A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! This is my valentine to all of you! I hope you all have a lovely day today.
As a side note, you'll notice how I published two chapters this time around. The first chapter is just me splitting up the previous chapter into two separate chapters. It felt far too long for me but I wanted everyone to get to read the battle with the Senju already, haha. As the story progresses (especially since it will be so long), there will be a few changes like that as I make adjustments.
As Sakura walked down one of the many pathways that spiderwebbed across the village, making her way to the head household, she found herself the subject of attention of every Uchiha she passed.
While Sakura had long since accepted that her presence in the Uchiha village was one that gathered attention from the others simply due to her outsider nature and her place as their hired miracle healer, the attention she received after having finally fought in a battle with them caught her by surprise. Some she shared friendly waves with as she passed by while others went as far as to pat her on the back or shake her hand, praising her on her fighting prowess during the battle the day before. She found herself at the receiving end of compliments about her strength, her skill, and her bravery in confronting two of the most powerful warriors in the Senju clan.
While she was caught off guard by the sudden fierce comradery, what took her by surprise the most during this short trek was when a boy who couldn't have been older than three ran up to her, latching onto her leg with all of his might.
"Thank you, t-thank you," he blubbered through heavy tears and hiccups.
"I, um… a-are you okay?" Sakura asked gently, hesitantly patting the head of the young Uchiha sobbing into her skirts, his tiny hands fisted in the fabric of her yukata.
"I am very sorry, Lady Sakura!" a young man with bandages wrapped around his head and covering one of his eyes apologized as he ran up.
"Is everything alright?" she questioned, confused, as the man gathered the sobbing child up into his arms.
"Yes, everything is fine! He just... he's been a little emotional as of late," he replied, rubbing his hand up and down the back of the boy who now clung to him and cried into his neck.
"He was… thanking me? I don't understand," Sakura continued, her eyebrows pinched in confusion as her gaze dipped down to the youngest Uchiha.
"Ah, yes, he…" the man struggled for a moment as if searching for the right thing to say, "He's simply grateful. His mother passed in the Battle of Biei last year and I've been taking care of him since. My little cousin here has grown quite attached and he was distraught when he found out I was injured in the battle against the Senju yesterday."
"You're still injured?" she asked, her eyes flicking up to the bandage wrapped around his head, "I didn't see you following the conclusion of the battle with everyone else who was hurt..."
"I was… embarrassed. I only survived because your attack, the one that tore open the ground like an explosion, gave me the opening I needed to regain the upper hand in my battle. I didn't want to trouble you any further... although he seemed to find no qualms in expressing his gratitude," he replied, giving his young cousin a half hearted glare.
"I'm happy that I was able to help but I don't want you to feel as if you can't come to see me for medical attention for any reason. I'm the healer for your family so that means I'm your healer. Whenever you're injured, I need you to come see me," Sakura asserted, the Uchiha looking up at her with a surprised expression.
Clearing his throat and looking away, the man replied, "I could always come by your clinic later today if that would… help settle your nerves."
Sakura smirked at the man's response, having lived with the Uchiha long enough to hear the grateful undertone of his roundabout acceptance. "It would. And please don't hesitate to come see me in the future."
"Of course. I will drop by when I'm finished with my duties for today," he replied, a sheepish smile slowly building, "And… thank you."
When the man turned to leave, Sakura's eyes met the watery gaze of his cousin, the young boy still clinging to him as he carried him off. Raising his small hand, he gave her a tiny wave, one which she met with a comforting smile and a wave of her own.
After watching as the Uchiha entered back into one of the homes nearby, Sakura resumed her trek to the head household, continuing down the well worn pathway that lead to Madara and Izuna's home. When she finally reached the familiar house of her two closest companions during this time, she knocked on the door twice, patiently waiting for a response.
After a minute of no activity, she knocked again but was met with no familiar faces answering the door. Walking around the side of the large home to see if they were instead training in their personal garden in the center of their home, she peeked in through a wide section of opened fusuma which revealed the private space within.
Finding Izuna seated in the grass, tending to his katana in the sunshine, she called out, "Izuna."
He turned around curiously, immediately meeting her gaze and greeting her with a half hearted wave. Stepping up onto the elevated engawa and then back down into the Uchiha brothers' garden, Sakura approached him.
"Good morning, Izuna. How are your ribs feeling? I've been worried since you never came to my clinic after the battle" she asked as she sat next to him in the soft grass, watching as he ran his katana across a large whetstone perched upon a block of wood.
