Author's Note: I can't find the chapter where I mentioned wanting to do an edit so here is the edit! As always, I would absolutely love to thank you all of you for hanging around and reading my writing, I greatly appreciate it.

P.S.: The base is fundamentally the same, I just approached it differently (if that makes sense).

Cradle: Chapter 1 – The Anomaly

Every night was the same for her. Some nights, the excitement and incessant stomping and cheering from the crowd would wake her up while other nights, it'd be the rounded end of a Wrangler's polearm. Tonight, it was a Wrangler and tonight, they decided to jam it into her abdomen rather than aggressively nudge her.

She groaned out of both pain and annoyance as the ringing in her ears was replaced by muffled shrieking and screaming from above. When she looked at the Wrangler who woke her, they immediately tensed up at the sight of her piercing emerald eyes. She didn't need to utter a word as the Wrangler quickly scurried away and out of the Fighters' Bunks.

When the ringing subsided entirely, she heard the commotion of the Barracks. She looked around and saw many of her bunkmates were already up and out of their beds. Very few were still in the room but those who lingered seemed to be hesitant. It was the usual bunch. She didn't dwell on them long as she grabbed the prescription bottle sitting on the floor by her bed. She shook it and barely heard it rattle. She sucked her teeth and looked in to see only one pill remaining.

"Fuck," she groaned as she emptied the bottle and swallowed the pill.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I can't even begin to express how good it is to see all of you here this evening!" the announcer's voice came through loud and clear to those in the Barracks. "I see plenty of familiar faces and plenty of not-so-familiar faces. For those of you who have returned, allow me to welcome you home, and to those of you who are new? Allow me to welcome you to your final stop before facing judgement: The Abyss!"

She could feel a migraine threatening already at the sound of his voice. She tapped her forehead just above her right eye and squeezed her eyes shut. She sat there a moment and focused on drowning out the noise of everything around her.

"You'll be okay," she told herself. "This is your last match…your last match."

"Let's get moving!" a Wrangler called. "Hey, what're you doing? Get up!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted back as she opened her eyes and blinked away the spots. She shook her head and one she was sure she was as balanced as she was going to get, she stood up. She bypassed the wall that held all their armor and weapons where her bunkmates prepared themselves for the night. She was almost out when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

"For those of you unfamiliar with The Abyss, allow me to educate you," the announcer said. "It's a last-ditch effort for desperate men and women to achieve fame and glory. For some, they prove capable and can bask in the glory of their success here in The Abyss, but then there are those who aren't so lucky."

She stopped and stared. She ran her fingers through her unwashed and unkempt bright pink hair. It reached the middle of her back and when she sniffed some of it, all she smelled was blood, sweat, and dirt. As for her skin, it was bruised, scarred, and dirty. On her right forearm, she wore bandages that were wrapped tight and secure. As for her clothes, they were basically nothing but rags.

"Bait walking!"

She pulled her eyes away from the mirror and looked out into the hallway. With her bunkmates, they watched as a line of scrawny men and women were ushered by with their wrists and ankles chained together. In their hands, they held weapons that were entirely too large for them.

"Now then, let's get started, shall we?" the announcer cooed.

"Please!" one of them pleaded. "You can't do this! Please, just let us go!"

"I'm not supposed to be here! I'm just a merchant! I don't want to die!"

"Let us go! Please!"

"Please!"

"Step aside, Bait walking!"

She stepped out of the Fighters' Bunk and headed down the hallway in the opposite direction. She rubbed her ear as she heard their pleading become more desperate and the rattling of their chains became louder. They always struggled but their pleas were never enough.

"Here in The Abyss, we love to begin every match with: Let There Be Blood!"

She could hear the creaking of the large metal gates as they began to open. Chains collapsed onto the ground and there were more desperate pleas and angry shouting. There were some screams and gut-wrenching noises as one or two Bait didn't make it out the gates. More creaking and lastly, the shutting of the gates followed by pounding on the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She stopped and saw a group of Wranglers lingering in a hallway, cigarettes in hand and uniforms out of order. She recognized them and had wished she'd waited a little bit longer to leave her bunk.

