Do you know how bad my writer's block been lately?
"Sakura, stop fidgeting. She has to pin it," Mikoto said sternly. Sakura sighed and shook her head, staring in the mirror. She couldn't help but fidget. This damn thing was too uncomfortable and she didn't like standing still for long periods at a time. It went against everything she had been taught as a ninja.
"I'll stop fidgeting when I'm out of this monstrosity," Sakura grumbled, crossing her arms and glaring at the mirror.
"I don't think I've ever heard a bride talk like that," the seamstress laughed and put another pin in the dress. The wedding was next week and they would have the dress ready in a few days after fixing it all up for her. It wasn't very pleasant for her.
"Well, you don't deal with shinobi very often," Mikoto laughed. "We don't like dresses like this very much. They're very difficult to fight in and hard to hide weapons underneath."
"Which isn't too much of a problem for me," Sakura interceded, glaring at herself. She felt like a huge marshmallow and didn't like it. She would much rather a cultural kimono, but they were hard to move around in as well and heavy and hot. She had a feeling Mikoto knew about the hot flashes she got every now and then, so she couldn't be too upset about it.
"Well, that's true," Mikoto laughed. The seamstress seemed rather confused, so Mikoto took it upon herself to explain. "Sakura uses chakra control to make her punches hit a little harder," she smiled. "She doesn't really need the kunai and shuriken to make herself terrifying."
"Oh dear," the seamstress laughed nervously and Sakura just scoffed.
"Don't worry. There's no reason I would have to attack you," Sakura said flippantly. She sighed. How much longer would this last? She didn't want to stand still for too much longer. It was going against her instincts and it was starting to grate on her nerves. Mikoto knew she was getting antsy, and she hoped the seamstress would be done soon. There were still flowers to get and arrange and there was still food to decide on and Sakura had been pretty adamant about following her around during all of it so she knew what was going on.
"Just be patient," Mikoto chastised gently. "I bet Itachi will be speechless when he sees you next week," she smiled. Sakura only scoffed.
"He's speechless every night in bed."
Mikoto flushed and stared at her for a long moment, unsure of what to say. The seamstress just began to laugh and Sakura looked rather sheepish as she turned to look at the older woman.
"Sorry, Mikoto, it just kind of came out." Sakura didn't really sound sorry at all that she said it and Mikoto couldn't be upset. She just began laughing and it went on for so long that Sakura almost walked to her, concerned over her wellbeing.
"It's not that, Sakura. You've always been so respectful and all that around me, I just didn't expect something like that to come out of your mouth," Mikoto said through her giggles, trying to stem them. "I wasn't upset. You should do that more often!" Sakura seemed to calm with Mikoto's giggles and explanations and only shook her head, turning back to the mirror so the seamstress could finish.
"You know, Mikoto, I never thought you were a fan of snark, what with your sons having master degrees in the subject."
"I've learned to get over it," Mikoto laughed. "Yeah, it gets annoying with the other two, but you aren't one of my sons. Therefore, I can laugh about it," she smiled. Sakura only scoffed and shook her head.
"There, give us a twirl," the seamstress smiled up at Sakura.
"Can I not?"
"It isn't needed," she laughed. "Alright, let's get into the dressing room and get this off." Sakura nodded and stepped down carefully from the platform. The seamstress followed her to the room and helped her get out of the white monstrosity without destroying all the hard work she did pinning the thing.
"Alright," Sakura sighed as she came out, fixing her shirt. It was getting rather tight, though she kept wearing a lot of cardigans and sweaters to hide her growing stomach for now. No one had really noticed unless they were already told. Then they wouldn't shut up about it. Itachi especially. He just wouldn't keep his hands off her and wouldn't stop telling her how much he adored her growing belly.
"We'll see you in a few days," Mikoto said, smiling at the seamstress.
"Alright. I'll let you know if anything happens," she smiled back at the older woman. It wasn't lost to her that Sakura didn't seem too happy at the moment, but ignored it. All her interactions with the young woman weren't very good. She was usually in a bad mood and quite sarcastic about the fact she was getting married. She also knew, for a fact, that the girl was pregnant and thought it rather trampy.
Sakura just ignored the woman at this point and followed Mikoto out of the shop. Mikoto watched her, rather worried, but didn't want to say anything lest Sakura reacted rather angrily. Sakura had been reacting a little irrationally when she knew people were judging her. She seemed to be folding in on herself lately and it worried Mikoto, but she didn't really know what to do.
"Do you know when Itachi will be back from his mission?" she asked, hoping to distract the young woman. Her face scrunched and Mikoto knew she wasn't too happy about this subject. She really didn't want to think about that mission right now, was trying to ignore it by being out with Mikoto doing all this crazy stuff, but she just had to bring it up.
