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Chapter Text

"It's too late to regret. Reality is just cruelly moving forward."– Tobi

Sakura had always known she would die young.

She just wasn't the type of person who could survive through something as scarring as war and come out stronger than before or unscathed.

Death was inevitable and Sakura was a broken little girl trying to play ninja.

Sometimes, when she felt especially somber, Sakura thought of what would happen after she died.

Perhaps she would go to heaven and watch the future unravel. She would watch heroes who survived the Fourth Shinobi World War live full, happy lives and have delightful little children.

Sakura believed that Uzumaki Naruto was such a hero, destined for happiness and greatness since the day of his birth.

She imagined his future. He'd be Hokage of course, with a beautiful and caring wife. Sakura liked to think his wife would be Hinata since the midnight-haired kunoichi had such an obvious crush on him when they were genin. The couple would have two children; a boy and a girl, who would be strong ninja just like their parents. The village would respect and appreciate Naruto and he would be hailed in all the Five Great Shinobi Villages as the man who stopped the war, the hero of the ninja world.

Every month, Naruto would visit her grave and leave cosmos flowers, because deep down, Sakura was selfish in that way. He would spread word of her bravery of how she died from a kunai meant for a comrade. Or possibly, she had saved the life of someone important at the cost of her own, using Kishō Tensei. Either way, she would be a legend, someone that young medic-nin strived to be like and newly made genin were inspired by. She would be the legendary Haruno Sakura and she would be content with being a dead idol.

In case Sakura did survive the Fourth Shinobi World War by some miracle, she knew what lay ahead for her. She guessed Sasuke would marry her to revive his clan since she was the only female he knew or could stand without grimacing. Uchiha Sasuke would never love her the way he loved Naruto or Itachi, and Sakura would be left as a housewife who worked occasional shifts in the hospital because she was too precious of a medic-nin to take any real missions.

So when the distinct darkness of death was about to encompass Sakura, she embraced it. Haruno Sakura embraced it with the happiness of an Academy student who finally earned a hitai-ate.

In her last thoughts, Sakura remembered when she first got her own hitai-ate. Passing the Academy graduation test, stealing bells from Kakashi-sensei, catching Tora the cat. Those distant memories of peace and happiness seemed so far away. It was okay though, she would watch her boys from heaven. Her boys. Together. Smiling.

Never in a million years had Sakura imagined waking up again. She had imagined being reborn in a new life, a life without bloodshed, a life without war, a life of peace. Or maybe she would simply float in eternal darkness forever, but never, never had she imagined waking up again as Haruno Sakura in the past.

Chapter Text

"If love is just a word, then why does it hurt so much if you realize it isn't there?"– Sabaku no Gaara

Haruno Sakura woke up with a gasp, expecting to be covered in filthy grime, pungent sweat, and the blood of her comrades and enemies, alike. She wiggled her limbs, anticipating the soreness of her muscles and the stiffness of her bones.

Nothing. She felt nothing. Sakura remembered feeling nothing when she came back from an especially weary mission with blood on her hands. The blood of a hopeful child, the blood of a loving mother, the blood of an innocent soul. It was the same type of nothing she had felt when her best friend had died and all Sakura's tears had dried up. Once upon a time, the feeling had been novel, but after Danzo became Hokage and the war started, the sensation was more of a general occurrence.

As Sakura moved to get up, she noticed she was snuggled in soft, pink sheets, with a comfy pillow lying under her throbbing head. Sakura couldn't remember the last time she felt something so soft and warm.

Where am I?

The pinkette unsteadily stood up on her wobbly legs and looked at the bright room around her. It was a small room that contained a futon, a table, and several kid toys. A calendar lay next to a door, which led to what Sakura assumed was the bathroom.

Abruptly, she felt a sudden urge to throw up.

Quickly running past the stuffed animals lounging on the ground, Sakura wrenched open the door to the bathroom and hurled into the toilet. Once she was done dry heaving, the kunoichi steadied her breaths and pressed her hands to her pounding head. The pain grew and grew until the pinkette sank to her knees and choked at the sharp hammering in her temples. She curled into a ball on the tile floor, silently withering at the agony in her head, hoping, wishing, that it would stop.

Suddenly, an onslaught of memories invaded Sakura's head as the spasms subsided.

Obito.

Kaguya.

Sasuke-kun.

Naruto.

Kakashi-sensei.

Where were they? What happened?

Sakura was standing behind a kneeling Obito with her hands resting on his broad shoulders. The kunoichi's Byakugō no In was unlocked as she transferred prodigious amounts of chakra into Obito's pathways. Kaguya had trapped Sasuke in another dimension, and Obito was using his Mangekyou Sharingan to open the portal in hopes of getting Sasuke back to the mountainous core realm with Naruto.

Beads of sweat gathered on Sakura's face as Obito opened yet another portal. The air got distorted and gradually a circular entrance to the desert dimension opened. Instantly, hot air blasted into the kunoichi's face, and vast gray dunes of sand stared back at her. In the distance, Sakura saw a small black figure.

"Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke's body whipped around to face the open portal and he swiftly started running towards them. "Over here! Hurry!"

Sakura felt her chakra speedily deplete as she struggled not to faint. Obito's eyes were bleeding and the portal was steadily closing. They just needed to hang in there a little while longer. Sasuke was so close. Sakura clenched her teeth and pushed even more chakra to Obito, sucking her reserves dry. "Sasuke! No. Sasuke-kun! Hurry. Run faster. Faster!"

The circular opening rapidly started receding in size, until all that was left was a mere dot in the air.

The image of Sasuke's fingers reaching towards the portal, reaching towards her, would always be engraved in Sakura's mind, because in the end, Sasuke didn't make it through the portal.

She had failed.

"NO! DAMMIT SASUKE! Why didn't you make it? WHY? Why do I have such little chakra? WHY? Tell me! GODDAMMIT! TELL ME!" Sakura's shrill wails rang through the dimension with startling ferocity and she heard Obito's body slump forward as he fainted.

Tears were pooling in Sakura's eyes and she had trouble keeping them open. She felt as if all her energy had been sucked completely dry, and she was empty.

Again.

Sakura knew she had to keep her eyes open. If she closed them, they would never open again, but Sakura was tired, so, so tired, tired of the war, tired of the metallic scent of blood, tired of the nauseating hate that seeped into her pores.

So seventeen-year-old Haruno Sakura closed her eyes with a sense of peace and fell backward with her chakra completely drained.

The pinkette half-expected Sasuke to be standing behind her, catching her with a tired, but arrogant smirk resting on his handsome face.

However, Sasuke was still trapped in the desert dimension and Sakura fell to the ground with a soft 'thump', giving in to the darkness around her with a gentle smile.

Chakra exhaustion certainly wasn't too heroic of a way to die, but Sakura was fine with it because she would finally be free, free from her wretched life.

How ironic it was, 'I'm dying the same way Tsunade-shishou died. Chakra exhaustion. Heh, I guess I'll see you in the afterlife Shishou.'

Sakura never reached the afterlife.

Chapter Text

"Grow up... Death comes with being a shinobi. There are times when death is hard to accept, but if you don't get over it, there's no future..."– Senju Tsunade

Sakura remembered.

She remembered how she was trying to get Sasuke back to the mountainous core dimension with Naruto, but failed.

Sakura was average. Her parents weren't great shinobi who could kill a thousand Iwa ninja and come out unscathed. Her parents didn't have any powerful ocular dojutsu that could control the feared Nine-Tails. They were civilians and they were average, just like their daughter.

Sakura's parents had never wanted their only child to be a killing machine. They would've rather had their daughter become the heir to the Haruno Clan's merchant business and live a safe life. They detested shinobi, and once Sakura became one, they despised her too.

Regardless of their thoughts, Sakura had become a shinobi, and she had been proud. Her ninjutsu was average and her taijutsu was atrocious, but that was okay because she had always gotten first marks in the general knowledge and theory tests that were given in the Academy. Sakura was a true paper-ninja through and through and she had been proud of it.

Back then Sakura was naive, she simply wanted freedom from her parents and to look cool, like Ino-pig and her precious Sasuke-kun. Back then she had been stupid, so so stupid. She had no idea what it meant to be a real shinobi. She had no idea what it felt like when a kunai sank into someones jugular like a knife slicing into a stick of butter. She had no idea how it felt to have killed so many that she had lost count of the souls that had departed the world from her hand. She had no idea what it felt like when all her friends had died and their accusing eyes had pierced into her own when she was unable to heal them.

After being assigned to Team 7 and completing their mission in Nami, Sakura quickly realized that she was weak. Heck, she probably couldn't even take on a full-grown civilian man. When Zabuza had attacked, all she had done was stand in front of Tazuna and quake in fear, waiting for her teammates to save her. She was a weakling on a team of legends, on a team of monsters.

However, becoming the apprentice of the Slug Sannin changed that. Sakura's time as Tsunade's apprentice was the best time of her life. Tsunade made Sakura strong, and she was the kind and caring mother Sakura had never had.

From whether it was gambling with her Shishou, smuggling her sake, or simply obliterating training grounds for the fun of it, Sakura loved every second spent with the Godaime.

It was during the time that Sakura trained extensively under the Godiame, Gai, and Kurenai, that she felt useful, needed, wanted. Sakura's taijutsu that once lacked force and speed, was now quite well developed. Her genjutsu abilities improved vastly and she was able to seamlessly create illusions that even seasoned jounin had trouble breaking out of. Sakura's training as a medic-nin was also proving fruitful and she showed multiple signs of being able to surpass her surrogate mother at only age 14. Tsunade was encouraging Sakura to take the next Jounin Exam in a few months.

All happiness comes to an end, and this was no exception. Sakura's happiness ended in the form of Shimura Danzo.

