Bonds Through Time

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/48995350.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Categories: F/M, Multi
Fandom: Naruto
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Izumi, Haruno Sakura
& Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura &
Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Shisui, Sai/Yamanaka Ino, Haruno
Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura &
Uchiha Shisui, Haruno Sakura & Sasori
Characters: Haruno Sakura, Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha
Mikoto, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Sasuke, Hoshigaki Kisame, Uchiha Izumi,
Jiraiya (Naruto), Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Obito, Shiranui Genma, Yamanaka
Ino, Sai (Naruto), Nohara Rin, Tsunade (Naruto), Sasori (Naruto)
Additional Tags: Time Travel, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Clan-centric, Sexual Content,
Itachi knows way too much, Uchiha Shisui Lives, family ties, Danzo still evil,
KakaSaku end game, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Kakashi is the coolest, Anbu
Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Itachi Lives, Past SasuSaku, Child abuse in Anbu and
Root, team seven, multiple POVs, Uchiha-centric, Team Seven Love, No Beta
We Die Like Shisui, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Kazekage Sasori (Naruto), Anbu
Commander Uchiha Shisui, Naruto adopted by the Uchiha, Sasuke is the nicest
guy ever!
Language: English
Series: Part 11 of Kakashi and Sakura stories
Stats: Published: 2023-07-31 Completed: 2024-08-25 Words: 262,229 Chapters:
51/51
 Bonds Through Time
by BelleDayNight

Summary

Takes place shortly after Naruto The Last.

The past year has not been kind to Sakura.

She discovers a time-traveling artifact and goes back in time — intent to prevent the Uchiha
massacre. She hopes that she’ll be able to find twenty year old Kakashi from the past and that he’ll
believe her and help her.

The newly appointed Sixth Hokage Kakashi races after Sakura to stop her, not understanding his
growing feelings for his former teammate. Anbu Kakashi of the past wouldn’t be swayed by a cute
green-eyed, pink haired kunoichi. He can only hope that if she does find his past self— that he
doesn’t kill her.

Basically, if Shisui lives, the whole world is a much better place!

Main pairing: KakaSaku

Multiple POVs. Predominately Sakura and Kakashi. But also Shisui, Itachi and Sasuke.
Very Uchiha-centric story. Lots of Team 7 love.

🌸🐺⌛
🍡 🫖🔥 🍅
🦊
🐖 🍅
🎨 🌸 🐺
🎭🦈🦂
 Time Travel
Chapter Summary

🌸 🐺 🦊 🍅🐖 🎨

Sakura

The war ended two years ago and life had settled into a relative peace for Konoha. Or at least, it
had until the moon almost crashed to the planet. They’d managed to stop another deranged celestial
being and Hinata finally gave Naruto that damned scarf.

“You seem pleased with yourself,” Ino murmured.

Sakura nodded. They’d been sharing coffee and pastries together at the cafe near the hospital. Ino
now spent most of her time with the Intelligence Division, while Sakura kept busy at the hospital.
This meeting was her first test to see if she was ready for her mission. Ino had trained under Ibiki
for years now. If Sakura could lie to her best friend, then she’d be able to lie to save herself as the
circumstances arose.

“Well, it’s my first solo mission outside of the hospital. Mostly, there’s been an unusual illness —
and I’ve been able to trace the source of origin — so I’m going to check it out.”

“But won’t you get the illness?” Ino asked.

Sakura tapped the seal on her forehead. “Not with my Creation Rebirth activated. Whatever
damage I’m exposed to I’ll just heal instantaneous.”

Ino rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “It’s just, this doesn’t seem like something Hokage Kakashi
would sign off on. He’s rather protective of you.”

It’s true, he’d saved her life on a number of occasions— even created a Susanoo with the dying
power of his friend’s Sharingan eyes. Though, to be fair, she’d healed him from the point of death a
few times. “It’s fine, he won’t even know I’m gone.”

Ino leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. “Wait. Is this an officially sanctioned mission, Sakura?”

“Well, the Hospital Director signed off on it,” Sakura hedged.

“You’re the Hospital Director,” Ino pointed out.

“Indeed.” Sakura slid an envelop towards Ino. It was addressed to Kakashi. “If you can give that to
Shikamaru to give to Kakashi — after I’m gone.”

“Is this some elaborate ploy to chase after Sasuke?” Ino asked, taking the envelop and placing it
inside her bag. “It’s been a few years, Sakura.”

“This is not about him,” Sakura spat, annoyed that even her best friend thought everything she did
was centered around her old crush. Though, to be honest, he was part of the reason for her mission.
She laid a few bills on the table. “I’ll see you around, Ino. You take care.”

Blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. Ino laid a few bills on the table as well and stood. “Why don’t I
go with you? We can get Sai. We’ve been a three-man team before. We passed the Chunin Exams
together, Sakura.”

“It’s just a day trip, Ino. Don’t concern yourself,” Sakura said, trying to smile reassuringly.

Ino pulled Sakura into a hug. “I don’t believe you. What’s in this letter?”

Damn. She failed the first part of the mission — pull a fast one over Ino. Sakura pulled back and
smiled. “Don’t be too hard on Sai. He’s learning and he’s a sweet guy.” She slung her pack over her
shoulders and then covered up with her cold weather cloak. “See you.” She held her hand up
casually as she walked away a few meters and then leapt up to the rooftops. The cave she sought
was a half day’s distance towards the sea. She should be able to make it before Kakashi might send
anyone to stop her. Or before Naruto realized she left without him.

She’d read about the artifact — it belonged to the Otsutsuki — a time traveling turtle that lived in a
cave to the south where the Uzumaki clan hailed. It had been an obscure reference in a travel
journal from a medic that lived long ago— hundreds of years before the founding of Konoha.

Maybe it was a foolish idea, but maybe she could change things? So many of her friends had been
hurt unnecessarily — so many dead because of one man’s greed. She’d been helping Master
Tsunade with paperwork when she came across the confidential file about Danzo— he’d caused the
Akatsuki to shift into a terrorist organization, he’d arranged the Uchiha massacre, he’d tortured
countless youth —like Sai. And while she didn’t think she could save Naruto’s parents — she had
to pick one point in history — maybe she could make sure he was adopted into a family and cared
for?

As she ran, she felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She’d started the process to create mental
health clinics to help repair the psyches of traumatized children — but this was a chance to prevent
the trauma to begin with in her closest friends. It wasn’t until Obito had transported her and Naruto
into a parallel world that she realized how hard it was to be an orphan. She’d been such a know-it-
all as a girl. Who was she? A clan-less kunoichi with a high IQ? Her friends had sacrificed so much
— maybe, just maybe they didn’t need to.

Hours later, she’d found herself in Naruto’s ancestral home. It was a haunted landscape — war and
floods had obliterated its former glory. She concentrated her chakra and laid her palm on the
ground, mapping out the area. “Found you.”

The turtle wasn’t far. She was confident in her plan. She even knew the perfect point in history to
emerge. Fourteen years ago — she’d have to steer clear of her six year old self, but since she’d
have been a first year at the academy it wouldn’t be too hard.
She just needed to make contact with a certain shinobi and make sure he believed her. How hard
could it be to convince him?
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

“Please, tell me you brought a bottle of sake,” Kakashi said by way of greeting when his office
door opened. He rubbed his forehead and looked up to see Shikamaru striding inside — one of his
two assistants. The other as probably at the hospital splitting the duties of directorship with his
favorite student.

“Lord Hokage.” Shikamaru’s normally bored tone carried an edge of trepidation. Instead of a
mountain of paperwork, he carried a single envelop.

“What’s that?” Kakashi narrowed his eyes as the pale yellow envelop was extended towards him.
He recognized the neat print. He snatched the envelop and ripped it open. He stood so quickly his
chair toppled over behind him. He ripped off his Hokage robe and tossed it over the fall chair, his
dark blue fatigue pants and black long sleeve shirt and mask revealed underneath. “Get Naruto and
have him follow after me.”

Without another word Kakashi Hatake, The Sixth Hokage, leapt out of his own office in hot pursuit
of his pink haired teammate. Flashbacks of the last battle raced to his mind. How many times had
he snatched her away from certain death?

If she succeeded she’d find no allies. Worse yet, she might be lost forever.

He’d memorized the letter and ran through it in his mind once more in his desperate quest to reach
her before it was too late.

“Dear Kakashi Sensei,

I came across the knowledge of an artifact of the Otsutsuki that allows for time travel. The
documentation had been encoded in a fairly complicated cypher but I pieced it together. If this
succeeds, maybe you will have new memories. Better yet, I’ll be back before you even finish
reading this letter. I’m traveling back to Konoha — before the Uchiha massacre. I’ll find you, I
remember you were in Anbu at that time, I’m hoping I can convince the younger version of you to
help me. Maybe Yamato or even Itachi Uchiha. Too many people died because we were ill prepared
and too many people suffered under Danzo’s dark reign. I don’t know if this artifact is a one-time
use or if I’ll be able to return.

You have all sacrificed so much — it’s my turn to try to make things better.

Have Faith in our Bonds, Sakura.”

“Fool,” Kakashi muttered under his breath. Did she not know about the Butterfly effect? She’d
scored perfectly on the written Chunin exam when she was twelve — she was obviously a genius.
So why was she being so stupid? His hands clenched at his sides and he hurried. She had a good
head start.

“Kakashi Sensei!” Naruto called out, catching up to him while running at breakneck speed. “Sai is
on his way. He says he can make a Super Beast to fly us there that will be faster.”

Kakashi nodded, but didn’t speak. He was too angry and too worried. He looked up as the shadow
from Sai’s trio of Super Beast giant birds flew overhead. He jumped onto the back of the nearest
one and Naruto did the same.

“Where is she going, Kakashi?” Naruto called out.

“The Land of Whirlpools! She’s found a way to travel back into the past,” Kakashi explained.

“Really? Wow!” Naruto laughed. He’d transformed into Sage Mode, his pupils crosses and his eyes
outlined in orange. “That’s pretty awesome!”

“No, Naruto. It’s not awesome.” Kakashi narrowed his eyes and tried to scan the path before them.
How much of a head start did she have? “She won’t have any allies where she’s going. She’s going
to get herself killed!”

“I see her!” Naruto pointed into the distance. Sure enough, their pink-haired teammate just entered
a cave and disappeared from sight.

They traveled in silence and as soon as they neared the cave, all three leapt off the Super Beasts.
Kakashi landed easily on his feet and started running immediately. “Sakura!” He arrived just in
time to see Sakura smile sadly at him before vanishing, the turtle falling to the ground where her
feet had just been.

“Sakura!” Kakashi shouted again, plucking the turtle and examining it. It radiated heat. “Where is
she?”

Naruto and Sai were at his side moments later.

The turtle blinked its eyes slowly and looked past Kakashi to Naruto, recognizing his Toad Sage
mode. “Katsuyu’s summoner requested my services.”

“Yes, she’s our friend. Where did she go?” Naruto asked.

The turtle looked back at Kakashi. “This one should know.”

“Can she come back? You’re still here, does she need you to come back?” Kakashi demanded.
The turtle blinked again. “I am there as well.” It closed its eyes and felt like an inanimate statue.
The heat dissipated and it was freezing cold stone in his hands.

Naruto bounced between his feet anxious. “What do we do, Sensei?”

Kakashi closed his eyes. He didn’t have any memories of Sakura in the past. If she succeeded,
would he be altered now? Her faith in him was absolute, but she didn’t know him from fourteen
years ago. Twenty-year old Kakashi was a completely different man than the teammate Sakura
knew. He tried to swallow past the lump forming in his throat. He could only pray that he wouldn’t
kill her.

“She’ll be okay, right? If she finds you in the past — you’ll help her?” Naruto asked.

“Let’s hope that I’m not the one she finds first,” Kakashi warned. Would she find him before or
after he’d been brainwashed by Danzo? Would she be there when Yamato was sent to assassinate
him? Would she find him before or after he’d made the attempt on the Third Hokage’s life?
 Unexpected Encounter

.
.
.

Sakura

If there was one thing Sakura was good at — it was research. And the library was her second home
as a child and even the most asinine records could be found at the public library. She’d been able to
look up and compare the short-term lease apartments that were available fifteen and twenty years
into the past — research the names of the managers and make sure there were no fires, floods, or
murders at the locations.

Thankfully, outside of battle, the homicide rate was low in Konoha— it was even lower when the
Uchiha clan policed the streets. And while taking some money from her present time and bringing
it to the past might not get too messy, she learned a lot about gambling from Master Tsunade. She
was quite skilled at card games. Her mind quickly understood the objective regardless of the game
and she’d then memorize the cards, playing through the probabilities in her head. She might be able
to earn some money with her medical skills, but she didn’t want anyone analyzing her credentialing
too close.

In this Konoha, she was not Sakura Haruno, Apprentice of Princess Tsunade and Hero of the Fourth
Great Ninja War. She needed to blend in and pink hair, green eyes, and her lavender seal on her
forehead weren’t ideal. Bland brown hair and eyes would help with some of that. She’d always
been talented at Genjutsu, but now she’d actually need to use it.

The manager at the apartment complex had barely looked through her painstakingly created
documents and happily accepted her downpayment. Sakura had then spent the next hour wandering
through the streets, trying to see it through the experienced eyes of a war veteran and a doctor. As a
child, her attention was focused on the playground, the wildflowers, and whatever butterflies or
cats crossed her path.

The Uchiha were very prominent within Konoha before their erasure. If they hadn’t been
eliminated, the burden that had fallen upon Sasuke, Itachi, and even Kakashi could have been more
evenly dispersed. Their father was the clan leader — he should have led the Uchiha into protecting
the village, not a grasp for power.

Before she tried tampering too much with the past, she needed to expand her wardrobe. She’d
obviously packed light and needed some appropriate reconnaissance gear. She had two targets —
Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha. Kakashi would be approximately the same age as her in this
time— so she’d need a going out dress. And Itachi was thirteen, but had an illness she’d studied
and could help treat— possibly cure

She would need to find a way to gain both their trust. She knew they were on the same team for a
while. Were they still or was Itachi already a captain of his own squad? She was lost in thought
while staring at the window display at a boutique shop. She remembered the place from when she
was a kid — very expensive. Her mother always paused to appreciate the merchandise. Her gaze
fell upon the silky red cocktail dress. But it was eye catching, she should probably choose
something black and more neutral.

“Hot hot hot hot.” Someone bumped into her arm and then cursed as the sound of bamboo sticks
clattered to the sidewalk. “Oh, I’m really sorry about that.” He sighed staring down at the fallen
sweets and then looked up and met Sakura’s eyes. “Oh! Wow! I mean, I’m sorry about that. I’ve
been looking forward to having some skewered dumplings all day and they were so hot and — are
you okay?” He wore the uniform of a shinobi and had the black hair and eyes of an Uchiha
clansman. But his baby-face told her they were close in age. So that made him too old to be Itachi.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. And I try to know all the pretty ladies.” He extended his hand. “Uchiha
Shisui.”

She took his hand. “Sakura. And I’m okay.” She looked down at the fallen sweet, it had splattered
onto the side walk. “Though it looks like your dessert didn’t make it.”

“No surname?” He pressed.

“I have one. I just didn’t offer it.” Sakura smiled sweetly.

His gaze searched her face for a moment — did he see through her Genjutsu? “I can understand
that. Sometimes, all people do is use their clan to create their whole identity.” Shisui let go of her
and stuck his hands into his pockets. He didn’t seem in a hurry to leave.

“I do think people should be judged on their merits and not their family name,” Sakura agreed. She
gestured towards the crowds walking up and down the sidewalks. “Don’t let me keep you. I’m just
window shopping.”

“Visiting? For a while or just a few days?” Shisui pressed.

“Hey! You! Pick up your mess!” An older policeman, salt and pepper hair, bellowed. “Don’t think I
won’t charge you a fine for littering. I don’t care who your uncle is!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Shisui swatted his hand at his clansman. “I was going to get it.”

“Sure, you were.” The police officer folded his arms impatiently and watched. “Today.”

“Let me,” Sakura said, pulling a kerchief from her bag. She crouched down and started to gather
the food waste.

Shisui was right across from her, taking the kerchief from her hand and gathering up the remains of
his treat. He shook out the food into the nearby trash bin. He folded up the kerchief and tucked it
into his pocket. “I’ll clean it and then get it back to you.”

“I can clean it myself.” Sakura held her hand out.

He smiled at her, a charming confident guy. “Then I wouldn’t have an excuse to find out where you
live when I return it.” He took her hand and started to pull her down the street. “You’ll love those
dumplings. Ones that aren’t on the ground anyway. They have seating inside, so let’s sit for bit and
you can tell me what brought a pretty girl like you to this boring place.”

Sakura got a very distinct flirt vibe from him. No one ever flirted with her. It was strange. He just
dropped compliments like it was as easy as breathing. Maybe it was her insane crush on Sasuke
that defined her youth, or her close friendships with Naruto or Kakashi, or that she was the Fifth
Hokage’s Apprentice with the monstrous strength— but men never approached her, much less took
her by the hand and dragged her down the street. He pointed towards a sweet shop on their right.

“I do like sugared plums,” Sakura admitted.

“Great!” Shisui didn’t let go of her hand even though it was unnecessary as they ordered at the
shop.

Sakura finally extracted herself and picked a table with a view of the street. “Do you always lead
girls by the hand to the nearest sweet shop after crashing into them?”

Shisui sat across from her and set the plate between them. “I can’t say that I do. But, I thought I’d
give it a try and you didn’t stop me.” He smirked and looked so much like Sasuke that she fought
the urge to reach across and hug him. His dark gaze swept to the street and the police officer from
earlier. “Some of my clansmen take things way too seriously.”

“Litter does need to be cleared up,” Sakura said. She took a bite out of the sugared plums and
hummed in delight. “This is really good!”

“I know, right?” Shisui leaned back in his chair and took a bite out of his own treat. “So, let’s talk
about you — you’re visiting? Where from? How long will you be here?”

“I—,” Sakura set down her dumplings and frowned. “Is this a date? Did you somehow trick me into
a date?”

“Nah, it’s a pleasant interrogation — I am an Uchiha after all. The safety of this village is my
business.” He leaned forward and waggled his dark eyebrows playfully. “Unless you want it to be a
date.”

“I’m hoping for a few weeks.” Sakura wiped her mouth on a fresh napkin and made sure her cheeks
were blush free. It was nice having attention. Fate must have really been on her side to put Shisui
Uchiha on her path on her second day in the village. From what she’d been able to read in the
heavily redacted report, it was Danzo’s attack on Shisui that led to the massacre. With his death,
Itachi had no choice but to resort to drastic measures. “The Leaf is the nicest of the Hidden
Villages. It seemed a safe option.”

Shisui snorted. “Safe? Well, if the shinobi are protecting you — yes. But if you’re a threat —
Konoha isn’t too friendly.”

They were almost done with the dumplings and while this impromptu date was a start, she was on a
time crunch. She needed an excuse to spend more time— strike up a friendship. “Have you ever
been to the gambling hall? When I visit somewhere new, I usually like to try my luck at cards,”
Sakura explained.

“Oh? Are you any good?” Shisui asked. “I know a pretty good place. I’d be happy to accompany
you.” He gathered their trash and disposed of it. “Would’t want to get a fine for littering.” He cast
her an exaggerated wink and then held open the door for her.

Sakura moved past him and started to walk down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the
gambling hall. She knew where it was, but he didn’t need to know that she knew. “I wouldn’t want
to trouble you, but I would enjoy some company. Aside from my landlord, you’re the only person I
know here so far.”

Shisui chuckled and then gently directed Sakura the correct orientation. “Since you’re walking in
the opposite direction, I feel obligated to escort you. Besides, it’s no trouble, I just finished up my
work for the day. This is much more interesting than going home early.” He flashed his bright
smile. “Not sure why you’d choose to visit Konoha of all places. I don’t buy that it’s because it’s
the most accessible of the Hidden villages”

Sakura gestured towards the great forest flanking them, trees stretching high into the sky. The
beauty of Konoha before Pain destroyed so much of the ancient forest. “Honestly, the trees. My
mom’s parents were from the area. They died when she was young, but I’ve always wanted to see
the trees for myself.”

“Ah, I hear ya. Both my grandfathers died in their late twenties. One of them was the right-hand
man of Lord Second. It really messed up my dad, he’d been injured a a few months after marrying
my mom — paralyzed from the waist down,. He has been finding solace in a bottle ever since.”

“And your mom?” Sakura asked.

“Died in childbirth. Medical skills just aren’t really that great here.” He grimaced. “Damn, that’s
depressing. Just erase the last minute of conversation, okay?” He’d flashed his Sharingan at her.

He hadn’t applied much pressure to the suggestion, so she’d been able to ignore the small tugging
on the back of her mind. Her natural immunity to Genjutsu applied to the Sharingan as well.
Though, if he’d really wanted to put some effort into it, she’d probably be just as susceptible as
anyone else. It was interesting that he’d used his ocular jutsu so casually.

“How much do I owe you?” Sakura asked. “For the dumplings.”

“Pretty girl like you? Nah, it’s my treat, Sakura. Or, if you do really well at the card games, feel
free to share your winnings with me.”

The gambling house had all sorts of games of chance. The Third had made them illegal shortly
before the Chunin exams that claimed his life. Master Tsunade kept them shuttered because she
wouldn’t be able to resist a casino in such close proximity. They both showed their identification
and once again, Sakura did an internal sigh of relief that her forged documents stood under scrutiny
so far.

“So, what do you want to play first?” Shisui asked.

“I’m not particular. I prefer card games.” Sakura also preferred dice but this close to a shinobi
village, she assumed lacing the dice with chakra was a forbidden cheat. She would just rely upon
her photographic memory.

“No cheating, Uchiha! You can’t use your Sharingan in here!” The bouncer, a burley angry man
glowered.

Shisui deactivated his crimson eyes and smiled back with deep onyx. “I wouldn’t want to break any
rules.”
They settled at a card table, traded in some of Sakura’s cash for chips and got to work. She made
sure to lose the occasional hand — nothing too shocking. She didn’t need to buy a house or
anything — just some money for rent, groceries, and wardrobe.

After two hours, they’d substantially increased their pot and worn out their welcome. “You know, I
think you’d look really good in that red dress you were ogling when we met,” Shisui said.

“You noticed what I was looking at?” Sakura asked, surprised. He as an elite shinobi, it shouldn’t
have been much of a surprise.

“You didn’t think I ran into you on accident, did you?” Shisui laughed and then adjusted both
Sakura’s bag and his own and their heavy load of money.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

“Where did you get all this money?” Itachi counted the bills and coins again before staring back up
at his cousin in disbelief. He needed to leave in half an hour to pick up Sasuke from the academy.
His parents were fighting again and he didn’t want to interrupt them with a trivial thing like picking
up their youngest son.

“I met a girl,” Shisui explained. He fell back onto the floor and pretended to swim over the piles of
money. “She’s a whiz at probability — we probably won’t be invited back to the gambling hall
anytime soon though!”

“And you invited her back to the Uchiha district?” Itachi asked. “A girl with no name just roaming
about our compound?”

“Her name is Sakura.” Shisui shrugged. “It’s not like I couldn’t stop her if she was a threat. And
she wasn’t roaming — I escorted her to my house. Her grandparents were from here, she just
wanted to see what it’s like. She grew up by the ocean.” He arched his back like a cat and then
relaxed fully stretched out. “She was mesmerized by the forest.”

“That seems suspicious,” Itachi said. “She didn’t snoop around your house or anything did she?”

“I mean she said hi to my dad and used the bathroom. Then I walked her back to her place,” Shisui
answered. “I left one of my crows to watch over her — see if she does anything suspect.”
“Aren’t you engaged?” Itachi asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh, little cousin. You’ll understand when you’re older.” Shishi sat up and yawned. “I should go
check on Dad before we go to pick up Sasuke. I haven’t even heard the old man complain in the
last hour. I wonder if he’s asleep.” He cracked open the door to the den, expecting to see his father
passed out with a bottle of booze.

Instead, his father, with the paralyzed legs for the past ten years — was standing in the den
stretching his arms above his head and then reaching down for his toes. He looked over at Shisui
and Itachi and smiled.

“How is this possible?” Itachi asked.

The elder Uchiha wiped away tears from his cheek. “I woke up and there was this weird slug thing
on me — then the next thing I knew — I could feel my legs.” He lifted his left foot then his right
foot. “I can feel my feet!”

“What became of the slug?” Itachi asked.

“It just popped away into thin air,” he explained. “You have to tell your father, Itachi! It’s a
miracle! Tell him I’m ready to support our clan in whatever way I can.”

“You made a small fortune and your father can walk again,” Itachi murmured. “Are you sure this
was a real person you met earlier? Or some sort of lucky fairy?”

“Bah! You’re always so skeptical!” Shisui complained.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

Sakura shouldn’t have summoned Katsuyu, but she couldn’t ignore Shisui’s father. Partly, it had
been an experiment — she wasn’t 100 percent sure if her summons contract would still be valid —
apparently it was.

She had excused herself to the bathroom to snoop, but when she saw the older man decided to run a
quick diagnostics. It was only a manner of relieving the pressure from his lower spine. Any
competent surgeon could have done it. She didn’t know Shisui well, but their time at the gambling
hall told her all she needed to know. His alcoholic father was a source of great pain for him. She
needed to not go around healing a bunch of people — she wouldn’t blend in very well., but she
couldn’t help it. She had no responsibilities in this time and all this knowledge!

Yet, she still needed to find Kakashi. But, while she hoped to run into him, maybe she could check
on another friend — a certain loud-mouthed annoying child who really just wanted attention. She
knew where Naruto’s apartment was, but getting past the Anbu guards might prove a challenge.

The academy would be releasing students soon. Sakura thought back on the different models she’d
studied before she left on this mission. She shifted her Genjutsu from brown hair, brown eyes, and
blah to dull blond with washed out blue eyes, she contorted her body’s height to be only a
centimeter above five foot. So now, she was a petite blond. Visiting near the academy as an
unnecessary risk and where she ran the greatest likelihood of being recognized.

It wasn’t long before she heard the familiar loud-mouth of a young Naruto Uzumaki. In her youth,
the voice would have annoyed her. Now, it made her think of her dearest friend fondly. He was her
brother, not by blood, but by spirit. They fought and defended each other. They’d traveled the
world together and shared the same heart ache in their quest to save their teammate. What did he
think about her time traveling adventure? Was he annoyed she gone without him? Was he worried?

She saw Shisui and Itachi both show up to pick up young Sasuke. He’d been thrilled and it warmed
Sakura’s heart to see his joyous, innocent smile. If everything went according to plan, he’d be the
one most affected by the change. She was doing literally everything possible to save him from a
world of pain.

The Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno came to pick up her younger self. She smiled at the scene. They
might not have been able to teach Sakura any family jutsus, but they were there. She knew they
loved her and supported her — even if they didn’t understand her. Then there was Naruto, no one
came for him. He was the village orphan, the Third had refused to allow him to be adopted.

Then, she saw that their teacher Iruka, invited Naruto to have some Ramen with him and the boy
perked up. That meant Naruto’s little apartment would be empty. Sakura had some mothering to do
for her best friend.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

The only sounds were the cicada chirping and the wind blowing through the limbs of nearby trees.
The smell of cheap alcohol, sex, and blood used to be enough to make Kakashi want to vomit, but
now, it was just a night’s work.

And then the smell of feces and urine as the body relaxed into death.

He always left the window open afterwards to allow the spirit of the deceased a chance to escape
the hell that was life. And fresh air helped dissipate the odor.

Kakashi had been five the first time he smelled the rancid combination — when he’d discovered
his father’s dead body— suicide by a knife to his gut. He’d sat by the decomposing body for two
days before someone thought to check on him. Minato Namikaze hadn’t been his teacher yet, but
somehow, he’d thought to check on Sakumo Hatake’s son. Lord Fourth had always been too kind
for the ninja world — it’s why he was dead.

But, Kakashi’s mind digressed, back to the festering stench of death. The black mask he wore under
his white Anbu wolf mask came in handy on these occasions.

At least this time, he hadn’t been the one to have to sleep with the mark. That had fallen to his
fellow Anbu— Fox — or Foxy as they affectionately called her. He thought that she and Genma
might have been a thing, but those kinds of relationships in Anbu were discouraged. Death was
always around the corner — either your own or the ones you inflicted.

She held up the scroll — this man’s life was worth whatever missive was on that tiny scroll. Had it
been worth it? Kakashi didn’t know. Life was supposed to be precious, but these days — it was
cheap. At least, it was cheap when you followed orders. Danzo Shimura didn’t like witnesses.

He signaled that it was time for them to go They had approximately one more minute to leave the
scene before the risk of being seen became unacceptable.

Wiping the blood from his blade on the dead man’s shirt, Kakashi and Foxy jumped out the
window and headed into the darkness of the forest. They’d run in silence for several miles before
they spoke. “You alright?” Kakashi asked.

“Yes, Fang,” she answered, voice small, almost lost to the wind. “You?”

“Couldn’t be better,” Kakashi answered.

She wasn’t alright and neither was he. It was just another night working in the shadows delivering
death for old men to play at chess with one another grasping for conceived power. And the losers?
Everyone that just wanted to breathe.
.
.
.
 Mission Report/ The Fairy
Chapter Notes

Warning, Anbu and Root are very dark institutions during Konoha's past where the shinobi are
forced to murder and seduce and the training they undergo is nothing less than physical,
sexual and psychological abuse. And in the ninja world in general that abuse is prevalent.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

.
.
.

Kakashi

Shortly after turning in the acquired scroll to Anbu’s main office, Foxy was dismissed. It was the
middle of the night, but Danzo himself always made himself available when it came time for
mission reports. The man had serious trust issues. Not for the first time, Kakashi wondered about
the right eye that was always covered in a bandage. He had his suspicions, but the old man’s
paranoia made it difficult to investigate — and Kakashi didn’t care that much.

It had been some time since Foxy was dismissed and Kakashi was starting to become irritated in his
crouched, submissive position, with his hands flat on the floor. He could stand with a sweep of his
sword and destroy a would-be attack, but he’d lose at least .3 seconds in the act. It was better than
having to give-up his weapons at the door. That was the old tradition.

“Fang,” Danzo finally said, after setting aside the scroll. He’d read over it a couple of times, must
have been interesting. He’d already dismissed his personal guard. It was just the two of them.

“Sir?” Kakashi answered.

“How did Foxy do?” Danzo asked. His dark eye had a malicious glint in it. Did he enjoy torturing
his operatives? Kakashi knew the answer was an affirmative. Sadistic bastard. He sincerely hoped
he was there one day when the monster finally met his bloody end.

“She succeeded in her mission, Sir,” Kakashi answered.

“I am aware.” Danzo gestured vaguely towards the scroll behind him. “I am referring to her
seduction act— does she need more lessons?”

Lessons meant Danzo and his closest goons raping her —-teaching her — different techniques.
Kakashi remembered those lessons. He’d been fourteen when he’d been through the training. He
was grateful for the mask he wore. The hatred twisting his face would have been too obvious. “I
believe Lion has taken his job as tutor very seriously.”
Lion was Genma Shiranui. When they realized Danzo’s interest in Foxy, he’d volunteered for the
role after quietly discussing the situation to Foxy. She’d been desperate that the “teacher” be
someone she was vaguely familiar with. They were extremely familiar these days.

“Yes, how unusual he volunteered,” Danzo murmured. “It’s difficult for me to track his progress
since he’s been reassigned on protection detail. You could teach her far more techniques.” He
smiled, a cruel sneer of his thin lips. “You were always the top student.”

“Pass.” Kakashi was also the top Anbu operative, though Shisui Uchiha gave him a run for his
money some days. He had the ability to say no sometimes — as much as anyone dared. Less he
find himself poisoned in his sleep.

“Shame.” Danzo gestured for Kakashi to stand. “Why don’t you stretch your legs? We have to
discuss your next assignment.”

Kakashi stood slowly, keeping his hands at his sides — non-threatening. He watched as the old man
paced, arms behind his back, a smug expression always on his face.

“Lord Third — he chose foolishly to resume the mantle of Hokage after the death of his successor,”
Danzo explained. “You are friends with his son — you need to rekindle your connection. It may be
that Hiruzen needs encouragement to realize his time of leadership is at an end. You are aware of
the turmoil in the Uchiha district?”

“No, Sir,” Kakashi answered. Wasn’t there always turmoil in the Uchiha district? And exactly who
did Danzo think should be the Hokage? Minato had been a great Hokage — though his tenure was
short lived. His sacrifice had saved the village and countless lives. “I would image Lord Fugaku
Uchiha was disappointed that he wasn’t considered to replace Lord Fourth.”

“Disappointed is putting it mildly. I’ve had our two Uchiha members keeping close tabs on the
workings of their family.” Danzo sat on the edge of his desk, folded his arms over his chest and
stared back on Kakashi dispassionately. “Your assignment — get close to Asuma Sarutobi and
therefor HIruzen. What is happening with the jinchuriki? The child has been at the academy since
the age of three, but I do not think he acquired his father’s vast intellect.”

“You want me to spy on Asuma and Lord Third?” Kakashi clarified. That wouldn’t be a terrible
assignment. Maybe he wouldn’t even have to kill or seduce anyone. Would’t that be a nice change
of pace?

Danzo nodded. “The cousins have convinced their clan that they are serving as spies against
Konoha, when in fact they are my eyes into the Uchiha’s machinations. I’ll need you on the
Sarutobi project.”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. “Sir? You are being surprisingly forthcoming with this information.”

“Yes, well, you’re a smart man, Kakashi Hatake,” Danzo said, breaking protocol and using his real
name. “Ruthless and smart. If I should find myself with a sudden job promotion, someone needs to
be in charge of Anbu. I think that someone should be you.”

“I see,” Kakashi said. Should he have been flattered? He really didn’t care. “Does this mean Crow
is no longer on Team Ro?”
“He’s not been promoted to Captain yet, but give it a few months and he will be,” Danzo assured
him. “You’re on different assignments.”

“And Tenzo?” Kakashi asked, concerned for the other young boy he felt responsible for protecting.
Kakashi had taken it upon himself to volunteer for the unsavory sex and murder gig so as to spare
the two teens. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the right equipment to spare Foxy.

“He has another assignment. Don’t worry yourself so much with other Anbu, Fang.” Danzo waved
his hand at Kakashi in dismissal.

Kakashi was grateful to head home. He stank of death and wanted nothing more than a long, hot
shower. He planned to use an entire bottle of soap. Though, even if he slathered on his favorite
sandalwood and jasmine scent, he’d always smell the undertones of carnage. He’d summon one of
his Ninken to stand guard. He was unable to sleep alone without someone watching his back. And
frankly, the only people he trusted completely — were his dogs.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi had stood in his shower until all the water ran cold. He’d used the entire bottle of body
wash. With his hair damp and plastered about his face, he toweled off and dressed in clean clothes.
He thought about putting on pajamas, but it would be sunrise before too long. His mind was
restless. Was this the Konoha Minato died to protect? That his father killed himself because it was
such an honorable place that he fell short?

Somehow, Kakashi doubted that.

He decided to go and visit his father. He wasn’t buried at the village cemetery, wasn’t allowed as a
suicide. Kakashi had buried his father, with the help of Minato Namikaze, in the family plot. Before
the founding of Konoha, the Hatake clan had been farmers — some used their farming equipment
as weapons when need be, but they were mostly peaceful. Eventually, a Senju married a Hatake and
the first two Hokage were sired.

Kakashi would sometimes stare up at the Hokage monument, knowing he was distantly related to
the founder of Konoha. What did it matter? An impressive lineage didn’t save him from being
treated as disposable fodder for the village.

Anger was always simmering, just below the surface. Frankly, his mask was the only thing that
saved him from being tortured from insubordination. But, when he looked at the mirror at his own
face — all he saw was his father’s depressed visage after he’d give up in a pit of despair.

With Kakashi’s nice, cozy apartment back in the village proper, the Hatake family estate had fallen
into disrepair. He only came by occasionally to make sure the walls were still standing and the roof
hadn’t caved in. Occasionally, he’d visit the very full family graveyard.

He’d been prepared to kneel at his father’s grave and lament about how he abandoned his young
son. With no one there to watch over him, he’d been forced into a very lonely and dangerous job.
The words died on his lips as he saw on top of his father’s grave — as well as his mother’s — an
arrangement of white lilies.

Someone had been to his ancestral home while he’d been on his last mission.

Who would have the audacity?

He crouched and picked up the flowers.

They did smell nice and fragrant.

“Who would care?” He whispered aloud. He pricked his thumb and called forth Pakkun.

“What’s up boss?” the pug asked. He put his nose to the ground and sniffed. “Hm, someone was
here that uses the same shampoo as me! I recognize the scent orange blossoms and lilies!”

Kakashi held the lilies out towards the ninja dog pack leader. “Someone left these on my parents’
graves.”

“Oh. Well, that was nice of them,” Pakkun said, his stumpy tail wagging. “I really love that
shampoo. It’s been difficult to find lately. Do you think maybe you can pick some up for me?”

“Do you think you can identify who left the flowers?” Kakashi countered. “Give me a clue and I’ll
get you the shampoo.”

Pakkun put his nose back to the ground. “They masked their chakra — just as good as you mask
yours.” He looked up. “They must have chosen to leave behind this scent for a reason — maybe to
let you know they’re an ally. I didn’t realize you had any friends anymore, Kakashi. Aside from me
and the boys that is.”

“I don’t,” Kakashi snapped. “Friends only interfere with completing missions.” He rocked back on
his heels and dropped the flowers back to the smooth stone marker. “I was out of the village for a
week, but these are fresh — no more than two days old.”

Pakkun shrugged. “Looks like you have a secret admirer. They don’t seem to have any violent
intent towards you— I don’t smell any blood lust.”

“They want something,” Kakashi said.

“Maybe they want to be your friend, Kakashi,” Pakkun suggested tentatively.

“They’d be disappointed.” Kakashi stood, no longer in the mood to talk to his dead parents. It
would be a few hours before the florist shop opened. Maybe he’d go by, see if anyone purchased
lilies — or if they would even tell him. He might have to use his Sharingan to find out. No matter
how sneaky someone thought they were, there was always a trail.

And the Copy Ninja was the best at sussing out trails, no matter how trivial.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

The first time Sakura broke into Naruto’s apartment she’d been appalled by the state of the place. It
was filthy! She scanned the pantry and the refrigerator — if he didn’t have Kurama’s healing power
the boy would have died of food poisoning. No wonder Iruka took him to have Ramen so much —
it was the only time he ate any vegetables.

She’d spent her time cleaning the place. She only had an hour tops before she needed to go. Naruto
might be confused, but who would he tell? What would he say? Oh hey — someone cleaned up my
pigsty?

With her newly acquired funds, she’d gone grocery shopping afterwards — for herself and the boy.
And she got both the black and the red dresses she’d been ogling. She recognized the guard on duty
at Naruto’s apartment — it was Genma. She hadn’t seen him since the first time she took the
Chunin exams. She carefully masked her chakra, hit a pressure point in his neck with a precise
measure of surgical-grade chakra, and forced him into an unconscious state. Then she broke back
into the apartment using earth chakra to forge a key — a skill Sasuke had showed her once before
he left.

Naruto was there and stared at her wide-eyed. He didn’t recognize her, nor did he see past her
Genjutsu — flaming red hair, bright blue eyes, tall and skinny. “Who are you?” Naruto asked,
clutching his frog plushie and scampering out of bed. “Are you the fairy that cleaned up my room?”

Sakura nodded and resisted the urge to pinch the boy’s cheeks — he was simply adorable! She held
out her canvas bag of groceries for him. “I’m a friend of your mama’s,” she explained. “I’m sorry I
couldn’t check on you before.”

“You—you know my mama?” Naruto’s voice was tiny.

Sakura thought back to the alternate dimension she and Naruto had been sent to where they’d met
his parents. Her current Genjutsu was in homage to Kushina. “She loves you very much, Naruto.”

“Then why did she leave?” Naruto’s big cerulean eyes brimmed with tears.

Sakura set down the bag and pulled the boy in for a hug— no one with a heart could resist those
tears. “Most of the time, when people that love us leave — it’s because they aren’t allowed to stay.
Life can be hard.” She lifted up his chin and smiled at him, wiping away the tears from his
whiskered cheeks. “You have to stay strong, Naruto. One day, you’ll be Hokage and have more
friends than you can possibly imagine.”

“I’d settle for two friends — Sakura-chan and Sasuke-jerk,” Naruto said, smiling warily.

“They would be lucky to count you as their friend. I’m sure they’ll come around,” Sakura assured
him. “They might have trouble understanding you at first. Though, it looks like Master Iruka and
you get along pretty well. I’d say he’s been a real big brother to you, wouldn’t you say?”

Naruto nodded. “Thank you, mama’s fairy friend.”

Sakura gestured to the bag. “Can I put that away for you?”

“I’ll help!” He set down the frog plushie carefully onto his bed and rushed over. He frowned at the
contents.

“It’s good for you,” Sakura assured him as they started putting up the fruit and vegetables. She did
bring a box of cookies too. “I left a list too. You ask your guards to get your groceries. If they ask
about payment, tell them the Third Hokage owes your father and to ask him.”

Naruto nodded. “You know my dad too?”

Sakura reached down and hugged the little boy again. “You look exactly like him, Naruto. Now,
you have a good night sleep and don’t give up on Sakura-chan, and Sasuke-jerk.”

“I won’t, you can believe it!” Naruto promised.

Sakura smiled and when she snuck out and made her way back to her own apartment, she felt pretty
good about herself. Four days into her mission and she’d had some success. But she needed to
focus on her primary objective. Hopefully, Kakashi would return— he’s been out of the village the
whole time. She wondered what sort of missions he was doing for Anbu. Probably some sort of
infiltration job. He was always great at detective work. She grinned to herself imagining his
reaction when he came across the flowers she left.

Though, he might not notice them. She didn’t know how often he visited the place — he had an
apartment in the village center. She and Naruto had only been to the Hatake estate once in all their
years. Kakashi had invited them over the day before he became Hokage. There was a lot of space
and the fields of his ancestral home had been a perfect place to spar as Master Tsunade forbade
them from the regular training grounds after Team Seven destroyed one.

She was really excited to meet a younger version of her precious friend. Would he be walking
around the village with his head stuck in a porn book? She couldn’t meet him at the memorial in
the morning — though that’s where she knew it would be easiest to cross paths. Why would a
visitor to the village from a seaside town visit the war memorial?

She would have to hope the little red dress did the trick. Though, she didn’t know what Kakashi’s
type was. Did he even like women? Surely he did — he read so much porn, but she’d never heard
of him dating anyone in all the years they’d worked together.

She would just have to start making a habit of checking out the ninja bars. Eventually, he’d get
dragged into one. He was of the age when friends forced you to socialize. And, surely, Kakashi had
friends, right? She might have to use Shisui to find out more information about Kakashi. The
Uchiha prodigy still had her kerchief and she as certain he’d have questions about his father. It was
foolish, but maybe it would gain her favor.

She needed friends in this time if this mission was going to succeed. Itachi was already thirteen.
The massacre happened in the middle of summer and that was less than two months away. She
didn’t know what home would be like if she succeeded, but she could only hope it would be a less
painful place for her friends.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

Right after the Fourth Great Ninja War….

.
.
.
Tomorrow was the big day— against his personal preference — Kakashi Hatake, last of his clan,
was about to be named the Sixth Hokage. There was some satisfaction knowing that Danzo’s brief
tenure as Hokage was being ignored by the history books. The other Kages refused to acknowledge
the leader of Konoha’s Root organization during the last battle anyway. And while the other leaders
had been upset that Sasuke had killed Danzo — Kakashi felt grim satisfaction that the chidori he
taught the boy did the trick.

It had been a strange sensation— knowing that the decisions for The Leaf’s future would now
come down to Kakashi’s opinions. On his last day as a regular shinobi, he wanted to spend it with
his friends— the ones that were still alive.

It was a cloudy day, the mid-morning’s sun peaked behind the fluffy, white clouds. The oppressive
heat of summer took a break and it was the perfect weather for a day outside. Kakashi made
himself comfortable while perching in a tall tree as the loud-mouthed blond and easily riled up
pinkette met on the bridge. They were exactly on time. It didn’t take long before Naruto started
bad-mouthing Kakashi’s tardiness.

“It’s fine, Naruto. We should have expected him to be late. It’s his special day, remember?” Sakura
shifted the picnic basket between her two hands. “I’m just glad to have a day off from surgery. I
feel that’s all I do since the war.”

Naruto held his hand over his heart, possibly thinking back to when low on chakra, Sakura had
created an incision and literally pumped his heart to keep him alive. “I can’t believe Granny
Tsunade banned us from using the training grounds. Where are we supposed to go?”

“It’s Lady Tsunade,” Sakura chided. “And can you blame her after what we did to them?”

“What did you pack us?” Naruto asked, gesturing towards the picnic basket. “Fruits, vegetables?
Other healthy stuff you’re always trying to shove down my throat.”

Sakura burst out laughing. “I’m not trying to stuff things down your throat—that’s Hinata’s job!”

Naruto scowled. “You’re such a pervert, Sakura-chan.”

“I’m the pervert? You literally attacked a goddess with a Harem Jutsu!” Sakura shouted.

Naruto grinned. “And it worked not just on her, but you! I saw that nose bleed! You can thank
Konohamaru for that. He saved the world teaching me that Multi-Harem Jutsu!”

Kakashi smiled down, his heart light at hearing their banter. Before Sasuke left on his redemption
journey, the four of them had a reunion on their old training grounds. Instead of the classic bell test,
Kakashi had given each of them a single bell — the goal was for one person to acquire all four
bells. The poor field had been obliterated by earth smashing, water dragons, childoris, and
rasengans. Team Seven had been banned from the training grounds ever since.

He leapt down easily and joined the two on the bridge. His knees creaked slightly from the
excursion. He’d have to work on his chakra control as he got older, didn’t want to injury himself
doing simple exercises. “Sorry, I’m late. I got lost on the path.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She held out the basket. “I packed this before leaving the
house with some ice, so it should be okay for a few hours. How far did you want to go for the
picnic?”

“It’s not too far,” Kakashi promised. “It’s just outside of the village proper.” He started to walk,
hands in his pockets and felt the two fall into step behind him. Then they fell into step flanking
him. “I thought we could visit my ancestral home,” he explained. “There are some large fields we
could spar in. The Hatakes were known for their farming before Konoha was founded.”

“Your ancestral home?” Sakura hooked her elbow through his and hugged him against her
playfully. “That’s so cool! Were the Hatakes a big clan?”

“I had always wondered why your parents named you Scarecrow,” Naruto grumbled. “Sakura-chan,
you never walk with me like that!”

Sakura leaned past Kakashi and waggled eyebrows at Naruto. “That’s what Hinata is for!” She
started to laugh as Naruto’s cheeks flamed. “And your dad named you after a character in a book
and my parents named me for a tree,” Sakura pointed out. “All names have meaning.” She smiled
up at Kakashi and the sight lifted his spirits. “Thank you for sharing this with us. Are you sure you
don’t want to invite some more of your friends?”

Kakashi didn’t inform her that they were his only friends. “I wanted to share this with you two
only, my precious teammates and former students.” Yamato, Yugao, and he were both so scarred
from their time in Anbu together that outside of missions, they avoided one another. Guy was
exhausting. Kurenai made him think of Asuma. And everyone else was dead. Maybe he could have
invited Shizune or Shikamaru — but he’d be spending enough time with them at the Hokage office
over the next few years.

“Are you two interested in a little history lesson?” Kakashi asked.

Naruto groaned and Sakura disentangled her arm from his and moved to Naruto’s side where she
bumped shoulders with him playfully. “Yes, Kakashi, we’d love to hear about your clan’s history,”
Sakura answered for the both of them.

Kakashi cleared his throat and did his best impression of Iruka. “The Hatake clan was once
prominent in the Hidden Leaf. It was the marriage of the Senju leader to a Hatake princess that led
to the birth of the First and Second Hokages.” He looked over at the two younger shinobi and was
met with equally unimpressed expressions. “I was always impressed with Hokage Tobirama Senju
— don’t you think the the similarities are striking?” He gestured towards his unruly silver hair.

“That’s hard to say,” Naruto said. “We can’t really tell what you actually look like.”

“Yeah, take off your mask and we’ll let you know if you look like Lord Tobirama or not,” Sakura
added.

“Ha. You two never give up,” Kakashi said with a chuckle.

“You’ll cave eventually,” Sakura promised.

The gardens and crops were long overrun with weeds and wildflowers, but the buildings were still
impressive— a collection of gray stones and thick wood. He imagined in their glory days the estate
would have rivaled the Hyuga clan’s dwellings. He pushed past the elaborately engraved wooden
gate and led them to his childhood home.

“What’s this?” Sakura asked, tracing her fingers over the engraved image of a pair of wolves
hidden amongst tall trees with rows of wheat fields in the foreground.

“Family crest,” Kakashi answered. His old home was two stories, had eight bedrooms and four
baths, a huge kitchen, two dens, a library and a basement. It had been the principle residence for the
clan chief for generations.

“You grew up in a castle?” Naruto asked, his voice awed. He shielded his eyes with his hand to
peer towards the top floor. “It’s pretty tall.”

“Yeah, they even used to host festivals and dances in the courtyard,” Kakashi explained. “Or so my
dad used to tell me. By the time I came around, it was just me and my parents. A plague had swept
through the clan towards the middle of the Second War. My father was the sole survivor. He met
my mother, they had me, and she died shortly after giving birth to a stillborn son.”

Gentle hands fell upon his forearm. “I’m so sorry, Kakashi.” Sakura squeezed him and he felt a
surge of healing chakra travel up his arm to the tension headache that had started to form in his
neck. “Do you come here often?”

“After Dad’s death, I stayed away for a decade. But after Obito and Rin were lost, and especially
after Minato passed — I started coming by occasionally.” Kakashi sighed, and looked over at
Naruto. “Your dad really was something special. He was the only adult that ever looked out for me
— as much as one could in the middle of a war.”

Sakura’s hand slipped down his forearm and she took his hand, threading their fingers together.
Kakashi thought to pull his hand back, but he let it slide. It was different than the playful hooking
elbows with him earlier. He remembered a young Sakura and Sasuke holding hands — chasing off
together on missions. It didn’t have to mean anything other than comfort. He squeezed her hand
back.

“Let’s have the grand tour, Lord Sixth,” Sakura said, smiling up at him. “Which room was yours?
And which tree did you used to hide in as a kid?”

Kakashi grinned. “What makes you think I used to hide in a tree?”

Naruto groaned. And Sakura rolled her eyes. “Oh please! You’re always hiding in trees. You think
we didn’t know you were watching us for a good thirty minutes on the bridge this morning?”

Kakashi blinked in surprise. “I had masked my chakra.”

“I have a technique where I can channel my chakra through the earth and map out things. I could
see you plain as day in that tree. You’re lucky you didn’t open a book to start reading or Naruto
would have shaken you out.” She squeezed his hand once more and then released her grip. “And
Naruto is a freaking Sage! Of course he noticed you!"

Kakashi felt oddly discombobulated without the anchor. “I’ll be sure to not keep you two waiting
then.”

“You keep doing you, Kakashi. You always show up at the right time when it matters,” Sakura gave
him a knowing look —referencing the many times he showed up in the knick of time to save her
life. “So, tour, then picnic, then training?”

“Tour, training, then picnic,” Kakashi suggested. “I wanted to show you guys something I’ve been
working on to replace the chidori.”

“Oh? What?” Naruto asked, eager to watch a new jutsu.

“Well, I saw Madara doing it. Purple lightning,” Kakashi explained. “I can channel it with a sword
too, but I prefer not having to depend on any particular weapon.” He took a deep breath to steady
himself. “Let’s go say hi to my parents. Their graves are over there,” he said, gesturing to a small
clearing by the trees to the south.

Sakura lifted the lid to her picnic basket and pulled out a small bouquet of gardenia blossoms. “I
brought this for our picnic, Ino insisted, but I think we should give them to your parents.”

Kakashi stuck his hands back into his pockets and nodded. They knelt down at the memorial stones
— side by side. “So my Mom asked that my brother be buried with her,” he explained. “So this is it
— my family.”

Sakura set the flowers across the stones and Naruto stared at the letters of their names, his lips
pursed thoughtfully. “I guess it doesn’t matter how old you get — once you’re an orphan — you’re
always an orphan.”
 Kakashi could feel the depression setting in with that thought. It was a sentiment he shared with
Naruto.

“You’re wrong. Your parents may be gone, but you have a family,” Sakura said quietly. She
gestured between the three of them. “We’re a family. I’ll be your friend, your sister, your mother,
your healer. Whatever you guys need. I’m here for you.”

“What about Sasuke?” Naruto asked.

Sakura shrugged. “I’ll be here for him too.” She smiled at them, her lips trembled but her eyes were
confident. “That’s my ninja way. You are the reason I want to establish the mental health clinic.”
She straightened the flowers on Sakumo’s grave. “No one should ever feel so alone and beyond
hope that they take their own life.”

“As Hokage, I vow to always value the individual more than the ideals,” Kakashi said. “That’s my
ninja way.” He traced his fingers over his father’s name. “That was Dad’s way, but he was crushed
by the judgment of others. Obito was right — he was a true hero.”

“And so are you, Kakashi Hatake,” Sakura said, reaching over and squeezing his knee. “So are
you.”

“So, how about you show us this purple lightning?” Naruto suggested. He stood and brushed his
hands over the top of his thighs. “And why don’t you invite the Ninken? They should get to
celebrate your last day as a regular shinobi.”

“I agree about inviting the ninja dogs,” Sakura said. “But there’s nothing regular about Kakashi
Sensei.”
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

I've never tried writing a young Itachi but I love Shisui in the videogames...this is a nice
excuse to write him! My brain is a little crazy right now since I'm working on three stories
simultaneously. Please excuse the insanity. I'm glad for your support!
Time travel is always an interesting topic -- it's cannon in Boruto, so that helps.
 Silver Bangles

.
.
.

Sakura

The month before the Time Travel…

.
.
Sakura had spent the morning at the bank, making a sizable withdrawal with the unusual request
that the money must be fifteen to twenty years old. The bills weren’t crisp like the new money, but
eventually she felt the sum would be sufficient for her mission. Forging her documents had been
more challenging. That night was the monthly Team Seven dinner, so she needed to make sure they
didn’t suspect anything was amiss. It had been three months since the incident with the moon.
She’d learned that Sasuke had come home for a few moments — long enough to destroy the debris
that threatened to destroy their village. He’d used the chidori that Kakashi had taught him, but
could no longer use without a Sharingan.

It must have really upset Kakashi Sensei that it was his jutsu that saved them, but he’d been unable
to do it himself. He didn’t act like it bothered him, he was always so stoic. And while she’d opened
up the mental health clinic, he’d never utilized the resource that he helped her champion.

When her birthday came and went the week before, she analyzed her life and felt she was treading
water. Sasuke didn’t sent word, his little forehead poke and vague promise to return was hardly
reassuring. He didn’t return her feelings— fine. That didn’t mean she didn’t care about him and so
many others in her life that had been so deeply scarred by war and battle.

Sakura became obsessed with finding the time artifact. She’d served her purpose here, maybe she
could find a greater purpose. Her friends wouldn’t miss her if she made everything better. And
really, she just needed to find and convince two people. One — the man she trusted the most. And
second, a man she barely knew— in fact her main exposure to him had been from a parallel
universe.

“Sakura-chan! You’re late!” Naruto called out. He was sitting at a corner table at the ramen shop,
Sai and Kakashi flanking his sides.

“Wow, if Kakashi Sensei is already here, I guess I am really late,” Sakura answered, a wan smile on
her face as she joined them.

“I went ahead and ordered for you,” Kakashi said quietly, gesturing to the bowl next to him. “I kept
it warm. It’s still good.”

Sakura was a creature of habit, but it still felt nice that someone had paid attention enough to order
her preferred dish. “Thank you.” She slid into the booth next to her Team leader and could feel her
cheeks blush at the attention. “Sorry for being late, I had to take care of some things.”
“I checked the schedule at the hospital,” Sai commented. “You’ve been off for several hours,
Sakura. You need to be more considerate.”

“Yeah, I’ll work on that.” Sakura could still feel the steam waifing off the ramen. She’d need to ask
what sort of jutsu Kakashi used to keep the food warm. It would be a useful trick for heating up
left-overs. “How is everyone?”

“Happy birthday, Sakura!” Naruto said, grinning widely. He slid an opaque aquamarine vase
towards her full of pink roses. “That’s from me and Hinata.”

“Thank you, Naruto.” Sakura traced her fingertips over the soft petals. “That’s very kind.”

Sai pushed a book towards her. “Ino helped me with this. I’ve included illustrations of some of our
Team Seven adventures,” he explained. “That way, whenever you get lonely because everyone else
is pairing up and you’re still waiting for that murderous bastard, you can look back and remember
better days!”

Sakura felt her eye twitch. “Thanks,” she grit out. She felt a hand on her thigh, gently patting and
realized Kakashi was looking at her with a sympathetic smile. “And thanks for dinner, Kakashi.”
The bowl of ramen must have been his present. “I really didn’t expect you guys to get me anything.
I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. I sort of thought you had forgotten. It was last week after
all.”

“We are all very keenly aware of when you birthday is, Sakura.” Kakashi set a silver box in front of
her. “This is from me.”

“Oh,” Sakura looked between the elegantly wrapped present and the mysterious man on her right.
“Thank you.”

Kakashi arched a silvery eyebrow. “Maybe you should see what it is, before you thank me.”

“It’s the thought that counts.” Sakura tore off the paper and then removed the plain white lid to
reveal a pair of silver bangles. She picked them up, appreciating the balance and the intricate fine
design engraved within the silver. “Wow!” She could feel her eyes well up in appreciation.
“They’re really beautiful.” She slipped them on her wrists and enjoyed the feel— they were
lightweight.

“I’m glad you like them. They were my mother’s,” Kakashi explained.

Sakura turned towards him sharply. “Oh no, Kakashi, I cannot accept these — they are too
precious! You must save them for someone—-.”

“Someone I care about?” Kakashi asked. “They’re yours, Sakura.” He gestured at the three of them
sitting at the table with her. “We all care about you. Please, do not forget that.”
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.
In the Past
.
.
Sakura stared at the ceiling in her bedroom. The apartment didn’t feel like her. None of her
carefully collected art or furniture adorned the space, there was no antique china set passed down
from her grandmother, no framed photo of Team Seven on her dresser, no house plant from Ino. It
was a small one bedroom, one bath with a tiny kitchenette and an even smaller den. There was no
balcony and the only window faced another building. She had exactly six outfits in her closet —
two of which were sexy dresses that she couldn’t just wear casually.

She was in a state of limbo. If she wandered around the village, there was a good chance she’d run
into her younger self or her parents. Visiting Naruto had been foolish, but she couldn’t resist the
opportunity to bring just a tiny bit of joy to that sweet whiskered face.

Shisui hadn’t come by — he knew where she lived and he was supposed to give back her kerchief.
Though, he was busy — he had a job and was part of a noble clan. However, he was the only friend
she’d made so far, but he surely had a lot of friends.

And most upsetting, she still hadn’t seen Kakashi. She knew where his apartment was and his
family home. And of course, she knew where the Memorial was— but he hadn’t been at any of
those places and she’d been in the past for five days now. Should she just go back home? Nothing
would change if she left now. The ripples in the time stream would be small and inconsequential.
She could just focus on the mental health clinics and helping her friends move forward and
preventing the same tragedies from happening to other kids.

But, she wanted to save her friends from those tragedies.

Would they still be her friends when she returned? Would she still train under Master Tsunade?
Would she still have Kakashi as her Sensei? Would she still even be friends with Naruto and
Sasuke?

It took a minute to realize she was crying.

Angry with herself, she tossed aside the covers and walked over to the bathroom to wash her face.
She was a kunoichi of the Leaf. You worked in the shadows for the betterment of others. It was
never for your glory or benefit, but that of the village. She knew that lives would be saved if the
Uchiha clan hadn’t been destroyed. She found the ancient artifact that made time travel possible—
if she wasn’t supposed to change the past, then she wouldn’t have found it.

There was a brisk knock on her door, followed by a playful series of raps.

Sakura looked through the peep hole and saw none other than Shisui and Itachi Uchiha. The older
boy waved her white kerchief — perhaps a sign that they came in peace? She was only wearing her
pajamas - a simple pale green statin pair of shorts and a crop top. It might not be a bad idea to
answer the door to a bunch of teenage boys she was trying to win over.

She opened the door partway and smiled at the pair. “Good morning. I wasn’t expecting company.”
The older teen grinned widely and covered Itachi’s eyes with his hands, much to the annoyance of
the latter. “Ah, Sakura-chan! It’s a pleasure to see you — you’ll have to excuse my cousin, he’s got
virgin eyes so I don’t want to get him too excited. Might we come in?”

“Sure, I’ll just leave the door open while I go get dressed. Make yourselves comfortable.” She
sashayed towards her bedroom, feeling Shisui’s eyes watching her before she closed the door and
put on one of the simple outfits she brought. She did without her usual red and white color scheme
and knowing the Uchiha tended towards dark blue, picked a pair of black pants and a green button
up sleeveless shirt. It reminded her of her war uniform, though that flak jacket had been lost on
another planet when Sasuke did a substitution jutsu with it when she found him— saving him from
certain death on a wasteland planet. And here she was again, traveling through time and space to
try and give him a better life. Hopefully, he’d appreciate it, but if it went well, he’d never knew it
happened.

The Uchiha cousins had made themselves comfortable at the bar of her kitchenette, each claiming
one of the two stools. “Would you like some tea?” Sakura asked, before she slammed her palm
against her forehead. “Never mind. That’s a habit. I don’t have any tea cups or even a kettle yet.”

“What? Well, we should go fix that,” Shisui suggested. “You’ll need some souvenirs for when you
return home— genuine tea pot from Konoha!”

“You saw past our Genjutsu at the door. Who are you really? What did you do to Shisui’s father?”
Itachi demanded, no preamble.

“What do you mean about Shisui’s father?” Sakura asked, she stared back with a guileless
expression. “He was sleeping when I saw him — is he okay?” She turned her gaze back to Shisui
and his earlier merriment was now absent on his serious face.

“There’s no point in lying to an Uchiha, Sakura — if that’s your name,” Itachi continued.

“Bah, you haven’t even activated your Mangeko Sharingan,” Sakura muttered. She drummed her
fingers over the counter.

“How do you know that name?” Itachi asked. “That term is a clan secret.” He turned towards
Shisui. “I told you she wasn’t a tourist!”

“Sakura, we wore a Genjutsu into this building. It would be pretty suspicious if two Uchiha teens
walked into the apartment of someone new to town. Everyone else thinks a couple of young women
came up to visit you,” Shisui explained. He set the kerchief on the counter and folded it neatly into
the shape of a swan.

“I will tell you everything — later. Trust me, you can’t handle it right now — it wouldn’t make
sense. But, I can tell you this — I study medicine. And Shisui, your father’s condition should have
been treated years ago. It wasn’t even that complicated, but I did use an ability that only a few
medics have access,” Sakura explained. “After hearing what your life was like, I knew I could
help.”

“So you’re a kunoichi,” Shisui said. “A medical ninja to be precise.” He sighed. “Unfortunately,
Uchiha are only allowed to use Uchiha medics and we aren’t especially known to be skilled in that
area.”

“Konoha refused to treat its own citizens?” Sakura gasped in shock. “That’s unethical!”
Shisui grimaced. “Not so much Konoha, but our clan’s rules. There is paranoia about our eyes you
see.” He tapped his cheek, just under his eye.

There was a lull in conversation during which Itachi set a dark blue lacquer box on the counter, he
opened the lid to reveal cinnamon rolls with thick white icing. “My mother made cinnamon rolls.
My brother hates sweets, but Shisui said you liked them.”

“You brought me breakfast?” Sakura asked, surprised. “Th-thank you.”

“It’s rude to visit unannounced without offering a small gift,” Itachi explained, avoiding her eyes
and looking petulant. Sakura smiled. He had such good manners and was annoyed that he couldn’t
ignore them. What an unusual trait in the notorious Itachi Uchiha!

Shisui took a roll and bit into it. “Hm, tell Aunt Mikoto they are as delicious as usual.” He gestured
for Sakura to do the same. And she did so, enjoying the sweetness of the flavor. Shisui sat back and
his gaze drifted towards the single window. “So you’re a Slug Sage, like Lord Hashirama.”

“What? The First Hokage was a Slug Sage?” Sakura had never heard that. “I mean— why would
you thinkI’m a Slug Sage?”

“The First was also a Sun Sage. He was a talented man,” Shisui said. He looked back at her and
smiled faintly. “My father saw the slug that healed him. Thank you, Sakura-chan. You tell me when
you’re ready. I owe you.”

“Okay, how old are you, Shisui?” Sakura asked. “And how old do you have to be to visit the ninja
bars?”

“I”m eighteen, and you have to be eighteen,” Shisui said. “Are you wanting to give that little red
dress a try?” He grinned. “I’d be happy to escort you.”

“Why are you wearing a Genjutsu, Sakura?” Itachi asked.

“You can see past it?” Sakura asked.

Itachi nodded.

She glanced at Shisui. “And you?”

Shisui grinned. “The red dress goes really well with your pink hair. Though, being a Sage that does
explain the seal on your forehead.”

“I thought I was better at Genjutsu,” Sakura muttered.

“You are very good, you saw past our Genjutsus at the door. But we are the best in the village at
sussing out Genjutsus,” Itachi explained. “Now, why don’t you explain why you look like Sasuke’s
little school-mate by the same name, Sakura?”

“Shit? Really?” Shisui asked. “Holy fuck! Are you from the fucking future, Sakura?”

“Don’t you remember the little girl Sasuke sat beside when we picked him up? He couldn’t look at
her directly — the one he has a crush on?” Itachi asked Shisui, but keeping his eyes on Sakura.
“I’m a genius, Sakura. I’d like you to explain it to me now.”
“I—-traveled back in time to prevent something really bad from happening — something that
really fucks with Sasuke,” Sakura explained. “And you have terrible language, Shisui!”

“You broke the laws of physics because of Sasuke? And your language is just as bad, sister!” Shisui
rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, shit. No one has ever time traveled for me. Your little brother
must be quite the Casanova, Itachi!”

“But I did time travel for you — for both of you,” Sakura explained. She pointed at Shisui. “You’re
attacked and you kill yourself to keep your eyes from being used against your clan and to keep your
body from being resurrected and used as a puppet in the Edo-Tensei.”

“That technique is impossible,” Itachi reasoned. “But, you shouldn’t even know about it— so
maybe it is possible.”

“It’s not impossible, it’s forbidden. It wouldn’t be forbidden if it wasn’t possible,” Sakura pointed
out. “And you are blackmailed, Itachi— forced to do such an atrocious act and then forced to leave
the village and join the terrorist group Akatsuki as a double agent.” She held her hands over her
mouth. “What the hell? I didn’t intend to tell you any of that.”

“Sorry, that’s my speciality,” Shisui said, his voice didn’t sound particularly apologetic. “I have a
gift where I can make anyone do what I want.” He grinned. “It makes me a very effective spy.”

“Though, you’re not being straight forward,” Itachi pointed out. “I do not care for games. Tell me
more clearly — who are you and what is your objective?”

“You know exactly who I am,” Sakura retorted. “And my objective is to keep the Uchiha clan from
being massacred and also to keep them from waging a coup against Konoha.”

The cousins exchanged looks. “That actually tracks,” Shisui said carefully. “And how does going to
a ninja bar help?”

“I need Kakashi Hatake,” Sakura answered.

Itachi started to laugh.

“Oh boy,” Shisui added. “What do you need the Copy Ninja for? He’ll eat you alive — I’ll tell you
that right now.”

“Look, I don’t really know either one of you,” Sakura explained. “You died in my timeline,” she
said pointing at Shisui. “And you,” she pointed at Itachi, “were a terrorist and I spent most of my
life being afraid of you. Well, except the time I ended up in an alternate dimension — there you
protected me and seemed pretty nice.” She started to pace and picked at her bottom lip at the same
time. “Kakashi was /is/will be my team leader. I trust no one more than I trust him.”

“Okay, well, trust me on this, you do not want to involve Kakashi Hatake. He doesn’t take
chances,” Shisui explained. “Look, I can tell you that we’ve already been looking into the
conflicting objectives between the Leaf and the Uchiha clan.” He reached up and scratched at his
scalp, messing his already unruly dark hair. “Just who are you — in your time?”

“I am one of the three Neo-Sannin, Apprentice of the Fifth Hokage, and the best medical kunoichi
in the last ten thousand years since chakra was introduced to the world,” Sakura explained, feeling
her confidence grow as she listed her accolades. “I know about the alien race the Otsutsuki that
brought chakra to our world and with the other Neo-Sannin and Kakashi Hatake — saved the
fucking world from a goddess. That’s who I am.”

“Who are the other two?” Itachi asked quietly. “Neo-Sannin.”

“Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki,” Sakura answered.

“It’s possible, if you change the fate of my clan, you could erase those impressive accolades you
just listed,” Itachi pointed out. “Are you willing to risk losing the glory you have achieved? What if
you endanger the world by changing this fate?”

Sakura clenched her fists at her sides. “I see the pain in my friends’ eyes, in my patients’ eyes. The
emotional scars that make them unable to form normal bonds. The way death haunts their every
day lives. And if you two are around, I’m sure you’ll be smart enough to save the world.”

“Wait,” Shisui interrupted. He pointed towards the silver bangles on her wrists. “Where did you get
those? I didn’t notice them the other day.”

“Oh,” Sakura reflexively rubbed her arms, touching the silver bangles in the process. “They were a
gift from Kakashi in my time— they used to belong to his mother.”

Shisui was quiet for a long time. “He’s really far gone, Sakura. I don’t know what your Kakashi
was like — but I seriously doubt he is anything like our Kakashi. The fact that he gave you those
— you must be precious to him. What did he think of you coming back in time like this?”

Sakura stared down at her nails. “He tried to stop me.”

“Well if I’m dead in your time, it really doesn’t matter to me, but I’m going to say I support this
team up. You gave my father life again, Sakura. I’ll help you, besides I’ll be helping myself it
sounds like,” Shisui said. “Itachi?”

“Your noble intentions are respectable. I believe I understand. I too will do anything for Sasuke —
even this strange situation,” Itachi said. “I do not know if you’ll be able to return to your time
though. If you are changing things — your time will no longer exist.”

Sakura smiled at him sadly. “Who’s to say I survive?”

“Oh! So melancholy!” Shisui complained. “Alright, so you want to go bar hopping tonight? We
have clan stuff, but I can probably check out a few with you before hand. And you go ahead and
keep up the Genjutsu —- the only people capable of seeing past it are us two, and well, Kakashi.”

“You have to be especially careful, Shisui,” Sakura explained.

“Why especially? I’m a ninja, I’m always careful,” Shisui joked.

“I don’t understand all the powers of the Sharingan,” Sakura said. “But, Danzo covets whatever
your power is. He targets you. He took the eye of your grandfather — wears a bandage over his
right eye. I only know this because Orochimaru did the surgery before he defected. Sasuke found
the journal detailing this. Depending on how good the transplant was, it could be that it has failed
and he’s looking for a replacement.”

“He was really pissed about Kakashi getting Obito’s eye,” Itachi pointed out. “Though, so were
several of the clansman. Dad really put his foot down, said they needed to respect Obito’s last
wishes.” He sighed and then picked up another cinnamon roll. “Sakura, may I have some water?”

“Oh! Yes!” Sakura had bought exactly four glasses when she had gone shopping. She poured her
guests water from the tap and and also herself. She noticed Itachi’s gaze on her bangles.

“May I borrow one of those bangles? I understand they are special, but my mother has a great talent
at metallurgy. She can analyze them.” Itachi met her gaze. “If they are a family heirloom of the
Hatake, they might help you convince Kakashi.”

“I don’t know,” Sakura clutched them protectively.

“Borrow, Sakura. I will bring them back later today even.” Itachi removed his necklace with the
three black rings. “I can leave you this until I return your bangle. This necklace is precious to me,
but that way you can trust I will return them.”

“You can keep your necklace, Itachi. If you’re trusting me, I need to trust you.” Sakura took the
bracelet off her left wrist and set it on the counter.

Itachi pocketed the bangle and nodded. “What is to stop your friends from traveling back? The
device you used — what are its limitations?”

“I don’t really know all the limitations, so I came here knowing this could be a one-way trip. But,
from what I was able to find out, it will take at least two weeks before someone can use it to travel
back or forward in time,” Sakura explained.

“So your friends might in theory come back here to stop you,” Itachi reasoned. “I don’t know if we
will be able to completely avert the disaster you are trying to prevent, but maybe we can minimize
it.”

“Your entire clan — save Sasuke — is killed. By you,” Sakura explained. She held her forehead
and glared at Shisui.

He shrugged. “Sorry, but it sounds like we have only a week for certain before one of your friends
might interfere with the timeline more. I’m not quite a genius like Itachi here, but even I can
imagine the ramifications could be dire. And frankly Sakura, I would like to at least try to help you
return home.”

Sakura could feel her eyes well up with tears. She didn’t know what to expect with her time
traveling, change the fate of the Uchiha clan adventure, but she couldn’t have asked for better
allies. “If we can pull this off….”

“No promises,” Itachi said, his expression grim. “But at least we know Shisui needs to be more
careful around Shimura. I had my suspicions about his right eye already. Given that Shisui has
inherited the same special ocular trait that his grandfather had, it would make sense that Danzo
would target him.” He stood. “I will see what my mother can say about the bangle. I’ll return it
before you go out this evening.”

“See you later, cousin,” Shisui said, reaching for another cinnamon roll. “Tell Aunt Mikoto I’ll
bring home the box.”

“You’re not going?” Sakura asked.

“Nope, you get to spend all day with me, Sakura-chan! I will need to make sure you don’t screw up
the timeline too much. And maybe keep Kakashi from killing you. He’s pragmatic. If you’re
endangering the time-space continuum he’ll probably stop you. I can probably visit at least two
bars with you, but then I’ll have clan stuff starting around nine.”

Sakura handed him a napkin and he wiped off his hands. “Would you like to help me pick out a
teapot?”

“Of course! I have so much money right now, it’s burning a hole in my pocket.” Shisui folded the
used napkin into the shape of a whale. “And when you pop back to the future, I’ll hide it at my
place and you can get it later - it will be vintage by then, right?”

Sakura stared at the second origami figure on her counter. That was a really cool trick. Maybe he
could teach her?

“You should stay away from the academy,” Itachi suggested. “If you run into your younger self —
who knows what would happen.” He opened her window. “If you don’t mind, I’ll catch up to you
two later.” Then he jumped out the window and disappeared.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

Itachi found his mother cleaning the kitchen when he returned home. She’d walked Sasuke to the
academy that morning and his father was busy at the Police station. She glanced up at him in
surprise.

She’d been one of the strongest kunoichi’s in Konoha, a former teammate of the Fourth Hokage,
and now she was a housewife wearing a blue and white polkadot apron with frills. It irritated Itachi
that the Uchiha women were expected to be subservient to their husbands. If he married, he’d be
sure to treat his future wife with more care.

“Hello, darling, this is a nice surprise. Is everything okay? Did your friend enjoy the cinnamon
buns?” Mikoto asked as she finished wiping down the counter before she neatly folded up the
towel.

“They were quite appreciated,” Itachi assured her. He took out the silver bangle and held it out to
his mother. “Do you think you can analyze this?”
“Sure. Where did you get this?” Mikoto asked, took the jewelry and gently ran a cursory
exploratory chakra over the metal. She looked up sharply. “Do you know what this is?”

“It belongs to a friend,” Itachi said. “And I brought it to you so you can tell me what it is.”

“This belongs to the Hatake clan — it was forged long ago, passed down to the clan’s matriarch. I
recognize it because the First and Second Hokage — their mother used to wear this. It’s in all the
paintings of her.” She held it up towards the window for better lighting. “The engraving is unique.
How did your friend come to have this?”

“Mother, do not ask me questions when I am not at liberty to divulge. I do not wish to lie to you
and your Sharingan cannot force me to answer your questions,” Itachi answered.

“Sorry, old habits.” Mikoto held the bangle back out towards her son. “I love you, Itachi. Be safe,
my son.”

“I always do my best, Mother.” Itachi took the bracelet back and tucked it back into his pocket.
Would his mother really be murdered — by him—-in a few weeks? “Do you, want to hang out?”

Mikoto frowned at him and reached for his forehead. “You’re not sick are you? Eyes hurting?
Coughing again?”

“No Mother, I’m well. I just thought it might be nice to spend some time together. I don’t have any
pressing work for the next few hours,” Itachi said.

“That— would be nice.” Mikoto smiled at her son. “I thought I might check on the garden.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

It had been unexpectedly easy to reconnect with Asuma. Kakashi had run into him near one of the
weapons’ shop while the Hokage’s son was smoking outside. He was having a new pair of trench
knives forged by the blacksmith. Asuma was as easy-going as Kakashi remembered.

“Would you like one?” Asuma asked, holding out a cigarette.

“No thanks, their bad for your health,” Kakashi chided.

“So is being a ninja, but we’re still doing that,” Asuma said with a chuckle. He tucked the unused
cigarette into his pocket. “That’s fine. I didn’t actually want to share, I just thought it would give
me a chance to see your face.”

“Ah, I’m afraid I will have to remain a mystery,” Kakashi answered.

Asuma shrugged. “You probably look just like your dad, hardly a mystery.”

“Since he’s been dead for fifteen years, I don’t think many people would remember what he looked
like,” Kakashi pointed out, his voice flat.

“Right,” Asuma agreed with a cringe. “Sorry, man. I wasn’t thinking.” He put out his cigarette.
“Are you in town for long? I’d like to make up for being an insensitive jerk. Let me take you out
tonight— get you drunk, help you find a cute a girl to take home.”

“I have no use for a cute girl,” Kakashi chided. “Give me a hot woman, maybe I’ll consider it.” He
sat next to him on the bench and stared at the weapons shop— toying with the idea of getting a new
set of kunai. “I am between assignments.”

“Why don’t you do some honest work today then? Use your muscles and not your blade,” Asuma
suggested. “I am working some construction on the East end of the village. That storm last week
caused a large tree to crush some buildings. Your Earth chakra would come in real hand.”

“Sounds good,” Kakashi agreed. “And I’ll even let you take me out to a bar without complaining
— for at least an hour.”

Asuma stood and crushed the remains of his cigarette to the ground, smothering the embers
completely. “Great!”

“You better toss that bud, or else you’ll get a fine from the police,” Kakashi warned.

With a groan, Sarutobi leaned down picked up the cigarette. He tossed it into the rubbish bin.
“Thanks for the reminder. My check was getting docked from all those fines.”

“You could just quit smoking,” Kakashi suggested.

“Nah, I wouldn’t look nearly as cool,” Asuma argued.

Hours later and after an honest, sweaty job, Kakashi was sitting in one of the bars with Asuma.
Before that day, it had been at least two years since they last crossed paths. It was surprisingly easy
to be around Sarutobi. Kakashi started to remember how fond he was of the Village prince, but had
to remind himself he was on assignment. There was no room for friendship.

Genma Shiranui also had joined them. Since he’d switched to guard duty for the Hokage, the two
had become reacquainted. Kakashi wanted to ask him about Foxy — make sure she was coping
okay. He knew a good sleep aid if the nightmares were too much, but he kept his silence.
Sometimes it was better to just ignore the problems, put them in a neat box in the back of your
mind

“Well, hello!” Asuma whistled under his breath. “I’ve not seen her before. How the heck did that
guy meet someone like that?”
Kakashi followed his gaze. The woman walking in was accompanied by Shisui Uchiha. They were
huddled in easy conversation, obviously comfortable with each other, though it didn’t strike him as
a romantic interest. The woman appeared perfectly ordinary with her average height, slight build,
brown hair and brown eyes. Though she chose a corner booth, one with ample view for attacks. It
mirrored his own seating preference. As if sensing his gaze, she looked across the space and for a
moment, he thought those brown eyes flashed jade. She lifted her hand and did a little wave. Shisui
then waved down a server and his view of her was blocked by the wait staff.

“She just waved,” Genma said, clenching his senbon between his teeth and clucking. “That’s
brazen. She probably recognizes that we’re sitting with the Prince of Konoha.”

“Har- har,” Asuma said, rolling his eyes at the old joke. “She’d be disappointed. I’ve only got eyes
for that sweet little Kurenai.”

Kakashi thought about uncovering his Sharingan, just to be sure, but decided that would tip her off
if she was in fact a problem. That woman had stared right at him and saw him. He hadn’t been
looked at directly in a long time — it was unnerving. The waitress finished taking the distant
table’s order and left the view unobstructed.

“Isn’t Kurenai a Chunin?” Kakashi asked, tearing his gaze away from the strange woman. “Just
promoted at the last exams?”

“Well, we can’t all graduate at five and become Chunin at six,” Genma snapped irritated. They may
have both been in Anbu, but their paths had differed getting there.

“So neither of you know that woman?” Kakashi asked. “I don’t recognize her. She must be a
shinobi, or she wouldn’t be in a shinobi bar.”

“Well, you don’t really get out much,” Asuma said, jabbing Kakashi in the ribs. “And if she came
with Shisui — well — he’s a shinobi. She could just be a pretty civilian he invited over.”

His two friends — because he decided they were in fact his friends even if he pretended they
weren’t — fell into an easy conversation. Kakashi made the appropriate sounds to indicate he was
listening, but he was focused on the not-so average woman across the bar. Something about her
reminded him of Rin, but that wasn’t right. A flash of metal caught his attention. He’d seen
bracelets like that before — once. He resisted the urge to run home immediately to make sure they
were still in his safe. There wasn’t much Kakashi Hatake treasured — but his dead mother’s
bangles were certainly on that list.

“Hey? Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Genma said, his dark eyes narrowed. He
followed Kakashi’s gaze towards the woman. “Her again? Man, I’ve never seen you this interested.
Why don’t you go say hi?”

She wasn’t looking towards them, her gaze seemed to switch between Shisui and on the window
and the pedestrians on the street, but he thought she might be watching their reflection. He couldn’t
be sure. She hadn’t interacted with anyone outside of friendly banter with the Uchiha prodigy and
wait staff.

“Fine, if you won’t, I will.” Genma pushed away from the table and strolled confidently towards
the brunette and Shisui. The pair turned towards him, sensing his approach.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes, not liking the easy smile that came on her face — it was practiced. He
could tell that much. What he really didn’t like was that Genma sat across the table from her to
continue the conversation. Shisui folded his arms and leaned back causally, seeming to enjoy the
other man’s attempts to charm his date.

“Good, he’s gone. I have got to tell you something weird that’s going on,” Asuma whispered,
leaning in towards Kakashi. “You know how Dad has guards looking after the boy? Right? You-
know-who’s son?”

Kakashi nodded. Of course, he knew who the boy was — Minato’s orphaned son. He’d been denied
his request to visit the boy. It wasn’t right having an infant raised by Anbu — the kid had no chance
of a normal life. Kushina would have been especially pissed. And the Uchiha clan leader had even
requested to adopt the boy, but the Third refused. Everyone else was too afraid of the Nine-Tails to
consider caring for him. It was the first time Kakashi disrespected the Third’s decision— the man
was a coward who let himself be ruled by fear. Kakashi forced himself to listen to that man’s son.
Maybe Hiruzen used to be like Asuma— brave, caring, passionate.

“So someone snuck past the Anbu guard, emptied out the boys refrigerator and pantry of expired
foods and replaced it with healthy, nutritional stuff. Like who would do that? Why?” Asuma asked.
“I mean, it was nice, but Dad is freaked out that someone snuck past the security.”

“That is very odd,” Kakashi agreed.

“And the boy actually saw the intruder — a woman — he said it was a fairy that was friends with
his mama!” Asuma whispered, his voice barely audible.

Kakashi was barely listening. His attention was on Genma who reached for the brunette’s hand. She
let him kiss her knuckles and she then smiled at him and the scene made Kakashi’s stomach churn
as his friend ambled back to them casually.

“Made a new friend?” Asuma asked.

Genma grinned around his senbon. “Indeed. Her name is Sakura — wouldn’t tell me her clan name.
She’s visiting from down south — would’t tell me what village — somewhere by the ocean.”

“Your skills at gathering intel are astounding,” Kakashi deadpanned.

“Oh hush you!” Genma plucked the senbon out of his mouth and set it across his plate. “She told
me if I keep chewing on senbons that I’ll develop arthritis in my jaw.”

Kakashi chuckled, earning a glower from his friend. “Sorry, it’s just, usually women fawn all over
you.”

“I know!” Genma leaned back and stared sullenly back towards Sakura and Shisui. “And Uchiha
just sat there with that smug smirk of his. He said he met her on one of his missions months ago
and that I didn’t have a chance.”

Shisui stood, leaving his companion at the table. The woman turned back towards the window.

“Look at that, he’s coming over to rub it in your face,” Asuma said with a grin. He lifted his hand
in greeting to their fellow shinobi. “What’s up, Uchiha?”
Shisui grinned, his hands stuffed in his pockets casually as he ambled towards them. “Just enjoying
a night on the town, Sarutobi. Kakashi Hatake— I haven’t seen you in ages! How did Asuma
convince you to come to a bar?”

“Just came for the sights,” Kakashi murmured. “Who’s your friend?”

“Pretty, isn’t she?” Shisui glanced at her briefly over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose you guys would
like to join us?”

“I thought Sakura had given me a pretty sound rejection,” Genma complained.

“Oh, she’s not interested in you, friend.” Shisui smirked at him, then shifted his dark gaze onto
Kakashi and Asuma. “Though, you two— you gotta come. I made it sound like we were really
good friends. She’s a couple years older than me and I’m trying to impress her.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you buddy, but she doesn’t seem particularly interested in you either,”
Genma said, his tone sympathetic.

Shisui shrugged. “I’m probably doomed to an arranged marriage one day anyway.” He looked back
over his shoulder, but his female friend was still looking out the window. “My treat — I’ll cover
your drinks. I’m afraid she finds me boring and I would at least like to appreciate your company a
little more. Please?”

“Well, okay,” Asuma agreed. He grabbed hold of Kakashi’s elbow and jerked the reluctant shinobi
to his feet. “You too,” he gestured for Genma. “Don’t let your pride get in the way of free drinks!”

Shisui led them back to the table. Asuma and Genma took the seats across from the couple, leaving
the seat on the bench next to the woman open for Kakashi. The bar was a little crowded and his
knee brushed against her exposed leg— her little black dress rode up fairly high on her thighs. She
was more toned than he initially thought.

“Oh, wow, hello gentlemen,” Sakura greeted, smiling at them. Her gaze lingered on Kakashi and
there was a flash of intense emotions in her eyes — shock, excitement, worry — and then she
looked down at her glass, breaking the connection and took a long drink of wine.

“Shisui asked us to save you from his boring conversational skills,” Asuma said, easily. “Welcome
to The Hidden Leaf. I hear your home is near the ocean?”

Sakura nodded. “I like the forests,” she said. “I miss seeing the giant trees of my youth and when
Shisui and I met a few months ago, he suggested I come for a visit.”

“There are forests by the ocean?” Kakashi asked skeptically.

“No. It’s been a long time since I saw the forests— my grandparents were from this area.” She took
another drink from her wine. “They’ve been gone a long time now.”

“It figures, you always have a way of getting people depressed, Kakashi,” Genma grumbled.

Kakashi gestured to the pitcher of beer the waitress just set on their table with the empty glasses.
“Puts you in the mood to drink free beer,” he pointed out.

“How are you affording this, Uchiha? Did you get a raise of some sort or inherit some pot of gold
from some rainbow?” Asuma asked. “You’re always so stingy with your money — it’s a little
unusual.”

Shisui rubbed his shoulder against Sakura’s playfully, eliciting a small giggle. “Sakura and I got
lucky at the nearby gambling hall. Made a small fortune — wore out our welcome, but filled our
pockets nicely.”

“My aunt was quite the gambler,” Sakura explained. “She used to take me with her when she was
supposed to be babysitting.” She grinned ruefully. “You pick up on things.”

“My aunt just cooks cinnamon rolls. I’ve watched plenty of times, but trust me, you don’t want to
eat anything I make!” Shisui laughed.

Kakashi knew he was staring. He could feel the woman’s discomfort. But there was something he
couldn’t quite place, something nagging at the back of his mind.

“Doesn’t wearing a mask make it hard to drink?” Sakura asked, turning towards him. She
nervously toyed with the silver bangles on her wrists, under the table and Kakashi resisted the urge
to seize them for a closer inspection.

“No,” Kakashi answered. To prove his point he slid the glass just under his mask and carefully
sipped. It had taken some practice, but he’d been doing it since he was four and his mother died.
His father had said he was emotional — as if it was unreasonable for a four year old to grieve. So
Kakashi started wearing a mask. And as he grew older, and the face that looked back at him in the
mirror looked more and more like his father — he continued to wear the mask.

“I suppose it’s our loss,” Sakura said a faint smile on her lips as she looked back down to her empty
glass.

“So what kind of work are you in, Sakura?” Asuma asked.

“She’s a healer,” Shisui answered before she could. “You have a headache? Sakura-chan is a whiz
at mixing up just the right blend of herbal teas to take that pain right away.” He started to laugh and
hit his hand on the table. “Oh boy, you remember that time I got stung by the jellyfish on my leg
and I asked you to pee on it? You said there were better ways to treat the sting.”

“You asked a girl to pee on you?” Genma asked. “I mean, I’m not even brazen enough to ask for
that.”

“Well, technically urine is sterile,” Sakura explained. “But using it on a jellyfish sting can actually
trigger the release of more venom. Vinegar is the preferred solution — it’s acidic nature neutralizes
it.”

“That sounds very scientific,” Kakashi murmured.

Sakura angled herself towards him, her thigh pressed against his knee more fully. Her shyness
seemed to melt away when she started talking medicine — he found that interesting. “The scar on
your face — I can make you a salve that will help it fade. If you’re interested.”

“I—-,” Kakashi clenched his hands over his thighs to keep from automatically touching the scar
that bisected his left eye or his headband that hid his Sharingan. “No, thanks.” When he clenched
his right hand, his fingers brushed against the bangle on Sakura’s arm. “That’s a nice bracelet.”
“Yes, it is,” Sakura said, pulling her arm away. She shifted so that there was a slight space between
them. “It’s getting late, Shisui. I should head back.”

“I’ll walk you home,” Shisui said, starting to get up. He pulled out several bills from his wallet —
enough to cover the tab as well as a generous tip. They must have been very successful at gambling
earlier. “I have to head home soon anyway, got that clan meeting.”

“I can walk you home,” Kakashi offered. Everyone at the table started back at him in shock. “I
need to stretch my legs.”

“Um, sure, thank you,” Sakura said.

Shisui looked wary. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Sakura. Lunch at the Ramen place?”

“You bet,” Sakura agreed.

Kakashi stood and then offered his hand, but she ignored it and stood fluidly while pulling her skirt
down.

“Sorry, this dress is a little short. I appreciate the chivalrous effort though,” Sakura said, smiling
apologetically.

He shrugged. He didn’t really care if she took his hand or not, he was just hoping to see the bangles
a little better.

They walked side by side, the streets weren’t crowded at this time of night. He let her lead and they
walked in silence, but it didn’t seem awkward. Kakashi finally identified the oddity that was
tugging on his subconscious. “You smell like lilies and orange blossoms.”

He caught the faint amused up curve of her lip before she could school her face. “I forgot to pack
shampoo so had to pick up that blend from the local store.”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. That was a lie. Or at least, if Pakkun’s difficulty in finding that
particular shampoo was accurate, highly unlikely. He’d visited the flower shop earlier, but they
didn’t keep track of the individualized bouquets.

“Well, this is me,” Sakura said gesturing towards an apartment complex known for short-term
rentals. “Thank you for walking me, Hatake-san.”

“You can call me Kakashi,” he told her. Hatake-san had been his father. He sat on the bench across
the street from her residence and spread his arms on either side of the backrest. “Genma said you
were interested in me. Is that true?” He patted the bench invitingly.

“I —uh— your reputation precedes you,” Sakura admitted. She sat down stiffly beside him. “And I
suppose I have a soft spot for battered souls.” She turned towards him and he thought he saw that
flash of jade again. “You seem lonely, Kakashi.”

He arched his silvery eyebrows. “And you’re volunteering to ease my loneliness?”

She stared at him for a long time in silence, studying his face. “You’re different than I imagined,”
she whispered, almost to herself. “Good night, Kakashi. Feel free to join me and Shisui tomorrow
at Ichiraku Ramen. My treat if you come.”
“You must have done really well at the gambling hall,” Kakashi mused.

“Well enough.” Sakura stood and bowed briefly at him. “Thanks again.” Then she scampered off,
retreating into the safety of her apartment building.

Kakashi waited until the door shut behind her before he pricked his finger and summoned one of
his ninken— Shiba, a grey and white medium sized hound. “Keep an eye on the girl,” Kakashi
ordered. “There’s something more to her than meets the eye.”

Shiba gave an affirmative yip and then scampered off.

Kakashi leapt up onto the apartment building across the street. There were only three floors in her
complex— Shiba would determine which room was hers. Though, as he watched a room on the
third floor— its light switched on and he could see the silhouette of a female. Kakashi narrowed his
eyes when he saw the curtains close abruptly. He didn’t have to solve the mystery that night.

He passed by his own apartment and instead went to the old family home at the edge of the village
— this would make two nights in a row. He didn’t like visiting his ancestral home — too many
ghosts. He went through the basement of the main house and opened the safe. Nestled inside were
his mother’s silver bangles. He stowed the safe back in its hiding place and rubbed his forehead.
“Just a coincidence. Of course she didn’t have mom’s bangles.”
.
.
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 Top Shelf
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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.
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Kakashi

It was the cold wet nose and the crick in his neck that woke Kakashi up just as the first rays of
dawn broke the horizon and filtered down from the tall trees of the forest. He opened his eyes to
see the curious gaze of his pug ninja dog staring down at him. “You know, if you’re going to keep
summoning us — the least you can do is have some decent food,” Pakkun whined. He lifted his
back foot and scratched under his chin.

Kakashi sat up and stretched his neck to either side. Apparently, he’d fallen asleep outside of his
ancestral home. It had been a long while since he’d drank alcohol. “I didn’t realize I was such a
light-weight now,” he murmured. He did remember summoning Pakkun and Biscuit before he fell
asleep on top of his mother’s grave.

He grimaced. It wasn’t like him to be so sentimental. Maybe the stress was starting to get to him.
He’d buried his conscience down deep, but just a day hanging out with Asuma threatened to
unravel the tight control he’d kept his emotions in check. Then there was the girl—woman — she
was the same age as him. He picked up one of the lilies and absently ran his fingers over the soft
white flower. “Sorry, Pakkun. I’ll go pick up some food this morning.”

The pug yipped. “As you should. And the shampoo— you promised.”

“I said I would try, I didn’t promise.” Kakashi stood and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

“Try harder. Remember, I know where you keep your prized book collection,” the dog warned.

Those Icha Icha books were sometimes the only reason he was able to get through the atrocities
he’d seen. “You wouldn’t dare.”

That short stubby tail wagged eagerly. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Fine, fine. I’m going.” Kakashi brushed the dirt off his pants and headed inside the house to wash
off. He needed groceries anyway. His apartment pantry was empty since he’d been off on missions
so much lately. “I’ll see you at the apartment later then.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Pakkun said, before disappearing in a puff.

Half-asleep, Kakashi ambled into the village market store. He went straight for the shampoo aisle,
otherwise he’d forget Pakkun’s special request. After coming up empty, he found a clerk who said
the orange blossom and lily scent was unavailable. There had been a shortage due to a drought in
the east that reduced the orange crop that year.

Kakashi felt his mood sullen. He did not appreciate being lied to, much less by someone he just
met. He knew that woman was suspicious. And wouldn’t you know it? As he stood at the end of the
pet food aisle there she was.

Halfway down the aisle, Sakura stood on her tiptoes— midriff exposed — trying to reach the steak
chunk wet dog food cans. It was Shiba’s favorite — Kakashi watched her through narrowed eyes.
Was she trying to bribe the dog he sent to spy on her? And how did she know that was his favorite.
The aisle was full of different brands and types of food. What were the odds? Only Pakkun could
speak— so it wasn’t like she could ask Shiba.

His anger slowly started to ease into amusement. It was becoming comedic as she continue to
struggle to reach the top shelf. She even attempted a tiny jump, which when she failed, her obvious
growl of annoyance did make him crack a smile.

Sakura looked over, suddenly self conscious about her failed attempts and her cheeks immediately
flushed upon spying him. “Oh! Um, hi, Kakashi,” she grimaced. “I don’t suppose there’s a chance
you didn’t see that?”

“I definitely saw that.” He sighed and walked towards her, he stood so close that her hair, loose
about her shoulders brushed against the base of his neck and he pulled down a can of the steak
chunk dog food. “Is this what you were going for?”

He held it just out of reach and she turned, her chest grazing against his as she extended her hand to
his wrist and pulled the can to her level— and that’s when he saw past the Genjutsu — eyes jade
green, hair —pink of all things, her face was much prettier, and she was toned — rarely did he see
even elite kunoichi with that level of definition, and there was an odd purple diamond shaped seal
on her forehead. He sucked in a breath and resisted trying to let her know he could see her true self,
maybe she’d assume he was surprised by the feel of her nipples against his chest. He didn’t think
she’d noticed it yet.

“While keep away has never been fun even on the best of days, it’s just rude.” Sakura huffed and
finally caught hold of his wrist and grasped it during his moment of distraction. She still couldn’t
quite yank the can from his hand. He held his arm firmly raised, even with the additional hundred
pounds of weight she used against him. “Tall people always like to lord over us smaller people!”

“Why are you getting dog food?” Kakashi asked, not stepping back. Let her be the one to back
down, step back from his deadly aura. She had to be uncomfortable this close to him. He tried to
not think about how her height at 5’5 worked really well with his height of 6’0. And he was really
appreciating the size of her bosom. Those breasts of hers would fit perfectly in his hands.

She met his gaze, suddenly brazen and mildly irritated, clutching the can and his wrist. “Well, last
night I found a stray dog had wandered into my building. The poor guy— if the manager had
discovered him, he would surely have locked him up.”

“So what did you do with this dog? Help it go back outside? Seems dangerous to interact with wild
dogs,” Kakashi pointed out. She still didn’t move out of his space. Did she not notice that they were
chest-to-chest and she still held his wrist?
“He’s definitely someone’s pet,” Sakura said, only then seeming to realize their position — she
hastily stepped back.

“So, that shampoo? The store doesn’t have any,” Kakashi said, ready for her excuse.

“Oh. I actually brought it from home. Did—did you want to try it? I can give it to you and switch to
something else,” Sakura suggested.

“You don’t like it anymore?” Kakashi asked. “What happened? Did Shisui pee in it?” He asked,
referencing the weird jellyfish story from the night before.

She giggled. It was a little cute. “I alternate with another brand.” She stuck the can into the
shopping basket she’d sat on the floor and then picked it up. There was also a coloring book and
crayons inside that she tried ineffectively to hide from his notice.

“What’s the scent of the other brand? I kind of like the way you smell,” Kakashi answered,
enjoying the flush of her cheeks. Seeing past her illusion was a nice way to improve the morning —
she was even more expressive than he was. He certainly understood Shisui’s attraction to her — no
doubt the Uchiha prodigy and Master of Genjutsu was aware of Sakura’s true appearance as well.
Which meant that Shisui, the second ranked member of Anbu knew Sakura was a kunoichi and still
invited her into the middle the Hidden Leaf’s social scene. And made up a back story? Or was it
true? Curious.

“Oh, it’s just a combination of vanilla and gardenia,” Sakura answered. “Though,” she looked up at
him and her eyes were definitely mischievous. “I do like the smell of jasmine and sandalwood.”

“Hm, me too,” Kakashi agreed. He felt a little weird — talking about dogs and smells. What kind
of conversation was this? He didn’t do small talk, but this felt surprisingly easy. He reached over
her and grabbed a few more cans of the steak chunks and placed them in her basket — if she was
going to feed Shiba — he wasn’t going to complain. It would allow his ninja dog the opportunity to
watch her closely and give a more thorough report. Then Kakashi pulled a few lamb chunk cans for
his own basket — Pakkun and Biscuit liked that flavor best. “Alright, show me this alternative
shampoo of yours. If you’ll smell just as nice with it, I will take you up on your generous offer of
giving me the limited in supply stuff you brought from home.”

“Um, okay,” Sakura agreed. She gave him a side-long glance as they fell into step together. “I
wouldn’t have pictured you shopping this early in the morning. I figured you’d go back to the bars
and be sleeping in past noon.”

“Ah,well, all the interesting people had already left,” Kakashi said, glancing down at her. He shot
his arm in front of her and she rammed into him with an “umph.” There was a wet floor sign in
front of them — he’d almost missed it himself and she’d definitely not been paying attention. He
kept his face neutral, but his arm happened to be at level with her breasts and she wasn’t wearing a
bra and this time she seemed to realize it. “Careful,” he warned — the warning had several layers.

Sakura stepped back and sucked in a breath through her teeth. “I’ll meet you in the shampoo aisle
in a minute. I’ve got to get something else real quick.” She retreated and he watched her hurry
away from him.

He continued on his way to the shampoo and picked up a box of protein bars on the way. When she
came back, he noticed bandages in her basket — likely for binding her breasts — it’s what most
kunoichi did. Such a shame. He’d already picked up the gardenia and vanilla scent and it was nice.
He would prefer if Sakura and Pakkun didn’t smell alike. He dumped it into her basket without a
word.

“Do—do you think you’ll be joining Shisui and I at the Ichiraku for Ramen later?” Sakura asked,
there was something in those jades irises that implored him. Why was she so desperate to talk to
him? Weren’t they talking now?

“I have a full slate today — it’s why I’m shopping so early.” Kakashi wasn’t sure why he didn’t just
tell her no. He seemed to like talking to her. Maybe it was the way she looked at him — like she
knew him— really knew him. Or maybe because the last time he’d chatted with a woman, he had
to skewer her with his blade a few hours later and he didn’t have to kill Sakura — at least not yet.

“I can cook for you— a meal — dinner tonight or tomorrow?” Sakura said, a determined set to her
jawline.

“Look, Sakura, I am not someone you want to become romantically interested in. I am flattered —
sincerely.” Kakashi waited for the deflating of those shoulders at his casual rejection. He had
enjoyed the flirtatious dance with her the past two days, but that’s all it would be. She didn't look
bothered by the rejection at all. That might have bruised his ego just a tad.

“That’s fine, Kakashi. I just—I would really like to talk to you — somewhere private,” Sakura
explained. “It’s very important.” She held up the bangles, close enough for him to really recognize
them. They were exactly like his mother’s bangles, but he knew those were secured in the family
safe. “I know these look familiar. I can explain them.”

“Hm. If you really want to talk to me, meet me at the Memorial tomorrow morning - before sunrise.
And if you want to bring a breakfast picnic — I wouldn’t complain” Kakashi stepped back and
lifted a hand in salute before he headed towards the check out. “Don’t forget the shampoo.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

Sakura had spent the last six and a half days living in the past. She’d finally met her desired allies
— Itachi and Shisui were both aware of the impending doom of the Uchiha clan. Now she just
needed to get Kakashi to trust her — and help her. Stopping the massacre was imperative, not just
postponing it. And that meant involving the Third Hokage and the Jonin of the Leaf— Kakashi was
her necessary ally. The decision shouldn’t be up to her about the leader of Anbu — Danzo Shimura.
Honestly, she didn’t know the man, but Sai and Sasuke knew him and told her a lot. She’d been
able to go through the archives and she had met him a few times when she’d been doing her
apprenticeship with Master Tsunade. He was a scary dude.

It was mid-day Saturday and the Ninja Academy was closed. Sakura had hoped that maybe Naruto
would be at the same restaurant. She couldn’t risk breaking into his apartment again. Shisui had
chided her about it when they’d gone shopping the other day. He’d helped her find the most
beautiful kettle — white with purple etched plum blossoms. The purple made her think of Sasuke
— it had been two years since she last saw him. After his recovery from the last battle, they spent a
lot of time together — she had her first kiss—- kisses. She had expected fireworks, but it was a
chaste affair — nothing like Ino described. The quiet, thoughtful, intelligent boy she remembered
was still there —-once the anger had dissipated he’d returned. The sadness was always there. She
told him about her mental health clinic plan and he’d been supportive, but said it wasn’t something
he was interested in looking into personally. He had to deal with his feelings in his way. So he
poked her forehead and left with a vague promise to return.

However, after two years, she didn’t long for his return. She worried for him constantly and her
heart ached for the unbearable sadness he must have felt. And when she’d come across the
knowledge of the time device in the archives — she thought she could finally help him. Naruto was
good — he had Hinata, Sai had Ino, and Kakashi — he was Hokage and had the support of the
entire village. Sasuke was all alone.

Near the front of Ichiraku Ramen, Master Iruka and Naruto were eating at the bar. It really warmed
her heart to see exactly how much Master Iruka really cared for Naruto. He was probably the only
adult to show her friend affection when he was young. She had brought the little gift in her bag—
on the off chance she saw him there during lunch.

Naruto wouldn’t recognize her. The other night— he saw a redhead with blue eyes, he wouldn’t
connect her to a nondescript brunette. Just another stranger showing him a little interest.

Shisui saw her and waved her over to the table he’d reserved for them. She walked past Naruto and
joined her new friend. “Good afternoon, Sakura-chan.” He gestured towards the menu. “I don’t
normally eat this kind of food— do you have a suggestion?”

“Tonkotsu Ramen,” Sakura suggested. “It’s braised pork belly — you’ll love it.”

“Why I do think I will.” Shisui offered her the menu. “Not sure if you need this — you seem to
already know your options.”

“I always get the same thing,” Sakura agreed. “When you find perfection —why try other things?”

Shisui chuckled. “I’ve not found perfect before, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Well, you’re about to find out. I’m also getting the Tonkotsu Ramen — it is both mine and
Sasuke’s favorite. We used to come here a lot with our other teammate.” Her gaze drifted towards
the back of Naruto’s head. “And let’s just say, our pallets are different yet we agreed on the perfect
Ramen.”

“Did you just try it because he liked it and you had a crush on him?”Shisui asked.

“Actually, no.” She turned to face her lunch companion. “He’d never had Ramen before and asked
me to order for him — very petulant. Kind of like Itachi when he brought the cinnamon rolls. He
never bothered to try anything else.”
Shisui braced his elbow on the table and lowered his voice. “Sakura, is Sasuke your boyfriend? Is
that why you’re doing this?”

Sakura didn’t really have a label for Sasuke. He was precious to her, that’s all she could describe it
as. “We were, for a short while after the war. But then he left, needing to sort out his mixed feelings
about his actions — he wasn’t always on our side. We actually tried to kill each other a few times.”

A dark eyebrow raised at that. “I think if either of you had truly wanted the other dead— we
wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“I’m only alive because of my other two teammates.” She looked back towards the familiar unruly
blond hair and slipped her hand back into her bag for the coloring book. She started to get up, but
was interrupted when the waitress arrived and brought their food.

Shisui took his first spoonful and sat back with a satisfied smack of his lips. “Okay, that is
flavorful.” He laid his hand gently on her forearm, not exactly restraining, but a warning. “I really
don’t think you should be interacting with him.”

“It is a simple act of kindness. He won’t remember the person, but he’ll remember the feeling.”
Sakura slipped her arm free and with a determined stride she stopped at Naruto and Iruka’s place at
the bar. The school teacher looked up at her warily— did random adults approach them to harass
Naruto? That idea hadn’t ever crossed Sakura’s mind. It made her even more sad for her friend. But
there he was, sweet, young Naruto — with a mouth full of noodles— that he swallowed noisily. His
eyes wide on her in surprise.

Sakura smiled. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I bought this coloring book for my nephew and he
already has it. Would you like it?” She held it out towards Naruto as well as the box of fresh
crayons. “It’s just a bunch of cute animals, but I always enjoyed coloring when I was your age. I’d
hate for it to go to waste.”

His bright blue eyes shown brighter and he turned towards Iruka, looking for permission, but it was
very obvious he wanted it. His teacher nodded and Naruto eagerly held out his hands for the gift.
“Th-thank you,” Naruto whispered, already thumbing through the pages. He glanced back up at her
and his lips trembled as he smiled. “And please, tell your nephew thank you too.”

“Of course. Enjoy, young one,” Sakura said, stepping back towards her lunch companion and
relieved that Naruto was more interested in the book than in the deliverer.

“You’ve got to stop doing that,” Shisui whispered when she took the seat next to him.

“I used to love coloring when I was his age. I think all kids love coloring.” Sakura smiled absently
as she spooned up the broth from her ramen.

“Are you trying to endear your younger self to him? Give you something in common?” Shisui
asked. “He does seem lonely.”

“I look back and wish I had been nicer to him,” Sakura admitted. “I felt so out of place — my
parents were civilians and everyone else at the academy came from shinobi clans.”

“Really? Your parents are civilians? What’s that like?” Shisui asked. “That’s hard for me to
imagine.” He gestured towards his face and hair. “Big noble family and all.”
“I think it’s why I gravitated towards Sasuke at first — besides that he seemed a thoughtful boy. He
was always so sure of his identity,” Sakura admitted. “Plus, he was just confident in his abilities. I
wasn’t sure of my identity or confident in my abilities. Sasuke-kun was always magnetic. I guess
everyone thought so— he was a popular boy.”

“You sure seem confident now, at least by the amount of accolades you spouted off earlier,” Shisui
pointed out. “So, I would like to look into your eyes. You have to let me in though.”

Sakura nodded. She knew how the Sharingan worked roughly. If she and Shisui wanted to talk
privately, they could do it inside their minds with the Sharingan— a few moments of a stare could
be hours inside their heads. And after peering into the crimson and black whirlpool, she found
herself standing at the beach.

“There’s the jellyfish,” Shisui said, pointing towards a stranded purple-pink creature with long
tentacles. “Don’t get too close, it will sting here too. Your brain will still acknowledge the pain
receptors.”

Sakura walked towards the shoreline, suddenly her shoes were gone and the cool water nipped at
her bare feet. “How did things go with the clan meeting?” It was a coral beach — crystal clear
water unlike the sandy beaches she’d visited in her youth.

“They went from bad to worse,” Shisui admitted. “My uncle, Itachi’s father, is just brimming with
anger. It’s gotten worse since the Fourth died. They’d both been the most likely candidates for
Hokage — Fugaku of the Wicked Eye was also a big hero in the Third War. When Sarutobi took
back over the mantle, he was beyond pissed. It was the Uchiha’s time to shine. I don’t think I can
reason with him.” He pointed at his eyes. “But I have an ability with my eyes to force someone to
do my will — I used the coercive eye on you — it’s effect is limited to a short duration. My other
eye, the effect lasts for ten years, but it takes a long time to charge. I could, use it on the entire clan.
It’s very powerful.”

“But, how would Danzo even know about your ability? He’s not an Uchiha,” Sakura argued.

Shisui grimaced. “Because I used it before — six years ago. After Lord Fourth died, I made
everyone — well, almost everyone — forget who Naruto’s parents were. They just have a general
dislike for him because they know the Nine Tails attack and him are somehow related.”

“That’s awful,” Sakura whispered.

“I know. It wasn’t my idea, but I was the instrument to make it reality.” He stared off towards the
ocean, the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I can use the power again — on quite a few
people, but since it hasn’t been a full ten years, it won’t be quite as effective.”

“You were twelve years old. Of course it wasn’t your fault. But that explains why Danzo wants
your eyes,” Sakura realized. “That kind of ability would keep him in power — well — until Sasuke
finally kills that bastard.”

“Good for little cuz,” Shisui said grinning, tucking away any darker thoughts. “But, since I am not
keen on dying — I have an idea. Your time travel turtle will be all charged up in about a week —
what if we hide some of the clan in the future? I think your friends will help them, and if not, they
can get by for a fortnight or two. While they’re tucked safely out of harm’s way, we can battle the
clan that is antagonistic. Surely, the Third will use Jonin to stand for Konoha — and I think you
could be really useful too in that battle and if we can convince Kakashi — I know others would
follow.” He grimaced. “You’ll have to commit to staying here longer though.”

Sakura shrugged. “That’s fine. There’s no point in going home — if it still exists — if I don’t
succeed.”

“Alright, so we just need to make sure Danzo doesn’t get wind of this,” Shisui said.

“Do you know about Root?” Sakura asked.

“Do I know about what?” Shisui asked.

“Danzo’s covert Anbu operations,” she explained. “Root. Where he places a seal on the shinobi’s
tongues so they cannot speak about what they see or do? They are completely at his mercy? He
starts with young orphaned children and twists their minds?”

“He has another operation besides the regular Anbu? That’s—-but, Anbu is supposed to be for the
covert operations,” Shisui protested. “And it’s certainly not supposed to involve children, well,
sometimes it does, like me and Itachi and Kakashi were adolescents when we joined, but that was
unusual circumstances.”

“It’s even darker,” Sakura said. “My friend Sai grew up in Root. His emotions are so damaged. He
doesn’t know how to react to anything correctly.”

Shisui frowned. “I had no idea. Shit. This may be harder than I thought.” He threw his hands into
the air, passed by a large conch on the beach and kicked it into the ocean. “Fuuuuuck!”

Sakura laughed. “You really have such a foul mouth.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have a mom to teach me manners, so you get what you get.” Shisui shoved his
hands into his pockets and stared out at the ocean. “Just when I think I’ve got a good plan, you
unravel another layer.” He leaned down and collected a handful of shells and started tossing them
into the ocean. “Kakashi did seem interested in you last night — when he offered to walk you home
that surprised me.”

“I ran into him this morning at the market too,” Sakura admitted, blushing at the memory. She
could feel Shisui’s curious look. “I wasn’t wearing a bra— I only brought two and he inadvertently
got a good feel of my boobs.”

Shisui stated laughing so hard, tears streamed down his face. “How does someone accidentally
fondle you in the middle of a grocery store, Sakura-chan?”

“Well, he was holding the dog food out of reach and then he tried to stop me from walking on the
wet floor,” she explained.

“Okay, never mind, I mean, you did answer the door in those skimpy pajamas the other day.” Shisui
waved his hand dramatically and the beach scene vanished and was replaced by one of the Konoha
training grounds. “Okay, Sakura-chan! You know, I absolutely adore you, but we have only known
each other for five days. That’s asking a lot of me to put the fate of my clan into your hands.”

“Was waving your hand necessary to change the environment?” Sakura didn’t know all the
mechanics of the Sharingan, but that seemed like a wasteful movement.
“Of course not!” Shisui scoffed. “It just looks cool. Now, I assume you know taijutsu — show me.
And what are your elements? Special attacks? You said you’re a medic — how good?”

“Ah, well, I’ve healed an entire army of the Five Great Shinobi Alliance at one time —- I used my
summoning contract and split Lady Katsuyu into thousands of pieces. I can use chakra scalpels to
precisely cut any artery during the heat of battle — it can cause my opponent to bleed out
instantaneously,” Sakura explained.

“Okay, I’ve never seen a medic do that.”

“I learned that one from Orochimaru’s right hand man — he’s gone back and forth from ally to
foe.” She tapped her chin, thinking how best to describe her skills. “I have precise chakra control
— Kakashi Sensei thinks it’s better than anyone alive. I have super strength — I can shatter a
mountain with one punch. I have a sensory skill — honestly that one is new. I can lay my hand on
the ground and using a surge of chakra can map out the environment. It’s how I found the time
artifact — it had been buried pretty deep into the earth. And Genjutsu — I’m immune, Lady
Tsunade says it’s because I have a firm grasp on reality.”

Shisui leaned over, hands braced on his knees and started laughing against— a slow chuckle at first
that evolved into full on belly rolls.

“Why are you laughing? I’m sorry I don’t have a Raisengan or a Lightning blade at my disposal,
and I can’t call forth a water dragon. Trust me, these skills are rather effective,” Sakura retorted,
hands on hip, feeling extremely annoyed.

“Oh, no! It’s the name dropping. Kakashi Sensei? He wasn’t just your team leader?” Shisui
straightened and shook his head, working hard to wipe the smile from his face. “He was your
teacher? The deadliest shinobi of the Leaf? He hates people. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he loves
his dogs. I guess he must mellow out. That explains why you trust him so fully. And Princess
Tsunade — she’s the future Hokage?” He wiped his hands down his face. “She’s been missing for
years—-wait. Is she how you learned to gamble?”

“She’s not very good at it,” Sakura admitted with a cringe. “So, I had to learn to be. Master
Tsunade is also extremely competitive, so we’d practice card games. She’s a very sore loser.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good combination.” Shisui turned to survey the field and the scene
shifted. They were now on the side of an uneven mountain with tall skinny trees growing out the
steep slopes. Random ledges and boulders all around.

“It’s not, she has quite the temper.” Sakura thought back to her Master’s genial medical bedside and
her contrasting battle mode. “But, she also gets bored. I would memorize the cards and make sure
we always tied. She’d lose interest and we’d be able to get back to work.”

“Okay, and that—“ Shisui said, touching her forehead seal with his index finger. “What does that
do? I get that it stores chakra and so you can access a lot of power.”

Sakura swept away his hand. “When Creation Rebirth is activated I can have my arm blown off and
grow a new one in seconds.”

Shisui shook his head slowly, eyes wide in amazement. “All I’ve got is some taijutsu, body flicker
technique, high natural chakra reserves, and my ocular powers. I’m feeling a little lame and lazy
now.”
“When you’re teamed up with such natural talent and huge chakra reserves, you have to adapt.”
Sakura hugged herself, feeling the insecure twelve year old girl threatening to re-emerge. “I didn’t
want to be left behind anymore. They were always protecting me.”

“We can do some taijutsu later — we do have some time. You said the massacre is due in a little
over a month. My uncle is planning his uprising in six weeks. The clan is currently training and
there are several more meetings. I’m hoping I can use my powers to change their mind.” Shisui
scratched his head. “I like to prevent bloodshed when I can.”

“It’s your family.”

“Exactly, still my small-minded, bitter, antagonistic family.” He cleared his throat. “So, about
smashing the mountain and leveling this forest? I’d like to see how efficient you are.” He looked at
her bare hands and a pair of black fingerless gloves materialized. “Sorry for further intruding, but I
could see them in your thoughts.”

Hours later from their standpoint, thirty seconds in the real world, later, the lunch companions
quietly ate their ramen back inside Ichiraku. Naruto was excitedly showing Iruka the animals he
planned to color first. Sakura felt her heart lurch when she heard her name come from the boy’s
mouth. “And I think Sakura-chan will like this one, don’t you think?”

“You know, Naruto, I think she would. That’s very kind of you to think of her,” Iruka said, patting
him encouragingly on the back. He pointed at another page. “And I think Hinata would really like
this one.”

“Hm, okay. I guess I could color one for her too. It’s just — she’s kind of weird — always staring at
me and she never says anything.” Naruto closed the book and focused on his meal.

“Soooo,” Shisui drawed out the vowel and waited for Sakura to focus on him. “When are you
meeting your Sensei again?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at the term.

“Don’t say it like that,” Sakura scolded, reaching over and hitting him gently on the shoulder. “I’m
bringing him breakfast tomorrow. Why?”

“You should ask him to spar. I think — if he sees your taijutsu, he’ll agree. He’d at least be curious.
And if he hasn’t already figured out that you’re one of us,” he said referencing her status as a
shinobi, “then you’ll just have to straight out tell him.”

“He does seem to think I’m a suspicious person,” Sakura mused. He had one of his ninja dogs
spying on her. She toyed with her spoon, swirling a clump of bean sprouts and tiny corn cobs.

“That’s probably my fault. I don’t normally take an interest in damsels in distress,” Shisui said.
“I’m not sure how believable our backstory is to be honest, but not too many people will question a
teenage guy’s interest in a pretty woman — but we both know he will and likely the two big guys.”
He referenced Kakashi and the big guys were Lord Third and Danzo. They had decided it was
smartest to avoid saying their names in case anyone overheard their conversation.
.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

No sooner had Kakashi dropped off the groceries at his apartment than a masked Anbu guard
knocked on his front door. “Hatake, you have been summoned by Lord Third,” the man behind the
Raccoon mask announced. “Jonin attire.”

When the guard didn’t move Kakashi realized he meant now. Without a word, he followed after
towards the Hokage tower. Hiruzen Sarutobi invited Kakashi to his office and sealed the room for
privacy. Not even the Hokage’s two assistants were in the room.

“It’s been a while, Kakashi,” Sarutobi greeted. “I hardly see you now that you’ve been working
under Danzo.”

“He keeps me busy.” Kakashi stood directly in front of the Hokage’s desk — the portraits of the
First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage displayed on the far wall. He resisted the urge to stare at
Minato’s portrait. It had been years since his death— Kakashi was now the same age his Sensei had
been when he’d lead his team with Obito and Rin. Seventy-five percent mortality — that was the
survival rate for a Konoha shinobi.

“I personally requested you, so he should be giving you a break between missions for at least a few
weeks,” Sarutobi said. “I don’t usually read over the Anbu mission reports, but some of your recent
work has been especially brutal. It’s okay to request a break between assignments.”

“It’s not necessary. I like to keep busy,” Kakashi assured him. “How may I help you, Lord Third?”

“Have a seat Kakashi. I want to explain my position to you— no doubt Danzo has been poisoning
your opinion of me.”

Kakashi had been standing at attention, his posture ram-rod straight and shoulders back. With the
offer of sitting, he practically melted into the large overstuffed chair. His back was still sore from
having spent the night in the family graveyard. “Thank you, Sir.”

“First, let me explain why I chose Minato Namikaze for the Fourth Hokage position and not
Fugaku Uchiha. While Minato was young, he was powerful, intelligent, kind, and optimistic about
a future beyond warfare Fugaku looks good on paper, but his interest was in securing Konoha’s
status as the top Hidden Village and improving the Uchiha reputation. The Hokage needs to be
strong physically, wise mentally, but love and protect the youth of Konoha— they are the future
and the reason we fight. Itachi had just been born and I thought Fugaku should focus on his family
— he was already the clan leader of the Uchiha.”

“So, why didn’t you name him Hokage six years ago after Minato died?” Kakashi asked. He’d
always wanted to know and frankly Danzo had painted the Third into a very unfavorable light.
“I had considered it, but the council and the daimyo believed the Uchiha clan was responsible for
the attack. Instead of promoting Fugaku, I could only watch as the entire clan was forced to the
outskirts of the village and further ostracized.” Hiruzen turned to stare at the portraits of his fellow
Hokage behind him. “Being Hokage isn’t necessarily a privilege, Kakashi. It is often times a
burden. You’re known for being a strong strategist and expert warrior and suddenly you’re in
charge of the administration of a village? Fugaku’s role as Police Chief and Clan Leader of one of
the noble clans is far more important for the future of Konoha.”

Sarutobi turned back towards Kakashi. “You look just like him, you know?”

“Who?” Kakashi didn’t think anyone could say he looked like anyone — he wore a damn mask for
a reason.

“Lord Tobirama.” Hiruzen smiled faintly. “The Second Hokage was my hero and my leader. Most
people think of Lord Hashirama as the founder of Konoha — true he established a truce with
Madara Uchiha — but Tobirama is the one that created the very infrastructure of the village and
created so many of the ninjutsu techniques we use today. You wouldn’t know this, but Minato was
Tobirama’s grandson. And with the mother of the First and Second Hokages being of your Hatake
clan — he and you both favor that bloodline.”

“Then treating Naruto as you have makes even less sense,” Kakashi protested.

“I will share another secret with you, Kakashi.” Sarutobi rubbed his hands over his craggy face. “I
know my seeming neglect of Minato’s son is a sore spot for you — my wife and I cared for him in
our home until he was two and a half years old. It was after that, I had him moved to the apartment
and under Anbu care. My wife has a burning resentment against me for taking her precious little
Naruto away, but that is my burden, not yours.” He sounded so very tired.

“Oh,” Kakashi huffed. “That— is unfortunate.”

“I had a best friend once,” Sarutobi said, voice strong again. “Kagami Uchiha— the grandfather of
Shisui. He had an ability with his Sharingan where he could convince anyone to do anything.
Shortly after Lord Tobirama died and I became Hokage — Kagami and Danzo had gone on a
mission together. Only Danzo returned, claiming Kagami had died and then he’d burned his body.
And during this same battle supposedly Danzo lost an eye.” His gaze focused on Kakashi’s left eye
— the transplant from Obito. “As Hokage, I am subject to the whim of the daimyo and the opinions
of the council. Somehow, Danzo seems to always have them in his corner — a curious
coincidence.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” Kakashi asked. Learning the connection between the Second and
Fourth Hokage — and even himself was enough to try and wrap his head around. Danzo’s
ruthlessness and willingness to stoop to such low levels reminded him of —-“He sounds a lot like
Orochimaru.”

“Yes, he does,” Sarutobi said, sighing and leaning back in his chair. He truly looked old. “My old
student was also bitter when I chose Minato as my successor. I strongly suspect he will be the death
of me. But, I’m telling you this — because you are the future of Konoha, Kakashi Hatake.”

“Seems like a pretty bleak future if I’m in charge,” Kakashi pointed out.

“I can only imagine the horrors you’ve been through — and I’m sorry. And I suspect they aren’t
even over yet. I’ve had to place too much responsibility on your shoulders and those of Shisui and
Itachi Uchiha. It is rare to find The Will of Fire, but the three of you have it.” He drummed his
fingers over the desktop. “Frankly, it should have been your father helping me lead the village. I
never agreed with the cruel words that were said about Sakumo. And I honestly think Danzo,
empowered with Kagami’s stolen eye, implanted the idea of suicide. There is no way I will ever be
convinced that Sakumo would have left you alone in this world.”

The words felt foreign. For most of his life, Kakashi had bitter feelings about his father. How can
someone so highly esteemed stoop to such despair? He raised his hand to his left eye, Obito’s eye,
tears had fallen. Were they his tears or were they Obito’s tears?

“I asked Asuma to tell you that someone seems to have taken an interest in Naruto.” Sarutobi
changed the subject, there was no acknowledgment of Kakashi’s tears, nor the double streaks that
had fallen from Lord Third’s eyes either. “They’ve already broken into his apartment twice — once
to clean it and the second time to bring fresh groceries. They have snuck past Anbu guard assigned
to watch over the place to do their seemingly benign acts. However, I think they could be trying to
groom the boy.”

“If he wasn’t so damn lonely, maybe this wouldn’t be a problem,” Kakashi pointed out.

“Anbu was my only choice. At three he was eligible to start the academy where Iruka watches over
him. Mikotu Uchiha asked to adopt him. If it had been just Mikoto, I would have allowed it. Did
you know she named her youngest son after my father? She was teammates with Minato when they
were Genin. But I don’t trust Fugaku — especially when I didn’t consider promoting him into the
position of Hokage and after the Uchiha were forced to the village outskirts by the council.”

“So are you wanting me to guard Naruto?” Kakashi asked.

“No. I don’t want anyone to think you care about Naruto. It’s best if he’s mostly ignored —at least
until he’s able to defend himself. People cannot make the connection that he’s Minato’s son,”
Sarutobi explained.

“Why don’t people make the connection? He looks just like his father,” Kakashi asked. It had
always bugged him that no one seemed to acknowledge Naruto’s heritage.

“Shisui Uchiha — he used one of his ocular abilities to make people ignore the obvious when it
came to Naruto,” Sarutobi explained. “If people think you care about Naruto, they could use the
boy as a pawn.”

“I’m a shinobi.” Kakashi shrugged. “I’m already a pawn by definition.”

Sarutobi pursed his lips but had no response to the blunt truth. “Do you know about Root?”

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. “Like a tree root? It’s how nutrients are gathered from the soil.”

“No, smarty-pants. Root is the dark cell that Danzo runs within the Anbu organization —
underneath the underneath Danzo doesn’t think I know about it. I cannot ask Shisui to investigate—
Danzo is looking for an opportunity to steal the boy’s eye and he’s in danger.”

“Okay, well, he has mentioned that he thinks I would be a good fit to run Anbu one day,” Kakashi
admitted.
“I don’t think that’s your future, Kakashi Hatake,” Hiruzen said. “I think you’ll be Hokage one
day.”

Kakashi scoffed. He couldn’t even imagine a world where he was the Leader of the Leaf. “Making
the discovery of Root won’t be a surprise to Danzo if he’s considering my covert skills making me
ideal to take over leadership.” He wondered if Tenzo had been recruited to Root — it had been
some time since he’d seen the younger man and they were supposed to be teammates. “I’ll need an
ally though.”

“Name your partner,” Sarutobi said.

“I’ll have to think about it. Give me a few days,” Kakashi said.

“Of course,” Hiruzen agreed. “I’m officially transferring you to my personal guard for now. You
can come see me anytime.”

Kakashi nodded. “Am I dismissed?” His mind was racing with different questions and problems.
Who the hell could he trust to infiltrate the most secret, dark organization in his village? Did he
even trust anyone well enough for that? Foxy was barely holding on. Maybe Genma, but he was
defeated by the mysterious person visiting Naruto. Then there was the strange woman— Shisui’s
friend Sakura. Were they connected? She really was interested in him — perhaps he’d find out her
story in the morning.

“Yes,” Hiruzen answered. “You’re free to go. Kakashi, I value you. I know you’ve sacrificed a lot
for the Leaf. I hope that one day, you can live in a time of peace and all this horror will have been
worth it.”

“I doubt if either of us will see that day,” Kakashi said, before walking towards the door. He paused
and looked back at Lord Third. “I thank you for telling me all this — especially your theory about
my dad.”
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OoO

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Present Time…
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The door to the Hokage’s office flew open and Sasuke Uchiha stormed inside, brown poncho
billowing behind him, headband askew, and slammed his hand on top of Kakashi’s desk— papers
went flying everywhere. He loomed over the desk with a decidedly pissed and deadly aura. “Where
is Sakura?”
Shikamaru ambled in, posture relaxed and his tone bored. “Sorry, I thought about stopping him, but
I want to know too.” He closed the door behind him and did a sound-proofing chakra seal on the
room. He looked at the scattered documents and sighed before he sat next to Naruto at the assistant
desk. “It’s been a week since I dropped off that letter and you two and Sai took off like a bat out of
hell — only to return a couple of hours later, sullen and all hush-hush.”

“Welcome back, Sasuke,” Kakashi answered, his tone carefully neutral. “Perhaps if you had sent
word or come home sooner she would have been here waiting for you.”

Sasuke scowled. “I promised her I would return.”

“Two years ago!” Naruto shouted. “You could have at least sent her a letter, you jerk!”

Kakashi interrupted before the two could start fighting. “Sakura is on a mission— one authorized
by the Hospital Director and outside of my authority to stop.”

“But, Sakura-chan is the Hospital Director,” Naruto pointed out.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and examined the three young men gathered before him. They
weren’t the only ones demanding answers. Shizune and Ino had been banging on his door often.
Luckily, Lady Tsunade wasn’t yet aware. Sakura’s parents just assumed she was on a regularly
sanctioned mission — and he intended to keep it that way.

“Sakura found an artifact that allows for time travel,” Kakashi explained. He opened the secured
drawer of his desk and set the ice cold turtle out. “From the archives I was able to find on it— it
will allow a person or persons to travel backwards through time and then return to their original
timeline, assuming the turtle exists in the desired timeline. It takes at least two weeks to charge
between uses.”

“She left a week ago?” Sasuke asked. “Fine, I’ll go back for her. When did she go to? Did she
say?”

Kakashi pulled out the yellow envelop and handed it over to his former protege. Sasuke’s dark eyes
scanned the letter and his already pale face drained further of color. “She’s trying to prevent the
massacre of my clan?” He looked across at Kakashi — his face brimming with emotions. “But—-
that— won’t that change everything?”

“I don’t think we’ll even be aware of the changes, unless we ourselves go back into time and then
return to our current time. Then the memories from the diverging timelines would clash in our
brains,” Kakashi explained.

“What does that mean?” Naruto asked. “Because, I’m planning to go back and help her. She’s in
danger.”

“Yes, she’s in danger. And what that means is that when she returns and when whomever goes after
her returns, there’s a good chance they’ll suffer from psychosis from the mental strain,” Kakashi
explained.

“Then it should be me,” Sasuke declared. “I’ve already had a psychotic break and recovered. I can
do it again. The misguided fool is doing this for me. I can’t let her endanger herself any more.”
 Kakashi braced his elbows on the table and rested his chin on top of his folded hands. “I have been
running through the different scenarios in my head since last week. The more interference with the
past, the more uncertainty with the present. You three were children at the time, I’m the one that
has a clue what it was like back then.”

“No offense, Lord Sixth, but I didn’t volunteer,” Shikamaru pointed out.

“No, you’ll need to run the village while we go to rescue our teammate,” Kakashi said, looking
between Naruto and Sasuke. “Pick an animal boys, we’re going to be making your Anbu masks.
You’re officially promoted.”

“Does this mean I get one of those cool arm tattoos?” Naruto asked.

“I refuse to be branded,” Sasuke deadpanned.

“Tattoos are optional,” Kakashi assured them.

.
.
.
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Chapter End Notes

Alright, thanks for joining me on this ride so far! I'm really excited about this story and it's
been fun writing and plotting. I'll be taking a brief pause to finish up one of my other
stories (The Uchiha House Divided). That will give me time to flesh out these next five
chapters---which are mostly KakaSaku interactions.This story is rated M and I'm still trying
to decide just how dark I want to go with the infiltration of Root.
 Unruly Silver Hair
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura

When Sakura first woke up, she was disoriented. All she could see was a head of unruly silver hair
laid across her chest. Sometime during the night, Kakashi’s dog, Shiba, decided she was a worthy
snuggle buddy. The sweet canine had appreciated the dog food and treats she’d given him, but she
didn’t expect him to accept her quite this readily. It wouldn’t be good if Kakashi’s Ninja Hounds
offered their affection to anyone that fed them. He trusted them to be his allies.

“I’ll have to talk to Kakashi— make sure he’s feeding you,” Sakura murmured, scratching the dog
behind the ears. “Who’s a good dog? You are! You are!”

Shiba tried to lick her face in appreciation, but Sakura angled away from the determined dog with a
laugh. “Come on, we need to go visit your master. As much as I appreciate your company, I can’t
afford to get evicted from this place for having a pet.”

Shiba glared at her and gave a quiet bark of protest. “You’re right, you’re not a pet.You are a loyal
Ninja Hound of Konoha.” She gently touched his forehead protector. “They don’t just give these
away.”

Sakura leaned back against her pillow and stared at the ceiling. “I have no idea what Kakashi eats
for breakfast. He doesn’t care for sweets — so no pastries.” Shiba’s warm weight settled back on
her chest and Sakura ran her fingers through the soft fur while enjoyed the tickling sensation of the
wet nose against the base of her neck. “I’m a medical professional, so I should probably make
something nutritious with plenty of protein.”

She gently moved the dog aside again. “Well, let’s go, you might as well help me.”

The dog followed her into the kitchen and sat on the floor watching her carefully, his little tail
wagging all the while. As Sakura cracked open a few eggs one-handed, she giggled. “You know, I
think he sent you to spy on me, Shiba. Not to beg for food.”

Fifteen minutes later, Sakura had two omelets full of vegetables packed away, a container full of
oatmeal with blueberries and flax seeds, and a couple of oranges. On some of their missions they’d
have similar meals, so hopefully he’d like it okay. He generally turned his back on them to eat, but
his bowl was always empty afterwards.

She changed into a fresh outfit and then focused on her transformation genjutsu. Her hands formed
the familiar Dog, Boar, Ram. The plain brown eyed- brown haired girl she’d been disguised as
stared back at her. She would only wear it for a while longer. She hadn’t quite decided what to do
about her hair — dye it brown or keep it pink so people that had seen her before will just assume
the pink was the dye.

Shisui was right, she couldn’t maintain an illusion forever— not with an Uchiha Police force
roaming the streets. She was talented, but that was begging for trouble that she wanted to avoid.

“Okay, boy, let’s go.” Sakura opened her door and with Shiba at her side, started for the Memorial.
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OoO

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Kakashi

“I managed to sleep without nightmares last night,” Kakashi murmured. He stared at the engraving
of the stone at his best friend’s name. Obito Uchiha.

“I didn’t see you getting crushed and I didn’t see Rin stabbed through the heart with my own hands.
I didn’t see Minato and Kushina’s dead bodies cold and lifeless with their newborn son screaming
all alone. I didn’t see my father, dead with a pool of blood oozing out of him. Or my mom laying
cold in her grave with my dead brother in her arms— nope. Not a single nightmare. I slept without
a single thought in my head— well — except this girl. Woman really. Somehow, she’s befriended
your younger cousin — Shisui. I remember he was your favorite family member.”

Kakashi was silent after that. Obito never answered back — he very rudely stayed silent on the
other side of death. The chill of night prickled Kakashi’s skin - his arms bare in the early summer
morning. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

He wondered if Sakura was going to show up. She hadn’t caught the attention of the ever paranoid
Danzo yet, but it was only a matter of time. The old man had eyes everywhere. Life was easier
outside of the village. He was being torn between loyalties to the Hokage and to the leader of
Anbu. Weren’t Hiruzen and Danzo supposed to be friends? It was so much easier to just travel and
do a few assassinations.

He didn’t even have to talk to anyone most of those times.

The faint scent of lilies tickled his nose. Kakashi had inherited his mother’s keen sense of smell and
affinity for dogs. However, even he was caught off guard to see Sakura walking towards him with
Shiba — the dog he sent to spy on her — eagerly keeping pace at her feet.

“Your dog misses you,” Sakura said, sitting beside him on the grass and setting a small neatly
wrapped bundle on the ground. “Breakfast.”
“Traitor,” Kakashi quietly accused, scratching Shiba behind the ears. He kept his visible eye
focused on the dog. “Why do you think he’s my dog?”

“I know he’s your Ninja Hound,” Sakura said. “The forehead protector is adorable. He’s such a
good doggy.” She reached over and ruffled his fur, fingers brushed against Kakashi’s ever so
slightly.

He ignored the static electricity he felt the moment her skin touched his. He reached for the bundle
and unwrapped it. Neatly packed inside of a bento box was a very colorful omelet full of spinach,
tomatoes and mushrooms and within a small covered bowl oatmeal. A couple of oranges were
stashed in there loosely. “Thanks for the breakfast.” He held the box for a moment, not sure how to
eat in front of her.

“I’m going to be transparent, Kakashi.” Sakura took a deep breath and then dispelled her
transformation genjutsu. She waved her hand across her face. “Ta da, this is what I really look
like.” She was biting her lower lip nervously.

He already knew that. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Her eyes narrowed and the serene jade pools became molten infernos. “Okay?”

“Temper, temper,” he chided quietly. It was an amusing attitude metamorphose. It reminded him of
Obito’s easily aroused anger. “I saw past your transformation at the bar.” He tapped his scarred
cheek, under the eye hidden behind his forehead protector. “Pretty hard for a Genjutsu to stand up
to the scrutiny of the Sharingan.”

She stared at him and kept opening her mouth to say something then closing it. The uncertainty
dancing across her expressive face reminded him of why he wore a mask. She was way too
revealing. “I’m actually pretty hungry, do you mind? While you’re still trying to figure out what to
say?”

“Oh, right, you can’t eat with that damn mask,” Sakura muttered. “I’ll just sit behind you and you
can enjoy the fruits of my labor from when I slaved away for you over the stove this morning.” She
scooted and next thing he knew, her back was pressed against his and her arms were wrapped
around her legs.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and feeling reasonably comfortable, lowered his mask to eat the
omelet. If he was going to trust that she didn’t poison him, he’d trust her with this. He’d have
smelled poison — probably. Shiba wouldn’t let him eat poison— probably.

“Shisui said I should just lay it all out for you. He said you’ll smell bullshit a mile away,” Sakura
said, seeming to find her words easier now that she wasn’t looking at him. She seemed to press her
back against his more firmly. “Here’s the deal. I’m from the future, Kakashi— fourteen years from
now to be exact. You and I - we are precious friends. You gave me these bangles on my last
birthday, said they belonged to your mother. I’ll let you examine them after you eat if you want.”

Kakashi set the bowl down. Thankfully, he’d finished eating the omelet, otherwise he might have
choked in surprise. That was not the explanation he’d been expecting. “I see. How do we become
friends?”

“I don’t think I should tell you that. It might affect the future in ways I can’t comprehend,” Sakura
said. “Just believe me, we are.”
“What’s something I would have said that only a close friend would know?” Kakashi asked. He
still felt she was full of shit, but he couldn’t ignore the bangles. He didn’t even need to look at them
— he knew.

“Those that abandon their friends are worse than scum,” Sakura said.

Kakashi stiffened at those words. His gaze shifted towards Obito’s name on the Memorial. How
had she learned those words? “So what did my future self have to say about you time traveling?”

He could feel her shift uncomfortably against his back. “I wrote you a letter and tried to time travel
before you could tell me your thoughts.”

“Is that because tampering with the time space continuum is a foolish idea? And who knows what
sort of damage you’d do?” Kakashi slipped his mask in place. The meal had been good, but now it
churned in his stomach. What sort of impossible scenario was this? He turned towards her, grabbed
her shoulder and forced her to look at him.

“You tried to stop me — you arrived just in time to shout out to me. I still don’t know how you
managed to catch up.” Her face was open, honest, and anxious. She was telling the truth. “But if I
wasn’t supposed to to travel back — I wouldn’t have found the artifact and I wouldn’t have met
Shisui of all people on my second day here.”

“Why hasn’t anyone else followed you?” Kakashi asked. He grabbed one of her wrists and brought
the bangle closer for inspection. It was exactly like the one locked up in the family safe.

“There’s a recharge,” Sakura said slowly. “The soonest anyone can use the device is two weeks
apart— longer depending on the distance in time.”

“So why are you here?” He looked back into her eyes, not releasing her wrist. She didn’t pull away,
which surprised him. He knew he was looking at her with killer intent, he’d perfected that
menacing aura, yet she stared back at him calm and trusting. Was she really such a fool? Did she
not know who she was talking to?

“I’m here to stop the Uchiha Massacre.”

“How can anyone massacre the strongest clan in Konoha?” He released her wrist. “You’re
delusional. I appreciate the breakfast, and you taking care of my dog. Now, if you don’t mind —
I’ve got actual work to do.” He rose to his feet in a single fluid motion.

“Wait!” Sakura scrambled to her feet, less gracefully, but still quite quickly. “Fight me.”

“Excuse me?” Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow.

“Let’s spar. Let’s go to some training grounds somewhere. I’m a skilled kunoichi,” Sakura said.
“Let me prove to you that I’m an asset.”

Kakashi let his eye roam blatantly over her head to toe. “I don’t doubt you have a great ass, Sakura,
but I don’t have time for games. Next time Shisui wants to try and pull a fast one over me — tell
him not to bother.”

He did a substitution jutsu, leaving a log in his place. Smiling to himself as he imagined her
bewildered expression. He could feel Shiba dismiss himself with a pop.
Then a moment later, Sakura stood right in front of him, having done a substitution the same as him
and identifying his location. Most concerning, she held onto his wrist and he couldn’t move his
arm.

“What kind of monstrous strength is this? How did you find me?” Kakashi demanded. He started to
draw chakra into his arm, he’d singe her with some lightning — see if she held on then.

“Please, Kakashi. Don’t make me sever the nervous system in your arm — I mean — it would only
be temporary, but I’d rather not do it,” Sakura said. “I know you. I knew you’d do a substitution —
you love running away from messy entanglements. I found you, because I have perfect chakra
control and have the ability to scan the environment and map out the area and find certain objects
or people. And I have Monstrous strength because I’m the Apprentice of the Fifth Hokage. I am the
greatest medical ninja in my time.”

“You cannot access the Leaf training grounds without proper credentials,” Kakashi deadpanned. He
wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of hearing him shocked at her declarations. “If you really want to
spar, I have a few hours free — you did feed me.” And he tried not to show up on time to things—
being late often lent a certain amount of satisfaction. He could spare two hours.

“Where? The fields at your clan’s estate?” Sakura asked.

“So it was you that laid the flowers on my parents graves.”

“I had just gotten here — I expected to find you right away and I was feeling a little lost,” Sakura
admitted. “Besides, I need to give you the shampoo — I’m assuming for Pakkun.”

She had his mother’s bracelets, she knew his modus operandi, she knew his dogs. As ridiculous as
her story seemed — time traveling, really? He was distrustful by nature, but he really wanted to
believe this pink-haired, green-eyed woman. And frankly, it had been a long time since anyone had
piqued his interest.

And he did need to find a partner for infiltrating Root. An unknown that Danzo couldn’t
manipulate. Had just the right person — a precious friend from the future — come to aid him? But,
why would he give a friend his mother’s bangles? Just who was she to him?

“Are you going to do something about that petal pink hair?” Kakashi gave her a sidelong glance.
“Not too many people with that color hair. I assume you’re trying to be inconspicuous.”

“Oh. Right.” Sakura rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a dark gray silk scarf. She
bundled her hair under it and secured the wrap around her head. “Better?”

“Not really.” Kakashi shifted his gaze back to the path before them as he led the way through the
woods towards his family lands. “Now you look like a housekeeper.”

“That’s who you can say I am if anyone notices me,” Sakura said. “I met you for a job interview
and now I’m going to clean the cobwebs out of your family estate.”

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and walked alongside the strange woman. He didn’t
intend to talk to anyone about her— at least not yet. He’d already tried escaping her, but she’d
tracked him down — she was determined. Frankly, it was starting to become clear that if he wanted
her to leave him alone — he might have to resort to more permanent methods.
But he didn’t kill for the sake of killing. He was an assassin, not a murderer. And no one had
ordered her death.

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OoO

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Itachi

He couldn’t sleep. Itachi laid in bed, hands crossed over his chest, and stared at the ceiling of his
bedroom. It was before five and he could hear the stirrings of his parents in the kitchen down the
hall. His father, Fugaku, would be heading to the station soon and his mother woke up early to cook
him breakfast. Lately, father worked longer hours and often went to the station on weekends, he
was hardly ever home. If mother wished to spend time with him — she woke up early and prepared
breakfast.

Itachi waited until he could hear the front door open and shut, indicating his father had left before
he swung his legs out of bed and ambled down the hall to join his mother. “Good morning,” he
greeted.

Mikoto wore her morning robe and sat at the table, one elbow propped on the table, chin resting in
her hand, and stared out the window into the darkness. She startled at his greeting. He hadn’t even
masked his chakra and wasn’t particularly quiet walking down the hall. Her lack of notice was
concerning. She turned towards him, a blank look on her normally warm face, before she smiled
softly in his direction. “Good morning, my Love.” She gestured towards father’s uneaten food.
He’d only drank the coffee she made. “Plenty of food if you’re hungry.”

Itachi pulled out his father’s chair and sat. His mother arched her ebon eyebrow at his audacious
behavior — to sit at the Head of the Table! “Thank you, Mother.” In the center of the table a fresh
pitcher of orange juice and unused glasses drew his attention. He poured two glasses — one for
him and one for his mother. “Would you like to talk about it?”

“Talk about what, Itachi?” Mikoto asked. She accepted the orange juice, sipped at the sweet yet
sour mixture.

“Father’s behavior. He’s never home and when he is, he broods. He’s never present even when he is
here.” Itachi’s eyes never wavered from his mother’s face. She looked so very tired. The change in
his father was impossible to ignore. In the past, Fugaku would rain praise upon both his sons—
Itachi could do no wrong. He was a prodigy! Now lately, he complained that Itachi lacked a
warrior’s heart — was too compassionate. And Sasuke— the boy just wanted to practice throwing
kunai or learn taijutsu — but father was too busy.

Mikoto’s gaze drifted back to the window. “He has a lot on his mind. He’s been through a lot — he
is one of the last surviving Heroes of the Third Great War. That scarred him in ways you’ll never
understand unless you fight in a war — see your friends cut down beside you. It hardens you.
Things were better when Minato became Hokage.” She turned back to him now, her eyes warm
with the memory. “He was a devoted father. He absolutely loved spending time with us, but after
Minato’s death and when the village uprooted our entire clan, blaming us — it broke something in
him — in all of us, really.”

Itachi remembered the attack. His parents had both been doing their shinobi duty, protecting the
village. He’d watched over a three month old Sasuke— protected him while the village crumbled
around them. “I understand that. But it is his behavior in recent months that concerns me. The last
clan meeting—- was unpleasant. You cannot agree with the sentiment of a forceful coup.”

“Minato and Kushina were my friends.” Mikoto rubbed her forehead tiredly. “I see their son when I
drop off or pick up Sasuke from the academy. He’s so damn lonely and malnourished — you see
how short he is. I had requested to adopt him, immediately after the disaster that took his parents.
But Lord Hokage refused my request, which was fine because I assumed he was going to raise him
personally — but he’s been living in an apartment by himself since he was two and a half years old,
Itachi.” She looked across the table and dark eyes flashed crimson, her grief palatable. “What sort
of leader does that?”

“I don’t presume to understand the reasoning of the Lord Hokage,” Itachi murmured quietly.

“I asked again. When I found out — was refused again. I begged, pleaded. I reminded him of my
friendship with the boy’s parents. Asked how he could treat such an innocent child — the child of
heroes — in such disregard. If he was worried about the Nine-Tails, I would train to keep it docile.
And you know what he said to me, Itachi? He said, he could not trust a member of the Uchiha clan
with such a task.” A tear slipped down her cheek, unnoticed. “I dedicated my life to the service of
this Village. I fought right alongside Minato as children. I resigned my shinobi status after that.”

“That is certainly unfortunate.” Itachi pursed his lips thoughtfully. “But do you think father would
be a suitable replacement as Village leader? Lord Third wants to focus on progress, leave behind
the war mindset. What would father want to do?”

“It’s my place to support your father, even if I don’t agree with him.” Mikoto picked up her juice
and took a sip. “Just as it’s my place to protect you boys.”

“What if by supporting father, you endanger Sasuke?” Itachi leaned forward, elbows on the table,
chin in his laced fingers. “What if you cause Sasuke to become an orphan? Who will look after
him? Is your pride, more important than your son?”

Mikoto blinked at him, as if snapping out of a daze. “Of course not. You boys are the most
important. I will die to protect you!”

“But would you be willing to live to protect us?” Itachi countered. Part of him wanted to ask if she
loved his father, but he didn’t want to know that answer. His parents’ marriage had been arranged
and there was a twelve year age gap between the two. He leaned back casually. “Don’t answer now.
I want you to think about it — really think about it.” The first bird songs of the morning began to
filter in through the window. Sasuke would be waking up soon. “Tell me, Mother, what do you
think about Sasuke’s classmates? Aside from the Uzumaki boy being malnourished.”

“It’s a pretty big class,” Mikoto said, staring at him, her mind obviously mulling over his earlier
question. “There’s of course the Hyuga heiress — looks just like her mother. There’s a trio from the
Yamanaka-Nara-Akimichi clans. An Inuzuka and Abarame. Plenty of children from some of the
lesser clans, but they are hardly worth mentioning — I don’t see any of them actually graduating.”

“What about the girl? The one Sasuke always seems to be sitting near when we pick him up? The
one he’s always blushing around?” Itachi pressed.

Mebuki smiled faintly. The earlier tension between them gone as she focused on her youngest son’s
classmates. “Kizashi’s daughter. She’s cute, isn’t she?”

“I—-suppose,” Itachi agreed. He didn’t quite feel comfortable calling a seven year old cute. “Did
you know her father?”

“Yes. He was in my class at the Academy. Civilian family. Pink hair — like his daughter. He did
well on tests, but he was never really interested in becoming a shinobi. He wanted to further his
education, but his passion was in engineering. He wanted to build and create things. Unfortunately,
we grew up during the war. His Genin team had been sent out and his Jonin leader and two
teammates had all died. He survived, but the damage he sustained was enough to qualify him for a
disability discharge from service.”

“Do you know what sort of damage?” Itachi asked. If this was Sakura’s father — knowing about
her family would help him gauge her character too.

“Hearing loss primarily. Though, he’d broken several bones as well and had some pretty serious
internal bleeding — I think he lost part of his intestines and his spleen.” She shuddered. “I normally
wouldn’t know so much, but I’d been assigned to escort and protect the medics during that battle. I
remember holding his hand, telling him he couldn’t give up. Who would help rebuild the city
without the engineers?”

Shisui was adamant that they needed to help Sakura - it was in their best interests after all. But that
hair— it was a problem. There would be others in his clan that would see past the Transformation
Genjutsu with just a little effort. And since the Uchiha roamed the streets on patrol —. “Mother, do
you think you could show me how to make the hair dye you use?”

“I can, but why?” She smiled at him. “Are you starting to go gray, my son?”

“I would like to learn anything and everything that could help me with my missions. As I’m sure
you’re aware, my status in Anbu often sends me abroad. There may come a time when my black
hair will be too obvious,” Itachi explained.

“Well, it’s a lot harder to dye dark hair because it must be bleached first in order to absorb the dyes.
However, light hair,” she gestured towards the crown of her head. “Or gray roots, tend to absorb
better. I’ll show you.”

“Thank you.” He pushed away from the table. “I’ll go wake up Sasuke. Then let us enjoy this
breakfast as a family.”
“That would really make my day.” Mikoto smiled.
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OoO

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Kakashi

Present Time
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It wasn’t often that Kakashi ventured into the Anbu headquarters. He could still remember his first
visit after Minato had recruited him twenty-one years ago. He’d stood in the lobby — an adolescent
of twelve — waiting for his uniform fitting wondering what Rin would have thought. He’d been
waking up with nightmares of her blood on his hands— he’d spend at least an hour every morning
washing his hands trying to remove blood that never quite seemed to wash off.

The woman that had took his measurements tutted and fretted— he was so much smaller than the
typical Anbu. Of course, most Anbu were in their twenties and thirties. He’d been eager to prove he
was capable with his chidori. Obito’s Sharingan made his imperfect jutsu deadly perfection. He
spared no enemy— swift death to all.

At least until Minato took him off regular Anbu and assigned him to watch over Kushina during her
pregnancy. He’d been a vigilant shadow during those nine months, but during the actual birth the
duty had been transferred to more experienced Anbu — and she and Minato both died after Naruto
was born.

He’d become even more deadly and cold after that. Not even Guy Might had been able to reach
him — not for years.

Shortly before the Uchiha massacre, he’d started to crawl his way out of the terrible darkness.
Though, it had taken Foxy’s predicament and Lion’s solution that had reached into the depths of his
heart and evoked sympathy after so many years. He wanted to protect — protect the younger Anbu
— Yamato, Itachi, Genma, Yugao, Anko. There were others, but they were lost — covert
operations wasn’t an environment conducive for longevity.

There were several years where everything was a blur of blood and shadows. And after he’d been
assigned the cleanup duty for the slaughter, he’d fallen deeper into an almost berserker state.

He was broken out of his reverie by an exuberant blond loud-mouth.

“This is so cool!” Naruto sprinted from one area to another, looking over uniforms, weapons,
training equipment. He grabbed hold of Sai’s shoulders and shook him. “You’ve worked here the
whole time and you never told me how cool this is!”

Sai looked between Kakashi and Yamato. “I am confused. Why is Naruto here?” He looked past
him towards where Sasuke stood inspecting the swords. “And him?”

“Meet the two newest members of Anbu,” Kakashi said.

“I don’t mean to contradict you, Lord Sixth,” Yamato interjected. “The basic requirement for Anbu
is status as a Jonin. These are two Genin.”

“Fine, they’re promoted.” Kakashi stepped towards the wall of retired Anbu masks. His was at the
top, right next to Itachi’s for most kills. There were no names attached to the masks, but Kakashi
recognized them well enough.

“Alright!” Naruto pumped his fist. “I need my tattoo, Sai.” He rolled up the sleeve on his left arm.

“Why did you have me dismiss everyone from the Anbu tower?” Yamato asked. “And why did you
request my presence? I was on the other assignment.” He was referring to his assignment of
watching over Orochimaru The Sannin wasn’t quite pardoned like Sasuke, he was more on house
arrest.

“Because no one outside of this room can know what I’m about to say,” Kakashi explained.
“Sakura has traveled back in time — she intends to stop the Uchiha massacre.”

“That—-that’s not a bad idea,” Yamato considered. “I assume she did multiple algorithms to
determine the best probability of success with minimal risk.”

“There is no way to know how tampering with the past will affect our present,” Kakashi said. “So,
we are going after her to stop her before she damages the timeline too much.” He picked up a
sword and tested its weight. “Or gets herself killed for trusting the wrong person.”

“I assume she would reach out to you or me in the past.” Yamato sat on a bench and then held his
head in his hands. “Oh—that wasn’t a good time for either of us.”

“Why? What was going on with you two?” Sasuke demanded.

“Danzo wanted me to kill the Third Hokage,” Kakashi explained. He pointed at Yamato. “And
wanted Tenzo to kill me afterwards. But Lord Sarutobi was aware of Danzo’s machinations towards
assassination — wanted me to try to infiltrate Root, but then the massacre happened.”

“So if the massacre doesn’t happen, Root could have been dismantled?” Sai asked quietly.

“Or Danzo might succeed in completely destroying Konoha. He was always tight with
Orochimaru,” Kakashi explained.

“Orochimaru is the one that implanted the Sharingan eyes in Danzo’s arm,” Sasuke pointed out. “If
you’re gathering intel about that time, you could ask Orochimaru. Even if he doesn’t remember, he
is meticulous with his record keeping.”

Orochimaru probably was their best option of gathering intel and Kakashi didn’t like it. He’d
started Shikamaru doing a deep dive into Hiruzen’s records — trying to see if there was any
mention of a kunoichi that might have matched Sakura description from the time.

“Come, Naruto, let’s start that tattoo,” Sai said, leading him towards a room in the back. “This is
the best part of my job.” He grinned widely. “You don’t mind the sight of blood do you? Or a little
pain? Or is Kurama going to heal you immediately?”

“Just give me a minute to meditate and I’ll let him know before you get started,” Naruto said. “Oh!
Can we add a fox to the tattoo?”

“No. The Anbu tattoo is standard. But when you’re no longer in Anbu, if you’d like a fox tattoo, I
can do that. We are only allowed the one tattoo during our tenure,” Sai explained.

“Come on, Sasuke! You gotta see this!” Naruto cried out.

“No. I’ll stay out here and talk with the other adults,” Sasuke said, picking up a sword and rotating
it slowly. “If Sakura has changed the past, then why haven’t any of my memories changed?”

“Would our memories change in real time?” Yamato asked. “Would we even know?”

“The changes don’t take effect until the time traveler returns to their normal time. Then only the
ones that traveled would be aware of the changes,” Kakashi explained. “She’s using an artifact that
the Second Hokage had written about — assuming his research is accurate.” He hoped his research
was accurate, the other alternative was that Sakura went into the past, got herself killed, and then
nothing changed.

“So we’ll travel back wearing masks and cloaks, concealing our identities from our younger selves
and bring back Sakura?” Yamato asked. “Is that the plan?”

“Or we help her, then bring her back,” Sasuke suggested. “She would definitely go to you first,” he
said pointing the sword towards Kakashi. “But I also think she would try to reason with Itachi.
Though, if he views her a threat to me — he will kill her.”

“Which means, the two people she’s most likely to seek out are just as likely to kill her as listen to
her,” Kakashi said, voicing their shared fears.

Sasuke placed the sword back on the weapons’s wall. “I don’t understand why she’d take such a
risk.”

“It’s as much your fault as it is mine,” Kakashi said quietly.

“I told her I would return. I was literally on my way,” Sasuke hissed. He slammed his hand against
the wall in anger. “Wait — why is it your fault?”

“Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re the only one that cares about her, Sasuke,” Kakashi
warned. “Not one of us — except maybe Naruto — bothered to let her know just how much we
need her in our lives. So she went back to sacrifice herself, thinking she could make our lives
better.”

“She did dedicate the last two years to opening mental health clinics,” Yamato pointed out. He
gestured between the two dark eyed men on either side of him. “Two guesses who inspired that
idea."
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 .
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Chapter End Notes

A/N Thanks for reading! This story has been pretty fun to write so far. Definitely loving my
research (rewatching Kakashi’s Anbu arc in Shippuden). I have to keep reminding myself
that Itachi is 13 at this time.
 Mortal Wounds
Chapter Notes

Lemon warning. I was going to wait and post this in a few days, but it's just sitting on my
desktop and it feels rude to not share it. I'm pleased with the chapter, hopefully y'all enjoy it
too!

Also I had to edit a bit, my math was bad.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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Sakura

“So, read any good books lately?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi stared down at her with his visible eye. It wasn’t the friendly, good humor kind of crinkle
eye she was used to. It was a don’t ask stupid questions , don’t talk to me, I’m already doing this
and and I don’t want to kind of glare.

“Oookay,” Sakura mumbled awkwardly. “I occasionally will read mystery novels, but I mostly read
non-fiction — Medical text books, Physics, History, Chemistry, Biology.” The silence grew
between them and the gate for the Hatake estate was directly ahead.

“I don’t have time to read for leisure,” Kakashi answered finally. “I do research for my missions.”

“You don’t read Icha Icha?” Sakura asked, shyly. It was such a part of his personality, she couldn’t
imagine him without it.

“Like I said, research,” Kakashi’s responses was clipped.

Sakura missed a step, wondering if she interpreted that right. Did that mean he needed to know how
to apply knowledge he’d gleaned from porn into his missions? Just what sort of missions would
require….?

“We’re here. Ten minutes warm up sound good to you?” Kakashi opened the front door and stepped
inside.
“Where do you want to meet?” Sakura asked. Unsure if she should follow him inside or not. He
didn’t exactly invite her.

“You’re a sensory ninja — find me.” Kakashi shut the door in her face.

Sakura stood staring at the solid oak door for a moment. The Kakashi she knew liked to tease
people, but this was straight up rude! She stepped back from the porch and went around the side of
the house There was a little flower garden — it was overgrown now, but there was honeysuckle
creeping over the fence and it smelled nice.

She dumped her bag in the overgrown garden area and started a few simple stretches. She might not
do hundreds of pushups every day like her teammates, but she enjoyed her isometric strength and
balance exercises. It felt like ten minutes had passed, so she laid her palm against the ground to find
her wayward future Sensei.

He was high up in a tree about a quarter of a kilometer south. She normally didn’t bother to hide
her chakra, her reputation often proceeded her in battle these days. But today was about making a
good impression, so she did her due diligence, masked her chakra and started the hunt.

She climbed a nearby tree and leaped to other trees in its proximity closing the gap towards the
massive tree where Kakashi waited. She couldn’t constantly track his location, her sensory skill
was still new and unrefined. So hopefully, he wouldn’t go too far.

He’d be able to see past her masked chakra with the Sharingan, but at least he’d know she put in
the effort. She found the tree, but couldn’t see him. She threw a kunai towards where he’d been and
when the kunai thudded into the tree, she felt him behind her — a kunai poking into her left kidney,
slowing sliding in — a mortal wound. It hurt like hell, her insides being shredded as the blade sunk
deeper.

This was a battle to prove her strength and she couldn’t afford to hold back.

Sakura twisted out of Kakashi’s grasp, grabbed his wrist and broke it with her monstrous strength.
She released her Byakugou seal unleashing Creation Rebirth as black stripes formed down her face,
arms, back, legs. Her kidney was healed in an instant. She met gray and red/black eyes. He stepped
back in surprise before he refocused and she felt herself mesmerized by his Sharingan. She broke
away and did a substitution before he could use Kamui and send her to another dimension. Who
knew how many enemies he’d trapped within that pocket dimension?

She could sense he was in pain with his broken wrist, but that didn’t seem to slow him down any.
Once she reached the ground, he was there, hidden in the Earth — a move she remembered well.
He was one of the few shinobi capable of single-hand seals. With chakra laced knuckles she
smashed the ground, opening up a chasm and revealing the Copy Nin.

“Time out!” Sakura shouted. “Let me fix your wrist!”

She felt him flying towards her and even if she had wanted to dodge, wouldn’t have moved fast
enough as his sword slammed into her back and upper arm. Her left arm dangled mostly severed
aside from a few tendons in the shoulder. She stepped back and with her Byakugou still active, her
arm mended itself almost instantaneously.

“All right,” Kakashi said. He stood before her, both hands raised above his head — his right
swollen grotesquely. “I’ve never seen anyone recover from an injury like that. I delivered two
mortal blows.”

“I know — the kidney and the brachial artery.” Sakura approached with her hands raised also in
surrender. “Can I heal your wrist?”

He nodded.

Sakura’s hand glowed green as she circled his wrist and forearm, mending the crushed bones,
muscles, blood vessels, and nerves. She stepped back and closed off her seal.

“Do you use that in every battle?” Kakashi covered his left eye with his forehead protector. "I’ve
never seen anything like it. Is it Fuinjutsu?”

Sakura nodded. “Why did you try to kill me?”

“You said you were the greatest medical ninja of your time.” He gestured towards her diamond
seal. “So — every battle?”

“No. It’s usually not necessary,” Sakura explained. It was obvious she had his attention and his
interest now. “My Master calls it the Strength of a Hundred Healings — though that’s not really
descriptive enough — I healed an entire army once between my seal and my summoning creature.”

“What’s the cost?”

“What do you mean?”

“My Sensei used Fuinjutsu as well— the Reaper Death Seal,” Kakashi said. “The price was his
life.”

“Ah, yes, when he sealed the Yang part of the Nine tails inside of Naruto and the Yin part inside
himself.” Sakura looked off into the distance. “I had thought about trying to travel back to that time
— save Lord Fourth— save my friend’s father, but I didn’t know enough about the events.” She
looked over at him. “Wasn’t sure who I could go to as allies. A fourteen year old you would be
even less likely to believe me than a twenty year old you.”

Kakashi sat on the ground and stretched out. “I’m just going to lay here a bit and question my
sanity.”

Sakura laid down next to him. “You can only use your Sharingan for a limited amount of time
before it drains your chakra. Whenever I use the Strength of a Hundred Healings it shortens my
maximum lifespan. My Master is in her mid-sixties, but doesn’t look a day older than thirty. When
her seal is inactivated —- which has only happened once — she looks to be her nineties. So, I
won’t live to be a hundred, but what shinobi does?”

He was silent for a long while and Sakura at first thought he’d gone to sleep. Then he turned
towards her, his charcoal gaze the familiar calculating gleam she was so familiar with. “Look. I’m
going out on a limb here. Between the bangles, my dogs, and the most insane fifteen minute battle
I’ve engaged in, I’m going to give you the benefit of a doubt and believe your crazy story. I like
Shisui and Itachi— I’d prefer if their entire family didn’t get slaughtered. But I have my own
missions — I can’t just help you with your crusade.”

“What can I do?” Sakura asked.

“The Hokage and the leader of Anbu are plotting against one another,” Kakashi explained.

“Ah, Danzo’s power grab. He is the man responsible for the massacre. Perhaps our missions can
coincide. He sacrificed all those lives so that he could harvest their Sharingans. He gets them
implanted in his right arm — hundreds of eyes. He uses Orochimaru to do the surgery.”

