Chapter TWELVE
"It's been such a long time-Hey, you look different."
"Dobe, is it actually her?"
"Of course it is, can't you feel it, Teme?"
"I agree with Dickless, that is most definitely her. I cannot say if she looks better now than when she was ugly, though."
"Now now, boys, let us not fight."
"Taicho is right, we were called for a reason."
Sakura stands and stares as before her very eyes, Team Seven comes to life.
Naruto grins at her in what is probably the brightest smile she she has seen in a very long time. Her knees weaken and she collapses. She feels hands under her arms that pull her back to her feet and a something warm and comforting plants itself on her head.
"Are you that happy to see us?" Kakashi asks, and his single eye crinkles into a smile.
"I believe she is." Sai says from her left. "Though why she would be happy to be Dickless and and Traitor-kun is beyond my understanding."
"Shut up." Sasuke sneers from her right. "I question why she's happy to see you."
"Guys." Yamato scolds.
"No." Sakura whispers. "No, no, no, no, no, no. Why are you here? Why?"
"You aren't happy to see us?" Naruto asks, looking crestfallen.
"No, I mean-Naruto, you, you're all-" She glances over at the Owl, who is watching the scene with unblinking eyes. "You're all dead."
"How would you know?" Sasuke scoffs. "You left before it all ended."
"I didn't. I didn't have a choice. I don't even remember what happened." Sakura's hands flew to her head and she crouched down onto the ground. "Why are you here?" She asks weakly.
"Because you called." Kakashi says. "Because despite everything, the thing you hold most dear lies in the past you cannot escape.
"No."
Sasuke sighs. "As annoying as ever." A sword appears in his hands and he points it at Glo Xinia, who has been watching everything unfold with curiosity in his eyes. "Do we beat this guy up?"
"Yeah! You're the creep who's been pestering her!" Naruto whirls around and the marks on his cheeks darken. "I have no idea who you are, but you're going down, 'ttebayo!"
Sasuke drew his sword. Naruto flared his chakra. They smiled at each other and charged into the fray.
Neither of them come back.
"Why are we fighting?" Yamato asks, ever the rational one. Still, he drops into a stance.
"I read that stalkers are given restraining orders." Sai says. He raises his brush and a scroll.
"That is correct." Kakashi nods and fiddles with his eyepatch. "We'll be giving this guy a Team Seven one."
Yamato summons a wall of wood. Sai flies overhead on his bird. Kakashi's hand flares with lightning.
The wood crumbles, the bird falls, and the lightning dies.
"Don't-"
Naruto grins over his shoulder at her. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. We've got you."
Sakura-chan.
Glo Xinia is left in the dust, injured and just barely not dead. Sakura does not even realize this, though, because before her flashes images of swirling blue chakra and cackling lightning and a huge blue form of pure chakra-
Sakura jolts out from her daze and notices Team Seven are lingering near her but they are not coming any closer. However, they all watch her with love and care and so much more in their eyes and Sakura reaches out blindly towards them.
'Chrome.' Mukuro's voice pierces through her thoughts and brings her back to reality.
'Illusions, Real Illusions.' Mukuro says slowly. 'Real Illusions hidden within Illusions, Illusions born of Real Illusions. Lies that are hidden within Truths. Lies hidden within truths. That is the mist.' The owl spreads its wings. 'And as one of the Mist, you cannot allow your own creations to lead you away.'
Sakura's eyes widen and she turns back to Team Seven to see than indeed, they are slowly fading away.
"Wait-"
"It was nice seeing you again, Sakura-chan." Naruto grins. "I'm glad you look well."
"Though you do seem to be involved in trouble wherever you go." Sasuke huffs.
"You are also Ugly wherever you are."
"Sai! That's not a nice thing to say!"
"Maa maa, Yamato, calm down. It really was nice to see you well, Sakura." Kakashi smiles at her, then turns to the owl. "You take care of her, yes?"
Then they are gone in a swirls of mist and Sakura is left grasping at nothing more than faded illusions.
Mukuro watches her as he speaks. 'Glo Xinia's misfortune was that he was a piece in my plan. Thanks to everything, we managed to take him out without me having to use a lot of power. This will not, in any way, affect my major plans for the near future.'
Sakura puts her trident away and glances around at the aftermath of the fight. "What exactly is going on?" She asks out loud.
'I cannot say just yet.' Mukuro says, almost teasingly. 'But I will not have to. There is someone coming for you. He will take you where you are most needed.'
Sakura turns to the owl and watches it hop over to the box it had been released from. "Then I shall await your orders."
'That is a good girl.' There is a pause. 'Sakura.'
Sakura tenses. "My name is Chrome." She says. "Chrome Dokuro. Sakura died a long time ago."
The owl turns to look at where Team Seven had once stood. 'A very long time ago, it seems.'
So...chapter twelve.
Darque: So...Team Seven.
Raven: Yeah.
Darque: We actually did it.
Raven: I know.
Darque: We initially planned to have Mukuro and the Kokuyo gang, just like in canon, but this idea hit me and I decided to go with my gut.
Raven: The 'consequences' of Mukuro finding out about 'Sakura' will come later...maybe.
Darque: This meeting will also allow Sakura to develop...maybe.
Raven: We're the authors, we should know.
Darque: but we don't, cause you know, gut feeling.
Raven: But yeah, more to come.
Read and Review~
Dear Readers,
Happy New Year~ (A little too early, or a little too late, maybe.)
Thank you for everything up to this point, and we hope you continue to support us throughout 2018.
Sincerely,
Darque and Raven.
