Konoha Cemetery, Narumi at 1 year old.
One of Narumi's very first memories of hearing about her father was a few days after she had turned one year old. Sakura once told her that she would talk about Naruto – the boy he was, to the man he became – to the baby even when she was still in the womb. But Narumi's first memories of her blonde father was that day at the Konoha Cemetery.
Narumi, or as she would eventually be known to her friends as simply Rumi, still remembered that day of October; it was a few days after she celebrated her own birthday with a multicoloured cake and a candle in the shape of the numeral '1'. Her grandparents were there, as were her Granny Tsunade who was hugging her while making odd cooing noises on her cheeks, her very pregnant Aunt Ino and Uncle Sai, her Uncle Shikamaru and Choji, her Grandpa Kakashi, her Uncle Iruka… as well as a very pregnant Shizune. Narumi remembered being told by Sakura that the rest of their old friends were out on missions, not that Narumi knew what the word 'missions' meant until much later… but she still remembered what was said that day.
And now, the day of Naruto's birthday was one of her first memories of hearing stories about her father.
It began with her mother, Uzumaki Sakura, saying, "I can tell you so many reasons why you may not remember the first time I brought you here, Rumi," Sakura, her hair now in a ponytail that reached down to the middle of her shoulder blades, walked on the dry grass on October the Tenth as a gentle cool breeze brushed her ponytail, swinging it left and right. She wore a dark olive green dress while holding the toddler in her arms… the female toddler with bright red hair, green eyes, and a quizzical look on her face looking around at the few people who were kneeling next to gravestones of their loved ones. Sakura reached the fourth row from the front, and then made a left turn to the far gravestone, "this is where all the heroes of our village are buried, Rumi."
Sakura then stopped and turned towards the memorial stone several steps away in the shape of an upside down Kunai, "that stone has the name of every shinobi who died to protect this village, my sweet." She then looked down at the expression on the child's face, large bright green eyes looking back at her before she leaned forward and kissed Narumi's forehead. Sakura then crouched down, placing the feet of her daughter onto the ground before gently holding her hand. The two of them then walked towards the gravestone at the end of the row and stopped.
"Hi, Naruto," Sakura said as she went down on both knees while her little girl stood next to her on unsteady feet. The toddler's large green eyes were fixed on the etchings on the surface of the stone – the deep black marks that spelt out Naruto's name while beneath it lay a recess for incense sticks, and next to the recess was a small vase that contained two short-stemmed flowers that signified hope and rebirth. Sakura couldn't for the life of her remember what they were called, but Ino assured her that Naruto would have loved them.
Sakura watched her baby girl, really her and Naruto's baby girl, as she toddled forward and then bent down and placed her hands on the surface of the stone. Her small and pudgy fingers covering parts of Naruto's name before saying "Papa!" Narumi bent her knees to a squat was looking up at Sakura with a wide smile on her face before she turned her head and cried out, "Papa!"
"This is your papa, Rumi," Sakura said as she watched her little girl lean back from her present position until she was sitting down on the grass, "do you know what today is, Rumi?" Sakura placed a hand on Narumi's tiny back, her head looking back at Sakura, "it's your papa's birthday."
It was October tenth, the birthday of the village hero and the man the five nations owed their peace to. Where once there would have been a celebration of the defeat of the Kyuubi, followed by an increase in the number of villagers who would denigrate Naruto by closing their doors to him whenever he would walk on the streets of the village; this time it was different. Now the villagers simply saw it as the birthday of Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who was supposed to be seen as a hero for keeping the Kyuubi locked away. Today was the day, ironically after his death, that the village acknowledged his birth and the great sacrifice his father made in protecting the village by locking away the Kyuubi into a baby Naruto. It was now that the village saw the boy they ignored as the hero he should have been made to be so long ago. Of course, there were those who still viewed differently, but they were so far and few between that anyone… even fellow villagers… caught speaking ill of him would be told off by other villagers.
"Happy birthday, papa!" Narumi said in her childish sequel as Sakura chuckled; her little girl missing parts of the first two words but saying out loud the last one with a grin that showed off several of her baby teeth.
"Happy birthday, Naruto," Sakura said before she brought her hands together. Narumi saw what her mother was doing, and so she did the same. When Sakura closed her eyes, Narumi closed her eyes… and when Sakura tapped the toddler's shoulder, Narumi opened her eyes and smiled up at her before looking over at the gravestone once again.
The pink haired chief of medics placed her hand on Narumi's back again while looking at Naruto's name, "she's growing up fast, Naruto. I'm ashamed you know… I'm ashamed that I don't have a lot of pictures of the two of us together when we were younger… or after you came back from training with Jiraiya-sama. I asked Sai to make some paintings of us from memory since my art skills are really… really, bad." Sakura smiled as she remembered the first painting that Sai gave her when Narumi was 2 months old, "that guy has a photographic memory, you know." Sakura remembered tearing up at the vividly detailed painting of herself and Naruto sitting on the grass, the both of them leaning against a thick-trunked tree, with Sakura sleeping… her head on Naruto's shoulder and Naruto's head tilted down in the other direction. Seeing Sakura's confusion, Sai told Sakura that he recalled this sight occurring on their fourth mission together when they got a tip-off on Sasuke's location.
Narumi remembered being sat down on Sakura's lap as the latter sat on the hard and grassy ground. And then she began telling her first story about Naruto. And Narumi remembered listening intently. Over the years after that, she would learn more and more about her father – and Sakura was honest with everything. However, that day after Narumi turned one, Sakura told her the story of how they first met. How Naruto protected her from some bullies who were bothering her about her forehead.
It would be an hour later after one story became two, and then three, and then four, that Sakura kissed Narumi's forehead and whispered that it was time to go. And Narumi didn't miss the look of longing on Sakura's face as she stared past her and towards the gravestone before the pink haired woman started to stand up while placing the toddler on the grass.
After Sakura stood up and then picked Narumi into her arms, she looked over at the gravestone and whispered, "Naruto," while she pulled Narumi tight to her body, the little girl giggling, "I'll come back again, soon. Watch over us, okay?" Sakura closed her eyes and whispered a little prayer while Narumi waved her pudgy arms at the gravestone, "I will always regret not… not being with you past that one day. Always remember, Naruto, that twelve-year-old girl will always regret never giving you the time of day… remember that twelve year old girl will always regret belittling you and your dream. I'll do everything to make sure our daughter doesn't grow up like that…" Sakura kissed the back of Narumi's head before the toddler started to bounce in her arms, "until next time, Naruto. I love you, keep that knowledge with you."
Over the years, it would be quite common for the two of them, Sakura and Narumi, to visit Naruto's grave; especially during milestone days such as their birthdays, the Spring Festival, the Sakura Festival, the Rinne Festival, or when Sakura and Narumi hit a personal milestone.
Haruno Home, Narumi aged 2.
"Mama! Mama! MAAMAAA!" Narumi was crying while being held in her grandmother's arms as a tearful Sakura, her cheeks wet, opened the front door to leave Mebuki and Kizashi's home. Sakura was due out for a week long mission to Suna to help with an outbreak of a sickness that affected children. The doctors there figured out the antidote, but one of the main ingredients could only be found in the mountains near Konoha. In addition, they also requested Sakura to lead a Konoha medical unit in order to help them with the antidote.
