuke's hands, quickly closing the lid in place. She furrowed her brows with an angry pout. "I'm not going to eat Naruto's food. I made this for him."

"So you don't care if that dobe eats an onigiri of you?"

"Ah…" Sakura hesitated for second before forming the right words. Now that she thought about it, it did present some sort of intimacy, didn't it? Well, she was close friends with Naruto, so nothing about making the bento for him seemed odd to her. "I-it doesn't bother me Sasuke-kun," She meekly laughed to herself in hope of diffusing the awkward seriousness of the situation, "they're special meals for my friends to enjoy—or at least those who care about me." She mumbled the last part. "Plus, you and Naruto would be on nothing but ramen without me. So instead of questioning my cooking, you should just enjoy it." She handed back the bento to the Uchiha. "Make sure Naruto gets what's left inside."

Sasuke slowly took the bento from her hand. "Sure."

"And I'll be sure to give Kaka-sensei his." She waved off to her teammate. "We should do this again Sasuke-kun."

Alone, if only… yet she dare not say it.

"Aa," the Uchiha replied, kyaraben in hand, "later Sakura."

And just like that, he was gone. He walked out of the training fields while Sakura gathered the other bento boxes. And when she finished, Sakura made her way back to the streets.

The sky was still bright in the west, soaking up the colors of the setting sun. The other side of the sky was a meld of purple and blue. It was light in color, but it was changing slow enough.

The shops were all closed. Even earlier than last night. How unbelievable was it that the war has affected everyone so much? It seemed like everything's changed so much. Both for better and worse.

Sasuke was back home, and the villages were no longer at blades end with each other; that was good. Everyone could actually settle down and no longer have to worry about the harsh realities of being a ninja.

The world was at peace as it should be.

But it didn't feel like it at all.

The silence in the village was blazing Sakura's ears. It was going to drive her mad.

Everyone was still adjusting to their lost.

Sakura was nearly going to whistle to herself for the rest of her journey, but stopped herself before she could, focusing on a figure that immediately caught her eye.

Chills ran down her spine.

The girl would have thought she was imagining him standing on the roof of a building, staring at the setting sun, but she saw him clearly enough to know that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.

With his long, spiky hair, and signature red armor, Sakura wouldn't even have to guess who it was.

"M-Madara?"

Sakura yelped at his immediate reaction as he turn his head, sharingan ablaze. Not one moment later, he was inches in front of her. She stumbled back.

No way! Was this real?

Sakura could have sworn time had stopped.

They only shared the briefest glance before Sakura was sent spiraling. It seemed so quick. Sakura couldn't believe that she saw the infamous Uchiha so close. It wasn't even a second.

What just happened? Sakura was still processing the reality before her.

Pain suddenly sprouted through her body as the kunoichi found herself on top of rubble. Her hand instinctively went to her abdomen.

Whatever was going on, Sakura had to get out and fast.

The medic nin instantly began healing herself, but cut herself short as the pain still remained.

Damn. She forgot about her chakra. She can't heal herself.

Slowly, Sakura rose from the wooden debris, her back aching at the movement. She veered her attention back to the street only to find her scattered bentos on the floor, but he was gone. Madara wasn't there.

Good.

Sakura got to her feet, her hand still on her stomach, the glowing warmth of her chakra still working at it. God, the timing could not have been any worse.

Sakura stumbled out from the remains of the building only to trip on her feet.

"H-help!"

Nothing.

She was wheezing out in pain. She could barely breathe.

Damn. Madara must have broken a rib with that punch. She could practically feel it digging into her chest.

Sakura stumbled onto the street, looking out for any sign of the Uchiha.

He was nowhere in sight.

If it wasn't for the agonizing pain in her body, Sakura wouldn't have believed that she saw Madara in the first place, but she knew better.

Sakura walked on, finding all the shops empty.

Not a single soul out in the village.

