Whisper in the Wind

by UNCPanda

Summary:

Thrown back in time, from a future that needs to be stopped, Sakura has no choice but to keep moving forward and keep fighting. But life isn't easy, even when you know what's supposed to happen. Plus love is always tricky. This story is cross posted. I am in the middle of editing it and writing new chapters on FFN.

Chapter 1

Sakura wondered just how many times death would let her slip through its fingers. As Obito Uchiha poured chakra into her body, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed that she was escaping death’s clutches one more time. As her body accepted the Uchiha's chakra, molding it before integrating it into her system, using it to heal her wounds; it sickened her.

This man had been responsible for her friend’s deaths…everyone's death. Madara Uchiha, the same madman that had brainwashed him, had turned on him. Madara, restored to point that was better than his prime, had taken the world for himself and Sakura found that she was ready to die. She was ready to be with her loved ones again, in a place that the madman couldn't touch her. Yet here was his sidekick, healing her; withdrawing her from an eternity with the ones she loved, and she hated him for it.

"Sakura, you have to change this." It was a plea if she had ever heard one, and a delusional one at that. She would have laughed if her throat wasn't so dry. "You need to make sure that I never 'die' or if I do, that you at least take my body. You need to be on the lookout for Madara, make sure that he doesn't find anyone to take my place; and please make sure that Kakashi, Rin and Sensei stay alive."

It hurt to speak, but Sakura managed it even if it was only broken words, "Crazy…dead…can't stop."

“It's possible just not here, but back then. Back when he was still old and fragile, it is very possible."

She croaked out another word, "Past."

Obito smiled at her, and for a moment she saw the boy her sensei had briefly told her about. "It's your future," Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but he shushed her, "no more questions you'll see soon enough. Just make sure you live your life, and do what you have to in order to change the future." Sakura watched as the man went through the hand signs, and then everything went black.

When Sakura awoke she was blinded by bright lights, and for a moment she thought she was dead. Then she made the mistake of opening her mouth to breathe and began gagging. Her medical instincts kicked in, and she reached for the blockage. She cautiously removed the endotracheal tube, careful not to cut her throat. Once it was gone she took several deep breaths, and she began processing.

Her eyes immediately scanned the room looking for any threat, sensing no other people she allowed herself to relax the tiniest fraction. She recognized the room as one of many within Konoha's hospital. Only the paint was fresher and the windows looked less worn, as though they hadn't been through so many tragic events.

It shouldn't have been possible to even be within the hospital, Madara had destroyed it when he had razed the entire village to ground. Sakura briefly wondered if she was in a genjustsu, or perhaps Madara had finally used the infinite Tsukiyomi. She dismissed both ideas, Madara had no use for either; he ruled the world and had no need for niceties, and she posed no threat to him, which meant this was real.

Carefully moving from the bed Sakura ignored the aches and pains as she moved towards the window. The sun was shining and before her stood the whole of Konohagakure, only it wasn't her Konoha. A large tree that she could see from the hospital stood in the middle of the village, she turned her eyes to the mountain. There were only three faces carved there. Sakura pushed down the overwhelming panic building inside her and started searching for clothes, anything but the yukata she was wearing, which the hospital had stopped using when she was three.

The drawers in the dresser were empty and the cabinets only contained more of the same type of yukata she was wearing now, which was not conducive to fighting. Steps outside the door and a flare of chakra alerted her to a new presence. Sakura moved to the bathroom and turned on the light before closing the door; she then hid behind the door to the room and tested her chakra. She only had about forty percent, but all her wounds were healed save a few bruises and scratches.

Pressing her back to the wall Sakura watched as the handle descended, and the door slowly opened as the nurse entered. Sakura peered from the door as the nurse stepped into view as she walked towards the bathroom and knocked on the door, "Miss, are you all right?"

Concealing her chakra Sakura slipped out of the room and down the hall hoping that all the exits were in the same place. Walking as calmly as she could, Sakura walked to the stairs corridor and opened the door before slipping in and sprinting down them. Reaching the bottom she came to two doors. The right led into an office that led into the lobby and the left led to the emergency room. The left was her best bet; in the confusion no one would notice her.

Cracking the door she watched as doctors hurried from one patient to another and her stomach flipped as they used ancient techniques. She nearly gagged as she watched them prepare a saw for the amputation of an arm that was most definitely salvageable.

She remembered Tsunade's words about always helping their own, and the headbands displaying the leaf insignia and their flak vests said they were her own, and that pushed her into action.
Pushing the man with the saw away she began working: first healing the bone, working to rebuild the nervous system, then she began healing the muscle before finally rebuilding the tissue. The nurses that had been assigned to the man followed her every order, their eyes flicking to the group of fellow nurses and doctors gathering behind her. She ignored them until a fresh wave of wounded flowed in and she had to bark orders for them to get their butts in gear and get to work.

She finished with the man and gave the orderlies instructions concerning him and sent a nurse with them. Leaning against a wall, she tried to catch her breath. The procedure had used a good bit of her chakra and had left her tired. Ignoring the eyes on her Sakura summoned the smallest amount of chakra possible needed for the technique, and disappeared in a flurry of petals. It didn't take her far, only to the top of the next building, and from there she ran. Using the tops of the buildings as her pathway she was able to get to the edge of training ground three.

Collapsing against one of the training posts Sakura closed her eyes and took everything in. The air was fresh and clean, not filled with dust and dirt as it had been after Pein's attack. Instead of saws and hammers she heard children's laughter and the bell from the academy signaling that the day was done. Instead of gloomy skies which had been daily once Madara had come to power the sun was shining, and Sakura bathed in all of it. She had missed all of this and had longed for it since she'd gone to war, and she allowed it to take over her senses; which was not the smartest move on her part.

As a kunai came to rest on her jugular Sakura smiled, "Go ahead, you can kill me now. I'm home."

"I've never seen you here before," the voice was male. It was smooth and held confidence, yet it wasn't cocky. The kunai slackened and she looked up into blue eyes that reminded her of Naruto. For a moment she thought it was Naruto, but it wasn't. His eyes were a bit narrower, his hair was longer and his facial structure was a bit sharper than Naruto's rounded features.

"Perhaps we never crossed paths."

Removing the Kunai all together the man came to stand in front of her squatting down to look her in the eyes, "I might have considered that, if I hadn't found you outside the village bloody, bruised and unconscious; and if the Sandaime had actually had a clue as to who you are."

Sakura smiled, as she fought to stay awake. She recognized the need to sleep as genjutsu, but she didn't have the strength to fight it. "I was simply offering an explanation," and with that she fell into her forced slumber.
Minato Namikaze studied the pink haired woman. She had to be about twenty-one, if he had to guess, something he hadn't been able to identify with all the blood and dirt covering her when he had first found her in this very spot. Hiashi Hyuuga, Fugaku Uchiha, Shibi Aburame, and Kato Inuzuka, crammed in front of him as he picked up the girl cradling her in his arms. Apparently being called away by an ANBU in their first training session together in three months warranted an investigation.

"Who is she?" Kato Inuzuka asked. The head of the Inuzuka Clan was a serious man. The wolf looking dog, that was his companion, mirrored the same demeanor as his master.
Looking at each of the men present Minato shrugged. Fugaku was quick to call him out, "Bullshit."

Minato smiled, each man in front of him was either head of their clan or would be soon. That made them privy to the information of the pink haired girl in his arms. "I honestly don't know. I found her about a week ago, she was wearing the Konoha fatigues, but her headband was different. It had the kanji for shinobi engraved on it. She looked like she had been dragged through hell a few times, so I took her to the hospital. For any other information you'll have to speak to the Sandaime, my part ended there." Not completely true, but they didn't need to know that. Not unless the Third said otherwise.

"You gonna take her back to the hospital?" Kato asked.

Minato shook his head, "I have orders to take her to T&I. Inoichi, Shikaku and Choza will be back soon. They'll get to the bottom of it."

Chapter 2

Minato watched the pink haired girl sleep over the page of his book. He silently wished that he knew her name so he'd be able to stop calling her by her hair color. A snore interrupted his thoughts and he grinned as Kato's head dipped back. Next to him sat a meditating Hiashi. They were the only two that had been able to stay or truly wanted to. Kato and Tsume were fighting again and Hiashi had no desire to be near his father or his wife, a woman he had been forced to marry.

They currently occupied the T&I department's break room, since it had a couch to lay the girl on. Turning the page in his novel Minato tried to focus, he even managed to get a few more pages in before the door opened and Inoichi led by an underling stepped into the small room. Shikaku remained outside looking in. The Yamanaka was all business; there were no traces of his usual grin or humor on his face. He motioned with his head and Minato placed his book in his back pouch and picked up the girl.

He followed behind Inoichi and next to Shikaku and was flanked by a yawning Kato and an emotionless Hiashi. "Where's Choza?"

Shikaku grinned, "Date night with his wife." Minato smiled as well.

They were taken to a chamber where the girl was restrained and Inoichi set to work. The girl's mind was wide open and he was relieved. He'd be in and out in no time.

He went to a prominent memory, she was younger, much younger and she was crying. He watched as a blonde girl approached her.

"This was the day Ino talked me into being a kunoichi." The voice startled him, and he turned to watch the woman approach him. This had never happened before. "It's good to see you alive Oji-chan." He stared at the girl and noticed the writing for inner on her forehead. This was her mental defense and it wasn't putting up a fight. Interesting.
She snorted, "You would say that. You need to see the important parts. You need to know I mean the village no harm." She pointed, "The blonde haired girl, her name is Ino, she was my best friend and she was your daughter."

The words shook him; this was some sort of trick. "No, I'm too tired for tricks now. In all honesty you just need to see this."

He not only saw, but he listened; he listened with her as he and her father talked about the Uchiha massacre, he watched as she and Ino created a rivalry. He watched as she was paired with her team, as she took the bell test, and took her first mission. He watched as team seven went through the chūnin exams, with a new sort of hate for Orochimaru building by the minute, even if the Sannin hadn't left the village yet.

He watched as Konoha was invaded and broken, he watched the Sandaime's funeral, and Lady Tsunade take up the position of Hokage, he watched the girl train under the legendary woman; he watched her grow. He felt her pain as the blue haired teammate left the village and broke her heart.

He was about ready to kill when he watched him leave her on a bench, he would have broken out a kunai as he watched the children of Konoha come back beaten and bruised. He watched as an alliance was formed between Konoha and Suna. He watched as the next generation grew with pride and then he felt his heart break as Konoha was completely destroyed.

Then he watched as everyone came together. He watched as they went to war, and the alliance was formed. He listened to himself as he and Shikaku died and then he watched slowly as everyone he knew died along with him by the hands of one of their own. He watched as they retreated and one by one the villages were razed to the ground. He watched as the girl took a fatal hit and how Obito saved her. He listened to the words of the man, engraving them in his mind along with the hand signs he used and then everything went black.

Shikaku had seen his friend do this a million and one times before, it was an old party trick. He really just wanted Inoichi to hurry up so they could get a drink before they each headed home. Of course, he never had the best luck. Two hours later he watched as Inoichi pulled back, stumbling. He moved to his feet. That hadn’t happened since they were kids. Inoichi always had control when he left a person's mind. Bracing himself against a wall

Inoichi spoke, "Get her out of there, and a room made up for her down here, and get the Sandaime!" Shikaku groaned. This was not going to be good.

Sakura woke up feeling better than she had in years. It was almost like she was fifteen again. She longed for those days, but they were long over. The room she was in was dimly lit, small, and had no windows; she would say they were underground if she had to guess. Running a hand through her hair she noticed the chakra signatures outside the door.. They would enter soon, she could feel it.

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Minato felt her chakra flare before the others. He’d always been particularly sensitive to chakra sensing. It was one of the things that made him very good at his job. He let out a sigh. He was sure the girl was confused or sad or a million other emotions.
The third blew smoke from the pipe. He was still reading the notes Inoichi had provided. Unrest stirred inside him as he read what had taken Inoichi two hours to write. The girl was one of their own and after everything she had been through, she'd be taken care of, he doubted she'd ever want to see a battle again. He'd have to talk to the girl. "Minato, Inoichi, Shikaku lets go check on our girl."

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Sakura watched as the doorknob turned and sat up a little straighter as it opened. She stared into the eyes of a younger Sandaime, who had less wrinkles and whose hair was only starting to gray. He was followed by Inoichi and Shikaku, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two men, alive. She frowned as one last man came in.

The man that looked like Naruto. He was the one who had found her and knocked her out. She scowled at him and held back a curse as he grinned at her. Cocky son of a . . .
They all took positions around the room; the third in the chair next to her bed, Inoichi against the wall on the other side of the bed, Shikaku at the door and the blonde haired guy at the foot of her bed. She chose to glare at him as he just continued to smile.

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Minato had no idea what the Sandaime was going to say. While he and Shikaku had talked with Inoichi while he wrote the report, none of them had discussed what she had been through and they didn’t have all the details. In many ways he and Shikaku were flying blind. He did, however, admire the fire she had. There weren’t many people who glared at him so openly.

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"Sakura-chan," Sakura turned towards the third, he spoke her name with certain softness, as though she was going to break, and maybe she would . . . but not yet. She had been sent back in time, that was what Obito had meant by the past being her future, and the bastard had been a master at space time jutsu after all.
This was real. She had felt the poking in her mind as Inoichi had gone through her memories, had felt the reassurance of inner that this was no genjutsu. "Inoichi has alerted me to what has happened, when you are from."

Sakura looked the man in the eye "This isn't you; this isn't the Hokage I knew. Stop treating me as though I'm glass and I'm going to break, I was broken a long time ago." Her words sounded harsh even to her own ears.
The Third smiled "Something broken can always be fixed; you just need the right tools."

Ahh, cryptic words of advice, now they were back on familiar ground, "And what are those tools?"

He grinned "Depends on the person and what's broken."

"Fair enough."

"The things you showed Inoichi, they all happen?"

"Oji-chan can tell you that they're real. Fake memories have a different feel to them Ino told me that."

"Why'd you let me in so easily, you could have blocked me, even for a little while; I could feel it."

"What good would have it done. The future had already gone to hell in a hand basket I can't imagine it getting any worse."

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Minato took this all in. The girl had been sent back in time, the future was apparently destroyed and she was here to make it right? Minato stopped his thoughts as the Third started speaking again, "This is a good start
Sakura-chan, and things will be dealt with. You will also be taken care of; a nice apartment, money for food and other things and you can start a new life."

Minato smiled as Sakura scoffed,”That’s not happening. This is my mission, I’ll see it through.”

"Sakura you've fought a war you don't need to . . ."

"You have too, two of them I believe . . ."

"I'm in the middle of my third, though I haven't done much on the front lines."

"Well then, this will be my second and I never lose twice. My third will be tracking down Madara Uchiha and making sure he never touches my loved ones again."

The third stared at her for a moment, she definitely had some Tsunade in her, and he smiled. "Fair enough," he turned to the door, "Hiashi, Kato why don't you two come down so we can discuss our plan of action."
Sakura closed her eyes, and so it began.

Chapter 3

Summary:

It's hard to believe I started writing this story ten years ago. . . .man did it need some editing. While most of the first chapters haven't changed much, I just finished an overhaul of chapter 6 I think. I've also written two new chapters which will debut eventually.

Sakura listened more so than participated in the conversation surrounding her, not that she minded; it was nice to have some simple background noise that didn't hold any panic to it. Shifting her legs before they fell asleep, Sakura tried to focus on the conversation at hand.

The Sandaime was adamant that no one else know about this, that Inoichi and he be the only ones to know the full details, and now they were trying to decide what to do with her; where she would stay, how they would introduce her to the village, and how he was going to get Danzo off his back.

Sakura bristled at the name, her eyes narrowing; it didn't go unnoticed by the men in the room. Her teeth ground together. At least fifty percent of the future dilemma had been caused by that man, they'd be better off if she killed him now and got it over with. A few years in prison would be worth it.

Inoichi's hand gripped her shoulder, bringing her out of her murderous plot, "You can't kill him Sakura; he hasn't done anything wrong yet."

She said one word, and one word only, “Root.”

The Sandaime frowned, “Root is sanctioned by the village.”

“They’re brainwashed soldiers.”

Shikaku stepped in. "Sakura, you just being here could change the future; we can't go on what ifs."

Sakura's eyes went cold as she stared the man in the eye, "I listened to you die, giving us a strategy that didn't work. I watched your wife crumple to the ground as your wounded son rushed to catch her as he told her you wouldn't be coming home. I watched it over and over and over again. Different people, same story, and it went on until no one was left. So you may not be able to go on what ifs, but I can, because for me, they're solid facts.
The fact that Danzo had his own personal brain washed militia also helps."

The Sandaime stopped her, "Root is for the use of the village."

"Root might as well be Danzo's baby. He takes orphaned children; brain washes them into feeling nothing but loyalty for him and then uses them as pawns. Root isn't for the village it's for him. He was your friend, I get that, but you can't let that rule your decisions it'll bite you in the ass."

The Sandaime nodded "I'll look into it. In the meantime you can stay with me.I better go explain this to Biwako. I'm never going to hear the end of it either." Sakura raised an eyebrow in question "She never cared for Danzo either." He explained. "I'll send someone down for you in a little bit." Sakura nodded in acknowledgement as the man walked out the door, leaving her with the five others.

An awkward silence engulfed the group and Sakura shifted on top of the bed as the men seemed to communicate through their minds. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore it. She went to a happy place, where her team was waiting for her on the bridge; where Naruto and Sasuke were arguing and Kakashi was reading his porn.

A hand landed on her shoulder breaking her out of the memory; she found the men staring at her and a rather large monkey in the doorway. "Sorry, must have drifted off." She moved from the bed.

"This is the Sandaime's summons, Enma; he'll be taking you where you need to go."

Sakura scrambled off the bed and bowed to the monkey she remembered Konohamaru talking about, the Monkey King, he had called him, "Pleasure to meet you."

The monkey smiled, "I think I'm going to like this girl. Now then let's get going."

Minato watched the girl leave the room, only slightly frustrated that he wasn't going to find out what had happened. From the look on Inoichi's face, they weren't going to get it out of him, not even with alcohol.

One by one they left the underground chambers beneath the Hokage's tower, walking out into a now dark Konoha. The city lights were on and Minato considered getting something to eat as his friends all went their separate ways and decided against it, he had training with his team in the morning and he was going to need sleep.

Sakura followed behind the monkey king into the living quarters of the Hokage's tower, a house-like apartment near the top; Enma knocked on the door and it opened almost immediately leaving her to stare at a young
Asuma Sarutobi. "Onee-chan?"

"Give your sister room Asuma." The voice was stern, but held certain softness to it. Sakura watched as a middle aged woman came around the corner, she wore the robes of a village elder, "You must be Sakura, please come in." Sakura did as she was asked stepping in and allowing Asuma to close the door behind her.

Biwako took her hand and led her through the small house pointing out certain things before pulling her into a bathroom. The tub was filled to the brim with hot water, "I've laid out a fresh yukata, towels, washcloths and soap, you can take your time, dinner will be ready for you when you're done." With that the older woman fled the room leaving Sakura alone.

Sinking into the water Sakura couldn't help the content sigh that passed from her lips, as the water relaxed and loosened her muscles.

Closing her eyes Sakura relaxed into the water, allowing her other senses to make up for her lack of sight; she could smell dinner and her stomach rumbled with the thought of eating, her hearing tuned into the conversation going on out in the living area.

"So you're telling me that all of a sudden I now have an older sister; one that I've never seen or heard of before?" she recognized the voice even if it was a little squeakier, it was Konohamaru's father.

"We're adopting her." That was the Third.

"Why?" Konohamaru's father again, what was his name? She couldn't remember.

"Because, I always wanted a daughter and your father has finally given in to my demands for one." She listened to the Third chuckle.

"She’s from a small village on the border of Fire country, her mother was a child hood friend of mine. She moved there when she married Sakura's father. I promised her mother on her death bed that I would treat her like my own and I always keep my promises."

"But I don't understand . . ."

"What's there to understand Akiko? We have a new big sister. Or are you just scared that she might like me more?" Sakura smiled, that was most definitely Asuma . . . with a much more squeaky voice.

"I'm not scared of anything, and you know she'll like me better, who doesn't?"

Sakura smiled as she stepped out of the water and toweled off. Putting the used yukata in the hamper she changed into the new one Biwako had left behind for her. Stepping out of the bathroom she walked to where the Sarutobi family waited.

They all stared at her, and she had to repress the urge to shift from one foot to another. Biwako stood a moment later and walked over to her. She quickly pulled her into a hug and whispered, “Welcome to the family,” before leading her over to sit at the table where dinner was waiting.

Sakura could honestly say that it wasn’t the most awkward meal of her life. Her new brothers kept glancing at her when they thought she wasn't looking, the Third ate his dinner in relative silence only commenting randomly on some things while Biwako continued to chat in her ear. Sakura still didn't know her complete cover story but it seemed that the woman had already planned several shopping trips and 'mother-daughter' days. She also didn't give Sakura a chance to get a word in edge wise, something that the men in the family seemed to be used to.

When dinner was over the boys cleared the table refusing to let Sakura help, before they were ushered off to their rooms, leaving Sakura with the heads of the household.

Sakura sat on one side of the table while the Third and Biwako sat on the other side. A pipe was in the Sandaime's mouth, short puffs of smoke coming from the end. "Biwako recently came back from Tonika village* which is just on the outskirts of Fire Country. She was there for medical supplies for the hospital, but it also works in time with your arrival here. For that reason, with your consent, we'd like to adopt you."

Sakura didn't gape at the statement though she felt the urge to; they had already decided this, told Asuma and Akiko about it, she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "That's very kind of you but,"

"You wouldn't deny an old woman the wish of having a daughter would you Sakura-chan?" Biwako stared at her, giving her some of the saddest eyes she had ever seen, and Sakura winced. She was beating out the kids who hadn't wanted shots in the hospital.

"It's not that, it's just so generous,"

"Which would make it horrible if you turned it down."

Sakura looked at the woman's eyes, they were determined, but so was she. She didn't have time to play house or daughter, she had had parents and now she had things that needed to be done. "Sakura," the Sandaime's voice interrupted "this allows you a certain amount of freedom, to move around and investigate; it also keeps Danzo away from you. He doesn't touch what's under my protection, he doesn't even go near it if it's under
Biwako's protection."

Sakura looked back and forth between the two, and gave her consent with a sigh and a nod of her head. Biwako's burst of happy laughter startled Sakura as she came to hug the girl and began talking her ear off once again. She looked at the Sandaime and he just smiled.

Chapter 4

Sakura spent the first three days in her new time doing one thing: writing. The Sandaime had been kind enough to give her some scrolls. After that Sakura had written down all of the major moments she knew of, information she thought would be useful, and people who needed to be saved. After she had reviewed that several times, she had sealed the scrolls so she could be the only one to access them, and then hidden them away.

She had been ready to start coming up with plans on how to address the issues when Biwako had stormed her room and dragged her out. “You’re part of the family Sakura. That comes with responsibilities. You can’t just hide away in your room.” Sakura hadn’t been in a place to argue.

She had spent the next few days helping Biwako and getting to know the woman. She had been a kunoichi, and an instructor at the academy up until she had married the Third. During their days together Biwako had instructed Sakura to call her mother; whether it was to complete the façade or because Biwako preferred it Sakura didn't know and she didn’t particularly care.

Her own mother had never cared for Sakura's choice of becoming a kunoichi. None of the women in her family had. She was supposed to have married a merchant, have children, and spend the rest of her days caring for her family. Sakura had decided against that when she was six, after watching her mother complain constantly about her life.

The men in her family had been just as bad. Her father had barely ever looked at her. Instead he had favored her male cousins.The only one who had approved of her career choice had been her mother's father.

Her grandfather had been the youngest son in his family. He had risen to the rank of chunnin before his older brothers had both died due to bandits during a trade route journey. He had been forced to quit and take over the family business.

It was his stories that had inspired Sakura to become a shinobi. He had been the one to take her to her first day at the academy, the one present for teacher-parent meetings, and had been at all of her promotion events. He had lived long enough to stand by her until she could stand by herself. He had died shortly after she had made chunnin.

Sakura had moved into her own apartment three weeks later. She had rarely seen her parents or extended family afterwards. She had been busy, and they hadn’t had a real desire to her. And while that hurt, she had made her peace with that.

So, Sakura had obliged the Sandaime and his wife by calling them mother and father. Asuma and Akiko were a bit of a different story. She’d never had siblings, and it was difficult to fit into the brothers’ already established dynamic. Instead she watched and observed and offered comments occasionally.

Each day they brought tidbits of the outside world with them when they returned home for the day. Their stories mainly consisted of how people would ask about her and what she was like. Sakura would sit through the chatter smiling but never speaking. Then Asuma brought up Kakashi.

She had stopped eating, giving the boy her full attention, something that didn't go by unnoticed by her 'parents'.

"So there he goes running after Minato Sensei saying some people were just too important to sit around eating ramen."

Akiko laughed "You're just mad that he made chunnin before you."

She watched Asuma closely. He waved his chopsticks in the air as he spoke, "So there he goes running after Minato Sensei saying some people were just too important to sit around eating ramen."

Akiko snickered, "You're just mad that he made chunnin before you."

"He made it before you too!"

The Third cleared his throat, stopping the argument before it could truly begin.

"Where was he going?" Sakura's voice sounded small in her own ears.

Asuma looked at her curiously before replying, "Roran. Minato Namikaze, his sensei, Shibi Aburame and Choza Akimichi are with him. Minato requested Kakashi specifically."

Sakura took another bite, and chewed slowly. Kakashi had never mentioned this mission. Then again, he hadn’t really started opening up to her until nearly a year into the war. When she had gone to Roran on a mission it had been with Naruto and Yamato.

"Have you been there?" The question came from Akiko.

Sakura swallowed, "Yes, but it was in ruins when I went."

Akiko grinned, "So Minato sensei destroys it hunh?" Asuma was leaning in waiting for her answer.

Sakura picked up her tea and smiled into her cup, shrugging her shoulders. Asuma and Akiko both groaned. "What good is it having a sister from the future if she won't tell you anything?"

"It's nothing that concerns you, and you know very well that you aren't supposed to speak of it." Biwako chastised before turning to Sakura. "We'll be going shopping tomorrow. You need some clothes of your own."
Sakura frowned, "I don't have money."

"What do you think parents are for girl? Plus I've always wanted to do an all day mother daughter shopping trip." Biwako left the table before Sakura could make any rebuttal and she looked to the Sandaime for help.

"It wasn't my idea to wound my wallet."

Asuma and Akiko snickered as they began clearing the table.
…

Sakura woke up after only three hours of sleep. Sleep had been an elusive thing for years now. Years of being on the move and only being able to sleep in three to four hour spurts had messed up her sleep schedule. Even in a different time, her body was still on edge most of the time.

The sun hadn’t risen yet, it was maybe an hour away from that. She tossed her covers to the side, and changed into some new clothes. She attached her kunai pouch to her hip to be on the safe side and looked around the room. It had been the spare bedroom before she had come and it was rather plain. That was fine with her, it was better than a tent.

Sakura listened to the snores that filled the house. It was a trait the entire Sarutobi family seemed to share. Sakura smiled and slipped out the window in the kitchen, and made sure to leave it open.

The air was bit nippy, something that was unusual this early in March. Konoha never got too cold and it was something Sakura was thankful for. All that time in Kumo and the Land of Iron had left her with a distaste for the cold.

She climbed to the top of the tower and found a good seat. She watched as the sun began to rise. As the sun climbed higher the merchants began to open their shops, while children played in the streets, and the academy kids headed to their classes. It was peaceful, and in a lot of ways unbelievable.

"So this is where you disappeared to?" Sakura turned at the voice and watched Biwako walk towards her. Sakura shot her a grin as the woman leaned on the rail next to her. They stayed quiet for a few moments before Biwako spoke, "I love watching the village like this. It takes my mind off the war, and off the fact that both my boys will be going into it soon."

"Something tells me that they're in good hands."

Biwako smiled at the statement and they both turned to watch the last straggler enter the doors of the academy.

Biwako’s hand landed gently on top of Sakura’s head, she tensed at the contact, but Biwako didn’t say anything. “Let’s head in and get some breakfast.”

The boys, including the Hokage, were just getting out of bed as the two women reentered the home. Akiko stared at his mother and with a yawn asked where breakfast was.

Biwako scowled, "Sakura go get dressed, I've laid some clothes out on the bed for you. As for the rest of you, you're on your own. I don't care what you do but I'm not cooking."

Sakura listened to complaints as she slipped back in the room, changed into black spandex pants and a red sweater.

When she walked back into the living room the disagreement over breakfast had turned into a full-out fight between the Hokage and Asuma. Sakura glanced towards Biwako and she rolled her eyes before she motioned with her head towards the door. Sakura followed after the woman.

She easily fell into step beside Biwako she clasped her hands behind her back. She took note of the ANBU who were taiiling them. It shouldn’t have surprised her, Biwako was the Hokage’s wife after all.

"The first stop on our list is down the street. It's a nice little boutique that sells some nice dresses and kimono. Its nice there, quiet, good management and a good clientele."

As they entered the shop everything seemed to stop and all eyes seemed to turn towards them. A saleswoman rushed forward. "Honorable wife, welcome, how can I help you?"
Sakura watched as Biwako turned from the caring woman she had come to know, into someone who was all business. "We're looking for clothes for my daughter." Eyes went to Sakura and she forced herself to keep her face
blank, "This is Sakura. She needs dresses and kimono, for every occasion."

"Of course honorable wife, if you would follow me honorable daughter." Sakura hesitated for a moment. The look in the woman's eye reminded her of Ino's shopping eye. That look was usually followed by an all day endever and a much lighter wallet. A push on her back from Biwako sent her forward into the woman's arms and from there it all went downhill.

The woman dressed her in kimonos of every color, which were then shown to Biwako and if she approved it was Sakura's turn to decide yes or no.

Three kimonos and seven formal dresses later Sakura and Biwako were out the door and on to the next store, one for more casual clothing. Much to Sakura's annoyance it was the same routine and she had to resist wincing or growling every time she was called honorable daughter.

Separating herself from Biwako and a few flocking sales girls Sakura started to browse. She picked out several pairs of the standard black pants, some tee shirts, and a few skirts. Satisfied with her choices Sakura made her way to the register. A tick of annoyance ran through her as the girl refused to meet her eyes. Biwako came to stand by her watching as the girl put each of her purchases in a bag. As the last article of clothing went in a bag Biwako turned to her. "Is that it?"

Sakura raised her eyebrow "What else do I need?"

Biwako stared at her "You only got basics! There's nothing cute or flirty or hell, sexy. You're twenty-one, act like it girl!" Sakura took a step back as Biwako turned to the girl "Hold those until we come back, there's more we need to get."

The girl bowed in answer as Biwako grabbed Sakura's arm and dragged her further into the store, heading straight for the dresses. "I already have a lot of dresses." Sakura murmured.

Biwako laughed "Those are for formal events. Every girl needs at least one little black dress, and some sun dresses, and for heaven's sakes those skirts you picked out are for an old woman, and those pants . . . well those pants aren't too bad, they're great for small little outings. Now come on." Biwako dragged her straight to the dress rack and began sorting through them. After finding several dresses, Biwako moved on to skirts, blouses, and sun dresses.

Finally satisfied, Biwako headed back to the register and had one of the sales girls take the other clothes, excluding the pants back to the racks. Paying the woman the man who had held the dresses stepped forward to take the bags. Biwako didn't bat an eyelash as she handed over the other bags from the previous store that had been kept behind the counter.

Stepping out into the sun Sakura sighed in relief as Biwako smiled and started ushering her towards the next store. Sakura repressed a groan, this woman was worse than Ino. Sakura had resigned herself to the idea of another store and more people calling her honorable daughter when a chunnin appeared out of nowhere.

He bowed and then addressed her 'mother,' "Honorable wife, Hokage-sama has requested your presence immediately."

Biwako straightened, "Understood." She turned to the man and took the bags and then handed them to the chunnin, "Take these to my home, have one of guards put them inside." She then turned to Sakura "leave it to those goons to ruin our day out. Take this. There's a shop right down the street that sells Kunoichi gear. Get what you need and don't be cheap." Sakura nodded and put the change purse in the pocket of her pants and then she was alone. Sakura smiled . . . she was alone! She couldn't remember the last time she had truly been alone.

Walking down the street Sakura found the shop Biwako was talking about and entered. The lighting was low, and made for a more comfortable setting. The store was separated by colors instead of the types of clothing. There were several other women all dressed in moveable clothes, ready for a fight. None of them were obvious in their checking to make sure she wasn't a threat; it was mainly looks under lashes or sidewise glances. It was good to know that some things didn’t change.

Sakura moved to the racks in the black section and picked out several pairs of long, slim fitting pants. She grabbed several mesh shirts that were strapless with black fabric that would cover and bind her breasts.
She moved on to shirts next. She had grown use to her village's colors during the war, had grown accustomed to them. She walked over to the green section and began browsing. She stopped in front of an olive-green shirt that was in the style of a yukata. It came with a black sash and a small black flower pattern at the bottom. The sleeves stopped just before the elbow. Sakura smiled and picked up several of the shirt. Going over to the black section Sakura picked up a two pairs of gloves. Sakura headed to the register.

Walking out into the sun, bags in hand Sakura sighed in contentment . . . and hunger. It was near three in the afternoon and Biwako had pushed them straight through lunch. Turning right Sakura headed towards an old dango shop from her time. She was glad to see that it was there, all though much newer. Sitting down at a table she ordered a plate of dango, some tea, and started to relax..

The tea was hot and helped with her nerves. "Sakura." And now they were tense again. Peering over her cup of tea Sakura stared at the men in front of her. In front of her stood the famous Ino-Shika-Cho trio. So much for alone time.

Notes:

As I've been editing these chapters I realized that Sakura wasn't really showing a ton of struggle. So I've hopefully re-written this to show that she is in survival mode. The lack of sleep, the planning, and the constant observing I feel show this. She's relying on a lot of instincts and skills that have become ingrained over the past several years of war. She doesn't feel safe, and when you don't feel safe you can't really process the trauma you've been through.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 5

The trio smiled at her, before they began taking the other seats at her table.

Inoichi laughed, "Yeah we were able to drag Chouza away from his wife.”

Chouza crossed his arms across his chest "I’m not that bad."

Shikaku snorted a laugh of his own as he pulled out the seat next to her "Yes you are. But you’re newly weds. You’re allowed to be that way," he turned to face her then, "We wouldn't ever see him if we didn't drag him out like this."

"Yes you would, and why are you telling her all of this? No offense meant or anything, I just have no clue whom you are."

Inoichi pulled out the seat catty-corner and Chouza pulled out the seat in front of her. "This is Sakura Sarutobi, the Sandaime's daughter."

The words were out of Inoichi's mouth before she could stop him, and everyone just seemed to stop. She glared at him, and the waitress was back at their table seconds later with mutterings of honorable daughter, and how may I help the honorable daughter's friends and Sakura was about to rip off the poor girl's head if she didn't stop. Of course the girl was oblivious but her lunch mates were not. Chouza quickly ordered food to go and Shikaku nudged her to stand up. Inoichi threw some money on the table and then led her outside back on to the street while Shikkaku started a slight distraction.

Guiding her into the crowd of villagers swarming the streets, he began talking to her, "You need to calm down Sakura. I know it can be difficult to adjust, but you need to calm down."

Sakura froze. She hated being told to calm down. She’d always been rather loud, it came with the hair color. Her mother had told to calm down and be demure non-stop from the time she turned three to when she finally moved out.

The only people who had ever encouraged her to be loud were Naruto, Tsunade, and Ino. They had never flinched at her loudness, or encouraged her to shy away from her feelings. Tsunade had known what came from burying emotions, while Naruto and Ino had never been ones to mind their own tongues. Right now, she really missed that.

Inoichi’s hand slowly released her arm. She looked back at the trio who were watching her warily and pasted on the fake smile Sai used to use, “I need to be going now. Excuse me.” She vanished in a cloud of blossom petals a second later.
…

Inoichi turned to Chouza and Shikaku.

Shikaku shrugged, “Her entire world’s been ripped apart. I’d be worried if she wasn’t some what panicked.”

Chouza had a different take, "I've never seen shunshin done with flower petals before." he swallowed the dango in his mouth and asked, "Where's she going?" the underlining meaning was clear in the question, did they need to go after her?

"I don't know she was distraught though."

Inoichi repeated the cover story loud enough for villagers passing by to hear, "She just lost her parents, moved to a new village and was adopted by the Hokage's family. I think she's allowed to be a bit distraught."

Shikaku sighed, "Either way, we got her bags from the restaurant, why don't you two take them to the Kage's quarters and I'll go make sure she's okay." Inoichi and Chouza nodded and then they were gone. This was going to be a long day.

…

Sakura landed in the middle of training ground three and took a deep breath; she tried to calm herself. Then she was moving, pulling her arm back and sending it downwards. The ground shattered.

"Feel better?"

Sakura shook her head, and turned to find a familiar face watching her; the one that looked so much like Naruto. His name flashed into her mind; Minato, Kakashi's sensei AKA the SOB who used that genjutsu to put her to sleep. She still wasn't over that. "Not really. I thought you were on a mission."

Minato smiled at her and shook his head, "I got back late last night, how did you know about the mission?"

"Apparently Kakashi ruffled Asuma's feathers, and he brought it up at dinner last night. He talks about you a lot, usually in accordance to something Kakashi has done."

"I was assigned the mission the day you woke up actually. After you went home with the Hokage, I picked up Kakashi, and sent Asuma home. He must have forgotten in all the excitement surrounding you.”

Sakura nodded, "How was Roran?"

"Different."

"Any other details you'd like to share with the class?"

He smiled, "No, but I do have a question."

"Ok."

"It's actually more of a statement now that I think about it."

The smile on his face told Sakura that he thought he was funny. She was ready to break that allusion for him when his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her sideways, just in time to pull her out-of-the-way of several fire balls. The jingle of bells sounded in her ears just as warm breath misted her ear and said, "You might want to move."

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, and as they landed she used his shoulders to propel herself backwards and onto the small river that ran through the training ground. A second later, two children appeared in the clearing. Sakura's crossed her arms against her chest, "Bell test?"

He was beside her a second later, "You know about it?”

She let out a huff of amusement, and quietly said, “I’ve gone through it once or twice.”

“I do it once every few months, they're getting better."

A barrage of kunai came at them, and they both took to the trees. They landed on branches next to each other.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, "They’re not even close to the point are they?"

"Nope."

"Need some help?"

"I wouldn't turn it down. Plus, it seems like you could use an outlet, and be careful. Kakashi is somewhere hiding."

Sakura grinned as Minato's hands flew into the seals for a fire justsu, she flickered behind him and waited. Fire shot from Minato's mouth a second later and she watched as the children dodged it. They went their separate ways and she moved.

They never saw her coming. She sent chakra to her feet and landed in-between them. The earth shattered and they went flying. Minato sent wires out a second later, and they both found themselves tied to trees.
Sakura took a moment to study them. From the looks of them, they had been at this a few hours. Their bodies were littered with small cuts, their breathing was labored, and she was willing to bet they were running low on chakra.

She stepped forward a few steps when a kunai flew through the space her head had been seconds before.

Kakashi had come out to play: The drama queen.

She walked calmly to the kunai and ripped it from the tree. She flipped it once in her hand as she sent her chakra out to find her old sensei. She located him right as the kunai landed in her hand, and she sent it flying at him.
The kunai shattered the tree Kakashi was standing on, and it sent him into the air. He unleashed a barrage of kunai as he looked for a new hiding place.

In her time, Kakashi had liked to move underground. It was safer, and provided cover. However, she had destroyed that option when she had destroyed the ground. That meant he would most likely stick to the trees. Her theory was confirmed as Minato suddenly disappeared and the sound of metal against metal sounded in the distance.

Sakura smiled and turned back to the other two; a girl with brown hair and purple tattoos on her cheeks and a boy with goggles; fashion really wasn't high on any one's list in this era. She moved forward and undid the ninja wire with a simple chakra scalpel and the children immediately turned towards her.

The boy with goggles had fire in his eyes as he demanded, "Just who do you think you are, helping sensei like that? We had him on the ropes!"

Sakura bent down and took his chin in-between her thumb and forefinger, preventing him from pulling away as he spluttered on. He had a nasty cut near his ear that would affect his hearing if it got infected. She had her chakra flow up the boy's cheek bone and to the cut, where it began to surge; the cut was healed in seconds. She allowed her chakra to check the rest of his body. There was nothing serious that wouldn't heal in a few days so she withdrew her chakra. As she stood to move on to the next one, the girl spoke "Obito, don't be disrespectful, she's a friend of sensei's."

Sakura had to stop herself from freezing as she bent down next to the girl, "I. . .I'm fine miss, really I'm a medic-nin too." Sakura ignored her as she repeated what she had just done with Obito. When she was done she once again vanished in a flurry of flower petals.

…

Obito let out a whistle, "Okay that was cool."

"What was?"

A joint cry of sensei was called as he and a pouting Kakashi came out of the woods, both bells still on their sensei's waist. "The lady friend of yours; she healed me and Rin,"

"Rin and me." Kakashi corrected.

Obito paused for a minute to glare at him and continued, "Then she suddenly disappeared and all these flower petals appeared."

Minato sighed, he should probably go look for her. "You’re dismissed for the day, I'll see you tomorrow." And with that he disappeared in search of the pink haired medic.

Notes:

Next chapter will be a rather large divergence from the original story.

Chapter 6

Sakura stared out at Konoha. Most people came to the top of the kage-mountain during the day, when they could see everything. Sakura had always preferred it at night. There was something pretty about how the village would light up and the bustle of the city wouldn’t die down until late the next morning.

She nestled herself in the Nidaime’s hair. Out of all the kage he had always been her favorite. Often times he had been overlooked in favor of his older brother the First, or the sacrifice of the Fourth, or the long reign of the Third. Sakura knew the truth though. Their village wouldn’t be what it was withou him.

The Nidaime had handled all of the nitty details. He’d been the one to establish the rules and regulations on everything from the building codes, to the Academy, to the Hospital, and even to ANBU. He’d been a genius, and insightful as hell. Then there was the fact that he had invented so many different jutsu. Yes, Sakura was a big fan of a Nidaime.

As she stared out at the village she contemplated the day’s events. She’d expected tears. Tears were natural and normal. If Naruto had taught her anything, it was that. She really missed her best friend in that moment. Naruto and Sasuke had gone out together facing down Kaguya and undoing the ultimate Tsukuyomi. They had freed everyone from their dream scapes only to die moments later when Madara had gotten ahold of them.

That had been their first retreat. Kakashi had dragged her away screaming from the site. They had retreated to Kumo. Konoha had been razed to the ground before they could get there. The Shinobi armed forces had been on the move constantly after that. Kakashi had died a month before she had taken her final blow. He had stepped in front of an attack meant to kill Obito. The Uchiha had outlived his usefulness to Madara and Kaguya, and they had sought to end him. Kakashi had taken the hit, with a smile on his face.

He had begged her with his last dying breath to not be mad at him. He had apologized for leaving her behind. And despite the reassurances that she wasn’t mad, she knew he’d seen through the lie. She had been furious, and aching. Obito had disappeared and she’d been left with only a few select people; Ino, Shikamaru, Sai, Yamato, and Kiba. Everyone else was gone.

Through all of that, she’d never shed a tear. She’d kept going and pushing forward while a voice in her mind, that sounded a lot like Naruto, kept punshing her forward. She’d tried to cry amny times, but they just wouldn’t come. She suspected that a part of her was dead inside; numb to the loss. She wondered what Naruto would think of that? He’d always worn his emotions on his sleeve. He’d never been afraid to cry.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the rock.

“I expected to find you on top of the Sandaime.”

Minato’s voice was casual and unusually kind. She opened her eyes to find him sitting down across from her. It was a testament to how good he was that she’d never sensed him. She’d had a bit of a natural ability for it, but had never trained with it.

“I’m trying to remember what I’m fighting for.”

“Home?” He suggested.

“My home is long gone. Along with the people I care most about. Even if I manage to prevent the atrocities of my time . . .I can’t go back. I’ll never have what I lost.”

“A hard concept to over come, and something equally as hard to mourn.”

“I can’t even bring myself to cry about it. Is that sad?”

Minato let out a breath, “It’s not sad. I would say a defense mechanism.” She raised an eyebrow in question and he continued, “You’ve been going constantly for the past several years. Everything you know has been taken from you. You’re in a new time. You don’t feel safe. Your body isn’t going to react or allow itself to relax until you feel safe.”
…

Minato watched as she considered his words. He could tell she was giving them genuine thought. He appreciated that. Most shinobi tended to disregard the words. They felt any form of emotion was weakness. It was the strong shinobi, in his opinion, who acknowledged their feelings.

Her chakra had been easy to track, she hadn’t been trying to hide it, and it had led him to the top of the Hokage monument, and there she was; nestled in the Nidaime’s hair, looking like she blonged as a part of the landscape.

She focused on him, and quietly admitted, “I don’t remember what safe feels like. Even now, I feel like something is about to happen. I don’t know what, but. . .”

That was a simple answer, “Inoichi calls it battle fatigue. Usually, the best rest is to spend some time away from the field and remember that there’s a life outside of all this.”

She leaned forward to rest her chin on her knees. Her pink hair fell forward with the motion, and he could almost see the flicker of a smile on her lips, “You’re good at this.”

He raised an eyebrow, “At what?”

“The comforting thing.”

A genuine smile bloomed on his face, that was a high compliment in his opinion, “Thank you. I’ve never seen the point of putting someone down.”

Her eyes flickered back towards the trees and Minato followed her gaze. Shikkaku stood there, a smile on his face. Shikkaku merely smirked, gave a wave, and disappeared.

She groaned, “I might have thrown a small fit in the market today when people kept calling me honerable daughter, and I might have escaped from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio in the process. I find it odd that you always manage to find me first.”

“You weren’t exactly hiding. Or maybe I've just locked in on you." A moment of silence followed and she didn't say anything, “Would you like to talk about them? The people you’ve lost? I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

"I can’t. Hokage’s orders.”

He hummed an agreement "Then just talk about something trivial, leave the demons and monsters for when you're ready."

Her voice was unusually soft when she spoke "I used to come up here all the time after my teammates left the village. I was lonely and this place made things seem better. It helped me to keep going. It reminded me that I wasn’t fighting for myself or even just my team, but for everyone that lives here. It gave me a lot of comfort.”

“And now?”

“It’s not the same comfort I had before, but the view is still spectacular.”

They sat in quiet for a while longer until the nighttime cold started to get to him, “Can I walk you home?”

. . .

Sakura looked up at Minato from where she was seated. He was tall, and while the offer to walk her home was nice, she wasn’t quite ready to leave, “I’m going to stay for a little bit longer. I’m not quite ready to leave yet.”

She received another smile, “Have a good rest of your night Sakura.” And then he was gone. Sakura stayed until the cold began to set in. Even then she considered making a fire and just camping out, but she had people waiting for her at home. It was time for her to go home.

And man, was that a weird thought. She hadn’t had a home in forever, much less people to go home to.

She flashed through the seals and disappeared in a flurry of petals. She landed in the middle of the den, and two heads turned from their dinner to stare at the pink haired girl.

Biwako scowled, "Just where have you been? I have been worried sick about you."

Sakura smiled as the woman fussed at her. The scolding continued as she forced Sakura into a seat and then piled food onto her plate.

When Biwako was done she apologized, "I'm sorry, I got a little excited with the fresh air and let loose at the training ground."

Biwako huffed, "Send word next time is all I ask, the boys left for month-long missions today. I don't want to worry about you too."

Sakura nodded and took a bite of food, "I do have a request though," The Third looked up from his food, thoroughly interested, "I'd like to go back to working at the hospital. I can't stay cooped up any longer and I need to do something." Minato’s words from earlier ran through her head, “I’m not sure I’m ready for missions yet, but I can handle the hospital and some training.” She had been rusty today and her muscles were protesting it now.

He smiled, "I don't see why not. I'll walk you over myself tomorrow."

"That's not needed, I'll be fine by myself."

Biwako smiled, "Agreed, and you need a social life and where better than the hospital?"

The third sighed, "Hasn't even been part of the family for a month and you're already trying to marry her off."

Sakura blushed and began eating with a renewed vigor as her parents began to bicker.

The next day she and an ANBU left the house before the sun and Biwako were up. As she entered the hospital Sakura relaxed; this was her domain Hospitals meant death for most shinobi. For Sakura, they were her safe place.

They were met by a stern looking woman who smiled tightly at the ANBU and gave little more than a glance at Sakura. "ANBU-san, welcome how may I help you?"

His hand extended towards Sakura "This is Sakura; she has some medical training and would like to be of use, Hokage-sama was hoping you would allow her to help."

The woman's smile faltered for a second and then became firmly fixed in place. "Of course if you would follow me Sakura-san."

Giving one last glance over her shoulder, she watched the man shake his head before she disappeared around the corner. She followed the woman deep into the bowls of the hospital and into the locker room. She watched the woman dig through a laundry basket before pulling out a used nurses uniform, Sakura repressed a scowl as it was thrown in her face. "Listen and listen good. There is no special treatment in my hospital. I don't know what kind of connection to the Hokage you have, and I don't care. You will be changing bedpans, until I say other wise, change into this and get ready to go."

"I refuse to wear this."

The woman stopped in the doorway and turned with a glare towards the girl "Excuse me?"

"It hasn't been washed which means it isn't sterile and whether I'm changing bed pans or performing surgery I refuse to infect anyone.” Sakura could have gone farther, could have been just as disrespectful as the woman in front of her, but she wouldn’t. This wasn’t her hospital, and she had no problems earning her place again. However, she would not risk someone’s life while doing so.

The woman scowled, “Go change bed pans."

Sakura smiled, tossed the used nurses uniform back into the pile, and passed her without a word.

For the next seven hours Sakura changed bed pans, sheets, and fetched things the doctors or nurses asked for. It was menial work she hadn't done since she was a genin, but she did it . . .and she did it well.

When she was done she would go to the training field, train until she couldn't anymore, and then drag herself home. She would scarf down her dinner, reassure Biwako that she wasn’t pushing herself too hard, and head to be only to wake up five hours later and do it all again.

This continued for the next three weeks. She saw no one but her parents, some other nurses she didn't know very wel,l and the 'Administrator' but she didn't care. It felt good to be in a routine again. And if she bided her time and waited for her moment to show what she could do, then that was her business. . . . and then it came.

It was during the middle of her third week working in the hospital. Her shift had just ended when a hoard of wounded were rushed through the doors. Sakura watched as the nurses rushed forward and the doctors began calling out orders, yet the administrator was no where to be found, and as a critically injured man was pushed to the side Sakura made her decision; she jumped into the fray.

Using chakra she cut away his clothes and set to work. She allowed her chakra to seep into the man. The blood flow to and from his heart was slow and it was beating so fast that it could stop any minute, there were four broken ribs, one punctured lung, and a deep gash in his mid section that he was losing blood from and fast. An infection had also taken over a cut somewhere in his leg. And the cherry on top was a poison in his blood stream.
Chakra wouldn't fix this, she needed to operate and quick.

She called out orders as she slipped into a roll she hadn't filled in what seemed like forever. She quickly realized that only one person was actually following her orders, but that was all she needed. She lifted the man on to the gurney that had been fetched she and her helper made their way through the hospital, down the halls, and in to an operating room that was rarely used due to its small size.

She began scrubbing her hands up to her elbows and then there were gloves in front of her. She slipped her hands in. She wasted no more time and set to work.

It took hours; first she had to remove the poison the same way she had from Kankuro, from there she had set up a morphine drip and began surgery; she healed the lung first and then pumped her chakra through the man's veins to get his blood moving again, all while she stopped the bleeding in his abdomen. She had tended to the leg next forcing the infection back with the help of her assistant and then healed the wound. There had been several close calls and by the time they were done she and her assistant were on the ground sitting against the wall.

Using up the last of her energy Sakura released the yin seal on the side of her neck. It was in the shape of a flower. As the chakra flowed viines with more blossoms began to crawl up and down her body distributing the chakra where it was needed and then they faded.

She was ready to pass out when a small voice said, "That was so cool!"

Sakura turned to face her assistant for the first time. She couldn't be more than eight but had been fairly decent with her chakra control. Her hair hung down around her shoulders and she was kinda scrawny. "Why in the world are you only changing bedpans?"

Sakura laughed, "Because the Administrator is mad with power and witch with a capital B." She held out her hand "I'm Sakura."

The girl shook it eagerly, "I'm Anko."

Sakura paused for a second and then fell into the shake; she had just found her first change. "Well then Anko, do you know who this guy is?" They both looked at the man on the table; he had white hair and was covered with a sheet to preserve his modesty. He was still unconscious.

Anko dug into her pocket and pulled out a piece of metal a moment later, it was a dog tag; something that would later be discontinued after the third war. Taking the metal string Sakura looked at the first tag and her eyes widened. On it was the name Jiraiya, a serial number and the rank of Jounin. Well damn.

Notes:

This chapter received a MAJOR overhaul from the original. I love how it turned out!

Chapter 7

Of course it was Jiraiya. Of course her best friend’s god-father would end up on her operating table. Somewhere, in the universe and timeline, Naruto was cackling. Her distaste for the man had never been hidden. While the man was brilliant, Sakura had never been able to stand his . . . eccentricities.

Her eyes drifted to the man on the table. She considered castrating him now and getting it over with, but that would be breaking protocol. She glanced at the clock, it had taken five hours to do everything that had needed to be done; and the Frog Sage would still need some time to recover.

She turned her head to stare at Anko; the girl was on the verge of collapsing. In all honesty so was she; even with her chakra replenished she was exhausted and sore from standing and bending over for so long.

But she needed to get the frog sage to ICU; there was still a chance that he could take a turn. "Anko," the girl's head popped up.

"Hai senpai?"

"I need you to run and get a nurse or two . . . or three."

Anko pushed herself to her feet, nodded and then she was gone. Checking Jiraiya's vitals one more time she leaned against the wall. Time slowly ticked by before a man, followed by several nurses, entered the room. He had the marks of the Inuzuka clan on his cheeks.

Sakura studied him. He looked vaguely familiar.

He looked back at her, “Trying to place me?”

She cocked her head, as a sense of further familiarity came over her, “Have we met before?”

The man smiled, his canines showing, "I was wondering when you'd notice. I welcomed you along with Hiashi, Minato, Shikaku, Inoichi and your dad. Who I might add is looking all over for you."

She smirked, and allowed a pun to slip out, "You can call off the hounds, you've found me."

He rolled his eyes at the pun, "Nice one."

"I'm only this ruff when I'm exhausted, don't take it personally."

"I won't, I'll just repay the favor when you're more rested."

"I'll hold you to it . . ."

"Kato."

"It’s nice to see you again Kato. I sent a young gennin to find you. Do you know where she is?”

"I had a nurse escort her home, she's worse off than you are."

Sakura watched nurses wheel Jiraiya off before answering, "I'm fine.”

He snorted, “Yeah. Sure.”

Sakura took a step forward and she wobbled a little. The exhaustion of not only the surgery but her past shift, and too little food was getting to her.

Kato grinned, it was a knowing one that said, ‘told you so.’ She took a moment to steady herself, and then she followed Kato through the hallways to the lobby.

They walked in silence for a minute before Sakura asked, “You’re an Inuzuka, right?”

“What gave it away? My dashing looks? My stellar skills?”

She rolled her eyes, “The tattoos. Where’s your partner?”

“At home. Kana doesn’t like dogs in the hospital unless absolutly necessary. So, he stays at home and watches over my daughter with my mother.”

“You have a daughter?”

He grinned, and Sakura’s heart nearly stopped. The grin was pure Kiba. “She’s the absolute cutest thing you’ll ever see. All the dogs love her. Her name is Hana.”

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. This was Hana and Kiba’s father. Kiba had rarely if ever said anything about the man. She’d heard rumors that he had run away from his responsibilities to the clan shortly after Kiba had been born. And Tsume was known for ranting about the man when she indulged a little too much. But looking at this man, Sakura had a hard time believing any of the negative she had heard. Her first impression was of a man who loved his family very much.

She continued to listen as Kato went on and on about his daughter until they reached the lobby.

Her father was waiting there, still in his Hokage robes with an unlit pipe in his hand.

"Here you are Hokage-sama, one daughter."

Her father gave her a look before pointedly looking outside. She looked out the doors and saw the sun rising in the east. Her shift had probably ended anywhere from six to seven hours ago, and she was truly starting to feel the weight of the surgery; it had been a while since she had been in an actual operating room. She had worked all night.

She looked to her father, "Heading into work?"

He smiled, "Looking for my daughter, she's a bit of a workaholic I have to keep her in check."

She smiled, "Sounds familiar, you can tell me all about her after I go sleep for a solid eight hours." She turned to Kato, "It was nice to meet you. Do you mind letting the administrator know for me?"

"I can do that, but you’ll owe me." Sakura smiled and then Kato bowed to the Third and he was gone.

Her father smiled and placed a hand on her back. He guided her out the doors and onto the streets. “You caused quite a stir last night. It was nearly midnight when they noticed Jiraiya was missing. It took them another hour to realize you had rushed him into surgery. There was shock when I arrived and people realized you had succeeded in saving him.”

Sakura thought about her words carefully, “I’m willing to pay my dues and earn my place in the hospital. However, I’m not willing to let someone die when I’m capeable of saving them.”

She watched as her father lit his pipe, “You’ll find no complaint from me. Jiraiya is dear to my heart. He’s my former student you know.”

She smiled, “I know.”

“Hopefully my remaining students will be able to come home soon. I miss them all.”

Sakura paused, and so did her father. They stared at each other, and finally the Third sighed, “Say what you need to.”

“In my time, Orochimaru committed atrocities.”

“He hasn’t here.”

“Yet.”

She watched as he inhaled the smoke and then blew it out. “I could still save him.”

“I suppose it’s possible. However, I would . . . keep an eye on him.”

They walked the remaining way home in silence. He dropped her off at home with a pat on her shoulder, and then he disappeared.

Sakura stayed up exactly long enough to get inside and into bed. Biwako didn't even get a word of chastisement out before Sakura collapsed on her pillow. She slept a solid ten hours. When she did finally wake up the sun was preparing to set.

Walking into the kitchen Sakura was greeted by Biwako. As always, her mother was straight to the point, "You're pushing yourself too hard." That was a not a new statement. In fact, it was something she had heard many times over the years. She was going to do what she always did: ignore it.

"Do you need any help?"

"Don't ignore me Sakura-chan it's true."

"I'm changing bedpans it's not that strenuous."

Biwako paused, "I thought they had you doing rounds." Sakura avoided the woman's gaze, she could make anyone confess, even the Hokage. Of course Biwako didn’t let her get away with it. She had Sakura’s chin in her grip a second later. She was forced to meet her gaze, "Sakura Sarutobi you tell me what's going on this instant."

She lasted a total of twenty seconds before she caved. "The administrator is giving me some trouble that's it."

"Kana?"

Sakura shifted "I don't exactly know her name."

"You've been there three weeks!"

"She never gave her name and that's what everyone calls her."

Biwako raised an eyebrow "Her name is Kana; she's one of the best medics the village had ever seen, until Tsunade. She's too old for combat now and she's become a bit crotchety in her older age. Still a damn good medic though. You never met her?" Sakura shook her head, the movement restricted by Biwako's fingers "Does she know who you are?"

"I'm the Hokage's daughter and one of the only people in the village with pink hair; I'd hope she was smart enough to put two and two together."

Biwako smiled and let go of her chin, "Good, it gives you something to work towards."

Sakura frowned, "I don't need her approval."

Biwako turned back to her cooking, "No, but you'd like her respect; even more so since she doesn't treat you any differently just because you're the Hokage's daughter."

Sakura turned to go. A little annoyed to find that Biwako was right, it was a bit eerie how the woman could pick apart the simplest things and analyze them. She could think about that later though it was time for training.

Half an hour later Sakura had showered and changed into black stretchy pants and a long sleeve black top. Her shuriken holster was strapped to her thigh and backside. She grabbed the bento and called out a goodbye before she made her way out the door and into the evening air.

Instead of her original destination of the training grounds Sakura carried herself across the village and up the stairs to the top of the Hokage monument. Sitting down at the top she gazed across the village as the sunset and started running through a string of taijutsu exercises.

By the time Sakura had finished going through them the sun was getting ready to set; today was going to throw her sleep schedule off big time. As she looked out over the village Sakura smiled and stretched her back.
"Someone looks worn out."

Sakura smiled at the voice, “Minato," He smiled back at her, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Kato."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and set her face into a blank mask, she didn't like where this was going. "What about him?"

Minato smiled "It's nothing bad." Sakura relaxed, "He came to find me to tell me about Jiraiya-sensei."

Sakura eyes went wide at the title, "You're that perv's student?"

Minato laughed, "I only took up the shinobi part of the training anything after that and he was on his own. Either way Kato says you saved him. I wanted to thank you."

Sakura relaxed and smiled, "He was hurt, I didn't even realize it was him until I was done."

Minato's smile didn't fade. "You would have saved him one way or another."

"He's a comrade." That was an explanation in itself.

Minato nodded before coming to stand beside her again; they stood in silence . . . until Sakura's stomach growled. Sakura blushed for a moment before Minato burst out laughing. Sakura's face turned a darker shade of red as anger took over; she moved before she thought, and swung her fist. She came within a centimeter of his cheek and then he was gone. Her eyes narrowed.

"Missed me." Sakura breathed in as warm breath caressed her ear. Spinning she came eye to eye with Minato his smile still firmly in place. "How about something to eat, my treat?"

Sakura took a step back to put some space between her and Minato, "I have food."

"Think of it as a thank you, for saving Sensei, and an apology for what he'll do in the future."

Sakura considered it for a moment. She didn’t really have time for friends. She had a lot to get done, and friends would slow her down. She froze as that thought floated through her head. She sounded like freaking Sasuke. . . .Kill her now. She was not going to end up an emotionally stunted, anger filled, ball of hair. "Food sounds good. As for the future, I've got a punch with his name on it."

Minato laughed, "Shall we get going?"

Sakura shook her head, "How about we meet there? That way I can get a shower and change."

Minato nodded, "Have you ever eaten at the Straight Cougar?"

"I’ve never eaten there before, but it’s hard to miss. It's the bar down the street from that little boutique near the center of town."

"They have great tempura."

"I'll meet you there in thirty minutes."

She vanished a second later, and her trademark petals fell to the ground.

Glancing one last time out over the village Minato's smile went soft, a moment later he was gone.
…

Sakura flew into the Sarutobi home and blew past Biwako and into her room. A moment later she emerged with a pile of clean clothes in her arms. Biwako watched in amusement as the door to the bathroom closed with a bang. Hiruzen poked his head out of his office, pipe in mouth "What's going on?"

Biwako shrugged, "I don't know. Dinner will be ready in a minute come on and sit down."

Hiruzen did as instructed and sat down as Biwako began bringing out the food. A few minutes later she sat down and they both stared at the bathroom door. "It's been so quiet lately."

Biwako turned to Hiruzen and laughed, "What happened to 'I can't wait till these kids are out of the house so I can get some peace and quiet.'?"

He scowled, "It got boring."

The bathroom door opened, and the conversation stopped as Sakura emerged. Her hair was in a high ponytail, she wore white pants that stopped just below the knee and a red sweater that hung off one shoulder. Pulling on her black ninja sandals Sakura glanced back at her parents, "I'm going out for dinner."

Hiruzen smiled, "So we see."

"I won't be out late, I promise."

Biwako nodded, "Have fun on your date."

Sakura paused as her father started choking around his bite of food. She pulled on her other shoe and turned to face them. Biwako was swatting the Third’s back, in an attempt to get him air. Once her father took in a deep breath, she simply said, "It's not a date." And then the door was closed.

Biwako smiled, "It's a date."

Hiruzen stared at her, “She said it wasn’t a date.”

"Don’t be oblivious Hiruzen. We need to find out who it is."

He took another bite. "I'll start the search tomorrow."

"I want to repaint the bedroom."

"I have a ton of paperwork to do, maybe once the boys get back."

Biwako laughed and started eating.
…

Sakura went to the top of the tower. She nodded at the guards there and ran across the roof tops. It had taken her five minutes to get home and then she had spent twenty minutes in the shower and had been traveling for the past three minutes but was still five minutes away. She was going to be late and she hated being late.

Five minutes later she landed on the ground outside of the Straight Cougar. Minato was waiting for her with a book in hand. She landed in front of him. He looked over the pages and smiled at her. "You're late."

Sakura grinned back, and Kakashi’s old excuse slipped out, "Sorry, I got lost on the path of life."

He laughed, "It's okay, we're not on a schedule. Everyone else is inside.."

She paused for a second, "Who else is coming?"

"Kato, his wife Tsume, Inoichi, Shikaku, Chouza, and his wife Chikako; we usually meet up once a month, but since the war our meetings are fewer and fewer in-between." He held out his hand, “It’ll be fun. I promise.”

Sakura hesisted for a second before she placed her hand in his. It was warm. "Sounds like fun."

"Right up until Tsume gets drunk, that's when the death threats start."

He tugged her inside, the roar of a crowd filled her ears. Sakura flashed back to her training with Tsunade. The woman had often shown up drunk, full of threats, and even worse punches.
She repressed a shudder at the memory of when Mei and Tsunade had drunk together after the creation of the five nation treaty. It had been a no boy zone and someone had to keep an eye on them. Sakura had been elected to the job.

She raised her voice, so she could be heard, “I think I can handle it.”

They stopped right in front of a large table, filled to the brim with people. They were all talking rather loudly, until they saw her. Then things just sort of stopped. Minato didn't seem to notice, "This is Sakura Sarutobi."

It was silent a moment before Kato laughed, "We've met before."

A moment later a loud crack was heard as Tsume slapped the back of his head, "Not all of us have you dolt. I know I haven't what about you Chikako?" The woman Sakura recognized as Choji's mother shook her head, smiled at her, and took another bite of the food in front of her.

Kato fired back, "Doesn't mean you have to slap me!"

"Well someone needs to beat some sense into you, who better than your wife?"

Sakura held back a laugh as the bickering continued. She sat down in the seat in-between Inoichi and Minato and quickly started up a conversation with Chikako. Eventually Tsume, Chikako and herself moved to one side of the table to gossip while the boys continued to talk.

She had learned a good deal about the two women; Tsume had been the only child to the head of the Inuzuka clan head and her marriage to Kato had been arranged, although she admitted to loving him on some level. Thus the headship of the clan was passed down to both of them.

Chikako was a civilian, and she loved to cook; she even went as far as to offer to teach Sakura. She had politely declined. Sakura had the unique ability to burn water. Naruto and Kakashi had banned her from cooking very early on.

Further discussion revealed that Inoichi and Shikaku were already engaged to their future wives and that usually Yoshino would show up to these types of things, but she was out on her last mission before marriage. They talked about other things and all agreed that they hated shopping. It was after that that they started questioning her about Minato.

"So are you two involved?"

Sakura choked on her drink, and after a short coughing fit, responded, "No, he's just become a friend of sorts since I've come here."

Tsume sighed, "That’s a shame."

Sakura wiped her mouth, "Why?"

Chikako took over, "He hasn't dated anyone since Kushina, and that was almost a year ago."

"Kushina?"

"A kunoichi, red hair, nasty temper; she's about our age. They had been dating for three years, he proposed and she said no. They wanted different things. She ended up meeting one of the feudal lord's younger sons a month or so later. They ended up in a relationship while he was in the village. He took her with him when he left, as part of his guard. Rumor has it, that they might be getting married soon.”

Tsume rolled her eyes, “I haven’t gotten a wedding invite.”

Chikako ignored Tsume's sarcasm at the end, “Excuse Tsume. She and Minato have been friends since they were kids. She took the breakup rather personally, even though Minato told her it was a mutual decision. ”

Tsume grinned, “He’s the annoying younger brother I never wanted.”

Chikako continued, “Either way Minato hasn’t dated since they broke up. He doesn't really open himself up to many people, and he doesn't give out his trust easily."

Tsume took another shot, “He’s had women throwing themselves at him since we were kids. He’s always been a kind soul, but he’s not someone who dates casually. He’s a relationship guy. We’ve all tried to set him up, but we haven’t had much luck.”

Sakura took a moment to process everything. She glanced over at Minato who was deep in a conversation with Shikaku. Naruto had never mentioned his parents ever breaking up. Neither had Kakashi. It was a divergence from what she knew, and she couldn’t help but wonder what else was different.

Notes:

I had quite a few reviews submitted yesterday, so I decided to go ahead and post the next chapter. This chapter has changed quite a bit from nearly ten years ago. Ten years ago, the tone was vastly different! I'm liking these changes a lot.

Chapter 8

Notes:

Mentions of fish being used for medical practice, like in the show.

After her second drink Sakura started to use her chakra to speed up her metabolism, ensuring that she didn't get too drunk. It was when a rather drunk Tsume signaled for a third round that Sakura, only a little tipsy, excused herself to the restroom. It was there she discovered that bar bathrooms were gross no matter what decade it was. She was in an out in under two minutes, and was silently congratulating herself on holding her breath that long when she stumbled across what could only be described as an awkward situation.

Standing in the hallway was Hiashi Hyūga and a woman that most definitely was not Hinata's mother. AND they were making out as though it were their last day alive.

She had every intention of vanishing into a whirl of petals when the bathroom door closed shut behind her . . . with a bang. The woman pulled back immediately and turned to face Sakura. Her face was red, but she didn’t break eye contact. Hiashi turned his head; a grimace on his face. She spared him only a second, before her attention focused on the woman, and the slight bump of her midsection.

Sakura took a deep breath. This was none of her business. So, she smiled smiled and passed by them with a quick excuse me. The moment she was out of their general vicinity she picked up her pace and made a bee-line for the table where her group sat. Sakura quickly sat down, grabbed her glass, and downed the contents. Tsume smiled, "We starting a contest or something?"

Sakura shook her head, "Nope, I just really needed that drink." Sakura chanced a glance behind her to see Hiashi now at the bar; the woman nowhere to be seen.

Tsume pouted and Chikako smiled. Two hours and one more strong drink later the last call was issued and everyone filed out of the bar; Inoichi and Shikaku headed off by themselves, Kato had a passed out Tsume draped over his shoulder and Chikako and Chouza had left thirty minutes before them. That left Minato and a now very drunk Sakura.

…

Minato watched the woman next to him. Her face was flushed, but she was smiling. Her eyes were closed, and her face was tilted up at the sky. She seemed peaceful He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began guiding the girl back to the tower. Sakura leaned into him.

They hadn’t gone far when she started to speak, "This reminds me of when Shishou and I would go drinking in-between certain battles," Sakura smiled, "she started me early. I was fifteen the first time. We'd stumble out of the bars and Shizune and Kakashi would be waiting for us; Shizune would take Shishou and Kakashi would take me. He'd wrap his arm around my shoulders like this and walk me home."

Minato watched as her eyes took on a faraway look, something told him that she was in her past, "He'd lay me down on the bed, take off my shoes and put a blanket on top of me, then he'd crash on my couch and the next morning when I'd wake up he'd have breakfast ready for me. I did the same thing for him when he got drunk."

Minato was relieved to hear that Kakashi had found people he cared about. He’d been worried about his student for a while now. Ever since Sakumo’s death Kakashi had been far more closed off. "Sounds like you two were good friends."