It was Kakashi who assigned Sakura the mission for two main reasons; the first being that it was a relatively simple courier mission where she would help out the medical staff. And secondly, Sakura needed to get over any separation anxiety when it came to leaving for long-term missions without her daughter. He reminded Sakura that she wanted to be the Hokage, and as such, she needed to get more practical experience when it came down to diplomacy and international relations – especially when some missions would see her away to other Hidden Villages for weeks at a time.
This was her first week long mission after having Narumi. And Sakura couldn't even step outside the front door after opening it since she could hear her baby crying for her. Narumi, when she was older, could recall her arms reaching out for her mother; she understood that Sakura would be gone for a long time, and it scared her. Narumi remembered wailing at the top of her lungs, tears flowing down her cheeks while her grandparents were trying to cheer her up as Sakura turned back and then rushed into the room to take Narumi in her arms and hug her tight.
"Sakura," Narumi heard Mebuki whisper as the two girls cried while holding onto each other, "she'll understand. You're usually gone for hours, sometimes for a day at the most when you're working in the hospital. She, and you, will get used to the sacrifices that come with taking missions out of the village."
"I…. know," Sakura whimpered as she held on to Narumi who was starting to calm down slowly, but the little girl was hiccupping now as tears flowed down her cheeks and liquid flowed out of her nose, "but… but maybe I can ask Kakashi Sensei to…"
"It's difficult, I know," Kizashi said, placing his hand on Sakura's shoulder, "but you know that Shinobi have to occasionally leave on long-term missions. Even in this era of peace, there are people who need your help."
"I… I can ask… I… can ask Kakashi to…"
"Suna wants the best medic Konoha has to help them create this antidote," Mebuki whispered before she leaned down and kissed the back of Narumi's head as the little girl's arms were wrapped around Sakura's neck, "and that's you."
Sakura knew that her parents were right. But it was still difficult. It would be twenty minutes later that a visibly upset Sakura, still hearing the sound of Narumi screaming for her, ran to the front gate where her escorts; Lee, Tenten, and Neji, were waiting. She shifted the backpack strapped to her shoulders and nodded her head before anyone could ask how she was feeling.
All she wanted to do was return home as soon as possible.
It would be two weeks later that, while Narumi was eating some porridge out of a plastic bowl which had a likeness of Naruto on the side, that the door to the Haruno home swung open. Narumi yelled out in joy as Sakura rushed in, closing the door behind her, and then went on to bring up the little girl out of her high seat and into her arms.
It would be the first of many long-term missions, but eventually Sakura and Narumi were able to handle the fact that they would be apart for several days or weeks.
Konoha Cemetary, Narumi aged 4.
"Papa!" little Narumi yelled out as she rushed past the gravestones and then turned towards her father's one while Sakura, in her Jonin uniform, was walking behind her with her hands behind her back and a small smile on her face. Narumi stopped at the gravestone and grinned a wide toothy grin before saying, "I and Mama are home!" She then sat on the grass before excitedly talking about the one year she and Sakura spent in Sunagakure helping the medical staff there start up a mental health unit for children, similar to what both Sakura and Ino had done in Konoha.
The both of them had only just returned last night from the long term mission, and while Narumi wanted to visit Naruto right after they returned, Sakura convinced her that they needed to get some rest for the night before doing anything else. Narumi was already talking about the friends she made in Sunagakure as Sakura stopped behind her and then sat down.
"Did you tell Naruto about your Uncle Gaara getting married?"
"Almost, mama," Narumi said looking back at Sakura as the little girl sat on Sakura's lap before turning her head to the gravestone, "Uncle Gaara said he wished you were there, Papa. It will be…" Narumi placed a hand on her chin as she tried to remember the month.
"You already forgot the date of the wedding?" Sakura chuckled.
"Next January!" Narumi squealed as Sakura giggled. Narumi continued talking for the next three hours or so about the friends she made in Suna, about how excited she was to re-enrol in the Konoha academy, about how excited she was about making new friends. All the while, Narumi felt Sakura's arms around her gently tightened as she gently rested her chin on the little girl's shoulder. All Sakura could do was smile as her eyes traced Naruto's name.
"I'm starting my Hokage training from tomorrow, Naruto," Sakura whispered after Narumi stopped talking. Narumi turned her head and kissed Sakura's cheek before turning back towards the gravestone.
"Mama will protect the village, papa!" Narumi yelled out in excitement at Naruto's gravestone. It would be two years ago, that Sakura sat her down and explained everything about what being the Hokage of the village meant. Sakura used Kakashi and Tsunade as examples of recent Hokage's, much to Narumi's surprise, since she saw them as grandparents instead of leaders of the village.
Sakura also told Narumi that it was Naruto's dream to become the Hokage, that becoming the Hokage meant that he was acknowledged by the people. So when Sakura announced to her little girl, earlier that day, that she was training to be the Hokage, Narumi was proud. Earlier that day was the first time Sakura told Narumi about Naruto's dream, and how she following it not only because of the promise she made… but to also make sure that the peace he died to create would continue onward far into the future.
"I want to be Hokage!" Narumi yelled out as the two of them sat on the grass in front of Naruto's gravestone. And Sakura could only chuckle as she held Narumi tight.
They frequently visited the gravestone; most times it would be Sakura and Narumi together, sometimes it would be Sakura by herself, and sometimes it would be Narumi by herself so that she could have some privacy with her father.
Konoha Cemetary, Narumi aged 7.
"Papa! Look!" Narumi yelled out in excitement before bringing up fingers on both hands and then crossing them over one another in a familiar seal, "kage bunshin no jutsu!"
Twenty clones of Narumi poofed into existence before she jumped up and down in celebration, and a few minutes later she dispelled the clones she created. She then brought her hands up to her chest and clasped them together before jumping and yelling out, "I did it. I did it."
Stopping at her fifth jump, Narumi looked down at Naruto's gravestone and formed a sad smile, "I'm doing good, papa. Today was the day we were supposed to bring our papa's to class so that they could talk about what they do." She wiped the tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered the looked of pity from the other students and parents as she sat next to her mother who had her arms around the little girl's shoulder, before continuing, "I wish you were there, 'ttebasa. Shino Sensei talked about you, so did mama before she had to quickly leave for the hospital."
Narumi then sat on the ground and picked at the grass, "mama's still in the operating room. She doesn't know when she'll be done." Narumi looked up, the sun was low in the sky before she looked back down at the ground, "Mama's going to Kumo for a diplomatic mission, and from there she and Uncle Sai, Uncle Shikamaru, and Aunt Hinata are going to the capital for an assignment by the Daimyo. She's supposed to be gone for two weeks, 'ttebasa."
Narumi then sighed before saying, "I'll be staying with grandpa and grandma for two weeks, but I'll miss mama. That's why I wish you were here too, 'ttebasa. Then I could stay with you… I mean I love grandpa but his jokes are very…" Narumi scratched her whiskered left cheek as she thought of a nice word to describe her grandfather's bad puns. Instead, she shrugged and said, "his puns suck."
Narumi then chuckled before she looked down at the etching of Naruto's name on the gravestone, "I hope you can hear me, Papa." Narumi then slowly got up to her feet, clapped her hands together and then bowed, "I'll see you again soon."
Konoha Cemetery, Narumi aged 10.
