Chapter Text
Explosions could be heard all around her from pre-planted paper bombs, set to explode if someone or something moved through the earth around it. It was one of their most primitive measures they had taken against Zetsu, and it surprised her that even one detonated. It was telling of how busy Zetsu was at the moment that he fell for those traps. Zetsu was a mastermind at manipulating the battlefield and Madara. It was taking the Allied Shinobi Forces everything they had to put up a somewhat reasonable resistance. But they were getting slaughtered.
Their generals were dead, their strategy was obliterated. The battlefield had turned to chaos. Team 7 fell into defensive positions around each other as waves of white Zetsu clones attacked them. Throughout the battle it was made obvious that each clone had a special seal that allowed the clone to pick up a person and displace them in time. He was using these seals to get rid of their most effective shinobi without even fighting. It was devastating. Zetsu didn't even need to be directly in the battle, giving him time to form the Ten-Tails.
While they were fighting hard not to be taken, making slow progress towards their enemy, Naruto grabbed a seal off of a Zetsu clone.
"Going back and fixing this before it happens might be the only way we survive!" The blond yelled over his rasengan and nearby chidori.
"How can we do that though, Naruto? What can possibly fix this?" Sakura shouted back at him after punching through the chests of several clones.
"I don't know but there has to be a way! Let me look at this seal!" With that, Naruto produced even more shadow clones to defend himself while he studied Zetsu's seal.
"Idiot, what do you think you can do with one of his own seals?" Sasuke yelled at Naruto, but for once the jinchuuriki didn't rise to the bait. He was entirely focused on the seal and altering it somehow.
Sakura and Sasuke focused back on defending themselves and one another from the onslaught of Zetsu's army. After an eternity of Naruto focused on the seal, he leapt up, holding the paper aloft.
"I did it! I did it! Sakura, you're going to save the day!"
"Wait, me?! Why me? When are you sending me? Naruto! How do I even fix this?" He didn't stop to answer her questions as he bolted across the field to her. He slapped the seal on her neck and sent a jolt of chakra into it.
"Naruto!" Sakura screamed, "what have you done?"
"I know you can do it, Sakura! Just remember everything about this battle and everything we learned from Old Man Otsutsuki!" Sasuke's eyes were wide as he watched Sakura vanish from where she was standing.
"Look out!" Naruto yelled and he leapt back into the fray, blocking a kunai headed straight for Sasuke's shocked face.
–
Sakura had been making eye contact with Sasuke when her vision blacked out. She couldn't see anything, and then was blinded by light. Just as quickly, it was gone. But again, the blinding light was back. She was suspended, kept in this flickering environment when she fell unceremoniously onto the ground in a forest. Groaning, she rose to her feet and realized she didn't recognize the landscape.
Reaching out with her chakra, Sakura realized she was alone. If Naruto had sent her back only a short while, there should have been a village nearby. This was not good. Sakura had no idea where or when she was. She had to assume she was in the same location as when she was sent back. So she was in the Land of Lightning. Sakura decided to head in a meandering south-westward fashion, to see if she could find any landmarks she recognized.
As Sakura first set out, it was easy for her to put the circumstances of her situation out of her head. This is a normal mission, she repeated to herself over and over again. However, as she traveled farther, she couldn’t maintain that mantra anymore. Villages she knew to exist were nowhere to be seen. People who were obviously shinobi had no headbands and wore a lot of armor. It took all of Sakura’s kunoichi training to quell her rising panic.
She avoided crossing paths with anyone until her supplies ran low. Then, she was forced to enter a village near the border of Lightning and Frost to restock. It was obvious that the villagers were incredibly wary of her. They kept glancing at her exposed skin, and headband. She was turned away at several carts also. When she finally found someone willing to sell to her, Sakura was shocked that her Konoha money wasn’t recognized as official currency.
“Miss, I can’t sell these items to you without proper money.”
“Sir, I don’t know why your establishment doesn’t recognize my money, but this is all the currency I have.”
