Sakura was going to kill him. Literally. She didn't care if he was Hokage, her former Sensei or her former team captain. She continued to stomp her way through the village, mind preoccupied with all the ways she was going to punch Kakashi into the ground. She had followed his vague instructions - walking for hours due east from the village, never finding anything or anyone that knew anything about a blue scroll. She had questioned him about his instructions but he wouldn't budge. He barely looked at her, barely even spoke. All he did was rip off a portion of a blue mission scroll, write some things down and wrap it up again before telling her that she wasn't to read it until she got to her destination, that it was top secret and the people she met couldn't know who he was. The whole situation had felt tense and awkward - like the last person he wanted to see right then was her. To top it off she had walked through swamp! She didn't even know there was a swamp near the village but she had found it! Her boots we soaked through, she had ripped her favourite shorts and gotten the weirdest tension headache that no amount of chakra was making go away. And for what? For a mission that ended up nowhere. She wasn't one to give up that easily but he couldn't expect her to complete such a thing without more instruction. Who did she think she was, anyways? Some genin he could send off somewhere for amusement.
Sakura continued to curse under her breath and stomped her way up the stairs of The Hokage Tower towards the Hokage's office. She didn't even wait for Kakashi blonde administrator to let her in, she didn't even see her around actually, before she slammed the door open to Kakashi's office, mouth preparing a slur of curse words for her former teacher.
"What did you think you were doing sending me out there!? And for Wh-" Sakura's voice cut short as she stared at the room in front of her. She was in the Hokage's office. The OLD Hokage's office. Before Pein. Before the war. Sitting at the desk, looking at her perplexedly, sat The Third Hokage. Sakura squeaked in surprise. The Anbu around her were tense in preparation for a fight as none in the room recognized her.
"Can I help you?" The Third asked calmly. He studied her from his position, noting the Konoha headband that sat comfortably in her hair. Her pink hair.
"Thi-third?" Sakura stammered out, eyes scanning around her - dumbstruck.
The Third Hokage cocked one eyebrow as he continued to study the girl. If she was one of his he would recognize a girl who stood out as much as she did.
"Yes? I am the Third Hokage - who are you?" The Anbu surrounding him were still standing on guard, not trusting the girl who so casually barged into his office.
"S-s-s-akura Haruno," she replied.
"Haruno? Does Kizashi have a cousin or sibling I'm not aware of?" he asked.
"Ano," Sakura didn't know what to say. How was she here? How did this happen? Her eyes scanned the room before falling to her hands that were fiddling with the scroll out of awkwardness. The Third Hokage followed gaze, his own eyes widening at the site of the light blue scroll.
"Is that a blue mission scroll?" The Third asked, disbelief in his voice. She nodded mutely. "Anbu, leave."
"Lord Third-"
"Leave. Now." The finality in his tone sent the Anbu out of the room.
"Give that here girl - you should have said something sooner. Are you Kizashi's daughter? I did remember her having that shade of hair colour - but she or, rather, you are only 3 years old right now." Sakura's ears were ringing with the onslaught of information. She was 11 years in the past. Kakashi had sent her on a mission 14 years in the past and not said anything.
"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM," she shouted. The Third Hokage nearly jumped out of his seat as the blue scroll was thrown at him. Sakura caught his movement, immediately turning sheepish. "I'm sorry. Just, well.. my Hokage did not give me very good instructions."
The Third chuckled. "Who is your Hokage?"
"Ah - well he told me not to say. He is the Sixth Hokage, though."
The Third nodded, understanding that the mission may have stated that he remain anonymous. The blue scroll missions always were the strangest. "Did you not know that you were going to be sent back in time?"
Sakura shook her head. "I didn't even notice anything was different - besides a migraine that has been setting in since I walked through that swamp. I didn't even know there was a swamp around here."
The Third chuckled again, "There isn't. That is the time swamp, as some so eloquently call it. When one is chosen by fate to travel time it just appears. We don't really understand it ourselves and none of our research is very forthcoming." At this time the Third had finally managed to get the scroll open, and stared down at it a small frown forming on his face. This did not go unnoticed by Sakura.
"What? What does it say?"
The third handed her the scroll, eye cocked and arms crossed as he tried to think of a reason for the Sixth Hokage's vagueness.
Sakura's eyes scanned the paper in front of her, anger, anxiety, nervousness and a bit of pride bubbling through her system simultaneously. Sakura Haruno is an esteemed Medical Kunoichi, Apprentive to Tsunade herself in our time. She should receiving no opposition in her medical decisions during her time with you, which is as yet undetermined. Her purpose is to save the life of of an Anbu Operative, as well as heal him in anyway that she can. The Anbu Operatives real name is Hatake Kakashi. Due to the flamboyant nature of the aforementioned Kunoichi's hair colour please provide her with hair dye to hide her appearance and maintain her anonymity in the memories of those involved. I trust this Kunoichi implicitly, so please take her direction regarding this mission. Sakura collapsed into the chair directly across from the Third's desk, a loud sigh escaping her.