Standing in front of Naruto's gravestone, Narumi brought her hands close together, a few inches over the other before she started to concentrate. Breathing in and out, in and out, the girl soon heard the whirling of compressed chakra in-between the palms of her hands. Opening her eyes, the girl smiled, her eyes glancing towards the gravestone as she removed the hand covering the top of the whirling ball of chakra just above the palm of her hand.
"Grandpa Kakashi taught me the Rasengan," she said excitedly, "he said that this was Grandpa Minato's technique, and then he taught it to Granpa Jiraiya, and then Granpa Jiraiya taught it to you." Narumi grinned as she unravelled the ball of chakra by releasing the compressed energy a little at a time before placing her hands by her side and jumping up and down in excitement, "oh… oh… oh… I know my nature affinities; water and wind. Shino Sensei says that wind element users are very rare in Konoha, so Mama is getting Aunt Temari to help me with Jutsu's."
Narumi smiled as she recalled sitting at the dining table during dinner last night; it was the day she discovered her chakra nature affinities. To her, Sakura seemed very happy to hear that Narumi was connected to two elements; one being her Water element, and the other being Naruto's wind element. However, Narumi couldn't help but sense a tiny bit of worry in the way that Sakura looked away from Narumi and looked down at the bowl of rice in front of her. However, when Narumi asked if Sakura was feeling too tired from her duties at the hospital and the final stages of intensive training for the Hokage position, the latter shook her head with a chuckle before speaking in a cheerful voice.
"Oh, Temari-san," Sakura looked back up at Narumi, excitement in her voice as she referred to Shikamaru's wife, "I'll ask her to help you out, what do you think? She's the only wind-user I know who can use it to its full power." Sakura arched an eyebrow and smiled before Narumi nodded her head excitedly. She was even more excited when Sakura said that she'll teach her some water techniques, "how about it? Want this old lady to teach you some jutsu's?"
"You're not old mama," Narumi giggled before Sakura leaned forward, reached out with one arm from across the table, held onto Narumi's hand, and gently squeezed.
Back at the cemetery, Narumi then bowed down before standing up straight, "I have to go now, papa." She then gave out a loud and dramatic sigh, "finals begin tomorrow, wish me luck." Narumi then blew a kiss towards the gravestone, "mama and I love you."
Konoha Ninja Academy, Present Day, a few hours earlier; Narumi aged twelve.
Narumi's heart was racing as she approached her mother, who had a twinkle in her eyes, while she reached for a headband on the table next to her. Narumi stopped in front of the Seventh Hokage and looked up with bright Green eyes as her friends cheered in the background. Narumi's eyes were on Sakura who rested one hand on her head before reaching down and then pressing a finger on the tip of her nose; a gesture of affection ever since she was a year old.
"This is for you, Rumi," Sakura whispered as she held out the Konoha headband in her hand. Rumi looked down at the metal plate on the piece of cloth while she brought her hands forward, her fingers grasping the metal when she suddenly noticed that there was something strange. The cloth was brand new, as expected. But it was the metal part with the Konoha symbol etched on it that was finely scratched with several dents on the metal itself, Narumi looked up with a quizzical look on her face before Sakura whispered, "this is Naruto's headband, Rumi."
And a wide smile formed on her face as Sakura whispered, "make us proud."
Grasping the headband in her hands, Narumi gave a bow to her Hokage. Narumi's heart was beating excitedly at the thought that she was going to be wearing Naruto's headband for her career as a Konoha Kunoichi. Narumi then strode past Sakura, a grin on her face, with the next child behind her already reaching out for her headband while Narumi held back tears already welling up in her eyes. She made her way to the fourth row before taking a seat in front of both Sora and Shikadai, both of whom were standing so that they could follow the line of graduates who were waiting to go up on the stage.
"Rumi," Sora, the boy with scruffy dark blue hair, pale blue eyes that indicated the presence of his Byakugan, and a small puppy on top of his head giving off a bark, asked, "are you alright?"
Narumi smiled and nodded her head before looking over at a concerned Shikadai – the latter didn't have to say a word before Narumi said that she was alright and that she would talk to them after the graduation ceremony was over. The two of them nodded their heads before they made their way out of their row of chairs. It would be another thirty minutes before everyone else received their headbands; those who received the headbands had already tied the object around their foreheads, some around their arms, others around their necks. Narumi tied it around her neck, the Konoha symbol facing outwards proudly. And before long the graduation ceremony was over. Or at least that's what she thought.
"Again," Sakura looked out at the graduates as she stood at the podium while several Jonin walked up the stairs to the stage. Narumi recognized some of them – Sarutobi Konohamaru and his former team, Moegi and Udon. There were other Jonin there as well, but Narumi didn't recognize them, so her eyes shifted back to Sakura, "I would like to congratulate all of you on graduating the Academy. All of you are qualified as Konoha Genin."
Sakura stopped talking as the parents in the rear of the auditorium clapped for their children, as did Sakura when she smiled at Narumi. It would be a few seconds later that Sakura spoke into the microphone again, "however…" and at that word, the auditorium became as silent as a ghost town. Narumi's heart raced at wondering what could be going on… she had heard that tone of voice before; it was Sakura's 'you better listen to me, or there would be trouble' voice. And she gulped.
"While all of you qualify to become Genin," Sakura smirked before continuing, "none of you are technically Genin yet."
Narumi's heart dropped as whispers could be heard from the graduates around her. Sakura stopped talking, her eyes glanced over at Narumi who was looking back at her in surprise. A second later, she felt a tap on her shoulder before Sora whispered in her ear if she knew what was going on. Narumi looked over her shoulder and whispered that she had no idea what was happening. Many of the children who had shinobi parents looked back at the parent's area with quizzical looks on their faces while some of the civilian parents seemed as if they were about to be yelling out that it wasn't fair; that their children had gone this far to become shinobi.
"Settle down, all of you."
The whispers stopped as everyone looked back at the Hokage who, once it was quiet once again, continued to speak, "with this long period of peace, there is honestly no need to have so many Genin. So, the onus is on all of you graduates to show us how much being a Konoha shinobi means to you. In fact, this next stage of the graduation exam weeds out those who are unworthy to make it as Genin."
"But…" a student yelled out as she stood up, her voice full of anger. Narumi looked over at her, and then back at Sakura who was staring at the Genin with an eyebrow arched.
'Uh oh,' Narumi thought as she gulped. Sakura loved her, but she was also strict as well… and when she became angry, she would be very angry. Over time Narumi could tell when Sakura is about to blow up in anger at someone; the corners of her eyes would twitch, or she would arch an eyebrow upwards. And so, Narumi started a mental countdown, 'three, two, one, zero.'
And just as her count reached Zero, Narumi and the entire auditorium heard a loud, but stern voice yell out, "Being a Genin is not a right!" Sakura glared at the female Genin, "it is a privilege to wear those forehead protectors! It is because of those who came before you that you are still able to wear that forehead protector!" Sakura tore her eyes from the girl who paled at her outburst before taking a seat once again.
Narumi saw her mother eye all the graduates before Sakura's eyes fell onto her, which was when Sakura started to speak again, "being a Genin of this village is not based on nostalgia, or who your parents are, or what Jutsu you can perform. All of you have come this far on your own efforts with the support of your parents and guardians." Narumi looked on as Sakura formed a kind smile on her face before continuing, "being a shinobi in this current era is about protecting the peace we have right now. It is about shoring up that peace when it falters, and if… and only if, the peace we have built with our blood and tears suddenly fall, then there will be war. That is the truth." Narumi's finger brushed the metal plate of the forehead protector around her neck while Sakura was looking at her as she spoke, "those who do not pass will return to the Academy."
