I Watched a Change in You

Sakura watches suspiciously as Ino and Shikamaru take off, her eyes not leaving them until they’re too far from view. They were reluctant to say goodbye but Ino dragged off Shikamaru saying that they had other places to be. It was a surprise and it came down on her all at once, the realization that if she were to run right now- and it would have to be now! All thoughts of saving this other Sakura left her mind. The overwhelming urge to be selfish and take what she deserves, to determine her own ending! What if she ends all this right now? Why can’t she?

Her hands move automatically pulling out her bamboo storage container and taking out a kunai. She just needs to be quick about it, there can’t be any over thinking. The blade cuts into her neck, her sweaty hand holding the kunai tight. Her thoughts drift to that moment. The night she found out about Shikamaru. She was in mourning, Ino had just passed away and so she was smashing things in the tent she was living in. Anything she got her hands on she crushed it and ripped it, furious at herself. Someone came in and pulled her out of the tent, one of Shikamaru’s people from the Intelligence Division.

“Get off me! Just leave me alone!” She struggles to get them off of her, their hands holding her arms tightly.

“No, Haruno, please-“ They say trying to remain calm but their voice waivers. “I need to tell you something and I can’t if you’re going on like this.”

“Going on like this!” She roars and manhandles the messenger to the ground. “You have no right! Leave me right now!”

“Haruno, you must get to the Intelligence Division!” They plead but she doesn’t listen and goes back into her tent leaving them on the ground. From inside the tent she hears them wail out, the sound so heart wrenching she snaps back to reality, knowing deep inside the only reason for such a cry.

“Nara! He’s-“

Sakura is already running through their temporary campsite passing the medical facility and then the makeshift mess hall. Shikamaru always complained how their base set up was annoying because it took him ten minutes to get to her and Ino’s tent. Naruto only reminded him that the intelligence division should be close by to the acting Hokage and that would be at the center of it all safe from any sporadic sieges that could happen. Not that Naruto needed to tell Shikamaru this -as Shikamaru was the one who came up with the layout to begin with… but that alone tickled Naruto and gave perfect opportunity to tease the lazy genius.

She flips opens Shikamaru’s tent and shudders as she looks at the stiff dangling body. He had used the sturdy plank center of the tent that held it to it’s highest and fastened a noose to it. He’s dressed in his ninja gear and his headband is fastened around his arm. Below him Naruto is on his knees bent over with his forehead to the ground making no noise.

Her mind and body go into shock, unbelieving. What are we going to do now?

After they found Shikamaru and stayed with him for the entire night they were found by Kakashi who came in frantically and flinching back at the sight and the smell. After Kakashi looked over the body to see if there was any foul play did Sakura finally take the noose from Shikamaru’s neck. He took control for a while after that, Kakashi was always there for them even if he was late.

Sakura blinks away the memory clenching the kunai one last time before throwing it to the ground. Exhaustion over takes her and so she sinks to her knees and puts her head down to the ground mimicking Naruto’s form from when he was before Shikamaru. They owed Shikamaru so much. He took on assignments that were meant for his friends. They were missions meant to destroy their will to live, but Shikamaru had manipulated Danzo into believing he would be the better option. Time and time again, he did it repeatedly. Shikamaru was there for Naruto from the beginning to the end….

Seeing this version of the both of them again and being unable to embrace them as she once had can only be described as a form of hell on earth. She presses her palms to her eyes trying to rub the deep weariness away. Why does she have to go through this?

She knows by now Team Seven must be looking for her, well maybe not but it would be stupid to be caught at a time like this. Also knowing that Kakashi’s pack is still around she will be tracked sooner than later. Sakura heals her neck and then stands with little motivation begins her walk towards the way she came to the Uchiha compound.

As she treks her way a cat suddenly appears before her sitting in the middle of the road staring right at her. She slowly comes to a stop and steps back as it starts walking towards her.

“Eh… nice kitty…” She murmurs, the cat hardly looks nice. A poof from behind her startles her to turn. One of Kakashi’s ninken, Bisuke.

The dark haired cats fur stick up and it’s tail twitches. “Meow, she’s ours meow mew.”

“Don’t care, back off kitty.” Bisuke huffs walking to Sakura and putting his paw on her foot.

“The cat… it talked!” Sakura stares at the cat then to the ninkin, a goofy smile overtaking her face. Oh my kami, how adorable!

