A/N: I'm including a warning here and later on. Anbu is a REALLY dark and terrible place. There will be references to non-consensual. Kakashi and his peers had life MUCH harder than the next generation. And there's death- this story involves the massacre (which is trying to be prevented). So,I upped the rating to M (which I planned to do once I posted ch 7).
Chapter Two: Unexpected Encounter
.
.
.
If there was one thing Sakura was good at — it was research. And the library was her second home as a child and even the most asinine records could be found at the public library. She'd been able to look up and compare the short-term lease apartments that were available fifteen and twenty years into the past — research the names of the managers and make sure there were no fires, floods, or murders at the locations.
Thankfully, outside of battle, the homicide rate was low in Konoha— it was even lower when the Uchiha clan policed the streets. And while taking some money from her present time and bringing it to the past might not get too messy, she learned a lot about gambling from Master Tsunade. She was quite skilled at card games. Her mind quickly understood the objective regardless of the game and she'd then memorize the cards, playing through the probabilities in her head. She might be able to earn some money with her medical skills, but she didn't want anyone analyzing her credentialing too close.
In this Konoha, she was not Sakura Haruno, Apprentice of Princess Tsunade and Hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War. She needed to blend in and pink hair, green eyes, and her lavender seal on her forehead weren't ideal. Bland brown hair and eyes would help with some of that. She'd always been talented at Genjutsu, but now she'd actually need to use it.
The manager at the apartment complex had barely looked through her painstakingly created documents and happily accepted her downpayment. Sakura had then spent the next hour wandering through the streets, trying to see it through the experienced eyes of a war veteran and a doctor. As a child, her attention was focused on the playground, the wildflowers, and whatever butterflies or cats crossed her path.
The Uchiha were very prominent within Konoha before their erasure. If they hadn't been eliminated, the burden that had fallen upon Sasuke, Itachi, and even Kakashi could have been more evenly dispersed. Their father was the clan leader — he should have led the Uchiha into protecting the village, not a grasp for power.
Before she tried tampering too much with the past, she needed to expand her wardrobe. She'd obviously packed light and needed some appropriate reconnaissance gear. She had two targets — Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha. Kakashi would be approximately the same age as her in this time— so she'd need a going out dress. And Itachi was thirteen, but had an illness she'd studied and could help treat— possibly cure
She would need to find a way to gain both their trust. She knew they were on the same team for a while. Were they still or was Itachi already a captain of his own squad? She was lost in thought while staring at the window display at a boutique shop. She remembered the place from when she was a kid — very expensive. Her mother always paused to appreciate the merchandise. Her gaze fell upon the silky red cocktail dress. But it was eye catching, she should probably choose something black and more neutral.
"Hot hot hot hot." Someone bumped into her arm and then cursed as the sound of bamboo sticks clattered to the sidewalk. "Oh, I'm really sorry about that." He sighed staring down at the fallen sweets and then looked up and met Sakura's eyes. "Oh! Wow! I mean, I'm sorry about that. I've been looking forward to having some skewered dumplings all day and they were so hot and — are you okay?" He wore the uniform of a shinobi and had the black hair and eyes of an Uchiha clansman. But his baby-face told her they were close in age. So that made him too old to be Itachi. "I don't believe we've met. And I try to know all the pretty ladies." He extended his hand. "Uchiha Shisui."
She took his hand. "Sakura. And I'm okay." She looked down at the fallen sweet, it had splattered onto the side walk. "Though it looks like your dessert didn't make it."
"No surname?" He pressed.
"I have one. I just didn't offer it." Sakura smiled sweetly.
His gaze searched her face for a moment — did he see through her Genjutsu? "I can understand that. Sometimes, all people do is use their clan to create their whole identity." Shisui let go of her and stuck his hands into his pockets. He didn't seem in a hurry to leave.
"I do think people should be judged on their merits and not their family name," Sakura agreed. She gestured towards the crowds walking up and down the sidewalks. "Don't let me keep you. I'm just window shopping."
"Visiting? For a while or just a few days?" Shisui pressed.
"Hey! You! Pick up your mess!" An older policeman, salt and pepper hair, bellowed. "Don't think I won't charge you a fine for littering. I don't care who your uncle is!"
"Yeah, yeah," Shisui swatted his hand at his clansman. "I was going to get it."
"Sure, you were." The police officer folded his arms impatiently and watched. "Today."
