Nicknamed Rikudō Sennin, the being stood majestically at the top of the Valley of the End waterfall, accompanied by Haruno Sakura. The hermit's six dark orbs danced slowly in a wide circle around the two protagonists, while the necklace composed of six Magatama adorning his neck emitted a soft glow. The symbols adorning his kimono and the top of his Gudōdama staff harmoniously lit up.
His eyes, closed in deep meditation, revealed intense concentration on his face. Carefully, he touched the water in front of him with the tip of his staff. As soon as it touched the surface of the lake, the concentrated energy at the end of the Gudōdama merged with the water, triggering a rapid reaction. A whirlpool emerged in the center of their position, expanding in seconds to cover the entire lake. Initially frightened at the thought of being sucked in, Sakura quickly overcame this apprehension.
A light whistling rose, quickly becoming intense, even painful to the ears. This unpleasant sound forced Sakura to look up from the ground to identify its source: the black orbs, which initially rotated slowly around them, accelerated until they became invisible to the naked eye. Their rapid movement gradually formed a translucent chakra dome, enveloping both of them.
Sakura's widened eyes beheld the brilliance of the power unleashed by Rikudō Sennin: a divine force capable of transforming reality with a simple wish.
The maelstrom first sucked the shores of the lake, then swallowed the surrounding forests, carrying the mountains into its vortex. Finally, the sky itself bent to the will of Rikudō Sennin.
In this redesigned universe, only the stars persisted, scattered in infinite darkness, faintly illuminating the created dome. What had started as a whirlpool absorbing everything nearby turned into a vortex of chakra. Petrified, Sakura dared not make a move, fearing a mistake that would lead her to the unknown.
Time itself suspended its course, and in this ethereal dimension, it was impossible to discern how much time passed. Minutes, hours, days? Perhaps even a whole lifetime? No temporal markers punctuated this state of existence, plunging the two beings into an eternity without distinct markers.
The perpetual whirlpool gradually slowed, again and again, until it finally interrupted its rotation. Then, in an enigmatic inversion, it resumed its movement, gently expelling everything it had swallowed from the heart of the maelstrom. Waters reappeared, trees and mountains regained their place, and the darkness of the starry space turned into the celestial hue of the sky.
The orbs, little by little, slowed their dance until the chakra dome disappeared entirely. The surge of chakra beneath their feet dissipated with growing tranquility, slowly returning each element to its original position.
Alert to her senses, Sakura once again perceived the characteristic sound of a waterfall, the melodious chirping of birds soothing her ears, and the delicate caress of the wind on her skin, causing a shiver along her spine. She scanned the surroundings for changes: the partially destroyed statues of the Shinobi Gods had vanished.
"Welcome to the Sengoku era, Sakura," the old hermit announced in a calm voice, releasing a deep sigh of relief. He had just accomplished the inconceivable, the unthinkable: a time travel.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama, h-how... that was... that was..."
Words escaped Sakura, overwhelmed by the experience she had just lived. Everything seemed both fantastical and unimaginable, and scrutinizing the surroundings, she detected no clues revealing that they had just crossed space and time.
"That was what I call a wormhole, a shortcut through space-time. To explain it to you, imagine space-time not in four dimensions, but in two, converging them all at a defined point..."
The hermit paused, observing the perplexed expression on the young woman's face. He tended to forget that mortals did not share his understanding of cosmic concepts. After a moment of reflection, he sought a more accessible explanation.
"Visualize a sheet of paper. At the top, draw a point A representing the past, then at the bottom, draw a point B for the future. Then, fold the sheet. This process ensures that point A and point B converge into a single point. It is at this precise moment that a passage can open to go back in time: a wormhole."
It was unimaginable. Even though Sakura had seen it with her own eyes, she struggled to grasp the power required to accomplish such a feat.
"If you possess such power, capable of bending space and time at your will, why can't we go back?" the young woman asked.