"Yeah we were. We were in the same platoon during the war; we watched each other's backs." The smile on her face began to dim as her eyes came back into focus a bit, "He died in one of the final attacks. I held him in my arms while he bled out; I didn't have enough chakra to stop the bleeding."

Minato looked at Sakura. Her eyes were glassy, and held a haunted look, "I had just enough time to close his eyes before the next attack began, we retreated after that. . ." she shook her head as if she were shaking away the memories, "I've said too much."

Minato halted their movement to readjust his hold on her, she leaned into him a bit more fully. She was warm, "No, I appreciate you telling me. It makes me happy, knowing that Kakashi wasn't alone, that he had someone to care about.”

Sakura smiled as they started walking again, her head resting on his shoulder. "He always said, I was a mentally functional drunk; and if I had been a physically functional drunk, I could have gone through the war in a dream like haze. Sometimes I think that would have made it easier; being numb to everything."

Minato shook his head, "Knowing what was going on, what you had to do; it gave you a reason to keep fighting."

Sakura laughed "It's the only thing that kept me alive." A moment later she amended, "It's what's keeping me alive." Then her eyes fluttered shut as sleep took her over. Minato caught her, and hoisted her up into a bridal style carry. It was time to get her home.

…

When Sakura woke up it was to birds chirping and a headache that would have been enough to make her confess to murder. She pulled the covers over her head, and waited for Kakashi to come in. She had no doubt that any second her would barge in, as loud as he could, pull the covers away, and hit her on the head with his porn. When it didn't come she braved the light and looked around. She remembered. Then she laughed; it was full of bitterness and sadness. She was in the past; Kakashi was twelve, and hadn't even had a sip of alcohol yet and if somehow he had she would knock him into a wall.

She closed her eyes again and intended to go back to sleep when her bedroom door burst open. In that moment she was reminded of what it was like to live with her parents again. That was when Biwako started to yell,
"Don't you even think of going back to sleep young lady, your shift at the hospital starts in forty-five minutes, and don't you dare go on about having a hangover! If you're stupid enough to drunk when you have work the next morning then you're tough enough to go in and do your job!" Sakura groaned but pushed herself to her feet, and forced herself out of the room and past Biwako.

Her mother followed her, "And poor Minato had to carry you home, and then the poor thing even stops by to bring you food this morning and you're still passed out." Sakura paused in the bathroom doorway and looked at her adoptive mother.

“He brought me breakfast?”

Her mother raised an eyebrow in question. Sakura ignored it as memories of the previous night came back. She’d told him about Kakashi and their routine, and Minato had been kind enough to pick up where Kakashi couldn’t.
A lump caught in her throat. She felt a burning behind her eyes and pushed it back. Sakura smiled at her mother and then she bowed, her head throbbed in the process, "I'm sorry about last night, it won't happen again."

She listened to the woman sigh. "Be sure it doesn't. Alcohol doesn’t solve life’s problems. Too many good shinobi have been taken down by it." With that her mother patted her shoulder and walked away.

Her head was still killing her as she climbed into the shower, but she couldn’t help but smile. Minato had brought her breakfast.
…

The moment she walked through the doors of the hospital Sakura knew something was going on. Frantic nurses and doctors were all rushing around, and whispering as they went. She began scanning the crowd for a familiar face to find out what was happening.

"Looking for me?"

Sakura jumped at the voice and how close it was to her ear. Spinning around she found Kato grinning at her. The jerk showed no signs of a hangover and she hated him for it.

He grinned, "Did I scare you?"

“With that face? Absolutely.”

He put on a fake hurt expression, “Rude, but now I don’t feel bad for telling you the following; they're looking for you."

"Me?" He nodded "Why?"

"Tsunade-sama and Orochimaru-sama returned last night; both were almost sure that Jiraiya-sama would be dead; now that he's not she wants to know why and who's responsible for it."

"And you didn't tell them?"

He shook his head, "Nope."

Her stomach flipped this wasn't good, "Why not?"

"Thought it'd be more fun to watch you tell them. I was right!"

She glared at the man as he began pushing her through the halls. She really shouldn’t have drunk so much last night. Sakura was unceremonisously pushed into the room to find an assortment of people already there; her father, Tsunade, a bedridden Jiraiya, Kana and Orochimaru. She had to keep her body from stiffening at the sight of the snake sannin.

Sakura eyed her father, "Kato-san said you were looking for me."

Kana looked at her, her eyes strict, "We're looking for the person who healed Jiraiya-kun, was that you?"

Sakura stood a bit straighter, "Yes ma'am."

She heard a snort, and her eyes flew to Tsunade, her ears had just barely caught her former shishou's scoff.

Kato stepped up behind her, "I'd be happy to verify this." Sakura glanced back at her new friend; his posture was stiff and his face was blank, he was in every way the professional doctor. It took everything she had to not roll her eyes.

Kana nodded, "Sarutobi-san can you please explain how you came across Jiraiya-kun and the method you used to heal him?" she felt eyes drift towards her.
Sakura nodded and began to repeat everything she had done. It had been a long time since she’d had to list out the steps to a procedure or go over how she had done something. The fact that Tsunade’s eyes were boring into her, made the entire situation seem like dejavu. When she was done Kana nodded, turned to the others in the room said, "Well there's your answer, now if you would kindly leave, Jiraiya-kun needs his rest."

The sannin protested, "I'm fine!"

Tsunade turned on him, “You nearly died idiot! You are not okay!”

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and left without a word. The Third took Tsunade’s arm, "Come on Tsunade there’s work to do." And with that he pulled the woman out of the room while his former student squawked out orders for Jiraiya to follow.

The hospital administrator made to follow, but stopped beside Sakura first. "Come to my office on your day off tomorrow and we'll work you into the doctor's rotation." Sakura's eyes widened a small fraction and the woman was gone a second later.

A bit stunned she stepped out of the room and watched the administrator walk down the hall. Behind her she heard the door close. She turned to look at Kato who was smiling. She winced as another shot of pain from the headache came; Kato noticed "You okay?"

Sakura rubbed the sides of her head, her hands covered in chakra, "Hangover."

"You were throwing them back last night."

"I had the same amount as Tsume."

He laughed, "Which is why she is at home passed out on the bed using a dog as a pillow."

"I sped my metabolism up just a bit, to make sure it wouldn't be as bad."

"Which would explain why you're able to walk right now."

"Yeah, well I have work to do right now, and I need to find Anko."

Kato nodded, "See you later." With that he waved and they went their separate ways.

With her head aching she trudged through the hospital looking for the familiar head of purple hair. She found Anko in the fish room, working on a dead flounder. The girl's brow was furrowed in determination. Sakura waited several minutes. When the fish didn't come back to life Anko growled and went to get another one. Sakura hesitated. She could scoop Anko up now, help her, and keep her away from Orochimaru. However, something was telling her that Anko needed to come to her. That didn't mean she couldn't give her a little push though, right?

Sakura did her best to lean casually against the door frame, and gently spoke out, "Stop trying to force the chakra in. Find the path ways and then follow them."

To her credit, Anko didn't look back, but Sakura watched as the frequency of her chakra changed slightly. This time she got a tail flicker and then the whole thing started moving. Sakura pushed off the doorway and headed back into the main hospital. It was time to get to work.

Chapter 9

Sakura was acutely aware of the little girl following behind her like a little duckling. After that day in the fish center Anko had never asked for permission, she had just started following Sakura around. And Sakura hadn’t said anything either. Instead, she had just started teaching. Anko hung on her every word, took detailed notes, and asked any question that popped into her mind. They were a week in, and Sakura could see the makings of an amazing medical ninja in her newest protege.

It had been a week since she had been given rounds. Each day was beyond busy; the staff was spread thin because of the war, too thin for Sakura's liking. Sakura understood it though. Being a medical ninja took amazing chakra control; chakra control most people didn’t have. There was also the cool factor; most shinobi wanted to be on the front lines with images of grandeur in their heads.

Sakura sighed and rolled her shoulders, to ease the muscles there. They were tight after hours of bending over and completing delicate work. She took stock of everything else; her chakra was at less than 50%, she’d been working for over twenty hours, and she hadn’t eaten in over ten. She was done for the day.

She stopped walking abruptly and as anticipated, Anko bumped into her. She received a glare from the girl, and Sakura only smiled in response. “We’re done for the day.”

Anko looked a little surprised, “Are you sure?”

Sakura nodded, “Let’s change and get some dinner.”

Anko’s eyes brightened at that, “Really?”

“Yep. I’m meeting my brothers for dinner.”

Biwako and the Third were out for the night at some dinner with the daimyō, Asuma and Akiko were back though, and that meant they needed to eat. There was no way she was cooking; she couldn’t make anything edible anyways. So, eating out it was.

She glanced back at Anko; the girl's nose was now in a medical text Sakura had given her a day earlier. It seemed as though all the girl wanted to do was learn; but walking through crowded hospital hallways while reading and following your mentor was not the way to do it.

Sakura plucked the book from her hands without looking. Anko squawked, and Sakura rolled her eyes. “You can have it back after dinner.” Anko didn’t say anything, she just stomped into the locker room. Sakura followed.

Once they had both changed Anko was back in front of her, “Sempai.” The word had a bit of a whine to it.

Sakura had to resist the urge to smile. She had been the same way when she was Anko’s age afterall, "No reading and walking, that's how you run into walls."

Anko rolled her eyes and gave a small scoff pointed to her body, "Ninja." There was the Anko Sakura knew.

Sakura smiled, “You’re a ninja who needs to eat and take a break. Get your stuff, and we'll pick up my brothers and go and get some dinner."

"It's nearly eight, wont they have eaten?"

Sakura snorted, "I'm lucky they know where the kitchen is."

Anko smiled as she tucked the book under her arm and followed Sakura down the hallway and out on to the streets of Konoha. The sun had already set. That left the street lights of the city to guide the way to the Hokage's tower. They passed the guards and climbed the stairs to the Hokage's quarters.

Sakura felt her head start to throb at what she found there. Asuma and Akiko were spread out in the main living room. They were in the exact same positions and the exact same clothes as when she had left over twenty hours previously.

Her hands wen to her hips, in a perfect impression of her mother, "You two are in the same positions as when I left this morning. Have you done anything?"

Akiko focused on his sister and smiled, "Of course, we had to eat." Asuma laughed and Sakura scowled.

"You two get ready we're going to go get something to eat; something other than cup ramen." Cheers were given as her brothers raced to get their shoes.

Minutes later they were out the door and on their way to a yakiniku restaurant. They quickly say down and placed orders for fish, vegetables and beef before the three genin began talking. Sakura listened absent-mindedly as she cooked the food while Akiko and Anko argued over some technique or rank or something of the sort, while Asuma watched her cook the food carefully.

"You're gonna burn it."

"I will not, I've done this before."

"Doesn't mean you won't burn it, you’ve burnt water before."

"Asuma,"

"Hmm."

"Be quiet or I'm going to drug your drink."

The boy went silent beside her for a moment, most likely pondering whether she was bluffing. She was in this case; but she always had the drugs on her to do it, just in case. Either way she didn't feel like carrying him home.
Not to mention, if Biwako found out she'd get an earful while the Third would probably ask for the concoction himself.

The fights between Asuma and the Third had grown increasingly more frequent and loud. Between Shikamaru and Kakashi, Sakura had learned a good deal about Asuma. She knew he and his . . . their. . . father had never truly gotten along. He had joined the Daimyo's guard at a fairly young age. He had been proud of the bounty on his head. and he had loved Kurenai Yuhi since his academy days.

"You're burning the food." The word spoken right in her ear, spooked Sakura out of her thoughts; a moment later a kunai was in her hand pressed against the person's jugular. Sakura hated being caught off guard.

Sakura turned her head to stare into blue eyes, Minato was still crouched next to her, unmoving despite the kunai held to his throat. She returned the weapon to her kunai pouch, "Minato."

"I smelt the beef burning from outside," He offered as an explanation.

Sakura glanced at the meat on the grill; it was charred, and a burnt smell had filled the restaurant. She sighed and turned to look at the three children dining with her, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Asuma offered the explanation, "You threatened to drug us."

After the doors were opened to air out the restaurant, Sakura placed another order as Minato sat down to join them, invited by Anko. He took the seat beside Sakura, forcing Asuma to the other side of the table in-between a still bickering Akiko and Anko. Not that the boy noticed, he was too focused on cooking. To think this boy would later give Choji a hard time about being so obsessed with food.

"What had you so deep in thought that you not only didn't notice food burning? And why did you threaten to drug your brother?" As always Minato's voice was calm, soothing in a way; only this time there was a hint of teasing to it as well.

Head propped up on her hand Sakura watched as Minato grilled the food. She kept her voice low, "The future. I look at people I knew then and now and I can't get over how strange it is sometimes. I know how they turn out, but I see them now and I just don't see how it happened and then other times I totally get it."

"Any examples?"

Sakura turned to face him with an impish grin, "Now where would be the fun in that?"

"My facial expression?"

Sakura scoffed, "You'd never give anything away. You didn’t even flinch when I pulled a kunai on you."

Minato opened his mouth to retort, when Asuma's voice stopped him cold, "If you two are done flirting, the food's ready."

Sakura felt her cheeks flame as the other two children's' eyes turned on them. Doing the best to beat the red down Sakura acted as though she hadn't heard the comment and began dishing out the food. She was going to kill Asuma when they got home.

As soon as dinner was over Sakura paid, beating Minato's hand away as he tried to get the woman to take his money instead. He insisted that they had been kind enough to allow him to intrude on their dinner and it was the least he could do. Sakura won, after she sent a shock of medical chakra through him.

The group walked Anko home first; all while she and Akiko continued to argue, having moved on to weapons. They dropped the girl off at home and began to head back to the Hokage's tower. Minato continued to walk with them. "I just don't get how you stand her nee-chan, she's so annoying!"

Sakura huffed, "I put up with you two and a slew of grumpy patients daily. Compared to that, Anko is a breath of fresh air."

Akiko rolled his eyes, and ignored the comment about Anko, "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Asuma and I are delightful!"

Sakura simply hmmed and chanced a glance at Minato while Akiko and Asuma struck up their own conversation. The man had been strangely quiet after Asuma's comment and she wasn't sure why he was still walking with them. In fact, she was pretty darn sure they had already passed his apartment.

“So, you had nothing better to do tonight than cook for us?”

“Well, I had just finished training with the team. Rin and Obito headed home for dinner, and Kakashi disappeared before I could corner him into eating with me.”

“Ahh, so we were your second choice,” she teased.

A serious expression came over Minato’s face for a second, “Never. To be honest, I really hate eating alone. I always have. I’m not sure why.”

“You obviously didn’t grow up with boys who couldn’t close their mouths while chewing.”

That brought back Minato’s natural light heartedness, and he let out a laugh, “You’ve obviously never eaten with Obito.”

“I’ve got my own teenagers to deal with, thank you.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, and continued walking; Asuma and Akkiko just in front of them. Then ANBU dropped into their path.

Chapter 10

The ANBU operative stared at them. There was a rigidness to her posture; a seriousness born of the masks that hid her features.The masks made it seem like the operatives could see past every defense a person had and stare into a person's soul. She had never particularly cared for ANBU. She understood its purpose, but she wouldn’t wish the job on anyone. She’d seen the damage the organization had done to Kakashi, and she hated it.

"Minato Namikaze, Sakura Sarutobi; the Hokage has summoned you. You are to report to his office immediately."

Sakura tensed as, her face slipped into a blank mask. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Minato do the same. They answered in unison, "Understood." With that the ANBU vanished.

She shared a quick look with Minato, before she looked at Akiko and Asuma. She made sure she had their attention, "We're going on ahead. Go straight home, don't stop. If I find out that you took any detours I'm telling mom about you know what." Both boys gulpped before the gave enthusiastic nods. Sakura smiled at them and reached out to ruffle their hair.

She barely had time to hear their complaints before an arm snaked around her waist and a moment later she felt a tugging sensation. Her feet touched solid ground a moment later; the arm still supporting her. And she needed it. Her legs felt like jello, and her stomach was churning. Sakura forced her legs to straighten out.

She looked over her shoulder as she stood up straight, and scowled at Minato. One small part of her was extremely excited that she had just gotten to experience the Flying Thunder God technique. The other, and much larger part of her, hated Minato’s guts at the moment. And if she threw up in her father’s office, she was going to punch him.

He released his hold on her and took a step back. He smiled sheepishly in response to the glare she was sending his way, "I should have warned you, the technique is a bit disorienting the first time. It gets better."

A scathing reply was on the tip of her tongue when a throat was cleared behind her. Sakura turned around and took stock of the faces in the room. Her father say behind his desk. Standing in front of the desk was Kato and Chouza. She bowed in respect to her Hokage, and Minato mimicked the action a second later.

The group of four stood at attention and waited as the Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe before he blew the smoke back out. "Kato Inuzuka, Chouza Akimichi, Sakura Sarutobi and Minato Namikaze; you have been selected for a four man infiltration and delay mission. You will proceed into Kumogakure territory and delay a squad that is headed for the front lines. This squad includes the Raikage's son and Kumo’s jinchuriki.

“The mission details are within this scroll." Sakura watched as he removed a scroll from his desk drawer and tossed it to Minato, who caught it effortlessly. "Minato Namikaze, I am assigning you as team leader. That scroll is not to be opened until you reach the boarder. You are to complete the full assignment within the scroll and then return to the village. Am I clear?"

They answered as one, "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Another drag from the pipe was taken, "Excellent, you leave in one hour. With the exception of Minato you are all dismissed."

Sakura spared Minato one last look, and filed out of the office after Kato. She closed the door silently behind her. Chouza and Kato already seemed to be in fighting mode; silent, straight faced, and deep in thought. Sakura watched as they vanished home to get their supplies.

Sakura started down the hallway towards the stairs; she took them two at a time and made her ways into the apartment. Asuma and Akiko were waiting for her. Both seemed rather solemn, and she made sure to smile at them before walking into her room. The two boys followed and sat on her bed as she flew around the room packing everything she needed into scrolls and then into her knapsack; medicine, herbs, food, soldier pills, weapons and so on the list went.

A moment later she pulled out her mission clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to change leaving the boys in her room. She glanced at herself in the mirror, and then stopped to study herself. She had gained weight.

She no longer looked too thin. Her skin was clear, and her eyes looked less haunted. Her muscle mass was back, and she was clean. Sakura pulled her hair back into a pont tail, but left her bangs to frame her face.

She walked back into her room and took her gloves from the dresser. She pulled them on before turning to take her backpack. Asuma and Akiko stood there holding it out to her. She took it from them she slipped it onto her back.

She studied her brothers for a moment before she leaned forward to kiss both their cheeks and ruffle their hair. Smiling she straightened up, "Don't give dad too much trouble, listen to mom, keep up with your training . . . and I'll be back soon." She meant it too. As a gennin, her birth parents had barely blinked when she’d taken the mission to wave. When she had come home haggard and obviously disoriented they’d barely batted an eye.

Now, however, she had people waiting for her to come home. It felt nice, and a small part of her didn’t want to leave.

The two boys didn't say anything, they simply nodded, and then Sakura turned to leave. Her father was waiting for her outside the door. “We didn’t get a chance to discuss your mission status. I know you wanted time in the village.”

Sakura smiled, “And you gave it to me. I’ve been in the village for months now. It’s time for me to my part.”

The Third huffed, “Nonesense. You’ve been doing your part. I’ve heard nothing but praise for the job you’ve been doing at the hospital.”

“Either way. It’s time I got back out there.”

Her father frowned at that, “I don’t know about that. I think if anyone else had your skill level I would send them instead, but from what Minato has told me, what Inoichi saw in your memories, and from what I’ve heard from the hospital staff, you were the best one for this mission.”

Sakura smiled at that. She bent down and kissed his cheek, “Tell mom I said bye, and I’ll see you guys soon.”

With that she made her way to the roof of the tower. She took a moment to take in the night view of the village. It wasn’t as good a view as the Hokage mountain, but it would do.

In the months since she had returned to the village, she hadn’t left it. She’d enjoyed being home, and she’d needed time to heal too. And while she hadn’t been expecting a mission, some small part of her was yearning for it.

She missed the action, and the fighting. She took another deep breath and jumped from the roof of the Hokage tower and landed onto the next. She had ten minutes till the meeting time and she wasn't going to be late.

She was the second to arrive. Minato was already there and waiting. If his book was any indication he had been there at least twenty minutes. She sat down on the check in desk next to him. Neither of them said anything and a comfortable silence fell in-between them. It was different. She was used to her male teammates either arguing constantly, only grunting, or speaking in riddles meant to drive her crazy.

Moments later Chouza and Chikako joined them. Kato was the last of their group to arrive, a giant brown dog at his side. Following behind him was Tsume with a young Hana in her arms. Sakura watched as the men said goodbye to their wives, and in Kato’s case, child. She glanced at Minato, who was still reading his book.

She moved closer to him, a not so veiled attempt to give the small families some privacy, and peered over his shoulder. She was glad to find it wasn’t they type of book Kakashi read. Minato glanced back at her, his lips quirked in the slightest smile. It didn’t take her long to figure out it was a mystery novel, and despite starting it near the middle, she found that the writing was excellent. He angled the book slightly so she could read it easier.

She faintly heard the two small families finish up their goodbyes, and she took a few steps back from Minato. He raised an eyebrow at that, but didn’t say anything.

He took time to read one more page, then closed it, and stuck it into his kunai pouch. He moved silently into the position of captain; and before her eyes Minato changed. In the few months' she had known him, Sakura had never seen him so serious. She watched as Tsume and Chikako gace a nod, before the two women walked away. It was a respect that Sakura had rarely seen but always seemed to surround Minato.

"We're short on time so we're going to have to go double time and run all night to accomplish the mission and meet our time limit. We don't open the scroll until we cross the border. Further instructions are enclosed within it. Everyone understand?" They all nodded, and Minato took a deep breath, "Let's get going." And with one last look at their home, they were off.

Notes:

Some notes. . . .

Does a lot happen in this chapter?

Action wise? No.

Growth wise/ character development wise? Yes

Sakura still hasn't grieved for her past life; the life where she lost everyone she loved and where she died. She's stuffed those feelings down. She's compartmentalized things so that she can keep going with her mission which is actually just her life. Despite the emotional trauma Sakura is slowly building her life in this new time/ world. We can see that from her interactions with her family, with Kato ( who if I get my way will totally be her bff, because I love writing their friendship) and now with Minato.

We get to see Sakura move into his personal space and see them share this kind of intimate moment. And I love it because it is sweet and nothing huge, but it lays a foundation.

Can I also just say I love the father daughter chat, but my favorite part is still Sakura and Minato reading the book together. That was a new addition, and it's become a bit of a theme in the chapters I've been editing. So far I've edited up to chapter 19. That one ended up being a huge re-write (Other chapters have as well). By the time I finished adding new things in and revising, it was over 4000 words. That's a lot for me.

Anyways, please consider leaving a review. I love to hear what you think.

Chapter 11

Sakura was tired. It had been nearly three days since she had last slept, and she was starting to get cranky. Contrary to his seemingly easy going nature, Minato Namikaze was a slave driver. In the week since they had left Konoha they had moved double time to get to the meeting point, and for the past three days they had been going triple time.

However, the thing that bugged her the most was that Minato didn’t have a single hair out of place. On the other hand, the rest of the team looked rough. Sakura’s hair was beyond greasy, Kato had developed a rather foul smell of wet dog, and Chouza had wolfed down three bags of garlic flavored chips. Then there was the fact that they were all covered in grime.

Still, they were making progress and with any luck the mission inside the scroll in Minato's back pouch would be easy. She doubted it, but a girl could hope.

Minato made a sharp left turn and dropped to the forest floor. "We'll make camp here for the night."

Kato grinned, "More than three hours of rest? You going soft Minato?"

Sakura watched their captain, his lips quirked into a smile, "You were starting to lag Kato."

Kato grinned at the teasing as Chōza took a seat on the ground. He leaned back against one of the trees. Sakura followed his lead, and made sure to stretch out her legs as she did so. Minato disappeared a second later as
Kato leaned against his dog: Chi. He fell asleep immeaditly and proceeded to snore. How the man just seemed to simply drop into sleep she had no idea, but Sakura envied the skill.

She had never been able to sleep well on a mission. During the war sleep had been almost impossible. She had been too afraid; afraid that she’d close her eyes and never open them again.

It was only after a week of no sleep, that Naruto had entered her tent one night, flopped down beside her, pulled her into his side, and simply said, “Don’t worry Sakura-chan. No one is getting in here without me knowing.”
She’d slept soundly for the first time in months that night.

Since coming to the past, Sakura hadn’t had any trouble sleeping. Living in the hokage tower, under the same roof as other shinobi, had made her feel safe. Now, she was outside the village again, she was almost in enemy territory, and despite being exhausted sleep was nowhere to be found.

She shifted against her tree. Minato was setting traps, as he did every time they stopped for a break. She studied their surroundings, examined them for possible enemy hiding places. It was a pretty forest, filled with strong old trees and as they got farther in there were the beginnings of numerous rock formations.

Kumo had been one of the few safe havens during the war. Often times during small peaceful breaks Naruto, Kakashi and she would race through the trees, and pretend for a few moments that they were back home, and had a mission chasing the damn cat. For a few minutes they would pretend they didn’t have to march back into hell. It had been a fool's dream.

Minato dropped down next to her. She suspected that the only reason he made noise was so she didn’t pull another kunai on him. He had gone almost as long as she had without sleep and he still looked fine. She hated him for it. It wasn’t fair that he looked near perfection, while she looked like a grease ball.

He sat down next to her, his shoulder brushed agains hers, "Figured you'd be asleep already."

She shrugged before she motioned to the two men fast asleep. "Someone had to make sure they weren't ambushed. Plus if they don't come back their wives might track me down and take it out on me."

Minato laughed and she smiled before she let out a yawn, and she watched as the laugh faded into a smile. "Sleep Sakura."

She yawned again, "I'm fine."

"You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"And you won't?"

"The traps are set and I have my summons watching the forest. I plan on being as well rested as I can for tomorrow."

Sakura closed her eyes, "You know what the mission is, don't you Minato?"

His voice washed over her, "The third explained it to me."

"It won't be easy, will it?"

The man laughed again, "It rarely is when concerning Kumo."

Sakura sighed, as unconsciousness began to take over, "So much for that wish." And that was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.

Her dreams were unexpected. She expected nightmares of her war, of her friends dying. Instead she was back home, she was lying in the grass, it was sunny, and there was a light breeze going. She closed her eyes and just relaxed.

There was quiet chuckle next to her. She cracked an eye open to find a familiar blonde smiling down at her. “Naruto.”

“It’s peaceful isn’t? Nothing like the war.”

She hmmed, and Naruto laid now next to her, his head right next to her’s. They laid in silence for a minute before Naruto started talking again, “I miss you, ya know?”

She rolled onto her stomach, and propped her head up on her arm, “I miss you too.”

“I know, but you’ve got my dad.”

“You say that so casually.”

“You’re in the past. Things are going to change. Either way, everything is going to work out.” Sakura stilled at that, and her face grew serious. Naruto huffed, “What’s that look for?”

“What if you don’t exist because I’m here?” She looked him in the eyes, “The world needs you Naruto.”

He grinned at her, big and bright, “Don’t worry Sakura-chan. I’ll find my way to you. Like I said, things might be different, but I’ll find my way. I promise.”

Sakura felt tears stream down her face. She might not be able to cry in real life, but she could cry in her dreams, “I’m holding you to that promise Naruto.”

He laughed, “It’s the promise of a life time!”

. . .

There were very few times in his life that Kato had woken up before someone else. More often than not, Tsume had to scare him out of bed, five minutes before he was supposed to leave. So, when he woke up to see Chōza still fast asleep that wasn’t too big of a surprise. But then, he turned and saw Sakura and Minato curled up together against a large oak tree; he couldn't help the sadistic grin that took over his face.

Sakura had her head resting on Minato's shoulder, and Minato’s head was resting on top of hers. He also had one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, and he was holding her close to him while one of Sakura's hands clung to the man's flak jacket. Oh how Kato wished he had a camera on him, at the very least he had to wake Chōza and show the man; at least then he'd have a witness!

. . .

Minato felt the eyes on him long before he opened his eyes. He had also felt the body heat of the woman curled up next to him long before anything else. From how steady her breathing was he knew Sakura was still asleep, and he wanted to keep it that way. A well rested medic meant that they all hopefully made it back home.

A more selfish and protective side also wanted her to sleep because it had been alluding her. He’d seen glimmers of past traumas in her eyes when it had been time to bunk down for the night. It was one of the reasons he’d
pushed them so hard for three days. He had hoped it would push her to the point she would HAVE to sleep.

The fact that he wanted to spare her the embarrassment of Kato's teasing was an entirely different matter. Sakura was only now starting toadjust to the village and her new life. She didn’t need rumors of the two of them dating.

He opened his eyes he stared into brown ones. His cheek didn’t leave the top of Sakura's head. The woman was a light sleeper, and he didn't need her to wake up until he scared Kato into feigning sleep. He would also make sure that Kato would never say a word to anyone.; especially Tsume. If Tsume found out the news would be all over the village in a matter of hours.

So Minato stared, he said nothing, he just stared, and stared, and stared, all while Kato's grin became smaller and smaller until it was gone. When it was finally gone, Minato raised an eyebrow, and Kato groaned, "I saw nothing, and I'm going back to sleep now."

Minato’s lips quirked into a smirk, and he glanced over at Chōza who was still leaning against the tree he had fallen asleep against. He watched as the man, whose eyes were still closed, gave him a thumbs up. He held back a laugh and closed his eyes again and waited for Sakura to wake up.

. . .

Sakura woke up warm. That was surprising for a variety of reasongs; she naturally ran cold, Kumo had higher altitudes, which made things colder, and she pretty much froze on missions anyways. It was only once she opened her eyes and regained her senses that she realized why she was warm. She had fallen asleep on top of Minato, or he had fallen asleep on her. Either way they were now one big tangle of body heat.

She was especially careful as she untangled herself from Minato and scooted away. She froze for a few seconds to make sure she hadn’t woke him, before she stood up and stretched. She looked around and was more than relieved to see that Kato and Chōza were still asleep. Kato would never let her live it down if he had found her using Minato as her own personal space heater.

She stretched one more time, and began to dig the packed and sealed rations out of everyone's packs. They couldn’t risk cooking food unfourtnatly. She dug the final packet of food out from Chōza's bag and began handing out the rations as everyone woke up. They ate in silence, while Kato switched between glaring at Chōza and then Minato.

Then he turned and glared at her. She raised an eyebrow in question and took a bite of her ration bar. He smirked, and opened his mouth. Before he could get out whatever sarcastic remark that had popped into his bran, Minato's hand shot out and slapped Kato on the back of the head. Kato snarled and glared daggers back at Minato. Sakura decided she really didn't want to know what just happened.

They ran for most of the morning before they reached enemy territory. They stopped right on the boarder, and Minato pulled out the scroll. They focused on him as he rolled a map of Kumo out on the ground, and his voice
took on it’s “captain tone.” It was deep and serious and ready for a fight.

"As of right now Konoha is running a covert mission on this island south of Kumogakure. A high security building on the island contains a large amount of files on building plans and maps concerning Kumo as well as the daimyo's palace.

“They didn't want the plans within easy reach if there was a spy in either the capital city or within the village. The building has a full guard twenty four seven as well seals and it's taken our people months to get in. They still need a few more days to get what we need to make a move on Kumo. However, the team believes their cover has been blown, and that reinforcements are are on their way."

Chōza stared at the map a moment and stated, "It wouldn't take the Kumo nin this long to get the information back to the village."

Minato nodded, "The group sent one member to follow and kill the messenger. One team member then had their summons appear in the village to request backup. Between the delayed information, and their quick thinking we had enough time to get here. Our job is to intercept and delay the back up team long enough for the primary team to get the information.”

Kato crossed his arms, “They couldn’t kill the second messenger?”

“Too dangerous. Right now, they’re just under suspicion, and while they’re being watched they can still move. If a second messenger went missing, it would confirm things. Once they have the information, we’ll get the signal for retreat: a sharp whistle like caw from a bird. We are to eliminate only if necessary."

Kato spoke up, "Why only if necessary?"

Minato grimaced, "We believe that platoon will be made up of the A&B team, which features,"

Sakura finished the sentence for him, "The Raikage's son; there'd be no chance at peace if we took him out." Sakura ignored the stares from Kato and Chōza.

A had been alive in her time; hell he had been Raikage, which meant it hadn't been necessary to kill him in the original timeline. And that was a relief. She hadn’t spend a ton of time with A, but she respected the hell out of him. He was honest and fair and protected those he cared about.

The fact that she had known him also made things difficult because she knew. She knew how strong he was and how damn stubborn he was. When he dug his heels in it was like having ten of Kakashi when he was in one of his moods. This wasn't going to be easy, and from the looks of her other teammates, they realized it too.

She stared at Minato and waited. He gave the order to move out, and they moved.

It took the team a matter of hours to reach the interception point the Kumo team would have to go through to reach the island. Once there they laid a series of traps, and then they hid. They stayed in their hiding places for hours.

Sakura had orders to stay hidden in the trees. That was standard practice for medics. If a medic got hurt it was a liability for the team. Plus this particular team didn’t know all of her skill set. They certainly didn’t know about the seal on her neck, and she wanted to keep it that way.

In the end it was a three man squad that ended up coming. It was comprised of A, Bee and a shinobi she had never seen before. Sakura knew that they knew they were there long before they had arrived. The vibrations in the ground sung to her chakra. They stopped in their tracks as her team appeared.

Sakura had chosen her hiding place with several things in mind. The first was that she needed to be hidden from their enemy, and the second was that she needed to be able to see her team. Minato had gone over several signals with her before they had hidden.

She watched as the two teams conversed. She was too far away to actually hear anything. So, she studied Bee and A. They looked just as they had when she had known them, if only younger; and to their credit they didn't freak out about Minato the way the other man did.

Sakura had only known Minato a handful of months and she knew the man was crazy dangerous in battle. Anyone with sense would turn and flee, but no one had ever accused A or Bee of having any sense. That was made clear when A charged the Yellow Flash.

Sakura watched with interest as the Minato vanished just in time and reappeared above A's head. A large tentacle from Bee stopped him from delivering any sort of fatal blow, and forced him to teleport to one of the kunai he had thrown into the trees.

He didn't stay there long and teleported again. Minato kept the fight going long enough to stallthe team. Sakura watched as Minato and A went head to head. She could see Minato speak, but she couldn’t hear anything.
The signal came before the battle could turn ugly. At the moment no one was hurt, and the fight wasn’t anything the nations couldn’t come back from. The high pitched whistle had Chōza and Kato retreating, but not Minato. She watched as the man appeared behind Bee. He used the seal he placed on the Hachibi's tentacle. His kunai was poised for a fatal blow; but Bee had been expecting it. He had one of his swords ready to bite into Minato's middle. Her eyes narrowed; the sword would slice right into an artery.

While it wouldn’t be impossible to fix, it would be a pain in the ass. There was also the fact that they were in enemy territory and Sakura suspected that the Kumo team wouldn’t let her anywhere near Minato to fix him. That meant she’d have to fight and reveal her skill set. More than likely she would be memorable. She didn’t need that. She needed anonymity to accomplish what she needed. So, if Minato actually got stabbed she'd give him hell for it.

She watched as Minato said something else and then gave her a silent hand signal to retreat. He vanished back to the middle of the clearing. With the kumo team’s shinobi focused on Minato, Sakura began to sneak out of her perch. She moved silently through the tree leaves, and used a low level genjutsu to cover any possible movements.

Then a tentacle came smashing through the trees. She pushed off the tree to avoid it, but it chased her. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work for her. She landed against another tree, chakra anchored her feet to the trunk before she pushed off of it. The tree shattered behind her and she met the tentacle in the air. She flipped her body so that she was above it, channeled chakra in her fist, and then she swung.

She threw her momentum behind the swing as her fist connected, and then they were rushing towards the ground. She felt her fist actually go through the tentacle as they hit the ground and a crater formed around her and it.

The force was enough to drag Bee from his hiding place. He came flying at her, and she lessoned the chakra in her fist as she turned to meet him. Her fist slammed into his cheek, and Bee went flying back. A was quick to intercept his brother. She had only a moment to look up and meet A's gaze, who had been pushed back several feet, before an arm wrapped around her waist and she felt that pulling sensation again.

Notes:

The action part of this chapter was partially taken from their fight in the series. It was fun to adjust things though. And this chapter has really changed from the original writing. This one hopefully has better grammar, the descriptions are hopefully better as well, and I’ve added some additional scenes. The dream scene with Naruto is by far my favorite part!

Please leave a review!

Chapter 12

Sakura felt her stomach jump into her throat as she and Minato landed on the forest floor. She just barely resisted the urge to vomit. She also made a note that Minato was a dirty liar. It was even worse than the last time. His stomach had to be made of steel. She rolled to the side, lifted her head, and glared at Minato, "I hate that jutsu."

His head was lying in the dirt, and he looked peaceful almost like he was asleep. Then his eyes opened, and he turned to face her, "Except when it saves your life?"

She didn't dignify the question with an answer and instead asked her own, "Where's Kato and Chōza?"

He kicked his legs into the air, and used the momentum to get to his feet. She watched as he brushed the dirt off his uniform, "Hopefully on their way."

Sakura glanced around, and took in her surroundings, "We're at the border." It was a statement not a question; her scowl deepened, and she pushed off the forrest floor, "You shouldn't use so much chakra at once. What if A and Bee catch up?"

He walked towards her, until he was in her personal space. There was a breath of space between them. He reached forward and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and bent down and whispered, "I guess you'll just have to protect me."

She had to beat the blush back with everything she had. There was no way in hell she was responding to that. They had a mission, and no matter how good looking the man was, this was still a life and death situation. She filed the possibility away with the multitudes of other things she didn’t want to deal with.

Instead, she took a deep breath, rolled her eyes, and went to lean against one of the trees. Minato went to a nearby rock, and sat on that. She heard the tell tale rustle of the pages of the book, and she turned to look at him. He didn’t look up, but offered, “You’re welcome to come read over my shoulder again. It’s getting to the good part.”

She raised an eyebrow at that, and when he smirked she was tempted to go cave his face in.

He wasn’t done though, “Or I could read outloud?”

“You’re a pain in the ass. You know that, right?”

He laughed, and gestured for her to come over. She pushed off the tree and walked over to him. In one quick movement she was on top of the bolder. She sat down behind him, leaned forward, and moved to rest her chin on his shoulder. They fell into another companionable silence.

Eventually, her mind drifted away from the book and back to the mission. Minato had been forming this plan for days. He had received the details early on; in fact she wouldn't have been surprised if he had not only thought of every plan possible on their journey but every possible outcome as well. Minato was a master strategist. On top of that he had mastered seals. It reminded her eerily of Kakashi or perhaps Shikamaru. Finally she straightened up and lifted her chin off his shoulder. His eyes flickered back to her, and he closed the book. He waited patiently for what she had to say.

Finally, she settled on, "A's fast, even accounting for the head start you gave them he could have very well caught up to Kato and Chouza."

Minato smiled, "You've encountered A before?"

"You could say that." She had met the Raikage several times during the war, mainly after Shizune had been killed and she had been forced to take up leading the medical corps.
She had worked together with C as well as Kankuro to build him a new hand, something to make his other jutsu just a tad bit easier to work with. The hand had been a success and was perhaps a step in the right direction for prosthetic. She had earned the man's trust with that act.

She had earned his respect however when she had disrupted B's central nervous system leaving the jinchūriki to find out what made what move; something that without extensive medical knowledge would take several hours to figure out. The eight tails jinchūriki had glared at her for hours, but he had never rapped during an official meeting again. A had been trying to figure out how to do that for years.

B had gotten his revenge. He had stolen all her clothes while she was in the shower. He had refused to give them back until she, in his words, "busted out a rhyme." She had never truly considered killing an ally until that moment, but that wouldn't have gotten her clothes back which had led to her reluctantly rapping using medical terms that rhymed. Those two encounters had set the pace of their acquaintance which had consisted of them bickering and Tsunade and A telling them to shut up.

"Fond memories?" Minato asked, breaking through her memories.

"A necessary evil, and you never answered my question; what's to keep A from going after the guys?"

"They ran in the opposite direction of the island. Our guys sent the signal via the summons channel."

"Their cue to leave, while mine was a signal from you; you wanted them to see me."

Minato nodded. "A knows talent when he sees it, always has. We need his curiosity peaked. He and the Raikage will know that if you were sent on this mission then you've passed the standard to fight S class shinobi. The pink hair will make you memorable, yet they've never seen you before, at least in this time, and that will throw them off balance.

“A also has to investigate the island even with the highly probable chance that the blueprints were stolen even if it's only to try and get a trail. On the off chance that he does decide to follow Kato and Chōza, all they have to do is throw or send a jolt of chakra through one of the kunai I gave them and I can get them out, or at least help them fight."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, "Any particular reason I didn't get one?"

"I never planned to be separated from you, like I said I had a plan."

"And if that plan went to hell?"

"I had several back up plans, but I also know that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself."

"Nice recovery."

"I mean it."

Sakura leaned forward again, and slumped against Minato’s back. "So, it will take them a while to reach the border."

She felt his voice vibrate through his back, "Most likely."

The sun had begun to set and it would be dark by the time Chōza and Kato caught up to them. Then they’d have to make a mad dash towards home. It was never a good idea to stay in enemy territory too long.

Nonetheless, she found that the woodlands of Kumo provided a certain amount of comfort she had never dreamed of. She supposed that in a way Kumo had become a second home. And a part of her, a small part, wanted to go into the village, go to that little stand that sold Imagawayaki, and sit down and eat. Eventually Naruto would find her, and Kakashi and Sai would be trailing behind him. Kakashi would order his own food and stick her with the bill, while Naruto would try to steal one of hers and Sai would undoubtedly say something to make the entire situation awkward.

She would end up entirely put out, and the boys would follow her around the village. She would ignore them, and the Kumo shinobi would make a point out of talking to her, just to make her boys mad.
Sakura straightened up, and looked up at the sky. She had allowed herself to get lost in her memories. Now the sky was dark, except for a lone star. "Kumo really is a pretty village. It's not green like Konoha. In fact it probably has as many rock formations as we have trees, but it's still pretty. It's like being in the clouds."

She hadn’t expected a response which was why she was just a tiny bit surprised when Minato started speaking. "I've never been to one of the other great shinobi villages. Tensions between the villages have been running tight since I was a kid, and most of my missions had more to do with towns or tracking down rogue shinobi.”

Sakura smiled, "I think that's the first time you've truly shared something about yourself with me. How old were you when you became a chūnin?"

"Eleven, Jiraiya-sensei was a bit too confident about our team. Shikaku, Fugaku, Hiashi and I were the only ones from Konoha to pass."

Sakura hmmed, "I didn't pass until my second try. I was unbelievably weak as a child."

Minato smiled, "I highly doubt that."

"Trust me, it was bad."

"The end result's pretty good though."

Sakura smiled back, "I suppose so."

A sharp jolt of chakra stopped the conversation as she and Minato moved to their feet. They crouched on the rock, with their kunai drawn. Then Minato relaxed, and put the kunai away. A second later Chōza and Kato burst through the trees, Chi trotting behind them.

Both men looked a bit weary and Sakura quickly noted the bruises and scratches on them. She surged forward quickly and efficiently. She went to Chōza first, his injuries were a bit worse. She took his face in-between her hands and allowed her chakra to surge through his body. She made sure that he hadn't been poisoned; she had known quite a few Kumo shinobi that had specialized in poisons.

When she found nothing she withdrew her chakra and focused on healing the gash in his side while Kato filled Minato in on what happened, "We ran into a patrol, I suppose they've stepped up security since the message about the blue prints came in. There were five, we were forced to kill two of them and we were able to knock the other three unconscious.

Minato frowned, "How close to here?"

Kato grimaced, "Only about an hour."

Sakura moved to Kato and checked his system for poison too. She found nothing. Kato chuckled, “I’m a medic too. I’d know if I had been poisoned.”

She gave him a look, and he threw his hands up in exasperation.

She turned to Minato, "They weren't poisoned; a stroke of luck if you ask me, with the exception of the gash on Chōza's side it's all just scratches. And unfortunately Kato's smart mouth is still in tack."

Kato squawked at that. Minato ignored him and asked, "Is Chōza okay to move?"

Chōza answered for her, “I’m fine Minato. I’ve had worse.”

Sakura nodded in agreement, Minato was back in captain mode. "I've already healed the gash."

Minato didn’t hesitate, "Let's move."

As one the team moved. They took to the trees. They were still in Kumo’s territory, but the trees were familiar terrain for them. It provided an advantage. They were only an hour from the Land of Lightning's border. From there, they would cross into the Land of Frost, a known enemy of Kumo. However, there was always a chance that Kumo shinobi would follow them. Sakura was tense and alert. She kept expecting an attak.

Even after they crossed the border they continued running. They only stopped after a day of running. And they only stopped because Kato and Chōza needed to get some rest. Sakura and Minato stayed on guard, neither of them were comfortable with letting their guard down. Despite being a day away from Kumo’s borders, Sakura had a feeling in her gut that things weren’t over yet.

Sakura knew how far Kumo nin would go for one of their own; the memory of Karui punching Naruto came back full force. The fact that Bee and A had been attacked, and two of the border patrol had been killed, would have left a sour taste in the village’s mouth. They were still about two hours outside the Land of Hot Water. Once they crossed that border they would be somewhat safe. Konoha had border patrols going in the Land of Hot Water, and they would know to be on high alert following this mission.

Sakura's eyes scanned the perimeter. They took in the shadows that weren’t moving like trees, and then she caught a pair of eyes peering out from them. She didn't hesitate. She flew forward, and tackled the man in the tree. They fell together, and grappled for a hold on each other. She felt nails bite into her skin. She ignored it and drew a kunai. She managed to get a swipe across the tendon on his arm, and then they hit the ground.

She landed on her feet. Her enemy didn’t. She heard a distinct snap and a gutteral scream as several of his fingers broke. He tried to climb to his feet, but Sakura had been at this a long time. She knew better than to allow that. She circled chakra to her feet and then she moved, she reached him a second later and knocked him out.

He fell unconscious just as another flew out of the trees. There was rage in his eyes and in his movements. Sakura could work with that. Rage made people sloppy. He aimed a punch for her gut, she allowed it to connect. She’d have a bruised rib, but the damage she was about to inflict was worth it. Her fist flew, and when it connected, she had half a second to see the regret cross the man’s face before she sent him flying. He crashed through several trees. Before he collapsed; he was out cold.

She had only a few seconds to recover before a woman flew out of the trees. There was no rage there, just cool calculation. She had sacrificed her teammates to learn things about Sakura. The sword she had swung through the air. Sakura had just enough time to dodge before it cut her in half.

The woman flowed into another attack, and this time Sakura jumped; her legs curled up and into her body. As the woman swung it back around, sakura allowed the gravity’s momentum and her chakra to do the rest. She landed on the sword. She heard the metal snap before she landed on the ground. A crater formed around her, and dust rose into the air. Sakura moved.

She found the woman, and surprised her with a choke hold. Once again, nails bit into her skin, as the woman clawed at Sakura’s arms. She could feel as nails dug rivets into her skin, and the blood flowed. She kept the hold. Eventually, the woman’s struggles stopped, and she fell to the ground.

Sakura did her best to regulate her breathing, but she didn’t have long. She felt someone hit her as she crashed to the ground. Her teeth clicked together, and she felt gratitude that her tongue hadn’t been between them. She felt a hand tangle in her hair, and without thought the kunai came out of her sleeve and her hand went backward. She felt the knife cut through flesh. The hand in her hair faltered.

Sakura took advantage and slammed her head back and into her enemy’s nose. She heard the crunch, and twisted her body. She didn’t hesitate, she just moved. Her hand wrapped around his neck, her chakra came to life in her hand, sharpened, and then it struck. The chakra scalpel sliced through her attacker’s spinal cord, and he dropped. She pushed his body off of her, and stood up.

She stared down at him. He was young. Too young. Maybe sixteen. She felt sick to her stomach. She squashed that feeling and once again put it in the recesses of her mind, where she stored all the other horrible things she had done in her life. She wasn’t looking forward to the day she had to clean that area out.

Her moment of respite faded as quickly as it came. A kunai came soaring at her. Another one met it half way and stopped it. Minato appeared next to her a second later. She pulled several kunai from her pouch and moved her feet slightly apart to better stabilize her stance.Her eyes scanned the trees, she was wanted to be ready. She found nothing and her eyes flashed to Kato and Chōza.

By all accounts they seemed to still be sleeping, but she knew better. Chōza's fingers were moving and Kato's snores had softened from their usual loudness. She forced her eyes away from her teammates and turned back to the tree-line.

Several minutes passed, but it felt like hours as the tension mounted in her body. The adrenaline was just starting to fade when she felt it. There was a piercing sound in the air, and then she was flying. She twisted her body in the air, landed on her hands and feet, and slid backwards. As she tried to get her barrings, another kunai came flying at her. It forced her to twist her body out of the way and right into a giant tentacle.

The tentacle wrapped around her quickly and squeezed tightly. She cursed herself for getting caught. Her eyes narrowed into a glare, and she took another look at her surroundings; Kato and Chōza had abandoned their fake sleep to face off against one enemy each while Minato stood where she had been, only he was now he was facing off against A. Nothing could ever be easy.

She chose to keep her mouth shut for the moment and focused on Minato and A. The two still stood near the edge of the opening, and then they were gone. The sounds of clanging metal sounded in the air, as Kato and Chōza began engaging their own opponents, which left her alone with Bee. The tentacle holding her tightened for a moment, before it curled in on itself, taking Sakura with it. It brought her face to face with Bee.

Sakura studied him and noted the differences; there were a few less wrinkles, and a few less scars, but the sunglasses were still in place as well as the scarf. However, there was no goatee.

She watched as he opened his mouth and her own started running before she could stop it, "If I hear one rap, when I get out of this tentacle I will screw up your nervous system so bad that every time you try to pick up chopsticks you'll kick your own ass."

One eyebrow raised above the sunglasses and she snorted, "Don't give me that look, we both know you had some sort of rhyme getting ready to come out of your mouth, to pretend otherwise is an insult."

"Who are you?"

The seriousness of the tone took Sakura by surprise. The Bee she had known in her time had never been serious, even in death the man had gone out with a rhyme on his lips. This Bee was a different story. His tone was harsher than she could have ever imagined it to be. It was another reminder that she was no longer in her own time. The clash of metal continued to echo in the air, and she chose to file them in the back of her mind for the moment. Instead she decided to answer Bee's question, "My name is Sakura."

"And you made fun of my raps?"

She allowed herself a hint of a smile as she allowed his tone to wash over her. It was that accusing tone, as though an insult lay right under her words, as though he were ready to argue with anything she had to say. Naruto had had that same tone. It came from being ostracized. Not for the first time she wished she hadn't been such a stuck up brat back at the academy. Then again that was the beauty of hindsight, and perhaps being in the past.
She had a chance to change it now, "My parents chose my name; I also got the hair color from them. You choose to rap."

Her response was met with a jerk of the tentacle as Bee went up and into the trees, carrying her with him. She bit back a curse; she was in no mood to be taken hostage. She twisted her body to see where they were going, and she understood why Bee had waited to move. Fifteen Kumo shinobi waited near the tree tops, poised and ready for a fight; he had waited for back up. This was not going to be fun.

She closed her eyes she focused on her chakra. The first thing she did was make sure everything was working accordingly, and then she acted. She allowed her chakra to rise just above the skin, and then she sharpened it as she would a chakra scalpel. The chakra cut into the Hachibi's tentacle just enough for her to maneuver out of it. He dropped her. As she fell she flew through the handsigns and began to weave the genjutsu around her. She needed an advantage if she was going to get out alive, and she had no delusions about going up against a jinchūriki and fifteen well-trained Kumo shinobi.

Bypassing the tree branches she landed on the forest floor, and then rolled into the bushes. The genjutsu she was using was subtle. It would hide her heartbeat, scent, and breathing, but she still needed to minimize her chakra. She focused on dampening it, until it was that of a tree or plant. Any animals would have long fled from this mess of a fight.

She stayed there for a few minutes. She heard feet going in different directions, and orders being shouted. Quietly she moved through the bushes and back towards the clearing. She was beginning to hit her limit. The full body scalpel technique, along with the healing she had done on Kato and Chōza a few hours before, had used up most of her regular chakra supply. She wasn’t willing to activate the seal. That was a secret that only needed to come out in a life or death situation. It would raise too many questions any other way.

Only years of training kept her from screaming as an arm wrapped around her middle and that horribly familiar stomach jostling feeling settled inside her. Her surroundings went from the clear night skies of the Land of Hot Water to the cloud filled sky of Konoha.

She dropped to her knees, and onto familiar grass. Minato's weight settled on top of her, his body curled around her in a protective position. She didn’t push him off. He was safe, and the weight was comforting to her. He had several scratches but no large gashes and no obvious signs of bleeding. She put her fingers to his pulse and she breathed a sigh of relief as his pulse came in strong.

“I’m okay.” His voice was a little gravely.

“No broken bones or cuts?”

“Nope. Just tired.”

“Same.”

Neither of them moved. They were both suffering from exhaustion, and right now this position provided a sort of reassurance that they both needed. For the moment they were alive, and that’s all that mattered.
She used the last bit of chakra she had and reached out into the surrounding area to make sure they were alone and then she smiled as it reached a familiar presence. A moment later a bruised Kato and Chōza came barreling through the trees, Chi, right behind them. On Chōza 's back were their packs and not for the first time that night she couldn't help but think that Minato may just be one of the best shinobi ever, and with that thought she drifted into unconsciousness.

Notes:

In the original story this was actually two chapters. Looking at it now, however, it made sense to combine them. Other than just combining the chapters, this chapter has changed a lot from the original. In the original chapter, Sakura didn't do nearly as much fighting. She went up against one opponent, killed him, and then moved on. Personally, I think I suck at writing fight scenes. I hate writing them. I'm hoping it doesn't show. If anyone has any tips, please let me know.

Now she goes up against several. This is for several reasons.
1) Minato, Kato, and Chouza need to see what she can do. This is her first mission in this time line. Her abilities, other than medical, are fairly unknown. The Sandaime, despite being her adopted father, needs to know what she can do. He knows she fought in a war, he knows she knows what she's doing thanks to Inoichi, but he needs other perspectives.

2) Minato has a fairly analytical mind. He has to in order to be Hokage and create the seals and jutsus he does. DUDE is wicked smart. He' would provide the best analysis of Sakura's skills.

3) Kato is a friendly face. He and Sakura are quickly becoming friends. He would provide a comforting presence.
4) Chouza comes from one of the great clans. A well respected clan. If he acknowledges her, that comes with clout.

Now onto Sakura. Our girl is having to deal with two sets of people who all look the same. She knows so many of these people from her timeline, but time changes people. Experiences change people. She's now having to reconcile the two.

Yay for book time. Also yay for smart ass Minato. He's sassy.

Okay. I think I'm done. Let me know what you think. Please review!

Chapter 13

Sakura woke up to beeping. It was an irritating beeping, constant and carefully spaced out. That beeping meant she was alive, and she had a pulse. It meant she had survived again, and for the first time in a long time she didn't feel any regret about it. She forced her eyes open and waited for them to adjust to the darkness of the hospital room. She was glad for the darkness, she wasn’t sure she could handle the bright white of the hospital lights.

She sat up slowly, and took a deep breath. Her lungs were okay. There was a little bit of soreness in her chest from her ribs. That came from the punch she had taken. Next, she began moving her neck side to side and then in circles. From there she moved on to her shoulders; and then she put the rest of her body through a basic exam. With the exception of a few aches and a bit of soreness everything seemed to be fine.

She had a minor case of chakra exhaustion and some bruises. However, for the most part she had gotten out of the mission unscathed. Not many people could say that after going up against A and B.

Sakura ran a hand through her hair, and noted that it was somewhat clean. She raised her hands over her head and stretched, and with her hands in the air her eyes drifted to the side and met bright blue ones. She felt embarrassment heat her cheeks.

She immediately lowered her arms. Minato was sitting in the bed next to hers. He was dressed in the male version of the hospital gown.

“Is there any particular reason we’re sharing a room?”

Minato shrugged, there was a slight smile on his lips, "Too many wounded and not enough rooms."

"An unfortunate side effect of war."

Minato nodded, his smile vanished for a moment before it returned, "That's an interesting wake up routine you've got there."

Sakura blushed, and felt herself get flustered. That hadn’t happened in years. There’d been no time for dating or crushes in the midst of a war. And despite her best efforts, she definitely felt attraction for Minato Namikaze.

"What happened, after I passed out?"

Minato shrugged his shoulders; his serious look coming on to his face, "I'm not entirely sure, I passed out right alongside you if not before. The nurse who came in a few hours ago said it was merely chakra exhaustion."

"Chakra exhaustion isn’t anything to scoff at. You used the Hiraishin too much."

His smile was back, "What's your excuse?"

"Teammates who can't seem to avoid kunai, and super stubborn Kumo shinobi.”

Minato laughed, and stood up. She watched him carefully as he walked over to her bed. Then he held up a book; the book he’d been reading on the mission, “I waited for you to wake up.”

That threw Sakura for a loop. She wasn’t sure what to say to that. She felt warm at the consideration, but was she willing to let Minato in, even as just a friend? Obito’s words came back to her. He had told her to make a life in this time. That the universe had a way of working things out. And if Sakura was honest, she could use a friend.

Her decision made, she scooted to one side of the bed. Minato turned on the nightstand lap and climbed into the bed next to her. He opened the book and she leaned against him. He never turned the page before she was done reading, and while this moment was simple, it was really nice.

They read for at least an hour before Sakura felt herself start to nod off. Eventually her head found a resting place on Minato’s shoulder. Finally, her eyes fluttered closed. The last thing she heard was Minato whispering, “Sleep Sakura. I’ll keep watch.”

Sakura had never been someone who fell asleep easily. Her mind often ran a mile a minute. New ideas and thoughts plagued her most of the day. And she usually couldn’t sleep until she had worked aspects of the ideas out.

She woke up several hours later. It was still dark outside, but she could see hints of the sunlight streaming through the window. Of course, most of the view was blocked by a sleeping Minato. He was curled around her protectively, and arm was wrapped around her waist, and she was nestled against his chest.

He looked younger when he was asleep. Less troubled. It was a shame she had to wake him up, but the nurses would be in soon for rounds. Neither of them needed the rumors that would circulate if they were found in bed together. Especially since nothing was going on.

She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder, and gently shook him awake. His eyes opened slowly, and then he smiled. Sakura smiled back, “Nurses will be in soon.”

She didn’t need to say anything else. He untangled himself from around her, not a hint of embarrassment on his face, and moved back to his own bed.

Not even two minutes later the door to the room opened and light flooded the room. Sakura blinked rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the influx of light. Then a figure stepped into the room, and Sakura met the gaze of her adoptive father.

The Sandaime smiled at her before he was pushed aside as Biwako stormed into the room. They were flanked by several nurses, who immediately set to work on checking vitals.Sakura allowed them to do their job, before they hurried off to the next set of patients.

Her mother hugged her the moment the nurses left, squeezing a bit too tight. To his credit her father waited until her mother was done before he went back to being the Hokage, "Welcome back. I hear you met a bit of resistance on the way back."

Minato answered quickly and efficiently, "Nothing we couldn't handle. Was the bravo team able to get the plans back?"

Her father palmmed his pipe. He knew better than to smoke in the hospital room. "Most people wouldn’t claim the A and Bee team weren’t that bad.” He gave them both a knowing look, “We got the plans. Chōza and Kato are both at home, unharmed and on leave for the next week.

Her mother scowled, “They dragged you two back over their shoulders. You've been out for about two days, and you both should be cleared to leave tomorrow as long as you take it easy for the next week or so."

Biwako looked pointedly at Sakura. Sakura knew that look too, it was that, "I'll be watching you, so don't even think about sneaking off for a shift at the hospital," look. It was a look that Naruto and Kakashi had worn multiple times and much to her annoyance they had perfected it. Biwako wasn’t quite there, but it seemed she was also attempting to master it.

Sakura had already accepted her fate. She knew that Biwako was a mother hen. She allowed Biwako to fuss a bit with the blankets and the pillow while chastising her, "You had us worried sick. Those boys were a day late
dragging you two back. Minato's never been late on a mission before."

Sakura snuck a glance at the man and noted the smirk on his face before turning back to her mother. "Then we find out you went up against the A and Bee team. Your poor brothers nearly fainted with worry.”
Behind her mother, her father rolled his eyes, shook his head, and mouthed the word “excitement.”

Her mother continued, “You'll need to take it easy for a few days, that means no training and absolutely no hospital shifts." Something told Sakura that this week-long suspension was more because Biwako was scared than for her chakra exhaustion. She knew for a fact that the rest period for chakra exhaustion was only three days not a full week. That was when her father stepped in, clearing his throat as Biwako's fussing became only movements.

"I think that’s enough Biwako. It’s time to let these two rest. We'll pick you up tomorrow Sakura." Her mother kissed her cheek before leaving the room. Her father spared one more smile at her and then followed his wife.

The lights went out behind them and Sakura blinked a few times to readjust to the lack of light before she turned to face Minato. He was already laying down arms propped behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

Sakura laid back down, stared at the ceiling, and thought not about the completed mission, but about when had she truly stared calling the Third and Biwako Mother and Father?

When she woke up the next morning it was to, loud semi-whispering voices that she immediately identified as Asuma and Akiko. She peeked through her eye lashes and was greeted with the sight of Minato. At some point in the night she had shifted to sleeping on her side. Minato was also on his side, and was facing he. His eyes were open and he was watching her; they flicked towards the boys that were now arguing at the foot of her bed. More than used to the arguing by now she rolled her eyes. Minato nodded, sat up in his bed, and then let out a loud shrill whistle. The fighting stopped immediately.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. He was going to have to teach her how to do that. She sat up in bed and smiled at her brothers. They smiled back before they rushed to her. Asuma jumped the foot board to beat Akkiko to reach her first. It probably would have been cute if they were five and not genin shinobi. Asuma wrapped around her like an octopus, while Akkiko tried to pty him off so that he could get a hug in. That ended with Skaura’s airway being blocked several times, her hair accidentally being pulled, and an elbow landing on her already sensitive ribs.

Minato pulled them off, and she took a deep breath. He held her brothers by the collars of their shirts, with what could only be described as practiced ease. She had no doubt he’d done this for Kakashi and Obito multiple times. “Enough.” The word wasn’t shouted, it was said normally and with enough authority that both boys stopped. They glared at each other for a minute more before the animosity faded.

Akkiko turned to her, "Mom and dad are signing your release forms; they sent us up with your clothes." He held out the bag as Asuma slipped out of Minato’s hold on his collar. She took the bag from Akkiko and her eyes slid over to Minato. He watched everything with a smile as her brothers began talking about what she had missed while she had been gone.

She listened as she made her way to the bathroom and then through the door as she changed. It was while she was pulling her hair back into a ponytail that the talking turned into arguing. She sighed just as two thwacks and shouts of, “oww!” sounded on the other side of the door.

Then came a voice Sakura knew all too well. She opened the door and smiled as she watched Anko lecture Akkiko and Asuma about yelling in a hospital, especially Konoha's hospital. Sakura couldn't help the laugh that bubbled from her mouth, it was a lecture she had given Naruto and Sai too many times to count, and to hear it coming from Anko . . . well that was priceless.

At the laugh the girl turned around and launched herself at Sakura. She hugged her tightly as she began telling her what she had missed at the hospital and how she had finished the reading Sakura had left for her. Akkiko took the bag from her while Asuma took one of her hands and began pulling her towards the door. They talked about how mom and dad were taking them out for dinner. She gave the room one last glance and noticed that Minato was now gone. She did her best to ignore slight bit of disappointment at the fact that he hadn’t said goodbye.

Notes:

This is my take on, "And there was only one bed." Lol. I really like this chapter because we get to see Sakura and Minato's relationship grow here. We get to see some private moments where neither of them are at full strength after a relatively stressful mission. Sakura has just confronted ANOTHER part of her past, and she's gone back into the field for the first time in months.

I want to stress that Sakura still has NOT dealt with the trauma of the past. She continues to stuff her trauma into a box in her mind and compartmentalize. There are going to be ramifications to this both big and small. Small ones include her nightmares and having trouble sleeping while on missions or immediately after; her body doesn't feel safe.

BUT she feels safe with Minato. I'm partially playing on the fact that he's an ally and someone she has come to trust and partially on the cosmic universe throwing them together.

Sakura is also dealing with concerned family. In this story, she'd never really dealt with that before. And Biwako, in my opinion, is a mama bear! The moment she took Sakura in, she became hers just as much as Asuma and Akkiko. Only there's an extra level of worry because of Sakura's rank. She's not a gennin or a chunnin, she's a jounin. A jounin from the future who is going to be involved in some bad stuff. Biwako is no fool, she knows this.

Ahhh the book. This has become one of my favorite parts of the re-write. It's a small detail, but I love it so much.

So question: Would you guys like more scenes from Minato's point of view?
Please leave a comment, I love hearing what you guys think.

Chapter 14

The first three days of Sakura's rest period were spent with Biwako, and the ever watchful eyes of the ANBU that guarded the family. Those three days were spent cleaning along with attempts of being taught to cook; attempt being the key word. Sakura had never been any good at cooking and no amount of time would fix that. The burnt noodles, rice, fish, and small kitchen fire were testaments to that.

By the time the fish was burnt both Biwako and Sakura were forced to open all the windows and vacate the apartment. It took a bit of begging on the way down the stairs but Sakura finally managed to convince Biwako to let her go on a walk. She had to promise she wouldn’t participate in any training, but Sakura was fine with that. With that promise Biwako went on her way to the market to buy fresh, unburnt ingredients and Sakura went in the opposite direction, fully aware of the ANBU guard that followed her.

She made her way slowly through the streets, and allowed herself to be trailed. She prayed that if she kept it easy then the guard would give her mother a good report, and she'd finally be allowed out of the house again.

She took one of the many forest paths for her stroll. She stopped to admire the blossoms in the trees, and the flowers scattered around the path .A moment later she sensed another presence, looking away from the blossoms she turned to see Minato. He was dressed in his typical attire for a day off of a blue shirt and pants. He was carrying two paper brown bags filled with what she was more than willing to bet were groceries.

She smiled and waved at him. He waved back before he used the shunshin technique and disappeared out of sight, and reappeared right behind her. She turned around and was greeted with a smiled and the smell of freshly baked bread.

Neither one of them said anything and they simply began walking. They walked in a comfortable silence for a while until Minato broke it, "I see you're under watch."

Sakura hummed in agreement, "Unfortunately. I've spent the past three days stuck inside cleaning and attempting to learn to cook. I finally earned someoutside freedom"

Minato raised an eyebrow in question, "What do you mean by attempting to learn?"

Sakura’s face went slack, "I've never been able to cook, many have attempted to teach me yet none have succeeded. I fully believe that I'm capable of burning water. Even when I went on long missions it was one of the boys who would do the cooking. They always found it funny, I can make an antidote in no time but I can't cook to save my life."

Minato wisely didn’t comment on her lack of cooking skills, "So, how did you earn your freedom?"

She gave him a look,"You and I both know exactly where my ANBU tail is. Apparently I’m a training risk and my mother is over-protective. Actually, that’s not fair, I think I really scared her., And it's nice to be thought of like a daughter, like a real member of the family, but I'm suffocating in the house, and not just from the smell of burnt fish either." Minato grimaced at the thought of that smell. "Still it'd be nice to just have some more time away."

They had reached the end of the short path if she continued on she’d be back home in a matter of minutes.

Before she could continue on, a hand snuck around her waist and she was pulled into Minato's chest. Then came that now familiar tug, and she braced herself. A moment later she was in a cozy little living room. She was happy to note that the nausea wasn’t nearly as bad this time. She took a moment to look around. There was a couch and an overstuffed chair, a few feet away was a dining table with chairs and in the corner was a nice little kitchen that looked as though it had just been updated. Back on the other side of the room was a hallway which she was more than willing to bet led to the bedrooms.

She took a step away from Minato and went to the far wall that was covered in multiple bookcases that were filled with books. She examined the titles for a few minutes, and ran her fingers over the spines. Many of the books had cracked spines or sticky notes sticking out of them. They were read and used, and not just for display.

She turned around in time to see Minato attach a small note to a small toad's leg, a second later the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke. Catching her eye Minato explained, "I sent a note to the Third; it wouldn't be good if he thought I had abducted you.” He looked past her at the bookshelves and he added, "Feel free to pick one out, I've already read everything there."

"Are you sure?"

"You said you needed some time, right?"

Sakura smiled, turned, and plucked one of the titles that had caught her eye. She glanced back at Minato. She watched as he brought out a box of kunai and set it on the top of the table. Satisfied that she wasn't ignoring her host she settled on the couch and began to read.

About halfway through the book the smell of something cooking caught her nose and she looked up. There in the kitchen was Minato, an apron tied securely at his back. She took in another breath and her stomach began to rumble at the smell of food that wasn’t burnt. She quickly stuffed that feeling away. Minato had been more than kind in allowing her to impose on him and his day. She closed the book, lifted herself off the couch, and went to put the book away in preparation to leave.

"Did you finish the book?" Minato's voice stopped her in her tracks.

She turned to face him, the book back in its place, "I got about halfway through, but you're getting ready to eat so I'm going to get going."

A confused expression overcame Minato's face, "You're not staying?"

Sakura shook her head, "No, I've imposed enough, just being able to sit down and read in quiet was more than enough. Add in the fact that it was fiction and not a medical text, and I can confidnetly say I haven’t been this relaxed in a while. In fact, I haven't read something that wasn't a text book since I was a teenager. After the war started all of my time went towards helping."

Minato turned the heat on the stove down and walked towards her. He stopped just in front of her, reached up, plucked the book she had been reading from the shelf, and put it back in her hands. "I told the Sandaime that I would have you back by ten, you've still got three hours. Not to mention I made entirely too much food for one person."

She gripped the book tightly in her hands, and her stomach flipped, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He took a step back and shook his head, "After the stories you told this afternoon, I'm going to say no on the food, but you could set the table."

Sakura rolled her eyes, and set the book down on the coffee table before going into the kitchen. Minato instructed her on where the dishes were and she set the table while they talked about the book she had started. He was incredibly conscious of not giving out any spoilers something Sakura found incredibly sweet.

During her younger years her father had always ruined the end of books for her, and it had always annoyed her. She hadn't thought about her biological parents much since coming to this time. She pushed most thoughts of them to the back of her mind.

She had done that for years though. Her parents had never approved of her life as a kunoichi, and once she had made chūnin she had spent as much time away as possible. They had ended up dying when the village was destroyed. If she was honest with herself the Sandaime and Biwako had been more like parents to her than the ones that had given her life. A hand on top of hers, brought her out of her thoughts. She looked at Minato, and flipped her hand so that she was holding his. Neither commented on it.

They continued their discussion. They discussed the characters, and the plot. They got into a heated debate about the hero’s motivation. Then Minato asked a tricky question, “Do you like it better than the book we’ve been reading together.”

That made Sakura pause. She debated on how to answer for a second before she settled on the truth, “No. The Tale of the Utterly Gusty Shinobi, is better by far.” Quietly she admitted, “The company while reading hasn’t been bad either.” Minato’s resulting smile was breath taking.

