Two of a Kind

Full Summary: Naruto departs for training on Turtle Island, unaware that the Fourth Shinobi World War is just on the horizon. Meanwhile, Sakura is forced to come to terms with her failure of eliminating Sasuke and shouldering her team's burdens on her own. Throughout all this turmoil, Sakura is requested to go on a C-rank mission by orders of Tsunade. Seems easy enough for her. Until she is ambushed by a masked assailant and left for dead. Barely surviving, Sakura awakens to find herself transported to a Konoha that's very different than her own. Unbeknownst to her, she befriends the teenage versions of Naruto's deceased parents, Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze. Twenty-six years away from her home, Sakura is determined to find a way back to the present. Yet, matters get more complicated when she's somehow thrust into village conspiracies and those with dark intentions ... for all her bravery, will it prove too much?

Main Pairings: Mostly MinaKushi as most of this story takes place in the past. However, NaruSaku is implied frequently and will gain a much larger role as the story goes on. I guess you can call this is a little NaruSakuSasu too ... it has some one-sided SasuSaku here and there from Sakura's side and will be addressed a few times. If you don't like the pairings, then don't read. I don't listen to complaints about pairing choice, alright?

Timeline: Starts immediately after the Kage Summit Arc, partially through the Confining the Jinchuriki Arc, and more heavily around the War Arc in later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, NaruSaku would be canon by now, Sasuke wouldn't have turned evil, and Naruto's parents would still be alive. This is purely for entertainment purposes.

A/N: I just thought of this due to my desire to see Sakura/Kushina interaction. That's not the entire reason for this story, but I found it fun to imagine this. :) No flames or bashing please. This is my first fanfic so go easy on me.

Constructive criticisms is always welcome. :)

Departure

~~Sakura~~

Sakura Haruno trekked down the path hesitantly, her steps slowing as she rounded a short building into another route towards the outskirts of the village. Directly ahead of her, the path widened and became more spacious. Observing her surroundings, the medical ninja saw the shoreline near the path that separated them from the sea.

As she walked further on with more hurried movements, she recognized the large, wooden-planked peer that stretched out wide several yards away from her. Beside it, a ship jutted out distinguishably against the noon sky as the white sails ruffled gently in the wind. Having it finally in sight, Sakura paused to inspect the view.

Looking up, the medical ninja noticed two figures on top of the deck. Narrowing her eyes a little to make them out, she recognized her team captain Yamato immediately by his bushy, brown hair. He appeared distracted and even from this distance, Sakura saw he was looking at a map with careful scrutiny. Right next to him, she vaguely recognized the form of jonin Aoba as he pointed to the map they were assessing. There were of little interest to her though. Neither of them was the person she was looking for.

Lowering her gaze as she searched desperately, the pink-haired medical ninja felt relief course through as she found her target. She spotted a splash of bright, spiky blonde hair at the foot of the ship that was close to the small bridge leading up to the deck of ship. Naruto appeared to be talking to Guy, but there was no question they were very close to their departure. The inaudible discussion was short and in no time at all, Guy apparently gave the blonde a thumbs up and boarded the ship himself.

Not wasting another moment thinking, Sakura broke off into a run as she realized that her friend was about to get on the ship as well. Eating up the distance in quick movements, the medical ninja made it more than halfway before the blonde even came to close to getting on. "Naruto, wait!" She called to him strongly, waving her arm to help get his attention.

Naruto whipped his head back in surprise as he recognized her. The blonde-haired halted from boarding the ship immediately, waiting for her expectantly until the pinkette dashed up and stood directly in front of him.

As Sakura regained her breath, Naruto was smiling at her brightly. "Hey, Sakura-chan!" He greeted happily. "Just about ready to leave for training. So what is it?" He asked cheerfully.

The pinkette frowned briefly at his words. I knew that, but ... you didn't even tell me you're leaving now. She noted to herself, a part of her bothered by that. Normally, she'd be annoyed with him for not letting her know now but lately ... she just couldn't be. Swallowing back her discomfort, the medical ninja looked back at him. "I came to see you off is all. I haven't seen you in a while." Sakura replied honestly.

