Founding Love

Chapter Fifteen

Sakura wasn't sure what washed over her first- the morbid thought that this boy was the infamous missing nin of her time or the fact that he was only a child. Even if all murderers start as children, the weary memories of his atrocities of future acts plagued her. Every person collected for his selfish need to live eternally through their organs, and every person killed in cold injustice to soothe his addiction to money, per the Bingo book, slaughtered her internal questioning. The thought of her riding her time of the devastating organ thief and future Akatsuki nin had solidified her resolve to save her timeline and to better the future, but only when she thought she was fighting a man.

Never a child.

Sakura flitted her eyes over his tanned skin, his face still round with youth, and his battle ready stance. Her mind argued with itself to place the image of this child with the image of Shikamaru's grim depression at the loss of Asuma. Her pink lips drew down in a frown. The child was replaced with the lifeless eyes of Asuma and the weeping of her closest friends.

The kid began yelling, anger booming in his voice, "Fight me! I'll collect that head of yours for a pretty price."

His fists clenched around his stolen kunai and he broadened his stance, lowering his body. Sakura's frown deepened, her inner war causing her to violently shake her head.

"I don't think you want-"

He cut her off. "If you won't come at me, then I'll come for you!"

He rushed the pinkette and she easily sidestepped the boy, twisting her satchel from her shoulder to sway at her side. He came again, quicker and quicker, and she resolved to tracing some of the stitches around his knees. Could he have already begun to mutilate himself? Sakura idly wondered, weaving around attempts. Could she stop this from ever happening?

Her shoulders tensed as she began spinning herself into the treacherous line of thought of her home- her friends, the Konoha's brilliant sunshine and warmth. Then as she studied the blistering new stitch under his right arm as he extended his hand with the kunai toward her, her thoughts twisted. The memories of Shikamaru's venomous nightmares and Ino's prolonged wailing filled her ears. Her mind wrapped around the years of the Akatsuki hunting her beloved friend, Naruto, and the devastation of the years of war.

Sakura resolved to her inner musings.

Her hand lashed forward, twisting the kunai from his hand.

This is for the greater good, Sakura hardened herself, the greater good of Konoha.

He jumped back, dark eyes turning to near slits as he assessed her. Her resolve no matter how tight was beginning to crack as she looked at his stern face. She couldn't do it, but she had to. She just had to-

She flicked the kunai sharply just as she jutted forward to distract him.

"Sakura!"

Metal clashed and she stopped her assault forward abruptly. Her spine snapped straight as she chanced a glance at the fallen kunai. A second one had sharply pierced the ground before her.

Craning her head to the left, she looked at the sad and bewildered eyes of the Shodai, his lips in a tight line across his features. Dark brows furrowing tightly.

"Sakura-" he called again, voice devoid of the prior skepticism and fear it prior held, replaced with a sour disappointment.

Her lips snarled as Tobirama's broad shoulders filtered into her periphery.

"You don't understand what you're doing." She bit out with a curled lip, teeth gnashing together.

"This is my fight," Kakuzu hissed, anger fuming. "And whoever the hell you are, just so happens to be interrupting it."

"Hashirama," Sakura's fists clenched at her sides, her vision swimming with the blood of her lost comrades, her satchel dropping to the ground. "You don't-"

"He's a child, Sakura." Hashirama's eyes pleaded, "He's just a child."

Sakura's teeth ground together and she bit back a retort. "But what he'll do-"

"Weren't you the one to say children shouldn't have to go to war?" The baritone of Madara's voice flitted to her ears and the hair rose on the back of her neck as she twisted suddenly around to stare at the impassive faces of the Uchiha brothers. "Did you not say that?"

His taunting tone scalded her and she viciously snarled, anger boiling beneath her skin in waves.

"Go." Hashirama instructed the young Kakuzu. "Run and be at peace."

Sakura caught the tail end of the child, no, future murderer, chasing away with the dust kicking up harshly under his sandals. Her hand flashed into the folds of her kimono to pluck another kunai, the sight of the boys stitches on the back of his bicep reiterating her desperate inner battle to end such a sure future-

Hashirama was before her, hand gripping her wrist tightly and she yanked her arm back to drag him towards her in her rage. How dare-

"Sakura, please, hear me!" The Shodai begged, his grip firm and his pleading gaze unwavering as brown clashed with green.

