Two years had passed since the conclusion of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, a global conflict whose ravages, both material and human, were still palpable. Entire cities and villages had been engulfed by the flames of destruction, leaving behind thousands, if not tens of thousands, of lives cut short. The world, after being the stage for a surge of violence, now bore the scars of this war whose sole pretense was to establish a long-desired peace.
But what was this peace really? A tangible reality or a chimera? A tacitly accepted subterfuge by leaders to conceal the corruption and machinations that plagued their own existence, at the expense of the well-being of the most vulnerable?
Doubt insidiously crept in: were the powerful waving the flag of peace to mask their own wrongdoing, seizing more power at the expense of the weaker? How many modest nations had been crushed so that others could maintain an appearance of stability in the eyes of the international arena?
It was undeniable that the world had experienced periods of peace, but was it not just a temporary respite, a latency before the inevitable resurgence of hostilities? The maxim "Those who desire peace prepare for war" echoed like a sinister refrain, suggesting that peace was only a fleeting phase between two conflicts.
The outcome of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, sealed by the cancellation of the Mugen Tsukuyomi, had brought a sense of peace to the involved nations. The birth of the Great Shinobi Alliance, bringing together the major Elemental Nations under one banner, had infused a semblance of unity. However, was it true, global peace?
For the majority of the world, life seemed to go on, indifferent to the turmoil of ninja conflicts. The Moon's Eye Plan, far from bringing genuine peace, had plunged some individuals into a paradise of eternal illusions. In the depths of these artificial dreams, malevolent minds had tasted an existence marked by vandalism, debauchery, brutality, rape, and pillage, believing themselves masters of a world that was only the product of their distorted imagination.
But how long would the world remember this conflict? For civilians who had not been directly affected, this Blitzkrieg-like war remained a phenomenon difficult to grasp. The lessons of this hastily forged Great Alliance seemed inaccessible to ordinary citizens, focused on the continuity of their daily lives.
The shinobi, direct witnesses of the horrors of war, carried within them the lessons of this conflict. However, how long before these teachings faded into oblivion, relegated to the status of legends?
Could humanity truly learn from its mistakes, or would it be condemned to repeat the tragedies of the past? Generations that had experienced misery, suffering, and fear seemed to have acquired wisdom forged in adversity. But what about posterity, raised in tranquility, ignorant of the torments of the past?
If those who had endured the horrors of war were offered the opportunity to erase their emotional pain through a sealing jutsu, would they accept, grateful to lighten their lives? But what about future generations, sealed without ever experiencing the reality of suffering associated with conflicts? Would they not rebel against this control over their emotions, triggering an endless cycle of revolts and wars?
Thus, although the shinobi world seemed immersed in apparent peace, it remained fragile, like an illusion comparable to Madara Uchiha's Eternal Genjutsu, resting on a insidious lie.
Two years later.
Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, known as the Sage of the Six Paths, sat cross-legged, levitating a meter above the ground in his white kimono. His gaze watched with sorrow as the two teenagers once again plunged into the whirlwind of battle, perpetuating the eternal cycle of hatred. After a light sigh of fatigue, he turned to Kakashi and Sakura, both equally bewildered by the situation.
"I apologize, my child, that you had to witness this," expressed the old hermit, making a graceful gesture towards Sakura's chest, where Sasuke had recently stabbed her with his Rinnegan. A gentle glow of green chakra emanated, soothing her pain. "Kakashi, please approach and lie down on the ground."
Without contesting, Kakashi complied. Despite his injuries, he lay down on the ground with difficulty. Once settled, a sense of exhaustion overwhelmed him. The reasons for this sudden fatigue remained unclear: was it the result of accumulated fatigue from the past few days, the residual effect of adrenaline, or perhaps the consequence of the excessive use of his new Sharingan, or a combination of these factors. Whatever the cause, Kakashi's eyelids grew heavy. The soothing voice of the Sage of the Six Paths, combined with his reassuring words, had the effect of a lullaby, plunging Kakashi into unconsciousness.
"Do not worry about your students, young Hatake. History repeats itself tirelessly, and I know that Naruto will succeed in persuading Sasuke to turn back, as was the case in the past with my sons," reassured Hagoromo as Kakashi descended into unconsciousness.
