(A\N: Sorry for the long wait. Recently I've been staying with my younger cousin to try and get her mind off of her father's sickness (he was recently diagnosed with cancer) and so I haven't had that much time to write. I'm also trying to get my summer schoolwork finished so I can spend the rest of my summer writing like I want to. Anyway, enjoy!)
Chapter 3
Kitsune
"I feel like a vagabond." Sakura muttered, picking twigs and leaves from her hair and brushing dust from her gi and hakama. She bent down to put on her sandals—she'd taken them off to sleep.
"You look like one." Kakashi answered back cheerfully.
Sakura shot him a glare that was tired and only half-heartedly angry. It was too early in the morning for her to be truly angry with him—or rather, to show that anger. She had already expressed—to several people—that she was not a morning person. So she didn't deign his insult grievous enough for a comment. Instead, she focused on tying up her sandals and shifting her cloak around her shoulders. It was hot, the air dry and humid. Just putting the cloak on made her break into a sweat.
A quick remedy for this situation was needed. She threw the cloak off and stuffed it in her pack and slung said pack over her shoulder before turning to Kakashi. "Are we heading out or not?" She was quickly growing tired of 'roughing it in the wild' and the sooner they got on the road, the sooner they would be able to get far enough from Haruno lands to sleep in an inn.
His only response was to hold a rice ball under her nose. "Breakfast?"
Sakura took the food with a mumbled thank you, biting into it and chewing savagely.
"Taking your frustration of your current lifestyle out on a helpless rice ball is a cruel sport, Sakura."
Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a large bite out of the rice ball, chewing slowly.
After a moment of awkward silence Kakashi coughed, before shouldering his own pack. "I suppose we can eat on the road. Come on."
Sakura followed him, still blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her sword bumped softly against her hip, a constant reminder of her job and mission. It seemed as if she would never be allowed to forget that, even at this very moment, she was being hunted by demons.
It was a sobering thought, and she suddenly didn't feel tired and cranky anymore. Just…frustrated with the impending sense of doom that hovered over her like a cloud. She stroked the hilt of her sword and it soothed her. It reminded her of her father: strong, confident, loving. It would be her strength; this sword and the smell of jasmines that seemed to linger in the air wherever she went. She had her mother and her father with her in spirit, at the very least.
It eased the burden that she felt weighed heavily upon her shoulders. Sakura was not the type to ask for help—she was stubborn and proud, almost to a fault—and so she often looked to her inner strength for help and guidance. Being an only child without a mother had made her first few years lonely and full of tears. Her father had been gone to Konoha often, to speak with the Hokage and the daimyo that Konoha and all its samurai served under. She had taken to talking with herself, making imaginary friends to play with. It was easier than dealing with the young kids who had teased her about her forehead and not having a mother.
When her father had died and her aunt and uncle had moved into the main Haruno home with Shouhei and Kouhei, she had been suspicious and distant. She didn't like these people who thought they could move into her home and pretend that they were her mother and father and brothers. They had no right! It had been her childish grief talking then, because she'd met her aunt and uncle and cousins many a time before her father's death, even if she had kept away from them because of her shyness. She had even told them so, that she hated them and that they'd never be her family. She'd yelled at Shouhei and Kouhei because they played too rough and often teased her—not like the bullies in the village, but she still didn't like it.
And then…she had met Ino.
It had been a simple party that the Yamanaka Clan had hosted for a viewing of the sakura blossoms. That was when Ino had told her of the flowers and what she believed Sakura was.
I don't think you're a flower at all, Sakura-chan! You're just a bud…but when you bloom, you'll be the most beautiful flower of all!
She had slowly learned to become more open. She and her two cousins became inseparable—Ino had often joked that Sakura was a boy herself, hidden in a girl's body. That had led to an awkward discussion and Sakura tackling Ino to the ground until she took it back. But Sakura had to agree that she felt more at east talking with boys than going to the girly parties that the women often held that she was forced to attend. She liked Ino and Hinata but…there were only so many fan-waving, tea-drinking gossip get-togethers she could stand.
Ino had made her into the strong person she was now…and she would use that strength. She had promised long ago that she would be strong. Strong enough to fight off bullies and keep up with her cousins in their training and…and strong enough not to cry. Because she hated crying.
She wouldn't allow herself to be weak.
This is something I must do. I won't be a coward and I won't back out now. What would Ino say? Sakura smiled softly, imagining her overzealous blond friend pumping her fist into the air and screaming for Sakura to "kick that Akumu-bastard's ass!"
Slowly, ever so slowly, the fear was being pushed aside and Sakura was beginning to accept the task at hand.
Kakashi noticed her small smile and gave one in return, though she didn't see it. She was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice him. He instead looked over her attire—and immediately frowned.
"If we enter a town and you look like that while carrying a sword, you'll get arrested for impersonating a samurai."
Sakura blinked, coming out of her stupor at his words. "What?"
"You look like a rogue warrior. Maybe a criminal who stole a sword." Kakashi mused, though he admitted that the thought of Sakura as a hardened criminal was much too amusing.
Sakura continued to stare at him as they walked, unsure of what he was getting at.
"Unless you wear a crest or Clan symbol you won't be noticed or recognized as a true samurai. I'm sure you know that."
Sakura nodded slowly, frowning. "Yes well…I guess I thought that I would be wearing the Haruno Clan crest but…" and she sighed.
"You can't wear your Clan crest or symbol while we are traveling." Kakashi finally voiced as they continued walking.
Sakura said nothing, looking dejected.
"But If you do not wear some kind of crest or Clan symbol then it will be known immediately that I am not your sensei and you are not my student from a noble clan learning the trade of swordsmanship."
Sakura snorted and placed a hand on the pommel of her sword. "Then what do you suggest, Kakashi-sensei?"
"You will wear my crest. That is the only logical answer for this." Kakashi pulled out a small band. "I don't have any clothing with it stitched on, and they would be too fine for traveling anyway." He handed the small piece of cloth to her, and she noticed that it did indeed hold a Clan symbol on it.
"…I didn't know you came from a noble family."