"I'm going to kill him."
"It's not much to go on... but it will have to do." The Third continued to scrutinize the young girl before him. Tsunade's apprentice. It gave him great happiness to know that she wouldn't be lost in her mourning for the rest of her life. "You are my former students apprentice?"
Sakura smiled at him and nodded.
"Just in the medical arts?"
"She taught me how to fight as well," she replied.
"Then you really can kill him, I suspect."
Sakura laughed, a hand reaching up behind her to the back of her head. A gesture that reminded him of someone he couldn't quite place.
"Who did we place you on a genin team with?" he asked.
"Am I allowed to answer that?" she looked around thoughtfully. "I don't think there is harm there. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."
She watched as his eyebrows raised in surprise. "That is some team...I trust you know Naruto's history then?"
She nodded.
"I'd like to ask more questions but it is probably best if we leave it there. I will let you go choose the hair dye you like best, as his instructions basically tell me to let you do what you like. We will have an apartment set up for you close to the hospital. I think a back story and a new name are needed as well."
"We can say I am a visiting surgical specialist, or something of that nature. I am very good with poisons as well. The question is am i supposed to save Kakashi's life at the hospital or on a mission?"
"Well, you wouldn't be permitted to go on missions with him as he is an Anbu Captain currently. Do you know him? In your time?" The Third ask, voice betraying avid interest.
"No. Just heard of him." She replied simply. "I'll go by Saki, I think. It's similar enough to my own name that I won't mess it up. His scroll doesn't even say how long I'll be here," she huffed.
The Third watched her closely. He didn't believe for a minute that she didn't know Kakashi Hatake. Especially on a team with the late fourths son and Itachi Uchiha's brother. But for some reason she wasn't saying, or wasn't allowed to say - likely due to the fact that this mission involved him. "You should get the hair dye you need and then come back here. I should have a work permit and the housing set up in that time."
Sakura nodded and rose from her seat but paused as she reached the door. "Is Ryo the same here?" She asked pulling out some of her own money. The Third laughed loudly at that.
"Yes my dear girl, it looks to be the same." She blushed slightly before continuing on her way.
Sakura stared at herself in the mirror. She hated it. She had thought that the dark brown would look nice but older hair dyes didn't work the same way or at least hair dye had improved in 11 years. She grabbed the box to read the instructions again - maybe she hadn't left it on long enough. Her eyebrows were the dark brown that she was trying to get but her hair had blended with the dark brown to become a weird violet - brown. It wasn't bad, the more she looked at it at least, just not what she had been expecting. Huffing she turned off the light to the small bathroom in her new apartment and walked back into the living room. It had come with the bare minimum of furniture, bedding and kitchenware - but that was to be expected after only 2 hours.
Her new name was Saki Hara. Not too original, she knew, but it would keep her from being unresponsive to her name if she ever forgot herself. Hopefully she would be able to leave as soon as possible but Kakashi's mission scroll had alluded to his injuries being beyond physical. As an Anbu Captain he could have undergone some sort of trauma but why would she get sent back in time to treat PTSD - she was better at healing broken bones or bringing people back from near death not healing the mind. Her hand clutched painfully, fingernails digging into her palm. Just thinking about that man made her want to punch through her wall. She didn't even have more than one change of clothes! Luckily she would be getting paid for her time at the hospital.
The Third had concocted a story saying that one of the Saninn had come across her in their travels and asked her to come visit their hospital for a short period of time to help out. The Third promised that the hospital would be well aware of her rank and she could get as involved as she wished during her stay. Seeing as they knew very little on when Kakashi would turn up nearly dead for her to fix she would have to spend her days there and hope for the best. Kakashi was currently on an Anbu mission with only one other person that was very high profile and dangerous. For all she knew he would be turning up real soon for her to fix. She could only hope.
It was weird being back here. To a time before Team 7. Before the Uchiha Massacre. She knew she couldn't get involved but it was hard to watch the village in all its glory prior to Pein's destruction. It was funny that this Konoha was just coming out of a war when the time she had left was just coming to terms with the era of peace as well. Sakura gazed out the window at Konoha, smiling at the children running by. She prayed to Kami that this was easy and couldn't help the smile on her lips as she thought about what her former teacher would have been like as a teenager. He must be close to the same age as her in this time period. Her gut wrenched uncomfortably at the thought.
This was going to be weird.
Sakura entered the familiar doors of the hospital that she had trained in prior to the destruction of the village. She approached the front desk, the desk that hadn't changed until the building collapsed, and smiled at the receptionist. The receptionist smiled back - eyes scanning her peculiar hair. Sakura refrained from rolling her eyes.
"Hi there, how may I help you today?" the receptionist asked in a fake voice.
