Barebones - Arc III: Ricochet - Chapter 24: A new Horizon

Because it will be impossible to reach the end of the world, if you keep running.

Sakura blinks heavily and shakes her head, stretching one of her legs. The ship's balance is tilted to that side, but she knows very well that it won't sink. She has become acquainted with every little nuance of the system within vessel, her chakra connected to it for nearly fifty hours. In a way, she could toy around with it just to scare off her companions - it's a very simple, yet effective system. It won't sink unless she blatantly breaks the flow of energy within the ice.

Which makes her wonder how did Tenten manage to sink any of these ships - they seem to be attuned for people with much less control than a standard shinobi.

"I wonder what scared these people off so badly," she mutters, barely stifling a yawn. Used to staying awake for long periods of time, both as a shinobi and a medic, Sakura is confident she can stay awake. This system barely requires external chakra input, so she is in low risk of running out of energy. However, she deemed the method boring within two hours of sailing off; since then, she has been trying to strike up conversation with anyone she can get.

Tenten blinks twice, tearing her gaze away from the mist outside the control room. Silvery fog has been enveloping them since they left Engetsu, and it's eerily quiet out there, except for the occasional sounds of seagulls. Sun and moon have danced around them endlessly, blurring the lines between dawn and twilight. It's hard to tell, because nothing but the sound of waves and the deep blue ocean fill the space around the ship.

"There are legends of great monsters hiding in these waters," the pinkette continues, snickering slightly. "A mizuchi, Bakunawa - who ate six of the seven moons." She can recite the tale by memory, as it seems to be one of the only pieces of mythology exclusive to Engetsu. A slightly passionate tinge colors her words. "A water spirit fell in love with a human girl, but she was killed by her tribe, because of her forbidden relationship…"

"And he entered rage, and killed them all?" completes Tenten, rolling her eyes. She's definitely not one for romantic tales. Sakura, however, shakes her head, a small and sad grin tugging at her lips.

"He took her broken heart, and put it on the sky in the shape of moons," she corrects. Okay, fine, maybe the pinkette is a bit of a sucker for romance - that's not necessarily a bad thing! "The gods were outraged, and ordered him to remove them. He, however, couldn't bring himself to destroy the last remains of his love - instead, he ate them, transforming them into turtle islands. And since then, he roams these waters, guarding the village that took away his beloved, determined to keep them trapped until the end of time, so she can live in peace…"

Sakura ends up sighing, taking a peek through one of the archaic portholes of the ship - everything outside is still veiled by a thick coat of fog. She remembers the first time she visited the Land of Water, years ago, with her genin squad.

"That is why it's always foggy. The ancient tribe was scattered throughout the Land of Water, and he keeps up the mist to confuse sailors, so they won't find his treasure. Whenever there is an eclipse, it is because he is mourning… or a warning to people. The legends don't make too much sense on that regard," she comments, shrugging. Tenten seems interested only by sheer boredom - it's this, or dealing with her teammate, an accidental pyromaniac and a gigantic jerk. Neither option seems to appealing.

The hours roll by in silence after that - Sakura tries to keep her conversations with souls as quiet as possible. It wouldn't do to be seen chatting to herself all the time. None of her companions seem to find it weird if she can spend very long periods of time making faces without sound or reason.

'Perhaps you should spend a longer time within the walls of your consciousness,' comments Sachi, with a tone that barely sounds like a suggestion. Sakura finds funny that her own Inner voice has adopted a bossy attitude - then again, somehow she is the one coordinating all these spirits, so maybe it's a necessary evil. 'You'd be surprised of how helpful it would be.'

I don't want to. That's the plain and simple response, though the reasoning behind it is short of being classified as utter panic. Especially now that she knows that, in one way or another, there is a connection to Sasuke in there. What if she… finds him, somehow?

'Mind-rape is not a thing yet,' states Sachi, so bluntly that it causes Sakura to wince. 'You really need to get over that one,' she adds, as nonchalantly as if she was talking about the weather. However, the pungent words of her Inner self always seem to strike up a chord. It's like living with your worst enemy - someone who knows exactly where to hit to provoke a reaction. Without an ounce of malice to her, Sachi is very clear and adamant about the need to get over these fears.