"I'm fine. I do not need your help now, nor did I need your help during the battle. Despite how it may have looked to you, I had the upper hand during that fight. I was about to release a fire jutsu when you attacked that trash," Izuna fumed as he continued to run his katana across the whetstone, only stopping to wet the blade and the stone with water from a small wooden bucket, "I could have finally had him if you hadn't forced me to stop."
"Sure, sure, whatever you say," she taunted in response, earning a glare in return.
"I'm not joking with you! Don't feel as if you saved my life or anything of the sort, I had the situation well in hand," he growled before returning to his task of sharpening his blade, "You're lucky I was able to restrain my jutsu or I could have killed you."
Sakura snorted in return before sarcastically responding, "Well then, I'm so sorry for taking your fight away from you and I'm so grateful you spared my life."
"You should be! I had him within my grasp," he snapped, wetting his blade once again, gray-tinged water dripping down into the grass.
"Of course," she answered, shaking her head, before asking, "Is Madara inside? I want to check on him too."
"No, he's out in the field playing with his pet," Izuna grumbled, not looking up from his katana.
"A pet?"
"Yes, his bratty feathered child. You'll likely find him in the fields near our training ground."
"Color me interested," Sakura hummed as she stood, brushing the grass from her skirts, "I'll leave you to it then."
"Sure. Just remember-!" he started, jabbing a finger at her.
"Yeah, yeah, I didn't save your life, you spared mine. I'm so grateful," Sakura interrupted, waving her hand in dismissal.
Izuna pointed at her one last time for emphasis before returning to his task, not raising his head again as Sakura left the Uchiha brothers' private garden. Deciding she would take her time to walk through the woods instead of running through the trees, she took a moment to appreciate her surroundings in a way she hadn't been able to during the march the previous day.
Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the feeling of the gentle breeze and the warm sunshine on her skin. The scent of flowers and lush greenery. The quiet song of the forest around her, birds gently chirping and flitting through the treetops. She appreciated the lull of peace more than ever after having taken part in the chaos of war the day before.
As Sakura ascended a hillside which lead into the fields, she immediately spotted a splash of black against the greens and golds of the grassland. Laughing to herself, she thought of how Madara did not blend into his surroundings at all before calling out his name.
Madara turned around to face her, welcoming her with a smile before he walked forward, meeting her in the middle. Her eyes flicked down to the leather gauntlet on his hand and the large bag slung over his shoulders.
"Izuna said you'd be out here. He also said you'd be 'playing with your bratty feathered child' so I find myself more than a little curious," Sakura greeted with a teasing smile.
He laughed. "She may tolerate him but he's still never been very appreciative of her."
"Her?" she parroted, curious.
His smile turning into a smirk, Madara held out his arm before releasing a piercing whistle and looking upwards. Following his gaze, Sakura watched in interest as a hawk descended from the sky, swooping down to gracefully land on the proffered gauntlet. She was surprised by the wind that the bird kicked up, the gust blowing back her hair and forcing her to brush her bangs out of her face. Looking up at the startlingly large hawk, she flipped her hair from her shoulder to her back, not wanting the ponytail she kept her growing hair in to catch the bird's interest.
"Sakura. Meet Asuko," Madara introduced.
"Oh wow, she's beautiful. And quite powerful! I've never seen a hawk this big before," she complimented, the hawk gazing at her curiously from her perch.
"She's well fed," he joked, drawing a snort of amusement from Sakura.
"I'm impressed that she's so well taught. We certainly had messenger hawks and the like in my old village but I get the feeling Asuko is trained a bit more extensively."
"She is. I received her as a hatchling when I was just a boy," he explained proudly, "We've spent many years together."
Before she could reply, Madara and Asuko's eyes snapped over to something in the distance. Sakura looked over as well, trying to follow their gazes, but she couldn't spot whatever it was they were focused on, hidden within the rolling plains of grass.
"Would you like to see some of what she can do?" he asked, drawing her attention back to him.
"Of course," she answered, curious about whatever training he had given his beloved pet.
Madara lifted his hand and Asuko immediately took to the sky, her great wings beating so hard that she produced a gust that blew both her and his hair out of their faces. He began to stroll over to where he had looked earlier, Sakura following as she looked up to Asuko already high in the sky. It was only a dozen steps in before a hare leapt out of the grass, bolting across the field towards some brush in the distance.
"There it goes," Madara commented as the small rodent ran, Sakura watching as Asuko immediately spotted her prey and dove downwards. When the large bird landed atop the hare, there wasn't even a struggle, the massive bird having dispatched the small creature in an instant.
