Sakura Rewind
Written by: KamiNoSakura
Author's Note: This is a story that I thought of during my youthful years in Middle school. I thought that Sakura's role needed a bit more of an impact, so I wrote this story and revised it a number of times, hope you enjoy. There are some of my OCs and a few of the original characters may seem to be a bit OOC, but otherwise I tried to capture their original personalities. On another note, I do plan on making a doujinshi of this story however it will take some time due to my lack of excellent drawing skills. Please bear with me everyone. I do not own Naruto, all rights go to Kishimoto Masashi.
Warning: Main Character Death (Sort of…) & Some Profanity
-Chapter 5-
The Mission Begins
After the incident by the lake, the next few days were somewhat uneventful for Sakura. She trained every day with her knuckleheaded friends, walked home with them, and occasionally she would be challenged by the genius and snobbish duo, not at the same time of course. The future medic never revealed to either Sasuke or Neji that she defeated both of them, and on the same day no less. During the day she would go through the same routine, but at night Sakura would sneak out of her home and begin gathering information and keeping tabs on the Hokage and his meetings with the Elders and advisors and on Itachi as well.
The young kunoichi rarely followed Itachi physically with the chance of him discovering her being so high Sakura opted to keep track on his missions. The Uchiha clan also became one of her targets of , although not noticeable to most was growing between clan and the villagers. The next few months or possibly year would be the most crucial for Sakura's plan to work. After her usual rounds in the evening, she made her way back home, once Sakura was settled in her bedroom and ready for bed. An unexpected visitor came, in her mind that is.
(In Sakura's Mind)
"Futsunushi? What are you doing here?"
"It's good to see you as well Haruno-san." The god's tone hinted sarcasm.
"Sorry, I've been a bit edgy for the past few days. The situation between the village and the Uchiha clan is slowly becoming more and more serious by the day. I'm surprised that war hasn't broken out between the two already. Also, I'm slowly learning more about Itachi-sempai and hate the fact that Danzo put him up to such a heinous crime as killing his own family. There must be a way to save everyone from the horrible twist of fate that's bringing nothing but misery. Please tell me is there more I can do to help?" Desperation and sadness were evident in Sakura's emerald eyes.
"Well I can't reveal everything to you, but before I say anything else I need to ask you this: Do you plan on leaving the village at any point in time?" The white-robed god already knew what her answer and what her plan is, but he needed to see her resolve before continuing to change history.
"Yes, when I leave the village it will be as a criminal. The time of my departure will probably be in about 8 or 9 years." Futsunushi nodded in approval of Sakura's time estimation. It would be the time when Sasuke had originally left the village for Orochimaru.
"Very well, now I can relay some vital information to you. This will help you effectively change the fate of your friends and the war that will inevitably come in more than a decade. First is this: when you leave the village, immediately start looking for several shinobi. These individuals will help determine the outcome of the war and all the battles that will occur beforehand. I won't reveal all of their identities except for one."
"One? Just how many of these guys do I have to find and recruit?"
"Nine."
"That's quite a bit of people to find and ask for help don't you think? I might as well make an organization like the Akatsuki." Sakura sarcastically mentioned the evil organization that caused nothing but pain and misery for the village and her friends. As she was reminiscing about the future, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of laughter. "And what may I ask is so funny?"
"I'm sorry but I found it amusing that you figured out that you will indeed create an organization similar to the Akatsuki." The kunoichi's jaw dropped.
"You CANNOT be serious!"
"Oh but I am. This organization that you create will be one of the most essential pieces to the success of this mission. While you are catching flies in your mouth I will continue my explanation." Sakura's jaw snapped shut, and she waited patiently for more details. "The person that you have to find in a year is none other than Sasori of the Red Sand." Silence fell upon the two in Sakura's mind. She was finally able to find her voice after a few minutes had passed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. It sounded like you wanted me to ask Sasori, of Akatsuki, an S-ranked criminal, the man who helped kidnap and nearly killed Gaara, who attempted on my own life and stole Chiyo-baasama's! How can you ask me to get that bastard to help! I just hope that the rest of the shinobi I have to find aren't criminals like Sasori." Again silence fell upon the two. "OH HELL NO!"