“That’s…gross.” Kakashi scrunched his nose and rubbed it over his mask. “Lord Third tried
reasoning with me— I think I believe him. He wants me to infiltrate Root — an even more sinister
division of Anbu that Danzo runs. Danzo wants me to take over Anbu— I think he thinks he’ll be
Hokage soon enough and that there will be a job opening. Or he’s trying to blindside me — fool me
into a sense of comfort. There are plenty of older Anbu more appropriate to run the division.”

“I didn’t calculate killing Danzo into the equation, but it might be the only way to avoid the
massacre.” Sakura tried to run through the scenarios in her mind, but there were too many
algorithms. “It might not happen the same way, but he will want to eliminate any threats to his
position and harvest more power for himself. Men like that never stop until they are dead. He killed
Shisui’s grandfather to take his eye — that’s why he has that bandaged eye. I bet he protested when
Fugaku argued for you to keep Obito’s eye.”

Kakashi’s hand reflexively covered his left eye. “He did.”

“Danzo wanted it for himself,” Sakura reasoned. “The original Sharingan he stole is being rejected
so he needs a replacement. That’s why Shisui is in danger — he has the same powers of persuasion
his grandfather had.”

“I need a partner,” Kakashi said, suddenly.

Sakura sat up and looked down at him. They were closer than she realized. This Kakashi wasn’t
quite as bulky as her Kakashi, but he was tone and strong. She always knew he was good looking,
but prior to her little time travel adventure, had never thought of him in terms of attraction. She was
having a hard time thinking of him without feeling magnetically drawn to him.

“You’ll need top level clearance which Lord Third can provide. Shisui and you will still maintain
your affiliation. Say he recruited you from one of the smaller villages allied with the Leaf. Though,
your hair — you need to pick a color — red, black— anything but pink.”

“Fine. I pick yellow-blond,” Sakura smiled, thinking of Naruto’s hair color.

Kakashi stared up at her. “I guess that would work with your skin tone. You can’t go around
wearing a transformation genjutsu. It’s just asking to be noticed by the Uchiha police.”

“What do you need a partner for exactly?”

“To infiltrate Root. Though, if it’s darker than Anbu, I have to warn you— I’m not sure you’re cut
out for it, Sakura.” Kakashi sat up and reached for her face, Sakura flinched away from his touch.
“You asked about the books I read. I do read Icha Icha. Half of my missions for Anbu have been
assassinations. But the other infiltration missions — I’ve been seducing the enemy since I was
fourteen.”

Sakura’s mouth literally fell open. “No,” she whispered, shocked, heart-broken. She thought about
her mental health clinics and how teens couldn’t legally consent to sex until they were at least
eighteen. Which meant…. “I’m so sorry.”
Kakashi shrugged. “It is what it is. But, for new recruits, especially the women, there is a special
training required.”

“Seduction training?” Sakura asked. All the kunoichi had taken a course under Shizune several
years back. It discussed some of the unsavory history of the shinobi tactics. It was better to know
how to incapacitate a target before having to have sex with them, but the possibility that it could
happen was discussed as well as ways to get out of the situation. It had been forbidden for decades
to force shinobi to use their bodies in that way. “Of course Danzo would require that.”

She gasped and she had to resist taking Kakashi’s hand. “Did you—?”

He nodded. “It wasn’t pleasant, but it was a long time ago. There’s a teammate of mine — Foxy—
she’d found a clever way to make it less awful. Our friend Lion volunteered. He’s the one that
“trains” her, but unfortunately, sometimes Danzo and his more senior Anbu will observe.”

“Voyer,” Sakura spat. She could feel her temper flaring and she wanted to smash something.
Change of plans. Stop the Uchiha massacre and kill Danzo. Sorry, Sasuke— you won’t have that
privilege anymore.

“So, if Root is even darker than Anbu, you need to know that will probably happen,” Kakashi said.

“With who? With Danzo and his henchmen? No thanks. I’d just send a chakra blade to their carotid
and kill them when they tried something,” Sakura said.

“I could request to be the trainer.” Kakashi pointed at the silver bangles on her wrists. “I don’t
know how close we were in your time, but if I gave you those bangles, I can guess what my
feelings were.”

“What exactly do you think those feelings were?”

“Those are a family heirloom. They are only to be passed down to the woman you love,” Kakashi
said. He lifted his forehead protector and looked at her with both mismatched eyes. “What exactly
were we, Sakura Haruno?”

These were heavy feelings. Did this Kakashi just expect her to have sex with him in front of an
audience like it was just some simple task? What did her Kakashi mean by giving her those
bangles? Had he given up on finding a life partner so gave them to her instead? How did this
Kakashi know her surname?

“You’re like an open book,” Kakashi murmured. “I can practically see the questions swimming
around in your mind. And if you want to know what gave you away— it was your caring for
Naruto— you mentioned him earlier. And if you’re from fourteen years in the future, you’d be
between five and seven in this time. I’d watched the boy’s class released from the academy
yesterday. And wouldn’t you know, he kept chatting to little Sakura-chan and Sasuke-ass hole
while they waited to be picked up. It got me thinking — if you’re from the future and concerned
about preventing a great tragedy to the Uchiha clan and there’s this mysterious woman who keeps
doing nice things for Naruto these past few days — what pink-haired girl training to become a
shinobi would care about both of them.”

“You are a genius,” Sakura said, laying back and staring up at the trees. “It’s one of the reasons I
needed you for my mission to succeed.”
“So, do we have an arrangement? I’ll help you stop the massacre and you help me infiltrate Root?”
Kakashi asked.

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Sakura vowed.

“Okay.” Kakashi shifted so that his arms were on either side of Sakura’s head, his body hovered
inches above hers. His eyes looked directly into hers. “So do you normally walk around without a
bra? I did enjoy that little surprise at the market yesterday.”

“I hadn’t done my laundry. I wasn’t supposed to run into anyone,” Sakura answered. She could feel
the heat radiating off him. This was different — this wasn’t like when her Kakashi got into her
space. The butterflies in her stomach made her think of how she felt around Sasuke on their long-
ago dates before he left after the war.

“I see. And are you a virgin, Sakura? Is it going to be a problem having sex with me?” Kakashi
asked. “And having sex with me while others are watching?”

“I’ll do what it takes,” Sakura repeated.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Kakashi’s eyes darkened.

“Don’t you have to be somewhere?” Sakura murmured. She looked away, unable to bear the
intensity of his gaze. She survived her arm being torn off, but being stared at like that was too
much.

“I can be late.” He leaned down, his cloth covered nose and mouth pressed against the side of her
throat. The weight of his body pressed against hers. “What do you think? You want to have sex in
the open field with nature all around?”

She wanted to have sex in a nice comfortable bed, after being wined and dined by a man that loved
her. But, this mission wasn’t about her — it was about making life better for her friends. They were
what mattered. “If that’s what it takes.”

Kakashi shifted so that he was sitting beside her. “Not exactly the response that gets the blood
pumping, Sakura.” He ran his fingers through his unruly silver hair. “I don’t know you, Sakura. But
my future self does, and you’re important enough that he gave you mother’s bangles. I would
apologize for stabbing you and slicing off your arm, but I’m not really sorry considering you’re
fine and I got to see a goddess level power.”

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. She rose to a sitting position, drawing her knees under
her chin and wrapping her arms around her legs, hugging herself. “I’m not a virgin, okay? I’ve had
sex — once. It wasn’t great. But then, it’s not supposed to be the first time, right? So it’s not a big
deal.”

“My first time wasn’t great either,” Kakashi confessed. “It was pretty fucking awful actually. Lots
of blood. Lots of pain.”

Sakura stared at him, heart clenched in pain for him. Who was she to complain? She reached for
him —- always drawn to the men carrying the biggest burden. Her fingers ghosted along his
temple, brushing an errant hair away from where it clung to his forehead. “This isn’t something I
anticipated for this mission,” Sakura confessed. “And while you don’t know me — I do know you.
Or at least an older version of you. If I have to train with someone at having sex and have to go
through the embarrassment of performing in front of an audience — there is no one I would feel
more comfortable with than you.”

The simmering anger that had tensed his shoulders eased at her words. “Have you ever seen under
my mask?” Kakashi asked quietly.

Sakura shook her head.

“Did you ever ask?”

“Not with any seriousness,” Sakura admitted.

“You should ask me now. Here — in the land of my ancestors.”

“Kakashi? Will you take off your mask?”

He slipped it down and stared back at her, face bare. He had fine bones, a straight nose, full lips,
strong jaw. There was the tiniest mole on the left side of his chin. And when he laughed at her
expression she could see his teeth were straight, very white, and his canines looked extra sharp.
“Not what you expected?”

“I’m not sure I had any expectations.” Sakura reached for his face, and he let her, brush her fingers
over his scar — it was deeper than she realized. Then his cheeks, his jaw, her thumb over his
bottom lip. “I mean, it’s totally you. I traveled through time to know this version of you.”

Kakashi opened his mouth and caught Sakura’s thumb between his teeth. She laughed at the
unexpected action. “Can I kiss you, Sakura Haruno?”

Sakura placed her palms on either side of Kakashi’s face and leaned towards him and kissed him.
He may have asked, but she was going to be the one to initiate this. He started to kiss her back. His
hands grasped her hips, picked her up and settled her on his lap.

Seeing Kakashi’s unmasked face was an unexpected thrill and knowing that her adventure in the
past might very well be her last — the thought of having sex — especially if it was better than her
only other experience in this beautiful field of wildflowers, surrounded by the giant trees of her
homeland with one of her most precious friends — sounded like a good idea.

She reached for the hem of his shirt and started to pulled it off, but Kakashi beat her too it, ripping
it over his head in a single jerk. “Your turn,” he murmured. Sakura started to pull off her shirt, but
the part where the sword had cut fell off, first, causing her to feel momentary confusion.

“I’ll buy you a new shirt,” Kakashi offered, helping her remove the rest of it. Her breasts were
bound with bandages and Kakashi tisked. He pulled his kunai out of his holster and sliced open the
front of the bandages, letting them fall to the grass and revealing her chest for his greedy eyes. He
leaned down his head and took one of his breasts into his mouth, his tongue and teeth caressing her
erect nipple.

Sakura’s fingers slid through his pale, platinum hair, enjoying the soft, silky tangles. She knocked
Kakashi over, flat on his back and straddled him, pulling his pants down while he watched her, his
half-lidded eyes indicative of his passion and not his drowsiness. She fumbled with his belt before
managing to free him.
She took a moment to enjoy the scenario. Sprawled below her, Kakashi Hatake — in the hay-day of
his Anbu service to Konoha — lay completed naked and exposed before her eyes. Then his hands
were at her waist and she was just as naked as him. He seemed to enjoy what he saw and Sakura
said a quick prayer of thanks to God for granting the two of them youth, health, and excitable
libidos.

Kakashi flipped them over so that she was on her back. Before she could protest the change, he
grinned down at her, mesmerizing her with his beauty before his face disappeared in her crotch and
all she could see was his wild silver hair and feel his mouth exploring her nether regions.

“I want you, Kakashi. Not just your mouth — but you,” Sakura whispered, feeling desperate. She
reached for his hips, fingers brushing his groin. This was so different from her one and only prior
experience — less clumsy.

“Alright,” Kakashi said, sounding breathless.

Then she could feel just the tip of him at her entrance, he looked down at her then, charcoal on one
side and red/black on the other and with their eyes locked on each other, she felt him sliding inside
of her folds. It was so tight at first, but then when he was fully sheathed, he waited a few seconds,
letting her get accustomed to his size.

“Do you want me to unload inside or outside?”

“Inside, I have protection,” Sakura explained. She’d had an IUD placed months ago. After what
happened before….

He kissed her again, and she could taste herself on his tongue as he deepened the kiss. He ended the
kiss and looked down at her again. “Ready?” She nodded and he pulled out and then entered in a
steady rhythm.

She wasn’t sure how much time passed that she just laid there, feeling shivers down her whole
body, hugging Kakashi’s against her while he remained inside her, softened. It was hot and sticky.

“So, was it better than your first time?” Kakashi asked, his voice muffled where his lips were
pressed to the swell of her breast. He shifted so that he could meet her eyes again. “Certainly better
than mine.”

“Definitely,” Sakura agreed. She stroked her fingers lightly down his back, tracing over his slick
skin.

“Unfortunately, the experience won’t always be so nice,” Kakashi warned. “This was lovemaking.
You can thank those research books for this. I wanted you to have this first.” He gestured towards
his unmasked face. “I wanted you to know what was underneath. If we have to perform, there are
certain ways we can angle our bodies that help shield ourselves better.”

“It’s hard to pay attention when your penis is still inside me,” Sakura murmured, feeling dizzy.

Kakashi laughed and pulled outside and off from her. “Come in, let’s go wash up. Then I really
need to get going. Do you have any spare clothes?”

Sakura nodded. “In my bag, but you cut through my bindings.”

“Sorry- not sorry.” His right hand reached to cup her breast and Sakura batted it away gently. He
sighed. “You’re right, I’ve got that meeting.”

They shared a shower together, but kept their hands off one another. It was clear they both
appreciated the view, but it was a weird scenario. They weren’t a couple —were they? Together,
they were going to change the past and hopefully the future.

“Do you know what you’ll need to color your hair? The yellow-blond?” Kakashi had already put
back on pants and his mask. He was slowly putting on his shirt. “You’ll need a surname too.”

“I thought I could use Namikaze, it would make my affiliation with the Leaf more believable when
we talk to the Third. It’s a secretive clan and it will solve the mystery of Naruto’s friendly visits.
I’m sure he’d suggest a different family name when he gives me credentials. And Danzo would
want the power. And I can make my own dye.” Sakura thought about the honey suckle in the yard.
It would be an useful ingredient for the shade she had in mind. “Is it okay if I rummage through
your cabinets? See if there’s any other components you have here before I go off to the store?”

“Help yourself,” Kakashi said. He leaned his hip against the wall, ran his fingers through his
tussled hair and stared down at her, his mask firmly in place. “Just— don’t fall in love with me,
okay, Sakura? I’ll do what I can to protect you — because you’re obviously important to me in the
future — but loving me will only get you killed.” He stalked towards her, touched her pink hair and
watched it slip through his fingers. “Not sure how I’ll feel about the blond, but then again, before
today I didn’t have any opinions about pink.”

“Don’t worry, Kakashi. I won’t do something as asinine as fall in love with you,” Sakura assured
him. She clenched her hand so tightly she felt her knuckles crack. She always jumped heart-first
into things and realized only now, that she’d already been in love with him, but not him him, the
him she left crying out for her in vain at the cave.
.
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OoO

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Kakashi

Present...
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The door to the Hokage office flew open and Ino Yamanaka stormed in with her husband Sai close
on her heels. Shikamaru strolled in after them. “Ino would like an audience with you. I tried real
hard to stop her,” he said with a lazy drawl, his hands shoved into his pockets.

If Kakashi actually wanted to prevent unannounced visitors, he’d need to hire someone other than
Shikamaru for the job.

“Fine,” Kakashi said, watching the blond practically on fire with fury. “You’re dismissed
Shikamaru. Why don’t you take the afternoon off? You’ve been reading through those files all day.”

“Sure thing,” Shikamaru said, his dark eyes lingered on Ino momentarily before he closed the door
behind him.

“I would like to apologize in advance, Lord Hokage,” Sai said. “She invaded my mind last night
when I was distracted.”

“It’s fine, Sai.” Kakashi shifted his gaze from the Anbu leader to the new Head of Intelligence. “To
what do I owe this pleasure, Ino?”

“She left? Like left-left?” Ino demanded. She gestured towards her husband. “This one’s brain is
too guarded so I couldn’t get all the details. But wherever she is— wherever the retrieval mission is
— sign me up.”

“You’re the one that gave me the note. You didn’t read it?” Kakashi was surprised.

Sai pulled out one of the chairs and guided Ino to sit, he then stood behind her, his hands resting on
her shoulders in support. “I knew she was depressed, but I didn’t think she’d do anything stupid.”

“Because of Sasuke?” Kakashi pressed.

“No! Not because of that idiot—well, maybe sort of because of that idiot,” Ino trailed off. She
looked towards the large window at the view of the Hokage Mountain carvings. “She never got
over the miscarriage.”

“What?” Kakashi stared at Ino in shock. It shouldn’t have been surprising to learn Sakura had been
intimate with Sasuke, but that she was pregnant and he had no idea. “When was this?”

“Oh, four or five months after he left. She was only in the early second trimester. It’s not that
uncommon, but she took it hard. Blamed herself.” Ino turned back towards him, eyes brimming
with tears. “I should have known she wasn’t over it. Working those excessive hours. She wouldn’t
even go out with me to the bars anymore.” She slammed her fists against Kakashi’s desk. “She’s
the founder of those damn mental health clinics and she didn’t even take care of her own
depression!”

“I do not feel that Sakura is suicidal,” Sai stated. “In fact, I believe her taking action — like this
foolish endeavor is actually a sign that she’s recovering her confidence.”

“Have you been going to the mental health clinics?” Kakashi asked, surprised by the insight. He
hadn’t sought any therapy himself, but he knew he was one of Sakura’s motivations behind the
project. He’d gotten used to his ghosts.

“It is quite helpful,” Sai admitted.

“Is Sasuke aware?” Kakashi asked, turning back to Ino. “Does he know?”
“How could he? He didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address and he doesn’t use a phone. Only
Shizune and I knew.” She gestured between Sai and Kakashi. “And now you two.”

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on his folded hands as he let his mind process
the additional details. He’d hoped, maybe he’d have new memories, but nothing had changed in his
mind— that he knew of. Whatever changes Sakura made, hadn’t reached their timeline yet. His
gaze drifted to the secured drawer of his desk — the time artifact. It would be ready in five days.
Sure, it might be nice to stop the massacre, but he wasn’t willing to risk his precious friend.

“Let me ask you something, Kakashi,” Ino said, interrupting his musings. “What is Sakura to you?”

He started to say she was his precious friend— which was true. But seeing her vanish before his
eyes had caused an uneasy gnawing sensation that he couldn’t quite shake. Sakura had been his
precious student, then teammate, then friend. And to be honest, things changed the moment he
awakened Susanoo. While Obito had given him the temporary ability — he’d only manifested the
ultimate protective technique when Sakura had been in danger. The intensity of his feelings for her
made it possible. “She’s important.”

Now was not the time to label his complicated feelings for the pink-haired kunoichi. Now was the
time to focus on making sure she returned home — unscathed.
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: The image is my favorite figures of jonin Sakura and Hokage Kakashi. Aren't they pretty?
 You can’t Save them from Themselves
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Kakashi

When Kakashi reported to Lord Third, he was only fifteen minutes late. For him that was pretty
impressive, though he did try to be on time when it came to Hiruzen and Danzo for the most part. It
was perhaps foolish, but in this small way of being the opposite of punctual, he could honor Obito’s
memory.

Genma was just leaving the Hokage office when Kakashi arrived. The dark haired man avoided
Kakashi’s eyes and stared at his feet the whole time. Was he ashamed about getting bested by the
mysterious grocery-gifting kunoichi? Since Kakashi knew the skill of the woman, he didn’t think
Genma should be ashamed.

“Only fifteen minutes late?” Hiruzen asked, amusement lifting the corners of his mouth as he set
about filling his pipe with tobacco. He gestured towards the door that Kakashi shut behind him.
“Genma wants me to take his girlfriend out of Anbu. He wouldn’t tell me why. Do you have any
thoughts on the matter?”

Kakashi was grateful for his mask. He knew exactly why. Under Danzo’s rule the Anbu often
ignored many of the more civil rules that had been established. “There are many unsavory aspects
to serving on Anbu,” Kakashi admitted. He wasn’t going to spell it out. If Foxy herself didn’t
request the transfer he wouldn’t betray her. “Is that not the reason for my assignment?”

“I suppose it is.” Hiruzen lit the pipe and took a long drag. “How’s your hunt for a partner?”

“Successful,” Kakashi said, amused by the hokage’s surprise.

Lord Third set down his pipe and stared curiously at Kakashi. “That was unexpectedly fast. Who?”

“The woman that has been sneaking into Naruto’s apartment,” Kakashi answered.

“You found the fairy?”

He thought about Sakura’s candy-pink hair — she did seem sort of fairy like from afar. But he’d
seen her stripped down and bare. She was very human. And those eyes— liquid jade — they did
seem somewhat enchanting to him. “She’s a member of the Namikaze clan,” Kakashi explained.
Minato’s parents had immigrated to Konoha months before he’d been born after the majority of
their small clan had been lost to an epidemic. As a result, Minato had been born in Konoha. “Her
family moved to the Land of Whirlpools.”

“Talk about bad luck,” Hiruzen murmured. “Did she know Minato?”
Kakashi had no qualms about lying for the greater good. He knew Lord Fourth better than most
people, including Hiruzen. And while he barely knew Sakura, he did know her especially after
earlier that morning. They weren’t friends necessarily, but he did feel a little protective of her. And
it would be a shame if some dark fate fell upon her. “Yes. She’d been serving in another capacity,
gathering intel. She only recently learned about his death and his son.”

“That would explain the timing and her concern,” Hiruzen murmured.

“She’s a skilled kunoichi — an ally of Shisui and I dare say myself. She’s not from the Leaf, but if
you give her the right documents, we could infiltrate the Root together,” Kakashi reasoned.

“I’m surprised you thought of someone you trust so easily,” Sarutobi admitted. “And an ally of
Shisui at that— how fortuitous.”

“I trust our objectives will coincide,” Kakashi said. “Danzo will need to see me working with her
under you for a while to make it believable.”

“Whatever you need, Hatake. The resources of the Hokage’s office are at your disposal.” He rubbed
his bearded jaw. “I could transfer you to my personal protection detail. Honestly, the greatest
assassination threat I have isn’t the Uchiha clan, but it’s Danzo.”

“Then why don’t you work with Chief Fugaku? I remember seeing him in the war. He was a great
asset to the Leaf. Surely, he can be reasoned with,” Kakashi said.

“That’s not your assignment, Hatake.”

“Right, Shisui and Itachi are definitely better suited for that role.” Kakashi felt the muscle in his
cheek twitch in annoyance. “You don’t really think The Wicked Eye of Konoha is going to listen to
teenagers, do you?”

“Why exactly do you think she can be trusted?” Hiruzen asked, ignoring the barb. “Women are
known to be deceitful and cunning.” He grimaced. “My own wife can be quite manipulative.”

“That’s rather sexist of you to assume,” Kakashi retorted. “It is her respect for Minato and concern
for his son that is enough motivation to trust her. Her interests coincide.”

“And her friendship with Shisui Uchiha? You don’t feel that will be a conflict of interest?” Sarutobi
pressed.

Kakashi shrugged. “The Uchiha are part of Konoha. She’s very adamant about wanting to protect
the Uchiha clan as well. We both know that Danzo is out for them. He and Fugaku can’t stand each
other.”

Hiruzen took a long puff from his tobacco pipe. “Well, Fugaku isn’t exactly my biggest fan either,
but I think he can be reasoned with.” He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. “I’m
glad to have solved the mystery of Naruto’s visitor. You don’t think she’s trying to win his loyalty
and abduct the boy, do you?”

“I don’t think that’s her intention.” Kakashi couldn’t exactly tell Hiruzen that Sakura had traveled
back into the past to protect her friends. The very idea that someone would do that confounded him,
not to mention the impossible physics. He was a little jealous — Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke
Uchiha had no idea how lucky they were.
Though, she had his mother’s bangles. Did she travel back for him? She chose this time because
she needed his help.

“Bring her with you tomorrow morning. I’d like to meet her.” Sarutobi dismissed him.

“Yes, Sir,” Kakashi said, dipping his head formally and then making his way out of the tower.

He scurried to the forests outlining the village and found a tall tree. Using his chakra-laced feet, he
settled on an upper branch and pulled out one of his Icha Icha books. He stared at the page before
him unseeing. His mind drifted back to his meeting with Sakura that morning. He’d been impressed
with her battle skills. She reattached her freaking arm!

He’d broken a wrist before and had it reset by medics. In the past, there’d been some residual
discomfort, but today it felt like his wrist was better than what it was before their spar. It had been a
huge turn on when she stepped close to him with that jade green chakra of hers and mended his
injury. There wasn’t a scratch on her and she didn’t even look winded.

The moment he saw his gray dog Shiba following her to the memorial, completely enamored by the
woman he was supposed to be spying on— Kakashi had been intrigued. There really wasn’t a need
to have sex together — but he wanted her. While, it was true, Danzo would probably insist she do
“special” training the same skill could be done with a genjutsu. But he’d wanted to have her in the
field outside his ancestral lands. She was wearing his bracelets. It felt right.

Sakura’s story sounded like a fantasy, but he couldn’t come up with an explanation better than the
one she’d given. Frankly, he didn’t care. He had committed himself.
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OoO

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Itachi

The teashop where Itachi’s former teammate Shinko worked wasn’t very busy this time of day. He
wouldn’t exactly claim her as a friend, but they were acquaintances. One of his successes was
knowing that she quit being a shinobi for civilian life. He wanted to do whatever it took to end the
violent inherent lifestyle of the ninja. Since meeting Sakura and learning that he not only takes one
life, but the lives of his entire clan, save his brother, was an unfathomable future to Itachi.

If he could avoid that fate, he would.

Shisui had used the crow summons that was watching over Sakura’s apartment to deliver a message
and request she meet him that afternoon. He wasn’t certain whether she received the message and
was considering if he should leave when the bell to the teashop’s door chimed.

Itachi looked up and observed the bright yellow-blond hair on the woman that entered. It made the
dark hair dye he’d brought superfluous. Had it been her idea to color her hair or the Copy Ninja?

Sakura smiled in greeting and then pulled out the chair opposite Itachi at his table. “This place is
pretty neat,” she said, glancing around, her bright green eyes soaking in the colorful decor. The
walls were painted with murals of ocean waves, historic sea-fairing vessels, and fish.

Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly. “Yellow?” He was surprised by the choice. If the plan was to
blend in- this wouldn’t be helping. He set the small bag he brought on the table. “It looks like our
minds were on the same track.”

Sakura opened the bag and nodded at seeing the dark brown hair dye. “This would have probably
been the smarter move.”

“I am a genius,” Itachi commented. “Perfect score on the written part of the Chunin exams and all.”

Sakura arched her golden eyebrow at him. “So am I and ditto.”

That took him aback. Before he could think of a reply, his former Genin teammate Shinko arrived
at their table to take orders. “Oh! Hello! You’ve brought another friend to my shop, Itachi?”

“I’m Shinko,” the woman said, dipping her head in greeting.

“Sakura Namikaze,” Sakura greeted.

Itachi resisted the urge to cough at the name drop. It was a rather impressive name to drop—
perhaps a little too impressive. What was she thinking? Is that why she chosen the golden yellow
hair? Was she trying to draw attention to herself?

“Namika—-“ Shinko glanced over at Itachi. Shinko wasn’t originally from the Leaf, but even she
had heard of Minato Namikaze. “What will you have, Sakura?”

“Just some chai, please,” Sakura requested.

It had been a long time since Itachi had chai. “Make that two,” Itachi added. “And a plate of
shortbread cookies.”

“Always the sweet tooth with you,” Shinko said, looking down at Itachi with fondness softening
her face. “I’ll bring some fresh fruit too.” Shinko retreated to the back of the shop to prepare their
order.

“You two are friendly,” Sakura said. “Do you come here often?” She gestured towards the murals.
“These are lovely oceanic scenes, gives the place a majestic atmosphere.”

“No I do not come often. Only a few times. Shinko and I were on a team together briefly. I’ve been
on a few teams,” Itachi admitted. His original Team Two had been subpar and one of the teammates
had been killed by the strange man in the orange mask. The one that seemed to know Kakashi. “I
don’t really have friends — except Shisui and Izumi. I never really know what to say.” He gestured
towards the mural. “The original owners were immigrants from the land of Whirlpool.”
“Ah.” Sakura smiled at him, a far-away look in her jade eyes. “I know someone like that. One of
my teammates only really talks during training or battle. Though, it seems if you’re given enough
questions — you have plenty to say. Just like him.”

“Really?” Itachi felt a little better about that. “Wait — Sasuke?”

Sakura nodded. “He doesn’t instigate conversation, but he has plenty to say — you just have to ask
the right questions. Idle chitchat was never his thing and there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Itachi’s lips thinned at the thought. Currently, Sasuke was a chatter box— at least at home. His little
brother was incredibly inquisitive and constantly talking about anything and everything. He didn’t
want to be responsible for his beloved brother losing his very personality. For what? For Danzo?
And on a personal note, Itachi had never been one to hold a conversation. Did that just mean no one
asked him the right questions?

“Will you look into my eyes?” Itachi asked. Sakura nodded and he activated his Sharingan. Inside
his Tsukiyomi they could converse without fear of being overheard. Shinko was unlikely to gossip,
but it was best to be safe.

He re-created a scene within the forests of Konoha where he’d first tamed a murder of crows and
created his substitution jutsu. In his Tsukiyomi the sun hung in the mid-afternoon sky. Sakura had
pink hair inside his realm and she seemed fascinated by the crows roosting in the nearby trees.

“It will be difficult to cool the tempers of my clan. The resentment has been simmering for more
than a decade.” Itachi held out his arm and a pair of crow flew towards him and settled on his upper
arm. “My father’s subordinates have voiced their displeasure at my father not being consider as
Hokage in spite of his stellar reputation in the Third War. They were especially incensed when after
the Nine-Tails attack, all Uchiha were forced to leave the village proper and move to the outskirts.
Personally, I am glad to have my clan clustered together in our ancestral lands near the Naka
Shrine. Many of the adults didn’t see it that way.”

“The Uchiha are one of the four noble clans. The Hyugas have their own sector. It makes sense for
the Uchiha to do the same,” Sakura pointed out.

“It makes sense to me —it’s ideal to focus on learning hidden techniques. And with so much of the
village being destroyed in the attack, it was actually a blessing to have the area constructed as a
priority,” Itachi explained. “And it’s on the edge of the village — the nearby forest is perfect for
training.” He smiled faintly. “Good for hunting wild boar too.”

“Why crows?” Sakura asked. She held out an arm and Itachi allowed one of the crows to fly over
and land on her. It angled its head to either side, looking at her inquisitively.

“They have good memories. And they are diurnal — if you hear them squawking at night, it’s
because there is danger.” Itachi stared into the forest, the memory still sharp. “Uncle Taki will be
speaking at tonight’s meeting. He will try to make the point that our clan must work outside
ourselves. The Village as a whole needs to work together. It was not an Uchiha medical expert that
healed him.”

Sakura was petting the crow, sliding her fingers down the feathers of its head and back. “Do you
think they will listen to him? He’s spent many years in a drunken stupor — people don’t forget that
easily. We will need to do more than try to reason to their mind. Their hearts and egos are
interfering with rational thought.”
Itachi sighed. That was also his fear. His uncle will not hold much sway — he never served as
police and his time in the war wasn’t anything spectacular. The miracle of his physical recover
might not be enough.

“I have some ideas, but we’ll need to run them by Shisui. He has a better understanding than either
of us. The next three days are critical — in the original timeline that’s when he dies. But right now,
I want to talk about you.” Sakura leaned against a nearby tree and the crow on her arm flew off.
“You’re the one who’s future is most affected by stopping the massacre.”

“What about me?” Itachi asked. He’d already been talking more than usual. He hoped his brother
appreciated having a friend like this girl. “I would have had to leave the village after the act —
what was my role? Spying?”

“You become a really shitty spy. You do have one true friend. I’m not sure how the two of you
meet, but he is loyal to you, not the Akatsuki terrorist group. You’re partners— he’s a terrifying
missing-Nin from Mist and looks like a cross between a human and a shark.”

“Really? He sounds interesting,” Itachi mused. He would certainly be more interesting than the
members of his various genin teams. He focused on Sakura’s mind and started to pick out
memories of this friend of his.

“He’s a very skilled fighter — could be you both respect each other. He followed your lead— I
honestly don’t think he cared about the Akatsuki’s agenda. I think he was bored and everyone was
afraid of him, but you weren’t afraid.”

Materializing in front of them was a gigantic beast of a man with a massive sword. By the sharp
intake of breath from Sakura, it must have been pretty accurate. Itachi craned his neck back to look
up at the massive figure.

“Why was I a shitty spy as you say?” Itachi asked. It seemed unreasonable that he would do poorly
at any mission.

“You were not a good spy — if you’d shared the capabilities of the Akatsuki members several Leaf
shinobi could have been smarter in their battle techniques and might not have died,” Sakura
explained. Images of an older Asuma and the Sannin Jiraiya formed vaguely. “And you were
involved in recruiting most of the more terrifying members of the Akatsuki.”

“Why do you think I didn’t report such findings? That seems unlikely,” Itachi protested.

“Maybe you reported them to Danzo and not the Hokage. Or maybe the Hokage didn’t bother to
tell anyone? That seems less likely,” Sakura mused.

“Danzo.” A sword materialized strapped to Itachi’s back and he unsheathed the blade and started
practice forms. That giant shark man began to swing at Itachi and he focused on evading his make-
shift sparring parter. It was easier for him to talk when he was training. “So, in your timeline I
killed my entire clan, save my brother, then join a terrorist group, make at least one friend and then
make the terrorist organization stronger — does it cause the different villages to form an alliance
due to the greater threat?”

“Yes, but there was another dimension I visited once — you and the Akatsuki were mercenaries
that protected — you were pretty amazing in that version,” Sakura admitted.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t feel like I belong in the village. My spirit is restless. I want to usher in an era
of peace. When I was four, my father took me to a field of battle that was piled with countless dead
and rotting shinobi from Konoha and Iwa— they were the same — twisted with the agony and
despair of their last moments,” Itachi explained. “If I must be the villain to make that happen, I will
be.”

His mind drifted to the man in the orange mask that had killed his foolish teammate Tenma after
disabling the rest of the Daimyo’s escort into a genjutsu. He could vanish within that one point of
his eye. He’d read about different powers of the Sharingan and suspected that man whom knew
Kakashi Hatake was the one behind the Nine-Tails attack. A rogue Uchiha perhaps? But who? Was
he really a spy or was he seeking out that man?

“Something is wrong with you,” Sakura stated, interrupting his thoughts. “You cough blood and
you die at a young age. Barely in your twenties. Sasuke is targeted by Orochimaru and given the
curse mark. You live long enough that you can eliminate the snake Sannin. I wonder if I can maybe
help you to survive longer or figure out what exactly kills you.”

“I don’t have any symptoms at present,” Itachi reasoned. He allowed the shark-swordsman to
vanish.

Sakura tapped the seal on her forehead. “Your chakra control must be near perfect for you to be as
effective as you were while suffering a terminal illness.”

Itachi nodded. “My chakra control is very precise. I do not believe in wasting precious resources.”

“If I can teach you Creation Rebirth— you could heal whatever the damage inflicted on your
body,” Sakura explained.

“I’d rather not have a purple diamond seal on my forehead,” Itachi reasoned.

“You can chose anywhere on your body,” Sakura explained.

“You would teach me your special technique?” Itachi was honestly taken aback. “Why? Especially
if I’m a terrorist.”

“Because, you are Sasuke’s precious brother,” Sakura said, smiling fondly. “And while we’ve only
known each other for a few days, I like you, Itachi. I came to the past to change things and saving
you seems to be integral. Too much responsibility has been placed on your young shoulders. You
told Naruto you failed because you tried to do it all on your own.”

“How old were you when you faced off against a goddess?” Itachi asked.

“Seventeen, but I had my team.” She smiled at him sadly. “You shouldn’t have to do everything
alone.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Sakura, but it seems you’ve recruited me into your current team,”
Itachi pointed out. “Let us return to the teashop and enjoy the chai and cookies. We can talk more
after the clan meeting.”

The dream dissolved and they both settled back into their physical surroundings. Itachi picked up
his cup and blew gently on the steaming liquid. He could have used chakra to cool the tea, but
sometimes it was nice to let things take their own time. “How was the meeting with your other
friend?”

Sakura’s ears burned a suspicious shade of red. “He was agreeable.”

Itachi arched an eyebrow. He might not have much experience with romance, but he could observe
it in others. “Oh my. Shisui will be disappointed.” He thought about teasing her further when he
was suddenly distracted by a pretty dark haired teen walking outside.

Sakura followed his gaze. “Why don’t you invite her to join us?”

“She’s just a girl in my clan,” Itachi murmured. It was an understatement. They’d befriended each
other those few months he spent at the academy. Her mother was an Uchiha and after her father
died in the Nine-tails attack, they’d moved to the village outskirts with the rest of the clan. He’d
done his best to try and avoid her since he joined Anbu.

“What’s her name?”

“Izumi,” Itachi said with a sigh. It had become quite obvious that Izumi was feeling more than
friendly towards him— she may have always felt strongly for him, but he couldn’t ignore it now.
He caught her watching him more often than not. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time for such trivial
things like a crush. He had a singular goal — make the world peaceful by making people too afraid
to fight.

Sakura continued to stare out the window. “She looks like she’s having trouble. Come on, let’s see
if she needs some help.” She paid for their tea and left a generous tip before rushing outside.

Itachi reluctantly followed after his brother’s troublemaking teammate.

“No, Sakura!”

Sakura ignored him and approached the girl with Itachi begrudgingly at her heels.

Izumi’s dark eyes briefly landed on Sakura and then on him with such relief. “Itachi-kun! I’m so
glad you’re here! Whiskers is missing! I’ve been looking everywhere.”

Itachi thought Izumi was speaking way too casually around him. It had been at least two years
since they’d spoken with each other. He’d been busy with missions…

“Who is Whiskers?” Sakura asked.

“Whiskers was Izumi’s father’s cat,” Itachi explained.

Understanding passed through Sakura’s eyes and Itachi appreciated that she was quick to make the
connections without him spelling it out. “What does she look like?”

Izumi dragged her gaze away from Itachi and focused on the older woman, just now seeming to
realize that Itachi was again spending time with older peers. She gestured towards Sakura’s hair.
“Yellow like your hair, but with silver paws.”

“I hear you’re particularly adept at finding cats,” Sakura teased.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. Did she know about his and Sasuke’s cat hunts? “They are nimble and
clever creatures.”

Sakura held out her hand to Izumi. “I’m Sakura— a friend of Shisui’s, she explained. Itachi was
nice enough to meet me this morning.”

Izumi visibly relaxed and shook Sakura’s hand. “Izumi. Thank you, I really appreciate the help. I
don’t want Mom to find out Whiskers is missing. It’s been very hard for her lately.”

It was a simple mission and it was fun. It took them an hour to find the wayward cat. The
conversation flowed easy enough — it was related to their hunt for Whiskers. Itachi had actually
found the cat about five minutes into the search, but allowed himself to draw it out. It was nice
spending time with Izumi. He forgot how pleasant it was to be around her.

Was he really destined to kill her in three weeks?

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OoO

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Shisui

“It’s been so long since I’ve been to a clan meeting!” Shisui’s father, Taki, practically bounced with
each step they took through the district. It had been so long since he’d seen his father sober and had
been invited.

“Remember what we talked about,” Shisui reminded gently. “They will have questions about your
sudden physical abilities. Having access to people in the Village outside of our clan is important.
There are some skills the Uchiha simply aren’t that good at.”

“I still don’t understand how your friend did this,” Taki said. “I can barely remember her.”

Shisui had tweaked his father’s memory — no slug in his recollection. The hair was blond, as he’d
seen when his crow saw her earlier that day. He’d been looking forward to seeing what she looked
like with the change. The whole thing was pretty damn exciting. Shisui always liked intrigue. “She
said the problem just needed to be evaluated from a set of fresh eyes— when the skills of our clan’s
medics couldn’t offer the appropriate therapy, you should seek at least two other opinions — even
if it’s the same news, because then you’ll know,” Shisui explained. “And not all medics have the
same abilities.”

Taki tapped under his eye. “Just like not all Sharingans are alike.”
“Exactly.” Shisui pushed open the door to the sacred Naka Shrine. Fugaku was not only the clan
leader, but he was Shisui’s uncle. Clansmen used to go to Fugaku’s house directly, but it was
disruptive to his family, so now there were monthly meetings to discuss grievances, concerns, and
goals.

Itachi looked tiny standing in the corner behind his father his dark eyes always scanning the
crowds. With Itachi’s vast intellect and superior skills, it was easy to forget the the was barely
thirteen. His gaze landed on Shisui and Taki momentarily and he gave a slight nod.

As Shisui and his father approached the two chairs reserved for them at the front of the room, the
silence that fell over the assembly in the shrine was deafening. Twenty sets of onyx eyes followed
the father and son.

“It’s nice to have you join us today,” Fugaku said. He hit his gravel on the table in front of him and
drew the meeting to order. “We have a special guest with us today— you all remember my brother-
in-law, Taki. He and my nephew will be addressing the questions we all have about his miraculous
recovery. But first, a reminder, this October will mark seven years since our clan was falsely
accused of releasing the Tailed Beast that lead to the death of our beloved Fourth Hokage.”

There were murmurs though the crowd about how Fugaku should have been the Fourth Hokage —
nothing new.

“I know—I know.” Fugaku hit his gravel on the table again. “While Minato Namikaze was
perfectly adequate for the role, he was young and unfortunately, his life ended prematurely. If the
Third and the council hadn’t interfered during the attack our clan could have contained the Nine-
tails — no one needed to die. Eighteen months is too brief a tenure as Hokage. We can all agree
that he was a much better option than Orochimaru. I will not stand for anyone speaking poorly
about Lord Fourth. We all can agree his loss was a terrible blow for the village.”

There was a general grumble through the crowd. It seemed like every meeting had to settle the
anger about Minato being chosen for Hokage, even though more than eight years had passed.

“It is the blame that was unfairly thrust upon our clan by the other villagers, while every ranked
member of the clan risked our lives, fighting for the village that night. We did what we could to
stop buildings from collapsing on civilians, dug through the rubble to find survivors.” He turned
towards Itachi and gestured for him to speak.

“I stopped a flying boulder from crushing my mother and baby brother,” Itachi said quietly. “Others
in the village lost relatives and stood by helpless as boulders crushed them. They lacked the skill
and strength needed to protect.”

Fugaku nodded and Itachi stepped back into the corner. “We police the streets, but are we thanked
and revered? No— we are despised and disrespected.” Fugaku twirled the gravel in his hand.
“Shisui and Itachi have served well as spies within Anbu and later they will speak about their
discoveries. For now, Taki, the floor is yours.”

Shisui walked alongside his father as he moved to the front of the room, standing to the side of
Fugaku— Lord Fugaku technically. The Uchiha were a noble clan. He could see the fine beads of
sweat on his father’s forehead. Taki might have been the son of the great Kagami Uchiha, hero of
the Second War, but he’d spent the better part of the last decade staring down the end of a liquor
bottle. Shisui laid his hand over his father’s shoulder in a sign of support.
Taki cleared his throat. “I’ve dreamed about being able to stand and walk. I thought it was an
impossible dream. I’d sought medical care from the best medics within our clan, but our clan has
prowess in fighting, not healing. My son is friends with a medical ninja from an allied village of the
Leaf — she healed me. I’d been passed out drunk, barely remember telling her hello when she
greeted me. She asked how I was and I told her my life wasn’t worth living as long as I couldn’t
feel my legs.”

He paused and took a shuddering breath. “When I woke up from my drunken stupor, she’d taken
the liberty to examine me and heal me right in my own living room. She asked my son how the
hospital could have missed my condition — it wasn’t hard to fix….It wasn’t hard to fix.”

“The standard of only seeing Uchiha medics that was enacted in the last fifteen years needs to be
revisited,” Shisui added. “We are shinobi of Konoha. Why do we deny ourselves basic services that
we are entitled to?”

“You are naive, Shisui,” Yashiro, a member of the Police Force, scolded. “This medic wouldn’t
have helped your father if she’d been of the Leaf and grown up with the prejudices passed down by
the other clans.” He tapped under his eye. “And then you have to worry about ulterior motives for
the talented ones.”

“Even if your father had gone to the hospital in the village proper, it is likely he would have been
assigned lesser talented medics,” Fugaku added. “Or as Yashiro pointed out, someone who wanted
to study the Sharingan. We still do not know who set loose the Nine-Tails that night.”

“Paranoia is never productive,” Shisui argued. “Father could have demanded to see a specialist and
you as our clan head could have pressed the point with the Hokage. It is no different than the rights
the Hyugas demand of the Hokage,” Shisui argued. “They too live secluded from the rest of the
village — and are quite glad for it and they have dojutsu in their eyes too.”

“Perhaps if there was a more reasonable Hokage or a more reasonable Council — they are all
followers of Lord Second. Tobirama Senju was notorious in his dislike of the Uchiha. The village
leaders were corrupted by that prejudice. We do not have equal representation. The whole Village
must face an overhaul,” Fugaku vowed. “We are the strongest clan in terms of physical and fighting
prowess. We even generously allowed the son of Sakumo Hatake to keep the Sharingan —
honoring our brother Obito’s sacrifice. This village didn’t respect all the great sacrifices the White
Fang contributed to the Leaf for decades! He was driven to suicide by the ungrateful non-Uchiha
shinobi majority.”

“An unlawful grab for power is exactly what the other villagers fear. If you do this — you will
justify all those prejudices,” Shisui warned. “And you’re wrong about Tobirama Senju. My
grandfather was Lord Second’s must trusted ally.”

“Idealistic youth,” Inabi snapped. He was another police officer under Fugaku. “Tell us, where is
this friend of yours? This miracle medic? If you want to help this clan, maybe you should recruit
her. Who is she? Where is she from? If you want additional medical talent in this clan we marry it
into the clan. That is how the Uchiha solve that problem.”

“Her name is Sakura Namikaze,” Itachi interjected. “A distant relation to Lord Fourth.”

“Well there you go, an outlier. The Namikaze are a small clan and they’ve always been known for
being fair,” Yashiro reasoned. “Konoha has only ever made changes when it was forced to do so.”
 He stood from his chair. “Chief Fugaku, if we don’t want to be treated as lesser, we must make
them respect us! Fear us even!”

“That's the problem, they already fear us!” Shisui argued.

“Enough, Shisui. Your position on the matter has been made abundantly clear — repeatedly. You
are in the minority, nephew. Let the others speak,” Fugaku said, calmly.

Before long the assembly hall devolved into a bunch of middle-aged men lamenting how unfair
their position was within the Village. They should be more respected and revered. Moving to the
outskirts should have been their choice, not forced upon them.

Shisui exchanged a look with Itachi after he and his father had been seated. Shisui would have to
try and use his power to force Fugaku to exercise patience. Otherwise, there would be no helping
the Uchiha clan.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

All my Hiruzen scenes are awkward. Oh well, onward! I'm super stoked about ch 9. It's taking
longer to write than I wanted, but oh boy. I tried to write this chapter from the boys' POV. I'm
re-reading Itachi's Sunrise and Midnight novels. He's just so darn tragic! Thanks for your
support!
 Talk it Out
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura

It took all her resolve to avoid the hospital. Sakura needed to busy herself so that she could think
clearly. Her meeting with Itachi had been interesting. He was a very bright boy — she wasn’t
surprised. She really liked him and now that she knew him, needed to find a way him to keep him
out of the Akatsuki clutches.

But, was he right? Did the Akatsuki serve a greater purpose? Perhaps with the foresight she could
offer it would go smoother. There could be less catastrophe. Should she just tell them that Tobi was
Obito? Would that just screw everything up more? Maybe, Itachi could still join the Akatsuki, do a
good job as a spy, and not die after she taught him how to heal himself.

And then, there was Danzo. Who would take over Anbu without him? And would Root be
eliminated? What would happen to those kids? There was no mental health institute in this time.
Would Sai and Yamato still be amazing shinobi without the trauma? Could they learn to be epic
still in a nurturing environment?

Her mind was muddled with such thought that she didn’t realize she’d arrived on the steps of the
Yamanaka Flower Shop. Sitting on the front steps, young Ino had her arms wrapped around her
legs and was sobbing into her knees.

Sakura sat next to her on the steps. “Excuse me,” Sakura said. “I couldn’t help, but notice you’re
upset.”

Ino peeked over at her, stopped crying, but said nothing.

“You see, I’m fairly new here and I’d really like to get a houseplant for my apartment.” Sakura
smiled and tried to be disarming. “I need something to help it feel more homey. Do you think you
can help me?”

“Sure,” Ino agreed. “Are you thinking more flowers or non-flowering?”

“I’m not sure. Sometimes flowers can be showy and pretty, but other times the green cryptogams
have a certain charm.” Sakurs shrugged. “I’m a pretty indecisive person. That’s why I need some
guidance.”

“Cryptogams?” Ino echoed.”Are you sure you need help? Most people don’t know the proper term
for the non-flowering plants. Oh! There’s also herbs,” Ino said. “You can put them in your kitchen
if you have good lighting. The scent can help add calming effects.”
“I might know that cryptogams reproduce through spores and flowers use seeds, but that’s just
because I study science. It doesn’t mean I know how to take care of either one!” Sakura joked.

“You just need to know the proper amount of sun, water, and soil to be successful,” Ino explained.
She picked up a desert rose — a succulent with five petaled pink flowers with white centers. “My
former best friend has pink hair, you know?”

“Former best friend?” Sakura asked.

Ino nodded. “We both like the same boy so she broke up with me today saying we were now
rivals.” She sniffed. “I don’t even like him that much— he’s good looking, but I don’t even know
anything about him. He never talks to anyone, well except to her and Naruto.”

“Your friend probably hasn’t learned that there is room in her heart to love more than one person —
she’ll come around. Hopefully, you’ll be able to forgive her.” Sakura picked up a different
succulent with yellow star-shaped flowers. “I do think a succulent is the way to go.”

Ino set down the desert rose and looked between the plant Sakura held and her hair. “It goes with
your hair. That one is called the Golden Queen. It needs a lot of light.”

“Thank you for your help, Ino.” Sakura smiled and was glad to see her young friend smile back,
tears dried up. “Where do I check out?”

“Up front.” Ino picked back up the desert rose and guided Sakura to the register. “I think you
should get this one too. They’ll compliment each other.”

“Yes, I believe you’re right.” Sakura left a generous tip and left the flower shop with both potted
plants carefully contained within a canvas tote bag. She would have liked to have had a talk with
her younger self — tell her to appreciate Ino. But they did eventually reconcile. It would happen
organically, she couldn’t change every little regret.
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OoO

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Kakashi

Kakashi reported to Anbu headquarters a little after three. He’d summoned Shiba before hand and
asked the gray dog keep an eye on Sakura— from a distance. She wasn’t to know he was there.
Kakashi and Foxy had been assigned a five hour shift on an observation detail. It was a little
surprising because there were two other Anbu assigned with them that night — one he recognized
as little Tenzo and the other was the guy that never talked. It wasn’t the first time he’d worked
alongside the silent man, but usually Itachi was around at those times — the silent man seemed to
be keeping an eye on the Uchiha prodigy.

Quite a few missions with Anbu involved observing from afar and not actively engaging in any
battles, abductions, or assassinations.

He waited until their group of four split and he and Foxy were alone. “I saw Lion today. He looked
upset.”

Foxy scoffed. “He wants me to quit Anbu. I’ve sacrificed a lot for my position.”

“There’s no harm in taking a break though, if you need it,” Kakashi said.

“Oh? When’s the last time you took a break, Fang?” Foxy asked.

Kakashi pursed his lips and kept silent. He took a break that morning— thank you very much. And
when they got home, he’d see about taking another break.

The five hours passed and their shift was over. The next set of Anbu showed up to relieve them of
their duties. As Kakashi and Foxy ran back home, she caught up with him on a tree branch. She
touched his arm and he turned towards her.

“I appreciate you not pushing,” Foxy said. “Sometimes, I wish there were more female in Anbu.
It’s very testosterone heavy. But — I don’t know— I kind of hope there aren’t more females that
join if they have to go through —you know.”

Kakashi nodded. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable about bringing Sakura into Anbu.
But they had a mission to accomplish — one more important than individual comfort. However, he
couldn’t help, but think about the mysterious pink-haired kunoichi. Maybe he’d go visit her when
he got home. They were supposed to meet Hiruzen in the morning. It would be better to tell her
tonight and not show up at dawn.
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OoO

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Sakura

It had been hours since she met with Itachi and Sakura was anxious to hear news about their clan’s
meeting. She flipped to another page of her journal. She’d been mapping out different scenarios. If
she changed A, then what about B and C? Was it Sasuke’s training with Orochimaru that allowed
him to be strong enough to take on Kaguya, or would he have been stronger if he’d been trained by
members of his own clan? If she and Naruto didn’t have to chase after Sasuke, would they have
been as motivated to grow stronger?

Did Neji really have to die in the war?

Could Itachi be saved? Having another talented genius on the side of Konoha could only help—
right? If Root was destroyed — would Sai have a better childhood or would some other terrible
thing befall him?

If Asuma and Genma didn’t die— wouldn’t Kakashi be happier? Kurenai and Mirai would have
Asuma. Ino and Shikamaru wouldn’t have to deal with the loss of their mentor and fathers.

There was a knock on her apartment door. Sakura sensed Shisui alone on the other side. She let him
inside. “I just had to see the yellow hair for myself. Itachi’s description didn’t do it justice.” He
reached out to touch a strand of blond hair and studied it. “Bold move choosing the Namikaze
surname. The Yellow Flash was beloved by everyone. My uncle wants to meet you.”

“Okay, if we can reason with him…” she trailed off. Shisui’s expression was shuttered. “You don’t
think we can reason with him?”

“If it was just him,” Shisui said. He strolled past her and threw himself on her couch. He noticed
the small potted plants on her coffee table— the succulents with pink and yellow flowers. “Cute.
You getting comfortable? Settling in?”

“I guess I got lonely. I visited the Yamanaka Flower shop — my friend’s family runs it,” Sakura
admitted.

“And did you interact with your friend?” Shisui asked sitting up. He rubbed between his eyes.
“Ugh, I have the worse headache.”

Sakura sat next to him on the couch. “Well, she was sitting on the steps crying — it was hard to
ignore. Let me examine your head — I’ll help.”

Shisui flopped himself back down, resting his head in Sakura’s lap as he stared up at her. “It’s from
over-use of my Sharingan. I get the worse headaches. Remember that bit about you interacting as
little as possible with people?”

“It was harmless. I just gave her some encouragement and had her help me find an easy to maintain
potted plant.” Sakura held her hands gently around Shisui’s head and sent probing healing chakra to
evaluate. There was a lot of inflammation both the nerve and blood vessels. She thought about
Itachi’s future lung condition — maybe it was systemic? “The Sharingan seems to take quite a toll.
Sasuke ended up blind and I think Itachi was too. But then Itachi’s eyes were transplanted into
Sasuke and he was suddenly all good — vision wasn’t a problem anymore. It makes no sense.”

She didn’t add that after most major battles, Kakashi would end up in the hospital for days
recovering from chakra depletion. She trusted Shisui, but that bit of knowledge could in theory be
used against Kakashi and she wouldn’t risk that.

“Hm, well, we are a confusing bunch of people us Uchiha,” Shisui murmured. He sighed in relief
as the headache melted away. “So your time machine, it will be active in what four or five days?
What if we sent some of the clan into your time for safe keeping? Not everyone is involved in the
planned coup. It’s ridiculous to punish the entire clan so severely. I mean, there are a few babies —
you’re telling me Itachi kills babies?”

“Danzo wants the slaughter of everyone so he can collect hundreds of Sharingans. He has them
implanted onto his right arm— giving himself unlimited power. Itachi has help from one other
killing the clan. I suspect Obito helped him,” Sakura confessed. “He was the shadow leader of the
Akatsuki and Itachi does get recruited after the act.”

“Okay, wow, like that’s a bomb shell. You mean Obito —like the one that gave Kakashi his
Sharingan — Obito? He’s alive?” Shisui demanded, sitting abruptly.

“Well, he’s been brain-washed by Madara,” Sakura explained.

Shisui stared at her, mouth slightly agape. “Madara — cofounder of Konoha? He’s got to be nearly
a hundred years old!”

“Well, he might be dead currently. He gets re-animated at some point.”

“Ooookay. You haven’t told this to Kakashi have you? Itachi said he’s on board. He will flip out if
he learns Obito is alive,” Shisui said. “He visits the memorial almost every morning.”

“I’m telling you because I have to figure this out. Tonight really. You’re slated to die in three days.
I can’t hide you in the future, we have to protect you here.” Sakura waved three of her fingers in
front of his face to illustrate the point. “We have to stop that from happening.”

Shisui fell back on the couch again, on her lap again. “Now my headache is the back and I think
you broke my brain.” He stared up at her accusingly. “Who kills me? You said Danzo takes one
eye, I escape and give the other to Itachi and fall into a river.”

“I think you are poisoned — maybe by an Aburame member? It was difficult to suss that out in the
official records — your body was never found.” Sakura laid her hands over Shisui’s head again to
sooth away his stress headache. “Does Danzo have any pet Aburame?”

“Sure, the guy that doesn’t talk. He was on Itachi’s second genin team and then he just vanished.
Danzo’s been watching Itachi for a long time,” Shisui said, worried. “Itachi has never killed
anyone. I can’t believe in a few weeks he’s supposed to slaughter our whole clan.”

“We can’t send your clan to the future. You’re the one talking about me messing things up and you
want to do that? Besides, I have a feeling my friends will be using the machine to join me here.
Wouldn’t it be better to hide away those not involved somewhere in this area? I mean, no one lives
in Whirlpool. They can return home once everything is settled. We can hide you there too, maybe?”

“I’ve never run away from a fight before,” Shisui murmured. He sat up and body-flickered across
the room. He now stood in the kitchen, helped himself to a glass of water, and then started
rummaging the cabinets for a snack. “This is very stressful. Don’t you have any potato chips or
anything salty?”

“I have some roasted, salted pistachios,” Sakura said. She hopped over the back of her couch and
pulled the bag down from her pantry. Shisui snatched it from her hand and shook part of the bag’s
contents into his mouth.
“Kakashi was supposed to speak to Lord Third today, working on a way to recruit me into Anbu to
flush out Danzo’s even more clandestine organization. It’s called Root and Danzo assumes Hiruzen
doesn’t know about it. Danzo recruits young orphans and trains his child soldiers to be merciless
killers loyal to him absolutely. My friend Sai was raised in Root. The children are paired up and
raised together with the final test being to murder their “sibling” or both die.”

Shisui scoffed. “And the Uchiha are the ones to worry about?”

“The thing is, Itachi is a worthless spy when he joins Akatsuki. If he’d given out intel on the
operatives several allied shinobi wouldn’t have died needlessly if they’d known the best strategy to
attack. So either he gave no information, or the information got funneled through Danzo and didn’t
help anyone,” Sakura explained.

“I know Itachi better than anyone. Whatever information he passed along, it was funneled through
Danzo,” Shisui reasoned. “Tell me about the Akatsuki.”

“Originally it was an idealistic group— but their leader is murdered and they turn terrorist after
that. Jiraiya has a huge spy network, he probably knows. Itachi should report his information to
him. Why even bother with Danzo?”

Shisui grinned. “I like that idea, he could hide it cryptically inside those Icha Icha books the Sannin
writes.” He closed up the bag and shoved it back inside the pantry. “If we can have a shinobi
infiltrate a major terrorist organization, we should. Do you know what their mission is?”

“Collect the tailed beasts. Ultimately their actions cause an alien goddess to be unsealed and try to
destroy the planet,” Sakura explained.

“A goddess destroying the earth? That’s heavy.” Shisui started to wash his hands, scrubbing more
forcefully than necessary. “That Akatsuki serves as a common enemy that caused the Five Hidden
villages to create an alliance? Which is critical to saving the world from an alien invasion?”

“More or less.”

“So, we stop the scale of the massacre, but I don’t think it can be stopped entirely. I don’t want that
burden to fall onto Itachi, but if he uses that to recruit evil Obito and infiltrate the Akatsuki, it may
still need to happen.” Shisui mused. “But we don’t really need to let Danzo stay in charge — do
we? Hell, even my dad, now that he’s sober, could run Anbu.”

“Oh, and I had sex with Kakashi this morning.”

Shisui stared at her like she’d grown a second head. He started to laugh, clutching at his belly.
“Don’t you think that’s a little complicated? More so than giving a coloring book and having a
heart to heart with your childhood friends? Isn’t Kakashi supposed to be your teacher in like five or
six years.?”

“Maybe after I leave, you can make him forget?” Sakura asked.

“That…is not a bad idea,” Shisui said. “Assuming I don’t die in three days. Though, it might have a
few other complications, like when he becomes your teacher — he’ll probably ignore you a lot.”

Sakura shrugged. He did that anyway. When your teammates are the son of the Fourth Hokage with
insane chakra levels and the nine-tails and the sole surviver of the Uchiha clan— who cares about a
girl from civilian parents?

“So—- goals, don’t die.” Shisui held up his hand and started counting by lifting his fingers. “Stop
the massacre. Nerf terrorist group. Get rid of Danzo. Lock away Kakashi’s memories of you so it’s
not creepy when he’s your teacher.” He waved all five fingers at her.

“That…sounds accurate.”

“My Dad is against the idea of a coup. He’s loyal to my uncle, but he’s most loyal to preserving the
name of my grandfather, Kagami— the original Will of Fire, most trusted student of the Second
Hokage. Whom we both think Danzo killed. He would be resistant to Danzo’s ocular power if it’s
grandpa’s. If your friends decide to travel back we can’t have them interfering too — maybe they
could watch over the clan members we’re protecting?”

“I know my friends, I can guarantee you that Naruto, Ino, and Sai will be on their way here in the
next few days,” Sakura said confidently.

“Not Kakashi? Or Sasuke?”

“Kakashi is the Hokage, he can’t leave the village for something like this. He’s too important.
There’s too much risk he’ll run into his other self. And who knows where Sasuke is — he’s always
wandering far from home, supposedly doing reconnaissance. I think he’s just soul searching and
hates people. But Naruto can be unreasonable because he’s more motivated by his heart than his
brain. If a friend is in danger, he will find a way.”

Shisui drummed his fingers over the countertop. “I think you’re wrong, Sakura. I’ve only known
you for a week and a half and I find myself wanting to help you, protect you, spend time with you
— if I’d grown up with you I’m pretty sure logic or duties wouldn’t keep me away if you were
literally trying to change the world.”

“I have tried to keep Naruto at arm’s length my whole life — I tend to be pretty violent with him.”
Sakura grimaced, feeling guilty as usual about her behavior. “Because of his healing nature, I don’t
have to hold back and I have a lot of aggression. He’s the only one I can let out steam with. It
would be so easy to fall for such a great guy and Hinata has loved him for so long. He had this
stupid crush on me inspite of my abuse. Last winter, I was finally able to make him see Hinata and
they’re great together. I haven’t had to bop him upside the head or literally kick him out a window
since then. It’s such a huge relief.”

Shisui rubbed his head in sympathy. “You’re a medic, why would you inflict so much injury?”

“Nothing permanent! I don’t know, I have read a lot of psychology books working on my mental
health facilities and there is this thing called “cute aggression” or dimorphous expression.” Sakura
shook her head and chuckled at the rationale. “I think I have that with Naruto. It’s the compulsion
to squeeze, squish, pinch, crush, bite cute things. The theory is that when dealing with high positive
emotion you have to bring it down with something negative.”

Shisui couldn’t hide his smile. “You bite Naruto?”

“No!” Sakura rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead. “Can we talk about saving the
world?”
“Can we go back to the couch? I think if I lay with my head in your lab a little longer and thinking
quietly I’ll come up with something.” He smiled at her charmingly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Shisui really reminded her of Naruto sometimes. But, he was right. They’d
brought up a lot of points. Now was the time to let their minds wander and hopefully create a
solution.

“You can take the couch. I’ll be in here making some dinner for us. I think better when I’m busy,”
Sakura explained.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Shisui left about an hour later and Sakura took a long shower with her new body wash. The vanilla
and gardenia should have relaxed her nerves, but she was wound up tight. She’d gone back in time
so confident she could stop such a massive event, but now she might have to let it play out — but
maybe tweak it so that it wasn’t so awful? When the shower began to run cold she switched off the
water and slipped on her robe. Maybe she could find Kakashi in the morning, get his opinion. They
hadn’t made plans when to meet next and she was running out of time.

The Copy Ninja sat perched on her windowsill. He wore the black and silver gear of the Anbu, his
mask over his face. The moonlight streaming in behind him, making his platinum hair more eerie.

“Ka-Kakashi,” Sakura stuttered, clutching her robe tight in front of her, surprised at his presence. It
didn’t matter if he wore a full-faced mask over his half-mask, she’d recognize his hair and posture
anywhere.

He pulled off his white wolf mask and tossed it on her dresser. His mismatched eyes stared back at
her dispassionately. His whole aura sent shivers of fear down her spine. He seemed angry. “What
was Uchiha doing here?”

“Shisui was telling me about the clan meeting. His father — whom I healed— spoke about the
good that could come from working with those outside of their clan,” she explained.

“You didn’t sleep with him?” Kakashi’s voice was gruff.

“I—not that it’s any of your business, but no,” Sakura huffed.

He began to stalk towards her, slipping in and out of the shadows caused by the curtain fluttering in
the wind blocking the moonlight. He slid his right hand into her bright blond hair, tangling his
fingers. “I am fond of this color,” he admitted. His left hand rested on her hip, just above the belt of
her robe. “What would happen if I pulled off this belt?”
“I’d be rather cold.” Sakura felt her throat tighten as his closeness sent her heart racing. “Someone
left my window wide open and there’s a breeze.” What was going on? Sure they had a tumble in
the field outside his clan’s homestead— it had been quite enjoyable, though somewhat rushed.
Certainly better than her time with Sasuke. They weren’t a couple. Was he jealous of Shisui? Why
was he in her bedroom? “Did you want to talk about something? Is that why you’re here? I have a
lot of talk to you about.”

“Hm, eventually.” His eyes stared down at the part in her robe. “Do you want me to leave?”

“Not really,” Sakura admitted. She only had four days before the time machine was functional and
less than three until Shisui was supposed to die. Time was of the essence. What if her friends tried
to stop her before then? “But maybe let me get dressed?”

The eyes that looked down at her were no longer dispassionate. They looked like liquid mercury.
“How about undressed? I’ll keep you warm. The more familiar we are — the better we can sell our
versatility.”

Sakura stared up at him, keenly aware of his hand on her hip and the precarious protection her robe
offered. She didn’t regret having sex with him that morning, but if she made a habit of it, how
would she be able to look him in the eye when she returned home? She trusted that Shisui could
make Kakashi forget about her—nothing more than some fuzzy memories. There was a very real
chance she wouldn’t live to make it back home though and didn’t she realize this morning that she
loved Kakashi Hatake? Maybe not this Kakashi, but her Kakashi?

“I really need to come up with a strategy,” Sakura protested, her eyes focused on his cloth covered
chin. If she stared at that damn mask, she could ignore the butterflies fluttering in her belly while
he massaged her hip. “I have a rough plan, but need…”

He seemed to sense her indecisiveness. He let go of her hair and slipped the black mask down his
nose, mouth, chin. Then he smiled faintly and Sakura felt her knees go weak.

“Some practice might be warranted,” Sakura murmured. She was only human. Who could refuse
that face?

Kakashi’s smile vanished and his face was locked in concentration. He tugged off the belt and his
gaze shifted lower as the robe parted, giving a glimpse of her naked body within. His left hand
settled on her hip, his thumb caressing the soft flesh just under her hip bone. His molten silver eyes
locked on her face. Sakura couldn’t quite identify the emotions. “Sarutobi has agreed to sponsor
you joining me in my current mission. Rule number seven in Seduction, put the target off balance.”
He leaned forward and kissed the side of her neck, nipping gently at the tender skin between his
teeth.

“Rule number fourteen, fuck them so well they let down their defenses.” He stepped more fully
into her space and his armored chest pressed against her breasts and belly while his right hand
pulled her head back.

“I think you’re just making up numbers,” Sakura said, holding her hand against the cold armor over
his chest and taking a step back.

Kakashi unhooked his armor, let it fall to the floor, then he pulled his shirt over his head, tossed it
aside. “Here’s my own rule — life is short, don’t waste opportunities. You never know when it will
be your last.”
He pushed her back until she hit the wall, one hand on her hip with his thumb running those
tantalizing circles while his fingers spread across her buttocks in a bruising grip. His other hand
squeezed her breast, rolling her nipple through his fingers.

Sakura didn’t protest. She agreed to that last rule whole-heartedly. She ran her hands over the hard
planes of his torso, enjoying the feel of his pectorals, shoulders, and the well defined abdominals.
The way his waist tapered in — no extra fat on the Copy Ninja. He was more than his ninjutsu and
his intellect — he was a finely toned athlete.

“Just to be clear— you’re fine with this?” Kakashi asked, his eyes were dark with desire, but he
held himself in check.

“Fine,” Sakura agreed. Her hand drifted down over the fine silver hairs of his abdomen towards
Kakashi’s pants and she unfastened them, shoving them to his hips and allowing his length to
spring free. She gasped in surprise at how ready he was and he caught her mouth in his, stealing
more of her breath away.

Both Kakashi’s hands were on her hips now as he lifted her against the wall. He centered the tip of
himself over her core and without checking to make sure she was ready for him, rammed inside.
Sakura cried out in surprise, but the sound was muffled by his mouth.

It hurt, but he didn’t let up. There was no pause to make sure she could accommodate him. Her
back was braced against the hard wall behind her and she looped her arms around his shoulders for
dear life. It was fortunate that she’d been dripping for him the moment he pulled down his mask.

It was rough and it walked the line between pleasure and pain as her body flooded with endorphins.
There were no sweet nothings whispered in her ear, no mindless grunting, just heavy breathing and
the sound of their flesh slapping together. He exploded inside of her, but she’d not finished.

Kakashi pulled out of her and adjusted his grip and carried her to the bed. He tossed her on and
then crawled over the top of the bed until the laid beside her, his fingers finding their way to her
core and finishing the job with his thumb over her nub and his long fingers pumping inside of her.
He began to kiss her, slipped his tongue inside her mouth, entwining their tongues in a rhythm that
matched his fingers. She almost orgasmed when he withdrew his fingers, causing her to cry out in
frustration, but he muffled her cry with his mouth. His fierce molten gaze bore into hers as he
shifted over her and filled her with his length again.

They exploded together and Sakura clutched his shoulders, afraid he’d disappear. But he didn’t go
anywhere and they rode the waves of their orgasms together. This time, Kakashi collapsed on top of
her. He nuzzled the underside of her chin before he rolled onto his back, shifting Sakura on top of
him. He pulled the covers over the two of them.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Kakashi asked, his eyes half closed and possessively
grasping her buttocks.

“I’m a little distracted,” Sakura murmured.

“How about you tell me what you and Uchiha talked about?” Kakashi squeezed her buttocks once
more and then shifted his hands to the small of her back, a slightly more innocent location. “He was
here for several hours.”

“Were you spying on me?” Sakura asked.

 “Shiba was keeping an eye on your apartment building.” Kakashi raised one hand back to her head
and started running his fingers through her hair. “Oh, oops. You’re going to want to take another
shower.” He grimaced slightly. She could guess which hand he used. “So, Lord Third wants to meet
with us tomorrow. I should be able to get you noticed by Anbu within two or three days.”

“In my timeline, Shisui dies in three days,” Sakura said.

Kakashi’s hand stilled momentarily. “Oh. What are we going to do about it?”

“He’s going to leave the village, along with several Uchiha clan members that aren’t involved in
insurrection. Some of the clan will be beyond reasoning and Itachi will need to play his role,”
Sakura explained.

“He’s never killed anyone,” Kakashi said. “He always finds alternatives when he faces his
opponents. He is a quagmire of kindness and terror combined into one.”

“I’m not sure where the best place to hide the clan would be,” Sakura confessed. “I thought
Whirlpool, but what is to stop Danzo from sending forces after them?”

“I have an idea,” Kakashi said. “I could use my Kamui. I could store them inside a separate
dimension. Bring them back when it’s safe.”

“How long would it take you to recover from something like that?” Sakura asked. She could
probably transfer chakra into him, like she did with Obito when he was looking for Sasuke in their
battle with Kaguya. But Obito was evil in this timeline — would he have access to Kakashi’s
Kamui dimension? It was Obito’s Sharingan. She couldn’t exactly ask Kakashi.

“I suppose it depends on how many people I’d be saving.” He closed his eyes. “If you don’t mind,
I’ll just stay here tonight. It’s been a long day.”

“Would you like to maybe take a shower or get dressed?” Sakura asked, squirming a little on top of
him.

Kakashi cracked open his right eye and then shifted so that they were side by side, facing each
other. He closed his eye and was silent, either asleep or just being a jerk.

Sakura started to shift out from his grip and the Copy Ninja tightened his arms. So he wasn’t
sleeping. Using a little extra monstrous strength, Sakura forced him to let her up.

Kakashi sat up. “Fine. Shower, then sleep.” He scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. He
didn’t seem tired at all now.
.
.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

Soo....tricky Copy Ninja....maybe he didn't HAVE to sleep with Sakura...but he WANTED to
and she wasn't complaining. Bwhahaha!
 Big Brother/Niisan

.
.
.

Shisui

Two days. He was supposed to be dead in two days. Shisui didn’t go home that night. He wandered
the woods for a while and finally settled on a high branch with a good view of the full moon. He
would try to meet with Lord Fugaku and use Kotoamatsukami to alter his mind and prevent his
support of the Uchiha coup It shouldn’t matter that his subordinates wanted a fight, Fugaku was the
clan leader. He should make the difference. If that trio of troublemakers — Tekka, Inabi, and
Yashiro — assumed it was because Fugaku was swayed over concern for his sons — that’s as it
should be. The future generations were more important than the grievances of the older generation.

Why couldn’t they see it?

It had been nearly seven years since he’d awakened Mangekyo Sharingan. Sakura had mentioned it
at the apartment. Did she even understand how it was awakened? His closest friend, a former
teammate and rival, had died on a mission — Shisui could have reached out behind him — could
have saved that rival. But he let him die. As he looked back, saw the friend cut down and realized
what he’d done, the dark ultimate power of the Sharingan had unlocked.

It was a steep price and cruel fate. He’d looked through the clan documents. Only one other
instance was recorded— Madara Uchiha when his brother Izuna died in his arms. Did that mean no
one else had the ocular power? No. But it did mean the whomever else might have it kept it their
dirty, little secret.

If in the original timeline, Shisui died, did he do it in such a way that Itachi developed Mangekyo
Sharingan? How else would he be able to slay the entire clan? He had to have had help, right?
Maybe it was whomever actually unleashed the Nine-Tails those years ago?

He leaned the back of his head against the solid trunk of the tree and stared out on the horizon as
the night sky began to lighten with the first rays of dawn. He heard a stick snap below him and he
shifted his gaze to the forest below and felt himself relax upon spying a young Academy student.

His curiosity sent him to a lower branch, while still carefully masking his chakra. How many little
girls had pink hair? He watched as she moved to stand in front of a certain tree. She spread her legs
apart in a fighting stance, positioning her weight evenly and centered the balance of her core and
started punching the air, her thin little arms extended into straight lines and then retracting to ninety
degree angles at her sides.

Her form was correct, but punching at the air wasn’t going to do much for increasing her strength.
So this was young, untrained Sakura, hailing from a civilian family. She wasn’t a prodigy like
Itachi or even Sasuke, but he appreciated the determination. He remembered most of the girls at the
Academy back when he was a student were simply boy crazy and looking to meet a future ninja
husband.
Shisui watched her for a solid twenty minutes. Before he decided to let his presence be known. He
unmasked his chakra and was satisfied to see her twirl around suddenly aware that someone was
nearby. The red bow holding her hair back fell off and sent long pastel pink bangs over her eyes.
She had a bit of a prominent forehead — not unusual for a little kid, but probably the reason for the
long bangs. Maybe he should tell her she’d grow into it?

“Who’s there?” young Sakura called, her voice wavering in fear, but she kept her arms up
defensively.

Shisui dropped down in front of her and held his hands up in peace. “I was in the tree up there,
watching the sky. I didn’t expect company,” he said, by way of apology.

“Oh, I haven’t seen you here before,” Sakura said. She gazed up at him, those familiar jade eyes
landed on his face and hair. “You’re an Uchiha?”

Shisui nodded. “Are you a friend of Sasuke’s?” Shisui asked. Mentioning the young Uchiha should
disarm her suspicion. “He’s my little cousin.”

Sakura visibly deflated, her shoulders slumped. “We’re classmates, but he doesn’t consider me a
friend. He doesn’t even know who I am.” Sakura took a deep breath. “I’m Sakura.”

“Shisui,” he introduced himself. “Would you like some help training? Your form is good, but you
need to apply force to get stronger.”

“You would help me?” Sakura asked, surprised. “Why?”

“You’re a future shinobi of the Leaf, are you not? It’s in my best interests to make sure you’re the
best you can be. Why are you here by yourself?” Shisui asked.

“I had a friend, but we both like the same boy so now she avoids me. She has lots of friends, so it
doesn’t matter to her. I don’t matter to her.” She blew out a breath, ruffling those bangs, and stared
up at Shisui. “My parents are civilians so they don’t know how to help me. I make perfect scores on
all the written tests. I study hard, but I just have no skills.” Her head hung at the last bit.

Shisui stepped closer and continued to hold his hands palms facing towards her. “Hit my palms.
Hard as you can.” He was glad she didn’t know about chakra control yet or else he’d have regretted
the suggestion. He felt her put her whole weight into it all twenty kilograms. “Good, keep going. I
want you to punch one hundred times. Count aloud. Go!”

“One! Two!” Sakura kept at her current force, and only started to lose intensity around seventy-
five. By the time she got to one-hundred she was covered in sweat and panting.

“Very good, Sakura-chan! I want you to start doing push ups every night —at least twenty. And
work on your balance.” Shisui stood on one foot, arms straight out at shoulder level. “And stand
like this for five minutes then switch to the other foot— every night.”

Sakura nodded.

“And ask your teacher if you can stay a little after school to work on kunai and shuriken throwing
okay,” Shisui suggested.
“Maybe I can ask my dad to hold his hands like you did so I can practice punching,” Sakura said,
smiling up at him brightly.

“That’s a great idea, Sakura-chan. You’ll need to work on kicks too though. I have to get going. Do
you want me to walk you home?” Shisui asked. He didn’t really like knowing a little kid like her
was wandering the woods by herself. “You know, it’s not a really safe being in the woods by
yourself like this.”

Her head hung low again. “Ino-chan used to play with me here, but not anymore.”

Oh, he was definitely interfering with his next suggestion. But future Sakura had already done more
interference than this. “Why don’t you ask the blond boy? I’ve seen him at the park before — he’s
usually alone. I bet he could use a friend too.”

“Naruto?” Sakura scowled. “He’s so loud. And he’s a troublemaker.”

“I believe I’ve heard him say he wants to be the Hokage one day. I would think he’d be motivated
to practice. It’s just a suggestion,” Shisui said.

“Maybe,” Sakura said thoughtfully. She looked up at him and smiled, swiping her bangs out of her
eyes. “Thank you, Shisui-niisan!”

“Big brother, huh?” Shisui asked, amused by the little girl. “Run off now, be safe!”

He watched as she ran back towards the main part of the village. It probably wouldn’t be too much
of a change to the timeline. Sakura seemed like a pretty lonely little girl. Naruto and Sasuke were
pretty lonely too. They ended up a team anyway, they might as well start off a little more cohesive.

Feeling slightly optimistic, Shisui hurried back home. He would visit Lord Fugaku later that
morning. He would try to reason with him first. Maybe he wouldn’t even need to use his
Sharingan? He would reveal that his three subordinates— Tekka, Inabi, Yashiro— had requested
Shisui to spy on Itachi for the last several months. Perhaps he could appeal to the clan leader as a
father and an uncle.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

Every morning, Kakashi woke up at precisely five o’clock. Sometimes he laid in bed and stared at
the ceiling for a while, other times he started his morning exercise routine - pushups, pull-ups, basic
taijutsu stretches, sometimes a jump rope. Sometimes he went for a run. More often than not, there
were lingering anxieties from whatever nightmare haunted his dreams and he would head off to the
Memorial to talk to his fallen friends.

This morning he woke up refreshed and feeling calm. It might have had something to do with the
lithe woman sprawled across his chest. Sex wasn’t a big deal for Kakashi — he did it for work, he
did it for fun, he did it when he was pissed, and he did it when he was bored. Finding a willing
participant was never the issue.

What he did not do was actually sleep with someone. He didn’t stay the night over at someone
else’s place or invite someone into his own place. He had never woken up with someone in his
arms. There was no good reason he should feel this comfortable around a woman he’d only known
for a few days.

He tightened his arms around her and took a deep breath, sniffing her hair and getting a whiff of the
lilies and gardenia scent. He was tempted to rouse her for another round, but he felt like he was
starting to be obsessed. He was definitely feeling possessive.

While the hair on her crown was golden-blond, her more private hair was certainly not. He had
suggested that she shave when they were in the shower together. The way her eye ticked had been a
total turn on. She had been pissed and it looked glorious on her.

“Sakura? Wake up. We’re meeting the Hokage this morning.” Kakashi rolled Sakura off him to lay
next to him while he sat up and stretched. She snuggled into the pillow and murmured something.
He got off the bed and started getting dressed— boxers then face mask. “Wakey, wakey, Sakura-
chan.” He grabbed hold of the sheets and yanked them down, while taking a moment to admire her
mostly naked body. She’d put on panties before they finally went to bed last night.

“Hey!” Sakura sat up and blinked at him a few times, obviously trying to orient herself. She
belatedly pulled the sheet up over her chest. “It’s not even daylight, yet.”

“Isn’t your friend due to be killed in two days? I’d think you’d be on a bit of a time crunch,”
Kakashi pointed out.

“You stayed,” Sakura stated, obviously surprised.

“It was late, so it just made sense,” Kakashi said, feeling defensive.

She gestured between them. “This — was training?”

He was grateful for his mask. “Naturally.” He was afraid his teeth might shatter with the intensity
of his jaw being clenched.

She laid back in the bed and laughed. “Definitely better than any other training I’ve gone through.”

Kakashi chuckled and then scanned the floor to find his pants. “Do you have food for breakfast
here or should we pick something up?”

“You—want to be seen with me?” Sakura asked. “I thought it would be wise to keep a low profile. I
have food here I can fix.”

“Food that we can fix,” Kakashi corrected. For some reason, the visual of standing together in her
tiny kitchenette making breakfast actually cheered him. He was a pretty decent cook. Since he had
no family, he usually read books to keep himself company — he’d gone through all his mother’s
old cook books when he was a kid. He’d actually become a pretty good fisherman and hunter
thanks to some of his father’s survival manuals. His old teammates, Obito and Rin, used to come
over and eat with him. But since they died eight years ago, he generally didn’t have anyone to cook
for, but himself.

Sakura shoved her covers aside and strode to her dresser — Kakashi watched, appreciating the
curves of her hips and the jiggle of her breasts as she crossed the room. His hands flexed at his side.
He decided to leave his shirt off and went to the kitchen to explore the options. It would be fun to
see her reaction to his shirtless body.

He’d already gotten out a pan and was scrambling eggs when Sakura joined him. He could feel her
eyes on him.

“So I read through the redacted reports about Shisui’s death,” Sakura explained.

“How did you manage that sort of access?” Kakashi asked, he glanced over at her and caught her
staring.

She shifted her eyes up to his face. “I’m the Hospital Director. I have access to the Death
certificates. But since his body was never found, I actually had to look through the Hokage’s
archives.”

“Are you the Hokage?” Kakashi asked.

“No, but I’m close to the current and former Hokage,” Sakura explained. “I assist sometimes.
Anyways, there was a report by Itachi— he’d incinerated the person responsible for poisoning
Shisui— it was someone he was familiar with that used insects. Shisui suspected the silent man.”

“Ah, Sugaru most likely,” Kakashi reasoned. “Part of Abarame clan— though Sugaru probably
isn’t his actual name and we’re not supposed to know the Anbu’s identities. Sometimes, it’s too
obvious. The poison could disintegrate without leaving a trace. That also means there wouldn’t be
time to figure out an antidote.”

“How do you know he’s part of Abarame clan?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi tapped his nose. “I can smell the insects.”

“How? Using your Ninken?” Sakura opened the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of oranges.
“You know what? That’s your business. You can tell me if you want.” She set a cutting board on
the counter and began to slice the oranges. “Okay, so if for some reason I’m not able to keep Shisui
from being poisoned, as long as I can get to him in time, I can either try a general antidote or
manually remove the poison.”

Kakashi scoffed. “Do you just happen to carry antidotes around with you when you travel fourteen
years into the past?”

“I would be a pretty sorry medic if I didn’t pack some on missions in general.” Sakura took the
knife and rinsed it at the sink. “But is his eye stolen before or after he’s poisoned? Probably before
— to paralyze him. He reports to Lord Third, not Danzo, so can’t he just avoid the man?”
“All very good questions,” Kakashi said. “I’m fond of Itachi — he’s been on Team Ro with me for
two years. It’s hard for the Uchiha. The prejudice is very real. But those two, they’re the cream of
the crop.”

“You don’t seem to have a problem with the Uchiha clan,” Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi turned off the stovetop and leaned his hip on the counter to look back at her. Her eyes kept
staring at his torso. “My teammate Obito was an Uchiha. He died before the Nine-tails attack. But,
I know the Uchiha aren’t to be scorned just because of their surname.”

She drew her eyes up to his face and there was something unreadable in her expression.

“Is there something I should know?” Kakashi asked.

“There are so many things you will know in the next few years, but I do not think it is wise for me
to tell you prematurely.” Sakura rubbed her temples. “Did Itachi tell you about the masked man
who killed his old teammate?”

“The first time I met Itachi,” Kakashi said. “What about him?”

“The Nine-tails attack seven years ago— it was an Uchiha, but not one that lives in the village,”
Sakura explained.

Kakashi help up his hand. “Yo. Hold up. Let’s just deal with the here and now, okay? We have
enough problems. Let’s focus on breakfast and meeting the Hokage. What else do you have
planned for today?”

“I’m meeting Fugaku Uchiha around eleven with Shisui and Itachi,” Sakura said. “He wants to
meet the kunoichi that miraculously healed his brother-in-law.”

The Uchiha compound was monitored twenty-four/ seven by Anbu. He’d have to do something to
make sure that Sakura wasn’t on the videos. There was a chance she already was if she’d already
been there. The images were black and white so her hair wouldn’t make her distinct. Itachi would
know where the blind spots were or could make some. “I doubt if Fugaku Uchiha will be open to
changing his mind. We should start evacuating those not involved in the coup soon. And I can
probably safely stash at least thirty people into my Kamui dimension, maybe forty.”

“There’s at least one hundred and fifty people in the clan,” Sakura said.

“Then you’ll have to decide who is worth saving— who is not so far gone in their hate? Who has
the potential to contribute to the village?” Kakashi divvied up the eggs onto two plates and set one
in front of her. They forgo chairs and stood at the bar next to each other. “Who whole-heartedly
supports betraying Konoha and who is passively resisting?”

“How much energy will it take for you to hide that many people?” Sakura asked. “I can contribute
some chakra, but if this puts you in the hospital for chakra depletion, it’s not good enough.”

Kakashi slipped down his mask and shoved a fork full of eggs into his mouth. It was silly to go
through the extra effort of eating while masked when she’d already seen him. “I can do five people
without a problem. I would need to rest between.”
“That’s not enough,” Sakura reasoned. “And if it’s going to put your life in danger, it’s not an
option. I’ll know more after I meet with the clan. The boys and I will make a save list. Not all
Uchiha even have the Sharingan. I wonder if the trauma of the massacre itself is what awakens so
many for Danzo to harvest.”

“Probably.”

“I should have more allies arrive in about four days,” Sakura said. “They’ll be able to protect
them.”

“Why don’t you write your allies a letter?” Kakashi asked. “Write me a letter. Give it to Pakkun
and he can deliver it to me in the future.”

“That’s a great idea! My summons worked here when I tried it earlier.” She smiled at him. “See?
This is why I needed your help.” The smile vanished and she blew out a breath. “Future you is
going to be so pissed at me.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Well, I think he’ll be receptive to you making it up to him.” He reached for her
hips and held her pressed against him. “I’m feeling very forgiving at the moment.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

It was a rarity that the whole family sat a the kitchen table for a meal. Itachi had woken up early
and cooked a large breakfast. He fried eggs, made pancakes, made a fruit salad, and onigiri
wrapped in seaweed. When his mother entered the kitchen to make tea she’d been stunned.

“Itachi, dear, what are you doing up so early?” Mikoto asked. She put on her apron and washed her
hands. “You’ve really outdone yourself, son.” She worked on preparing tea, but Itachi had already
boiled the water. All that was left was to steep the tea leaves in the cups he’d already set out on a
tray.

“Good morning, Mother,” Itachi said, lifting the pan from the stove top and scooping out the eggs.
“I have a mission this afternoon, so I thought it would be nice to spend the morning with the
family.”

“I see, it looks delightful. Aren’t you meeting your father later today?” Mikoto asked.
“Yes,” Itachi confirmed. He sensed his father just outside the door, he seemed to hesitate perhaps
also waiting for the answer.

Fugaku entered, wearing his police uniform. He’d been ready to head straight to work. “Itachi?
What is all this?”

“We have not been seeing eye-to-eye for some time, Father,” Itachi said, gesturing for his father to
sit on the pillow on the floor by his place at the low table. “While a meal together will not resolve
our conflict, it should show that I do care about spending time with my family.”

Mikoto took off her apron. “I’ll wake up Sasuke. We’ll be right back.”

“Will you be bringing the girl today?” Fugaku asked.

“The medic? Yes. I have a mission this afternoon, so we’ll be there around eleven this morning.”
Itachi set plates at the four places of the table and settled the food in the center. He sat catty-corner
to his father.

“And you cannot tell me what your mission is,” Fugaku stated. “Your promotion into Anbu was to
gain the clan access to the inner workings of the village.”

“I cannot tell you about my top secret missions,” Itachi agreed. “What I have learned about the
village is that the perceived slights of the Uchiha clan need to be worked past. You should focus on
the future. Do not dwell in animosity and wounded feelings.”

“You’ve missed several meetings,” Fugaku said.

“No one seems to care about my opinion. Even with a walking miracle like Uncle Taki trying to
speak reason,” Itachi said. He looked over at the door as his mother and little brother walked in.
Sasuke’s sleep-dazed expression cleared as he eyed the spread across the table. “Good morning,
little brother,” Itachi greeted.

“Aniki,” Sasuke whispered in awe. “You did all this?”

“Of course, I wanted to make sure my precious little brother had a proper meal before your big day
at school today,” Itachi said. “You have that practical skills test today, yes?”

“It’s tomorrow.” Sasuke sat next to Itachi and across from his father. “I mastered the Fireball jutsu
last week,” Sasuke boasted. He picked up one of the onigiri and took a bite.

“And the burns on your face have healed nicely,” Mikoto added. She looked over at Itachi. “His
fireballs are quite impressive.”

“I showed him once. He took it upon himself to train until he mastered the technique only a few
days later. Both my sons are geniuses,” Fugaku said, a rare smile flitted across his lips.

“Can you train with me this afternoon, Itachi?” Sasuke asked, looking over at his brother with
hopeful eyes.

“Sorry, Sasuke. Not today. I have a mission this afternoon.” Itachi felt his heart clench at the keen
look of disappointment on his brother’s face. “But if it’s okay, I was hoping to walk you to school
this morning.”
That disappointment quickly transformed into a radiant smile. “Okay!”

Fugaku left a few minutes later, taking a few bites of food and drinking his tea. Mikoto watched
him leave with sad eyes.

“Go get dressed, Sasuke. Then we’ll head out,” Itachi said. As soon as Sasuke reached their shared
bedroom, Itachi met his mother’s gaze. “Have you thought about our conversation? Will you stand
against the coup?”

“I don’t want to stand against your father, Itachi. He’s our leader,” Mikoto said quietly.

“You are a Jonin of the Leaf,” Itachi reminded her. “This course endangers the very children of the
clan, Mother.”

“I’m not a Jonin anymore. I resigned years ago.” Mikoto stared down at her teacup. Unable to look
her eldest son in the eye.

“And you’re willing to risk Sasuke’s life?”

Mikoto looked across the table at him. “You wouldn’t allow anything to harm your brother.”

While that was true, it wasn’t his responsibility. Itachi set down his tea cup with great care.
Internally he was shaking with anger, but outward he appeared cool and calm. “If it weren’t for me
— you would have been crushed by flying debris during the Nine-Tails attack. Do you deny this?”

“No. You saved mine and Sasuke’s life that night.” Mikoto looked at the door behind her. Sasuke
was coming.

“Then would you say that you are indebted to me?” Itachi asked.

His mother nodded.

“Then you will tell me others who do not wish for violence and are willing to go into hiding. I’m
not asking you to stand against Father. I’m asking you to take yourself and others out of the
equation,” Itachi reasoned.

“Okay! I’m ready!” Sasuke shouted from the front door.

Itachi left his mother without another word. He met Sasuke by the front door and slipped on his
shoes. He walked alongside his brother en route to the Academy. He’d only made the journey for a
year when he’d gone to the Academy. In those days, they were eager to graduate any promising
child. The rules changed shortly afterwards and while Sasuke would have easily been promoted in
years past, he had to wait until he was eleven before he’d be eligible.

“I’m impressed to hear about your fireball jutsu,” Itachi murmured. “It took you one week to
master a skill that few shinobi outside of our clan ever learn. It is a great accomplishment.”

“Mother told me to stop comparing myself to you.” Sasuke looked up at Itachi and shifted his
backpack over his shoulders.

“That would be wise,” Itachi agreed. “I work hard so that the horrors I see will not touch you, little
brother.” He reached for Sasuke’s head and ruffled his brother’s dark, unruly hair. “Now, tell me,
have you made friends at the Academy?”
“No, not really. Girls confess to me every day that they love me — it’s very annoying.” Sasuke
reached up and tried to smooth out his tangles. “No one seems to take the classes as seriously as
me. There’s this one girl that scores well on her tests too, but she’s very bad at the practical skills
part. Nara is good at the practical skills, but he’s so lazy.”

“What about Naruto?” Itachi asked. “I’ve seen him on the playground before. He seems —
enthusiastic.”

“He’s loud and annoying,” Sasuke argued.

“I suspect he could use a friend.” Itachi could see the Academy in the distance. “You should be
kind to him. I do not make friends easily either. I never know what to say. And when you are
exceptional — it often separates you and makes others intimidated and wary.”

“You talk plenty to me,” Sasuke said.

“That’s because you are my precious brother,” Itachi said. They arrived on the playground just
outside of the Academy a few minutes before the doors opened. “Ah, there’s Naruto now.” He and
Sasuke watched as the loud-overly boisterous blond nervously approached his pink-haired
classmate where she sat on the swings. He handed her a colored page. She was obviously surprised
by the gesture and smiled at him. He was so flustered by the smile that he hurried away and gave a
second colored page to the shy Hyuga girl — who promptly passed out.

“What is going on?” Sasuke practically marched towards the playground seeming to forget all
about Itachi.

With amusement, Itachi watched the scene unfold. His brother approached the young version of
Sakura and asked to look at the paper she was holding. She was obviously surprised and showed it
to him. He looked from her to the blond and back again. Then sat on the swing next to her with an
adorably cute scowl on his face.

Itachi chuckled faintly at the sight.

.
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OoO

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Sasuke

Present Time… .
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“I don’t really care about having ramen, Naruto.” Sasuke scowled at the bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen
sitting in front of him. He always got the same type every visit to Ichiraku Ramen.

“Maybe you’d care more if you tried a different type?” Naruto suggested. “Shoyu or Miso?”

Sasuke stuck his chopsticks into the bowl and stuffed his mouth full of noodles. “I like what I like.”
He rubbed his hand over his left deltoid.

“Are you still upset about the tattoo?” Naruto snickered. After all Sasuke’s refusal to be branded
when he saw Naruto showing off his new Anbu tattoo, he’d asked for one too. So now they both
had prosthetic lower arm and hand on their dominant side and had Anbu tattoos. They were
practically brothers.

“No. I’m upset that we’re sitting here wasting time,” Sasuke growled.

“We can’t go back until the device activates in four days,” Naruto reminded him. He scratched the
top of his unruly golden-blond hair. “I mean, shouldn’t we have different memories by now?”

“How would we even know?” Sasuke asked. He rested his elbow on the table and rubbed his
forehead. “I was literally on my way home. I had just finished taking down that fighting ring
colosseum. I read the letter where you said Sakura compared me to the police force and I turned
around and started on my way back home.”

“Sakura’s really smart — so whatever she’s doing — it will probably make things better,” Naruto
said, flashing what should have been a reassuring smile.

“Normally, she’s really smart,” Sasuke agreed. “Except when it comes to me — she’s never been
particularly bright.” He looked across the table at Naruto. “Neither of you are. Both so annoying
and stubborn— always chasing after me and trying to make me come back home.”

“Annoying, huh?” Naruto asked. “And why did you come back home then?”

“Because you and Sakura are here,” Sasuke grumbled. “She better not get herself killed.”

“I believe in her,” Naruto said, quietly, the only indication that he was also worried. “She’ll get
Kakashi Sensei to help her. And we’ll be by her side in no time, Sasuke.”

“I can’t even imagine if she manages it,” Sasuke whispered. “If she can stop the loss of my clan —
what would it be like?”

“You would still be a pompous ass, but you would be less sad,” Naruto said.
.
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 The Price of Friendship
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura

It was strange, walking alongside this younger version of Kakashi on the way to the Hokage Tower.
He was simultaneously aloof and predatory. He wore simple dark gray tactical pants and black long
sleeve shirt with attached mask. It was odd seeing him in something other than green and blue. At
least his platinum hair was spiked as usual with his forehead protector over his Sharingan.

Sakura had never doubted their friendship that developed over the last five years since Kakashi
became her teammate and not her Sensei. Though, now she was swimming in uncharted waters and
overflowed with doubts. She shouldn’t have slept with him. And she shouldn’t have kept sleeping
with him. It was very foolish. But most of her friends had gotten married over the past year and she
was tired of making sex a big deal.

She could be casual.

And it was training — right? It might seem fun now, but if she was to infiltrate the dark avenues of
Anbu and even darker Root — she’d need to be able to separate the act from the person. She really
hoped it didn’t come down to that.

Except, it wasn’t casual. She was the worst at casual. Hadn’t she realized too late that she’d fallen
in love with her team leader? And future Kakashi had been there to witness at least three times
when she’d confessed to Sasuke and subsequently been rejected. It had been kind of nice to be
around this Kakashi without him feeling sorry for her — the poor, undesirable girl with the big
forehead.

It was impossible to ignore the curious stares. Kakashi was an enigma and now, so was she. Sakura
had thought they should use the roofs to reach the tower mostly unseen. Kakashi wanted to walk
through the streets of the village in plain sight.

He looked like a proper creature of the shadows. She on the other hand in her sleeveless forest
green shirt, dark blue tactical pants, and bright yellow hair seemed to radiate the warmth of
summer.

“Maybe I should wear a mask,” Sakura muttered.

“Nah, I like looking at your face,” Kakashi argued. “It’s disarming and makes you a valuable
weapon.”

“Riiiight.” Sakura would have preferred if he liked her face because she was pretty. But then, this
was Kakashi. His wit and sarcasm were rarely matched. And he didn’t give out compliments unless
he absolutely had to do so.

The Hokage Tower was a familiar place for Sakura — Master Tsunade and later Kakashi ran the
village different from one another, but she’d been proud to have been the student of both. Did
twenty-year old Kakashi have any idea that he’d one day be the Hokage? It didn’t seem like it was
a goal he aspired to — more a duty thrust upon him.

They checked in with the assistants outside of the Hokage office and found Shisui waiting for them
there. It had been a surprise to learn they’d all be sharing the same audience with the Hokage.
Shisui’s dark blue undershirt, tactical pants, and green Jonin flak jacket indicated he’d gone home
to change since she last saw him. He eyed Kakashi with a suspicious narrowing of his dark eyes.
“Good morning, you two.”

“Hey, Shisui.” Sakura felt her shoulders relax just a little bit in his presence. It was so strange — it
felt like Shisui was like her Naruto and Kakashi was like her Sasuke. “Have you had a good
morning so far?”

“I have actually.” A mischievous smile flitted across Shisui’s face. “I helped an Academy student
with their training earlier. They were a real cute little kid.” He reached for Sakura’s hands and gave
them a reassuring squeeze, neither of them missed Kakashi’s glower. “We should leave directly
after here for the district— assuming things go our way.” He grimaced nervously. “Try not to piss
off the Hokage, yeah?”

“I can be respectful,” Sakura assured him, pulling back her hands in irritation.

“You have an incredible temper,” Kakashi pointed out. “Firecracker. I’m starting understand
Minato Sensei a little better.”

Before Sakura could really process that comment the door to the Hokage’s office opened and they
were ushered inside. Kakashi, Sakura, and Shisui all stood at attention across from Lord Sarutobi’s
desk while he finished up with a document.

There were four framed paintings of the previous and current Hokage on the wall — Lords
Hashirama, Tobirama, Hiruzen, and Minato. Sakura’s gaze settled on Naruto’s father — her
supposed relative. She’d sort of met him — when he’d been brought back with the Edo Tensei. The
short conversation she overheard between Naruto and Minato before he’d gone to the Purelands
had broken her heart. The version of him in the alternate dimension Obito had sent her had been an
amazing person too. She wondered what it would have been like to have such a supportive parent.

“You okay?” Kakashi whispered, leaning a little closer to her ear.

“Just a little sad,” Sakura whispered back. “Naruto’s dad…he was just —such a great person.”

He nodded. Of course he knew that better than her.

“Yes, he was,” Sarutobi agreed. He rolled up his scroll and settled his hands in front of him and
stared at them. “I’ll be frank, Sakura Namikaze, you’re only here because two of my best Anbu
have requested your aid officially.” His dark eyes shifted to Kakashi. “Kakashi has a certain high-
level mission and he requested you for partner.” Then his gaze shifted towards Shisui. “And Shisui
has been working to quell the unrest within the Uchiha clan over the past year and says you’re
instrumental in helping him protect his people.” Then his gaze rested on Sakura. “But, before ten
days ago — there was no record of you. I don’t suppose you’d be willing to share your actual
surname?” Hiruzen asked.

“Uh.” Sakura opened and then closed her mouth. She resisted the urge to look towards Kakashi or
Shisui in panic. She clenched her fists. She wasn’t going to lose her temper.

“Come on in,” Hiruzen said gesturing towards the large window of his office. Jiraiya swung inside,
his dark eyes swept over the three younger shinobi. “I have sources that have confirmed the
Namikaze clan ended with Minato.”

“No, it didn’t,” Sakura countered. “Naruto—.”

“Is six years old. And it’s Naruto Uzumaki. So who are you?” Jiraiya asked, his posture decidedly
hostile. He wasn’t anything like the Pervy Sage she and Naruto had traveled with after Kakashi had
been reassigned from being their teacher to countless S ranked solo missions. This Jiraiya was not
her best friend’s Master.

“Why are you so confident that I’m not a Namikaze? What’s your last name?” Sakura countered.
“Just how much information can you really gather running away from angry husbands and brothers
as you research for your Make Out Paradise books?” The books were written under a pseudonym,
but it wasn’t a secret — was it? Okay, maybe she lost her temper a little there.

Shisui chuckled and Kakashi cleared his throat. Sarutobi kept his gaze neutral, but Jiraiya was
obvious irritated. Probably most people would be scared of the Toad Sannin, but Sakura felt herself
channeling her inner-Tsunade.

“There is a small possibility— she could be a Namikaze,” Jiraiya conceded. “Very tiny, very
unlikely possibility.”

“Can we please move on?” Kakashi asked.

“Honestly, I do not care what your family name is, or if you have one,” Sarutobi said. “I do want to
know your objective, Sakura.”

“I have two— protect the Uchiha from persecution and make sure Minato’s son isn’t neglected any
longer,” Sakura said. She gestured towards Shisui and Kakashi. “And help these two in whatever
way I can.” She bowed at the waist. “Respectfully, Lord Hokage.”

“Uchiha, speak,” Hiruzen ordered.

“Yes, sir. I’ve been monitoring my clan and the reduction in funding to the police force by thirty
percent has been seen as a massive insult,” Shisui explained. “Sakura, Itachi, and I will be talking
with my uncle later this morning — try to reason with him one last time.”

“Why would he be interested in what an outsider has to say, Fairy?” Hiruzen asked, dark gaze
shifted back to Sakura.

“Ah, well, she healed my father, Taki,” Shisui explained. “Uncle Fugaku is willing to meet her
since she’s a Namikaze. He respected Lord Fourth.”

“Taki is paralyzed from the waist down,” Hiruzen said. Due to his friendship with Kagome Uchiha,
he always had a soft spot for both Taki and Shisui. “It had been a dark day when Taki retired from
active duty. Your father was a top notch Jonin and had forgone affiliation with the Uchiha police.”

“Not paralyzed anymore,” Sakura murmured.

“So, you’re a medic?” Jiraiya asked.

Sakura nodded.

“You healed a man of his paralysis?” Jiraiya asked his white eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“He was misdiagnosed. His nerves weren’t severed, but were impinged. He just needed the
passageway cleared and for the inflammation to be relieved,” Sakura explained. “If the Uchiha clan
had sought medical attention from the hospital they’d have found the problem.”

“You’re assuming the medics would have treated the Uchiha fairly. Unfortunately, most of the
people in Konoha have a prejudice against the clan,” Hiruzen said. He rubbed his forehead.

“That’s unethical. My master— she would have never stood for that,” Sakura said, vehemently.

“Sounds like someone I’d like to meet,” Jiraiya murmured.

Sakura smiled faintly.

“While I appreciate the belief Kakashi and Shisui seem to have in you — I’ll need to ask you to
leave, Sakura. Jiraiya and Ibiki will need to evaluate you — in case you somehow managed to fool
my two valuable Anbu,” Hiruzen ordered.

Kakashi shifted in front of Sakura. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Hiruzen’s eyebrows shot up. “Your behavior is exactly why that’s necessary.”

Shisui dropped to a crouch on the floor, right arm disarmingly crossed over his raised knee and left
hand palm flat on the floor. He kept his eyes trained on his knee, to risk no chance of his Sharingan
being directed at the Hokage. “Lord Third, please. You gave me authority to do whatever it took
when you promoted me to Anbu. She is whatever it takes. I have delved into her mind — looked at
her memories. I know exactly who she is. It is correct she is not a Namikaze by blood ties, but she
is one in spirit. Her intentions are noble and she will be a true asset if my mission will be
successful.” He waited a moment. “Please.”

“And you, when do you intent to start?” Hiruzen asked Kakashi.

“As soon as Sakura has the proper documents,” Kakashi said. “Then make sure she’s on my team. I
am confident we can succeed.”

Hiruzen frowned. “Danzo wanted to promote Itachi to captain — that would leave an opening.”

“I don’t know that it’s wise for a thirteen year old to be an Anbu captain. He’s talented, but it’s
unnecessary to put that sort of pressure on him,” Kakashi protested. “I want to officially file my
objection.”

“Noted. And from what Genma has told me, there are several people within Anbu that are being put
into compromising and unnecessary tasks.” Hiruzen pulled out his pipe, packed it with tobacco, lit
it up and started puffing — ignoring the other occupants in the room. He stared out his window,
mind in deep thought. He set down the pipe and exchanged glances with Jiraiya. “Kakashi — your
mission to infiltrate Root is on hiatus. Years ago, Fugaku Uchiha defended you against Danzo
Shimura. He is the reason you were able to keep that eye of yours. “

Kakashi stepped back beside Sakura. Posture once more loose and relaxed. But everyone in the
room knew he could easily coil up like a dangerous animal.

“Shisui, you may stand. Furthermore, I will be taking a more active role within Anbu. I have given
Shimura too much authority. Anbu is supposed to be under my direct orders.” Hiruzen rubbed his
forehead, obviously mentally exhausted. “It is my responsibility not the youth of this village. It is
my fault that Minato perished. Twenty-two is much too young for a Hokage and I placed an unfair
burden upon him. Eighteen months later, it cost Naruto both his parents.” He looked between
Kakashi, Shisui, Sakura and then Jiriaya. “For that I am forever sorry.”

“Sir, I am more than willing to infiltrate Danzo’s secret army — for the sake of the Leaf,” Kakashi
vowed. “Sakura would be hugely valuable in that success.”

“I know you are willing. But you are the future of this village. I asked you to find someone to help
you and the best you could do is someone not even of this village. You are not a disposable tool,
Kakashi Hatake. This is my fight.” Hiruzen gestured between Jiraiya and himself. “Our fight.”

“Thank you, Lord Third. For your support,” Shisui said, bowing at his waist in deep respect.

“Kakashi, you and this Sakura will focus on supporting Shisui and his objective. One mission at a
time. That is why I called the three of you in here at once.” Hiruzen pointed his pipe at Shisui.
“Uchiha, have your father report to me. I wish to see if he is fit for active duty and if he is not —
get him there. If he is anything like your grandfather — I need him helping me,” Hiruzen said. “In
the meantime, what is the status of your current examination?”

“Not all the clan supports the revolt and we’re currently confirming those loyal to the Leaf. We’re
planning to extract them and then deal with the rest,” Shisui explained. “By force if necessary.”

“I cannot guarantee guard for those extracted — the hostilities against the Uchiha is large,” Hiruzen
said, apologetically. “ I was outvoted by the council and the Fire Lord and was powerless to stop
the forced concentration of the clan on the outskirts.”

“Some of us, like Itachi and myself — prefer having our own district. The Hyuga have their own
private area, as do the Abarame, Akimichi, and Nara. Why wouldn’t the Uchiha? Plus it’s on our
ancestral lands.” Shisui paused as if choosing his next words carefully. “If only it could have been
done in such a way that it seemed like an honor and not a punishment.”

“That would have been better,” Hiruzen agreed. “I can see if there are volunteers in Anbu.” He
looked towards Kakashi.

“Unfortunately, the prejudice exists in Anbu as well,” Kakashi said. “Monitoring the district with
video surveillance has only intensified that prejudice. I have often worked with Itachi and have
observed the fear his talent has created in those that should consider him their peer. Many people
foolishly blame the Uchiha clan for the Nine-tails attack. It doesn’t matter that logically the Uchiha
wouldn’t destroy their own home.”

“Lord Third, my team should be nearby in a few days— outside of Leaf territory. We won’t require
your Anbu operatives,” Sakura explained. “They are allies of both the Leaf and the Uchiha.”
“Why do you think they are coming?” Hiruzen asked. “Have you been communicating with them?”

“I—,” Sakura wet her lips, searching her heart. She hadn’t been certain when she started this
mission. But her Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai had caught up with her against impossible odds to stop
her. They were tenacious. When she first arrived, she thought this would likely be a one-way ticket,
but now, she felt in her gut that her friends would follow her. “It’s a hunch.”

She felt Kakashi stiffen at her word choice.

Hiruzen turned towards Jiraiya again. “I don’t know. The way she talks, she sounds a lot like
Minato. She might just be a Namikaze.”

“Hmph.” Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Sakura. “We can still take her to Ibiki
— just to be sure.”

Sakura felt her face go pale. Jiraiya smirked.

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OoO

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“What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” Shisui asked Kakashi after they left the
Hokage’s office.

“I have a mission this afternoon — with Itachi,” Kakashi murmured. He seemed disappointed that
his overly dangerous infiltration assignment had been put on indefinite hold.

“Let us chat briefly,” Shisui said, gesturing towards an empty conference room. He ushered the two
other shinobi inside and completed the room of silence jutsu to prevent eavesdropping. “I only need
a couple of minutes. I don’t think they’ll mind if we use this room.”

Sakura pulled out a chair at the table, strangely quiet. Shisui sat across from her and Kakashi
remained standing. “I want to talk about the Mangekyo Sharingan.” He looked up at Kakashi. “You
have it too, yes?”

Kakashi nodded.

“Mine developed when I felt the guilt of the loss of my closest friend and teammate years ago. I
may not have directly killed him, but my lack of action led to his demise.” He gestured towards
Kakashi. “You?”

“Rin stepped in front of my chidori. I couldn’t stop the attack and incinerated her heart — killing
her.” Kakashi’s voice was emotionless.
“Itachi needs to activate his M.S.,” Shisui said. “In your original timeline I die — I probably have
him finish me off.”

“I’m trying to keep you from dying,” Sakura pointed out.

“Yes, and I appreciate that. I’m counting on it in fact.” Shisui gestured between Sakura and
Kakashi, reminding her of their plan to hide away Kakashi’s memories of their current encounter. “I
received a summons to visit with Danzo— for tomorrow evening.”

“Then don’t go,” Kakashi suggested.

“I cannot ignore the summons of a village leader,” Shisui argued. “But I will be prepared. Sakura,
you’ll remove the poison. I will meet with Itachi at our special place —I’ll explain to him what it
takes to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan. We’ll meet at our steep cliff and I’ll have him push me
into the river — seemingly to my death. You two will keep me from dying, but he will still have the
guilt of my death. Mangekyo Sharingan activated.”

“It is the intense emotion that activates it, not the actual act,” Sakura said nodding. “What if Danzo
manages to steal one of your eyes first?”

“Then we can get it back,” Kakashi said. He looked over at Sakura. “You and I.”

“Or we just let him have it,” Shisui argued. “You do just fine with one Sharingan, Copy Ninja
Kakashi.”

“No, he’s right. Your powers are too valuable to let a man like that have them. If we cannot take
down Root, then we can at least remove some of Danzo’s ill-gotten power,” Sakura said. She turned
towards Kakashi. “But I should be the one to get it, I cannot risk you. You’re too important for the
future of this village.”

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. “We will retrieve it — if necessary.”

“I’ll stay with the extracted members of the clan. Itachi cannot know that I survived— I think it’s
important that you do not change too much, Sakura-chan,” Shisui said. “You came here with one
objective. Let’s try to stick to it.”

“But, I can fix so many things,” Sakura said stubbornly.

Kakashi patted Sakura’s shoulder awkwardly. “Sometimes bad things happen. It’s how we deal
with the aftermath.”

“I’ll give you the coordinates for the meeting place,” Shisui said. He took a pen out of his pocket
and grabbed Kakashi’s hand and scribbled coordinates on his palm and then did the same to
Sakura’s hand. “I’ll set up a tag like Lord Fourth used to flash away — in case I cannot for some
reason use my body-flicker. Where are we going to stash away the clan members that have decided
to withdraw?”

“The caves in Whirlpool,” Sakura said. “They can be fortified and that’s where my teammates
should arrive.” She turned towards Kakashi. “We should write that letter for Pakkun. I’ll explain
how the artifact works and our plan.” She smiled at him briefly, it faltered on her lips. “At least you
don’t have to train me anymore. That should be a relief, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Kakashi answered gruffly. “It was such a burden.” He turned away from them, pulled
down his mask and spit into his hand. Then wiped the ink off onto his pants. “Don’t worry, I
already memorized it.” He turned his dark eye onto her.

Sakura’s cheeks burned and she stared at the numbers on her palm, as an excuse to avoid Kakashi’s
eyes. She created a small amount of water in a jutsu that she normally reserved for irrigating
wounds during surgery and cleaned the coordinates from her palm, having also memorized them.
She forced herself to look up. Kakashi was staring at her, his smokey gaze unreadable. “See you
tomorrow?”

“Or sooner,” Kakashi said. He lifted a hand and then vanished.

“How does he do that?” Sakura murmured.

“Body flicker.” Shisui smiled. “I can show you. It’s an important skill. It could save your life.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

A few minutes after dropping off Sasuke, the Academy’s bell went off signaling the start of the
school day. Itachi had lurked nearby, watching his little brother from the shadows. This was
Sasuke’s second year at the Academy and his experience had already been completely different
than Itachi’s own. In comparing their technical skills, they weren’t too dissimilar . Sasuke scored
perfect and he was precise.

His little brother didn’t go overboard like Itachi did and he didn’t have the same desperate drive.
And —Sasuke seemed to have friends. He was a quiet boy compared to the other children, but he
certainly didn’t seem to have any issues with holding a conversation.

Sasuke had social skills.

Itachi did not.

There were still a few more hours before he was supposed to join Shisui and Sakura in speaking
with his father. At least, Fugaku had breakfast so he should be in a better mood to listen. Itachi
turned back towards the central village and before he knew it, he was on the route towards the tea
shop. He could use some green tea to sooth his nerves. Aside from the meeting with his father,
there was a mission with Anbu that afternoon. His mind needed to be clear.
He didn’t quite know the details to the mission, but there had been hints that Danzo wanted to
encourage Itachi’s promotion to captain of an Anbu squad. There was one technicality — he didn’t
have any kills on record. He suspected that was about to change today.

His hand was on the door to the tea shop when he sensed Izumi’s presence nearby. He stepped back
to look over towards his right and saw her running towards him, dark hair flying loose behind her,
eyes wide with excitement.

She paused right in front of him, hands braced on her knees and panting. “Itachi.”

“Izumi,” Itachi said, feeling the corner of his lip twitch. “There was no need to run.”

“I just—you’re always busy.” Izumi looked up and smiled. “I did it. I’ve — can we talk inside?”
She gestured towards the tea shop.

“I was just on my way in when you ran over,” Itachi said. He reached for the door again and held it
out for her. “After you.”

Izumi ducked under his arm, led the way inside, and picked a table in the back.

“I cannot believe mine eyes!” Shinko strolled in with a tray laden with a dark blue kettle, two
empty ceramic cups, and an assortment of teas. “Itachi— I know you prefer simple green tea, but I
brought four different types you can try.” She set the tray on the table. “And hello, Itachi’s friend.”

“Izumi.”

“Right.” Shinko opened a small red box and pointed out the Mint, Matcha, Tench, and Chamomile.
“And here’s a little honey to sweeten it.” She set a small bottle onto the tray. “I know you have that
sweet tooth. I’ll give you two some time, just call out if you need anything. I’ll bring some of those
shortbread cookies you like.”

“She doesn’t really give you anytime to talk,” Izumi murmured.

“Shinko does enjoy the sound of her own voice,” Itachi agreed. “What did you wish to talk about?”

“The meeting tomorrow — are you going?” Izumi asked.

“It is mandatory,” Itachi answered. Shisui didn’t want him to go — didn’t want him voicing his
objection to the coup again. His cousin worried it only painted a target on Itachi’s family. “I have a
mission this afternoon. I may not be finished in time.”

Izumi slid a sheet of paper towards him. “Then you need this now. Thirty names-mine and your
mother’s included.”

Itachi read over the list and activated his Sharingan to commit it to memory before he crumpled the
paper, set it on the tray and incinerated it into a pile of ash. Thirty out of one hundred and fifty
people were against the coup and willing to go into hiding. That still meant one hundred and
eighteen people were for it — obviously he and Shisui were opposed.

“I’m meeting my father in a couple of hours— I will try to reason with him once more.” He chose
the Matcha tea. “I cannot understand how the tarnished pride of our clan is guiding so many to
choose such a foolish course.”
“You just said why— pride,” Izumi said. “You’re unique, Itachi. You see a problem and you look
for solutions. Others, they see a problem and question why it’s their job to try to solve it, why did
they have to be troubled?”

Itachi ran over the names in his mind. His brother’s name was included, but he didn’t want Sasuke
holed up in the land of Whirlpool. Like when their father made Itachi look at the piles of dying
soldiers at the end of the Third War when he’d been but four years old, he needed Sasuke to see
neighbors dead and dying.

It would obviously hurt his precious brother’s budding social skills, but it would harden his heart
and make him stronger to face threats. The life of a ninja is to shoulder the difficult tasks. The
sooner Sasuke learned that, the better. If he would one day be part of the cell that defeated a
goddess, Itachi couldn’t afford to shelter the boy.

But if he didn’t hide away Sasuke with the rest of the clan that was opposed to the coup, how
would he keep him safe? Perhaps utilize the budding friendship between Sasuke, Naruto, and
young Sakura? It was certainly an idea.

“Thank you, Izumi. For your support,” Itachi said, smiling briefly at his precious friend. He felt a
small amount of comfort knowing that at least she wouldn’t die by his hand.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
It was almost a game of hopscotch at times, avoiding the Anbu cameras set up to spy on the Uchiha
clan. Itachi had pointed them out to Shisui ages ago and they’d been able to avoid them when they
wanted and let themselves be seen purposely at other times to negate suspicion.

When Shisui had brought Sakura to his house the first time, he’d avoided the cameras then too.
Now he was leading his cousin and new friend in a round-about way to the police station. It was
extremely challenging, since the Anbu kept a strict eye around the station. He’d almost gotten too
close to a camera and Itachi had stopped him in time.

The Police Chief, Clan Head, Itachi’s father, Shisui’s uncle— was waiting for them. He remained at
this desk, elbows on the table, hands laced together with chin propped on them, staring at them
with dark brown eyes. Sasuke and Itachi had their mother’s onyx eyes. While Fugaku didn’t smile,
he ironically had the friendliest eyes.

“The woman whom healed my brother-in-law,” Fugaku murmured. “Sakura Namikaze.”

“Lord Fugaku Uchiha,” Sakura said, bowing her head respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Hm, most people called into the station for a meeting wouldn’t see it that way,” Fugaku stated
bluntly.

“Uncle, there is an important matter I wish to discuss with you,” Shisui said, waiting for Fugaku to
meet his eyes and then the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan spun. He delved into the mind of
Fugaku of the Wicked Eye.

“Using the Sharingan on your own kind?” Fugaku shook his head and looked around at his
mindscape. It was night in the outskirts of the woods, mist drifted by, an owl hooted in the distance.

“I would apologize, but this seems to be the only way to have you truly listen,” Shisui explained.

“You won’t be able to change my will, nephew. Though, you might be surprised, I do not really wish
for a coup. Our clan is doomed to fail in nine of ten possibilities. Only by the element of surprise do
we stand a chance,” Fugaku reasoned. “Which is why our meetings in Nakano shrine are so
important— away from the nosy video surveillance of the village.”

“You know about that?” Shisui asked.

Fugaku sighed. “Of course I know about that. I’m no idiot. I’m a detective. That’s the real reason
our clan was forced to consolidate to our ancestral lands. There are certain benefits — the
proximity to the lake and our shrine for instance. But the hidden cameras? Most do not know about
them, but enough do.”

“You’re risking your sons’ futures with this foolish track,” Shisui pointed out. “You understand that
they will make me and Itachi be the ones, right?”

“Shinobi work in the shadows.” Fugaku pointed at the night sky, the North Star glittered brightly.
“The purpose of the old generation is to serve as a lesson to the younger. Youth still have hope. Us
old men only have crushed dreams and broken promises.”

“So you will force the whole clan to be destroyed over ruined pride?” Shisui asked incredulous.

Fugaku smiled at him sadly. He tapped under his eye. “You are not the only one to awaken the
Mangekyo Sharingan, nephew.”

“How long?” Shisui asked.

Fugaku sighed. “Ever since I was powerless to save Minato.”

“But you’re not powerless to save your sons,” Shisui protested.

“Itachi will keep Sasuke safe. It doesn’t matter what I do.” Fugaku closed his eyes and vanished
out of the mindscape and Shisui followed.

“Are you two done staring at each other?” Itachi asked.

“Yes, I appreciate your patience. I’m becoming absent minded these days,” Fugaku said. He cleared
his throat and looked towards Sakura once more. “Lord Fourth was a good friend. My wife was on
the same Genin team with him long ago.”

“I will not be able to make the meeting tomorrow,” Itachi said. “I have an Anbu assignment and
may not be back in time.”
“I see. You are my son, so it would look better if you were there — look like we are in support of
one another,” Fugaku added.

“We do not support one another. I’ve made my position clear,” Itachi argued.

Fugaku cast a quick look towards Sakura. “Mind your words, son. Clan business is only to be
discussed amongst clan.”

“She’s here for that very reason,” Shisui interjected. “We have come to bring an alternative to you.
Not everyone is in favor of the coup. Namikaze here has offered her resources and allies to grant
asylum to those opposed. Let the fate fall upon those that accept the cost.”

“I see.” Fugaku looked over the three of them. His warm brown eyes settled upon Itachi. “Your
mother?”

“Would never stand against you,” Itachi assured him. “However, if a mother is forced to choose
between her husband and her child…”

“She will not have to make that choice,” Fugaku promised. “Though, I cannot stop this movement.
I am, but one old man. It is those in the prime of their power that cannot be swayed from their
current course. I am clan leader, that means I support the will of the clan, it is not the reverse. It is a
position of servitude.”

“That’s stupid,” Sakura argued. “Sir,” she added belatedly when an angry Sharingan was directed
towards her. “That’s not how the Hyuga leader acts.”

“No, he had his own brother murdered because he’s a coward,” Fugaku spat. He drummed his
fingers over his desk. “I want those opposed gone by the end of the week.” He sighed and turned
back to Itachi. “They may return when it’s over.” He waved his hands dismissing them.

“That went better than I thought,” Shisui murmured.

“Did it?” Sakura asked.

Itachi nodded. “Father was surprisingly reasonable.” He opened the door to the street and led the
trio. “I will need to finish packing for my mission. When do we meet next?” He turned towards
Shisui.

“Tomorrow night, at our usual place. I have a meeting myself with Danzo,” Shisui explained.

Itachi shifted a worried gaze up on him. “Do not trust him. He is the most calculating man I have
ever met.”

“Definitely,” Shisui agreed. “Don’t bother with the meeting even if your mission wraps up early.
I’ll talk to my father and see if he can round up those seeking asylum. What do you think three days
from now? Four?”

“Four,” Itachi said. “It’s best if I don’t know where they are— just in case. And you should ask
Izumi rather than your father. She has a list.”

“Oh, well that’s good. Just in case what though?” Shisui asked.
“Just in case we are the ones tasked with their demise.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

The meeting with Fugaku had been civil. The Police Chief was both formal and polite— she could
see where Itachi inherited his stiff manners. When Shisui had entered the clan leader’s mind, he’d
seen he was already torn in the decision to attack the Leaf’s leadership. His wounded pride and that
of his clan made him dangerous. They would be greatly outnumbered and while the Sharingan was
an effective weapon, those welding them were weak and without talent. Only a half-dozen
clansmen had mastered the ocular powers and were Jonin fighting status. Fugaku of the Wicked
Eye himself, Taki — only recently returned to functional status, Shisui, Itachi, Izumi - youth more
loyal to Konoha, his wife — whom refused to fight, and only two of his officers. The others were
fueled by hatred and angered by their own ineptitude. Their lack of talent must have been the fault
of the village, not their own— or so they reasoned. Get rid of the village leadership and they
wouldn’t be held back and their prowess would increase— they rationalized.

It was a doomed mission in a one-on-one battle and Fugaku knew that. Which was why they didn’t
plan to play fair. The Anbu was full of elite shinobi— at least the ones that survived the Third War.
And at this point, Fugaku knew a coup would spell the end of the once magnificent clan. He had
been receptive to offering an out to those that didn’t agree.

Sakura wanted to pack a bag at her apartment and then she planned to camp out in the woods near
the coordinates of the stream Shisui had given her. As she ran over different types of venomous
poisons and their antidotes she found herself distracted.

A powerful, looming chakra flickered behind her. “Hey, Fairy. I think it’s time we get to know one
another.”

Slimy, sticky bands wound around Sakura’s arms and ankles, binding them. She’d have fallen over
is she’d not directed chakra to the soles of her feet at the same time. Jiraiya tried to toss her over his
shoulder but she wouldn’t budge.

Jiraiya yanked again, obviously straining his solid muscles. He gripped her upper arms and stared
down the length of her body. “Cementing yourself to the ground, huh?” He released her and spoke
a few words under his breath and a giant dome formed around them — it smelled awful. And her
feet were buried up to the ankles in a thick sludge.
“Now, Lord Third forbad me from using Ibiki, but I have my own means of interrogation. I’d like
to know your real interest in my godson.” He ran a calloused thumb over her forehead, removing
the make up she’d used to carefully conceal her Byakugou seal. Jiraiya practically seethed with
anger at the discovery. “Where is Tsunade?”

Sakura squirmed against the sticky bands. Did Jiraiya and Orochimaru have a thing with bondage?
Snakes and toad tongues? Gross.

“Don’t feel like talking? That’s fine.” Jiraiya leaned close and sniffed. His nose was only a few
millimeters from her skin and she could feel his breathing. He gripped her jaw and forced her
mouth open, gripping her tongue and pulled it for closer inspection. “No seal here. So you can
speak, but you just don’t.” He stepped back and stroked his beard thoughtfully, looking her over.
“So, you’ve read my Make Out Paradise books, have you? Have about Icha Icha Violence? Did you
read that one?”

In that one the heroine is captured and stripped naked. She has to fight for her release completely in
the nude.

“You see, many kunoichi like to get information out of their male counterparts by using their body
— seduction interrogation.” He pulled the neck of her shirt away and stared down - possibly
disappointed in her chest bindings, but Sakura was incredibly grateful she’d chosen them that
morning. With any luck he’d lose interest.

Was he looking for other Fuinjutsu? Naruto’s big seal was on his belly.

Jiraiya crouched in front of her and lifted the hem of her shirt inspecting her abdomen. He spit onto
the exposed skin and the saliva burned. “It’s a mild acid,” he explained. “It won’t even break the
skin, but if there is any body paint.” He snapped his fingers.

“When Kakashi paraded you through the streets this morning, he knew I was watching. It was the
pup’s way of warning me off — don’t touch what’s under his protection. Don’t touch whats his.”
Jiraiya’s dark eyes met hers and distrust, anger, malice glittered in their depths. “He’ll be gone on
that mission of his now. So you’ll answer my questions.”

Satisfied there was nothing hidden on her belly, he gripped her pants and started to unfasten the
front.

“Don’t do this,” Sakura said quietly, struggling within the bindings. She tried to body flicker herself
—she’d only barely learned the technique earlier that day, but desperate times called for desperate
measure. Unfortunately, her hands were plastered flat against her thighs. What was this man doing?
He was Naruto’s godfather! But then, who was she to him? Shisui was the only person to know the
whole story, because he didn’t have a future previously. Even Kakashi, the person she trusted more
than anyone didn’t have the whole picture. And it was her suspicious connection to Kakashi that
had attracted the Sannin’s attention.

“I’m not going to rape you,” Jiraiya spat out. “I’m just going to see if the carpet matches the
drapes.” He yanked her pants and underwear down, leaving her completely exposed and absolutely
mortified. “Pink, huh?” Then his warty nose sank into her folds and he sniffed. She had never felt
so violated - tears of helpless rage streamed down her cheeks as his hands gripped her buttocks and
he buried his bulbous nose into her core.
Abruptly, he leaned back and pulled her pants back up. The Sage-mode features softened back into
his regular nose.

“My sense of smell isn’t as keen as Hatake’s, so I apologize for getting so close— I’m
unfortunately a little congested today. Normally, it’s Hatake that uses sex against his enemies.” He
laid back on the ground and the clear fluids from her glistened on the tip of his nose. He licked it
off and grinned at her, cruelly. “Seducing the great Copy Ninja, huh?”

“It’s consensual, unlike you, and he is the one that instigated,” Sakura grit out. “Not that it’s your
business.”

He gestured towards her pelvis. “The hair did catch me off guard. You should have shaved.”

“I wasn’t planning for other people to see me naked,” Sakura growled.

“I could leave you naked and bound, watch you squirm for hours.” He gestured towards her tear
streaked face. “I’m not moved by tears. This is all your choice. You could just tell me who you
really are,” Jiraiya offered. “Your connection to Naruto. Why you have the same seal as Tsunade?
Where are you from?”

Typical abuser — tell you it was all your fault. She could not risk telling him she was from the
future and Tsunade’s apprentice. “I’m here to stop the Uchiha clan being slain under Danzo’s
orders.”

“That’s your objective. Why involve Hatake? Why break into the apartment of a six year old boy?”
Jiraiya asked. “I have all day.”

Sakura clenched her teeth. She was fully dressed again but felt more naked than ever. She involved
Kakashi because she was scared. He’d always been beside her in battle, except when she fought
Sasori and that was a battle that still haunted her dreams— even more than the fight against a
goddess. Kakashi had nearly been killed after he’d been reunited with Sakura and Naruto after their
training with the Sannin— for real. “Because I am Naruto’s family.”

“I sense a grain of truth in that statement, but we both know you’re lying.” Jiraiya sighed. “I
warned you.” He took a deep breath and the next thing she knew, she was drenched in the same
acid as before from the shoulders down and her clothes started to melt away. “You were right that I
needed more inspiration for my books. Thank you for serving as my muse, Sakura.”

“Kakashi will be pissed,” Sakura warned. Hoping to reason with the legendary Sannin.

“I’m aware. But he won’t risk the demise of his favorite author, will he? Though, I suppose that
answers one question — why you involved Kakashi. He’s your attack dog, huh?” Jiraiya scratched
the side of his nose. “He really has been marking his territory with you.”

He wasn’t her attack dog. He was…she didn’t know exactly what he was. He was her ship in the
wide uncharted waters of the ocean. He was her hero, her leader, her Captain, and Hokage. He was
the man she loved more than her own life. “He’s my friend.”

Jiraiya laughed, a deep bellied rumble. Her clothes continued to melt away. “Kakashi Hatake
doesn’t have friends.”
 .
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N:Wow, Pervy Sage— what an arsehole, right?

 The Gutsy Ninja
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
.

Sakura

Sakura had to remind herself that she couldn’t kill Jiraiya and if she maimed him — she’d have to
waste valuable chakra healing him. The acid had started eating away at her clothes and he didn’t
seem to be bluffing. He pulled out an art pad and started sketching— was that pervert sketching
her? Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to calm her temper. There was no
reason she couldn’t escape these organic bonds, she just needed to focus her chakra at the right
places.

Craaaack.

The bonds around her shattered like brittle parchment. Sakura created a water jutsu to neutralize
and wash off the acid. “You objectify women, try to use my body to shame me, and you wonder
why Lady Tsunade rejected you? I am not here to harm Naruto — quite the opposite. My business
does not need to involve you.” Sakura shook the water off herself and peered around the toad.
“Now, you can let me out, or I will punch my way out. If this is a living creature, I suggest you
respect your summons enough to let me out peacefully.”

Jiraiya stuffed his sketchbook back into his pack. “I admit, I’m impressed.” His expression was
completely without chagrin as she stood half-naked before him.

His unapologetic attitude pissed Sakura off even more than the original violation. She could spare
some chakra. A little maiming was justified since obviously words weren’t enough to get though
that thick head. Using the chakra blade attack she’d learned years ago, she created projectiles,
barely visible and aimed them at several vital points. Jiraiya dodged many of them and the strange
living cavern that surrounded them quivered. But he didn’t dodge them all and two struck home,
effectively paralyzing him.

Sakura threw a few more for good measure and once she was confident he was secure, she walked
closer, her fist enveloped in chakra, deciding which part of his anatomy she should crush and then
slowly, painfully heal. “I had my arm torn off in battle once, hung on by a single tendon.” Sakura
rotated her arm. “I reattached it and healed it. You have certain appendages I’m sure you’re fond of
— I wouldn’t do any permanent damage to you, but you would remember the feeling, the
experience.”

“Now, now, don’t be hasty, Sakura,” Jiriaya protested, a fine layer of nervous perspiration scattered
across his forehead. “I shouldn’t have done that. I apologize. I crossed a line. This isn’t war —
sometimes I forget.”
“Even in War, Jiraiya, there are certain rules of respect one must offer their opponents. They too are
living creatures and if you treat enemies in such a disgusting manner there is no way that enemy
might one day become your ally.” Sakura stood right in front of him and looked up. She may have
been shorter, but that didn’t mean she was intimidated. “Was that not the message of the Gutsy
Ninja? The book that you wrote that I actually respect.”

“So you read that book, huh?” Jiraiya asked sheepishly, his arms hung limply at his side.

“Naruto is named after the titular character,” Sakura pointed out. She held her hand in front of
Jiraiya’s face. “I could remove your nose — the part of your body that offended me. You sire no
children, I could also remove another appendage — you aren’t using it to the benefit of society.”

Jiraiya swallowed thickly.

“Perhaps you underestimate me because I’m a woman.” She could crush his hands, but healing that
would take more chakra than she’d want. There were so many tiny bones in the wrist. “Shisui is a
trusted shinobi of the Leaf and he knows the whole story — and he vouched for me. You should
have listened to that. Kakashi is a trusted shinobi of the Leaf — he’s beyond deceptive arts. He can
smell bullshit miles away. You should have listened to that. There was no reason for you to shove
your nose into my vagina. It was sexual assault. And I just met with Lord Fugaku Uchiha. I think
the Konoha Police would love an excuse to press charges on the infamous Sannin. What would
Lady Tsunade say when it became public knowledge?”

Actual tears glistened in Jiraiya’s eyes. “I am sorry, Sakura.”

Sakura stepped back, creating distance and sent a blanket of healing chakra over Jiraiya, reattaching
the nerves she severed even fixing the torn ACL of his left knee as a sign of her generosity. “It is
only because of the optimism I know from the Namikaze that I am willing to give you the benefit
of a doubt.”

Jiraiya slowly raised his hands up in a non-combative stance. “I understand. You won’t regret your
leniency. However, I am a spy master and I will still continue to watch you.”

“Yes, that is to be expected.” She gestured towards her tattered clothing. “This was unethical.”

“I apologize,” Jiraiya said again.

“Let me go,” Sakura said. “I have no business with you.”

Jiraiya released the toad summons that had encapsulated them and Sakura wasted no time hurrying
to her apartment.

Her clothes were destroyed- rags that barely covered her body. Once in her apartment, she tossed
them into the trash and stepped into her shower. She used the entire bottle of soap and scrubbed her
flesh until she bled.

She still felt dirty and gross. Only after the water ran cold did she finally step out, goosebumps
pricking her skin as she stood in her towel before the mirror. Catching sight of her cheerful blond
hair, she contemplated using the dark hair dye Itachi gave her, but decided against it. She choose
Namikaze yellow because it meant hope for her. She would remain hopeful.
Dressed in tactical gear once more, Sakura used sealing scrolls and packed additional clothing,
weapons, medicinal supplies, and food. With one last look around, she bid goodbye to her home for
the last week and a half — she didn’t plan to return.

Sakura headed to the coordinates Shisui gave her and readied herself for the upcoming mission.
She stuck to the rooftops and then the trees, keeping to the shadows. It took forty minutes to arrive
at the stream’s shore.

She wasn’t alone.

Kakashi had left two of his Ninja Hounds behind — Shiba and Biscuit. Sakura crouched down and
opened her arms and was immediately pounced by Shiba and after a minute of hesitancy, Biscuit
did the same.

With a relieved cry Sakura hugged those two dogs for dear life, comforted by their furry
friendliness.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

Kakashi read through the mission scroll with his team — a four man cell consisting of himself,
Yamato, Itachi, and the man in the Tiger mask. The latter always stuck close to Itachi, keeping a
protective eye on the younger shinobi, but he seemed more loyal to Danzo than to the Leaf in
general. Kakashi always kept his guard around such a person.

“Does everyone understand their assignment?” Kakashi asked. He handed the mission scroll to
Itachi and let his younger teammate incinerate the paper as was standard for Anbu missions.

“I understand the orders, but the reasoning is wasteful. The Mist shinobi are only the messengers.
This is supposed to be a time of peace. Are we trying to make war?” Itachi asked.

The Tiger shifted slightly at Itachi’s side.

“We are only tools,” Kakashi said quietly. “If you wish to change the way of things, you must one
day become the leader.”

“In the meantime, we keep up this cycle of hatred and suffering,” Itachi said quietly, his voice flat.
Kakashi sighed. This was why he didn’t want Itachi to be captain yet. He had talent, but he didn’t
understand the way of the shinobi — not yet. “We are tools of the Daimyo,” Kakashi answered.
“He profits and even our Hokage is powerless against the greed of of war profiteering. Konoha is
the richest of the Five Great Hidden Villages because of these tactics.”

“It’s wrong,” Itachi stated.

“We all must find out moral gray so that we can live with the work we are given,” Kakashi said,
clapping a hand over the younger boy’s shoulder. He focused on keeping his teammates safe and
disabling enemy as quickly and painlessly as possible. And killing enemy when necessary with
immediate death — hence the chidori.

Itachi met his gaze, his dark eyes solemn. They understood each other.

“Let’s go!” Kakashi took off and his three teammates followed after. Yamato flanked Kakashi while
Itachi and Tiger created the second formation. Mist had officially refused a request from Konoha—
their Daimyo had insulted the Fire Lord.

Itachi was right that it was a spitting match between the two Daimyos who never risked their own
lives, but treated their subordinates as fodder. In a perfect world, there would be no Feudal Lords.
Every life— civilian to military— would be considered precious. As he grew older, Kakashi
understood Minato Sensei more and more.

The Yellow Flash had single-handedly slain a thousand enemies. Yet, he’d been the most gentle,
kind soul Kakashi had ever known. Lord Fourth had sacrificed himself, died alongside his beloved
wife, and imprisoned the fearsome Nine-tailed beast inside his infant son. He’d taken that as
punishment for his war actions.

“I’ve not seen you much lately.” Kakashi glanced at Yamato briefly when they both touched their
feet on the same branch before moving on to the next tree. They would run out of trees in about an
hour at their current pace.

“You know how it is,” Yamato murmured. “We take the assignments we’re given.”

Kakashi could hold a conversation if he wanted, but with his current teammates, only Itachi really
showed any conversational skills. Which, apparently, was unusual. Most people that knew Itachi
said he rarely spoke. Maybe he just thought Kakashi was worth speaking with — who knew? While
they crossed the distance to their destination in relative silence, Kakashi’s mind drifted towards his
other mission.

He wasn’t completely disappointed by the Hokage’s cancelation of his infiltration of Root — it had
seemed like a lot of trouble. Kakashi wasn’t lazy by any means, but that didn’t mean he wanted to
work harder than he had to. It was better if the Hokage himself worked on cleaning up both Anbu
and eventually taking care of Root himself. Danzo and the Daimyo were both bloodthirsty, power-
hungry men that didn’t bat an eye when it came to sending young warriors to their doom. Lord
Third at least cared. Kakashi had learned that especially over the last couple of weeks.

There had been a time not long ago that Danzo had tried to send Kakashi out to assassinate
Hiruzen. There would be others with the same mission brainwashed into them — possibly young,
impressionable shinobi like Yamato?
Kakashi’s mind drifted towards his other mission. Safeguarding members of the Uchiha clan that
didn’t wish to join in an uprising against the Leaf village. He was always a fan of avoiding needless
slaughter.

“Who is the blond?” Yamato asked, surprising Kakashi a few minutes later.

Kakashi felt his lip curl at the question. Who was she indeed? “An acquaintance — we’re working
on another mission together for the Hokage.”

“You seemed—-fond— of her.” Yamato looked over at him, curiosity in those dark wide eyes of
his.

“Are you asking for your own sake or rooting out information to give back to our superiors?”
Kakashi asked. Yamato was honest — the boy couldn’t tell a lie or even a fanciful semi-truth if his
life depended on it.

“I was just curious, for myself. I saw you walking down the street with her this morning.” Yamato
reached up to adjust his mask. “You seemed comfortable with one another.”

“I think you would like her,” Kakashi said.

“I—think I would too,” Yamato agreed.

An hour later, they walked carefully through the marshland separating the Lands of Fire and Water.
The foul stench made Kakashi’s eyes water even through his mask. He had a heightened sense of
smell— even greater than the Inuzuki clan members. It was a trait he inherited from his mother’s
lineage and another practical reason he wore a mask.

Itachi tapped Kakashi on the shoulder and signaled that there were two enemy at the 3o’clock
position, roughly four kilometers away. That would seem like a big distance, but for shinobi it was
only a five minute journey.

The Anbu member in the tiger mask signaled that there were a dozen enemy in the nine o’clock
position, less than two kilometers away. The four man cell teamed up two on two and prepared.
Kakashi summoned some of his ninja hounds, he’d left two behind in Konoha. The loyal beasts
dispersed and hid amongst the terrain.

Their orders were to not attack until they could claim defense.

Politics.

It wasn’t long before a barrage of shuriken rained down on their position. Yamato created a wooden
shelter to defend against the deadly projectiles. Kakashi’s fingers tingled in anticipation. He looked
towards Tiger and Itachi — both stood perfectly calm.

Then the deadly dance began and it was four Leaf Shinobi against twelve Mist Shinobi. Very few
words were exchanged. They all had their orders. Kakashi and Yamato took out six opponents, his
ninja hounds had incapacitated two of them. The smell of singed flesh permeated the air. Tiger
killed two and Itachi had incapacitated two— locked in a prison of their own mind.

Tiger slid his blade into the heart of one of those Itachi had immobilized. “Our orders are to kill,
Crow.”
“They are no longer a threat,” Itachi pointed out. “The other two are fast approaching.”

“Are you disobeying your orders?” Tiger asked quietly. “And you must use your own hands. You
cannot make them kill themselves.”

“A kill is a kill,” Kakashi argued. “Crow may use whatever technique he deems most appropriate.”

“His orders supersede yours, Fang,” Tiger croaked, his voice a jarring cacophony.

This was more than Kakashi had ever heard Tiger speak. There was something unnatural and
disturbing about the voice that he couldn’t quite identify.

Itachi dispelled his Genjutsu and when the remaining Mist shinobi lunged towards the Uchiha
prodigy he broke into a murder of crows that began to peck at the man and then as he stumbled,
Itachi plunged his kunai into his heart— an immediate death. He let the body fall to the ground
completely unfazed. “Simply, because I chose to not dispatch my opponents through lethal force
when it is unnecessary, do not mistake me as incapable.” Itachi looked over towards the two large
chakra signatures at the 3 o’clock position.

A behemoth shark-like man stood there with a gigantic sword strapped across his back and another
man stood beside him wearing a black robe with red clouds. The shark-like man sent a salute
towards Itachi and the two men vanished.

Tiger began to amass a cloud of insects. “Those were not part of the Mist contingent,” Kakashi
stated. “Do not pursue,” he ordered. His gaze drifted down to the fallen enemy shinobi. He hated
leaving them in the field. Didn’t want buzzards and insects to feast on them, traumatizing their
families. “Tenzo.”

Yamato created twelve coffins for the deceased. It wasn’t in their orders, but it wasn’t forbidden
either. This battle had been for the pride of the Daimyos. But the other shinobi would recognize the
respect the Leaf shinobi had for their enemies.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

The Academy let out at the usual time. Sakura had been surprised when Naruto had given her a
colored picture that morning— it had been kind of him. It actually looked very pretty too. He’d
obviously taken great care in making sure he stuck within the lines. At lunch time, normally,
Sakura would eat under the tree in the playground by herself — ever since she and Ino had cut ties.
But today, she joined Naruto at the picnic table he normally sat at by himself.

What had been even more odd — Sasuke Uchiha had joined them.

They didn’t say anything to each other, the three ate their meals in silence. Sakura had packed an
extra orange that day and she offered half of the extra fruit to Naruto and Sasuke. With murmured
thanks, the only word the three of them exchanged, they accepted the small gift.

While parents came to pick up their children, Sakura approached her teacher, Iruka. Her father
wouldn’t be picking her up that day until later, she’d told him about her plan to stay after to
practice. He’d been discouraging of the idea, but had allowed it. He promised to pick her up an
hour later than usual.

“Iruka Sensei,” Sakura said, approaching their teacher where he sat on the steps in front of the
Academy. “I was hoping I could practice some shuriken targeting. My dad said he’ll come an hour
later to escort me home.”

“You want to practice?” Iruka asked.

“Iruka Sensei,” Naruto said, coming to stand next to Sakura, an eager glint in his eyes. “I would
like to practice as well. Please?”

“Well, I suppose,” Iruka said. “I am always happy when students are wanting to improve their
skills.”

Sasuke stood at the side of the building, arms folded over his chest, watching the exchange in
silence.

“Sasuke? Would you like to join us?” Iruka asked.

“It’s not practice.” Sasuke pushed away from the building and started to lead the way to the school
yard. “It’s training.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Shiba pawed at Sakura’s shoulder and she startled awake. She’d fallen asleep leaning against a tree.
The moon’s position indicated several more hours until daybreak.
“Yo.” Kakashi had his back to her and was rinsing his hands in the flowing water of the creek. He
still wore his Anbu gear and his pale hair was almost iridescent in the pale light of the moon.

“Kakashi,” Sakura greeted in a loud whisper. “Hey. What are you doing here? Is your mission
over?” Shiba settled down beside her, but Biscuit was missing. “Where’s Biscuit?”

“Today’s mission — yes. I’ll have more work tomorrow.” He turned towards her, both eyes visible
and his Sharingan looked almost infrared. “I traded positions with Biscuit to get here sooner.”

“But won’t Biscuit’s summoning be over when you do that?” Sakura asked. She ran her fingers
through Shiba’s fur. Her hand still shook a little, but she felt more calm.

Kakashi nodded. “What happened?”

“What do you mean?” She focused on scratching between Shiba’s ears, the dog preened under the
attention.

“Don’t play games, Sakura,” Kakashi warned. “Dishonestly is something I don’t condone. The
Ninja Hounds share a telepathic bond. Shiba is concerned. And I can see you’re upset.”

“It doesn’t matter now and it will only piss you off,” Sakura protested. “I took care of the situation.
I’m just pissed now. But I’m fine— physically and in time mentally. I just needed some time alone
in the woods to center myself.”

“Will you tell me later?” Kakashi asked.

Sakura nodded. Maybe in the distant future when they were secure at home and it didn’t matter
anymore. “The substitution with your Ninja Hound — I didn’t know you could do that.”

“It’s best if I don’t do it often. I don’t like wasting chakra.” He pulled an eye patch out of the inner
pocket of his shirt and covered his Sharingan. “Can’t wear forehead protectors on Anbu missions.”
He looked around her little camp. “Did you bring a tent?”

Sakura nodded. She pulled a scroll out of her pack and released the materials for her tent. She
started to assemble it and Kakashi watched for a moment before he pitched in and together they
finished putting it up.

He traced his fingers over the thick canvas. “This is more durable than I’m used to. Very sturdy.”

“It’s good in summer for ventilation and in winter for insulation. It’s a really cool material—,”
Sakura trailed off. “How long were you planning on staying?”

“The night,” Kakashi said. He opened the tent flap for Sakura. “The dogs were very worried,
Sakura.”

“Thank you for leaving them behind. I didn’t expect that. They were much welcomed company,”
Sakura said, a grateful smile crossing her lips.

“Get inside,” Kakashi ordered. He slipped inside with her, removed his armor, and sat Lotus style.
“Lay down, put your head on my lap. We’re just going to talk— no training.” Sakura did as ordered
and was pleasantly surprised as Kakashi’s fingers gently massaged her temples. “You have an
unfair advantage knowing so much about me. Shisui already spoke to me about locking up these
memories with you— I understand. But for now, tell me about you. You grew up with both your
parents?”

“I—yes,” Sakura answered, not expecting that line of questioning. “They’re civilians. Dad
graduated the Academy, but never did any missions. Mom is a housewife and he works as an
engineer — building things.”

“Interesting. And they support your lifestyle as a ninja?” Kakashi asked.

Sakura felt herself relaxing into his lap, the massage of his fingers easing the migraine that had
started to form. “Not really. I thought they’d be proud. I mean, I know they love me, but they don’t
exactly shower me with praise.”

“What do you mean? What sort of things do they say to you?” Kakashi asked, his tone pleasant and
his voice soft and smooth as silk. The tension that had knotted up her back since her incident that
afternoon finally started to loosen up.

“Mom nags a lot — when I lived with them it was about my room not being picked up or falling
behind on my household chores. I mean, I would have just finished twelve hours at the hospital and
completed a C or B ranked mission and come home exhausted and the first thing I’m greeted with
upon stepping foot in the house is a lecture about not having put away my laundry the night
before.” Sakura chuckled mirthlessly. “We’d get into an argument, Mom would slap me for being
disrespectful and ungrateful and I’d apologize.”

Kakashi’s fingers stilled for a moment. “I see. And your father?”

“Dad usually was the one to walk me home from the Academy in the evenings. After my first year,
I walked there in the mornings by myself — it was too early for my parents. Which was fine— I
didn’t need an escort.” Sakura sighed, practically melted into Kakashi’s lap. He wasn’t even using
chakra and he’d managed to work out her stress.

“He also finished the Academy. Did he train you?” Kakashi asked, his tone casual.

Sakura shook her head. “No. He thought the Academy was a good source of education within the
village, but he didn’t actually think I’d decide to be a ninja. He thought it was a good way for me to
meet a future husband. My only aspiration should be as someone’s future housewife. You know,
when I was promoted to Chunin— I thought I might get a little praise. They were both there at the
ceremony. Mom made some kind of snide comment about my forehead protector should be big
enough with the promotion to hide my forehead and Dad thought it would be really easy to attract a
good husband. When I was promoted to Jonin after my efforts in the last battle — they said
absolutely nothing.”

“That sucks,” Kakashi murmured. “They were impressed with your medical skills though, right?”

“Hardly. How was I going to meet anyone working twelve hour shifts and with all that overtime at
the hospital? My Master was a drunk, what a bad example for their impressionable young
daughter.” Sakura chuckled darkly. “I moved out as soon as I could afford to and now I only see
them about once a month — which is tolerable.”

“Sakura, open your eyes,” Kakashi ordered sternly.

 Sakura’s eyes snapped open on reflex at her team leader’s request. His Sharingan stared down at
her and he delved into her mind. She was too slow and relaxed to dispel him, but it wasn’t a
Genjutsu. He was looking into her mind, looking at her memories. She saw the interrogation by
Jiraiya.

Kakashi ended the memory abruptly. “What exactly did he do to you?” He lifted Sakura up and
held her upper arms in a bruising grip. “Did he—-.” He closed his Sharingan eye and looked back
at her with his normal smokey gray eye. “I can kill him. How much would that fuck up the
timeline?”

“Too much. It was unpleasant, but I got myself out of the situation. Besides, it will pale in
comparison to what I might have to face when we infiltrate Root — won’t it?” Sakura asked.

“You’re not doing any of those sorts of missions,” Kakashi vowed.

“But— we trained —I’m prepared,” Sakura protested.

“No. You’re not doing any of those sorts of missions,” Kakashi repeated. He pulled her against him
and hugged her. Sakura relaxed against him, feeling relieved at not having to do such a thing and
exhausted from what happened earlier. “Dammit. I’m going to have to burn my Make Out Paradise
series.”

“Don’t. Separate the work from the author. It was an effective interrogation method — if I’d not
been trying to protect the complete collapse of the time-space continuum I’d have told him
something,” Sakura explained. “I’m sorry that you’ll need to tamper with your own memory.”

“I can take that memory away from you,” Kakashi said. He yanked down his mask, letting the dark
material gather at the base of his neck. “Of this afternoon with him.”

“Then I wouldn’t know to be wary,” Sakura argued. “I only have a few more weeks, then I’ll return
to whatever my timeline has become.”

“I’ll come back tomorrow as soon as my mission is complete.” Kakashi took a deep breath and
kissed the crown of her head. He laid back, bringing Sakura with him resting across the top of him.
“Let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is a pretty busy day for us both.”

Sakura turned her face agains Kakashi’s throat, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin. “I really
appreciate you, Kakashi, you have no idea how much I appreciate you.”

Kakashi hummed in response. “Maybe you don’t need to hear it now,” he murmured, hands rubbing
up and down her back lazily. “But, I happen to think you’re pretty amazing.”

Warm tears fell against his exposed skin. She had needed to hear that. “Thank you, Kakashi.”

.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: Thanks for reading, I couldn’t leave Sakura in such a terrible situation as last chapter
for long. There will be a brief hiatus. I’m traveling for my anniversary this coming week
and my oldest son’s birthday is the 15th (same as Kakashi-Sensei’s birthday!).
 The Interrogation
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
.

Kakashi

Present….
.
.
The Hatake estate hadn’t been Kakashi’s home since before he joined Team Minato as a youth. He
did visit every once in a while, and since becoming Hokage he’d started fixing it up. Yamato had
started helping him with the renovations, one room at a time.

Kakashi wouldn’t be Hokage forever and he thought, it might be nice to live in his family home
again one day. Maybe, not even alone.

“So, have you figured out what you’re going to do?” Yamato asked. They stood across from each
other, sanding down the new dining table the wood user created. It would be smooth and shiny by
the time they were done sanding and buffing the cedar.

“They all want to travel back. I definitely want to travel back. But, without any communication
from her and without my own memories to rely upon— I just don’t quite know the best course of
action. I don’t want to make things worse,” Kakashi explained. He set down the sander and stared
across at his old Anbu teammate. “Do you remember anything?”

“I…do, actually,” Yamato said quietly. “Not much, but there was a time, shortly before Itachi left
our team. I remember seeing you with a woman — I just remember bright blond hair — like
Naruto’s. You really liked her. But I don’t know what happened to her and you never talked about
her aside from that one time.”

“I have an idea.” Kakashi lifted his mask away from his face and bit down on his thumb. He
slammed his hand to the ground summoning his Ninja Hounds.

“Yo! Boss! It’s been a while!” Pakkun turned in a circle realizing they were at the Estate. “Oh!
We’re back home! Is it okay if we run around for a bit? There’s always some good rabbits in the
area.” His tail wagged eagerly.

Shiba and Biscuit pushed their way to the front and nosed against Kakashi’s side. He gave them
soothing pets, but they seemed distressed still.

“Do you remember Sakura in the past? I mean— like fourteen years ago in the past,” Kakashi
explained. “When I was in Anbu. Before the Uchiha massacre.”
“Oh! I’m glad you clarified, because of course I remember her in the past — sweet kid, good
smelling shampoo.” Pakkun’s back leg scratched at his collar. “I got a letter in here for you.
Supposed to give it to you around now anyway.”

“You have a letter for me? From who?” Kakashi asked.

“From you!” Pakkun said. “And Sakura.”

Yamato stood over the dog pack with his arms folded across his chest and peered down with a
frown. “Can we read it?”

Pakkun flicked out a scroll from his collar and nosed it towards Kakashi. He opened it and found
Sakura’s neat script on the first part of the letter and Kakashi’s own scrawl below it.

Kakashi,

The first part of my mission was a success, I made it back to the past— roughly two weeks before
Shisui Uchiha died in our original timeline. Your past self has been helping me and you’ve
agreed to have your memories locked away — either by Shisui or Itachi — that hasn’t happened
yet. We will be able to save part of the Uchiha clan. I’ve spoke with Itachi and his ineffectiveness
as a spy. We suspect Danzo withheld key information. Maybe you’ve found more information
about the artifact. I think it takes two weeks to charge from what I could find. The original
journal and my translation are inside my locker at the hospital. I do not know if there is anything
in the Hokage archives. I plan to be in the past for at least four weeks to complete my objective. I
wanted to be under the radar, but you and Shisui involved Lord Third. I’m going by Sakura
Namikaze in the official record. I also had an unfortunate encounter with Jiraiya, but for the
most part have been able to avoid people.

If anyone choses to follow me into the past, I request they come on July 15th. Today, as I write
this its the 13th and Shisui’s original death is the 14th. The turtle artifact is secured at that cave
in Whirlpool and that’s where the asylum seekers will be kept. I will do what I can to protect
them, but would appreciate support. I’m not sure if I’m protecting them from Itachi, the man in
the orange mask, or Danzo’s brainwashed soldiers.

If things are successful, your memories of this four week period will have been locked away. I’m
not sure if you’ll want to remember. We had decided it was best to prevent too much change in
your future. I’m trying to make things better, but you and Naruto are the best things in my life
and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize either of you.

I apologize for worrying anyone. Being a shinobi at this time is certainly different than in our
time. I understand why you tried to stop me. I’m sorry for being such a pain.

Sakura.

Kakashi read over the letter twice more before he flipped it over to read the post script written in
his own hand.

I never thought I would be writing my future self. Sakura doesn’t know about this second text.
The bangles and the battle skills convinced me. She left lilies on the graves of our family at the
Hatake estate. I believe Sakura. And I understand your attachment. I’m agreeing to lock away
these memories — otherwise I will not allow myself to lose her— even if its to my future self.
The temptation to work alongside her to take down the corruption within Anbu is strong. I’m not
sure I’ve ever had an ally in battle I could count on as much as her. Her sentimentality reminds
me of my own. She won’t confirm, but I suspect we are more than just her team leader. I know
we certainly are more than just partners here — I am very attached. I don’t know if there are
any Uchiha nearby, but if Shisui makes it, have him unlock our memories. Because, you may
have to stop me if you want her back. K.H.

“So, what does it say?” Yamato asked.

“It gives a date we should travel back to and a location. And apparently, I wrote myself, I have
memories locked away from the time. So, I need to ask Sasuke to unlock them,” Kakashi
explained. “Or Shisui…but I assume that changes in our timeline haven’t taken effect yet— except
you remember Sakura with the yellow hair.”

“Are you planning to go back? I feel like it should be limited to the younger shinobi — Naruto,
Sasuke, Sai, Ino,” Yamato argued. “This should be their adventure. You are the Hokage, Kakashi.
Your priority is to the village.”

Kakashi tapped his temple. “I’ll decide after I have my memories back.” But he knew he’d be
traveling back. He’d already sent a request to Lady Tsunade to cover for him due to Sakura being
on a dangerous mission. The Fifth Hokage was due to arrive later that day.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
There was no real reason to visit the Haruno household. Sakura’s parents hadn’t inquired as to their
daughter’s whereabouts. Kakashi wasn’t about to let them know she’d traveled into the past. His
parents had been gone for most of his life, but he thought that in their shoes, he’d want an update. It
had been nearly two weeks at this point. And honestly, with his very strong feelings about Sakura,
he wanted to get to know her parents.

It has been many years since he’d spoken with Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno — back when Sakura
first joined his team as a green genin. He hadn’t been in the village, off on one of countless S
ranked missions, when she’d become a chunin. And her parents hasn’t attended her jonin
promotion ceremony. He remembered how disappointed Sakura had been, so he’d cheered her up
with dinner and drinks on him. At the time, Sasuke has been in jail and Naruto had joined Kakashi
and Sakura. Instead of celebrating Sakura’s achievement, the teammates had brainstormed about
ways to convince the Kage to allow Sasuke clemency.

Even when the evening should have been about Sakura and her achievement — it had been spent
discussing Sasuke.
The Harunos lived in a predominantly civilian part of the village. The houses were quaint with
small yards, hedges flanked the sides of the houses and several front porches had empty rocking
chairs. The two rocking chairs on the front porch of the Haruno household were occupied. Kizashi
and Mebuki sat next to each other, drinking a purple-red drink of some sort.

“Lord Hokage!” Kizashi rose to his feet quickly and Mebuki did the same. “What an unexpected
pleasure.”

“Would you like a drink?” Mebuki set down her glass. “I have fresh blueberry-pomegranate
lemonade.”

“Sakura isn’t here,” Kizashi added quickly.

“I know, Sakura is on a mission. And no thank you, about the lemonade,” Kakashi said.

“Ungrateful,” Mebuki muttered. “She didn’t even tell us she would be going on a mission. She’s
always worrying me with her running off. She never appreciates how dangerous it is to be a
shinobi.”

“Now, now, dear. Sakura doesn’t have to tell us when she’s going on a mission. She doesn’t live
under our roof anymore,” Kizashi gently reminded. He turned his attention to Kakashi. “Is she
okay? Did she chase after that Uchiha boy again?”

“I was just wanting a little information — about the state of your relationship with Sakura,”
Kakashi said. He’d come up with his story on the walk over. It needed to have a grain of truth.
“This is just a standard interview I like to do for jonin I’m considering for my personal guard. Did
she come visit often?”

“Why would you need Sakura to guard you? She’s a girl. To answer your question, she comes by
maybe once per month,” Mebuki said. “She and I tend to argue.” She smiled apologetically at
Kakashi. “She’s headstrong and often neglects her duties. I’m sure you understand as her former
team leader. I wouldn’t count on her for something like guard duty.”

“She never neglects her duties,” Kakashi countered. “She practically runs the hospital. And she’s
one of the youngest shinobi to be promoted to the rank of jonin.”

“You’d think with that promotion there’d be a pay increase. She hasn’t done anything to help her
poor parents,” Mebuki complained. “Sometimes, we barely have enough to make ends meet.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the complaint. Their house was in good condition, their clothes were
high quality. The glasses their lemonade was in looked expensive. “How long as she been living on
her own?”

“Four years,” Kizashi answered. He patted his wife on the shoulder. “Dear, Sakura has her own
financial responsibilities. We’re fine.” He turned back to Kakashi. “My wife and I are both proud of
Sakura and her achievements, but I’d like to request you not use her for your personal guard. I
don’t think a career as a shinobi is right for Sakura. The sooner she focuses on her future the
better.”

“She’s literally the most talented kunoichi amongst the five Hidden villages,” Kakashi pointed out.
“What sort of future do you have in mind for her?”
“She needs to focus on finding herself a good husband,” Mebuki answered. “She can’t do that
working double shifts at the hospital, going off on missions, or serving as your guard, Lord
Hokage.”

“I see, well, thank you for your time,” Kakashi said. He’d ordered his aids— Shikamaru and
Naruto— to look through the records of the Third Hokage around the time of the massacre. He
needed to narrow down the search to the early half of that summer. His conversation with Sakura’s
parents hadn’t been satisfactory. He’d have assumed her parents would be singing her praises, but
they’d been very negative.

Between their attitudes, Sakura’s long hours at the hospital and miscarriage, Kakashi’s own
seeming indifference, Naruto’s marriage to Hinata, Ino’s marriage to Sai, and Sasuke’s recurrent
abandonment, he was even more worried for her state of mind.

He really just had the most overwhelming need to give her a hug and tell her that it was all going to
be okay. There were many times over the years that he’d assured her that he’d take care of things
and there was nothing to worry about. When had she stopped believing him? He turned to start
heading back to the Hokage tower.

“She’s not pregnant again, is she?” Mebuki asked.

Kakashi’s foot hung in mid-air. “Excuse me?” He turned back to face Sakura’s parents and was
only mildly surprised by the look on their faces — irritation on her mother and disappointment on
her father.

“It wouldn’t be the first time. Imagine our shame? A bastard grandchild?” Mebuki shook her head.

“You know, why don’t you come with me, Mr. and Mrs. Haruno? I have a few more questions,”
Kakashi said. Sakura lost her pregnancy in the second term. He didn’t know a lot about babies, but
Ino made it sound unusual.

“No, thank you, Lord Hokage. We’ll wait for news on Sakura when she gets back,” Hizashi said
with a friendly smile plastered on his face.

“It wasn’t a request. Either come with me now, or I will have Anbu escort you,” Kakashi answered,
his voice cold. He could feel his blood heating up as if ready for a fight as his Lightning chakra
began to agitate within his system.

The Harunos exchanged a glance and then rose as one. “Of course, Lord Hokage,” Kizashi said
pleasantly.

“We are but loyal citizens of Konoha,” Mebuki agreed.

.
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OoO
.
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“You want me to interrogate Sakura’s parents?” Ino asked. She and Ibiki had been surprised when
Kakashi showed up with the Harunos at the Interrogation Division. “First Sasuke asks me what I
know about her childhood and now you?”

“Yes, I want to know a few things, but I don’t want to torture them. They are citizens of Konoha.
However, I do not know anything about them,” Kakashi said.