“That’s no ordinary cat, that is a ninneko.” Bisuke squints up at her then looks over at the offended looking cat with it’s twitchy tail.

“Mew, that’s right, so back off meow mew.” A fur ball is flying through the air, Bisuke meets it with full force.

Barks and screeching meows are heard all the while Sakura tries to watch the fast battle between the two furries fiends but they’re too quick for her to keep track. Little poofs of dust pop around them as they battle on the street then they’re suddenly in the air again. She ducks just in time to miss them speeding over her with claws and paws swinging. A strand of her hair falls to the ground. Ehh!!!

“Enough!” Itachi’s voice demands loudly appearing suddenly beside her, another poof and she turns to see Kakashi as well.

“Bisuke, I expected better of you. Picking a fight with the ninneko.” Kakashi shakes his head.

Sakura watches as the ninken and ninneko continue as if neither of the elite ninja said a thing.
She turns and looks at the both of them. “Wow, you thought…” She chuckles not even continuing.

Eventually the two animals tire and come to a stop, panting and worn, scratches that mark Bisuke’s face are bleeding while the ninneko has patches of fur missing.

“You need to bathe more you stinky cat.” Bisuke growls.

The ninneko retorts, “Meow, and you need to die, fart breath meow mew!”

“Alright, alright! Thank you two for finding our precious Sakura petal here, but your assistance is no longer needed.” Kakashi claps. Bisuke huffs then poof away.

“Meow, we don’t like working with ninken! Meow Mew!” The ninneko glares at Itachi then poofs away as well.

“Well… there was always that possibility they wouldn’t get along.” Minato laughs, he pokes his head from behind a wall. “That was vicious!”

Kakashi sighs. “Where’s the others?”

Itachi runs a hand through his hair, “I told the boys to tell my mother to have dinner ready. I figure that we have all had a very long day and could have a nice meal.”

“You’re hospitality is shining through, your mother raised you well!” Kakashi puts his arm around Itachi’s shoulder and looks over at Sakura.

Sakura who was watching them interacting with each other with awe blinks out of her revere when Kakashi focuses on her.

“Where have you been, young lady?” He asks lifting up his headband. She startles back, she assumed he had a Sharingan but actually seeing it again is another and brings her back to her stark reality.

“Uh, just catching up with old friends.” She mumbles.

The three men blanch at that, this dimension traveler doesn’t technically have friends and since they still haven’t told the Hokage yet….

“All this is making me hungry! Let’s go!” Minato starts shoving them in the direction of the compound. “Hurry, hurry, let’s not keep poor Mikoto and Kushina waiting! I told my wife to join us!”

“Like father like son,” Sakura whispers.

“So, who was it you met with?” Itachi asks walking beside her, her pace becomes hesitant for a brief moment before they’re in stride together again.

“Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara.”

“I see. I recall them from your memories. They were also in the same Academy year as Team Seven, aside from Sai.”

She looks over at Itachi and tries to understand what he means, he saw a lot of her memories in her mind, but what exactly he saw she doesn’t know, and can’t remember. The memories he saw of those two could be anything. It could be of Ino shouting like a banshee that Sakura was wearing an ‘ugly’ yellow dress on one of her very first dates… It could be of Shikamaru puffing away on a cigarette standing in a tree staring up at the clouds as he often did.

Or it could be of the ones that haunted her and carved her soul into an empty shell of what it used to be.

“Do you like pickled carrots and beets?” His next question surprises her.

She looks over at Minato and Kakashi’s backs as they’re walking in front of them. “Uh…I guess.”

“How can anyone be picky about pickled vegetables?” Kakashi turns to her and laughs.

Itachi sighs, “Gai sure is rubbing off on you, Kakashi.”

“Ah, I’ve noticed as well Itachi, it’s only a matter of time before our dear friend here is in an atrocious leotard gallivanting through the streets boasting about pickled vegetables.” Minato laughs slapping Kakashi’s back. Kakashi’s hair flops to the side in despair.

“No…” His voice comes out raspy while he shudders. “Never.” Kakashi looks around quickly as if the name of The Mighty Gai beckons the man forth like the call of the devil.

The Uchiha compound is decorated with lanterns to light their path once they enter. Their red color brightening the path as the sun finally set. Sakura controls herself not to rub her tired eyes, they had reached Konoha only today, and yet this felt like the longest day of her life. Finding out about Konoha’s history and then meeting this Ino and Shikamaru… and now she’s going to be having dinner with the Uchiha family, and with Kakashi, Minato, Kushina… and oh look there is Sai and Tenzo too…and Naruto.

