Chapter Text
Sakura moved slowly through the village streets, each step deliberate, as if she were navigating an unfamiliar forest. Her long black pants rustled softly, and the red inner shirt peeked out from beneath the green hoodie she had pulled over her head. A mask covering her face obscured her expression, but her eyes darted around, taking in every detail of her surroundings with a quiet curiosity.
Inside, her mind and body were a labyrinth of interconnected thoughts and mycelium, each branching into another, her colony. Her thoughts were not solitary; they were a chorus of whispers and songs, each voice belonging to a member of the fungal colony she hosted in her body. The fungi had become a part of her at birth, intertwining with her essence, creating a symbiotic relationship that had grown and deepened over the years.
“Observe the trees, Mother.” one voice murmured, drawing her attention to the swaying branches above. “Feel the earth, Mother.” another whispered.
Each voice had depth and insight, contributing to the collective consciousness that guided her actions and way of life. Her thoughts were filled with the gentle hum of these voices, each offering advice, comfort, or caution. However, the mycelium inside her had one singular purpose: the cycle of nature.
With no parents and no proper parental guide, she only had her colony to raise her for the first few years of her life. They taught her that she must never initiate a fight and always place peace and tranquility above all else. They taught her that death, necrosis, fungal growth, and sporulation were another part of nature's cycle. They taught her that mold and fungi held the power to transform decaying organic material into new and strangely beautiful forms of existence. They taught her that the ongoing cycle of life and death was integral to the balance of the natural world. To them, death was not an end but rather a new beginning.
While others were playing tag and games in the academy, she explored the forests alone, looking for dead animals and plants to feed her colony with the nutrients she absorbed from the dead and dispersing some of it back into the soil. As the mother of her colony, such was her purpose in life. She was meant to assist in the cycle of nature, bringing balance and serenity.
The shinobi life wasn’t a priority to her or her colony. Nonetheless, they understood the danger the world could affect her and taught her how to weaponize them to defend herself and the colony. They taught her how to survive in a turbulent one like the one she was born into. Despite being peaceful, her colony would fight to the death to defend one of their own.
For now, it was the day she’d be assigned to a team for becoming a genin. She adjusted her forehead protector around her neck, “I wonder what team I’ll be put on today.”
She performed decently well in the physical examinations as she did a lot of exploring and climbing while growing up, looking for fungi, molds, mushrooms, and dead organisms. She placed first in theory, even beating Sasuke Uchiha for that top spot.
“Not that it matters,” she thought, wishing to explore the forest for the umpteenth time.
Arriving at the academy, she paused before entering, feeling nervousness and anticipation. Her colony absorbed, processed, and filtered her feelings through the lens of the colony's experience.
“Don’t be nervous, Mother.” one voice whispers. “Mother is the best,” another voice tells her, trying to cheer her up.
She stepped into the classroom with a deep breath, reassured by her colony. The voices quieted, and a focused calm settled over her as she stood at the door, their eyes on her briefly. Then, the noise resumed as if she didn’t exist. Accustomed to this reaction to her presence, Sakura sat next to Shino Aburame, who nodded at her in recognition.
Since she enrolled at the academy, he had been her silent seatmate for years. He was quiet and peaceful, and her colony liked him and wished desperately to feed his insects. They could sense the insects that nested in the bodies of the Aburame Clan members. It all came back to the cycle of nature since fungi serve as a food source for various animals, including insects, small mammals, and other fungi.
‘That one is nice,” The colony chorused happily, singing their song. “Mother must feed him in the future,” one voice said to her in a sing-song voice.
She wouldn’t consider Shino a friend exactly, but her colony sure did. Otherwise, she didn’t have friends at the academy. The girls found her creepy and preferred to avoid her. The boys found her weird and avoided her altogether. She grew up in the orphanage alongside Naruto, the rowdy troublemaker she barely spoke to, and even he had friends.
‘I have my colony, though,’ She thought happily, her thoughts resonating with the mycelium song inside her.
“You have us, Mother,” the voices whisper in unison, “together from the beginning and forever.”
‘We have each other,’ Sakura thought, watching as Naruto and Sasuke argued before sharing an accidental kiss, much to her amusement.
“Naruto!” Ino shouted angrily, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment,
“Yuck!” Naruto spat on the ground, wiping his tongue with his hands, “You’re disgusting, Sasuke!”
“You’re the one that came into my face, idiot!” Sasuke shouted back.
Suddenly, Iruka-sensei entered the classroom, causing all chaos to cease. Sakura silently listened to his impassioned speech about how wonderful it was to teach them over the years before he announced the teams they were assigned. She waited patiently until she heard her name.
“Team 7 will be Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki,” Iruka announced.
“Why do I have to be on a team with that bastard?!” Naruto pointed at Sasuke.
“It’s not like I want to be on a team with you either!” Sasuke shot back with his glare.
Sakura didn’t see this coming and felt like the peace she had cultivated over the years was being threatened. ‘Why do I have to be placed with the rivals who bicker at every moment?’ Sakura thought in exasperation, looking at the boys glaring at each other.
