To Meet a Hero

by fmfan1980

Uzumaki Narumi is the daughter of both Naruto and Sakura. However, she never met her father since he died in the war. Narumi heard the stories about Naruto from her mother, the Seventh Hokage; and all her honorary uncles, and aunts. But what she really wants to do is meet Naruto himself. (Slight edit to the end of Ch. 06)

2. Sakura's Side Story and an Old Man

Hokage Tower, two hours after the Graduation Ceremony.

With a gentle breeze causing her cloak and the loose sections of her Hokage regalia to flutter behind her, Sakura leaned against the metal railings as she stood on the flat roof of the Hokage tower. She looked out at the village; her village to protect now, while tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of Narumi's question that morning while brushing her hair.

"Mama, can you tell me about the day you and Papa shared your first kiss? I know you told me the story many times but… but I guess I like hearing about it."

That question, any questions about Naruto really, always brought tears to Sakura's eyes. She stared out at the growing Konoha while wiping the gathered tears before looking out at the distant rail line, part of a brand new infrastructure program having been completed two years ago and now connected the entirety of the booming village; which had no choice but to expand due to the population boom following the Fourth Great War. She stared out at the trains running in the distance under electrical lines connecting them from one station to another. These lines travelled outside of Konoha and all the way to Suna while more connections were just completed a year ago for travel to and from the other great Hidden Villages. More rail lines from Konoha to even smaller villages around the Land of Fire were nearly completed. All of which would increased trade and investment in the village.

Sakura didn't even have to turn around to see some of the new buildings, many still under construction, on the top of the Hokage mountain that were due to contain offices, shops, and homes for an expanding population. The Konoha police force was recreated as an all inclusive organization that enforced the village laws, while the ANBU and Shinobi forces were still used to quell pockets of unrest in many places around the Fire country.

All to maintain the peace many people, especially Naruto, had died to forge.

As she thought about Narumi's question, Sakura closed her eyes and thought, 'you should be here seeing this change with me, Naruto.' Opening her eyes again, Sakura turned around and stared out towards the empty roof in front of her before thinking to herself, 'do you remember, Naruto? Do you remember that day? The day we enjoyed ourselves so much that nothing else mattered?'

Sakura's Apartment, fourteen years ago.

Sakura never could forget. To her, it was a whirlwind day – Naruto told her about the nightmare he had, she told him that he was being ridiculous, he responded by saying he was not and made her promise to become the Hokage after he died, Sakura told him to stop scaring her, he replied by saying that he loved her. And then he kissed her, and Sakura never pushed him away. As memories of that day flashed in her head, Sakura turned back around towards the village and leaned against the railing once more as she remembered staring up into Naruto's eyes when it was about to be her first time. She still remembered how gentle he was, how he looked into her eyes before leaning down to kiss her on her neck before whispering in her ear.

"Sakura-chan, I… we can stop," Naruto whispered into her ear, "I… I know…"

"Don't say it, Naruto," she whispered back in his ear, her body trembling in anticipation, "I…" Even in her hazy and pleasure riddled mind, Sakura still knew what Naruto meant when he said that they could stop. He was giving her an out. They could simply stop and go their separate ways. Naruto would go to Turtle Island where he would learn to control the Kyuubi chakra – hopefully never entering the war; and Sakura would be one of the medics working just behind the front lines in a few weeks. Sakura knew that Naruto was offering to go no further, to save herself for Sasuke… or anyone else. Sakura knew that her twelve year old self would be disappointed in her… the older Sakura knew the younger would say that Sasuke was theirs. That he was the one who deserved her love, not Naruto.

As Naruto lifted his head from her neck to look into her eyes, Sakura imagined herself talking to her younger self, 'Naruto was the one who stayed. Naruto was the one who made me smile. Naruto was there for me when I cried. He was there when I was angry. He saw me through every emotion there was… and even though I lied to him, he forgave me.'

"But…" Twelve-year-old Sakura was about to counter her seventeen-year-old self when the latter interrupted.

'About Sasuke-kun… I can't deny that I still love him,' the adult Sakura mentally said looking down at her twelve-year-old self who was grinning now, a grin that was wiped out when the older teen continued, 'but I love Naruto too. I love him more than I loved Sasuke and…' Teen Sakura, a look of regret on her face as she thought about Naruto, looked away while she wiped away the impression of twelve year old Sakura from her mind, 'it took me this long to realize it but… but Naruto's always seen me for me. And… and I can't believe it took me this long.'

