DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own anything related to Naruto but everything related to Saarik I DO own.
Enjoy.
Chapter Fourteen
Up Against the Wall
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"Will you leave me alone now?"
"But Kaka-sensei, we just got here!"
"Naruto, you've been here for three hours! I need to sleep!"
"But Kakashi-kun, we were worried about you!"
Kakashi rolled his eyes at Sayuri's girlish whine. "I'm flattered. Can you leave now?"
The whining began again and Kakashi glared at them before turning his glare to the silent Uchiha near the door, hoping for an ally but Sasuke only smirked.
Kakashi grunted something under his breath before sagging against his pillow and closing his eyes.
Naruto and Sayuri immediately started chattering across him about absolutely nothing and everything.
Kakashi was lying in a hospital bed, his abdomen and chest bandaged up. Naruto was propped on the bed that was beside Kakashi's, a bedside table separating the two. The lavender haired kunoichi, Sayuri, was perched delicately on the side of Kakashi's bed, dressed in another revealing mini-skirt.
A half hour passed by when Sasuke tensed at a familiar presence nearing the door. Naruto and Sayuri stopped talking instantly and turned to stare at the door, feeling someone hesitate just outside before the door slid open slowly to reveal Sakura.
She looked nervous but she still strode into the room with confidence. Sasuke stared at her stoically while Sayuri glared viciously. Naruto hopped off the bed that was next to Kakashi's and rushed to Sakura to give her an excited hug.
"Sakura-chan! I haven't seen you since we got back!"
"Yeah, I guess we've both been busy." Sakura smiled slightly before walking to the side of Kakashi's bed. Sakura paid no attention to Sayuri who was glaring with pure hostility. She pulled Kakashi into a hug but moved back at his grunt of pain before staring at him seriously.
Sakura frowned as she remembered the fight that occurred when the mages invaded Konoha. If she recalled correctly, Kakashi was with Tsunade when she had spotted them with Riina. She was sure that whoever was with the Hokage would be safe from the mages but once again, she was proven wrong.
"I'm so sorry, Kakashi. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If I had known, I would never have returned to Konoha. It's all my fault you're hurt." Sakura said, her tone laced in regret as she sat in the chair that was near the bed.
"Sakura, please don't start apologizing. It's not your fault and I know you would have tried your best to prevent this if you could. Please don't feel bad for me." Kakashi smiled through his mask.
"What are you saying Kakashi-kun? Where was she when those freaks invaded the village and murdered everyone? Was she hiding while they slaughtered half the people who were there?" Sayuri snapped angrily, standing suddenly and moving to the other side of the bed, making it blatantly obvious she didn't want to be near Sakura.
"Sayuri." Kakashi reprimanded softly. He was staring at Sakura.
Sakura's face clouded in pain, "I'm sorry this happened. I-"
"You apologizing now doesn't bring back all those innocent lives! Why didn't you just leave so they don't come back looking for you? Save us all the trouble."
"Sayuri! That's enough." Kakashi turned a stern glare on Sayuri. Naruto laid a restraining hand on her shoulder and her face crumpled like a scolded child. Sasuke remained silent by the door, his gaze never leaving Sakura's form.
"I know it's my fault that they came here, no matter what you say, Kakashi." Sakura smiled at Kakashi as he looked ready to object, "But they won't be returning, so you don't have to worry. And as soon as Galen's healed we'll be out of your hair. Got it?" Sakura glared at Sayuri before standing. "Anyway, I just came to see you when I heard you were injured during the fight. Galen's room is just down the hall, so I'll stop by later when I get the time again." Sakura said to Kakashi before turning to leave. "Nice seeing you, Naruto." She smiled at the blonde who just watched her uncertainly.
She stopped suddenly when a pair of loud voices floated into the room through the slightly ajar door.
"Rene, just shut the fuck up. Sakura should be around here and she'll be pissed if she hears you whining about Riina and Galen again. Especially with her being so stressed."
"But fuck Kyston! Riina and fucking Galen! I can't even be in the same room with the two of them anymore! He was sent here to protect them, not bed them!"
"What 'them'? It's only Riina he's bedding." You could hear the laughter in his voice and Sakura tensed, waiting for Rene to explode. Instead she heard a loud thud and then Kyston yelling.
"What the hell?" Naruto mumbled.
Before any of them could move to the door, Sakura was already yanking the door open to see Kyston holding his bruised cheek while his other fist was curled in Rene's shirt while he shook him violently, yelling loudly about whether he should beat Rene up for being a pansy.
"Would you guys shut the hell up?" Sakura nearly screeched. "This is where I fucking work! What the hell is wrong with you?"
Kyston let go of Rene like if he was burnt upon hearing Sakura's angry tone and Rene fell to the floor before shooting back to his feet to glare at Kyston.
By then Sasuke, Sayuri, and Naruto had gathered near the opening to Kakashi's room in curiosity and annoyance.
"Great, more freaks." Sayuri grumbled rudely, though it didn't stop her from checking out the two gorgeous men in front of her.
Kyston straightened at the sight of the strangers but didn't remove his hand from his cheek.
Rene turned to glare at Sakura which surprised her because she had never been on the receiving end of Rene's rare ill-temper before.
"How could you let this happen, Sakura? And don't try to act innocent, I know you knew what was going on." Rene accused, completely ignoring the strangers.
Sakura sighed, her shoulders slumping, "Rene, how many times can I tell you? They're in love, I couldn't stop it from happening even if I had wanted to." Which was a complete lie seeing as how she was the one who had pushed Riina to act.
Rene was about to open his mouth to argue but Kyston cut him off, "Shut it, Rene. Sakura has enough to worry about rather than you fretting over Riina and making her feel guilty."
Rene's expression immediately changed to sadness as he looked at Sakura's shadowed face which caused the trio near the door to become curious.
"What's he talking about, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, his voice steady and serious as he pushed past Sayuri and Sasuke to stand near Sakura.
Sakura debated whether she should pretend to misunderstand him by explaining the whole Riina and Galen situation instead of revealing that her son had been kidnapped by a group of sadistic, power-hungry mages but she decided against it. Instead she shook her head which made Naruto even more curious and worried.
Naruto watched her move towards the blue-haired man before she pulled his hand away from his cheek. Everyone watched as a soft green glow alighted beneath Sakura's palm as she pressed it to Kyston's cheek. She kept it there for a minute before removing her palm to reveal Kyston's unblemished, smooth cheek where a bruise should have been.
Sayuri had watched as the blue-haired man's eyes had softened when Sakura had moved towards him and she wondered if this was Sakura's kid's father. She had to say he was absolutely gorgeous, up there with Sasuke. But he lost points due to his obvious attraction to the pink-haired bitch.
"Thanks." Kyston said before motioning that they go back to Galen's room.
Sakura nodded before turning to face Naruto. "I'll talk to you later, okay Naruto? Come on Rene." Sakura followed Kyston to Galen's room and Rene glumly pushed off the wall to stalk after them.
"Who were they?" Sayuri wondered out loud after they were alone in the hall.
