"From now on, this will be where you return to every evening."
Sakura peeked into her new room from the candlelit main hallway of the compound. The inside of the room was dark, as it was evening outside. Sakura had quickly realized electricity wasn't yet discovered during this time period, so all light sources were in the form of fire from candles or oil lamps. Hashirama looked at her expectantly with his arms crossed, and she tilted her head up at him in question, as if asking for permission. He nodded his head, urging her to enter. Holding up the oil lamp out in front of her, she stepped into the traditional room and took in her surroundings.
From the dim light, she could see the room was simple and small. In one corner was a white futon laying on the tatami floor, with plain sleepwear yukata folded neatly at the base of it. In the opposite corner, a copper chamber pot. Sakura never would have imagined a life without toilets and a plumbing system, but fate seemed to be toying with her as she had to deal with doing her bathroom business in outhouses or in the woods all the time now. At least Sakura was used to relieving herself in the woods because she led a shinobi life. A low, round wooden table rested in the middle of the room, with a stuffed square cushion on either side. A candle sat in the middle of the table, inside a holder. There were no windows or doors besides the one leading to the hallway, and the only other item in the room was a sconce placed on the wall next to the door. Sakura took a long thin stick and caught the flame from her lamp to light the candles in the room and set the lamp down on the table.
"It's cozy," she remarked as she blew out the tiny flame on the stick and turned back to face him. From the doorway, Hashirama nodded.
"You have been through a lot. Tomorrow, I will show you the clinic and give you a tour of the Senju grounds. You are very lucky that you have a skillset beneficial to the clan, Sakura-san. My father would not have taken in a stranger so easily otherwise."
"I'm not quite sure I understand..."
"Ah, our previous healer had been killed when he was out gathering herbs in the woods. He was old in age, you see, and had unknowingly crossed Senju boundaries into Uchiha territory. You could very well imagine the Uchiha did not take kindly to that and immediately executed him."
Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I'll keep that in mind." Not that she would let them take her life so easily, but it was still important to stay cautious and be alert at all times.
"If you would like a warm bath, I can call for the maidservant if you wish."
"It's alright, I think I'm too tired for a bath. I'll take one tomorrow."
"Alright, then. Have a good night, Sakura-san."
"Yes, you too. Good night."
Hashirama gently slid the shoji closed, and Sakura saw his shadow linger for a moment outside the screen before shuffling down the hallway. When she could no longer hear his footsteps, she didn't even bother changing into the yukata provided for her before throwing herself onto the futon. She let out a giant sigh she'd been holding in the whole day. Splayed out without any care, she stared up at the wooden beams of the ceiling.
She had landed in the past, that much she figured out. But how? And why? The last thing Sakura remembered was being hit by Kaguya's Expansive Truth-Seeking Ball. She, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi had been in the middle of fighting the goddess, while everyone else in the shinobi nations was individually trapped in some sort of cocoon—the Infinite Tsukiyomi, she recalled. She never really had the chance to find out what it did, though, as Sasuke had so bluntly told her it really didn't matter if she knew or not because she couldn't do anything about it.
To be honest, she had been hurt by his words. But, she knew that was also Sasuke's personality and the way he thought. Just when she thought she was useful to the group, Kaguya had managed to oust her. Sakura didn't know if the fight ended with Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke's victory or defeat. She sincerely hoped it was the former. So what then? If they had defeated Kaguya, did they undo the Infinite Tsukiyomi? Was everyone safe? Was Sasuke able to return to Konoha? Question upon question was swimming in Sakura's head, but Sakura remembered Sasuke's words:
"What's going on outside now, Sasuke-kun?"
"Why do you need to know? There's nothing you can do about it now."
Sakura's eyes shifted downward toward the ground in slight embarrassment for asking and dejection at Sasuke's crude reply.
"Sasuke, that's not the issue. Naruto and I want to know too, and Sakura only wants to think about a possible way to—"
"Kakashi, you're the same as Sakura right now. Be quiet, I'm the one directing."
"..."
"Sasuke, you asshole! We should use teamwork!"
Right. Sakura could wonder all she wanted about what happened with Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Kaguya, and the rest of the allied forces, but could she really do anything with limited knowledge of how she even got here in the first place? Would she even be allowed to return to her own time?