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura was pulled out of her thoughts as she returned her focus back to Naruto staring at her with some concern on his face. Everything she told the representation of her younger self about Naruto was true… she loved him. But she needed him to know - Sakura needed him to know the truth. Sakura needed Naruto to know that this time she loved him for real.

"Naruto," Sakura whispered looking up at him, her hands on the back of his neck, as she continued, "there is a part of me that will always love Sasuke-kun." She saw Naruto avert his eyes away, his expression giving off an appearance of grief and disappointment. Sakura wished she knew what Naruto was thinking… she wished she had the gifts of the Yamanaka clan… but she was just a girl without a clan. A civilian girl who fell in love with the handsome and mysterious Uchiha Sasuke, and the handsome and boisterous Uzumaki Naruto. But Sasuke left her… left them. He betrayed the village, nearly killed the two of them and their friends a few times. And all the while, the blonde had been working hard to bring him back for her.

Naruto would do everything he could to bring him back for her. He would bring him back for himself. He would bring Sasuke back to reunite their Team Seven family.

'Even then, when we reunite,' Sakura looked back up at the metaphorical mask that Naruto put on as he looked back at her with a smile on his face. She frowned while thinking to herself, 'I… I think… no… I know… I know who I would choose…'

"I would choose you," Sakura whispered, as Naruto narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Sak…"

"Make me a promise, Naruto," Sakura said, one hand on the back of his neck, and then other on the toned muscles of his upper arm, "promise me that you would fight and live."

"I…"

"Promise me that you will bring Sasuke-kun back, but not for me… and not for you alone… for us," Sakura continued, "promise me that he'll be back here with the combined force of both of our strengths. The both of us will bring him back. When… if we see each other again… we will bring him back to Konoha."

"Sakura-chan, you know about the nightmare, I…"

"Screw that nightmare," Sakura said with a serious look on her face, "that was a nightmare. I want us to back home… do you understand me? Because when we get back, I'm introducing you to my parents."

"Why would…"

"Because…" Sakura knew what she was about to say next was something she couldn't take back; not without hurting Naruto deeply. And she was not going to hurt him like that again, that's what she mentally told herself as she spoke, "because… because you don't take home the person who you loved for being just handsome and mysterious. You take home the one you love… the one you want by your side until the day you die. The one who loves me for me."

"Saku… Sakura-chan?" Naruto whispered with eyes wide open, "what… what…"

"I love you, you baka!" Sakura yelled out before she pulled his head down and passionately kissed him once again. Pulling his head back, and panting, Naruto gulped while staring into her eyes. Sakura's heart skipped several beats, she felt her entire body blush, but she didn't look away from his eyes. "I want all us to come home, Naruto. And this is a promise of a lifetime from me to you, I won't hurt you again. I want you to meet my parents, and I want... I want to give you a chance."

Naruto stared down at her before leaning down and softly kissing her once again.

It would be later that afternoon, with the two of them lying on the kitchen floor, that Naruto asked, "can we go out… you know… on a date?"

Valley of the End, fourteen years ago; three weeks after the 'encounter'.

Standing on the Hokage Tower roof, Sakura then had another flash of memory. During the war, when she was saving one injured ninja after another, Sakura would remember the moments she and Naruto had that day. He was her first kiss, her first... well, first intimate encounter, and her first official date. He promised to come back home to Konoha, that he and Sasuke would return - then she and Naruto would meet the parents. But all those hopes and dreams were to be utterly and completely destroyed at the Valley of the End. Sakura tried to stop the bleeding from the hole in Naruto's chest without success, at the same time her face had specks of his blood… her tears causing the dark red spatter to streak downwards as she cried while staring down at the lifeless eyes looking back at her.

And then she heard a huff. And she looked up.

"It's over, Sakura," Sasuke said, stopping several inches away, glaring down at her with Naruto's charred heart on the rocks of the river bank... his right arm covered in the blood that used to circulate inside Naruto, "Naruto's dead, and the five Kage's will be next."

"We… we just wanted you home," Sakura whispered, her voice interspersed with sobs as she looked back down at Naruto, before she looked back up at her former teammate with red, puffy eyes, "we wanted you HOME!" Sakura then looked back down at Naruto once again, his hair yellow as the sun before she mumbled, "how could you?"

