A?N: Big shoutout and gratitude to my friend, who reviewed and helped me edit this chapter! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Chapter 2: Sakura awakes from her fitful slumber. Memories paired with the emotions endured were very vivid; she dimly remembers crying through most of the night. She remains lying on the soggy yet warm ground; the fire embers provide little light but the small vent opening allows some natural light to seep through. It’s still raining judging by the soft pelting of water against her dome. After minutes of staring absentmindedly at the ceiling, she slowly sits up with a low groan. Her body is still sore - she remembers the sudden burning sensation when she was in the portal and the impact of landing in her current position. She slowly inhales through her nostrils then exhales through the mouth. She rolls back the long sleeves of the tattered orange jacket so that she can grab and toss a couple of thin sticks to the pit; she lightly blows air at the embers to awaken the fire again. While she waits for the fire to rise, she looks at her hands. Her once long-fingered, calloused, and scared hands are replaced with short chubby fingers, though still calloused, and scarred. Dirt and blood are tucked underneath her nails; her palms have bits of dried mud caked on them. She started clenching and unclenching her hands, repeating the process a couple more times until she’s used to the stubby limbs. Sakura removes and then folds the jacket next to her to further assess her body. Her navy Jounin shirt is still missing the right sleeve, allowing her to see the dirt and acid burn scars still present on her pale yet short arm. The wooden bracelet the First Hokage gave to her is still around her right wrist, soaked in Sage Energy. Her left sleeve has patches of dried mud on it. Next, she extends her legs outwardly in front of her. The navy Jounin pants are too long for her new limbs so she removes them for further assessment. She also unclips her pouch from the waist belt. Her once long and toned legs are replaced with short and skinny limbs - she pinches her upper thighs then the calves to feel some muscle there. Her small feet are bare and dirty with mud and some dried blood darkening her toes. She looks left then right to see her black sandals a foot away from her. She already knows they’re not going to fit. Sakura feels the rest of her body with her hands to note her torso is smaller and shorter. Her chest bindings are loose underneath but leaves them alone for the time being. She can feel some ab muscles but mostly small amounts of chub on her sides. With curious determination, she slowly stands up on her small feet. Given how close to the ground she feels, she surmises she has the body of a child around three or four years of age. She clears her throat and says a few words aloud to hear her voice. Yup, definitely a high-pitch childish voice. So I became a child again...did the Sage intend this? Is that why my body felt like it was scorched by fire from the inside out? Sakura remembers activating her 100 Healings Seal in the middle of the pain. Perhaps that’s what the Sage meant by me surviving the journey. Still, maybe Naruto could’ve survived that because of Kurama’s healing abilities, but Sasuke and Kakashi might’ve suffered worse. The image of her leader's mask-less face pops into her mind, causing her to pout with a puppy-like whine. "I can't believe he was Sukea! That means Naruto and Sasuke also saw his face at the same time! Ugh!" Her lips tingle when she remembers Kakashi’s stunt. She can feel her cheeks blushing hot. “Stupid pervert!” She decides to refocus on the fire and throws more sticks given there’s better lighting. Now that she’s determined her current physical state, she needs to take stock of her inventory. She sits cross-legged on the ground then brings both pouches onto her lap. They’re identical in size and color but the weight of each is different. One is heavier than the other - she recalls Kakashi adding Naruto’s and Sasuke’s pouches inside. She opens the lighter pouch first to see a variety of items tucked in separate compartments. She removes all of the items and spreads them out in front of her on the ground. There are three scrolls for storage: an orange one for personal and hygienic items; a green one for medical and herbal items; and a purple one for poison vials and weapons. She carefully reads through all of them to recount how much of each item is left in their respective scrolls. Despite knowing that her packed clothes won’t fit her current body, she’s grateful to have stocked up on bathing essentials. She desperately needs a hot shower! She takes stock of her additional first-aid kit. Her assumptions of the supply count was correct given how low the contents are, but her mood brightens knowing the green scroll contains extras. A medic should always come prepared, no matter where and when they are! She grabs the small bottle containing the Soldier Pills she made, the small bag containing Food Pills, and the remaining ration packs to stuff them inside the kit. She leaves out one of the rations packs to eat after she completes her task. Unfortunately, her