"Because after I kill you...I...I'm going to kill myself!" she said, tears rolling down her face. "It's the only way. The only way I can save you from hate and bitterness. And it's the only way to save the leaf village. I...I wouldn't be able to live on if I knew...that I killed the man that I loved!"
"Sasuke. Sasuke! Sasuke!" a blonde Naruto shouted, trying to snap Sasuke out of his flashback. Sasuke finally snapped back to reality to find himself with Naruto at Lady Tsunade's office door, getting ready to walk in. "Are you sure you're okay, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, who seemed worried about his old friend. "Yeah...Let's just go inside." he spoke trying to reassure the blonde. "Yeah...right. Come on." Naruto said as he opened the door persuading Sasuke to go in first.
There sitting at her desk was Lady Tsunade, looking at Sasuke with relief. Relief that he'd come home at last. "It's nice to see you again, Sasuke." she spoke, with a heart-warming smile. He looked at her with regretful eyes, feeling bad for all the pain he caused. "I'm glad you're alright, but we have dire matters to worry about." she stated with a determined look.
Sasuke knew she was talking about Sakura and was ready to go get her, but would Tsunade let him after all thats happened? "Kakashi and Yamato told me what you told them when you were found. Is it true, that Fujikata has Sakura?" she asked Sasuke. Sasuke looked at Tsunade with sad concerned eyes, then put his head down, looking at the floor. His hands into fists, angry at what Fujikata had done to Sakura. "Sasuke..." Naruto couldn't bare seeing Sasuke like this.
"I see..." said Lady Tsunade, noticing Sasuke's condition. "Well can you tell me about what happened between you and Fujikata?" Tsunade asked. Sasuke just looked up at the hokage, his expression composed and calm. "Hn." he nodded his head. "Start from the beginning if you will." she stated. "He first showed up after Sakura and I..were fighting. He seemed to be watching us as we fought. After he showed up, he seemed to know a lot about Sakura and I. Like he was able to see our past. But..." he stated, tensing up. "Wait...You guys were fighting, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, still a little confused.
Sasuke then looked at Naruto, but this look wasn't anything near anger for interrupting him, but that of regret. "I thought revenge was all I wanted but...I was wrong. I've been a complete fool all these years, missing the bigger picture. I'm sorry Naruto." he spoke to Naruto. "It's gonna be alright, you don't have to worry. We're still best friends, Sasuke." Naruto stated, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thank you...Naruto" Sasuke looked at his blonde-haired friend with relief. "You were saying that Fujikata seemed to know you and Sakura, Sasuke?" Shizune spoke, getting his attention.
"Yes. He spoke of our past, but I've never met him before, and Sakura didn't seem to know him either." Sasuke stated. "I see..." Tsunade spoke, taking in all the information she could. Then a knock came from the open door, "Lady Tsunade, I have Sakura's parents as you requested." spoke Ino. "Sakura's parents?", Sasuke thought, a little nervous meeting Sakura's folks for the first time. Although, he was also sad, considering the circumstances. "Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, please come in." spoke Tsunade. "Ino, you can stay too." Tsunade spoke to Ino. "Yes Ma'am." Ino nodded acknowledging Tsunade. Sasuke looked at Sakura's parents and saw the worry on their faces. "Have you found our daughter, Ma'am?" asked Kizashi, looking at Tsunade.
"Not yet, but there's been sort of a breakthrough. I just have a few questions for you, if that's alright with you.", Tsunade spoke to the Harunos. "Of course.", said Kizashi, wondering what Tsunade was about to ask. "Do you know of the name Fujikata Mishikawa?", asked Tsunade, placing her hands just below her chin. Both Kizashi and Mebuki looked suprised.
"Judging by your expressions, you must know of the name. Tell me, what haven't you told us?" Tsunade spoke, a little curious of what else the couple was hiding. The couple looked at each other then the husband spoke, "We might as well tell you since we can't hide it any longer. There was once a demon by that name, a demon that had the power to form as a human. A human with black hair, darker than the night itself. That carried a banryou as a weapon. This was told in the Haruno book of legends, passed down through the Haruno clan."
"A demon that could mascarade as a human?" questioned Kakashi, then looked at Sasuke who was in shock. Sasuke was clutching his fists at the thought of Sakura being taken away, by a demon. "He...was a demon?! A demon took her?! A DEMON took Sakura?!" thought Sasuke. "There's more." spoke Kizashi, breaking the ackward silence, making every one look in his direction.
"During the feudal era, a priestess named Anya watched over a village, that village was home to our ancestors. The very first of the Haruno bloodline. Being protected by the priestess Anya, made our ancestors's village resilient to demon attacks.", stated Kizashi, who spoke with a serious look on his face. "Resilient to demon attacks?" questioned Shizune. "Yes, it was also heard that, that priestess Anya possessed powers that of a goddess, and not just any goddess, but the goddess Midori.", spoke Kizashi. All but Naruto, Sasuke, and Ino were shocked.
"Midori?...I'm confused." stated Naruto, looking dumbfounded. "I almost forgot, you guys haven't heard of Midori til now." spoke Tsunade. "Midori is the rightful heir of the universe. She is the daughter of the very being that created the universe and us. Being the youngest of 8, she was still proclaimed the first heir to the universe." stated Shizune. "It's been said that she disappeared during the fuedal era in Japan. Most likely she became Anya and lived with our ancestors." stated Kizashi.
"What does Midori have to do with Fujikata?" questioned Ino. A brief silence swept over them, til one of them spoke. "Being the priestess Anya, Midori looked out for our ancestors's village, being entrusted with the village's safety, soon had to fight a huge band of demons. While fighting the demons, Anya found out that the demons weren't after the villagers, but they were out to get revenge on Anya for slaying their demon brothers. After fighting the band of demons, there was just Anya and Fujikata left. Finally priestess Anya was able to put Fujikata into eternal sleep, but she was badly injured. She was so badly wounded that she died." stated Kizashi.
"She died? But didn't she try to save herself?" asked a curious Shizune. "No, she probably would've if she could but, she couldn't. In the Haruno book of legends, it stated that priestess Anya had recently fallen in love with a traveling swordsman, and that her powers were too deminished that, if she had been seriouslly wounded, she wouldn't be able to save herself. I think hypothetically, that if priestess Anya really was Midori in human form, she most likely didn't have the power to heal herself." a serious Kizashi spoke. "Wow..." spoke Naruto, being awestruck as usual.
There was a short pause til Tsunade spoke, "So do you know what priestess Anya looks like?" asking Kizashi. Getting out a old dark brown book, Mebuki had in her purse. "Yes ma'am, we always carry the book of legends with us." Handing it to Tsunade, Mebuki spoke, "There's a photo of a painting of priestess Anya on page 3. It says it was painted after our ancestor's village was built." Flipping through the book, Tsunade finally found the third page. Looking shocked and breath-taken, "This is worse than I thought." placing the book down on her desk.
"What is it, Lady Tsunade?" asked Shizune, making everyone curious. "What's wrong, granny Tsunade?" a confused Naruto asked. There was a short pause til Tsunade picked up the book and turned it around for everyone to see, "Look for yourself." Everyone but the Haruno's was shocked. "The priestess Anya...she looks just like..." a confused and shocked Naruto spoke, but he sentence was finished by Sasuke. "Sakura.", Sasuke looked at the photo with shock and amazement. Everyone looked at Sasuke.
He was right, the priestess looked exactly like Sakura. From the cherry blossom hair to the facial features. All that was different was the hair was long and curly, and tied up halfway with a long white lace ribbon. The priestess was wearing a white and gray-blue shrine maiden kimono with red lace strings tied at the chest.