"For peace," Sasuke answered without any regret in his voice, "Naruto contained the chakra of all the Bijuu, he was a danger to the peace I intend to create." Sakura looked back up at him with a glare, her teeth grinding together as she listened to his voice, "now there are no more Bijuu for other nations to use as tools of war. They will be sealed away for all time." Sakura then looked back at Naruto with a look of anguish on her face while Sasuke continued, "from now on I will be the only Kage the world needs. I will be the shadow… working behind the scenes while Kakashi, even Naruto…"

Sakura looked up at Sasuke in surprise again, "what….?"

"He will be one of my paths," Sasuke said walking forward before he crouched down and stared into her eyes… eyes widening in horror as she realized what Sasuke was talking about. Her mind went back to Nagato and his Paths of Pain that destroyed the village while Sasuke continued to speak, "as will the other Kages. Even shinobi like Kakashi, Shikamaru, even Neji, and Hnata, will be useful as figures that carry my voice. They will have my will because I will be the one controlling them."

"Six…" Sakura whispered, her mind in disbelief, as she looked down at Naruto before she looked up to glare at a smirking Sasuke, "six kage's. There…"

"Naruto will never become a Hokage since…" Sasuke nodded at Naruto's body cradled in her arms, "well… since he's dead." Sasuke then sighed before continuing, "I have to admit though, you've become strong." Sakura glared at Sasuke as he continued, "you couldn't kill me back then in the Land of Iron, Sakura. You won't do anything now because I know you… I know you love me no matter what I did to Naruto."

"I…"

"After I create my Paths to peace," Sasuke said as he reached out and placed a hand on Sakura's cheek, his thumb gently wiping away the streaks of blood on her face, "you'll be the first of a group of powerful women who will help me restart my clan. You will be my first wife… the Uchiha matriarch who will help me lead the world into a new age." Sakura stared back at Sasuke. She stared at the cold onyx eyes that were staring back at her as he spoke of future children who would rule the five elemental nations.

She wondered, if the twelve-year-old girl she used to be would still want to leave Konoha with him after what he had done to a man she had grown to care about and love. Sakura knew that the way Sasuke was now, she couldn't defeat him. She was nowhere in his league… he had the Sharingan and the Rinnegan… he could very well be a god.

'But then again, he hasn't mastered the new powers yet, has he?' Sakura wondered, 'and I can tell that he's low on chakra… like me. Could I… could there be a way to beat him?'

"Will… will you kill them now?" Sakura asked as she looked back down at Naruto, mentally asking what he would do in this situation. Silently wondering what could be done when someone's powers were ordinarily so high above her own. She looked back up at the crouched Uchiha who was staring back at her and she repeated, "the Kages. Will you kill them now?"

"You don't have to watch," Sasuke said gently as he tilted his head at Sakura who sniffled before nodding her head, her mind racing to come up with something. Suddenly, she had a thought go through her mind as she looked back down at Naruto, and then back at Sasuke. Her eyes locked with Sasuke's eyes… eyes that seemed to freeze her blood and send chills up and down her spine. This was the man she once loved… the man who was telling her of a revolution he was about to bring to the ninja world. He had already killed the very man who could have stopped him - the man she had grown to love; and now, she realized, it was up to her. She needed to do something – even in his weakened state, Sasuke was still too dangerous.

But she still needed to do something. Anything.

Naruto was dead, and he wasn't coming to Konoha alive like he promised. But Sakura knew in her heart that not every promise could be fulfilled. She already forgave Naruto for not being able to fulfil the promise he made to her about bringing Sasuke back. And now, as she glared at a man she loved, who killed the other man she loved, Sakura knew there was no turning back. Sasuke was really lost to both darkness and madness.

'If I don't come back alive, you have to protect the village.' That memory, Naruto's words to her, flashed in her mind as she stared at Sasuke. And she would… she would protect the village. 'The Sasuke-kun I loved is gone… he's been gone ever since he left Konoha years ago. He's dead and buried, and in his place is… is a monster. A madman.'

It was just then that Sasuke snapped his head towards the left and smiled. He then slowly turned his head back towards Sakura and said, "looks like Kakashi's on his way." Sasuke was about to turn around as he said, "stay here, Sakura, I…"

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, her heart breaking as she gently lay Naruto's dead body on the rocks along the banks of the river formed by the waterfall behind them, the broken statues of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama behind them, "will you kill him?"

