After Tsunade banished me from the leaf village, I lived inside the forest for three days, praying for Tsunade to come to her senses and let me come home. Tsunade never did and I learned very quickly on the third night when I ran out of food that I was now on my own. I was no longer a resident of the village hidden in the leaves.
I was a threat to it, and I would be taken down as such if found nearby. Thanks to my father, he scraped some money together for me. It nearly broke my heart to leave but I had too, the pain of being banished and easily forgotten by my own team pained me deeply. When Sasuke left the village, Naruto nearly shattered the heavens in order to bring him home.
But when I vanish, I could hear the grasshoppers all around me as I waited for my team to rush in and fight for me, the people who trained with me for my enter shinobi career, the same people who were supposed to have my back no matter what because we were trained to die for each other! It was like a bucket of ice water was tipped over my head and I opened my eyes for the first time.
Why was I fighting for a home that did not want me?
I knew my parents would be safe as long as I don't wonder back to the village. Tsunade quickly explained before slamming the gates on me, that for one year if I was to remain away she would leave my parents be. If they wish to leave the leaf village after the full year was up to find me then they may. I wasn't even sure at the time if my parents knew the truth about what had happened on that night to me.
But it didn't matter now, this meant I had one year to figure out what the hell I was going to do because I was sure if my parents were to find out what had happened they would loath Tsunade for what she had done to me, they would want to leave the leaf village in order to be with their daughter who was just a minor.
I wandered around lost for months, hopping place to place. My strength was tripled, my emotions were in overdrive and I could not control any of it. When I got overly emotional--because what sixteen-year-old doesn't get overly emotional?--something always exploded and then I would be chased out of town and I would have to start over again.
Wash, rinse, and repeat.
It was months after being banished, I was sitting inside a small port town staring out into the water feeling sorry for myself when two men approached me. They could feel the power vibrating off me, it was like a fucking beacon for crazies. But these two brothers needed a favor, they were attracted to me because of my power felt 'familiar' was the word they used.
They believed I could help them in freeing their mother. Because my life had been going so swimmingly their mother was no other than freaking Kaguya Otsutsuki. The same woman who had a mental breakdown, tried taking all the chakra back and the same person Naruto and Sasuke sealed away.
No way in hell was I going to get mixed up in this freaking mess, no way!
Long story short...I got mixed up in the brother's mess.
They preached that Kaguya could help me contain my strength and I could return to my normal life. I was so utterly desperate, so tired and hungry...I fed into their words because I was starving to return to my small life inside the leaf village. Adulting was hard and I did not want to do it at the age of sixteen.
I had no idea what the value a dollar was when I was first banished or how to make one stretch. I was so underwhelming prepared for life, I questioned everything I learned in school because nothing I learned was helping me in the real freaking world. I wanted to slap Iruka-Sensei for not teaching me the value of money or how live on a budget.
The more I got to know the brothers, the more I grew to trust them. They claimed Kaguya would be set free as the loving mother they knew and not the crazed chakra hungry person I knew. I agreed to free Kaguya in order to help me learn how to live with what has happened to me, because I had no other options.
I wanted to see my parents, I missed my father's lame jokes and my mother sweet smile.
It took two months of preparation and in those months, I grew close to the brothers, I viewed them as friends. Did they do the same? I am still not sure because they died the day we broke Kaguya's seal open. Needless to say that was a rough week, meeting your new mentor as you stand beside the dead bodies of her two reincarnated sons does not put you off to a good start.
After a lot of crying and placing blame where it did not belong, Kaguya finally agreed to train me. Kaguya looked like a normally person, she did not have her horns and she lost her third eye, she claimed it was a gift for me which I did not understand at the time, and I truly did not care. I was so stuck on the thought of placing myself on the path to go back home, to the leaf village. I get this power under control, Tsunade will have no reason to turn me away.
I could probably stand beside Naruto and Kakashi without being engulfed in their shadows. I held hope in my heart for the first time since the day Tsunade got so drunk she could not defend herself and when I did what I had to do to protect us, I got banished as a thank you. Kaguya and I set off to a forgotten region of the world to train in private and that was the true start of my life.