“I can answer some of that for you,” Ibiki said. “Mrs. Haruno is a housewife who is renown for her
cooking and especially her uses of spices and Mr. Haruno graduated the Academy with top marks.
Kizashi served in the Third Great War on simple missions at the rank of genin. When Kizashi
returned from one of his overseas assignments, he was married to Mebuki. She was pregnant and
he asked to be discharged from service and to focus on his skills as an engineer. The Hokage
needed engineers badly. He had a lot more shinobi than he did engineers. Kizashi has helped build
several structures around the village and he’s working on your railway currently.”

“So Mebuki isn’t from Konoha? What clan is she from?” Kakashi asked.

Ibiki’s lips thinned. “I don’t know. It had to be an ally for Lord Third to have approved.”

“It wasn’t Lord Third,” Ino said. “It would have been the Fourth Hokage, Yondaime Minato
Namikaze. Sakura was born in March, so Minato would have been the Hokage during the
pregnancy.”

“You’re right,” Ibiki said, shaking his head. “Ino, you have your assignment. Discover Mebuki’s
family and whatever else you can.”

“Find out if she knew about Sakura’s pregnancy. I have a hunch,” Kakashi murmured. He really
hoped it wasn’t true. He waited with Ibiki while Ino did her work. Kizashi sat alone in a holding
room while Mebuki was interrogated.

“Did you ask Mebuki for her family name?” Ibiki asked while they were alone. “I can’t imagine it’s
a big mystery.”

Kakashi shook his head. “It’s not in the records from what I could see. She’s always been Mebuki
Haruno. There’s a lot about Sakura I just don’t understand. Naruto and Sasuke both come from
ancient bloodlines — Sakura mastered the Godaime’s nearly impossible jutsu and comes from
civilians? And their attitudes when I spoke with them earlier — there’s just something off.”

“You’ve always been able to suss out suspicious things,” Ibiki said. “It’s one of the multitude of
reasons you are a great shinobi — that hunch of yours.”

Ino returned a half-hour later, her eyes were red from crying. Mebuki was slumped unconscious in
her interrogation chair behind the one-way window.

“Mebuki Namikaze. She’s the paternal first cousin of Minato Namikaze,” Ino said. She swiped her
finger under her eye, wiping away a tear. “She’s a poisons expert, a trained apothecary. And she
poisoned Sakura when she was pregnant and forced the miscarriage.”
A tremor of rage shook Kakashi’s entire body. To think that Sakura’s own mother would do that to
her!

Ibiki took hold of Kakashi’s arm. “Lord Hatake, you must calm yourself. We can file charges, but
we’d need Sakura’s permission. There’s nothing illegal about a woman choosing such a course —
you must remember that.”

“It wasn’t Sakura’s choice,” Ino said. “I can tell you that. Mebuki was quite pleased with herself for
besting Konoha’s so-called expert Medic.”

“Release them for now,” Kakashi said quietly. “That’s a problem for another day.”
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OoO

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.
Shikamaru’s desk was piled high with records from the weeks immediately preceding and
immediately after the Uchiha clan massacre.

Ino and Shikamaru sat at his desk. Kakashi spun in his chair while reading through a pile of
records, trying to keep his mind loose. Not only was he worried for Sakura, but now he had the
added feeling of helplessness knowing what happened to her— by her own mother.

Sasuke stared out the window and Naruto sat at his own desk face pressed against a pile of papers
quietly snoring. With Naruto and Sasuke officially promoted to Anbu, Yamato and Sai were doing
normal duties.

“I found something,” Ino announced. Naruto’s head immediately snapped up and he leapt from his
desk and was suddenly at her side. “Lord Third has the recording of a meeting involving Shisui
Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, and Sakura Namikaze.”

Sasuke turned at the window. “That’s got to be her.” He shifted his gaze towards Kakashi. “If it’s
written here, then it happened. Do you not remember, Kakashi?”

“Apparently, either Shisui or Itachi locked away my memories from that time,” Kakashi admitted.
“Yamato had a memory of a yellow-haired woman that we suspect was Sakura.”

“If an Uchiha locked the memories away, then I can unlock them, Kakashi.” Sasuke moved to stand
beside Ino. “If Sakura is changing my past. I want to change hers, maybe make my younger self
more aware of her situation.”

“What are you talking about?” Naruto asked.

Sasuke gestured towards Ino. “I spoke to Ino yesterday. Asked questions. Learned things that if I
cared properly about Sakura I would have known myself. She told me about Sakura’s parents —
abusive mother, indifferent father. I had no idea. No wonder she was always so desperate for the
tiniest of praises.”

“Her parents aren’t that bad. Sakura wasn’t desperate for praises,” Naruto argued. “You were just
too stingy.”

“Her parents are much worse than I thought,” Ino said.

“We cannot keep tampering with the timeline,” Kakashi snapped, slamming his fist on his table. He
wasn’t upset with the suggestion, but he’d been angry he’d been thinking the same thing. Tell his
past self about Obito and ask him to pay more attention to his kunoichi student. “Unlock the
memories, Sasuke. Let’s find out what Sakura has been up to.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to hear this,” Ino said, returning to Shikamaru’s desk.

“Why? You think there will be something particularly juicy?” Shikamaru deadpanned.

“Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure.” Ino giggled. “I need it to be juicy after the morning I’ve had. I also
need to get really drunk this evening. You in?”

“Sure,” Shikamaru agreed.

“Very well.” Sasuke leaned over Kakashi’s desk, his Sharingan activated and slipped into Kakashi’s
mind. At first, he found the memories of that morning and stumbled back — upon learning his and
Sakura’s unborn child had been murdered. “What?”

Dammit. Kakashi had tried to bury those memories. “I know, Sasuke. I’m pissed too. We’ll have to
deal with that later. Sakura doesn’t know and she’s going to need support when she finds out. But
right now, you need to find the locked memories,” Kakashi said. His anger about what happened to
Sakura and Sasuke renewed.

“Fine,” Sasuke hissed.

Memories from fourteen years ago of a bar and an innocent walk to Sakura’s temporary apartment,
an early morning meeting at the Memorial with a shared breakfast, a brutal battle, Sakura’s arm
being reattached, and then the training sessions.

They didn’t get beyond that point because Sasuke flew at Kakashi and they tumbled to the ground,
papers fluttering everywhere. Sasuke’s fist slammed into Kakashi’s jaw. “You bastard!”

Kakashi rubbed his jaw, he’d been too stunned by the unexpected memories to block Sasuke’s
punch. He felt he deserved at least one punch to the face, but not by Sasuke. Sasuke sent a second
fist towards his face, but Kakashi knocked it aside with practiced ease. “How many times did you
reject her, Sasuke? I was there at least three times when she confessed her feelings for you and you
flat out rejected her- rather harshly.”

Naruto and Shikamaru grabbed Sasuke and pulled him away from the Hokage. Kakashi stood from
the ground, feeling a little wobbly in the knees — not from the punch, but from the overwhelming
rush of memories — it was only a few weeks worth, but they were vivid and intense. Was this
mental block why he ignored her so much as a genin? Is that why he gave her the bracelets later?
But he gave her the bracelets before she went back in time and mucked with history. Special
training? Really? And she fell for that? Of course she did— she trusted him blindly. He needed the
rest of the memories. “For the record, I did try to stop her from going back.”

Sasuke pointed. “Well you didn’t seem to mind it when she got there! Sakura belongs with me!”

“I cannot be held responsible for what twenty-year old me did in response to a beautiful woman
begging for my help.” That didn’t seem to be true. He’d quite literally tried to kill her and then he
seduced her — or did she seduce him? No, he definitely seduced her. He didn’t remember anything
different past a few weeks when he was twenty and that coincided with the time frame Sakura gave
them in the letter. “It’s just a few weeks worth of memories. Nothing else I remember is different.
The timeline hasn’t been changed too much yet. Though, Shisui should be alive— .”

“Okay, I have no idea what happened, but I’m guessing Sakura’s hot for teacher crush come to
fruition,” Ino mused. She stood next to Kakashi and laid a healing palm over his jaw. “Sorry, I’m a
little rusty. Don’t use medical ninjutsu too much these days.”

“Thank you, Ino,” Kakashi said.

Ino leaned close to his ear. “For the record, I’m rooting for KakaSaku.” She kissed his upper check
where it was exposed.

“I feel like I missed something big,” Naruto grumbled, releasing Sasuke’s arm.

Sasuke pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi “He….” He simmered in quiet rage.

“Apparently, Sakura and younger me were involved—romantically,” Kakashi explained. “And my

memories were blocked so as to not complicate our future normal relationship.”

“You — you and Sakura-chan?” Naruto stared and then chuckled. “Damn, I guess she won then.”

“Won?” Kakashi was surprised that Naruto didn’t seem upset. He was taking it rather well in fact.

“The first to see Kakashi Sensei’s face!” Naruto explained.

“You’re such an idiot,” Sasuke hissed.

Naruto patted his shoulder. “You did constantly reject her, you know? I know she always rejected
me, but we had a good talk about that. And I discovered how amazing Hinata is. Maybe she
realized there are options besides just you.” Naruto grimaced. “Unfortunately, you’ll understand a
little how she felt now.”

“You all keep reminding me,” Sasuke glowered.

“It’s a good thing she rejected your advances, Naruto,” Ino said. “You’re related.”

“What?” Naruto’s eyes widened dramatically. “Related how?”

“Sakura’s mother is your father’s first cousin — Mebuki Namikaze,” Kakashi said, deciding to
release the information. “So it’s ironic that she chose that name as an alias, considering she is
ignorant of the connection herself.” He rubbed his forehead, a terrible tension headache forming.
“I’m dismissing you all. I need some solitude to process this new information.” He met Sasuke’s
eyes. “I’m sorry for your loss, Sasuke. I really am.”
 Sasuke’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “What’s another loss for the Uchiha clan? It’s to be
expected at this point.”

Naruto slung his arm around Sasuke’s shoulders. “Come back to mine and Hinata’s place. We can
talk there if you want — or beat each other up. I’ll even let you win!”

“Idiot,” Sasuke whispered, his eyes hidden behind his long bangs.

Without another word, the younger shinobi vacated The Hokage office. Kakashi had only taken a
minute or two to focus on breathing evenly when his door flung open and Godaime Tsunade
marched in, expression livid and she waved a book in front of his face.

“Kakashi Hatake. Do you care to explain this to me?” Tsunade demanded. In her hand was a book
he’d never seen before — it was by Jiraiya. Tale of the Gutsy Kunoichi.

He opened the front page and there was an image of Sakura with yellow-blond hair. “What is this?”

“An unpublished novel I found in Jiraiya’s personal affects that had been shipped to me after his
death. Except, today, when I happened to look — this book was in there. Where is Sakura?”
Tsunade asked.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling. “It’s more a matter of when than
where.”
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: So, that was rough. I was thinking of more reasons why Sakura would risk her life on
this time-travel mission. I read through several posts talking about Sakura’s verbally
abusive mother and her seeming indifferent father. It worked for this story. They are only in
anime filler, so there’s a lot of room for interpretation. Mebuki’s anger about Minato’s
death would lay blame on the Uchiha for the Nine-tails attack. When she realized Sakura
was pregnant with Sasuke’s babe — well…she did an awful thing. One of the King Arthur
books I read years ago had a woman doing that the Guinevere. Poor queen had no idea her
medicinal teas were destroying her chances to have children. The plot line broke my
heart….sorry for doing the same to y’all!
 The Uncle That Never Was
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura

The Past…

Sakura sat in the upper boughs of the tree, watching as dawn transformed into day. Kakashi had left
a half hour earlier, but left Shiba and Bull with her. The two ninja hounds were currently hunting
for breakfast on the forest floor. Sakura had packed up her tent and wiped away all trace of her
camp. There wasn’t really anything to do that day, but wait.

A dark wing fluttering nearby caught her attention and a crow landed on a branch even with her
head. “Well good morning to you,” Sakura said quietly. The intelligent avian creature cocked its
head to the side and then vanished, leaving Itachi Uchiha in its stead.

Sakura jumped slightly at the summons substitution. She’d just seen Kakashi do it the night before
and now Itachi. “Good morning,” Itachi said quietly, staring off at the horizon as well.

“Don’t you have a mission?” Sakura asked. Kakashi had already left — weren’t they on the same
team?

“No. I received a notice that I was no longer on my previous team. I’ll be starting as Captain of my
own team in a few days.” Itachi turned towards her and his dark eyes studied her. “I dropped my
brother off at that Academy yesterday morning. Apparently, Naruto had given your younger
counterpart a picture he’d colored. Sasuke seemed jealous.”

Sakura chuckled without humor. “Doubtful. Sasuke never showed interest in me when we were
kids.” She pressed her lips together to keep from saying more. There had been three classes of
thirty children each when she’d first attended the Academy. In her first year, she shared a class with
Naruto and Ino. It wasn’t until her second year that she officially met Sasuke. He’d been the top
student in his class, much as she’d been in her own before they ended up in the same class. She’d
been excited to meet another student with such high marks and a crush naturally developed. He’d
tolerated her sitting next to him, but rarely spoke with her.

“Children usually do not notice the subtleties of interest.” Itachi plucked a handful of acorns off the
tree and began to idly throw them into the distance — hitting a multitude of targets that only he
knew. “Are you not engaged in work for your mission today? I have seen the list of those seeking
asylum. Izumi and my mother have been busy.”
“I have my plan on that, which we’ve both agreed the less you know the better,” Sakura said.
“Though, I will tell you whatever I can about whatever you want to know.”

“I do not like to waste time,” Itachi confessed. “This illness you mentioned I have — I may have
signs. I had a small cough this morning and there was blood.”

“May I run a diagnostics?” Sakura asked. Itachi nodded. She laid a green chakra infused hand over
Itachi’s back and chest. There was inflammation within the blood vessels, but she could see no
virus or bacteria. It was something genetic, just like she’d theorized before she ever traveled back
in time. “It’s autoimmune. Your cells are attacking themselves.” She eased soothing chakra to calm
down the irritation. It was only a bandaid.

“Would you still consider teaching me your technique?” Itachi touched the seal on Sakura’s
forehead.

“It took me three years,” Sakura explained. “I had to constantly channel reserve chakra into a
certain location within my chakra network — it has to be part of your truncal body or head, not any
extremities.”

Itachi laid his hand over his three circle necklace. “Shisui gave this to me when I was promoted to
chunin. Perhaps the seal could be hidden under the necklace.”

Sakura turned to face him directly. She traced her fingers along the deep grooves of his face.
“These were brought on by stress — stress no child should have to endure.”

“Izumi thinks they make me look dashing,” Itachi deadpanned.

Sakura snickered. “I cannot believe you told a joke!”

“I am a funny guy,” Itachi agreed. He slid a small bag off his shoulder and opened it to reveal a box
with cinnamon rolls. “I brought us breakfast. So, shall we start?”

“Sure, we’ll start with these,” Sakura said, tapping his deep tear ducts. “I need to see if you can
repair cellular damage.”

“Can’t we just start with a laceration and have me heal the wound?” Itachi asked. “I have several
kunai.”

“I suspect you’re already capable of that. Why create an injury when we have something that can
be healed?” Sakura asked. She took a roll and bit into it. It was as delicious as the ones from a few
days ago. “Unless the great Itachi Uchiha can’t heal a simple injury.”

“I can.” Itachi’s brows furrowed in concentration.

“Even Sasuke has some rudimentary healing abilities and you are much more patient than him,”
Sakura pointed out.

“How well did you know my brother?” Itachi asked.

Sakura dropped her hand and stared up at the boughs above their heads. “Better than most. He kept
a careful distance from everyone. We still shared a bond.” A wistful smile crossed her lips. “You
were almost an uncle. Sasuke and I were only together briefly before he left the village on a
reconnaissance mission. I didn’t even know I was pregnant when he left, but a few months later I
lost the pregnancy. I was not quite five months. I took the loss hard.”

“How did he take it?” Itachi asked, his voice quiet.

Sakura shrugged. “No idea. He hasn’t come back.”

“And yet, you found a way to travel through time and try to help him?” Itachi asked.

“I know, it makes no sense. My feelings for Sasuke aren’t completely one-sided, but he’s incapable
of a normal relationship. Your actions damaged his psyche too much. And when he told me
everything you went through — what he discovered— my heart hurt so much for you. I wanted to
find a way to help. And when I found the tool that allowed this possibility of time travel…” Sakura
met Itachi’s gaze and could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She willed herself not to cry. “So,
let’s focus on healing those big creases, shall we? Once I see you channeling your chakra that route,
towards repairing your own cells, we can work on gathering a little in forming a Byakugou seal that
will allow yourself Miotic Regeneration to repair even an autoimmune disease.”

“A moment please,” Itachi said. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “I understand that I
am ordered to kill the clan. And you are trying to minimize the losses. What more did I do to
Sasuke?”

“You were the one person he loved unconditionally and that loved him unconditionally. And then
when he came home to see everyone murdered, you spoke such terribly cruel things to a seven year
old,” Sakura explained. She was going to lay it all out on the table. Maybe she could help both
Sasuke and Itachi by explaining how this original terrible idea played out. “You thought if he could
focus all his energy on hating you, that he’d grow stronger, fueled by rage. But that leads him to
abandon the friends he does make— thinking he wouldn’t recover from losing those he cared about
a second time— and join with Orochimaru — whom you end up having to save him from. The
Snake-Sannin places a curse on Sasuke with the intention of claiming his body. If you didn’t have
to waste your energy eradicating the parasite of Orochimaru, I don’t think you’d have died.”

“He becomes strong?”

Sakura nods. “But he loses his sanity. And when he regains it, it’s almost too late. He and Naruto
give each other fatal attacks and it was only my skill as a medic that kept them from dying.” She
looked down at her hands, remembering all the blood from their mangled arms. “I almost didn’t get
there in time.”

“And it is his friendship with Naruto that reaches him?” Itachi asked.

“They are like brothers,” Sakura said. “I tried several times to reason with Sasuke, but I was never
enough.”

“So, it was the combined efforts of you and Naruto that saved him,” Itachi mused. “Believe it or
not, I could see evidence of that bond forming now.”

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked.

“I share a bedroom with Sasuke. When I came home late last night, he told me about his training
session after school with Naruto and Sakura.” Itachi smiled faintly. “A precious bond already exists
between the three of you.”
“I honestly think that Naruto and Sasuke would both have been stronger together if we didn’t have
to chase after Sasuke and deal with Orochimaru,” Sakura said. She frowned. “Jiraiya could train
both of them. Or surely your father could teach Sasuke how to use his Sharingan to the maximum
ability. Or he could train in swordsmanship under experts within the Leaf. He’s amazing with a
sword.”

“Orochimaru doesn’t know how to use a sword, so he wouldn’t have learned from him. Perhaps
from some of the rogue shinobi the Snake Sannin has gathered over time. There are impressive
swordsmen within Anbu now,” Itachi said. “No one would be better suited to teach Sasuke about
the Sharingan than my father, Shisui, or myself. You’ve given me a lot to think about, Sakura.”
Itachi reached for Sakura’s hand and held it briefly between his. He was only a thirteen year old
boy, but his hands were calloused and strong. “I would have been honored to have been your
brother-in-law. And you will yet make a good mother.” He released her hand.

The tears did fall that time.”Okay, watch me with your Sharingan. I’m going to use the Healing
Palm Technique. It’s the same thing you’ll use. Even if you don’t form the seal — you hardly need
it. You don’t have the same limitations on your chakra reserve that I have. You just need to be able
to heal your lungs.”

They spent four hours in training medical jutsus. Itachi was a fast learner and it didn’t take long for
him to understand the concept of a Hundred Healings. They did end up using his kunai at different
points. The lines on his face were softened, but not erased— they were part of him and he’d earned
those worry lines honestly.

“I feel our mission is about to diverge,” Itachi said. “I hope in this new reality we are creating, that
we might form a friendship— you and I— one day, Sakura.”

Sakura smiled at him. “We already have, Itachi.”

He frowned faintly. “It will be strange when you are back to your future. When I cross paths with
your youngest self, I will think of her as a friend, yet I will be a stranger.”

“You don’t have to be. As long as you don’t go too far down the path of darkness, I hope my past
self has the pleasure of your friendship,” Sakura said. “Honestly, you’re the best cook of all my
friends and I’ve only had your cinnamon rolls!”

“Maybe I’ll pack you a picnic one day. I made an eight course meal for my family a few months
back. They were overwhelmed.” The corners of Itachi’s eyes crinkled faintly at the memory. “I—-I
saw the shark man,” Itachi said. “On my last mission, from afar.”

“I still suspect your fate is destined to cross with his,” Sakura said. “Some people our destinies are
so closely woven we cannot escape them.” She wanted to tell him everything Sasuke told her about
the Mangekyo Sharingan and it’s consequence of blindness with its usage and the Eternal
Mangekyo Sharingan which had no such limitations, but was awakened through the unusual
circumstance of transplanting the Mangekyo Sharingan of a blood-relative.. But this was Itachi and
he had access to the records of the Uchiha clan.

“I will be sad when you leave, Sakura,” Itachi said quietly. “I have very few whom I would
consider friends, but I would count you amongst that number.” He smiled slightly. “I might have to
kidnap your younger self in a few years.”
“I really hope you’re joking.” Sakura studied his face, but his expression was unreadable. She’d
never met anyone better at suppressing their emotions. Sai didn’t understand his emotions, but
Itachi was different. The lines on his face indicated that he felt things very strong.

“Naturally,” Itachi agreed.

“I’m glad to call you my friend too, Itachi,” Sakura said quietly. “I think I can understand Sasuke
better having known this version of you.” She really wanted to hug him, but it wasn’t her place.
Though, maybe, Izumi could give him the comfort he deserved and needed. “Maybe you should
spend today with Izumi.”

“Maybe I’ll go by the Academy. It’s a big skills test today. I think I’d like to watch.” Itachi reached
for Sakura’s shoulder and gave her an awkward pat. “Do we meet again in this quest of yours?”

“We asked the Hokage for my admittance into Anbu. So either I’ll contact you from there, or
Kakashi will,” Sakura said. He would need to know the fate of Shisui— they all needed to wait and
find out whether the mission is success. “Or if I leave, I’ll write you a letter and have Kakashi give
it to you.”

“Until we meet again, Sakura,” Itachi said. He body-flickered out of sight leaving Sakura alone
with her thoughts.
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OoO

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Kakashi

Team Ro had an update on its roster. At roll call it was Kakashi, Tenzo, Yugao, and Genma. Both
Itachi and the Tiger mask were transferred. Instead of Danzo issuing orders, it was the actual
Hokage.

“Good morning,” Hiruzen greeted. He held his pipe in his hands, but refrained from smoking. “You
probably weren’t expecting to see me for this mission. For today, I want you to stay within the
village. Observe the police. Unfortunately, there is some tension between the Uchiha and the
village. The latest budget cuts will be seen as the insults they were meant to represent.”

Kakashi said nothing. He didn’t involve himself in politics. The unrest wasn’t news to him, he
knew better than most given his involvement of late.

“Is that why Crow isn’t here?” Foxy asked.

“He’s been promoted to Captain,” Hiruzen explained.

“He’s a kid,” Lion protested.

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. “None of you are kids.” He walked in front of their lineup. “Wolf,” he
called, indicating Kakashi — his preferred nomenclature rather than Fang. “Stay back for a
moment. The rest of you are dismissed to begin your mission.” He waited for the three Ro members
to vacate the room. “Your friend’s paperwork will be ready in a few days — should it still be
required. Jiraiya vouched for her.”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He still wanted to kill the Sannin for his interrogation tactics. It would
definitely be best for his long-term cooperation to have that memory repressed.

“Thank you, Sir,” Kakashi said.

“We’ll just play things by ear for now, nothing too hasty,” Hiruzen decided.
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OoO

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Itachi

Itachi wasn’t sure why he’d gone to Izumi’s house. He could see that knowing look in the older
kunoichi Sakura’s eyes when she mentioned her during their conversation in the trees. He felt sorry
for his friend from the future and yet he knew that his empathy for her paled in what she felt for
him. The temptation to delve into her memories and gather up all the information was great, but he
resisted for the most part.

He knew enough.

The dark blue door of Izumi’s family house loomed in front of him. With a deep, steadying breath,
because for some reason he felt nervous, he rapped his knuckles on the door.

“Itachi?” Izumi stared back at him, her dark eyes wide in surprise. Her long black hair was tied in a
high ponytail and she wore a flattering dark blue dress.

He’d practiced the speech in his head on the way over. “Good afternoon, Izumi. I’m sorry to
intrude. I was thinking of going into town to watch my brother’s skills test at the Academy. It’s
open for family to observe. Would you maybe like to accompany me?”
“That would be great! Let me just go get my shoes!” Izumi rushed back inside, leaving her front
door open. Itachi peeked within the small house. There was no clutter, the living room looked clean
and comfortable. There were a few potted plants and an orange tabby cat peered at him curiously
from atop an overstuffed pillow on the red sofa.

Izumi came back to the door and closed it behind her, a big smile on her face. “Let’s go!”

“You have another cat?”

“Yeah, that’s Leo. Mr. Whiskers needed a companion,” Izumi explained. “Have you eaten
already?”

“I had a large brunch,” Itachi said. “I thought I would eat after the skills test, perhaps surprise
Sasuke by inviting him and his friends to eat out.”

“Oh? Little Sasuke has made friends? Great!” Izumi’s eyes glittered with excitement. “I’m so
relieved. Sometimes, it’s hard for us Uchiha to make friendships outside of the clan.”

“Or friendships within the clan,” Itachi added. “It’s a couple of his classmates. He’s mentioned
them some in the evenings. They’d all stayed late yesterday to train for today’s exam. I would like
to speak something encouraging to them.”

“That’s so sweet!” Izumi looped her arm through Itachi’s and began to tug her alongside him.

Itachi was surprised by the playful act, but didn’t protest. It felt nice. “So, you and mother have
been busy.”

Izumi nodded. “Thank you for being brave enough to give us this option, Itachi-kun. We really
don’t want to be doomed by the pride of a few.”

“The list wasn’t that long. It seems more a majority than a few,” Itachi murmured. He wasn’t
surprised. At the clan meetings he often felt he was a single man screaming at a typhoon to stop
raining.

They reached the Academy before long, many citizens of the Konoha clearing a wide berth as they
passed on the streets. Itachi nodded his head at one of his father’s subordinates, patrolling the
street. The Principal of the Academy had been overjoyed at two former early graduates wanting to
visit the school and offer support to the younger students.

Sasuke’s class, led by instructor Iruka, had assembled on the training grounds. Itachi and Izumi
snuck to the bleachers in the back. Most of the students wouldn’t have noticed them, as they kept
their chakra masked, but Sasuke whirled around — his dark eyes wide in shock. The blond Naruto
followed his gaze and recognized Itachi and waved.

Itachi lifted his hand and greeted them both. After they turned back to Iruka, he let his attention
also shift towards young Sakura. She’d not noticed him and was focused on the kunai in her hand
with such a great intensity. He could see her white-knuckled grip from here. Her circulation would
be reduced if she kept that up and it would impair her aim.

The students lined up. The Nara boy went first— his kunai struck the board, but it was obvious
he’d not bothered to make much effort in aiming. The Akimichi boy swallowed a bag of potato
chips and then extended his arm and shot forth his kunai. He destroyed his target.
Sasuke went next. Perfection. His aim was true on the multiple targets that he used. He turned back
towards Itachi with a smirk on his lips. Next was Naruto, he struck true at least eighty percent. It
certainly wasn’t bad. He just needed to work on his impatience, sometimes he released his grip just
a millisecond too soon.

Itachi sat on the edge of his seat watching the younger version of his new friend. It was clear that
Sakura was nervous and she took her time. She was very slow in taking her stance. Naruto leaned
over and whispered something in her ear and a slow smile graced her lips. She threw her first kunai
and it thudded in the center. Her next two were close to center but just a little off.

This time it was Sasuke that whispered something in her ear. Her lips thinned, she spread her legs a
little further apart to brace herself. And she threw her remaining three kunai in rapid succession —
perfect center of the target— head and heart shots.

“I guess I know who Sasuke’s little friends are,” Izumi said quietly.

The Academy released early that day and Itachi and Izumi waited at pick up. Sasuke ran towards
him. “Itachi! What are you doing here?”

“I came to watch my little brother,” Itachi said. He patted Sasuke on top of his head teasingly. “You
did very well. Would you like to go out to eat dinner? My treat?”

“Yeah!” Sasuke said. He looked briefly over his shoulder at Naruto and Sakura. They sat side by
side on the swings, talking quietly amongst themselves. Then he looked back at Itachi and he was
clearly indecisive about asking Itachi what he really wanted to ask.

“Why don’t you invite your friends?” Izumi asked. “Otherwise, it will be weird like Itachi and I are
on a date with little brother.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “Are you on a date, big brother?”

Itachi shook his head. “Izumi is teasing you. Though, why don’t you ask the friends you trained
with yesterday? You all deserve a celebration.”

“Alright,” Sasuke agreed, still sounding unsure. He turned around and raced towards the swings.
He came back with Naruto.

“Sakura-chan says she has to wait for her Dad,” Naruto explained.

“Non-sense, I’ll just inform Master Iruka,” Itachi said. He stepped past his little group and
discussed the matter with the teacher. He promised to send word to Sakura’s father. He continue
don his way to the swings. “Come, Sakura. I’m Itachi — Sasuke’s older brother. Master Iruka will
let your parents know you’re having dinner with us. We’ll escort you home afterwards.”

“Really?” Familiar jade eyes looked up at him with such hope it caused Itachi’s heart to ache just a
little.

“Let’s go. Sasuke gets irritated when he gets hungry,” Itachi joked.

“Where are we eating?” Naruto asked. “Can we go to Ichiraku Ramen?”

“Ramen?” Sasuke asked. “I’ve not had that before.”

“You’ll like it,” Itachi said. “Ichiraku sounds good. Mom’s old genin teammate owns the shop.”
Itachi started to lead the way with the young Academy students trailing behind him and Izumi.
“Lord Fourth was on the same team.”

“Really?” Naruto asked. “That’s so cool! I had no idea!”

Izumi looked over her shoulder at the three young students. “I’m Izumi Uchiha. It’s nice to meet
you all. Itachi and I became friends when we were at the Academy together.”

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki and I’m going to be Hokage one day! And this is Sakura-chan, I mean,
Sakura Haruno,” Naruto greeted.

“Is it true that you graduated in just one year, Itachi?” Sakura asked quietly.

“Times were different,” Itachi said. “Though, I’m not even the youngest graduate. That honor goes
to Kakashi Hatake. It’s good that Lord Third changed the requirement to age twelve for graduation.
I have great skills as a shinobi, but I struggle with making friends. I think if I had more time as a
student I might have learned the art of friendship.”

“You and Izumi are friends,” Sasuke pointed out. “And cousin Shisui.”

“Exactly,” Itachi said. “My two friends are also in my clan.” He gestured towards Naruto and
Sakura. “I would have loved to have had a Naruto and a Sakura to call friends. You are very lucky,
little brother.”

They were seated at one of the larger booths within the Ramen shop. Itachi and Izumi sat on one
side and the trio of children sat across from them, Sasuke in the middle. Sasuke quietly asked
Sakura which type of ramen she was getting and had ordered the same. After they began eating,
Itachi noted that Sakura kept her gaze focused on her bowl.

“I was impressed at how you adapted and shifted your stance this afternoon, Sakura,” Itachi said.
“It looked like both Naruto and Sasuke gave you a few tips that you were able to utilize.”

“Thank you,” Sakura said. “We practiced—.” Sasuke shot her a look. “Trained,” she corrected.
“Trained quite a bit after school yesterday. It definitely helped. Sasuke-kun just knows how to do
things that the rest of us don’t.”

“It helps that he’s part of the Uchiha clan,” Itachi said. He looked across at his little brother.
“Though even as such, Sasuke has a lot of natural talent. He’s better at targets than even our
father.”

“I mastered the Fire ball jutsu a few weeks ago,” Sasuke announced.

“What’s that?” Naruto asked.

“It’s where you use your chakra to create ninjutsu and blow a massive fireball out of your mouth,”
Izumi explained. “That’s amazing, Sasuke! I didn’t master that skill until I was twelve and you’re
not even seven!”

“When’s your birthday?” Sakura asked, tucking a long strand of pink hair behind her ear and
turning to face the boy beside her.

“July twenty-third, nine days,” Sasuke said.

“Would you be interested in learning how to use a sword, Sasuke?” Itachi asked. His conversation
with older Sakura stuck within him. He would need to find ways to anchor his brother to Konoha.
Friendship, the ability to gain new skills would certainly attract him.

“Um, of course. I’ve never seen you or father use a sword,” Sasuke admitted. “I hadn’t thought
about it.”

“You should see Kakashi Hatake with a sword. He’s magnificent. His father was the White Fang—
excellent swordsman. There are others, but he’s my friend — I could ask him,” Itachi suggested. “I
could teach you what I know first though— consider it my birthday present.” If he mastered the
Fire ball jutsu in a week, Itachi could teach Sasuke the fundamentals in a few days. “We’ll start this
evening. I’ll have my new team assignment in a couple of days, so I should be free until then.”

“My brother is an Anbu officer,” Sasuke explained, his voice thick with pride.

Naruto lifted up his head, mouth full of noddles. He swallowed them noisily. “Do you have one of
those tattoos?”

Itachi touched his left upper arm. “I do indeed.”

“I’ve got to get me one of those,” Naruto said.

After finishing their meal, Itachi led the group to drop off Sakura at her parents’ residence. Her
mother sat on the porch and when she noticed Sakura, the young girl’s shoulders stiffened. It was
only slight, but Itachi didn’t miss it.

“Hi, Mama,” Sakura said, offering a weak smile.

“Your teacher told us you’d gone off to eat with Itachi Uchiha,” Mebuki said, her face decidedly
unfriendly. “You are to ask permission first, not forgiveness later.”

“Thanks for dinner, guys,” Sakura said quietly, not taking her eyes off her mother. She walked
obediently up the steps and her mother grabbed hold of her ear painfully and dragged her inside.
The front door slammed closed.

Naruto cringed. “Is that normal? If so, I’m glad to have Anbu guards instead of parents.”

“No, Naruto. It’s not normal,” Sasuke said quietly.

They dropped off Naruto, left him with his Anbu guard of the day, then the three Uchiha walked
back to the compound in silence.

“I’ll see you around,” Izumi said before she waved and went towards the west in the direction of
her home.

Itachi and Sasuke continued east towards their home. “You’re really going to train me tonight?”
Sasuke asked.

“Yes. We have some wooden swords in the dojo. Mom is a pretty good swordswoman. She first
taught me when I was young,” Itachi said.

“Do you think Sakura will be okay?” Sasuke asked. “Her mom seemed really angry.”
 “Some people don’t like the Uchiha,” Itachi explained. “They fear us because we have more power
than most shinobi. And a lot of people are scared of Naruto because he has a great power sealed
within him. Fear often leads to anger.”

“Should I try to stay away from her? Would that be better?” Sasuke asked.

Itachi shook his head. “I can’t claim to know a lot about those two, but I know you, Sasuke. And I
think the three of you could have a very special bond. It’s important to not abandon your friends —
especially when they need you.”

“Is that some sort of proverb?” Sasuke asked.

“No, it’s just something my previous Team Leader used to say,” Itachi said, thinking of Kakashi.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: So many bonds linking these characters together! The red thread of fate is wound
tightly around our heroes!
 Catch you when you fall
Chapter Notes

A/N: Happy Birthday, Kakashi!!!!! September 15th!!!!! (It was SUCH a struggle to get this
chapter out in time for our favorite Silver-haired Shinobi’s birthday).

See the end of the chapter for more notes

.
.
.

Shisui

The Hokage’s office was a familiar place to visit for Shisui Uchiha, however, his father’s rich
chocolate eyes were so wide, he worried they’d fall out of his head. “Dad, try to at least act a little
cool,” Shisui whispered. “It’s not like you’ve never been here. You are an elite Jonin— a hero of
the Third Ninja War.”

His father’s face flushed. “Sorry. I just didn’t think I’d ever be invited here again. I’ve spent more
of my life as a depressed drunk than a hero.” He sighed heavily. “Poor Sakumo. I understand him
more day by day.”

Shisui wasn’t sure what his father meant by the latter comment. He had only heard of one Sakumo
in Konoha— Kakashi Hatake’s father. The poor man’s soul had been crushed— wait— did that
mean…

“Taki and Shisui Uchiha, thank you for taking this time to meet with me,” Hiruzen Sarutobi greeted
them. He paced behind his desk, hands behind his back, gaze focused on his feet before he turned
towards them. “I understand there is unrest within the Uchiha. I am routed repeatedly by those that
wish to insult and demean your clan.” His lips pursed in anger. “The role of Hokage is powerless
with the council and Daimyo ignoring my advice and since I already stepped down once, I am
afraid to rally against them. And it is clear to me that they are intent on insulting and antagonizing
the Uchiha — looking for an excuse. But in my experience, if you keep kicking a downed dog,
eventually that dog will muster the rage to attack.”

“Lord Third,” Taki said, bowing deeply. “I am so honored to be invited here. It’s a true miracle
what the Namikaze woman did! It’s not surprising that someone of Lord Fourth’s clan would show
up in this time of need.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Hiruzen agreed absently. “I’m told you passed the physical for active duty, Taki.
Long ago, you served on my Anbu — are you willing to do so again?”
That news surprised Shisui. He thought that Itachi and he had been the first Uchiha members of
Anbu. He had no idea that this father had been Anbu — he never saw a tattoo.

“My wife is dead and my son is a proud shinobi of the Leaf,” Taki said. “And I assume Shisui is in
Anbu or else you wouldn’t have asked me about Anbu.” He rubbed his left upper arm. “I burned
away the tattoo years ago — I’d fallen so far from grace, Lord Hokage.”

“Indeed your son is a valued member of Anbu,” Hiruzen admitted. “Don’t worry about the tattoo.
Your father was my most trusted friend. Kagami’s loss is still a deep wound in my heart. And I
know that both you and your son carry his Will of Fire in your souls. Taki, will you do whatever
you can to stop an Uchiha uprising?”

“I will not be a part of an uprising,” Taki promised. He looked over at his son briefly, then back at
the Hokage. “Lord Third, maybe you can speak with Lord Fugaku?”

“And tell him what exactly,” Hiruzen challenged. “That the leaders of Konoha will continue to
humiliate the Uchiha every chance they get? That they won’t stop until they are impoverished and
broken of their pride and further ostracized by the main part of the village?” He shook his head. “I
understand the dissatisfaction all too well.” He gestured towards Shisui. “How did the conversation
with Lord Fugaku go for you and your friends?"

“I’m working on a solution, Lord Third,” Shisui said. “But my Uncle wasn’t exactly concerned
about the havok such an attack might create. So many of the clan are embittered. They fought side
by side other shinobi in the Third Great war serving this country, and were injured and suffered
when the Nine-tails attacked like everyone else and to be treated like piranha?” Shisui shook his
head. “We are a prideful clan. One of the two founding clans of the village. It is unforgivable for
some the way the clan has been treated lately. I think due to the pride, even if an uprising is doomed
to failure, it must be attempted to find peace in those angry hearts. Or perhaps they would rather
dry trying to attain the modicum of respect from the rest of the villagers — and not fear.”

“And those others are helping you on this solution?” Hiruzen asked, implying Itachi, Sakura, and
Kakashi.

“As best they can,” Shisui said. He laid his hand on his father’s shoulder. “I think Dad would be
great in Anbu, Lord Third, but I ask for a little time. We need to settle our clan business first, if you
will.”

“Very well. It sounds like you may still have hope at preventing bloodshed. How much time do you
need?” Hiruzen asked.

“Just a few more weeks,” Shisui said. “It should all be over before the end of summer — one way
or another. And it’s not so much preventing bloodshed, as it is minimizing it.”

The Third spoke with the father and son for a while longer before dismissing them. Shisui had also
received a summons to speak with Danzo that evening. He was nervous about the meeting,
knowing in Sakura’s timeline it resulted in his death. He and his father decided to enjoy some
ramen at the little diner— Ichiraku. If things went wrong, at least he would have had a nice last day
spent with his father.
.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

Sakura hopped anxiously from one foot to the next. She had her antidote secured inside the pouch
strapped to her thigh. She had a second antidote sealed inside a scroll within her pack. Kakashi
hadn’t arrived yet. She didn’t know what kind of mission he had that day and it took all her
willpower to not hang out with Itachi on the nearby cliff. She’d worked hard to mask her chakra so
that even the Uchiha genius couldn’t notice her.

She needed to be vigilant. She had excellent chakra control. She could catch Shisui as he came
tumbling down. Kakashi had more practice with such moves, he’d done it to her countless times
over the years, but if he didn’t get here, it would be up to her.

The sun was settling over the horizon and the night sky started to appear. There was a whoosh in
the air that sent the leaves around her fluttering. Sakura turned, but saw nothing.

“Did you miss me?” Kakashi had appeared right behind her, his muscular chest flush against her
back and his hand with the long, talented fingers fell gently upon her shoulder.

Sakura sighed heavily and allowed herself to relax against his strong frame. He’d disturbed the
leaves purposely so as not to startle her. “You always arrive when I need you,” she whispered.

“Good to know.” Kakashi rested his chin on top of her head, they fit together perfectly. He slipped
his second hand around her waist, holding her securely. “The cliff right above?”

Sakura nodded.

“We’ve got this, Sakura,” Kakashi said, his voice oozed with confidence. “I’ll catch him when he
falls. Where is your treatment center set up?”

“I’ve got a pallet hidden within a dome I created out of earth,” Sakura explained. “I’ve sterilized
the area and turned it into an impromptu surgical bed. I’ve gathered water, herbs, salves. I’m
hoping we just mostly have to deal with the poisoning and not a lot more.”

“And when it all goes smooth, we’re off to the hideout to await your — our — friends?” Kakashi
asked.

Sakura nodded. It was so confusing for the poor guy. “I could be wrong and no one is coming, but I
really think that Naruto, Ino, and Sai will come.”

“I’ll definitely come. I mean future me,” Kakashi clarified. His hand tightened marginally at her
waist. .
“No, I don’t think so. You’re too important to the village. You wouldn’t risk it for me,” Sakura
argued.

“I don’t care if I’m the Rukodaime or if I’m the janitor at the Anbu prison in your timeline. I would
definitely travel through time for you,” Kakashi protested. “What about Itachi’s little brother?”

“No idea,” Sakura said with a shrug. “I haven’t talked to Sasuke in two years.”

“I see. Well, I have these next two days off. And then,” Kakashi said, turning Sakura to face him.
He lifted her chin to meet his right-eyed gaze, his left eye closed. “Then you and I will need to
report to the Hokage. It would seem that Jiraiya gave Lord Third a glowing report about you.”

Sakura snorted. “Maybe it was my restraint in not maiming him.” She closed her eyes and leaned
her forehead against Kakashi’s chest — his forest green flak jacket pressed against her. She
definitely preferred him in the blues and greens. He was just too serious in all the grays and blacks.
“I’ve never just killed someone in cold blood. I’ve been in war and I’ve fought terrorists. So it’s not
that I haven’t taken the life of someone.”

Kakashi’s arms slowly snaked around her and he rubbed between her shoulder blades gently. “A
life in shadows is not for everyone. It’s for people like me. You are meant to blaze in battle and
serve as a beacon of hope.”

“That’s not me.” Sakura shook her head and just breathed the scent of him. He didn’t smell like
usual — not like sandalwood. Today Kakashi smelled of pine forest and fresh earth. “That’s Naruto
— definitely Naruto. He can literally glow a bright yellow-orange. He’s like the personification of
hope.”

“I have a hunch it’s the two of you,” Kakashi murmured. “I—I feel hopeful around you. It’s weird.
I’ve not allowed myself to feel in so long. It makes it easier when you’re a tool for shadow
business.”

“You’re also a beacon of hope. You keep your wits about you — always. You never panic. You’re
so damn smart — always have a strategy or two or three or ten.” Sakura hugged him once more and
then moved to step away from Kakashi.

Kakashi’s arms didn’t loosen. “I doubt that I never panic. I’ve just tried to not care about anyone
too much to allow myself to panic. I’ve already lost my family and my team, Sakura. I have grown
attachments to you, Itachi, and Shisui and I’m destined to lose all three of you.”

“No. We are going to save Shisui tonight. And Itachi— will have a very dark road in his future, but
you never truly lose him. And as for me — I’m right here, silly.” Sakura looked up at him, feeling
her eyes water and trying to keep her emotions in check. She realized that this Kakashi is no
different from her Kakashi — kept careful distances because he cared too much. He had the best
heart and yet was the deadliest of warriors. She had to stop thinking about him like two different
people. Kakashi was Kakashi.

“I lose you in the future when you foolishly travel back to here. And I’m about to lose you here
when we lock away these memories. Sakura— you’re— you’re my partner,” Kakashi explained.
He raised his hand to her face and cupped her cheek against his palm.

“It’s probably just the hormones talking,” Sakura whispered. “We—had an awful lot of sex in a
short amount of time.”
“Hm.” Kakashi let his hand fall away from her face and stepped back.

The sudden gulf between them was immeasurable and it made Sakura want to reach out, but she
resisted. Kakashi did not belong to her. Maybe she could be with him one day, but this was his
time.

“Itachi’s at the cliff," Kakashi observed. "Now we wait.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Shisui

Even being forewarned hadn’t been enough for Shisui Uchiha. He knew Danzo was treacherous
and coveted his Sharingan. Still, he’d somehow managed to be poisoned by the Root shinobi in the
Tiger Mask. Danzo had snatched away his left eye and only with extreme poise, did Shisui
managed to access enough chakra to body flicker away.

The pain was excruciating and he could feel his mental faculties struggling against the toxins
flowing in his blood.

He’d found Itachi meditating quietly at their special place — the cliff that rose high above the
ravine.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Itachi said, standing quickly. “Are you okay?” He stepped towards
Shisui and his eyes widened in horror. “What happened to your eye? You’re bleeding!”

“Danzo — he poisoned me with that Anbu in the Tiger mask,” Shisui explained. “Took my eye.
But, you know about the Mangekyo Sharingan. I acquired it shortly before we met all those years
ago when my friend and rival in my old team died. It was my fault he died, I could have saved him,
but I chose not to. That action, it caused such an intense emotion, it unlocked these ocular powers.”

“I don’t understand why you’re telling me this. If you’ve been poisoned, we need to get you an
antidote. Isn’t this why the kunoichi traveled back? To save you?” Itachi demanded, his hands
fisted against his sides. His normally cool assessing onyx eyes had shifted to crimson Sharingan in
his distress.

Shisui shook his head slightly. “She came to save you, Itachi. You and Sasuke. I was never part of
the plan. But we can still salvage this situation. I couldn’t convince your father. But maybe you
can! You need the M.S.. If you kill me, it will unlock.”

“What?” Itachi shook his head. “Look, I know some basic medical jutsu, let me see what I can do!”

“Itachi!” Shisui ordered. “I am your superior officer and I order you to push me off this cliff. End
my life so that you will awaken the ultimate power of the Sharingan. Only you can save this clan of
ours.”

“Why?” Itachi whispered.

“Because you are the only one strong enough to do this. Only you can save our clan and save the
village from those threats that are just whispers now. You are the hero the Leaf needs.” Shisui
stepped towards the edge of the cliff.

Itachi was before him and clutched onto the front lapels of his shirt. “I don’t want to do this. Surely,
we can get you help.”

“This poison has done me in. Please, Itachi, don’t let my death be in vain. It needs to mean
something, brother.” Shisui reached weakly for Itachi’s cheek, his hand trembled. “All you have to
do is push. I would never ask you to stab me — we saw what that did to Hatake. Your life is hard
enough, my kind and compassionate best friend. Write a letter. They won’t believe a suicide note.
Tell them I’ve left the village. I can no longer be confined by these petty squabbles between clan
and village. You can mimic my handwriting.”

“Please, find peace,” Itachi whispered. He shoved Shisui over the side of the cliff and then fell to
his knees in despair as the fire behind his eyes burned into his retinas.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi

Kakashi felt the descent of Shisui more than saw it. He opened his Sharingan eye and was able to
find the dwindling chakra of his friend. He leapt onto the steep sides of the canyon and snatched
Shisui from his deadly spiral. He set the boy next to the ravine and then snuck back into the forest.

Sakura slid a vial into Kakashi’s hand. He was faster than her and he would administer the basic
anti-toxin once the scene was clear. She’d gone over the best place to inject and the best technique.
He was still troubled by their earlier conversation and about the feelings he’d developed for the
woman. Tonight was the first part of her mission which meant her mission would be over soon and
she’d vanish from his life — like everyone else he cared about. He didn’t want to go back to his
hollow existence or empty home.

No sooner had Kakashi hidden within the trees, Itachi peered over the edge of the cliff. Itachi stared
at Shisui’s unmoving body for a solid two minutes before he moved away. Perhaps he was
surprised that there wasn’t an explosion of blood and gore. Though, he doubted if the young Uchiha
wanted to think about it too much. He was probably experiencing a crippling headache if his
Mangekyo Sharingan just awakened. Kakashi remembered the excruciating pain in his head as well
as in his heart when he’d ended Rin’s life.

The moment he pierced through her heart and obliterated the left side of her chest, he’d felt such
despair.

Sakura tapped his shoulder and Kakashi body flickered to Shisui’s side and plunged the syringe
into his arm like Sakura trained him.

A single dark brown eye blinked up at him. “Who knew I was such a good actor, eh?” Shisui
coughed and blood trickled out of his mouth.

Sakura was at their side moments later. She pressed her fingers against the pulse point in his neck
and wrist. A surge of healing green chakra rushed through Shisui’s system. “This is bad,” she
murmured. “Take him to the dome before Itachi decides to come back.”

Kakashi created a Shadow Clone in the form of Shisui to leave at the side of the ravine. Then he
scooped up the younger ninja and hurried towards Sakura’s make-shift surgical site.

“Take off his shirt,” Sakura ordered. She was doing something with a bowl of water, pouring some
sort of substance inside it and then raising the liquid into the air in a swirling vortex that reminded
him of the rasengan.

Kakashi had removed Shisui’s shirt and the boy was covered in a cold sweat, his skin looked awful
— an ashen grey with purple and red bruising all over.

“It’s not only wasp venom,” Sakura muttered. “It’s a necrotizing factor like with a brown recluse
and a neurotoxin like a black widow. I didn’t know the Abarame’s had access to arachnids too.”

“Could be unique,” Kakashi suggested. “Individualized concoction rather than clan-based.”

“It was Danzo’s Tiger Anbu,” Shisui explained. He began to shiver, his teeth chattering.

“Don’t talk,” Sakura ordered. She stuck a thick braided cord of leather between Shisui’s teeth. “Bite
down on this. I don’t want you severing your tongue or cracking your teeth. Focus on the leather
braid. That’s all I want you to do. Try to stay awake, Shisui. I’ve got you. This isn’t even half as
strong as Sasori’s poison.”

Kakashi didn’t know who Sasori was, but he wasn’t eager to cross paths with him either. Sakura
raised the medicinal water that glowed green and brought it over Shisui’s body and then repeated
the movement forever it seemed. The liquid would run over the heart then through a different part
of his body. The purple diamond seal on Sakura’s forehead glowed eerily while she worked under
the spectrum of the Sharingan.
“I’m cleaning out his entire blood supply — every vein, artery, capillary. I’m going through his
lymphatic system,” Sakura explained. “I’m repairing the necrotic tissue of his muscles.”

Kakashi sat there, feeling completely out of his element while he watched her.

“Close your Sharingan, Kakashi. As soon as I’m done, we need to go to the cave. He’ll still be
weak and I’ll need you to carry him.” Sakura never looked up from her work. “Preserve your
chakra.”

The Ninken slunk over towards their dome and peered within. They gave Kakashi an askance look
and he gestured for them to continue patrol.

“Morphine. There’s some in my kit,” Sakura explained. “Inject it into his arm just like you did the
antidote, please. I already measured it out, so just give him the whole amount. He shouldn’t lose
consciousness with it, just be in less pain. I can’t calm down his pain receptor nerves while working
on his circulation.”

Kakashi almost snorted. She’s in the middle of this complicated medical miracle and she still is
saying please and explaining everything to him. He riffled through the kit and found the one clearly
labeled.

More than five hours passed before Sakura sat back with an exhausted, yet satisfied look on her
face. Shisui’s skin was pale, but there was no longer any bruising. His breathing was no longer
shallow. Kakashi pressed his finger against the carotid pulse — it was strong.

Sakura smiled at him, her lips trembled. “Okay, maybe it was a little harder than I thought. And
maybe the morphine did make him unconscious, better from the narcotic than from pain.”

“You spoke more than I thought you would during the process,” Kakashi said quietly. He pulled his
water canteen off his hip and handed it to her.

“Thanks.” She drank the cold water greedily. “At the hospital, I talk a lot during surgery. There’s
always medics wanting to train under me and the nurses need to understand what I’m doing so they
can assist.”

“Who taught you this technique?” Kakashi asked. “Your master that taught you that,” he said
reaching over and gently tapping her diamond seal. Her skin was clammy. He would’t be able to
carry her and Shisui.

Sakura shook her head. “I taught myself. I’m kind of boring — I read medical and science journals
all the time. I know all the medicinal herbs in the five great shinobi nations.”

“Do you need to rest? You don’t look good,” Kakashi pointed out.

“I’ll rest when we get to the cave.” Sakura gathered her things and sealed them away in a scroll
before tucking it into her backpack. She laid her hands on the ground and released her dome and
then shrugged her arms into her backpack's straps. “We need to go. I’m fine, Kakashi. You and I
have done much more with much less chakra than this. Besides, I can just release my seal if we get
into any trouble.”

Kakashi said nothing. He gathered the sleeping shinobi and positioned him on his back. Sakura
took Kakashi’s backpack and slung it over her other shoulder and off they went.
Two hours later, Kakashi’s clone had been discovered and four hours later, it had been destroyed
when the Uchiha Military Police officer had started to examine it.

Two hours after that, they arrived in Whirlpool. Kakashi followed Sakura to a cave. The nearby
ocean waves were soothing. Early morning birds cawed nearby. Sakura stumbled once they reached
the cave. She righted herself and began to set up pallets on the floor.

Kakashi set Shisui down and Sakura was immediately at his side, checking vitals and bringing
water to his lips. Shisui was functional enough to drink the water slowly. He murmured something
and smiled briefly before falling back asleep.

“I can’t believe he just smiled.” Kakashi frowned. He leaned against the wall of the cave. He was
tired, but he wasn’t exhausted. Sakura was exhausted. He wanted to hold her and give her comfort.
He created a quartet of Shadow clones to monitor the perimeter. “You need to sleep.”

Sakura nodded. “Wake me in four hours and I’ll take over watch.” She did an earth jutsu and
revealed a strange stone-like artifact that looked like a turtle. She placed it on a large stone slab in
the center of the cave and then repaired the damage to the cave floor.

Kakashi didn’t agree or disagree. He merely watched as Sakura fell unconscious in two minutes
flat. He had no intention of waking her. He’d gone days without sleep before, he could handle a
double shift of watch duty.

Her friends would be there — his friends — before too long. Shisui was missing one of his eyes.
Kakashi knew that meant Danzo had it. He would need Sakura to help him infiltrate Root after all,
under the Hokage’s permission. As an Anbu member she had better ability to visit Root — less
likely to be killed on site. He wouldn’t involve anyone else from this time— too dangerous for
them.

Kakashi wasn’t about to let a weapon like a Sharingan end up in the hands of Danzo. He still
remembered how the old man had argued to the bitter end to try and steal Obito’s eye. It had been
Fugaku Uchiha that had made sure Kakashi kept his friend’s gift.
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OoO

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Sakura

“Kakashi,” Sakura growled, sitting up and seeing the early morning light at the cave’s entrance.
“You didn’t wake me.” She turned towards him and was met with a weary charcoal gaze. “I’m fine
now, you get some sleep. I’ll make breakfast and I’ll wake you if I notice anything.”
“I’m fine,” Kakashi protested. “If I sleep, my shadow clones disappear.”

“Who’s the medic?” Sakura asked. “You need sleep. I’m pretty sure we’re fine, but you can ask
some of your Ninken to be on patrol.”

He was using his ninja hounds a lot lately. Though, the dogs seemed to enjoy the work. “Alright.”
Kakashi summoned some of his pack and then feel asleep almost immediately.

While most of the pack went wandering around the area, Shiba came up to Sakura and snuggled
against her while she made breakfast. She checked on Shisui and he was afebrile and his breathing
was normal. He would still probably be unconscious for several more hours — mostly the affect of
the morphine than anything else at this point.

With a plate laden with food, Sakura gently tapped Kakashi’s shoulder. She’d let him sleep for
three hours — two complete sleep cycles. “Food,” she offered. “You can go back to sleep after if
you want.”

He shoved down his mask and devoured the breakfast. He then slipped his mask in place, his gaze
on the turtle artifact. “It’s glowing.”

“Oh! Its activating!” Sakura rose to her feet. “It should be them, but there’s always a chance—.”

“That someone else might come through,” Kakashi agreed, finishing her sentence.

Five shadowy figures started to flicker encircling the stone turtle and the slab

Young Kakashi had eight shuriken positioned between his fingers. “It’s okay, Kakashi — it should
be our friends.”

Then a blond energetic bundle flew towards Sakura.

“Sakuraaaaaa!” An overjoyed Naruto rushed towards her and tackled her to the ground, rolling so
as to absorb the weight and she was balanced on top of him. “I missed you! Why the heck are you
being so reckless?”

“Naruto!” Sakura cried, relieved and a little winded.

He reached up and tugged her blond hair. “Now we really do look like cousins! Which we are!”

Sakura chuckled. “Sorry, Naruto. Namikaze is just the name I picked for a cover.”

“No, your mom is a Namikaze. We really are cousins.” Naruto’s cerulean eyes watered. “I mean,
I’d thought of you as a sister for years now, but I mean this is even better!” He sat up, but still
hadn’t released Sakura from his hug.

Sakura felt her own eyes water. “You can let go of me now.”

Naruto shook his head, his gaze drifted past her.

“Okay, it’s deactivated. You can release her,” older Kakashi’s lazy drawl announced.

Naruto immediately released her. “Sorry, Sakura-chan. We didn’t want to risk you vanishing
again.”
 As soon as Sakura stood, young Kakashi shifted so that he was standing right behind her. “Are
these your friends?”

“Yes, we’re good, you can relax,” Sakura told him.

“Anbu never relax,” Kakashi said — the older version. His piercing smokey eyes zeroed in on
Sakura across the distance, shifting between her and his younger self.

“Sakura.” Sasuke stated, his voice hoarse.

She stared at him in surprise, never imaging that he’d follow her back in time. It had been nearly
two years since she’d heard from him. “Sasuke-kun?"

“Forehead!” Ino started to lunge for Sakura, but Sai held her back, eyeing young Kakashi warily.
“You’ve had us all worried sick! What in the world are you doing? Trying to re-write history!”

“She already has,” Sasuke said quietly. His mismatched onyx and lavender eyes landed on Shisui.
“He should be dead.” He looked back at Sakura, eyes swirling with more emotion than she’d ever
seen. “We need to talk.”

Sakura’s eyes roved over her friends— all of whom had been her teammates for one mission or
another. Naruto was excited. Ino was relieved. Sai was worried. Sasuke was overwhelmed. And
Kakashi—Sakura had no words for the intense emotion she could see in his charcoal gray eyes.

Young Kakashi pressed some of his shuriken into Sakura’s hand. “I’m going to watch the
perimeter.” He leaned down to whisper, his masked lips tickling against her ear. “I’ll be back in half
an hour. Try not to do anything — rash.” He stepped back and sauntered towards the cave exit

Chapter End Notes

I actually re-read some of my old Naruto fanfics, apparently I lament about how this will be
my last story, but that's obviously a lie. It warms my heart hearing from so many of you
readers and seeing the interest in this story, the idea keeps growing and growing in my
head! I have not been able to connect to another manga series quite as much as the Naruto
universe. Fairy Tail is close. I realize I never posted my Gate of the Crow story on AO3 --
it's fun. Check it out if you have a chance!
 Overwhelmed by Lovers
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura

Sasuke walked towards Sakura, his long-legged strides crossed the distance in only a moment and
then he pulled Sakura into a tight one-armed hug. “This is foolish,” he whispered in her ear, the feel
of his warm breath tickled across her skin. They’d only been close like this once before — and that
had led to her conceiving. “You’ve risked too much for me.” He pulled back, meeting her stunned
gaze, but kept his arm around her. “I should have written. I was on my way home to you— to you
and Naruto. You two are family enough for me!”

“Sorry, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura placed one hand on his chest, noting he was more muscular than when
they’d last seen each other. “But, we’re not enough. We tried to be. If we’d been enough, you never
would have left Konoha. You never would have become a missing-Nin.” She reached for his face
and looked into his eyes, realizing it was the same shade as Itachi’s— they were Itachi’s eyes after
all. “We should have all grown up together. Your mother makes the best cinnamon rolls! And Itachi
is the most thoughtful and deliberate person I’ve ever met. You deserve to grow up knowing your
brother loves you.”

Sasuke listened silently, his eyes never wavering from her face. Then, he pulled her close again,
whispered in her ear once more. “I know about the baby. I’m so sorry you went through that alone.
I should have been there with you.”

Once, not too long ago, this connection with Sasuke would have been enough for Sakura. “Even if
the baby had survived, you would have resented me.”

“Never,” Sasuke protested. “I could never resent you, Sakura.”

“Well, I started to resent you, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura hugged him once, then stepped out of the
comfort of his embrace.

“I saw some of Kakashi’s memories —I tried to unlock them before we came, but I was
unsuccessful.” Sasuke’s arm fell to his side, his lips pressed together in a frown. “I understand your
feelings are complicated right now. I’m here to support you on this fool-hardy mission. What’s the
plan, Sakura?”

“It’s actually really good you’re here, Sasuke. I want you to talk to Itachi. All I’ve accomplished so
far is saved Shisui from certain death. He’s the best, by the way! I absolutely love Shisui! We have
thirty names of Uchiha clan members that do not wish to participate in the coup — out of a hundred
and fifty. I intend to hide them here in this cave, but I think for your Sharingan to activate, you —
child you—would need to see the carnage. I’m not sure what do about that — it’s up to you.”
Sasuke nodded. His face was neutral once more— a perfect marble statue. All trace of the emotions
he’d shared moments ago gone. “We’ll figure it out. It doesn’t happen until after my birthday—
we’ve got a few days to sort that out.” He rubbed his eyes absently. “Go talk to Kakashi. Then we’ll
try and figure out what we’re going to do.”

Sakura met Ino’s gaze but she angled her chin towards Kakashi. She couldn’t avoid him. She didn’t
want to avoid him. Part of her wanted to run to him and leap into his arms. Part of her feared he
was disgusted with her behavior. She hadn’t meant to fall head-over-heels for his younger self. She
was a sucker for emotionally devastated, lonely, gorgeous warriors.

Kakashi waited near the cave entrance. His posture was deceptively relaxed, his hands stuck
casually in his pants pockets, and he wore a familiar green flak jacket. He attentively watched
outside in the direction his younger self ran off. When Sakura approached, he didn’t even look
when he grabbed her hand and pulled her with him outside. His grip was unrelenting, his fingers
long and strong. He hadn’t said a word. Sakura recognized this mood, but had never been on the
receiving end of Kakashi’s menacing anger.

The sheer magnitude of knowing the Sixth Hokage came himself floored Sakura. The council
would be pissed. The Daimyo would be pissed. Who did he leave in charge? “Who is covering for
you?” Sakura asked quietly as they crossed over tide pools full of hermit crabs and started for the
denser flora farther from the cave.

Kakashi glared at her over his shoulder. He was so very mad. “Lady Tsunade. She came across a
book — The Gutsy Kunoichi by Jiraiya. It was an unpublished novel in his personal affects.”

“Oh, yeah, that was bad. Do you remember?” Sakura grimaced. She would prefer to never think
about that experience ever again.

“No.” Kakashi drew to a stop and the anger faded as his visible face softened into concern. “Did
something happen with Jiraiya?”

“It was a very uncomfortable interrogation,” Sakura murmured, unable to repress her shiver.

Kakashi stared at her few more moments before he continued to drag her deeper into the forested
area. He stopped near a hidden waterfall and the crashing water into the pool below creating a
soothing background— it also prevented eavesdropping. He must have known the area. He pulled
her close until her body crashed into his.

Sakura reflectively grabbed the front of his flak jacket. She craned her neck back and was met by
familiar smokey eyes dark with emotion.

“I don’t know if I should kiss you? Hug you? Or shake you.” Kakashi sighed, the tension coiled in
his muscles deceptively relaxed. “I didn’t know if we’d be able to find you. What if you got
yourself killed here in the past? I’ve lost so many people that I care for, Sakura. How dare you
endanger yourself like this! I’m the Hokage, Sakura. You should have run this by me before you
threw caution to the wind! As a shinobi of the Leaf you’re obligated to run this by me!”

He hugged her, so tight it was a little difficult to breath. “I’m sorry, Kakashi. I’m sorry for running
off on my own.” For the first time in two weeks, Sakura felt completely safe. Tears welled up in her
eyes, relief that Kaka-sensei was there and all would be perfectly fine. “I’m sorry for disrupting
your life in this time. I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m so glad you’re here though. I never thought
you would follow me personally. You’re too important!”
His masked lips pressed against her temple. “Sasuke was only able to unlock a few memories. I
thought past me would kill you. Though with that first sparring session if you’d been anyone else,
you would have died. I stabbed you in the kidney and then practically ripped off your arm!” The
corded muscles of his arms flexed as he held her. “The training sessions—-all that sex. Shit,
Sakura. You with this blond hair? Do you know who you look like? The heroine in the Make Out
Paradise Tactics book!”

“It was no hardship with you, Kakashi sensei,” Sakura said with an embarrassed chuckle. “You
finally found a subject you liked to teach me.” She stared at the pocket of his flak jacket, unable to
meet his eyes. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t go back in time earlier — you’ve been through so much.”
The tears began to fall and she couldn’t stop them. Her hands fisted in his jacket. “You’re all alone
here! And your face — you’re even more handsome than I imagined. But, because of your beauty
you were used in terrible ways, Kakashi. The things you’ve endured.”

Kakashi sighed. “Ninjas aren’t meant to have peaceful, loving lives, Sakura. Historically, we’re
weapons to those in power.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “But my father, he knew better.
He knew our lives and those of our comrades were precious too. I wasn’t forced into those missions
— I volunteered.”

“Always saving everyone, but yourself,” Sakura murmured.

Kakashi groaned. “I guess we’re more alike than I even realized. Now that I’m Hokage, I can
change those policies. Lady Tsunade already did so much and you can bet that Naruto will do ever
more. It’s sweet that you are trying to help your team, but you cannot right all the wrongs. Our past
is what defines us. How we persevere beyond our hardships defines us. Sakura, I need to speak
with you on another serious matters that involves your parents but, first, I want to kiss you.”

“Only without the mask,” Sakura said.

“Fine. You can pull it down,” Kakashi agreed.

“Are you wearing another mask under it?” Sakura smiled faintly at the memory as she met his
gaze.

Mirth danced in Kakashi’s smokey eyes. “Only one way to find out.”

Sakura reached up her right hand and gently tugged down Kakashi’s mask, revealing the familiar
face underneath. The scar on his left cheek had faded with time. She traced the scar — maybe he
used one of the medicinal salves to soften the scar after all. “I’d like to be kissed by you.”

Kakashi was hesitant at first, obviously unused to his bare face exposed. Then he tasted her lips —
a soft brush of his lips against hers, then his tongue traced across. She opened her mouth and the
kiss deepened almost desperately. They kissed until they were both breathless.

“Why wasn’t Sasuke able to unlock your memories?” Sakura asked, her lips felt swollen and
bruised. It was a glorious feeling. “Since you’re here, I was hoping you have some suggestions
about our next move."

“One, he wanted to kill me when he learned we were having sex. And two, we were distracted by
other news regarding your parents,” Kakashi explained. “That’s what I need to talk to you about. I
won’t hide things from you— I promise.”
“Are they okay?” Sakura worried. She reached up and secured his mask over his lower face. She
could only take him in small doses.

Kakashi looked at her strangely. “They’re fine. Sakura, your mother has been abusing you for years
— did you not even realize it? I had no idea, Sakura. I’m sorry for not being aware of it sooner.”

“She means well,” Sakura murmured. “Look, I don’t want to talk about my parents.” He’d said
Sasuke unlocked some of his memories. Sakura took a deep breath and looked up into Kakashi’s
eyes. “I’m sorry about the training sessions. I took advantage.”

“Is that what you think about our training sessions?” Kakashi asked. “It was hardly a hardship and I
hate to break it to you, Sakura, but twenty-year old me wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to
have sex with someone he actually liked and is as beautiful and impressive as you. I did gleam
from the memories that I had fallen in love with you. My whole pack of Ninken had fallen in love
with you. I remember catching Shisui as he fell off the cliff and helping you treat him. Coming to
this cave and finding this waterfall.” He held Sakura against him, rested his chin on top of her head.
“Impatient woman. I was figuring out my feelings for you when you ran away. If you’d given me
more time…I’m pretty sure I’d have come to the same conclusion — unequivocally in love with
you.”

“I’m sorry, Kakashi. When I ran across that journal and then found the artifact — it felt like I was
fated to do this. And you’re so damn sad! I had no idea! And Itachi — he’s such a sweet guy! And I
couldn’t let Shisui die! He’s so funny! And Sasuke— he’s such a tender-hearted child and Naruto
was so lonely.”

“I take it you’ve been doing more than just working to save the Uchiha clan,” Kakashi murmured.
“You were too young to know, but the hatred within the Uchiha clan had been building for
generations, Sakura. You saw how powerful Itachi and Sasuke were and Madara and Obito led the
Akatsuki. Can you imagine an entire clan of power-hungry, angry shinobi? There’s a reason Itachi
did what he did.”

“But he didn’t have to annihilate everyone — that was Danzo that forced his hand and he did it so
he could awaken countless Sharingan during the slaughter and harvest them for himself. I read
through the report. One of the victims— a mother and her three month old baby.” Sakura grew
quiet and Kakashi hugged her against him. “Why should Sasuke’s mother die? Why should Izumi?
Why should the baker husband and wife? I understand not everyone can be turned from their path
of destruction. But that’s why I’m here and that’s why Shisui and Itachi agreed to work with me.”
She poked his chest. “You agreed too.”

“Look, Sakura, I don’t know what happens —probably because it hasn’t happened here yet— but
you are not infiltrating Root. It’s too dangerous.”

“What about Shisui’s eye?”

“I do fine with one Sharingan,” Kakashi pointed out. “Besides, Shisui is alive. He can just tell the
Hokage what happened and let him deal with getting the eye back. Let the politics work for you,
don’t circumvent them.”

“You hate politics,” Sakura pointed out.

“I’ve been Hokage for a little while now, I’m starting to understand how the system works.” He
held her at arm’s length. “I just — I don’t know if I should kiss you again or shake some sense into
you.”

“If it makes you feel better, I realized I was in love with you the moment you shouted my name and
the turtle brought me here— but now, I’ve fallen in love with younger you and I’m very confused,”
Sakura confessed. “You’re you either way. I only just figured that part out myself.”

“I guess the real question — are you changing our reality or causing a branch on the timeline and
creating a parallel universe?” Kakashi raised his hand to Sakura’s cheek and she turned into his
palm. “Part of the reason I came, is we theorized that our memories would be altered with the new
events when we returned, and only those that literally traveled through time would remember both
timelines. When we return, I want you to move in with me — the towers if I’m still Hokage. The
Hatake Estates if I’m not.”

“That would be a big step,” Sakura worried.

“Sakura, I’m only interested in big steps with you.” Kakashi ruffled her blond hair. “So weird
seeing you as a blond.”

Sakura caught his hand and threaded her fingers with his. “What do you think would happen if
Sasuke never defected? Would he have learned to become strong enough without Orochimaru?”

Kakashi lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I think he would have been stronger.
He burned through the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan — his eyes lost their sight at a rapid
pace. Itachi had his vision for at least seven years after using his M.S. and I never lost my sight,
though I only used the ocular power on rare occasion. He could have been trained to help Naruto
control the Nine-tails. That was the original plan. I would still need Jiraiya’s help with Naruto and
I’d have liked teaching Sasuke swordsmanship. I should have arranged for you to train your
genjutsu — someone like Kurenai. I could have spent more time teaching you the basics. And I
should have suggested medical ninjutsu with your chakra control, but I never gave you enough
attention. I’m sorry, Sakura.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I really was a bad sensei.
You had to seek out Lady Tsunade yourself. I abandoned you as much as Sasuke did.”

“You could have done better,” Sakura agreed. “But, Kakashi, you’re human. And you did the best
you could. I didn’t need to be coddled. I needed to find my own motivation to become a strong
kunoichi. And while you weren’t a great teacher — you are the best captain seriously in the shinobi
world. It was always an honor to fight alongside you.”

A familiar throat cleared. “Well, this is awkward,” younger Kakashi said, stepping out of the forest.
“Former teacher and student, huh, Sakura? You are a naughty girl. And you, Kakashi, you’re not
wasting any opportunity to be alone with Sakura. I take it you received my message?” His visible
eye met older Kakashi’s gaze.

“Yes. I did,” older Kakashi answered. “She’s not infiltrating Root.”

“We had a deal,” younger Kakashi argued.

“I’m breaking that deal.” Older Kakashi shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m arguing with myself.”

Sakura distanced herself from older Kakashi and brushed off her pants. She gestured between the
two Kakashis with an attempt of a teasing smile. “This is either a dream come true, or a
nightmare.”
Both Kakashis chuckled softly and then glared at each other.

“You no longer have the Sharingan,” younger Kakashi noted.

Older Kakashi shook his head. “I do not.” He could have elaborated about the increase in his
chakra reserves and that he’d actually grown more powerful without Obito’s eye. Though, the
thousand jutsus he’d learned over his career and the Susanoo he’d created in the last war were vital
in their success.

“Shisui is starting to wake up.” Younger Kakashi’s fingers flexed at his sides. “We should return
and strategize now that you’re all here. We’re going to need some babysitters.” He looked back at
Sakura. “And we’ll need to head back to the village soon. We’re supposed to meet Itachi tomorrow
afternoon.”
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OoO

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Kakashi

They trudged back to the cave — two Kakashis and a Sakura. Sai and Ino stood outside the
entrance waiting for them. Sasuke and Naruto sat on either side of Shisui. He’d started to wake up.

“I could label you a missing-Nin, Sakura,” older Kakashi warned when they returned to the cave.
“We can just tie you up and wait for the artifact to activate and take you home. Stop interfering
now. Let whatever happens next happen.”

“Technically, she’s still in Konoha,” Naruto pointed out. “She didn’t leave per-say.”

“And she did have permission on this trip— from the Hospital Director position,” Ino added.
“Medicinal purposes, to try and stop the epidemic of mental illness. It was a pretty clever use of the
loop hole.”

Younger Kakashi laughed. “Sounds like they’re ganging up on you.” He crouched by Shisui and
tapped his shoulder. “You can stop pretending to be asleep.”

“Hm, but it’s so interesting to meet Sakura-chan’s friends!” Shisui opened his eye and groaned
pitifully. “I feel like I’ve been run over by a boulder.”
“Something like that,” Sakura agreed. She stepped past older Kakashi’s side and kneeled next to his
younger self.

Older Kakashi watched them, intrigued by how easy it looked between them without the age
difference. Watching from the outside looking in— he and Sakura made a nice looking couple.
There was no complication of being her former teacher. He remembered this time of his life as
being particularly dark, but he’d had a couple of friends — Tenzo and Itachi particularly. But, after
the massacre, he’d sunk back into a deep hole of misery that he wouldn’t crawl out of until Lord
Third forced him to take a trio of genin. He’d failed all the prospective students before them —
quite happily. It had brought him a modicum of joy failing them. But in this cave — his family
waited.

“So you’re baby Sasuke?” Shisui’s dark eye fell on Sasuke. “You got big— and menacing.” He
blinked. “You’ve got the Rinnegan? Whaaaaaat?” He struggled to sit up and younger Kakashi
helped him up with a strong-arm braced behind his back. “You know, you’ve got one determined
friend in Sakura.” He gestured towards Sasuke and Naruto both. “You remember a little fairy come
to visit you, Naruto?”

The blond blinked as if a fog was clearing from his mind. His gaze swept across the room towards
Sakura. “I thought you were a dream!”

Sasuke looked across at Sakura, meeting her eyes with a look of awe. “We trained after school for
the skills test in our second year at the Academy. We didn’t do that before — but I remember it
now. And we actually shared our lunches together—the three of us.” He gestured between himself,
Sakura, and Naruto. “We are actually forming new memories. I still remember the original way but
also this other way.”

Shisui grinned. “Yeah, me and Itachi may have taken a bit of an interest in the chibi versions of you
three.” He raised his hand to his empty eye socket and sighed, his shoulders slumped. “Guess I
wasn’t fast enough yesterday.”

“We’ll get it back,” the Kakashis said in unison. They glared at each other.

“Sakura and I will get it from Danzo,” younger Kakashi promised.

“No, I am Sakura’s commanding officer — she will do no such thing. We will involve the Third
Hokage. He will have the eye returned,” older Kakashi answered.

“Danzo would destroy it rather than admit he took it,” Shisui worried.

“I wouldn’t mind killing Danzo again,” Sasuke volunteered.

“You’re not killing Danzo,” older Kakashi said.

“I’m happy to volunteer as well,” Sai said. “At least, let me send some ink mice to scout out the
Root facilities. I should be able to find the missing eye — if he hasn’t already transplanted it.”

“We’ll figure that out later,” older Kakashi said with a sigh. “Whether or not he transplanted it
probably has more to do with where Orochimaru is at this point in time. Sakura, you have been
working with Itachi and Shisui to get the names of those that want protection before the attack?”
“Izumi has the list,” Shisui said. “We’ll need to escort them here until it’s over. Though, their
absence will probably trigger Uncle Fugaku to want to move sooner. I can’t show up until after
Itachi does whatever he needs to do.”

“It would be better if he thinks you’re dead,” Sasuke murmured. “He can find out later. Itachi’s
initiation into the Akatsuki was slaying the clan.”

Sakura’s hands glowed a faint green as she ran her mystical palm over Shisui’s system. “Good
news, I managed to remove all the poison and there won’t be any permanent vascular or
neurological damage. You still need to take it easy for a few days. This cave is your new home until
it’s over.”

“I thought I might transport the Uchiha seeking safety in the dimension connected to my eye,”
young Kakashi said. “But Sakura thinks it’s too much of a chakra drain.”

“They would be in the same dimension with enemies you’ve vanquished and weapons you’ve
caught. It’s not a benign, safe holding space,” older Kakashi protested.

“I can use my Rinnegan,” Sasuke offered. “I’ll wrap the people up in my Susanoo and transport
them here. No trace of them through the forest, no clues for the Uchiha Police to track.”

“You can transport thirty people?” Sakura pulled her hands away from Shisui and braced them on
her thighs as she rocked back on her heels to meet Sasuke’s confident gaze.

“Up to fifty since we’re staying in the same dimension. It’s not that far of a distance compared to
what I’m used to,” Sasuke admitted. “And they’re my family. I need to do this.”

“Okay, you’re our official transport,” younger Kakashi agreed. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’m not going to complain about having someone share the load. You should come with Sakura
and me to meet Itachi. We’re meeting outside the village gates, so it won’t raise any alarms.” He
turned towards Sai. “Can you explain to me how your ink mice jutsu work?”

“While you guys talk amongst yourselves, I’m going back to that waterfall for a good soak,”
Sakura announced. “There is way too much testosterone in this cave.” She stood and walked
towards Ino, offered her hand. “Will you join me?”

Naruto performed his sexy-no-jutsu and stood before them as a sexy blond. “Let’s us blond girls
go!"

“What the fuck?” Shisui raised his hand to stem his nosebleed.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” young Kakashi murmured, rubbing his forehead and looking
pointedly away from Naruto.

Older Kakashi sighed at the younger shinobi’s antics. He’d ordered Naruto and Sasuke that one of
the three of them would be with Sakura at all times during this mission. He didn’t want to distrust
her, but she’d proven herself reckless. He still had nightmares about the time Sakura knocked out
her tracker team to confront a psychotic Sasuke alone. If he and Naruto hadn’t showed up— she’d
have died.

“Cut it out, Naruto!” Sakura warned. “You can guard the perimeter, just don’t get too close.”
Naruto dropped his henge and smiled cheekily. “No worries, Sakura-chan! I’m not interested in
sneaking a peak on either of you anymore. I’ve got Hinata for that. And no offense.” He gestured
with his hands over his chest. “You don’t have to worry about your modesty with me.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

The water in the pool was cool and clean. It invigorated Sakura more so than relaxed. A nice hot
springs would have helped the tension in her muscles, but this bath by the water fall was to wipe
away the grime of the forest and the dried blood from Shisui’s injuries. The revelation about her
mother being a Namikaze still didn’t quite feel real.

“I can’t believe I’m related to Naruto,” Sakura murmured. She submerged her whole body beneath
the water’s surface and then rose so that only her head was above the water — it didn’t feel as cold
that way. “There were plenty of opportunities for my parents to invite him to the house for dinner.
Why did they never suggest it?”

“Your mom was keeping a low-profile,” Ino said. “Or at least, she tried to. I don’t think she
anticipated just how famous you would become. She resented you for it.”

“Hm.” Sakura had mixed feelings about her mother and father.

“Sakura, I need to tell you something about your mother and your baby,” Ino said desperately.

“Ino, stop.” Sakura wadded towards her friend and took hold of her bare shoulders. “Do you think
anything positive will come of you confirming for me what I already suspect?”

“What do you mean?” Ino worried.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Three weeks ago marked the one year
anniversary of when I visited my parents and two days later I miscarried in the second trimester? I
was forced to deliver my stillborn daughter who had absolutely no birth defects.”

“You knew?” Ino whispered, tears spilling from her pale blue eyes.

Sakura had no more tears to cry. “Let’s talk about you— you and Sai. You’ve been married for six
months now. Is the honeymoon over?” Sakura smiled at her friend, expecting to see a blush, but she
only saw pale cheeks and long blond hair.
Ino hugged her hard. “I’m so sorry, Sakura. I should have known you were still in pain.”

“Why should you focus on my sorrow when you should be enjoying the happiness you’re entitled
to, Ino-chan?” Sakura ran her hand down Ino’s back soothingly.

“It’s so weird seeing you with blond hair,” Ino said, pulling her hair out of her eyes. She forced a
smile. “Sai is eager to learn new things, so the honeymoon is far from over.” She grabbed Sakura’s
wrists. “Tell me about Kakashi! When did you start seeing him this way?”

“I mean, I had a crush on him for the last year, but I didn’t think there was ever a chance he’d see
me as anyone other than a former student, or Sasuke’s old stalker. When he gave me those
bracelets, that opened my mind to the possibility he might consider me someone special.” Sakura
shook Ino’s hands off her wrists. “When he called my name before I time traveled, the anguish on
his face — I’ll still see the expression until my dying day, Ino.”

“You never slept with our Kakashi. I want to know about this Kakashi! How the hell did that
happen?” Ino demanded. “Tell me everything!”

Sakura snorted. “I cannot even begin to put it in words. He’s charming, dangerous, handsome, and
basically managed to convince me that us having sex was a matter of life or death.” She rubbed her
hands over her eyes. “He didn’t have to work hard to convince me. Once he slipped down that
mask, I was a goner.”

“That good?”

“He’s not as traditionally handsome as Sasuke, but he’s good looking and charismatic. I just want
to follow him to the ends of earth and back,” Sakura explained. She focused on treading water in a
deeper section of the pool. “I am worried about losing this connection when we return to our time,
but I talked to our Kakashi and the connection is still there— it’s even stronger with all our shared
history.”

“And now you’re re-writing history.” Ino shook her head. “You always liked challenges.”

There was a loud splash. And Naruto joined them in the pool. “Sorry to interrupt, but I called and
you two didn’t answer.” He was no longer wearing his Sexy-no-jutsu, but was just as naked as the
two kunoichi. “I cannot believe we traveled into the past!”

Sakura chuckled as she shifted her wet bangs from her face. Naruto’s mini-tsunami had completely
soaked the parts of her that were exposed above the water’s surface. “I didn’t remember seeing the
Uchiha police much as a kid. One of the officers tried to give me and Shisui a ticket for dropping
food on the sidewalk. The streets are extremely clean.”

“I guess that’s why I was able to get away with so much vandalism when I was a kid. There was
literally no one to stop me,” Naruto mused. He leapt towards Sakura, intending to dunk her under
the water’s surface, but he ended up flashing her an eyeful.

“Naruto!” Sakura jerked away to avoid having her best guy friend rub his privates against her
inadvertently and he slammed into her shoulder. They both went under and came sputtering for air
together. She started laughing when Naruto shook his head like a dog and his hair sent water flying
every direction.
Her foot slipped on a smooth rock under the pool’s surface and she went under again. She twisted
at a weird angle and Naruto grabbed her arm to help her back up. Once she was standing he swam a
few feet away to give her room, but a concerned look spread across his whiskered face. Sakura felt
an uncomfortable sensation in her lower region.

“Are you okay, Sakura-chan? I’m sorry I got so rowdy. I’ve just been really stressed worrying
about you,” Naruto admitted. “And I’m so excited to be related! You know I’ve always wanted
family and I’m so glad it’s you!”

“I’m okay, Naruto. Really.” Sakura checked herself manually in her private area where the
discomfort originated and when she raised her hand found a tiny T-shaped sliver of copper metal.

“Is that your IUD, Sakura?” Ino asked quietly. They exchanged fearful glances. “I mean, sometimes
they fall out. You’ve only been here a few days. It’s pretty hard to get pregnant. What are the
chances?”

“It only took one time with Sasuke,” Sakura whispered. She could feel the tears welling up. “This
can’t be happening again.”

Naruto swam close to Sakura and snatched the T-shaped object from her hand before she could hide
it. “Sakura-chan! Do you think you’re pregnant? I heard sometimes these things fall out when then
woman gets pregnant. Hinata and I were researching them and…Sakura-chan?”

She shook her head forcefully. “I wouldn’t know, not this soon. It would certainly complicate
things even further.”

As if the ominous statement need punctuation, a rumble of thunder signaled the nearby storm.
Naruto sniffed the air. “There’s a storm heading this way. Time to get dressed and head back.” He
looked between the two women. “I will say nothing about this.” He held the IUD between his
fingers and then the device disintegrated under one of his many ninjutsus. “But, Sakura-chan,
please try to not sleep with anyone else until we get back home?”

Sakura started to laugh and then cry as her two friends did a group hug in the middle of the pond.
“Guys, this would be a lot less weird if we were dressed.”

“Yeah, well, we’re weird. It will okay, Forehead. Let’s just try to not make things even more
complicated,” Ino suggested.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura was being a coward and she knew it. Sasuke obviously wanted to talk to her more — which
was ironic given how tight-lipped he always was. There were two Kakashis — and she’d spent
more nights than not during the past two weeks with the younger one and had confessed her
feelings to the older one. Ino and Sai were sharing a sleeping bag — which made sense since they
were married. Shisui and Naruto were the obvious safe choices.

She unrolled her sleeping bag next to Naruto, but close enough to Shisui that she could check on
him if his health showed any evidence of decline. She could feel the dark eyes of the other men
watching her from elsewhere in the cave. “So, I’m actually a Namikaze like you?” Sakura slipped
inside her bedding and turned to face her loud-mouth best friend.

“Yeah! Turns out your mom and my dad are first cousins,” Naruto explained. He snuggled into his
own bedroll and inched closer to her. “I guess you’re needing a little brother buffer between you
and all your lovers.” He chuckled softly. “Maaaaan, it’s always the quiet ones. I had no idea you
were a player, Sakura-chan! I’m going to have to work hard to keep you out of trouble.”

“I am not a player!” Sakura hissed. “I’m going to sleep.” She turned away from him in annoyance,
only to see that Sasuke just unfurled his bedroll on her other side.

Sasuke slipped inside the sleeping bag and stared up at the ceiling. “Shut up, Naruto. We’re all
tired. The Kakashis are taking first watch.” He looked over at Sakura and his expression softened.
“Good night, Sakura.”

“Good night, guys. I really appreciate you both being here,” Sakura whispered.

“Tomorrow should be interesting,” Sasuke murmured. “It’s already been a very enlightening
mission.”

Sakura didn’t think the next day would be interesting. It was going to be extremely awkward. She
was going to be traveling with her current lover with her former lover to meet with the young teen
who was fated to assassinate his clan. “I really hope you and Itachi can have a good conversation.”

“Me too, Sakura. And, I hope this scheme of yours works out. It was a mistake leaving the village
when I was a kid. I could have grown stronger here — I should have trusted our team.” His onyx
and lavender eyes stared at her unblinking, focused singularly on her. “But, I am glad that you
didn’t go with me. It would have ruined you. You’ve been through more than I realized. I only saw
my own pain and my own burden. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better friend to you when we were younger.
I will dedicate myself to being the friend you need now — regardless of what may or may not
happen between us.”

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura whispered.

A rare smile crossed Sasuke’s lips.

With her back warm against Naruto’s shoulder and facing Sasuke, Sakura fell asleep into a
dreamless slumber. For the first time in a long time, she relaxed completely knowing she was safe
at least for a little while. And she knew she was loved, by all the people that had followed her into
this cave. And she knew her love life was complicated, but it was nice to actually have a love life
after feeling alone for so long.
.
.
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 .
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: This chapter was a bear to write — pacing has always been a struggle for me, but I’m
fairly happy with the end result. I wrote a NaruSakuSasu story for my own entertainment a
few weeks ago, so that last scene felt extra satisfactory since I won’t be sharing that story
publicly! This story has really evolved into a labor of love. I fully expect it to be my longest
story yet — probably going to be close to 40 chapters when it’s all said and done. Until next
time!
 Brothers
Chapter Summary

Itachi and Sasuke POVs

Chapter Notes

A/N: This coming weekend is the birthday of my deceased baby brother so it’s got me in a
weird head space. And this chapter is very heavy in the Itachi and Sasuke sibling love. The
timing is just kind of weird, considering. Maybe not weird, maybe more like fated. Anyways,
I totally relate to their connection even more intensely.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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.
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Itachi

The walk back to his family home was a blur for Itachi. In the back of his mind, he was vaguely
aware the district was quiet due to the mandatory clan meeting — that he’d blatantly skipped.
There was the pain in his eyes — sharp and excruciating, tears of blood streamed down his cheeks
— the only time in his life he could say he succumbed to crying, and the dull crushing ache in his
chest. He wanted to recover Shisui and carry his failing body to his brother’s one-day lover and let
her fix him. Surely, Sakura was capable. She traveled through time to save members of the clan, did
she not? What was the point of coming to help if she sat back and did nothing?

Shisui was the best of the Uchiha. The clan could not recover from his loss. It would be hopeless.

It was once he reached the steps to his family house that he almost tripped over Kakashi’s damn
Ninken. He recognized it as the talkative pug ninja hound — he’d met him many times before on
missions. For two years, Itachi and Kakashi had worked alongside each other. That made Kakashi
his longest teammate— even if technically in Anbu you were to not know the identities of other
shinobi within the rank. You’d have to be incredibly, willfully ignorant to not know your own
teammates.

“What do you want, Pakkun?” Itachi asked, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar even to his own ears.

“My master wants to meet you tomorrow. Three o’clock,” Pakkun said, tilting his head to the side
and giving Itachi a sympathetic look. He scratched at his collar and a small packet fell to the
ground. “That’s for you."

“Where?”

“Outside the gates. The place where you slipped that one time.” Pakkun disappeared in a puff.

Itachi blinked a moment in the suddenness. He really needed to sleep. He knew the spot, it had
been coming home from one of their first missions in Anbu. The strap to his damn sandal had
broken. Now he always double and tripped all his gear the night before any mission as well as
packed replacements within one of his traveling scrolls. He picked up the small pouch and opened
it as he walked inside.

His parents were still at the clan meeting, but Sasuke would be asleep in their shared bedroom. He
could feel his little brother’s chakra signature. He’d need to remind him about cloaking it in the
future — even in sleep. He strode directly to the bathroom — a nice hot shower might help him
feel less contaminated.

The headache was still intense, but it was a few degrees improved. Within the pouch, was a teabag
labeled in Sakura’s how familiar handwriting Herbal Tea for headaches and sleep. He brought it to
his nose and recognized the blended scent of green tea, chamomile, jasmine, and peppermint. He
could also feel the faint buzz of chakra infusion within the mix. A small glimmer of hope began
light in his heart — Kakashi and Sakura had both just reached out to him. They wanted to meet
him. They knew he’d have a headache — they knew about the Mangekyo Sharingan — Kakashi
had one — of course he’d know.

He boiled the water in the tea kettle sitting on the stovetop and using a little chakra, sped up the
process. Then he began to seep the herbal tea into the hot water, the aroma already offered a faint
reprieve from the discomfort. It would be ready after a quick shower. He needed to wash the grime
off his hands — the blood from Shisui and the earth he’d clawed at when he’d fallen to his knees
after pushing his best friend off the cliff.

It was a quick shower, ruthless shower — his skin reddened by the abrasive scrubbing. After drying
off and shucking on his pajama pants and long-sleeve shirt, he returned to the kitchen and downed
the tea like a man that hadn’t drank water in days. He washed and dried his tea cup and rinsed the
tea kettle. His mother kept an immaculate kitchen and he would never be so disrespectful as to
disturb her domain.

The impact of the herbal tea was almost immediate — the headache dulled and his worries and
concerns began to fade. He barely made it to his bedroom in time, his feet moved silently on the
wooden floor, his ninja training so ingrained that Sasuke never stirred though he was a light sleeper.
With one last look at his precious baby brother, Itachi collapsed onto his bed, not even bothering to
turn down the covers and fell into a dreamless, deep sleep.
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.
“Nii-san?” Sasuke’s soft, worried whispers filled Itachi’s ears. Small hands shook his shoulder
slightly.

Itachi opened his eyes a crack to acknowledge his brother. The morning light felt harsh where it
shown from their bedroom window.

“Maybe you want to go train today?” Sasuke’s dark gaze shifted towards the bedroom door. The
muffled voices of their parents arguing penetrated the barrier. “Father is very angry. Mother has
kept him out of here. I told them you were sick.”

“Why did you tell them that, little brother?” Itachi asked, his voice barely a whisper, humoring
Sasuke’s concern.

“Because you are.” Sasuke’s small voice quivered. “I tried to wake you earlier, but you wouldn’t
wake up. And there’s blood coming from your eyes.” The young boy worried his lower lip
anxiously. “Do I need to get a doctor? The lady that helped Shisui’s father?”

Was the medicinal tea so strong? Itachi didn’t think so. It was just his body recovering from the
shock of awakening the legendary bloodline limit of their clan. “That won’t be necessary. I’m
feeling better now,” Itachi assured him. He reached up and poked his brother on his forehead
weakly, smiling faintly at his brother’s scowl. “You know about the Sharingan, right?”

Sasuke nodded and rubbed his forehead. “Of course.” He was no longer biting his lip and looked
irritated rather than worried — a much better look on him.

“Something happened yesterday and my Sharingan had another evolution. But you cannot tell
anyone,” Itachi warned. “It’s our secret. I trust you, Sasuke.”

The young boy’s chest huffed with pride at the admission of trust. “Dad is about to leave for work.
Do you want to spend the day with me?” Sasuke’s eyes shown with such hope, that a piece of the
darkness that threatened to drown Itachi chipped away. “It’s Saturday, so there’s no school.”

“I am meeting my team this afternoon, but I would love to spend the day with you,” Itachi
answered. It might be the last day he got to spend with Sasuke. He knew why his father would be
angry. He knew what topic of discussion last night’s clan meeting would be about. But, the fact that
his mother stood up to his father and allowed Itachi to rest in peace, he had hope for her. “I’d like to
hear about how your test went yesterday.”

Sasuke smirked, pride evident on his young features. “You didn’t hear enough over dinner?”

“Ah.” Itachi had momentarily forgotten that he and Izumi had taken Sasuke and his two friends to
eat. “I can never hear enough about you— and your friends.”

Sasuke’s cheeks pinked at the comment. His dark gaze shifted to his feet as he seemed to struggle
in finding the courage to ask his next question. “Was it hard for you to make friends, Nii-san?”

“Incredibly,” Itachi admitted. Sasuke’s gaze snapped back up to his face with astonishment stark
across his features. “Shisui and Izumi are also clan members. I was not fortunate enough to
befriend any outside of the clan until more recently. It’s brought my friend count to a stunning
four.”

“I just have two,” Sasuke whispered, crest-fallen.

Itachi sat up and pulled Sasuke to him in a hug, surprising both himself and his little brother.
“Those two are precious. But, you also have me.”

“I hardly see you.” Sasuke’s thin arms wrapped around Itachi’s neck, returning the hug tentatively.

“It doesn’t matter.” Itachi leaned back and touched Sasuke’s forehead. “We’ll always be connected
right here. You are my most precious person, Sasuke. I would watch the world burn if it meant you
were alive and well. I just want you to be happy.”

“I’m happy when I’m with you,” Sasuke answered, he ran the back of his hand over his eyes and
quickly wiped away any evidence of tears.

The sounds of Fugaku leaving the house and starting his commute to work at the station, made
Itachi relax marginally. He wanted to lay it all out for his brother. It was rare they spoke like this
and he wasn’t sure if they’d have future opportunities. He didn’t like to talk during training. It was
important to focus. “I will soon have to leave on a very long mission,” Itachi confessed. “You will
hear things about me — that will be confusing. Remember, we are shinobi, things are not always
what they seem. Come, let’s have breakfast with Mother.”

“Maybe you should wash your face — she’ll worry,” Sasuke said. “The blood.” He gestured
vaguely.

“Of course.” Itachi reached over and ruffled his brother’s wild, unruly midnight hair.

Itachi cleaned up in the bathroom while Sasuke hurried to the kitchen. He splashed cool water over
his face and was grateful that his headache was now only a dull ache. He didn’t really look
different. His tear trough creases were back to the level they were a few days ago — his work at
repairing the damage with healing chakra quickly undone. Sakura would be annoyed with him. He
created a shadow clone and sent it back to the Nakago River to seek out Shisui’s body. He wanted
to find it before his clansmen did. They would unlikely believe he ran away immediately and would
certainly send out a search party. They were police, so they would find clues.

A short while later, Itachi, Sasuke, and Mikoto sat at the family table. There was an aura of calm
around their mother that had been missing for months. It was a comfort to see it had returned.
“Sasuke and I will be training today and I’ll be meeting friends this afternoon,” Itachi announced.

“You have the day off?” Mikoto stopped her cup of tea halfway to her mouth, her surprise evident.

Itachi smiled softly. “I do occasionally need a day off, Mother.”

Sasuke snickered and then busied himself with his breakfast.

“Shisui and Izumi?” Mikoto asked.

Itachi shook his head. “I have other friends.”

Her mother’s eyes widened comically. “I wasn’t aware.”

“Mother, Sasuke, I wanted to see if there was a possibility of considering adoption,” Itachi
suggested. His brother’s attention snapped back to him, eyebrows raised high in confusion.

“Adoption?” Mikoto repeated. “Like a pet cat?”

Itachi smiled faintly. “No, Mother, not a cat. One of Sasuke’s friends is an orphan. I will soon be
living on my own and it seems a waste to let my old bed fall into disuse.”

“Naruto?” Sasuke asked. He frowned. “He snores. He’s fallen asleep in class before.”

“That’s probably because he doesn’t get enough sleep,” Mikoto murmured. “His father used to
snore whenever he was sleep deprived.”

“You know Naruto’s dad?” Sasuke’s shock was evident. He shook his head faintly. “I mean knew.”

A sad smile crossed Mikoto’s face. “His dad and I were teammates fresh out of the Academy. I was
friends with his mother too.” She laid her hand gently on Sasuke’s upper back between his shoulder
blades and met Itachi’s gaze. “I’ve asked to adopt Naruto before — twice. Lord Third wouldn’t
allow it.”

“Ask again — in a few weeks. I believe the answer will be different,” Itachi suggested.

“Why? Where are you going, Itachi?” Mikoto worried. She knew about the planned coup and about
the gathering of those against it. Itachi had seen her name at the top of Izumi’s list. It made him so
proud to be her son.

Itachi finished his tea. “That’s classified.” He began to gather his empty dishes and brought them to
the sink. “Thank you for the meal, Mother. I'll take care of the dishes. Sasuke, finish getting ready
so we can train.” As he dipped his hands into the soapy water he felt a slight jolt as his Shadow
clone dispelled itself.

Shisui’s body was nowhere to be found. What he had found was a Shadow clone made of lightning
that looked like Shisui. A slow smile crept across Itachi’s lips. Kakashi and Sakura hadn’t let him
down after all.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sasuke

It had been a long time since Sasuke didn’t have to take a turn on watch during a mission.
Considering the majority of his missions were Solo-S rank jobs, it was refreshing to have such a
robust team — even if the mission was a little on the insane side. He opened his eyes and stared at
the woman in the bedroll next to him as well as his idiot best friend on her other side. Their hair
being the same golden blond threw him off — knowing now that they were related added to the
surrealism. And the fact that the two of them were the sun to his solar system. No matter how far
his orbit — he kept being drawn back to those two teammates of his.

As usual, Sasuke’s feelings towards Sakura were — complicated. Did he love her— definitely.
Were they husband and wife material? He didn’t know. He knew he was extremely fortunate to not
have been imprisoned for the rest of his life for his actions during the war. He had spent six months
in the village after everything settled. He tried— he really did — to make Konoha his home.

But he had felt restless. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi had welcomed him back with open arms, but
no one else wanted him. He could feel the distrust and fear. The Uchiha district remained mostly
intact after Pain’s attack on Konoha, but it was still a ghost town, haunted by the unattainable joy
he’d had as a child that he could never quite regain.

He’d gone on a few dates with Sakura. She was pretty, but he was never interested in physical
beauty. He appreciated her athleticism, her determination, her intelligence, her monstrous strength,
but most especially her heart. She cared for him, no matter his faults. It offered him comfort.
Shortly before he left the village on his last mission, they’d become physically intimate with each
other.

It had been awkward due to their mutual inexperience, but he was also learning how to do things
one-handed. He was embarrassed by his newfound disability, but he also refused a prosthetic. The
hand he lost tried to kill both Naruto and Sakura. He didn’t deserve to be whole and it would
remind him of the darkness that still threatened to overwhelm him at times.

He didn’t regret having sex with Sakura — if he was going to share that experience with anyone —
it would be her.

His love for her had grown almost unbearable these last few days — knowing what she risked to
make his life better. Was it a romantic love? He would have thought so, except, when he stole a
glimpse at Kakashi’s memories— felt what Kakashi felt at that time. He had never felt something
like that. It was part of the reason he’d been so angry. He’d always had a sense of competitiveness
with Kakashi — perhaps because when he was a fresh graduate of the Academy it was because
they both had the Sharingan. Or maybe because they were both supposed to be prodigies. Or
because Kakashi had actually been friends with Itachi. Regardless, seeing the type of bond younger
Kakashi had forged with his dear friend made him realize he didn’t understand that kind of love.

Sasuke knew his psyche had been scarred by the trauma of his childhood and the subsequent
ruthless, murderous madness he’d acquired under Orochimaru.

He reached across the space between them and tucked back a strand of Sakura’s hair behind her ear.
This remarkable woman was doing something impossible so that he’d have a chance to love.

“I see you’re awake,” Sakura murmured, opening her eyes and staring back at him with her familiar
jade eyes. “You okay?”

“It will be strange to see him,” Sasuke answered, his voice a barely audible whisper. “He will have
just barely turned thirteen years old. What were we going at thirteen? The Chunin Exams?”
“You’ve got to stop comparing yourself to him, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura smiled faintly. “He’s going to
be floored seeing you. You’re taller and more broad than your father. He’ll have never seen a
Susanoo. He will have just developed his Mangekyo Sharingan in the past twelve hours.”

“It will be the worse headache he’s ever experienced.” Sasuke thought back to the pain he’d
experienced when his Sharingan evolved. He’d not given Itachi the fatal blow in their battle, but
the emotional trauma of learning everything his brother endured awoke it. What if this time Sasuke
taught Itachi how to use his new found powers? No one understood them better than Sasuke after
all. He’d had three years to master his powers. “He might not be able to meet us.”

“Pakkun will have also given him a medicinal tea I created.” Sakura sat up and stretched her arms
above her head and then behind her back. Sasuke watched her movements and appreciated her lithe
form. He was looking forward to being teammates with her again, working in tandem alongside
her. “Remember that blend I worked on for you before you left?”

“Yeah.” Sasuke followed her example and sat up as well. He remembered spending many hours
wandering the woods and fields with Sakura gathering different herbs for her to experiment with.
She’d infused the final blend with healing chakra. He’d been pleasantly rewarded with the best
headache cure and relaxation tea. He’d stocked up before his last trip. “That would help.”

“I never visited the Uchiha district when I was young. I had no idea how lively it is,” Sakura
murmured, turning back towards him, her brow furrowed. “I’ve only been there twice — once with
Shisui and later with Itachi and Shisui to meet your father.”

Sasuke smiled faintly at a distant memory. “There was this old baker couple — they’d give me a
sweet roll every morning. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I didn’t like sweets. I’d give them to
Mother.” His smile fell thinking about his mother. She was alive! Would his heart feel that old
warmth he barely remembered from his youth if he saw her again? And what of his father? He’d
been a difficult man — Naruto would have described him as emotionally constipated.

Sasuke caught Sakura extending her hand towards him and he took it in his, holding it gently. She
was the only person he’d held hands with — aside from his mother when he was small. It brought
him comfort that he didn’t realize he needed. “So, Naruto said that I’m not allowed to go anywhere
without either you, him, or Kakashi. Apparently, you guys think I’ll get myself in some sort of
trouble.”

Sasuke scoffed. “He’s not wrong. Haven’t you already found yourself in all sorts of trouble?”

“Hm. Maybe so,” Sakura agreed. She smiled and he felt a spark of hope in his heart at her
confidence. “It’s going to be better, Sasuke-kun. You won’t feel alone anymore.”

His dark eyes swept between her and Naruto. “I never feel alone with you two.” He smirked.
“You’re both so damn noisy.”
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.
One of the advantages of living on the outskirts of Konoha was the proximity to the wilds of the
forest and the great field to the East. There was always the chance of a feral boar showing up and
disrupting a training session that added to the excitement. Itachi perched on a high branch,
watching as Sasuke tracked his chakra trail. He masked it for the most part, but had allowed a
couple of flares to give the young boy a clue.

The raging headache that began with his Sharingan’s evolution had ebbed to a manageable throb.
He had read in the archives hidden within the Nakago Shrine the little there was about the
Mangekyo Sharingan. It was apparently very rarely achieved and he suspected that most of his
ancestors that did awaken it, didn’t broadcast their ability. Those that found out — generally died as
victims. He had no idea what sort of new abilities he possessed. What abilities had Shisui
possessed?

He would ask Kakashi about his abilities when he saw him that afternoon. He’d seen projectiles
vanish into thin air when in Kakashi’s proximity — maybe something like that?

“I see you, Nii-san,” Sasuke called out, tossing a kunai into the branch under what appeared to be
Itachi’s feet.

“So you have.” Itachi did a substitution and on the tree it appeared that his body dissolved into a
murder of crows. His actual body stood directly behind Sasuke. He tapped his little brother on the
shoulder and felt the prick of a kunai against his rib. “Good reflexes.”

“You let me find you on purpose,” Sasuke accused with an adorable pout on his face.

“I gave you clues,” Itachi countered. He had left only a very slight trace of chakra and Sasuke’s
sensitivity was certainly above average. “You have been honing your skills. I apologize that I
haven’t been able to train you as much as I would like.” When he was Sasuke’s age, he’d spent
countless hours training with Shisui. Sasuke hadn’t received such an advantage.

“You’re training me today.” Sasuke smiled up at him. The smile was bright and innocent.

The sight of such a sincere, happy smile felt like a vice around Itachi’s heart. The world of the
shinobi would snuff out the bright, sweet boy that was his brother. “You know, one day, I would
love to be the Hokage — protect the village so that the youth of tomorrow are free to enjoy their
lives.”

The smile vanished from Sasuke’s face. “Was it true that Father wanted to be the Hokage?”

“A great many shinobi have the goal of being the Hokage. The one that is chosen is not only the
strongest physically, but emotionally. They must want to protect everyone in the village and be
willing to sacrifice their personal happiness to make it happen.” Itachi’s lips thinned in thought.
“Father has much pride, but the role of Hokage must go to someone full of humility.”

Sasuke put away his kunai into the pouch on his hip. “How do you do the thing with the crows?”

Itachi smirked at his brother. “I can’t tell you my signature move. You must find your own. Is there
an animal you like?”
“I like cats. And snakes are fascinating.” Sasuke tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe a hawk.” He
smiled. “Yeah, I like hawks best.”

“Aw, well, crows travel in large groups when they migrate.” Itachi did a body flicker and
substitution move and had the newly formed clone in his former position breakaway into a murder
of raven crows. “Hawks are solitary.” He had picked up their canteen of water and started back
towards Sasuke, offering the younger boy first drink. “I need to meet my teammates in a little
while.” He felt the approach of a familiar chakra.

Sasuke felt the chakra as well, only a moment later. “Isn’t that your girlfriend?”

Itachi frowned. Was Izumi his girlfriend? He liked her — she was his friend. And if he were to be
in a relationship with someone, she’d be his first choice considering she was his second oldest
friendship.

He waited until Izumi was close enough for visual confirmation before he lifted his hand in a silent
greeting. The relieved smile that crossed her face confused him — not that he was unused to her
smiling, but because his heart seemed to skip a beat at the sight. “Izumi.”

“Itachi! Sasuke-kun!” Izumi broke into a run and stopped just short of the two brothers. “Have you
seen Shisui? I’ve been trying to find him all day.”

“I haven’t seen him today,” Itachi murmured truthfully.

“Oh. What about your other friends? Do they have a date yet?” Izumi asked.

“Soon,” Itachi assured her. He would be finding out momentarily. “I need to meet some
teammates.” He stared at Izumi, hoping she would read his silent request.

“I better head back,” Izumi murmured. “Sasuke, would you escort me back to the district? I felt a
little anxious by myself walking through the woods on the way here.”

“Sure!” Sasuke agree, puffing his little chest in confidence. “I’ll see you at dinner, Itachi!”

“Very well,” Itachi agreed. He lingered for a while longer, watching as his brother and dear friend
walked alongside each other back towards the residential area of the district. He felt a pang of loss
for what could be versus what would be. The idea of picking up Sasuke and his friends from the
Academy and taking them to dinner with Izumi was very tempting.

However, stopping his clansmen from destroying Konoha in a civil war that would make it ripe
pickings for foreign powers was the priority. He started for the meeting place. If he couldn’t take
his little brother and his friends out to eat, then hopefully, at least Izumi would be able to do so in
his stead.
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.

Itachi

It was precisely two minutes before three when Itachi arrived at the designated location. His crows
were surveilling the area and aside from him, there were no people in the vicinity. He was anxious
to hear if Kakashi and Sakura knew about Shisui’s fate.

There was a faint shift in the air and the hairs on the back of Itachi’s neck stood on end. Then, eyes
wide in disbelief, he saw the very fabric of reality split open. Through the portal emerged a giant
purple skeletal samurai with three people protected within its ribcage. He recognized the shiny
silver of Kakashi Hatake and the dyed golden blond of Sakura. The cloaked figure standing beside
them had hair black as midnight and pale, sharp features on his face — he looked like a male
version of Itachi’s mother.

The dark haired male locked eyes with him. The eye on the right was a type of Sharingan he’d
never seen before and the eye on the left was the legendary Rinnegan.

The purple creature dissolved. The tall dark haired man stared at Itachi — looking at him and
through him at the same time.

“Itachi, this is your brother, Sasuke,” Sakura introduced.

It was impossible, yet, Itachi recognized the very distinct chakra signature of his baby brother in
this full grown man. For a moment, it seemed as if his knees might give out from under him, but
Itachi steeled himself and remained motionless.

The dark-haired man— nay, Sasuke— turned quickly towards Sakura ever so slightly, uncertainty
in his eyes as his Sharingan deactivated into onyx and his bangs fell across his Rinnegan.
Something silent seemed to pass between them and then Sasuke took four strides with his long legs
and wrapped his arm around Itachi’s much smaller frame.

His baby brother was taller and broader than their father. He was also missing the lower half of his
left upper extremity. “Itachi,” Sasuke said, his voice a deep baritone.

It had been years since Itachi had hugged someone. It had either been Sasuke when he was two or
three or their mother. And yet today this was his second hug with his brother. But with all the
turmoil and trauma he’d been through, knowing his dark journey as a shinobi was only just starting
— he wrapped his arms around his grown brother and hugged him back “You got big.”

Sasuke scoffed in amusement. “Don’t worry, you get taller.” He stepped back, obviously not much
of a hugger either. “I apologize for the hug.” The tips of his ears burned red. “Sakura and Naruto
both insisted it was the only appropriate greeting for a situation such as ours.”

“You came with Sakura from the future?” Itachi asked, awe evident in his voice. He glanced
towards his teammate Kakashi. The Anbu captain looked almost bored with his relaxed posture and
hands shoved into his pants pockets quietly watching the exchange.
“A few of us did,” Sasuke explained. “I’ll be transporting those wishing to seek refuge from the
clan to somewhere safe.”

“In that purple skeleton thing? How did you get here? Did you create a portal?” Itachi had so many
questions.

“It’s a Susanoo. And with my Rinnegan I am able to travel between dimensions as well as cross
great distances in a short amount of time,” Sasuke explained. He reached his hand across the space
between them and tapped Itachi’s forehead in their familiar manner. “Sakura’s tea works wonders
doesn’t it? I was laid up for nearly three days when I awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.”

Itachi shifted his eyes towards Kakashi, silently asking for his experience.

With an exacerbated sigh, Kakashi answered. “Three days for me too. After Master Minato brought
me home, I was in the hospital for most of it.”

“That was your clone by the river,” Itachi stated, still looking at the Copy Ninja. “Is Shisui—-?”

Kakashi glanced at Sakura and they exchanged brief smiles. “He’s alive and recuperating. We’re
still trying to sort out what to do to get his stolen eye back.”

“How are you feeling, Itachi?” Sakura’s voice was soothing and he could see how she was able to
coax her patients into relaxing.

“My headache is tolerable. And knowing that Shisui, while injured, isn’t dead, I am more relieved
than you can possibly imagine.” Itachi stared back up at his tall, little brother. “We should remove
the clan members that wish to depart within the next week. In the meantime, Sasuke, I want you to
tell me everything about the Mangekyo Sharingan’s abilities.”

“And the pupil becomes the teacher,” Sasuke murmured, amusement twinkling in his visible dark
eye. “You have two distinct powers. One is the Amaterasu— a fire that never extinguishes —
unless you put it out. The other is the Tsukiyomi — a genjutsu that can manipulate time. Three
seconds may have passed in the real world, but in your mind you can stretch time out indefinitely.
And it’s very real to the person you trap.”

“Ah, I already do such a thing,” Itachi explained.

“It’s more, I assure you.” Sasuke ran his hand through his dark hair absently. “And the Susanoo
summoning — you can do a partial or a whole.” He created the arm of the Susanoo on his left side.
“While I lost part of my arm, I can always just summon Susanoo as needed if I truly needed two
hands to do something.”

“How did you lose your arm?” Itachi stared at Sasuke’s cloaked side.

“I had lost my mind and fought to a stalemate with a friend — our powers canceled each other out
and if it hadn’t been for Sakura we’d have bled out.” Sasuke cringed ever so faintly at the
admission. “Chidori versus Rasengan.”

Itachi’s gaze snapped to Kakashi. The Copy Ninja would teach Sasuke his signature move? Who
would learn to master Lord Fourth’s imperfect jutsu? “Wait. Before we begin training — which I
am most eager to start — for the gathering of those seeking refuge — how many will you transport
at a time? I believe if we round up all those clan members in one place it will be too suspicious.”
Sasuke glanced over towards Sakura and then back at Itachi. “I can transport five or I can transport
fifty.”

“The vital part is that we only bring those sincere against the uprising,” Sakura said. “If any one
person has malicious intent, we risk failing. But if we do not plan for enough provisions then there
will be an issue as well.”

Itachi nodded. “I will put Mother and Izumi in charge of provisions. Perhaps we should begin the
extraction in a couple of days, five to seven clansmen at a time. Then by the time of the next
mandatory meeting they need to all be gone.”

“Sasuke, why don’t you and Itachi finish this conversation in private?” Sakura looked over at
Kakashi, but he merely shrugged. “Kakashi and I will make ourselves scarce for the next fifteen or
twenty minutes.”

Sasuke nodded. “Don’t go far. You remember what our Hokage said.”

“I remember.” Sakura rolled her eyes. She tapped Kakashi on the shoulder and they jumped into the
trees and vanished within the thick forest.

“When do you plan to ask the Orange masked man for help?” Sasuke asked.

“You know of him?” Itachi was surprised. He’d been trying to figure out how to track the man
down. He’d need to do it soon.

“He’s your in- to joining the Akatsuki,” Sasuke answered. “And, my younger self will need to see
the carnage.” He frowned, his brow creased as his thoughts focused on a painful memory. “It’s
unfortunate that it takes such strong emotional turmoil to awaken our Sharingan, but I will need it
for what is to come. I will recover — I will have my friends. And I will have my mother. It would
be nice to not be alone. That was the worse part.”

“I see. I assume you know the identity of the Orange-masked man,” Itachi stated.

Sasuke nodded. “You’re intuitive. You’ll figure it out too.”

“He’s part of our clan, but not someone I grew up with.” Itachi's fingers flexed, eager to learn from
Sasuke his new abilities. “I believe he’s the one responsible for the Nine-tails attack.”

“I don’t think I can confirm or deny. Let us focus on learning to master your abilities. And just,
trust your instincts, Itachi.” Sasuke clutched his cloak tighter. “You always think before you act —
plan after contingency plan after contingency plan.”

It was a strange feeling, but for once, Itachi felt he could be completely open with someone in his
life. He could tell this Sasuke anything and everything — for he already knew. He didn’t have to
hide his hand close to his heart. “Sakura has taught me some of her healing techniques. I have some
kind of inflammatory disease in my lungs.”

“You have such a hard life, brother. If I can somehow ease your burden, I will,” Sasuke vowed.
“That’s why I’m here. That’s why my team is here.”

“You’re very lucky to have such a team,” Itachi murmured.

 Sasuke nodded. “I know I am.” He found a small clearing and his eye shifted patterns.
“Amaterasu,” he murmured. Blood dripped from his eye and the bush in the center caught up with
black flames. Then the flames vanished. “Only you will be able to snuff out the fire.” His
Sharingan faded back to onyx. “Do you think I should try to reason with Father?”

Itachi shook his head, staring between the ash that was the bush and his brother’s intense stare. “He
is beyond reason.” There was a second bush not far from the first. Itachi activated his Sharingan
and allowed the Mangekyo pattern to open. “Amaterasu,” he murmured. The second bush burst into
black flames. He chuckled at the scene, feeling giddy at the intensity of the power. It would be very
useful.

.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: I spent my free time these last two weeks reading RiseoftheBlossom fan fictions on
AO3 — her Itachi characterization is my favorite! When’s he is nervous in her stories, he’s
always doing some deep cleaning — which is one of the things I do. I absolutely love that!
And she writes some good Itachi x Sakura smut. Don’t fret, this story is KakaSaku (with a
little SasuSaku). It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy some nice Itachi Uchiha action though! I
like the idea of him having a happy ending with Izumi, she seems kind and smart.

Does anyone know if in cannon Mikoto is actually an Uchiha by blood or did she marry into
the clan? The flashback of Minato’s genin team, that’s definitely Mikoto and the Ramen
guy on the team.

Both Itachi and Sasuke owe their good looks to their beautiful mother. Most of the Uchiha
(aside from the brothers, Obito, Shisui, and Madara, and Madara’s brother (exact replica of
Sasuke) are the ONLY handsome Uchiha.
 Fifteen Minutes Alone

.
.
.

Kakashi

Kakashi wasted no time in whisking away with Sakura as soon as Itachi and Sasuke needed some
privacy. For the past week and a half, he’d wanted to be around Sakura Haruno his every waking
moment as well as his sleeping ones. He knew it wasn’t healthy. He’d never been this obsessed
about anyone before. It was probably because in the back of his mind — he knew this wasn’t going
to last. Like everyone else he cared about — she would soon vanish from his life and his very
memories.

This woman was magnetic and knowing that his older, hopefully wiser self trusted her — he’d
allowed himself to trust as well. She was hot, strong, fun, snarky, intelligent and talented. Sakura
was the packaged deal — he’d obviously thought so in the future or he wouldn’t have given her
those bangles. The day before, outside the waterfall, he’d spied on Sakura and his older self. If he
didn’t know what a smitten shinobi looked like — his future self was the very definition.

As soon as Sakura’s future teammates arrived, he’d been unable to spend any time with her
privately. Though, part of that was his own fault. Maybe he shouldn’t have warned his future self
about his attachment. But, aside from the waterfall with his older self, she’d either had Sasuke or
Naruto practically glued to her hip. The smart thing to do, would be to have his memories wiped
now, let her future teammates take care of her mission and go back to his simple life as an assassin.
It was easier when he didn’t have to feel — complete the mission, keep his teammates from dying.
Those were his two objectives.

But he’d been tasked with a separate mission from Lord Third and he’d already recruited Sakura.
His older self would just have to accept that this wasn’t his time and he wasn’t the Hokage here.

“Finally,” Kakashi huffed when he and Sakura landed at the base of a large centurion tree. He
wasn’t a tree guy like Tenzo, but he knew enough to realize this tree was at least three centuries old.
Konoha had only been established as a village for the last eighty years. However, the Hatake, his
clan, had been living in this forest for the last half-millennia. “I thought I’d never get to talk to you
without some sort of supervision.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Sakura’s cheeks tinted a pretty shade of pink that would normally match
her hair. Once again, he was annoyed by the yellow dye. It reminded him too much of his sensei
and that was a total buzz kill. “I can’t blame them for not trusting me. I did basically run away into
the past without permission.”

“Hokage, huh?” Kakashi asked. That wasn’t something he’d ever aspired to, but Sarutobi’s
conversation a few days ago came to mind. He crouched down and pulled out a scroll from his
pouch. He unsealed it and a half dozen mice made out of ink scattered on the forest floor. They
headed south in the direction of Anbu and Root operations. He’d been skeptical at first, but when
he shared watch duty with Sai, he’d learned of the man’s past. He knew exactly where to send his
ink creatures due to his familiarity with both facilities.

And Sai had told him about his experience in Root in such detail, that Kakashi was surprised that
Tenzo wasn’t even more awkward. He had a good idea of the layout of the secret facility. He had no
intention of shutting Root down, the Third could do that himself — it was his job. But, he was
going to learn everything he could about it and get back Shisui’s eye. He would need an ally of the
prodigy’s abilities in the village when this was all said and done. And he did want to eliminate the
Tiger-masked Abarame that poisoned Shisui. If he couldn’t eliminate Danzo, he could at least
crippled him.

“Maybe we can’t take down Root — I suppose that is a bit too ambitious,” Sakura started, as if she
were reading his mind. “But you better steer clear of Danzo, Kakashi. He’s a dishonorable man
who will stoop to any level.” Sakura sat on the ground, her legs crossed Lotus style and placed her
hands flat on her knees in a meditative position.

“What are you doing?” Kakashi leaned against the back of the tree and stared down at her. Her nose
crinkled just so when she was concentrating. It was kind of cute. His mind wandered and he
imagined her expression if she were to go down on him. Would her eyes be open or closed? He
really wanted to find out. He was obsessed with finding out. He shook his head to clear the
direction of those thoughts. Maybe he should visit Anko, she never had any strings attached and
was always up for a good time.

Kakashi crouched in front of Sakura, elbows braced on his knees and his hands loose. He detected a
faint disturbance of earth chakra radiating in all directions with her as the epicenter. He pushed
aside his forehead protector and sucked in a breath in astonishment. It was a brilliant ninjutsu and
perfect for one with an affinity for earth chakra!

“It’s the sensory technique I created,” Sakura explained. She opened her eyes and relaxed,
dispelling the chakra. “I can map out the area. I was seeing if there was anyone aside from our
party in the proximity.” She smiled shyly. “I’m still working out the kinks. I guess you’ll know a
thousand and one ninjutsus now?”

Okay, that was hot as hell. Anko who? “We still have about fifteen minutes. You wanna make out?”
Kakashi grinned at her through his mask.

Sakura giggled. “I don’t think anyone in their right mind would turn down a make out session with
you.” Her smile faded. “Though, I need to tell you something.”

Kakashi groaned and fell back to stretch out over the ground. “What now? I didn’t groom you when
I was your Sensei did I? I don’t think I’d ever stoop so low. I have a very strict moral code.” He
glanced over at her with one eye open. “Unless I was extremely bored."

“Strict moral code says the man whom reads porn in public,” Sakura murmured. “And no. I was a
very annoying little girl. You could barely tolerate me. I think you might have felt older brother
protective vibes to your Genin. And you were definitely bored. You’re terrible with children.”

He didn’t read porn in public, but that would be a fun way to make people avoid him whenever he
had to take the streets. “Considering I didn’t get a chance to be a kid myself, I wouldn’t know how
to relate.” He reached over and laid his hand lightly over her thigh, he started to walk his fingers up
towards her hip. “I don’t feel brotherly at the moment.”
Sakura sucked in a breath when he started to trace the juncture where her hip met her groin. “A few
years later, we became friends after I trained under my Master. I’d matured by then and you became
Team Captain rather than Sensei.” Sakura reached down and caught his hand when he started
creeping towards her groin. “And I’m only telling you this because you agreed to have your
memories suppressed.”

“Ah.” Kakashi closed his eyes. If they weren’t going to make out, he might as well rest. She was
still holding his hand, and he had a brief flash to their first spar when she’d fractured his wrist. That
had bloody hurt!

Sakura threaded their fingers together and continued to hold his hand — he let her. “How did you
feel seeing an older version of yourself?”

His older version had a gravitas about him that was palpable. It reminded Kakashi of the dignity his
father once possessed when he’d been the hero of Konoha. “I’m an asshole.”

Sakura choked on a laugh. “Not the answer I was expecting.” She squeezed his hand and a surge of
healing chakra made him tingle in all the right places. Sakura breathed out a loud, frustrated sigh.
“But what I need to tell you is — we can’t have any more sex.”

He peered at her from his right eye. That nice healing chakra was quickly forgotten as he could feel
his irritation grow. Her friends from the future were definitely screwing with the nice little routine
he’d come to enjoy the last few days. “Did you not enjoy having sex with me? You don’t have to
worry about future me being jealous — we’re the same fucking person, Sakura.”

She shook her head. “It’s not that — or not only that. I admit, that part is very confusing. My IUD
failed. We don’t need any additional complications and it’s distracting from the mission. If we’re
not infiltrating Root, it’s not necessary.”

“Forgive my ignorance, but what’s an IUD and why does that matter?” Kakashi shifted so that his
hands were on either side of her head and he peered down at her. He could smell her arousal. “Sex
is not a distraction. It’s stress relief.”

“It’s my birth control device,” Sakura explained. “And it’s definitely a distraction for me.”

“Ah.” She was probably feeling this way because of what happened with fucking Jiraiya. He was
going to kill that pervert. “We’re still due to meet the Hokage tomorrow, regarding our Anbu
assignment. You were approved, on a probationary clause, if you’ll remember and we still have
some work to do together.”

“Future you has ordered that I either have him, Sasuke, or Naruto with me at all times,” Sakura
explained.

“Then my vote is Sasuke. His teleportation abilities make him an unique and capable ally.” Kakashi
leaned down until his masked lips brushed over Sakura’s. “It’s his clan you’re saving, so he’d be
the most agreeable.” She squirmed underneath his body and it took more will power than he wanted
to admit to not do anything about that. “Or, I could just kidnap you.”

Sakura’s arms looped around his neck, her fingers slid into the short hairs at the back of his head.
Her pale green eyes began to glisten with tears. “I’m sorry for disrupting your life, Kakashi.”
He stared down at those eyes for a moment, then kept his weight braced by his left hand and ran his
right thumb across her cheek to wipe away the fallen tears. “It’s been a long time since anyone shed
a tear for me, Sakura. Remember when I warned you not to fall in love with me. Well, I’m glad you
didn’t listen.”

Sakura’s soft laughter morphed into a sob. “Well, I’m glad you’re going to forget about me — at
least for a little while. I would never want to be a distraction to you.”

Kakashi’s jaw clenched. Was it wise to lose his memories? Was Shisui still capable of doing so
with one Sharingan? Or would the responsibility come to Itachi. “I think I’ll ask Itachi to be the one
to lock them away. He knows me better than Shisui and he’s empathetic to our situation.”

“You will cross paths over the years,” Sakura agreed. “He’s a good choice. I think we should do it
after we get back Shisui’s eye.”

Kakashi rolled onto his back and dragged Sakura over on top of him. Her hair fell in a curtain
around their faces. “So, you’re thirteen and a half years younger than me. And in five years I’ll be
your Sensei, huh? And in ten years, you’ll be old enough to fall in love with your dashing older
team leader?’

Sakura leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, the bridge of his nose, the exposed part of
his cheeks. “You’re hot, Kakashi. And just my type. I have a feeling I’ll be crushing on you in no
time — making a fool of myself trying to get you to notice me.”

“You’re beautiful,” Kakashi pointed out. “I’m sure I’ll be vaguely aware. But if you want me to
notice you — it will be your big heart, your intelligence, and your talent on the field.”

Sakura laid flat against Kakashi, her curves pressed against his hard muscles, face tucked under his
chin, hands clutched on his chest. His left hand ran up and down her back while his right settled
possessively over her ass, grasping the firm cheek.

“You smell different,” Sakura murmured. “Like Earth and Forest. Not like sandalwood.”

“Can’t exactly go broadcasting myself when I’m on missions, can I?” He sighed. “Your friend is on
his way back here. He’s being kind enough to walk and give us time.”

“Yeah, Sasuke just wants me to be happy. We tried to be happy together, but it just wasn’t quite
right. I think we could have made it work, but that’s just it, it would have been work. It felt
different than how I feel with you.” She lifted up her face to meet his eyes. “With you— I just am.”

“I want one more night with you — no missions. No friends. Before you go,” Kakashi requested.
“The two of us, at my family estate. Itachi can tuck away my memories afterwards.”

Sakura nodded. “Okay, Kakashi.” She smiled at him, a sad smile. “But, we’d have to be careful. I
don’t have any birth control now.”

He sat up abruptly, cradling Sakura in his lap and nuzzled the junction between her neck and
shoulder. “And would that really be so bad?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted before she could say one way or another.
“I gave you guys thirty minutes,” Sasuke’s deep, almost bored tone called out. “We still have a lot
to discuss, let’s go.”

Kakashi groaned, but stood and helped Sakura to her feet. “Who put him in charge?” He grumbled
under his breath.

“I did,” Sakura answered with an amused smile. “It’s his family.”

.
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.
 A Visit to the Hatake Estate
Chapter Notes

A/N: Sorry y’all — I was getting distracted. I really appreciate the support on this story!
Hopefully, you continue to enjoy yourselves! There’s some smut at the end of the chapter-- it's
not the greatest, but I know you all have fantastic imaginations! I’m falling in love with Shisui
and found A Quiet Thunder by Renaerys —- wow. And of course, I love me some KakaSaku
and read through TipsyRaconteur’s A Ballad of Hound and Spider. I'm also trying to
commission some artwork for this story. *Fingers crossed*

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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Kakashi

Secluded in the caverns of Whirlpool, fourteen years back, in the wrong time, Kakashi’s head hurt.
He had elevated blood pressure from all the stress and his back ached from sleeping on the hard
stone floor of the cave. And his favorite medic was no where around! All Kakashi really wanted to
do, was go home and sleep in his giant King sized bed in the Hokage penthouse and invite his
wayward girlfriend to spend the next month tangled in sheets with him.

Because — after all this, she was definitely his girlfriend, right? Sure, it had been fourteen years
since he’d slept with her, but to Sakura — she’d been with him just a couple of days ago and the
kiss they shared at the waterfall— his emotions were a whirlwind. His mind drifted into that
pleasant memory before he scowled thinking about his younger self’s interruption and that Sakura
was currently away with his younger self —with Sasuke as chaperon.

He really was an ass hole in his youth.

Naruto sat down heavily next to him with a huff. “They’ll be fine, Kakashi-Sensei. Just you wait.”
Those optimistic cerulean eyes — the same as his old sensei— bore right into him.

He missed the days when Naruto was the number one unpredictable ninja. Sakura lately had been
giving her teammate a run for his money. “I’ve done enough waiting,” Kakashi growled.

“Really?” Shisui asked, sitting across from him on the opposite wall of the cave. He leaned heavily
against Ino’s side. The two had become chummy during their time together. “You guys just barely
got here. And I’m the one waiting —-hoping my clan doesn’t get themselves wiped out and that
someone will return my eye.”
Kakashi stared across the expanse at Shisui Uchiha— a man whom died way too young and left a
great hole into the very heart of the village. No other ninja matched Shisui’s Will of Fire in their
generation. He was a man that should have died three days ago, but here he was sitting across the
way joking and teasing and hardly at all showing his dampened spirit. He thought going through
the Hokage would be sufficient, but now he was wondering if his younger self and Sakura would
have to steal back Shisui’s eye after all.

“You know, I can probably unlock the rest of your memories,” Shisui suggested.

“Absolutely not,” Ino protested. “After the trauma your body went through, I can’t allow you to
endanger yourself needlessly.”

“I don’t see how you’re going to stop me, Ino-chan,” Shisui smirked, his single eye narrowed.

“I can stop you. You’re practically a kitten at the moment,” Sai said, as he entered the cave. He
gestured for Naruto and the blond took over his turn at watch without hesitation and without a word
of protest. “Lord Kakashi can stop you. Dickless out there can stop you.” He looked at his wife
with a deep pride. “And my wife can stop you with her mind.” The dark-haired former Root
member continued on his way towards Kakashi. He crouched down on the ground and his lips were
pulled back in a grimace.

“Damn, you’re his wife, huh?” Shisui sighed as he slumped heavily against Ino. “All these
beautiful ladies from the future and they’re all taken. It’s just my luck.”

Ino patted his knee. “If it’s any consolation, if you can let yourself stay alive — I’m pretty sure that
Sakura and I will probably have major crushes on you. You’re just our type after all. Dark eyed,
tall, muscular, and broody.”

“Really?” Shisui grinned and then winced as another painful spasm clenched his muscles.

“Oh yeah,” Ino assured him, flashing her dazzling smile.

Kakashi faintly snorted from his nose in amusement, grateful his mask would muffle the response.
Though, part of him felt more than a little annoyed by the possibility that Sakura could have a crush
on Shisui now. He didn’t want to have to deal with a young Sakura boy crazy about two Uchihas.
He did start to wonder vaguely, and not for the first time, if young Sakura ever had a crush on him.

“Lord Sixth, I must apologize.” Sai’s soft, serious voice broke Kakashi out of his inner reflections.
The Artist shinobi, looked up briefly to meet Kakashi’s eyes before snapping his gaze back to the
ground in remorse. “I have conspired —with you— to deceive — you.”

“Oh?” Kakashi asked, clenching his hands into fists at his side. He forced the tension in his muscles
to uncoil —his relaxed posture was of course a sham. He felt ready to spring like a viper. “Do
elaborate.”

“Your younger self asked me to create a scroll with my ink mice to scout out both Anbu and Root
in hopes of finding Shisui’s eye.” Sai tapped his fingers across his knee. “If somehow, Danzo is
killed now— what do you think would become of Root? Of the children within?”

Kakashi had wondered that himself. “One possibility, the children would be allowed into foster care
or the orphanage — which there are few volunteers to foster and little funding for orphanages. I
lived on my own since the age of five and Sasuke since seven.”
“And look how perfectly sane and healthy you both are,” Ino mused.

Shisui chuckled. “I know, I’m missing something, but with Kakashi glowering like that through his
mask, it must be funny!”

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his former colleague. Had he ever consider Shisui a friend? They
hadn’t interacted much — occasionally they had coinciding missions, but for the most part they
were acquaintances at best.

“If Danzo dies sooner in this timeline, I do not think it should be by the hand of anyone on our
team,” Kakashi answered. “He has plenty of enemies. And I do think the village would do better
without his nefarious plans.”

“How did Sasuke kill him? In your time?” Shisui asked.

“Burned him with the Amaterasu power of his Mangekyo Sharingan,” Ino answered. At the
stunned silence that followed her explanation she folded her arms over her chest. “What? I pay
attention. You think Sakura didn’t tell me everything that happened before she confronted Sasuke-
kun with the intention of killing him?”

“Sakura-chan tries to kill Sasuke?” Shisui gasped.

“It’s my fault,” Sai explained. “I told Sakura that Naruto chasing Sasuke would get him killed, so
she tried to reason with Sasuke and if he couldn’t be reasoned with, she was planning to have them
kill each other.”

“That’s a very tragic romance.” Shisui winced again as another muscle spasm hit him particularly
hard. “I don’t like it — for either of them. And here I thought arranged marriages within the clan
were rough.” Ino shoved a canteen of water into his hands and he raised it to his mouth and drank
slowly.

“Naruto and I arrived in time to stop them,” Kakashi explained. He still remembered the panic he
felt knowing Sakura had endangered herself. He’d known she was no match for Sasuke — she
wasn’t a killer. That difference would spell her doom. His race to find her in time and the discovery
of her teammates rendered unconscious by her — he knew it was a suicide mission. And even
though she was only his precious friend at the time, he could not lose Sakura.

There must have been some emotion that had passed through his visible face, because when
Kakashi looked up, Ino gave him a sympathetic, knowing look. She turned away from him, towards
Shisui. “Why don’t you and I go for a little walk. I’m afraid I don’t have monstrous strength, but
I’m stout. You can lean on me,” Ino offered. She stood and offered Shisui her hand.

Ignoring the offered hand, Shisui gingerly rose to his feet. He cast a stubborn stare towards Kakashi
and Sai. “I’m not weak as a kitten.”

Sai rose from his crouch in front of Kakashi and moved to join Ino and Shisui. “Ino, I know I
agreed to be creative with our relationship. Is Shisui someone you are interested in us being
creative with? He seems decently attractive and seems your type between the dark hair and dark
eyes. And the broody moody attitude as well. If you want us to do the open relationship idea, I am
not opposed.”

Ino’s cheeks burned crimson.

Shisui chuckled. “I’m starting to understand why Sakura-chan is friends with you all.”

Kakashi groaned and leaned his head back against the stone wall. He was definitely being forced to
suffer. “Sakura, hurry back,” he whispered into the stillness of the cave.
.
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OoO

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Itachi

Tucked away in the forest, outside of the Village, two brothers separated by time yet reunited by a
miracle, tried to find a way to save their family.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to convince Father to change his mind,” Itachi warned, keeping his
voice flat. His heart swelled with pride in Sasuke’s presence. They’d worked together for only
twenty minutes and yet the understanding that passed between them was easy to grasp. This
powerful, highly intelligent man was his baby brother!

“Father is supposed to be the clan leader. If he had done a decent job neither of us would have
suffered as we did,” Sasuke retorted. “Maybe we wouldn’t have both suffered psychotic mental
breakdowns.” He glanced back towards the woods where Kakashi and Sakura had ran off to earlier.
“Do you feel confident in your abilities?” He drew his gaze back towards Itachi.

“Are you going to win her back?” Itachi asked, ignoring the question. He wasn’t particularly versed
in romantic relationships. His parents’ arranged marriage had been more political than a love
match. “I can sense how close you are. She’s only known Kakashi for a few days at best.”

“She’s known him a lot longer than that.” Sasuke blew out a frustrated breath. “We would have
been closer, but I kept pushing her away.” His expression hardened. “I can’t give her what he gives
her.” He met Itachi’s gaze. “I saw his memories. The way he felt about her — I’m simply not
capable of that.”

“And I’ve seen how the two of you interact together in this timeline,” Itachi pointed out. “Maybe if
you’re not made to suffer as much, you’ll be more capable than you realize.”

Sasuke’s brow furrowed. “Perhaps. Only time will tell. Though, I think I would have stayed in the
village after Orochimaru disrupted the Chunin Exams — I wouldn’t have defected because my
bond with Naruto and Sakura were both very strong. But, you change my mind. You show up and
soundly defeat Kakashi — though he was already battered from earlier fighting and then you re-
traumatize me, calling me weak and bullying me into becoming strong quickly.” Sasuke’s eyes
darkened in remembered pain. “I think your sickness was getting to you and you started to get
impatient. You and I are both insane— at least for a while.” He shook his head and cleared his
throat. “Back to my question. Are you confident in your new powers?”

Itachi nodded. “Yes.” He pursed his lips, thinking over Sasuke’s words. He could not image
behaving in such a way. Why would he be cruel to his precious younger brother? Though, if his
best friend, Shisui had truly died and Sasuke’s life was threatened — he would burn down the
world to save his brother without his cousin’s calming presence to steady him. “I must have lost my
sanity.”

“It runs in the family —- apparently. You’re going to be confronted by some of Father’s
subordinates this evening,” Sasuke said. “They’re angry that you didn’t attend some meeting.” He
grinned faintly at a memory. “You kick their asses. I get to watch. Then Father gives a warning and
you see that I’m watching — and you apologize. And the look you give me — it’s pretty scary Nii-
san. I’ve seen the look before on my own face when I was lost to the hatred. You’ll need to grasp
that anger to do what you need to do. But, my younger self needs to see the carnage. It awakens my
Sharingan.”

“Father made me walk through fields of dying shinobi after the end of the Third War, when I was
four,” Itachi confessed. Their clan was cursed to only awaken their greatest powers in times of
suffering. “I heard the men dying and smelled them dying and saw them dying.”

“I cannot change that,” Sasuke murmured. “But, I do need you to know that you are not alone.
Honestly, I don’t care too much about the rest of the clan, Itachi. Maybe Mother, but otherwise,
they are people I never really knew. I need you to live, Itachi.” He reached across the distance and
grabbed the front of Itachi’s shirt. “I need you to survive. I don’t want to waste years of my life
hating you. You’re sick. Get help.”

“Sakura tried to teach me some healing techniques,” Itachi explained. He laid his hand over his
chest and gently pulled Sasuke’s much bigger hand away. “I have some sort of lung disease. It
could be from all the fireballs.” He smiled faintly.

Sasuke narrowed his mismatched eyes. “It’s not from the fireballs. You could kidnap Sakura.”

“Excuse me?” Itachi asked.

“Not now, but later, after she’s trained under Tsunade— when she’s around fifteen. I had
considering kidnapping her a few times after I defected, but I decided against it. She was too
distracting for me. I felt too possessive. In our original timeline— I was training with Orochimaru
and Kakashi is leading Naruto and Sakura on a mission to find me again. But you intercept, place
Kakashi into a coma with the Tsukiyomi.” Sasuke raised his hand and tapped his finger under
Itachi’s left eye. “Naruto and Sakura continue on with Yamato and Sai. Sakura works with an old
woman named Chiyo and defeats a puppet master — Sasori. She also saves the Kazikage’s brother
from a poison that has no antidote. She’ll be able to help you at that time.”

“I will remember that,” Itachi murmured. There was likely some rule his brother was ignoring
telling him so much about events that had yet to come to pass. “Though, since things are being re-
written that may not come to pass.”

“Perhaps.” Sasuke shrugged. “Or it could save your life. She’s a Genjutsu type, so you will have to
use the Sharingan. She’s still susceptible — at least to our level.” He looked back towards the
woods. “I better go get them. Later, I’ll tell you everything I know about the Akatsuki — if you
want. You can never be too prepared. It could make a difference.”
Before Sasuke could leave, Itachi stopped him. His brother was giving him pearls from the future,
they could be extremely helpful. “What do you know of the shark man that becomes my partner?”

Sasuke paused only a couple of steps away. He looked over his shoulder and smirked. “He’s an
asshole, so the two of you get along really well.”

Itachi found himself laughing. He really hoped that he’d get to know this version of his brother one
day. His smile faded as he looked back towards the blackened earth from where he’d incinerated
the hapless bush with his Amaterasu. He was supposed to meet with the Hokage and Danzo
tomorrow. No doubt, he’d be given his orders of familial assassination. This evening, he would
have to deal with his father’s subordinates and consequentially his father’s chastisement.

The trio returned within a few minutes, having used their chakra enhanced speed. “The three of us
will stay at my family estates,” Kakashi explained. “I’ll see you tomorrow at work?”

Itachi nodded. “I have a meeting with the Hokage in the morning and Danzo in the afternoon.”

“What time should I meet with Father?” Sasuke asked. “And where?”

“How about in two hours? At the house. I’ll ask Mother to take younger you out to the park in the
village. That will buy us some time,” Itachi suggested. “And maybe you can meet Mother for tea
tonight — around ten. I will make the arrangements.”
.
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OoO

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.

They’d been waiting for him outside of the family house. Itachi had entered unseen from the back
and barely taken off his shoes when three of his father’s subordinates knocked on the front door.
Itachi asked Sasuke to remain hidden. He would deal with the three officers— Tekka, Inabi, and
Yashiro.

“Itachi,” Inabi greeted. “You weren’t at last night’s clan meeting. And neither was Shisui.”

“I had a mission,” Itachi answered. He eyed the two taller men behind Inabi. All three of them were
a good four to six inches taller than Itachi. Though, if the older version of his brother had been here
— Sasuke would tower over the lot of them.

“You have an obligation to the clan,” Yashiro chimed in, his Sharingan flashing. It was a fairly
useless threat against another Sharingan wielder — especially against the Mangekyo Sharingan, but
they didn’t know of his newly acquired power.
Itachi arched his eyebrow. “You are all aware of my membership within Anbu. The Village comes
as first priority.”

“Yeah, your Father is always defending you. You are causing our clan head too much worry,
Itachi.” Tekka’s eyes were narrowed in his dislike for the heir. “I don’t understand why he puts up
with your insolence.”

Itachi knew why his father put up with him. Fugaku was afraid of Itachi. Everyone was afraid of
Itachi — except Shisui, Sasuke and Hatake. Even his mother and Izumi were afraid of him
sometimes. “Just state your issue,” Itachi demanded, irritated by the three ringleaders for the coup.
It was their fault that his father had entertained the foolish plan.

“Shisui supposedly ran away.” Tekka brandished a letter. “But it’s easy for the Sharingan to copy
handwriting. There’s been no body and we had Shisui assigned to watch over you. And now he’s
missing.”

“Shisui is my best friend. I would hardly do anything to harm my best friend,” Itachi countered.

“Maybe we just arrest you and see what you have to say after we interrogate you officially?” Inabi
suggested, an eager glint in his dark eyes. “You’re an Uchiha. Maybe you wanted to obtain power
like the great Madara and kill your best friend to obtain it.”

“You have no authority to arrest a member of Anbu without a warrant,” Itachi pointed out in a
bored tone. “Now, leave. You’re annoying me. I was having a pleasant afternoon with my brother.”

“Why you—!“ The three men jumped at once.

Itachi easily evaded, he countered their clumsy attempts to attack. Were they slow or was he just
that much faster? They lunged, he redirected. They threw kunai and he deflected. They tried to
punch and he ducked and slammed heel strikes against sensitive pressure points. He’d worked
alongside enough Hyugas to know exactly where best to strike. All three ended up face down in the
dirt, clutching at their stomachs when his father arrived.

“What’s going on? Itachi!?” Fugaku began to help his subordinates rise to their feet. Their navy
police uniforms dusty from their time on the ground. “Gentlemen, my apologies."

“Fools the lot of you!” Itachi hissed. “Do you really think you have a chance against the Village
when I am only one of many in Anbu? Do you think you can stand against a dozen shinobi of my
caliber? Your small-mindedness will endanger everyone!” He picked up one of the discarded kunai
and tossed it at the nearby wall, impaling the center of the Uchiha clan symbol with the blade with
a powerful thud that shattered the wood.

“Itachi Nii-san!” Sasuke cried, sliding the front door open and staring at him with dark eyes wide
and shocked as he looked between Itachi and the fallen police officers.

Itachi remembered what his brother said earlier that day and fell to his knees and apologized. After
Fugaku soothed things over, Itachi risked a glimpse at his little brother. He felt his anger cause a
slip in his control and he knew that he flashed young Sasuke a glimpse at his Mangekyo Sharingan.
He hurried to the back porch and and released a series of crows. He would find the man in the
orange mask. He’d work on sealing the deal to join Akatsuki. He had accepted his fate of stopping
his family’s coup personally and serving as a spy — and he hadn’t even spoken to the Hokage or
the monster Shimura working in the shadows.
But for now, he needed to calm down. He needed to get his father alone and find a way for older
Sasuke to speak with their parents. Perhaps, he’d finally be able to reason with their old man. He’d
convince his mother to take Sasuke to the park, she should be home within a few minutes from
picking up the groceries.
.
.
.

OoO

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Kakashi

They walked, quickly, to the Hatake estate. Kakashi was a little annoyed that Sasuke didn’t do his
teleportation trick, but apparently, his future teammate had never been to his home. It was more
dangerous to teleport to an unfamiliar place and Sakura was against the risk. It was probably for the
best, Kakashi didn’t want to get too accustomed to the technique.

Not for the first time, he wondered how Shisui would manage to lock away memories of not only
Sakura, but his future teammates. Would this four week period of time be a shadowy haze full of
allies he couldn’t quite remember?

They reached the gates before long and he felt a familiar hand rest upon his forearm. He looked
down and met Sakura’s concerned jewel-toned eyes. “You don’t have to host us, but we really
appreciate it.”

Kakashi shrugged as he pushed open the door to the main house. “It’s a big estate. No one else is
using it.”

Sasuke scanned the place. “It feels as haunted as the Uchiha district,” he murmured. He ran his
finger along the spines of a series of leather bound books on a bookcase in the den. “I don’t know
much about the Hatake clan.”

“Not much to know. It’s just me now.” Kakashi plopped down on the sofa and rested his feet across
the wooden coffee table.

“The mother of the first and second Hokages was from the Hatake clan,” Sakura added, looking at
Sasuke. “How was your meeting with Itachi?”

Sasuke drew his hand away from the books and moved to the lean against the wall, facing her and
Kakashi. “I can’t quite believe how small he is. He’s just a kid.”

“No one is a kid in Konoha,” Kakashi protested. He closed his eyes and laid his hands across his
chest, fingers laced together. “Make yourselves at home.”
“I’m going to make some tea,” Sakura said. “See if I can make a snack or something.” She
retreated into the kitchen, leaving the two men behind.

“I’m not supposed to leave you alone with her,” Sasuke commented, once Sakura was out of
earshot.

“Oh?” Kakashi wasn’t particularly happy with being cockblocked by his future self. He only had
Sakura for a limited amount of time and most of that time was going to be busy doing whatever
infiltration Lord Third wanted and retrieving Shisui’s eye. His part in helping the Uchiha clan
seemed over after saving Shisui. Though, he was still concerned about his former teammate, Itachi.

“Apparently, you don’t trust yourself,” Sasuke continued.

“That sounds like me,” Kakashi agreed. He opened his right eye and met Sasuke’s dark gaze. “So,
are you going to fight me for her?”

Sasuke sighed. “This isn’t my time. We’ll see what happens.” He closed his eyes, looking
extremely tired. “I just—want her happy. She’s done so much for me.”

The door to the kitchen pushed open and Sakura returned holding a tray with a tea and cups as well
as some finger snacks.

“Where did you get the fruit?” Kakashi sat up and moved his feet so that Sakura could place the
tray on the table. The silver tray had a teapot, three cups, and a plate with purple grapes, apple
slices, cherry tomatoes, and cheese cubes.

“I had bought some fruit a few days ago and stashed it in a storage scroll.” Sakura smiled between
the men. “I figure we should eat it today or it will go bad.” She sat next to Kakashi on the sofa and
then began to pour jasmine green tea into the cups.

Sasuke sat on the arm chair catty-corner to the sofa and plopped a couple of tomatoes into his
mouth. “To answer your question, I never truly understood just what a genius Itachi was growing
up. I just knew he wasn’t an unachievable goal as a kid and then my enemy after—well— you
know. He mastered the Amaterasu within fifteen minutes. The Tsukiyomi will take a little more
time — he couldn’t exactly practice on me. But that’s not too dissimilar to his current skills.” He
reached for another tomato. “He only cares about Shisui and me. I understand that feeling —- it’s
how I feel about you and Naruto.”

Kakashi took a sip of the tea, enjoying the scalding of the hot fluid down his throat. “You don’t care
about me? Your beloved future sensei?”

Saskue scoffed. “I have mixed feelings about you, Hatake. But, I don’t want you to die, so there’s
that. And I do appreciate what you taught us about bonds. Your attitude about teamwork and
keeping your teammates safe is what forged the strongest shinobi team in history.”

“No pressure,” Kakashi murmured.

“You’re surprisingly vocal about your feelings,” Sakura commented. She sipped at her own tea and
handed Sasuke his cup. “What’s happened?”

Sasuke’s face was carefully neutral, but the tips of his ears were red. “I read your book.”
“My book?” Her eyes widened. “My book?”

“You wrote a book?” Kakashi asked softly. His mind drifting to the types of books he preferred
reading. Then he frowned under his mask. Fucking Jiraiya.

“It was sort of a joke,” Sakura explained. She turned towards Kakashi, her hands animated as she
spoke and her tea dangerously close to sloshing out of the cup. “Our friend Sai wanted help
expressing himself and so Ino and I wrote a snarky instruction manual — honestly it helped us
learn to communicate better. I was often violent when I am frustrated.” She smiled sheepishly. “It’s
only about twenty pages long— more of a pamphlet. Its title, ‘Not everyone is a Mind reader!’
since you know, Ino is a mind reader.”

“I see.” Kakashi felt his lip twitch. He only was following half the conversation. He’d seen Sakura
be violent and thought the earth cratered under her fists and trees ripped up were pretty good
evidence that she shouldn’t be using past tense in her verbiage.

“Naruto sent it to me. Along with the message that I needed to learn a thing or two.” Sasuke sat his
empty cup back on the tray and rubbed his palm down his face. “I read the book. I finished a
mission that made me miss you and Naruto.” He looked past Sakura towards Kakashi. “And even
him.” He sighed and smiled down at Sakura faintly. “I come home and you had already decided to
take this little field trip.”

“Bad timing,” Sakura murmured.

“I seem to have bad timing a lot,” Sasuke agreed. “I’m leaving now. I’ll be meeting with Fugaku
and Itachi. Then later, I’ll be meeting with my mother. They are the leadership of the clan and if
only thirty people out of a hundred and fifty are willing to avoid the confrontation, it’s still going to
put the remaining clan in a bind. Itachi was surprised to even find thirty clan members willing to
put the village over the clan’s perceived slights.”

Kakashi sat up, suddenly not feeling very tired. If Sasuke was leaving, he’d be alone with Sakura.

“Sasuke, be careful. Maybe you should bring Naruto with you?” Sakura suggested, her hands
folded over her chest in worry.

Sasuke scoffed. “Do you know Naruto? He’s a terrible person to bring when speaking with the
highly affronted, easily insulted leader of my clan.”

“What if your father tries to attack you?” Sakura pressed. “If your father knows about the time
machine device he might try something. Maybe just say your Rinnegan allows for travel between
time and space?”

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. “You want me to lie, Sakura?”

She flushed. “Do you have a better idea?”

Sasuke smirked. “I have no problem lying. Don’t get so worked up. And I can handle any one in
the clan if they did try to attack me. As long as you-know-who doesn’t show up. So, here’s the deal
— I’ll be back at midnight.” Sasuke looked between Sakura and Kakashi. “We’re all adults here.
Sakura —try not to do anything stupid.”
Sakura’s eyes narrowed at his tone. “I want you to take a slug with you, leave it somewhere in your
house. If for some reason, your father still won’t listen and Itachi ends up mortally wounding him
in the attack — I can remotely heal him with Katsuyu.” She drew her thumb into her mouth and
pierced her flesh before summoning the slug. “Lady Katsuyu, please split yourself into two. You’ll
accompany Sasuke and stay in the proximity of his father and also stay with Sasuke.”

“Yes, my Lady.” Katsuyu split into two and Sakura placed both smaller slugs into the pocket of
Sasuke’s vest.

“I remember Father being very serious and mostly indifferent,” Sasuke mused. “But I don’t
remember him being particularly cruel or stupid. I think he’ll listen.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Your father is nicknamed The Wicked Eye. He’s not exactly a nice guy.”

“Well, you’re not a nice guy to your enemies either,” Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi caught her eye and shrugged. He supposed that was true.

“Around ten, I’m to have tea with my mother,” Sasuke continued. “Itachi’s friend owns a tea shop.
We’ll figure out the pick up for provisions and refugees.” He shifted his cloak more secure over his
shoulders. “I’m hoping to make the first delivery of provisions tomorrow. Maybe transport the first
clan members the day after.”

“Take care, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura smiled encouragingly. “We’re really doing it. We’re saving your
clan.”

“We’re doing something anyway.” Sasuke then vanished using his Rinnegan bringing the two
healing slugs with him.

“Alone at last,” Kakashi crept his hand along Sakura’s shoulder, up her neck, and twined his fingers
into the hair at her nape. Their time was limited, he wasn’t going to waste it being shy.

Sakura turned towards him, her fingers gently tracing just below his neck and along his clavicle.
She gazed up at him, warring emotions in her jade eyes — lust, worry, excitement. “I really hope
these changes won’t ruin our chances of getting together.”

“Sakura, let the future worry about itself. I only care about right now.” Kakashi slipped down his
mask, leaned forward, and slanted his lips across hers. She began to relax against him and he pulled
her into his lap.

Sakura straddled his waist, her knees on either side of his hips, her pelvis settling against the weight
of his cock as his blood began to fill him down there. Unbidden, Kakashi groaned against the
sensation.

Kakashi shifted his hands so that they were under her thighs and stood, supporting her mass easily.
With her legs wrapped around his waist, he carried her to the bedroom down the hall, careful to
avoid the walls. By the time his knees touched the mattress he collapsed onto the bed with Sakura
beneath him, the discomfort from his growing erection making it very troublesome to walk.
“Finally,” he murmured, staring down at her. “Too many clothes, darling.”

Sakura began to kiss along his jawline and up to this ear, sucking his lobe between her teeth
teasingly. “Remember, my birth control is gone now. Think you can remember not to cum inside
me?”

“Hm.” Kakashi’s attention shifted to her breasts as he snuck his hands past her hemline and shoved
her bindings out of the way. He could remember to pull himself out — probably. “Sure.”

Sakura groaned and then arched back. She started to yank up Kakashi’s shirt and he leaned back
from her and grinned teasingly. “Eager are we?”

He moved his hands off her breasts and stood from the bed. He tossed off his forehead protector so
he could watch her with both eyes and then pulled off his shirt. Sakura followed suit and her shirt
and pants soon joined his growing pile of clothes on the floor. Kakashi stepped out of his pants and
boxers, feeling himself spring free.

Sakura moaned as she licked her lips, staring down the length of him.

Kakashi kneeled next to the bed and started unwinding Sakura’s bindings until they fell away. All
that was left were her panties, which were already soaked through. “Definitely eager.” He reached
up and slid her panties down her toned legs, enjoying as his fingers traced down the smooth,
creamy skin. He kissed the inside of her thighs. He looked up and saw a glimmer of uncertainty
mixed with her lust-filled eyes. Fucking Jiraiya. “I’m just going to take my time, if you don’t
mind?”

Sakura swallowed hard, her hands falling back to his shoulders, digging into his flesh. “I don’t
mind. We’ve got hours, Kakashi.”

He drew closer to her center, letting his fingers of one hand explore first, dipping inside his index
finger first. His other hand held his cock, stroking himself in rhythm. “Hours,” he agreed before he
circled her clit with his tongue and felt her fingers tug at his hair.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

Sakura laid draped across Kakashi’s naked torso. They were both sticky from their activities, but
she didn’t care. Her voice was hoarse and her breathing uneven. She traced her fingertip across his
pectoral, down his midsection and the silver hairs that led to his twitching cock.

“I am happy to go again,” Kakashi murmured, his voice thick. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to pull
out this time. It’s getting harder — in more ways than one.” He chuckled, his deep laugh rumbling
in his chest.
 Sakura pushed herself to hover over his face and soak in the beauty of his unmasked features. His
straight nose, his high cheekbones, his firm jaw, and those razor sharp canines in that very white
smile of his. The scar bisecting his left eye was still very angry and thick. She would definitely
make him a salve before she left, help sooth down the scar tissue. It probably chafed under his
mask every time he sweated.

“What are the odds?” Sakura murmured. “This time, I’m going to take you.” She slipped her hand
down along that silver trail of fine hairs and took him in hand. He began to grow as her other hand
cupped his balls. She loved the way he closed his eyes under her care. His hands gripped her hips
tight, while he dipped his face to take one of her breasts into his mouth, suckling and swirling his
tongue around her hardened nipple.

Sakura positioned herself over him and took him inside herself in one thrust. She was already slick
from their earlier coupling. His eyes flew open as her vaginal wall began to clench around him.
And it wasn’t long before their over-sensitized flesh orgasmed again and she milked him for all he
was worth.

This time, when she collapsed against him, Kakashi shifted them so that they were on their sides,
facing each other, his cock softening inside of her while his arms banded around her waist and kept
their bodies flush against one another.

“What time do you think it is?” Sakura mumbled. All she wanted to do was go to sleep in this
man’s arms and forget about the rest of the world.

“It’s half-past, I don’t give a flying fuck as long as you’re in my arms,” Kakashi murmured into her
hair.

Sakura giggled. “We should probably take a shower. We’re very messy.”

“We should sleep. Take a shower in the morning.” Kakashi reached down and dragged the sheets
up over them. “Good night, Sakura.”

She didn’t argue. She didn’t want to get up any way. Sakura snuggled against the warm flesh of her
lover and let her body slip into a dreamless sleep.
.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

I tell you what, Sasuke sure has a big mouth, am I right? Hahaha. Sorry for the
regurgitation of cannon plot sprinkled through his conversation with Itachi, but it will come
in handy later on. Must be a reason Itachi is able to plan ahead so well! Next chapter is
very Sasuke heavy -- meeting up with his parents, so hopefully you all don't hate him. I try
to write him in a good light when I can. Honestly, so many of these characters are so
scarred emotionally, it just makes you want to hug them! Also, next chapter, is the start of
the Anbu mission arc.
 The Uchiha Ruling Family

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.
.

Itachi

It was an hour until sunset, and already the light had begun to fade behind the thick forest of
Konoha. It had been a hot, humid day and the air with thick with tension. Tempers always ran hot
when the summer’s heat rose. Itachi had changed into a dark blue summer yukata like his mother
preferred them to wear in the house in the evenings a short while ago. He only needed an hour or
two and then it would be time for their family to take dinner. He had spent the late afternoon
preparing for dinner— washing, chopping, dicing, setting everything up and surprising his mother.
He made sure to reign in his enthusiasm, no eight course meals for the evening, but something
fairly simple. He planned to put it all together after his guest left and before Mikoto and young
Sasuke returned.

“Please Mother, I need you to take Sasuke out of here — for at least an hour, an hour and a half if
you can manage. There is someone Father must meet.” Itachi never asked for anything. He knew it
was out of character, but he could feel his desperation growing in the pit of his stomach. Ninety
minutes from now would put Mikoto and Sasuke returning home at dusk.

Mikoto’s eyes were wide as she nodded. “Yes, Itachi. And about the other thing— I’ve been
working with Izumi.” She began arranging the ingredients, folding the rice inside the seaweed
wraps.

“I know, Mother. And thank you. But do not speak to me more about that. I need you to meet
someone too, tonight at ten,” Itachi explained. “Shinko Inari has a teashop — that’s where you will
meet.”

“Your old Genin teammate?” Mikoto asked.

“Yes.” Itachi ran his fingers through his long ponytail. He surveyed the spread in the kitchen — it
was enough to feed their family of four, plus older Sasuke and the other two. “Her teashop.”

Mikoto reached for him and laid her hand gently across his face, her touch soft and warm. “My
boy. I just want you to know — I love you. Do your best, okay?”

Itachi resisted the urge to cup her hand in his. He nodded. Then he stood there while she went to the
yard and called for Sasuke to accompany her to the park. His father would be home soon. He had
accompanied the trio of subordinates that had confronted Itachi earlier — likely trying to mollify
them. Sasuke — from the future — would arrive shortly afterwards.

Shisui’s Sharingan magic couldn’t convince Fugaku, but perhaps his son — the one he actually
loved — could do so. Itachi had no foolish notions that his father loved him. A loving father
wouldn’t have taken their four year old on a walk to a battle field strewn with the dead and dying.
Itachi had always been a tool for Fugaku Uchiha to use in his war against the Village. He suspected
his grandfather had treated Fugaku the same way when he was a child. It was a cycle doomed to
repeat. And all shinobi were merely expendable tools for the Village.

The front door opened and Itachi stood in the foyer to greet his father.

“Itachi.” Fugaku stared at his eldest son in surprise as he slipped out of his work shoes and put on
his house slippers. He removed his uniform top and hung it on the hooks in the hall. He slipped on
the comfortable black summer yukata that Mikoto had set out shortly before she left a few minutes
before. “I am grateful that you apologized to my subordinates earlier. I was able to mollify them for
the time being.”

“It would never purposely bring shame to you, Father,” Itachi stated.

Fugaku’s naturally sour expression softened. “I know, Itachi.” His dark eyes looked past Itachi.
“Where are you mother and brother?”

“They are at the park. I have already prepared dinner. First, I have someone you need to meet,”
Itachi explained. “Mother and Sasuke will return shortly before dusk.”

Realizing they were alone, Fugaku’s attitude shifted from neutrally polite to sharp and suspicious.
“Where were you last night?” His dark eyes were sharp, the expert detective that made him good at
his job flaring up. “And where is Shisui really? Do not deny that you were involved, because we
both know better.”

“I do not know Shisui’s current whereabouts — but the person you will meet has seen him,” Itachi
explained. “He is of our clan, but not of our village.”

Fugaku’s eyes narrowed. “Is he the one responsible for the Nine-tails attack?”

His father’s logical conclusion pleased Itachi. It was good to be reminded that Fugaku was an
intelligent man — stubborn, angry — but intelligent. “No. He is not.”

“When will he arrive?” Fugaku asked, his eyes narrowed further to suspicious slits at this point,
deepening the worry lines in his face.

The air behind Itachi was unsettled by a vacuum and he could sense the arrival of his brother.
“Now.” Itachi shifted to the side as Sasuke stepped out of his portal in the middle of the den.

Fugaku’s eyes grew impossibly wide and automatically shifted to his Mangekyo Sharingan.
“Rinnegan,” he whispered, awed and frightened both.

“How much did you tell him?” Sasuke asked, his voice deep, authoritative, and calm. His tone
impressed Itachi. Hopefully, one day his own voice would be deep, calm, and intimidating.