"Yes," Sasuke whispered while watching Sakura slowly get onto her feet.

Sakura did everything to prevent her body from flinching as she spoke, "how far away… how far away is he?"

"If you're going to beg, then…."

"If Kakashi-sensei… if… if he has to die then… then I know I can't do anything about it…" Sakura whispered staring into his eyes, hopeful that the Uchiha wouldn't put her into a genjutsu. She steadied her chakra signature, she steadied her breathing, she tried to steady her racing heartbeat; all to show Sasuke that she was submitting to him… to his power. As she did so, she continued taking small steps towards him, one hand over her heart as she spoke, "before you go. Before you… you do what you have to do."

Sakura closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.

"What?" Sasuke growled, "you want me to spare him, Sakura?"

"I'm tired of war, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said looking back into his eyes, and she really was tired, as she continued, "if… if this is the only way for... for peace then… then I ask that you… that Kakashi sensei, and even Tsunade-shishou, feel no pain."

She watched Sakura staring back at her… his jaw was locked as he thought about what she requested. A few seconds later, Sasuke nodded and Sakura visibly relaxed… letting out the breath she had been holding inside her lungs before she took the next few steps to hug the stoic Sasuke. She wrapped her arms around her former teammate… her first love.

"We don't always end up with our first love, Sakura," her mother once said a long time ago as Sakura rested her head on Sasuke's sweat and blood covered shoulder while the latter said that he needed to finish his mission. In her mind, her mother's words continued as she remembered her time with Naruto after Sasuke abandoned them, "many times, we end up with someone unexpected. Someone we thought we could never love or marry. And you know what, there's nothing wrong with that…." Haruno Mebuki's voice ringed in Sakura's mind as she whispered in Sasuke's ear, "I…"

And then she kissed his jawline while placing a hand gently on his right temple. She stroked that part of his face lovingly as her kisses went down to his chin.

"Sakura," he whispered, "I have to go. We can continue this…"

"I've already waited for too long," Sakura whispered as she placed her right hand on his left temple, "Sasuke-kun, I…" Sakura looked into his onyx eyes and tilted her head. She leaned in for a kiss on his lips. She closed her eyes and felt her lips making contact with his… her lips meeting his in a gentle tap. Sakura felt cold… a chill… nothing what she thought it would be… it was nothing like what she experienced with Naruto.

But her kiss with Sasuke was devoid of emotion… from either of them. It was a distraction, and Sasuke realized it too late. Sakura may have been considered the weakest among Team Seven, and she wouldn't argue with anyone on that fact. What she did have in spades, however, was her intelligence and her pin-point chakra control; the latter making her what many called the 'second Tsunade' thanks to her impressive chakra enhanced strength and her medical ninjutsu. It was those medical abilities that had her suddenly extend scalpels of pure chakra from the palm of her hands… the scalpels severed both left and right optic nerves… severing his Sharingan and Rinnegan from his brain.

"Sa…. Sa…." Sasuke's body was trembling as Sakura stared into eyes that couldn't see before she pushed him back, screamed in rage as she formed a chakra scalpel on the edge of her right hand and then slashed the front of his face – tearing through his eyes from left to right.

The Sharingan and Rinnegan now essentially useless. Sakura stood still while panting, the chakra forming the scalpel fading away, and watched his body fall to the rocky ground as he screamed and cursed Sakura. He yelled saying how he would get revenge on her… how he would kill her… how he would destroy her and Konoha.

"Maybe in another life all of us could have come back home!" Sakura bellowed in rage, tears in her eyes at the knowledge that everything she loved in her life was crashing around her, "maybe in that life you could have seen how wrong you were."

"I'll kill you!" Sasuke screamed out as he was scrambling away aimlessly on all fours before the pain was too much as he fell onto the rocky surface, "you…. That Hokage bitch… Kakashi… I will destroy Konoha! Every man, woman, and child in that filth will burn and…"

Sakura walked towards him – the woman gathered chakra in her right fist. She was already low on chakra to begin with… the chakra scalpels lowered her chakra reserves even more. And now, after what she was about to do… she would be running on fumes. But it didn't matter, she'd literally crawl back towards Naruto if she couldn't walk, at least until Kakashi arrived to her location.

