The last golden glimmer disappeared into the horizon as twilight fell. Sakura Haruno watched in silence as the village transformed into a place of busy lights and the night buzz of people going out for dinner. As she watched the train go by in the distance, she realized that there was so much technology in this time. Lighted screens that recorded people in real life, machines that spit out soda when you press a button, and "computers" (is what Naruto called his little box of contraptions). So much had changed. That was why she sat on top of Tsunade's head on the Hokage mountain, processing.
She brought her knees up to her chest, only to have a red colored scroll fall out of her pocket. She grabbed it, opening it to look at the paper for the second time.
Ninja Registration Number: 012601
Sakura Haruno has been promoted to the rank of Jonin. As such this ninja has been given the privileges and responsibilities associated with the rank of Jonin.
Signed,
Naruto Uzumaki
The Seventh Hokage
Sighing, she closed the scroll, roughly shoving it back into her pocket. Jonin. Even the rank itself reeked of wisdom and experience. Everything that she wasn't.
Silently, she tapped the purple diamond adorned on her forehead. The Strength of a Hundred seal had appeared mere hours ago during her interrogation. Surprising not only herself but her companions as well.
"If two ninja are running at different speeds towards each other, one at 20 kilometers an hour and the other at 16 kilometers an hour and are 387 kilometers from each other when would they meet?"
Was he really asking a question from the academy? Out of all the questions really? How long has it been? Sakura glanced at the clock. Yep, just what she had expected. They had been at this for almost 5 hours now.
Shikamaru coughed, "Please answer the question."
Sakura sighed, "Shikamaru, you know I hate those questions. They're the only questions I can't do in my head."
She could have sworn she saw his mouth curve slightly, even with his cold and analytical face. "Please answer the question."
While she was attempting to do the problem in her head, another type of answer popped in her head. To prove her identity, she could just do a summoning. After all, chakra and appearances could be imitated, but blood contracts could never be. It would sure save them the time! Why didn't she think about this sooner? She belittled herself.
After explaining her logic to the ever so critical Shikamaru and half asleep Hokage, Sakura bit her right thumb. Performing the correct hand signs, she slammed her palm onto to the Hokage's desk.
With a poof of white smoke, a shoulder sized version of Katsuyu appeared.
"Sakura-san!" The mini slug exclaimed. If she was human, Sakura was sure there would be large tears and snot running down Katsuyu's face. "Y-you're alive! Tsunade-sama would be so happy!"
The medical ninja smiled at first, but then winced. She was ecstatic that her Shishou was still alive in...this dimension. And while Tsunade would be overjoyed at her appearance, Sakura was sure to get several punches sent her way for "dying".
The slug continued talking, "If you don't mind me asking, Sakura-san, where have you been if you did not perish on the battlefield? And you haven't aged a day!"
Sakura held out her palm so Katsuyu could climb on it. "That's a very good question, Katsuyu-sama, that I'm not entirely sure of. I just sort of woke up in this time." She brought the slug up to her eye level. "At the moment, I'm trying to prove that I am Sakura Haruno to Naruto and Shikamaru here."
The slug nodded, "I understand." The slug slithered around facing the Seventh, "Naruto-sama, from my perspective I can confirm that this is Haruno Sakura. I have a summoning contract with her that has been re-activated at this point."
Naruto grinned and gave a thumbs up, "Thank you, Katsuyu-sama!"
The slug turned back to face her summoner, "What else do you require, Sakura-san?"
Sakura shook her head politely, "Nothing else, thank you. Ah!" She exclaimed, thinking of something, "Please do not inform, Tsunade-shishou about me just yet...I'll be the one to tell her myself."
The slug appeared disappointed, "Are you sure, Sakura-san? Tsunade-sama hasn't been the same since you passed. I'm sure if I-"
"Please, Katsuyu-sama. Not yet." Why not? She silently asked herself. Why wouldn't she tell her mentor that she was alive? To ease the pain she knew Tsunade would feel.
Because it would make all this real. She answered herself.
Accept this reality?
No.
She could not.
She would not.
Not.
Not yet.
"As you wish." The slug said dejectedly.
"I'll...I'll tell her soon; I promise."
The slug seemed satisfied enough with her answer and with a quick farewell the summoning released the jutsu and returned to the Shikkotsu Forest.