"Oh wow," Sakura commented, surprised at how efficiently the bird of prey had completed her hunt.
Once they had walked over to Asuko and her prey, Madara took the hare from her and tucked it into the bag slung across his shoulder. Holding out his gauntlet to her, she readily hopped on, fluffing her wings once before settling in comfortably.
"What do you think?" Madara asked curiously, the pride and joy in the set of his shoulders making Sakura smile.
"I'm impressed! Maybe a bit more impressed that Asuko didn't bite your finger off when you took her rabbit," Sakura teased.
"Our rabbit, thank you," Madara sassed as Asuko began to carefully groom her feathers.
"Your rabbit, sorry," she chuckled before pondering aloud, "It reminds me of when Kurumi gets ahold of the birds around my house."
Asuko stopped in her preening and perked up, as if in understanding, gazing at her with cautious eyes.
"Shh, she doesn't mean you," he comforted softly, giving her chest a scratch.
Sakura laughed in return, drawing a smile from him, as Asuko's eyes snapped from her to him only to return to her once again.
"Is it okay if I pet her too?" she asked, finding herself wondering if the hawk's feathers were as soft as they looked. While she had certainly worked with a handful of hawks and falcons in her time, she had not only never seen someone be as affectionate with one as Madara was with Asuko but she had never pet the working birds at her village.
"I, well… She has been hunting and even if she was completely relaxed, she isn't particularly-" Madara started before Asuko began to gently warble and chirp, looking up at Sakura. She ruffled her feathers, her posture relaxing even farther, before she adjusted on her perch as if to step closer.
His expression changed from one of hesitation to one of surprise before he continued, "That's… Hm. Well, you can certainly try but be cautious. She may nip at you."
Reaching out tentatively, Sakura gently stroked Asuko's wing, her fingertips drifting down her smooth feathers and drawing a contented warble from the hawk. Looking on in shock, Madara watched as Sakura grew bolder, reaching out to gently scratch her chest. Instead of biting her as she was prone to do to strangers or even tolerating the contact like she did with Izuna, Asuko leaned into her touch, actively seeking out her affection like she did with him.
"She likes you," Madara remarked with surprise in his voice.
"She's beautiful," Sakura marveled, happily scratching Asuko's chest.
"Would you like to catch her?"
"What do you mean?"
He grinned. "I'll show you."
Madara held up his arm, Asuko immediately understanding and launching off of her perch with a gust of wind. Brushing her bangs out of her face once again, Sakura watched as the hawk circled above them before her gaze flicked back to Madara as he offered her his gauntlet. Taking the proferrered leather glove, she slipped it onto her hand and flexed her fingers twice.
"Hold out your arm," he explained as he took a step back, Sakura holding out her gloved hand and looking up to Asuko.
In response to another sharp whistle from Madara, the hawk descended from the sky, circling around them before landing upon the gauntlet secured to Sakura's arm. Caught off guard by the power behind the bird's landing, Sakura made a noise of surprise before adjusting to Asuko now perched on her arm.
"Oh! She's strong!" Sakura laughed in surprise, a smile spreading across her lips as she gazed at the bird in awe.
Asuko happily chirped at her, moving from one foot to the other before warbling once again. Understanding, Sakura reached out to pet her chest, the hawk contentedly ruffling its feathers and readily accepting the affection.
Looking on with a grin, Madara suggested, "Hold your arm up."
When she lifted her arm, Asuko took off from the gauntlet, making Sakura laugh as the gust of wind produced by her powerful wings blew her hair out of her face. Unable to lose the smile from her face, she gazed up at the hawk as Madara stood next to her.
"Let's let her fly. It's been a while for her and I think she's enjoying it," Madara stated as he looked up at his companion circling in the sky before gesturing to one of the few trees in the grassy field.
"I can only imagine how freeing it must feel to fly," she mused as they both began to walk to the oak.
"The way she enjoys it so, one can only imagine," he returned as they settled down beneath the branches of the large tree.
As they sat in the shade, cushioned by the soft grass, Sakura thought of how she had once heard of a man who could fly using ninjutsu. The Third Tsuchikage of Iwagakure was renowned for his ability to manipulate the weights of objects, including his own, an ability that allowed him to fly.
She wondered if a jutsu like that existed in this time and turned to ask Madara if he had ever heard of such a technique but, when she faced him, she noticed how his expression had turned from one of contentment to one that was troubled.
"Ryo for your thoughts?" she asked, concerned at his sudden change in mood.
"Hn…" he hummed noncommitedly in return, absentmindedly watching as Asuko pinwheeled in the air.