"Let me," Sakura said, pulling a kerchief from her bag. She crouched down and started to gather the food waste.
Shisui was right across from her, taking the kerchief from her hand and gathering up the remains of his treat. He shook out the food into the nearby trash bin. He folded up the kerchief and tucked it into his pocket. "I'll clean it and then get it back to you."
"I can clean it myself." Sakura held her hand out.
He smiled at her, a charming confident guy. "Then I wouldn't have an excuse to find out where you live when I return it." He took her hand and started to pull her down the street. "You'll love those dumplings. Ones that aren't on the ground anyway. They have seating inside, so let's sit for bit and you can tell me what brought a pretty girl like you to this boring place."
Sakura got a very distinct flirt vibe from him. No one ever flirted with her. It was strange. He just dropped compliments like it was as easy as breathing. Maybe it was her insane crush on Sasuke that defined her youth, or her close friendships with Naruto or Kakashi, or that she was the Fifth Hokage's Apprentice with the monstrous strength— but men never approached her, much less took her by the hand and dragged her down the street. He pointed towards a sweet shop on their right.
"I do like sugared plums," Sakura admitted.
"Great!" Shisui didn't let go of her hand even though it was unnecessary as they ordered at the shop.
Sakura finally extracted herself and picked a table with a view of the street. "Do you always lead girls by the hand to the nearest sweet shop after crashing into them?"
Shisui sat across from her and set the plate between them. "I can't say that I do. But, I thought I'd give it a try and you didn't stop me." He smirked and looked so much like Sasuke that she fought the urge to reach across and hug him. His dark gaze swept to the street and the police officer from earlier. "Some of my clansmen take things way too seriously."
"Litter does need to be cleared up," Sakura said. She took a bite out of the sugared plums and hummed in delight. "This is really good!"
"I know, right?" Shisui leaned back in his chair and took a bite out of his own treat. "So, let's talk about you — you're visiting? Where from? How long will you be here?"
"I—," Sakura set down her dumplings and frowned. "Is this a date? Did you somehow trick me into a date?"
"Nah, it's a pleasant interrogation — I am an Uchiha after all. The safety of this village is my business." He leaned forward and waggled his dark eyebrows playfully. "Unless you want it to be a date."
"I'm hoping for a few weeks." Sakura wiped her mouth on a fresh napkin and made sure her cheeks were blush free. It was nice having attention. Fate must have really been on her side to put Shisui Uchiha on her path on her second day in the village. From what she'd been able to read in the heavily redacted report, it was Danzo's attack on Shisui that led to the massacre. With his death, Itachi had no choice but to resort to drastic measures. "The Leaf is the nicest of the Hidden Villages. It seemed a safe option."
Shisui snorted. "Safe? Well, if the shinobi are protecting you — yes. But if you're a threat — Konoha isn't too friendly."
They were almost done with the dumplings and while this impromptu date was a start, she was on a time crunch. She needed an excuse to spend more time— strike up a friendship. "Have you ever been to the gambling hall? When I visit somewhere new, I usually like to try my luck at cards," Sakura explained.
"Oh? Are you any good?" Shisui asked. "I know a pretty good place. I'd be happy to accompany you." He gathered their trash and disposed of it. "Would't want to get a fine for littering." He cast her an exaggerated wink and then held open the door for her.
Sakura moved past him and started to walk down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the gambling hall. She knew where it was, but he didn't need to know that she knew. "I wouldn't want to trouble you, but I would enjoy some company. Aside from my landlord, you're the only person I know here so far."
Shisui chuckled and then gently directed Sakura the correct orientation. "Since you're walking in the opposite direction, I feel obligated to escort you. Besides, it's no trouble, I just finished up my work for the day. This is much more interesting than going home early." He flashed his bright smile. "Not sure why you'd choose to visit Konoha of all places. I don't buy that it's because it's the most accessible of the Hidden villages"
Sakura gestured towards the great forest flanking them, trees stretching high into the sky. The beauty of Konoha before Pain destroyed so much of the ancient forest. "Honestly, the trees. My mom's parents were from the area. They died when she was young, but I've always wanted to see the trees for myself."
"Ah, I hear ya. Both my grandfathers died in their late twenties. One of them was the right-hand man of Lord Second. It really messed up my dad, he'd been injured a a few months after marrying my mom — paralyzed from the waist down,. He has been finding solace in a bottle ever since."
"And your mom?" Sakura asked.