"To perform such an act on the scale of the universe, I had to eradicate all forms of life in your period to convert it into chakra. Without that, I wouldn't have had the energy needed to orchestrate this spatial and temporal distortion."
Sakura's eyes widened, and the taste of bile rose in her throat. A sudden urge to vomit seized her. Her choice... her decision had just cost the lives of millions of beings.
"If I were to bring us back, I would need to use the life essence of all life present in the past to go to the future. As a consequence, we would emerge in a future completely devoid of life..."
"Did they suffer?" asked Sakura in a soft voice as her mind slowly assimilated the harsh reality of the impossibility of going back.
"No, because at the moment I initiated the process, time froze without their awareness."
"I understand, Ôtsutsuki-sama. Is today the day Madara and Hashirama will fight?" Sakura inquired, trying to maintain her focus, not succumbing to the thought of the loss of her universe. Or rather, its outright destruction.
"No, I chose to bring you back a month earlier, giving you time to settle in and acclimate to your new era."
"Thank you, Ôtsutsuki-sama."
"Before we part ways, I would like to give you a gift. Regardless of your choice regarding Madara, this present will be of great use to you in the future."
The old sage gracefully rose from his seated position, crossing the short distance between them. He carefully placed his hand on Sakura's forehead, right at the location of her seal. In less than a second, the hermit's chakra infiltrated her, an inevitable intrusion she couldn't escape. Yet, no threat emanated from this penetration; it was rather soothing. Perhaps Rikudō Sennin sensed her pain and was attempting to ease it with his chakra? Nonetheless, she once again understood that the man before her had the power to crush her with a simple gesture.
"There you go."
As soon as the old man removed his hand, the sensation of warmth and comfort vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the sadness that slowly seeped into her soul.
"What... what did you do?" Sakura asked, sensing no difference in her body.
"I just enhanced your frontal Fūinjutsu seal. You see, I've observed your journey these past two years, and this is my way of rewarding you for your efforts. Your seal now allows you to resist Sharingan Genjutsu permanently. Other Genjutsu, produced differently, will still affect you, but no Uchiha will be able to trap you in an illusion, including the Tsukuyomi known to Madara."
Sakura remained utterly stunned before the hermit's gift. With a simple gesture, he had rendered one of the most powerful Dōjutsu obsolete against her, at least in terms of Genjutsu.
"By the way, I greatly appreciated your conversation with Naruto Uzumaki about cellular regeneration. What you're contemplating is very risky. So, I'll give you a hint: chakra consists of physical energy supplied by the body, while spiritual energy is created by intellect. Learn to distinguish between the two, and you should be able to discern physical energy in individuals."
"How?"
"Through meditation."
"Will I be able to accomplish what Naruto did over time?"
Sakura hoped so, as the possibilities of such a healing method would truly be infinite.
"Not entirely. Let's say that over a long period, you'll be able to restore sight to a blind person without putting them in danger. However, regrowing an eye with a snap of your fingers, as Naruto did, requires mastery of Senjutsu. Few are capable of that," explained Rikudō as he began to fade away.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama... I'm... I'm afraid," she admitted, her body shivering, realizing that the last person connecting her to her past life would leave her in this unknown world.
"Do you regret your choice, my child?" Ôtsutsuki asked gently.
"I don't know," the young woman confessed in a weak voice.
How could she have answered differently in the immediate aftermath? Her mind needed to absorb the irreparable loss of an entire life. She also had to assimilate the fact that she now found herself in a completely unknown era.
As if he had discerned all the despair within her, a comforting hand rested on Sakura's shoulder, and Rikudō Sennin offered her a warm smile.
"Remember, my child, that regardless of your choice, I will not judge you. Know that I am already proud of what you are trying to accomplish."
Rikudō Sennin's words resonated deeply with Sakura, who felt a slight surge of pride within her. Then, he turned away and walked in the opposite direction, slowly fading away.
