Warped

Part #9: Through Death We Did Part

     Sakura, who pretended to walk away, could feel the tension in her muscles loosening. It was supposed to be a pivotal and emotional moment, but her shoulders were slowly shaking. She struggled to keep her face straight until finally, she let out a laugh.

      Turning around, she went back into the room and remarked, "You guys are all idiots."

     "S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed as his mouth hung open in disappointment- probably directed toward himself.

     His face was flustered, and his body moved erratically in panic. "Kurama said that it would be possible for you to return, but..."

     He looked different, well, they all did. His blonde hair was cut shorter, and his face clearly showed a bit of age. However, his blue eyes still glimmered with the youth and hope he always had.

     Naruto scratched his head, turning away to think coherently. Sakura smiled softly at his awkward actions and hugged him. "I think what you should be saying is 'Welcome back.'"

     "... W-welcome back."

    "Congrats on becoming Hokage."

     "Thank you."

    As she pulled away, she looked around, registering the mess of papers. He had multiple stacks of documents waiting on his desk.

     "What's with all of that?" she asked while gesturing to all the paperwork.

     "Just the usual, " he laughed with a long sigh afterward, "I'll probably have to work the night again."

     Instantly, Sakura grabbed his cheeks, pulling on them with internal fury. "You knucklehead, do you even spend time with your family? It's no wonder your kid grew up like a brat."

     "But it's my job-"

     She quickly interrupted him, "I am a model, hero, informant, doctor... and whatever job I need to pick up. I still make time for my kids and family. I never thought you were this stupid. Also, this is a time of peace. Fix the damn government because it's obviously too much for one person. You have no room for excuses."

     "But Sakura... you're different from most people."

     She paused for a second but continued to scold him, "You're right... but you also have clones, right? Have your clones read some books on government and do your duties once in a while. That way you can spend time with your family... Where is Kakashi-sensei? He at least has intelligence."

     "I may not be all that smart, but I can do things, " Naruto said while fiddling with his hands.

    "Wait..." Sarada interrupted, "Are you... Sakura Haruno, not Sakura Kaminari?"

     "Well, " Sakura said with an abashed smile, "Haruno is my maiden name. Since I'm married I now go by Sakura Haruno Kaminari."

     Sarada fell back in shock, and Himari was ready to catch her. "Your mom... is my idol? My idol has been teaching me?"

     "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, " Himari said guiltily, "Mom told us not to tell anyone."

    "That explains my mom's reaction... I should have noticed, " the Uchiha muttered aloud, half to Himari and half to herself.

     A bird's call suddenly rang out before it landed on the window sill. Naruto walked over and carefully unwrapped the note attached to its leg. His expression turned more serious, and he looked over at Sakura. "Sasuke is going to be arriving at the village soon."

    "The bastard?" Himari blurted out, slapping a hand over her mouth right afterward. Slowly, she looked over at Sarada with eyes filled with fear.

    Naruto's eyebrow shot up at Sakura who was suddenly looking out the window. "... She's not wrong though. He's worse than you when it comes to family."

     Before Naruto could even comment, a knock resounded through the room. Kakashi's voice came from behind the doors. "Can I come in, Hokage-sama?"

    Glancing at Naruto, she found that he was alarmed by the situation. However, at this point, she was no longer afraid. The life that she thought was pointless... she ended up missing dearly.

    Sakura drew a breath and answered, "Come in."

     The door opened, and her sensei came in, surprisingly looking like he didn't age one bit. His hair looked as luxurious as always and struggled to find any wrinkles. Well, he no longer covered his eye anymore.

     "Sensei, if you were in the other world, I would have my modeling job, " she joked out of humor- which she got from Naruto earlier- and jealousy. The man had to take some sort of supplements. "Bad timing, I know."

    Kei and Himari looked over curiously, subconsciously making their way to their mother.

    He blinked for a couple of seconds, looking from Sakura, the kids, and back to Sakura. Snapping out of his stupor, he wrapped Sakura in a strong hug. "I'm glad to see that you're doing well."

    "Mmn, I am too."

    He then stared at the kids, "How are they here though?"

    Naruto's face then looked like he went through a realization. "Yeah, how did all of you get here?"

     "We were on our annual picnic with my husband and best friend and a black hole just opened up under us. Next thing we knew it, we were here, " Sakura explained briefly, crossing her arms, "That's actually why I am here. As much as I would like to stay here, I can't just cut off all contact with everyone in the other world... but I don't want this to be a one-time thing either."

     Kei and Himari looked downward with forlorn expressions. They loved attending the Academy and living in the world of ninjas, but they also loved everyone else back in their world. They missed Grandpa Nezu, Uncle Sterling, and Fake Uncle Naruto.

    "Well, if there's anyone that knows things about interdimensional space travel then that would be-" Kakashi said nonchalantly.

     "Sasuke, I know, " Sakura replied with a hint of agitation, "But Kurama was the one that sent me there. I've done my own calculations and theories but I can't mess it up. If there's anyone that could establish a stable two-way bridge between worlds, it has to be him..."

     Her voice trailed off as she remembered what had revived her in the first place. The leftover chakra from Kurama's transportation and recreation of her body was sealed... and ultimately saved her life. She owed the Kyuubi twice. Maybe she could find a way to bring things into his seal to make him less bored and lonely.

    "But before we do anything, I should get the other two. Denki and Hitoshi should be here to hear this."

    

(A/N: Guys, I don't think I'm going to be sticking to schedule... if you already couldn't tell. I plan on ending this soon so I can finally work on another fanfic. Thanks for sticking with me this far!)