"Died in childbirth. Medical skills just aren't really that great here." He grimaced. "Damn, that's depressing. Just erase the last minute of conversation, okay?" He'd flashed his Sharingan at her.
He hadn't applied much pressure to the suggestion, so she'd been able to ignore the small tugging on the back of her mind. Her natural immunity to Genjutsu applied to the Sharingan as well. Though, if he'd really wanted to put some effort into it, she'd probably be just as susceptible as anyone else. It was interesting that he'd used his ocular jutsu so casually.
"How much do I owe you?" Sakura asked. "For the dumplings."
"Pretty girl like you? Nah, it's my treat, Sakura. Or, if you do really well at the card games, feel free to share your winnings with me."
The gambling house had all sorts of games of chance. The Third had made them illegal shortly before the Chunin exams that claimed his life. Master Tsunade kept them shuttered because she wouldn't be able to resist a casino in such close proximity. They both showed their identification and once again, Sakura did an internal sigh of relief that her forged documents stood under scrutiny so far.
"So, what do you want to play first?" Shisui asked.
"I'm not particular. I prefer card games." Sakura also preferred dice but this close to a shinobi village, she assumed lacing the dice with chakra was a forbidden cheat. She would just rely upon her photographic memory.
"No cheating, Uchiha! You can't use your Sharingan in here!" The bouncer, a burley angry man glowered.
Shisui deactivated his crimson eyes and smiled back with deep onyx. "I wound't want to break any rules."
They settled at a card table, traded in some of Sakura's cash for chips and got to work. She made sure to lose the occasional hand — nothing too shocking. She didn't need to buy a house or anything — just some money for rent, groceries, and wardrobe.
After two hours, they'd substantially increased their pot and worn out their welcome. "You know, I think you'd look really good in that red dress you were ogling when we met," Shisui said.
"You noticed what I was looking at?" Sakura asked, surprised. He as an elite shinobi, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise.
"You didn't think I ran into you on accident, did you?" Shisui laughed and then adjusted both Sakura's bag and his own and their heavy load of money.
.
.
.
OoO
.
.
.
"Where did you get all this money?" Itachi counted the bills and coins again before staring back up at his cousin in disbelief. He needed to leave in half an hour to pick up Sasuke from the academy. His parents were fighting again and he didn't want to interrupt them with a trivial thing like picking up their youngest son.
"I met a girl," Shisui explained. He fell back onto the floor and pretended to swim over the piles of money. "She's a whiz at probability — we probably won't be invited back to the gambling hall anytime soon though!"
"And you invited her back to the Uchiha district?" Itachi asked. "A girl with no name just roaming about our compound?"
"Her name is Sakura." Shisui shrugged. "It's not like I couldn't stop her if she was a threat. And she wasn't roaming — I escorted her to my house. Her grandparents were from here, she just wanted to see what it's like. She grew up by the ocean." He arched his back like a cat and then relaxed fully stretched out. "She was mesmerized by the forest."
"That seems suspicious," Itachi said. "She didn't snoop around your house or anything did she?"
"I mean she said hi to my dad and used the bathroom. Then I walked her back to her place," Shisui answered. "I left one of my crows to watch over her — see if she does anything suspect."
"Aren't you engaged?" Itachi asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, little cousin. You'll understand when you're older." Shishi sat up and yawned. "I should go check on Dad before we go to pick up Sasuke. I haven't even heard the old man complain in the last hour. I wonder if he's asleep." He cracked open the door to the den, expecting to see his father passed out with a bottle of booze.
Instead, his father, with the paralyzed legs for the past ten years — was standing in the den stretching his arms above his head and then reaching down for his toes. He looked over at Shisui and Itachi and smiled.
"How is this possible?" Itachi asked.
The elder Uchiha wiped away tears from his cheek. "I woke up and there was this weird slug thing on me — then the next thing I knew — I could feel my legs." He lifted his left foot then his right foot. "I can feel my feet!"
"What became of the slug?" Itachi asked.
"It just popped away into thin air," he explained. "You have to tell your father, Itachi! It's a miracle! Tell him I'm ready to support our clan in whatever way I can."
"You made a small fortune and your father can walk again," Itachi murmured. "Are you sure this was a real person you met earlier? Or some sort of lucky fairy?"
"Bah! You're always so skeptical!" Shisui complained.
.
.
.
OoO
.
.
.