"You'd think after so long of living here I would have learned to speak in monosyllabic noises, but I haven't quite grasped that skill yet," she joked, the edge of Madara's lip quirking upwards.
"Give it a little more time, I'm certain you'll learn. It's a subtle skill."
"Mhmm."
"See? You're almost there," he chuckled, drawing a laugh from Sakura.
Turning her gaze away from him and instead looking to Asuko as well, she watched as the hawk dove from the sky before catching a breeze and returning to her place high in the air. There were a few moments of a comfortable silence before she spoke.
"But in all seriousness…" Sakura started before pausing and gently asking, "You seem troubled. Is something wrong?"
Madara sighed. "Nothing immediate. I'm simply concerned for the future."
"How so?"
Finally turning his gaze away from his companion in the sky, he faced her, regarding her for a long moment. Saying nothing, Sakura simply waited, knowing that he would tell her what was on his mind if he was comfortable. After a few long heartbeats, he looked away, leaning back against the tree and opening his mouth as if to speak. He seemed to search for the right words to say before he finally began to explain.
"I find myself frustrated with the state of the world. There appears to be no future aside from war and I am at a loss for what to do to ensure my family's safety and prosperity."
Sakura nodded patiently in response, waiting for him to continue.
"While we are one of the most powerful clans on the continent, we still find ourselves forced to obey the whims of the lords to survive. And, more often than not, that results in constant battles with the Senju. I've lost forty-nine members of my family to battle just since I became leader of the clan..." he continued before looking to her and asking, "What would you do, Sakura?"
"I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that," Sakura answered with a frown.
"I'm not asking you to take over the clan for Izuna and I. Simply your opinion," he elaborated.
"Well…" Sakura began as she thought.
Part of her wondered if she should even say what she was thinking aloud, if admitting her thoughts would somehow play a part in changing the future. The other part however, a part that was slowly becoming louder and more insistent within her as more time passed, wondered if perhaps this was the reason she was here. If there was more to her being trapped in the past than some fluke during a battle.
She wondered if she was meant to be here.
"If all of these battles are being instigated by the lords…" she began, her heart beginning to race in her chest, "I would go about becoming more powerful and self-sustaining than the lords."
"How would you accomplish that?" Madara pressed curiously.
"Alliances. If, say for example, the Uchiha and the Senju made an alliance then no clan would attempt to face you. There wouldn't be anyone powerful enough to take on both of you at once. And then you could dictate what you wanted and didn't want to do in regards to requests from the lords," Sakura explained, feeling his gaze on her like a weight, "You'd be too powerful for them to make a play against and too powerful to ignore. At that point, you could do whatever you wanted."
When she finally turned to look at him, he was staring at her with an odd expression. Feeling her cheeks heating up from embarrassment, she quickly looked away and stuttered out, "H-hey, it's just a theory."
Sakura was surprised when Madara simply laughed, once again leaning back against the tree with a smile on his face.
"Don't mistake my curiosity for upset. You simply reminded me of someone there for a moment," he explained with a smile although his eyes seemed distant.
"Oh?"
Instead of replying to her subtle question, there was a long pause before Madara changed the subject. "I wanted to thank you for yesterday."
"What about it?" Sakura questioned.
"You very well could have saved Izuna's life."
Sakura chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't think he quite sees it that way."
"He is stubborn."
"That seems to be a family trait."
"Perhaps. Nonetheless… You put yourself in harms way because you saw he was in a precarious position in battle. You faced down not just Toka but Tobirama as well, two of the most powerful warriors the Senju have to offer, all to protect my little brother. He…" Madara explained, emotion in his voice, "He's the most important person in my life. Thank you for standing by his side. For standing with all of us."
"It was nothing. I'm just happy I was there so I could help. I care about him. I care about you… a lot..." Sakura replied, immediately mentally kicking herself as she felt her cheeks burn.
"I… care for you quite a lot… as well…" he fumbled in return, neither of them able to meet each others' eyes as they looked anywhere but at one another.
Unable to find the words to say to one another, the silence stretched between them. Sakura struggled for something, anything to say after so thoroughly embarrassing herself but found her mind continued to trip over his confession as well. Despite knowing that he meant it as a friend, her heart continued to betray her by singing in her chest.
She was grateful when Asuko finally descended from her flight, choosing to instead find a perch in the branches above them. Both her and Madara looked up to watch her and it was Madara who finally broke the silence.
"It's about time to head back."