"It isn't very noble anymore. You need not worry yourself overly much with it." Kakashi's voice remained the same as always, but Sakura believed she heard a small undertone that told her not to press further. But she was a determined and persistent person if nothing else.
"Is that why you became a monk then? Because your clan is…no longer noble?" Her tone suggested she wanted to know what 'no longer noble' meant exactly, but Kakashi did not seem to wish to oblige her.
She looked over the symbol, tracing it with one finger as she did so. Hatake…it sounded so familiar, and she felt as if she'd seen the symbol before but the memory itself eluded her.
"It is also common, however, for you to wear a band that shows your own Clan." Kakashi gave another sigh, as if he found all of this tiring. Sakura noted his change of subject: smooth, sensei. But I'll found out your secret soon enough. The fact that he knew so much about her and that she knew close to nothing of him irked her.
He just pulled out a red cloth and handed it to her. "Here. It may not have the symbol of your clan but it gets the point across. Everyone will know it stands for a Clan crest. And they will also realize that because of the color's brightness, you decided that it was gaudy enough and as a traveling samurai you need nothing else to prove you're from a noble clan."
Sakura tied both pieces of cloth to her arm—one on the left and one on the right, as was protocol. One for her sensei's family that she was being trained under and the other for her own. The bright crimson of the Haruno clan was indeed a bit gaudy, and she felt as if someone would spot her a mile away with its color against the mild tones of the forest. But then again, her hair already gave her away in this place. There was no way she would be able to hide.
At least I wasn't born into a ninja clan, she thought wryly, I'd be horrible at that, with my bright hair color. But she merely let her eyes rest on the bright red cloth once more.
"The reason for the Haruno Clan color…" Sakura smiled softly, an almost bitter sound. "It makes sense now too…" She looked down at the red of her makeshift armband. "…Shoki…" She gave a small laugh and a little tilt of her lips. "It all makes so much sense. (1)"
Kakashi shrugged, but nodded slowly. "The signs were all there."
"I was just blind to it all I guess."
"No one told you."
"I wish they had." Sakura's hands tightened around the hilt of her sword. "It would have made everything so much easier. I would have been taught about it from the start and my aunt and uncle wouldn't be in danger—or dead for all I know—and I…"
"They didn't want to burden you."
"Because I'm a woman, right?" Sakura snapped back. "That's how it's always been. I'm a woman so I can't be the heir. I'm a woman so I'm not strong enough to wield a sword. I'm a woman so there's no way I could handle fighting demons."
Kakashi gave a small laugh. "Then I guess you're just a walking, living contradiction to everything then, right?"
"…?"
"You're the heir of the Haruno Clan, you are a sword master, and you are going to learn to fight demons very soon." Kakashi smiled, the action only noticeable with the way his visible eye closed.
"People hate me for it." Sakura shrugged.
"Well it doesn't really matter if they hate you. If you don't do your job they'll all be dead."
The cheerful tone he used made Sakura sigh in exasperation. It was as if he took everything in with that laid-back, casual attitude of his.
She merely sighed. "I guess you're right."
"Well then, I feel it's time we begin your lessons, since we'll be on the road for a while. Don't expect to sleep in a bed anytime soon. We won't be going near a town or village for quite some time."
Sakura nodded, although she could already feel her muscles screaming in protest at the thought of sleeping on the ground for days on end. But…she'd have to get used to it, with the life she was leading now.
"What are you going to teach me then?" Sakura finally asked, after several moments of silence only disrupted by the soft snapping of twigs as they made their way across the forest floor.
"We'll do the sword fighting later, probably when we set up camp." Kakashi 'hmed' as he looked up at the sky, sunlight filtering in through the trees. "But if you're going to fight demons than you should know something of their abilities…but before that I suppose I should teach you how to sense them. Being from the Haruno Clan the ability is already inside of you, you just don't know how to use and interpret it."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you ever looked at a person and felt there was something...wrong with them?"
Sakura's brow furrowed. "Of course. My uncle says that I am very good at judging people. I can spot a liar before he opens his mouth."
Kakashi laughed softly. "I doubt it was a liar that you spotted. It was most likely a demon."
It was Sakura's turn to laugh, albeit a bit rudely. "Is that so? So every time I saw someone that I felt was a little off I was looking at a demon? I find that hard to believe."
"True." Kakashi nodded. "Not all of them were demons. As I said, you haven't realized how to interpret those feelings yet. As a Haruno Clan member you are already sensitive to people's feelings and auras. The Haruno Clan was known to sense a demon's presence and the type of demon. They were the best at finding a demon's strengths and weaknesses just by looking at them."
"Some special power of my Clan?" Sakura asked wryly.
"It's not a power." Kakashi's tone was one of a mother reprimanding a child. "It's a special..skill. Each of the Three great clans has one."
"Well then what skills do the other clans have?" Sakura finally asked.
"It was said that the Senju Clan held inhuman strength, like that of a bear." Kakashi began—deciding that a history lesson was due, even if it was a bit off topic—"They were often said to be as steadfast and unmovable as a tree. That is why their clan's symbol is such."
"A tree?" Sakura questioned, curiosity piqued. "And inhuman strength? It seems as if they weren't quite human either. But then…why don't we search for this Tsunade woman? If she's the last heir—even if she is old—she would have those abilities, right?"
"Probably." Kakashi agreed. "But trying to find her will be difficult."
"And why is that?"
"Because it is said that she has a special amulet she gained from fighting and defeating an oni that allows her to change her appearance at will."
"What I wouldn't give for that amulet." Sakura muttered, twisting a lock of her pink hair around a finger. Kakashi heard her comment and gave a dry chuckle.
"So what you're saying is that unless she wants to be found we won't find her, correct?"
Kakashi nodded.
"And what about the Uchiha Clan? What was their special ability?"
Kakashi remained silent for a moment, before he spoke. "It was said that the Uchiha Clan was the strongest of the three, and that their ability made them the most powerful clan in all of Konoha—possibly all of the other lands as well."
Sakura frowned a bit. "Truly?"
Another nod from the silver-haired monk. "Yes. The Uchiha Clan is said to be half-demon, since their eyes are known to bleed to the color of crimson when they feel any strong emotion. The eyes themselves are called the Sharingan. With these 'demon eyes' they unlock their true ability."