“Let us have some tea, discuss things around the table,” Itachi suggested. He made to gesture to the
sitting area.

“I care not for tea.” Sasuke’s impatience was palpable.

“Nor I,” Fugaku agreed.

Itachi breathed in deeply through his nose to calm his own mounting irritation. Like father, like son,
apparently neither Fugaku nor Sasuke appreciated the polite ceremony that could be found
conversing difficult subjects around tea. His mother would be very disappointed in both of them.

“Father, this is the future head of our clan. His Sharingan abilities allow him to travel between time
and space,” Itachi explained. He caught Sasuke’s arched brow, but his brother didn’t protest.

“You look like Homare,” Fugaku wondered. He blinked and his Sharingan powered down into
familiar dark brown irises. His ocular power was no match for Sasuke’s and he knew it. There was
no need to waste chakra on empty threats.

“I will be blunt, Lord Fugaku,” Sasuke said in clipped tones. “Your attempted coup is doomed to
failure. It will weaken the village and leave your sons orphans. Is your pride worth this loss?”

Fugaku’s jaw clenched. “As clan head, I must enact the will of my clan members.”

“As I am also the head of this clan — but in the future,” Sasuke added. Itachi noticed something
white and wiggly in the pocket of Sasuke’s inner vest. Was it one of those slugs like Shisui’s father
had described. How curious. “I disagree. Your job is to lead and guide your clan members away
from foolishness.”

“You don’t understand,” Fugaku argued.

Sasuke took a step forward and Fugaku stiffened, but didn’t back down. He was wary, but never
afraid. Fugaku of the Wicked Eye was no coward.

“It is you who do not understand, Fugaku. You allow the Uchiha clan to fall into ruin. Without the
protection of this clan, Konoha falls prey to destructive attacks. Many will die and so many orphans
grow up knowing naught but despair. The power vacuum would allow an extinction level threat to
come to pass — I’m part of the team that barely manages to save the entire world — against a
goddess.”

Itachi stared at Sasuke. He’d heard some of this from Sakura, but it felt different coming from his
future, battle-worn brother. It felt more visceral coming from the stoic, solemn man, rather than the
girl with cotton-candy colored hair— at least prior to her dying it.

“Non-sense,” Fugaku whispered.

“It is truth. And I understand you well, Fugaku, because I am your son.” Sasuke looked down upon
his father. He was taller and broader — the best combination of Uchiha genes as their parents
arranged marriage had combined Madara and Izuna’s bloodlines.

“Sasuke?” Fugaku whispered, his face full of emotion — the first time Itachi had ever seen such a
thing on the notoriously stoic man. “Impossible. My wife has our seven year old son and they are
not home right now.”

“Ah.” Sasuke smiled — it wasn’t a pleasant smile. “Not quite seven. As my birthday is a few days
away.” His smile vanished. “Will you be reasoned with? Will you cease this growing desire for
insurrection? Or will you doom your entire clan to perish leaving not just Konoha, but the world in
danger?”

“It is out of my hands,” Fugaku stated. “Even if I were to voice an objection, there are too many
discordant voices to my one.”
“So you will do nothing?” Sasuke growled, anger seeping into his tone.

“The Leaf Village has wronged our clan time and time again.” Fugaku’s eyes darkened in sorrow
and grief. “We are pushed to the outskirts, given a position of authority that is easily circumvented
by the Hokage’s assassins. We bled and we fought for this village the same as any other shinobi and
yet we are despised and distrusted!”

“I understand those feelings,” Sasuke countered. “It is natural for those that are weak to fear what
they do not understand.” He stepped in front of their father and laid his hand over the older man’s
shoulder. “I forgive you, Fugaku. But I have found friends that accept me and do not fear me. I will
ensure that others in our clan have the same opportunity. I will be taking those wise enough to not
support this coup with me. I will not allow you to destroy this clan for the sake of hurt feelings and
injured pride.”

“What do you mean?” Fugaku demanded.

Sasuke tightened his hand and then stepped back. “Erase his memory of this encounter, Itachi.” His
gaze focused on Itachi’s left eye where the Tsukiyomi resided. “Show me you understand how to
use your ability.”

Itachi nodded and using his newly acquired powers, placed his father into the Tsukiyomi. He
recreated the events of the evening to be a brief exchange between Fugaku and himself where his
father retired to bed complaining of a headache.

Sasuke called forth the arms of his purple Susanoo and picked up their father’s unconscious body
and dropped him gently onto his bed. “He’s a fool,” Sasuke murmured, his voice full of sorrow. He
brushed their father’s hair off his sweaty forehead.

“Our mother is not,” Itachi assured him.

“Do you know who Homare is?” Sasuke asked.

“I do not. I assume a ghost from Father’s past.” Itachi stared down at his father’s face. Even in
sleep, his deep tear troughs — which Itachi inherited — were prominent in his gaunt face. The
stress of his position as clan head was slowly killing him.

“Itachi?” Sasuke waited until Itachi looked up at him. “I want you to know, that I love you. No
matter what you have done or will do. I will always love you, brother.” He reached across and
thumped him on the forehead.

The affectionate brother gesture was uncomfortable. It took a great deal of Itachi’s fortitude to
resist rubbing the ache on his brow. “Come, I made enough food for you to eat and bring back left
overs to your friends."
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.

Sasuke

Sasuke wasn’t much of a tea person, but Itachi assured him that their mother was. After Mikoto and
young Sasuke had returned home, Sasuke had slunk back to the forest outside the district. After
dinner with his family, Itachi had joined him and they trained with one another a bit more. It had
been the best two hours of Sasuke's life.

Time dragged until it was time for his meeting at ten. Mikoto was already waiting when he arrived.
The owner closed the tea shop once they were both seated.

Mikoto Uchiha was the epitome of prim and proper, the ideal Matriarch. The moment Sasuke
walked inside the tea shop, her onyx irises glittered with shock, excitement, and something he
couldn’t quite identify — probably it was love. He sat stiffly in the chair across from her, his cloak
hiding his impairment.

“My boy,” Mikoto whispered, dark eyes brimming with tears. “You look just like my brother.”

Sasuke blinked at the comment. “You had a brother? I didn’t know.” He thought about Fugaku’s
earlier comment — acting like he’d seen a ghost when he first saw him.

Mikoto cleared her throat. “Yes, Homare was my older brother. He died shortly before I married
your father. It was one of the reasons I needed to marry so young.” She smiled. “His hair was thick
and unruly, spiky all over. Apparently, he was the spitting image of Grandfather Izuna.”

“I only recently grown my hair out,” Sasuke confessed. “It has helped it lay flat.”

“Itachi has explained some of what’s happening,” Mikoto said, quietly. “His friend Izumi and I
have been working to organize a roster for transport — people and provisions.”

Sasuke nodded. “I want everything ready in two days. Can you do it?”

“I—yes,” Mikoto nodded her head. “Yes, I can. We’ll store everything at Taki and Shisui’s house.
They have a large basement with secret compartments. Your father doesn’t know about them. But I
do because I used to visit there often when my sister was alive. And the people can be ready by day
three or four. I don’t know how your father is going to take it. It might make everything escalate
quickly.”

“Probably,” Sasuke agreed. “But I’d rather get it over with.”

“You look happy. Are you happy, my son?” Mikoto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. “I have never been happy a day in my life after the loss of my clan. I
sometimes wasn’t miserable, but never happy.”

“There is no love in your life?”

“I wouldn’t say that. I love two people — I would do anything for them,” Sasuke answered. “That’s
why I’m here. They feel the same way and one of them had found a way to make this warning
possible. I won’t have to grow up an orphan.”

“Itachi asked me to adopt Naruto Uzumaki,” Mikoto said.

“He’s one of them,” Sasuke admitted. “We’re basically brothers.” He leaned back in his chair and
sighed. “Turns out we’re the reincarnations of the Sage of the Six Paths’s sons— the ones that
founded the Uchiha and Senju clans. I suspect he’d be a lot less annoying if you were to be a
mother to him— teach him manners.”

“Wow. Will I remember this?” Mikoto asked. “Or are you going to lock away my memories?”

Sasuke hadn’t even considering doing such a thing. His father didn’t need to remember, he’d
refused to accept any alternative to the mass extermination of their clan. “No. You’re the Matriarch
of a previously doomed clan. My friends and I are literally changing our reality by coming here. I
don’t know all the consequences. But, I made mistakes and I want to do better this time.”

“Who’s the other one you love?” Mikoto asked. “Is it the mysterious medical kunoichi that healed
Shisui’s father?”

Sasuke nodded. “She can’t help herself. If Sakura sees something broken, she has to fix it.”

“She tried to fix you?” Mikoto asked quietly.

“She keeps trying,” Sasuke admitted, smiling faintly. “I had a crush on her when we were kids, but
I was also very annoyed by her.”

“As most children are that aren’t ready for something romantic like that,” Mikoto said. “That’s
normal.”

“I had priorities to become a great warrior and avenge the clan, repair the Uchiha reputation. She
was a distraction. But I do love her — in my way.” Sasuke took a deep breath and steeled himself
for the next part. “She gets pregnant.”

“You’re a father!” Mikoto’s hands flew to her mouth. “I’m a grandmother!”

Sasuke sighed. His mother was rather excitable. “Her mother poisons her and she loses the
pregnancy. It breaks her — it’s what led her to come back and try to fix things in the past.”

“Her mother?” Mikoto’s eyes narrowed angrily and he was reminded of Itachi whenever he was
engaged in battle.

“Protect her —from her mother, possibly from me. Just — look out for her, promise me,” Sasuke
pleaded. “She’s done so much for me and I need to do this for her. Please.”

Mikoto nodded. “I promise, I will protect you and your friends.” She began to pour tea into the
empty cups on the tray. “Now, tell me everything! I want to know all about your life and your
adventures.”

“You must also be more open, Mother. I didn’t know about your brother. I don’t know anything
about your life before Father,” Sasuke pointed out. He looked out the window at the night sky. “I
have until mid-night.”
And for the next two hours, Sasuke learned more about his mother than he ever knew in the seven
short years they spent with each other. And he told her everything. He’d never been more open with
anyone.

Sasuke told her about coming home late after training at the Academy and finding her and his
father dead with their killer’s katana crimson in their lifeblood and of the difficulties growing up an
orphan living alone in the haunted district. How he hadn’t had any friends as a child — only girls
that crushed on him and boys that were jealous. How the entire village looked at him with either
scorn or fear. And how he’d been put on a team that he resented at first, but ended up being his new
family. How he’d been so afraid of losing them, that he’d abandoned them first.

How those same friends had trained hard and searched for him and never gave up on him. And how
he allowed himself to fall in love a little, but then he his guilt was so great, he ran away — again.
And this time, his rejection had been so resolute, that she moved on and once again, he was alone
with his guilt.

And while he spoke, his mother’s face shown with tears and she moved her chair beside him, arms
around his shoulders and hugged him. And he let himself be held and just for a short while, let
himself be vulnerable and take comfort in another.

“My dear, Sasuke. I am so sorry I failed you.” Mikoto brushed a kiss to the top of his head on her
shoulder. “I will not fail you this time, I promise you. I will not fail you or your brother this time.”
.
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OoO

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Sakura

As the hours grew closer to mid-night, Sakura and Kakashi cleaned up after their love-making. He
had washed her body, like she’d been a goddess to worship, his strong, calloused hands running
over every inch of her body. It was easy to forget their time together was stolen using the magic of
an alien race. And that the mission to re-write one of Konoha’s greatest tragedies was at stake. The
wheels were in motion and they were happy to take advantage of the brief reprieve.

Sakura had explored the planes of Kakashi’s body under the guise of washing him, her hands
weren’t soft either — years of performing surgeries had given her more callouses than throwing
kunai, but the scalpel was her blade of choice. She’d discovered faint scars scattered across his
body. He was only twenty years old, but his life as an elite shinobi marked him.

She brushed her lips across the scar from a blade’s laceration that had cut across his left pectoral —
a last minute parry on his part had prevented a mortal wound. Once the shower’s water ran cold,
they’d toweled off and dressed in light-cotton pajamas. Just in the last two days, a warm front had
come through, turning the pleasant summer nights into miserable saunas.

Sleep would have been the smart use of time, but both Sakura and Kakashi were too wired. So, they
waited for Sasuke to return to the estate. Kakashi had made a light very late dinner and Sakura had
started making a medicinal salve for the bisecting scar on his face and for any others he might pick
up along the way. She left a sheaf of paper with the ingredients and measurements for the salve if
he wanted to make it himself or ask a medical nin to put it together for him in the future.

Vaguely, she realized it was similar to the one he’d used on her team as Genin when they would get
injured.

“It’s not necessary,” Kakashi protested when Sakura placed the jar of salve on the table in front of
him.

“Scar tissues burn easier,” Sakura explained. “Even though you wear a cloth mask, the sun’s UV
rays still penetrate. The choice is yours, but it would hurt less in the heat and humidity. Doesn’t it
itch right now?”

Kakashi slouched back in his chair. “Yeah,” he admitted. “It makes me want to claw my face
sometimes.”

“What’s it going to be like tomorrow?” Sakura asked. “When we meet the Hokage again?”

“He’s going to officially grant you permission to work with Anbu as a special liaison. I’ll take you
to get a standard uniform and you’ll pick out an animal mask.” Kakashi opened the salve and
leaned forward to sniff it. His nose crinkled at the bitter smell. “I have no idea exactly what sort of
introductory mission he’ll try you on. Likely, you’ll replace Itachi’s position on my team and we’ll
do some simple one or two day assignment.” He dipped his fingers into the salve and traced the goo
over the bisecting scar on his face.

“It should also feel cool, a soothing relief,” Sakura said, as she bent towards him eagerly. “And
once Sai’s mice have located our friend’s missing eye, I’ll retrieve it.”

Kakashi snorted. “By yourself? You wouldn’t last three minutes. And Sasuke would undoubtedly
cause widespread panic. I don’t doubt your skills as a warrior, Sakura. But you are pretty shitty
when it comes to stealth.”

Sakura clenched her jaw. He wasn’t wrong. She could mask her chakra, but she wasn’t trained for
stealth. She was powerful enough to stand on the frontlines and destroy the enemy with a full visual
of her skills — with the hope of striking fear in the heart of the enemy and making them lose hope.
“My fighting has generally been one-on-one matches against a foe or on the front lines of battle.
And Sasuke can freaking teleport — no one would even see us!”

Kakashi sighed. “Maybe. Guy Might is a strong warrior, but he too sucks at stealth like you and I
would say your friend Naruto from what I’ve seen of him. That is the role of certain heroes — a
beacon of hope and strength to rally their followers. But, the role of an assassin — for that’s what
Anbu is more often than not — is to lurk in the shadows, unknown and unseen.” He reached across
and tugged on a lock of her hair, where it fell loose about her shoulders. “And smelling like orange
blossoms, jasmine, gardenia, or lilies is not helping with stealth — though it does help you seduce
lonely shinobi.”
Sakura reached up and grabbed his hand. “I did not seduce you.”

Kakashi threaded his fingers with hers. The salve hid the angry lines of his scar and made his face
softer as he smiled at her. “No, you didn’t. At least, not intentionally.” He brought her hand to his
mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Though, your shite sensei should have instilled in you the
necessity of using unscented soaps and shampoos when working.”

“After a few days sleeping in the forests, under the stars, after sweating in the heat and under
training, it really doesn’t matter what shampoo or soap you had — you all end up smelling like
pine, earth, and salt,” Sakura argued.

“Hm. Maybe.” Kakashi stood from the table, keeping Sakura’s hand in his and led them back to the
den to wait for their friend’s return. “I keep wondering what it’s going to be like once my memories
are locked away. Will it be our interactions and your friends? Will I remember anything about these
last few weeks?” They settled together on the sofa. “Will your face become a faceless blur? Will I
smell gardenia, lilies, jasmines, and orange blossoms and feel my heart race? Will my Ninken ask
about you and I’ll be left confused? Will I recognize you when our paths cross again in time?”

Sakura hugged Kakashi against her. “I don’t have the answers to those questions.”

Kakashi didn’t relax, but held Sakura with a possessive strength in his arms. As if she’d vanish into
thin air if he didn’t. “I can feel time running out. And knowing I’m doomed to fourteen years of
loneliness isn’t helping.”

Sakura laid her head against his chest and breathed in the scent of his plain soap. “I’m sorry.”

He rested his chin over the top of her head. “It is what it is. Everyone else that I’ve ever loved has
died. Honestly, you’re probably safer if I don’t remember.”

Sakura’s soft hands cupped either side of his face. She forced his gaze to meet hers. “I’ve always
been safest with you at my side.”

For a moment, when his stormy gray eyes met hers, she could see that he was at peace and content
— if even for a short while. “Somehow, I suspect the same is true for me,” Kakashi murmured,
leaning down and kissing her.
.
.
.
 Wolf and Bunny
Chapter Notes

A/N: Apologies for the delay. I had to brainstorm the second half of this story - decide what
direction I wanted to take and my area of focus. Yes, we’ll be saving the Uchiha clan, however,
the reason I’m writing this and you’re probably reading this — is to see Anbu Kakashi and
Sakura. So…we’re getting to that! Finally!!!!!

Jonin Sakura and Hokage Kakashi.

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,
Sakura

Maybe a half-hour passed since Sakura fell asleep on the couch, snuggled up against Kakashi. She
wanted to savor these last few moments, because it was all about to change. The time was fast
approaching to start hauling away the members of the Uchiha clan that wished to stay out of the
coup d’état and were against standing against the village. She dreamed of her own time, walking
down the street holding hands with the older version of the man beside her, making a home in this
very house.

Sakura and Kakashi both awoke as the familiar displacement of air of Sasuke’s Rinnegan startled
them. Sakura straightened and rose to her feet immediately, her hand landing on Sasuke’s shoulder
as she looked up into his eyes — his dark visible eye swam with a mired of emotions. She waited
for him to speak.

“It’s not enough,” Sasuke said. “Father is determined to see this through, but he knows it’s doomed.
Mother is reasonable and has decided that her love for her children is more important than familial
hurt pride.”

Sakura nodded. That was the impression she’d gathered earlier, though she was disappointed that
Sasuke didn’t have a deeper impact on Fugaku. “Okay. So you left the slug as a back up. What do
you want to do?”

“I understand why Itachi was chosen to kill them — he was the only one capable of doing so that
would be immune to the Sharingan and he wanted to traumatize me in such a way that I’d unlock
greater powers,” Sasuke explained. “But,” his eyes shifted towards the younger Kakashi, silently
listening in. “I think we need to discuss this with our team.” He nodded at Kakashi. “Hatake, I’ll
bring her back in a few hours.”

“Don’t want me knowing all the juicy gossip about the future I suppose,” Kakashi joked, but his
visible eye was sharp and suspicious. “Have her back by six.”

Sasuke nodded. “Let’s go,” he said to Sakura. The arm of his Susanoo popped out on the left side
and held Sakura against him and the two vanished through the portal of his Rinnegan back to the
cave of their teammates.

“Oye!” Naruto cried out when the two popped out in front of him, just outside of the cave. “Don’t
just materialize out of nowhere in front of me! I could have seriously hurt you guys!” The
Rasengan he held swirling in his palm disintegrated into a wet puddle at his feet.

“Of our companions, you were the safest one to show up directly in front of,” Sasuke argued. The
skeletal arm of his Susanoo dissolved and Sakura stepped away from him.

“So, how did it go?” Naruto asked, his tone softening. He offered his arm to Sakura and she looped
her elbow through his.

“My mother is amazing. My father is a stubborn fool who is determined to die for the sake of his
pride — basically he’s just like Itachi,” Sasuke explained. “Tell me everything you know about the
Akatsuki.”

Naruto blinked at him in surprise and his arm muscles flexed under Sakura’s hand. “Weren’t you
part of Akatsuki? Shouldn’t you know more than me?”

Sasuke sighed, patience clearly losing out to his frustration. He seemed to be counting under his
breath and then when he spoke again, his voice was calm once more. “By the time I joined, most of
the members had been defeated — do you know the origin of the group?”

“Naruto, you somehow convinced Pain to let go of his vengeance against the Leaf,” Sakura added.
“He sacrificed himself to reverse things and bring back so many of the villagers that had died under
his attack. Do you know his story? What was his motivation?”

“Yeah, he was an orphan in Amegakure along with Konan and Yahiko. They grew up in the Second
War and Konoha did a lot of damage to their village. And they were trained under Jiraiya and were
working to keep the peace. But then their village leader Hanzo had grown senile and paranoid and
threatened to kill Konan if Nagato didn’t kill Yahiko,” Naruto explained.

“And Yahiko was the blond path?” Sasuke asked. “He was the body of their dead friend?”

“Yeah.” Naruto nodded. “I promised Pain I would help Amegakure, but I haven’t kept that promise.
He was so upset to lose his best friend.” Naruto looked between Sasuke and Sakura. “I mean, I can
understand the feeling of that loss— if something happened to either of you.” His lower lip
trembled faintly. “Anyways, that loss is what leads to the Akatsuki turning into a criminal
organization. Yahiko was the heart of the group. Konan lost her true love and Nagato lost the use of
his body in the attack.”

“And do we know who put the idea of Akatsuki being a threat to Hanzo?” Sasuke asked.

“That would be Danzo and the Root,” Kakashi said, stepping towards them.
“Wow, Kakashi-Sensei, I didn’t even sense you!” Naruto chuckled nervously.

“I don’t think Itachi should join Akatsuki,” Sasuke argued. “He’s just a child. It destroys him. He’s
the person within the clan most deserving of being saved.”

Kakashi stuck his hands into his pockets and leaned back against the cave’s outer facade. He stared
out at the nearly full moon. “Yes, it does destroy him. Just as Root destroys the children brought
into its ranks.”

“We came to stop the Uchiha massacre as best we can,” Sakura reminded gently as a heavy silence
descended upon them.

“I came to save you,” Naruto argued.

“I came to help you and save Itachi,” Sasuke added. “Honestly, aside from Mother — the rest can
burn for all I care.”

“You don’t really mean that,” Sakura said quietly.

The look Sasuke sent her told her that he did mean it.

“We need to make sure the entire timeline isn’t destroyed,” Kakashi added. “I understand your
intentions, truly I do. I would love if Obito hadn’t attacked the village and gotten Minato-Sensei
and Kushina killed. I would love if I hadn’t killed my own teammate, Rin- -unintentionally or not. I
would love if the Uchiha massacre can be prevented — and that’s why we’re here. We can at least
do that.”

Another thick silence descended upon them. Sakura tightened her hold on Naruto’s arm and felt
fatigue seeping in. She really needed to sleep soon. She yawned and shook her head to open her
eyes.

“I’m sure this is a private party,” Shisui said in a sing-song voice. “I”m not above crashing parties
though.” He stood, unaided beside them, having body flickered to their proximity, his forehead
protector cocked over his missing eye. “I know Itachi better than all of you. He is unhappy in the
village. He has no desire to be heir of the clan. He doesn’t want to lead it. The only times he feels
joy is when he’s spending time with his little brother, training with me, or traveling outside of
Konoha. The chance to serve as a spy would be the role of a lifetime for such a talented ninja.” He
gestured towards Sakura. “The shark guy? What’s his name? You said that man is Itachi’s best
friend.”

“Kisame,” Sasuke answered for Sakura. “Their fighting style is complementary.” He looked
between Sakura and Naruto. “My fighting style was complimented in much the same way when I
fight alongside Suigetsu. The Mist Swordsmen have drawn my interest ever since Zabuza.”

“I think stick to the original plan — save those in my clan that want to be saved. Only a portion of
the Uchiha ever activate the Sharingan. Most of them are just glorified civilians. But everyone on
the police force has the Sharingan. There’s no reason for Itachi to say he killed everyone for his
own sake — it’s reasonable he’d want to leave the village being so disgusted by the order that he’s
willing to become a missing nin,” Shisui suggested. “He can persuade the orange-mask man.”

“I still think Danzo should die in this time,” Sasuke stated.

“I think Nagato and Konan should be allowed to kill Danzo,” Naruto suggested. His comment drew
everyone’s curious gaze. “What? He’s awful.”

“It will create a power vacuum if Danzo died now,” Kakashi pointed out.

“And now there will be Uchiha clans men survivors to fill that voice,” Sakura argued. She met
Kakashi’s dark gaze and his eyes narrowed. “Maybe we just ruminate on the idea for a while. Let’s
focus on the mission I started — saving the Uchihas.”

“Which includes Itachi,” Sasuke pointed out.

Shisui sighed. “Itachi is capable of saving himself.”

“Is he?” Sasuke asked.

“And besides, I’ll be the one killing Danzo,” Shisui said. “My father is more than capable of taking
over Anbu in Danzo’s absence.” He smiled at Sakura. “Thank you for saving my father and me,
Sakura.” He turned his attention to Kakashi. “I have a theory on why you don’t remember things —
it’ s not just that you had memories locked away. It’s that they haven’t happened yet in this time to
affect your time yet.”

“That tracks,” Kakashi reasoned. “Naruto, take Sakura to bed. She’s about to pass out. Sasuke you
too — you need a good night’s sleep before you go and try to make any major decisions.”

.
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OoO

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Kakashi

It had to be two in the morning when the loud, obnoxious knock fell upon Kakashi’s front door. He
was alone in his family home and his lover has absconded with her ex-boyfriend to plot and plan
with his future self. He was in a foul mood and whomever this idiot at his door was — would soon
regret deciding to visit the Copy Ninja at this ungodly hour.

He sniffed and recognized Genma’s scent. He pulled open the door and his dark-haired friend
stumbled inside, obviously drunk. “Genma? What are you doing here?”

“She transferred,” Genma answered. He brushed past Kakashi and collapsed onto the recently
vacated sofa. “She’s still in Anbu though.”
“Okay — you mean Foxy?” Kakashi asked, securing the door and following after the other man.

“She has a boyfriend, Kakashi! I mean — I know when I volunteered to help her with the tutorials
it was just as a friend helping out a friend — but I thought I meant something to her.” Genma wiped
the back of his hand across his nose. “She’s been with Hayate Gekko the whole time!”

“Oh.” Kakashi blew out a breath. That had been unexpected. Though, it did explain the sense of
animosity he felt from Hayate whenever Genma was around— not that they crossed paths too
often.

“I’m never volunteering again,” Genma vowed. “Shouldn’t be happening anyway. Fucking Danzo.”

“Fucking Danzo,” Kakashi agreed. “Why don’t you call it a night? Sleep on the couch.” He picked
up a blanket and tossed it at the other man. He wasn’t sure when Sakura was due to arrive, but
surely she and Sasuke would sense Genma. He wasn’t too worried about it. “I’ve got a meeting
with the Hokage in the morning.”

“Yeah, well, rumor has it that you and Shisui’s girl from the bar are a thing. You were seen strolling
through the streets of the village together. Way to go, Hatake,” Genma smiled. He picked out he
senbon and stuck it in the middle of Kakashi’s coffee table. He spotted something on the couch and
plucked up a strand of golden blond hair. “Well, fuck me. I guess it’s not a rumor.” His dark eyes
narrowed as he stared back at Kakashi with the evidence dangling between his index finger and
thumb.

Kakashi tried not to be annoyed by the damage done to the previously smooth wooden surface of
his coffee table. “It’s a temporary situation,” Kakashi explained. “We’ve got openings on our team
after all.”

“I’m going to miss the little Uchiha brat,” Genma muttered, pulling the blanket up to this chin and
stretching out across the couch. “Though, I guess Tenzo is alright. His eyes creep me out though.”

“I’ll miss working with Itachi too,” Kakashi agreed, heading back to his own bedroom. He didn’t
know everything that was going to take place, but knowing that Itachi’s fate led him outside of
Konoha was depressing as hell. He’d lost friends to death before, but losing one like this felt
particularly cruel. He understood why Sakura had sought him out — Kakashi didn’t like losing his
precious people.
.
.
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OoO

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.
It was much too soon when Kakashi shook Sakura’s shoulder gently. “Hey, sleepy-head. It’s time to
rise and shine,” his deep timbered voice whispered close to her ear.
Sakura tried to duck her head inside her bedroll and muttered something unsavory.

Kakashi chuckled and reached inside to forcefully yank Sakura into a sitting position. She glared at
him as he crouched in front of her, his stormy gray eyes way too alert for before sunrise. “It’s your
first day working with Anbu. Sasuke and Sai are ready to head out in the next five minutes.”

“Fine,” Sakura snarled. She felt her lip twitch at the amused smile on Kakashi’s face. He’d pulled
his mask down for her. His wild silver hair was simply adorable. Curious, she wondered if it was
still as soft as his younger self. Without thinking, she ran her fingers through his silky, soft hair and
sighed happily.

Kakashi huffed. “This isn’t really the time to play with my hair.” He slipped his mask back into its
familiar position.

“Now’s always the best time,” Sakura argued. She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. “Alright, I’m
up. I’ll be ready in two minutes.”

He helped her stand, rising in one fluid, graceful movement. Then Kakashi stepped back, aware of
the others in the cave. “We’ve got nine days here, then we’ll be back home. I don’t know how
different things will be, but they will be different.”

Sakura handed Kakashi her bedroll to serve as a curtain and changed her under clothes, rebound her
breasts, and put on fresh black undershirt and tactical pants. “As long as I can still play with your
hair — I’ll be happy.”

Kakashi laughed as he rolled up the bedroll. “I know I won’t let anything happen to you — even as
a cocky twenty-year old.”

“Technically, you’re twenty and a half,” Sakura pointed out, grinning up at him. It was easier to
feel confident around Kakashi since she’d gotten to know his younger self so well. She knew he
was different, didn’t have all the same memories. “I”m really looking forward to when you
remember everything.”

“You and me both,” Kakashi said blowing out a breath. “Just, try to stick to the plan. Don’t do
anything too much.” He laid his strong hand over her shoulder and squeezed gently.

Sakura reached up and covered that familiar hand with hers. Then she followed Sasuke and Sai
outside to meet up with the other members of their crew.
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OoO

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Sakura

“I’ll send an ink creation bird to you once we map out exactly where Shisui’s eye is,” Sai
explained. “And I’ll let you know if we require your services on the extraction of the refugees. If
they want to tattoo you with the Anbu symbol I can use my ink and do it for you — it will allow me
to track you and you won’t be permanently branded.”

Sakura nodded. “I’m hoping since I’m just a temporary member I won’t need to be tattooed.” She
then turned and gave Sasuke a brief hug. “Good luck. I’ll be around if you need me. I’ll know when
Lady Katsuyus portion starts to heal your father. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”

“I’ll start transporting the provisions today. Clan members in three days. Remember not to trust
anyone. You and Naruto are the worse about trying to believe in the good of people. Not everyone
is worth saving,” Sasuke warned. He stepped back and opened his portal and he and Sai
disappeared.

After rolling back her shoulders, Sakura continued on towards the Hatake estates and knocked on
the front door. She wondered if she was still dreaming with none other than Genma Shiranui
answered. His light brown hair was loose around his shoulders and he grinned down at her from his
superior height, senbon absent from his mouth.

“Hey ya, Sunshine,” Genma greeted. He flashed a perfect smile. “Come on inside, we’ve been
expecting you.” He stepped back for her to enter.

“Uh, nice to see you again, Genma,” Sakura said, trying to hide her surprise. She walked past him
and was immediately overwhelmed by the smell of bacon and eggs coming from the kitchen.

“Kakashi’s almost done with cooking breakfast. The tea is on the coffee table,” Genma explained.
He gestured towards the dark, lacquered tray and the senbon impaled on the table.

“I can’t imagine he was too happy about where you stashed your senbon.” Sakura picked up the
teapot and poured the hot, green liquid into an empty crimson tea cup with silver stars.

“I’m sure he’ll take out his irritation on some hapless new recruit.” Genma gave her a pointed stare
as he picked up his cup and sipped at it. “Say, aren’t you a new recruit?”

The door to the kitchen opened and Kakashi entered with a second tray stacked high with breakfast
foods, fresh fruit, and a trio of plates. “The first rule of Anbu — you don’t talk about Anbu.”

“Oh? What’s the second rule?” Genma challenged.

“There’s no need for a second rule if you obey the first.” Kakashi set the tray on the table next to
the tea. He plucked the senbon out and set it flat. He glanced up and met Sakura’s eyes, his visible
stormy eye twinkled in mischief. “And don’t worry, Sakura. I’ll bottle up whatever angry
accumulates today and release it in some hot, angry sex with you later.”

Sakura choked on her tea and Genma almost dropped his empty cup at the statement.
“Eat up, we leave in forty-minutes,” Kakashi ordered.
.
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OoO

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.
Kakashi and Genma flanked either side of Sakura as they approached the Anbu armory. After she
was given her armor and mask, they’d report to the Hokage’s office. As the senior officer, Kakashi
informed the secretary manning the desk what he required for the probationary member Sakura
Namikaze. The secretary at the desk would be the only person, aside from the Hokage and
occasional friends within the ranks that would know her name.

The secretary wore a mask that looked akin to a dove and entered the lobby where the trio waited
and took measurements of Sakura and then disappeared behind their steel door, slamming it shut
with a decided bang.

“Is this normal?” Sakura asked quietly.

“Oh yeah, they like you to feel intimidated,” Genma explained. He reached up and adjusted his
Lion mask ever so slightly. “Normally, you’re all alone waiting for hours, but Lord Third wanted
me and Wolf here to stick close.”

“Wolf?” Sakura questioned, turning towards Kakashi.

He nodded. “Some people call me Fang. But I prefer Wolf. It’s usually how I can tell friend from
foe.”

“Oh,” Sakura said. She chewed her lip nervously. What sort of animal would she be? “Do I get to
pick my animal?”

“Usually,” Kakashi said.

The secretary returned to the desk and raised the bars that separated them from the trio in the lobby.
“Here are her spare uniforms, armor, and mask.” He shoved them towards them.

Kakashi picked up the mask. “Um, doesn’t she get to pick her animal?”

The secretary shook their head. “Special request by Lord Jiraiya.”

“What about a sword?” Genma asked.

The dove-masked secretary shook their head. “I was told her fighting skill didn’t require
swordsmanship.”
“I prefer projectile chakra scalpels,” Sakura whispered to Kakashi as he passed her the mask.
Sakura stared down at her assigned white rabbit Anbu mask. She wasn’t sure how she felt about
that, given her history with the rabbit goddess at the end of the war.

“It’s just a mask,” Kakashi whispered, laying his hand over her shoulder reassuringly. “You’re such
a cute little bunny,” he snickered.

“Shut up,” Sakura hissed. She placed the mask over her face. She’d already changed into the black
and gray uniform. “What about the tattoo?”

“You’re a probationary member,” the dove-masked Anbu explained. “If you’re still working with
us after two weeks, then it will become necessary.”

“Thanks, Dove.” Kakashi raised his hand in a farewell. “We’ll see you around.”

The three teammates— Wolf, Bunny, and Lion— made their way to the Hokage office a half-mile
away. It was not quite seven in the morning when Sarutobi’s errand boys Kotetsu Hagane and
Izumo Kamizuki greeted them. They were the Lord Third’s first meeting of the day.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn’t alone in his office. The Sannin Jiraiya was also in the room. The former
was stuffing tobacco into his pipe while the latter leaned against the far wall with his arms folded
over his chest.

Sakura paused in shock at seeing Jiraiya. She felt Kakashi grab her elbow and force her beside him
on the floor. And she mimicked his and Genma’s position, kneeling one knee on the floor with
hands flat and eyes facing the floor, watching the Hokage from their periphery.

“Good of you to come — and on time, Wolf. That’s a nice change,” Sarutobi smiled warmly at the
three.

“I’m glad the Bunny mask turned out so well,” Jiraiya added.

Sakura could feel her shoulders tense at the creepy lecher’s voice. She could also sense Kakashi’s
muscles coil like those of a panther.

“For today, I just want you to give Rabbit a tour of the facilities,” Hiruzen said. He blew a small
flame onto the tip of his pipe and started puffing on the tobacco. “She’ll follow you around, learn
the ropes. She’ll be on Team Ro for the next week given the recent personnel changes.” He held out
his hand and Jiraiya tossed him a dark blue scroll. Hiruzen tossed the scroll to Kakashi. “Your
assignment starts tomorrow — commissioned by Lord Jiraiya. For your eyes only Wolf.”
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OoO

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.
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Kakashi

Kakashi read through the mission and then incinerated the scroll, letting the ashes fall to the floor
of the Hokage’s office. “Understood, Sirs.”

“Dismissed,” Hiruzen ordered.

Kakashi, Genma, and Sakura rose together and walked out of the office and down the stairs. “We’ll
go to headquarters. Lion, you and — can I call you Bunny? I actually do like it more than Rabbit.”

Sakura blew out an angry breath. “Fine,” she huffed.

Kakashi smiled under his masks. She was so cute when she was pissed. His mind raced over the
unexpected mission. Jiraiya wanted his team to look into a fledgling terrorist group — the
Akatsuki. He suspected a man wearing an orange mask — part of the group — may have been the
one actually responsible for the Nine-tails attack from nearly seven years ago.

“Can you tell us about the mission?” Sakura asked. Her jade green eyes peered at him through the
cute bunny mask. Though, the mask wouldn’t be so cute with a chakra blade attacking whoever her
enemy could be.

“Reconnaissance and investigation. I’ll explain more when we’re on the road tomorrow,” Kakashi
explained. “Okay, Lion, I want you to give Bunny a training session,” Kakashi suggested. He
almost missed a step when two sets of eyes stared back at him in shock. “Taijutsu! Get your heads
out of the gutter!”

“Right, Taijutsu. I can do that,” Genma answered. “So are we wanting to attract attention or not?”

“It’s going to be inevitable,” Kakashi said. “We might as well let the old man start his scheming
early.” With Foxy out, and Kakashi being a favorite of Hiruzen— one whom Danzo had tried to
woo before — the conniving Danzo would most certainly notice Sakura. It wasn’t unheard of for a
probationary member to be in Anbu, but it was extremely unusual. And since male shinobi
outnumbered kunoichi twenty to one in the Black Ops, it was a small difference of her having
blond hair rather than pink.

“It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?” Sakura asked.

“Nah, I’ll see that we head home for lunch, get plenty of sleep before we start out for tomorrow,”
Kakashi argued. “No one should really bother you today. But, when we get back from our mission
— I expect a great deal of harassment.” He resisted the urge to take her hand. “It’s nothing we can’t
handle.”
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 A Demonstration
Chapter Summary

Itachi's orders

KakaSaku in the Anbu Headquarters

Shisui and Sasuke back at Whirlpool

Chapter Notes

A/N: Apologies for the delay. I wanted to reread Itachi’s Midnight novel (which is really
depressing and took 2 months) and the first 27 manga of Naruto again (which took 2 weeks). It
was a chore. Then I needed to decide which cannon events to keep and which to modify.
Remember, this is divergent. And it’s hard to write fight scenes for me - honestly, I tend to skip
over them when I’m the reader, but I suppose in a ninja series they are kind of important!
Onward!

Also, Happy early Halloween! 🎃👻

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Itachi

The ringing in Itachi’s ears made it difficult to hear Danzo as he droned on. This bandaged man —
his right eye covered — was it Shisui’s stolen eye? Or was it someone else’s? Was it Kagami
Uchiha’s eye? Had Danzo murdered him too?

Itachi’s hands drew into fists and his fingernails bit into the flesh of his palm, not quite enough to
draw blood. He needed to remind himself, Shisui wasn’t dead. He’d been saved due to the
interference of someone from the future — his little brother’s friend from the future.

“So, I can only guarantee Sasuke’s life will be spared if you kill the entire clan,” Danzo continued.

“I do not understand why children and babies who have nothing to do with the planned coup should
die,” Itachi dared to interject.
The seasoned shinobi narrowed his visible eye. It was clear he didn’t appreciate being interrupted.
“You are my tool, Itachi Uchiha. Tools do not ask the hands that wield them why they are to cut
down a tree — they just do it.”

“You are not the Hokage. Does Lord Third know of this mission of yours?” Itachi asked, further
increasing the man’s ire.

“He asked that I protect the Leaf. That is what I am doing,” Danzo growled. “Do you accept?”

“I will see to it,” Itachi vowed.

Satisfied with the answer and assuming it was agreement, because who argued with Danzo? Itachi
was dismissed. He headed into the section of Anbu that monitored his clan. He wasn’t ready to face
his new team, full of members of Danzo’s suicidal Root no doubt. Nor was he ready to see his
clansmen. He’d sent his crows in search of the man in the orange mask. Thus far, they had not
found him. He wasn’t too terribly surprised. The man could travel between dimensions and was
more powerful than Itachi.

As he passed through the halls, he overheard other Anbu talking about Team Ro’s newest member
— some blond woman going by the handle of Bunny. Itachi smiled under his mask and resisted the
urge to visit the newest incarnation of his old team.

Itachi settled in front of one of the monitors, relieving a weary, red-eyed Anbu. He flipped through
the cameras, settled on one that showed his little brother training. A bittersweet feeling came over
Itachi. He loved Sasuke, more than anyone or anything. He would do this terrible thing Danzo
asked of him if it meant Sasuke could live.

As young Sasuke ducked back out of view, heading back to their home, Itachi changed cameras
again. He focused on one outside the Nakano shrine. And that’s when he saw the familiar swirling
vortex he remembered from the day his old genin teammate died. He sucked in a breath through
clenched teeth. No wonder he couldn’t find the man in the orange mask with his crows — he was
inside the district!

Shortly afterwards, he noticed two of his father’s subordinates leaving the shrine. Did that mean the
man in the orange mask was the one that antagonized the bitter Uchiha clansmen? What benefit did
such a person gain from that kind of interference?

Now that Itachi knew the orange-masked man was within the district, he would need to change his
tactics and send a few crow to watch that area as well. There were no more things of note on the
monitors, so when another Anbu tapped Itachi on the shoulder, he’d been happy to be relieved.

He blinked blearily up at the blond woman with the bunny mask.

“Hey Crow,” Sakura greeted. “Why don’t you go home and rest for a bit?”

“It had been a long day,” Itachi agreed. She knew exactly why it had been a long, hard day. She
knew everything. Could Itachi really change anything? He stood and offered her his vacated chair.

She leaned down close to his ear— only slightly taller than him. “Spend the day with your family.
Leave your cares aside for one afternoon, please?”
Itachi said nothing, but he gave her a curt nod. He’d been thinking of doing the same thing himself.
He knew she was working to save his clan, but he didn’t know how that would work since he was
obligated to slay them.

Outside of the Anbu headquarters, Itachi started for home. His mask was attached to his hip and he
was barefaced allowing the warm summer breeze to tickle his skin. It wasn’t long before he felt the
familiar chakra of his old teammate —- the Anbu, or rather Root — Tiger masked Aburame.

“You cannot defy him. I know you are tempted, but there is no point. Lord Danzo is more important
to the future of our village than either of us,” Tiger greeted him, his voice raspy and inhumane.

Itachi stared at the man. “Sugaru,” he greeted.

“I can sense your rebellious spirit,” Tiger continued.

“You are the one that poisoned Shisui,” Itachi stated. It wasn’t a question.

Tiger nodded. “I guess he did reach you in time. It’s futile to go against Danzo, he only cares about
the protection of the Leaf.”

“Do you feel any remorse about attacking Shisui when he was a loyal shinobi? More loyal than any
other? The hero and hope of this village?” Itachi asked.

Sugaru shrugged. “I am but a tool. Lord Danzo asked, therefore I acted. What is there to feel
remorse about when I am doing my part?”

“I see.” Itachi could feel the heat behind his Mangekyo Sharingan as he activated his Amaterasu.
He focused on the swarm of insects that fed on the Aburame’s chakra, a symbiotic relationship
between the ninja and his poisonous insects. “Amaterasu,” Itachi declared, his voice strong and
determined as Shisui’s attacker burst into a multitude of black flames — one for each of his insects.

“Impossible,” Sugaru cried out in obvious pain.

Itachi watched, his heart ice cold as he incinerated Danzo’s tool that had dared attempt to murder
the best of them — Shisui Uchiha. He too felt no remorse at the man’s destruction, not even when
he was nothing more than ash and blood trickled down Itachi’s right cheek. The fire consumed
itself until there was no ash and nothing to indicate Sugaru or his insects ever existed.

Without an ounce of regret, Itachi continued home.

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OoO

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Kakashi

Kakashi stood at the observation deck, watching Sakura and Genma spar in hand-to-hand. She was
holding her own remarkably well. He would need to ask her who trained her in taijutsu, because it
was different than his own technique, yet still vaguely familiar.

It didn’t take long before he felt Danzo approach. The Commander of Anbu and founder of Root
stood next to Kakashi and watched for a while in silence. “I had heard Lord Third has a special
recruit — not originally from Konoha. That Lord Jiraiya had cleared her personally.” His dark eye
tracked Bunny and Lion’s movements. “It’s not common for women to be this versed in taijutsu.”

“She’s been trained privately,” Kakashi agreed.

“She’s been assigned to your team I assume?” Danzo asked.

“For as long as she’s in the village on her exchange program,” Kakashi agreed.

“When she’s done I want both of you to come with me,” Danzo stated. “I believe I have a need for
the two of you.” A cruel smile twisted the older man’s lips. “A kunoichi with Lord Jiraiya’s
approval must have some useful talents.”

“We don’t work for you,” Kakashi argued. “We have strict orders to act only under Lord Sarutobi’s
direction.”

Danzo scowled. “We are short-staffed. I do not believe my old teammate would deny me such a
perfect tool. You are aware of Fox’s reassignment?” He gestured towards Bunny and Lion. “A
kunoichi is useless without seduction. What need have I for another fighter? The Anbu is full of
them.”

The sparing match between Lion and Bunny came to an end and they started towards Kakashi and
Danzo. The latter stayed planted, his malicious gaze focused on Sakura.

“Excellent sparing,” Danzo acknowledged.

Lion and Bunny both dipped their heads at the praise.

“How are you with your other training?” Danzo asked, keeping his eye on Sakura and ignoring
Kakashi completely.

It took all of Kakashi’s willpower to calm the urge to allow his lightning to surge down his arm and
through Danzo’s shriveled up black heart.

Sakura removed her mask, the diamond seal on her forehead had been hidden away by a temporary
flesh-colored tattoo Sai had applied to her. It allowed him to keep tabs on her location and hid away
the unusual feature-- the ability for her team to track her was the only reason Kakashi's older self
allowed her out of his sight. She stood in front of Kakashi and removed his mask and gripped either
side of his face, stood on tip toe and pressed her lips and body flush against him.

Kakashi automatically relaxed against her soft body, his hands found her hair and cradled the back
of her head.

Danzo cleared his throat. “Hatake is too easy.”

Sakura met Kakashi’s gaze and broke up the kiss. She stepped back and turned towards her
previous sparring partner. Genma stumbled back in surprise when Sakura removed his mask and
did the same move with him.

Kakashi told himself he would not be jealous. He would not be jealous.

“Genma is an even easier target,” Danzo protested. “I have someone else in mind.”

Sakura then moved towards Danzo himself and while she didn’t kiss him, she pressed her face
against his cheek and her fingers brushed his ear. “And you, Lord Danzo? Are you an easy target?”

The Commander of Anbu was uncharacteristically quiet and then he started to laugh.

Sakura leaned back and replaced her Bunny mask before sidling up next to Kakashi. “There will be
no further demonstrations, Lord Danzo. I was cleared by Lord Jiraiya himself. I should think he is
the expert in the field.”

“I suppose I must be satisfied then,” Danzo answered, his tone dark. “I will speak to Hiruzen. Don’t
be surprised if you find yourself reassigned, Bunny.” He turned on his heel and retreated into the
shadows.

Kakashi and Genma both replaced their masks simultaneously. They were both staring at Sakura.

“That was ballsy,” Genma whispered.

Sakura shrugged, her jade eyes focused on Kakashi. “Better than an observation room full of old
men watching me have sex, right, Captain?”

“Right,” Kakashi agreed. Though, he wasn’t sure if she convinced Danzo to leave her alone or
crave her as a subordinate more. “We leave for our mission in the morning. I’ll show you the
Uchiha observation room in the meantime. Part of Anbu’s job is surveillance, not just threats
outside of Konoha, but within as well.”

Genma waved them off and ran off towards the weight room. Kakashi and Sakura ambled towards
the monitors on the fifth floor where the reception was best.

“I’m going to need to decontaminate,” Sakura complained, shifting her mask away from her face
slightly.

Once they reached a dark corner in the hallway, Kakashi pulled off Sakura’s mask and his own. He
leaned his forehead against hers and laid his hand over the cheek that had been pressed against
Danzo’s face. “There, now you have my cooties instead.”

Sakura smiled up at him wanly and then leaned forward to press her lips against his cloth covered
ones. “Thank you.”

“That was incredibly reckless you know?” Kakashi whispered harshly.

“I know.” Sakura reached for his free hand and threaded their fingers together. “He has a Sharingan
in his right eye under the bandage and his right arm has countless more Sharingan. But none of
them are Shisui’s.”
Kakashi stared down at her with his double vision — normal eye and Sharingan. “That’s why you
did it?”

“Know thine enemy,” Sakura admitted.

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OoO

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Sasuke

After three days of Sasuke teleporting back and forth, there are crates and crates of provisions,
barrels of fresh water, blankets, bedrolls, medical supplies — everything needed for three dozen
people on a two week sojourn. Shisui scanned the land just outside of the caves — everyone was
outside, enjoying the good weather, happy to be out of the darkness of the caves that they all slept
in. They’d taken over four of the caves less than a dozen people in each.

Where was everyone?

In a clan of a hundred and fifty, less than forty had desired to avoid a fight against the village
leadership. Less than forty had listened to reason as the clan’s matriarch Mikoto and the Chunin
Izumi had approached them with the choice.

“I can see the disappointment,” Taki said, laying a strong hand upon Shisui’s shoulder. “It is hard to
reason with our family when we feel we’ve been wronged or when we have lost someone dear to
us.”

Shisui knew that. He knew of the curse of the Uchiha. “And everyone in our clan has felt wronged
and has lost someone close by now.” He had read through the list of names of those that Sasuke had
transported to the safe haven. He glanced towards the high rocky enclave where Sasuke sat
currently, swinging one of his legs observing the people he’d brought. From the expression on his
face — it wasn’t enough either. He raised his hand and covered his father’s briefly. He felt blessed
to have his father back — whole and sane. “I’m grateful that you’re here.”

Taki smiled wanly down at his son. “I’ve been a failure as a father to you for many years now. I
vow to you today and henceforth, if you need me I will be there.” He followed Shisui’s gaze
towards Sasuke — the mysterious, powerful cloaked shinobi. “If you want to forcefully stop the
coup from those that don’t know better — I will gladly stand at your side.”

Shisui rubbed his tongue across his teeth. He’d been thinking about that very idea. “Hold that
thought, Dad. Let me have a word with my friend.” He flash-stepped away from his dad, appearing
up the steep rocky terrain to reach Sasuke’s side. “Hey, there, buddy.”
Sasuke scoffed. “Buddy? What? Are you eight?” He glanced over at Shisui, but there was a faint
touch of amusement in the man’s normally stoic countenance.

“Eighteen, but close enough, am I right?” Shisui sat next to him, the warmth from the sun-soaked
stone seeping in through his pants. “So, I can see you’re disappointed in the turn out. To be honest,
so am I.”

“Hn. It’s more than I had the first time.” Sasuke watched Izumi where she milled about the
clansmen. “So that’s Itachi’s girlfriend, huh?”

“Eh. Sort of. He’s not really into girls if you know what I mean. Pretty mission driven and all. But
she has had a huge crush on him for years and they’re friends.” Shisui shrugged. “Give it about two
years and I’m sure he’ll notice her. If he’s still around.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed as he stared into the crowds. “If he’s still around,” he echoed. “I don’t want
him to leave the village as a spy. At least, not for years and years. If he wants to travel, let him
wander around with Jiraiya or something.”

“The pervert sage? Can you imagine Itachi tolerating that amount of debauched behavior?” Shisui
started to laugh at the visual and felt a little twinge in his stomach at Sasuke’s answering smirk. “I
don’t know everything — obviously. But from what I’ve gathered, Itachi is ordered to do the
massacre by the village leaders.”

“Wrong.” Sasuke turned to face him directly. The dichotomy of his lavender and onyx irises jarred
Shisui momentarily. “He’s blackmailed by Danzo. Who figures now that you’re out of the picture,
thirteen year old Itachi will be easy to manipulate — and he is. Father wasn’t reasonable, but his
complaints are legitimate. He should bring up his concerns formally as clan leader, but he’s right in
that the council will simply steamroll him — at least in its current makeup. Only Sarutobi feels a
little bad about what happens to the Uchiha, but he doesn’t lift a finger to help. Minato wouldn’t
have let things get this bad. But we don’t have him.” He gestured across the field towards Naruto
who was leading the younger members into a series of taijutsu forms. “We do have his son.”

“He seems very inspirational,” Shisui conceded. In a sea of dark-haired people, that golden blond
mane stood out like the sun. “I feel Sakura is like that too.”

Sasuke nodded. “Can you imagine someone like me stuck on a team with both of them?”

“It must have been torture.” Shisui grinned at the image of the stoic man around those two loud-
mouths.

“Well, it was worse. At the time, Sakura was obsessed with me — my biggest fangirl and had no
skills, just sharp deductive reasoning and analytics. And Naruto, at first, he had so much chakra he
couldn’t even do simple ninjutsu until he learned control — which no one bothered to teach to the
jinchuriki. I wonder about the ineptitude of this time’s leadership.” He wrapped his arm around his
leg and leaned forward. “But after we actually became friends, it was really hard to leave them
behind. I wanted to stay with them and feel cared about, but I needed to avenge my clan.”

“So, where is young you?” Shisui asked. “I’d think we’d want to protect the future savior of the
Uchiha.”

Sasuke scoffed. “Savior? Please. I’ve been more of an avenger until now. Young me is going to the
Academy oblivious to what’s happening. I’ll transport Mother home before Father’s shift is over so
that my younger self if none-the-wiser. I think I need to see the carnage to awaken my abilities.”

“How do you feel about you and me showing up — the night Itachi is supposed to do this mission
and stopping him or helping him — depending on the resistance of our opponents? Do you know
how many clansmen have the Mangekyo Sharingan? You, me, Itachi, Fugaku, and my dad.
Everyone else just has the Sharingan at best.” He waved his hand across to indicate those gathered
below them. “Your mother and Izumi had the Sharingan, but most of those clans people haven’t
even activated the Sharingan.”

“Is Danzo’s right am bandaged?” Sasuke asked, turning to face Shisui directly.

“Yeah, why?” Shisui asked.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed. “I see. So he has already collected Sharingan eyes. Probably from Uchiha
that have died during battles.” He blew out an angry huff of air. “That despicable vulture. I killed
him twenty-four times. He kept using Izanagi to rewrite the battle. And he was temporarily made
sixth hokage by using Kotoamatsukami to gain support— before I killed him.”

Shisui growled and subconsciously touched his fingertips under his missing right eye. “That’s from
the eye he stole from me.”

“We will get it back,” Sasuke promised. “Sai is creating a detailed map of the Root base. Sakura
can easily autotransplant it back to you.”

The sound of a throat cleaning behind them made both young men turn around. Taki stood a few
feet away, having flash-stepped himself into position. “If Danzo is the one that tried to kill you,
stole your eye, and is behind all this — I would enjoy killing him myself. He murdered my father
and tried to murder my son.” He smiled faintly down at Sasuke. “He hasn’t wronged you yet in this
time, but he’s wronged me greatly.”

“Dad?” Shisui asked, his father didn’t know what was going on. He wasn’t privy to the truth behind
everyone from Sakura and Sasuke’s time.

“You might not realize this, Shisui, because I spent so much time living out of the sake bottle for
too long. However, I was the top intelligence gathering member of the Leaf for several years,” Taki
explained. He settled next to Shisui on the stony surface. “In the meantime, we wait.” He leaned
past Shisui and stared at Sasuke. “And you, Sasuke Uchiha from the future, tell me everything you
know about Danzo.”

Sasuke’s mouth opened and shut. “I never said my name.”

“You didn’t have to. You look exactly like your uncle, Homare.” Taki smiled faintly, his eyes lost in
a memory. “I wouldn’t forget my favorite brother-in-law after all.”

“How did Homare pass?” Sasuke asked. “Mikoto mentioned him when we spoke before.”

Taki’s gaze settled upon Mikoto. “Only Fugaku really knows. He was on the same mission with
Homare back during the war. And when Fugaku returned — Homare was dead, Fugaku had the
Mangekyo Sharingan, and your Miokto was betrothed to him.”

“I see. And how did you awaken your Mangekyo?” Sasuke asked, his tone showing his irritation at
the insinuation of his father.
“You only have to feel guilt, like the death of your dear friend is your fault,” Shisui interrupted. “I
didn’t kill my teammate, but I felt if I had extended my hand or stayed behind, he wouldn’t have
died. He wouldn’t have had to actually physically kill Homare, but just felt responsible.” He turned
towards his father. “And how about you, Dad? How was yours awakened?”

Taki sighed, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “When your mother died because I insisted on having
more children.”

“Oh.” Shisui hadn’t expected that answer. “It sounds like we won’t be waiting around here much
longer then. I’m going to go train — if either of you would like to join me? If we’re going to go
into an epic battle with minimal collateral damage and minimal casualties— it might be good to
learn to move together.”

A faint smile crossed Sasuke’s lips. Taki nodded his head and his eyes were dark with
determination.
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 Missions
Chapter Notes

A/N: Well, I wasn’t going to work on this chapter until I reached 600 kudos and I thought I
would have a few more days…but damn. Thank you! Kudos and reviews are super
encouraging…unfortunately, I will be taking a brief hiatus during the month of November on
this story, but worry not, the next four chapters are written in their rough draft already, so I
should be ready and roaring to go before too long!

I plan to focus on two of my less stressful stories -- The Blind Swordsman and Team Seven,
Monster Squad. Honestly, I'm trying to decide both Itachi and Obito's fate in this story -- and I
have to figure it out before I post the next chapter. I've plotted out the story in three different
directions in my head and need to ponder the best course. Feel free to comment your hopes
and dreams -- it may sway me!

Happy Halloween 👻🎃👻🎃!!!!

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Sakura

“What’s going through your mind?” Kakashi asked. He and Sakura were waiting for their Anbu
teammates before embarking on their reconnaissance mission for Sarutobi. It would likely take
them three days — three precious days away from their true mission. They stood in the upper
boughs of a large centurion tree near the village gates.

“I just was hoping Sai would have found it by now. I wanted to replant it before everyone started to
be gathered back at base,” Sakura explained. She had hoped to leave Shisui whole before doing the
mission commissioned by Jiraiya.

“We’ll take care of it when we get back. For now, keep your head in the game, Bunny,” Kakashi
ordered.

“Yes, Captain Wolf,” Sakura answered.

Kakashi sighed. “That sounds ridiculous. It’s either Captain or its Wolf. You don’t say both.”
“Oh, yes, Wolf,” Sakura corrected.

Kakashi looked at her carefully. “There’s something you’re not telling me,” he reasoned. “You’re
an open book even with a mask.”

Sakura laughed. “There are so many things! I’m obviously making up the rules as I go along.” She
sat on the branch they waited upon, and swung her legs back and forth anxiously. “It’s just, there’s
someone that’s a big player in the Akatsuki. I know his identity and I’m not sure if he can be
reasoned with to abandoned such an evil cause or if I out him now it will result in his soul being
beyond redemption.”

Kakashi sat next to her. He was the same age as her in this time, and yet he still seemed to have so
much more life experience than her. He was certainly more poised. “So there is still good in this
person and you’re worried if you interfere it will be snuffed out prematurely?”

“Yes, if he could be reasoned with and turned from his dark path now, countless lives would be
spared,” Sakura murmured. “His dream was created from his grief.”

“Name a shinobi that isn’t haunted by grief?” Kakashi scoffed.

“He’s incredibly powerful. Ultimately, he tips the scales in favor of whichever side he chooses. I’m
also afraid that I won’t recognize my time if I approach him now. And why would he listen to me
anyway?” Sakura blew out a breath and looked over at her Captain, her future Hokage, the love of
her life. “I don’t want to do anything that will risk you.”

“Then do nothing,” Kakashi suggested. “Somethings you just have to let it happen. If this person is
shrouded in darkness, he might kill you without a thought and it will all be for naught. It’s not
worth losing you.”

Before Sakura could think of a response, their teammates Genma and Yamato — though he went by
Tenzo at this time period — showed up. They took off at a fast clip with chakra-enhanced speed
towards the coordinates Jiraiya had given them.

Sakura was anxious to see Obito, though he’d be going by Madara at this point. He was still
responsible for the attack that resulted in the death of Naruto’s parents, but maybe if he’s stopped
now the real Madara wouldn’t be resurrected and Kaguya would never be released from her prison.
And maybe Kakashi wouldn’t be so damn sad.

It took Team Ro a day and a half to reach their destination. A mission under Anbu was definitely
different that the types of missions Sakura was used to taking. There was no friendly chit-chat and
the night was not restful, it was marred with anxiety with two people on watch at a time. And
unfortunately, she’d shared watch the Genma, not Kakashi. It was like he didn’t trust her to pay
attention if they’d been on watch together. She was professional. She wouldn’t have made out with
him on a mission— probably. Or maybe she was used to doing missions with either Naruto or Ino,
both of whom were rather chatty people. The two rays of sunshine in her life when all her other
friends were thunderstorms.

It didn’t seem to matter that she hadn’t come to a decision about Obito, because he wasn’t there.

The person she did see was hauntingly familiar. “Sasori of the Red Sand,” Sakura whispered upon
spying the young man. He had to be about the same age as Kakashi and he was very much human,
not an immortal puppet. Even if she were to somehow find Chiyo and tell he about Sasori, he was
already a murderer at this time. How many of his nearly three-hundred puppets did he have? And
standing at his side was the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru.

“You know him?” Genma whispered.

Sakura nodded her head. Sasori wasn’t inside his Hiruko puppet. And he’d not extracted the
emotions from his body to make himself into a living puppet yet. Though he looked defenseless,
she knew he would have scrolls on him containing his puppets. He would have already defeated the
Third Kazekage by this time. And if he spied Kakashi’s silvery hair, all hell would break loose.

Kakashi used the sign language of Anbu to indicate silence amongst this team.

Sakura’s mind raced. She assumed they would run into Obito and Kisame. She thought maybe
because she and Obito had worked together in the end, that she could maybe reach him in this time.
She still got shivers remembering double Mangekyo Sharingan Kakashi from her time when Obito
had helped him beyond the grave. That electric blue Susanoo had been the most amazing thing
she’d ever seen!

They continued to observe the two Akatsuki members for about an hour and then Kakashi indicated
for them to return. Jiraiya’s orders had only been to observe from afar. Sakura had all but forgotten
that Orochimaru would still have been part of the terrorist group at this time. It was Sasori himself
that led to that connection when he’d outed Kabuto as his spy. Though, that sneaky medic had been
a double agent.

They were almost back to the village, but it was very late. Kakashi dismissed Genma and Tenzo.
He’d be turning in the report, little as it was to the Hokage and to Jiraiya. “I think you should come
too,” Kakashi told Sakura.

Sakura followed him, but the whole time she needed to know — where was Obito? She followed
Kakashi’s example by kneeling on the floor, mask still in place in front of Sarutobi’s desk. Jiraiya
was also in the room, but she no longer cared about their run in before — compared to what Danzo
had in mind, it had been an inconvenience. Besides, she had boxed up that ordeal and placed it in
the far nether reaches of her mind, right alongside all the other bad things that had happened to her.

“That was fast,” Jiraiya murmured.

“There were two missing nin at the coordinates,” Kakashi said. “Sasori of the Red Sand and
Orochimaru of the Leaf.”

Jiraiya cursed, throwing his hands into the air and started pacing. “Damn it! Those two are both
experts in poison. Who knows what sort of lethal potions they’ll concoct!” He whirled back to
them. “Why did you return? Where are they going?”

“It must be a mistake,” Sarutobi murmured. “Orochimaru would never join a terrorist
organization.”

“You’re blinded by your affection for a boy who has cast off his humanity in his quest for
immortality,” Jiraiya snarled. He gestured back towards Kakashi and quickly averted his gaze from
Sakura. He was very careful to avoid looking at her.

“Sasori was in his human form. That means he doesn’t intend to fight anytime soon,” Sakura
explained, drawing the Sannin’s attention.
He swallowed thickly, but looked directly at her this time. “Can you explain what you mean,
please?” His tone was overly polite and caused even Sarutobi to look back at him in askance.

“Sasori doesn’t risk his actual body in battle. He has puppets for that and usually he himself is
incased in an armored puppet for defense. He’s a genius and very strong. But right now, he’s
focused on perfecting his craft. He won’t be engaged in active fighting for a while yet.” Sakura
closed her eyes and remembered the puppet she fought — the man’s heart had been transplanted
into the puppet of a teenaged body. He’d really just been a broken boy who’s parents had been
stolen away too soon — by Kakashi’s father. “If he’d seen Kakashi’s hair, he might have attacked
regardless.”

“What do you mean?” Kakashi asked, turning towards her, ignoring decorum.

“Sakumo Hatake killed Sasori’s parents. There is no one he would want to kill more than you,”
Sakura explained. She looked back at Jiraiya. “Our orders were to observe.”

“What about Orochimaru?” Sarutobi asked. “Are you sure it was him? Maybe you were mistaken.”

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at the Hokage’s hopeful question.

“Orochimaru will be on his way here,” Kakashi answered. “We wanted to beat him back.”

“Here? Why would he return?” Jiraiya asked. “He hasn’t stepped foot in Konoha in six years.”

“Actually, he has,” Kakashi argued. “He’s been doing experiments for Danzo. He has been for a
long time.”

“Lord Danzo,” Sarutobi corrected.

“Danzo,” Kakashi and Sakura spat the name together, both looking at each other briefly.

“Woah, that’s quite a bit of venom,” Jiraiya commented. He dared a look at Sakura. “You seem to
dislike him even more than me.”

“You’re a pervert, but you mean well. He’s a monster,” Sakura explained.

“Danzo tried to kill Shisui. He stole one of his eyes. Orochimaru will be on his way to implant it
into Danzo,” Kakashi explained.

“That’s quite the accusation,” Sarutobi cautioned.

“It’s the truth because I removed the poison from Shisui myself. He’d be dead otherwise.” Sakura
stared back down at the floor, no longer wanting to look into the eye of the Third Hokage. Why had
anyone called him the Professor? He was so blinded by his feelings for Orochimaru and Danzo.
She didn’t want to judge him too harshly, his heart had obviously been broken when Minato died.
Maybe he’d just given up after that?

“Where is Shisui now?” Sarutobi asked.

“Safe. Though, I imagine he’d like an audience with you,” Kakashi suggested.

“I would like to speak with him.” The Third reached into his desk for his pipe, held it in his hands
briefly and then stuffed it back into the desk unused. He drummed his fingers over his desk in
agitation.

“We would like permission to infiltrate Root and retrieve Shisui’s stolen eye,” Kakashi stated.

“Root is part of Anbu. You don’t need to infiltrate. You’re already members of Anbu,” Sarutobi
argued. “I already spoke to Lord Danzo and he explained to me that Root is just a subdivision. Our
earlier discussion is a moot point now, Hatake. The members are trained a little more extensively
and from a young age.”

“The members are taken in as young orphans and brainwashed,” Sakura argued. “They are raised in
groups of two and when they graduate they must fight to the death. One lives and graduates, and
their best friend dies. All emotion is purged through this action. And then their tongues are sealed
by Danzo that their secrets go to the grave.”

“How do you know this?” Sarutobi challenged.

“How do you not?” Sakura asked back.

Kakashi cleared his throat and sent Sakura a warning look to tell her to be quiet. “I will pass on to
Shisui that you are interested in hearing his report.”

The Third Hokage continued to stare at Sakura. “Who are you, Sakura Namikaze? Tell me now, or I
will call forth Yamanka and have him rip it from your mind.”

She turned towards Kakashi and he shrugged. She stood and removed her mask. “I am a Namikaze
— Lord Fourth was my mother’s cousin. But, more to the point, I come from a time in the future. I
trained under Lady Tsunade.” She gestured towards Kakashi. “He is the most trusted person in the
entirety of the Leaf, so I entrusted him with my situation.”

“How far into the future?” Sarutobi asked, not seeming to question the possibility.

“After the Fourth Great War,” Sakura answered vaguely. “I came to stop the massacre of the
Uchiha clan — under Danzo’s orders.”

“I’m the Hokage, not Danzo. He has no such authority,” Sarutobi growled.

“Let me ask you this, Lord Third. Who was your absolute best friend in life? Was it not Kagami
Uchiha? And were you ever satisfied with the story of his death? A two-man mission with Danzo,
but his body was irretrievable? And Danzo came back with a bandage over his eye at the same
time?” Sakura’s hands fisted at her sides. “Have you ever seen what’s under the bandage?” She
gestured towards Kakashi. “Do you deny that the transplant of a Sharingan is possible?”

“Enough.” Sarutobi held up his hand. “You’re dismissed.”

Jiraiya looked like he wanted to protest, it was clear by his dark eyes that he had more questions.

“Understood,” Kakashi answered. He grabbed Sakura by the elbow and led her out of the Hokage’s
office and onto the rooftops. He raised his hand in a casual wave to the Anbu guards stationed
outside of the tower and started in the direction of the Hatake Estate. “He’s clearly been influenced
by Danzo’s Sharingan. He’s completely changed his tune about Root. I don’t think spilling your
entire truth was the best course of action— especially the part that breaks the laws of physics.”
“I’m not cut out for subterfuge,” Sakura admitted. She gestured towards his face with her free hand.
“Maybe I’m the one that should be wearing a mask.”

“If my hair wasn’t already grey, it would be now,” Kakashi mumbled.

“Silver.”

“What?”

“Your hair isn’t grey. It’s silver,” Sakura pointed out. “Grey hair has a wiry texture. Your hair is soft
and silky.”

“We’re going to the estate,” Kakashi said. “We should report to your other Hokage.” He grinned
under his mask, apparent by the familiar eye crinkles. “Your favorite Hokage.”

“Some days he is, most of the time the Godaime is my favorite,” Sakura pointed out.

No sooner had they arrived at the estate, then Sasuke showed up along with Sai. “Finally,” Sasuke
grumbled. “We’ve been waiting for you to return. You’ve been gone for nearly three days. What
took you so long with the old man?”

“She told him she was from the future,” Kakashi explained.

Sasuke and Sai’s eyes both widened. “Was that wise, Sakura?” Sai asked. He shook his head. “I
don’t think it was. However, I found the eye and have been able to map out the Root facility
enough for retrieval.”

“I’m taking us back to base. You’ve wasted enough time on this little side mission.” Sasuke took a
deep breath and using Susanoo to collect his charges, stepped back through his portal back to the
Whirlpool caves.

Sasuke stumbled slightly once they arrived and Sakura caught his arm to steady him. “Let Naruto
recharge you.” He pulled his arm from her grasp and walked towards the group that was already
gathered together.

“It sure is a lot more crowded,” Kakashi murmured. He slung his arm lazily over Sakura’s
shoulders. “Don’t take it to heart. He’s just stressed since it’s the survival of his clan on the line and
all.” He leaned even closer to her ear. “And he’s probably mad that you fell for my charms instead
of his.”

Sakura yanked herself out his arms. “Don’t be a jerk,” she warned.

Soon the entire crew from the future along with Anbu Kakashi, Shisui, and his father Taki gathered
together. Mikoto and Izumi had the refugees from the Uchiha clan along with about twenty of
Naruto’s Shadow Clones a good distance away.

Hokage Kakashi took charge of the discussion. “We will go through with the retrieval of Shisui’s
eye. And Shisui will also inform the current Hokage of Danzo’s attack upon him.”

“Fucking right it’s too dangerous in the hands of that murderous scumbag,” Shisui murmured,
pumping his fist in the air and knocking hands with an equally enthusiastic Naruto.

“Communications will take place through Ino,” Hokage Kakashi explained.

“Finally, I thought I was going to be relegated to babysitter and bedwarmer this whole adventure,”
Ino complained. She glanced over towards her husband. “Not that I minded the bedwarmer role.”

Sai grinned. “You’re really good at it.”

Sakura exchanged a look with Naruto and they both grinned. Ino and Sai had both come a long way
in a short amount of time. She had chosen to stand next to him for the meeting, unhappy with Anbu
Kakashi’s attitude earlier and trying to give Sasuke space. Hokage Kakashi was still unhappy with
her for going on the Anbu mission. Naruto and Shisui were the only ones not mad at her.

“Sai, explain the map to us once more, just so that everyone understands,” Hokage Kakashi
ordered.

“Since Naruto won’t be joining us, I’m sure everyone else understood it the first time,” Sai argued.

“I can’t believe I’m being left behind — for babysitting duty when there isn’t even anyone to
babysit!” Naruto whined.

“It’s because you have no stealth,” Sasuke pointed out.

“I’ll show you stealth!” Naruto roared, but Sakura hugged him from behind and used her monstrous
strength to keep him in place.

“You’re only proving my point,” Sasuke added. His face was paler than usual and he was obviously
running on fumes —both physically and emotionally.

“How do you survive being their instructor?” Anbu Kakashi asked his older counterpart. “We don’t
take up drinking do we? That would be highly irresponsible.”

Hokage Kakashi looked between the younger shinobi. “No, we read a lot of porn. It helps.”

Anbu Kakashi met Sakura’s gaze. “Please, tell me he’s joking.”

She smiled back at him, but said nothing.

Sai leaned over the map and explained the layout once more. It was decided that Sasuke would
teleport everyone — again — and that Naruto would share his chakra with him.

“Great, so I can be a battery then,” Naruto grumbled.

“You can’t always be the star,” Hokage Kakashi assured him. He smiled faintly under his mask.
“But I understand your frustration. It’s hard to stay behind.” He gestured towards Shisui. “Try to
think about how Shisui must feel —it’s his eye.”

“And tomorrow I’m going to speak with Lord Third,” Shisui vowed. “Make sure he understands
about Danzo’s treachery and the danger to my clan.”

“I’ll be joining you,” Sasuke added.

Shisui smiled at Sasuke. “My dear cousin, you’re doing enough. I can teleport pretty well myself.
There will be plenty for you to do, but I think if the old man meets another time-traveling shinobi
he really will die of a heart attack.”
“I’m not sure I see the problem with that,” Sasuke murmured.

Sakura snickered at the joke and she and Sasuke shared a brief smile. She relaxed. They were still
good.

“So, what do you want me to repaint your mask as?” Sai asked, gesturing towards Sakura and Anbu
Kakashi.

“Repaint my mask?” Anbu Kakashi sounded scandalized.

“It’s temporary paint,” Hokage Kakashi explained. “It won’t wash off, Sai will release the jutsu
after the mission is complete.”

“When do we leave?” Sakura asked.

“After I recharge,” Sasuke said. He waved Naruto over. “Come on, idiot. I need a power up.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sasuke

For years, Sasuke had traveled on his own without any teammates and he’d managed to come out
relatively unscathed. Sometimes, he felt lonely, but now he was in danger of being overstimulated
by too much concern from well-meaning friends and family.

And of all people, he was waiting in the forest next to Ino Yamanaka. Next to Sakura, Ino had been
his second biggest fangirl growing up. It was strange knowing that she was married to the shinobi
that had replaced his position on Team Seven. And Sakura had some thing going on with the
Kakashis. Frankly, he didn’t want to think about it too much, other than that it was odd.

He had a fairly easy job tonight. He was transportation and guard duty for Yamanaka as she used
her mind power to keep everyone on the team in communication. It was a pretty cool ability, except
he really didn’t like people inside his head.

He itched to kill Danzo again. It would be much easier with his current abilities and knowledge.
However, he did have to admit that Shisui and his father had a bigger grief against the despicable
man. It probably was wise to keep Sasuke away from the Third Hokage. There was a good chance
he’d want to kill that old coward as well. His ineptitude allowed someone like Danzo to rot Konoha
from within. He looked down at his empty left sleeve. His madness and rage could directly be
correlated to the decisions made by Danzo.
“Alright everyone, good luck!” Ino said in everyone’s minds.

“Pretty hard to see down here,” Sakura thought.

“I’m not having any problems,” Kakashi answered smugly.

“We don’t have Sharingan,” Sai argued. “It’s not far now. Stay close.”

Sasuke smiled faintly. He hadn’t realized he and Kakashi were so alike until he met this younger
version. If anything, Sakura definitely had a type. He tensed slightly. He and Ino weren’t alone. He
scanned using his Sharingan and noted at least six members of Root.

“We’ve got company,” Sasuke added. “Six out here. I’ll take care of them.” He was glad he’d
powered up using Naruto’s endless supply of chakra. Sakura could heal any wound and Naruto
could replenish chakra supplies. Their team really had all the advantages.

“Incapacitate, don’t kill, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura shouted in his mind.

“Fine,” Sasuke agreed. He left a Shadow Clone to watch over Ino while she concentrated and then
went after the uninvited guests. Sasuke used his Rinnegan to position himself behind the enemy
and hit them hard at the base of their skull to render them unconscious. It would have been easier to
kill them, but Sakura was right. He repeated the move five more times until the shinobi were no
longer a threat.

“Found it,” Sakura said. “It’s in a storage case. And there’s a notebook. Can you show Sasuke-
kun? Is it Orochimaru’s handwriting?”

An image of a dark blue journal manifested in Sasuke’s mind and he recognized the handwriting of
his old teacher. “It’s Orochimaru’s script.”

“We’re on our way out,” Kakashi said.

The three of them were covered in ink and soot when they met Sasuke and Ino in the woods.
Wordlessly, Sasuke called for his Susanoo’s rib case and his teammates stepped inside and they all
vanished through the portal back to their base in Whirlpool.

“Oh! Back so soon?” Shisui asked, bouncing on his feet eagerly.

Sasuke felt dizzy and he kneeled down on one knee to catch his breath. Sakura’s warm hand was
upon his forehead immediately. “Chakra exhaustion. Find Naruto, get another recharge and then
you need to sleep, Sasuke-kun.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Shisui

It was a much nicer experience having his eye returned to him than having it snatched away. Shisui
blinked up at Sakura gratefully from his two functioning eyes.

“Be careful when you use your Mangekyo abilities,” Sakura warned. “Repeated use does lead to
blindness.”

“We can always exchange eyes for the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan,” Taki mused. “I read that’s
what Madara did — he traded eyes with his brother and that fixed the issue.”

“You would have to use the M.S. an awful lot to go blind,” Shisui argued. “I’ve had it for five years
and until my eye was snatched away never had a problem.”

“So, what’s the plan now?” Anbu Kakashi asked. “I think I should head back to the village.” He
stared at Sakura when she wasn’t looking. “I assume I’ll be losing my memories soon.”

“Since I won’t be dying this time, why don’t we wait until after she’s gone back. Allow yourself a
little time to grieve,” Shisui said quietly. “We can figure out exactly how to lock away certain
memories, but not all. Otherwise, it will suck if you’re one my best friends and you don’t even
remember me!”

“We were friends before all this,” Kakashi protested.

“No, we weren’t,” Shisui said with a sad smile. “But now we are.” He gestured towards the people
from the future. “They’re all about to go back, but we’ll still be here. This is our time. And there
are still plenty of people in my clan in danger of slaughter. I’ve got to inform the Hokage and
frankly, if I kill Danzo — with permission — then there is no reason for the massacre. I believe
Uncle Fugaku would accept his head as payment for the slights against the clan, especially since he
instigated most of them.”

“We found a notebook. Orochimaru has been obsessed with the Sharingan. I’m not sure if we
should destroy it, or if we should show it to the Hokage as proof of the conspiracy between Danzo
and Orochimaru,” Kakashi reasoned.

“Both. I’ll take it with me and then we’ll destroy it afterwards,” Shisui suggested. He noticed
Kakashi’s visible eye focused on the other side of the group. “How many days until they return to
their time?”

“Three.”

“A lot can happen in three days.” Shisui ran his fingers through his curly hair and laughed. He
understood why Itachi did such a terrible thing in the other timeline. But now, he was alive, and he
could save Itachi and his clan. And Sasuke — poor sweet Sasuke would know how to smile once
more.

“You look stupid when you’re being sentimental,” Kakashi deadpanned.

“Whatever. Thanks for getting my eye.”

Kakashi grinned down at him through his mask. “What are friends for?”
.
.
.
.
 July 23rd
Chapter Notes

A/N: Good day! I enjoy the crisp air of fall and the annual November rains! My favorite book
series generally have four to six main characters and the chapters have the POVs of those
people. I’m not sure if it’s confusing to y’all as readers. So, I’ve decided to go back and edit
these previous chapters and will from this chapter on label the POV.

These last few weeks were a helpful break so I could map out the direction of the current arc
on this story and the second arc which will be starting soon. I started watching Jujutsu
Kaisen-- the main character Yuji in my Headcannon is Sakura/Kakashi’s son…lol. Gojo is
soooo pretty like Kakashi.

I’m hoping for biweekly updates, possibly weekly if I can find the time…so if my updates are
too slow for you, feel free to check out some of my other work. Without further, ado, enjoy!

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Sasuke

The sheets were wrong. Instead of familiar, soft navy blue they were plane gray and overly starchy.
The familiar, quiet sleep of his big brother Itachi was absent and he was subjected to the irritating
snores of Naruto. Sasuke wasn’t home. He was spending his seventh birthday in the guest bedroom
of his teacher, Iruka.

When his mother had informed him that he’d be staying with his teacher and Naruto for the next
few days, he’d not realized it meant he’d be spending his birthday away from his family. His
mother had a mission — which was weird because she’d retired from active shinobi life as far as he
knew. Itachi naturally was busy with Anbu. And his father would be busy as usual with his role as
Police Chief.

Sasuke stared up at the ceiling and counted the chakra signatures of the Anbu guards stationed
outside — there were two. He’d noticed that there was generally two Anbu nearby Naruto’s
apartment — apparently they had followed him to Iruka’s. He recognized one of the Anbu as the
woman with the purple hair and the other as the man with dark hair who favorited kenjutsu. Itachi
probably would know who they were, but he took his role in Anbu seriously and wouldn’t tell
Sasuke even if he asked.
The last two days, Iruka had made breakfast for Sasuke and Naruto. It had been pleasant, but not as
good as his mother’s food. She teased that her magic ingredient was love. While Sasuke knew that
was ridiculous, there was something about making food for someone special that made it taste
better.

Sasuke threw his pillow at Naruto from where he laid on a pallet on the floor. “Hey, Idiot, wake
up.”

“Mrph,” Naruto grunted into the pillow covering his face before he knocked it aside and glared at
Sasuke with irritated bright, blue eyes. “What do you want, Jerk?”

“It’s time to wake up. Let’s get going.” Sasuke rolled out of bed and made it up behind him. He
wouldn’t admit it, but he’d really started to appreciate Naruto’s presence in his life. He wasn’t quite
as stupid as he’d originally thought. Naruto learned differently, but he did learn things. And while
Sasuke didn’t have the patience to explain things to the blond, their friend Sakura did. She didn’t
have patience for when Naruto tried to flirt with her, but she had it for miles when it came to
helping him understand a concept from class.

For the last two weeks, the three of them had been scoring in the top three consistently on their
written tests. And while Sasuke remained number one on their skill evaluations, Naruto was slowly
improving. Sakura was too, but she was still behind most of the kids from shinobi families. And
while Fugaku Uchiha was ever stingy with any praises, Sasuke had started to take pride in seeing
the success of his two classmates as they both improved under his tutelage. He felt he understood
his cousin Shisui better and why the older boy enjoyed helping to train both Itachi and Sasuke over
the years whenever he was between missions.

And with Naruto almost always at Sasuke’s side now, the countless love confessions from the girls
at the Academy had slowed down. That awful girl Ami hadn’t even approached him once! Their
dislike of Naruto outweighed their crush on Sasuke. Perhaps nothing would serve as a better
birthday present than that!

“Oye! Happy birthday, Sasuke!” Naruto cheered, rubbing his eyes and smiling brightly at him. “It’s
going to be a great day! Believe it!”

Moments later, the two young boys— one six and one newly turned seven— were engaged in a
territorial battle for the bathroom sink in their teacher’s home, jamming their elbows into each
other’s ribs while simultaneously brushing their teeth.

“Let me brush my teeth in peace, Naruto! It’s my birthday, you shouldn’t be giving me grief.”
Sasuke spat into the sink.

Naruto spat immediately afterwards, ran the back of his hand over his mouth. “It being your
birthday is exactly why I couldn’t wait for the sink! Master Iruka is taking us to breakfast before
school and we have to hurry!”

Sasuke’s irritation melted away.

“Let’s go!” Naruto grabbed hold of Sasuke’s elbow and dragged him out of the bathroom. Sasuke
barely had time to put away his tooth brush before being forced into the hallway. “Sakura-chan and
Shikamaru are going to be there too!”
Ten minutes later, Sasuke found himself seated in one of the private rooms at a popular brunch
restaurant. Iruka said that his mother had arranged for the small celebration. Naruto was right that
Sakura and Shikamaru Nara were already there, which he wasn’t friends with Shikamaru, but they
didn’t dislike each other. However, on the other side of Shikamaru were Choji Akimichi and Ino
Yamanaka. Sasuke had no particular feelings for the other two, other than a mild contempt that he
felt for most people.

Sasuke chose the seat next to Sakura and smirked faintly at the slight pink of her cheeks at his
decision. Naruto plopped himself on his other side. Sasuke didn’t miss the thinly veiled sneer Ino
shot Sakura from across the table.

“Thank you, kids for waking up early so we could do this before classes,” Iruka started. “Today is
Sasuke’s birthday and his mother made this reservation for us.” He glanced towards the door to
their room. “We’re just missing a few more, but go ahead and look at the menu so we can order.”

“Here you go, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura whispered, sliding a menu towards him. “You’ll probably like
the evening sunshine omelette.”

Sasuke took the menu and for a moment, his and Sakura’s fingers brushed and he felt his ears burn
and was grateful his hair was long enough to hide them. He said nothing as he scanned the menu
until he found the one she recommended. It was loaded with tomatoes! The door of their room
opened and in walked three more of their classmates — Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino
Abarame. He would have preferred if it had been his mother, brother, and cousin, but of his
classmates — these other eight did seem to be the ones most likely to graduate the Ninja Academy
and the ones he most tolerated.

“Happy birthday, Sasuke,” Naruto whispered at this side.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

The Uchiha district was in a state of confusion. The Police were clueless in finding their missing
clans members. It was as if a third of their family had vanished over night. The Police Chief’s own
wife was amongst the missing! Fugaku’s youngest son, the only Uchiha attending the Academy at
present, was staying the week with the school master Iruka along with the jinjuriki — apparently
Mikoto had made these arrangements before her disappearance.
Itachi only half listened to the chaos going on around him. He knew his father was looking for him,
but he’d been staying in Shisui’s empty house— both Shisui and his father were amongst the
missing Uchiha.

But, his father wasn’t Police Chief because he worse a sour expression better than anyone else.
Itachi wasn’t too surprised when his father threw open the front door of Shisui’s home and stormed
inside with a purpose, not even bothering to remove his work boots. Itachi could have shunshined
away, but he decided to face his father — it might be their last interaction before he fulfilled his
duty of assassinating the clan before joining the terrorist group as a spy.

“Itachi!” Fugaku called out. “Stop hiding and speak to me.”

Resisting the urge to run off to Anbu headquarters where his father couldn’t enter, Itachi swung his
legs off the side of Shisui’s made-up bed. He hadn’t been able to sleep and had rested staring at the
ceiling, arms folded over his chest. Carved into the ceiling directly over Shisu’s bed was a map of
the constellations. He’d been reciting their names for the past several hours.

He met his father in the den. Fugaku’s eyes were brighter than usual. The somber, defeated look
that has began to etch itself in his face was softened into one of determination. As soon as Itachi
came into view, Fugaku stood with a four inch white slug summons resting in the front pocket of
his uniform shirt peeking out. “Itachi.”

“Father,” Itachi intoned.

“Your mother, Shisui, Taki, and your friend Izumi are amongst the missing,” Fugaku explained.
“Don’t worry, Sasuke is safe. Your mother sent me a hawk to inform me that Sasuke would be
staying with the school master the next few nights— along with Minato’s boy, so there would be
Anbu watching over them.” He took a tentative step towards Itachi. “What is going on?”

“I cannot say.” Itachi truly couldn’t say. He’d purposely been left out of the loop on this tactic. But
would it be enough? Danzo would surely not be satisfied if a third of the clan casually strolled
home a few days after Itachi’s mission. He’d just send in his Root to finish the job. Or would he?
There were too many unknowns.

Fugaku stepped towards Itachi and grabbed his thin shoulders. “Look, I know, I don’t understand
you. Just as you don’t understand me. But you are my son and I love you, Itachi. I can see the
haunted look in your eyes— no child of thirteen should have such sad eyes. And, I have
reconsidered — I wish to discuss strategy with you and your brother.”

“My brother is seven years old,” Itachi murmured. It was July twenty-third. “How will that help?”

Fugaku cocked his head to the side, a faint smirk in spite of the dire situation. “The grown version
— the one with the legendary eyes and missing arm.”

“How?” Itachi asked. He’d wiped his father’s memory of that meeting.

Fugaku held up the little slug. “The girl used one of these on your uncle.” He tapped his temple
with his index finger while holding the slug in his other palm gently. “It is difficult to change the
memories of someone whom also has Mangekyou Sharingan. Even more difficult to make those
altered memories stick.”

“I don’t know how to get in touch with them,” Itachi answered truthfully.
“Then who might?” Fugaku insisted.

“Kakashi.”

“Ah, Sakumo’s son. Obito’s friend,” Fugaku recalled.

“He is my friend too,” Itachi said quietly.

“I will call it off. There will still be some stirred to act on their own and I’m not sure our police
force can stop them completely — the resources have been reduced so much and most of the angry
faction with the capability to be dangerous are amongst my officers,” Fugaku explained. He ran his
fingers through his dark brown hair and sighed. “I do not want my sons to live in the ruins of my
mistakes. I will request a meeting of the clan council. It hasn’t been called in over eight years, but I
will express our clan’s grievances in the official capacity.” He tried to smile at Itachi, but it was a
poor attempt. Fugaku was not good at feelings.

Itachi felt his resolve weakening. Here was his father — his true father — the great detective with a
spine of steel, courage, and intelligence. He wanted to be a little boy for his father again, not the
youngest Anbu captain in history with the weight of a hundred year old grudge. Fugaku wanted
Itachi in Anbu to spy for the Uchiha, and Anbu wanted Itachi to spy on the Uchiha. He’d only been
serving Anbu. It was time he served his family too. For the Uchiha were part of Konoha, not a
threat that was beyond reason. “Father, it is not entirely your fault. There is another, he wears a
mask, and he’s been lurking about the district inciting these feelings of anger, hatred, and
inadequacy. And you’re not imagining the grievances. They are being stoked by Danzo. He had
Shisui poisoned and stole one of his eyes— with the power to force others to do his will. Danzo has
been spying on the clan ever since he’s been in power.”

Fugaku pursed his lips into a thin, hard line. “Then I will call the meeting for today.”

“Tonight you are all slated to die,” Itachi whispered.

Fugaku met Itachi’s somber gaze. “I do not care if I live or die. But I do care that an unfair burden
has been placed upon your shoulders. If you must kill me, I will not resist. I will not make it harder
on you.” He held up his empty hands and smiled at Itachi in such a sad manner that the unfamiliar
warmth of tears prickled the younger man’s eyes. “I care that my nephew was attacked by our own
village. I care that my officers work long, hard hours and can barely afford to put food on the table
for their families. I care that our clan has been slandered and ostracized. I care that Minato
Namikaze sacrificed his life to protect the village from the Fox demon and yet his son was denied
the chance to be adopted and forced to live as an orphan when your mother requested to adopt him
— repeatedly.” He reached for Itachi’s shoulders again. “I care that you no longer laugh and have
deeper creases on your face than I do, when you should be more concerned with holding hands
with that girl Izumi that follows after you with soft, love in her dark eyes.”

“I will speak to Kakashi. You arrange the meeting.” Itachi was gone with a brief ember of hope
blossoming in his heart.

.
.
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 OoO

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Shisui

It was fortuitous that Lord Third’s security detail that morning included Shisui’s friend Genma
Shiranui as well as Sarutobi’s eldest son, the Anbu member Biwi. The latter whom Shisui had
served on a mission with back during the last war. Normally, Biwi Sarutobi was stationed with the
Daimyo, far away from the village proper. It was odd that he was here.

He recognized the other two as Raido Namiashi and Iwashi Tatami — all capable of Lord Fourth’s
Flying Raijin technique. It was a formidable guard — as if Hiruzen knew it was a dangerous time
for him. Those four shinobi were amongst the most loyal to the Hokage and Konoha itself. And
more importantly, none of them cared for Danzo.

“It’s been a long time,” Biwi greeted when Shisui and his father alighted to the roof of the Hokage
tower. His mask was that of an eagle.

“What’s wrong with your eye?” Genma asked, his Lion mask settled over his face.

“Recently had surgery to put it back in place after it was stolen,” Shisui answered. His father
stiffened in anger beside him. “My father and I request an audience with Lord Third.”

“There is a proper way to arrange a meeting,” Biwi pointed out.

“And this is an emergency,” Shisui explained, shifting his weight between his feet, eager to do
something. “Shit is about to hit the fan in a matter of hours.”

“My mother, Biwako is at a cafe having brunch with Asuma and my wife. Lion and I will allow
you to visit the Hokage — with our presence,” Biwi explained. “You’ll have five minutes.”

Shisui appreciated that the Third’s son didn’t hide behind his mask and pretend anonymity. He
knew Shisui knew his identity and spoke frankly. “That’s all we need,” Shisui agreed. The tension
in his chest eased up a little with the faintest relief. A minute later, Shisui and his father sat at the
table in the Hokage’s kitchen with Biwi and Genma flanking the village leader.

“It’s been a few days, Shisui. I expected a report sooner than this,” Hiruzen said tiredly, rubbing at
his eyes. The wrinkles in his face were more pronounced and his skin had am unhealthy gray-tinge
to it.

“Danzo tried to kill my son,” Taki stated. “Poisoned him, stole his eye, tried to steal the other. It
was only by a miracle that strange medic was able to keep him alive.”

“Namikaze’s niece,” Hiruzen stated. “The same one that healed your broken back?”
“Danzo has ordered Itachi to murder the entire Uchiha clan.” Shisui laid his empty hands palms
down on top of the table and leaned forward. “Otherwise, he will murder Sasuke.”

“Is your clan still planning a coup?” Hiruzen asked, his tone unmoved by the revelation.

“At least a third of the clan is solidly against it. Another third is neutral, they are so listless and
defeated by the constant abuses the village leadership has lodged against the clan that they have
lost all heart. And the last third are so angered and betrayed, but we still hope to reason with them
for they have done nothing in the past but protect this village,” Taki explained. “Danzo’s attack on
my son isn’t the first time he’s assaulted an Uchiha. He killed my father, Kagami. He must be
removed from his position of leadership. You asked me to help with Anbu. I’m here. Name me
Commander.”

“Rumors,” Hiruzen said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “No need to slander Lord Danzo.”

“Father,” Biwi interrupted. “These men speak truth. Or at least what they believe to be true. Do not
be blinded by your misguided fondness for a childhood teammate.”

“Bah, you’ve never liked Lord Danzo,” Hiruzen scoffed.

“Why does he wear a patch over his eye? Fortuitous timing that the mission Kagami failed to return
on, Danzo came back with a patch over his eye and a position of power on the council,” Biwi said.
“Was it not his idea that my wife and I be sent to watch over the Daimyo full time? To keep me
away from you? I’ve never been one to take kindly to any of his suggestions. The only reason you
allowed me to return home now is so my wife can give birth to your first grandchild under the
security of the village.”

There was a tap on the kitchen window, a hawk with a message tied to its leg stood on the window
seal. Biwi opened the window and allowed the bird to land on the counter before he rubbed its neck
and removed the scroll. He opened it to make sure there were no hidden explosives and then tossed
it to his father.

Shisui watched the exchanged with bated breath.

“Lord Fugaku has requested an emergency meeting,” Hiruzen said after reading over the scroll.
“With all the clan heads.”

“He’s requesting you as the Head of the Sarutobi, not as the Hokage?” Shisui asked, surprised. His
uncle was reaching out through official channels? Had Sasuke been able to get through to him after
all?

“I do not have time for this,” Hiruzen murmured under his breath.

“Father, you will not use my child’s impending birth as an excuse,” Biwi warned. “This is the time
to make sure your own citizens aren’t victims of genocide. You cannot bury your head in the sand
and let Danzo get his way.”

Lord third looked across the table directly at Shisui’s father. “Taki Uchiha, I hereby promote you to
Anbu Commander.”
.
.
.
 OoO

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.
.
Kakashi

It had been nearly three weeks since Kakashi had visited the memorials for Obito and Rin. He’d
become part of another team — knowing these people would be his team in the future was both
awesome and depressing at the same time. They’d be back in their time in two days and he’d be left
with another gaping hole in his heart. He’d still have Genma, Tenzo, Shisui, Asuma, Gai, and
Yugao — though he rarely hung out with the latter three. Maybe he needed to change that. He
would also be losing his friend Itachi though and that hurt the most before that loss tasted like
failure. Like the failure of Obito being crushed under a pile of rocks meant for him or of Rin dying
in his arms, her blood and heart matter dripping from his murderous hand.

As if his bitter thoughts had summoned Itachi right to him, Kakashi kept his posture loose when
Itachi’s familiar chakra approached him cautiously from behind.

“Today is my brother’s birthday,” Itachi said quietly, by way of greeting.

“That’s nice.” Kakashi stared at Obito’s name engraved deep within the dark stone memorial. He’d
stared at this stone so many more times that he’d ever actually looked at his lost teammate. If he’d
paid better attention to the dark-haired member of Team Minato, maybe they’d have understood
each other better then finally solidifying their friendship as one laid dying.

“Father wants to speak to him,” Itachi continued.

“Okay, well, he is probably at the Academy, but surely you know that,” Kakashi answered. What a
strange conversation! He and itachi hadn’t spoken in a few days and he’s found him to talk about
Sasuke’s birthday?

“Not the seven year old, the twenty year old,” Itachi explained.

Kakashi turned towards him then. Itachi’s eyes were bloodshot from sleepless nights, the lines
under his eyes deeper, his mouth paler. His normally immaculate hair looked oily tied back at his
nape. “He’s not here.” He gestured around the empty graveyard. “Obviously.”

Itachi closed his eyes and he breathed out loudly from his nose, an indication of his impatience.
“But they haven’t gone back? They’re still around?”

Before Kakashi could answer, both he and Itachi stiffened as a third person joined them. Shisui
stood before them, both eyes wide open and a cheeky grin on his face. “Hello best friends of
mine!”

Itachi’s face paled. The last time he’d seen Shisui — he’d been dying.
Kakashi felt his lips twitch into a faint smile at the sight of the younger man hugging Shisui as if he
might disappear on him. Kakashi would do the same if he’d seen Rin or Obito just show up.

“I’m really here, no genjutsu,” Shisui assured him, patting Itachi on the back and lifting the smaller
teen into the air in a bear hug before setting him back down. “We’ve outed Danzo and your dad has
called a meeting of clan heads to discuss the grievances against the Uchiha clan.”

“All the clan heads?” Kakashi asked. As the only living Hatake, that would include him. He’d only
been to one such meeting before when Minato Namikaze had been named as successor to the role
of Hokage.

“Yep!” Shisui smiled at him, slinging his arm around Itachi’s neck. “And you, Itachi, are not
leaving my side all day. And you’ve been reassigned in Anbu.” He looked over between Itachi and
Kakashi. “You’re both been assigned to my Anbu team.”

“There can’t be three captains on a team,” Kakashi argued.

Shisui’s grin spread wider. “There can when nepotism is involved. Guess who Lord Third named
Commander of Anbu?”

“You?” Itachi asked in disbelief.

“I wish!” Shisui chuckled. “Maybe one day. No. My dad. Once upon a time, he served in Anbu—
all secret-secret like me, so there was no public acknowledgement of it.” His eyes twinkled in
excitement as he looked back at Kakashi. “And you’ll need to get your girlfriend. She’s on my team
too.”

“They’re leaving soon,” Kakashi pointed out.

“They’re not gone yet, are they?” Shisui asked. “I need the loud-mouthed blond and my cranky
cousin too. The others can manage the other part.” He released his arm from around Itachi and was
practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. “I already sent them a hawk with a
location and time to meet us.”

“Well then, I better get ready for the clan head meeting,” Kakashi said, feeling his heart race with
the familiar thrill of a challenge.
.
.
.

OoO

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.
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Sakura
It had been a restless night with very little sleep. Her mind raced and wandered down so many
different paths of possibilities it was impossible to not worry. In two days, she’d be back in her own
time, living with whatever repercussions happened from her little foray into this time, a decade and
a half removed. She had tried to interact with the refugee Uchiha as little as possible, but yesterday,
a small three year old had fallen while climbing the boulders and shattered his shin bone.

As Sakura mended the leg of this little boy, she wondered who he would become. He’d been
murdered — as a three year old! Now, he would live. Would he be friends with Hanabi Hyuga?
They would be roughly the same age and would start the Academy in a year. There were a
multitude of shards throughout the tibia and the fibula had snapped cleanly in half. Sakura could
feel a bead of sweat dealing with the greenstick fracture. Repairing the soft bones of a young child
had to be done just right and with absolute focus. This child couldn’t afford for her mind to wander.

So it wasn’t until after she’d finished, that she realized the young woman that had ran a damp cloth
over her forehead, collecting her beads of perspiration had been Izumi Uchiha. They’d met before,
helping to find her wayward family cat. Hopefully, they’d continue to know each other for she
would live now. Hopefully.

As Sakura started to rise to her feet, someone had offered a hand to help her stand. It wasn’t
necessary, but Sakura took it anyway. It had been the strong, well manicured hand of Mikoto
Uchiha with familiar eyes and hair the exact same mid-night black as Sasuke. Sakura absolutely
prayed that this woman would live — this kind, loving, fierce mother. A woman she wished her
own mother could be like.

Naturally, Sakura ran away, not wanting to be too attached to either of them. Or less that she ran
away, and more that she ran to Kakashi. He said nothing, but welcomed her into his embrace,
letting her bury her face against his throat as his strong arms banded around her. She needed to tell
him about her lost IUD, but she told his younger self— that counted right? What if she ended up
pregnant from their time together in this era? Shouldn’t he know? Or would he know once they
returned and their new memories melded with their old memories?

That night, she set her bedroll next to his, facing each other, but keeping separate. For her, they’d
just been intimate over the past few days. For him, it had been fourteen years since they’d been
together — it was so strange. But, it felt wrong too — like it would be cheating — if she were to be
with him like that to his older body when she was only just with his younger body. And frankly, she
wasn’t a succubus, so she could wait until they were back home to try and figure out where they
stood.

“You know, I can feel your eyes staring into me,” Kakashi whispered, his breath warm as it tickled
her nose. His eyes were closed and his visible face was relaxed, his silver hair a mess sticking in so
many directions from his position on his side facing her. He stretched out his hand and grabbed
hers, twining their fingers together. “We’ve done all we can. It’s time to sit back and observe.”

“We don’t have to go back tomorrow. It takes the artifact two weeks to charge, but we don’t have to
leave two weeks later. We go go back two weeks and two days later. We should make sure
everything is stable before we leave,” Sakura worried.

“Things will not be stable for some time. Not until after Danzo loses power and the Akatsuki is
stopped,” Kakashi reasoned. “We need to go back to our own time.” He opened his eyes, twin
stormy clouds peered back. “I know you want to fix everything. But not every problem is yours to
fix.” He brought their joined hands close to his mouth and kissed her knuckles softly. “Once we’re
back home, we need to destroy the artifact, or at least convince it to leave Earth. It’s risky altering
the timeline this one time, but if we keep changing things, will it re-write history or will it cause a
parallel universe.”

“It will rewrite history,” Sakura assured him. She’d read the theories.

“That’s one theory. We’ll find out soon enough,” Kakashi pointed out. He released her hand and
carded his fingers through her hair. “I miss your normal pink locks.” He smiled faintly as he closed
his eyes again. “I dreamed we had a son with your hair and my eyes.”

“I hope not,” Sakura scoffed. “I don’t want my kid to be bullied for his hair. Dad had a hard time of
it.”

“Kids bully each other. We just have to make sure any children we have are confident enough to
not let it bother them,” Kakashi murmured. “Adults bully each other too. That’s why my father
killed himself.” His fingers slipped out of her hair and Sakura caught his hand again.

She pulled his hand to lay palm flat over the swell of her breast to feel her beating heart. “I would
love to have children with you, Kakashi. Though, I’m hoping for silver-haired little ones. And any
children I have will know they are loved. It was Ino that gave me that love when I was a bullied
child when my own parents ignored my pain. And Naruto, Sasuke, you, Master Tsunade later
helped me. I am so sorry about your father and for all the pain you’ve been through.”

“You shouldn’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault,” Kakashi said quietly, but he didn’t move
his hand.

“That’s just how I am, Kakashi. I’m a fixer and when I can’t fix something, I feel very sorry,”
Sakura said, a sad smile lifting her lips

He leaned towards her, yanking his mask down in the process and pressed his lips against hers,
Sakura let herself sink into his soft, insistent lips. She was just thinking about slipping inside his
sleeping bag anyway, ignoring the war in her heart for this Kakashi and that Kakashi.

A familiar throat cleared above them. Kakashi had his mask in place and was back on his side of
the bedrolls before she could stare up into Naruto’s cheeky grin. “Sorry to interrupt, but Sakura-
chan, we’ve been summoned.”

Kakashi sat up, bringing his knee up and resting his forearm on top of it lazily. “By whom?”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. “By Shisui and you.” He tossed the tiny scroll to Kakashi. He
was still their Hokage and de-facto team leader.

“What does it say?” Sakura asked, sitting up and finger-combing her hair. Gone were the days she
would spend an hour blow-drying her hair to perfection.

“Lord Third has named Shisui’s father as Anbu Commander.” Kakashi’s eyes scanned the scroll
before he continued. “And Shisui is running an Anbu team to stop Danzo. Itachi’s orders to
assassinate his clan have been cancelled. He’s created a team called The Will of Fire and requests
you, Naruto, and Sasuke to help young me, him, and Itachi. The three of you are to meet younger
me at Shisui’s house within an hour of receiving this letter.”

“What is going on?” Sakura asked.

“Apparently, Fugaku has called a meeting of the clan heads. Which, I am one technically, so that’s
probably why.” Kakashi looked between the two of them. “This is a significant change. I have no
idea what we’ll be returning home to.”

“Hopefully, something better,” Sakura said, reaching for Kakashi’s hand and offering him a hopeful
smile.

Kakashi flashed them both his eye-crinkle smile. “We will find out.”
.
.
.
 The Massacre that Didn’t Happen
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
.
Kakashi

In the back of his closet, the traditional robes of his clan hung forgotten. The last time he’d worn
the Hatake insignia on his back had been at Minato’s funeral, but those robes from six years ago
were much too small on his six-foot tall frame. Instead, he wore the robes of his father, Sakumo
Hatake, dead now for the past fifteen years.

His father had a bulkier frame than Kakashi, but they were of the same height. The robes fit him
surprisingly well and Kakashi was reminded that he wasn’t a lanky teenager anymore himself. It
made sense that he’d seemed to fill out himself seemingly overnight, he’d be twenty-one in less
than two months.

It was so faint, but he could just barely detect the lingering scent of his late father’s aftershave—
sandalwood. It soothed his nerves more than he thought it might. When he’d first allowed himself
to be involved in the mess with the Uchihas and with his time-traveling teammate, there was no
way he could imagine just how intense everything would become.

Kakashi had been minding his business for these past six and a half years serving as a tool for
Anbu. He thought he killed off all his emotions between the assassinations and the seduction
missions. When he brought Tenzo out of Root and into the regular Anbu, that had been the start of
the old, caring Kakashi that had died the day Rin died. And when Itachi had been put on his Team
Ro, another ember of his old self — the desire to protect others from harm started to stir. And then
Sakura Haruno had invaded his space, traveled back through time to grab him by the short-hairs,
and claim the withered remains of his blackened heart- burnt to ash from his chidori.

And now he had a whole clan to protect — the Uchiha. Obito’s clan. And he had a clan to
revitalized — his own clan — the Hatake.

Only an hour ago, he’d left Shisui’s house in the Uchiha district after planning with his future Team
Seven how to best protect the clan from Danzo’s retaliation. There was little doubt that after he was
stripped of his power officially, he’d use his personal Root mercenaries to carry out his nefarious
plans of genocide. Danzo was the type that if he couldn’t have his way, he’d raze everything in his
destructive wake.

Naruto had left over three-hundred clones back at Whirlpool and Sasuke would continue to move
the clan members incapable of fighting to the caves. It made Kakashi feel ridiculously proud
knowing that his future team were literally protecting an entire clan from annihilation. And they
were strong! His father had beaten the original Sannin in battle. Kakashi didn’t want to pit himself
against the Neo-Sannin.
And now, Kakashi had to do his part. He sat between Shika Nara and Tsume Inuzuka. Across from
him sat Lords Hyuga and Akimichi. Others at the table included the clan heads from the Aburame,
Yamanaka, and of course the old warhorse Danzo Shimura. While he was the youngest clan head,
Kakashi was also the only one that really knew the reason behind the meeting. He inwardly seethed
at Danzo’s smug posture with his arms folded over his chest — one visible and the other bandaged.
Scattered throughout the room, Anbu stood guard. Kakashi recognized most from actual Anbu, but
he wouldn’t have been surprised if some were in fact Root members.

Then the door opened for the gathering to reveal the Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and trailing behind
him were Fugaku Uchiha, Taki Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha. The look of utter disdain Fugaku sent
Danzo was palpable.

“If we had known you were bringing an entourage, I would have done the same, Lord Uchiha,”
Hiashi Hyuga stated, his lavender eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Highly inappropriate,” Danzo agreed.

“I have invited the Anbu Commander Taki Uchiha and my nephew Shisui to serve as witnesses, not
as representatives of my clan,” Fugaku explained. He took the seat on the right side of the table
while Hiruzen seated himself at the head.

“Anbu Commander?” Danzo scoffed. “That position is already taken.”

“Unfortunately, not all the clans are represented. Lady Tsunade Senju is unavailable, but we still
have a quorum,” Hiruzen explained. “Thank you, everyone for attending. I am here as
representative of the Sarutobi clan, not as the Hokage. Lord Fugaku, if you please?”

“The Uchiha clan wishes to voice their official complaint against Danzo Shimura in his hate crimes
against us in his attempted murder of my nephew Shisui Uchiha, the murder of Kagami Uchiha,
and theft of Kagami’s Sharingan,” Fugaku started, with no preamble.

The gasps of shock around the room almost made Kakashi dizzy with all the Oxygen being sucked
in. He quickly caught Shisui’s gaze and nodded his head in a sign of encouragement.

“Preposterous!” Danzo scoffed. “Where is your proof?”

“I witnessed Shisui after your attack, Lord Danzo,” Kakashi stated. “His body was poisoned by the
insects of a former Aburame clan member whom was part of your Root forces— his code name
was Tiger. I know this because I’m the one that caught Shisui as he fell from the cliff once his
energy was expended and one of my teammates managed to save him from the poison using
advanced medical ninjutsu.”

The visible eye of Danzo narrowed. “The Namikaze girl.”

“Namikaze?” Hiashi Hyuga repeated. “A relative of Lord Fourth?”

“Distant relation,” Sarutobi explained. “Remove your eye patch, Danzo.”

“This is all ridiculous,” Danzo stated, not moving. A couple of the Anbu began to twitch.

“It does seem rather far fetched,” Nara murmured.

“Did you not threaten to murder my seven year old son, if you my thirteen year old son didn’t agree
to kill the entire Uchiha clan? To prevent a supposed coup?” Fugaku pressed.

The tension in the room was so oppressive. Kakashi could feel the rise of murderous intent coming
from not only some of the Anbu guards, but from Danzo himself. Shisui probably had the most
murderous intent, as he was the most skilled assassin in the room, but as the professional he was,
Kakashi couldn’t sense his friend’s emotions.

“Itachi Uchiha is a member of Anbu. His missions are of no concern to you, Fugaku,” Danzo
hissed. “Stick to your role with the Police.”

“Anbu take orders from the Hokage, not you,” Taki Uchiha stated. “Anbu Commander is given
assignments from the Hokage and then is responsible for matching the task to the right team. The
Anbu is not your personal army, Shimura.”

“Remove your eye patch, Danzo,” Sarutobi stated again.

Danzo stood abruptly from the table and Shisui was at his side less than a second later, having
shunshined into position and snatched the bandage away revealing a three tomoe Sharingan.

“My father Kagami’s Sharingan,” Taki declared. “The Kotoamatsukami will no longer help you.
After all these years, in your foreign body, the kekkei genkai of my clan has officially rejected you.
Which is why you targeted my son.”

“Cull!” Danzo shouted. Half the Anbu began to move, with or without the influence of the man’s
stolen Sharingan. They were quickly met with opposing forces of the other Anbu that weren’t
swayed by his command.

“I’ll take that,” Shisui stated grimly, reaching into Danzo’s right eye socket and snatching away his
grandfather’s Sharingan.

Blood began to flow down the Konoha elder’s face as his blood curdling scream filled the air. Then
one of the Anbu flashed to Danzo’s side and the two disappeared.

“Calm down!” Shisui shouted, his Sharingan spinning and the Anbu that had been influenced by
Danzo’s earlier command had regained their autonomy.

“After him!” Hiruzen ordered the Anbu in the room. He held his hand towards Kakashi and Shisui.
“You two stay.”

Fugaku cleared his throat, folded his arms over the table as if Danzo’s treachery and subsequent
escape hadn’t just disrupted the meeting. “I have come to apologize to the rest of the clans. The
Uchiha have been festering in resentment about being forced to the outskirts of the village and with
all the budget cuts to the police. There has been unrest and a coup was considered — even until
recently.” Fugaku bowed his head in a deep apologetic pose. “It would seem that the person likely
responsible for the Nine-tails attack a few years ago, has been popping up within the district to
influence my clan members and was stoking the fires of resentment. But I come before you all as a
father.”

“We do not always get along,” Hiashi Hyuga stated. “But the Uchiha are one of the four noble clans
of Konoha. Your grievances should be voiced and we should work to make sure all citizens of the
Leaf are treated fairly.”
Shisui used a scroll to seal away the stolen Sharingan. He tucked the small scroll into the front of
his flak jacket. “My grandfather’s eye was able to manipulate others into doing whatever the user
wanted.”

“Danzo is missing the eye, but what about his arm,” Kakashi pointed out. Sasuke had confirmed
that Danzo’s arms was covered in stolen Sharingans— collected over the years of MIA Uchiha
shinobi who faithfully served the Leaf. He pulled out the journal he and his team had pilfered from
Root. He slid it towards Sarutobi at the head of the table.

“His arm has been bandaged for years,” Nara said.

“On page twenty, you’ll notice Orochimaru’s familiar handwriting,” Kakashi advised. “He
implanted the eyes of fallen Uchiha from the different battles in the Second and Third wars into
Danzo’s right arm using Hashirama cells to fight rejection.”

“Pilfering from the Uchiha dead and then trying to wipe out our clan,” Fugaku said, shaking his
head in disgust.

“This is why we use seals on our branch members,” Hiashi admitted. “Ever since that man from
Mist stole an eye from one of our fallen soldiers in the Second War.”

“Danzo may be trying to take Root to the district now to try to wipe everyone out himself,”
Aburame reasoned. He reached for Shisui. “I am sorry for what my clan member did— I suspect it
was Yoji Aburame. He’d been abused as a child by his father and when Danzo recruited him, I did
nothing to stop it. I should have protected the children of my own clan better. The poisoned beetle
is extremely painful. I’ll have to meet this medic, I didn’t realize it was possible to stop the
poison.”

“Yeah, I hope to never repeat it,” Shisui agreed. “And Danzo will find not too many of my clan is at
home right now. And those that are have some pretty impressive bodyguards.”

“If it’s alright, I’d like to help in the pursuit,” Kakashi stated.

“I think we’ve accomplished what we needed,” Sarutobi reasoned. He continued to flip through the
pages of Orochimaru’s journal. “Danzo is wanted for murder and treason.” He met Fugaku’s gaze.
“I take it the Uchiha no longer wish to revolt?”

“The Uchiha are a part of Konoha. We would not wish for the downfall of our own home.
However, the Police cannot function with such a pittance budget,” Fugaku reminded. “That is a
problem for the council though.”

“And I think Anbu, under new management, won’t have a problem working with the Police force,”
Taki Uchiha reasoned.

“I will send some of the jonin from my clan over to the Uchiha district to help with whatever is
going on,” Hiashi vowed. “I pray we are not too late.”

“As will I,” Aburame added.

“Hatake, get your Team Ro and head out there,” Sarutobi ordered. He grimaced. “I need to go to
the hospital. My grandson, Konohamaru will be born any minute now.”
“Our children are what matter most,” Fugaku stated. “Thank you, Lord Third. I will report to you
after it’s over.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura

Once they arrived at the Uchiha district, Sasuke had removed the clansmen that were incapable of
fighting. They wanted warriors to defend the clan, not potential hostages. It was getting pretty
crowded over in Whirlpool. Now Sakura, Naruto, and Itachi with their identities somewhat veiled
behind their Anbu masks stood with the Uchiha Police officers. Sasuke arrived shortly afterwards,
also masked.

“Excellent timing, as always,” Naruto commented, holding his hand for Sasuke to knock fists
against.

After a moment of hesitation and an eye-roll obvious even behind his Mask, Sasuke bumped fists
with his best friend. He leaned close to Sakura’s ear. “What did I miss?”

“If everything is on schedule, the clan meeting should have started about ten minutes ago. Danzo’s
probably on his way here now with a small army of his Root to try to do whatever damage he can,”
Sakura whispered. She reached for Sasuke’s left shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Are you going to
be okay?”

Sasuke looked down at her, his crimson and lavender eyes really looking into Sakura’s face with
such excitement and a small, genuine smile settled upon his lips. “Sakura, this is the best day of my
life. Killing Danzo in our time was a hollow victory. But ending him now, before he can do so
much damage — this is rewarding.”

“You make a much better defender than avenger,” Sakura said quietly, smiling up at him.

“Agreed.” Sasuke laid his hand over Sakura’s on his shoulder and squeezed it gently. “Let’s do
this.” He then shifted so that he, Naruto, and Sakura formed a triangle with their backs together.

“I never thought Anbu gave a damn about the Uchiha,” Tekka Uchiha commented. According to
Itachi, he was one of the biggest voices of dissonance.

“Anbu protects Konoha. The Uchiha are part of Konoha,” Naruto answered. “And we’re friends
with Itachi and Shisui.”

“This is not how I envisioned things working out,” Yashiro murmured, another one of the Fugaku’s
dissonant subordinates. “I’m glad you finally decided to care about your clan, Itachi.”
“At least this way, you aren’t doomed to die,” Itachi retorted. “And I care about my family. I care
about the Leaf. The Uchiha are part of the Leaf. I do not care for pride.”

“Whatever, I’m just glad to be on the same side,” Yashiro said, rolling his crimson eyes. “It’s hard
enough dealing with the rest of the village’s scorn. It’s nice to have the heir in the same corner as
the rest of us.”

“They’re coming,” Itachi announced. He didn’t react to the heir comment, his singular focus on
protecting the clan from the upcoming attack.

“How do you know?” Sakura asked. Her fingers itched at her side where she gripped a pair of
kunai in a white knuckled grasp. All around, she could hear the nervous breaths of the shinobi
standing at alert. The birds of the evening had quieted and an unnatural stillness seemed to descend
upon them.

“My crows,” Itachi answered. “At least three score enemies approach.”

And that’s when the clash began. Danzo and his Root expected to find unsuspecting Uchiha, not
thirty battle-hardened Police Officers and two teams worth of Anbu special ops — especially with
two of them having the powers that allowed them to take out a goddess.

However, Root was merciless. And Danzo revealed that right arm of his with the stolen Sharingan
as he continued to manipulate reality to undo his own defeat. Though, as his Root would drop to
the ground dead, he paid them no heed.

“The Uchiha are a scourge! A blight upon the Leaf! The world would be safer without the mental
instability of your cursed clan!” Danzo hissed.

“Rantings of a madman,” Sasuke deadpanned as he used his sword crackling with the electricity of
the chidori to pierce through Danzo’s heart.

And yet again, Izanagi warped reality to rewrite the scene. Another crimson eyeball closed forever
on Danzo’s right arm, but there were so many more.

“Why won’t you stay down?” Naruto cried out. “Rasengan!” He shouted as he directed his
signature attack into Danzo’s heart, only for the man to re-write reality again.

Shisui had shoved a kunai through the man’s remaining eye, but moments later, Danzo stood again
with another closed Sharingan in his arm, with his functioning left eye and skull not pierced.

The bigger concern were the Root members. They fought in tight formations and they were
ruthless. And while Danzo had a rewind advantage, no one else did and the salt and peppered
Uchiha officer that had threatened to give Shisui a ticket for littering those weeks ago crumpled to
the ground in a heap.

Sakura noted the officer’s fall, but wasn’t able to give it much thought as the blade of a Root
shinobi descended upon her. She infused her hands with chakra and caught the blade, shattering it
under the force she usually reserved for splitting the earth. Once he was disarmed, she shot a wave
of medical chakra to her opponent’s brain and rendered him unconscious.

She took a deep breath before looking for her next opponent when she felt a brief stutter in her
heart at the sight of Kakashi and the rest of his Anbu companions — Tenzo and Genma. Yugao and
Hayate whom she remembered from the Medical Corp and her original Chunin Exams were
watching over young Naruto and Sasuke. It was probably for the best that there weren’t more Leaf-
loyal Anbu there to fight because it meant fewer possible casualties for their side.

The warmonger had his enslaved soldiers, brainwashed since childhood in their loyalty and an arm
full of sacrificial Sharingan to re-write reality. The Uchiha clan had something better than magical
Sharingan in this battle. They had Sakura Haruno, Apprentice of the Fifth Hokage and her
summons Katsuyu. While the sticky slug summons had creeped out many shinobi, now that their
wounds healed, keeping them from becoming worm’s food, they climbed back to their feet and kept
fighting, momentarily stunning their Root counterparts.

“This is both exciting and terrifying,” Sakura admitted when she and Kakashi ended up back to
back when a trio of Root came at them. For a brief moment, the feel of his strong, leanly muscled
back pressed against hers helped to rally her spirits and steel her resolve.

“Kick ass now, talk later,” Kakashi chimed. They glanced over their shoulders briefly, jade and
charcoal/crimson gazes met briefly from behind their masks.

“You got it, Captain,” Sakura agreed. She threw a volley of poisoned senbon — a trick she learned
from Shizune — at another wave of Root. Most were knocked away, but a few hit purchase and
those victims would soon stumble to their knees, falling unconscious.

Their victory seemed assured, right up until the man in the Orange mask showed up. The masked
Obito — Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all knowing his true identity was a maelstrom of chaos. He
started to manifest out of nowhere, teleporting into their plane of existence long enough to deliver a
fatal blow using his kumui and vanishing before any counter attack could reach him. Tekka and
Yashiro fell under his blade.

Then Obito snatched Danzo up and vanished. The Root survivors that hadn’t been rendered
unconscious scattered like roaches and while some did manage to leave the Uchiha district, Shisui
used his own kotoamatsukami, though it wasn’t fully recharged, to place several of the Root
survivors into a docile trance.

“What will we do with these?” Hiashi Hyuga asked. He tapped one of the entranced Root on the
shoulder. The man swayed slightly but remained immobile.

Aburame moved close to Fugaku Uchiha. “I can temporarily paralyze them until they are moved to
a secure facility.” He gestured to a woman wearing a trench coat with goggles obstructing her face.
“Suzume, use your wasps.”

“It will be difficult to undo years of brainwashing,” Taki Uchiha said. “Probably impossible.” He
looked up at Fugaku. “But we should try, right?”

Sakura thought about Sai and the others like him. What was going to happen to him now? Was his
brother Shin still alive? Would they be adopted into some of the clans? Or would they be left to
fend for themselves like young Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi had been?

“The police round up suspects. It is not our job to prosecute and punish,” Fugaku stated. He moved
to stand between Itachi and Shisui and laid a hand on each of their shoulders. “I am very proud of
you both.” Then he stepped past them and stood directly in front of Sasuke Uchiha — the tallest
man on the field of battle, not a trace of blood on his immaculate dark cloak. His sword sheathed
across his back. Fugaku threw his arms around him and hugged him close. “Thank you,” he
whispered.

Sakura met Sasuke’s gaze over the shoulder of his father and smiled at him as her precious friend’s
mismatched eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Kakashi had returned to stand at her side and elbowed her gently. “Looks like it was worth it,” he
murmured.

Sakura wanted to hug him, but it wasn’t appropriate in their Anbu gear. She didn’t want to ruin his
reputation regardless of how much she wanted to throw her arms around his neck and press her
body to his. “Definitely worth it.”

He leaned down, his mask covered lips barely softening his words as he whispered in her ear. “Will
you stay with me tonight?”

While Sakura wanted to agree, she needed to resist. She was about to return to her time with his
older version. His memories of her would soon be repressed.

“Would you really be able to let me go in the morning if I did?” Sakura asked, meeting his
mismatched gaze once more. Ignoring proper shinobi etiquette, Sakura reached for Kakashi’s hand.

Kakashi sighed, gripping her hand in return, and he closed his left eye. “Probably not. Shisui and I
will be there to send you all off, back to your home. He’ll alter my memories afterwards.”

“We’ll meet again,” Sakura promised. “We’re bonded through time.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Itachi

It was ten o’clock at night, two hours past young Sasuke’s bedtime even if he was officially seven
years old. Itachi led the way to Iruka’s house with his parents walking silently behind him.

The coup had effectively been nipped in the bud. The subordinates of his father’s that the man in
the Orange mask had manipulated the most had all fallen under Danzo’s Root soldiers.

Taki Uchiha was now Anbu Commander and Danzo had officially been exiled from the Leaf and
was wanted for treason.
Itachi would no longer be serving as a spy for Konoha under the terrorist group Akatsuki. Though,
he wasn’t especially bothered by that. He liked being outside of the village — the Uchiha district
felt stifling. But, maybe things would be different. He had no intention of ever following in his
father’s footsteps as Police Chief. He wasn’t even sure if the Police Force would soon exist or if it
was going to somehow become a branch of Anbu. Once upon a time, Itachi had dreamed of being
Hokage and ending wars amongst the shinobi. Was that possible? Or did he want a new dream? He
thought about the fact that his cousin was alive. His parents were alive. Sasuke was still innocent.
And Izumi had been a constant, caring support in his life.

Maybe instead of joining a terrorist organization and focusing on reconnaissance and assassination
missions he could spend some time around the village — training Sasuke, taking Izumi out for tea,
and keeping Shisui out of trouble.

“He’s going to be shocked,” Mikoto murmured, her voice laced with excitement.

Itachi slowed his pace so that he was walking alongside his parents along the sidewalk. His
beautiful mother had her arm looped around his stoic father’s arm. And Fugaku Uchiha had a soft
smile on his face. After months, no years, of uncomfortable tension between the two, Itachi thought
that maybe there was a love shared between his parents.

How odd and unexpected!

Iruka had been surprised when Fugaku Uchiha had knocked at his door. Sasuke had looked torn to
be joining his family and leaving behind his best friend.

“Oh, Naruto is coming too,” Mikoto said, smiling broad and holding her arms out to both boys.
“Naruto, we’ve been allowed to officially adopt you. You’re part of our family now.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Younger Kakashi

Standing next to Shisui, younger Kakashi watched as the team from the future prepared to return to
their own time, leaving them behind to face the repercussions of ousting Danzo from his leadership
of Konoha’s underworld and the salvation of the Uchiha clan. Shisui would alter his memories and
he wouldn’t remember his future Team Seven. When he would meet them in four or five years, they
would be annoying little genin that would melt his icy heart.

He’d wanted another night with Sakura, but she’d left after helping to clean up the Uchiha district.
They’d worked through the night and reported to the exhausted Hokage the next day. He’d been at
the hospital for his grandson Konohamaru’s birth and the joy of being a grandfather on his
generally solemn face was certainly foreign.

After giving their report and she acknowledged that she had to return to her village— her time.
Third had thanked her for her contribution and dismissed her. Sakura and Kakashi did manage to
share one last kiss, standing at the roof of the Hokage tower under the watchful eye of the Hokage’s
Anbu guard for the day.

Then they met up with older Sasuke in Uchiha district. He was running on fumes after using his
Rinnegan throughout the evening to bring his clansmen back to the district. After another recharge
from Naruto’s huge chakra pools, Sasuke brought Team Seven and Shisui to Whirlpool to say
goodbye as they returned to the future. The plan was for Shisui to alter Kakashi’s memories after
they returned to their time.

On the other side of the cave, older Kakashi took Sakura’s hand and pulled her to him. Together
with her in front of him, his arms banded around her, they stood quietly next to the Turtle Artifact
ready to return home, for better or for worse.

“So, the Hatake estates or the Hokage tower?” Sakura mused.

Kakashi hummed. “Either or. You know, I want to be jealous that you spent so much time with
younger me here, but it’s still me. I’ve waited fourteen long years to finally feel complete. It will be
nice to have all my own memories back.”

“What do you think it will be like?” Sakura asked.

“We’ll find out soon enough. I just hope it’s all worth it.” Kakashi pressed his cloth-covered lips
over the top of her head.

Sakura sighed and then stepped out of Kakashi’s embrace. She went around the circle and stood
between Ino and Naruto.

The turtle artifact began to glow. “This is it,” Sai pointed out.

The Leaf Shinobi fourteen years removed from their own time, laid their hands on the artifact.
Their bodies began to shimmer.

“My my, what a fascinating scene,” the man in the Orange mask suddenly appeared. “I think you’re
owing me an explanation, blondie,” he said, grabbing hold of Sakura and yanking her away from
the artifact.

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto cried out, reaching for the space they were at and letting go of the artifact.

Older Kakashi, Sasuke, Sai, and Ino all winked out of the past. Left behind was a cold time-
traveling artifact, a wide-eyed Naruto, and a bewildered Kakashi and Shisui.

“Who was that? Where did he take Sakura?” Shisui demanded.

Kakashi ripped his thumb into his mouth to summon his ninja hounds.

“You won’t find them that way,” Naruto said quietly. He was glowing a bright yellow, much like
Minato used to do when he’d gone into Sage mode. “He used kamui. They could be anywhere.”
“Who was that?” Kakashi demanded. He clenched his jaw so tightly, he thought he might grind his
molars to dust.

“The leader of Akatsuki,” Naruto answered. He looked like he wanted to say more.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Older Kakashi

They used the turtle artifact, but Obito had somehow snatched away Sakura before she could join
them. He remembered Naruto crying out Sakura’s name. The moment Kakashi felt solid ground
under his feet, he found Shisui— an older version who looked to be in his early thirties waiting for
them. Alongside the Uchiha survivor stood his father Taki, and Neji Hyuga.

Before he could feel his consciousness slipping away, Kakashi felt a strong hand grab him. Sasuke
was next to him and he’d grabbed Kakashi’s arm with his left hand — he had both hands now.

“We’ll get them back,” Sasuke vowed and then he fell unconscious.

Kakashi woke up, feeling his head still fuzzy. A quick scan of the neutral colors on the wall and
utilitarian bed, he realizes he’s in a shared hospital room with Sasuke. There is a little girl sitting
next to Sasuke on his bed, and his mother is also in the room. Mikoto notices Kakashi awake first.
“Oh! Lord Sixth! It’s so great that you’re awake!”

“So I’m the Hokage and I don’t get my own room?” Kakashi murmured, rubbing his forehead.

“Not with your penchant of running away” Izumi stated, entering the room. “And since your wife
isn’t here to make you stay, we thought it would be best to take extra precautions with Konoha’s
two most stubborn patients— the Hokage and the Chief of Police.” Izumi’s heels clicked against
the tiled floor. She stood by his bedside and laid her stethoscope over Kakashi’s heart. “How are
you feeling?”

“Confused.” Kakashi looked over at Sasuke and at the little girl in bafflement. Who the heck was
she? “Where is Sakura?”

“Um, I don’t know exactly. Shisui said she’s on an extended mission. Only you, Itachi, and he
know the details — if you can’t remember, I’m sure he’ll fill you in,” Izumi reassured him.

She stepped past Kakashi and then went to check on Sasuke. She asked him a few questions and he
answered in a low murmur. The little girl hopped off the edge of Sasuke’s bed and made her way
towards Kakashi’s bedside and smiled up at him.
“Hi!” the dark haired girl chirped. Her toothy grin was eerily familiar to Kakashi, but he couldn’t
quite place it in the dark haired, dark eyed child. She had to be somewhere between four and five
years old. “Are you doing okay, Papa Kashi? Why isn’t Mama back yet?”

Kakashi stared down at her in shock at the words. His eyes caught Mikoto’s puzzled look. He
looked past her towards Sasuke.

“Sarada? Come back over here. Your step-Daddy needs a little more time. He’s not feeling well,”
Sasuke explained. ‘I know!’ he mouthed back silently — he’d also been stunned at the girl’s
presence, but apparently his memories were less muddled than Kakashi’s or at least he covered for
his lapses more smoothly. “Where is Itachi?”

“He’s filling in as Interim Hokage while you were on the mission,” Mikoto answered. She reached
for Sasuke’s hand and held it between her own perfectly manicured ones. “You must still be so
exhausted, my sweet boy.”

“Izumi?” Kakashi called, gaining the medic’s attention. “I’d like to have Shisui come see me as
soon as possible. Is there any word on Sakura or Naruto? Ino and Sai?”

“Of course, Lord Sixth! I’ll get a message for Commander Shisui. I’ll update Itachi as well. And
the Yamanakas are fine.” Izumi’s face scrunched up in concern and she laid the back of her hand
against Kakashi’s forehead. “Still a little feverish. Naruto and Sakura are still on that special
mission. I know Itachi will want to see you both as soon as he finishes up today’s meetings. Why
don’t we all give you two some more time to rest. I’ll have lunch sent up in a few minutes.”

Izumi escorted their visitors out of the room leaving Kakashi and Sasuke alone.

“You have a daughter with Sakura?” Kakashi asked.

“Apparently.” Sasuke sighed. “And you’re married to her. But I think we’re some sort of functional
blended family? My mind is still kind of jumbled together. Why didn’t Sakura or Naruto come back
with us?”

“I wish I knew,” Kakashi worried. Sasuke was oddly silent, more than usual. Kakashi looked back
over at him, the younger man’s pale face was dusted with a pink blush and his ears were red.
“What?”

Sasuke cleared his throat and brought his pair of hands close to his face. He wore a golden band on
his left hand— the hand that had been previously destroyed. “I guess you don’t remember yet. Um,
we had a double wedding.”

Before Kakashi could try to dig up these new memories, the door to their hospital room burst open
and a breathless Shisui stood before them. “Hey, bet you’re both confused. Um, the Kazekage is on
his way here, Kakashi. He’s meeting Itachi, but he’ll want to see you too.” He shut the door behind
him. “And I can probably fill in some blanks while you’re waiting for your brains to catch up.”

“Gaara?” Sasuke asked.

“No.” Shisui ran his fingers through his short, curly hair. “Gaara? Well he will likely be the next in
line. The Kazekage is Sasori no Asuna.” He laughed. “Wait, was Gaara the Kazekage in the other
timeline? He’s only twenty!” He rubbed his jaw. “Though, he is serious enough and powerful
enough.”
 .
.
.
End of the First Arc

Chapter End Notes

A/N: Oh man. So, Sakura and Naruto are still stuck in the past. Some of the changes to the
timeline should be obvious now, but not all. Bwhahaha! I had two giant quandaries — whether
or not to have Sakura and Sasuke have the child that was stolen from them in the original
timeline— I do like Sarada though. And just how close is Team 7? After writing six different
options for the future, I finally decided who Sasuke will be paired off with too. Now THAT was
the hardest decision— though since he’s the fifth main character in the story’s first half that
probably isn’t super important to y’all, but it was to me. And y’all might can guess, but I’m
working to keep from spoiling that identity. And I’m super hyped about Kazekage Sasori. I
love reading fanfiction version Sasori, not forever trapped as a puppet teenager version.

Hopefully, the pace wasn’t too bad. There’s a lot of epilogue-esque style to this chapter as I’m
ready to wrap up this first arc. Good thing Shisui didn’t lock away Anbu Kakashi’s memories
yet! Thanks for everyone’s support! I’m super stoked by the 680 kudos! I’m glad the Naruto
fandom isn’t dead after so many years.
 Obito’s Souvenir
Chapter Summary

The Start of the Second Arc

Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
.
Kakashi

It was a living nightmare for Kakashi. He’d spent many nights reliving various nightmares—
finding the body of his father with blood staining the floor of the family home, leaving Obito
behind under a mountain of rubble, Rin falling dead with the gore of her burst heart staining his
right hand, Minato and Kushina gone. He’d made peace with being separated from Sakura,
knowing she’d be fine in the future — with him, even if he had to wait over a decade to be
reunited.

But this was just agony. He ignored Naruto’s warnings and called his ninja hound pack. He’d sent
them to scatter in search of Sakura.

Shisui had also taken off, moving so fast in a perimeter around the caves so as to cover an insane
amount of territory. The Yellow Flash would have been proud of the Uchiha prodigy. Naruto simply
sat towards the edge of the perimeter, glowing yellow, sitting lotus style, meditating.

Eventually, Shisui and Kakashi ambled back towards Naruto, both of their postures reflecting the
defeat they felt.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Shisui whispered. “Who the hell was that? I feel like I’ve
felt his chakra before, but I can’t quite place it.”

There was no trace of the man in the orange mask or of Sakura. Kakashi kneeled down as his ninja
hounds came trotting back towards him, tails tucked between their legs in disappointment. All but
one returned. Shiba— the silver dog that had grown extra familiar with Sakura was still out
searching.

“That was Obito Uchiha.” Naruto’s yellow glow faded and he stood, abandoning his meditation. He
turned towards Kakashi, his crystal clear blue eyes shone with the familiar determination he’d seen
so many times in Minato’s gaze

Kakashi said nothing, grateful his mask and hitai-ate obscured the majority of his face and hid the
maelstrom of his emotions. But, by the concerned look on Naruto’s face, this man knew Kakashi’s
nuances and didn’t need to see in order to understand his devastation.
“What? Obito died like ten years ago!” Shisui argued. “And he would never do such a thing! He
was always so kind to me growing up! We used to play tag together when we were younger and we
used to go into the village and get dango after either of us returned from missions.”

“Obito died eight years ago,” Kakashi protested, finally finding his voice— gruffer than usual. “A
lot can happen in even just a year when you fight in a war.”

Naruto ran his fingers through his golden mane. “Yeah, yeah. Well, he would have died under
normal circumstances if Madara hadn’t found him and used alien magic crap to heal the damaged
half of his body.”

“Alien magic crap?” Shisui repeated. He continued to scan the distance, his Sharingan glowing in
the darkness of the evening.

“Yeah, I mean, I used some to grow Kakashi a new eye during the war after a resurrected Madara
snatched it away,” Naruto explained. He gestured towards Kakashi’s covered left eye. “Surely, you
noticed that future you had two gray eyes.”

“I did notice,” Kakashi murmured. He was very curious how that happened. It was a little
encouraging to know that a version of him without the Sharingan was powerful enough to be the
Hokage. Or maybe there just weren’t any decent candidates? He doubted that reasoning after
working with the future shinobi — they were talented.

“You need to talk to Jiraiya,” Naruto suggested. “He’s the one gathering intel on the Akatsuki.” The
muscle in his jaw spasmed as he mentioned Jiraiya.

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. “And how do you know Jiraiya?” He didn’t really want to deal
with the man— even if he had amazing talent in literature. He still hadn’t forgiven him for what he
did to Sakura. But, if Sakura could work with him, he would too.

“He trained me, just like Granny Tsunade trained Sakura-chan, and Orochimaru trained Sasuke,”
Naruto explained. He grimaced. “Though, I really hope Sasuke avoids that snake this time. I would
really like to not deal with him.”

“Sasuke will have no need to run off to that psychopath,” Shisui vowed. “I can’t imagine
Orochimaru training anyone out of altruism. He probably just wanted to steal Sasuke’s body as a
host in his quest for immortality. There are plenty of epic shinobi loyal to the Leaf that don’t
experiment on children my little cousin can train under.” He turned towards Kakashi. “I know, I
was supposed to suppress your memories, but can we wait a while longer? I really need you to have
all the facts.”

Kakashi nodded curtly. Like hell he was going to allow his memories to be repressed at a time like
this. “We’ll report back to the village. Let the Hokage know. He can contact Jiraiya.”

“Or we could just pick a direction and start looking,” Naruto suggested. “It won’t be that hard to
find Pervy-sage. We just need to check all the popular bathhouses and brothels.”

The idea was especially tempting for Kakashi. Not because of the bathhouses, but because he didn’t
want to just do nothing. Unfortunately, time was not his own and he had a job to do. He was an
Anbu captain and as such there was always demand for his skills. Frankly, he didn’t care too much
about whatever covert espionage or assassination might need him. For once in his life, his priorities
were not the Leaf. He simply could not lose another precious person— especially her. And he knew
that if this was in fact Obito, he would never forgive Kakashi for Rin’s death. Sakura could not be a
casualty!

“Since we don’t want to be considered missing-Nin, we will need to get permission from the
Hokage,” Shisui countered. He laid his hand on Kakashi’s shoulder. It was a solid, grounding hand.
Maybe he felt the rising panic in Kakashi’s heart.

“I won’t exactly fit in,” Naruto pointed out. “At this age, I’m the spitting image of my dad. I’ll head
towards Mount Myoboku— it’s in Mist. I figure the closer to the Village of the Hidden Rain, the
better chance of finding Akatsuki and thereby Sakura. From there I’ll see if I can further my
sensory range. Assuming my summons contract works here, I can contact Jiraiya that way.” He
scratched the back of his head and groaned. “Too bad Sasuke isn’t here with his Rinnegan or Sai
with his cartoon birds. I’ve been spoiled by the easy transportation.”

“Sakura’s slug summons worked here,” Kakashi reminded him. They’d all had one of those slugs
hidden under their shirts during the battle.

Naruto nodded. “Right, of course.” He reached for Kakashi’s other shoulder and clapped his hand
over it. “Sakura-chan is strong. She punched a goddess with no other powers than her own. And
she knows Obito’s abilities. Your friend still dwells within Obito’s heart, though it’s buried deep
under many layers of pain and anger. Sakura-chan has a knack for melting even the iciest of
hearts.”

In spite of everything, Kakashi did one of his eye smiles at Naruto’s words. “She would say the
same about you.”

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. “Believe it! She and I are a lot alike.” He released Kakashi’s
shoulder and ran his fingers through his messy hair. “There’s a reason I fell for her when we were
kids.” He met Kakashi’s gaze. “And a reason you did as well.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sakura-chan is great,” Shisui said, retracting his hand from Kakashi’s shoulder. “Go
off to your mountain, Naruto, so you can track her down. I’ll feel better when you’re both back in
your time, so let’s try to get this done within the next fortnight. We still have Danzo to worry about.
And since Obito removed him from the fights as well, we have to assume Sakura isn’t safe. If she’s
with him, Anbu will find her because I know the Hokage intends to have us hunt him down.”

The three parted ways, Naruto for the the mountains and Shisui and Kakashi back towards the
village. With chakra enhanced strides they made it back shortly before dawn. And while he was
exhausted, Kakashi knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. They would report to the Hokage in a few
hours, let the old man get his rest. Hiruzen had finally stepped up— working with the Uchiha,
acknowledging Danzo’s crimes, and reforming the Anbu himself instead of letting someone else
take care of his problems. While it’s important to delegate, a leader still needed to lead.

Kakashi was keenly aware that as a potential future Hokage, he could understand some of the
responsibility Sarutobi shouldered. Though, he certainly disagreed with the man’s questionable
decisions over the years. He could only hope he wouldn’t be corrupted by politics and could
remember the village’s true priorities— the prosperity of its people.

Normally, early in the morning, Kakashi would visit the Memorial and talk with Rin and Obito.
Now with the knowledge that the latter was alive, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
Kakashi could sense the last of his ninja hounds. Shiba was in the forest, not moving, but possibly
observing. Curious, Kakashi headed in that direction. He knew Sakura wouldn’t be there — she’d
been taken by Obito. But, Kakashi couldn’t help the ember of hope. He moved stealthily, cloaking
his chakra and settled in the upper boughs of the tree where Shiba hid in nearby bushes.

He found a comfortable spot in the woods where a little pink-haired seven year old girl practiced
her taijutsu stances and worked on balance and core strengthening exercises as the first rays of
sunlight brushed the horizon. Kakashi watched the young version of Sakura train.

He thought back to his own childhood, prior to Sakumo’s suicide when he learned the taijutsu
forms from his father. Later, he would join in with Guy Might and his father Duy— the green
beasts of Konoha gave Kakashi an open invitation.

Sakura stopped abruptly and looked up into the trees. He knew she couldn’t sense him, his chakra
was properly masked. Perhaps she simply had the intuition of being watched?

“Get it together, Sakura,” she murmured to herself, shaking her head, her long bangs falling into
her face. She adjusted the bow holding her hair back and started over with the forms.

She was a cute kid, but it definitely was strange to see the younger version of the woman he loved.
It was like looking at the kid sister of your girlfriend — there were similarities, you were fond of
the youngster, but you didn’t have any of the romantic thoughts — thank goodness. Kakashi knew
he had some issues, but that wasn’t one of them.

He pulled a kunai from his pouch and began to dig under his fingernails absently. He wore his usual
fingerless black gloves. He noticed that the Sakura of the future also wore similar gloves. This kid
version did not. When did she develop that habit? Did she learn it from him? Or was it a
coincidence?

Sakura paused again and this time turned away from Kakashi. “I know you’re there,” she called
out.

Stepping out of the shadows, Shisui entered the small area. He held his hands outwards towards her
and smiled gently. The teen’s easy going personality made him favorite of children throughout the
village. “Hey there, Sakura-chan. I thought I told you not to come out here by yourself.”

“Shisui!” Sakura rushed towards the dark-haired boy and threw her arms around his waist in a hug.
He patted the top of her head lazily. “I can’t practice at home,” Sakura said with a huff, stepping
back from him. “Mom says I’m likely to break something and told me to run off and play and not
make a mess of her house.”

“I see. She told you that before dawn did she?” Shisui asked, his tone a little harsh.

Sakura stepped back and looked pointedly away. “I haven’t been able to train with Sasuke-kun or
Naruto-kun after school lately. They’ve been staying with Master Iruka. I didn’t want to get left
behind."

“Has your dad been practicing with you?” Shisui asked, much more softly.

Sakura shook her head and the tension in her shoulders eased up. “No. He says I really shouldn’t
put so much effort into learning the shinobi way. It’s highly unlikely I’ll graduate to become a
genin. It doesn’t matter if I score well on tests. Dad went to school at the Academy and had top
marks on his tests, but he’s an engineer and not a shinobi.”

“You can come over to the Uchiha district. You can train with Sasuke and Naruto there,” Shisui
suggested. “Naruto was officially adopted into Sasuke’s family. You’ll make a great kunoichi,
Sakura-chan. We’re a ninja village. There are all sorts of types of shinobi you know. I can escort
you to train with your friends and back home afterwards myself.”

“That’s generous,” Sakura said, ducking her chin and avoiding his gaze again. “But, I don’t want to
be a bother. I know you’re busy. And I don’t want to take away from Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun.
They’re more advanced than me. I don’t want to be annoying or risk holding them back.” She
gestured towards the trees of the forest. “I know how to do the forms, I just have to practice. Master
Iruka showed us.”

“Then I would suggest Izumi to train with. She’d be glad to help you and she’s extremely patient.
And there’s more to being a shinobi than practicing the forms. The clan kids all have the advantage
of additional training. I’m inviting you to train with the Uchiha, Sakura-chan. And when you’re
older, I will personally tutor you in genjutsu.” Shisui slung his arm over Sakura’s small shoulders.
“Come, let’s head out. I was on my way to have breakfast with Auntie Mikoto. She’d love to have
you over. Since it’s early, we can probably help her in the kitchen. She’d really appreciate that.
Naruto lives there now too.”

“I don’t know. I should probably head home,” Sakura murmured. “I had planned to be out here for
another hour or two before class started, but I should probably just head home. I don’t want my
mother to be angry with me.”

“Sometimes, parents get mad at their kids,” Shisui explained. “But, Sakura-chan, you’re not just a
kid. You’re a shinobi in training. Come on, I’m exhausted and I might fall over. You really should
keep an eye on me.”

Sakura giggled. “Well, I don’t want you to get hurt.” She smiled up at him and tucked her hair
behind her ear shyly. “I won’t train in the mornings by myself anymore.”

“Good. After school is a better time to train anyway. You’re able to incorporate the new things
you’ve learned and then when you sleep afterwards you retain it better. You need to get more sleep,
you’re a growing girl, Sakura-chan.” Shisui reached over and tussled her petal pink hair.

“You don’t think Lady Uchiha will mind?” Sakura asked, referred to Sasuke’s mother. “Or Chief
Uchiha?”

“They will be over-joyed to have you join us,” Shisui assured her. “Then you can walk with the
boys to school this morning afterwards.”

“Okay,” Sakura agreed.

“Starting tomorrow, just come home with Sasuke and Naruto after school when Itachi picks them
up. I’ll have Auntie Mikoto make the arrangements with your parents,” Shisui offered. “In the
mean time, promise you won’t keep training in the woods by yourself— especially in the dark.” He
looked up briefly at the tree in Kakashi’s general direction. “You never know who might be
watching.”
Kakashi snorted softly under his mask at the pointed jab. This lonely little girl, had both parents,
yet was still off training by herself. If little Sakura trained under the Uchiha, she’d be a little more
self-sufficient. The world was dangerous and any extra skills could mean the difference between
life and death.

Though, loneliness seemed to stem more from lack of clan rather than lack of parents. The Hatake
clan currently stood at a single member. He knew that he and Sakura were ideal for each other— at
least when this girl became that woman. He couldn’t help his Sakura right now, but maybe he could
help this Sakura.

He knew sleep was elusive and there were still a few hours before he would report to the Hokage.
Maybe he’d review some of the clan laws in regards to betrothals. Or maybe he should just let
things fall into place naturally. Kakashi had never been particularly trusting of fate.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura

The familiar tug of the tether ready to pull Sakura back to her own time was rudely cut asunder. A
pair of unforgiving arms banded around her and snatched her away from her friends. She
recognized the kamui of Obito Uchiha. The first time she’d experienced it, she and Naruto had
been left in a strange alternate universe with her father as the previous Hokage, a flirtatious Sasuke
Uchiha, an emo Naruto that went by Memna, and a heroic Itachi Uchiha (which to be fair, he would
be in this reality too now). It had only been for a few days and she never ate pickled plums again
after that experience.

Then during the last battle against Kaguya, she and Obito had teleported between multiple
dimensions trying to find Sasuke. However, the Obito that had snatched her away from her friends
was an angry twenty-one year old version whom she’d just foiled his revenge against the Uchiha in
a very big way. She suspected the imminent interaction to be less than savory.

And after the past month of gallivanting around the village fourteen years removed from her own
time, Sakura had been eager to return to her own time. She didn’t want to keep tampering with the
past, even if there were so many other things she’d love to correct. Years spent under Tsunade
training and with the access to the Hokage archives that came with her Master’s association and
later with Kakashi’s she’d learned a lot about the history of the Leaf and some of the great enemies
that had been missions.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know a great deal about Obito. The exceptions for a few memories
Kakashi had shared with her and Naruto and the two times they met during the Fourth War.
They popped back into an alternate dimension and Kisame — the gigantic shark-like man with
massive chakra reserves sat across from a roaring fire, idly poking it with a stick. His sword
Samehada was in his hands a moment later and Sakura’s chakra was drained just as quickly.

Sakura fell to her knees as Obito tossed her away from him. The rapid siphoning of her chakra by
Samehada made her woozy. She needed to keep her wits about her. She didn’t know where they
were, but she wasn’t even sure if they were on Earth anymore. Obito had access to several
dimensions, though it wasn’t a fire planet, acid ocean, or crushing gravity. And if he was hiding
away in alternate realities, that would certainly explain the difficulties the Allied Forces had in
tracking him.

Obito may have been misguided, but he wasn’t stupid.

“An entire year — wasted!” Obito roared, pacing, his orange mask obscuring his face and his
visible dark hair sticking up in every direction. “I’ve spent a year stoking the fires of resentment
within the Uchiha. You show up a month ago and foiled everything!”

“Increasing the grief of others won’t bring her back,” Sakura said quietly. “Do you really think Rin
would forgive you for murdering children?”

Obito’s visible dark eye narrowed behind his mask. The familiar crimson of his Sharingan had
receded into Uchiha onyx. “How do you know that name?”

“Madara used your grief against you. There is no all powerful jutsu that will bring her back,”
Sakura countered. Which, technically that wasn’t true. Nagato had used the Rinnegan to bring back
the lives he took when he razed Konoha. And Obito had brought back Madara. Those were true
resurrections, unlike the Edo Tensei. The price for such an action was the life of the caster - much
like Granny Chiyo sacrificed herself for reviving Gaara. But Rin would have been dead for eight or
nine years at this point. “And even if you could. Snatching her spirit from the Purelands would be
cruel indeed. Or worse yet, what if she has been reborn and her soul resides in another body?”

Obito stared at her and then began to cackle. “You know nothing, girl! I am Madara!”

“You’re not Madara. Though, I suppose he is responsible for saving you— healing the crushed half
of your body with White Zetsu.” Sakura leaned back, exhausted. They hadn’t bothered to disarm
her and she still have several kunai and poisoned senbon stashed in her supply pouches. She may
have thought they were returning home, but Lady Tsunade didn’t train a fool. A wise kunoichi was
always armed even if Sakura rarely used weapons outside of her own fists and chakra scalpels.
“He’s being used too though. You’re both being used by Kaguya Otsutsuki. She wants to turn us
into chakra food and consume us —everyone that ever lived that had chakra. You’d snatch Rin
right out of the Purelands for that monster to literally eat if you resurrect Madara and revive the
ten-tails.”

Kisame stared back at her with a thoughtful expression, but said nothing. He was listening
impartially. If she couldn’t reason with Obito, she had to hope to reason with the Mist shinobi. He’d
worked with Itachi for a decade. He had to be smart or else the two never would have gotten along
so well and become such a fierce-some duo.

“Non-sense,” Obito hissed. He turned back towards Sakura, a short sword in his hand. “I don’t have
a lightning blade, but this will do. I saw the way Hatake looked at you — like you were a safe
harbor in a sea of turmoil. I’d have rather killed you in front of him, but you’re so annoying.”
Even without chakra enhanced strength, Sakura blocked the blade coming for her using a good ole
fashioned kunai. She’d already had one child stolen from her. And she knew, the moment Kisame
started sucking away her chakra and he knew it too. “Please, don’t. I’m pregnant. If you want to kill
me later, fine. But I ask this small mercy.”

Obito drew back his blade and looked back at Kisame for confirmation.

“It’s a tiny little thing, but it’s there. Mixed with the chakra of the Copy Ninja,” Kisame answered.
Something in his expression softened. “You can’t kill babies, boss. I do draw a line there at least.”

Obito’s expression, what was visible behind his mask twisted. He wasn’t above killing babies. He’d
done just that in the original Uchiha massacre. Sakura had just recently healed a three-year old
would-be victim the day before. Obito slid the blade into the holster at his hip and stepped back.
“Keep her drained.”

“We could just leave her. You can collect her another time. It’s not hard to take one little girl,”
Kisame reasoned.

“No. She knows too much.” Obito strode away. “I’ll hunt us down some rabbits. We’ll camp for the
night and then we’ll return and head North.”

After Obito vanished into the darkness of the forest. Kisame settled comfortably across from
Sakura, stretching out one of his long legs and drawing the other close to his chest to rest his arm
over the knee. “You cost us our new recruit. I was looking forward to working with the kid,”
Kisame said. “I saw Itachi when he was promoted to chunin at the exams years back. He was
something else.”

Itachi would no longer be joining the Akatsuki. “He really needed to spend more time with his
family,” Sakura murmured. A faint smile crossed her lips. She failed at not keeping herself out of
trouble, but she’d succeeded in saving Sasuke’s family. And for that she was glad. Maybe she could
have a chance of saving Kakashi’s friend — if he wasn’t too far gone. At the very least, she needed
to save herself and their unborn child. She was not going to lose this one.

She didn’t know much about Kisame other than there were several times he and Itachi could have
taken Naruto to extract the nine-tails and yet they did not. Sure Itachi had been a spy, but what was
Kisame’s excuse?

“What’s up North?” Sakura asked. Earth and Wind countries were north of Fire, assuming they
were on the continent, or even the planet. “I can’t believe he saved Danzo.”

Kisame shrugged. “Soldiers are soldiers. If you can’t have quality, then you go for quantity. Danzo
had a lot of little followers.”

“He was covered in stolen Sharingan eyes,” Sakura pointed out.

“Waste not. And we’re going to Sand. Boss has his sight set on another promising recruit. Try not
to fuck this up, blondie,” Kisame warned. “Or he might not care if you’re in the family way.” He
glanced over his shoulder and then turned back to her, his expression serious. “And there ain’t
nothing I can do to stop him if he decides that. So, don’t get any ideas that you and I are buddies —
because we’re not,” he sneered.
.
 .
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: I was thrilled with the feedback on the previous chapter. This arc is going to be a bit of a
wild and crazy ride. My favorite Akatsuki is Itachi of course. However, ranked after him are
Kisame and Sasori (which they are now going to be prominent participants in this next arc). I
really enjoy the stories where Sasori didn’t convert his body into a puppet because he is
devious and brilliant. And with his coloring so complimentary to Sakura’s— the fan artwork is
tantalizing. So, as I said a while back, I’m trying to post at least every 2 weeks, y’all just got
lucky that I was able to finish this chapter and the last before schedule. And if I manage to
finish early, I won’t make you guys wait.

Currently, this story and The Blind Swordsman are my focus (Because older Shisui and Itachi
are smoking hot. Kakashi has a small role in that story, because as soon as I give him more
than a few sentences in a story I wanna hook him up with Sakura.) I’ve got a WIP for the
Dead Dove KakaSaku planned for late January that I almost integrated into this story, but I’ll
keep it separate. I’ve made Sakura’s parents too shady in this story for it to work.

So, for the Itachi/Izumi fans, since KakaSaku are long-distance at the moment, I’m going to be
writing some sweet puppy love for them.
 Obito’s heart
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
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Sakura
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They’d had rabbit stew. Kisame had foraged for roots and vegetables to add to the mix and Sakura
had been the one to skin and dice the rabbit before tossing it into the boiling water. She may have
been a prisoner, but she wasn’t about to not pull her weight at a camp out. She’d even asked
Kisame for a couple of herbs to add seasoning to the stew and they’d all three eaten in silence.

Full bellies made for better attitudes.

“You know, boss, you might try recruiting her,” Kisame said quietly. He gestured towards Sakura.
“She strikes me as the kind of rule breaker that rejects corrupt authority. And she’s got good chakra
control. She’d be an asset at extraction. And she’s a medic— that can be useful.”

Obito had taken off his mask to eat. Apparently, Kisame had always been aware of his identity. Did
that mean that Itachi knew? In the original timeline? There was no way to know now. “Why would
I recruit her?” He cast his single dark eye upon her. His left eye socket covered by an eyepatch —
the eye he’d given to Kakashi.

“It’s a lot easier to travel with a companion than a prisoner,” Kisame pointed out. He shrugged.
“Besides, I like her.” He flashed Sakura a toothy smile.

Sakura arched her eyebrow at Kisame. He’d made it very clear that he wasn’t looking out for her
earlier, yet here he was trying to convince Obito she was worth letting live. “Is this a job interview
now?”

“Origami girl would like her,” Kisame added. “She’s always complaining there aren’t any other
women in the group.”

Obito flickered and was no longer on the opposite side of the camp fire, but was now directly
beside Sakura, sharing the log she’d claimed. His knee brushed against hers as he removed the
black cloth covering his left eye.

The right side of his face twisted into scars, while the left side of his face was flawless Uchiha
perfection. She couldn’t help but stare. She’d met most of the clan now and knew they didn’t all
look as handsome as Sasuke, Itachi, and Shisui. It seemed only the really strong Uchiha tended to
be devilishly handsome — Madara had also been gorgeous.

Surprisingly, Obito had two dark eyes. “So you think you know me,” Obito said softly. “You
certainly seem to know Kakashi.”
“I know he hates himself for what happened to both you and Rin,” Sakura explained. She could feel
the menace waifing from Obito. He’d truly succumbed to the curse of hatred. This was definitely a
man that had no qualms about killing children. She was grateful that Kisame had done what he
could to prevent her death earlier.

“Good. He should,” Obito scoffed.

“No,” Sakura protested, her voice earnest. She needed to convince this man. “Children shouldn’t be
fighting the wars of old men. None of you should have been put in such dangerous situations. Your
words the day when you were injured in the cave changed his life. It’s his motto. You echoed the
morals of his late father. He visits your memorial every day. And Rin wasn’t his fault. She was
captured and her body wasn’t equipped to host a tailed beast. She was going to die and chose to die
at Kakashi’s hand to prevent harming others. That devastated him. He’ll never get over that. But
you cannot ignore how brave and heroic Rin was for that choice.”

Obito touched under his right eye. “It awakened our Mangekyo Sharingan — killing your closest
friend.”

“Kakashi the friend killer is an unfortunate name he has learned to endure. Don’t you find it odd
that somehow you were there to see it happen— to see Rin die at Kakashi’s hand. Doesn’t that
strike you as convenient timing on Madara’s part? As if he planned it?” Sakura pressed. Her focus
kept drifting to his left eye — it wasn’t the Rinnegan was it?

Obito smiled, a cruel lift of his lips. He tapped under his enigmatic left eye. “Danzo wasn’t the one
plucking lost Sharingan from the battlefield,” he explained. “That was me.”

“Impossible. You’ve only been a missing nin for eight years,” Sakura protested.

“Madara is not just one person. The Madara before me started the collection,” Obito confessed.
“And you’re right. Children shouldn’t be fighting the wars of old, greedy men. That’s why I’m
doing this. The Infinite Tsukiyomi is the answer.”

“No, it’s not. It’s a way to pacify victims while draining them of their chakra and killing them,”
Sakura said. “By your logic, the only peace to be found is in death.”

He reached for her then, his grip bruising on her upper arms, but she didn’t resist. “Let me show
you your precious Hatake, the friend killer. Look into my eyes. You’ll see him for what he truly is.”

It was never wise to stare into the Sharingan, but Sakura had done it before — with Shisui, Itachi,
and many times Sasuke. She’d seen Obito’s left eye countless times in the face of her precious
Kakashi, so she allowed herself to be pulled into whatever genjutsu Obito wanted her to see. It was
hard knowing it was an illusion, but she stubbornly allowed herself to be enveloped in the man’s
memory.

However, Obito’s power wasn’t the Tsukiyomi or the Amaterasu. His was Kamui and she knew his
power was shifting between dimensions. She and Naruto had spent three days in an alternate
dimension years ago. And during the war, she’d given him her chakra to scour the dimensions to
save Sasuke and defeat Kaguya. Where would he take her now? Could she even resist? She and
Kisame were already in an alternate dimension with him.

“Why?” Sakura asked. “I know you’re not above killing people. So I want to know why you’re
entertaining me.”
“Because Kakashi has dealt with death countless times. It would be better if you rejected him
because he doesn’t deserve to be loved, especially since you are carrying his spawn. He didn’t
deserve Rin. If you saw how pure she was, you would understand,” Obito continued. His eyes
shown with a bright gleam. “Imagine, if you chose to join me!” He giggled, the familiar cackle that
haunted her dreams as a teenager.

“Hey, boss, are you going to be gone long? We don’t want to show up too late for our other
recruit,” Kisame reminded him.

“Zetsu has requested more time,” Obito answered. “We just need be there by four days time.”

“Okay, sounds good. I’m going to catch up on my beauty sleep then.” Kisame stretched his arms
above his head and yawned. “You want me to give her back her chakra?”

“That won’t be necessary. She has enough for what I have in mind,” Obito answered, his grip on
her upper arms never lessened. His eyes searched Sakura’s face, looking for clues underneath the
underneath. The crimson of his Sharigan began to fill her field of vision.

Sakura had listened to the man wax and wane poetic. It was clear his mind had been warped,
blaming all his misfortune onto his equally misfortunate friend— Kakashi. Kakashi had already
been through too many terrible things in his childhood and this man blamed a twelve year old for
all his pain. She could still remember how broken Kakashi was during the final battle against
Kaguya. She’d never seen him more disheartened. He’d been clinically depressed for most of his
life, only at the end of the Fourth War did he finally seem to be recovered mentally.

She’d done what she could to help Sasuke. If she was stuck here and involved with Obito and
Kisame— the Akatsuki— she might as well do what she could to protect Kakashi and maybe even
keep Sasori from being completely corrupted. She had a certain fondness for the man whom she
considered her mortal enemy— whom had respected her as a kunoichi. And quite frankly, Sasori
was the man that let her win when he could have ended her life at just fifteen years old. If Kakashi
had found her dead after that battle, when he and Naruto had split off to fight off Deidara, she knew
it would have just added to his list of unforgivable regrets. And she didn’t even want to think what
her death at that time would have done to Naruto.

“Very well. Show me,” Sakura said, staring into the red and black kaleidoscope of the Sharingan.
She felt herself and Obito pulled into a swirling mass for a moment before materializing upon the
familiar landscape of Konoha.

Obito still held her upper arms as he stood in front of her, but he looked different — he was no
more than twelve years old, dark unruly hair, orange goggles over his eyes, and absolutely
adorable. He wore the standard navy clothing most Uchiha wore with the clan ensign embroidered
on it.

He released her arms and she looked down at herself, seeing the scrawny body she’d had as a
twelve years old and the old familiar red dress she wore as a child.

“Pink? Your hair is pink?” Obito’s young prepubescent voice was pitched higher in his surprise.

Sakura glanced around. “We’re back in the village. Is this a genjutsu or are we really here?”

“We’re really here. I found a way to return to this one particular day,” Obito explained. “Nothing
changes. But it’s a decent day. Maybe you’ll understand just how precious Rin was.”
Sakura understood. She would do almost anything for her precious people. The only line she drew
was harming innocents in order to help them. Obito had lost sight of that.

“Oh, here comes Shisui and his cat,” Obito said, stepping further away and waving as a ten-year
old Shisui with a mop of curly hair chased after a gray cat. “Oye! Shisui! That cat escaped you
again?”

Shisui stopped chasing the cat and straightened, his gaze drifted between Obito and Sakura, a
confident smile settled upon his friendly features as he focused on Sakura. “Hey! I’m Shisui.” He
extended his hand towards her and Sakura accepted it in a friendly shake, amused by this younger
version of her new friend. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles. “You
want to be my girlfriend?”