"That's a good idea… I have a patient who is going to be dropping by later who was too embarrassed to come see me," she explained before trying to ease the tension by teasing him, "If you could let your family members know that they need to see me any time they are hurt no matter what, that would be wonderful."
"Noted," he laughed, shaking his hand, before his gaze fell to the gauntlet still wrapped around her hand, "Would you like to carry her back?"
"Can I pet her more?" Sakura asked as they stood.
"If she keeps chirping at you, yes," he answered with a smile.
"Then absolutely."
"Hold out your arm."
Holding out her gloved hand, there was no need for Madara to even whistle to recall her, Asuko immediately fluttering down from the treetop to perch on the gauntlet. Sakura cautiously watched as she ruffled her feathers and got comfortable and it wasn't until the hawk looked up at her and warbled gently that she reached out to pet her.
"Atta girl," Sakura cooed softly before she gentle scratched her chest, unaware of how Madara looked on.
Carrying Asuko back into her aviary outside of his and Izuna's home, Madara opened the door and allowed his companion to fly off of his gauntlet and return to her favorite perch. Closing the door behind him, he reached into the sack he had been carrying on his shoulder, pulling out one of the three rabbits they had captured that day.
She immediately zeroed in on the treat in his hand and, when he tossed it to the space in her home dedicated to eating, she shot off her perch and latched onto her meal. While she ate, he went about taking care of what little maintenance he had for the upkeep of her aviary. As he raked up the soiled leaf litter from the floor of her space, his thoughts drifted to his time with Sakura earlier that day.
He was amazed at how much Asuko loved Sakura. He never thought that his feathered companion would warm up to anyone besides him, Izuna, and their late mother. Seeing how Asuko didn't just tolerate Sakura but that she was affectionate with her affirmed to him that Sakura was a woman unlike any other.
He crouched down to remove a few stray feathers and debris from Asuko's water bucket and, as he picked out the rubbish from her water, his thoughts turned dark. He thought of how Sakura's contract with him and his clan would be up later that year. Dread slowly built within him, as was the norm whenever he was reminded of her impending departure, as he thought of how the day was approaching far too quickly for his taste.
Madara wanted to invite her to stay for longer but couldn't quite bring himself to do so. He didn't even know where to begin. He had nothing to offer her besides their library, her home, the protection that came with being with his clan, and his companionship. She was nearly finished with the library, she could easily afford a home wherever she wanted, and she didn't need anyone to protect her - a fact she proved when she so thoroughly injured both Toka and Tobirama without even activating her seal or summoning any of her cats.
He didn't know if just his companionship would be enough for her to stay…
Asuko crooned at him as she sensed his discomfort, snapping him free from his ruminations. He weakly smiled at her as he stood, flicking the water from his fingertips as he sighed.
"I know, I know…" Madara muttered as he left her enclosure, locking the door behind him.
When Sakura arrived back at her home, expecting to find the Uchiha man from earlier, she was surprised to instead find Hitomi waiting for her. She welcomed her with a smile but was further surprised to find two young children sitting on the engawa next to her, a boy kicking his feet and a girl pulling the petals off of a fallen plum blossom.
"Hey, Hitomi. I'm guessing these are your kids?" Sakura greeted as Hitomi stood and stepped forward to meet her.
"They are," Hitomi replied proudly before gently calling out to her children, "Come introduce yourselves."
The two young children slipped off of the engawa, the girl abandoning her dissected flower on the ground as she excitedly ran up to meet her. The boy, however, hung back warily, choosing to instead cradle his bandaged hand as he hid behind his sister.
"Hi, Lady Sakura, my name is Kaida!" the girl introduced happily before asking, "You're so pretty! How do you have hair like flowers?"
Sakura laughed, "I was born this way, same as you."
"Ryuta…" Hitomi pressed softly.
"I'm Ryuta…" the boy muttered before Hitomi gave him a look, "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Ryuta," Sakura answered with a warm smile, "I noticed you have a bandage on your hand. Are you hurt?"
Muttering something under his breath and looking down at the ground, Ryuta held his hand closer to his chest. Hitomi frowned deeply, concern in her eyes, before turning to regard Sakura.
"He was helping me cook but he was burned when he spilled a pot of boiling water. I was hoping you could take a look at it for me?" Hitomi explained, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Ryuta's back.
"Of course. Come on in. I'm thinking about making something to eat if you're hungry too," Sakura offered as she gestured towards her home and stepped onto the engawa.
"Shouldn't I be the one offering to cook? I am the cook for your lovers after all," Hitomi teased as her and her children followed Sakura, stepping inside when she opened the fusuma for them.