Sakura continued to walk beside him, remaining silent, even if she was bursting with curiosity. She pushed a tree branch aside, careful not to snap it—if anyone was following them it would make them much easier to track—and waited for him to speak.
"It is said that the Uchiha Clan 'demon eyes' allow them to see the future—or rather predict it."
"Predict the future?" Sakura scoffed. "You are surely joking."
Kakashi shrugged. "That is the rumor." And Sakura saw, out of the corner of her eye, that his fingers subconsciously twitched and touched his eye patch—he'd played it off, pretending to brush some hair from his face.
"If they could predict the future then why didn't they predict their own death? You said that they were all dead." Sakura muttered, looking over at him in question. "How did they die, anyway?"
"One of their own murdered them all."
Sakura's eyes widened. "...why would someone do that?"
Kakashi gave another shrug, a smooth roll of his shoulders. "No one knows. It's believed he did it because of the teachings and training they gave him. They trained him from the beginning to be a hogosha."
"Hogosha?—wait, the oni, the one who attacked me that night, he called me something similar. He called me kanshisha…but…" And Sakura's brow furrowed. "What is that exactly? A guardian, I mean?"
"The guardians are the heirs of the three clans…the ones that are meant to be ready to fight if Akumu were to be released."
"So…I am a hogosha…" Sakura murmured, deep in thought, one finger pressed against her bottom lip as she pursed them. "And the heir of the Uchiha Clan, he was their hogosha then? But it just doesn't make sense that he would kill them all for that."
"They say his training was brutal—he was the most powerful hogosha of the Uchiha Clan." Kakashi continued. "I saw him fight a few times, and even sparred with him once. He is powerful and deadly and very efficient. Some believe that he went mad because of all the 'conditioning' that the Uchiha Clan made him go through so that he would be ready to fight off demons."
"…is that why my family never trained me or told me of my role as a hogosha?" Sakura asked softly. "…were they afraid that I would go mad too?"
Kakashi remained silent for a long time, before he spoke again. "Madness is said to run in the Uchiha Clan anyway because of their demon eyes. Demon blood gives way to madness, or so they say."
"Oh." Was all Sakura said.
"He killed all his clan except for one." Kakashi continued with the story, because he knew that Sakura would not be satisfied until he had told it in its entirety. "He spared his younger brother."
"Why would he do that?"
"That's something else I do not know and cannot understand. His brother does not know either, and I think the answer continues to haunt him to this day."
"Perhaps he loved him." Sakura finally spoke, after another moment of silence. "If they were close, no doubt he wouldn't be able to kill him, even if he hated his clan. He couldn't have been insane then, if he had the sense to recognize his love for his brother in the end and keep from killing him."
"Perhaps."
"You knew his younger brother, didn't you?"
"He was my pupil for a very long while." Kakashi nodded, "He bears the same crest you do." He motioned to the one on her right arm. "But he went against my teachings in his search for his brother. He wants revenge against him."
"I can't blame him." Sakura cut in, looking sadly through the trees. She remembered what it felt like to lose her parents—well her father at least, she had never known her mother—but she had grown up with a loving family nonetheless. The youngest Uchiha son had grown up with nothing but a sensei and hatred for the murderer of his clan.
"I suppose. But revenge isn't going to bring his family back." Kakashi continued, and Sakura blinked at his slightly angered tone. "He is against betrayal yet he betrayed my teachings when he left my tutelage for his 'mission'. Not only that, but he wounded several men at the dojo who tried to stop him—men who had grown up with him and learned alongside him."
Sakura suddenly realized what a sore subject this was to Kakashi, and she wisely kept silent. It was strange, how she could hear the soft hint of anger and pain in his usual care-free voice and automatically knew what it meant. But then she realized that was part of her 'skill', and she wondered if he knew she could read him so well.
"I didn't know it was so different for men training to be swordsmen." Sakura finally spoke, changing the subject a bit, but not such a wild turn-around that he would be suspicious. "I mean, when I learned to use a sword my uncle taught me, and he taught my two cousins as well. They never went somewhere else to train."
"The Haruno Clan is different than most. Usually the men in a Clan are taken under the wing of another to be trained. That is the way it has always worked and been done. They take the crest and symbol of their teacher and also their own."
Sakura nodded, she'd heard that much from her cousins when they had gone to the imperial city. They'd come home the first time glum and angry. Apparently they'd been teased endlessly when asked for the name and crest of their 'school' by those at court and other functions. When the others found out they were Harunos, they'd then treated them with indifference.
Sakura's uncle had later lectured the two boys on their attitudes. Apparently Harunos were well respected and the fact that they were taught only from the head of the Clan actually made them seem…unreal to the rest of the Clans. It was not indifference they had been treated with, but more of a cold, frightened awe. It was said that because the Haruno Clan did not allow their sons to be taught by others they must have some mystical, powerful secrets that they wished to keep hidden.
Sakura blinked, realizing that Kakashi was talking again.
"The Haruno Clan believe that their ties to their family are stronger than those to another Clan. It is the way of all three of the chosen Clans. The Senju was more open to training apprentices and letting their own branch out than the others. The Haruno Clan was merely cautious because they knew that their duties to the world was greater than their loyalties to their kage or daimyo or emperor. The Uchiha Clan, however, was suspicious of everyone. They disliked outsiders above all."
Sakura heard the bitter undertone to his voice and stopped herself from sighing. She had thought to get them off of the topic of the Uchiha Clan, seeing as how that seemed to anger her sensei.
"Wait…sensei…" Sakura looked over to Kakashi, gaze curious. "Wasn't the first hokage…wasn't he a member of the Senju Clan?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. He took the position to help stabilize relations among Konoha and the three guardian clans."
"I didn't know there was so much distrust and political tension back then."
"Yes well, the members of the other five clans, the ones whose weapons had shattered when Akumu was sealed, were resentful. They had been forgotten—a mere honorary memorial service given to their fallen warriors while the three clans that survived were given places of honor and seen as heroes."
"So I have enemies that I didn't even know of." Sakura muttered. "That's great. What clans were they?"