"Just who he'll kill-" she tore from his grasp, chakra buzzing to life beneath her skin as she raised a fist back. "You don't understand!"

Her fist met air as he separated himself from her and she pushed forward, driven in a frenzy to make him understand. How can you not see, she raged inwardly as she began to hurriedly chase after the Senju clanhead. He weaved in and out of her reach, features downcast and confused as she pushed her thighs toward him in order to drive him back. They danced: him dipping and dodging and her infuriatingly swinging in an attempt to vent her frustrations.

He paused for a moment, a moment she gladly took as her left fist hooked towards him. Hashirama leaned back, narrowly missing the blow, for her right fist to jab upwards, cracking the red breastplate as she skimmed it. He quickly dropped back, groaning at the partial impact of her chakra laden hit. Raising her leg in true Tsunade form, she dropped her heel when a rapid gust of wind blew her off course.

Twisting midair, she landed with her knee crushing into the ground and her fist driving divets to slow her pushback from the onslaught of wind. Chin lifting, she found herself staring at the battle stance of Madara, gunbai poised as he stepped over Hashirama's stunned form.

"If it's a fight you want, then I'll gladly accept your challenge." Madara taunted, his smirk spreading hungrily across his excited features.

When his eyes bled red, she shifted her eyes to his pearly whites flashing dangerously in his smirk. Adrenaline now piping hotly under her skin in her veins, Sakura lifted herself from her crouched position. Her fists clenched, thighs bunching as she widened her form. She let her own excitement build as chakra rushed to her limbs in a frenzy.

He was a ranged fighter in the start- his gunbai swinging wildly and she dodged with practiced ease until he jerked the chain of the gunbai to launch the scythe towards her. She turned to avoid the blade, opting to grab and countering his grip to yank him to her. Hashirama had shifted to intercept Madara, but Sakura caught in her peripheral vision Tobirama darting to Madara as the younger Uchiha brother clashed with Tobirama with his own raised blade.

Releasing his chain, Sakura dropped low and zipped towards the unsuspecting Madara as he verbally lashed at Hashirama for interrupting. She startled the two by devastating the ground with an explosive crash of her fist. Madara's lips turned into a wide smile as his fingers began flashing through seals.

She countered with her own seals to substitute herself long enough to snatch up her satchel, collecting an assortment of senbon and kunai. With a small, 'kai', she dissipated the soft genjutsu creeping up her spine like a vine and clasped her hand around the laughing Madara's fist in the nick of time.

Now in close range, she could feel the tantrum of his chakra drenching her in a hot sweat, the warmth of his inferno nearly swallowing her. Nearly. She launched her assault with practiced measure as Hashirama joined the mix unexpectedly, his own taijutsu formidable. Madara, unrelenting and dominating, traded blows with the Senju leader and herself all while guiding their fight between the dancing swords of the opposing younger siblings.

Sakura chanced a senbon launch at Hashirama in an attempt to dislodge him from her desperate attack on Madara, but the Senju leader flashed his own seals in order to protect himself. In her moment of distraction, the Uchiha leader flicked her side with a kunai and she hissed at the sensation.

"Madara!" Hashirama scolded, jumping to meet the raven haired man, his palms grabbing at his equals wrists. "This is not what we agreed on!"

Sakura's mind reeled at the statement, but it only served to further instigate her anger. Sweat prickled along the column of her neck and spine and she gave a war cry as she picked up her pace.

A deep, hearty chuckle splintered the silence.

Madara was laughing.

He had the audacity to be laughing.

Oh, hell no.

Sakura crushed her teeth together as her fist met the ground and sent chunks of rock spiraling towards the clan leaders. She darted forward to be intercepted by Izuna, his lithe form in comparison to the bulkiness of his older sibling, sliding carefully between the rocks to plant in front of her. They crashed together, his arms cradling her elbows as if to lock her in place. Instead, she used this to her advantage to knee his abdomen and swing his body over her hip. She raised her arm to backhand him when water spurted like a hose to knock her down.