"I would imagine you'd like to be treated every once in a while," she replied with a laugh, shaking her head as she continued to slide open the row of fusuma, opening up her home to the sunshine and warm air.
"I can't say my children would be opposed to a treat," she hummed in return, Kaida perking up at the mention of a snack.
"It'll be a gift once Ryuta's hand is healed up then," Sakura decided as she stepped inside, bypassing the folding partitions that separated her clinic from her home, "Ryuta? Can you do me a favor and sit right here?"
Gesturing to one of the cushions surrounding the table in her living room, Sakura sat upon one of the other seats and patiently waited for the young boy. Gingerly stepping forward, Ryuta cautious settled onto the cushion but refused to meet her gaze.
"You two can sit down too if you want," she offered, Hitomi nodding in return as she seated herself onto one of the other cushions.
"Can I watch, please?" Kaida asked instead, looking to Sakura with curious eyes.
"If you'd like," Sakura answered with a smile.
"Just keep your hands to yourself, Kadia. No touching."
"Okay, mama," Kaida agreed as she happily sat right next to Sakura, so close that their knees nearly touched.
"Can I take off these bandages?" Sakura asked, Ryuta glancing up before nodding once and hesitantly holding out the hand he had been cradling.
"I'll be gentle, I promise," Sakura promised before reaching out and slowly removing the bandage.
The burn beneath was an angry red with blisters filled with fluid already bubbling forth. While the burn was small enough, Sakura knew from experience that it was painful and in a place where he would be constantly reminded of the discomfort.
Deciding that healing the wound with medical ninjutsu instead of medications and salves was the best course of action, and one that would put an insignificant dent in the reserves she was saving for her patient later that day, Sakura began to channel chakra into her hand. When her hand began to glow green with familiar healing chakra, Kadia wowed excitedly while Ryuta looked on anxiously.
"This might feel a little funny but you'll feel better in no time," Sakura assured, waiting for him to look up and nod once before holding her hand over his wound.
Both children watched in amazement as the skin began to heal, the redness of the burn receding while the blisters slowly faded. Fresh skin was revealed as the burn disappeared and, when the green light faded and she pulled away, Kaida and Ryuta looked down in quiet awe. Cautiously, Ryuta reached out, tentatively running his finger across the new skin before blinking twice.
"It feels better," he muttered before looking up at her with amazement in his eyes.
"That was so pretty! Pretty like your hair!" Kaida declared excitedly, bouncing in her seat.
"Why thank you," Sakura replied with a laugh.
"What do you say, Ryuta?" Hitomi prompted, her son looking to her and back to Sakura.
"Thank you… Lady Sakura," he thanked softly, his apprehension from before now gone.
"Any time," Sakura answered before smiling, "Want a treat for being so good?"
Ryuta nodded enthusiastically in response as she stood, Kaida enthusiastically asking, "Can I have one too, please?"
"After asking so nicely? You can both have two."
Walking into her kitchen, Sakura pulled her box of sweets out of her pantry and removed six small caramel treats. She replaced the lid and returned the box to its place before walking back to children and dropping two sweets each into their outstretched hands.
"Thank you!" Kaida declared before immediately popping one of the caramels into her mouth
"Thank you," Ryuta quietly thanked before putting one of the treats in his mouth too.
Sitting at the table, Sakura handed Hitomi one of the caramels, drawing a laugh from the older woman.
"Thank you, Sakura," she chuckled, popping the caramel into her mouth while Sakura did the same.
"So, how have things been going on your end?" Sakura asked, watching as Kaida stood and went to curiously investigate her alchemical setup on the opposite side of the room.
"Quite well, aside from today's little mishap. I've been working on a few new dishes lately that I think you'd be excited to try. You could always invite yourself to Madara and Izuna's home if you wanted to try one of my new meals," Hitomi answered, glancing over to her children as Kaida waved to Ryuta, beckoning him over to see something that had caught her interest. When he looked up to her, she gave him a nod.
"Tempting. One of the reasons I visit them so often is for your food," she complimented as Ryuta stood, going to investigate the bottles and apparati with his sister.
"Mhmm, I'm certain that's a small reason in comparison to one other," she teased.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sakura argued, her cheeks heating as she recalled her embarrassing confession from earlier that day.
"Ah, I must be mistaken then. There's no reason why a woman would spend so much time with a handsome young man who has taken such an interest in her. Madara certainly does speak highly of you, even behind closed doors," Hitomi continued, peering at Sakura with a knowing look in her eyes.
"He does?"
"You find yourself interested then?"
