The proposal !

Two years had passed since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. This war was aptly named the World War because it was devastating in both material and human terms. Indeed, villages and cities were completely destroyed, resulting in the death of thousands and even tens of thousands of people. The world was thus subjected to an outpouring of violence and destruction to satisfy the ambitions of people who claimed to be able to bring only one thing: peace.

But what was this much desired peace ? A reality ? A dream ? A utopia ?

Was it not a tacitly approved masquerade between leaders and nations ? To give people the illusion that all was well, that they were safe and could prosper without fear ?

Didn't the powerful of this world wave the banner of peace to camouflage the corruption and fraud that plagued their internal operations ? So that they could acquire even more power, at the expense of the weakest ? How many small countries were crushed by a larger one in order to keep a certain stability in the eyes of other even larger countries ?

One thing was certain, the world had known peace because war had taken place, suggesting that peace was only a state of "rest", of latency and preparation before the next conflict broke out. After all, it was said, " Who wants peace, prepares for war !"

When the Fourth Great Shinobi War came to an end with the cancellation of the Mugen Tsukuyomi ; the Eye of the Moon plan. The nations directly involved felt the sense of peace that is characteristic of the end of armed conflicts. This feeling was even more intense because for the first time in the history of the ninja world, the major Elemental Nations had joined together under one banner : the Grand Shinobi Alliance.

But was this true peace ? Was it really the same on a global scale ?

In reality, only those who had been on the battlefield had any idea of the ins and outs of this conflict. So it only concerned the Shinobi of Hi No Kuni, Mizu No Kuni, Kaminari No Kuni, Kaze No Kuni and Tsuchi No Kuni.

But for the rest of the world : it lived as if life had never stopped. The Eye of the Moon plan had only plunged those affected by the technique into a paradise of eternal illusions.

And in the meanders of their sleeping minds, some malicious individuals had discovered what a life of vandalism, debauchery, brutality, rape, and pillage could be : a life where they were the masters of the world.

For some Daimyo, they were probably able to return to the Muromachi period, where all the provincial wars had been won by their military and economic power, crushing all their opponents.

This technique was a real danger because the border between reality and illusion was very thin, so much so that many people did not know the difference when they woke up. Some bandits had gained a lot of self-confidence, letting their brains define a utopian scenario that they were sure they could implement. But all of them ended up being disillusioned by the return to normality, to a daily life where they were far from living what their mind had wanted them to believe.

But for how long would the world remember this conflict ?

As for the civilians, they could not fully understand the horrors of the war because it did not reach them directly. The battle that had just ended was so brief, like a Blitzkrieg, that it was difficult to compare it to previous great wars that had lasted for years. Ordinary citizens did not have time to grasp even a fragment of why there was a Shinobi Alliance.

The Shinobi were the ones who would remember the conflict best and the lessons that could be learned from it. But how long would it last before it was forgotten and relegated to legend ?

Human beings are capable of learning from their mistakes, but few are wise enough to learn from the mistakes of others. This generation and the previous one had known misery, suffering, fear, famine, betrayal. They knew the meaning of sacrifice. But will it be the same for the next generation ? This last one who will never have known all this pain and will want at some point to discover it ?

If it was proposed to all the people who had known the horrors of war to affix a seal of Fûinjutsu to them so that they would no longer feel the emotional suffering caused by the conflicts. What would they do ? They would accept and be more than gratified for making their lives more pleasant. But only because they didn't want to go through all that horror anymore and because they had learned from it.

But what about the next generation ? The one that had only known peace and had the same seal affixed to it ? They would turn against the government, saying that it controls their emotions, their feelings, their free will. This would lead to a revolt of the people which would inevitably lead to war.

This pattern is nothing but an endless circle that will always lead to hatred.

That is why, although the Shinobi world was currently at peace, it could not be final. It was as fragile as Madara Uchiha's Eternal Genjustu, because it was based on a lie.

2 YEARS EARLIER.

Hagoromo Ôtsutsuki, also known as Rikudô Sennin, was sitting cross-legged and levitating one meter above the ground in his white kimono. He watched with pain as the two young men went off to fight once again, perpetuating the cycle of hatred once more. After a slight sigh of fatigue, he turned to the other two people who were equally distraught at the knowledge that their comrades were going to fight.

— "I'm sorry my child that you had to witness this," the old hermit said as he made a graceful hand movement towards Sakura's chest, right where Sasuke had stabbed her with his Rinnegan a few moments earlier. A soft glow of green chakra came out of it, soothing the pain that the previous technique had caused. "Kakashi Hatake, please come closer and lie down on the ground please."