Her stomach starts to hurt with anxiety. She’s starting to feel the foreboding that something bad is going to happen. After all she doesn’t know what to expect, and Team Seven at a family function never happened in her time. Make it known that yes.. she doesn’t know this team to a science but she knows them well enough that at the very end of the day she is working with imbeciles. Will Kakashi pull out his Icha Icha book in front of the Uchiha head? Will Naruto yell at her? What will Kushina be like? Will Sai call her by a stupid nickname in front of Sasuke’s mother?

Ehhhhh….

“You don’t look too good.” Minato says putting his hand to her cheek. “You don’t seem to be running a fever.”

Sakura blushes slightly and smiles, “Oh, I’m fine.” Such tenderness and even though Naruto never experienced it, he inherited that same love all the same. “Thank you.”

Naruto, Sasuke and Sai come over to them and Minato goes to join the others inside.

“Hey,” She greets them, they’re all glaring at her not even bothering to hide their aggravation.

“You set us up.” Sasuke says crossing his arms. “You knew one of us had to watch you.”

She smirks and shrugs. “Oh yes. Too bad you guys didn’t realize it sooner, but that doesn’t explain your anger. Did Tenzo put you guys in a time out?” She chuckles behind her hand at the thought.

Sasuke clenches his jaw then turns to Naruto grabbing his collar. “I knew she would have rather been with you, but you love to be a predictable moron, don’t you?”

“Why me!? Look, she’s perfectly fine, I knew she wasn’t going to go AWOL.” Naruto rolls his eyes while scoffing then slaps away Sasuke’s hand ignoring their unimpressed expressions. Sai frowns at Sakura, wondering where she had taken off to if it wasn’t with Naruto.

Sasuke continues to glare at Naruto’s turned face. “You really are a moron, ya know!?” Sasuke mocks the blonde with an exuberant tone.

“Guys, guys, enough!” Sakura says holding in a laugh, Sasuke is so childish, she waves her hands as if to simmer their attitudes.

“Shut it, Pinky.” “No ones talking to you!” “Tch, shut up!”

They’re clearly tired, and had a long day, she thinks as she starts to pull up her sleeves and cracking her knuckles. She plasters on a wide smile, her bangs covering her eyes, she will have to give them all a nap. “Excuse. Me?”

When she looks up she can see their hesitation. Kakashi comes barreling in. “Now now children, let’s wait till training tomorrow to vent our frustrations, hmmm? Besides, Sasuke’s mom just made a big feast for us all. Best be respectful.”

Sakura leans in close to him, “Respectful eh?” She turns from him quickly holding the bright orange novel. “Then I’ll just hold onto this for the duration we’re here.”

Kakashi snatches it back before she can stow it away. “No more of that either!”

Team Seven goes inside the Uchiha house and settles in the living room. Kushina and Mikoto are bustling about getting the table set while Itachi is helping with plating the food on the dishes.

Everyone gathers around the dinner table, a middle section of it added to seat the extra company. With the Uchiha family, Team Seven, and Minato and Kushina they are a total of eleven. Fugaku is seated at the head of the table with Kakashi and Minato at his side, Mikoto, Kushina and Sakura are at the other end with Tenzo and Itachi and Sai on the one side and Naruto and Sasuke on the other. The table is covered with several plates of fish and two big bowls of rice and multiple plates of side dishes for everyone to help themselves.

“Thank you everyone for gathering here today,” Fugaku says. “Let’s eat.”

Once the head Uchiha has his plate set does everyone begin to help themselves. Sakura helps herself to a portion of fish and some pickled vegetables, feeling a stare she looks up catching Kakashi smiling at her. She closes her eyes then smiles before tucking in. A few times someone would ask for a plate to be passed, but for the most part everyone was silent while eating their delicious meal.

“I am glad we are all together as there is something important that must be discussed.” Fugaku says as he leans back in his seat.

Their plates have been cleared and Mikoto went to the kitchen to prepare some tea, Sakura gets up to go help but Fugaku calls to her.

“Please be seated Miss Haruno, as this concerns you I prefer you stay as I begin.”

Sakura looks over at Kakashi who doesn’t look the least bit put off, and neither does Minato for that matter. But they must be surprised.

