Dreams of Eternity

two

Sakura quietly peeks over the table as she eyes passersby. Life as a civilian was different from the scenes she has seen in her dream. In her dreams, her life had been filled with naivety and her hand holding mirrors but eventually, that became fissures caused by her fist, flopping fishes, and a woman—blonde, loves sake and gambling—a mentor perhaps? Sakura had thought. When that woman appeared, gone was her naivety and gone was her mirrors. It took that Sakura 14 years for that naivety and mirrors to go away.

I will not be like that, Sakura promised herself, because after all, where did that eventually lead to for that Sakura? At the end of a lightning jutsu, Sakura deadpans but closes her eyes to calm herself. It would be no good if people were to see a 5-year-old having tremors. 

And so, 5-year-old Sakura removes the mirrors in her room and scrutinize the people around her. She may be a civilian but she will not allow herself to be fooled.

"Sakura darling?"

Sakura broke out from her thoughts and meet her mother's worried gaze. "Yes, mama?" The endearment to her mother rolled out her tongue easily. While Sakura works hard in reducing her naivety, there's one thing she couldn't get rid of easily; her love for her parents. So Sakura would allow herself this small endearment. It was also the least she could do for them. She knows they worry a lot because of her. She knows about the whispers they have at night when they thought she was sleeping. 

"What are we going to do, Kizashi?" Her mother had hissed to her father.

Kizashi had sighed. "I don't know, my love. She wouldn't tell me anything about it either."

Both parents were clearly stumped, her mother more so than her father. "We must seek help from a professional." She announced

There was a moment of silence before Sakura hears her father speak again, "Soon, love, soon."

Sakura blinks and her green eyes curiously darts between her mother and the other woman-a kunoichi- in her mother's shop. It wasn't surprising to see shinobis and kunoichis alike hanging around this part of town. After all, this area is populated by skilled civilians like butchers and fishmongers, blacksmiths and armourer or like her mother, a seamstress.

Her mother offers her a reassuring smile. "Won't you be a darling and grab for Izumi-san's order at the back?" 

Sakura nods obediently and rushes to the storeroom where her mother keeps all the orders of clothes that she has completed. She flips through all the orders when she finally stumbles upon the one that had Izumi-san's name. Her green eyes trace over the name beneath her fingers slowly. It was Izumi's name; Izumi's full name. Her green eyes analytically snap towards Izumi's completed order. There were a few high collared neck shirts with a big emblem at the back. The emblem is a fan and Izumi's full name is Uchiha Izumi. 

Izumi is an Uchiha. 

Sakura audibly gasps, and suddenly, her world spins and she feels the flood of visions.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain somebody." A boy- Sasuke- announce as he interlocks his hands together. For a moment, it was silent as everyone else, Naruto and another man she doesn't recognise process his words. Everyone except her older dream self of course.

"Kyaaa, Sasuke-kun looks so cool and handsome today! Maybe today he will go on a date with me?" Sakura internally sighs at the beautiful boy who was now her teammate. 5-year-old Sakura scrutinized the boy. The younger Sakura wouldn't lie, he is pretty, but something was not right with him. Couldn't the older Sakura recognise this?