Narumi then heard more whispers around her as she stared at her mother in shock. She could even feel some eyes boring at her from behind, from her right, from the left, and some who were in the front row glaring at her as they looked over their shoulders. Narumi gulped before looking away from her mother who continued speaking.
"Your sensei's taught you everything you need to pass this test," Sakura said, her voice gentle as she looked at the graduates, "remember everything you learned at the Academy, remember what is the most important thing for Shinobi, and you will pass. All of you will be divided into twelve, three-person teams with a Jonin instructor." Sakura then turned to Konohamaru before looking back at the students, "I'll leave Sarutobi Konohamaru to announce the team assignments."
Sakura then took a deep breath before she said, "I want all of you to pass. And just because you don't, it won't be the end of the world. Anyone who doesn't pass this round will have another chance to pass the Genin exam later today." There was a sigh of relief that took over the students and parents before Sakura continued, "but for those of you who fail the second test, you will be sent back to the Academy where you will have two choices."
Sakura stopped as she watched the reactions with keen eyes. All of them were looking back at her, some with hope on their faces, some who were nervous, and one or two who seemed to already admit defeat.
She sighed before saying, "you would have a choice to perform duties in other areas of the Shinobi Corp - some of you could become medics, some of you would be assigned as clerks, or as gate sentries. Anyone not interested in continuing on with a Shinobi career could choose to continue onto the general studies curriculum and graduate in another two years as a civilian." Sakura looked around at the students. She mentally told herself that revamping the Academy curriculum was a good idea… in an era of peace, it was important that the generation after them became more worldly. So a general studies curriculum was introduced together with shinobi training. The training was compulsory for everyone until the Genin exams, those who failed would then be either reassigned or could drop out of the shinobi program and continue onto the general education curriculum before graduating from the Academy.
"This is the new way that graduations will be conducted beginning with his graduating class," Sakura said as she looked at the students, "All of you, even if you go on to other careers, will have the knowledge and training of Shinobi so if anything does ever happen. If there is an enemy that wishes to take advantage of a perceived weakness in Konoha because of the peaceful times we're living in now, then they're in for one hell of a surprise."
Sakura smirked at the chuckling going around the student and parent areas before continuing, "I wish all of you good luck. Parents, you'll be accompanied to room 6A where you will be able to see your children participate in the selection process." Sakura then turned to the students, "graduates will follow the Jonin sensei's behind me to training ground forty-seven. Remember your training, all of you. I wish you good luck once again."
Sakura then nodded at the people in front of her before saying, "if you would all excuse me." Sakura then looked over at Konohamaru and nodded her head, "they're all yours, Konohamaru."
Hokage Office, three hours later.
"Take a seat, Sakura," Tsunade calmly said as she stared at the pacing pinkette who had a look of worry on her face. The meeting with the Hyuugas were over, Hinata and Kiba headed home while Hanabi went on to meet the other Jonin instructors for her final Genin team assignments. In the meantime, Kakashi and Tsunade were sitting on one of the couches – the former peeling some oranges on the side table before handing one to Tsunade who thanked him before she turned back towards Sakura and said, "you're making me dizzy, and I'm not even drunk." Sakura stopped, narrowed her eyes at her former teacher, and then began pacing once again.
"The results should be in by now," Sakura said as she looked out the curved windows in her office, her eyes searching for Shino, Lee, or Konohamaru… three of the proctors for the first round of the Genin exams.
"Rumi will pass," Kakashi said leaning back on the couch. Kakashi glanced at Sakura who had her arms folded over her chest as she continued to pace to and fro, "teamwork's been pounded into the head if every student at the Academy; whether they realized it or not. Have a little faith in the education system, Hokage-sama."
Sakura sighed, and then she stopped before catching the peeled orange that Kakashi threw at her. The pinkette then leaned against her table and looked at the orange in her hand before she took out a small wedge shaped piece of the orange and popped it into her mouth. As she did, Tsunade got up and sighed, the older woman was supposed to be leaving Konoha later that night for a medical conference in Kumo, and so she excused herself before she yawned.
"You're not waiting for your god-granddaughter?"
"She'll pass," Tsunade waved her hands, "besides, it's not like I'm leaving for Kumo right now."
"When's the train departing?"
"Ten in the evening," Tsunade answered before looking back at Sakura, "Shizune's already been put in charge of the hospital. Ino's handling the children's mental trauma ward, and if they need anything… they have you, Sakura."
Sakura nodded her head before she looked out at the door to her office upon hearing the sound of feet thudding against the floor in the hallway. The pinkette formed a smile on her lips as the doors swung open and a dirt covered Narumi strode into the office, followed by a sheepish Shikamaru who lifted up his hand to show a blue coloured folder.
"Uzumaki Rumi!" another voice yelled out as Narumi stiffened while gulping towards her mother, "didn't I tell you not to barge into the Hokage's office?!" Konohamaru strode in through the door before closing it behind him. He then strode up to Narumi who turned and then looked back up at him with puppy-dog eyes. But Konohamaru wasn't falling for it, he narrowed his eyes and then glanced up at Sakura. The Hokage then walked up to Narumi and slapped the upside of her head playfully.
"That's for barging in without knocking," Sakura smirked as Narumi turned around, rubbing the side of her head while a grin formed on her face, "you passed, Rumi?"
"I passed!" she was jumping up and down before jumping onto Sakura, "I passed! I'm on my way to becoming the Hokage 'ttebasa!"
Sakura laughed, relieved, before kissing Narumi's cheeks. She then put her daughter down and ruffled her hair.
"How many passed?" Sakura asked as she looked over at Konohamaru and Shikamaru.
"Out of thirty-six, we have twenty-four genin who passed," Shikamaru said as he looked at the piece of paper in his hand.
"Shikadai?"
"Passed," Shikamaru said as he looked at the sheets of paper, a small smile on his face when he mentioned Shikadai's name, "so did Inojin, Chocho, Sora, Hiroshi, and Metal… at least the children from the remaining Konoha Twelve did pretty well."
"Hanabi-san, Lee-san, Udon, and Moegi, will be the proctors for the four teams that didn't pass," Konohamaru said, "they should be starting their tests in twenty minutes."
Sakura nodded her head before looking back down at Narumi who was eating an orange that Kakashi handed her a minute ago. She was proud of the daughter, the combination of herself and Naruto's quirks and abilities, and silently asked her lover and husband to watch over their little girl; smiling at the thought of Narumi yelling out once again that she was going to be the Hokage one day.
"But for now, go home and get some rest."
"Sora, Inojin, Chocho, Hiroshi, Metal, Shikadai, and I were going to get something to eat, can I hang out with them after I shower and stuff?" Narumi asked with a look of hope on her face. Sakura chuckled before nodding her head.
"Remember we have dinner at your grandparent's house," Sakura said, "they just knew you were going to pass, so mom told me she's been cooking a feast. And you know how much she loves to cook."
"Roast pork buns, roast pork ramen," Narumi drooled from the corner of her lips at the thought of steaming roast pork between glutinous flour buns. She shook her head before saying that she remembered, "meet you over there or… will you coming home and then we leave together."