No one said anything; Naruto was still staring at the closed door Sakura had disappeared in and Sasuke was silent as ever. Sayuri huffed in annoyance before heading back into Kakashi's room to discover the old jounin snoring, obviously pretending to be asleep with the latest Icha Icha lying open on his chest.
"How long do you think it will take for him to recover?" Riina asked for the tenth time since Sakura had returned to the room.
"I don't know, Riina. What did his Healer say?" Sakura ground out.
"She said about a week!" Riina whined.
"What?" Kyston straightened in his seat by the door. "We can't wait a week! Sakura, can't you try to do anything?"
Sakura sighed before nodding and perching on the side of Galen's bed. He was pale and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead which Riina was diligently wiping away, much to Rene's chagrin. Rene was leaning on the wall near the window, glaring daggers at his sister who ignored him easily.
Sakura gathered chakra to her hands, a deep green glow alighting around her fingers as she pressed them to Galen's chest. She closed her eyes and felt her chakra seep into his body heading straight for his injured areas. He had a few broken ribs which the Healer had fixed, she felt the newly attached bone and felt the mended tissue and muscle. There were numerous burns from the mage's electricity and Sakura was surprised to see that some of his internal organs were scorched a bit. The mage Tiek had managed to strike electricity right into Galen's body. She quickly assessed the damage and saw that the Healer had tried to fix the burns but didn't know how to do it effectively. Sakura gathered some more chakra around the burnt areas and started to heal it slowly. Almost an hour had passed before she could do a final once over of Galen's injuries and feel satisfied that he would heal normally.
Sakura finally focused on the room around her and the green glow disappeared from her hands. She was sweating slightly and she felt a little tired but she faced the others in the room who had been waiting anxiously.
"Okay, I managed to heal what the Healer couldn't and Galen seems fine now. It's just that he may have to take a couple of days, maybe three or four, to completely heal. He's still tender and sore and I wouldn't like him running into a fight because he could seriously damage something that way." Sakura stated.
"Even that is too long to wait." Kyston muttered.
"I'll be fine, Sakura. I can move just fine." Galen assured her, finally opening his eyes and causing Riina to fuss over him. He tried to sit up but Riina put a worried hand on his shoulder and Sakura shook her head.
"Galen, I'm serious. You can't exert yourself. That mage's electricity caused direct damage to your organs. I can't risk anything happening. You'll have to remain in bed for a few more days." Sakura sternly said as she pushed him back onto the bed.
Galen's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance and he opened his mouth to argue but Kyston cut him off.
"Galen, you're going to stay here. We'll go on ahead of you and you're just going to have to catch up once you're fully healed. I'm sorry, but we can't wait here for four days."
Galen didn't argue but he laid there, glaring at the ceiling.
"So when do we leave?" Rene asked, finally breaking his silence.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Okay, I'll head out in a little bit to pack." Sakura said.
Kyston and Rene stared at Sakura for what seemed like a minute.
"What?" Sakura bit out in annoyance.
"Sakura, we went through this already. You aren't going. It's too dangerous, especially since we know Radek has his eyes set on you." Kyston stated firmly. The room tensed in anticipation of Sakura's anger.
"I know we went through this and I thought you understood that no matter what you say or do, I'm going. Even if I have to go by myself. I'm not going to sit here and tear my mind apart worrying over what's happening in Saarik because you're too scared of what Radek will do to me! I want my son and I will not fail in getting him back." Sakura nearly shouted in the end and Kyston flinched.
"Kyston, just let her come. It's better she come with us than us having to worry about whether or not she'll try to leave on her own and run into a group of mages by herself." Rene reasoned and Sakura nodded her head in agreement.
Before Kyston could respond the door flew open and Tsunade came striding in closely followed by Shizune and surprisingly Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri.
"What are they doing in here?" Sakura asked, motioning towards Naruto and his teammates.
Tsunade glanced behind her and sighed in annoyance, "They caught me in the hall and Naruto insisted he come with me when he found out I was heading to meet with you."
Naruto looked a bit sheepish while Sayuri and Sasuke just glared in silence.
"What did you need to meet with me for?" Sakura asked in curiosity.
"We have bad news. Remember the shinobi I had sent out last month to find out more about Akatsuki and to see if they were involved with the mages?" At Sakura's nod, Tsunade continued, "Well, I had sent out nine groups of seven and only one group returned with only three members alive. And that's not the worst of it. They said they were attacked by Akatsuki and guess who was with them? Strange men with unidentifiable powers. They didn't have chakra but they were able to do things only someone with chakra powers could do."
Everyone in the room remained silent at the dire news Tsunade brought.
Sakura was the first to break the silence, "So it's been confirmed: Akatsuki did team up with Radek and his mages. This is worst than I could have imagined. What are you planning to do, Tsunade-sensei?"
"Well, I'm in a very bad position. I've already sent word to Suna. It's not just your battle anymore, Sakura. Now the shinobi are involved, from the very moment they invaded Konoha and killed our people. A war is brewing and we need to get rid of Akatsuki once and for all. When will you be leaving for Saarik?"
"Tomorrow morning." Sakura replied firmly, glancing at Kyston smugly.
Kyston shook his head slightly but didn't say anything.
"I'll be sending a group of shinobi with you."
"What?" Sakura asked in alarm. Kyston had straightened in his seat and he shot a sharp look in Sakura's direction.
"It's like I said, it's not just your war anymore. Konoha is involved now."
"But you can't send any shinobi with us, it's too dangerous for them." Sakura tried to explain calmly.
"What? So you're saying you're stronger than the rest of us? Have you forgotten what you are?" Sasuke's dark voice sounded from his position by the door.
Sakura glared in his direction. "No. I'm saying you guys don't know what you're dealing with. Why do you think so many ANBU and Jounin died in that battle? Because chakra doesn't do shit against magick. You'll just be sending them to their deaths, sensei!" Sakura finished, staring hard at Tsunade.
Naruto and Sayuri were about to open their mouth to argue but were cut off when Kyston stood up. "Sakura, wait a minute. Just think, not all of Radek's men are mages. A large percentage of his followers are regular men from different villages. Us three are the only mages who are not confined somewhere, whether it be in a cell or in a village somewhere. Azryal tried to fight them off and a lot of our men were killed or arrested. The rest were dispersed among the numerous cities and villages around Saarik. We need the manpower, I don't think we should brush off any help your friends are willing to give."
Sakura stared at him, wanting to argue against it but not able to deny the truth of his words. "You're right." She sat down and pressed a glowing finger to her forehead to subdue the growing ache between her eyes.
"Alright, it's settled then. Before tomorrow morning come to my office and we'll discuss who will be going with you to Saarik." Tsunade finished before turning to leave. Naruto practically pushed past Shizune in his haste to follow the Hokage. Sasuke and Sayuri left without a word, the door swinging shut behind them.
"Sakura, I know you're worried these shinobi will die but it won't be your fault. We need their help." Kyston tried to reason.
"It is my fault. If I hadn't returned to Konoha none of this would have happened."