"My name is Saki Hara, I am here on assignment by the Third Hokage." Sakura gripped the paperwork in her hands nervously. She really hoped no one asked too many questions.
"OH! That's you! They said the Legendary Sannin recommended you!" The receptionist chatted excitedly. "You can go right on up to the 4th floor. The Chief Medical Officer Kana is up there in her office waiting to receive you. Just got up the stairs to the right until you reach the 4th floor. It will be the third door on the right after that!"
Sakura pretended to take in her instructions - knowing all too well where this womans office was. She had run into her once of twice when she had first begun to train under Tsunade. She was okay. Not an amazing medic or kunoichi. But they had just come out of a war and had lost their two best medics when Tsunade left. It was to be expected. On her way towards the stairs she heard shouting from the front courtyard. Turning her head she saw two Anbu operatives approaching the building - one supporting the weight of the other. She recognized them both immediately. She couldn't believe her luck. It was Yamato and Kakashi. Her eyes quickly scanned their bodies noting the blood all down Kakashi's front. Her heart started to run cold as Yamato began to collapse under the weight of the taller, and older, ninja.
She glanced around and saw that no one was all that concerned with the scene. Anger rushed through her body as the medic in her came alive. She rushed out to meet the pair. Pulling Kakashi's weight off of Yamato. He nodded in his silent Anbu way - watching her closely as he didn't recognize her. She hurridly began to carry Kakashi's now limp body into the hospital.
"You!" She shouted at the receptionist. "Get 5 medics ready now and surgical room one." The receptionist stared at her with her mouth hanging open.
"But you need to meet Kana-"
"NOW!" She didn't wait for an answer as she pushed her way into the nearest surgical room and tossed Kakashi on the bed. Yamato followed closely behind.
Her eyes scanned his body for the damage. There was a hole through his body - a near fatal wound on impact. How it avoided his lungs and hear she'd never know. She began to channel her chakra into his body, recreating muscle and tissue. He had lost a lot of blood. She vaguely heard medics enter the room and begun to bark orders at them. No one questioned her. As she worked she noticed the purple hue to his skin.
"Poison?" She looked up at Yamato. She knew he couldn't divulge any information. He simply nodded at her. "On weapon or inhaled?"
Yamato tilted his head to the side before answering. "Weapon."
She nodded. This was no weapon injury. It was a hand. Whoever did it had poisoned skin. Only one clan she knew of had that. Only one antidote too. She quickly rhymed off the ingredients that she would need to one of the medics staring at her in awe as he watched her hand reform bone like it was easy.
"Wh-why do you need that?"
"Just get it!" She barked. She couldn't close the wound fully until she had the antidote. She scanned the rest of his body as the medics hooked Kakashi up to his IV. "How much blood has he lost," she said to no-one. She checked his pulse - slow but still there. They must have not been too far from the village then. The medic she had sent out came rushing back - ingredients in tow.
"Someone come here and put pressure on the wound," she barked again as she began to make the antidote. It was a complex concoction that would have taken the average Medic-nin a few hours to make. But Sakura was an expert in poisons and antidotes. Rather than make the antidote into a liquid injection she chose to make it into a salve. The poison looked to only be on the surface of the wound - like he had somehow protected himself. She rubbed in the salve, healing as much of the wound as she dared without closing it up.
"We can move him into a private room now. I will need to continue to put this on for the rest of the day before closing him up completely."
"WHO do you think you are?" An angry voice nearly shouted from the doorway. Sakura looked up to see a much younger Kana staring angrily at her. Sakura cocked an eyebrow at the woman in irritation.
"Saki Hara. The poisons expert -"
"I know who you are." Kana cut her off. "What do you think you are doing in my hospital!?"
"Saving a life," Sakura said, unconcerned. She had completed most of the mission a day in. She hoped to be going home soon. None of this would matter then. She had never cared to play politics either.
"Barking orders at MY Medics," Kana approached her.
"Oh? Care to ask your medics what was wrong with him? Do any of them know?" She smiled back at the woman condescendingly. Kana faltered, glancing around the room.
"She closed up his chest and made an antidote," one of the medics said meekly.
"Closed up his chest? How?" She looked down and saw no surgical equipment.
"Chakra," Sakura stated simply, knowing too well that not many medics 11 years prior had been proficient enough in Chakra healing to be able to close up a hole in the body of that magnitude.
Kana's eyes took in the ingredients of the antidote and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Those are not ingredients to any antidote I've ever seen. What was he poisoned with?"
"Classified," Yamato said from the back of the room. She could have sworn he was eyeing her curiously through his mask.
"How did she know then!?" Kana demanded.
Yamato continued to stare silently at her. "Poisons expert." She replied simply as she began to wheel Kakashi's form down the hallway. "I'll just take any spare room then shall I?"
She giggled quietly at the dumbfounded look on the medics faces.