Saying that had been an easy decision was a lie. It took her a while to decide whether she really should or not. While both of them made an extreme effort to hide it, things had been complicated between her and Naruto ever since the Land of Iron. It didn't seem to affect their close friendship too much ... but Sakura still knew something was off and she was certain Naruto did too. Because of that, she had worried if it was the right thing to do. Was it too soon?

But Sakura knew one thing. Whatever happened between her and Naruto, she was still his friend and he would always be important to her; she wanted him to know that he had her support.

Naruto looked embarrassed, rubbing the back as his head in characteristic sheepishness. "Sorry, Sakura-chan." He apologized bashfully, but despite his coyness she saw a glimmer of guilt in his face. "I've just been busy with Captain Yamato. Getting supplies for the trip and stuff, ya know?" He explained awkwardly, dropping his arm. From his expression, Sakura realized she didn't need to tell Naruto she was a bit upset he hadn't told her he was leaving so soon.

Studying his face, Sakura wondered if he was telling the truth. Maybe he had been avoiding her to some extent. He'd probably be guilty either way. Still, it was nice to know he was apologetic about it even if there was a possibility he wasn't being honest. "It's alright, Naruto. I've been dealing with my own stuff anyway." The pink-haired teenager stated reassuringly, forcing a smile.

Really it was a lie. The past one and a half weeks had been slow and all she's really been doing was helping out Tsunade here and there. But Naruto didn't need to know that, so she wasn't going to tell him. He didn't need more to feel bad over.

Naruto still looked a bit guilty, but nodded his head hesitantly. For a while they just looked at each other and neither of them seemed to know what to say. It eventually reached the point where Sakura got so uncomfortable, she deliberately wouldn't look him in the eye. What exactly could she say to him now? "Good luck"? Sure, that's what she usually did. But why did even that suddenly seem too hard to say? This awkward silence was killing her and what's more was that this rarely ever happened between her and Naruto.

The realization struck her hard. It was true. This didn't happen between her and Naruto. They had one of the most natural and comfortable friendships ever. The medic-nin missed that so much. That simple, uncomplicated relationship they had before everything that happened with them recently. Simple? Uncomplicated? Who am I kidding. This was bound to happen sooner or later. She reprimanded herself resignedly, knowing that saying she shouldn't have expected this was big lie full of ignorance and denial.

But what made it worse was that it was her fault. Sakura didn't make the right choices (again) and now neither of them know how to act with each other sometimes. I shouldn't have done those things. It's why we've been avoiding each other, I just know it! If only I could fix this ... Sakura thought miserably, a rush of guilt and emotion enveloping her.

There were so many things she wanted to tell Naruto about her confession to him. Explain why she did what she did and how she truly felt. What she felt regarding their relationship. But, no matter how much she wished to, she couldn't find the words. It was like her courage was sucked up and all that was left was pretending it didn't happen. For Sakura, on the inside, that was impossible. But she was still too scared to bring it up. Knowing that just made her feel more guilty.

So where exactly did that leave their relationship now? Stagnant. Complicated. Confusing, but trying to cover it up. There were no closer defining what kind of relationship they had than the were months ago. Or at least, that's what Sakura believed. Naruto seemed to make his thoughts on their relationship very clear back in the Land of Iron and who even knew what he was thinking now.

Just when the crippling silence was getting too insufferable, it finally broke. "The trip on sea's gonna be boring though." Naruto complained loudly, his voice full of distaste. This noisy statement tore Sakura out her distressing thoughts, raising her head to look at him surprise. She hadn't expected that sudden change of mood. He had a genuinely disgruntled look on his face with his arms around his head. "A whole month on a ship? What the hell am I supposed to do the entire time? Lay around all day?"