"Sakura, now isn't the time to get depressed. If you're feeling this way, maybe it is better you stay. We can't afford any risks. We can only afford strength, alright?" Kyston stated harshly.
Sakura looked up in surprise and Riina glared at him.
"That was mean, Kyston." Riina snapped.
"But it's true, Riina. We need to focus and be strong. These mages won't hesitate to kill and we can't refuse any help we can get." Rene interrupted.
Riina opened her mouth to argue but Sakura stood up so suddenly that Riina's mouth snapped shut. "You're right. I'm going to meet with Tsunade-sensei and then I'm heading back to the house to pack. I'll meet you guys there later tonight." And without another word Sakura left.
She didn't notice Kyston's slight smirk or Rene's grin. Galen just shook his head while Riina asked what they were so happy about.
Sakura marched into Tsunade's office without knocking and wasn't surprised to see Naruto already there.
"Sakura, perfect timing. These are the shinobi who volunteered to leave with you on such short notice." Tsunade said from behind her desk. Her smile was strained as if she was awaiting Sakura's adamant objections.
Sakura stared before replying, "Sasuke and Sayuri volunteered to go with me?"
Tsunade had the courtesy to look sheepish, "Well, Naruto and I had to persuade them just a little."
"I don't want to bring any shinobi who were forced to go." Sakura stated firmly.
"It's not for you to decide. I'm Hokage and I'm giving them a mission. So these are the shinobi who will be going with you."
Sakura contemplated arguing but decided against it. Tsunade was right; she didn't have any right to be picky on who would help them. "Just these three?"
"Yes. For now. I'll be sending more later. I thought it wouldn't be wise to send a lot with you at once. It would draw too much attention. Especially as the first batch."
"That's good. Galen will be leaving in a few days so you can send another group with him."
After they went over the finer details of the mission, Sakura told them they would meet at the Gates of Konoha at five in the morning. Then she excused herself and headed to the Uchiha district.
After packing she got tired of waiting and returned to the hospital where everyone was still waiting with Galen. They spent a couple more hours in the room with Galen before leaving around midnight to get in a couple of hours of sleep at the house.
Morning came all too quick. Sakura, Kyston, and Rene said their goodbyes to Riina and Galen at the hospital and headed to the gates. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri were already waiting for them. Without a word they passed through the gates and faced East, towards Saarik.
It was nearly nightfall when Kyston finally declared that they stop for the night. They had only been taking ten-minute breaks every four hours of running so no one complained, all too happy to set up camp.
Sakura, Kyston, and Galen were sitting around the campfire in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayuri were sitting a little ways away from the previous three, near a batch of bushes.
Naruto was the closest to Sakura and he was staring at her. She was staring into the fire, her eyes glazed over, her mind in another place and time.
"You haven't said much since the battle, Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered, causing her to come back to herself.
She turned to look at Naruto, her face a mask of composure before replying calmly, "I've just had a lot on my mind."
"What's wrong?" Naruto prodded.
Sakura stared straight ahead, refusing to look at him.
"Naruto, come over here for a minute." Sasuke called from a few feet away.
"Oi, I'm talkin' to Sakura-chan."
"Baka. Just get over here."
Naruto glared before slumping over to where Sasuke was seated.
"What?"
"Haven't you noticed anything missing?" Sasuke asked casually.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed that a little annoying brat has been missing from Sakura's presence ever since the battle?" Sasuke asked quietly.
Naruto's face paled and he quickly looked over at Sakura then back to Sasuke. "I'm such an idiot. I can't believe I didn't notice. No wonder she's been so down. You think he was killed during the battle?"
"No, I think he was taken. So shut up and stop asking her what's wrong." Sasuke bit out.
"Why do you even care, Sasuke-kun?" Sayuri asked suspiciously.
Sasuke gave her a droll stare before turning his face away, blatantly ignoring her.
"Sakura,"
The trio by the bushes all looked over at Kyston as he addressed Sakura.
"Hm?"
"Don't you think you should give the shinobi a little lesson on magick and chakra so they'll have a little knowledge about what they're going into?"
"No." Sakura answered bluntly.
"Sakura." Kyston reprimanded softly.
Sakura heaved a sigh before getting to her feet, "I know, I know." She made her way over to the small group and sat down abruptly.
Sayuri glared harshly at her but Sakura barely took notice.
"Okay, so I'm going to tell you how chakra effects magick. In a nutshell, chakra has absolutely no effect on magick."
Naruto's jaw dropped and Sasuke stiffened while Sayuri scoffed.
"W-What the hell is that supposed to mean!" Naruto exclaimed.
"It means no matter how many tricks you try to pull with chakra, it will be nothing compared to what a mage can do with magick."
"Then what are we supposed to do?" Naruto asked, his surprise turning to determination.
"Basically, when you see a guy wielding magick, run like hell. If you have absolutely no choice at all, you're going to do what I do but it will be your last resort because it will use up all or most of your chakra reserves. You know how I gather chakra to my hands to heal?" At Naruto's nod Sakura continued, "Well, you can use the same technique against magick. If you gather enough chakra to one spot and force it into a mage then you can do some damage. A little bit of chakra has no effect while a whole lot of chakra can deal some serious damage but at a great cost. Naruto, you would probably have a greater advantage than us since you have back up chakra from the Kyuubi."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't want to tap into that unless there was no other choice. He can be a little, uh, overwhelming." Naruto finished nervously.
Sasuke scoffed at his choice of words.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you won't hesitate if you're cornered by a mage or two. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but if it does, I just want you guys to know what your options are."
"What, die now or die later?" Sayuri snapped from her corner.
Sakura turned emotionless eyes onto the other girl, "I think by being a shinobi you should be used to that philosophy." And then she got to her feet and went back to sit with Rene and Kyston.
It took them a very short time to reach Suna. They met with Gaara to go over what Tsunade had informed him of. He said he had already sent a few groups of shinobi to scout out the area and the villages. Kyston was upset with that news and Sakura had no words of assurance that the shinobi would be fine. They restocked their supplies and headed out that same night, getting closer and closer to paradise.
When their feet finally scuffed soft dirt and the faint sound of rushing water sounded in their ears barely a week had passed since they left Konoha.
Sakura was physically exhausted from their unyielding speed for the past couple of days but her mind was reeling with anxiousness. After re-hydrating themselves at the nearest stream, they followed Kyston and Rene to the first village.
They sat around in the brush, just observing. The village was small and seemed deserted.
"Can you feel anything?" Sakura whispered to Kyston and Rene.
Sakura and the other shinobi were masking their chakra in case any Akatsuki were around although they couldn't feel anyone nearby.
"No, not even regular people. Do you feel any shinobi?" Kyston whispered back.
"No."
Kyston gave her a curt nod before heading back into the forest.
"Wait, why don't we go into the village if you don't feel anything?" Sayuri stumbled after them, glancing at the deserted huts.
"We have no need to go into the village if no one's there. We have enough supplies. All we'll find are decaying bodies and deserted homes. Lets move on." Kyston stated firmly as he brushed a gigantic leaf from his path.
