A/N: A juban is like underclothes for a kimono or yukata. A komon kimono is basically a casual silk kimono with some sort of pattern on it. Nemaki are a kind of yukata used as pajamas or nightgowns and is usually made out of a light weight cotton.
Sakura was surprised to find that the sun was rising as she stepped out of the warm home and into the freezing morning air. It was too early for people to be out and about but she could hear some people moving about in their homes, preparing for their day.
Her heart still raced in her chest even though she had succeeded in maintaining a calm and professional demeanor. When Madara had told her that his cousins Katsuo and Katsumi had been poisoned, Sakura had hoped she wouldn't need to use the incredibly dangerous Poison Extraction Technique. Not only because it was such an agonizing and crude technique but because it was rarely a cure-all jutsu.
Sakura prayed that her patients had the strength to fully recover from the scant amounts of poison that still lingered in their bodies.
Normally, she would use the technique to buy herself time. She could use the poison that she had extracted to craft an antidote that would cure the patient entirely. Without a proper lab set up and the plethora of herbs and materials she needed, however, she had no way of creating an antidote.
She was grateful that her patients had been inoculated with a poison that had been easily broken down, even if it had been deadly and fast acting. Not only had she been able to remove the vast majority of the poison but she had also been able to repair the damage that the substance had done to the viscera and soft tissues of the Uchihas.
The poison had been nowhere near as deadly and potent as the poison that Sasori of the Red Sand had injected Kankuro with. A fact that very well could have saved Sakura's life that night. She had no idea who these Uchiha men were and had no way of telling how they would have reacted had she failed.
The last thing Sakura had wanted was to have to fight her way out of the Uchiha clan compound while simultaneously trying not to hurt the future founder of her village.
The medic gazed out at the slowly brightening sky, the horizon transforming into a deep purple that chased away the dark sky, as Kuro came to silently stand at her side.
She wanted to go to their library immediately, to have the Uchiha fulfill their end of the bargain and for her to be brought closer to finding her way home. As she turned to face the two Uchiha brothers, however, she could feel the scratchiness of her eyes, the aching in her muscles, and the dull burn from her overworked chakra pathways.
Sakura was exhausted.
She had only gotten a couple hours of sleep following the intensive and lengthy operation to save Nozomi's life. A brief rest that was immediately interrupted by an assault from the Senju where she had to fight for her life and where she had completely drained her seal. A battle which she got no rest afterwards, the medic having spent the rest of the night healing the guards, sprinting to the Uchiha's holdings, and then performing the incredibly delicate and stressful Poison Extraction Jutsu on not one but two patients.
She felt like she was going to drop dead. More than anything, she desperately needed to rest.
Madara and Izuna followed her out of the home, closing the door behind them. The two brothers shared a meaningful look, communicating silently in a way that only came from years of living with one another.
The younger Uchiha sighed in exasperation, pinching the bridge of his nose, before briskly nodding at Sakura in farewell and disappearing without a word.
It was Madara who actually addressed her. "You've fulfilled your end of the bargain and we intend to fulfill ours. However, we would like to offer you a place to recover and ask for time to inform the rest of the clan of your presence."
Sakura's knee jerk reaction was to object and demand to be taken to their library immediately, her distrust for strangers a trait that had served her well during her time in the past. With her exhaustion quickly wearing at what little energy she had left, however, she was grateful for the offer to rest.
Further than that, she understood Madara's logic. Even with a guide, she suspected that her sudden presence would be treated with hostility by the uninformed members of his family. She had been plucked off of a battlefield and spirited into their compound in the dead of night after all. She didn't doubt that, if she ran into trouble, her declaration that she had been invited here by the clan heads would fall on deaf ears.
"I understand."
"Come with me," he replied, beginning his walk towards some unknown destination.
A long silence stretched between them, the only sounds being their soft footsteps and the tinkling sound of the chain connecting his weapons. Kuro meaningfully placed himself between her and the Uchiha, walking between them. While the panther's eyes remained forward, the kunoichi could tell by his posture that the entirety of his attention was focused on the wild haired man beside them.
"I didn't think that ninja clans would have guest quarters," Sakura commented offhandedly, breaking the silence as she looked up at the taller man beside her.
"We don't. Guests..." Madara glanced at her from the corner of his one visible eye. "Generally aren't allowed."
"Oh, uh… Am I, er… Staying... with someone?" she asked with a wince, concerned that she would have to share a house with some strangers. She briefly wondered if she would be staying with the brothers, based on Izuna's dissatisfied reaction earlier.
"No. There is an unoccupied home that should serve fine as temporary guest quarters," he answered, dissolving her concerns yet raising more questions.
"An unoccupied house?" Sakura parroted in confusion as they turned down a pathway that lead to another row of houses, these ones set far apart from one another.