She wanted to be next to the blonde. In her heart, she knew she belonged next to him.

"I can't help you, Sasuke-kun, Naruto and I did everything to help you… to bring you back to Konoha. We had hope… but now I can't help you anymore," Sakura said standing over the last Uchiha, since both Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito were dead, as he turned onto his back… his blood and a pale white liquid falling down his cheeks from what remained of his eyes and the deep cut along the bridge of his nose. The bloody eye sockets looking up directly at her, "I severed your optic nerve connections to your brain… I destroyed your eyes… your doujutsu's won't work."

"I…."

"Do you remember I said you needed to kill six kage's, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stared down at the bleeding mess that was one Uchiha Sasuke and said, "I swore to Naruto that if… and only if… he didn't come back home alive to Konoha… then I would work towards protecting the village."

"You… you bitch.. you…"

"One day, I will be the Hokage, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she stood over him before leaning forward while pulling back her right arm, "and as much as I wish that it wasn't true… you are a danger to the village."

"There will be no peace unless I…."

"Then we make our own peace," Sakura whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks at what she was about to do as she gathered chakra in her arm, "I just hope that your soul rests in the purelands. That you'd be with your mother, father, and brother. I hope you find peace with your clan in the afterlife and… and when you're there, tell Naruto that I will always love him."

Sakura watched Sasuke's facial expression change from one of anger, to confusion, to realization at the final part of what she said.

"Tell him to wait for me, that there's a lot that I need to do and… and I'll see him when it's my time," Sakura said, "goodbye, Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura…"

Tears streaming down her face, the droplets landing onto the rocky surface, Sakura yelled out in rage and anguish over the yell from Kakashi who just arrived at the edge of the valley. Ignoring the yell, Sakura shot her arm downwards, her fist making contact with Sasuke's body – pulverising his insides as he gurgled out blood from his mouth, ears, and eye sockets.

Sakura pulled away her arm as cracks formed on the ground without forming a crater. She was out of chakra now as she stared at Sasuke's shattered body before she turned around and limped towards Naruto just as Kakashi landed next to her, holding her steady just as she was about to fall to the ground exhausted.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura looked over at the silver haired man who was staring at the dead body of his blonde student, and then at the dead body of his dark haired renegade pupil. He then looked back at Sakura staring back at him in anguish before looking away, and towards Naruto, "he killed… he killed… I need to go… I need to go to him…" Sakura was pointing at Naruto with her hand, "I… I need to…"

And Sakura broke down as her legs collapsed beneath her. Sakura screamed out Naruto's name in anguish as Kakashi held on to her.

Hokage Tower, now.

"Hokage-sama."

Sakura heard a male voice in the distance as she remembered coming back to Konoha with Kakashi by her side, the two of them carrying Naruto and Sasuke respectively in their arms with Pakkun already having been sent to inform Tsunade and the alliance that the final battle was over.

"Hokage-sama."

There was that voice again. But Sakura's mind was elsewhere now.

"Hokokage-sama."

Konoha Hospital, a month and a half after Naruto's death.

She ignored that familiar voice as she recalled what happened a month and a half after the final punch of the war. Sakura was attending to a patient when she suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed. It would be hours later that she woke up before being told by Tsunade what happened; she had be working nearly non-stop, ignoring the fatigue that had been taking her over, not eating well, nor sleeping well. TSunade continued saying that some of Sakura's chakra was being diverted away to the life growing inside her. Sakura remembered staring at her mentor in confusion. Tsunade gently held her hand before sitting down next to her.

"Sakura, you… you're pregnant."

All Sakura remembered after that was staring at Tsunade before she looked down at her abdomen. She placed a free hand on the hospital gown she was wearing before she slowly started to laugh, tears falling down her cheeks at the same time. And before the surprised Tsunade could respond, Sakura shook her head and said that she wasn't crying because she was sad.

"It... it's his baby… our baby," Sakura struggled to speak as laughs were now interspersed with sobs. Tsunade held Sakura's hand silently as she watched Sakura wipe her tears before she calmed down slowly.

"Sakura, whose baby is it?"

"Shishou," Sakura whispered as she wondered how she never noticed the symptoms. Tsunade nodded her head as Sakura took in a deep breath, "it's Naruto. This is our child… he or she is our child."

Sakura would never forget the look of surprise on her mentor's face.