Simultaneously, Sakura sat up with a sigh of relief. Although the pain noticeably subsided, she couldn't help but reach for her chest, massaging the area where her old wound persisted, even though the flow of chakra had stopped.
"Thank you, Ōtsutsuki-sama," expressed Sakura, respectfully bowing her head.
"No, my child, it is I who should thank you. Please accept my apologies for everything the reincarnations of my offspring once again impose on this world, perpetuating this cursed cycle," continued the sage, his lips moving alone, an air of dejection as if the burden of the world's consequences weighed on his shoulders.
"It is neither your fault nor that of your children, Ōtsutsuki-sama! It is the fault of Madara and Black Zetsu, those who triggered this war!" quickly retorted the kunoichi, ardently defending this legendary being from ancient times.
This spontaneous reaction from Sakura brought an inner smile to the hermit who inquired, "And in your opinion, young girl, who created Black Zetsu?"
"Madara," she quickly affirmed, convinced of her answer.
"And why do you think he is the creator?" he insisted, pushing the young woman's impulsiveness to express itself.
"Because... because he wanted to destroy the world! You saw where he led the ninja nations, all those deaths, all that violence, we wouldn't be here if he hadn't wanted to annihilate humanity! And he just created a life form that would be at his service to help him achieve his dark plans," Sakura exclaimed under the pressure of recent events.
This answer might have suited the hermit if it had been the reality, but it was quite different. Thus, in a tired, almost extinguished voice, the old man continued, "Alas, no, my child. Madara is not the one who created Black Zetsu; he was even deceived by him. Zetsu is only the result of the last forces and wills of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, my mother."
Sakura struggled to contain an widening of her eyes filled with astonishment upon hearing the sage's initial words. This part of the story was unknown to her, and the prospect that all the horrors she had just experienced were ultimately the result of Zetsu's actions sparked bitterness in her, summed up by a simple realization: "All this for that?"
"Throughout its existence, Zetsu had only one idea in mind: to resurrect mother so that she could reclaim all the chakra that had spread across the Earth. He manipulated my two lineages, focusing mainly on the Uchiha. And for over 1000 years, he devised all possible strategies to create the conditions to summon the Divine Tree once again."
"Why didn't you stop this?" exclaimed Sakura, trembling at such revelations. "You intervened here, so why didn't you destroy Zetsu yourself if you knew all this?"
"Because I only understood it now. And I repeat, my child, the reincarnations of my sons were going to clash again: the cycle of hatred continuing over and over. But I had time to analyze and better understand things..."
"Whether manipulated or not, Zetsu still didn't influence him to create the Moon's Eye Plan, right?" asked Sakura, uncertain.
"Having observed Madara during his lifetime, he was a very proud man who was not easily manipulable, not as much as Zetsu might have thought. And even if he was considered mad in his approach, Madara Uchiha was undoubtedly a visionary."
"What? A visionary?" Sakura gasped in horror at the hearing of those words. "In what way was he a visionary? He eradicated thousands of people! Triggered the Fourth Great Shinobi War! Attacked Konoha twice with the Kyūbi! My best friend lost his parents because of this individual, Naruto had a miserable life because the world saw him as the Kyūbi! The man I love probably lost his entire clan because of his actions and his cursed Sharingan. And now, learning that he was manipulated by an entity from your own mother, whom I just sealed with Naruto and Sasuke, I don't understand how you can think that of him."
"I grant you that Zetsu acted as a sort of guide for Madara when he was left for dead at the Valley of the End. But he is in no way the instigator of all the things Uchiha accomplished in his life before this event. But I'm willing to concede you this: Madara is responsible for the decimation of the Uchiha clan. Nevertheless, in all his madness, he succeeded where no one else had before him."
"What do you mean?"
"He succeeded where all others failed. History will remember the five Kage setting aside their resentment to unite against a common enemy and thus create the Great Shinobi Alliance. But the truth is that it was Madara Uchiha who brought the Elemental Nations together under one banner. He was one of the first people to desire true peace. He just used the wrong method to achieve that result," explained Hagoromo as Sakura lowered her eyes in the face of this revelation.