"Well, that settles it." The Nara visibly relaxed. His critical features changing into something more playful. There was no doubt about it. She was Sakura. She obeyed and followed the rules until there was a more efficient way to do it. She had brought up the Summoning Jutsu right on time. "Based on the evidence, for some reason or another." He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. A wide smile appeared on his face. His Shogi partner had returned from the dead. "Welcome back, Sakura."
Naruto's grin turned into a full hundred mega watt smile. "Welcome home, Sakura-chan!"
He jumped up from his desk, tackling her in a huge hug.
It was then she realized how much taller he was than her. He had grown even more than he was at the age of eighteen.
When he pulled back, he gave her a look of surprise. "You didn't tell me you've achieved Tsunade-bāchan's seal?"
Sakura's eyes widened. "What?!" Finding the closest mirror, she stared at the proud diamond upon her forehead.
Afterward, Naruto gave her a new uniform to get out of her sticky blood stained vest. When she returned, the Hokage had finished signing the promotion scroll and updating her (old) Shinobi Profile form.
She could see him excitedly scratching off, "Status: Deceased" and changing it to "Status: Active".
He was so excited to catch her up on all the things she missed and was going to give her a tour around the whole village. However, the moment he started listing all Konoha 11 and their significant others, going into detail of their kids. She had to bail.
She could picture his hurt look even now when she told him that she wanted, no needed to be alone to think about her situation.
She turned towards the door.
He didn't stop her.
As she closed the wooden door behind her, she could hear Shikamaru no doubt consoling the crestfallen hero.
"You just got to give her some space, Naruto. We're just very different than she's used to. To her it's a very sudden change..."
She didn't listen to any more after herself to the one place she knew hadn't changed. The Hokage mountain.
The bush behind her rustled, alerting her to the fact that she was not alone. Of course she had already sensed them ten minutes ago (most Genin didn't have great enough chakra control to be stealthy). It seemed that the kids she had saw with Konohamaru were back with several other friends. Taking a kunai out of her pocket, she threw the sharp projectile in their general direction at a pace that they would be able to dodge.
A yelp sounded from the bush, but then seemed to be covered with a hand in order to keep them quiet.
"Come on out. There's no use hiding now."
Silence.
"AH!" someone shouted.
CRASH!
Eight kids tumbled out of the surprising large bush, comically tangled in one another in their rush to get out.
In a mix of mutters and groans, the Genin ninja unraveled themselves.
The girl, who she remembered as Sarada, sighed and pushed her glasses back up. "Baka! You just had to trip on that kunai."
A girl with her hair tied up in a single neat bun smiled knowingly. Her pearly white eyes sparkling with excitement, "Actually, that kunai was thrown in a very strategic posit-"
"Rashi, enough with the kunai talk." complained a tan skin girl with a bag of chips, "It's making me hungry." She pulled out a green colored chip and munched on it, cringing when the spices hit her taste buds. "Ugh."
The young Nara (judging by the striking similarity between the boy and Shikamaru) sighed, putting his hands behind his head. "What a pain."
A black haired boy with glasses brushed of the dirt from his laptop and sighed as well in agreement.
The newly promoted Jonin silently watched. Amused as the scene unfolded before her. "Shouldn't you guys be getting home? It's pretty late out."
Boruto scoffed pushing himself off from the floor, "Tch, I'm a Genin! I don't have a bed time."
The pale skinned boy who she saw earlier gave a eerie smile, "You're wearing a Konoha Jonin uniform but I've never seen you around."
"Yeah, yeah." The tan skin girl agreed, "And I think I would remember a pink-haired kunochi." She ate another green chip. "Urgh."
Sarada shook her head, "ChoCho, you need to stop buying those. They're not good."
ChoCho pouted, "Sarada, you have to give every flavor a fair chance!"
The older shinobi watched the interaction. The girl certainly reminded her of a certain big boned friend. "How about I introduce myself then?" She stood, holding her hand out to no one in particular. "I'm Sakura."
Recognition dawned on the Nara face, "Sakura? Like the ninja who died in the war for Auntie Hinata and Hokage-sama?"
"Seriously?" Rashi asked. Her father had told her countless stories about one of the strongest kunoichi from Konoha. Sakura Haruno was someone she looked up to.
The medical ninja shrugged in response, "I didn't necessarily 'die'. I just...I...I uh..." She paused. What did happen? She died, but then was brought to the future? How? Why? Maybe it was still a dream? "...It's complicated."