Sakura shouldn't have summoned Katsuyu, but she couldn't ignore Shisui's father. Partly, it had been an experiment — she wasn't 100 percent sure if her summons contract would still be valid — apparently it was.
She had excused herself to the bathroom to snoop, but when she saw the older man decided to run a quick diagnostics. It was only a manner of relieving the pressure from his lower spine. Any competent surgeon could have done it. She didn't know Shisui well, but their time at the gambling hall told her all she needed to know. His alcoholic father was a source of great pain for him. She needed to not go around healing a bunch of people — she wouldn't blend in very well., but she couldn't help it. She had no responsibilities in this time and all this knowledge!
Yet, she still needed to find Kakashi. But, while she hoped to run into him, maybe she could check on another friend — a certain loud-mouthed annoying child who really just wanted attention. She knew where Naruto's apartment was, but getting past the Anbu guards might prove a challenge.
The academy would be releasing students soon. Sakura thought back on the different models she'd studied before she left on this mission. She shifted her Genjutsu from brown hair, brown eyes, and blah to dull blond with washed out blue eyes, she contorted her body's height to be only a centimeter above five foot. So now, she was a petite blond. Visiting near the academy as an unnecessary risk and where she ran the greatest likelihood of being recognized.
It wasn't long before she heard the familiar loud-mouth of a young Naruto Uzumaki. In her youth, the voice would have annoyed her. Now, it made her think of her dearest friend fondly. He was her brother, not by blood, but by spirit. They fought and defended each other. They'd traveled the world together and shared the same heart ache in their quest to save their teammate. What did he think about her time traveling adventure? Was he annoyed she gone without him? Was he worried?
She saw Shisui and Itachi both show up to pick up young Sasuke. He'd been thrilled and it warmed Sakura's heart to see his joyous, innocent smile. If everything went according to plan, he'd be the one most affected by the change. She was doing literally everything possible to save him from a world of pain.
The Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno came to pick up her younger self. She smiled at the scene. They might not have been able to teach Sakura any family jutsus, but they were there. She knew they loved her and supported her — even if they didn't understand her. Then there was Naruto, no one came for him. He was the village orphan, the Third had refused to allow him to be adopted.
Then, she saw that their teacher Iruka, invited Naruto to have some Ramen with him and the boy perked up. That meant Naruto's little apartment would be empty. Sakura had some mothering to do for her best friend.
.
.
.
OoO
.
.
.
The only sounds were the cicada chirping and the wind blowing through the limbs of nearby trees. The smell of cheap alcohol, sex, and blood used to be enough to make Kakashi want to vomit, but now, it was just a night's work.
And then the smell of feces and urine as the body relaxed into death.
He always left the window open afterwards to allow the spirit of the deceased a chance to escape the hell that was life. And fresh air helped dissipate the odor.
Kakashi had been five the first time he smelled the rancid combination — when he'd discovered his father's dead body— suicide by a knife to his gut. He'd sat by the decomposing body for two days before someone thought to check on him. Minato Namikaze hadn't been his teacher yet, but somehow, he'd thought to check on Sakumo Hatake's son. Lord Fourth had always been too kind for the ninja world — it's why he was dead.
But, Kakashi's mind digressed, back to the festering stench of death. The black mask he wore under his white Anbu wolf mask came in handy on these occasions.
At least this time, he hadn't been the one to have to sleep with the mark. That had fallen to his fellow Anbu— Fox — or Foxy as they affectionately called her. He thought that she and Genma might have been a thing, but those kinds of relationships in Anbu were discouraged. Death was always around the corner — either your own or the ones you inflicted.
She held up the scroll — this man's life was worth whatever missive was on that tiny scroll. Had it been worth it? Kakashi didn't know. Life was supposed to be precious, but these days — it was cheap. At least, it was cheap when you followed orders. Danzo Shimura didn't like witnesses.
He signaled that it was time for them to go They had approximately one more minute to leave the scene before the risk of being seen became unacceptable.
Wiping the blood from his blade on the dead man's shirt, Kakashi and Foxy jumped out the window and headed into the darkness of the forest. They'd run in silence for several miles before they spoke. "You alright?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes, Fang," she answered, voice small, almost lost to the wind. "You?"
"Couldn't be better," Kakashi answered.
She wasn't alright and neither was he. It was just another night working in the shadows delivering death for old men to play at chess with one another grasping for conceived power. And the losers? Everyone that just wanted to breathe.
.
.
.