Sakura stared at him still in surprise, but recovered with a slow smile. She knew what Naruto was doing and she was grateful for it. Registering his complaining comment, the medical ninja glanced at him sharply. "Why not? You're really good at that, after all." She retorted, sounding a little annoyed but mostly teasing as she recalled the blonde's capacity to sleep until noon on multiple occasions.

"Sakura-chan ..." Naruto whined in protest.

The medic-nin didn't waver. "You know it's true." She muttered pointedly, closing her eyes as she forced herself to look a little more irritated; it was really just a half-hearted effort.

"Doesn't mean you have to point it out though!" Naruto pointed out pettily, sounding only slightly defensive as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up in that childish pout of his when she said something he didn't like. Sakura observed with a fond smile, recalling there was once a time when she found that trait of his annoying.

Right then, another voice broke into the conversation. A more distant shout was heard and the two teenagers turned their heads. It was Yamato, on the edge of the deck with his hands on the wooden railing. "Naruto! It's time to go!" He yelled down at him, staring at his blonde charge with expectancy as Aoba and Guy stood to the side a little ways off.

"Just a sec!" Naruto shouted up at him, then turned back to Sakura immediately. "I gotta go now, Sakura-chan." He stated, but the look on his face was filled with confidence and optimism. "But don't worry! I'm gonna come back soon and when I do, I'm gonna be way stronger!" The blonde-haired declared straightforwardly as he held up his fist, his blue eyes twinkling with excitement and determination.

Sakura didn't say anything instantly, his typical bragging words triggering her memory suddenly. "Training, huh ...?" The medical ninja responded thoughtfully, more to herself than Naruto. Her best friend wanting to train was nothing new, but there was a part of her that was concerned now considering the cirumstances. "But there's something that's ..." She murmured slowly, but cut herself off before she could fully express the thoughts she partly didn't want to.

Naruto blinked, still loosely holding up his arm with a ignorant look on his face. "Huh?" He exclaimed innocently.

The pink-haired girl felt nervousness knaw at her, but she controlled it. "It's just that ... this next training regimen is a bit different. You're going all the way to the Land of Lightning to do it and there's no telling how hard it's going to be. Controlling the Kyuubi like that isn't easy, after all." Sakura explained awkwardly, staring at him more anxiously than she wanted. "And ... some other things too." The medical ninja added lamely, her voice low. Like training to fight Sasuke-kun. Sakura finished, feeling troubled. That held so much more significance to her now that she had truly recognized the dark Uchiha's intent to kill and that his number one target was Naruto himself. Though, despite her concerns, Sakura hadn't been able to say it to the blonde outright.

Naruto's confused look died, becoming considerably more serious as he gazed at her unflinchingly. "I need to be strong enough if I'm gonna stop Sasuke. And that's not going to happen if I stay here." The blonde-haired shinobi stated matter-of-factly, giving her a look that almost seemed stern with her. After a beat, he turned his head to side and looked more frustrated. "I'm the only one who can handle Sasuke, Sakura-chan. I just need to settle all of this, once and for all!" He declared without any hesitation, his blue eyes hard with tenacity.

Seeing the stubborn look in his eyes didn't surprise her and it didn't make her feel any better. That's not what I meant, Naruto. Sakura thought resignedly, feeling dismayed. She knew Naruto was the only person who could take care of Sasuke. Just like she knew that there was no stopping their impending fight and that as much hated it, there was nothing she could do to help them. The medic already accepted that Team 7's future and Sasuke's was between Naruto and Sasuke. Not her. All she could do was watch.

What was bothering her was a statement of Naruto's recently that she tried to represss. In fact, if she was completely honest, it worried the hell out of her when Sakura let herself think on it too much. Naruto told Sasuke-kun that if they fought each other ... then they'd both ... die. She reflected reluctantly, frowning. Did he seriously mean that? He was that convinced his next clash with Sasuke was basically a suicide mission? Maybe a part of her was still too confused to comprehend it, but the other was scared. Sakura didn't want to lose Naruto. She didn't want to lose either of them.