Sakura placed her hand on Narumi's shoulder before saying, "I'll meet you over at their house since I've got some work to do. But I promise that I'll have it done by tonight, and then we'll enjoy ourselves, and then we'll go home together."
Narumi nodded her head.
"When we get home, there's something important we need to talk about." She saw the confused look on Narumi's face before saying, "it can wait. For now, go out and enjoy. Okay?"
Narumi smiled, the look on Sakura's face reassuring her that she had nothing to worry about, 'mama probably wants to talk about my team.' Once Narumi left for home, Sakura sat back down on her high back chair and breathed a sigh of relief. After making certain that Narumi was already out of the floor, Kakashi spoke up, "so, you're telling her tonight?"
"Yea," Sakura said before she looked up at Konohamaru, "once the final tests are done, separate the Genin into teams."
Konohamaru nodded his head before looking over at Shikamaru who said, "We'll perform a D-Rank Operation Hopscotch. Depending on how many pass the second round, have the appropriate number of Chuunin ready within three days."
"That should be enough to get the new kids ready," Tsunade said. Sakura then turned her head towards Konohamaru and nodded her head.
"Dismissed." Konohamaru nodded his head before he walked out the door, closing it behind him. As the door closed, Sakura shook her head and asked Shikamaru what was next on her schedule.
The Uzumaki Residence.
"Oh man!" Narumi said as she reached down towards her bedside table and then pulled the drawer out towards her. She was thinking about the day she had after the exams. She recalled how happy she and her team were upon hearing that they had passed; but not before Konohamaru and Shino sent the ones who had failed the first round to the second round.
After she returned home and took a shower, Narumi then left for some burgers with her close friends and classmates. The group of them were talking about the next stage of their Shinobi careers over a meal of burgers, fries and soda; the food of the current generation. The fast-food restaurant was one of several around Konoha that catered to a new generation of Shinobi and today, just like most other days, it was full of young people.
Narumi still frequented Ichiraku's where she and her friends would have the Special, a giant bowl of miso ramen with a mountain of barbeque pork. Of course, the Ichikaru's would give Narumi a discount, and it was the same for Sakura as well. But today, Thunder Burger was chosen for the celebratory meal among the freshly minted Genin.
But Narumi couldn't concentrate as they talked about the next stage of their ninja careers; taking on D-Rank missions. Shikadai was saying how troublesome it would be for them to go to someone's farm and shovel dung around. The group talked, and they talked, and talked while Narumi's mind was imagining meeting Naruto for the first time after pulling him out of his timeline.
The first thing she would do was hug him, and then she would drag him by his hand to her grandparent's house to meet Sakura. She imagined her mother being happy, so happy that she would tear up and thank her for such a gift. Narumi imagined approaching Kakashi, Konoha's resident seal master, and telling him that it was possible to send Naruto back to his own time and remember future events so that he wouldn't die. All in all, Narumi imagined having a father who would carry her in his arms, a father who would feed her a slice of cake, a father who would play with her, a father who would teach her jutsus.
The grin on Narumi's face as she and her friends talked was simply there for appearances. Instead, she was deep in thought, she couldn't reveal her plan… not to any of them since their parents were good friends. She knew that Shikadai, very likely, would stop her by saying she was playing with forces that she didn't understand. He could very well tell his own father who was one of Sakura's closest advisors and good friends.
But Narumi was committed. She loved Sakura with all her heart. But Narumi wanted to have her father too... she wanted to have a mother and a father.
Narumi was aware that Sakura received many proposals for marriage. There was one night when Narumi heard the pinkette complained to Ino one night over the phone when she was hiding in the hallway while on the way to get some water.
"Rumi's my life," Sakura had said as she sat on the couch that night in the living room two months after she became Hokage, "and how can anyone be like Naruto, you know." Narumi supressed her chakra as she heard Sakura sigh while she leaned back against the wall before the Hokage spoke once again on the phone. She spoke about how one person, a man two years older than her, a representative of a mercantile organization from the Land of Rivers arrived in Konoha for a meeting with a business partner, had proposed a courtship.
Sakura explained how she met the man during one of her walkabouts around the village; that he instantly asked her for a date upon learning she was the Hokage. "And then I said no, and the idiot begins telling me about how he wants to court me," Sakura told Ino as Narumi stifled a chuckle. In the meantime, Sakura continued over Ino's laughter, "it was embarrassing, the guy was there… in public… with all these people around us… pushing me to marry him. He said that it was not… and I quote," Sakura then used a deep voice that imitated the man, "my dear Hokage, it is not a good idea to have a beautiful woman like you rule this village without a husband."
Narumi put her hands over her mouth and used her willpower not to laugh as she imagined the poor man begging Sakura.
Narumi could hear Ino's laughter over the phone as Sakura spoke, "not funny, Ino-pig. You know how difficult it was not to punch the guy out of the village." Narumi continued to listen, her arms by her side now, "anyway I told him I wasn't interested. Had to release a little bit of killing intent, but he got the message." Narumi head Sakura sigh as the latter then said, "hold on, Ino, Rumi still hasn't gone to bed."
Surprised, Narumi widened her eyes before walking sheepishly into the living room as Sakura turned her head over her shoulder with a smirk adorning her lips.
Narumi then sheepishly said, "I just went to the kitchen to get some water, mama."
Smiling, Sakura went back onto the phone and said, "hey, Ino, I'll talk to you tomorrow. We'll meet for lunch." After Sakura put the phone down, she looked back at Narumi who was standing… shifting her weight from one leg to another nervously. Sakura sighed as she stood up before placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "come on, I'll tuck you back into bed."
"Can I have some warm milk and a story?" Narumi asked as she looked up at her mother, "pleeeease?"
Sakura chuckled before nodding her head, "fine. Milk and then just one story, and then bed."
It would be a year later that Narumi discovered the important scroll she was holding in her hand. Now, she looked at the clock on the side table in her room next to the bed before looking back at the scroll.
'It's seven right now, and dinner at grandpa and grandma's is at seven thirty,' Narumi thought to herself as she bit the tip of her thumb and then smeared the blood on the seal that held the scroll shut. When she first found the scroll, she had been trying for the better part of an hour to open it. It would be then, after many tries, that she discovered that the seal needed blood to be released. And from the swirl on the latch, she knew it needed Uzumaki blood.
Back in her bedroom, Narumi looked on as the seal that kept the scroll closed was released. The girl then unfurled it on the bed before she got up on the mattress on both knees. She stared at the notes she had written on the side of the scroll, with the intricately drawn seal in the center, 'okay, I have the time ready… at least a few minutes after papa leaves mama's apartment. I just have to think of him, think of the year, and where he was at a certain moment in time.'
"And the seal will take care of everything else," Narumi whispered as she began weaving the hundred and twenty hand signs required for the jutsu to work. "I'll see you soon, Papa. And we'll be a full family again."
While Narumi was weaving hand signs, two very important events were occurring at the very same time.
The front gate.
The old man was tired. He was exhausted after walking for so long. He knew that the train was available from where he was in the Land of Rivers, but there was something about the transports he didn't like. So he walked all the way to Konoha. He stared at the high walls of the village, and then at the open gates with the sight of the village buildings behind it. The sky was already darkening, and the lights around the buildings, a mixture of new and old, were being switched on.