"Well?" their "leader" asked as he walked up to her and blew smoke in her face. "Answer me when I speak to you, Anomaly."

She coughed and waved the smoke away. "Don't ask questions you already know the answer to, asshole."

"Huh?" It didn't take much to rile him up. He wrapped his hand around her neck and slammed her against the nearest wall. "Don't forget that you are beneath me, Anomaly."

"And don't forget that it's merely because of titles. Nothing else," she reminded him as she glared at him. "Had you and I run into each other anywhere but here, then you and I both know that I'd bury you. So, stop with the dick swinging and let me go before I have to tell Lord Toneri the reason why I'm late. And you know I don't believe in subtleties."

He gritted his teeth before releasing her. He mustered up an obnoxiously large loogy and spit it out just by her feet. He sucked his teethed and eyed her before sauntering away, his small posse following behind him.

She felt that migraine threatening again, and she pressed the same spot as before. "Calm," she cooed to herself. "Stay calm." She took a deep breath in followed by a long exhale out. "Calm. Calm. Stay calm." She was in the middle of her mantra when she heard ringing. She looked down at the bracelet on her left wrist and tapped it. A screen appeared, and it displayed a young man with pristine snow-white skin with snow-white hair and mesmerizing turquoise eyes.

"Yes, Prince Toneri?" she answered.

"What's taking you so long?" he questioned, slightly annoyed. "I expected you to be up here by the time I finished the introductions yet, here I am still waiting on you."

"My apologies. I'll be there shortly," she assured.

"Hurry," he insisted. "I have some very special guests here today and they're running on a very tight schedule."

She nodded and with that, their call ended. Her screen disappeared, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"This is your last match. Your last one," she reminded herself.

From there, she made her way through the Barracks and through the Wranglers' Lounge. She ignored their side-eyes and glares as she walked up to their elevator and scanned her bracelet.

The scanner flashed green and the elevator doors opened. As she entered her desired floor, she shook her nerves. "Calm. Calm. Stay calm. Calm. Calm. Stay calm. Calm. Calm. Stay calm." She rubbed the back of her neck before she cracked it. She cracked her knuckles and wrists before jumping in place. She stretched and loosened herself up and when she was done, the elevator doors opened.

She stepped out onto a much more extravagant floor than what she and the other Fighters were subjected to in The Barracks. Here, she crossed over polished hardwood floors and bypassed expensive paintings and flawless wallpaper. She bypassed doors that were gilded with enough gold and crystals that she could buy her freedom but the cost of stealing them wasn't worth it.

She walked a bit before reaching a set of double doors that were obnoxiously large with excessive decorations. It was entirely too gaudy but, it suited its host. She didn't bother knocking as she grabbed ahold of the handles and pulled open the doors.

On the other side, aristocratic men and women stood around wearing extravagant clothes, flaunting their wealth. They held crystal glasses with expensive wines and platters with expensive foods. And unlike her, they were clean and presentable. She would never admit it aloud, but she envied them.

"There you are!" Toneri exclaimed as he caught sight of her. "Everyone. Everyone, please. Allow me to present to you: The Anomaly!"

Almost immediately, she was swarmed by the men and women who occupied the room. They poked and prodded at her as if she were an experiment to be studied, and she endured. She definitely hated this part most of all and despite having to go through this every night, she could never get used to it.

"That's enough, don't you think?"

Just as quickly as she was swarmed, they stopped. She was relieved that she only had to endure a minute of torture rather than twenty, but then confusion settled in. It wasn't Toneri who made them stop. She watched as the crowd parted and she saw Toneri heading for her.

"Yes, yes, you all have seen her quite enough," Toneri agreed as he stepped aside and revealed the woman who had gotten his guests to yield.