We grew together as people; we built a village side by side. We were marked the Waterfall Village after two years; it was such a beautiful place. People flocked to us from all over and we began building homes and business. The Waterfall Village grew into a force no one could touch. I held my head high after all the fucked-up years of training Kaguya dragged me through, all the black op missions and teams I was placed on, because of all of that I was declared the waterfall village's commander.
A position I never thought I would earn because I was simply the best.
If I could go back to the girl who was sitting in that little port town, and give her advice when those two brothers approached her, I would tell her to run as far and as fucking fast as she possibly could because the price I had to pay for Kaguya's training is not worth it, not by a long shot.
When my second year with Kaguya rolled around, I discovered the 'gift' she gave me when I freed her from her seal. It was her third eye, the rinne sharingan. Kaguya claimed by bloodline was now special, she never gave me an answer as to why give me the rinne sharingan. I concluded that she didn't want to go power hungry again and so in order to do that she gave me some of her power so history doesn't repeat itself.
With her guidance and a handful of years I was able to contain the raging power inside me. I learned how to lead and how to make the hard choices that comes in life. I learned what the fuck taxes were. Many shinobi groups have tried to come to the waterfall village and tried to take over. I make sure they all fail, because of this the village hidden behind the waterfalls became the most peaceful place on earth.
It became my home.
While I placed roots inside the overgrowing waterfall village, my parents moved out of the leaf village, but my mother did not wish to follow me once she saw how fast I grew up. She believed I did not need them to hold my hand. My mother and father decided to move to the grass village.
My mother would tell me stories about how the grass was so green it appeared blue. After a two years of my parents move, the grass village was hit by a large organization known as Reapers; my parents died by the hands of this group.
I had been placed on a special black ops team made of nine different people who did not belong to a village. We moved as freely as we wished and answered to no one, we were unstoppable. I had broken off from my team and gone under cover inside the Reapers. While in the middle of my investigation in this power-hungry group I got a call that the grass village was being attacked and burned to the ground.
I got to the village in time to see my best friend getting a sword stabbed through her chest and my parents were behind her already dead on the ground. I blew my cover and I vowed to cripple and extinguish the Reapers no matter what it cost me; I was ready to pay the high prize for revenge.
I slowly opened my eyes; hearing sounds start to shape in the distance. I slowly lifted my head to see a faded outline of an object I never thought I would see again. After all these years, they needed the waterfall villages help. I almost felt vomit swim up my throat at the thought of offering a helping hand out to these people. Kaguya insisted, loving the paycheck the leaf village was willing to fork over.
So here I travel feeling more and more agitated the closer I get to the village who turned their back on an innocent sixteen-year-old girl who was just scared and had no control on her power. The gates to the hidden Leaf Village were right before me, staring down at me, I stood there for a moment. Every fiber of my being told me to flip them off and walk away, but I could hear Kaguya lecturing me in the back of my head. She just had to fucking pick me to come to this hell hole.
I shook my head at my thoughts as I moved to push myself into the village. I showed my paperwork to the guard on duty, showing him that the Hokage had summoned my happy ass here. I muttered a thank you as he approved me to enter. I glanced around the area as I walked to the Hokage Tower, the streets were bare and silent.
It was fantastic.
It was high noon, so chances were everyone was in classes, work or in training. I had perfect timing. As I studied the area, not a lot had really changed around this place. Maybe some new paint here and there but it was like someone put this place in a bottle and stored them on a shelf for safe keeping.
I reached the Hokage tower in record time, my logic was the faster I get this done, the fast I can leave. I walked up the stairs that I had once walked up a thousand times a day. I knocked on a door that I use to ignore and run right through. I could almost see a ghost of a girl I no longer knew running past me.
"Come in." Her voice sounded the same on my last training day with her, lazy and a little bored. I never thought a moment like this would face me, I never expected after meeting Kaguya and accepting the fact I could no longer turn back to the life I had inside the leaf village that I would have to face Tsunade again.
I didn't practice what I would say to her if I ever saw her again. I didn't dream up a speech every night like most people figured I would have. I opened her office door without another thought. Instantly we locked eyes. It was like years had never passed her because of her jutsu she used to change her appearance. She looked flawless with her blazing amber eyes that use to wake me up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat. She stood without words and quickly walked over to me.
I halfway hoped she would try to slap me for entering the leaf village. If she slapped me then I could hit her without having to deal with Kaguya and a matching headache later.