Sakura giggled and then wanted to punch herself. She sounded and was starting to feel like her
twelve-year old boy crazy self. “Maybe one day. Do you need help catching your cat?”

“Oh, it’s not my cat.” Shisui released her hand, a big grin plastered on his face by her response. She
hadn’t told him no. “It’s a ninja cat. One of my friends has a summons contract with ninja hounds
so I thought I could maybe convince a ninja cat to agree to a contract with me.”

“You’d be better off working with birds than trying to convince a cat to work with you,” Sakura
said, thinking back to her adventure with young Sasuke and Naruto to gather ninja cat paw prints.
“And if you’re trying to catch a ninja cat, you should be wearing the cat ear headband.”

Shisui’s dark eyes widened. “You know about the headbands?”

“I’ll help you later, Shisui. My friend and I need to go,” Obito interrupted. He reached for Sakura’s
wrist and pulled her after him.

“I never got your name!” Shisui called out after them.

“Forget about her!” Obito called back over his shoulder.

Sakura smiled apologetically back at Shisui and pulled her arm out of Obito’s grip. They were
about the same size in their twelve year old bodies. “Do you ever help him catch the cat?”

“Sometimes. But it’s a waste of time. As you already know, he choses birds for his summons.”
Obito stuck his hands into his pocket and sniffed loudly. “Today is the day Minato- sensei makes us
take the bell test.”

“Are you a newly minted team?” Sakura asked. Her team did that on their first training day and
then again after they’d reunited.

“No, our cell was formed three months ago, but we haven’t passed the test yet. Minato wanted to
give us another shot,” Obito explained.

“Oh. So is today the day you pass it?” Sakura asked.

“No. We pass it three months from today,” Obito explained. “It’s just a training exercise. It’s not
that important.”

Sakura wanted to protest. It was Kakashi’s most important test. Naruto’s father learned it from
when Jiraiya was his teacher and Jiraiya had learned it from Lord Third, whom learned it from
Lord Second…she just assumed it was an incredibly important tradition.

“We’re late, we need to hurry,” Obito said and then took off running towards the training field.

Sakura followed after him and they arrived to find Minato wearing the standard jonin green flak
jacket and blue fatigues waiting patiently, toying with a kunai. He looked so much like Naruto that
Sakura’s heart physically ached. For a moment, Minato met Sakura’s gaze with his crystal blue
eyes. He looked between her and Obito in askance.

“You’re late,” tween Kakashi stated bluntly, his annoyance clear in his young voice. It was deeper
than Obito’s but not nearly the baritone Sakura was used to hearing. Her gaze swept from Minato to
the love of her life.

Sakura’s heart stuttered in her chest at the sight of the adorable, petulant, silver-haired boy. He
looked precious in his black and gray uniform— the monochromatic color scheme suiting him
better than the green and blue jonin uniform. It was the same color scheme he often wore under his
Hokage robes. If twelve year old Sakura had been stuck on a team with him, she’d have been even
more distracted than she’d been with Sasuke.

Her gaze shifted next to Rin — that poor girl! Her worried expression reminded Sakura of Hinata a
bit. She was pretty in a plain way, but the way her brown eyes focused on Obito with such concern
— she could see why a lonely boy would fall in love with such a kind, compassionate girl. What
stood out most to Sakura was the painted tattoos on her face — much like Kankuro or…Sukea?
The mysterious jonin that showed up when she and Team Seven spent a whole day trying to figure
out Kakashi’s face behind his mask. It had been Kakashi the whole time?

Sakura focused her attention back on Kakashi. He was staring back at her, annoyance coupled with
suspicion clear in his visible dark eyes. His arms were folded over his chest. There was no scar on
the left side of his face, his hair was still unruly, part of it falling over his forehead and most of it
sticking up around him. He really was the cutest thing she’d ever seen!

Then young Kakashi dragged his eyes away from her and focused his ire on Obito. “What’s your
excuse this time?” Kakashi glowered. “Helping an old lady cross the street? Had to pick up some
tomatoes from the market? A fish was drowning in the river? You found a lost fairy and decided to
introduce her to us?”

“I had to help a kid catch his cat,” Obito answered, sheepish. “I lost track of time.” He gestured
towards Sakura. “She’s not a fairy, but a friend visiting the family. I thought she could join us
today.”

“We’ve wasted the better part of the morning and half the afternoon waiting for you,” Kakashi
pointed out. He gestured towards Sakura and then at Minato. “Did you even clear her with Minato-
sensei beforehand? Has she been vetted?”

Sakura wasn’t sure, but she thought she could see a faint pink blush across the visible part of
Kakashi’s pale upper cheeks. Did he think she was cute? Or was it red from anger?

“I wouldn’t say it was a waste of time,” Minato protested, his voice calm and a soft smile on his
face. “It’s always a good time to practice patience. Surveillance is a common order for shinobi,
hours spent observing and simply waiting.” He turned back towards Sakura. “I wasn’t aware we
would have a guest.”
Sakura bowed at her waist towards Minato. “I’m Sakura.”

Minato’s eyes narrowed slightly. “May I?” He held his hand over her head and when she nodded,
did a scan of her chakra, while he glowed a brilliant yellow — the sage mode she’d seen Naruto
utilize. He chuckled and pulled his hand back. “I didn’t expect to see someone from my clan here.”

“She’s just here visiting,” Obito explained. “She’s a shinobi — a genin. Is it okay if she joins us
today?”

“Lives are in danger the longer we linger here,” Kakashi argued. “We need to learn to function as a
unit, not babysit visiting genin.”

“We have plenty of time,” Minato said softly, reaching over and ruffling Kakashi’s hair. Which led
to the silver-haired tween ducking away from his jonin sensei. “However, Obito, this has become a
habit for you. You really must try to respect your teammates by making more of an effort and
please, run your guests by me first in the future.” He offered a friendly smile at Sakura. “You can
stay, Sakura-chan.”

“Obito-kun is always late,” Rin said with a soft smile, speaking for the first time and tucking her
light brown hair behind her ear. “But he’s always there at the right time when he’s needed.” She
laid her hand gently on Kakashi’s stiff shoulder, but he shrugged her off. A slight flash of hurt
crossed her features before she turned her beaming smile back on Obito.

“So, it looks like we’ll be having an extra student for today’s training,” Minato stated. “This might
be a good thing. Because the three of you seem to need a lot of help lately.”

Kakashi’s dark appraising gaze raked over her—unimpressed. “Do you have any useful skills,
Sakura?”

Sakura felt her temper sparking at the casual dismissal, but at least he remembered her name. There
was no inner Sakura in this version of herself. Her hands fisted at her side and she resisted the urge
to punch this cock-sure twelve year old version of Kakashi. Would she still have any of her usual
skills? Her chakra had been depleted, but it was still a greater reserve than what she’d had as a
twelve year old.

“You’ll find I have my merits,” Sakura answered cooly.

There was a brief flash of surprise across Kakashi’s eyes, but he schooled his features and turned
towards Minato instead. “How about you brief us, Minato-sensei?” He gestured towards Sakura.
“Unless there are other surprises.”

“This is our mission for today,” Minato explained. “I will observe how the three of you incorporate
an ally with unknown strengths and weaknesses. How you react to someone you cannot plan and
prepare for and how calculating you can be on your feet.”

Sakura had always been good at analyzing a situation. Her mind was sharp and her intelligence was
never in question. It was her ability to use ninjutsu that was always her struggle. It still was to be
honest, but she’d compensated using her strengths.

She followed Team Minato to the training grounds. Naruto’s father pulled out a pair of familiar
silver bells. “You have all afternoon to get these from me. Don’t hold back.”
“There’s only three hours until sunset!” Obito cried out.

“It would have been longer, but you were late, Obito.” Minato frowned slightly. “And my girlfriend
will be upset with me if I’m late for dinner.” Then in a flash of yellow, Minato was gone, having
teleported who knows where.

“That was impressive,” Sakura murmured, staring at the spot where the Fourth Hokage used to be
standing. It reminded her of when Shisui and Kakashi flash-stepped. But the ability to do that
involved lightning to the feet and Minato’s technique was different. Shisui had tried to teach Sakura
how to flash-step, since he was the most talented at the body-flicker technique. But, Sakura didn’t
have lightning chakra, she could do a substitution for similar effect though. Or catch a ride with a
friend that used lightning.

“More like annoying,” Kakashi grouched. “Rin, with me,” he ordered, leaving Sakura and Obito
behind.

“What is it you wanted to show me?” Sakura asked when she and young Obito were alone.

“A glimpse of Rin’s purity and of Kakashi’s true nature of darkness.” Obito’s voice has shifted to
that of his older counterpart, not the prepubescent tween standing in front of her.

“You mean a boy forced to become active duty in a war at the ripe old age of six? A boy whom was
thrown into battle a year after discovering his father’s dead body that bled out on the floor of the
family home after being shunned by the village for having morals?” Sakura could defend Kakashi’s
behavior knowing the turmoil he’d gone through. And she would defend him, even if it got her
killed. Like Naruto, Sakura had a hard time keeping her mouth shut when her friends were being
treated unfairly.

Honestly, by the time Kakashi had become their jonin instructor he’d been so broken mentally and
had slacked off on training, losing himself to his fantasy-romance books, it was a wonder she and
the boys had survived. He trained them to a minimum and threw them into the Chunin Exams
grossly unprepared. “Does Minato-sensei train you or just give you assignments?” Maybe Kakashi
was only mimicking what he learned.

“Most shinobi are trained by their clans. Their jonin instructors teach them team work and
strategy,” Obito explained. He frowned at her. “What clan are you from? Are you really a
Namikaze?”

Sakura didn’t answer. She scanned the training field and found no sign of Kakashi, Rin, or Minato.
“I am from a civilian family. I ended up learning from my friends and taking an apprenticeship. It is
short-sighted of the village to send in such poorly trained children. No wonder the mortality rate is
so great.”

“What do you know of war, sweetheart?” Obito mocked.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve survived my own war, thank you very much. I’ve lost a
teammate to darkness and brought him back to the light with unwavering love and friendship.”

Obito snorted. “Fool.”

Of the two of them, she felt that she was not the fool, but he was. Though since he was her ride
home, it was best not to share her opinion on the matter. Sakura cracked her knuckles against the
palm of her hand. “Shall we go get those bells?”

“Why? This isn’t real?” Obito reminded her. “It doesn’t matter what we do in this little snapshot of
the past. Nothing changes.”

“Maybe, but it can be fun. I’ve done the bell test twice myself,” Sakura explained.

“Successfully?” Obito asked arching his dark eyebrows.

Sakura nodded.

“But you’re not that fast,” Obito protested.

“It’s not about speed. It’s about teamwork,” Sakura explained.

“In that case, I’ll go find my preferred partner.” Obito vanished, leaving Sakura behind.

Sakura shook her head and then walked towards the edge of the bordering forest, leaving the field
behind. She leaned against a tree and allowed her senses to wander, mapping the area around her.
She could sense Minato high in a tree a half mile away. He wasn’t cloaking his chakra at all. Was
he trying to make it easy on the kids? Obito and Rin were near the lake and Kakashi was…

She opened her eyes. Kakashi was standing right in front of her. “You’ve beaten this test before,”
he said quietly, his hands tucked into the front pocket of his pants and a familiar slouch in his back.

Sakura nodded. He heard her? “I thought you were working with Rin.”

“She was worried about Obito,” Kakashi said, his dark gaze shifted past her and upwards towards
the trees.

“Minato is a half mile away, hidden in the upper boughs of the trees,” Sakura explained. “It’s a
fool’s errand to chase him down, he’ll just teleport away. That’s why he isn’t cloaking his chakra.
He wants us to waste time chasing him. We have to stop him from teleporting. You know his
technique. How do we do that? Force him to come to us?”

Kakashi smiled faintly under his mask. “If we gather his tagged kunai when he teleports he’ll end
up within range for an ambush.” He cocked his head to the side and stared at her a moment longer.
“You seem familiar.”

Sakura reached for his face and he was too stunned to move away— or maybe he forced himself to
stand still desperate for a gesture of affection. She ran her thumb over the cloth covering his chin,
his spine straightened and he then froze under her touch. “One day, Kakashi, we’ll be family.
Today, let’s be friends.”

He scowled, clearly not understanding her words. After regaining his senses, he knocked her hand
away. She didn’t quite understand the words either, but he was her family. Even before there was
even a spark of romance between them, Kakashi Hatake was one of Sakura’s precious people. And
dammit, she was one of his too!

“Let’s gather those tags,” Sakura said, stepping back, working hard to mask her own tumultuous
emotions.
“It’s hard to believe someone so pretty can be so smart,” Kakashi said casually. Sakura felt her
cheeks heat. He was blushing earlier! He picked up one of the kunai from behind a nearby bush.
“He’ll have at least two more of theses around here somewhere.”

Ah, so perhaps Kakashi hadn’t sought her out. She’d just been near one of the tagged kunai and he
already planned to gather them up. Or had she been drawn to the tagged kunai and the idea to
gather them was new? “You’re also pretty and smart, the two aren’t mutually exclusive,” Sakura
pointed out. She gestured towards the lake. “I see one glinting in the sun. It’s like it’s advertising to
be found.”

“I am not pretty,” Kakashi hissed.

“Yes, you are,” Sakura argued. She turned back towards him again and laid her hand over his heart.
“You are the most beautiful person I have ever known because of your heart.”

“Shinobis do not feel,” Kakashi argued, laying his hand on top of hers.

“We feel everything. That’s why you wear that mask.” Sakura smiled at him sadly. “Let’s get those
kunai. There’s only a little time left. Then you and I can hold Minato-sensei in place and allow Rin
and Obito to get the bells. That’s how you complete this task.”

“But then we won’t have any bells,” Kakashi pointed out.

She smiled at him again. “That’s not the point of the test. Putting your teammates’ wellbeing over
your own, is the point.”

“You already have a team, don’t you?” Kakashi asked. “A team whom you have a strong bond
with?”

Sakura nodded. “Though, sometimes we get separated. We always find our ways back to each
other. Our bonds are timeless.”

Kakashi nodded. “Alright, let’s do this.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
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Itachi
.
.
.
He’d been given a month of leave. The Third Hokage had wanted to spend the next four weeks
focusing on restructuring Anbu under the new leadership of Taki Uchiha, integrating the Police
Force into Anbu, and tearing down some of the barriers that separated the Uchiha clan from the rest
of the village.

Itachi hadn’t had this much free time on his hands since before he started the Academy.
Unfortunately, Shisui was incredibly busy — as was Kakashi — working on the internal affairs of
Anbu.

After Itachi had given Lord Sarutobi his complete report, including everything he knew about the
man in the orange mask, he’d been forbidden from leaving the village. He suspected that the man in
the orange mask wouldn’t be so easily dissuaded from trying to recruit Itachi into the budding
terrorist group and now there was no need for him to act as a double agent. He better served the
Leaf right here in Konoha, serving as a bridge between the Uchiha and the rest of the villagers.

He sat on the dock of the big lake in the Uchiha district. Sasuke and Naruto were training with
throwing shuriken. It had only been a couple of days since that life-altering night, their family had
grown by one, and there had been very few casualties.

He’d given Naruto his old bed - the two young boys shared one room while Itachi had taken over
his father’s study. Years ago, it had been a guest room and rather than Itachi looking for his own
place — as most jonin had their own apartments, Mikoto Uchiha had demanded that Fugaku and
Itachi clear out all police related bits from that room and convert it back into a nice bedroom.

While cleaning up the room, his father had talked to him about the fact that he was a young man
and would start to feel certain urges. It was an incredibly awkward talk and Itachi really hoped he
wouldn’t be seeing Izumi anytime soon now that his father put those kinds of thoughts into his
head.

Unfortunately, his mother had already invited his friend to dinner for the following night. He was
curious about his brother’s little pink-haired girl friend as well. Shisui had brought her over for
breakfast the other day and he wondered if she would become a staple to their family as well. He
certainly hoped so.

In unison, Sasuke and Naruto both turned towards Itachi and then were suddenly standing in front
of him— one dark shadows and the other brilliant light— they complimented one another. “Can we
go fishing?” Sasuke asked.

Itachi stared at him for a moment speechless. While Itachi was a better hunter, Sasuke was by far a
better fisherman. He nodded. “Sure. Let’s go get the rods and bait.”

“I’m so excited! I’ve never had fresh fish before!” Naruto smiled from ear to ear. “Do you eat it
right out of the lake? Or do you put it in a noodle dish?”

“You catch it, clean it, cut it, then cook it,” Sasuke explained, rolling his eyes. “You can’t just order
a fish at the lake and eat it a few minutes later like at the ramen shop.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” Naruto whined.

“It’s not so bad when you’ve got good company,” Sasuke answered with a grin.

Itachi sat near the boys as they fished, meditating and focusing his chakra into healing the ache in
his lungs and his eyes. He didn’t worry about the lines on his face. He suspected they might fade
naturally as his stress levels evened out to ones he might more easily cope with.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
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Kakashi
.
.
.
Two days. It had been two days since most of the future shinobi returned to their time and Sakura
and Naruto had been stuck in this time. Lord Third had sent a hawk from Konoha to Jiraiya in
hopes of getting him back in the village, but Sarutobi warned it could take a few days or a few
weeks to hear back from the traveling Sannin.

He could only hope that Naruto had better luck finding Sakura and Jiraiya.

What he couldn’t wrap his mind around was the fact that Obito was still alive! And he’d taken
Sakura! It was obviously Kakashi’s fault. Maybe it was fate’s way of reminding him that he wasn’t
meant to have nice things in his own life. His hands were too sodden with blood and death to
deserve a happy ending. He was already going to have to wait years to be with her again, but he’d
come to peace with that. This however, having her stolen away by a dead man that hated him, was
another nightmare of epic Hatake quality.

“Hey.” Shisui sat next to him on the roof of the Anbu headquarters building. “You, me and Tenzo,
we can head out in two days. Father is giving us permission to head towards Mist. We’ll meet up
with Naruto in the mountains. It’s likely he’ll have found her by then with his ability.”

“Okay.” Kakashi didn’t know what else to say. Two more days of waiting uselessly as she was
taken further and further away. Would she still be alive? “You know, I had the strangest dream last
night.”

“Dream? Not another nightmare?” Shisui asked quietly. “I had a strange one myself actually.”

“I dreamed that Sakura — an adolescent tiny version wearing a ridiculous red dress showed up to a
Team Minato training back when I was twelve.” Kakashi turned to face Shisui, only to notice the
curly haired man was staring off into the distance also lost in thought. “We did the bell test with
Minato-sensei. It was just such a vivid dream. I’d never had it before. What was your dream?”

“I dreamed I was ten, chasing after one of those ninja cats hoping to make a summoning contract
like you have with your ninja hounds,” Shisui explained. “Obito and a girl that looked like a fairy
with pink hair and jewel-green eyes were nearby. She suggested I wear cat ear headbands or look
into bird summons.”
“Cat ear headbands?” Kakashi repeated. His mouth felt dry. They had both dreamed of a young
Sakura. “Do you think it was a memory?”

“More time travel?” Shisui asked. “I feel it was something else. But it did feel more like a memory
than a dream.”

“We have to find her, Shisui. I cannot lose her. I cannot lose anyone else,” Kakashi whispered.

“We’ll find her. I can bury your memories now though,” Shisui suggested. “If it’s too much. You’ll
have access to them again later, but it might help you compartmentalize."

“I’ll think about it,” Kakashi said. “But right now, I need them.”

“So, they found a bunch kids in Root,” Shisui added conversationally. “The Yamanaka clan offered
to take some of them in — hoping they’d be able to help them acclimate mentally after what Danzo
put them through.”

“Did they find Sai?” Kakashi asked.

Shisui nodded. “Yeah, he’s around nine years old. And his brother, Shin, is about eleven. They were
the first two the Yamanaka clan leader adopted himself.”

Kakashi drummed his fingers over his knee idly. None of this would have happened if Minato had
been the Hokage. The Uchiha wouldn’t have been ostracized. Danzo wouldn’t have been able to get
away with all the terrible things he’d done with both Anbu and Root. Kakashi himself wouldn’t
have experienced so many bad things.

Though, the realization that Obito was alive and that he was the one that released the Nine-tails
nearly seven years ago, that was why Minato had died. Obito had been the one to besmirch the
Uchiha name and triggered the event that killed so many.

And if Kakashi wanted to dwell even further back, if his own father hadn’t killed himself —
Sakumo Hatake likely would have been the Hokage. He valued the lives of his shinobi. If his father
hadn’t given up, a lot of the corruption of the Leaf would have been cleaned up long ago.

“You’re having a lot of deep thoughts,” Shisui observed.

“I don’t want to wait two more days. I’ll wait until the morning. Then I’m heading out with or
without permission,” Kakashi vowed.

“Jeez, don’t be so dramatic.” Shisui rolled his eyes. “I’ll convince father. Lord Third is so head
over heels for his grandson, he’ll probably agree if we ask just right.”

“We don’t tell Itachi. He should get a chance to be a kid with his family,” Kakashi added.

Shisui nodded. “Alright. At least one us deserves to have some carefree childhood moments. It
might only last a few weeks before the village demands otherwise, but we let Itachi be a genius kid
for now, enjoying his forced month of leave from active duty. But if it gets dicey, we let him know.”

Kakashi nodded. “Agreed.”

.
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 .
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: I was floored by the last 50 kudos you guys gifted this story with after the last chapter. It
really is encouraging. This story is a real challenge because I have so many plans for it -- not
that I don't get involved in all my fanfictions, but there is something special about this one.
Kudos and comments make my day!

I have been wanting to write tween Kakashi and tween Sakura forever! Did anyone predict
KakaSaku meeting at 12 y/o? We should be working on recruiting Sasori before too long. Can
Obito return to the light or is he too far gone? Will Naruto be able to lead our trio of OG
Anbu to their damsel in distress? Or will Sakura save herself?
 Team Work
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
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Sakura…with Team Minato
.
.
.

They were running out of time to complete the Bell Test. Sakura and Kakashi had reached the lake
where Rin and Obito were literally splashing about playing in the water instead of searching for
Minato or doing anything useful. Sakura could definitely relate to the irritated looks Kakashi would
send towards his teammates. She, Naruto, and Sasuke hadn’t been good teammates when they first
formed as well, but they’d improved within a couple of hours. These kids had been together for a
few months.

Was this really the team that Kakashi modeled their Team Seven after? Or was this more like what
he wanted his team to be the opposite? Frankly, Sakura was not impressed with these twelve year
old genin, though she supposed Kakashi was a chunin. He was acting like a chunin at least.
Though, since this wasn’t actually a trip to the past, but a weird time skip, it was possible that Obito
was simply letting loose and having fun.

If the person you loved died and you could go back to a single day in the past— would you work
hard or play hard? Memories of being twelve and having Sasuke scold her on the bench when she
ignorantly complained about Naruto’s behavior came back with those familiar feelings of shame.
What did the little girl with two parents that nagged and scolded her know about the feelings of an
orphan?

“You alright?” Kakashi asked quietly, his charcoal eyes observed her and she was impressed that he
noticed.

Sakura nodded, but didn’t flash him a fake smile. She could also hear Sai’s chiding voice
complaining about her fake smiles when she was on him about being honest. She held up the two
kunai in her hands, Kakashi held up the the three in his. Minato had left more tagged kunai than
they’d originally thought he would have used.

“Let’s put them here,” Kakashi advised, his seniority as a chunin allowing him to pull rank within
his team, even if they didn’t listen to him. The two of them started to place the tagged kunai into a
circle on the shoreline. He glanced up briefly at Sakura. “Are you a genin?”

She shook her head. “It took me two tries, but I passed the Chunin Exams.”

“What are you doing?” Obito asked, as he and Rin waded out of the lake and noticed the kunai. He
shot Sakura an irritated look before focusing his ire on Kakashi. “What’s the point of that?”
“Minato-sensei will come to us,” Kakashi explained. “Sakura and I will hold him in place and you
and Rin should snatch the bells from his belt.”

“How do you plan to hold him in place?” Rin asked, crouching down and touching the handle on
one of the tagged kunai. “Pretty smart, putting them together in a circle to draw sensei to one
place.”

“I’ll latch onto his feet, use Earth Style Headhunter jutsu,” Kakashi suggested. He turned towards
Sakura. “What can you do?”

“Chakra strings,” Sakura answered. She didn’t use them much, but after her battle with Sasori years
ago, and being used as a puppet herself, she’d learned. Kankuro hadn’t been the most patient of
teachers, but considering she saved his life from that nasty batch of poison Sasori used on him, he’d
made certain she understood the basics.

“And then we just snatch the bells,” Rin said, nodding her understanding. She turned towards Obito
and held out her hand. “Let’s stand on either side of them, Obito-kun. Then we can lunge towards
him together.”

“We just have to lie in wait now,” Kakashi murmured, and then he disappeared into the earth, no
doubt waiting in the pocket within the center of the gathered kunai.

“You didn’t have to take this so seriously, Sakura,” Obito murmured under his breath. “Everything
you do here is useless and inconsequential.”

Sakura said nothing. What could she say? Was he right? Or had he just not changed things of
consequence when he ventured back to this point in time?

“Ready, Kakashi-kun,” Rin whispered, her cheeks flushed in excitement and her fists curled so
tight, her fingers were white.

“Hn,” Obito grunted, sounding remarkably like Sasuke at the same age.

A moment later, the air was displaced and the Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze teleported to one of
the tagged kunai. Mild surprise flashed across his handsome tanned face before he was trapped by
Kakashi underground, latching onto his ankles and chakra strings from Sakura — one attached to
each wrist.

Minato was only stationary for all of three seconds, but it was long enough for Rin and Obito to
snatch away the coveted bells tied to his belt.

Sakura’s strings were severed by Minato’s sheer power.

The Yellow Flash seemed to vibrate and then vanished again, to some other tagged kunai before
reappearing before his youthful team (and guest). He was laughing, the sound so akin to Naruto’s
laughter that it warmed Sakura’s heart. Her best friend would love to hear about this adventure!

“Okay, I’ll give it to you, that was clever,” Minato said, catching his breath, his bright blue eyes
twinkling in mirth.

Kakashi pulled himself out of the earth and stood close to Sakura, their shoulders touching in their
proximity. He leaned close so that his mask covered lips were near her ear. “It was a pleasure
working with someone so competent,” he whispered. He straightened immediately, his hands
tucked into his pockets and he stared back at his golden-haired sensei impassively.

“Kids, that was an impressive strategy and execution. I wanted you to understand the value of
teamwork!” Minato braced his hands on his hips and peered close to Obito and Rin. “Now you two,
as reward to actually acquiring the bells, how about I treat you to some dango?”

Obito’s expression was smug as he looked back at Kakashi and literally stuck his tongue out at him.
Kakashi merely rolled his eyes.

“Oh! But, Minato-sensei! We couldn’t have done this without Kakashi-kun! He should get dango
with us as well!” Rin cried out.

“Sakura was just as instrumental in restraining Minato-sensei as I was,” Kakashi pointed out. “And
besides, I don’t like dango.”

“Neither do I,” Sakura lied. She loved dango, but she wasn’t about to abandon Kakashi.

“While the point was understanding teamwork, I would like to reward you two for actually getting
the bells from me.” Minato shifted his eyes between the two pairs of kids. He smiled sadly at
Kakashi and Sakura. “You two sacrificed yourselves for the greater good of the team. I commend
you for it. But to the victor goes the spoils,” he added, shifting his gaze back to Obito and Rin. “We
have to hurry, it’s getting close to my dinner date with Kushina.”

“But,” Rin started, chewing her bottom lip and looking torn between Kakashi and Obito and
Minato.

“It’s fine, Rin, stop worrying,” Kakashi answered. “I don’t like sweets anyway. I’ll see you guys
later.”

Obito hooked his elbow into the crook of Rin’s arm. “Let’s go, Rin-chan! Sensei is buying!”

Sakura said nothing as Team Minato with Rin and Obito took off, leaving her and Kakashi behind.
She frowned slightly at the mixed message. Kakashi might not have been a great teacher, but he’d
been the best leader hands down. He had tied up Naruto on that test long ago, but the point was that
Sasuke and Sakura would care about the team as a whole, not their individual bellies.

And if the point of this foray into the past was to show Sakura what a brat Kakashi was and how
special Rin was — the lesson was lost on her. Rin seemed sweet enough, but like Sakura, she
wasn’t particularly skilled as a shinobi at that age. Young Kakashi was overly serious — the way
she recognized Kakashi to be in battle. She was starting to suspect that maybe he’d developed a
type of split personality — the lazy, chronically late, full of excuses, avoidance version. And then
there was the serious, analytical by-the-book Kakashi. This was the Kakashi after the tragedy of his
parents’ deaths, but before he lost his whole team in three separate incidents.

“It’s not dango, but if you’re hungry we can get some miso soup? I know a place that makes some
amazing fried eggplant and miso soup,” Kakashi said. “I was planning to have that for dinner.”

“Can we go fishing?” Sakura asked. She tried to think back on Kakashi’s hobbies as a kid. He
wasn’t into reading a certain book series just yet. He had a love for saury and with his talent at
catching fish when they were on missions, she suspected it was a safe bet.
When she was a genin under his tutelage, they’d usually catch fish for dinner. He taught her and the
boys how to prepare and cook the fish. “It would go well with the miso and eggplant.”

His dark charcoal eyes lit up at the suggestion. “You like to fish?”

“I prefer dangling my feet in the lake while enjoying the summer breeze while my friends fish,”
Sakura admitted. “But I like eating fish for dinner.”

Kakashi snickered. “At least you’re honest.” He started off back towards the village. “Let’s go.
We’ll pick up the soup and vegetables to eat later then.”

She fell into step beside him and they walked silently for a while. She wondered if Obito was going
to show up and whisk her back to his time or if she would just magically return after a certain time
expired. They passed by a couple of Uchiha police officers on patrol during their short walk. It
really was something the people of the past took for granted — having police around for an extra
safety measure. She imagined they’d have been very handy in relation to if someone were in danger
health-wise, they’d be able to flash-step them to the hospital for emergent care.

“You seem to be lost in thought,” Kakashi observed, darting his eyes towards her briefly.

“Just thinking about how the police could carry an injured person to the hospital. It would be
convenient,” Sakura answered, turning back towards him and smiling faintly. “Where I’m from, we
don’t have police.”

“Sounds like anarchy,” Kakashi mused. “When do you go back?” He flicked his eyes towards her
briefly again before looking back at the path in front of him.

Was he feeling shy?

“I’m not sure. I won’t be here too long.”

“Oh,” he sounded disappointed. “Do you have a place to stay? Are you staying in the Uchiha
district?” Kakashi asked. “Are you staying with Obito?”

“We’re not really friends. We’re still getting to know each other. If I had to pick a favorite Uchiha,
it would be Shisui. But we don’t really know each other either. I don’t have lodgings just yet,”
Sakura admitted. Would she still be there that night? “I didn’t think I would be here, but for a few
hours.”

“I like Shisui. He’s just a couple years younger than us, but he’s solid. Very reliable and smart. You
can stay with me,” Kakashi offered. “It’s just me at my family’s estate. It’s a pretty big residence.
There’s a lake on the property and I’ll need to get some fishing supplies from storage there.”

She was curious how the estate would look at this time. It was clear when she visited in the past,
that he didn’t spend much time there. She couldn’t fathom a boy his age living alone on such a big
property. He must have been such a lonely boy.

They went by the restaurant and Kakashi carried the takeout bag with their soup. The proprietors of
the store seemed to be pretty familiar with him, as if this was a common routine. Sakura followed
after him, wondering about the ease he’d accepted her presence and invited her to his home. Did he
sense a kinship between them? Was it for their brief bout of teamwork on the bell test?
The Hatake estates were becoming familiar grounds for Sakura. It looked pretty much the same,
vines growing on some of the extra housing, but the main house definitely looked lived in, though
quiet.

As they crossed the barrier, Kakashi murmured under his breath. “Tadaima.” A habit from long
ago, when there used to be a father that greeted him upon his returns.

There were books! Stacks and stacks of books all over the place. The bookcases were overflowing
and the floor was littered with so many books. Sakura picked up a handful — cooking books,
hunting books, mathematics, botany. The subjects were wide and varied. Maybe he got rid of the
physical books once the Sharingan allowed him to memorize the materials. “You read a lot,”
Sakura commented.

“Yeah. There’s always more to learn,” Kakashi said, setting the meal up on the coffee table in his
living room. “I graduated the Academy at six. Without books, I’m not sure how else I was
supposed to learn.” He placed the meal in the refrigerator for later. “The fishing gear is in the
storage closet.” He led the way down the hall and grabbed said gear.

“You’re twelve now, right? Have you been doing missions this whole time?” Sakura asked, falling
into step next to him and taking the tackle box. He took the fishing rod and a bucket for whatever
fish they caught.

“Minato-sensei took me under his wing. We’ve worked together for a while. He knows I don’t like
dango. He thinks Obito and Rin are jealous of our bond.” He glanced over at Sakura and frowned.
“I’m sorry that means you didn’t get any dango.”

Sakura shrugged. “It’s fine. I don’t really like dango.”

Kakashi smiled. “Liar. But thanks for that. Fishing is definitely better with company.” He adjusted
his gear as he secured the doors behind them and continued towards the lake. “I did a few missions
with my first genin team. We weren’t really close and they were several years older than me.”

Sakura didn’t ask what happened to them. Probably the same thing that happened to Shisui’s genin
team. Dead on the fields of war.

They walked past a half-dozen vacant homes, long since abandoned to the elements. “I can’t
believe you live here by yourself,” Sakura murmured, adjusting her grip on the tackle box. She
couldn’t imagine being twelve and not having two parents watching over her, even if they didn’t
get along, they were present.

“The majority of my clan died on the front lines in the Second War or in the illness that swept
through a few years later,” Kakashi answered. “For some reason, the Senju have practically been
wiped out too. It’s sad, since the first two Hokage were Senju on their father’s side, but Hatake on
their mother’s side. My father used to say that some candles burned too bright to last.”

“War is so wasteful,” Sakura growled in anger. “Who does it help anyway? Certainly not the
citizens.”

“We’re a shinobi village. We’re raised from birth to be weapons. Have you fought in war?”
Kakashi asked quietly.
She was supposed to be twelve. She’d fought in war, but she’d been older. “In my village, you
cannot even join in battle until after the age of twelve. The adults protect the children as much as
they can before then. War is supposed to be a means to an end. The end goal is supposed to be
peace.”

“Must be nice,” Kakashi murmured. “I graduated the Academy six years ago. You mentioned
Shisui, he’s the same as me. Been fighting for so long. It’s hard to be around Obito and Rin, they
only graduated the Academy a few months ago. They have no idea what they’re getting in to.
They’re both so sheltered. I worry they won’t survive the year.”

That was a legitimate concern, so Sakura didn’t try to give him any empty platitudes.

“This is the best spot,” Kakashi said, gesturing towards a raised area above the lake with a massive
willow tree shading the area. “You can rest your back on the trunk and the fish seem to like the cool
area under the leaves.”

He sat down lotus style and added bait to the fishing pole before dropping the line into the lake.
Sakura sat next to him, close but not touching, trying to respect his space. He’d already built an
invisible wall around him at this age.

“I hope Minato-sensei becomes Hokage. I think it would be like that here too if he were in charge,”
Kakashi reasoned. “Kids wouldn’t be on the battlefield.” He jerked back the rod and started to reel
in the line. It came back empty and he baited it to try again.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” Sakura asked. “You don’t know me.”

Kakashi angled his head to the side, his dark eyes studying her intently. “Call it a gut feeling.”

Sakura smiled faintly. He always had a good sense of intuition. “Well, I appreciate it.” She took off
her shoes and moved to the edge of the hill, her feet just reached the cool waters below and she
sighed at the contrast between the summer’s warm breeze and the nice lake.

Next to her Kakashi reeled in a whopper of a trout. He unhooked it and placed it in the bucket they
brought. He did a few familiar hand signs and a small amount of water from the lake rose up and
filled the bucket partway, keeping the caught fish alive.

“Neat trick,” Sakura said, impressed. It wasn’t a water dragon, but it was useful and perfectly
executed.

“It’s just a little something my father taught me,” Kakashi murmured. “He died a few years ago.”

“That’s hard,” Sakura said.

Kakashi said nothing, but baited the line and recast it. It wasn’t long before he reeled back an even
larger fish.

“Great job, Kakashi!” Sakura said, tapping him gently on the shoulder. “We’ll be feasting this
evening!”

Kakashi smiled one of his eye-smiles, the kinds he did when he truly was giddy about something
and Sakura’s heart just melted. “Let me see if I can catch two more. That way there will be plenty.”

Sakura laughed. “How hungry are you?”

Kakashi turned towards her once the line was back in the lake. “For when Rin and Obito come
over. They usually come over for dinner. Rin’s mom works late, so she doesn’t usually cook dinner
for her. And Obito lives with his grandmother. His parents passed away a few years ago. If he
doesn’t want to eat onigiri again, he comes over here.”

“So you cook for your team?” Sakura asked, amazed.

He shrugged. “It is nicer to cook for others than just for yourself.”

Sakura said nothing, just simply watched him catch a few more fish. Even at twelve years old,
Kakashi Hatake was very capable. She pulled her feet out of the water and dried them as best she
could with the tail of her shirt before putting her sandals back on.

He cooked for his team. Why the hell did Obito not appreciate him? Kakashi obviously tried to
provide for his teammates. He tried to be a good leader.

“We should head back, it’s starting to get late. I can get out a bedroll for you,” Kakashi said.
They’d started back towards the house. They were halfway between the lake and his home. “We’re
about the same size, so if you need some spare clothes you can borrow some.” He gestured towards
his black and gray outfit. “Everything is either black or gray though.”

“That’s fine,” Sakura said. “Thank you.”

“Tadaima,” Kakashi repeated, crossing the threshold of the house.

“Okaeri,” Sakura whispered, and he turned towards her sharply, a faint smile on his masked lips.

They set up in the kitchen, washed up and then started to prepare the fish. Kakashi watched her in
stunned silence as she went about the exact same technique he used, after all he is the one that
taught her — though not for fourteen more years.

They’d just finished smoking the fish and re-heating the miso soup when there was a knock at his
front door. “That will be them,” Kakashi said, wiping his hands and surveying the kitchen counter
where the meal sat ready to be divided up.

Sakura waited while Kakashi’s teammates joined them. She could hear Rin’s apologies for having
dango without him. The four of them sat around the low table in the dining room, one of the
traditional tables from earlier generations. Rin sat across from Sakura, giving her a good look at the
other girl’s face. She recognized the facial tattoos and thought back to the odd photographer from
her youth — Sukea. She glanced towards Kakashi briefly on her right. Had he been Sukea in
disguise?

“Itadakimasu,” Kakashi murmured and Sakura, Obito, and Rin chimed in when he said the
blessing.

The four of them tucked into their meal, Kakashi discretely behind his mask. Sakura shifted her
attention to the left. Obito was happily stuffing his face full of the meal and recounting the praises
Minato had bestowed upon him and Rin for taking the bells. Sakura wanted to scream that it was a
team effort and that she and Kakashi had done the majority of the work.

“Let them have this,” Kakashi whispered, his voice barely audible. She caught his eye. “It’s
nothing. Let them have it.”
“Fine,” Sakura pouted, shoving another mouthful of soup into her mouth.

“Oh! Kakashi, I finished making a first aid kit for you,” Rin said, smiling brightly at him.

“Thanks,” Kakashi murmured, staring down at his half-eaten fish.

“Is that all you can say?” Obito asked. “Rin worked hard to make a first aid kit for you.”

Kakashi sighed.

“It’s fine, Obito. Have you had to use yours yet?” Rin asked, turning towards the dark-haired boy.

Sakura didn’t see what the big deal was. Didn’t they all have their own first aid kit? “Did you
include some special kind of salve to promote regeneration of cells to speed up the healing
process?” she asked.

Rin stared back at her like she had two heads. “It’s bandages, a suture kit, wraps for sprains, some
disinfectant, and a tube of aloe.”

“How far are you in your medic training?” Sakura asked. She ignored the glare Obito was directing
her way.

“I’m just starting,” Rin answered. “Do you know much about medical treatment?”

Sakura nodded. “You should include a burn cream, especially for two fire users on your team,” she
said gesturing between Kakashi and Obito. “And you should ask to learn how to suture using your
chakra. You never know when you might have to perform emergency surgery on the field.” She
smiled faintly. “I’d be happy to show you a few things before I leave.”

“How far are you into your training?” Rin asked, her dark eyes wide.

“A few years,” Sakura answered.

“We don’t have that long,” Obito warned. “You have to go back home soon.”

“Surely, I can linger a few more hours,” Sakura said, smiling sweetly at him. She gestured towards
Kakashi. “He’s even got a bedroll for me. Maybe we can all stay the night — have a slumber
party?”

Rin turned towards Obito and smiled at him softly. “Obito-kun, maybe we can all stay a little
longer. Sakura seems to know quite a bit and there really isn’t anybody around to teach me since
Lady Tsunade left.”

“Sakura is a Chunin,” Kakashi added.

Obito’s dark eyes bore into Sakura and she thought she saw them flicker to crimson. “We can
probably spare a few hours,” he agreed.

“I’ll go pull out the extra bedrolls. We can lay them out in the den — it has the most space,”
Kakashi said, practically leaping from the table. His excitement was palpable and Sakura watched
him hurry out of the dining room with a smile.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Sakura,” Rin whispered. “Kakashi-kun is just being polite.”
Sakura turned her smile onto Rin and ignored the obvious jealous undertones to the warning. “The
most important aspect of medical ninjutsu is chakra control. The more precise, the better the
recovery. A lot of shinobi will avoid medics and opt to use their first aid kits instead, because they
think medical ninjutsu is sometimes more painful than the injury. You have to unleash soothing
chakra at the same time to calm down the pain receptors near the site of injury. Are you well versed
in anatomy?”

Rin blushed. “I — uh.”

“For medical purposes. Okay if you don’t know the mapping of the major blood vessels and nerves,
we need to study that. And of course you need to know the bones, muscles, and organs.” Sakura
had gone into teacher mode and ignored the way Obito gaped at her while Rin had pulled out a
journal and started taking notes. Sakura glanced up at the doorway to see Kakashi leaning casually
against the frame, an interested look in his eyes as he too was listening.

Two hours had passed and Rin was shaking her hand, trying to work out the cramps from writing so
much. Sakura showed her how to use her chakra to sooth the muscles instead. Kakashi had found a
book about anatomy and had found the section on the nervous system. Obito was stretched out on
the floor, staring at the ceiling, with a scowl on his face.

“Oh,” Kakashi said abruptly. He swiftly rose from his spot on the floor and opened his front door.
“Sensei! Lady Kushina! What a surprise!?”

“Oh, you’re having a verifiable slumber-party aren’t you, Kakashi-kun?” Kushina said reaching
over and drawing Kakashi into a hug. He stood stiffly while the redhead crushed him against her.
“Minato, honey, your adorable little students are having a sleep over!”

Minato closed the door and they settled about the den. “I had no idea today’s team-building
exercise would result in these kinds of bonds,” Minato mused, scanning over the kids and the
scattered books. “A study session?”

“Sakura-chan is teaching me some fairly advanced medical ninjutsu!” Rin explained.

“You’re a medical ninja?” Minato asked, surprised. “Did you train in Suna? I recognized those
chakra threads.”

“One of my tutors was from Suna,” Sakura answered.

“How many tutors did you have?” Kakashi asked.

Sakura had learned her trade from four different sources — Tsunade, Shizune, Chiyo and
inadvertently Kabuto. “I picked up things here and there. I read a lot too, so I learned some
applications through my own.”

“Aren’t you a little young?” Minato asked.

Sakura glanced over at Kakashi. “What does that have to do with anything?”
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 OoO

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It was after midnight when they all fell asleep. Minato and Kushina had even stayed over. The
Hatake residence was busting at the seams with company. Sakura hadn’t gone to sleep, but she was
staring at the ceiling. She felt Obito move to her side and crouch over her. “It’s time.” He held out
his hand and with a reluctant sigh, Sakura gripped his hand and they were sucked into his magical
eye again.

The reality around them swirled and she and Obito materialized back at the campfire next to
Kisame. Sakura stumbled to the ground, disoriented by her normal height and weight, no longer in
a twelve year old body.

“Oh, you’re back,” Kisame murmured bored. “Did you have a good trip?”

“How long were we gone?” Obito asked.

“An hour?” Kisame answered.

“Ah. Good.” Obito yanked Sakura up by her elbow and dragged her towards Kisame and shoved
her to sit next to the shark-swordsman. “So you understand now. He’s always been a prick.”

Sakura didn’t answer at first. If that’s what Obito thought, he was mistaken. “He was a lonely little
boy. You all were friends. You ate dinner together almost every night.” She resisted the urge to lay
her hand over her belly. She could only hope if she had a boy that he’d be as adorable as young
Kakashi, but without the pain and suffering the father experienced.

“He was a bossy, bully,” Obito protested. “And he got Rin dead. And he left me for dead.”

“Your hair is pink,” Kisame said, pointedly eyeing Sakura’s hair.

That was inconvenient. “So, that was a visit into a memory? Not the actual past?” Sakura turned
towards Obito, his orange mask was secured over his face. “Did any of that happen? Or was it just
a dream?”

“Hardly matters. Rin is still dead, isn’t she? That medical ninjutsu you taught her didn’t keep her
from having her heart burned to ash, did it?”

“I still think your anger is misdirected,” Sakura said softly.

In a flash, Obito’s hand shot past Sakura, barely missing her head and he yanked back his fist with
a snake clutched within his hands. He crushed it. “It’s one of Orochimaru’s. We’re too close to that
damn cave.”

“Ryuchi Cave?” Sakura asked.

Obito’s visible eye narrowed. “You know it?”

“I know of it.” Sakura had learned about it during her time training at the Shikkotsu Forest. “So
we’re in the same dimension as Ryuchi Cave.” She knew how the forest worked, but she didn’t
know enough about the snakes to risk trying to escape and solicit their help. Obito didn’t seem to
want to kill her just yet. Honestly, the snakes were more likely to kill her than Obito at present.
“Not a fan,” she added.

“Hn. Me neither.” He stood and wiped the gore off his hands onto her cloak. “Don’t fuck things up
for me with the next kid.”

Sakura kept her mouth shut.

Kisame chuckled. “PInkie, you're finally learning that silence is golden? You keep that up and you
just might make it out of this alive.”

“Just don’t interfere,” Obito warned. “I’m not planning to kill you right now. But I could drop you
off into a far off dimension and let Kakashi know that his lover and unborn child are in a world he
can never get to.” He giggled. “That actually sounds pretty fantastic.”

“You could make him work for you, holding Pinkie and the baby as hostages,” Kisame suggested.
“You don’t like snakes, Pinkie. What about slugs? Do they bother you? I think they’re pretty creepy
personally. Or maybe toads?”

Hope spring eternal! “I don’t have a problem with slugs or toads.” Or dogs, but she didn’t add that
part.
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: This chapter was HARD to write. Wow…nearly 800 kudos. Thank you so much for
joining me on this ride. I think I’ve got the home stretch figured out on this story. It shall be my
primary writing focus for the next few weeks. I appreciate your patience! Chapter 29 should
be out in a few days. But chapter 30 is even a bigger bitch than this chapter…so we’ll see
when that one gets polished up. Happy New Year 2024!
 Sasori the Scorpion Kage
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sasori
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It was the fifth day — the fifth day of no sleep, the only food whatever rations were tucked away in
their travel kits, and the bare minimum of water. In the Land of Wind, water was a most precious
commodity. Though, there were times when the lack of water resulted in creative options on the
field of battle— such as drinking the blood of the fallen. He’d done it before, but it was distasteful.
So far, he’d not needed to resort to that.

Five days prior, Sasori had been busy in his shop, creating puppets, perfecting his tools. He was
only fifteen, but for the past two years had been the Commander of the Puppet squad. The squad
was the pride and joy of Sunagakure. The Third Kazekage had promoted Sasori to Jonin after the
great battle where so many of their shinobi had succumbed to their wounds, mortally impaired
beyond the abilities of the few and far between medics.

Though, Sasori had been trained under his Granny Chiyo. He knew the basics of medical ninjutsu
and his chakra control was flawless. Sand would not leave their fallen shinobi to bake under the
relentless desert sun.

They needed soldiers and they needed to bring their fallen shinobi home. So, Sasori did both. It was
how he earned his name, Sasori of the Red Sand. There was so much blood. He’d used his puppet
abilities to revitalize the fallen shinobi, allow their gifts to once more protect the Sand.

That was when the Third Kazekage truly took notice of Sasori and they began their mentor-protege
relationship.

So when the Kazekage’s personal guard summoned Sasori from his workshop to join Lord Third’s
investigation of a disturbance far to the East, he hadn’t hesitated. He stored his puppets into scrolls
— his collection now numbered twenty-five. Each was different and unique and precious. Fifteen
of them were created from wood — shaved and shaped and welded with steel. Ten were from that
terrible day two years ago. The family of those that had fallen in battle were awed to see their loved
ones still able to contribute to the defense of the Sand and had gifted Sasori with the bodies of their
loved ones to live on in memory as his puppets.

“I don’t understand what this enemy is,” Lord Third growled. He was nearing his limit. His
bloodline ability with the iron sand was unmatched, but a mortal had his limits. Chakra had to
recharge. He was still a man of flesh and blood.

They’d arrived too late to protect more than a small percentage of the nomadic tribe. Sasori had
spent time with them in the past — their expertise in poisons was unmatched. They specialized in
the venom of the desert scorpions, arachnids, and snakes. Sasori had learned much under their
tutelage. It was a waste that they’d been virtually decimated by the strange white creature that
continuously multiplied. You cut one down, three more would appear in its place.

“I do not believe it is either alive or dead,” Sasori reasoned, his voice cracked in his thirst. “It does
not cry out in pain. It proliferates. It seems to travel through the earth.” He intended to capture one
of the creatures to study it further, but that would have to wait until later.

“The rogue ninja aren’t even sullying their hands,” the Kazekage sneered in disgust. “They just
watch from afar while this tireless monster slays our people.”

“Shall we retreat and regroup?” Sasori asked.

“No. If we don’t end this here and now, this creature could decimate our entire village,” Lord Third
warned. His heavy hand landed on Sasori’s frail shoulder. “If I fall, you must use me.”

“Impossible,” Sasori protested. Lord Third was the strongest shinobi Sand had ever produced. It
wasn’t just his physical strength, but his intelligence and his devotion to his people. Sasori didn’t
remember much about his parents — they’d been taken from him when he’d been a young child.
Their puppets offered little of the warmth he remembered from them and Granny Chiyo had taken
them away from him once she’d found him, alone, starving in his childhood home.

The White Fang of Konoha had murdered his parents. They were assassinated by the Leaf, now
supposedly Suna’s ally.

“We all die, Sasori. But you have the ability to lend a sense of immortality with your puppets,”
Lord Third explained. “And as a puppet, I would never tire. I’d have no limited reserves to my
chakra.”

He also would no longer have any thought, only base instinct and the orders that Sasori
commanded. Maybe one day he’d figure out how to infuse the personality and spirit of the person
into the puppet. “Let us hope it doesn’t come that,” Sasori murmured. He shrugged off Lord Third’s
hands and focused on his chakra strings. He had a puppet on the field for each of his fingers — his
concentration was divided evenly into ten separate directions.

He would not lose the leader of Sand to these vile monsters.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi…in the present

.
.
.
His head was pounding and his mind was a mess of mixed-matched memories. He scanned the
office — the Anbu Commander’s office— Shisui Uchiha’s office.

“I think you should lay down on the couch,” Shisui said, gently guiding Kakashi by the elbow to
the couch. “Sasori won’t care.”

Kakashi let himself be led to the couch, still feeling unsteady on his feet. “When did you unlock my
memories — of my time with Sakura?”

“Hm, when you we no longer her team leader. Right before she got promoted to Jonin. She was I
dunno sixteen or seventeen. It was after she got kidnapped by Obito— again. I didn’t want you to
feel too weird,” Shisui explained.

Kidnapped by Obito? “You kept the memories locked away for nearly ten years. And what did I do
then? How did I act?” Kakashi asked. He still had his original memories. He didn’t know what sort
of changes occurred. He was still the Hokage, except instead of falling for Sakura quietly, they’d
already married — and she had a kid. He was a step-dad.

“Not a whole lot different,” Shisui answered. “You’d started to fall for her and were keeping your
distance. But you’d always rush in if there was even a hint of her being in danger.” He grabbed the
throw blanket from the back of the couch and tossed it over Kakashi’s legs. “It gets cold in here,”
he explained. “Uchiha run at higher temperatures. So I keep it really chilly in my office.”

A moment later, there was a brisk coded knock at the door and Sasori, the Kazekage, strolled in
with Itachi — long black hair pulled back in a low ponytail, the creases on his face not nearly as
prominent as Kakashi remembered them being. There were two Anbu guards on the other side and
behind of the duo. Sasori’s triangular hat was tucked under his arm and he wore his Kage robes, his
amber eyes swept the office until they landed on Kakashi. “We must talk.”

“You can go,” Shisui said, dismissing his guards.

Itachi closed the door and put up a silencing barrier. He moved to stand next to Shisui, and
perfectly in sync with one another, they both leaned against the wall, arms folded over their chests.
Unspoken that they were Kakashi’s guard if needed.

Sasori glanced briefly at Shisui and then sat on the edge of the commander’s desk, peering down at
Kakashi. “Good to see that eye of yours is still holding up,” he said gesturing towards Kakashi’s
left eye.

The eye that was not a Sharingan and had not been grown anew by Naruto’s Sun Seal powers. “My
eye,” Kakashi repeated.

“Yes, the eye Sakura and I cloned for you.” Sasori’s eyes narrowed in irritation and he stared at
Kakashi as if he were an idiot. “It wasn’t easy sifting through all the non-sense about immortality
that psychotic Snake Sannin rambled about in his journals to find the useful bits about cloning.”

“You and Sakura cloned me a new eye,” Kakashi repeated.

Sasori nodded. “Yes. And I have come to realize that it was your wife that saved my life back when
I was a boy, after the Third Kazekage died.”
Kakashi’s memory had that Sakura had taken Sasori’s life, or at least been involved in the battle
that ended him. “Oh?”

“I didn’t understand for many years,” Sasori continued. “I had tried to find what happened to that
pink-haired kunoichi. I had feared the leader of the Akatsuki had indeed killed her. Kisame didn’t
really know what became of her either.”

“Kisame?” Kakashi asked. Itachi’s partner in the Akatsuki.

“Well, I don’t speak with him much now. He’s been busy preparing to take over as Mizukage. I’m
sure once he’s sworn in, we’ll interact more, all three of us,” Sasori explained, tilting his head to
the side, staring down at Kakashi as if he were an art project. He shook his head and cleared his
throat.

“Were you just imagining the Rokudaime as one of your puppets?” Shisui accused, his voice
dripping in warning.

“It was a momentary distraction. I have an artist’s eye. Kakashi Hatake has always been an
impressive specimen.” Sasori smiled eerily and Kakashi felt a chill race down his spine. “As I was
saying. I had hoped that she’d survived. And then there was that misfortunate Chunin Exams where
the Fourth Kazekage was foolish enough to form an alliance with the Snake Sannin.”

“The exam where you and I killed the Snake Sannin,” Shisui said, casting Kakashi a sympathetic
look, seeing he needed clarification — a lot of clarification. ‘I’ll fill you in later,’ he mouthed
silently to the confused Hokage.

“At least one of his many incarnations,” Sasori ground out in disgust. “Slippery eel.” He leaned
back to stare at the ceiling as he gathered his thoughts. “I noticed a pink-haired kunoichi. Perfect
scores on the written exam. I’d only ever seen a pink-haired shinobi once before — back when I
was a teen after the death of the Third Kazekage.” He looked back down at Kakashi. “She was
pregnant, so I thought maybe that girl was her child. It would explain the intelligence. But the
numbers didn’t add up. The girl was at least seven years too old.”

Kakashi could say nothing. Sakura was stuck in the past and she was pregnant — with his child —
from his past self. If he knew this information, that would definitely explain whey Shisui kept his
memories locked up for so long. It would have driven him insane!

“So, you think Sakura traveled back into the past and saved you from a life of international
terrorism?” Shisui asked mockingly. His dark gaze caught Kakashi’s. They both knew that she’d
gone back and saved him from certain death.

“I know she did,” Sasori answered. “I suspected she would be involved in some sort of
metaphysical event back when we worked together on cloning Kakashi’s new eye, but it hadn’t
happened for her yet, so there was no point in interrogation.” He pushed off the desk and began to
pace, his robes fluttering behind him in his agitation. “Where is she now?”

“She’s still stuck there in the past thirteen years ago,” Kakashi answered. “I am still trying to catch
up on the changes to the timeline.”

Sasori reached up and pulled at his shaggy red hair. “I wish I could remember what became of her
after the forest and the escort back to Sand.” He looked between Shisui and Kakashi. “His
memories will return?"
“Some of his companions that went back with him, they’ve already had both sets of memories set
in,” Shisui answered. “We just have to wait patiently.”

“Don’t you remember?” Kakashi asked. “You were there.”

Shisui smiled. “Oh, I remember. It’s going to be fine. Just give it a week or two and she and Naruto
will both be back.” His smile faded. “Unless they go to an alternate timeline or something.” He ran
his fingers through his dark curls. “Shit.” He turned towards Itachi. “What do you think? You’re the
only one that even remotely understands the Physics.”

“There’s no way to know. It’s about algorithms and probabilities. Regardless, there is nothing we
can do on our end, except wait,” Itachi explained.

“So, Kisame is the Mizukage?” Kakashi asked, drawing back Sasori’s attention.

“Not yet, but he will be. Mei Terumi is the Mizukage. But she’s tired of doing all the work and
wanted her husband to replace her,” Sasori explained.

“Their children will be monsters,” Kakashi groaned, just thinking about that combination. He laid
back on the couch again and closed his eyes. Two of the most devious members of Akatsuki were
now Kages and the former double agent was his Right Hand man. Did Pain never destroy Konoha
in this timeline? Did Obito fail to resurrect Madara? Did the rabbit goddess become unsealed? Did
half the shinobi population die in the Fourth War?

Sasori responded to his comment. “They are indeed more destructive than any jinchuriki. Their
twins are especially terrifying.”

“I think you should sleep, Kakashi,” Itachi suggested. “I’ll take care of things like I did during your
absence. And I’ll keep Lady Tsunade off your case until Sakura and Naruto return.”

Kakashi waved his hand absently. “Very well. I’ll leave everything in your capable hands.”

Itachi snorted. “You normally do.”

“Eh, it could be worse. He could be having that Shikamaru Nara managing things,” Shisui
murmured.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
.
It wasn’t a team. These men were not her friends. Technically, she was a kidnapped prisoner.
Though, twenty-year old Obito wasn’t quite the force to reckon against compared to thirty-two year
old Obito that she was more familiar with. He was certainly a massive improvement compared to
the twelve year old she met a few days ago.

This was the same man that was responsible for the majority of the deaths in the Fourth War, the
dead jinchuriki, the attack on Konoha that lead to Minato and Kushina’s deaths and many others,
and would have been responsible for killing the children of the Uchiha clan if she hadn’t interfered.

If they were on their way to Sand, to collect Sasori, he must be a teen right now, just barely
defected. And this would also be the time the Third Kazekage disappeared — though Sakura knew
he was Sasori’s most precious puppet. Maybe she’d find out how Suna’s strongest Kage wound up
part of the Akatsuki member’s collection.

Her battle alongside Lady Chiyo against Sasori had been her defining moment as a shinobi. It had
been Sasori whom had first acknowledged her as a true warrior. He gave her the scar on her belly
and he’d forfeited in the end. He could have dodged the final attack, but somehow, like when
Naruto was able to reach his enemies and turn their hearts, she’d managed to do the same to him.

After the war, she spent a few months in Suna helping fortify their medical program. As she didn’t
care much for the weather of that dessert country, she’d spent a lot of time in the archives. She’d
had tea once a week with Chiyo’s younger brother and he’d told her stories about her and Sasori
and Sasori’s parents. It had been Sakumo Hatake that had killed Sasori’s parents. The Third
Kazekage considered Sasori his protege. Given the reverence Sasori had for the Third Kazekage,
Sakura suspected that the older man had died in battle and Sasori had preserved his body.

Given that Chiyo had used the preserved bodies of her son and daughter-in-law as puppets, Sakura
suspected it was a form of respect. If she’d have fallen to Sasori, there was no doubt he’d have
transformed her into one of his puppets. Seeing as he transformed himself, he wouldn’t have
understood anything was wrong with that.

His first partner had been Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin would have been a member of Akatsuki
at this point. Was Orochimaru going to be rearing his ugly head?

“So, what are you plotting?” Kisame asked, leaning on his sword casually. They were sitting
around a fire, the man in the orange mask had gone off, and Kisame stood guard watching as she
ate the stew she’d made for them. Obito had brought her a pair of rabbits just like the other night
and Kisame had given her a basket and she’d foraged for roots in the wild. She’d thought about
poisonous mushrooms, but they made her eat first.

Preparing the stew had helped calm her mind, focus on mundane tasks so her mind could wander
and think over her situation.

“Just wondering when we’re crossing paths with Orochimaru,” Sakura admitted.

“Why aren’t you terrified of being alone with me?” Kisame asked. “I can usually smell fear rolling
off people in waves.”
“While I never want to face you in battle,” Sakura admitted. “I have nothing but respect for you.
Mist seems to pride itself on hardening and traumatizing its shinobi. I would have left such a
village too.”

“Killing your comrades is such a waste,” Kisame agreed. “All the assassinations and battles —
what for? To get some spoiled, pasty, obese Daimyo richer?” He gestured towards Sakura. “And
kunoichi? What’s the age in Konoha that they start sending you out on seduction missions?
Treating their loyal soldiers like prostitutes.”

Sakura sighed and began to scoop the stew into the wooden bowls Kisame had given her. “It’s not
just the kunoichi. The training starts at fifteen and the missions at sixteen if needed. Those in
important clans are exempted. I was lucky, I was apprenticed by someone in one of the noble
clans.” She thought of Kakashi and his volunteering with Anbu. Lady Tsunade had worked hard to
eradicate those types of missions, but scum like Danzo tried to circumvent.

“My older sister died on one of those missions,” Kisame admitted quietly. “You’re safe from that at
least as long as I’m around.”

Sakura looked up and met his navy gaze. “Thank you.” She smiled faintly at him. She realized that
he wasn’t quite as blue as she remembered. His hair was a dark navy blue, but the shark gills on his
cheeks were faint and his skin only had a faint pale blue hue. His sword hadn’t transformed him
into a shark-like man just yet. “I understand why you’re so popular with the ladies now.”

Kisame smiled back, his teeth prominently displayed. “Never had a problem with it.” He lifted his
bowl and drained the contents. He gestured towards his sword. “Even using Sameheda, it gives the
user shark-like properties, hasn’t really been a deterrent. It makes the ladies curious.”

“I think it’s your confidence and charisma,” Sakura said, sipping on her own stew. Was she flirting
with Kisame?

“So, your hair is naturally pink? That’s a bit unusual,” Kisame observed.

“It’s a strawberry blond,” Sakura explained. That was better than saying it was pink.

Kisame grinned. “Nah. It’s definitely pink.” He whistled. “I can’t believe the Copy Ninja finally
fell for someone,” Kisame said, shaking his head. “I mean, I don’t know him well — just by
reputation. That’s about as unexpected as Mei Terumi falling for someone.”

“We’re all human. We all deserve a chance at a family,” Sakura reasoned quietly. “Shinobi may be
treated like disposable tools, but we are worthy of friendship, acceptance, and love.”

Kisame snorted. “That sounds exactly like the type of non-sense I’d expect to hear from a shinobi
out of Konoha.” He sat on a large stone near the fire. “Try not to get too excited. You run the risk of
losing the baby.”

Sakura shrugged. “I’m not letting myself get too excited about it. It’s too early into gestation.” She
looked across the fire and caught Kisame’s navy eyes staring at her closely. “I lost my first baby
halfway through the pregnancy.”

“Oh. That’s not normal,” Kisame mused. “What was the issue?”
Sakura smiled at him, her lips twisted in cruel memory. “I was poisoned by my own mother—a
civilian. So you see, it doesn’t matter — civilian or shinobi. Humans inflict terror upon one
another.”

“So, it’s all pointless,” Kisame declared. “We should just live, fuck, slaughter, sleep, eat, repeat.”

“On the contrary, Kisame.” Sakura poked at the fire with a long, sharp stick. “While humans are
capable of terrible things, they are also capable of good, loving, wonderful things.” She thought
about her friends — Naruto, Ino, Sasuke, Sai, Shisui, Itachi, Izumi and of course — Kakashi.
"Though, it is human nature to dwell on the negative. It is the hope for something positive that
leads to beautiful things like music, art, dance, and moments of pure joy.”

“Do you always talk this much when camping?” Kisame asked.

Sakura shook her head and laughed. “My primary mission partner is obsessed with ramen. It’s hard
to get him on topic of something else. Though sometimes, he’ll be excited about a new jutsu.” She
would have loved if she could learn something from Naruto when he discussed his new jutsus, but
he was terrible at explaining things and she often felt more confused after he tried to explain. It was
better to watch him and then deconstruct what she saw- much like she would do when creating an
antidote for a poison.

“Why don’t you go ahead and get some sleep. We’re leaving in a few hours,” Kisame suggested.
“Ain’t nothing going to happen to you on my watch, Pinkie.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Obito had used his kamui to dimension hop Sakura and Kisame to a desert wasteland near the
eastern border of Wind. White Zetsu corpses scattered throughout the sands as well as several Sand
shinobi. There was only one human left standing and he looked like he’d be falling over at any
moment.

Sakura recognized the youthful visage of the puppet master that used to haunt her dreams before a
psychotic, murderous Sasuke and later a rabbit goddess took center stage. The Third Kazekage was
dead, his corpse had been utilized as a puppet on chakra strings.

She tugged the ends of her cloak closer. She refused the black/red cloud design of the Akatsuki that
her captures offered her. Her own cloak had been ruined, so she’d taken a plain brown one from a
corpse on the battlefield. They wouldn’t need it anymore anyway.

Sasori was still fighting. He’d decimated several rogue shinobi wearing Orochimaru’s colors as
well as the hundreds if not thousands and of white zetsus scattered throughout.
“Wow, the kid is resilient,” Kisame whispered, awed at the sight.

“Orochimaru has requested this one,” Obito said.

Watching Sasori from afar, Sakura realized that he didn’t kill the Kazekage. The latter must have
sacrificed himself to save Sasori. He was only a kid, maybe fifteen years old and was facing such a
force alone.

One of the zetsus materialized next to their party and exchanged quiet words with Obito — who
was still in his orange mask and pretending to be Madara.

“All we have to do is wait,” Obito murmured. He waved his hand dramatically, as if he were a
maestro directing an orchestra. And within a few minutes, Sasori literally collapsed. “Dehydration,
severe chakra exhaustion.” He turned towards Sakura. “You’ll be making yourself useful, kunoichi.
Don’t let him die.”

Before she could say anything, Obito looped his arm around Sakura’s waist, tugged her against him
and transported them right next to Sasori’s collapsed form. Obito shoved her towards the boy’s
unconscious form and Sakura caught herself on hands and knees. She felt for his carotid artery and
was rewarded by his faint pulse. She sighed in relief and with her limited chakra, did a cursory
inspection.

Dehydration, chakra exhaustion, fatigue, muscles inflamed from overuse, and his nerves were on
fire from his chakra strings. She infused him with a soothing wave of chakra to lessen the worse of
it. “He needs water and sleep.”

The sound of a snake slithering upon the sand in the distance drew Sakura’s attention. She glanced
to her right and saw Aoda with Orochimaru on his back. She remembered the massive snake
summons from Sasuke back in the last battle of the Fourth War. She also remembered the several
times in that battle that Sasuke would have left her to die and she would have had it not been for
Kakashi.

Reliable, stubborn, brilliant, big-hearted Kakashi Hatake.

She felt a flutter in her belly and focused back on the task at hand.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as Orochimaru stepped off Aoda and stood
alongside Obito. “That was fun,” the Snake Sannin hissed. “Aoda is annoyed that you killed his
little brother back near the caves, Madara.”

“It was too close to our camp,” Obito murmured. “Well, here he is. Sasori the puppet master, last
prodigy of the famed medic Chiyo.”

“I’m still disappointed about Itachi,” Orochimaru murmured.

“You would have failed. Itachi would have owned you,” Sakura muttered.

“Oh? Would he?” Orochimaru asked, crouching alongside her, studying her work on Sasori’s
unconscious body. “Aren’t you interesting.” He glanced over towards Obito. “This isn’t the one that
Danzo was interested in is she?”
Obito shrugged. “Not my concern. I have other plans for her. He was lucky I didn’t leave him to
die.”

“Hm,” Orochimaru hummed. “He’s creative. And if it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t have your
stars.”

“She’s not one of us. Do not speak so freely,” Obito hissed.

“Oh? Talking about Pain and Konan?” Sakura chirped. She felt a minor satisfaction at the sound of
Orochimaru’s chuckles and Obito’s angry curse.

“Enough.” Obito grabbed hold of Sakura’s arm and Sasori’s and then they vanished again. This
time, they were in a different forest than the previous one. “Keep working on him. I’ll be back.”
Obito shoved a canteen of water at her and then he vanished.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. And then she jumped when a pair of amber eyes opened to glare
up at her. It was probably in her head, but she thought she could feel a painful twinge on her left
lower belly where Sasori’s sword stabbed her years ago.

“Care to explain?” Sasori rasped.

Sakura shoved the canteen against his parched lips. “It’s water.”

“It is wasn’t, you would have gone through a lot of trouble to watch me die,” Sasori muttered
before sipping at the water. He struggled to sit up, his wary gaze sweeping over the forested area.
“What is this place?”

“Alternate dimension,” Sakura explained. She stood and wandered towards the edge of the clearing
and crouched close to the ground towards a set of animal prints — it looked like dog prints.

“Pakkun? Shiba? Bull?” She tried to think of other ninken. “Akino? Uhei? Guruko? Urushi?” She
was rewarded by the sound a sharp yip. The small tan-sized dog with the leaf forehead protector
and vest scurried towards her. “Guruko!” Sakura cried, holding her hand palm out for the ninja
hound to sniff. “Please, let Kakashi know I’m okay. I’m going to try to get to the Shikkotsu Forest.”
She stuck her thumb in her mouth and summoned Katsuyu.

“Sakura? What are you doing here?” Katsuyu asked.

“I don’t know how much time we have. Can we get to the Shikkotsu Forest from here? I have a
friend with me and we need to get out of here,” Sakura explained.

Katsuyu’s antennae twitched in thought. “You can get there from here,” she said. “We share this
dimension with the ninken.”

Guruko barked and two more ninken showed up— these were nearly the same size as Bull.

“What’s going on?” Sasori demanded, limping towards her and the ninja hounds.

“You’re coming with me,” Sakura explained. She gestured towards one of the massive dogs. “Our
friends are going to give us a ride.”

Sasori’s eyes narrowed. “Is my other option to be left to die in the clearing?”
“No, I’m sure that man will return. He’s going to want you to partner up with the Snake Sannin. He
needs your chakra and your talents,” Sakura explained.

“And what do you want?” Sasori demanded. He shifted the weight of the various scrolls strapped to
his body. One contained the Third Kazekage.

“You have my sympathies about your loss,” Sakura said, gesturing towards the scrolls.

“We are all puppets dancing on the strings of a few greedy bastards that cling to power,” Sasori
murmured.

“I can take you back home,” Sakura offered. She scratched the large dogs behind their ears. “All
you have to do is hop onto the back of his dog and let him lead the way.”

“Why should I trust you?” Sasori scoffed.

“Why shouldn’t you?” Sakura countered. “It would be a waste to let the Akatsuki corrupt you.
Orochimaru is obsessed with immortality. He’ll just make you feel bad about yourself — want to
encourage you to shuck off your humanity. Even if you were to make your body into the immortal
casing of a puppet, you would still keep your heart and your memories and the sadness.” She
reached for Sasori’s hand, but he stepped back and collapsed to his knees in exhaustion.

Sakura kneeled next to him and scooped him into her arms, they were nearly the same size right
now. She felt his chakra strings encircled around her throat. “There’s still time to make new
memories. We don’t have to be tools.”

Sasori released his chakra strangle-hold. “Very well. But be aware, I may decide to kill you if you
annoy me.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Sakura said, carrying him to the back of the large nin-kin.

“Foolish girl,” Sasori muttered.

“I’d rather be a fool than have no hope,” Sakura whispered. “Do you have enough strength to mask
your chakra?” Sakura asked. It didn’t take much to do that and she knew his control was as good as
hers.

“That’s simple enough,” Sasori scoffed. “I’m not quite dead.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
 .
.
.
The muscles in his arms and legs burned and he finished his series of pushups. He alternated
between one armed ones and both hands. Pakkun laid in front of him, counting the number he’d
completed. He should be sleeping, but his mind was too busy running through way too many
scenarios. He would meet Shisui and Tenzo in the morning at the village gates. The Hokage had
approved their mission to meet with Jiraiya at Mount Myobaki.

And then one of his ninken summoned himself. “Guruko?” Pakkun greeted the tan dog gruffly.
“What’s going on?”

The tan dog and pug shared a series of yips.

Kakashi sat up and stared between his ninken. “What’s he saying?”

Guruko shuffled towards Kakashi and rubbed his head against Kakashi’s knee. He pet the ninja
hound absently.

“He met Sakura. She was in our ninken dimension. It’s connected to the Shikkotsu Forest and she’s
making her way there now to get back to this world,” Pakkun explained.

.
.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: As I'm re-reading the manga, I'm just going to randomly add some visual aids for funsies.
I added some to the previous chapter also of the chibi versions of our favorite characters.
We're in the home stretch on this story.

Also, I'll be taking a little break from posting for a while...I got caught up sharing all my WIP.
And since work starts back on Tuesday, I won't have as much free time. Thanks for your
support! I've gotten a little more active on tumblr, belledaynight915 is my pseud on there. I am
hoping to befriend more artists out there because I would love to see visuals of my stories.

You probably noticed I started a couple more fics....a SasuSaku Detective story, ItachiSakura
slice of life baking story (Kakashi is their cooking instructor), and in mid January, I'll have a
dead dove contribution for KakaSaku (my favorite pairing). That one won't post until the 22nd
and I'm hoping to post a chapter a day when the time comes, so I'm working hard on my end!

Farewell 2023, let's hope 2024 goes better! I started this year with my brother's funeral and
am ending it today with my uncle's funeral.
 Shikkotsu Forest
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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.
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Kakashi
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“I mean, we should probably talk to my dad and Uncle Fugaku about this. I don’t know that I want
to involve the Hokage. I’m not exactly a fan of his leadership these days,” Shisui reasoned. “And
with the way he’s enamored with his grandson Konohamaru, I don’t think he’s too concerned about
the rest of us.” He rubbed at his right eye, as if still checking that it was still back in his face.

“You didn’t even want to tell me,” Itachi sulked, folding his thin arms over his chest and glaring at
the two of them with a petulant expression. His dark eyes were unforgiving. They wouldn’t be able
to leave the village without him at this point.

Kakashi could feel a migraine forming. He adjusted his hitai-ate over his Sharingan, to make sure
no light was peaking within to trigger a worsening of the headache. “How did you find out?”
Kakashi asked. He and Shisui had gone for a run that morning, killing time before they were
allowed to leave the village. It was going to take them a few days to reach the Mount Myoboku.

“I’m observant. And you two have been foul-tempered when you should have been rejoicing in a
mission accomplished,” Itachi pointed out. He grimaced and looked pointedly away. “And I may
have been spying on you with my crows.”

“Okay, first of all — impressive job spying on two top notch shinobi.” Shisui grinned in spite of the
situation. Then he pointed an accusing finger at Itachi. “And second, how could you? Using my
own crows against me?”

“I started with the crow summons first,” Itachi protested, dark eyes narrowed. “You copied my
technique!”

“Did you?” Shisui scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t really remember now.” He rubbed the
heal of his hand between his eyes. “Ugh. Seriously! We should let some authority figures know
about Obito. I mean — he’s alive!” He reached for Kakashi and shook his shoulders. “Obito
Uchiha is alive!”

“And he kidnapped my time-traveling girlfriend,” Kakashi deadpanned. Did this also mean Obito
was the one involved in the Nine-tails attack? Was he the reason Minato-sensei and Kushina were
dead? He sat on the ground and spread his legs in a V and started to stretch towards his toes. All his
muscles felt stiff with tension. He didn’t know what they’d face in the next few days, but he needed
to be loose and ready.

The familiar smell of ozone and displaced air that heralded summons drew hit attention. Two of his
ninja hounds had just self-summoned— the pack leader pug (Kakashi’s unofficial best friend) and
the little tan one with the white snout. “Pakkun? Guruko?”
“Hey Boss,” Pakkun greeted, shifting anxiously on his front paws, looking between Guruko and
Kakashi. The tan dog yipped excitedly. “I know, I know. I’ll tell him.” Pakkun turned back towards
Kakashi and laid his paw over his knee. “Your mate? She and your pup are okay — best we can
tell. She’s got company — some scrawny kid that smells like scorpions and wood shavings. They
were in our dimension somehow. A couple of mastiffs are carrying them to Shikkotsu Forest. They
were too chakra depleted to make it themselves.”

“Shikkotsu Forest?” Itachi asked. “Isn’t that place supposed to be haunted?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, but it’s definitely home to acid spitting slugs,” Shisui reasoned. He
crouched next to Kakashi. “So, you’re saying Sakura and some other kid are traveling between
dimensions and are making their way to Shikkotsu Forest?”

“That’s what I said,” Pakkun growled roughly. He turned his dark gaze back to Kakashi.

However, Kakashi had stopped listening after the mention of a pup. “What do you mean and my
pup?”

Pakkun tilted his head to the side and then with his back foot scratched at his ear. “You know, your
pup. She’s expecting. Though, I think it takes you humans longer. I know my mate had our litter
after nine weeks.”

“Is Obito with them?” Kakashi asked, finding his voice. Though, his mouth had gone dry and his
palms felt damp.

Pakkun turned back to Guruko and the two exchanged a few yips. Pakkun turned back to Kakashi
with a shake of his head. “No, he left but he’ll be back. We don’t know if he can go to the forest or
not. Your mate has a contract with the slugs and since she’s got your pup and you have a contract
with us, they’re getting an escort. I don’t think your old loud teammate will be allowed, but he
seems able to get places without invitation.”

“Change of plans, we need to go to Shikkotsu Forest. We can send a message bird to Jiraiya and
Naruto in the mountains. They’ll need to meet us there,” Kakashi said, straightening and standing.

“What’s to stop him from snatching her up again as soon as we leave the protection of the forest?”
Shisui asked. “We’ve got at least another week before that time travel device can send her back.”

“We talk to my father,” Itachi said. “We must decide what to do with Obito. Do we kill him or do
we try to capture him and rehabilitate?” He shifted his dark gaze between Kakashi and Shisui.
“This is for the clan leader to decide. And as you are welding a Sharingan, Kakashi, you’re an
honorary clansman.”

“You did good, can you try to keep an eye on Sakura and the pup?” Kakashi asked Pakkun and
Guruko.

Both dogs nodded their understanding and then vanished in a puff of white clouds.

Shisui’s familiar heavy hand fell upon Kakashi’s shoulder. “Not everyone gets to put off fatherhood
by ten years,” he teased. “You should be over your broody-moody phase by then.”

“You’re going to have to do a good job of locking up these memories or else I’m going to go
insane, possibly embark on a murderous rampage,” Kakashi murmured. “Or I won’t let her return.
One or the other,” he warned.

“I got you, brother. Let’s go have a chat with Uncle Fugaku,” Shisui said, looping his arm around
Kakashi’s neck and tugging him along with him. He wasn’t quite as tall as Kakashi, but he made it
work.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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The ninken’s dimension had everything a dog could want. The massive elephant graveyard with
ribcages of the behemoth mammals had dozens of ninken gnawing at the thick bones. There were
fields of rabbits and dogs chased after them, running in circles with their tails wagging happily and
yipping.

It was bright with sunshine and there was a constant cool breeze. It made her think of a lazy
summer day when spring first melded into late June — peach trees were ripe for harvest and the
sounds of grasshoppers soothed the soul.

“Oh thank Kami,” Sasori groaned when they neared the border for Shikkotsu Forest. “This place
was just too bright and loud.” Instead of the cerulean summer skies in the dog dimension, the slug
realm had forever twilight skies. The plants were massive, towering over their party with trees so
thick and tall there were parts where the violet sky wasn’t even visible and only dappled shadows
danced around them.

During the last few hours, Sakura could feel her chakra slowly replenish. She pricked her thumb
with her tooth and summoned Katsuyu. Her slug summons appeared on her palm. “Lady Sakura,”
she greeted.

“May we be granted passage?” Sakura asked.

Katsuyu angled her head past Sakura to see Sasori. “We’ve never had so many humans in the forest
before.”

“What do you mean?” Sakura asked.

“Lady Tsunade is also training,” Katsuyu said. “I’m sure she will be excited to meet you!”

“Who is that?” Sasori asked.

“The greatest medical ninja amongst the Hidden Villages,” Sakura answered. She resisted the urge
to touch the seal on her forehead. How was she going to explain that to Tsunade? The timeline was
getting more and more tampered with each successive interaction. However, the alternative had
been staying under the psychotic watch of Obito Uchiha. He was not the reformed ‘I’ve seen the
light’ frenemy from the Fourth War’s final battle. This was the man who unleashed the Nine-tails
on the village, would have murdered children within his own clan, and was forming an
international terrorist group that would extract the tailed beasts and kill their jinchuriki hosts. There
were scores of victims!

This Obito was not the overly infatuated boy of twelve she’d seen on their foray into the past.
Uchiha loved obsessively. And when they lost the one they loved, there was no reasoning — they’d
rather watch the world burn or put everyone into a coma and let a rabbit goddess eat them.

“Ah, Tsunade Senju. I’ve heard Granny Chiyo speak of her.” Sasori slid off the large mastiff ninken
and looked around the forest. He sniffed and crinkled his nose. “It smells damp. Like the fungal-
encrusted underside of a rotted log.”

“Pretty accurate description,” Sakura conceded. There was a lot of fungi within this forest. It all
had medicinal properties — some healing and some poison. “There used to be a cluster of shelters
that wasn’t quite so moist.” She turned towards Katsuyu for confirmation.

The slug summons nodded. “The sheltered area is intact. That is where Lady Tsunade is now in
fact.”
.
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OoO

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Kakashi
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It was a school day, so while young Sasuke was off at the Academy, Kakashi stood in the family
home of Fugaku Uchiha. He, Itachi, Shisui, and Taki were meeting with Fugaku in Itachi’s
bedroom — which was now half bedroom to the thirteen year old and half Fugaku’s home office.

Mikoto had played hostess by bringing them all a tray of green tea and snacks. She then promptly
left the home to pick up some fresh groceries because she didn’t want to be involved in anymore
schemes for the foreseeable future.

“So the Nine-tails attack really was the fault of one of our clansmen,” Fugaku reasoned, rubbing his
chin thoughtfully. “And this same man was the one whispering in the ears of my subordinates.”
“The same subordinates he killed,” Itachi added. “When I was ordered to murder the entire clan, I
met with him — I knew him as the man in the orange mask. He’s the one that killed my old genin
teammate, Tenma Izumo. This Obito volunteered to kill the women and children so that I could
complete Danzo’s request.” He turned towards Kakashi and Shisui. “I know you two were close to
him when you were younger, but this man has no moral qualms.”

“He was crushed in a collapsed cave, after pushing me out of the way.” Kakashi touched the Hitai-
ate covering his Sharingan eye. “I had lost my eye in an attack earlier, had a new blindside. We
went back to rescue Rin and he pushed me out of the way. He had Rin transplant his eye into me —
a gift for my Jonin promotion.”

“You were twelve, Hatake. Stop dwelling in guilt. Your teammate is obviously alive now. How
though?” Fugaku leaned back and stared at the younger men. His thoughtful brown eyes settled on
Shisui. “He teleported?”

“It was different than body-flicker,” Shisui confirmed. “He seemed to rip a hole into the reality,
snatch up our friend, and then slip right back through that hole.”

“Kakashi, what does your Mangekyou Sharingan do?” Itachi asked quietly. “Mine burn an object
into oblivion in the right eye and create an unbreakable genjutsu in the left.”

“I can move objects from this reality to somewhere else,” Kakashi explained. “Kamui.”

“Can you retrieve the objects?” Fugaku asked.

“I haven’t tried, but I was planning to learn,” Kakashi answered. That had been his original plan in
protecting the clan from Itachi’s mission. Maybe that’s why Sakura had nixed that plan. Maybe he
couldn’t retrieve things from that dimension in the future. And if he hadn’t figured that out by then,
he probably couldn’t do it now. “It seems to be a long-range.”

“I see.” Fugaku opened the drawer to the desk, tucked into the corner of Itachi’s room. He smiled
apologetically at Itachi. “Thank you for not kicking me out of your room entirely, son.”

Itachi shrugged. “I hardly need all the space to myself.”

Fugaku set a small paperweight on top of the desk. He then rose from the desk and grabbed hold of
Kakashi’s arm and pulled him to the far side of the room. He gestured for the others to move aside.
“Use your Kamui and move the paperweight. Then I want you to try and bring it back.”

Kakashi slid his forehead protector into his hairline, closed his right eye and focused on the lump of
iron that looked vaguely like a hawk sitting on the desk. He concentrated on just moving the
paperweight. When he succeeded, the iron hawk was gone, as was a few layers of the desktop.

“Decent range. Not perfectly precise,” Fugaku commented, moving the desk and running his hand
over the divot in the surface. “So your eye is ranged. Likely Obito’s is up close. Your power is
offense and his is defense. So it stands to reason he can teleport himself and those in his proximity.
That explains how he snuck up on my subordinates during our skirmish.” He stepped back from the
desk. “Now, try to bring it back.”

Kakashi reached into his mind’s eye and tried to visualize the realm of shadows. He could see the
paperweight, but he couldn’t seem to grasp it. He could feel the perspiration beading on his brow.
The familiar weight of Shisui’s hand settled on his shoulder. “That’s enough, Kakashi. It’s not
going to happen — at least no time soon. We can work on it in the future.”

“Not many in our clan unlock the MS,” Taki added. “Shisui’s powers have to do with manipulation
of reality or perception of reality. Itachi can destroy the body or the mind.” He met Kakashi’s gaze.
“You and Obito can teleport — short range for him and long range for you.”

“The presence of Mangekyou Sharingan regardless of its specialized power allows the control of a
tailed beast,” Fugaku explained. “That’s why when I wasn’t allowed to help Minato in the attack I
was so very resentful.”

“So basically Danzo is also the reason Lord Fourth died?” Shisui pointed out. “Can I just take a
moment to remind everyone we really need to kill that guy.”

Fugaku sighed. “We will deal with Danzo at some point— lethally. For now, we need to find a way
to deal with Obito.” He looked over the group assembled. “There is a way. I do not have Shisui’s
ability, but I do have knowledge of the Izanami Technique.”

“That’s forbidden,” Taki warned with sharp hiss. “For a good reason.”

Fugaku touched under his eye. “I would be dead now. I think sacrificing one of my eyes is my duty
as clan leader for failing to protect my subordinates, for putting my sons in difficult positions, and
for failing Obito as well.” He turned towards Shisui. “I don’t remember much of the boy. How was
he treated by the clan in general?”

Shisui shifted his feet and shoved his hands into his front pants pocket. “Not well, Uncle. He wore
goggles because he tended to cry a lot — he was very sensitive. People poked fun.”

“I see,” Fugaku sighed, leaning his hip against the corner of the desk. “I’ve only used my own
Mangekyou Sharingan ability in my left eye.” He folded his arms over his chest. “It manifested
after your uncle’s death,” he told Itachi. “Your mother’s brother. The Amaterasu ability does live in
my right eye. My left eye allows me to see one minute into the future during battle, Mirai no kokei.
However, I think Susanoo will be our most useful asset. I could still access that ability even if I
sacrifice one eye.”

“Susanoo?” Itachi asked.

“The Ultimate defense,” Shisui explained. “You have to have two MS to unlock it, so Obito won’t
have it.” He glanced over at Kakashi. “That’s what future Sasuke used to transport everyone.”

Fugaku turned towards his brother-in-law. “Taki, can you arrange the mission for myself and the
boys? Using your new status as Anbu Commander.”

Shisui’s father nodded his head. “I’ll get the approval.”

“Good. Let’s head out in an hour then,” Fugaku determined. “Captain Uchiha,” both Shisui and
Itachi snapped to attention. “Right,” Fugaku grimaced and rubbed his forehead with a sigh.
“Captain Shisui — I’m putting you in charge of this mission.” He looked between the young men
— all Anbu Captains. “Is everyone in agreement?”

“Fine by me,” Kakashi murmured. He didn’t want to be in charge. He didn’t trust his own
judgement— not when this involved Obito, Sakura, and his unborn child. Obito saved Kakashi’s
life, gifted him the Sharingan that made him an even more effective shinobi, and rekindled the
morality of his father. Who would Kakashi be without Obito’s influence? If Fugaku truly did have
an ability to bring Obito back from the mad journey he’d embarked upon, he would be grateful.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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“So, what do you call the chemist who has the cure for everything?” Sasori asked. He was carefully
climbing after her over a massive fallen tree.

Sakura adjusted the bandana she’d tied over her nose and mouth and
haphazardly swatted away a cloud of gnats. She’d been lucky that Sasori had a couple of bandanas
in his travel kit. He normally used them for sandstorms, but it was handy in the forest as well. “I
don’t know, what?” she answered, amused in spite of everything that the man who turned himself
into a puppet and ran a sword through her abdomen once-upon-a-time was really trying his hand at
telling jokes.

“A fun- guy. Get it? A fungi. Countless cures can be found in saprophytes,” Sasori explained.
“Fungi decomposition ability and how it lays in dormant on almost every living thing and as soon
as the chemical of death is released it just takes over, breaking down the component until it’s back
to carbon, nitrogen, iron, magnesium — the base ingredients for life.” He landed easily on the
ground below and kicked over a half-rotted log no thicker than a cubit with the toe of his boot.
“This place is just saturated with saprophytes and gnats.”

“It’s not just fungus that can serve in that capacity,” Sakura added. “In regards to people, you have
to remember that eighty percent of the human immune system lives in the gut. A proper balance
with symbiotic gut flora makes all the difference when your body is facing a new infection. And of
course, the insects play a role. The ground here is also teeming with worms — plenty of protein if
you’re desperate enough for it.”

“You sound as if eating insects and worms as a food source you’d rather avoid,” Sasori said,
sounding amused. “Locust and scorpions are a common meat found on the tablets in Suna.”

“I’ve been spoiled growing up in a forested land,” Sakura answered, feeling a wave of nausea at the
turn of conversation.

“Sometimes, I’d rather exist without the inconvenience of eating,” Sasori murmured. Sakura said
nothing as that felt eerily prophetic. “When I create my wooden puppets — it’s easier to ensure
there are no saprophytes laying in wait to decompose my art. The human puppets are substantially
more difficult. As you said, all those gut bacteria are eager to consume.” Sasori frowned. “I will
need to begin the process soon for Lord Third. My scroll will keep him for a time, but I need my
workshop. I have tools stored.” He paused to scan their environment. “Though, I suppose if there is
a part to this damp forest that isn’t quite so humid I could do my work here.”

Another wave of nausea hit Sakura. She had an idea of what he was walking about. As a shinobi of
the Leaf, she’d been educated in hunting game and dressing a kill. She was a surgeon. She knew
that preserving a human wouldn’t be that different.

“He saved you,” Sakura said, trying to dispel the visual. She glanced back at the Sand shinobi as he
climbed down another massive fallen tree. She’d never thought about just who Sasori’s puppets had
been. Part of her had assumed they were all opponents and their bodies were his spoils of war. But
then, Granny Chiyo had used Sasori’s own parents in their battle— perfectly preserved. And like
Sasori, Chiyo had modified her own body as well. “Do you want to go back to Sand?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Sasori asked. "There are obviously problems there, but it’s home. Lord Third
wouldn’t want Rasa ruling unchecked. A man like that thirsts for more and more power and will
destroy those around him to achieve it.” He grinned faintly. “Mostly, my shop is there. I’d hate to
have to start over.”

“Okay,” Sakura said, not really sure what else to say. She didn’t know Sasori that well after all.

“Unless,” Sasori started. Sakura turned back towards him to see a smirk lifting one corner of his
mouth. “You’re inviting me to go back home with you. You want to learn more about puppetry?”

There couldn’t be that many people interested in puppetry. Did she seem the type? “It is
fascinating, but my talents lay more in destruction of property and healing ailments,” Sakura
answered.

“Ah. You do seem the type,” Sasori mused. “Do you know what those white creatures were? I’ve
never experienced an enemy like that.” He reached for her arm, his fingers strong and cold, and
pulled her to face him, his amber eyes intense.

“I do. Sort of. They were following the orders of the man in the orange mask. Ten thousand years
ago, they were people like us — with chakra capable of ninjutsu. However, they were placed under
an Infinite Tsukuyomi — a dream coma — and were consumed by a giant— tree? And a rabbit
goddess — who is actually an alien — ate them? And the husks that were once human became
White Zetsu,” Sakura explained. She grimaced throughout the explanation, yet Sasori remained
expressionless.

“I see. So you don’t really know what they are either,” Sasori sighed. “No need for fanciful
stories.”

“We’re here,” Katsuyu announced, as they reached what appeared to be a grouping of gazebos.
Their roofs were encased in lush, green ivy and trumpet vines crawled up the pillars supporting the
roof. The floors were made of stone. It was a structure that seemed unlikely to have been made by
the slugs. It didn’t look much different than how Sakura remembered it from the future.

“Slugs made these structures?” Sasori asked skeptically.

“Oh, no. These were a gift from Lord Hashirama,” Katsuyu explained. “He was always so kind and
thoughtful.” She shifted on Sakura’s shoulder. “He did not much care for the buzzing of insects, so
you won’t be bothered inside the shelters.” She twitched her antenna in Sasori’s direction. “And I
believe you will find one suitable to use as a workshop.”

In the center gazebo, sitting on a bench with her legs crossed at the knee and arms folded in
irritation over her ample chest was Tsunade Senju. Her honey-brown eyes widened at the sight of
Sakura’s Byakugou seal. She looked older than Sakura knew her as, perhaps this was her natural
appearance before she started using Creation Rebirth to keep herself forever twenty-nine. Or maybe
she just didn’t see the need to keep herself looking young around the slugs.

“When Katsuyu told me that my future student had traveled back in time and gotten herself
kidnapped, I didn’t believe her,” Tsunade said, without preamble. “I thought, maybe I drank too
much sake at the last gambling hall I visited. But I can see that this is no drunken dream.”

“Master Tsunade,” Sakura said, bowing deeply at the waist out of habit.

“I’m going to check out some other gazebo,” Sasori mumbled. “Get to work.”

Tsunade shifted her gaze towards Sasori. “Hold up, brat. I haven’t decided if I’m okay with sharing
my space with you.” She swiveled her attention back to Sakura. “Then Jiraiya of all people told me
he found a woman with the same seal as me — a relative of Minato Namikaze,” Tsunade
continued. “I made my way here, thinking I might find some answers.”

“This is Sasori, he’s just survived a pretty terrible attack that led to the deal of the Third
Kazekage,” Sakura explained. She glanced towards the fiery-haired puppet master but he only
arched an eyebrow at her to indicate for her to continue. “You may know his grandmother —
Chiyo.”

“Oh, I know Chiyo,” Tsunade answered, frowning. “Does the attack have anything to do with the
guy loitering outside my forest?” She gestured towards the pathway opposite of the direction they’d
come. There were trees arching together to form a tunnel to the outside world.

Sakura straightened and then walked down the path until she could see the window into the regular
world, outside of the Shikkotsu Forest. She could hear him before she could see him, he must have
sensed her approach.

“You really hurt my feelings you know. Please come out to play with me, Sa-ku-ra,” Obito called,
his tone light-hearted and impish as he twirled a kunai in his hand. He stood just outside the forest
along the path that separated the slug’s dimension from the human one. Two large, over-arching
trees met above the portal creating the illusion of a doorway. Even with his Kamui, he wasn’t able
to enter the forest without an invitation.

The slugs would dowse trespassers in acid baths that melted the would-be intruder almost
instantaneously.

“Friend of yours?” Tsunade asked, coming up beside Sakura as they stared at Obito with his long
cloak and garish orange mask. Sasori ambled up behind her as well.

“We’re not friends,” Sakura answered and then grimaced when Obito’s kunai came rushing for the
barrier only to disappear right before it could try and penetrate and manifest right back into his
hand.

“Have you told Sasori just who your baby’s daddy is, Sa-ku-ra?” Obito taunted.
Sasori turned towards Sakura, his expression bored. “You’re pregnant? I didn’t think you were that
old.”

“I’m not that old,” Sakura snarled. At least he hadn’t called her Ugly.

“You might be interested to know that the grandfather is Sakumo Hatake— the man who killed
your parents!” Obito cried out before cackling.

“That’s unfortunate,” Sasori sighed. He met her eyes briefly. “I’ll be setting up my shop now.”

“Can we talk later?” Sakura asked, worried about his reaction.

“I can hardly stop you given our environment. You know where to find me,” Sasori answered
before turning on his heel and heading back.

Sakura tried to peer past Obito’s shadowy frame. “Is he by himself?”

“Oh no. There’s a shark-like man with a massive sword, a handsome man with orange hair and
piercings along his nose and ears and his lavender haired girlfriend.” Tsunade stretched and
yawned. “They got here shortly after I did. Jiraiya is going to have quite a time when he shows up.”

“Jiraiya is coming?” Sakura asked.

“Yeah, he was going to come sooner, but he said there was something funny going on at Mount
Myoboku.” Tsunade sniffed and started back towards the shelters. “You didn’t come with any other
friends, did you?”

“They should have returned by now,” Sakura answered. Only Naruto would have gone to Mount
Myoboku. But Obito had only snatched Sakura away from the time machine. Right?

“Oh to be young and stupid again. I can’t say that I wouldn’t have time traveled if I had the
chance.” Tsunade rubbed at her forehead, her eyes tired, the creases around her mouth from years
of frowning more obvious. “I tend to gamble and drink my way into oblivion.” She gestured
towards Sakura vaguely. “Though, after this I’m not sure you’d recommend time traveling as a fix
for others.”

“One of my friends was going to lock away the memories of those I interacted with — blur the
details — so they just vaguely remember someone…,” Sakura trailed off. Her hand reflexively
going to her belly.

Tsunade chuckled. “I see. I guess he was telling the truth. Things got a little complicated, did they?
Sakumo Hatake’s kid, huh? I hear he’s quite talented.”

“Sa-ku-ra!!!!!” Obito’s voice reached them distantly.

“Just a bit,” Sakura agreed.

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Chapter End Notes

A/N: This chapter was hard. The epic battle is coming up — Toad and Slug Sages, a troupe of
Sharingan-welders, Akatsuki! I’m still trying to post at least every 2 weeks. Depending on the
winter storm this weekend, I might be able to finish chapter 31 early. Home stretch my friends!
I hope you’re enjoying the ride!
 The Izanami Technique
Chapter Notes

A/N: I’m doing a little experiment with this chapter. At least the portion with Itachi and
Sasuke. I feel the Uchiha are the most formal of all clans. I’m going to have Sasuke calling
Itachi Aniki (big brother) and Itachi calling him Otōto (little brother). And for additional
reference…because of reasons…Onesan is big sister. This chapter actually has elements of my
original storyline idea which I will expand upon in the end chapter Author’s Notes.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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Itachi
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Itachi finished lacing up his ninja sandals. He wore his standard issue Anbu gear, sans the chest
plate. He’d put that on soon enough as well as his sword and mask. His backpack rested over his
shoulder and the rest of his uniform and weapons were tucked away inside sealing scrolls.

“Where are you going?” Sasuke asked, standing in the doorway of Itachi’s new bedroom. His small
hands clasped onto the frame.

Everyone had left twenty minutes ago. Had his brother been masking his chakra? Itachi would have
been proud if he wasn’t annoyed. “Why aren’t you at the Academy?”

“I’m not feeling well today, so I was sent home early,” Sasuke answered, his lower lip protruding in
frustration. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“Mission. Top secret,” Itachi answered. Had Sasuke overheard the discussion earlier? Surely not.
Fugaku had placed privacy seals throughout the office that were still active. He pressed the back of
his hand against against Sasuke’s forehead— detected a low grade fever and clammy skin. “Let me
get you some tea for that fever,” he murmured. He started to brush past Sasuke, but was stopped
when his younger brother grabbed his sleeve. “It will just be a moment, Otōto, then I must go.”

“Aniki, I’m glad you didn’t leave the village,” Sasuke said quietly. “That attack a few days ago was
scary, but I know it could have been worse. I don’t mean to annoy you, but I would like to spend
more time with you. I would have been so lost if I would have lost you.” His voice choked off with
emotion. “Please, Aniki, I need you We’re not at war. You shouldn’t be doing so much.” He tugged
on Itachi’s sleeve. “You’re thirteen.”

Itachi gripped his hand across the back of Sasuke’s neck— it was so thin and fragile. Sasuke was a
little boy and Itachi would sacrifice anything to ensure that Sasuke was able to have the childhood
he would never know. He and Sasuke were different. Sasuke had friends and people were drawn to
him like a moth to flame. Itachi struggled to make friends and didn’t understand people in the same
way. His mind worked differently.

How much should he tell his brother and how much should he protect him? “We’re shinobi,
Sasuke. Our lives are to be utilized as weapons even at a young age. However, there are some
adults that are cruel and hateful. Sometimes, they are in charge and we have to listen to them.
Sometimes, we are able to get them out of power so someone with good intentions makes the
decisions. We have abilities even as children that civilians do not have and our role is to protect
them as warriors. However, we cannot forget that we are also human. I’m going with father and a
few other teammates to bring back someone to the clan we thought was lost.” He crouched in front
of Sasuke and flicked his forehead. “We will spend more time together when I get back, okay? I
need to let Izumi know I’ll be gone a few days.”

Sasuke rubbed at his forehead and scowled, but his lips twitched in a smile.

Itachi found his mother in the kitchen, already with a tray with herbal tea balanced in her hands.
She smiled at him and then walked past. Itachi took a deep breath and redirected his energies.
Mother would care for Sasuke. He had a mission.

Itachi hadn’t made it too far and was still just outside of his family’s plot of land when there was
the strong smell of ozone and a crackle in the atmosphere. Stepping out of a rip in the fabric of
reality, two figures — a woman with jet black hair cut into a bob to her chin, a crimson sharingan in
her right eye and the lavender Rinnegan in her left eye- -and of all things glasses. Half a head taller,
stood a man with wild silver hair, faint streaks of pink highlighting it and sharp green eyes. He
smiled faintly, sharp canine teeth prominently displayed before he looked down at the woman.
“Looks like we’re late to the party, Onesan.”

“I told you the math was wrong, Takashi,” her lavender rinnegan faded into a matching crimson
Sharingan. Her gaze landed on Itachi and she grinned. “Uncle.”

“Uncle?” Itachi whispered, his own Mangekyou was activated, ready to trap the two into his
genjutsu or to incinerate them if need be. He couldn’t sense the chakra on either of these two. Their
ability to mask was S-class level. The girl, or really the woman, looked older than him. The boy
appeared maybe fourteen or fifteen, now that he had a better look at him, yet was significantly
taller than Itachi himself. “Who are you?”

The woman stepped towards him, holding her hands palms out and deactivated her Sharingan. Eyes
the exact shade of his own, his brother’s, and his mother’s stared back at him. “We’re just taking
after our mom and traveling through time,” she answered. “I’m Sarada. Sasuke is my father.”

Itachi swept his gaze back towards the silver-haired boy, he could now see a silver diamond-shaped
seal on his forehead. “And you?”

He smiled. “I’m Takashi. We have a complicated family.”

His little brother and mother were inside the house — not very far away. He did not want Sasuke or
Mikoto to see these two. “Sakura is your mother,” Itachi stated.

“Yes,” Sarada and Takashi chorused.

Itachi could feel a headache. He looked between the two of them. Takashi’s familiar silver hair and
jade green eyes. And while Sarada favored his own mother quite a bit, the angles of her face were
all Sakura. “I have a feeling a complicated family is putting it mildly.”

“Have you caught Obito yet?” Sarada asked. “He’s why we’re here.”

He had no doubt about the veracity of their explanation. “No. We were just about to start for
Shikkotsu Forest,” Itachi explained. He gestured in the direction of the western gate that would lead
out of the village. He only had about twenty more minutes before he needed to head there himself.

“Sweet,” Takashi said, lacing his fingers together and cracking his knuckles. “I learned Mokuton at
that forest. I can’t tell you how many summers I spent meditating there.”

Mokuton? The technique of the First Hokage? Itachi stared at him in shock at the declaration.
Tenzo could manipulate wood-style because of the genetic modifications he’d survived at the hands
of Orochimaru. This boy came by the powers naturally?

“I can teleport us there — just like Papa can do,” Sarada explained. “I’m extremely familiar with
that forest. It would be smart for us to use a surprise attack.”

“No one said you two could engage in battle. How do you have the Rinnegan?” Itachi asked. The
fabled eye should have been nigh impossible to achieve. Yet, apparently, both his brother and his
niece had gained it. Sasuke gained it from a gift from the Sage of the Six Paths, being the
reincarnation of the Sage’s eldest son.

“It turns out when the Senju founded Konoha, a lot of the clan dropped their last name and
intermarried. Turns out Mom is one-eighth Senju on grandfather’s side which is enough for Onesan
to activate the Rinnegan,” Takashi explained. “Well let’s go!”

“I believe there has been enough interference with the past,” Itachi protested. “How did you even
get here?”

Sarada flashed him a quick smile. “I not only can travel between dimensions, but time as well.
Though, I’m limited to twenty-four hours, so we need to pick up the pace, Uncle Itachi.”

“Can your mother access Mokuton?” Itachi asked, looking up at Takashi. Why was everyone taller
than him?

“Her chakra pool isn’t big enough. Besides, she’s too busy saving lives at the hospital to devote
much time to training in wood-style,” Takashi explained. He smirked. “And I’m here to make sure
Uncle Obito doesn’t kill anyone else or get himself killed for being an ass.” He ran his fingers
through his unruly hair. “Dad wallows in guilt often enough. And Sarada is here to make sure
Uncle Shisui knows how to bury memories.”

“Then we’ll just pop right back to our time,” Sarada said. “Easy-peasy, lemon-breezy.”

Itachi stared at her a moment. What? “Do you always speak such non-sense?”

Sarada and Takashi exchanged glances. “I told you we needed to be more respectful,” Takashi
hissed quietly. He bowed at the waist. “Apologies, Uncle. We are excited about our adventure.”

Sarada mirrored his stance. “Esteemed Uncle, I apologize for my disrespectful manor of speech.”

Itachi felt his eye twitching. Were they being sarcastic? He couldn’t tell. “I accept your apology.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. This wasn’t a genjutsu. It just seemed
ridiculous. “If you’re going to teleport us, there’s not quite as much of a hurry,” Itachi reasoned.
“Let me just go find Izumi. I wanted to let her know I’ll be leaving for a few days.”

“Should we just wait here for you?” Sarada asked. “You told us to find you.” She braced either
hand on her hips and grinned. “So if you’re going to be annoyed with anyone — be annoyed with
yourself.”

“I did?” Itachi asked. That didn’t sound like something he would do. He didn’t like the idea of
tampering with space and time. But these two were obviously from the future — by their ages he
suspected they came from at least forty years from now? “How far back did you travel?”

“Thirty-nine and a half years. You said you’d be the only one that would ask questions first and
attack later. Everyone else likes to go Chidori blazing,” Takashi explained.

“Ah. Okay. Then yes, wait here. I’ll be back in ten minutes.” Itachi shunshined away until he was
standing outside Izumi’s front door. He knocked and then waited, shifting his weight on his feet
anxiously. He hadn’t seen his girlfriend in a few days and now he had a niece and nephew waiting
for him in his back yard — from the future!

Izumi opened her door and stared up at him (finally someone a little shorter than him). Her cat
twined around her ankle. “Itachi?” Her dark eyes fell upon the pack over his shoulders. “You’re
leaving?”

“Mission,” Itachi answered. “Can I come inside?”

Wordlessly, Izumi stepped backwards and gestured for him to enter.

Itachi’s eyes swept over the living room, taking note of the medical book opened on the coffee
table. “Studying?”

“I raided the library,” Izumi confessed. “I’ll be applying for the medical ninja entrance exam.”

“Ah, good luck. I’m confident you’ll do well,” Itachi assured her. He kept his hands at his sides,
though the urge to cross them over his chest was strong. He kept hearing his mother’s voice in the
back of his head going over proper posture and etiquette. “I have a lung condition,” he blurted out.
Well, that wasn’t his plan, but it was better than telling her about his mission or the fact that he just
met his niece and nephew from the distant future. Meeting his grown-up brother had been mind-
boggling enough.

“Even more reason for me to study medicine,” Izumi said, her eyes sparkled in determination. She
bit her lower lip and Itachi studied the action a little nervous. “Can I hug you?”

“Sure,” Itachi answered. He was no longer going to be a spy / international terrorist, so he might as
well get used to hugs. He stood rigid as Izumi wrapped her thin arms around him and then after a
few moments, brought his hands up to return the embrace, letting his hands run over her long, dark
hair. It felt nice and he felt himself relax marginally.

“Maybe we can go out for some tea when you get back? Or take your brothers and their friend to
dinner after school?” Izumi suggested, stepping back, her cheeks dusted in a pink blush.

Itachi nodded. “Next time,” he promised. Then he was back behind his house, within the densely
populated section of forest. Still, he couldn’t sense the chakra of either of the time-traveling
shinobi.

“Ready?” Sarada asked. She gestured towards his backpack. “Are you going to seal your pack up in
a scroll? It’s rather bulky.”

“Ah.” Itachi had intended to do that earlier, but he’d been slightly distracted by the unexpected
visitors. He slid the pack off his shoulders, put on his chest plate, slid his sword into the sheath
across his back and did just that. He tucked the storage scroll into the pocket of his vest. His mask
was secured to his thigh, no need to put it on until the mission actually started. It may have been
officially an Anbu mission, but it was more of a family situation. His eyes flickered to his teenaged
niece and nephew. He could definitely understand complicated. “Let’s go.”
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OoO

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Sakura
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All pretense of sanity was thrown out the window as Obito continued to rant and rave outside the
forest’s perimeter. His Akatsuki members continued to gather outside. Pain and Konan were
probably the most dangerous but they were merely lazing about, playing card games with Kisame
of all things around a campfire.

It was the arrival of Kakuzu and Hidan that really worried Sakura. Obito was really going all out
here! The only one missing was Orochimaru himself, but she had a feeling he’d be on his way.
Zetsu was also missing. Was he going to get the Snake Sannin? And Deidara was probably still a
genin in Iwagakure at this time.

“I have never felt so wanted,” Sasori deadpanned, his bored amber eyes scanning the group
gathered outside the forest’s entrance.

“You are a coveted recruit,” Sakura pointed out. “And I already ruined their recruitment of another
friend.”

“Friend?” Sasori echoed. “Is that what you think we are?” He turned towards her and then started
back to the shelter that he’d set up shop.

“Where are you going?” Sakura caught up to him, blocking his path.

“I need to finish my work.” Sasori explained, side-stepping her. “Unless you plan to help, get out of
my way.”
“Fine. I’ll help,” Sakura agreed. Her stomach twisted wondering exactly what he planned to do.
She knew he used human corpses for his puppets — as had Lady Chiyo. She’d practiced surgery on
cadavers. Was it really so different? She couldn’t help but appreciate knowing that even in death
someone could have a purpose. Though, wasn’t it better to let one who spent their whole life in
servitude finally rest when they died?

Sasori scoffed, but didn’t protest.

He had transformed the shelter into a laboratory. “Where did all this come from?” Sakura asked,
feeling awed by the worktable, the instruments, and noting the buckets. Surprisingly, there was no
stench associated with the make-shift workshop.

“Sealing scrolls,” Sasori murmured, standing at the head of the operating table. The Third
Kazekage was stretched out over the wooden table, his abdominal cavity empty, his rib cage open,
lungs missing. All that remained was the heart and it was sealed within a glass jar. “The heart is
essential to lock the chakra into the puppet.”

Sakura thought back to Sasori’s puppet body from her original timeline. That had been the only part
of him that was human. “Glass seems kind of fragile,” she pointed out.

“Tempered glass with a thermoplastic interlayer,” Sasori murmured. “It is a delicate balance of fire
and earth chakra. It can still shatter, but it’s easily repaired.”

“And why doesn’t it smell like death in here?” Sakura asked. She gestured towards the buckets full
of entrails. “Did you create a seal to contain the smell.”

This time, Sasori actually smiled. “I did. Though, I can release the seal to overwhelm enemies —
like the Inuzuka of your village or others with strong olfactory senses.”

Others like Kakashi? Sakura wondered. She didn’t bring him up. Sakumo Hatake killed Sasori’s
parents. They were only in a tentative alliance. Their possible friendship too new to risk saying
something stupid. “What can I do?”

Sasori shifted his gaze between the Third’s puppet and Sakura. “Would you like to close him up?
You’re a medic.”

“I can do that,” Sakura murmured. And she’d be sure to use cellular regrowth on the skin cells to
prevent scarring. She got to work, using techniques she’d learned studying medicine when she’d
participated in autopsies. Sasori watched her closely, studying her technique. Part of her was
feeling a bit let down by Lady Tsunade’s lack of interest. This was not the same woman that had
taken over as Hokage and revolutionized the field of Medicine. This Tsunade was lost in a drunken
haze and Sakura wanted to reach out to her, but didn’t know how.

She stepped back once she’d finished her work with the Third Kazekage.

“Impressive,” Sasori murmured. He ran his finger down the center of the Third’s flawless sternum.
“It’s almost as if he were just sleeping.” He crouched near the buckets on the floors, held his hands
over the edge and flames erupted over the organs. “Cremation,” he explained, before she could ask.

Then they could feel the presence of Tsunade lingering in the doorway. Her honey-golden eyes
surveyed the room. “I thought it would be gory,” she commented, folding her arms under her ample
bosom.
“It’s an art,” Sasori scoffed. “Not a butcher shop.”

“Hm,” Tsunade hummed. Her eyes settled on Sakura, the latter straightened under the scrutiny.
“Girl. Let’s talk.”

“Go on,” Sasori murmured, using chakra strings and sitting the Third Kazekage up. The puppet
waved Sakura away. “I’d like some privacy to work.”

Sakura followed Tsunade out of the workshop. “Interesting friend. Are you sure you can trust
him?”

Naruto trusted everyone. And even those unworthy of trust, he worked hard to redeem. “I like to
give the benefit of the doubt,” Sakura answered.

“I’d like to leave this forest eventually,” Tsunade pointed out. “What are you planning to do about
our guests?”

“We have allies coming,” Sakura pointed out. Though, she wasn’t sure about a match up against
these Akatsuki. However, this time, she would have Itachi and Sasori on their side — that would
help even if they were teenagers at this time, they were both still S level. And Deidara was still a
kid, so he wouldn’t be showing up to throw his bombs. And Orochimaru wasn’t here— yet.
“Though, I wasn’t expecting the whole terrorist group to show up. It seems over-kill.”

“Or that you’re the priority. You and the puppet boy.” Tsunade rubbed her forehead and closed her
eyes. “A few days ago my only concern was getting out of Iwa without debt collectors hounding
me.” She gestured vaguely towards Sakura. “Now there’s you, traipsing through time, altering the
fabric of reality, re-writing history to what you think it should be.”

Sakura frowned. “If I could save others, I would.”

“Don’t even tempt me,” Tsunade warned, her eyes flashing in anger.

A large section of Katsuyu slithered towards them, towering over them both. “Ladies,” she slug
greeted. “It’s begun. I’m afraid you’ll need to leave the safety of the forest. The ones with the
scythe and all the hair are destroying the barrier. Our acid is ineffective against them. There are
infantile slugs here. This is our sanctuary and I ask that you keep it the sanctuary it’s meant to be.
I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Sakura vowed. She didn’t know how, but she would. She could only hope that
Kakashi’s ninja hounds got to him in time.
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OoO

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.
Kakashi
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He waited at the western Ah-un gates of Konoha, ready for his team and ready to depart. They
would be hard pressed to get to the forest and every second they lingered, he worried for Sakura
and their unborn child.

Shisui stood next to him, also looking impatient. Fugaku and Taki spoke quietly to themselves.
They were waiting for Itachi.

And then suddenly, Itachi was there, materializing within the golden armor of a Susanoo with a
dark haired woman standing next to him and a silver-haired teen behind them.

“What the hell?” Shisui whispered.

Kakashi’s eyes widened. That was clearly another Uchiha woman that had used the Rinnegan just
like the future Sasuke had. And the teen standing behind her was clearly a relative of his — a
Hatake. He had the nose, the jaw, the hair, the hooded eyelids. But the eyes— they were jade just
like Sakura’s.

“Change of plans,” Itachi announced, as the Susanoo around him dissolved. He gestured towards
the two people standing on either side behind him. “We have a few more helpers. We won’t need to
run for two or three days straight. Sarada will teleport us.”

Kakashi hardly comprehended Itachi’s words. His attention was riveted to the boy. As if sensing his
gaze, the silver-haired teen grinned back at him, prominent canines slipped into view. “Fuck me,”
Kakashi whispered. The silver diamond seal on his forehead like a neon light advertisement of the
stranger’s identity.

“And who is Sarada?” Fugaku demanded, his eyes had switched to Sharingan mode as he observed
the two strangers warily.

“Your grand-daughter,” Itachi explained. His gaze drifted towards Kakashi sympathetically, before
back to his father. “Apparently, my future self suggested they come to aid us. They’ll only be with
us for a few hours, so I suggest we make haste.”

“How long before you can get us to the forest?” Shisui asked. “Obviously, you can make a
Susanoo.”

“I can get us there instantaneously,” Sarada answered with a smirk that was identical to Sasuke’s.
Her eyes shifted to double lavender Rinnegan and her golden Susanoo reappeared. “Do we need to
pick up Uncle Naruto? I can just pop over to the mountain and fetch him real quick.”

“Just pop over?” Taki repeated. “Mount Myoboku is on the other side of the country near Mist.”

“You want to come, Takashi?” Sarada asked, turning towards the silver haired teen next to her. “Or
do you want to stay here?”

Kakashi was grateful for his mask, because his jaw just dropped at the name in shock. Without a
doubt, he was staring at the teenaged version of his unborn child.
“Let’s go, Onesan,” Takashi said, he lifted his hand at everyone. “Yo. We’ll be back. Pardon us for
a minute or two.” And then the two disappeared.

“What just happened?” Fugaku demanded.

“We have instant transportation,” Itachi explained. “When we arrive, I imagine we’ll be stepping
into battle immediately. We’ll only have a moment of surprise before whatever forces Obito has
gathered strike.”

Kakashi was glad he wasn’t the one in charge of this particular mission. His head and his heart
were being pulled in a hundred different directions. So, from what he could gather — his wife from
the future and his son from the future had both traveled back to fix the mess that the timeline had
become. How bad was it in the future that they needed to interfere?

And then, moments later, Sarada returned along with Naruto and Jiraiya. Takashi grinned at the
Toad Sages before he looked across and met Kakashi’s gaze again. The boy’s green eyes practically
sparkled. How could someone that happy be Kakashi’s son?

“All aboard,” Sarada announced. The golden Susanoo’s ribcage opened wide for their team to step
inside.

Kakashi found himself next to his future son, looking down into the eyes only a couple of inches
below his own. “It’s an honor to be fighting with you, Tou-san,” Takashi whispered. “I always
dreamed about seeing how you fought with the Sharingan.”

“Uh, it’s nice to meet you,” Kakashi answered uncomfortably. The boy looked like he wanted to
hug him. Kakashi wasn’t a hugger.

“I can’t wait to see Kaasan,” Takashi added. The boy was brimming with energy. He had a sword
strapped to his back — it reminded Kakashi of his father’s white light chakra saber. But it had been
broken the same day Kakashi lost his eye during the Third War, when he saved Obito.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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She and Sasori stood next to each other near the entrance to the forest, a trio of Sasori’s puppets
stood on guard in front of them. Sakura tightened her gloves over her fists. They were ready to
confront the Akatsuki lurking outside. The barrier was weakening and they wouldn’t allow the
terrorists to step foot inside the forest. The slugs could probably take care of most intruders, but the
sheer power behind this force was too much.
Sakura wasn’t ready and she didn’t know how they’d take on so many enemies, but they had to try.
She just hoped Kakashi would show up soon with his reinforcements.

“When you die, shall I turn you into a puppet?” Sasori offered, glancing over at her a slight smirk
on his lips.

“I hope you’re kidding,” Sakura muttered.

He shrugged one shoulder. “It would be a waste to let you die for nothing. And I suppose they
would still prefer to recruit me than kill me.” He blinked at her lazily. “I will remain on your side so
long as you’re alive.”

“That is a motivating speech if ever I heard one,” Sakura snorted.

It turned out that more reinforcements arrived than she could have ever imagined. Her eyes
widened at the sight of a large shimmering golden Susanoo materializing right in front of the
forest’s entrance, sword and shield in each hand and within it’s protective ribcage was a group of
nine shinobi — all powerful and a good match for the Akatsuki members gathered outside.

Then suddenly, there were two more Susanoo — Itachi’s orange one and Shisui’s green one. She
could see Naruto and Jiraiya, both in Sage mode, the former flooding the field with shadow clones.

And then she saw Kakashi, but there was another man next to him — achingly familiar to her for
some reason. And that unknown man had wood release! It was like Captain Yamato, but much
more intense! Kakashi used his repertoire of a thousand jutsus and unleashed the very familiar
Shadow technique of the Nara clan as the other man used the fabled Mokuton of the First Hokage
and together they caged Hidan and Kakuzu.

“Let’s secure Obito in place,” Sasori murmured. He rushed out of the forest and Sakura trailed
behind him. Chakra strings fixed Obito in one spot momentarily, but were cut asunder by Kisame
and his massive sword.

The landscape had turned into a field of battle with three Susanoos, hundreds of Shadow clones,
paper bombs everywhere, Pain and his six paths. Shisui moved faster than the eye could see.
Itachi’s giant Susanoo snatched up Kisame and the shark-man started laughing as he was hauled up
into the sky.

Then Fugaku formed a partial Susanoo, holding Obito in place. The latter popped out of existence
and then appeared right behind Kakashi with his kunai raised.

Kakashi blocked the kunai with the metal brace of his glove, sparks flying at the contact.

“You brought quite a few friends, Bakashi,” Obito hissed. “Guess you didn’t like me having your
girl, eh? She’s just as annoying as you!”

Kakashi brought up a lightning blade and shattered the orange mask over Obito’s face revealing a
Sharingan in his right eye with a pattern that exactly matched the one in Kakashi’s left eye. “I
figured you were looking forward to a reunion party,” Kakashi growled. “I brought your cousins.”

“I had plans for Itachi. How dare you interfere,” Obito grunted, dancing out of Kakashi’s range.
“And as for the rest of my family— they should be rotting in the ground right now. Useless — all
of them!”
“Ah, that’s not nice, Obito-kun! I thought you liked me,” Shisui chided, body-flickering next to
them and snatching away Obito’s kunai before he disappeared.

Obito’s eye twitched. “Shisui….”

Chakra strings attached to Obito’s wrists and then roots burst out of the ground holding him in
place. Sakura and Sasori held Obito with chakra threads while Takashi used wood-style to secure
him. Kakashi used moves he picked up from the Hyuga and hit a few of Obito’s tenketsu points to
temporarily paralyze him.

Then Fugaku was there, trapping Obito in his gaze and using the forbidden Izanami Technique.
Moments later, Fugaku’s left eye was opaque and blind. And Obito stood unmoving, eyes closed
and darting behind his eyelids in an endless dream.

The other members of the Akatsuki soon lost heart in the battle once their leader was defeated. Pain
and Konan retreated first. Followed shortly by Hidan and Kakuzu.

Kisame was still being restrained in the fist of Itachi’s Susanoo. “Alright, alright,” Kisame said,
struggling in the unrelenting grip. “I don’t fight losing battles. You can let me down. I ain’t going to
kill anybody.” He gestured his chin towards Sakura. “You tell them, Pinky. I didn’t let Leader hurt
you, did I?”

“He’s honorable,” Sakura said. “More or less.”

“I can release you, but should I?” Itachi countered, settling Kisame on the ground, still secured in
the massive orange skeletal hand of his chakra samurai.

“You would have made a great partner,” Kisame growled, letting out a disappointed sigh. “In
another life, maybe.”

“Maybe,” Itachi agreed, releasing Kisame. “Try anything and I will melt you.”

“I don’t doubt that you’d try,” Kisame agreed with a chuckle. He grinned over at Sakura. “Looks
like your calvary did arrive.” He scanned over the group, including Obito in his trance-like state.
“Well, what the fuck and I supposed to do now?”

“Fix the corruption within your nation rather than join a terrorist group?” Shisui suggested.

Sakura took a deep breath and moved to Kakashi’s side. He was panting, his eyes wild as he
slipped his hitai-ate back over his Sharingan. His single charcoal eye locked on her, watching. And
then he gripped her hips, pulled her close, and crushed her against him. She slipped her arms
around his waist and felt the cold of his armor against her cheek. He was vibrating against her. “So,
apparently your kids decided to travel back in time and save you.”

“My kids?” Sakura echoed angling her face up towards Kakashi. His forehead was drenched in
sweat and his heart was beating a mile a minute. There was a dark circle under his visible eye. Her
poor lover hadn’t been sleeping. She was grateful that Shisui hadn’t sealed away his memories yet.
If he hadn’t come when he did — she’d surely be dead.

“Our son Takashi and your daughter Sarada,” Kakashi explained. He kissed her temple, the silk of
his mask soft against her skin. “Don’t think about it too much.”
“Sakura-chan!” Naruto rushed towards them and wrapped them both in his warm hug. “That was
amazing! We just defeated the Akatsuki! There’s no way Kaguya can be resurrected now! Did we
just prevent the Fourth War?” He pulled back, his blue eyes flashing, his golden-blond hair stained
with blood.

“What are you doing here?” Sakura asked. “Why didn’t you go back?”

“As if I would go home without you!” Naruto scoffed. He kissed her cheek and then leaned over
and kissed Kakashi’s cheek. “And I didn’t keep my promise to Nagato. Now I have. Pervy-Sage is
going to track him and Konan. He’s going to see to it that the Leaf makes things up to Rain for
what happened to them during the Second War. Heck, they’ll get to help track down Danzo to enact
their own revenge! It’s perfect!” He then waved over the other silver-haired man and the beautiful
raven-haired woman. “Takashi, come here! Sarada!”

The two unknown shinobi ambled towards them. Sakura’s eye widened at the woman — she
looked like a perfect combination of Sasuke and herself. Was this the daughter that her mother had
terminated before she could be born? And the boy? He looked like Kakashi, but with her eyes and
her Yin seal.

“We can’t stay long. But we’re here to take you back home, Mom. You and Uncle Naruto,” Sarada
explained. “I’ll have to work with Uncle Shisui so he can fix everyone’s memories.” She scanned
the crowd just outside of the forest. “We have a lot of damage control to do.”

“Can we have some time together before you leave?” Kakashi asked, his voice quiet, raspy with
emotion.

Takashi threw his arms around the shoulders of Sakura and Kakashi, hugging them opposite of
Naruto. “I just want to say that I love you both so much! And it was an honor to see you in action!”

Sakura turned towards the handsome young man. He looked so much like Kakashi, but with her
eyes and the familiar seal on his forehead. Her eyes brimmed with tears at the sight. “I’m looking
forward to getting to know you, Takashi,” she whispered.

Kakashi’s warm hand fell upon Sakura’s belly. “Yes. We are,” he said.

“Let’s head back to the village,” Itachi ordered. “Sarada, you can take Sakura and Naruto home in a
few hours.”

Sarada smiled at Sakura. “No problem. Mama, you were truly brave and I am so proud of you.”

Shisui picked up Obito’s still form and held him in a fireman’s pose over his shoulder. He gestured
towards Sasori. “You want to head back with us? We can escort you to Suna in day or two.”

“Would it be okay if I tagged along?” Kisame asked. He hadn’t moved from Itachi’s side.

“I wouldn’t have been able to drunk dream such non-sense,” Tsunade murmured, standing next to
Jiraiya. “I’m a little disappointed Orochimaru didn’t show up. I thought he was part of that black
cloak, red cloud gang.”

“We’ll still have to deal with him,” Jiraiya promised. He met Sakura’s gaze briefly and rubbed the
back of his neck. “And once more, I just wanted to apologize about before, Sakura.”
 “Apologize for what?” Tsunade asked suspiciously.

“It’s all good, doesn’t matter,” Sakura assured her. “All water under the bridge.”

“We should start with their memories of Sakura and Naruto,” Shisui said, glancing back at Sarada.
He handed Obito’s body over to his father to carry. He stood in front of the two Sannin. “Now, if
you’ll look into my eyes, I’ll just make a few modifications to your memories.”
.
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: I hope this chapter was worth the wait. When I originally wrote my first draft to this
story, it was a time travel fic with Sakura and Kakashi’s son traveling back, needing their help.
I just saw on a video game clip that Sarada uses the turtle to meet Uncle Itachi. That five
minute scene had me bawling my eyes out! She also uses the fix-it genjutsu to erase his
memories of the encounter.

Anyways, next chapter is pretty much all KakaSaku!

 The Return Home

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Sakura
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The relief Sakura felt the moment she was in Kakashi’s arms was above compare. She was safe.
She was loved. She was home. This Kakashi was the man she’d fallen in love with — he had so
much pain and anguish and needed her. She also loved this man in the future, but older Kakashi had
found ways to mask his pain and hid behind a wall of aloofness.

This Kakashi was raw emotion. He was prone to violence — which she rarely saw outside of battle.
He was fiercely protective and it seemed prior to her arrival, his only source of comfort for the last
six years had been his pack of ninja hounds. Thank goodness for those summons. If it hadn’t been
for them, Obito in his madness would surely have accidentally or intentionally killed her. Those
ninja hounds saved her life and she knew it!

Without Obito on the field of play in setting up Madara’s plan of collecting the Tailed Beasts and
creating the godtree, the zetsu creature wouldn’t be able to unseal Kaguya. She came back in time
to stop the Uchiha massacre and now it seemed that the entire Fourth War would be thwarted. Did
this mean that the Allied Shinobi forces would never come to fruition without a common enemy?
Did it matter? Would new players step into the power vacuum? Who would they be?

She didn’t say much once she and Kakashi arrived at his ancestral home. He didn’t say much either,
both overwhelmed with emotions. His memories would be locked away and she’d be reunited with
his future self by the morning. She could only hope the changes in the timeline would leave the
world a better place than the one she left behind. In the very least, she knew that both Sasuke and
Naruto would have a better upbringing and the chance of a truly happy childhood. Kakashi would
now not only have Tenzo and Gai, but he’d also have Shisui and Itachi — and maybe one day
Obito back in his life.

She couldn’t do anything about the loss of Rin, but it was comforting to learn that his past
relationship hadn’t been a romantic one — at least not from his point of view. She wasn’t going to
have to compete with a ghost — except maybe the vague recollections of her own self In his mind
after Shisui locked away his memories.

“Stop thinking so much,” Kakashi whispered, running his thumb along the crease between her
brows.

“I was just wondering how it was going with Shisui and Sarada locking away the other’s
memories,” Sakura admitted.

“That doesn’t matter to either of us at this moment,” Kakashi pointed out. “Can you put on those
bangles? I’d like for you to wear them while I make sweet love to you. I want to make sure you go
back home so thoroughly ravaged that my future self remembers just how much you mean to me.”
She knew what he really wanted to say was that since his mind wasn’t going to be able to
remember her, he wanted his body to remember her.
.
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OoO

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Kakashi
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The crow cawing outside the house was the signal. Kakashi tightened his arms around Sakura,
holding her flush against his chest, their legs entangled. Her head was tucked under his chin and her
fingers splayed over his heart. They’d made love almost immediately after being reunited as soon
as they were in the privacy of the Hatake Estate.

Kakashi had kissed every inch of his lover’s body, running his hands over the barely noticeable
baby bump that made his heart swell. But now as their time ran out, his memories were still his,
and Sakura was soon to return to his future self, and his mind was jumbled with thoughts.

His best friend was alive. Obito Uchiha was alive and psychotic. Obito was responsible for the
Nine-tails attack that killed Master Minato and Kushina. Obito had endangered Kakashi’s future
wife and the future mother-of-his-children. Kakashi had just met his future child — a confident,
happy, handsome teen with silver and pink hair.

Obito was also the reason Kakashi was alive and had gifted him with the Sharingan that had led to
his moniker as the Copy Ninja, Kakashi of the Sharingan. Kakashi had regained his respect for his
father based on Obito’s declaration of Sakumo being a true hero for putting his teammates above
the mission.

His thoughts were interrupted when Sakura settled her hand on the side of his face and hovered
over him, staring down into his eyes. “I hate that I’m leaving you here alone to deal with all this.”
She brushed her lips against his and Kakashi sighed into her mouth. His hands ran up and down her
bare back, enjoying her smooth skin.

Sakura leaned down further to press her soft, warm lips to his chest, directly over his heart. “In my
time, you have a vicious scar crossed over your pectoral where the Akatsuki Kakuzu tried to rip out
your heart.”

“That sounds unpleasant,” Kakashi murmured.

Her small, dexterous fingers traced over the scar bisecting his left eye. “And this is less prominent
already than when I saw you the last time I was in the village. Do you remember a bell test where
Obito had a family friend partake?”
“I—do. It’s a very vague memory,” Kakashi answered, the thought was like grasping at straw. He
couldn’t quite bring it up to recall clearly.

“So then it really did happen,” Sakura murmured. “Obito had discovered a way to travel back to
one day in the past — the day of your bell test. It makes sense since Sarada is able to use her
Sharingan to time travel too. Obito traveled to that day over and over, thinking it made no
difference because he wanted to spend time with Rin.”

“He loved her.” Kakashi swooped his fingers through Sakura’s hair, dragging his nails gently along
her scalp. “He made me promise to take care of her, but she died a year later — my hand straight
through her heart.”

“That’s not the whole story, now is it,” Sakura said quietly.

“She had a tailed beast sealed inside her. She would have died anyway, but didn’t want to hurt
anyone else. She wanted to die with me as the last person she saw,” Kakashi admitted.

Jade eyes searched his face, her expression soft, and her thumb traced along his jaw. “If I knew I
was going to die, I’d want your face to be the last one I saw too,” Sakura admitted.

Kakashi squeezed her tight against him. “Don’t say things like that.” He didn’t want to think about
Sakura dying. The crow outside the window cawed again. “I guess it’s time.”

“I’m sorry, I have to leave,” Sakura whispered, her fingers curling over his chest. “I wish I could
have protected you from so much pain that you’ve gone through.”

“You can’t fix everything.” Kakashi rolled Sakura off of him and then rose from the bed. He started
to pick up his clothes and dress, feeling Sakura’s eyes on him the whole time. He plucked up his
discarded mask on his dresser and secured it over the lower half of his face. He might as well get
used to wearing it all the time again. He picked up Sakura’s clothes and handed them to her.

She took them, her fingers brushing against his in the exchange. “You need to lean into your friends
here, Kakashi. You have Tenzo, Shisui, Itachi, and Gai. And Obito is here too.”

Kakashi stared down at their hands. “I think Shisui should lock away my memory of Obito too. I
think I’d do better to think of him as a martyr than a deranged villain.”

“He’ll come back to you,” Sakura promised, stepping back towards the nightstand where fresh
bandages were waiting. She wound the bindings over her breasts, tied off the wrappings. Then she
stood in her panties and bindings and hugged Kakashi again, tucking her head under his jaw. “I’ll
come back to you too. Try to be patient with my younger self. I was just a naive little girl.”

“If I’m a jerk, Shisui will knock some sense into me.” Kakashi closed his eyes and just enjoyed the
feel of Sakura against him. “You were my favorite student though, right?”

Sakura chuckled. “I guess. Naruto and Sasuke were always fighting. Naruto had the tailed-beast
inside of him and was always running off half-cocked. Sasuke had so much anger and sadness. It
should be different now. I think growing up with a loving, supportive family is going to make all
the difference.” She shivered against him. “I hope I didn’t screw everything up by coming back
here, but I —I just felt it was the right thing to do.”
“It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done.” Kakashi pushed her away from him gently so that he
could look down into her eyes, try to memorize the exact shade of green so deep in his mind that
he’d never forget. “I’m know I’m waiting for you with open arms back in your time. I’ll be fine.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “We have a family, Sakura. You saw our son. He’s beautiful,
smart, and happy.”

“I saw my daughter too,” Sakura pointed out.

“I’m not going to fault you for falling in love with Sasuke first, especially if he’s a happy, well-
adjusted kid in this reality. As long as you’re mine in the end.” Kakashi released her from the hug
and gestured towards the rest of her clothes on the bed. “Finish getting dressed. We’ll go together.”
.
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OoO

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Shisui
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Sarada was a pretty cool girl. She was only about a year older than him chronologically, but her
mastery over the Sharingan and Rinnegan was impressive. It would figure that Sasuke would end
up with the most powerful offspring the clan had seen since Madara. Shisui wasn’t upset that the
girl outshone him. He even took pride in the fact since apparently, he’d been one of her mentors.

He was feeling a bit curious about his own future, but frankly, he was just happy to not be buried in
an unmarked grave in the forest. He was prepared to lock away Kakashi’s memories. They decided
to do the procedure while Sarada was still present. Sakura, Naruto, and Takashi were currently
having tea with Mikoto and Fugaku.

“I had looked into securing an arranged marriage with Sakura,” Kakashi admitted when it was just
the two of them. They were waiting for Sarada to finish her discussion with Itachi about something.

“I’ll make sure the two of you find your way back to each other,” Shisui vowed. He took Kakashi’s
hands and squeezed them tight. “Trust me. I am only alive because of you two.” He felt Sarada
walk into the room and stand behind him to observe. “I’m going to fade your memories of the last
few weeks. Major things you’ll remember. You’ll think our friends from the future were foreign
allied shinobi that you can’t quite recall their faces. But you’ll still keep the warm feelings
associated with them. You’ll know they aren’t dead, but just far away with the optimistic hope of
one day being reunited,” Shisui explained.

Kakashi nodded, closed his eyes as if saving the memories for a few more precious moments. “Do
it.”
A few minutes later, Kakashi was unconscious as his mind struggled to accept the jutsu. Shisui left
him resting on the pallet while he and Itachi joined their allies from the future.

Sakura hugged Shisui fiercely. “You made everything possible,” she whispered. “Thank you for
finding me that day.”

“Fate had us find each other,” Shisui answered. “I’ll take care of you in this time, little sister.”

He and Itachi observed in awe as Sarada opened a portal in both time and space. Sakura and Naruto
held hands, both looked nervous, at least until Sarada used her golden Susanoo— familiar enough
to Sasuke’s purple one that they stepped within without hesitation. Sakura wrapped the magical
armor around herself, Takashi, Sakura, and Naruto and vanished into the future.

“Are you sure you want to keep your memories too, Itachi?” Shisui asked, looking down towards
his younger cousin.

Itachi nodded. “You, me, Father, Mother, The Third. We will all keep our memories. It will be our
burden to know the truth. Let’s get to work on finishing up the sealing of the others’ memories. We
are more than half-way there.”

Shisui stared at the space where their family from the future vanished. Sarada had told him the
exact date, time, and location where she would meet him. He just needed to make sure he was
there.
.
.
.
.
Fourteen years into the future…
.
.
Shisui let out a huge sigh of relief when a grown version of Sarada brought back the Rokudaime’s
wife and the Hokage in training. They’d been transported directly into the backyard of the Uchiha
Head Family — Itachi’s backyard. Sarada and her brother didn’t linger and quickly left to return to
their future.

Sakura and Naruto were holding hands when they both fell unconscious into the arms of Shisui and
Obito. It would have been nice if Kakashi and Sasuke had been able to meet with them upon their
return, but they were both still recovering from the onslaught of new memories overwriting their
original reality. And Itachi was busy serving as Interim Hokage. Ino and Sai had already returned to
their regular duties. And almost everyone else had their memories of that time quietly locked away.

“Wow,” Obito whispered. “It’s really her this time,” he said quietly. His eyes welled with tears as
he stared at the pink-haired woman in Shisui’s arms. “I almost did to Kakashi what happened to
me.”

“You were under the influence of another grief-stricken Uchiha,” Shisui reminded him. “We broke
that cycle of hatred and despair. Lady Tsunade is going to want to examine these two personally,
then we’ll take them back to their home. Izumi already has everything set up for them.”

“What have you told your wife about all this?” Obito asked, shifting Naruto’s weight in his arms
until he was positioned over his shoulder.
“I just told her it was a secret assignment for the Hokage. As long as I’m home for supper and
bedtime, she really doesn’t care too much,” Shisui answered thinking about his red-haired spit-fire
of a partner. He glanced down at the slumbering pinkette in his arms and hugged her against him.
“Welcome back, little sister.”
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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She woke up with a raging headache and a cool sensation over her forehead. She opened her eyes
to see familiar golden-honey irises observing her. “Master Tsunade,” Sakura whispered.

“Hey brat,” Tsunade answered. “Got my memories back from our time together in the forest. Time
traveling, eh? You always were way too interested in history.”

“Are you okay?” Sakura asked. She braced her arms behind her and sat up. She recognized the
room somewhat, but it was definitely different than the last time she saw it. It was the Hatake
Estate in the Master bedroom. The decor had been upgraded with a decidedly feminine touch—her
own she supposed.

Tsunade scoffed. “I’m supposed to be asking you that. I’m afraid I can only dull the headache. It’s
the normal response for all those memories merging together if Kakashi, Sasuke, Ino, and Sai are
any indication. You and Naruto can both expect to be weak as kittens for a few more days.”

“Is Kakashi okay?” Sakura asked, biting her lower lip worriedly.

Tsunade smiled. “Eager to see your husband?” She laughed, slapping her knee in amusement. “I
can’t blame you. He’s very handsome and I’m sure you’d love cuddling with that muscle-bound
man. It’s like the two of you can’t breathe if you’re not touching each other.” She sighed, her eyes
scanning towards Sakura’s mid-section. “Your baby appears healthy. I know you’ll want to see your
daughter, but I think I’m going to recommend at least another day before I allow that. Your
husband is waiting outside that door though and I’m afraid he’s going to burst it open if I don’t let
him in. I'll be back to check on you in the morning.”

Sakura’s mind swirled with Tsunade’s explanation. Sarada was obviously the daughter, she
remembered the older version that brought her back to this time. How old would she be? When did
Sakura have her first child? It was obviously with Sasuke. How did that happen? Her hand cradled
against her womb, feeling the life-force of her son. Her son that was created in the past and would
be born in the present a decade and a half later.
Then all thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she sensed Kakashi’s familiar presence outside the
door. Sakura felt her heart squeeze in anticipation when Kakashi strolled inside, his dark gray eyes
stormy with emotion, his mask stuffed into the front pocket of his vest. He wore the dark gray and
black uniform he favored as Hokage, the red sash on his arm marking his station. He nodded curtly
at Tsunade, whom excused herself from the room and then sat on the edge of the bed. Kakashi
pulled Sakura into his arms wordlessly.

Sakura clung to him, overcome with emotions. “Welcome home, Sakura,” Kakashi murmured into
her hair, his hands traced over her arms, her shoulders, as if he didn’t believe she were real.

Sakura reached for Kakashi’s shirt and he let her pull it off over his head. She scanned the planes of
his bare chest — different than she remembered. Instead of the jagged scar from Kakuzu over his
left pectoral was a tattoo — a branch from the cherry blossom tree in vivid shades of pink. “What?”

Kakashi snorted. “A gift from Sai a few years ago. When Shisui gave me back my memories after
Obito kidnapped you — again.”

“Is he here? I think —-I saw him,” Sakura said groaning with renewed pain in her temples.

“He’s fine. He’s all good now. I got him back. We got him back,” Kakashi said with a laugh. “No
scar over my heart now, just a tattoo symbolizing the woman I love.”

“It’s pink,” Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi twirled his finger around a loose tendril of her hair. “It’s become my favorite color.” He
took her elbows and led her back to the bed and they snuggled under the covers facing each other.
Sakura splayed her hands over Kakashi’s chest, fascinated by the tattoo. Kakashi’s arms banded
around her, holding her close.

“I’m so glad,” Sakura cried, burying her face against his neck and cuddling as close to him as
physically possible. “I didn’t know what to expect.”

“It’s definitely different,” Kakashi murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. “For now,
sleep. I’ll hold you. And when you wake up, I’ll be here. I’ll answer any questions you may have.”

“Can you summon your pack?” Sakura asked, kissing his neck sleepily.

“Of course,” Kakashi agreed.

She closed her eyes and smiled against him when she felt the warm, furry companions crowd onto
the bed with them.

“Welcome back,” Pakkun greeted, settling his small body on the pillow right above her and
Kakashi’s heads.

“It’s good to be home,” Sakura agreed.

.
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 The Genin and their Sensei
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura
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Graduation from the Academy should have been a more exciting affair. Her parents had showed up
dutifully, but she suspected that was because of her big brother Shisui and Auntie Mikoto
threatening them. It was fun being arm and arm with her best friends though, Sasuke on her right
and Naruto on her left. They’d smiled big for the professional photographer Shisui had hired —
some guy named Sukea with a mop of brown hair and weird face paint.

She and Ino had hugged each other in congratulations for graduating. Their friendship had resumed
shortly after the summer when Naruto was adopted in Sasuke’s family. There were all sorts of kids
discovered hidden into the deep bowels of the village. Ino’s clan had adopted a pair of brothers —
Sai and Shin. Ino had been no longer interested in Sasuke Uchiha and that seemed to end their
rivalry over a boy. After that, Sakura and Ino continued their rivalry in regards to skills. Sakura still
consistently scored perfect on all the written exams, but then again, so did Sasuke and so did Ino
more often than not. And while Ino usually did a little better with some of the ninja skills, after a
couple of years of extra training with big brother Shisui, Sakura was easily the most skilled
kunoichi of their class when it came to shinobi practical skills. Though, Sasuke and Naruto blew
everyone else away. The Uchiha trained their kids to a degree that shamed everyone else.

She’d been invited to dinner at the Uchiha Compound that evening — along with her parents.
There had been a massive outdoor party set up— there were four long rectangular tablets that could
seat up to eight people with bench seating on either side. However, the table of honor where the
Uchiha Head Family sat had an elegant arm chair at the head. Fugaku Uchiha sat at the head of
Sakura’s table with Itachi on his right and Auntie Mikoto on his left. Sakura sat on the side with
Auntie Mikoto with Sasuke and Naruto on either side of her. On the side with Itachi — the Uchiha
heir — sat Izumi, Shisui, and Shisui’s guest — a shinobi from Sand. Sakura’s parents sat at a
different table, alongside Shisui’s father and Izumi’s mother. She didn’t know all the Uchiha clan
members, but it seemed that quite a few had been invited to celebrate.

Fairy lights decorated the area, giving it a magical glow, and the Yamanaka Flower shop had been
hired to decorate the place with overflowing bouquets and arrangements. The sweet scent of
jasmine, roses, and irises made Sakura want to bury her nose in those floral displays..

Sakura had gotten to sit right across from her surrogate big brother, Shisui. She never understood
why the esteemed Jonin had taken such a special interest in her when she’d been young, but she
loved him and appreciated him so much. Despite coming from a civilian background, she’d been
able to appreciate both him and Izumi taking a special interest in her over the years. She assumed it
was because of her friendship with Sasuke and Naruto.
Earlier that week, Shisui had informed Sakura that one of his friends wanted to meet her at the
celebratory dinner. She had hoped it would be the silver-haired shinobi. It was stupid to have a
crush on a man that had never spoken to her and covered most of his face behind a mask, but she’d
seen him and Shisui sparring before. She, Sasuke, and Naruto had all watched them spar — and it
had been magnificent. They probably weren’t supposed to watch the Jonin spar and there was no
way that the two men weren’t aware. Itachi had promised Sasuke that the mysterious silver-haired
man would one day be their Genin sensei. She and Naruto were looking forward to impressing him.
Sasuke was annoyed that their sensei wasn’t someone from his clan— just some man that was clan-
adjacent.

Shisui’s guest was certainly different. While her own pink hair had been an unusual sight, she’d
never actually seen someone with hair red as blood before. Sasori no Asuna was a Jonin from the
Land of Wind. The man had a quiet intensity about him and had been unusually interested in
Sakura. Her mother had been quite vocal in her displeasure of the man’s attentions afterwards, but
thankfully during the celebration it was easy enough for Sakura to ignore Mebuki’s glares from
another table.

Sasori had invited Sakura to train in Sand after she became Chunin — if she was interested. His
grandmother would be interested in taking on a protege to learn Medical Ninjutsu. And it would
help to strengthen the bonds between the two villages.

Auntie Mikoto had interjected at that time, smiling at Sakura in that maternal way she always did
and gently reminded Sasori that the children had just graduated from the Academy. They would
need to officially become Genin and hadn’t even met their Jonin sensei just yet. And that the Slug
Princess would hardly allow her rival to have first dibs on the smartest kunoichi of the new
generation of Academy Graduates.

Sasori had seemed to ignore the Uchiha Matriarch as he leaned comfortably back towards Shisui,
his eyes never leaving Sakura. “We’ll speak again on the matter, Sakura,” he promised.

Sakura had exchanged confused looks with Sasuke, but her best friend shrugged. Then her other
best friend Naruto had looped his arm around Sakura’s neck and kissed her cheek— a sloppy, wet
kiss. Sakura didn’t miss the mortified look on her mother’s face at the easy affection she shared
with her new official teammates.

“Why isn’t our new sensei here?” Sasuke asked, directing his question between his father at the
head of the massive table and his brother sitting at Fugaku’s right side as heir.

Itachi and Shisui exchanged uneasy looks. “He is otherwise engaged. He’ll meet you at the
Academy tomorrow,” Itachi answered.

The celebratory dinner ended around eight and Sakura went home with her parents, her mother
scolding her the entire walk home about inappropriate behavior unbecoming of a young woman.
How Sakura had been practically throwing herself at the Uchiha clan for years and they would
never even consider an outsider. The fact that they’d adopted Naruto was irrelevant apparently.
Mebuki assured Sakura that Mikoto only pitied Sakura and that’s why she received attention from
Izumi and Shisui.

Sakura let her mother rant to her heart’s content. It was easier that way. She glanced over at her
father, caught his eye and his silence spoke volumes louder than all her mother’s yelling.
It had been hard to fall asleep that night, but eventually a restless sleep had been achieved. Sakura
woke up early, straightened her room and prepared to start her career as a Genin. She would work
hard to be excellent and to impress the notoriously aloof shinobi that would be their sensei.

Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke met the rest of their graduating class at the Academy. Asuma Sarutobi
collected Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. Ino had flashed Sakura an arrogant smile, having the son of
the Third Hokage as your sensei was pretty impressive. Next was Kurenai Yuhi, one of the few
female Jonin that was an expert at Genjutsu— though not quite on the level of Shisui or Itachi.
Sakura didn’t really think there was much she could learn from the woman in that regard, but it
might be nice to train with another person that didn’t have a magical eye. Hinata had been relieved
to be under a female teacher’s tutelage. She’d given Naruto a shy smile which he returned with an
easy, distracted smile. Kiba and Shino joined her for a scouting team.

That left Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto — a presumably assault oriented team. Their former
instructor Iruka had left hours ago, assuring them that their new team leader would be there
imminently.

Kakashi Hatake didn’t show up for another six hours. Sakura was glad Naruto let that stupid eraser
fall on that jerk’s head when he opened the door.
.
.
.

OoO

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Kakashi

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No more Anbu missions. He wouldn’t be able to fail this group of kids either. The leaders of the
Uchiha — Fugaku and Itachi — had specifically requested Kakashi to be the Jonin sensei for Team
Seven. Frankly, he was being demoted to a babysitter to the Uchiha clan’s pet Genin trio.

Obviously, he’d seen the three twelve year olds over the years. Shisui was one of his closest friends
and he often felt their eyes watching him during sparing matches. The girl’s gaze was often the
heaviest. And while it wasn’t unusual for Kakashi to be the object of crushes, the attention of
Sakura Haruno unsettled him.

He tried reading through Jiraiya’s books. The Make-out Paradise books were generally entertaining
escapes from the day to day stresses being an elite shinobi often presented him with. He
particularly liked the reoccurring minor character of Cherry with her luminous green eyes and
yellow-blond hair. Though, it was Tales of the Gutsy Kunoichi that really warmed his heart. There
was something about the heroine of that series that made him think of half-remembered kisses and
a love that ended prematurely — as all good things in his life were wont to do.

On his night of freedom, he skipped out on the Uchiha clan’s celebratory dinner that he’d been
invited. He didn’t know the kids yet, so it felt weird to celebrate their accomplishment. He still
planned to use the Bell Test on them. And frankly, if the kids weren’t up to stuff, he would fail
them and send them back to the Academy regardless of Fugaku and Itachi’s demands. They weren’t
the boss of him. No one could make him do anything — well, maybe if Shisui and Itachi teamed
up.

So, Kakashi had left his books untouched, ventured to the shinobi bar, drank too much and brought
home a couple of bedwarmers. His temporary partners hadn’t minded that he left on his mask.
Kakashi Hatake always made sure people didn’t leave his bed disappointed.

Well, except for perhaps himself. He was honestly just going through the motions. He still had a
very healthy libido enjoyed the temporary endorphin rush casual sex granted him. But it was
temporary. He knew he was depressed. He almost failed his psyche eval and that was probably the
real reason the Third took him off the Anbu active roster.

Kakashi generally preferred the company of his ghosts. He visited the memorial the next morning,
holding conversations with Obito, Rin, and Minato. He thought about visiting his parents on the
estate, but decided against it. It always felt like he was missing someone when he visited the
estates. Like there was a ghost that he didn’t know that had imprinted on his family home. It drove
him crazy.

He more than suspected that during one of his debriefs for Anbu one of the Yamanaka in
Interrogation altered his memories. He couldn’t prove it, but his gut told him he was being tricked.

And before he knew it, he was six hours late to meet his Genin team. He had their dossiers at home.
He skimmed over it and had checked out their residences earlier in the week. They were smart kids
and their Academy scores were top of their class. But could he really compare these kids’ skills to
his own at their age? He graduated at five years old. Was a Chunin at six. They were just now
graduating at twelve.

Shoving his hands into his pants pockets and bidding his ghosts farewell, Kakashi shunshined
towards the Academy. He allowed Naruto’s ridiculous prank to occur, an eraser fell on his head
when he opened the door. He’d prefer they think he was a goof rather than to be afraid of him.

The blond cackled in glee at his own cleverness. The dark-haired one was sullen and obviously
disappointed in Kakashi’s lack of evasive skills. Shisui had explained that Sasuke had really hoped
that either Itachi or Shisui would lead their team. And the girl, well, she was ridiculous with pink
hair and eyes so green they looked like they belonged on a woodland sprite and not a kunoichi. She
made him think of Rin. He didn’t like her and she would no doubt become a liability for the rest of
their team. Why would someone like her be put on an Assault team? The Hyuga girl would have
been more appropriate.

Kakashi ordered them to meet him on the roof of the Academy. He was mildly impressed at the
speed of which they followed after him. They didn’t know how to shunshine, but they managed. He
doesn’t tell them what he likes or doesn’t like. He had wanted to fail them like the other genin
teams Lord Third tried to pawn off on him over the last two years, but the Uchiha clan were
adamant. And after the fiasco with Danzo and his attempt to murder the noble clan, the Third was
often acquiescent to the Uchiha.
Naruto’s favorite food was Ramen. His dislikes are when he’s forced to eat vegetables.

Sasuke’s favorite food was tomatoes. His dislikes were being compared to Itachi.

Sakura’s favorite food was dango. Her dislikes were being ignored because she’s a girl.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her answer. None of them actually told him what they liked. He
didn’t ask for their favorite foods. The cheeky little brats were being as obtuse as he was! Their
behavior was probably Shisui’s influence. The man certainly was persistent at getting under
Kakashi’s skin.

The next day, Kakashi showed up three hours late on Training Field Three for the bell test.

Kakashi did a particularly brutal Genjutsu on Sakura of Sasuke dying. She’s very upset, but Sasuke
was the one to break her out of the illusion. He whispered for her, “Remember what Shisui taught
us.” Naruto was on the receiving end of the thousand pangs of death finger up the rectum. Sakura
fished him out of the lake. “We can’t turn our back on him, he does that multiple clone thing.”
Sasuke threw a slew of kunai and they noticed his ability to use substitution.

Kakashi had trapped Sasuke underground, only his head visible above the earth. Sakura had dug
him out. The kids were filthy- covered in dirt, mud, grass stains, soaked from the water jutsus he
threw their way.

The three worked well as a team, sussing out his abilities individually and helping each other out
whenever they were attacked. This surprised Kakashi. He assumed they boys would be fierce rivals
and the girl would be useless when under duress. The time limit for the test was nearing its
completion and they still haven’t gotten the bells, not that Kakashi actually expected them to
succeed.

The three adolescents then convened and attacked Kakashi from two fronts and from above. They
were exhausted, but they helped each other. They used the tactics they learned at the Academy plus
Naruto with his multitude of Shadow clones, Sasuke with his fireball, and Sakura has a pretty
intense Genjutsu she puts on him— where Pakkun hobbles towards him injured! While he knew
that was an illusion, Kakashi did hesitate for a fraction of a second at the unexpected sight.

Kakashi was able to evade and dispel these attacks, but they were pretty good for fresh graduates.
They weren’t at war, so their lack of killing intent was understandable. He could work with these
brats. It might not even be terrible — maybe.

Kakashi held his hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright, you pass. I’ll take you as my students.”
They didn’t get the bells, but they were a hell of a lot better at team work than his group had been
under Minato’s bell tests.

While Kakashi was announcing his benevolent decision, Sakura — the tiny little girl — jingled the
bells in front of him.

Kakashi didn’t even bother to hide his shock as he blinked owlishly at the trio. He’s grateful for his
mask lest his mouth might have been seen hanging slightly open. “How?”

Sakura looked back at the boys, lifted her frail shoulders, her long pink hair fluttering in the breeze.
“Team work.”
So, Kakashi took his newly minted Team Seven, had their group photo taken and then started
training. He had them do physical exercises early in the mornings — push ups, sit ups, pull ups,
runs, climbing all with weights tied around their arms, ankles, and vests around their torsos. He’d
have let himself get out of shape if it wasn’t for his friends. Shisui, Itachi, Guy, Genma, and Tenzo
were constantly goading him. He did his exercises early in the morning before the sun rose, rarely
finding a training partner that could keep up aside from Guy and Shisui— both were annoying
more often than not so he avoided them when he could.

He had his Genin train without his supervision most mornings. Sometimes, it was because he’d
show up late after visiting the Memorial and he’d give them a lame excuse about getting lost on the
path of life. Other times, he preferred to watch their behavior when they didn’t think they had an
adult observing them. It became clear the three were extremely close friends. There was also a very
obvious rivalry going on between the trio. Sasuke had the most innate talent, Naruto struggled
using his chakra due to the seal that kept his tailed beast at bay, and Sakura had pathetic chakra
reserves compared to the boys’ massive pools.

However, they had potential.

It was after the mission to the Land of Waves that he really started to like the trio. And he wanted to
teach them, he really did. But his Jutsus were complicated and he’d never had anyone explain them
to him. Could he really dumb them down for a trio of adolescents?

He felt he could probably teach Sasuke techniques. Sakura’s chakra levels were too small for most
of his attacks. Naruto couldn’t properly use his chakra with the seal keeping his tailed beast
contained. He would need to train under Jiraiya to fully harness his powers.

Compared to him, they’d been so sheltered. He’d been a Jonin when he was their age. He focused
on teaching them substitution, dispelling genjutsus, taijutsu, and chakra control. They didn’t need
help with projectiles — all three had precise aim.

He’d been surprised when Sakura mastered tree walking on her first try. He watched as she
explained the technique to the boys in a much less complicated way than he’d planned to do. He
taught Naruto a couple of water and wind Justus, hoping he’d be able to do the Rasengan at some
point, but there really was too much interference from the seal on his belly. Sasuke and he focused
on lightning and fire, hoping he’d be able to master Kakashi’s trademark Chidori.

Unfortunately, Sakura’s chakra pool was too small. He taught her an earth jutsu that he couldn’t
remember where he learned it, used for mapping out the area and tracking. And he’d practiced
water walking with her. It wasn’t enough. He knew it wasn’t enough. And whenever she beamed
under the very mild praises he would sometimes give her or when he ruffled her extremely pretty,
silky hair, it might have warmed his withered decayed heart a tiny, little bit.

Kakashi signed them up for the Chunin Exams.

He probably should have waited an entire year. That’s what Guy had done with his students. But
then Asuma and Kurenai thought their Genin were ready? Kakashi was certain that his kids were
superior to those other brats. So, he ignored Iruka and Guy when they tried to talk him out of it.
Itachi agreed that they should participate for the experience if nothing else. Shisui also thought they
could handle it. But then again, for some reason Shisui seemed to think that trio hung the moon.
Kakashi still couldn’t quite figure that one out.
 Shisui Uchiha was the number one cheerleader for Team Seven.

Kakashi tried to be a good mentor for the trio, but what did they need him for? Sakura had two
loving parents and a surrogate big brother in Shisui Uchiha of all people. Sasuke was the cherished
son of the leader of the Uchiha clan, his parents had adopted Naruto years ago, and Itachi was
obsessively enamored by his younger brothers.

The three hardly needed an emotionally stunted orphan, last survivor of a noble clan, unable to
control his own feelings so much that he always wore a mask. And there was a rage inside him.
Nothing seemed to calm down his inferno of anger. There were days where it felt like he was
grasping at straws — he’d had everything and then had it snatched out from under him. There
seemed to be a big gaping hole in his memory, but he couldn’t quite figure it out. Damned
Yamanaka!

And that little girl with the pink hair and haunting green eyes had the biggest, most obvious crush
on him. It was so off putting, because Kakashi was NOT interested in children. She was always
trying to impress him and it was kind of cute, especially when she discovered his favorite food and
would pack him a neat little bento box whenever they had team practices. And sometimes she’d
make him little pancakes in the shape of pug dog faces — and maybe that was just a tiny bit
endearing.

So, Kakashi’s female student had a crush on him and it was kind of sweet at times. So, he worked
hard to distract himself by banging willing, warm bodies — he couldn’t help if he often thought of
luminous jade green eyes. Though, the hair was blond in his mind’s eye. However, there were times
it would be pink and that upset him and he would purposely ignore the little girl on his team for
days afterwards. She was probably very confused by his hot-cold behavior. He treated the boys
with the same casual indifference every day.

Maybe it did bother him that it was often Sasuke that would comfort her and sometimes Naruto.
The three were close — it was on a level far superior than the established trio of Ino-Shika-Cho. It
reminded him of the legendary Sannin back in their prime, before Orochimaru defected. Except, his
father had defeated the Sannin back around that time. Kakashi hoped he would never be pitted
against his precious students.

And he could admit, there was something about Sakura that made his stomach feel funny. And he
thought often of that day when he’d been twelve and Obito’s mysterious friend had showed up to
help with the Bell test. He thought about that girl often— he couldn’t remember her name. I was
always on the tip of his tongue. She was probably dead, but he hoped she wasn’t. He hoped he
would one day see her again.
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Chapter End Notes

A/N: Thanks for reading! As always kudos and comments are much appreciated!
So…I don’t know how many chapters this story will end up. I thought it would go to chapter
35. But, apparently, I’m wordy and I still want some stuff to happen and this chapter was
getting ridiculously long….soo…. This will continue to be my longest story ever. This is the
final arc though so it is wrapping up. 160K…how does that even happen? As long as there is
still story to tell, I'll keep telling it!

So what’s next after this? Well, I’ll be focusing on the Blind Swordsman because I am
absolutely in love with Shisui these days. I also have plans for two new stories this summer.
One will involve Kakashi/Sakura/Shisui all in Anbu. The other is going to be Akatsuki Sakura
where Sasori recruits her and she ends up working with Sasori, Itachi, Kisame (my three
favorite Akatsuki).

I still have some other projects in the fandom that I’m working on wrapping up before summer
(Monster Squad, Missing Ingredient, and Promises, Pain, and Possession…the Blossom and
the Hawk will take a while).

At the end of March, I’ll have another KakaSaku (Hope Lies in the Dawn) where the war goes
to hell. It will be my contribution for the Scarecrows and Cherry Blossoms group’s event for
Sakura’s birthday.
 The Chunin Exams, Part One
Chapter Notes

A/N: So…definitely gonna be longer than 35 chapters…I’m not even going to anticipate the
end…Thank you for continuing on this journey! Enjoy! Also, I want to commission a scene
from this story with SpnFox. Do you have a favorite scene you would like to see illustrated?
Lemme know in the comments!

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Kakashi
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The four Konoha rookie teams passed the first round of the Chunin Exam. Their results were
posted to the scoreboard outside — group and individual rankings. While the objective was to
observe and steal the answers, it was possible to actually know the answers. And Sakura Haruno
had the top score — a higher score than anyone else — which meant she hadn’t cheated, but
actually reasoned out the answers. That had only been done twice before — Minato Namikaze and
Itachi Uchiha.

Kakashi felt inexplicably proud of his little kunoichi. Though, in his heart of hearts, he knew he
had no hand in her success, but he was glad regardless. The kids were sent immediately to the
Forest of Death. He knew his little genin would do well together — their teamwork was flawless.
The idea of his own promotion to chunin at the age of six was now such a strange concept. And
he’d done it with a team he wasn’t even close with, yet his genin were the absolute best of friends.

“That’s a rather high score,” a deep, bored voice said at his side. Kakashi looked over to see
cunning amber eyes, blood red hair and the rigid posture of none other than Sasori no Asuna, the
most infamous Jonin of the Sand. The reason Kakashi knew him, his father had assassinated
Sasori’s parents long ago. It was one of the White Fang’s last successful missions. Those amber
eyes looked up into Kakashi’s gaze. “She belongs to you? Sakura?”

Kakashi knew he meant as a student — as in Kakashi was their Jonin team leader. Instead, he felt
his jaw clench and the muscle in his left scarred cheek spasmed. “Yeah, she’s mine,” Kakashi
answered.

Sasori narrowed his eyes and a brief flash of emotion passed over his otherwise impassive face.
“Something feels off about these games,” Sasori said. “Keep your eyes open, Hatake.”
“Do you…know who I am?” Kakashi asked quietly.

The puppet master was silent, appraising Kakashi with a critical eye. “I know, you are not your
father,” Sasori answered at last. “Captain Uchiha — Shisui— and I are on patrol together. He said
to remind you to stay vigilant.”