Sakura was slowly walking to her apartment after a tiring training session with Gai-sensei and Lee. Sakura swore those two could create genjutsu out of sheer emotions. Her head pounded as loud voices yelling about youthfulness reverberated in her mind.

Suddenly, a shinobi wearing an ANBU mask and a dark cloak glided out of the shadows and spoke to her in a monotonous voice, "Danzo-sama wishes to see you."

The way the shinobi slunk out so unnoticed almost caused Sakura to jump back in alarm and start gathering chakra in her hand. Almost, because dammit, Sakura was a shinobi and she refused to show emotions such as surprise.

"Me? Who's Danzo-sama?" Sakura thought back for a moment to her lessons about politics with Tsunade-shishou, "Ah! I remember now, Councilman Danzo is one of the elders, right? Why does he want to see me?"

The ANBU's bored voice rang out, "I was not informed of Danzo-sama's reason for meeting with you, but I have orders to escort you to our base."

Sakura shifted nervously, "Oh um, OK."

"Close your eyes."

The med-nin obliged, ignoring the fearful voice in her head that told her the ANBU was a threat. Still, she was on high alert as she was teleported into a damp room with only two small candles providing light.

"You may open your eyes now," a voice said dryly.

In front of her stood an old man with his arm in a sling and bandages covering his right eye. He had shaggy black hair and an x-shaped scar on his chin. Two ANBU members flanked his sides.

After assessing Sakura with his unwavering dark eye, the man spoke, "Haruno Sakura. Daughter of civilian merchants: Haruno Mebuki and Kizashi, age 14, chunin, student of the Godaime Hokage, and an expert in medical ninjutsu, chakra enhanced taijutsu, and genjutsu, former member of Team 7, has completed 34 official missions: 12 D-rank, 9 C-rank, 6 B-rank, 7 A-rank, and 0 S-rank, enjoys playing trivia games and memorizing new medical texts, and likes eating anko dumplings, umeboshi, and anmitsu." He paused, "Am I right?"

Sakura was slightly unnerved the old man knew so much about her, but she forced herself to answer calmly, "Yes Sir, that's correct."

The man's lip curled upwards in a haughty manner, "Hm, my name is Shimura Danzo and I wish for you to join my ranks. I am the leader of a specific section of ANBU called ROOT. ROOT protects Konoha and it's peace from the shadows."

After years of being called weak and a paper-ninja, Sakura couldn't quite imagine joining Konoha's group of elitists. "You want me to join ANBU?" she asked incredulously.

Danzo took a step forward and raised his arm in what he thought was a comforting manner, "Yes ANBU is fitting for a kunoichi such as yourself. You are quite talented and have the potential to get much stronger."

Sakura was still cautious of the man, but at the words 'much stronger' her eyes flashed greedily. This is what she needed. Power! Power to get stronger! Power to catch up with her so-called teammates that left her behind on their quests for strength.

Danzo watched as the young kunoichi leaned forward in interest. He had her now. He was a master manipulator and the pinkette was such an easy target. She would be quite a useful tool due to the fact she  was in the Godaime's inner circle and the Hokage gave the kunoichi access to several important documents. Nevertheless, medic-nin of her caliber were quite rare and Danzo would snatch her at first chance.  The pink-haired ninja was all alone, vulnerable and confused after her entire team left her. She wasn't very close to any of the Konoha 12 and had no connections to people of importance like clan heads.

Danzo chuckled in his mind, it was always fun to break weak prey such as the girl in front of him.

He continued speaking, just a little more and she would be under his fist, "You will be as strong as the Jinchuuriki and the Uchiha who left you behind to rot while they embarked on their journeys to gain power."

Sakura's eyes were glazed as she imagined a different Sakura, a strong Sakura, a Sakura whose back was watched by all of Konoha, "I accept your offer, Danzo-sama."

Sakura had worked for Danzo for two years before Sasuke killed him. Even though she was supposed to be a faithful ROOT ninja, Sakura's true loyalty had always lain at Tsunade's feet. Her Shishou had saved her, given her a sense of belonging and comfort when she was at her lowest. Sakura could never do enough to thank the Slug Sannin. It was for that reason that Sakura told Tsunade about Danzo's offer and acted as a double-spy for her.

The pink-haired kunoichi snuck around ROOT hideouts, reporting to the Godaime on any information Danzo gathered from his spies in Oto about Orochimaru and Sasuke.

It was during this time that Sakura learned the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre. She had declared to herself right then and there, Uchiha Itachi is the greatest man I know, and it was true, no one else had done something so selfless that even death would be a better alternative.

In ROOT, Danzo personally trained her due to her unchallenged chakra control which was in the 99th percentile. Although Sakura was always bruised and tired due to Danzo's ruthless teaching methods, she was valued as one of the strongest shinobi in the entire village. In some twisted sense, Sakura held a twinge of affection for the old man who taught her more than her father had.

In order to gain Danzo's trust, Sakura did abominable things under that Neko mask. Danzo's utter disregard for morals and ethics forced her to become of good shinobi. The old war hawk conditioned her so she didn't rely on her feelings as much. Not full conditioning of course, because then the Hokage would notice her apprentice turned into a brainwashed minion. It was due to the same reason that Sakura did not display a cursed seal on her tongue.

Danzo helped her become stronger, much stronger. She no longer felt as much remorse when she killed the defenseless, the elderly, or young children for the sake of a mission. Even her bukijutsu and kenjutsu skills became second to none in the organization.

But still, she was weak. Hopelessly, utterly weak when faced with a real challenge.

Sakura understood that she couldn't directly fight Kaguya like Naruto or Sasuke who were simply so powerful that they were only a mere step away from god-hood themselves.

So instead, she helped in other ways, she fought the vicious Zetsu clones and reanimated ninja, she healed the Allied Shinobi forces from fatal wounds, and she was supposed to get Sasuke and Naruto together so they could use the resonance of their dual opposite powers to seal Kaguya.

However, she ran out of chakra.

She fucking ran out of chakra!

She only needed the slightest bit more to get Sasuke through the portal, she only needed to hang in there for a few more seconds, but no, she ran out of chakra and promptly died.

Just like a weakling.

Like the puny fangirl, she was as a genin.

Without even realizing it, Sakura started to cry. Fat tears rolled down her pale skin, and she raised her hand to wipe her cheeks. Blinking rapidly Sakura stared at her hands, they were small, unblemished, and unscarred. The med-nin scrunched her brows in confusion, where were the calloused pads of her fingers that had grown hard through the rigorous trials of a shinobi?

With a bewildered expression on her face, Sakura slowly lifted her chin and looked up at the mirror in the bathroom.

She gaped at her reflection in disbelief.

Who the hell was this little girl with soft, short pink hair and large, innocent viridian eyes?

No. No. No. It can't be. No way. No way in hell.

With an incredulous jolt, Sakura realized that she was the girl staring at the mirror as if she had seen a ghost.

She was no longer 17. Instead, she rushed out of the bathroom and looked at the date on the cute little calendar that hung on the wall.

Haruno Sakura was three years old.

Chapter Text

"Fear. That is what we live with. And we live it everyday. Only in death are we free of it."– Hyuga Neji

Sakura stood in front of that mirror for hours. She reveled in her naivety, but at the same time, she felt repulsed by her reflection. How weak she was, not even weak, simply outright puny she was before Tsunade had taught her and she had joined ROOT.

Immediately, Sakura felt the heavy weight of guilt settle into her stomach. It was because of her weakness that everyone in the future was stuck in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and Naruto was left to battle Kaguya alone. He would inevitably lose.

Naruto and Sasuke, I'm so sorry. All I've ever been doing is watching you two from behind. I was never good enough to fight alongside you. I was always afraid, afraid of getting hurt,  afraid of pain,  afraid of death.

But now I've already gotten hurt, I've already felt unimaginable pain. I've... died.

Now I have a second chance, and this time I promise, I promise on our futures that this time you'll have to get a good look at my back!

People's lives don't end when they die, they end when they lose faith. And if anything, Sakura Haruno wouldn't lose faith yet.

Sakura opened her mouth and silently sobbed. Squeezing her eyes shut, she cried and cried and cried for the future she had failed.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry.

Sakura clawed her way through her grief, desperately trying to breathe through her sobs.

So many innocents were brutally murdered in the war. Forty thousand dead in only one night. She was a medic-nin, but in the end, did it really matter? Everyone got stuck in the Infinite Tsukuyomi and would be sucked of their chakra, life force, and personality. Eventually, all that would be left would simply be a shell of the previous person. Nothing but another White Zetsu clone.

Sakura wept and wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her stomach as if it were the only thing physically keeping her together. Suddenly, a sharp pain passed through her eyes and Sakura gasped. Hesitantly, she opened her orbs and stared at the mirror once again.

Blood red irises stared back at her.

The eyes of a killer stared back at her, the eyes of a murder, the eyes of those who fell to the Curse of Hatred stared back at her.

The Sharingan stared back at her.

It wasn't just any Sharingan, it was Obito and Kakashi-sensei's Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan, that resided in both her eyes.

The sclera of her eyes were already bloodshot and the spirals spun rapidly, making the pinkette dizzy and lightheaded.

Sakura tried to summon medical chakra to further examine her eye, but staggered backward due to the strain of the Mangekyou on her undeveloped and meager chakra reserves.

It's not possible. I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm supposed to be a fucking paper ninja. The weak link of Team 7. N–Not some blasted Uchiha with a Mangekyou. This is Obito's. Not mine. I'm not a thief. I never took it. Why do I have it? I don't want it. This must be a dream. Yes, that's it. Or… or a mistake of some sort. How could I be sent back in time and have the Sharingan? No, no, no, it's a genjutsu! It has to be!