Sakura glanced at Sayuri before following after Rene. She looked pissed at being dismissed so easily.
"Don't do anything rash, Sayuri. Come on." Sasuke said quietly, urging Sayuri forward.
They found four other villages in the same state as the first one before they finally came upon one that seemed to have a bit of life in it. It was far from Saarik; Kyston made it clear that they will be steering clear of Saalihl and Saarik until they had fully assessed what was going on around them.
This village didn't have any mages stationed in it but there were numerous men who seemed to be in charge and who Kyston had no doubt were Radek's magickless men.
"How many men do you think are here?" Rene asked.
"I can sense about twenty." Kyston replied.
"Wait, Kyston, if we get rid of these guys, don't you think it would alert Radek?" Sakura asked slowly.
"Yes. That's why we're not going to do anything. We're just simply scouting out all the surrounding villages since it would take too long to reach the city. I want to know if Radek is keeping all his mages in Saarik. If that's so, then you guys won't be coming with Rene and myself to Saarik. You'll stay out here and dispose of these men." Kyston explained.
Sakura didn't argue, she would follow him for now, but there was no way she wasn't going back into Saarik. After all, that's where her son and husband were.
It took them two days to scout out the five surrounding villages minus the four deserted ones in the beginning. Out of the five, three were deserted while the two bigger villages were crawling with Radek's men.
"They must have moved the other villagers to the bigger villages to keep them together." Kyston mused out loud.
"So what are we going to do?" Naruto asked, restless with the constant sneaking around.
"Seeing as how there are no mages in these two villages, I'm right to think that they are all in Saalihl and Saarik. So Rene and I will go to Saarik while the rest of you stay here."
"And do what, exactly?" Sayuri snipped impatiently.
"Like I said before; dispose of these men. Quietly so as not to draw attention from the other village." Kyston stated firmly.
Naruto's eyes brightened in excitement of an oncoming fight.
"I'm going with you." Sakura said quietly to Kyston.
Kyston glared at her hard, "No. It's too dangerous. You won't be able to protect yourself against the mages." When Sakura opened her mouth to argue, a determined glint in her eyes, Kyston cut her off, "Sakura, there's no arguing this. I can't risk you getting caught or killed. You're staying here with the shinobi and that's final. Got it?"
Sakura just glared in reply, a treacherous glint in her emerald eyes.
With a few final words Kyston and Rene left, their direction towards Saalihl. The four shinobi sat in silence for a few minutes before Naruto broke the silence.
"So should we start disposing of the evil men?"
"We should start with the other village first; it had less men and was smaller. It would be easier to keep them from getting into contact with this village." Sasuke said, Sayuri nodding her head in agreement.
"You guys go ahead. I'm going to check something out." Sakura said nonchalantly.
Naruto looked at her sharply, "Sakura, you heard him. It's too dangerous. Just stay with us."
"Naruto, you don't understand. My entire family is in Saarik. My child and my husband and all my friends. They're suffering and dying and I refuse to hide from the ones causing it. You can't stop me so don't even try." Sakura said, her eyes glassy and full of emotion, mostly anger.
For the first time since she met the pink-haired shinobi, Sayuri felt sympathy for her. Before Naruto could argue, Sayuri cut him off, "Naruto, let her go."
Naruto and Sakura both gawked at her words which weren't dripping with contempt or malice, but were soft and understanding. Sayuri didn't look at Sakura, but she stared long and hard at Naruto, pleading for him to not fight this. He finally succumbed to her and nodded his head reluctantly.
Sakura smiled slightly at the other girl who flushed in embarrassment, "Thank you."
Sayuri debated saying something nasty to redeem herself but refrained. She just nodded her head slightly and turned towards the village.
With a whispered "Be careful" Sakura was pelting through the trees and brush, heading for Adalrich.
Sasuke smiled at Sayuri, really smiled and she blushed deeply as he moved towards her and kissed her lightly on the lips. Naruto blushed too before stating loudly that they should get a move on.
It took Sakura an entire day to finally find Adalrich. She had debated on coming too close to the village in case mages were still there but risked it and found it empty. The small mountain village was completely deserted and almost unrecognizable. The numerous small huts that had once stood there were burnt to the ground and the natural hot springs were stuffed up with broken trees and wood from the huts. Sakura's heart clenched at the dark sight but refused to let it affect her.
She followed a fading path to a rock wall near the mountainside. It took her about two hours to finally find the rocks she needed to push in to open the path. She had been pushing in random rocks until finally one actually moved. The rock wall groaned as it shook and moved inward to reveal the dark path that would lead her straight into the palace. Before entering, Sakura found a hefty tree branch and wrapped some brush and long leaves around it before lighting it afire with a simple jutsu.
Then she quickly entered the path, pushing in some rocks to close the entrance. A fleeting thought worried at her, that her jutsu may have attracted attention but she pushed the thought away. She started the long trek through the dank, smelly path. It took her only half a day running to reach the other end when it had taken them almost two days and a half the first time she had used the path with Galen and the others.
She found the rocks she needed to push in to open the path that would lead her into the dusty room with the table and fireplace. She stood in front of the wall for fifteen minutes, debating whether there would be anyone on the other side. The room was the lowest point in the palace, lower than the cells and food storages. There were other rooms on the same floor but they were similar to this one only they were full of random items like files and unused trinkets and furniture with the occasional empty room.
Sakura clenched her fist, finally making up her mind that she had no other choice but to go forward. She pushed in the rocks and immediately doused her torch on the sandy floor by stepping on it. The rock wall trembled in front of her before moving aside to reveal a dark, dusty, and very empty room. The same clunky table and stools were still there but there were no torches in the room, nor any windows so she didn't know what time it was.
She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before stepping into the room. The path behind her closed and she jumped slightly when it thudded shut. She stood in the dark room just listening to her surroundings. When she didn't hear anything, she moved quietly to the door and gently opened it. It squeaked loudly and she froze, listening but there was no movement in response to her presence.
The hall was completely dark as well and Sakura had to rack her memory to remember which way the stairs were. She decided to go left and quickly hit a dead end so she switched direction and not long after she felt a lighter bit of air to the side and her toes hit the bottom of a staircase. She took a deep breath before she started to tiptoe up the stairs. She didn't know what she would do if she ran into a mage, but her first priority was finding her son.
As she almost reached another landing she pulled a kunai from a pouch on her side and continued. This floor would be the cells and then the food storage and then the servants' quarters. She stopped immediately when she heard voices.
She didn't dare move, waiting for the voices to somehow reveal if the speakers were good or bad. After a few minutes passed a familiar feeling ran through Sakura at the sound of a certain voice.
Her heart pounded loudly against her chest as she quickly ascended the last few steps and rounded the corner to face the half-open door leading to the cells. She gently pushed the door open a little wider and a loud screech from the rusty hinges split the air and all talking ceased. Once her presence was noticed that familiar voice broke the silence.
"Your Highness?"
Sakura smiled, "Bryn."
Tears burned her eyes as she moved closer to see the noble and sometimes arrogant royal adviser behind bars, dressed in filthy rags and stinking of ill treatment.