The food was amazing and Sakura had absolutely no problem telling Minato as much. While they ate Minato explained that he had been redoing the seals on the three pronged kunai earlier that day while she read. He liked to update and redo the seals to make sure they always worked.

They fell into a silence for a few minutes, before Minato hesitantly asked, “Can I ask what you were thinking about earlier?

She debated telling him. Her parents weren’t exactly a cheerful subject. She hadn’t even talked about them with Naruto or Kakashi. Maybe it would do her some good? "I was thinking about my birth parents.”
Minato remained quiet, his attention was solely on her.

"They never supported my decision to become a shinobi, it was my mother's father who enrolled me at the academy. He had been a shinobi, before retiring and becoming a merchant. He had made it to chūnin, and he thought that my desire to serve was admirable. My mother would never go against her father and my father was terrified of him for some reason. So they never fought him on it, instead they tried to convince me to quit.

“I heard more lectures on what a proper young woman should do than anyone should ever have to hear. Whenever I was hospitalized they refused to come see me, said it was my fault in the first place, and that I didn't have to serve. When I went off to war they disowned me. They died when the village was destroyed. I feel horrible saying this but the Sandaime and Biwako have acted more like my parents than they ever did."

She felt Minato squeeze her hand again and looked up at Minato, his blue eyes were focused on her, and his voice was soft and kind as he spoke. "You shouldn't feel horrible, you helped protect the village. From what I read in the summary the Sandaime gave us, you helped save a lot of lives. If you hadn't become a shinobi, then a lot of people would have died, you wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't have the chance to save the future. You're doing exactly what you were meant to do Sakura."

She liked how he said her name.

They were quiet after that, as they finished eating. When they were done Sakura stood up and took both their plates over to the sink. She allowed the water to run and get hot as she turned back to get the serving dishes, and for the second time that day bumped into Minato. For a moment Sakura stared at him, he had a serving dish in each hand and he was staring back at her. Before she could register what she was doing she went up on her tip toes and kissed him.

She pulled back a second later, thoroughly embarrassed. She was in the middle of planning an escape when she heard dishes clink as they hit the counter top. Then she felt Minato's hands grip her upper arms. There was no hesitation as he spun her, cupped her face, and kissed her. And as Sakura kissed him back, she finally felt as though she were home.

Notes:

So . . . .yeah . . . progress. I feel like this is happening earlier than the first time I wrote this. However, I've also combined some chapters and expanded on other elements so I feel like things have evened out.

Mama bear Biwako might just be my aesthetic. Sakura needs an over protective mother and a nosy, loud family. This is the hill I'm willing to die on.

We get some background on Sakura finally. Personally, I love the found family trope.

I'm in the process of writing new chapters that were not included in the original writing of the story. They will only be available on AO3. Just wanted to make that clear. I'm really in love with those chapters because it's giving us so much more world building. It also gives Sakura further experince in being grounded in this new timeline.

The best part is that we get quite a bit of Minato's POV in these chapters as well!

Please leave a review. Let me know your favorite part. :)

Chapter 15

Sakura had never been a relationship. Yes, there had been her Sasuke fangirl phase, but they didn’t talk about that. He had left her on a bench, and she had booted him out of her heart as a result. After that point, she’d had no time for a relationship, nor had she had the desire for one.

She’d seen the way Tsunade had mourned Dan. She’d seen the way Kurenai had fallen apart when Asuma had died. She’d seen Shikamaru break down when Temari had been killed in the war. She’d had enough people to worry about, she hadn’t had the mental capablities for a romantic relationship on top of her friendships. Plus the war tended to keep people busy.

She had dated occasionally; mainly when they had returned home to Konoha or to another one of the villages for a short reprieve and Ino had insisted on going out for some well-deserved fun. The kisses that had stemmed from those few dates had been short and simple, and she had never really given them a second thought. This kiss however was different; it was warm, it was safe, and it made Sakura realize that she had never truly been kissed before.

She leaned into the kiss, and wrapped her arms around Minato's neck. She allowed her fingers to brush against the hair at the nape of his neck. It was surprisingly soft. Slowly, his hand traveled down from her face to her waist. His fingers bit into her hips as he pulled her closer.

Eventually they both needed air. They pulled apart with small pecks to each others’ lips as they both tried to catch their breath. She felt her face heat up at the realization of what had just happened. And despite having been called the bravest and best kunoichi of her generation, Sakura had no qualms about hiding her face in his chest.

She felt Minato’s chest vibrate with a chuckle as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. He then began running his fingers through her hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes until Minato placed a kiss
on the top of her head and asked, "What's going through your mind Sakura?"

Sakura turned her head so he could hear her, and quietly mumbled, "That you're warm. What about you?"

There was a moment of hesitation, before he finally said, "That you don't want the same thing I want."

Sakura noted that his voice seemed distant and then the night at the Straight Cougar, several months ago came flooding back. Tsume and Chikako had told her about Kushina.They had said no one knew why Minato and Kushina had broken up, only that things hand’t worked out.

She pulled back, but didn’t leave his arms. “Is that what happened between you and Kushina?”

He blinked a few times before he raised and eyebrow and asked, “Tsume?”

“Yep.”

He sighed, “She’s got to let it go. Kushina and I wanted different things. I wanted to get married, and have a family. She had no interest in either of those things. She loves being a kunoichi, and she was worried that a family would get in the way. She also didn’t like the idea of being married to a possible kage.

“I understood that. I was willing to give up the possibility of being Hokage, but I wasn’t willing to give up a chance at a family. In the end we decided to go our separate ways. Contrary to what Tsume believes she’s not dating the feudal lord’s son. She’s actually dating a civilian in the capital.”

“Do you talk often?”

“I get a letter every once in a while. They’re usually short.”

“Do you still love her?” The question was out of her mouth before she could stop it.

“No.” The answer was said firmly, then he expanded “Kushina was my first love. It’s something I don’t regret. However, we were both young. More often than not we clashed or argued about ridiculous things. There were a lot of good moments, but I don’t know if it would have worked out long term.”

She raised an eyebrow at that, “I have a bit of a temper too.”

He smiled at that, “You do. However, you can also take teasing, and you’re willing to take advice. You’re one of the kindest people I have ever met, you’re immensely talented as a kunoichi, and everytime you smile, I swear my heart skips a beat.” He kissed her again.

When they pulled back, she closed her eyes. Minato had opened himself up to her. He had been up front with her right away, he had told her what he was hoping for in the future. He was asking her if she wanted to take a chance on turning a friendship that had been steadily building and solidifying into something more.

Sakura could come up with a thousand reasons as to why she should not start a relationship with the man in front of her. However she could also nullify those reasons; the biggest of which was that she may change the timeline. That was the very reason she had been sent back in the first place. Her simply being in this time had changed things, and she saw no way that she could screw the future up any more than it had been when she had left. She looked up into Minato's eyes, and Obito's last words came back to her, "It's your future, make sure you live your life and do what you have to do."

Her decision was made. She had a job to do, she had to change the future, make it better; she also had to live her life. Minato knew her past and when she was from, he understood what she had to do, and he apparently still wanted to give a relationship with her a chance. She was thirty percent sure that he had to be a little crazy, but then again the best people in her life had never been fully there in the head.

Naruto had a freaking bijuu sealed inside him and ramen obsession that surpassed normal. Sasuke had had his entire family murdered and had been focused on revenge. Kakashi had lost everyone important to him, read erotica in public, stood for hours at a memorial stone every day, and was habitually late to everything. She could go on and on.

Either way, she had made her choice. She went up on her toes and kissed Konoha's Yellow Flash. She felt him smile into the kiss. Then she felt his arms tighten around her as he lifted her into the air and twirled her around one. She laughed and clung to him tighter.

When he sat her down, they rested their foreheads against each other, and Sakura was sure they were both smiling like loons. Her voice was soft. "We take things slow?"

Minato nodded a soft smile on his face. "Of course."

They stayed like that for a few minutes before the dishes called their name. The process, which should have taken five minutes, took over ten due to them stopping to kiss one another. When they were done, Minato led her to the couch and pulled her down. She laid half on top of him, as he pulled out The Tale of the Utterly Gusty Shinobi. He opened to the last page they read in the hospital, and started to read.

Occasionally one of them would kiss the other, but for the most part they stayed focused on the book. It was nice. They got through another chapter before it was time for her to head hom. It was already near ten o’clock.

She didn’t want to go, but she knew she had to. They didn't shunshin, and instead chose to walk. They spent the time processing their new decision together. Luckily the streets of Konoha provided the perfect backdrop for the activity. The streets were nearly bare, and Sakura realized that it was much later than she had originally thought and the only light came from street lamps and the moon. They were halfway home when a man came flying out of a bar.

Sakura blinked a few times, as several other men came streaming out of the bar and quite literally piled on top of him. She was about to interfere, when Minato grabbed her arm. He nodded towards several shinobi coming down the street.

Sakura watched as the military police force broke up the fight. Sakura didn’t have many memories about the police force. By the time she’d been put on a team with Sasuke, people talked about them with longing in their voices. Fugaku appeared a second later as the men were rounded up.

He nodded at them, no doubt he took note of Minato’s hand on Sakura’s arm. Minato didn’t seem bothered by it, “Long night?”

Fugaku let out a weary sigh, “We had several platoons return tonight. They went immediately to the bars. We’ve been breaking up fights all night. We’re already down a few men from last week, the night before several platoons set out. It’s been a long night. What are you two doing out?”

“We just finished dinner.”

A smirk came across Fugaku’s mouth, “Really? Mikoto will be happy to hear that.” He turned to Sakura and clarified, “My wife.”

Minato laughed, “She worries too much.”

“Try telling her that. I’ve got to go make sure everything is running smoothly, but thanks for giving me some good news to give Mikoto.”

They waved goodbye, and continued on their way, and if Minato’s arm settled around her shoulders as they walked, well neither of them said anything about that. They talked about non-consequential things and they reached the Hokage’s tower much too soon for Sakura’s liking. They said goodnight under the cover of the trees. And Sakura took advantage of the cover to kiss Minato long and deep.

She dashed into the tower, and up the stairs. The apartment was dark and she knew that everyone had already gone to bed. She left her shoes near the door and walked quietly to her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed still fully dressed and stared at the ceiling. She and Minato were dating. Somewhere in the universe, Sakura was sure Ino was squealing in delight.

Sakura finished out her week of rest under Biwako's careful observation. More than once Sakura couldn't help but think that her moth somehow already knew about her new relationship status with Minato. They hadn't seen each other since that night, which meant they had time to make plans for a date. But still, she felt as thought Biwako knew.

Two days before she was able to go back on duty, she received a note via toad from Minato. He had a mission and would be back in a week or two. It had made Sakura smile, knowing that he was already incorporating her into his life.

When she was finally able to get back to the hospital, she found that it was full to its brim with wounded shinobi, and sick civilians. The flu was making its way though the civilian population. That mean she was busier than ever. She ended up pulling a couple of twenty-four hour shifts and more often than not she was at the hospital for a minimum of twelve hours at a time. Her mother gained saint status in her eyes, for bringing her fresh clothes and homemade meals.

Most days she found herself working with Kato, who was fully capable of keeping everyone's spirits up with stories of Hana and her puppies, "So there they were with curtains surrounding them, and holes in the wall and all Tsume could do was stand there and gape with her mouth open. I on the other hand laughed. Luckily Hana and her dogs weren't hurt."

Sakura laughed, as she read over her next patients chart, "I am never baby-sitting for you guys."

Kato grinned, "Nah, Hana's three and in her mischief phase, she'll grow out of it soon enough."

Sakura nodded, "I agree, it's good to allow kids time to just be kids." Kato nodded and Sakura continued, "I have to head to the maternity ward and see a patient."

Kato grimaced, "Lucky, I've got to go see someone in the infectious disease ward."

Laughing, Sakura waved goodbye and made her way towards the maternity ward. She reviewed the chart as she went. She had to meet Anko after this patient to see how her medical training was going. She knocked twice on the door, and entered. And then froze as she watched her patient's eyes went wide,

It had been several months since that night out at the Straight Cougar. But Sakura remembered this woman, even from her slightly tipsy state; she was the woman that had been kissing Hiashi Hyūga, and it had been Hiashi Hyūga. Sakura had worked closely with the Hyūga several times during the war, had healed him and knew that he had a scar at the base of his neck, a scar he had been marked with to identify him as the first born. Obviously the woman recognized her as well.

She closed the door behind her and sat down across from the woman. She glanced at the chart one more time, to see no one marked as the father. Sakura gave a small smile before she began. She silently noted how the woman fidgeted before she asked, "You're not a kunoichi, are you Hyūga -san?"

The woman shook her head, and avoided Sakura's gaze, "You're around seven months along, and are very healthy. Your next appointment isn't supposed to be for a few more weeks, is everything alright?"

The woman sat up straight, and finally met Sakura's gaze. Her voice was firm and steady, "I've been having really bad backaches, and heartburn, as well as shortness of breath."

Sakura nodded, wrote everything down, closed the chart. "Is this your first child Hyūga -san?"

The woman nodded and Sakura continued, "All of these are common symptoms in your third trimester. Were there any other questions that you had?" The woman shook her head and Sakura nodded, "Make sure you see the receptionist on the way out, I've left a new prescription for some more prenatal vitamins, as well as something to help with heart burn. If you have any other concerns, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment Pregnancy is a scary thing, and I would rather be safe than sorry."

She smiled at the woman before she stood up, and made her way to the door way. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the woman caressed her bump, and smiled gently at it.

Sakura paused in the doorway, "Just so you know, if you need someone to talk to, my door is open." She received no response, but she hadn’t expected to. Sakura quickly left the room and began making her way towards the medical training room.

Anko was hard at work, and was working to heal the broken leg of a rabbit. Sakura said a quick hello, and received a mumbled reply before she sat down to watch the young girl work. She pointed out certain things out and gave tips here and there.

After an hour Anko had successfully healed the rabbit's leg, and Sakura gave a heartfelt congratulations. Sakura offered to help clean up to which Anko refused and instead chose to watch the girl as she did so before bringing her back to the Hokage's tower for dinner.

Minato had been gone for three weeks, which meant it had been over four weeks since the mission. In that time Anko had found a semi-permanent spot at the Sarutobi kitchen table when it came to dinner. This also meant that dinner was rarely a quiet affair as Anko and Akkiko almost always got into an argument of some sort, while Asuma played the part of instigator. And Sakura couldn't help but smile at it all, because this was what a true family was.

Notes:

First, this chapter is a little shorter than usual. Sorry about that, but I like where it ended. The scene of running into Fugaku had me cackling. I love the idea of Minato and his friends. Not going to lie.

So, I want to state, for the record, this isn't a will they or won't they story. Neither Sakura nor Minato will run from the relationship. It's happening. That being said, there will be tough moments. Sakura has a butt load of trauma that she isn't actively dealing with, and Minato knows that. He knows that's affecting her. So while there will be hurdles in their relationship, they're going to work through them together.

In other news, I have written two new, never before seen chapters for this story that happen before where I stopped last time. We're actually getting close to them, and I'm super excited about that. I feel like they're really allowing Sakura to develop and build those relationships outside of Minato. We get to see her grow, and I love that. They're also giving more of Minato's POV.

Please leave a comment and let me know your favorite part and what you think! Comments usually get me to post faster. . . just saying. LOL

Chapter 16

Sakura stared at the small toad in front of her as it held out a scroll with its tongue. Minato had been gone for a total of four weeks, and he had gotten back a week ago. However, she hadn't seen him yet. The hospital had been filled to the brim with patients. She’d barely left the building over the past week.

So, the little messenger was a welcome addition to her brief lunch break. She thanked the toad and unraveled the scroll. The hand writing was clear and concise, and asked if she was free for dinner on Thursday night. That was two days away, but she was overdue for a day off. She was fairly certain she could get the night off.

She was in the middle of trying to figure out who she could convince to take her shift when a a smug voice asked, “And what do we have here?”

She moved before she could stop herself; her fist swung and connected with Kato’s nose. He let out a howl of pain. Sakura’s eyes went wide, “I am so sorry!”

He glared at her. “Yu mn itch.” His words were mumbled thanks to his broken and bleeding nose, but she got the point.

She hopped over the bench and reached for his face. He let out another howl as she straightened the bone, and then her hand lit up with green chakra. He continued to glare at her until she was done.

“What the hell was that for?”

She grimaced, “You startled me.”

“Well duh, I was reading over your shoulder. I wasn't meant to be obvious.”

Now it was her turn to glare, “You’re a dick. You know that, right?”

“I’m also your best friend. Don’t give me that look, we both know it’s true. Which is why you breaking my nose is only the second most painful thing I’ve experienced today! How could you not tell me that you and . . .”

She tackled him before he could finish the sentence, “Shut your big mouth.”

Understanding lit his eyes, and then he licked her hand. She stifled the screech that wanted to come out, and instead pulled her hand back. She made a point of wiping it on Kato’s coat.

He smirked at her, “I have a three year old. That is NOT going to phase me.”

She rolled her eyes, “Don’t start.”

He shrugged, “So . . . am I to take this as you being in a secret relationship with Minato because you don’t have the blessing of your family?”

She snorted, “This isn’t some sort of drama. It’s just new, and we’re taking it slow. We haven’t even been on an official date yet.” She waved the note a little bit, “This will hopefully be our first one, if I can find someone to cover my shift Thursday.”

“I’ll do it.”

Sakura blinked a few times, “Kato, you don’t have to . . .”

“You’ve covered at least three of mine in the past two weeks, just because Hana wanted me there to check for enemy shinobi under her bed at night. The least I can do is cover a shift for you, so that two of my best friends can go on a date, fall madly in love, get married, and have kids so our children can be best friends too. But hey, no pressure or anything.”

She launched herself at Kato and he caught her in a hug before she pulled away to write a response. She jotted down I’ll see you then, handed the scroll back to the toad, and watched it disappear with a pop. Kato gave her a thumbs up before he left her on her own.

Her lunch forgotten she laid down in the grass and stared at the rustling leaves. She hadn’t been away from the hospital for more than ten hours at a time in weeks. It seemed that for each person she healed, there were always two more waiting to take their place. She was exhausted; something that seemed to worry her mother to no end, but she hadn't said anything.

Her mother knew a war was going on; she had fought in one of her own, so she wouldn't say anything. She would, however, continue to force food on her father and herself until she was satisfied that they at least weren't starving. Asuma and Akkiko were back in the field now, which was another constant worry for not only her parents but herself as well. She hadn’t even had time to train lately and that bummed her out to no end. When her break was over, she pulled herself out of her thoughts, and forced herself back to the hospital.

The two days that led up to her date flew by thanks to two ANBU teams that came in under critical condition. In fact, by the time they were stable she only had an hour left to get ready. It was Kato who literally pushed her out of the hospital while he mumbled about his master plan.

It wasn’t her fault. She had been ready to leave an hour ago, but Kana, the Administrator, had cornered her to ask her several necessary follow up questions. In the months since she had healed Jiraiya, Kana had come to accept her in her own stern way. Sakura doubted they'd ever be friends, they were simply to different in their ways of thinking, but that was fine; they could work together and get the job done.

She ran into the house and ignored her mother's questioning glances. She showered, applied some light make up, and slipped into a casual dress. She then slipped by her parents who were talking and giggling in the kitchen before making a mad dash out of the tower.

It took her ten minutes to get to the training grounds, their designated meeting spot, and she was fifteen minutes late. Still Minato was there, book in hand, as he sat on top of one of the posts. She couldn't help the small flutter of butterflies in her belly at the sight of him. He marked his page, and she noted it was a different book than the one they read together, before he slipped it into his back pouch. He smiled at her.

"Sorry I'm late."

Minato jumped off the post and moved towards her. He wrapped her in a hug she couldn't help but melt into. It was then that she realized, it was natural for them. When one of them made a move the other responded automatically. She felt at home in his arms, and that was a feeling she hadn't had in years; not even when she and team seven had been reunited during the war.

His voice washed over her and she felt herself relax at the realization, "It's okay; we're on a loose schedule tonight. I know the hospital's been rather busy."

Sakura had just enough time to nod before she felt the now familiar tug, and they appeared on top of Hokage Mountain. It took her a second to push the nausea away before she looked out over the village. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky looked beautiful. It was a mixture of yellows, red, and purples.

She leaned back into Minato’s chest. He whispered in her ear, “I remembered that this is one of your favorite places in the village. So I thought we could start our date here.” He gently turned her back towards the trees where a blanket and picnic basket were waiting. "I figured there was a chance your shift could run late, so dinner reservations would have been a bad idea. I thought a picnic would be a good idea instead. It provides us with more privacy too.”

This was dangerous. This was only their first official date and Sakura was already head over heels for this man. She imagined it would be hard not to be. She wasn’t blind and she wasn’t deaf. She’d seen the looks Minato had gathered from men and women around the village. However it wasn’t even about how Minato looked. He had consistently tried to make her comfortable and make sure her boundaries weren’t pushed. He cared about her.

“I made bento so we wouldn't have to worry about the food getting cold. We can talk for a while if you want?”

“That would be nice. I’ve missed you.”

He beamed at that and kissed her forehead, “It makes me happy to hear that. I missed you too.”

They sat down and she asked a question that had been burning in her since that night at the BBQ, "Where did you learn to cook?"

He paused for a moment to consider his words, "My parents were farmers; they were killed during an attack on the village when I was four. After that I was sent to live with my mother's parents who were merchants. They're the ones that raised me, and let me enroll in the academy.

“Around the time I turned seven, my grandmother broke her leg and couldn't move around the kitchen, so instead she would tell me what to do and I did the cooking instead. I caught on quick. Even after she got better I still did most of the cooking. When I started going away for missions I always made sure to have frozen dinners ready. I still really enjoy cooking, even now; it's a good memory of my grandmother."

"What happened to them?"

Minato smiled, "They're still in the village, and I still take meals to them every once in a while, because my grandmother insists that she's fine to cook. They're healthy, and happy, and that's what counts. Of course neither of them runs the store in town anymore, my mother's brother does that now, but they still go out a lot."

Sakura smiled, "They sound nice."

"They were definitely a love match. If the stories my uncle tells have any truth, apparently their parents didn't approve of the match, so they fled and eloped to Konoha. How much of that is true I'm not really sure, personally I like that story.

“What I am sure of is that they built what they had from the ground up. They accomplished their dreams, and I really admire them for it. However, like you, I’m the only shinobi in a family of civilians.”

Sakura pulled her legs to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and rested her head on top of her knees. She enjoyed seeing Minato like this; free, and almost childlike, "And what's your dream Minato?"

He didn't even hesitate, "To become Hokage. I know it’s a dream that most shinobi hold, but it’s something I really want. I want to protect this village, and the people who live here."

"I think that's a very admirable dream, and one you are more than capable of accomplishing."

Minato scooted over to her, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and tucked her into his side, "Speaking from knowledge?"

She grinned impishly, "You'll find out."

He laughed before he swooped down and kissed her. His lips were slightly chapped, something that usually happened after missions, but she didn’t care. He was home and he was safe and that’s all she cared about.

When he pulled back, he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, "I can live with that. After all, what fun is life if there aren't some pleasant surprises along the way?" Sakura just laughed. They laid there and talked for at least an hour before they finally ate.

The bento was amazing. They ate while trading stories about their time in the academy. Sakura included some of the best Naruto antidotes she had, everything from painting the monument to painting himself for his file picture. Minato told her about his friendships with some of the other jounin she had known in her time.

Fugaku was a rather close friend of his. They had been teamed up on a mission when they were gennin, they had worked well together, and from there they’d found themselves paired together more often. Their friendship had developed as a result of that.

He was also close with Shikkaku. They enjoyed playing shogi and go together. More than once in the academy they had been paired up for exercises and had gotten along well. The rest of the InoShikaCho trio had invited Minato into their friendship as well.

Then there was Tsume. They had met when they were young. The Inuzuka’s had come into his grandparents store all the time and Tsume had always been with her father. She had apparently chosen Minato as one of her best friends and that hadn’t changed with age. They’d sat next to each other at the academy, and he had been part of the wedding ceremony when she married Kato. He was also Hana’s godfather, something the clan had pushed back on. However, Tsume AND Kato had overruled them.

It was nice, exchanging stories like this. It felt normal, and very few things in her life were actually normal. After awhile an easy silence settled inbetween them, and they laid there and watched the stars. The sky was filled with them.

Eventually she closed her eyes and focused on the sounds around them; Minato’s breathing stood out the most, followed by the call of an owl and some cicadas. She opened her eyes when a hand ran across her stomach. She cracked an eye open, and smiled as Minato raised an eyebrow at her. She gave a quick nod, and allowed him to pull her to him.

He kissed her, and she kissed back. He fingers wound their way into his hair, and she kept him anchored to her. That was fine by him. His fingers skimmed her sides, before they reached where skin met her dress. Despite the slight chill in the air, his hands were warm. They stayed like that for a while, neither of them were willing to leave.

By the time Sakura snuck into the house, it was well past midnight. Despite the fact that she hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep in over a month, Sakura wasn’t tired. She was too busy replaying the night to be tire.
She woke up early. She had a shift at six, and her mother would be up early to make breakfast. Right now Sakura needed to avoid her. She wasn’t ready to face her mother’s inquisition just yet. So, she put some clean clothes in a bag and did her best to sneak out of the house.

She was just opening the front door when a gravelly voice said, “You got home late last night.”

Sakura winced, and turned to face her father. He was still in his pajamas, and man was that a weird sight.

“I was out with a friend.”

He raised an eyebrow at that, “Anyone I know?”

“Maybe.” That was a stupid answer. Sakura had no doubt the ANBU guard around the tower would fille her father in on exactly who walked her home last night.

“I’d like an introduction eventually Kura.”
She smiled at the nickname. The Sandaime was the only one who called her Kura. It was his nickname for her. “I will. I promise. It’s just . . . new right now.”

He smiled, “Enjoy the newness.”

. . .

The hospital was surpisngly quiet when she got to work. It was so quiet in fact that Kato was manning the front desk. His feet were propped up on the furniture and he had a magazine in his hand.

His eyes lit up when he saw her, “Well, how’d it go?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes. I really would. That’s why I asked, and why I took your shift. Well that and because you usually get the best cases, but it’s been pretty quiet.”

Sakura froze and turned to look at Kato in horror. She saw as the realization crossed his face. You never said a hospital was quiet, it was beyond bad luck. He didn’t even have time to finish his curse before the doors slammed open, and the wounded were rushed in.

Eighteen hours later Sakura was lying on the couch and in the staff lounge half dead, and Kato was curled up on the floor in a ball. More than one nurse had heard his statement, and the news had spread like wildfire. He’d gotten more than a few glares today, and Sakura was only responsible for a third of them.

“You don’t really hate me do you?”

“If I could move I would kill you.”

Kato barked out a laugh, “Will you at least tell me how things went last night before you kill me?”

She smiled at her friend, “They went really well. He took so much into account, and it was perfect.”

“Awww, that’s so . . .” He was cut off before he could finish.

“All doctors to the emergency room. All doctors to the emergency room. A fresh wave of wounded have just arrived.”

“OH COME ON!”

. . .

Minato was more than a little familiar with the military police headquarters. He’d met Fugaku here more than a few times over the years. Sometimes it was just to say hi, and other times it was to meet up for a meal.
He found his friend in his office buried under a stack of paperwork. Fugaku didn’t even look up, “Be warned, if the paperwork is this bad being police chief, then I don’t want to imagine what it will be like when you’re Hokage.”

Minato took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, “I’m not Hokage. And I’m fairly certain the Sandaime isn’t close to retiring.”

His friend snorted, “I’ve heard differently. I hear the Sandaime wants to enjoy his golden years. I hear it’s a close race between you and Orochimaru. Although I hear Danzo tried to put his name in the ring. He got turned down immediately.”

Minato frowned. It was no secret that he wasn’t a fan of Danzo. The man was full of secrets and a desire for power. It was time for the man to retire . . . or maybe die. He was fine with either, and he knew Fugaku felt the same way. His friend hated Danzo more than Minato did, “Small blessings I suppose.”

“How did the date go?”

A smile came back to his face, “It went great! We were out there for hours. We told stories from our childhoods, and looked at stars, and it was easy. Simple.”

“Like you’ve been doing it your entire life?”

“Yeah. Exactly like that.”

Fugaku smiled, “That’s how it was with Mikoto.”

“Didn’t she punch you when you asked her out?”

“The Uchiha have a different definition of simple.”

“That actually explains a lot.”

. . .

Sakura stared at the vegetables in front of her, and attempted to block out the yelling match happening beside her. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Asuma said something to edge Anko on, which forced Akkiko to respond . . . loudly. Without another thought, she left her siblings in front of the vegetables and walked away to finish gathering the rest of the ingredients for dinner.

She moved down the aisle, cursed her shortness, and glared at the box of baking powder on the top shelf. She was two seconds away from climbing the shelf when she felt her personal space be invaded, as a masculine chest pressed against her back. She watched as a hand reached over her head and plucked the box of baking powder of the shelf, only to dangle it in front of her face.

Angered at not only having her personal space invaded, but the fact that some stranger had to get the baking powder for her, she spun on her heel ready to yell, but stopped when she met blue eyes. Her anger melted away, and she smiled at the man holding the box. "You are so lucky that you're you."

Minato smiled down at her, and placed the box in her basket. "I am?"

It had been six days since their last date. In that time her brothers had returned from their missions, Anko had accomplished the next step in her medical training, Minato had been given a short three day mission with his team, and she and Kato had been given an office to share; which meant she hadn't seen Minato once in the past six days.

Sakura smiled, "I thought you were some drunk," she pinched her thumb and forefinger together, "I was this close to castrating you."

Minato's smile slipped into a small frown, "You didn't recognize my chakra signature?"

"I just finished a thirty-two hour shift at the hospital, I'm pretty much drained. We had a huge wave of wounded come through, I was lucky to catch three hours of sleep. I'd probably still be there if mom hadn't sent the kids to drag me out."

"And the shopping?"

"Things that are needed for dinner tonight, the kids were supposed to do it on the way there, but they engaged in their all-time favorite pastime of forgetting. So here we are." They stared at each other for a moment, before she quickly moved forward to press a kiss to Minato's lips. A moment later his arms encircled her waist, as her arms moved to wrap around his neck; basket and all.

She was relieved that he was home and he was safe. Despite how busy she had been, she’d still found time to worry about him. Kato had teased her about it endlessly, but that hadn’t stopped him from getting Minato’s file picture, framing it, and putting it on her desk in their shared office. It had been a sweet gesture. And while the picture was nice, the real thing was much better.

Maybe that’s why it only occurred to her, that she was making out with her, not yet public knowledge boyfriend, in the middle of the grocery store when she heard three separate gasps. She felt Minato smile into their kiss before they pulled apart. Minato turned to greet her brothers and Anko which gave her a perfect shot of their flabergasted faces.

"Akkiko, Anko, Asuma how are you?"

There was silence for a moment before Asuma said, "You were kissing my sister."

She pulled her head away from Minato's shoulder, and went on her tiptoes to glare at her youngest brother, "Asuma." His name came out as a threat.

Akkiko came out of it next, and an evil grin took over his face, "Do mom and dad know?"

"I don't know, do they know about your makeout session with the chunnin on team two?"

Akkiko's eyes went wide for a moment before they narrowed, "That’s playing dirty."

"I'm a ninja, it's allowed. Now go finish your half of the shopping and I'll meet you at check out in ten minutes." Neither boy moved until Anko grabbed the backs of their shirts and pulled them away with a, "Congrats sempai," thrown over her shoulder.

Once the trio was gone, Minato pulled her in for another hug, "Our secret romance has to be the shortest ever. You’d think we would be better at it considering our careers."

Sakura looked up at him, "It's been almost five weeks."

"I've been out of the village for most of those five of those weeks."

She shrugged, "I'm counting it."

"Then I suppose we're not quite so pathetic after all. Anyways I wanted to ask if you wanted to go out tomorrow night."

She stepped out of arms and picked up her dropped basket. Luckily it had landed upright and nothing was damaged. She quickly went over her schedule in her mind, "I can't tomorrow night, I have a staff meeting at the hospital, but the next night is good."

"That would work."

"Where do you want to meet?"

"The usual place, 7 o'clock?"

"I'll see you then, I've got to go reign in my siblings."

Minato smiled in goodbye and then he was gone. She made her way to the checkout line and met up with the trio. They all stared at her expectantly.

"I'm not telling you anything; I suggest you make peace with it now. I also suggest that you don't tell mom and dad. I'll tell them when I'm ready." Without another word she paid for their items and made her way home. The trio glared at her back the entire way.

Her parents were both home when their group trudged in. The glares still hadn’t stopped, and she was sure her mother noticed. Her father was hidden by his newspaper.

Anko helped in the kitchen while Sakura was banished to set the table. That was fine with her, she knew she couldn't cook, and she had no desire to go through another round of teasing becuase of it. Her mother bustled around the house the entire time of course, and Sakura listened as she relayed the latest village gossip to her father, who would simply nod or comment at the appropriate times while reading his newspaper.

Sakura sat at her usual place and helped settle the food on the table. Slowly everyone started eating. Dinner moved slowly, and it was completely quiet; which was a problem. The Sarutobi dinner table was usually filled with talking or arguing or at the very least a lecture from her father.

The fact that none of this was happening and all the kids were staring at her, was a dead giveaway that something was up. If she had to guess, she had less than sixty seconds before her mother started questioning everyone. There was also the small little fact that her father had set his paper down to study the quiet table. She stared at the three young shinobi, and she couldn't help but hope that their poker faces were better on missions.

"Enough of this, what's going on?" Her mother's voice washed over her and Sakura stayed focused on her food. After several moments of silence, Biwako said, "Asuma Sarutobi." She was going after the weak link. Sakura watched her youngest brother flinch, out of the corner of her eye. "You will tell me what's going on right now, or I'll make sure you do nothing but D-rank missions from here on out."

Asuma paled a visible degree before he opened his mouth and sung like a canary. "Sakura's dating Minato! We saw her kissing him in the grocery store today, and then they talked for about ten more minutes, but I don't know what they said, she sent us away."

Sakura felt her parent's eyes focus on her, and she quickly began contemplating ways to become an only child.

Notes:

Do I love this chapter? Yes. Yes I do. Let's get into why I love this chapter. The first reason is simple. Minato really puts thought into what Sakura would want and where she would feel comfortable. He want's to make sure she is okay. He knows she's gone through a lot. So where has said she feels safest? Hokage mountain! I also love that it's just the two of them.

Let's talk about best friend Kato. He is adorable. He is a big puppy. He would do anything for his friends and I am here for it! I also love that he wants their kids to be best friends. It's just cute.

Let's talk about another best friend, Fugaku. I love the idea of his and Minato's friendship. I love the idea of him being this warm and caring man. In the original story line, I imagine Minato's death and the village turning on him would have changed this. So yeah, happy Fugaku is my also favorite.

Ahhhh Asuma spilled the beans. Biwako knows what she's doing.

Hiruzen being a doting girl dad with a nickname for her makes me smile.

Remember those one or two extra chapters? Yeah there's four of those now. It's their own arch. Why do I do this to myself?

That is all.

Leave a review and let me know what you think! A lot of the time reviews get me to post quicker, just saying.

Chapter 17

If looks could kill, Sakura’s brothers would have been dead three seconds before Asuma had opened his mouth. Then she caught her mother’s eye, and every fiber of her being screamed at her to run. Her mother's mouth opened, most likely to begin a line of questioning that would have made Ibiki proud, when an ANBU operative appeared next to her father.

The entire room came to stop, and Sakura watched as a scroll was passed from the ANBU to her father. The agent was gone a second later, and her father disappeared into his office. The room remained quiet as her everyone focused on the office door.

ANBU never meant anything good. They were used to do the village’s dirty work; the least desirable and most dangerous missions. While many had seen ANBU as rank worthy of praise, Sakura had stayed far away from it.

However, this was an interesting situation. An ANBU agent had never appeared in the middle of their living room before. It had always been regular messengers. They came at all times of the day and even in the middle of the night. She had even learned to sleep through it during her first month. So, for an ANBU agent to appear in the middle of the Hokage's home, during dinner, something everyone knew was sacred to the Hokage, meant that something major had happened.

Her father returned, what seemed like an eternity later, dressed in his formal robes. Sakura felt his chakra flare and a new ANBU appeared. "Get Minato Namikaze; have him report to my office. Immediately." Her father's attention then turned to her, "Sakura come with me."

She pushed away from the table and followed her father out of the house. She didn’t even bother with her shoes. Their pace was quick, and they made it to his office in record time. Minato was already there, and so were the elders.

They parted for their Hokage, and allowed him to enter first. Their small group followed behind him. He took a seat behind the desk, while the elders spread to the couches on either side of the room. She and Minato stood at attention in the center.

There were no pleasantries simply facts. "Scouts have found an opening for a small team to make their way through Kusagakure and take out Kannabi Bridge." Sakura did her best to not go stiff. She knew this mission. It had been taught to her at the Academy, but she had also heard Kakashi's first hand report.

Shortly after finding out that Obito was alive; Kakashi had spent a night drinking all the feeling out of his body. He had always been a fairly lucid drunk, and as a result he had told her of the last time he had seen his old teammate. She had held him while he cried that night, a favor that he would return more than once until he had died.

This was the first step in changing the future; she had to make sure that Obito came out of everything alive, and not in the clutches of an old and demented Madara Uchiha. From there she would have to find out where the evil old coot was hiding and kill him. That was step one. Her eyes drifted to the elders, she kept her posture unassuming, and formal; she couldn't give anything away. She glanced quickly at Danzo. He would be another step. More than likely, one she would have to take care of sooner rather than later. That was for another time.

"Minato Namikaze, you and your team, accompanied by Sakura Sarutobi will ensure the destruction of this bridge. It's Iwagakure's main route for supplies and soldiers, and if we're able to take it out, it will be a step towards Konoha winning the war. You are to gather your team and leave first thing in the morning."

Over the next several hours she and Minato listened as the mission particulars were set before them: the number of enemies, the two separate missions before them, and what Konoha would face if they failed. Minato took the mission scroll and the map the Sandaime handed him before they both gave their consent and left the office.

She closed the door silently behind them, and they shared a quick look. Then, Minato vanished before her eyes. She took a deep breath, and slowly began to stuff down her emotions. She needed to focus on the task at hand.
Her mother was sitting at the table waiting for her. Her brothers and the dinner were long gone. She took a moment to stare at her mother and watched as the woman came around the table and hugged her. Though Sakura was several inches taller than her, the woman had a commanding presence, one that forced people to listen to her.

She let Sakura go, and then took her face in her hands,"You are to come home safely, and don't think for a second that we will not be talking about your new relationship the moment you get home."

Sakura smiled, “Yes ma’am.”

She was halfway done packing when she felt her father's chakra flare. A moment later he was in her room, and a seal spread over the door and secured the room. "You know the details of this mission, of what is supposed to happen."

Sakura turned to face the man, not as her father, but as her Hokage. "You read Inoichi's report, Kakashi told me about this mission in detail. This is step one in fixing things."

"Minato doesn't know what you know," Sakura nodded and the Sandaime continued, "He can't know Sakura. Even if it effects his team. I need him focused on what he does know. You’ll need to take care of the other part."

"He knows how I came here, and he understands that I can't talk about from when I'm from. He's accepted that, we discussed it before we even started dating."

"Minato is very patient, he's good at compartmentalizing, its' one of the things that makes him such an excellent shinobi."

"So I've seen."

"But I've seen what happens when he truly loves someone. The boy gives his whole heart to everything he does; his life as a shinobi, the love and care of his grandparents, and his previous love of Kushina.

“A lot of eyes were on that relationship, Minato is characterized as a prodigy, one that comes along once in a generation. He was trained by Jiraiya, a legendary Sannin, and there is a flee on sight order by the entire nation of Iwagakure. He's gained a lot of enemies as well. Everyone knew when his relationship ended and how it ended. Minato withdrew into his work and into his team after it ended. I need you to understand what you’re getting into."

Sakura hesitated, as fear swirled briefly inside her. Minato had laid out his end goal for her before they had truly started dating. She was free to call things off at any time, but she wanted the same things, even if they were a little scary. But still, she didn’t need the entire village in her business, "Its' also only been two dates."

Her father nodded, "I know."

Sakura raised an eyebrow in question, and watched as a small smile spread over her father's face, "I knew straight away. You're an excellent kunoichi Sakura, but I'm called the professor for a reason."

She smiled, "And you didn't tell mom?"

"I figured you deserved a chance to at least get the relationship started before your mother started questioning and analyzing every aspect of it."

"The secret didn't last long."

"There's no such thing as a personal secret in a hidden shinobi village." Her father paused for a moment before taking on his serious persona again, "Sakura, you need to know, Minato wouldn't start anything if he didn't feel as though there was a chance for a future. Minato gives . . ."

". . . his whole heart to whatever he does." Sakura finished

"It is his best and worst attribute, all at the same time."

“I know. Someone from my previous life was very similar in that regard.”

Her father released the seal around the room. "Be safe." Sakura nodded and watched him leave, before she returned to her packing.

Sakura double checked her pack to make sure she had everything she needed before she closed it and slung it over her shoulder. The team been given until dawn before they had to leave. Minato's team needed to be fully rested and prepared for the mission ahead of them. Sakura, however, knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep; she'd be up all night contemplating strategies, and coming up with ways to save Obito while allowing Kakashi the opportunity to grow as a person. He needed to evolve into a person that saw past the rules and valued his teammates.

The more she thought, the more tension settled in her body. That was never good. Too much thinking or too much tension meant mistakes. She needed to get rid of it now. She slipped out of her room and threw a glance at her parents' bedroom. The light was on, and she could hear the whispers of their conversation. They were discussing her relationship with Minato. Her mother was all for it, and her father was trying to stop her from planning the wedding.

She slipped out the door and closed it silently behind her.

The night air was cold and it did something to ease her nerves. On instinct, she headed to the training grounds. It was familiar, and held a little bit of her past. She wasn't surprised at all to find Minato there. He was lying on the ground, and staring up at the sky.

Sakura didn't say anything. She simply laid down next to him. Neither of them said anything for a long time. Instead they chose to look at the stars and cherish the feeling of home that Konoha provided. Her nerves seemed to settle in Minato's presence, and much to her surprise her eyes began to droop. She did her best to fight sleep, until she felt Minato grab her hand, “Sleep Sakura. You’re safe.” That was what cinched it for her.

When she woke, she immediately noticed that her surroundings were different. She was in a small wooden building. There were kunai and seals everywhere, and she was laying on top of Minato.

His hand was moving up and down her back. Occasionally, his fingers would stop and play with the ends of her hair. “You awake?”

His voice was a little gravelly. He must have gotten some sleep too. She hmmed, but didn’t lift her head from his chest. “Where are we?”

“One of my safe houses. We’re still in the village.”

She propped her chin up so she could look at him, “You have more than one safe house?”

“I like to be prepared.”

She stifled a laugh, “How did you get me here? I’m a light sleeper.”

Minato snorted, “You didn’t stir once; not when I picked you up, not when I ran here, and not when I set you down in the bed. You are anything but a light sleeper Sa-ku-ra.”

She blinked a few times as she tried to process that. She had literally gone days without sleep because of the noise from the war. Even if Kakashi or Naruto had been nearby, she’d still wake up multiple times. It was a problem for another time.

“When do we need to leave?”

He smiled, “That depends. If you’re willing to use hirashin, we have time for a full chapter, if you want to run, we have time for about three pages.”

She debated for a minute before she gave in, “A full chapter would be nice.”

He laughed and pulled the book out. They read silently, curled up on the bed together. It was nice, and peaceful, and completely contradicted what they were about to do.

When it was time to go Minato handed her pack to her, before he shouldered his own. Then he stared at her for a second before he swooped down and kissed her. It made her toes curl in delight. When he pulled back he whispered, “For luck,” and then she felt that pull.

They landed on the outskirts of Konoha, on top of a rather large rock. She briefly wondered how many seals he had stashed around the village before she looked around. The area was mainly grass with another large rock that sat a little to the North. The sun had just started to rise. Pinks, purples, and yellows filled the sky.

She turned and found Minato watching her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his encircled her waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Several minutes of comfortable silence went by before Minato's voice washed over her, "I know something's going to happen.” Sakura had to force her body to stay relaxed. She couldn’t confirm his suspicions, she was under orders.

"I know that you can't tell me." she focused on her breathing, and kept it steady and even, "So, instead, I'm just going to ask you to stay safe."

Those last words made her pause. She hadn't expected that. Some tiny bit of her had expected him to demand the details so that he cold plan, so that he could protect his team and complete the mission. Instead he was trusting her.

That made the butterflies flit around in her stomach. Despite being perfectly capable, Kakashi and Naruto had had a horrible habit of keeping her on the defense. They hadn’t wnated her to get hurt. She hadn’t wanted them to get hurt either, but she had trusted them to take care of themselves. While they hadn’t seen it as not trusting her, they had always wanted to protect her, and that had irked her.

Minato was trusting her. He was trusting her to complete her mission and to stay safe while doing so. He was sacrificing the plan he wanted for the plan he could have, and that meant a lot to Sakura.

She took his hand and squeezed it once. He squeezed her’s back, and they proceeded to wait for the team.

Sakura sensed Kakashi long befor he appeared. When greeted them with a salute, and then leaned against the rock. She studied the chunnin out of the corner of her eye.. He had that eternally bored and superior look in his eyes. It was the same look Sasuke used to wear. It made her want to slap him. She just barely resisted.

Rin arrived next. She greeted her sensei first, and then with a mild look of surprise, Sakura. After that, her attention was on Kakashi. Sakura watched as Rin tried to coax him into conversation, but he was stubborn. The millions of jokes Kakashi had made at Sasuke’s expense came flooding back; he was such a hypocrite.

She glanced at Minato to guage his reaction at the two teenagers. He crossed his eyes and then looked heavenward in exasperation. Yeah . . . that about summed it up.

Then she caught Rin’s eye. The girl was looking at her in a way that screamed; help! Sakura hadn’t been good at having a love life when she was teenager. There was no way in hell she was going to try and help anyone elses teenage infatuation. She gave Rin an apologetic smile. Her heart twisted a little bit when the young girl slumped.

It was another hour and a half before the final member of their team came tearing out of the trees. Sakura listened as Obito gave some excuse and Kakashi called him on it, and she had to fight a snort at the irony of Kakshi Hatake calling anyone out for being late. Her would be sensei might just be the biggest hypocrite she knew.

Minato defused the tension quickly and a few minutes later Kakashi announced it was a special day for himself. That was when Sakura really started to pay attention. She listened as Rin explained to Obito that this would be Kakashi's first mission as a jounin.

A bit of Sakura's heart broke at that. He had never told her that this mission had been his first mission as a jounin. To have a teammate die on your first mission as a jounin, at such a young age, would have had a bigger impact than she had originally imagined. Suddenly the way he had always been late, the crazy excuses he had given, and the hours he spent by the memorial all made sense. It had been his way of grieving and keeping his teammates memory alive.

A minute later Minato called an end to the conversation as he jumped off the rock. Sakura followed him and they all began making their way towards Kusa. It was less than a day's journey to the boarder Konoha and Kusa shared, and Minato would explain the details right before they reached the border.

The journey took several hours, but to be fair they weren’t rushing. Sakura watched as Obito attempted to flirt with Rin. He was terribly awkward, and Sakura felt bad for him. The worst part was that Rin wasn’t oblivious to what Obito was doing. She knew he liked her, she just didn’t feel the same way, and she couldn’t be faulted for that. She was infatuated with Kakashi.

As for the mini jounin, he was no more oblivious than Rin was to Obito. He knew Rin liked him. He just didn’t like her. He was solely focused on his career.

As the kids pulled further ahead Sakura moved closer to Minato, “This is painful to watch.”

He gave a sheepish laugh, “They’re teenagers. With the exception of Kakashi, their hormones are running wild.”

“What about when you were their age? Were you in love with Kushina?”

He contemplated his answer for a second, “Yes and no. She terrified me. I thought she was brilliant, but she had a temper. We didn’t get close until we fought off a Kumo contingent that was trying to kidnap her. What about you?”

Sakura sighed, “I was a brat. I was so in love with the wrong boy it’s cringe worthy. I lucked out however, the boy who was in love with me became my family and my best friend.”

Minato smiled, “We all have things we hate about our past. We’ve all had those bratty moments. The good news is, if we mature correctly we grow out of it.”

“Shishou kind of beat the brat out of me.”

Minato laughed at that, and drew the attention of the kids. He waved them off, but that didn’t stop the curious looks they kept getting.

Sakura simply observed for the rest of the trip. Obito and Kakashi liked to bicker. Rin tried to keep the peace. Occasionally, Minato would chime in with some words of wisdom or advice. Sakura, however, didn’t say much to the kids.

She wasn’t sure how to interact with them. In fact, it was painful. This Kakashi, and her Kakashi were two very different people. This boy was arrogant and too self assured. There was no caution there. She hadn’t been through hell and back with the young boy on this team.

The Obito she knew was evil. He’d been driven mad by Rin’s death. He’d gone crazy enough to unleash Kurama and kill his sensei in the process. He’d also killed several of her friends. The boy in front of her liked to laugh, and help people.

She didn’t know Rin. She knew the girl was an aspiring medic. She knew she had skills. However, she was young and foolish as well.

At first glance, Team 7 would appear to be a copy of this team, but Sakura saw the differences. Sasuke and Kakashi had both lost everyone they loved; but where Sasuke had sought revenge, Kakashi had sought to protect. Where Obito appeared care free and energetic like Naruto, he lacked her friend’s resolve. And while Rin was a medic like Sakura, she lacked the ability to stand up for herself. They were surface observations, but Sakura was fairly confident with them.

When they reached the boarder of Kusa and Konoha, Minato called a halt to their movements and everyone gathered around the map.

“This bridge is the main and most direct way to get supplies into Iwa. In this war it’s a top priority to guard. However, there’s a lack of defense once evey four months when the guard of the bridge is changed out.

“We found out that instead of staying until their relief comes 50 % of the previous guards leave a day early in order to get home earlier. This significantly weakens their defense, and we’re going to weaken it even further.

“Sakura and I will be launching an attack against a platoon about fifty miles to the north of here. There’s a decimated amount of our shinobi against several large platoons of Iwa shinobi. We’ve let it slip through the channels that backup is on it’s way. It’s our hope that this will draw in the rest of the guard around the bridge.

“While Sakura and I are taking care of that, the three of you will head to the bridge. Once there you are to attach the explosives in this scroll and destroy the bridge. You are to eliminate any enemies you come across during the mission. This is a one time chance. If we attack the bridge and fail after this, they’ll know what our strategy is. We won’t get another chance.”

Minato paused and let the words sink in. While the kids all took on grave expressions and nodded in understanding, Sakura felt the panic bubble up inside her. She needed to be with the kids. In order to keep Obito alive, allow Kakashi to grow, and get a feeling on Madara, she needed to be with the kids.

She felt Minato’s hand wrap around her wrist. He never stopped talking, but he applied the slightest bit of pressure. It was his way of letting her know they’d speak soon. It didn’t go unnoticed by the children.

Notes:

. . . Yeah . . . we're starting THAT arc. This is where some major changes start happening; not just in the plot but from the original writing of this story. I feel like this chapter was a real starting point for that. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Chapter 18

Notes:

Warnings: There is some fairly graphic fighting in the chapter. The use of fire chakra against enemies is not pleasant. I don’t think anything is too graphic, but I wanted to give a heads up.

Sakura waited for Minato to finish. Every fiber of her being wanted to argue with him. She wanted to explain, in detail, why she HAD to go with the kids. She didn’t though. She had orders, and she couldn’t tell Minato what would happen.

When he was done, the kids retreated a short distance away. Minato lowered his voice, and turned towards her, "Think very carefully about what you're going to say Sakura. I know you know what's going to happen, and I know you can’t tell me. I have to plan according to what I know. I need you with me. You have to figure out how to work within that. If you have a suggestion I'm willing to listen."

Sakura felt as though her heart was going to explode out of her chest. She closed her eyes and started to think. In order for the kids to have their best chance at destroying the bridge she and Minato needed to make a distraction. The kids also had to go through some trauma. She hated that, but it was true. In order for the three of them to grow, they needed this experience as a team.

However, she also had to stop things before they went too far. The problem was, they were kids. In the eyes of the law, in the eyes of shinobi, they were considered adults. Sakura knew the truth though. Their brains weren’t fully developed, and neither were their emotions or bodies. They were stubborn, and set in their ways, and only experiences changed that.

Even if Minato gave them a kunai to summon him to them, they most likely wouldn’t use it. They’d be too proud or too stubborn. They would try to handle things on their own. They would try to prove themselves, and that would end up with Obito turning into a super villain. No, they needed someone or something to make that decision for them.

Years of making split second decisions helped her to come up with ideas and then eliminate them. She was a planner, a paper ninja. This is what she did best. She took a deep breath, and relayed the best plan she had come up with, "Send a toad with them, one that can reverse summon me. In fact, ask it to summon me when it realizes they’re out of their depth. Don't tell the team about him."

Minato stared at her for a moment before he sighed, "I had hoped that whatever would go wrong, would go wrong on our end. Are you sure this needs to be done?"

“Unfortunately."

He cursed, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise. She’d never heard Minato curse before. She’d assumed he was someone who simply didn’t curse. It was nice to know he was as human as the rest of them. She also took it for what it was; he was worried about his team. He wanted to protect them, he’d thought that by drawing the enemy away from the bridge he would be protecting them. It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t know about Madara and his evil venus fly trap.

Minato took a deep breath. She watched as he went from concerned sensei back to team lead. He called the kids back, and they continued into a large forest. She and Minato hung back as Obito led the team forward. She suspected the teenager was a little angry at his teammate’s promotion. He was too young to realize that ranks and promotions meant very little during war time.
Foreign chakra appeared and disappeared as quickly as it came. Too quickly for Rin or Obito to catch it. A flinch from Kakashi told her he had sensed it though.

Sakura stopped at the same time Minato did. She watched as he knelt on the ground, and put his hand in the grass. He closed his eyes, and she felt his chakra spread out; it mixed itself among the plants and trees. It was barely noticeable, and only if you were looking for it.

His voice was soft when he spoke, "Be on guard, there are twenty of them."

Sakura nodded, but before she could say anything Kakashi decided to assert his dominance as captain. Sakura wanted to smack him when he brought up his new rank. Kakashi may have been a jounin, but he didn't have the experience she and Minato did. But he needed to learn.

As a result, Minato released Kakashi and all of his hubris on the foreign shinobi. As lightning came to life in Kakashi’s hand, she decided then and there that she would NEVER take on a gennin team. Right now she wanted to shake some sense into Kakashi and tell him he was being a fool. But she couldn’t, and that irked her.

She watched as he charged forward without any of the grace he had in the future. There was no precision, just destruction. He was no better than a bull in a china shop, and he was drawing way too much attention to himself. She was just barely able to hold back her laughter.

The enemy sent a few clones at them. Kakashi let them pass. She wasn’t sure if it was because he wanted the glory, if he knew Minato and she would handle them, or if he didn’t care what happened to his team. Either way Obito and Rin were quick to disperse them. Minato stayed focused on her reckless brat of a former sensei.

Her attention stayed on the back of the small jounin. He took out several of the enemy in his way, along with several trees, a rare medicinal herb, and what she was pretty sure was an actual bird. He had no control. Then his ego nearly got him killed. She watched as the enemy’s sword nearly disemboweled Kakashi before Minato jumped and saved him.

He still received a nasty gash for his efforts. Minato appeared at her side, and she quickly took the brat from Minato's arms. She set to work on the injury. Kakashi, brat that he was, still needed to be in tip top shape for what was to come. And while she was cure Rin could take care of the gash, she didn’t want the girl’s chakra affected.

The cut was jagged and messy. It would scar no matter what she did. Rin hovered behind her and observed her while she worked, but she didn’t ask any questions. Sakura found that odd. Most medics were quick to ask questions and figure out new techniques; they were thirsty for knowledge and could be vicious and determined when trying to get it. Rin was neither of those things.

Sakura quickly and effectively closed the wound as Minato reappeared. The few remaining enemies had run at the sight of Minato in action. She studied him for a second, made sure he had no injuries, and then listened as he lectured his team. His words were wise, and every ounce of his being screamed that he was serious. While Rin seemed to take the lesson to heart, Kakashi and Obito seemed to sink further into their own ideologies.

Sakura sat back on her toes and studied her handy work. After a full night's rest Kakashi would be back at a hundred percent. She hoped it would be enough to do what needed to be done. In the mean time they would continue on.

A little while later, they stopped for the night, in another grassy area, and set up a small camp. Minato insisted on taking the first watch, so Sakura laid there, listened to the crickets and stared at the stars. She felt the shift in energy as Obito woke up and went towards Minato.

She turend over in her bed roll and watched as the teen climbed the rock. After a few moments he began talking to Minato. She didn't know why but it made her smile. She slipped out of her sleeping bag, and went back into the forest. She was far enough away for Minato to be able to sense her but she could have some privacy to think.

She was still uneasy about leaving the team on their own. The timing of this mission was going to be tricky. If she was too late, then the world was back on the path to how she had left it. If she was too early then any chance of finding Madara was lost, and her life would become consumed with finding him. It was times like these that she wished she had picked up Kakashi's habit of carrying a flask.

Minato's chakra flared, and brough her out of her thoughts. He stood a few feet away, obviously worried. She smiled and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He places his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze before releasing . They walked the short distance back to camp as the sun began to rise.

They were quick to leave in the morning, intent on quickly making it to the spot of divergence. Sakura was surprised, that before they left, Obito sucked in his pride and asked for his orders from Kakashi. Kakashi was surprised too, but Minato was as proud as she’d ever seen him. Sakura stifled a smile.

A few minutes late Minato gave the command to scatter. She watched the team disappear. The two of them waited in silence for several moments before Minato knelt on the ground and went through the same hand signs she had watched Naruto preform a thousand times before. She watched as two small toads appeared, two small toads she happened to recognize.

Naruto had called them Pa and Ma all those years ago, and they looked exactly the same now as they would in the future. Minato pulled her down next to him. She noted that he looked a bit surprised to see them.

"Fukasaku-samma, Shima-samma this is Sakura Sarutobi. Sakura this is Fukasaku-samma and Shima-samma; they rank right under the Great Toad Sage." Sakura did a small bow and noticed the small grins on the toads' faces. When she was done Minato continued, "I'm sorry to summon you, I didn't realize you would be the ones to appear. I'm sorry this mission isn't really . . ."

Fukasaku stopped him mid-sentence, "Enough Minato boy, the Great Toad Sage sent us. He has told us exactly what must be done, and who Sakura Haruno is."
Sakura kept a straight face at the use of her birth name and watched as Minato's eyes slid to her. "Ma will stay with the girl and when it is time I'll summon them." Sakura raised an eyebrow in question, as Ma hopped onto her la,p and then on to her shoulder.

The old toad scoffed, "I'm over eight hundred years old little girl, I know when the right time is. When that time comes I'll use Ma to summon you to the correct spot. So keep your pink little head on straight till that time."

Sakura's eye began to twitch, and that's when Minato realized it was time to intervene. He thanked the old toad and pulled Sakura in the direction of their mission. She followed Minato with little resistance and turned her head just in time to see the old geezer of a frog disappear in the direction the younger team had gone. Slowly, she began counting all the different ways toads could be used in medicines and poisons.

As always Minato's pace was quick, but Sakura managed to keep up. To be honest, it wasn’t any worse than traveling with Kakashi on an S-Rank. Their travel took them several hours. As the trees began to thin she could hear the sounds of battle being waged, and could smell the death and decay.

She had been away from the sounds and smells of war for a few months, but they were still the same. Apparently that didn’t change no matter what year it was. She blocked those things out and focused on her mission.

Minato flipped into the small trench, the show off, while she slid in and did her best to not draw too much attention. She listened to the details as one of the few remaining men explained the situation. Her gaze slid to Minato, and immediately realized why he had been called in as back up.

Their side was vastly outnumbered, and they had suffered numerous casualties. Other than herself, there wasn’t a medical nin in sight. Minato had been brought in to slaughter their opponents. There was a reason Iwa had a flee on sight order for Konoha’s Yellow Flash, and that reason was about to be made clear.

As Minato began unpacking his many kunai, Sakura peeked out of the trench at the enemy. Sakura had never been a big fan of Iwa-nin; even when she had fought with them, they had always seemed rude and brash to her. They charged in first and would often times ignore commands if they came from someone outside of their village. That didn’t mean she wanted them to die.

In her war the enemy had been a hybrid plant man, and shinobi who had already been dead. The cassualties on their side had come from a common enemy, a communal bad guy. These shinobi were trying to protect their village, they were following orders. Yet they were now her enemy. They were more than willing to kill her and her comrades, and now she had to be prepared to do the same. She didn’t want to though.

She slunk back into the hole and turned around to find Minato focused on her. She raised an eyebrow in question. He smiled, handed her several of his kunai and said, "I could use some cover any chance you could mix things up a bit?"

Sakura hesitated, she couldn't waste a ton of chakra here but she could use a little bit. She took his kunai and shoved them into an empty pouch before she drew one of her own kunai. She attached an exploding tag to it and let it fly. It would do very little damage, but that wasn't the point. She simply needed the smoke from the explosion to cover her.

The minute it went off she was out of the trench. She used one of several rocks for leverage, lifted her body into the air, focused her chakra into the bottom of her feet, and used the momentum to land on the ground. It took less than a second before the ground shattered and became misplaced.

With the terrain unstable and a new level of dust rising up from the ground, she threw the kunai Minato had given her, and aimed where there were large clusters of chakra. With her job done, she flipped back into the trench. Ma remained on her shoulder the entire time. The remaining shinobi immediately began throwing the majority of the kunai.

She turned to Minato and laid out the facts, "The terrain won't be a big problem for this group of shinobi. Iwa-nin are used to fighting on rocky and unusual terrain, but then I suppose you knew that."

"So why would I ask you to do that?"

"I’ve unnerved them. They weren’t expecting one Kunoichi to be capable of doing much damage. I’m an unknown threat. I’m not in any bingo books, and the only mission I’ve been on outside of the village was in Kumo. Plus the dust particles will make their field of vision difficult for a few minutes and they won't immediately see your kunai. That means they won't see what's coming next."

Minato smiled and moved to the front of the trench. He closed his eyes for a second, then he was gone, and a moment later she heard the screams begin. She closed her eyes, and did her best to tune them out. The sounds brought back past memories she would rather forget. Then the sounds were gone, and only the rustling of leaves remained. She opened her eyes and turned to face Ma. The toad stared at her, "Apparently it is time."

Sakura nodded, lifted her off her shoulder, and placed her on the forest floor as Pa came out of his hiding spot. She nodded her appreciation to the toad sage, turned towards the familiar chakra signatures, and set off.

She passed the body of an Iwa-nin, and spared no emotions for the shinobi. Attacking kids was high on her list of what made a person scum. Furthermore, she had a mission to complete, and kids to save.

As she moved through the trees she could feel more than twenty chakra signatures a few miles out. She bit her lip hard enough to bleed, and sped up. She had no time to spare. The enemy shinobi let her pass. More than likely, they thought she’d be trapped in the clearing. They were wrong.

She muffled her chakra signature and dropped down in front of the cave. There she found Kakashi and Obito fighting another Iwa-nin. Sakura forced herself to stay back, and she watched as Kakashi and Obito moved together. They flowed well together. They obviously knew each others’ fighting styles. And apparently the teamwork Minato had been forcing on them had sunk in at some point. Their teamwork would have impressed many jounin. She watched as they delivered the final strike to the shinobi's shoulder. He went down.

Sakura stayed put as they went after their female teammate, and took a moment to focus on any other chakra signatures that might be in the area. She ignored the Iwa nin and instead looked for that all too familiar signature, it was faint but it was there; Zetsu. It was time to evacuate the kids.

She was about to move when she watched the Iwa-nin come to his knees and begin forming hand signs. She didn't think she just moved, grabbed the man's head she quickly twisted, and a second later she heard the telltale snap. Then let him fall to the ground.

The team, Rin now awake and conscious, turned to face her, and quickly she was by their side. She didn’t allow them to speak. She just barked her orders, "Out of the cave now!" No one fought her or argued with her. They immediately began making their way out of the cave.

She felt a rise in chakra. She watched as Kakashi and Rin cleared the entrance and right as Obito was about to pass through Zetsu appeared out of the ground. She drew her kunai, performed a shunshin, and appeared between the two. She gave Obito an extra push as she raised her kunai to block Zetsu's attack.

The hit avoided the major artery it had been aimed for, but it still nicked her skin. She stared him down. She watched as he cocked his head to the side, as though he were a puppy wondering why she had stopped him from peeing in the house. She twirled her body and threw out a kick. It connected and forced him back a bit which allowed her some distance. She kept her focus on the thing in front of her while she allowed her chakra to flood into the surrounding area. The Iwa-nin had decided to close in. She didn't have a ton of time.

"You sensed my chakra." Sakura didn't bother replying and instead studied the creature in front of her. Unlike the Zetsu she had fought during her time, this one was all white, just like the army they had faced at the beginning of the war. A flare of chakra was all she got before another white Zetsu came through the floor.

She threw her body out of the way as several more appeared, forcing her to keep evading. She drew another kunai, and took down the two that were closest to her. More appeared in their place.
She let go a stream of curses that would have left her mother in a fit. She surged forward. She weaved in and out of them and aimed for critical points. Her kunai slashed through the tendons in the arms, legs, and neck, but it did very little to actually stop the clones. Zetsu was a plant after all.

She needed something that was going to stop them, and what killed plants? Fire. Luckily that was right in Sakura’s wheelhouse. It tended to surprise people the fact that she had fire type chakra. People always expected her to have water or earth; something to suit the medical chakra and control she wheeled. It also needed massive chakra stores.

What people didn’t understand was that it took a lot to wield fire chakra. It was one of the most difficult to use. You had to be precise. And when you mixed the preciseness with fire type chakra, you created controlled destruction.

She threw her body back, and flipped her way to the opening of the cave. When she got there, she flashed through hand signs she knew all too well and closed her eyes. It was a jutsu of her own creation; one she had created with Kakashi during the nights she hadn’t been able to sleep. She felt the chakra slip up and through her pores like water droplets as she held the second to last sign. They started off slowly, and then became rapid. The chakra gathered around her, curling in a spiral shape before it became more defined.

Then she flashed to the last sign and the chakra ignited. The heat from the flames licked at her skin as the temperature in the cave rose, and then she directed the attack. As her fire dragon surged forward she went backwards. And with that the Zetsu in the cave were gone.

She didn’t have a chance to rest. A stream of kunai came flying at her, and she was forced to hit the ground. Two of them scraped her shoulder, a second later an Iwa-nin had her pinned. She threw her head back, and heard his nose crunch. The hands that had been holding her shoulders down flew to his nose.

She called chakra to her hands, sharpened it, and quickly slashed at his belly. She hated disemboweling people, but she had to work with what she had. She pushed the body away, and turned towards the fray. She used Mianto's students to her advantage, and began picking shinobi off. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as Rin herded several of the Iwa nin together, Kakashi then trapped them with the lightning jutsu. She recognized it as the Coming of the Lightning Fire Phoenix Technique.

It was a top level technique. But Obito hesitated. She briefly wondered if the boy had ever killed before. If he had, it hadn’t been often. She placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, and he smiled at her gratefully.

She flashed through another set of handsigns and put her hands on the earth. Her chakra flowed into the fround. She felt it heat up as it traveled until it reached its destination. The fire spewed from the ground in the shape of a tree, as the trunk wrapped around their enemies.

After that, she performed a simple burial, and flipped the ground over itself. She felt the small team stare at her in wonder.

With the last of the enemy chakra signatures gone, Sakura allowed herself a bit of hope. The majority of her chakra, that wasn't in the seal on her neck, was depleted. Two A rank jutsus tended to do that. She quickly scanned the students in front of her. It seemed that none of them were hurt too badly, that is until she saw Kakashi's eye.

She walked over to the boy and forced him to look at her. It wasn’t good. She forced some of the little remaining chakra she had left into the eye. The eye was done for, he'd never see out of it again. Luckily the nerves and muscles behind the eye were fine, she have to see if there was anything that she could do once they got back to the village. A transplant of a non-sharrigan eye was entirely possible.

Rin's scream brought her out of her thoughts and she turned just in time to see white Zetsu deliver a blow to Obito's left eye. The bastard was harder to kill than mold. It took her a few seconds to figure out that he wasn't trying to take Obito; he was trying to take Obito's eye.

He had crushed the socket from the side and by damaging the eye socket but not the eye it made it easier to remove the eye. She watched as his fingers turned long and spindly as he yanked the eye out. That would damage the nerve endings. She moved before he could take the second one.

But as she took a step, she felt her leg buckle. She looked down and found a large gash on her leg. The adrenaline from her earlier had kept her from noticing before, but now it had started to wear off. The adrenaline had started to fade when she’d thought the fight was done now the pain was hitting and her leg was giving out.

She summoned medical chakra and quickly dulled the nerves. Thanks to her low reserves she was slower than she should have been, and she cursed. Three Setsu surrounded her, and she reverted to a brawling style of fighting. She couldn’t use any more chakra without activating her seal, and that was a break glass in case of emergency. And while they were quickly approaching that status, she REALLY didn’t want Madara to know about it.

She tackled one of the zetsu, and dug her knee into its gut, then she swung backwards at the other one. She caught it’s arm and twisted, as she pivoted on her knees to strike out with her bad leg at the third one. It barely made an impact.

That was when the three pronged kunai came flying through the swarm of Zetsu towards a still fighting Obito. A second later his chakra signature appeared and Sakura had never been more grateful for those gifts that had been handed to Kakashi. Knowing that Minato would take care of Obito she focused on her own fight she pulled one more burst of chakra to her skin, and allowed her chakra to slice the zetsu around her. They collapsed on top of her. That was when things began getting fuzzy. She felt their weight on top of her for just a second before they were hauled off. She briefly heard Minato call her name, and then everything went dark.

Notes:

AN: So! Sakura has never been a big jutsu person. She was classified as a genjutsu type, but no one really made any effort in that regard with her. So other than medical jutsu, which she has totally manipulated into a weapon, and some regular weapons training, she doesn’t have a TON in her arsenal.
I made Sakura a fire type for the reasons listed in the story, but also because she is passionate. She cares about her loved ones and she’ll do anything to protect them. That being said, she doesn’t have massive chakra stores like Naruto, Sasuke, or Kakashi. She has to be careful with how she uses her chakra, and she has to be precise. We see her mess up a little with this when she takes over for Obito. Her compassion gets in her way.
I love the idea of Sakura creating her own jutsu. She’s wicked smart. We know this. I totally feel like she would invent her own things, especially because she knows the basics so well, and she knows how to manipulate the chakra almost perfectly. This Fire tree and fire blossom were born.
Overall, I’m happy with how this chapter turned out. It’s nearly doubled in size with the edits. I’m finding that most of my chapters are doing that now.

 

Please leave a review and let me know what you think. I love reading your reviews. Also, this was a hard chapter to write because of the fight scenes, hopefully they're much better than they were!

Chapter 19

Sakura woke up to an assortment of aches and pains. That wasn’t unusual on a mission. Between the wear and tear on her body and chakra usage, sore muscles were the norm. Wounds were a different story. Her leg was killing her. The nerve block she had used during the fight had faded a long time ago. If her body hadn’t been so exhausted, she had no doubt that the pain would have woken her up sooner.