Kakashi didn't dare contradict the man and obeyed. Despite his injuries he lay down on the ground with difficulty and as soon as he was settled he felt exhausted. He could not determine the reason for this sudden feeling : perhaps it was the result of the fatigue accumulated during the last days, or the adrenalin which simply did not work anymore. Perhaps it was related to his new acquisition of the Sharingan and its excessive use lately, or even a combination of all these reasons. Whatever the reason was that was hitting Kakashi, it was making his eyelids extremely heavy. Moreover, the peaceful voice and words of the Rikudô Sennin had the same effect as a lullaby :

— "Don't worry about your students young Hatake, history keeps repeating itself and I know that Naruto will convince Sasuke to back down. As it was the case in the past with my sons," Hagoromo reassured him as Kakashi sank into unconsciousness.

At the same time Sakura sat up with a sigh of relief. Even though the pain was noticeably lessening, she couldn't help but put her hand to her chest and massage the site of her old injury as the flow of chakra stopped.

— "Thank you Otsutsuki-sama," Sakura said as she bowed her head respectfully.

— "No my child, it is I who should thank you and I apologize for all that the reincarnations of my offspring are once again doing to this world... perpetuating once again the cycle of hatred," continued the sage without moving anything but his lips. The latter looked dejected, as if the weight of the world's consequences rested on his shoulders.

— "It's not your fault or your children's Ôtsutsuki-sama ! It's the fault of Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu, they are the ones who caused this war !" the Kunoichi quickly replied, defending body and soul this legendary being of ancient times.

This spontaneous reaction of Sakura made the hermit smile inwardly and ask her :

— "And who do you think created Black Zetsu ?"

— "Madara," she said quickly, sure of her answer.

— "And why do you think he created it ?" he insisted out of curiosity, pushing the young woman's impulsiveness to the forefront.

— "Because... because he wanted to destroy the world Ôtsutsuki-sama ! Did you see where he took the ninja world ? All these deaths, all this violence, we wouldn't be here if he hadn't wanted to destroy humanity ! And he just created a life form that would be in his pay to help him accomplish his dark plans," Sakura was still under the pressure of the latest events.

This answer would have suited the hermit well if it was the reality, but it was quite different. So it was with a very tired voice, almost extinct, that the old man continued :

— "Alas no my child, Madara is not the one who created black Zetsu, he was even abused by him. Zetsu is only the result of the last strength and will of Kaguya Ôtsutuski, my mother."

Sakura could not help but widen her eyes in amazement at the hermit's first words. She didn't know this part of the story and considering that all the horrors she had just gone through were finally the result of this Zetsu, it provoked in her a certain bitterness that could be summarized as: "All this for this ?". But she remained silent to allow Hagoromo to continue.

— "Throughout his existence, Zetsu had only one idea in mind : to resurrect Mother so that she could recover all the chakra that had spread over the Earth. He manipulated both of my bloodlines, mainly attacking the Uchiha bloodline. And for over a thousand years he devised every possible strategy to once again create the conditions for the divine tree to be invoked."

— "Why didn't you prevent this ?! You intervene here ! Then why didn't you destroy Zetsu yourself if you knew all this ?!" Sakura shook her head at such revelations.

— "Because I only understood it now. And I tell you again my child, the reincarnations of my sons were going to clash again : the cycle of hatred going on and on. But I had time to analyze and to understand things better..."

— "Whether or not Madara was abused, Zetsu still didn't influence him to create his Moon Eye plan ? Didn't he ?" Sakura asked uncertainly.

— "Having observed Madara during his lifetime, he is a very proud man who was not manipulable, not as much as Zetsu would have thought. And even if he was considered crazy in his ways, Madara Uchiha was without context a visionary."

— "What ? A visionary ?" Sakura choked in fright at the words. "How was he a visionary ? He wiped out thousands of people ! Started the Fourth Great Shinobi War ! Attacked Konoha twice with the Kyûbi ! My best friend lost his parents because of this individual, Naruto had a miserable life, because the world took him for the Kyûbi ! The man I love probably lost his whole clan because of his actions and his evil Sharingan. And on top of that, now that I learn that he was manipulated by an entity coming from your own mother that I myself just sealed with Naruto and Sasuke, I don't understand that you can think that about him."

