——Bloom Again——

"If we're going to die anyway, then it's better to die fighting than
do nothing!"
- Haruno Sakura

———————————

Sakura was tense. Her back was straight, eyes bright but narrowed and smiles were wide but fake. While she had expected Kazegake-sama and his heirs to have lunch with them, she certainly did not expect more people to join them, in particularly him, of all people. Her eyes travel across the room over to the other side of the long dining table where the Kazegake sat with his heirs on his left. The man sitting on his right, however, was her current concern.

"Councilman Danzo, what brings you here to Suna?" Kakashi-sensei politely questions the older man. It looks like she wasn't the only one who was suspicious of Danzo's motive.

"Ah, I personally invited him to join us, Hatake." It was the Kazegake who replied, his own smile unwavering and wide. If Sakura wasn't on high alert just now, she was now. The Kazegake invited Danzo to Suna for lunch? Kakashi nods stiffly but drops the topic. It sounds ridiculous but he knows better than to question the Kazegake's authority.

"How was the mission, Maito and Hatake? Any trouble?" This time Danzo spoke. His remaining eye glances at the state of the genins and the bandages wrapped around them.

"The mission went smoothly, Danzo-sama." Gai replied giving the elder man a bright grin

"There was no trouble." Kakashi lied, and if it wasn't because Sakura knew the truth she would have believed him too. Thankfully, the other genins knew better than to question their captain's authority in hiding the truth so none of them had even twitch as their captains lie smoothly.

"Ah, so I assume your genins are injured by training?" Danzo questions, his eye narrowed when he makes eye contact with Naruto. Naruto shifts in his seat uncomfortably. Almost automatically, Sakura's hand smoothly and quietly reaches out to Naruto's and immediately lace their hands together. She gave the blond a reassuring squeeze but her eyes never once left Danzo. The blond squeezes back and breaks the eye contact. 

Unbeknown to Sakura and most of the nins, Gaara was taking advantage of the tense situation by sending his own trail of sand around the Konoha nins. Gaara's sand watches everything unfold from under the table. From the tiniest shift of Kakashi's hands towards his Kunai pouch when he first saw the elder man to Sakura's hands that reaches out for the blond that sat beside her when the elder councilman sends those hateful look towards the boy. It was the same look people would usually give him. Could the boy be like him? He wonders.

Gaara confusion only increases when he sees Sakura's hand reach out for the blond's. Was that supposed to help the boy's situation? Whatever it was, Gaara would make sure to continue to look out for these nins especially the blond kid that's chakra was big and overwhelming like a beacon. 

"Yes, the youthfulness from these teens cannot be held between themselves, so as a way to deepen their bonds, Kakashi and I had them did some training exercise." For once, Sakura was thankful for the Green Beast of Konoha's "Youthfulness" because it certainly had made everything much more believable judging from Danzo's twitching eyebrows. 

"Training exercise? What kind of training exercise?" 

"Maa, just a normal teamwork bonding exercise." Kakashi shrugs his shoulders casually

"Ah, maybe one of these days we can get your team to bond with my heirs. I would be interested to see how your team fair against them." The Kazegake's eyes glimmer with excitement as he suggests this. It was clear that it was no simple suggestion. Sakura holds her breath. Kami be damn, cause there's no way in hell they'll survive against the sand siblings when they are fresh out of the academy.

"As you wish, Kazegake-sama. But unfortunately, we are requested by the Hokage himself to return as quick as possible. Perhaps next time," Kakashi replies diplomatically and Sakura slowly released her breath.

Kakashi or Gai must have informed Hokage-sama about the ambush and since the last loyal Uchiha, the Jinchuriki and not to mention a Hyuga that has connections with the main family is involved, Konoha do not want to take a chance. Sakura watch as Danzo furrows his eyebrows as he ponders. She represses a shiver that runs through her spine and refuses to think what would have happened instead if they stayed at had this "team bonding exercise" with that old fart scrutinizing their every move.

"That's unfortunate. However, I'm sure you could at least stay long enough for a tour to be given by my heirs after lunch?"

"Of course Kazegake-sama, that we can do." Kakashi bows once more and the small talk ends.

"Great! For now, let us enjoy the feast!" The Kazegake announced proudly and with his permission, the ninjas fill their empty stomach albeit a little uncomfortably.