"The Nara, the Yamanaka, the Hyuuga, the Aburame…and the Hatake."
Sakura stopped walking. "Your Clan? And the…the others…" She looked down at her feet. "I have friends from those clans. Are you saying that they hate me?"
"I doubt that the Hyuuga Clan would allow their heir to court you if they hated you." Kakashi said dryly.
Sakura blushed lightly. "Neji-san is not courting me. I am merely friends with his younger cousin Hinata and we sometimes talk with one another."
"Of course, of course." Kakashi's voice was slightly teasing.
Sakura sighed, but she pushed her annoyance at Kakashi's teasing aside. "Sensei…will the other clans wish me ill?"
"No." Kakashi shook his head, "Ever since the Senju Clan had one of its members become the Hokage, everything has become normal. Besides, no one remembers the old ways anymore. I doubt any of the other five clans even remembers what their ancestors died doing."
"I see." Sakura nodded, "Except you."
"Except me."
"Do you hate me for what happened to your clan?"
Kakashi let out a low, dry laugh. "If I hated you, you'd be dead by now. I hardly care for things like that, Sakura."
Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, "That's…slightly reassuring."
She was met with more laughter.
"Well, this looks like a good a place as any to stop for the night." Kakashi sighed as he looked over at the shallow cave hidden by some foliage. Night was drawing near, and they needed to set up camp before the darkness set in.
Sakura gave a small groan as she slumped to the ground in front of the cave. She still couldn't understand how Kakashi could walk so long without looking even slightly winded. She was sweating, breathing heavily, and her feet ached. The cuts had opened up along the way, staining her tabi socks in places. She slowly undid her sandals and took off the socks, hissing as the cuts began to bleed anew.
She rummaged through her pack for the bandages and ointment that Kakashi had given her the day before.
"Well, the cave is safe." Kakashi murmured as he walked back towards her. "We can sleep in there tonight. It's a shallow one, but it will fit two people and keep off the rain."
Sakura nodded. "Do you think it's going to rain tonight sensei?"
"There's no harm in being prepared." Was all Kakashi said as he placed his traveling pack down beside her. "I'm going to get us some firewood to start a fire. Watch our stuff."
Sakura waved him off as she stretched out her body, overworked muscles aching as she did so. She pulled out her water pack and took a small sip before pouring half of it over her feet, washing away the blood.
She put the stopper back in place on her water pack and placed it into her traveling pack once again. Then she began rubbing the ointment into the cuts, feeling the soothing, numbing sensation take over immediately. She sighed with relief, before she began to bandage them back up.
She heard a rustling in the trees around her and tensed, one hand going for her sword. But before her fingers could curl around the hilt she recognized his presence, and relaxed as Kakashi walked over to her, arms full of tree branches.
"If I had been a demon you could have been killed." Kakashi reprimanded softly. "You should be more alert."
Sakura shook her head. "I sensed you."
Kakashi blinked, looking as surprised as she'd ever seen him. "Really? You learn faster than I expected."
"I'm a fast learner." Sakura muttered, before she slipped her tabi socks back on. "I'm not hungry. I think I'm just going to sleep." She stood, pulling her pack towards the cave mouth.
A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she turned to see Kakashi smiling, his lower face still covered by his scarf. "Sorry Sakura, but we have some training to do."
"But we trained while we walked." Sakura tried not to sound whiny, but it still sounded like she was complaining, even to her.
"That was different training. I still haven't seen how you fight. I want to find out your skill level so far."
Sakura groaned, but she placed her pack in the little crevice that Kakashi called a cave and walked back towards the spot where Kakashi was building the fire. She didn't know how he had gotten it to smoke, but he was blowing on the small flames as they caught on the kindling, glowing a bright orange-yellow before the fire began to strengthen and grow.
"We can't fight in the dark." Kakashi said, as way of explanation, as he walked a few feet away from the warm fire and pulled out his staff that had been half-hidden by his robes. Sakura walked over to him as well, leaving a good ten feet of distance between them as she unsheathed her own sword.
"Do you know the common sword exercises?" Kakashi asked lazily, holding his weapon loosely, but still with a firm grip.
Sakura snorted. "Don't insult me. Of course I know the exercises."
"Very well." Kakashi grinned. "We'll do a few to warm up." He stood straight, readying his weapon before turning his back on Sakura. "Ushiro (2)!"
Sakura reacted on instinct, stepping forward with her left foot, lifting her sword. She stepped then with her right foot, before swiping her sword at Kakashi's middle. Kakashi turned to his right, as the exercise dictated, and struck at Sakura's waist.
And so it went for several minutes, as Kakashi called out different exercises and he and Sakura went through them. By the end she was sweating slightly, and her feet ached. The exercises weren't difficult, but she had been walking all day and she also hadn't eaten yet. And she was tired.
Finally Kakashi struck the ground with his monk staff, leaning against it casually. "Alright. Enough exercises. Let's have a quick spar."
Sakura nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow, along with several strands of her rose-colored hair that were sticking to her skin. She eyed him for a moment, trying to assess whether he would attack first or not.
Finally, seeing an opening in his stance, she lunged.
She was good, he would admit that. She was definitely a Haruno, as well. It was obvious, in the way every move she made was precise with no wasted effort. The Haruno were known for their great control and mastery of sword fighting. They did not move excessively. Their style was smooth and lithe, allowing them to twist and dodge when most other swordsmen would jump back to avoid being cut.
It was the reason Kakashi had even suggested training in the first place. Yuu had said that Sakura had perfect control and so she could last longer in a sword battle than most fighters. The Haruno style was a good one for a female, who was not as strong physically as a male and so would need the upper hand of tiring her opponent out.
And she was fast. The Haruno technique was all about quick strikes, but they were smooth as well, blending together so that even if one missed there was always a chance to hit again. She kept Kakashi on his feet, twirling his staff to block her attacks. He was used to fighting a male, and so he had underestimated her strength. He had thought she would not be as strong as a man, and that was true, but he hadn't expected her to be as physically strong as she was.
