Thank you for those who mentioned that this site is casually falling apart (it's like something I knew in the back of my mind but kinda ignored). I dunno if I'll cross these over to my ao3 atp but we shall see :)

To my lovely reviewer who mentioned the typo in my summary that has been there since day ONE, thank you so much-- I'm embarrassed that I never noticed it. Ur the best and I hope ur pillow is cold on BOTH sides always

And to the same reviewer who noted that I wrote Hinata out HARD... yes, yes I did. No shame at all. This fic is really just a fun outlet for my Naruto ideas. She's never been included in those thoughts or ideas. I intend to keep it that way :)

When Sakura's eyes opened, she saw an abyss. But as she blinked and her vision cleared a bit, she realized it was more accurate to say she was drowning in the darkness. The cool emptiness surrounded her, enveloping her in a cloak of confusion.

Abysses were meant to be cold to the touch, an endless void that filled one with a sense of detachment. A feeling so inexplicably isolated that it felt impossible to be comforted by another soul.

So why was the abyss warm? It was an odd sensation on her skin, but it hugged her in a way that comforted it. Her other senses kicked in as her body relaxed and sunk into the lull without any complaint. She closed her eyes.

She could smell a number of things. So many ingredients and scents, but two stood out to her. Miso ramen and fresh steamed rice. It was such an odd thing to pick out, especially among other scents that consumed her.

Sakura couldn't figure out why they stood out or who they were tied to. And as she focused. She felt an excruciating stabbing pain in her head, so she abandoned that thought process rather quickly. Instead, she searched for anything else that stood out.

If she let herself linger in the fragrances, she'd recognize her mother's perfume, Ino's lavender scented hair mask, the sterile atmosphere of the hospital, and the book smell (both old and new) that somehow clung to Kakashi.

She flinched when a rush of air came over her, sending her hair back and she was reminded of the way her body would react when Shisui took her with him as he flickered across Konoha. The air was warm but a cold, unsettled feeling chilled her down to her bones.

When she breathed in this time, the air was noticeably murkier, the scent of wet sediment filling her lungs.

She hated it already.

"You can open your eyes."

Sakura held back another flinch. Obito was still there.

But she did as she was told and opened her eyes.

She was in a cave, it seemed. Jagged stalagmites and stalactites protruded from the ground and ceiling, respectively. There was also enough light that she could miraculously make out more than just the rocks, but also the silhouette of Obito, presumably.

"This is an odd place," Sakura commented, crossing her arms against her chest. "Got tired of being in your pocket dimensions?"

She couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu-- but nothing seemed viable in her memories.

Her eyes stayed on Obito's feet, unwilling to look up and give him a leverage over her yet again. She didn't completely understand it, but she knew he tinkered with her mind somehow. There just seemed to be an itch that she couldn't scratch.

And she was positive Obito was to blame.

"I didn't want to be privy to Konoha's annoying shinobi," Obito answered. "I decided to lay it low somewhere else."

"And you brought me along," Sakura added, lest he forget that she was currently his captive.

"I brought you along," Obito repeated, walking towards her and falling into a crouch. She refused to look up, so when his hand came to touch underneath her chin, she squeezed her eyes shut. "You're a cautious girl. Much different from your mentor. She would go in with reckless abandon, attempting to smash her way through her problems. Brute strength can solve everything if it's enough to destroy the thing giving you a headache."

"But Tsunade wasn't your only mentor," Obito continued, a strange sense of amusement lacing his words. "You were also trained by some of the most infamous Uchiha. Shisui. Itachi. Both the best in their respective fields of expertise and considered shinobi not to trifle with if spotted. You've also gained the affection of the main family, enough that you're slotted to marry the current heir."

Sakura's eyes shot open, her shock and confusion overruling the mental reprimands for opening her eyes.

By some miracle, Obito wasn't using any visual jutsu on her, not that she could tell.

"That's a surprise? You don't remembering making Sasuke fall in love with you-"

Sasuke? Uchiha heir?

Sakura wished she could focus on his words, as he continued to speak. But there was ringing in her ears, the noise muffling heated words Obito was saying. A sharp pain struck above her eyes, finding a home to abuse in her orbital arch. She squeezed her eyes, lurching forward and holding her temples in her hands.

No healing chakra came from her touch, just cool skin to soothe the raging fire that seemed to engulf her brain. Part of her wanted to scream, to find some outlet for the pain, but something else told her to remain quiet. She already showed enough weakness to her enemy.

A gloved hand came to grip her chin this time, forcing her face upwards. When she refused to open her eyes, another hand came up and forced one open by pulling her eyelids up.

She couldn't tell if it was an act of mercy when her consciousness slipped and she fell into a blissfully painless sleep.

Shisui was, undeniably, pissed.

For an innumerable amount of reasons, incase anyone wanted to know. But he guessed that they boiled down to a few pretty big ones.

Sakura was taken in the most idiotic way. Two of the most powerful shinobi were by her side. And she was sucked into a void.

The shame that enveloped him was more powerful than his shame when he discovered the coup his family nearly attempted. He hadn't thought that was possible, but he sat in his tent replaying all the mistakes that were made.