She noticed that a number of the homes they passed now appeared to be unoccupied, the amado all shut tight making the houses appear to be more like wooden shacks than homes. Other, occupied houses had flowing gardens and one even had a perfectly maintained koi pond.
He gestured towards a house at the far edge of the Uchiha holdings, the amado closed tight and weeds starting to reach upwards towards engawa. As they came to a stop in front of it, Sakura noted that it stood far apart from the other homes, nearly hidden away behind a grove of plum trees with bare branches.
"The woman who once lived here died during the battle at Biei. It should still contain basic supplies and have running water," Madara explained, stepping forward to open the amado and revealing the engawa within.
"I appreciate your hospitality," Sakura thanked as Kuro immediately prowled into the home on silent feet, intent on searching for traps.
"I will send someone over in the afternoon to take you to the main house. Once we've spoken, they'll take you to the library."
"Alright. I'll speak to you then."
The clan head nodded once before turning to leave. She watched him walk away, silently amazed by the fact that he would one day go on to be one of the founders of her village. She hadn't seen him in combat but knew from the stories she had read of him that he would become one of the strongest shinobi in history, if he wasn't already.
Sakura wondered what he was like now, during this time. Was he already overcome by the hatred that would one day lead to his betrayal of the village, the hatred that seemed to fester in every Uchiha? Was this arrangement they had made a farce? Would he one day betray her, as Sasuke had?
Could she trust them?
Sakura gave herself a mental shake and turned to enter the house just in time to miss Madara turn to look at her from over his shoulder.
Sakura's temporary home, thankfully lit by the rising sun drifting in through the ranma, was surprisingly large, considering only one woman had lived here.
Sakura removed her shoes in the entryway, tucking them into a small shoe rack in the corner of the lowered receiving area. She entered into the small tatami room, the rice straw padding soft against her sore feet, and made a note of a low table surrounded by cushions sitting in the center of the room. She took a moment to appreciate the stunning painting of two tigers which hung in her living room.
If the kunoichi hadn't spend so much time honing her sensory skills, she doubted she would have noticed the appearance of two cloaked chakra signatures on the roof. While they didn't appear malicious, they didn't appear to be leaving anytime soon either.
She shared a glance with Kuro and they both came to the same silent conclusion that the two new visitors were guards sent to keep an eye on her. As long as they stayed outside and their watch didn't turn into Jiraiya's form of spying, she found no reason to be bothered by them.
Sakura opened various fusuma and shoji and explored the house, learning the layout.
When the slid open the first fusuma, opening up the other half of the main room, she was greeted with a kitchen. A fireplace took up the majority of the new area, the sunken hearth occupying the center of the room. A long counter dominated an entire wall, dead ending into an empty ice box and an equally empty pantry.
A small sink sat at one end of the counter, which she briefly used to try to scrub off some of the filth from her hands. Afterwards, she opened a few drawers and noticed they were still stocked with eating utensils, tucked away and untouched by the dust that coated every surface.
Sakura continued her exploration and found the washroom next. She was thrilled to discover that it not only had a toilet, hidden away in it's own separate room (thank the gods she had missed the outdoor toilet age by a hair), but a sunken shower as well. She noted that she should clean the stool that sat on the floor of the shower before she bathed, a task she was far too exhausted to consider now.
The final room was another tatami room, bare of furniture, that appeared to have served as a bedroom. She opened a closet within and was happy to find a few futons neatly folded within. As she reached out to grasp one of the comfortable looking futons, paired with a cozy comforter for winter months, her gaze dropped down to her still crimson tinged hands.
Her eyes slipped further down her body to take in her dirty and gore stained clothes before she pouted at the soft futons in the closet. Closing the door with a sigh, she resigned herself to her bedroll. She had no energy the take a shower but didn't want to insult her hosts by ruining a futon with her filthy form.
Sakura sighed as she removed her storage scroll and kunai from her torn obi, unrolling the scroll on the floor to remove the bedroll she used when sleeping in the wilderness. As she unfurled the bedroll, Kuro, who had been on her tail as she explored the house, sat on the mats beside her.
"You can go home now, Kuro. I'll be fine. I really appreciate you coming with me today," Sakura stated as she pulled back the blanket to her bedroll, not bothering with removing her stained clothes in her exhausted state.
"I shall not abandon you in your most defenseless state in an unknown village surrounded by unknown shinobi. You rest and I'll keep watch," Kuro declared in a tone that brokered no argument as she knelt onto her bedroll.
"You don't have to do that…" Sakura replied softly, touched by his offer.
"I do. You're a part of my pride now. That means we protect each other," Kuro asserted as Sakura fell into her blankets.