The woman standing in front of her mesmerized her. Her lavender tinted eyes were hypnotizing, and her dark blue hair was shiny and perfect. Then she noticed how she didn't wear the same expensive attire as the rest. Instead, she looked more like she belonged down in the Barracks with the rest of the Fighters. She saw bandages, both old and new, along with a few faint scars on her arms, torso, and neck.

"Allow me to formally introduce you," Toneri insisted as he placed a hand on the young woman's back, "Anomaly, this is – ."

"I'm Hyuuga Hinata," she introduced herself with a sweet smile. "Is there something else I can call you aside from 'Anomaly?' I mean, you do have a name after all, don't you? Or have you always been 'The Anomaly?''

She blinked a few times. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had bothered to ask for her actual name. And for a second, she almost forgot it. "Um…Sakura. Haruno Sakura."

"Haruno Sakura," she repeated. "That's a lovely name. Do you mind if I call you 'Sakura-chan?'"

For the first time in a while, she felt an unfamiliar warmth in her chest. "I don't mind at all."

"Darling," Toneri seemed slightly irritated, "you never change, do you?"

The smile Hinata gave Toneri wasn't nearly as sweet as the one she gave Sakura, but he didn't seem to notice.

Toneri cleared his throat and looked back at Sakura, "Hinata-chan here didn't introduce herself properly. Formally, she is Hinata of House Hyuuga, a reputable family based in Fire Country."

Sakura stared at Hinata for a moment. "So, you're of Nobility?"

"I am," Hinata confirmed. "I know, I don't exactly look the part."

"You don't," Sakura answered.

"Anomaly," Toneri spat.

Hinata giggled. "No, it's quite all right. There's no point in my pretending that I'm not sticking out like a sore thumb."

"Speaking of sore thumbs," Toneri grumbled as he looked over his shoulder.

Behind Toneri, Sakura could see two more unfamiliar faces. At first, she saw the young man who stood out the most with spikey blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had whisker markings on his cheeks and sat on the ground against the wall by the buffet table. Sitting beside him was a pale young man with long black hair and black eyes. They two of them were in the same state of disarray as Hinata and neither wore expensive clothing like the rest.

"Honestly, when did you decide to start traveling with a manservant?" Toneri questioned. "If you needed an additional travel companion, I'm sure I could've spoken to Queen Mother about it. There are plenty of other people of Nobility who are due to start their Guardianships."

"It wasn't planned," Hinata answered. "Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, come here."

Sakura watched as both the men stopped their conversation and eyed Hinata. She wasn't sure what look she gave them, but it was enough to get them both on their feet and headed their way. The black-haired young man walked ahead of the blonde. He walked with his back straight and didn't attempt to hide the look of annoyance on his face. Behind him, the blonde seemed to slouch, his eyes going back and forth between Hinata and Toneri before they settled on Sakura.

"Sakura-chan," Hinata gained her attention again, "this is my friend and travel companion, Uchiha Sasuke, and that is Hamura Naruto. He just recently started traveling with us a few months ago."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Naruto spoke in a polite tone with a slight bow. He paired it with a warm smile which made up for the cold stare that Sasuke greeted her with.

He didn't say anything as he eyed her. For whatever reason, she shifted uncomfortable beneath his gaze and wanted to look away but something in his eyes demanded she look at him. She felt powerless in front of him and she hated it.

"If she's your Champion, I would've assumed you would've made sure she was better taken care of," Sasuke muttered as he glanced at Toneri. "The least you could do is get her some decent armor and not have her walking around in rags."

Toneri scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please, what's the point? The armor and clothes would just get destroyed in a match anyway. Plus, she prefers this, don't you, Anomaly?"

"Sakura." Hinata seemed irritated with Sakura's nickname more than Sakura.

She simply nodded. "Yes. This is fine."

"See." Toneri put on a broad grin and clapped his hands together. "Well, I'm sure the first round is almost over. But before I go, how long are you all able to stay? I know you mentioned that you didn't have much time but how much time do you have?"

