Sacrifice and Surrender

12: Choice

Sakura sat outside the house in the woods and took a deep breath. She knew that Itachi's summonings had worked when they had first come, and she didn't understand the reasons why. But she hadn't tried to summon Katsuyu as yet and she needed to find out if she could. She thrust her palm to the ground and performed the jutsu.

A white and blue slug, that reached her waist, appeared before her.

"Lady Katsuyu," Sakura breathed. "It worked!"

"Mistress Sakura," Katsuyuu greeted her. "Yes, it seems it did work. But it is rather odd and disorienting being pulled through time."

Sakura smiled.

"I'm so happy, I just - I really don't understand how I can still summon you when I'm back in time."

"Ah, yes, well. It is because the Sage Realms flow more freely through time and space."

"Chakra connects everything, huh?" Sakura asked.

"Indeed, Mistress," Katsuyu said.

Sakura sunk to the ground, hugging her knees.

"I'm so relieved."

Katsuyu chuckled. "As I am quite relieved to see you well, Mistress."

Sakura spent time filling in Katsuyu in the many things that had happened to her since the end of the war. Katsuyu was comforting when she told her about Itachi's death.

"I was visited in the Shikkotsu Forest by one of the Toad Elders," Katsuyu told her after Sakura had finished her tale. "I was told that the Great Toad Sage had foreseen your arrival in the future to the past."

Sakura tilted her head sideways and scrunched up her nose.

"It's a very weird twist of time, this whole thing."

"Yes, it is. But Mistress, I must tell you, that once again I may be of service to you," Katsuyu said.

Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief and gladness. "And I will do my best to serve you too," she said.

*

With the rising threat against them and a slow but consistent trickle of Land of Fire citizens seeking refuge in the village, Madara had spent the six weeks since his return with Sakura extremely busy. One of his main tasks was organising the internal village security, but as a jonin leader, councilor and clan leader, Madara also aided the Hokage in team assignments and diplomatic errands. He had just enough time in his day to sleep and oversee the Uchiha children's evening training, on occasion.

He'd been so exhausted by the time he was able to go home and rest, he'd had weeks of dreamless sleep, for which he was grateful. But the business of the weeks passed had affected Sakura as well, so much that he had heard from Matsuri that she'd practically been sleeping at the hospital. They didn't cross paths outside of work, and when they did, they were both too focused on their tasks to idle for long.

Madara put his pen down, and let out a long and tired breath. He was growing hungry, and thinking about Sakura was distracting him from focusing on his work. He remembered the day in the river with a tender smile and felt a strong urge to just see her face. In a moment of impulse, he'd left his office and headed to the hospital. He walked in through the front door and immediately felt the eyes of everyone turn to him. He was approached by a young female medic, which, by her colouring, he assumed was a Yamanaka.

"Good afternoon, Lord Madara," she greeted him with a pretty smile. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Is Lady Sakura here?" He asked her.