"Ôtsutsuki-sama!" Sakura called out in despair, realizing that she was now alone with her belongings.
Sakura, a strong-willed person, had already faced the horrors of war, had seen loved ones succumb. However, she was not prepared for the flood that now overwhelmed her heart: grief. She felt a painful tightening, as if a vice was squeezing her heart. Its beating quickened, and her breath became increasingly rapid. Panic engulfed her, overwhelmed by an emotional overload, a brutal realization of her sacrifice.
Everything she had fought for had vanished. Everything that mattered to her had just been annihilated by her own actions, by her choice. The responsibility for the disappearance of those millions of living beings, combined with the cruel reality of solitude, plunged Sakura into darkness.
The emotion that had built up within her sought an outlet, a release. Her eyes silently began to fill with tears. Then, without warning, the emotional dam broke. On her knees, she began to scream, pounding the ground with her fist.
"Why? Why did I do this!?" screamed Sakura. Naruto...
Images of all the warm moments shared with the blond, the ramen-loving future Hokage of Konoha, flashed in her mind. She remembered his dazzling smile, his infinite kindness, the cascade of his golden hair. She realized she would never feel that sensation of being loved like a sister again.
"Sasuke..."
Then, her thoughts turned to the love of her life, the man she had long tried to win over. She would never hear the sound of his voice again, nor feel the shivers provoked by his mere presence. She would never see the man she would have given everything to satisfy. She had aspired all her life to become his wife, to make him happy. Reflecting on all this, she felt another tear in her heart.
"Ino..."
Her best friend, the first to believe in her, to help her become the cherry blossom she was today. She had just lost someone who understood her with a single glance, who knew when to pull her out of her work to change her thoughts.
"Sensei..."
Though often late, she already missed his lame excuses. The one who so often managed to make her laugh when he was with Maito Gaī. The one who had taught her so much throughout her life while protecting her.
"Master..."
Her master, who was a model, teacher, and confidante all at once. She reminisced about their evenings drinking sake together after tough days of work. The one who was like a second mother to Sakura.
"Mother... Father..."
She could never again feel the gentle embrace of a mother or father. The sense of security in their arms, she would never feel the love of her parents through a simple hug. She cried for a long time, constantly wondering : why?
She screamed so loud and for so long that her voice broke. It was no longer feminine or delicate, just cries of agony. All she wanted was to expel all this pain from her heart, in vain.
The constant use of chakra forced Sakura to head towards the edge of the shore, where she sat against a tree, crossed arms resting on her knees.
She had lost the taste for everything, worse yet, she had lost the taste for living. Her mind was tangled in the meanders of sadness as she thought about reuniting with her friends, her family, all those she loved. The idea that they might be waiting for her on the other side lingered in her mind.
Was it really worth it if she was alone? Did the quest for peace in the world deserve such suffering?
"It would be so quick..." she whispered to herself, eyes fixed on the tumult of the waves.
Her own words were like an electric shock for Sakura, making her aware of the dark thoughts that besieged her. So, she slapped herself hard to shake her mind.
"No, Sakura! You're worth so much more than that! You're not going to end your life here! Think about everything you sacrificed for this chance to be given to you! Don't make their sacrifice in vain!" encouraged the Kunoichi, wiping away the tears that blurred her eyes with rage.
She unfastened her red scarf, a gift from her mother for becoming a Chunin of the Leaf. Then, she took a kunai from her rear weapon pouch to unstitch the metal symbol adorning the fabric. She observed the symbol for a moment before sealing it.
She readjusted her red scarf, becoming once again Sakura Haruno, free from any affiliation to a Shinobi village.
"I have one month!" she exclaimed into the wind, infusing the necessary strength to accomplish her mission.
Thus, it was a determined Sakura who rose with her chakra. Her research into the future guided her northward, towards Ta No Kuni, the land of rice fields. A territory on the outskirts of Hi No Kuni that had no military force in the Sengoku era, at least no Shinobi. Moreover, the border of this country was only thirty minutes' travel from the Valley of the End.