water canteen is empty because she drank it all during the War. Weaponry inventory isn't too bad with 6 smoke bombs, 9 kunai, 13 shuriken, 15 paper bombs, and 23 senbon needles. She has about 25 feet of coiled ninja wire left. The two three-pronged weapons with a paper seal on the hilt are sharp and slightly heavier than normal kunai. There's a faint trace of the Fourth Hokage's chakra flowing within the weapon. Her short chakra sword is still in good condition in its sheath. Lastly, her favorite black leather gloves are still in good condition. Sakura opens the second pouch Kakashi gave to her to see two additional smaller ones stuffed in. She empties the smaller ones and laughs at how different the contents are. Of course, Naruto would carry ramen flavor packs because ramen will always be part of his life! The frog-like wallet he always carried around looks like a saggy lump, but its face has a permanent little smile. She doesn’t check the amount of money that’s inside; instead, she gently places the froggy lump on top of her clothing pile. His arsenal isn't too bad; it added 6 kunai (most have a dull tip with sharp sides), 6 shuriken, and 7 smoke bombs to her stock. She's pleased to see he carried and used some of her special-made Soldier Pills along with her medical kit - the stars know how clumsy that goofball can be, with or without the Tailed Beasts chakra quickly healing him. What's surprising is the pocket-sized book she finds. "'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi'? Huh." There's no summary on the back so she opened it to the first page. It's about a shinobi with the same name as her goofball enduring the hardships of conflict, war, and hatred throughout his travels. A bit of a dull synopsis but maybe the author left a message. She goes to the last page of the book and gasps to see a young version of Jiraiya. Now it makes sense why Naruto would have it. She closes the book and places it underneath the frog-like wallet and continues with the next set. Sasuke's arsenal added 6 smoke bombs, 10 paper bombs, 20 kunai, and 20 shuriken along with the sheathed sword that's lying beside her. She recalls him - before his betrayal- saying that the Uchiha Clan were skilled with multiple types of weaponry; hence why they often carry weapon storage scrolls. He's of no exception as evident by the beige and green scroll inked with seals. She's impressed by the sheer amount of each item listed. Maybe Tenten - a member of Team Gai and a skilled Weapon Mistress - would've been impressed too. Speaking of Tenten, memories of her other friends flash before her eyes. Sai, Captain Yamato, Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, Lee, Choji, Kiba and Akamaru, Shino, Neji - She sniffs when the image of Neji dying appears. If only she got to him in time… Would saving him make a change in the outcome? She gasps at the sudden thought because she would've tried! She would've tried to save him so that Hinata and Naruto and Hiashi wouldn't have to suffer! What difference does that make if the outcome is still the same? Her eyes widen at the familiar voice in her head. No. You…I thought you… Miss me? Awe~ I miss ya too Outer. Inner…But I thought… Sakura closes her eyes and can see the silhouette of her other self, outlined in white against the black background. She looks exactly like her teenage self instead of her current physical form. She takes a deep breath then exhales after holding it in for 10 seconds. Her emerald-green eyes open to stare at the fire, at which she throws another stick. Why are you back? You're going to need me, Outer. With all of that knowledge gifted to you from the previous Hokages and the extra chakra reserves, you need a way to protect them from enemies. But The Sage of Six Paths placed a seal -! She gasps at the thought. She hastily pulls the hem of the shirt upwards to tuck it under her chin to get a better look at her chest. She's disheartened when she sees her flat chest underneath the loose bindings. Disregarding that issue, she removes them to see the seal the Sage etched into her skin. Official Seal Artist: Dreamy (me) Digital Art Software: ibisPaint X Date: 2.11.21 Sakura hums as she examines the seal as best as she could from her point of view. Her chubby fingers ghost over the Kanji characters that make up the lines of the seal and can feel an eminent warmth. Her index finger traces the centerpiece, feeling the same energy as the lettering. Seems like there's a rhombus theme going on! Inner snickers. Like, c'mon! The five on your forehead and the four on your chest? It's not like I had a say in the design! She argues. She heavily sighs then casts one last glance at the seal before shifting her attention to her body. Because she activated her Seal when she was in the time portal, all of the injuries she sustained were healed. She adjusts the shirt until she's covered. Anyway, why would you return? As I've said, you need me to keep your gifts safeguarded. Think of me as your second line of defense just in case. Inner crosses her arms. And… What? I could help you keep your thoughts between our timeline and this one straight so that you don't become