"He'll be home in three days," she muttered, glaring at the pavement. This was about ninety percent of the reason for her anger at this point. She hated that Itachi wasn't here and had been called upon for an ANBU mission again. The mission was for a team, at least, but it didn't stop her irritation coming out.
"I know you're upset that he's on a mission," Mikoto sighed. "Just try to calm down. It'll be over soon and he'll be back," she smiled. She could remember when Fugaku had gone on missions early in their marriage and she was left alone with the children all day or was pregnant and already pissed off a lot of the time. Sakura only shook her head.
"Let's just go do what we need to," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her stomach. The nausea had finally gone down and she was back working at the hospital a few days a week, though it was only paperwork. Her chakra was still all sorts of messed up and she wasn't about to screw someone up more than they already were.
Mikoto sighed and led her to the flower shop, hoping Ino was around. The blonde seemed to be able to make Sakura smile no matter what kind of mood she was in. She had thought of calling on her sometimes just to make Sakura smile again, but the pinkette never wanted anyone around lately. Mikoto was definitely seeing the brash side of Sakura lately.
Ino wasn't there and Mikoto felt let down just slightly. Sakura just leaned against the counter and let the older woman get on with the business, not really knowing what she was supposed to do anyways. The only reason she'd accompanied Mikoto any further than the seamstress' shop was because she was feeling rather lonely and didn't want to be in her house all alone.
"Hello, Mikoto, did you come to make sure your order was all set?" Ino's mother asked with a slight smile. She was not a woman that openly showed her emotions and was rather prim and proper, but she never showed either of them any hostility, though Sakura still seemed rather grouchy.
"Yes, and to give you the last payment," Mikoto smiled. Sakura was looking at some pink roses, rather admiring how much they looked like her hair. She barely listened while the elder women talked, mostly just wishing for this day to be over. Three days, that's all she had to make it through. It was quite a struggle just to keep herself from sleeping those three days away so she could see him again.
"Sakura." The young woman shook her head, as though she had been dreaming her day away, and looked up at Mikoto, her eyes almost not seeing her.
"Yes?"
"It's time to go, dear," Mikoto smiled. "Let's get you back home, okay?" Sakura just nodded numbly and followed the woman out of the door. She felt tired, so tired, as she was lately. She didn't know how long this fatigue would last, but she hoped it would die down soon. It was almost like the nausea at this point: they just switched with each other. She supposed it was better than throwing up every six hours or so.
She followed Mikoto back to the compound, walking slowly behind her. Mikoto didn't speak, not wanting to let her know what she was thinking. She didn't want to upset her. She was thinking that she wasn't looking too excited about the fact she was marrying Itachi in a week. She was sour most of the time and really didn't want anything to do with the wedding preparations.
"Thanks for putting up with me, Mikoto," Sakura said when they reached her front door. All she wanted to do was lay on the couch, her cat on her lap, and read a book. She didn't want anything to do with the wedding and she knew Mikoto had figured it out. It was quite hard to hide it while she was feeling like a marshmallow.
"Just make sure you smile on the big day," Mikoto smiled, turning back to the path. Sakura only nodded at the back of her head and slowly turned back to her door, opening it quietly. She didn't know why she opened it so quietly, there wasn't anyone here to hear her and greet her. She was feeling quite lonely with Itachi away, but she couldn't bring herself to go out and find her friends. She didn't want to be seen by anyone lately, her growing belly the cause of that. She knew it was barely noticeable. She knew only those that knew her best would figure it out, but she didn't want to chance it. She didn't want the village to be talking that she had gotten herself knocked up. She didn't want them questioning who it was and she didn't want Itachi to be slandered the moment they figured out it was him. She didn't want any of that.
She picked up her kitten on the way to her bedroom, cradling the small animal to her chest. This was the only thing that was making her feel better lately, what with Itachi off on a mission and unable to make her feel better about herself. She crawled into bed and surrendered herself to a nap, knowing she wouldn't get much done otherwise. She was just too damn tired.
She woke a little while later to the doorbell ringing. Groaning, she willed for the person to go away, but the doorbell wouldn't stop. Whoever was out there really wanted her attention. Sighing, she popped open her eyes to a very dark room and slowly pulled herself up by her hands. She rubbed her eyes and picked up her kitten again before going to answer the door.