"What are you doing here? Do you know what will happen once you're found? Leave the way you came this instant!" Bryn snapped, his voice husky and cracking.
"Bryn, you were always a fool. What makes you think I would just run away to save myself? They have Xanthus! I won't rest or hide until he's with me, safe and sound." Sakura stubbornly argued.
"You're the fool, Empress. What good would you do the young prince if you're dead or captured?" Bryn's eyes smoldered in anger and something else. Worry.
Sakura smiled again, "Bryn, I'm not leaving so you can either help me or shut up before I leave you here without another word."
Bryn immediately sagged against the bars of his cell. He shook his head sadly, "I'm afraid you'll have no other choice but to leave me here and be on your way. These cells are reinforced with magick and even if you were able to release us, it would be unwise to alert anyone of your presence by our empty cells."
Sakura's brows furrowed in concern and her heart constricted in sadness as she understood what Bryn was saying. "Then what can I do, Bryn? I can't just leave all of you here." Sakura stared at him and when he avoided her gaze she scanned the other cells. There were about ten cells on each side of the hall making twenty cells packed with starving prisoners. Not all could use magick but the ones that could had a band around their neck that she assumed kept their powers in check. Everyone was staring at her with such sorrowful and defeated expressions and Sakura almost succumbed to the hopelessness they exerted until Bryn broke the silence.
"Sakura," Sakura turned in surprise; it was the first time Bryn had used her name, "there might be a way you could succeed."
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked cautiously.
"There is an ancient ability, that when one is slowly dying there is a chance for that person to pass on their powers to someone willing and strong." At Bryn's words a rush of murmuring went through the hall and Bryn had to hush them before they attracted any unwanted attention.
"Bryn, what are you implying?" Sakura asked again, already knowing where Bryn was going with his suggestion.
"I'm saying that I will give you my magick so you can survive this whole ordeal and save the prince." Bryn answered calmly and slowly like he was speaking to a child.
"And what will happen then? To you?"
Bryn was silent for a long while before answering, "I'm not sure. It has never been successful. It hasn't even been attempted in centuries due to its low survival rate both for the donor and the receiver. It also has never been attempted on a person with chakra. But it is all I can think of. It is all I can do for you."
Sakura stood there in silence going over what Bryn told her. "And if it is successful what will happen?"
"You will have all of my magick powers and there is the chance that I will die from the drastic change in my body and there is the chance you could die as well. Your chakra might object to it or there could be a negative reaction between the two sources. Or simply your body might not be able to handle it. One source might cancel out the other causing you unbearable pain leaving you either alive and as you were or as a mage or just dead. There is also the chance that you will survive and become unimaginably powerful. If your chakra and my magick fuse together, its power may become unchallengeable and you might be able to defeat Radek and save Saarik. It's a mighty gamble."
Sakura absorbed all Bryn had revealed and measured her options. If she did manage to make it to Xanthus, there was still the chance of getting caught and having to face Radek. And if she did manage to escape with her son, she still needed to save Azryal and not to mention the entire kingdom. And what if she got caught before she could save anyone? What if Radek took over her mind and made her his slave? What would happen then? She wouldn't be able to save anyone, let alone herself. She had no other choice. With this offer of power, she would accept and gamble it all. If she didn't get more power, she would be of no use to anyone; she might as well be dead.
"I'll do it, Bryn."
Bryn smiled slightly at her courage. Amidst all the shocked whispering Bryn motioned Sakura closer to the cells.
"So be it. You are a fine woman, your Highness. Azryal was right to choose you. I hope you could forgive me for my foolish accusations and objections before and after your marriage."
"Bryn, stop talking like this is your deathbed." Sakura scolded, hiding her nervousness and her urge to cry at his words.
"It might as well be." And then without another word the hall went silent and Bryn closed his eyes.
Sakura could feel him pulling on his magick and she wondered why the band around his neck didn't stop him from drawing on this much magick. And then all thoughts fled her mind when he suddenly pressed his forefinger and middle finger against her forehead. She felt his touch burning against her skin and she closed her eyes against the pain. She suddenly 'saw' what was happening between them. Bryn's magick was flowing out of him, leaving his magick streams dry and shriveled as they surged into Sakura, filling her rapidly. And when magick touched chakra harsh red pain raged within her, making her want to thrash and scream and tear at her skin. But her body refused to move and she didn't know why. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she couldn't even cry out her anguish. She felt her chakra bubbling and popping within her as the foreign source overtook it and covered it without mercy. And just as abruptly as the magick had entered her, it forged with her chakra until she couldn't even decipher between the two. This new source was neither magick nor chakra and it was pulsing gently through her veins as if it had always belonged there. The pain was gone leaving no trace that it had ever been there and she suddenly felt Bryn release her and her eyes automatically opened.
The first thing she noticed was that Bryn was sprawled on the floor and the hall was brimming with numerous voices.
The men who shared their cell with Bryn was kneeling around the old man on the floor, one had his fingers against Bryn's neck, feeling for a pulse.
"He's dead! Bryn's dead!" The man shouted.
And then everyone started talking at once, in shock at the death of the great Bryn who had been the Emperor's oldest adviser.
Sakura blinked a couple of times before she opened her mouth and then realized she didn't know what to say. She could feel the power pulsing through her in a comforting stroke and her skin was prickling from it. But apart from this foreign power, she felt completely numb, only the urge to find her son dominating her thoughts.
Before she could decide what to do the hall went silent as everyone heard loud footsteps stomping down the stairs from the upper level.
"What's with all this damned racket down here? Are you old fools looking for some more attention from Lord Radek?" The guard stopped short at the sight of the pink-haired woman standing in the middle of the hall, her eyes glowing a vibrant green."W-Wha-"
He was cut short with Sakura's fingers wrapped tightly around his throat. He didn't even see her move. She was just suddenly choking him. A dark gray energy pulsated from her skin and he watched as it dissolved into his body. A slight burning intensified as it moved up to his head and soon all he could see was black, the image of those glowing green orbs embedded into the back of his mind as his life force stuttered to a halt and he slowly blacked out, never to wake again.
Sakura let the unfortunate guard slip from her fingers before she reached down and unhooked the key from the guard's belt. She didn't skip a beat as she turned to hand it to the man who had confirmed that Bryn was dead. If she remembered correctly, he was called Alin.
"Alin?" At his surprised and flattered nod Sakura continued, "I'll leave these with you. If it gets too violent get everyone out of here. I don't want you leaving too soon because I don't want to raise any suspicion to my presence. Got it?" She handed him the key at his determined nod. Then she turned to address everyone, "Bryn was a good man. He gave his life for Saarik and he will be remembered and celebrated once this nightmare is over. Stay safe and stay alive." And without a word she turned from the cells, dragged the dead guard down the steps to the storage rooms and threw him into a closet in the nearest room that she barely acknowledged was full of old documents.
