A flash of inspiration struck Sakura. She slapped her forehead, a look of dawning realization spreading across her face. I'm so stupid! How could I forget the Summoning Technique?! That jutsu would allow her to contact Master Tsunade directly through Katsuyu!
Those strange heart palpitations… they were probably the summoning contract calling out to her! Although it had never happened before, she recalled Master Tsunade mentioning that Katsuyu could use the contract to contact her summoners. Tsunade had said the specific sensation varied for each contractor, and besides, Katsuyu rarely ever disturbed them unless absolutely necessary.
With this thought, Sakura quickly bit her finger, flew through the necessary hand seals, and slammed her palm on the ground. Summoning Technique! White smoke billowed and dispersed, revealing a miniature Katsuyu slug before her.
"Lady Sakura!" Katsuyu chirped upon appearing. "Lady Tsunade has a message she wishes me to convey to you."
"Tsunade?" From nearby, Mei Terumi, still bound, scoffed audibly. "So you are a Konoha ninja after all! What's your relationship with her?"
Sakura didn't hesitate. Earth Release: Earth Prison!
With a rumbling sound, the ground trembled. Four thick earthen walls shot up around Mei, quickly sealing overhead, encasing her completely within a soundproof box.
"Alright, Lady Katsuyu, you can speak freely now," Sakura said, turning back to the slug. "Was that you calling me through the contract just now?"
"Yes," Katsuyu affirmed, her feelers twitching slightly. "Lady Tsunade said the matter is extremely urgent, so contacting you as soon as possible was imperative."
"What does Master want to tell me?" Sakura asked, a flicker of hope igniting. Could the Danzo situation be resolved already? Is she calling me back to the village? A strange pang of regret hit her at the thought of not being able to deal with Danzo personally.
"Lady Tsunade instructs you to proceed to Koyo Village in the Land of Grass immediately to investigate the origins of the girl named Junko!" Katsuyu relayed.
"What?!" Sakura's face became a mask of question marks. The fleeting regret instantly morphed into sharp disappointment, her mind struggling to process the message. "Junko? Which Junko are you talking about? Muto Junko?"
"Yes," Katsuyu confirmed. "There is a problem with her identity. Lady Tsunade requests your immediate investigation."
"Wait," Sakura frowned deeply. "What kind of problem with her identity? Are you sure this message is from Master Tsunade, and not someone playing tricks behind the scenes?"
Hearing this abrupt news, Sakura's first reaction was suspicion towards Danzo. He had wanted Junko and had played a role in driving Sakura out of the village. While that wasn't the only reason, it clearly showed Danzo's desire to recruit Junko. Could he be pulling the same stunt again – force someone into a desperate situation, then swoop in presenting himself as their savior?
"I am unclear on the specifics, but those were Lady Tsunade's words," Katsuyu replied. "She also entrusted this scroll to me for you."
Katsuyu's body seemed to ripple, and a miniature scroll materialized on her back. Sakura carefully took the tiny scroll, unrolled it, and began reading. The further she read, the tighter her brow furrowed, until finally, she lowered the scroll, lost in deep thought.
"Lady Sakura," Katsuyu prompted after a long silence. "Do you have any message you wish for me to relay? Your current situation… does not appear favorable."
"Ah, no… no message," Sakura said, snapping back to reality. "Just tell Master I understand. I'll investigate this matter."
"Very well. I shall take my leave now. Farewell." With another soft poof, Katsuyu vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Sakura's thoughts were a chaotic mess. She had finished reading the scroll's contents. If not for the unmistakable handwriting confirming it was indeed from her Master, Sakura would have refused to believe it, even if beaten to death.
Subject not found! Then who, or what, was the Junko she had lived with for months? And who was the person who had supposedly saved her back then? A chill traced its way down Sakura's spine.
Sakura was absolutely certain there had been nothing wrong with Grandma Rika. Her mind had been clear, her recollections coherent. Sakura had even healed her briefly; there were absolutely no signs of genjutsu. And regarding the villagers in Koyo Village… although Sakura hadn't interacted extensively with them, their attitudes during her brief stay had seemed to tacitly acknowledge Junko's existence as Rika's granddaughter. But now, according to the investigation, those same villagers claimed no such person ever lived there.
Grandma Rika had lived alone for over a decade, and her only son died childless. So who was Junko?
The sheer strangeness of it all sparked a genuine fear in Sakura. This was someone she had lived in close proximity with for two weeks! She was positive she hadn't been caught in a genjutsu. And Rika… But now, those few conversations she'd had with the villagers – asking about Junko's family out of pity for her seemingly hard life – became the most suspicious point of all. The realization hit her like plunging into an ice cellar.
Could it be genjutsu? But as far as Sakura knew, no genjutsu was capable of this. Genjutsu was fundamentally a tool for combat, for controlling actions, perhaps. But rewriting memories on this scale? It shouldn't be possible. At most, genjutsu could manipulate behavior, but memories remained immutable.
Could it be Danzo's Kotoamatsukami? No, that made no sense. Danzo had no conceivable reason to orchestrate this, and Kotoamatsukami's power was altering a person's will, their fundamental beliefs – it didn't affect memories directly.
Sakura's expression grew increasingly grim as she mentally listed and discarded hypotheses one by one. The more she thought, the more terrifying the possibilities became.
Could it be… the ultimate genjutsu? Infinite Tsukuyomi? The thought struck her with chilling force. What if… what if I was born inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi all along? She collapsed onto the grass, sitting heavily, her face deathly pale. If it was that genjutsu… then yes, it could explain everything. Inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi, everyone except the caster is merely a construct, part of the illusion. The caster could change anything, rewrite anything, at will.
Her hands began to tremble. A heavy, oppressive weight settled in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Could it all be fake? My entire life? Did I actually transmigrate into someone already trapped within the Infinite Tsukuyomi? Is this world just… my personalized dream world, fulfilling my wish as a transmigrator, starting from infancy? What could be more tragic, more devastatingly sorrowful, than discovering the world you've lived in for over a decade is nothing but a lie? Sakura felt utterly powerless, drained. She lay back on the grass, staring blankly up at the vast, indifferent sky.
An indeterminate amount of time passed. Faint, muffled calls reached her ears. Numbly, woodenly, she turned her head. The sound was coming from the earthen box nearby. Heh… almost forgot about her.
She began forming hand seals, intending to release Mei from the Earth Prison. Suddenly – Swoosh! – a kunai flew through the air, aimed directly at her shoulder. Though her mind was reeling and distracted, years of ingrained ninja training, pure muscle memory, took over. In a fluid motion, she executed a Sparrowhawk Flip, twisting gracefully in the air to dodge the projectile.
Landing lightly, she saw a figure emerge from the nearby bushes – a ninja, wearing a Kirigakure forehead protector. Sakura frowned. They found me already? That was fast.
"So, it is a ninja!" the newcomer exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Sakura demanded, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
The sudden attack, the immediate threat, had jolted Sakura out of her spiraling existential dread. She mentally compartmentalized the terrifying thoughts. The Infinite Tsukuyomi is just a guess. I need to investigate in the Land of Grass before jumping to conclusions. Besides, she reasoned, gaining composure, if the Infinite Tsukuyomi was meant to grant the victim's deepest desires, it probably wouldn't allow her to realize she was trapped within it in the first place. Right now, she needed to deal with the enemy directly in front of her.
The Kiri ninja grinned, revealing rows of sharp, sawtooth-like teeth that added a menacing air to his features. "I am the Kirigakure Jonin, Hozuki Mangetsu!" he declared. "I initially thought you were just some civilian. But since you're clearly a wandering ninja… I won't be holding back!"