“I’m sorry then Miss, you’ll have to take your business elsewhere.” Sakura glanced down at the supplies she was trying to purchase; dried rations to last six weeks, a travel pot to boil water, a new flint and steel, and a travel yukata. Feeling desperate, Sakura made eye contact once again with the vendor.
“Will you allow me to barter for these products?” One of his eyebrows raised skeptically.
“What could you possibly offer me to be worth all of this?”
“I’m a healer, I can cure all of this village’s sick for these items.” Before she even finished her offer, he was shaking his head.
“Can’t give you good product for fairy tales. Take your attempted business elsewhere, Miss.”
“I’m not kidding, I can help this village!”
“Leave before I get someone who will make you.” Sakura balked at causing a scene in this village, but before she could stop herself, she grabbed one of her own kunai and slashed her arm. The man’s eyes grew large watching her freely bleed. Several people nearby stopped to watch. Calmly, Sakura brought a glowing green hand up to her wound and she watched the vendor’s eyes glue themselves to her wound as he watched the skin knit itself back together.
“I was being serious when I offered to heal this village’s sick for these items. Was that enough of a display to make you believe in my skills?” Wordlessly, the vendor nodded his head.
“I’ve never even heard of skills like that! You don’t even need to heal the whole village. My wife has been sick for the past year and has recently become bedridden. Would you help her, Miss Healer?” As he was speaking, he was packing up Sakura’s purchases. Smiling at him, she nodded and he led her away to his wife.
Healing the vendor’s wife was not an intensive job, and on her way out of the village, several more people approached her to humbly ask for her assistance. Everyone, from her patients to their family members were shocked at her skills, and all were incredibly grateful for her life-saving assistance. The leader of the poor village tried to persuade her to stay for absolutely free if she would continue to offer her services. She gently denied this offer, as she needed to know what happened to the Land of Fire.
Painstakingly convincing the villagers of her authenticity became routine as she made her serpentine way towards the land Konohagakure should be on. Sakura continued her travels towards her home, and she bartered for medicinal herbs and stoneware so she could start to build up her medical supplies. Finally, she entered what she knew to be the Land of Fire. The landscape was familiar, almost identical to what she remembered, but infinitesimally different. Enough to put her on extreme edge. She began to hurry towards where Konoha should be. But needing more herbs native to the Land of Fire just in case, Sakura decided to stop at a village she sensed near her.
Once there, she began her normal procedure for bartering her medical ninjutsu for supplies. Only this time, the store clerk was more than startled at her display.
“Are you a Senju?” Hearing this question, Sakura’s stomach dropped to her feet.
“Why do you ask?” She pasted a dumb smile on her face, hoping the man would draw his own conclusions from her bypassing his question.
“I’ve only heard of skills like that from Lord Hashirama. The Senju treat us well whenever they travel through this village, of course we will accept your proposal for these supplies. I will have my daughter pack up your herbs and supplies and I will show you to our sick. Thank you for helping us, Lady Senju.” Sakura smiled weakly at him while she nodded. Hearing him speak, it confirmed Sakura’s suspicions.
She was in the Warring States period. After seeing every passing village’s response to her attire and obvious combat readiness coupled with her gender, it only made sense. Sakura had just been hoping to be proven wrong and find Konoha, even if Hashirama or Tobirama were Hokage. There was no home to go to. Sakura had to make sure there would be a home to go to one day.
Sakura followed the shop clerk when he began to lead her away. She numbly dealt with all of the ill or injured people that were presented to her. With vacant eyes she accepted the package of her supplies from the shop clerk, and quickly left the small village. Sakura fled in the direction of Konoha, tears finally leaking from her eyes. Did Naruto mean to send her back so far? Could she ever go home? How could she save the world if there was no village, no Hokage to help her if she needed it? How would she even find and deal with Zetsu?
Trying desperately to not fall into a wild despair, Sakura focused on running at her top speed. She channeled chakra into her feet, calves, thighs, and hips to achieve that. Deciding to not give into any emotion until she saw Konoha for herself or not focused her.