His cane hitting the ground, the man continued to walk until he was at the gates. He looked around, his face shadowed underneath his hood, and felt a sense of familiarity with the place. It was something he couldn't understand; why would he be so familiar with Konoha? As far as he was aware, he hadn't come here before… but then again, he didn't know his own name, 'I could be mistaken on having lived here.'
"Sir?" The old man looked over to his left at the shed-like structure. The man who called out to him, a dark-haired man with white tape across the bridge of his nose, walked around the counter and towards him, "welcome to Konoha, may I have your identification and reason for visiting?"
"I'm sorry," the old man shook his hooded head, "I have no identification." The old man could see that the gate guardian was about to say something, but he intervened first, "I think I'm from Konoha. I had a dream about this place and…" the Old Man looked forward at the distant faces on Hokage Rock, the faces lit up by the spot lights on the roof of the Hokage Tower, before looking back at the confused gate guardian who was soon joined by his partner.
"Kotetsu-san?" The Shinobi wearing dark shades asked.
"I don't even remember my name," the old man said, his head turning towards the newcomers and then back to Kotetsu. That got him a sympathetic look from the two of them, "I was told my dreams were of Konoha, and so I walked all the way here."
"I see," Kotetsu said rubbing his chin.
"I remembered…" the Old Man stopped speaking, his voice still so hoarse, as he recalled the memory he had ten minutes ago of a blonde haired boy wearing a dark orange and black jacket walking in front of him, "I remember a blonde woman.. she was on a bench and…"
"Do you remember a name?" Kotetsu's partner, Aoba, asked.
The Old Man shook his head before saying he had, not twenty minutes ago, had a flash of memory where he was walking behind a blonde haired boy wearing a dark orange and black jacket. He saw the two men open their eyes wide before they took a step back in surprise.
"Do.. do you know him?" the Old Man asked, his voice was still hoarse but full of hope at the same time at the sight of the reaction between the two Shinobi, "that boy, do you know him? I… then… then... does this mean I have been here before?"
"You…" Kotetsu narrowed his eyes, his voice quivering as he remembered the blonde boy in the dark orange and black jacket – there was only one Shinobi who wore that combination of colours. And Kotetsu was there the day that very boy returned to Konoha after two and a half years, "could you take off your hood." The Old Man pulled back his hood to reveal his weary eyes, the scar on his cheek and throat, faded red ink just under his eyes, and short spiky white hair.
"My God," Kotetsu said as he stepped back, as did Aoba, "you… you… it can't be…"
"You know me?" the man said, his eyes getting tearful as he continued to speak in his hoarse voice despite his throat starting to hurt, "please, who am I? Who is the blonde woman? Who is the blonde boy? Please…. I... need an answer."
"Aoba," Kotetsu said, "contact the Nanadaime and then contact the Rokudaime and the Godaime. Tell them to head to the hospital, now!" Aoba then shunshined away towards Sakura's office while she had some company giving her some unique news about a particular scroll.
In the meantime, Kotetsu then flared his chakra, something that would be done in emergencies, to call for back-up. The Old Man stared in surprise as two figures wearing masks appeared on either side of him in a swirl of leaves. The two masked figures stared at the old man and hide the surprise they felt at seeing someone who they knew to be dead.
"Please who am I?" the Old Man said looking at all three, "please, can you tell me?"
"These two will take you to the hospital," Kotetsu said as he walked towards the man before reaching out and placing his hand on the old man's arm, "we'll have our doctors do a DNA test on you to confirm your identity. And then there are a few more tests that need to be completed before… before the Hokage can confirm who you are."
The old man, his heart racing in anticipation of finally discovering who he was, stood in place as the two masked figures walked towards him.
"We'll escort you to the hospital, sir." One of them said.
"Will I know who I am?" the Old Man said looking into the eyeholes of one of the Anbu, pale eyes barely visible through the slits, "was I a shinobi?"
"We'll have the answers for you once we've run some tests," the other masked figure, the old man could now tell from the voice that it was a female with dark brown hair, said, "for now, we'll take you to the hospital where we'll have the head doctor in charge examine you."
"Thank you," the Old Man whispered before he was whisked away towards the direction of the hospital. Kotetsu was left alone now as he scratched his head.
'Jiraiya-sama, how are you still alive? Where were you?'
Sakura's Office, a few minutes earlier.
Sakura was ready to leave. She still had two more piles of paperwork to complete, but she felt that her shadow clones could take care of it. And so, she was about to create three shadow clones to finish up the work so that she could head on to her parents home for Narumi's congratulatory dinner. But before she could, the door to her office swung open and a man in a chuunin vest rushed in. The guy stopped just inside her office while her eyebrows were arched upwards. Sakura was about to ask what the hell he was thinking barging into the Hokage's office when he lifted a scroll with three open straps hanging down towards the floor.
The chuunin himself was bent at the knee panting while Sakura folded her arms across her chest and tapped her sandals on the floor as she stood behind her desk.
"Hokage... Hokage-sama," the man panted as he stood up. He struggled for breath before he spoke again, "we.. we have a big problem."
"There's always some kind of a problem…" Sakura looked up at the panting man, "and you are?" Sakura asked, waiting for an answer as her voice trailed off.
"Satoshi, from the archival department," the Chuunin quickly added as he wiped the sweat off his brow, "I.. I was finishing up the audits of Kinjutsu scrolls that we recently discovered and…. Well…" the Chuunin, Satoshi, walked towards the Hokage's desk and reached out with the scroll towards the pink haired woman. Sakura frowned before reaching out to grab the scroll and asking, "what's so important about this scroll that you've run up all the way here in a panic?" Sakura asked Satoshi who was still panting, "and calm down man."
"Sorry, Hokage-sama," the man gulped before continuing, "the records we have associated with the serial number on the scroll…" Sakura looked down at the number on a piece of paper attached to the scroll. She stared at it, and then noticed the blood seal with the Uzumaki swirl on it. She then looked up as Satoshi told her that the straps meant that there was another scroll attached to it, "and the records prove that there is another scroll that is supposed to stay attached together with the one you are holding."
"I'm confused," Sakura shook her head, "the scroll has an Uzumaki blood seal on it, I can see that. What I haven't been told is that if there is another scroll that's supposed to go with this one here, then where is it? And what's so important about it?"
"It… it's unbelievable, I know, but the missing section is supposed to be able to bring someone from the past to the present," Sakura widened her eyes as she tried to suppress a chuckle, "it can be made to perform various other…"
"What kind of a joke are you putting on?" Sakura was chuckling now while shaking her head, "time travel? Bringing someone from the past and towards the future? Or rather the present? Come on… are you serious? Time travel?"
"Hokage-sama," the Chuunin said just as Aoba rushed into her office, stopping next to Satoshi.
"Aoba-san?" the Hokage said, with a chuckle, "are you here to tell me that we have someone from the past suddenly appearing here in our present?" Sakura laughed as she sat down on her chair, the newcomer staring at her dumbfounded.
"Ummm… Hokage-sama," Aoba said rubbing the back of his head, "a man arrived at the front gate about a minute ago." Sakura was still chuckling, as Aoba continued, "he claims to have no memories of who he is, or what his name is. He said that he believes he's lived in Konoha before and he mentioned a blonde woman." Sakura was now shaking her head, her face red from holding back her laughter at the thought of someone from the past being able to appear in the present, "and Hokage-sama, he mentioned having memory flashes of walking… walking behind a blonde haired boy wearing a dark yellow and black jacket."