"A little under an hour," Sasuke answered.

Toneri sucked his teeth. "How disappointing. Fine then, I suppose I can move the schedule around a bit. Anomaly, you'll be fighting in the next match, understood?"

"Yes sir." Sakura expected as much.

"Wonderful." He beamed with excitement before heading towards his platform. He doubled back however to kiss Hinata. It was tender, but uncomfortable for those subjected to watch it. It lasted a few seconds too long before Toneri scurried away and hopped onto his platform.

"Ugh," Hinata groaned as she wiped her mouth. She snatched a glass of wine off a passing tray and in a very not-so-noble like fashion, she chugged it. She held the glass loosely in her hand and finally, Sakura saw how she truly felt plastered all over her face.

"I'll take this," Naruto insisted as he took Hinata's wine glass. "Do you want another, Lady Hinata?"

"Please," Hinata pleaded, "or something stronger. Who am I kidding? All Toneri ever provides for these things are expensive wines. Like we don't already know how wealthy the Outsutsuki Clan is."

Sasuke chuckled, "You're letting loose a little early, aren't you?"

Hinata rolled her eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that was quite the match, wasn't it?" Toneri called and the crowd cheered enthusiastically in response. He laughed and clapped his hands together, "I'm glad you all enjoyed that. Now then, it is a great honor of mine that I announce a very special surprise for the lot of you. Now usually, we save the best for last but due to a change in circumstances, I believe we can settle for second, don't you all agree?"

The crowd practically vibrated with excitement at his words. Together, the regulars began to stomp in unison and it didn't take long for the newcomers to join in. Sakura moved to the railing of the Premium Booth and stretched a bit more.

"Allow me to introduce the Champion of the Abyss, the Queen of the Sand, and the Harbinger of Death." With every word, the crowd stomped faster and faster. "I present to you Haruno Sakura, better known as The Anomaly!"

Sakura jumped down to the arena floor and as he feet touched the ground, Sakura couldn't hear a thing except for their cheering. She looked around at the crowd and saw they were borderline animalistic. She'd lost count of how many times she'd seen the scene, but nonetheless, it still made her sick every time.

"As for her competitor," Toneri began but stopped when a loud banging rung out through the arena. Together, everyone looked at a set of metal gates and saw it had warped underneath whatever was banging on the other side. Toneri chuckled, "My, my, my. It seems that he's eager to come forth."

Sakura readied herself. She crouched low to the ground and narrowed her eyes at the gates that began to bend at the force of the pounding.

"Presenting a creature from the deadliest swamp in the Land of Water, a veracious Viashino," Toneri hyped up but before he could finish, the metal gates swung off the hinges. One door came hurtling towards him and he quickly moved out of the way. He held out his hand and before the gate crashed into the audience, it stopped.

On the ground, Sakura dodged rolled out of the way of the other door. Just above her head, something zoomed pass followed by the sickening sound of crushed bones. She looked over her shoulder and saw a Wrangler plastered on the wall. She recognized the face – at least what was left of it – as the usual Wrangler who bullied her on a regular basis. She didn't feel bad.

From the darkness of the Barracks, a large Viashino crawled out, his jowl already stained with blood. He was panting and seething at the mouth and in his hand was the mangled body of another Wrangler.

"Essek the Viashino!" Toneri announced as he tossed the metal gate back towards the arena floor, the door crashing just behind Essek. With that, Essek dashed forward. "What is it we say here in The Abyss?"

"Let There Be Blood!"

Sakura braced herself. She kept her eyes fixed on Essek and watched as he leapt high into the air. He whirled around, his sharp-spiked tail now aimed directly at Sakura. She dodged out of the way but before she could regain her footing, Essek's fist connected with her stomach and he sent her tumbling across the arena floor. She crashed into the wall and let out a groan of frustration.

Overhead, Toneri guided his platform back to the Premium Booth. Once it was docked, he stepped off, made his way to Hinata, and lead her to the railing. There, the two of them stood and watched as Sakura tussled with Essek.

