Chapter 2

Learning a new language

Author's note: Hey all! I'm back and updating! Here's the next chapter. For the sake of ease I've made it so that we're in Altair's POV for at least a part of this chapter and I'm having Sakura speak in Japanese and Altair and Malik speaking in English. Now I know that they're probably Arabian speakers but I know little to nothing of Arabian so I'm going to spare you (and me) the inconvenience of trying to figure out Arabian just to read an English fanfic and I'll have Sakura speaking in Japanese using romanji instead. Once again, there will be a Japanese glossary at the end of the chapter so anyone who doesn't understand can go there to figure it out.

This'll be my first time writing in Altair's POV, and please do leave a comment about it. If you think its good I may just keep using it, but if I fell short do say so and leave a constructive criticism about ways that I can improve.

Oh, and Inner Sakura finally makes an appearance! To make it easier to tell I'll have her words in italic and bold so that you readers will be able to tell when she's just thinking and when Inner Sakura is talking to Sakura. She keeps the Shannaro though.

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Altair's POV

Altair has seen many things in his time, but a little slip of a girl who's more than capable of breaking bones and stones with little but her bare hands are something that he never would have thought he'd ever see. As he tries to explain the situation to Malik he could already tell that he does not believe a word out of his mouth. Not hat he could blame him, not for something this unlikely, but it made things no less frustrating.

"If you will not believe me, then go out there and see for yourself the damage she has made. A man made crater is rather hard to fix, so it should be more than enough proof of my words."

"A child like her capable of such brute strength?" Malik waved his hand at the form that was currently resting on the bed just behind him. "Forgive me for being skeptic Altair but that has to be one of the more unbelievable things you've ever said."

"Nevertheless it is what I have seen with my own eyes Malik. You know of the Creed, 'Nothing is true…'"

"…Everything is permitted. Don't presume to lecture me about the Creed, novice, for you are the last who has the right to do so."

Altair flinched at the reminder of his not-so-long-ago mistake that had cost them so much and the venom in his voice. No matter how many times he tried to apologize it was never accepted and he was never forgiven.

They both froze when they heard a languishing groan from the bed and saw that the pink girl was rousing from her sleep. Malik, who was about to offer his hand to help her, stopped in his tracks when her eyes opened and was trained on his with sharpness that Altair's not seen from someone who wasn't an Assassin. She looked like she was assessing them, whether they would be a threat and if she would have been able to take care of them. Altair was torn between glaring right back at her and his instinctual reflex of wanting to protect Malik. Despite how they bicker with one another they are still brothers, of the Brotherhood if not by blood, and Altair does not want another to die because of his mistakes.

It seems however that he did not have to do either. The girl closed her eyes and became docile enough that she would allow Malik to help her to a seated pose.

Neither of the Assassins was fooled however. They knew that if it were not for the grievous wounds on her she wouldn't have accepted their help.

They both jumped however when they heard her speak.

"Koko wa doko?*"

They gave each other looks that showed that neither understood a word that she had just said. Because they both looked away they didn't see the growing expression of fear and exasperation on her face.

Suddenly she punched the wall in frustration, and the growl that came out of her mouth was nothing short of animalistic. Malik's eyes were caught at the crater made by her fist on solid stone. Altair couldn't help but have a smug expression on his face.

"Kore wa hidoidesu.*"

She put her face in her hands and hunched over in a clear pose of defeated exhaustion. Neither Malik nor Altair moved, because neither of them have had any experience in comforting a sad woman, and both were awkward when it came to crying women, which is what she looked like at the moment.

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Sakura's POV

This is horrible. I was hoping that at least one person here at least understood me, but it seems that of all the languages spoken, Nippon was not one of them.

'Shannaro!'
'What…Wait? You!'

'Yeah, me.' If I could put a voice on my other half I could have sworn that that sentence was positively dripping in sarcasm.