Long minutes passed as Sakura assimilated the information from the Sage of the Six Paths. She couldn't help but acknowledge that he was partially, if not entirely, correct. History was written by the victors, with details quickly forgotten to remember only the outcome. And even though it had only been a few hours since they had defeated Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the sad truth was there: it had only been possible because Madara had devised this plan and allowed the Elemental Nations to unite to try to counter it.
A warm hand positioned itself under Sakura's chin, drawing her gaze to the old hermit.
"Tell me, my child, what would you do if you had the opportunity to be present the day Black Zetsu first met Madara?" Ôtsutsuki inquired, extending his second hand toward the young girl, palm up. "Would you kill Zetsu? And let Madara bleed out?"
To illustrate his words, the Sage of the Six Paths created a sphere the size of a large plate in the palm of his hand. He deliberately chose a fragment of a scene he had seen in the past: Black Zetsu was above the dying body of Madara. Blood was pouring from his body, particularly from his chest, when suddenly, a person bearing a striking resemblance to Sakura intervened and struck Zetsu in the face to push him away from Uchiha.
"Or would you guide this man?"
The scene in the sphere continued, showing the woman with pink hair kneeling to perform her Medical Ninjutsu. Then this vision dissipated to reveal another place: a man and a woman stood, each wearing war armor, at the top of a wall overlooking a valley. They were only visible from behind, one with long black hair, the other with Sakura's typical hair.
"I will get rid of Zetsu and let Madara die; this would save thousands of innocent lives," the kunoichi replied without hesitation as the sphere slowly disappeared from the hand of the Rikudô.
"Are you sure?" he questioned insistently.
"Of course! Without him, there would have been no attacks on Konoha, no great Shinobi wars... and... and," Sakura began before stopping for a moment, the hermit's words coming back to her. She kept her mouth open, no sound coming out as she realized the consequences of such a decision. She exhaled all the air from her lungs in a sigh before continuing in a disheartened voice. "But there would have been no Great Shinobi Alliance, and the world would probably be plagued by political tensions across all nations. Maybe some smaller countries, like Tetsu No Kuni, would have been assimilated."
"That's right, Sakura. Perhaps another great Shinobi village would have suffered the same fate as Uzushio. Know that sometimes the actions of a single being can lead to a radical change in the world," added Ôtsutsuki wisely.
"But anyway, what does it change? We won! If what you say is true, Naruto will succeed in bringing Sasuke to reason, and the peace we fought so hard for will be ours," Sakura said, raising her voice in excitement. However, she received no response from the old man, except for a deep look. He seemed to be judging her with his eyes, as if he were probing the depths of her soul. "Do we finally have peace? Don't we?" Sakura pleaded, increasingly worried by the creator's silence.
"For how long?"
"Sorry?"
"For how long do you think this peace will last? How long before another conflict arises? How long before old resentments resurface? How long before a diplomatic incident occurs and recreates tensions across all Elemental Nations? How long before the new generation comes with ambitions of conquest, war, and new and misguided ideals?" asked the old hermit with a stern tone.
"So you're saying all of this was for nothing?! Did all these people die in vain?!" cried Sakura, tears appearing at the corners of her eyes, and a lump forming in her throat.
"The truth is always hard to hear and even harder to accept," affirmed the Sage of the Six Paths. At that moment, Sakura began to cry in silence, and the characteristic sound of leather crumpling was heard as she clenched her hands into fists. Ôtsutsuki waited a few moments for the young woman to calm down before continuing, allowing her to sort through her thoughts and emotions. "What proves that in the future, Orochimaru Densetsu No Sannin will not conduct an experiment that will then be uncontrollable for the world you know? That this same creation will not destroy the entire Shinobi world?"
"What is the right solution in this case if not a perpetual recurrence? According to what you say, it seems that no matter what man does, history only repeats itself," she concluded disgusted.
"Some choices... can change everything; and I would like to make you a proposition, Sakura. I don't expect an immediate answer, but I would like to present three possibilities to you. Whatever you decide, I won't judge you; just take the time to consider each one as a whole," Ôtsutsuki explained.