Her chakra levels were still low. In order to get her leg in shape and have the chakra stores she needed to finish the mission, she would have to activate the seal. She sat up, and bit her lip to keep from screaming. When she was in an upright position, she looked around.

The first thing she noticed was that she was still in the clearing. The bodies of their enemies were still lying where they had died. The second thing she noticed was a soft, soothing voice and whimpers. She turned towards the sounds and saw Rin hovering over two bodies while Minato observed.

She pushed herself to her feet, and made her way over to the small group. The gash in her leg felt like it was on fire. It was only as her knees buckled that she realized it had been a bad idea to move. Minato caught her before she could fall. He gave her a disapproving look, but she ignored him.

They stopped just behind Rin. She watched as the young girl continued without even looking at her. Her hands were on top of Kakashi's left eye. Sakura felt a weight settle in her stomach. She glanced over at Obito. He was unconscious, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. His left eye was heavily bandaged, but the blood was seeping through.

Minato whispered in her ear, "Obito's left eye was damaged by a strike in the fight, the eye itself was fine but the nerves and blood vessels connecting it were damaged. Rin said there was no chance of him ever being able to see out of it again. It was the opposite for Kakashi. The eye was damaged but everything else was fine. To Obito the obvious solution was to transplant his eye into Kakashi."

Sakura sighed and examined the young medic. She hadn't done too much fighting; the boys had handled a large portion of it while protecting her. More than likely she was good on chakra. Still Rin was young; this was a high stress situation and a complicated procedure. Last time certain vessels hadn’t been connected correctly and Kakashi had never been able to shut the sharringan off. Furthermore, the dirt in the socket had led to an infection which meant that the eye had to use more chakra than it should.

The question became, did she let Rin continue or did she take over and activate her seal. She had hoped to keep the seal on her neck a secret until it was impossible to do so. The only one who knew about it was Anko, and she had never asked a question or said a word about it.

With Kakashi and Obito unconscious and Rin was performing the surgery she doubted any of them would even notice. That left Minato. The man seemed to be collecting her secrets like other people collected stamps. Usually that would irk her. She’d always been protective of her skill sets. She’d let the more noticeable ones be public while she kept her more deadly skills to herself. Only her enemies saw those, and they didn’t live to tell about them.

And while she trusted Minato, she was hesitant. For all she knew, Zetsu could still be lurking somewhere. Still, this needed to be done. She let her hair out the braid she’d put it in, and then she stepped into Minato’s arms. He didn't ask any questions. He simply returned her embrace and wrapped his arms around her. It hid her from sight.

Unlike Tsunade, Sakura had steadily gathered her chakra into a point on her neck. Much to her frustration, the seal had taken the shape of a purple blossom. To anyone who didn't know what it was, it looked like a simple tattoo.

She released the seal and felt the mark grow like vines across her skin. The marks burned a bit as the chakra was released in a rush. It went first to the gash in her thigh. Her wound started to hiss as it healed, and she felt Minato tense. She stroked his back once to let him know things were okay.

It took a total of two minutes for her wounds to heal. The burning sensation evened out as the pool of chakra evened out. She felt energy return to her body. She glanced up at Minato. He didn’t react visibly as the vines retreated to the partially emptied seal on her neck. However, the look he shot her told her they’d talk about it later.

She quickly double checked that everything had healed correctly before she stepped out of Minato’s arms. She moved to Obito first. There was no infection, just a few blood vessles that hadn’t been sealed off. She was more than pleased with the job Rin had done. The young medic had talent. Obito would be fine. Between his one remaining sharingan and his team, he would make up for his eye sight and excel. She knew it.

She moved to sit next to Rin. She was in the middle of attaching the vessels to the eye. There was a sheen of sweat on her brow, and there was infection in the socket. That needed to be cleaned out. Sakura placed a hand on Rin’s back so she didn’t startle her, and quietly told her what she was doing.

As Rin continued to attach vessels and nerves, Sakura cleaned out the infection. When that was done she double checked Rin’s work. She had missed a few things, but overall she had done an excellent job. Sakura told Rin as much, “You’ve done an excellent job. There aren’t many medics who could do a transplant in the middle of a war zone. Most would be too terrified, and the others wouldn’t have the skill."

Rin looked hesitant at the praise, “Really?”

“Yes. You’re more than welcome to join Anko and I during lessons if you’d like.”

Her face lit up at that.

Minato placed a hand on her shoulder, “Are they able to be moved?"

She turned to look at him, "They'll be out for a while, but with any luck they'll be up by tomorrow morning and we can proceed."

Minato nodded and picked Obito up, "We'll make our way towards the bridge. We’ve missed our window, but we might still be able to do something. Rin, are you able to run?”

She answered immediately, "Yes, Sensei."

Sakura picked up Kakashi, and slid him into a piggy back position. A moment later they were all moving. Minato took the lead position, Sakura brought up the rear, and Rin remained in-between them. Sakura kept an eye on her and made sure that she wasn't suffering from chakra exhaustion.

They traveled through the night, and stopped once the sun was in the sky. They made camp in a small cave. Sakura wasn’t thrilled about that. She’d just done battle in one, and that wasn’t a fun position to be in. Especially in Iwa’s territory. Still, it provided them with cover. Obito and Kakashi were still unconscious and Rin had fallen asleep before she could even curl up in a sleeping bag.

Sakura double checked everyone’s vitals and then propped herself up against a wall. Minato came back in just as rain began to fall. He’d been out setting traps and calling upon the toads to keep watch. He took a seat next to her, and a moment later she felt his larger hand grasp her own.

She'd only been on a few missions with Minato, but she knew bringing his personal feelings on a mission went against his own rules. However, the last few days had been difficult and he had just nearly lost half his team. She squeezed his hand in comfort, and then leaned her head on his shoulder. That's how they fell asleep; with traps set up outside and toads keeping watch.

When Sakura woke up it was to three sets of eyes watching her . . . well two sets of eyes and one single eye. Sakura went to sit up, only to find a rather large and heavy head on top of hers. She was tempted to let Minato keep sleeping, she was fairly certain that he never got enough sleep, but they had a mission to complete. Plus there was always time to sleep when they were dead.

She grasped Minato's wrist and squeezed slightly. A moment later his eyes opened. He was already fully awake and alert. Suddenly the weight of his head was gone and he was facing his three students. He looked them over and immediately began questioning them on how they all felt. Sakura had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the slight blush on his cheeks.

As the kids answered Minato’s question, Sakura moved forward to examine them. Kids had a habit of being stubborn and they didn’t like to admit when they were hurt.. Obito was in decent health. She was still going to need to watch his empty eye socket for infection, but his chakra levels were steadily building. They wouldn't know how the loss of the eye would affect him during a mission until it was tested in the field. Unfortunately, Sakura felt as though that test was about to happen.

Kakashi's chakra was almost back to capacity and his new transplant was doing well. He couldn't turn off the sharingan yet, but it was working. Sakura hoped that with some practice or training it would be able to turn on and off at will.

Rin's reserves were low, but that was to be expected after performing massive surgery. She still seemed a little tired. And Sakura suspected that she was more than a little anxious. That was understandable, she’d gone through a traumatic event.

Unfortunately, the war wouldn’t stop because of mental illness, and this attack needed all of them to succeed. Especially since the new guard had to be at the bridge. They were less than four miles from the bridge and deep in enemy territory. They had slept for around twelve hours; which probably hadn’t been smart considering there were enemy shinbobi everywhere, but their bodies had needed the rest.

Minato began explaining the plan, "We'll move forward in two groups; Sakura and I will be one group and you three will be the other. Sakura and I will take the far end of the bridge; you three will take the closest side.
“Rin will place the explosives; her chakra isn't high enough for fighting right now, which means you two will be covering her. You are not to move until after I’ve started the battle." The three of them nodded and turned to each other to start building a plan; how quickly things had changed.

While they discussed their plan Minato turned back towards her, "I need you to set the explosives for us. I don't want you to use your strength unless you have to. We've already captured the other side's interest with A and then the battle against Iwa. We don't want them thinking they have you figured out. We need their fear if we're ever going to end this war."

Sakura nodded in understanding, and Minato continued, "When you're done flare your chakra: two short bursts and then one long burst. I'll come to you, and I'll use hiraishin to get us out. Once we're at a safe distance we'll ignite the explosives."

Explosives could be difficult to work with. It’s why explosive tags were a shinobi’s choice for this kind of job. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t provide a big enough blast. Minato pulled out a storage scroll, and carefully unrolled it. Then he summoned forth the explosive clay blocks. He handed a set to Rin, and the other to her. The seal painted across the block was unfamiliar to her, and she had a feeling it was one of Minato’s inventions.

She looked at Minato. His eyes seemed troubled. She tilted her head to the side, it was the universal sign for, “What’s wrong?” His eyes cut to the side, towards the kids, before he whispered quietly, "Later." She nodded.
They stayed in the cave just long enough for everyone to shove some ration bars down their throats before they moved out. With their path outlined on a map and instructions to summon Minato with one of his kunai if they needed him, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi went their own way while Minato and Sakura went theirs.

They moved in sync with one another. They slunk from bolder to bolder, and used the night for cover. Sakura noted that there was a startling lack of trees. Everything was just rocks and dirt. Sakura wasn’t a fan. Or maybe she just favored the familiarity of home?

They met their first bit of opposition in the form of a lone sentry. There was no muss and no fuss. Sakura bolted forward, and cut his spinal cord before he even realized what was happening. They came across three more, and did the same thing.

When they reached the bridge, there were at least five platoons waiting for them. Sakura wasn’t surprised. After their defeat the previous day, Iwa would want to make a stand. And anyone with half a mind would have known the place to make that stand was at the critical point in their main supply route.

Sakura knelt to the ground, and placed her hand against the gravel. Her chakra spread out in threads. She found Kakashi’s chakra first. It was the most familiar to her. Obito and Rin were close to him. She sighed, and went to that place where she could compartmentalize things. She looked up at Minato. “They’re in place.”

“Let’s move.”

Minato jumped out from behind the bolder, and moved forward. As he ran he threw a slew of his kunai. They landed in multiple spots before the platoons of shinobi. Then he was in the air. He took several cuts as the Iwa shinobi tried a counter attack. Minato didn’t flinch. He simply released his next barrage. This time the kunai landed among the platoons. That was all he needed.

Minato vanished from the air and appeared amongst them. She heard screams a second later. Sakura slunk out from behind the bolder. She stayed close to the ground as she moved toward the cliff that led to the river down below. She made it half way there before a lone shinobi tried to stop her.

Sakura drew a kunai of her own, and slashed through the tendons on his legs, as he fell to his knees she cut across his carotid. Then she ran. Minato had told her to not make a spectacle of herself. She needed to keep this fight low key, she needed to stay invisible. Unwanted attention could hurt not only the war but the future.

She reached the edge, and she jumped. She fell for just a second before her chakra anchored her feet to the wall of the cliff, and then she ran. She had just reached the bridge when she heard the tell tale signs of Chidori and saw flames come through the cracks. Kakashi and Obito had joined the fight.

She avoided the flames and ran full speed towards the far end of the bridge. When she was halfway there she stopped and started analyzing the bridge for weak spots. A bridge was a lot like a human body. It’s weak points came from joints and where the support came from. If you took those away, it would fall.

She needed to his the ones closet to the other side of the cliff wall, as well as the ones in the center. That would do. Sakura surged forward and began placing the explosives. She molded the explosives around the joints, and up into them. The seal on the clay explosive moved with the material. She was placing the second explosive when she felt a familiar chakra signature. Rin gave her a quick salute and began placing the explosives on her end.
When it came to the supports, she targeted the middle. Once again, she molded the clay to it. Sakura only had two targets lef when she felt several chakra signatures join them under the bridge. She bent her neck backwards and counted ten enemy shinobi under the bridge with her and Rin.

She needed to end this fast. She didn’t hesitate, she ran forward conscious of the explosive clay blocks still in her pouches. Fire wasn’t an option with explosives everywhere and neither was her strength. That left using a chakra nature that wasn’t her main one, genjutsu, or poison.

Posion was too slow, and she hadn’t perfected genjutsu for battle. She dodged a fist that had been turned to rock and drove a kunai into the enemy’s heart. She flipped backwards several times..

While she didn’t have an affinity for water chakra, and probably would never be able to create it from nothing like she could fire, she could absolutely use it when it was close by. She stopped circling chakra to her feet, and she fell. She could feel the shock in the air. She crashed into the water, allowed herself to feel a moment of shock as the cold assaulted her, and then began flashing through the hand-signs Ao had taught her.

The older shinobi had never been a particularly happy man, but he’d been willing to teach. He hadn’t wanted Kiri’s techniques to disappear, and near the end of the war the different villages hadn’t mattered anymore.

She surfaced just as the bullets began shooting out of the water. The impact was enough to knock the enemy unconscious. A few of them managed to dodge while she climbed back on top of the water. The few who remained stared at her warily. They were so focused on her, that they never saw Kakashi or Obito coming. Obito fought with ease, his sharingan blared red, while Kakashi covered any weak spots the boy might have had, his own implanted eye was whirling as lightning came to his hands and he rushed the enemies.

Sakura made for the cliff again and began jumping from one ledge to another. She looked for Rin as she did so. She couldn’t find the girl, but she could sense her: genjutsu she concluded.

She evaded Kakashi and Obito’s fight and went to finish what she started. She placed the final explosives, and glanced back at the trio. They were down to two enemies, and Sakura was confident that they had this.
She moved to the top of the bridge and found Minato surrounded, he was a little worse for wear. More enemies had arrived while she and the kids had been fighting under the bridge. The hatred coming from them was almost tangible. Minato had killed too many of their men for them to retreat now. This was a grudge match. Unfortunately for them, they were the ones who were going to lose.

She concealed her chakra and moved forward. She took care of the shinobi at the fringes with a chakra scalpel. It was a silent and deadly technique that required the user to get close enough to the enemy to preferably sever a major artery, but a spinal cord could also work. She got through about seven of the Iwa shinobi before someone took notice.

When that happened several of the shinobi charged her. She drew several kunai. She threw several, and kept one in her dominant hand for close combat as she and Minato slowly made their way to each other.
He was battered and bruised, and looked a little green around the edges. That's when she saw the wound to his leg. Blood was leaking from where his shuriken holster was tied. A dark black liquid, that could have been one of about ten different poisons, was leaking out alongside the blood. It took too long for poison to manifest in that way. It had to be in a person’s system for hours to appear like that.

That meant it was an older injury. One he most likely would have sustained after she had disappeared from the fight with Iwa the day before. That limited it to about five different poisons. When they got out of this she was going to yell till the man went deaf for not telling her about the wound. Then she cursed herself for not checking him over with the others. He may be a living legend but he was still human. She wouldn't forget that again.

She watched as he prepared to use hiraishin. She summoned medical chakra to her hand and struck out. She hit Minato square in the back; the chakra would paralyze him for about five minutes. That was how long she had to finish this fight. Luckily it seemed that the reinforcements had finally stopped.

She caught Minato as he fell and she immediately used shunshin to go to the mouth of the bridge. She retreated behind several large rocks and felt Rin, Obito, and Kakashi's chakra signatures appear behind her. She handed Minato over to the boys and gave the order, "Keep going, don't look back."

Then she turned to Rin, "There's poison in the wound on his right leg, about a day old, and black in color. He'll be paralyzed for about four more minutes. Once you reach a safe spot, elevate the leg, and try to get the posion out." They nodded their understanding, and ran.

She turned back towards the enemy. Several of them had made their way across the bridge and were nearly upon her. She sent out a wave of senbon coated with posion. They hit pressure points in several of the enemies and they went down.

She jumped into the air and twisted to avoid the ones who had dodged. She landed almost halfway across the bridge. And standing there, in the middle, she found one idiot with his back to her. She increased her speed and used his back as a springboard and sent herself into the air.

Once she reached her peak height, she flashed through the handsigns of the fireball jutsu. She felt the chakra start to warm in ehr chest, and when she pursed her lips the fire came out in a steady stream. The wood caught fire just as she began to fall, and as she crashed into the water for a second time that day the first explosive went off. Then the chain reaction started. SHe treaded water as the bridge blew to smitherenes.
She took a deep breath and dove back under the water as the debris started to fall. She did her best to avoid them. Then a piece hit her in the head and that's the last thing she remembered.

Sakura woke up to beeping, and decided that this pattern of hospitals after missions with Minato was one she was going to have to break. The intense pain in her head was made only worse by the bickering going on in the room. However, the warmth of someone holding her hand helped with some of the pain.

She squeezed the hand gently and she felt its owner stiffen before a voice yelled, "All right everybody shut up! Doctor's orders!"

She smiled at the sound of Kato's voice. It meant that she had made it home. She opened her eyes and found Minato staring down at her. The fact that she was conscious meant very little to the teenagers in the room. Asuma, Akkiko, Anko, Kakashi, Obito, and Rin continued to argue while Kato continued to yell for everyone to be quiet.

Her eyes flicked to the corner where her mother and father were watching her closely. While her report about the mission would be required for her father, she had no doubt her mother was going to hold her to her promise on the details about Minato.

But for the moment she was going to enjoy the noise that was worsening her headache, the presence of those she cared about, and the warm hand that never let go of hers through the entire mess.

Notes:

This chapter changed a ton from where it was originally. I feel like it's better thought out. Once again, I feel like I improved the fight scene, but I still haven't quite mastered writing them yet. Oh well! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Reviews often help me update faster. LOL.

Chapter 20

Minato was mad. It wasn’t obvious to those who didn’t know him, but Sakura could tell. From the looks her father and Kato were shooting him, they could tell too. His body seemed relaxed, but Sakura could still see the lines of tension in his face. He wouldn’t meet her eyes, and instead seemed focused on her hand. His thumb continuously stroked the top of her hand in even soft patterns. He also seemed to be biting the inside of his cheek.

Kato, bless him, was quick to intervene, “Okie dokie visiting hours are over.”

Akkiko stared at him, “It’s only nine in the morning?”

“Yeah, but these two are running on very little sleep. That means it’s nighttime for them.”

Kakashi crossed his arms, “We were there too. So wouldn’t it be nighttime for us too?”

Kato scowled, “All ankle biters need to get out now!”

Obito grinned, “We’re teenagers.”

“And if you want to live to be adults you’ll get out now!”

The teenagers grumbled as they filed out, and then Kato turned to her parents. Her mother glared at her friend and simply said, “Go ahead and try me Kato. I was the doctor who delivered you. I’ve watched you grow up. I play shogi with your mother at least once a week. Truly think about if you want to fight with me about my child.”

Kato didn’t even hesitate, he turned to Sakura, shrugged, and said, “I tried,” before he sauntered out.

There was a moment of silence before her mother began to speak, “We will be having a conversation about all of this when you are discharged, and I do mean all of it Sakura.”

Then her mother walked out. Her father eyed both of them, and he turned to Minato, “You and I will be having a conversation of our own.”

Her mother came back in, rolled her eyes, and said, “No you won’t. Sakura is perfectly capable of protecting herself.” And with that her mother pulled her father out of the room.

As the door closed behind them Sakura turned to the only remaining person in the room. Minato hadn’t said anything since she’d woken up. She looked past him and out the window. The sun was bright, and had flooded the mostly dark room with light. She could hear the birds chirping. It was a stark contrast to how the room felt.

She had a feeling the she was the cause of his anger. She’d rendered him unable to move and had sent him away while she had taken the major risk on the mission. She’d disobeyed orders too. The captain in Minato wouldn’t take that lightly. The protector/ boyfriend in him wouldn’t be happy either.

Then again, she wasn’t particularly happy herself. Minato had hid an injury from her. A nearly deadly injury in her opinion. That particular posion was deceptive. It was slow acting so that the victim thought they were fine. By the time they started experiencing serious side effects such as seizures, blackouts, and diffuclty breathing it was too late to do anything. So yeah, she was mad at him too.

“Are we going to talk about it?”

He didn’t bother to deny it, “No. Not right now at least. I don’t want to fight.”

She stared at him for a moment, and a hint of fear spread through her. Fear of losing Minato. She’d lost too many people already. She’d never truly mourned for them, and she was afraid if she started now she’d never stop. She forced herself to clamp down on the fear. She shoved it aside and went to a place of peace, a place where she couldn’t be hurt, where she could be numb.

Gently she pulled her hand away from him, and got off the bed. Her leg was still a little weak, and it hurt to walk.

“Where are you going?”

“To shower. I’m covered in grime.” She couldn’t deal with this right now.
. . .

Minato watched Sakura disappear into the bathroom. Anger and fear were radiating through him. Sakura had nearly died, and that had terrified him down to his bones. The fact that he’d been incapable of helping her because of something she had done made him angry. It had been Kakashi who’d gone back for her and pulled her out of the water.

Rin had had to do CPR for several minutes before Sakura had started to breathe on her own again. Minato had watched in horror; chakra depleted and weak from the after effects of the posion. He’d never felt so helpless before.

He leaned back in his chair. The door cracked open and brought him out of his thoughts. A second later Shikkaku stuck his head in, “Heard you were back.”

“Barely.”

Shikkaku slipped into the room, and closed the door behind him. “Heard about that too. In total your team took down nearly thirteen platoons of Iwa shinobi. About half of them were just you.”

“I nearly lost my team.” It was a blunt statement, and it was the first time he’d said it outloud. He hadn’t just nearly lost Sakura but his entire team.

Shikakku smirked, “I knew you’d be beating yourself up.”

Minato raised an eyebrow, “Oh really?”

“I know you. In your entire career, you’ve only lost three people under your command. That’s a big thing. Legendary in many ways.”

“And yet, I never felt the panic I felt on this mission.”

“That’s because your teammates weren’t just comrades they were your kids and girlfriend.”

“Why am I not surprised you know?”

“Please, the entire village knows. Asuma had it spread through half the village an hour after you left. Kato took care of the other half.”

“At least we don’t have to hide it anymore.”

“No, but something tells me this is going to be a hurdle for the two of you. That’s why I’m here. Sakura is comfortable around you. Has been since you found her. However, the trauma she’s benn through . . .”

“. . . Is extensive I know.”

“She’s been pushing her emotions to the side for so long, I think this conversation is going to be hard on her. You want to protect her, but she’s used to protecting herself and others. It’s a tricky balance that you two are going to have to find.”

Minato smiled, “Speaking from experience?”

“I took a kunai for Yoshino on a mission once. One that would have missed her anyways. She didn’t talk to me for a week after we got home. It took a six hour fight for us to work things out. Most of us have been through this fight before. I just wanted to give you some reassurance.”

He raised an eyebrow at that, “Reassurance?”

“We like seeing you happy Minato. You’re a good man. You deserve happiness.”

Ahh, so the guys had wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to be stupid and throw away a good thing. And apparently Shikkaku had been elected to talk to him.

“I appreciate the concern.”

He received a small smile before his friend headed out the way he came. He’d been gone less than a minute before Sakura reappeared. Her hair was wet and hanging down past her shoulders. She was dressed in a clean yukata.

“How’s Shikkaku?”

His lips twitched at that, of course she knew he’d been here. She climbed back onto the bed, and left space next to her. He waited for the invitation. It came after a minute. She patted the space next to her and he sat next to her.

His arm went around her shoulders and she tucked herself into his side. He nuzzled the top of her head, and enjoyed the feeling of her being in his arms. She was deceptively small considering how strong she was.

"You nearly died Sakura,” His voice was a whisper.

"So did you."

He sighed “That doesn’t matter to me . . .”

She interrupted him, “But it matters to ME.”

Green eyes looked up into his. There was a fierceness to them. “I’ve lost too many people Minato. In fact I lost everyone. Everyone I loved, grew up with, fought beside is dead. I let you in. I let my mom and my dad in. I let my brothers in, and Kato and others, and I . . . I can’t do it again Minato. I can’t do that again.”

. . .

She felt fear crush her chest, and air became hard to get. She tried to suck it in. She tried so hard, but faces started flashing through her mind followed by bodies. Her biological parents crushed beneath rubble, Tsunade who had been torn in half, Ino with her broken neck, Naruto on the ground and smiling up at her while he bled out.”

She felt her head be pushed down between her knees, and then she heard Minato’s voice, “Find three things that are blue for me Sakura.”

Her eyes began roaming the room, “Your jounin shirt, the stripes on the yukata, and the sky.”

“Good, now two green things.”

“The grass, and . . .” her tongue darted out to wet her lips, “My eyes.”

“And one pink thing.”

She sucked in a deep breath, “My hair.”

“Good.” He helped her straighten back out as she continued to try and regulate her breathing. Occasionally her body would go through an after shock. He hugged her tight, and she felt his lips press against her forehead. Her
fingers clenched his shirt.

They laid there for a few moments before Minato asked, “Are you okay?”

“For the moment. I’m sorry I. . .”

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the poison. I wasn’t feeling bad, and I figured we could take care of it when we were done with everything. Plus the kids seemed worse off. You did the right thing, I wasn't in a place to lead, and I'm sorry for not telling you about the poison."

“Poison is deceptive Minato. You know that.” She sighed, “But I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have tried to tie everything up by myself. I should have sent Rin away with you and had Kakashi and Obito watch my back.”

“You’re not sorry for temporarily paralyzing me?”

She grinned, “Nope. You deserved it.”

They laid there for another moment before he said, “You know we’re going to have to talk about this more, right? That we’ll have to figure out a protocol for missions we’re on together.”

“I know, but right now I’m just so tired.” She felt her eyes start to droop.

“Sleep Sakura. I’m here.”

She didn’t doubt it. They had been a couple for a little over two months. They had known each other for a little over six months. Yet their relationship felt natural to her. That meant something to her since she wasn't all that comfortable around people anymore. It had taken several weeks before she had felt any semblance of comfort in the Sarutobi home, but with Minato there had always been a level of trust.

During their first meeting, when he’d held a kunai to her throat, she’d still known she was safe. She’d known he wouldn’t hurt her. It had been a feeling that had taken over even as his genjutsu had taken over and put her to sleep. Looking back, that was probably why she hadn't fought harder; she had somehow known that this man would never hurt her.

The first night they had kissed, when they had come to an agreement about their relationship, she had asked him if they could take it slow. In her opinion this was anything but slow. Sakura was quickly falling heart first, into love with the man wrapped protectively around her. She had sworn she would never fall blindly in love again, not after the heartbreak Sasuke had left her with, but she knew Minato wouldn't break her heart, at least not if he could help it.

. . .

“You know . . . I don’t think you’re setting the best example for us.”

Minato raised an eyebrow at Kakashi. The brat was sitting on the end of the bed watching him and Sakura. They had been snuggled up together on the bed reading, when Kakashi had wandered in and plopped down.
Sakura snorted.

“I transpalanted an eye into you, and made sure you stayed alive. Minato has saved your butt more than once. We’re setting a fine example.”

Kakashi ignored her and looked towards Minato, “Does this mean she’s part of the pack now?”

Her boyfriend turned a page in the book, “Yep.”

“Now wait a minute, I already claimed her.”

Minato closed the book as Kato came in. Any chance they had at reading was officially gone.

She watched a Kato flicked Kakahi’s ear and the boy glared at him. Her friend leaned against the footboard. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged, “Fine.”

Kato glared at her, “I don’t believe you.” He pulled out her chart, “In the spanse of this mission you exepreinced a rather significant gash, temporary drowning, bruises galore, and a concussion. Who knows what else happened, since Rin was able to heal a little bit of the damage. I feel like you should be grounded.”

Sakura threw a pillow at him. He caught it, and then hit Kakashi with it. The teenager growled and launched himself at Kato. He managed to wrap around the older man and wrestle him to the ground.

Eventually Kato clawed himself back up, but Kakashi had him in a choke-hold.

Minato sighed, “Kakashi, let him go.”

Kakashi held on for a second more before he let him go. Kato dramatically sucked in a mouthful of air before he turned to Kakashi and barked, “Feral child!”

Before Kakashi could respond Obito peeked his head in, “Oi! Bakashi, Rin brought food. Let’s go.”

Kakashi didn’t hesitate, he dodged Kato and headed out the door, as both boys tossed out a “bye sensei” behind them.

Kato straightened up, “It’s good to see them getting along. Kakashi’s been a lone wolf for too long. That’s not a good thing for pack clans like the Hatake and Inuzuka.”

Minato nodded, “I know.”

Kato grinned devilishly, “But does your girlfriend know about your injuries?”

Sakura responded for him, “No. Give me the details.”

"The poison did some damage to his chakra; mainly by depleting it faster than normal. We had to flush his chakra system. We fixed his leg and he’s showing no permanent damage. However, he’s been confined to the hospital until his chakra is at full capacity again. So he has another two days in here. Which is perfect because you’re in here for at least that long too!”

Sakura threw Minato’s pillow at him. This time he dodged it.

. . .

Their third day, like the rest of the days started with waking up to people watching them sleep. Only this time there were two; Kato and Tsume.

Minato was curled around her still fast asleep. Kato and Tsume were grinning at her like fools.

Keeping her voice soft Sakura asked the most obvious question, "What are you two doing here?"

Kato answered immediately, "Watching you sleep."

Sakura raised an eyebrow in question before quipping back, "You sure you don't want to lie at the foot of the bed and keep our feet warm?"

Kato frowned but Tsume laughed, and she turned her head to face the matriarch of the Inuzuka clan. The woman smiled and explained, "Kato’s been telling anyone who will listen that you two were getting cozy, but I had to see it for myself."

Sakura couldn't help but grin at the woman's honesty. The huff of laughter in her ear alerted her to the fact that Minato was no longer asleep and she turned to face the man. He was smiling, but she could also tell that he was still somewhat asleep. "Morning Minato." The husband and wife duo barked together.

He snuggled in closer to her, "Morning. Other than nosiness is there any other reason you're all here?"

Tsume turned a predatory gazed on Minato, “I can NOT believe you didn’t tell me about this! We have been best friends for years! How dare you allow my husband to know about this before me!”

Minato gave his friend a sheepish look and began to plead his case while Kato turned back to Sakura.

Kato grinned, "I’m here because I need to check your leg, and Sakura's injuries, but you two were so darn peaceful I just couldn't wake ya."

"And now you've fallen behind on your rounds. I wonder what Kana will say."

At the mention of the strict woman Kato immediately set to work on Minato while Tsume and Sakura chatted. Apparently Hana was at Tsume's parent's house for the morning, and Tsume was to head out on a mission later that day. When it was Sakura's turn, Tsume took her leave and Minato waited in the hall while Kato noted all of the different bruises and contusions she had. When he was done he checked on her head, made a quick head shrink joke, and slipped out of the room to catch up on his rounds.

When Minato came back in the room he settled back in bed next to her, and they spent the next several hours writing out the 'official' mission report. It was only when they came to the part when they were traveling to the bridge that Sakura remembered something, "You were going to ask me something." Minato looked at her questioningly and she explained, "When you were going into to detail about my part in the mission there was something you wanted to ask me, but said later."

A look of dawning slid into Minato's eyes. He climbed out of the bed, and walked over to his pack. He rummaged in it for a minute, before he pulled something out and walked back to her.

"The question has changed a bit. Originally I was going to ask to mark you with a seal." She raised an eyebrow at that, but let him continue, "I can do it automatically, but the seal never fades. While I would always be able to reach you if you needed me, I felt like it would almost be like branding cattle. While that's fine for enemies, it's not exactly the right thing to do to a girlfriend."

"We’re in complete agreement so far."

“However, on our way back I came up with another idea: a kunai.”

"Like you gave Kakashi?"

"A bit different from Kakashi's." He lifted his hand and let a small object on a chain drop. Sakura very quickly realized it was a necklace. The pendent was shaped like one of his kunai. It was small, made of metal, and painted just like one of his real kunai; and there on the handle, just like with one of the regular kunai was the seal formula for Minato's jutsu.

"All you have to do is channel chakra into it when you need me and I'll come." He explained, as he gently lowered the necklace into her open hand.

She slipped the chain over her head, the pendent fell just past her breasts; it was long enough that she could simply slip it over her head without worrying about a clasp in the mornings, but could still be hidden within her clothes on a mission.

She stared at the pendant and asked, "Did you make this?"

He shook his head, "Pa formed the metal for me. He likes to show up after missions to simply check in and make sure everything is okay. When I explained it to him he offered to carve it. Apparently you earned his respect by having, and I quote 'more spunk than a girl her size should be capable of.' I did the seal work.”

Sakura felt her eye twitch, she really didn't like that toad, but she'd learn to live with it. Not to mention his metal working ability was astonishing. The seal was even more astonishing with how small kit was. She looked back at Minato and smiled, "Thank you, I love it." She leaned forward and kissed him.

His hand quickly tangled in her hair at the base of her scalp, while her hand cupped the back of his neck.

They were very quickly interrupted when her family’s chakra signatures appraoached. They broke the kiss quickly, and Minato shushined back to his bed. The door opened a second later and her family flowed in. Her brothers were oblivious but her parents obviously knew what they had been doing before. While Sakura felt just a hint of embarrassment, Minato was as cool as a cucumber. He greeted both of her parents respectfully as her mother handed out bento boxes to everyone in attendance.

Minato excused himself to go check on his team while her family made themselves at home around her sickbed. Her father had pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed while her bothers had kicked off their shoes and settled at the foot of her bed. There would be crumbs later, but in the end it was worth it.

Her brothers took turns updating her about what was happening in the village. As they talked she noted that they had both grown a bit taller since she had first come to this time. Her father commended her on a job well done, and her mother updated her on all the latest gossip. It was nice to have them there.

Her own, birth parents had never visited her in the hospital. They had always felt as though it were her own fault for ending up there. After all she didn't have to be a Kunoichi. There was a very nice merchant boy looking for a wife with good connections for the family didn't she know?

It was as she was taking her last bit of chicken that her mother said, "So I here you and Minato are sleeping together." Sakura began choking. Asuma immediately started to pound her back while Akkiko handed her a glass of water. Once Sakura could breathe again, her mother continued talking with a grin, "It's all over the village, how Tsume and Kato found you two snuggled up this morning fast asleep. Then there's the fact that he wouldn't let go of you hand yesterday, and now there's that pretty little necklace around your neck. . . . so tell your mother the details now."

Sakura stared at the woman with disbelief. Never again would she forget that Biwako Sarutobi had been a kunoichi. Despite being out of the field for years, her mother was still sharp as ever. There would be no hiding anything from this woman, ever. Furthermore, Sakura had a feeling that when it came to her children Biwako resembled a bloodhound; relentless and always on the scent of anything concerning them.

She face her mother and steeled her nerves, "We're seeing each other, we've been on two dates, and several missions together. I like him very much."

Her mother pinned her with a look that made her squirm, “Just like?”

Sakura felt her cheeks flush and turned to her siblings for help, but they seemed just as fascinated as their mother. Finally, she turned towards her father and watched as he shrugged his shoulders, "I told you she would analyze every aspect of it."

Asuma leaned in, "You do love him, don't you?"

She bit her lip. They hadn’t said those words to one another. They’d barely been together for two months. But things worked differently for shinobi than they did for civillians. Things moved faster. Their lives were constantly in danger, they were constantly gone. When they felt a connection, when they loved someone, they tended to act on it. They chose their person and stuck with them.

“I think it could be love. I’m not sure yet.”

Her father studied her for a moment, before he looked at her brothers, “Go into the hallway please.” Neither of them said anything, but did as their father asked. Once the door was closed, he turned to her, “I think you do know. I think you’re scared.”

She didn’t say anything. Her father continued, “You’ve loved before. Inoichi filled me on your friendships. He told me how you defended them. Relied on them. You’ve lost them.”

“The love of friendship and family is different than romantic.”

“True. Then again, the way we loved every person is different. Different people require different types of love. Different relationships require different types of love. The type of love you and Minato would share would be deep. It would be consuming in many ways. It would be a partnership, a relationship that you would both fight for. So while it might seem too soon. I want you to think honestly about what you feel.”

Sakura took a deep breath. She could almost hear Naruto whisper in her ear, “Admit it Sakura-chan. It’s okay. Admit it.” She could hear the glee in his voice, the genuine happiness of her finding someone who would love her and who she would love in return.

Her father took her hand and she looked at him, “Minato loves you Sakura. He may not have said it yet, but he does. Pretty soon, darling girl, you're going to be that man's heart, and when that happens I have a feeling that you and this entire village are going to be better for it."

Sakura allowed a gentle smile onto her face. While she wasn’t completely ready to say I love you, yet, she was getting close. Because she knew, that with time, Minato would become her heart too.

Notes:

1) Sorry I've been gone so long. I actually just got married . . . so things have been a little hectic.

2) We get some of Minato's POV in this chapter. That makes me happy!

3) We also get a snapshot of the trauma Sakura went through. We start to truly see how extensive it is, and just how far she's willing to go so she doesn't have to deal with it. She's living in denial.

4)Also, yay for developing communication! WHooo!

5)Originally, this chapter ended up with Sakura and Minato saying I love you. The me of ten years ago was a little hasty with that I feel. And while I think it’s reasonable for feelings to develop more quickly thanks to the life and death situations these characters are in, two months was a little too soon for my taste. That being said, because of the time line, things will be happening quickly, and changing quickly too.
No one wants a story that’s dragged out for forever and day.

6)Another fun fact is that this chapter originally had Sakura and Minato in a yelling match that ended with them making up. I also didn’t feel like this was good. I feel like Sakura is very much pushing away her grief. She doesn’t want to deal with it. So we get a lovely panic attack. She and Minato also get to deal with their first disagreement.

7)This chapter had something like 4 pages added to it. I added quite a bit. I loved that I was able to work Shikkaku in. I feel like he and Minato would have been great friends. Best friend Kato is who I live for. Supportive wife Tsume is also my favorite.

8) And then there’s bratty Kakashi. Is he discovering who his pack is? Absolutely. Feral Kakashi is amazing. This is the hill I’m willing to die on.

Chapter 21

Summary:

This is a brand new, never before published chapter. In fact, the next several chapters are brand new. Please let me know what you think!!!! It's how you get the new stuff. LOL

“I’m sorry. You did what?”

“I ran into Minato at the market and invited him over for dinner.”

Sakura stared at her mother. The woman had said the words so simply and casually; as though this weren’t a big deal. As though she hadn’t invited Sakura’s boyfriend into the den of crazy that was their family home.

“Why would you do that?”

Biwako gave her a look, “You’ve been dating for four months now. Anytime the both of you are in the village you’re glued to each others’ hips.”

“We’re still in the getting to know each other stage. That’s normal.”

Her mother snorted, “At four months into our relationship I had designated days were your father wasn’t allowed to see me. I needed the break. Most normal people do.”

“Are you staying I’m not normal?”

“Of course not. You are a completely normal, time traveling kunoichi. Every mother has one of those.”

“I’m sensing sarcasm.”

Biwako smiled, and gently patted Sakura’s cheek, “Where do you think you get it from?”

Sakura didn’t have a response to that. The fact that she was not her mother and father’s biological child never seemed to stop them from commenting on which traits she got from each of them. Apparently her stubbornness came from the third and her chakra control came from Biwako. She didn’t bother to fight it. It meant that they truly thought of her as their daughter, and Sakura was thrilled with that.

Sakura wandered back to the living room and collapsed on the couch. She and Minato had been back from the Kanabi bridge mission for two months now. In that time Minato had been kept truely busy with other short term missions while Sakura had worked non-stop at the hospital for months.

She’d been given a short courier mission with her brothers in the following month. She’d also been on an herb gathering mission with Anko and Rin. But there hadn’t been anymore nerve wracking missions, and Sakura was surprisingly okay with that. She continued to train dillegiently; usually with Minato, sometimes with her brothers or Kato, and occasionally with her father.

That had been a new development; a welcome one. She’d come home from an overnight shift angry and upset. She’d lost two kids before she’d even been able to get them to an opperating room, and it had taken its toll. Minato had been away on a mission, Kato had been completing a surgery, her brothers had been away on a mission, and she’d felt alone.

Her father had been in the office late, and had just finished having something to eat when she had trudged in. He’d taken one look at her, told her to change into something she didn’t mind getting dirty, and had led her out to the training grounds.

From there she had been beaten and beaten badly. Her father may be aging, but he hadn’t lost his edge. He was brilliant with his strategies, and all of his moves were calculated. They had destroyed training ground three.

When they had finished she’d been splayed out on the ground exhausted. Her father had taken a seat next to her and placed a hand on her forehead. Gently he had told her, “You stay in your head too much. You tend to over think things, and take anything that goes wrong personally. You can’t do that Sakura. You are an excellent kunoichi, but even you can’t win against death every time.”

On some level Sakura had known that. She knew she couldn’t save everyone. That didn’t mean people didn’t think she could. It didn’t mean she hadn’t taken every death personally. She’d seen the passion Tsunade had had for keeping people alive, and she’d made it her own. Death had always been the enemy, and despite her personal second chance, that didn’t mean she would always win. It had been both a crushing and freeing moment.

She stayed on the couch for another minute before she got up and slipped on her shoes. “I’m going out.”

Her mother’s response was as cheeky as ever, “Tell Minato I say hi.”

Sakura told herself that it didn’t bother her at all that her mother knew her that well. She took to the streets of the village instead of the rooftops. She still got stares, but they didn’t tend to bother her that much anymore.

She was passing the weapons shop when she heard someone call out, “Aunt Sakura.” She turned to find Minato, Tsume, Fugaku, and Shikkaku. On top of Minato’s shoulders was Hana. She smiled.

The little girl was smiling widely and wiggling to get down. Minato handled her with grace, picked her up by the waist, and set her on the street. She made a bee-line for Sakura and she scooped the little girl up to rest on her hip.

Since her relationship with Minato had become public they’d spent a lot of time at the Inuzuka compound. She’d found out that Minato usually had dinner over there at least once a week, and was a constant presence in his god-daughter’s life. She had very quickly come to be known as Aunt Sakura.

She cuddled the little girl close. She was talking a mile a minute while the adults approached her.

Tsume grinned and nudged Minato, “Looks like you’ve been replaced as the favorite.”

Her boyfriend smiled brightly, “Can’t blame her.” He swooped down and kissed her cheek. “Hey there.”

“Hi.”

She leaned around and greeted the rest of the group, “Hey you guys.”

The rest of the group greeted her, as Minato’s arm wrapped around her waist.

“Well don’t you three look like a little family.”

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up at the statement. A glance at Minato showed that his face was bright red. She turned towards the new voice, and found Yoshino and a dark haired woman she’d never met before. Yet, she looked familiar. It took only a minute to realize why; her hair, nose, and eyes were the same ones Sasuke had had: Mikoto. The small toddler sized Itatchi attached to her shirt only confirmed it.

It was weird seeing the two of them. While she’d never really seen Mikoto before she’d seen and associated with Yoshino plenty. The Nara matriarch has been a poisons expert in her time. She’d actually had a hand in teaching Sakura. She’d also been the one to help make antiodtes thanks to the Nara clan’s secret techniques and ingredients.

Seeing Mikoto was more surreal. She could see Sasuke’s features in her. And then there was the way she held herself: confident and assured. It was less cocky than Sasuke’s stance had been, but she could see the foundations there.

Fugaku quickly introduced them, “Sakura, this is my wife Mikoto and our son Itachi.”

The Uchiha matriarch smiled warmly, “It is so nice to meet you!”

Sakura smiled, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

Yoshino introduced herself, “I’m Yoshino. I’m married to that lug over there.” Her words were said teasingly, and Shikkaku actually blushed.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

The two women quickly stole her a few feet away, with Hana still on her hip. Minato protested, but a look from Mikoto had him backing down and looking a little sheepish.

She faintly heard Shikkaku tease him about the power of the Yellow Flash.

Mikoto dove right into conversation, “It’s so nice to finally meet you! Minato’s told me so much about you. I haven’t seen him this smitten in forever. It’s so nice!”

Sakura felt herself relax. Mikoto was warm and genuine, but there was steel underneath. Sakura could sense it. This woman was a trained shinobi, and Sakura had a feeling that being a mother hadn’t changed that.

Yoshino chimed in, “We’re sorry we haven’t reached out sooner. Things have been rather hectic lately.”

A light went offf in Sakura’s head, “Of course! You and Shikkaku just got married last month, right?”

She sighed, “Yes, and it was entirely too big of a thing. If we’d had our way your father would have married us, and then we would have fled for a two week honeymoon. As it was I had to endure eight months of my mother and his mother asking me the most inane questions.”

Mikoto snorted, “At least you didn’t have the clan elders trying to force you into a three hundred year old kimono. I digress. Sakura, we’re having a girl’s night this Friday. We wanted to invite you.”

Sakura hesitated for just a second. It had been forever since she’d been to a girl’s night. The last real one she’d had, had been right before The Crush. She and the other girls of her generation had gotten together at Ino’s house and had eaten junk food and gossiped and just been normal. Her heart panged at the thought of her friends. However, Ino would have killed her for turning down a girl’s night.

“That sounds like fun. What time and where are we meeting?”

Mikoto and Yoshino beamed, “This friday. Six o’clock. The Straight Cougar.”

Sakura switched Hana to her other hip and smiled, “I’ll be there barring an emergency at the hospital.”

Tsume appeared out of nowhere and swung an arm around Sakura’s shoulder, “If there’s an emergency Kato can cover. You’ve covered for him enough times.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, “Why do I feel like he doesn’t know you just made that offer?”

“It’s okay. We’re married. I can do that. Just like he volunteered me for helping his mother go clothes shopping last weekend.”

She rolled her eyes, “I’m so happy to be a part of your revenge against your husband.”

Tsume laughed and slapped her back, hard, “Knew you would be. Now give me back my kid. I’ve got to get her home. It’s time for her nap.”

Hana glared at her mother and shook her head, as her little nails dug into Sakura’s neck. Tsume rolled her eyes and pried Hana off of Sakura and threw her under her arm. She waved goodbye and the others couples also dispersed.

Minato made his way back over to her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and settled his chin on top of her head. They stayed like that for a minute before he asked, “Have you eaten lunch yet?”

“Not yet. I got some interesting news before I could.”

“Your mother told you she invited me to dinner, didn’t she?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry. I have this horrible image of her cornering you in the store and bending you to her will.”

He laughed, “It was nothing like that. I was the one who said hello first. Then we started talking about what we were cooking. I offered to teach her a new recipe.”

She looked up at him, “Seriously?”

“Yep. They’re your family. They’re important to you, so I want to get to know them beyond your father giving me missions and orders.”

She melted a little bit, turned in his arms, and kissed him. He kissed her back. When they broke apart he asked, “What was that for?”

“Caring.”

He smiled, “Of course. However, it might also be a bit of bribery. My grandparents would like to meet you.”

Sakura smiled, “You told your grandparents about me?”

They started walking down the street towards a local dango shop, Minato’s arm around her waist. “Yes. They’re excited to meet you. I was thinking lunch next week. I’m on leave through next Friday, so I figured we’d take advantage of it.”

“Sounds like fun.”

They had a quick snack of dango together before Minato had to leave to train with his team. Sakura headed in the direction of the tower, but she didn’t head to their apartment. Instead she headed for her fathers office. The door was open and her father was inside, buried under a stack of paperwork. He was writing furiously as his secretary piled more papers in the spots of the ones that had been cleared out.

He looked up as she came in, but he didn’t stop writing, “Have you come to put me out of my misery?”

She settled on the couch, “Not quite. Mom invited Minato over for dinner tonight. He’s showing her some sort of new recipe.”

“Ahh. So you want me to put you out of your misery.”

“No. It’s nice that he wants to get to know you guys.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

She laughed, “There is no problem. I was just looking for a place to relax for a while.”

He huffed, “Well that will be tow firsts for this office; someone not bringing me a problem and someone relaxing in here. I don’t think that’s ever happened.”

She settled further into the couch, and her father returned to his paperwork. Occasionally, she’d hear her father or his assistant mutter something. Eventually she began to doze. She found herself in the training grounds she’d frequented with Tsunade.

The moment her eyes opened she was moving. A bolder smashed into the ground where she had been standing. She dodged a second one, a third one, and then a forth one, before a foot came flying for her face. She barely dodged that.

Then she met amber eyes. Tsunade, her Tsunade, smiled at her, “I’m glad to see that you haven’t been slacking.”

Sakura smiled. She smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. She threw herself at the woman. Tsunade caught her in a hug, “It's good to see you too brat.”

When they seperated they sat on the ground. They sat there in silence as the wind blew and the birds chirped.

After a little while Tsunade turned to her, “I have to commend you on landing Minato Namikaze. That boy was the heart throb of his generation. Rumor had it that he was an excellent kisser.” She grinned somewhat evilly, “Is the rumor true?”

Sakura felt her face flame red, “Shishou.”

She laughed, “We never got to talk about boys when I was alive. I kept waiting for someone to catch your eye after that damn Uchiha, but no one ever did. And now you have a boyfriend, and I’m dead. It’s so not fair.”

Sakura went quiet at that. As always, Tsunade noticed the change, “I’m not really dead, ya know. You’ve seen me.”

“Yeah, but she’s not you. She didn’t train me. She didn’t take me drinking.”

Tsunade considered her words for a moment, “True, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t need a friend. I was so alone during the war. I was so numb from Dan’s death and the death that surrounded me. It’s why I started drinking. I need a friend Sakura.”

She smiled, “I’ll add it to the list shishou, but for now, can we lay here and talk about boys?”

Tsunade laughed, “Of course!”

They laid there and talked for what seemed like hours until suddenly Tsunade went stiff, and then she scowled. “That snake is nearby. You need to be careful Sakura. He’s always been good at involving himself in things that are none of his business. Now, wake up.”

Sakura’s eyes flashed opened and she just barely resisted the urge to jolt upright. The first thing she saw was the back of her father’s white robes, but just over his head she saw the tell-tale long black hair. Her father clasped his hands behind his back and gave her an ANBU signal to stay quiet. It didn’t do any good.

“I believe the newest addition to your family has woken up sensei, won’t you introduce us?”

Sakura sat up slowly, and suddenly regretted the sun dress she’d decided to wear that day. It had been such a pretty day she’d wanted to take advantage of it. But it wasn’t practical for a fight.

She saw her father’s brief hesitation before he stepped to the side, “Sakura, this is one of my old students, Orochimaru of the Sannin. You met him briefly when you healed Jiraiya.”

Sakura didn’t trust her words. Instead she nodded at him. She watched as he pasted on a charming smile, or at least what he probably thought was a charming smile. After the Forest of Death Sakura found nothing about the man charming.

She’d heard whispers around the village, girls talking in excited giggles about how pretty Orochimaru was, how exotic he was. Theories liked to fly about who he was dating. Sakura was pretty sure it was no one.

“It’s nice to meet you Sakura.”

“Hello.” Her voice sounded off. She hoped that she could pass it off from being asleep. Her father saved her.

“Sakura, why don’t you head upstairs and help your mother with dinner.”

She stood quickly, but before she could move Orochimaru asked, “Is there room for one more sensei? It’s been a while since I’ve seen Biwako or the boys, and I’d love to get to know Sakura more.”

She could almost hear the scheme in in his voice.

“Not tonight I’m afraid. Sakura’s boyfriend is coming over for dinner. He’s teaching Biwako a new recipe.”

He leaned around her father to look at her, “A civilian Sakura? I’m sure you can do better.”

She felt herself bristle. Her father stepped in again, “Minato Namikaze actually.”

She watched Orochimaru freeze. For a brief moment anger consumed his face. Based on her father’s body language he had felt it too. He was mad at that. She had no idea why though.

“Go Sakura.”

Her father’s voice was stern. It was the voice of her Hokage. She did as she was told. She sprinted down the hallway, as fear settled in her gut. She hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t been afraid when she’d seen him the first time. Then again his attention hadn’t been on her.

She was so consumed by her thoughts that she ran right into Minato. He caught her before she could fall, and looked at her funny. “What’s the rush?”

“Orochimaru.”

He paused at that, and something hard passed in his eyes. He handed her a grocery bag, “Head upstairs.”

“Minato.”

“You’re not armed or dressed for a fight. If one breaks out . . .”

She hated that he was right. She took the bag and headed up the stairs. She slipped into the house. Akkiko, Asuma, and Anko were in the living room while her mother flitted around straightneing things that were already straight.

One look at Sakura had her pausing. Sakura did her best to keep her voice light and normal, “Orochimaru stopped by. Dad asked me to come up here. I ran into Minato on the way. He also needed to talk to dad about something.”

The conversation flew over the pre-teens heads, but her mom got her meaning. The scowl was brief, but it was there. She took the bag of groceries from Sakura and didn’t say anything else. Sakura went to change. She no longer felt safe in her dress.

She settled on some leggings and a top, strapped her holsters on and headed back into the den. She settled on the couch and watched the teens as they played a board game. The door cracked open fifteen minutes later, and Sakura was on her feet, ready for anything.

She felt relief flood her as her father entered the house followed by Minato. Neither was smiling. Her father headed straight for the kitchen as Minato made a bee-line towards her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her before he whispered, “Everything is okay.”

She let herself relax as Minato smiled at her, “Although I’m rather mad the interaction with him made you change. I really liked that sundress.”

She felt her face heat up, and she spluttered for a second before he kissed her cheek again and headed to the kitchen. Her father came out a second later and went to his home office.

She followed her boyfriend to the kitchen. Before she could step inside her mother stopped her. “You don’t go past the threshold.” She turned to Minato, “My daughter is talented at many things, but like her father she can’t cook to save her life.”

Minato laughed as he pulled on her mother’s pink apron, and as she settled into her place, she felt things return to normal.

The rest of the night was spent with her family competing for her boyfriend’s attention. Asuma and Akkiko tried to convince him to train with them, her mother talked with him about cooking, her father tried to talk about the different battles he’d been in. They then suckered him into a family game night.

Minato never complained, and his smile stayed firmly in place. It was near eleven o’clock by the time Minato got ready to leave. Sakura glared at her family as she walked him out of the apartment. Her family was all smiled.

She made a point of slamming the door. Was it childish? Yes. Did it feel good? Also yes. “I am so sorry about them.”

Minato laughed, “Why? It was fun.”

Sakura stared at him in shock, “Really?”

“Yeah. I love my grandparents, but they were more subdued because they were older. It was nice to be around a loud family. It’s something I’ve always wanted.”

Sakura started leading him towards the roof, “I was the same way. My biological parents were all about rules and etiquette. It was stifling. It surprises me, how quickly I’ve gotten used to the noise and having siblings. To be honest, I love it.”

They stepped out onto the roof. They stood there for a minute before Minato took her hand. He squeezed it gently before he pulled her to him. She went easily with a smile and a laugh. She reached up, cupped his face, and pulled him down for a kiss.

His lips moved against her’s. When she pulled away his lips trailed down to her cheek, and then to her jaw line. She couldn’t help but laugh, and then bring him up for another proper kiss. This time when they pulled apart he kissed the tip of her nose, tucked a strand behind her ear, winked, and disappeared. Of course that left Sakura with the problem of missing him, but in the grand scheme of things she supposed that was a good problem to have. With that she headed back to her noisy, nosey family.

Notes:

1) As previously mentioned, this is brand new material. The next several chapters will be as well. I've really enjoyed being able to not only edit this story and clean it up, but expand it and go more in depth. Apparently ten years has given me more patience. :D

2) We see both Orochimaru and Tsunade in this. I'm going to address the Tsunade thing first. This isn't the first or the last dream Sakura will have like this. These dreams (which aren't really dreams) are there to help her process her trauma, and move on. In my mind, it's a gift from death, these occasional dreams and conversations she gets to have with the loved ones she's lost.

3) The case of Tsunade. I want to do something for her. I'm not sure what though. I've toyed with the idea of her and Jiraiya ending up together. I've played with the idea of her adopting a kid. I've thought about her getting together with a civilian and having a family. I've thought about her opening an inn. I feel like she needs something. I don't want her going down the path of drinking non-stop. I want her and Sakura to be friends. I want her involved in Sakura's life in the future. Let me know if you have any thoughts. At this point I would say Tsunade is probably in her early thirties.

4) Orochimaru. I hate him. Can't stand him. There is no redemption in my books. And yet. . . his death is a while away. Like cannon timeline far away. Like maybe chunnin exams? Or maybe sooner. Who knows. Either way he eventually dies. Yeah. Sorry if you wanted him to live, but nope.

5) I love that we get to see Sakura interact more with the Third in this chapter and that we get to see more of her relationship with her parents. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

6) Anyways, I would love know some things you think are going to happen, or suggestions on future events. I'm always open to stuff. I can't guarantee that it will happen, but sometimes that stuff inspires me. Leave a review and let me know what you think please. Not going to lie, you get chapters faster that way. LOL.

Chapter 22

“I hear my wife cornered you into going to girl’s night.”

Sakura looked up from where she was braiding Hana’s hair and smiled, “She cornered me in front of others and made sure she had back-up. I couldn’t refuse.”

Kato snorted, “Sounds like my delicate wall-flower.”

“I don’t really mind. It will probably so me some good to have some more friends.”

“Just as long as you don’t forget who your best friend is.”

She laughed. The two of them had finished a shift a little over an hour ago. Instead of going to her own home Sakura had gone to Kato’s. Tsume had been there, Hana on her hip, while she did basic training with the clan’s latest batch of puppies. Kato had quickly stolen Hana away after he placed a kiss on his wife’s cheek. Tsume had shared a conspiratorial look with Sakura before she had returned to her task.

Kato had immediately set to cooking dinner while Sakura entertained Hana. She’d gotten rather close with the toddler over the past couple of months. She’d even been allowed to baby-sit on her own once or twice. To be completely honest, Sakura loved it. Hana was a fierce little girl; she was brave and a handful but still one of the sweetest little girls she’d ever met.

“You’re really good at that.”

She looked up at Kato, he was wearing a dog print apron. “Braiding hair?”

“No. Dealing with kids.”

“I think I might just be good with Hana.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve seen you with the kids at the hospital too. They hang on your every word.”

She snorted at that, “That’s because they’re terrified of me. I’m the mean lady who gives shots and forces them to stay in bed until they’re healed.”

He rolled his eyes at that as Tsume stomped in. “What are we talking about?”

“Sakura thinks she isn’t good with kids.”

Tsume rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. You know that, right?”

Sakura held Hana out to her mother, “Feed your child so we can head out. I have an early day tomorrow, and I need to be home at a decent time.”

She tried to not be offended when Kato started laughing and didn't stop. That attempt failed when he hit the floor and banged his head on the stove on his way down. Tsume sighed, put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, “Somedays I can’t believe I’m married to this doofus.”

Kato ended up having a concussion, and that meant Tsume couldn’t leave him by himself. And that meant that Sakura was going to girl’s night by herself. She trudged through the streets of Konoha and cursed her best friend as she went. The sun had set and the lights from the stores and apartments had flooded the street.

She had to weave her way through the crowd at the Straight Cougar. It was packed beyond belief and it seemed to be more standing room than anything. Yet somehow, the ladies she was meeting had secured a table.

Yoshino, Chikako, and Mikoto were sitting at table in the back. Drinks were already ordered and they seemed to be deep in discussion. Yoshino noticed her first, smiled, and waved her over, “Sakura!”

Sakura felt a small smile form as she slid into the open seat next to Mikoto. They greeted each other and Chikako asked, “Where’s Tsume?”

“At home. Kato cracked his head on the stove.”

Mikoto raised and eyebrow, “How did he manage that?”

“Laughing.”

“I don’t want to know why.”

“Good choice.”

For the most part Sakura listened to the conversation around her.

“They want to put him in the academy. He’s not even four and they want to put him in the academy! They’re absolutely nuts!”

Yoshino glowered, “That’s beyond nuts. Please tell me Fugaku isn’t considering it.”

“He doesn’t want to, but the elders are being pushy. It’s clear Itachi is a prodigy and they want to capitalize on that. It will bring glory to the clan or something like that.”

Sakura sipped on her drink, and for once she didn’t bother speeding up her metabolism. She hadn’t even begun considering the Uchiha massacre. It wasn’t an immediate threat, she’d thought she’d have time. Apparently she was wrong.

What she said next she blamed on the alcohol, “They want him to achieve greatness, right?”

Mikoto turned towards her and glowered, “Those stupid words do sound annoyingly familiar.”

Sakura let out a huff, “You have to paint in a way to where doing too much too soon would be seen as a detriment to the clan. If you have him focused on training and being a shinobi this early then you can screw him up later on in life.

“If he doesn’t know how to interact with other he’ll have a hard time working with others on a team which could lead to a bad light being shown on the clan. Or if they really want to shoot high, mention him becoming Hokage one day. He has to have socialization skills for that.”

Mikoto raised an eyebrow at that, “You think that will work?”

Sakura considered it for a minute. Her brain was a little fuzzy. “I would put more planning into it. I would have a counter offer ready to go. If all else fails . . . well there’s a swamp on the boarder of water that is great for hiding bodies.”

That made everyone laugh.

Yoshino took a shot and a little bitterly said, “We might have trouble getting there. We don’t really leave the village much anymore.” Sakura stored that away for later.

Chikako laughed, “I’ve never left the village.”

Mikoto nodded, “I haven’t been outside the village since Itachi was born. I don’t see them letting me out anytime soon.”

“Do you regret it?” The question was out before she could stop it, and it was clearly addressed to the whole group. She really needed to start speeding up her metabolism.

Chikako was the first to respond, “No, but I also didn’t live the same life you all did. I never had enough chakra to be a kunoichi. To be honest I never had a desire to be one. I always wanted to get married and be a mother. I suppose that’s not what you want to hear. . .”

Sakura shook her head, “Don’t say that. If that’s what you want and what makes you happy, then that’s a good thing.”

Yoshino and Mikoto nodded before Mikoto joined in, “I always wanted a family, but I also wanted my career. I never planned to marry Fugaku. I never planned to be matriarch. I don’t hate it. I love my husband, stubborn bastard that he is, and I love Itachi more than I thought I could ever love anyone. However, I do miss the thrills of missions.”

Yoshino took a little more time, “I love Shikaku. I really do, but I don’t think I realized what I was giving up. I was on my way to making jounin, I was rising to the top of my field in poisons, and now . . . Now it’s a fight to be allowed to go to the lab. And Shikaku is trying. He’s really trying to make them understand, but it’s their job to look out for the best interest of the clan. And the clan’s best interest is an heir. The moment the stick turns pink I won’t even be allowed to work with poisons anymore.”

The words hung heavily in the air. In some ways the words were very sobering. Sakura had never thought of how children would impact her career. To be honest, she hadn’t really thought of having a family since she was a little girl. She’d been certain she would die in battle before she was twenty-five. She’d been partially right. The fact that she’d been sent to another time period with her death was a loophole more than anything.

More than likely, if she married Minato, it would mean limiting her time in the field. Whatever child or children they had would deserve to have both its’ parents. And if Minato became Hokage, that mean more enemies and more fame. It meant more eyes on her. Those were things to consider.

She didn’t want to regret her choices, and while she didn’t think she’d ever regret Minato or a cfamilyhild, she still wanted to be Sakura. She closed her eyes as a wave of nausea came over her. She pushed it away.

Mikoto nudged her, “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just been a while since I’ve been out drinking.”

Yoshino smiled, “Be happy Tsume stayed home or we’d have done three rounds of shots already.” They all laughed at that . . . and ordered another round of drinks.

Chikako turned to Sakura, “So we’ve all talked about the men in our lives. Now it’s your turn.”

Mikoto actually squealed, “I’m so happy for the two of you! Minato and Fugaku have been friends for forever. He was in our wedding, did you know that?”

“I didn’t actually.”

“Fugaku won’t admit it, but I think he considers Minato his best friend. It’s so cute.”

Yoshino smirked, “To be fair, Minato gets along with almost everyone.”

Mikoto, rather maturely, stuck out her tongue at Yoshino. Yoshino ignored her and pinned Sakura with a look, “Time to dish. Kushina was notoriously tight-lipped about her relationship with Minato. She refused to discuss anything about him.”

Was she willing to share? That was the question Sakura had to ask herself. Maybe it was time to take a risk? “We’re taking things slow, but it’s been really nice. He gets along well with my family, and he’s really good at feeding me. I can’t cook to save my life. He gets me.”

Chikako smiled, “That is so sweet!”

“And not what I was talking about,” Yoshino leaned in, “I mean the other stuff.”

Sakura didn’t blink, “There’s no way in hell, I’m telling you about any of that.”

“Mean!”

“Come by the hospital tomorrow and I’ll show you a new poison we’ve encountered from sound.”

Yoshino grinned at that, “You’re forgiven.”

As the night went on the women stopped getting refills and started downing water instead. While this was a nice retreat they all had responsibilities in the morning. By the time last call came Sakura was still buzzed but she could function. She was no worse off than a drinking trip with Tsunade. She only realized how wrong she was wrong when she got home and she went to face plant on the couch and hit the floor instead.

. . .

“You’re an idiot. An absolute idiot.”

Sakura glared at a cackling Kato. In this moment in time he was the loudest thing she had ever heard . . . and she had been on a team with Naruto Uzumaki for most of her life.

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“I do. You don’t have a hangover.”

“I also don’t have a bruise on my forehead or a black eye from when I tried to get up.”

Sakura sighed. She knew her face didn’t look great right now. In fact she looked like she’d been in a fight and lost. She didn’t remember much after her faceplant, but her parents sure did. Apparently her father had been forced to scrape her off the floor, and she’d managed to bang into a shelf on her way to her bedroom.

Kato popped a grape into his mouth, “I can’t believe you lost a fight with a shelf.”

Sakura was two seconds from responding when a gennin burst into the office she shared with Kato. Chi, who had taken up residence on their couch cocked his head at the new addition.

The out of breath genning wheezed out, “Sarutobi-sama, you’ve been requested by the Hokage.”

She grimaced, “I think I’m about to get yelled at.”

Kato gave a toothy grin, “Have fun.”

She may have flipped him off as she trudged out of the office, but who could say? The journey home took way longer than she would have expected. The sun hurt. Moving hurt. The sounds of the birds hurt. Everything hurt. When she finally reached her father’s office she was ready to throw up. Luckily she wasn’t alone.

Mikoto and Yoshino were both there, and they looked just as miserable as she did. And then there was Tsume and her mother; stewing in anger on the other side of the room. She didn’t make it to a chair, she just slumped against the wall and slid down.

Her father just looked amused. She looked at him with pleading eyes, “Please tell me the world doesn’t need saving today.”

Her mother glared, “You couldn’t save a kitten in the condition you’re in.”

Sakura acknowledged the statement, “You’re absolutely right. Which is why I’m never drinking again.”

“I wouldn’t drink again either if I lost a fight with a table.” Her friends all snickered.

Mikoto and Yoshino echoed her sentiment. That’s when Tsume exploded, “You four can’t give up drinking! It’s bad enough that you all bonded and got wasted without me, but now you want to give it up before I can join in!?!”

The three women answered as one, “Yes.”

Tsume continued to pout as her mother glowered. Yoshino picked herself up, “Why isn’t Chikako here?”

Her father answered, “Because she isn’t a kunoichi.”

That got all of their attention, “I have a low stakes courier mission. It stays in the land of fire.”

Mikoto raised an eyebrow, “Why are Yoshino and I being summoned? We’re not on the active roster.”

Her father took a drag of his pipe, “You are for this mission. I’ve already cleared it with the clans. You four along with Biwako are to deliver this scroll to a crazy, old bat who lives in the mountains outside the village.”

Her mother turned on her father, “That’s my mother!”

“I stand by my statement.”

Her mother threw her hands up in exasperation and stormed out of the office. Her father turned to her, “At least you aren’t in the doghouse alone now.”

Sakura snorted, “No, but I am the one who has to go on a mission with her.”

He shrugged. It’s a three day journey there and three day journey back. A team of gennin could do it, but I’m out of gennin. And after what you said last night, I thought this would be a nice surprise.”

She perked up at that, “And what did I say last night?”

Her father grinned, “That your friends were too badass to stay in the village all the time. That they were young and married, not dead and married. There were a few other things, but they were mostly mumbled.”

Her new friends grinned at her, as they headed out to pack. Sakura stayed on the floor. Her father gave her a look, “Scared to go upstairs and face your mother?”

“Terrified.”

“I would be too. The few times I’ve come home like that I ended up sleeping on the couch for a week. The moment she was sure you were safe, she started ranting about you taking after my side of the family. Many of those traits led to me being Hokage, so personally I don’t think they’re too bad. I just wouldn’t make a habit of it.”

“I have two things to say. I’ve been here for over six months and this is only the second time I’ve gone out drinking. Two, you remember there’s no blood relation, right?”

Her father snorted, “Why the hell does that matter?”

And really, how was she supposed to argue with that?

Eventually, Sakura snuck into the apartment, but her mother was waiting. “You are not stupid Sakura Sarutobi, in fact you’re one of the brightest minds I’ve ever seen. You get that from me. Which is why I’m having a hard time understanding, why at twenty-one years old. . .”

“Twenty-two actually.”

Her mother froze, “Excuse me?”

“I turned twenty-two last week.”

Biwako’s eyes grew large, “And you didn’t tell us?”

“It’s not a big deal. I haven’t celebrated my birthday in years.” She shrugged.

“You were in a life in death war, of course you didn’t!”

“Mom . . . I’m still in a life and death war.”

“It’s not as life and death as the last one. We are celebrating young lady. I don’t know when or where, but we are. But NO drinking!”

And that was the end of that conversation. There were no more lectures, or anything of that nature. So, Sakura trudged around her room and packed for her mission. When she was done, she collapsed on her bed and dozed on and off for a few hours before she felt the bed dip.

She was immediately awake, and her body sprung into action. She threw the chakra filled punch before she could even register what she was doing. Then she saw a flash of yellow and tried to pull back, but it was too late. Luckily, Minato dodged it.

Amusement quirked his lips, “Hello to you too.”

“I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I startled you.” He looked at her with a inquisitive eye, “So you really did lose a fight with a table.”

 

She scowled, “Did Kato tell you that?”

He laughed, “No, Mikoto did. I was with Fugaku when she came in and told him she had a mission with you. He’s only a little freaked out by the idea of having to care for Itachi on his own, but he was happy for her.”

Sakura smiled at that, “I’m glad.”

He leaned in, and gently pressed his forehead against hers, “I’m happy for you too. By the way. Just do me a favor, don’t end up in the hospital this time. We really need to break that streak.”

She laughed, “Like you’re one to talk, you’re always in the bed next to mine.”

He hmmed, before he whispered, “Sometimes I’m in the same bed.”

She felt her face flame, before he placed a kiss on her cheek, “More good news is, you’ll make it back in time for dinner with my grandparents.”

Sakura could honestly say she was looking forward to it.

Minato stayed with her until it was time to go. As a group they left to head to the village gates. Minato walked with her while he father stayed next to her mother. The others were already there. And after a few more goodbyes, they headed out with Sakura’s mom in the lead.

Notes:

1) I'm sorry. Did someone ask for female bonding? Cause yesssss please.
2)The trio of Mikoto, Sakura, and Yoshino makes my heart sing. Yes Kato is her best friend, but she needs her girl group too. She needs these women who understand what she is going through. So yes, plan to see those relationships grow.
3) Sakura being good with kids is a hill I will die on. However she also knows she's going to have to make hard choices about this stuff in the future. How would she handle a husband and kids with her career? That is something she hasn't had to think about before.
4) Have I mentioned lately how much I love Kato? Cause I do.
5) Biwako and Hiruzen assigning inherited things to Sakura continues to make me laugh.
6) This is completely new content by the way. The girls' night was mentioned in the original, but it was never fleshed out. I'm happy I got to write it out. It's really setting up those relationships for Sakura and deepening her connection to the timeline. Yay for being a more patient writer!