"So, how did you manage to get a Viashino out of its swamp?" Hinata questioned.

Toneri chuckled, "Honestly Darling, are you forgetting where we are? Anything that is illegal elsewhere, is perfectly legal on this island. The only thing governing things around here is coin, which I have plenty of. So, if I want to buy a Viashino for a night of entertainment, I'll happily buy one."

Down below, Sakura dodged a punch and ducked beneath his arm. She planted her foot and with a powerful force, she landed a blow that knocked the wind out of Essek's. He flew straight back into the arena wall and Sakura let out a long breath. She waited for him to emerge from the smoke, but he waited a second too long. Quickly, she maneuvered out of the way of a piece of earth that jutted out from the ground where she once stood. She was quick on her feet to dodge pillar after pillar but while dodging, she forgot to look for Essek.

From behind, Essek swung his tail around and smacked Sakura straight into a pillar. Sakura bit her lip hard, her teeth piercing her skin as she endured the pain on her back. The razor-sharp spikes on Essek's tail had tore through her skin and had it been anyone else, it would've been impossible to move.

She looked up towards the Premium Booth and saw the way Toneri smiled down at her. She gritted her teeth and balled up her fist before looking back at Essek's who lingered a few feet away.

"Why did she look to you just now?" Sasuke questioned as he joined them at the railing.

"Because she needs my permission to use her Mana," Toneri explained.

As Sakura struggled to regain her footing, she saw Essek's slither towards her. She quickly grabbed a handful of sand and tossed it into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. As he lashed out, his claws cut across her arm, the wounds deep. She didn't cry out and she didn't let it slow her down. She grabbed ahold of his jaw and with as much strength as she could muster up through the pain, she swung Essek's over her shoulder and slammed his back into the ground.

She moved back a few feet before running up a pillar formed by Essek. She kept an eye on him as he rolled over onto his stomach and began moving around. More pillars jutted out from the ground and from the existing pillars and she leapt from one to another. When she was high enough, she leapt into the air dove towards the ground.

She punched the ground and beneath the force of her punch, the ground shattered and cracked. The crowd cheered loudly at the destructive force of Sakura in her injured state.

"How did you find someone like her?" Sasuke questioned, his eyes fixed on the match now.

Toneri noticed and chuckled. "I'm glad you asked. Originally, she was supposed to be a present for you about four to five years ago. I happened upon her in the market while I was shopping around for new Fighters and some Bait. She seemed miserable but capable."

"A present for me?" Sasuke repeated.

"Yes," Toneri assured. "But I knew you'd just let her go anyway so I figured I'd keep her for myself. Sure, she was able to satisfy a few of my guests but after she injured poor Kimimaru, I threw her in with the Bait. She was a scrawny little thing and we didn't expect her to survive. But, as you can see, she's still very much alive."

"So, she's the one who gave Kimimaru that laceration across his chest," Sasuke sounded delighted.

"Don't sound so intrigued," Toneri sounded annoyed. "Kimimaru was furious. You know, he still isn't speaking to me because I decided to keep Sakura? I mean, what else was I to do after someone who went in as Bait survived the match and beat out a regular Fighter? I tested her a few times and she kept winning match after match. Now, here we are."

"So, why is she called 'The Anomaly' by you and everyone else here?" Hinata questioned.

"Oh, that's easy. No one can identify her Race," Toneri answered. "And before you start running down a list of Humanoid Races, she's none of them. She's especially not Human. We figured she was a Changeling but those have been extinct for a while now. About fifteen, twenty years now?"

"Fifteen," Naruto muttered.

"Right, thank you," Toneri continued. "And then we tried Genasi but nothing there either. Her makeup isn't identifiable and since she claims to have been an orphan her whole life, she doesn't know either. Thus, we call her The Anomaly."