Kakashi shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jonin blue pants, his posture slouched. He
may have looked lazy to the casual observer, but it was a stance that allowed him to fluidly engage
in battle. “I always do.”

Sasori nodded faintly and then ambled away, disappearing amongst the other jonin leaders and then
vanishing.

Another one of those nagging sensations of deja nu that kept reoccurring bothered Kakashi as
watched the Sand shinobi leave. This couldn’t have been their first meeting, but it felt like he was
more familiar with Sasori than what a perusal of the Bingo Book might have granted him.

“Will you look at that?” Asuma said, patting his hand over Kakashi’s back. A cigarette was
clenched between the Third’s son’s teeth. “Our kiddos have passed the first round. You want to
place bets on which of our teams makes it through the forest first?”

“No,” Kakashi answered. He already knew the experiences of his team and Asuma’s team would be
completely different in the Forest of Death. People would be gunning for his team — either
because he was their sensei or because the prince of the Uchiha clan was their captain. He knew
people didn’t know Naruto’s true parentage, or else he’d have been a target as well. And people
always underestimated kunoichi— though in this case, while Sakura’s analytical skills were top
notch, her fighting prowess still left a lot to be desired

“Why? Worried your team will lose?” Asuma teased. “Can’t compete with the renown Ino-Shika-
Cho?”

Kakashi said nothing. Part of him wanted to retort that one day, his team would be capable of
saving the world. He wasn’t sure where that confidence came from, but he believed it with all his
heart.

“My rival!” Guy shouted, running towards Kakashi with a luminescent smile. Kurenai also showed
up, looping her arm through Asuma’s and dragging him away.

“Yo,” Kakashi greeted, grateful his mask hid his grimace from Guy’s enthusiasm.

“The beloved youth of our teams will soon face off!” Guy cried. “I suspect both teams will finish
the second round within three days! I hope my Tenten faces your Sakura in the third round! That
would be quite the match!”

Kakashi was surprised he mentioned the kunoichi and not the boys. “You’re not interested in
watching Hyuga versus Uchiha? Or Lee against Naruto?”

Guy’s smile grew wider and he latched onto Kakashi’s shoulder. “Do you think that would happen?
If our genin all faced off against each other it would be a true testament of our rivalry!” He dragged
Kakashi away from the scoreboard. “Though, odds are for our kunoichi to face off. The proctors
always have girls vs girls whenever possible.”
“Ah,” Kakashi murmured. He hadn’t realized that, but it made sense. The third round was really
just a showing off for the daimyo and other foreign nations that participated. Though, really only
Konoha and Sand and a few smaller shinobi villages had been invited.

Guy leaned closer, a sparkle of conspiracy in his eyes. “Though, we both know our youthful teams
will finish their trek through the Forest of Death much sooner than Asuma’s lazy team.”
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OoO

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Shisui
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.
It wasn’t awkward sharing a drink with Sasori no Asuna. Or at least, not completely awkward. He
was one of the those involved with the time-traveling Sakura a few years back whom didn’t have
his memory wiped. And he’d written to Shisui around the time when Sakura had graduated from
the Academy — how the man knew of such a thing was still mind-boggling. Sasori kept up with
Sakura, having credited her with saving him from turning down a dark path after he lost his mentor.

When Shisui had given him a bull-shite story to throw him off track of realizing that a younger
version of Sakura lived in the village, the man wasn’t fooled. Sasori insisted on meeting her. So
Shisui had invited him as his guest to the Uchiha family dinner celebration for the kiddos Academy
graduation. He’d not expected Sasori to extend an invitation to Sakura immediately. However, the
Puppet Master had perfect chakra control and could probably recognize the young girl’s familiar,
unmasked chakra signature.

“So, you’re here as part of the Kazekage’s guard?” Shisui gestured towards some of the other Sand
Shinobi mingling inside the bar.

“Honestly, I do not care for Rasa. Compared to Lord Third, he’s a pale shadow,” Sasori confessed.
“My cousin Lyna is a Jonin instructor to a trio of genin. She asked me to come along as part of the
delegation. And frankly, my gut told me to be wary. Something seems foul within Sand,” Sasori
explained.

“So it had nothing to do with a certain pink-haired kunoichi on my cousin’s team?” Shisui pressed.

A slight smile graced Sasori’s thin lips. “Perhaps, I was a little curious.”

Shisui scanned the crowd within the bar. “Is your cousin here?”

“She’s the redhead with a swarm of Konoha jonin offering to buy her drinks.” Sasori wrapped a
pair of chakra strings on either side of Shisui’s face and directed him to see the far corner of the bar
where a lovely Sand kunoichi was indeed surrounded by a half dozen shinobi offering her drinks.
“Popular,” Shisui murmured, using a burst of electricity to severe the chakra strings. She was
pretty, but the fact that she was related to Sasori was certainly a deterrent to any sane shinobi.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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It was the morning of their third day within the Forest of Death. They had both the Earth and
Heaven scrolls and were on their way back to the tower. They had slept in shifts with Sasuke taking
the last one as usual with his superior night vision. The plan was to head out at first light, hoping to
reach the tower by mid-morning and avoid any unnecessary delays. They had a few skirmishes, but
nothing too difficult or time consuming.

“Wake up. We need to head out,” Sasuke spoke quietly, his warm hand gently shook Sakura’s
shoulder.

With a tired groan, Sakura opened her eyes and met the dark onyx gaze of her teammate. She and
Naruto had unanimously declared Sasuke their team leader when they first set foot in the forest.
The dark-haired Uchiha had been stunned by the decision. He shouldn’t have been too surprised, he
was their de facto leader more often than not. Sasuke took his position of leadership with a quiet
seriousness that would have rivaled that of his esteemed elder brother.

“Is Naruto awake yet?” Sakura sat up and rubbed her knuckle over her eye.

Sasuke rocked back on his haunches. “As team leader, I nominate you to wake him up.”

They both looked towards their blond, hyperactive best friend. He was sprawled out on top of his
sleeping bag. From experience, waking up Naruto usually meant a forced cuddle session. Sharing a
room, Sasuke had learned the best way to wake up Naruto was tossing the family cat at him.
Whatever scratches the feline might have inflicted upon Naruto would heal quick enough with the
Nine-tails chakra.

“The more time you waste, the higher chance someone will try to get in our way on the way to the
tower,” Sasuke reasoned.

Sakura rolled up her bedroll and stretched as she walked over towards Naruto’s sleeping pallet. She
grasped his upper arm and shook gently, only to be wrapped up on a pair of strong, thin arms and
dragged on top of the blond adolescent.
“Sakura-chan!” Naruto murmured against her hair, holding her tight against him. “Five more
minutes, okay?”

Sakura pinched him just under his ribs. “Get up! We don’t have five minutes!”

“We have a problem,” Sasuke hissed. He set his backpack next to Sakura and Naruto. He’d already
packed away their camping supplies, sealing the bulk of their things into sealing scrolls. His eyes
grew distant, as he absorbed the information his hawk summons sent him.

Sakura stiffened, feeling the chakra release of one of the traps she set up around their perimeter.
“Enemy approaching, Naruto.” She brought her hands together and with force applied at just the
right angle, broke Naruto’s hold on her. It was a self-defense move Shisui taught her while she’d
still been at the Academy.

“Oh,” Naruto whined, rubbing at his jaw. His eyes widened and he sniffed, the pupils in his eyes
contracted into thick vertical slits. “Sasuke,” he said hoarsely. He snatched Sakura’s hand,
squeezing it tightly as his body took up an orange glow.

“It’s fine. Let him loose, I’ll reign you in,” Sasuke promised.

The three genin teammates stood back-to-back in a triangle, ready stances, prepared for whatever
was coming towards them.

The team from Grass landed up in the lower limbs of the nearby trees. “Those traps were rather
rudimentary,” the one with the long black hair greeted with a sneer on his face.

A fourth shinobi landed in the trees — this one with pale skin, long hair and neck and a tongue that
seemed to hand halfway down their neck. “Baby Uchiha,” they hissed. “You’re a tricky one to
track.”

“Am I supposed to know you?” Sasuke demanded.

“I can offer you power — more power than you’ve ever dreamed of!” They cooed.

“So much power you have to sneak into an exam meant for genin?” Sasuke countered. “What can
you possibly teach me that my clan cannot?”

Naruto sniffed. “They smell wrong. Snake.”

“Sakura, together,” Sasuke whispered. He reached for her hand and she squeezed his fingers.
Together they weaved an intense genjutsu like they’d practiced time and time again under the
masters of the technique within one of the Leaf’s founding clans.

Three of the four would-be attackers were caught within the powerful genjutsu. Normally, Naruto
would have been caught by proximity, but with the tailed-beast’s chakra flaring, he was immune to
the deceptions against reality.

At this same time, Naruto launched himself at the snake, two orange chakra tails twitching eagerly
as claws raked across the shinobi, revealing someone else entirely underneath the outer skin. The
pale snake-like man appeared even more serpentine as their neck elongated, jaw snapping and
dislocating and stretching across the expanse towards Sasuke.
Lightning quick, a figure in black with a white mask and familiar curly dark hair materialized in
front of Sasuke. A sword severed the neck of the creature, for the remaining neck to retract and
another head to shoot up to replace the lost one. Yellow, reptilian eyes glowed and then they
vanished.

“I never did care for uninvited guests,” the familiar voice of Shisui Uchiha murmured. He wiped
the flat of his blade over the sleeve of his uniform, the bloody stain disappearing into the black
material.

Landing next to him was a man with fiery hair and golden eyes, Sakura remembered him from the
celebration years ago when she and the boys graduated the Academy. He was Shisui’s friend from
Suna.

The three shinobi locked within the genjutsu were quickly bundled together with chakra strings.
Sasori dropped them onto the ground in an unconscious heap. A massive humanoid creature
appeared, stretched impossibly wide jaws and then swallowed the three captured shinobi. “Thank
you, Hiruko,” he murmured.

“You kids hurry along,” Shisui said, not taking his eyes off the enemy shinobi. “This crew is not
part of the exam.”

“We’re not leaving you,” Sasuke vowed.

“This is Orochimaru — a S-ranked missing Nin. Sasori and I will wrap this up,” Shisui repeated.
He twirled his tanto blade.

“Why the hostility?” The rogue shinobi hissed. “I only wanted to give young Sasuke a gift!” The
body was left behind to collapse onto the ground while the stark white Orochimaru was suddenly
sitting atop a massive purple snake.

As the purple snake summons started to strike, aiming for Sasuke it hesitated and gave the genin
time to leap away. Then the snake was traveling fast through the forest, destroying trees in its wake.
Shisui and Sasori traveled after it.

“What was that?” Naruto panted, watching them vanish into the distance. His face contorted into a
grimace as two tails swished angrily behind him.

“Not our problem,” Sasuke said hoarsely. His Sharingan was active, his tomoe spinning.

“We will trust Shisui and Sasori to take care of that threat. We need to go, get out of here before we
attract more attention.” Sakura grabbed hold of Sasuke’s elbows and he looked down at her.
“Sasuke, focus. You need to help Naruto.”

With a nod, Sasuke shook off Sakura and locked Naruto into his Sharingan gaze. Moments later,
the two tails of the fox spirit living within their teammate receded. Familiar blue eyes blinked back
at them.

“Let’s go,” Sasuke ordered. They took off for the trees, moments before chakra scalpels were
released in their direction. They missed the glint of glasses from the gray-haired ninja they left
behind.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
He was anxiously awaiting his genin when they made it to the tower at the end of the Forest of
Death. Itachi stood next to him, both eager to greet Team Seven after their close encounter with
none-other-than Orochimaru the Snake Sannin!

Aside from the Grass shinobi that Orochimaru’s followers had killed and impersonated, there
seemed to be no other casualties.

“How dare he go after my family,” Itachi hissed. He rarely displayed anger, but today, his dark eyes
were flickering between midnight and crimson in his agitation.

Kakashi said nothing, but he understood Itachi’s anger. The Third Hokage was always oddly lenient
when it came to his terrorist former student. It was a known fact that the traitor Danzo was being
harbored by Orochimaru. Two mass murderers living peacefully in Sound — outside of Konoha’s
jurisdiction.

If Minato had been Hokage, he wouldn’t have let something as asinine as politics get in the way of
ridding the world of such scum. Alas, Sarutobi was no Minato.

“Finally,” Itachi whispered. The three members of Team Seven were leaping into view, traversing
from tree to tree. Two teams had beaten them to the tower. Many more were still in the Forest of
Death. However, they’d been the only team to attract the attention of an international terrorist.

When they reached the platform, the trio practically collapsed. Itachi was there a moment later to
wrap Sasuke into his arms. Sakura and Naruto had their arms around each other’s shoulders and
hobbled together towards Kakashi.

And without thinking about the propriety of his actions, Kakashi Hatake wrapped Naruto and
Sakura up into a fierce hug, pressing their frail bodies tight against him. They were alive! And
maybe he buried his face against soft pink hair and allowed himself to breath a sigh of relief.

“Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto’s muffled voice trembled against his chest.

“We did it,” Sakura whispered, pulling back slightly and looking up at Kakashi’s face. Her jade
eyes were completely dry and she was smiling. “How did we do, Kakashi-sensei?”

Kakashi found himself mesmerized by the strength he saw in her countenance. He thought Sakura
would be the trembling mess, not Naruto. “You did well. Your team finished third. If you hadn’t
been waylaid by an international terrorist — you’d have finished first.”

Sakura smiled and the knot of worry in Kakashi’s gut loosened at the sight. “You hear that Naruto?
Third place!”

“Believe it, Sakura,” Naruto said, a soft chuckle in his tone.

Naruto and Sakura pulled back from Kakashi and he felt oddly lost without their warmth. “I think
that means you should treat us to lunch, Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura suggested, looping her arm back
around Naruto’s waist as he sagged against her heavily.

“Can we have Ichiraku? Please?” Naruto whined, his arm around Sakura’s shoulder. “Mama
Mikoto never lets me eat Ramen anymore. She says it doesn’t have enough nut-nutria..”

“Nutrition. You need more vegetables,” Sakura admonished. She looked over her shoulder and
caught Sasuke’s eye.

Sasuke extracted himself from Itachi and stood on Sakura’s other side. His arm fit snug around her
waist. “Fine. We’ll do Ramen.”

“Then dango afterwards!” Sakura added.

“My treat,” Itachi offered. He met Kakashi’s gaze with calm, onyx eyes. “Captain Kakashi was just
talking about how eager he was to hear all about your time in the forest.”

Kakashi had said no such thing and was planning to skip out. He was glad his genin survived, but
they came very near to mortal harm and he’d been unable to do anything for them. He felt guilt
gnawing at his conscience for having signed them up to these exams. Maybe he should have
waited?

“Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura asked, her jade eyes implored him and he felt incapable of resistance.

“Mah, as long as Itachi is treating,” Kakashi agreed.

Half an hour later, the five of them were snug inside a booth at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto was on his
fourth bowl. Sasuke was regaling them with all the details of the written exam as well as their
adventure in the Forest of Death. He took his position as team captain serious and was treating their
experiences like a mission report.

After another fifteen minutes, Kakashi felt Sakura start to nod off, having finished her second bowl
of ramen. He raised his arm and she scooted against his side and was asleep moments later. Kakashi
rested his hand over her shoulder, holding her securely against him.

Kakashi was very attached to his little genin. If something happened to any of them, he wasn’t sure
how he would survive. He tried to relax as Sasuke and Naruto took turns describing the battles and
the traps they set up. And he tried to ignore the warm feeling in his chest as his little kunoichi slept
against his side.

It was normal to feel this kind of affection for his team, right?
.
.
.
.
 The Chunin Exams, Part Two
Chapter Notes

A/N: I did not want to put a lot of time into writing out the entirety of the chunin exams nor
Konoha crush, hopefully this chapter is still satisfactory.

.
.
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Sakura
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.

Those participants that passed the first two rounds of the Chunin Exams were scheduled for a
month interlude before their one-on-one matches in the third round. There had been talk of a
preliminary round to weed out some of the contestants— apparently too many teams passed the
second round.

The preliminary round was to take place immediately after the second round, but Itachi Uchiha had
objected and involved the entire Uchiha clan in their disapproval of the tactic. With Orochimaru
and some of his followers having snuck inside the Forest of Death, Anbu was deeply involved in
doing a full scale investigation. There would be no Third Round until there was certainty of no
outside influence or risk to the participants from international terrorists.

The Kazekage had voiced his displeasure, but when Sasori pointed out that his own son would be
in harms’ way, Rasa had reluctantly agreed. Interesting enough, the Third Hokage had been vocal
against the extra precautions. After all, the Snake Sannin had only expressed interest in Sasuke
Uchiha.

Naturally this attitude didn’t fly well with the Uchiha clan and their staunch allies— several of the
village’s most elite shinobi.

Naruto had been squirreled away by his godfather the Sannin Jiraiya. The goal was to help him
learn to utilize his wind and water chakra to create the Rasengan and manage to work around the
seal on his belly. Sasuke was receiving special training from both Kakashi and Itachi. On a mission
a few years back, the Snake Sannin apparently had tried to kidnap Itachi. Orochimaru had been
soundly defeated by the prodigy, but his obsession persisted, having shifted to the younger brother.

Sakura had been left to her own devices. At least until Shisui and Izumi Uchiha had come knocking
on the door to her family home four days after the second round ended. The presence of the
Uchiha, Mebuki’s least favorite clan, consistently showing special interest in her daughter stoked
the growing tensions within the Haruno family.

“You’re determined to pursue this, aren’t you?” Mebuki asked over dinner.
Sakura had finished saying the blessing over their family meal, exhausted and hungry after hours of
training with the two Uchiha clansmen.

“I want to be a kunoichi, Mama,” Sakura answered, setting down her chopsticks and giving her
mother her undivided attention. She shifted her eyes towards her silent father, but he was busy
staring down at his bowl. “I want to be a strong kunoichi. I am not content to be a genin forever. I
will be a jonin within five years. Believe it!”

“Must you spend so much time with that clan? The Uchiha are a bad influence,” Mebuki continued.
“There are plenty of other shinobi that could train you.”

“They are hard working, honest people,” Sakura argued. “Auntie Mikoto is a kind and encouraging
woman. And I haven’t exactly seen you or father make any arrangements for me to train with any
other shinobi. You certainly have nothing to teach me. And most shinobi will only train those from
their clan. The Uchiha are being generous offering.”

Mebuki slammed her fist on the table, jostling their bowls and cups. “That clan is the reason the
Yondaime died!”

“Lord Minato died keeping Konoha safe,” Sakura protested quietly. Her mother didn’t argue that
the other clans wouldn’t train an outsider, nor did she offer any tangible suggestions. “The Uchiha
clan had nothing to do with that tragedy.”

“One of their kind unleashed the Fox spirit that killed my cousin!” Mebuki hissed. “Minato is dead
because of an Uchiha— there is no denying it. That is fact!” She leaned back in her chair, her face
flushed with anger. “I do not know which Uchiha, but it is enough to know it was an Uchiha!”

“Your cousin?” Sakura asked in a small voice. “The Yondaime? Minato Namikaze was your
cousin?”

“He’s the reason we’re in this Kami-forsaken village hidden in the middle of a forest!” Mebuki
answered. “We moved here so that you and your cousin could grow up together! Then Sarutobi
forced Minato’s son to live like a leaper — at least until he allowed him to be adopted by the
Uchiha — the very clan that is responsible for Minato’s death!”

“Honey, please calm down,” Kizashi said quietly. “Let us take this time to enjoy the pleasant meal
you have prepared us.”

“I’m not hungry,” Mebuki snapped, swiping her arm across the table and knocking food onto the
floor, shattering her ceramic bowl.

“Naruto is my cousin?” Sakura asked, awed by the idea. She’d always felt a strong bond with the
blond. Was their blood relation the reason why? “He’s training with Lord Jiraiya right now. Mama,
you’re a Namikaze. Do you have nothing to teach me?”

Mebuki folded her arms over her chest. “I know apothecary and you are too young to be taught
such things. Your mind is not mature enough. Minato was an outlier within our family. He was born
with an unusual amount of chakra. It was suspected his mother came from the Senju. She was
always cagey about her past.”

“Why must every powerful shinobi in the village be assumed Senju or Uchiha?” Sakura countered.
“Are not Sarutobi, Hatake, and Yamanaka from powerful clans? I am proud to be a Haruno — and I
will be strong.”

“It’s true, not all powerful shinobi come from those clans,” Kizashi agreed placating.

“Sasuke is training under Kakashi-sensei and his older brother. Shisui and Izumi offered to train
me. Unless you actually know some skills Mother, Father, then I suggest you be grateful as I am to
have such friendships that have offered their help.” She swiveled her gaze back to her father. “Papa,
you know that Shisui has been helping me with training since I was a child, because you couldn’t
be bothered. I think you helping me lasted a whole six weeks? Can you say nothing in the defense
of my friend?”

“Your father and I have decided we are relocating. We’ll keep the house, it’s a solid investment, but
we’re leaving for Tea before the end of the year,” Mebuki continued. “You can come with us, or
you can continue to pursue a career that will only end in your untimely death.”

“Don’t answer right now,” Kizashi hurriedly interjected. He gestured towards the cooling soup in
front of Sakura. “Eat your dinner and sleep on it. Let us know your decision in a few days.”

“Naruto is my cousin,” Sakura whispered, smiling faintly. She shook her head briefly, trying to
absorb everything her parents said. They were moving? They were leaving Konoha? What was she
supposed to do? Live alone or leave behind her hopes and dreams? “And exactly what sort of life
would there be for me in Tea? There are no shinobi there.”

“There are plenty of career paths outside of the military,” Mebuki reasoned.

“Life as a merchant or a housewife are neither appealing to me,” Sakura countered. She pushed
away from the table, no longer hungry. “I don’t need a few days to think on the matter. Konoha is
my home. I’m not leaving.”

“Sakura, be reasonable. We’re your parents. We’re only looking out for you,” Kizashi pleaded.

“I’ve legally been considered an adult since I became a genin,” Sakura said quietly. “My preference
would be to have your support while I pursue my goals, but it’s not necessary.” She bowed at the
waist, the perfect picture of a respectful daughter. “Thank you for the meal.” Then she scurried off
to her bedroom, eyes prickling with tears.

Shinobi do not cry. It was one of the fundamental rules. Perhaps, she was not very good at
following all the rules, but even if her parents abandoned her, she still had family. A faint smile
tugged on the corner of her lips. She couldn’t wait to tell Naruto what she learned!
.
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OoO

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.
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Obito
.
.
It wasn’t real. He knew his mind was trapped within Fugaku’s Izanami while his body was more or
less comatose. Was someone feeding him while he was trapped in this infinite loop? At least he’d
managed to change the scene. He was no longer killing Kakashi over and over again— apparently
that was the wrong choice.

Though, every time he saw his old childhood rival crumple in a lifeless heap at his feet, his chest
would feel warm and comforting. Yet, at the same time he would develop a piercing headache —
right through the empty socket of his left eye straight to his brain.

So he paused and reconsidered, his mind circled back to that day he kept repeating when he’d been
twelve — the day of the Bell Test. He’d convinced Rin to run off with him and play in the water.
He asked her advice, but she didn’t offer much. She did however play with his hair. When he
thought of Rin and her kindness, his scalp tingled with the healing chakra of her green-glowing
hands.

But, this wasn’t the answer, though it was tempting to simply repeat due to the comfort.

Then he returned to the scene in the forest and the pink-haired kunoichi with the purple diamond on
her forehead. Sakura.

Obito was certain that she held the answer he needed. She thwarted his plans and got him caught by
his old clan. He knew she was the reason his clan wasn’t rotting in a massive unmarked grave.
They should all be dead. He’d worked hard to ensure the demise of the Uchiha clan.

Dead. Dead. Dead.

But he’d only managed to kill those subordinates whom had stubbornly craved the coup d’etat. It
had been so easy to manipulate them. Every time he saw the lust for battle and the hatred towards
the village light up their dark eyes, he felt the warmth in his heart. Those men had only the
Sharingan, not the Mangekyo Sharingan. Only a few Uchiha had ever unlocked that devastating
power — himself and Kakashi with Rin’s death, Madara and his brother Izuna from four
generations ago, Fugaku apparently and it would seem Shisui and Itachi.

Madara, the elder whom saved his life, showed him what a monster Kakashi was, allowed him to
witness the death of his beloved Rin, would be so proud.

Or would Madara be disappointed? How could Obito fulfill his promise? How could he gather the
tailed beasts, bring back Madara from the Purelands, and create a peaceful utopia for the entire
world — a paradise where Rin lived?

“It’s your fault,” Obito hissed.

The pink-haired kunoichi narrowed her pale eyes as she started back at him silently. She was all
alone. No Kakashi. No giant slugs. No ninja hounds. No would be recruits.

Obito didn’t have Lightning nature like Kakashi when he had been a boy. When Obito had been on
Team Minato he had Fire and Wind. Under Madara’s tutelage he awakened the ability to
manipulate Earth, Lightning and Water. He’d always had to work harder than Kakashi. Not
everyone was a born genius.

Obito’s father hadn’t been a renown shinobi of the Leaf. He wasn’t The White Fang of legend —
unfairly demonized. Obito had felt bad for Kakashi that he’d lost his father in such a terrible
manner. Obito’s parents had died when he was no more than a toddler. He couldn’t remember
anything about them, but he remembered his grandmother. Granny cared for him and loved him
even when he was dead last in his class at the Academy. She love him even when he struggled with
the famous jutsus of the Uchiha clan.

And when Granny heard the news of his death, she’d died of a broken heart.

Why couldn’t Obito have been so lucky?

He clutched at his chest again, that warmth making him itch right over his heart. He should have
died the moment he saw the life fade from Rin’s eyes. Why didn’t he?

Obito shook his head, lightning sparked in his hand — his own Chidori. It was a technique he’d
seen countless times and copied with his remaining Sharingan. He obliterated non-Sakura, watched
the life drain out of her pale green eyes.

His head hurt, but his heart felt warm and satisfied.

As the scene replayed over and over, he knew this wasn’t the right answer too. Why did nothing
ever seem to play out as he intended? He never intended to kill Minato-sensei. He’d wanted to
unleash the Nine-tails, cause havoc, and then capture the tailed-beast for his ultimate plan. He’d
intended to absorb the Nine-tails himself, it would make it easier to capture the other beasts.

Why did Minato have to sacrifice himself? Tears began to brim in Obito’s single eye. A shinobi
wasn’t supposed to cry.
.
.
.

OoO

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.
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Sakura
.
.

A month passed between the second round, Forest of Death, and the third round of match-ups for
the Chunin Exams. During this time, Sakura worked hard with both Shisui and Izumi — focused on
her taijutsu and genjutsu. Assuming she wouldn’t have to face her teammate Sasuke, her genjutsu
would be a trump card.
She hadn’t seen Naruto since he left with Lord Jiraiya and she eagerly awaited their reunion.
Hopefully, they’d be able to watch the matches together. Master Kakashi and Sasuke still weren’t
back — she hoped they wouldn’t be too late. Izumi assured her that they’d be there. Itachi had sent
her a messenger crow saying they were on their way.

Sakura stood in the bleachers of the stadium waiting to watch the first match and to find out who
she would be facing. It was rather annoying that the match-ups were kept secret until five minutes
prior to the match, eliminating the ability to strategize effectively. So, Sakura had spent the last
month learning all she could about all the participants.

“Look!” Izumi nudged her elbow into Sakura’s side and pointed towards Naruto. He was by
himself, at least until Shisui — in his Anbu gear dropped down beside him and escorted him to
Sakura and Izumi. While both Sakura and Izumi were familiar with Shisui’s Anbu mask, ironically,
Naruto didn’t recognize it.

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto cried out throwing himself at her in an enthusiastic hug which she gladly
returned. Shisui held his hand up in a brief salute of farewell and then puffed away, back on
security detail.

“Naruto! I was worried you wouldn’t make it back! Is Lord Jiriaya here to watch you?” Sakura
asked, looking over her cousin’s shoulder and not spying the Sannin.

“Nuh uh,” Naruto said, his arms still around Sakura’s shoulders, but leaning back to look at her
face. “He dropped me off and then vanished on the back of a giant toad. He said he had
investigation to do in Rain. He said there was no need to wish me good luck either, because he
believed in me!”

Sakura nodded, smiling broadly at Naruto. “I believe in you too! I can’t wait to see you fight!”

Naruto looked past her to see Izumi and smiled. “Did you train Sakura-chan?”

“Indeed. Shisui and I both worked with her. I hope you two don’t have to face each other,” Izumi
said with a gentle smile. She reached over and ruffled the hair of both adolescents. “Such beautiful,
bright hair,” she sighed. “I’m so jealous.”

Sakura eased out of the hug and anxiously looked towards the colosseum’s entrance. Still no
Kakashi or Sasuke. “I learned something about you and me,” Sakura said quietly, her voice dropped
to a whisper.

“Oh?” Naruto asked, his bright blue eyes flashing. “Spill! I hate secrets.”

“I found out that my mother and your father are cousins. So— you and I are related! We’re cousins,
Naruto,” Sakura said, keeping her voice at a whisper so only he and Izumi would possibly hear.

“What?” Naruto’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously?” He hugged her again, picking her up off her
feet a bit in the process. “I’m so glad!” He released her and clenched both hands into fists and
pumped them into the air. “You and I will go prove our worth as Chunin now, believe it!"

The participants of the first match was announced, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka.

“No,” Sakura whispered.

“It will be fine,” Naruto assured her. “Don’t go easy on her. She’ll be mad if you do. Go and kick
her butt!” He grabbed her hand as she started to step past him. “But also, don’t humiliate her.”

Sakura snorted at the encouragement. She understood the fundamentals of Ino’s mind-transfer
technique. She would have to leave her body vulnerable in order to pull it off. Back at the
Academy, Ino was a talented kunoichi. Her taijutsu was good, but after training with Shisui and
Kakashi, Sakura knew her physical might would be stronger than Ino’s. Both girls were intelligent.
Sakura had an idea though and was eager to see if her plan would pan out.

“Forehead,” Ino greeted, smiling broadly. She glanced past Sakura’s shoulders towards the
audience, her gaze settled on Sai. She waved at him playfully. “Just lose with a little grace. But
know you’re going down. I want to impress Sai.”

“Ino,” Sakura greeted. Once upon a time, she might have called her rival Pig, but such insults were
beneath her. After spending time with Auntie Mikoto and Izumi, Sakura wanted to be a little more
elegant. Demeaning names for fellow kunoichi was not elegant. “I’m glad you’ll be taking our
match seriously. May the better kunoichi win.”

“Are the fighters ready?” Gekko Hayate asked. He had deep circles under his eyes and cleared his
throat.

Sakura turned towards him in concern. “Not yet,” she said, stepping closer to him and away from
Ino. “What’s wrong with you, proctor? Do you have a fever? May I examine you?”

The dark eyed man blinked at her for a moment in confusion. “I’m fine, Haruno. It’s just a cold.”

Sakura nodded. “I’ll ask Izumi to check on you between matches. You should take your health
seriously, proctor.”

Hayate’s eyes flickered towards the stands and settled on Izumi Uchiha. “It’s nothing.”

“Sakura, stop sucking up to the proctor,” Ino hissed.

Sakura’s hands flew to her hips. “I’m not sucking up, Pig! I’m just concerned! He looks like he
might have pneumonia!” Okay, maybe Sakura wasn’t quite as elegant as Auntie Mikoto or Izumi.
She glared at Hayate. “I’m ready.”

“So am I!” Ino declared.

“Uh, okay,” Hayate said. He held his hand up and then brought it down rapidly. “The match
between Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno — begin!”

Ino threw the first punch and Sakura ducked. She let Ino take the offensive, wear herself out.
Sakura didn’t strike back once, but simply twisted, ducked, and side-stepped. She had a faint smile
on her lips while Ino began to snarl in frustration.

“Stop dancing around! Fight back!” Ino panted.

“I am fighting,” Sakura answered calmly with her arms behind her back, hands hidden from Ino’s
view. She began casting the seals for a genjutsu. Once Ino was caught Sakura stepped back as Ino
continued to fight against an unseen foe. Sakura glanced up at the stadium and saw that Kakashi
and Sasuke were now in the stands next to Naruto. The blond was whooping and hollering while
her other teammates leaned forward to watch with rapt attention. Itachi and Izumi were seated in
the row behind them. Izumi waved at Sakura, Sakura waved back, causing both Kakashi and
Sasuke to lean back and both lift a hand in greeting.

Sakura smirked. She hadn’t actually been waving at them, but it was cute that they acknowledged
her. She brought her attention back to Ino. Tapped her on the shoulder, dissolving her own genjutsu.
The blond kunoichi stared at her a moment in confusion and then her pretty face contorted into
anger.

This time, Sakura began to use taijutsu of her own, easily getting in a few hits past Ino’s guard as
her rival grew more and more fatigued. Ino jumped away, creating distance between them. There
were long shadows on the arena floor and Sakura wasn’t minding them — shadow technique was
Nara’s technique after all, not Ino’s.

Sakura hadn’t expected Shikamaru to cheat though and offer aid to his teammate. Sakura found
herself unable to move and narrowed her eyes at Ino’s knowing smile. Then the Yamanaka heiress
cast her mind-control technique.

Sakura observed within her own mind scape as Ino took control of her body and the moment
Shikamaru’s shadow manipulation ended, she expelled Ino violently from her mind. And while it
wasn’t flash-step, Sakura moved and punched Ino hard with a chakra laced punch. Before Ino could
land onto the far side of the stadium — Sakura slammed her palms onto the earth and created a
barrier of earth and water — a mud wall to absorb the impact.

The mud wall caught Ino.

Sakura stood and shifted her attention back to the proctor, Hayate.

“The winner of this match of Sakura Haruno!” Hayate declared. Gekko laid his hand over her
shoulder. “That was well done,” he said in a quiet voice only for her.

Sakura smiled. “Thank you. Please proctor, get checked out. If it is just a minor virus, I can make
you a tea for fevers and body aches.”

“I promise to have my girlfriend check me over,” Hayate answered with an amused scoff. “She has
medic training. But if she’s busy, I’ll come find you, okay?”

“Alright, I’ll hold you to that,” Sakura said. She walked towards Ino, but Asuma was already there,
scooping her into his arms and carrying her off the field.

Sakura rubbed her fingers over her forehead, feeling slightly dizzy. Maybe she used more chakra
than she had intended. Embarrassingly, she felt her own legs wobble and her vision began to darken
into a tunnel. Then there was a warmth behind her, catching her against a firm chest.

Her savior was tall, lean, and smelled something between ozone, dog, and forest. “I’ve got you.
You did well, Sakura,” Kakashi’s deep baritone murmured.
.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
The last four weeks had been some of the best of Kakashi Hatake’s life. He actually felt like a
teacher and it had been a lot of fun working alongside Itachi in training the younger Uchiha heir.
Sasuke was like the best of both of them — he learned the techniques they taught him, but he was
less burdened than either of them. And unlike Kakashi and Itachi, Sasuke actually knew how to
make friends.

Sasuke was selective in his friends, but had actually gotten the full experience of Academy life.
Both Kakashi and Itachi had graduated early and struggled with friendships with people their own
age. Shisui and Izumi had helped Itachi. It had been Obito and Rin that had softened Kakashi’s
heart after Minato had gotten Kakashi to let his guard down. Unfortunately, that trio’s death sent
Kakashi spiraling, but somehow Itachi and Shisui had wormed their way into Kakashi’s withered
away heart. And now, Kakashi would consider Guy, Tenzo, Yugao, and Genma all good friends.

And while having a trio of genin wasn’t something Kakashi had ever wanted, he couldn’t ignore the
swell of pride he felt in the three. Sasuke’s hard work and endurance the last four weeks solidified
his spot in Kakashi’s small circle. They arrived at the third round of the exams just in time to see
Sakura’s match.

Kakashi had shoved his hitai-ate into his hairline to watch the action more closely. Sakura was
reading Ino’s moves perfectly, predicting which way she would attack by watching the subtle shifts
of her weight on her feet — that was exactly how Kakashi had read his opponents’ attacks prior to
Obito’s gift.

“What the hell?” Sasuke hissed. “Shikamaru is interfering.” He gestured towards the Nara sitting
next to Asuma on the opposite side of the stadium, casting his shadow manipulation technique.

Kakashi almost stood to call out a demand for disqualification, but he was stopped by the small,
warm hand of Izumi Uchiha. “Sakura will be fine,” Izumi whispered. “Watch.”

So, Kakashi watched as Sakura stood completely immobilized with her long pink hair blowing
behind her on the breeze — the only movement. He released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d
been holding as Shikamaru dropped his shadow manipulation. Sakura dispelled the Yamanaka from
her mind. Then, when he saw her create the mud wall — which was one his favorite jutsus — well,
he was extremely proud of Sakura Haruno.

He watched with barely veiled anger as Asuma hopped into the ring to reclaim his genin, as if he
hadn’t encouraged one of her teammates to help her cheat. Kakashi secured his hitai-ate back in
position over his Sharingan and then hurried to the arena to collect Sakura — she looked about to
collapse.
Kakashi was late to a lot of things in life, but this time he was perfectly on time. Sakura fell back
against him in exhaustion. He tucked her small frame against him protectively and carried her back
to the stands and her teammates. Izumi could run a medical scan on her to make sure she was okay.

When he arrived, both Naruto and Sasuke were standing anxiously awaiting their return. Kakashi
spotted the pork rind snacks that Naruto had been feasting on and could hear the angry growling of
the blond boy’s stomach. Hopefully, his stomach would settle before his match, or else that could
be quite the embarrassment.

“How is she?” Sasuke demanded. His hands opened and closed at his side repeatedly in agitation.

“I believe it’s just chakra exhaustion,” Kakashi answered, holding her a little closer as he sat back
in his seat with his teammate in his lap. “Izumi?”

The medic kunoichi laid her hand gently over Sakura’s forehead. “It was the removal of the
Yamanaka technique. It takes a lot of power to do that. The actual fight shouldn’t have tired her this
much. She’s lasted a lot longer training with me and Shisui.”

“It’s supposed to be impossible to dispel the Yamanaka mind-control technique,” Itachi pointed out.
“I suspect that clan will be wanting to investigate how it was done.”

Kakashi felt his jaw clench of the reminder of those Yamanaka. He still was angry about someone
in that clan tampering with his memories, creating the many holes that took place over a short
duration of time a few years back. He had lost nearly two months of memories from around the
time of Danzo’s defection and the dissolution of Root.

“Does anyone have a blanket or something? We should probably lay her out to rest comfortably on
her back,” Izumi suggested.

Sasuke reached into his backpack, they’d come straight from training and pulled out the scroll that
contained his bedroll. He spread it out on the floor in the space in front of their seats.

Reluctantly, Kakashi laid Sakura onto the bedroll and resumed his seat. Naruto had moved to kneel
next to Sakura, but his name was announced moments later. He would be facing off against Kiba
Inukuza.

“Give him hell,” Sasuke encouraged, moving to take Naruto’s spot next to the bedroll.

“There seem to be a lot of Konoha versus Konoha,” Izumi pointed out.

“There were more Konoha genin that passed the previous rounds than other villages,” Itachi
explained.

They all watched in horror as the match between Naruto and Kiba was over within ten minutes.
Naruto’s upset stomach led to a foul passing of gas that knocked Kiba unconscious. The winner
rushed off the field in a desperate effort to get to the bathroom in time to relieve his aching bowels.

“That was disgusting,” Sasuke sneered. “Mother will be sure to give him an earful for eating that
junk food.”

“I suspect Naruto won’t be eating pork rinds anytime soon,” Kakashi observed.
Then Gaara of the sand defeated Rock Lee, Tenten fell to Kankuro, and Shikamaru conceded to
Temari when he clearly could have won. Abarame was victorious next.

Kakashi noticed Sakura start to sit up and was at her side opposite Sasuke. He was relieved when
her jade green eyes fluttered open and her gaze landed on him. “Yo. How are you feeling, Sakura?”

“I’m alright. Did you see me?” Her gaze shifted to Sasuke.

“You were amazing!” The dark haired Uchiha slid an arm under Sakura’s low back and helped her
sit up. “I’m glad you’re awake. I was afraid you’d sleep through my match.”

“No way!” Sakura smiled at him warmly. “I can’t wait to watch it!”

“Next match — Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno!”

“What?” Kakashi hissed. He looked towards Itachi for confirmation.

“This is unfortunate, but also perfectly legal,” Itachi sighed. He looked between Sasuke and
Sakura. “You two do your best.”

“She’s barely had time to recover from her previous match. How is this fair?” Sasuke demanded.

“It’s not fair, but then the Chunin Exams rarely are,” Kakashi answered. He watched helplessly as
his two precious teammates walked to the field together. Naruto was still in the bathroom. He
should go check on him, but he couldn’t not watch Sasuke versus Sakura either.

The spectators watched in absolute silence as the two contestants walked onto the arena floor with
Sasuke’s arm around Sakura’s waist in obvious solidarity as well as him helping her to walk.

The proctor, Gekko Hayate, grimaced watching the two of them approach. “Remember, you can
concede the match,” he offered Sakura.

“This isn’t right. She has already won her match and I’m fresh,” Sasuke protested.

Hayate scratched the back of his neck. “You were awarded a bye for the first round, Uchiha. Did no
one inform you?”

“No,” Sasuke growled.

The two teammates faced off. They started with taijutsu and Sakura surprisingly kept up with
Sasuke, though he wasn’t going all out. And then Sasuke sped up and knocked the chakra point into
Sakura’s neck, he whispered something into her ear and caught her as she fell towards the ground.

Sasuke glared at the proctor, holding Sakura in his arms.

“The winner is Sasuke Uchiha by knock out!” Hayate announced.

Kakashi was on the arena floor a moment later, taking Sakura’s unconscious form from Sasuke this
time. They walked off the arena floor, the crowd murmuring in disappointment at not seeing any of
Sasuke’s eagerly anticipated moves. “Go check on Naruto,” Kakashi ordered.

Once more Kakashi brought Sakura back to the stands. Izumi gently roused her awake with chakra
stimulation. “Well, that was disappointing,” Sakura murmured, seeing the score board. “I knew I
wasn’t a match for Sasuke, but I would have liked to have seen some of his new techniques.”

“You know he wouldn’t be able to use those techniques against you, Sakura,” Izumi said quietly.

Sakura hugged her knees and then looked up to meet Kakashi’s concerned stare. “This makes twice
you’ve had to carry me off the floor of the arena. I’m sorry for being such a bother.”

“It’s no bother,” Kakashi murmured. He stood at the railings and braced his forearms on it to watch
the arena. Now it would be Naruto versus Neji Hyuga. He watched as Sasuke escorted Naruto on
the arena floor.

Guy joined Kakashi at the railings and they both watched in silence as their two students talked and
talked and talked. Finally, their match began.

Then it was Sasuke’s turn again, but against Gaara of the Sand. The match had been going in
Sasuke’s direction, shattering Gaara’s protective sand shield. The Chidori had been performed
perfectly and the audience was roaring with appreciation for the exciting, destructive battle.

Then Gaara began to change and it became clear that he was no ordinary shinobi. He was a
jinchuriki! However, until this match, no one outside of their immediate circle knew that Sasuke
had the ability to tame tailed beasts.

Moments after Sasuke managed to calm down a rampaging Gaara, all hell broke loose and the vast
majority of the arena was knocked under a powerful genjutsu.
.
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OoO

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During the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutoi faced off, the latter sacrificing his life
to seal away Orochimaru’s arms.

The Anbu led by Shisui Uchiha managed to stop the majority of the infiltrators from Sound and
those from Sand were stopped by Sasori no Asuna.

At the end of the day — Lord Third was dead. Orochimaru was dying. The Fourth Kazekage was
dead and had been for three weeks.

Otherwise, there were several captured shinobi from Sound, Sand, and even some former Root.

The Jonin and Elder Councils were unanimous in their desire to elect Jiraiya as Hokage, but he
refused. The goal was now to track down Tsunade Senju to fulfill the role as Godaime. Jiraiya
offered to find Tsunade, along with a couple of genin — Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno.
Since Orochimaru had a way of cheating death, the Uchiha clan had sequestered Sasuke since he’d
been the target.

The Commander of Anbu, Taki Uchiha, was no longer hindered by Sarutobi’s resistance and didn’t
care about politics. Since Orochimaru had in fact murdered the Kazekage between the second and
third Chunin exam rounds, there was justification to enter Sound regardless of extradition
agreements or not.

He arranged a team of elite operatives to track down Orochimaru’s lair and end the terrorist once
and for all.

Kakashi joined a team with Shisui, Itachi, and Tenzo to look for Orochimaru’s lair.
.
.
.
 The Godaime
Chapter Notes

A/N: I’m writing this note on my birthday. It was a wonderful gift to see this story reached
1000 kudos! That makes me so happy! And a few days ago, 30K hits! I’m so glad so many
people have been enjoying my time-travel fix’it story! I really appreciate your support and
interest!

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Shisui
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While he had certainly heard stories of the Toad Sage Jiraiya, Shisui never thought he’d be a
mission with him. To be honest, he was glad that his uncle had insisted Shisui accompany Naruto
and Sakura on their quest to find Tsunade Senju.

The reasoning was in case Naruto lost control of the tailed beast and needed the Sharingan to tame
it. The reality, Jiraiya was a horny old man that should never be trusted to look over adolescents.
More often than not, the Sannin took off in search of lewd entertainment leaving the young shinobi
to fend for themselves.

They’d been on the road for the past three weeks, chasing down various leads. Tsunade was a
gambler and a drunkard — not exactly the best reputation for a Hokage, but at least she didn’t
condone mass murder or experimenting on orphans. The Slug-Sannin was extremely good at
avoiding debt collectors.

At least that night, they’d been given lodging and wouldn’t have to sleep under the open sky.
Considering the nearby thunderclouds, he was grateful.

They’d all taken turns showering and were lounging around in their pajamas in their hotel room.
Sakura and Naruto were sharing one bed and Shisui had the second bed to himself. Both Sakura
and Naruto were fairly small for their age, but Shisui was aware that in a few short years they
would both grow tall. It was still hard to wrap his mind around who the kids were now, compared
to the adults that had become his friends in such a short amount of time.

Sometimes, he could hardly believe how lucky he was to be alive. He treasured every single day he
walked the earth. He was glad to be on the mission to retrieve Tsunade. He had altered some of her
memories of her meeting of the future shinobi, but he couldn’t be certain that he didn’t muck up the
chances of Sakura training under her.

“Are you okay, Shisui?” Sakura asked. She laid on her side, facing towards Shisui’s bed across the
small room in the inn. “You’ve got that pinched expression between your eyes that you get when
you’re worried.”

Naruto sat up and looked over Sakura towards Shisui’s side of the room— his bright blue eyes wide
with worry. “Oh, you’re right, Sakura-chan! What’s wrong, Shisui?”

“I was just wondering about how we’re going to convince a free-spirit like Princess Tsunade Senju
to come back to Konoha and deal with politics and paperwork,” Shisui confessed. It was only part
of his concerns, but it was valid.

“Definitely don’t mention the politics or paperwork,” Sakura said with a laugh. She rolled onto her
back and stared up at the ceiling with a pensive expression. “We should definitely point out her
connection with the First and Second Hokages. And see if she could help build up the medical
program. She wanted a medic on every team, but the Third and the council rejected the idea, saying
it was too costly.” Sakura growled. “Sounds to me they didn’t think the lives of their shinobi were
worth much. We are not expendable.”

“Believe it! We are each valuable and precious!” Naruto agreed.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Shisui agreed.

“Do you think if I asked her train me in medical ninjutsu, she might apprentice me?” Sakura asked
quietly.

Shisui’s heart sped up at the question. That was one connection he didn’t want to risk screwing up!
“Maybe not right off the bat. You’ll want to ease into that kind of question. Let her get settled in the
village first.”

Sakura rubbed her hands over her face. “Of course. I don’t want to come on too strong.” She
flipped over onto her belly and buried her face in her pillow. “That’s probably why Kakashi-sensei
avoids me so much. I was way too obvious in my crush.”

Naruto chuckled and reached down to tickle Sakura’s ribs, earning giggles for his effort. “It’s not
that bad, Sakura-chan!”

“Yes, it was!” Sakura gasped, reaching over and tickling Naruto back in retaliation. Both genin
almost fell off the bed in a heap if Shisui hadn’t flash-stepped over to catch them and roll them
back onto the bed together.

“Where do you think Pervy-Sage is tonight?” Naruto asked, his voice cracking. It had started
cracking a lot over the past couple of weeks. Naruto settled back on his side of the bed.

“Probably peeping on unsuspecting women again,” Sakura scoffed.

“Are boobs really that interesting?” Naruto asked.

Shisui covered his mouth to keep from laughing. He settled back on his bed and decided to let
Sakura take this conversation.

“I wouldn’t know,” Sakura snapped. She brushed her palms over her very flat chest. “Maybe you
should ask Hinata.”

“No way. She has like a huge crush on me, Sakura-chan. That would be so awkward!” Naruto sat
up and stared down at Sakura. He closed his eyes in concentration and started to do a series of hand
signs that Shisui didn’t recognize. Then, instead of a thirteen year old boy, a voluptuous woman
who appeared to be in her early twenties without a stitch of clothing on her upper body appeared.
Shisui immediately pinched his nose at the unexpected sight.

“What do you think, Sakura-chan?” A feminine, sultry voice came from the blond who vaguely
resembled a grown up woman version of Naruto. They wore the same orange and black sweatpants,
but no shirt. The woman cupped her large, generous breasts. “Feel me up, Sakura-chan. They’re
kind of squishy yet heavy.”

Sakura sat up, curious about Naruto’s transformation. Biting her lower lip, she tentatively reached
to touch Naruto’s Double F breasts. “They do feel kind of pillowy,” she murmured. “Very
impractical for a ninja though. The back ache would be uncomfortable.”

Naruto bounced up and down from his seated position on the bed. “I don’t know. It’s kind of neat
watching them jiggle.”

Sakura fell back to her pillow with a laugh.

Naruto straddled her, his breasts in her face. “Oh come on, Sakura-chan. You should try it too! See
what it’s like!”

Shisui began to cough uncontrollably at the sight and threw his pillow at Naruto. “Knock it off,” he
gasped, pointedly averting his eyes.

“What’s the big deal, Shisui? Are boobs really that distracting?” Sakura asked. “I see them all the
time at the bath house, but this is the first time I’ve felt them.” She sat up. “Show me those signs
again, I want to try?”

Before Shisui could order the two to knock it out, Sakura had imitated the hand signs and was now
almost the spitting image of the woman he met six years ago. Unlike Naruto, she still had her
sleeping shirt on, though it was stretched taut across her bigger chest.

Sakura cupped her fully developed breasts and hummed. “They aren’t as bouncy. I definitely think
I prefer them firm like this.” She held one hand over Naruto’s breast and the other over hers to
compare. “You want to try?”

Naruto nodded eagerly, and cupped his hands over her breasts, massaging over the cloth-covered
nipples with his thumbs while cocking his head to the side in critical concentration, long blond
pigtails brushing over Sakura’s thighs where her shorts rose up. “I like the way the nipples react.”

Shisui buried his face in his remaining pillow. He couldn’t watch anymore. When he told Itachi
about this later, he’d never hear the end of it. Maybe this would be an experience he’d take to the
grave. Or maybe he could tell Izumi. Yeah, Izumi would be a better person to cry to about this later.
Surely, she would be sympathetic.

“That is nice,” Sakura said sighing. She released the jutsu and Naruto did the same. No longer were
a pair of voluptuous women sharing the same room with Shisui, but a couple of young teens.

“Don’t do that in front of Jiraiya,” Shisui warned. “I understand you were both curious, but it’s best
to not do things like that while on a mission.”
Naruto flopped back onto the bed and then snuggled up against Sakura. “I can’t wait for you to get
boobs, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura laughed. “I guess that makes two of us.” She ran her fingers through Naruto’s hair absently.
“Say, Shisui, do you think Kakashi-sensei prefers breasts or legs?”

“I think he prefers grown-ups, Sakura,” Shisui said, gently. “You don’t need to be in a hurry to
grow up. Just enjoy this time. We’ll focus on this mission and you’ll continue to train hard and get
stronger. You’ll be the strongest kunoichi in the village in just a few years.”

“I believe it,” Naruto murmured with a yawn. “But I still plan to be Hokage, Sakura-chan.”

“I have no intention of becoming Hokage,” Sakura assured him. “I just hope Lady Senju can be
convinced.”
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OoO

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.

Sakura
.
.
It had been fun making Shisui uncomfortable the night before. Though, she didn’t regret the
transformation. It gave her an idea of what her body would be like in a few years. She had a little
hard time sleeping later during the night due to Naruto’s excessive body heat. He was a cuddler and
there was no family cat to allow her escape!

They were halfway through breakfast when Jiraiya strolled into the tavern. The man looked
thoroughly debauched. For a Master of Spies, she wondered if his contacts were all prostitutes.
Which, Sakura didn’t have anything against women earning income in whatever way they chose,
she just hoped it was a choice and not a form of servitude. She shook her head to erase that image
from her mind.

Sakura and the other kunoichi of her generation had taken a special class in the last year of the
Academy. It had focused on using sex and feminine wiles to gather intelligence and also to aid in
assassinations. Sakura would have been more offended, except Sasuke had told her the boys had
taken a similar class. He’d been beet red the whole time he told her about it. And while she didn’t
have a Sharingan, she had an eidetic memory and would often think back on that image of Sasuke
whenever he started to act pretentious.

“What are you thinking about?” Naruto whispered, leaning down towards her ear.

“Remember that time Sasuke told me about the sex education class the boys had to take when I told
you about the one the girls had to take at the Academy?” Sakura whispered back.
Sky blue eyes twinkled in mischief. “He is cute when he’s embarrassed and he starts to blush.”

Sakura nodded. “He really is.”

“What are you two kiddos gossiping about?” Jiraiya asked as he sat across from them at their table.

“Please, don’t ask for details,” Shisui murmured, shoving a fork full of eggs into his mouth. “What
did you find?”

Jiriaya’s grin stretched from ear to ear and made Sakura uncomfortable, so she scooted a touch
closer to Naruto. “Aside from more material for my books, there’s a gambling hall nearby. I think
that will be our best bet!”

“Gambling halls have age restrictions,” Sakura pointed out. “Will we wait until she’s done?”

“We’ll split up!” Jiraiya suggested. “I’ll take my godson.”

“What about Shizune Kato? Is she with Lady Tsunade?” Shisui asked. “I faintly remember her. We
used to run into each other at the weapon master’s shop when she purchased more senbon.”

“From what I could gather, they are still traveling together,” Jiraiya answered. He picked up the
pitcher of water on the center of the table and filled his glass before chugging it. He wiped the back
of his hand over his mouth and sighed. “Tsunade has been apprenticing Shizune all this time —
she’s quite the talented medic and poisons expert.”

“Sakura and I will look for Shizune then.” Shisui flashed a reassuring smile at Sakura. “From what
I remember, she has a calm, serious personality.” He leaned over the table, his face close to hers,
his dark eyes serious. “Just don’t try that new jutsu you learned around her.”

Sakura exchanged a look with Naruto and then burst out laughing. “I think I can resist!”

“What jutsu?” Jiraiya asked, looking up from his empty plate.

“Nothing,” Shisui quickly answered before Sakura or Naruto could. “It was nothing. Please don’t
ask.”

Jiraiya tugged on his long ponytail awkwardly. “Well, okay. We don’t go back to the village until
after we convince Tsuna to come home.”

“What if she doesn’t want to?” Sakura asked quietly.

“Then you’ll be stuck with me as your Fifth Hokage. Do you want that?” Jiraiya asked, scanning
the three occupants of the table.

“Pervy Sage the Godaime?” Naruto’s eyes widened in horror.

“You can only imagine the executive orders I might pass. Without being able to visit the
bathhouses, I would have to do all my research locally.” Jiraiya waggled his brows and then
chuckled, slapping the flat of his hand on the table. He straightened and looked across the table at
Sakura.

Sakura felt suddenly self conscious and scooted closer to Naruto and folded her arms over her flat
chest.
“How old are you again, girl?” Jiraya asked.

“And on that note, I think it’s time we got going,” Shisui answered, smiling brightly. He tugged on
Sakura’s elbow and yanked her out of the booth and held her tucked against his side protectively.

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OoO

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Kakashi
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He didn’t like bars. He didn’t even care for drinking really. And he really didn’t know what to say
to Asuma about the loss of his father. So, he simply bought him a pitcher of beer and patted his
shoulder in sympathy.

Kakashi didn’t remember anyone being there for him after his own father’s suicide —- except for
Minato Namikaze. He did remember the feel of Minato’s warm hand over his shoulder and that was
a stronger memory than any words of comfort that may have been uttered.

He would be escorting the Sand delegation along with Gai Might and a team of Anbu on their way
back to Suna. Their new Kazekage had requested Kakashi personally.

Speaking of the new Kazekage, the red-haired puppet master strolled into the bar, a group of Sand
Anbu flanking him. His amber gaze swept across the patrons, passing over Asuma and his well-
wishers and landed upon Kakashi where he sat with Itachi in a booth at the back of the bar.

Sasori stood at the head of the table. “May I join you?”

Kakashi gestured towards the empty side of the booth. “Sure.”

Sasori settled into the booth and shifted his gaze between Kakashi and Itachi. “Where’s Shisui?”

“Retrieval mission,” Itachi answered.

“I see,” Sasori murmured, folding his hands neatly in front of him on top to the table. His eyes
settled on Kakashi. “Your students were impressive. I disagree with only the Uchiha being
promoted. All three of them were superior to most of the competition.”

“I don’t know, Naruto did win against one of his opponents because of bad digestion,” Kakashi
admitted. That was still a little embarrassing. Though, a win is a win!
“I was actually impressed when he was able to reason with the Hyuga,” Itachi added. “Reminded
me of how I won my matches in the Chunin Exams years ago.”

“I remember that,” Sasori murmured. “You trapped your opponent in a genjutsu and moments later
they decide to quit being a ninja.”

Itachi shrugged. “The pacifist in me likes someone giving up the life of a ninja willingly rather than
through death.”

“Naruto and Sakura weren’t promoted because of politics. Naruto is the jinchuriki — there are still
many that fear the tailed-beast sealed within him. And Sakura comes from a civilian family —
civilians are never promoted on the first time outside of war,” Kakashi answered. He was annoyed
that the Nara and Abarame kids were promoted. Though, they both came from important clans
within the village— so he wasn’t surprised.

Itachi’s warm hand patted Kakashi’s forearm. “It is not like when we were promoted too young. I
appreciate the hesitancy in handing out promotions.”

“Speaking of promotions being handed out, I’ve been named Kazekage,” Sasori stated. “I will
happily abdicate when the Fourth’s son is old enough to take over the position.” Sasori directed his
gaze towards Kakashi. “As such, I would like to offer an internship with my grandmother for
Sakura Haruno. As her Jonin team captain, I believe you are the one I need to ask, since her parents
are civilians.”

Kakashi didn’t like this man’s strong interest in thirteen year old Sakura Haruno. Sasori couldn’t
have been more than three or four years younger than Kakashi himself. Why was he so interested in
Kakashi’s girl — er— younger teammate?

“Your grandmother?” Kakashi asked, keeping his voice neutral.

“Sakura’s chakra control would make her the perfect candidate for medical ninjutsu and for puppet
manipulation as well. Granny Chiyo is unparalleled in medical ninjutsu,” Sasori explained. “If
Konoha cannot see the potential in Sakura, then Sand recognizes it.”

Itachi cleared his throat. “I too believe that Sakura would be excellent in medical ninjutsu.” He
rubbed at a spot on his collarbone. He often seemed to do that whenever Sakura was mentioned.
Maybe Kakashi would ask him about it one day. “Let’s not make any decisions until after she
returns. And while Sakura’s parents are civilians, my clan has taken an interest in her shinobi career
and will act as sponsors for her if necessary.”

Kakashi turned towards Itachi in surprise. He knew Sakura was close to Shisui and Izumi and of
course Sasuke. He didn’t really think the Uchiha clan as a whole much cared about Sakura beyond
the fact that she was Sasuke and Naruto’s teammate.

Sasori shrugged, leaning back casually in his seat. One of his guards had vanished a few minutes
ago and returned with a tray of drinks and a light dinner. “There is no expiration date on the offer.”
He sipped from his drink and set it down with a sigh afterwards. “I can only hope when Suna hosts
the exams in a couple of years we won’t have to deal with another international terrorist
interfering.” He ran his fingers through his red, wavy hair. “Kazekage isn’t a rank I aspired to
obtain.”
“The greatest leaders are generally chosen by circumstance,” Itachi agreed. “When I was younger, I
aspired to obtain the role of Hokage.” He grimaced. “I do not envy the responsibility at your age.
Our Yondaime was also twenty-three when he received the burden.”

Kakashi arched his eyebrow. So Sasori was twenty-three? Still — ten years older than Sakura —
much too old to be as interested as he seemed. In the back of Kakashi’s mind, he was envisioning
his ninken Bull getting a hold of Sasori and dragging him out of Konoha bodily.

“Hatake?” Sasori asked. By the amused gleam in his eyes, he probably had a pretty good idea of
what Kakashi was imagining. “You’ll let Sakura know?”

“Sure,” Kakashi shrugged. Probably, Sakura wouldn’t be interested. Probably she wouldn’t leave
the Leaf. He didn’t like the idea of her possibly, unlikely as it was, leaving and no longer being part
of his life— even if only peripherally. “I’ll let her know.”
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OoO

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Sakura
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.
The night before Shisui had gone over everything he had on the bios of Tsunade Senju and Shizune
Kato. There was significantly more information on Tsunade, but Shizune was Sakura’s target.
While they waited on a nearby rooftop, observing the gambling hall, Shisui shared what he
remembered about Shizune from her time in Konoha. Shisui also had crows stationed throughout
the tourist village, enhancing their observation capabilities and allowing them the flexibility to chat.

“Is that a pig?” Sakura squinted leaning forward to peer down into the street. A beautiful dark
haired woman in elegant clothing left the gambling hall with a pink pig in her arms — the pig wore
a pearl necklace. “A fancy pig?”

Shisui chuckled. “I guess the pearls make it fancy? I didn’t know people had pigs for pets.”

“Maybe it’s an emotional support animal?” Sakura suggested. “I read about such a thing — and if
Lady Tsunade and Shizune both left Konoha because they lost loved ones, it would make sense.”

“Emotional support animal?” Shisui scratched his head and wrinkled his nose. “I didn’t know such
a thing existed.”

“Why do you think Kakashi has eight dogs?” Sakura said with a soft smile.

“Because they make for excellent trackers?” Shisui gestured toward one of his crow summons
resting nearby. “Do you think I should start hugging my crows when I have a bad day?”
Sakura reached over and gave Shisui an impromptu side-hug. “No need. You have me and the boys
if you ever need a hug.”

Shisui snorted, but didn’t argue. He ran his hand down the length of her hair. “Definitely better than
trying to hug a bird. Itachi did that a few times — hug a bird. When he was trying to figure out his
crow substitution.” He shook his head. “The amount of bird crap on his laundry during that
awkward time.”

Sakura shivered and released Shisui from the hug. “I don’t even want to think about that.” She
rubbed her chin. “Oh! Is that when he made the clothing washing water jutsu?”

“Uh huh,” Shisui agreed. “You ready to go say hi?”

Sakura nodded. Shisui scooped Sakura into his arms and the flash-stepped them down the side of
the building until they stood directly in front of Shizune, their Leaf hitai-ate on prominent display.

“Shizune Kato, I am Shisui Uchiha and this is my little sister Sakura Haruno. Will you please spare
a moment of your time?” Shisui asked with a friendly smile and relaxed posture as he set Sakura on
her feet.

“Shisui Uchiha? I remember you. The body-flicker boy,” Shizune observed. She rubbed her hand
between the pig’s ears. “You’ve grown up.”

“We’re here with Lord Jiraiya and the Yondaime’s son,” Shisui added. “They’re planning to try and
convince Lady Senju to return to the village — as Godaime.”

Shizune laughed. “Good luck with that!”

“I read about her proposals for medical training and the goal of having a medic on every shinobi
team.” Sakura smiled and bowed respectfully in front of Shizune. Sakura didn’t kowtow much, but
she was capable. “My big sister has trained to be a medic, but the program is not as advanced as it
should be. There were so many cuts to the program over the last several years. Please, Lady
Shizune, would you be part of establishing Konoha’s medical program.”

“Me?” Shizune asked, her eyes wide in surprise. “Why me?”

“Are you not the Apprentice of the greatest Medical Ninja in the history of the Leaf? If Lady Senju
doesn’t wish to return, perhaps you would consider offering some of your knowledge,” Sakura
suggested.

“I wouldn’t leave her behind,” Shizune murmured. She smiled faintly at Sakura and Shisui.
“Though, I am flattered by the proposal. I will speak with her on the matter. How long will you be
staying in the area?”

“As long as need be,” Shisui answered.

“I see.” Shizune cocked her head to the side and looked between Sakura and Shisui, settling on the
latter. “You’ll have to explain something to me. How is it that a girl whom is obviously not an
Uchiha is calling you her brother? The clan historically has always kept to themselves.”

“Our generation is more determined to welcome friends into our clan family,” Shisui explained.
“My aunt and uncle actually formally adopted the Yondaime’s son a few years ago. We’ve been
working to clear out the corruption within the Leaf — I believe Lady Senju might be interested to
hear about some of happenings of the last ten years or so.”

“Oh, we know about Danzo. We celebrated quite hard the night we found out,” Shizune said with a
chuckle. “He was the main opponent in investing in the improved medical program.”

“He escaped and is living in exile in Sound, but given the latest attack on Konoha — it’s only a
matter of time before he’s stopped permanently. Orochimaru has already been defeated,” Shisui
explained.

“Ah. The Snake Sannin. At least one of his bodies is defeated,” Shizune mused. “He probably has
four or five spare bodies he’ll transfer his sickly soul into.”

The idea made Sakura queasy. The snake shinobi had been terrifying.

“Tell you what, let’s have dinner. Let your other teammates come as well. I’ll convince Lady
Senju,” Shizune agreed.

“Thank you so much!” Sakura bent over at the waist immediately in gratitude and Shisui also
bowed slightly.

“Don’t thank me yet. Lady Senju has been through a lot. She has a phobia about blood,” Shizune
explained. “She even abandoned me about six years ago after we came across an accident in our
travels involving a boar attack— she went to meditate in Shikkotsu Forest. When she came back,
she was a renewed woman — started helping out at local clinics with herbal blends. I don’t think
she’s gotten over the blood phobia.”

“Hemophobia isn’t uncommon in someone who witnessed a traumatic injury involving a lot of
blood,” Sakura stated, thinking back to a medical book she’d read while visiting Izumi one day.
“The best way to treat it is to allow oneself to gradually be desensitized to the trigger — blood.
How does Lady Senju cope with her menstrual cycle prior to menopause?”

Shizune flushed. “I never thought to ask. It’s not exactly something one talks about.”

Sakura cocked her head to the side. “It’s not? Huh. That’s interesting.” She shrugged. “Well, I look
forward to dinner!”

Shizune flashed her an awkward smile. “Maybe don’t bring up the menstrual cycle or menopause.”

“We won’t!” Shisui promised, starting back towards the inn they were staying at and tugging
Sakura along with him by her elbow. He waited until Shizune had turned the block and was no
longer in sight. “Sakura, I just want to say I’m grateful for your honesty. Please, don’t ever
change.”

“I should learn more tact. Auntie Mikoto and Izumi would both be disappointed in me,” Sakura
worried.

“Oh no, they would be your biggest cheerleaders, trust me!” Shisui laughed as they continued past
the market part of town. “Why don’t we pick up some snacks while we’re here. Dango sounds
good?”
Sakura’s stomach growled at the mention of her favorite sweet. “Dango always sounds good!"
.
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 The Neo-Sannin
Chapter Notes

A/N: Wow…1040 kudos…this makes me happy and also guilty whenever I write on one of my
other WIP! But, I have learned the hard way that when I force myself to write on a story
without the appropriate inspiration the quality is subpar. So, I appreciate your patience and it
warms my heart the interest this story has garnered.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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Kakashi

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During the three weeks that Shisui, Sakura, Naruto and Jiraiya left Konoha, Kakashi escorted
Sasori back to Sand along with Gai and a team of Anbu. They took a detour through Sound and
found two of Orochimaru’s bases and destroyed them. At both bases, nearly thirty orphans were
discovered— several the lone survivors of clans that Orochimaru had rounded up.

At the first base, one such survivor was fifteen year old Kimimaro from the Kaguya clan. Unlike
many of his brethren, he wasn’t driven by bloodlust and had survived the massacre of the rest of the
clan when it attacked Kirigakure. He was extremely ill, so there was hope that Lady Tsunade might
be able to help him. Another was a survivor of the Uzumaki — a girl the same age as Kakashi’s
former genin teammates by the name of Karin. A sixteen year old by the name of Jugo who had a
powerful kekkei genkai that allowed them to use natural energy instinctually.

By the time they found the second base, the Konoha forces crossed a team of two S-ranked ninja
from Mist. The more vocal of the duo was Kisame Hoshigaki— they were searching for Suigetsu
Hozuki whom was captured by Orochimaru.

“Who is Suigetsu to you?” Kakashi asked, as their teams sat together around their campfire —
Kakashi and Gai, Kisame and Mangetsu. The quartet of masked Anbu remained hidden in the trees.
They were only a few hours from the second base and would infiltrate it before the night was over.

“He’s my younger brother,” Mangetsu answered.

“You’ve got a little something in your teeth,” Gai said, gesturing towards Kisame’s mouth.

“Do I?” Kisame pulled a dagger out from his belt and began to pick at his teeth. It wasn’t quite as
ridiculously large as his massive sword, but it was still almost comical. He shifted his dark, navy
gaze towards Kakashi. “So you’re the one that killed Zabuza Momochi?”
“Unfortunately, he didn’t leave me much choice. I didn’t have the final blow, that happened when
he turned against the corrupt mob boss that had hired him,” Kakashi answered. “His subordinate
Haku sacrificed himself to save Zabuza.” Kakashi was grateful that his mask hid his grimace at the
memory of the young boy’s death

Kisame nodded. “I appreciate that you and your brats stayed to bury him proper.”

Kakashi hated that Zabuza and Haku had died on that mission to Wave. It had introduced his little
genin to the harsh reality of life as a shinobi. Zabuza was another tragic would-be hero. He’d failed
in his attempt to overthrow the violent Fourth Mizukage. “Yeah, it was an unfortunate resolution.”

One of the Anbu operatives broke cover and flash-stepped to Kakashi’s side, flaring his chakra to
warn Kakashi and prevent an unfortunate reflex attack. It was the first time this operative used their
chakra and Kakashi turned towards him in surprise — he recognized his subordinate’s chakra.
Itachi Uchiha was one of the Anbu on this mission. In fact, Itachi was the Anbu Captain leading the
squad.

“I have an idea to draw out Orochimaru,” Itachi suggested, his voice familiar behind his animal
mask.

Kisame shifted and stared at Itachi with narrowed eyes.

“He’s obsessed with my clan,” Itachi continued, removing his mask.

“Oh shit!” Kisame gawked. “You’re the kid I almost partnered with under the Akatsuki!”

“Really?” Itachi smirked faintly. “The shark man.” He nodded. “Well, let us work together now and
find this second base.”

“You are no longer affiliated with the Akatsuki?” Kakashi asked. He faintly remembered intel on
the mercenary group from nearly seven years back. They seemed to vanish from the radar right
when they started to draw attention.

Kisame rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, our leader vanished after he failed to acquire a couple of new
recruits.” He gestured towards Itachi. “This one being one of them. The other one is the fucking
Kazekage of Suna now.”

Itachi sighed. “Can you watch your language?”

“Is his language going to run off somewhere if he watches it?” Mangetsu snickered.

“Shall we get started?” Gai asked eagerly. “We’re only two hours from our destination and I’m all
fired up!”

“I’m eager to free my brother,” Mangetsu agreed standing. “And if we happen to find that Missing
Nin Danzo, well, with the bounty on that man I could buy my own village! Maybe a hot springs!”

Kisame chuckled. “Alright, alright. I’m all for it. Konoha?” He looked between Kakashi and Itachi.

“Mah, let’s stop wasting time, shall we?” Kakashi agreed. “Let’s go snake hunting.”

“Look out for those creepy white plant creatures,” Mangetsu warned. “You cut one down, three
more pop up in its stead. And they just emerge from the ground like terrifying prairie dogs.”
“I didn’t know prairie dogs were terrifying,” Gai mused.

“Zombie prairie dogs are fucking terrifying,” Mangetsu retorted.

“Language, please,” Itachi sighed.

Kakashi snorted quietly. He had no doubt his current team would prove formidable even if the
current conversation bordered on the ridiculous.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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Somehow, Naruto managed to convince Tsunade Senju to return to Konoha. Apparently, she was a
gambler and he completed an imperfect Raisengan in a battle against Orochimaru.

Sakura, Shisui, and Shizune had crossed paths with Kabuto and a strange white plant-like creature.
Naruto, Jiraiya, and Lady Tsunade had faced off against a weakened Orochimaru and that same
plant-like creature.

Neither Jiraiya nor Tsunade had been prepared to kill their former teammate. If she’d been in a
similar situation, Sakura wouldn’t have been able to kill either Naruto or Sasuke. But then again,
she didn’t think either one of her precious teammates would even become as depraved and cruel as
Orochimaru.

“Shizune tells me you want to become a medic,” Tsunade said, when their group had checked into
an inn. It had an attached bath house — Jiraiya had paid for the stop. The three women - -Tsunade,
Shizune, and Sakura were soaking in the warm, luxurious water.

“I have a strong skill when it comes to chakra control,” Sakura answered. “However, I don’t want
to work at a hospital — though I would be happy to help out when needed. I want to be on the field
with my team, keeping them healthy and offering aid to villages we pass through on missions.”

“That’s a lofty goal,” Tsunade murmured. She turned towards Shizune. “And you’ve agreed to
apprentice her?”

Shizune nodded. “I have. Though, I know you’ll be busy as the Hokage and I will obviously be
there to help with the paperwork.”

Tsunade leaned her head back against the edge of the pool. “Your teammate, Naruto spoke nothing
but praises for you, Sakura. And while that kid is a loud-mouthed brat, he seems to be a good judge
of character.”
Sakura smiled faintly. “Naruto is my best friend. He hasn’t had it easy, but he perseveres. His
enthusiasm is contagious.”

“I’ll say,” Tsunade agreed with a snort of laughter. “I hear from Jiraiya that while Naruto was
officially adopted by the Uchiha, you’re unofficially adopted by the clan’s main family.”

“Lord Fugaku and Lady Mikoto have been very gracious,” Sakura agreed. She resisted the urge to
call them Uncle and Auntie. “My teammates will be specializing in training and I cannot let myself
fall behind. Naruto will be learning under Lord Jiraiya to become a Toad Sage. Sasuke will be
working with different clansmen to master Uchiha techniques and seek Ryuchi cave and learning
about the snakes. During our chunin exams, a mighty snake summons seemed to have an affinity to
him and he wants to learn more. It blatantly resisted the order from Orochimaru.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Orochimaru somehow manipulated his way to Ryuchi cave. You remind
me of someone,” Tsunade murmured. “I can’t quite place who, but there’s just something about
you, brat.” She splashed her hand over the surface of the water in a rhythmic pattern. “I suppose
you know about my contract with the slugs. Shizune doesn’t have a summons.”

Sakura nodded. “Lady Senju, I am most grateful that you are returning to Konoha. I look forward
to seeing you in charge. I will prove myself a capable apprentice under Lady Shizune.”

”Kato. I was married — briefly,” Tsunade whispered. “Just call me — Master Tsunade.”

“I’m sorry?” Sakura asked.

“You, brat, will call me Master Tsunade. If you can keep up with what Shizune teaches, after I’ve
settled in to my role as Hokage, I’ll see about training you myself,” Tsunade offered.

“Really?” Sakura’s voice was beyond hopeful and she slipped slightly off her seat in the bath,
hardly believing her good fortune. “Master Tsunade, that would be amazing! I don’t understand
why you would help me when you have so much already on your plate.”

“Jiraiya was also very persuasive,” Tsunade confessed. “He said if I gave you half a chance, I
wouldn’t be disappointed. He may have also mentioned that my old rival Chiyo of Sunagakure has
offered you an apprenticeship. I’ve spent the last twenty years enjoying my freedom. I need to
return home and fix the village my grandfather and his brother founded. I will finally be able to
improve the medical program like I dreamed about back when I was your age.” Tsunade smiled
faintly. “Dan would want me to live his dream of being Hokage for him and my dream of
revolutionizing medicine.”

Shizune elbowed Sakura gently in the side. “All you have to do is prove herself first to me.”

Sakura nodded, feeling more determined than she had in a long while.

“I won’t let either of you down,” Sakura vowed.

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OoO
.
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Kakashi
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It had been six months since Tsunade Senji took over the mantle of Godaime. Naruto had left the
village to train under Jiraiya at Mount Myoboku between the border of Wave and Mist. Sasuke and
Shisui had left the village to train at Ryuchi Cave. And Sakura had finished her apprenticeship with
Shizune and was training under the Hokage herself.

Kakashi had just finished a series of missions when he’d been called into the Godaime’s office and
given the update on his former young charges.

“And the arrogant prick in Suna sends me another request!” Tsunade waved a scroll in irritation.
“Kazekage Sasori writes that if my apprentice had been a shinobi of his village, she’d have been
promoted at the last Chunin exams. As a sign of good will, he’s requesting again that I allow her to
train under his grandmother.” Tsunade crumpled the scroll in her hand. “As if I’d let my apprentice
train under my inferior rival!”

Kakashi smiled faintly under his mask. It was nice to hear that his old teammates were all doing
well in their respective growth. He suspected the next time he crossed paths with them, he’d likely
not recognize their fighting techniques.

“I am glad to hear my old genin are all growing in their capacity to serve Konoha,” Kakashi
murmured. He was anxious to receive his next assignment. Orochimaru, Danzo, and Kabuto were
all still at large.

“You leave on your next assignment the day after tomorrow. Why don’t you visit some friends?”
Tsunade suggested. “You and the rest of your Team Ro will receive your next assignment from the
Anbu Commander Uchiha.”

Kakashi glanced up at the rafters of Tsunade’s office where Genma served as her primary
bodyguard. He lifted his hand in a wave.

Tsunade sighed. “Genma, you’re dismissed. You two have fun.”

A moment later, Genma leapt down to stand next to the Hokage desk. He bowed briefly at Tsunade
and then started for the door, Kakashi fell into step beside him.

They were outside of the tower, walking casually down the street before they spoke. “I’m surprised
you’re being let off early,” Kakashi mused.

“It’s because we’re heading to Shikkotsu Forest the day after tomorrow. The Godaime and her
apprentice will be training there for a while,” Genma explained.

“How? She can’t leave the village and govern it,” Kakashi protested. He also couldn’t believe that
Sakura — that civilian with the silly crush on him and pet of the Uchiha would be training in the
forest where the first Hokage trained to become a sage. He wasn’t surprised by Naruto or Sasuke
training at the other two mystical realms. But as always, when it came to Sakura he had conflicted
feelings. Part of him was proud for her pursuing strength and the part of him wished she would give
up the life of a shinobi and pursue a safer alternative

“The Flying Thunder God Technique of the Hokage Guard Platoon can teleport the Godaime
between the forest and her office,” Genma explained.

“I miss him so much,” Kakashi said quietly.

Genma nodded. “We all do.” He was leading Kakashi towards Ichiraku Ramen shop. “Ramen okay
for dinner?”

Kakashi shrugged. “If you’re paying, I’m not complaining.”

“So cheap,” Genma whined.

They walked inside to the fairly crowded restaurant. Kakashi scanned the occupants and his visible
eye widened in surprise. Sitting at one of the larger tables in the back was Shisui, Sasuke and Izumi
Uchiha along with Sakura Haruno. He wasn’t sure what to think seeing two of his former charges
sitting so close to each other, smiling, and flirting?

Was Sakura over her crush of Kakashi and moved on to a more age appropriate crush with Sasuke?

Before he could escape, Shisui noticed him and waved him and Genma over.

“Well, if it isn’t the Jonin with more completed missions than any other in Konoha,” Shisui greeted
when Kakashi and Genma reached the table.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura greeted smiling broadly at him, her cheeks slightly pink.

Nope, she still had a crush on him. Part of Kakashi was relieved and part of him was annoyed.
“Yo,” he answered, sitting next to Shisui and across from his old teammates. Genma sat next to
Sasuke, the girls on the inside of the table next to one another.

“Have you heard?” Sasuke asked, his voice much deeper than Kakashi last remembered. The kid
seemed taller too. He gestured between him and Sakura. “You’re looking at two-thirds of the Neo-
sannin.”

“That’s rather presumptuous,” Izumi chided.

“Naruto already has a summons with the toads, I’ve got one with the snake Aoda, and Sakura is
about to forge one with the slugs. How is that presumptuous?” Sasuke scoffed.

“Ah, that’s nice,” Kakashi answered, crinkling his visible eye into a smile. “My father defeated the
original Sannin single-handedly when they were a little older than the three of you.”

“Is that your way of challenging us to another Bell test?” Sakura asked. “Because we succeeded
last time.”

Kakashi opened his eye fully and stared at her, studying the slight changes in her appearance. “I let
you win.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “You underestimated us.”

“I wouldn’t make that mistake a second time,” Kakashi assured her. He shifted his attention to
Sasuke. “Any updates on Naruto?”

Sasuke frowned. “Why are you asking me?” He turned towards Sakura. “What did he say last you
heard?”

“That was at least a month ago,” Sakura protested. “He’s coming along — learning chakra control
and mastering the elements. He’s got Wind, Water, and Earth down. He’s struggling with Fire and
Lightning. He’s almost got Natural energy figured out.” She smiled. “And he’s grown an inch and a
half since we last saw him — that part is very important.”

Shisui snorted. “He’s still a shrimp, but I guess that makes him taller than you now, Sakura-chan!”

Sakura wadded up a napkin and threw it at Shisui’s face. The teleportation expert caught it easily
and stuck his tongue out at Sakura briefly.

And maybe Kakashi might have cracked a smile at their antics. However, there was something
about the way Sasuke and Sakura bumped shoulders together and were so comfortable with one
another that rubbed him the wrong way.

Kakashi wouldn’t see Sasuke or Sakura again for two more years.
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OoO

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In the Future…20 y/o Sakura, 33 y/o Kakashi
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Kakashi
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He’d finally regained all his memories — of the current and old timelines. Both times, he’d been an
asshole more often than not, and yet he still had friends and allies that stuck with him through thick
and thin.

And he’d ended up Rokudaime — again. More importantly, he was married to Sakura in the current
timeline and the baby they’d conceived fourteen years in the past was developing nicely.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as he held Sakura’s hand and they stared at the ultrasound the
Scientific Research Team had created. The strong and steady beat of Takashi’s heart was the most
beautiful sound Kakashi had ever heard.
“This is so much nicer than the first time, wouldn’t you say, Sakura?” Izumi asked. She moved the
ultrasound wand again to give a different view of their son.

Sakura laughed softly. “I don’t know, having a baby in secret in a foreign country had its charm.”

Kakashi squeezed her hand. He’d learned all about her apprenticeship in Suna and her clandestine
pregnancy. How she had kept her condition secret to avoid being forced into retirement and how
Izumi and Itachi had claimed Sarada as their own child until after Sakura had become a Jonin. How
both Itachi and Sasuke — the heirs to the Uchiha clan had permission to both be in Suna at the
same time for the birth.

It had been a state secret — known only to the Uchiha head family, the Godaime and the Kazekage.

Kakashi had been chasing ghosts in Sound and Rain while the love of his life gave birth to another
man’s child. He’d moved past the bitter jealously long ago, but he still resented his own past
behavior. He’d been absolutely awful to Sakura in her early teen years — trying to discourage her
silly crush.

It hadn’t been a crush. Their bond through the various timelines transcended into the current
present. He’d denied it, but eventually their paths reconnected. His precious person kept coming
back to him and he had to meet her again every time.

“I’m pretty sure I can convince Itachi to continue as Interim Hokage to give you two a little more
time to reconnect,” Izumi offered. She smiled softly. “We do owe our very lives to you two and the
existence of our daughter Tia and son Yukio.”

“Joy and fortunate boy,” Sakura murmured, closing her eyes and smiling softly. “Nice names.”

“We thought so,” Izumi agreed. “They seemed fitting considering the circumstances.” She plucked
off a few tissues and handed them to Sakura to clean off the gel smeared over her belly. “I’ll give
you two some time.”

“Is everything really all good? We didn’t have to fight an evil goddess this time around?” Sakura
asked, opening her eyes and searching Kakashi’s face.

He pulled down his mask to allow her a full inspection, smiling faintly at the blush on her cheeks.
Even after all this time, his wife was still easily flustered by his looks. It did wonders for Kakashi’s
ego. What man doesn’t want to be sexy for his wife? “She’s still safely sealed away on the moon.
Though, Naruto and Sasuke worked together to form an alliance with the tailed beasts. Some
jinchurikis exist, but it’s only to be a volunteer position — no more innocent babies being
implanted with an angry, immensely powerful beast.”

“But in the original time, Sasuke was looking for clues to their kind — the Otsutsuki,” Sakura
reminded him.

“And now Obito, Neji, Shin, and Kimimaro continue that search — all dead in the old timeline,”
Kakashi pointed out. “Sasuke helps occasionally, but he likes staying close to the village — close to
the daughter you share.”

“Let’s go home. I want to snuggle my husband and pet our ninken.”

 Kakashi smiled and then slipped his mask in place. He lifted Sakura into his arms, enjoying the feel
of her arms wrapped around his neck. “As you wish.” Then he flash-stepped them back to the
Hatake Estate.
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Chapter End Notes

TBC...I just wanted to give a glimpse to the future to remind everyone it's all going to work
out. Did you like the Princess Bride quote? My apologies in advance, the next couple of
chapters might be a little nerve wracking.....
 Promotion to Chunin
Chapter Notes

A/N: Please don't hate my Naruto...he's sensitive...

Sakura
.
.
It was Sakura’s second Chunin Exams. She’d trained diligently under Lady Tsunade in her fighting
style and medical ninjutsu. Izumi Uchiha (and on very rare occasions Itachi Uchiha himself) had
honed Sakura’s skills in genjutsu. During her two years of training, Sakura had shared letters with
Naruto and Sasuke. They may have been separated on opposite ends of the country, but she felt
they were closer than ever - -sharing their inner most thoughts, dreams, and goals.

Fewer participants passed the first two rounds and the third round of one-on-one matches was
slated to happen by the end of the week. There were quite a few teams from Konoha that had been
re-arranged for the exams in Suna. Since Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Shino had all been promoted two
years back, their remaining teammates had split up.

And while Naruto had been understandably upset to not be on the same team with Sakura, they still
managed to work together.

Sakura had teamed up with Ino and Choji — she practically carried the team during the previous
two rounds. Ino hopped into Sakura’s mind for the written exam for the answers and shared them
not only with Choji, but also with Naruto and his team for the exams. In the second round, it had
been Sakura leading and defending Ino and Choji through the hostile desert. It wasn’t that Ino and
Choji were poor fighters, they’d both improved, but they hadn’t studied up on the environment at
all. It was Sakura’s knowledge — from a basic read through of field guides about the local flora
and fauna that kept them from eating poisoned berries and knowing where to avoid the poisonous
snakes and scorpions. Basically, the desert of Suna was simply rife with poisonous things.

While they waited for the third round, Sakura and Naruto had finally been able to meet up at the
inn the village reserved for their teams.

“Sakura-chan!” Naruto cried out racing towards Sakura. He wrapped her into a hug, lifted her off
her feet, and swirled the two of them in an enthusiastic circle just inside the lobby. “I’ve missed you
so much!”

They’d been seated on opposite ends during the written exam. Then their teams had been kept apart
during the second round during a staggered entrance into the dessert. It was the first time Sakura
had actually seen Naruto up close and she held him tight — appreciating his new height and build.

“You’ve gotten so handsome, Naruto!” Sakura murmured with a laugh when she was finally
released to her feet. She then wrapped her arms around Naruto’s waist and lifted him off his feet,
earning a surprised yelp. “And I’ve gotten stronger!”

“Stronger and prettier too!” Naruto smiled wide at her, eyes shown bright. He dropped his tone to a
whisper, “And you’ve got boobs now.” He hugged her again and sighed. “They feel nice.”

Sakura felt her cheeks burn. “You’re not supposed to say things like that!” She bopped him on top
of the head, none-too-gently and then cringed when Naruto grimaced. “I’m so sorry!” She laid her
hand on the side of his face and started to send healing chakra, but his injury was already repaired.

“It’s fine. Kurama already sorted me out,” Naruto assured her. “You’re going to have to watch that
temper though. Not all your friends have a tailed beast inside ready to heal them at a moment’s
notice.” He studied Sakura worriedly. “Are you that insecure about your sexuality, Sakura-chan?”
He covered her hand with his own. “I’m your best friend, Sakura. If I can’t give you a compliment
about your boobs then who can?” His eyes lingered on her chest before meeting her eyes again, his
expression only mildly sheepish. “I bet you know who will like them too.”

“You’re not supposed to compliment someone about their breasts,” Sakura hissed. “Did you
compliment Hinata about her breasts? She’s definitely been blessed twice over in that department.”
Though, Sakura thought a chest that heavy was more of a hindrance to kunoichi than an asset —
too much weight for the back to support and the balance would be challenging.

Naruto frowned. “Why would I do that?” His sky-blue eyes twinkled as he gazed down at her chest
without an ounce of shame and raising one of his hands, curling his fingers slightly. “Yours are the
perfect size. I bet they’d fit right into my palms.”

Before Sakura could say anything, she felt the approach of two familiar chakra signatures. Naruto
must have felt them at the same time because he looked over her shoulder and then pulled her hand
down and threaded their fingers together and dragged them towards the others.

Shisui and Sasuke Uchiha had just walked down the stairs into the lobby. A big grin was plastered
on Shisui’s face and Sasuke was as expressionless as usual, except for the mild amused twinkle in
his dark eyes.

“What are you two doing here?” Naruto asked, squeezing Sakura’s hand and bringing them closer
to the stairwell.

“We came to cheer you on,” Shisui answered, rocking back on his heels once they reached the
ground floor. He scanned both Naruto and Sakura and smiled. “You’ve both grown up!”

“You’re both part of our clan,” Sasuke explained. “You won’t be staying in the standard Konoha
lodgings. Father agreed to put us up in a suite when he allowed us to attend the final round.”

“We’re all staying together?” Naruto asked. He squeezed Sakura’s hand. “It’s been ages since we
were all reunited!” He gestured towards Sakura’s chest with their joined hands. “Sakura’s got a
rack and I’ve grown at least three inches.” Naruto snickered and gestured with their joined hands
suspiciously towards his groin.

Sakura’s eye twitched. What did he mean three inches? She caught Naruto’s wide grin. A quick
shift of her attention towards Sasuke and she could see his pale cheeks were paler and the tips of
his ears were crimson as he stared at the two of them wide-eyed.
Shisui groaned and rubbed his palm over his forehead. “Not again,” he murmured. He jingled a pair
of keys. “We checked in a while ago. Follow me. The Hokage has arranged dinner for the
participants this evening, so you have a few hours of down time. And the Kazekage wanted to stop
by the dinner as well.”

“I thought I was rooming with Ino, Tenten, and Hinata,” Sakura protested. She didn’t let go of
Naruto’s hand, finding comfort in his strength. Sasuke was even better looking than she last
remembered— red tipped ears making him especially endearing. She wanted to ask if Kakashi had
come to root for them as well, but couldn’t find the confidence. Probably not, or else Shisui would
have mentioned him.

“I definitely don’t want to room with Kiba, Choji, Lee, and Neji,” Naruto protested. “Please,
Sakura-chan! Wouldn’t you rather share a bed with me than Ino?”

Considering that Ino kicked in her sleep, Sakura would prefer Naruto’s snuggles. “Fine, okay, I
would.” She squeezed his hand once and then released. “And I really am sorry about earlier.”

Sasuke’s gaze shifted between the two of them, his face neutral and his ears normal. “Let’s go.”

“So bossy,” Naruto muttered, but he followed after Sasuke.

Shisui laid his hand between Sakura’s shoulder blades. “Itachi and Izumi have been bragging about
your genjutsu. You want to practice with me later?”

“Yes,” Sakura agreed readily. She took a deep, steeling breath. She should ask. There was no need
to be a coward. “Um, did anyone else from Konoha come to cheer us on?”

“Unfortunately, Izumi and Itachi couldn’t get away.” Shisui sighed deeply. “Though, I suspect you
were more interested in your former sensei? He’s on another mission, unfortunately. It’s a long-
term mission, so he may not have even realized he is missing the exams. I don’t think he would
purposely not cheer you guys on.”

“Oh.” Sakura tried to keep her voce neutral, but she doubted that even if Kakashi was aware if he
would cheer his former students. She shouldn’t have been so disappointed. It’s just, she always felt
so subpar to Kakashi’s standards. She wanted him to see her now that she’d completed her
apprenticeship. She wanted him to be proud. It seemed that no matter what progress she made
Kakashi remained unimpressed as well as her parents. Mebuki and Kizashi would at least respond
to her letters, but they were almost strangers with their superficial topics of conversation. At least
she and her mother had found a connection in their mutual interest of herbs.

“I am really glad to see you again, Sakura,” Shisui said. “I’ve missed your spirit. I know you and
Naruto will both make the Uchiha clan proud.”

“I’m not an Uchiha,” Sakura reminded him. Naruto had been adopted. She was just friendly with a
few members. She was clan-adjacent at best.

“Yes, you are. You’re my sister if nothing else,” Shisui said quietly. “Maybe not in name, but in
every other way that matters.” He reached over and tugged on a lock of her hair gently. “No matter
whatever happens, you and I are always good. You got that?”

“Why?” Sakura never understood Shisui’s attachment to her. It wasn’t anything romantic, but she
could almost believe they were bonded like siblings. It seemed an unbreakable bond had been
forged from the moment Shisui found her in the woods when she’d been a young girl, trying to
train on her own. She was so grateful he took pity and helped her along.

“I’ll tell you exactly why in a few years.” Shisui sighed and ran his hands through his dark curls.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I tried. But, my fate is tied to yours. There’s a saying that if you save a
life, you’re responsible for it. Let’s say, I’m here today because of you and I will be responsible for
you and work to ensure your happiness and success.”

“That doesn’t sound like the motto of the Uchiha,” Sakura teased, feeling overly emotional at the
sincerity of his tone. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from reacting.

Shisui shrugged. “It’s my motto.”

They settled into the suite, Shisui and Sasuke would share one bed, Sakura and Naruto the other.
Sasuke looked like he wanted to protest, but said nothing. There were a kitchenette and a massive
bathroom complete with both a garden tub and a shower— a luxury in the desert of Suna.

Sakura started to gather her toiletries for a shower when Sasuke caught her wrist.

“It’s good to see you, Sakura,” Sasuke said quietly. “Mother sent a dress for you if you’d like to
wear it for dinner.” He gestured towards himself and the others. “We all have a change of clothes
for the dinner.”

“Sure,” Sakura agreed. Auntie Mikoto was certainly a kind and thoughtful woman. She’d given
Sakura a few elegant and classy dresses over the years. “Is it blue?”

Sasuke smirked. “It is.”

Blue wasn’t her favorite color — she still preferred green and red, but she liked blue. “Hang it in
the bathroom while I start the shower,” Sakura murmured, shaking her arm out of his grip and
walking past him. She took a much appreciated shower, already eager for a longer soak in the
garden tub later. Then she changed into a fresh outfit —an elegant navy blue dress courtesy of
Mikoto. Sure enough, on the back of the dress was a familiar red and white uchiwa emblem.
Perhaps, Shisui was right — Sakura was part of the noble clan in the ways that counted.

Dinner had involved all the Konoha participants that had passed the first two rounds. A private
room had been reserved for the Leaf at a steak restaurant. Sakura found herself sandwiched
between Naruto and Sasuke the entire time. It was also the first time she met Lady Chiyo — the
Kazekage’s grandmother. Sasori was at the head of the table and was extremely hard to read, but
his power was clear and he was an intense man. Sakura felt uncomfortable about his focus on her
— why was he so determined to invite her to Suna? And then there were Sasori’s cousin Lyna—
she seemed pretty confident and was pretty funny.

The Sand kunoichi had Shisui laughing so hard he even shorted once, choking on his tea. It was
cute to see her big brother figure in a new light as he flirted with the Kazekage’s cousin. He was
really quite charming and Sakura was a tiny bit envious of Lyna.

The Sand siblings were on patrol, but Sasori wasn’t exactly apologetic about their absence. Sakura
didn’t miss the longing looks Hinata kept sending Naruto’s direction, nor his blatantly ignoring her
shy attempts to gain his attention.
Sasuke leaned close to Sakura, his arm across the back of her chair for balance and the warmth of
his breath tickled her ear. “This makes two exams in a row where you scored the highest on the
written portion.”

“Technically, my team and Naruto’s team all scored the same,” Sakura protested. She took a
shallow breath feeling a little nervous about Sasuke’s proximity, but also a touch excited. She
caught Ino’s smug smile.

“I had no idea the Uchiha men were all so charming,” Lyna mused, sipping her wine and watching
Sakura and Sasuke with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Nah, Sasuke’s big brother Itachi is incredibly awkward. Sasuke and I only lay on the charm when
in the company of beautiful, intelligent, highly capable women,” Shisui answered smoothly.

Sasuke cleared his throat, posture stiff to be made the center of attention and he shifted back to his
chair. Sakura could admit, she felt a little disappointed at the distance.

Then Naruto’s hand was on her knee under the table and squeezed her softly. “I think he liiiiikes
you,” he whispered into her other ear. “I’m not the only one that appreciates you.”

Sakura didn’t miss the flash of hurt that appeared and vanished across Hinata’s princess-like
features. So she did the best thing she could, ignored her hot teammates and the unwavering
interest of the Kazekage and Ino’s amused smiles and focused on eating her dinner.

“So, Sakura, let’s hope we don’t face each other this time around,” Ino said, holding her drumstick
and biting into the juicy morsel. “I’d hate to embarrass you in front of your boyfriends.”

Sasuke began to cough and Naruto reached over Sakura to pat him hard on the back between his
shoulder blades.

“I’d hate to have to beat you in front of everyone a second time,” Sakura answered, smiling sweetly
at the blond. Then her playful smile faded. “Seriously, we’re teammates this time around, so we
shouldn’t be pitted against each other.”

“I believe you’re actually slated to battle one of my genin,” Lyna interrupted. “I can’t say which
one, but I expect the match to be challenging and fun to watch for us spectators.”

Sakura stared at the older woman silently, trying to think back to her students. One had been a
puppet master — like Sasori and Kankuro. Another was a genjutsu specialist — which would be
pretty useless skill against Sakura. And the third genin was more of a close-quarters taijutsu
specialist. Seeing as Sakura’s fighting style was close to the Godaime’s Senju Taijutsu, she
suspected she’d be facing the third member.

“So, how are Sai and Shin, Ino?” Sakura asked, changing the subject when it become clear she
wouldn’t be getting any more information from the Sand Jonin.

“I hardly see them these days, they’re always off on missions,” Ino explained. “Though when Sai
comes home he always has a new sketch for me in his art book. Last time he brought me this
necklace.” She hooked her finger around a fine golden chain with a white lotus flower next to a
purple iris.
“That’s beautiful,” Sakura sighed. Maybe one day some guy would give her jewelry. Though, she
wasn’t much of a necklace person. She rubbed her hands, missing her leather gloves. Maybe some
bracelets would be nice. She felt a little sorry for Ino — she knew Sai was often away on missions
ever since he and Shin joined Anbu. They were part of the squad dedicated to finding the traitor
Danzo.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
That night, Naruto faced Sakura in the bed a few hours after the dinner. They had the next few days
off to rest and train before the third round. Shisui and Sasuke promised to cook breakfast for them
every morning and let them sleep in as late as they wanted. It was nice being pampered after
roughing it in the desert for the last few days.

“So, how was it being on a team with Hinata and Kiba?” Sakura whispered.

“It was awkward. She has a big crush on me and Kiba has a big crush on her,” Naruto whispered
back. “Her dad even approached Mama Mikoto and Papa Fugaku to try and arrange a marriage
between me and Hinata a few months back — saying it would help forge a new bond between
Hyuga and Uchiha.”

“What?” Sakura sat up in shock. Naruto had just turned fourteen in October, why were there talks
of marriage?

“I’m part of the Head family, I suppose it’s natural to suggest a covenant. And my Uzumaki genes
would enhance a strong trait like Sharingan or Byakugan without interfering with the bloodline.”
He met her gaze. “I’m kind of like you in that regard.” He sighed. “Fugaku doesn’t like Hiashi. He
said that any man that would let his brother die in his stead is a coward. Konoha should have gone
to war with Cloud. He said that if someone kidnapped one of his kids, he would have destroyed that
person completely. And that he wouldn’t trust one of his sons in the family of such a man.”

“Wow,” Sakura breathed out. She didn’t know too much about the incident in question, but she
knew that Hinata’s father had killed Neji’s father. Neji had told her that once when she treated him
at the hospital for a few weeks after a training session was too brutal at the Hyuga clan. When he
explained to her the caged bird seal on his forehead, she understood his anger towards Hinata and
her revered status — completely unearned — within their clan.

Naruto toyed with the edge of the sheet, his eyes focused downward. “I don’t feel that way about
her— Hinata. I don’t think she’s a bad person just because her dad was scared and did a bad thing.
She seems okay. It’s just, I’m not sure that I like girls in general.” His bright blue eyes flashed up to
her face again and a small smile lifted the corner of his lips. “Well, except you, Sakura-chan, but
we’re like sort of related, so it’s that like liking myself?”
Sakura frowned. Hinata was beautiful and yet Naruto wasn’t attracted to her. “Do you prefer men?”

Naruto sighed. “I don’t know. It was weird with Jiraiya, you know? Sometimes he’d have me do
my sexy woman henge - remember that time when we were looking for Granny Tsunade? I’d go to
the bathhouses like that and he’d find a way to use me as a distraction to get inspiration for his
books.”

Sakura clenched her hands into fists. That was disturbing in so many ways.

“So, I don’t know. I’ve seen a lot of women, but I don’t get excited or anything,” Naruto whispered.

“Do you want to see if I can make you excited?” Sakura whispered. They were distantly related. It
wouldn’t be weird. Naruto’s eyes snapped back up to her immediately and he nodded his head
barely perceptible. Sakura drew up the sheets to cover them from the neck down and then took
Naruto’s hand. She slipped it under her nightshirt, his calloused fingers traced across her belly and
sent chills down her arms. She placed his palm firmly over her breast, much like the time when
they’d been thirteen exploring each other’s henged bodies.

Naruto released a shuddered sigh, his thumb grazed over her nipple. “I definitely feel something,”
he murmured. He cupped her breast and met her gaze. “Does this feel okay?”

Sakura bit her lower lip and nodded, her throat had constricted rendering it impossible to speak.
She liked the sensations Naruto was causing.

“Hey! What are you two doing?” Sasuke sat up and glared over at them, his dark eyes narrowed in
suspicion.

“Uh, nothing,” Naruto said, clearing his throat, but keeping his hand in place, massaging her
mound gently.

Sakura could feel Naruto’s groin brush against her, his length hardening. He’d reacted to Sasuke’s
voice and her breast? What did that mean?

Naruto squeezed her breast gently and then released her, his hand settled upon the rise of her hip
bone. “You know I like to cuddle,” he called out.

“Maybe I should share the bed with Sakura then,” Sasuke said, his tone clipped with annoyance. “I
know how to keep my hands to myself.”

“You’re just envious,” Naruto said, his tone smug. He leaned forward and kissed Sakura’s forehead.
“Thanks, Sakura-chan. I think I maybe understand a few things.”

“What are friends for?”Sakura whispered, surprised she could even speak. She was glad he
understood things, because she certainly didn’t.

The door for the bathroom opened and Shisui emerged in his pajamas. He scanned the room with
suspicious eyes, focusing on Sakura and Naruto. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you two
feeling each other up again?”

“Again?” Sasuke squawked.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
The week between the second and third round of the Chunin exams were calm and restful mixed
with sparring sessions. Shisui and Sasuke were both pretty talented cooks — they’d gotten really
good at it while they’d trained at Ryuchi caves. She learned about Sasuke’s training and Naruto’s
training. She told them about her training under the Godaime and at Shikkotsu Forest. She faced off
against the taijutsu specialist on Lyna’s team and Naruto faced off against the seven-tailed
jinchuriki Fu.

About three months after her promotion to Chunin, Sakura had settled back into life at Konoha.
Naruto and Sasuke were still training in their final year of apprenticeships, so it was a rarity that the
three of them were all in the village. As such, Tsunade had given Sakura the evening off.

Normally, she spent her free time studying and preparing for whatever work Master Tsunade would
have for her the next day in their training. She’d come a long way in her skills as a medical ninja
and more often than not, was the one leading the surgeries these days. She’d also learned quite a bit
about poisons under Shizune’s tutelage. And her mastery of chakra control and monstrous strength
put her on Jonin level, though she was still a Chunin due to lack of experience on the field. She’d
gotten another letter from the Kazekage inviting her to study in Suna, much to Master Tsunade’s
irritation.

It had been as she was leaving Master Tsunade’s office, being dismissed for the day, that she saw
her old team leader, for the first time in nearly two years. Kakashi Hatake had been taking back-to-
back missions with Anbu since she and the boys on Team Seven had started more focused
individual training regimens.

“Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura greeted, feeling her cheeks heat up in both pleasure at seeing him after so
many years and acknowledging that he was even more handsome than she remembered.

A bored, charcoal eye shifted towards her and he stopped in the hallway just in front of her. It
seemed to take a moment for him to register his recognition of her. Though, there couldn’t be that
many pink-haired kunoichi he could know. “Sakura,” Kakashi murmured. His gaze scanned her
head to toe briefly, assessing her. “You’ve gotten taller.” His hands were shoved into the front
pockets of his black pants and his posture relaxed from the rigid stance a few moments ago into a
comfortable slouch.

There was something about the way his attentive gaze raked over her that made Sakura feel warm
and stirred nervous butterflies in her belly. “I should hope so. I was a tiny little girl the last time you
saw me.”

“Hm,” Kakashi hummed. His tone implied that she was still a little girl.
“Are you in the village for a while?” She swallowed down her nervousness. She should just ask
him. What did it matter that she still had a massive crush on her former team leader? “I was on my
way to meet the guys — Sasuke and Naruto — for a dinner at Ichiraku. Would you like to join us?”
Sakura asked feeling incredibly shy and hoping her voice didn’t betray her.

“Mah, I’m not really in the mood for ramen,” Kakashi hedged. “I appreciate you asking.” He
started to move past her.

“It’s not about the food. It’s the company. It’s been over two years, Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura pointed
out, reaching for his sleeve, grasping the black shirt.

He looked down at her, eying her hand for a moment. The silence between them deafening. “I’m
not your sensei anymore, Sakura. If you’ll excuse me, I need to report now. I don’t have time to
babysit.”

Sakura released his sleeve, stunned by his response. She didn’t understand why he didn’t want to
have dinner with them. Did he not stress the importance of teammates and bonds over and over? “If
you change your mind, you know where we’ll be.” She was proud of herself for keeping her tone
even and not betraying the intensity of hurt his words inflicted. “We’re chunin — adults in they
eyes of the village. We don’t need a babysitter, but it would have been nice to reconnect with a
friend.”

“We’re not friends,” Kakashi’s harsh tone cut deep.

Sakura sucked in a shaky breath, meeting his flat gaze. “I see.” She studied his face for a moment
longer, his mask and hitai-ate covered anything that would give a clue about his true feelings. She
turned away and walked briskly past him, intent not to let him see her cry over some trivial
rejection.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.

He released his own shaky breath as Sakura walked away. She was not how he remembered. Her
tone had been confident and her body had filled out. She had curves and he couldn’t help, but
notice she was a beautiful young woman. He reminded himself— she was a young woman. She
was fifteen! He was twenty-seven. She was much too young for someone like him, with hands
stained in so much blood.
His sensitive nose could smell the salt of her tears. He knew he hurt her feelings, but he was pretty
sure she still had a crush on him. It was better to avoid her than to give her any hope on such an
impossibility.

Though, she had stirred something in him. The best way to deal was to drown himself in someone
else. Now that he was in the village for a few days, that would be easy enough to do. He never had
a problem finding volunteers to keep him company.

He was escorted into the Godaime’s office. Tsunade’s honey colored eyes narrowed when he
stepped inside. “Do I need to sic Shizune on you for an evaluation?”

“Ah, I will head to the hospital after our meeting for a check up,” Kakashi lied. He was going to a
nearby bar, find a willing companion, then find a convenient alleyway, and then he’d go home to
play with his dogs.

He was going to stay far away from the hospital and far away from the ramen shop.

“You just missed Sakura,” Tsunade pointed out.

“Ah, we met in the hall,” Kakashi answered.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and sighed. “It’s a shame there aren’t more people like her. My
dream was to have a field medic on every team, but having someone capable of remaining calm on
a field of violence and able to perform surgery is like finding a unicorn.”

Kakashi arched an eyebrow. Calm wasn’t a word he would have used to describe Sakura.
Temperamental and emotional seemed better descriptions — at least of the Sakura he remembered
from their year together. “Do you want me to report on my mission?” He didn’t come to talk about
the lone girl on his old team.

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. “Assuming it was a success, just write up your report. I’ll
have another assignment for you in a couple of days.” She raised her eyebrows. “Were there any
troubles?”

He shook his head. “Flawless execution of all objectives,” Kakashi answered. He waited for his
dismissal.

“Naruto has been training under Jiraiya for the past two years,” Tsuande said. She opened her desk
drawer and pulled out a couple of cups and a jug of sake. She poured two and pushed one across
the desk towards Kakashi. “He’s learning sage mode up in those mountains. You knew his parents
better than I did, but I suspect he will take after his father and master Toad Sage mode. He returned
to the mountains after he passed the Chunin exams a couple of months ago.”

Kakashi didn’t pick up the cup and Tsunade finished hers. She looked between him and the second
cup, but he didn’t move. So she drank that one as well.

“Sasuke has been training with his clan. He and Shisui went to Ryuchi caves. He formed a contract
with a massive snake there but decided he preferred hawks,” Tsunade explained.

“The same powers as the Sannin,” Kakashi murmured. And Sakura was training under Tsunade.
How had the visit to Shikkaku Forest gone?
Tsunade nodded. “Sakura and I spent six months at Shikkaku Forest off and on,” she confirmed his
unspoken question. “Your old genin team have become the Neo-sannin. You should be proud.”

“Their accomplishments have little to do with me,” Kakashi answered, his tone bored. He was
proud. Maybe they wouldn’t die like everyone else did.

Tsunade cocked her head to the side. “I thought you would be more interested. Especially about
Sakura. She’s had the most unexpected growth of the three. Sasuke and Naruto both come from
strong bloodlines.”

“Why would I be interested?” Kakashi felt his annoyance start to grow.

“You should join them for dinner, Hatake,” Tsunade said quietly. “It’s normal for Jonin senseis to
meet with their old teams.”

“I’ve never been accused of being normal,” Kakashi answered curtly.

Tsunade leaned back and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “You’re impossible, Hatake. You’re
dismissed. Check in with Shizune first or I’ll ground you for a week.”

Kakashi dipped his head and then flash-stepped out of her office. He visited Shizune, because being
grounded in the village for a week meant he’d likely run into his old genin and he honestly couldn’t
bare to be around them. They were succeeding, growing stronger, the best of friends — he didn’t
want to see them happy, knowing that one day they would lose everything — just like him. It was
better if he bowed out of their lives completely.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
She sat in a back booth with Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto sat across from her and Sasuke was beside
her. There was no sign of Kakashi and she doubted he would show up. She listened politely as
Naruto told stories about his adventures with Jiraiya. While they’d spent several days together
during the Chunin exams, he’d not gone into detail of his training adventures until now. Naruto
went on and on about the man’s perverted tendencies and how he often spied on women at
bathhouses.

It made Sakura feel uncomfortable hearing about the man.

Sasuke’s stories about the Ryuchi cave were more interesting for her. It made her think of Shikkaku
Forest. Her friends had been fascinated when she told of her own training under the Godaime. And
when Sasuke’s hand rested tentatively on her thigh under the table, Sakura ignored the tiny feeling
of disappointment that it wasn’t the interest of an older man that she’d attracted.

She smiled at Sasuke when he shyly squeezed her knee and covered his hand with hers. It was
strange how in the last year, both Naruto and Sasuke had grown taller and broader than her. And
when Sasuke’s cheeks pinked when Sakura mentioned how impressed she was by his shoulders,
she found herself smiling back. He was the best looking boy of their generation by far, in her not so
humble opinion. And it seemed that he had feelings for her. So she ignored the sour feeling that had
settled in her gut when it became clear that Kakashi would not be joining their reunion dinner. And
while she was disappointed, she was far from surprised.

Sasuke paid for their meal and earned praise from both her and Naruto for his generosity. “Hey, I’m
going to walk Sakura home, okay?”

“Uh, sure,” Naruto said, his lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“I’ll see you back at the house later,” Sasuke assured him. “Shisui should be back from his mission.
He’d love to be regaled by your adventures with the Pervert Sage.”

“That’s Pervy Sage,” Naruto corrected. This time, his smile reached his eyes. “Are your parents
still out of town, Sakura-chan?”

Sakura nodded. She’d almost moved out of her parents’ residence when she started her
apprenticeship under Tsunade and had more steady income from her work at the hospital, but they
were hardly home. They were in Konoha only a few weeks out of the year since they relocated to
Tea. It seemed a foolish investment to move into an apartment considering the house would be
empty if she wasn’t there.

They bid Naruto farewell and walked side by side down the mostly empty streets of Konoha.
They’d passed a few blocks in comfortable silence before Sasuke reached for Sakura’s hand. It
caused a thrill of excitement as Sakura looked over and met his attentive gaze.

It was then that they heard it — a rhythmic thumping down a nearby alley along with guttural
moans. A feeling of dread filled Sakura. Sasuke tugged on her hand, purposely redirecting their
route away from the naughty business in the shadows.

“Oh, Hatake!” A feminine voice cried out that was quickly muffled.

“I guess we know why he didn’t join us,” Sasuke murmured, his tone irritated. He tugged on
Sakura more forcefully as she stared in horror in the direction of the sounds. “Come on, let’s get
you home, Sakura. It’s not our business.”

Sakura swallowed thickly and forced a smile up at Sasuke.

He continued to hold her hand, threading the fingers together. “Do you still have a crush on him?”

Sakura shrugged. “Crushes are a waste of time.”

They made it outside her doorstep. The house in the civilian neighborhood was dark.

“I’m sorry to hear you feel that way,” Sasuke murmured, not letting go of her hand. “I—-I have a
crush on you, Sakura.”
Sakura blinked up at him in surprise. The best looking guy of her generation had a crush on her?
One of her best friends, someone who’s parents showered more affection upon her than her own
since their days at the Academy. “Really?”

Sasuke chuckled and lifted her hand towards his lips, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. “You can’t be
that surprised. I’m not an elite Anbu Captain, but I do care about you.” He released her hand, but
didn’t move. “And I’m right here, if you want me.”

“Do you, want to come inside?” Sakura asked, her heart pounding in her chest. The look on
Sasuke’s face was tender— as if she were the stars in his sky.

“Could I stay the night?” Sasuke asked, his voice quiet, his dark eyes hopeful.

Sakura smiled, feeling warm inside. “Yeah, I think I would like that.”
.
.
.
 The 999th Mission
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
.

Shisui
.
.
Sparing with Itachi, Sasuke and Naruto in the mornings was Shisui’s preferred way to start the day.
However, this morning he had to sludge through a clan meeting. It was regarding Naruto’s tailed-
beast and helping him best form a working relationship with the beast. Shisui and Sasuke used the
Sharingan often to help manage the foul-tempered fox, but they were about to up the ante and
would be using the Wood release powers of Tenzo. Shisui and Itachi had worked with him before in
Anbu, usually under the command of Kakashi Hatake.

Unfortunately, they anticipated needing one to two months of intense training. They’d be in the
mountains for it under the supervision of the Sannin Jiraiya. And since the chunin exams, when all
the junior members of Team Seven had achieved their promotion the three had been inseparable.
Particularly, Sasuke and Sakura — whom Shisui knew was inevitable. He knew Sarada, did he not?
But it was still hard for him to watch the two childhood sweethearts, knowing what he knew. But,
he didn’t know everything, did he?

He did know that Kakashi was pissing him off. He always flaked out of hanging with his old
friends. At least he finally stopped sleeping around with anybody that had two legs and available
hole. That had especially upset Shisui, but he let it go — it wasn’t his business.

Then Kakashi had surprised him, paying for the suite in Suna a few months back. He’d also shoved
three packages into Shisui’s arms the night before when he’d returned from his last mission. He
asked him to deliver it to his former students. Shisui wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but he had an
idea given the size and weight. He and Itachi had received similar packages a few years back.

He couldn’t stay mad at Kakashi when he did things like this.

“Can you hurry up, Shisui? We need to get to Sakura’s,” Sasuke murmured as he and Naruto
followed Shisui to his house after the clan meeting.

Shisui snorted in amusement. Sasuke literally just left Sakura’s place a few hours ago and he was
itching to go back. Maybe it would be for the best to keep those two separate for a while. He’d
done the math, and wouldn’t be surprised to learn those two were ‘in the family way’ any day now.

“Calm down. Let your girlfriend sleep in for a change,” Shisui teased. “It’s a present for making
chunin.”

“I made chunin two years ago,” Sasuke scoffed. “They’re a little late.”
“Yeaaaaah, they’re late a lot,” Shisui sighed. “If it’s what I think it is, it’s custom made and they
probably waited until all three of you were promoted to be fair.”

“Is this from Hatake?” Sasuke asked, ever the perceptive one.

“What do you think it is, Shisui?” Naruto asked. “A gift fit for a chunin—maybe some fancy
kunai? Gai-sensei got us all those weights.”

Shisui led them into his house and sitting on the end table in the front foyer were three packages.
They were identically wrapped with only a symbol drawn on the pack for two of them. Sasuke’s
included a moon on it. Naruto’s had a sun drawn on it. The third one for Sakura actually had her
name written in careful neat script and cute doodle of a dog and cherry blossom branch.

Naruto ripped open his package first and cheered upon revealing the mesh ninja armor within.

“They’ll be a little big for now, should accommodate your next growth spurt,” Shisui explained.

Sasuke pulled his out and studied it. “What’s this made out of of?”

“No one knows. Some say mithril, but that’s a mystical metal,” Shisui answered. The armor came
from a lightweight and hardy material.

“I didn’t know he cared.” Sasuke ran his fingers over the fine material.

“He doesn’t show it, but he does,” Shisui answered. “He wanted to be sure you had it before we left
on our training. And if you’ll bring Sakura’s hers?” He handed the box to Naruto.

“Why doesn’t he give these to us himself?” Naruto asked.

“I won’t pretend to understand him, Naruto. He’s been through a lot. I think he’s worried that if he
actually shows you that he cares it will somehow endanger you all.” Shisui grinned and then
reached over the ruffle Naruto’s golden hair. “He just finished his nine hundred and ninety-ninth
mission. I’m sure Genma and Gai are going to drag him out somewhere to celebrate. You should
get him a token of appreciation and we can join whatever party they’re having. You should see him
before we leave. Sakura too, she’s got an upcoming mission too.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sasuke agreed. He grabbed hold of Naruto’s elbow and started to pull him bodily out
of the house. “We’ll be at Sakura’s, come find us later!”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
It was late-May, just a couple of months after her fifteenth birthday. Sakura spent most of her
mornings training in physical endurance — without the use of her chakra. Gai Might had gifted all
the chunin of their generation with weighted vests, ankle and arm weights. And Sakura made good
use of them, meeting Tenten in the evenings to go for runs weighed down by the extra fifty pounds.
Sasuke and Naruto would also wear the ankle and vests weights when they went for runs. Ino
complained that it was incredibly unfashionable, but she too wore them when Sai told her that he’d
continue to have a better mid-drift than her unless she tried the vest.

Well, nothing motivated Ino Yamanaka more than a competition and she was determined to have a
better mid-drift than her future husband. When Sai and his brother had been adopted into the
Yamanaka clan it had always been with the intention of diversifying the bloodline, but without
competing with their unique kekkei genkai. When Ino and Sai were ultimately attracted to one
another, it made the marriage proposal something to cheer and not something to dread.

Sakura wasn’t jealous of Ino’s parents arranging her future. She was quite happy to live in the
present and not worry about settling down. There was no way Sakura was going to give up active
duty to marry and start having babies. Thankfully, the Godaime was of the same mind. She didn’t
want to start losing half her talented shinobi just because they had an uterus. If shinobi starting their
families wanted time off, she was all for supporting that, but she was making efforts to change the
laws within the village. She may have gotten rid of the elder council, but there were still the clan
heads and the daimyo to appease. It was a work in progress and Sakura was quite proud of her
Master Tsunade.

There was a knock at her door that roused Sakura from the kitchen where she’d been making
brunch. She intended to use up her perishables before her upcoming mission and what better way
than having a feast with friends. It had been nice sleeping in that morning, especially after Sasuke
had kept her up half the night— not that she’d been complaining. She assumed it was Sasuke and
Naruto and a quick scan of the chakra signatures confirmed their identity.

“Come on in, you two! I’m in the kitchen!” Sakura called out. She’d given Sasuke a key a few
months ago, but after a few days he gave it back. She’d been upset at first, then he explained he’d
learned earth chakra and had memorized the key and would make a key out of chakra to open the
lock in the future. He’d gotten quite adept at the skill. He was working on unlocking unfamiliar
doors with the same technique to help with future infiltration work. He’d already mastered using a
standard issue lock pick set. She’d been impressed, especially when he’d excitedly taught her the
technique.

Naruto settled at the breakfast table and Sasuke went straight for the kitchen, standing behind
Sakura to hug her. She wore her hair in a high ponytail like she did during surgery, exposing her
neck. She was glad she did when Sasuke pressed a kiss to the juncture between her throat and
collarbone, right where he’d left a hickey the night before, but she’d healed the evidence.

Then Sasuke slid his hand down her arms and took the skillet from her. “Let me finish this, Naruto
has something for you.”

Sakura leaned her head back against his chest for a moment, just appreciating his warmth and then
ducked under his arm. She watched a moment longer, appreciating her boyfriend in the kitchen.
Sensing her gaze he looked towards her and smirked. “You’re going to make me blush, Sakura, if
you keep looking at me like that.”
Sakura felt her own cheeks heat up, grabbed the plate stacked high with pancakes and a bowl of
fruit. She scurried towards the breakfast table balancing the brunch carefully. “Are Ino and Sai
coming? I’ve basically made a feast with plenty to share.”

“Aw, you didn’t want to invite Choji?” Naruto teased.

“There wouldn’t be enough if I invited him,” Sakura sighed. “That boy consumes more calories
than you, Naruto.” That’s when she spied the package sitting in front of Naruto on the table.
“What’s that?”

“Someone got us gifts for making chunin!” Naruto explained. He shoved the package towards her.

There was a tiny label on it, with her name written in neat print and a tiny cute dog character with a
party hat on its head and a cherry blossom branch, and it was neatly wrapped in plain brown paper.
With care, Sakura opened the present and gasped. Nestled within the box was a very expensive
ninja under armor shirt — the kind of mesh material that would keep a kunai from piercing your
heart, but wouldn’t stop a bruise from forming.

It was the kind of material that would cost a year’s earnings for an average chunin. Shisui and
Itachi both had these, but she’d learned that they had been a gift to them as well. They’d not bought
them, thinking it an extravagant cost. There was no name attached to the note. “Who’s it from?”
Sakura asked.

Naruto shoved aside the neck of his jacket, revealing his own mesh ninja shirt. “There was one for
me and Sasuke as well! Shisui delivered them to us and said they were from a mutual friend, but
that they didn’t want to reveal their identity right now. However, it’s obviously from Kakashi-
sensei. However, we have to act like we don’t know.” He picked up the discarded paper with the
portion of the dog and carefully smoothed it out. “He didn’t draw a dog or a flower on ours.” He
looked up and grinned. “I guess you’re more special.”

Sakura stared down at the soft yet durable material. It was lightweight and felt almost like silk in
her hands. She wouldn’t have thought Kakashi Hatake would do something this thoughtful. Maybe
he did care? It had been several months since they turned chunin, and a couple of years since
Sasuke was promoted. Maybe he wanted to make sure he treated them all equally, which was a
change. Sakura felt her eyes water at finally being acknowledged the same as the boys by the
enigmatic man— even if he did it behind a wall of anonymity.

She blinked away those tears and set the box aside. “This is our last day together before I go on my
mission with Ino and Sai.”

“Oh, I’m aware. Sasuke is super depressed about not having his snuggle bunny to get frisky with
while you’re gone,” Naruto teased, waggling his eyebrows. “When he came dragging in last night
at one in the morning he was extremely grumpy he didn’t get to stay over because we had a clan
meeting earlier.”

“She’s not my snuggle bunny, she’s my girlfriend,” Sasuke growled, taking the skillet off the stove
and letting it cool on a trivet. “And who wouldn’t be upset having to wake up early for a clan
meeting?”

“Yet, you two don’t deny the frisky part,” Naruto added, rubbing his jaw and laughing. “I can’t wait
to lose my virginity, you both are much less uptight since you starting doing the horizontal tango.”
“Don’t call it that,” Sasuke snapped. “You cheapen it with such slang.”

“Maybe next time I can join you two?” Naruto suggested. “You’ll find that I’m a very fast tactile
learner.”

“No thanks, I don’t want you feeling up my girlfriend,” Sasuke protested as he plated the breakfast.
“Again.”

“Aw, I’d feel you up too, Sasuke-kun,” Naruto assuring him with a playful wink at Sakura.

She shook her head and before she could think of what to say to this odd conversation, Ino and Sai
were at the door.

“Sakura! We’re here! Stop your orgy and come let us in!” Ino shouted in her mind, startling her.

With a scowl on her face, Sakura opened the door to let the couple in. They would be her new
teammates for her upcoming mission to Amegakure. She still didn’t know who the jonin captain
leading the mission would be. She’d hoped it would be Shisui or Itachi, but Itachi had clan business
and Shisui was going to be working alongside a man named Tenzo to master some unification
power between Naruto and the nine-tails alongside Sasuke to make them the ultimate power duo.
There was concerns about Naruto leaving the village since tailed beasts had started disappearing
over the last six months.

When Sasuke sat next to her and the five of them started eating, Sakura already felt herself missing
her best friends. At least she was comforted knowing the boys would have each other and it wasn’t
like she and Ino weren’t good friends.

Sai picked up the discarded wrapping paper and carefully tore out the part with her name and the
dog character and cherry blossom branch. “This is pretty good,” he murmured. He handed the slip
of paper to Sakura. “Great care was taken into drawing this doddle.”

Sakura doubted that, but she slipped the paper into her pocket anyway.
.
.
.

OoO

.
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Kakashi
.
.
He’d reported to Anbu Commander and was now finishing his oral report to the Godaime for his
last mission. Tsunade sat leaning back in her chair, arms folded over her breasts, tapping her fingers
over her biceps. “So, Hatake, this is mission number nine-hundred and ninety-nine that you’ve
completed.”
“Is it?” Kakashi asked, his eyes drifted towards the large windows to the Hokage office. He’d
stopped keeping track of the number of missions a long time ago. He focused on Minato’s stone
visage. It wasn’t fair that someone like Kakashi had a chance to complete so many missions when
Minato— the best person Kakashi ever knew — died at the age of twenty-four. “Yay,” he said
quietly and without enthusiasm.

Tsunade picked up a reference book from her desk and tossed it at Kakashi’s head. He ducked and
let it sail past him to slam into the wall, cracking the plaster. “Don’t be an ungrateful brat.”

Kakashi sighed. “When’s my next mission?”

“So eager to try to get yourself killed, huh? Well, I’ve decided you’re no longer taking solo-
missions. I have something special planned for mission number one-thousand. It’s a simple good
will trip to Amegakure,” Tsunade explained. “It should last six weeks — two for travel and four for
work. It’s a regular mission, not Anbu.”

“Rain?” Kakashi asked in disbelief. Konoha did not have a good reputation with Amegakure.
Foreign shinobi were not allowed within the borders.

“You’ll be leading a mixed team — two chunin and two jonin. It’s a humanitarian trip medical
care,” Tsunade explained. “It’s part of the treaty Jiraiya has been forging with the leaders of Ame.
Danzo orchestrated a great deal of destruction to that village. Hanzo is their kage, but he doesn’t
interact with those outside his council. You’ll be dealing with Konan — the Angel of Ame.
Naturally there will be a plethora of security checks so Jiraiya advised me to only send a team of
my most trusted and strongest shinobi. Even he is not allowed within the village.”

“May I ask who my teammates are?” Kakashi asked. Amegakure was a very suspicious place. He
generally tried to avoid the village when possible. When his hair plastered against his skull in the
rain he looked way too much like his own father for comfort.

“You’re familiar with Sai,” Tsunade said.

Kakashi nodded. He knew the man. Sai Yamanaka had been a Root rescue a few years back and
had been promoted to Anbu fairly young. He was often teamed up with Tenzo and Shin Yamanaka.
He had a sneaking suspicious he knew at least one of the medics. Considering just who had
recently been promoted to chunin at the last exams. Idly, he wondered if she liked his gift.

“There are only three medical ninja that would be accepted by Ame. Anyone less than myself or
one of my apprentices would be seen as an insult,” Tsunade explained. “Sakura Haruno and Ino
Yamanaka will be the medical team on your detail. You and Sai are to serve as escorts and
bodyguards — though I don’t think either of those girls need babysitting. Sakura will be
performing delicate surgeries and she requested Ino to assist her. Ino is a fair medical ninja, but her
greatest asset is her ability to communicate telepathically. I don’t have to tell you just how
dangerous Amegakure is for outsiders.” Tsunade narrowed her eyes, expecting him to respond.

“I’m aware,” Kakashi answered. “Too many wars between Konoha, Suna, and Iwa spilled over into
Amegakure."

“That’s why I’m labeling this an A class mission. Amegakure is an industrial village. Parts still
haven’t recovered from the Third War. Your team will help with some of the reconstruction and
with whatever else Konan asks of you — she’s the one you’ll be working for once you get to
Ame.”
“I’ve read about her — the Angel of Pain. So we’ll be working directly with the leader’s right
hand?” Kakashi confirmed. He was curious about the leader of Amegakure. Supposedly, it was still
Hanzo, but the man had to be as ancient as the Third was. Could such a man still be in power? Or
was he a puppet to someone stronger and more ruthless?

“Do they know I’m the captain?” Kakashi asked. He tried not to be irritated that not one, but two
Yamanaka— though one was adopted — would be on his team. He still suspected the Yamanaka to
be behind the gaps in his memory. He clenched his hands into fists, the leather of his gloves
creaked softly.

“They’ll find out tomorrow when I officially call a meeting with your team.” Tsunade braced her
elbows on her desk and leaned forward. “I’ll be honest, Hatake. You weren’t my first choice.
However, Shisui Uchiha will be training with Sasuke and Naruto regarding the nine-tails. The
jinchuriki in other villages are disappearing and we need to make sure Naruto can defend himself.”

Kakashi had been part of an investigation regarding the killed jinchuriki of the six-tails and the
three-tails. The belief was that the Akatsuki was responsible for the abduction and extraction of
those tailed beasts. There was rumor of a man in an orange mask, another with a scythe, a zombie,
and a shape-shifter. There were probably more, but the details were few and far between — there
usually weren’t survivors. “So I assume I need to find out if the Akatsuki still have any intentions
towards the nine-tails?”

“That’s one part of it,” Tsunade agreed. “But mostly, you’ll be keeping an eye on my precious
medics. This could all be an elaborate attempt of Amegakure to hold hostage someone precious to
me — my apprentice.”

“I read the report on the last chunin exams,” Kakashi murmured. While he had read the official
report available to all the jonin of the village, he’d done something a little extra. He’d donned his
alter ego, Sukea, a civilian photographer - retired from shinobi life, to attend the third and final
round at the competition in Suna. He’d only managed to watch for a few hours on the actual day of
the matches, but he’d been able to witness both Naruto and Sakura perform impressively. He was
happy to see their progress and had no doubt they’d be promoted. He’d actually been so confident
he’d had the custom-made ninja armor ordered months before. “I look forward to working with the
team.”

“In the mean time,” Tsunade mused, pushing away from her desk and ambling towards the large
windows. She faced out towards Hokage mountainside with her back facing Kakashi. “Go and
celebrate your mission success.” She pointed her hand towards a part of the office’s rafters where
her bodyguards perched. “Genma, you’re dismissed. Take this man out to celebrate. The first round
of drinks are on me.”

Genma landed softly on the floor and twirled his ever-present senbon in his mouth. “Let’s go,
Hatake.”

An hour later, Kakashi sat at the bar between Gai and Genma, nursing his beer. He’d just finished
his nine-hundred and ninety-ninth mission — most were classified. Asuma and Kurenai had
dropped by to offer congratulations. Yugao and Gekko were on a mission. Tenzo was also finishing
up a mission. Itachi had clan business.

“You have to take some time to appreciate being alive!” Genma cheered, knocking his bottle of
beer against Kakashi’s. “This is a huge achievement, Hatake! Stop acting like someone danced all
over your grave.”
“This is an accomplishment I cannot hope to rival, my Rival,” Gai added. He waved the server
down and ordered another beer for Kakashi. “All our sweet, precious genin are now chunin and
Kakashi Hatake the Copy Ninja has now completed his one-thousandth mission!” Tears sprang to
the Blue-beast of Konoha’s eyes.

“Mah, you’re embarrassing me,” Kakashi mumbled sipping at his beer under his mask. “And it’s
my nine-hundred and ninety-ninth.” He watched the door to the bar, always disappointed but not
knowing why. There were plenty of patrons giving him that come -hither look, but he wasn’t
interested. He’d tried a few weeks ago to lose himself into a willing companion in the back alley.
While they left satisfied, Kakashi felt even emptier inside. It didn’t help that he’d belatedly noticed
the familiar chakra signatures of Sasuke and Sakura. Nothing quite had the same effect of making
you feel like a perverted old man like having your former students catch you in the act.

He was hollow and nothing and no-one seemed to fill the void. Honestly, the only time he even
remotely enjoyed himself was reading Jiraiya’s book series. Even more effective than smutty
books, his A and S class missions kept him so occupied, he didn’t have time to dwell on his ghosts.

And while he considered Genma and Gai his friends, Kakashi really felt like they didn’t have much
in common, nor did they seem to understand him. Tenzo was always subordinate to him, no matter
how often he tried to encourage him to loosen up on formalities. Yugao and Gekko were both nice,
but three was a crowd. Honestly, Shisui and Itachi Uchiha were probably Kakashi’s closest friends.
Itachi was busy with clan business and Kakashi worried he was mad at him for being a poor sensei
to his brother’s team. And Shisui— well, he was always supportive and gave Kakashi updates on
his former genin. Unfortunately, they were seldom in the village at the same time.

“I bought my old genin fancy kunai and upgraded body-weights when they were promoted. I also
purchased chest, arm and leg weights for your old genin and Asuma and Kurenai’s teams. Did you
do anything special for your former team?” Gai asked.

The question was simple enough. Kakashi had done absolutely nothing for his former teammates.
Well, that wasn’t true. There was a trunk at the Hatake estate with a whetting stone for Sasuke, a
custom-made cookie jar in the shape of a toad for Naruto, and a fresh pair of battle gloves for
Sakura that were made out of the same durable material as his own. He’d also gotten all three of
them ninja armor mesh undershirts— those should have been delivered already, but they wouldn’t
know they were from him.

He had paid for their suite in Suna during the Chunin Exams — he just made Shisui promise to tell
them it was from Fugaku.

“I haven’t really crossed paths with them much — I’m always on missions or they’re off training,”
Kakashi protested.

“Well, now here is your chance,” Genma said, leaning over. He pointed towards the front door
where Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto all stood, along with Shisui Uchiha. “Don’t worry, I invited
them. They wanted to congratulate you as well.”

Upon spying their booth, Shisui elbowed Naruto whom raised his hand and waved. Gai waved
boisterously and gestured for the quartet to join their table. He noticed that both Sasuke and Sakura
were carrying packages. The table was rearranged to accommodate the new arrivals. Kakashi found
himself positioned between Genma and Sakura with Sasuke on her other side. Gai made room for
Shisui and Naruto on his side of the booth.
It had only been a few weeks since Kakashi last saw Sakura and she was still very much an
attractive fifteen year old. If he’d been the same age as her, he’d have been falling at her feet trying
to get her attention. Hopefully, their upcoming mission went smoothly. He really didn’t want to
deal with awkward crushes.

Sakura placed a silver wrapped package in front of him and then Sasuke set another smaller black
box beside it. Then Kakashi noticed the two holding hands under the table, out of view of everyone
except him given their proximity.

“Well, if it isn’t my former precious students. And Shisui,” Kakashi greeted, flashing them all his
eye crinkle smile. He was actually pretty relieved to see Sakura and Sasuke holding hands, it was
sweet. Though, it also bothered him for reasons he was unwilling to explore. He touched the finely
wrapped packages. “What’s this?”

“In honor of your completion of nine-hundred and ninety-nine missions!” Sakura explained. She
smiled up at him and the sight made his chest feel warm. It was a kind smile and genuine. She
didn’t care that he’d been a jerk. Had she seen underneath the underneath? Did she know he was
just a depressed depraved man hoping to find solace in a bleak existence?

Kakashi sighed. “That is very kind.” He looked over his former team. “Tell you what, why don’t
you follow me back to my place after this. I have gifts for you — belated birthday presents.”

“The cheapskate of Konoha actually purchased presents?” Genma scoffed. He held his arm across
the table. “Pinch me, Shisui. I must be dreaming.”

Shisui started to reach for Genma’s arm and then abruptly slapped him upside the head with a
laugh. “I guess it’s true.”

“You really got us presents?” Naruto asked, his eyes wide in surprise. He shared a quick confused
look with Sasuke and Sakura.

“Mah, it’s not that big of a deal,” Kakashi protested. “They’re at my family’s estate.” He stared
down at his half-drunk beer, no longer particularly thirsty.

“Have you eaten?” Sakura asked. She gestured towards the unopened menu in the center of the
table. “Our treat, Kakashi-sensei.”

“You shouldn’t call me sensei,” Kakashi mumbled. He stared at the menu for a hard moment, not
wanting to look into the greasy options.

“It’s nice weather this evening,” Sasuke pointed out. “We could get something to go from a
different restaurant.”

“That’s a great idea, Sasuke! We could have a picnic under the stars!” Sakura turned back to
Kakashi. “What do you think?”

He looked between Gai and Genma and the many patrons starting to fill up the bar. The amount of
body odor was getting exponentially worse and even with his mask it was becoming an unpleasant
place to spend a celebration. “I could go for some barbecue.”

“Eh, I mean, are you sure you don’t want ramen?” Naruto asked. “Sasuke, Shisui and I have to
leave in the morning with —,” he turned towards Shisui in uncertainty.
“We leave in the morning with Tenzo for tailed-beast training,” Shisui explained. “We’ll be gone
for a month or two. We’ll pick up barbecue as takeout.”

“We can eat at my estate,” Kakashi suggested. “It might be a little dusty.” He gestured towards the
presents in front of him on the table. “I can open these then.”

“My Rival, go and spend time with your former students,” Gai gushed as he shoved Shisui and
Naruto away from the bench.

“Dust is something my shadow clones can easily handle!” Naruto cheered. “Though, you’ll need to
pay us for Chunin-ranked mission.”

“You’re not charging our former sense for a little house-cleaning,” Sakura scolded as she and
Sasuke stood from the table. She tapped on Naruto’s shoulder for emphasis. “We’re supposed to
celebrate his achievement, not try to extort him.”

“Ah, but, Sakura-chan, we’re about to go on an unpaid training expedition!” Naruto protested.

“It’s fine, Sakura. Naruto, I’d be happy to pay you for your work,” Kakashi answered, giving the
blond teen an eye-smile and actually meaning it when the young man smiled back cheekily.

Sakura pinched Naruto’s cheek gently. “You’re lucky you’re cute. Even Kakashi caves when you
lay on the charm.”

Naruto laughed, caught Sakura’s wrist and then licked her palm, earning a squeal of disgust from
the pinkette.

In spite of himself, Kakashi smiled under his mask at their easy friendship. He caught Shisui’s
knowing gaze and promptly shoved his hands into his front pockets and schooled his features into a
familiar mask of indifference.

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OoO

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Sasuke
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Naruto carried the take-out bags, Kakashi held the gifts from them in the crook of his arm, and
Sasuke was happy to hold Sakura’s hand. He would be heading out in the morning for more
training — at least six weeks. He’d be working with Naruto to control Kurama. The tailed beast
was full of rage and there were times when Sasuke’s mind touched Kurama’s that he sensed intense
feelings of sadness, loss, and rage. He didn’t understand why he could relate so strongly to the
tailed-beast. Nothing truly terrible had happened to Sasuke — aside from a few battles and a couple
of close calls.

“Hey, where has your mind wandered?” Sakura asked, then squeezed Sasuke’s hand.

“It’s nothing, let’s just have a good time this evening,” Sasuke murmured. He tried to smile, but
settled for a faint twitching of his lips. Kakashi and Naruto led them towards the Hatake estate.
Genma, Shisui, and Gai trailed behind them. They paused just outside the gates and the family crest
with the twin wolves was beautiful. There was an overgrown garden and the trees could use some
shaping. Maybe Naruto and Sasuke might be able to earn a bit more pocket change helping with
some of the yard maintenance.

“Kakashi-sensei, why don’t you summon your ninja hounds?” Sakura suggested.

Sasuke smirked at the stiffness in Kakashi’s shoulders. He really hated the sensei title. Good thing
Sasuke never bothered to call him that.

“Mah, they aren’t pets, Sakura,” Kakashi chided. Though he slipped his thumb into his mouth, bit
down on his thumb and summoned his eight ninja hounds. The silver-furred one lunged straight for
Sakura and she released Sasuke’s hand to catch him.

“Aren’t you a handsome one!” Sakura laughed, scratching behind the dog’s ears. “What’s his
name?”

Kakashi watched her with an odd look in his visible eye. “Shiba,” he said. “He doesn’t usually take
well to people.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Shiba!” Sakura cooed, setting the dog back on his paws. “We’ll see if your
daddy will let you have any scraps from dinner tonight.”

“My ninja hounds don’t eat table scraps,” Kakashi protested. “They could choke on the bones.”

“We eat the bones of the rabbits we catch,” the pug, Pakkun countered gruffly. Sasuke remembered
he was the leader of the pack in spite of his smaller size. His little stubby tail wagged. “And I can
smell the ribs, please, Boss!”

“Fine, Sakura, if my ninken choke, will you help them?” Kakashi asked.

“Sure,” Sakura agreed, leaning over and rubbing the pug between the ears. “We all deserve to
celebrate. I suspect Kakashi-sensei wouldn’t have completed nearly a thousand missions without
assistance from his ninken!”

Shiba barked in agreement. “You’re right about that,” Pakkun added.

An orange furred dog with sunglasses perched upon his snout rubbed his wet nose against Sasuke’s
trousers. While he preferred cats, he didn’t begrudge the dog a scratch between the ears.

Kakashi led them inside his house, pulled out a couple of large blankets from the hall linen closet
and tossed them at Sasuke. He caught them with ease.

“Wow! This place is huge, Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto spun in a circle in the middle of the den, arms
spread wide.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here,” Genma confessed. “It looks basically the same, but
dustier.”

“I use it more for storage than anything else,” Kakashi answered. He vanished into a back room and
returned with a clone next to him carrying three packages. The two Kakashi’s led the way to the
backyard.

Sasuke followed and spread out the blankets while Sakura and Naruto set out the food. Before they
could dig in, Kakashi’s clone placed a gift in front of Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

“Happy belated birthdays,” Kakashi murmured. He looked down at his own two packages.

“We should just open them all at the same time,” Sasuke suggested.

Apparently, Naruto’s impatience had him halfway through unveiling his gift by the time Sasuke
spoke. He laughed nervously. “Oops,” Naruto whispered. He finished opening his package and
gasped. “What? A toad cookie jar? How did you even find such a thing?”

“Custom-made,” Kakashi answered. Sasuke noticed his visible eye was watching Sakura as she
opened her gift — the pair of gloves made her squeal in delight as she held them close to her chest.
The Copy Ninja smiled under his mask.

Sasuke focused on his own gift and snorted at the high quality whetstone. Practical gifts for him
and Sakura and a weird trinket for Naruto — for a team captain that hardly saw any of them in the
last two years, Kakashi sure seemed to know them pretty well.

“Nice,” Sasuke commented, holding up the stone. It was a yellow-gray stone with a natural seam
down the middle splitting the yellow and blue layers. It would offer both a fast-cutting surface for a
bevel and finer surface for refining. He gestured towards the packages sitting next to Kakashi’s
knee. “You should open yours.”

Kakashi chuckled. The one package had a new black face mask. The other was a green apron with
embroidered pug faces stitched over the front.

Genma snorted. “A lifetime bachelor should have an apron for all the cooking for one he does.” He
ripped open his box of barbecue and started to dig in. “The village is going to be so boring with all
of you gone on missions.”

“I”m sure Lady Tsunade keeps you busy,” Shisui said reassuringly.

“More like Shizune does,” Sakura teased before taking a sip of her tea. She took the stone from
Sasuke’s hand and brought it close to her eye. “Quartz is an interesting stone. I’ve never seen one
like this before.”

“That’s because they don’t exist in the Land of Fire.” Sasuke shifted his gaze towards Kakashi.
“Something like this would be from deep in the mountains of Kumogakure.”

“I just picked it up on a mission,” Kakashi said with a shrug.

“Would you believe that someone gave us all ninja armor under shirts? From what I remember the
metal also comes from Kumo,” Sasuke mused. “That’s quite the coincidence.”
 Kakashi leaned back on the blanket, arms braced behind his head and stared up at the stars. He said
nothing — he neither confirmed nor denied.

“Let me tell you all about my team’s latest accomplishments!” Gai boasted. “Lee is able to run
around the village’s perimeter on his hands ten times before getting fatigued! And my boy Neji
may already be promoted to Jonin before the end of the summer. And Tenten has mastered so many
weapons— she’s practically a sage!”

“Is that right,” Kakashi mused. “Well my old team are the Neo-sannin.”

“You better believe it we are!” Naruto chimed in. He finished off his dinner and was tucking away
into Sakura’s uneaten half. Sasuke shoved his uneaten portions towards the bottomless pit of his
best friend as well. Naruto gratefully snatched his plate up as well.

Sakura shifted closer to Sasuke and he looped his arm over her shoulders, tucking her against his
side. He was going to miss her like crazy over these next few weeks. “I don’t suppose you heard
about my upcoming mission to Amegakure, Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura asked.

“I might have heard rumor of it,” Kakashi mumbled.

“Rumor?” Sakura scoffed. She laid her hand over Sasuke’s cheek and drew his ear close to her lips.
“Master Tsunade was going to talk to him as if he wasn’t her first choice on the mission,” Sakura
whispered.

Shisui cleared his throat. “If I remember correctly, that’s because I was her first choice to lead the
mission. She knew I wouldn’t embarrass the village with my reading material.”

“Make Out Paradise is fine literature,” Kakashi grumbled. He cracked his eye open and looked over
at Sakura. “I guess you’ll find out tomorrow, Sakura.”

Sasuke let his fingers run idly through Sakura’s long hair. He was a little worried about Sakura
having a mission in a foreign village without either him or Naruto with her. Sai was a decent fighter
— though he got on Sasuke’s nerves. Ino was surprisingly resourceful. However, knowing that
Kakashi Hatake would be the captain helped ease some of his concerns. While the Copy Ninja was
most certainly the most emotionally constipated person Sasuke knew, he trusted Kakashi wouldn’t
abandon his team. All he had to do was think back to their disastrous mission in Wave years ago.
Except this time, there would be two medics on the team, so it should have better odds.

“You want me to stay over tonight?” Sasuke whispered, keeping his voice low. He didn’t want
Naruto or Shisui to overhear and tease them. He did catch the ever so faint stiffening in Kakashi’s
shoulders. That was weird.

“Definitely,” Sakura sighed.

.
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Chapter End Notes

Upcoming chapters
Chapter 40: The 1000th Mission, Amegakure

Chapter 41: The Suna Internship

Chapter 42: Baby Sarada

Chapter 43: Obito Awakens

Chapter 44: Kakashi Remembers/ Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan

 The 1000th Mission, Amegakure Part I
Chapter Notes

A/N: So this chapter was getting long...upwards to 15,000 words...so I'm splitting it in half. I
feel this chapter has a nice stopping point for me to take a little break while I work on the next
few chapters behind the scenes. And I think this will get us to 200k words...which is insane.
And 1100 kudos!!! I'm so happy about that! Thanks so much for support and interest in this
labor of love!

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Sakura
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They stood at attention inside the Godaime’s office — Sakura, Ino and Sai. Sakura and her two
teammates all wore their standard issue Leaf uniform — long black sleeved shirt, dark blue tactical
pants, green flak jacket. It was a little odd wearing the official uniform, but considering their
upcoming travel through the forest it made more sense than Sakura’s usual crimson red, Ino’s
lavender, and Sai pasty-white mid-drift.

Her new gloves fit even better than her old ones and Sakura took a minute to appreciate them as she
caught and unrolled their official mission scroll.

Sakura had been given the preliminary mission request orally earlier in the week. This time she was
able to read over the minute details and note that it had been given an A ranking. Her bank account
would certainly appreciate the pay. She would be second in command for their team— the captain
would be in charge of their safety and travel. Since it was a medical mission, as the Godaime’s
apprentice, Sakura would have the full authority in that regards.

“Where’s our captain? They’re already a half-hour late,” Ino asked in Sakura’s mind.

“If it’s who I think it is, we’ll be lucky if he shows up before the hour is up,” Sakura answered.

There was a brief knock at the door and Shizune opened it and escorted Kakashi Hatake inside. His
posture was as slouched as ever, his Jonin blues and green flak jacket offered a spot of color
compared to his typical black and gray. His unruly silvery hair was just as gravity defying as usual.

Ino groaned inside both Sakura and Sai’s minds. “I apologize in advance. There is no way I’ll be
able to keep up with whatever insane pace Kakashi Hatake sets!”
“Sakura and I can,” Sai answered confidently. “If you start to fall behind, we can take turns
carrying you for a while. Right, Sakura?”

“Of course,” Sakura agreed. She didn’t have the same amount of chakra reserves as the other three
members of the original Team Seven, but she was known for her precise control as well as for her
endurance. Of all the Rookie chunin, she and Rock Lee took Gai-sensei’s endurance training the
most seriously. But even Gai paled in comparison to Master Tsunade and her expectations.
Shizune-senpai had even confessed to Sakura that Master Tsunade was much harder on Sakura than
she had been on Shizune — that there was a fire back in Tsunade’s eyes since she returned to the
village.

Sakura didn’t think for a second that she was the reason for the fire in those beautiful honey-golden
eyes, but she liked to think she played a small part. “Ino, you reach out to Sai and I when you start
to feel tired and we’ll take turns. Then when we reach camp, you take a power nap. We’ll take care
of dinner. I know Captain Kakashi — he won’t have changed his habits. Every ninety minutes we’ll
stop for a five minute break to hydrate and toilet — it’s very efficient with the bladder cycle. We
won’t break for camp until the sun starts to set. You’re lucky it’s the first of June. Itachi did a
mission with him during the summer solstice when he was our age and he thought he was going to
die.”

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and watched Kakashi stroll in with thinly veiled annoyance. “Kakashi,
you’ll be late to your own funeral.”

There was a brief flash of unnamed emotion in Kakashi’s visible eye. “My apologies, Godaime.
The path of life is always so unpredictable. There was an elderly civilian whom lost her grandchild,
so naturally I was delayed in offering aid.”

“Is that so?” Tsunade asked skeptically.

Sakura could sense the anger in her impatient master. “Ah, it must have been Granny Kuro!” She
snapped her fingers and nodded her head as if she was familiar with the plight. “She’s always
needing help with young Toto. She lives right along the path from Kakashi’s apartment to the
Hokage Tower.”

“Wow, really, Forehead? You’re on a first name basis with him now? And you’re covering for
him?” Ino asked mentally chuckling.

“Exactly! Thank you, Sakura,” Kakashi said, flashing her an eye smile and lining up to stand next
to her.

Tsunade scoffed and stared back in disbelief. “Brats,” she muttered. “Shizune, if you will.” She
gestured for Shizune to go over the mission in detail. Shizune set a cup on Tsunade’s desk that
might have been tea heavily laced with sake. Considering the speed in which Tsunade knocked it
back, it was definitely severed with a heavy hand of alcohol.

“I would have preferred a few days to train with my team,” Kakashi stated at the end. “But, I’ll ask
for today. If we keep at my preferred pace we can reach Amegakure in five days.” He turned
towards Sakura. “Will they be able to keep up?”

“Yes, Captain,” Sakura answered with a nod.

He glanced past her towards Ino skeptically. “Hm.” His attention focused back on the Godaime. “Is
that acceptable?”

“I don’t know. You think you can not get side tracked helping old ladies and their lost
grandchildren?” Tsunade retorted.

“Master Tsunade,” Sakura interrupted with an apologetic bow of her head. “If we do find distress
along our journey we will stop to render aid. Sai would send a message back for support so we
aren’t delayed, but if this is a good will mission, we must act with good will to whomever we may
cross. Otherwise, the leaders of Ame will doubt our sincerity. If we are delayed too much Sai can
transport us on his cartoon birds part of the way.”

“Unfortunately, the closer we get to Rain, the less durable my cartoon creation, but it would allow
us to gain time if need be,” Sai agreed. “Even if just for a few kilometers.”

“That takes a lot of chakra,” Ino said quietly.

“You’re smart brats, you’ll figure it out. Leave by dawn tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll have an entire
squad of Anbu drag you out of the village, Hatake,” Tsunade warned.

“Naturally,” Kakashi agreed, flashing her his trademark eye smile. He turned towards the three
junior shinobi on his left with a no-nonsense gleam in his stormy grey eye. “Team, let’s meet at
training field three now.” Then he vanished before their eyes using flash-step.

Sakura, Ino, and Sai bowed respectfully before Tsunade once more then hurried to the field. Sakura
drew to an abrupt halt at the unexpected sight on the training field and couldn’t help the bubble of
laughter that formed in her throat. Kakashi had summoned his ninken and the ninja dogs were
frolicking all over the place. Ino sighed at the sight and even Sai smiled softly.
.
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OoO

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Kakashi

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Earlier that morning, Kakashi had laid in bed and stared at his ceiling for a few minutes just
appreciating the calmness of his mind. He’d stayed the night at the family estate, appreciating the
cleanliness Naruto’s clones had provided. Normally, he’d visit the shinobi memorial and lose track
of time over the graves of Rin, Obito, and Master Minato. Today however, he decided to visit his
parents in the family plot. He’d slept well during the night, feeling relaxed and dare he think it, but
somewhat happy to have spent the evening in the company of friends.
It made him happy to see his old genin, now chunin, with such an easy friendship and closeness.
When he’d been their age, both his teammates and Master Minato had been dead. Instead of being
envious of their camaraderie, he found that somehow, in spite of his absence, he was part of their
group. He hoped that they would one day be reunited as a team. He knew what Naruto and Sasuke
were capable of — traits familiar from his time working with Minato, Itachi, Shisui, and even
Obito. And if things went how he suspected, he’d find out about Sakura and her Senju fighting
style on the upcoming mission. He’d not really worked with a medic that also had a combat style. It
had been the main reason that Tsunade Senju was so feared and made an impressive Hokage. And
if recent conversations with Genma were any indication, the Hokage bodyguard was head-over-
heals for the medic on the elite guard four-man squad. You’d think Shizune hung the moon with the
way Genma started to wax poetic about her.

During the previous evening, Gai boasted about their various rivalries over the year from the
academy through now. It was nice because Gai had never been part of Anbu, he didn’t feel as
sullied as Kakashi did, yet he was a fierce and powerful shinobi. They’d been on A and S ranked
missions before as jonin and Gai always pulled his weight. Shisui and Genma had been friends with
Kakashi both within the dark times of Anbu and the better times. Only Itachi had been missing
from the house-party.

So, once he roused from his bed and ate a quick breakfast, Kakashi took the profiles Shizune had
given him over his new team. He sat by his parents’ grave to read them, vaguely remembering the
time someone had snuck onto his estate to leave lillies. Whomever they were had planted the
perennials and they returned every year. Kakashi hit his palm against his forehead in frustration,
unable to remember just who had done such a thoughtful thing. He just knew that it hadn’t been
himself.

As he read through the profiles Shizune gave him, he was looking forward to the new team. Sai
was skilled in kenjutsu and infiltration with his cartoon characters, he was also a very strong fighter
in taijutsu and with his unique special artistic abilities. He tended to be a little odd, but when paired
with Ino he was much better at social interactions. He did well alongside Tenzo and Shin — his
usual Anbu teammates. Ino was fair in standard taijutsu and medical ninjutsu, but her strength was
in her bloodline trait — telepathic communication with her team and the body-mind technique that
allowed her to take over another’s body and learn their secrets. Both of those were unique and
useful skills.

However, Kakashi spent the longest amount of time reading over Sakura’s profile. After two years
apart, it was like he was meeting her for the first time — so different from the little genin he’d been
assigned. He understood now why Itachi had been adamant she be on the same team with the likes
of himself, Sasuke and Naruto. He always knew she was highly intelligent but had awkwardly tried
to avoid getting too close due to her obvious crush on him. Minato hadn’t dealt with the same
problem because he’d had Kushina and Rin only had eyes for Kakashi back in those days. Though,
it looked like Sakura had moved on to the affections of one Sasuke Uchiha, so that would probably
help a lot on this mission.

He was grateful that she’d found teachers elsewhere — Shisui for taijutsu, Izumi for genjutsu, and
the Godaime herself for medical ninjutsu and the Senju Monstrous Strength technique. Sakura had
a knack similar to Shizune in regard to analyzing poisons and creating antidotes— an extremely
useful skill when traveling to foreign lands. A precise command of water chakra was required for
the extraction of poison. And there was a note that the Kazekage was persistent in his requests for
her to come to Suna and apprentice under his grandmother Chiyo.
Kakashi realized he had lost track of time reading over his teammates’ dossiers. He really didn’t
want a verbal lashing from Tsunade to start his mission and had been relieved when Sakura had
come to his defense when he showed up thirty minutes late to the meeting at the Hokage’s office.

He would do his best to take the opportunity of their mission to hopefully forge a friendship with
the kunoichi. She didn’t seem to hold a grudge against him for abandoning the team for A and S
ranked missions while his former genin had been reassigned to their individualized training
programs. He’d felt he had no business being a genin instructor — he didn’t know how to explain
the basics of most jutsus because he just intuitively knew. How could he teach his methods to
Sakura? She didn’t have Naruto’s endless chakra nor Sasuke’s bloodline abilities. He was glad he
taught her a couple of his earth jutsus at least.

He was on time for meeting the new team at the training grounds. “These are my ninja hounds,”
Kakashi introduced. “I’ll be using them during our journey and I want you all to be familiar. They
already know Sakura.”

Sakura crouched down and welcome Shiba, Bull, and Biscuit this time. Pakkun hadn’t moved much
beyond the proximity of Kakashi’s foot.

Sai examined the small tan dog Guruko. “I have seen you before,” Sai observed. He looked over at
Kakashi. “The doodle on Sakura’s gift wrapping was very nicely done. Do you draw often?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Kakashi hedged. “And I draw a little. Recon missions can
get tedious.”

“Yes, I often bring my art book with me on long missions for that reason,” Sai agreed. He looked
towards Sakura and Ino, where they were both crouched over most of the ninken at this point. “Ino
and I should work together — we’re the most familiar and a jonin should be paired with a chunin.”

Kakashi nodded his agreement. He’d been planning to team up with Sakura. He still knew her
better than Sai and Ino. “Sakura, Ino, and Choji were a team for the chunin exams.”

“Yes, though it was an imbalanced team, they succeeded,” Sai agreed. “With your penchant for
chakra fatigue, Sakura would be the best partner for you.”

Kakashi frowned at having his skill ignored for chakra fatigue.

“Sakura and I already analyzed the team yesterday. While you’re a powerful shinobi, you don’t
hold back and often put yourself at risk,” Sai continued. “You’re an offensive fighter, though I read
up on your early promotion to chunin and jonin — both before your Sharingan. You were stronger
before your transplant.”

Kakashi felt Obito’s eye itch in irritation. “Right, enough about me. I’ll spend ten minutes sparring
with each of you — no chakra. Taijutsu only. I want an idea about your moves.” He flipped back
his hitai-ate to closer study the three younger shinobi. “I’ll start with you, Sai.”

An absent smile spread across the pale man’s face. He pulled forth the sword from the sheath on his
back. “Very well.”

Thirty minutes later, Kakashi was happy to cover his Sharingan and call a stop to the assessment of
his junior teammates. They would do. And frankly, they were better than most of the shinobi he
knew through Anbu. The way Ino taunted in his mind was quite distracting and even without
chakra enhanced monstrous strength, Sakura was a rather toned kunoichi that was light on her feet.
He had only been mildly surprised at the approach of familiar chakra signatures towards the
training ground. Shisui, Tenzo, Naruto, and Sasuke had come to visit before heading out on their
own training. Before long, there was an all out brawl happening between the two teams.

Feeling a little short of breath, Kakashi had sprawled out on the soft grass after the brawl had come
to an end. It was only a little after noon and the training grounds were a mess. The landscape crew
was going to be busy repairing the area. He had wondered why the other team hadn’t left yet, but
the answer became clear when he noticed Sasuke take Sakura off into the privacy of the copse of
trees on the border of the training ground.

“Yeah, he asked really politely if we could wait a few hours and see your team off,” Shisui
explained, laying next to Kakashi on the grass. “We’ll head out in a couple of hours.”

“Ah, I got an extension from the Godaime. We’re leaving at dawn,” Kakashi explained. “They’ve
all grown up so much.”

“Ninjas grow up fast,” Shisui agreed. “Thankfully, not as fast as we had to though.”

Kakashi nodded his agreement. “So we’re headed in opposite directions. Stay safe. The Akatsuki
are after the tailed-beasts and we still don’t know much about them.”

“We know they lost some members,” Shisui pointed out. “And they failed to recruit Itachi and
Sasori. And lost Kisame.” He raised his knee and crossed his shin over the top and bounced his foot
impatiently. “I’m more concerned about the four of you going to Amegakure. It could be a trap —
it’s probably a trap.”

“Probably. We’ll deal with it,” Kakashi assured him. He gestured towards the forest and Sakura and
Sasuke. “Are those two pretty serious?”

“They’re close,” Shisui observed. “Will they get married and have a trio of children? Probably not
— we’re shinobi, Kakashi. Let them have their joy where they can find it.”
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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.
Leaving a day later than originally intended would have put Sakura in a bind since she ate all the
food in her pantry. Thankfully, Ino had invited her to stay at the Yamanaka district. Early the next
morning, Sakura, Ino, and Sai headed out together for the village gates to find that Kakashi was
already waiting for them. Mission Kakashi was different from village Kakashi — he was not only
punctual, but early. She remembered from her early genin days that Kakashi was a completely
different beast when it came to life outside of Konoha. When he was in the village, he lazed about,
chronically late and reading his books while letting his teammates do all the dirty work. Mission
Kakashi was serious, somber, awe-inspiring, and never left a teammate behind.

She wasn’t even mad about his ineptitude as her teacher during her first year out of the Academy.
Not everyone had the disposition to be a teacher — Kakashi Hatake certain didn’t. Though, as a
team captain, she could only think of one other shinobi that was better at keeping their teammates
alive — and that was her big brother and she might have been biased.

They made good time that first day, but it became clear that the pace was too much for Ino. At one
point, first Sai, then Sakura took turns giving Ino a piggyback ride. No one complained with the
pace their captain set and he didn’t comment. As the day wore long and the sun started to dip
towards the western horizon, they settled for the night.

Kakashi’s ninken caught a few rabbits, Kakashi set the fire, Sai prepared the meat for dinner while
Ino stretched out on her bedroll and fell asleep almost immediately. Sakura opened one of her
storage scrolls and gathered the herbs and vegetables to make a broth for rabbit stew. Kakashi did
the hand seals for a water jutsu that drew moisture from the air to fill the pot he’d set over a fire.

This was something she definitely liked about Kakashi — the whole team worked together in the
evenings. She wasn’t stuck making dinner like most the kunoichi on other teams. Ino had told
horror stories about her Team Ten, until Choji had volunteered to take over the role of cook since
he felt her portion sizes were too small. Shikamaru’s laziness made Kakashi’s worse days seem like
he was the most enthusiastic volunteer ever. Asuma seemed like a pretty strong leader, but he was
more interested in playing Shoji and smoking his cigars according to Ino. Though, having an older
brother in charge of the Daimyo’s personal guard and a father as the Hokage, it would be hard to
compete — maybe he stopped trying?

“What are you thinking about?” Kakashi asked, settling in beside Sakura at the fire. She handed
him a bowl of the stew.

“Team Ten’s dynamics compared to our old Team Seven,” Sakura answered.

“Oh? What is your analysis?” Kakashi asked. He lifted the bottom of his mask and sipped on the
stew.

“That there should probably be an instruction manual for jonin captains training genin,” Sakura
answered. “What kind of an instructor was Minato Namikaze?”

“Why do you want to know about the Yondaime? Because of Naruto?” Kakashi asked. He finished
off his stew and reached past her for a second helping.

“Partly, but because I also like learning more about him in general. He and my mother were
cousins. I was hoping maybe if I understood him better, I might understand her better.” Sakura
stared down at her bowl, the chunks of carrots and potatoes swirled lazily within the broth and she
realized her hands were trembling. Perhaps she was more tired than she realized from the run. She
gripped the bowl tighter to still the tremor.

“Oh, I had no idea,” Kakashi murmured. He frowned down at his stew. “He was a man of
contradictions — incredibly kind and patient and silly, but also fearsome and terrifying on the field
of battle. He hoped to end the war quickly so that he could lead us into peace. He wanted to bring
technology to Konoha, build the library and the hospital. The elder council was always pitted again
him. Danzo was a warmonger and a glory-hound. He couldn’t see beyond the short-term gains of
forcing submission. You can conquer a people, but unless they feel part of the community they will
always resist.”

“Sai still had a seal on his tongue from his days in Root,” Sakura whispered. “I’m going to find a
way to release him from it.”

“Easiest way is to kill Danzo,” Kakashi answered, dropping his voice to a whisper as well. “He’s
proven resourceful over these last few years.”