And she knew to used her opponents strength and weight against them. She'd already flipped Kakashi once when they had been locked together, blade against staff. He'd pressed down, hoping to make her knees buckle and have her fall or trip. She'd fallen alright, but only because she had meant to.
He had tumbled after her, having lost his balance, and then she'd slammed her foot into his stomach, kicking him a good few feet away before getting into a battle-ready crouch.
Yes, she would do. She would do well.
Finally he decided to end the fight, slipping behind her and under her guard, swiping with his staff and knocking her to the ground. She let out a small grunt as she fell. But she didn't let go of her sword, as Kakashi had expected her to. It remained firmly in her grasp, and she rolled away from him, ready to begin the battle again.
He knew she was done, however. Sweat soaked her gi and hakama, and she was panting heavily. She needed to rest before they began traveling again, and she needed to eat something.
"That's it for tonight." He placed his staff back in its holder on his back and headed towards the mouth of the cave. Sakura sheathed her sword wearily and stumbled after him. She slumped to the ground as he passed her another rice ball from the batch the innkeeper had given them. She bit into it eagerly.
"Your form is good, but we need to tighten it up." Kakashi commented as he watched her eat. He knew she was waiting for him to pull down his mask and eat his own meal. He merely smiled at her, continuing with his evaluation. "You're fast, but we need to do some arm strengthening exercises. You can't always tumble and kick your opponent in the stomach when you get in a dead lock with them."
Sakura nodded, looking down in anger. "I hate being a woman. No matter how hard a train I'll never be as physically strong as a man."
Kakashi laughed. "True, but you've also got the element of surprise on your side. No one will expect you to be as skilled and strong as you are."
"I guess." Sakura muttered, finishing off her rice ball and putting a hand to her mouth to hide her yawn. "I'm gonna sleep now. Wake me up in a few hours to keep watch." And she pulled her cloak out of her pack and wrapped it around her body, lying down in the small cave.
Kakashi watched her sleeping form from across the fire, his gaze thoughtful.
Things would be hard from here on out. Kakashi was a realistic person. He didn't have any great hopes and dreams. He lived from one day to the next because as a warrior, that was the only time frame that was important. Thinking too far ahead would only lead to confusion and indecision and second-guessing of actions. He couldn't afford that, and no one else could afford for him to make mistakes either.
But even Kakashi, for all his doubts, couldn't help but think that somehow this young girl was going to make a difference.
Maybe they would be able to pull this off after all.
A sword cut cleanly through the dark mass of shadows, and hot liquid splattered across the forest floor. There was a soft, pained gurgle before the shadow slumped to the ground. A pool of blood seeped out from beneath its fallen form.
Sasuke sneered a bit as he took a step back, not wanting the crimson liquid to stain his sandals or the hem of his hakama. He merely bent down and wiped the blood from his sword onto the dark, course fur of the oni. Once he was finished he slipped the blade back into its sheath and began walking out of the small clearing.
He'd been ambushed by five oni and had dealt with them quickly—they were weak, it wasn't that difficult. He hadn't even had to use his Sharingan.
Pitiful. What a waste of time, he thought with a derisive snort as he continued on his way. He knew what the presence of the oni meant, of course.
Akumu had been awakened.
No doubt his old sensei would be tracking him down to ask for his help in defeating the demon. That only made Sasuke give another snide smirk. He had better things to do, more important dealings. He knew he was the only one who could defeat Akumu—there weren't any other powerful heirs from the other two clans that he had heard about—but at the moment there were other things on his mind.
Revenge.
His eyes narrowed slightly, briefly flaring crimson.
Before he could return to Konoha or to his old sensei to ask for a pardon, he had to kill his brother. He couldn't allow anything to get in the way of his revenge. He had cut his ties with those he had grown close to: his old training partners and his sensei. In the beginning it had been painful and lonely, but he had used hatred as his motivation and over the years, he had realized that was all he needed.
The bonds had begun to cease to matter. They were still there, deep down—he'd need them again when he finally killed his brother—and he couldn't ignore them. But they had lost importance, been pushed aside in the search for power.
He had found that power, and he couldn't help but give a cold smirk at the thought. Now he was strong enough to kill his brother. He would finally be able to honor his family by bringing their killer to justice.
A part of him felt slightly guilty, because he knew that if he continued on his path at the moment, Akumu may gain more power. But there was still the old woman of the Senju Clan wasn't there? She could hold him off long enough for Sasuke to fulfill his mission.
And his sensei was powerful and he surely had allies as well. Even if one of the hogosha was not present, they would still be able to hold him back. Perhaps they could even trap him and defeat him without Sasuke's aid.
Because it didn't matter. No one, not even Akumu, would interfere with his revenge. He had been training too long to allow any distractions or alterations of his course and cause.
And so he merely continued on his way through the forest, eyes glowing crimson.
Sakura sighed softly as they headed through the gates of the village. There was a smile on her face, however, and her green eyes sparkled. As dirty as she was, as tired as she was, as much as her feet ached, she felt only happiness at this moment.
In fact, she was close to tears as she looked up at the large building they were standing in front of. "…a real bed." She sighed wistfully. "I'm going to sleep in a real bed…"
Kakashi shook his head with a sigh. "Well, you go and get our room. I'm going to get some supplies. Here's the money your uncle gave me to give to you for your own use."
Sakura eyed the heavy pouch suspiciously. "So Kakashi-sensei, why did you give it to me now, hm? I bet it's lighter than it was before…" She picked up the pouch and continued to look it over.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Ha ha. I'm going to go and get our supplies now."
"I'm going to take a bath and then sleep." Sakura gave another sigh as she stretched. "It's been almost two weeks since I've slept on anything but the ground. My blisters have blisters and I'm turning into a brunette from sleeping in the dirt." But she merely grinned, "See ya later, sensei."
Kakashi merely sighed as he waved her off, beginning to walk into town. "I'll come back later! I may be out a little later than usual. Don't stay up for me."
"Where will you be?" Sakura called after him.
"Just…talking to some old acquaintances." Kakashi yelled back to her, before he disappeared into the crowd.