She had one month to prepare.
Three days later.
For the past three days, Sakura had been immersed in the past. Her eyes were reddened from the tears shed for the loss of those she loved. Most of her time was dedicated to finding an ideal location to build her house. She wanted to be near a village but not too close, and by the end of the third day, she discovered the perfect spot. Perched high, offering a sweeping view of the valley, this place allowed her to gaze upon all the rice fields below the mountain. Just a kilometer from her position, there was a village. It seemed to house a maximum of fifty people. So, with a heavy heart full of emotions, Sakura headed towards it.
The village was plainly simple, with workers in the distance planting rice. They wore rudimentary linen clothes, straw hats to shield themselves from the sun, and pouches containing seedlings. Children ran in one of the streets, playing tag. One could even make out a freshly built house.
However, dressed in her bright red cotton attire and sporting a large scroll on her back, Sakura did not go unnoticed. The first to notice her was a boy who ran towards his mother.
"Look, Mom, there's someone over there," he said, pointing with his finger.
"Go quickly, get your father, my dear."
Worry was etched on the woman's face. After all, very few people visited this region of Ta No Kuni, especially dressed so distinctively. Sakura's demeanor hinted at someone of importance with an education, and her clothes probably cost a fortune due to their vibrant red color. What surprised the woman the most, however, was the color of her hair. It was the first time, in forty-two years of life, that she saw someone with such unique hair: pink.
With palpable apprehension, she approached the newcomer. The fear that she might have come to harm all the inhabitants hung in the air. Nevertheless, the peasant made sure not to let her emotions show excessively before addressing her.
"Hello, stranger. What brings you to this remote valley?"
"Hello, madam. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Sakura Haruno, and I am currently looking for a home."
The stranger's name confirmed the peasant's suspicions: she must surely be of nobility to bear a family name.
"Why did you choose our village? Without intending to offend you, you look like nobility, and you would probably be more comfortable going to the city further north."
Asking this question, the mother noticed that the young woman's eyes were red, filled with sadness and pain.
"I seek asylum, madam. That's why I came to this region. I hoped that you could give me a chance to start my life anew."
Despite her grief, Sakura did her best to appear friendly, but the sadness was still too recent.
"There shouldn't be any problems. My husband should be here soon... Let me introduce myself, I'm Hitomi," declared the lady who felt a weight lifted from her chest upon understanding that this woman meant them no harm.
"Nice to meet you."
"I gathered that you're seeking asylum. Is everything okay, Haruno-sama?" inquired Hitomi, not forgetting to add the respectful terms her father had taught her.
"Let's just say I've had better days, Hitomi-san. And please, no "sama" with me, we are equals."
Surprise was clearly written on Hitomi's face, who had never encountered a noble as humble as this young woman. It was her husband who somewhat disconcerted her with the beauty of the young woman. She was exotic, and seeing her eyes, he only wanted to protect her.
"There shouldn't be a problem... You say you're a doctor?"
Sakura nodded.
"Well, I would say you're welcome among us, and if there's anything we can do to help you."
"I wanted to know if you have builders in your village. You see, a friend of mine has designed plans to build a new house. Of course, I will pay for the construction."
Every time Sakura made a request, she bowed very slightly. It was really surprising to see a person of nobility respectfully bowing to people who were just ordinary peasants.
"Yes, we have some builders among us. I'll go let them know if you would follow me."
The village chief turned to the gathering of inhabitants that had formed around them.
"Everyone, back to work, I'll make an announcement tonight to introduce our new resident!"
And so, Sakura began her new life.
27 days later.
It has been almost a month since Sakura settled on the outskirts of a small village in Ta No Kuni. Her house had risen in three weeks with the kind assistance of the villagers, all marked by kindness towards her. Hitomi had been the most persistent in trying to bring her closer to them, making numerous efforts to put a smile on the newcomer's face. Although she sometimes allowed a smile to show, it was evident that something precious had been taken from her.