Naruto noticed her upset expression. His seriousness softened greatly in understanding. "Hey, don't worry about it." He remarked reassuringly, his blue eyes gentle. "Training's training. And that fox's definitely not winning this time!" Naruto stated confidently, grinning cheekily with all the liveliness and overconfidence he could muster. "I won't be gone for long. I promise." He swore, staring at her with a clear gaze.

Sakura sighed. He still wasn't getting why she was so worried, even though she could hardly blame him. But Naruto was clearly trying to make her feel better and she didn't want to correct him. "Okay. Just be careful while you're out there, alright?" She answered firmly, staring at him with intent emerald-green eyes. "You're still messing around with the Nine-tailed Fox, you know. Don't get too cocky." Sakura warned him meaningfully, giving her best stern look.

"Oh come on! You worry too much-ttebayo!" Naruto brushed off flippantly in a carefree tone, putting his arms behind his head with a closed eye smile. "Aren't I always?" He prompted, grinning a little now.

A spark of annoyance shot through Sakura. Why did he have to act so casual over serious things? "No! You don't, idiot!" She snapped sharply, glaring at him in displeasure. He was always careful? Even the thought was laughable. You're nothing but reckless, Naruto. I don't know how many times you almost gave me a heart attack with how risky you are.

It was something that, in these past three years, she realized she couldn't help. Often against her will, the medic-nin worried over him constantly even when she shouldn't. But it's because of his stupid recklessness is why! Nothing else. Sakura denied out of habit, her glare strengthening at the thought. She didn't know what was more annoying: how Naruto made so many idiotically impulsive decisions or that she let it get to her so easily.

Naruto was frowning, realizing he had used the wrong words. Then he smiled at her comfortingly. "Easy, Sakura-chan. Nothing's going to happen to me, I promise." The blonde told her steadily, but his voice was more gentle and sincere.

Sakura looked away from his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed by the tender way he was treating her. He sounded so heartfelt in just those few simple words. However, the chunin couldn't deny part of her needed that. Even though she was worried about Naruto's plans in his upcoming battle with Sasuke a lot more, Sakura was also anxious over her friend's plan to tame the Kyuubi. All the other few times he did anything with the demon spirit ended in him getting taken over by it to a very dangerous degree. She hoped he would be alright, but she had faith in him too.

Looking back at him again, Sakura nodded. "Alright, now do your best!" She encouraged him fiercely, raising her arms with clenched fists in a supportive gesture. After a moment, the pinkette smiled at him warmly. "I believe in you, Naruto." Sakura stated confidently, knowing she truly meant that from the bottom of her heart. A lot of the time ... Sakura believed in Naruto more than she did even in herself.

The blonde ninja looked surprised for a second at her statement, but recovered in a blink. Naruto grinned widely and put his arms behind his head again. "Heh heh. You know me. Thanks, Sakura-chan." He responded happily, his voice filled with gratitude. "Watch me come back stronger-dattebayo!" He bragged good-naturedly.

The medical ninja smiled at him supportively, but her own enthusiasm dampened as some her fears came rushing back. Naruto's doing all this to fight Sasuke-kun ... so, in the end, they can die together? Sakura thought again, worry coursing through as she still tried to make sense of that. She knew how much Naruto wanted to live to fix Team 7 and be Hokage, but what about Sasuke? He made it entirely clear he wanted to kill him and what bothered her the most was that Naruto seemed to completely believe they would die if they fought. So far ... their final fight felt inevitable.

That one statement of his sprung up so much conflict for Sakura, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. There was no fooling herself this time. She knew that she wanted Sasuke back and Team 7 together again as much she ever did, but was it worth it if her two beloved boys had to be taken away from her? Especially Naruto; he was willing to sacrifice anything to save Sasuke. Was all of it worth it? Was it worth possibly losing the two most important guys in her life all at once? Sakura still believed in Naruto in repairing their shattered team, but what he said that day ...