Cautiously, Sakura jumped to the roofs, forcing herself to ignore the rib tearing into her lung.

She still had no idea where Naruto and Sasuke lived with the village still under construction, but the kunoichi knew where else to go.

She could spot the illuminating lights of the Hokage tower out in the distance and fastened her pace.

She had to find Tsunade and tell her everything. Sakura needed medical help and Tsunade may be the only person who could find out about why her body was unwilling to accept her own healing chakra.

Sakura reached to the tower, landing gently on the roof of the building. Gasping for breath, the pink-haired girl headed straight for the door leading inside the building but momentarily hesitated before opening the door.

Why was is so quiet?

The village was absent of any noise. The occasional crows and crickets were the only comfort in knowing that Sakura hadn't completely gone insane.

Sakura glanced out into the village.

The sun had just barely set. The clouds dull while the stars have yet to shine.

Sakura rushed into the building, gliding down the stairs as fast as her body would allow her, arms still wrapped around her stomach.

She quickly made her way through the halls before barging into the Hokage's office.

"Tsunade-shishou! Help! I think we're—" Sakura froze.

The office was empty. No one was there.

This can't be…

"No," Sakura couldn't believe it, "Tsunade-sama? Lady Tsunade?"

The girl wandered around the office, astonished that it was empty. Not even Shizune was there.

Then why were the lights still on? Was the Hokage somewhere else in the building?

Sakura moved to the windows looking down at the village.

Come to think of it, parts of the village market she passed were lit as well. But why was nobody there? Sakura couldn't understand.

Where was everybody?

Damn! Just when the village was still recovering did she fall into this mess.

Watching over the village attentively, Sakura suddenly gasped in shock when she spotted him through the wide-view windows.

Madara.

He was staring her down from outside the tower. He took one step forward.

This couldn't be happening…

Sakura dashed for it. And the glass shattered not a second later.

"TSUNADE!"

She ran out the door, nearly tumbling to the floor in her haste. Blood rushed up her throat as Sakura pushed herself to the limit, her body ready to collapse. She tumbled to the floor once more before ultimately being pulled by the arm.

"Aaaa-aaaah!" Sakura couldn't hide her pain as she was shoved to the wall by the neck. Not a second later was she forced to lock gazes with him when her feet could no longer feel the floor as her hands made attempt to pry his chokehold loose.

There he was, in all his glory.

The infamous Uchiha Madara.

Her whole body was suffocating from the lack of air she was getting. She desperately gasped for breath. He gripped her throat even tighter. Sakura wheezed as she watched his indifferent face staring back at her, his captivating Mangekyo Sharingan carefully analysing her every movement.

Sakura continued to look into his red irises, until she swiftly kicked him in the stomach, hell-bent on sending him across the city.

He smirked.

It didn't effect him at all…

What!? How was he not flying through the building? Through the village!?

Sakura pressed her foot deeper into his armored torso, nothing happening in result.

She could have sworn that she channeled just enough chakra to at least make him lose his grip on her.

Why didn't it work?

With her foot on him, the kunoichi acted quickly to yank him off of her, trashing needlessly.

It was then that Sakura could finally make out the blackening spots sprinkling the corners of her vision.

Was she going to die here?

"Please," she silently pleaded, "what do you want?"

He smiled, red eyes glistening in the light. "I want to escape."

Sakura couldn't answer. It was too much. Her lungs were burning. She—

"Shannaro!"

Like a missile from a cannon, a little girl came flying into view, kicking Madara by the side. And just like that he was off of Sakura, flying to the end of the hall.

Sakura immediately fell to the floor, air rushing into her lung with all its might. It was too much for her. Sakura was practically coughing it out.

What just happened?

Sakura turned her head to see what she would have never believed.

It was her! Her!

"S-Sakura?"

At her name, the young genin turned.

How was this possible? What was going on?

Sakura was standing in front of a younger version of herself: the young girl who just saved her seconds from death.

