The Red Thread of Fate

Chapter 16: Solace

"A found family is ever bit as beautiful as a born family. Even more so, perhaps. Stories are about choices, after all, and to choose to be family is as wonderful a story as can be told."

-        The Midnight Children

***

"So, you have come from the near future, 5 years to be exact." Kakashi said calmly, digesting the information Sakura has told him. He is slowly believing her seemingly absurd statement of time travelling. After all, he has never told a single soul about Obito's tragic fate. Though, he was glad that his own student was able to grasp the importance of teamwork and eventually knew the very person who taught Kakashi himself the lesson.

One of the kindest souls he had ever known.

"I'm here to prevent the Fourth Shinobi War," Sakura closed her eyes and breathed deeply, "I found myself back in this genin body of mine after I died in the war." Kakashi inhaled sharply, he was face to face with a living example of someone who had gone through time and space, life and death.

"My mind has barely processed the war, and yet I was thrown back into this measly, weak 13-year-old version of mine."

"What if I had all my strengths preserved, my muscles can't compare to my 18-year-old body," she said grimly, "Byakugou was my triumph card, but I have not been able to release the seal for reasons I do not know of."

"I have been so sure of my abilities, that I didn't know that I would almost die on that mission to help the bridge builder, now I think back on it. What was I doing, if I died then this whole opportunity is gone, Kakashi," her voice was desperate, "I was so blind."

"I-I sometimes don't know what to do, I have the resolve but my weak mental state holds me back. This brain of mine sometimes can't handle the heavy mental trauma that came along with my 18-year-old consciousness. There are times where I felt this entire world was unreal, like I was stuck in the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And everyone I have ever loved was a figment of my own imagination."

Kakashi listened to her ramble with a soothing silence, he would also not know how to react, if he returned to the past when Team Minato were still alive.

"There are so much I need to do, opportunities I have already missed. What if I have all this strength and still make no difference, like Haku and Zabuza," her voice cracked, "I never meant for them to die again this time."

"But Sasuke was able to stay unharmed thanks to you." Kakashi glanced at the small head of pink.

"And it seemed to me like he would have done the same too."

Sakura grimaced, the Sasuke untainted by his dark hatred did protect Naruto with his life. Anyone on Team 7 would have done the same thing.

Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke that made up Team 7, was a family.

A family that was broken but reconciled in the most tragic way possible.

Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto would all have reunited in death, the only exception being her. Who had been given another chance to live and fulfil her aspirations. Unlike her two teammates, whose dreams perished in the same year their life truly begun.

Along with the rest of Konoha Twelve, they both died at the age of 18. The age where they only just started to step into the long journey of adulthood, of long-lasting friendships, love, marriage and parenthood.

All of their dreams were brutally stripped away from them.

Naruto passed away without ever becoming the Hokage.

Sasuke never lived to see the rebirth of his clan.

The deep guilt of being the only survivor out of her squad caused her to continuously use up her chakra to heal the divisions. As all the deaths were, to ensure the peace of the living.