Hokage Tower, now.

"Hokage-sama."

Sakura was lost in her memories as she remembered Narumi's birth, to her first mission as a Jonin and Hokage trainee, to Narumi's first words and her first steps, her separation anxiety the first time she had to leave on a diplomatic mission to Suna. All that time, she could feel Naruto right next to her.

"Sakura."

She was pulled out of her memories when she felt the hand that was on her shoulder. She was still on the roof of the Hokage tower. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, realizing it was time to get back to work.

"Shikamaru," Sakura turned as her key advisor pulled back his hand and stood with both his hand now stuffed in his pockets, "sorry, got lost in some memories."

"Narumi asked about Naruto again?"

Sakura nodded her head before she began walking towards stairs that led to the roof entrance, "she wanted to know about the first kiss Naruto and I had."

Shikamaru chuckled before saying that both Hyuuga Hiashi and Hanabi, the current and the future head of the Hyuuga clan respectively, were in her office, "Neji and Tenten, Hinata and Kiba are there too. I have a feeling they agreed with the compromise we came up with in regards to the caged bird seal."

Sakura sighed at the thought of the negotiations that lasted for over six months that would decide the fate of the new generation of Hyuuga. "The caged bird seal for everyone in the clan," Sakura whispered before continuing to another topic, "how about the group that wanted to cause unrest in Iwa?"

"Put down with extreme prejudice following our infiltration into Iwa," Shikamaru said, "according to Sai and our source, it was a group of former Root members in disguise as Iwa Anbu who wanted to overthrow the Tsuchikage, and then take over. They wanted to start another war against Konoha as payback for Danzo's death."

"And the source?"

"Dead," Shikamaru said while Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head.

"How many more of these Root cells are there?" Sakura whispered shaking her head as she recalled the attempted assassination of Kakashi in his fifth year as Hokage, followed by another attack on him as he travelled for a Five Kage Summit three years ago.

"According to the source, this was the last active one," Shikamaru said, "although we could have some in the village, particularly among the ex-members of Root who refused to be integrated into the Shinobi forces and the Anbu."

Sakura nodded her head as the two of them entered a long curved hallway before whispering, "continue surveillance on them. I want to do everything we can to integrate them into society."

Shikamaru nodded his head.

"How about Narumi's seal?" Shikamaru asked, "she'll need to be told, Hokage-sama."

"Tonight," Sakura whispered, "I'll tell her tonight. I just hope she understands why it had to be done."

"She'll understand," Shikamaru said as the two of them reached the doors to Sakura's office, "it was something we had to do to protect the village before she went out of control. Everything was done to make sure she never had the same life Naruto had. She's had a great childhood…"

"Without a father."

"You received a lot of marriage proposals," Shikamaru reminded Sakura. Sakura nodded her head before she glanced at Shikamaru.

"And who could ever replace Naruto?" she whispered as they stopped inches from the double doors to her office, "you're right though. She grew up on hearing stories about him from me, you, Ino, Choji, Kakashi… all her uncle and aunts, and her granny Tsunade. She's had a great childhood, but still… I wish he was here to see Narumi grow up."

"All us do, Sakura," Shikamaru patted her shoulder before he opened the doors to her office.

"Hiashi-dono, Hanabi-san, Neji-san, Tenten-san, Hinata-san, Kiba-san," Sakura said, keeping an air of formality as she walked into her office, the six people standing up from the two couches in the room, Sakura walked behind her desk as Shikamaru closed the doors to the office before saying, "so, I take it we have an agreement?"

Hanabi and Hinata glanced at each other, before nodding and then their eyes shifting back to Sakura.

"We do, Hokage-sama," Hanabi said nodding her head.

"Good then," Sakura said taking a seat, her expression indicating to everyone that she wasn't happy with the agreement. And she could see that neither were Neji and the others. She sighed, knowing that no one would get what they wanted… but the village would be safe. The Byakugan would never fall again into enemy hands – that's what Sakura kept thinking to herself, "let's make it official."

Several hours away from Konoha, at that same time.

"Sir, your dango and tea," the buxom lady wearing a pastel coloured kinomo at the snack shop said while placing the plate of four dango sticks on the wooden table. She then picked up the green coloured tea mug and placed it next to the plate. She then stared at the man who was looking down at the plate and tea before him with a sullen look on his face, "are you alright, sir?"