After several hours of intensely fast tree-hopping and running, Sakura climbed the backside of Hokage Mountain. Despite her exhaustion at hours of max speed with a lot of chakra usage, she bolted up the mountain, eager to see the village despite her misgivings. Sakura finally crested the mountain, and saw a lush forest. Feeling as if she was punched in the gut, she fell to her knees and Sakura screamed, allowing herself to give into her despair for the first time since Naruto sent her back, since the Fourth Shinobi War started, since she watched her beloved comrades fall beside her.
–
It took Sakura several days of wildly fluctuating emotions before she settled down to work. She decided that her best bet would be staying around Konoha’s future location. Afterall, the clan heads of the Senju and Uchiha were sort of familiar with the area already, right? Sakura began building herself a small shelter from the elements to sleep and to make medicine in. A plan was already forming in her mind. By day, she would travel to villages throughout the Land of Fire to heal sick and injured, and to see if she could get any intel on the founding clans of her village. By night, she would make medical supplies to support herself.
She isn’t successful at routing information about the Uchiha or Senju. Most people don’t know much, and the ones that she can tell know something are too suspicious of her. Even after healing, they don’t share their information. Sakura hopes that her assisting the villages she does on a consistent basis will change people’s minds about her, so she sticks to her plan.
Several months after becoming a wandering healer for the Land of Fire, Sakura is back at her base making various poultices and pills when she senses a significant collection of chakra only a couple miles from her. Setting down her equipment, Sakura cast several obfuscating genjutsu around her shelter as she left.
She had never sensed a gathering of energy as strong as what she sensed now in this time period, so Sakura moved with extreme caution towards the gathering. As she grew closer, she could make out the sounds of battle. Sakura hid herself in the treeline of the clearing that was currently a warzone, able to watch the whole fray. The first person Sakura sees in the battle took her by complete surprise though, and she almost blew her cover.
She could have sworn Sasuke Uchiha was fighting Tobirama Senju. Only, Naruto most likely would not have sent Sasuke back also. Upon further inspection, she realized it was not Sasuke, but likely some Uchiha ancestor who her friend closely resembled. Glancing around the rest of the battle, she saw the founders of her village, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha locked in a fierce battle. Seeing Madara fighting prowess up close again almost made Sakura sick with the memories of Kakashi being cut down by him. She chooses to focus on Tobirama’s battle with the Uchiha that looks like Sasuke.
The pair are evenly matched, and neither manages to get the upper-hand and hold it. They only land glancing blows on the other. That is, until Hashirama attacks Madara with several vines that burst from the earth, and the Uchiha that so reminded her of Sasuke lost his focus for a split second, and glanced at Madara. That was all the opening Tobirama needed, and the Senju swiped his katana across the Uchiha’s chest, deeply. Immediately Sakura can tell that the Uchiha will die from his wound if left untreated. It is too severe a wound in the midst of a battle. Blood trickled from his mouth, and he fell to his knees coughing.
Disregarding her prior urge to remain hidden, Sakura launched herself into the battle from her vantage point in the trees. She broke the ground as she landed, drawing the attention of everyone on the battlefield. Her abrupt appearance drew the attention of Tobirama also, briefly interrupting him performing a killing blow on his opponent. Sakura made a bee-line to the mystery Uchiha, who was trying to stem his blood loss. Tobirama tried to stop her approaching the Uchiha, but Hashirama, who Sakura didn’t even see move, silently put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. His brown eyes watched her as Tobirama, conflicted, stayed his hand, looking to his brother.
Falling to her knees next to the dying Uchiha, she started her medical ninjutsu. His eyes, so like her friend’s, locked onto hers with intense suspicion.
“I’m going to heal you. There’s no time to fight about it, question me later.” She barely noticed his weak nod. She did not notice his eyes lock onto another pair behind her, as Sakura immediately laid her hands on his torso and set to work. His lung was cut with the blade, as well as most of his upper intestines. As well as major arteries. She made a noise of frustration and flew through the hand signs to summon Katsuyu. The back of her neck where Naruto had placed the seal warmed up with her jutsu.
“Lady Sakura! When I–” Sakura waved a hand to interrupt the slug. There was no time, and they couldn’t discuss her world in front of the village founders.