"Calm down Haruno-san. It's true that they will be considered criminals in the future, but they all have their reasons for turning into the life of crime. In any case, other than Sasori, you will have to track down two shinobi who reside in the Land of Water, one in Wind and Rock, one in both Wind and Lightning and finally one in Sound. Like I have said before, I won't reveal their identities, but when the time comes you will know who your true allies are. For the time being, continue what you have been doing and get Sasori's assistance. You know enough about the puppet-master to persuade him. I will take my leave for now. Oh, but before I leave there's a piece of advice that I would like to give you. When you are ready to leave the village share the truth with three shinobi here in Konoha and the rest of your recruits."
"Three shinobi in Konoha? Who on earth would believe that a kami would suddenly appear out of nowhere, give me the chance to go back in time and change the world as we know it? On top of that the recruits are also going to be told? They're criminals, why would they help me save the shinobi that hunt them down on a daily basis?"
"It's true that some of the members would want a different motive, but not all of them."
"Fine, I guess I'll be figuring that out on another time. Now back to my other question, who do I have to tell in Konoha of my situation?"
"I won't give up that information so easily. I'll give you a hint on each one."
"Why am I not surprised? You haven't really given me info directly, always leading me in circles; when the answers were right under my nose."
"Ha ha ha, oh you flatter me Haruno-san. Now here are my clues: First, a child whose heart is pure as their eyes, untainted by anything evil. Second, this individual has no equal in leadership, caring for their comrades but not always showing it. Third, this one has very close ties to nature, and speaks as the forest does."
"That's pretty vague, even for you Futsunushi. Can I ask for one more hint?"
"Depends. What kind of hint do you want?"
"Just answer this: do I know these shinobi already?" The kami contemplated for a moment, he has no doubt about Sakura's intelligence. If anyone can figure out an entire puzzle or riddle with one to two hints it would be Sakura. He then made a decision.
"Yes you do, one of them you had just recently met the other two you'll meet very soon. That's all for now. Good luck Haruno-san. I'll be taking my leave for now." With those final words, Futsunushi left Sakura to her privacy.
The young kunoichi sat silently on her bed, trying to organize all the information she had just received from the kami of swords and lightening. Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden flash of light. She closed her eyes to protect them from the brightness. She opened them again, only to see a long object hovering in front of her. The light surrounding the unknown object began to slowly dim. It was a sword.
Its handle was about a foot long while the scabbard that the blade was protected in was at an estimated 30 inches. Said scabbard was beautifully engraved with (red) spider lilies. The handles was red and slender, however it was still a bit big for the young pinkette to hold.
'I guess this is a gift from Futsunushi. It's pretty light for a katana of this length. So, I guess I'll have to learn how to use this in actual combat. But, who are the three shinobi in Konoha that I have to talk to?' She sat at the edge of her bed, thinking on the hints her kami counterpart at left her. 'Someone whose heart is as pure as their eyes…pure as their…WAIT! Someone with a pure heart, and it's someone I know but haven't met yet. Out of all my friends in Konoha I only know one person who has a pure heart, and her eyes are untainted: Hyuuga Hinata! Out of all of us, she never once had any ill-will towards others, never thought badly of others, and was kind to all. She has to be the one. Okay, that's one down, two more to go…'
As the future-medic continued to solve the puzzle, Futsunushi was at a distance watching the girl. 'She's certainly a quick thinker, no doubt she'll find out the other two by the end of the evening.' The kami suddenly felt another presence approaching his own, he turned and greeted his visitor. The unknown apparition and Futsunushi disappeared into thin air, literally.
The next morning, Sakura got out of bed and proceeded with her normal routine, armed with new information and a new weapon she left the house to train once more. Leaving the house, the young kunoichi dashed off in the direction of the training grounds to continue honing her skills that she will no doubt need in the future.
The following morning Sakura started the day with her usual routine, spending time with Naruto and Lee. However instead of going home after their training session Sakura was off searching for the Konoha shinobi Futsunushi mentioned. The first being the laziest shinobi she's ever known: Nara Shikamaru. After realizing that he was one of the shinobi she'll be trusting her secret with Sakura had to agree that Shikamaru would be the most reliable person out of the entire Konoha 12. It's no secret that he lacks motivation to do anything that requires effort, but his IQ and natural sense for tactics is unrivaled by anyone in their generation. Even compared to most Jounin he's easily placed in the top 10 shinobi when it comes to strategy. He's also always there for his friends, even if he seems indifferent. He looks out for everyone in his little own way. It's reassuring for Sakura that when the time comes for her to tell Shikamaru and the others about what needs to be done to help save the future they'll all do their part to help both herself and Konoha.