Sakura watched him go until she could no longer see him, and her smile stretched even wider as she began to whistle softly, walking into the inn. It had been a week since their first training session, and after that he had worked her to the bone. She was sore in places she didn't know existed and she felt as if she were continuously on the verge of falling unconscious from lack of sleep. Their nights were spent in sword training with a few hours of sleep before they headed off once again. Kakashi had said that they weren't being followed at the moment, at least not by anything he could sense. And with her heightened 'Haruno skills' she also had noticed nothing out of the ordinary.
For the first time in weeks she felt safe and strangely content. Kakashi was a tough teacher but he was also a good one—if not a bit lazy. His idea of 'endurance and arm strengthening exercises' consisted of Sakura training and Kakashi sitting down in the shade looking at promiscuous shunga (3) prints.
But she really didn't want to think about Kakashi and his porn at the moment. She headed into the inn, shouldering her traveling pack as she did so. She was already thinking of buying a new traveling cloak—Kakashi said they were heading to Rain and then Cloud and that meant she would need something heavier and warmer—even as she approached the counter.
She was only brought out of her musings by a soft giggling. She blinked, before seeing the young girl standing behind the counter. She was half-hiding behind a balding man who Sakura guessed was the owner of the establishment.
Sakura smiled at the young girl and the young girl blushed a deep red, ducking behind the man.
The man looked Sakura over warily, before speaking. "Is there something I can offer you…" He eye the sword at her hip and the bands at her arms. "…honorable samurai?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes please. My sensei and I are passing through and would like a room for the night, if you have any available."
The man seemed surprised at her genteel manner and nodded back. "Of course, of course. Chiaki!" He bellowed, and the blushing young girl jumped out from behind him.
"H-hai father?" The young girl asked, avoiding Sakura's gaze.
"Please show this young man to a room."
"O-of course!" Chiaki nodded fervently, swallowing hard.
"Thank you, Chiaki-san." Sakura tilted her head to the side and gave her a cute smile.
Chiaki let out a small squeal, before she spoke again. "F-follow me um…?" She looked up at Sakura expectantly, before looking down again.
"Ha—" Sakura blinked, stopping herself as she cursed herself silently. She had almost given out her real name! She quickly thought of a fake one. "Hachisuka Shou."
"Hachisuka-dono." Chiaki nodded, still blushing bright red.
Sakura smiled down at her again, still wondering why Chiaki was acting so strange around her.
"H-here you go!"
The room itself was nothing special, a simple one large enough for two people. Sakura placed her traveling pack in a corner and turned to Chiaki with another small smile—one she didn't realize looked extremely charming—and spoke, "Do you think you could show me to the bathhouse, Chiaki-san?"
"Oh! The b-b-bathhouse." Apparently the thought of 'Hachisuka-dono' and 'bathouse' at the same time was too much for the young girl because she only nodded mutely, looking like she was going to turn into a puddle of goop in front of Sakura's eyes. An oblivious Sakura, of course, who was still trying to decide why Chiaki was blushing so much around her.
Sakura followed, arms full of her extra set of clothing and bandages to wrap her chest when she was finished. All she could think of now was a nice, hot bath and a long rest afterwards.
Sakura walked out of the inn feeling cleaner and more refreshed than she had in days. It had felt like ages since she had last gotten relatively clean—washing her face and arms in a stream didn't count—and now she was dressed in a clean set of clothing. She had asked Chiaki to have her old clothes washed and the younger girl had agreed. Sakura still couldn't understand why Chiaki had been blushing and stuttering so much.
But she shrugged it off as she walked through the streets. She had gotten so used to a gi and hakama that she wondered if she could ever go back to wearing a kimono. And she didn't think she could survive without the comforting weight of Shoki at her hip, or the tantō tucked into her sleeve. A soft breeze blew past her, causing her bangs to blow across her face. She closed her eyes and sighed, letting the cool wind caress her face.
She had planned on sleeping in, but she remembered that she needed to go and buy her new cloak first. So she had decided she'd get herself a cloak and something to eat before she went back to the inn to sleep. That was why she was currently standing in the middle of the bustling streets of the small town, dodging angry vendors and screaming merchants.
She couldn't help but grin to herself as she weaved in and out of the crowd towards where she could smell food and see steam rising into the air. She had forgotten how much fun markets were. As a noble lady she had never been allowed to go to such a…dirty place. But luckily for her, Ino was a headstrong girl who had wanted to see what the fuss was about and the two of them had, one day, dressed up like commoner women and snuck out into the streets of Konoha when both of their families had been visiting the capital for Clan meetings.
After the first time the two of them had made it a tradition to always sneak out and head to the market when they were both in the capital—or if she was visiting Ino and vice versa.
Sakura heard a soft giggle and blinked, turning to look over at a food stand. There was a group of girls gathered around it and they were all looking her way before hurriedly turning to talk to one another, laughing and blushing.
They're probably laughing at the fact that a male samurai has pink hair, Sakura thought despondently, but decided that the food stall beside them was as good a one as any to have her dinner at. When she began walking towards them they squealed and huddled closer together, turning bright red.
Sakura could only smile softly at them. What is with the girls in this town? She nodded at the vendor at the food stall. "Could I get two of those fried squid please?"
"Of course, sir." The man grinned, while Sakura dug into her purse for the correct amount of money. She took out a small handful and realized it was a few coins over, but gave it to him anyway. His food smelled delicious, and so she hoped it tasted just as good. If it did than the extra few coins were well spent.
The man bowed his head at her in thanks, staring at the money in his hand as Sakura took the squid and began walking down the street, searching the stalls for cloaks. She was stopped from continuing her quest, however, when she felt a tug on her sleeve.
She looked over to see a woman a few years older than herself. She had brown hair tied up in a fancy bun and a soft mint green kimono. She was smiling coyly at Sakura, fluttering her eyelashes, a soft pink tint gracing her cheeks. "Hello."
"Hello." Sakura greeted back, giving a smile in return. The woman's smiled widened and Sakura heard a loud peal of laughter and looked over the girl's shoulder to see her group of friends watching them. Some of them looked at the other woman with envy, others giving wistful sighs. Sakura's brow furrowed a bit before she noticed that the woman was speaking again.
