FIRE NOODLE
Naruto, Sasuke and Sai sit at the booth of the new ramen restaurant slurping their food. Naruto had caught up with Sasuke after delivering the scroll to Itachi and decided to drag Sai along seeing as he was glumly sitting in the Uchiha’s training ground doodling some rats for Sasuke to take aim at. Naruto was no fool, he knew it was his father’s way of getting him to leave while he asked Sakura some questions.
He takes another bite of his pork miso ramen.
The noodles and broth are bland and the meat is tasteless too, it’s below Naruto’s expectations. Not that he really thought this place would be better than Ichiraku’s… Maybe it’s because Sakura’s not with them it doesn’t taste like it should. The thought of Sakura alone leaves a sour taste in his mouth. He looks over at the others and they’re silently eating.
“I wonder what’s going on with Sakura.” He finally says.
“That person we fought is not Sakura, and chances are they’re being interrogated right now.” Sai says smiling, and hitting the nail on the head.
Naruto bristles and takes another bite. His father won’t interrogate her too bad… he told his father that Sakura was having a difficult time with her mothers passing. Anyone would! So what if she has new skills?
“Itachi says he will give us a heads up.” Sasuke puts his chopsticks down. “Question is, if that isn’t really Sakura, then what happened to our Sakura?”
They stare down at their food.
Sakura is quiet and funny and kind but can push buttons. In their spars all she ever does is heal everyone, which is fine! They’ll protect her and she knows it, believe it! And when Sai makes fun of her to no end she still smiles it off and then heals him last as an act of retaliation.
The stark difference of the Sakura from the other day is her fierce and aggressive fighting style that they have never seen before. And her strength and quickness were new too.
Naruto rubs his forehead, can someone really change that fast? Why would she keep it a secret from him…?
Yet even with all her new skills, whoever it is, acts like Sakura. This imposter has got her personality and quirks so perfect it’s uncanny. Naruto spent years staring at his crush. The smirk she shows him while she’s defiant. The hand on her hip and glare that gives him time to duck and cover. The way she cries. The sound of her sobs from the other day gave him nightmares last night. And as soon as he left that day he brought himself before the fox demon to see what his thoughts were. Kuruma was not helpful and only laughed at him.
“You think we should go and try to find her?” Naruto stares at Sasuke frowning. What if their Sakura is hurt somewhere?
But Naruto doesn’t really think this Sakura is an imposter, maybe she hit her head? He has heard Sakura list off medical diagnosis over a handful of times, what if it’s something like that? He frowns and wonders if maybe they should have gone to Baa-chan.
“Hey guys!” Ino’s voice rings out.
“Oh hey!” Naruto greets, “What are you guys doing here?”
“It’s for their opening special, Choji wants to check it out.” Shikamaru sits next to Naruto.
Choji sits next to Ino who takes a seat next to Sai.
“I’ll take the FIRE SPECIAL!” Choji shouts to the waitress who startles and rushes to the kitchen.
“You scare the staff worse than Sasuke!” Naruto laughs out, Shikamaru joining in.
Ino lightly smacks Choji’s shoulder, “You almost blew my eardrum fool!”
“What did you say?” Sai asks her causing her to smile at him blushing.
“Where’s Sakura? She needs to come pick up those roses her father ordered.” Ino says drumming her fingers on the table. “I haven’t seen her in a week!”
Team Seven goes quiet and this doesn’t go unnoticed.
“She’s been acting… funny. Have you noticed anything the last time you saw her?” Naruto asks the others. He also takes note how Ino isn’t up to date on the latest gossip that Sakura no longer lives with her father.
“Funny how? And not that I recall… What’s going on?” Her eyes flash to Sai who is no longer looking at her and is more focused on his noodles.
“Maybe it’s not our place to be involved. Let’s just get something to eat.” Shikamaru tells her, don’t start anything, he shakes his head at her.
They all know how ‘level’ headed this team can be, the subject is dropped and they place their orders.
Team Seven leaves and takes off in the direction towards Kakashi’s.
“Wonder what that’s about?” Choji asks then mumbles. “Ichiraku’s has better seasoning.”
“Nothing good I’m sure.” Shikamaru grimaces looking over at Ino who isn’t even trying to eat her food. “Sakura will be fine Ino, please just eat.”
Ino frowns at the food, “I should have known there was something wrong, I told you didn’t I? That it was weird she didn’t come around Wednesday…” She shakes her head then sighs heavily pushing her bowl to Choji. “I swear if she has done something stupid..”
Ino slams her hand on the table and takes off.
……..
Kakashi opens the door to find the rest of his team at the door, he moves aside sighing letting them in.
Sakura is still passed out on the floor and Itachi is as well only sitting up with his eyes closed. They’ve been like that for an hour already, so whatever it is that is going on must be serious. He’s never seen Itachi’s interrogation take this long, ever, in all the years he’s known him. He’s nervous and can tell Minato is as well.
That’s how his team finds Kakashi and Minato, nervous, and with the other two on the floor.
“Dad what’s going on?” Naruto asks quietly staring at Sakura for a moment before turning to his father.
