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A/N: You know the drill. Review or something bad will happen, blah blah blah
It was crowded. Oh so crowded. And cold.
Sakura looked up at the many faces around her. Through the mist, it was hard to see past her nose. She tried to stand up to get a better look at her new, permanent surroundings, but she was too exhausted. She could still feel the kunai in her side.
At first, the others didn't seem too interested in her. Then, a small voice spoke up beside her.
"It's her! It's her! Everyone, it's her!" exclaimed a little girl by her side. "The Uchiha said she would come, and she did! It's her!"
With that, the Dead jumped into action. A great flurry of activity moved around her, as these Dead people whispered to each other, calling to others a great distance away. Slowly, Sakura began notice a change in the nature of the buzzing around. Their talk changed from exclamations to commands.
They realized how exhausted Sakura was, having just floated down the River. Too exhausted even to sit up. A thousand hands reached down and lifted her up and passed her body? soul? ghost? from person to person, finally laying her back down on the rocky ground.
It was less misty here away from the shore. Without all the mist, she could see her surroundings a little better. Looking between the feet of those standing around her, she could see that there weren't just people here. There were animals, too, and insects, and plants. Every living thing that had ever died was here.
"Sakura-san"
Sakura looked up into the faces of the Dead encircling her. She was hit with sudden shock. Nearly all of these people had died violently. Very few met their end naturally. What's more, they were all very similar. Each one had thick, beautiful black hair, battle scars, and a sad, mournful expression. But, what caught Sakura's eye first, each and every one of them had blood-red sharingan eyes.
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Hinata awoke slowly, half surprised to find that she was still alive. It was a jutsu she had developed herself. At the last moment, she had stopped her own heart, playing dead, hoping that Itachi would believe the illusion. She breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the ancestors over and over for Itachi's failure to inspect her body.
She could feel a kunai lodged in her leg and her left arm was still a little numb, but she could tell Sai was in far worse condition. Hinata crawled over to him, turned him onto his back, and cradled his head in her lap. He was badly wounded, but without her left arm she couldn't use her medical ninjutsu. The best she could do was press her cloak against the wound and try to stop the flow of blood.
"Hin . . . Hinata-san" Sai croaked, barely managing to squeeze out that one word.
"Yes Sai?"
"T-tell Rock Lee . . . tell . . . tell him I love him more than anything." Seeing the confusion on her face, he continued, "B-but don't tell anyone else. No one is" cough "no one is supposed to know about us."
The confusion on Hinata's face changed to shock then slowly to warm understanding.
"I will Sai. And I promise to keep your secret." With that, Sai showed the world one last smile and let his final breath escape his lungs.
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"Sakura-san"
Sakura gazed into the crimson red eyes around her, fear forcing her to forget her exhaustion. One figure stepped forward from the throng of Uchiha and sat down beside her. She had long hair was thick and silky and dark, dark black like everyone else's. Sakura couldn't help but notice as the woman sat down that her movements were strikingly similar to Sasuke's.
"Sakura-san, soon the Dragon will be here to take you back, so I have little time to explain. So please listen without interrupting."
Sakura nodded her head and managed to sit up.
"Alright, Sakura-san, I have much to explain. Where should I start? Sakura-san, do you believe in fate?" Sakura shook her head.
"Neither did I, till I came here. We Uchiha loose all of our abilities in Death. Everything that the Sharingan could do in life it can't in Death. But, the Sharingan does gain one ability. We Uchiha can see into the world of the Living. So you see, ever since the founding of the Uchiha, the Dead of our clan have reported to the other Dead what happens in Life. Then, if intervention is needed, the Dead can collectively influence Life."
"Which means – "
"That's right, the Dead decide fate. For hundreds of years this influence was minimal, but recently we have had to take more action. Do you remember that day you entered the Forbidden Room in the library of the Hokage?"
"Yes."
"We directed you to the Book of the Dead." Sudden realization spread throughout Sakura's body, followed quickly by rage.
"How could you? Do you realize what that book did to me? Do you realize what happened when I first –"
"Sakura-san, please, we have little time. We led you to that book because it will help you leave with the Dragon."
"What's this Dragon you speak of?"
"I'll explain later. I need to tell you about yourself. But first, you need some history. How much do you know about the Uchiha?"
"I did some research shortly after Sasuke-kun left the village. The Uchiha and the Senju clans were always fierce rivals. A century ago, Uchiha Madara and the leading of the Senju made a pact, and together they built Konohagakure. The Senju leader would be the First Hokage. Every Hokage after, excluding the fourth, would be Senju. At first there was peace, but the Uchiha became resentful. Twelve years ago they planned a coup. They sent Uchiha Itachi to join ANBU and serve as a spy. He was ordered to kill his entire clan before the Uchiha could revolt. Itachi chose the safety of his village over his family. He killed them all, except his little brother.