Kakashi forces his shoulders to relax and only then did he detect the tiny trail of chakra within the sand beneath their feet that was trailing between them. Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly but continue to quietly sneak food into his mouth when no one is looking. He knows the owner of the sand but does nothing about it. Yet.

Gaara's eyes glint with excitement as he ate. In his head, Mother chants to test the girl and the blond boy. Mother encourages Gaara to cut them, to hurt them and to have a little taste of their blood. It was a tempting suggestion, one that he was sure to follow if given a chance to. The redhead boy ignores his trembling siblings that sat beside him. If the opportunity is given, he'll make sure they understand the blond boy and the girl was his prey and his prey only. He'll make sure of it.

::

"I did like what you asked me to. You should fulfil your end of the deal."  

"You failed. Konoha is on to us."

"No, it's not the end. We still have tomorrow."

"Will we? The Konoha's Green Beast and Copy Ninja are not to be looked down upon again."

"But will they risk Suna's alliance?"

"Are you saying you are willing to put Suna at war?"

"Suna has the Ichibi."

"Konoha has the Kyubi."

"Tch, that boy is a lousy excuse of a host."

"And what of Ichibi? Can you guarantee his cooperation?"

"With the life of his host on the line, of course, he will be."

"Fine, do not fail me again."

"Have your minions stop following me around. Show some trust in your old friend,"

"It is because you're an old friend, I do not trust you."

"Old and wise as ever. It's unfortunate that the old man was reenacted to become the Hokage. "

"Tobirama is blind, Hiruzen will only ruin Konoha eventually."

There was a chuckle and then silence. "And you will not?"

"Watch what you're implying. I'd hate to cut off your tongue. Remember your end of the deal. 3 months from now, understood?"

::

The Genins trip to Suna ends quickly than expected and thankfully uneventful other than the fact the genins may or may not have formed some sort of camaraderie between them and promise to spar with one another.

To Sakura's surprise, Gaara had asked her, and Naruto to spar instead of asking Sasuke as he did in the past-future? Sasuke was not happy at what it implies but got promised to spar with Kankuro. He still however broods and sulk whenever Naruto brings it up.

"Thank you very much for being a kind host, Kazegake-sama." Kakashi stiffly bows to the Sunarian leader after collecting his required paperwork documents.

Gai nods and bows at the Sunarian leader before turning to his genins. "Team Gai, pack your things and move out. The youthfulness in Konoha awaits us!"

 "Hai, Gai-sensei, I'm ready to return to our youthful village! In fact, I'm so ready I'd—"

"Hey, bushy brows! None of that today!" Naruto interrupts his new friend. For once, Naruto feels more annoyance with Lee than with Sasuke. Well, almost more annoying than Sasuke-teme, Naruto snickered inwardly. Sasuke annoys him on another level.

"Naruto! What did I say about nicknames like that?" Sakura crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. Seeing Sakura like that reminds Kakashi of someone from his past— someone with striking red hair and a temper that not even the yondaime dares to fight but Kakashi quickly blinks the images of resemblance away. Wish you both were here.

Naruto flushes pink in embarrassment like a kid who got caught and was being reprimanded. "A-ah Lee! I meant Lee not bushy brows. Sorry, Lee!" He was rather quick to apologize which was definitely the right thing to do seeing that Sakura brightens up immediately and gave him an approving nod.

"What a bunch of brats," Kankuro mutters under his breath. He didn't understand why his father had insisted them to gave these Konoha brats a tour when they were perfectly capable of walking around the village themself. These genins were just brats who probably had never seen death before their eyes. They were naive, innocent and young.

Kankuro was not new to death; not when his brother—(it is still hard to call that demon, his brother)— is alive. At a young age, Kankuro barely remembers his mother but he still remembers her voice singing him a lullaby to sleep. He loves her and it is why when she was taken by the demon now known to be his brother, he despise it with every little part of him. The demon in the shell of his brother only claims more lives as the year passes. His uncle was one of them. Kankuro doesn't understand and he is not sure if he wants to.