Yet, Sakura's reticence remains - messing with her own internal energies is a delicate task, and even Tsunade-sama acknowledges that she shouldn't push it too far. The equilibrium that keeps her soul and body together could break, if the Ningyo is tampered with beyond its limits.

'You're not alone,' reminds the voice, shaking her head. 'Do you know what it's like, to be a spirit trapped within you?' she continues, her tongue sharp. There is something in Sachi's words that feels strange, but it's hard to pinpoint what. 'You're the last anchor tying these people to life. Every second you live, they live with you. Their hopes, their dreams - they live, through you. And nearly all of them are cheering for you. It's a burden that you have to carry, as a payment for being the only one who lived.'

But is it a curse, or a blessing?

The first island reached is small and cold, but it's the first land they have found in what feels like ages. It has strange, white formations that rise like eroded fangs from the ground. Remains, perhaps, of a time when the small landmass used to be underwater.

Lee runs off as a scout, Tenten gathers wood for a fire camp and Sakura tries to 'park' her ship. Which requires finding a place that isn't too deep and letting it sink - away from Engetsu's docks, it would be impossible for the ship to float on its own. She can't wait to get her hands on something that can actually pass as a vessel.

There is no one in this small patch of land, desolate and silent. There is nothing to make a fire with, so the group merely sits and watches. The pinkette falls asleep as soon as it's clear that the place is safe, after deciding on how to split watch time.

It becomes a routine to find a small island, stop for the night and then continue heading south. None of them have the slightest trace of human activity, and very few of them even spot signs of life. They're all nearly identical as the one they first found. Sakura takes care of planning their route - with a barely functioning compass, navigation charts that are decades old and the maps that have fared best, she is somewhat able to predict that, after a week, they should be reaching civilization.

Nothing changes in the ship's dynamics: Maru tries to keep Misho from blowing everything up, Lee trains day and night, Tenten makes sure none of them end up sinking the ship… and Sakura sits on her stool, quietly guiding their ticket so safety. The mist envelops everything almost constantly, and only the sounds the group makes break the spell of the sea. It's almost peaceful, if not for the fact that once they reach a village, things will only get more complicated.

How far have the news of Sasuke's intentions reached? Could any of these people even recognise the one girl that has caused so much trouble? Will they be hostile if they recognise shinobi from the Alliance? Hell, Sakura knows that Sasuke managed to take control of Konoha - some of these ninja could be waiting for a sign of her.

In the meanwhile, she has learned the art of fading into her own mindscape, while her body still functions. All these endless hours of nothing have finally made her decide that it's worth a shot. Time seems to flow in strange ways when she meditates to access the strange realm within her mind - sometimes, it seems like not a single second has passed; others, hours have passed while she has only spent a few minutes in this state.

"I was thinking, hey, maybe you should wear blue, it would suit you," rambles Ino, with her usual confidence. Sakura merely sits on the grass, listening to her former best friend rant. While the pinkette likes to think that she has a good sense of style, the Yamanaka seems truly devout to making things look right. Whether it's her unfortunate teammates or a bouquet of flowers and herbs. "But he just mumbled that it was too troublesome. The nerve!"

Shikamaru. A true tactical genius, who probably perished in the massacre. Sakura tries to avoid talking about that when she meets with Ino or Naruto - it seems like a tactful decision. Instead, she listens to them talk about their former lives, their memories and goals. Sachi said that she carries their will with her, didn't she? This is a way of saying… that it wasn't all for naught.

Sakura has made a promise - to, one by one, listen to each of these souls within her. If she lives long enough… but she isn't planning on dying. That would be giving them up… and giving up on Sasuke.

"Blue suits you nicely, too, even if it's a weird color combination," comments Ino, appreciatively. "Although, you should get a new vest as soon as you can," she adds, sticking out her tongue. Sakura looks down at the imitation of her real-life clothes, from Yugakure. Here, the pinkette makes a point to wear blue clothes - for Ino.