Sakura said nothing but lifted her stew to her mouth and drank from the bowl. She really
appreciated how the new gloves insulated her from the heat. She looked up from the bowl to see
Kakashi was watching her. After finishing her dinner, she set aside the bowl and grinned at him. “I
really like these gloves. They’re much better than my old ones.”

Kakashi nodded. “They’re the same kind I used to stop Zabuza’s blade. They are incredibly durable
and good at insulating both heat and cold. They’re not made of leather, but they feel as comfortable
as leather.”

“What are they made of?” Sakura stared down at her gloves in new appreciation.

“That’s a secret,” Kakashi whispered his visible eye crinkled in a smile. He touched his familiar
black face mask drawing Sakura’s attention. “Thanks for this. You would be surprised how many of
these I run through.”

“I’m not surprised at all,” Sakura mused. Her gaze settled on his covered eye. “You should let me
check out your eye. I’m very familiar with the Sharingan. I should be able to help with the
headaches and maybe some of the chakra drain.”

“How do you know about the headaches?” Kakashi asked.

Sakura laughed. “Are you kidding? Maybe they don’t seem that way to you, but Shisui and Sasuke
can be quite whiney about migraines. Itachi seems to be able to heal his own headaches. I know
you have some rudimentary medic skills, maybe I can teach you something new.”

“Sure, later,” Kakashi agreed. He stood and wiped his hands over his cloth-covered thighs. “I’ll
take first shift,” he announced. “Sakura second shift and Sai third shift.”

“I can take a shift,” Ino protested.

“Fine, you and Sai can share the third shift,” Kakashi agreed.

Sakura washed up and then settled into her bedroll for a few hours of rest and relaxation. She
rubbed her hand over her chest briefly, suffering a minor indigestion. With a sigh, she moved her
bedroll next to Sai.

“What’s wrong?” Sai asked, sitting up from his bed.

“I’m having heartburn. You’re supposed to wait a few hours between dinner and laying down for
sleep for this very reason.”

“Ah. Yeah, common problem on missions,” Sai agreed. “You want to sleep sitting up back to
back?”
Sakura nodded. “Exactly.”
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.
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OoO

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.
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Kakashi
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.

Their four-man squad had fallen into a comfortable routine. They were making good time and Ino’s
telepathy coupled with the hand signs that he and Sai knew made it easier to plan for breaks.
Sakura had been quick to pick up the hand-signs and Kakashi admitted he was impressed by that.
However, it seemed that Sakura was having an issue with reflux every evening, so she started
volunteering for the first watch and that seemed to help. It probably wasn’t a big deal and if it was,
surely as the head medic Sakura would tell him.

It was on their third day that they ran into a delay. A mudslide had hit a rural village on their way to
Amegakure. It was not an uncommon occurrence in an area that often had regular rainfall.
Monsoon season generally ran early July through September and the Konoha shinobi had hoped to
be back in the Leaf by that time.

They performed a little search and rescue. Kakashi’s ninja hounds, Sai’s ink mice, and Ino’s
telepathy all played a role in finding the missing residents. Sakura focused on performing surgeries
on the injured and using her monstrous strength to toss aside fallen trees as needed.

Kakashi had never seen anyone lift a tree so massive and set it aside as if it were a tiny twig. This
was the monstrous strength that made other villages fear Tsunade Senju. It was so odd seeing the
girl who used to be so tiny and frail now lean with muscles and flexing them in such impressive
feats.

“Need anything?” Kakashi asked as he met Sakura outside the small village clinic. She had a basket
in her arms.

“Sure. I need to grind some of these herbs into poultices for the villagers to keep their wounds from
getting infected.” She shoved the basket into Kakashi’s arms. He started to follow after her. “Most
of them don’t use their chakra networks, so it would be better if their less severe injuries healed
naturally.”

There was a kitchen-like area within the clinic with several jars, bowls, and tubes. “I’ll show you
what to do. Ino’s working on a few less severe patients. Sai’s entertaining the villagers with his
cartoon mimicry. They’ll probably beg him to stay longer. He’s always a favorite with the kids
especially.”
Kakashi nodded, but otherwise didn’t say anything. He followed Sakura’s instructions for grinding
the herbs. She mixed them into certain ratios and then handed it back to him to finishing grinding
into the final product before sealing them into various jars and labeling them.

“You’re good at that,” Sakura complemented. “Shizune-senpai warned me against leaving

instructions to the villagers on how to make the salves. She said it was just as easy to mistake some
of the medical herbs for poison and that in the hands of an amateur it would do more harm than
good to leave a recipe. So I hope we can make enough for our purposes. If there are medics in
Ame, I’ll share my formula with them and have them come to check on these villagers.”

Kakashi thought back on a salve that Rin had made him shortly before he’d been promoted to
jonin. She’d used it on the scar that bisected his left eye. It had been very similar to what Sakura
had just made. “You’re really knowledgable,” Kakashi acknowledged. “Are you still having the
indigestion issue?”

“Ah, it’s not as bad,” Sakura said, her brows furrowed briefly. “How about you? Any headaches? I
can look at your eye at camp tonight or after we settle in the lodging Rain provides us.”

“I’m fine now, but maybe when we get to Rain,” Kakashi agreed.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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She would need to write Gai-sensei a very appreciative thank you note for his encouragement
regarding strength training and endurance. She shifted Ino’s weight behind her more comfortably.
Sai’s cartoon birds wouldn’t work in the current weather as it started to drizzle constantly. Sakura
had to remember to lace the soles of her feet with chakra to keep her stability on the tree branches
of the forest.

The ground was saturated and she hated to think of the dangers facing the residents during
monsoon season. It didn’t seem a very safe environment to set up a home. Perhaps that was an
elitist attitude, but she thought living in the village hidden in the leaves was a perfect location. The
Naga River supplied plenty of fresh water and didn’t flood — at least to her knowledge it hadn’t
ever flooded since the village was established eighty-years back. Nor had it flooded for the hundred
years prior. The archives didn’t have weather reports prior to that. The trees were plentiful and if
harvested with the foresight of replanting fresh trees could propagate at a nice balance for humans
to live in harmony with the environment.

The soil was good for crops and small gardens and there was a plentiful amount of a game animals
of a varied assortment. She still remembered enjoying a feast at the Uchiha district after Itachi and
Sasuke had killed a gigantic boar. The Nara family had a plentitude of venison. The river and
nearby lakes teemed with fresh-water fish. And there was also plenty of towel. The forests and the
nearby fields were rich with herbs and rooted plants that were both nutritious and beneficial for
medicinal purposes.

All in all, Konoha was the best location compared to the other four great hidden shinobi villages.
That played a big role in the superior numbers of residents in Konoha. Even so, the second and
third shinobi wars had played havoc on the population. Most shinobi died young and childless.
Rarely did a child grow up with both parents. And the civilians rarely chose to become shinobi —
she was one of the outliers in that regard.

She was very happy that Master Tsunade had taken over the role of village kage.

They stopped for one of their toilet breaks, and she was internally cheering when she was able to
slip Ino off her back and stretch. Kakashi was at her side a moment later. Silently, he held out his
canteen.

“Thanks,” Sakura said, accepting a drink of water. She hadn’t filled hers up at the last stop. It was
nice that he noticed. She could cry about the fact that he’d not given her special attention when
she’d been a fresh out of the Academy genin, but even then when on missions he made sure his
team was well rested and hydrated.

“We don’t have to keep at this pace. We’re making good time. Ino shouldn’t be relying on you and
Sai so much,” Kakashi pointed out, eyeing the blond kunoichi from where she was retreating to the
bushes to do her business. “I don’t want you carrying Ino tomorrow. You need to start conserving
your chakra for medical feats. Sai and I can manage if she can’t keep up. Hell, I can carry you,
Sakura.”

“That’s not necessary, Captain,” Sakura protested.

“Maybe not, but we have about fifty kilometers I want to cover today before we break for camp.”
Kakashi squinted up towards the Western sky. “That will give us more daylight to eat and then rest
before bedtime. You’re also not taking a shift at watch tonight.”

“Why? I can pull my weight?” Sakura objected.

Kakashi sighed and look back down at her. “That’s not the issue. If you’re trying to prove yourself
to me — it’s not necessary. I know you’re a strong chunin and on your way to a jonin promotion.”
He started for the bushes. “You and I should talk this evening, okay? I want to clear a few things up
before we get to Rain.”

“Sure,” Sakura agreed, heading towards the bushes in the opposite direction. Four minutes later,
they were back running, at thirty kilometers per hour, they’d make camp within an hour and a half.
Sakura’s mind was racing with curiosity about why Kakashi would want to have a heart-to-heart.

This time around, Ino kept up with the rest of the team and they stopped near a cave. The bear that
normally hibernated there during the winter was long gone, enjoying the late Spring weather. The
cave offered a nice respite from the drizzle. She almost laughed at Kakashi’s gravity-defying hair,
struggling to remain in its usual spikiness.

Kakashi sent a couple of clones to guard them while he sat next to Sakura at the fire.
She waited until after he’d eaten, politely looking away and focusing on her own food while he did
so. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I want to apologize, for being a shitty Jonin sensei,” Kakashi started without preamble. “I focused
on Sasuke and Naruto more than you — which was ridiculous because they had all the resources
with the Uchiha clan.” He stared down at his hands, his gloves off and a scattering of pale scars
littered across his knuckles. “It was easier because of their chakra reserves and the few things I had
in mind to teach you — tree climbing and water walking — you either already knew or mastered
within such a short amount of time.” He trailed off, his single visible eye flickered up towards her
briefly before glancing back down at his hands.

“You did teach me the Mud Wall and that earth mapping technique,” Sakura answered. “And I was
able to observe some of your water jutsus and that’s actually come in very handy when I extract
poison. Shizune-senpai adopted a really amazing way to do so.”

Kakashi laughed softly. “I’m trying to apologize and you’re making me sound like I did a good
job.”

Sakura shrugged. “You didn’t do a bad job. Honestly, I think there should be some kind of guide
book for Jonin instructors. I was a little envious that Gai’s team stuck together over the last few
years while ours went our separate ways. The boys and I did individual training and you went back
to special operations.” She sighed. “But, I think if we were to be put back together, Team Seven
would be something magnificent.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Kakashi agreed with a sigh. He lifted his hitai-ate and watched the flames for a
bit. “But, I still avoided you unnecessarily because I didn’t know how to deal with a young
teenaged girl having a crush on me. I should have just been clear about boundaries and not been
such a jerk.”

“Yeah, that part you definitely could have done better.” Sakura stared at the fire for a moment and
then did the hand symbols for an earth-style jutsu that would smother the fire.

“That’s different,” Kakashi mused. He leaned close to the cooling embers and sniffed.

“Does that mean you now know 1001 jutsus?” Sakura teased.

Kakashi snorted. “I guess so.” They fell into a companionable silence, the only sounds were of Ino
and Sai whispering to each other on the opposite end of the camp. “So you and Sasuke, huh?”

“I suppose it was inevitable.” Sakura smiled softly and hugged her knees thinking about her dark-
haired lover. Hopefully, he and Naruto were making progress. She was grateful they would have an
early night, it would give her time to think about the scan she ran over herself during their last toilet
break. The indigestion was unusual and she became aware of exactly what the problem was — a
surge of hormones within her body. She’d been on the cusp of ovulating when she and Sasuke had
last been together. Normally, she timed their relations to be when there wasn’t risk of pregnancy,
but their last night there was only a slight chance of conception so they decided to risk it. And she
would not regret it — not with the way Sasuke looked at her with those dark fathomless eyes with
such affection and the way he held her in his strong arms like she was someone precious.

Her egg had connected with one of Sasuke’s determined sperm and a little blastocyst was trying to
form. She tried to put the idea pregnancy out of her mind. She’d know in about a week whether or
not an embryo would result. In the meantime, she’d try to simply focus on the mission at hand.
.
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OoO

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Kakashi
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They arrived at the rendezvous point just outside the Amegakure border at noon the day before the
agreed upon time. Kakashi was pretty proud of his team for making up time given their late start
and their side humanitarian mission. He hoped it would make a dent in Konoha’s debt towards the
years of destruction the rival ninja villages past war had created.

And while Kakashi obviously loved Minato, he was starting to think that Tsunade Senju was
certainly the right Hokage to make amends for the decades of war and to finally lead Konoha
towards progress. The greatest medical ninja of all time offered hope instead of fear to the ninja
world at large. The alliance between Fire and Wind was stronger than ever — which was pleasant
given how in chakra natures Wind strengthened Fire.

He raised his hand through his damp, soggy hair and grimaced. He really should have had a haircut
before leaving the village — maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if he’d cut it short. Perhaps it
wasn’t too late. He removed a kunai from the holster on his leg and grabbed hold of the ends of his
silver mane and started to hack it off when his wrist was held back by a fierce grip with familiar
black gloves and pastel green fingernail polish on the nails.

“Don’t you dare,” Sakura warned. She slipped the kunai from his numb hand and placed it back in
the holster on his leg. “If you want your hair short, let Ino trim it. If you want to keep your current
length, I’ll help you tame it into a low ponytail.” She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her
eyes to give him a critical look. “Or, I’ve actually always wanted to see what you’d look like with
slightly longer hair. We could grow out your bangs and the length in the back and put your hair in a
high ponytail.” She smiled and nodded. “It would do better in this weather.” She released his wrist.
“And you would look super hot. All the ladies and fellows in Amegakure will be vying for your
attention.”

“I’m not sure that would be a good thing. Besides, my hair isn’t long enough for a high ponytail,”
Kakashi protested. He thought back to Shikaku Naru’s hair. It wasn’t really a look Kakashi wanted
for himself.

“Well, I would stimulate your hair follicles and then have Ino help me trim it at just the right
length.” She took one of his water-logged strands of hair and twisted it around her finger. “You
could keep the hair shorter in the front to frame your face and a high ponytail would allow the ease
of your hitai-ate.”
“I don’t know,” Kakashi hesitated. Though, he was loath to disappoint Sakura about something she
seemed excited about. And it was only hair. If he didn’t like it, he could always use the kunai and
perform his usual trim. “It would be better than looking like a drowned rat.”

Sakura laughed and nodded, a sparkle in her jade eyes. “That it would!”

He swiped his hair back for now and scanned the area. There were two small single room cabins.

“Just so you know,” Sai said, starting for the cabin on the right. “Ino and I will be taking this
cabin.” He smiled fondly at the blond kunoichi. “It’s standard protocol to pair a jonin with a chunin
when the team is split evenly.”

“And the two of you are betrothed,” Kakashi murmured. It wouldn’t matter too much if he shared
the cabin with Sakura. He knew her better than the other two anyway. Heck, maybe they’d even
become friends by the end of this mission. They certainly seemed to be on that path. And she had a
boyfriend — an age appropriate boyfriend — that hadn’t been caught having sex with a virtual
stranger in the back alley. He cringed just thinking back to that embarrassment.

“Are you okay?” Sakura asked looking up at him. “You’re not feeling feverish? Your cheeks look a
little pink.”

“Mah, I’m fine. I was just thinking back on something embarrassing,” Kakashi answered. He
gestured towards the second cabin. “I guess that ones ours then.”

“As long as you’re not as cuddly as Naruto in your sleep, we’ll be fine,” Sakura assured him. She
started towards their cabin.

Kakashi frowned as he followed her. Just how cuddly was Naruto? It was a single room cabin with
a decent size bed — it was a full, so they would be a little closer than he’d have preferred. There
wasn’t a lot of space on the floor, but he could set up a pallet there. He’d cross that bridge when
they got there.

“Let me have a look at your eyes,” Sakura ordered kicking off her shoes and flopping down on the
single bed, back braced against the headboard, drawing her legs up into the lotus-position. “When I
work with Sasuke and Shisui they lay their head in my lap. I’ll have my hands on your forehead,
eyelids and temples. I know we’re not that close, so if you’re not okay with that, I’ll figure out
whatever makes you comfortable.”

“We’re close enough,” Kakashi murmured. He slid off his vest and hitai-ate and stretched out
lengthwise on the bed, settling his head in Sakura’s lap. He looked up at her with his mismatched
eyes. “Ready when you are.”

“You’ll probably be more comfortable closing your eyes, but I can do this either way,” Sakura
assured him. She removed her gloves and set them on the small side table next to the bed.

She pressed her fingertips to Kakashi’s temples and rested her thumbs over the upper ridge of his
eye sockets. She felt Kakashi’s shaky exhale when she started to trickle in her healing chakra.

“Tickles,” Kakashi whispered.

“So I’ve heard,” Sakura murmured smiling faintly. “Because yours is a transplant, your optic nerve
and vessels are scarred and swollen to accommodate the strain. Your teammate did this transplant
in the field? She did an impressive job.”

“Yeah,” Kakashi answered, closing his eyes and sighing. “An Iwa shinobi stabbed me in my eye.
Later, my teammate pushed me out of a falling rock debris from a cave in from my blindside. As he
lay dying, he asked the medic on our team to give me his eye as a present for achieving jonin.” He
swallowed thickly. “My first mission leading as a jonin and one of my teammates died and I lost
half my sight. This eye is all I have left of either of them. I’ve learned over a thousand jutsus with
this gift.”

“A thousand and one,” Sakura teased to add some levity. “It’s a huge chakra drain,”she added
somberly. “Frankly, you would be a stronger fighter without it, Kakashi,” Sakura reasoned. She
withdrew her hands and braced them on the mattress on either side. “I’m constantly having to
repair the vision loss Shisui faces when he uses the Sharingan. Eventually, you’ll lose your visual
acuity.”

“I see well enough for now,” Kakashi protested. “You’re done already?”

“We have time and it’s better to work at it a little every day,” Sakura explained. She patted the side
of the bed. “This is your side, I prefer the right. We can face back to back. There’s not a whole lot
of room on this bed for both of us.”

“So bossy,” Kakashi chuckled shifting and laying on his side with his back towards Sakura. “I
could set up a pallet on the floor.”

“Can we fix your hair in the morning?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi pretended he didn’t hear her. He stared at the wall wide awake until after he was sure
Sakura had fallen asleep. He released a deep breath and willed himself to relax. This was his
penance — having to share a bed with Sakura for the next four weeks.
.
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 1000th Mission in Amegakure, Part II
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

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Sakura
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It was just out of habit that in her slumber her body automatically sought out the comfort of her
bedmate. Over the years, she’d shared a bed with Naruto and Ino and they often ended up cuddling.
Over the last several months, Sasuke often stayed over and they generally did more than cuddling.
So when she started to rouse and found herself snuggled up against the Copy Ninja’s firm and
warm chest, she was a little mortified.

Realizing instead of the familiar cinnamon and cedar smell she associated with Sasuke, it was more
the earthy smell of the forest after a fresh rain, she hesitantly opened her eyes. And found her nose
buried against the attached silken black mask covering her team captain’s neck from his sleeveless
athletic shirt. Her hands were clenched into fists against his chest and surprisingly, his bare sinewy
arms were banded around her.

“Ah, sorry about that,” Sakura murmured gently extracting herself.

Kakashi released his arms from around her. “Mah, it’s fine. I figured it was safer to hold you in
place than let you continue to roll over me. My ninken are rather cuddly bedfellows, especially
Bull.” He sat up and reached for his toes, arching his muscular back. “I can make a pallet and sleep
on the floor tonight.”

“No way, this bed is big enough. Unless, you’re uncomfortable. Then I can sleep on the floor. I’m
the one that invaded your space,” Sakura protested. She watched as Kakashi touched his toes and
curled them back towards his body. With a sigh, she mimicked his stretch. He might not have been
the most enthusiastic Jonin instructor back when she’d been a genin, but he had taught her and the
boys how to stretch properly.

“You’re the one that’s going to be performing surgeries — you deserve a nice bed to rest on at the
end of a long shift,” Kakashi reasoned. “Sleeping on the floor in here will be no different than the
forest floor like I’m used to on missions.” He glanced over towards her. “You’re fifteen, Sakura.
I’m twenty-eight. I shouldn’t be so casual with you.”

“Oh whatever. The marriageable age for a woman in the Land of Fire is sixteen and Auntie Mikoto
and Lord Fugaku are sixteen years apart in age,” Sakura rambled and then realized she was talking
marriage. The conversation was supposed to be about sharing space. “Look, if you’re okay with
some unconscious cuddling — I’m fine with it. There’s nothing improper about it.”

Kakashi chuckled. “I don’t know. Sasuke might not be okay with you cuddling me for the next
month, especially if you’re talking about marriageable age and such.”
Sakura groaned and cradled her head in her hands. “No, he’s going to laugh himself silly when
hears how awkward I made the situation. He once pulled a rib muscle laughing so hard when he
heard about the time I shared a bed with Naruto and woke up to him have a very large erection
poking me awake.”

“Hm,” Kakashi hummed. He swung his legs over side of the bed and headed for the bathroom.
“That’s a pretty normal reaction for a man. When that happens with me, I’d prefer if you kept it
between us.” He shut the door behind him.

Sakura stared at the closed door while her cheeks burned at the thought of Kakashi’s erection.
Maybe she wasn’t completely over her little crush on the Copy Ninja. She sighed. Sasuke was
going to tease her relentlessly about this.

She stood and continued her stretching routine. It was still early, but there was electricity within the
cabin for a couple of lamps. There would be enough light to work. Kakashi was still in the
bathroom — doing whatever he was doing half an hour later. Sakura had settled at the lone desk in
the room and pulled out two journals. She’d worked with Sai to create the herbal field guides. Even
the Kazekage had contributed to the knowledge within the pages — his Granny Chiyo sharing
some of the medicinal knowledge for the greater good of shinobi society. There were blank pages
in the back for adding future discoveries on flora that was local to Amegakure. One copy of the
journal was for the Kage’s library for preservation and the other for the Head medic of Rain.

It had been the very creation of this journal that had solidified Sakura’s friendships with both Sai
and Kazekage Sasori. She had hoped to meet Granny Chiyo in person and learn more of the
woman’s knowledge, but Master Tsunade had been adamantly against it. Sakura’s hand settled
worriedly to her lower belly. Now, there probably wouldn’t be any chance of that depending on
how her situation progressed.

So lost in thought, Sakura didn’t notice when Kakashi was no longer in the bathroom and looming
beside her until his hand settled on her shoulder. Startled, Sakura glanced up at him. They had
wards around their cabin, so she’d let her guard down.

“Everything okay?” Kakashi asked, his visible eye dark with a trace of worry.

Sakura’s thoughts were immediately relegated to the back of her mind as she observed Kakashi’s
flattened hair. “Maybe that should be my question,” she said with a laugh. She gestured towards his
head. “Is that what took you so long? Trying to figure out what to do with your hair?”

“Mah, don’t make fun, Sakura-chan. You said you had a plan to help me.” Kakashi gestured
towards his uneven spiky hair that was falling into his eyes.

“Let’s go,” Sakura said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back to the bathroom. There was a large
mirror on the wall over the vanity and she stood next to Kakashi and removed his hitai-ate. His hair
fell even more into his eyes and his shoulders slumped more than usual. Sakura couldn’t help but
laugh. Then her fingers were on Kakashi’s scalp, stimulating the hair follicles until his hair reached
beyond his shoulders — soft, silver, and surprisingly straight. Unlike the gray hairs of the elderly,
his hair was fine to touch and not wiry and coarse. Once she achieved the desired length, Sakura
created a chakra scalpel and cut off the ends of the hair into an uniform layered rounded pattern. It
was still fairly spiky in areas, but Ino could correct that.

“My father used to wear his hair long, but it was thick and unruly,” Kakashi observed quietly. “This
reminds me of my mother’s hair. I don’t remember much about her, she died when I was very
young, but there was a portrait I found of myself with her as a toddler.” He watched Sakura from
the mirror with his charcoal gaze, his Sharingan eye closed tight.

Sakura smiled gently at the shared memory. “Thank goodness you don’t have super thick hair,
though it is thicker than mine. It’s so pretty,” she murmured with a sigh. He had better eyelashes
too. It was so unfair when men didn’t even appreciate such things. She picked up the brush she left
on the vanity the night before and swiped it through Kakashi’s locks efficiently, appreciating the
shine. Then she swept his hair up into a high ponytail, but leaving his bangs to frame his face. He
still had the classic spikes that defined him, but it certainly looked better on him than his flattened
normal hair that couldn’t defy gravity in the humid, rainy climate.

“I’m impressed,” Kakashi admitted. “Though, I suppose this means I’ll have to start brushing my
hair in the morning,” he added with a sigh.

Sakura laughed. “I will happily volunteer to brush your hair and fix it in the mornings, Captain.
This was always my favorite part whenever I had a slumber party with Ino — doing each other’s
hair. She can fix the ends to be more even.”

Kakashi ran his hand over the length of his new ponytail. “No, this is fine. Thank you, Sakura. And
please, when it’s just the two of us, call me Kakashi.”

“Sure, Kakashi.” She gripped his shoulders and then started to forcibly push him out of the
bathroom. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s my turn.” Kakashi was still chuckling when Sakura shut
the door in his face. She turned towards her own self in the mirror and noticed the pallor in her
normally fair complexion. And then rushed to the toilet in time to fight off a wave of nausea.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
The Angel of Amegakure was certainly a woman equally beautiful as she was deadly. The stately
kunoichi was probably about ten years older than Kakashi himself — around the age Minato would
have been if he’d lived. The reminder was like a punch to the gut from Gai. There was something
strange about the orange-haired shinobi that stood silently at her side, piercings across the bridge of
his nose and scattered around the shell of his ears. For some reason his gravity defying hair seemed
to be just fine in this damp village.

“I trust your accommodations were sufficient. Our village doesn’t boast the medical prowess of
Konoha,” Konan stated without preamble. “Our Leader is wary of this experiment, but Lord Jiraiya
convinced him to allow this trial.” Her sapphire gaze focused on Sakura. “We were a little surprised
that the Godaime has loaned out her precious Apprentice. We hear that you are considered like a
daughter to Lady Senju.”

Sakura smiled politely. “The cabins were quite comfortable, thank you. I wouldn’t say that Master
Tsunade and I are like family. Though, I do consider her a great mentor. It has been a great
challenge to measure up to her standards and I try to grow as a person every day. Shall we get
started? We passed a small settlement two days journey from here that had suffered after a
mudslide. I left various medical salves for the villagers. I’d love to share my formulas with Rain’s
medics.”

“I will take you to them,” the orange haired man said, breaking his silence.

“Wonderful,” Sakura answered. “May I know your name?”

He hesitated for a moment. “You may call me Yahiko.” His gaze shifted past Sakura towards Sai
briefly before landing on Ino. He’d been studiously ignoring Kakashi for a while aside from his
initial observation when the meeting began. “You’re a Yamanaka. Are you telepathically linked to
your team even now?”

Ino smiled faintly. “I hardly need a telepathic link to these three to know what’s happening in their
heads. They are all work and no play this trio.” She elbowed Sai playfully in the side. “While I’m
not a prodigy like Sakura, I am a fully certified Medic as well. My knowledge in botany is also
unparalleled.”

Kakashi had a strange feeling about Yahiko and his scent. The piercings in his nose and ears had a
faint electrical charge and were conductors. To where did they transmit?

“Is that so?” Yahiko asked, he shifted his cool gaze towards Konan.

“You may escort the Leaf visitors to the clinic just within the walls of the village.” Konan looked
over the Konoha shinobi one-by-one. “Do not venture unescorted. Go no further than the clinic. To
trespass beyond the acceptable zone will be seen as a hostile act and will be treated as such.”

“What a hard ass,” Ino grumbled in their minds. “And what’s up with all those piercings on
Yahiko? Is it for some kind of jutsu?”

“Don’t let down your guard,” Kakashi warned, not answering her questions because he didn’t
know. He watched in slight shock as Konan dissolved before their eyes into tiny origami designs.
She didn’t seem to be a clone, but it had to be a substitution. He’d seen Itachi do the same thing
with his crows.

They were led to a modest clinic where two medical shinobi — a man and a woman — were
working on treating a few minor injuries — sprained joints, minor lacerations — typical training
injuries. The woman finished her task and then left her counterpart to finish while she went to greet
them.

“This is Ayane, our Head Medic,” Yahiko introduced. He gestured towards the Konoha shinobi.
“These are the visitors for Konoha.”

Ayane’s pale blue eyes widened when they landed on Sakura. Kakashi tried not to take offense at
not being the most famous shinobi on his team. “The Godaime’s Apprentice, Sakura Haruno! Wow,
your hair really is pink,” she mused.
Sakura pulled out the two journals she had tucked within her vest and handed one to Ayane. “This
is a herbal field guide with knowledge from myself and Suna’s top medics for various herbs, their
medicinal properties, and the recipes for creating tonics, poultices and other remedies. There are
pages in the back where we can add local medicines as well. I would image the fungi would be
plentiful in this environment.” Sakura gestured towards Sai. “My companion Sai drew all the
illustrations.”

Ayane accepted the offered journal and Sakura pulled out a second journal and extended it for
Yahiko. “This one is for your Kage to preserve in the village archives. I’ll give you the copy of the
addendum we add with the knowledge of local medicinal plants and fungi.”

Hesitating only a moment, the orange haired shinobi took the second journal, revealing more
transmitters along the back of his hands. “That is generous,” his deep voice responded solemnly.
“There is a fine line between medicine and poison, is there not?” His almond-like eyes narrowed
suspiciously.

Sakura nodded. “That’s why this journal shouldn’t be given to any lay person, but someone trained
in medicine.” She shifted her gaze between Yahiko and Ayane. “I’ve trained in the analysis of
poisons as well and would be happy in helping you come up with antidotes for local venomous
agents.”

“There are these poisonous frogs and a few snakes in the area,” Ayane murmured. “They have been
notoriously difficult for our medics to treat.” She clutched the journal tight against her chest and
smiled shyly. “This will be a great boon to our village, Lady Sakura. The precision needed to wield
chakra for medical purposes limits the amount of capable medics, but having medicine will make a
big difference.”

“I’m excited to see what kind of mushrooms grow in your village,” Sakura added. She addressed
the room at large, including the non-medics, like giving a lecture. “Fungi are great against bacterial
infections, inflammation, and even help with concentration. There are some fungi that actually
having anti-tumor properties and can help in the fight against cancer. Back in the forests of
Konoha, we have quite a bit of trifold fronds — it grows near oaks and maples. It reduces glycemic
levels in diabetes and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.”

“We do have lion’s mane, lingzhi and oyster mushrooms that grow plentifully in the area,” Ayane
interrupted with an eager smile.

“Ah, well lion’s mane is good for concentration. Lingzhi has anti-viral and anti-cancer properties as
well as anti-inflammatory in general.” Sakura rubbed her fingers over her chin thoughtfully,
catching Ino’s eye. “I’ve generally steered clear of oyster mushrooms since there are so many
poisonous mushrooms that look similar. Its level of niacin is good for cholesterol and heart health.”

Ino groaned. “Okay, let’s circle back to the fungi lesson another time.”

“I am enjoying the lesson,” Sai protested. “I look forward to drawing these mushrooms. I will
definitely need to use color since there are so many poisonous mushrooms.”

“Yes, yes, that will be vitally important,” Sakura agreed, nodding her head. She smiled at Ayane
and the Amegakure medic also had an eager light in her eyes.

Ino knocked her shoulder against Kakashi. “I forgot what a nerd Sai can be. This is going to be a
special kind of torture.”
“I’ve been tortured before,” Kakashi argued in in the mental conversation. “I like learning new
things. And honestly, it’s nice hearing Sakura so passionate about something.”

Ino scoffed in Kakashi’s mind. “By the way, your hair is really flattering. How did Sakura manage
to convince you to let her grow it out?”

Kakashi smiled through his mask and looked down at Ino. “She can be very convincing,” he
whispered aloud.

Yahiko started for the door. “Do not leave this clinic and the surrounding courtyard until I come for
you. You do not have re-breathers and would be killed on sight by patrol.”

“We’ll stay in our assigned areas,” Kakashi agreed for the team.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Itachi
.
.
When Itachi volunteered for the mission in Tea, he thought it would be a great opportunity to
indulge in his love for tea. He could hardly pass it up when it was his old genin teammate that had
requested the mission. Shinko Inari was the owner of Itachi’s favorite teashop back home in
Konoha. He often took Izumi there for dates. He enjoyed starting his mornings there with a good
book, sitting at one of the tables by the window, his back to the wall to minimize being caught
unawares while he allowed himself to zone out. He would sip his tea, Shinko was good about
refilling him even when he didn’t ask, and he would read or people watch. It was pleasant,
especially when he knew in a different life he would have been a rogue shinobi, working for a
terrorist organization, with his family’s blood staining his hands.

So there was no way he would turn down a personal request to travel to Tea, hand off the newest
trade agreement for his friend’s shop and enjoy the samples while he was there. He was also a tiny
bit bored with his brother and cousin both out of the village training in the mountains. If he’d
stayed home, Izumi would no doubt be pestering him about marriage plans. He hadn’t technically
proposed yet, he’d only floated the idea by her. He was probably going to propose in a few months
or maybe a year or two. Itachi sipped his matcha green tea— he needed the caffeine boost for his
journey back that afternoon.

This particular morning, the last day of his planned vacation mission, the teahouse had been rather
crowded. A familiar couple walked in to the shop and looked around warily upon seeing no empty
tables. However, the pink-haired husband’s blue eyes grew wide in recognition and he started a
bee-line towards the only table with a single occupant.
“Good morning, Itachi Uchiha correct? I’m Kizashi Haruno. I believe you know my daughter,
Sakura? Would it be possible if my wife and I might join your table? I did not anticipate how
crowded it would be this morning.” The man smiled with such friendly eyes that Itachi found
himself nodding.

“There is room at my table, Haruno-san,” Itachi answered. He wouldn’t be bothered by the slightly
rude lack of honorifics the older man utilized. He was a civilian after all, had passed the Academy
but never progressed beyond career genin. Perhaps he was the smart one, avoiding the dirty
business it often was to be a shinobi.

Mebuki Haruno offered a tight smile, but remained standing with Kizashi pulled out a chair for her.
The look in her dark green eyes as she looked indirectly at Itachi, careful to avoid his eyes, was a
mixture of apprehension, fear, and dislike. “Dear, we can simply get our tea to go. We shouldn’t
bother Uchiha-san.”

Kizashi stared at her in disbelief. “But, Dear, you know I love the fancy teacups here. They have
that unique glaze at the bottom of each cup. You don’t get that if you order to go.”

“It is no bother. I consider your daughter a good friend. I would be honored to have you two join
me,” Itachi interjected. Why was the woman avoiding him? It was strange for civilians to be scared
of the Uchiha any more than any other ninja. He gestured for the side of the table opposite him. “I
should be happy to give you any news on Sakura if you would like to ask.”

When Mebuki continued to stand, Kizashi pulled out the second chair and sat. Apparently, news on
his daughter was worth an argument with his wife. “Yes, please. She writes us every month or two,
but it’s not the same.” He chuckled self-depreciating. “She used to ask me to train her, but I’m
simply not fit for such a role. I was always grateful that your clan members Shisui and Izumi took
such a liking to her. Though, I was surprised when she attracted the attention of the Godaime.” He
shook his head, wild pink hair a bit dizzying. Itachi bit the inside of his lip to resist smiling. Good
thing Sakura’s hair wasn’t quite so untamable. He wasn’t sure his brother would have ever been
able to take her seriously if it had been.

Resigned, Mebuki took the other seat and sat demurely, her arms crossed over one another
defensively. “What brings you to Tea, Uchiha-san?”

“Ah, my friend owns a teashop back home,” Itachi explained. “She requested that I come for her
next supply run.” He allowed himself to smile faintly, hoping it would put the woman at ease.
“Honestly, I believe she was eager to offer me an excuse for a vacation. My fiancée has been
hounding me non-stop with wedding ideas. At this point, I’m leaning towards elopement.”

Kizashi laughed, loud and honest at that. He turned towards Mebuki with love shining in his bright
eyes. “Sounds like you!” His wife’s cheeks burned scarlet and Kizashi looked back at Itachi. “We
ended up eloping as well. Our witnesses were my grandmother and Mebuki’s cousin. By the way,
just call me Kizashi and her Mebuki. You’ll make us feel old otherwise.”

Itachi waited until his new tablet mates were drinking their tea before asking his question. He
placed a seal under the table to keep others from over-hearing their conversation. “Mebuki-san,
why do you hate my clan?”

Mebuki’s shoulders stiffened and she set her tea cup down with a clunk to the table. “No one has
bothered to ask me that,” she said quietly. “Your mother certainly didn’t when she threatened me.”
Kizashi blinked repeatedly and rubbed his index finger inside his ear canal. “I’m sorry, did I hear
that right? The matriarch of the noble Uchiha clan threatened you?”

Itachi was surprised as well. “I was not aware my mother said cross words with you, Mebuki-san.”

“I will tell you then, end your suspense, Uchiha-san,” Mebuki snarled, narrowing her eyes. “One of
your clan is the reason my cousin died and his son grew up an orphan.”

“Who was your cousin?” Itachi asked quietly.

“It shouldn’t matter who he was, but that an Uchiha is the one responsible,” Mebuki insisted.

“Dear, you cannot hate an entire family for what a single person did,” Kizashi reasoned. “That’s not
logical. And why do you think Minato was killed by an Uchiha?”

“Because everyone knows an Uchiha killed him and Kushina,” Mebuki insisted.

Itachi refrained from reacting to the news that Mebuki was cousins with the Yondaime. Were they
distant cousins or closely related? “I am truly sorry for your loss, Mebuki-san. The Yondaime was a
great man.”

“He’s the only reason we moved to Konoha. I’ve been been completely fine settling with my
people away from all the shinobi non-sense,” Mebuki insisted.

“I will be frank with both of you. Your daughter is the apprentice of the Godaime. I believe you
deserve to know the truth. While it was an Uchiha that instigated the attack on Lord Fourth and his
wife, it was the village’s leadership in his absence that put him in danger. It was known during the
labor that his wife would be vulnerable and instead of allowing my father or some other loyal
member of the village from my clan to be present as back up with the ability to mollify the tailed-
beast they were barred making the two vulnerable. Danzo, the traitor whom tried to murder my
entire clan to harvest our eyes, was the mastermind for that tragedy. And while it was an Uchiha
that was behind that attack — he was a fourteen year old thought to be dead, taken as a child and
manipulated by a greater evil. He has since been caught and incapacitated.”

“He was caught? Why wasn’t he killed?” Mebuki hissed.

“He may yet be, but the hope is to rehabilitate. It was the request at the one that actually is
responsible for his capture. If he is beyond rehabilitation, he will be eliminated. There is hope to
obtain more information about the one that manipulated him — the bigger threat,” Itachi explained.

Mebuki closed her eyes. “And you wonder why I don’t want my daughter associating with your
clan, but it seems no matter what sense I tried to speak to her, she just keeps getting deeper and
deeper tangled.”

“Honestly, I think the Uchiha are better than the Hyuga. Their main house keeps the rest of their
clan as slaves.” Kizashi sipped at his tea calmly. “I like Shisui and Izumi and Sasuke.” He slanted
his eyes towards Itachi. “I like this kid too. And let’s not forget that they have provided Naruto a
stable home, something we weren’t allowed to do.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that Minato was killed because of an Uchiha or that Mikoto threatened
me and arranged for our rights as parents to be terminated in regards to our own daughter,” Mebuki
stared daggers at Itachi during her entire tirade.
Itachi was very surprised that his mother held such a confrontation with this woman. “Technically,
the moment Sakura became a chunin she’s a legal adult in the shinobi world.” He forced a smile at
them both. “I have enjoyed our conversation. Do you like living in Tea? If you wish to return to
Konoha, I will ask my mother to not harass you.”

“We’re okay here,” Kizashi answered. He looked towards his wife. “But, it would be nice to return
home one day. I grew up in Konoha. Neither of us are from Tea. But the people here have been
friendly and the tea is amazing.”

“Indeed it is,” Itachi agreed. He placed enough bills on the table to cover his order, the Harunos,
and a generous tip. “My treat. You are allowed you anger, Mebuki-san. However, most atrocities
and wars waged are because of past tragedies. The only way we will ever be able to move forward
is someone has to forgive to end the cycle of hate.” He dispelled the sound seal, stood, bowed
briefly, and then left quietly.

He left behind a couple of crows to watch over the Harunos for a while yet. When he returned
home, he would be speaking with his mother.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sasuke
.
.
The mountains were full of toads and it was fairly annoying. It was less creepy than the cave of
snakes. He wondered if the forest of slugs was also eerie. He’d have to ask Sakura about that
sometime. He was a little embarrassed that he’d never thought to ask before. They were usually too
busy kissing to do much talking more often than not lately — not that he was complaining. He
could feel the tips of his ears burn just thinking about Sakura that way.

Sasuke closed his eyes, counted backwards from ten, and refocused. He was supposed to be
observing Naruto and Shisui’s combined attack. Tenzo was watching from the other side also
observing in case he needed to step in with his wood-release. The jonin was really superfluous. It
was unlikely that Naruto would lose control of the tailed beast with two Sharingan users at his side,
but better safe than sorry and it did help having an even number of ninja for spars.

Shisui had released his green susanoo — a partial skeletal figure that was supposed to be a samurai.
Itachi’s was more impressive — a vibrant orange in full armor along with a sword and shield.
Sasuke wondered if he’d ever unlock a susanoo, but apparently, one had to undergo a massive
trauma to unlock the power. If it would help him protect his precious people, he was all for going
through a little trauma. How bad could it be?
The concept was brilliant, using the armor of the susanoo to cover the fox. Kurama was the tailed-
beast’s name. He and Naruto communicated somewhat in a tentative partnership. Apparently,
Naruto had met a portion of his mother’s spirit preserved within the seal that contained the nine-
tails in his body. Since that time, he learned Kurama’s name and they seemed to be tentatively
friends. It was hard not to be friends with Naruto. His enthusiasm was infectious. He might have
been annoying, but Sasuke would hate to live in a world without his best friend.

Watching Shisui’s failed attempts to armor the nine-tails, Sasuke suspects that because of his close
bond with Naruto that he’d have better success — one day. Eventually, the session was called to an
end. Sasuke started for the waterfalls, looking forward to enjoying a dip in the cool waters in the
lagoon. He stripped down to this boxers and waded in. He wasn’t surprised with a few minutes
later, Naruto barreled in after him naked as the day he was born.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, the blond had no shame.

“That was exhausting!” Naruto exclaimed, laying on his back and floating to the top of the lagoon,
arms spread out wide to either side. He dipped just low enough beneath the water to not give
Sasuke an eyeful.

“It’s a good idea, but I don’t think you and Shisui’s chakras mesh well enough together. If I unlock
the ability, I suspect we’ll have better success,” Sasuke said before dunking under the water to
clean his hair.

When he resurfaced, Naruto was treading water in front of him. He actually looked serious for
once. “I wanted to talk to you, Sasuke.”

“We’re talking,” Sasuke answered bored.

“I—I care about you,” Naruto sputtered, his cheeks crimson.

“Okay. Well I care about you too.” Sasuke scrubbed his arms under the water.

“I mean — I think I love you,” Naruto clarified. “Like romantically.”

Sasuke looked up sharply. “What non-sense are you talking? We’re brothers.”

“Adopted,” Naruto corrected him.

“I don’t like men,” Sasuke pointed out.

Before him Naruto transformed into a female with large breasts and long blond pig-tails. “I don’t
necessarily identify as male. If you prefer, I can look like this and be just as comfortable.”

“Except for your back,” Sasuke muttered, looking away from the massive breasts on display. “I
love Sakura.”

Naruto dropped his henge and returned to his normal form. “I love her too,” Naruto said with a
grimace. “But, Sasuke, I love you in a way I cannot even articulate. I feel like we are two halves of
the same coin — I may be the sun, but you are the moon!” He clenched his hands into white-
knuckled fists. “The only time I’m ever truly content and happy is when the two of us are sparring
or fighting alongside each other.”
“That’s adrenaline,” Sasuke countered. “And if you’re the sun and I’m the moon, then Sakura is the
sky.”

Naruto looked away. “Never mind. Just, forget I said anything.” He waved towards the lagoon
around them. “I’ll leave you in peace.”

Sasuke frowned as he watched Naruto swim away. “I’m sorry for being harsh, Naruto. I don’t want
to give you the wrong impression. You’re my best fired and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m just confused, Sasuke. We’ll just focus on our training.” Naruto tilted his head up towards the
sky for a moment. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t even thinking about Sakura. I just…I’m sorry.”

Sasuke dived back under the water’s surface again. Naruto wasn’t the only one feeling confused.
Why would he even think something like that?
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
They were in their fourth week in Amegakure. Aside from the medics, local healers, patients,
Konan and Yahiko they didn’t interact with anyone else. The quartet of Konoha shinobi never
entered beyond their designated area just inside the Village Hidden in the Rain. Sai didn’t use his
ink mice to spy and snoop, Ino didn’t delve into people’s minds, Kakashi didn’t send out his
hounds. They were straight forward in their mission — good will and trust. The Godaime had been
adamant that they not betray the hesitant trust being offered by the leaders of Amegakure.

Danzo uses subterfuge and frequent betrayal for his methods, Tsunade Senju would be the opposite
— open, honest and sincere. Jiraiya had worked hard to broker the tentative meeting of some of
Konoha’s greatest talents into Rain. And while it was impossible to read Konan and Yahiko usually.
There were the occasions where Konan’s eyes seemed to soften after a child was healed. And
Yahiko’s presence felt less ominous and antagonistic.

Over all, the mission had felt to be a success. The added bonus was that Sakura and Ayana had
discussed trade involving medical products between Konoha, Suna, and Rain. The fungi that grew
in Rain were much more plentiful than in Konoha. And there were herbs that grew in Suna’s dry
climate that were impossible to grow in Rain. It bothered Kakashi a little that Sakura had
apparently been given permission by not just their Hokage, but by the Kazekage as well to discuss
the medical products and broker a tentative trade agreement. The kages would later hash out the
final details, but Konan had surprised them saying that Hanzo was amendable to the deal. They’d
not once seen the supposed kage of Rain. And the rumors that Kakashi heard were that Hanzo was
either dead or a mere puppet. Konan and Yahiko seemed to be the true power of the village.

Sakura had seemed excessively tired, but Kakashi assumed it was related to chakra exhaustion and
he kept hypervigilant to ensure her safety. While they still shared a bed, he usually slept sitting up
with one knee drawn up to rest his arm. He’d had a very masculine reaction to her proximity on
their third night together and didn’t want Sakura waking up to find his body was attracted to her. It
made him disgusted with himself. She was fifteen and he was twenty-eight. No. Just no. He didn’t
appreciate that her voice echoed through his mind reminding him that she would be considered a
woman legally by sixteen.

He thought back to his own mental state at sixteen and thought was likely just an excuse for old,
powerful men to steal away beautiful teens before they had the capacity to stand up for themselves.
He cared about Sakura too much to see that happen to her. He felt a fierce protectiveness of her that
had grown to almost obsessive levels during this mission. She reminded him of…someone. But it
didn’t matter if she reminded him of someone, she herself was important to him, his friends, and
their teammates.

It had been interesting having a Yamanaka on the team. The ease of sharing thoughts with one
another made him appreciate all three of his junior teammates. However, it had been Sakura’s quick
wit and analytical mind that had truly impressed Kakashi. She was a genius! It took one to
recognize another. He wasn’t well versed in her specialities, but he’d learned quite a bit during the
last four weeks. He was even fairly confident in the basics of medical ninjutsu due to her teachings.
Ino had been smug in their mind-link bragging about how Sakura taught Ino everything she knew
about medical ninjutsu, but with the added bonus of not having every one of her bones crushed by
the Godaime during the lessons.

Kakashi had been both appalled and impressed to learn just how strenuous Sakura’s training under
Tsunade Senju had been. If he ever doubted that he’d been to easy with his former students, he
definitely realized that he’d coddled them. Though, he was glad to coddle rather than traumatize.
He had wanted them to be kids for as long as possible.

Sakura stirred beside him, jade eyes darkened with sleep stared up at him. “That can’t be
comfortable, Kakashi.”

“It’s comfortable enough,” Kakashi answered, looking down at her with his right eye. He opened
his left for a moment, capturing the image with Obito’s Sharingan. The vision in his left eye had
started to diminish yet after Sakura had run a few treatment sessions, it was almost back to normal
clarity. He still needed to use it minimally due to the chakra drain. “Sleep well?”

“No matter how much I sleep lately, I’m always tired,” Sakura groaned sitting up. She blinked a
few times and scanned the room. “Still dark outside?”

“A few more hours until daylight,” Kakashi agreed.

“Too late to take a sleep aid,” Sakura grumbled. She laid back and stared up at the ceiling and then
over at Kakashi. “I’m not looking forward to the run back to Konoha.”

“We don’t need to keep the previous pace,” Kakashi assured her. He didn’t point out that he would
have slowed the pace on their journey to Rain if she or Sai had struggled, but they hadn’t. “Maybe
let Ino carry her own weight this time. She’s a chunin as well.”
Sakura snorted. “I’m not actually worried about that. I’m worried about myself keeping up. I’m just
so damn tired.”

Kakashi frowned, knowing she wouldn’t see under his mask. He’d been worried about her fatigue
as well. “I’ll carry you then. And once we get closer to Fire, Sai can uses his cartoon birds to fly us
home.”

She stared up at him again. “You don’t have to carry me, Kakashi. I’m not weak.”

“I haven’t thought that in a long time, Sakura. And you were supposed to be weak fresh out of the
Academy. Yet, even then, you were stronger than I anticipated. I feel I should apologize again for
not giving you as much attention as the boys.” He pursed his lips together. Having Ino linking their
minds together for the last month for hours at a time made him want to be more open and honest.
He was looking forward to returning home and keeping his thoughts to himself. “Your crush made
me uneasy and it reminded me of the crush my genin teammate had on me.”

“You were a chunin by the age of six,” Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi laughed quietly and rubbed the back of his neck feeling embarrassed. “Does everyone
know that? I may have been a chunin, but when I was twelve two of my former classmates were
put on a team with me under Master Minato. Obito and Rin. Obito was loud and obnoxious like
Naruto. He was an Uchiha, but he struggled with his shinobi skills. He had a good heart and was
always distracted. He had a huge crush on Rin. She had trained as a medic. This was during the
Third War, so even at twelve she had a decent skill set. I’d been fighting on the front lines since I’d
been six.”

“Six? That’s insanity, Kakashi,” Sakura protested. She reached for Kakashi’s hand, pulling it away
from his neck and he let her. “The whole reason Lord Second established the Academy was to
ensure children didn’t die on the front lines and allow them to have some childhood.”

“Desperate times, desperate measures,” Kakashi murmured, staring down to where Sakura held his
hand. “Rin had a big crush on me. I guess I was sort of like the Sasuke of my generation — calm
temperament, aloof personality, smart and good at everything.”

“Ah, and devilishly handsome too then,” Sakura mused. “There’s something about a confident boy
with dark, intense eyes.”

“I guess.” Kakashi gently extracted his hand. His lip twitched at the compliment. “Unfortunately, I
wasn’t interested in girls, or anyone. I was set to prove my loyalty to the village and a strict
adherence to rules.”

“That’s understandable, after what your father went through,” Sakura said quietly.

Kakashi was surprised she knew about his father, but then she had access to the Hokage’s records
during her apprenticeship and she was always a curious one. He cleared his throat. “Obito on the
other hand had a huge crush on Rin. It made for an awkward team dynamic.” Especially after that
one time Obito’s friend visited from the coast and Kakashi had shown interest. Rin had been almost
intolerable in her attempts to nab his attention after that. He tapped under his left eye at the scar.
“On my first mission leading as a jonin, Master Minato took one objective and I led the rest of the
team on other objective. Rin was kidnapped. I was prepared to leave her behind, Obito was not, so I
followed. I lost my eye protecting him and he lost his life later protecting me.”
 “And Rin transplanted his eye into you,” Sakura reasoned. “It must have been so hard to lose your
teammate and friend.”

“Especially when it kept happening,” Kakashi answered quietly. “Rin died within a year and Master
Minato was gone within two years.” He was surprised by how much he’d shared with Sakura. He
hadn’t opened up to anyone like this — ever. He did trust Sakura and maybe it was knowing her
vulnerabilities, being linked with her over the last several weeks through Ino’s technique definitely
played a role. No wonder Shikamaru was always so irritable.

“Thank you, for sharing these thoughts with me, Kakashi,” Sakura answered. She reached for his
hand again and held it cradled between her own. “Ino and I share a dream to establish a mental
health program as part of the hospital in Konoha, maybe across the ninja villages. There’s been so
much trauma to developing minds and seeing how the children from Root struggled integrating into
society and people like you and Shisui.” She released his hand. “There have been three wars in the
last eighty years. The cause of the second war were injustices caused by the first, and the third was
injustices caused by the second. It’s a cycle of hatred and despair that needs to find a resolution.
Having a leader like Master Tsunade I feel is a real chance for such a change. This mission in Rain
is a step in the right direction.”

“That’s a lovely thought,” Kakashi said quietly. The dark years he served in Anbu and the abuses
he’d received and the attacks he’d inflicted on enemies were all part of that vicious cycle. “We
leave day after tomorrow. As your captain, I order you inform me if you are tired on our return. I
will carry you, Sakura. It’s my job to protect you on this mission. You’ve done your part, let me do
mine.”

“Fine,” Sakura agreed. She turned on her stomach and buried her face in the pillow. “I’m going to
try to get more sleep,” her muffled voice responded.

Kakashi snorted in amusement. He started to run his fingers through his hair and was startled once
again by the length. He was looking forward to getting out of Amegakure and cutting his hair back
to it’s normal length.
.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: Well, you probably figured out that double wedding....

Also, I've written a lot of Xmen fanfiction before and I like treating Ino like Emma Frost my
favorite telepath.
 Tea between the Matriarch and the Godaime

.
.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
The fatigue continued to worsen. While in Ayane’s clinic in Rain, Sakura had glanced through a
book about the reproductive system, focusing on the first trimester embryology and gestation. Her
fatigue was completely normal and should start to improve in another week or two. She would
definitely struggle on the run back home though and she could only hope her team didn’t ask
questions she didn’t want to answer..

“Yo, Sakura?” Kakashi knocked gently on the bathroom door. “Are you almost ready? We’ll eat at
our first break, so we’re heading out soon. Sai and Ino are already waiting at the gate.”

She gripped the edge of the vanity and stared at her pale face. The nausea happened only on
occasion now and she’d not thrown up for at least a week. She managed to direct her chakra to
reduce the acidic level of her stomach. However, nothing seemed to help the fatigue. She slept ten
hours every night and even took a couple of catnaps between patients. Thankfully, the fatigue
hadn’t affected her performance.

Master Tsunade and Shizune-senpai were going to love the medicinal tome she and Sai had created
with the fungi addendum from Rain. Hopefully, everything would go smoothly in a trade agreement
between Konoha, Suna, and Rain in sharing their medicinal herbs. She was eager to get home and
see Sasuke and share the news of her condition— their condition.

Sakura brushed her teeth and then gathered her toiletries. She opened the bathroom door to find
Kakashi sprawled on top of the bed. He cracked his right eye open to look at her. “Let’s go,”
Sakura announced.

A faint smile creased under Kakashi’s familiar black mask. “Alright.”

Konan and Ayane bid their party farewell and the first steps towards reconciling their villages
seemed to be a success. Yahiko hadn’t been seen for the last week of their mission, but that was
okay. He wasn’t exactly much of a talker.

The pace Kakashi set for their team home wasn’t nearly as brutal as their trip to Amegakure. It was
almost leisurely by comparison. Sakura kept up with the steady pace Kakashi set for the first few
hours, but when they stopped for their lunch break her adrenaline finally faded. She leaned back
against a tree and when Kakashi announced it was time to depart, she wanted to cry. It was much
too soon!

The hormones were going to embarrass her. She hadn’t wanted to cry like this since she’d been a
pre-teen or shortly after her parents had left the Leaf. She clenched her hands into fists at her side
and grit her teeth. She would not cry in front of Kakashi. There was no way she’d let herself be so
vulnerable around him. He’d finally started to treat her like a teammate of equal value and she
wasn’t going to lose that because of elevated progesterone levels. She knew her body was
exhausted because it was busy forming the placenta, her peanut sized fetus could hardly be sapping
away this much energy.

Kakashi crouched beside her, his hand rested gently on her shoulder. “Wake up, Sakura. It’s time to
head out,” he said quietly, kindly.

Sakura forced her eyes open and blinked at him blearily, Kakashi’s brow was furrowed with
concern and his visible eye studied her with obvious worry. “Alright,” she croaked. She stood using
pure willpower and adjusted her pack over her shoulders.

“If you’re still tired, I’ll carry you,” Kakashi suggested. He took the pack off her back as well as his
own pack and sealed them both inside a scroll. He stashed the storage scroll into his flak jacket’s
front pocket. It was very expensive to purchase such a storage scroll. “At least I’ll carry your bag.”

“Those kind of storage scrolls are really expensive,” Sakura pointed out. “It took me three months
of mission wages to purchase one for my books.”

“Three months of genin wages,” Kakashi pointed out. “And I made this one myself. I know a little
Fuinjutsu. Master Minato and his wife had been very adept at it. I could teach you what I know, if
you like. It may not be your sensei anymore officially, but I’d enjoy sharing my knowledge with
you.” He gestured towards Sai on the far side of their rest stop. “He’s rather skilled in the art of
Fuinjutsu as well.”

Sakura nodded. “I would like that.” Three years late, but Kakashi was treating her as a fellow
shinobi, rather than a liability. She wasn’t going to risk that by being weak now. “Thanks for taking
my pack. I’m okay, we can get going now.”

Kakashi didn’t press further and their squad headed out. A few hours later, Sakura’s control slipped
just a fraction and she missed a limb. She caught herself, but it was a bit of a scare. Kakashi was
there a moment later because of course he noticed. Wordlessly, he crouched in front of her.

With a sigh, Sakura gratefully climbed onto Kakashi’s back. His strong hands gripped her thighs
firmly and she felt absolutely secure and safe. His long hair was soft as she rested her chin on his
shoulder and she allowed herself to fall asleep.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed that Sai was also carrying Ino and they’d crossed into Fire
Country. They must have traveled at an even faster speed than on their way to Rain. Kakashi called
them for a break for the evening. “Sakura, are you sure you weren’t poisoned?” Kakashi asked
quietly, easing Sakura to her feet and off his back.

“I’m certain,” Sakura answered, touched by his concern. “I know what’s wrong. It will pass in a
few days. I’m sorry to be a burden though. It really is unnecessary to carry me.”

“It’s nothing, Sakura.” Kakashi stretched his neck to either side. “There’s a river. Would you like to
catch some fish with me? We’ll be taking it easy the rest of today and head out at dawn.”

Sakura agreed and they sat next to each other at the riverside. Kakashi pulled out a fishing pole
from his storage scroll, used a tiny amount of earth chakra to disrupt the soil next them and found a
worm not far from the surface to use as bait. Sakura watched in awe. The man really was the most
resourceful and creative person she knew.
“I am sorry for slowing us down,” Sakura murmured apologetically. She stared at Kakashi a
moment, appreciating his long hair, before looking back down at the southern flowing water.

Kakashi shrugged. “We aren’t in a hurry.” He handed the fishing pole over to her. “I used to do this
with my dad. One of my few memories of him that didn’t involve training.” He leaned over the
edge of the shore and stared at his reflection in the slowly moving waters. “Long hair was an
interesting experiment, but I’m glad it’s over.” He pulled out a kunai and chopped the silver length
back to its usual style. He tossed the hairs into the air and with a snap of his fingers creating friction
burnt the hair to ash, the remains blew away in the breeze.

Sakura certainly was envious of Kakashi sometimes. “Did you always have all five chakra
natures?”

Kakashi shook his head. “Lightning and earth were my innate natures. Though, by the time I was
ten, I had all five. My father had three natures and my mother had the other two, so that likely gave
me an advantage.” He glanced at her in concern. “How are you feeling.”

“It’s been a struggle,” Sakura admitted.

Kakashi shrugged. “You’ve been going all out for four weeks. You accomplished your part of the
mission. This part is mine and Sai’s — making sure our chunin partners get home safe and sound.”
He eye-crinkle smiled at her.

“This is nice,” Sakura murmured, enjoying the fresh air. The pole tugged. “Oh! I’ve got a bite!”
She began to reel it in and was shocked by the size of the river trout.

“Nice,” Kakashi commented. He created a bucket out of earth and then added water from the river
into it. They tossed the fish inside of it. “Just a few more and then we’ll have a nice meal for
dinner.”

It wasn’t long before Sakura caught a second fish.

“You know, there’s a lake back at the Hatake estate. Maybe you—-and Sasuke and Naruto would
like to come over sometime,” Kakashi suggested looking away.

Sakura grimaced. “Not sure Naruto is the best personality for fishing. I think Sasuke would like it
though.”

It was embarrassing, but Kakashi ended up carrying Sakura on his back twice during their journey
back. Thankfully, she’d been spared further humiliation when Sai summoned his cartoon creation
ink birds to fly them the last quarter of the distance.

Though, she could admit that she appreciated Kakashi’s strong shoulders and the toned muscles of
his back and his lean waist. She couldn’t help but compare him to Sasuke’s slighter frame. She was
a little sad to see the loss of his ponytail, but the shorter hair did suit Kakashi better.

Sakura had been able to complete their mission report during their evening rest periods. Kakashi
had appreciated her efficiency and told her, he was eager to work on future missions with her.
Sakura wasn’t sure if it was simply because he didn’t have to write a mission report or if he meant
it more genuinely. Though, it might have been a combination of both.
When their team reached Konoha and reported to Master Tsunade, not only did Sakura have their
mission report, but the updated herbal book with the Rain addendum.

The Godaime’s eyes had practically sparkled.

Sakura almost felt bad for ditching her teammates so quickly after their dismissal, but she needed to
talk to Sasuke. She’d been extremely grateful when Shizune had whispered in her ear that Sasuke
had returned earlier that morning.

It didn’t take long to find him, as Sasuke was sitting on the stairs just outside the Hokage tower,
waiting for her. He stood upon seeing her, arms opened wide.

“Sakura,” Sasuke greeted a slight smirk on his lips.

“Sasuke,” Sakura whispered launching herself into his embrace. Almost immediately, he flash-
stepped them away from the tower and they were on the front porch of her house. She laughed,
slightly breathless. “I had wondered if you missed me as much as I missed you.”

“More,” Sasuke answered, ducking his head, the tips of his ears pink. He unlocked the door and
they walked inside. “I came by early this morning and freshened the place up.”

Sakura took a deep breath and enjoyed the scent of fresh roses. They stepped inside, securing the
door behind them and stood in the dining room. Sasuke stood behind Sakura, his hands secured at
her hips, thumbs on the swell of her backside and his fingers pressed over her belly.

In the center of the dining table was a vase of crimson long-stemmed roses. She knew the meaning
behind such a flower arrangement from her close friendship with Ino and surely Sasuke take care in
his flower choice. They represented love that ran deep and was long-lasting.

“Sasuke they are beautiful,” Sakura whispered, feeling her eyes water with emotion. “Thank you.”

He kissed her cheek. “Let’s sleep in tomorrow. Catch up.” He rubbed his thumbs in tiny circles. He
sniffed her hair. “Ugh, you smell like Hatake. What did he do? Carry you back?”

“Part way,” Sakura admitted, turning to face Sasuke and banding her arms around his neck to meet
his dark eyes.

“Why? Chakra exhaustion?” Sasuke frowned. “That’s unlike you. You’re always so careful and
precise in your chakra control.”

“Because, I’m pregnant, Sasuke. We’re pregnant.” Sakura tried to smile, but she was too nervous.
He wasn’t saying anything, nor was he reacting. He simply stared down at her wide-eyed. Sakura
looked away, no longer able to meet his gaze.

Strong, firm fingers gripped her jaw and turned her back to face him. Sasuke leaned down and
kissed her softly. “It’s a bit sooner than I would have hoped, but I am honored to have a family with
you, Sakura.” He leaned his forehead against hers.

Sakura sighed, relieved that he wasn’t upset. She was afraid he’d blame her for getting pregnant. “I
thought you’d be mad.”

“Surprised, but not mad. We—uh—were intimate — a lot,” Sasuke pointed out. “This was always a
risk. I don’t regret it. We should probably speak with my mother about this — tomorrow. Tonight,
let’s just focus on us.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sasuke
.
.
It was two in the morning, but Sasuke couldn’t sleep. He held Sakura in his arms, happy to be
reunited, excited about the idea of being a father, and maybe feeling a little terrified as well. He
knew from a young age that he and Sakura had a special bond, but knowing that they would share a
bloodline, that they would have descendants was truly remarkable.

“Why are you still awake?” Sakura asked, her eyes still closed, but sensing him awake.

“My mind won’t settle,” Sasuke murmured. “By the way, now that I’ve been to the snake cave and
the toad mountain, I was wondering about the slug forest. What’s it like?”

“Um, well, it’s dark. The slugs are patient, but they will melt intruders with acid. Lord Hashirama
trained there and some of the buildings he created are still there,” Sakura answered. “I can take you
there one day if you want.”

“I would enjoy comparing the three realms,” Sasuke said. He hugged Sakura close against him,
enjoying how she fit against him. “How was your mission? Did you get along with Hatake?”

“It went well and yes. Ino was in our heads a lot of the time and I think it affected Kakashi. He
opened up more than I thought he would,” Sakura explained. “He let me grow out his hair and he
wore it in a ponytail for the four weeks we were in Rain. I thought it looked pretty cool, but he cut
it off as soon as we left the area.”

“Oh? So you like long hair now?” Sasuke smirked, trying to imagine Kakashi with a ponytail. He
couldn’t quite picture it. And while Itachi looked good with his hair in a low ponytail, Sasuke
preferred his own short.

“It was an interesting look,” Sakura admitted. Her hands shifted to his hair and ran through his
dark, spiky hair. “But your hairstyle is my favorite and always has been. You make the duck-butt
style sexy.”

Sasuke groaned. Shisui had dubbed his hair style ‘duck-butt’ ages ago and unfortunately the phrase
had stuck. He considered telling Sakura about Naruto’s strange confession, but thought it best to
keep that to himself. He hadn’t quite figured out how to handle that other than he shouldn’t
continue to share a room if Naruto didn’t see him as a brother. It would probably help with the
confusion his best friend was feeling if he created some space. While staying with Sakura was a
tempting option, staying in the civilian sector on a regular basis would be problematic.

“Would you like to go fishing today?” Sakura asked, scratching her nails gently over Sasuke’s
scalp. “Kakashi invited me and said to ask you once we got back.”

“Fishing? Where?” Sasuke wasn’t against the idea. He did appreciate nature and while he usually
hunted game, he wasn’t against fishing.

“Apparently, the Hatake estates has a big lake,” Sakura explained.

“Ah, sure,” Sasuke agreed. He closed his eyes and snuggled against Sakura before falling back to
sleep.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Naruto
.
.
He shouldn’t have said anything. Sasuke wasn’t the most talkative person and now it was as if he
had nothing to say to Naruto. To make matters worse, Kakashi and Sakura’s team returned to the
village later the same day as them and Sasuke had stayed over with Sakura. He was envious, there
was no doubt, but he was also lonely.

They had the next few days off from training. Fugaku insisted on his newly returned clansmen to
rest and recharge before more training. Shisui had been assigned a local patrol with the police and
Naruto found he had nothing to do. So, he headed towards the old public playground. Back before
he’d been adopted by the Uchiha, he’d spent many-a-day at the park.

The old swing set had been upgraded, but it was still sturdy. Without much thought, Naruto pumped
his legs back and forth and began to swing at a decent clip. After a while, he reduced his
momentum and just tried to soak in the warmth of the sun and the fresh air. How lame was he?
Calling himself the sun was so arrogant.

“Naruto?” A timid voice called.

He caught his toes in the dirt and stilled, waiting for her to approach.

“Hello, Hinata.” He expanded his senses, took note of her two guards. He couldn’t help but be
privy to the Uchiha clan’s dislike of the Hyuga.
Fugaku was one of the few that never spoke poorly of Hiashi. He said that he couldn’t look down
upon a man that had his brother killed, when he himself was responsible for the loss of his brother-
in-law. He didn’t know the circumstances of Hizashi’s death. However, what he didn’t care for, was
the enslavement of those in the Hyuga Branch House. Fugaku said it was better to die than to live
as a slave.

Naruto shifted his gaze towards Hinata’s two guards. Sure enough, they had those bands around
their foreheads cloaking their enslavement seals.

“Are you okay?” Hinata asked.

Naruto shrugged. “I’ve been better. How are you?”

“Can I sit with you?” Hinata grasped the chain to the second swing.

“It’s a public park.” Naruto gestured towards the second swing. “It’s been a while. We haven’t
really seen each other since the Chunin Exam.”

They’d been on the same team and while Kiba was just as annoying as he remembered from the
Academy, Hinata had grown more confident and he respected her growth. However, he’d been very
aware that her forehead was unmarked while her cousin Neji wore one of those leather wraps to
hide the seal on his forehead. He couldn’t help but agree with his adopted father’s disgust. He had
to remind himself, Hinata was not her father.

“You were out of the village. How has your training been going?” Hinata asked.

“Fine.” Naruto wasn’t really in the talking mood, but he didn’t want to be alone right now either.
“I’ve been learning a lot and getting stronger. I’m definitely going to be Hokage one day.”

Hinata nodded. “I believe in you. You’ll make a great leader. You proved that on our team.”

Naruto had been the leader in their exam team. He had done a pretty good job. “You’ve grown
stronger too.” He thought to say something more, but his stomach growled loudly. It was lunch
time.

“Would you like to get some ramen together?” Hinata suggested quietly. “My treat — for being
such a great teammate on the Chunin Exams.”

“Uh, sure,” Naruto agreed.

With Hinata’s guards trailing after them, they made haste towards Ichiraku. Teuchi had been
thrilled to see Naruto again after he’d been out of town training for the last several weeks. And
while the conversation was light between Naruto and Hinata, they talked a little about their training
and their favorite flavors of ramen. It was a pleasant meal and the company was okay.

“So, um, Naruto-kun, I wanted to apologize for my father,” Hinata said quietly, staring down at her
noodles. “I’m embarrassed he went to your parents to request a marriage union. We aren’t even
dating.”

“Yeah.” Naruto grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. That had been awkward and his adopted
father, Fugaku, had certainly expressed his opinion with lots of flame.
“But, I — uh — would like to get to know you better, if that’s okay,” Hinata whispered. “I’ve been
working with my cousin, Neji. I’ve grown stronger with my taijutsu, if you’d ever like to spar.”

Naruto wasn’t sure how to respond. It could be fun. Before he could think of an answer, one of
Sasuke’s messenger hawk summons swooped through the open window of Ichiraku with a little
note secured to his talon. Naruto smoothed his hand over the bird’s feathers and it preened under
his palm. He opened the scroll. It was an invitation to join Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi fishing at
the Hatake Estate. Naruto’s heart clenched. Sasuke was inviting him and it would give him a
chance to apologize to Sakura. The incident at the waterfalls had been selfish of him. He should
have just kept his feelings to himself. Then he wouldn’t be worried about whether he upset his two
best friends with his confusing thoughts.

“Is that from Sasuke?” Hinata asked.

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, Team Seven meeting.” He flashed her a warm smile. “Thanks for talking to
me, Hinata. I really needed to see a friendly face. I really enjoyed having ramen with you. Maybe
we should do it again sometime? And I’ll get back to you about the sparring.”

Hinata nodded. “I would like that.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura

“It’s about time you joined us, Idiot,” Sasuke scolded. “You were having lunch with Hinata?”

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at his feet. “Yeah, we ran into each other at the
park. She suggested it and I’m not one to turn down ramen.” He sat next to Sakura, letting his feet
cool in the lake’s water. He glanced on the other side of the peer where Kakashi sat with his pole,
next to Sasuke.

“Why are you all the way over here, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked.

“Because I’m more interested in enjoying my feet in the water than in fishing and don’t want to
distract the fish from Kakashi's bait,” Sakura explained.

“Ah,” Naruto said with a nod. He bumped his shoulder against hers playfully. “I’m glad you’re
back. It’s been too long.”

“Just a little over six weeks,” Sakura pointed out.

Naruto looked past her to where Kakashi and Sasuke were talking quietly about the types of fish in
the lake. “Let’s go for a walk, just you and me.”

“Sure,” Sakura agreed, rising to her feet and dusting her hands on the thighs of her shorts. “We’ll
be back, we’re just going to take a tour around the estate.”

Sasuke’s dark gaze shifted between Sakura and Naruto, his expression unreadable before he nodded
briefly.

“Don’t wander too far, I do have traps set. I’ve tried to adjust them all to recognize your chakra, but
be careful none-the-less in case I forgot one,” Kakashi warned.

With that comforting thought, Sakura and Naruto walked towards the main house. “Is something on
your mind, Naruto?”

“I’m just feeling a little out of sorts,” Naruto admitted. “I don’t always feel comfortable in my own
skin.” He shrugged. “I don’t really know what’s wrong. I don’t think I’m a normal guy.”

“Well, you’re not the only one living in your body. I wouldn’t say you’re not normal, but you are
unique in certain aspects. You’re the host of a powerful entity,” Sakura reasoned. “Naruto, do you
know anything about the nine-tails’ previous hosts?”

“His name is Kurama. And they were my mother and the First Stone Face guy’s wife,” Naruto
answered. He scratched at his head. “Before then, Kurama roamed free, doing what he liked when
he liked.”

“The two previous jinchuriki were female,” Sakura pointed out quietly. She thought back to some
of her conversations with Naruto over the years about their bodies and puberty. “It may be that
Kurama had carried on part of their essence into you, that could be part of why you are confused
sometimes.”

Naruto shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t really know.” He took a deep, shaky breath and then suddenly
wrapped Sakura into his arms into a fierce hug. He buried his face against her neck, his words
muffled against her skin. “I’m really sorry for trying to steal Sasuke away.”

Sakura stood still as a statue, trying to process Naruto’s confession. He tried to steal Sasuke away?
When? How? What did he mean? “Can you maybe explain what you’re talking about?”

“I told him that I loved him — like —had feelings for him and not the brother to brother kind,”
Naruto admitted.

“Oh.” Sakura bit her lip, not really sure what to say and Naruto’s grip on her wasn’t loosened at all.
“I see.” Now was probably not a good time to tell him about her and Sasuke’s situation. Naruto
couldn’t handle his own feelings and this sort of news would probably lead to more self
flagellation. “He’s not mine, Naruto. Sasuke doesn’t belong to anyone, but himself. But I love him
and there’s no shame in you loving him too.” She smiled softly, pulling a little out of Naruto’s
embrace so she could look at him. “I certainly can understand his appeal.”

“He was disgusted, Sakura-chan. You should have seen the look on his face,” Naruto whispered, his
sky-blue eyes glistened with tears.
“Love is complicated. You know not all love is romantic, right? There is the family love too?
Maybe it’s like that, but just really strong. My love for you is more intense than that for my parents.
But, it’s the same kind — family. Does that make me a bad person?”

“Of course, not, Sakura-chan!” Naruto blinked, suddenly her knight in shining armor once more.
He laughed nervously. “And to make matters worse, I had lunch with Hinata — and I liked it. What
kind of person does that make me? Can my feelings even be sincere when I had a good time in her
company?”

Sakura looped her arm through the crook of Naruto’s elbow and started to lead him back to the lake
and their companions. That particular conflict, she understood very well. “It is possible to love
more than one person. It just means you have a big heart.”

“I love you, Sakura-chan. I’m really sorry,” Naruto said quietly.

Sakura leaned her cheek against Naruto’s shoulder as they continued to walk. He was taller than her
too now. “It’s alright, Naruto. And I love you too.”

When they returned to the lake, Kakashi and Sasuke had already caught a half-dozen fish. They’d
turned it into a competition during their absence.

“Everything okay?” Kakashi asked.

Sakura nodded. “We’re fine. What’s next on the agenda?”

Kakashi glanced down at the bucket of fish. “I say we head back to the estate and make dinner.”

“Ah, Sakura and I really need to go soon,” Sasuke protested.

“Oh. Well okay. Thank you both for coming. Naruto?” Kakashi asked. “I feel like you just got
here.”

“I’m free, Kakashi-sensei!”

.
.
.

OoO

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Sakura
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.
The Uchiha household had an air of propriety as Mikoto served tea at the low traditional table in
the family’s kitchen. Sakura and Sasuke sat on the cushions on the floor across from her and Itachi.
Fugaku was still at the police station.
Sasuke exchanged a look with Sakura and squeezed her hand under the table. Then he turned to
face his mother and brother. “Sakura is pregnant with my child and I wish to marry her,” he
announced without any preamble.

“You’re fourteen,” Itachi said quietly, otherwise his expression was neutral.

Mikoto’s eyes narrowed and she focused on pouring their tea. “You would need permission to
marry before the age of consent. I will not grant it. You’re both too young”

Sakura gripped Sasuke’s hand tightly under the table. “We are keeping our baby.”

Mikoto’s dark eyes — so like Sasuke’s — widened in shock and she blinked once, then twice, “Of
course, my grandchild will be welcomed and is cause for celebration — but only within our
immediate family. Sakura, you would be forced into retirement — I know you have aspirations yet
to attain in your career.” Her eyes shifted to Sasuke. “And your father would insist that you switch
from ninja business to the police force, Sasuke.”

Sasuke scowled. “That makes no sense. And we don’t need permission to marry. We’re old enough
to make a baby, we’re old enough to consent for ourselves our future.”

“Unfortunately, somethings may be true, but that doesn’t make them legal,” Itachi said quietly.
“Mother, there must be some way we can protect them.” The two seemed to be holding a silent
conversation that neither Sakura nor Sasuke were privy to the details. “Izumi and I are already
discussing marriage. We could pass the babe as our own until Sasuke and Sakura are established.
Our family would know the truth, but our enemies wouldn’t.”

“Enemies?” Sasuke echoed. “What enemies and why would they care if Sakura and I have a
child?”

“Because this child could be used as a pawn — a member of the Uchiha head family and the
Senju?” Mikoto shook her head. “It would be too tempting for someone like Danzo or even
Orochimaru to get their hands on.”

“I’m not a Senju,” Sakura protested. “I’m just from a civilian bloodline.”

“You’re the apprentice of Tsunade Senju — the closest person she has to a daughter, Sakura,”
Mikoto pointed out. “And your mother is related to the Yondaime.” She directed her attention back
to Itachi. “We’d have to find a way to hide the pregnancy. That’s difficult with Sakura working in
the hospital to so many villagers and unfortunately, you will need to be taken off the active roster if
you wish for a healthy pregnancy,” Mikoto added turning back to Sakura. “We will need to speak to
the Godaime, but otherwise, this child must be kept secret.”

“What about the Kazekage?” Sasuke suggested. “He’s always inviting you to apprentice in Suna
under his grandmother.”

“Lady Chiyo is a legend in the field of medicine,” Sakura agreed. “Sasori can be trusted and I can
work and train in privacy.”

“Shisui will need to be kept in the loop, he can be part of the security detail,” Itachi added.

“I obviously need to be there too,” Sasuke pointed out. “This is my child and my girlfriend.”
“You’ll be there for the birth and for those first couple of months,” Mikoto said, nodding her head
thoughtfully. “Yes, I think this could work. Izumi will be there as well, so when you return, people
will assume the child is hers and Itachi’s.”

“Unless the babe has pink hair and jade-green eyes,” Sasuke pointed out, folding his arms over his
chest petulantly.

“The Uchiha genes are dominant,” Mikoto waved off his concerns. “This sounds like the safest
option.” She smiled apologetically at both Sakura and Sasuke. “I know this was supposed to be an
exciting time for you — starting on a new adventure. But you’re both too young to be settling
down. We will work as a family to make sure your child receives all the love and attention it
needs.”

“I’d like to tell my mother,” Sakura added.

Mikoto’s face paled. “Absolutely not. At least, not right now. First, we speak to the Hokage. And
aside from Izumi and Shisui, no one else knows — well except the Kazekage and his grandmother.
Not even Fugaku is to know — is this understood?”

“Yes,” Sasuke said quietly, he reached for Sakura’s hand again and squeezed it.

Sakura squeezed his hand back. She didn’t like this arrangement one bit. She should be excited
about becoming a mother, not working in the shadows to keep her child a secret like some state-
secret.

“You’re part of the noble clan, Sakura,” Mikoto said gently. “Whether you are married into this
clan, or not, you’re a mother of an Uchiha. There is a lot of hatred directed towards our clan. For
the protection of your unborn child, I ask that you defer to my wisdom. I am confident the Godaime
will agree.”
.
.
.
.
And sure enough, two days later, Lady Tsunade Senju had been invited to a formal tea by the
Matriarch of the Uchiha clan.

Tsunade settled into the silk pillows of the elaborate tea room. Her trio of elite bodyguards waited
just outside the room after they’d done a sweep to make sure there were no traps or wards. Then
Lady Tsunade herself applied the silencing tag to the room for privacy. Her golden-honey eyes
focused between Sakura and Mikoto.

“Normally, I wouldn’t agree to the meeting with any of the clan heads,” Tsunade prefaced the
conversation. “However, since it involved my apprentice and the mother of her boyfriend, I felt I
should make an exception.” Her sharp gaze settled on Sakura. “I don’t suppose this has anything to
do with your ill health during the last mission.”

Sakura clenched her hands into fists under the table, mentally cursing Kakashi for ratting her out.

“Ino and Sai both expressed their concern. They said at one point, Hatake had to carry you back to
the village,” Tsunade continued. “Though, when I asked Hatake, he said you worked many long
hours and it was natural for you to be tired. It had been a delicate mission after all.”
Sakura unclenched her fists and felt the sharp pangs of regret for blaming Kakashi. He actually
stood up for her!

“It is related,” Sakura confirmed with a sharp nod. Mikoto sent her a sharp look and she bit her lip.
Sasuke’s mother was the one in charge of this meeting after all.

“Sakura is with child,” Mikoto announced.

Tsunade nodded, unsurprised, her honey eyes glued to Sakura and dancing with amusement. “I had
noticed that boy could hardly take his eyes off you, much less his hands.” She sighed. “It’s standard
to supply kunoichi with birth control after the age of sixteen.” She waved at Sakura absently. “You
always were precocious.”

“I had thought I had timed things better,” Sakura murmured.

Tsunade laughed. “Where there’s a willful semen, there’s a way!” She turned back to Mikoto. “So,
what’s this? Are you trying to ask my permission for my apprentice to marry your son?”

“They are too young to marry,” Mikoto murmured. “Should they still feel the desire when they are
older — say seventeen or eighteen — they would have my unconditional support.”

“But they only have your conditional support at present,” Tsunade said, reaching for the cup of
steaming tea in front of her place at the table. She took a sip and grimaced. “Really, Mikoto? This
type of conversation and you expect me to be sober?”

A faint smile graced the austere face of the matriarch. She reached into the robes of her dress and
pulled out a silver flask. “Imported sake from Mist,” she explained, unscrewing the bottle and
pouring a generous amount into her own tea. She held it out to Tsunade. “I simply assumed you
would bring your own.”

Tsunade laughed and waved off the flask. She reached into her ample bosom and pulled out her
own elaborately carved flask and poured some amber liquid into her tea. “Of course, I did.” She
looked at Sakura again, a fond smile gracing her painted lips. “So I’m going to have a baby to
spoil.” Her expression grew serious. “Unfortunately, the elders will want to ground you. You’ll
never make jonin now and you’ll be stuck at the hospital permanently. The mother is always
expected to raise the baby in this village. Hell, in all the ninja villages.”

“Unfortunately, this baby will have a target — being half Uchiha from the ruling family no less and
the child of the Senju Hokage’s apprentice.” Mikoto turned towards Sakura. “Dear, why don’t you
tell Lady Tsunade the idea we had.”

Sakura held her tea, but didn’t drink it. She let the warmth seep into her suddenly cold hands.
“Lady Mikoto thought that I should maybe go somewhere else during my pregnancy and when the
babe is born outside of the village — somewhere where my privacy can be maintained.”

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. “Somewhere like where the Kazekage has been begging for years that
you be allowed to train with his notoriously reclusive grandmother? Somewhere like Suna?” She
drained her sake-laced tea. “Damn it. The old crone is going to get her way after all.” She set the
empty cup on the table and glared at Mikoto. “How will that help? She’ll come home with a baby
Uchiha in tow — those dark eyes and dark hair are dominant genes. This baby will be the spitting
image of Sasuke.”
“Izumi and Itachi were planning to marry later this year,” Mikoto explained. “Izumi would
accompany Sakura.”

“I think Lady Chiyo would be happy to train both me and Izumi,” Sakura explained. “Think of the
knowledge we could share between our villages. And after my time in Rain, I could really help
further the bartering and trade of important medicinal herbs as well as knowledge.”

“There you go, appealing to my ego of furthering the progress of modern medicine,” Tsunade
grouched. “I can’t imagine the father will be okay with Sakura being away.”

“He can be sent to guard over her,” Mikoto suggested.

“If the babe is supposed to be Itachi’s, shouldn’t it be Itachi going? Besides, Sasuke is still working
with Naruto,” Tsunade countered, drumming her manicured fingers over the table. The entire table
vibrated under her idle strength.

“I would like for Sasuke to be there for the birth and for when the baby is first born. I’d like us to
spend some time together as a family before we return,” Sakura said quietly. She looked between
the two older women whom she respected. “This baby will be a target for the likes of Orochimaru
and Danzo. Until those two are dealt with, I would feel better knowing my child is protected by the
strongest of the Uchiha. She’ll still be with family and I’ll be able to see her regularly — maybe
under the guise as doting aunt to outsiders, but our family will know.”

“Those are good points and there is still so much you haven’t done in your career. You told me you
want to be a field medic, not a hospital medic, you can’t do that if the elders know you’re a
mother,” Tsunade agreed. “It’s stupid, but we can’t change everything over night.”

“And she’ll move into the Uchiha district,” Mikoto added. “So she can be close to the babe.
Perhaps her parents will decide to rent out their house since they’ve relocated to Tea.” Her dark
eyes flashed. “I do not trust Mebuki to accept this child, so its existence must be kept secret.” She
turned towards Sakura, her face softened in sympathy. “I am sorry, my dear, but your mother’s
hatred for my clan is beyond reason. She blames all the Uchiha for the loss of the Yondaime. And
she has a history of apothecary. You and this babe would not be safe — even if she is your mother.”

Sakura stared at Mikoto in shock. “My mother and I have our differences, but she would never
harm an innocent child.”

“She might not consider the babe a child until after it’s born,” Tsunade reasoned. “I agree. The
pregnancy will be a state secret and the child will be acknowledged as the son or daughter of Itachi
and Izumi. However, the birth certificate will have the truth and I’ll ask the Kazekage to store it in
his tightest security.” She growled. “That little brat and the crone are going to hold this over me.”

“So, it’s happening. I’m going to be in Suna for the rest of the year,” Sakura said quietly. She
thought about the improvement in her relationship with her Team Seven squad, Ino and Sai.
Hopefully, all the precious bonds she’d been forging would not suffer.

“Yes, you’ll leave next week. And you’ll stay until the babe is six months old. You’ll be in Suna for
at least fourteen months, Sakura. I expect you to have activated your Byakugou seal by then.” She
poured straight sake into her empty tea cup and drained it. “You better not disappoint me. And now
I’m going to have to lower the age of supplying birth control to the kunoichi. Precocious brat.” A
faint smile lifted her lush lips. “After centuries of rivalries and bloodshed, there will finally be a
true union of Uchiha and Senju.”
“I’m not Senju,” Sakura protested.

Tsunade scowled and reached across to poke Sakura’s forehead. “You unlock my seal girl and I
dare anyone to say you’re not a Senju — adopted by me if not by blood.”

“Can Shisui come too?” Sakura asked. “He’s been a big brother to me my whole life.”

Tsunade nodded. “Part of the time. I can’t spare all my best Uchiha just because you’re procreating
with them.” She frowned. “Don’t tell Hatake. He seems overly protective of you these days.” She
flashed a sympathetic smile towards Mikoto. “It probably wouldn’t be good for Sasuke’s health if
he were to find out.”
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.
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 The Suna Apprenticeship
Chapter Notes

A/N: Wow…1200 kudos, 40K views…I’m so seriously moved by the interest in this story.
Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy this odyssey through
the end! This chapter has some violence and references to Kakashi’s childhood abuse.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

.
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Kakashi
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.
He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Guy. His heart wasn’t in the competition- seriously how
serious was jumping rope until you tripped going to be? They’d both reached five hundred jumps at
this point — Lee counting for Guy and Tenzo counting for Kakashi.

He’d been eager for the distraction. He’d only been back from the mission to Amegakure with
Sakura, Sai, and Ino for a couple of days before he learned his temporary roommate for the past
month was leaving again. The Godaime had finally approved the Kazekage’s request that Sakura
apprentice under Lady Chiyo in Suna. Kakashi had offered to be on the escort team, but Tsunade
had refused his request. Apparently, old lady Chiyo still had nightmares about the White Fang.
Since Kakashi was the spitting image of his father, he’d been understandably sidelined.

Kakashi finally let his guard down, formed a real connection with Sakura after years of
misunderstanding each other. And then she left. Though, he wasn’t the only one upset about her
departure. He ran into Sasuke a couple times in the last few days and he was equally bummed out.
Though, of course for completely different reasons. Sasuke was dating Sakura. Kakashi
was….good friends with her.

Itachi and Shisui had accompanied Sakura and Izumi, along with Shikamaru and Temari. Temari
had been in Konoha for the past couple of weeks, representing Suna in a few formal meetings with
the Godaime and the council. It hadn’t taken long for the message to pass between the two kages.
Then Kakashi had been invited to a small wedding ceremony between Itachi and Izumi Uchiha.
He’d sat in the row directly behind Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto with some of his Ro Teammates.
And maybe he’d enjoyed sharing a dance with Sakura at one point, but he didn’t miss the heated
glare Sasuke had sent his way.

He tripped on his rope and cursed when Guy shouted in victory. He sighed in defeat, knowing his
drifting thoughts once again cost him a victory.

“You did well, Captain,” Tenzo murmured. “Nine-hundred and seventy-five.”

“My rival! Did you get distracted? Where did your mind drift?” Guy asked, wiping the back of his
hand across his wide, sweaty brow.

“Just thinking back on the wedding,” Kakashi answered. It had been a small celebration — Itachi
and Izumi obviously, but also Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke, Izumi’s mother, Shisui and his father,
Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Genma, Yugao, Shizune and Tsunade Senju. It was a fairly small affair
considering Itachi was the Uchiha heir. “I don’t understand why anyone would choose to
honeymoon in Suna.”

“You mentioned Sakura will be doing an apprenticeship in Suna,” Tenzo said, handing Kakashi a
canteen of water. “Do you know how long she’ll be gone? It seemed like she was just starting on
the path to achieving Jonin. It will be hard to get the missions she needs if she’s studying.”

Kakashi took a long pull from the canteen and then dumped the rest of the water on top of his head
to cool off. “At least a year.” She asked if she could write him before she left and he was actually
looking forward to these promised letters. He even planned to write her back! Not that he would
admit to anyone that he was going to be writing one of his former students.

“So, does that put you back on the solo-A and S class missions?” Tenzo asked.

Kakashi shook his head. “Anbu Commander asked me to come back to Konoha. I’ll be leading the
team hunting down Danzo.” He laid his hand over Tenzo’s shoulder. “Ready for a Ro reunion?”

Tenzo’s dark eyes blazed. “He should have been stopped long ago. I am eager to help bring down
that shadowy figure that betrayed the trust of the village.”

Kakashi nodded. That was one dark chapter he was ready to close and happily forget about.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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She’d settled into Suna easily enough. The travel from Konoha to Suna had been slower than usual,
as there was no real need to hurry and she was pretty nauseated and tired still. Izumi had been a
great companion and Itachi had seemed relieved to be allowed a small wedding rather than the
stately affair his clan would have preferred.

Chiyo had actually been thrilled to have two apprentices. She’d been disappointed that Sasori had
no interest in medicine and was hoping that having younger medics from Konoha might also help
building the Suna medical system. And before she started showing too much, Sakura and Izumi
were both active with the Suna hospital. The large, billowing white-coat certainly was helpful at
hiding a certain roundness in Sakura’s midsection.

Itachi had only been able to stay with them for a couple of months before he’d needed to return to
Konoha and help with Anbu missions and Clan business. Izumi hadn’t minded. She had explained
to Sakura that the life of a shinobi wife was to appreciate when your husband was home and pray
for him when he was working.

Sakura was confused until Izumi explained that in the Uchiha clan, all mothers retired from active
shinobi duty to raise their children. The only exception was being allowed to work in the hospital if
one was trained in medicine, but even that was frowned upon. Sakura was starting to appreciate
Mikoto’s interference in Sasuke’s desire to marry Sakura. She would hate to be a dedicated
housewife. She wanted it all — family and career. Was that too much to ask? It didn’t seem like it
should really be a problem considering husbands and fathers didn’t give up their career when they
had a family.

After Sakura reached seven months along, she could no longer work at the hospital. Though Izumi
did, but wearing a pillow under her shirt to sell the story. It seemed ridiculous, but Sakura accepted
the rouse. Her company these days had been limited to Lady Chiyo, Izumi, the Kazekage, and
Shisui, and her letters back and forth with Kakashi. She’d tried to write with Sasuke and Naruto,
but Sasuke was a man of few words and Naruto’s handwriting was so illegible it gave her
headaches trying to decipher his scrawl. She occasionally wrote to Ino, but it became clear that her
childhood friend was irritated that Sakura had been chosen for the apprenticeship and she’d not
even been considered.

Shisui had started dating Sasori’s cousin, Lyna. It was pretty cute seeing her big brother figure
blushing and nervous. He often came to her for advice and she helped him pick sentimental floral
arrangements — with meanings she learned from Ino. She also gave practical advice, like be clear
in his intentions and listen to her, but also share his own thoughts. That was something Sasuke was
pretty bad at and it bothered Sakura.

She stared down at the letter she’d been composing for her correspondence with Kakashi. He might
not have talked a whole lot in person, even when they’d shared a room together in Amegakure.
However, he did hold his end of a conversation and had good input and was a great listener.

Kakashi,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m adjusting to life here — it’s arid yet there are clever irrigation
systems used by the farmers and drought-hardy vegetation that thrive here. Lady Chiyo has her
own green house — apparently the Kazekage comes from a very prominent family. He’s from part of
the Suna nobility. I imagine that’s why his parents were targets. It’s a shame that your families are
tied together in tragedy. I’ve spoke with Lady Chiyo about you at length and she’s decided she
doesn’t hold a grudge against you for the sins of your father. Maybe you can come and visit some
day? I’m glad our villages formed an alliance — there is so much we can learn from each other.
Our cultures are just different enough to inspire new thoughts and creativity.

Izumi and I have worked with other medics for our first few months here at the hospital and it was
nice to see the improvement in skills after just a few helpful tips that I was able to give that I
learned from Master Tsunade and Shizune-senpai. I love Izumi, but I surpassed her skills in my first
six months as a medic. That’s not to say she’s not talented. She’s still working at the hospital while
I’ve taken to working in some complicated research with Lady Chiyo at her family’s estate.

The field of prosthetics here is much more advanced than back home. After an injury, many of the
shinobi here opt for body modification. I’m also working with the Kazekage on cloning organs. I
know you lost your eye in battle and your teammate transplanted your friend’s and it’s a constant
assault on your immune system having the foreign DNA. I’m also concerned about how the use of
the Mangekyou Sharingan affects your visual acuity. I’ve found some ways to improve this with my
close work with you, Itachi and Shisui, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Your optic nerve is
working a lot harder than theirs.

Enough about the science. The stars here are very pretty at night. I think you’d enjoy the view from
the roof of the hospital. I know it’s silly, but I’m actually having a hard time sleeping these days. I
got used to having you beside me, that it’s weird. It’s been months. Oh well. Have you ever had that
problem before? I know you’ve had a lot more mission partners other than me.

I have access to Gaara’s family’s library. It’s massive. There’s no Icha Icha I’m afraid, but I think
you’d enjoy the variety. Are you picking up any new hobbies? Are you training in any new jutsus?
You mentioned working on some sort of teleportation with your eye. How’s that going? I’m working
on a refined soldier pill — cleaner, more energy, less hang-over. Once I perfect it, I’ll see what you
think of them. I think it would be really helpful in your chakra recovery.

I didn’t mean to write a novel. I guess I missed you more than I thought I would

Sakura.

A few weeks later, she received a letter back from Kakashi. It was hand delivered by Sasuke. She’d
hugged him around the neck, discovering he’d be replacing Shisui in Suna as her “guard” and
Itachi was also going to be in Suna. She was due to deliver within the month and it was getting
pretty uncomfortable lugging around an eight pound baby in the desert climate.

“Hey,” Sasuke greeted, standing at the door of her private apartment. He smiled down at her, a shy
smile on his face and his eyes widened as he soaked in the changes in her appearance. The smile on
his face widened.

Sakura waddled towards him and then flung her arms around his neck, hugging him as best she
could with her new center of balance. “Sasuke,” she murmured against his neck.

“You’re so big!” Sasuke whispered, a laugh erupting from his lips. “Sorry, I mean, wow. It’s so
strange to see you this way.” He held onto her shoulders and looked down at her, his dark eyes
bright with affection. “You look lovely.”

Sakura drew him inside the room and after closing the door smiled up at him. She shifted to stand
in front of him and pressed her lips against his. He’d grown taller in the months since they’d last
seen each other. Sasuke had been hesitant in returning her kiss, but he did, but with decidedly less
enthusiasm than the last time they’d parted. Sakura leaned back and stared up at him with a frown.

“Sorry,” Sasuke murmured, looking sheepish. “It’s just, you’re about to be a mom. It feels wrong to
be— I dunno — romantic?” He grimaced. “Sorry, I’m probably explaining it wrong.”

Sakura released his shoulders, hurt by his explanation. He was about to be a dad, but that didn’t
make her see him any different. She didn’t bother to point that out to him. She smiled up at him,
one of her fake, polite smiles. “How long are you here for?”

“Ah, until after the baby,” Sasuke answered, dropping his bag inside her room. He then looked
between his bag and her. “Is it okay if I stay with you? I can sleep on the floor. I want to be at your
side in case you need anything.”

“Um, sure,” Sakura answered, avoiding his gaze. Why wouldn’t he want to sleep with her? She
wasn’t so big that she took up the whole bed. She turned her back on him and straightened her
queen-sized bed, just looking to busy herself. Sasori had wanted to give her a king-sized bed, but
consented to the slightly smaller option. This reunion wasn’t going very well in her opinion.

Sasuke tapped her shoulder with an envelop. “Kakashi asked me to give this to you. We just
finished a mission together. Found some more clues about Danzo and Orochimaru. Hopefully,
they’ll catch them both soon.”

Sakura took the envelop and sat immediately on her bed, stretching her legs out in front of her.
Eagerly, she opened the letter and laughed immediately spying the cute cartoon he’d drawn in the
corner — a couple of his ninken playing around an elaborate sketch of a cherry blossom tree in full
bloom. He really was a pretty decent artist.

Sasuke sat next to her, mimicking her position. “I’m just going to shut my eyes for a few minutes,
take a little nap if that’s okay,” he asked.

Sakura blinked up at him, momentarily confused why he wanted to sit next to her, yet planned to
sleep on the floor. Was he trying to read the letter? “Sure, take all the time you need. I have today
off for leisure and was planning to read and mostly keep my feet up.”

“Let me know if you need anything,” Sasuke murmured and then closed his eyes.

Sakura,

Yo. I am indeed working on some new jutsus. I’ll show them to you when you get back home —
hopefully the kinks will be worked out by then. I’m sure you’ve been impressing the medical experts
in Suna by now. The new soldier pills sound promising. The cloning of organs will certainly be
useful should another war knock on our doors. Unfortunately, with our line of work, it seems likely.

As far as how I sleep— I don’t normally get too close with my mission partners and over the last
few years, predominantly take solo missions. If it’s a bad night, I do have my pack. I found myself
missing you as well at the oddest of times. It’s weird, we’ve known each other for a few years now,
but I feel like I just met you on our last mission and then you're gone. I don’t make friends easy and
I certainly don’t write letters back and forth, but I’m curious about what you’ll find there. I’ve done
months’ long missions before— infiltration. I haven’t ever been invited to another village as myself
with an opportunity to learn. I can’t blame the Kazekage — he’s recognized your beautiful mind
back during the chunin exams. Though, I must admit, Shisui has always been your biggest promoter
— even when you were a little kid at the Academy.

I’m envious of the stars and the library. Maybe I’ll find a way to come and visit you. I tried to get
assigned to Suna, but the Godaime had denied my request. Maybe now that you’ve soothed Lady
Chiyo’s ruffled feathers I’ll get to see what all the fuss is about. I can’t let the only friendly faces
you see be Uchiha clansmen. I actually ran into Sasuke the other day — he’s more surly than usual.
I guess he’s missing you too. I do find myself wondering what kind of letters you’re writing him.
Naruto asked for my help in writing you back — his original letter was rather challenging to
cypher. Hopefully, the version that made its way to you makes a little more sense. To be honest, I’m
not the only one that’s been requesting to visit with you in Suna. Naruto’s requests have also been
denied — apparently, as a tailed beast holder, the council has deemed it too dangerous for him to
travel outside of the village. Which, to be fair, does make sense. His mother was generally trapped
within the perimeter too while she was alive. It drove her crazy.

If you want, I could probably see about letting one of my hounds stay with you. I’ll have to chat
with them, but I could see about extending the contract to you so you could summon one of them. I
know you have the contract with the slug, but Sasuke has both the hawks and that one snake. I’m
sure he’d help you figure it out. Send your next letter back with one of Sasuke’s hawks that way I
can answer you right away.

Let me know.

K.

“Did he have anything interesting to say?” Sasuke asked, his eyes closed, but seeming to sense
when Sakura folded the letter back up to place it in the envelop.

“He’s offered to let me borrow one of his ninja hounds to keep me company,” Sakura answered.
“Looks like he and Naruto both requested to be assigned to Suna, but Master Tsunade is keeping
them away. Though, it should be fine after the baby is born.”

Sasuke’s eyes were opened and he was studying her carefully. “If you want him to come visit, I’ll
make sure to see that it’s arranged. It’s my parents that are taking all these precautions. I understand
why — it’s fine if Izumi gives up her active status, but you’ve got too much to offer the village.”

“Yeah,” Sakura murmured, rubbing her hand over her belly. She felt their daughter kick against her
hand. “Oh!” She grabbed Sasuke’s hand and laid it over her womb and her heart warmed at the
smile that spread across his stoic features. “That’s your daughter, Sasuke. She must like your
voice.”

“You think so?” Sasuke asked and he was answered with another flurry of activity.

“You could maybe read a story or sing to her,” Sakura suggested.

“I’m not much of a singer, but I can recite a story my mother used to read to me as a child. It’s
more of a history lesson, but I always liked it.” Sasuke laid down, keeping his hand on Sakura’s
womb and positioned himself so that his mouth was very close to the baby. He fell into a recitation
of ancient Uchiha lore, talking about the magic of the susanoo and their legendary powers and
weapons of protection. “The Uchiha are known for their intense love, my princess. We fiercely
protect that which is ours and will not stop at anything to defend those precious to us.” Sasuke
glanced up and met Sakura’s eyes for a moment before he continued.

Sakura felt her own self grow drowsy listening to the sound of Sasuke’s deep voice. It had also
changed in the time they’d been apart and the sound was incredibly soothing.
.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
.
It had been two weeks since Kakashi led a team of current and former Anbu members — himself,
Shisui, Tenzo, Yugao, Gekko, Genma, and Tsunade’s senior Apprentice Shizune. Their objective
was to track down Danzo and eliminate him. Their luck truly took a turn for the better when The
Sannin Jiraiya caught up with them along with Pain and Konan from Amegakure.

Kakashi had been surprised at the two foreign shinobi joining their group, but quickly came to
appreciate their skills. They were certainly a little nicer to be around on neutral ground than they’d
been during his mission to Rain. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder if that humanitarian mission
led to their cooperation with Konoha.

This time, they actually caught the old warmonger! The elusive Danzo wasn’t able to slip through
their hands after years of escaping. Orochimaru might have gotten away — the slippery snake that
he was, but Danzo was an old man. His child soldiers weren’t as many as when he’d been running
Root as the covert black -ops to the official Anbu black-ops.

Some of the child soldiers might be able to be rehabilitated, but many of them chose to defend their
leader to the death. Though, without the Aburame orphan he used in the past to poison his prey.
Thankfully, Itachi had rid the world of that particular menace.

During the battle, Danzo’s bandages were removed. And it was only Shisui’s forest-green Susanoo
and it’s barrier that protected their group from the repeated assaults of countless Sharingan eyes
implants into a pasty-white right arm. No matter how many times they defeated Danzo, he seemed
to keep cheating death and reversing the outcome of their attacks.

“I know this ability,” Shisui murmured. “This was my grandfather Kagami’s power.” He pointed
his tanto blade towards Danzo’s bandaged right eye. “This explains why he targeted me those years
ago.” He asked Kakashi to cover him and then using his superior sleep that had earned him his
nickname Shisui of the Bodyflicker, he’d snatched the stolen right eye from Danzo.

Kakashi was right their beside him and sliced off the Root Commander’s freak-ish right arm and all
those stolen Sharingan repeatedly blinked at him — at least the ones that hadn’t closed forever after
whatever attack Danzo had sacrificed them for.

Standing over the helpless old man, for his child soldiers had been restrained, caught in wooden
prisons by Tenzo or dead at the hands of his team. Konan and Pain flanked Kakashi as he stood
over the monster that had brutalized Kakashi as a young teen after Minato-Sensei had died. The
monster that had raped and sodomized Kakashi all in the name of “training” and he knew that he’d
done that to plenty of other defenseless children under his authority. No one had stopped him and
the victims accepted it as part of their duty.
“Do you recognize this face, old man?” Pain asked, his monotone question unnerving for even
Kakashi to listen. “Yahiko was a good man and you had him killed to strike war into a village that
had finally found peace because it wasn’t profitable to you.”

Konan met Kakashi’s gaze, her usually emotionless facade pinched with grief. “I’m sure he’s
wrong you as well, Hatake. Would you like the honors?”

Shisui was at their side a moment later. “Let’s not forget that you murdered my grandfather — your
teammate and stole his eye just like you tried to steal mine.” Green bars of energy held the old man
in place.

“I did steal your eye,” Danzo spat, his single left eye focused on Kakashi. “Your little skank
girlfriend stole it back — I know she did. The one with that purple diamond on her forehead. I’ve
been trying to find her for nearly a decade. Where did she go?”

Kakashi didn’t know what he was talking about. “I think we’ve listened to enough from you. Even
if I knew where she was, I wouldn’t tell you! I have one request and then the rest of you can finish
him off. We have authority to kill.” He focused his lighting chakra into the tips of his index fingers.
He’d used this move before more as a joke amongst friends, but he remembered when his father
taught him the move as a deadly attack. “As I believe you’re the reason my father decided to kill
himself, think of this as a gift from him for what you put me and countless other boys and girls
through you creep.”

The smell of ozone was strong and he channelled a deadly amount of lighting into his fingers. It
wouldn’t kill him right away, but it would be a mortal blow. “A Thousand Years of Pain,” he
declared his gaze flickering briefly to Pain and witnessing a small smile on the other man’s face.
Then Kakashi shoved his fingertips to the warmonger’s anus and fried his colon and prostate with
the power of a bolt of lightning.

The scream out of the old man’s throat was loud enough to hear for miles.

Kakashi smiled grimly as he inspected his work. “A chidori up your asshole is exactly what you
deserve for all the little boys and girls you raped and murdered.”

Konan dissolved into tiny paper cranes and then sliced and diced the man’s remains until he was a
crispy pile of wet meat.

“And I think this nightmare can finally be over,” Shisui declared with a sigh. He slung his arm
around Kakashi’s shoulders. “You going to be okay?”

Kakashi nodded. He was bothered by Danzo’s comment about his friend with the purple diamond
on her forehead. Was that part of his stolen memories? “I’m fine. I’m just glad to be done with him
once and for all.”

“Maybe we can all move on,” Pain agreed.

.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
On her sixteenth birthday, Sakura unlocked her Byakugo seal — a purple diamond stood proud on
her forehead. A few days later, Sarada was born with Sasuke at her side, holding her hand
throughout the hours long labor. Their daughter was beautiful with her dark eyes and wispy dark
baby hair. Sarada loved snuggling both her parents and while Sasuke had spent the last two months
sleeping on the floor, he’d taken to the bed when Sarada had been born. Their sleeping baby
snuggled between them in a cozy family unit.

It had been nice and yet frustrating. Sasuke’s kisses had been half-hearted at best and extremely
chaste. It was as if he didn’t see her as a woman anymore, but as a mother. It wasn’t that he ignored
her — he was very attentive — making sure she was taken care of in regards to providing meals,
giving feet massages and accompanying her and Sarada on walks through the village with the baby
carrier strapped across one or the other’s chest. Though, the official report was that Sarada was the
child of Itachi and Izumi. No one questioned the younger brother and his girlfriend for wanting to
give the “new parents” a break and taking the baby out for daily walks in the village.

Honestly, the most thrilling part of Sakura’s life these days was when she wrote to Kakashi.
Though, her latest letter had been difficult to write. She’d told him about unlocking her Seal of A
Hundred, but not mentioning the birth of her daughter felt incredibly dishonest. He’d written that
his last mission had been very successful and that he was working on getting to visit her soon.

“You alright?” Sasuke asked, looking over from the rocking chair in the room. Sarada was sleeping
in the crook of his arm and he was shirtless. Sasuke seemed to really enjoy the skin-to-skin bonding
with their daughter.

Sakura flashed him a genuine, soft smile. “Just feeling a little restless.” Sarada was three months
old now and Sakura had healed from the childbirth. She felt a little rundown. She loved her
daughter, but between nursing the bottomless pit, changing diapers, an erratic sleep schedule, and
Sasuke not showing Sakura even an ounce of romance, she felt drained.

He gestured with his free hand towards the paper and pen on her nightstand. “Writing to Kakashi
again?”

Sakura nodded. She gestured towards the stack of paper. “I’ve also been working on a letter for
Naruto. Are you sure you don’t want to add something? It would mean a lot to him if you were to
write him as well, Sasuke.”

Sasuke sighed. “I have other things to do than to worry about Naruto’s feelings.” He pressed a kiss
to the crown of Sarada’s head over her wispy dark hair. “I’m a father. I don’t want to encourage
him.”

“You can’t avoid him,” Sakura murmured. “He’s our friend. Family. He needs us — both of us.
He’s got to be so frustrated to be stuck in the village so often especially when we’re both here.”
Sasuke’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “Fine, I’ll write a sentence or two. Let me think about
what I want to say.” His dark eyes focused on their daughter and he let out a frustrated breath. “I
can’t say what I actually would want to say. Everything else feels superfluous.”

“You’re being evaluated for a place in Anbu — maybe tell him about that?” Sakura suggested.
“You don’t have to write about your deepest, darkest thoughts.”

“I guess,” Sasuke murmured, sounding unconvinced. He stared down at the sleeping baby in his
arms. “Regardless of the legal labels, the three of us are family —Mama, Papa, and baby Sarada.”
He hugged their daughter, earning a faint squeal of protest that quickly settled. “You’re my ladies
and I’ll always love you no matter what, I promise you this.”

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
.
Finally, he’d been approved for a turn in Suna to watch over the Uchiha heir and his wife.
Apparently, their baby was about to turn six months old at this time and they’d be returning to
Konoha and needed an escort of trusted shinobi. Kakashi was one such trusted shinobi.

Truth be told, as much as he liked Itachi, it was the chance to visit with Sakura that made him
excited. She sounded pretty down in her last few letters, but maybe she was simply homesick. He
hadn’t told her about his assignment to Suna, hoping to surprise her. He’d be there for a few weeks
before the trip home — it would give them a good chance to catch up. He was eager to see the
library she boasted about and the stars of the Suna night sky.

He’d been met by Itachi and Sasuke when he first arrived in Suna alongside the other Anbu
selected for the guard detail. Kakashi had been the only one to remove his mask, as he’d been
asked to come under his normal identity as a respectable Jonin of Konoha.

“Sakura is accompanying Izumi in the village on their daily stroll,” Itachi explained. Kakashi
caught the strange flash of emotion that lit up Sasuke’s eyes and wondered about that. “It’s good to
see you. I heard from Shisui that Danzo was finally eliminated.”

Kakashi nodded, slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, good riddance.” He tossed
his bag to Gekko with his gear. “If you’ll drop that off in my room. Let the Kazekage know I’ll be
visiting with Sakura first then I’ll check in.” Before anyone could argue, Kakashi set about tracking
down his friend.
It wasn’t long before he found the two kunoichi. For a moment, seeing Sakura with the baby carrier
strapped to her chest, laughing with Izumi at her side, a prominent purple diamond on her forehead
made Kakashi dizzy. For the briefest of moments, he thought maybe that baby didn’t belong to
Itachi and Izumi, but was in fact Sakura’s, but that idea was preposterous. She was way too young
to be a mother.

He materialized in front of them, earning three pairs of wide eyes — two dark and one jade. “Yo,”
Kakashi said, raising his hand and feeling ridiculously shy. He could feel his cheeks heat up in
embarrassment and was grateful once again for his mask.

“Kakashi! What are you doing here?” Sakura gasped, her hands flying to the baby strapped to her
chest protectively, cradling her bottom and tiny shoulders.

“Hello, Hatake,” Izumi greeted bowing her head slightly. She gestured towards Sakura with a warm
smile. “Sakura is being a dear and giving this new mama a break from motherhood — be it briefly.”

“Congratulations, Izumi, ” Kakashi murmured. He gestured towards the dark-haired creature. “She
looks just like her father.”

Sakura let out a strangled sound.

Kakashi immediately patted her gently on the back. “Are you okay?” When she nodded he
removed his hand from her and shoved his hands back into his pockets, otherwise he might be
tempted to hug her — the urge was strong. “Congratulations on unlocking your Seal of a Hundred,”
he said instead gesturing with his chin to her forehead. “It looks good on you.”

Sakura smiled. “Thanks,” she answered breathless. “I can’t believe you’re here!”

An alleycat got into a fight with a rat in a nearby alley, making a terrible screeching sound that
jarred Sarada from her sleep. The baby let out a terrifying shriek and clutched at Sakura and then
suddenly Sakura’s shirt front was soaked through. Kakashi’s eyes widened in realization. He shifted
his gaze back and forth only catching the panic in both kunoichi’s eyes.

“Shhhh, baby girl, it’s okay,” Sakura cooed, staring intently at the baby strapped to her chest.

“We should head back,” Izumi worried. “I’ll uh…feed her and settle her.”

Kakashi arched his eyebrow at that. “You know, I’ve spent most of my life around dogs and dealing
with litters of puppies every spring.” He gestured towards Sakura’s dampened shirtfront and the
way that the baby was desperately clawing at her breasts. “Look, I can keep a secret. Where can I
take you for some privacy?”

Izumi rubbed her forehead with a grimace. “There’s a building not far from here with a room for
nursing mothers and their family. We can go there.”

So, minutes later, the four of them were in a private room reserved for families — Kakashi
supposedly standing guard while he stood at the door, his back to the women while Sakura nursed
her daughter. He grit his teeth, understanding now why he’d been denied his request before. She
had a baby — with Sasuke. He felt betrayed that she’d not shared this with him in spite of all their
letters.

“You have questions,” Sakura said quietly. “I wanted to tell you, but I was under orders.”
 Kakashi nodded. That made sense. Though, now that he’d seen that purple diamond on Sakura’s
forehead, Danzo’s words haunted his mind. Was there some way that Sakura could have been that
girl from his past? But then, how? It made no sense. It wasn’t like time travel was a thing.

“So you and Sasuke are?” Kakashi asked. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was asking. He knew she
was with Sasuke, why should he be feeling betrayed? He and Sakura were friends. He cared about
her — as friends.

“It’s complicated,” Sakura murmured. “If the council learned about baby Sarada, I’d be forced to
retire as a chunin and devote myself to the hospital whenever I returned from maternity leave. This
way, I can still achieve my jonin status and continue to train and grow in my knowledge and
strength. Master Tsunade wasn’t going to let me be forced into retirement.”

“And neither would Lady Mikoto,” Izumi added. “Itachi and I were planning to marry anyway. A
child would be expected. I never liked the field and prefer the hospital. It seemed a logical cover
story.”

“Were you just going to let someone else raise your child?” Kakashi demanded. As an orphan, he
felt rather sensitive about the subject. Though, the reasoning was valid, he didn’t want Sakura
forced into early retirement either. The double standards between men and women of the shinobi
world were hard to ignore.

“She’ll be living in the district with the rest of us,” Izumi answered. “Sarada is family. The
privilege of raising her won’t fall upon just Sakura — the little baby has an entire clan excited to
shower her with attention.”

“Would you like to sit by me, Kakashi?” Sakura asked quietly. “I’m done nursing her. She’s asleep
again.”

Kakashi closed his eyes. “Let me escort you back to your rooms. We can talk more later.” He
turned to face them and flashed his eye-crescent smile her way. “You owe me a tour of the library
and an astrology lesson on the local constellations.”

The warmth in Sakura’s smile made his heart soar and he knew he’d said the right thing. Tears of
relief fell from those beautiful jeweled eyes of hers. “I’d really like that,” she whispered.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: So…that was a doozy. Hope you enjoyed it! You can see the end of SasuSaku and the
building of KakaSaku at this point. I’m gonna take a little break again as I wrap up a couple
of my other ongoing stories. Thanks so much for your support!
 Sweetheart
Chapter Notes

A/N: J/K, only a few day break instead of the couple of weeks I anticipated. I just was really
inspired on this chapter and hope you enjoy it. KakaSaku sweetness galore...and....I'm sorry
it's probably giving you guys whiplash trying to figure out that future double wedding!

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
The walk back to her Suna apartment was awkward to say the least, but at least baby Sarada was
sleeping snug against Sakura’s chest in the baby carrier. At least her shirt wasn’t damp anymore,
thanks to the arid desert climate.

Izumi had completely failed at pretending that Sarada was her child, but hopefully that was just
because it was Kakashi — and who wants to lie to the village hero? It should go easier back home
so long as no one asks and people just make assumptions. Though, Sakura needed to give her friend
some slack — she was eight weeks pregnant herself and she remembered how tired she’d been
during that time. Their expected return with one baby in tow and with Izumi expecting would
certainly help sell their story. Everyone will simply assume that Itachi and Izumi can’t keep their
hands off each other.

Sakura had forgotten just how much gravitas Kakashi’s presence imposed and wasn’t surprised
Izumi folded so quickly. Sakura didn’t exactly last longer in the cover story and she was okay
omitting details, but she wasn’t capable of lying to this man. She respected and cared about
Kakashi too much for that. He was definitely in his serious, protective mode. Once they reached her
apartment, Izumi retreated across the hall. They were on the top floor of the three-story private
complex, no other neighbors on their floor. The floor below them belonged to Lady Chiyo and her
brother Ebizo. The first floor belonged to Ebizo’s granddaughter Lyna and also had Sasori’s private
apartment, though it was mostly storage for his puppetry since he lived in the Kazekage Tower.

The majority of the top floor of the complex was Chiyo and Sasori’s private laboratory. Sakura
rarely needed to leave the building — except for her daily morning runs, afternoon strolls with
Izumi and Sarada and occasional sparring sessions with Itachi or Shisui — depending on which one
was in the village. It would have been nice to spar with Sasuke, but it was nice to have some
breathing room considering how cramped their apartment could get. Sarada was always in the
company of Sakura, Sasuke, Izumi, or Itachi.

Kakashi had stepped inside her small living quarters. The tension in his shoulders eased the
slightest bit. The sight of his familiar silver hair, jonin blues, green flak jacket, and masked face
sent a sharp surge of homesickness straight to Sakura’s gut. It took more will power than she was
willing to admit to resist hugging him. Kakashi’s visible thunderstorm grey eye focused on
Sasuke’s gear in the corner.

“Cozy,” Kakashi murmured, leaning against the wall by the door, his thumbs hooked into his front
pockets, giving her space and yet she felt his presence acutely. For a ninja famous for hiding in the
shadows, Sakura was acutely aware of him.

“Sasuke wanted to be close to the baby,” Sakura answered, keeping her voice low, but not
whispering. Sarada did better with low voices than whispers. She unhooked the baby carrier and
shifted her daughter into her arms. “He slept on the floor until she was born. Now she sleeps
between us on the bed, or he sleeps in the rocking chair. She gestured towards the cushioned rocker
in the corner. “The rocking chair was a gift from Sasori and Lady Chiyo.” She settled Sarada into
the cradle and gently rocked it a few times, helping her daughter drift deeper into sleep. “And
Sasori made the cradle too. He’s a really talented craftsman.”

“Hm,” Kakashi hummed. He pushed away from the wall and lounged in the empty rocking chair.
He sighed, his mask’s thin material ruffling slightly from his exhaled breath. “So—- you left a few
things out in your letters.” He waved his hand vaguely in the baby’s direction. “Care to elaborate?
You were pregnant when we were on our mission. That’s why you were so tired and nauseated.”

Sakura rubbed her forehead and sat on the edge of her bed, her legs crossed lotus-style and braced
her forearms across her knees. She leaned forward towards Kakashi. The position helped ease some
of the ache from her low back after carrying her six month old daughter through the village.
“You’re right. And I have to say, I was pretty terrified when I realized what was wrong. I was so
close to telling you, but I didn’t want you to be weird and we were just really starting to truly
become friends. I didn’t want to risk you putting up another wall. Ino and Sai definitely would have
been weird. I had to tell Sasuke first and then — his mother. I haven’t even been allowed to tell my
own mother. Master Tsunade forbad it. Even Lord Fugaku doesn’t know. He thinks Sarada is the
child of Itachi and Izumi.” She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, purposely relaxing
the tension in her low back one muscle fiber at a time.

“That sounds like a very difficult secret to keep,” Kakashi acknowledged, his tone kind and
sympathetic. “You must have felt pretty lonely.”

Sakura opened her eyes and looked across at him. He was studying her with that observant yet kind
eye of his. “I keep busy. Sasori and Lady Chiyo have been constantly challenging me and keeping
me intellectually stimulated. And the letters I’ve been exchanging with you have helped a lot.” She
laughed in self-depreciation. “Sometimes, your letters were the only thing keeping me sane. The
Kazekage and Lady Chiyo are rather intense.”

“You’re really making connections being on a first name basis with the Kazekage,” Kakashi
chuckled. His expression grew somber. “Sometimes, Gai and I meet up with Asuma and Kurenai.
They have a daughter. Asuma hasn’t changed much, except occasionally taking their girl to the
park. Kurenai retired from active duty. She’s very quiet now,” Kakashi explained. “Even amongst
friends, I can recognize that she’s lonely.” He leaned forward, his hands gripping the armrests of
the rocking chair. “I’ve noticed this and I’m not even really friends with Kurenai. It’s been fourteen
months since I last saw you and I can recognize your loneliness, Sakura.”

“Is it really that obvious?” Sakura worried.

Kakashi shook his head. “Only to the people that know you best.”
Sakura felt her face flush at Kakashi’s earnest expression. This man was very precious to her— not
as a former jonin instructor to a trio of hapless genin, but as a teammate and close friend.

“The baby is all Sasuke talks to me about,” Sakura sighed. “It was so very nice to exchange letters
with you as Sakura, not as a mama.” Sakura looked away and bit her lip feeling both shy and self
conscious complaining to a man who knew more tragedy than anyone else she knew and yet here
she was lamenting about feeling neglected. “Sasori and Lady Chiyo do a good job of not harping
on my status as a mother. But it’s all Sasuke, Izumi, and Itachi talk about. Shisui was good about
treating me like a whole person before he left. It’s been hard without him, dealing with Itachi can
be difficult. And Sasuke is either hot or cold. Izumi is a little overwhelmed herself.” She gestured
towards Kakashi. “I heard you caught Shimura.” She struggled with the appropriate response.
“Congratulations, I guess?.”

Kakashi snorted. “Yeah, good riddance to that scumbag.” His eyes darkened in anger. “He ruined a
lot of lives and messed up a lot of kids.” He looked down at Sarada briefly and then back at Sakura,
his anger fading and a softness in his worried gaze. “Are you planning to marry Sasuke then?”

Sakura laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. “He asked when we first found out we
were expecting, but we weren’t old enough by village laws. Women need to be sixteen — which I
am now. Men have to be eighteen. His mother wouldn’t give him permission and my parents are in
Tea. I don’t think they would have consented either, Mama really hates the Uchiha clan.” She
smiled bittersweet as she glanced at her sleeping child. “Now her granddaughter is half Uchiha.”
Sakura laughed ruefully, eyes shifted towards Sasuke’s gear in the corner. “I don’t even know if
Sasuke and I are a couple anymore. We’re co-parents, but…he doesn’t touch me aside from some
awkward side-hugs or a kiss to my forehead.” She groaned and covered her face with her hands. “I
don’t know why I’m telling you all this. Maybe I’ll just start wearing a mask and hide my face in a
book whenever I’m in public.”

She ran her fingers down her belly, the stretch marks had faded — her chakra manipulation had
helped her recover from pregnancy, but her pathways had been somewhat erratic starting the third
trimester and even now. She’d lost almost all the pregnancy weight. Maybe her belly wasn’t as
perfectly toned, her hips were a little wider, and her breasts were fuller, changing her center of
balance. Her hair had been thinning, but that was only because it was so much thicker during
pregnancy. And sometimes, she leaked mother’s milk. She couldn’t help that. Logically, she knew
she didn’t look that much different, but she had to wonder if she’d suddenly grown repulsive.
Feeling stupid, she felt tears spring up in her eyes and she rolled onto her side to face the wall, her
back towards Kakashi and buried her face in her pillow.

A few moments later, there was a shift on the bed as Kakashi sat next to her. Wordlessly, he lifted
her up and drew her into his arms. And as if she weighed nothing more than a small child herself—
though she was practically a woman grown at this point — he held her cradled against him. His
gloved hand ran soothingly up and down her upper back and Sakura buried her face against his
neck. She let her tears fall unabashed then, soaking into his dark shirt.

“You’re a beautiful, kind, intelligent woman, Sakura,” Kakashi murmured his voice muffled by her
hair. “I’m not mad at you, just surprised to see this development. I don’t have many friends, but I
consider you one of my most precious.” He pressed a kiss against the top of her head with his
masked covered lips. “It’s all going to work out, Sweetheart.”

Sakura’s floodgates opened at his gentle support and she clutched onto his shirtfront while his arms
banded around her, strong and secure. “Kakashi,” she murmured.
“I’ve got you, Sweetheart,” Kakashi whispered. “Just let it all out. I’ve got you, Sakura.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi
.
.
He wasn’t sure how long he held Sakura in his arms. It felt right to comfort her and honestly, he
was still reeling from finally ridding the world of the monster from his childhood. Sakura’s warm
body pressed against his, settled in his lap, comforted the turmoil raging within his own heart. He
imagined this was how family felt— hugging each other when the world was a little too rough and
life was a little too cruel.

He was also angry at Sasuke. He had a woman like Sakura at his fingertips and he was blowing it.
Though, did he expect a sixteen year old boy to know any better? At least Sasuke didn’t have the
blood of his friends on his hands at sixteen like Kakashi had.

“Have you ever been in love, Kakashi?” Sakura’s soft voice jarred his thoughts.

Kakashi inhaled sharply, his nose still pressed against Sakura’s pale pink hair, enjoying the clean
scent of her shampoo. It was a strange question. “I think so — once. But, I can’t remember much.
There is a period of time where my memory has large missing chunks, but there are context clues.
It’s like a phantom limb. I know it was there.”

“How come you can’t remember?” Sakura asked. She leaned back and looked up at him. Those
jade eyes imploring. How did her parents ever deny her anything with eyes that wide and bright?

Kakashi traced his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the streaks from her tears gently. “Standard
procedure with certain missions, I’m afraid. The Yamanaka can repress memories. The Third really
enjoyed utilizing that particular jutsu. I’ve probably had more memories stolen away than I even
know. I still hope one day to remember. There are flowers on my parents’ graves that she planted.
Sometimes, that’s the only proof I have that she was real.”

“Do you think it’s possible to fall in love more than once?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi clucked his tongue. He wasn’t the best person to ask these questions — most of the time
his romantic interests were limited to his imagination and the Icha Icha series. He was just glad
Sakura wasn’t going to ask about that tumultuous time where he slept with anyone with two legs—
that had been a very dark period. When one was forced at a young age to use their body as a
weapon, it was difficult to have normal relationships. “I would like to think so. I had a crush once
too — when I was about twelve. A friend of Obito’s that somehow interrupted Master Minato’s
Bell test.” He twirled a lock of Sakura’s pink hair around his finger. “She actually had pink hair too.
You reminded me a lot of her when you were first assigned to be my genin. It was a little jarring.”

“I reminded you of your childhood crush?” Sakura smiled shyly at him, her pale eyes shimmered
again with amused tears this time. “Sorry, I keep crying. My hormones are just all over the place.”

“It’s fine. I’m honored you can let your guard down enough to do this,” Kakashi mused. Having
heart-to-hearts wasn’t something he made a habit of doing and yet, it felt natural with Sakura. It
had been over a year since he last saw her, regardless of their letter exchanges, yet it was easy to
fall back into the habit of pouring his heart out. “Yes, Shisui’s spit-fire adopted little sister was
almost the spitting image of my childhood crush. She returned home shortly after we met and I
never saw her again.” He sighed. “Though, I wondered if maybe she was the same person whom’s
memory I can’t quite tap into.”

“Can you ask Ino’s dad to return your memories?” Sakura asked. “I’m sure Master Tsunade would
allow it.”

“Maybe,” Kakashi said. He brushed his thumb over her cheek, though it was now dry of tears. “Or
I could stop looking for ghosts and maybe see someone who’s right in front of me.” He leaned his
forehead against hers, right over her purple diamond seal and drew his mouth close to hers. “What
do you think about that, Sakura?”

Sakura’s hands slid to loop around his neck, fingers locking at his nape as she bit her bottom lip as
it quivered almost imperceptibly. “Kakashi?”

He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he didn’t want to think too hard. She was so vulnerable and
adorable and she needed to know how beautiful she was. “Sakura, you’re beautiful inside and out.
Sasuke is an idiot. But then, so am I.” He closed his eyes and trying not to second-guess himself,
kissed her softly, his mask-covered lips over hers. Even with the thin, silky material between them,
her lips were soft and pliant. Maybe he should have taken off his mask, but really, there was a baby
sleeping in a cradle a meter to his left. The mask would stay in place — for now.

Sakura pulled back and looked up at him with her brow furrowed in confusion— the purple yin seal
of hers glaring up at him accusingly. “Really, Kakashi? You kiss me with your mask on?”

Kakashi leaned back, glad to see the annoyed look in her eyes instead of a sad one. He hummed
and smiled his eye-crinkle smile at her. “Sure. We’re friends, right? The mask comes down for
more-than-friends.” He tapped the tip of her nose and chuckled.

“What if I want to be more than friends?” Sakura asked quietly.

He kissed her forehead. “Maybe if you still feel that way after your next birthday. And after you
and Sasuke sort out your feelings.”

Sakura’s eye twitched. “Are you serious?”

“Deadly serious, Sweetheart,” Kakashi released her and set her back on her bed and rose fluidly to
return back to the far side of the room. “Why don’t you rest? I’ll keep an eye on you.” He eye-
smiled again, feeling smug as Sakura continued to blink owlishly at him. She was extra cute when
she was annoyed and those pale cheeks of hers were pink in a blush and her green eyes flashed with
ire. “Kissing you was unprofessional of me, Sakura. Maybe when we get home, I can ask you on a
date?”
“You— want to date me?” Sakura squeaked.

Kakashi shrugged. “Assuming you and Sasuke aren’t an exclusive couple. I suggest you have a
frank discussion with him. Let me know what you want to do when we get home.” He leaned his
head back on the rocking chair. “And after your next birthday.”

He sensed the pillow she lopped in his direction and caught it with his eyes still closed. He settled it
behind his head to get even more comfortable. “You’re so thoughtful, Sakura-chan.”

Across the room she harrumphed and Kakashi smiled, feeling more lighthearted and at ease than he
had in years.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
She slept soundly until Sarada began to stir, but before she could crawl out of bed to help her
daughter, Kakashi had already snatched the baby up. Sakura watched in awe as her captain charmed
her baby and then went about changing her diaper. It wasn’t even the disposable kind of diapers,
but the more complicated re-usable cloth ones, but Kakashi did it exactly right.

Sensing her attention, he glanced over at Sakura and smiled his eye-crinkle smile. “I may have
watched how to change a baby with my Sharingan a time or two when I’d been on guard duty for
Master Minato and Kushina. I accompanied her to classes on how to care for a newborn.” His smile
faded. “I suspect Master Minato had wanted to use me for babysitting Naruto, but….” He trailed
off. They both knew how that worked out.

“I’m impressed,” Sakura admitted. She watched as Kakashi laid Sarada over his shoulder and
rubbed her back. The baby snuggled comfortably against his chest. “She’s absolutely charmed by
you.”

Kakashi smiled again. “I do have that affect on ladies,” he teased.

Before Sakura could respond, she sensed Sasuke just outside the door. A moment later, he’d let
himself in, pausing briefly at the threshold observing Sakura, Sarada, and Kakashi. He closed the
door behind them and turned towards Sakura silently.

“He knows,” Sakura admitted.

Sasuke arched his eyebrow. “I see.” He closed the distance towards Kakashi and took Sarada from
him, holding her in the crook of his arm. “I trust you will keep this information to yourself.
Otherwise, you risk ruining Sakura’s future.” He narrowed his dark eyes. “And earning my
unforgiving wrath.”

“Of course,” Kakashi agreed. He turned back towards Sakura. “I’ll see you later. We head back to
Konoha in a few days— at the discretion of the Kazekage. Would it be okay if I join you for your
morning runs?”

Sakura smiled faintly. She had mentioned in one of her letters than every morning she ran for about
an hour around the village of Suna. She hadn’t mentioned it was because Sasuke or Izumi cared for
Sarada during that time to give her a small break. “Six sharp.”

Kakashi held his hands up in surrender. “I can be on time when I really try.”

She knew that was a fact. He’d never been late once they were on a mission. Honestly, if she
thought about it, his tardiness seemed to be limited to the rule of the Third Hokage. Maybe it was
his form of rebellion against authority that made questionable decisions?

Sasuke seemed to crowd Kakashi until he left their room. Then he secured the door shut and his
tone was accusatory. “Why does he know? Did you tell him in your letters?”
“Of course not!” Sakura hissed. “He found Izumi and I on our walk, and she panicked and Sarada
was upset, and I lactated through my shirt.” She threw her hands up in exacerbation. “I couldn’t
exactly help it.”

Sasuke gestured towards her chest. “You can’t use your chakra to plug them up or something?” He
shifted towards the rocker and sat with Sarada, playing with her tiny hands and feet, making her
giggle.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. “It’s a natural reaction. Chakra isn’t the answer to everything. My
daughter wanted milk, my body reacted.”

“Do you want to be a mother or do you want to be a kunoichi?” Sasuke demanded.

Sakura sat on the edge of the bed, her hands balled into fists. “I am both.”

“That’s not how it works and you know it.” Sasuke jerked his chin in the direction of the window,
the blinds were closed, but even so the harsh rays of the Suna fall’s sun trickled in. “The whole
reason we’re here — is to hide you away so you can keep pursing your shinobi career. Telling
Kakashi seems counterintuitive, don’t you think?”

“I trust Kakashi more than anyone. And you’re here to spend time with your daughter. And I don’t
see you ignoring your shinobi career or your police training. In a few weeks, you’ll be in Anbu
too.” Sakura pointed to the Yin seal on her forehead. “Even here, as I’ve been mother to our child
I’ve achieved Master Tsunade’s seal. I’ve made huge medical breakthroughs with the top medical
shinobi in Suna.”

“What do you want me to say, Sakura?” Sasuke demanded, his dark eyes flashing in frustration.
Sarada protested and he focused on soothing her. “I’m trying to be supportive here.”

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She
counted silently from ten. “You’ve been a great father, Sasuke. Truly.” She gestured between the
two of them. “Do you not want to be a couple anymore? We don’t sleep together. You don’t hold
my hand, hold me, or kiss me.”
“I kiss you,” Sasuke snapped.

“On the forehead. Like a sister,” Sakura scoffed.

“I do not think of you as a sister, Sakura. You’re the mother of my child, and I—-obviously I love
you,” Sasuke argued. “I’ve loved you since we’ve been seven years old! Those kinds of feelings
don’t just go away because I’m not as loose with my affections! I let myself be ruled by my
emotions and I got you pregnant, Sakura!” Sarada began to cry, upset by his harsh tone. He stood
and began pacing, rubbing his hand up and down her frail back. “Obviously, I love you.”

“And I love you too, Sasuke. But, are you in love with me? Because I’m not sure that I’m in love
with you,” Sakura explained. She thought about how she could talk to Kakashi about anything and
how he held her when she’d been upset, like it was no big deal— like it had been the natural thing
to do. “I want to be held. I want to hear sweet nothings whispered in my ear.”

“Are you saying you want to take a break?” Sasuke asked quietly, once Sarada had fallen quiet
once more. He reached into the refrigerator in their room and pulled out one of the bottles Sakura
had let thaw over the last few hours. With a heating jutsu in his hand, he heated the milk and then
offered it to their daughter. Sarada eagerly fed.

“Aren’t we already on a break, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked quietly, sitting back on the edge of the
bed, feeling exhausted. “You’re right here, but I feel more alone than ever.”

Sasuke sat next to her, probably the first time he’d done so in two months, the warmth of his arm
pressed against hers. “I’m just overwhelmed Sakura. Mother was right — we’re too young to
marry. I just want to focus on our daughter and on our careers. There will be time for romance later.
I need to make sure I can provide for our family. I don’t want to be reliant on my parents or my
brother.”

Sakura wanted to scream her frustration. Sasuke was the king of compartmentalizing and he had
valid, logical arguments. Sakura on the other hand needed a supportive partner — one she could
snuggle up with, have a deep intellectual conversation with, and train with and frankly — Sasuke
hadn’t given her any of that in months. Sometimes, she just wanted to make-out. “Maybe I don’t
want to wait until later,” she said quietly.

“It was my unrestrained passion that got us pregnant, Sakura. I won’t risk letting my emotions
cloud my judgement,” Sasuke retorted, keeping his tone even, but unable to hide his irritation. “Our
futures depend on what we do right now. Don’t you think you can reign in your libido long enough
to focus on what’s important?”

Sakura’s well-being — including her need to be loved — was important. “So your chaste-behavior
has nothing to do after your last mission with Naruto? We’ve not been intimate since you returned.”

“It has nothing to do with Naruto,” Sasuke said quietly. “I just, had time away. We went to this
place called Lightning Island. You have to face a dark version of yourself and let’s just say the
version of me I saw that day — I don’t want you to ever have to meet him. He was obsessed with
power and vengeance. That version of me hurt you, Naruto, and even Kakashi countless times and
— you’re all important to me. I know Hatake is important to you. I’m not blind to the way he looks
at you.” He frowned. “It’s the same way I see Naruto look at me sometimes.”

They were silent for a while. The sound of the refrigerator humming in the background along with
Sarada’s quiet breaths. She thought maybe only she’d noticed those looks Kakashi had sent her
before she left for Suna. And then today, when he held her, she couldn’t help but acknowledge that
her old crush was still going strong, except it felt more than a crush. She truly felt a connection
with her captain. While he was certainly a good looking guy, the sincerity of his heart and brilliance
of his mind were the qualities she admired most.

“What’s the plan for when we return to Konoha?” Sakura asked, breaking the silence. “Obviously,
we won’t be able to share a little apartment the three of us. Is Sarada going to live with Itachi and
Izumi?”

“Mother has converted mine and Naruto’s old bedroom into a nursery— it’s nice. I helped set it up
last time I went back home. Also, Itachi’s property is next door. Both houses have a guest room.
You can move into the district as well — wherever you want — Shisui has a guest room too,”
Sasuke explained.

“So, I would be a guest,” Sakura mumbled bitterly. If her parents were still in Konoha, would she
have moved back with them and they’d be helping to raise their grandchild?

“Sarada is an Uchiha,” Sasuke pointed out, unnecessarily. The fact that Sakura was not was left
unspoken. “You basically are too, Sakura,” he added belatedly.

Several minutes passed and Sasuke finished feeding Sarada and then burped her. He sat back with
her in the rocking chair and started humming lullabies. He looked up and caught Sakura’s eye.
“I’ve got Sarada. Why don’t you get out for a few hours? I can tell you’re still pissed. Steam is
practically coming out of your ears.”

“I’m frustrated,” Sakura hissed.

Sasuke nodded. “I know you, Sakura. Why don’t you go visit the training fields and let out some of
that frustration? Itachi will probably be there today. You’ll sleep better. I understand you’re
disappointed in my answer, but I don’t think this is the right time for me to be in a romantic
relationship with anyone. Even if that that person is you — I wish I could feel different about this,
but I have to do what’s right for our family in the long-run, even if you’re pissed at me now.” He
smirked at her faintly. “You’re pretty sexy when you’re pissed.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes at that comment. He was lucky he was holding their daughter or else
she’d have knocked him upside the head something fierce.

Sasuke’s expression sobered, as if sensing her train of thought. “Give me a year or two, maybe I’ll
be ready then.” He looked down at their child in his arms and then laid her in the cradle. “By then,
I’ll be old enough to not need parental consent.”

Sakura snorted, amused in spite of herself. “It’s unfair, really.”

“What is exactly?” Sasuke asked, his dark eyebrows arched.

“That you’re so pretty. It’s hard to stay mad at you,” Sakura teased. She started to change, stripping
out of her milk-stained shirt and dusty pants into her more comfortable workout-clothing. She felt
Sasuke’s hungry eyes on her and she might have swaggered her hips a little more than necessary
when she stepped into her pants. There was a small amount of satisfaction when she noticed him
shifting uncomfortably in the rocking chair. Misery loves company and all. “I’ll be back in a few
hours.”
“Take your time, Sakura.” Sasuke cleared his throat. "We’ll be here.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi
.
.
.
He’d met up with Itachi on one of the Suna training grounds. It had been a while since they’d
sparred. They stuck with taijutsu only, matching each other’s speed with the Sharingan. Halfway
through the spar, Kakashi noticed something he’d never observed before on the Uchiha heir. At
some point, his mesh armor undershirt became askew, revealing a dark gray rhomboid seal, very
similar to Sakura’s.

Eventually, Kakashi and Itachi ended with a kunai at each other’s throat, matched evenly through
the conclusion. They both sheathed their blades and stepped back. “You have a Yin seal,” Kakashi
pointed out, gesturing towards Itachi’s neckline. “How long have you had it?”

Itachi straightened his shirt and frowned. “Not long,” Itachi murmured.

“Did Sakura help you?” Kakashi asked.

A strange look passed over Itachi’s pale features. “Something like that,” he answered. “I have a
lung condition. This seal keeps it in check.”

“Ah.” Kakashi straightened the edges of his gloves. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Uh,” Itachi’s eyes widened. “Yes, Izumi and I are twice blessed.” He sat on the ground and began
to stretch out. “Tell me about Danzo. Shisui said his grandfather’s eye had been implanted in the
warmonger.”

Kakashi nodded. “His right arm was also mutated with Hashirama cells and dozens of stolen
Sharingan eyes. His crimes against your clan in particular were enough to warrant his death. The
monstrous arm was a clear link between him and Orochimaru’s experiments.”

Itachi’s expression grew grim and he met Kakashi’s eyes. They both knew the more personal sins
of the old warmonger and how Kakashi had saved Itachi from them years ago. “I’m glad he’s gone.
I’m glad you and Shisui were there to end the nightmare.” A very faint smile lifted the corners of
his mouth. “I hope you made him suffer."
“Vengeance never made anyone feel better. However, the world is a safer place without him. It’s
good that you were here — working to protect the future generation,” Kakashi added, thinking of
Sarada. “Are you ready to return home?”

“I’ll be assuming the duties as the clan head when I return.” Itachi spread his legs into a V and
leaned forward to touch his toes, stretching his strong, lean back and his hamstrings simultaneously.
“Sometimes, it’s easy to take for granted the fact that I still have a clan.” He straightened suddenly,
his eyes unfocused and distant, seeing whatever it was his crow sentinels spied. “Sakura is on her
way here.”

“Oh?” Kakashi tried to sound indifferent.

A minute later, Sakura showed up on the training grounds with one of Itachi’s crows sitting on her
shoulder. “Itachi, I swear, if this carrion bird of your shits on me I’m going to strangle you.”

Itachi chuckled, a faint smile on his lips. “It happened one time.”

Sakura turned towards Kakashi, a sweet smile on her lips. “Long time, no see,” she teased.

“Yo.” Kakashi raised his hand in his usual greeting, fighting a smile under his mask. He noted the
pinched look between her eyes and the tension in her shoulders. “You look angry.”

“Another lover’s spat?” Itachi asked mildly.

The glare Sakura shot Itachi would have melted a lesser man in its intensity. “Would either of you
care to go another round? Or are you two old men too tired?”

“I am in my prime,” Kakashi answered, his tone smooth and maybe a little more husky than he
intended by the strange look Itachi sent him.

Sakura pulled out a pair of familiar, fingerless gloves. She stared at Itachi.

“Loser buys the winner dango,” Itachi murmured, a faint sparkle of humor in his dark eyes.

“Don’t you both have a sweet tooth?” Kakashi asked, frowning. He didn’t like sweets particularly.

Sakura laughed, a carefree sound that made his stomach twist in a pleasant way. “That’s why Itachi
is my favorite sparring partner in Suna.”

“Either way, we win,” Itachi agreed.

“So what will you do when I win?” Kakashi asked.

“Keep dreaming,” Sakura murmured, shifting into a fighting stance.

“Oh Sweetheart, I am,” Kakashi said with a laugh.

.
.
.
 Memories

.
.
Sakura
.
.
It had been two weeks since Kakashi had returned into her life — like the sun brightening the sky
after days of stormy weather. He’d made it his priority to serve as her primary guard her last few
days in Suna and was always close on their journey back to Konoha.

To be honest, she and Sasori had both been pleased to have such an intelligent observer as they
explained what they’d learned about cloning. He’d even agreed to give them DNA samples so they
could clone an eye for him — like the one he’d lost when he’d been a teen back in the Third
Shinobi War. He’d joked that he hoped it wouldn’t be necessary to use said cloned eye, so long as
his vision was only mildly impaired. He did admit that the eyesight was gradually degrading.

On the journey back home, he told her about the railways he’d seen in lands far away where there
were predominantly merchants and very few ninja. He and Itachi had spoken at length with Sasori
about the idea and he said it might very well be possible in the near future as Suna had discovered
vast quantities of natural gas in the parts of Wind that had previously been thought to be barren
wastelands.

It only grated a little that at night, Sakura slept in the tent with Izumi and Sarada while the men-
folk slept under the stars. But, it was the middle of the autumn season and there was no way her
daughter was going to be exposed to the cold weather. She slept well, but wondered what Kakashi
and Sasuke talked about while she was zipped up cozy inside the canvas shelter. They took guard
duty together and she just knew the two men were talking about her, especially when she caught
their heads low together during the day and they’d both had guilty expressions.

She did not like being talked about, having others decide her fate. It was incredibly frustrating.
She’d been apprenticed to the two strongest kunoichi alive in Fire and Wind countries. She was
formidable in her own right, yet she couldn’t help, but feel like a kept woman.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
They were two days out from Konoha. Kakashi and Sasuke had second shift, same as usual,
watching over the camp. They’d both set clones about so they could chat privately, ensconced in
the upper boughs of the trees now that they’d returned to the forests of their homeland.

His gaze drifted towards the tent where Sakura, Sarada, and Izumi were secured for the night,
privacy noise seals muffling any possible cries from the baby. Kakashi’s ninken Shiba and Bull
were perched right outside the tent and could warn if there was any need for help from the
occupants inside. Pakkun had managed to worm his way inside the tent, claiming to be very good
with babies. Frankly, he was. Kakashi still remembered when he’d been a young boy orphaned at
the ripe age of five and only the snuggles of a certain pug had kept his frail little heart from
completely shattering.

“I see the way you look at her,” Sasuke murmured.

“I’ve seen the way you don’t even touch her,” Kakashi answered.

Sasuke’s face crumpled into a scowl. “I’m keeping my hands to myself. That’s different.”

Kakashi dropped his voice. “It’s more like you’re keeping your cock in your pants. You don’t have
to punish Sakura just because you failed to wear a condom. It’s an easy fix. There’s no need to be
an idiot.”

“I know about condoms,” Sasuke hissed.

“Knowing and utilizing that knowledge are two different things,” Kakashi retorted. His jaw was set
and he was annoyed with himself for trying to encourage Sasuke. “Sakura shouldn’t suffer because
you like to torture yourself.” Pot calling kettle black right there and Kakashi knew it. He couldn’t
act on his own burgeoning feelings for their teammate, but, Sasuke was age appropriate. Sakura
was hands off for Kakashi right now. The brooding man at his side wasn’t the only one that was
keeping his cock in his pants. It didn’t mean he didn’t look for any opportunity to casually brush
his calloused fingers over Sakura’s delicate yet powerful hands, tuck her hair behind her ear, offer
to massage her shoulders. He wanted to do more, so much more! He knew she was officially of the
age of consent, but it didn’t feel right to him. He had a lot of experience and he didn’t want to
pressure her. He was determined to be her affectionate friend.

“Just because I’m practicing restraint and don’t walk around in public like a pervert with a book of
porn in my face, doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a beautiful woman — especially the one that gave
birth to my child.” Sasuke’s dark eyes bored into Kakashi with a scalding intensity. “Don’t you
think you’re a little too old to be looking at the mother of my child that way?”

“It’s going to be harder on her than on you,” Kakashi pointed out, completely ignoring Sasuke’s
piercing barb. “You have your family and you can pretend your daughter is your niece. No one will
question your involvement.”

Sasuke grit his teeth, his gaze drifted towards Itachi. “I’m not sure about that, having my perfect
older brother lay claim to the first child of this next generation? That doesn’t exactly sit well with
me either.” He stared at the tent. “I wish I could help her reconcile with her parents. I know it
upsets her. Itachi told me about his run in with them in Tea.” He turned back to Kakashi. “Maybe
that’s something you can do. Help her reconnect with her parents.”

Kakashi pressed his lips together thoughtfully. He always felt a little strange about the vibes of
Sakura’s parents. Maybe he just didn’t understand civilians, they had different ideals after all.
“You’re joining Anbu,” Kakashi stated. “The Commander is a good man.” Sasuke wouldn’t know it
was his uncle until he’d actually been inducted.

Sasuke nodded. “I know Shisui and Itachi were both a lot younger.” His dark eyes narrowed as he
looked over at Kakashi again. “As were you. But I think sixteen is still a respectable age.”

“You’ll be the fourth youngest member, that wasn’t brought in by the Root program anyway,”
Kakashi pointed out. His jaw tightened as memories of the corruption of Anbu under Danzo and the
Root initiative. Thankfully, that chapter was closed and that man was nothing but dust on the wind
these days. “It’s a big achievement. I’m actually pretty proud of you.” He reached over and
punched Sasuke lightly in the shoulder earning another scowl from his young friend. “As your
former sensei, I’m proud of you.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Oh please, don’t you dare try to claim any credit for my achievements.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Kakashi said with a faint laugh. In spite of their conflict in regards to
Sakura, it actually did feel good to share a laugh with the younger man. They really were a lot alike
in their base personas. Sasuke acted a lot like the way Kakashi himself acted in his youth before he
lost Obito. Thankfully, Sasuke hadn’t endured anything quite so tragic as being orphaned at a
young age or losing his teammates.

Sometimes, Kakashi was a little bit envious of the younger man, for more reasons than one. His
gaze drifted back to the women’s tent. As if sensing his attention, Shiba’s head popped up and his
sharp canine eyes caught Kakashi’s.
.
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OoO

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Sakura
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She’d been back in the village for at least two weeks, trying to adjust to a new normal. Her parents’
house had been rented out, so staying there wasn’t an option even if she wanted. Ino had happily
volunteered sharing her space with Sakura, but it was too hard to keep quiet about Sarada to
Konoha’s number one gossip. So, she stayed with Master Tsunade for the first two weeks at the
Hokage tower. Every evening, she went to the Uchiha district to see her daughter under the care of
Sasuke’s mother. It grated to overhear the clan members talking about Itachi and Izumi’s precious
little daughter and not being able to correct them.

She’d finally decided that she would move into Shisui’s guest room by the end of the week. Of all
the Uchiha clan, he remained the one she felt most comfortable with and frankly if she wanted to
cry, he had a good shoulder for that. Sasuke and Naruto both had been promoted to Anbu and it
wasn’t exactly a secret amongst their old genin class.

Naruto had hosted a celebratory dinner, but Sakura had left early. Sasuke had offered to leave with
her, but it was his party and she didn’t want to ruin it for him. She was incredibly proud of both his
and Naruto’s achievement and wanted them to enjoy the big fuss their friends had put together.
Honestly, after the day she’d had at the hospital, the soreness in her tightly bound breasts as she
tried to force her body to stop lactating, she just wanted to go home and snuggle her daughter, if
only for a few hours before her bedtime. If she hurried now, she’d get a half hour with her nine
month old baby.

She’d walked home by herself, a little lonely perhaps not to have an escort, but who would care
about her now? She was safe within the walls of Konoha. Kakashi, Shisui and Itachi were all out of
the village on a mission regarding Orochimaru — other than that she didn’t know the details. She
only knew that much when Shisui had explained why he’d be out of the village for the past week. It
was the only reason that Sakura hadn’t moved into Shisui’s guest room yet.

By the time she got to Mikoto and Fugaku’s house, Sarada had already gone down for the night. So
after running her fingers over her sleeping daughter’s fine dark hair, Sakura sat in the nursery
rocking chair and watched Sarada sleep.

After about a half hour, Sakura felt the familiar prickle of tears in her eyes. Not wanting to disturb
Sarada, she stepped outside onto the porch. She sucked in a deep breath of the chilled November
air, trying to calm down her emotions. Maybe it was selfish, but she had just wanted to hold her
daughter and it really hurt not being able to put her to sleep that night. She’d hardly seen Sasuke at
all since returning to the village — he and Naruto had been busy with Anbu training and she’d been
slammed at the hospital. Ino was occupied with clan business and Kakashi and Shisui were both out
of the village on a mission. Master Tsuande felt the best way to help Sakura, was to keep her busy
and out of her own head. Plus, she’d been so excited about Sakura’s Yin seal and learning about the
various things Sakura had studied with both Lady Chiyo and the Kazekage. They’d stayed up late
several nights along with Shizune discussing what Sakura had learned in both Suna and in
Amegakure.

Sakura scanned the Uchiha head family’s backyard, appreciating the sound of the nightingale
singing in the nearby trees. She could hear Mikoto and Fugaku talking quietly in the kitchen. Itachi
and Izumi lived next door to the Uchiha main house and Sarada stayed in the nursery in their home
half the time and the crib in the main house nursery the other half of the time in Sasuke’s old room.
He’d been able to continue sharing space with their daughter since their return, though when he
started taking missions with Anbu, his time would also be cut short.

Sakura braced her forearms on the porch railing and stared out into the night. The sounds of the
cicada were few and far between, most had started to go dormant for the year as Autumn would
soon turn into Winter. Idly, she started humming Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star — the same tune she
liked to serenade Sarada to sleep. She wondered when Sasuke would return home and if she should
stay until he returned.

Maybe she’d just stay the night and sleep in Sasuke’s bed. Her chakra control was still a little
wonky since her pregnancy. Master Tsunade assured her she’d be back to normal by the time
Sarada was a year old. It wasn’t unusual to take that long for the chakra pathways to resume their
normal flow after a child.
The songbirds grew quiet. Sakura felt a chill and scanned the area, but didn’t see anything unusual.
Something was definitely off though.

There was a displacement of air and the buzz of electricity around her, followed by a sudden chill.
Belatedly, Sakura could sense an intense flare of chakra behind her. She turned to see a man with
wild black hair, the right side of his face pale and scarred, his left eye closed. He stared at her with
the spinning tomoe of a crimson Sharingan and she felt her consciousness slip away from her.

“Oh Sakura, Sakura, Sakura! We have so much to catch up on,” the playful sing-song voice of the
man whispered in her ear.
.
.
.

OoO

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Kakashi
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.
It had been jarring when one of Sasuke’s hawks had disrupted his team’s camp. He watched as
Itachi’s pale face grew paler upon reading the missive. They’d been following a lead about the
Akatsuki, something Jiraiya had found. All they’d found were some abandoned laboratories that
had belonged to Orochimaru and few more remnants of Root.

“What is it?” Kakashi asked. They were only a few hours from Konoha, already on their way back.
What was so important it couldn’t wait until the next day?

“We have to go back,” Itachi said quietly, handing the missive to Kakashi. “Immediately.” He
began to pack up his things.

“What is it?” Tenzo asked, coming to stand at Kakashi’s elbow. “Sakura? Isn’t that your old genin
student?”

“Hmm,” Kakashi agreed. Fugaku was dead. Sakura was taken. Who would take her? Was it
Orochimaru? Did he find out about her Yin seal? Who could have taken down Fugaku? Sure, he
was a little past his prime and blind in one eye, but he was still a formidable opponent. Who would
be able to make it past not only the village guards, but the Uchiha police force especially now that
it had been fortified with Anbu for the last ten plus years?

Their team made haste and ran through the forests at top speed, empowered by a couple of soldier
pills, and made it back to the village within four hours. They were greeted by the Anbu
Commander Taki Uchiha, Shisui’s father. They were led to the scene of the crime immediately,
their packs still slung over their shoulders.
There was quite a bit of blood in the backyard of the Uchiha head household. Sasuke paced back
and forth, his infant daughter cradled against his chest, his eyes swirling pools of crimson and black
— his Mangekyo Sharingan was activated. His intense gaze shifted between Itachi, Shisui and
Kakashi before he stared back down at his father’s dead body. Naruto sat on the porch, standing
silently, clasping the banister with a white-knuckled grip.

Mikoto kneeled on the ground, cradling Fugaku’s head, though he was long since dead. Izumi
rushed from the porch beside Naruto towards Itachi and threw her arms around him, crying into his
shirt-front.

“Who could have done this?” Kakashi demanded. His senses were on high alert. His hand hovered
over the hitai-ate covering his Sharingan out of habit. There was a lot of blood, but he knew the
human body had a lot of blood in it. Hopefully, it was all Fugaku’s. He didn’t want to think of the
alternative. Who would murder the Police Chief in his own home? “Who would be brazen enough
for such an act?”

“It was Obito,” Mikoto said quietly.

“That’s not possible. Obito died eighteen years ago.” He’d died when Kakashi had been barely
twelve years old on his first mission as a Jonin. He shook his head in disbelief, his transplanted eye
tearing up. He stared at Shisui with his mismatched eyes. “He died on the day Rin transplanted this
eye.”

Shisui’s hands twitched at his side. “Surely, you know something is wrong with your memories.
You’ve always thought it was something the Yamanaka did after a mission. But it was me — you
asked me to lock away certain memories — afraid it would destroy your future if you
remembered.” Shisui’s voice shook with emotion, but his eyes were dry. “Obito is alive — we
found him ten years ago. And I was supposed to die — a victim of Danzo’s machinations.”

“What are you talking about?” Kakashi demanded. Images of blond and green flashed in his mind’s
eye.

“It’s better if I show you.” Shisui held his hands on either side of Kakashi’s temples, inches away
from his face. “Trust me in this, Kakashi.” His dark eyes brimmed with tears. “I need you to return
— all of you.”

“Fine. Do it.” Kakashi, shoved back his hitai-ate further into his hair, clenched his jaw, and allowed
Shisui to dip into his mind, staring into those familiar crimson and black Sharingan that spun in
slow, lazy circles.

Memories from that blank period of time came flooding back, the intensity enough to knock
Kakashi’s breath right out of his lungs. Blond — no — pink hair, green eyes, a diamond seal on the
forehead, a beautiful woman — strong, fierce, sassy, brilliant and determined. Saving Shisui,
bringing him back from death’s door, a time-traveling version of himself and his team — saving the
Uchiha clan.

And Sakura. He remembered Sakura. And he felt a rush of shame for the deliberately callous way
he treated her when their paths first crossed when she’d been an Academy student and then his
genin. He thought he’d already dealt with that when they’d made amends in Amegakure, but he
realized he owed her so much more than a simple apology!

And Obito.
“How the fuck could I possibly forget this?” Kakashi pulled at his hair and stumbled back from
Shisui. Obito was insane and extremely powerful. He could teleport! Fugaku had placed him under
some sort of forbidden Sharingan magic that blinded him in one eye. “Why would he take Sakura?”

“Because Obito knows she traveled into the past once and wants her to save Rin like Sakura and
you saved me. Though our Sakura now doesn’t have those memories,” Shisui explained. He ran a
hand through his own dark, curly hair and let out a frustrated sigh. “Damn, I’m so glad to have you
back, Kakashi. I’m so damn glad!” He grabbed hold of Kakashi’s flak jacket and shook him.

Kakashi knew Sakura. He knew her better than anyone. She’d been the girl that had helped his
team pass the Bell test when he was twelve, she’d traveled through time and found him when he’d
been at his lowest in Anbu. They’d saved Shisui from Danzo’s evil clutches. They’d prevented the
Uchiha massacre. Then his future self, Sasuke, Naruto, Ino and Sai had all traveled back in time
after her. They’d stopped a terrible tragedy from occurring.

And Obito had kidnapped her. And Kakashi had gotten her back and the Kazekage. Damn! Is that
why Sasori was always so intrigued by Sakura?

Then, twenty-year old Sakura had returned to her own time. He lost her. Lost them. His memories
had been locked away. Sakura had been pregnant with his child — and he’d met his grown son.
And…he had to get her back.

Kakashi pulled his hitai-ate back over his eye and took a deep breath before gently brushing off
Shisu’s hand from his jacket. This was not the time to try to examine the feelings he had for future,
past, and present Sakura. The timeline was altered now and who knew — maybe she ended up with
Sasuke this time around. They had a daughter together after all. Though, he also remembered an
older version of Sarada and a boy— Takashi— the one she’d been pregnant with?

He shook his head. He had to find Sakura first. They could figure out if there was a future between
them later. He had fallen in love with her, as much as it was possible for someone like him twice
now— maybe three times if he counted his future self that had time traveled back then as well.

“You alright in there?” Shisui asked, his brow creased in worry. He laid his hand gently on
Kakashi’s shoulder this time, wary of being knocked away again. “I’m only standing here today
because of you and Sakura. I won’t stop for anything until we get her home, I promise you,
Kakashi.”

“We’ll get her home,” Sasuke growled, his eyes flashed in fury. While he’d been celebrating with
his friends, an international terrorist had been escaping imprisonment in his own backyard. His
father was dead, his daughter could have been killed, and Sakura had been kidnapped. He held his
daughter, Sarada, secured against his chest and marched towards Kakashi, having observed the
exchange between Kakashi and Shisui. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re the only one
that loves her, Kakashi, Shisui. Let’s get her back.”

He handed his daughter to Itachi. “If anything happens to Sarada, I’ll kill you myself,” Sasuke
warned. Then he gestured for Naruto. “We’re going on a hunt for a dead man.”

“We wont be able to track them through normal methods, not with Obito’s ability to teleport,”
Kakashi reasoned. He touched the scar over his left eye on reflex. He’d learned how to use his
kamui to a limited extent. Perhaps, he’d be able to use that connection to find them. “We should get
Ino and Sai Yamanaka to join us.” He met Shisui’s eyes and the younger man nodded. They’d been
a formidable team once, they would be again.
Kakashi met Sasuke’s eyes. “We will bring her home,” he vowed.

“Ah,” Sasuke agreed with a sharp nod.

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 The Madman
Chapter Notes

A/N: And as I’m writing this chapter…and Obito’s field trip with Sakura…I’m realizing this
story is going to be once again longer than my outline. (Anyone seen Avatar the Last
Airbender? Sakura is totally Zuko…now it’s time for Obito’s mini-adventure!). In my original
outline, Kakashi kills Obito, because he’s dark and angry. But, I don’t want Kakashi to have to
deal with any more tragic events and Sakura had vowed to save all the Uchiha…even if she
doesn’t remember that vow….the universe does!

And welcome back Sarada and Takashi! And I’m taking the liberty of a little info dump for the
future via Itachi…that might help clear up some direction….or give more questions…

Special shout out to the marathon readers! And I really appreciate everyone’s comments. It’s
truly inspiring!
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Sakura
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When she came to, she realized she was no longer in Konoha. She might not even still be on Earth!
The air smelled funny—- sort of sweet like over-ripe peaches. Then a pair of feet shuffled into her
view and Sakura sat up immediately, grabbed those ankles and flipped the tall man onto his back
where he landed with a huff.

Sakura was on him in a moment, pouncing like a lioness. She held his wrists above his head, a half
eaten peach in his right hand, and her knees kept his legs in place with her monstrous strength. A
single onyx colored eye started back at her, wide in surprise. The right side of his face was twisted
in scar tissue, an orange mask was secured to his hip. And he was massive — at least a few inches
taller than Kakashi!

He man whistled with a faint smile. “No wonder Kakashi likes you,” he murmured. “If you wanted
a peach, you just had to ask. I have more.”

“I don’t want your peaches!” Sakura growled. His chakra levels were off the chart — almost on par
with Naruto’s and his tailed beast. But it reminded her more of Sasuke and Shisui’s chakra nature.
“You’re younger than I remember.” He wiggled his hips, rubbing against her uncomfortably. “I’m
Obito. I don’t suppose you remember me though.”

“Obito?” Sakura frowned. That was the name on the memorial stone that Kakashi liked to frequent.
She noted his missing left eye and made the connection to Kakashi’s transplanted Sharingan eye.
“Obito Uchiha?”

That faint smile of his morphed into a genuine one. “In the flesh, well half the flesh.” His dark gaze
focused on her chest briefly. “If you don’t want to keep giving me a view of your breasts, I suggest
you let me up.” He met her eyes again, once more with that infuriating smile. “Though, I can’t say
that I don’t appreciate the view. You’re quite a bit larger than I remember in some areas. I won’t
complain though.” He waggled his raven eyebrows. “I’m glad you ditched those breast bindings.”

With a growl of disgust Sakura pushed away from him and rose to her feet, stepping back lest he
try to sneak a peak up her shorts as well. She’d removed her bindings when she’d been visiting her
daughter, thinking she might need to nurse the infant. She’d not had a chance to put them back on
before her kidnapping. “You’re a pervert! What do you want?” She gestured around them to the
gray-scale landscape and the twilight sky. “What is this place?"

“The Kamui dimension,” Obito explained, standing and brushing the dust off his pants. Then he
flopped back on the ground dramatically. He wiped the peach on his shirt front and then took
another bite, juice trickled over his chin. He swallowed loudly. “I was stuck in a dream for a years!
Being fed gruel and given IV fluids. This peach is amazing!” He finished the meat of the fruit and
then tossed the pit into the distance. “I’ve spent so many years relieving my memories over and
over with different scenarios. I didn’t mean to kill Fugaku.” He propped himself up on his elbows
and stared up at her. “Apparently, when you forcefully break out of the Izanami technique instead
of changing your attitude, you’re compelled to attack the caster.”