Okay. Short notes this time. Please leave a review.

Chapter 23

“So, I can’t help but notice that you don’t seem very happy to go see grandmother.”

They were traveling a brisk speed, faster than she would have expected. As their feet touched down on tree branches and propelled them forward, Sakura’s mother shot her a look, “There are many reasons I’m not happy to go see my mother. She’s a harpy, a witch, and just generally unpleasent. It’s one of the reasons your father sends me.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that, “Because the two of you get along?”

“Ha! No. My mother hates me. She always preferred my brothers, but no matter how much she may dislike me she’d never kill her own child. She has no problem killing everyone else.”

From her mother’s tone, Sakura didn’t doubt it. Her own biological mother hadn’t liked Sakura, and hadn’t seemed to care if she lived or died. Biwako was the exact opposite; she loved Sakura and she had no doubt her mother would hunt down anyone who dared to hurt her.

“What happened to your brothers?”

Her mother shrugged, “Two died in infancy, and the other three died in battle. I’m the only one left.” Despite her mother’s nonchalant behavior, Sakura could still hear the hints of grief in her mother’s voice.

“Is that why she lives on a mountain in the middle of nowhere?”

“No. She lives in the middle of nowhere because she doesn’t like people. It also gives her a reason to complain about me never visiting and never bringing you and your brothers to visit.”

“Not dad?”

“She hates your father. She even tried to kill him a few times.”

Sakura didn’t ask anymore questions after that. She did finally understand why her father had sent a team on this mission though. Her mother might have been the main contact, but Sakura was the muscle, Mikoto was a weapons specialist, and Yoshino was a posions specialist. If Sakura had to guess those were her grandmother’s weaknesses.

After a while Sakura fell back to run with Mikoto and Yoshino, and relayed the little information she had learned. Yoshino blinked a few times, “So she’s crazy?”

Sakura hesitated, “Well, I don’t know. . .”

Her mother interrupted her, “Yes.”

Mikoto laughed, “Can’t be any worse than Fugaku’s mother. The old bat tried to kidnap Itachi and ‘raise him properly.’ I broke her arm. For some reason, she hasn’t come around since.”

Yoshino laughed, “You’re making me feel better about my inlaws. All my mother-in-law did was warn me about how lazy Shikaku can be.” She turned towards Sakura, “What about Minato’s parents? Have you met them yet?”

“They died when he was young. His grandparents raised him. I’m meeting them the week we get back.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Terrified. I’ve never done the whole meet the parents thing.”

“Just be glad he isn’t part of a huge clan. They’re a pain in the ass.”

They traveled in silence until the sun set and they reached the bottom of the mountain. “We’ll make camp here for the night. Yoshino, you and I will set up the camp. Mikoto, Sakura, go get the fire wood.”

Sakura didn’t argue. She knew better. She and Mikoto headed into the trees.

“Thank you for this.”

Sakura turned to look at the Uchiha Matriarch, “For what?”

“Getting me on a mission. I know it’s technically a baby mission. . .”

“Something tells me this is far from a baby mission.”

 

She laughed, “Either way, I’m grateful. I’ve missed this.”

“I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to get you anymore missions, but I’m happy to train with you. Yoshino too.”

“That would be really nice. You’re a good friend, Sakura.”

And all Sakura could do was smile at those words.

By the time they got back to the camp, the sleeping bags were set up, and food rations had been unleashed. Sakura let Mikoto do the fire jutsu once the twings were set up. They ate in silence, and before they headed to bed Biwako set up a watch schedule. Sakura was assigned the last shift.

She didn’t sleep well. She woke up often. Luckily, there were no nightmares. By the time Yoshino came to wake her, she’d maybe gotten three hours of sleep. That didn’t stop her from dragging her but out of her sleeping bag, and heading to the lookout point.

They started up the mountain early the next morning. They only got halfway up before they had to stop. The air was significantly thinner and colder; they all needed time to adjust. Once again they made camp, only this time none of them slept well. The next morning they were all silent and cranky as they began to climb again. The only one who dared to speak was her mother, who cursed her grandmother the entire rest of the way up.

By the time they reached the top, none of them were exactly cheerful. They followed Biwako to a cave, and stayed back as Sakura’s mother stomped inside. Then her mother let out a furious scream, and a shiver went down Sakura’s back. She immediately went to stand with Yoshino and Mikoto.

She watched as her mother stomped out of the cave, “THE WITCH IS AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAIN!”

Mikoto cocked her head to the side, “Excuse me?”

“She left me a note saying she decided to spend the winter at the base of the mountain, because it gets too cold otherwise. SHE KNEW WE WERE COMING! WE COME AT THE SAME DAMN TIME EVERY YEAR!” Sakura watched as her mother dissolved into curses as she stomped back the way they came.

It was several minutes before Yoshino said what they were all thinking, “This old lady is mean.”

As a group they headed back down the mountain. This time there was no stopping. Biwako was on the war path and nothing was going to stop her from yelling at the old lady she called her mother. By the time they made it back down, everyone was exhausted and cranky.

“You three are going to stay here and rest. I am going to go find my mother, get what we need, and then we’re going home.”

No one argued. Instead they once again, set up camp. Sakura took the first shift. Mikoto and Yoshino were obviously exhausted, and Sakura knew she could keep going for a while. She tended to the fire and occasionally she sent out threads of chakra to check the area. When her shift was done, she didn’t bother waking Mikoto. Instead she stayed nestled in her tree. She allowed one leg to hang down and swing back and forth.

“Hanging legs like that make excellent bear chow.”

The voice startled Sakura. She hadn’t heard anyone approach, and she hadn’t felt a chakra signature. She peered down to find a little old woman staring up at her. She had long white hair, and big eyes, and she was dressed rather traditionally. There was a large scroll on her back.

She hopped down from her spot, “I didn’t realize there were bears here.”

The woman shrugged, “Why would you? Shinobi rarely recoginize the nature around them. They don’t care about the destruction they bring.”

“No. I suppose we don’t.”

The little old woman blinked at her before a vicious grin spread over her face, “You’re not going to try and deny it.”

“No. I tend to use brute strength in a fight. And when someone’s life is on the line, I don’t think much about my surroundings. To be honest, unless I’m looking for a vantage point or an exit I don’t think much about it in general.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“I gave up my rose colored glasses a long time ago.”

The woman began to hobble away. Sakura didn’t follow. Her teammates were here. She wasn’t leaving them unguarded.

“Don’t know why you’re lagging behind. Those other two woke up a few minutes into our conversation. But if they know what’s good for them, they’ll stay here while we talk.”

Sakura’s chakra searched for Mikoto and Yoshino. She found them nearby, nearly undetectable. Their chakra was being suppressed. She waited several seconds for one of them to flair their chakra in a way that showed they were okay. Yoshino did it a second later, and Sakura turned to follow the old woman.

She wasn’t scared of the old woman. She wasn’t sure why, she just wasn’t. That didn’t mean she dropped her guard though. That would have been stupid.

They stopped next to a lake where the old woman settled down on the bank. Sakura sat next to her. They sat in silence for a few minutes before the old woman started talking again, “I’ve never been a fan of shinobi. The only one I could really stand was Hashi, and that’s because he cared about my forrest.”

She turned to look at Sakura, “It’s been my family’s job to care for this forrest for generations. We tended to the trees, made sure it stayed safe. That will end with me I suspect. My children are all gone.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“I imagine you’ve had you own share of losses, I can see it in your eyes.”

“You could say that.” Sakura didn’t elaborate. She never did. Instead she moved to take off her boots. She tossed them back a ways, and rolled up her pants before she stepped into the water. It was cool on her feet. It grounded her.

“Many of these trees have been around since long before shinobi. They’ve certainly been around longer than those villages everyone is so proud of. We used to be able to listen to the nature and live with it in harmony. Those days are long gone.”

Sakura didn’t say anything for a while. Finally, she settled on, “I think there’s a balance. I think we need to learn to live in balance with what’s around us, but there’s also room for improvement and changes. It would be horrible if it all disappeared.”

“Yes. I imagine watching it all burn the first time was traumatizing enough for you.”

It took everything Sakura had to not respond right away. What in the world had given her away? She’d literally never spoken of it to anyone she was traveling with. Biwako knew, but she wouldn’t say anything. She certainly didn’t have all the details.

“Oh stop over thinking it. The trees told me. Some things are just in nature. They know when the universe decides to change things. And when that happens, they tend to tell the little old woman who helps take care of them, hmm Sakura Haruno.”

Sakura turned to face the woman. She now wore a toothy grin, but several were missing. “I don’t know who that is.”

“Despite what you think, or whatever analogy your stupid father has made, you’re still that girl. You lived that life. You fought a war. You lost your home. You lost your family. Those things still happened. Now you’ve been given a chance to make sure it doesn’t happen, and in a way start life over. A rather tedious task if you ask me.”

Sakura went a little further into the water, so that the water could hit her knees. “Madara is going to be a tricky bastard. You’re going to have to be on the lookout for him. And that boy of yours, that’s going to be complicated as well. Not in the way you think though.”

Sakura sighed, “So you see the past and the future?”

“I don’t see anything. I just know what they tell me.”

“Who are they?”

She leaned forward, “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

 

Sakura trudged back to the shore, “I would actually.”

“Too bad. They can’t tell you anything. Neither can I. Hell, I’m not even allowed to help you. Lucky for you, I know some beings who can.”

Sakura’s hands went to her waist, “Really, who’s that?”

Something large came flying at her face. Out of instinct she caught it. She felt her stomach leap into her throat. It was the scroll from her back, “A summoning contract?”

“You need some muscle and some wisdom. These creatures will provide that.”

Sakura carried the scroll back to the grass and unfurled it. She read the clan name and turned to find the old woman hovering behind her, “BEARS?”

She shrugged, “Most of the women in our family have signed that contract. Your mother included, although I’m not sure why since she thinks I hate her. Only the sage knows why.”

The realization hit her a second later, “You’re Biwako’s mother.”

“That’s grandmother to you, but yes. My name is Kagami.”

Sakura stared at the names littering the scroll. Sure enough, her mother’s name was the last entry. In a lot of ways it reminded her of the scroll Tsunade had had her sign, but this was an entirely different contract. A new summons. A family summons. She looked up at her grandmother, “Are you sure?”

The toothy grin reappeared, “Only one way to find out.”

Sakura carefully bit her thumb, and wrote her name out before putting her fingerprints down. A second later the scroll was yanked away and rolled back up before her grandmother put it on her back.

She then walked to a large rock and jumped onto it, “Go on then. Give it a try. It’s best if I’m here for the first meeting so they don’t eat you.”

“Eat me?”

“If they don’t find you worthy, they’ll eat you. Unlike those slugs they have standards. Small details. Now hurry up.”

Sakura glared before she went through the familiar signs. Tsunade had taught her this justsu. Instead of one pop there were several. A few seconds later two large bears, appeared around her. She got no warning before the first one roared and charged her. She jumped out of the way, and channeled chakra into her feet.

Before she could land her grandmother called out, “Be careful of your surroundings. They get a little ornery if you destory a forrest.” She canceled that and then began a series of dodges. The bears had long teeth and large maws. They had no problem snapping at her. Then there were their claws; they were long and razor sharp. One swipe would be enough to take an arm of a leg off.

Sakura didn’t know much about bears. She’d never studied them, and she had avoided them in the forests surrounding Konoha. It was the only smart thing to do after all. Now, here she was, fighting for herself against one. Something told her playing dead wasn’t an option.

Eventually she came up with a plan. She went after the biggest bear first. She was big, brown, and vicious. Sakura narrowly avoided her claws in time to slide between her feet, while she wove a trap with wire. As she pulled backwards the bear went up. She had a feeling that wouldn’t hold her for long.

She went after the black bear next. While she was a little smaller, she was also faster. For this one, Sakura used direct combat. She used a kick to the sternum, and a low level earth jutsu to dig a hole.

She was just starting to catch her breath when she felt a large paw bonk the top of her head. It was the brown bear. She settled onto her haunches and said, “Not bad cub.”

Sakura stared at her owlisly for a movement, “You can talk?”

“Of course. We bears are very smart you know.”

 

A shout came from the hole she had dug, “A little help please!”

“Well most of us.”

Sakura did another earth jutsu to release the black bear and set the forrest right. The black bear studied her for a second, “She’s very tiny.”

“Most humans are.”

“She’s skin and bones.”

“We’ll fatten her up.”

The two bears continued to talk about her until Kagami let out a sharp whistle. That seemed to focus them. They turned to Sakura and the brown one introduced herself first, “I am Utano,” she gestured to the black bear, “And this is Shiko. We are two of many. The bear clan is large and vast. Everyone is excited to meet you little summoner. However, we will most likely be the ones to respond to your calls, unless you need someone smaller or bigger.”

 

Once again she bonked Sakura’s head with a petting motion. That was going to get annoying.
Kagami jumped off the rock and approached her, “Over the next few months, you’ll want to summon them frequently. You need to learn to work with them. They’re not just a tool to be used. Your mother never understood that.”

“I UNDERSTOOD THAT PERFECTLY YOU CRAZY OLD BAT! THEY JUST DIDN’T LIKE ME.”

Sakura peered around the bears as her mother stomped over followed by Mikoto and Yoshino. She then returned to her hiding place behind the bears. They looked at her and she shrugged, “My mother can be scary.”

They plopped down beside her to enjoy the show.

Her grandmother’s attitude did a complete 180, “I see you finally decided to show up.”

“We climbed all the way up that damn mountain to go see you, but YOU WEREN’T THERE!”

She sniffed, “The cold hurts my old bones. It’s better for me down here.”

“AND YOU COULDN’T SEND A NOTE?”

“Honestly Biwako, must you be so loud? I raised you better than this.”

Sakura watched her mother’s eye twitch, “Where are the herbs we need.”

“My oh my. I completely forgot about them. They’re still up in my winter home.”

Mikoto and Yoshino made their way over to her. Along with the bears they watched her mother and grandmother fight for the next hour. By the time the second hour started Sakura made an executive decision. She turned to Mikoto, “I’m going back up the mountain to get what we need. I’ll try and be back before the fight is done.”

Her grandmother stopped her, “I didn’t really leave it up the mountain Saku. I just wanted to drive your mother crazy.”

Her mother looked ready to commit murder, “You do that just by living.”

“Saku, Utano, Shiko, follow me.”

As they walked off she heard her mother let out a scream. When her grandmother cackled, Sakura decided to ignore it. She was led to an area surrounded by genjutsu. Her grandmother turned to her, gave a stern look, and said, “Stay here. No one comes in.”

Sakura did as she was asked. A moment later the bears plopped down beside her. Instincually her hands went to their fur. It was coarse in some places and softer in others. She imagined their winter coats were coming.

“Do you all hibernate?”

Utano bopped her head again, “Some of us do. Not all. Depends on if we’re here or on our mountain.”

Shiko rumbled a content sound in her chest when Sakura scratched behind her ears, “The land of Fire tends to stay warm. We don’t have a need to here.”

They lapsed into silence, and a moment later Sakura’s grandmother came out. She held out a bag and Sakura took it. She got another toothy grin. “Don’t doubt yourself Saku. Things will work out.”

“They said that in my time.”

“And they did, didn’t they? You’re here. You’re fixing things. Eventually those you love will find a way back to you. Now go on. I’m cold. I’m going to bed. Tell your mother, if she wishes to screech at me, she can come find me another time.”

“Sleep well grandmother.”

With that she turned around and headed back to her group, with the bears right behind her. Her mother was cursing the sky when she got back, but Mikoto and Yoshino didn’t look bothered at all.

Mikoto grinned, “You got the herbs?”

“I really hope so. I’m not sure my mother can take much more of this.”

Yoshino gently stole the bag away and started going through it. After a few minutes, she gave a thumbs up.

“Mom, we got what we needed. We can go home now.”

“Finally!”

Sakura watcher her mother stomp past them.

Shiko leaned forward, her snout near Sakura’s ear, and whispered, “This is why the clan never liked her.”

“Hey. That’s my mom.”

Utano started walking, “Doesn’t change the facts.”

Sakura’s eyes narrowed, “But it does change the way you talk about her. I don’t tolerate anyone talking cruelly about my family.”

The bears just grinned.

As they started the journey home, Sakura wondered when her life had evolved into crazy mothers, friends, and arguing with bears. Kakashi and Naruto were laughing somewhere. She just knew it.

Notes:

1) This is another brand new chapter. I really love that Sakura's friendships with Yoshino and Mikoto get to grow in this chapter, and that they get to go on a mission together. Kagami may be one of the most interesting characters I've created. She is jaded, and cruel, and knows things she shouldn't. She is not a good mother. She doesn't really like her own daughter and it shows. The sons were more important to her, and now that she's lost them, she only has Biwako who really doesn't want anything to do with her. As a result, she is now transferring affection to Sakura.

2) Sakura is not that naive. More than likely Sakura will need Kagami's help. However, Sakura won't have much affection for her. She is team Biwako. That is her mother.

3)The way Kagami raised Biwako has impacted how she raises her children. She is determined to not show favoritism. She wants her children to know that she loves them. Which also contributes to how she took in Sakura and claimed her as her own.

4) The bears. I felt like this was an unexpected summons for Sakura, but not at the same time. They're brash like she is. More direct.

5) I am debating a second summons. Thoughts?

6) I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Be sure to let me know what you think!

Chapter 24

Sakura stared at herself in the mirror. Her dress was pretty but not too fancy. It was clean and ironed. Her hair was simple but styled into loose curls, and her make up looked natural. She looked good. She looked prepared. Yet, she was scared to death.

There was something about meeting Minato’s grandparents that terrified her. She wasn’t sure why. Okay, that was a lie. She kenw why. This was his family. They had raised him. He loved them, and they loved him. She wanted them to like her.

Unfortunately, Sakura had never really thought of herself as likeable. She was stubborn, determined, loud, and strict. Most civllians she knew, frowned on those qualities . . . at least in women.

She stepped out of her bedroom and into the den. Her father, brothers, and Minato were there waiting. Asuma was hangint upside down on the couch, Akkiko has his head buried in a pillow, Minato was reading a book, and her father was reading his paper.

“Well?”

Her father flipped his paper down, glanced at her, and simply said, “Very pretty.”

Minato closed his book, “You look beautiful.”

She shifted from foot to foot, “Are you sure it’s appropriate? It’s not too low cut?”

Her father didn’t look up again, “It goes up to your collarbone. You’re fine.”

She scowled, “You don’t need to sound so annoyed.”

Asuma huffed, “We weren’t during the first outfit option, or the second or third. It was around the fourth that the annoyance started. It was around outfit six that Akkiko started to try and burrow into the pillow. Minato arrived during the eighth outfit try-on. We’re now on number ten.”

Akkiko screamed into the pillow to make his point.

Minato didn’t say anything, but she could see his lips twitching.

She rolled her eyes, “Excuse me for wanting to make a good impression.”

Minato stood up. He was still in his jounin uniform. He took her hand and then kissed her cheek. “You look great. Nothing objectionable. They’re going to love you.”

She relaxed just a fraction, “Okay, let me go find some shoes and then we can go.”

Asuma whimpered, and her father intervened, “Her black shoes are by the door. Get her out of here before Biwako gets home or you’ll never get out.”

Minato took her father’s advice and herded her towards the door. Sakura scowled, and wished her mother was there. She would have understood. She would have helped Sakura pick the right outfit the first time. Instead, she was helping to deliver a baby for an old family friend. Figured.

The moment they walked onto the street Minato tucked her into his side as they walked. “Everything is going to be fine. I promise. They’re excited to meet you.”

She sighed, “I’ve never met the parents of someone I’ve dated before.”

He smiled, “Just means I’m special and I’m your favorite.”

She laughed and kissed the side of his jaw, not quite able to get his cheek, “I thought that was obvious.”

Minato’s grandparents lived in the heart of the civilian district. It was a one-story home with a small garden. And to her surprise and somewhat horror, it was painted orange. She stared at it for a second, and her mind flashed to her best friend. Naruto would have loved it.

“I know. It’s a bit out there. But, they love bright and cheerful things.”

Sakura smiled, “It’s nice.”

She wasn’t able to say anything else before the door to the house flew open and a little old woman came flying out of the house. She tackled Minato in a hug. Her boyfriend returned it with enthusiasm.

His grandmother pinched his cheek, “Minato Namikaze, you were nearly late!”

“Sorry grandma.”

She waved it off and turned towards Sakura. Sakura watched as the little old woman studied her. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but she must have found it because a moment later she took Sakura’s hands and smiled.

“You must be Sakura.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“None of that ma’am stuff. Call me grandma. Everyone does. Well, I’ll be. Minato wasn’t lying. Natural pink hair. I love it. And so pretty.”

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up. Grandma tucked her hand into the crook of Sakura’s arm and began walking towards the house. Minato followed behind.”

The moment the door closed, grandma was yelling, “Hiroshi! THE KIDS ARE HERE!”

Sakura winced at the sudden increase in volume. She quickly explained, “Hiroshi has lost a bit of his hearing with age.”

“I have not! I heard that perfectly fine.”

An older man appeared a second later. He was much taller than his wife, and broader. His hair was pure white however, his eyes were the exact shade of blue as Minato’s. He smiled at her. “You must be Sakura. It is so nice to meet you.”

Grandma pulled her into the sitting room, and she promptly placed inbetween Minato’s grandparents. His grandmother continued to hold her hand. “You know, we were rather worried. Minato has never brought a girl home before,” his grandmother dramatically whispered.

Sakura glanced at her boyfriend. His face had gone bright red, all the way to the tip of his ears.

His grandfather nodded, “Thought he’d never find someone. The shinobi life isn’t exactly suited to a wife and children. We knew no civilian would put up with it.”

Grandma nodded, “Minato doesn’t do well on his own for large amounts of time.”

Her boyfriend shifted into a pout, and mumbled, “That’s not true.”

His grandfather piped in, “I’m just glad he’s out of that depressed phase. The last girl broke his heart. We never met her.”

Grandma nodded, “Didn’t realize I could dislike someone without ever meeting them.”

Minato sighed, “It was mutual. There was no long heartbreak. I’m going to go check on dinner.”

Her boyfriend was barely out of the room before grandma and grandpa started chuckling. They leaned back into the couch, and grandma patted her hand, “Sorry about that. We just wanted a few seconds alone with you.”

Grandpa nodded, “He’s been mighty protective of you. Never seen that before. As a child he’d bring home everyone and anyone.”

“One time he brought home a full team of grown jounin after a mission. Said they needed a home cooked meal. When he was in the academy he would bring home his little friends, all clan heirs. Never thought twice about it.”

“They still stop by when they’re in the district.”

Grandma squeezed her hand, “What we’re saying is, Minato is a sweet man. He truly cares about people. We just wanted to make sure you care about him.”

Sakura hesitated for a second, as she thought of what to say, “I truly care for Minato. He’s an amazing man. You did an amazing job raising him.”

They beamed at that, and after a few seconds of silence grandma said, “If you stick around and keep visiting we might be persuaded to bring out the baby pictures.”

Before Sakura could respond Minato yelled, “No you won’t!”

The rest of the night passed in a blur. Dinner was a pre-cooked casserole made by Minato, and his grandparents talked the entire time. It was nearly ten o’clock by the time they left. And Sakura received hugs from both grandma and grandpa on the way out.

She leaned into Minato as they walked. “Your grandparents are so sweet.”

He laughed. “They can be a lot.”

“So can by family, but they love you so much and they’re so proud of you. It’s very sweet.”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss, and as he pulled back he placed a kiss on her forehead. They started walking again, this time in silence, her hand in his. It wasn’t until they reached the grove of trees outside of the tower that Minato paused again.

She turned to find him staring at her, a smile on his face. She smiled back, “Yes?”

“You know I love you, right?”

Her smile grew, “I kind of figured. You know I love you too. Right?”

“I had a feeling.”

They stood there smiling like two idiots in love for several seconds before Sakura surged forward and hugged him. Sakura had always been a fan of hugs. She felt they were a genuine way of showing love and affection. And Minato’s hugs had the added side effect of making her feel safe.

His arms wrapped tightly around her, as he nuzzled his face into her hair. It was a sweet and innocent moment and Sakura wouldn’t have it any other way.

- - -

Sakura was tired. Not just tired, but deep to the bone tired. She had just finished a fifteen-hour shift at the hospital and was more than ready to be home. In fact, all she wanted in life at that moment was some of her mother's cooking, a hot bath, and her warm bed.

She trudged up the stairs and entered the Sarutobi family home. As always, the house was filled with noise, if not a bit more than usual. As she paused in the doorway, Sakura watched as Asuma and Akiko went nose to nose in some ridiculous argument, as Kakashi added fuel to the fire from the side. Ignoring the argument she made her way to the kitchen to find her mother, Anko, and Minato hard at work.

She didn't make it more than two steps into the kitchen before her mother was there blocking her path. "No."

"I promise that I won't touch the food."

Her mother's eyes narrowed, "You don't have to touch the food; somehow it just burns by your mere presence alone."

Sakura felt her cheeks puff out. While it was more than true, it was still insulting, and she was just about to tell her mother that when she felt an arm go around her shoulders and guide her out of the kitchen. She leaned into Minato's chest and allowed him to guide her past the still-bickering boys and into the family room.

Together they sat down on the couch and she cuddled into his side, taking comfort in his scent that was now surrounding her. After enjoying the quiet for a moment she pulled back to look at Minato. "This is a nice surprise.

You weren't supposed to be back for another few days." It had been five months since the Kanabi bridge mission, and Minato had been placed back on the mission roster after a week of leave. She however, had been regulated to the hospital due to an influx of injured.

Minato smiled "We finished up pretty quick. The kids’ teamwork has been pretty on point lately. Obito and Kakashi are working seamlessly together."

"I'm sure it helps that they've been doing a lot of training together. Rin's brought them in at least four different times that I know of."

Minato chuckled, "I'll take what I can get."

Sakura smiled and leaned in to kiss him. The kiss was warm and sent that tingling sensation to her toes. Pulling back she said, "Welcome home. Now why are you here?"

"It's family dinner night." It was stated as a fact because it was. Since that first dinner, Minato had been a constant presence at family dinner night as long as he was in the village. Minato and his team had left that night with an open invitation every Monday night. Minato had come again the next week, with Kakashi in tow. Rin and Obito each had their own families to deal with, but Kakashi had no one. In all honesty, the young jounin fit right in with her brothers. He had loosened up a bit since that fateful mission and was slowly becoming more like the Kakashi she had once known. It made her smile.

Minato had missed the third week due to a short mission, but Kakashi, dragged by Anko, had still come. She had been positive that he would miss this week too, he hadn't been due back for another two days, but she was happy to have him home.

Their peace didn’t last. It wasn’t long before her mother called for Minato’s help, and she was left with only two options; go play peacemaker between her brothers or hide with her father in his office. She chose the ladder.

She knocked once on the door before she opened it. Her father didn’t look up from his paperwork, "You're working too hard."

“Well hello to you too.”

This time he looked up, and said again, “You’re working too hard.”

Sakura did her best to not groan. This had been a constant argument between her and her parents over the past month. While she hadn't been on any missions lately she had been pulling constant fourteen to sixteen-hour shifts at the hospital. She couldn't help it, she had to do something.

“What would you have me do?

His lips twitched, “Get a full eight hours of sleep.”

“You’re one to talk.”

He held back a laugh, and tossed something at her. She caught the small book, and raised an eyebrow, “The BINGO book?”

“Page 87.”

She settled on the couch and flipped to the page. Her own picture stared up at her. She grimaced.

Word about the Sandaime Hokage's pink-haired, adopted daughter had quickly spread after her last mission. In most cases, making a name for yourself as a shinobi was a good thing, it gave you and your village a certain level of prestige. With her situation, however, it was a bad thing. To be able to complete her goal, Sakura needed a certain level of anonymity.

Having A and Bee know who she was, was one thing; she needed to make allies of them someday; having the entire nation of Iwa gunning for her blood was unnecessary and a bad thing. Not to mention her pink hair didn't exactly allow her to blend in.

They had caught word about her possible inclusion in the next edition of the BINGO book shortly after her last mission. As a result, she had been grounded in the village. They had hoped with some time in the village the rumors would die down.

With Tsunade out in the field nearly all the time, Sakura was among the best of the base medics. She was needed for the daily complicated surgeries and critical patients; which meant she spent a lot of late nights and early mornings at the hospital.

She looked at her father, “We knew it was coming.”

Her parents were worried about her working too hard. She couldn't imagine their horror if they knew the schedule she had kept during her time. Sleep had been a novelty then, not a necessity. More than once she had been carried to her quarters after falling asleep during the middle of a meal.

They weren't the only ones either. Minato, Kato, Anko, and even her brothers had questioned her sleep patterns. She had simply assured them that she was fine. There was no point in telling them that she had dealt with worse. It would only make them worry more.

Still, that hadn't stopped Kato from sneaking work off her desk to be completed by himself or someone else. It also hadn't stopped her brothers from arriving precisely when her shift was supposed to end in order to walk her home. They had no problem with forcefully dragging her out of her office.

And then there was Minato. Whenever her boyfriend was home he would show up halfway through her shift with food, and force her to take a break. It was always homemade, and the man had no problem waiting in her office until she was done with whatever task she was busy with. This applied to all shifts, even the night ones.

So instead of allowing herself to be goaded into this conversation, again, she simply leaned forward and kissed her father's cheek before making her way to the kitchen. With a sigh, he followed her. Food was just being set on the table as they walked into the dining area. Taking her seat, she watched as Asuma, Akiko, and Kakashi appeared out of the boys' room, their bickering in full swing.

Once all the food was set on the table, Minato took his seat next to her, wearing the pink apron Biwako had set aside as his. As always dinner was loud and full of spirit, and when everything was finished Sakura and the younger boys handled the cleanup.

Once the dishes were done, and her hands were soft and pruned she and Minato excused themselves from the apartment. Taking Minato's arm, the two simply began to walk.

Summer was in full swing in Konoha, and while the air was warm during the day, it was a bit nippy tonight. Sakura loved this time of year when the leaves were all green and everyone seemed so alive. It reminded her that the world went on, and that provided some small comfort to her.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts she hadn't realized that Minato had led them off their path until they stopped. They were in a grassy clearing and surrounded by trees. And, sitting in front of her was a large picnic blanket, with a small picnic basket.

She couldn't help but smile, "What in the world is this for?"

Minato sat down on the blanket before taking her hand and pulling her down onto his lap. "We haven't had too much alone time lately. I figured we could use some. Plus we didn’t have any dessert."

Sakura laughed, "I'm fairly certain that is how things will be for the rest of our lives." That was when Sakura stopped. She had envisioned a future with Minato many times, but she had never said anything out loud. If she said it out loud then the dream was real, and if the dream was real, that meant it had a chance of failing or falling apart, and Sakura wasn't quite sure that she could handle that.

Minato's arms tightened around her at the words. He knew what it meant for her to say them. He whispered in her ear, "You've said it. You can't take it back now." He pressed a kiss to her neck. "You're stuck with me now."

His voice was sweet, husky, and filled with love. And as he continued to kiss her neck, paying particular attention to the place that always made her moan, she allowed any fears to fade away. Just for a little bit. She could allow herself this moment. She could be happy.

She turned into the kiss and tangled her fingers in his hair before she pulled back to kiss along his jawline. And when they began falling back onto that picnic blanket, she embraced what was coming; because she could honestly say she had never wanted anything more at that moment in time. She embraced a future.

When Sakura woke the next morning, it was to Minato running his fingers through her hair. It had grown a bit long, going just a bit past her shoulders. They were back in his apartment, and she was grateful for the bed. She leaned over and kissed him; long and slow. She pulled back just a bit and whispered, "Good morning," before leaning back in for another kiss. Sakura knew that the day was going to be good.

After a late start to the day Minato had made Sakura breakfast, before walking her home. Only her mother was home, busy baking in the kitchen, but not busy enough to greet her only daughter. For a moment they just stared at each other before wishing each other a good morning before Sakura went to shower and change.

She appreciated her mother's silence. Her mother wasn't dumb, she knew exactly what Sakura had been up to the previous night, and knew where she had been that morning, but she wouldn't say anything about it. Sakura didn't have to be to the hospital till about six that night, and Minato had reported to the Hokage's office when they had gone their separate ways, which meant he had another mission ahead of him. And that meant Sakura had some time to herself. So, she did what any sane woman who had some rare free time did: she went to her favorite dango stand.

She got exactly three minutes of peace before Tsume sat down in front of her. She was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Still, she didn't say anything, and a moment later she realized why, as Chikako and Yoshino walked into the restaurant, taking up the remaining seats at the table, wearing very similar expressions to Tsume's.

Sakura refused to say anything. She had spent several girl's nights with these women over the past several months. She had gotten to know them all rather well. She would even go as far as to say that they were all friends. It was because of this knowledge that Sakura knew better than to say anything, and instead let them make the first move. "So Sakura," Tsume began, as her smile formed into one of a predator, "Word on the street is, you had a pretty late night last night."

Sakura stayed silent as she picked up her tea and took a sip. Chikako ordered for the rest of the table and Tsume pushed on. "So late in fact that it was actually this morning."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. It was a silent dare for the woman to continue. She should have known better. Tsume's grin widened even more, if that was even possible, and delivered the fatal blow, "The funny thing is, that it wasn't from your home, or even the hospital like normal. It was from Minato's apartment."

Sakura resisted the urge to groan. Her relationship with Minato had been the talk of the village since it had been made public. All eyes had been on them. They had both done an excellent job of avoiding and ignoring the attention. However, that hadn’t stopped their friends from prying into their love life.

For the next hour, Sakura dodged questions about her love life and began the art of redirecting the conversation. Yoshino, whom, she had grown quite close to assisted by talking about her own works with poisons. Chikako was happy to throw in a conversation about new recipes and her horrible mother-in-law. And Tsume. . . well she just sat there and pouted.

“Sorry, I’m late! Fugaku had to stay late, which means I have little ears in attendance.”

Sakura smiled as Mikoto came up to the table as she rummaged through her bag. Itachi stayed quietly at his mother’s side and his eye stayed focused on Sakura’s hair. Most people would have thought it was because of the bright hair or just the fact that she was someone he didn’t know well. Sakura knew better. This child was intelligent. He was studying her, and he was only three years old.

They’d talked briefly about Itachi being a prodigy at their girl's night, but this was more than that.

“Don’t worry. I have a coloring book.” She pulled the coloring book from her purse, and Sakura watched as Itachi frowned.

Sakura moved over so Mikoto and Itachi could sit down. The little boy settled in, and dutifully took up his crayons. Mikoto smiled at her, and shot a pointed look at Itachi. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Mikoto mouthed, “Watch.”

As the conversation continued Sakura kept a close eye on Itachi. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the little boy drew what looked like a shogi board. She watched as he then began drawing pieces and then arrows.

Sakura had never been too big on strategy games. She’d occasionally played with Shikamaru, but she’d never been able to beat him. But she’d noticed his patterns and strategies; strategies that Itachi was now using. She caught Mikoto’s eye and nodded.

Eventually, everyone started to disperse until it was only Sakura, Yoshino, and Mikoto. The three of them had hung out about once a week since they had returned from the mission to her grandmother’s.

They stayed quiet as they watched Itachi continue what he was doing. Eventually, Yoshino whispered, “That’s advanced stuff Mikoto.”

Itachi seemed too absorbed in his drawn game to be interested in what they were talking about, but Sakura knew better.

Mikoto’s hand drifted over Itachi’s hair, “I know. He’s been doing it more often. I’ve been able to hide it from the elders, but Fugaku knows. He thinks it’s the best thing ever. He wants to shout it from the rooftops.”

Yoshino shrugged, “Typical proud dad.”

Sakura hesitated, but of course Mikoto noticed, “Speak your mind Sakura.”

She let out the breath she’d been holding, “Geniuses haven’t always had the best track record in Konoha. I worry that labeling him this young could have adverse effects.”

Mikoto nodded for her to continue, “Go on.”

“They end up one of three ways; eccentric, traitor, or socially inept. Sometimes all three. That pressure can also lead to mental and psychoctic breaks. Yes, he should be challenged, but I think normal and age appropriate activities should also be stressed.”

Yoshino nodded, “I agree.”

Mikoto sighed, “So do I. I’m just not sure how to get Fugaku to agree as well. He was on board with postponing before, but now . . .They already wanted to enroll him in the academy early. If they find out about the strategic thing, I won’t be able to stop it.” ”

Yoshino shifted in her seat, “Bring your honest concerns to him. Explain it all in depth. And if he doesn’t listen the three of us together will make him understand.”

Sakura grinned, “Sounds like a plan to me.”

Mikoto just laughed, “You two are good friends. I’m lucky to have you.”

A second later Sakura felt a little hand grab hers. She looked down to see Itachi still focused on his drawing, but he held her hand tightly, like an anchor. After another hour of talking they headed out. Itachi and Mikoto went one way and Sakura and Yoshino went the other way.

As they walked towards the hospital Yoshino was the first to break the silence "So, you're really not going to tell me anything?"

“I thought we had decided on a course of action for Itachi?”

Her friend rolled her eyes, “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

Sakura grinned "What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom."

Yoshino grinned back "So there was a bedroom?"

Sakura couldn't help herself, the overwhelming urge to indulge in girl talk was quickly overpowering her, "There was a bedroom . . . later in the night."

They stopped and stared at each other, just for a moment before breaking into a fit of giggles. Once the giggles died down Yoshino asked, "So I suppose this means things are getting pretty serious?"

"Things reached serious when he asked my parents for their permission to date me. This was a logical step, completely based on . . ."

"Your love for one another." Yoshino finished.

Sakura nodded, "It's weird, I thought I knew what love felt like and I'm starting to realize that I didn't have a clue. Minato makes me happy, and I hope to god that I do the same for him."

"You do." Yoshino said it so certain;y that it made Sakura pause.

"How do you know?"

Yoshino smiled, "He brightens up around you. He smiles when you enter the room. When you aren't looking he gives you this look, as though you've hung the moon. It's the same look you give him when you think he isn't looking." And that little bit of information made Sakura smile.

She said her goodbyes to Yoshino, and made her way into the hospital as the Nara woman made her way to the herb garden. She passed by the entrance and quickly changed into the clean set of work clothes she always kept there, and made her way to her office.

She found a note there from Minato, alerting her to the fact that he did indeed have another mission, as well as giving her his love. She put the note away, tucked her necklace under her shirt, and set to work.

She was four hours into her shift when Obito and Kakashi came running in, breaking through the door of her patient's room, a look of panic written clearly on their faces. Taking the time to first quickly calm her patient, she ushered the boys out of the room and stared them down.

Her hands went to her hips, in an uncanny impression of her mother, and she asked, "What in the world is going on? What is so important that you're breaking into the hospital past visiting hours?"

It was Obito who answered, "Rin's been taken by Kirigakure."

Notes:

1) Yeah . . .I'm ending it there.

2) I might be a tiny bit evil.

3) LOL

4) Not really. The next chapter will hopefully be up early next week.

5)Minato's grandparents . . .you know how I said I really liked creating Kagami despite her being a trash human being? Minato's grandparents are the opposite of that. They're sweet, but they aren't my favorite characters. They'll make occasional appearances but they won't be critical.

6) Please let me know what you think! Leave a review!

Chapter 25

Sakura moved past the boys and into the hallway, towards the emergency intake area. The area lit up with movement. There was a severely injured chunnin team there. At least one of them was already dead.

Obito’s voice was quiet, “It’s Rin’s team. She was assigned as the medic while Kakashi and I had a retrieval mission.”

Kakashi picked up the story, “We found them about an hour from here. We brought them back. We slipped away to find you once the medics were focused on them.”

Sakura closed her eyes and felt her stomach sink. Rin's kidnapping was a story she knew all too well. She’d gotten the gist of it from others throughout the years. However, she’d gotten the details of it after a near death experience of her own. He’d told her about it right after the village had been destroyed.

She’d taken a lot of hits. She’d been beaten and bruised, and had a sword through her chest. Kakashi had been with her. She’d seen the look of horror in his eyes, and pure panic that had accompanied it. It hadn’t been anything she couldn’t handle. She’d healed the wound as she’d pulled the pole out. What had followed was Kakashi vomiting, her seeing his face for the first time, and a whole lot of alcohol.

In the early morning, before the sun had risen, surrounded by decay and death, Kakshi had silently admitted his anger at Rin. He was mad she’d not only used him to die, but had left him alone.. He had claimed it was his deepest darkest secret. He had felt enormous guilt for feeling that way.

Furthermore, she knew it was what had pushed Obito over the edge. Obito was still madly in love with Rin. He made sure she was included in team decisions and he walked her home after each practice. And Kakashi had taken immense joy in setting them up for alone time. Then again he was younger, and not quite into girls at the moment.

This was a pivotal moment. She needed to prevent Rin’s death, and yet . . .

Still, she knew the chances of the Third okaying a retrieval mission were slim. There was no way in hell her father was going to let Kakashi and Obito go after her themselves. Their futures were too promising. They were two of the brightest of their generation, and for the sake of the village he wouldn't risk their lives for one medic.

She also didn’t think her father would let her go. She was supposed to be keeping a low profile. And her father would argue that since Obito was still alive, things could turn out differently. That left her with one option.

Without any further explanation Sakura shirked the doctor's coat from her shoulders. She tossed it somewhere in the room and began making her way down the hallway and out of the hospital. The boys were hot on her heels. She only had a small window of opportunity to get her things and be on her way.

The apartment would be empty with Biwako at the store, her brothers out training, and her father in his office. She needed to move now. She ignored the questions the boys were asking and gave them orders instead. “Grab what you need for a mission. Meet me at the training grounds in five minutes and not a second later. Rin’s life depends on it.” They were gone a second later.

She slipped in through her bedroom window. She didn’t waste any time. She was changed and ready to go. She just needed her boots, and then she could leave. She secured her pack on her back and headed towards the shoe closet only to find her mother waiting there.

How Biwako knew when something was going down, Sakura didn’t know, but it went way beyond mother’s intuition. Meeting her mother's gaze, she allowed the severity of the situation to show in her eyes. Finally, her mother spoke, "Going somewhere?"

"Retrieval mission."

"Sanctioned?"

"No." Sakura watched her mother move towards her. She stopped only a few inches in front of her.

"Is this important?"

Sakura's answer was firm and decisive, "Yes."

Her mother nodded, "You'll need to go quickly. The guards change shifts in fifteen minutes, that's when you'll need to go. I'll tell the hospital that you got sick."

Sakura threw her arms around her mother in a hug, squeezed her tight, and then made her way out of the apartment. It wasn’t very late at night, only around ten. And because it was a Friday the streets were packed with people. She used the rooftops to avoid them. She landed in training grounds to find the boys waiting for her.

She didn't want to take them. If this mission turned bad, it would be her responsibility to end things and to make sure those two got out alive. It was a sad fact that in comparison, the village valued the lives of these two boys more than the smart little medic Sakura had grown somewhat fond of.

Over the past several months Kakashi and Obito had begun to make names for themselves both separately and together. Their teamwork was very quickly becoming famous and elevating the village's prestige. They were the 'geniuses' of their generation, and it wouldn’t be long before they ended up in the BINGO book.

Still, Sakura understood what it meant to be left behind. The memory of waiting at home during the initial Sasuke retrieval mission had stuck with her over the years. That useless feeling rose whenever she couldn't accomplish a task right away or she got something wrong. They needed to be involved, but not the entire time. She’d have to balance this correctly.

They also had information. They knew where Rin had been taken from, Kakashi had his hounds, and most importantly they worked their best when they were all together. Glancing over them one more time, Sakura couldn't help but smile. These boys weren't going to let her leave them behind, and to be honest Sakura didn't want to.

She addressed the boys, "If you two are coming with me, you will obey my orders. If I say run, you run. If I say stay, you stay. I say leave me behind, you leave me behind. If these rules don't agree with you then I'll knock you out now and leave you here. Because despite your growing abilities you are not on my level yet."

The boys' eyes narrowed, and she couldn't help but hold back a smirk. They didn't like her terms, but they also knew they weren't a match for her . . . at least not yet. Slowly, both boys nodded their heads, but that wasn't enough for Sakura, she knew better than to accept a head nod. "Verbally boys, I want a verbal statement. Do you accept my terms?"

They answered together, in perfect unison "Yes, ma’am."

“Then let's go."

They moved quickly to the other side of the village, to a sparsely guarded area. It was an area that backed up to the forest of death. It was a well known fact, that if one didn't know the area well, you could very easily end up facing one of the many dangerous animals that were known to confront village intruders. Then there was always a chance that they could stumble into one of the many, and vast patches of poisonous plants.

Sakura however knew the area very well. She had done several bouts of guard duty there, and she had spent a lot of time gathering herbs and plants from the hospital there. She just hoped things hadn't changed too much. Moving through the brush Sakura waited for the opportune time. She watched as the old guard and new guard engaged in some light banter. Then they moved onto the report and showed them something they needed to keep an eye on.

That’s when she made her move. She used hand signals to move the boys forward. They moved as one unit, quietly and swiftly.

They didn't stop running until Sakura was sure they weren't being followed. They had the element of time on their side, Sakura wasn't expected to be anywhere for several hours, and the boys had just returned from a mission which meant they had a full twenty-four hours of R&R. Even with that fact, Sakura kept pushing the boys forward with only short breaks to sustain them. Most kids their age probably would have collapsed from exhaustion by the time they reached three hours in of Jounin paced mission.

As the day went on she replayed the few details Kakashi had told her in her own time. The shinobi that had taken Rin had been from Kirigakure, and had sealed Isobu into the girl with a timed release that would set the beast free on Konoha. It was meant to be a surprise attack. Isobu would later be sealed in the fourth Mizukage.

The major thing they needed to avoid, in order to give Rin a chance, was getting to her before Isobu was sealed inside her. If Isobu was sealed inside her, then they would have to find a way to adjust the seal. Nothing could ever be simple.

Pushing that particular thought to the back of her mind, she focused on the details. In the original timeline, Rin had been captured on the same mission she had been on this time. The only difference was that it had been Kakashi and Rin and this time it had been Rin and a chunnin team. A team that was also missing. They had been ambushed by Kirigakure nin, not too far away from the village, and Kakashi had been able to go after her almost immediately. That meant they were already drastically behind schedule.

The only good news she had, was that they were close to where the kidnapping had taken place, and there had been no rain recently which meant, there would be a sent to follow. It definitely wasn't the worst situation she had been in. Content with her assessment she allowed herself to start planning the retrieval.

They reached the site of the kidnapping in under four hours, and the sight that greeted them wasn't pretty. There was blood everywhere and one dead Konoha chunnin.

She used her chakra to search the area, and found there were more than a few enemy shinobi nearby keeping watch. She considered taking them out but decided against it. They were observing for some reason, and she wanted to know why. To find that out she needed to let this play out. However, her chakra was still a little low from her shift at the hospital, and with the possibility of facing a tailed beast Sakura wasn't willing to waste any. She needed to be careful.

She began running through options in her head while her chakra remained extended; searching for any sign of trouble. She was running through option number nine when her chakra registered the threats. Turning to Kakashi, she gave the order to summon the pack. It was a fascinating thing to see the pack materialized in front of her. They appeared just the same in her time as they did here, and she couldn't help but wonder about a summon's aging process, but that was a thought for another time.

She waited for only a moment and then she moved. Grasping both boys at the base of their neck she inserted just enough chakra to knock them out. She caught both boys before they hit the ground, and laid them gently down. She didn't have time for the argument she knew would have happened, and she wasn't willing to risk their lives any farther. She looked at Akino, “Can you manage a low level genjutsu for a while? Keep them hidden?”

She expected an argument or some sort of blowback. Instead she got a swift nod. That was good. She turned to the pug.

There was no animosity in his eyes, only a look of amusement. Before she could say a word the ninken spoke, "We're supposed to cooperate with ya, that's what we've been told." Sakura raised an eyebrow in question, as Pakkun used his hind leg to scratch behind his ears. "The toads sent a message to us, from their sage, saying we needed to cooperate with the pink haired woman. They don't usually send those messages unless its' urgent. And their prophet is usually right. So what do you need?"

Sakura smiled at the typical straightforwardness the pug presented, and she allowed herself to take a small amount of comfort in it. "I need you to track Rin."

The pack wasted no time on chit chat and immediately began running. Two of the dogs remained behind to watch the boys and keep the genjutsu going. Sakura followed close behind allowing them to run in a tight formation. The run only took two hours. but the sun had already begun to set. And that meant trouble.

At the sight of the cave they were heading straight towards, Sakura couldn't help but scowl. Navigating a pitch black cave at night was not something she was looking forward to. That put more of a time constraint on her.

She paused, in the trees. A lake surrounded the cave and there was only a small, thin walkway that led to the cave. That was a death trap if she’d ever seen one.

She glanced at Pakkun. He huffed, “You’re on your own. We don’t do water.”

She rolled her eyes before she dropped to the ground, and belly crawled to the edge of the water. She grimaced as she slipped into the water. Thanks to Water’s colder temperatures, the water was freezing. She crawled for a while until the water got deeper. Once she was far enough out she took a deep breath and slipped under the water.

She held her breath and swam to the walkway. She had to use her chakra to find it thanks to the murkiness of the water. Then she swam beside it, and drew her chakra into herself to minimize her presence.

When she got to the mouth she took a second before she sprung from the water. She tackled the closest to her, and snapped his neck. By the time she looked up the other one was swinging down with a sword. She rolled to the side, sprung to her feet as her hand withdrew a kunai. She attacked from down low and drove the kunai into his belly and up through the sternum to the heart. He dropped a second later.

Her hands were covered with blood, her clothes were soaking wet, and her hair was a sopping mess. She leaned down to the water and washed the blood away. It was better than nothing. She turned back to the enemy and made a note of the hunter-nin masks covering their faces. Things were officially interesting.

The cave was a fairly wide open space. If she had to guess it was man made with a jutsu. She was so walking into a trap. Rin had been tossed to the side, and there was no one else around. Her mind continued to chant: trap, trap, trap, trap. Rin was meant to be found, she was meant to be taken, she was meant to destroy her home. Sakura still went to her. Leaving the young medic unconscious, she hoisted the girl onto her back, and began making her way out of the caves.

She ran into no opposition, but the bodies she had created were now gone. Trap. Making a split second decision, she changed course. Instead of heading towards the village she headed away from it. The pack joined her. She ran for nearly two hours, traveling farther and farther into enemy territory. To their credit they never questioned her, never questioned why they were running away from their safety net.

When she finally felt as though she had put enough distance between herself and the team she had left behind, she stopped. She was right near another lake, not surprising in the Land of Water. With another day or so of travel she would be in the heart of Kirigakure.

She had no desire to go there; however, she was already deeper into enemy territory than she would have liked, and she had no desire to go any farther. Giving the hounds and order to hide, she waited for the men who had been following her since the cave. She relished the break. Her muscles were screaming and protesting. Her body was demanding sleep. Her clothes were somewhat dry, but smelled horrible.

She laid Rin down and sent out her chakra to probe the area. Finding that everyone had arrived, she turned to address the trees. "You might as well come out you're not nearly as well hidden as you think." She placed her hands on her hips and waited.

She wasn't disappointed. Slowly the Kiri shinobi appeared, their masks slowly becoming more visible. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness which made things a little easier. There were six total, all spread out in front of her, blocking her clearest escape route.

She waited a moment more, and when no one else showed she spoke again, "When I said everyone, I did mean everyone."

The Kiri nin in front spoke before anything could happen, "This is everyone, little girl. Your fate is sealed."

It took everything Sakura had to not roll her eyes. She hated dramatics. She hated idiots even more. The shinobi in front of her weren't hunter nin. They were wearing masks, but not uniforms. They were also suffering from the humidity of the nation. She’d never seen a Kiri shinobi sweat. Plus their chakra reserves weren’t big enough to be hunter nin. She was willing to bet that they didn't even belong to Kiri. And she knew they had no clue about the two groups that were hiding in the trees to either side of them.

Staring them down Sakura stated, "I was talking to the other two groups that have been following us." She watched them stiffen, and allowed a small smile to twitch on her lips. "You didn’t have a clue, did you?”

A moment later the leaves rustled and two separate groups appeared on either side, just behind the fake hunter nin.

It took everything Sakura had to not go completely stiff. While she had sensed their chakra, she hadn't sensed how much there had been. She’d gotten cocky. She hadn’t done enough research.
To one side stood A, Killer B, and several other Kumo nin that she didn't know. On the other stood the Fourth Mizukage, Ao, and several Kiri nin she didn't know. The Kiri nin she understood, she was deep into their territory, but she didn't understand why the Kumo nin were here.

Either way, she was outmatched, and if she didn't play things correctly she would end up dead. Of course, one of the fake Kiri nin, decided to make a move and the stirrings of her plan went out the window.

She grabbed Rin and moved out of the way of the attack. She heard the swish of a sword, and used her body to cover Rin. The cutting of the blade never came, but she felt a spray of blood splatter her clothes. She was going to have to destroy these clothes. The clang of kunai told her that the initial fight had turned into a full out brawl.

She took shelter in a nearby tree, and moved Rin on to her back. The girl’s weight started to settle against her muscles, as she adjusted to the additional weight. She turned to survey the fight. Sure enough, the imposters were dead. Whoever they were, whoever had hired them to flame the tensions between the nations hadn’t warned them. She watched as Kiri and Kumo got into position.

Rin groaned, and a second later she felt a pulse of chakra. It was strong and volatile. It stole her breath away. A second later everything went dark and there was only Isobu in front of her. The tailed beast was giant.

Its head swept down to look at her. “You are much more pink in person. Kurama never mentioned pink when we met before.”

Her breath stilled in her chest, “Kurama.”

Isobu nodded, “My brother who was sealed in your friend. He talked to us much more in those end days.”

“How do you remember?”

Isobu sighed, “How were you transported to the past? Things in life are confusing, and many things are beyond our control. Either way, we tailed beasts know of you Haruno. We have been instructed to help. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’ll make everything easy on our hosts. They still need to work for respect.

“But enough of that. I will not stay with this girl much longer. Her body isn’t fit to carry one of us. I will try to not kill her on my way out. But you must make sure I get to Yagura.”

“What about Madara?”

“We will both warn him. Now go Haruno.”

Sakura landed back in reality just in time to dodge the kunai coming at her.

Leaving her perch Sakura landed gently on the ground. All eyes were on her. She could read their expressions fairly well; curiosity. Why would she come this deep into enemy territory? Why wouldn't she flee when she had that chance?

Going into this mission, Sakura had known Rin's chances of survival were small. The girl had sacrificed herself in the original timeline to protect the village. That one death had sent Obito into a downward spiral and Kakashi into a life of solitude. In the process Konoha had lost a brilliant future medic. She couldn't allow that to happen.

She had very quickly come to the conclusion that there was going to be only one way to save Rin. She had to remove the tailed beast and administer immediate medical care to save her. For that she needed room, space, and somewhere for Isobu to go when he had been removed.

She had needed somewhere where Kiri would be able to find him, and seal him in Yagura. She had spent a fair amount of time in Kiri during her time; after Konoha had been destroyed, they'd been making a last ditch effort to win some sort of ground.

Of course, when she had formulated the plan she hadn't planned on the leaders of two enemy villages being around.

To continue with the plan would be a dangerous choice. Kiri could possibly use Isobu in the war. They could use him to gain ground, and it would throw everything off.

But now Isobu had talked to her directly. The tailed beasts knew who she was. They wanted to help, and Isobu had ended up sealed in the Fourth Mizukage anyways. What did she have to lose?

Actually, she didn’t want to answer that question. Obito had already been saved from his fate as one of Madara's lapdogs, but that didn't necessarily mean that Kirigakure wasn't slowly falling under Madara's control or about to. The fake hunter nin proved that.

Sakura very clearly remembered Kakashi's warnings about the bloody mist. About what a horrible place it had been. All of which had been due to Madara and Obito.

However, the thing that stayed in her mind was Naruto's account of what had happened when he met his fellow jinchuriki. Isobu and Yagura had been one of the few pairs to achieve complete harmony. Naruto had gone even farther into his recounting of how kind the young looking man had been. At this point it was really a toss up: this could end really badly or really well.

Konoha was her main concern. Making sure that those she cared about got through everything alive was her mission. That task, in and of itself, was gigantic. There shouldn’t be any space in her mind to worry about another village; however, she couldn't help it.

A Jinchuriki's life was often miserable, and lonely. Yet that man, despite everything, had succeeded at becoming one with the beast sealed inside him. And that was more astonishing to Sakura than anything. It was also worth investing a little bit of time in. Even if, at that moment, it was an enemy village.

So here she was, committing high treason all in the name of peace. If word of this ever got back to anyone other than her father and possibly Minato, she would become an enemy of her village. She was gambling big time.

She slipped Rin off her back, propped her up against the tree trunk, and let out a whistle. Immediately, the dogs appeared and surrounded Rin in a protective ring. Turning to face her opponents, she allowed her gaze to slide over the Kumo nin, before focusing on the Kirin nin; Yagura in particular.

The man's eyes were slightly glazed. She clenched her hands and her nails dug into her palms. He was already in Madara's pocket; at least to some degree. Madara wasn't as strong as he had once been. He was old now, and his body was shutting down. He didn’t have Obito to help him either.. If she was able to get close enough to insert a burst of chakra, she should be able to break the control.

Then, maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to negotiate something.

Notes:

1) Yep, we're finally making progress plot wise. There's more progress coming in the romance department as well. I promise.
2) There was no way Sakura was going to let Obito and Kakashi go on the entire mission with her.
3) She's gone rogue
4) There's going to be consequences that come with it; both internationally and at home.
5)There's going to be a lot of upset people in her life
6) Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 26

The tension in the air was thick. She could feel it building in her muscles, as they tightened and prepared for the inevitable. She’d rather just jump into the battle. It was better than waiting for someone to come at her from a blind spot. It was also wasting time that Sakura didn't have. She needed to get things started. She took a minute to calm herself, push her worries to the back of her mind, and focus. She had a job to do. There was no room for the ache in her muscles, or the weariness pulling at her bones. It was time.

Her chakra reserves were only a little over halfway full. She needed to be careful with every drop of chakra. Especially since she was in a high stakes fight with Kage level shinobi. She used shunshin to land in the middle of the threat that needed to be eliminated: the fake Kiri shinobi. She didn’t hesitate; her kunai sliced through tendons and arteries. Those who weren’t dead, dropped to the ground.

She dodged a swipe from one of the others, channeled chakra to her foot and kicked backwards. Her enemy flew backwards through the trees. She didn’t spare the crushed and broken trees a second glance, as she took out the last one.

Satisfied that that part was taken care of she turned towards the Kiri and Kumo contingents. Then she felt the spike of chakra; it was powerful and somewhat familiar. She’d felt this type of chakra before. It had happened with Naruto, but this was more wild in a way. The seal containing Isobu, wasn't strong, and had never been meant to hold for long. It had been made to hold just long enough for Rin to safely reach Konoha, before exploding. That amount of time was quickly coming to an end. She let out a string of curses.

She studied the enemies in front of her. They were all focused on Rin and the powerful chakra escaping her. All but one. Yaguara. He was focused solely on her. That wasn’t worrying at all.
She had to move: now. With her mind finally made up, she cleared her throat, and made sure to speak loudly. "The girl behind me is a young medic. She was kidnapped by the group of shinobi around me." She nodded her head in the direction of the bodies.

"While in their custody they sealed Isobu, also known as the Sanbi, inside her. The seal is weak, there’s only a short amount of time before the seal breaks. The Sanbi will rampage and the girl will die without immediate medical attention."

She allowed her words to sink in, and ignored the next spike in chakra. Most of the eyes were once again on Rin, but Yagura's continued to stay on her. She met his gaze head on.

Which, looking back, was probably how A snuck up on her. One minute he was with his group, and the next he was in front of her. He was nearly a foot taller than her, and had at least a hundred pounds on her. There was also the fact that his chakra reserves were far greater than her own.

She itched to release the seal on her neck, but repressed the urge. Instead, she met the soon to be Kage's eyes. His voice was rough as ever when he spoke, "You're a medic?"

Sakura nodded, and did her best to keep her voice level. "Yes."

A nodded, "One of my men has been injured, and our medic is dead. We'll help you contain the Sanbi. In exchange, my man will be brought to mutual ground and you'll save him. You fail, and you die." For a moment Sakura hesitated, Konoha's medics had become known for being good, for bringing men back from the brink of death. Especially a field medic. But treating an enemy shinobi could be seen as treason. How did she end up in these situations?

Sakura stared at A for a minute before her eyes flickered to the Mizukage and his group of shinobi. All of them had weapons drawn, and were ready for a fight. The other Kumo shinobi were also standing at the ready with their weapons drawn. All, except Bee. His eyes were focused on Rin, and Sakura couldn't help but think that, behind those sunglasses, his eyes were filled with sympathy for the small girl.

A's eyes followed her line of sight before resting on her again. "My men will deal with the Kiri shinobi. They've earned whatever wrath comes down on their head."

Sakura's lips pursed. She needed help. With where her chakra reserves were and the injuries she’d sustained, she was no match for a kage level shinobi. It was okay to ask for help? Right? "The Mizukage is under a genjutsu. He's being controlled by someone. A tap filled with enough chakra should be able to break it. This needs to happen." She did her best to stress the importance of the situation.

He raised an eyebrow in question. She raised one back. She watched his lips quirk for a second. Then he was gone. He disappeared and started charging towards the Mizukage.

Ao was the first to engage A, coming to his kage's defense. It was then, Sakura realized, that he had yet to acquire his byakugan. She cursed herself for not noticing earlier. While the man had been more than dangerous when she had known him, he was currently in his prime, even without the Hyuuga bloodline.

While there was very little chance he could take A down, he would at least do some damage. Before she knew what she was doing, her body was moving. She intercepted the Kiri-hunter nin. Her kunai met his, and he snarled at her. She raised an eyebrow at that. She didn’t care if they were currently enemies, that was just rude.

They both pulled back, and she watched his eyes narrow before he charged in. She stayed where she was, and waited for the trickery she knew was coming. Ao was cunning. He’d proved that in the war. He was strategic and he didn’t waste a move. She knew he had something up his sleeve, and she was on the lookout for it. That turned out to be literal as she watched as his kunai disappeared, and was suddenly replaced by a handful of senbon. The small metal needles came at her fast and with accuracy that came from years of practice.

While she was able to dodge most of them, a few hit their mark. She winced at the sensation of metal piercing her skin, but pushed it away as she moved forward. Summoning chakra to her hand she launched herself at Ao, dodged a barrage of kunai, sunk into a slide, and went between his legs; his steady stance giving her just enough of an opening.

Her hand hit his inner thigh for only a second, giving her more than enough time to insert a small amount of medical chakra. As she slid to a halt, she quickly pivoted, and watched as he dropped to one knee. This particular technique could numb a limb for up to several hours. It effectively incapacitated a target long enough to land a killing blow, or in her case stall. The amount of chakra she used would only disable him for about five minutes.

However, she didn’t have time to rest. She was immediately met by two more Kiri shinobi. She dodged one attack, striking the chest of her enemy as she went by before she flipped out of the way of the second. She focused her chakra into her feet as she landed and watched as the ground erupted.

The eyes around her went wide. Yeah it was impressive, but it wasn’t that impressive. She knew Tsunade was already known for it, hell A loved to create craters wherever he went. Then she felt a searing pain in her head as a foot connected with her temple, and sent her flying.

She landed hard. The senbon were pushed in farther and she felt her arm pop out of its socket. She bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. As she pushed herself to her feet, she cradled her injured arm and took stock of herself. Her chakra was low, she had a litany of bruises and cuts, she was working on very little sleep, and her arm was now dislocated. She was screwed, but when had that ever stopped her.

Ignoring the pain, she righted herself, used her good arm to numb the pain from the dislocation, and then went back to work. Her arm hung uselessly at her side, a hindrance as she used the momentum to push herself forward. Kunai met Kunai, and she came face to face with a very familiar man/plant hybrid. She didn't wait for any explanations, she simply cut the clone down.

Of course, the moment one was taken down there was another one to take its place. That’s when she realized that the battlefield was filled with clones. She let out a curse. The bastard plant had purposefully dislocated her arm so she couldn’t use any fire jutsu. He didn’t want a repeat of last time. The no good cheating, plant! Where was the weed killer when you needed it?

She dodged another one, and then disposed of yet another. She was on her fifth or sixth when she noticed the Mizukage. Yagura’s eyes were clear and filled with a burning passion as he cut down the clones around him. A had accomplished his task.

A sharp pain in her side brought her back to her own fight and she couldn't help but let out a cry of pain this time. Her body was reaching its limit and she wouldn’t be surprised if her body was going into shock. She had enough adrenaline and chakra curling her system to hide all of the signs.

On top of that, she was now surrounded. There always seemed to be an infinite number of Zetsu clones, and they didn't care if they lived or died. As she continued fighting, she came face to face with a rather talkative enemy. "My, my, my. You certainly show up at the most inopportune times, kunoichi. Don’t worry, I’ve made a note of you.”

Sakura's kunai cut into the hybrid's throat, right as his comrades began sinking into the ground. All except one. He was leaning over Rin, the girl's shirt had been sliced open to reveal the seal on her shoulder.

She met Zetsu's eyes as he finished the last of a set of hand signs, then his hand slammed down on the seal.

The sheer force of the released chakra sent her flying backwards. Then she hit something hard, and an arm wrapped around her waist. She felt another burst of chakra, and heard a slight crackle in the air before suddenly she was moving.

It was much faster than she was used to, and if it hadn't been for all those times traveling with Minato, she probably would have been sick. As it was, she was just barely able to beat down the urge to throw up.

A moment later her feet touched down on the water, and she automatically began channeling chakra to stay afloat. Looking up, she stared at the full form of Isobu. She found herself not nearly as scared as she should be.

Instead her worry was focused solely on Rin. The girl's body remained directly behind the Sanbi, and even from this distance she could tell the girl was struggling to breathe.

"Get to the girl, we'll take care of the sanbi." A's voice was gruff in her ear, and as the arm around her waist retreated, she realized that it had been he, who had caught her. Before she could protest she felt him grip her arm and then shove it back in its socket.

She let out a scream, and then her teeth clacked together. She glared up at A. He smiled. She pushed some soothing chakra into her shoulder. Once it was somewhat healed she stood again.
A moment later both the Kumo and Kiri shinobi took off, with A leading the charge. All that remained was her and Yagura. Standing up, she stared into the eyes of the fourth Mizukage. He was a few inches shorter than she was, but she could feel the power radiating off of him.

He was clearly no longer under the control of Madara. Madara’s power was not what it used to be. The man was old and near death, and having his future vessel, Obito, taken away from him, had moved up his timeline exponentially. Things were starting to change, which meant that soon, she wouldn't be able to count on anything she knew.

Just as she was about to move, Yagura spoke, "He's interested in you." The words made Sakura freeze, but Yagura continued on "The man who has been controlling me for nearly three years, he’s interested in you. Only recently have I been able to start to break through. He's old, and his strength is failing, but that doesn't mean he's powerless."

Sakura turned to meet the man's eyes "I'd never be foolish enough to believe that he'd ever be powerless. The man is over a hundred years old, and dying, but he's still stronger than most shinobi."

Yagura raised an eyebrow in question, “You know who I’m talking about?”

“I have a good idea.”

He nodded, "I'm not an easy man to control, but he was able to do so easily. And because of Kiri's reputation no one questioned anything. He's after you now, whatever you did to stir the hornet's nest worked, and now he's angry and ready to sting."

Sakura took a moment to absorb that information, before she nodded in understanding. She gave a quick bow for respect, she turned and made her way into the fray.

Dodging the blows of the Sanbi, she made her way around the massive creature. Kiri shinobi covered her, and made sure the path was clear.

Arriving at Rin's side, Sakura's heart nearly broke. Her breathing was quick and shallow, her body was bruised, most likely from being thrown as the sanbi had been released, and her body was covered in chakra burns. And that was only on the surface.

Putting her hands on Rin's chest, she summoned her chakra and began her examination. The roars of the Sanbi, were a bit more distant now, and the shouts of the other shinobi, were nonexistent in her ears.

She quickly placed her hands on Rin’s stomach and started pumping her chakra into her system. As her chakra surged through Rin's body Sakura's heart continued to break. The young girl's chakra coils were severely damaged, even if she somehow managed to survive, her career as a shinobi was over. Then there was the spine.

The spine had been damaged, and the chances of paralysis were high. She wouldn't know how far the paralysis would extend until Rin woke up.

Putting that out of her mind she focused on Rin's heart and organs. She began with stabilizing every major organ, ensuring that they would continue to function. Gradually her breathing began to even out, and her organs began functioning completely on their own. Knowing that there was little else she could do in the field, she withdrew her chakra, and turned to see how the sealing was going.

The Kumo and Kiri Shinobi had lured the sanbi away from Rin, and onto the lake. It was clear that their goal was to seal the tailed beast in the lake. Together, they stood around the sanbi. Bee was holding the poor beast down, helping to ensure that it stayed where it was needed.

The rest of the shinobi were running through a series of hand signs, with A taking the lead. She watched as the final hand sign was made, and a large flashing light enveloped the area before the Sanbi's chakra fully disappeared.

A nose nudged her arm and she turned to face the pack. They had scattered when the sanbi had been released, but apparently they hadn't gone too far. Pakkun stared at her for a moment, "There's three chakra signatures coming your way."

Sakura raised an eyebrow in question, "Since you're not urging me to run, I can only assume that you know who they are."

The little dog nodded his head, "Minato is heading the team, and there's two jounin level shinobi with him. It's not Kakashi or Obito."

Sakura glanced back at Rin and sagged in relief, "Thank God.”

Pakkun nodded, "You have about two minutes until incoming."

“Thank you for everything.”

Pakkun nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke with the rest of the pack. Turning back towards the lake, she watched as A and Yagura began walking towards her, their shinobi following behind them.

When they got halfway to her they stopped. A moment later two sets of chakra flared and Kato, and Shikkaku appeared in front of her. A third set of chakra flared next to her and an arm came to rest protectively around her shoulders.

Looking up into blue eyes, she saw the anger that was held there, right along with concern, worry, and love. It was a look that said she was getting a lecture later on. "What have you gotten yourself into?" His voice was smooth, and despite the anger hidden there, still kind.

She felt her shoulders slump in a bit of relief, "Minato." His name fell from her lips in a grateful sigh. She was near chakra exhaustion, and wanted nothing more than to go home. She allowed herself to sink into his embrace for just a second before she straightened.

Facing Minato, she quickly explained the situation, detailing how both A and Yagura had helped to seal the Sanbi, and how Rin was touch and go, and her promise to A. She'd have to explain Yagura later, when they were in a sealed room where no one could overhear something they weren't supposed to.

She watched as Minato's eyes went to Rin. His arm tightened around her shoulders, but his face never revealed his emotions. Placing her hand over his, she gave a short squeeze of support.
"You need to take her home. Quickly, Minato. She needs more medical attention than I can give her. My chakra is low, and I still have a promise to keep."

"Sakura . . ."

"You can get her there in a matter of minutes Minato. Make sure she gets the help she needs, and then you can come back. I'll flare chakra into my necklace the moment I'm done. Shikkaku and Kato can come with me."

