The Black Cherry Blossom
Chapter Seven: The Arrival
After more than an hour explaining to Itachi that nothing had happened, the two of them were finally wake enough to train. Deidara even offered to help her with her ninjutsu, help teach her some of his explosion techniques. With a smile, she accepted. Instead of using clay, she grabbed a handful of fallen Cherry Blossom petals and asked if she could use them instead.
"It doesn't matter what you use really, it just has to be able to hold a steady amount of chakra. As long as it can go boom, its fine."
Sakura now stood in her mini-bathroom, the one hidden behind a false wall. She figured it was an old escape room; since it held rations and a drop tunnel, that they had re-purposed. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, looking at the ever-paling strands of pink that made up her hair. Her eyes have gone from their former jade green to a still-darkening emerald green, and her Regeneration Gem was turning red in the center. The purple color slowly shifting into a mesmerizing shade of magenta, a sure sign of her growing indifference to the villainous ways of her new troupe.
Why are you so melancholy? You have a good friend, and the people here seem genuinely kind... for the most part at least. Hidan's bat-shit crazy, but hey, what can you do?
I'm changing. Both mentally and physically. I don't care about whats right and wrong anymore, I don't care that eventually I'll have to kill people...
You've killed people before in the name of an Organization, what the difference now? Remember that creep out in Kiri?
Its different because they deserved it, and that asshole raped eight girls and ran off with his country's secrets. These people kill for fun.
Says who? The villages? How do you know they're being upfront about them? Its not the first time they've covered something up with a sinister plot.
Hannya quieted, leaving Sakura alone with that little nugget of wisdom. The pinkette thought for a moment, understanding what Hannya was talking about. It wasn't the first time she had taken down a group that the Villages weren't fond off, so maybe the Akatsuki was one of the people they lied about.
"Sakura."
Konan appeared behind her, a soft smile on her face.
"We have a mission, Nagato is going to move our plans forward and attempt to take out Kirigakure. To take the land and begin our war with the other Villages, to begin to free them from the hypocrisy and the false kings and queens they serve."
Sakura stared at Konan with shock, her deep emerald eyes searching the bluenette for any signs of falsities. Surely this was a joke, surely they didn't mean to start a war without their members in full force?
"I see that look, care to explain your thoughts?"
"We haven't seen the other members, wouldn't it be wiser to wait until we've amassed our full power?"
"Yes it would be, if they were needed for such a cause. The leader of Kirigakure is deathly ill, courtesy of us, and the entire country is wracked with concern over his sickness. They aren't equipped for war, their remaining forces are guarding the ailing Kage. He has yet to choose his successor, so we'll step in and do so for him."
Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it when she heard knocking on her doors. Deidara walked in her room, immediately heading toward Konan. He looked rather pleased with himself, like he'd gotten the last strawberry in the patch.
"She's here, the girl from Tanigakure. She accepts the offer you gave her."
"Oh, is she in her room?"
"Yup, she's waiting for her mission."
"Perfect. Sakura dear, would you mind accompanying me to meet with her?"
Wordlessly, Sakura nodded. Who was this new woman, was she to be her new partner? Or maybe she was just an informant. But if she was an informant why did she have her own room? Was she a hidden member? Hundreds of questions raced through her mind, but her mouth remained firmly shut. The two women walked silently past the red-painted door, the color of which heavily suggested it was painted in blood. Surprisingly, her stomach didn't clench and bile didn't rise to her throat like it would have once, she merely looked away. Konan stopped in front of a river-wood door, the kind of wood you'd find in a swampy environment, and knocked twice.
"Enter."
The inside of her room mirrored Sakura's, but with color and wood differences. Her sheets where black with a pink comforter, whereas the woman's was cream with a light green comforter. The wood finish of all the furniture was the same type as her door, and her accents were a pale white-gold.
"Maniko-san, a pleasure to see you."
Sakura turned her head to look at the woman at the desk, and felt her mouth open in shock. It was like she was staring in the mirror, Maniko looked like her. She was almost the spitting image of her, aside from the pinkish-blonde hair and the blue-green eyes. It appeared she could also see the resemblance, since her eyes widened and she took an uncertain step back.
"Sakura, meet Maniko Hatsukami from the Village Hidden in the River. Maniko, meet Sakura Haruno from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Maniko are you injured? I can see the blood dripping down your arm."
Sakura blinked and went into Medic Mode, making her way forward she gently took her wrist and turned her arm this way and that. The gash in her forearm ran halfway up her arm and curved toward her elbow, it was a defensive wound. While the blood dripped off her fingers, she could easily see the red tracks the liquid left that twisted up her arm.
"What caused the wound?"
"Katana, the man who wielded it looked very angry with me, although I'd never seen him before in my life."
"Not surprising, most shinobi never meet their Village's Anbu forces, unless of course their the current target."
Maniko had a very soft voice, an octave or two lighter than Sakura's. Her alien eyes watched her warily, the pallor of her skin only making adding to the beauty of the strange mix. In truth, she was in every way her mirror image. Their height was the same, their body types and their chest size. Suddenly she hissed in pain and yanked her arm away from the probing fingers of the thoughtful pinkette, surprised, Sakura looked at her.
"That hurts."
"Obviously, if you want me to treat it you have to let me touch your arm."
Maniko sent her a withering look before allowing Sakura to lead her to the Medical Bay, a flurry of questions filled her own mind as she took in the identical form of the woman in front of her. It was no secret among her village that her mother had slept with a traveling Shinobi from the Land of Fire, a fornication that resulted in her own birth, but could this man have also fathered the pinkette before her?
If so, did Sakura know?
Considering her previous reaction, she doubted it. Or maybe she had just been surprised to see her here, I mean, its not exactly a heartwarming experience to find your long-lost sibling in a troupe of murderers... But still, it was impossible not to notice the similarities between the two of them. Taking a deep breath, Maniko slowly opened her mouth to speak, but was promptly cut off by Sakura.
"I know who you are Maniko. You don't have to say anything, but if you have to ask questions wait until we're in the Medical Bay, its sound-proof."
Wait. You KNOW about her!? SINCE WHEN?
Shut up, I was able to suppress you for almost three years. Its not that hard to keep secrets from half of yourself. The brain does it all the time with memories.
That's besides the point! Do you have any idea how vital this information is to me?! If she shares your DNA, which she obviously does, that means I can link you two! I can read her and tell you ANYTHING you wanted to know! I can act as a go between for telepathy! I could-!
SILENCE. We'll discuss this later.
DUN DUN DUUUUUUN!
Hey guys!
Sorry for the long haitus, but to be honest I'm going through some really bad depression right now.. and I'm having some trouble doing anything productive...
Anyway, please R&R.
Love,
BlackRose999