Feeling like she was being stared at, she found Ino glaring at her from her seat. “What’s her problem?” Sakura murmured, not having much to do with the blonde even though they practically grew up together.
“It's because you’re on the same team as Sasuke,” Shino said softly, startling her.
Sakura was astonished that Shino spoke to her, as they had hardly exchanged words over the years despite being seatmates. “That makes sense,” she said, facing forward once more. “I forgot she had a crush on him.”
“Haruno-san, you should be more observant of those around you,” said Shino, standing from his seat, “so you can see what is in front of you.”
He moves to another seat, joining his newly assigned team to wait for his sensei. ‘What does he mean?’ Sakura asked her colony, moving to join Naruto and Sasuke at their table.
The colony processed and filtered the information through the collective consciousness, trying to understand what the insect boy meant. “We don’t fully understand, Mother.”
Sakura murmurs a small thanks to her colony as she ponders what Shino meant. Time passed, and they were the only ones left in the classroom. She watches with interest as Naruto sets a trap for their new sensei once she arrives.
“That’s not going to work,” Sakura looked at Naruto.
Naruto frowned, a hint of surprise on his face, “Watch and see, then mask face.” He snarked, turning away with a huff, but not before getting into another argument with Sasuke.
‘Mask face?’ Sakura thought, thinking that was an insult she hadn’t heard in a while. The reason she was covered from head to toe was because the mycelium inside her visibly made changes to her appearance. She wasn’t ugly by any means, but sometimes she could have a mold, fungi, or mushroom problem that might not be pleasant.
Suddenly, the door slides open, and their sensei walks in, the eraser clonking him on his head. Naruto burst out in laughter, looking at her and Sasuke with a triumphant look. She and Sasuke couldn’t believe his prank worked.
He looks at the group and speaks calmly, “Hmm... How can I put this? My first impression of you all is... I hate you.”
The three students are left in shock by his blunt statement.
“Meet me on the roof in five minutes,” He stated before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
“We don’t like him, Mother,” Her colony chorused suddenly, their songs filled with anger.
Sakura got up to follow her teammates, who all but ran out of the classroom, “Let’s save judgment for later,” She responded, quelling their anger.
Once they got to the roof, they sat before their new sensei – who was sitting on the railing - waiting for him to start. Sasuke was brooding on his end, coldness radiating from him. Naruto was brimming with energy, excited to be on a team, and Sakura was tranquil and still under his stare.
Kakashi got down from the rail and said, “Let's begin with introductions.”
Sakura tilted her head to the side, seeking answers, “Introductions? What are we supposed to say?”
“Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies, things like that,” Kakashi answered.
“Why don't you introduce yourself first? So we can see how it's supposed to go.” Naruto demanded, narrowing his eyes at Kakashi.
“Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... I never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies.”
‘All he told us was his name.’ Sakura thought, her judgment of the man slowly favoring her colony.
He points to Naruto, “Alright, your turn. You first,”
“I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup, and I like the ramen Iruka-sensei treats me to at Ichiraku Ramen. But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the hot water into the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them,” Naruto boldly said before declaring, “And my future dream is to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody. Someone important!”
Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise, ‘He wants to be Hokage? That’s the first time I’ve heard of this…’
‘Mother, this one is dangerous,’ Her colony warned her whenever she was close to Naruto.
Kakashi’s lone eye landed on her, “Next, you with the mask.” He pointed at her.
“I'm Sakura Haruno. I like a quiet stroll through the woods on rainy days where I can smell the scent of rotting trees, wet grass, and decay and discover different species of fungi, mold, or mushrooms. My hobbies are caring for my indoor garden and reading a good book. My dream for the future is…”
Sakura remained silent, thinking for the first time about a dream. Sure, she had goals she wanted to achieve, but she never thought of a dream. “I don’t have a dream,” she said.
Kakashi nods, “Well, give it some time, and I’m sure you’ll have a dream to strive for. What do you hate?”
Sakura tilted her head to the side, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke. “I hate when my family and peace are threatened.” She said in a tranquil voice that sent shivers down their backs.
Kakashi turned to Sasuke, “Alright, and finally, you.”
“My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate many things, and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream; I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and destroy a certain someone.”
His declaration took aback Naruto and Kakashi, but Sakura wondered who he wanted to kill. ‘Is it perhaps the one who murdered his clan?” She had heard about the massacre that took place in his clan compound. Though she was still young, her colony reassured her that it was the cycle of nature. Animals killed animals, and humans killed humans.
“This one, full of anguish,” one voice told her, its song a sad one.
“Hmm... well, that’s it for introductions,” Kakashi said after a moment of silence, “Tomorrow, we'll start our duties as ninjas.”
“What kind of missions are we gonna have?” Naruto asked excitedly, his eyes shining with happiness at the thought.
Kakashi held a hand, “But first, we're going to do something with just the four of us.”
“What kind of something, Kakashi-sensei?” Sakura asked, curious.
“You’re going to have a test.” Kakashi’s lone eye shone with mischievousness.
“A test?” Sasuke questioned, eyes narrowed.
