Chapter Text
Lately she’d been having nightmares according to Kakashi, she’d wake up wailing for help, though he could never make out her muffled cries. It had never happened before.
Kakashi blamed it on trauma she had faced during the mission. or at least he guessed so, he had asked to discuss it with her later alone, which she obliged but they never attained the time to.
Now they were returning from the Land of Waves, not too far from Konoha, and her mind was running with regret.
She had a small feeling of deja vu, like she was repeating a process, she couldn’t tell what it was, just… something.
There were thoughts that surfaced to her head that she’d never even had an idea about.
The second she’d been born, she knew her place was last.
To be a woman, means to be inferior. The second she’d learned to realise that she would belong nowhere, not amongst her team, and definitely not in her unfeasible dreams. She was a mere burden.
Now she definitely didn’t want to blame her gender for her frail power, she knew lot’s of formidable women. Though even they knew it played a big factor considering the world had been led by men for millennia.
Yes, a woman could only build her rank through power, and as far as she knew, you had to be born with it, nurture it, how can she train something that simply isn’t there?Although her current acknowledgment hasn’t exactly arisen at the moment. It hadn’t been like she came back to earth.
The Land of Waves sure had some part in her contemporary realisations, at least she thought so, having been the trivial girl who served absolutely no purpose.
But why now? She never cared before.
Although negligible as she was, the incentive would be a straightforward confrontation about it. She knew even herself would be too candid, though it did her no favour. Not to put the guilt on her fellow male teammates. She just wanted confirmation– Why would they let her helplessly chase something so unattainable?
She spaced out onto the dirt ground, step after step, another negative thought would hit her.
She’d snap when she heard her name had been called a little too loud.
“Huh?” She looked towards Kakashi who had given her an interesting look.
Sakura indefinitely inculpated her sensei for her lack of a proper shinobi status, for he never pushed her to train and would rather give a speech on how her infatuation for Sasuke had held her back. She couldn’t deny that, sure enough; she let those words hit her where it hurt. Thus she constrained herself from evening looking at him, she’d share a few limited words, purely to be deferential.
“I asked a question, Sakura.” He responded.
She snapped back to him, “I’m sorry, I spaced out, what was it?”
“You shouldn’t space out Sakura, you should always be wary of your surroundings. We are out in the open.” He lectured.
“Yeah Sakura!” Naruto added.
She scoffed, crossing her arms as she looked towards her left. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of being coddled, she was no toddler. And it didn’t help that the bird-brain of the team was even talking– She could feel a fury raging inside her.
She glanced at Sasuke, interested in his reaction, before quickly turning away.
Albeit, she couldn’t help it, sure she had a hot temper, usually taking it out on Naruto. But when she wasn’t, her mind would run with seething anger; or even melancholic thoughts. She took her mind up to the sky once again to a flurry of thoughts.
It was quiet, other than Sasuke and Naruto throwing insults eachother.Kakashi, although very engrossed in his sex novel– Which everyone knew it was, he was even more captivated at the fact that Sakura wasn’t manhandling Naruto over insults he had thrown over to Sasuke.
Sakura would usually pay heed to Sasuke, but he’d noticed the way she would bitterly brush him off whenever he spoke.
He’d assumed she had suffered from a traumatic scene, but being medically unintelligible, he could only guess. The mission was too gruesome for his liking, yes. But for this girl who’s innocence still thrived. It was worse.
He paid little to no attention to Sakura when it came to training, not because he didn’t care; because he didn't know what to do with her.
During the duration of the mission— She displayed perfect chakra-control, but he himself knew he didn’t specialise in anything that required a perfect chakra control.
He could teach her everything he knew, but she would still lack something.
Kakashi closed his book he had his nose immersed in and looked over to her.
And in an attempt to understand her, he spoke.
“Sakura, why don’t you share your thoughts.”
“Huh?” This time, her attention was more wary. She dropped her arms to her side. “It’s nothing to mention, real—“
A chakra.
Sakura turned around quickly and jumped back defensively whilst Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke stood there in utter confusion.
Sakura felt a presence. A strong one it was, almost shocking and infuriatingly dark and brooding. Only for a split second. Her defensive stance was now one of a calm manner as she registered that it was probably nothing.
Her mouth was slightly open as she stared intently, where she felt it, off to the forest.She looked around to them, as they looked confusingly towards her. “You– You didn’t feel that? Did you?”
Great, did she embarrass herself?
She turned around to bow to them apologetically for her stupidity. She had wondered if she was suddenly going mental. She couldn’t help but look at Sasuke, who’s face went unchanged, there was really no reading him.