The builders, on the other hand, were deeply surprised, even impressed, by the detailed construction plans beyond what they had conceived in the past.
Sakura had strived to integrate and offered her services as a doctor to the village, an offer warmly welcomed by the residents. And so, one day, she gained the respect of the entire community. They saw her use what many believed to be a myth: ninja arts. For many, these skills were more of stories and legends, where some humans could perform wonders such as magic, mastery of fire, water manipulation, or even healing ailments.
One day, as she walked through the village, a cry of pain pierced the air, resonating through the streets. Sakura's warrior instincts awakened instantly, urging her to react swiftly. She ran towards the voice, the cries coming from the village hunter who had apparently cut three fingers while handling a chopping knife to carve the deer he had just hunted.
The villagers, drawn by the screams of pain, rushed towards the scene.
"Put your hand on the table!" ordered Sakura authoritatively as she approached him. "Do you have any alcohol!?"
"Ahh... yes, the bottle on the top shelf... argh..."
The hunter, suffering terribly, let a continuous stream of blood flow from his wound. Sakura grabbed the bottle, uncorked it promptly, then brought her nose above it. After a single inhalation, she discerned that the alcohol was of mediocre quality, but it would suffice.
"This might sting."
Although Sakura had warned the man, he couldn't help but let out a more intense scream when a few drops of the liquid touched his fingers. She took his hand and placed the severed ring finger. A soft green glow emerged, leaving everyone present astonished. Even the hunter momentarily forgot the pain in the face of this incredible scene.
The bone healed where it had been severed, tendons realigned, blood vessels returned to their original position before the wound closed. Only a thin red line testified to the initial cut. Sakura remained indifferent to the whispers and gasps echoing behind her. With a confident gesture, she grabbed the second severed finger to repeat the process. Then came the turn of the last finger, which she replaced effortlessly.
"Sit!" commanded Sakura to the hunter after completing her reimplantation work. He did not try to contest the order of this woman; she had just saved the use of his hand. "Gently bend your fingers and tell me if you feel any pain other than at the scar."
"No, I don't feel any more pain..."
"Do you feel any discomfort when you bend your fingers?"
"No... what you did there is a miracle... how?"
Sakura did not answer. Instead, she rolled up her right sleeve where a seal was placed. In a puff of smoke, a clean bandage appeared in her hand, eliciting even more whispers behind her. With efficiency and speed, she applied the bandage to the man's hand.
"You'll stop working for the next three days because you've lost a lot of blood. You should also eat one or two fruits before getting up. Additionally, for the next few days, I recommend you eat meat at every meal to compensate for your blood loss; fish would be ideal. Tonight, I will also bring you an ointment for your scars and a concoction for the suffered hemorrhage."
"Thank you so much, Haruno-sama..."
"No "-sama" with me, I just did my job."
This event strengthened the respect that the inhabitants of this small village in Ta No Kuni had for Sakura.
Today marked the decisive day when Madara and Hashirama would engage in an epic battle. However, in the privacy of her living room, Sakura was engrossed in reading a book on human heart anatomy. Raindrops hitting the house accompanied her thoughts, and occasionally, she scribbled notes on a nearby parchment.
"Which part of the heart will be the impact point?" Sakura whispered to herself, anticipating Madara's duel. Depending on where the blade penetrates, surgical intervention will likely need to be performed on-site. Would it be the superior vena cava? The aorta? One of the ventricles? Should she stop his heart to stem the bleeding while she heals him?
These were the questions occupying Sakura's mind this early afternoon.
Her reading was abruptly interrupted by a slight ground shake, resembling a brief earthquake, followed by a distant rumble. A powerful noise, almost indistinguishable from thunder.
"The battle of the Shinobi Gods has finally begun."
