First story after 2 years of hiatus. :) And it's a crossover...somewhat! Jigoku Shoujo/Hell Girl and Naruto/Naruto Shippuden aren't mine.
SASUSAKUREN
If you have ever read my old stories, I promise to update them as soon as I get some ideas to continue them.
The rainy season has come over Konoha and the mission requests are slow. There were days when there was only two missions and they were low rank ones and some days there were just none at all. Tsunade sat behind her desk blowing off the steam from her hot coffee. Shizune was surprised that morning when the blonde Hokage asked for a cup of coffee instead of her usual alcohol beverage.
"Dang..." Tsunade sighed as she took a sip from her cup.
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune entered her office and Ton-Ton followed Shizune inside just like a shadow. "Sakura just finished the research and experiment on the new fever drug. The results are here."
Tsunade looked at the folders stacked on Shizune's hands. A lot of paperwork on a cold, gloomy day wasn't her thing. Tsunade stretched her arms upward and yawned.
"Just put them here." Tsunade motioned her hand on top of desk. Shizune followed her orders. "Where's Sakura?"
"She told me she's heading straight home to rest. Do you need me to call her?"
Tsunade shook her head. "Nah, let her rest. She's been stuck in the lab for two weeks."
Shizune nodded and then bowed before leaving the Hokage's office with Ton-Ton still behind her. Tsunade finished her cup of coffee and took the top folder from the stack.
"Hmmm..." She started reading.
Sakura was walking home. She wore her usual ninja clothes and her lab coat hung on her messenger bag. She looked really stressed and tired. She passed by the training grounds and saw Naruto, Kakashi, and Sasuke doing some sparring. She stopped for a moment and looked at her team. How long has it been since Sasuke's miraculous return? She wondered. The three had been training for weeks now to prepare Naruto and Sasuke for their Chuunin exams. Sakura would've loved to join them but she was stuck with laboratory work. Naruto and the others seemed to be doing fine without her anyway, she thought.
"Oh?" Naruto saw her. "Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto ran towards the pink-haired girl. Kakashi and Sasuke turned to see her.
Sakura waved at them. "Hello."
"Wow, Sakura-chan, Tsunade-baachan finally let you out of there?" Naruto grinned.
Sakura smiled sweetly. "Research finally done. I'm heading home to rest. You guys training hard?"
Naruto nodded. "Of course! I'm beating teme's ass!" Naruto said thumbs up.
Sakura smiled but her eyes didn't match up and Naruto noticed.
"Anything wrong Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.
Sakura looked at him and tried her best, "Just tired, Naruto. I'll go now. Just tell the two I said hi."
"Okay. Take care Sakura-chan."
Naruto ran back and Sakura opened her umbrella since the rain was getting heavy. When she reached her home, she threw her bag at the floor and just headed straight to her bedroom. She jumped on her bed then just closed her eyes and in no time at all, she was asleep.
It was twelve midnight when she woke up. She felt weak then she remembered that she haven't eaten any lunch or dinner yet. She dragged herself downstairs to the kitchen and took some instant ramen from the cupboard. She put some hot water and then started eating. Sakura was living alone ever since her parents died while on their way to another village to visit some friends. Reports said that they were attacked by bandit ninjas and the said ninjas were already in prison.
Sakura was eating peacefully when she noticed shadows outside the kitchen window. She stood up and looked out the small kitchen window. No one was there so she thought that it was just her hunger. She finished eating and right on cue, knocks came from her front door.
"Sakura-sama, Sakura-sama!"
Sakura headed for the door. "Hai, hai... I'm coming." She was annoyed.
When Sakura opened the door, it was Tsunade's messenger.
"Akito? What are you doing here this late?" Sakura pulled him inside. "And in this weather!"
"S-Sakura-sama," Akito was dripping wet. "The Hokage needs you in her office right away."
Sakura sighed and hung her head to the side. "What? I thought I was on vacation?"
"W-Well... I don't..."
Sakura sighed loudly, cutting off the shivering Akito. "Bring an umbrella next time, Akito."
Sakura arrived at the office. Sakura was annoyed but she didn't show it since she was still a ninja with responsibilities.
"Tsunade-sama?" Sakura bowed slowly.
"Sorry to bother you." Tsunade sounded gloomy - Unusually, gloomy.
Sakura shook her head. "What's the emergency?"
Tsunade stood up and gave Sakura a black folder. Sakura was shocked as her eyes widen. A black folder meant an S-class mission. And she haven't gotten one in months. She opened the folder and read her mission.
"Solo?"
Tsunade sat back down. "The client asked for you specifically. Told me that she had heard great things about you and begged that you be the one sent for her request. I can understand if you turn this down. You're on vacation and this mission shouldn't be for one person."
"No, I'll handle this." Sakura said.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "You seem gloomy."
Sakura closed the folder and looked at her master, "No, Tsunade-sama. It's just the weather."
Tsunade yawned. Sakura noticed that the Hokage was already in pajamas.