“It appears that both my sons have officially been granted permission to have a Ninneko Summon and since I also have a Ninneko Summon I have been privy to rumors that have been floating around. Until recently I found out some startling information.”

Naruto looks ready to say something but stops when he hears Kushina loudly clear her throat.

Sakura looks from Itachi’s passive face and to the Uchiha head and finds him staring intently at her. Welp. That answers that.

Mikoto comes back in with a tea kettle then leaves again for the tea cups. Fugaku has yet to say another word and no one is saying anything, not even Minato who is looking patient. Sasuke is staring down at the placemat in front of him looking deep in thought. From across Naruto sits Sai who has his foot pressing firmly down on the blondes. Tenzo rubs his chin and has his gaze out across their living room before him. Kakashi has his hands folded before him. And Kushina has the tea kettle by the handle inspecting it to see what kind of tea it is.

Finally Mikoto comes back in, “Oh dear, you didn’t have to wait for me to drop the ball, can’t you see they’re antsy.” She smiles softly placing Fugakus tea cup before him.

“They’re fine.” Fugaku says and thanking Kushina who has gone over to him to pour his tea.

Once everyone has their tea does he begin again.

“So, Sakura you’re from another dimension?”

She begins to choke on the tea as it goes down the wrong pipe, of course she didn’t expect him to be blunt in front of everyone like this.

“Uh,” Sakura winces as Sasuke next to her slaps her back harshly. Oh he must love that, hitting her, she will get back at him tomorrow. She looks at Fugaku, “Yes, sir.”

“And I take it everyone here has already known this.” The statement is addressed to them all, and coming from the head of the police department (soon retiree) you could also call it an accusation of treason.

Sure enough no one dare answers.

“Thanks for the dinner Mr. And Mrs. Uchiha! I think I’ll be going now!” Naruto gets up abruptly.

Kushina slaps her hand on the table. “Sit down!” Naruto immediately obeys.

Fugaku smiles, his eyes closed then opens them and turns to Kakashi and Minato. “Well, you don’t have anything to say?”

Kakashi rubs the back of his head, “Well, we were planning on telling you Fugaku. But you see…”

Kakashi kicks Minato under the table, as it should be the ex-Hokage to be doing this dirty work. Minato looks apologetic and nods his head down towards the man. “Yes, Fugaku we were going to tell you right after we told the Hokage.”

“You mean, you haven’t told the Hokage yet?” The Uchiha heads voice goes down an octave.

Seeing as how the Uchiha had dealt with enough problems in the past, the last thing he wants so close to retirement, is something like this. Not only did he find out there was a dimension traveler in their midst, said traveler was on his son’s team, and his son is supposedly a reincarnation, as well as Naruto. Itachi and the summons confirmed it to him. He and Mikoto finished a bottle of sake for the first time since they were newly weds that night!

“I said the same thing.” Sasuke mumbles.

“Let’s bring this conversation into my study, shall we?” Fugaku says to the seasoned shinobi.

Kakashi, Tenzo, Minato and Itachi follow Fugaku down the hall leaving the two mother hens staring down at Team Seven.

“Let me start helping with the dishes.” Sakura immediately stands up and goes to the kitchen.

Finally alone she take a deep breath. She didn’t think that would be a topic dropped on them tonight. How will this change everything? She just wanted Itachi’s help to get the other Sakura back and be done with it. Maybe she should interrupt their little group huddle and tell them she doesn’t plan on being here permanently.

Mikoto and Kushina come into the kitchen and join her in cleaning up. The two tall women are so beautiful and lively. Mikoto is dressed in a dark blue kimono, her hair pulled back in a bun and Kushina dressed in a long light blue dress with her vibrant red hair down. She flushes and looks away trying to stop her eyes from feeling dry and watery. How embarrassing, she thinks realizing she must look grimy. Mikoto takes the dish towel from her hand and puts it on the counter and pulls her into a hug.

For a second she’s frozen, her arms out, unsure of how to react. It’s only a second though when instinct kicks in and she wraps her arms around Sasuke’s mother.

She thinks back to the last time she hugged her own mother, but cannot recall that time. Kushina coos at them and joins the hug causing Sakura to laugh at the red heads antics. Naruto is so much like her.

They pull away and Sakura wipes her eyes, “Thank you. The both of you. I know this is probably weird to hear but it’s so wonderful to meet you both. Sasuke and Naruto, they’re everything to me and I know if they could see you now…” She swallows hard and puts her head into her hands unable to finish.