"I'm listening, Ôtsutsuki-sama," said Sakura, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"If it were humanly possible, here is the first choice available to you: you find yourself at the moment when Zetsu saves Madara. You eliminate him and let Uchiha join the world of the dead, thus allowing a completely different future. The second possible choice: you stay here and live in your temporary and illusory peace until the next war..."
"Or if it were humanly possible to go back in time, I would still eradicate Zetsu while saving Madara," Sakura deduced by elimination, interrupting the old man in his words.
"Exactly," confirmed the satisfied Rikudô that she had formulated the third possibility herself.
"But why? Why would I save this man who is nothing but a heinous and bloodthirsty being? Madara is responsible for the eradication of his own clan! Why would I want to save him from death when that's all he deserves?" protested the young woman, frightened to have proposed this choice herself.
"For what reason should you do that? To guide him to fulfill his destiny," Hagoromo revealed calmly, as if it were obvious.
"What destiny?"
"To bring peace... true peace! The one he has always wanted to bring to the world since he was a child. I rarely make mistakes, and I can see when someone is capable of tipping the balance," declared the sage before his gaze was drawn towards the Valley of the End. "And you are that person, Sakura."
Distant explosions could be heard, reminiscent of the sound of thunder. Chakra residues were also visible to the naked eye. An immense flash of color followed, flooding the sky for a few seconds: the battle between Naruto and Sasuke raged on, as expected from the two reincarnations of the children of the Rikudô Sennin. Sakura looked in that direction for a moment, worried for the lives of the two people she loved, then she turned her attention back to the hermit still by her side.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama... why me?" she asked, doubting the qualities that the hermit seemed to have found in her.
"How many women are capable of pursuing the man they love throughout their lives despite the detrimental choices he makes?" Ôtsutsuki asked without looking away from the explosions.
"Many women do that because as soon as a woman is in love, she is willing to do anything to follow the man her heart has chosen," Sakura instinctively replied.
"Fair enough, but then how many women continue to love the man they have chosen even when he has tried to kill them several times?"
Sakura was troubled. She clearly felt that the man was talking about her and her own life.
"A few, I suppose," Sakura conceded less determinedly.
"And among these few remaining women, how many have allowed Kaguya Ôtsutsuki, the most powerful being since the world began, to be sealed again and thus save humanity?"
"Only one...," Sakura finally accepted in a whisper. She understood that Hagoromo Ôtsutsuki had not chosen her lightly or just to flatter his ego.
"And it only takes one person to tip the balance in the right direction," concluded the old hermit.
The distant battles seemed to have stopped for a while, the sun's rays had given way to night, and silence settled between the two people present. After a while, the Sage of the Six Paths pulled a small leather scroll case from his sleeve and handed it to Sakura.
"I'm not asking you to make a decision right away. But know one thing, two of these three choices will mean you completely abandon your life here. There will be no going back. The scroll inside this case will disappear in two years, and remember that, whatever your choice, I won't judge you."
"I don't think I'm capable of that," Sakura said in a very small voice. She was thinking about her current life, her potential future with Sasuke, and the possibility of finally having a happy life with him.
"Don't underestimate yourself, Sakura! Nevertheless, if you ever agree to go back in time, I advise you to make the most of the two years I leave you to prepare. Life in Madara's time is merciless."
He then turned to Sakura, a slight smile on his lips. Despite being a man from another era, he remained a man. He knew that what he was going to suggest to her next would evoke a strong reaction, but he had to provide her with as much information as possible so that she could make the best possible choice.
"Sakura, know that Madara unfortunately never had the chance to know a woman."
The kunoichi remained frozen for a few seconds, allowing her brain to analyze the old man's words. Was he ultimately senile to dare suggest such an atrocity to her?
"Are you really suggesting that I should make this being... this... monster, fall in love with me?!" Sakura exclaimed, outraged at such a prospect.
"Interpret it however you want, my child, but I also give you this warning: grow up, be more mature, tougher, colder, or Madara will crush you. He never saw women as beings of interest. Only Mito Uzumaki, who was an exception for that time, had some of his respect."
"You know, Ôtsutsuki-sama, you're not selling your idea very well," Sakura declared, barely containing her sarcasm.