"Shisui? The fuck are you doing here?" she asked, voice rather hoarse and more than grumpy. Shisui only grinned and pat her head while he walked over the threshold. "It's late isn't it? Go home before I make you," she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
"Nah. Mikoto said she was worried about you. Apparently you haven't been eating much recently?" Shisui asked, a light smile on his face. He didn't want to do anything to upset Sakura, but he was sure she wasn't eating because she was just so tired and Itachi wasn't around to cater to her every whim, as he'd been doing as of late. He had also heard that she had quite a sour mood lately.
"I don't know why, I've been eating fine," Sakura grumbled, looking away from him. Truth be told, she was quite hungry, she just couldn't find the energy within herself to do it.
"Oh hush, little Sak, come on," Shisui laughed, shouldering past her and walking to the dining room. He had bought her favorite from a restaurant they used to frequent after missions. Sakura watched him silently for a few moments before quietly joining him, sitting quietly beside him at the table. He only grinned at her and pushed a takeout container in front of her. "So why aren't you excited to be married to my little cousin, Sakura?" he asked, already digging into his food.
"Have you noticed that I'm pregnant?" she asked sharply, turning her annoyed glaze to him.
"I have noticed. I also have been told. What does that have to do with anything? Shouldn't you be enveloped in that 'pregnancy glow,' or something?" he asked, laughing.
"Shut up," she grumbled, looking away from him. She didn't want to talk about her reasons and didn't feel like letting him take a look into her psyche. She wasn't feeling particularly sociable as of late either. She had shoved Naruto out a few times within the last week or so and Shisui had been ignored a couple times as well. Sasuke still hadn't gotten over himself, which she was slightly thankful for. She didn't think she could bear it if all three of them were bothering her at the same time. She thought she would scream.
"I will not. You know, even Mikoto has noticed that you don't seem very excited," Shisui said, dropping his fork for a moment to fix her with a serious stare. "If you don't seem excited, that definitely means you aren't. You aren't exactly hard to read."
"I haven't even been with him very long," she muttered. "All of a sudden, I'm pregnant and he wants to get married and he hasn't exactly asked what I want."
"Then what do you want?" Shisui asked, not paying attention to his food anymore. He was far too interested in Sakura.
"I don't want to do this," she sighed, looking away. "I don't want to be pregnant. I don't want to be married this young. Hell, I didn't even want to date Itachi, let alone marry him!" she shook her head, frustrated. "I just want to run away and be a hermit."
"You know you can't do that. You already said you would marry him."
"He never asked me," she shrugged. "I didn't really know what to say, I just agreed." She pushed her meal away from her and pulled herself up. "I'm not really hungry, I'm sorry." She walked off to the bathroom to take a bath, leaving him behind. She was feeling rather listless lately and didn't want anyone else to figure it out. Shisui didn't wait for her to reappear. He just cleaned up and left the home, knowing attempting to talk to her was impossible. When she was shoving people away, she wasn't going to let up.
Sakura washed herself slowly, staring at the wall. She didn't really want to get out of the warm water even though she had washed her entire body. She just sat there, her hands under the water, staring at the wall for a long while. She sat there until the water turned cold and goosebumps had risen on her flesh. She sighed and reached forwards to drain the tub, pulling a towel around herself. She just walked to the bedroom and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
She wanted to run away. She didn't want to go through with this. Itachi could usually quell her fears and make it go away, but it would lie beneath the surface until she was alone or when Itachi was asleep and she was left to her own thoughts. She sighed and pulled herself up, dropping the towel on the floor. Fuck it. Fuck everything. She was leaving and no one was going to stop her. She would find a new place to live, hopefully a place in need of a medic's center, and get away. She didn't want to be here and no one knew she was marrying Itachi. No one knew she was pregnant with his child. He would dodge the stares and murmurs if she went away and she knew it. His father would be happy too because his daughter in law wouldn't be some harlot that bagged his son because she'd fucked up her birth control one day.
She pulled out her backpack from the closet and pulled out a few scrolls she could seal her belongings into. Since she had moved in with Itachi, it wasn't much. She took all her clothes and some books, several rations and her medic supplies. She didn't want to be out on her own without her supplies.
She dressed herself in her anbu gear. No one would stop her if they thought she was on a mission, not even the guys at the gate. She would be able to toss a card on the desk while she passed. They wouldn't have time to react to a blank card, not with how fast she moved. They didn't know her mouse mask either, so no one would know it was her that left this night.
She shouldered her pack and smoothed her hair back and under the brown wig. She wasn't about to be caught because of her pink hair. This wig was quite long, reaching down to her waist. In the dark she could be mistaken for a lot of people. She hopped onto the window sill, ready to dart off into the night, when she looked down to the nightstand, making the mistake of looking around before she left. A quick stab of fear entered her heart and turned it cold when she noticed the picture. It was of Itachi's family, taken quite recently. Biting her lip, she leaned over and pulled the picture from the frame, the only thing she took that wasn't hers. Then she hopped out the window and ran through the compound as quietly as she could, a shadow in the dark of the night. No one noticed her, not even the guards at the edge of the compound.