Clammy hands fumbled to form the Tora hand sign, "Kai! Kai!"

Why won't it work? Why?

"Kai! Kai! KAI! KAI! KAI! It's not working! DAMMIT!"

Sakura stumbled backward and sat down on the toilet seat. She was sure her legs would struggle to hold the weight of her body and the burden of retaining the Sharingan.

The med-nin took a deep breath, then another, and another until her head stopped spinning. Haruno Sakura was a paper-ninja by heart and if anything, she prided herself in staying calm and being able to think things through in even the toughest of situations.

In through the nose.

Out through the mouth.

Breathe.

In through the nose.

Out through the mouth.

Breathe Sakura. Breathe.

In through…

A strange sort of peace came over Sakura as she stared at the pattern of the familiar Sharingan that she had often seen on Kakashi-sensei's face.

This was Obito's Sharingan and Obito had trusted her. Sakura was sure he had somehow, miraculously given her this gift, this chance, and Haruno Sakura was sure as hell going to use it.

Perhaps she would have to wait a little longer before she went to heaven.

This time I won't fail. I'll keep my loved ones safe. No matter what the cost.

With that, Sakura wearily closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep, too tired to even move out of the bathroom and walk to the futon.

The next time Sakura woke up it was due to a feminine, mellow voice saying her name, "Sakura-chan, wake up, you took such a long nap today!"

Sakura blearily blinked her eyes and raised her hand to rub the sleep out of them. Then, the young kunoichi quickly stood up, walked into the bedroom, and healed her puffy eyes and sore throat.

Who is this woman waking me up? Wait… if I'm three, then my parents should still be alive.

Sakura's parents had died when Orochimaru attacked Konoha during the Chunin Exams.

She hadn't missed them much.

Her parents were strict people who strongly disagreed with Sakura about her career choice as a shinobi. The pinkette was the heir to the Haruno Clan, an important civilian merchant group that originated from Tetsu no Kuni. Her father was the clan head and had married Mebuki in a political marriage. Mebuki was the niece of the Fire Daimyo and after their marriage, Kizashi had moved to Hi no Kuni to expand his business.

Haruno Mebuki wanted her daughter to be perfect, poised, and elegant. Not a child soldier.

Sakura still remembered her mother's favorite statement. "Oh Sakura, honey, you know I just want what's best for you," her mother's hand had a bruising grip on Sakura's thin bicep.

Mebuki was one of the main reasons Sakura had been so unkind to Naruto, the dubbed 'demon child', and why she started pursuing Sasuke in the first place. "If you're going to be a ninja, you can at least spend your time wisely by getting close to that Uchiha. He's the last of his kind, quite rich, and the heir to an important clan. If you marry him, your future will be secure and you'll be respected by everyone."

Sakura's mother also encouraged her to diet and wear inefficient bright red dresses to training. Although a housewife, Haruno Mebuki had a lot of wisdom to impart on her only daughter. "No one likes fat, ugly girls."

Haruno Kizashi, on the other hand, couldn't care less about Sakura. To him, she was just an obligation as clan head, just like his marriage to Mebuki had been. He was always busy and rarely had time to spend with his family.

Sakura was an obedient child. She always listened to her mother and never could've imagined standing up for herself or disobeying the wishes of her parents. That was, until Sakura turned four and met Yamanaka Ino.

Ino was Sakura's moon during a dark night. Whenever Mebuki yelled at Sakura, Ino was always there to boost the pinkette's self-esteem and make her feel like an actual person, treating her warmly with kindness.

Ino radiated confidence and determination and she was going to be a shinobi. It was during this time that Sakura decided she also wanted to be a ninja. She wanted to be that type of person that demanded attention and respect from everyone. She wanted to be somebody important.

If only she had known what the cost of such recognition would be.

Chapter Text

"I could say I'm not sad, but I'd be lying. The problem is the world won't let me stay a kid forever, so I can't lie around crying about it either."– Nara Shikamaru

A young woman with long brown hair and bright blue eyes walked into the room, "Here's your breakfast, Sakura-chan, make sure to eat it all!"

Sakura stared at the woman for a minute before deducing that it was the same woman who woke her up a few minutes ago, "Thank you," she answered politely.

Who is this woman?

Sakura discreetly checked the food for poison, an involuntary habit of hers, and then ate the onigiri. Although simple, they were delicious and reminded Sakura of the onigiri Shizune-nee-chan had often made for lunch. It had been so long since Sakura had enjoyed a homemade meal. During the war, Sakura's main constitute of nutrition were food pills and having something solid in her stomach made the kunoichi feel great.

The brown-haired woman walked out of the room causing Sakura's eyes to snap back to her. The pinkette contemplated to simply ask the woman who she was. Deciding it would seem too suspicious, Sakura waited to infer the woman's identity.

After finishing her breakfast, Sakura slowly walked out of her room, cautiously looking at her surroundings. There were multiple rooms filled with children doing various activities. Sakura saw several small girls playing with rag dolls and some older Academy students throwing blunt shuriken towards a wooden post. A large clearing was filled with several bookshelves and a few stray color pencils. In the center of the clearing, the woman who woke Sakura was dusting a table.

The lack of adults in the area made Sakura apprehensive. Is this a daycare or something? Sakura's question was swiftly answered when she saw a large metal sign with the words 'Konoha Orphanage' engraved on it.

Sakura stared at the sign dumbfoundedly. I'm in an orphanage! What the heck? Where are my parents?

Sakura ran up to the woman who gave her breakfast, tugging on her pants to get her attention. She had heard several children calling her Misaki-san and assumed she was a caretaker for the orphans. The pink-haired kunoichi did her best imitation of an innocent child, "Misaki-san! Mommy? Where is Mommy? I want my Mommy."

Misaki-san's face grew weary and she gently hugged Sakura, "Sakura-chan, I know that you've only been here for a few months, but your mother and father are... gone. They got attacked by rogue ninja on one of their business trips, remember? I'm so sorry honey." She paused, trying to change the subject, "Hey… why don't I get you some dango later today for being such a good girl lately?"

Sakura froze, she had stopped listening after she heard her parents were killed by rogue ninja.

A feeling of shock, almost foreign to her, numbed the pinkette's mind. My parents are dead?

In a way, Sakura was relieved by the fact that her parents were gone. Sure, a large part of her yearned for the warm embrace of a loving parent, but Sakura was a shinobi on a mission, and she didn't have time for emotions such as wistfulness.

Her parents had never supported her dream to become a shinobi and were often far from loving to the young girl, trying to manipulate her into becoming the perfect heir of the Haruno Clan. Besides, being free from the watchful eye of her mother would allow the pink-haired shinobi to easily sneak out of the orphanage and train.

Sakura was more concerned as to why this timeline was different. In her timeline, Haruno Mebuki and Kizashi had died when Sakura was 13. Right now she was only three.

While the analytical side of Sakura's brain buzzed through possibilities and theories as to why her parents were already dead, the other half of Sakura's head was somber. Just because Sakura didn't particularly enjoy when her parents criticized her, didn't mean that Sakura didn't miss the feeling of having a family, a sanctuary, a home. A few tears threatened to leak out of Sakura's eyes but she kept a poker face, refusing to show weakness. She had already had four years to grieve for her parents in her past life, and she was done crying in the corner like some useless fangirl.

This universe must be slightly altered because I was given the Sharingan.

Sakura took a deep breath and ignored the pricking sensation in her eyes. Instead, she looked up at Misaki-san and smiled feebly, "Yay, dango sounds great! Thank you Misaki-san. You're the nicest ever!"

Misaki-san looked relieved at the aspect of not having to console a crying child, "You're such a strong girl Sakura-chan! Now go play in your room. I'll be back later with the dango."

Sakura calmed herself and returned to her room. She was no stranger to death and the notion of it no longer gave her as much grief as it once had. She sat on her futon while thoughts about the future sluggishly roamed her mind.

She was currently in an orphanage and knew that she would be placed in the Academy when she turned six. After the Third Shinobi World War, there was a shortage of ninja, so all orphans were automatically put in the ninja curriculum.

She would stay low in the Academy and once she graduated, she would make sure she was sorted into Team 7 again. Then, it would be time to gather allies, take care of Obito, and kill Danzo-sama and Orochimaru.

Aside from the fact she obviously needed to get back to her previous skill level, it would be easy.

Right?

Sakura waved away the small inkling of doubt in the back of her mind. She didn't need to worry about anything. All she had to focus on was training and getting her skills back. Heck, she could probably even surpass her previous level since she had the Sharingan. In her last life, Sakura had to train immensely just to be on par with her teammates. She didn't have any special chakra or rare kekkei genkai. However, in this life, Sakura was elated that she gained the red dojutsu. Clan kids didn't realize how lucky they were.

She didn't have anything to worry about. It didn't matter that Sakura had horrible luck and was going against shinobi that were insanely powerful. Everything would be fine. After all, Sakura had a life's long worth of mistakes that she would learn from.

(Sakura really was bad at lying. Even to herself.)

At Mount Myoboku, a small green toad by the name of Fukasaku and his wife, Shima, both hopped towards the Great Toad Sage Gamamaru. He had summoned them to share his new vision.

They knelt on the cool green floor and listened attentively as Gamamaru spoke.

"A new prophecy has spoken,

The times have been broken,

The curer had died,

Now, she is living and red-eyed,

The abhorrent taste of b loody war will be assured,

Only her choices can make our victory secured,

Should the cycle cease,

Hatred will be enveloped by peace."

Fukasaku and Shima exchanged distraught looks.

It would be a long journey to achieve harmony.

