A/N: I do not own Naruto. This is a sequel to Passing Rain. Now you may be wondering why I wrote another sequel to Passing Rain when there's already Ocean. Well, my original plan was to end Passing Rain just the way it was, but I couldn't help but wonder what the fates of Naruto, Sakura, and Sarada would be like in different dimensions. Plus, I left Passing Rain on an ambiguous note, so I felt that there could be more exploration in the narratives. Unlike the other two stories, I think that this one will end in a happier tone.

The beginning of this story will start out with Sakura's POV, but the rest of the story will continue in third person. Enjoy!

Naruto…

How could I ever tell him the truth?

Boruto was dead.

Even an idiot without years of medical experience could tell that the boy was dead. His once rosy cheeks were now ghostly white, and his half-closed eyes containing the blue orbs, once vibrant and shining with all the hope in the world, was now dark from losing its last lively sparkle.

His mother was holding him in her arms while pouring all the flames of fury in her out at me. Those ghastly white eyes of hers, containing the type of wrath that only a mother could bear, glared at me grudgingly.

"You whore! You're the one who's responsible for all this!" Hinata shrieked at me again, and I accepted everything she said in my heart quietly.

"Please, Hinata. Just come with me. I only want to protect you," I tried to convince her, although persuasion was never my strongest forte.

Just as I thought, Hinata didn't listen to me. Instead, she backed further away from me. Her feet were precariously on the edge of the Hokage Monument. Loose soil and rocks crumbled down the cliff each time she made a sudden move.

I realized that she was one step away from falling into the hellfire that was Konoha now.

I instantaneously reached my hand out, hoping that she would take it.

"Hinata," I pleaded. "Come with me, please. I can help you. We can go into this hiding place I know, where you can be safe. Please, Hinata."

I couldn't tell whether she was laughing or crying. Maybe it was both.

There was fire, and it encased Konoha with its brilliant bright blaze. Millions of screams and pleas for mercy from perhaps a thousand miles away rang implacably into my ears.

A gust of wind swept through every nook and cranny of Konoha, feeding the flames and molding it into a gargantuan monster that swallowed the entire village whole.

Despite the scene happening behind her, Hinata just shook her head and held her dead child tight against her chest.

"I'm not going anywhere," she whispered. "Not without Boruto."

"Hinata, Boruto is—"

"Don't try to fucking reason with me when you didn't do that in the first place!" she yelled this time. "You took away my husband, my home, and now my children…"

"Well then, we should go try and find Himawari together instead of standing here!" I yelled in exasperation.

Hinata's lips curled into a smile, but it was short from being sincere.

"You're right," she told me. "I can't just stand around here."

And then, she dove into the black pit of smoke and ashes.

I couldn't save her.

Slowly, everything went dark as I sank into the ground, wheezing as I let the toxic fumes in the atmosphere squeeze my lungs.

"Sakura…"

Someone was calling my name.

The voice was nothing but a hoarse, faint echo at first, but became clear and distinct in time.

The voice was calling me, reaching out to me.

Who is it?

Who are you? You sound familiar, and so kind to me.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!"

My eyes fluttered back into the light.

He was standing there in front of me, handsome as ever with those bewitching blue eyes. His devilish grin, however, soon shrank into lines of concern.

Most of our friends, including Hinata, encircled us, and I soon realized that I was back again.

Back when we were all 19 years old in a peaceful Konoha.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" he said. I didn't even realize at first, but my eyes were producing droplets of tears. One by one, they slid down to my cheeks, to my chin, and to the village streets.

I quickly rubbed my eyes. "It's nothing," I mumbled.

"She's probably just lonely because Sasuke's not around," Kiba said, like the smart-ass he was. As if she had read my mind, Ino bopped him on the head for me.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, perturbed. "I didn't know that our talks about going on dates would make you sad."

I gave Naruto a quick, deadly glare before uttering a "No, it's not that" to him.

I could've sworn that his heart had stopped cold for a second, from the way blood drained down from his face.

Everyone around me looked worried, and I didn't know how to break out of this awkwardness.

Thankfully, just then, there was a stomach rumbling.

"Hey, when are we going to eat some meat? I'm hungry," Choji piped up, patting his belly with a frown.

"Yeah, we should all go eat like we planned to instead of standing in the middle of the road," Tenten chimed in. "Otherwise, we're just wasting our precious time here."

Slowly, everyone nodded in agreement and began to take steps toward an eatery nearby. Only Ino stood with me.

"Hey forehead, are you sure that you're alright? What's with the tear works back there?" she said. Her tone seemed harsh, but I knew Ino better than anyone. She was only worried about me as her best friend.

"It's… it's nothing," I stuttered while watching Naruto slung his arm around a happy Hinata in the distance.

How could I ever tell him that his son is dead?

There was no village engulfed in malevolent flames, no screams of anguish from a heartbroken wife, and no broken homes and dreams in this world.

Everything must be perfect this time. I can't make the same mistake over and over again.

Naruto…