"You know quite a lot. That will save me some time. Now, do you know why Tsunade-sama left the village before becoming Hokage?"
"No."
"Alright. As you know, she is the granddaughter of the first Hokage and is therefore of the Senju clan. Many years ago, she fell in love with a man who had aspirations of becoming Hokage. They were in love for many years and decided to get married. Before they were married, however, this man was sent on a suicidal mission. Before he left, they spent the night together in case he didn't return. She didn't know it at the time, but that night she had conceived a child. When the man left for his mission, Tsunade couldn't stop worrying about him and followed after his team. This man fell injured, but Tsunade could not save him because her pregnancy greatly weakened her medical abilities."
The woman paused for a moment before continuing.
"When the Senju clan discovered Tsunade's pregnancy, they exiled her in disgrace. Several weeks after her exile, the clan decided that it would be too dangerous to let the child stay with her. They didn't want Tsunade setting up a new branch of the Senju clan elsewhere. So, while Tsunade was resting after her labor, an ANBU squad entered her hiding place and stole the child. They took this child back to the village and placed her in the care of the Haruno family. Sakura, you are Tsunade's daughter."
Sakura stood up suddenly at the realization.
"LIES! These are all lies! That's not true! I'm a Haruno!"
"Yes you are Sakura, but you're also a Senju."
"No, you're wrong! I have the same hair as my mother, the same eyes as my father! You're wrong!"
"That's why they chose that particular family to raise you. Have you ever wondered why your abilities are so similar to Tsunade's"
"It's not true! it can't be true. My whole life couldn't have been a lie! Where's my family, I want to speak with them!" She said, letting several tears roll down her face.
"They're too far away. They wouldn't arrive in time."
Sakura tears turned into hiccupping sobs. She muttered the words "You're wrong, you're wrong" between sobs over and over, unable to control the confusing emotions inside her.
"Sakura-san, please sit down. I have more to tell you and the Dragon is close now."
When Sakura had regained some composure, she sat down again, but tears continue to wet her cheeks.
"I'll have to say this quickly. I told you this because it was the Senju clan that ordered Itachi to kill us. We aren't resentful of you, Sakura, or of Tsunade. Neither of you had any part in it. But if Sasuke finds out, he might want more revenge. He might want to kill you. My poor son . . . He is . . . He is unwell, and I need you to heal him before he falls over the edge. Now there is more you must know. Just recently, Itachi captured Naruto."
Sakura gasped, quickly forgetting any grievance she had about her family.
"Jiraiya is on his way, but the Leader of Akatsuki is about to intercept him. If they meet, Jiraiya will definitely fail. Itachi is bringing Naruto to the cave where Gaara's bijuu was extracted. You know the place well. Sakura-san, you must keep the Kyuubi out of Akatsuki's hands."
Off in the distance, they heard a great rumbling sound like footsteps.
"The Dragon is close now. It was a God in life, but died many centuries ago. It is powerful, but not as powerful as the Death God. When it comes, you will have to use the spells you learned from the Book of the Dead to give it extra strength. With your help, it will be able to take you back. Do you understand?"
"I do."
"Good."
Suddenly, the Dead surrounding her parted, making an opening for a massive beast to walk through. Sakura marveled at the incredible power of the Dragon. Its head was beautiful, and its long, serpentine body was covered thickly in white, rabbit-soft fur. It stood on powerful legs as tall as Sakura's body, and when it lifted its head to full height, she could no longer see its head in the mist.
The Dragon lowered itself down, allowing Sakura to climb onto its back.
"Sakura-san" said the Uchiha, "protect Naruto."
"I will."
"And, please, save my son."
"I will."
The Dragon stood on its powerful legs and walked towards the shore of the River. Sakura found her thoughts traveling to Tsunade. She remembered what Tsunade had said the night her sister had died. She had said, "I have always considered you as a daughter to me." Daughter of the Fifth Hokage. Daughter of a Legendary Sanin. Daughter of her wonderful, brilliant mentor. Perhaps she could get used to the idea.
The mist was thicker closer to the River. The Dragon tried to step into the water, but the Death God pressed in too tightly. Sakura put her thumb and middle finger to the corners of her mouth and whistled a single, shrill not. The water rippled with the vibration, and the mist parted a little. The Dragon stepped into the water. Sakura blew another note, and another, and another, weaving an eerie, complex song.
Together, girl and Dragon, they swam upstream, towards Life.
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Sakura opened her eyes. Slowly, her senses returned to her. She was underwater. The water was muddy. It was cold, but not as cold as the River of Death. And there was a current.
Sakura struggled and struggled against the pull of the water. She managed to grab hold of a plant of some sort (she was too dazed to tell what it was exactly) and hauled herself, painfully, slowly, onto the bank of this river. Plastered in mud, and possibly a little blood, she lay herself down on the wet earth. She fell asleep too fast to even note whether it was night or day.