Her festering concerns getting almost painful, the medical ninja raised her eyes at her friend nervously. "Hey, Naruto ..." She began anxiously, her voice filled with meaning but uncertainty all at the same time. Maybe she was over-reacting. Naruto would probably save Sasuke before either of them could die. But then there was that small voice in the back of her head saying she wasn't.

"Hm?" Naruto uttered, a curious but lost look in his eyes.

Sakura hesitated, still debating whether she was making the right choice saying this or not. It didn't seem like the right time, but then it did because he was actually leaving for training. It was really worrying her, more than she wished it do. As she stared at Naruto's still expectant face, Sakura willed away her reservations to speak. This was important.

Right when Sakura opened her mouth to speak, another voice called out first. "Naruto! Hurry up!" Yamato interrupted from the top of the deck. He looked impatient with his charge. "You can talk to Sakura later! Right now we need to go!" The brown-haired jonin urged on sternly, Aoba and Guy looking on beside him.

Naruto glanced up at him, but then back at Sakura thoughtfully. He didn't say anything, but gazed at her questioningly. The blonde appeared hesitant, not making any move to board the ship yet. It looked like he was getting the sense something was still bothering Sakura, though she figured quite confidently he had no idea what.

"Naruto!" Yamato called again in a firmer voice, this time sounding clearly annoyed.

The young shinobi's face twitched, irritated at this point. Looking back at their team leader, Naruto glared up at him. "Relax already,-dattebayo! I'm coming!" He retorted vehemently, full of defensiveness. Yamato didn't look impressed, just staring back at him with stern black eyes that made it very clear he didn't believe him.

Looking away from his sensei, the blonde turned to Sakura again. "Really gotta go now, Sakura-chan. Just talk to me about it later." Naruto said apologetically, but then smiled at her earnestly. "See ya when I get back, 'kay?" He said cheerfully before turning around and sprinting up the bridge-like wood that led up to the ship's deck before Sakura could even get a word out.

The pinkette watched him with mixed feelings, but told herself to get over that. It's not a big deal. Sasuke-kun's not even an issue yet. For now, Naruto's just training and that's what he needs. She justified steadily, pushing away her concern when there was literally nothing she could do about it now and it wasn't even close enough to fret yet. Besides, Naruto does need to go. He can't be here when the war's about to break. It'd be too dangerous. Sakura reminded herself, her thoughts a bit a distant over that very real reason.

Focusing back on the ship, the chunin observed as Naruto reached Yamato's position. She saw the jonins exchange a few words with Yamato before one of them turned in another direction; to sail the ship, she guessed. When her attention went back to Naruto, Sakura noticed he was making flustered hand movements with obvious frustration in his face. He was talking to Yamato and even though she couldn't make out his words distinctly, she could already hear her friend's raised voice. Yamato was calmer in contrast, but he seemed unamused himself.

He's arguing with him. Idiot. Sakura recognized tiredly, sighing in exasperation. Luckily though, Aoba and Guy appeared to them. It looked like Guy apparently said something that pissed Naruto off more, but it didn't progress any further when Aoba said something else and pushed the two shinobi apart as the fight dissolved. Sakura was glad the (most likely) stupid argument was over.

When the ship was getting ready and begun to set sail, the medical ninja turned around to leave. After she made a couple steps and started to veer off towards the path to the village, Sakura heard a jubilant voice from behind calling her name. Stopping in her tracks, she turned around. The ship appeared to be already sailing, but that didn't stop her from recognizing her best friend's rambunctious shout.

Naruto was in the back of the ship, his typical smile plastered back on his face. "Bye, Sakura-chan! You be careful too, alright!" He stated fervently, waving his arm at her as his ship started to gain a little more distance. "And quit worrying so much!" Naruto gradually fading voice declared, though she could still hear how much more stubborn his tone was in that one sentence.