Down in the arena, Sakura went toe to toe with Essek. The pain in Sakura's arm and back were throbbing and she wanted to collapse. She jumped back out of the way of Essek's tail and watched as he darted towards her. In that split second, she looked up towards Toneri and finally, he nodded. Overjoyed, Sakura's eyes seemed to shine brighter. A wicked smirk grew onto her lips and as Essek leapt towards her, a powerful bolt of lightning struck them both.

"Now, the real fun begins," Toneri cooed.

As the smoke cleared, Essek struggled to get up while Sakura stood tall. Her wounds were fully healed and there wasn't a trace of them left on her skin. Suddenly, Essek's was launched into the air but a pillar of earth and as he flew, Sakura took a deep breath in, her chest expanding. Before Essek's could dodge, Sakura launched a powerful stream of flames in his direction and he was caught in its direct path.

As Essek's fell towards the ground, Sakura launched herself forward. She tackled Essek and as they tumbled, she landed on her feet and flung him straight into the arena wall. Behind her, several magic circles of various colors formed, and various elements burst forth from each one. They combined and hit Essek and pounded him further and further into the arena wall.

Hinata and Sasuke watched in amazement at Sakura's turn around and marveled in her combative power. Hinata's attention wavered however when she heard glass shatter. She and Sasuke were the only one's to turn and see Naruto kneeling behind them.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata quickly went to his side and saw his forehead was covered in sweat. "Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

"Something's not right," Naruto groaned through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, Naruto's blues eyes began to be overtaken by a dark red as his pupils began to form slits. The whisker markings on his cheeks seemed to darken while his nails began to extend into claws.

"I got him," Sasuke assured as he helped Naruto to his feet and draped his arm over him. He guided him out of the Premium Booth and left Hinata with Toneri.

Hinata kept her eyes fixed on the door for a moment before joining Toneri back at the railing. Down below, Sakura was still beating the life out of Essek, and that's when she saw it. The air around Sakura rippled violently and when she saw a crack form, her eyes widened.

"Toneri, you need to stop this match," Hinata urged.

Toneri looked at her and noticed Sasuke's absence, "Where did Sasuke go?"

"Did you hear me?" Hinata asked, her irritation prevalent now.

"I heard you," Toneri assured her. "Whether I listen is another thing. You can't really expect me to stop this match, do you? She's about to win."

"It won't matter if she breaks the barrier," Hinata argued. "She's expelling too much Mana, Toneri. If this keeps up, a Realm Tear is going to form, and you'll be putting all the people here in danger."

Toneri rolled his eyes. "Please. As long as Sakura's been fighting here, there hasn't been a Realm Tear. Sure, the barrier may have cracked, and the barrier has blurred a time or two but there has never been a Realm Tear."

Hinata blinked a few times. She chuckled a bit and cupped her hands over her mouth to contain her frustration. She took a deep breath before looking at Toneri, "You're telling me that this is normal?"

"Perfectly normal."

"Do you not see how that's a problem?"

"She takes suppressants on a daily basis to assure that she doesn't go too far," Toneri assured her. "Darling, relax. Just relax and enjoy the match, will you?"

Hinata sucked her teeth. As she turned, she saw Sasuke coming back into the Premium Booth. "How is he?"

"Sleeping," Sasuke answered. As he reached the railing, he saw what Hinata saw. Several more cracks had formed, each one larger than the one before.

"Toneri won't stop the match," Hinata informed him.

Sasuke sucked his teeth and leapt up onto the railing. "I'll get her."

"Huh? What're you doing?" Toneri questioned and watched as Sasuke launched himself off the railing. "Sasuke!"

Sakura cocked her fist back to deliver the final blow. Essek barely stood on his own in front of her but before her fist could connect, Sasuke appeared in front of her. Stunned, she stopped herself just before her fist broke through his sternum. A powerful gust of wind followed, and Essex was sent flying back but Sasuke stood firm.

There, Sakura saw the look in his eyes. They were no longer black and bottomless. In one eye, it was bright red with an intricate design in them while the other was purple with several rings and tomes that formed a triangle. Before she could say anything, she fell unconscious.