Sakura smiled brightly in response, touched by Kuro's declaration. She struggled for years to find her place in Konoha and after only one month in the past, she had been accepted into a family that valued and respected her.
"Thank you," she thanked, her voice thick with emotion, as she pulled her blanket over her, already feeling her eyelids grow heavier.
Kuro blinked slowly as he began grooming his paws, the stoic summon obviously trying to diffuse the emotional tension. "Think nothing of it. Rest for now."
Sakura fell into a blissfully restful sleep not even a few breaths later.
When Sakura finally woke up, the sun was shining brightly. While the house was dark as she hadn't opened the amado, sunlight still drifted in through the ranma that lined the ceiling.
She sat up slowly and stretched, her spine cracking in several places as she did. She let out a deep yawn and turned to face Kuro who remained in the same spot he had been when she had fallen asleep. Despite her having slept for what felt like a full night's sleep, the summoned panther hadn't let up on his watch.
"Good morning," she greeted in the middle of her yawn.
"It is the afternoon, but yes, good morning," Kuro replied, standing and stretching out as well.
"You should go home and rest," Sakura stated as she noticed how tired Kuro appeared as well, "You've been in this world for a while now..."
"Very well. No one but your shadows have approached and neither bear ill will. But you will summon me once again when you rest tonight. If you do not, I will have you summoned to my world as a precaution," Kuro warned, giving Sakura a stern look.
Sakura nodded in response, a sleepy smile still gracing her face. "I will. And thank you again."
"As I said, think nothing of it. I will see you at nightfall," Kuro responded before dispelling himself. The puff of smoke quickly dispersed, even when contained in the enclosed space of the bedroom.
Sakura pulled back the blanket of her bedroll, her gaze falling upon her torn and stained kimono. Her eyes flicked across the reddish brownish splash of color across her front, her thoughts returning to when she got ran through with not one but two katana. A horrified shiver ran down her spine at the memory of the pain.
She really needed to stop getting stabbed in the stomach...
Shaking her head to disperse thoughts of old, agonizing wounds, Sakura decided that now would be the perfect time to utilize the shower she had seen earlier that day. She smelled like a slaughterhouse and dried blood still lingered beneath her fingernails. She knew that some gore had crusted in her tangled hair and her body was covered in a sheen of dirt and dust from upheaving the earth during her fight.
The medic grimaced when she belatedly realized that she must have painted a terrifying picture for the family she had helped last night... A suspicion only substantiated when she caught sight of herself in the mirror in her temporary bathroom and realized she looked like a creature from someone's nightmares.
Sakura gathered her toiletries, a fresh, thick cotton juban, a clean pair of undergarments, and a deep, forest green komon kimono, paired with a cream colored obi, from her storage scroll. She stripped off her stained komon kimono and the juban beneath, neither article of clothing even suitable for bandages. Even the strips of cloth she used to bind her breasts were tainted by dried blood and joined the growing pile of cloth in the corner of her cramped washroom. Even her panties hadn't survived...
Sakura wasted no time in taking her much needed shower and was elated to find that this place not only had running water but hot running water as well.
When she returned from bathing, she stored her bedroll in her storage scroll once again. She tucked the precious scroll, as well as her seldom used kunai, into her obi before making her way to the entryway of the home to slip on her socks and geta.
She had been told to expect someone to come fetch her in the afternoon but wondered if she had missed her guide when she bathed. She decided that if she was ahead of time for her guide, and not wanting to wait around in the empty house for them to appear, that the guards assigned to shadow her may be willing to take her instead.
"Excuse me? Hello? Guard? Could you take me to see the clan heads?" Sakura asked the chakra signature directly above her, perched on the roof above her.
Silence reigned for a long moment before a muffled sigh sounded from above her. She noticed that the chakra signature moved until it stood on the other side of the fusuma leading into her home.
"Your guide should be here soon. Perhaps you should wait for them?" Came an annoyed, male voice from outside the fusuma.
Sakura opened the sliding door, wanting to speak to her guard face to face. A frowning, and almost embarrassed looking, man stood at the door, his arms crossed in a way that every Uchiha seemed to be fond of.
"Would it be too much trouble for you to take me? I don't want-" to wait around in this empty house all day when the key to returning to my timeline is nearby "-to keep them waiting. And you're supposed to keep an eye on me anyways, aren't you?"
The dark haired man was silent for a long moment, considering his words, before he sighed deeply once again in a way that reminded Sakura of Shikamaru. "Fine. Come on then."
The walk to the main house was peppered with curious and sometimes malicious stares from the various Uchiha tending to their duties around their village. One young boy, possibly no older than four, stared at Sakura in wonder before nearly being dragged into a home by an irate looking woman.