Kushina rubs her shoulder while Mikoto pulls out a handkerchief then gently pulls Sakura’s hand away handing her the cloth.

“You’re a strong kunoichi to be here. Fugaku has discussed with me some of the things you went through and how you ended up here. Thank you for looking out for my child, no matter what dimension my Sasuke is in, he is still my boy. So thank you.” Mikoto bows.

“Please, please you mustn’t thank me.” Sakura bows in return.

“Minato hasn’t told me anything, however Naruto has. Is it true our Sakura is… gone?” Kushina asks sadly. Sakura and Mikoto did not miss the hint of frustration radiating from her as she mentioned Minato. That guy better watch out.

Sakura takes a breath, “I promised Naruto, I will do anything in my power to get her back.”

“So she’s still in there?” Mikoto asks while folding the hand towel.

“I believe so.” Sakura frowns looking down then going over to the dishes and begins to clean them. “Thanks again for the wonderful dinner. I can’t remember having a dinner like that with so many people, it was nice.”

The three of them finish cleaning and drying the dishes in no time, and after putting them all away they go back into the dining room and sit down for another cup of tea.

“They’re still in the study.” Mikoto sighs before taking a sip of tea.

Kushina nods and then winks, “Oh, I know what you’re thinking.”

“Excuse us, Sakura.” Mikoto polite smile turns devious and the two mothers walk out of the living room looking to be on a mission.

Sakura pauses and takes in the moment of being alone. She is sitting in the Uchiha compound in Sasuke’s dining room. The table is made of walnut wood, the placemats a vivid red with a black Uchiha symbol on them. Around her there are simple decorations hanging on the wall. One that stands out proud and center on the wall is a gold plated Uchiha fan with intricate looking flower petals stamped in the gold that looks to be from generations ago. A bowl filled with black stones sits centerpiece on a wooden chest thats against the wall behind the seat Fugaku sat in. She takes in a breath, the smell of wood and their dinner from earlier still fills the room. The warmth of the colors and smells of the room, with a subtle hint of jasmine that must be from Mikoto or perhaps Kushina still lingers, her body sags back into the chair relaxing. This is what home looks and feels like for this Uchiha family.
——————————

Mikoto and Kushina enter the office without knocking to find the four of them huddled around the desk, there are several papers they’re looking at. Kakashi turns and tries hiding his sake cup, while Fugaku tries to sneak away the bottle underneath the desk. Itachi doesn’t have a sake cup but Mikoto can tell by her sons red cheeks he had some. Tenzo blinks owlishly at them walking in being caught red handed.

Minato is the only one truly fearful having taken a step back. “Uh, heh, Kushina! Time to go?”

“I don’t like it when you keep secrets, ya know!?” Her red hair flares as she lifts her fist up to him. Kushina’s eyes burn straight into his. “I want answers! And a cup of sake!”

“Fugaku dear, two more cups please.” The Uchiha Matriarch all but demands and goes over to the desk and looks down at the papers. “These are…”

“Evacuation plans.” Fugaku says while pouring two more cups.

“Really?” Mikoto asks.

Tenzo looks ready to say something but Kushina bumps into him, “No way! No changing the subject here, Mikoto they knew we were coming in here, these papers were a decoy to redirect this conversation. Minato! Fugaku! What else do you know!”

“I think I will head off to bed now.” Itachi says softly making his way to the door. Kushina not looking impressed continues to stare down the other men.

Once the door is closed Kushina and Mikoto take their sake.

Fugaku turns and stares at Minato. “When did you become spineless.”

Minato chuckles then shrugs, “Why, on my wedding day of course.”

Kakashi slips his mask off and on in a flash, quickly finishing the rest of his sake, then takes Tenzo by his collar and drags him off. “I believe this is a conversation best for you parents. Besides we will go make sure the kids aren’t destroying anything!”

When the door closes again the four all collectively sigh and take different places in the office. Fugaku at his desk, Mikoto sitting on the desk itself and Kushina sitting in the chair in front of the desk with Minato standing across from Kushina leaning against the wall.

“Our sons are reincarnations, and that is according to the Ninneko summons and Itachi who met with the sage that brought Sakura here.” Fugaku says to the both of them.

Minato nods his head while Kushina straightens in her seat in shock but it soon turns to anger when she notices Minato’s unsurprised reaction. “You knew? And you didn’t tell me!?”