Sasuke caught her and as he lifted her into his arms, he heard the crowd's disapproval of his interference. He ignored them as he leapt back up towards the Premium Booth and landed on the railing with ease. He stepped down into it and walked by Toneri.

"Hold it!" Toneri growled as he stepped in front of Sasuke. "Do you have any idea how much money I'm going to lose because you decided to end the match?"

"I'm surprised you're worried about that kind of thing," Sasuke said and Toneri scowled. "You've had your fun, Toneri. She's unstable and I won't allow her to fight here anymore, not until she can control herself."

"Unstable?" Toneri repeated. "The Anomaly is highly capable of controlling herself. She's also none of your concern, Sasuke. As your Prince, I order you to put her down and leave her here. Is that clear?"

"That's enough," Hinata insisted as she stood between the two of them.

"Stay out of this." Toneri glared at Hinata but she didn't avert her gaze. "She is staying here. As I told you before, she has never caused an actual Realm Tear and therefore, she is not a danger to myself or any of the patrons."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to stand here and argue with you, Outsutsuki. As a Guardian of the Uchiha Clan in the name of the Outsutsuki Royal Family, I'm doing my job. What do you think is going to happen when a Realm Tear does form and hundreds of your patrons are killed? That'll reflect poorly on the Outsutsuki, and it'll especially reflect poorly on you. You're still just a prince and I'm sure Queen Mother wouldn't mind naming another heir if you happen to fuck up, don't you agree?"

Toneri gritted his teeth.

"Now, allow us to do our job and continue to make you look good," Sasuke insisted as he nodded his head towards the railing. "And I suggest you do it quickly before they're more upset with you than they are with me."

Toneri glanced out towards the audience and saw they were becoming unruly, and not in a good way. He mumbled something underneath his breath before marching over to the railing and clearing his throat. He waved his hand and a set of cameras hovered towards him and focused on him. Across the arena, his image was projected.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, "I do apologize for the sudden interruption during this match. I regret to inform you that the match will not be completed, but as you all can see, there was a clear winner. Now, the reason for this sudden interruption is to ensure the well-being of not only The Anomaly, but also your well-being. It appears that The Anomaly expelled too much Mana and there was a threat of a Realm Tear."

The crowd immediately became silent.

With that, Sasuke left the Premium Booth with Sakura in his arms and Hinata trailing behind them. Together, they made their way into one of the private suites that Toneri provided for his guests and once inside, Hinata shut and locked the door.

On the bed, Naruto lay curled up in the fetal position. Hinata quickly went to his side and wiped away the sweat that had collected on his forehead.

"Thanks to the two Guardians who were in attendance this evening – their names being Sir Uchiha Sasuke and Lady Hyuuga Hinata – they have prevented a tragedy from occurring here this evening," Toneri continued. "So, from the bottom of my heart, I thank them for their service to the Crown and to all of you. Now, we'll take a brief intermission and once I am sure all is resolved and safe, we shall continue with the evening's events."

"So, what do you want to do?" Hinata questioned as she gently ran her fingers through Naruto's hair. "Toneri already said that they can't identify what Race she belongs to."

Sasuke laid Sakura down on the lush couch in the room and sat on the coffee table. He stared down at her for a moment before he noticed the bandages on her right arm were slipping. Beneath them, he saw black markings. When he reached for her, he heard Sakura groan.

He looked at her and watched as her eye's fluttered open.

"What the?" Confused, Sasuke didn't react in time. Sakura tackled Sasuke to the ground and placed a powerful grip around his neck. However, Sasuke did move in time to produce a dagger from his sleeve and hold the blade against her neck.

"Sasuke-kun!" Hinata quickly leapt to her feet.

"Don't!" Sasuke urged.

"What did you do that for?" Sakura growled, completely unbothered by the dagger. "Do you have any idea how important that match was? Huh?"

"I could give less of a fuck about the importance of that match for you," Sasuke groaned. "You were about to cause a Realm Tear and I wasn't about to let that happen."