Temari on the other hand is the oldest. She understands how Kankuro feels but Temari also feels his feelings are not totally justified. Gaara is still their brother—her little brother no matter what. He was born prematurely—so how could Temari possibly blame him when she could remember how small and vulnerable he looks when she first met him? It was the monster who took him—and his many opportunities of a normal childhood—away from them, took their mother away from them and even took their uncle from them. She wonders if she had shown him she loves him, cared for him like an older sister would when he was younger, would he still turn up like this? Could she have prevented it from worsening?

Temari shook her head from those thoughts. There was no use to ponder these things. It was too late. Too late for her to show him she loves him. At least, that's what she thinks if the monster continues to control him.

Temari eyes the Konoha genins and scoffed. They look so fresh, innocent and naive! Her father would have never let her out of the Academy if she was this soft and weak!  At her scoff, the Hyuga who has been staring at Sakura glances at Temari. And as a growing hormonal teen, Temari at first thought he was shy and was building a secret crush on her. It certainly wouldn't be her first time meeting her kouhais who has a crush on her. But then, Temari noticed the glance he steals lacks the typical shy characteristic of someone who has a crush. It unnerved her.

"You got something you want to say to my face, pretty boy?" Temari caught his gaze and sneered hoping to get a reaction out of him but the freaky eyed Hyuga only scoff and turn to face Sakura once more. Well at least he's not deaf, but Temari is starting to think that boy is mute if this continues. 

"Sorry for him, Temari-san. I look forward to our spar!" A short pink blur stands in front of her, disrupting her imagination of pummeling the freaky eyed boy into the ground. Haruno Sakura, the mother hen of Team 7 stood in front of her with a bright smile.

Temari raises her eyebrow, "Can't wait to get beaten?" 

Sakura laughs and shrugs half-heartedly, "Maybe, but you don't know what I can do."

"And what is it that you can do, oh fine Sakura-sama?"

Sakura's eyes glimmer in excitement, "Wouldn't you like to know? However, a girl cannot just reveal all her secrets."

Temari scoffs in reply and was about to walk away when Sakura scooted closer to Temari's shoulders. "Say, Temari-san, does the Kazagake-sama often invite high-rank officers especially from another village for lunch?"

Temari scoffed again, "No, this was a surprise to us as it was a surprise to you guys too. He's been acting different lately."

Sakura raised her eyebrow, "Different? How so, if you dont mind me asking?"

Temari narrows her eyes at Sakura and folds her arm. "You're not trying to dig up some dirt on Suna, are you?"

Sakura immediately throw her hands up in defence "Of course not, Temari-san! It's just sometimes my parents act differently to me too, so I thought maybe we could share our experiences since ya' know, we're girls! We girls have to be strong together to survive!" Sakura added a wink for an extra measure and Temari raises her eyebrow again but this time the corner of her lips twitch upwards. A weird girl indeed. 

But just as she was about to rant about all the weird things father has done, there was an explosion, blurs of figures rushing towards the Sunarian leader, and blood everywhere.

What on earth was going on?

::

It's an attempt at assassination! was Kakashi's first thought. He wasn't new to attempts of assassinations of leaders, but he doesn't understand why would they attempt when Konoha was here? Were they trying to blame Konoha for it?

 At least 30 figures had jumped onto the fight and Kakashi and Gai wasted no time to quickly get rid of as many of them as they can. The bomb that had gone off was a suicidal squad who had tried to ambush the Kazegake and would have gotten to him if the Kazegake did not have a psychotic demon son.

"You dare to hurt me? Mother would love to have a taste in your blood. Now, die!" With his rather dramatic words (In Kakashi's opinion), the redhead sends a flood of sands that envelops the few bombers, holding them in as they explode. Kakashi hopes the demon doesn't come out anytime soon. He wouldn't know how to handle it if it did.

"Kazegake-sama, you need to stand back." Suna's ANBU captain quickly barked his orders to his squad and immediately they were in formation, surrounding the Sunarian leader. 

As fast as the assassins came, with the help of one Maito Gai, one Hatake Kakashi, their genins alongside an almost demonic redhead, the missing nins were subdued. 

As the dust starts to settle down, Suna's ANBU was quick to get a hold of the missing nins. Kakashi manages to hide the wince as the injury on his chest throbs when he sits. Sakura is gonna have a fit when she realises his bruises had eagerly returned once more.  Gai sends a concerning look to Kakashi but Kakashi brushes him away. Gai nods in understanding and approaches Suna's ANBU for debriefing. It was then, another figure stood in front of Kakashi. 