Just as she thought, the guys at the gate didn't spare a second look at her as she raced by. They only raised their hand in a goodbye as she raced past, not even leaving the blank card she'd had. Perhaps they had seen a few anbu tonight. She hoped there weren't any anbu in the forest tonight. Most anbu knew each other's codenames and they knew she had defected already. They would think it odd that a random shinobi was about without a mission scroll.
Thankfully, she didn't run into any other shinobi. Though her chakra was all out of sorts, she knew she wouldn't make enough distance to make a difference if she didn't move faster. She stopped for a moment and shut her eyes and focused, staring at the wood of the tree she was on. Though it took a little more focus than normal, she managed to channel her chakra to her feet. She bounced off the tree branch and began moving farther faster. She pushed herself harshly, not wanting to anyone to be able to catch up with her when they found out she wasn't at home.
She knew they wouldn't find out until Itachi came home. She was known for pushing people away and not answering the door and so no one would think anything was off until Itachi came home and found that she was nowhere to be seen and his family hadn't seen her in three days. Though she was slightly sad now, knowing that she had left Itachi in the dust. She did have feelings for him, but she just wasn't ready for that sort of commitment. She was already trying to accept the fact that she was going to be a mother; she didn't know how she was supposed to accept being married too.
She didn't stop, even when the sun began shining over the horizon. She did remove her mask from her face, knowing she was far enough away from her village that anyone that crossed her path would either attack or keep on moving. She continued moving, wanting to put as much distance as she could between her and Itachi's arrival back in the village. She needed to get far and would take long detours if she came upon a river or a stream. She would jump into the water and run for miles upstream, making sure no nin dog could track her. If she came upon a lake or a pond, she would swim through it quickly, though did not come out exactly across from where she got in. She had been trained in how to throw off a tracking team and was putting her knowledge to good use.
She continued moving, not stopping to do more than relieve herself or eat a quick protein bar before continuing her journey. She thought she was moving rather slowly, but she hadn't really exercised in months due to her condition. She knew it was to be expected that her stamina and strength would wane slightly. She didn't care, only continued to push herself.
The sun dipped below the horizon and yet she continued running. She shoved herself strongly off each tree branch and hoped she was travelling rather far. She wasn't quite sure, not without a team telling her how well she was keeping up with them. She only shook her head. The era of teams was over for her. The era of a shinobi was over for her though she knew she would keep her skills strong in case she or her child were ever threatened. She wasn't so silly as to think she would be safe if she ran far enough away.
A full twenty-four hours later and she finally allowed herself to stop, though she climbed into the top of the tree she stopped in. It was a strong tree and no one would see her small body unless they were this high up as well. Most shinobi wouldn't be, so she thought herself safe enough. She pulled a blanket out of her pack and curled up in a small ball, letting herself fall into a light doze, light enough that she would waken at the lightest sound.
She stirred less than six hours later and pulled herself up into a sitting position, pulling a few protein bars out of her bag. She didn't have much time for anything else, though once she got to Tea country; she could stop at the other villages along the way to her destination and get a few good meals from the market stands.
Though her legs were so very sore, she pulled herself up. She had to continue on. Itachi was returning home today and she didn't want to be in fire country when he found that she was not there. She knew it would be pretty impossible to find her at this point, what with her knowledge of putting off trackers, but she couldn't shake the thought of wanting to be out of the country as quickly as possible.
Sighing, she took a moment to send healing chakra through her legs, easing the soreness out of it so she could begin again unencumbered. She launched herself off the tree branch into the world below and caught herself on a branch lower to the ground a few miles away. She continued travelling, her heart beating more and more quickly as she did. She didn't want to be caught and knew that, with Itachi's return, the village would be thrown into a frenzy to find her. She knew it wouldn't be easy to find her, not right now, but she wanted it to be impossible. She continued running through streams, rivers, and lakes, running herself in small circles in order to confuse any of those looking for her.
The scenery moved past in a brown-green blur, but she only continued looking towards the horizon as she ran herself in circles and ran as quickly as she could. She stopped for no more than a few minutes at a time, yet again either to relieve herself or have a quick protein bar to replenish her energy. Though her head was beginning to hurt from the lack of sleep and the way she was pushing herself, she only swallowed a pain killer and continued on. She made a mental note to give herself a once over when she could to determine whether she needed to rest for more than six hours. She didn't want to give herself a miscarriage. Her running wasn't about trying to get rid of the baby. It was from trying to run form a commitment to a man she wasn't so sure she loved.