Sakura may not be the most powerful shinobi, but she made herself pretty damn indispensable in this time. She knew secrets of their world that have never been spoken in this time, she saved near an entire clan from total slaughter, and she did so by being kind.

He knew Sakura's past, in its entirety. How she felt, how her body moved, how her body refused to move. . . Shisui saw it all. Her bond with Sasuke and Naruto was so intimate in a way he barely understood until he saw the inner workings of her mind.

And he hated her original Sasuke. Sakura was far too enamored with him to see how much more she deserved. It pained Shisui to see how horrendously toxic her life had been originally. Yes, the new timeline was considerably better. But it had its faults.

Sasuke was overbearingly jealous, selfish, and protective. All at the same time.

Shisui wondered if Sakura saw how much potential there was elsewhere. And perhaps he was too harsh on Sasuke because he was his blood, but Shisui couldn't help but think that Sakura's efforts should be focused not towards an Uchiha.

In part they were, but Shisui wondered if Sakura realized how much her own bias has held her back.

"You're lost in there, again," Itachi said in a soft voice, bringing up a hand to poke between his eyes. "Sakura-chan will be just fine."

Shisui looked down at his cousin, bed ridden and pale. Tsunade, filled with food and drinks, had taken a good look at Itachi's state once she was upright. The Fifth Hokage deemed him a high-risk patient and condemned him to his own tent for the time being as they made preparations.

Shisui should be helping. But he left it up to Sasuke and their generation. He's been through war before, best to let the new blood get a taste of reality.

"I'm the only one who knows everything," Shisui shook his head. "Placing a cap on Sakura-chan's memories was tricky and in the time we had, I'm not sure how it'll affect her brain. It was already bearing the brunt of two lives and two chakra presences; I tacked on another burden."

"What are the worst case scenarios?" Itachi asked.

"Besides dying from the mental overload?" Shisui said, a questioning lilt to his words. He continued when Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Her memories could forever be sealed away. If it's tampered with too much from a malicious force, the jutsu will lock down forever. She'll forever have a cap on those memories. And I don't know how that affects our Sakura-chan. She loves the versions of everyone in this time, but the boys. . ."

"They held an irreplaceable love in her heart," Itachi said with a small smile. "It's warming to know how much she loves them, each version of them. But I understand your concern."

"There's something I'm worried about too," Shisui admitted. Itachi simply looked at him expectantly. "When I did the jutsu, I tried to rework it to apply only to her first life's memories. . . But the thing is, I saw more than her first life. I think Sakura-chan's mind combined pieces of her old and new life, making them inseparable in her memories. Specifically in regards to Sasuke and Naruto."

"Do you think the jutsu extended not just to her memories, but to Naruto-kun and Sasuke in this time as well?" Itachi questioned.

Shisui exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding, looking towards the flap of the tent.

It didn't limit the amount of noise from the village outside. Construction workers fixing the shambles of the buildings, shinobi barking orders to those on watch, and parents yelling at children to be careful were all heard through the thick fabric.

"I think we shouldn't be surprised if we find Sakura-chan and that's the case," Shisui said. "I'm not exactly thrilled, but at the same time. . ."

"Do you think it's best?" Itachi whispered.

Shisui looked at him, almost expecting judgment and disappointment. But all he saw was a softened, compassionate gaze.

"I think Sakura-chan deserves more than what that brat can offer," Shisui said, letting out a small chuckle. "I sound like an overbearing big brother."

"To her that's what you are," Itachi reminded him. "And that is exactly what I am with Sasuke. I understand your apprehension about their relationship, perhaps not to the same extent, but my opinions are founded only on this version of their relationship."

"I'm biased, I know," Shisui chuckled, looking away. "He was truly a piece of work in her time. He didn't deserve Sakura-chan or Naruto. They were loyal to him despite everything."

"I'm sure I did not deserve Sakura-chan's love in this time, if we based it on a timeline that's no longer in existence," Itachi said. "I'm smart enough to draw my own conclusions from what she's revealed to us. She never did explain our history, just that of Obito and the war."

"We dodged a massacre because Sakura-chan befriended Naruto and Sasuke when she was six," Shisui said. "To think time is so fragile that friendship can alter it so drastically."

Itachi hummed. "I think the bond between those three was always bound to affect the world in its entirety, no matter what timeline we are in. They each play a part to complete each other."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Tachi," Shisui said. "I'm just not too sure about bringing Sasuke with us. She might not even remember him or his presence could cause a negative reaction in her mind. I erased the memories but feelings that have transcended time itself. . ."

"Sakura-chan's love is everlasting," Itachi agreed. "But I'm not too eager to tell Sasuke that he won't be there to retrieve her."

"Make him accompany Naruto," Shisui suggested. "I know Kakashi-senpai is gathering the team and prepping now. Tell him he's been assigned."

"Me?" Itachi questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't it you who wants to exclude him?"

"You're the Hokage," Shisui said lamely. It was a poor excuse, even for him.

Itachi gestured to his admittedly frail body. "I'm not exactly Hokage material at the moment."

"And Sasuke admires you," Itachi added, with a small smile. "I'm sure it'll be a tough conversation, but that you will get through to him."