Finding the Nara boy was a simple matter. She found him with Chouji, both taking their usual afternoon nap on top of one of the many buildings Konoha has. Before revealing her presence she contemplated on how to be closer friends with Shikamaru. In the future with all the missions the two had together they naturally grew closer as comrades. But Sakura doesn't have the luxury of time now. After just a few moments to weigh her options Sakura went ahead and approached the two unsuspecting sleeping beauties.
"You two must be pretty tired to be napping at this time of day" While Chouji quickly sat up, startled by their pink-haired visitor Shikamaru simply opened his right eye and kept his sleeping position.
"Not really, just doing anything else is way too troublesome." Sakura wanted to laugh, seeing as how no matter what time she's in Shikamaru will always use his favorite catchphrase as an excuse to not doing any work.
"Oh, so everything aside from eating and napping is too much work?" Sakura asked with a slightly sneaky smile on her face. Shikamaru didn't really bother to think about it and just responded nonchalantly.
"Yup. Everything is a pain." Grinning that he took the bait the future medic swooped in for the kill.
"Even Shogi?" At that the Nara boy stared at Sakura with both eyes open, pouting when he realized that someone found out his love for the board game. The expression was cute, but Sakura maintained her sneaky looking façade.
"Tch, so what if I do like Shogi?"
"Then I just found someone to play against."
"You really want to challenge me in a game of Shogi? Even if you're a girl don't expect me to go easy on you."
This made the young kunoichi giggle, thinking that Shikamaru still somewhat sexist even as a small child. " I'm fairly confident that I can give you a run for your money."
The Nara boy smirked, a spark of excitement shone in his eyes. "Well bring it on."
And so two hours passed with the Shogi game still raging on. Sakura not only focusing on the game, but also making small talk with both Shikamaru and Choji too. She had to admit to herself that she wish the bonds between her and the Konoha 12 had started earlier in her previous timeline. She's learning so much about her future best friends, more than she would have ever thought.
While caught in her musings the young strategist took advantage of her wandering mind to make his finish blow, bringing Sakura back to the game. "Sigh, well looks like I lost in the end. Great game Shikamaru-kun." The pinkette extended her hand, offering her congratulations. Shikamaru mirrored her move, and his smirk never left his face. " Likewise Sakura, got to admit you're a tougher opponent than I thought. You probably would have won if you didn't get distracted at the end."
"Haha, maybe. You can never know what the future holds. If you don't mind let's play again, got to settle the score after all."
"Sure, anytime."
"It's a deal then, and Choji-kun you're going to join us next time right?" The Akimichi boy continued to stuff his face with what seems to be his thirtieth bag of potato chips, despite this he simply smiled at the medic and nodded in agreement.
"Sakura." Said girl turned her focus back to the young Nara.
"Hai?"
"Drop the suffix, just Shikamaru and Choji is fine." Sakura smiled and with a curt nod gave her acknowledgement to Shikamaru's request.
"Well I have to get going, so I'll see you two around!" With that She jumped off the roof the boys were currently inhabiting. It was approaching early evening, meaning all the villagers were making their way home for dinner. Sakura knew that meeting up with the other two shinobi can wait until tomorrow.
She then turn towards the Hokage tower. Knowing that she still had to collect more intel on the Uchiha clan later that night she broke into a sprint and dashed towards where the Third Hokage-Sarutobi, Hiruzen resides.
The trip only took a few minutes to complete, Sakura took no time in reaching the office of where the most powerful shinobi in the entire village currently occupies. With a light knock, she waited to be allowed in. A muffled voice from the other side of the door gave her the permission she needed to enter.
Once inside Sakura quickly glanced around to see if there were any other people present aside from the Hokage himself. To her relief there weren't any. She went back to face the elderly man wearing a white robe and the trademark red and white Kage hat styled with the Kanji for Fire.
Said elderly man set down the reports of the missions that were completed that day and gave his full attention to the young pink haired child in front of him.
"If I recall correctly, you're Haruno, Sakura."
