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Konoha Hospital.
Three months after falling into a coma, Sakura Haruno opened her eyes.
Seeing her awaken, Ino, who had been keeping vigil at her bedside, gasped with joy. "Sakura!!!"
Sakura blinked slowly, her gaze unfocused. "…Ino?"
Ino threw her arms around her, squeezing tight. "You scared me half to death!! Thank goodness you're awake! How do you feel? Does anything hurt?!"
Sakura lifted a hand to her damp forehead. It took a long moment for her thoughts to connect to reality, for the world to solidify.
She remembered now. A long time ago… Sasuke had appeared before the Memorial Stone. Nearly the entire village had mobilized to hunt down the rogue ninja. She had been among them.
Then… she'd met his gaze. Just one look. And then, nothing.
Sakura stared at Ino's tear-streaked, overjoyed face. "Ino… you've been here the whole time?"
Ino wiped her eyes, nodding vigorously. "Shizune was watching over you first, but she had urgent business and had to leave. I took over… You have no idea how worried everyone's been these last three months!"
"Three… months?"
"Yeah! You were out cold for three whole months!"
"You mean… only three months have passed?"
Sakura's question made Ino pause. "Only… three months?"
The odd emphasis left Ino confused. Sakura wasn't sure how to explain it.
She'd had a long, long dream. In it… she had lived through decades. She had witnessed, firsthand, a man's journey. From an avenger to a protector. From the boy she loved, to her husband, to the father of her child.
She had witnessed the shinobi world shift from chaos to peace, from peace to ruin, and finally back to the present.
That dream… was Sasuke's past life and present. It was her past life, too.
But without a god's perspective, Sakura couldn't tell if it was just a dream… or something more.
Ino, collecting herself, let her smile fade. Her eyes grew somber. She hated to do it, but Sakura needed to know the truth.
"You were hit by Sasuke's Sharingan genjutsu. It was… incredibly powerful. Even Lady Tsunade and the other medic-nin couldn't break it. The messed-up sense of time… that must be the genjutsu's aftereffect."
Sakura's heart sank.
So it was just an illusion conjured by the genjutsu. But then… why? Why would Sasuke-kun show me all of that?
The hospital's medical team, alerted by Ino, arrived promptly. They gave Sakura a thorough examination.
Shizune studied the results. "Aside from some minor chakra disruption in the brain and neurological fatigue, you're physically fine. But your case is unique. It's best to wait for Lady Tsunade to return and give you a follow-up exam before we decide if you should be discharged or kept for observation."
"Lady Tsunade… isn't in the village?"
"Right, you wouldn't know… A lot has happened while you were asleep. The Five Kage Summit was held. At the summit, the Five Great Nations formed a mutual alliance treaty."
Sakura's eyes widened. "An… alliance? Between all five?"
"I know, hard to believe. But it's true."
Sakura's mind reeled. In my dream… the Five Great Villages allied too. The catalyst was Uchiha Obito declaring war on them all!
Suddenly, Sakura spoke. "Then… the war. It's starting, isn't it?"
Shizune looked at her, surprised. "You… know about the war?"
Sakura caught herself, shaking her head quickly. "N-No, I don't… I just guessed. If the Five Nations suddenly allied, they must have a common enemy to face."
Shizune gave her an appraising look. "Sakura, I'm impressed. Your instincts are sharp. Yes. During the summit, a masked man attacked. He even forced the Five Kage to join forces against him… and they were still outmatched. He declared he would start a war that would engulf the entire shinobi world in three years. The Kage reaching a consensus… half of that is thanks to that masked man's 'encouragement.'"
That man's identity is almost certainly 'Sasuke.' And later, after Sasuke, the one who replaced Naruto—Madara—also attacked the Summit…
But Shizune knew of Sakura's lingering feelings for Sasuke and her bond with Naruto. She was afraid of triggering her at such a fragile moment, so she left those details unsaid.
She had no idea her words were causing a tsunami inside Sakura's mind.
A masked man… It's him! It's really Uchiha Obito!!!
Gulp…!
Sakura swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry.
That dream… it really was the future Sasuke-kun showed me! But because his actions changed things this time, the Five Kage Summit and Obito's declaration of war… they've all happened earlier!!!
Then… does that mean what comes next will happen too?
There are even stronger enemies after that!
The entire world faces ruin!!!
Sasuke-kun… he… he really came back to this era carrying all of that on his shoulders?!
No. No, this is too big. This is monumental! I have to… I have to tell everyone! But will they believe me? At the very least… I have to make Lady Tsunade believe me! Yes, if it's her, she'll definitely…
"Shizune-san…!!!"
Sakura's sudden, fervent outburst startled Shizune.
"Sakura? What's wrong? Why are you so worked up?"
"Where… where is Lady Tsunade right now?!"
Shizune blinked. "The alliance between the Five Kage needs the formal approval of the Daimyo. After dealing with some… internal resistance in the village, Lady Tsunade left with Lord Shikaku to meet with the Fire Daimyo. She's expected back in about three days."
Three days.
Seeing the intense, troubled look on Sakura's face, Shizune stepped closer, concerned. "What is it? Is it a side effect of the genjutsu?"
"I… I…"
Sakura clutched the bedsheets, her mind a whirlwind.
"SAKURA-CHAAAAAN!!!"
The door to the hospital room burst open. Rock Lee charged in, tears streaming down his face.
"You're finally awake! The days you slept were dark indeed! I lost my appetite! I could only find solace in doing ten thousand handstand laps around this hospital every single day!!!"
Neji followed, grabbing Lee by the back of his jumpsuit with a weary sigh. "Lee. This is a hospital. Quiet down."
Their other classmates, notified by Ino, had gathered outside Sakura's room.
"Lee… everyone…"
The tightness in Sakura's chest eased slightly. The sight of her friends was an anchor.
Three days. Just three days. Stay calm. When Lady Tsunade returns in three days, I'll tell her everything. If it's Lady Tsunade, she'll believe me…
A small, genuine smile touched Sakura's lips. And even if she doesn't… I have all these reliable comrades. More importantly… Sasuke won't seek revenge on Konoha anymore. And Naruto… the weight on his shoulders can finally lighten a little, right?
…
Beneath a cold moon, high in the mountains overlooking Konoha.
A figure in black gazed down upon the village's sea of twinkling lights. His eyes held the weight of countless turns of fate.
"Hashirama… it was right here we spoke of our dreams. I vowed that in the village we built together, I would protect my little brother…"
Behind him, Izuna lowered his head, a shadow of old sorrow passing over his features.
"Now… everything has changed. Your brother harmed mine. And you… for the sake of your dream, you betrayed our bond."
The man opened his clenched fist. Crushed leaves scattered from his palm, caught and whirled away by the mountain wind into the dark night.
His gaze turned utterly cold, chilling the very moonlight around him.
Naruto? Madara? No.
This was Uchiha Madara, in full, terrifying bloom.
—"I have decided. I will destroy your dream."
BOOM—!!!
A flood of monstrous, suffocating chakra erupted from him, a tidal wave of malevolent intent crashing down toward the sleeping village.
At the exact same moment—within the Yamanaka Clan compound deep in Konoha.
Inoichi Yamanaka shot upright in his bed, wide awake, drenched in a cold sweat.
"This chakra… It can't be…!!!"
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