She neared the border about a day later, an annoyance to her. She had wanted to be out of fire country before Itachi was to return and she had missed it by about seven hours or so. It couldn't be helped; she had had to stop to rest. She stopped for a quick moment, sliding her mask back over her face and fixing her wig a little more snugly on her head. The ninja at the border would be Konoha ninja, just jonin. They would, yet again, think she was just another anbu passing by to complete a mission. At this point, she knew she would have beaten a messenger hawk. It did not take a mere seven hours to fly to this part of the border. Furthermore, she had her mask and her wig. It would be rather hard to discern her identity with that. Sighing, she stopped.
They would tell Tsunade what mask she was wearing. She needed something else to further veil her identity. She bit her lip and went through her pack, praying there might be something in here that she could use.
Clay.
She had clay.
Why she had clay, she would never know. However, she could use clay. She pulled her mask over and began spreading the clay over the mask, hiding the markings on it. She tried to simply make another mask with it. If she went by the guards fast enough, they would simply think she had gone by too fast for them to see the mask markings. She hoped they would be in the middle of changing shifts or that she had mistaken the border and traveled too far east or west for the actual border crossing.
She had, in fact, mistaken her position in relation to the border crossing. Perhaps her tired mind had messed with her too much. She hadn't really been watching the main road and hadn't realized she had been a few miles east of the road. She saw the border checkpoint through the trees, but the jonin were slacking and didn't notice her. She only grinned to herself and ran faster.
Knowing the fishing village was along the coast, she began heading that way in the hopes she would hit it within the next seven hours or so. She didn't want to push herself as hard as she had within the first forty-eight hours. She didn't want to put herself or her baby in any undue danger. She crossed the road carefully, staying perched perfectly still on a tree limb, watching both directions for a long five minutes before jumping across quickly.
The sun was beginning to rise again and she knew her friends at home were probably worrying over her and wondering where she had gotten to. She didn't know if they had assembled a search party yet. She didn't know if he was, perhaps, waiting for her to return to him. She didn't know if he thought she was off training or being by herself. She didn't know how long his patience would last before his worry began to get the best of him and he began looking for her frantically. She almost wished she hadn't done this, but she knew better than to regret her decisions.
She knew this would be better for him. No one would talk about why they got married so quickly. No one would give him curious stares and whisper about them in their wake. No one would judge him for getting some girl pregnant, even Sakura Haruno. They would wonder why she left and would always wonder why she didn't return, but all in all, it was for the best. She didn't want to bring everything down and cause Itachi destitution. She couldn't bring herself to do it. She just needed to get away and, though her reasons and mind were blurring, she knew this was the right thing to do.
She narrowed her eyes at the horizon and continued pushing herself to continue on, knowing her chakra was getting pretty low. She stopped to eat a protein bar, giving herself a thirty minute rest to recharge what chakra she could. She was slightly surprised she had made it this far with little rest. What with her chakra being weird and such, she thought she would have wasted more than she used. She supposed she still had that perfect chakra control.
She sighed and pulled herself up again, stilling to listen to the world around her. She only heard the sound of nature and her own heartbeat. There was no sounds of searching, nothing of pursuit. She shook her head. No one would be able to find her, no out here. By the time they looked in this area, whatever trail they could find would be cold. They would be able to track her to the first river she'd crossed, maybe the second, but they wouldn't be able to find the trail any further than that.
She launched herself forwards and continued on her way, landing quickly on every tree branch and launching herself as hard as she could to propel herself forwards a good hundred yards or so. She was getting tired more quickly, but knew that was just because she was tired after the first forty-eight hours. She wouldn't have to travel nearly that long for the rest of her journey, wouldn't even need to travel for more than a day at a time once she got to the fishing village.
It was late evening when the road came into view and the small village beyond that. Before letting herself out of the tree, Sakura removed her anbu clothes and mask, pulling out civilian travelling clothes instead. She shoved them on quickly and hid her pack underneath the light cloak. She didn't want her pack to be easy to steal from her. She fastened her light cloak tightly around herself and took a cursory glance in both directions of the road before hopping lightly out of the tree and landing in the middle of it. She brushed herself off quickly before turning towards the village.
There were no guards here, but she wasn't surprised. Tea country villages would send requests to Konoha if they needed help of the shinobi variety, but they never had the village guard them. They didn't think they needed it what with the country being so neutral. Sakura looked around the village for a short while before coming upon the only motel within it. She blinked at the small building and pushed through the door, coming face to face with a simple desk and a hearty looking man behind it.
"Hello," she said with a smile, reminding herself that she had to act like a civilian, "Is there a room free tonight?"