"Better a Realm Tear than me having to continue to suffer here," Sakura argued. "I needed the winnings from that match to finally buy my freedom! Do you have any idea what my life is like in here? It's a living hell and I've worked too damn hard to let a pompous ass like you screw that up for me!"

Sasuke swallowed and Sakura tightened her grip around his neck. He was starting to struggle, "Listen to me, Sakura. I won't pretend that I know what life has been like for you since you happened into Toneri's line of sight. I can only take a guess and I know that all of it had to be terrible for you."

Sakura felt her eyes begin to sting but she couldn't bring herself to squeeze any tighter.

"I had to stop that match not only for your safety but for the safety of everyone watching," Sasuke informed. "Realm Tears aren't something to be taken lightly. The last time one opened, an entire island was wiped out."

"Like I care," she snarled. "Because of you, I lost my chance to buy my freedom! Prince Toneri isn't going to even listen to me after what you did!"

"Toneri doesn't listen to anyone," Sasuke argued.

"Have her come with us."

Sakura looked up and saw Naruto sitting up on the bed. She was taken aback by his appearance. One of his eyes was transitioning into a red color with a slit pupil while one set of his whiskers were darkened, and a fang protruded from his mouth.

"Be careful," Hinata warned as she helped Naruto sit up and bring his legs over the edge of the bed.

"You want your freedom, don't you?" Naruto muttered as he stood and moved carefully towards them. "You'll get it if you come with us."

"Naruto," Sasuke spat.

"It's the only plausible solution. You aren't comfortable leaving her here because she runs the risks of opening up a Realm Tear and getting thousands of people killed," Naruto stated. "If she comes with us, you and Hinata can help her learn how to control her Mana. Once she's stable, you can release her to travel on her own knowing that she's no longer a danger to herself or others."

Sasuke eyed Naruto for a moment before looking at Hinata. She didn't seem too keen on the idea either but then he looked at Sakura and the look in her eyes seemed desperate for anything. He sighed and moved his dagger away from Sakura's neck. "Fine."

"Huh?" Sakura felt Sasuke take ahold of her wrist and as he squeezed, she released her grip on his neck.

Just then, the doorknob jiggled.

"Why is this door locked?" Toneri's voice came booming from the other side. "How much longer are you going to make me wait? If Sakura is fine, I'm going to have her continue to fight in another match to make up for the one you interrupted, Sasuke!"

Hinata made her way to the door and leaned against it. "Toneri, listen to me."

"What's going on?" Toneri didn't seem keen on waiting any longer.

"We're taking Sakura-chan with us," Hinata made her voice as sweet as she possibly could. "She isn't in any condition to continue fighting here in The Abyss. She's dangerous and until she's capable of controlling her Mana, she'll be coming with us."

There was a moment of silence before the doorknob jiggled violently joined with violent pounding. Hinata quickly moved away from the door. "Sasuke-kun."

"So, what do you say?" Naruto wore a warm smile despite his appearance. "Will you come with us?"

Sakura looked at Naruto for a moment. As she stood, she made sure to look Sasuke directly in his eyes, "Once I learn to control my Mana, you promise you'll let me go off on my own?"

"I promise," Sasuke assured her.

She looked towards the door where Toneri continued to pound and tried to get in. She looked back at Sasuke, "Fine. I'll join you."

Upon Sakura's agreeance, the door flew off the hinges and crashed through the window opposite of it. Behind Toneri, there was a large group of Wranglers, each of them large and wielding deadly weapons.

"Thanks for the invite Toneri," Sasuke said as he held out his hand and caught the staff that snapped into it, "but as we told you before, we're on a very tight schedule."

"Retrieve her!" Toneri ordered.

Sasuke tapped the edge of his staff against the ground twice and as Sakura looked down, she saw a large magic circle appear below them. "Until next time." Sasuke waved and when the magic circle transitioned into a scene, the four of them fell through.

To Be Continued…