Sakura didn't take it personally. She knew that she was an outsider and, despite everyone apparently being aware of her presence now, they didn't trust her. Not that it truly mattered. Once Sakura got a good look at the library and, hopefully, found something of merit in regards to her search, she would return to her timeline.
How these people felt about her wouldn't even be a footnote in the annals of history. Her existence here shouldn't even leave a footnote.
As she was lead by the silent guard, the kunoichi took the opportunity to investigate her surroundings. The village was mostly comprised of houses with various facilities peppered throughout. She spotted a butcher, gutting a freshly killed boar hanging on a stand in their yard. She noticed training grounds in the distance with a couple people around her age sparring. She even noticed steam rising up from an onsen and felt a hint of longing for a hot bath.
The house they approached was undoubtedly the largest. The fusuma and shoji doors were all closed to ward off the winter chill. Despite the snow having not yet reached this place, the air was cold enough that snow was a possibility yet.
The guard lead Sakura into the entryway where they removed their shoes before they entered the home. As they walked through the entry way, Sakura's attention was drawn to a massive painting hanging in the receiving room.
The painting consisted of a mythical looking woman sitting in the center, wearing what appeared to be armor made of fire and holding the sun. Two otherworldly looking men sat on either side of her. One of the men was dressed in ebony armor and held the moon while the other was wearing lapis lazuli armor and held an orb of raging waves within his hands.
Sakura wished she could take a closer look at the intricate and undoubtedly meaningful painting but instead trailed behind the guard, attempting to absorb as much as she could of the head household as she went.
Her observations were limited as all the fusuma and shoji doors in the vast home were closed. All that she had been able to see was the numerous paintings and weapons on display in the winding hallways they traveled through. She noticed that most of the paintings somehow involved the Uchiha clan crest but her curiosity was perked by what appeared to be a kanabo hanging on the wall.
The nearly four foot long bludgeon was a surprise to find on display in the Uchiha clan head household. She knew there was a story behind the obviously well used weapon and very much wanted to ask what it was. She kept her questions to herself, however, knowing her unwilling guide would be less than appreciative at being reduced even further to a tour guide.
The two turned down one last hallway before her guide stopped next to a closed shoji door. The Uchiha lightly knocked on it a couple times before a deep voice called out from within. "Let her in."
The guard remained posted next to the shoji door but tilted his head towards the door, gesturing for Sakura to enter. She slid open the door and stepped into the comfortably warm room before shutting the shoji door behind her.
She spotted Madara sitting at a low table, a variety of scrolls neatly spread out before him, in what appeared to be a kind of study. She noticed a variety of paintings and weapons, true to the form of the rest of the house, displayed on the walls. One wall was completely dominated by book cases which were filled to the brim with carefully organized books and scrolls. She caught sight of a glass case on one of the shelves, a large scroll contained within, and briefly wondered what made the scroll so important.
Turning her attention to the Uchiha himself, Sakura noted that he looked much different dressed in casual clothes instead of the armor she had seen him in the previous day. She very nearly stared, surprised by his sudden change of clothes and demeanor into this relaxed state.
"No summoned cats today?" Madara greeted with an arched brow.
"They come and go. No brother today?" Sakura responded, lingering by the door.
"He comes and goes," he returned smartly with a smirk, beckoning her forward.
She smiled in response to his comment before moving to sit on one of the cushions surrounding the table he sat at. "So… About that library..."
"You will be allowed into our coveted library soon enough. But first, I have a proposition for you."
Her eyes narrowed fractionally in suspicion at that. "Does this proposition still end up with me sitting in that library?
"It will lead to unlimited access to not only the library but to all the other facilities in our village."
Sakura immediately thought of the onsen she had spied while walking here and found herself curious as to what this proposition could entail. "Okay. I'm listening."
"My brother and I are offering you a position as the clan's healer," Madara explained simply, drawing a startled expression from Sakura.
During the few seconds it took for Sakura to fully absorb what Madara had said, her surprise quickly morphed into apprehension. "Why would you want me here? I thought clans were wary of outsiders?"
"We are no exception," he responded truthfully, "We offer you this position out of mutual beneficence. You stay and heal those who are injured and would otherwise die without your assistance and we offer you our protection and unlimited access to our library, among other things."
Sakura struggled internally with the thought of becoming the designated healer for the Uchiha clan. The vow she had made when she first arrived in the past to avoid the two major clans who would one day form Konoha had been thoroughly trounced. Not only did she accept a job from the Uchiha to heal two mortally poisoned shinobi but she had, far more notably, killed fourteen Senju with her own hands.
She had tried to alter her vow to avoid revealing any information which may affect the future and wondered whether becoming the healer for the Uchiha, and undoubtedly utilizing techniques that didn't exist during this time, would... drastically affect the future.