"Of course!" he grinned. "You think we actually have much traffic through here?" Sakura only smiled and shook her head, shrugging. She didn't know what to think "No matter. If you give me an extra two hundred ryo, you get a homecooked breakfast in the morning." Sakura considered this as she looked at the sheet of paper he shoved towards her. It was the overnight agreement. Clean up after yourself, don't destroy anything; it was pretty much the same as any other agreement out there. The price was a little high: one thousand ryo a night, but she knew it was because this village had little consumer base for an inn. She didn't have an issue with this; of course, she had most of her savings locked in a scroll in her bag. She pulled out the money and handed it to him.
"I should agree to your offer of a meal," she smiled, handing over the amount he wanted. She knew it would be a good idea and would give her more energy than the endless amount of protein bars she had. She didn't want to spend the time to eat it, but it would be a good idea.
"Alright, that meal will be ready at eight in the morning," he grinned. "Here's your key, have a nice stay, Miss…Kainz."
"Thank you," she smiled and walked down the hallway, looking on the key to get her room number. It was the third one at the end of the last hallway and she was rather glad for the privacy. She wasn't about to leave her room until the morning and so the protein bars would have to do for dinner tonight. She didn't want anyone to see her out in the village and wonder or ask where she came from, though she really did seem like another traveler.
She pushed herself into her room and felt a little comforted. It was warm in the room already and the mat already rolled out on the floor, ready for her to just slide into. She dropped her pack in the corner after grabbing the protein bar. She tossed it on the mat and stretched. It would be a public bathroom, but any shower was better than no shower. She hoped this motel at least had running water. She so did not want to use an outhouse.
Grabbing her clothes and hoping there were towels in the bathrooms, she ventured out of her room, locking it behind her. She wasn't about to leave it unlocked for anyone to come by and walk in uninvited. She sighed and wandered around for a few minutes before finding the bathrooms. One was for men and the other women, so she had a hope there was some running water. She opened the door and released a relieved sigh. Nothing smelled of bodily excrements and therefore there was running water.
She tossed her clothes on a bench and grabbed a towel from a shelf, tossing it up on a hook right outside the shower. She waited, patiently, for the water to turn hot and then sighed. She had forgotten that she still had her wig on, but she couldn't very well take it off in case the innkeeper was walking around. She carefully took it off and hung it underneath the towel on the same hook. That would keep it dry at least and no one would notice it.
Her shower was a quick, practiced one, though she felt so much better after she pulled herself out and wrapped her towel around herself. She grabbed another after a moment and began drying her hair, anxious to get the wig back on. Her hair was just a little damp when she shoved the damn thing back on.
She was back in her room not ten minutes later, taking the wig back off and carefully hanging it inside the closet. She didn't want to mess it up. Locking the door, she fell into her matt, pulling the covers over her. She barely remembered to eat her protein bar before falling into a deep sleep, allowing herself the comfort now that she wasn't out in the open.
She thought she'd overslept when the sun woke her. She stirred slowly, taking a few extra seconds to open her eyes. She glared into the sunshine and panic flooded her. She rose quickly. She didn't have time to waste and wanted to eat her meal and be on her way. She looked at the small watch on her wrist and a small smile broke past her lips and she fell back into her blankets. She hadn't overslept! She was actually awake an hour early! She laughed softly to herself before shaking her head and pulling herself up. She pulled out one of her scrolls and released the seal. She had more civilian clothes in these and wanted something she could move easily in but would not give her away as a trained assassin.
She sighed, finally finding for what she was looking for. She stood and changed quickly, sealing the old clothes and her anbu gear back inside the scroll. She ignored the protein bars and just pulled on her shoes, pulling the wig back on over her head. She searched through her pack for a moment before finding what she was looking for. They were old; probably a little dried out, but would still work. They would change her eyes from green to brown, at least. She hadn't thought to put them on before and hoped the innkeeper wouldn't say anything.
It took her a few minutes of massaging saline solution into them, but she managed to get them moist enough to wear. She put them in quickly, having gained some experience with it. She tucked the little case and saline back into her pack before shouldering it and pulling her cloak back over it like the day before. She managed to remember to rearrange the mat as if she had never been there and then left the room.
She stopped at the desk and hung the key on the peg with the coinciding number. She stood there awkwardly for a moment until a waif of a woman rounded the corner, looking slightly surprised when she saw Sakura.
"Are you a tenant?" she asked, her voice like her body: whispering and soft.
"Yes. I am Sachi Kainz. I had paid for a hot meal this morning and am simply waiting for it," she said politely, though remembered to smile. She didn't want to put the woman off.