"Of course not. We're just friends," Sakura defended.
"I never implied you were more, hm?" she answered with a sly smile.
"I won't be tricked by your wordplay, Hitomi," she huffed in return before a gentle tugging at her sleeve caught her attention.
"Umm… Lady Sakura?" Ryuta started shyly, pulling back when Sakura turned to meet his gaze.
"Yes?"
"Mama says you have cats…" he muttered as he moved his weight from foot to foot, "Can I see your cats?"
"Ryuta, dear, she summons cats. They aren't like pets, they're ninja," Hitomi explained gently.
"Oh…" he mumbled, dejected, as he looked down at his feet.
"Would you like to meet one?" Sakura asked, Ryuta quickly perking up.
"Yes, please," he answered quickly, Kaida immediately rushing to his side and abandoning her exploration to look up at Sakura with excitement.
Smiling, Sakura turned in her seat to face them. "Watch closely."
Both children leaned in close, watching intently as she slowly made a few handsigns and nipped the tip of her finger, drawing a droplet of blood.
"Summoning jutsu," she called out as she placed her hand on the floor, small, concentric circles surrounded by kanji erupting from her hand before a puff of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, Kurumi was revealed, the small brown cat looking around curiously before her eyes settled onto the children above her.
"Kurumi, this is Ryuta and Kaida. They're Hitomi's kids," Sakura explained as the children looked down in wonder.
"Oh. Hi, I'm Kurumi," she introduced, the kids wowing at her.
"You can talk like us! But you're a cat," Ryuta asked excitedly, finally beginning to come out of his shell.
"Well yeah, of course I can!" Kurumi returned, her feline face pinched in confusion, "How can you talk like me? You're so tiny. Are you a baby?"
"I'm not a baby, my mama says I'm big," he returned proudly.
"You're cute!" Kaida declared loudly, sitting down on the floor to get closer to the feline, "Can I pet you, please?"
"Uh-huh but don't touch my tail, 'kay?" Kurumi replied, stepping closer.
"'Kay," she promised as she reached out and pet her, gently running her hand from her head to her back.
"Me too?" Ryuta asked, sitting down next to his sister and scooting closer to Kurumi.
"Yeah," she agreed, beginning to purr as he reached out to scratch her chin.
"Do you like to play?" Kaida asked as she pet her lower back, giggling when Kurumi stretched into her touch.
"Uh-huh, I really like chasing birds and bugs and lizards."
"Wanna chase dragonflies? There are a bunch in the plum trees, I saw them when I was sitting."
"Oh, dragonflies taste really good! And their wings are crunchy!"
"Ewww!" Kaida giggled.
"Mama? Can we play in the trees?" Ryuta asked, finally turning his attention away from Kurumi and looking to his mother.
"Do you mind, Sakura?" Hitomi asked with a warm smile.
"Not at all. Let's go sit outside, I can do with a little extra sunshine before I'm locked up for the day," Sakura answered as she stood and stretched.
Both women chuckled when Kurumi bolted outside, Kaida and Ryuta laughing loudly as they chased after her. They soon followed, sitting on the edge of the engawa and basking in the sunlight as they watched the children chase bugs in the plum grove.
"Today is a beautiful day," Sakura sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as she leaned back against one of the posts of her engawa.
"It truly is," Hitomi hummed, smiling as she watched her son and daughter play.
"And that's our plan, Lady Tsunade. We believe we may have a chance of bringing Sakura home if we are able to somehow craft a summoning scroll for her specifically," Shikamaru finished explaining as he stood before Tsunade's desk in her office, Kakashi and Naruto standing at his side.
"That's an interesting theory you have," Tsunade remarked, her tone saying nothing but the growing bags beneath her eyes betraying her well concealed grief, "Do you have anything to show for it yet?"
"Not yet. We just came up with the idea and Naruto ran over here," Kakashi answered, glancing over to Naruto who fidgeted in place.
"What do you think, granny? Pretty smart, huh! It just has to work!" Naruto tacked on enthusiastically, a wide smile spread across his face.
"Do you even have any idea how a summoning scroll is made, brat?" Tsunade scolded although her words lacked the bite they normally did.
"No, but you must know someone who does!"
"I knew a seal master once… But he's passed now," she answered vaguely, her eyes downcast.
At her unspoken words, a heavy weight settled over those in the room. Naruto's expression dropped as he was reminded of his master's passing, the optimism that once decorated his face instead replaced with quiet mourning for yet another person he had lost.