“Itachi has a special kind of training when it comes to infiltrating someones mind that is even better than that of the Yamanaka clan. It’s why I had you summon him here to check on your teammate. Thing is they have been like this for for far longer than I am comfortable with. We might need to call the Hokage soon.”
Kakashi looks over at his old Sensei.
“Could they be hurting Itachi?” Sasuke asks staring at his brother on the floor.
“Highly doubt it.” Sai says.
“We don’t even know who this person is.” Sasuke glares at Sai. “This whole thing could be a trap.”
“She’s too much like Sakura, there’s no way she’s an imposter.” Naruto says. ”We should call Baa-chan!”
“You just like how she was all over you.” Sai says smiling. “And that alone proves she’s a fake.”
“Shut up Sai! You wouldn’t understand our relationship!” Naruto growls.
Minato and Kakashi look over at Naruto.
“Naruto, are you in a relationship with Sakura?”
Naruto crosses his arms and doesn’t say anything. Being in a relationship with your teammate is forbidden and a well known rule.
“Naruto!” The tone in his father voice is not up for an argument.
“Yes, it’s a friendship relationship!” Naruto turns from their gaze.
“You’re such a moron.” Sasuke rolls his eyes.
No one presses him.
IIIIIIIIIIIĮIIIIIIIIÎOÎIIIIIIIIIIIIĮIIIIIIIII
Sakura stares at the intimidating figure of Itachi as he stands from afar in her subconscious. He stares at her but hasn’t said anything since they entered. She takes her chance immediately while he underestimates her. She has heard from Kakashi his first hand tortuous experience of what this man can do. The long list of dead Uchiha also says something too... so...
Summoning her Inner she takes off while her partner takes after the elder Uchiha to distract him while she finds a way to shield her memories. Even now she doesn’t want to divulge any more information than she has too. She should have tried to figure out the history of this world before being caught like this. Dying made her stupid that’s for sure. She wasn’t even this sloppy when she was in the Tsukuyomi with Naruto that one time or the other time.
Sakura can hear Inner yell as she thinks they’re presumably being beaten, she can’t take the chance to look. She just knows she needs to hide in the recess of her mind, find her hidden chamber and lock herself inside and hope that Inner will some how force the elite nin out. She laughs at herself, you don't just kick out Uchiha Itachi!
Itachi takes on the Inner pinkette as she come towards him, blocking her fists and dodging her kicks. He decides to let this one run out of energy and is aware the real Sakura has taken off while this one… is some sort of incompetent defense trying to slow him down.
“Yah!” The Inner tries to get him again.
“I’ll just have to ask you then,” Itachi says ducking then catching her arm and throwing her.
“Who do you work for?” He asks.
“Myself!” The boisterous shout is right in his ear.
He grabs the Inner enemy nin by the throat and slams her down and decides to use Tsukuyomi but when he tries to put this girl under it doesn’t seem to have the same effect. Interesting. She wraps her legs around him and using her strength to throw him to the side. Itachi grabs several kunai while in the air and throws them to the ground, they explode around her.
She continues to avoid Itachi’s barrage of attacks, attacking her full on with fists to her face.
“Get outta my head!” Inner decides to meet his fist with her own fist hitting his square on while using her seal. A loud crack is heard and Itachi feels his arm and hand shatter. He jumps back and decides it's time to end this.
He looks over to see the pinkette healing her own fist with a swipe of her hand.
“Your technique is very similar to Tsunade’s, is that whom you learned to heal from?”
“If you don’t get out of my head,” Inner gets into Lee’s famous stance, “You're gonna regret it.”
Itachi takes in her form, she is well versed in multiple techniques, many he’s seen from all over Konoha. So this person must be a spy. He doesn’t want to bring out all his power plays but at this point, Izanami should work, he takes off to find the real enemy using a clone to handle the subconscious one.
.....
Sakura feels him getting closer and feels as Inner is defeated, she knew it would be seconds, she’s no match for an elite ninja like Itachi. She’s no fool, Sasuke only dedicated his whole life to defeat his brother. Her only option is trying to buy time to decide. Truth or bullshit?
She hasn’t been this indecisive since her time trying to decide if she should try killing Sasuke. Knowing it would be a futile attempt, but also knowing it was worth it for the village and Naruto, haunted her until the early morning hours. She would find herself thinking of her options after surgery, while laying in bed, during her lunch breaks. She had time to really think about if she wanted to try and kill their teammate.
This is different. And now she’s going to be facing the consequences.
Right. Now.
Itachi appears behind her and stabs her in the back, sword going through and out her abdomen. Crows crowd around them and another Itachi appears in front of her. A spontaneous thought hit her. He can finally end this! She can reunite with her real teammates and the man in front of her might even be her quickest way out.
“Looks like you’ll just have to kill me.” She smiles, blood dripping from her mouth.
She’s stabbed again.
“You will never die here. You won’t get mercy from me.”
There’s no hesitation as he stabs her again through the back. Her seal activates after the fifth time he drives the sword through her. She whimpers as the blade cuts into her, blood dripping down her and pooling at her feet. The pain is as real as she experienced with Sasori.