"It's ready, Miss Kainz. You're welcome to follow me," the little woman smiled and Sakura followed her closely around the corner she'd just come. She followed her through a door and found herself in a small dining room, the amount of chairs equal to the amount of keys in the front area. Sakura sat at a table and the little woman put a plate in front of her. Though the eggs, hash, and toast didn't really look or smell appetizing, Sakura shoved it down with plenty of orange juice. She thanked the woman and then was on her way. She didn't have time to waste.
There weren't any Konoha ninja in or around the village, though she didn't move any faster than a walk. She didn't want to seem too suspicious. She waited until she was a good three miles from the village without anyone in sight before jumping into the trees and travelling at three times the pace. She was feeling quite a lot better after the full night's sleep and sad breakfast. Though the breakfast wasn't that good, she was glad she forced it down.
She wasn't feeling so paranoid anymore, either. She didn't think it was very necessary to go out of her way to walk through rivers and swim across lakes anymore. She didn't think Konoha ninja would be able to track her, not this far. She blinked and continued on her way, eating up the distance quickly. It would only take twenty-four hours to get to the Degarashi Port, where she could rest for another eight hours or so, and then she was off to the last village in Tea Country, the smaller port village on the southernmost tip of the country. She thought it was far enough to outrun her past.
It was quiet travelling until she reached the Degarashi port the next morning. She gave the innkeeper a different name from the last and paid for another hot meal come morning. It was definitely too long for her to stay in this place, or so she thought, but she wasn't about to get to the port village late at night. It would be better to get there in the morning, rent another room, and then work on establishing herself before her baby was to come. She didn't know what she would do, hopefully something with medicine, but she would have to dye her hair and wear these contacts all the time so she wasn't recognized. If someone said she looked like someone, she would be able to lie her way out of it.
She slept through most of the time she was in the Degarashi inn. She didn't want anyone to notice her. She did look at herself in the mirror and pass a hand over her barely noticeable bump. She sighed. She was supposed to marry Itachi in three days, but she wasn't around to go through with the ceremony anymore. She wasn't about to try and go back either. She had made her decision and now she had to deal with it.
Morning came and so did her hot meal, better than the one before it. She ate quickly and then was back on her way. She travelled in clothes that wouldn't stand out again. She waited until she was a little ways away from the port before jumping into the trees again. She travelled faster this way and no one would wonder how she moved so fast if she was hidden in here.
The port village was smaller than she thought it would be when she finally found it. She hadn't thought it was this small, but just shrugged it off. She didn't care. It was where she'd been running to and had finally made it here. She hoped no one would ever be able to find her here and she could raise her child away from the stares and harsh whispers, where his taboo conception wouldn't be put on his father. She almost found herself wondering if her child would go looking for its father on its own, but she shoved the idea out of her head the moment she thought of it. She didn't want to dwell on these things.
There wasn't an inn in this village, it was just that small. She looked around hopelessly, hoping there was something that would give her shelter, at least until she could find a place to buy or rent. She walked around the village several times before heading back to the meager market, hoping she could find someone that was particularly friendly looking.
"Excuse me," she said softly when faced with the baker behind his stall. He was a larger man, rosy cheeks, and a big smile. He turned to her.
"Do you need some bread, little lady?" he asked, gesturing to the fruits of his efforts.
"I'll take a loaf. I have a question as well," she said as she handed over the money and took the bread from him. He tossed in some butter as well, which she was glad for. She wasn't particularly keen on bread with nothing else on it.
"What's your question, dear?" he asked, ignoring other customers for a quick minute.
"I'm new here and I need a room to rent. Do you know anyone who would allow me such a thing?" she asked, standing uneasily. She didn't like asking these things, but she also didn't want to live in the woods for the rest of her life until she could build a suitable dwelling. "If It helps any," she leaned close, whispering so no one else could hear, "I'm a highly trained medic and I am pregnant." She hoped the last bit of information would make him feel bad for her.
"Go talk to Marie," he grinned at her. "She has a herbalist shop on the other side of town. She's old and pretty crotchety, but tell her you're pregnant and have medicinal background and she'll soften right up to ya," he winked at her. Sakura smiled and thanked him, beginning to turn around. "Here," he beckoned her back for a moment. "This will soften Marie up too. She likes our pastries," he winked at her again. She smiled again and thanked him for helping her before bounding off in the direction he'd pointed her to.
Finding Marie's wasn't very hard. Her name was on the sign along with the description of her shop. Sakura tried the door and found it unlocked.
"Hello?" she heard the harsh, strained voice from behind the counter. The old woman certainly did sound crotchety.
"Are you Marie?" Sakura called, peering around the counter.