Despite this news, Sakura resumed her reading. She knew the location and time to find Madara. Her bag was already packed, ready to be seized at the right moment.
The detonations harmoniously blended with the sound of rain. For the villagers, it was merely a storm; the lightning confirmed their assumption. This symphony lasted all afternoon, alternating between moments of calm and deafening explosions. It was late afternoon when Sakura, despite her persistent indecision, decided to move.
On the way, her thoughts focused on Madara Uchiha's fate and the choices he would make in the future.
Arriving at the top of the waterfall, she hid behind a large rock that entirely overlooked her. For ten minutes, she continued to conceal her presence and chakra while scrutinizing the scene below.
Madara was writhing in his own blood, unable to move. His armor was broken in several places, and a piece at the top of the breastplate had completely disappeared. Hashirama Senju stood a meter away from his former friend, his back turned to him.
"I had so much hope in you, Madara," Hashirama murmured with anger and hatred.
The man he had once called a friend had attacked his home, his people. So, with pain in his heart, Hashirama left, knowing that Madara would succumb to his wounds soon.
Sakura waited, aware that she should not act immediately. Zetsu had not yet appeared, and visibility was limited due to the persistent rain and the darkness that was settling.
"Pathetic," Madara muttered.
One of the greatest shinobi in history was dying, helpless. He had tried to sit up, but the sword that had pierced him through and through had caused irreparable damage. Unable to command a significant part of his body, he felt the life slowly leave him.
Madara felt a presence next to him and turned his still-open eye in the direction of the newcomer. It was a creature like he had never seen, and he wondered if he was about to be devoured by this strange entity. Suddenly, another spike of chakra was felt. However, this energy was entirely different from the first being.
Barely did Madara blink, and a woman appeared next to the creature, her arm drawn back, ready to attack. The woman's fist was saturated with chakra, a palpable energy for any observer. With lightning precision, she unleashed her chakra-charged blow, striking Zetsu in the face before he could react. A wave of satisfaction overwhelmed Sakura as the creature's skull bones burst under the pressure of her fingers. The impact was so powerful that a shockwave spread, momentarily plunging Madara into a brief moment of relief where the rain seemed to suspend over his body for a few precious seconds.
The monster's body was violently propelled against the cliff, located about ten meters away, creating a crater in its enclosure. Madara tilted his head slightly to the side to observe the unfolding events. The black creature seemed to be in a desperate situation. It had probably not anticipated a surprise attack, and this first punch would have been fatal for almost anyone.
As Sakura charged at Black Zetsu to finish him off, she thought back to all the atrocities that this monster had already committed and those it was about to perpetrate. His plan to bring back Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the lives taken due to his machinations. The anger and hatred accumulated for too long consumed her, and it was with an undisguised rage that she brought down her fist.
"Shannaro!"
The second blow was fatal, infused with so much chakra that the cliff broke in two over nearly two hundred meters, accompanied by an even more devastating shockwave upon impact.
Black Zetsu was no more... reduced to nothingness by Sakura.
"Who is she?" Madara wondered in a murmur.
His eye was slightly widened before the titanic force of this woman. She had just split a cliff in two, an extraordinary display of power. Why had she killed this being? Madara didn't have time to ponder more questions, as the woman eventually turned around.
She walked slowly in his direction, fists clenched, contemplating what she should do. Would she guide him, or would the hate for this man be too strong, prompting her to kill him?
Sakura stood next to Madara Uchiha, who was unable to move. He felt vulnerable in front of this extremely dangerous woman, who had just vanquished a being with extreme violence. Her green eyes scrutinized him, a gaze hard, cold, filled with hatred and rage towards him. If a look could kill, Madara would probably be dead at that moment.
Her thoughts were so filled with hatred that she unconsciously charged her right fist with chakra. She thought about everything this man had done, everything he was going to do, all the lives he was going to take in the future. And at that precise moment, Sakura had a brief thought.
*It would be so easy...*