"Sakura!" She breathed my name, pulling me into a hug to my surprise. My arms were pinned to my side as all I did was stand in place with wide eyes. This was not the reaction I was expecting. This was awkward. After a solid freaking minute Tsunade let go of me but held my shoulders as if when she let me go, I would evaporate. Damn how I wish I could evaporate out of this room right now. "Your hair! It is so long I love it!" She smiled at me. "You have grown older!"
"So have you." That earned me a glare.
"How have you been?" Tsunade asked, I raised an eyebrow. She wasn't going to comment on my remark of her age? I for sure through her face would grew beat red, she would scream and start throwing things. When I think about it, how this woman is a village leader?
"Tsunade." I stated, not interested in small talk.
"Oh! You have a little southern twang in your voice! It's so cute-" I did in a small way blame Tsunade for my parent's deaths. If she hadn't been such a coward, then I would never had been kicked out and my parents would never of left the village. They would not have been inside the grass village when the Reapers attacked. "Yes?" Tsunade smiled, it made me a little nauseous watching her engulf my image as if she was starving for it. She had no right to act the way she was right now.
"Who is the threat to your village?" I questioned, Tsunade requested of all freaking places the waterfall village for help. True, we were the strongest now, but we were also the farthest village from the leaf. The letter Tsunade sent said the leaf village had a threat and Kaguya thought it could be the Reapers expanding away from the waterfall village since I keep killing them all, earning me the title 'Reaper of Reapers'.
"Huh?" Tsunade sounded clueless. Seriously how was this person a village leader?
"You called me here, you said the Leaf Village was in danger."
"You're with the Waterfall Village?" Tsunade gasped, almost sounding genuinely surprised but I wasn't sixteen anymore, I knew she was lying. Explains why she requested the farthest and most expensive village.
"Yes." I answered dryly. "Do you know who the threat against your village is?" I rephrase my question to her.
"Not now." She waved moving back to sit behind her desk.
"Excuse me?" I tilted my head, beginning to feel extremely pissed off.
"I want to explain it only once, there is a village wide meeting in a week about what is going on. You will find out then."
"Yeah, no." I laughed, looking away from her for a moment. How could I not see this bullshit coming all the way. "I am not going to fucking wait around a week for you to let me do my job, tell me who the threatening you and I'll-"
"Why did the Waterfall Village only send you?" Tsunade cut in. "I thought they would send a team or like a high up-"
"They sent their Commander." I intercepted, not in the mood for anymore bullshit. "I can ensure you, that is plenty."
"Co-Commander?" Tsunade stared at me for a moment. "Congratulations." She said to me. I didn't her appraisal, I just needed the details of this case so I can kill whoever needs to die today so return to my village, where I am needed and want to be. "Here." She handed me a cream color folder after she saw I was not moving from this spot without the information I needed. I opened it, it was full of money and a key.
"What is this for?" I asked
"Do you expect for me to let you sleep outside? Or to let you go hungry?"
"I don't need this." I said tossing it on her desk, "I won't be here long enough-"
"Oh? You believe you can find-"
"I know I can track down whoever is causing your village trouble within the day and I can be on my way by night fall. I just need you to tell me what is going on, you didn't give much information in your letter."
"Hm." Tsunade nodded, leaning back in her chair. "You have changed-"
"Lady Tsunade, I would appreciate it if you refrained from bringing up any personal items." No way in hell was I going to reminisce with Tsunade.
"I understand...." Tsunade trailed off not knowing how to address me.
"Commander Haruno." I filled in for her. Tsunade nodded, but I saw the smile crack on her mouth and that annoyed me. My achievements should not make her feel pride.
"Well, Commander Haruno-" She tasted my name on her tongue, "-I did send the Waterfall Village a large sum of money and inside that payment included a submission."
"A what?" My voice rushed out aggressive and I did not care to fix it. Kaguya did not say anything about a side mission this was not a fucking video game.
"You heard me." Tsunade smiled, leaning over desk laying her head on her hand as if she enjoyed watching me.
I was going to murder Kaguya when I returned.
"What is the mission?" I sighed; I was starting to see why Kaguya urged me to go on this fucking mission. Tsunade slid the folder back to me,
"You're going to need this."
"No, whatever your mission is I can-" "
"You will be placed on a team for it."
"I don't think so."