Unable to stop it, the pink-haired girl smiled affectionately after him. Even when he's leaving, he still tries to make me feel better. She recognized fondly, touched that he knew she was worried on things and cared enough to cheer her up even if it was last-minute; even though he didn't know what was bothering her. Cupping her hands around her mouth, the pinkette responded back. "I will! See you later, Naruto!" She called cheerfully.

Only until Naruto's ship completely disappeared from sight did she decide to leave. Though immediately after he vanished, Sakura felt a twinge of guilt in her stomach. She didn't pay much thought to it earlier, but it got her now. Naruto had no idea about the Fourth Shinobi War was looming on the horizon for all five nations. It was all in an effort to protect him from Madara's clutches and prevent any further harm to the alliance in the process.

When Kakashi first told her about keeping Naruto away from the war, it hadn't been as a difficult as a choice to Sakura as some might've thought it would be. Of course she saw the total sense in making sure the enemy getting their hands on the power was crucial and lessened the chance of catastrophe, but the medic wouldn't say that was main reason agreeing to the Kages' terms had been easy for her. She had always been secretly afraid that Naruto would get his tailed beast removed ever since Chiyo told her about the consequences so who was she to defy an order that kept him away from that risk?

Sakura didn't like lying or hiding things from Naruto, but that didn't mean she didn't think it was necessary. She didn't mind lying if it meant he was safe or wasn't hurt emotionally by certain things, but that didn't entirely erase the guilt factor she felt almost every time. Sakura knew Naruto wouldn't like it. He'd jump right into the war without a second thought if he knew the truth. That's exactly why we're doing this. It's too dangerous to have him involved in this ... for all of us. She thought grimly, turning away from the direction of the sea.

As she took the path back to the heart of the village, there was only one thought that weighed heavily on her mind: I'm sorry, Naruto. But it has to be this way ... I don't want you getting hurt.

~~Sakura (cont.)~~

Heading deeper into the village streets, Sakura debated on what to do next. Now that her business with Naruto was finished with (she had honestly spent too much of her time worried about that more than anything else), she had to find something else to occupy her time. Sakura didn't feel she had time socializing with her friends considering they were on the brink of war. It was too dire of a situation. No one in the village was truly at ease; everyone was jumpy. Because of that, there were other things that seemed more appropriate and useful.

She also could always help out Tsunade like she did a few times before, but the Fifth Hokage had been strangely touchy lately. She wasn't saying anything that gave away what was bothering her, but the hot-tempered blonde didn't even talk to her much lately. All the orders she gave her were gruff and even unfriendly sometimes. It couldn't be more obvious that she was mad over something, though Sakura could say she hadn't the faintest idea what it was other than guesses.

It sort of unnerved Sakura at the start. Tsunade being silent over things was worse than her raging, believe her. It was far more scary and intimidating. But her teacher being angry over things wasn't new and she hadn't mentioned anything that could be why she's so grouchy so the medic had never thought to ask. Sakura had honestly chalked it up to Tsunade being stressed out with all the war planning and preparation. With all the four nations working together, that was sure to be challenge since they all had different ways of leading. Never mind she just woke up for a coma. Nonetheless ... Sakura wasn't keen on helping out again unless she absolutely had to. Her master's moodiness towards her was as confusing as it was uncomfortable.

Which leaves war preparations. Maybe I can help out the medical unit with herbs or new ointments. We're definitely gonna need it if this war going to be as dangerous as it sounds. Sakura reflected seriously, a thoughtful look on her face. She liked the idea of aiding at the hospital, more so than any other option right now. Glancing up at sky, the pink-haired girl recognized that she still had a few more hours until sunset. That should give her enough time to work with the other medics before she had to go home to her parents.

Glad to have something to do, the kunoichi's steps quickened with purpose. Making her way to the village, Sakura said quick hellos here and there when she recognized some of her friends and other people she knew. It looked like most of them were also dedicating themselves to prepare for the upcoming war as well.

