I Don't own Naruto. Just enjoy the Story.
Authors Note: So this is my first story. I enjoy feedback so please review!
1—Numb
From the towering heights of the tree, Sakura could see everything she wished she hadn't. The dawn light lit the country just enough for Sakura to make out the pure run-down look of the entire place. From above, it looked like a faraway place, a place she knew nothing about, a place that had guards filtered throughout the small valley in which the country rested in. A place that had spikes and barbs atop the gate, keeping intruders from sneaking in easily. A place that fear hung like a heavy cloud.
"…This mission will require stealth, Sakura. Infiltration into the Key Country. This country is skilled in the very thing that I am asking of you. This is an A-ranked mission. You cannot arrive in the village as a Shinobi of Konogakure, but as a civilian. No weapons. And a chakra seal will be placed on you that I've created in order to shield any suspicion…" Tsunade sat grimly at her desk, her fingers entwined before her.
Sakura raised a brow, "So, my chakra, will this seal be easy to—"
"No. That is the hard part. The seal will be placed on your back, you will not be able to remove it easily. That's exactly why I made it, because you are used to using chakra, you need to be reminded."
"What if I need—?" Sakura said surprised.
Tsunade shook her head cutting the Kunoichi off, "From this point on you'll be acting as a civilian. This mission is important that you not get caught."
Sakura nodded, lowering her head, "What am I looking for exactly?"
Tsunade sighed, "We've been receiving recent threats that a Warlord who has been in the business of Trade, more specifically, trade that involves secrets that villages have taken precautions to protect. He shields himself behind gamblers, drugs, and women, which is why you are ideal for this mission, Sakura."
Sakura felt her heart drop, "Ideal?"
"Yes, your pink-hair, makes you more exotic to customers dare I say? So the Warlord is bound to take you in as a prized possession. The thing is Sakura, you cannot dress or act like yourself. You need to remain calm and patient. You are not yet in the Bingo book, but you've been heard of, that is why you're coming up with a new name for yourself. Understand?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I understand…"
Sakura leapt of the lowest branch and onto the ground with a solid thump. As she walked down the patchy valley, Sakura noticed the guard before the large barbed gate tense, drawing his sheathed sword into view. Sakura kept on.
"Stop right there!" the man with the sword shouted from his position.
Sakura noticed two Shinobi around Chunin level behind her, their sweaty smell alerted her of their presence.
"Who are you, what is your purpose here?" one of them asked.
Sakura tensed, play your role Sakura, "I don't h-have a p-purpose, I-I'm traveling in s-search of a n-new l-life…" Think Hinata, think Hinata, Sakura thought. The men behind her chuckled.
"Nervous are we?" one of the men grabbed her bag roughly, making Sakura's balance falter. She stumbled catching herself before falling hard.
"P-please, I-I d-don't want a-any trouble," Sakura managed to say, she sighed, talking like this was going to get on her nerves.
The men eyed her suspiciously, opening her bag and searching through it.
"Huh, you've come a long way? You lost?" the man who held her bag asked.
Sakura nodded, "I-I think I t-took a l-left instead of the right…I'm n-not great w-with directions…" Sakura stated sheepishly, trying to stand. The men watched her, intently.
"Where did you come from?" one of the men asked before shoving her bag back into her arms. Sakura breathed in, "The H-Honey Country."
"Mm, Honey? What you running from there?" the men chuckled at her.
"I-I'm n-not running, I-I just w-wanted to g-get a-away for a while." Sakura looked around her once more, before noticing the two men's smile.
"Well, pinkie, this is the place for you, if nobody's looking for you, this place will give you one hell of a life!" the men laughed darkly. Sakura inwardly cringed imagining all the young girls who have been caught in this trap.
"R-really?!" Sakura exclaimed.
"Yeah, we'll bring you in ourselves!" the men stated, grabbing an arm.
As the two men approached the gate keeper, Sakura swallowed, she knew he'd be harder, he didn't appear so naïve as these two.
"What do you two think you're doing?" the gate keeper asked harshly. Both men smiled, "This girlie wants an interesting life!"
The gate keeper raised a brow, "So let her go about her way."
"Oh c'mon! Don't be so rash, I bed Takeo would love to meet her!"
The gate keeper glared at the men who just gave Sakura a name. Sakura inwardly smiled, Takeo must be the head man of this whole operation.
"Name?" the gate keeper spat. The two men holding Sakura up shook her.
"Ayame Teuchi," Sakura remarked, inwardly thankful for the Ramen shop owner and his daughter.
"Teuchi? That's your last name?" the gate keeper asked harshly.
"Y-Yes," Sakura responded, waiting for the gate keeper to stop staring at her so intently.
"I've never heard of it. You from a clan of sorts?" the gate keeper asked. Sakura shook her head.
"I-I'm the daughter of a civilian market g-grocer." Sakura answered. The dark eyes of the gate keeper eyed her suspiciously before moving to the side.
"C'mon Ayame! You'll live it up in here!" the two men lead Sakura in quickly. She immediately noticed the air change once she entered the gate.