"We're at war Sakura."

She looked Minato in the eyes, "And it will never end if we don't start somewhere. Keeping a promise might help with that."

She could see the indecision in his eyes, the desire to swing her over his shoulder, grab Rin, give the order, and simply go home. Slowly though, she watched him realize that that option was possibly the wrong one. She watched as he realized that working together and keeping promises, could possibly pave the way to a tentative peace between the nations.

She watched as his eyes hardened with his decision. "Channel chakra into the necklace as soon as you get there." She nodded in understanding, as his arm retreated from her shoulders and he moved to Rin.

He picked her up gently, and turned back to face Shikakku and Kato. "Watch her back."

Kato and Shikkaku nodded, and a moment later Minato was gone. Kato appeared next to her a second later and she felt a sharp bit of pain as he yanked a senbon out. She glared at him, and he scowled right back. After several moments of silence, in which several more senbon were yanked out none to gently she finally gave in. "All right, why are you mad?"

"Mad? Who's mad? Certainly not me. After all, why in the world should I be mad? It's not like you left the village without informing anyone, took a newly made jinchuriki into enemy territory, or terrified Minato with the news of it all. It's not like the poor man had to beg your dad, the Hokage, to let us go after you.

“It's not as though, despite the Hokage's very adamant protests that you must be doing something that was absolutely needed, Minato still insisted. Even going as far as to raise his voice, and threaten to go rogue. It's not like your dad actually seemed to be terrified that you're not coming back, and your brothers certainly didn't beg to come with us. It's not like I, your best friend, wouldn't have come with you and helped your crazy ass out or anything. So why in the world would I be mad?"

Kato, had continued to pull the senbon out during his rant, and as he pulled the last one out Sakura couldn't help but reflect on his words.

Sakura was used to doing things on her own. Despite having been a part of this world for nearly a year, she still mainly thought of herself as a one-woman army. At some point during the war, all of Kakashi's lessons about teamwork had been locked away. That was what happened when your entire team died and left you alone.

The pain that came with each death of someone she had known, had cut her deeper than any sword. The death of her teammates had nearly killed her.

In this time, she had come to make a rather large assortment of friends. She had allowed herself to open her heart again. Not only had she opened her heart, she had allowed herself to fall in love.

Within that span of time she had come to love her new family more fiercely than she ever had her biological one. Then there was Minato. The man had found some way to entwine himself in her heart. She had come to love and trust him, more quickly than any other person she had ever met.

If she had gone and asked Kato, or Minato to come with her, or had simply told them what was going on, there was a chance things could have turned out differently. Whether it would have been for better or worse she couldn't say, and she refused to dwell on it right now.

Kato's words were one of warning, a reminder that she wasn't alone anymore. Her life wasn't just about surviving anymore, it was about living and experiencing everything life had to offer. It was time to remember Kakashi's lessons.

Leaning forward, she wrapped her arms around Kato, and felt him stiffen before relaxing into the hug and returning it. Leaning in, she whispered an apology, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Kato's arms tightened for a moment before he released her and gave her a grin "Damn straight it won't. If you think the Hokage is going to let you walk around without an ANBU on your ass, you're insane. You're grounded, he specifically told me to tell you that."

Sakura allowed herself to smile before standing up, Kato following her lead. "I'll gladly serve my time after I fulfill my promise."

Kato raised an eyebrow in question, "Promise?"

Sakura turned to stare at A. Kato followed her gaze and cursed, "Hell, Sakura, please tell me you didn't make any promises to Kumo."

Sakura grinned "Just remember, you wanted to come along."

Notes:

1) Kato is a ride or die kind of friend. And I LOVE him for it.
2) Does Sakura need that kind of friend? Absolutely!
3) Hi my name is UNCPanda and I firmly in the save Yagura camp.
4) Yeah, Madara is a creep. He's always going to be a creep. He needs to go.
5) Rin isn't doing too well, but she'd not dead. There are going to be consequences both immediately and in the future.
6) Minato is not happy about vigilante Sakura, and I think he has a right to be. She's got to learn to ask for help!
7) Please leave a review and let me know what I think!

Chapter 27

Sakura frowned at the sight in front of her. He was so young. Younger than she’d ever seen him or imagined him. He was a child. Then again she had been once upon time too. And just like her, his childhood had been filled with bloodshed. And now his blood had been spilled. He was just a damn kid. Then again, so were Kakashi and Obito. So was Rin. But Darui was younger than all of them. He was maybe ten?

For a moment she couldn't help but wonder if this wound had happened in her time. There had never been any mention of it, but that didn't mean much. Darui had died early on. He had taken a sword to the gut while protecting A.

This wound wasn’t much different. It was a belly wound; nasty, bleeding, and it reminded her of ground meat. He shouldn't even be alive. The fact that he was, was a testament to what he would become. She glanced at Kato. He shot a pointed look at her necklace, and she ignored it.

The neutral zone Darui should have been brought to had been eliminated due to the kid’s condition. He hadn’t been able to be moved. It was an assessment Sakura agreed with, but they were now in enemy territory. And there was no way in hell she was bringing Minato here. All that would do is start a fight.

She flicked her eyes back to Darui and Kato sighed.

She knew he was mad. There’d be payback. More than likely courtesy of a sugar high Hana and babysitting. She glanced at Shikkaku. He was on edge. She couldn’t blame him. Sakura quickly set to work. She kneeled on his left side and Kato settled on the other. They began to work. They worked in synchronicity; all those months of working together allowed them to nearly read each other's minds. All while Shikkaku stood guard.

In the end it was lucky that Kato was there. Near the end her chakra started to flicker out and her hands started to shake. She was seriously depleted.
When there was only a superficial wound left she looked to Kato. He didn’t even need to look at her. “Take a freaking break Sarutobi. If you damage your chakra coils Minato will have my ass.” She allowed gravity to take over and fell back onto her butt. Her breathing was a little labored.

“You sure are something.”

Sakura looked up at A, “I’m exhausted.”

He laughed, “Yeah, but you sure did a hell of a lot today. Managed to prevent an extension of the war, freed the Mizukage, and saved Darui. Not a bad day’s work.”
“I wish it was only a day’s work. I haven’t slept in three days.”

A raised an eyebrow, “Well then, I hope you get some sleep.”

Kato stood up, “He’s done. He’ll need to be on bed rest and antibiotics for a few days.”

A sighed and motioned towards Darui. One of his men came and picked him up. A studied them for a minute. “You have a one hour head start. If you’re not out of Kumo by then, you’re fair game.”

They didn’t need to be told twice. Kato and Shikkaku hauled her up and made a run for it. It took them four hours to get back to the neutral zone between Kiri, and Konoha. She was somewhat surprised that they didn’t run into any patrols. Maybe A had been more generous than he’d said he’d be.

The neutral zone was a thin strip of land that technically was a small country. A small country that had no affiliations and refused to take any sides. There was only one rule: absolutely no fighting.

The minute they had touched down, she funneled the tiniest bit of chakra into her necklace. Finally she allowed her guard to start to drop. She could feel Kato’s and Shikkaku’s eyes on her.
She didn’t say anything. She was too tired. Part of her was simply waiting for Minato to pop into existence. It didn’t happen immediately. It actually took a few minutes. That wasn’t good for her. Her body was feeling sluggish. She felt her eyes start to droop. Then she felt a warm hand on her back and she looked up into those clear blue eyes.

“I have never been happier to see you.”

His lips twitched, “I’ll be sure to remind you of that.”

“You do that.” Her words were slurred and she allowed herself to fall into unconsciousness, certain that Minato would catch her.

Sakura woke up sometime later in a bed much too soft to be a hospital bed. She was under a thick comforter, and the room smelled like lavender, not antiseptic. Then there was the arm wrapped protectively around her waist. Nope, definitely not the hospital.

Turning onto her side, she stared into the same blue eyes she had before she had passed out. "How long have I been out?”

“Nearly two days. You would stagger out of bed to use the bathroom, but that’s about it. I’m surprised you weren’t out longer to be honest.”

Sakura curled further into his chest and allowed him to curl further around her, “My body might be a little too used to running on the bare minimum. My chakra is still extremely low.”

Minato's eyes narrowed at the statement, "Yeah, I figured that out. That was stupid Sakura. You were surrounded by enemy nin, with only two men as back-up. You didn’t channel chakra into your pendent."

Sakura snorted, "I would hardly call Kato and Shikaku shoddy back up. I'm willing to bet that Shikaku already had seven different escape plans, and Kato already knew which way was best to go."

Minato sighed "Sakura . . ."

"No, Minato. I'm a highly trained Kunoichi, I knew what I was doing. I knew the risks I was taking. I know it was dangerous, but sometimes you have to take a risk to end a war. And because we were in enemy territory I wasn’t dragging you into it. You’re too valuable to the village?"

“And you’re not? You have knowledge of the future!”

“Which is why I acted as I did. It was crucial that I get to Rin. She’s not dead, but she’s hurt. And that’s where I screwed up. I should have asked for help. Next time, and there will be a next time because that’s my life, I will.”

Minato couldn’t argue with that, and after a minute Sakura asked, "Why am I in your bedroom and not at the hospital, or at home?"

"The hospital was full. Kato had to head straight there after making sure you were okay because they were so busy."

Sakura began attempting to sit up. "I need to go."

He sat up too, "You're too exhausted Sakura. Your chakra levels are still too low, you said so yourself. You haven't eaten, and no offense but you need a shower."

Then, as if to prove her point, her arms gave way and she collapsed back on the bed. Minato raised an eyebrow. She nodded.

"As to why you're not at home, your brothers are taking missions around the village, your father has been holed up in his office since you left, and your mother left to volunteer at the hospital. That left me, your loving boyfriend, to take care of you. Kato cleared you after healing the rest of your cuts and bruises. He did, however, diagnose you with a severe case of chakra exhaustion."
Sakura smiled, and cupped his face. She allowed her thumb to stroke his skin, “I love you.”

“I love you too, but we’re still going to talk about you running off on your own, but first, food.”

"What about a shower?" She asked as he left her alone on the bed.

"Food then shower." He called out after he left the bedroom.

She waited for a while and continued to doze on and off until Minato came back with food. She scarfed it down and then had two more helpings. After that, she took a shower and Minato changed the sheets. After she had eaten, showered and Minato had changed the sheets. Once she was clean, she settled back onto the bed.

“I guess it's time to talk about it.”

Minato looked at her. She was a little surprised to see no frustration there, “About how you went rogue?”

Sakura nodded, “I’d also like to know about Rin, and how she’s doing.”

Minato nodded and moved to sit next to her, "It upsets me that you left like that. If you had channeled chakra into your necklace and asked me to come, I would have gone with you. I think that's what upset me most, the fact that you didn't even think about asking for help. That and the fact that you were reckless. With your chakra levels where they were, things could have been so much worse." His voice was soft with his explanation. Not hard or mad, simply explaining.

Sakura bit her lip as she considered her words, "I'm used to doing things on my own. When I originally died, I had lost everything that mattered to me. Then, since I’ve been here, in this time; I’ve found family, friends, and you. But I had still lost everyone I cared about. Every single person.

“I've been alone for so long, and Minato I'm not used to having people to lean on. I’ve also had a hard time trusting people, but then again most people in our profession do. But for some reason I trust you. Not only that but I trusted you easily. I haven't done that since I was thirteen."

Minato kissed her forehead, her big giant forehead, that she had only somewhat grown into. "You're not alone anymore Sakura."

She smiled and pecked his lips, "I know, but sometimes I forget. Next time I go rogue, I promise to kidnap you and bring you along."

Minato smiled, "It's a date." She laughed

After the laughter died down Sakura asked the main question on her mind, "What about Rin?"

She watched as Minato's smile dimmed and turned into a frown. "It's not good Sakura. She's still unconscious. Her entire chakra network is basically fried. Her back was broken, she's paralyzed from the waist down, and she's lost 80% of her hearing in her left ear. But she is stable."

"And Kakashi and Obito?"

"Well they weren't happy about being left behind, but they understand. They want to go after the guy who did it."

Fear shot through her body, "We can't let that happen Minato. This man is dangerous, very dangerous. I couldn’t take him on. You, on the other hand, might be able to." Minato raised an eyebrow in question, urging her on. She shrugged, "I can't tell you anymore. Not yet, at least."

"Then when?"

Sakura smiled, "You'll know when it happens."

He sighed, "Let's go back to bed."

Sakura nodded, and allowed herself to drift to sleep in Minato's arms. When she woke up, the sun and Minato were already up. Getting out of bed, she changed into clothes that Minato had picked up from her apartment. She chose a sun dress. Something light and feminine.

She found Minato already at the small kitchen table writing his report. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Is that report from my little escapade, or your mission before that?"

She felt Minato grin against her cheek "I had just finished that one when I got word of your so called escapade. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"Well then, I suppose it's a good thing you're dressed, because my pantry is empty. You up to going out?"

Sakura nodded and they were off. They ended up eating dango for breakfast before heading to the hospital. Passing the front desk, they made their way to Rin's hospital room. Sakura smiled at the sight of Kakashi and Obito asleep on the extra bed in the room. While Kakashi remained silent, Obito was letting out soft snores.

Bypassing the two Sakura made her way to Rin's bedside. She carefully read over the girls' chart before allowing her chakra to invade the girl's body. Her chakra simply confirmed everything that had been written down. Rin's career as kunoichi was truly over.

"Well?"

Sakura turned towards the voice to find Kakashi and Obito fully awake and staring at her. Sakura met their gaze head on, "It's the same as what the medics said. Her career as a kunoichi is over, and her chances of ever walking again are less than one percent."

She watched Kakashi's gaze turn to sorrow, as he accepted that their team of three had become a team of two. Obito's gaze held something else, it held anger. She waited patiently for the outburst, for the screams and accusations. Instead the boy simply hopped off the bed and stormed out of the room.

Kakashi's voice was soft, "He's not used to bad things happening. Especially things that he can't change, But she's alive, and that's something."

Sakura nodded. It wasn't everything, but it wasn't nothing. Very few times in life did one get exactly what they wanted. That was doubly true for those in their profession.

Stepping out of the room, she gave Kakashi and Minato a moment alone and headed down the hallway to the office she shared with Kato. She knocked twice and waited for the okay to come in. Instead, what she received was a frantic, "one minute" and the sound of clothes being pulled on.

She waited for the door to open and smiled at the sight in front of her. Kato's shirt was on inside out, and there were several bite marks along his neck, and there were smears of lipstick on his cheek. Behind him was a smirking Tsume.

Smiling, Sakura went up on her tiptoes to meet Tsume's gaze. The woman waggled her fingers at her. "Hey Sakura. Hear you dragged my mate all over the place, even helped a few Kumo-nin while you were at it." The woman allowed a bit of fang to show.

"It was a hell of a mission. Kato was great."

Tsume's smirk widened, "Include a girl next time, hunh Sakura."

"Funny, your husband said the same thing."

"One of the reasons I married him."

The two women grinned at each other for a few seconds until Minato came up behind her. "Everything okay?"

"Fine."

"Just planning our next girl's night out." Tsume explained

Minato's attention turned to Kato, "Do I want to know what they’re planning or why you look like that?"

Sakura and Tsume answered for him, “No.”

They said their goodbyes and left the hospital. The moment they were out the door Minato asked, “How come we never use your office that way?”

Sakura could only laugh, “We’re not as daring as Tsume and Kato. Plus I’m interrogated about our sex life enough. I’m not giving the girls anymore ammunition.”

“Oh really?”

“For some reason we’re fascinating.”

He snorted, “Well obviously.”

“Are you telling me you and the guys don’t talk about sex?”

“Can you really see any of the guys doing that? Even Kato wouldn’t dare. I think Fugaku and Hisahi might literally melt into the ground if it was brought up.”

“The clans are kind of stunted aren’t they?”

Minato’s booming laugh was all the answer she needed.

They talked about more mundane things for a few minutes before a young couple caught her eye. They were civilians, no older than thirteen.

Minato squeezed her hand, “What’s got you thinking so hard?”

"Obito's going to have something to say eventually." Sakura stated, as she tucked her arm into Minato's.

"More than likely."

"He loves Rin. She's the one person in the world he would do anything to protect."

"That's true."

"In some ways she's been taken away from him, and that's not going to sit well with him."

"Talking from experience?"

Sakura turned to look at him, "A bit, yeah."

He studied her for a minute, “Want to elaborate.”

She debated for a minute. She hated talking about Sasuke. Hated it. In fact a part of her hated him. But part of being in a relationship was trusting your partner, and she trusted Minato. “Girlhood crush. He was on my team. Incredibly cute. Every girl had a crush on him. He had a lot of trauma to put it lightly.

“He ended up going rogue. I tried to stop him. He knocked me out and left me on a bench. He came back during the war. He was on our side. Our other teammate forgave him like it was nothing. I couldn’t. He’d tried to kill me at one point before the war, when we had tracked him down. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

“I didn’t date after that ended so spectacularly. I didn’t trust myself. I mean, there was also a war going on. So that played a small role in things, but . . .”

Minato squeezed her hand, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t try to make her feel better or try to reassure her. Instead he allowed her time to process.

They walked the remainder of the way in silence, and came to a stop in front of the Hokage's tower. "Want me to come with you?"

Sakura shook her head, "Nope, I ran away from home. Now I've got to face the consequences. If I'm not grounded for life I'll come over tomorrow."

Minato leaned in and kissed her, "See you tomorrow jail bird." He turned to walk away, took a few steps and then turned back to face her, “For what it’s worth Sakura, you have good instincts. I think you’ve proven that time and time again. It’s okay to trust yourself.” And then he was gone.

She paused at the door, before she turned away and headed in a different direction. Her feet carried her without her thinking about it, until she stood in front of that bench. It seemed smaller now. Newer too. After Sasuke had left, she’d done her best to avoid the area where she’d last seen him; where she had lost one of the final pieces of her naivety.

She sat down on it, and leaned her head back. Exhaustion overcame her then. Her body protested against the few things she’d done.

“I wouldn’t have actually killed you.”

Sakura’s eyes flashed open, it was night, and standing in front of her was Sasuke. Her body curled, ready to pounce, “You must think I’m stupid if you think I’d believe that for a second.”

“Why? You couldn’t kill me. Is it so hard to believe I couldn’t kill you?”

“I think the multiple murder attempts of myself, Naruto, and other village members speak for you.”

“I was mad at the world Sakura. I’d lost everything.”

“No. You’d lost your family. You still had us.”

“And my family didn’t matter?”

She shot to her feet, “Of course they did Sasuke. And if you had asked for help, Naruto and I would have been there. But you had that chip on your shoulder, and you could never get rid of it.

There was silence for a minute before those red eyes swirled to life, “Then make sure I don’t end up that way this time around Sakura.”

Sakura shot awake. Her breathing was ragged and her skin had a light sheen of sweat. It was still daylight. She wasn’t sure if these dreams of people from her past were a blessing or a curse.
She took a few deep breaths and did her best to push Sasuke back to the tiny box she kept in him. Then she jogged back to the tower. She needed to see her father. Gathering up her nerve before it disappeared Sakura walked into the building, and up the stairs to her father's office.

She slipped in without knocking, and the privacy seals activated a second after she closed the door. The room was dark despite the fact that it was nearly two in the afternoon. He was smoking his pipe. His eyes narrowed on her. He wasn’t happy, but she had expected that.

“Since word of your little adventure has gotten out Danzo and the council have been in my office every day. They have called you reckless, insubordinate, and are demanding disciplinary action. I, of course, claimed knowledge of the events to protect you, back dated a mission approval, and reminded them of failures and insubordination within their own families. Knowing those old farts for as long as I have gives me that privilege.

“However, everything they said was correct. I was two minutes away from sending a full ANBU squad after you before your mother stopped me, and reminded me of your primary mission. As a result you got the squad you did. She also reminded me of that before I went to work today. Start talking, Sakura. Explain."

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d never actually had her father upset at her, but he was now. Not only that, he was her Hokage and he was upset. The previous missions where she’d been hurt or in jeopardy had been approved, he’d been prepared. This time he hadn’t. Her father hated being unprepared.

So, Sakura started to explain. She explained the original result, and how it had affected the future. Then she explained how the mission had gone this time, "He’s still in the village, and Rin isn’t dead, but he's still mad." Sakura finished.

Her father took a long drag of his pipe. "I'll have an ANBU trail him, and require mandatory counseling for the entire team."

"That's probably best. I don't want to give Madara a chance to get to him."

Her father nodded, "I'm going to put a squad member on Kakashi as well, just to be safe. Now to deal with you?"

Sakura’s brow furrowed, “I did what I had to."

“You did, but you didn’t do it in the correct way. I don’t care how much knowledge of the future you have, you are not a lone wolf. You are a shinobi of Konoha and I am not only your Hokage but your father. If you need help you come to me, Kura. You can’t do everything on your own.

“ Also, just because an answer might not be what you want to hear, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Sometimes you’re too close to something to see the truth and you will need an outside perspective. You have friends and family, you have to learn to ask for help. Do you understand me?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. The next time you leave this village without permission I'm putting you under house arrest, and leaving you completely at your mother's mercy." He waited for a few seconds, allowing the information to seep in.

“I understand.”

“Good, as for your punishment for this time, you are confined to the village until further notice. If I had my choice you wouldn’t do anything but D ranks either. Unfortunately, we’re at war and that isn’t an option. However, we do need some help at the academy.”

Sakura raised an eyebrow in question, and watched as her father smiled behind the pipe, "The academy needs someone to teach sex education this week. Kato was supposed to do it, but between going after you and pulling several all-nighters at the hospital, he assured me that you wouldn't mind covering for him. Have fun."

Sakura's eye twitched, she was going to kill Kato.

She turned to leave and her father’s voice stopped her, “Just so you know we haven’t had any outrage from the other villages yet, but it’s still early. If they make a scene it might not end well Kura.”

She paused and turned to look at her father. He stared at her, and continued to puff on his pipe. “It’s not written down in any report. Minato, Kato, and Shikkaku made sure of that. They told me so that I could be prepared. I doubt either village will make a stink. You did both of them big favors.”

“So what do I do?”

He smiled at her, kindly, gently, “Go home. See your mother.”

Sakura did just that. She trudged up the stairs. Her body was still sluggish. As she climbed the stairs the weight of the mission finally started to settle onto her shoulders. By the time she reached the door, she was shaking. She closed the door quietly behind her and slipped her shoes off.

“Sakura?” Her mother’s voice was soft and filled with concern.

And as Sakura turned to her mother, tears started to well in her eyes, and horrifyingly they then started to fall. Sakura couldn’t remember the last time she had cried.

“Oh Sakura.”

And as she fell to her knees Sakura felt her mother catch her. And there, in the safety of her mothers arms, Sakura cried. She cried, and cried in the entryway of her family home for what felt like forever. The tears just wouldn’t seem to stop.

When they finally did, Sakura didn’t move. She stayed nestled in Biwako’s arms as her mother stroked her hair. Somewhat surprisingly, her mother didn’t say anything. She didn’t offer comforting words or reassure her. She just stayed there with Sakura, and she held her.

When Sakura was done with her tears, and she could stand again, she hugged her mother close and proceeded to go to her room and sleep for another ten hours. The next morning, her mother greeted her like normal. There was no judgment in her eyes or pity; just the same love and sternness as always. For that Sakura was grateful.

One week later, after she was given the all clear to return to mission status, she reported to the academy to fulfill her punishment. It was the single most horrifying thing she had ever experienced. Not really, but close. It was an entire day of teaching the same sex education class to different teenagers. It was not a good time.

Which was why, when Sakura trudged into her office she wasn’t surprised to find Kato was waiting for her. And on his face a shit eating grin. She didn’t say a word, she just glared at him.
“Oh come on, you can’t leave me hanging. You have to give me the details. Did they giggle? Did they use the substitute words? Did you blush through the whole thing? Did you use the diagrams? Give me something!”

Sakura just continued to glare, “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“I know I had to be punished, but did you have to give a suggestion?”

Kato scoffed, “First, you scared us half to death. Second, if it means getting out of giving the sex talk to a bunch of hormonal teenagers, I’d give you up to the enemy.” She gave him a look, and he relented, “Okay, so I wouldn’t go that far. I would, however, sacrifice you to my wife for a week of girl’s night.”

A laugh broke out of Sakura’s mouth, “I think I’d rather take a chance with Iwa.”

“Ohhh the worst of the worst. Now tell me, was it bad?”

Sakura settled at her desk, “It was a barrage of giggling and inappropriate questions until . . .”

He leaned in, “Until what?”

“Until I lost my temper. I might have scared them into complete silence.”

A huge grin broke out on Kato’s face, “And then?”

“My mother might have shown up and read me the riot act.”

Kato burst out into laughter, “Nevermind, now I wish I was there.”

“I wish I was anywhere but there, and now I get to pull two consecutive shifts here.”

Kato shrugged, “At least you don’t have to deal with kids here.”

Sakura’s fingers tapped the desktop, “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Kato raised an eyebrow at that, “What do you mean?”

“Obito wants to talk. I’m off to see him before starting my shift.”

“Just remember, he’s a kid. A kid that’s in love. Whatever he says in anger, he doesn’t mean.”

Sakura stood up and slid her coat over top of her scrubs, “Doesn’t make it easier.”

Kato grabbed her hand and squeezed, “When has this life ever been easy?”

Sakura walked with her head held high towards the cafeteria. She found Obito easily. He was sitting at a table by himself. He looked pale and solemn. The complete opposite of the Obito she knew. She slid into the seat across from him. He didn’t look at her.

Things were silent for a minute before he said, “Rin doesn’t want to see you.”

“I know.”

His head snapped up, his eyes were red and spinning, “How do you know? You haven’t even been to see her.”

She raised an eyebrow, and watched as realization flooded him. The red faded from his eyes. “You’re right, I haven’t been to see her.”

“Why?”

“Partly because I’m afraid. I was there when her body broke, my chakra flooded her body, I know every break and injury that she suffered. I know she has to be mad, and I know that anger has to go somewhere.”

“And you assume it’s you? That’s a little cocky.”

Sakura shrugged, “Maybe. Or maybe I’ve seen it before. I’ve seen a lot of things, Obito. Much more than you. And I know something about blaming people as well. Just like I know you’re upset at me.”

“If I had been there. . .”

“You would have died, or I would have died, or maybe Kakashi would have. It was everything I could do to keep Rin alive. And at the time, I didn’t think the village would be willing to go after her at all.”

“But she’s part of the will of fire . . . they would have gone after her!”

Sakura considered her next words, and then decided to proceed, “If you believed that, you would have gone straight to the Hokage.” She watched as a dumbfounded look came over his face. Sakura stood, “It’s okay to be mad at me Obito. I can take it. I’ve done it before. Just . . . be there for Rin.”

He looked at her, eyes big and filled with sadness, “It’s that simple?”

Sakura shook her head, “It’s never that simple. Rin has an uphill battle ahead of her. There’s a war going on. People are dying left and right. Hell, even when the war ends, people will still die. Right now, you need to help her keep fighting.”

There were several moments of silence. Obito didn’t look at her, instead he looked past her. When he was done, he looked back at her, “I can do that.”

Sakura allowed a small smile onto her lips, “If anyone can, it’s you Obito.”

She watched as he stood up, and he gave her a small smile, “I’m gonna go see Rin.”

“Hang in there Obito.”

She watched him go. She stayed there for a few minutes. She allowed the guilt to fall on her shoulders, and then she shoved it into the box. She’d deal with it on the same day she dealt with all of the other screwed up stuff in her life. And then, she went to work.

Notes:

The end of this chapter was originally going to be the start of the next chapter, and I’m so glad it isn’t. It led to that wonderful moment between Biwako and Sakura and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
For those wondering why Minato wasn’t more upset, I think he’s just getting used to lone-wolf Sakura. That being said he can also see that she’s learned her lesson. AND she HAS! That’s not to say she won’t mess up again. She totally will.

That talk with Obito at the end man, I really felt like that needed to happen.

She got off light punishment wise, but we’ll see if that continues with the international contingent.

Ahh a Sasuke dream (man this chapter has a lot going on). Are y’all starting to get that these aren’t just dreams? ;)

Also, yay for the Darui appearance.

More annoying, yet wise Kato.

I felt like her punishment was a good one. Thoughts?

This might be the longest chapter yet!

Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Summary:

Warning: Maternal death during child birth (nothing graphic, but it's there)

Sakura allowed the chill of winter to wash over her. While Konoha never got cold enough for a ton of snow, it did get cold. At least for the residents of the land of fire. Despite her hair and name being a homage to spring, Sakura could honestly say her favorite time of year was fall. She enjoyed the colors of changing leaves, and the little bite of cool air that nipped at her skin. It reminded her that change could be beautiful. Sadly, the season was over. Winter was here, and the crunch of leaves under her boots was the proof.

It left her feeling sad. While autumn was full of change and color, winter was dreary. It was her least favorite season. 

It had been a little over two months since Rin's abduction and the foray into a battle with Kiri and Kumo. So far, neither country had said anything and the full extent of her exploits had stayed safely hidden. She was still on lockdown though. Her father hadn’t sent her on any missions since she’d been back. And she was fairly certain that a team of Anbu checked on her at least once a day. 

She still hadn’t seen Rin. She'd caught some glimpses of her here and there in the hospital. However, she tried to steer clear of her room. Complications had kept her in the hospital. Sakura wasn't surprised. A small part of her was still astonished that Rin was alive. She had itched to take a look at her injuries, but the nurses who took care of Rin had made things very clear, she didn't want to see Sakura. Sakura had decided to accept that decision.

On the other hand, Obito had seemingly forgiven her. She had convinced her father to let the mission details out to both he and Kakashi, they knew about everything that wasn't extremely confidential. While Obito didn’t seek her out he was cordial and kind to her when he did see her. 

Kakashi was different. Unlike his teammates he had experienced a lot of loss. He knew that things weren’t Sakura’s fault. He had also become a somewhat permanent fixture in her home thanks to Minato and her brothers. From what Sakura could tell, he took a lot of pleasure in annoying her. It was nice to know some things didn’t change. 

Both boys were in mandatory therapy. It was something her father and Minato had decided on . . . with a push from her mother. A push that might have secretly come from Sakura. Sakura wasn’t ashamed to admit her mother was a powerhouse, and no one, not even her father the Hokage stood a chance at denying her. 

As she entered the hospital warm air and her mother greeted her, “You’re late.” Apparently that powerhouse was now focused on her. Karma was real. 

Biwako’s eyes were narrowed and a stern look was on her face. 

Sakura smiled at her mother and kept walking towards her office, her mother on her heels. “Where have you been Sakura? It’s unprofessional to be late.” 

Sakura entered her office and her mother closed the door. Neither of them acknowledged Kato who was asleep at his desk. Her mother shook her head in frustration. Sakura started pulling on her scrubs, “I was with Minato. We were at the training grounds. I needed a spar, my muscles were getting tight.” 

Her mother sighed, “A heads up would be nice. We’re short staffed.” 

She felt a tick of annoyance flair up inside her as she turned to face her mother, “We’re always short staffed.” 

“Which is why it’s important for you to be on time. People are relying on you Sakura.” 

Weren’t they always? Just once it would be nice to not be relied on, to be told to go and goof off. That wasn’t an option though. Most of the time Sakura didn’t mind it, but today she was in her feelings. 

“I get it. I’ll be on time.” 

Her mother sighed, but she didn’t say anything else. She just left. 

Sakura turned and looked at Kato, “You can stop pretending.” 

One eye opened, “I swear, you two are as bad as Hana and Tsume.” 

Sakura shrugged into her doctor’s coat, “We’re on top of each other all the time: home and here. We see a ton of each other. A little frustration is natural.” 

“Whatever you say. If you’ll excuse me, I have fifteen more minutes before I have to be back on the floor. I’m going back to sleep.” 

Sakura couldn’t resist a parting shot, “You mean a little cat nap?” The look of indignation on Kato’s face was enough to keep her going for the next six hours. 

---

She was just about to pour her fourth cup of coffee, and take a well deserved break, when Anko came tearing down the hallway. Her apprentice had grown an inch or two in the past month or so, and her limbs had become a bit lankier. She was officially in that awkward teenage stage. It was a stage Sakura wouldn’t repeat for the life of her. Suddenly, she was grateful she’d been sent back in time as she was and not as her younger self. 

Anko was out of breath, something that was a bit unusual since her endurance had increased a good deal since Sakura had first met the girl. She sipped on her coffee while Anko gasped at words between breaths. 

"Kato," She took a deep breath. "Needs your help, there's a breech baby.” Another deep breath,  “and the cord is wrapped around its neck. You have to hurry."

Sakura set the cup down. "Which room?" Anko rambled out a room number and Sakura was off. She arrived at the room, only to find two Hyuuga guards, and a scary looking elder blocking the door. When she tried to move into the room she was blocked.

 At that, Sakura raised an eyebrow, "I was called to this room. I was informed that the baby in there is about to die. I’ve been told its breech and the cord is wrapped around its neck. If you don't move it'll die."

The elder attempted to stare her down, and when that didn't work stated, in the most emotionless voice she had ever heard, "That would go a long way towards solving this little problem."

Sakura moved on instinct and rage. The surprise of the hit was probably the only reason she got it in. The Hyugga were used to getting their way, they certainly didn’t take well to being told what to do, and the word no was not in their vocabulary. Which is why she was eternally grateful she didn’t bother with words first. She hit the pressure point on his neck and watched him drop. She then slipped by the two stunned guards and into the room.

Sakura felt her heart sink at the scene in front of her. There was blood everywhere, and the woman was unconscious. Something had gone terribly wrong. Glancing at Kato she found his scrubs also covered in blood, and a heart broken expression on his face.

Sakura immediately moved to his side. The conclusion in front of her was obvious, "She's not going to make it." It was a statement not a question. Kato shook his head "What about the baby?"
"Barely hanging on. Hizashi brought her in a few minutes ago. We have to move now."

She and Kato worked as a team and had the baby out in a little under two minutes. While Kato took care of the baby, Sakura moved to take care of the mother. She paused for just a moment, trying to place where she had seen this woman previously, before deciding that it didn't matter. Sakura did her best to stop the bleeding, but she was failing miserably.

The poor woman was dying, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. A cry behind her, pushed Sakura's efforts further. This child needed its mother. A hand on her wrist stopped her. She followed the arm to the face of the mother and Sakura stilled.

The woman gave her a weak smile, but didn't say anything, or maybe she couldn't. Sakura could see it in the woman's eyes, she knew that she was going to die, and in some weird way she could see the acceptance there as well. Sakura watched the woman's eyes go towards the crying and then flicker back to her. Sakura understood. "Kato bring the baby over."

"Sakura. . ." Kato began

"Now Kato, she doesn't have much time. She deserves to see her baby."

She didn’t look back, she stayed focused on the mother. The woman smiled at her. A second later, Kato brought over the baby. He was wrapped in a blue blanket, but still covered in after birth. He was still crying when Sakura took him from Kato's arms and brought him to the woman's eye level. "Help her turn her head." Sakura ordered, and Kato did as instructed. 

Sakura watched as tears came running out of the woman's eyes. Then the hand that had gripped Sakura's arm moved towards the baby. Without prompting Kato helped it reach its goal. The woman's hand cupped her son's face, her eyes focused solely on the baby. With a shaky breath, in a voice barely above a whisper she said a phrase that made Sakura want to cry and throw up all at once,  "Grow up strong, my little Neji." And without another word her hand fell and she breathed no more.

Sakura felt the shock run through her spine. A second later she felt nauseous. She straightened up and clutched the baby protectively to her chest. There was no way in hell anyone was hurting this baby. She stopped and stared at the door. Her eyes narrowed, she turned to Kato, and asked, "Want to be my blocker?" 

The same rage she was feeling was reflected in Kato's eyes. This was one of their ride or die moments. Kato nodded, and moved in front of her. He made a big show out of pushing all three Hyuuga back, all while snarling. While the Hyuuga were important, Kato was the leader of his own clan, and clan politics were complicated. As he dealt with the three Hyuuga, Sakura snuck by and made her way towards the nursery.

The other nurses met her at the door and swept the baby from her arms, but Sakura stayed with them. There was no way in hell she was going to leave this baby alone. She’d watched as Neji had grown from a bitter teenager into a self assured man. She’d been there when his life had been cut short. 

Furthermore, this was the first of her friends to be born. She was going to protect him, just like she was going to protect them all. That started here. Right now. 

 After about an hour, after the baby had been officially declared alive, and given a birth certificate, which Sakura made sure said Neji Hyuuga, Kato rejoined her.

He had showered and changed into clean clothes. "Well?" Sakura asked.

"They said Hizashi would be by to collect the boy upon release. And that came after a whole argument that eventually involved your father."

“What did my dad say?” 

“That the baby was a citizen of Konoha, and that if anything happened to him he’d be sure to investigate himself.” 

"Sounds about right."

Kato shook his head "I just don't get it. It's tradition for the Hyuuga to give birth at home, they have their own personal medics for this kind of thing. It keeps the secret of their special eyes and all that. They're pros at this and have some of the best prenatal care I've ever seen. 

“But  the mother had been coming here for prenatal care, it was in her chart. I just don't understand why she didn't come in when she went into labor. Their medics obviously weren't doing anything to help her."

"Obviously?" Sakura asked

"The baby had been breech for a while, and there'd been no move to turn him. She was already so far gone when Hizashi brought her in. I'm surprised she lived as long as she did."
Sakura pursed her lips at the name, as Kato laid a hand on her shoulder "You did good in there Sarutobi. Saved that boy's life. I'm heading home now, my shift was over two hours ago, and right now I really just want to kiss my wife and hug my kid."

Sakura smiled, "I'm going to stay here for a bit longer. No one should be alone on their birthday. Give Hana a kiss for me, and tell Tsume that we're still on for girl's night out tomorrow." Kato nodded, and with one last glance at Neji, he left.

The more she stared at Neji, the more something nagged at her. Images of the woman and someone else kissing flooded her mind. Then a prenatal appointment, months ago. 

Sakura didn't know how long she stood there staring at Neji, but she was acutely aware when another presence joined her. Turning, she faced Hiashi Hyuuga. At some point during her thinking, everything clicked, "He's not Hizashi's son, he's your son, isn't he?"

Hiashi met her eyes and asked, "How do you know I'm Hiashi?"

"Because I got a good look at the scar on the base of your neck that night I caught you kissing her at the Straight Cougar."

There was a moment of silence before Hiashi nodded "He's my son." Turning towards her she saw the unshed tears in Hiashi's eyes, "Did she suffer?" 

Sakura didn’t say anything for a minute, “I don’t think so.” 

Hiashi continued "I was on a mission, and when I got back I found her like that. In labor, alone, and in trouble. The elders had forbidden anyone  from helping her, and she couldn't walk. They threatened to take my birth right away from me if I defied them, but in that minute I didn't care. I loved her, and she was carrying my son. I moved without thinking."

"Why did they do it?"

"A head of the clan with a bastard son does not reflect well on the clan. Nor does an affair. If they had known about the pregnancy earlier on, they would have terminated it, but she hid it. She wanted this baby so badly."

Sakura nodded, "She fought so hard to see him, and to hold him. She named him Neji."

Hiashi smiled, "We decided on that name together, on those private afternoons, when we could dream of the life we wanted."

"You could still have part of that dream, you just have to want it enough."

A small smile came over Hiashi's lips, "You've never dealt with a clan before, have you?"

"I have never been, nor do I ever want to be part of a clan. However, I do know about regrets. And I think you'll regret it for the rest of your life if you don't claim your son, the last little bit of that dream world."

She watched the mask come back over Hiashi's face "Perhaps." For some reason the sight of that mask sent Sakura over the emotional edge she had been teetering on since she had walked into that room and seen how dire the situation had been.

She grabbed Hiashi's arm, ignored his protests, and pulled him into the nursery. The nurses gave her some funny looks, but they had grown used to her methods over the past year, and knew that she didn't do things without a reason.

She pushed Hiashi down into one of the rocking chairs kept on hand for new parents, went to Neji's bassinet, and gently picked the baby up. Cradling the boy in her arms she went over to Hiashi and set Neji in his father's arms.

The nurses quickly left the area, as Sakura instructed the new father on how to support the baby's head, and then Sakura watched. She watched as a father took in the sight of his son, and clutched the boy just a bit closer.

When the tears began to fall, Sakura didn't say a word, she simply moved to block the duo from the eyes of the world, protecting them for as long as she could. As Hiashi held Neji close she drove her point home, “That little boy is the last part you have of her. He’s part of you and her. A beautiful and wonderful representation of the love you had. Don’t let it go.” 

Sakura didn't end up leaving till several hours later. Hiashi was giving Neji his first bottle and both the nurses on duty and Hiashi had assured her that everything would be all right.

Sakura didn't go home, seeing a happy family would tear at her already tender heart. Instead she went to the one person she knew would simply hold her and not question the tears she knew were coming.

---

He hadn’t been expecting anyone. With his kids doing various things, his friends living busy lives, and Sakura working a late shift, he had planned on a quiet evening in. So when there was a knock on the door he was more than a little surprised. He was even more surprised to find his girlfriend on the other side, covered in blood. He had quickly ushered her into the apartment, and then straight to the shower. She didn’t say a word, and he didn’t expect her to. She'd tell him when she was ready.

While she showered, he pulled out some of her clothes which had found a home at his place, and then he waited. She came out still damp. She quickly pulled her clothes on, and then she stared at him. He opened his arms and she dove in.

He held her, and ran his fingers through her hair, and when the tears came he held her a little bit closer. Sakura didn't cry easily, but when she did, there was usually a good reason. He couldn’t make everything okay, he knew that. He hated that. What he could do was hold her, tell her that he loved her, and be there for her no matter what. And those were all things he could do. 

 

Notes:

1) I remember originally writing this chapter. It was going to be one of my major changes.
2) It still is.
3) I love this take on Hiashi, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see what happens.
4) Everyone has those aggravating moments with their parents. Sakura is not an exception.
5) Kato is a good guy. He is a good husband, dad, and friend. He is Sakura's ride or die.
6) Make sure to tell me what you think!

Chapter 29

Sakura awoke the next morning with a headache.It was a nasty side effect whenever she cried her heart out. She turned her head and glanced at the clock. It was three in the morning, and yet fingers were running through her hair. She looked at Minato. His eyes were closed, and there was an open book on his chest, but he was awake.

She turned and cuddled in closer to him. She threw one of her legs across his, wrapped an arm around his chest, and nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. She closed her eyes again. Neither of them said anything for a little while, but when the headache had started to subside she simply said, “Hisashi has a son.”

Minato’s fingers stilled, tangled in her hair.

“How? His wife isn’t . . .”

“Not from his wife. The mother was his longtime love. She died in childbirth. Their son’s name is Neji.”

Minato let out a breath, “It must be Himari. He’s loved her since childhood. She’s a branch family member though. They had to sneak around. We all covered for them. He told us they’d broken up when he married his wife. Crap. This isn’t good.”

Sakura dropped the next bomb, “I think he’s going to claim Neji.”

Minato sat up and took her with him. She stared at him, there was determination in his eyes. It was the same look he got before a mission. “Was he there when you left?”

“He was with Neji. Yes.”

“I need you to head there. You’ve been gone for just over three hours, and that leaves us with three hours before the Hyuga band together and storm that hospital the moment visiting hours resume.”

“Why would they wait?”

“To make him sweat. To make him think about the mistake he supposedly made. To make him think he’s alone.”

Sakura swung her legs off the bed, and Minato grabbed his flak jacket, “What do you need me to do?”

“Stall. Make sure the Hyuga elders can’t get past until I get there with reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements?”

Minato gave her a smile that could only be called devious, “I’m going to call in some favors.”

She didn’t wait any longer. She sprinted out the door. Her first stop was an obvious one. She slipped into her family’s home, and made her way to her parents’ bedroom door. She stopped there and flared her chakra. A second later her mother opened the door. She didn’t wait, “I need your help.”

Her mother didn’t blink, “The Hyuga baby?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll meet you at the hospital in twenty minutes.”

A small amount of relief flooded her, and she turned and headed to her next stop. The Inuzuka compound was on the opposite side of the village, but Sakura still made good time. She didn’t even get to knock on the door before it opened. Kato was standing there, already dressed, “I can NOT believe I wasn’t your first stop.”

Sakura peered around him to find Minato and Tsume in a hushed conversation. She looked back at her best friend, “My mother was.”

“Nevermind. That was a good choice. You’re forgiven. Let’s go.”

Sakura laughed, looked back at Minato, and winked at him. Her boyfriend just smiled. By the time she and Kato reached the hospital her mother was already there. She was standing in front of the staff, barking out orders.

She turned to Sakura, “Hisashi is asking for you.” Sakura nodded once and her mother continued, “He sees you as a safe person Sakura. You need to have his back now. Your father and I will protect you from any backlash, but he’s going to need you.”

“I know.”

Her mother raised an eyebrow, “Do you? If he wins this fight he’s going to be without a clan. He won’t have any family except Neji. He’s going to need your help, your friendship, and Minato’s.”

“Minato is already recruiting help, and I am fully prepared to be Aunt Sakura.”

Her mother smiled gently at her, before she reached out and took her hand, “I never had any doubts.” She turned to Kato, “You’re helping block, you go that?”

Kato saluted, “Ma’am yes, ma’am.”

Her mother rolled her eyes and shooed them off.

Sakura found the nursery practically abandoned. There were a few nurses watching the babies, but for the most part it was quiet. Hiashi was right where she had left him. He looked up when she came in.

“I can’t seem to put him down.”

Kato was the one who spoke, “That’s normal. Hana stayed glued to Tsume or me for the first six months of her life. Neither of us wanted to let her out of our sight.”

Hiashi looked back at Neji, “They won’t let me keep him. Even if I claim him, they won’t give him his birthright. They were talking about having my brother marry quickly and claim Neji as his. They said he’s not as well known, but I don’t want that. He’s all I have left of Himari. If they had taken her to the hospital I’d still have her too.”

Kato frowned, “They suck Hiashi. You know how clans are. Remember when my marriage to Tsume was arranged? I went on a three day bender.”

“I did the same. The only difference is you came to love your wife.”

“I got lucky.”

Sakura crouched beside Hiashi, “What do you want Hiashi?”

He looked her in the eyes, “I want my son.”

“You realize what that means, right?”

“I lose my clan. I lose my status,” he looked back at Neji, “My son is worth it.”

Sakura smiled, “That’s all I needed to hear.” She looked back at Kato, “Tell them we’re a go.”

Kato smirked, “You Sarutobi women sure are bossy.”

“I’ll be sure to tell my mother that.”

Her friend paled, “Please don’t.” Then he was gone.

“We need to move to a private room so no one gets hurt.” Hiashi nodded. He moved slowly through the halls with Neji in his arms. He was obviously afraid of dropping his son. It was a typical new parent fear.

She led him to a private room, still on the nursery floor. He immediately went to the rocking chair.

Sakura settled in for a wait. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t really know Hiashi. For her, this was all about Neji. Sakura studied him. He was vastly different from the man she had vaguely known. His attention was all on his son, and the love was evident on his face.

After what had to be half an hour of silence Hiashi finally said, “I’ve never gone against my clan. Not for my brother. Not Himari. Not even for myself. But for Neji . . .”

Sakura waited for a second before she asked, “What's it like? Being a parent?”

Hiashi looked at her, “Unlike anything I can describe. The moment you set him in my arms I knew. Himari had been determined to raise him on her own. She didn’t want me to know about him. She didn’t want to attract attention. I told her that was impossible. An unwed mother in our clan would have had all the attention. She kept me at a distance.

“That night at the Straight Cougar, that’s when she told me she was pregnant. Neji came from our last night together before I was married. The elders figured it out quickly. So did my wife. She understood. I wasn’t her first choice either. While we’re cordial we don’t love each other. I regret the embarrassment this is going to cause her. She doesn’t deserve this.”

Sakura took all of that in. She couldn’t really imagine a parent’s love fully. Her birth parents had been horrible. Biwako and Hiruzen had shown her a good example, but she wasn’t of their blood. What if she was a mother like her own had been? What if she was too damaged to be a good mother? She hadn’t thought of children and marriage much since she’d been in her Sasuke faze. With Minato, it had crossed her mind more than a few times. She still had reservations.

Hiashi looked up from where he was rocking Neji, “You know Minato would be a good father.”

Sakura didn’t say anything for a minute. Was she really going to bare her soul to this man she barely knew? “I have no doubts. It’s me I’m worried about.” Apparently, yes. “I’m damaged. Sometimes I think it’s beyond repair.”

Hiashi gave her a look. It was a knowing look. He understood, “Until five hours ago I thought the same. My father never hugged us. Nor did my mother from what I remember. Everything was always about the good of the clan. I always doubted my ability to love or take care of a child. Himari tried to reassure me that I’d be a wonderful father if I let myself. Now I’m going to try and live up to it. I think you can do the same if you give yourself space to heal. Especially with Minato at your side.”

Sakura allowed a small smile onto her face. The drifted back into silence until a disturbance interrupted it. Sakura stayed seated, and cast a low level genjutsu so people wouldn’t notice her.
A second later the Hyuga elders burst through the nursery doors with Hiashi’s father leading the charge. The man’s face was filled with rage. “How dare you. How dare you besmirch the Hyuga name. We gave you everything, and THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY US?!”

Sakura moved when Neji started to whimper. She appeared at Hiashi’s side, and he handed his son to her. She retreated backwards as Hiashi took a fighting stance. Despite everything she’d heard about Hiashi personally, she knew he was strong. He’d been a hell of a fighter, and he had led his clan for a reason.

Right now that power was radiating off of him in waves. The desire to protect his son, the anger over his forced marriage, the rage over his love’s death had accumulated into this moment. That power was enough to make his own father take a step back.

But he didn’t back down, “Hiashi, that’s enough. I have Hizashi here. He’s willing to raise the boy as his own, and you will fulfill your duty with your wife.”

“No.” It was one word, but it was firm.

Several Hyuga guards stepped forward, ready to attack. Sakura watched as Hizashi raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t move. A piercing wail came a second later, and then others. The babies down the hall had sensed the energy.

Sakura moved towards the window, and clutched Neji tighter. She wanted to make sure she had an exit in case of a fight.

“Hiroshi! I know you’re not about to start a fight on the nursery floor of a hospital!”

Hiashi’s father winced as Biwako’s voice rang from outside the door to the room, and a second later her mother walked in. Following behind her was Minato, Tsume, Fugaku, Shikkaku, Chouza, and Inoichi. Minato had apparently gathered every major clan head in the village. They all moved to stand next to Hiashi.

Kato came in through the window a second later and moved in front of her. She watched as Hiashi steeled himself. Now that he had back up, now that he was sure his son was safe, he could act.
“I, Hiashi Hyuga, being of sound body and mind, on this day sever my ties to the Hyuga clan. I am no longer your kinsmen. I am outside the clan. With this I forfeit the protection, monetary aid, and protection the clan provides, knowingly and willingly.”

Hiroshi was nearly frothing at the mouth now, “You can’t do this! You’re not allowed to leave! You will be marked or left dead before I allow this.”

“That would be against the law.”

Her father’s voice was smooth and low. As one everyone’s eyes went to him. “Hiashi left the clan in the presence of five other clan heads and myself, as is required by law. You have no power over him. Any attempts to mark him will be seen as assault and you will face punishment under the law.”

Fugaku stepped forward, “The Uchiha stand ready to carry out this order.”

Hiroshi sputtered and her father continued, “I think you have some things to figure out Hiroshi. Now would be a good time to leave and do so.”

Hiroshi’s face took on an evil look before he stormed out. The other elders and guards did the same. The only one who stayed was Hizashi. He stared at his brother for several moments before he said, “I’m glad you had the guts to leave. Take care of my nephew.” And then he was gone.

Slowly the energy in the room dropped from deadly to disbelief. And as everyone took a deep breath, Neji started to wail. Hiashi was next to her in a second, along with her mother. As Biwako instructed him, the other clan heads crowded around him.

Minato made a bee-line for her. He wrapped her in a hug. She looked up at him, “How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“About this supposed law?”

“Tsume and I found it when we were young. Maybe fourteen? It was around the time her father started talking about an arranged marriage. Ultimately she chose to stay, and it worked out for her, but she wanted a plan B just in case.”

“That’s why you went to her first.”

“That was one reason. The other is, despite being clan heads, each person here still has to take into account their elders. They have to be able to defend their decisions. Emergency meetings were called tonight to inform them. I had a few others on standby, but I knew these ones would carry the most weight with the Hyuga and the village elders.

“And as horrible as it sounds, a Hyuga clan scandal works in the favor of the other clans. Plus, Hiashi is going to need more help than just you or I can give. He needs his village.”

Sakura smiled, “You are a good man Minato Namikaze.”

She watched as a blush came over his face just as Neji let out another wail, and while everyone’s focus was on the baby, she took the initiative to kiss her boyfriend. This was a small victory, but it’s one she wouldn’t trade for the world.

Notes:

1) This is a brand new chapter.

2) Previously the story skipped over this stuff, but I really wanted to address it for a couple of reasons: it shows how smart and knowledgeable Minato is, it shows the kind of horror Hiashi grew up with, it shows what Neji will be escaping, and it shows a unity amongst the friends.

3) You better believe that Sakura is going to be a fixture in Neji’s life.

4) This chapter also allowed Sakura to reflect on the idea of motherhood, something she wouldn’t have really been able to contemplate for a while. She has doubts, and that is normal with motherhood. Plus it’s scary, but Sakura knows the difference between a good mother and a bad one, and she is going to be determined to be a good one.

5) Okay, that’s all. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 30

Notes:

Warning: There is talk of ending a pregnancy. Nothing graphic. It's only talk.

“Was he your father in our time too?” 

Sakura watched the young man she hadn’t known well. He was meditating. His eyes were closed. Lee had told her once that Neji had meditated to keep control of his temper. He had hated the anger that had consumed his youth, but it liked to try and rear its ugly head every once in a while. She supposed it was still haunting him, even in the after life. 

Slowly, Neji opened his eyes, “Who’s to say? Hiashi and Hizashi were identical twins. The real question is, what are the implications of your actions?” 

Sakura shifted her weight to her other foot and let out a sigh, “That is a question I ask every time I change something.” 

He shrugged, “Things will change Sakura. That was your goal from the start, but actions have consequences. Things are becoming more unpredictable. Is everyone we knew going to be born?”

This time it was Sakura who closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, “That’s my biggest fear. That the people I loved won’t come back to me. What about Hinata? By saving you, I might have ruined her chance for being born.” 

Neji stood and slowly approached her. He hesitated before he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, “I don’t think that you can make people disappear. You’ve been sent back to fix things. However, I think the circumstances will be entirely different. Either way, choices have been made and more will have to be made. You’re on a path and you can only go forward.” 

She opened her eyes and her lips quirked, “There’s that wisdom Lee was always talking about.” 

Neji’s lips quirked for just a second, “Someone had to be the voice of reason on our team.” 

Sakura smiled at that, “I know that feeling.” 

“Good luck Sakura.” 

---

Sakura woke up to the sun, a light breeze, and someone playing with her hair. She shifted onto her back and stared up into blue eyes. Her head was nestled in Minato’s lap. She smiled. 

Minato smiled back, “Have a good nap?”

“It was peaceful.” 

His fingers stopped playing with the ends of her hair. There was a contemplative look in his eyes. She reached up and stroked his face, “What’s with that look?” 

“Just thinking.” 

“About?” 

“Us.” 

Her brow furrowed, and she sat up, “What about us?” 

“The next step.” 

She felt her stomach flip. She watched his mouth move. 

"Can you say that one more time? I didn't quite catch that."

Minato smirked, "Will you move in with me?"

She cocked her head to the side. She had never lived with a man, had never been in a relationship long enough or serious enough to warrant it. She turned to look at their surroundings.

They were in the park, on a rare day off for both of them. She didn't have to be at the hospital, and Minato didn't have a mission. Neither of them had anything to do until later in the day, so they had packed a picnic and gone to the park. They had taken their books and simply laid around, read their books, and in Sakura’s case, fallen asleep.

She had been so relaxed, and now she was all stiff. It was a pity really.

Minato's smile was still in place though, as he looked at her and held her gaze. His hand reached up and captured a strand of hair, she began to relax as he began to play with it again. She always relaxed when he did that. It allowed her to think. 

She needed more information "What brought on this question?"

"Seemed time, we've been together for a little over nine months. You spend more time at my place than you do at your parents. There's also the fact that my bed now has decorative pillows." 

Sakura couldn't help but smile. The pillows had been a spur of the moment purchase when they had been out grocery shopping. He leaned forward and placed his forehead against her’s, “And of course the most important reason, I love you and you love me.” 

Sakura could only smile, as she leaned forward and placed a kiss on him, "Can I have some time to think about it?” 

There was no hurt in his eyes, only understanding. He had expected this, “Of course.” 

They sat there, in love, like dopey idiots, until Sakura knew it was time to go. Despite it being their day off, they both had places they needed to be. Packing up their trash, Minato took the basket, gave her a kiss goodbye, and vanished. Sakura smiled and began making her way through the village. She passed the marketplace and picked up a few groceries before she headed to the civilian district.

She made her way up several flights of stairs, stopped in front of door number 202, knocked, and waited. The door opened a second later to reveal a harried Hiashi. His clothes were stained with spit-up, his long hair was tied up in a knot, and he had bags under his eyes.

"I can't do this."

Sakura ignored him, and stepped past him into the small apartment. She immediately made her way to the kitchen, began unpacking the groceries, and started on her usual pep-talk, "You can do this, but there's going to be an adjustment period."

"It's been a month." Hiashi's voice was tense, and she knew that the former, unflappable clan head was starting to panic.

Sakura turned to look at him. She studied him for a minute. In the past month Hiashi had had his entire life turned upside down. He’d left the only place he’d ever called home, found an apartment, and was currently on leave until Neji got a little older and he figured out child care. 

Sakura or Minato had stopped by once a day for at least an hour or two to help. Sakura also had a feeling she was going to be watching Neji quite a bit when Hiashi started taking on missions again. She was more than fine with that. Neji was a fairly easy baby. He was quiet. Plus the hospital had a daycare she could put him in when needed, and her mother had already volunteered to babysit.  

“Go get a bath, because you really need one. I'll keep an ear out for Neji."

"Really?" His voice was a bit desperate, and a bit unbelievable. Sakura wanted to laugh, but she didn’t.

“Go.” 

Hiashi disappeared down the hall, and Sakura finished putting the groceries away. Then she went to find her new buddy. Neji was in his bassinet. His pale eyes were wide and studying  everything around him. Despite only being a month old, Sakura could have sworn there was recognition in his eyes when she popped her head over the bassinet. At least that’s what she told herself as he started grabbing for her. She lifted him into her arms, and snuggled him close. He had that great baby smell.

She bounced him a bit as she walked, and talked softly to him. She had just started telling him about how fate was not real when there was a knock on the door. She went to answer it. A lot of their friends had been stopping by to check on Hiashi and Neji. Secretly she hoped it was Kato so she could brag about how Neji preferred her. 

It wasn’t Kato. On the other side of the door was Hyuuga. The woman in front of her wore a soft face, and she was nervous. Well this was odd. No one in the Hyuuga clan was talking to Hiashi. They ignored him on the street. Hiashi had been oddly okay with it. 

With Hiashi having left the clan, Hizashi had been appointed as the new head. His seal had been removed. Hiashi's marriage had been annulled, and there were rumors that he was going to be married off to Hiashi’s ex-wife. The entire idea had sickened Sakura, and only reinforced her dislike of clans. In her opinion Neji and Hiashi were lucky to have gotten out.

“Can I help you?” 

The woman fidgeted a bit, “Is Hiashi here?” 

“He’s taking a shower. Can I ask what you need with him?” 

She looked up and met Sakura’s gaze, “I’m his wife.” 

The word wife hung in the air for a minute before Sakura stepped to the side, “Please come in.” 

She did. Sakura led her into the sparsely furnished apartment. While Hiashi had a decent bit in savings, he hadn’t wanted to waste money on furniture until he was taking missions again. So he had no couch, only cushions on the floor and a kotatsu. Both women sat down, and Sakura held Neji protectively close. She knew nothing about Hiashi’s ex-wife.

They were in the middle of minute eight of their silence when Hiashi reappeared. He stopped at the sight of the woman, “Aiko.” 

“Hiashi.” 

His eyes flickered to Sakura and she shrugged. How had she ended up in this situation? Neji let out a wail and she looked down at him. Right. That’s how. She stood up, “Why don’t I go feed him while you two talk.”

She tried really hard not to listen in, but it came honestly. Shinobi were all about gathering information. And when it came to her friends, Sakura was protective. She needed this information. At least that’s what she was telling herself. 

“What are you doing here Aiko? I heard you and Hizashi were . . .” 

“That’s not happening.”

The words were shapely said, and were a direct contrast to the woman’s demeanor. 

“Oh?” 

“I couldn’t do it again, Hiashi. I couldn’t marry someone out of obligation. Especially someone I don’t know. You and I had time. You talked about Himari and I talked about Daiki. We weren’t in love, but we were friends. We respected each other.” 

“Aiko,” Hiashi’s voice was gentler this time, “Why are you here?” 

“I can’t do what the clan is asking me to. I already lost Daiki to the war. I lost you. I won’t lose . . .” 

There was a pause in the air, “Lose what Aiko?” 

“I won’t lose our child.” 

If Sakura hadn’t been holding Neji she would have dropped to the floor. This was something out of the drama stories her mother had listened to on the radio. 

“You’re pregnant?” 

There was no affirmative answer, Sakura assumed she had nodded. “The elders want me to terminate the pregnancy, and marry Hizashi. I told them no. They said I didn’t have a choice. They said I have nowhere to go.” 

“You want to come here?” 

“Please Hiashi. The annulment hasn’t been finalized. I can technically still leave under our marriage to be with you. I know I’m not Himari, but . . .” 

“You’re my friend. You’re my wife. You’re carrying our child. You are more than welcome here, but you need to understand that Neji is my child just like the one you’re carrying.”

Aiko’s voice was gentle, “I’d never deny you him, Hiashi. I told you that when you told me Himari was pregnant.” 

“Things aren’t going to be easy here Aiko.” 

“I know, but I can help. I can take care of the children and the apartment. You’ll be able to take missions. We won’t have everything we would have had if we’d stayed, but I think we’ll have so much more.” 

There were several moments of silence before Hiashi asked, “Are you sure? You might find someone else. Have a chance at love again.” 

“Daiki is dead. He was the love of my life, Hiashi. Just like Himari was the love of yours. I would rather spend the rest of my life with my friend, who will be kind to me and respect me. I would rather my child know their father and their brother. I would prefer all of this over staying in the clan.” 

“Does the clan know?” 

“Not yet.” 

“Head back to the compound. Pack only the essentials and I’ll help you get out. I’ll be there in two hours.” 

“I understand. Thank you Hiashi.” 

There was a shuffling of feet, and then the door closed. A second later Hiashi called out, “You can come out now Sakura.” 

She did. Neji was finishing the last of his bottle, and she looked at Hiashi. He pointed at her, “Not one word.” 

“Too bad. Are you sure about this?” 

He nodded, “Aiko and I have been friends since childhood. While we were never in love we’ve always gotten along. Our marriage wasn’t by choice. I was in love with Himari and she was in love with Daiki. When we got married we decided we would try to make it a true marriage. I said goodbye to Himari that day and she said goodbye to Daiki.

“Himari got pregnant right before the wedding. I didn’t find out until two months after. Aiko was the first person I told. She was actually happy for me. Daiki died about four months ago on a mission. I held her while she cried.

“We’ve both lost our loves, but this new arrangement won’t be too different from what we expected our lives would look like. It allows us to be a family. I’ll make sure Neji knows about Himari, but Aiko, I know the kind of person she is, she’ll treat him like her own.” 

Sakura smiled a sad smile. As Neji finished his bottle, Hiashi took him back and began to burp him. She watched the two. Happy endings weren’t common in their world. Heartache and loss happened every day. She supposed in the grand scheme of things this was a pretty good ending, and hopefully a better beginning. 

“You’re getting the life you wanted, the life you and his mother always wanted. Love him Hiashi, cherish him, raise him as a sign of hope for the rest of the clan. A symbol of what can be."

Hiashi stared at her for a moment, "That's a lot of pressure to put on my infant son."

The Neji from her time flashed through Sakura's mind, and Sakura simply said, "He's strong enough to handle it. He's his father's son after all." Hiashi graced her with one of his rare smiles. 

“Do you mind watching him while I go get Aiko?” 

“Not at all.” 

Two and a half hours later Hiashi and Aiko returned. There were only two bags, and there was a look of frustration on Hiashi’s face. 

“Where’s Neji?” His tone was bitter.

“Bedroom.”

He headed back immediately, and Sakura turned to Aiko. She looked tired too. 

“He had to speak with the elders. They were less than kind about Neji, about me, about the baby.” Her hand went to her belly. “He’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.” 

Sakura studied the woman, and she believed it. She also made a mental note to start including Aiko in the activities with the rest of the girls. 

“I know you will. I’ll be back tomorrow to check on you guys.” 

Aiko smiled, “Thank you Sakura.” 

Sakura nodded and headed out. 

She returned home, to a wonderful smell coming from the kitchen. She slipped her shoes off and wandered over to the kitchen table. Her brothers and Anko were already seated, and arguing over something or another. Sakura just sat and listened, until her mother began bringing out the food.

Her mother smiled at the sight of her, kissed the top of her head as she passed by, and followed it up with, "Welcome home dear."

Her father came in a moment later, and took his seat at the head of the table. Once all of the food was brought out, everyone began digging in, and shared stories of their day.

Asuma and Akkiko had been assigned to a mission within the village alongside Kakashi and Obito. There had been less and less missions outside of the village lately, and her brothers had been home more often than not.

Anko was up next. She detailed what had happened with her training at the hospital. Sakura took a moment to study the girl. She had grown her purple hair out, and was now wearing it down her back in a braid. She had grown a few inches as well.

As Akkiko started to tell about his day, she studied her brothers. Asuma had started to grow little tufts of facial hair, and Akkiko had shot up in height, he was almost taller than her now.

As her mother started telling them about her day, and the adventures of some of her committees, Sakura noticed a few streaks of gray in her hair. Then her attention turned to her father. His face was now heavily lined, the stress of three wars, she supposed, yet he seemed lighter than she had ever seen him in her own time.

As her mother's story died off, Sakura cleared her throat, drawing her family's attention. She stared at her food, "Minato asked me to move in with him today."

Biwako's squeal of happiness was her only warning before her mother was across the table, and hugging her. Anko followed closely behind, and her father just smiled at her.

Her brothers however were obviously pouting. Grinning Sakura could only ask, "What, aren't you excited for your big sister."

Asuma just shrugged, and Akkiko scowled before saying, "You know, I'm not really sure if Minato is the right guy for you."

Asuma nodded in agreement.

Anko scowled, "Ignore them, they're just going to miss having you around all the time."

Sakura smiled, as her brother's cheeks grew pink, Anko had hit the nail on the head.

Sakura rolled her eyes, and patted her mother’s arm to loosen it, “I haven’t said yes, yet.” 

There were sighs of relief from her brothers while her mother demanded, “Why not?” 

“I needed time to think.” 

Her mother’s hands went to her hips, “And now that you’ve thought about it?” 

“I’m going to say yes.” 

There was another squeal and her mother was hugging her again. She looked at her brothers who were scowling.  "It's not like I'm moving to another village, just down the street. And you know that you guys are welcome to visit anytime."

"Well, you're going to need us around." Akkiko stated, as his blush began to die down.

"Yeah, after all Minato is gone all the time. He's one of the best shinobi the village has." Asuma agreed.

"There's a chance that might not be true for much longer." Her father's voice cut through the conversation like a hot knife through butter, and it made Sakura freeze.

Meeting her father's eyes she gave him a knowing look "Are you?" At her father's nod, she continued, "And you asked him to?" another nod had her a bit more frantic and pushing on "What did he say?"

"He wanted to talk it over with you first." Her father's voice was calm, and assured of his choice. He was ready to step down. He was ready to spend time with his family. He was ready to pass on the title of Hokage. He was ready to pass the title on, and he had chosen Minato.

Keeping her father's gaze Sakura stated, "I need to go talk to him."

Sakura was up and out the door a second later, and then she was running. The echoes of her brother's questions sounded in her ears as she pounded down the stairs and out onto the street. Sending chakra to her feet, she sprinted towards Minato's apartment. She dodged between the people on the streets. When she reached his apartment building she sprinted up the stairs. She was just about to knock on the door when it opened.

Minato stood there, staring at her, and all he had to say was, "It took your father longer than I thought."

Sakura smiled as he pulled her into the apartment and kissed her. It was a long kiss, the type that you could feel the love in, and would probably make people watching turn away. When they pulled apart, she was more out of breath than when she arrived.

Wrapping her arms around Minato's neck she waited for him to say something, this was a conversation he needed to initiate. She wasn't disappointed. "I won't take the position if you don't want me to."

"And why wouldn't I want that?"

His shoulders shrugged underneath her hands, "A lot of late nights, a lot of paperwork, and there will be stuff I can't tell you."

Sakura couldn't help but smirk, "You forget; I already know more than you do."

"True enough," He conceded

"You have to do this Minato. You'll make a wonderful Hokage, and you'll do so much good."

He smiled at that, "You'll stay with me?"

Sakura smiled back "Every Hokage needs a support system, and I happen to have a lot of experience with the Hokage's paperwork. I have a wonderful organization system in mind."

"A complete overhaul?"

“My way is very efficient. It will get you home on time, which is good because I don’t like waiting around."

She watched as her words sunk in. He picked her up, twirled her, and kissed her again. When they broke apart he asked, "So we're doing this?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes, WE are doing this."

"I should probably go and tell your father then."

Sakura smirked, before taking his hand and leading him back towards the bedroom, "Tell him tomorrow. I want one more night of just you and me."

Minato simply followed her, knowing that after tonight things would change forever. For good or bad, who would know.

Notes:

1) Hello, your friendly writing panda is back.

2)I really love that this is chapter 30. So much happens.

3) I'm taking a really different route than what I had planned 10 years ago for Hiashi and Neji. This chapter includes a LOT of new stuff. I'm really excited about it.

4) We're getting close to other big events, can anyone guess?

5) Sakura and Minato have been together for about a year at this point. Sakura has been in the past for around a year and a half I think.

6) Please leave reviews, they really inspire me!

Chapter 31

Sakura had survived many things in her life; missions, Naruto, a war, Naruto, and even being sent back in time. However, she wasn't entirely sure that she was going to survive this. It had been a week since Minato had asked her to move in with him. It had also been a week since her father had asked him to take over the title of Hokage. 

As a result, Minato had spent the past week in the capital. Apparently becoming Hokage was more than just a verbal agreement between the past leader and the future prospect. He also had to be approved by the Daimyo and other political figures. She hadn’t been worried. Minato had an excellent reputation. Now, at the end of the week, she'd received word that everything had gone smoothly and that Minato was on his way back with her father.

In comparison, her week had been very different. Her brothers had flat out refused to help her move, despite their mother's threats. In fact they had been actively sabotaging things. The bottoms of boxes kept falling out, her clothes had gone missing, her books had been replaced with rocks. Then there was Anko, who seemed personally invested; not in helping Sakura, but in thwarting the boys. 