She also pondered her current situation. She knew that she certainly wouldn't be given unlimited access to their library with their current arrangement. If anything, she expected she would get a day or two before being told to leave.
With this deal, however, she could get all the time she needed for her research. It may be the only chance she would get to thoroughly search their library for some clue on how to return to her timeline.
"And how would this arrangement work, if I were to say yes?" Sakura questioned curiously, one eyebrow raised.
"The finer details would need to be discussed. The gist of it would be that you would be given the home you are in now which would also function as a clinic. People who require attention will either come to you of their own volition or be brought in. You may be called upon to join war parties on occasion as our combat medic, if you find yourself able."
Sakura's expression betrayed her instinctively rising to the challenge at his words and she nearly missed the slight quirk of the corner of Madara's lip before he continued, "In exchange, you will be provided with a sum of money to cover living expenses and more, protection from those who may hold a grudge against you, namely the Senju, and unlimited access to our library and any other facility in our settlement."
Sakura thought over the offer for a few moments, already coming up with a list of questions in regards to the position.
"And what if I want to leave the settlement? Pursue more leads on jutsu elsewhere?"
"Then you may do so for a short amount of time and preferably with one of my clan mates so you may return without impedance. Although you will find no greater repertoire of jutsu than here. The Senju more than likely have the second best library but, considering what has happened, they would sooner kill you than allow you near it," the clan head informed bluntly.
"And what if I decide I don't like our deal anymore and want to leave for good?" Sakura continued, staring at him pointedly.
Madara frowned as he watched her for a moment, discerning something in her expression. His eyebrows furrowed as he apparently saw something there.
"If what you're asking is if this deal will render you as property of the clan, then no," he explained in an almost offended manner, "Should you decide that our arrangement is no longer beneficial to you, then you may leave. Although we will decide upon an amount of time you must stay so we can both get some use from the arrangement."
"What would be my place in your clan then? Will this arrangement make me some kind of servant?" the kunoichi asked forwardly since the Uchiha had already discerned the undertone of her inquiries.
"You will be an asset and thus treated with the same respect as any other member of my clan. While many will be wary of you at first, I doubt it will take long to gain their trust, considering your specialty."
There was a long moment of silence as Sakura considered his words and his offer. Madara spoke of trust and respect but she still had two Uchiha posted at her home to stealthily keep an eye on her.
"And how long will my shadows stick around?" she questioned, canting her head towards the guard she had outed who had guided her here and who still lingered outside the shoji door.
The corner of Madara's lip quirked up and he gave her a look that could almost be construed as impressed. He answered honestly, not bothering to lie about her guards, "As long as it takes for Izuna and I to be able to trust you unaccompanied around our family."
Sakura considered her options.
She could reject the offer and be given possibly a week in their library for her research, not nearly enough time to search through their undoubtedly massive stock. While she could glean some useful information, it is possible she would never get a chance to visit their library again without taking another kind of job from the clan heads, something that was undoubtedly a rare occurrence.
She certainly would never be allowed into the Senju's library considering what had happened...
Or she could accept and be given unlimited access to the Uchiha library and all the time she needed to find clues on returning home. While her continued interactions with the Uchiha could lead to some alteration of the timeline, her indefinite existence in the past and the inevitable future conflicts with the Senju would certainly alter the future drastically.
Gods forbid she was one day forced to fight the future First or Second Hokages if she returned to her job as a healer and mercenary in the civilian cities. Either she would die or she would be forced to cripple or kill a vital figure in the formation of her future.
Without a doubt, the missing pieces she needed to return home could only be found in the Uchiha's library and a week would not be enough time to find them.
And even if she did choose to take this job, it wouldn't matter how long she agreed to stay. Once she found out how to return home, nothing would stop her from leaving this timeline.
Her decision made, Sakura spoke. "While I agree we'll need to sort out the finer details… Consider this my conditional acceptance."
Madara nodded simply in response before replying, "Very well then. My brother should return tomorrow. We'll draft a contract to our liking then. For now, consider the house yours. And expect some of my clan to approach you for treatment tomorrow."
"Okay. We'll talk again tomorrow then."
"Until then," he replied before returning to the scrolls neatly laid out across the table.
Sakura stood and turned to leave. She had already opened the shoji door when he spoke once again.
"And Sakura?" the Uchiha asked, his gaze still lingering on the scroll he held in his hands.
"Yes?"
Madara's eyes flicked up to hers and he openly smirked at her from beneath his long bangs. "The only stipulation my brother and I agreed on in regards to the training fields is that you don't do to them what you did to the Nakano's holdings."
Sakura's eyebrows shot up and she immediately flushed in embarrassment, a hot blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyebrows furrowed and she pursed her lips as her embarrassment quickly turned into frustration. His smirk only widened, somehow satisfied with her response.