Shisui frowned. Tough conversation was an understatement, he could already tell.

"I'll just knock him out," Shisui said, patting Itachi's shoulder. "You're great at this big brother thing. Keep it up."

Shisui disappeared before Itachi could protest or even worse, make logical sense and convince him to talk to the brat normally.

When Shisui found Sasuke, rather easily since the idiot wasn't cloaking his signature like a rookie, he already knew the conversation wouldn't go well. There was a scowl seemingly permanently etched onto his face as he practiced his lightning needles. The poor log he was shooting them into wouldn't survive this session, unfortunately.

He came up right behind his young, naive cousin and waited a few moments before he spoke.

"Hey squirt."

Sasuke immediately tensed up even more than he was, because that was somehow possible. He didn't turn back, however. Just continued with his training. If anything, his frown seemed to carve itself even deeper.

"I'm busy," Sasuke said. His words were short.

Looked like they were both unhappy with the other. Splendid.

"We need you to go with Naruto," Shisui said, taking the appropriate step back.

Sasuke's hand shook, before he reached into his pockets and pulled out some shuriken to throw instead.

"We?" Sasuke repeated. "We as in you and Itachi or just you but you're using Itachi to soften the blow?"

He threw the ninja star, this time laced with lightning energy, and the shuriken zipped through the entirety of the log with no issue.

Shisui whistled low, coming up and holding a hand out. Sasuke dropped a shuriken onto his open palm.

"We as in a decision discussed between Itachi and I," Shisui clarified, but when he saw Sasuke's dark gaze towards him out of the corner of his eye, he corrected himself. "I'm the one with more apprehension than Itachi, but it's for a good reason."

"So you don't want all the glory in saving Sakura and proving to her some messed up reasoning as to why I'm not good enough for her?" Sasuke asked in a dull tone. "Sure, tell me your good reason. I'm sure I will agree without hesitation."

"Sakura-chan's memories of her old life are capped," Shisui explained, weighing the shuriken in his hand before he held it up between two fingers. "It was her request right before she was taken. I think she understood she wasn't coming back home with us then."

"And so you took away her memories," Sasuke said.

Shisui nodded. "I took them away. All of her old life is neatly tucked away in a mental box no one else can open but me. There's a complication, though."

"You didn't perform the jutsu perfectly?" Sasuke asked in mock horror. "Unheard of."

Shisui's eye twitched. He threw the star and it landed perfectly in the middle of the well beaten target. He imagined it was the brat's face instead.

"No, it's just that Sakura-chan sees her original version of you and Naruto in the current versions," Shisui explained, trying to keep his tone matter-of-fact. "Her memories of you two are deeply intertwined with the memories of her first life. Capping those memories could result in capping her current memories. Having you on the field could cause either of you to react irrationally."

"I can control myself," Sasuke defended.

Shisui couldn't help but laugh. "You are one of the most emotional Uchiha I've ever met. You might think you'll react in a positive way and stay on target. But there's an even bigger chance that you mess up. And if you mess up in an extraction mission, you could get several people killed. Sakura-chan included."

Sasuke didn't seem to have a response to that, so Shisui sighed and continued. "Itachi won't be on the extraction mission; he's too much of a variable. I'm taking Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, Guy, and Kakashi. There's a few people going with you to Naruto's location to keep him where he needs to be. You two can join the battle later."

"You're starting the war without us," Sasuke realized, scoffing. "This is really just a way to secure yourself. Keeping Naruto and I on the sidelines when we both faced Pain and won against him. Anything else you're trying to do?"

"Keep Sakura-chan alive, mainly," Shisui responded immediately, already sensing Sasuke's hackles rising. "I'd be recruiting the ANBU for this mission if they weren't spread thin. Your generation of shinobi aren't bad; they just lack the experience of war."

"I can help guide them," Sasuke argued but Shisui shook his head.

"Do you think Naruto will take the first chance to run away?" Shisui asked. When Sasuke grunted an affirmative, followed by a few curses, Shisui snapped his fingers.

"And just like that we lose the war," Shisui stated. Sasuke turned to him with furrowed brows. "Naruto needs to cooperate with the Nine-Tails and become a true Jinchūriki. Sakura-chan said that had to happen. Naruto will find a way to escape the first chance he gets. And by that time the war will be in full swing. No way we're getting him back to where he needs to be. So you need to keep him in check. Neither of you go. You join us later. Sakura-chan should hopefully have her memories back by then."

"Why does it always sound rational when you talk through things?" Sasuke huffed before he let out a deep breath. "Fine. But I swear if Sakura loses her memories of me and the dobe, I'm coming for you."

"I'd like to see you try, squirt," Shisui said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thanks for not making this nearly as painful as it could have been. See ya."

Shisui disappeared before the brat could change his mind.

The genuine mental struggle I go through whenever I think of this fic:

Me to me: wouldn't it be cool if we killed Shisui off like this

me to me: but he's my sunshine :( my wittle dose of serotonin

Me to me: but what if--

no this is not an announcement nor a spoiler, you won't know what I decide unless you continue reading bwahahahah no one is safe not even my favorite*