“Attack? You killed Lord Fugaku!” Sakura shouted, clenching hands into tight fists. Sasuke must
be devastated! Poor Mikoto and Itachi. And Sarada won’t ever know her grandfather now! She
hoped Izumi was okay. Were Shisui and his father alright? “You didn’t attack anyone else, did
you?”

Obito flopped back again, arms tucked behind his head. “Nah, just Fugaku. Do you know his
moniker from the Third Shinobi War? Fugaku of the Wicked Eye. And he killed his brother-in-law
to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan — so he wasn’t exactly an innocent.”

He didn’t deserve to die though, Sakura thought numbly. Fugaku had been nothing, but kind to her
for as far back as she could remember. He’d been so excited to be a grandfather, even if he thought
Sarada was the daughter of Itachi and Izumi. It had made her happy to see Sarada beloved by her
grandfather, especially since Sakura’s parents were still living abroad.

Sakura took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her long hair, scraping it away from her eyes,
and tried to study this strange environment. What was the Kamui dimension? How could she get
back home? Her friends would be worried sick, what would happen to Sarada without her? “So
why am I here?”

“One — it will piss off Kakashi and I enjoy pissing him off. He’s a jerk. Two — you have that seal
on your forehead.” He suddenly sprang up into a back flip, agile for such a large man. You really
messed up my original plan. Madara is going to be pissed — but he’s dead, so maybe it won’t
matter.” He started to pace, rubbing his jaw in contemplation as he did so while his nose kept
twitching in a nervous tick. A gentle breeze swept across the rocky landscape and his dark, unruly
hair that looked so much like Sasuke and Shisui’s thick dark locks that Sakura couldn’t help but
feel a little inkling of sympathy for the strange man. “And you were there that time and it
changed.” He looked over at her, his dark eye intense and focused. “You changed things. All the
other times I went back, nothing stayed different. And after we returned— I couldn’t go back to
that time.”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sakura said grimacing. She’d dealt with a few
mentally deranged patients over the years and Obito was certainly checking all the boxes.

Obito blew a raspberry. “Eh, you’ll remember. I’m sure of it!” He smiled suddenly, the scarred side
of his face stretched eerily.

In spite of everything, Sakura wanted to study his face. She’d read through the reports from the
Third War casualties when she’d been apprenticed to the Godaime. Master Tsunade disliked
delving too deeply into the previous wars, having suffered so much personally from the tumultuous
times. So Sakura had poured through the records of those declared Missing in Action or Killed in
Action where no bodies had been found, making sure any unidentified bodies picked up by scouts
weren’t long lost shinobi of the Leaf.

The report on Obito Uchiha — submitted by Kakashi Hatake back when he’d been twelve had
talked about how his teammate had pushed him out of the way of a cave-in and the right side of his
body had been crushed. He should not have lived with those types of injuries. How was he alive?
“Who is Madara?” It couldn’t have been the co-founder of the village, could it? He died decades
ago!

“He doesn’t matter right now,” Obito said, dismissively waving his hand back and forth. “You’re
the missing component. I need you to help me find the right point in time to travel to!”

“You shouldn’t mess with time,” Sakura murmured, rubbing her brow. She was getting a headache
with all the crazy talk. “It’s not possible and if it was the repercussions could be catastrophic! How
many times would the timeline be reset if people could just travel back in time? One outcome
would make you happy and another person miserable and the reverse is also true!”

“Oh! That’s rich!” Obito laughed, both hands braced over his knees and hunching over in a deep
bellied-laugh. “The Uchiha clan was supposed to die, but you stopped it from happening! You
ruined the plan!” He straightened and then tilted back his head and screamed up at the sky. He
stopped abruptly. “We’ll go back - just right before Kakashi kills her. Or, better yet, before those
Mist shinobi force the Three-Tailed beast inside her.”

Sakura frowned. “The Three-tails disappears after the Third War.” She remembered Tsunade telling
her that when they’d discussed the nine tailed beasts.

“He has just been biding his time inside the Mizukage Yagura,” Obito answered. Suddenly he
vanished, only to appear right behind Sakura the feel of his warm torso pressed against her back,
one arm wrapped across her waist holding her against him, his breath ghosted across her neck as he
hovered over her. “And now because of you — my recruits are scattered to the winds. Sasori is the
Kazekage. Kisame is working with Mei Terumi to overthrow Yagura as the Mizukage. Pain and
Konan worked with Leaf shinobi to kill Danzo. I need those Rinnegan! Itachi betrayed me and
saved our worthless clan from the fate they deserved. How am I supposed to work with just
Orochimaru?” He teleported again and was several meters in front of Sakura now, his eyes
sweeping the landscape in a panic. “Zetsu shouldn’t be able to find us here though. It will be okay.”
“Look, Obito, I’m not quite following,” Sakura tried to calm his escalating tirade. His chakra levels
were quite intense. She could probably hold her own for a few minutes, but with his ability to
teleport, he was too fast. This was why no one stood a chance against the Yellow Flash — you had
to catch him to counter him! Physically, he was bigger than Kakashi, but about the same size as her
precious big brother Shisui. He had that same intense focus she’d seen in both Sasuke and Itachi.
An obsessed Uchiha was a dangerous foe, but an irreplaceable ally.

“Zetsu! Zetsu!” Obito gestured towards the scarred half of his body. “He and Madara, they pulled
me out of the rubble. Nursed me back to health.” He closed his eye and then sat down heavily on
the ground, wrapping his arms around his raised knees and began to rock. “I just need to save Rin.
Please, help me save her. It’s all I want. I don’t even want to gather the tailed beasts anymore to
make the eternal dream. I want her back for real,” he whispered. “Madara’s plan was stupid
anyway. Minato-sensei wasn’t supposed to die.” He sobbed abruptly and buried his face against his
knees.

Sakura wracked her sleep-depraved mind for an idea of whom Rin could be. Minato was obviously
the Yondaime — Kakashi’s old sensei and her mother’s precious cousin, not to mention Naruto’s
father. Wasn’t Rin the name of Kakashi’s old teammate from when he’d been a kid? She saw him
leave flowers on a grave for Rin Nohara before. That must be whom Obito was talking about.
Seeing the man, rocking back and forth like an upset child, tugged on Sakura’s maternal
heartstrings. She shuffled towards him, feeling incredibly tired. Was the gravity stronger in this
Kamui realm? She leaned over to rest her hand over his broad shoulder.

Obito looked up at her, tears making his eye bright as he blinked.

“Why don’t you tell me about her?” Sakura forced a kind smile onto her lips. Better to be friends
with the deranged Uchiha than to antagonize him while trapped in a foreign dimension. Would
Kakashi be able to find her with his access to the Kamui in his borrowed Sharingan eye? “Tell me
about Rin?”

A smile as bright as the sun lit up his scarred face and for a moment she thought of Naruto. “She
was always so kind and gentle,” Obito whispered.
.
.
.

OoO

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Twenty-Two Years into the Future
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Itachi
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It had been twenty-two years since his father’s death and he’d been thrust into the position as Head
of the Clan. This evening, like so many evenings of late, Itachi found himself enjoying the quiet
and peaceful solitude of the Uchiha clan’s Naka shrine. He often felt a deeper connection to his
forefathers in here. He felt closer to his father when he meditated and often asked him for guidance.

He rubbed at the Byakugou seal on his clavicle. He wouldn’t have lived past his twenty-fifth
birthday if it hadn’t been for the seal. If Sakura hadn’t gone back in time, changed his fate and that
of his entire clan.

He sniffed, the faint scent of smoke wafted in through the shrine’s open window. It wasn’t anything
new. This was when Shisui trained the younger generation — Itachi’s trio, Sasuke’s daughter,
Hatake's kids and Shisui’s own boys. Shisui focused on training the kids in fire chakra jutsus, kunai
target practice and exercises on speed. The training schedule alternated between Shisui and Sasuke,
with the latter preferring to teach lightning and earth based jutsus as well as kenjutsu. Shisui was
the Anbu Commander, but always made time for his family. Sasuke was the Chief of Police and
under his watch it had thrived.

Izumi spent the majority of her day at the hospital and was often greeting him in the evenings with
a smile on her face and quietly making dinner. He learned long ago that the kitchen was her domain
in the evenings and she would shoo him out anytime he tried to help. Though, breakfast was his
time to provide for the family. Lunch was a free for all. His other best friend, Kakashi Hatake was
often in the Hokage office, training Naruto to take over the reigns. Itachi often helped serve as
interim. Though, Obito was the Shadow Kage, usually away from the village for long periods of
time.

Then there was Sakura Hatake— she was co-director of the hospital. She’d flat out rejected being
the sole director, making sure to share the duties equally with Shizune Shiranui. Though Izumi and
Yugao Hayate were also in prominent leadership positions and could serve as interim as needed.

There were others, like Ino and Sai Yamanaka, Shikamaru and Temari Nara, Neji and Tenten
Hyuga, Konohamaru and Hanabi Sarutobi, but they weren’t Itachi’s people so he didn’t mind them
too much.

Honestly, Itachi was pretty happy with the current leadership of Konoha. It had been decades since
Danzo’s machinations and the corrupt elder council had sullied Konoha’s reputation. He was happy
with the Kazekage Sasori and Mizukage Kisame as well —Konoha had nurtured healthy alliances
with the Sand and Mist villages. Kisame had been strong-armed into taking over at the demand of
his wife Mei who wanted to take a break, but didn’t trust anyone else to protect the Land of Water.
No one argued with Mei Terumi, least of all her husband. It still amused Itachi that his would-be
Akatsuki partner and him ended up good friends anyway. The two gravitating towards each other
whenever they were at the Five Kage summits, as Kakashi always roped Itachi into going with him.
It was only in the last two years, Itachi had finally been able to get out of attending them, letting
Naruto take his place.

Suddenly, there was a pop and a disturbance in the room’s atmosphere, tugging at Itachi’s memory
of the other timeline’s Sasuke and his Rinnegan. The sheer enormity of this person, not just this
entity’s chakra was god-tier level! Keeping his temperament calm, allowing his analytical mind to
do its job, Itachi opened his eyes and met the piercing lavender eyes of the Hagoromo Otsutsuki,
the god of Shinobi and the father of Indra Otsutsuki whom was the founder of the Uchiha clan.

Hagoromo levitated just out of Itachi’s arm’s reach, his legs crossed and arms folded over his chest.
“Sage of Six Paths,” Itachi murmured, ducking his head in respected. “What brings you to our
revered Naka Shrine?”

“You don’t seem too surprised, Itachi Uchiha,” Hagoromo mused. His voice was laced with power
and Itachi could feel chills race down the flesh of his arms.

“I have seen strange and wondrous things in my life,” Itachi answered. Not to mention the fact that
his sister-in-law had once traveled through time to keep his best friend alive, save his clan, and
keep him from dying of a terminal lung disease. And that his niece was able to travel through time
without the aid of any devices aside from her own abilities.

“This is not the original destiny,” Hagoromo declared. “I have bided my time, seeing how it plays
out. My sons’ reincarnations have never been as happy as they are in this life.”

Itachi didn’t ask who his sons’ reincarnations were, he was pretty sure that would be Sasuke and
Naruto. Those two had a bond and destiny that was interwoven intricately.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Itachi asked, when it became clear Hagoromo
was waiting for him to speak.

“I like this timeline and do not want it disrupted. You need to ensure that it remains stable,”
Hagoromo suggested. “I have come to you because of the devotion to pay your ancestors. My son
Indra would have loved you. “ He frowned. “Though, I suppose his soul reborn does love you,
doesn’t he?” He chuckled and shook his head, dull, gray hair falling away from those horns on top
of his skull.

“Is there a disturbance to the timeline?” Itachi asked. While he appreciated the delicacy of intrigue,
he’d learned to cut through the chase over the years. Why go in circles when a straight line was
more efficient? “Do you need Sarada to fix it?”

“Ah, yes, Sasuke’s daughter,” Hagoromo murmured. “She will certainly be needed. So will her
brother if they hope to track down their wayward mother.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Even now,
she and her confused companion are bouncing around the time-stream. The silver-haired one will
be able to pinpoint their location.” His lips thinned. “The daimyo’s daughter must be allowed to be
born.”

Itachi nodded. He was familiar with the daimyo’s daughter and just what she meant to his
clansman. “I will speak to them.” He met the Rinnegan gaze of Hagoromo. “When I met my
brother from the future, back in my youth, he had the Rinnegan. But now he does not. Why?”

Hagoromo nodded. “I gifted it to him in the original timeline in the battle against my mother.
Humanity was spared that battle in this reality.” He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes looking into
the distance seeming to look at both everything and nothing at all. “Perhaps, hmm. Maybe I
should?” His eye snapped back to Itachi. “I leave the past into your hands, Itachi Uchiha. Guide the
others.”

Then the immortal being that was Hagoromo vanished. Itachi huffed and then wiped his sweaty
palms over his shirt front. He was glad sweaty palms was his only reaction to being in the presence
of a god. A faint smirk tugged on his lips. Shisui was going to shit his pants when Itachi told him
about who he just met.
He blew out the candles of the shrine and then started for the clan training grounds. “You two!” He
gestured towards Sarada and Takashi. “Over here, we need to talk.”

“What’s up, Uncle Tachi?” Sarada asked, straightening her crimson jacket and giving her younger
brother a playful shove before hurrying over.

“You’re such a bully,” Takashi grumbled before he clapped his hands together and shot forth a
flurry of roots from underground that formed a wooden cage around Sarada. He laughed as he beat
her to Itachi’s side, before Sarada punched a hole through the wooden barrier with her monstrous
strength.

“I’m a bully? You’re a menace!” Sarada laughed, catching up with a smile.

“Nah, the twins are a menace!” Takashi pointed to their younger siblings — eight year old fraternal
twins, a little sister with silver hair and green eyes and a little brother with pink hair and charcoal
eyes. Thankfully, nobody teases a boy with pink hair when his dad is the Hokage and his mom is
the strongest kunoichi in the country.

“I suppose that’s true,” Sarada agreed. She smiled across at Itachi — she was a tall woman, the
same height as her uncle at five foot ten. The smile faded as she noted Itachi’s grim expression.
“What’s with that face? Who do we need to save this time?”

“I was just paid a visit by Hagoromo” Itachi admitted.

Sarada and Takashi’s mouths gaped. “Seriously? Like the dude has to be ten thousand years old!”
Takashi whispered in awe. “Is he immortal? I don’t understand.”

“Twenty-two years ago, your Uncle Obito awoke from the Izanami my father placed him within
and kidnapped your mother. He is set on saving his childhood crush Rin from dying and they are
traveling into various dimensions and time lines to do so from what I remember.”

“Okay, so you remember, so it’s already happened,” Sarada reasoned. She took off her glasses and
cleaned them with the hem of her shirt. “But, isn’t Uncle Obito’s wife named Rin? Does that mean
he succeeded.”

“No way, don’t be an idiot. Do some simple math, Sarada,” Takashi argued. “Aunt Rin is the same
age as Mom. There’s no way she was the same person, just the same name. Beside her dad was the
old Daimyo. She wouldn’t have been a ninja.”

Itachi grimaced, remembering a mission when he’d still been a genin, his old Jonin sensei
forbidding him from entering the Chunin exams out of jealousy. His genin team had been on an
escort mission for the Daimyo who’d been on his way home to celebrate his daughter Rin’s fifth
birthday. She’d been born on the same day that Rin Nohara had died. Was it coincidence? After a
visit with Hagoromo, Itachi thought not. That same mission, Obito wearing a mask had slaughtered
almost everyone. His murderous rampage made a little more sense in retrospect.

“I believe she was reincarnated, so sort of the same person,” Itachi explained. “There are certain
similar characteristics.” Though plenty was different, as Kakashi had explained to him that the Rin
in their childhood had been fond of Obito, but hadn’t been interested in him romantically. The
Daimyo’s daughter on the other hand had met Obito as a volunteer at the hospital while he received
treatment for his mental health issues. She’d adored him from the moment she met him, in spite of
his scarred visage and being older.
“Huh. Didn’t Uncle Obito have that weird seal over his heart? Like old man Madara had brain
washed him and poisoned him with that alien goo?” Takashi asked, scratching the back of his
unruly silver and pink hair. “How did Mom help get rid of that? She’s not that good at Fuinjutsu.”

“I believe that’s where you two come in,” Itachi explained. “You need to find your mother and keep
your fathers from killing each other.”

Sarada laughed. “Really? Papa and Papa Kashi didn’t get along?”

Itachi found himself laughing too. These two had no idea how much their fathers couldn’t stand
each other around this time twenty years ago. “You might be surprised.” While they eventually
found a way for their blended family to work, it was a bit unorthodox and certainly not their reality
twenty-two years ago.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
Two weeks. It had been two weeks. His ninja hounds returned with their tails tucked between their
legs, their expressions downcast as they came back with the same news they’d been sharing while
his team looked for Sakura and Obito. It seemed they weren’t anywhere in the Land of Fire. Sasori
had sent out his own search party. And surprisingly, the Village of Rain had sent out a party as well.

So far, all they had come across were the creepy white plant-like creatures that seemed to multiple
whenever they were cut down. He didn’t understand what they were. Sasori was the one that had
caught one and dissected it, explaining it was some sort of plant biologic, likely extraterrestrial in
origin.

“Damn aliens,” Sasuke cursed, shoving his sword through the ‘heart’ of one of the creatures for
good measure while channeling lightning to fry all the nerve endings of the monster. When it was
paralyzed, he incinerated it with his Amaterasu.

Sasuke Uchiha had made it his personal mission to eradicate the aliens from their continent.

“We should head for an inn,” Shisui suggested, jogging back to Kakashi’s side. He crouched next to
Bull and rubbed him behind the ears, earning a slobbery smile. “Who’s a good boy? You are!
You’re a good boy!”

Kakashi glanced up at the darkening sky. It was early December, but already the weather was
turning wintery. His jaw clenched in anger. He wanted Sakura home before the Winter Solstice, but
now he just wanted her home. He couldn’t lose her again! And Obito! He wasn’t sure what to feel
about the fact that his old teammate who’s memory he cherished was still alive and had kidnapped
the love of his life! Except, Sakura wasn’t that Sakura. Except she was. And he didn’t know how to
wrap his mind around it.

“I can create my cartoon birds. We’ll be back in that village from yesterday within the hour,” Sai
offered. Ino stood at his side, rubbing her bare arms briskly. With a sigh, Sai unzipped his backpack
and pulled out a standard winter cloak and secured it over Ino’s shoulders.

“Thanks,” Ino murmured, blinking in surprise. “I was distracted, trying to find any trace of
Sakura’s mind. I thought I felt something, but it was so brief,” she trailed off. “Maybe a good
night’s sleep will help. I’ll be fresh in the morning.”

They’d gone two days without sleep, their entire party determined. Naruto started towards the
group, dismissing his dozens of clones as he drew near. “Not a single strand of pink hair in a twenty
kilometer radius,” he declared, coming to stand next to Sasuke. He laid his hand over the taller
man’s shoulder and the tense Uchiha relaxed marginally.

“Fine,” Kakashi agreed. “Same arrangements as usual?”

Shisui nodded. The two of them had been sharing a room, the Yamanakas in another, and Naruto
and Sasuke in the third room. So far, they hadn’t been kicked out of any inns, even though they
were all of them angry and worried. They’d managed to keep their killing intent chakra levels low
enough not to frighten the civilians. And after ridding the area of the white zetsus, their inns were
usually complimentary.

The Godaime had recommended while they were out searching — indefinitely, that with so many
Anbu members — everyone save Ino — that they might as well round up characters from the
Bingo books and bring in some bounties. So long as they did that, they could keep looking for as
long as they wanted.

Which was good, because Kakashi didn’t intend to return home without her.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
She shivered, pulling her cloak close. This time, Obito had teleported them into the middle of a
snow storm. Supposedly, they were in the center of Konoha, except, his handle on jumping through
time left a lot to be desired. They’d arrived in the acreage where Konoha had yet to be established,
for another few hundred years! Everyone lived in tents and they certainly wanted nothing to do
with the funny looking duo that popped into the middle of their camp.

Honestly, they’d been lucky to escape the fireball shot their way from one of the earlier generations
of Uchiha.

“Let’s just hole up in a cave for a day or two and regroup,” Sakura suggested.

Obito sniffed, took off the plain mask he’d carved a few days back and wiped at his nose with the
back of his hand. He kept several creepy orange swirly masks in his Kamui dimension. Honestly,
she preferred the plain white one. He was a rather emotional guy. Sakura appreciated that about
him, unfortunately, he was also one temper tantrum away from flying into a murderous rampage.
So far, he’d resisted, until they came across a stampede of wild boar. He’d slaughtered the giant
pigs and they’d feasted like kings for three days.

She’d told him about Sarada, hoping it would foster some sympathy from him. But he’d been
unimpressed. He lamented never having children himself. He’d spent most of his adult life trapped
in a dream! He also explained Madara’s original plan that he’d manipulated Obito into
orchestrating. Placing the entire world under an endless dream had seemed a good idea in theory
when you were a grieving teenaged orphan. However, after Obito had spent years trapped in a
dream himself, it had quickly lost its luster. However, there was a seal on his heart — it made him
do things. And whenever he felt the pull on his subconscious from the seal, they changed
dimensions or jumped through time.

He’d been trying to get them to the week before Kakashi and Rin’s ill-fated mission to Mist.

They had settled in a cave like Sakura had suggested. She’d pulled out dry rations she’d prepared a
couple of days ago from the pack she’d pilfered a few weeks ago. They’d been at this jumping
around through time for at least two months at this point. Sarada must have been so confused and
her friends must be so worried. She wished there was a way to contact them, let them know exactly
where she was. She just wanted to go home! She offered her unintended companion some of the
jerky.

“Maybe it’s because I only have one eye,” Obito mused. He took the jerky and ripped into it
eagerly. “I could take back my eye from Kakashi - you can transplant it right? You fixed up Shisui
after all. Or, maybe Nagato. He isn’t using them right anyway.”

Sakura fought back the bile rising in her throat as Obito casually spoke of snatching away eyeballs.
Technically, she wasn’t against Kakashi giving up the Sharingan — honestly, she thought he’d be
stronger without it and she’d worked with Sasori on cloning organs specifically for him. Though,
that would have to be Kakashi’s choice. She didn’t know who Nagato was, but she wasn’t exactly
thrilled with the idea of stealing anyone’s eyes.

“Who is Nagato?” Sakura asked, once her nausea had passed. She met Obito’s gaze, his momentary
madness settled again into clarity.

“Ah, he goes by Pain. He was the original leader of Akatsuki. Madara had me take over using his
name. Danzo murdered his best friend, so he was feeling pretty angsty and hateful. You know how
it goes,” Obito said with a shrug. “Anyways, Mads gave him his old Rinnegan eyes and it brought
him the ability to do so much. I’ll even let him keep one. I think a Rinnegan will be much more
useful than my regular eye anyway.” He tapped under his eye socket. “Besides, I like the idea of
Kakashi trying to find you with my eye in his head.”
Sakura said nothing. It was best not to talk about Kakashi with Obito. Sometimes, he’d speak of
him with admiration. Other times, he spoke with such vehemence it unsettled Sakura and made her
nervous to fall asleep.

Maybe, if she could figure out a way to destroy the seal on Obito’s heart she could start to really
help him. There was no reasoning with him until it was gone. She could see the darkness that crept
up into his attitude whenever the seal activated. Sasori was good with seals. He’d taught her a little.
Kakashi was better at seals. Unfortunately, the best people at seals were the Uzumaki who were
almost all eradicated.

She had a goal. She wanted to be back home by her birthday. She’d be there when Sarada turned
one and she’d have her date with Kakashi.
.
.
.
 Rin

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
“We’ll try it again!” Obito declared, standing abruptly and knocking over the herbal concoction
Sakura had been working on off the table. They’d been at it for weeks. He would focus on a
memory and they’d travel back in time, hoping to save his childhood crush.

Frankly, Sakura had met Rin and she wasn’t particularly impressed with the teenaged girl. Though,
to be fair, Sakura had been so obsessed with her own teammate at that age — or specifically her
team leader — that she’d hate for someone to judge her for how she behaved at thirteen. It was not
a good time for most girls. Though, at sixteen, Sakura wasn’t exactly the pillar of maturity. Or was
she seventeen now? How long had they been at this relentless pursuit? It felt like forever!

Sakura took a deep breath, frustrated by Obito’s clumsiness. Half his body had been rebuilt with
suspicious technology and then he’d spent nearly ten years stuck in a coma-like state. He was very
much like a newborn colt learning to walk for the first time— gangly and awkward. Obito Uchiha
was a very powerful man, but he was driven by his obsession to the point of insanity. She suspected
the reaction that his immune system had to the foreign substance on the right side of his body
caused an inflammatory response that made him more prone to outbursts. Was it a form of
inflammatory delirium? Unfortunately, the herbal brew he’d just knocked over was an anti-
inflammatory recipe she’d wanted to try on him. Now she’d have to start over. It was so—-
annoying.

“Calm down,” Sakura scolded. There were times when she feared for her life around Obito, but
today was not one of those days. After what seemed like months, her attitude towards the strange
man had changed. She more often was irritated by his irrationality and bold proclamations. He
reminded her of a younger Naruto, but one untempered by his upbringing in the proper Head
Uchiha household. He had a penchant for running across helpless old ladies and going out of his
way to help him. It was like all the excuses Kakashi had given to her as a genin for her tardiness
were manifested in Obito.

On bad days, Obito’s erratic behavior truly made her afraid for her life. She could not counter his
moves. He was too fast and had too much chakra. It reminded her of Shisui, except she’d never had
to fight against her big brother figure before. Sakura could disable Obito, maybe, if she timed it
right and luck was on her side, but then she’d also be lost in time.

Obito stared down at her, his visible Sharingan spinning wildly as he snatched Sakura’s hand and
yanked her to stand beside him. “We’ll go back to your time— I mean our time. I need the
Rinnegan from Nagato. It will help me navigate the dimensions better.”

She didn’t know who Nagato was, but she did recognize Amegakure when they arrived. Almost
immediately, their arrival garnered the attention of Pain and Konan, but then Obito transported the
two of them to a cave that radiated with both immense chakra levels on par with Naruto’s and also
a sickness that caused Sakura to stagger. A tall, emaciated man with blood red hair seemed to be
pinned to a throne by multiple black rods protruding from his spine and two black bars in his
shoulders, under his clavicles and several more along his forearms. Those black bars were very
much like the ones she remembered seeing on Pain’s nose and ears. His skin was so pale there was
no way he’d been in the sun for ages. He was incredibly strong, yet weak at the same time.

His eyes were an eerie lavender swirl.

“Ah, Nagato, sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow an eye. I’ll give it back,” Obito said, bouncing
from one foot to the other.

“Uchiha?” Nagato’s hoarse voice called. “Where have you been?”

“Just bouncing around reality,” Obito answered. He was suddenly at Nagato’s side and snatched
away the other man's left eye. Obito turned towards Sakura holding out the bloody tissue. “Mind
attaching this for me, Sakura?”

“What?!” Sakura rushed towards the emaciated man’s side, intending to heal his bleeding eye
vessels. She had the worse case of deja vu. With a prick of blood on her thumb she summoned a
very small version of Lady Katsuyu and tossed it towards the shocked, immobile man.

“We’ll be back! You won’t even know we were gone!” Obito promised before he snatched away
Sakura. She could only hope that she’d be able to remotely heal the Rain shinobi and also give
Master Tsunade a clue about her whereabouts.

She and Obito were once again in the drab, gray Kamui dimension. She went about the process of
surgically implanting the stolen eye into Obito’s empty left eye socket. She hoped the other man
hadn’t been too injured and was only vaguely aware of the Katsuyu drawing from her chakra
though the connection between them was stretched thin with the distance.

“Okay,” Sakura said, stepping back from Obito. “I suggest you take a few hours to rest. It’s a
delicate surgery.”

“Let’s go!” Obito didn’t wait more than five minutes after Sakura implanted the Rinnegan before
she found herself dizzy with vertigo back in their normal dimension, but not in their normal time.

“We’re here!” Obito whispered excitedly.

Sakura shook her head, trying to regain her balance. They were close to the border between the
lands of Fire and Lightning. That’s when she heard a familiar voice and looked down at the small
clearing to see a couple of teenaged Konoha shinobi as well some older Kiri shinobi. She could
sense within the girl, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, had a tailed beast inside of her. The
only reason she could tell, the girl was slowly being consumed by the beasts’ toxic chakra. She was
also able to sense the familiar chakra of Kakashi Hatake and Obito Uchiha himself. Though, next to
Obito was an old man who’s chakra bizarrely reminded her of Sasuke’s.

“Not again,” Obito growled. He’d tried to teleport, but was unable to do so. They watched in horror
as the brunette kunoichi put herself directly into the path of Kakashi’s chidori.

“NO! No, no, no.” Obito grabbed hold of Sakura again and once more they kept circling back in
time more than a dozen times, but no matter how many times they tried, they always kept returning
to the exact same moment. And no matter what he tried, Obito’s power always seemed to fail him
when he tried to intervene. It was as if some unseen force was keeping him from interfering. She
wondered if it was Madara, or more about the time-space continuum. Perhaps there were some
events in history that simply could not be changed.

Eventually, Obito collapsed to the ground, crying, hands over his face. Sakura tried to sooth her
kidnapper, but he jerked away from her and she backed off. Instead, she focused on the re-
occurring characters in this bitter reality that kept repeating before their eyes.

This time, they stayed and watched the whole tragedy all play out. She understood the kunoichi
was Rin Nohara, the girl whom Obito had loved his whole life. She was now seeing the two people
whom Kakashi paid respects to on the Memorial Stone almost every morning when he’d been her
Jonin leader. She left Obito to his sorrow after he fell asleep from mental exhaustion, the transplant,
and the chakra drain of the Rinnegan. She crouched over his still form and sent a wave of medical
chakra into his brain, inducing a medical coma that would ensure his unconscious state for the next
couple of hours. She used earth jutsu to create a barrier around him.

Then she found thirteen year old Kakashi on the bloody field. His teammate was dead on the
ground and he sat beside her rocking back and forth, the Mist ninja were also dead.

Kakashi’s gaze snapped up at her as she approached. His familiar thunderstorm grey right eye was
almost blank with despair while his transplanted eye now boasted the Mangekyo Sharingan. He
couldn’t have been more than fourteen— the same age she was her second time taking the Chunin
Exams. He was so young!

As she approached with her hands held up, palms facing outward in a placating manner, her
forehead protector held out as a peace offering to identify her as friendly, he let her come closer.
“I’m from Konoha,” Sakura assured him. She watched as the Mangekyo Sharingan faded into the
three tomoe Sharingan before he closed his left eye and then slid his own Hitai-ate over it. “Are
you injured?”

Kakashi shook his head, his visible eye focused back on Rin. “I killed her.”

“She was dying. Her body was being consumed by the tailed-beast. She must have been in a great
deal of pain. Your attack was a mercy, but she forced your hand.” Sakura kneeled on the other side
of Rin’s body and felt her neck to confirm there was no pulse. Of course there wasn’t. Kakashi had
obliterated her heart with his chidori. “I can’t blame her. If I had a choice, I would want the last
person I saw before I die to be someone I cared about, rather than an enemy.”

“It’s just like with Father,” Kakashi said quietly, wrapping his thin arms over his raised knees.
“When he killed himself, I’m the one that found him. He was already dead, but there was a framed
picture of our family from before Mother died near his hand.”

Sakura’s jaw clenched at the revelation. She had no idea Kakashi’s father had committed suicide,
nor that he’d been the one to find him. She did know that he’d lost his entire team under the Yellow
Flash. Well, except Obito was alive, wasn’t he? She looked over her shoulder briefly, but Obito
hadn’t moved, he was still secured under the earthen barrier she’d erected over his prone form.

“Obito’s dead too, but I guess you know that,” Kakashi continued. He looked back up at her.
“Sakura.”

Her heart clenched at the sound of her name coming off Kakashi’s lips. “You know me?”
“I wouldn’t forget,” Kakashi said quietly, his gaze falling back to Rin. “Maybe you should have
stuck around. We were a terrible team. The only time we really worked well together was that Bell
test with Master Minato during that time with you last year.” He tapped under his covered eye. “Rin
used that salve that helps scars fade on me.” He looked back at her. “It’s like you knew I would
need it. Did you know what would happen, Sakura? Did you predict all this?”

Sakura didn’t know what he was talking about, but her eyes welled up with tears regardless and her
heart ached for this sorrowful boy. “I can’t stay, but I’m here now.” She stood and walked around
Rin’s prone form until she sat next to Kakashi. He was so much smaller than she knew him as, they
were about the same size height and weight-wise, which was strange, but regardless, he was one of
her dearest friends and she may have even been in love with him. Possibly. Probably.

“Yeah, I guess you are,” Kakashi said quietly, leaning his forehead against his upturned knees.

Unable to resist, Sakura wrapped her arm around Kakashi’s shoulders and hugged his small, yet
muscular body. He turned towards her, his thin, strong arms winding around her waist and he
buried his face against the juncture between her collarbone and her throat. “Today is a bad day,
Kakashi. But, I promise you, it will get better.”

At least half an hour passed with the two of them holding one another. She couldn’t stay with
young Kakashi much longer. Obito would be rousing soon and she didn’t want him to wake up
surrounded in an earthen tomb. Likely, Minato Namikaze himself would be showing up to pick up
Kakashi. Naruto’s dad had marked his entire team, so would likely notice Rin’s death. She did have
the Water-body-flicker technique that she and Shisui had worked out since she didn’t have
Lightning chakra for flash-step. Now might be a good time to try it out.

“You have to go, don’t you,” Kakashi murmured. He looked up at her, his mask pooled around his
neck and his Hitai-ate shoved up into his silver hairline.

While he was likely fourteen — a year or two younger than her right now, Sakura couldn’t help but
feel her breath hitch at the sight of his beautiful, youthful face. There was too much sorrow on his
young face. His adorable dimples were on prominent display flanking his quivering pouty lips. She
was unable to resist cradling his cheek with her palm, running her thumb over the beauty mark on
his chin and then gently touching the scar on his cheek.

Kakashi laid his hand over hers and leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers shyly. Sakura
could taste a mixture of tears and blood falling from his transplanted eye as she returned the kiss.
Was she Kakashi’s first kiss? Why couldn’t Obito save Rin and yet she’d been allowed to interact
with Kakashi? Did this already happen in the past or is it happening now and his memories would
be altered? There were so many questions with this time travel. Somehow, she doubted if Obito
knew the answers. He was the most confused of everyone.

Sakura leaned back. “I’ll find you, Kakashi. It will be a few years from now, but we’ll meet again.”

Kakashi sucked in a shaky breath. “Promise you’ll find me again, Sakura.”

Sakura smiled at him, clenching her hand into a fist so tight she could feel crescents forming on her
palms from her nails. “You’re my precious friend Kakashi and I love you. I will find you again.
Please, be strong in the mean time. I will come back to you, I promise you.”

He nodded. “Okay.”
Then Sakura utilized the water body-flicker technique to put distance between her and teen Kakashi
before the Yondaime showed up. She’d been about to return to Obito when she ran into the firm
chest of someone much taller than her. She craned her head back to see long, white hair and pale
lavender eyes staring back down at her.

There was something about the old man that reminded her of Sasuke. She knew it wasn’t him, but
the chakra was the same amethyst color as that of her daughter’s father. His large, wrinkled hand
fell upon her shoulder in a bone crushing grip. “Care to explain what you’re doing here?” His deep
voice rumbled.

This man was Madara Uchiha! It was the living embodiment of that massive statue flanking the
waterfall at the Valley of the End! He shouldn’t be alive, but he was and based on the familiar
chakra — Sasuke was the reincarnation of this man! “Just making a pit stop through time,” Sakura
answered with a forced smile. “You must be Madara Uchiha. I’m Sakura.”

“Sakura…”. His pale eyes narrowed as he stared at her forehead. “Senju?”

“Eh, sort of. I’m from the future, I’m married to your reincarnation,” Sakura explained. Married,
baby-mama? He was from a different era, best she simplify things and hope he didn’t kill her. She
wasn’t one-hundred percent sure Sasuke was this man’s reincarnation, but considering his time
travel seemed to be working for her, she seemed to run into people she was connected to. And no
two chakras were alike, yet his was a match for Sasuke’s.

His hand relaxed as his eyes widened at her words. “My reincarnation marries a Senju?” He shook
his head. “Impossible.”

She gestured behind her towards where Kakashi, his dead teammate and the Mist shinobi bodies
waited. “Did you orchestrate this to unlock Obito’s Mangekyo Sharingan?”

His grip tightened again.

“I practically was raised by the Uchiha. It’s not common knowledge how these things happen, but
I’m aware,” Sakura explained. “Obito keeps trying to change Rin’s fate, but no matter what he
does, it seemed to remain fixed.”

“I have the ability to manipulate time to a certain degree,” Madara explained. “I’ve protected this
event.” He cocked his head to the side. “Which is why after the two of you kept constantly
returning I decided to see what you would do.” He gestured vaguely towards Kakashi with his free
hand. “Friend of yours?”

“Best friend to both you and me,” Sakura explained. “And I’m pretty sure Hashirama’s
reincarnation is our other friend. Was his chakra orange?”

“What color is your chakra?” Madara asked, evading the question with one of his own.

Sakura held up her hand and allowed it to glow green with her healing palm technique.

“Hn. Medical ninjutsu. Your chakra is the same green as Princess Mito’s,” Madara murmured. He
released her and gestured towards where she left Obito’s unconscious body. “I suggest you leave. I
won’t allow this moment to change. It’s not on my agenda to kill you, but it doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“Um, can you tell me what your plan is? Why did you want all the tailed beasts collected?” Sakura
asked. He wouldn’t kill her, right? She just told him his reincarnation was her husband.

Madara stepped back and ran his hand over his face, tired and world weary. “Peace.”

She reached for the side of his face and was only somewhat surprised when he let her touch him.
“The Purelands are peace, Madara. Your next life is full of love.”
He laid his hand over hers and stared down. “Finding love is never the problem for an Uchiha. It’s
keeping it.” He squeezed her hand painfully and then yanked it away from his face before
forcefully pushing her away. “I suggest you leave before I make my future self a widower.”

She could have stood up against him — he was an old man after all. She could have called forth her
monstrous strength, unleashed the power of her Strength of a Hundred seal— and — died without
any of her friends ever learning of her fate. Without further protest, she hurried to Obito and dug
him out of the ground. She woke him up with a surge of medical chakra to his brain. “We need to
leave now.”

His eyes had a disturbing vacant look to them. Obito nodded wordlessly and together, they departed
the field and wound up in a wooded area outside the castle of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Kakashi
.
.
.
His team wasn’t successful at finding Sakura or Obito. Their chances became even lower once the
Amegakure shinobi caught up with them. Pain explained that Obito had taken one of his Rinnegan
eyes. Sakura’s seventeenth birthday came and went. Kakashi had gotten incredibly drunk with Guy
and Shisui. And then Sasuke asked Kakashi to come to his daughter’s first birthday — of course it
was still publicly proclaimed that Sarada was Itachi and Izumi’s child.

It had been on the way to the Uchiha household that Kakashi felt a sharp, piercing headache. He
brought his hand up over his mask-covered mouth. The memory fresh and new of his first kiss with
a seventeen year old Sakura while he’d been no more than thirteen and a half years old, on the day
Rin had died.

“You okay?” Shisui asked, voice laced with concern, his warm hand upon Kakashi’s shoulder. “We
can leave the party early, go find a bar and get piss drunk.”

“I just had a memory surface,” Kakashi murmured. The idea of drinking while having such a
migraine was far from appealing. “It was the day Rin died. I remember Sakura being there.” He
looked over at Shisui’s worried frown. “She just showed up, comforted me while I sat vigil over
Rin’s body until Master Minato came.”
“Then what happened?” Shisui asked.

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. “Then she body-flickered away and vanished. I assume you
taught her how?”

“Ah, I might have. We were bored during our time in Sand,” Shisui admitted. “Sakura doesn’t have
Lightning chakra, so I told her how I saw the Mist shinobi use a variant of the technique with
Water.”

“Hm,” Kakashi said with a nod. Absently, he rubbed his hand over his left pectoral. He was still
sore from the tattoo he’d asked Sai to draw on him for Sakura’s birthday a few days before. Ino had
offered to heal the tattoo’s soreness, but he rather appreciated the pain. The cherry blossom branch
he’d had Sai place on his chest was a promise to himself.

He would make sure Sakura returned home. She might have missed her seventeenth birthday and
her daughter’s first birthday, but she would come back. She promised him.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.

Sakura
.
.
“This is the Daimyo’s castle,” Sakura observed, laying her palm over the ground and mapping out
the area with her chakra. She could sense there were shinobi guards — Konohamaru’s father was
amongst the elite bodyguards. Other than him, Sakura didn’t really recognize any of the others.
“We should leave.”

Obito stumbled next to her, shaking his head. “No, she’s here. Rin is here, I know it.” He grabbed
hold of Sakura and the two of them teleported to a tree closer to the castle’s courtyard.

Sitting outside with a couple of kunoichi guards was a pretty young woman with long light brown
hair that looked about Sakura’s age. She had a small white dog in her lap and was petting it while
she was singing softly along with a servant that played a flute.

“It’s her,” Obito whispered.

Sakura and Obito both masked their chakra signature and watched the young woman until she
finally retreated inside the castle close to sunset. She was the Daimyo’s second daughter. “Maybe
that’s why you couldn’t save her — she was meant to be born again.” Sakura didn’t mention
Madara’s interference. Neither she nor Obito stood a chance against the formidable opponent.
.
.
.
 Homeward Bound
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

.
.
Sakura
.
.
“You know, maybe it’s time to go back— to our regular time. We could work on a strategy for you
to meet Rin,” Sakura suggested. She laid her hand gently on Obito’s tense shoulder and he
shrugged her off violently.

“I can just kidnap her. Explain things to her,” Obito argued, speaking more to himself than to
Sakura.

Sakura grimaced. Was that always his solution? “Kidnapping doesn’t seem to be the best option."

“I mean, she wouldn’t know it was me that kidnapped her. I would rescue her from the kidnapper.”
He turned towards her. “You can kidnap her and then I’ll save her from you.” He angled his head to
the side. “I’ll probably have to kill you though — to make it believable.” He smiled lopsidedly at
her. “It would serve Bakashi right. I can drop off your corpse on his doorstep.”

“Eh, no,” Sakura said, stepping back from her volatile kidnapper who spoke so casually about
murdering her. They had spent the last few weeks observing the daimyo’s second daughter. It was
only for a short while every day, before Obito would then teleport them to some other date within
the time-stream where they couldn’t be found if any of her friends caught wind of their location.

Obito looked up at the sky. “Hm, time to go.” He grabbed hold of Sakura and pulled her against
him and they vanished within his Kamui dimension. He started to pace, rubbing at his jaw
thoughtfully.

“Maybe you can tell me about yourself — your childhood perhaps? Did you have any brothers or
sisters?” Sakura asked, trying to smile encouragingly. She sat lotus-style on the dusty ground and
tried to will the tension out of her back. When she’d worked with Lady Chiyo and Master Tsunade,
they’d all touched upon the fragility of a shinobi’s mental health. Obito Uchiha was psychotic, but
he did seem to have more moments of lucidity these days. He was sane at least eighty-percent of
the time. It was just the twenty-percent was pretty terrifying.

“No. And no parents. They were dead, dead, dead before I could even remember. Grandma raised
me. Dad’s mum.” Obito teleported only to appear in a crouch right in front of her, so close his
breath warmed her face. “I wasn’t a prodigy. Not like sweet Shisui. He’s two years younger than
me. He graduated the Academy at seven and me and Rin were nine. Bakashi graduated at five —
he was always so pretentious.” He angled his head again. “Remember the boy that was chasing
cats? Back when we did the Bell test with Minato sensei?”

Sakura started to open her mouth to say that she wasn’t there, when Obito cut her off. “No. No. I
guess that was you but not you.” He ran shaking fingers through his spiky, dark hair. “Grandma was
loving. I had a good home life — always fed and bathed. I brought extra servings to poor Shisui.
His mom died at some point and his dad was a drunk. Anyways, I didn’t activate my Sharingan
until well after I graduated the Academy. Some of the clansmen said it was a shame I was orphaned
too young. If I had known my parents, then their deaths might have served a purpose to trigger the
emotional response needed to activate the Sharingan.”

“That must have been very hard,” Sakura acknowledged.

Obito nodded and wiped his knuckle under his eye. “It was. I wore goggles because my eyes were
so sensitive. Bakashi thought I was crying, but I was having watery eyes because they were
sensitive. I had allergies.”

“Regardless of allergies or emotional distress, no one should make fun of someone for having tears.
It’s normal,” Sakura affirmed.

Obito laughed. “I bet you were a crybaby.” He grinned at her. “Am I right?”

Sakura huffed. “I am sensitive. I wasn’t very good at the shinobi rule of not showing emotion.
Though, that’s why Anbu wear masks, is it not? No one can be blank of emotion and still be sane.”

He giggled and bounced on the balls of his feet. “That’s so ridiculous, Sakura-chan! Of course,
shinobi are all insane!”

“Shisui is like an older brother to me. He took me under his wing, trained me. I love him a lot. He’s
probably looking for both of us,” Sakura said gently. It was best to talk about Shisui. Obito seemed
to hold affection for him. Kakashi was definitely a sore subject and Sakura would try to avoid
bringing him up.

“Shisui was supposed to die. Danzo arranged it. I wanted to stop it, but you stopped it.” He blew
out a breath and ruffled his bangs. “Thanks for that, I guess.”

Obito was still on about her time traveling and saving Shisui’s life. Though, based on her
interaction with adolescent Kakashi a while back, she suspected he was right.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
A week had passed since Sarada Uchiha’s first birthday celebration and ten days past Sakura’s
seventeenth birthday. He should have been taking her on that long-promised and over-due date with
his memories intact and his complicated feelings. He had to find a way to convince her, that he was
more than her former aloof team leader with unhealthy coping techniques for dealing with his
childhood traumas, grief, and savage experiences in the Third Shinobi War.

Kakashi remembered — everything. His adolescent crush had been with a time displaced Sakura
who was the same age as him, back when he’d been an orphan but was otherwise sheltered
compared to later. She was that golden-haired lover in his young adult life, the one that reminded
him life was worth living and that he was more than a numbed ninja assassin. He remembered the
whole team — the future version of them from that other timeline. If Sakura hadn’t time-traveled to
begin with, they’d have figured it out. Kakashi knew his older self had loved her based on the
presence of those silver bangle heirlooms. His other version had matching charcoal eyes, strong
confidence in his posture and a calm mind. If Sakura had stuck to her own time, things certainly
wouldn’t have been as messy as this timeline. Kakashi’s mind was anything, but calm! Would he
ever have that same kind of deadly calm aura again?

Though a stark contrast between timelines, Shisui wouldn’t be alive if things had continued without
other Sakura’s interference. Itachi would have been a rogue ninja/double secret agent. Obito’s
terrorist group would have done a lot more damage. And there would have been a Fourth Shinobi
War on the horizon that brought the shinobi nations into an alliance that stood up against a goddess.
And more than half the shinobi alliance would have perished. The bit about the war, he shouldn’t
have known about. He wouldn’t have known about, except he’d asked Sakura to tell him
everything that happened in her original timeline that she wanted to be different. And she had, until
more time-travelers, his future step-daughter and future son had come to take her back home.

He leaned down, picked up a flat stone from the shore where the Naka River had receded and
tossed it far, skipping it over the slow moving water. His team had returned to the village to
regroup. Ino needed to resume her training with the Intelligence Division under Ibiki Moreno and
her father Inoichi Yamanaka. Sai and his brother Shin were being sent to join a two person team
from Mist to investigate a child smuggling ring that had ties to Danzo and the remnants of the Root
organization

While Danzo was dust on the wind, his machinations were still running afoul within the ninja
world. The new leaders of Mist had wanted to show a sincere peace with Konoha and requested the
mission to be joint. The Godaime could hardly refuse. With Sai’s cartoon birds jutsu, they were the
best suited shinobi for that particular mission.

Now that their team had returned to the village, it was being divided into different factions. Kakashi
was waiting to hear if his leave of absence was going to be approved or not. Several of his friends
had offered to donate their time off, so he’d have plenty of time if he ran out of his own. Guy,
Genma, Asuma, Kurenai, Itachi, Tenzo, Yugao— they’d all come with him before the Godaime to
volunteer their time off so he’d have at least a year to search for Sakura if needed. Tsunade was
thinking it over. The Anbu Commander had asked if the mission to search for Sakura could be
extended — he asked to just keep Kakashi and Shisui on it. The Kazekage offered to contribute
resources financially and via man-power to the cause if Tsunade would consider the search mission
a joint venture.

Kakashi felt the approach of Shisui, the Uchiha that would have died a horrible death had it not
been for Sakura’s time-traveling adventure. Kakashi clenched his jaw so tight a muscle twitched in
his cheek. He would be grateful regardless of his current heartache. And maybe, somehow,
something could be done to bring Obito back into the fold.
“Still no news for us,” Shisui confirmed. “Though, Sasuke isn’t really fighting the order to remain
home. He’s worried about his daughter. And Naruto is attached to him at the hip, so….” He
crouched to inspect the rocks on the shore and picked one up. He tossed it in his hand to check the
weight and balance and then skipped it across the waters, sending it just a smidge farther than
Kakashi’s had traveled. “The civil war in Mist is over. Mae Terumi is the Mizukage and Kisame
Hoshigaki is her right-hand man. They wrote to the Godaime to say they had ordered their shinobi
to keep an eye out for Sakura and Obito as well. You know Sai will continue to look while he and
Shin are on their mission. The Kazekage regrets he’s unable to join us himself, but he’s sent his
cousin Lyna and his protege Kankuro to look for clues. His shinobi also have orders to be aware.
And even if we aren’t allowed to specifically look for them, it’s been agreed to keep an eye out for
them.”

“And yet if we’re out on missions, the mission would take priority over following up on any
possible leads,” Kakashi murmured angrily. “That’s not good enough. Considering when our
current leader Tsunade up and left the village for decades without any consequences to gamble and
drink, I don’t see why there should be any issue with me taking a leave of absence. I’ve more than
earned it.” Their only real clue, had been when Obito and Sakura had come back long enough to
steal something from the leaders of Amegakure. Konan had surprisingly reached out to Konoha
with this information— not what was stolen, but that they’d been there.

“I know, Kakashi. I recognize the hypocrisy and am not arguing with you. But, Sakura would be
very upset with us both if we went and got ourselves declared missing ninja. And I don’t think it’s
Lady Tsunade that is working against us, but the council — the various clan heads— are divided.
However, there is another mission I know you were eager to go on,” Shisui said quietly. “Dad
wants us to travel to Tea and escort the Harunos back to Konoha. It seems Lady Tsunade
discovered some classified information from Lord Minato’s rule that explained Mebuki Haruno’s
identity as his cousin and an expert in apothecary. Lady Tsunade wants her to work on a project
with Shizune.”

“Would Sakura’s parents want to return to Konoha?” Kakashi asked. They’d left on their own
volition. He suspected there was some sort of issue between Mebuki Haruno and Mikoto Uchiha.
An issue that would be compounded with a shared grandchild. However, Itachi had seen the family
in Tea. He was the head of the Uchiha now, maybe he’d decided they should return?

“Yes, Itachi apparently told them about their granddaughter,” Shisui answered. “It’s still a secret,
but he felt Sarada’s grandparents deserved to meet her, especially since we don’t know…when…
Sakura will return.”

Kakashi’s hands balled into fists, the leather of his gloves creaking. When? More like if. People
were losing faith.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
A few weeks later, Kakashi and Shisui returned to Konoha with Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno. It had
surprisingly been a nice mission. Sakura’s parents were nice and appreciative to both Kakashi and
Shisui. Sakura had been extremely fond of both of them throughout her childhood and had spoke
many praises of them both.

It shamed Kakashi somewhat given his cavalier treatment of Sakura in her youth. Though, it
sounded like Shisui more than made up for his neglect. The Godaime fed the story to Sakura’s
parents that she was still working on a confidential project with the Kazekage. Seeing as she’d
spent quite a bit of time in Suna, they had no problem accepting that explanation. They’d been
excited to learn that she had a daughter and that it wasn’t a situation forcing her into retirement. It
wasn’t a surprise to Sakura’s parents that the child was between Sakura and Sasuke. It was like
Mebuki was fine with Sakura having a daughter with Sasuke, so long as she wasn’t married to him.
It was an odd attitude.

They would be allowed supervised visits on the Uchiha compound. Since they’d once been regular
guests of Mikoto during the kids early days at the Academy, nothing much was thought of an old
friend coming to spend time with the widowed clan matriarch. And it actually seemed like the two
women were somewhat friendly again. Maybe they let bygones by bygones and focused on their
common love for baby Sarada.

What had been a surprise, was during Kakashi and Shisui’s escort mission, Sasuke and Naruto had
been paid a visit by none other than Hagoromo Otsutsuki. With the additional massive boost in
their powers, there was no need to confine them to the village and when Sarada’s other
grandparents arrived, Sasuke was eager to rejoin the search. The council finally relented and
allowed their search to be officially sanctioned as a mission.

Kakashi noticed things seemed different between Sasuke and Naruto since he last saw them. He
couldn’t quite place it, but it was definitely different.

Their four-man cell — Kakashi, Shisui, Sasuke and Naruto came across Orochimaru at one of his
bases. With Sasuke’s Rinnegan ability and Naruto’s sage powers, the snake sannin was easily
defeated. Shisui stepped in and encouraged Orochimaru to turn over a new leaf, so to speak. He
would become a doting parent. For, Orochimaru wasn’t the only person they found in the hideout.
There was a one year old boy with light blue-silver hair and reptilian eyes there under the care of a
woman with long-crimson hair. Mitsuki was a clone of Orochimaru with a few genetic
modifications and Karin had been his surrogate mother. Much like Tenzo had been a clone of Lord
Hashirama with modifications.

As they were wrapping up that mission, there was a manifestation of powerful chakra and a rip in
time. Stepping out of nowhere with lightning crackling around them stood a twenty-year old Sarada
Uchiha and a seventeen year old Takashi Hatake.

“Yo,” Takashi greeted, raising his hand and looking between the group. He nodded at Shisui and
Kakashi, observing the spark of recognition in their gazes. “Now, don’t freak out,” he said, turning
his jade eyes onto Sasuke and Naruto. “We’ve come to help you find Mom.”

Sarada’s dark eyes widened as she laser-focused her attention on the toddler in Karin’s arms. “Is
that Mitsuki?”
The woman held the baby close to her chest and her crimson eyes narrowed in suspicion behind her
glasses. “How do you know his name?”

“Oh my! Sarada he’s adorable!” Takashi’s hands flew to his face to cover his nose and mouth, his
eyes comically wide. “Who knew your boyfriend would have been such a cute little baby!
Especially with as weird as his parent is!”

“Hey,” Orochimaru complained with a frown. He rubbed at his forehead, Shisui’s Kotoamatsukami
manipulation genjutsu forcing him into a domestic mindset.

“What are you doing here?” Kakashi asked, flash-stepping to stand alongside his son from the
future. The fact that Takashi was here, gave him hope that Sakura would be recovered. “Do you
know where they are?”

“No one is a better tracker than me,” Takashi answered. He glanced back at Sarada. “We’ve studied
the ancient fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki. We can find them wherever in time and then I can destroy the
seal around your friend’s heart so that he’s not stuck under Madara and Zetsu’s influence.”

“You haven’t been able to track him because his mind is so erratic. You have to try to track Mama,”
Sarada explained, tearing her gaze away from her father, her eyes bright with emotion.

Takashi flashed a charming smile on Karin before he leaned close to Kakashi’s ear — they were
about the same height. “Karin is good friends with mom. She’s an Uzumaki that Orochimaru had
taken in from an abusive situation when she’d been a little girl. So she was always loyal to him,
however, she loves Mitsuki more than anything. She and Auntie Hinata are great moms.”

“Don’t you think you should be more careful dropping tidbits from the future?” Kakashi asked
quietly.

Takashi shrugged. “Maybe, but you’re my dad. I’ve always told you everything.” He smiled at
Kakashi, and it reminded Kakashi painfully of the brilliant way he used to smile at his own father,
before the dark times. “Damn, it’s so good to see you again in your youth. I mean, you like never
age, but I know Uncle Obito riles you up, so I’m looking forward to seeing you lose your cool. It’s
so rare!” He leaned close again. “Though, Boruto and Himawari think I talk too much when I get
excited.”

“Takashi!” Sarada called out, looking exacerbated.

“Right.” Takashi took a deep breath and his face lost all joviality as he grew serious and focused. It
was like watching a mirror back when Kakashi would practice his serious face when he’d been a
kid. “We’ll need Papa Sasuke’s susanoo and to combine his Rinnegan with Sarada’s mangekyou
sharingan ability. Uncle Naruto’s chakra will be useful in case we need a recharge. Traveling
through time takes a lot of chakra. I will created a wooden cage around Obito and then slam Dad,
you’ll need to blow a hole into his chest with your chidori, I’ll follow up with my hand against his
chest dissolving the Fuinjutsu seal around his heart and healing the damage immediately
afterwards.”

“You can do all that?” Kakashi couldn’t help but ask, feeling skeptical. However, two of his
teammates did just get god-like powers for being the reincarnation of the Sage of Six path’s sons.

“Of course!” Takashi smiled. “Why else would Uncle Itachi order us to fix this mess? One of you
would probably get killed facing off against Uncle Obito like this. He’s pretty loony toons at the
moment. It’s going to take Uncle Shisui’s magical eye to calm down his mind so that Mom and
Auntie Ino can work on his fractured mind and help him regain his sanity.” He hopped from foot to
foot anxious. “So, Mom and Obito have been hopping around time for what? A year now?”

“A year and a half.” Kakashi closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Are we just one
big family in your time? You keep calling everyone uncle or auntie.”

“Sure, Mom and Naruto are just social butterflies. Or rather, they’re the flames that keep attracting
all you overly serious moths,” Takashi answered. He turned abruptly and threw his arms around
Shisui’s neck in a hug, knocking the older man back a step in surprise. “Thank you, for never
giving up on Mom and Dad. They can be idiots. They’d never have figured things out without you,
I suspect!”

Shisui laughed. “Yeah, well I do owe them my life. And they may be stubborn, but far from idiots.”

“Let me just drop these two back off,” Sasuke said, having quietly followed the conversation. He
had a strange look on his face when he looked at Takashi, having made the connection of just who
he must be considering his seventeen month old daughter was standing before him as a twenty-year
old. Using the power of his Rinnegan, he and Naruto teleported Orochimaru, Karin, and Mitsuki
back under the care of the Leaf.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
She was more worried now about Obito’s mental health than she’d been at the start of her
kidnapping. She could see glimpses of the sweet boy he’d been, buried under the cruel man he’d
become. It was like he was suffering from schizoaffective disorder— two distinct personalities, one
playful and one hostile.

He was currently pacing, talking about the Rin of his youth and comparing her to the Rin living in
the daimyo’s palace.

They weren’t in the Kamui dimension and they weren’t near the daimyo’s palace either. Obito was
suddenly worried that other-Rin would see his scarred face and be afraid of him. Instead, they had
traveled back nearly five thousand years into the distant past. They were still in the Land of Fire,
but the human population was sparse and widespread.

And then, it all happened so fast. One moment she was stirring a pot of stew over their fire, the next
a large purple fist closed around her and yanked her inside a skeletal like creature.
“I’ve got you,” Sasuke murmured, holding Sakura against him. “I’m so sorry I was a jerk before,
Sakura. Sarada misses you. I miss you.”

Sakura could barely see what was happening past Sasuke’s chest as he crushed her against him.
There was a commotion, the sound of the wood release jutsu, the familiar scream of a thousand
birds from Kakashi’s chidori, Obito’s scream of pain and then silence.

“Alright, that should do it,” an unfamiliar, tenor-toned male voice announced.

Sakura managed to extract herself from Sasuke’s hold enough to see not one, but two silver-haired
men standing over an unconscious Obito Uchiha. Then as if sensing her attention, a mismatched
dark charcoal and crimson set of eyes and another pair of charcoal with jade luminal borders stared
back at her.

Sakura felt her legs go weak.

Then Shisui’s strong arms banded around her, pulling her away from Sasuke. “We’ve got you.
We’ll be going home, Sakura-chan. It’s all going to work out, I promise.”

Then Kakashi was there, pulling her into his arms and hugging her close. “I owe you a date,
Sakura. Happy belated birthday.”

Sakura laughed, feeling overwhelmed with the abruptness of being freed from the clutches of a
madman. She buried her nose against the front of Kakashi’s flak jacket and breathed in the familiar,
soothing smell of pine forest and earth. “How long has it been? It feels like ages. We’ve been
traveling all throughout time.”

“It’s been nearly a year and half, Sakura,” Kakashi answered. He leaned his forehead against hers
and breathed in a shuddering sigh. “I’ve been so worried. I know you visited me in the past — the
day Rin died.”

“Yeah, and apparently another me visited you before then,” Sakura said with a faint chuckle. “And
Sasuke has a purple skeleton monster and I met his previous incarnation — Madara Uchiha. He’s
the reason Rin had the tailed beast put inside her. He orchestrated it, wanting to awaken Obito’s
Mangekyou Sharingan by witnessing the tragedy.”

“Shh, let’s not talk about that right now,” Kakashi murmured. His fingers wound themselves into
her hair, running through the length. It had grown even longer during her sojourn across time.
“Your parents are back in Konoha. You can stay with them in your old house, stay with Shisui
where you were before Obito took you, or you can stay with me.” He met her gaze. “I really hope
you’ll choose to stay with me. I have so much I want to say to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, we all have things we need to say to Mom,” the silver-haired teen said, crouching next
to them. He smiled at her, his teeth so perfectly straight and bright white it almost hurt to look at his
mouth.

Then she was being crushed by a stranger into an even more fierce hug, yet he didn’t seem like a
stranger.

“Seriously, Takashi, you’re such a mama’s boy,” a dark-haired woman with crimson and black eyes
grumbled crouching at Sakura’s other side. “Hey, Mama. It’s Sarada — from the future, don’t
worry, you didn’t miss too much of your time. I wish I could bring you back to where you’d been
 taken, but I can’t. There are rules with traveling the timestream that Uncle Obito ignored. I’ve got
to try and correct some of the imbalances. You ready to go home?”

Sakura looked between Sarada, Takashi, Kakashi, Shisui, Sasuke, and Naruto. The latter had Obito
tossed over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“Let’s go home,” Sakura said, feeling her eyes fill up with tears of relief.
.
.
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: I recently concluded some other, shorter novellas. I'm trying to devote myself to this story
during the month of July so I can conclude it close to the one year mark since I started it in
July of 2023. I really appreciate all the support - kudos and comments on this story -- they
have truly moved me!
 Jonin Promotion
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Sakura
.
.
The shinobi ensemble warped back through time to return back to the land of Fire in the fourth year
of the Godaime’s reign, Kakashi's solid presence grounded her to the new reality. She felt his sigh
of relief as he released his hold around her waist. She recognized the area as a place a few hours
north of Konoha.

She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around things. It was May and she’d been traipsing through time
for the past eighteen months— she missed her own seventeenth and eighteenth birthdays. Oh man
— so did that make her a cradle robber? That meant she’d been kissing fourteen year old Kakashi
when she was seventeen, almost eighteen!

According to Sasuke, Sarada who was now twenty-six months old was walking and talking —- her
baby was walking and talking! Yet, standing before her, that same daughter was also a couple of
years older than herself and was currently time-traveling and looking at her with concern in those
dark eyes that were identical to her father’s. And then there was her son— Takashi. She couldn’t
even fathom how he existed! She and Kakashi— because he was certainly a blend of the two of
them with Kakashi’s silver gravity defying hair with pink highlights. His eyes were beautiful— a
mix of both his father’s charcoal grey with her jade borders. His personality was adorable — he
was a nerd through and through and yet so cute and excitable and strong.

“I know we can’t stay long, Mom. And you’re likely going to scold me as soon as I go back home,
but you’re just so adorable! You’re so young!” Takashi gushed, hugging Sakura and lifting her off
her feet, pulling her away from Kakashi’s side.

She looked past his shoulder into Kakashi’s bewildered mis-matched eyes. What kind of place does
their village become that the son of two of the strongest shinobi to come out of the Leaf is such a
cheerful individual? “Do I really look so old in your time?” Sakura asked frowning. She had the
same Yin seal as her Master Tsunade. With the mitotic regeneration technique, visible aging was
completely optional at the sacrifice of longevity.

“Well, of course not,” Takashi said, setting her feet on the ground and smoothing her hair back with
an affectionate smile. “Your hair is always so pretty when its long!” He cleared his throat. “It’s just,
you’re the same age as me! And you’re so adorable! No wonder Dad was head over heels for you!”
He glanced between Kakashi and then Sasuke and frowned. “Ah, though I guess this is probably an
awkward time.” He laughed nervously and cleared his throat. “The twins aren’t going to believe me
when I tell them I met a teenaged version of you. I mean, I met twenty-year old you before, but she
was so confident and mature.” He leaned close, his hand cupped over his mouth to her ears. “Pretty
bossy too.”

“Stop. Just stop,” Sarada hissed, striding over and elbowing Takashi in the ribs. She turned towards
Sakura with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about him. Just, I need to give you a few rules, okay?
Then Takashi and I have to fix a few things and we won’t meet again until — our timelines are all
caught up, okay?”

“Um, okay,” Sakura said, shifting her gaze between her grown children. They were both taller than
her. She frowned slightly. “I hate being the shortest person.”

Takashi laughed and then slung his arm around her shoulders again. “Well both your husbands are
over one-hundred and eighty-two centimeters! What did you expect!?”

“Stop confusing her!” Sarada warned, slapping her hand over Takashi’s mouth to keep him from
talking. “Look, Mom, this time, don’t go back. After your twentieth birthday, stay put, otherwise
you’ll created a loop paradox that will trap you forever and you’ll go insane. If you stay put, you’re
going to fall into a coma, it’s totally to be expected. Uncle Shisui and Uncle Itachi have already
been warned. Papa and Papa Kashi will have something similar happen to them, same with Uncle
Naruto, Auntie Ino, and Uncle Sai.” She released her hand over Takashi’s lower face.

“But how will you be born?” Kakashi asked, his voice a little hoarse with emotion.

Takashi laughed. “Seriously? Well you see, Dad, when a man and a woman sincerely love one
another and sometimes when they’re just drunk and don’t use protection….”

Sarada elbowed him, causing him to cringe. “Don’t be an ass, Takashi.” She focused her attention
on Sakura. “Takashi is still going to be created one way or another. Even in the original timeline,
before other you traveled back he was well on his way to being made.” She gestured towards
herself. “I, however, wouldn’t have existed. It’s best you don’t know the particulars. Your
memories are going to merge from this timeline to the other one because a version of you traveled
between them. No one else aside from the six of you will have the double memories. Got it?”

Sakura felt the presence of Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto all behind her. She could feel the warmth
from their closeness. Naruto slipped his arm around her waist this time, pulling her towards him.
“Let me take you to visit your daughter, okay, Sakura-chan. You and I need to talk anyway.” He
shot a look at Sasuke and Kakashi. “You two take care of the prisoner.”

“I’ve already taken care of it,” Shisui said. He held Obito’s unconscious form within the skeletal
fist of a green susanoo. He gestured towards the rest of them. “Go ahead, sort yourselves out.”

“I’m not going anywhere without Sakura,” Kakashi stated.

“Just one more thing,” Sarada continued. “I’ve seen other timelines and this is by far the one with
the best solutions. However, you guys are not quite out of the woods just yet. Zetsu is still
wandering around — he’s the left over cosmic entity from when Queen Kaguya tried to turn all
living creatures on this planet into fuel for some god-tree so she could be all powerful by eating the
chakra of everyone and everything that ever lived on the planet. It would have turned this world to
a lifeless wasteland. That’s why Papa and Naruto were given their powers by Lord Hagaromo.
You’ll still need to eradicate black and white zetsu so it doesn’t continue to poison the minds of the
descendants of Hagaromo. Both Indra and Madara were poisoned by black zetsu.” She gestured
towards Shisui and where he held the prisoner in the green susanoo. “Uncle Obito too.

“Oh!” Takashi cried out. “Another thing, Dad. I have to show you the Purple Lightning. We don’t
have to go far, just a short distance, you’ll still be able to see Mom. Purple Lightning can replace
your chidori and is good at both distanced up to ten meters and close quarters attacks. You’ll need it
once you lose the Sharingan.”
“Why would I lose the Sharingan?” Kakashi asked, raising his hand and touching his fingertips to
the Hitai-ate covering Obito’s eye.

“Oh, because,” Takashi started to explain, but Sarada covered his mouth again.

“Enough, fine. Show him the jutsu. Since he won’t be fighting Madara this time around to see it.
You’ll save him some trial and error,” Sarada hissed. “Then we have to leave!”

“Madara?” Sakura asked quietly. She’d hoped to have left him in the past. Surely, he couldn’t co-
exist with Sasuke, considering he was the reincarnation. He was very strong, yet sane. It would be
difficult to face against someone like that. She looked anxiously towards Sasuke, his left eye the
same lavender color as Madara’s and Obito’s eyes had been.

“Purple lightning does sound pretty great,” Sasuke said, moving next to Kakashi. “May I observe?”

“Of course, Papa Sasuke!” Takashi leaned forward and kissed Sakura’s cheek before yanking both
Sasuke and Kakashi’s wrists towards him and dragging them away. “I can’t believe I get to train my
Dads!” He skipped — literally skipped. “This is awesome!”

Sarada rolled her eyes and smiled apologetically to Sakura. “Sorry, he gets excited about
everything. Takashi has zero chill.”

“It’s cute,” Sakura murmured, feeling dazed as she apparently watched her beautiful son drag off
the two fathers of her children. They didn’t go too far and she watched as her future son created
purple lighting to cover his hand, Kakashi and Sasuke both observing with their Sharingan.
Kakashi met Sakura’s eyes briefly before studying the jutsu.

“Uncle Itachi warned me not to talk to you too much, so I’m going to discuss a few things with
Shisui, alright?” Sarada asked.

“Of course, no problem,” Sakura said flashing her a forced smile. Her mind was still swimming
with all the people and travel and magical Sharingan eyes. She glanced behind to see Naruto
shifting his weight anxiously. “Did you want to talk while we wait? It will probably take them a
while.”

Naruto nodded eagerly, holding out his hand. “Can we go for a walk?”

“Maybe a short distance, as long as we’re still visible. I don’t want to worry Kakashi or Sasuke.”
Sakura took Naruto’s hand. She let him lead her a small distance away towards a small meadow of
knee-high wildflowers. “Keep an eye open for snakes,” she warned, crouching and picking up a
tiny ladybug with the tip of her finger. She smiled as the small creature spread its wings and flew
off.

“So, things are different with me and Sasuke. I mean, not totally different, we haven’t really done
anything, but we definitely aren’t like siblings. I mean, we never really were — not really. He’s my
best friend, but then so are you, Sakura-chan,” Naruto continued nervously. “And while I know you
and Sasuke have a special bond, I have a special one with him too. We’re like the chosen ones of
our generation, did you know?” He raised his right hand, showing off the symbol of the sun on his
palm. “We have god-level powers bestowed upon us to save the world and everything.”

“Okay,” Sakura said, feeling only a tad bit jealous that the god of shinobi just gave them ultimate
powers while she’d been stuck traveling through time with a murderous lunatic while her infant
daughter grew up without her. “Sasuke has expressed his desire to co-parent without being
romantically involved with me, though I suppose he’s had to do it all while I was gone.” She
shrugged. It hurt to be told your former lover was no longer interested in you, but she was feeling
much more enamored with a certain silver haired jonin, and meeting their son had certainly given
her an optimistic outlook on the possibility.

“Maybe, we can, I don’t know….like all marry each other?” Naruto scratched the back of his head
and smiled sheepishly. “It doesn’t have to be legally officially, but like in our hearts official? One
big family?”

Sakura buried her face in her hands. “Naruto, I love you. I do. But, I don’t want to start planning
my entire life right now. Let’s just let things happen organically, okay? Why don’t you and Sasuke
go on a few dates? I’d like to actually go on a date with Kakashi. I’d like to kiss a version of him
that isn’t fourteen years old.”

Naruto frowned. “You kissed a fourteen year old Kakashi?”

“Yes, and that’s besides the point,” Sakura murmured, feeling flustered. Kid Kakashi had been
adorable, but it would definitely be a different experience to kiss grown man Kakashi. Her cheeks
heated, remembering the sound of him in the alleyway that one night. Just the memory made her
stomach twist in anticipation.

“Are you okay?” Naruto pressed the back of his hand against her forehead. “You seem a little
warm. We should definitely have Granny Tsunade check you out, make sure you didn’t get sick
from your time traveling.” He gestured a few meters away where Shisui and Sarada stood over
Obito’s unconscious form.

“No, I’m fine,” Sakura said, sitting amongst the flowers, tucking her legs under her. She watched
while Takashi trained Kakashi and Sasuke with the purple lightning technique. She caught Shisui’s
eye, he’d also been observing the move. He winked at her and she felt automatically better.

Everything was going to be okay.

A couple of minutes later, Shisui with Obito over his shoulder and Sarada at his side, joined Sakura
and Naruto amongst the flowers. Shisui dumped Obito’s unconscious body on the ground and
glowered at Naruto. “Move, shrimp.”

“You’re not that much bigger than me,” Naruto protested, but scooted back none the less.

Shisui took his spot next to Sakura and smiled at her, his arm draped casually over her shoulder.
“Hey, sis. I’m glad to finally have you back. You gave me plenty of restless nights. Try to be a little
less adventurous, maybe?”

“I’d love that,” Sakura said with a laugh, bumping her shoulder against his. She nodded her head
towards Kakashi. “He seems more upset than I thought he would be.”

“Ah, well, he regained his memories from the time other you traveled back, worked with him, and
saved my life and my clan”. Shisui ran his fingers through his dark curls. “The two of you were
romantically involved. I sealed his memories so he wouldn’t go mad with grief.”

Sakura frowned. “That me wasn’t me.”

“You had different life experiences — that you didn’t have me to look out for her,” Shisui pointed
out. “But considering I worked closely with the other you and know you better than anyone else,
you’re you either way.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You’re my precious little sister, but also
the woman that saved my life and my first crush.” He gestured towards Kakashi. “Regardless of the
timeline, the two of you always gravitate towards each other.”

“Hm,” Sakura hummed, raising her knees to her chin and hugging her legs. “I saw him, right after
Rin died. He’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah, just, be patient with him,” Shisui asked. “He’s doing the best he can. He’s made mistakes.
But he tries. Don’t tell him I told you, but he paid for the hotel suite during the chunin exams for
you and the boys.”

“What?” Sakura asked turning towards him. Ino still gave her grief about her choosing to share a
suite with her original teammates and not with the other kunoichi during that exam.

“I was supposed to keep that a secret.” He smirked at her and then turned attention back to the
purple lightning training. He elbowed her ribs teasingly. “I’m also engaged.”

“What? To who?” Sakura asked grabbing Shisui’s hands. “Congratulations!”

“Kazekage Sasori’s cousin. We ended up working together a few times. We’ll spend most of our
time here in Konoha, but I will travel to Suna a few months out of the year,” Shisui explained. “At
least until I take over the role of Anbu Commander. Dad is planning to retire in a year or two.”

Sakura smiled at her surrogate brother. “You’re sounding more and more respectable. You’ll be
serving as a bridge between Konoha and Suna, that’s huge especially for an Uchiha!”

“Well, ever since a motley crew saved my clan from self-destruction, the clan elders and
particularly the new clan leader — Itachi — are open to marriages outside of the clan.” Shisui
leaned his cheek on top of Sakura’s head. “I hope our kids are good friends.”

“They will be,” Sakura assured him. She stared at Obito’s unconscious form. “What’s going to
happen to him?”

“He’ll be imprisoned in Anbu’s holding facility. Sarada said that you and Ino succeed in
rehabilitating him and healing his fractured mind,” Shisui explained. “Oh, it looks like they’re
heading back.” He rose to his feet and offered his hand to Sakura to help her stand.

.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
The Purple Lightning was beautiful and quiet. It didn’t scream like a thousand birds like the
chidori, but it was strong and it didn’t require the Sharingan. Sasuke channeled it through his sword
and Kakashi created a blade of lightning that reminded him so much of the white chakra sword
he’d used in his youth.

He noticed that Takashi had a smilier tanto blade strapped to his mid-back. It was so strange to
have this well-adjusted, skilled, and happy teenager enthusiastically training both him and Sasuke.
Takashi was the same age as Sasuke and spoke to them with such familiarity it was actually quite
soothing. The kid could compete with Naruto in the Talk-no-jutsu technique.

“It’s just so much more effective,” Takashi continued. “When you first created this jutsu it was after
you saw a revived Madara Uchiha use it in battle and then you worked with the Science Research
team to perfect it. I’m pretty sure if you hadn’t lost your team as a kid or the Yondaime, you’d have
come up with this on your own ages ago. Because of the Sharingan, you weren’t forced to perfect
your own techniques. Instead, you became the Copy Ninja.” He poked Kakashi’s shoulder. “The
Sharingan made you lazy, Dad. You told me so many times.”

“How do you know all this?” Sasuke asked sheathing his sword.

“Sarada and I have traveled to a couple of timelines as observers back when she was first learning
her ability,” Takashi explained. He shrugged. “It’s a bit confusing, but after a while it makes sense.”
He grinned between Kakashi and Sasuke. “Besides, I grew up in the household with the three
smartest and four strongest adults in the entire village — naturally I’ve developed some of that
brilliant brain power.”

Sasuke rubbed at his forehead and shot Kakashi a bewildered look. All this talk about being parents
together was confusing. Just what sort of arrangement did their blended family have?

A short while later, they returned to the rest of the group. Shisui had secured a seal over Obito’s
eyes — his Sharingan and the ‘borrowed’ Rinnegan. Kakashi helped Sakura rise back to her feet
and hovered at her side. He wasn’t going to lose her again. He wanted to talk to her about the day
Rin died and his memory of her presence. He wanted to kiss her again— compare their experiences
when he was a young teen and then twenty-year old Kakashi to his thirty-one year old self.

It was strange, knowing the end game — Sakura would be his wife one day and they would have
children. And yet, here they were, still waiting to go on their first date.

Then, when Sakura stepped into his arms and pressed her cheek against his chest, Kakashi hugged
her tight. Maybe, if he held her strongly enough, he wouldn’t lose her again. He’d already lost her
so many times — when he was twelve, fourteen, twenty, when she hid away in Suna and then this
past year and a half. Though, unlike the other loved ones he’d lost over the years, she kept coming
back.

“It’s so good to have you here,” Kakashi whispered.

“I’m so relieved to be here with you,” Sakura agreed.

Then a pair of strong, thin arms wound around the two of them and Takashi stuck his head between
them. “Let’s get you two home so you can get to work making sure I exist, yeah?”

Sarada yanked the younger man away with a scowl identical to her father’s on her face. “That’s
enough, Takashi.”

“You’re not going to make them walk are you?” Takashi glowered at her. “They’ve been through a
lot!”

“I’ll use the Rinnegan to return us to the village gates,” Sasuke volunteered. He shared a solemn
look with Sarada. “Take care.”

“Of course, Papa,” Sarada agreed. She latched onto Takashi and the two of them vanished before
their eyes, leaving behind the smell of ozone in their wake.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
The return trip to Konoha was over in a flash— one moment they were several hours travel away.
The next, they’d teleported using Sasuke’s new power. Good thing the god of Shinobi decided to
give this power to Sasuke and not to Madara. Just outside the gates of Konoha, Sakura eagerly
awaited her reunion with her baby Sarada.

“Welcome home, Sakura,” Kakashi said quietly, his arm had slipped around her waist at some point
over the last few minutes. She hadn’t even realized that he was supporting most of her weight. The
relief seemed to sap the strength from her legs. “I’ve got you.” His arm tensed around her. “I’m
here now. It will get better.”

Sakura smiled weakly at him. Just the day before she’d practically said the same thing to him when
she’d comforted him after Rin’s death. Did he remember? Did he remember their kiss? Something
about the way he was looking at her told her, he did.

Part of her wanted to take Kakashi up on his offer to stay with him. Did he still have those adorable
dimples? Were his lips still soft?

“You kept your promise,” Kakashi said quietly. “You came back to me.”

She’d also told him that she loved him, but he didn’t repeat that. Maybe he assumed she meant it
platonically. And she had, right? Except, her feelings for him went beyond mere friendship.
The guards on duty outside of the gate approached and escorted the group within the village.
Without thinking much of it, Sakura reached for Kakashi’s hand and felt the smooth leather of his
gloves flat against her palm. Her own leather gloves had been left behind. His strong, long fingers
entwined with Sakura’s own and Kakashi walked with her hand-in-hand through the gates.

Their party was immediately escorted to the Hokage’s office with the Godaime, her assistant
Shizune, Anbu Commander, Jonin Commander, Head of the Uchiha clan and the Head of the
Interrogation department. Obito remained unconscious and was secured under the watch of Anbu
until he could be properly rehabilitated. No one would have been able to resist the coercing force of
the fuinjutsu seal that had been placed over Obito’s heart by Madara Uchiha.

Sakura submitted to allow Inoichi Yamanaka — to root around her brain and make sure she wasn’t
a danger to herself or others or a sleeper agent. Once she was cleared, Tsunade called her into her
office privately. While Itachi had ordered Sasuke and Naruto to return home, Shisui had
accompanied his father to the Anbu headquarters with their charge, Kakashi had refused to leave.
He waited in the hallway outside.

“It’s good to have you back, Sakura,” Tsunade said, a faint smile on her brightly painted lips. “You
had us all worried. We barely get you back in the village and then snap, you’re abducted by a threat
I wasn’t even aware of and the Head of the Uchiha clan is dead.” She shook her head. “Time travel
shenanigans,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead. “I met another version of you — years ago —
time travel then too. Her grit was part of the reason I decided to come back to Konoha and train you
eventually.”

“It’s good to be back,” Sakura said with a wan smile of her own. “I’d really like to see my daughter,
if that’s okay.”

Tsunade nodded. “She’s still recognized as Itachi and Izumi’s child. The truth of her parentage will
be revealed after you and her father as both eighteen. I’ve gotten rid of most of the old codgers on
the council, but there are a few left.” She leaned forward, forearms braced on her desk. “Though,
now that you’re officially a jonin, I don’t suppose it really matters.”

“A jonin?” Sakura asked.

Tsunade laughed. “Damn straight. You survived a kidnapping by an S-class rogue ninja, returned
him back home, kept him from mucking up the timeline too much.” Tsunade scratched the side of
her nose. “At least I think you did, I suppose I wouldn’t know if it changed or not, would I?” She
shook her head, blond ponytails framing her face and making her look younger in spite of the
fatigue around her eyes.

Sakura bowed deep in respect. “I am truly honored, Master Tsunade.”

“Yeah you are,” Tsunade snapped. She swirled her chair to the side and studied the portrait of the
Yondaime. “I didn’t really know Minato much, you know? He was Jiraiya’s student. Your mom
was his cousin and the reason you grew up here. I asked her to work with Shizune and I on a few
projects — she’s pretty knowledgeable in apothecary. We were able to add more information into
that massive tome you created.”

“Okay,” Sakura said, unsure of where the conversation was going, but she was glad that her mother
was back in the village and that she and Tsunade had gotten to know one another. Her circles were
colliding.
“Amegakure has sent a request that you deliver the eye Obito stole from their leader and surgically
xenotransplant it,” Tsunade explained. “You’ll leave tomorrow.”

“I just got home,” Sakura whispered, feeling her knees grow weak at the thought of leaving already.

“You’re a jonin and my apprentice and our alliance with Rain is still tentative at best. Hatake will
accompany you,” Tsunade said gesturing towards the closed doors. “As if I would be able to
convince him otherwise.”

“We — I mean — I —I owe him a date,” Sakura explained, feeling her cheeks heat up at the
admission.

Tsunade arched an eyebrow. “You’ll have plenty of time on your mission, now won’t you? It takes
a week to travel between here and Rain and there are plenty of inns you can stay at along the way.”
She waved at the door. “You’re dismissed. Go see your daughter, but meet me at the hospital in the
morning. Shizune and I will surgically extract the stolen eye and you and Hatake will make the
delivery.”

“Just the two of us?” Sakura clarified.

“You’re both elite jonin shinobi, two will suffice. It’s just an A-ranked mission with a very
precarious ally that will involve a delicate surgery of a precious, irreplaceable eye.” Tsunade pulled
open her desk drawer and yanked out the bottle of sake she kept there. She poured herself a cup and
drained it in quick order. “And once you’re back, I’ll give you a few days with your kid, but then
your Team Seven is reuniting with the mission to track down this Zetsu creature and eliminate it.”

Sakura’s mouth slackened at the mission details. “Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto are all Anbu
operatives,” she pointed out.

“And you’re a medic. And while you’re capable of Anbu, it’s a poor use of your talents. Hell, if
Danzo had been Hokage, you know what he would have done with all the pretty kunoichi?”

Sakura shook her head. She didn’t know the man well, but what she knew of him, he was a
terrifying man whom ripped out whatever empathy he’d been born with and destroyed the lives of
countless people all in the name of power. “What would he have done, Master Tsunade?”

“He’s have sent them on seduction missions to acquire precious bloodlines,” Tsunade explained.
She poured a second cup of sake. “Thank, Kami, he’s dead and ash on the wind. The Tsuchikage is
still like that, so I try to keep my less disciplined shinobi away from that part of the land.”

Sakura swallowed thickly. She had a daughter and she loved her. How would she have felt if she’d
had a child born out of duty rather than love? And would the village have treated the child as a
resource rather than a person?

“Yes, it’s as terrible as you think it would be,” Tsunade said, interrupting her thoughts. “Now get
out of here, I can practically feel the fumes coming off Hatake.”

Sakura hastily bowed and hurried out of Tsunade’s office. She learned how to read the Godaime’s
temperament well over the years and even though she’d been gone for a year and a half kidnapped
and nearly that long training in Suna, she knew how to read Tsunade Senju.
“Ready?” Kakashi asked, straightening immediately when she exited the office. He’d been leaning
against the wall with his arms folded over his chest, staring at the door.

“Yes,” Sakura agreed with a nod. “Um, apparently, you and I leave on a mission tomorrow.” She
started down the hall, ready to see her baby.

“Okay.” Kakashi fell into step along with her. “I’ll take you to the district to see Sarada. Your
parents are there too.”

Sakura wrung her hands together, feeling nervous. Would her daughter even remembered her? And
Fugaku Uchiha — the stoic, soft-spoken, and her kind of father-in-law was dead. How was she
going to feel seeing Sasuke and Naruto together now? Or knowing Sasuke, anything that might
have happened between the two would be behind closed doors — he preferred privacy.

“Who else is on the mission with us?” Kakashi asked, once the gate to the Uchiha district came into
view.

“Oh,” Sakura turned towards him and jumped. He was right beside her. She hadn’t realized how
close he’d become. “Just the two of us to Amegakure. We have to return something Obito
borrowed.”

Kakashi arched his visible silver eyebrow. “I can’t believe — he’s been alive all this time and
you..” He shook his head. “It’s good to have you back, Sakura.”

Sakura bumped her shoulder against his. “He’s still there — sometimes. And maybe you — his
friend — will be able to reach him.”

“I don’t know. I’m not ready to be around him. I have a lot of anger about him endangering you,”
Kakashi said quietly.

“And he’s still very bitter about Rin,” Sakura added. “He blames you, though I think Shisui might
be able to get through to him.” She reached for Kakashi’s hand briefly and turned to face him.
“Though, we both know Rin wasn’t your fault. I was there.” She brought her hand to cup the side
of his face.

“I know,” Kakashi said quietly, leaning into her touch. He took a deep breath, ruffling his mask in
the process. “I remember. And thank you, for the comfort you offered that day.”

Sakura smiled, her cheeks heating up again. “You were really adorable at that age.”

“Oh?” Kakashi teased, leaning close, his masked lips brushing against her ear. “What about now?”

“Now you’re just fishing for compliments,” Sakura sniffed, shoving him away gently. “I expect you
to keep your promise.”

“Oh?” Kakashi asked.

“You still owe me a date,” Sakura reminded him. “That’s two birthday presents you owe me.”

“Well, it sounds like it will have to wait until after our next mission,” Kakashi pointed out.
“Though, let me be the first to say congratulations on your promotion, Jonin Sakura.”

She poked his sternum with her index finger. “We’re equals now.”
Kakashi smiled, this time his visible eye crinkled. “Yes, we are.” He cleared his throat. “Besides,
you also owe me a birthday present.”

They walked the rest of the way in quiet companionship. In the backyard to Mikoto’s home, Sarada
was sitting on Kizashi Haruno’s knee playing horsey when Sakura arrived. Her mother and Mikoto
were amiably chatting about the art works Sarada had created with her fingerprints that were
currently scattered all over the large picnic blanket on the ground. Sasuke, Naruto, Izumi, and
Itachi were also there.

“Mama!” Sarada shouted, squirming off Kizashi’s knee and racing towards Sakura.

Shocked and over-joyed that her daughter remembered her, Sakura fell to her knees and welcome
her daughter with open arms. Her little girl smelled like the lavender shampoo and body wash that
Sakura preferred for her and when she smiled up at her, eyes dark like her fathers, wide-spaced
baby teeth and a joyful smile Sakura beamed back at her. “Mama missed you, sweetie!”

“Sarada missed Mama!” The toddler cooed. Her dark eyes flickered past Sakura towards Sasuke,
whom kneeled next to them. “Papa tells me so many stories about you! We look at pictures every
night me and Papa or me and Grammy.” Sarada tugged on a lock of Sakura’s pastel pink hair.
“Mama’s hair is magic like a fairy!” She turned towards Sasuke and frowned. “Mama is much
prettier than picture, Papa!”

“Yes, she is,” Sasuke agreed, reaching over and tapping the tip of his middle finger on Sarada’s
forehead.

How was her daughter able to talk so much? She was just barely two! “How is it she can say so
much?” Sakura murmured, dumfounded and looked at Sasuke over her shoulder.

“She has two geniuses for parents,” Sasuke said with a smirk.

“Sakura,” Mebuki said, smiling down at Sakura with an uncertain expression in her dark green
eyes. “It’s very good to see you.”

Sakura stood up, with Sarada balanced on her hip and hugged her mother. She was only slightly
confused to realize that she was now taller than her mother. Mebuki sobbed in relief and hugged
both her daughter and granddaughter tight.

“I’m so sorry, Sakura. I just want you to be happy.” Mebuki leaned back and tears glistened in her
eyes. Kizashi then joined them, his arms around his wife’s shoulders and he looked across at
Sakura. “We both just want for your happiness and we’re both so proud of you and all that you’ve
accomplished, but even if you hadn’t done anything spectacular, we would love you just because
you’re our daughter!”

“But you have done spectacular work time and time again,” Kizashi added. He began to pull
Mebuki away. “You’re welcome to come back home with us, but we understand if you’d rather stay
here at the compound.”

“I leave for a mission tomorrow,” Sakura started, to which both her parents gasped. Before they
could protest, she continued. “I need to stay tonight with Sarada. I’ve been given a few options on
where to live,” Sakura hedged, her eyes darted towards Kakashi briefly. Mikoto had offered her a
place at the main house, she still had her room at Shisui’s house that she’d barely stayed in before
her kidnapping, Ino invited her over, her parents welcomed her, and Sasuke had made it clear she
was welcome with him too. Itachi and Izumi had moved into the main house with Mikoto during
Sakura’s sojourn. Izumi had a baby of her own cradled in her arms. Mikoto was now twice blessed
with grandchildren and the village had been even more sold on the idea that Itachi and his wife
were in the family way.

With all the options of respite, only one truly made her feel she’d be comfortable. Somehow,
Kakashi Hatake had become her best friend and confidant in a way that eclipsed her bonds with
Sasuke, Naruto, Ino and Shisui. No matter where in the time-stream, they collided. He was the
flame and she was the moth finding him time and time again.

Sakura looked past her father and caught Kakashi’s eye. He was standing next to Itachi a short
distance away talking quietly. His mis-matched gaze — his charcoal eye next to Obito’s crimson
and black Sharingan. She’d been charmed by the boy and was eager to know the man. By the
intensity of his gaze, the feelings were mutual and with their upcoming mission, they would have
time to explore those confusing and intense feelings.

After Kakashi left to escort her parents, Naruto joined Sakura to help ready Sarada for bedtime.
During Sakura’s absence, her friends had stepped up to make sure Sarada didn’t want for love and
affection.

An hour later, Sarada was freshly bathed and was sitting in Sakura’s lap while she brushed her hair
and Naruto read a book to her. “He’s a really good dad,” Naruto said quietly. “He’s so doting and he
even learned how to braid her hair.”

Sakura brushed Sarada’s fine, dark locks and sang a few lullabies — thankfully Mikoto continued
to sing the same songs that Sakura favored, so Sarada was still used to the melody and lyrics. After
laying Sarada back into her crib, she stretched out on the bed in the nursery. Kakashi’s ninken Bull,
Shiba and Biscuit scattered around the room. Naruto stretched out beside her on the bed. Once he
learned that she and Kakashi would leave on a mission the next day, he declared he was spending
the night with Sakura-chan.

“I was so worried she wouldn’t remember me,” Sakura confessed, her voice barely a whisper.

Naruto nodded. “Sasuke and Mama Mikoto used genjutsu on her sometimes. They made sure she
didn’t forget her mama.”

“That was thoughtful,” Sakura mused. She snuggled against Naruto, breathing in his familiar scent
— sunshine and fresh air. “So, you and Sasuke? What happened with Hinata?”

“Uh,” Naruto groaned, wrapping his arm around Sakura and pulling her close. “She’s got a
girlfriend now — her name is Karin. Though, it’s um, complicated. Karin is an Uzumaki. And she
and Hinata were wanting to have a kid together and they asked me to donate sperm to them since
I’m an Uzumaki.”

“Your old crush wants you to father her child?” Sakura asked skeptically.

“I kinda want a kid though, but just, not necessarily with like Hinata. I don’t know. Living with the
Uchiha you come to appreciate bloodline and a kid with Hyuga and Uzumak traits would be pretty
powerful,” Naruto whispered. “And I’m friends with them both.”

“You’re friends with everyone,” Sakura protested. She thought about the person Obito stole his
Rinnegan from, the person she’d be returning and re-implanting that eye. It was Pain, but it wasn’t
Pain. His bright red hair and emaciated form and the Rinnegan ability made her realize that Pain
was a vessel. “I know another Uzumaki male. I can ask if he would be willing to donate.”

“Eh? How? Who?” Naruto asked.

“The person Kakashi and I are going to meet on our mission,” Sakura explained. “He’s in Rain. He
might be willing. I studied IVF and, well, it’s an option.”

Naruto brushed his lips over the top of her head. “What was it like? Being pregnant?”

“It was exciting and scary and uncomfortable at times,” Sakura confessed. “But then I’d feel Sarada
flutter about and kick and it was so exciting knowing that a life was being nurtured within me.”

“If I could hold the female form longer, I’d like to try to be pregnant,” Naruto admitted. “Karin was
the surrogate for Orochimaru, so she had a little boy, Mitsuki.”

“Let me think about it, but I might have an option for you,” Sakura whispered. She knew that they
were all part of some complicated blended family. Maybe if Naruto could be in female form long
enough, produce an egg, she could fertilize it with his partner’s sperm and then she might volunteer
to be a surrogate for them, or maybe this Karin would volunteer since she’d done it before. But
that’s assuming that Naruto and Sasuke ended up together and that Sasuke wanted another kid.

“The thing is, I learned about a Boruto and Himawari from Takashi,” Naruto whispered. "So I
know they will exist, but I don’t know how exactly. Apparently, Takashi and Himawari are sweet
on each other.”

“My future son is such a gossip,” Sakura said with a giggle.

“He sort of reminds me of me,” Naruto whispered.

“You must have played an influence,” Sakura agreed. The silver dog, Shiba jumped onto the bed
and settled between Sakura and Naruto’s feet over the covers.

“Everything’s going to be okay now that you’re back,” Naruto said with a sigh. Then he closed his
eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Sakura smiled, staring up at the nursery ceiling. She could hear Sarada snoring softly a few feet
away. Her legs were warm from Shiba’s small body and she was being held by one of her best
friends. Maybe Naruto was on to something. What if they did just form some big massive family?
There was no one else she’d rather come home to than them.

It was a perfect first night back in the village. She missed both of her daughter’s first two birthdays,
but the love between mother and daughter was strong. She realized that regardless of the obstacles
that might come between them, their bonds were strong and unbreakable.
.
.
.

OoO
.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
.
Before he left the Uchiha residence to escort the Harunos to their home in the civilian sector,
Kakashi had summoned Shiba, Biscuit and Bull to stay with Sakura and Sarada for the night. Bull
had stayed over most nights with Sarada during the past year and a half, while Kakashi desperately
tried to find her mother. The dark-haired toddler and Bull adored one another.

However, Kakashi was sorely tempted to return to the district, find a good tree, and watch over
Sakura through the night. He needed sleep though. Sakura was home and under the watchful eyes
of the Uchiha clan and three of this ninken. He needed to rest before their mission. He could wait a
few more hours. Besides, he’d have her all to himself tomorrow and for the duration of their
upcoming mission.

The moment he’d left the Harunos’ house, Tenzo, Genma and Guy Might were all waiting for him.
He hadn’t seen much of any of his three old friends. The last year and a half he’d barely been in the
village more than a day or two at a time. He’d been devoted entirely to finding any little clue about
Sakura and Obito’s whereabouts. They must have been keeping tabs on him. They were all elite
jonin and his friends.

“Shizune wanted me to give this to you,” Genma said, holding out a small zippered pouch. “She’s
home, she’s safe. And we heard about your upcoming mission. So, you just have to wait a few
more hours, Hatake.”

Kakashi took the small package and looked inside. It was a fairly potent tranquilizer used to sedate
soldiers after particularly traumatic experiences —it offered dreamless sleep. “This isn’t
necessary.”

“You’re fatigued and barely passed your check up when your search party returned,” Genma
argued. He gestured between himself, Tenzo and Guy. “We’ve been assigned to watch over you
tonight.

Resigned to his fate, Kakashi had allowed his three friends to accompany him to his family’s
ancestral home. His mind drifted towards the safe where his mother’s silver bangles were stored.
He smiled, thinking about the jewelry and how they would look on Sakura’s wrists.

He stared at the tranquilizer. There was no need to hesitate. Sakura was home and she was safe
under the watchful eyes of Sasuke, Naruto, Mikoto, Itachi, Shisui, Izumi, Shiba, Biscuit and Bull.
Obito was secured. Danzo was dead. Orochimaru was brainwashed - in a good way. The Akatsuki
was basically defunct. The leaders of Suna and Kiri were actually and truly allies of Konoha. Rain
requested his and Sakura’s assistance, so that was another ally.

It was relatively safe.

Kakashi also had the knowledge that his and Sakura’s son Takashi was destined to exist. His son
was an intelligent, enthusiastic, sweet and bad ass kid combined in one. Basically, Takashi was
everything Kakashi could have ever hoped for in a kid.
So, Kakashi knew it was important that he take the time to get a good night’s sleep and let his body
recover from all the stress. He wanted to be alert and well-rested for what he had in mind for his
much anticipated date with Sakura Haruno, though that would have to wait until after their mission.
Though, that didn’t mean they couldn’t reconnect during their travels.

Tenzo and Guy staked out the outside of his house and Genma followed him inside. “So, she’s her
— isn’t she?”

“She’s who?” Kakashi asked.

Genma rolled his eyes. “Come on. I’m the Hokage’s elite bodyguard. I hear things. Time travel,
huh? The girl — the one that stole your heart and then vanished and you had Shisui wipe your
memories — it was Sakura, wasn’t it? I mean, aside from the hair she looks just like her. How
many people have eyes like that?” Genma tapped his forehead. “And the diamond seal? I mean, it’s
so obvious now.”

“That was a version of Sakura, but this Sakura didn’t know me then,” Kakashi explained. Though
she did know him from the field in outside of Kiri where Rin had died by his hand. “But you’re
right. It’s complicated and it’s new and I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“You won’t. I mean, with the ass you’ve been and she’s still giving you a chance, she must have a
heart of gold.” Genma smirked, toying with the senbon between his teeth absently. “She sure knows
how to pick them, eh? I guess her type is asshole Uchiha or asshole Hatake.” He laughed at his own
joke.

“Whatever.” Kakashi brushed past him in the hallway, purposely knocking his shoulder into Genma
making the other man grunt in pain, as he slammed the door in his face while escaping to the
bathroom.

As Kakashi stood in front of the vanity and brushed his teeth, his eyes started to droop with fatigue
and he hadn’t even used the tranquilizer yet. He could probably sleep without out, but there would
be the chance for nightmares and he didn’t want to risk any visits from those old friends.

His gaze flickered to the bright splash of pink tattooed across his left pectoral over his heart. He’d
gotten the tattoo on Sakura’s last birthday and was eager for Sakura to discover the memento Sai
had inked onto his flesh.

Kakashi had two tattoos — the Anbu symbol over his biceps and the cherry blossom branch over
his heart.

There were many times over the past few months that the glimpse of pink he saw in the mirror on
his chest helped him muster the will to continue. He needed a reminder of just who he was looking
for — he would not give up the search.

After tapping his toothbrush on the edge of his sink, Kakashi finished washing off his face and
strode towards his bedroom. With a deep, steadying breath, he injected his thigh with the
tranquilizer. He slipped into bed under the covers. Pakkun was already asleep at the foot of the bed.
The pug shifted slightly, but otherwise didn’t budge.

As the tranquilizer flooded Kakashi’s bloodstream, his mind calmed and he fell into a blissful,
dreamless sleep.
.
 .
.

Chapter End Notes

A/N: Like I said before....this story just grows and grows...I do have a treat! Two amazing
artists are creating art for this story. Hallous has created an adorable scene of KidKakashi
and Sakura, when she's comforting him after Rin's demise. So if you want to click back to
chapter 47 it's there now! And Spnfox is working on a very lovely scene of Sakura discovering
Kakashi's tattoo that will be posted with chapter 50. Also, Sakura is very neatly 18 years old,
just in time for the big reunion with Kakashi!
 Discovering Family
Chapter Notes

A/N: I decided to come full circle and end this story on the one year anniversary of when I first
shared it. This final chapter is pretty long, but wraps up everything with a nice bow and I
kinda like ending on chapter fifty. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

I am excited about the 1400 kudos and writing over 250,000 words! I have tried to respond to
all the comments, but if I missed yours I apologize. You might get a response months to years
from now....

In celebration of concluding this story, I've included two commissioned pieces. Kakashi and
Sakura by Spnfox and the double wedding by beardedstrangerdreamland. They are both very
nice and skilled, you can find them both on Tumblr.

Enjoy!

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.
With a heavy heart, Sakura hugged Sarada close to her. The whole family had woken up early for a
big breakfast. Her daughter smiled up at her, dark eyes big and affectionate.

Sarada patted Sakura’s cheek. “It’s okay, Mama. Papa says you have an important mission. I’ll be
okay!”

Then suddenly Sasuke was crouched behind Sakura, pulling her and Sarada into his warm embrace.
He’d grown in the months she’d been missing and easily held her and Sarada both against his larger
frame. “We’ll be here when you return,” he whispered quietly into her ear.

“Please, talk to Naruto,” Sakura said turning her face towards his, meeting his onyx and lavender
eyes.

“Okay,” Sasuke agreed. “And you do the same with Kakashi. He —really cares about you.” He
pressed his forehead against hers. “No matter what happens, we’ll always be family.” He leaned
back a bit and his eyes flickered between her and their daughter. “I still want to marry you.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Sakura said quietly.

He nodded and released her and Sarada. Their daughter brushed a kiss to Sakura’s cheek and then
flung herself at Sasuke’s knee and clung to him like a barnacle. Sarada smiled wide at Sakura.
“Bye, Mama!”

Not trusting herself to speak, Sakura nodded. A moment later, Naruto flung himself at her and
hugged her in a bone-bruising embrace. He walked her to the door and she secured her travel pack
over her shoulder and headed to the Hokage tower.

A short while later, Sakura stood in the Godaime’s office with Kakashi and Shizune. Master
Tsunade had gone over their mission parameters, given Sakura the sealed Rinnegan eye for the
xenotransplant, and special visas for Amegakure. They had an hour before they had to head out. As
they were dismissed, Kakashi waited until they were in the hallway to speak to Sakura.

“Are you packed and ready to go?” Kakashi adjusted his gloves absently, avoiding Sakura’s eyes.
He seemed nervous compared to his usual cavalier attitude. Maybe Takashi took after his father in
more ways than just good looks.

“Yes, I just have to pick up my pack and I’ll be set to meet you at the gate,” Sakura agreed,
wringing her own hands. She was feeling all out of sorts, just returned home and sent on a mission
with her apparent future husband when they’d not even had a first date.

“You should take a detour to the civilian market,” Kakashi suggested, meeting her eyes with his
visible dark thunderstorm grey, his hitai-ate covering Obito’s Sharingan. “I owe you that birthday
date.” He extended his hand towards her, fist closed. “Hold out your hand.”

Curious, Sakura did so and felt Kakashi drop a heavy bag of ryo in her hands. “Find something for
a fancy restaurant that’s comfortable enough for dancing. My treat. Happy seventeenth birthday.”

Sakura weighed the bag of currency. For such a notorious tightwad, this was very generous. “I’m
eighteen.”

He leaned close, his lips brushing over the shell of her ear, the nerves she sensed earlier completely
gone as Kakashi oozed confidence. “I have something different in mind to celebrate your
eighteenth.” And then he flash-stepped away, leaving the smell of ozone in his wake.

Sakura shivered in anticipation. With a smile on her lips, she used her water chakra nature to mimic
the mist body flicker and find an outfit for their date night. Given her time crunch, she went to Ino’s
place first and together they would find something that would knock Kakashi’s flat on his back —
hopefully — in a good way.

“You came to the right place,” Ino said, opening her door and ushering Sakura inside.

“We really need to hurry, Ino. I have less than forty minutes before I need to meet Kakashi at the
gate,” Sakura explained. “I need a pretty dress — something that will make me look gorgeous and
make him realize I’m not a little girl, but a mature woman.”

Ino snorted. “You could wear Naruto’s old hideous orange tracksuit and look gorgeous.” She
grabbed Sakura’s hand and hauled her towards her bedroom. “And there’s no need to go shopping.”
She opened her closet and pulled out a pink glittery gift bag with pale green tissue paper poking out
the top. “Here. Happy birthday!”
Feeling overwhelmed by Ino’s thoughtfulness, Sakura dug into the gift bag. There were several
items inside. The dress was perfect for spring. It was white and lacy with a sleeveless bodice and
and a skirt that would fall just above her knees. “It’s beautiful,” Sakura murmured, rubbing the soft
material between her thumb and index finger.

“Keep digging, there’s more,” Ino explained. “There’s shoes and very sexy underwear— it’s all
white. You’ll have to get jewelry from one of your boyfriends though.” She tossed back her long,
blond hair imperiously. “I love you, but I’m not made of money.”

Sakura started to reach for the pouch of currency Kakashi had given her. There was still some time
to run to the market. “I should get something for Kakashi.”

“Do you honestly think you can find something for him in thirty minutes?”

“Hmmm.” Sakura studied the white, lacy underwear. “Why white?”

Ino rolled her eyes. “Because you’re the oldest virgin in the group. All those years wasted on
Sasuke — that boy hasn’t shown even the remotest interest in anyone.” She huffed out a puff of air.
“Though, he and Kakashi both were very hot and bothered when we were looking for you those
first few months. I honestly thought they were going to kill each other. Sasuke’s like a little brother,
right?”

Sakura gaped at her closest girlfriend. Did she really think Sakura was a virgin? She’d had a baby!
With Sasuke! She was actually pretty damn good at sex. Though, she’d only been with one person,
considering how competitive that person was — they’d been really good at it. It might have been a
while — but still. “What about you? So you and Sai finally?”

“Oh, ages ago. We were together back around that trip to Rain,” Ino explained dismissively.
“Honestly, I thought maybe you and Kakashi would have gotten together then, but I guess the age
difference probably scared him off. Which is ridiculous, my father is twelve years older than my
mother.” She flipped her hair again. “Seriously, the two of you have been dancing around each
other for years. It was super inconvenient you getting kidnapped.”

“Yes, very inconvenient and inconsiderate of me,” Sakura scowled. She carefully folded the dress
back into the bag, trying to avoid getting glitter everywhere. She was failing miserably. How do
you catch a ninja trying to be stealthy? Use glitter. “This is really beautiful,” Sakura said indicating
the dress and trying to tamp down on her feelings of irritation. Ino was helping her, she didn’t need
to snap at her. “Though, I’m not a virgin, Ino.”

“You and Kakashi?” Ino’s mouth dropped in disbelief.

“No!” Sakura’s cheeks burned. “Not yet,” she corrected, more calmly. “It doesn’t matter.” She
closed her eyes, she didn’t have time to defend whether or not she had experience to Ino.

“You have got to tell me everything!” Ino gushed, grabbing Sakura’s wrists and pulling her close.
She narrowed her eyes. “Or I’ll go into that brain of yours and pull out the details.”

“As if you could,” Sakura scoffed. Ino had tried to root around in Sakura’s head before, but she’d
had a mental barrier to the intrusion of the Yamanaka’s technique. Ino was only getting in her head
if she let her. “I missed Kakashi’s birthday too while I was gone.” He didn’t care about materialistic
things, other than his precious books. “I need a new pair of gloves,” she murmured. “I can get him
a new pair too.”
“You should buy a nightgown he’ll appreciate,” Ino advised. “That will be present enough for
him.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh! I bought this for Tenten’s bachelorette party — she and Neji are getting
married this summer. I suppose you missed that announcement. But I can get her something else.”
Ino reached into the back recesses of her closet and shoved another bag at Sakura. This one was an
electric blue glittery bag. “You’re lucky those boobs of yours finally grew. Otherwise, this gown
would just fall right off that old flat chest of yours.”

Sakura inhaled sharply through her teeth, she was not going to react to the off-hand insult. She
looked past the tissue paper and found a pale lilac nightgown that left little to the imagination.
“Here, take some of this and get her a new one from the both of us.” She dumped several of the
coins into Ino’s hand.

“Go get your gloves and meet your man at the gate. I expect you to tell me everything when you
get back home, you understand?” Ino started to usher Sakura out of her house. “And I mean it,
Forehead. I expect to hear all the details of your prior experience and this trip! Everyone knows
Kakashi Hatake is a beast in the sheets. Half the village would kill for a night with him. I bet you
didn’t even have any sexy underwear. You’re lucky you have me.” Ino continued to frog-march
Sakura out of her house. “I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me!” She covered her mouth
and her eyes grew wide. “Does Naruto know? Did you tell him and not me? Was it him? Did you
sleep with sunshine boy? You two were always suspiciously close.”

Sakura stored the clothing into her storage scroll and tucked it away inside her pack. She was
careful to not make any promises to Ino. “You, Naruto and Sasuke are my best friends,” Sakura
said, careful to not say whom might know more than others. “It’s not a competition.”

Ino’s eyes narrowed.

“Just because you can read minds, doesn’t mean you should know everything about everyone,”
Sakura continued. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means that some things are for me to
know and not you.” She hugged Ino to her. “We don’t have to know every single detail about each
other’s lives, okay? It doesn’t mean we’re holding secrets, just that we’re being private — and
that’s okay. Boundaries are healthy.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ino agreed with a frown.

“I’ll see you when I get back,” Sakura promised. Then she made haste and visited the weapons’
shop Tenten often worked at with her grandfather. She would get a new pair of gloves for both
herself and Kakashi. Since they had their sizes on file, it didn’t take but a couple of minutes to
acquire and gave her a chance to congratulate Tenten on her engagement. The brunette beamed and
gushed about how Neji had proposed and how Hinata had convinced her father to allow Neji to
marry outside of the clan. Hinata and her sister Hanabi had worked together to make Hiashi Hyuga
promise to stop placing the Caged Bird Seal on the branch members. Apparently, Hinata’s new
girlfriend had been a very positive influence on the Hyuga clan.

With five minutes to spare, Sakura waited at the village gates and chatted with the on duty guards
— Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee. It was good to chat with them both and she congratulated Neji on his
impending nuptials. He’d surprised her, lifting the leather band under his hitai-ate to show her his
seal-less forehead. She’d been so happy for him, she’d surprised him with a hug.

Sakura’s heart felt heavy, leaving so soon after returning. So much had changed in the village while
she’d been accompanying Obito for the past many months. However, she felt confident that Sarada
was in good hands and was looking forward to this mission with Kakashi. And she knew that Obito
would start to get the help he needed and would at the very least be kept secure under Anbu.

“Yo,” Kakashi greeted, appearing at her side. His relaxed stance and casual posture so normal, that
it almost made Sakura weep for joy.

“Hi,” Sakura answered, tucking her hair behind her ear and feeling ridiculously shy considering
she’d been standing right beside him just an hour ago. Though, that was before Ino had given her
the underwear and nightgown.

Kakashi gave her a curious look and cleared his throat. “Ready?”

“The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back home,” Sakura reasoned.

“True,” Kakashi agreed. He studied her a moment longer and then brushed his thumb over her
cheek. “You have glitter on you.”

A thrill of electricity shot through Sakura at his touch— warm, gentle, strong all at once. “Yeah,
Ino gave me my belated birthday present. The gift bag was very glittery.”

He nodded. “Let’s head out.” Then he took off. Sakura followed closely behind him, determined to
be every bit the jonin she was now classified as and keep up.

Four hours passed before they took their lunch break. It had been surprisingly easy to match each
other’s pace. She handed out the bento boxes Sasuke had packed for them that morning. He was a
surprisingly good cook and when he was nervous, was often in the kitchen.

Kakashi laughed as he looked over the meal. “So, Sasuke made this, huh?” Kakashi asked, letting
his mask fall to his throat and taking his time in eating for once. “He sure likes to include a lot of
tomatoes.”

Sakura stared at him, chewing her wrap carefully, studying his face. It was unusual to see him so
unguarded, especially without a great tragedy having just occurred. They felt relatively safe, his
ninken were patrolling during their break. “Yeah, he wanted to make sure we were well fed.
Though, I think he was just feeling anxious and irritated. He cooks when he’s feeling upset. It
calms him.”

“It’s good,” Kakashi murmured, popping the last morsel into his mouth and grinning at Sakura with
his mouth full, lips pressed together, and cheeks slightly puffed out. He definitely still had those
dimples. A moment later, his mask was secured back in its usual position and he stared off into the
distance. “So, did you find a nice outfit for tonight?”

“I did.” Sakura gave him a sideways glance and smiled at the intensity of his gaze. “You’ll have to
wait and see it.”

“Hmm.” Kakashi hummed and did one of his familiar eye-smiles. “I have a feeling there’s going to
be more glitter. So what did Naruto want to talk about? He hasn’t been talking to me much lately.”

“Oh, um, mostly his feelings for Sasuke and how he wants to have children,” Sakura said. She
didn’t think Naruto would mind if she told Kakashi, but she wasn’t going to proclaim his thoughts
to everyone.
Kakashi tapped his long fingers over his right knee, drawn up to his chest while he stretched his left
one out in front of him. “I see. After meeting Sarada and Takashi, I can understand why such things
would be on his mind.”

“Hinata and Karin asked him to help them father a child,” Sakura explained. She reached over and
covered Kakashi’s hand with hers.

Kakashi’s hand stilled under her touch. “That sounds awkward.” He flipped his hand over and
pressed their palms together, entwining their fingers tentatively squeezing their hands together.
“These gloves are new,” he observed.

“My old ones are several hundred years in the past. And I’ve got an alternative,” Sakura explained.
“For Hinata and Karin.”

“Okay, so what’s the alternative?” Kakashi asked squeezing her hand gently.

“Pain. The amber-haired man is an avatar. He’s actually a powerful red-haired man who’s been
gravely injured and mostly immobile. He’s an Uzumaki. I saw him when Obito took one of his
Rinnegan eyes. I’m going to ask him,” Sakura explained. “Ask, that’s all.”

Kakashi nodded. “Alright, but then how does that help Naruto have kids?”

“Well, Sasori and I worked together on IVF techniques. It’s not uncommon in Suna. Naruto could
take on his feminine form, I could harvest an egg, Sasuke could donate his portion and then a
woman would act as surrogate, like Karin did for Mitsuki,” Sakura explained.

“You know Sasuke would only let one person carry his child,” Kakashi pointed out.

Sakura shrugged. “If my partner was okay with that, I wouldn’t mind volunteering.” She
swallowed. She’d enjoyed the feeling of nurturing a life within her womb. The hard part of being a
surrogate would be disconnected from the child after birth, but that wouldn’t happen if the child
was Sasuke and Naruto’s — she’d still be a part of their life.

Kakashi raised her hand, bringing her knuckles to his mask-covered lips. “So long as it’s after
we’ve got ourselves all settled. I’d be okay with that.”

Sakura nodded. “Takashi didn’t mention anyone other than the twins, but that doesn’t mean there
isn’t anyone else. Sarada was better at keeping things secret about the future.”

Kakashi grinned, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles idly. “Takashi is such a great kid.”

“He really is.” Sakura smiled, studying their joined hands, counting all the fine white lines of
Kakashi’s countless scars. She wanted to know each every one and the story behind them.

“Incredibly handsome and smart,” Kakashi added.

“He takes after his father,” Sakura murmured.

“Damn straight,” Kakashi agreed. “And his brilliant, kind-hearted mother.”

.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.
Sasuke

.
.
It was early afternoon and Sarada was taking her nap along with the son of Itachi and Izumi.
Sasuke had the next couple of weeks off from any sort of mission— there was a rule that at least
one parent would be in the village when a child was less than three years old. The Godaime had
decided to enact the rule now that Sakura was sent on a mission to Rain and officially recognize
Sarada as Sakura and Sasuke’s daughter.

During the mission to track down Sakura, the rule didn’t apply because it was assumed that Sarada
was the child of Itachi and Izumi.

Sasuke had to admit, Tsunade Senju was a shrewd woman. He hadn’t been particularly eager to
take up an Anbu mission so soon after finding Sarada’s mother. Sarada did need one of her parents.

It was incredibly frustrating to have the mother of his child returned, only to have her sent off on
another mission. Was it too much to ask that she could stay for at least a week or two and catch up
with her daughter and her exboyfriend/baby-daddy?

So much had changed since he last saw Sakura. He had the powers of a god! He and Naruto could
control the entire ninja world if they were to fight side by side with the powers of the original Sage
of Six Paths. Their daughter was amazing and he could see the fascinating blend of both himself
and Sakura within Sarada’s looks and personality.

He had wanted to talk to Sakura, see what it would be like to be around her, now that they’d had
time apart. He missed her. He missed her so. Much! Then, Sasuke saw that boy with the
unmistakable blend of silver and pink hair.

Sasuke did not like Takashi Hatake. He didn’t understand how such a person could exist. He would
be eighteen in just two months and he could finally marry like he had intended. And now Sakura
was going to be gone for at least two to three weeks on a mission with Kakashi Hatake. And at
some point, the two of them had a child together.

Well, if Sasuke had any questions about how such a person existed, he suspected a mission with
just the two of them could certainly play a role. And he also had to deal with Naruto. He was pissed
that Naruto stayed over with Sakura last night. Sasuke already had to deal with Kakashi stealing
away his daughter’s mother, but now he had to deal with Naruto as well?

He raised his hand in front of his eyes and watched as purple lightning flickered to life. It was a
pretty cool technique, even if he had to learn it from that arrogant, overly excitable boy from the
future. “Fucking Takashi,” he mumbled.
“Hey, why are you scowling?” Naruto asked, sitting beside Sasuke on the dock.

“I’m just worried. Sakura should have been given more time to recover,” Sasuke pointed out. “It’s
not fair to Sarada.”

“She’ll be back,” Naruto assured him. “And she was promoted to jonin. We should be glad for her
to have this opportunity. There’s a huge bump in pay between chunin and jonin missions.”

“This is simply an opportunity for that porn-reading asshole to get her into his bed,” Sasuke
growled. “That Senju woman hates me and is determined to keep us apart.” He turned towards
Naruto, his eyes flashing in anger. “Did we ever tell you about the time we literally stumbled upon
that promiscuous pervert and some random woman having sex in an alley?”

“Well, maybe he was overcome with passion,” Naruto suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Didn’t you and Sakura-chan get together that night? Maybe you shouldn’t judge. Kakashi didn’t
exactly have a rosy, perfect childhood like you did. He’s been through a lot of trauma.”

“Yeah, Sakura has always been hell-bent on trying to fix broken people.” Sasuke sighed and let the
purple lighting flicker and then sputter out over his hand. “But this is different. I actually care about
Sakura,” Sasuke glowered. He elbowed Naruto in the ribs, smirking when Naruto whined in pain.
“What about you and Hinata?”

“I’m not interested in Hinata,” Naruto said quietly, frowning. “And she’s got a girlfriend now,
so….”

“Hn,” Sasuke huffed, not really caring one way or another about the Hyuga girl. He didn’t care for
anyone in that pretentious clan. “Good. You shouldn’t associate with a slave-holder.” He turned
back towards Naruto and studied his best friend. Why did he look so nervous? “What?”

“They’re getting away from that practice,” Naruto explained. He raised his right hand and formed a
small ball of wind and let it twirl absently into a mini-tornado before he closed his fist and
dispersed the air. “I had a long conversation with Hinata about it. I think she got through to her dad.
That’s why Neji and Tenten were able to get engaged.”

“Ah, yes, your powerful talk-no-jutsu,” Sasuke teased.

Naruto sighed. “The thing is, we both know that there’s something going on between Sakura-chan
and Kakashi-sensei.”

“I’m the one that shares a daughter with Sakura,” Sasuke pointed out. “We’re connected —
forever.”

“No one is arguing that you aren’t,” Naruto growled in frustration. He grabbed hold of Sasuke’s
shirt and pulled him close snarling in his face, his eyes flashed amber from his inner fox spirit.
“You and I are also connected.”

“Why did you sleep with Sakura last night?” Sasuke demanded. “She’s mine.”

“She doesn’t belong to you. And we slept, okay? She’s my best friend too and we’re blood -related,
so she’s family,” Naruto explained. He shook Sasuke’s shirt, rattling him so hard his teeth
chattered. “We talked about you and us and all of us. I don’t know why you’re denying it. We’ve all
seen the future — it works. We work. Why are you fighting this?”
“Maybe because we grew up together? You’re my brother,” Sasuke hissed, knocking Naruto’s
hands away.

“Adopted. And I didn’t feel this way about you until more recently, when we were living separate.”
Naruto leaned forward. “Besides, Uchiha are known for marrying their second and third cousins.
We aren’t related by blood, but our souls are connected, Sasuke.”

He didn’t care for all the talk of reincarnation, destiny, and connected souls. “Whatever.”

“Is it because I’m male? Because, I don’t really identify as totally male,” Naruto confessed quietly.
Then a moment later, he transformed into his feminine henge. It wasn’t a perverted form, but
wearing his same shinobi black mesh shirt and black and orange jacket, though now the dark pants
were a bit baggy on him. Naruto cupped their breasts. “I like when I’m in this form.” They turned
towards Sasuke.

“Huh,” Sasuke murmured. He did have to admit that female form Naruto was rather pretty. And he
would never admit it to Sakura, but possibly a little prettier than her. He watched as Naruto shifted
back into his more familiar male form. Male Naruto was also a very good looking person.

“Is it because you’re worried about how two men have sex together?” Naruto asked, turning to face
him fully, face creased in concern. “It happens all the time. Most of Anbu is male and most have
been assigned a seduction mission. I know Kakashi-sensei has done more than most. Honestly, he’s
probably a sex addict since he’d been assigned those kinds of missions from a young age. That’s
probably why you caught him in the alley that time.”

Sasuke frowned. He didn’t want Naruto making him feel sorry for the man that was stealing his
future wife. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

“And he’s not gay,” Naruto added.

“I don’t care if someone is gay or not,” Sasuke argued thoughtfully. “This life is hard, people
should find love wherever they can.” He gestured between them. “We are from powerful
bloodlines. Don’t you think it would be a waste if we didn’t partner with people we could procreate
with?”

“You already have a daughter and Sakura-chan said science offers lots of options.” Naruto tilted his
head to the side.

“You and Sakura are cousins,” Sasuke added. He didn’t like that Naruto was countering all his
objections. He might start to actually see his best friend in the light he was proposing.

“We are more distantly related than Itachi and Izumi are,” Naruto argued. He laid his hands —
rough and calloused — on either side of Sasuke’s face and pulled him towards him for a kiss.

Sasuke could have stopped him, but part of him was curious. His previous kisses — a face plant on
Naruto when he’d tripped on him when they were at the Academy, Sakura — many times, and
cheek kisses with his mother and daughter. It wasn’t bad. Sasuke shoved him away. “Get off me.”

Naruto grinned at him with a dopey expression and eyes shimmering. “You felt it, didn’t you? The
chemistry.”

“Like fire and water, we clash, just like our chakra natures,” Sasuke protested.
“You mean like wind and fire, my wind feeds your flames, Sasuke,” Naruto whispered.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but he could admit that the tips of his ears heated up. It was a sweet
sentiment. “I’ll think about it, Idiot.” Then he shoved Naruto into the lake, except he hadn’t
expected Naruto to create an army shadow clones to manifest as he was falling.

The clones attempted to shove Sasuke into the lake. He managed to destroy all but one of the
clones before the final one managed to knock him into the water before dissolving. Before long,
Naruto and Sasuke were soaking wet and laughing together.
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
He held his hand up to signal for Sakura to stop. He waited until she joined him on his branch,
overlooking the valley. “The village is about a thirty minute walk from here. We’ll stop for the
night.” He looked over at her, noticing the very fine sheen of perspiration on her forehead. “We
kept up a brutal pace today, so we can take it easy tonight.”

Sakura looked up at him, a playful smile on her lips. “I wasn’t planning to take it easy tonight.”

Kakashi felt his mouth go dry at the implication. “Right, well,” he started, clearing his throat.
“Let’s check in at the inn and go have that dinner.”

“Sure,” Sakura agreed. She leapt from the branch to the ground.

Kakashi took a minute to appreciate the view of Sakura’s backside before he followed after her.
Then he wondered had she been doing the same to him? “So, you didn’t seem to mind being in the
rear guard.”

“Why would I?” Sakura glanced up at him. “You usually lead. That nose of yours is better than the
Hyuga Byukugan at detecting obstacles.”

“Oh, right,” Kakashi murmured, grateful his mask hid the embarrassed flush to his cheeks.

“And,” Sakura said, bumping her shoulder against his playfully. “I have always enjoyed the view
when you’re in the lead. Everyone agrees, Kakashi Hatake has the best ass in the entire village.”

Kakashi’s cheeks burned even hotter and he laughed. “Good to know,” he said, rubbing the back of
his heated neck.
“I’m pretty sure that’s universal for any of your subordinates you’ve led,” Sakura added. “You are
one fine specimen of a man.”

“Specimen, huh?” Kakashi wasn’t sure what to think of that. He liked Sakura teasing him, but he
was starting to feel a bit objectified.

Sakura laughed. “Well, when you spend as much time with Sasori, you tend to pick up some bad
habits.” Amusement danced in her jade eyes. “Like thinking of people like specimens.”

They fell into silence, the sounds of the forest around them— wind rustling leaves, birds, crickets,
bees— the only noise with their silent footfalls. There was no one around to listen in to their
conversation. “What was he like?” Kakashi asked.

“Sasori? Well, he’s a little prickly. I think he prefers puppets to people if I’m being honest,” Sakura
explained.

“No. Not Sasori. Obito. What’s he like?” Kakashi asked. His mind was so confused when it came
to his old teammate. He remembered the jealous boy that was chronically late, but always helping
less fortunate people. Absently, Kakashi rubbed under his left eye. He remembered that terrible day
in the cave when the rocks buried Obito and Rin replaced his ruined eye with Obito’s newly
awakened Sharingan. He also remembered when Obito tried to slaughter the Uchiha clan and the
anger he felt at Fugaku’s death and Sakura’s kidnapping.

Sakura sighed and paused, staring up at the sky with her hands behind her back, lips pursed
thoughtfully. Kakashi stopped next to her. “He needs you — his friend. We found Rin. She was re-
incarnated as one of the daimyo’s daughters. That day when I found you after Rin died, you both
activated the Mangekyo Sharingan at the same time. The whole event was orchestrated by Madara,
who was manipulated by that zetsu thing.” She met Kakashi’s gaze, her expression sad. “Do you
think if she had lived, that the two of you…,” she trailed off.

Kakashi shook his head. “No. I never saw her that way.” He smiled faintly. “At first, I thought it
could have been the age difference, she was three years older than me. But then this older woman
with pink hair and green eyes showed up and comforted me on that terrible day. I was hopelessly
enamored, so the age difference apparently wasn’t the problem.”

“Yeah, that was, intense,” Sakura murmured, smiling shyly. “You were so heart-broken, yet so
beautiful.” She looked over at him. “I’m glad to see you still have those dimples.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Kakashi snorted. “So, you traveled to different times?”

“It took Obito a while to learn how to control his powers,” Sakura answered. “At one point, we
traveled thousands of years into the past. I was worried I’d be lost to time. That’s how I lost my
gloves.” She released a shuddering breath. “I thought I would never see any of my loved ones
again.” She met his eyes briefly. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Kakashi pulled her towards him then and hugged her tight. “I was never going to give up on finding
you.” He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deep. Even through his mask, her scent was
potent and calmed him like no other smell could.
.
.
.
 OoO

.
.
.
Sakura
.
.

They settled into the luxury suite at the inn. It was massive and certainly much more than whatever
budget the village had set aside for their mission. There was a spacious den, a kitchenette with bar,
large bath with garden tub and a huge shower that could comfortably fit six people, and there was a
smaller bathroom with a more utilitarian shower and toilet. The bedroom had a massive king-sized
bed with more pillows than Sakura had ever seen in one place.

“What is this?” Sakura asked, tracing her fingers across the feather-filled duvet, pulling it back and
feeling the satin sheets. “This seems a little extravagant for a mission lodging.”

Kakashi was suddenly behind her, large warm hands gentle on her shoulders pressing his fingertips
into her muscles in a way that eased her tension. His silken feel of his masked cheek caressed the
side of her face. “I may have reserved this room from my own funds. I wouldn’t dare
misappropriate village funds. I know you wouldn’t approve.”

Sakura would have been upset if he’d used the village’s funds for something frivolous— even if
she would enjoy it personally. As the Godaime’s apprentice, she’d spent many hours of her life
sitting through torturous village financial meetings.

“I’ve never been in as luxurious room as this,” Sakura admitted. “Thank you.”

Kakashi turned her to face him, his dark gaze searching as he brushed his lips across hers. “For
you, I would move mountains, Sakura.” He straightened and smiled at her affably, his familiar half-
crescent eye smile in place. “I’ll let you get ready. I’ll be in the smaller bathroom getting dressed.”
And like the elite shinobi he was, he’d left her alone in the bedroom.

Sakura dropped her pack onto the room’s desk and unfurled the scroll with her clothing. She
dressed carefully and then focused on applying some basic make-up. She’d never been much of a
make-up person, but this definitely felt like the time to try and make an effort. She curled her hair
into soft waves.

She smoothed the skirt of her white sundress nervously. Was it too much? Did she look like some
sacrificial virgin? Ino’s comments had taken up residence in her head and wouldn’t clear. Kakashi
had significantly more experience than her, what if he lost interest? What if? What if she actually
was boring?

The bathroom door opened and Kakashi stepped out, his dark mask was in place and he seemed as
nervous as her. He didn’t wear his hitai-ate, but kept his left eye closed. His hair was a gorgeous
silver that made her think of the moon in the midst of winter, a bit more tame than his usual style.
His dark slate slacks fit his toned, muscular legs like a second skin and his button up green shirt
was such a good color on him and showed off the impressive physique of his chest and arms. And
his hands — without the gloves — she hadn’t realized just how massive they were.

“You clean up nice,” Sakura murmured, smiling tentatively at him.

“So do you.” Kakashi held out a box towards her. “This is for you.”

“Is this part of my present?” Sakura asked accepting the silver wrapped gift.

“No, it’s something else.” Kakashi cleared his throat. “No glitter though.”

“Thank goodness for that.” She carefully unwound the ribbon and then ripped open the fancy paper.
It was a mahogany wood jewelry box with a cherry blossom tree carved into the front with a tiny
wolf resting at the trunk. “It’s beautiful.” She traced her fingers over the carving.

“Tenzo and Sai helped me craft it. Open it.” Kakashi gestured. “There’s more inside.”

Sakura opened the jewelry box and found a pair of silver bangles inside. They were intricately
engraved and beautifully crafted. “Wow,” she whispered, lifting one and marveling at the perfect
weight of it. Earth chakra was one of Sakura’s affinities and she could tell this was a fine piece of
work.

“They were my mother’s,” Kakashi explained. “I want you to have them.” He stepped forward and
slid them onto her wrist. He nodded. “Perfect.”

“This is too much, Kakashi,” Sakura protested with a shaky voice. She looked up into his intense
eyes. “This is just our first date.”

“We both know better than that,” Kakashi countered. He brushed his thumb over her cheek and
then cradled the side of her face. “Let’s go. I made a reservation and we don’t want to lose our
spot.” He took her hand and together, they walked to the restaurant a block from the inn.

Their table was in the private section over-looking the valley they’d walked through earlier. From
on high, the colorful wildflowers carpeting the landscape made a beautiful background, but Sakura
hardly noticed as she found herself captivated by the man sitting across from her. They talked and
talked about everything and anything. She told him about the medical breakthroughs she’d made
with Master Tsunade, Shizune, and the Kazekage.

He told her about their search for her. How Shisui had unlocked his memories. He talked about his
parents and the Yondaime. He pointed out how they’d both been apprenticed under Hokages. He
talked about when he and Shisui escorted her parents back to Konoha. They talked about Physics
and Botany and Astrology.

“You know Aries and Virgo can be very compatible,” Sakura pointed out, thinking back to past
conversations with Ino when they’d been teenagers and studied the signs of their crushes compared
to their own. “Aries tend to be impulsive and like to challenge themselves. Virgos are practical,
stable and cautious. Both signs have a tendency towards hero complexes.”

“Are you looking for stability, Sakura?” Kakashi asked quietly. “I think we balance each other.” He
finished off his glass of wine and gestured towards Sakura’s empty glass. “Are you ready to turn in
or do you want another drink?”
Sakura smiled at him, feeling relaxed and excited at the same time. “I think I’m ready to go back to
our room.”

They were back in their room within a few minutes, kicking off their shoes at the door when
Kakashi’s hands settled upon Sakura’s waist. She pushed his back against the door.

Kakashi looked down at her, his eyes intently focused upon her as he raised his right hand and
removed his familiar black mask. He shoved it into the pocket of his slacks before returning his
hand back to her hip.

Sakura clutched onto the front of his silk button-up shirt. The top three buttons were unfastened,
giving her a tantalizing view of Kakashi’s toned chest. She noticed the slightest hint of color on his
pale skin.

“What?” She pulled his shirt aside and revealed a tattoo of a cherry blossom branch branded over
Kakashi’s heart. “You—,” she trailed off looking from the tattoo up towards his exposed face and
back again, her mouth slightly agape in shock.
“I got it for your birthday,” Kakashi said quietly, his hands tight around her waist, possessive.

“You have a pink cherry blossom branch tattooed over your chest,” Sakura murmured, tears
springing to her eyes. “You—.”

“I have a tattoo that reminds me of the woman I love,” Kakashi said. “All the times I was at my
lowest — you showed up and brought hope. I know you don’t remember, because for you it’s not
happened.”

“I saw you — after Rin died,” Sakura interrupted. She cradled his face in her hand, brushed her
thumb over that dimple, the strong line of his jaw. “I kissed you that day.”
Kakashi smiled faintly, sadly. “One of the worse moments of my life, followed by my first kiss with
my first crush. In my mind, we’d met about a year and a half prior. You were the first person I had
any sort of romantic feelings for and then when I was twenty, you showed up — same age as me—
from the future.” His breath stuttered when Sakura’s thumb swept over his bottom lip.

“I know I’m messed up, Sakura. I’ve done terrible things. I’m broken inside and outside. My body
and soul are scarred,” Kakashi explained. “But, being with you, I feel hope and joy and peace.” He
leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes half-lidded. “Give me a chance to make you fall in love
with me.”

“You’re an idiot,” Sakura whispered. She kissed a trail along his jaw, down his neck and paused to
press a firm kiss over the tattoo on his chest. “I cannot fall in love with you. I’m already in love
with you.”

Kakashi’s hands slipped down to cup her ass and lifted Sakura to his waist, her legs wrapped
around his hips as he started to walk them towards the bed. “I fucking love you too, Sakura Haruno
Namikaze Hatake.” Kakashi’s lips crashed against hers and Sakura’s hands tangled into his soft,
silver hair.

They fell onto the bed with a laugh. “Hatake? That’s a little presumptuous,” Sakura sighed, shifting
to balance her weight on her elbows while Kakashi loomed over the bed and unbuttoned his shirt
fully, revealing his tattoo in all it’s heart-melting glory.

“You met our kid. We’re inevitable, Sakura.” He tossed his shirt to the floor and crawled over the
bed, caging Sakura between his arms as he began to trail kisses from under her ears, down her
throat, to the swell of her breasts where her dress dipped down. His deft fingers unzipped the side
of her dress and Sakura shrugged out of it. “Be my family.”
.
.
.

OoO

.
.
.
Kakashi
.
.
The trip to Rain was a success. Sakura returned the eye Obito “borrowed” to Nagato Uzumaki.
Having solidified the alliance between Konoha and Amegakure, they started on their way back to
Konoha — taking their time. In his various missions over the years, Kakashi had learned of all the
hot springs in the area as well as the best fishing spots. They forwent the inns and spent their nights
making love under the stars, snuggled up in their sleeping bag with his ninken patrolling.

“I like sleeping outside,” Sakura admitted, tracing her finger along Kakashi’s chest, over his tattoo.
She seemed to really like doing that.
Kakashi slipped his arms over her back and shifted so that Sakura settled on top of him. “I like
sleeping with you. We should do this every night.”

“As comfortable as you are, Kakashi,” Sakura said pecking his lips coyly. “I do enjoy sleeping on a
mattress.”

A slow smile spread across lips. “How would you feel moving into my family estate? It’s big, lots
of room for a growing family. Sarada can have her own room and there’s an east and west wing. We
can take the east and Sasuke and Naruto can have the west.”

“It’s a good thing I like dogs,” Sakura mused. “Sarada too. She adores Bull. She told me he’s her
best friend.”

Kakashi nodded. “Those dogs got me through a lot of hard times.” He hugged Sakura close, thumbs
rubbing idle circles into her soft flesh, enjoying the way his swelling cock rubbed against the warm
juncture between her legs. She made that adorable mewling sound he liked when he brought his
hand down to tease her clit. “You know, I appreciated the lingerie, but I prefer you like this — skin
against skin.”

“I have a certain appreciation for you without the layers myself,” Sakura whispered, before kissing
him.

Kakashi kept his thumb busy while he slipped his fingers, one at a time into her welcoming folds.
Then Sakura grabbed his hand, entwined their fingers, the cold metal of the bangle on her wrist
sending a shiver where it touched his forearm. She took his length into her inch by inch until he
was buried completely into her warmth, their bodies flushed together.

“Insatiable,” Kakashi teased, trying to smile, but growing distracted when she started to ride him.

“Only for you,” Sakura whispered, kissing him again.

They found glitter in the most random places later.

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The Double Wedding

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Ino double checked Sakura’s bridal bouquet.The blue and pink hydrangeas symbolized love and
family, yellow lilies for happiness, and purple iris for peace. “This really isn’t fair,” Ino whispered
heatedly. “Just because you’re the former Hokage’s apprentice and besties with the Kazekage and
saved the world a time or two, you’re really getting special exception here. I cannot believe the
council agreed to this— wedding of yours.”

“We were going to do this wedding with or without their approval,” Sakura answered. She raised
the bouquet to her nose and breathed in the fragrant aroma. “It helps that the Rokudaime has final
say.”
“He’s the groom,” Ino pointed out.

“One of them,” Sakura agreed.

“Let’s not forget that your best friend is the most talented florist in the entire Land of Fire, so you
got a major discount on your decor.” Ino smiled at her, pale blue eyes brimming with joyful tears.
“You lucky, bitch. I’ll go send Shisui in. I’d ask for details of the honeymoon, but we both know
you save all the good stuff for yourself.”

Sakura snorted a laugh of amusement as Ino retreated. She’d be sitting next to her parents and
Sarada with Sai and Shin. Sasuke and NAruto’s clan took up most of the ‘grooms’ side and Sakura
and Kakashi’s guests ensured a packed house overall.

“You ready, Sakura?” Shisui asked, opening the door a crack and peering inside. He would be
escorting her down the aisle. Her father had been okay with the honor boing to her surrogate big
brother. Kizashi was glad to sit next to Mebuki in the front row helping to keep an eye on Sarada
after she finished with her important flower pedal tossing duties.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sakura answered, smiling brightly.

Shisui returned the smile and lifted his hand gently towards her hair, wrapping one of the curls
around his finger. “Cute.” He offered his arm and together they marched down the aisle. Kakashi’s
truest friend, Pakkun, trotted faithfully at Sakura’s heel. The pug leader of Kakashi’s ninken pack
carried around his neck a red ribbon with four wedding bands.

Her white dress was simple, yet flattering. The music was sweet and lovely, provided by several of
the daimyo’s personal musicians. And at the end of the aisle Master Tsunade stood ready to
officiate the wedding. They’d decided on Western style clothing instead of the traditional kimonos
considering the unorthodox wedding they had in mind. Waiting for the bride was Naruto in his
orange suit, Sasuke in his purple suit, and Kakashi in his green suit. They all looked absolutely
stunning, but Sakura had a hard time appreciating anyone other than Kakashi Hatake. She knew she
was blessed to be forming a family with such incredible partners. And while Kakashi wore a black
silk mask during the ceremony, he promised to remove it for a formal picture of the four of them
with his clone Sukea taking a photograph afterwards in private.

“Don’t trip now,” Shisui warned in a teasing whisper. The muscles of his arm tensed, holding her
steady when she missed a step, unused to all the tulle. “And welcome to the family officially.”
.
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In the Third Year of the Rokudaime’s Rule

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Sakura
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She smiled as she flipped through the leather bound wedding album. Takashi snuggled up next to
her on the right and Himawari was asleep on her shoulder. She paused on the photo of the two
couples standing side by side looking dashing in their formal wedding wear.

“So pretty,” Takashi murmured, tracing his pudgy finger over Sakura’s face in the photo.
“No question,” Kakashi agreed, stepping into the den. Takashi immediately jumped from the couch
and ran to his father, still in his Hokage robes. Kakashi laughed, catching his son and lifting him
into his arms. He grimaced when Himawari started to stir from her nap. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Naruto will be here soon to take her,” Sakura assured him.

Kakashi sat next to her, with Takashi in his arms. He leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips
before wiggling out of his robe and tossing it onto the nearby armchair.

The young boy with his silver and pink hair, squirmed out of Kakashi’s arms and flipped the page
in the album to a photo of Sarada as the flower girl. “Sister,” he said authoritatively. “Sarada.”

“Yes, that’s your sister,” Kakashi agreed. “How are you feeling?” He asked, nuzzling Sakura’s neck
and making her smile.

“Good. Ready to head back to work tomorrow. Shizune informed me that I have six surgeries
scheduled. They don’t plan to ease me back into it.”

“Ah, well, when you’re the best people are eager for you help them,” Kakashi said, his voice tinged
with pride, his dark thunderstorm grey eyes warm with his love for her and their family.

The sound of the front door opening, drew their attention, but neither bothered to look up. Sasuke
and Sarada entered the den. Sarada ran to Kakashi for a hug and Sasuke stooped to press a kiss to
Sakura’s forehead. “Guess who is number one in her class?”

“Congratulations,” Kakashi said, ruffling Sarada’s dark hair. She tried to duck away from him and
settled next to her mom on the couch. “Where’s Naruto?”

“That’s great, sweetheart,” Sakura said with a smile.

“He should be here soon,” Sasuke said stretching his neck and rubbing the back of his head. “I feel
like Shisui targeted me specifically today. I’ve not been this sore in a long time.”

“Want me to do something about it?” Sakura asked.

“That would be amazing,” Sasuke answered.

“I’m here! I’m here!” Naruto rushed in. He smiled sheepishly at the group. Upon hearing his voice,
Himawari began to wail. He picked her up and started to bounce her, calming his daughter
immediately.

“Idiot,” Sasuke grouched affectionately before settling on the floor in front of Sakura. She laid her
hands upon his neck and used her mystical hands technique to relief the tension headache. He
visibly relaxed. He looked over his shoulder as she finished. “Thanks.”

Then he gestured for Sarada and Takashi. “Come on kids, let us head to the backyard.” He rose to
his full height and rolled back his shoulders.

“The swings are calling our names,” Naruto added.

“Papa? Will you be cooking dinner tonight?” Sarada asked jumping onto Sasuke’s back while
Takashi took his hand.
“That’s up to your Mama,” Sasuke said with a soft, affectionate smile. “What do you want to eat,
Wife? You’re the one that just grew another human.”

Kakashi’s arm looped around Sakura’s shoulders and drew her close against him. “Are you still
having that craving for tonkotsu ramen?”

Sasuke groaned. “Naruto is going to love that.” He shifted Sarada’s weight. “Did you know, the
first time I ever had ramen — it was tonkotsu? Your mama helped me order it. It was the start of a
beautiful relationship.” He started for the kitchen. “Why don’t you two help me prepare the dinner
later, Sarada and Takashi?”

“Wait? What? Ramen?” Naruto asked focusing on the other adults. “Really? I love ramen!”

“Yes, we know,” Sakura said with a laugh. “I was craving it earlier.”

“Okay, okay,” Sarada agreed, looping her arms around Sasuke’s neck and looking back at Sakura
with her bottom lip protruding in a pout. “Papa Kashi?”

“Hmm?” Kakashi asked, starting to nuzzle the side of Sakura’s neck.

“Can you tell me the story of the White Fang at bedtime?” Sarada asked.

“Sure,” Kakashi answered.

Sarada beamed at him and tugged at her father’s hair. “And Papa, I want to know more about
Grandpapa Fugaku please. Why was he called the Wicked Eye? And how come Grandmama is
married to Great Uncle Taki? And why does Mama have two husbands and you have a husband and
a wife and does that make you and Papa Kashi married too?”

Sakura resisted the urge to laugh when Sasuke’s dark eyes met hers briefly. He patted Sarada’s
shoulder. “I’ll tell you when you’re older. Let’s focus on the swings and then dinner, okay?”

“Nobody tells me anything,” Sarada grumbled, burying her face between Sasuke’s shoulder blades.

Takashi laughed. “That’s because you ask too many questions!”

“I do not!” Sarada argued.

“Do too!” Takashi tugged on Sasuke’s hand and grabbed hold of the hem of Naruto’s shirt. “You’re
so annoying!”

“Am not!” Sarada cried out.

Himawari cried out, startled at the older children’s raised voices.

“Settle down,” Naruto tried reasoning. “Inside voices, please!”

Then they disappeared into the kitchen with the door swinging shut behind them.

“I’m glad you were able to take this evening off,” Sakura murmured, pressing a kiss to Kakashi’s
cheek. “Itachi didn’t mind stepping in again?”
“I just have to remind him, he’d be an international criminal or dead if it wasn’t for me. He’s pretty
quick to agree,” Kakashi explained. He lifted her hand to his mouth and began to kiss her
individual fingers, finally landing on her left hand and toying with her wedding band. The silver
bangles on her wrists reflecting the light of the fire in the hearth.

“How’s Obito? Did you have brunch with him and his wife this morning?” Sakura asked, shivering
when Kakashi began to suck on her index finger. She watched mesmerized as he worked his tongue
around her finger.

He released her finger with a pop and grinned. “He’s good. Rin wants to know when we’ll be
joining them on that couples’ vacation to the hot springs.”

“Maybe in a few months. I want to completely ween Himawari before we do something like that,”
Sakura said, leaning against Kakashi’s shoulder.

Kakashi gestured towards the wedding album. “Revisiting old memories? How’s your head? I still
get headaches sometimes with the different timelines.”

“I think we all do, but it’s good to understand what all happened,” Sakura murmured, closing her
eyes and relaxing against Kakashi’s strong body. “We’re lucky. All those lives that would have
been lost in the massacre, the war, all avoided. I just, regret more couldn’t have been done for you.”

“I’m happy now. That’s all I care about.” Kakashi resumed nuzzling her neck again. “Which first
kiss was your favorite?”

“Honestly, probably fourteen year old you,” Sakura said quietly. “It was sweet and you weren’t
trying to get into my pants.”

Kakashi chuckled, the sound vibrating against her flesh where he continued to kiss her throat.
“Oh,” he said, nipping at her skin between his teeth teasingly. “I definitely still wanted in your
pants — probably since I was twelve to be honest. I hadn’t been interested in girls until that Bell
test with Master Minato when Obito showed up with the most ridiculous pink-haired girl.”

.
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.
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Fifteen Years Later…..

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Kakashi
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He waited, arms folded over his chest, for the moment his eldest kids would be returning to their
time. Sakura stood next to him, Pakkun’s youngest puppy curled up in her arms. Itachi had told him
everything and of course, he remembered — he knew. Though, the memories didn’t sync until
closer to when the kids returned since Itachi had apparently locked away the memories. He was
getting tired of having his memories tampered with by his supposed Uchiha friends. He felt kind of
bad for blaming the Yamanaka for so many years when he should have been annoyed with his dark-
haired, red-eyed friends a little closer to home.

Shisui had been quick to point out that he wasn’t the one to mess with the retired Rokudaime’s
memories this time.

No sooner had Sarada’s portal manifested, Takashi flung himself at Kakashi into a bear hug.
“Dad!” Takashi squeezed his father with steel-like arms, having mastered his mother’s monstrous
strength. He released Kakashi and met his gaze, they were almost the same height now. “Every
time I go back and see Mom, I understand why you couldn’t resist.” He smiled from ear to ear.
“Maybe I’m biased, but she’s the most beautiful woman in the world!”

“I’ll be sure to tell Himawari you said that,” Sarada murmured.

“Go ahead! Nobody’s girlfriend is going to be mad that they think the woman that brought them
into this world and kept them alive through the worse fevers and illnesses is the most beautiful. I’m
sure she feels the same way about her dads,” Takashi argued. “And well, Mom too actually.”

“I think that’s an argument you want to avoid,” Kakashi advised, reaching over and ruffling
Takashi’s silvery hair. He couldn’t stay mad at his kids. “Are you two finally done playing with the
timeline.”

Sarada rolled her eyes. “We were hardly playing, Papa Kashi. I was making sure the time stream
didn’t collapse and trap us in an infinite loop.” She wagged her finger at him. “You’re welcome!”

Kakashi shrugged and squeezed Sakura close against him. “I’m retired, I don’t have to worry about
such things.”

The sound of the twins chasing each other and whatever Ninja cats Itachi had likely given them a
mission to track down — filled the yard with unmistakable laughter. It had been a long time since
he’d been the last Hatake and he was now much older than his father Sakumo had been when he
passed. Who’d have thought a shinobi that had been fighting since the age of five would have
survived past fifty?

“You okay?” Sakura asked, setting the puppy on the ground for it to scamper off. She turned
towards him and gently caressed his cheek.

He looked down and met her jade gaze. “I’m more than okay, Sakura.”

She stood on tip toes and kissed him softly. “Good.”

“Don’t be surprised if we end up with another sibling,” Sarada whispered loudly to Takashi.

“I always wanted a big family,” Sakura teased, kissing Kakashi again for good measure.

“I’m up for it if you are,” Kakashi agreed. He took her hand in his and with fingers entwined, they
strolled around the grounds of their family home while an assortment of ninja dogs and ninja cats
wound around their ankles.
.
.
.
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 Timelines Converge
Chapter Summary

Kakashi and Sakura's memories have merged from both timelines.

Dinner party at Shisui's house - Sakura, Kakashi, Itachi, Izumi, Shisui and Lyna.

Chapter Notes

A/N: Bonus chapter....the tone fits better with the first half of the story than the second. This
was my original ending, but I've stewed on it and edited and submit it for your enjoyment!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

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Sakura
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It was the soft light of the morning that stirred Sakura from her slumber. She’d been allowed to
leave the hospital and recover at her home — a residence that was both foreign and familiar— the
Hatake Estate.

In her original timeline, she’d found the ancient time-traveling relic left behind by an alien race that
wanted to consume the planet and the life that had ever lived. She’d gone back to right the wrongs
of her vengeful wayward teammate. She’d intended to join forces with her team captain in the past.
The team captain that she’d grown strong feelings for in both friendship and something more. The
man that had a special place in her heart from their shared experience during the epic battle
concluding a war that never was. A man whom summoned a massive susanoo with the dying wish
of his childhood rival and saved her life more often than she could count when the boy she’d
professed to love left her to die more than once.

She remembered seeing firsthand the burden placed on Kakashi time and time again. He’d been
placed on a relentless schedule of solo S and A class missions after Orochimaru’s invasion. He’d
been given the two most traumatized children of her generation to mentor and her— a civilian
obsessed with impressing a boy that barely noticed her so consumed by his family’s ghosts and
who harbored an unfair dislike for the boy burdened by the very beast that slaughtered his parents.

Sakura remembered the genuine affection between herself and her Team Seven members — even
the extended members of Yamato and Sai. She remembered being the first person to kill an
Akatsuki member — Sasori. She remembered when Sasuke finally came back, only to leave again.
She remembered her mother poisoning her and her father’s complicit actions. She remembered
feeling so broken, that even a pair of silver bangles that moved her heart and the glimmer of love in
Kakashi’s dark eyes hadn’t been enough to resist the temptation to try to go back and fix things.

She remembered the disorientation of traveling back to before the massacre and meeting Shisui
Uchiha and a young Itachi— an annoying teenager rather than the terrifying menace he would
become. Mostly, she remembered Kakashi — how he was a different type of self-sacrificing hero
compared to the man she’d known for a decade. She would learn that while she’d gone back to save
one person she loved from a path of pain, she’d become intimately more familiar with the pain of
the person she would come to love more than anyone in the world.

“Yo,” Kakashi’s deep voice murmured as his weight settled on the bed beside her— his side of the
bed.

Sakura braced her arms behind her and sat up to look at the man — her husband and the father of
her unborn child. Her hand settled over her belly on reflex. Takashi — a miracle child created
fourteen years in the past and brought through time to the present— was still six months away from
making his debut into their world. “Hey,” Sakura answered, a brief smile lifting the corners of her
lips.

“Here,” Kakashi said, handing her a white ceramic mug decorated with pale pink cherry blossoms
so similar to his tattoo. It was a mug custom created just for her.

“Thanks.” She took the warm mug and inhaled the strong aroma of matcha green tea with a hint of
both jasmine and honey.

“It’s from Itachi’s private stash,” Kakashi explained. “A little welcome home present if you will.”
He picked up his own personalized mug — dark green with the face of a pug painted into the
ceramic.

Sakura had a flash of a new memory superimposing on the old. These mugs were a gift from Ino
and Sai for their wedding. There was also a very elegant silver serving tray and tea set from Itachi
and Izumi. She took a generous sip from the warm liquid and hummed. She knew exactly which
region of Tea this blend came from— the one where Itachi found her parents when they’d left
Konoha. The one where Kakashi convinced them to return to Konoha. Reflexively, her hand went
back to covering her belly— a remembered fear from what her mother had done to her first child in
another life.

“No one will harm you ever again,” Kakashi promised quietly. “I won’t allow it.”

Of course he knew where her thoughts had ventured, he knew everything didn’t he? There were no
more secrets between them. And while she appreciated the sentiment, they both knew no one could
protect someone else from all harm. Pain was simply an inevitable part of life. However, it was
reassuring to know that someone loved you enough to try.

“It’s still hard to let go of an old pain,” Sakura murmured. She turned to look at Kakashi fully and
took a few moments to study his naked face. His mask was notably absent — as it often was in the
privacy of their own bedroom. He was the same, but different — those tragic dark eyes of his were
still haunted by countless experiences but they also had the warmth of love. She knew she had a big
hand in helping him find that unconditional love. He wasn’t a perfect man, but Sakura wasn’t a
perfect woman. They loved each other — imperfections and all.
Kakashi nodded. He set his mug on the nightstand and then took Sakura’s mug and placed it beside
his. “It’s easier when you have someone to love and can comfort one another.” He took both her
hands in his and raised her knuckles to his lips. His intense, thunderstorm grey gaze met hers.

Without taking his eyes off hers, Kakashi pressed light kisses against Sakura’s hands. “It was a
special kind of hell being back here without you.” His thumbs traced lazy circles in the space
between her thumbs and index fingers. “There were all these new memories on top of the old. And
there were photos —proof of the life we have now. And yet, you were still lost in time for weeks
and I could remember all the other times I’d lost you from both timelines.” He took a deep breath,
his muscles tensed. “It was overwhelming.”

Sakura reached for him, cradling his face between her hands. She had loved this man in both
timelines, in various points of history. She loved Kakashi when he was twelve, fourteen, twenty,
twenty-six, thirty, thirty-four. She could continue to love him until the day she died. She’d seen him
as an arrogant yet lonely adolescent prodigy, a solemn heart-broken twenty-year old Anbu captain,
a severely depressed jonin forced to mentor a couple of orphans and a girl from a civilian family
with no clue about ninjutsu. And she remembered the friendship that had evolved in both timelines.
“Part of me can’t believe we’re really here together.” She brushed her thumb over his bottom lip,
her eyes shifting from his dark eyes to his kissable mouth.

Kakashi inhaled sharply. “Sakura,” his voice was husky and strained with want. “My wife.”

“Husband,” Sakura whispered breathless, her heart pounding in her throat. Her mind and her heart
were overwhelmed by the silver-haired man on her bed— their bed.

She trailed her hands down his body, jerking his shirt up and over his head and tossing it to the desk
on the far wall. It landed on top of her laptop and one of Kakashi’s novels— this one about the
Gutsy Kunoichi whom looked suspiciously like Sakura.

Sakura drank in the beautiful specimen of a man hovering on top of her. Kakashi’s cherry blossom
tattoo was a vibrant pink and green against the pale flesh of his broad frame. His strong calloused
hands were under her shirt, tracing over the contours of her belly and then up to the swell of her
breasts. She gasped when he pinched her nipples between his fingers, heat flooded her core.
“Kakashi,” she whispered, bucking her hips against him as the weight of his erection pressed
against her.

“Sakura,” Kakashi answered, leaning down to suck on her ear lobe and then trail kisses down.

There was a loud knock at the front door. “Ignore it, they’ll go away,” Kakashi murmured, his lips
returning to Sakura’s neck.

The tapping on their bedroom window caused Sakura to reluctantly pull away. She almost laughed
at the pout on Kakashi’s lips and the desire in his stormy eyes.

It was one of Shisui’s crows. Shisui Uchiha — the man that she saved and caused the change of
events that led to the peaceful world they lived in. The man that became family.

“That brother of yours,” Kakashi growled. He threaded his fingers in Sakura’s hair and kissed her
once more, a bruising pressure on her lips. “Let me see what he wants. Don’t move.”

Sakura thought about protesting out of pride, but all that kissing made her light-headed. Absently,
she nodded. She licked her lips and smiled when Kakashi growled again, before he shifted his
crotch uncomfortably. “I will be right back.” Then he went to answer the door.

He couldn’t have been gone for more than a minute. Sakura reached under the covers and pulled off
her panties — they’d become damp during their makeup session.

Kakashi slipped back into their bedroom, his observant eyes flicked towards the discarded panties
on the floor. “He brought by breakfast from that little cafe you like so much.” He closed the door
and stalked towards their bed.

“That was nice,” Sakura murmured, not feeling hungry for pastries, but for something a little more
carnal.

“Wants us to have dinner with him, his wife, Itachi, and Izumi,” Kakashi continued. He joined
Sakura on the bed and she laid back. His thick arms braced either side of her head and his face
dipped back towards her neck, his teeth nipping at the sensitive flesh. “We should be properly
reunited by then.”

Sakura laid one hand over his muscular back and the other gripped his chin, pulling his lips towards
her. “You’re wearing too many clothes, husband.”

Kakashi smiled against her mouth. “As are you, wife.”

.
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.

OoO

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Kakashi
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.

“Take it back,” Itachi rumbled shoving the Hokage hat into Kakashi’s arms as soon as he entered
Shisui’s home. Sakura was snatched immediately into Shisui’s arms and flash-stepped into the
kitchen where Izumi and Lyna could be heard laughing.

“Good evening to you too,” Kakashi answered with a chuckle. He set the over-sized hat on the
nearby console table. “I thought being Hokage was your dream, Itachi.”

“Running my clan is enough challenge.” Itachi gestured towards Shisui. “I prefer you to deal with
that one’s brother-in-law. The Kazekage is difficult.”

Sasori was quite the handful. Kakashi usually relied on Sakura to sooth that one’s ruffled feathers.
Shisui seemed pretty well equipped at dealing with Sasori’s moods as well. It helped that Sasori’s
cousin Lyna was ridiculously happy with her Konoha husband. “You get along well with the new
Mizukage,” Kakashi pointed out.
“That’s true,” Itachi admitted. “You know I struggle with friendships, but Kisame seems to
understand me well.”

Kakashi knows that Itachi is aware that in another life he and Kisame were partners for over a
decade in the Akatsuki. It’s nice that they can have a friendship based on their respective roles as
village leaders rather than as an international terrorist team. “Thank you for the tea this morning.”

Itachi nodded. “I will always be in your debt, Kakashi. Yours and Sakura’s.”

Kakashi reached over and tugged Itachi’s low ponytail. The younger man could have easily evaded
the gesture, but he allowed it. Long gone were the days of Kakashi being a thirteen-year old Itachi’s
Anbu captain. Now they were the Rokudaime and Uchiha Patriarch. “There is no debt between us,
Itachi. We’re friends.”

The table in Shisui’s kitchen wasn’t big — it was meant more for a party of four, rather than the six
people that were crowded around it. Shisui always seemed to be one that appreciated being
surrounded by loved ones. It wasn’t hard to care for the brilliant, yet kind-hearted Anbu
Commander.

“It has been such a challenge running the hospital without you, Sakura,” Izumi explained. “Shizune
and Yugao are excellent surgeons, but they don’t have your patience. And forbid it all if I were to
work with Lady Tsunade — she’s absolutely terrifying!”

Sakura laughed. “That’s rich coming from you, Izumi.” Sakura smiled up at Kakashi as he sat next
to her at the cramped table. “I remember when I was working with you on the ophthalmology ward.
You can be rather intimidating yourself!”

It was a little strange having the six of them together without the sounds of children running
around. Kakashi leaned back in his seat, his arm snug around Sakura’s shoulder and drawing her to
his side. Mikoto, Sasuke and Naruto had volunteered to watch all the Uchiha little ones. They were
going to have a massive slumber party at Grandma Mikoto and Grandpa Taki’s house.

After so many years all alone, it was still a little surreal for Kakashi to find himself as part of such a
large extended family these days.

Sakura looked up at Kakashi, her jade eyes warm with affection. “Everything okay, Kakashi?”

He brushed his lips over the top of her head, his mask loose around his neck and enjoyed the
sensation of her silken tresses. “Just happy to be alive.”

“Let’s toast to that,” Shisui declared. He had a stack of cups and he filled them all with sake before
passing them out to his dinner guests. He held his cup and the others did the same. “Here’s to being
alive and the power of friendship.”

“You’re so corny,” Sakura murmured with a smile. Shisui grinned back at her. She raised her cup.
“Here’s to life and our bonds through time.”

Sakura knocked her cup against Kakashi’s first and then they tapped cups with the others before
they all took a long drink.

The strong alcohol burned down Kakashi’s throat, but he didn’t mind. He was content — married to
the only woman he had ever loved, a child on the way, sitting at a table with his best friends,
leading the village as the Hokage, making his parents and old sensei proud beyond the grave. He’d
even managed to help his childhood rival find peace and redemption.

“Does our esteemed Rokudaime have any words of wisdom he’d like to add?” Shisui asked, a
playful gleam in his dark eyes.

Kakashi took another sip of his sake and said nothing.

“Unlike some people,” Itachi said, “Kakashi doesn’t always have something to say.”

“What do you mean by that?”Shisui challenged, bracing his forearms on the table and jostling the
dinner plates. “Are you saying I talk too much, Itachi?”

“I’ve always enjoyed your conversational skills,” Sakura interjected loyally.

“Thank you, Sakura,” Shisui said, flashing her an easy smile.

“She’s your sister. Of course, she’ll defend you,” Itachi argued.

Lyna laughed. “I may be biased, but I also enjoy Shisui’s mouth.”

“I know you do,” Shisui said, waggling his dark eyebrows playfully.

Itachi and Kakashi both groaned at the blatant innuendo.

Sakura’s lips brushed the shell of Kakashi’s ear and her warm breath tickled against him. “We only
need to stay for about an hour. Do you think you can manage?”

Kakashi turned, so that they were cheek to cheek, his lips ghosting over her ear. “Who am I to
make my beloved wife wait?” He felt Sakura’s small, yet strong hand squeeze his knee under the
table.

He raised his half-empty cup. “I would like to toast to friendship and love.” The group chorused the
salute and tapped their cups together once more.

As the conversation flowed around the table, Kakashi and Sakura stayed over several hours. While
they were both eager to return to their estate and enjoy one another’s company, they were both
happy to spend time with their friends.

The future looked bright for not only Konoha, but for the lands of Fire, Wind, and Water. As
Hokage, Kakashi was leading not only the Leaf, but the shinobi villages towards a time of
commerce and peace. Talks with both Cloud and Earth were surprisingly civil. It helped that Itachi
was such a smooth diplomat and that Sakura could charm even the most hardened hearts with
hopes of improving their medical care— Rain was proof of that.

As he and Sakura made their way home that night, walking hand-in-hand, the stars of the summer
sky twinkling down upon them, his heart was light and the future was full of potential.
.
.
.
Chapter End Notes

As requested, these are my favorite Naruto fandom stories involving time travel. I had read a
few chapters of The Way Home before I wrote this story. The rest, I wouldn't allow myself to
read until after I finished writing the first arc of this story. Enjoy!

TipsyRaconteur ’s When I see you Again. (KakaSaku)

Sariasprincy’s The Way Home (Saku/ founders)

ArfisraR’s Lost and Found (SasuSaku)

DancingInTheDark282 Changing Chance (SasuSaku)

Summersirius’ The Nearest Star (Minato/Sakura)

Renaerys’ A Quiet Thunder. (ShiSaku)

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