— "Granted, Zetsu acted as a sort of guide for Madara when he was left for dead at the Valley of the End. But he is in no way the instigator of all the things the Uchiha accomplished in his life before that event. But I will concede this : Madara is responsible for the decimation of the Uchiha clan. Nevertheless, in all his madness, he succeeded where no one else had succeeded before him."

— "What do you mean ?"

— "He succeeded where all others failed. History will remember the five Kage putting aside their grudges to unite against a common enemy and create the Grand Shinobi Alliance. But the truth is that it was Madara Uchiha who united the Elemental Nations under one banner. He was one of the first people to want true peace. He just used the wrong method to achieve it," Hagoromo explained as Sakura looked down at this revelation.

Long minutes passed as Sakura absorbed the information from the Rikudô Sennin. She could not help but recognize that he was partly right, if not totally right. History was written by the victors, the details were quickly forgotten and only the result was remembered. And even though it had only been a few hours since they had defeated Kaguya Ôtsutuski, the sad truth was there : it had been possible because Madara had hatched this plan and allowed the Elemental Nations to unite in an attempt to counter it.

A warm hand came to rest under Sakura's chin, drawing her gaze to the old hermit.

— "Tell me my child, what would you do if you had the opportunity to be present the day Black Zetsu met Madara for the first time ?" asked Otsutsuki while holding out his second hand towards the girl, palm up. "Would you kill Zetsu? And let Madara bleed to death ?"

To illustrate his words, the Rikudô Sennin made a sphere the size of a large plate appear in the palm of his hand. He deliberately chose a fragment of a scene he had seen in the past : Black Zetsu was standing over Madara's slowly dying body. Blood was pouring out of his body, especially from his torso, when suddenly a person who looked strangely like Sakura stepped in and punched Zetsu in the face to get him away from the Uchiha.

— "Or would you guide this man ?"

The scene in the sphere continued showing the pink-haired woman kneeling down to do her Iryo Ninjutsu. Then this vision dissipated to reveal another place : a man and a woman were standing, each dressed in war armor atop a wall overlooking a valley. They were only visible from behind, one with long black hair and the other with Sakura's typical hair.

— "I'll get rid of Zetsu and let Madara die, that would save thousands of innocent lives," the Kunoichi answered without hesitation as the sphere slowly disappeared from the Rikudô's hand.

— "Are you sure ?" he asked insistently.

— "Of course I'm sure ! Without him, there would have been no attacks on Konoha, there would have been no great Shinobi wars...and...and," Sakura began before stopping for a moment, the hermit's words coming back to her. She held her mouth open without a sound coming out : she had just realized what the consequences of such a decision would be. She then blew all the air from her lungs in a sigh before continuing with a disillusioned voice. "But there would have been no Grand Shinobi Alliance and the world would probably be in political tension across all nations. Perhaps some of the smaller nations such as Tetsu No Kuni would have been assimilated."

— "That's right, Sakura, perhaps another large Shinobi village would have suffered the same fate as Uzushio. So my child, know that sometimes the actions of a single person can bring about a radical change in the world," Ôtsutsuki added wisely.

— "But what does it change anyway ? We won ! If what you say is true, Naruto will succeed in bringing Sasuke to his senses and the peace we fought so hard for will be ours," Sakura said, raising her voice in excitement. However, she didn't get any answer from the old man except for a deep look. He seemed to be judging her with his eyes, as if he was probing the bottom of her soul. "We finally have peace ? Don't we ?" pleaded Sakura, who was becoming increasingly worried by the creator's silence.

— "For how long ?"

— "Excuse me ?" asked Sakura surprised by the meaning of the question.

— "For how long do you think this peace will last ? How long before another conflict arises ? How long before old grudges resurface ? How long before a diplomatic incident arises and recreates tensions throughout the Elemental Nations ? How long before the new generation comes along with ambitions of conquest, war, and new and ill-founded ideals ?" asked the old hermit with a harsh tone.

— "So you are saying that all this will have been for nothing ? Did all these people die in vain ?!" shouted Sakura as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and a lump formed in her throat.

— "The truth is always hard to hear and even harder to accept," said the Rikudô Sennin.

At that moment Sakura started to cry silently and the characteristic sound of leather crumpling was heard as she clenched her hands into a fist. Ôtsutsuki waited a few moments for the young woman to calm down before continuing, allowing her to sort out her moods and emotions. "What is the proof that in the future, Orochimaru Densetsu No Sannin will not do an experiment that will then be uncontrollable for the world you know ? That this same creation will not destroy the entire Shinobi world ?