Suddenly the temperature in the office seemed to have dropped as Sakura stopped laughing and her eyes were locked on Aoba.
"What?" the Hokage growled leaning forward on her desk, "what kind of joke…"
"Ma'am, this man… he looks just like Jiraiya-sama," Aoba said as Sakura and Satoshi stared at him in surprise.
"It's not possible," Sakura said standing up and pointing to a spot to the left of Aoba, "I was here when Fukasaku-sama told us that Jiraiya died. And… and he… Wait, did you say he talked about a boy in a dark yellow and black Jacket? Naruto… this guy… wait… it's not possible that Jiraiya-sama is alive."
Sakura was in disbelief at just hearing about the possibility that Jiraiya was still alive. In fact, it was an insult that whoever this man was at the gate was sullying the memory of one of Konoha's Legendary Sannin. She was about to order that the man be brought to the hospital for a complete check-up so that they could verify who he really was, when her eyes suddenly widened in shock.
Uzumaki Home; at that exact same time.
Narumi was finally ready. As she imagined her father's face from the pictures in the living room downstairs, Narumi weaved the final seal. Naruto's image was already burned into her mind since the day she could understand Sakura's stories about him, and now she focused on her father as if there was no tomorrow.
She imagined the smile on Naruto's face as he hugged her and Sakura. Narumi imagined the look of happiness on Sakura's face, and she then imagined her own expression of joy while hugging her father tightly.
Narumi had all these thoughts going through her head as she raised her arms up before slamming her hands, one of top of the other, down on the seal just as she felt her chakra flare before she pushed it into the seal. She then yelled out, "time inversion jutsu!" Narumi opened her eyes wide as the seal glowed a bright blue.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pinch, followed by searing pain on the right side of her neck just as she saw a transparent, but faded, image of Naruto in a torn jacket and mesh shirt, holding a swirling blue ball of chakra in his right hand. He was jumping at another man who had a sneer on his face, his right-hand crackling with electricity as he aimed it at her father. Seeing the two jutsu's about to connect, Narumi could tell there was something wrong. The pain on the side of her neck worsened as her mind went to imagining Naruto walking out of Sakura's apartment the day he and her were intimate with each other… that was what she was supposed to see. Not this.
She had heard about this from her mother. Sakura had arrived just as the two jutsu's connected… the force of the contact destroyed the two statues of the Shodai and Madara while pushing everything else, including Sakura, back several meters away. And by the time Sakura got back to her feet, Naruto's dead body was on the ground with a hole where the heart should have been while Sasuke was lying several feet away, his left hand covered in blood with Naruto's heart gripped tightly.
Narumi was about to watch the death of her father. And so, she screamed while her chakra flared, "Papa! Mama!"
Hokage Office; now.
Upon feeling the flare from Narumi's chakra, Sakura stood up... the chair falling towards the floor, and spun around towards the window behind her. She recognized the chakra, it was Narumi's combined with the chakra from a Jutsu that she had been working to improve for years, a jutsu that was created by the Niidaime Hokage, and then improved on by the Yondaime Hokage, and stepped up a little bit by the Nanadaime Hokage Uzumaki Sakura; the Hiraishin.
Ever since she began her Hokage training, Sakura had been studying the Yondaime's Kunai markers and the Jutsu formula, and training herself on how to use a lower amount of chakra to travel further distances using her version of the Hiraishin. This fact was only know by Kakashi and Tsunade, the two of them giving her access to one of the secret training grounds used by the Hokage's to practice their Jutsu or to simply meditate.
Sakura knew that the Hiraishin was a technique she needed in her repertoire since she wasn't the strongest out of her other two former teammates. Six months before Kakashi's retirement and her confirmation from the Jonin of the village, Sakura successfully completed her version of the jutsu. Using her fine chakra control, Sakura was able to create the chakra equivalent of the Yondaime's Hiraishin markers. It used her own chakra, thus negating the need to carry extra kunai with her; however, she had seals etched onto her black gloves that stored three kunai each for emergencies. It used so little of her chakra that she could theoretically pepper an entire battlefield with those markers before losing any of her chakra.
She already marked several areas of the village including her home, Tsunade, Kakashi, Ichiraku's stall, and Narumi. Since the chakra markers used her own chakra and chakra formula, she was able to sense all the places the markers were placed, and she could get to that location instantaneously by simply thinking about it. She had already pushed a marker, something that was painless, into Narumi's body.
The infusion of chakra was low enough not to interfere with Narumi's chakra flow, but high enough that Sakura could sense it when she needed to travel to her. Or she could pull Narumi towards her in an instant. It was a technique that hadn't failed in the three minor skirmishes where she had used it – in all cases, from the rogue elements of the Samurai armed with Chakra absorbing armour to the former Team Taka who thought they had grown powerful enough to crush Konoha in revenge for Sasuke's death. The enemy were killed in flashes of pink, and it didn't take too long before other villages heard of the return on the Hiraishin to Konoha.
And now Sakura was having trouble sensing that chakra in Narumi. It was something that was not supposed to happen. She could feel that her child was alive but, at the same time, Sakura couldn't latch onto the chakra formula swirling in Narumi's body to pull her away. Neither could she latch onto the chakra for her to travel to her daughter directly.
"Get that man to the hospital," Sakura said before she thought of another plan. The next thing she knew, Sakura was in her living room before calling out, "Rumi!" She then dashed towards the foyer and then she shunshined up to the top of the stairs before taking off towards the closed door to Narumi's room. Sakura, her heart racing, could feel a strange energy brush her skin, a strange chakra that was emanating from her daughters' room through the door as she reached for the knob. All she knew was that she needed to get Narumi out of there, and she had to do it now.
"Mama!" it was a scream that froze Sakura's blood as she pushed the door open to find her daughter covered in blue and white light. Narumi was facing her, kneeling on the bed, both hands pressed against the glowing seal drawn onto the scroll. Even at such as short distance, Sakura couldn't latch on to the Hiraishin chakra circulation in Narumi's body. And so, Sakura rushed into the room and leapt towards her daughter in the hopes that she could push Narumi off and away from the scroll.
However, to her own surprise, Sakura literally flew through her daughter and landed behind her on the frilled pillows lain against the headboard. As she hit the bed, Sakura faced Narumi's back, and then she saw some strange blue coloured energy crackling where the seal was located on the girl's neck.
'No,' Sakura thought as the seal started to break down.
And then Narumi screamed out in pain while Sakura yelled out Narumi's name. Suddenly, there was the sound of a 'BOOM!', Sakura yelled as Narumi's body vanished before there was a huge shockwave of chakra that burst from the scroll. The shockwave picked up Sakura and slammed her, back first, against the wall over the edge of the headboard before she crashed back down onto the bed. The Chakra explosion was enough to cause a blackout throughout the neighbourhood before Sakura closed her eyes, a groan escaping her lips.
And that was it. There was a sudden quiet that fell on the room as Sakura lay unconscious on the bed with what looked to be smoke rising out of the seal in the middle of the scroll. It would be two minutes later that a concerned Kakashi and Tsunade, having felt the burst of chakra, shunshined in with several other Anbu.
"Sakura!" Tsunade called out as she ran to the Nanadaime Hokage who was lying unconscious on the bed while Kakashi rushed to the open scroll. He frowned at the seal on the scroll before looking around the room, his normal eye scanning the area for any threats. His gaze passed the open closet; missing the pile of clothes lying in the darkness of the closet's insides, before turning back to the groaning Sakura.
