The Explanation
Sakura clapped her hands together, fighting the urge to laugh manically as Senju Kaida finished her explanation. One about the many different realities, and how they had, in that particular one, managed to figure out a way to reach across them. “So,” she said, staring at Kaida – part of the Senju Clan of that particular dimension. Oh yes, and the Senju Clan there were apparently a clan of elves. “You’re telling me I’ve been transported into this dimension… and there’s no way you can get me back to where I’m supposed to be?” she asked, the ache behind her temples informing her of the oncoming headache. Kaida had told her that was likely an aftereffect of their terribly incorrect summoning.
“Given the amount of different realities there are – and there are numerous ones which are far too similar with only a few differences between them… it’ll be impossible to get you back to yours,” Kaida said, looking grim. “I’m terribly sorry for this horrible mix-up,” she continued, standing only to bow deeply at her disgruntled self.
Running a hand through her hair, Sakura sighed, sinking back into the alarmingly comfortable white sofa in the parlour room she seemed to have been brought to. “Stop bowing already,” she muttered, already far too uncomfortable with her situation. “It’s not going to get me home.”
“Given your lack of Mana Circuits, it would probably be best if you were to reside in the East Wing,” Kaida said, chewing on her lip. “You might be able to join the Quest… though you’ll probably only be called towards the minor clans,” she mumbled, and Sakura felt her eye twitch in frustration at the lack of explanation around that. What exactly was ‘the Quest’?
“I want to learn the method you used to summon me,” Sakura demanded, focusing on what she had been told rather than everything else in that strange new world, not sold yet on the idea that she wouldn’t be able to figure a way back. It was time to put her big brain to use. She had ranked first in the paper tests at the academy for a reason.
Kaida shook her head. “Even if you were able to perform it – the ritual is one of this country’s deepest secrets – to learn it you would need to become part of the Mage Order, and that requires years of training, as well as the ability to use Mana. Your Mana Circuits are non-existent – so you can’t.”
Her hands curled into fists, mind working a mile a minute as she tried to lay out what she had learnt in her mind. The people there seemed to use some sort of internal energy to create things – though it definitely wasn’t chakra, otherwise she would have had the so-called Mana Circuits. Uses were more varied, and one didn’t need to use hand seals at any point in the process. She had learnt that just by watching as she was escorted to and from the parlour – and then to the accommodation provided for her.
Kaida had left her alone then, though not before bringing a few books for her to peruse – all of which were either about summoning or her new world, likely figuring out she needed time and space to digest the insanity of all which had just happened. Sakura felt her lip curl as she sat on the fluffy red rug of the fancy room she had been left in. It was hers, thanks to the messed up summons. Sakura would have happily traded the room fit for a princess in for actually being back home.
Back where Sasuke had stabbed her through the heart, both mentally and in the genjutsu he’d cast upon her. Tears bit in the corners of her eyes, and Sakura clutched at her chest, hating the feel of the tears leaking down her face. The same feeling as back when she had been pleading with him not to go. When Sasuke had called her annoying.
Sighing, Sakura reached for the first book on the pile, grateful both of their realities seemed to share the same language as she began reading. There had to be a clue. Some sort of hope that she could return to… Sakura blinked at the odd weight which settled in her chest at the thought.
Her feelings for Sasuke… she didn’t know much about them. They were a confusing jumble – a tangled mess which she had yet to sort through. There was lingering affection, she was sure. Though she could still feel the pain of his hand buried in her chest. She flinched, biting her lip hard enough to make it bleed.
It was better not to think on that. She just needed to concentrate on where she stood in this strange world – and how exactly she could get back. Not for the first time that day, she sorely wished she had delved into fuinjutsu. That was the only kind of jutsu available to her for dimensional transportation, given she didn’t have Obito’s Kamui ability, nor Kaguya’s Rinne-Sharingan. Or Sasuke’s Rinnegan ability, her mind added, and she rubbed at her chest.
Her new world was confusing.
Sakura massaged her temples, flopping back on the clean white sheets and the red blankets and pillows atop them. There were so many different clans, and so many different races. Obviously, the Senju were elves, and Sakura had started reading thinking there might be other races from fairy-tales. There were. Sakura swallowed at the thought of dragons. There was a race of dragons there – split into Eastern and Western Clans which had differing appearances. The eastern kind were the ones she was familiar from in the Elemental Nations, but the western ones were that much scarier – shorter in body, with darker scales on the whole and menacing spikes and spines.
She shuddered, remembering the pictures in the book about those clans.
Worse still, the main clan of western dragons was known as the Uchiha Clan. Sakura closed her eyes, memories of Sasuke still rattling about in her brain as she rolled over and groaned into her pillows. The Uchiha Clan were dragons. Technically dragon shifters – but the principle was about the same. It suited the memories she had of the Uchiha Clan in her dimension. They had been fire-natured more often than not.
But she didn’t particularly want to meet the alternate version of the Uchiha Clan. That would just bring back bad memories. Her shoulders sunk, and Sakura glared down at the books surrounding her. Not one of them had even a hint of an answer as to the method to going back home. Sakura wasn’t even sure one existed for them – because most people were summoned there because they wanted to be. Because they wanted an escape or a fresh start.
Sakura didn’t need one.
She palmed at the ache in her chest.
Of course she didn’t. She liked her life back with Sasuke and the rest of Team Seven.