confused. She pauses while Sakura contemplates the idea. Trust me, Outer, it's a lot of information that's too valuable to be known by the wrong people. …Yeah, you're right. But let's talk about that later. Let's finish checking our inventory before we get into that conversation. Maybe we should summon Lady Katsuyu too. She is our companion who knows the situation. Sakura hums in agreement with a pensive expression. Back to her task, she quickly notes that Sasuke also carried several vials. Considering that he trained under Orochimaru, a former student of Hiruzen Sarutobi, one of the Legendary Three, and a traitor of Konoha, she suspects they're vials of poison. She carefully sets them aside with a promise to study their components at a later date. With nothing else to see, she moves onto Kakashi's items in the pouch. As she expected of the infamous Scarecrow, his pack is well prepared. Granted, he used some of his arsenal during the war, but his pouch is still well equipped. His weaponry stock adds 6 chili powder bombs, 8 smoke bombs, 11 paper bombs, 25 kunai, 25 shuriken, 26 feet of coiled ninja wire, and 29 senbon needles. He also included his short sheathed chakra sword. He also carries the medical kit she gave to him before he was deployed, and she's pleased to see the visible signs of it being (marginally) used. Much like what she did previously, she places the bottle of standard Soldier Pills, the bag of Food Pills, and the remaining ration packs into the kit as well. His water canteen has about 1/3 of clean water left, so she sets it beside her canteen. There's an orange scroll, indicating that it contains his personal and hygienic items, and a dark blue one with white rims. She unravels the latter to discover camping gear stored within - a tent, extra sleeping bags, pillows, blankets; kitchenette items like utensils, pots and pans, and some seasonings; oil lamps with extra oil canisters and matches; a flint, and emergency flare sticks. "I could've used these if I knew earlier." She muses with a humored smile. Moving onwards, she places the metal headband with the Kanji characters for "Shinobi Alliance" beside Naruto's on the clothing pile. A shiver runs down her spine after remembering her headband fell into the lava pit when Kaguya teleported Team 7 into the volcanic dimension. The next set of items she finds causes a childish laugh to escape from her. "Of course he would, that pervert!" She's referring to the four very familiar books he always carried around: Icha Icha Paradise, Icha Icha Violence, Icha Icha Innocence, and Icha Icha Tactics. She's surprised he willingly - or stupidly - brought the autographed versions with him to war. She digresses in favor of quickly flipping through the page of the first book when two things fell out of the pages. She frantically grabs them before they either fall to the damp ground or into the fire pit. A breath of relief slips through her lips then curiously looks at the items. Her eyes widen at the sight of two pictures: one of Team Minato and one of Team Kakashi. She remembers seeing these same photos inside Kakashi's apartment in the rare times she went there; both of them were framed and beside his bed. She looks at the second photo with a wistful smile as memories of their naïve Genin days flicker in her mind. "I miss how simple life used to be before everything went downhill." She wistfully says aloud. Her eyes shift to the first photo and lingers upon seeing an adolescent version of the man that became her team instructor and commanding officer. I wonder…would I meet teenage Kakashi during this time? We need to find out how far into the past the Sage sent us first. Inner reminds. You're right. Sakura hums. I wish he could’ve told us what time period he sent us to, but I understand the logic for not doing so. It was to ensure Kaguya wouldn't be able to follow after us. But we still have to be careful. We don't know where the bitch teleported to after slicing off Naruto's and Sasuke's arms. A deep frown settles on her childish features. Do you think she spied on us while hiding nearby? It's possible. Inner runs a hand through her short hair with a sigh, If she did, she'd probably appear somewhere near us assuming she jumped at the same time we did. She probably hid away before you awoke. I doubt she'd leave me alive. She could've killed me in the time portal too. She could've been dropped off at a different time period than us. Sakura tries to rack her brain for different possibilities, but the laws and outcomes of Time-Travel are always a mystery. Most of it are hypotheticals and assumptions in the attempt to understand the concept. She's one of those people who think it's possible, just very challenging to achieve such a feat. Now that she witnessed and experienced going through a time-portal…well, she's delighted to know that it's possible but is afraid of the unknown aftermath. I think the Sage would've sensed his mother if she was spying on us. I mean, he is her son and has about the same prowess as her. He'd warn us if we were endangered. That's very likely. You're right in that we need to be careful from now on. For all we could know, she might be able