As she was lead around the air became dense, heavy, she began to cough involuntarily.
"Ayame, that'll go away soon! This is the Key Country, it's located in such a mysterious place, since well the air is pretty much dense, compared to the outside."
Sakura tried to relax her lungs. As the two men spoke, Sakura tried to listen, but all she could focus on was the choice of architecture of the country. The towers were jagged, looming, and seemed to be radiating fear.
"Ayame? It's Ayame right?" the man to her right asked. Sakura nodded nervously as they approached a tower that looked to be made of glass, yet Sakura couldn't see in.
"Well this is where the boss lives. We'll bring you in, but he controls what happens on the inside, so we'll probably see around." The man to her right said.
"O-Okay," Sakura answered as they entered the tower.
The corridors smelt horrid, as though thousands had died and never were removed.
"Keep walking, Ayame, the smell is something that can get used to," the left man's voice became less harsh as he pushed Sakura along the walls. Sakura felt as though she was suffocating, she swore she could hear the moans of those who rested inside the walls.
They approached two large wooden doors, Sakura inwardly felt her muscles tense, and this place reminded her of Orochimaru's hide-out that they had infiltrated years ago.
"Come in." the voice behind the door was confident.
Sakura gulped.
"Let's see your new home, shall we Ayame?" the left man snickered.
Sakura stood by herself in a room that was made of black marble. It was cold and almost had Sakura's teeth chattering as she watched the chair at the end of the room. She tried to soak in everything surrounding her, but there wasn't anything to see. It was a marble room, walls, floors, ceiling, all made of marble. There are only three windows on the farthest wall, but they didn't face anything special. Empty space.
"So, you want to live a life? What kind of life did you live before this?" the man in the chair, swiveled to face Sakura. She inwardly groaned, the man was utterly repulsive. His face like leather, his hair course and untamed, his body large and well-fed. The man smiled, or at least Sakura thought she should call that a smile. The man's "smile" was nothing more than him jarring his teeth as though he was an animal and she his prey.
Sakura merely nodded at first, "I-I worked as a c-cashier, s-selling w-what crops t-that could b-be s-salvaged."
The man nodded, standing up, as he watched her intently, "Ah, I see."
"Ayame, correct? Do you have a last name?" the man asked making his way towards Sakura.
"Teuchi." Sakura stated watching as the man grinned.
"Teuchi, Ayame. From Honey Country? Such a suiting place for a pretty name…and a pretty girl," the man stepped closer to Sakura, lifting her lowered chin towards his face. Sakura wanted to hit the man, but restrained herself.
"T-Thank you."
"Your very welcome." The man grinned happily, "I'll show you your room…right this way, Ayame," the man grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.
"Ayame, you've got quite the hair, is it natural?" the man asked, standing before Sakura, reaching out. Sakura nodded sheepishly, looking away from the man, making sure to take in anything out of the ordinary near his table. His table had a file on it, before she could get a better look the man turned her chin close to his face.
"You're odd. I like that about you, it's different than the girls like you who come here in search of life shall we say?" the man grinned.
"So y-you'll help m-me?" Sakura asked, trying to seen hopeful. The man chuckled.
"Of course, Ayame, there is a place for everyone here, especially for willing girls like you. Would you like to start work so you'll have some pocket money?" the man asked. Sakura didn't like him, but nodded happily.
"Good, we'll get you started right away!" the man clapped.
Sakura sighed. She jangled her wrist frustrated. She had been given a bracelet by a new guard man and by the looks of it, Sakura could tell that could only mean one thing. To keep track of her.
"So, you'll start work here, this will be your room, and if you have any questions just figure it out on your own. Understand?" the brute man said as he shoved her inside. Sakura nodded as he shut the door, telling her to get dressed, and head downstairs for a welcoming party.
Looking around the room, she only had one window, which she knew would be an escape, but she doubted it'd be as easy as it is just to open the thing. Her room consisted of a single bed, a small dresser, and a mirror. Her new dress was laid out on a single chair. The dress was light green, she appreciated it wasn't pink.
As she walked the steps to the downstairs hall, guards could be seen from the windows, they watched from the outside as Sakura walked.
"Ah! Ayame, so glad you could join us!" the head man clapped and pointed to a seat beside himself. Sakura smiled as nicely as she could before taking the seat beside him. So, she thought, all I need to do is get close with this man, and I'll be able to figure out what's going on.
Sakura looked around the table at the other women who eyed her with accusing eyes. One woman in particular reminded her of Karin, yet this woman wasn't wearing glasses.
"So Ayame, dig right in! The food here is wonderful," the head man smiled watching as Sakura lifted the spoon of soup to her mouth. She smelled the substance hiding in the soup, so when she took it in, she immediately lifted her napkin, making it as though she wiped her mouth, but instead spit the liquid out.
Throughout the dinner, Sakura hadn't found out a thing. Only thing she did get from the dinner, was that the other girls here had been evicted, thrown out, or had been running away since they were young. Sakura's heart reached for these girls, yet she didn't think they'd be the type for a heart to heart about their troubled lives.