In a lot of ways, Anko had found a home among the Sarutobi family. More than once, she had found Anko asleep on a futon in her room. The young girls would often spend days in the home before going back to her apartment for a night and then returning. She knew for a fact that her mother now considered Anko one of her own, and she wouldn’t be surprised if her mother moved Anko in full time after Sakura left, which would be for the best in Sakura’s opinion.

In a few months' time Orochimaru would try to leave the village. In the original timeline, Anko had been left as a pariah. While Sakura had managed to keep Anko out of Orochimaru's hands, she was still nervous about what could happen. Her father had asked her to leave it to him, and she had reluctantly agreed. Sakura had long ago accepted that she couldn't change everything in this time. Orochimaru going rogue was probably one of those things, and she had accepted that. 

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she never heard the footsteps, nor sensed the chakra on the other side of the door. Sakura attributed years of training to NOT dropping the armful of books when her door was kicked in. Those years of training, however, did not stop her from throwing a kunai at the intruder. 

Luckily, Tsume blocked it while the other women burst out laughing. 

Sakura took a moment to safely store the books before giving her friends the attention they so desired. "And who let you in?"

Tsume, Yoshino, Mikoto, and Chikako just grinned in response, before Tsume held up a rather large bottle of wine in the air and announced, "We came to help you pack."

Yoshino moved towards a pile of clothes as she explained, "I ran into your mother at the market. She mentioned that your brothers were being less than helpful."

Sakura couldn't argue with that, "They're apparently going to miss me."

"If you treated me to BBQ as often as you do them, I'd be sabotaging your move too," Chikako added.

Sakura could only shrug, "I just don't know how to get it across that nothing's going to change." The moment of silence that followed the statement was more than a little telling. And even though she didn't want to, she finally asked, "What do you know that I don't?"

The four women shared a quick look before Mikoto finally said, "Things are going to change Sakura. You're making a commitment to Minato, just like he is to you."

Tsume threw a shirt in a box before adding, "Moving in together is huge. The next step would be marriage. You know?"

"And Minato is the last in our age group to get married. It's got to be on his mind," Chikako confirmed.

Their words made Sakura pause. She'd been so focused on stopping certain things from happening that she hadn't really taken the time to think about what was happening. Her new friends had already been married, or close to married when she got here. Pretty soon, the people from her old life would start being born. The people she had grown up with. Her friends. And who knew who they would turn out; they could all be the same, or completely different.

She could feel her chest tightening, at the realization of what was happening around her. Neji was already a month old. That meant that in another two to three months the women in front of her would be pregnant. That meant that in a little over a year her friends would be born again. All except Naruto, because she was with Minato.

She didn't stick around for her friends to see her panic attack. She just vanished, in a shower of petals. Somehow, she ended up on the top of the Hokage mountain, and there she sat, lost in her own thoughts, until someone draped a coat over her shoulders.

She didn't have to look up to know that it was him. She could smell the smoke on him. Turning towards her father, she gave him a small smile. He returned it, and sat down next to her.

Neither one said anything for the longest time. Her father just lit his pipe, and took a long drag. She brought her knees to her chest, and laid her head on them, “You’re back early.” He hadn’t been due back until past midnight.

When he had taken a few puffs he said, "Everything went smoothly. Minato has been approved for the position, and there’s still enough giddy up in these old bones that we were able to move at a faster pace. I was on my way home, when I sensed your chakra signature. Decided to follow you. Make sure you’re alright.” 

“I needed some air.” 

“Hmm. You in need of air on the night before a major life moment equals a freakout.” 

“I’m not freaking out.” 

“Kura, don’t lie.” 

She blew out a stream of air, “Everything is changing. Things aren’t happening like the did last time. I don’t know if I’ll be able to predict everything that I need to.” 

Her father took a drag of his pipe, “Peace talks are starting. That’s still the same."

"Starting is the key word. They took forever last time."

Her father nodded in agreement, "Very true, it'll be a lot of late nights. Makes me glad I’m getting out now. He’s going to need you."

Sakura shook her head, "He needs Kushina."

"He doesn't want Kushina, he wants you."

"He doesn't know what he wants."

Her father just laughed, "That boy has always known what he wanted, and he has always gone after it. Minato has never left anything to chance. That goes doubly so for you."

Sakura was almost afraid to say her fear out loud, worried that saying it would make it true, "What about Naruto? He's supposed to be the savior of the entire shinobi world."

"Then somehow fate will see to it that he's born."

The addition of a new voice made Sakura freeze. Wincing, she turned towards her boyfriend, "When did you get here?" The small smile on Minato's lips told her everything. "You've been here the whole time haven't you?"

The smile never faded from Minato's lips as he sat down beside her. He nodded once to her father, and then the older man was gone. Traitor. A second later Minato's arm wrapped around her shoulders, and pulled her in tight against his side. "You're so focused on what might not happen, that you're forgetting what might happen, and what you've already changed."

"There's still a lot to do."

Minato nodded, "And you're the person for the job."

That's when it dawned on her, "You've been read in. You know everything."

Minato laughed, "Sweetheart, you are off your game tonight."

"I really am."

There was another moment of silence before Minato said, "And you forgot what Obito said." Sakura raised an eyebrow at that, as Minato's smile softened, "He said, to make sure that you live your life. This is part of that. Things are going to change. Kushina and I not ending up together is apparently one of those changes. I'm okay with that, in fact I'm ecstatic about that, because it means I get you. But I want to make sure you're okay with it."

It took Sakura several minutes to answer. She thought of Naruto, and she knew what he would tell her to do. He'd tell her to be happy, that he would find a way into this world one way or another, because he was Konoha's most unpredictable ninja. With her mind made up, Sakura simply kissed her boyfriend.

When they broke apart, Minato kissed her forehead, and said, "hang on." She felt that all too familiar tug and then she was sitting on her bed, her friends staring at her, and from the looks she was getting she knew she was in trouble.

The feeling was confirmed when Tsume grinned at Minato and said, "You're not Hokage yet, blondie. Now get out. It's girl's night in."

The coward didn't even try to fight it, he just gave a two fingered salute, and then he was gone. And she was left behind to deal with the vultures.

They had been packing for about two hours when there was a small knock on her bedroom door. It creaked open a second later, and a familiar set of milky eyes appeared. Sakura smiled, “Aiko.” 

The woman smiled hesitantly at her, and then at the others. “I’m sorry I’m late. Yoshino invited me, but I had to make dinner, and Neji was being rather fussy.” As she stepped into the room, Sakura saw the baby cradled against her chest in a baby wrap. “He started to cry whenever I left, and well I thought Hiashi could use a night off. He went out to meet the other men.” 

Mikoto smiled, “We’re so glad you were able to come!” 

Sakura smiled too, “We really are. Come on in.” 

The group stayed her up all night talking, and trading non classified secrets. Neji was passed around, and everyone commented on that new baby smell. It warmed a part of Sakura, because she couldn't help but feel that this was what was supposed to happen the first time around.

Instead of the world going to hell, she should have been able to remain a kid for a bit longer. She should have had all night gabfests with her friends, and she should have been able to fall in love properly. As Neji was passed to her, she cuddled him a little closer. 

She let the what if's and what could have happened go, as the sun rose. In that moment, as several knocks came on the front door, Sakura decided to live in the now, and do what she could for the future. With that thought she left her room, and went to meet her future head on.

There was a commotion in the living room, and when the girls, all tired, stepped into it, they were met by the sight of the guys. Minato was in his jounin blues only. Kato was there with Hanna on his shoulders, and Fugaku had Itachi on his. Chouza, Shikkaku, and Inoichi were together, while Hiashi stood near Minato. 

Kato grinned at her, “So, are you ready to shack up?” 

Before Tsume could act, Hanna tugged on her dad’s hair, “That’s not nice daddy.” 

Tsume laughed, and Minato smirked before he stole his goddaughter away, “You tell him Hanna.” 

The actual moving process was a bit more stressful than Sakura had imagined it to be. It probably had something to do with the one month old in her arms.

She hadn't planned, or prepared for that, but some part of her really wanted that connection to her past, and currently Neji, was that connection. So she had cuddled him close while Aiko tried to move things and Hiashi kept stealing them from her.

She watched as Tsume directed the rest of the group on what to take and where to put it.. Sakura couldn't help but smile as Tsume barked at Kato to lift with his back and not his legs, as he argued that it was the other way around. Slipping out the door, Sakura took her time, walking down the street, towards her new home. She enjoyed the sun, as she bounced Neji slightly as she walked.

That's when she saw them. She moved silently, and stopped just behind where her brothers were huddled together with their friends. She could just make out Kakashi's hair, and Obito's goggles. Leaning forward, Sakura whispered, "And what are you four talking about?"

There were several yelps, as they all turned to face her. Akkiko's eyes narrowed, as he threw his hands up in the air and said, "Oh great, and now there's a baby."

Sakura smiled, "This is Neji. I'm babysitting for the next few hours."

Obito's eyes narrowed, and then widen "Wait, isn't he Hia... "

Sakura cut him off before he could finish that sentence, "Yes, he is, and just remember that clan rivalries do not justify mean names, or digs about social status."

Obito shrugged, "The kid elevated the Uchiha. Fugaku-sama and the elders were ready to throw a party when they heard."

Sakura just barely stopped her eye from twitching, and added yet another reason to the list of why she hated clans. Turning to her brothers she raised an eyebrow and stated, "You two are supposed to be helping with the move. Mom issued orders."

Akkiko's eyes narrowed, while Asuma's darted to the side, "We're not helping, out of protest."

"You've basically replaced us anyway, with that!" Asuma added, nodding at Neji.

Sakura's shoulders slumped a bit, "Listen, I've been through this a thousand times with you two. Things are changing, yes, but I'm still going to be around. And you two are welcome to come over anytime." Then she turned to Kakashi and Obito. "Same goes for you two." 

There was another moment of silence before she continued. "You guys are important to us," she turned to Akkiko and Asuma, "And you two are my brothers. There will still be plenty of dinners, and we'll still go out for BBQ all the time. Now come on, will you please come help?"

"Can we get BBQ afterwards?" Asuma asked hesitantly.

"Sure, Minato's treat."

"Then I'm totally in!" Obito shouted, "Kakashi too." He added before pulling his teammate ahead and running towards Minato's apartment.

"And what about you two?"

Akkiko and Asuma exchanged a look before Akkiko said, "Sure we're in."

They met the rest of the group at the apartment. Mikoto had taken over being in charge and was telling everyone what to unpack and where to put it. Aiko made a bee-line for her, and she passed Neji back. She noted how the woman seemed delighted to have him back. That was good. 

Sakura, Mikoto, and Yoshino handled unpacking her clothes. As they found a place for things and organized things Mikoto asked, “So, how are you doing with everything?” 

Sakura smiled, “I’m good.” 

Yoshino gave her a look, “Even with what happened last night?” 

“I had a momentary freakout. I’m okay. Minato and I talked about it.” 

Mikoto and Yoshino shared a look before they came to stand on either side of her. They studied her for a second, before Mikoto said, “Marriage is a wonderful thing. A scary thing, but wonderful.” 

Yoshino nodded, “And Minato loves you, and you love him. We see it in the way you look at each other.” 

“It makes us nauseous sometimes,” Mikoto teased. 

Quietly Sakura admitted, “It scares me.” 

Her friends hugged her, and Mikoto reassured her, “It’s okay to be scared. I was.” 

“Me too.” 

Sakura took a breath, “It’s not the fear where I’m paralyzed or a life or death situation. It’s the fear you have when you don’t know what’s going to happen. Like when I graduated from the academy, or when I took the chunnin exam. That thought of, can I do this? Can I do this well?” 

Yoshino smiled, “I had those thoughts too. I think in some way, that shows you’re ready. You can’t be selfish in marriage, and despite what they say, it’s not 50/50. Some days you’ll carry more of the load, and some days he will.” 

The rest of the move went smoothly. By the time the day was done, Sakura and Minato were alone in the apartment and surrounded by boxes. 

"Your brothers cleaned me out."

Sakura laughed. "You're not on their nice list right now. Give it a few weeks and they'll be okay."

Minato nodded "Did you see Hiashi's face when he got Neji back?"

Sakura couldn't help but smile at that. "He was so happy, despite the fact that he hasn't slept in a week. He made the right choice, he's happy."

Minato leaned over and kissed Sakura's cheek. "Let's go to bed. We can unpack tomorrow."

Sakura simply smiled and followed him to bed.

Notes:

1) I find Asuma and Akkiko being so upset by Sakura's move hilarious. Her brothers love her, and she loves them.
2) The heart to heart with her dad, and then Minato was really important to me. Sakura needs to let her feelings out. She has a lot of unprocessed ones, and Minato and Hiruzen don't want her to add to them.
3) They're both really good at getting her to open up.
4) Do I love Sakura's girl squad? Yes. Yes I do. Very much.
5)Do I want a scene where Minato and Sakura watch Itachi, Hana and Neji for the night together? Yes. I really, really do?
6) Why do I want this scene? Two words.
7) Jealous Itachi.
8) I think that's it. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 32

Sakura couldn't help but stare at all the paperwork. She moved carefully around the gigantic stacks of paper that were everywhere, and kneeled beside the man asleep in his chair. Taking a moment to brush the hair out of his face, she smiled gently, took a stack of books off his desk, and dropped them on the floor. Unlike most people, Minato didn't startle awake, he just opened his eyes. He looked at her, “Feeling a little evil this morning?”

She shrugged. Sakura watched as he wiped his hands over his face, before straightening in his chair. She did her best to not laugh as his eyes went wide at the sight of all the paperwork. "There wasn't this much when I fell asleep."

Sakura smiled and sat on the edge of his desk, “It gets out of hand really easily. It’s time to put my organizational system in place.”

Minato groaned, "And when exactly are we supposed to do that? I'm still being shown every department, and apparently when I'm not here this place becomes a dumping ground. Plus you've been at the hospital nearly twenty-four seven. I was starting to forget what you looked like. And apparently when I'm not here this place becomes a dumping ground."

Sakura smirked and slid onto the only empty space on the desk. "You’d think the pink hair would be hard to forget.” 

He reached forward and gently tugged on a strand of her hair, “I’ll never forget it.” 

She leaned down and kissed his forehead, “Well luckily for you, my pink hair and I created this system while being taught by Tsunade. I was literally studying twenty-four seven.” 

He grinned at her, "Oh really?"

"Really and once it's in place we can get you an assistant. Then everything will be running smoothly, and we might actually be able to see each other on a regular basis.”

Minato leaned back into his chair, "Right now, that's my dream."

"Feeling a bit overwhelmed?"

Minato scoffed, "I'm feeling hoodwinked."

Sakura slid off of the desk and into his lap, "It will get better, everything is just changing over."

Minato wrapped his arms around her waist, "The swearing in ceremony is today. In a few hours everything becomes official."

Sakura groaned, "Don't remind me. My mother wants me in a full kimono in the middle of summer. Apparently, that's what she wore when my father was sworn in. She wants me to wear the same one."

"What are your chances of getting out of it?"

"None."

Reaching up he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I'm sure you'll look radiant." She couldn't help but smile at that before getting off his lap. "Leaving already?"

"Unfortunately yes. I have to get over to my parents and get dressed."

Minato stood and pulled her in for a kiss, "I'll see you there, I'll be the one in the funny looking hat."

Sakura could only laugh.

Four hours later was Sakura sweating her ass off as she listened to a village elder ramble on about the importance of the Hokage. She couldn't help but feel somewhat amazed that it was the EXACT same one given in her own time. Word for word. She was just about ready to rip the kimono off when Minato's hand grabbed her own. Damn love! He knew her way too well. 

Then he began tapping code into her palm.

"I've never seen a crowd of thousands put to sleep all at once before."

Sakura bit her lower lip to keep from laughing. Her eyes slid to her boyfriend. He was facing forward, and his eyes were seemingly focused on the elder speaking.

Reversing the hold of their hands she tapped back, "The sad part is it doesn't change in my time. It's the exact same speech. When Tsunade took office Jiraiya actually interrupted and started his own spiel. It was much more interesting."

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Minato's eyes slid to his mentor. She dug her nails slightly into his palm to keep him from laughing.

"I doubt we'll get that relief this time. I caught your mother threatening him in the hallway earlier."

Sakura had no doubt that her mother had done just that. The woman was steel when it came to the sannin. She was perfectly happy and cheerful with Tsunade, but she was strict as hell with Jiraiya. She downright hated Orochimaru. Sakura was counting on that hatred when it came time to down the snake. 

Sakura was drawn out of her thoughts at the sound of Minato's name. Turning to her boyfriend, she couldn't help but smile as he gave her hand one final squeeze and moved forward.

Minato’s speech was much more modern and quick than the elder’s. He made a strong plea for unity and of course brought up the will of fire. It was a very good speech. It was even better when they got to move inside. 

The party inside was for clan heads, and more important people in the village. That was both good and bad. The good part was that meant their friends were there, the bad part was they barely saw them. No, the pompous elders tried to keep all of his attention. 

Sakura glanced back at her parents. Her father seemed more relaxed than she had ever seen him, and her mother was actually smiling in public. That was nice. She looked at Minato, apparently it was their turn to suffer. 

Blessedly Mikoto, Fugaku, Yoshino, and Shikaku came to save them. While the four of them and Minato shooed them away, two little arms wrapped around her legs. She smiled at the sight of Itachi. She crouched down, picked him up, and settled him on her hip. For some reason Itachi gravitated towards her at the weirdest times, but she didn’t mind. 

She whispered to him, “It’s a little crowded, isn’t it?” 

He nodded, cocked his head to the side, and whispered back, “You have people following you. The people in the masks.” 

He was talking about the ANBU. They’d been following Minato since he had been appointed. Sometimes Sakura liked to play spot the mask. She wasn’t always able to find their ANBU guard, but she could about eighty percent of the time. In this crowd it should’ve been impossible to find them yet Itachi had. 

“They’re here to watch over Minato.” 

Itachi stared at her, “Minato is much more skilled than they are.” 

She stifled her smile, “True, but he’s the Hokage. That means he has to stay safe.” 

Itachi shrugged. He stayed in her arms for a few more seconds before he perked up, “I see Hana, can you put me down please?”

“Of course.” 

Sakura watched as Itachi ran toward his friend. Yoshino and Mikoto sidled up to her. They were both smiling. Mikoto poked her arm, “Makes you want one, doesn’t it?” 

Sakura snorted, “Let me get through Minato’s first year in office, finish the war, and possibly get married. Then we can talk.” 

Both women rolled their eyes at that. 

In the end, she wasn't able to ditch the kimono until much later that night. By the time Minato helped untie the obi, Sakura was more than ready to simply change into a giant t-shirt and lay on the bed for several hours. She let out a sigh of relief. 

"Better?"

Sakura winked at her boyfriend, "Better is an understatement." Sakura moved into the bedroom, with Minato hot on her heels. She grabbed one of his shirts and pulled it over her head before falling onto the bed. Minato fell down next to her dressed only in his boxers. After a minute, his fingers began combing through her hair.

"It's gotten long," She muttered.

Minato kissed her temple, "I like it long."

Sakura smiled up at him. "It hasn't been this long since I was a gennin. I honestly don't mind; I just have to make sure it's tied up on missions."

Minato kissed her neck, and as Sakura allowed the feelings of bliss to surround her, she decided that maybe she wasn't all that tired.

---

The next week was an adjustment, to say the least. Between her duties at the hospital, and Minato's duties in the tower, she ended up seeing him for maybe two hours total that week. She also decided that things couldn't continue that way. And so, she enlisted the help of the only person capable of commanding change.

"You want me to take over your shifts at the hospital?"

Sakura smiled at her mother. It was the smiled that said, "I'm your only daughter, and I love you so much.” 

 "Kana already approved it. I know it's a lot to ask, but if I don't get Minato organized I doubt I'll ever see him again."

Biwako just stared at her daughter, "How long are we talking?"

Sakura winced, "Probably two weeks, there are literally stacks up to the ceiling."

The frown on her mother's face split into a grin, "I'd love to. It's been awhile since Kana and I terrorized that place together. It'll be a hoot. Plus, your father is getting on my nerves since he retired. He's been rather needy, and yesterday he wanted me to teach him how to cook."

Sakura grimaced. Her father was a genius in many things but cooking wasn’t one of them. 

"Thank you for doing this. Minato and I will be sure to stop by for dinner as soon as we de-paper his office."

Her mother snorted, “Then we’ll see you in a year. That’s how long it took for your father and me to get a system in place.” 

---

"Have I mentioned I love you?"

Sakura's eyes slid to Minato, and then back to the literal stacks of paper in the office, “Tsunade’s office wasn’t this bad.” 

"I'm sure we'll be able to get it done."

Sakura wiped her hands over her face, "You might want to make a few shadow clones."

It ended up taking a full two weeks for them to simply sort through the papers. It took another three to get the system up and running. But by the end, the Hokage's office was a well oiled machine.

Collapsing on the couch near Minato's desk, Sakura watched as Minato, who was behind his desk, finished up the rest of the day's paperwork, "So, I want to propose a new law."

Minato didn't look up from his paperwork, but the small smile on his face told her he was listening, "What kind of law?"

"Misfiled paperwork is now punishable by a week-long stint at the academy."

Minato laughed, and finished signing his last piece of paperwork, just as someone knocked on the door. A second later it opened and Rin rolled through. Sakura's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the girl. She hadn't seen the young medic since the mission several months ago.

Rin was now in a wheelchair, thinner than she should be, and she wore a hearing aid in her left ear. Sakura watched carefully as she rolled straight to the desk, smiled at Minato, took the remaining paperwork, and rolled out. She didn't look at Sakura once.

Sakura stared at the closed door for several minutes before a touch on her shoulder regained her attention. She gave Minato a small smile as he sat next to her, "She's looking for someone to blame. It's not your fault."

Sakura sighed and sat up, "She's more than welcome to blame me. If it helps her move on, then she can blame me until the day she dies. And as long as that day is a long time from now, I'll be happy."

Minato nuzzled her neck. "I love you."

Sakura smiled and turned to kiss him. "I love you too."

Minato kissed her back, "Marry me."

Sakura didn't even hesitate, "Yes."

Minato pulled back and asked, "Seriously?"

Sakura smirked. She could understand his confusion. More than once Minato had seen her fear of the future, and marriage was a pretty big indicator of the future. It was a commitment to him, to her, to them. It was a big step, and one Sakura had been expecting since that night before the move. So, Sakura simply kissed him and said, "On one condition."

"Name it."

"Let's elope. Have a village elder do it? I don't want a big hoopla. And if we had a wedding we'd have to invite the entire village, and . . ."

"Your mother would go insane."

Sakura groaned, "Months of planning that I wouldn't be able to escape. I'd have to go rogue, and then you'd have to track me down, and that would make our wedding night very weird."

"Let's go home, and plan how we're going to do this.

They ended up getting married on a rainy day. They were married in Minato's office, by her father. It ended up being a bit bigger than she had hoped. Her family was there. And Anko, Kakashi, and Obito. And Jiraiya. And Tusme, Kato, and Hana. And Shikaku and Yoshino. And Choza and Chikako. And Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi. And finally Hiashi, Aiko, and Neji. 

She once again found herself dressed in a Kimono, but this time she didn’t put up a fight when her mother asked her to wear it. Not when her mother had worn it at her own wedding. Plus, her mother had been much more accepting of this choice than she had expected. Mainly because a big wedding would have meant inviting Sakura’s grandmother and no one wanted that. 

So, she and her mother got ready together just the two of them. And when it was time for the ceremony they walked down together. Her mother didn’t say anything. There was no emotional speech or anything like that. There was a simple squeeze of the hand before they walked in. 

The room was crowded. The Hokage’s office hadn’t been made to hold a group this large after all. As she walked farther and farther into the room she felt butterflies stir in her stomach. Then she saw Minato and the butterflies vanished. Faced with her future Sakura couldn't help but feel certain; certain that she was making the right choice. Certain that she was living her life.

When she kissed him, there were cheers, and she did her best to beat back the blush on her cheeks. In the end they all ended up celebrating by eating BBQ. Sakura was sure they made a sight, everyone dressed to the nines, while eating BBQ. In that moment Sakura couldn't help but feel happy, and she was certain that the day couldn't get any better.

So when an ANBU suddenly landed in the middle of the restaurant and said "Hokage-sama the elders are gathering, your presence has been requested." She was more than a little perturbed.

At the apologetic smile, Sakura simply nodded, and gave him a light push. As Minato stood, the ANBU continued, "Sandaime-sama, your presence has also been requested."

Sakura watched them go. Quiet seemed to engulf the restaurant after they left. Kato tried to strike up a conversation again, only to have it pewter off. Slowly, everyone made their way home, offering congratulations as they went.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?" Her mother asked.

"It's not my first time waiting for vital information. I'll be alright."

Biwako sighed, "It should have been more special."

Sakura gave her mother a little smile. "I don't think so. Minato and I are both private people. Neither of us wanted a big production. Having our friends and family around while we ate BBQ was more than enough for both of us. Not to mention if this had happened during a big party the entire village would have been in a frenzy by morning."

Biwako smiled and began the trek home with Asuma and Akkiko. Turning the opposite way, Sakura took the civilian way home, too tired to deal with the restrictiveness of the formal kimono. It took a good twenty minutes to get home, and another thirty minutes, plus a shadow clone, to get the kimono off. By the time everything was said and done, Sakura simply collapsed on the bed.

She had just started to doze when a hand glided against her back. Opening an eye, she rolled over and smiled at Ino. “I can’t believe you got married and I wasn’t there.”

Sakura smiled, “I can’t either.” 

Ino laid down next to her, “Remember the big weddings we planned when we were kids? The elaborate ceremonies, and dresses, and everything else.” 

Sakura laughed, “Of course.” 

“Then why didn’t you do any of that?” 

Sakura turned to look at her best friend, “You weren’t here, and I realized a long time ago that a big wedding didn’t really matter. Plus Minato’s the Hokage. It’s better that we don’t draw attention to it.” 

“And?” 

“And what?” 

“I’ve known you too long for you to try and pull that one forehead. Spill.” 

“As happy as this day is, I still miss you guys.” 

Ino smiled, “Yeah. I’d miss you too. It’s okay to miss us, you know, as long as you don’t stop living your life.” 

“I’m not. I’m living it to the fullest.” 

“Good. Now tell me about Naruto’s hunky dad.” 

“Ino!” 

“Sakura.”

Sakura’s eyes flashed open at the sound of Minato’s voice. He was still dressed in his formal robes, but he was smiling. She took a second to just stare at him. He really was kind of hunky.

"I’m going to guess that your smile isn’t just because you married me today."

He let out a laugh, “I would say it’s ninety percent wedding and ten percent the other thing.” 

She sat up, “And what’s the other thing?” 

 “The Tsuchikage has called for an in-person peace talk with all of the Kage. We leave in two days."

Sakura felt her mouth drop, “A peace talk?” That wouldn’t have happened for several more months in her time. Things were changing and fast. 

Minato kissed her, "A peace talk, and a very good possibility that the war is ending. And I want you to come with me."

Notes:

1) Why didn't I give them a big, huge wedding? The answer is simple, neither of them would have wanted it. Sakura and Minato are private people. If they had made a huge thing out of it, they would have had to invite dignitaries and a whole bunch of people, and Minato would have had to spend the whole night keeping Sakura from killing someone.

2) Biwako would have known this. She also wants Sakura to have what she wants. For this reason I didn't have Biwako pitch a fit. I also have a feeling Biwako would have wanted to kill someone as well. Plus she would have had to invite her mother and that could have led to an entirely different political incident. Lol.

3) As a result, I kept the wedding short and sweet.

4)To the dream. I really debated on who needed to show up to this one. In the end I decided on Ino. Into and Sakura would have talked about all the girly stuff in their childhood, and I feel like she's who Sakura needed to see!

5) Be sure to leave a comment! Our timeline is starting to speed up!

Chapter 33

“Wow. First you and Minato get married, and now the war might actually be ending. Plus I get to go with you guys and see peace come into existence. I’m a miracle worker!” 

Sakura stared at her best friend. Kato was currently laying on the couch in their shared office, and he looked way too proud of himself. 

She put her hands on her hips, “What do you have to do with any of it?” 

He sat up with a flabbergasted look on his face, “I encouraged Minato to pursue you from the first moment he met you.” 

“You mean when I was going through chakra exhaustion and collapsed near the memorial stone?” 

“. . . Yes.” 

“You are such a liar!” 

Kato laughed, “And yet I’m still your best friend.” She opened her mouth, and he pointed at her, “Don’t even try and deny it.” 

She shut her mouth and settled for rolling her eyes. He sat up and looked at her with a goofy smile. “Okay, now it’s time for my news!” 

“Your news?” 

His smile shifted into a more devious one, “Tsume, my wonderful wife, is pregnant.” 

Sakura felt her eyes widen, and a small pit settled in her stomach: Kiba. She ignored it and chose to throw herself at her best friend. He caught her in the expected hug and laughed. “I know right! Super exciting. I honestly didn’t think Tsume would want another one after the thirty hour labor she went through with Hana. By the way, we already decided you’re the godmother. Are you crying?”

She was, just not for the reason he thought, “I’m just so happy for you.” 

He squeezed her tighter, “I know. Now you and Minato need to get knocked up. Then our kids can grow up and be best friends!” 

Sakura didn’t say anything, she just hugged her best friend a little tighter. 

Eventually, Sakura got herself under control, and it was time to head home. She still needed to pack for the conference. When she got home she was a little surprised to find someone waiting. 

“Itachi?”

The little boy, who was no older than five stared up at her, “Hi Ms. Sakura.” 

She crouched down in front of the little boy, “Itachi, what are you doing here? Is your mom nearby?” 

“No.” 

“No?”

“She’s at home.” 

“Does she know you’re here?” 

“No.” 

“No?” 

“I wanted to see you, but she said I had to take a nap.”

“Then shouldn’t you be napping?” 

“I wasn’t tired.” 

Sakura stared at the boy and sighed. Why were Uchiha men such a pain in her ass? At least Itachi was adorable and less scowly than Sasuke had been. She held out her hand and helped him up before she unlocked the apartment, disabled the traps, and ushered him inside. 

First things first she needed to let Mikoto know what was going on. She would need her summons. She flashed through the signs and placed her hand on the floor. A second later Utano appeared. 

The bear stared at her for a second before diving into more, “I can’t believe you’ve waited this long to call for help.” 

Sakura sighed, “I work in a hospital mainly. No offense but you’d be bored there.” 

The bear’s head turned towards Itachi who was studying her, “You had a cub?” 

“Not mine, a friend’s. Itachi snuck out when he was supposed to be napping.” 

“Want me to find the mother?” 

“If you don’t mind. I still have to pack. I’m leaving tomorrow for a peace summit. I have to make sure everything is ready.” 

“I’ll smell her out.” Sakura watched as the bear rushed out of the apartment. Somehow she didn’t damage anything. She briefly considered the consequences of a bear running around the village, but dismissed them. The village saw weird talking animals all the time. This would be no different.

She turned back to Itachi, “Want a snack?” 

“Yes please.” 

The little boy was quiet as she prepared a bowl of fruit, and he immediately started eating when she placed it in front of him. While he ate she started to pack. She made sure to pull out the warm clothes; they would need them. The land of Iron was too cold in her opinion. 

She was up to packing a scroll of weapons reserves when Itachi appeared behind her, “They’re watching you again.” 

Sakura looked back at him, “Who?” 

“The people in the masks. I felt the chakra again. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t think they’re here to protect you.” 

Sakura’s brow furrowed, “What do you mean?” 

“Their chakra isn’t right.” 

She was about to inquire further when a rapid series of knocks came on the door. She got up to answer it. Mikoto and Fugaku were on the other side. “I am so sorry. I have no idea how he got out. ITACHI!” 

Sakura watched as her friend went into full mother bear mode and turned to Fugaku. He was straight faced, and commented, “The police have gotten a lot of complaints about a bear. A bear that showed up at the Uchiha compound.” 

“Her name is Utano.” 

She watched as the corners of his mouth flickered into a smile for a brief second, before straightening out again. Surprisingly his eyes still held humor in them, “Of course it is.” 

Mikoto came back at that moment, “I’m really sorry about this Sakura.” 

“Don’t be. You guys are always welcome.” 

Mikoto sighed, “Fugaku and I were packing for him to go to the summit. We didn’t even notice he snuck out.” 

Fugaku’s lips twitched again, “Neither did the elders luckily.” 

Mikoto just glared at him. 

---

“No.” 

“Please.” 

“No. My son is only a few months old, and Aiko’s pregnancy has really been rough the past few days.” 

Aiko took her husband’s hand, “I’ll be fine, the pay from this mission will set us up nicely for a few months. Then you won’t have to leave too soon after the baby is born.” 

Hiashi scowled, and Sakura smiled in triumph.

---

 

Sakura had never been a fan of the cold. Growing up in Konoha had ensured that. It rarely went below freezing at home, and typically all she needed to fend off the winter was a light jacket and a scarf. 

The first time she had seen snow had been on that genin mission, all those years ago, to the Land of Snow. That mission had done nothing but convince her that she was better off without it in her life. Furthermore, she had spent an extensive amount of time in the Land of Iron during the later years of the war; after Konoha had been destroyed. That time had cemented her hatred of the cold. She loved the people of Iron but hated the weather.

 They had started trudging through the snow several hours ago, and her chakra was the only thing keeping her from sinking into it. At least she had been smart enough to wear closed toed boots this time.

Of course, the thing that truly bothered her was the fact that this damn cold didn't bother her husband whatsoever. The man's cloak kept blowing open and he didn't even notice. She wasn't sure if he was just immune to the cold or still riding high on the idea of a chance at peace. Whatever it was, Sakura envied it.

She did take just the tiniest bit of pleasure in knowing that Hiashi, Kato, Fugaku, and Shikaku were just as miserable as she was. Hiashi, who had left Neji in the very capable hands of Aiko, was possibly the only person in the world who hated snow more than she did. He hated leaving Neji even more. He’d been scowling since they had left. 

He hovered near her, “I can’t believe you talked me into this. Not only have I left my son and pregnant wife at home, I now have to suffer these freezing temperatures.” 

She scowled at her friend, “I get it. You’re not the only one who’s cold.” 

He backed off after that, but continued to maintain what Kato referred to as the "eternal scowl."

Shikaku, while cold, had said very little so far. He had been fairly serious so far, sticking close to Minato's side. The two men had spent almost the entire time swapping strategy and planning for the worst case scenarios.

Kato had spent the time brooding and complaining about the snow. Other than that, he had been unusually quiet. Sakura was more than a little worried, especially since he had been so joyful just the day before. Shehad planned on interrogating him for the reason as soon as a tentative peace was secured, but now she was having second thoughts. Afterall, they were just walking right now. 

She slowed her steps so that she walked right next to the man. She allowed a few minutes of silence before asking, "Is there any particular reason you're pouting?"

Kato's eyes flickered to her. "Who says I'm pouting?"

"Your posture, the occasional scowl whenever you start thinking, and your passive aggressive remarks."

"Have you noticed who isn't here?"

Sakura stared at the man for a minute, before it dawned on her. "Chi?"

Kato just nodded. The more Sakura thought about it, the more she realized that she never saw much of Chi. Not seeing the large brown dog at the hospital wasn't uncommon. Kana didn't like animals, not even summons or partners. Inuzuka's were typically the exception, but she had never seen the dog there. He also hadn’t been there when Minato, Shikaku, and Kato had rescued her all those months ago.

"Is he okay?"

Kato shrugged "He's old. Vet says it's a bad case of arthritis. He can't move like he used to and that could get him killed. He was my dad's partner first. When my dad was killed, he came to me. He hasn't gone out in a while, but he finally told me right before I left that he was done. He's served enough, and that all he wanted to do now was stay at home with my pup, and let her snuggle with him. And with Hana, he'll get his wish."

"Other than the arthritis though, he's okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just bummed because he was my partner. But he deserves to retire. Plus, at least this way I know Hana and Tsume will be safe when I'm gone."

Sakura scoffed, "Tsume ensures that."

Kato let out a bark of laughter. "Yeah, that woman runs the house and we all know it. Still, training a new pup, that's going to be tedious. Working out timing and combinations. Chi was the one who taught me that stuff."

Sakura smiled. "Think of it as a chance to grow."

Kato rolled his eyes. "Grow as a person blah, blah, improve blah, blah, I thought I was getting to the point where I wouldn't have to keep growing and changing."

"Kato." Minato's voice broke in, and Sakura and Kato looked forward to the smiling man. "If we stop growing and evolving, then we become obsolete. And an obsolete shinobi is a dead shinobi."

Sakura and Kato looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. The statement was more than true. And sure enough, a few minutes later Kato was talking a mile a minute. Sakura was just happy that he was back to normal. It was reassuring.

Sakura’s eyes flicked back to Fugaku. The Uchiha had a small smile on his face. While she had spent some time in his company, and had become very good friends with Mikoto, she didn’t know Fugaku overly well. She did know that he and Minato were good friends. Minato would often meet up with the Uchiha for drinks or dinner. They would discuss their problems and bounce ideas off of each other. He was also a reminder of what still needed to be done. 

Other than Obito she had barely seen members from the Uchiha clan. She found it unusual since the clan was still in good standing. She needed to figure out a PR campaign to get the Uchiha clan back into good standing. She also needed to find a way to get the clan members back into mission rotation and have other clans become part of the police force. She knew that had been a problem in the past. 

The Uchiha clan had been segregated and forced to enforce all of the rules. That had left a bad taste in people’s mouths. She also knew they’d been absent during the Kyuubi’s attack. That had only furthered hostility towards that clan. It was something she needed to discuss with Minato.

With a sigh, she shoved the thought to the back of her mind. There was a time and place, and this was not it. Her eyes traveled to her husband. He was slightly ahead of her, caught up in his conversation with Shikaku.

And almost as if he felt her eyes on him, his head turned ever so slightly. Their eyes met for a moment, and the quickest upturn of his mouth told her that he had caught her looking. Smiling to herself, she looked away and back at Kato who was still talking.

---

It took another day of traveling before a hint of the mountains began to show. They were an impressive, if not depressing sight. Sakura had spent a good deal of time in the land of Iron in the later years of the war. It was hard to get to, and the snow made for less than optimal fighting conditions for anyone who hadn't grown up in it. At one point, during perhaps the lowest point in the war, before things went six feet under and had gotten even worse, it had been home. Konoha and the other shinobi villages had been destroyed. The kages' had been killed, Naruto was MIA, most of their forces had been scattered, and Sakura had never felt more alone in the world.

Mifune had welcomed her. The old general had been promoted to leader, being the only one left. He had welcomed the weary into his home. For a short time it had been a sanctuary. Like everything else that had come to an end. Madara had found them.

Still, Sakura had spent many a night talking with the older man. Neither of them had been able to sleep well. They had encountered each other walking the halls at night. He would talk about the peace the land of Iron had enjoyed, and Sakura had told memories of the flowers that bloomed in her parents garden in spring. It had been the simple things they had both missed the most.

As the group touched down on the snow in front of a group of Samurai, she made sure to school her face into a slate of nothingness. When a much younger Mifune appeared it took everything Sakura had to keep a smile from taking over her lips. This man was in his prime, ready to protect his country, and not torn down from a war that could never be won.

Sakura tuned out the pleasantries as she surveyed the area. Her eyes briefly met Kato's who shot her a quick grin, before he turned to scan the opposite direction. The vibrations hit her first, and she was certain that under different circumstances she never would have felt them approach. Then again, these weren't normal circumstances.

She quickly tampered down her chakra, and erased its presence as much as she possibly could. The more unassuming she looked, the better in her book. She hoped it got Minato's attention. Her husband turned his head to look at her for a moment before, he turned his gaze just past her.

Sakura turned her head just in time to see the other group flash into existence; the Kumo contingent. A and his father stood there, surrounded by several shinobi she didn't know and two she did. Bee stood right near a much younger Darui; a Darui who was probably much too young to be at these talks, and certainly too young to be without a cloak of some kind. The scar from the wound she and Kato had healed was still prominent and new. 

She bit back a sigh. She wasn't exactly sure what Kumo nin had against protecting themselves from the elements, but Sakura didn't like it.

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she almost didn't realize that the groups were moving inside. Keeping pace with her teammates, Sakura nearly melted in relief as warm air surrounded her. After a few more welcoming remarks, Mifune left the groups to be escorted to the wing with the sleeping quarters.

They were assigned three to a room. She was put in a room with Kato and Hiashi, while Minato, Fugaku, and Shikaku took the other. Sakura and Minato had discussed their marriage at length before leaving the village. The wedding itself had been small and not widely publicized. It shouldn’t be known to the other nations. Furthermore, publicizing their marriage could lead to bad situations, and both she and Minato had learned a long time ago that discretion was key; especially when dealing with other countries. 

So, they would take up separate rooms.

She face planted on to the bottom bunk of a bed, and settled into the more than adequate mattress. She snuggled under the covers as Hiashi and Kato argued over a guard schedule. 

Hiashi looked at her, “Do you have a preference, Sakura?” 

“Whichever shift is warmest.” 

Kato laughed and Hiashi smiled. A knock came on the door a second later. Sakura turned her head just enough to see Shikaku standing there. He raised an eyebrow at her when she didn't say anything. "Okay there Sakura?"

Kato smirked, "The flower is thawing out."

Shikaku simply hmmed and continued on, "I'm heading to the hotspring they have here. Probably better to not go alone. You two willing to come?"

Both men quickly agreed. As Hiashi and Kato gathered their things Shikaku said, "Sakura, the Hokage will be stopping by in a few minutes to speak with you. He had something he needed to go over with you."

Sakura finally sat up, and nodded, "Understood." She slipped her shoes off, before slipping her vest off her shoulders. Sakura hated that vest. It was bulgy and heavy, and while it had some useful pockets it didn't provide enough protection against kunai and the like. In any other circumstance she wouldn't have worn it, but this was a formal meeting, which meant formal gear. It also meant that Minato would be rubbing her shoulders while they talked.

She smiled at the idea as someone knocked on the door. Without hesitation she moved across the room, and opened the door, not bothering to check the chakra signature on the other side. That was a mistake.

Her body immediately went into defense mode at the sight of the person on the other side. Her fingers went to the kunai pouch on her leg, only to be stopped by a long tentacle. Looking up into A's face, the future Raikage simply said, "Peace talks, remember?"

Sakura forced her hand to relax, "They won't be peaceful for long if that tentacle doesn't remove itself from my person."

The tentacle slowly unwrapped itself from her hand, and retreated back to Bee. Sakura quickly adjusted the door so that they couldn't see into the room itself.

 "How can I help you?"

A simply stared at her for a moment before finally saying, "The kid wanted to talk to you."

Sakura's brow knitted together in confusion "Kid?"

Before Sakura could ask who he was talking about A yelled, "Darui!"

Sakura scowled at the volume. A second later the child ran up, followed by someone Sakura hadn't expected. The Third Raikage had been hailed as one of the best in her own time, and by this point he was supposed to be dead. Yet another change to mark down.

The clearing of a throat reluctantly drew her attention away from the man, which left her feeling more than a little bit exposed. The boy stared up at for a minute before he finally said, "You saved my life."

"I owed A a favor."

The boy nodded in understanding, "For a Konoha dog, you're not so bad."

Sakura's eye twitched at the term. While C had used it rather liberally, Darui never had. Before Sakura could say anything, the Third Raikage's hand came down on top of the boy's head. "My apologies for the boy. He hasn't learned how to hold his tongue yet, or that words can be just as much a weapon as a kunai."

Darui winced at the words before he said, "Sorry."

"It's fine. Was there anything else?" While Sakura had known several of the men in front of her very well in her own timeline, in this one she didn't know them at all. They were no longer working towards the same goal, and their interests were no longer aligned. While Sakura had mourned that connection after their first meeting, her goal was to stay alive and out of Kumo's hands.

On more than one occasion Kumogakure had made an effort to snatch shinobi of value from Konoha. As vain as it sounded, Sakura knew she had piqued their interest, and not in the terrifying way Minato had.

The Raikage's voice drew her out of her thoughts, "If this treaty goes through we'd like to discuss the idea of a medical team coming to Kumo to share their knowledge, hopefully headed by yourself."

"You'd have to talk with the Hokage about that Raikage-sama."

Sakura stood her ground, as the Raikage came a step closer, "Unfortunately Sakura is a bit too valuable for us to let go at the moment, but we have many wonderful shinobi who would be more than suitable to help you with your problem, Raikage."

It took everything Sakura had not to jump, as Minato's hand came to rest at the small of her back. She'd been so wrapped up in the conversation and threat assessment, that she hadn't even realized he'd made the jump.

The Raikage's eyes narrowed on Minato. "I thought you were in another room, Hokage."

Sakura watched as Minato met the Raikage's gaze head on, that peaceful smile never leaving his lips. "I had some things I needed to talk to Sakura about. My apologies, I didn't mean to intrude."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He had been looking for some alone time with his wife, and instead he had dived head first into a political discussion.

"Not at all. We'll pick this up another time then. Goodnight Hokage, Namikaze-san."

Minato's grip moved to her hip, and the slight pressure there stopped her from reacting. Instead she stepped back inside, closed the door, and proceeded to start the sealing process to keep out unwanted visitors. She'd let herself freak out once that was done.

Notes:

1) This chapter has changed a lot.
2) There were a lot of re-writes
3) and a TON was added to it.
4) I like the idea of Darui coming to say thank you
5) Also how did the Kumo contingent know about their marriage?
6) I have a feeling things are going to get more Uchiha heavy in the near future. Just saying.
7) Please leave a review, I love hearing what you guys think!

Chapter 34

Minato's eyes focused on his wife, and he couldn't help the slight widening of them as she proceeded to place an advanced seal on the door. She must have been taught a thing or two during her years of war: like top secret ANBU techniques that never should have been disclosed to someone outside their ranks. He knew for a fact that his wife had never been a member of ANBU. He supposed things like that didn't matter when your village had been burned to the ground, and you were simply trying to stay alive. 

So, he watched in fascination as she pricked her finger, made a secondary, small, and secret seal on the door using her blood. She then pushed her chakra into it, and the room became guarded against anyone trying to force entry or trying to eavesdrop.

—-

After the initial seal was on the door, the one that would electrocute someone for forcing their way in, she allowed her chakra free to sense for any others in the vicinity. She knew how C worked, she knew how he hid, and she knew how to find him when he was hiding. After a few seconds she did find him, and she couldn't help but scowl. She couldn't rant about stupid Kumo nin, and their obtrusive ways when they were right down the hall.

This called for a second seal. While a privacy seal would have been enacted no matter what, Sakura took it to another level. This particular one would keep people not only from eavesdropping, but it would also produce a sense of vertigo if they attempted it while alerting Sakura.

When the seal was done Sakura turned to her husband, and found him smiling. It made her smile, and while she wanted to chalk it up to being a newlywed, the blond had always made her feel this way: safe, loved, and happy.

But she couldn’t be his wife right now, she forced a neutral expression onto her face, “Are we clear?" 

She nodded, "How in the world do they know? Three-fourths of the village doesn't know."

"And neither do they. They know we're together. They know you're important to me. They also know that we're in the middle of a war, and people tend to do romantic things during war time.They took a guess. A guess we neither confirmed nor denied." Sakura's eyebrows went up in surprise, and Minato's smile grew as the Hokage melted away and the teasing husband took his place, "You look surprised that I figured all that out. You must have only married me for my looks."

Sakura didn't dignify that with a response, instead wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him. His arms went around her, and they stayed like that for a few minutes. Then a knock sounded on the door. Sakura scowled at the familiar chakra signatures on the other side of the door.  As though he were reading her thoughts, Minato kissed her forehead and whispered, "We have the rest of our lives. And hopefully these peace talks will lead to nice, long ones."

Sakura said nothing as he flashed out of existence and she went to take the seal down. Kato and Hiashi were waiting on the other side. Hiashi's face was neutral, but Kato's held a knowing smirk. Before he could say anything she tapped the side of her thigh twice to indicate silence. Another thing Kakashi had taught her in addition to the seals on the door. The expression didn't leave Kato's face, but he was less than subtle as he looked around.

Well there went that cover. Sakura allowed her chakra to seep out, and she found C and one other presence. A bit exasperated she finally said, "You'll catch a cold if you stay in the hallway too long C. Take Darui to the baths, the minerals in Irons' water will help with leftover aches from his wounds. Then I recommend going to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

She heard Darui curse as she closed the door and reactivated the seal. "Was that smart?" Kato asked.

Sakura nodded, "I didn't say anything before, so now, they'll suspect me, but they'll also suspect you and Hiashi. Hiashi for obvious reasons, and you for your nose."

Hiashi snorted, "Thanks for that target."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "You're the disgraced, former head of the Hyuuga clan, with a high body count and a hell of a reputation. You already had a target on your back."

Hiashi's lips twitched towards a smile, "Why were they there?"

"Darui wanted to say thank you for saving his life. The entire contingent, including the third raikage came. He called me Namikaze."

Kato's eyes went wide, "How the hell does he know?"

"Minato doesn't think he does. He thinks he was guessing, trying to make a power play. We didn't give it to him."

"I really hate politics. Just leave me in the hospital from now on. That's simple."

"With Kana and my mother?"

"No, that was hell. And it was evil of you to not give me a heads up. They came after me on purpose. I can't prove it, but I know they did."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Let's turn in. We do have a big day ahead of us."

 

—--

It was somewhat surprising how easily sleep came to Sakura. She usually struggled to find rest, but that night she did. And she must have looked like she needed it, because neither of the guys woke her up for her watch shift.

The next day, as Sakura predicted, was a long one. She stayed out of the spotlight, sticking to rafters. She wasn't focused so much on the peace talks as she was everyone else. Her eyes stayed focused on the fourth Mizukage the longest. He was of interest to her. She was curious as to what had happened after the mission where Rin had been hurt. 

He looked younger than she remembered, and more than a little tired. She'd listened to Naruto describe his meeting with the man and the other jinchuriki. The Fourth Mizukage had been cheerful, kind, and nothing like the man Tobi and Madara had turned him into. He was also the first one to speak.

"Three years ago Madara Uchiha took control of me. He used me to complete horrible crimes, and I imagine things would have only gotten worse had it not been for Konoha and Kumo's aid. I am very grateful."

"Is that why you sealed the Sanbi inside you?" Sakura's head tilted to the side at that, wondering if that was how they'd defeated it in the first place. She'd been too exhausted, too focused on saving Rin and then Darui to ask any questions.

To the Mizukage's credit no emotion showed on his face, "It was the only way to stop its rampage. I was the only one strong enough to take it. We actually work quite well together."

The underlying message was clear, he was good. Good enough to survive becoming a jinchuriki, good enough to control it, and good enough to be the Mizukage. He could hold his own at this table and he was ready to prove it.

"I also believe that the Uchiha is trying to gain control of the other jinchuriki. He has a plan . . ."

"He's over a hundred years old. The man can only be so dangerous." Sakura scowled at the fourth Kazekage's interruption. She hated that particular man with a passion. She'd become good friends with the sand siblings over the course of the war. It had been Gaara who'd reached her first after Naruto's death. He’d been the one who held her as she'd broken down in sobs. She knew the amount of hurt this man had dealt out, and she was going to do everything in her power to ensure it didn't happen this time around.

The bickering started moments later, and Sakura's eyes strayed to her husband. He was the only one who hadn't said a word. He'd spent the time observing, thinking, and planning. When he did finally speak, his voice was calm and collected. Surprisingly, it was also the moment everyone went quiet. The Tsuchikage actually flinched. 

She couldn't blame him, Minato had killed many of his men. 

"Uchiha Madara, despite his age, is powerful. He's one of the few men who could go toe to toe with the first Hokage. He should NOT be underestimated. Furthermore, intel that our village has gathered says that he's looking to recruit someone to do his bidding for him.

“He has some sort of plan and that is not a good thing. If he can still control a Kage level shinobi, one who has proved himself, that says something."

 He paused a moment to allow his words to sink in before continuing, "There's also the fact that we're so divided that it's easy to turn us against each other. Such was the case with the fake Kiri nin that were used to kidnap and nearly kill one of our Shinobi. Add in the fact that this war is costing all of us and our villages manpower and resources, there's more than one reason for peace. But that won't happen if our egos keep driving us."

Several moments of silence encompassed the table before the Raikage said, "Heinous acts have been committed by all villages present. It's a necessity of war that breeds hate, and more wars. No one at this table is free of that, nor are our villages. To move forward we have to put that behind us. I vote that we spend the remainder of today's time strategizing how we're going about that, what we're willing to give up, and what we are not."

Slowly an agreement came, and Sakura slipped out of the room. The rest of the guys would keep watch over Minato. She needed a few minutes of quiet, and as she found a small alcove she allowed herself to sink down to the ground.

His chakra was obvious, he made no attempt at hiding it. He wanted her to know he was there. Sakura forced herself to relax as she stared up at the Mizukage. 

There was a moment of silence before he started talking, "Did you know the tailed beasts are a part of the universe? They were created to be a part of the chakra network, and part of the world around us? The Sage literally created them from the earth and universe around us. So, when a girl that's not supposed to be here, turns up, and brings all sorts of memories rushing back with her, it's rather interesting Haruno san."

Some part of Sakura really wished she could be surprised. But she found that after time travel, things rarely surprised her now. So, even as the name passed the Mizukage's lips, Sakura didn't panic. Instead, she felt a sadness swim through her. Sakura Haruno was dead. She'd stopped existing, and in her place Sakura Namikaze nee Sarutobi had risen from the ashes. The analogy was a little poetic for her taste, but she couldn’t help but think Ino would like it. 

Instead of pushing the feelings away, she let them stew for a moment; she allowed herself a moment of grief, before she locked it away with all the other horrible feelings she kept concealed. And instead of getting angry, exhaustion flooded her. She looked at Yagura and admitted, "I never thought I'd be called that again. You certainly made some progress with Isobu, didn't you?"

Yagura simply sighed, before he leaned against the wall. There were several moments of silence before he admitted, "I expected you to deny it."

"I know better. I've had too much interaction with jinchuriki to doubt your word. When Naruto let Kurama in, things got better. He became calmer in a lot of ways. More willing to listen instead of running head first into danger."

The Mizukage sighed, "The memories are strange. I've seen them played out, in an out of body experience. It doesn't seem real. I watched myself commit atrocities against my people. I watched as I was forced to destroy my home. It nearly tore me apart. You saved me and my people. We owe you a debt."

Sakura didn't deny that fact. Yagura owed her in a big way, and she intended to collect. Yagura had known that going in. The woman in front of him was war hardened, had been to his village, had made friends with some of his men. She'd watched her own village burn, and with it, all she'd held dear. She was on a mission, and she'd do anything to accomplish it. But now wasn't the time to talk of such things. 

“You’re not out of the woods yet. The real Madara is still out there. Just because I foiled one of his plans, doesn’t mean I’ve foiled all of them.”

He left her with one last warning, "The hachibi's jinchuuriki knows more than he's willing to let on. Be careful of him."

“I will. Thanks.” 

Sakura watched him walk away, and when the hallway was clear she leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. She was tired. She couldn’t remember ever being this tired; not during the war, not after a hospital shift, and not after a mission. 

She could almost hear Naruto trying to cheer her on. If he’d been there he’d be talking a mile a minute about all the friends he’d made, how he was going to show everyone he was the best, and how Sasuke was going to eat his dust. Eventually Kakashi would come along, with his nose in that stupid book, and deliver a line that shut Naruto up. It had been a while since she’d thought about her old life. 

Sakura remained there, against the wall for a while. Memories played over in her mind, and for several moments she felt a sob ache in her chest. She squashed it down, pushed off the wall, and walked to the nearest window. It took her next to no time to open it, and slip out. The drop was considerable, but she’d make it. 

The wind bit into her skin as she fell. It felt like blades. She channeled chakra to the bottom of her feet, and slid them against the side of the building. The scrape of her shoes against the cement were audible. 

She landed in white, icy snow. A chill racked her body, and she took off. She was glad that she had worn her cloak to the meeting. She would have been a popsicle without it. In all honesty, the Land of Iron was much too cold for her liking. She preferred warmer weather. It was something Minato likes to tease her about. He constantly compared her to a cat who liked its sunny spot. 

When she landed in the snow she took off, glad that she had worn her cloak to the meeting. She found the nearest town easy enough, and slipped into the local bar. She took a table in the back, ordered two shots, and waited.

“I’d expect Tsunade-sama to do this but not you.” 

Sakura looked into the face of her fellow apprentice, “I learned more than healing from her.” 

Shizune smiled, “You also learned her way of dealing with difficult emotions.” 

“Push it down and drink it away.” 

Shizune sighed, “It’s not right. You know that. You grew rather dependent on it at one point.” 

“I haven’t really touched the stuff since coming here, but right now. . . .” 

"I know."

There were several moments of silence before Shizune finally said, "You never really mourned. You'd have moments but you never really cried, you always kept pushing through. I always wondered how you did it, and now I realize that you've never really stopped long enough to allow yourself to feel the loss."

"I shouldn't be sad. Technically nothing has happened, and I'm going to make sure it doesn't. So, why does being politely confronted by someone about my life make me want to break down? Why now? Why not during the mission to the bridge, or when I was rescuing Rin, or helping Hiashi? Why now?"

Shizune’s smile was gentle, "Because someone else experienced it. Not by going through your memories, but almost in the same way you did. Someone knows what you've gone through."

Sakura sighed, "If Yagura knows, then Bee knows."

Shizune shrugged, "It's a possibility, but he doesn't have complete control yet, and he'll be missing pieces. Konoha still holds the majority of the information. You can use that."

Sakura sighed, "I’m just so tired. Physically and mentally tired.” 

Shizune’s hand covered her own for a second, “You’ve always taken on more than you should. You sped through training with Tsunade-sama. You accomplished more with her in a few years than I did in a decade. You’ve continued to push through and you’ve never really dealt with any of the hurt you went through.” 

“I don’t think I will anytime soon either.” 

“When you do, remember to remember the good too.” 

Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

“At this moment you remind me of my son.” 

Sakura opened her eyes to stare at Fugaku. The Uchiha head was watching her carefully. Sakura allowed a smirk to grace her face, “I didn’t sneak out during nap time.” 

He raised an eyebrow at that, “What else would you call a long political meeting?” 

“A dangerous mission?” 

Fugaku rolled his eyes at that, “You going to drink those or are we going to head back?” 

Sakura pushed the drinks away from her and left money on the table. 

They walked back into the cold and the snow. 

After a few minutes a warning bubbled to Sakura’s lips, “He’s mad at your clan too. You know that right?” 

Fugaku’s eyes stayed focused on the path in front of her, “I would have guessed.” 

“He wants revenge against you all as well. You need to be careful.” 

Nothing more was said about it. The two of them re-entered through the window she had left through. The hallway was still quiet, and they slipped back into the room where the meeting was taking place. She’d been gone for a little over an hour, but from the way Minato flared his chakra briefly he had noticed. 

The meeting went well into the night. It was hours and hours of arguing over what each country was willing to give up. Snide remarks and grievances about different battles were expressed. 

“You annihilated an entire battalion of my men!” 

The Tsuchikage was standing on the table at this point, and Mifune looked ready to put him in time out. 

Minato raised an eyebrow at the man, “They had tried to cross into Fire Country lands. I was defending my home and my people. Furthermore, before I got there your men had decimated my comrades.” 

The Tsuchikage deflected, and a brand new argument was brought forth. 

It was nearly midnight by the time the first day of negotiations came to an end. Sakura and the rest of the Konoha-nin immediately formed a protective barrier around Minato before they headed back to their quarters. Minato, Fugaku, and Shikaku were deposited in their room before Sakura, Hiashi, and Kato headed to theirs. She activated the protection seals and went to sit on her bed.

Neither man asked where she had gone, and she was grateful for that. Sakura took the first watch shift of the night. She stayed in her bed and watched the door. A few people had drawn near the door, but no one knocked or stayed near it for an unusual amount of time. 

Three hours into the night, Sakura took delight in waking Kato. She pinched his arm, hard, and her friend growled at her. She didn’t say anything, she was ready for bed. She was asleep in seconds. 

When she woke the next morning, Minato was there, with a book in his hand. He smiled at her, "Morning."

Saura ignored him and his laugh as she turned, and pulled the covers over her head. When he nudged her she groaned, "You have to get up. We have breakfast with the other nations ahead of us."

Sakura grumbled as she pulled herself out of bed. She got a quick shower, and changed into a fresh uniform. She felt Minato’s eyes on her. She glanced back at him, “I’m okay.” 

He studied her for a second, “You sure?” 

“As sure as I can be.” 

The others were waiting outside the door for them, and they walked as a group to the cafeteria. Sakura remained quiet at breakfast, and remained quiet as she nibbled on some toast and listened to the conversation around her.

It took four days to work out a tentative agreement of peace between the nations. The Kage would still have to take offers back to the village to be discussed with village elders, but it was a start.

It was a cumbersome process, and one Sakura was fairly familiar with. This time, however, the proceedings wouldn't be sped up due to an impending war. If she had to guess, it would be months until treaties were finalized, and they still had several more days of meetings ahead of them.

The meetings were painful to say the least. She and the others took turns scouting the area, and making sure their Kage was safe. She caught the Mizukage looking at her more than once, and she caught the occasional glance from Bee. After a week, they were finally allowed to head home with a tentative treaty in their hands to be reviewed by the council.

It was right after they had paid their respects to Mifune and were about to set out that a familiar presence settled behind her. Bee had always been taller than her, but for some reason he seemed to tower over her now. She felt Minato and A's chakra flair as the Konoha and Kumo contingents moved into position around them.

Despite the tentative peace treaty in Minato's hand tensions were still running high, and a confrontation between the Raikage's little brother and the Hokage's wife spelled a disaster in the making. She raised one eyebrow at him in question, and he simply held out a closed fist to her. 

Her eyes widened, and she had to blink back tears. This had always been his and Naruto's thing. She didn't hesitate. She held out her fist and gently bumped it against his.

Bee broke out into a grin, "He's coming back ya know. The world needs him. He might look a little different but he'll still be him. And when he does come, make sure to let me know. I've got a lot to teach my little bro."

Sakura couldn’t hold back the tears. They streamed down her cheeks for the first time in forever, "I wouldn't have it any other way Bee."

The jinchuriki grinned, gave her a thumbs up, and went to rejoin his group. She watched him go. When he reached the contingent A immediately started berating his brother, but Bee waved him away. 

She caught Yagura’s eye next. The Mizukage gave her a small smile, and nodded his head in agreement with Bee’s statement before he turned and began leading his contigent away. 

The tears were still streaming down her face when Minato took her hand. He squeezed it and whispered, "I'm really going to have to do something about all these shinobi making my wife cry."

Sakura could only laugh. A moment later they were off.

After several days of travel Sakura sighed in relief as they hit the border. She shed her cloak, and fell down on the plush grass. And as she laid there in the sun, and soaked up the warmth, she took comfort in the fact that she was home.

Notes:

1) I really love this chapter
2) It's changed a lot. Originally it was Minato who found her, but I really wanted to bring Fugaku into the story more.
3) That ending was a bit surprising, right? The jinchuriki are figuring things out, it's going to make some things easier and some things more difficult.
4) We get to see those secret skills Kakashi taught Sakura
5) We got an appearance from Shizune. I felt like she was appropriate for this role.
6) Sakura loves her home. Never doubt that.
7) Please leave a review, and let me know what you'd like to see next!

Chapter 35

Coming home after a mission was equal parts relief and disgust. The relief came from no longer having to be on guard twenty-four seven, and the disgust came from how dusty and dirty the apartment was. The moment they stepped into the apartment Sakura’s nose scrunched up at the musty smell.

Minato shared a similar look. As she tossed her pack towards the laundry room, Minato made his way to the windows and started opening them. The wind blew in and smells of home came with it. Minato smiled, “Next time, we should hire a gennin team to clean the place before we get back.”

Sakura didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, she studied her husband. He cocked his head to the side, and without any warning she rushed him. He caught her easily with a laugh as she threw her arms around his neck and he twirled her around. She was so happy to be home.

They got exactly twenty-four hours together before they were pulled back into their busy lives. Minato had quite a bit of paperwork to catch up on, and Sakura . . . well she had other problems. Minato had been gone for all of ten minutes when there was a knock on the door. Her father waited on the other side with a grim expression on his face.

She leaned against the doorway, “That is not a good look.”

“The director of ANBU brought a report to my home while you were gone.”

That wasn’t good. She stepped to the side, “Come in.”

A stifling silence filled the apartment as they sat there. Sakura didn’t pry. Her father would talk in his own time. She watched as he filled his pipe and then lit it. He smoked it for a few minutes before sighing, “When you first arrived here, I started a quiet investigation into Orochimaru. Fairly quickly, disturbing information came to light.

“I decided against confronting him immediately in favor of finding all of his lairs and hiding places. I believe he knows that I’m onto him. His movements have been fairly quiet lately, and I believe he’s getting ready to flee. I have no more time to waste.”

Sakura had never been a fan of waiting, especially with what she knew of Orochimaru’s experiments. More than likely, many innocents had suffered in the time her father had allowed Orochimaru to continue. However, she could also understand his desire to make sure that the snake was cornered.

“Does Minato know?”

“Of the investigation? Yes. That it’s time to move? No. Akkiko is passing him a note as we speak. Less suspicious.”

“Do you want me involved?”

“Yes. I’ve also summoned Jiraiya back. Minato will need to stay in the office. If he comes, I’m afraid too much attention will be drawn.”

Sakura leaned back into the couch. With how hectic things had been lately, she’d had very little time to focus on her tasks. She’d taken care of the bridge, of Rin, and Obito. Now it was time to turn her attention to other things: Orochimaru, Madara, Danzo, and the possible formation of the Akatsuki.

The break had been nice while it lasted.

“Where should I meet you?”

“Gate forty-three of the forest of death. Our group will move in from there. I’m hoping his hubris will keep him in place long enough.”

Sakura couldn’t bring herself to say anything, instead she crossed her arms against her chest and hmmed.

They sat in silence for several minutes before Sakura finally said, “Bee and the fourth Mizukage know who I am. The tailed beasts know who I am. They remember.”

Her father let a slight smile play on his lips, “The Tailed Beasts exist both in and outside of our realm. It doesn’t surprise me.”

A smile played on her lips, “It was so strange to be referred to as Sakura Haruno. I’m not even sure who that girl was anymore.”

“I imagine that’s because you don’t allow yourself to think about her or where she came from. After everything you lost, I imagine it hurts quite a bit to think about your friends and family. You threw yourself into being Sakura Sarutobi now Namikaze.”

Sakura did her best to let the words wash over her, and not let them penetrate. She didn’t have time for tears or breakdowns. With the way things were moving, she doubted there’d be time until she was near her deathbed. But Bee’s words still echoed in her head. “Bee said that someone would come back.”

“Someone you know?”

“Naruto. I’m almost certain of it.”

“Your teammate?”

“Yeah. I thought he died in my time, but maybe . . . maybe he survived. Maybe he found Obito. Maybe he’s coming back to help me. Afterall, if anyone could find their way back from the grave, it would be Naruto.”

Her father looked doubtful. She let out a sigh of agreement. Her Naruto was gone. She knew that. Her best friend had died, she’d seen the body. “I’ll see you tonight, I really need to go grocery shopping.”

Her father smiled, “Mind if I join you?”

“I’d like that.”

She and her father spent the day together. After the grocery shopping they got lunch together before heading back to the apartment. From there, they read in companionable silence until Minato came home.

He was his usual joyful self as he came through the door, but the moment he stepped over the threshold the privacy seals went up. His eyes settled on her father, “ANBU team six is going with you, just as you requested. Jiraiya entered the village a few hours ago. He’ll meet you at the gates.”

Her father eased up from the couch, “Then I believe I’ll head home, have some dinner, and make sure I’m ready. He bowed his head slightly, “Hokage-sama.” Then he was gone.

Sakura watched as Minato stalked towards the couch before collapsing on it. His head landed in her lap, and she began to comb her fingers through his hair. He watched her for a moment before saying, “They didn’t file a single piece of paperwork while I was gone. It took four shadow clones to get a fourth of the way through it, and then your brother came in with the note.”

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, but before she could straighten his hand gripped the back of her neck and pulled her in for a proper kiss. She smiled into it, and focused on nothing but her husband for a while.

Three hours later she began changing into her stealth gear; black pants, black pants, black shirt, and a black breast plate. She used a cowl to cover her trademark hair, loaded up her weapons pouch and stepped into the living room. Minato was still cleaning up from dinner. He studied her as he dried a dish, gave her a nod, and then she was off.

She suppressed her chakra and began her run. It didn’t take her long to reach the Forest of Death. Jiraiya, her father, and the ANBU team were waiting for her.

Sakura didn’t know Jiraiya well. Heck, she’d barely known him in her own time. She knew he was strong, knew he had cared deeply for Naruto, and she knew he cared deeply for Minato. He’d come back for Minato’s inauguration, and the two of them had gone out for a quick after the reception. Then he’d quickly left again. They’d only had a short introduction.

“Hey there, blossom.” He also had a thing for nicknames.

Her hands went to her hips, “Pervy Sage.” If he wanted to do obvious nicknames, she could do that.

He grinned, “Nice night to take down a traitor.”

The Toad Sage’s tone was joking, but Sakura could detect the hurt under the statement. She knew that hurt. She’d felt the same way about Sasuke.

“Are we ready?” Her father’s voice was emotionless. The sensei who had watched his students grow was gone, and in his place was the professor: The Third Hokage.

Everyone nodded, and her father narrowed his eyes, “More than likely Orochimaru is expecting us. We need to be ready for traps and attacks. He should not be underestimated.” And with that last piece of advice they were off.

Sakura hated the Forest of Death. The place still gave her an occasional nightmare, and she hated stepping foot in it. She just prayed that this confrontation with Orochimaru went better than her last one.

The entrance to the hideout was deep into the forest, and if it hadn’t been for the Third’s intel, it would have been impossible to find. It was a small hole hidden beneath a rather large rock, and it led underground.

Jiraiya went down first, followed by the ANBU team, then her father, and finally herself.

It was a straight drop at first, and the urge to scream as she fell was strong. Instead, she kept her legs straight, and wrapped her arms around her body. Then the straight chute changed, and it became a slide. She banged her knee and elbow and bit back a yelp. Then things got interesting.

Sakura could feel the chakra in the chute activate, and she summoned her own in response. She used her control to stick herself to the top of the chute just as spikes came from the bottom. There was poison on the tips. When another thrum of chakra pulsed she let go, barely missing the spikes from the floor as spikes from the ceiling descended.

Those disappeared rather quickly, and then she felt an overall thrum of chakra and a tell-tale hiss. Sakura stopped breathing and closed her eyes as a cloud of gas filled the tunnel. She felt the gas caress her skin for several moments and then she was falling.

She hit the floor hard. She shook off the aches, and took in a deep breath as she got to her feet. As she regulated her breathing she took note of the two dead bodies on the floor; both were ANBU. One had the puncture marks of the spikes, and one’s skin was warped from the gas; a side effect of breathing it in, she imagined.

She supposed the entrance was Orochimaru’s twisted idea of training mixed with security. Her eyes flickered to the only way forward; a single pitch, black hallway. The Third gave several short hand signals and they were off.

The hallway was filled with traps; more spikes and gas with the added fun of flying kunai, an acid pit, and several giant snakes. Finally, they reached the main lair and as Sakura came face to face with the thing of nightmares, she couldn’t help the feeling of dread that settled in her stomach.