She then hurried up the stairs past the cells and into the next level. She was in the food storage floor. She passed rooms filled with frozen meat, spoiled vegetables, and all sorts of wines, mead, and ale. She decided to test her new power by scanning the rooms for any mages. She closed her eyes and pulled on the source flowing through what used to be her chakra channels. She didn't know how similar or how different it was to chakra but she did what she normally did with chakra to scan an area. It worked. She didn't feel anyone nearby except a group of guards in the far room near the stairs leading to the next level. They were sitting around a round wooden table playing cards and drinking. There were three of them and as she moved closer she was able to make out what they were saying.
"What's taking Kirk so damn long?"
"I dunno. You think we should go check if he's having trouble with those old fools?"
"Nah, he probably went to the servants' quarters. You know how he fancies playing around with those whores. Just leave him alone."
Sakura debated killing them to prevent them from growing suspicious and thought about the pros and cons. If she let them live, they could pop up later and cause problems. They were the enemy and her son was being kept here and they might hamper her escape later.
Without thinking of the cons of killing them she gathered a bit of her new power and watched as slivers of gray dusty streams slithered into the room with the guards. She felt them crawl up the legs of the men and suddenly a panic brewed within the room. The men were quickly silenced as the slivers of her power slid into their head through their mouth and nostrils to stab into their brain and kill them instantly.
She was amazed by the amount of stealthiness this new power had; perfect for her current situation. And it didn't feel like she was running out of it any time soon.
She dragged each body into the nearest storage room, luckily it was the room with rottening vegetables. No one would come in here for any food. She stuffed the bodies in a corner with sacks of smelly cauliflower and broccoli hiding them as best she could. She managed to stuff one in a cabinet in the room too.
Dusting her hands off she quietly made her way up to the next level, listening intently. This was the servants' quarters. She reached out with her power and only felt numerous servants locked away in their rooms, no doubt to be used as whores for the mages. Although it pained her to do it, she couldn't do anything for the servants just yet. Her number one priority was her son and she couldn't jeopardize that for anyone. Luckily there were no mages or guards on this floor but instead of making her way to the stairs, she instead headed for a massive painting in a dead end hall. Next to the painting was a small table with a simple vase on it. She reached under the table and pressed the lever that she knew would be there. The painting flung forward on silent hinges to reveal a dark passageway. She stepped into the passage, allowing the painting to quietly close shut behind her. Trina had told her about this secret passage that the servants used to make their way around the palace quickly. It led to the kitchens, the guest floor which was the third floor, the noble floor which was the fourth floor, and the royal floor which was the fifth floor. And those were just the commonly used paths; there were numerous paths that Trina didn't tell her about because she didn't have any need to use them.
She knew if she turned left at the first crossroad she would end up in the kitchens and if she went straight she would reach a set of stairs that took her to the third floor. If she turned right she would reach another crossroad. She didn't know where they were keeping Xanthus but she would try his bedroom first. She took the right path and headed straight down to reach the dusty staircase that would take her to the fifth floor. It took a very long while for her to climb those dirty stone stairs. Just as her patience was wearing thin and her anxiety began building up, she reached a dimly lit wall. She pressed her ear against the wall, knowing it to be another painting. She hesitantly reached out with her power to see if it was safe to come out.
Her heart began to beat faster as she felt a deserted hallway. She gently pressed against the back of the picture frame and it swiftly flung open. She climbed out quietly and made sure to close the passage before quickly making her way down the familiar halls. The halls were dim and dirty due to its lack of upkeeping. The flowers she passed were all dried up, withered, and discolored. The rugs were muddy and dirty. Some of the candles were missing or broken. She hardened her heart as she finally reached the door that would lead her to her son's room. Her heart beat anxiously against her chest as she stood in front of the door, afraid to open it but yet excited to find her boy. She finally mustered up enough courage to turn the doorknob and push the door open. Her eyes swept across the room excitedly only to blur with tears when she not only found the room empty, but completely disastrous. It was as if the room was raided. Photos and paintings were torn and broken and his toys were strewn across the floor stomped on and in pieces. His clothes were strewn about and plenty of things were missing, probably taken by the mages for trade or some other purpose. The curtains were shredded and the rugs were ripped apart. And mud and dirt was everywhere. Before she could take in anymore she hurried out the room, forgetting to close the door as she rushed down the hall.
She pulled on her power and swept the floor finding it empty in every room. It should have been the first thing she did but in her excitement she didn't want to face disappointment. She didn't bother heading back to the painting. She dared to venture down the staircase that would lead her to the fourth floor though she didn't dare enough to use the lift that would easily allow her access to any level without exerting herself.
She once again swept the floor and this time she felt numerous mages slumbering in different rooms across the level. These were probably the mages that were sent out on the night raids. She had noticed when she passed near a window on the fifth floor that night was approaching so maybe it wouldn't be long before these mages woke up to wreak some more havoc. Sakura did one final sweep, confirming that there were just mages on this floor before continuing down the staircase to the third level.
This floor was much more busy. Sakura felt numerous guards bustling around in the rooms and to avoid discovery Sakura hurried back up to the fourth level where she scanned the floor below. These guards were getting ready, maybe for the night shift. Sakura swept through each room individually and didn't feel any familiar energy and with a heavy disappointment, she decided to make her way back to the secret passageway to decide what her next move should be.
But just as she was about to push off the floor she felt the brush of a familiar string of magick. It caressed the edge of her senses and her eyes widened when she recognized Kyston's energy.
What was he doing? Was he so stupid to not hide his magick? Sakura's heart stopped for an instant when she realized that Kyston wasn't stupid; he had been discovered!
He was on the second floor and he was fighting another familiar chakra but one that was not on their side. She could just barely make out Rene's energy below Kyston's and the stranger's. Rene's was weak and tired!
Sakura's mind was racing with indecision. If she rushed down there to help them, she would give away her position and any hopes of saving Xanthus. But if she left them alone, there was the very real chance that they would be killed.
Sakura clenched her fists, her muscles tensing with her decision but before she could make another move the sound of footsteps caught her attention and she turned just in time to see three mages round the corner.
She felt her body go numb and emotionless as they noticed her. They all looked incredibly surprised to see her kneeling on the floor, completely unscathed. And before the thought even reached her comprehension she was flinging her power at them, wrapping the gray strands around their limbs and squeezing. She didn't even hear their screams or shouts as she used all her force and inserted her gray power into their bodies and making it explode viciously. One let out a strangled cry as blood dripped from his eyes and he fell to the floor, motionless.
The black-haired one was the first to fight back. He flung his power at her and it sliced into her arm before she thought she should dodge it. The other blonde mage used her distraction as a chance to fling his power at her. She felt the shock go through her as his strange yellow light hit her and she smelt scorched flesh. She felt the black-haired mage grab her hair and pull it back and she took the opportunity to shove a sharp kunai into his throat in an upward motion so it went into his brain. Blood gurgled into his throat and he fell dead to the the floor just like the first. The blonde let out an angry shout as he flung another yellow orb at her and it latched onto her leg, burning savagely. She quickly covered her hand in her gray power and shoved it into the yellow light on her thigh. It burst it apart and she closed her eyes as it alighted brightly before dissipating. But before she could catch her breath, she felt more mages rushing down the hall.