"Ayame, you start work tomorrow, report to my office after breakfast, I'll help you along." The head man smirked, uncomfortably.
Sakura merely nodded, pushing herself from the table.
Two days had passed and nothing in particular had interested Sakura. The other girls didn't know anything other than their jobs. Speaking of the job Sakura was now working, she worked in the day, serving alcohol to villagers, Shinobi, hoping that they wouldn't ask her for a little extra fling. Thankfully, Sakura could decline the offer if need be, but although she's been asked for a night, the other girls surrounding Sakura are greedy enough that they don't let one male out of their sight for Sakura to take.
She continued to have dinner with Takeo, the man in charge, who she had gotten fairly close with although she'd prefer it stays out of the bedroom. For now, he only invites her into his office to sit upon his lap whenever he wants helping him eat the fruit and drink.
On the third night, it was midnight and Sakura was starting to feel oddly nauseous. Her stomach felt like it was in knots and her head pounded. Sweat started to form on her temples and her hands went numb. Sakura felt as though she was going to pass out. The substance that was laced in every meal wasn't doing this too her, it was a sedative that Sakura recognized, so this wasn't the source. Sakura looked around the room, trying to pin-point the location of what was doing this too her, without her control and before she could figure out what happened, she had knocked out.
Sakura shifted, trying to move, but nothing worked, she was locked in place. Panic began to settle into her bones and when she opened her eyes, nothing but black appeared before her. No! Sakura thought, I've been caught already! Sakura struggled again before she heard a chair move across the floor. Sakura froze.
She still needed to assume her part, "W-Who's t-t-there? H-Help! P-Please!"
The man chuckled, "Takeo, you've found an interesting one…what's her name?"
"Ayame," Sakura recognized the voice, it was the head man, but then who was in the room applauding him?
"Sir, I thought you'd appreciate this one, that's why I contacted you, I hope it's not a bother." Takeo the man who Sakura thought was the head man stated.
"Not a bother at all, although I have my doubt about Ayame here…" Sakura felt her head being forced to her left, her chin gripped in the man's hands.
"Sir, the guards checked her out, she's not a spy from a Shinobi village, and she's a normal civilian."
"A civilian? I doubt that, she has similarities to a pink-haired apprentice of the fifth Hokage. Although I cannot sense chakra…why is that Ayame?" the man pulled at Sakura's hair, pulling it harshly.
Sakura whined, trying to remain in cover, "I-I-I don't k-know, p-please sir…I-I d-don't k-know, p-please d-don't h-hurt me!" the man sighed,
"Ayame, have you ever heard of a man named Uchiha Sasuke?" Sakura tensed, she couldn't let her guard down, and she shook her head fearfully.
"No? Uzumaki Naruto perhaps?" again Sakura shook her head, begging the man to take mercy on her.
The man laughed, "Takeo, this is what brings fear to the lives of these villagers. I enjoy times like these when you can smell the fear." The man sniffed at Sakura's hair. She inwardly cringed as the man ran a finger down her arm.
"Sir, what shall we do?"
"Hm, I would like to know Ayame, have you ever heard of Kekkei Genkai?" Sakura felt herself breathe heavily as the man shook her head.
"N-No."
"No? Hm, what do you know?" the man sneered.
"I-I know nothing, except the workings of a shop." Sakura lied.
The man gripped her chin, running his cheek against hers, his breath tickled her ear, "Ayame, you will know the workings of much more of a shop when I'm done with you." With that the man dropped her face, speaking in a hushed tone to Takeo and that's when Sakura's body felt heavy again.
When Sakura woke, she felt groggily, her body was still sedated from whatever she had breathed in last night, but looking around she wasn't in the average room they had first brought her in. The room she resided in wasn't meant for someone to live in. It was run-down, damp, and made Sakura gag.
"Ayame, I'm so glad you've awoken." Sakura felt her body tense, Takeo's voice was overly cheerful.
"W-Where am I?" Sakura strained to sit up, but her body was heavy.
"Don't bother moving too fast, you'll need the rest for the boss. You know a dumb girl like you shouldn't wonder too far from home…you can meet bad people. Haven't your parents ever taught you to never trust nobody?" Takeo laughed as he walked over to Sakura.
"P-Please, w-what is happening?" Sakura tried to play her part, but real fear was starting to course through her, she had no means of escape, who-knows what happened when she had fallen asleep.
"Well, you're part of wonderful thing Ayame, the boss man has decided to keep you, rather than kill you…be thankful for his mercy, he has big plans for you, you're part of his collection, although I can't see why." Takeo began to walk towards the door. Sakura eyed him painfully.
"W-Wait, p-please, what c-collection?" Sakura pleaded.
Takeo paused a moment, "You're a civilian, I wouldn't worry too much, the boss man, normally harvests people with Kekkei Genkai not that you'd know. You're probably just a toy to him…I should've just kept you to myself…"
Sakura felt her body tense, Harvesting Kekkei Genkai?!
Author's note: I'd like to know if I should continue? THANKS for reading, hope you enjoyed!