"I am," a small, beady eyed woman appeared from below the counter. She was quite hunched and her knuckles twisted. Sakura wondered how very old she was. "What does it matter to you? I doubt you've come here for a remedy, I haven't seen you around here."
"The baker told me to come here and ask to rent a room," Sakura said, her voice holding far more courage than she felt.
"What makes you think I'll give you a room? What's your sob story, missy?" the old woman caught her with her beady stare and Sakura knew she better not lie. She thought the woman would sense it and tell her to go somewhere else, a somewhere else that Sakura didn't have.
"I'm a highly trained medic," Sakura offered. "I ran away from my homeland to avoid a marriage I was forced into because the man knocked me up."
"Why run away from your baby's father?" the woman asked, hopping up with surprising agility to sit on the counter. She seemed very interested and Sakura thought it was a good thing.
"I don't think we really love each other. Instead of calling off the wedding, I ran away so the villagers wouldn't look at him with judgment and whisper terrible things about us. I didn't want his child to bring him issues later because he is a bastard." Sakura knew she had to give this old woman the truth because she could just turn her away and leave her to live off the woods behind the small village or go and find another village that might take her.
"The baker was right when he told you to come to me," the old woman cracked a smile. "I know you'll give me a fake name, but what would you like to be called?"
"Sachi. Sachi Kainz," Sakura immediately said. She had papers for this alter ego, paperwork that Konoha didn't know about. Several shinobi had separate identities they would assume on missions. The hokage didn't know all of them and this was one Sakura hadn't gotten around to registering at the tower. "How did you know it would be fake?" she asked, wondering now.
"Because mine is." The old woman hopped off the counter. "He sent you to me because we are very alike, young Sachi. Did he give you anything for me, by the way?" she asked, looking at her with her beady eyes expecting.
"He gave me a pastry for you," Sakura said, holding it out. The old woman's eyes lit up and she snatched it from her, biting into it quickly. She seemed to really like the pastries, just like the baker had said. Sakura couldn't help the small smile as she watched the old woman devour the treat. She made a mental note to get her more.
"Alright, follow me upstairs. It isn't much, but it's better than sleeping in the streets," Marie said, gesturing to the stairs. Sakura followed her closely into the part of the house the old woman lived. Sakura looked around curiously when they got up there. It was small, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to care. The kitchen was the size of a shoebox, a small dining table shoved beneath a window with only two chairs. There was a small sofa and a large bookcase with so many books it overflowed. There was a small television, but guessing by the dust, the old woman didn't use it much. "There's two bedrooms, but one has all sorts of shit in it," the old woman said, leading her to the back of the place.
"What is all of it?" Sakura asked, peering in. There was just enough space for a small bed pressed up against the wall. The rest of the space was taken up by mountains of boxes. Sakura wondered why she had so many boxes holed up in here.
"Things from an old life," Marie sighed. "I find that I cannot throw it out. I'll have a couple of the older neighborhood boys throw it in the basement while you take a nap in my room. You seem rather tired and I surely don't want you to lose your child because you've exhausted yourself."
"Will you pay the boys?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, but it won't be much. I don't have a lot you know," the old woman scoffed.
Sakura only shrugged and pulled the pack off her back, rustling around for a few hundred ryo. She handed it to the old woman.
"I have a lot of money with me," Sakura said, not looking at the old woman. "I used to be a medic ninja. We made a lot."
"Good for me, then, huh?" the old woman grinned. "Don't worry," she patted Sakura on the shoulder. "I won't be stealing from you." Sakura only nodded. "Alright, let's get you into bed." Sakura didn't know what the Baker meant. The old woman didn't seem too crotchety. The old woman let her into the other bedroom, where there wasn't much either. There was a small bed in a corner and a dresser in the other, otherwise nothing else.
"How long did you want me to sleep?" Sakura asked, completely prepared to wake up the moment she wanted her to.
"Sleep as long as you need." With that, the old woman shut the door before Sakura could answer. Sakura only blinked at the door and shook her head. It was time for a much needed rest. It wasn't deserved, not in the least, but it was needed. She fell into the old woman's bed, sighing happily when she realized it was soft and plush. Though her mind was harrowed and thoughts were beginning to knock around in her head, she was far too exhausted to let it get to her. She was too tired to worry about it right now. Hopefully the old woman would help her with the harrowing thoughts so it wouldn't bother her so much.
Sakura sighed and shut her eyes tightly. It was time to sleep. She managed to shut her mind off and get the sleep she really did need.
WHO PLAYS LEAGUE OF LEGENDS?!
Shut up, I know it means I don't love myself.
However, I always want people to play with so if someone actually fucking plays it I'll put my screen name up lol