Naruto: Reborn as Sakura with Manyuu Chifusa Template

"GYAAAHHH!"

The screams had become a daily fixture at the Third Training Ground, as Sakura stubbornly repeated what could only be likened to bathing with a live toaster day after day. A little under a week had dragged by, and her progress with Lightning Style Chakra Mode had been, at best, pitiful: she'd gone from losing control of her chakra cloak almost instantly to managing five full minutes submerged in the electrified solution.

If anything, it was her chakra control and lightning affinity that had improved by leaps and bounds. Emitting chakra from Tenketsu that weren't at the ends of her limbs was a fine way to hone control, but that had never been the issue. Sakura could already handle the control part well enough— the real problem was her concentration, which had the unfortunate habit of vanishing the moment the pain became intolerable.

Sakura wasn't a masochist, and she didn't know how much more of this she could take!

"That's enough training for today," said Sasuke, looking away as he wrapped a towel around her shoulders. "You know it's not good for your heart."

Sakura winced as the fabric brushed against her skin, raw and marked with angry red welts. As long as she used the Mystical Palm Jutsu on the affected areas before the natural healing process kicked in, no scar tissue would form… but she had to act quickly.

"Thanks," groaned Sakura, accepting Sasuke's hand as she climbed out of the barrel. "Try again tomorrow?"

Sasuke's hand trembled slightly.

"Not tomorrow," he said broodily, letting her fingers slip through his.

He turned away to give her a bit of privacy, so Sakura quickly gathered her clothes and slipped into them. After a brief struggle, she managed to wrestle the zip on her top into place. Once she looked halfway presentable, the pair began the long walk back to the Uchiha District, though an awkward silence had already settled between them.

"Why not?" asked Sakura curiously, her voice cutting through the silence of the forest. "Do you have something planned for tomorrow? Or are you going somewhere special to work on a new technique?"

Sasuke's Chidori practice had left more than a few boulders in smithereens, and he now had to walk quite a distance to find more to destroy.

"I just need some time to myself," Sasuke replied, staring ahead into the distance. "Ask Kakashi to help with your training tomorrow instead."

By now, Sakura was thoroughly intrigued.

In the original timeline, this was roughly when Sasuke would have severed ties with Orochimaru, just before the man tried to steal his body. Given that he'd never defected in this version of events, she hadn't the faintest idea what her teammate might be planning for tomorrow.

Sakura looked away from Sasuke, a playful smile creeping onto her lips— surely she was owed a break, even if it had only been a few days since her new training began? After all, she'd willingly subjected herself to that much suffering. Perhaps a stalking mission was in order sometime soon... anything to get her away from that blasted barrel!

…

A light drizzle had settled overnight, and by the time Sakura woke the next morning, the rain was still falling. As she lay listening to the steady pitter-patter of raindrops against her window, weighed down by the heavy boulders pressing down on her chest and unwilling to leave the comfort of her bed, the tell-tale creak of Sasuke's front door opening suddenly reached her ears.

Suddenly remembering that she was supposed to tail Sasuke to find out where he was going, Sakura rolled out of bed, her body sinking into her pillowy breasts before falling onto the cold, hard floor. Now bruised and fully awake, she slipped into her clothes, peering over the windowsill as Sasuke headed deeper into the abandoned part of the Uchiha District. Once he was nearly out of sight, Sakura crept down the side of her house and started tailing him.

The revitalisation effort, spearheaded by Tsunade's administration, had mostly focused on the residential quarter, but there was plenty more land beyond it waiting to be developed. The Uchiha clan's ancestral grounds stretched past the village walls, extending into the surrounding forest.

It was a shame, really, that such a massive investment was destined to go to waste when Pain inevitably flattened the village in the near future…

A few minutes into her tailing mission, Sasuke halted and spun around so quickly that Sakura barely had time to dive behind a nearby tree. She'd got distracted, thinking about all sorts of useless thoughts.

After mentally counting to ten, she peeked out from behind her hiding place… and found that Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

"I should've known you'd pull something like this," came Sasuke's voice from above. "Can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

Startled, Sakura yelped in surprise and jumped, the upper arc of her breasts slapping her in the chin. Sighing, Sasuke dropped down and landed at her side.

"Do you know what day it is, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his eyes fixed on the grey sky, a melancholy shadow darkening his features. Raindrops pearled and rolled down his face, making it seem as though he were crying.

"July 27th?" ventured Sakura. "I know it's not your birthday, that was four days ago."

Sakura was beginning to worry that the rain was making her clothes see-through. Sasuke was probably getting an eyeful of her nipples through her top right about now.

And then the ryō dropped.

It was the anniversary of the Uchiha Massacre. Nine years ago today, Uchiha Itachi had slaughtered his entire clan, leaving behind but a single survivor, instiling within him a burning thirst for revenge that would smoulder within him for the rest of his life.

"Ah," Sakura blurted out. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realise…"

Sakura clapped her hands over her mouth. How could she have been so terribly insensitive? Sasuke had come to pay his respects, and she'd barged in on what was meant to be a private moment.

"Even though the blood of the Uchiha runs through your veins, I never wanted you to be a part of this," said Sasuke powerlessly. "Killing that man is my burden to bear, and mine alone."

Vengeance was a terrible, all-consuming thing. It was no way to live, and the last thing Sasuke wanted was for Sakura to become entangled in his self-destructive quest.

"Sasuke…"

The rain showed no sign of letting up any time soon.

"Come on, as long as you're here," Sasuke sighed after a long, solemn silence, gesturing for her to follow. "There's something you need to see."

The sound of the rain dampened as he led her deeper into the forest.

"Hidden beneath Naka Shrine lie the secrets of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke explained as they walked. "The entrance is concealed seven tatami mats from the right in the main hall. I'll show you how to unlock the seal once we get there."

A deep feeling of guilt settled in the pit of Sakura's stomach. She wasn't a real Uchiha, after all. She had no right to enter the Uchiha clan's sanctum sanctorum under false pretences!

But when they finally emerged from the woods and stepped into the clearing in the heart of the forest where Naka Shrine stood, they found a man seated on the stone steps leading up to the temple, clad in dark robes embroidered with crimson cloud patterns…

"Akatsuki!" hissed Sakura.