She huffed softly and left without another word.
The guard guided her back to her home, maintaining his silent act despite having undoubtedly heard the conversation between Sakura and Madara about her new position as clan healer.
When they arrived, the Uchiha parted without another word. Sakura took a long hard look at her new… clinic-home… and decided that if she was to live there that the state it was currently in was unacceptable. Especially if she was going to be treating patients here.
After slipping off her geta and tucking them into her shoe rack, she immediately went about opening all the amado and fusuma in her house so it could air out while she cleaned. Despite feeling oddly exposed in the winter chill that now blew through the house unhindered and under the confused, sometimes aggressive, stares from Uchiha that ventured nearby, she wanted to be thorough.
After hanging up her futons to air out on a line in the overgrown yard, Sakura was able to find a stash of cleaning supplies tucked away. She rolled up the sleeves of her kimono as she had no other clothes to change into besides summer yukatas, komon kimonos, and her nemaki and immediately set to work.
In between wiping the dust off of every surface of the house, scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom, shaking out the tatami mats, cleaning the cooking grate in the hearth, washing all of the cooking utensils, and sweeping and mopping the floors, the process took three solid hours. By the time she was done, the chill of the air felt pleasant against her heated skin.
As Sakura began closing the fusuma and shoji doors to try to preserve what little heat remained in the house, she heard uneven footsteps approaching her.
Turning to face her new guest, she was surprised to see a young woman, not much older than herself, with striking blue eyes limping towards her.
The woman carried two cloth bags loaded with goods and she winced almost imperceptibly every time her right foot touched the ground. She smiled politely at Sakura when they made eye contact and came to a stop near her, below the engawa.
"Good afternoon… Sakura, is it?" the ebony haired woman asked in a soft voice that reminded Sakura of Hinata.
Forcing down her sadness at being reminded of her friend far in the future, Sakura replied, "That's me. Good afternoon."
"My name is Hitomi," the woman introduced with a slight bow, "I'm here to deliver you some supplies for the next week."
"Oh, thank you. Here, I'll take those," Sakura responded, leaning down to take the bags from Hitomi.
"Of course. Have a nice evening," Hitomi replied, giving another slight bow and turning to leave. As she walked, Sakura noticed that, without her carrying the bags, the Uchiha's gait was noticeably uneven.
Before the woman could get far, Sakura, overwhelmingly curious and wanting to help, asked, "I'm sorry if this is too forward, but why are you limping?"
The woman stopped and turned to face Sakura. She appeared to be embarrassed by the question but answered nonetheless. "Oh, um… It's an old injury from when I had my last child."
Sakura was floored by Hitomi's words. Last child? How many children did she have? She couldn't be much older than Sakura was and the thought of already having children, let alone multiple, at her age startled her.
The medic snapped out of her inner thoughts. "I could take a look at that if you'd like. Maybe I could help."
Hitomi was surprised by her offer and was hesitant in her answer. "I… I suppose. You are going to be our doctor now, after all…"
Sakura gestured for the woman to follow her into her newly cleaned home. Hitomi slipped off her shoes in the entryway and entered the living room while Sakura finished closing the fusuma and shoji.
"Please, sit," Sakura stated before she went to place the cloth bags full of food on her kitchen counter.
When she returned, Hitomi was seated on one of the cushions surrounded the low table. Sakura joined her, silently noting that her home was freezing from the cold winter air and that she needed to light the fireplace to heat up the house.
"So, Hitomi. How long have you had the limp? And how did it start?" the medic began, folding her hands in her lap.
"About… two years now. It started when I had my first child, my daughter, but it became much worse after I gave birth to my son."
"Do you have any pain?"
"It's constant. I've learned to live with it."
"Is it a dull pain or is it sharp?"
"It feels like something is cutting me when I walk."
"Does it get better with rest?"
"Most of the time. I can only sleep on my left side though..."
"Okay. Do you mind if I run a diagnostic on you?" Sakura asked, holding up her hand so the woman could see the green glow of chakra, "It won't hurt but it may feel a little odd."
Hitomi eyed Sakura's glowing hand nervously but her lips flattened as her expression became determined. Even with her new determination, she still stuttered. "O-okay."
Sakura placed her hand on the woman's shoulder, reaching out with her chakra to inspect her. She immediately noticed that the woman's pelvis had been fractured at some point and had naturally healed incorrectly.
The Uchiha probably hadn't even noticed that it had been fractured if it had happened while she was giving birth. With the pain that followed childbirth, the pain from the fracture was likely written off as normal.