This led her to a new question: did she end up in the past of her own timeline, or was she in a parallel dimension? She had read many books about the notion of time travel during her obsession with quantum physics and astrophysics when she was fourteen, and understood the multiverse conjecture. If she had come to another dimension, did her actions really matter concerning the outcome of the future? She also knew she couldn't go changing things left and right. Was it really alright for her to stay so close to the most significant figures of her village's history?
What if she hadn't ended up in a parallel universe? What if she truly went back through her own timeline? If she had come back to the past of her own timeline, that meant nobody would be able to come and take her back to her own time because they weren't even born yet. She had no choice but to live through history... and try to change as little as possible.
Sakura closed her eyes and groaned. This was all too confusing.
Whatever. For now, she decided sleep was above everything else.
Sakura woke to the chirping birds at the crack of dawn. Although her body was still tired, her mind was awake so she couldn't bring it upon herself to sleep in. From her position on the floor, she used the momentum of her legs to kick up to a standing position on her two feet. She picked up her tattered clothes that she placed beside her bed the night before, and her eyes widened.
"Oh heavens, this stinks."
Not only were her clothes pungent, but Sakura realized she should have just taken Hashirama up on the offer of a nice, hot bath because she suddenly felt very grimy as well.
Deciding to wash up, Sakura slid open her shoji and hopped into the forest, hoping to find a river. After all, there couldn't be a settlement without a nearby water source. She was right. Not even ten seconds of running, she heard the familiar sound of a running stream.
Finding the little river in a small clearing, Sakura made sure there were no presences around and dunked her dirty clothes in the water. She made sure to wash the fabric really well, and with her monstrous strength, such a feat was no sweat to her. Making sure all the water was wrung out of her clothes, she set them aside onto the grass.
Double checking her surroundings again, she slid off her yukata and slipped into the water. It was cool and refreshing, and Sakura dunked her whole head under, letting the current of the river flow through her hair and massage her scalp.
She stayed under the surface of the water for a good minute, and when she ran out of breath, she shot up.
And came face-to-face with Senju Tobirama's stern visage.
Squeaking, Sakura's arms immediately flew to cover her chest and she plopped herself under the water again, so that her chin barely dipped under the surface.
"Excuse me, but what in the world do you think you're doing?!" She nearly shrieked. He was crouched right in front of her on the grass, his arms resting on both knees and his face lowered near the water. He was in standard casual wear: a long navy blue tee and navy slacks.
He leaned in closer, and Sakura wondered how that was even possible. She took a step back in the water.
"What do I think I'm doing? I scan the perimeter every morning at the earliest light for suspicious activity, and I found your chakra out in this area. I only came to investigate. Remember, I still don't trust you."
"Well, as you can clearly see, I'm going about my own business. So why don't you go about yours and get. Out!" She snarled. Sakura felt around her and grabbed a stone. She flung it at the future Hokage. She immediately regretted her actions though, when Tobirama easily dodged it with the tilt of his head and abruptly stood. His eyes were narrowed into slits and he glared at her with full force.
"I will not tolerate this attitude, girl. I still haven't acknowledged you yet," he sneered.
"Well, you're going to have to deal with it, because I'm not going anywhere," she retorted.
"Right. You're not going anywhere," Tobirama muttered. With a look of annoyance, he flashed out of the clearing. Sakura, although irritated, couldn't help but be amazed by his speed. He was hailed to be the fastest shinobi of his time in her history textbooks, after all.
Deciding to leave the area before somebody else walked in on her, Sakura reached for her clothes—
Only to find that they weren't there anymore.
"Hey!" She yelled indignantly.
Tobirama flew down from the trees back onto the Senju settlement when he heard a faint "Hey!" resound from behind him. Stupid girl, he thought. Served her right. With a little huff of annoyance, he carried on his way back to the main compound with the woman's clothes tucked under his arm. He admitted that that might have been a little immature of him to do, but as he was still only seventeen, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to give the younger girl a lesson or two about attitude.
But he couldn't ignore the feelings of trepidation that diffused through his stomach. The stone that she had thrown at him literally punched a hole through several trees. That strength... it was easily far greater than any Senju he knew.
Just who was this girl?
Sakura was stuck in the river.
Just when she was ready to give up and just scream for help, an old weathered woman shuffled out of the woods and into the clearing, holding a wide wooden pail on top of her head with one hand. The old lady wore a plain brown kimono and an apron wrapped around the waist. Her graying hair was twisted into a conservative bun.
"Oh my, are you alright, dear?" The woman worriedly asked, setting down her wooden bucket.