"You must be new here. I'm sure I would remember such a…handsome face as yours."
"Yes, my sensei and I are just passing through—handsome?" Sakura sputtered out, almost choking on her squid, emerald eyes widening in shock. She managed to school her features so that she was only smiling softly at the young woman instead of staring open-mouthed at her like she felt like doing. Her aunt and tutors had taught her too well how to hide her true emotions behind a mask. Women were better at it than men, even if men thought that women were too emotional. They didn't realize that women had to train themselves to never show anything but happiness when in their husband's presence and only cool regard when being the genial hostess. A woman must never show any anger or sadness or pain on her face for fear of dishonoring her husband and her family. And so Sakura continued to smile, even as she shot the other woman a curious look. She couldn't help the blush that was painting her own cheeks.
I guess I make a really cute man. She almost groaned. If Ino found out about this I'll never hear the end of it.
The other woman seemed to find Sakura's blush extremely endearing because she gave a small laugh. "Yes, handsome. And you're so pretty, almost like a girl. And so elegant and noble…" the woman crooned, clutching Sakura's arm and hugging it against her chest. "And I bet you're a wonderful samurai too!"
"Er." Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. "Um…thanks…" Oh god, stop that! I have to get out of here! She suddenly got an idea and smiled softly, "Since you know your way around town so well, do you think you could show me a place to buy cloaks? I'm afraid I need a new one. My sensei and I will be leaving tomorrow so I don't have much time."
The woman pouted a bit, puckering her lips. "Leaving? But you just got here…" But she merely turned her cute pout into another smile. "But of course! Come with me and I'll show you a good cloth merchant. He has the best clothes in town!"
"Arigato." Sakura nodded as the woman steered her down the street, dodging the hate filled glares from her friends.
Sakura hoped that Kakashi didn't see her like this. No doubt he would find the fact that his little 'student' was so popular with the women extremely humorous. Sakura could only sigh and hope she could come up with some way to get out of this unscathed.
"Oi." Sakura muttered as she slid open the door to her room at the inn, stumbling inside. She undid her hair from its ponytail and ran her fingers through it, sighing as she placed her new cloak and her money bag near her pack. She looked around the room and noticed that Kakashi wasn't back yet.
She wasn't sure what he was doing—buying supplies didn't take this long—but decided that it was not as important as sleep was at the moment. The sun was setting quickly outside and she grumbled silently at the hours of sleep she had lost due to the young women of the village.
Was this really how it was for every handsome man who walked into a village? She had practically had to beat them off with a stick. Or at least she was tempted to. There was just something about another girl flirting with her that made it extremely easy to revert to violence. It would have been easier than the little charming smiles and polite goodbyes she'd had to give the entire way back to the inn. She really was too nice, she decided, as she tugged off her gi.
That was when the door opened. "Hachisuka-dono I brought you—OH!" Chiaki stood in the doorway. The blankets she had been holding earlier fell to the ground in a heap at her feet. She could only stare at the pink-haired samurai in front of her. His chest was wrapped—but he was shirtless. She could see the muscles in his arms—they were lean and smooth, and he was very slender. He reminded her of a cat, because he was lithe and thin and probably very flexible. He was a samurai after all. His skin was smooth, pale, and flawless. She wondered if it was as soft as it looked and immediately blushed a deeper red at the thought.
He was still holding his gi in his hands and was staring at her in surprise, brilliant emerald eyes focused solely on her. Oh god she was going to faint…he was so beautiful. And he was so gentle and polite too, not like the other samurai who occasionally visited her father's inn.
"Oh I'm s-s-so sorry!" Chiaki finally stuttered out, swallowing. "I sh-should have knocked a-and—"
"It's alright." He was smiling at her, that gentle, charming smile that made her want to melt. "I see you brought myself and my sensei some extra blankets for the night. Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you."
"Y-you're w-welcome!" She squeaked out, pressing cool hands to her burning cheeks before she bent down to pick up the blankets.
"Here, let me help you."
Oh god he was right in front of her, picking the blankets up out of her arms and still smiling, tilting his head to the side a bit, rosette hair drifting across his elegant face. Yes, surely it was a sin for a man to be so beautiful! She merely stared at him, until she realized that he could tell she was staring at him. She merely blushed even more before she bowed low. "Well u-um there a-are the blankets and um s-sleep well and uh b-bye!" And then she slid the door shut and ran down the hallway.
Sakura blinked, staring at the closed door that the blushing young girl had left through. Being a man is so weird, was all she thought as she shook her head, heading towards her tatami mat to sleep. Now I know how Shouhei, Kouhei, and Neji-san feel. I never believed them when they told me how annoying love struck girls were. But now…I'll never laugh at them again!
She sat down on the mat and wrapped her blanket around herself. She didn't lie down however, because Kakashi had told her she needed to meditate every night before she slept. Usually he was there to do so with her, but it seemed as if tonight she'd have to do it alone. Whatever he was doing must have been very important.
So she got in the familiar meditation pose and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly.
She began to open up her senses like Kakashi had taught her, trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. There were no demons in range of her ability, and she couldn't help but let herself relax after that realization. But she still felt uneasy, and she frowned slightly.
Kakashi had better return soon. If Oni did come I don't think I could handle them on my own. I still don't know if I could kill one. I've never—I've never killed anyone or anything before. She swallowed, feeling her chest tighten at the thought. To learn how to wield a sword was one thing, but killing someone with one was something entirely different.
But it was either her or the demons. And if she was truly the only one of the three hogosha that was willing to fight Akumu then she couldn't afford to be killed off by his weak assassins. Now wasn't the time to be afraid.
I have to be strong.
She gave another soft sigh before opening her eyes long enough to survey the room once more, looking to the closed and locked window to the door. Then she placed Shoki by her side and her tantō beneath her pillow.
And with a soft prayer she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Sakura awoke to the sound of scuffling near her feet. Her eyes shot open, a dull and hazy emerald from sleep that sharpened quickly as she blinked. Someone was in the room. She could hear them moving quietly—they were probably barefoot, because there was no sound of cloth rubbing against the wooden floor.