"How many hours to Konoha, Miss?"

The woman looked to her left and down the trail outside her shop before looking back at the older white-haired man. He just walked into her shop not ten minutes ago with a pack around his back, wearing a greyish cloak – his face covered by a hood, and a large stick he used to help him walk. She thought the man looked familiar after he lowered the hood revealing his short white coloured hair, but she couldn't place it, instead telling herself that maybe he had one of those faces that seemed to look like so many others.

"You have another six hours depending how fast you walk," the woman said, glancing at the walking stick, and then back at the man who was continuing to stare at the dango while the steam from the hot tea rose up from inside the cup, "forgive me for asking, but you came in limping and… I mean were you injured in the war?"

"No," his voice was cracked, as if his throat was badly injured. And the closer the woman looked, she realized there were scars around his throat. The man noticed the stare and he adjusted his cloak to cover it up.

The woman, realizing she was caught out, shook her head before apologizing for being a busybody.

"It's fine," he said in a scratchy voice as he picked up the glass before sipping the contents. She could see the man flinch slightly as he drank the hot tea. The woman, feeling sorry for him, asked if he'd like some ice for the tea. The man nodded his head while staring at the tea, and then at the dango, and then back at the tea while the woman walked away.

On the table next to the man, a couple overheard the conversation. One of them spoke up, "hey gramps."

The man nodded his head before turning to look at the young man and woman who couldn't be more than in their mid-twenties.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?"

The old man shrugged his shoulders before looking away. The couple the looked at each other as the young man insisted that he knew the older man, that his face was familiar. The young lady told her husband to just let it go and leave the older man in peace. AS the two continued to talk, the old man looked up at the lady in the pastel kimono who stood at the edge of the table with a bucket of ice. She used tongs to take an ice cube out before gently dropping it into the tea, and then she took another one out before dropping that into the tea.

The man then picked up the mug, shook it a little, and then sipped before swallowing it down his throat.

"Thank you," he said in that scratchy voice. The woman nodded her head before asking if he had any family over in Konoha. The man looked up at her with a quizzical look before shaking his head, "I think I'm from there. I… I don't know if I have any family but… but I've been having dreams about Konoha. At least that's what my caretaker said when I described the buildings in my dreams."

"Well, I hope you find what you're looking for, sir," the woman said as a group of people were sitting down at another table, "if you would excuse me?" The man nodded his head, before the woman walked over to the table and began taking their orders. The old man, in the mean time, reached out for one of the sticks on Dango just as a memory flashed in his mind. He closed his eyes tight as he rubbed his forehead. It felt as if it was burning – in his mind, he saw a blonde buzom woman sitting on a bench looking up at him.

"You come back, do you hear me?" she said with eyes that were begging him. She then looked away, her head down and eyes towards her rolled up fists resting on her knees, "you… you come back and I'll go on that that you always asked for." The old man was breathing hard as his head stopped burning, the image of the woman burned into his mind. She was beautiful, however, her eyes showed she was older than she seemed to be.

And then, as if he was there next to the blonde woman, the old man whispered, "all you have to do is bet that I'll die. You're so bad at gambling that I'll live and come back."

The old man rubbed his head before he drank his iced tea and then got up off the bench. He picked up the four dango sticks in one hand, and the other hand pulled up the hood over his face to shelter him from the beating sun. He then grabbed the walking stick before he restarted his journey to Konoha.

Nodding at the woman in the Kimono, the old man then walked away. All the while he couldn't help but think about the blonde woman. It was the first time he had a vision about her. It was only three days ago that he dreamt about a village where there were three giant snakes destroying it. He dreamt about an old man in black armour lying dead surrounded by people he didn't recognize, the he once dreamt about three logs in a field, five faces on a mountain side. It was the last image that his caretaker confirmed he had dreams about Konoha.

"Maybe that's where you're from, Arashi." That's what she told him. But a part of him knew that Arashi wasn't his name, of course it didn't help that he had no idea what his name was anyway.

As he walked, he remember dreaming of toads… including one giant toad whose name he couldn't remember. And that was all. The dreams just came all of a sudden. He knew that he had a connection with Konoha, and that's why he was going there. To get so answers.

'And to meet this woman,' the old man thought, 'who are you? Do you know who I am? Do I know you?' With so many questions swirling in his mind, the old man continued his journey towards Konoha.

TBC.