“I need you to help me with the bleeding. We will discuss that later.”
“Of course, Lady Sakura.” Katsuyu slithered on to the Uchiha’s abdomen and began channeling Sakura’s chakra to heal the damage to his blood vessels. She focused back on the damage to his internal organs. Slowly, the pair of them healed the wounded Uchiha. When Katsuyu finished with the damage to the blood vessels, she fixed his layers of muscles and skin before poofing out of existence. Finally, Sakura finished her own work and she handed the Uchiha a blood pill.
“You must eat this to start recovering beyond what I did. If your clan has healers, I would recommend another treatment going over what I did just in case.” He took the pill from her and inspected it before putting it in his mouth and crunching it. Seeing this, she wiped the sweat from her brow and stretched before rising. When she turned around from her patient, she came face to face with Madara Uchiha, sharingan bright. Sakura was unable to stop her eyes widening at the sudden sight of him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Breathing slowly, Sakura reminded herself that this wasn't the man she had seen destroying everything in the war. This was his time, and she had acted incredibly suspiciously and now she had to fix it.
“Healing this man.”
“Why?” His red eyes narrowed at her. The Senju brothers watched and listened to her from a few yards behind the irate Uchiha.
“Brother, enough. I am alive, do not make her regret saving me.” A smooth voice called out from behind her. So she saved Madara Uchiha’s brother. Wasn’t his name Izuna?
“Not just anyone can interrupt a Uchiha-Senju battle. Who are you, and why did you save my brother?” Sakura couldn’t maintain her grip on her temper anymore, as the exhaustion of providing all of the chakra for a life-saving surgery was not a small cost.
“I saved him because it was the right thing to do! How many Uchiha and Senju die in the vain pissing contest between your clans? And besides, my only goal for anything I do is peace! I doubt you would have been receptive to the concept of peace if your brother was cut down right in front of you!” He snorted at her answer.
“What a naive kunoichi. Still, I must thank you for saving Izuna. What clan are you from?” The already quiet clearing became silent at this question, and she could see the Senju’s clear interest in her answer.
“I don’t hail from a clan. I provide medical treatment to everyone without discrimination. I am based in the forest.” She made a vague gesture towards her shelter.
“I also don’t need your thanks. Just stop and think about if the constant killing is justified.” With that, Sakura begins to leave the battlefield. No one stops her, and she doesn’t hear fighting start again behind her. As she travels stealthily back to her base, she senses the chakra in the clearing dissipate, signalling that both sides left. She smiled at that.
Back at her base, Sakura is panicking about her decision to appear and show some of her skills in front of both the Senju and Uchiha. She didn’t know if this would be the best way to slowly get involved in the current times and begin her mission. What would she do if either side approached and asked for her dedicated services to their clan? What if the Uchiha weren’t interested, and only the Senju approached?
It made sense to Sakura that Zetsu would be around Madara at least somewhat during this time, and if she wanted to find him, she needed to stick by what she knew of her elusive target. He was dead set on manipulating Indra’s reincarnation, which was currently Madara. She had to stay by the Uchiha. Knowing what she knew of Tobirama, and what she saw on the battlefield, her perceived favoritism would not be well received by the Senju. How could she help alleviate that feeling?
Sakura paced her small quarters trying to think of a solution. Most long distance communication in her own time relied on messenger hawks still, and she doubted either clan would be receptive to constant communication between both clan compounds. Her eyes landed on her weapons pouch. Sai didn’t use messenger hawks and he had given her several of his special scrolls before the war as she was bouncing between the front lines and leading the medics.
Unsealing her Konoha jounin uniform, Sakura made sure her messenger scrolls were still in a pouch on the breast of her vest. They were. She had a moment of doubt in her preparations, but reassured herself that neither clan were the type to leave such a mystery left behind. Planning an outfit of black pants, a black long sleeve shirt, her jounin vest, her shinobi sandals, her leather gloves, and a simple black wrap to replace her headband, Sakura finally settled herself. There was no changing what she had already done, and she felt moderately confident in her mental preparations for meeting the legendary men again.