Sakura almost went hysterical, but she remained calm.
"No, not at all, Obaa-san. That stupid assho—I mean that... boy Tobirama came and stole my clothes! Can you believe how rude he is?"
The old woman gave a melodious chortle, the wrinkles on her face crinkling in delight. "Now now, you should not be... hahaha... talking about the young master like that... hahaha!"
The woman's laugh was contagious and Sakura couldn't help but laugh along with her despite her current predicament.
"Ehem, excuse me. My name is Kiyo, and I am Butsuma-sama's family maidservant. Come here, let me help you." Kiyo gestured her out of the water, and Sakura complied. Kiyo unwrapped the big white sheet she wore as an apron from her front and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulders. The fabric came down to her thighs and thankfully covered her front.
"You have my utmost gratitude, Kiyo-san. I have no idea how to repay you!"
"Oh nonsense, dear. Your manners are enough for me. Although the young master apparently seems to think otherwise," Kiyo let out another boisterous laugh. Sakura let out a sheepish "eheh."
"Now that you are living in the main compound, I will be serving you as well. It's only natural for me to help you out. I've heard many things about you, Miss. I was the one who took care of you when you were unconscious, after all."
Sakura turned red, "Oh no, 'Sakura' is just fine. Please call me Sakura."
Kiyo hummed, "Alright... Sakura."
"Why are you out here in the first place?" Sakura inquired.
"Ah, I have come to fetch water, you see. But with my age, it gets difficult to carry it back with each passing day. Water is heavy, after all. Soon, one of the younger maidservants will have to take this job..."
"Oh! If it's just carrying water, I can do it for you!"
"Oh no, I would not wish to bestow such a job on you, Sakura."
"Please, let me do it. This is really nothing, I promise! Think of this as repayment for your kindness."
"Oh my, well, if you insist..."
Sakura dipped the large pail in the river and hoisted it up with one hand as if it were weightless. Kiyo's eyes widened in surprise.
"My, you look like such a dainty girl, and yet you possess such great strength!"
Sakura laughed, "Looks can be deceiving, Kiyo-san."
The two returned to the Senju settlement. The settlement was comprised of many little wooden lodgings, and the main complex, which was where Sakura was staying, lied in the middle of it all. The Senju clan was huge, much bigger than Sakura would have ever imagined. This settlement could have even established its own miniature village, she thought. No wonder Hashirama thought she could have been one of them when he found her; it would be hard to keep track of this many people in one clan.
"You can just leave the water here, Sakura." They were standing outside of a small hut, where a fire was burning in a pit just outside of it. Sakura assumed Kiyo was going to make breakfast. Sakura set down the bucket with a thud. The water sloshed back and forth inside of it.
"Come inside. I will fetch a kimono for you." Kiyo disappeared inside the hut, and Sakura followed in after her. Inside, Kiyo rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a kimono made of fine red silk and a pure white obi. Sakura gasped.
"I couldn't possibly wear such fine fabric! You must have something much simpler."
"Nonsense. I'm too old and unshapely to wear such a thing anymore. It has been many years since I have worn this kimono. I am giving it to you so you can put it to good use! And also, I am hoping you can use this to make the young master regret his actions," Kiyo winked.
Sakura blinked twice. What?
"Tobirama, have you seen Sakura? I checked her room just now, and she wasn't in there," Hashirama slid open the door to Tobirama's study. The younger brother had been reading an old clan scroll at his table and jerked his head up in slight annoyance at the sudden intrusion.
"No, I haven't," he bit out.
"Oh. I was supposed to show her the clinic this morning. Father wishes for her to be the clan's new healer; I guess he is desperate. The number of casualties and injured clan members have stacked up since the last battle, and they are all still in need of a good healer. It seems that no clan member is competent enough to fulfill this duty.." Hashirama mused thoughtfully.
Tobirama sighed, "Then why don't you go and find her? Maybe she's in the forest..."
Hashirama tilted his head at him in question. "The forest? Now why would she be there—"
"If you were looking for me, I am right here."
Sakura appeared at the entrance, and both males stopped in their tracks.
Sakura was clothed in a beautiful dark red kimono, with a dangerously low neckline and long wide sleeves, one of which she used to cover her mouth in slight embarrassment at the sudden attention. Her short hair was pinned back intricately, with a few strands framing her face and her diamond seal proudly pronounced on her forehead. Her emerald eyes were glued to the side, as she refused to look at either of the brothers directly.