He saw that Tsunade was using her healing chakra on Sakura who rolled onto her back.
"Sakura," Kakashi said as he walked up to and stood next to the worried Tsunade who could hear the whistles from the Konoha Police Forces as they were leaping from one building to another as they made their way to Sakura's neighbourhood. "Sakura," Kakashi said once again before she snapped open her eyes and sat up, her head nearly hitting Tsunade's forehead as the latter leaned back on the bed.
"NARUMI!" Sakura yelled as she looked around the darkened room before she looked over at Kakashi and then at Tsunade, "where is she?" Sakura's heart was racing as Kakashi and Tsunade said that she was the only one in the room. Sakura scanned her surroundings, even tried to latch onto Narumi's chakra. But Narumi was nowhere to be found, 'no, she has to be somewhere…. I… no… I can't lose her. No… not her… not her…'
"Sakura," Tsunade said as she got off the bed and leaned forward to hold onto her former students arms, "what happened? What was that burst of chakra?"
Sakura didn't answer Tsunade, instead she flared her chakra, calling additional Anbu who appeared in the messy room almost immediately. She looked away from Tsunade, past the pile of clothes she could barely make out in the dark, and towards the other Anbu. Her mind recalled the look of fear on Narumi's face as she commanded, "Find my daughter, search the whole village. Get the sensor division to help you out."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," they answered as Tsunade and Kakashi looked at each other in concern upon hearing Sakura's command about finding Narumi.
"Disperse," Sakura ordered. The Anbu shunshined away before Sakura was helped off the bed by Tsunade as Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and stared around the room before turning towards Sakura.
"What happened? Where's Narumi?"
"What did you mean, Sakura?" Tsunade asked after Kakashi, "what happened to Narumi?"
"I… I don't know," Sakura said as she looked around the bed before her eyes caught sight of the open scroll, "Narumi was here in the bed when I came in… she was sitting over this scroll…" Tsunade and Kakashi strode over to the open scroll and stared at the glowing seal. Kakashi was about to say that he had never seen a seal like the once painted on the scroll, and that it would have to be taken to the cypher division to have it analysed. Instead, the three of them stared at each other at hearing the groan coming from the closet. The three of them turned around and stared at the pile of clothes which was now moving in the closet.
"Rumi?" Kakashi inquired as Sakura walked past him and into the closet before she began pulling away the clothes covering the figure.
"Rumi, is that… no," Sakura pulled the last blouse away and then stepped back in surprise at the figure they were seeing with their own eyes.
Even in the dark, they could make out the blonde hair. They would make out the Cerulean blue eyes on a confused face staring back at them. Sakura brought her hands over her lips, stifling the gasp as she glanced at the torn dark orange and black jacket and fishnet undershirt the figure was wearing before looking back up towards the blue eyes that were locked onto her jade orbs. At the same time, Kakashi's hands were shaking as his mind tried to process who he was seeing on the floor with the clothes of a pre-teen girl all around him. Tsunade herself gasped at the sight of the boy she thought she would never see again; a boy she considered the son she never had..
"Na…" Sakura whispered, her voice breaking as she recalled a glowing boy saving her and the medical staff from white zetsu infiltrators. The boy who she had a date with the night before he left for his training. She still remembered the ramen they had together, the first time as an official couple, at Ichiraku's… the picture of that day was on the desk in her office. This was the boy whose name she had taken after the war – their wedding legalised on paper only after the discovery that she was pregnant with Narumi. "Naru…"
"Kakashi-sensei? Baa-chan? Sak… Saku… Sakura-chan? Is… is that… that… you?" the blonde boy whispered, "where… am I… I was…"
His eyes rolled back into his skull before his upper body fell back onto the floor. The three of them were staring at the unconscious body for a few seconds… all of them in shock at what happened before Sakura was the first to move.
She dashed forward while yelling out "Naruto!" with tears welling in her eyes.
Narumi, Konoha.
Narumi groaned while lying down on something soft beneath her. In the back of her mind, she believed it was her mattress in her room. It very well could be the truth since the last thing she remembered was kneeling on her soft bed while both hands were pressed against a seal on a scroll. She remembered seeing Naruto and the other dark-haired man leaping towards each other, their jutsu's impacting before she called out "Papa!" Narumi then felt a surge of energy going through her body just as the door to her room was pushed open. She saw Sakura standing in stunned silence at the door staring in disbelief. Narumi remembered being unable to feel the Hiraishin chakra in her system being pull on by Sakura. That terrified Narumi. A part of her was telling her that this could not be how the jutsu was supposed to work.
And then she remembered feeling a pull – as if something grabbed her very soul before it began pulling her towards the seal. Then she felt a prick on her neck, and the prick soon turned to a sensation of having hundreds of daggers breaking through the skin.
It hurt. It hurt a lot.
"Narumi!" She saw Sakura leap for her, but the pink haired Hokage went through her daughter. And then Narumi called for Sakura before everything turned black.
And now she was lying on something hard with the sounds of music, and the yelling of children and parents, as well as the smell of some delicious food that started her mouth watering. Sitting up slowly, Naruto found herself on the roof of a building under a star filled night sky. She rubbed the back of her head as she looked around to get her bearings.
'This is the Hokage Tower,' she thought as she looked out out at the familiar view as she got up to her feel. She rubbed the side of her neck while wondering why it stung so much, 'I'll talk to mama about that... if she doesn't ground me until I'm as old as Granny Tsunade that is.' Turning around to make for the stairs that would lead to the entryway towards the interior of the top floor, Narumi stopped walking as she stared at the lights shining onto the faces that made up the Hokage monument.
All the faces that should be on the mountain were there except for one. Where there was supposed to be the face of her mother, Uzumaki Sakura, following the stone faces of Kakashi and Tsunade; now there was the face of someone else. A face she recognised from the pictures drawn by Sai and the few pictures taken of Team Seven and Team Kakashi before they were broken up.
Uzumaki Naruto.
"Papa?" Narumi whispered as her eyes went wide open in surprise and confusion, 'okay, what just happened?' She was speechless as she stood frozen still while staring up at the face of her dead father, 'what went wrong with the Jutsu?'
At that same exact same time, Ino was with her husband, Sai, and her son, Inojin, when she received a priority alert from the Sensor Division which she led. Following the events of the Parent Child Day festivities, Sai and Inojin were out of it after participating in an eating competition. Ino simply wanted to take it easy and take care of her two boys. Instead, while Sai lay on her lap and Inojin was drawing the two of them, a call came through her earpieace. She stiffened as one of the technicians in the Sensor Divishion headquarters informed her that an unknown chakra signature simply appeared out of nowehere.
"What do you mean it just came out of nowhere?" Ino barked as Sai sat up and then turned towards his wife who was tilting her head to the left, "where is the signal?"
"The Hokage Tower, and it's holding steady."
"Damn it," Ino got up to her feet, as did Sai and Inojin. Ino then frowned before she telepathically contacted Naruto who was training with his son, Boruto, and relayed the news to him. Once she received a reply, she then turned towards Sai and said, "Naruto will meet you at the roof of the Hokage Tower, his Anbu should be on the way there now."
Sai nodded his head before shunshining away in a swirl of leaves
TBC.