to Time-Travel as well considering the amount of chakra needed. Both Inner and Outer frown at the possibility, but there's nothing they can do about it other than plan for their next move. Let's think of the bright side of things! If I landed in the time of Kakashi's childhood, then that means I could prevent his tragic life from happening. When Team 7 were Genins, Kakashi took them to Konoha's Cemetery to instill a lesson about their fallen brothers and sisters - how they were killed in action during missions, some of whom risk their lives for others. There's one particular grave that he led them to and told the story of what the befallen did on their mission. She later realizes the befallen he spoke of was The White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake. His father. That was the most he ever shared about his personal life, even if he didn't directly say the name of the befallen. If her master, Tsunade, hadn't mentioned Kakashi's life, Sakura wouldn't have made the connection. If you somehow managed that, then maybe the outcome of his teammates would have different fates. Assuming you're in the right time period. Sakura glumly nods her head. Well, even if I'm not we can still make significant changes! A new sense of hope adds to her determination of succeeding this long -long- mission. Her stomach loudly grumbles, so she places the emptied bag onto the ground then grabs the ration pack and Kakashi's water canteen. The ration pack is bland and dry, yet it satisfies the hunger for the next few hours. She throws the wrapper into the fire pit along with a few more sticks to keep it burning. After taking a moment to overview her current inventory, she begins packing them away neatly. She combines all of the medical supplies into her green scroll except for her first-aid kit being available for quick access. She seals Sasuke's vials of poison into her purple scroll. She inserts both photos in-between the pages of Icha Icha Paradise then seals all four books, the Alliance metal headband, and Kakashi's short sword into his orange scroll. Next, she seals his orange scroll, Naruto's metal headband, the frog-like wallet, his pocket-sized book, Sasuke's sheathed sword, and her Jounin pants and sandals into her orange storage scroll. Sakura stores all of the color-coded scrolls, the first-aid kit, and both water canteens in her large pouch. She packs 6 chili bombs, 6 smoke bombs, 10 paper bombs, 20 kunai, 20 shuriken, 25 senbon needles, 25 feet of coiled ninja wire, and her black leather gloves into the separate compartments. All of the remaining weapons are packed into the second large pouch. Satisfied, she sets them aside. Now, she focuses on her current state of dress. She rolls up the left sleeve up to her wrist and does the same for the sleeve of Naruto's jacket before putting it on again. Her shirt reaches down to her mid-calf while the jacket nearly engulfs her entire form; the hem reaches to her ankles. She surmises that one of the pouches will act as a temporary belt. Instead of wearing his metal headband, she temporarily places it inside the jacket's pocket. "Okay! Time to summon Lady Katsuyu!" She bits hard on the pad of her right thumb with her canine incisors and performs the necessary hand signs with chakra gathering in her right hand. "Summoning Technique!" She slams her palm on the ground with black seal markings spread out in a circle. A small plume of smoke arises from the point of contact. When she removes her hand and the smoke dissipates, a white slug with three blue streaks that run vertically down the middle and sides of its body from its head to its tail is left in the center of the black circle. The slug, about a foot long, lifts its head upwards with its optical tentacles shifting their focus on its summoner. "Lady Sakura! I'm so relieved to see you're alright!" The slug exclaims with a feminine voice. The lone child smiles in return then wordlessly picks up the slug and firmly embraces her. "Milady?" Katsuyu calls out in concern, especially after feeling her summoner's body shake. She can hear her sniffling; the slug surmises that her summoner is crying so she waits patiently. "It'll be okay, Lady Sakura. I will help you in any way I can." Katsuyu consoles as she rests her head in the crook of her summoner's neck. Sakura chokes on a sob, "Thank you, Lady Katsuyu." A/N: I added Inner Sakura as an afterthought because I actually forgot about her. I pre-planned to use Katsuyu as Sakura's main voice of reason during times of doubt, someone for her to confide to when needed, a consultant. But then I realized there's gonna be times where Katsuyu isn't present in the scenarios, so I added Inner Sakura. Basically, Inner's role is like a record keeper of the timelines, a second line of defense, and to prevent Sakura from having a mental breakdown because of the sheer amount of information and memories she gained. As for Inner's appearance, she looks exactly like Teenage Sakura during the war, only outline in white against the black mindscape. She's going to be more present in the future, so look forward to read more! Weaponry Count:
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