Mikoto turns to their ex-Hokage not impressed, “Really Minato?”

Minato frowns and crosses his arms looking down. “This is bigger than we know, and I wasn’t sure just how accurate the information Itachi saw was until the Ninneko confirmed it. I am sorry Kushina, but I didn’t want to add to your stress unnecessarily is all.” The blond sighs and goes to stand behind her putting his hands on her shoulder and addressing the Uchiha’s. “And that goes the same for you as well. I apologize.” Minato bows his head.

Fugaku looks down at the papers on his desk. “You did the right thing, the less anyone knows. And now, it’s clear that too many of us know. We must bring this to the Hokage before word gets out.”

“So what does this mean for Sasuke and Naruto?” Mikoto asks them, “Did the Ninneko summon say?”

Fugako shakes his head, “The summons hesitated telling me more than that they’re reincarnated brothers, and I did inquire, trust me. They seemed worried about this Sage and when I asked Itachi about it well….This other place experienced horrible things. None of us lived through it, not even the both of you.”

Mikoto puts her hand on his. They heard about the massacre from their son and the details he saw in the travelers mind. Itachi didn’t spare the details and it left them all feeling empty and even more than that it made them feel sick. Fugaku couldn’t sleep that night, thinking over their own Coup and infiltration against ROOT and Danzo, were they that close to being wiped out? Was there still any chance of something like that happening? His mind was spinning. Itachi was also open to his parents about what he felt after seeing this other horrifying dimension. It was late that night when Mikoto came to him and they decided the best way to get a good night sleep would be to have some sake… only after the first cup, it quickly became two then three. Neither of them talked for a while but once the alcohol kicked in Mikoto couldn’t help but weep, and Fugaku did as well, going over how an awful atrocity could happen by the hand of his own son.

The dampened mood in the office hangs for a moment while they all stay silent, reflecting.

Minato moves to stand before them, shoulders squared and determined, the familiar presence of their ex-Hokage shining through. “We will make sure that won’t happen. The things that this traveler has come from will not be brought down on our own. For one, too much is different and another is we are prepared. We mustn’t stress over this at a time such as now, especially with this new problem we have with the climate change.”

“Minato, how do we know she hasn’t brought this change?” Kushina asks. “Should I try and see if the fox knows anything?”

“I believe it would be better to leave the demon fox out of it for now,” Minato rubs his jaw, “Next step is to inform the Hokage anyway, then we can take it from there.”

“If the Interrogation Unit works on the girl they will find out about this and they will know we were involved. Best to get Shikaku and Inoichi in on this before hand, maybe a few others as well… I know a few people.” Fugaku says.

“I agree.” Minato replies seriously but then smiles softly. “Well, thank you both for this lovely evening, but I think it would be best if we were off.”

——————————

Tenzo and Kakashi find Sakura asleep at the dining room table.

“I wonder where the boys are…” Tenzo looks around, “Maybe Sai already went home.”

“Perhaps.” Kakashi pats Sakura’s shoulder. “Wakey wakey.”

Sakura sits up and rubs her eyes, “Oh, I didn’t realize I was that tired. Are we going now?”

Kakashi nods, “You know where the guys went?”

Sakura looks around, she was the only one in the living room at the dining table. “No, I’ve been here the whole time.”

Tenzo sighs, “Hopefully they decided to go to bed too. Well I’m heading out, good night Kakashi, Sakura.”

“Good night.” Sakura says.

As Kakashi and Sakura walk to Kakashi’s apartment Sakura keeps to herself, the streets are quiet and the mild temperature with a soft breeze calms her aching spirit. Eating with the Uchiha’s and the Uzumaki’s alongside Sai and Tenzo was beautiful, and felt like a dream until they got to the reason for their meeting. Seeing Itachi without his Akatsuki cloak and living a normal life is also something of a dream. Sometimes it really does feel like she is trapped in a jutsu, that when she wakes up this will all be gone and she will be back on the war field again.

“You handled that well.” Kakashi says when they enter his place. “I hope you get a good night sleep. We have training tomorrow.”

Sakura watches as he goes down the hall and enters his room and closes his door with nothing further. She sighs and goes to the couch and lays down and stares at his sparkling popcorn ceiling, the moon shining through his window causing the glimmering above her. If this is just a jutsu she hopes she can enjoy the peace a little while longer. But no, she closes her eyes and turn into the couch, this is real… Sakura lets the tears fall as she drifts to sleep.