— "What is the right solution in this case if it is just a perpetual restart ? From what you say, it seems that no matter what man does, history just repeats itself," she concluded in disgust.

— "Some choices... can change everything ; and I'd like to make you a proposal Sakura. I don't expect you to answer right away, but I would like to present you with three possibilities. Whatever you decide, I won't judge you, just take the time to consider them all."

— "I'm listening to you Otsutsuki-sama," Sakura said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

— "If it were humanly possible, this is your first choice : you find yourself at the moment when Zetsu saves Madara. You eliminate him and let the Uchiha join the world of the dead, thus allowing for a totally different future. Second choice : you stay here and live in your temporary and illusory peace until the next war..."

— "Or if it were humanly possible to return to the past, I would still eradicate Zetsu while saving Madara," Sakura deduced by process of elimination while interrupting the old man in his words.

— "Correct," confirmed the Rikudô Sennin, satisfied that she herself had formulated the third possibility.

— "But why ? Why should I save this man who is only a despicable and bloodthirsty being ? Madara is responsible for the eradication of his own clan ! Why would I want to save him from death when that's what he deserves ?"

— "Why should you do that ? To guide him to fulfill his destiny," Hagoromo calmly revealed as if it were obvious.

— "What destiny ?"

— "To bring peace... true peace ! The one he has always wanted to bring to the world since he was a child. I am very rarely wrong and I can see when someone is capable of tipping the scales," the sage announced before his gaze was drawn in the direction of the Valley of the End. "And you are that person Sakura."

Large explosions could be heard in the distance reminiscent of the sound of thunder. Chakra residue was also visible to the naked eye. There followed a huge flash of color that flooded the sky for a few seconds: the fight between Naruto and Sasuke was raging as expected from the two reincarnations of the children of the Rikudô Sennin. Sakura looked in that direction for a moment, worried for the lives of those two people she loved, then she turned her attention back to the hermit still at her side.

— "Otsutsuki-sama...why me ?" she asked, doubting the qualities the hermit seemed to have found in her.

— "How many women are able to pursue the man they love all their life despite the bad choices he makes ?" asked Otsutsuki without looking away from the explosions.

— "Many women do it because as soon as a woman is in love, she is ready to do anything to follow the man her heart has chosen," answered instinctively the rose.

— "So, but then how many women continue to love the man they have chosen even though he has tried several times to kill them ?"

Sakura was confused. She clearly felt that the man was talking about her and her own life. But after all, that wasn't so surprising coming from someone like him.

— "A few, I suppose," Sakura conceded in a less determined way.

— "And of those few remaining women, how many allowed Kaguya Ôtsutsuki, the most powerful being since the world began, to be sealed again and thus save humanity ?"

— "Only one...," Sakura finally agreed in a whisper. Hagoromo Ôtsutsuki hadn't chosen her lightly or just to flatter his ego.

— "And it only takes one person to tip the scales in the right direction," the old hermit concluded.

The fighting in the distance seemed to have stopped a while ago, the sun's rays had given way to night and a silence settled between the two people present. After a while, the sage of the six paths took out a small leather scroll case from his sleeve and held it out to Sakura.

— "I am not asking you to make a decision right now. But know one thing, two of these three choices will cause you to give up your life completely from here. There will be no turning back. The scroll inside this case will be gone in two years, and remember, no matter what you choose, I will not judge you."

— "I don't think I can," Sakura said in a small voice. She was thinking about her present life, her potential future with Sasuke and the possibility of finally having a happy life with him.

— "Don't underestimate yourself Sakura ! However, if you ever agree to go back in time, I advise you to take advantage of the two years I'll give you to prepare yourself. Life in Madara's time is merciless."

He then turned to Sakura, a slight smile on his face. He may have been a man from another time, but he was still a man. He knew that what he was going to suggest to her afterwards would make her react strongly, but he had to give her as much information as possible so that she would make the best choice possible.

— "Sakura, you should know that Madara unfortunately never had the chance to know a woman."

The Kunoichi remained blocked for a few seconds while her brain analyzed the words of the old man. Wasn't he finally senile to dare to suggest such an ignominy to her ?

— "Are you really suggesting that I should make this being...this...this monster, fall in love with me ?"

— "Interpret it any way you want my child, but I also give you this warning: grow up, be more mature, tougher, colder, or Madara will crush you. He has never seen women as beings of interest. Only Mito Uzumaki, who was a special person at that time, had a minimum of his respect."