And Naruto, hand rubbing the back of his neck. who had a curve to his lips, likely due to his commiseration for the sudden humliating outburst.
Kakashi smiled out of pity as well, as he noticed Sakura’s sour expression. “Sakura, walk in front.”
Abiding she was, Kakashi took into account how suddenly Sakura moved, he thought it couldn’t be a mistake, for it was very geninuine.
Kakashi put his book away, if Sakura was able to sense someone then, then he had to, no doubt.
Did Sakura actually feel something? Or is she just suffering from the symptoms of newly acquired trauma?
She saw the way Sasuke glared at her as she walked in front, Sasuke was completely aware of the dramatic difference in her personality,
and Sakura felt bad for giving him less attention than usual. She frowned.
‘and Naruto, still enthralled with spouting nonsense towards Sasuke who didn’t attend to his entertainment.
Within minutes of strolling back to Konoha, Kakashi finally noticed that this was no mistake on his part, but a certainty that something had sickened Sakura.
He grabbed Sakura by the shoulder as soon as he noticed her symptoms. Her legs dragged against the ground, her body was sweltering. Almost like a fever.
She kept her stride, noticing the hand but ignoring it, she was confident that she was hallucinating and wasn’t in harm’s way.
“What’s wrong with her? She’s been different ever since she ‘felt’ that chakra.” Sasuke growled.
No she’d been different the day they woke up to go back home. And he knew that.
Sasuke had finally lost it, just what was wrong with this girl? Has she developed some sort of disorder? He just knew she wasn’t cut out for a life of shinobi where only war and violence thrived. He believed in no way he was worried for Sakura; no, he was perturbed by the impediment she might cause for him.
Naruto crossed his arms. “Now that you say it, she looks really sick!”
“Ch’ did you just notice?”
Naruto scowled “Oh shut—“
She stopped, giving in to the sick. “Sensei,” She blurted quietly. “I feel sick.”
Sakura felt herself shake, lifting her arm to see the way it quivered. Her body suddenly numbed, and a feeling of fear washed over her as her heart dropped as she sensed her teammates' chakra's spike with worry.
“Kakashi,” She turned around, eyes red, her wobbly knees struggled to move
“ Sakura, ” Naruto ran to Sakura’s side, as she jerked uncontrollably.
Sasuke turned to Kakashi’s appalled look, “What’s happening to her?”
She flared her arms around grabbing onto Naruto.
The sound’s around her were muffled, and her head had ringed with an unpleasant sound as she yelled for help once more before blacking out onto the dirt ground.
War flourished onto the earthy ground, well it did .
The battle cries of many slowly faded into the blood-diffused air. Until there were no sounds other than her heavy breathing and her chest rising rapidly.
Quiet it was, but peaceful was far from it, for the corpses of many lay within bloody puddles, tortured and killed in the most brutal of ways.
She hid behind the greenery miles away from the dangerous battlegrounds, with only a sliver of a chance, she had made it out of the violent hands of the gore-lusting shinobi.
She performed medical ninjutsu on her weakened state before plopping up against a tree with an agitated look on her face.
She was mixed with shock, depression, anger, a full outburst of emotions.
Naruto was the first thing she thought of, stupid, bright, warm, cheerful Naruto.
He used to be such a soothing thought.
Last time she’d seen him, he’d been covered up bloody, a vision she couldn’t forget, no matter how much she tried.
Sasuke, who was beyond saving, right next to her foot as she tried her best to sustain her desire to break down into tears for the boy she loved so dearly.
And to those she’d never seen again after heading off to battle.
Tsunade, Kakashi, Ino,
God she couldn’t handle it as she let her head fall into her legs that were tightly against her chest as she cried as silently as she could.
She was confident that right now, she was the only one alive for miles .
She remembered what Tsunade said,
The rules.
The one’s she hated.
The one’s that held her back from standing rightfully beside her teammates.
the ones that held her back from the people she could’ve died with
The rules held her back, and if they didn’t; they would've spared her the trouble of being alone in this living hell.
Now just because she abhorred those rules, doesn’t mean Sakura didn’t understand why. She was smart enough to know why those rules were in place, a medic is a crucial component in war, if not one of the most important.
But she failed.
She failed as a medic, and a warrior, the faces of many flashed before her eyes, their last moments ingrained in her head.
She didn’t deserve those titles.
She looked over next to her leg, a scroll that'd been given by Naruto whilst he was a foot in his grave.