“I won’t betray my village. Death is my only answer.” She pants out and groans as he stabs her again. Her body continuously healing her but not fast enough.
She looks up at him, “Is this your Tsukuyomi?”
He blinks and stabs her again, and again, and again.
And again.
She loses herself in pain, her body shaking and her groans turning to desperate whimpers pleading Itachi to stop.
“Please, please end this, end me! Please!”
Her back is on fire, her innards are too, her whole body in pain. Blinding, sharp, red, mindless pain.
“I can’t! I can’t!” She tries to scream but her energy is too low and her voice comes out in a raspy plea.
Her thoughts can't even take her away, she’s already in her mind, only now she’s trapped. Her only place now is here, getting repeatedly stabbed over and over. It’s not ending. WHEN WILL THIS END!! STAB
“If this is…” She chokes out, “Is really your…” Sakura spits blood from her mouth, gags and throws up. Her body collapses but invisible strings are holding her up.
“Tsu-“ She pants, “Kuyomi… then, you can break them all can’t you?”
“What intel have you gathered from Konoha?”
“I’m… Sa-kra.” Sakura mumbles and her vision starts to fade. “What’re you doing?!”
“Answer my question.”
“I don’t… I don’t have anything… Not anymore.” Sakura closes her eyes.
“What are your intentions getting close to Team Seven?” The edge in Itachi’s question may be subtle but she can pick up on it.
“You always did care for him, didn’t you.” She sighs,after all this time . All the while Sasuke chased after the man in front of her to end his life, to bring him back, to find out the truth, only to lose him once more. The vicious cycle of the Uchiha was truly a curse in her world.
Unable to see, she still opens her eyes and looks towards Itachi.
“Did you kill your clan, or did you kill Danzo?” If he wants to play dirty, so will she.
The stabbing stops and she feels a flutter before her and a hand grab her face.
“You will answer how you know that, if not, then the next thing I do will be something you will not recover from.” His stony response sends shivers down her mutilated and recovering spine.
She sighs. “I know Danzo ordered you to kill your clan, I know this because where I am from… that is exactly what you did.”
“Where you’re from? Be specific.” Itachi stares at the pinkette drenched in blood curiously.
Normal shinobi or enemy nin would have long since broken, but she continues to heal herself keeping her body stable. She also knows something no one other than the Third Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, the Fifth Hokage and Lord Danzo had known. His clan had planned a coup. He told the Third Hokage who was already signing paperwork for the Fourth Hokage inducted into office. Danzo was tried, found guilty and eventually executed. The dirt found on Danzo revealed ROOT and other organized crime organizations throughout other nations he was tied to.
This girl must be in on it somehow, and if that is the case…she’s going to have to be neutralized. But what did she mean when she asked if he killed his clan? Is that what Danzo told her he did? Did she not see the Uchiha district?
“If you stop stabbing me… I will show you. Then you can do me the favor of killing me.”
He allows her vision again. Sakura’s green eyes stare at him glazed over, tired and desperate. It took him a while, but he’s finally almost done. He might even get to have family dinner tonight if he hasn’t missed it already, after all he made a promise to his mother before he was summoned by Minato’s son. But he will always obey Minato, even if he’s no longer the Hokage, he will always be there for the man when he calls.
Fortunately Kakashi and Minato realized the threat before them.
He stares into the green eyes and is sucked into her memories.
The splashes of happy memories flicker before him at first but the further the memories continue he sees more and more death, Sasuke, blood, Naruto, chaos, Kakashi, more death. More pain, unknown faces, unknown enemies. He finds the important memories, and tries to make sense of it all. They are genuine and original memories but what he can tell is that this world she lived in is not the one she is in currently. He finds few memories of himself, but finds many where he is the subject.
More flashes of memories of the Tsukuyomi casted over the Konoha, Madara’s plan to take over, Tobi, the Akatsuki, Kaguya, and the Sage of Six Paths.
A blinding light from the Sage of Six Paths hits him throwing him into the air and landing on his back. He looks up and finds the Sage, no longer a memory but a solid man in front of him, staring down at him with his shining rinnegan.
“I had my suspicions that Sakura would find herself in a dilemma such as this. The sharingan is known to see through everything.” The Sage sighs. “Things in this world are untouched by my mother Kaguya, which is why I sent this girl, whom has faced her wrath, here. Kaguya destroyed everything and with it brought more devastation and consequences I never thought possible. I truly tried…”
Itachi finds himself without words to say.
“Sasuke and Naruto, where she is from, are reincarnations of my sons. They both died for her, and loved her, and begged me for her to be spared.”
The Sage turns to look at the girl. “After all that has happened, how can I deny such a request? I will leave it to you to protect her, but just know that her being here is my own way of trying to make my amends.”
Itachi looks over at the pink haired shinobi. “Amends? Was it that bad?”
The rinnegan flashes and a shadow falls over his face.
“Hopefully you will never know.”
With that there’s another flash of light and Itachi feels a blast to his chest. His eyes snap open and he’s sitting up coughing, laying on carpet and no longer inside the travelers head. He looks around and finds his brother speaking to him and other are now gathered around but his gaze draws to the girl on the floor who is still out cold.