Continuing along, the medical ninja was almost at the newly-formed hospital building. But before she could get too much closer to the structure, Sakura was stopped by a quiet but firm feminine voice directly behind her.

Turning around curiously, Sakura recognized who it was immediately. Shizune was facing her, but the dark-haired woman's delicate face was serious and steady as she stared at her. It was the type of face that the pinkette didn't see too much on her, given her kind and gentle-hearted nature in most circumstances.

"Shizune?" She inquired in questioning recognition, staring at the senior medical ninja in a mixture of interest and confusion.

"Sakura. Glad I caught you." Shizune replied back politely, but the strange tenor of soberness in the black-haired kunoichi's voice didn't change at all; at this point, it was starting to concern Sakura a little. "Lady Tsunade wants to see you in her office right away." She relayed matter-of-factly, her black gaze firm as she stared at her.

"Lady Tsunade?" She echoed curiously, but a frown was developing on her face. Maybe she does need help with paperwork or the alliance with the Kages, but ... she's been in a really foul mood lately. Sakura fretted worriedly. Her master's been more passive-aggressive than anything, but that still didn't mean this will end well. Well, actually, Tsunade in any aggressive attitude didn't end well. "What does she want?" She inquired, looking at Shizune expectantly. As bad-tempered as the blonde was, she'd gladly aid her with anything if she really needed it.

Shizune didn't answer, her expression softening. The older medical ninja just stared at Sakura with a black gaze full of sympathy and understanding. Confusion sliced through the younger kunoichi, but that was soon followed by more nervousness. " ... You'll have to see when you meet her." Shizune replied evasively, not directly meeting Sakura's eyes when she saw the bewilderment in the chunin's face.

Seeing her senior look so pitying and evasive with her suddenly raised up Sakura's unsettlement. It looked like Tsunade was terribly displeased about something from Shizune's look, but what's worse is that her sneaking suspicion was that had something to do with her. Was that why her master was so abrupt with her lately? More than usual at least? That's never good. The kunoichi thought in fear, remembering her teacher's terrifying temper. Her passive-aggressiveness had been such a bad sign earlier and Sakura had been stupid enough to ignore it.

Shizune didn't say anything more, turning the other way before looking back at Sakura with a prompting glance. Her body language was indicating she wanted her to follow her. For a moment, the pink-haired teenager didn't move and just stared ahead anxiously. What did I do? Sakura wondered despairingly, already cringing at imagining a face-off with her Hokage. There was a very real, very important reason why she never tried to get on Tsunade's bad side even on her worst days.

Trying to stifle her rising sense of dread and total bewilderment, Sakura nodded her confirmation to Shizune. The dark-haired woman stared at her briefly, then turned around again as she started to walk in the direction towards the new Hokage office. The younger medical ninja hesitated again as Shizune walked further ahead of her, but desperately pushed down her perplexity and followed after her senior cautiously.

What does Lady Tsunade want? Did I do something wrong?

A/N: That's the first chapter, my friends. :) Came out better than I thought it would! Some nice NaruSaku bits in this one. I hope I kept them in character since that's something I've always worried about when it came to writing fanfiction. XD My idea of this chapter was that we never saw Sakura see them off when he left to Turtle Island. Probably happened off-screen/off-panel, but it bothered me a bit. So this is how I imagined it going. :) My updates can be a little irregular and aren't always exact, but I always do post the next chapter at some point even if it takes longer than usual.

*This version of the chapter isn't the original version. I've decided to go through the earlier chapters of ToaK to correct any major errors, plotholes, OCCness scenes, and just overall quality. I'm not changing the plot or events majorly, but I just want it better written. I dislike how inconsistent these earlier chapters are in comparison to the newer ones and I want to have it match up better for more enjoyment. ToaK plot is still the same tho! :)

NEXT CHAPTER: Sakura's fears are realized. Tsunade's fury is unleashed on her student, prompting an emotional and scary talk that leaves her to contemplate all of her recent failures, relationships with her teammates, and everything else she believes ...