'What happened to you? I haven't heard from you in so long.'
'You didn't need me anymore. You act out everything that you used to repress through me now.'
'Oh yeah…'
'Tonikaku*… let's get back on track here. You're Tsunade's apprentice aren't you? Use your brilliant mind to find a way to adapt and thrive.'
'How?'
'Simple. Learn their language. It can't be any harder than the training that Tsunade-shishou has put you through, right?'
'Yeah…That's right! Thanks!'
'Anytime.'

It's been awhile since I've heard from my other half. It's kind of reminiscent; I haven't really talked to her in any length since before Naruto left for his two year apprenticeship with Jiraiya-sama. She reminds me of myself when I use to be weak and a totally Sasuke fangirl…

Sasuke….

No, I refuse to think about him. Getting myself into a depressed mood will not help me in this situation.

I'll focus on what I need to do now. If I want to learn the language spoken here I need to find out exactly what language it is. Let's see if we can find a scroll around here…

:*:-:*:-:*:

Semi-Omniscient Third Person POV

Sakura stood; with all of the men's eyes trained on her she looked around in the new place that she's found herself in she could see many cabinets that seemed to have some kind documents stuffed inside. She walked towards one of them and pulled out one to see for herself what exactly it is that she now has made herself learn.

The writing that the document was covered in wasn't one that she was familiar with. It was cursive, and flowed in a way that Kanji, Katakana or even Hiragana could not. She could tell that it was written using a type of brush, but that was all that she could tell. It was so alien that she was a bit intimidated by the idea of having to learn it all.

'Don't you dare let that stop you. You've taken down an army of puppets and a giant centipede and you're scared of learning another language? I'll never let you live this down.'

And with those very inspiring words it left her with a smug grin on her face as Sakura's face only hardened and she glared at the words on the paper like she could threaten to make them legible using an nonexistent doujutsu* with a kekkai genkai* that she does not have.

Malik chuckled as he watched the young one give the scroll in her hands the evil eye. When she looked up and gave him the evil eye it did nothing but made him chuckle louder. Still laughing he told her, "The scroll won't burst in flames with the evil eye, young one."

When she heard him speak in his language her expression only darkened because it reminded her that she didn't understand a word that he or anyone else in this blasted sand filled backwater village says. She tried to calm herself by breathing deeply before she made her way to the laughing one and asked him while pointing to the scroll hoping that her body language will get her message across.

"Kore wa iu koto oshiete moraemasu?*"

Malik noticed that she pointed at the writing with her finger and correctly assumed that she wanted to learn what was said on the scroll. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to translate it for her though, mainly because he doesn't know what language she's speaking in and because the information in the scroll is sensitive and not one that he can tell to an outsider.

"Do you want to learn a new language?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side, reminding both Malik and Altair of a curious cat. They both knew that she didn't understand what he had just said.

"Anata wa watashi ni sore to oshiete ka?*"

She pointed at the scroll, specifically the writing on the scroll, trying harder to get her message across. Malik put his good hand over her shoulder as he led her to another room, saying:

"If you want to learn a new language you need to do it in a place with little to no distractions." Here he gave a meaningful gaze at Altair. "Come with me to the back room and I'll attempt to teach you all that I know."

As Malik lead the pink haired child to the back room and still chatting to her Altair could only shake his head in wonder. Somehow his brother had managed to calm down a very angry and quite possibly dangerous stranger and had gotten a student in the bargain.

Malik is a very lucky man.

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Japanese Terms – Glossary

'Koko wa doko?': 'Where am I?'

'Kore wa hidoidesu.': 'This is terrible.'

'Tonikaku…': 'Anyway…'

doujutsu: 'Eye technique'; in the Naruto-verse certain ninja clans pass down genes that give them their iconic eyes that can allow them to perceive chakra in one form or another and gives other various abilities

kekkai genkai: can be translated in one of two ways, 'a technique limited to inheritance in blood' or 'Bloodline Limit', allowing certain ninja who come from specific clans to use specific jutsu that can only used by those born with the ability and would be nigh on impossible for other ninja to perform

'Kore wa iu koto oshiete moraemasu?': 'Can you tell me what this says?'

'Anata wa watashi ni sore to oshiete ka?': 'Will you teach it to me?'