She swallowed, her mouth dry as her fingers slowly crept beneath her pillow, brushing along the edges of her tantō. A smell entered her nose—crisp and clean, like the woods. It smelled of pine and fresh grass and a sharp tang of sweat. It was not the smell of a corpse, which was strange because she'd recognized the strange aura surrounding whatever was trying to creep up on her in the darkness.
Oni.
Her eyes narrowed as she gripped her blade tightly. She would not be defenseless this time! She wouldn't need Kakashi to save her. And so she stilled her breathing, waiting as she listened to the sounds of tentative footsteps nearing.
Closer...
closer...
closer...
NOW! Sakura lunged with a small battle cry, swiping her tantō in front of her. She heard a startled growl and gritted her teeth as her attack missed. Whatever had tried to attack her had fallen backwards. She launched herself off of her sleeping mat towards her fallen enemy, intending to kill it before it could escape.
In the darkness she was fighting blind, but her body seemed to move by instinct.
She landed against something hard and warm and whatever it was grabbed her wrist, stopping her from stabbing it with her tantō. It tried to force its weight on her, causing her to let out another small cry as they rolled to the left and she was on her back.
She growled out, swinging her other arm at her adversary, hearing her elbow slam into something with a sickening crack. But at the same time pain erupted in her elbow and she hissed between clenched teeth, using her enemy's moment of pained surprise to switch their positions.
She straddled his hips, breathing heavily as she tried to wrestle her blade out of his hand to kill him. That was when she heard hurried footsteps and the door opened, bathing the entire room in bright light with Kakashi standing in the doorway, holding a dagger.
When did Kakashi get here and why was he sleeping in another room? Or was he sleeping at all? Sakura thought confusedly, not really understanding anything at the moment. Her mind was still fogged with fatigue and the adrenaline rush of her fight was slowly fading.
There was a long moment of silence as Sakura finally stared down at her 'enemy'—and blinked.
Instead of an oni there was a young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes, staring up at her with as much surprise as she felt.
(1) Shoki: He is usually colored red, because it is believed that this color has the power to ward off misfortune. (I thought that fit in with the color that the Haruno Clan wears pretty well, seeing as how in Naruto Sakura is always seen wearing read or dark pink. :D)
(2) Ushiro: a sword exercise (Aikibatto) I think I spelled that right…
(3) shunga: While rare, there are extant erotic painted handscrolls which predate the Ukiyo-e movement. Translated literally, the Japanese word shunga means picture of spring; "spring" is a common euphemism for sex.
The ukiyo-e movement as a whole sought to express an idealisation of contemporary urban life. Following the aesthetics of everyday life, Edo period shunga sought to express the sexual mores of the chonin in the widest variety of forms possible, and therefore depicted heterosexual and homosexual, old and young alike, as well as a wide range of fetishes. In the Edo period it was enjoyed by rich and poor, men and women, and despite being out of favor with the shogunate, carried very little stigma. Almost all ukiyo-e artists made shunga at some point in their careers, and it didn't affect their prestige as artists. (I figured that Kakashi has to look at SOMETHING if he isn't reading Icha Icha XD)
(A\N: Yes, if you have already read the preview below…Sai is going to appear soon as well. :D And if I throw in some SaiSaku…well it's just because I love that couple too. God I have such a strange obsession with Sakura pairings…I usually only pair up the other girls with one guy that I think would work with them like NaruHina and TemaShika. But…Sakura just works so well with almost everyone XD. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the little bit of Sasuke in this one, even if it was small. I'm sure you were all just wondering when he was going to appear. And Yamato will also be appearing. :D Because I love him too and I don't think he gets as much attention as he deserves. He's a very interesting character…and besides…another member of the Senju bloodline (whether by natural means or not) could mean another ally for Sakura! And she's going to need them to fight Akumu…Oh, and I know there was a lot focusing on Sakura this chapter, but we'll get more of everyone else in the next one. And we'll find out where Kakashi was and what he was doing in the village. :D
Anyway, I've rambled on enough. I have to go finish writing the next chapter of Heart of an Artist, Hands of a Killer before the readers hunt me down and tie me to a chair in front of my laptop until I update. .
Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)
Preview for next chapter:
"So we're going to be heading to the Shrine in Rain then, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as they continued walking.
"Rain? I hate the rain." Naruto whined, frowning a bit.
"Well no one really cares what you like and what you don't like." Kakashi drawled. "You are, after all, still considered our enemy."
"That's not fair." Naruto muttered. "I wouldn't hurt Sakura-chan!"
"You are cursed, Naruto." Sakura put in, frowning. "And who knows what Akumu could do with that kind of power over you?"
"But you broke the curse, Sakura-chan! That's why I have to stay with you! And I can't kill you because now I owe you." Naruto was looking at his two traveling companions impatiently, as if he couldn't understand why they didn't believe him or trust him.
"Sorry Naruto." Sakura smiled at him, making him blush softly. "But we can't afford to let our guard down, not even once."
"And Kitsune aren't the most trustworthy of demons." Kakashi muttered under his breath from where he walked ahead of them. He still couldn't understand why Sakura had begged him to let Naruto come with them. But he supposed that if Naruto was as bound to Sakura as he said he was then one more person protecting the girl couldn't hurt. They needed all the help they could get.
"Kakashi-sensei is right. Kitsune are known to lead people into danger under the guise of a human."
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded desperately, pouting. This only caused Sakura to laugh, even as Kakashi sighed.
Sakura's laughter suddenly stopped as she crouched into a battle stance, gripping the hilt of her sword. She felt Shoki hum beneath her fingertips. "Something is watching us." If there was ever a time that Sakura praised the Haruno Clan's senses it was now.
Naruto stiffened beside her before growling softly, bearing his fangs as he sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the location of their enemy while Kakashi took a step back so that he and Naruto stood on either side of Sakura, surrounding and protecting her while still giving her enough room to attack as well.
Naruto let out a loud growl as he swiped his claws in front of him, and the tree a few feet away was suddenly full of deep gauges made by his claws. It creaked and groaned, before a figure dropped down from its high branches and landed on the ground in front of them.
"I didn't think one ugly hag and an old monk were going to be so hard to track."