Without a second thought she pelted down the stairs, dodging more yellow orbs the blonde mage threw after her. She rushed through the halls and sliced through every guard that was in her path. Just as she found the secret passage a surge of mages and guards came around the corner and she hesitated to reveal her only escape route.
The blonde mage pushed through the crowd, his eyes blazing in a rage. His fists were glowing in yellow light and he looked ready to kill her. There was so much yelling and shouting coming from the guards and mages and Sakura felt herself go numb again in the face of death.
But just then, who would have thought her savior would come in the form of Kinto. He shoved his way through the crowd and yelled at everyone to stop.
Sakura stared blankly at Kinto as he turned to face her.
"I was beginning to wonder when it was you would show up. You took longer than we expected. We thought you would be snapping at our heels the moment we left that pathetic village. Now, come along, Lord Radek won't wait any longer." Kinto ordered as if she was supposed to be meeting him for tea.
When she didn't move, Kinto's expression turned dark, "Now don't tell me you think you have a choice in the matter. Don't you remember what I told you the last time we met? You'll be Lord Radek's-"
"I know what you said." Sakura cut Kinto off harshly, "But you're a fool if you think I'll go to him to become his slave without lifting a finger to fight."
Kinto smiled as if she said something a little child would say. "Now now, your Highness. You have no other options. You're caught, your pathetic 'guards' are about to die, and you still have no idea where your beloved son is."
At the mention of Xanthus, Sakura's rage surged again, "Tell me where his is, now!"
"Come with me and you'll see him." Kinto replied smoothly.
"Go to hell!" Sakura shouted.
Before Kinto could react, Sakura wrapped her power around her and then shoved it into the crowd around her sending them flying backwards, into each other and onto the floor. Without missing a beat, she poofed out of the hall and onto the second floor right into the middle of Kyston's fight. She was surprised to be able to use her new power to teleport but she couldn't appreciate how much more smoother and easier it was because she realized Kyston was currently losing to his opponents and Rene was slowly bleeding to death.
They were facing off with two of the mages who had invaded Konoha; Seiryn, and Zaire.
Zaire immediately threw a chakram at her and she easily deflected it with a strike of her power. Then she grabbed onto Kyston, flashed them next to Rene, and then she quickly poofed all three of them out of the hall and into the secret passageway that led to Adalrich.
It was pitch black so she felt around for the branch she had stamped out earlier and lit it again. She propped it in the torch cradle and then turned to Rene. Without a word to either of them she set to work.
She was hesitant at first, nervous about using her new power to heal but having no other choice, she coated her hands in the gray power and watched as it turned a bright white as it drew nearer to Rene's wounds. She pressed her hands against Rene's stomach and felt him moan as her energy melted into him and flowed over his damaged muscle and tissue, mending his broken ribs and leg and knitting his wounds together. She purified the simmering infections and finally pulled out of him. It was incredible how much faster and easier it was than with chakra.
He was staring at her in amazement. Kyston was staring at her suspiciously as well.
"What?" Sakura snapped.
"What happened to you?" Rene asked, "Your healing feels really...different somehow. It felt warmer and lighter. Why?"
Sakura stared at them, wondering how to answer before she heaved a sigh and explained to them what Bryn did.
"Do you realize you could have died?" Kyston nearly shouted.
"Yes, I was very well aware, thank you. Now come here, let me see what's wrong with your arm."
Kyston clutched at his mangled arm protectively as he glared childishly at Sakura. Then, at her unrelenting glare, he gave in and let her heal it.
"Now what do we do?" Rene asked.
"We go back in, what do you think?" Kyston snapped.
"'We'? You and Rene?"
"And you." Kyston answered nonchalantly.
"Me? But I thought it wasn't safe?" Sakura mocked.
"Well, no matter what I say, you're gonna do as you please. Am I wrong?" Kyston replied in a reprimanding tone.
Sakura raised her chin, "And if I had done as you ordered you both would be dead right now."
Kyston opened his mouth to argue but then shut up when he realized she was right.
"Well what do we do then?" Rene asked again.
"I'm going to give myself to Radek."
"What?" Both Kyston and Rene shouted at the same time.
Sakura glared. "I need to find Xanthus and we're not getting anywhere. If I give myself to Radek, you'll have an ally inside. Soon Galen will be here with reinforcements and you guys can focus on getting the rest of the mages from the other villages to come and fight. I'm going to find my son. And then find a way to release Azryal."
"Sakura, you do realize what Radek plans to do? He's going to take over your mind and make you his Queen. You won't have any control over your mind or body. You'll be a puppet! Then you won't be our ally!" Kyston explained harshly, mad at the thought of Sakura giving herself over to Radek.
"Kyston, I have this new, unfamiliar power that's never been known before. Radek's just a mage; a powerful mage but a wielder of magick. I don't know what I wield but it's not anything we know of. I can do this, I need to do this. Please don't fight me on this."
"Sakura! Yes you have an unfamiliar power but that shouldn't be the deciding factor on what you're about to do! You don't know the extent of that power and you don't even know how it will fare against someone as strong as Radek! Please think this through and just come with us! Please!" Kyston tried to reason, almost begging.
Sakura looked up at him sadly, "I can't leave yet, Kyston. You must understand!"
"Sakura, if he takes over your body, I won't be able to hurt you. He'll have an advantage against us. You must see the risks!"
Everyone was silent for a moment after Kyston's angry words. Finally Sakura shook her head.
"I'm going back whether you approve or not. I'll still try to find Xanthus on my own but if I'm caught I'll give myself over and see what happens from there."
"No! You don't know what you're getting yourself into! You won't have any control over yourself! Sakura! You won't be helping us!" Kyston almost seemed frantic in trying to stop her.
"I'm sorry." And without another word Sakura pushed open the rock wall and disappeared into the unlit room, the wall thudding closed behind her.
Kyston and Rene stared at the wall, dumbfounded.
"What has she done..?" Rene whispered.
"She's damned us all." Kyston ground out before pushing against the wall.
"What are you doing, Kyston?" Rene asked in a panicked voice.
"I'm going after her, what does it look like?" The blue haired warrior grunted as he pushed against the rock Sakura had pushed to open the wall. It swung open once again, scraping against the stone floor.
"You can't! First of all you'll give her away. We were helpless against those pathetic mages, what makes you think we could stand against a whole palace full of them? We need reinforcements like Sakura said. She made her decision. I don't think we should jeopardize everything just to go chasing after her when we know she won't come back with us. Remember our mission. Freeing Azryal is our top priority." Rene explained hurriedly, relieved when Kyston finally turned away from the wall to face him.
With a dejected sigh Kyston nodded in agreement. "You're right." He let the stone wall thud closed once again and without a word began the long trek to Adalrich.
Sakura was once again back in the secret passageway near the servants' quarters. She was incredibly surprised she didn't sense Kyston chasing after her in an attempt to stop her from this supposed suicide mission.