"Wow, Sakura-san! What's the occasion? You look great!" Hashirama heartily laughed and praised her looks.
Tobirama, on the other hand, gritted his teeth and whipped his head to the side, upset with himself for being stumbled even the slightest bit by the girl. How had she gotten out of the river anyways?
"It's Kiyo-san's... I didn't have any clothes, and she gave this to me to wear. Although, I will need a more practical outfit if I am to heal people like you say," Sakura remarked.
Tch. The family's maidservant. Tobirama forgot she fetched water at the same stream every morning.
"Duly noted," Hashirama nodded. "Come, I will show you to the clinic."
Sakura followed Hashirama out of the younger brother's study, and they traversed the settlement to a wooden building with a small garden in front of it. When they entered, Sakura saw rows upon rows of cots... filled with injured people.
"Hashirama-san! Why did you not tell me there were so many who are wounded?" Sakura admonished. She immediately rolled up her sleeves and sprinted to the nearest bed. Scanning the male over, she pinpointed the source of his ailment with accuracy and placed a glowing green hand to his stomach. The male visibly relaxed, and his face gradually returned to a peaceful state.
"Who is watching over this place?" She asked sharply, urging Hashirama for an answer. He nodded.
"Kenta!" On cue, a young teenage boy of about twelve or thirteen ran up to the two. He was hugging a basket of plants, most likely herbs. His chocolate-brown hair was mussed, and his matching eyes held a frazzled look to them.
"A kid?!"
His eyes narrowed in annoyance, "Hey! I'm no kid! I'm the doctor!" The boy named Kenta huffed indignantly.
"Not yet, you're not. Can't you see this man was just minutes away from falling into a critical condition?!"
Kenta winced at the scolding and lowered his head. "I... I don't really know what I'm doing. I'm just going off of what I learned when I was the old man's apprentice," he admitted.
"Alright kid, seeing as you're gonna be my helper from now on, get ready for a really really long day. We're going to go through every single one of these patients, and you're going to write down exactly what I say is wrong with them and what their course of treatment will need to be."
"Stop calling me 'kid'! You don't seem much older than me yourself!"
"Get to it!" Sakura snapped. Kenta shut his mouth and obeyed. He set down his basket and ran to a desk, snatching a thick leatherbound notebook, a quill pen, and a little bottle of ink.
Sakura took a deep breath. Seeing the great number of wounded shinobi in this room made her dizzy.
Calm down, she commanded herself, and closed her eyes for a brief moment. My name is Haruno Sakura, I am a kunoichi from Konohagakure no Sato, born to Haruno Kizashi and Haruno Mebuki. I learned the healing arts under Senju Tsunade. I am a chuunin. My teammates are Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. My sensei is Hatake Kakashi. My name is Haruno Sakura. My name is Haruno Sakura. My name is Haruno Sakura!
Snapping her eyes open, she concentrated all her focus onto the patients in front of her.
Hashirama smiled. It seemed like allowing Sakura to stay was the best choice for the clan. He observed the two running around for a while and then left the pair to their own devices and stepped outside.
He didn't need to look to know Tobirama was leaning on the wall next to the door, arms crossed.
"Well, Anija?" Tobirama gave him an expectant look.
"She is remarkable," Hashirama assured him, "she seems to be able to utilize her chakra to heal to an even better extent than Jii-san ever could. I never knew you could do use chakra like the way she controls and manipulates it! Not only that, she hadn't even used her chakra on some patients, conserving it and optimizing efficiency. Her leadership skills are also quite impressive; her ability to keep calm and assess the situation was outstanding."
However, rather than being impressed, Tobirama's eyes narrowed. The mysteries of this girl were piling up. First, she exhibited signs of inhuman strength. Second, she was a formidable healer unlike any they've seen in their lifetimes. Third, she was definitely hiding secrets with her shifty nature and defensive attitude.
He definitely wouldn't allow it if she was an Uchiha spy. But if she wasn't that, then just what was she hiding?
Tobirama vowed to expose her secrets.
Author's Note: Yay! This chapter saw Sakura starting her life with the Senju. Tobirama's still suspicious of her hehe. Don't worry, Hashirama doesn't "like like" her, as he and Mito are meant to be in my eyes (who you will see in the future).
But guys, I have such big plans for this story you don't even know. EVERYTHING will come together and make sense in the end, you'll see hehe.