"Alright, Hitomi?" Sakura started as she removed her hand from the dark haired woman's shoulder, "The reason you're in so much pain is because your pelvis was fractured, more than likely during childbirth, and has healed incorrectly. I can fix your limp and stop the pain, but I'm going to have to re-fracture your pelvis."
Hitomi's jaw dropped as she stared at Sakura with a horrified expression.
"You have to what?!" she squeaked.
Sakura held up her hands in a placating manner, hoping the ease her fears. "I can numb the area so it won't hurt at all."
"I-I'm not sure that's a good idea…" the blue eyed woman muttered in response, her hands wringing together nervously.
"I can make your pain and your limp go away. It won't take long at all and I promise it won't hurt."
"Are you sure about this?" the Uchiha questioned, obviously interested in the prospect of being cured.
"I'm positive. You can trust me," Sakura asserted with a confident look.
"I… Suppose…"
"Alright. Let me grab something comfortable for you to lie down on. I'll be back in a moment," Sakura replied before going outside to fetch the futons that were airing out on the line outside. She deposited two of them on the floor in her living room before bringing Hitomi the third.
She laid out the futon on the floor of her living room and Hitomi lied down, despite her apprehension. She wrung her hands together nervously and her breathing quickened.
"It's okay. I promise it will be quick and painless," Sakura comforted with a smile which the ebony haired woman returned uncertainly.
"Alright, I'm going to start now. This part may feel a little odd but it's only temporary. It's so you don't feel any pain," the medic explained as she pressed her hands, glowing green with chakra, against the woman's stomach.
"Okay…"
The medical ninja utilized a jutsu that her mentor Lady Tsunade had taught her when she began taking on surgeries in the hospital. She used her chakra to block the efferent nerve pathways from Hitomi's pelvis to her brain in a way that was similar to how Hyuuga blocked chakra pathways. By doing so, the pain signals that would be sent to the woman's brain wouldn't reach it and she would feel no pain when Sakura fractured her pelvis.
"Okay, here we go. Deep breath in," Sakura instructed as she placed her fingertips against where the improperly healed fracture was, "Deep breath out."
When the medic heard Hitomi breath out shakily, she pressed chakra into her fingertips and tapped on her pelvis. The Uchiha drew in a ragged, shocked breath at the muted crack of her own bone breaking. She grimaced, her eyes squeezing shut, as she waited for the pain to come.
After a few moments of painlessness, Hitomi's eyes cracked open and she looked down to see Sakura pressing one hand against her hip, aligning the bone properly, as her other hand worked on healing the new fracture.
"I felt nothing," the Uchiha whispered in wonder, drawing a pleased smile from Sakura.
"Good! My patients in the merchant cities definitely appreciated the technique as much as you do."
"The merchant cities?" Hitomi questioned curiously, a look of confusion on her face, "What was a kunoichi like you doing there?"
Sakura huffed out a self deprecating laugh. "Seems I've been telling a lot of people about my past lately… My old village was destroyed so I came out here. I stayed in the merchant cities to make money and to… attempt to research jutsu."
Hitomi's expression showed her pity as well as her regret. "Oh, I-I apologize. I'm so very sorry for asking."
"It's okay. I've had time to accept what's happened," Sakura muttered, the words feeling wrong even as she spoke them, as she began to finish up the procedure.
There was a moment of silence before Hitomi quietly, but sincerely, spoke, "I hope this place can become your home soon."
The kunoichi shot Hitomi a started look, surprised by her kindness. She smiled softly after a moment and began working at restoring the nerve pathways in Hitomi's pelvis.
"Thank you. That means a lot… And all done. Want to stand up and try to walk around? See how it feels?" Sakura asked, pulling her hands away from the Uchiha's hips.
Hitomi gave Sakura an uncertain look but soon stood. Her face immediately betrayed her shock and awe as she stood with no pain. As she took a few steps, her limp now gone, her expression morphed into one of unfettered joy.
"This… You… Y-you're amazing!" she praised breathlessly, smiling at Sakura in wonder.
"No pain then?" the medic answered, unable to stop the smile that took over her face as well.
"None at all! I haven't felt like this in years. Thank you. Thank you so much!"
"I'm more than happy to help."
"I must go tend to the rest of my duties but," Hitomi started before turning to Sakura and bowing deeply, "Thank you again, Lady Sakura."
"Please. Just call me Sakura," she begged, her smile unwavering in the face of her patient's happiness.
"Thank you… Sakura."
When Hitomi left, it was with a skip in her step and a smile stretched all the way across her face.
As Sakura stocked her icebox and the pantry with the food Hitomi brought her, she noticed that the sun was now settling. She went around and lit a few paper lanterns around the house, lighting up her home in a soft glow. After gathering some firewood she located in a neat stack outside, she lit the fireplace, intent on heating up her home as well as cooking herself something for dinner. She was starving and was incredibly happy that Hitomi had brought her a supply of food.