A boy with long blond hair pulled out a scroll. He vigorously sketched on it with the speed similar to Sai's. "Now that I think about it. I did see pictures of a pink-haired woman in mom's photo pile that she looks at just to cry about it." The boy said nonchalantly.
The Nara sighed, "Don't say things like that so-"
"Choju Giga!" The boy yelled, his hand forming the Tiger hand seal.
The reddish ink peeled itself from the scroll, forming a figure that looked similar to Sakura.
Suddenly, it popped as the blond boy released the jutsu. He tucked his scroll and pen back into his pocket. "Anyway, I'm Inojin."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" interrupted Boruto. "Shikadai, what do you mean by the ninja who saved my parents during the war?"
Collective groans sounded.
Rashi rolled her eyes at her cousin, "Don't you remember dad telling you the story of the kunochi who saved Auntie?"
Crossing his arms, Boruto squinted his eyes in hopes that it would help jog his brain. "Hmmmmmm...nope!"
There were collective groans.
The boy in the green jump suit shook his head, "Boruto-san, we all know the story from our parents." He gave a thumbs up and a blinding smile, "You need to work harder if you're to keep up with our youthful minds!"
"Denki, you too?"
The boy with the glasses gave a sheepish grin, folding his laptop. "I learned about the story when I did my report in history about the Fourth Ninja War."
The pink-haired kunochi felt unwanted emotions bubble up inside her as the Genin continued to talk amongst themselves. These kids were no doubt the children of her teenage friends...or now her grown up friends. Feeling the need to escape, she made up a excuse that she had a important assignment to take care before she teleported away to the nearest place she could find.
This has to be a Genjutsu. Her eighteen year old girl mind screamed irrationally. It would make this reality less complicated. She didn't have to deal with comprehending the situation. Adult friends. Their own kids. A new Konoha. A entire world that had moved on without her. Everything she once knew was from a distant past. If it was a Genjutsu, all she would need to do is escape.
Naruto had noticed her guard was still up about half an hour in the interrogation. Even after all these years, he was still in sync with his teammate, his comrade.
"You think this is a Genjutsu huh?"
Silence.
Taking her silence as a yes. "It's not a Genjutsu. I mean we're just as surprised as you are! The fact that you're aware of the possibility that it could be the Infinite Tsukuyomi means that it's not it. I mean that one is your perfect fantasy world and why would your perfect world be this one?" He rambled on.
"Plus, you have one of the best genjutsu aptitude in Konoha. You could escape almost any genjutsu." Shikamaru added.
But what if this was another special genjutsu? One that she couldn't escape or see and they were just lying to her trying to make her stay here.
But the rational Shinobi side told her differently. That these were the cards she was dealt with. She would just have to adapt. To endure.
Snapping out of her inner dilemma, she took in her surroundings.
She had wandered into the older part of town. (As old as Konoha buildings go, between being destroyed by psychopathic Shinobi).
Not wanting to draw more attention than she should, (Darn her unique pink hair) Sakura leapt up onto the nearest roof.
Walking along silently, she took in the cool summer breeze and the lights of the village below her.
She stopped suddenly, recognizing the rooftop.
Home.
Desperately needing something familiar, she jumped down, landing smoothly on the doorstep.
Not thinking, she recklessly grabbed the handle. Surprisingly, it swung wide open, revealing a well lit house. She could hear someone inside, rummaging through some drawer.
As she cautiously entered the hallway, her rational side returned. She felt her hands tingle with apprehension. What if her parents didn't live here anymore? Was she trespassing? She was so stupid!
"Honey, I told you I just left my glasses here at the old house. You didn't need to come here. I can always call Ino-chan if I run into any trouble." A voice called from further inside the house from what Sakura knew as the kitchen.
She knew that voice.
It was the first voice that she had ever heard.
A voice that encouraged her to be a Shinobi.
A voice that had been with her through thick and thin.
Mom.
She rushed towards the kitchen, stopping at the threshold. Mebuki Haruno's back facing her.
"Seriously honey, go ba-" she turned around.
Her words long forgotten.
Sakura's words caught in her throat.
They stood there for several moments.
Neither wanting to move.
Waiting for someone to move.
The silence grew to unbearable for the younger Haruno to bear.
"I-I..." She stuttered out, "M-mom...I-"
Before she could blink, the pink haired kunoichi was wrapped in strong and familiar arms.
And she let her worries go for that moment. Letting the warm embrace envelope her. Because at that moment, between mother and daughter.
There was nothing to worry about.