"Where are we again?" Sarada opened her eyes to find herself inside a forest. It's dark and filled with an omnimous feel.
"Sarada, do you find this... a bit creepy?"
Sarada nodded solemnly. Then a shriek echoed throughout the forest. Sarada and Chocho ran towards the sound of the shriek to find a horrific scene unfolding in front of them.
Mama was sobbing uncontrollably by the side. A snake like monster bit Papa on his neck. Papa then collapsed onto the ground.
Sarada found her hands to be shaking uncontrollably, she had never encountered someone like this. That monster seemed strong, out of their league.
"Snake..." Sarada mused. "Is that Orochimaru?" She widened her eyes in shock when she realized this.
"Orochimaru? You mean that... person we met when we were on our way to search for your Papa?"
Sarada nodded. She knew Papa studied under Orochimaru when he was young, that was the most she could glean from Mama. But what was the meaning of this?
She wished to rush out to help her mother when she saw her Mama dragged the two unconscious boys with shaking hands to the hideout she found. But she knew she could not.
"Should we go out and help Aunt Sakura?" Chocho asked. "She seems so fragile, like she can fall down any second."
"We cannot, Chocho. This isn't our timeline. And haven't you realized, we can't touch anything in this world. We're just passerbys. No one can sense us or see us."
"This is a first... I have never seen Aunt Sakura so fragile. She seemed to be always full of strenth."
"You have no idea..." Sarada replied, thinking back to their house Mama pulled down in anger.
This was the first time she saw her mother as a genin. This was so unlike her, like Chocho said her mother was full of power and strength. The Mama in front of her was like a fragile young girl. She had never seen this cry baby side of her Mama. Her Mama was always resilient and dependable.
The time slowly passed until it's dawn. That's when another team of enemies striked.
They attacked her defenseless Mama. Even though Sarada knew everything turned out alright in the end, she was comforted with the fact Uncle Lee arrived to save Mama. She let go of a breath she had no idea she was holding.
"Oh no!" Chocho cried. She covered her mouth in horror. Uncle Lee was defeated by the three enemies. All that was left was Mama.
"Mama!" Sarada cried in anguish when she saw one of the enemies grabbed her mother by her hair.
I have to save her, Sarada thought. Mama is in danger! Someone save her! Papa! Before she could stop herself, she found herself running towards her mother, even though she knew she could not do anything.
That was then she saw it, the glint in her mother's eyes. The gaze she sometimes captured in her mother. The resilience she came to admire in her mother. As if in slow motion, she saw her mother pulled out a kunai and cut her long hair.
Mama started fighting back, with all her might. Sarada had never seen her mother in this state, blood dripping down her face, desperation and determination in her eyes as she bit down on her enemy wrist. The enemy that was leagues above her.
"Is that Papa?" Chocho exclaimed as they saw the old Team 10 jumped forward to help her mother.
Sarada was touched by their comradeship.
"Sarada, I will come and support you! Even if we're opponents!" Chocho declared.
"We're friends, you don't even have to mention it!" Sarada smiled.
"Look!" Suddenly Chocho grabbed Sarada's arm and pointed at something.
"Papa!" Her father had awakened. She saw him taking in the tragic scene around him. That's when she noticed something weird. Black marks creeped over his face.
"Sakura, who did that to you?" Papa asked the shaking Sakua.
And then Papa shot forward and attacked the enemies.
Sarada took in the brutal scene in front of her.
"This... has to be a joke right..." Sarada cried. "A complex Genjutsu to challenge me... This is not... Papa... right?" Sarada exclaimed as she saw her father brutally breaking the enemy's arm.
"Stop!" Mama cried with distress. She saw her mother ran to embrace her currently ballistic father. "Please stop." Sakura sobbed.
Sakura looked at Sasuke begging, trying to bring back her Sasuke. That was then Sarada saw the black curse marks receded. Her mother... succeeded.
"Now I would say that's quite romantic!" Chocho exclaimed.
Sarada found her face turned hot. Even though she did not want to admit it, she also thought that's a bit... like a scene from some drama. Not to the point of romantic, maybe a bit touching and embarrassing for their daughter to watch.
That's when everything turned white again.
Author's note
Chapter 3 is here! I have already finished writing the whole story, so you don't have to worry about the updates! Do tell me what you think!