"But seriously, Sakura," Tsunade crossed her arms. "I think we should ignore her personal request and make it a team mission."
Sakura contemplated about what she read and said, "It's a hard mission full of stealth and such but it's the client's request and we haven't received any mission this high in months. If I do this mission flawlessly, it'll help Konoha get more missions like this from their village."
Tsunade shrugged. "Well you're right on that point. I'm just worried about you. You've been stuck in the lab for weeks with no proper rest and then you get this mission."
Sakura grinned at Tsunade, trying to convince her that she's fine. Tsunade nodded then smiled back at her.
"At least get some sleep tonight and leave tomorrow."
Sakura nodded then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Sakura prepared her things when she got home and took a quick nap. She left for the Konoha gates at three in the morning. Tsunade and Jiraiya were there waiting for her.
"Jiraiya-san, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked.
"Just accompanying Tsunade." He answered.
Sakura could tell that the two of them were drinking again before even coming to send her off.
"The way to the Village of Sunset is treacherous. Be careful of landslides and rogue ninjas. The storm might have stopped for now but we're just in the eye. I believe it'll start raining again in a few hours. The Village of Sunset is west from here." Tsunade handed her a map and some medicine.
Sakura nodded and stretched her arms before walking out of Konoha.
"Are you sure she can handle this? It would be best to send some back up now to follow her." Jiraiya spoke.
"I have faith in Sakura. The client asked for her and she seemed serious about wanting Sakura and Sakura ONLY for this mission." Tsunade explained as the two sannins walked together.
"Did you ask her why?" Jiraiya asked.
Tsunade shook her head. "She won't say why. She just kept on telling me that it has to be Sakura."
Jiraiya stopped walking andsighed.
"What?"
"The Village of Sunset is said to be the village closest to hell. Haven't you heard about that story?" Jiraiya asked.
"I heard but come on Jiraiya, it's an old tale to scare children away from the village."
Jiraiya shook his head and dragged Tsunade inside a bar to get some drinks.
"I thought we're done drinking?" Tsunade asked as they sat down.
"I just thought I'd like to tell you that story of the Village of Sunset." Jiraiya smirked.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "For what?"
"Nothing. Just listen to me and tell me what you think. I'm not sleepy yet. Besides, it's my treat."
Tsunade grinned and then relaxed herself on the chair. "All right. Go on."
Jiraiya cleared his throat and then started his story. "The Village of sunset is known to be the Village closest to hell. People usually told that story to their kids and other merchants to stay away from the village. The story came from an elder in that village to keep the peace in their village."
"That's it?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"No, no... It's just the intro!"
"Well then hurry up!"
"okay, okay... geez." Jiraiya scratched the back of his head. "Well anyways..."
"Oh our drinks are here!" Tsunade grinned in delight. "Go on..."
Jiraiya sighed, "Okay. So it was said and believed that there was a hole inside the village so deep that it leads down to hell. Hence the name, village closest to hell. Also, they said that the hole is filled with red water for some unknown reason and that red flowers bloomed around it."
Tsunade drank a shot of alcohol. "Maybe the water just reflected the color of the red flowers."
"I don't know. Maybe?" Jiraiya raised his shoulders. "Lemme continue..."
"Alright."
"From what I've learned when I traveled around the world, the village of sunset is evil. That every ten years they would offer a maiden to the gods that would help them keep the hole from releasing demons and such. But there was this one woman who was so mad at the elders for sacrificing her daughter that she wrote a letter full of hate and her heart was full of vengeance that time. She threw the letter in the water and from what I've learned, the woman was visited by a beautiful girl with red eyes and three other demons and told her that they will deliver her vengeance in exchange for her soul. The woman agreed and the next day, the elder had disappeared and the woman was found dead in her house. From then on, the village was feared by people in all walks of life."
"Scary. I bet kids would love hearing that." Tsunade said.
"Well... some say it was a true story." Jiraiya said. "I'm just worried about Sakura."
Tsunade laughed. "Come on old man! We're living in the twenty-first century! No one believes those tales anymore."
Jiraiya sighed. "Just to be sure, send some back up for Sakura."
"Okay, okay..." Tsunade halted her laughter. "If it'll make you stop with this scary stories. I'll send Kakashi and two others tomorrow."
Jiraiya nodded. "It's better to be safe than sorry."
"Seriously Jiraiya, you're giving me the creeps with those words of yours. Stop it before I punch your soul out of you."
The two stood up and left the bar. The sun was almost up but its rays can't punch a hole through the thick fog. It was a chilly dawn and Tsunade threw herself into her bed. It was her day off and she was sure sleeping in. She closed her eyes and thought about Jiraiya's story.
"A girl from hell huh..." She mumbled before drifting off to sleep.
I'll cut this off right here. Nothing much happening but I'll make it up on the next chapter I swear! By the way, characters are OOC 'cause I'm mean like that. XD Reviews please! Been awhile since I made fan fictions.
