Chapter 1
She has always been behind them. She always seems to be lagging behind in her team. Her teammates were absolute powerhouses, yet she was the same as always. She was weak and useless. She stood back and watched. She watched an she cried. That was all she seemed to be for until she decided she needed to help. She wanted to change. But wasn't it too late? No. There's always time. There's always a different way. She would try to change and grow at least.
She found guidance in Lady Tsunade. She learned to heal with medical ninjutsu. She worked hard. She studied. She focused. She grew stronger. She was still unsatisfied because her teammates were still so far ahead of her. Naruto was leaving to be trained by Jiraiya.
And Sasuke was taken awa- no, she needs to accept the facts. Sasuke ran away. He doesn't care about anybody. He doesn't care about her. Sasuke only cares about that 'ambition'. She realizes now that he never cared. He never really wanted to 'restore' his clan. He said it himself that day that he wanted to 'avenge' his clan. But is killing one of the last remaining members of his clan really the way to go? This may be her civilian mindset thinking now, but is it really right for Sasuke to kill his brother?
* * *
Sakura has learned a special technique from Tsunade. One that is dangerous. Medic-nin aren't to go on the frontlines unless they have this ability. The Byakugō no Jutsu. However, it requires a lot of chakra. She can't count how many times she has fainted because of it since. It takes so long, but it's worth it. If it'll make her stronger, it's worth it.
* * *
Naruto came back. She thinks at first that he appears more mature. Then, he pulls a stunt, saying he learned a worse jutsu that dreaded 'Oiroke no Jutsu'.
They fight Kakashi and win. And she gets to show off how much she has grown since Naruto left. They heard news of Gaara being taken by the Akatsuki and went after him. She defeated a member named Sasori with the help of Lady Chiyo.
* * *
After many events, Sasuke trying to and succeeding in killing Danzo for example, the Fourth Shinobi World War errupts. They fight some creatures known as 'Zetsu' and revived dead people. It was difficult, but she managed to survive. It was revealed that the Masked Man was apparently an old friend of Kakashi-sensei? And soon after or maybe it was before that happened, Madara appeared. At some point, Sasuke appears and claims he wants to become Hokage. And she's almost sure she's hallucinating.
Naruto nearly dies and she tries for so long to heal him: mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and even trying to manually get his heart to beat. Nothing seemed to be working. He temporarily died, too. Obito came and did something to him.
* * *
She died. She missed her shot, and she died. She never knew death could be so painful. The war will go on and everyone will die. And it'll be all her fault. She's turning to ash right now before her friends' eyes. Sasuke and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei; they must feel something. What will happen to her? What happens after death? She wouldn't really know. Sure, she has had some close calls, but she hasn't died before. And she's so scared of what awaits her on the other side. Will she live in eternal torment or be reborn or live in limbo unable to move on? Will she wander as a ghost?
What. Will. Happen?
* * * | * * *
The first thing she feels is confused. She looks at herself in a mirror. She looks different somehow, but she can't place why. Is she younger? Yes. She probably just doesn't recognize herself.
She walks downstairs and out of the house. She should pass Ino-
"What the hell? Is that the Hyūga Compound?" she asks under her breath as she keeps walking. She sees Hinata walk out and already wants to run when she sees Hinata smirk at her and walk at the same pace.
There's silence for a few moments. Something is different. Something is very different.
"Speechless? It's expected from somebody as inferior as you," Hinata finally taunts.
Sakura can sense the déjà vu already. She plays the part and counters, "No, I just can't believe they let someone like you actually graduate. It's unbelievable!"
It seems she said something right because she throws back another taunt of similar caliber until they're just insulting each other. Sakura holds back though, feeling weird insulting Hinata who at this time should be shy and very insecure. What happened to her?
They eventually make it to the Academy and to their classroom. It's the same one.
"I win!" Sakura and Hinata exclaim simultaneously. Sakura realizes they are actually tied but explains why she made it here first for old time's sake. Looking around, she can already name three things wrong with this image.
1.) She can't even find Naruto.
2.) Why the hell is Sai here?
3.) Sasuke is actually smiling.
Sasuke never smiled in his time at the Academy. At least not Post-Massacre. And Hinata is walking over there. She follows to hear the conversation.
Sasuke stands up and smiles, "Hey, Hinata. Do you want t-"
"Move it!" Hinata yells, pushing Sasuke away and smiling dreamily as Sai. "Hi, Sai. Is this seat open?"
He just looks over and seems like he wants to say something but isn't sure what. At least, something is the same. It may be weird, but she'll take it. Any semblance of something normal is appreciated at this point.
She looks over to Sasuke and watches as he walks across the desk and crouches down to stare at Sai intensely. She hopes what she thinks will happen doesn't happen again. It scarred her the first time; it doesn't need to happen again and with Sai of all people.
"Sasuke," Sakura asks slowly and calmly, "I think you should back away, alright?"
He looks at her and seems contemplative before shaking his head and glaring intensely at Sai who glares back. Now that she thinks about it, did Sai and Sasuke ever meet? She doesn't think so. This will be extra weird. Being on a team with Sasuke and Sai? She doesn't think she wants to do that.
Eventually, after a scene that results in Sasuke getting beat up that Sakura can't bear to describe, the teacher walks in. Mizuki-sensei? What ever happened to him anyways? He just seemed to not be anywhere after the Genin Exam in her remembrance of the world. Maybe this isn't even the same world?
"Squad 7: Uchiha Sasuke…," Sasuke perks up upon hearing his name. Sakura listens carefully for the next name.
"…Hyūga Hinata…"
"What? I'm doomed…"
Sakura thinks about this. Wasn't Hinata on Squad 8 though because she has the Byakugan which is valuable for the tracking team? And if things are turning out how she thinks they are, what would she have to offer to a tracking team?
"…and Sai."
Sasuke gets depressed, and Hinata cheers this time.
"Squad 8: Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba."
She was right. And Squad 10 is the same, too. But Choji seems disappointed, Shikamaru seems way more excited than usual, and Ino is unusually quiet. It's like everyone's personalities and positions were swapped around.
"That's it," Sakura whispers to herself. She's in some weird life where Shikamaru is motivated, Sasuke smiles, and Naruto might not exist. She'll have to be better this time around. Or wait. Hinata took her 'spot'. She needs to repair her relationship with Hinata that she never broke or maybe even really had and assist her in becoming stronger.
The Jonin instructors slowly but surely file in, calling for their intended squads and leaving to do whatever other teams do.
Then, a woman walks in who she never saw before right beside Kurenai. Kurenai had been Squad 8's Sensei before, but everything seems to be different. How will things go this time?
"Squad 8: Haruno Sakura, Aburame Shino, and Inuzuka Kiba," the unfamiliar woman calls out kindly, reading from the list. "You can come with me."
Kurenai goes ahead and reads off, "Squad 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji."
She follows after a way too excited Shino and way too unexcited Kiba.
God, she hopes everyone isn't like this, or she'll have to relearn everything.