"Your village already agreed, Commander." Tsunade didn't bother fixing the smudged smirk on her face, I was really going to kill Kaguya. She better enjoy rolling in the payment from the leaf village because when I get back, I am going to shove it up her ass. "Your temporary team should be reporting in any moment now."
I had a feeling Tsunade planned this from the start. I sucked in a deep breath as I bit my jaw shut, I picked up the file from Tsunade's desk. After five minutes of the awkward silent tension between Tsunade and myself there was a knock on her office door. I felt them before I could see or hear them. They didn't wait for a response before opening Tsunade's door and breaking the sweet silence.
"We are late because of you!" Sasuke's voice snapped at the blond headed boy. I heard Sasuke returned to the village not long after I was banished. It sounded as if Sasuke never renounced his citizenship from the leaf village and declared war against them.
"I was hungry!" Naruto defended himself
"You are always hungry."
"I am not!" Naruto whined, he seemed to be the same person he was when I left. My last memory of him was faded and chipped in the back of my mind.
"Yes, you are." Sasuke stated, as if you could end a conversation with Naruto.
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Sakura?" Kakashi's deep voice breathed my name, I turned around from having my back facing them.
This was a moment I never wanted to occur, I never desired to see these people again. Once I was fully facing them the three men in front of me had shut up, loss of all words they just took in my presence. I believe this was the longest I ever saw Naruto go silent.
It was like they were staring at a ghost, which I was. I gazed at my once team, the same team that did not go after me as I waited in the forest for them. I waited for Naruto to blow the nation apart as he did for Sasuke and I waited for Kakashi to fight for me, but they didn't.
Kakashi stood there like time had not affected him. Naruto had grown up; time was kind to him as he looked at me with wide eyes and an agape mouth. Sasuke, this was the first time I was seeing him since he had left the hidden leaf village and left me on that bench passed out in the middle of the night, because that was the safest thing to do to a fourteen-year-old. Team seven had grown up I wanted to be proud of them since they were my childhood, but I felt no emotion as a gazed at them. There was sliver of me that wanted to punch them for their careless behavior, but I didn't care enough to raise my fist.
"Sakura!" Naruto screamed my name; his voice rang in my ears causing pain.
We were a confined space; he was yelling as if we were fucking outside. Naruto ran forward, pulling me into a tight hug which I was not expecting. I was waiting for the yelling and questions. I felt my body tense as he wrapped his arms around me, this felt unnatural to me as an urge to push him away begin to grow in the pit of my stomach.
"Your alive!" Naruto's voice shook as his was bent down holding me against his body. Was he crying? "We all thought you were dead!" Naruto added to the tail of his comment.
Dead?
Was that what Tsunade spread around about my disappearance?
Was that really the best she could come up with?
Naruto pulled away and I saw the large goofy smile on his lips as he looked down at me. He was no longer shorter than me, he was at least a foot taller now. But the tears in his eyes told me this was still the same boy from my childhood. The mask on my face remained as Kakashi moved to Naruto's side. Kakashi was still taller than Naruto. He had his hands in his pockets as he smiled at me with his one exposed eye.
"It's good to see you Sakura." Kakashi said. I only stared at him, as Tsunade stepped in.
"Alright! Team seven, are you ready to receive your mission?" She asked looking at the small stack of paper in front of her.
"Where have you been?" Sasuke asked walking into sight, he moved forward passing where Kakashi and Naruto stood with his arms blooming into an embrace. An embrace I use to crave as a child, but now I took a step back.
"No." I said, Sasuke looked confused in my action.
"Now!" Tsunade pulled attention off me and onto herself. "Now that you all have reintroduced yourselves-"
"Wait!" Naruto yelled extending his right arm and pointed at Tsunade, "You knew Sakura was alive this entire time!?" Seemed Naruto wasn't as slow. Tsunade and I locked eyes.
"Yes-" She lied, "-now, back to business." Naruto almost fell onto the floor at Tsunade's casual remark.
"Tsunade-" Kakashi stepped into the conversation. I noticed how he didn't call Tsunade, Lady Tsunade they dropped the formalities. How interesting "-what Naruto is trying to ask is, why did you not tell us Sakura was alive?" Kakashi's casual voice made Tsunade sigh.
Was she really going to answer honestly after all these years?
"Sakura has the strength of one hundred seals." Tsunade sounded like she was going to start a speech...fantastic...note all the fucking sarcasm.