He didn’t explain as she was forced to flee before she could see his lifeless face just once more.
‘Please Naruto, just what did you give me?’
She opened the scroll inscribed with nothing but the Leaf Village symbol and skimmed through its contents.
Her eyes widened, glimmering with optimism.
A jutsu, he gave her instructions to a jutsu.
Created by Uchiha Itachi.
She carefully read through it, once, twice, thrice . Gathering up information she could infer just from the script.
She knew Itachi had been on their side for awhile, and she was also knowledgeable about how he wasn’t guilty under circumstances she didn’t know about.
The jutsu required her to give off her memories to Uchiha Itachi.
The one of the past.
And her past,
Was to be binded with him, it didn’t explain how.
Sakura would usually contemplate, decide the best course of action, except there were no other options.
And the idea of being able to restart, with a fresh clean slate, without the horrid memories was alluring.
Before a second thought, she felt her heart flutter with anticipation as she stood up to activate her seal.
The blue diamond seal on her forehead glowed purple before the black lines decorated her lean body.
No date, and no other information.
And, nonetheless she trusted him, a loyal shinobi to the leaf, and an intelligent, formidable ninja. If anyone knew what to do, it would surely be him, right?
He was her, and the world’s last chance at victory.
And he had somehow known that it was inevitable to the point where he developed the scroll, for the intention for anyone to use.
And it was bestowed onto her.
She weaved the signs multiple times as she tried to get it right.
And right when she found no hope in this jutsu working, she felt her chakra suddenly dissipate.
The black ribbons that encased her body had receded, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she shut her eyes closed. Her body went limp and hit the cold dirt ground.
Haruno Sakura was the last to die.
Differently, it felt abnormal; her body, her head was heaving. She felt a small voice hit her on the head, almost impossibly. It was howling, screaming, wailing. Wake up —
She jumped out of the uncomforting bed, her eye’s not accustomed to the luminescent lights that shone bright. Hospital. She was in the hospital; that she noticed.
She squinted her eye’s, and laid back down.
Something told her that her body was no longer hers, nor were her thoughts. She looked towards the window, where the natural light of the outside world entered, making the room more humanly bearable.
She felt someone present, in the room with her,
The feeling suddenly dwindled as she felt two chakras approach the door to the room. The urge to leave had left her body.
A boy barged in, a frown displayed on his face as he had his head cocked to the side.
Sasuke had come as well. her eyes widened, he had come to visit her . Her heart flurried with joy. The promise she’d made to herself suddenly moved to the back of her head. As she whispered his name loud enough for them to turn their attention to her.
Naruto looked over to her bed “Sakura!” he ran to hug her.
“You’ve missed so much– “
“It’s only been a day, idiot.” Sasuke interrupted
Naruto eyed him as he ran to sit down at the chair near the bed. “So, what happened? Did you catch a cold? Doc said you were sick, but Sasuke didn’t believe her.”
She blushed at the thought, he was talking about her— and even doubted a nurse’s evaluation!
They both turned their eyes to the boy as he opened his mouth to speak.
Naruto cut him off, “Kakashi said you wouldn’t be fit for training until after tomorrow– But hey! You look fine.”
She smiled at Naruto, unsure of what to say, “Yeah? Do you think so?”
Woozy, she got to her feet as Naruto pestered for her to stay down.
“You idiot, just why would you tell her she’s fine when she’s clearly not?” Sasuke hit Naruto on the head as they watched her walk to the door,
“Hey!” Naruto yelped as he rubbed his bruised head.
She looked back at Sasuke, the statement, a red tint to her face. “Don’t worry about me Sasuke,” She giggled.
She took her hand off the doorknob “Where’s Kakashi anyway?”
Her main priority, to strip off whatever made her feel so horrible. And she’s betting Kakashi would know or atleast have noticed.
“Not sure, he said meet here at five, and y’know how late he usually is.” Naruto answered.
She shoved passed him, her legs not accustomed to the sudden change from being bedridden to up and about, she approached the window on the other side of the room.
“Sakura, sit down.” Sasuke finally retorts.
Seeing the way she attempted to stand so confidently, as if she were strong or something had angered him. She’s weak, and he knew she knew that. Why was she pushing so
A voice echoed, as she turned back to look at the two boys. They looked back, not a single feature out of place. They didn’t hear anything.
Deep, and unforgiving his voice was. Though he spoke with a rather respectful manner. It could just be her, convincing herself there was an opportunity that the entity meant no harm.
“Sakura? Hey, Sakura!” Naruto shook her by the shoulder.