Sputtering and soured like a wet cat, she hissed, slipping to stand up, her pink locks covering her eyes. She raised her hand to swipe her long hair from her eyes when a warm hand grasped her own, and she tilted her head up to find Hashirama grasping her firmly. Her heart danced in her chest as his lips spread in a tired smile.

"Sakura, hear me out," he beckoned softly, the tone causing her eyes to welt. "Please."

She sighed, the fight wearing out of her instantly at his lips tilting further up. He kneeled to her, cradling her hand and bringing it to his tanned face.

"You don't need to fight me." He cooed gently, prying her fingers open and smoothing his fingers over them. "You are already a beautiful dragon. There's no need to keep fighting to find the Dragon Gate."

She shivered, a sigh leaving her as she slumped into the soaked hearth. His frame filled her vision as he tentatively came closer to encircle his free arm around her. Rubbing soothing circled into her, he sighed himself dejectedly.

"I have risked the lives of many in an attempt for peace, and when I realized that I risked yours more importantly, I couldn't bear the selfish act. Please forgive me." He rubbed the back of his hand against his warm cheek and she became mesmerized in his brown eyes. "Please let me protect you again, koi, even from yourself."

Shutting her eyes and swallowing the lump in her throat, the realization of her attempt of murder on a child, even if he turned out to be the Kakuzu of her time, demoralized her and her soul bent under the weight. She was shaken from her stupor when the heavy aura of fire users brushed her awareness.

"How cute of you, Senju." Izuna snapped, his sword dangling at his side.

Despite his sarcastic words, his voice was void of any friendly demeanor as he stared down the crimson eyes of Tobirama who also approached silently thumbing the hilt of his blade. It was Madara though who remained oddly quiet in the exchange, his gunbai strapped to his back, but tomoes spinning and brows furrowed.

"What could you want from me? I'm no warrior princess." She barked with a curt huff. She pulled herself back from the cozy space Hashirama provided, her heart rapidly beating in her chest like a drum and emotions swirling like a tide pool.

"Perhaps not the Daimyo's warrior princess," Madara hummed, the riches of his tone causing her stomach to wildly churn as her womanhood clenched unwantedly. "But ours instead."

Sakura blanched, sweat dripped down her forehead as she frowned in confusion. "Excuse you?"

"You made your choice months ago," his tomoes spun faster and she braved the sight of them hoping to understand what exactly was leaving his lips, "and we've made ours."

Silence stretched endlessly and she tried to wrap her mind around the words departing his mouth. Yes, she had helped the sickly and broken children of the Uchiha and, yes, she fought to protect the children she thought she was encountering in the Senju compound. Those were her choices alone, but what does that have to do with any of this?

"What are you saying?" She bit out, tongue darting to wet her parched lips.

His chuckle was dark and curling around her in tantalizing waves as he hovered over Hashirama's right shoulder.

"What I'm saying, kunoichi, is that we've made our peace." His smirk wasn't warm and inviting. It was smoldering and a shudder passed over her.

"That's your business and what does it have to do with me?" She cautioned, fluttering her gaze between all the men surrounding her, trapping her in.

Hashirama drew her attention to him again by squeezing her hand. Heat radiated from him as her body cooled instantly. "We have made peace with our clans in an effort to keep you from having to choose between us."

She could almost believe in a strange sense that God was playing an extremely irrational and unwelcome joke on her. She wanted to laugh and had every right to had it not been for the serious and even stoic faces of the men surrounding her. She swallowed down the laugh threatening to spill from her.

She tugged her hand to release herself from Hashirama. Once. Twice. And when he refused to release her on the third, she dropped Madara's gaze to search the Shodai's unreadable expression.

The pink haired kunoichi could hardly stare long into his intense unwavering stare.

There would be no way that Konoha was going to be founded on such a ludicrous notion. No. Absolutely no way in her mind. It was supposed to have been with Izuna's death, Madara's loss in battle to Hashirama with Hashirama's guilt and surrendering of his life into Madara's hands that would be the catalyst for Konoha's birth.