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
"Hmm, it's not everyday that I get a visit from a child your age, what can I do for you?" At this Sakura straightened her back, the Sandaime noticed the change in her mood but said nothing. Waiting for the child to say her peace.
"Hokage-sama, what I'm about to tell you may seem...unbelievable, but I ask that you listen to my story in its entirety before doubting me or asking any questions." Hiruzen was slightly taken aback by the request, but gave a nod of his approval. Sakura took a deep breath, then began telling her long tale of her deal with the Kami and the events that will take place in the next thirteen years.
The third Hokage had the same calm and collected face the entire time, but Sakura knew that deep down he was doubting her, and her story. Until the subject of the Uchiha clan came up. At this his eyes widened a fraction and he stared at the young kunoichi. True to his word the elderly man did not say anything the entire duration of Sakura's story. The medic was grateful for that, she did not want to go into detail about certain events.
When Sakura finally finished her recap of what is to come, there was silence and tension in the air.
"So in the end Itachi will be the one to end his own clan's life…" At this Sakura interrupted. "I-I don't believe Itachi-sempai did it on his own, I don't have any concrete evidence of this, but based on what I remember from the reports that were recorded about the incident at the time the causes of death were somewhat different."
"How so?"
"About three fifths of the clan suffered wounds that were from a long blade of some sort, most likely a katana, while the remaining two fifths had shorter but deeper lacerations. Those lacerations were also less lethal, meaning that those who suffered from such wounds died more slowly and painfully...unlike the katana which caused instant death…." Hiruzen saw her point, Itachi being as kind as he is wouldn't want his clansmen to suffer, so whoever else was there that night had a more sadistic side to them.
"If...if everything you say is true, why tell me? According to your story I die in a few years…" At this Sakura glanced down at the ground, trying to find out the best way to explain the aid she needs from the Hokage.
"The Uchiha Massacre will happen in about three and a half years from now, the exact date is April 10. I need you to send both Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui on a short mission away from the village a day or two before then."
"What would sending them away accomplish?"
" I intend to be the one to assassinate the entire Uchiha clan." To say that Hiruzen was shocked was an understatement. How could someone who will be barely eight years old hope to get rid of an entire clan full of kekkei genkai users?
"I know it may seem impossible, but I know what I'm doing Hokage-sama. I can't explain the details now, but I will once it's closer to the date of the mission."
"How can I be sure of that? Also wouldn't it be better to negotiate with the clan?"
Sakura merely shook her head. "I want to think that as well, however looking at the facts it would actually make things worse for everyone."
"How so?"
"Well assuming you do negotiate with them, and they don't agree to the terms given. We'll just be repeating the same history that I lived Itachi-sempai taking responsibility for his clan and becoming a missing nin. That's in a better case scenario."
"And what would you deem to be the worst case scenario?"
"That would be the clan agrees to whatever terms you give them, but to bide their time until the Fourth Great Shinobi War, where they could potentially be the enemies rather than allies. Slowly allowing anger that they've been suppressing consume them, until Uchiha Madara's return..then it'll be too late and all would be lost." Silence once again took over the office.
" I see…"
"Hokage-sama, I know you feel guilty and will have reservations about me being the one to take out the Uchiha clan, but it'll be for the benefit of everyone. This way the Village won't lose such great and noble shinobi as Itachi and Shisui-sempai. And Sasuke will grow up with the family members that don't hold any ill-will towards Konoha, meaning he won't grow up with as much hate as he did in my timeline…."
Hiruzen thought about all the information, thinking of scenarios and the pros and cons of allowing such a young child bear the heavy burden of murder so early in her shinobi career. Mind made up, he looked to Sakura who in turn looked back at him with eyes showing determination and courage.
"Very well, Haruno Sakura. You are assigned the mission of gathering intelligence and the eventual extermination of the Uchiha Clan. Do you accept?"
"Hai!"
And so the mission begins.
A/N: Ok first I would like to apologize to everyone for such a late post and being MIA for while now. I was going through a lot of personal issues and didn't have the same drive to keep writing fanfics. I can't promise that I'll be posting regularly since things haven't really settled down on my side. But I do plan on going back into writing. Well I hope you guys enjoy this recent chapter, I'll be sure to keep making things exciting! Love you all!