"I seem to remember that the Uzumaki were once extraordinarily skilled in creating these seals. They are mentioned frequently in the books we went over while trying to figure out why Sakura's signature on your contract with the slugs had turned black," Kakashi suggested, breaking the weighted silence that filled the room following the mention of Jiraiya's death.
"They were, my grandmother being the most talented of them all. She had devoted her life to mastering the use of seals and had even crafted the most famous of them all…" She sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Not that it matters now. All of that knowledge, everything she wrote down and everything she passed down, was lost over the years or because of Pain. We have nothing in the village."
"In our village, perhaps, but what of others?" Shikamaru broached thoughtfully, "We have an alliance with Suna and we've already gone to Temari of the Sand for assistance before. It's possible we could strike a deal for the right price."
"With this war starting? What would you suggest we give them that would be of enough value that they would divert resources away from preparing to battle Madara? What do you suggest we give that wouldn't take away from ourselves while we gather our resources?" Tsunade questioned.
"Information. Information on medicine, specifically."
"Go on."
"My family are experts in herbology, in crafting medicines. And Suna would greatly benefit from some of our information to help in the coming war."
"What would you suggest we trade then?" she inquired once again.
"Information on how to craft the colored pills my clan gives to the Akimichi. We won't give them the recipes for the yellow curry pill or the red chili pill but the green spinach pill is essentially a super powered soldier pill. We could even give them a condensed antidote for the poisoning effects. They could mass produce it and give it to their shinobi for the battle ahead," Shikamaru explained, a concealed desperation in his tone that he kept carefully hidden.
"Do you even have the authority to pass along that information from your family's reserves? While I may have worked extensively to reverse Choji's poisoning after he used all three pills during his battle with that Sound ninja, I received permission from your father to do so."
"To bring back one of the most powerful medical ninja and kunoichi our country has to offer? To bring back Sakura - my classmate, my comrade, my friend? I think he will agree," Shikamaru returned vehemently.
Tsunade stared at the Nara for a few long moments, considering the passion in his voice and his resolve to bring Sakura home, before nodding once to herself. Leaning back into her chair, she considered their options as she gazed at the ceiling in thought.
"Suna is our ally, anything that benefits them could benefit us in the long run, especially in this coming war. Although it may come back to bite us in the ass. Alliances come and go over the years..." she sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing the bridge of her nose.
When Tsunade opened her eyes, she was met with the hopeful gazes of three shinobi, all of which called her precious student - a woman she considered to be more of a daughter than a pupil - their comrade. Glaring at them, she jabbed a finger towards the door.
"Well, get going then! We have a war coming, we don't have time to screw around!" Tsunade scolded loudly, drawing a smile from everyone in the room.
"We'll be back, granny! And soon enough, it'll be with Sakura!" Naruto declared confidently as he rushed from the room, abandoning both Shikamaru and Kakashi.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru thanked deeply before chasing after the enthusiastic blond.
"We'll return soon with Shikaku's answer and any further information," Kakashi tacked on before giving her a halfhearted wave, one Tsunade ignored as she settled back into her chair.
Once the three shinobi were finally gone and the door to her office closed, Tsunade released a silent sigh, reaching down to one of her desk drawers. Pulling it open, she removed her hidden bottle of sake and a dish, soon popping off the lid to the bottle and pouring herself a drink.
"You damn well better bring her home," she whispered as she gazed into the dish of sake before downing her shot in an attempt at fighting back the sorrow and the grief that still lingered in her chest.
Underneath all of the despair she felt at having lost yet another one of her precious people, Naruto continued to leave her something that, while small, shone brightly beneath the darkness…
Hope.
A/N: Ryuta, the name of Hitomi's son, means "big dragon". Kaida, the name of her daughter, means "little dragon". While they are Uchiha, they they weren't trained to be shinobi. Instead, they will grow up to be cooks like their exceptionally talented mother.
The Three Colored Pills that Shikamaru mentions are actually from the first part of the show when they were still genin. These are the pills that Choji used when he fought Jirobo, one of the Sound Ninja who took Sasuke to the Village Hidden by Sound. The first is the green spinach pill, the second is the yellow curry pill, and the final is the red chili pill. They work by forcibly converting fat cells to chakra, something that is very damaging but can increase a shinobi's chakra up to 100x. Tsunade used the Nara Clan Medical Encyclopaedia to form a cure for the toxic side effects of these pills and to save Choji's life when he was dying following taking the red chili pill. They were pretty much never mentioned again but are considered to be a secret kept by the InoShikaCho clans and would be valuable enough to trade for valuable information on crafting scrolls.