Before anything could even be said, Orochimaru took down the two remaining ANBU. The snakes came out of nowhere faster than she could blink, their fangs coated with venom. They were dead before they hit the ground.

Sakura had hated Orochimaru for years. At first, the hate had stemmed from the Forest of Death. The irrational-teenage part of her brain had blamed him for stealing away Sasuke. As she had grown older so had the hatred. In a lot of ways it had twisted so far from its original source that the hate seemed almost ingrained in her.

Sasuke had been responsible for his actions. He had known what leaving the village meant. Sakura also believed that he knew what his quest for power would do to him. By the time they had met again during the war, she had barely recognized her former teammate. Any affection she’d had left for him had died then.

Her rage had begun blooming while she was reading through the reports of the different experiments that had been conducted on innocents. As a medical professional it had infuriated her. She’d destroyed a mountain after reading the files.

Her hatred for Orochimaru, however, had increased. She’d listened to the stories a drunk Tsunade had told her; and his almost careless handling of Nawaki’s death had resulted in Sakura throwing a table through a wall while a numb Tsunade had watched.

The hatred had grown even more when she’d been treating a near death Yamato. In the delusions of his fever, she’d listened to him call out and relive his early years with Orochimaru. She’d left the camp for several hours afterwards and pummeled the ground into submission. It had been Killer Bee who had found her. He’d taken one look at her and challenged her to a spar. It had done a lot to quell the rage inside her.

The thing that cemented the hatred was listening to stories with Anko during steakouts. For some reason the older woman had seemed intent on trying to scare Sakura with former stories of her sensei. Oftentimes her hand would glide up to the curse mark. She could feel the betrayal in the woman’s words.

In a lot of ways she hated Orochimaru more than anyone else. Obito from her time and Madara were close seconds, but Orochimaru still held the number one spot. And now, here she was. Face to face with him.

His eyes slid over her and focused on Jiraiya and the Sandaime. She dug her nails into her palms and narrowed her eyes. She stayed focused on Orochimaru as her father and Jiraiya talked.

She saw the movement before they did, a casual flick of a finger, and she moved. The kunai was out of her hand as she sprinted forward. She heard the clang of metal, which told her she’d stopped the basic attack, but kept her eyes on her opponent.

There was amusement in those yellow eyes as he began running through the hand signs for a jutsu. She didn’t hesitate; the next time her foot connected with the concrete it shattered the setting he knew so well.

She flickered through the debris and scowled when he caught the punch. Her foot kicked off the ground and she managed to land one kick to his gut. It sent him flying backwards as she wrenched her fist from his hand. She landed on one of the pieces of rubble and glared at him as Jiraiya and the Sandaime surged forward.

Her father quickly summoned Enma, and she watched as the Monkey King turned into a pole. Jiraiya used a variety of jutsu while Sakura waited for an opening. She stayed in place, and observed. Orochimaru had enormous chakra reserves. He could fight for a long time with a variety of jutsu. However, he was limited by the caves just as much as they were. She couldn’t use fire jutsu in the enclosed space; in fact most jutsu were off the table.

When the snakes started coming out, she moved.

She flashed through the signs of a genjustu and watched as it ensnared him. This particular genjutsu wasn’t one of fear but one of desire. It was supposed to lull the victim into a false sense of victory, and make them see their deepest desire in that moment. It was, ironically, something Anko had created for T&I, and something about using it to stop Orochimaru seemed right.

She saw the moment it hit him; his eyes took on a slightly glazed look, and his mouth twisted into a sinister grin. She called her medical chakra to her hand and sprinted forward as Jiraiya and her father stilled. Jiraiya’s eyes focused on her hand. He’d been around Tsunade enough to know what that chakra meant.

She tried to dodge him, but he was too fast. She supposed there was a reason he was a sannin. He caught her, and she glared at him.

“You can’t kill him.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Why not?”

“Justice. He deserves a trial.”

She snarled, “He deserves death.”

“You don’t even know him.”

“I know enough.”

His eyes narrowed, “He’s my teammate. Would you be saying this if he were yours?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

She closed her eyes for a second, and then nodded, “Yes. I would.” She’d been willing, that day of the Hokage summit, to kill Sasuke. She’d truly been ready to die, and take him screaming and kicking to hell with her.

In the years he’d been gone, and the years during the war, Naruto had become her best friend: her brother. And she’d been ready to do anything to protect him.

She looked back at Jiraiya, and the man was frowning, “Then you don’t understand what it means to have fought for so long beside someone.”

“I know it better than you would think.”

She turned to face Orochimaru, took one step, felt Jiraiya’s hand clamp down harder on her wrist, and then she felt the genjutsu snap.

She watched as the snake became aware again. His face was snarl, and filled with rage. Faster than she or anyone could move she watched as he flashed through the hand signs and then slammed his palm against the wall. She felt the tell-tale rumblings a second later, and then the first stone fell.

She made a move to go after him, but her father stopped her, and redirected her the way they came. Anger bubbled inside her. She was furious with Jiraiya, with her father, and with herself. Jiraiya shouldn’t have stopped her, she shouldn’t have entertained his question, and her father should have killed him while they had been speaking. She couldn’t believe they’d failed.

She sent chakra to her feet and climbed back up the hole they had come down. The moment she was back in the night air, she let out a scream and sent her fist into a tree. Then she turned on the last two surviving members of their team.

She glared at them, “Those ANBU members just died for NOTHING! And anyone else he kills is now on us for not stopping him.”

Jiraiya crossed his arms against his chest, “You can’t just execute someone.”

“We do it every damn day! The village is constantly hired for assassinations.”

“Orochimaru is a trusted member of this village. . .”

“No! He isn’t. He was, once upon a time. Not anymore. Now he experiments on kids and does unholy things. He’s a danger to this village and this world. And we just set him free because you can’t pull your head out of your ass long enough to see that. Not to mention, we had PROOF!”

She took a deep breath and turned to look at her father, “Neither of you should have been on this. Maybe I shouldn’t have either. Either way, we failed. I’m going home.”

She didn’t wait for a response; she flickered out of the forest and onto one of the houses. She took a deep breath and did her best to calm down. She decided to run the rest of the way home. By the time she landed in front of the door to their apartment, the night’s events were weighing on her shoulders.

She expected the apartment to be dark, instead the lights were on. She smiled at the sight of her husband lying on the couch and reading a book. He took one look at her and frowned, before sitting up. She didn’t even have to say anything. He simply opened his arms and she moved towards him.

She laid against him, while his arms encircled her. He didn’t say anything, instead he moved his fingers though her hair, and worked out the small tangles that had formed through the night. After nearly half an hour she finally admitted, “We failed.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, “I figured by the expression.”

“I hate failing.”

“I know.”

“It makes me feel weak.”

He snorted at that, “You are anything but weak. You are incredibly strong.”

“I needed this to go right. Who knows what kind of havoc he’ll stir up this time.”

“We’ll handle whatever comes our way.”

She felt her anger start to rise, “How can you be so calm about this? Last time . . .”

“Isn’t going to happen.” Minato’s voice was firm, “You’re here. You’ve already prevented Madara from getting Obito. That was a big step. Yes, there are still other trials ahead of us, one of which is now hunting Orochimaru down again, but we’ll get through it.”

She narrowed her eyes, “I hate that you’re so calm about this.”

He shrugged, “It comes with the hat.”

She sighed and curled her fingers into his shirt, before reaching up to place a kiss against his pulse point, “I need a shower.”

“Okay.”

She stood up and started walking towards the bathroom before turning around asking, “Want to join me?”

Minato just grinned and flashed behind her. They were nearly to the bathroom when a knock came on the door.

She scowled, “If that’s Jiraiya or my father I’m not here.”

Minato laughed, “Noted.”

He opened the door and Kakahsi and Obito stumbled through, and their next words nearly stopped her heart, “Rin left the village.”

Notes:

1) This is the chapter that gave me such a hard time nearly ten years ago. It's the one that didn't want to be written. It's why I took a hiatus all those years ago.

2) It feels REALLY good to have it not only have it written, but published. It was writing this chapter that got me into revising all of the previous chapters and adding new chapters along the way. I'm so happy with how this story is going, and I'm so excited to hear y'alls thoughts, and hopefully keep this story going!

3) Can I also just say, that I writing this fight scene drove me crazy? Cause it did. I'm still not a fan of writing them, but I think I'm getting better.

4) There's not redemption for Orochimaru in my book.

5) And that ending? Please let me know what you think!

6) Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 36

Obito and Kakashi,

     I can no longer remain in a village that has taken everything from me. I can no longer stay in a place where I am useless. Give this note to the Hokage. I officially renounce the village of my birth, and take up the mantle of a missing nin.

-Rin 

 

Sakura read the note over her husband’s shoulder. It was short and to the point. She glanced at Minato. His eyes were closed and he was thinking of something. Sakura said nothing. There was nothing she could say. 

 

  “Why would she leave?” Obito’s voice was small and filled with sadness. It made Sakura’s heart hurt for him.

 

That wasn’t the real question. The real question was, how could Rin have left him? There was no good answer to that question. Sakura knew that better than most. She listened as Minato directed the boys to follow him. He looked at her, a silent question in his eyes; was she coming? 

 

She shook her head. She stayed there in the doorway for a few minutes. While she was exhausted she wasn’t tired, and she knew sleep would be useless. She showered, changed into civilian clothes, and headed out. She did her best to blend into the streets. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but then she heard a familiar voice. 

 

The dive bar wasn’t in the best part of town. That was probably why she’d chosen it. Sakura slipped in, and sat down next to the last member of the sannin. Tsunade wasn’t drunk . . . yet. She shot a look at Sakura before she turned back to her drink, “He got away, didn’t he?” 

 

Sakura wasn’t surprised that Tsunade knew who she was. While she’d only seen Sakura briefly, she had no doubt that Tsunade had heard quite a bit about her. “I had him, and then your idiot teammate stopped me.” 

 

Tsunade scoffed, “He’s blind. He and sensei both. No offense.” 

 

“None taken.” 

 

“You want some?” She gestured to the drink in front of her. 

 

“No thanks.” She waited for Tsunade to take her next drink before she asked, “So if you were in the village, why weren’t you with us?” 

 

She snorted, “Because I told those idiots years ago that the snake had gone off the deep end. They didn’t believe me. I only made it back here due to the cease fire, and I had no desire to rub it in their faces that I was right.” 

 

Sakura shot her a look. Tsunade didn’t acknowledge it. They sat there in silence for a while before Tsunade suddenly said, “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. No matter how much he’s fallen, Orochimaru was still my teammate. I couldn’t kill him.” 

 

Sakura sighed, “I get that.” They didn’t speak again. They sat there in silence, while Tsunade drank, for nearly an hour. Sakura wasn’t sure why she stayed. This wasn’t her Tsunade. This wasn’t the woman who had trained her and looked after her. This was a woman who had been broken by the war, and who had lost the love of her life. She was someone who needed a friend. Briefly, her dream of Tsunade came back to her. ThisTsunade needed a friend, and Sakura could be that friend. 

 

When Tsunade was done drinking, and she had paid her tab, the two of them made their way onto the streets. The sannin stumbled here and there, but Sakura knew the truth. The sake did very little to actually make her drunk. Her chakra burned it up too fast. 

 

“AHHH This life! It’s CRAP!” When Sakura didn’t say anything Tsunade looked at her, and then slung an arm over her shoulders, “Don’t you agree Pinky?” 

 

Sakura stared at the moon for a minute, “Life sucks sometimes. You lose people; family, friends, loved ones. But there’s still things to gain; love, the family you make for yourself, adventure. Life is a contradiction. It’s filled with unbearable pain, and joy that is so good it makes you ache. That’s what makes it life.” 

 

There was a brief snort from beside her. Tsunade was looking a lot more sober now. She was studying Sakura, “I feel like I know you Pinky.” 

 

Sakura smiled at that, “Maybe in another life.” Tsunade snorted at that, “Heard you’ve decided to leave the village.” Sakura hadn’t really. She just knew her history. She’d listened to Tsunade talk more than once about the night she had decided to leave. 

 

“It’s time. War’s over, or almost over. I’m tired of the loss.” 

 

“There’ll be more loss if you leave.” 

 

“Kid, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m basically useless now. Couldn’t be a medic anymore even if I wanted to.” 

 

Sakura stretched, “You can still teach. You could run the hospital. You could make sure no other kids die.” 

 

Tsunade shot her a glare, “A little late for that.” 

 

“You’d be surprised.” 

Sakura had nothing else to say. She knew Tsunade was tired and broken. She needed time. She took another look at the woman who would have been her mentor, “I hope you find what you’re looking for.” 

 

Tsunade didn’t respond. Sakura hadn’t expected her to. With that, Sakura headed back home. She climbed into bed, and this time her mind allowed her to drift off. 

 

---

 

Minato looked at the people in his office. A chunnin going rogue usually wouldn’t have inspired this kind of get together, but Rin knew a lot of information. He waited for the report. 

 

“We picked up an unknown scent in her apartment. The thing is, it goes nowhere. Not out the door, not anywhere. It’s like they vanished. It’s weird as hell, and it gives me a bad feeling.” 

 

Hiashi was up next, “I scoured the surrounding forests with the teams Shikaku sent with me. We found no one.” 

 

Fugaku sighed, “We checked the borders, no one signed in, and there’s no sign of a break in either. Whoever did this . . . “ 

 

Minato closed his eyes in understanding. Whoever had done this had somehow gotten into the village undetected, and had managed to leave the same way. That wasn’t good.

 

He stood up, “We need to start new security protocols, from scratch. New and reinforced barrier seals need to be put up around the wall. I also want the tunnels and civilian safe places cleaned out and reinforced. Whoever Rin went with knows how we work. We need to change that.” 

 

He watched as the statement settled in everyone’s minds. There was a weight there. Shinobi were naturally paranoid. It came with the territory. Every person in the room had loved ones or a clan to protect. This was a personal attack as far as they were concerned. There was nothing to be done, “As of this moment Rin Nohara is a missing nin. If seen she is to be captured if possible. If not, she should be eliminated.” 

 

“Sensei!” Minato’s gaze flicked to Obito. His two remaining students had been allowed to stay. They needed to be a part of this meeting. They had needed to know the results of Rin’s choice, and everything pointed towards it being her choice. The pronouncement was harsh. Minato hated making it, but there was no choice. She had conspired with someone to sneak into the village, and she had too much knowledge. 

 

“Obito.” He kept his voice calm but stern. It was a warning. Kakashi placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. 

 

Obito turned to look at him, “Kakashi, we can’t . . .” 

 

Kakashi sighed, “She made a choice Obito.” 

 

“But . . .” 

 

Kakashi nodded, “I know, but she hasn’t been Rin . . . our Rin, in months.” 

 

“If we had been quicker . . .” 

 

“Obito,” Minato’s eyes went to Fugaku. His friend had always been serious, always straight laced. But he also cared. He cared for his family, his village, and his clan. Obito was a part of all three, and his attention was now firmly on the clan head. “Injury and death are a part of this life we lead. It’s not easy, and it’s not fair. What ifs’ and different scenarios don’t change anything. Rin madea choice. It’s a choice that could endanger your sensei, your Hokage. It’s a choice that could endanger your family, clan, and village. Rin made her choice, and now you need to make yours.” 

 

Minato watched as tears streamed out of Obito’s eyes, “I’m a shinobi of Konoha. I won’t abandon my village!” 

 

Minato shared a smile with Fugaku. Things would be painful for a while, but it would be okay. It had to be. 

 

The other clan heads nodded in approval behind him. Everyone quickly dispersed. Fugaku took Kakashi and Obito with him, and promised to keep an eye on them. He said goodbye to his friends, and waited. 

 

Twenty minutes later, he felt the chakra enter the room. He did his best not to glare. He had never liked Danzo. What he had learned from Sakura’s memories had made him despise the man. He was working on a plan to take him down, but it wasn’t ready yet. 

 

Danzo was smart, and he had ruthless, brainwashed minions at his command. Minato needed to be ready. 

 

His ANBU guards were still in place. In the shadows. Ready to act. If anyone hated Danzo, it was the real ANBU. Too many friends, mentors, and proteges had been lost to the man. 

 

He watched as Danzo gave a shallow bow, and then said, “A student going rogue doesn’t reflect well on the Hokage. And to have two go missing in one night. That’s a shame.” 

 

“I appreciate your concern, but it’s been dealt with.” 

 

“May I ask how?” 

“No. If and when the council needs to be informed, I will do so. That is my right as the Hokage. You are dismissed, councilman Shimura.” 

 

“Minato. . . .” 

 

Minato slowly stood at the use of his name. They had never been on a first name basis, and as his Hokage, Danzo shouldn’t have even dared. 

 

The councilman corrected himself with a scowl, “Hokage-sama, I need to know in order to instruct my troops.” 

 

Minato’s voice was ice, “If there is something you need to know, you will be informed. In the meantime continue as you were. You are dismissed. Do NOT make me say it again.” 

 

The man turned with a scowl and hobbled out of the room, his limp worse than usual, and no doubt a tactic. 

 

Minato closed his eyes and willed the anger out of him. Willed the hurt out of him. He needed to go home. He needed to see his wife. 

 

When he arrived at home, he found her in bed. Her pink hair was spread out around her. It had gotten rather long recently. She looked peaceful. He watched her for a minute. 

 

“Stop staring and come to bed, Minato. There’s nothing left to do tonight.” 

 

Her eyes were still closed, but Minato moved towards her. He kneeled beside the bed, and cupped her cheek. Her green eyes opened, and watched him for a second before he moved in. His lips crashed against her, and his hand moved to tangle in her hair as she pulled him onto the bed. They needed one another, and he was grateful that they had each other for the rest of their lives.

Notes:

1) I'm going to say this now, I have plans for Tsunade . . . . I'm just going to leave this statement here and let it rest.

2) Did I enjoy writing Minato's POV? Yes, yes I did. It was a lot of fun. It was even more fun for him to put a slight smackdown on Danzo. I enjoyed THAT very much. No question about it.

3) We're starting to see some changes in the Uchiha clan. Are those going to carry over? Is Sakura going to have to do a lot of work there? Yes. Yes she will. There's really only two major changes that I'm thinking of that are going to help with those.

4) Rin has run away. Is she with Orochimaru? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. I am willing to hear theories LOL!

5) Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 37

In the days after Rin’s abduction Minato was kept busy. Teams were sent out to try and track her down, but the trail was never found. Sakura stayed equally busy trying to avoid her father. She had no doubt that he wanted to talk, but she wasn’t ready. A part of her is still angry that he let things with Orochimaru get so far. As far as she knows, Jiraiya is in the wind, back to his spy network. She prefers it that way. 

 

More often than not, Sakura finds herself at the hospital or in the company of one of her friends; usually Mikoto or Yoshino. Tsume was trying to take as many missions inside the village as she could before she had to step back from active duty for a while, and Kato was still trying to find a dog to bond with. It’s apparently a time sensitive issue.

 

“It’s such a pretty day.” 

 

Sakura can’t help but agree with Yoshino. The shade and privacy provided by the Nara forest makes for the perfect afternoon. She could almost drift off to sleep. Almost. 

 

“Itachi, why are you staring at me?” 

 

The little boy blinked once, twice, three times before he said, “There’s something off about you. I don’t know what.” 

 

Sakura glanced over at Mikoto. Her friend was clearly trying to hold back laughter. She turned towards Yoshino who shrugged. Sitting up, Sakura pulled the young boy into her lap, and he snuggled in. She had no idea why Itachi was so comfortable around her, and she wasn’t going to think about it too hard.

 

“Sakura.” 

 

“Yes, Itachi.” 

 

“Can you fix my mom?” 

 

Sakura looked over at Mikoto who wasn't laughing anymore. She narrowed her eyes, “What’s going on with your mom?” 

 

“She keeps getting sick all the time. She’s been sleeping a lot too. She went to the hospital. They say she has a parasite.” 

 

“ITACHI!” Mikoto’s eyes are wide. 

 

It didn’t take long to put everything together. Sakura had known this was coming for a while. She’d known since Aiko got pregnant with Hinata. It was simply reinforced when Tsume got pregnant with Kiba. 

 

Sakura looked down at Itachi, “Is that your way of telling me you’re going to be a big brother?” 

 

Itachi glanced back at her, “That’s what they tell me.” Itachi is one weird child. There’s a squeal and a moment later Yoshino has thrown herself at Mikoto and has the woman wrapped in a hug. 

 

She looked at Mikoto, she would have hugged her if she hadn’t had Itachi in her lap, “Congratulations, Mikoto.” 

 

Her friend gave a sheepish smile, “I’m only eight weeks along. We haven’t even told the elders yet.” 

 

Sakura let out a snort, “I say don’t tell them. They’ll put it together eventually.” 

 

---

 

Sakura had decided to pull a double at the hospital. Minato was out of the village visiting the Daimyo. The amount of wounded they’d been getting at the hospital had been decreasing quite a bit, and her shifts had been more spread out lately. However, Sakura was desperate for a distraction. So she had volunteered to help in the walk-in clinic.

 

She’d seen thirteen civilians, healed several broken bones, diagnosed a concussion, and cured a case of poison oak. She’d just finished the notes on her last patient when the next one was brought in. 

 

Sakura raised an eyebrow at the woman in front of her. Yoshino returned the look with a smile. “I didn’t realize you’d be in the clinic today.” 

 

“It’s where I was needed,” She leaned back in her chair, “What’s going on Yoshino?” 

 

“I think I might be pregnant?” 

 

Sakura leaned forward, a smile on her face, “You think?” They both knew that Yoshino was pretty darn positive. The Nara matriarch knew how the human body worked, it came with being a master of poisons. 

 

“I’m pretty sure. I just need a final diagnosis.” 

 

“Then let’s get started.” 

 

Ten minutes later they had the diagnosis, “Congratulations it’s a baby.” 

 

Yoshino laughed, “Shikaku will be thrilled.”

 

“Well, I would hope so.” 

 

Yoshino rolled her eyes, “I mean more than just because he’s entering fatherhood. Inoichi and his wife, Chouza and Chikako are also expecting. It’s another generation of the In-Shika-Cho trio.” 

 

Sakura smiled, “Forget Shikaku being thrilled, the elders will be ecstatic.” 

 

Her friend scowled at that, “The elders can kick rocks.” 

 

Sakura couldn’t agree more. 

 

 

“I’M GOING TO KILL KATO!” 

 

Sakura winced at the statement. She winced again as Tsume began a whole new round of morning sickness. Their little group had decided to meet at Sakura and Minato’s place for their girls’ night. Tsume’s morning sickness had been a bit of a bear and she hadn’t had it in her to go out. 

 

However, girl’s night was a sacred tradition. One only missed it if something major was going on. Morning sickness didn’t fall into that category according to Tsume. So she was now holed up in Sakura’s guest bathroom. 

 

She turned to the others currently sitting in her apartment, “Is morning sickness always this bad?” 

 

Aiko ran her hands over the tiniest baby bump Sakura had ever seen, “My little one has been rather calm, but my sister had a horrible time with her pregnancy.” 

 

Mikoto nodded, “My pregnancy with Itachi was very easy going, this time however . . “. 

 

Yoshino grinned and placed a hand on her own stomach, “Mine hasn’t been too bad!” 

 

She watched as the conversation devolved into a talk about pregnancy symptoms. Tsume wandered in a minute later. She squinted at the commotion, “What did I miss?” 

 

Sakura shrugged, “They’re all knocked up.” 

 

Tsume huffed, “They’ll get over the excitement once labor kicks in..” She slid to the floor, the exhaustion was plastered across her face, “At least this brat will have a group of friends. Of course we’re still waiting on a best friend.” She gave Sakura a pointed look. Sakura ignored it, and Tsume rolled her eyes, “At least I won’t be alone in my suffering.” 

 

Sakura knelt next to her friend as the others crowded around. She began checking Tsume’s vitals just to be sure. Tsume scowled, “I swear this kid is taking all of my energy from me. She’s going to be a firecracker.” 

 

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that, “She?” 

 

“Mother’s intuition. Kato is convinced it’s a boy though.” 

 

Everyone laughed as Sakura helped Tsume back to her feet. Aiko helped Tsume over to the couch. Mikoto nudged her, “You okay?” 

 

Sakura nodded, “I’m good. I promise.” 

 

Yoshino narrowed her eyes and looked at her, “Do you have something to tell us?” 

 

Sakura snorted, “No.” 

 

 

---

 

“Can someone please remind me why we’re meeting here?” 

 

Minato smiled from where he was being attacked by puppies, “It’s kid friendly.” He nodded towards Itachi and Hana who were also surrounded by puppies. 

 

Hiashi sighed and readjusted his hold on Neji. The distaste was clear on his face. Shikaku rolled his eyes, and took a seat next to Minato. “How long do you think this is going to last?” 

 

They looked at Kato. He was currently crouched, with a puppy in his hands, inspecting him from head to toe. “As long as it takes I imagine.” 

 

Kato shook his head, and placed the puppy down, “Nope. Not it.” He turned back to the group, “I really need to find a new partner before the baby comes. The foundations for training need to be in place before our routine can be interrupted.” 

 

From outside the dog pen, Fugaku asked, “How far along is Tsume now?” 

 

“Four months.” 

 

“You still have time then.” 

 

“Yeah, but it’s also different when you already have a kid at home. Tsume is only taking missions inside the village, which helps, but she gets tired easier as well. So, I’ve been doing a lot more for Hana. Which is great, I love spending time with her, and Tsume is literally growing a person so it’s the least I can do.” 

 

Fugaku nodded, “At least you don’t have the elders breathing down your neck.” 

 

Hiashi snorted, “I do NOT miss that. Aiko’s pregnancy hasn’t been too bad. Occasional morning sickness.” 

 

Minato cocked his head to the side, and examined Fugaku, “When you say that the elder’s are breathing down your neck, do you mean?” 

 

Fugaku nodded, “We haven’t told them yet. It’s our idea of a rebellion I suppose. Mikoto is also only a few weeks along, so . . .” 

 

All of them smiled and offered congratulations. 

 

Shikaku cleared his throat, “If we’re making announcements, then . . . Yoshino is . . . well we’re . . . it’s a baby. Or babies in this case. The Akimichi and Yamanaka too.”  

 

Minato laughed, “So the Ino-Shika-Cho trio lives on.” 

 

Shikaku nodded, “The clan elders pretty much demand it at this point. Inoichi is first, then Chouza, and finally me. Fatherhood. I never really thought it would happen. We’ve all been freaking out.” 

 

Fugaku shrugged, “It’s my second time and I’m still freaking out. Being a father is a big responsibility.” 

 

The others agreed. Minato listened to everything that followed. What to expect during pregnancy. What to expect in the different stages of infants. It was informative and eye opening. When the night came to an end, and they all went their separate ways, he couldn’t stop thinking about a possible pink haired little baby. 

 

---

 

Minato and Sakura didn’t talk about babies. The idea of children had been mentioned while dating, and while they both wanted a family . . . there was a lot going on. Minato had only held the Hokage position for a few months. Sakura was still trying to fix the future. Really, they were too busy for a baby. Plus, they still had time. So really, they had no reason to talk about it.

 

---

 

It was nearly two weeks after finding out that the majority of his friends were expecting fathers that she came into his office. 

 

It was the middle of the day. Nearly time for a lunch break with his wife, and he had been trying to finish all the paperwork that needed to be done. 

 

“You actually did it.” 

 

He didn’t look up right away. The voice. That voice. It was a surprise. He took a moment to set his pen down and shuffle his paperwork. Then he allowed himself to look up. Kushina Uzumaki looked just like he remembered her, and yet there was something different. 

 

“Kushina.” 

 

She bowed, “Hokage-sama.” 

 

“What are you doing here?” 

 

She smiled, “It’s just a stop in. Jin is meeting a business partner. We’re leaving tomorrow. I just . . . I couldn’t resist seeing you here. As Hokage. You did it.” 

 

Minato smiled back, “Yeah. I did.” 

 

She moved further into the room, “I also hear other congratulations are in order. You got married?” 

 

His smile brightened, “I did. Her name is Sakura. She’s amazing.” 

 

“I’m glad.” She didn’t ask any further questions, and he didn’t offer any other information. They just stared at each other for a moment. Finally she said, “It’s different now, isn't it?” 

 

“What is?” 

 

“The way you see me?” 

 

He nodded, “I’ve been trying to figure it out.” 

 

Kushina just laughed, “You’re not in love with me anymore.” 

 

The moment she said the words it clicked into place. He wasn’t viewing her as a significant other anymore. Hell, he barely knew who Kushina was anymore. He was certain her core values were the same, but outside of that: nothing. 

 

The smile never left Kushina’s face, “Before I leave, I wanted to make sure you got my plans of movement.” 

 

“Yes. A few months ago. You’re heading back to Uzushiogakure.” 

 

“We found some distant cousins, and Jin is hiring a few shinobi here to go with us in addition to the guard he already keeps. We’re going to rebuild the village.”

 

“Looks like you’re accomplishing your dream too.” 

 

She nodded, “Yeah. I am. I was also wondering if you’d mind taking a look at my seal. I just want to make sure it’s good.” 

 

---

 

Minato went home that night, expecting to see just his wife. Instead he walked into chaos. Kakashi, Obito, Asuma, Akiko, and Anko were at the table arguing over a game. Sakura was in the kitchen surrounded by burnt food. 

 

Anko shot him a look as he slipped off the Hokage robe, “I tried to stop her.” 

 

Minato smiled, “I’m sure you did.” He wandered into the kitchen, and peered into the pot. Whatever his wife had been attempting to cook was charred to bits. She looked at him, “I was trying to make dinner. It didn’t turn out like I hoped.” 

 

“I can see that.” 

 

She looked up at him, “Take out?” 

 

He nodded, “Probably our best bet.” He threw the pot into the sink and ran water in it to soak. He’d try and salvage it later. Then he turned to the kids, “Sakura and I are going to go get food. Do NOT burn down our house.”  

 

Akiko waved him away, “I make no promises. Obito and Anko are dirty cheaters, and if I did burn it down, I’d be finishing what my sister started.” 

 

Sakura snorted, and they headed out into the night. Without any thought or conversation they headed towards their favorite take out place. They used the roofs. If they used the streets they would have been stopped constantly by people who wanted to talk to the Hokage. They were half way there when Minato announced, “Kushina stopped by my office today.” 

 

Sakura actually tripped at the sentence. Minato caught her before she hit the ground. He helped her to stand up, and she cocked her head to the side, “Excuse me?” 

 

“Kushina stopped by my office today. Her boyfriend, Jin, had stopped in the village to hire some more security. Apparently they’ve found some Uzumaki cousins, and they’re going to try and rebuild Uzushiogakure.” 

 

Sakura allowed the words to resonate for a minute, “Wow. What. . . I mean . . .” 

 

Minato smiled at her, and then pulled her in for a kiss. When he pulled back, he answered the question she had attempted to ask, “It was weird. I realized I didn’t know her anymore. I also realized, I’m happy that she’s going after dream. I’m especially happy that I have you.” He nuzzled his nose into her neck.

 

Sakura was still frozen like a statue, her next question was whispered, “Was she pregnant?” 

 

Minato froze, before he stood up, “No.” 

 

Sakura’s voice was rough when she asked again, “Are you sure?” 

 

Minato’s brow furrowed, “I’m positive. She had me check her seal while she was here. If she was pregnant, I would have known. Pregnancy really messes with the type of seal she has. And Kushina has never really had a desire for motherhood.” 

 

Sakura let out a shaky breath, and allowed herself to slowly slide to the ground. She felt the tears come a second later as Minato kneeled down next to her, “Sakura, are you okay?” 

 

She nodded through the tears, and a second later her hands went protectively over her belly. Minato’s eyes went wide, “Sakura, honey, are you . . .” 

 

She nodded, “I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes:

AN:

 

1) I never thought I would get to this chapter. Ever.
2) I really thought about holding out another chapter too. I really did.
3) But . . . I really loved ending with it here.
4) A lot more is going to be revealed in the next chapter.
5) Please let me know what you think.
6) Also, what would you like to see from the pregnancy?
7) Be sure to review and let me know!

Chapter 38

Summary:

I really love this chapter. We get to see Tsunade and what changes there. We also get some fun!

Sometimes, Sakura really hated the notoriety that followed her. As a child, back in her own time, she had been ignored by basically everyone. Even when she had started to train under Tsunade, she had been largely ignored. It hadn’t been until she’d brought down Sasori that people had started to pay attention. 

 

In this time period, she had started off life as the Third Hokage’s daughter. She had built her reputation further through the hospital and missions. Then she had sealed her fate when she had fallen in love with Minato. Stupid love addled brain. 

 

Now she was about to take it a step further. Sakura was 99.99 percent certain she was pregnant. She’d been exhibiting symptoms for nearly a week, and she was late. The at home pregnancy test had further confirmed things. All that was left was the hospital blood test, and protocol prohibited her from doing it herself. 

 

She, of course, had options. Kato could do it. Her mother could do it. Anko could do it. And within minutes of any of them confirming what Sakura already knew, the news would be spread around the village. Sakura didn’t want that. She wanted a little bit of time to soak the news in. She wanted time to be giddy and nervous with her husband. She wanted them to have time to talk and plan without anyone else butting in. 

 

Those desires had led to this; hiding in a closet and trying to draw her own blood. She was in the middle of tightening the tourniquet in place with her teeth when the door opened. Standing on the other side was the last person she expected, “Tsunade-sama.” Of course the name came out muffled. 

 

“Namikaze, why the hell are you drawing blood in my supply closet?” 

 

Sakura dropped the end of the tourniquet from her mouth, “I can explain.” 

 

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, “I’m waiting.” 

 

“What are you doing here? I thought you left. . . .”

“I was on my way out when this annoying little voice started bugging me. It sounded a lot like yours. I took over for the old bat, and I’m running this place now. Now, answer me.” 

 

Sakura looked away and muttered, “I think I might be pregnant.” Sakura refused to look at Tsunade’s face. And she held tight to her resolve . . . for all of three seconds. That’s when the sannin burst out laughing. 

 

Sakura’s head swiveled to look at her. There were actual tears in her eyes. After several moments of laughter, Tsunade finally stopped, “Well Minato sure didn’t waste any time, did he?” 

 

“It wasn’t planned. . .” 

Tsunade snorted, reached forward, undid the too loose tourniquet, and commanded, “Follow me, kid.” 

 

Tsunade quickly ushered her into an office with her name on it. How the heck had Sakura missed that? Inside was another familiar face. Shizune was passed out on the couch and fast asleep. 

 

She jumped awake the moment Tsunade closed the door. “Tsunade- sama?” 

 

“I need you to draw Sakura’s blood. She’s had some anemia. I need to check things out.” 

 

There were no questions, no anything. Tsuande went to her desk, and focused on several pieces of paper as she made sure to not look up. Meanwhile Shizune jumped to work. In no time her blood was drawn and in a vial. Sakura took it from Shizune, and once it was hidden in her hand, Tsunade stood up and rushed past, “Let’s go Pinky!” 

 

Sakura followed her to the lab. Sakura had to do the actual testing while Tsunade stared at the ceiling. Once it was in the final step, Tsunade finally took her gaze off of the ceiling tiles. 

 

Sakura looked at the test results, very aware of the fact that Tsunade was reading over her shoulder. She then folded up the sheet of paper. She looked back at Tsunade. The blonde shrugged her shoulders, “This is where my assistance ends,” a moment later the sannin was gone. 

 

Sakura sighed. Life was a funny, funny thing. 

 

With that, she headed out of the hospital. Spring was on the horizon, the weather had warmed a bit, and Sakura knew that her namesake would be blooming soon. She didn’t hurry. She took her time, and occasionally stopped to just appreciate her surroundings. On her way she stopped at a familiar spot. 

 

The cenotaph didn’t have nearly as many names on it, as it had in her time. She’d prevented several from ending up on it. It seemed like an appropriate place to stop for a moment. She turned and looked at the wooden posts. She focused on the middle one. Her hand went to her still flat stomach. 

 

Quietly, she spoke to her past, “I was afraid, you know. I was afraid that you wouldn’t find your way back. It kept me up at night sometimes. I look back and I’m ashamed. I’m ashamed of how I treated you those first few years. I’m ashamed of how the village treated you. You deserved better. I’m going to make sure you have better. 

 

“Your dad and I are going to be there when you come home. We’re going to hold you and tell you that we love you. We’re going to teach you. And you better believe I’m going to make you eat your vegetables. And no matter what you’re still going to be loud and able to do unbelievable things. You’re going to be Konoha’s number one unpredictable ninja. And your dad and I are going to be so proud of you because we’re your parents. Because I’m your mom.” 

 

The tears were flowing by that point. Sakura couldn’t help it. In some part of her brain she was sure she could blame it on her changing, hormone filled body, but Sakura knew the truth. She hadn’t really cried since she had come back in time. She had never allowed herself to truly grieve. 

 

Now that her loved ones were coming back. Now that things seemed to be on the right path, she allowed herself to grieve. Then she allowed herself to weep tears of joy. She had Naruto back. He was growing inside of her. He hadn’t been touched by war, hatred, or loss yet. And every instinct Sakura had told her to protect him. If she didn’t change anything else, if she didn’t accomplish anything else, she would protect her son. 

 

She took a few minutes to calm down after that. She sat in front of the cenotaph and thought of those she had lost, those she had saved, and those she wanted to help. Her hand stayed protectively over her stomach the entire time. 

 

Once she felt better, she got back to her feet and started her journey again to the tower. She walked in and smiled at everyone who greeted her. When she got to Minato’s office, she found the door open. Her husband was hard at work behind his desk. His assistant stood next to him laying down paper after paper for him to sign. She had no doubt that a shadow clone had read through those earlier. 

 

She knocked once on the open door. He didn’t look up, but he smiled. He signed one more paper and leaned back in his chair, “Done.” 

 

His assistant nodded once and then left. He closed the door behind him. Sakura walked over to his desk and then perched herself on the edge. Minato didn’t say anything, he just waited. After a moment of toying with him she handed over the paper. 

 

• -     -

 

Minato stared at the piece of paper his wife was holding out to him. He ignored it, and focused on her. He could see the faint signs of puffiness around her eyes. She had been crying. Her ANBU guard had reported it nearly an hour ago. 

 

He’d been tempted, so tempted, to go to her. But he knew that she’d needed that time. She had needed time to come to terms with how things were changing, how she had changed, and the fact that she was going to be a mother. 

 

His eyes flickered to her stomach. If what Sakura thought was true, then their son was growing in there. He reached out and took the paper. He flipped it open and stared at the word positive. He allowed the emotions he’d kept at bay for the last twenty-four hours to wash over him. Joy filled every cell in his body. 

 

He launched out of the chair, grabbed Sakura and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, tight. Then he lifted her and spun her. Her laugh was like music to his ears. When he stopped, he leaned down and kissed her. 

 

She didn’t say a word. She just took his right hand, and placed it over her belly. His fingers twitched protectively. Beneath his hand laid his wife and his child. He’d do anything to protect them. He looked back into Sakura’s eyes and saw the joy that was there. 

 

“I love you.” 

 

She smiled, “I love you too. So much.” And really, how could he not kiss her again after that? Life was so very good. 

Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Sakura watched her husband and fought the urge to kick him. The dopey grin that had been on his face since they had found out she was pregnant was going to give their secret away. If by some chance that didn’t give them away, his determination to be touching her would. Currently, he was holding her hand. It was a sweet gesture, and in another couple completely normal. For them, it was strange. Neither of them was big on PDA. 

 

Typically, he would hold her hand under the table at a restaurant, or he would sneak a peck on the cheek when no one was watching. She might wink at him when everyone’s back was turned, or she might sneak a quick kiss before leaving somewhere. They both knew that PDA could give secrets away, it could make people targets. It was ingrained in them. So, for the most part, they saved their affection for the privacy of their own home. Until now . . . 

 

Even worse, they were supposed to have dinner with her parents tonight. While logically she knew her mother didn’t know everything in the world, that didn’t stop the thought from creeping in from time to time. Somehow, Sakura just knew they’d step into her parents’ home and her mother would just know. And once her mother knew, the entire village would know. 

 

From there things would get progressively worse. On top of her mother’s out right excitement of impending grandmother hood, she would be on top of Sakura twenty-four seven. She’d want to make sure that she was eating right, not stressing herself, not working too hard, and everything else. In short, her kind and loving mother would drive her insane inside an hour. 

 

Then there was her father. She hadn’t talked to him since the incident with Orochimaru. She’d seen him and been polite, but she had kept her distance. She wasn’t ready to deal with him, or the repercussions of his actions. 

 

With all of this in mind, Sakura did the only thing she could do . . . she kicked her husband. Minato winced, and then turned his head to look at her. The dopey grin was still in place, even as he raised an eyebrow in question . . . and he was still holding her hand. 

 

“You’re going to give it away.” 

 

“And that’s a bad thing?” 

 

She glared, “I’m not ready for everyone to know. Right now, I want to enjoy this together. No one else or their opinions or suggestions. That means, no dopey grin, and no holding my hand.” 

 

Minato didn’t say anything, instead he looked like a kicked puppy. She instantly felt bad. This was his baby too. She sighed and started over, this time with a more detailed reason, “We’re having dinner with my parents in twenty minutes. If my mother finds out, she will move in with us. She will micro-manage every aspect of our lives until the baby not only comes out, but is old enough to go to the academy. Then, she might go to school with him.” 

 

Minato paled. He might be the Hokage, but even he was no match against Biwako Sarutobi. He nodded, “No dopey grin, and no holding hands. Got it. But how are we going to deal with her when she does find out?” 

 

“That is a problem for future us . . . and maybe ANBU.”

Minato just groaned. 

 

They made it to her parents house twenty minutes later, and they let themselves in. Her mother was in the living room yelling at her father, brothers, and Anko. “The Forest of Death. It’s called that for a REASON Hiruzen! But no, you paid no attention to the name, you just strolled in there on a so-called training mission with our three teenage children. They did not survive a war, just to come and die here at home!” 

 

Sakura and Minato exchanged looks, and he inched away from her slightly more. Her mother, of course, noticed the movement. She stopped her tirade to welcome them, and then went back to yelling, “And you three! How dare you even ask your father to take you in there! Do you have a death wish? Are you looking to give me a heart attack? Selfish. All three of you are selfish.” 

 

With that her mother turned and stomped off to the kitchen. No one said anything for a moment. It was complete silence with the exception of her mother banging pots in the kitchen. Then her father turned to Anko and said, “Guess this means you’re officially ours then.” 

 

Biwako’s voice came bursting out of the kitchen, “She’s been ours for over a year Hiruzen!” 

 

Sakura cocked an eyebrow at her father and siblings, “What were you guys thinking?” 

 

Akkiko shrugged, “We were bored. Sounded like a good idea at the time.” 

 

Asuma nodded, “Things have been a little slow since the war ended.” 

 

Anko nodded, “Not as many emergency cases either.” 

 

Her dad sighed, “I’m retired.” 

 

Minato smiled, “It’s the after war lull. I imagine it’ll last another few months, and then things will pick back up.” 

 

Sakura felt frustration budd inside of her, “Of course. Why enjoy some peace? Why not get upset that people AREN’T fighting to the death. You’re all idiots.” And with that she stomped towards the bathroom. 

 

Dinner was blessedly, more subdued. Minato and her dad talked about different matters with the office. Anko and Biwako talked about Anko’s next step in being a med nin and Sakura talked with her brothers. 

 

“How in the world did you convince dad to take you to the Forest of Death?” 

 

Akkiko snorted, “We didn't, Anko did.”

 

Asuma nodded, “All she had to do was give dad the puppy dog eyes, and he couldn’t say no.” 

 

Akkiko sighed, “We were just along for the ride.” 

 

“We’re completely innocent,” Asuma added. 

 

Sakura snorted. She didn’t believe that for one second. Anko lived with the Sarutobi family full time now. She had taken over Sakura’s room shortly after she had moved out. It made Sakura happy, knowing that Anko was safe and cared for. 

 

That being said, Anko never would have come up with this idea on her own. Her brothers were behind this one hundred percent. Anko had simply been their weapon of choice to carry out the idea. Her father had an extremely difficult time saying no to his daughters. 

 

By the time dinner ended, Biwako had calmed down for the most part, and Sakura was feeling pretty good about the state of her little secret. She and Minato didn’t stick around for dessert. Sakura was beyond ready to leave, and Minato, bless him, seemed to know it. They made their excuses, and prepared to leave. 

 

That’s when she felt her mother’s eyes on her. Sakura turned to look at her, and ended up with a hand on her forehead. “No fever, but you look tired. Make sure you get some rest.” 

 

Sakura smiled, “I will mom. I promise.” Then they were off. It was only once they were three blocks away that Sakura allowed herself to relax. Minato laughed as she let out a sigh. 

 

“So, when will we tell your mother?” 

 

“I was thinking when he made chunnin. I feel like, by then, he’ll be able to fight his own battles.” 

 

Minato laughed, “We’re not going to be able to hide it forever.” 

 

Sakura smiled, before she scooted closer to her husband. His arm went around her shoulders and she snuggled into his embrace. It was a direct contradiction of everything she had said earlier, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. 

 

She grabbed Minato’s free hand and put it over her belly before she covered it with her own, “I like that it’s just the three of us right now. Eventually, we’ll tell people, but right now it’s just us.” 

 

Minato smiled gently at that before he swooped down and kissed her. Today really was a day for PDA, she supposed. They broke apart right as a familiar chakra signature started to turn the corner. 

 

“Fugaku.” The police chief had a stern look on his face. 

 

“Minato, we need to talk.” 

 

Minato raised an eyebrow at that, and then turned to look at her. She gently pushed him towards his friend, “Go. We’re near the Inuzuka compound. I’ll go say hi to Kato and Tsume.” 

 

Minato nodded, and a second later they were both gone.  

 

Sakura made her way to the familiar house. The house itself was dark, but the dog run was lit up. Sakura carefully made her way over there. Sure enough she found Kato there. He didn’t look surprised to see her. 

 

She sat down next to him. For a few minutes they stared in silence at a very pregnant dog. Then she asked, “What are we waiting for?” 

 

“Same thing I’ve been waiting for, for two months now: the right partner.” 

 

She rolled her eyes, “So you’re now just waiting on dogs to go into labor?” 

 

He shrugged, “She’s been acting a little strange. I just wanted to make sure she was good to go.” 

 

“Fair enough.” 

 

The pregnant dog was off in her own world. Sakura assumed the dog was content with a few moments of peace. 

 

Kato turned to look at her, “Where did you come from?” 

 

“Dinner with my family. Minato got called off by Fugaku, so I decided to come here.” 

 

He snorted, “I love being the second choice.” 

 

She rolled her eyes, and bumped him with her elbow before laying her head on his shoulder. “You okay, Kura?” 

 

“Just tired.” 

 

“You’re tired? You? Miss, I can go seventy two hours straight without a break. Miss, I’m going to heal patient after patient and you can’t stop me? Miss, . . .” 

 

“Yes Kato, even I get tired.” 

 

He rolled his eyes, “I know that, it’s just unusual. There’s no war, you haven’t had to work a bunch of consecutive shifts or anything. Usually, you’d be begging me to train or something.” 

 

“Your pregnant wife and child are inside asleep, and you have a pregnant dog in front of you. I couldn’t pull you away even if I wanted to.” 

 

“Fair point. You sure you’re okay though?” 

 

“I’m fine.” 

 

“Are you . . .” 

 

Before Kato could finish his question, the pregnant dog in front of them heaved herself to her feet. She then trotted over to Sakura. She stood there in front of Sakura for a moment before she leaned forward and started sniffing Sakura’s belly. The dog then turned to Kato and barked. . . once. 

 

She watched her friend’s eyes go wide, and then his mouth drop opened. For the first time ever Kato was speechless. It lasted all of five seconds before he threw himself at her in a hug, and loudly proclaimed, “Our kids are going to be BEST friends.” 

 

Sakura let him hug her, and cry while she stared at the mama dog in front of her. The dog looked a little haughty, as though she were glad that Kato’s attention had finally been transferred away from her. The traitor. 

 

So much for their secret. She was going to have to swear Kato to secrecy and then tell Minato. She was never going to live this down. 

On the other side of town, enclosed in Fugaku’s office Minato stared at one of his best friends, “You’re sure?” 

 

“Itachi spotted him. The orange and black mask, the hood, and the cloak were all present.” 

 

Minato cursed, “Any idea who it is?” 

 

“None. Obito has been staying at our home since Rin left. It’s not him.” 

 

Minato sighed, and scrubbed his hands over his face, “This isn’t good.” 

 

“I agree. Madara has found a new vessel to do his bidding.” 

 

Minato stared at his best friend. Fugaku was the one person who he had given details about the future to, mainly because it affected his clan so much, and also because he needed help. Sakura couldn’t do everything on her own, and he couldn’t leave the village as freely anymore. They needed help, especially now . . . 

 

“It’s not just that.”  Fugaku raised an eyebrow in a silent question, “Sakura is pregnant. Six weeks. In another six, she won’t be able to use her chakra anymore. It will all be redirected to helping form the baby’s chakra pathways. She’ll be defenseless.” 

 

Fugaku closed his eyes, “You’ll need to put a bigger guard on her, and you’ll need to tell her about this. She’ll need to be careful.” 

 

Minato knew. He also knew being incapacitated and being prevented from fighting was going to drive his wife crazy. Why could things never be easy? 

 

 

Notes:

Sorry this chapter took so long. I am officially out of pre-written/ edited chapters. We're in all new territory. I'm trying to make sure I'm at least one chapter ahead of posting. I hope that makes sense. I hope you enjoyed. Did you expect that ending? Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 40

Notes:

I'm back! Sorry about the long absence. Work and life in general have been crazy. I've also been working on my own original novel, and that's been taking up time. Either way. Here is a new chapter, and I'm almost done writing the the one after this. Hopefully it won't take me as long to post next time!

“I will murder you Kato. I won’t hesitate either. IF you tell one single being, human or dog, I will find you, and I will end you!” 

 

Minato’s eyes slid to Fugaku. His friend had insisted on escorting him to pick up Sakura. Fugaku had always been a loyal friend, and now with the influx of children coming into the village he was more tightly wound than ever. Especially with the masked man on the loose. 

 

Fugaku’s lips quirked, “You’re the Hokage, should I take that as a threat and arrest her?” 

 

Minato snorted, “She’d never kill him. He keeps her entertained. More than likely he figured out our ‘secret.’”

 

Fugaku stared at him, “Like that was ever going to stay a secret. You both have goofy looks on your faces.” 

 

Minato stared at his friend, “Don’t make me pull out the pictures from when Mikoto was pregnant with Itachi.” 

 

Fugaku scowled, and they let themselves into the dog run. Sakura had Kato face down on the floor, with her knee in the middle of his back. Both men leaned against the fence as Sakura turned to face them, “Are you here to stop me or help me?” 

 

Minato laughed, “We’re married. I’m pretty sure I swore in our vows to help you with anything.” 

 

Fugaku shrugged, “He’s the Hokage. I do what he says.”

 

Kato glared at the both of them, and it took everything Minato had to not laugh with how his face was squished against the floor. 

 

“I hate you both so much.” 

 

Minato laughed, “Sakura, why don’t you let Kato up?” 

 

“Why? He’s a blabber mouth.” 

 

“He’s also your best friend. You’d be very bored without him.” 

 

“I’d make due.” 

 

“Tsume and the kids would miss him.” 

 

“We’d make due depending on what he did.” 

 

The voice of a new addition startled all four people present, something that pleased Tsume entirely too much by the look on her face. 

 

She positioned herself on the other side of Minato, and leaned on the fence, smirking at her husband, “What did you do?” 

 

Sakura shoved Kato’s face further into the floor so his words came out jumbled. Tsume quirked an eyebrow, and the female dog, the one from earlier that night, let out a bark. 

 

Minato watched as his childhood best friend’s eyes went big. Then he was wrapped in a hug so tight it reminded him of a boa constrictor, “OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO BE BEST FRIENDS!” 

 

As he struggled to breathe he heard the tell tale thunk of Sakura letting Kato go, and then he heard his wife mumble, “That dog, is such a snitch!” 

 

Eventually, Minato extracted Sakura from the dog run, swore Kato and Tsume to a 36 hour secrecy, and got his pregnant wife home. The moment they were through the door, Sakura trudged to the couch and plopped down. “For living in a secret ninja village, none of our people seem capable of holding a secret.” 

 

“They can keep quiet about state secrets, just not gossip.” 

 

Her eyes shifted to him, “You’re the Hokage, make it a state secret.” 

 

He raised an eyebrow at that, “I feel as though that would be an abuse of power.” 

 

Minato watched as Sakura’s eyes fluttered closed, “Why did I have to marry a man with morals?” 

 

He laughed at that before lifting her from the couch and carrying her to their room. As they entered, he kissed her forehead and told her, “I love you. So much. Both of you.”

 

“Love you too.” 

 

*****

 

“SAKURA SARUTOBI NAMIKAZE HOW DARE YOU!”

 

It was years of training that kept Sakura from throwing the kunai under her pillow as she jackknifed straight up in bed. Years of training did not keep her from flailing and accidentally knocking her husband out of the bed. 

 

Minato’s groans were secondary to the evil eye she was currently getting from her mother. Her mother was angry. That was apparent from the red eyes, the hands on the hips, and the smoke that seemed to be coming out of her nostrils. Anger thy name is Biwako. She was so angry that Minato simply peered around the end of the bed, and then retreated. Coward. Not that she could blame him. 

 

Sakura slunk back, almost entirely under the sheets. “Hi mommy.” The mommy had always tugged on Biwako’s heartstrings in the past. It had always softened the anger. Like when she had come back from going after Rin. 

 

Her mother’s eyes narrowed, “Don’t you mommy me, young lady. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” 

 

So much for that plan. Now Sakura had a choice in front of her: play dumb or own up to keeping a secret. 

 

“What do you mean?” 

 

“WHAT DO I MEAN!?!?” 

 

Wrong choice. Abort. 

 

“I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU BEING PREGNANT. I’M TALKING ABOUT ME BECOMING A GRANDMOTHER FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. I’M TALKING ABOUT LEARNING THIS INFORMATION FROM THE DOG AT THE HOSPITAL.” 

 

Sakura’s to-do list for the day had just been solidified, she was going to kill her best friend. Tsume would understand. 

 

Sakura took a deep breath, “Mom, we just found out.” 

 

Her mother took a step forward, “Before or after dinner.” 

 

“Before. We were trying to keep it a secret. We wanted some time to ourselves before everyone in the village was invested. We didn’t tell Kato, one of his dogs did. In fact, Minato swore him to thirty-six hours of secrecy so that we could tell you in person.” 

 

Biwako huffed, “It didn’t work.” 

 

Sakura smiled at her mother, “I’m sorry you found out that way. I promise I’ll kill him later today.”

 

“Good. There I was, taking Anko her lunch, when Kato Inuzuka came up and congratulated me on becoming a grandmother. I knocked him through a wall Sakura. Then I came straight here.” 

 

Sakura slid out of bed, and wrapped her arms around her mother. Her mother hugged her back tightly for several minutes. Then she pulled back. 

“How far along are you?” 

 

“Six weeks.” 

 

Her mother nodded and then smiled, “There’s so much to do! There’s so much shopping to get done, so much for me to teach you. Minato stop cowering behind the bed and get ready, you’ll need to up Sakura’s guard. At the end of the first trimester she won’t be able to use chakra anymore and we’ll need to make sure we have the best team on duty.” 

 

Minato smiled and stood up, “I already have several people in mind.” 

 

“Of course, we’ll have to tell the rest of the family first.” 

 

Sakura tuned the rest out. The chakra issue left her feeling antsy. She’d never not had access to her chakra. Without it, she wasn’t defenseless, but she was weakened. Add in a changing body, and Sakura knew she’d need at least some help later on if there was an attack, and she’d be damned if she didn’t get some say in who that help would be.

 

 It was going to be a long day.

 

*****

 Sakura watched as her mother walked around the apartment while her husband followed closely behind with a notepad in hand. Her mother was currently detailing why their apartment was not conducive for raising a family. Plus, everything they owned apparently meant death for an infant. 

 

Sakura’s first reaction to that was that Naruto was nearly impossible to kill. In the original timeline he had died from chakra exhaustion after trying to stop a massive attack. He and Kurama had saved so many people in the process. 

 

She paused at that. Naruto wouldn’t have Kurama this time. No kushina for a mother meant no tailed beast. That meant Naruto wouldn’t be a jinchuriki. He would be a lot more vulnerable. Her hand immediately went to her stomach and covered it protectively. 

 

Knowing her son, he’d want to follow in his parents’ footsteps. He’d want to be a shinobi. He’d want to protect his village. He’d want to become Hokage. Nausea suddenly overwhelmed her. She raced to the bathroom and proceeded to lose her breakfast. She felt a hand on her back, before it pulled back her hair from her face. 

 

When she was done, she fell back against Minato’s chest, thoroughly exhausted. Minato pressed a kiss to her forehead while his hand went to her belly. A second later he leaned down and whispered, “Don’t give your mom too much of a hard time.” 

 

Sakura could only smile. Things would be okay. They had to be. She would make sure of it. And the first step of that, was deciding who would be on her guard. 

 

**** 

 

Two hours later, Sakura managed to escape her home. It had taken a distraction from Minato for her to be able to sneak out. Now, she was on the hunt. She had a bestfriend to pummel. 

She checked the hospital, the training grounds, the food stalls, and his home without any luck. The only remaining place he could be were the kennels. So, she made her way there for the second time in twenty-four hours. 

 

He didn’t even have the courtesy to look up as she came in. Instead, he sat there: pouting. That didn’t stop her from going over and shoving his face into the concrete.

 

“OWWWWW! What the heck did I do now?” 

 

“You told my mother, you gigantic idiot! She just spent the last four hours alternating between guilt tripping me and criticizing my house for being unsafe for a baby.” 

 

“Well you guys do need an actual house. You probably should have gotten one when Minato became Hokage.” 

 

She pushed him into the concrete harder, “That is so not the point. What part of secrecy do you NOT understand?” 

 

“You and your mother are close, I assumed she knew!” 

 

“Well, she didn’t!” 

 

“I’m sorry. I promise you, I’m suffering enough already. You don’t need to merge my face and the concrete together!” 

 

Sakura let him go. A second later, Kato scrambled back to his sitting position. The pattern of the concrete had transferred to his cheek, and Sakura took great pleasure in that. “What happened now?” 

 

“Hana found her partners!” 

 

Sakura blinked a couple of times, confused, “Isn’t that a good thing.” 

 

Kato pulled at his hair, a tad frantic, “No! Yes! I don’t know. Did you hear the s at the end of the partner?” 

 

“I did. I’m just not sure why it’s relevant.” 

 

“I’m being outdone by my own kid! She has three partners, and I have none. Zero. Zip. I’m defective. That’s why no one wants to partner with me. I’m a defective Inuzuka.” He looked up at Sakura with puppy dog eyes. She said nothing, and that sent him into another tail spin, “Say something!” 

 

Sakura stayed quiet for another minute for dramatic effect, “Have you considered a cat?” 

 

“TRAITOR!” 

 

Sakura shrugged, “Consider it part of my revenge for blabbing to my mother.” 

 

“Could helpful Sakura come out now, I really need it.” 

 

Sakura sighed, “Have you looked at older dogs?” 

 

He gave her a confused look, “What?” 

 

“You keep looking at puppies. What about the older dogs who never chose anyone?” 

 

He scratched at his head, “I mean, there are a few, but most choose a partner as a puppy.” 

 

Sakura rolled her eyes, “Well that’s obviously not working. Go check out the older dogs.” 

 

He shrugged, “Can’t hurt.” 

 

“No, it can’t. Also, you really need to find a partner soon, you’re about to be reassigned.” 

 

Kato’s eyes went wide, “Excuse me?” 

 

Sakura smiled as sweetly as she could, “Yeah. You’re being reassigned to my guard once I’m out of the first trimester.” 

 

“But that’s great! We get to spend time together. Best friend central!” 

 

“Exactly. Imagine all the fun you, and I, and my mother will have together. All the baby shopping, and lectures on babies from her.” 

 

Kato’s eye started to twitch, “You are so EVIL!” 

 

Sakura could only shrug, “I figured since you helped create the monster that is my mother, you should be around to help me deal with it.” And with that, she turned to leave. She had a lot more to do, and not a ton of time to do it.

*****

She found her father in his study. Things were still tense between them. They hadn’t talked since the night Orochimaru had escaped. She supposed now was the time. She let herself in, and sat down in one of the chairs. 

 

He raised an eyebrow at her, “Come to hash things out?” 

 

She pursed her lips, “You messed up. You know it, and I know it.” 

 

“Sakura . . . It’s not that simple.” 

 

“It is. You let a dangerous, mad scientist out into the world. And he’s not going to just leave things how they are. He’s mad about being passed over for Hokage. He’s mad that you wouldn’t let him do whatever the hell he wanted to do. And he’s going to focus that hatred on the village. You know this. You’ve seen my memories.” 

 

Her father sighed, “Sakura, he was like my child. All three of them were. One day you’ll understand.” 

 

She took a deep breath, “I do understand.” 

 

She watched as her meaning sunk in. She watched as everything started to change. She watched as the realization of what his actions meant, hit him. Her father’s mouth opened and closed several times before he walked over to her, and wrapped her in his arms. His voice was heavy as he said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” 

 

She hugged him back, “We’ll deal with it. In the meantime, how do you feel about working part time?” 

 

****

Sakura’s last stop of the day was the least exciting. She found him in the park, under a tree, with Neji in front of him. Hiashi didn’t smile upon seeing her, but his lips quirked upwards. She supposed that was a smile for him. She took a seat next to him, and spared a quick moment to run a hand down Neji’s back. The baby didn’t even acknowledge her, he was too busy with his tummy time. 

 

For a moment neither of them said anything. Then Hiashi finally asked, “Do you have something to tell me?” 

 

Why was she not surprised? Of course her friend with the eyes that could see through things, knew she was pregnant. Then again there was also the possibility that Kato blabbed yet again. She needed to know, “How do you know? Eyes? Or Kato?” 

 

Hiashi snorted, “Both. I saw the first flickerings of the baby a few weeks ago when we were sparring. Then today, Kato came up to me with a smile that can only be described as evil or possibly stupid. He threw a fit when I told him I already knew. It reminded me of a toddler throwing a tantrum. It made me feel bad for Tsume.”

 

Sakura laughed and leaned her head against Hiashi’s shoulder, suddenly worn out. 

 

He looked at her out of the side of his eyes, “Tired?” 

 

“All the time.” 

 

“Aiko was the same. She says it gets better in the second trimester if it helps at all.” 

 

“It doesn’t, but thanks for trying.” 

 

“Anytime.” 

 

***** 

 

“Your wife is smart.” 

 

Minato glanced up at the men assembled in his office. Fugaku was at full attention while Shikaku was slumped in a chair. 

 

“I already know this, but I’d love your reasoning.” 

 

Shikaku sighed, “Everyone knows that Sakura has an ANBU guard. It’s not only required, but smart. And yes, adding more people to the squad, so that she has at least three guards at all times, is great. It’s also expected. 

 

“Her friends, however, are not expected. They’re secret security. Sakura hanging out with Kato, or Hiashi, or her dad isn’t going to draw extra attention. The village is used to seeing her with them. If any spies see them, they’re not going to know to report them. It gives her an edge. They’re also people she trusts and knows. 

 

“There’s also the fact that they’re all village bound. Her dad because he’s retired, Hiashi and Kato because their wives are expecting and the village doesn’t need to send them out right now. She’s smart.” 

 

Minato could only smile, shrug, and say, “Like I said, I already know this.”

Chapter 41

“I want a picture, Sakura.” 

“I understand this, mother. However, . . .” 

“You’re my daughter Sakura, this is my first grandchild, I want to document it!” 

“Document what? Me looking like a whale?” 

Sakura’s hands went to her hips, as she stared at her mother. Her mother mirrored her stance, “You do NOT look like a whale! You’re glowing!” 

Sakura stared at her mother, “Mom, you can not be  serious. You’ve gone through this. You know that’s just sweat.” 

“Exactly, Sakura, I’ve gone through this four times. I know a pregnancy glow when I see one!” 

Sakura fought every urge she had to huff, “Mom, how many times do I have to remind you that Anko and I are adopted.” 

Her mother raised an eyebrow, “You’re my children I can claim whatever I want.” 

Sakura turned to her father, “Some support please.” 

Her father, the former Hokage, nicknamed the professor, who in retirement was still working as one of her guards, held up his hands in surrender, “I’m not touching this subject with a ten foot pole. Your mother made that boundary clear when she was pregnant with you.” 

This time Sakura did huff, and threw her hands into the air, “Our family has no sense of reality.” 

It was at that point, her siblings made their entrance, eating some sort of snack that made her immediately feel nauseous. She immediately covered her nose, and Anko took that as a sign to grab the bags of chips from their brothers and dispose of them. 

Akkiko made a face at her, “You know mom didn’t have this aversion to smells when she was pregnant with you.” 

Asuma cackled as Sakura stomped out of her parent’s home and downstairs to her husband’s office. 

He looked up the moment she stomped in, and he knew immediately what was wrong, “Did your family suspend reality again?” 

“Yep. They think they’re so funny.” 

Minato’s lips quirked into a smile. She knew he found it funny too, and on some level so did she, but she also found it frustrating. Thanks to the hormones she found a lot of things frustrating, and funny, and sad.

Minato got up from his desk and walked over to her. He hugged her as close as he could get her, with their child in between them, and kissed the crown of her head. She snuggled into his arms, until she felt a familiar sensation. Smiling, she grabbed his hands and put them on her belly.  A second later his face lit up as their son’s foot kicked against his hand. 

“He’s strong.” 

Sakura smiled, “Yeah. He really is.” 

At seven and nine months pregnant, Sakura and Mikoto were the last of their friends to still be pregnant. The only difference was that Mikoto was due any day, and Sakura still had several months. She was more than a little envious and impatient. 

On an ultrasound several months earlier, it had been confirmed that the baby was a boy, and in Sakura’s heart she knew it was Naruto. She had loved every moment of her pregnancy, even the really sucky parts, because she knew who and what she was going to get out of it. It was also the first step in making sure that Naruto was better off this time. 

In the early stages of pregnancy, Sakura had been more apprehensive. One of Sakura’s earliest memories was her biological mother telling her how much trouble she had gone through to have Sakura. The following years had been filled with detailed gripes and complaints about pregnancy, not sleeping after Sakura had been born, and her disappointment in not having what equated to a doll. 

As a result she had tried to walk the line between being the perfect daughter and following her dream of being a ninja. It hadn’t been until after Sasuke and Naruto had left that Sakura realized she couldn’t do both. That was also the moment when she had realized that there was nothing in the world that she could do to make her mother happy, so Sakura had decided to make herself happy. 

Still, the moment she had found out she was pregnant, her egg donor’s words had come rushing back. A tiny sliver of fear had nestled in her chest. Would pregnancy and motherhood make her bitter? 

Pregnancy was not an easy thing. Her body was constantly changing, her moods could change on a whim, and she was tired all of the time. However, she also really enjoyed it. She enjoyed figuring out the size of her child at the different weeks, she enjoyed seeing the bump begin to pop, and she found her heart was filled with love for her child already. 

Admittedly, Sakura was lucky. She hadn’t had terrible morning sickness, and most of her tiredness could be taken away with a nap.

Really the worst side effect was the lack of chakra. It had started slowly near the end of her first trimester. While at work, she would go to heal a wound or do a scan, and her chakra would flicker on and off, like a light bulb that was about to go out. By the time her fourth month hit, she couldn’t summon it at all, and trying would only be detrimental to the baby’s forming chakra pathways. 

So, as the fourth month had begun, Sakura had gone on maternity leave, and her new guards had begun their rotations. Minato, her father, Hiashi, or Kato was always with her, along with an ANBU guard somewhere nearby. The lack of chakra freaked her out more than anything. She could still defend herself, just not to her usual level.

Minato squeezed her hand, “Are you ready for dinner?” 

Sakura smiled, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Dinner continued the charade of the Sarutobi life as it should have been (her mother’s words), and Sakura found herself laughing along as her mother made up fake pregnancy symptoms and experiences. And, being the good sport she was, Sakura even let her mother take pictures of her at the end of dinner while she cradled her bump, and then another of just her and Minato, and finally one of the whole family. By the time everything was said and done, Sakura was exhausted. 

She leaned on Minato as they slowly walked home, and enjoyed the hot August air. 

Minato kissed her head, “Only two more months.” 

“Only, you say. I’m more than ready to meet this kid and see my feet again.” 

Minato laughed, “I know, but I was thinking.” 

“A dangerous pastime of yours.” 

“I don’t think an apartment is the right place to raise a kid. We need a yard, privacy, and room. Afterall, what if we have more than one?” 

Sakura pinched his arm, “Let’s focus on this one. I don’t have the mental capacity to think about more kids right now.” Her husband just grinned. “And why are you bringing up a new place when we ONLY have two months left. It’s not enough time to find a house, make the needed changes, pack, move, unpack, and settle in.” 

“It is if we only need to pack, move, unpack, and settle in.” 

Sakura froze where she stood, “Minato Namikaze, what did you do?” 

“Nothing yet, and I won’t unless you agree.” 

“Agree to what?” 

He smiled, and then before she knew what he was doing she was in his arms, and they were moving quickly through the roof tops. Sakura settled in for the ride. A few minutes later they were at the edge of the village, near a more mountainous and forested terrain. Eventually it would lead to the village’s borders. 

Minato continued down a path that had been created by walking, went slightly up in elevation, and stopped. There sat an adorable house. It was in the older and traditional style, but it was surrounded by gardens.

Minato led her inside. It was clean, and more updated. It was cozy. She turned to look at him, “Who in the world did you have to kill to find this place?” 

He rolled his eyes, “No one. The last owner died recently, and his son is moving to the capital. It got put up for sale, and Shikaku pointed it out to me.” 

She smiled, “Of course he did.” 

“It’s big enough to have people over, it’s updated, it's private, it’s . . .” 

“Completely away from everything.” 

“Which isn’t a big deal when the entire family is made of ninja. Plus it allows us to have the bears around without freaking out the general populace. That was a personal request from Fugaku.” 

Sakura raised an eyebrow at her husband, “I’ll remember to tell his wife that when she has to lug two kids up here.” 

“Is that a no?” 

Sakura wasn’t sure. She hadn’t given much thought to a house over the years. She had always lived in the heart of the village, first with her biological parents, then as a chunnin, then with the Sarutobi family, and now in their apartment. Another part of her didn’t want to leave their apartment. It was their first home together, but she also knew that it was too small and too public for the long term. 

She could imagine a life here. A separation from the village, so that Minato could put away the Hokage hat and be a father and a husband. She could leave the hospital behind and be a wife and mother. Their friends would visit, and the kids would play in the yard. She and Naruto would attempt to grow a garden. The bears could patrol the property and eat any would be kidnappers. 

“You’re handling the moving process. If I have to grow and push out a human being from my body, you get to handle that.” 

The grin he gave her was blinding. 

Notes:

1) Sakura's family is delusional and she likes them that way.
2) What are some fluffy things that you would like to see. I have one possibly two more chapters of fluff before I start the next arc. . . a big serious arc. So I'm asking for some suggestions.
3) Personally I'd like more of feral, finding his pack, Kakashi. Haven't seen him in a while, and I'm debating moving him in with Sakura and Minato . . .thoughts?
4) Thank you for all of the reviews! They mean a ton!