Sakura ran through the hand signs necessary for a summoning jutsu before nipping her thumb and drawing a droplet of blood. She pressed her palm into the floor, the seal designating her summon erupting from her hand. A puff of smoke obscured her view of the seal and before it dispersed, revealing Kuro.
"Ah. I was just preparing to ask father to summon you," the panther stated, watching as Sakura stood and began filling a pot with water from the sink.
"Just in the nick of time then. And your father? Who's your father?" the kunoichi asked as she set aside the pot.
Kuro sat down on the tatami mats, his tail flicking idly as he watched Sakura begin to rinse off some vegetables in the sink.
"Hyo," he responded simply.
Sakura nearly dropped the carrots she had been rinsing off in surprise. She whipped around and her eyes immediately shot to Kuro, searching his face for a lie.
"Hyo. The giant leopard. Hyo is your dad?" she questioned, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
Kuro gave her an unimpressed look and she could nearly see his eyebrow quirk in response. "You're surprised?"
Sakura fished out a knife from one of the drawers in the kitchen and began cutting up the vegetables and adding them to the pot of water.
"Well… yes? Aren't you a panther?"
"A panther is a leopard, Sakura. We just have a darker coloration."
"Oh... I wasn't aware of that."
As Sakura finished preparing the stew and went to secure it to the hook hanging above the fireplace, Kuro curled up next to the warm hearth and stretched.
As she lowered the hook so the pot of uncooked stew sat above the flames, Kuro spoke. "Why are you still here?"
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, sitting back on one of the cushions she had placed next to the sunken hearth.
"Why are you still in this house?" he clarified.
"I've been offered the position of clan healer. They're giving me unlimited access to their library, among other things. This house too, although it will also function as a clinic," Sakura explained, scooting closer to the fireplace in an attempt to absorb more of its warmth.
"And you trust these people enough for that?" Kuro questioned, glancing pointedly at the ceiling where one of Sakura's guards was perched.
"No. Not yet, anyways…" Sakura answered honestly, "But they're my best chance at moving forward. And not only that, the Senju clan attacked the holdings of one of my patients, Nozomi Nakano. I defended her family but... I killed a lot of people. It might not be safe in the merchant cities anymore."
"Yes, Tora told us all what happened... I suppose this just means that I will be coming around a lot more until I'm certain the Uchiha mean no ill will," Kuro replied in a tone that brokered no objections.
"I appreciate it," Sakura replied with a smile as she stirred the stew.
She stood and entered the kitchen to grab a bowl, looking over her shoulder as her hand hovered over a second dish.
"Are you interested?" she asked, gesturing to the pot.
"In your prey food? No thank you. I will eat when I return to my world," Kuro huffed, the carnivore uninterested in the vegetable stew that Sakura had prepared.
"Hey, guards? Are you interested in some stew?" Sakura asked the ceiling.
There was a few moments of silence before a familiar, muffled sigh sounded from above. "No thank you."
Sakura smiled and shook her head, returning to her seat next to the hearth and stirring her stew once again. As she sat down, Kuro sniffed the air curiously.
"So you've interacted with a different Uchiha today?" he asked, his head perking up.
Sakura nodded. "A woman came by today to deliver a supply of food. She had a limp and severe pain and I offered to heal her."
"Hmm…" the panther hummed as he laid his head back down on his paws.
Sakura adjusted the hanging hook so her now finished pot of stew hung away from the flames. "What are you thinking?"
"Perhaps sending the limping girl to bring you food was a test?" the summon suggested as his eyes slid shut, enjoying the warmth of the hearth.
"Huh… I wonder," Sakura responded as she used a ladle to fill her bowl with soup.
She ate her dinner in the comfortable silence, quietly reviewing the events of the day and making her plan for the future. As she thought, her mind kept returning to her mental image of Madara teasingly smirking at her as he told her not to destroy their training grounds.
One thing was for sure: in all of the history texts she had read, all of the stories she had heard, not a single person had mentioned how attractive he was. Perhaps it was just a trait inherent to all Uchiha?
Sakura huffed silently as she shoved a spoonful of soup into her mouth, determined to ignore her decidedly unhelpful thoughts.
A/N: The painting hanging in the Uchiha head household is of Amaterasu (Sun Goddess), Tsukuyomi (Moon God), and Susanoo (God of the Seas), the deities that the Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan jutsus are named after.
Hitomi means "pupil (of the eye)." "This name is usually given to girls with especially beautiful eyes." Her blue eyes are unheard of for Uchiha but her story will be revealed later on.
Don't forget to drop by and leave a review if you're enjoying the fic! I'd love to hear some of your theories.