She came back to her senses. And she smiled. “Does Kakashi know what happened?”
Sasuke saw through the play of emotions. Something was up with Sakura, and Naruto, having the brain capacity of a mere fish. Was too ignorant to notice.He scratched his head. “Kakashi should be here.”
The door sprung open in Sakura’s face, her heart pumping faster, just what was he hiding his chakra for anyway?
Kakashi entered, hands within his pockets, it was quite a surprise nonetheless to see him without the graphically sexual book within his hands.
“Nurse said you had a severe panic attack, likely due to trauma.” He spoke.
Not even a greeting.
Before she responded he lifted his gaze to the two boys intently staring at Sakura,
“Naruto and Sasuke, would you mind stepping out of the room for a moment?
As they left rather quietly, their thoughts pondered around certain speculations, Sasuke’s gaze fixated on Sakura’s frame. Sasuke pulled the door behind him as he heard a click, he immediately turned his eyes to Naruto.
“Is Sakura in trouble?” He rasped.
He shrugged, even though he didn't inquire about what had happened to her, he had a gut feeling, a bad one.
Naruto put his ear against the door, but the thick metal blocked any soundwaves from exiting, thus he was left with a curious suspicion.
He was here purely for the intention to investigate how she would react, and why she reacted. The nurse claimed that she was clueless on what Sakura really had, almost like a mixture of a fever and PTSD. There was more to it.“Sakura.” Kakashi spoke.
She stared down at her bare feet, touching the cold hard ground of the hospital floors. She couldn’t help but feel a small sense of inferiority, as if she and the entity were waiting for his infuriating words.
“Sakura, if you’re not fit to be a n–”
“No,”
She walked right past him, the entity strongly flowing through her veins.
This time, she wasn’t the one who spoke.
Tears engulfed her eyes as she struggled to run home
Her legs felt out of her control and being barefoot with a hospital gown on along the streets made her look insane
Her mom and dad were nowhere to be seen, probably off working, though on her part, she could consider it a blessing; she didn’t want her parents meddling into her affairs.
She ran upstairs to her room and slammed the door shut before slowly sliding down against the doorframe as she let her tears run down her cheek once more.
She felt a strong feeling of deja vu. A creepy feeling, a horrible one.
The entity flared again as it spoke a string of words she ignored before gathering the courage to speak to it.
“Who are you?” She quietly whispered.
It took a second, but the voice echoed again, except it was right behind her. ‘I’m here to help you’
“You aren’t helping!” She cocked her head quickly as she saw his stoic face.
A man who wore a long black cloak embedded with red clouds.
And she recognized right away, how similarly he and Sasuke looked.
Itachi Uchiha.On the floor, she turned her body around and pushed both her legs back, helplessly backing away from the man as pleads of despair from Sakura filled the room.
Was she his next target? To put Sasuke into more shambles than he already was?
“Don’t kill me,” She cried, her knees buckled to her chest. “Please don’t kill anyone.”
She was cornered against another wall. He squatted down to her level as he approached her figure, “I need your help.”
She opened her eyes slowly, to view the man's genuine smile, a curve to lips, nothing too excessive..
“Ask someone else.” She said quietly while her thoughts wandered off to what Kakashi had said.
And like that, it was almost as if he read her thoughts.
“You wanna be strong?”
She nodded. “I’m not, so please, jus—”
“Your next team practice is after tomorrow, no?” he cut off.
“You killed your whole family!” She covered her mouth when she’d realised what she'd just said.
Now she’d really wished her parents were home.
He didn’t react.
She nodded once again, answering his previous question before his eyebrows furrowed sadly.
She was in the same room as the murderer of the Uchiha clan,
She felt oddly comforted with the smile he displayed on his face. Now Sakura was clever enough to know Ninja put on ploy’s to manipulate other ninja into doing things.
But Itachi was strong, he could kill her within a second, there was no need for manipulation.
So why? Why was he here? And why her?
“You will check in, make an excuse for your sensei, and you will leave to train with me.” He picked himself off the ground and turned away.
Her eyes shifted to his for a moment, it was a shock, she felt well enough to ask, “Why?”
“I will explain, but before that, will you accept the mission?”
“What if I don’t?”
“Then you shall die, but not at the hands of me.”
She flinched when he came closer as she hugged the wall behind her. “Yes, yes I do accept just don’t come closer.”
He cocked his head to the side and backed away.
“Thank you, Sakura.” He whisperedHe disappeared into the air as she felt the tension in the air fade. she stood there sitting; refusing to get up, praying, this was only a bad dream.