Chapter Text

"Just by living, people hurt others without even realizing it. So long as humanity exists, hate will also exist. There is no peace in this cursed world. War is just a crime paid for by the pain of the defeated."– Pain

After eating some dango, Misaki-san brought some books for Sakura to read. The pinkette normally loved reading, however, the books the brown-haired caretaker brought were quite literally for a three-year-old. Sakura didn't think she could stand reading Rainbow Ninja Princess Saves the Day.

Instead of visiting the library like she wanted to, Sakura decided she would gather information on how the three-year-old Sakura had acted. If she suddenly changed her personality, even civilians would grow suspicious, and distrustful attention was the last thing she needed.

The young kunoichi spent time with the other children from the orphanage, playing kick the can or ninja tag. She talked to them, discreetly getting a sense of how she normally acted. The pinkette learned the toddler Sakura was quiet and shy, mostly liked to read books or draw, and wasn't all that different from the three-year-old Sakura in her past life.

A bell rang, indicating it was time for dinner. Immediately, all the children rushed to seat themselves around a large wooden table. Misaki-san and several other matrons handed bowls of miso soup to the children. Afterward, they were herded back to their rooms for the night.

It was time to go to bed, but Sakura continued staring at herself in the mirror. She still had a hard time believing she was here, in the past, as a three-year-old child. Three-year-old Haruno Sakura had short, pink hair that came to her chin, a chubby, heart-shaped face, and a slightly larger than normal forehead.

Sakura raised her hand to touch the soft locks that brushed her jaw. Twirling a pointer finger around a few strands of pink, Sakura was reminded of her hair during the war.

A shaky hand reached up, feeling the oily mop of hair that rested on her head. With the use of her tanto, she had hacked it short a few months ago, and it needed to be cut again. Blood and dirt left her innocent pink locks an unsightly shade of maroon. Suppressing another long sigh, Sakura reached for the near-empty bottle of dry shampoo she kept in her tent and applied some to her hair. She didn't have time for a shower, not when she had people to heal and dead comrades to mourn.

Sometimes she considered shaving her head — it would certainly be more manageable — but for some reason, she simply couldn't. Perhaps it was because she wasn't willing to completely get rid of the pink that defined her as Haruno Sakura.

Blinking rapidly from her rumination, the medic-nin took a pair of scissors and cut her hair until it resembled something close to Sasuke's hair as a genin.

Despite her previously somber mood, a smirk made its way on to her face, Duck-butt hair huh? Heh, looks nice.

Her hair was already short as a toddler, but Sakura truly believed the less pink there was on her head, the better it would be.

Who was born with pink hair anyway? It was literally a beacon that screamed, Attack me! Attack me! I'm a kunai target! Anyway, no one took a pink-haired kunoichi seriously. Sakura couldn't keep count of all the times enemy shinobi had simply ignored her because she looked too weak to be an actual threat. Those idiotic bastards didn't live to tell the tale.

As the 'snip-snap' of the scissors continued, small tufts of pink hair fell into Sakura's sink and washed down the drain. I will stop the war from starting.

It was after two days since she had arrived in this world, Sakura inwardly reached for her chakra and almost gasped in dismay.

Where is it?! It's practically nonexistent and my coils are barely developed!

The pinkette rubbed her forehead in soothing circular motions and took a deep breath. Then, she sat on the floor of her room and started meditating.

Gotta expand my chakra reserves! I'm so weak right now. If someone were to attack me, I'd die within a second.

The pink-haired shinobi spent the rest of the day working on gaining more chakra, only stopping to rest when she needed to eat dinner or use the bathroom. She continued pushing and pulling her chakra until the steady stream of it lulled her to sleep.

When Sakura woke up in the morning, it was still dark.

In addition to housing more chakra, the kunoichi decided she needed to get faster and stronger. Just a glimpse at her skinny, frail limbs horrified her. Where's the muscle? In her other life, Sakura certainly wasn't bulky, however, during the war, she had gained enough strength to lift ninja double her size.

Feeling slightly depressed at the amount of work she would have to do to regain her previous skills, Sakura snuck out of the orphanage and started running laps around Konoha.

I better start now if I want to stop Danzo.

Sakura's legs burned after two laps and her lungs constricted in her chest. Trying to slow her pounding heartbeat, she resisted the urge to gulp down all her water in one swig. This is pathetic! I could run more laps when I was a genin and back then I was a crazy fangirl! Still, she decided to give her legs a break and limped to Training Ground 33 to start on her push-ups. If my legs are tired, I shall train my arms. I will not be weak. I will not be weak. I will not be weak. The pinkette focused on the mantra in her head to distract herself from her aching body.

Tomorrow she would do survival training in Training Ground 44.

But how do I train my Sharingan? I can't tell anyone I have the Mangekyou. It'll attract too much attention, and I look nothing like an Uchiha.

From what her Shishou had told her about the politics of the Uchiha Clan, Sakura could imagine the current clan head naming her as an illegitimate child or using her as the perfect weapon for the Clan's alleged path to greatness.

No, no, I can't do that. I'm going to stop the Uchiha Clan from getting massacred, not help them take over Konoha! I refuse to be used or manipulated, especially by the likes of Uchiha Fugaku. Sakura's lips turned downward at the thought of the strict clan head. She had never met him before, but Lady Tsunade had been more than helpful while providing information about the 'arrogant asshole'.

Hmm. I'll have to train my eyes in a secluded location, outside of Konoha. After all, a giant bright blue Susanoo would alert every shinobi in the area of my existence.

Sakura chuckled lightly. A pink-haired Sharingan-wielding baby would probably make even the most stoic of Uchiha faint from shock and horror.

Suddenly, an idea came to Sakura's head. She could reverse summon herself to the Salamander Habitat and train there. Akihiro, Saito, and the other salamanders would be more than happy to help her perfect the red dojutsu. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

Lady Tsunade died protecting Konoha with her life. She had always known to be Hokage was a fool's dream and all the previous Hokage had sacrificed themselves for the safety of Konoha. It was inevitable, almost like a curse, that the pattern would be passed on to her.

When Jiraiya had first approached her all those years ago, asking her to take the mantle of Hokage, she had been a coward, not wanting the job due to fear. Fear of losing her life for a village of what she thought were ungrateful brats. Besides, how could she take the job Nawaki and Dan had always wanted? Konoha was full of nothing but bad memories.

That day a blond-haired knucklehead ninja, that looked so similar to Nawaki it had been painful, lunched towards her, furious that she said being Hokage was a fool's dream. Over time, that same ramen-loving gaki slowly wormed his way into her heart, calling her baa-chan and changing her ideals. The Will of Fire started to burn brightly in the Godiame Hokage's heart and she had grown to love her village and its inhabitants, valuing them more than her soul.

When Pain invaded Konoha, Lady Tsunade drained all her chakra healing the shinobi and trying to keep the civilians safe. With all her chakra exhausted, she went into a state of comatose and died a few weeks later.

The very last Senju died as a fool, but she was a happy fool, knowing she had protected her home and loved ones. She could finally see Jiraiya, Dan, and Nawaki again.

Her grandfather would be proud.

When Shizune had appeared in front of Sakura's apartment door, tear stains evident on her blotchy face, Sakura's heart stopped beating for a second. The pink-haired medic simply knew that her Shishou, her beautiful, boisterous, gambling Shishou had died.

That day Sakura wailed and cried and screamed at the world. She threw her head in the air and from the depths of her heart cursed the wretched leader of the Akatsuki.

Not even two weeks later, Danzo was formally named the Rokudaime Hokage.

Danzo was completely different from Lady Tsunade. He was harsh and unrelenting, passing cruel punishments to those shinobi who failed their missions or disobeyed him.

His first official act as Hokage was to declare Uchiha Sasuke an international criminal who was to be killed on sight. Afterward, the last Uchiha's eyes were to be collected and given to Danzo.

The old war hawk's second act as Hokage was to keep Naruto inside the village at all times, despite the Jinchuuriki's loud protests. Even if Naruto was a powerful ninja who had defeated Pain, Danzo still believed letting Naruto out of the village could lead to the possible loss of the Fourth Hokage's legacy and the Kyuubi Container.

While Kakashi and the rest of the Konoha 12 were busy rebuilding the village, Sakura was one of the few shinobi that Danzo even remotely trusted. His trust was mostly due to the few years that Sakura had been in ROOT. It was because of this, the pinkette was assigned more missions than ever, scarcely giving her time to eat or sleep, much less to grieve for her precious Shishou.

Any time Danzo or the other ROOT members saw her mourn or cry, Sakura would be severely punished. Unlike most members in the organization, the pink-haired kunoichi had been recruited at a late age, so ridding her emotions was a challenge. The pinkette had always been a bright and cheerful woman, and even after being in ROOT for two years, her emotions had yet to fully dim.

One evening, during a particularly difficult mission, Sakura summoned Katsuyu to aid her. Just the sight of the slug had made Sakura want to burst into tears, but she held in thoughts of her Shishou until she killed the rogue ninja, reported the mission details to Danzo, and got back into her apartment in Konoha.

She paced around her room, still wearing her bloody ANBU uniform, contemplating her decision before making her mind.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

In a poof of smoke, the blue and white outline of a small slug could be seen resting on the hardwood floor of the medic-nin's apartment. A pile of translucent goo surrounded the animal."Ah Sakura-san, how may I help you again?"

"Hello, Katsuyu-sama," Sakura hesitated nervously, "I-I actually wished to uh remove my name from the summoning contract." The silence that followed her statement was deafening, so Sakura quickly jumped to explain. "It seems that every time I see you I am reminded of…" Sakura's voice cracked as she swallowed the persistent lump in her throat, "...of Tsunade-shishou."