Not only had the old man just suggested going back in time to change the world, but he recommended that she make a misogynist fall in love with her. It would still be necessary for her to find any sentimental interest in this individual whom she despised from the depths of her being. And the idea of developing feelings for anyone other than Sasuke strongly disturbed the young woman, to the point where she suppressed a shiver of discomfort.
"It was a different time, my child. Unfortunately, women in those days were considered mere bargaining chips between clans. It allowed tensions to be eased and for a illusory peace to be maintained. So that's why I insist, you will have to strengthen yourself, train hard, learn more diligently, understand Madara's history and his time, as well as the customs of that period to always have an edge over him."
"You talk as if I've already made my choice? And then... do you really expect me to guide one of the most powerful Shinobi of all time? To bring peace to the world?!" Sakura exclaimed, raising her voice. She was now standing, and her arms emphasized her words. "How will I know that my choices are the right ones? And how can I convince this man? Because, let's be honest for a moment, Madara wasn't the kind of person to listen to anyone but himself. So why would he listen to me?! I have a better chance of getting Tsunade-sama to admit that she's old and hiding behind her Genjutsu is not the solution than getting anything good out of this man." She delivered this whole tirade without taking the time to breathe; she was currently in a phase of panic and fear. And it was entirely understandable because what potentially rested on her shoulders was frightening and would have made many flee. Sakura knew she had to choose between the future of the world or her own death.
"If you had to face Madara at his peak, I wouldn't even propose this solution. But when you meet him at the Valley of the End, he will be at a stage in his life where he is most vulnerable. He will have lost his family, his friends, his clan, his honor, his pride, and above all, he will be dying and well aware of this reality."
As he explained all this, Ôtsutsuki gently placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder.
"What will this man see when you appear? A powerful woman, capable of killing someone who could potentially have killed him, a woman who will take the time to save his life. How do you think he will react?"
"He... he will feel indebted," Sakura conceded, who, given such arguments, delicately grasped the case in her hands.
"Exactly, and Madara is known to have a few principles. One of his favorite phrases of that time was: An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. He is an extremely vengeful man who does not forgive, but the opposite is also true; he has always repaid his debts."
As the Sage of the Six Paths finished speaking, the first light of morning was appearing in the distance.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama... if this peace is false... what is true peace?" Sakura finally asked thoughtfully.
Hagoromo did not answer right away, and the young woman saw a gesture she did not think she would see from this man. He began to stroke his thin beard, lost in his own thoughts. Did he himself know the answer to this question? Or would history repeat itself endlessly no matter what was done to change it?
"It can be obtained in several ways," the old hermit finally replied enigmatically.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama, have... you already sent me into the past? Is what you showed me what I have to accomplish?" Sakura asked to know what to do or for him to give her a sign of what to do.
"To answer you honestly could sway your choice. What I showed you may be a mere possibility, an illusion, or even your own future in the past. But then, won't that create a temporal paradox? Or an alternate universe? Because if you change the past, the current present could never have existed? And then the question arises of how to send you into the past to change that disappeared future? I'm sorry, Sakura, but these are questions I will not answer. You have to discover it for yourself. If, of course, you choose to go to the past. Moreover, it is time for us to part ways; your teammates need you," he finally concluded.
"I understand."
"Don't forget your instructor with you; he will wake up shortly," added the old hermit before Kakashi indeed began to groan and then opened his eyes.
"Did I sleep for a long time?" wondered the Jônin, sitting up with some difficulty due to the fatigue of his body.
"You slept as much as was necessary for you, Kakashi," affirmed Ôtsutsuki, while Sakura approached her sensei.
"Kakashi-sensei, come, lean on me; Naruto and Sasuke need us," she said firmly, convinced of the truth of her words. In fact, it had been a while since any noise had come from the Valley of the End, and Sakura was brought back to the reality of the moment: the two young men had surely finished their fight. What had been the outcome of this confrontation?
Sakura then placed her arm on her teacher's back so that he could position himself properly. Just before leaving, she turned in the direction of the legendary Sage of the Six Paths.
"I have complete confidence in you, Sakura Haruno, whatever your choice," he pronounced one last time before disappearing entirely into the void, like a memory.
It was now up to Sakura to make the choice that seemed right to her.