"Whatever you are running from, we can protect you." Hashirama whispered, stroking her hand. "Let us protect you in our shared home of Konoha."

Sakura's mind went blank and she could have fainted.

She was unaware of how much time passed. A century could have passed her in her quiet stupor and she would have known nonetheless. The Rabbit Goddess was in for one Hell of a beating if she ever showed up again.

Hashirama gently brought his hand to cup her shoulder, nearly scaring her senseless, but it was the shuffling of the impatient Uchiha brothers feet that drew her attention to the here and now.

She weighed all possible options in her head instantly. If she declined, would she be held captive again? Forced into Konoha? Would it destroy their founding and any future her childhood village could have? She twitched, sucking on the back of her teeth as she studied the young Uchiha who was idolly swinging his blade to and fro.

While he was no longer sneering at her, his intensity wasn't any less as he blatantly watched her back.

Would she have to kill him in order to right any wrong in the Warring State Era?

She doubted she could in this moment as Madara had seemed to sense her ill thought, his body brushing against his brother's arm as he stepped closer to Hashirama and to her left side. She kept her gaze down trodden to his sandals and only flitted her eyes up his navy pants over his red armor when his hand weaved through her hair in a semi tight grip.

His Sharigan was lazily spinning now and his defined jaw ticked.

"I am not known to be patient, Sa-ku-ra." Her name spilled from his mouth like molten lava. "You either come willingly or we'll share a repeat of previous travels together."

She snapped her teeth like daggers at the man standing before her and his resulting laughter unsettled her.

"So be it." Madara's grip tightened in her hair and he tugged upwards only to be halted by Tobirama's sword pointing directly at the column of his throat.

"I would not be so bold, Uchiha." Spat the younger Senju brother as his eyes narrowed in at the Uchiha clan leader, his white hair billowing slightly in the wind.

"Dare challenge our agreement, Senju bastard?" Izuna taunted, his sword spinning in his grip.

Madara chuckled again until Hashirama pried his fingers from her hair. Grateful for the release, she shook her head, leaning back as the Senju leader stood before Madara with a frown.

He turned back to her and she took his tanned hand in hers as she stood herself. Upon standing though, she was immediately reminded of how close they all were. The tension laid thick and she had to swallow down her nerves.

Hashirama turned to her again, the metal plate of his armor brushing her dirtied kimono at his closeness. "Sakura, please help us. Our dream is for peace- unity among clans and a safe haven for generations to come."

She hesitated, knowing the awe of his vision, before she questioned, "But I don't know where I fall in that vision."

His smile was tired once again and his chest rose with his sigh. "You have made your priorities of protecting the future children, shinobi or not, your forthcoming. You're diplomacy in clan affairs-"

Tobirama's snort was politely ignored.

"You give women and children an opportunity. You can save countless lives." Hashirama spoke with such vigor, she found herself stunned by his admission. "Is that not what you want?"

She choked on an answer, but found herself wishing to be a part of the bigger picture, but what does that mean for her?

"I won't be manipulated into being an image of a prize of war, of a bad situation, or the unlikely turnout of fate." Sakura bit, her thoughts running to how the Rabbit threw her into this plane. Her stomach churned in her indecisiveness and fear.

"You never would be." Hashirama affirmed.

She paused, unsure of what the consequences were going to be if she declined, if she fought harder to escape the troupe of men, but more importantly running from the Founders of her beloved Konoha.

"I am more than that." She chewed out, hating how fragile she felt and sounded. Her voice though never once quivered.

"You are." Hashirama returned. His knuckles ghosting over her cheek.

"I can't offer you anything-"

"You wouldn't have to."

His tenderness was chipping at her resolve and she knew if she turned away Konoha would not make fruition, so nodded almost numbly. Warmth spread in her chest at his brilliant smile, his hand cupping her shoulder again while Tobirama's sword lowered from her peripheral vision.

All silent, but Madara who hummed in his throat, his handsome stoic features blending into his signature haunting smirk.