She didn't know why she told Kyston and Rene that she planned on letting Radek take over her body. She knew for a fact that it would be game over if she allowed Radek to take over her mind and she wasn't in any way going to let it happen. Maybe she just wanted to sound dramatic or like she knew what she was doing when really she didn't. All in all, she was willing to risk it all to find Xanthus. She would be careful in her search for her son but if worst came to worst, she really would sacrifice herself to get nearer to Xanthus.
Obviously, Radek was most likely keeping the boy close by in the hopes that she would come looking. She wasn't planning on being found out but as seen in the past, plans don't always go quite as smoothly as one hopes.
She had ventured down one of the passages she was unfamiliar with. It was the paths Trina said the servants didn't use because it wasn't useful in their tasks. This way was dark and much more musty but it wasn't long before she came to a dead end. She pressed her ear against the cold stone of the wall that cut off her path. She couldn't hear anything so she closed her eyes and reached out with her power.
There seemed to be about five people in the room and the simmering energy within them let her know they were mages. One mage in particular had a different sort of power though, a lot similar to a shinobi's chakra. But it wasn't quite chakra. She concentrated harder but couldn't figure it out.
While she was trying to decide what to do, one of the mages, one with a vast amount of energy, grew fainter and she assumed he left the room. What if he was Radek? He harbored quite a lot of energy. No, she couldn't let him get away! What if he was heading back to where Xanthus was?
While she was wondering if she could force her power through the wall to kill off the four remaining mages in the room, they all left. She blinked in confusion at the suddenly empty room and then after waiting about ten minutes, pushed at the wall. It slowly opened, surprisingly quiet.
She stepped into the Emperor's study, everything looking almost the exact same as the last time she had been there. The wall slid behind her and she barely noticed as it thumped closed.
She moved closer to the large mahogany desk and inspected the scrolls and books spread out across it. Nothing looked to be of any use so she decided to move to the door and scanned the hallway to see if it was clear.
It seemed completely empty.
Warning bells should have been going off in Sakura's head but she passed it off as exceedingly good luck.
She stepped carefully into the hallway and headed to what she knew to be the throne room. Instead of using the main entrance she headed for the private entrance she had used in the past to spy on Azryal during his council meetings.
She kept constantly scanning the halls around her and the rooms she passed as she moved. Everywhere was completely deserted.
When she finally made it to the secret door behind the throne she reached in with her power and found only two presences in the room. One was the previous mage with the vast magick and the other was young and innocent with the beginnings of the smoldering energy that was magick.
Her heart swelled in relief and excitement as she recognized Xanthus's presence. She wanted to burst into the room but instead she slowly opened the secret door, using her power to mask her presence. As she stepped into the curtained room, the sheer cloths creating a surreal feeling as she pushed through them, she finally laid eyes on the white-blonde head of her son. He was sitting in what seemed to be a completely empty white room. It wasn't the throne room, just a blank world with Xanthus in the middle of it.
And as soon as she comprehended that this couldn't be real she felt a kind of groggy feeling come over her.
"Ah, we've been expecting you, your Highness."
Lord Radek's voice was what finally broke the illusion and the white room melted away to reveal the throne room which was filled with mages. Kinto and the three mages that had invaded Konoha were in the front ranks. And Lord Radek was sitting on the beautiful white throne that had once seated Azryal.
"Please, don't look so alarmed. We won't harm you in any way." Lord Radek smiled serenely at Sakura as her heart sped up in panic.
She was a fool for thinking things would go so smoothly for her. When she found the place deserted she should have spun on her heel and returned to Kyston and Rene. Not think she was clever and go floundering on like a fool.
"I must admit I was surprised you didn't realize sooner that you were caught in an illusion. It seems Kinto isn't as useless as I previously assumed."
"How..?" Sakura asked, her mind in shock.
"When you were caught the first time I honed in on that strange energy in you. It made it rather easy for me to follow seeing as how you didn't try to hide it and no one else had a similar power. I thought you would escape with those two fools but it seems the lure of your son proved Lord Radek correct and you returned alone. When you entered the study you were already ensnared by my illusion." Kinto explained, his tone haughty and full of himself. "Now, I must admit I thought you would recognize it seeing as how you were a shinobi. You see, I don't wield magick, but a type of chakra I managed to steal from those pathetic Akatsuki members."
"Akatsuki? But I thought they were your allies?" Sakura asked in confusion.
"Allies? Don't be absurd. They were merely pawns. We fooled them into thinking we had similar interests and after they had their defenses down I stole from them all that they were worth." Kinto smirked at his own cleverness.
Sakura glared, "I don't care what you did to those murderous bastards! Tell me where my son is!"
"And what will you give me in return?"
Sakura turned to face Radek as he leaned his chin on his palm, watching her with cold blue feral eyes.
An incredible rage surged within Sakura and she welcomed it, "This isn't a barter, I'm not looking for an even trade. Tell me or die."
Sakura hesitated when Radek threw back his golden head and laughed. When he stopped he looked at her once again with sparkling eyes as if he were seriously amused.
"Now aren't you a treat? No wonder Azryal lusted after a mere commoner so much that he made an outsider his Empress. Well, I have a deal for you. We both know you won't survive if you try to fight. And I believe Kinto already prepped you on what I desire? If you give yourself to me and become my Queen, I will return your son to you."
Sakura gave him a droll stare, "That doesn't make any sense. Then I'll be your slave and it will be like I've lost him anyway."
"Now now, don't be so dramatic. You'll have your son. I know you think I will take over your mind but I will save that for when you try to defy me. Be mine willingly and you will keep your conscious and you will have your son but you will be my Queen. Defy me and try to kill me, or try to escape and I will take away your free will and you will be a mere puppet. Still, you'll have your son only you won't have yourself." Radek paused to inspect his nails before asking nonchalantly, "How does that sound?"
Sakura stared at this foul man and found that she didn't know what to do. If she willingly went into this it would be like she was willingly betraying Kyston, Rene, everyone she knew and most of all, she would be betraying Azryal. How could she willingly do that? But if she refused and tried to fight her way through this she would surely fail. And they had Xanthus. She needed to think of her son.
Her mind made up, she blinked back her tears and faced Radek with confidence. "I'll do as you say and become your Queen as long as Xanthus remains safe and unharmed."
Radek's serene face immediately morphed into a sinister evil that made her heart skip a beat in pure fear.
"Smart choice."
Then a dark shadow erupted from Radek's form and sprung towards her. Her ears started to ring as the mages packed in the throne room jeered and shouted at her and she felt the shadow fall over her, jerking her around violently.
Finally, everything cleared and she opened her eyes and realized she was kneeling on the floor, dressed in a strange and incredibly revealing outfit. Her hair was falling in tendrils around her from a high ponytail and heavy, bulky gold cuffs were wrapped around her wrists. She looked up to see Radek standing over her. She felt the prickling of fear as she met his eyes and her throat went dry.
"I'll take you to your son, my Queen." Radek's mocking words rung through her mind and then the world became a blur around her.
I know it was cruel to end it like that. But be patient. I hope to get the next chapter out soon. Maybe in another month or two. If I'm lucky.
Thanks for the reviews.
yuru