The slug's expression had been one of shock, but by the end of Sakura's reasoning, it transformed into resigned sympathy. "I... o-of course, Sakura-san." Katsuyu gave Sakura a sad, watery smile and released a soft sigh, "It would greatly sadden me to see you go, but if that is your wish, I shall not hold you back."

With Sakura's stiff nod, a large scroll appeared on the hardwood floor of her apartment. It rolled open and Sakura glanced at the various names written in blood. When she saw the name 'Senju  Tsunade' , her heart clenched. Reluctantly, she moved her eyes towards the end of the scroll. With a shaky hand, she bit her thumb and used the blood to slowly cross out the last name. Her name. The pupil of the Godaime Hokage's name. Haruno  Sakura .

A few tears escaped Sakura's eyes as she bid farewell to the powerful slug, "Thank you for being my summon all this time, Katsuyu-sama. It was a pleasure working with you." She wiped her eyes using the back of her hands and took one last look at Katsuyu. "I'll really miss you and thank you once again for your services these past three years."

The slug bent her head forward in an approximation of a bow, "Goodbye, Sakura-san.  I wish you the best in life. You are a wonderful and loyal kunoichi, and I know Lady Tsunade w ould be proud of you. Protect Konoha while bringing peace to this shinobi world. "

The summon disappeared in a poof of smoke, never to return again.

Sakura's eyes watered, and heart-wrenching sobs escaped her mouth.

She was all alone.

Eventually, the pinkette's tears dried up and she changed into one of Naruto's old shirts with detached, robotic movements, falling asleep the minute she touched her futon.

The next day, the pink-haired ROOT agent was given a rare break from Danzo. It was a new day, and Sakura was determined to get stronger. She was determined to protect her Shishou's Konoha.

Naruto was stuck as a prisoner in his own village, and Sasuke was an international criminal.  Sakura was tired.

The young kunoichi was at rock bottom, and so in a spur of careless action and without even thinking about it, Sakura did a number one knucklehead ninja move. It was the type of dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible move that was normally reserved for blond idiots such as Uzumaki Naruto. But Naruto was probably sulking while on house arrest, surrounded by at least half-a-dozen ANBU ROOT members, and Sakura was here, free, not on surveillance.

After being a strict rule-follower and teacher's pet for the majority of her life, Sakura couldn't stop the  feeling of exhilaration, anticipation, and dread that coursed through her body, making her skin tingle pleasantly.

What was the worst that could happen? Nothing? Death? Being ripped into sh reds by the Space-Time continuum? Clearly, Sakura wasn't thinking properly when she believed it was a risk she was willing to take.

Pale, slender fingers started going through the same rapid hand signs as the night before. However, this time, the owner of those hands didn't have her name on any summoning contract.

I. Inu. Tori. Saru. Hitsuji.

With a determined expression, the pinkette confidently yelled, "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Time seemed to stop as she closed her eyes, sending a quick prayer to Kami-sama.

Haruno  Sakura  was instantly teleported to the middle of a shallow, murky swamp.

Immediately , the coldness of the water seeped through her clothes, making them cling to her like a second skin. Sakura yelped and sputtered but still kept her eyes firmly shut out of fear and excitement. Coughing, she gathered chakra to the soles of her feet, quickly pulling herself to the surface of the swamp.

Was she dead? No, probably not. Sakura still felt sore from her mission yesterday and from what she knew, dead people didn't feel pain.

That left option number two. She was in a summoning realm.

Who was the animal that would hopefully become her new summon? She was in a body of water, so... fish? Sharks? Sakura shivered, imagining the picture of Hoshigaki  Kisame 's face from her bingo book.

Spiders? The pink-haired ninja scrunched her nose at the thought of having the creepy  arachnids  as her summons.

Toads? Sakura had once heard from her Shishou that Jiraiya-sama had similarly tried the summoning jutsu without signing a contract when he was a genin. He had landed at Mount Myobuku. Would her future contract also be the renowned toads like Naruto and his teacher?

Hmm. The possibilities were endless.

Suddenly a sense of fear and anxiety washed over the med-nin. What if she was surrounded by bloodthirsty tigers? Or perhaps she was cornered by unfriendly rhinos.

Sakura resisted the urge to smack her forehead against something hard. What had she been thinking?! For being called the smartest ninja in Team 7, she sure could be dense at times. 'I shouldn't have done this. Why would I do something so risky and stupid? Lady Tsunade taught me better than making such careless decisions.'

It was too late now. If death was coming, she would take it proudly, as a shinobi and as the apprentice of the Godiame Hokage.

Slowly , her erratic breathing slowed down and her fingers stopped twitching.

Once she was calm, Sakura hesitantly opened her eyes.  Almost immediately, she noticed the small amphibians crawling around her. They were salamanders.

Sakura blinked uncertainly. Salamanders were a little eerie and sometimes reminded her of Orochimaru's snakes, but on the other hand, they were sneaky and could go relatively unnoticed during information-gathering missions.

Slowly, a small smile made its way onto Sakura's face and a serene feeling came upon her. Salamanders would be... nice for a contract.

She looked around, noticing the sky was a mellow blue, and the area was filled with lush green grass. The air was humid while holding a slightly melancholy feel to it.

As Sakura walked across the water to the land surrounding the swamp, one of the larger salamanders crawled up to her with frightening speed. The amphibian had a sleek black body and was covered with yellow spots. Its eyes, looking as if they held mountains of knowledge, scanned her almost threateningly, " Who are you and why are you here?"

Deciding to get straight to the point, Sakura bowed respectfully and articulated in a steady voice, "Hello, my name is Haruno  Sakura  of Konoha and I wish to sign the salamander summoning contract."

The large salamander swished his tail back and forth, studying her with its beady eyes, "Sakura Haruno, ehh? My companions and I have heard of the late Godaime Hokage's famous apprentice." His eyes flitted up to her hair, "I always thought the rumor of your hair's unique pigmentation was a mere hoax. It seems that I was incorrect. I never thought I'd see a pink-haired shinobi." He smirked lightly before sobering and paused as if unsure how to put to words what he wanted to say next. "My condolences... for the death of your teacher."

The pinkette's eyes instantly saddened and she tried to force images of the Slug Sannin out of her mind.

Before she could fully drown in her sorrows, he spoke again, clearly trying to change the topic. "So you wish to sign the salamander contract.  Why do you wish to do so?"

Sakura blinked, not expecting such a question, "I wish to get stronger. I have to get more. More power! More strength! More allies!"

Immediately the salamander stiffened and his voice became sharp and malicious, "Never. I would never allow someone like you to sign our contract. Humans like you are nothing but trouble. Filled with greed and lust for power. Always fighting wars to prove their strength, not caring about the consequences it leaves on others. I had thought that you, as a healer, would be different, but I was wrong. All humans are bloodthirsty animals, and you are no exception."

Sakura grit her teeth, wary of how the amphibian changed personalities so quickly. Her eyes snapped shut as she tried to control her anger and heaving chest, "Please... I-I'm different. I wish to stop this war and bring peace to this world. I hate bloodshed and I fight simply to keep my loved ones safe." She clenched her hands into fists and tried again, "I will not be greedy. Please let me sign your contract. I have to protect Konoha from people like Danzo and having a contract would greatly assist me in this task."

The black salamander locked its hard eyes with Sakura's, trying to test the validity of her statement, "Very well. You seem to have a kind soul, but first I want you to answer a question. Only if I hear an answer I approve of, will you be able to call the salamanders your summons."

"Fine. What is your question?" Sakura asked, unfazed. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was her skills as a paper-ninja and a damn smart nerd.

"How will you bring peace to this war-thirsty shinobi world?"

The med-nin's lips thinned. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body, repeating the question in her head again and again.

'How will you bring peace to this war-thirsty shinobi world?'

'Bring peace to world...'

'Peace...'

'Peace?'

Sakura clenched her fists, digging her nails into her calloused palms. What was peace anyway?

Was it young children laughing, playing, cheerfully teasing each other under the shimmering bright lights of a festival? Was it lovers embracing each other with soft eyes and affectionate smiles? Or was it simply a still pond with birds chirping, flying overhead without a care in the world?

Sakura didn't know what peace was, but she was positive that war was not peace.

There were always two sides to war and when one side achieved happiness, the other was engulfed in sorrow.

Sakura was just a soldier, a warrior, a shinobi... on a side.

Sakura continued pondering on the question for a long time. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and controlled, yet it was clear. Her head was clear too. It felt like Sakura had come to a realization that made her see everything with unclouded, fresh eyes, "There is no such thing as true peace. We are humans and perfection is a fleeting thought. Every day thousands of people die, but at the same time, parents give birth to innocent newborns. It is a cycle whose origin is unknown and a circle that will never end." She held her hands up like a scale and her voice grew louder as she gained confidence, "There will always be hate, there will always be disagreements, but at the same time, there will be harmony and tranquility someplace or another. As you said, we are humans and we will never, ever be flawless, no matter how hard we try."

It was silent by the time Sakura had finished and she noticed that most of the other salamanders who were nearby had also started listening.

Eventually, it was the amphibian that had asked her the question that spoke, "I accept your answer. You are right.  Peace is impossible, yet it exists everywhere and nowhere at the same time. You are simply trying to achieve peace for your loved ones and I understand and respect that.  Welcome to the Salamander Habitat in Amegakure, my name is Akihiro and we, the salamanders put our trust in you!"

Sakura's eye widened, and she grinned. She had passed! Sometimes luck was on her side.

A large scroll proofed in front of the medic-nin and she knelt, feeling honored as she bit her thumb and signed her name in an empty space,  "Thank you. I promise never to betray your trust."

"Good. You are officially a salamander summoner. Congratulations."