— "You know you're not selling your business very well Ôtsutsuki-sama," Sakura said with difficulty containing her sarcasm.

Not only had the old man just suggested that she go back in time to change the world, but he was recommending that she make a misogynist fall in love with her. She would still have to find some sentimental interest in this individual that she hated from the depths of her guts. And the idea of having feelings for someone other than Sasuke disturbed the young woman, so much so that she repressed a shiver of embarrassment.

— "It was another time my child. Unfortunately women in those days were considered a mere bargaining chip between clans. It was a way of easing tensions and hiding behind an illusory peace. So that's why I insist, you will have to strengthen yourself, train hard, learn more assiduously, understand the history of Madara and his time, as well as the habits and customs of that period to always be one step ahead of him."

— "You speak as if I had already made my choice ? And then... do you honestly expect me to guide one of the most powerful shinobi of all time ? To bring peace to the world ?!" Sakura raised her voice. She was now on her feet and her arms were accompanying her words. "How do I know that my choices are the right ones ? And how can I convince this man ? Because, let's be honest for two minutes, Madara was not the kind of person to listen to anyone but himself. So why would he listen to me ?! I have a better chance of getting Tsunade-sama to admit that she is old and hiding behind her Genjutsu is not the answer than getting anything good out of this man." She had come out with this whole tirade without taking the time to breathe, she was currently in a phase of panic and fear. And that was completely understandable, because what was potentially resting on her shoulders was scary and would have scared more than one away. Sakura knew she had to choose between the future of the world or her own death.

— "If you were to face Madara at his peak, I wouldn't even suggest that option. But when you meet him in the Valley of the End, he will be at the most vulnerable stage of his life. He will have lost his family, his friends, his clan, his honor, his pride, and most of all, he will be dying and well aware of this reality."

While he was saying all this, Otsutsuki gently put his hand on Sakura's shoulder.

— "What will this man see when you appear ? A powerful woman, able to kill a being that would have potentially finished him off, a woman who will take the time to save his life. How do you think he will react ?"

— "He... he'll feel indebted," Sakura conceded, and when confronted with such arguments, she gently grasped the case in her hands.

— "Exactly, and Madara is known to have some principles. In fact, one of his favorite sayings at the time was : An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. He is an extremely unforgiving man who does not forgive, but the opposite is also true, he always paid back his debts."

As the Rikudô Sennin finished speaking, the first light of the morning was appearing in the distance.

— "Otsutsuki-sama... if this peace is false... what is true peace ?" Sakura finally asked in a thoughtful voice.

Hagoromo didn't answer right away and the young woman saw a gesture she didn't expect to see from the man. He began to stroke his thin beard while deep in thought. Did he himself know the answer to this question ? Or would history repeat itself endlessly no matter what one did to change it ?

— "It can be obtained in many ways," the old hermit finally answered enigmatically.

— "Otsutsuki-sama, did you... send me back in time ? What you have given me a glimpse of, is that what I will have to accomplish ?" Sakura asked in order to know what to do or for him to give her a sign on what to do.

— "Answering you honestly might change your choice. What I have shown you may be a mere possibility, an illusion, or even your own future in the past. But if so, won't that create a time paradox ? Or an alternative universe ? Because if you changed the past, the present could never have existed ? And so the question would arise how to send you to the past to change this vanished future ? So I'm sorry Sakura, but these are questions I won't answer. You have to find out for yourself. If you choose to go to the past, of course. By the way, it's time for us to leave, your teammates need you," he concluded.

— "Alright"

— "Don't forget your sensei with you, he will wake up soon," the old hermit added before Kakashi actually started to groan, then to open his eyes.

— "How long was I asleep ?" the Jônin was astonished as he sat up with some difficulty due to the fatigue of his body.

— "You slept what was necessary for you Kakashi," Ôtsutsuki said as Sakura approached her sensei.

— "Kakashi-sensei come, lean on me, Naruto and Sasuke need us," she announced firmly convinced of the truth of her words. Indeed, it had been a while since there was no sound from the Valley of the End and Sakura was caught by the reality of the moment: the two young men had surely finished fighting. What had been the outcome of this confrontation ?

Sakura then placed her arm on her teacher's back so that he could position himself well. Just before leaving, she turned to the legendary Rikudô Sennin.

— "I have full confidence in you Sakura Haruno, no matter what your choice is," he said one last time before disappearing entirely into nothingness, like a memory.

It only remained for Sakura to make the choice that seemed right to decide.