 "You are clearly unfit to train the Uchiha, Hatake." Councilman Shimura Danzo's eye takes in his unkempt appearance. 

Kakashi's hackles rise like a dog and snarls, his Sharingan swirling menacingly. Councilman or not, this man was threatening to take his pup away from his pack.

Danzo scoffed, "Clearly, all of these shenanigans with teamwork would only hold him back. I will be sure to talk to the Hokage and request an immediate transfer from Team 7."

Sakura's heart drop. T-transfer?

Kakashi however wasn't a genius for a reason. The realisation finally dawned upon him. No, this wasn't an attempt at assassination. It was a distraction, a decoy to snatch his pup away!

"Transfer? Hey, you can't just transfer Sasuke away from us!" Naruto argues but Danzo simply ignores the jinchuriki and instead approaches the young Uchiha who was still looking at Kakashi in a daze. 

"Look at me, boy." He orders and Uchiha Sasuke finally look at him.

On that horrid day, only Kami and Sakura know that Uchiha Sasuke had just stared into the eye of the one who was responsible for his misery. Perhaps she does not know the full story but from what her Sasuke had told her, what the mission files Tsunade have allowed her to read, and her own experience with that horrid man in her own timeline, Shimura Danzo was a Wannabe Hokage madman.

"Hm, from now on, you'll be apprenticed under me. Understand?"

"Hokage-sama will not allow you to transfer him," Kakashi interjects. He only has them for a month now and he is already attached to them, so he will be damned if he allows Danzo of all man to break his team up. Danzo is not to be trusted at all cost. Tenzo was proof of that.

Danzo turn and raises an eyebrow, "Will he? Afterall you are known as friend killer Kakashi among many names."

Sakura's blood boil. How dare he?

"Kakashi sensei has the sharingan. He is more than qualified to teach Sasuke!" She snarled and Danzo's eye snapped to hers. His eye shine with amusement. He thinks she doesn't know about his bandaged arm or the eye of Uchiha Shisui in his right eye socket but unless he wants to expose his secret, Sakura is right.

"You dare to question a councilman, girl?" He sneered with arrogance.

"You're not my Hokage." You're not my superior was what she implied as she stared him down.

His lone eye narrowed, "We'll see what the Hokage says then, won't we?" He smiles and it might look friendly but she knows better.

She snarls once more and would have probably pounced on him if Kakashi himself didn't but the arm on her shoulder held her down. She glances behind her and was shocked to see Sasuke holding her shoulder. He shook his head. It is not worth it, was what he conveyed through his eyes.

She growls at what it implies. You're worth it! I won't let this man manipulate you as he did with—Sakura paused, That's right! Sasuke still has Itachi!

Sasuke's hold on her loosen and Sakura shrugs his hands away. She stares down Danzo with all the hatred she could muster, and then she looks away and sighs.

Not in defeat to Danzo. Never to that madman.

But to the fact that she will have to get through one Uchiha Itachi, soon.

-To Be Continued-

After months of writing this with a hugeeeeeeeee writer's block, I think I'm finally satisfied enough to publish this chapter. 
I just want to say thank you to everyone who is reading this! I know everyone is eager for me to update this chapter (the amount of comments asking me to update is the proof of that hahaha). 

So with this update, Team 7's-first-mission-outside-of-Konoha arc ends! Sakura's mission to save the world just gets harder and harder every time. Her appearance in the past may bring more harm than good if she doesn't tread lightly.

Side note:
Some of yall need to be reminded that this is a Time Travel Fanfiction. So, yes, of course, things that happen in the current time Sakura is in will be different. That was the purpose, isn't it?

And of course, things in the future where she came from is different as well because Sakura time travel when she was 18, not 17 (her age when the Fourth Great Ninja War ended). So in that one year of time skip, let's just say shit really went down and took a turn for the future Konoha.
Also, to fit in my love for MultiSaku, as you all have noticed, there are some changes to the original "future" timeline, for example, Sakura's friendship with Konoha 11.

Hope this explains it and stops all the "BUT WAIT, THIS DIDNT HAPPEN IN CANON" comments sksksks