Sakura's grin became larger, "Thank you again, Akihiro-san." Suddenly something prickled in the back of Sakura's mind and her eyes widened as she remembered a crucial detail, "I 'm in Ame. That's where the late Akatsuki leader's hideout used to be. Are there any lingering members that could hurt me?"

Akihiro smiled reassuringly and somewhat amusedly due to her worried expression, "Do not worry, young one. The remaining members of the Akatsuki no longer remain in Ame, making the Salamander Habitat perfectly safe. Besides, you are now our summoner and we will protect you with our lives."

She released a breath she didn't know she had been holding and felt a warm sensation in her stomach that she hadn't felt since Lady Tsunade's death. Happiness.

Just as she started to relax, a large shadow enveloped Sakura's small form and her heart stuttered nervously. Her eyes widened as she bent her knees, getting ready to spring away. She slowly turned around, reflexively gripping her kunai in a white-knuckled grip.

In front of her, looming proudly, was a giant salamander with scaly, brown skin. The salamander had no eyes, but it stood on its hind legs and was covered in several small warts.

It was the legendary salamander Ibuse.

Sakura had never seen Ibuse before, but her Shishou had told her stories of how the Sannin came to be and their fight again Hanzo. The pinkette had always listened in rapt fascination about the mighty salamander that held poison in its breath.

And here it was, not even 10 feet away from her. 'How the hell did it get behind me so quietly?!'

Sakura quickly turned her frightened eyes towards Akihiro, jumping a good 20 feet away.

Sensing her discomfort Akihiro chuckled, "There no need to worry, Ibuse would never hurt a summoner, but he only serves those he finds worthy. He cannot speak like me, and when he opens his mouth, poison reeks from it. If you are to be our summoner, you must accustom yourself to the poison."

After recovering from what seemed like her 10th heart attack that day,  Sakura bowed to Ibuse and firmly vocalized her thoughts, "Hello, Ibuse-san, it is a great privilege to work with the summon of the famous Hanzo. Once I am immune to your poison, I hope we can form a partnership as well."

Ibuse said nothing, only unerringly stared at Sakura and slowly turned away with the smallest hint of a nod. It was a cceptance.

Sakura  smiled widely,  leaving the Salamander Habitat with high spirits that day.

She would protect her precious people no matter what!

After that, the kunoichi worked on various missions in ROOT and became good friends with several salamanders including Akihiro and his son, Saito. Unlike his father, Saito was a small amphibian that was a dull green color, blending in with his surroundings perfectly. Sometimes, during especially challenging missions, Sakura would gather the courage to summon Ibuse, and when she did, those missions were always successful. Other times, the pink-haired shinobi reverse summoned herself to the calming Habitat when she needed to get away from Danzo's corrupted Konoha.

As Sakura tested her Sharingan in Ame, she learned she could use Amaterasu, Susanoo, and a weaker version of Kamui. Sakura didn't have Obito's intangibility, but she still could travel to different dimensions if she were in a tight spot. The pinkette hypothesized it was probably due to the fact she wasn't an Uchiha so her body wasn't genetically compatible with the Sharingan. Obito, unlike Sakura, also possessed the Shodai Hokage's cells which allowed him to enhance his powers to a greater extent.

Although Sakura couldn't use the Mangekyou Sharingan without fainting from chakra exhaustion within a few seconds, it was a truly amazing power. In her last life, Sakura was one of the few successful shinobi that came from a civilian background. She had to train extra hard to catch up with the rest of the Rookie Nine, most of which were clan heirs. But in this life, Sakura had the strongest form of the Sharingan and she was going to use it well. She wouldn't let such a precious gift go to waste.

She would gather more chakra to stop fainting while using the Sharingan. Lots of chakra.

Chapter Text

"There probably isn't any meaning in life. Perhaps you can find something interesting to do while you are alive. Like how you found that flower. Like how I found you."– Orochimaru

Experiment #60 was conscious.

He was weak, horribly so, but he was still conscious of his surroundings.

He watched as yet another child exploded. Wooden branches erupted from the girl's small form, splattering blood and guts everywhere. The test tube she was trapped in broke, causing the glass to shatter and letting the greenish liquid escape onto the shiny floor of the laboratory. Experiment #60 watched, horrified, as the light left the girl's innocent green eyes and she slumped against the floor, splaying brown hair — the same shade as his — in all directions.

Another experiment gone wrong.

There used to be 60 of them. 60 children, all trapped in their own test tubes, their arms and legs bound with waterproof ropes so they couldn't escape. Their DNA was altered, and their bodies were injected with the Shodai's cells, in hopes that they could use the legendary Mokuton. Every single one of them met the same fate as the green-eyed girl, except for Experiment #60.

He was the last one alive.

He had always felt a special connection to the green-eyed girl that had exploded, but he could never figure out why. Maybe it was because she almost looked like an exact copy of him. Except for their eyes, they could be mistaken for the same person.

Sometimes if he concentrated hard enough, Experiment #60 could remember a flash of a smiling face with childish viridian eyes full of wonder and glee. A small hand would be clutching his index finger as they skipped along, playing tag, her small brown pigtails flying behind them. "Nii-san!  I'll love you foreve — "  But as soon as the memory came, it would disappear and all Experiment #60 could remember would be those damn eyes.

He lost track of time. How many months had he been in that one room, in that sickening laboratory, watching young children like him die premature, violent deaths?

He hated that man, that man who did experiments on them. The man with pale skin and long, black hair. The man who looked at him hungrily, as if he were nothing more than a lab rat.

Experiment #60 had heard the other scientists conversing about that man in hushed, reverent voices. Apparently, the man wished to learn every jutsu in the world and sought immortality. His name was Orochimaru and he was a snake.

Experiment #60 was a young boy who didn't know much about world outside the laboratory, but he was well-versed with the fact that snakes ate (lab) rats.

Having nothing else to do, Experiment #60 let his thoughts wander. Would he stay trapped in the same test tube for the rest of his life? Would he also die like those other children? Like that guiltless little girl, with her striking green eyes and pained expression? He wanted to go to his family. Did he even have a family? A home? Any siblings? People who cared for him? He didn't remember anymore. Experiment #60 didn't even remember his name.

He had been an experiment for as long as he could remember.

The young boy closed his eyes, exhausted. He had seen things no child should ever have to see. He would grieve for the little girl later. Maybe they would meet in heaven.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps nearing his location. Wearily cracking his eyes open, Experiment #60 watched as Orochimaru  leisurely  walked by the bloody test tubes . An older man with shaggy, black hair followed him, clutching a cane in his left hand. The man's  chin was marred by a x-shaped scar and subtle wrinkles lay on his face.

'Who is this man?'

A feeling of hope blossomed in Experiment #60's chest. 'Is this man going to save me? Will I finally be free?'

Turning his eyes back to Orochimaru, Experiment #60 squinted as the Snake Sannin pointed towards the various dead bodies, his face disappointed yet strangely gleeful as if the sight of dead children pleased him. "This one's no good," Orochimaru purred, nudging the limp green-eyed girl with his foot. "This one as well. That one too," his laughter echoed through the laboratory, "They're all no good!"

The other man didn't respond. Instead, he scanned the laboratory silently, his face sharp, calculating, and devoid of any emotion.

Experiment #60 clenched his hands, feeling the hope drain out of his eyes, leaving them dull and dead.  If he had the energy, he would've hit himself. What was he thinking?  An evil man like Orochimaru would never let him free.

He would stay an experiment for the rest of his life.

Orochimaru continued surveying the laboratory, his gleeful giggles filling the somber quiet of the room. Suddenly, he stopped laughing, his face warping into complete seriousness as he stood in front of Experiment #60.

The young boy froze, his heart beating erratically as the Snake Sannin scrutinized him pensively, "This human experiment will inevitably also be a failure," Orochimaru wrinkled his nose distastefully and tossed his hair over his shoulder. "I had thought that a toddler would adjust better in cultivating the Shodai's cells, but it seems it's the opposite. A child does not have the strength or stamina to endure that," the Sannin started walking away, having no interest in another seemingly failed experiment.  "I guess I'll have to shut this place down," he gestured towards the laboratory carelessly.

Experiment #60 relaxed his tense body and felt like he could finally breathe. There were only two things in the world that scared him anymore: death and Orochimaru.

The older man who stood behind the Snake Sannin  opened his mouth to speak, "What a disappointment Orochimaru. I had expected better from someone as renowned as yourself. Alas, it is of no matter. We can always try again. Perhaps for your next tests, you should use  pubescents," he said calmly as if he wasn't recommending people to kidnap and experiment on.

"Kukuku, Danzo, you may be right," the Sannin scratched his chin thoughtfully, "Perhaps an  adolescent would cultivate more successful results. Anyway, n ot to worry," Orochimaru placated, "There are many more ways of cell implantation and I'm  the best scientist in all of the Five Great Shinobi Villages . If anyone can do it, it will certainly be me. I'll start the next tests right away."

"Good. Be sure to keep me posted on your progress, but be careful," the man named Danzo cautioned, "Hiruzen is getting suspicious."

"Ah, Sensei was always too kind-hearted. My experiments could've been used for the good of Konoha. If only I had become Hokage instead of that Namikaze brat," a bitter tone crept into Orochimaru's voice. "Anyway, it's no use thinking about the past. I'll be careful not to get caught. If anything comes up, one of my summons will contact you."

Danzo nodded in agreement and both men started walking to exit the room.

They didn't spare ano ther glance towards the fearful young boy trapped in a test tube.

Experiment #60's eyes widened, but this time it wasn't from fear. It was from anger.