"Get up!" the girl yelled at her superior. "Heal yourself!"

Sakura wasted no time heeding the girl's order. She immediately placed her hand beneath her chest as her healing chakra began to glow. And within those moments did the kunoichi find that she was no longer wheezing for breath, and her body back at ease.

Her chakra was back!

But how?

Sakura glanced back at girl. "How?"

The younger girl didn't answer her. Instead, she focused her attention on the Uchiha at the end of the wall, bracing herself in a fighting stance. Sakura could see it all. The younger version of her was in the same red outfit that she had overgrown. Her forehead protector was strapped tightly around her head, with her hair barely reaching her waist.

She could have been younger than 12 then.

Why was this Sakura here?

The chunin watched as her young self stood in a fighting stance, holding a kunai with both hands.

This little girl was going to fight the Uchiha? It intimidated Sakura to imagine the outcome, but what scared her most was the young genin's expression.

Her eyes were wide like saucers, lips trembling.

She was scared.

Sakura moved in front of her.

"S-Sakura! W-What are you doing!?"

"I have my chakra now," Sakura reasoned, "I can't let you fight him."

"Idiot," the girl shouted, "you have no chakra!"

"But I just healed my—"

The floor collapsed under the sudden explosion. All she could see was a hue of red and orange.

Sakura collided to the floor, debris following after. Her head buzzed from the impact.

"Sakura! Grab my hand! You have to ge—" metal clashed against metal.

What was that?

Sakura pulled herself to her knees.

The building was on fire.

"S-Sakura!" the kunoichi called to her younger self, "Where are you!?" Smoke was consuming the building, fire clinging to the wooden walls.

Metal continued to collide.

Was the young Sakura using her kunai?

Sakura rushed through the building, only guided by the sounds of clanging metal. Sakura stopped to a halt, coughing through the black heat.

There was the young pink-haired girl out cold on the ground, Madara inching closer with his own kunai.

Sakura reacted on instinct.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Sakura pounced at the girl before the Uchiha made his final swing of the blade.

"Hhhhhaa!" Sakura gasped, nearly jumping in place.

With the hammering of her heart, and the chills from the breeze cooling her sweat-coated skin, the pinkette rose to a sitting position.

The moon above was bright, and the grass below was no longer green.

Where was she?

Sakura didn't have to look far to know. Her bento boxes were right in front of her, neatly tied in cloth.

She was still at the training fields. Her eye wandered into the night.

Did she pass out again?

Sakura pulled herself up.

She… She never left the training fields.

Momentarily, Sakura moved a hand under her breast, pressing against her ribcage. It was perfectly fine.

Sakura sighed. Did she have a nightmare?

The girl picked up her stacked bento boxes while leaving the field, cautiously eyeing anything that might be out of place. In the meantime, Sakura motioned her hand near her face, biting the pad of her thumb. A small bead of blood emerged from the cut. Instantaneously did green chakra glow from her hand, curing her wound.

No. It couldn't have been a nightmare. These coincidences with her chakra and Madara were far too close t be anything less than coincidences.

But that girl? That couldn't have been real, could it?

And Uchiha Madara was dead. That dream couldn't be more than just a vision.

Sakura sped faster into the village.

But a vision was nothing less of a vision.

That escalated real quick… I mean, we're only three chapters in. Aagh! Why did this chapter have to be so short!?

Sorry about that… I wanted to write more, but I didn't have enough motivation for it, and decided to end the chapter with this. Was it too fast? I might have to revisit it later then...

On another note! I updated the cover picture for Chaos! It looks amazing! I think everyone should check it out, especially those of you who use the mobile site. I make the artwork myself!

School's coming up, so I don't expect myself to whip up the next chapter as fast as usual. But reviews do go a long way though! I recently got some from my RWBY story, so I'm planning to update that one next.

Thanks for waiting for me everyone! Until the next chapter!

Another Way~