"Really?" Sasuke asked sounding impressed, fuck him.
"Her seal is not like mine; it vanishes if it is not being used, and the power it held was nothing I had ever seen before and Sakura could not control it when she unlocked it." Tsunade explained calmly, as if that is the full truth behind those two days five years ago. "She was the one who destroyed the training grounds. So I sent her away to be trained-" I raised my eyebrow at her.
Is that how she remembered it?
"Trained by who?" Naruto wondered.
"That, is for Sakura to tell." Everyone looked at me as if I was an open fucking book.
"What is the mission?" I asked changing the subject.
"Mission?" Naruto asked. "You are going with us!?" Naruto was still so eager.
"She is." Tsunade answered for me with a nod.
"Yes!" Naruto cheered, I watched him do a little dance out of excitement.
"I need you four to travel to the land of whirlpools and collect the money they owe the Leaf Village for construction materials and supplies. It should not take more than three days to travel there. Get the money and travel back. So, this mission should not take more than six days. You four should be back in time for the village wide meeting with plenty of time to spare."
"Yes granny!" Naruto cheered. Tsunade glared and started string together insults.
"Sakura-" She called my name, she dropped my title off my name real quick, "-you have been traveling for a while now, you must go get some rest and go eat something as well!" She smiled at me as if she was allowed too. Then she turned to Naruto. "Get out of my office!" He ran out of the room with a few objects flying after him. I followed due to my freaking head hurting and not wanting to be in the same room as Tsunade for longer than I had to be. I might change my mind about being civil and throw her through a window.
I made my way down the hall from where I had come, turned the corner and came face to face with none other than fucking team seven. They were in a group talking until they saw me, Naruto smiled pulling his dominate arm behind him to rub his neck like he did when he got nervous.
"So, Sakura...are you hungry?" He asked me.
"You just ate." Sasuke muttered not realizing Naruto was talking to me.
Classic Sasuke, thinking everyone and every conversation revolves around him.
"No." I answered bluntly, pulling my attention off them and moving towards the front doors of the Hokage Tower.
"Wai-Wait!" Naruto yelled after me.
I ignored him as I walked out into the dying afternoon of the leaf village. I took in the surroundings around me, like this moment was the first time I was seeing the leaf village. It was like I was on auto pilot when I first got here, I scanned the area and found myself hating the fact I was standing here. I was disgusted, and I felt even more anger towards Kaguya for making me return to this pit of forgotten moments and painful memories.
I began my walk to the apartment Tsunade was allowing me to use while I stayed here. I felt team seven following me and I could feel Naruto's brain scrambling to come up with something to talk about. I knew they must have had questions for me, but I didn't care. I didn't have too I am not the one who neglected them. I didn't have to feel guilty that I didn't want to have a reunion.
"How-How about some ramen Sakura?" Naruto asked, jogging to catch up with my quickened pace.
"No." I answered. I didn't want anything to do with them, why couldn't they just get the message and fuck off? I walked all the way to an apartment building; it was one of the nicer buildings in the leaf village. At least it was when I lived here. I opened the door ignoring the fact team seven was still following me. I really wanted to whip around and blast them into last week where they believe I was still dead and I didn't have three new shadows following me around like lost puppies!
"S-So, are you staying with one of us while your..." Naruto trailed off. From the corner of my eye I saw Naruto looking towards Kakashi asking for silent help.
"No." I answered again. I stepped off the elevator and moved down a well-lit hallway. I came up to a door and pulled out the key from my pocket Tsunade gave me. I unlocked it but looked back at the three men behind me. I was not inviting them in. "Can I help you?" I snapped.
"U-Um!" Naruto became alarmed jumping at the sound of my voice. He quickly pointed to a door which was only one apartment away from me. "Th-That is where I live!" Naruto sounded nervous like he was on trial, I liked it.
Kakashi walked past me, I heard keys in his hand. I watched him locked the door beside me and Sasuke was at the door next to me. You have got to be fucking kidding me. Tsunade placed me right in the middle of fucking team seven.
I really hated that woman.
A piece of me wanted to say fuck it, let's walk away and go sleep in the forest around the leaf village. That would be a breeze compared to having to deal with these three, but then I remembered doors have locks so with that thought I walked into the apartment without another word.