White-hot anger bubbled in Experiment #60's chest and simmered under his skin. How dare Orochimaru?  How dare he kick his —his ... that little girl.  How dare that filthy excuse of a man disrespect human life so blatantly?  Experiment #60  was still alive! He wasn't dead yet! They had to let him free! "Wait," his voice came out as a harsh whisper, "Wait. Wait!"

The two men continued walking down the hallway, oblivious to the furious cries of the little brown-haired boy behind them.

"No! No! I-I'm still alive. Don't j-just leave me!" Experiment #60  clawed at the glass futility , desperately trying to break free from his bonds. He refused to die like that green-eyed girl! He would escape no matter what. "Let me free," he said louder, his anger fueling his wavering voice. "Let me free! Let me free! LET ME FREE!"

A wooden branch shot out of his arm like an arrow, piercing the glass test tube. The sound of breaking glass and sloshing liquid reverberated loudly through the empty laboratory.

Suddenly, all of the unbearable anger and adrenaline inside Experiment #60 drained away, leaving him empty and extremely tired. Feeling lightheaded and slightly nauseous, the young boy slumped against the wall of the test tube, feeling small bits of glass pierce the bare skin of his back. He struggled to keep his eyes open. Maybe if he just closed them for a little while...

The last thing he saw before he fainted, was Danzo, his one visible eye wide with shock. Experiment #60's mind was cloudy, so although the man seemed to be shouting, the young boy could only hear fuzzy phrases, " –ere's a survivor —s evere chakra exhaustion," the old man yelled frantically. " He's weak and  undernouris—M okuton! "

D arkness enveloped Experiment #60.

The next time Experiment #60 woke up, he was in a bright room, lying on a comfortable futon with his arm attached to an IV. The antiseptic smell of a hospital invaded his nostrils and he blinked rapidly, noticing he was wearing a white gown. Where was he? It certainly wasn't the laboratory. W -Was he free? Or maybe he was dead?

He looked out the small window beside him. The sky was bright blue, the grass was a beautiful green, and Experiment #60 felt rays of sunshine pleasantly caress his arm and make his pale skin look a healthy tan.

He had never seen something so beautiful.

As Experiment #60 was mesmerized by the wonders of nature, Danzo entered the room, purposely making his footsteps loud enough to catch the young boy's attention. The wood-user reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the window and watched Danzo suspiciously.

Danzo walked up until he was right in front of Experiment #60 and took ahold of his chin with his bony fingers. Moving the young boy's head side-to-side, Danzo inspected him with his dark eye. Then, he  monotonously spoke, "I see you're finally awake. Can you move?"

Experiment #60 simply stared at him.  It had been so long since someone actually spoke to him as if he were a real person. He opened his mouth to respond but closed it again.  He didn't trust this man who seemed to be an accomplice of Orochimaru's, but he was curious. The old man looked a little shady, but he had taken him away from that prison and Experiment #60 was so thankful for that. He didn't have to see the bloody bodies of the other experiments anymore. He dug his nails into his thigh to check if this was all just a cruel dream. It wasn't, and something akin to hope sparked back into the wood-user's eyes.

As the silence droned on, Danzo, who was seemingly losing his patience, spoke again, "What's the matter? You don't seem to remember who you are." He  paused and then verbalized again,  "Have you forgotten how to speak as well?"

Experiment #60 finally snapped out of his trance, rubbing his neck and swallowing to soothe his sandpaper throat, "Uhh... no." How did people talk to each other again?

The shaggy haired-man looked satisfied with Experiment #60's response and spoke again, looking into the distance as if he were recalling a story, "Orochimaru is greedy. It's good to have the desire to test new things but he's impatient and gives up too quickly. You're lucky he gave up on you. Had he waited a little longer and found that you survived, you would've ended up as another test subject."

Experiment #60 stared ahead, his eye's widening in terror, "No," he choked out, "Never. Never again." Shady men be damned, he was free and away from Orochimaru and that was all he cared about.  He was grateful, so, so grateful to this man for saving him.

The young wood-user owed him his life and he would do anything to repay his debt.

The old man's face stayed blank, not showing any indication of hearing the young boy's horror-stricken words. He spoke again, but this time his voice was softer, almost grandfatherly, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Shimura Danzo. I run an organization that takes in talented young shinobi—like yourself—who have no place to call home. My organization supports the great tree known as Konohagakure no Sato. It is my wish that you join this organization." Danzo let his words sink in and he put his hand on Experiment #60's shoulder in a comforting manner, "You shall be called Kinoe. Kinoe, I welcome you to ROO–"

"–tsune. Kitsune." A hand shook his shoulder and Tenzo blinked away the memory, looking at the concerned silver-haired ANBU in front of him, "Kitsune, what's wrong? You spaced-out all of a sudden."

Remembering where he was, Tenzo took a deep breath and schooled his features back to their impassive mask, "Sorry Inu-taichou, I was just thinking about uhh... that—that new tea shop near the academy that's serving really good Kurumi mochi." The wood-user cursed himself inwardly. He could never lie convincingly in front of Senpai. Although it technically wasn't a lie. Tenzo really was craving something sweet.

The Inu-masked ANBU didn't look like he believed Tenzo, but let it go nevertheless. His left eye flashed red in understanding and pity, the three tomoe of his lone Sharingan swirling lazily. After all, Hatake Kakashi was no stranger to PTSD. "Right. Make use it doesn't happen again, Kitsune. We can't afford to be distracted during a mission, even if we are returning from a completed one."

Tenzo sighed inaudibly and ran a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair, careful not to jostle the ANBU mask on his face, "I apologize Taichou."

Kakashi merely inclined his head and leaped on top of a tree limb, jumping gracefully from branch to branch.

Team Ro: consisting of Tenzo and Hatake Kakashi, was returning to Konoha after completing a mission. The men had been assigned to eliminate hostile shinobi from Kirigakure. The Kiri shinobi were around low jounin level so although Team Ro had been outnumbered two–five, they were unscathed with the exception of a few scratches and mild chakra exhaustion. Now, Team Ro was only a few miles away from Konoha. Then, Tenzo could go to his apartment and take a nice, relaxing bath.

The wood-user looked at the swirling ANBU tattoo on his bicep. He had gotten it just a few weeks ago when he had been inducted into ANBU after deciding ROOT wasn't for him. Tenzo would always be grateful towards Danzo-sama for freeing him from that test tube and teaching him how to control the Mokuton, but he couldn't do the work that ROOT members were supposed to do. To him, ROOT was a part of Konoha and assassinating his Hokage or stealing Senpai's eye was unacceptable. He was glad Hokage-sama stopped Danzo-sama from brainwashing him.

He liked being in Team Ro with Kakashi-senpai.

"Inu-taichou." Tenzo moved to hand Kakashi the sealing scroll containing the dead bodies of the Kiri shinobi, "You should give this and the mission report to Hokage-sama when we get back to Konoha."

Kakashi turned to face Tenzo, his voice authoritative and firm, "I will, Kitsune. Just make sure to turn in your written report by next week. Other than that, get a good night's sleep and eat a hearty dinner. We have the rest of the day off, but Team Ro has another mission bright and early tomorrow."

"Hai, Taichou. I can take care of myself," the wood-user hesitated a moment before continuing. "You—you should a rest too, taking breaks is good for people, especially ANBU."

It was dead silent for a minute.

Then, Kakashi jolted harshly as if he had been stabbed by a kunai. His hands shook minutely so he shoved them into his pockets, clenching them into tight fists. Who had been the last person to show concern for his well-being or inquire about his health?

Rin? Minato-sensei? His father?

Kakashi couldn't remember. It's not like it mattered anyway. They were all dead, buried six feet under a memorial stone.

He slowly relaxed his tense form and mercilessly squashed the part of him that wanted to cry.

Shinobi Rule #17: A shinobi must never show any weakness. Emotions are weaknesses.

itwasokaythoughbecausehewasnothingmorethanabrokentool

"Of course, Kitsune. Hmm. I'll probably go to the hot springs, drink a little sake, play some shogi with Gai."

Tenzo sighed again, this time feeling defeated, "Whatever you say Taichou." Both shinobi knew Kakashi was lying. Going to the hot springs? Drinking sake? Playing shogi? How could the silver-haired nin do that, when all his free time was spent asking the dead for forgiveness in front of a memorial?

The men fell into a tense silence.

As the wooden gates of Konoha arrived in view, both Tenzo and Kakashi signed themselves into the village and nodded a rigid goodbye to each other. Without wasting any time, Kakashi poofed into smoke, hurrying towards Konoha's cemetery. He could turn in the mission report a few hours later. Hokage-sama wouldn't mind much, right?

Tenzo, on the other hand, headed towards the weapons shop near Training Ground 33, intent on restocking his supply of paper bombs. His stomach rumbled as he shunshined to his destination. Maybe he would get some Kurumi mochi, after all. I'll get some for Kakashi-senpai as well, he decided. He needed to apologize for overstepping his boundaries and a few sweets never hurt anyone. Anyway, it was obvious the silver-haired workaholic didn't take good care of himself, too caught up in his grief to worry about trivial things such as food.

A flash of pink caught his eye, and Tenzo stopped walking, startled by the fact that he hadn't felt anyone in the area. What was that? A shinobi?

Confirming his chakra was already completely cloaked, the wood-user hid behind a couple of shrubs and stealthily crept forward. After moving a few branches from his eyesight, the clearing was visible.

Oh. It—It's a little girl, was all Tenzo could think. And then: Pink. Bright, obnoxious pink. Sluggishly, his brain connected the pink flash from before to this little girl's brilliant pink hair.

Wow. Just... wow. Pink hair.