“But we're ninjas already! Why are we having another test?!” Naruto exclaimed, his expression one of dread.
“This is no ordinary test.”
“Then what kind is it?” Sakura asked.
“Out of the 27 graduates, only nine will be accepted as genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a make-or-break test, and the chance you'll fail is at least 66%.”
“I’m not going back to the academy!” Sasuke snapped, teeth clenched.
“They didn't tell us about that at the Academy.” She replied calmly.
“That's because this test is a secret. Anyway, tomorrow you had better be prepared. Bring all your ninja tools and meet me at 5 a.m. at the third training ground, and don’t eat anything.”
“What kind of test is it gonna be? What do we have to do?” Naruto shot his questions off rapidly, hoping to get a hint.
“Just show up at the training field. And bring your ninja gear.” Kakashi told them before vanishing, leaving all three of them sitting there.
“Hmph.” Sasuke huffed, walking away from them.
“That bastard!” Naruto growled at the black-haired boy, glaring daggers in his back as he walked away.
‘I should stroll through the forest before heading home,’ Sakura thought before Naruto tapped her shoulder, “Yes?”
“Since we live in the same building, why don’t we walk home together?” Naruto suggested with reluctance, “T-think of it as team building.”
They had lived in the same building for a while now, just different rooms, and they never once went or came back from school together. “Sure, why not?” She accepted despite the protests from her colony.
“Great!” Naruto grinned, falling into step with her.
They walked silently, which was perfectly fine for Sakura, but Naruto’s bothersome glances at her when he thought she wasn’t looking were slightly annoying. But other than that, she enjoyed the quiet between them. When they reached their apartment building, Naruto turned to her.
He scratched his head sheepishly, “I…uh…see you tomorrow!” he said quickly before dashing into his apartment before she could say goodbye.
‘Is he nervous around me?’ Sakura wondered, walking a few doors down before entering her cozy apartment.
Once inside, she removed her shoes, hoody, and mask. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling good that she was able to remove her access clothing.
‘Are you guys hungry?’ Sakura asked the mycelium colony living inside her.
‘Mother, feed us.’ They sang beautifully, sending shivers through her body.
‘Of course, I will,’ Sakura goes into her fridge, pulling out a bowl of spoiled fruit, ‘What sustains me, sustains you.’
She took a rotten apple from the bowl, biting into it and savoring its sour taste. Using her free hand, she took a spoiled orange in her palm. Suddenly, tiny white roots crept across the orange, decomposing it and draining it of its nutrients. She could feel her body strengthening with each nutrient she took, sating her hunger and making her stronger.
‘Mother gives us tasty fruit.’ Her colony sings joyfully.
She finished the entire bowl of spoiled fruit in less than twenty minutes. Her body was bursting with chakra and energy waiting to be used. Whenever she had a full meal like this, she had to do something to release the pent-up energy. While every shinobi has a single chakra network running through their body, she has two chakra networks: her own and her colony’s.
The mycelium network mirrors her chakra network exactly, but the nodes are small colonies of fungi instead of chakra points. Without her colony, her chakra reserves would’ve been small, but since she became the host, the mother, her chakra reserves have increased dramatically.
Suddenly, a knock on her door snapped her from her thoughts. ‘It is the dangerous one again,’ Her colony warned as she moved to the door.
Pulling the door open, she found a shocked-looking Naruto whose cheeks turned red, “You’re not ugly?!” Naruto exclaimed loudly, seeing Sakura’s face for the first time since he had known her. “You’re so pretty despite those weird spots on your skin, red eyes like you haven't slept in ages...”
‘I forgot to wear a mask.’ Sakura blinked twice before shrugging, ‘He would’ve seen my face sooner or later.”
“Why do you hide your face?!” Naruto said to her in an accusatory tone.
Sakura ignores his question, “Aren’t you here for something, Naruto?”
“Oh!” Naruto remembered why he came in in the first place. “Um, is it alright if I stay here for a bit?” he asked reluctantly, throwing his pride away. “A water pipe’s burst in my apartment, and the landlord has to come later to get it fixed.”
Sakura stepped to the side and held the door for him, “You can come in,” she said, watching as he walked into her apartment with wide eyes.
“Your apartment is so clean and nice,” Naruto exclaimed as he looked around.
“Do you want something to eat or drink?” Sakura offered as she closed the front door.
“I’ll take something to drink,” Naruto said as he sat on her sofa while she entered the kitchen.
Sakura grabbed a clean glass before pouring some freshly squeezed lemonade into the glass. ‘He might be hungry as well,’ She thought, preparing a ham sandwich for the boy. Once she was done, she carried everything out on a tray, placing it on the table.
“I can’t believe you fell asleep so fast,” Sakura said, looking down at the snoring boy with a sigh. “I invited you because I wanted to discover why my colony is so afraid of you.”
She covered the boy with a clean sheet and left the tray on the table for when he woke up hungry. ‘He’s dangerous. Be wary.’ The colony warned her once again.
“I guess we’ll find out how dangerous he is soon enough.” Sakura walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Even if she was to die, it was not the end, but a new beginning.