Tearing his eyes away from her head, he focused on the rest of the girl's appearance instead. She was small, looking around three or four with short and spiky hair that seemed as if it had been cut in a rush. She stood in the middle of the clearing confidently, her eyes closed in concentration. Her legs were spread apart, knees bent in a slight crouch, and two pouches were attached to the thighs of her black pants. Dirt was smudged around her arms and Tenzo could make out a thin layer of sweat on her face and several bruises on her elbows.

The wood-user frowned. Her hair was the color of femininity, affection, and sweetness, but the girl seemed to be exactly the opposite. Her clothing was dark and dirty and her posture showed rigidness. He could even see the slight outline of her biceps that hinted some amount of muscle definition. If weren't for the pink, he would've thought she was a short boy.

She was such a paradox and suddenly his worry for Kakashi-senpai and his plans to buy paper bombs were replaced by a burning sense of curiosity.

Cautiously, Tenzo felt for her chakra and furrowed his brow. She definitely had more chakra than the average toddler, and somehow it seemed a little off. Unlike the carefree, bubbly feel most young children had, her chakra was cold and dark, almost melancholy. It reminded him a little of Kakashi-senpai's chakra, but Tenzo shook that notion out of his head immediately. The girl had pink hair for kami's sake. There was no way anyone could compare her to Senpai who had probably been in ANBU for longer than she had been alive.

Before Tenzo could continue to ponder on her chakra, he saw the girl shift slightly so he could see her eyes.

Breathtakingly beautiful, bright green eyes.

The same eyes as that experiment all those years ago. It had been over a decade but how could he forget that little girl who died in an explosion of wooden splinters.

— watched, horrified, as the light left the girl's innocent green eyes and she slumped against the floor, splaying brown hair — the same shade as his — in all directions.

He had always felt a special connection to that girl, but he could never figure out why.

Except for their eyes, they could be mistaken for the same person.

— flash of a smiling face with childish green eyes full of wonder and glee. A small hand would be clutching his index finger as they skipped along, playing tag ,  "Nii-san!  I'll love you foreve — "

Tenzo felt his breathing grow pained and silent gasps of breath made his body shudder violently. Those eyes... those dull, dead eyes that haunted his dreams with sharp accusations of betrayal. 'You're supposed to be dead,' they said, 'Why didn't you die like me, like those 58 other children? Why didn't you save us? You don't deserve to live. Why did you stay alive? Why! Why! Why!'

Frantically shoving his quaking hand into his kunai pouch, Tenzo grasped a shuriken and clumsily dug it into his palm, feeling the blood drip down his fingers. The unexpected pain cleared his head and slowed his breath back down to a normal pace.

He was safe. He was alive. He was free. He was Tenzo, not Experiment #60.

When his brain was able to comprehend the onslaught of memories the pink-haired girl's eyes triggered, Tenzo finally noticed it.

Nii-san. The girl in his memories had said Nii-san. She had said Nii-san. Nii-san. As in brother.

Imouto.

His Imouto. He had a younger sister. Someone who loved him.  His family.  Who was murdered murdered murdered —h e couldn't save her. He hadn't saved her. It was his fault. All his fault she was dead and —

Before he could fully wrap his mind around the fact that girl from all those years ago was his sister, he felt the air shift minutely as the pink-haired girl's chakra flickered and suddenly, with astounding speed she moved.

Her fingers ran through rapid hand signs and she whispered lightly, "Doton: Kage Bunshin."

Tenzo's world stilled. No way... there was no fucking way.

A single earth clone appeared in front of the pinkette and immediately grasped towards the pouches on its thighs. Several kunai were swiftly placed in–between the fingers of its small hands and it jumped upwards, smoothly twisting upside-down and flicking its wrists, throwing the kunai towards its opponent with frightening speed and accuracy.

The girl, having anticipated its move, tensed her knees and jumped away just before she was hit. Then, she ran towards the clone, aiming a fierce kick towards its head. The clone dodged gracefully and slammed a fist into the girl's shoulder, "Fuck," the girl cursed, staggering back and trying to find her footing.

The clone smirked, teasingly, "Too slow, Sakura-chan. You're lucky I didn't put chakra in that, or else you would've been a goner."

The girl—Sakura—he reminded himself, growled lowly in retaliation and threw a jab towards the clone's stomach. When she missed, she sprang backward, forming hand signs, "Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu." A jet of water expelled from her mouth towards the clone, hitting it right in its stomach.

The clone's eyes bulged in surprise and it dissolved in a small splatter of mud. Sakura stared at the empty space for a second and then snickered smugly, "I'll always win." Suddenly, she took a step backward and fell down on her back with a thud. "Kuso," she murmured, rolling around so she was on her stomach. "Damn my tiny chakra reserves."

What the actual fuck. Tenzo gaped at Sakura with a sense of detachment and incredulity. Something was wrong with his eyes. Or he was trapped in some crazy genjutsu. Maybe Senpai was pranking him. Because there was no way in hell he just saw a tiny pink-haired girl use two elements.

Two. Using one element would be impressive, but two was... two was fucking insane.

Tenzo had by no means had a normal childhood, but he was sure children these days didn't spar with the intent to kill. They didn't even spar at all. They probably played around with rubber kunai but this—this Sakura had not only thrown kunai with practiced ease but also had unbelievable prowess in taijutsu. Who the hell is she? One would have to practice for years to get that kind of accuracy and speed, but she's so young.

His eyes sharpened as a dark thought made its way into his head. Can she be a spy or an enemy ninja on an infiltration mission? No, it can't be. There's no chakra cloaking her body or indicating any sign of a henge, and why would an enemy ninja be training during a mission in a foreign land?

It just didn't make any sense.

Taking another deep breath to calm his fraying nerves, Tenzo reached for a small book in his weapons pouch. He opened it quietly, flipping through the pages, looking for pink. It was a book Danzo-sama had given him a couple of months ago, containing information about the inhabitants of Konoha, civilians and shinobi alike.

When the brown-haired ANBU finally reached the entry with a sketch of the pink-haired girl in it, he opened the pages more fully and started reading.

Name: Haruno Sakura

Sex: Female

Age: 3

Birthdate: March 28

Height: 3'1"

Weight: 31.5 lb

Bloodtype: O

Parents: Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki (Decreased)

Background  Information: Haruno Sakura's parents were civilian merchants who immigrated from  Tetsu no Kuni approximately five years ago. During a merchant trip in January, they were attacked by rogue ninja and perished.  Sakura currently resides in the Konohagakure Orphanage.

Tenzo clenched his fingers and dug his nails into his palm. Frustration and pain swarmed through his head. Sakura was a civilian orphan. There wasn't any information indicating her knowledge in the ninja arts or why she knew ninjutsu and taijutsu. It was clear that she was self-taught since her parents used to be civilians. Most civilian shinobi are either expected to join the cannon fodder or if they are lucky, a desk ninja. It's very rare to see civilian Jounin or even Chunin. Her current level is Chunin for sure.

Prodigies like her only came around rarely.

Tenzo snapped out of his thoughts when Sakura pushed herself onto her knees and wobbly stood up. She was clearly exhausted as she clenched her hands harshly into tight fists, wincing when she saw her angry red knuckles. How long has she been practicing anyway? She sighed tiredly and her fingers automatically formed the Tora hand sign as she disappeared in a poof of white smoke.

Of course. Of course, she knew shunshin. At this point, Tenzo wasn't even surprised.

Slowly he rose from his crouch, his brain trying to process all he had seen today.

Imouto.  Prodigy.  Green eyes.

Haruno Sakura was clearly skilled in the ninja arts. She would be a valuable addition to ANBU or even ROOT. There was no doubt in Tenzo's mind she would strengthen Konoha considerably. If she was this powerful when she was three, how powerful would she become as she grew older?

If she didn't get the proper training, she could become a threat. But at the same time Sakura had dull, dead green eyes. The same eyes as his—his... little sister. He wouldn't want his little sister to join an organization like ROOT.

Tenzo hardened his resolve. He had to make a choice. She was a little girl, but he was a shinobi of Konoha. Konoha, that was a hidden village and needed protecting.

Potential like her's could never be wasted. Never.

Tenzo's face stayed blank as he looked upwards, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you Imouto-chan," he whispered. "I love—loved you... but I love my village too, and I am a loyal ninja before anything else."

He didn't get a chance to live. His little sister didn't get a chance to live. And some cruel, twisted part of Tenzo didn't want this girl to have a chance to live.

(It didn't matter that to him, Sakura represented his sister. Nothing mattered anymore.)

He shunshined away to an underground hideout.

"Danzo-sama."

"Ah, Kinoe." Tenzo twitched at his old name. "It's good to see you after so long. Have you decided to rejoin ROOT? I knew you wouldn't last long with Hatake."

"No Danzo-sama. I have not."

Danzo raised an eyebrow, "Hm. Then why are you here?"

Tenzo chose his words carefully, "I have come to recommend a candidate for ROOT."

"Oh, is that so," Danzo's expression warped into one of intrigue.

"Hai, Danzo-sama. Her name is Haruno Sakura. She's on page 89 in the Konoha Information Book."

"Hm, how interesting. Fu. Torune. I want you to shadow this girl. Don't let her sense you. If she is truly as valuable as Kinoe says, we'll snatch her."

"Yes Danzo-sama," Fu and Torune materialized out of the shadows and shunshined to the Konoha Orphanage.

Danzo looked back at Tenzo, "Good job Kinoe. I had expected to no less of you."

I am a loyal ninja before anything else.

"I'll be taking my leave then." Tenzo hastily excused himself and ran to his apartment as fast as he could.

Activating his silencing seals, he entered his steaming shower and screamed. For the first time in over a decade, he truly broke down and screamed. He screamed for his dead sister. He screamed for the girl's life he had just sentenced to pain and suffering.

But mostly he screamed for the life he should've had. A life with a loving family, peace, and happiness.