To not give up on anyone - for Naruto. Silently, she wonders if there is any way she can actually pull off saving Sasuke. Maybe in the past it had an effect on him, but now… He might be too far gone.

"Thinking about him?" Ino asks, a knowing smirk on her face, when Sakura spends too long a time in silence. The pinkette winces, her trance broken, and she looks at her friend owlishly. "He's one hell of a guy, Sasuke-kun." He killed you. "If you find him, slap him for me, will you? Even sexy guys can be jerks," she grumbles.

Sakura turns away, resting her head on her knees, her legs bent and arms encircling them protectively. Why does no one here seem to care that they died? They act as if it hadn't been a big deal, even though Naruto and Ino have expressed anger towards Sasuke's actions - it's nothing close to the hatred she feels they should be experiencing.

A beat - and a strange thought crosses her mind in a flash.

I'm thinking like him.

Projecting his own vision of things onto other people - thinking they should feel one thing and unable to see the truth on his own. Not even for himself. And she has been doing that with Naruto, Ino, Tsunade - assuming they would feel hurt if the topic of their deaths was brought up. They seem to have accepted it, yet here she is, tiptoeing around the topic.

"I wonder what he's thinking," she mutters, almost by accident. She blurts it out and immediately shuts her mouth, looking at Ino as if she had just said something blasphemous. Surprisingly, the blonde doesn't seem all that surprised - she looks almost as if she had been waiting for something like this. Sakura sighs, raking her hair and biting her lower lip.

And then, a jolt of energy runs from the back of her head and spreads throughout her entire body - a sensation she can recognise with ease and alarm. A thousand voices raise loudly around her head, drowning out every other sound, higher, higher- and then, it stops. The blurry world around her comes back to focus in an instant, though now she has fallen on her back and stares at the deep blue sky.

"Enjoying the day?" But the voice doesn't come from the present - it's Naruto's, one of her first memories after the massacre. The blissful instant in which she didn't know, didn't question - the last moment of her life in which she was happy.

Yet it contrasts so vividly with what she just felt - an oppression in her chest, her soul, by the screams and roars of a thousand different voices. All filled with such a vicious hatred, crushing her from everywhere, unrelenting, unforgiving. She has only felt that kind of emotion, projected anywhere near her, in her bouts of insanity.

These aren't her own thoughts. Gasping for air, Sakura closes her eyes tightly.

In her mind, however, the image of Sasuke's nightmare remains.

Tenten has an uncanny ability to notice the slightest details - something that gives her a deadly precision with her throws. Sakura might not be able to tell what is wrong, but she can see the expression of her companion change gravely, out of the blue. The island they rest in today is nothing special - but then, why did the brunette kunoichi just tense up, ready to snap?

It's hard to see in this darkness augmented by the fog, but Lee has also seen his teammate's reaction, eyeing her expectantly. Maru, as well, raps his tail against Sakura's wrist - it's a very swift and apparently normal gesture, but she knows that he has noticed something too. The silence stretches on for an eternity. Misho has caught on to them, and not-too-subtly shifts his gaze between each of the older shinobi.

Sakura feels something pulsate, striking a chord deep within her - her head snaps towards semi-sunken the ship, a frown etching itself on her features. For an instant, it felt like she was in control of the vessel again, able to perceive every sensation through its ice and stone. Though she has no idea where did that come from, she knows the sensation.

Either something very heavy just collided while in the water, or something exploded nearby. Small waves lap up at the stones on the shoreline - and she hadn't thought that they look a bit too jagged to be old. This whole island looks like it was just dropped in the middle of the ocean, like most of the others… Just a chunk of rock big enough to reach the surface. Another deep rumble, one she can feel with her own body this time.

"Someone is throwing fireworks," she mutters, lowly. The sensation that they aren't alone anymore is becoming overwhelming - yet it's impossible to see anything past the fog. She looks at the vessel, exchanging a hard glance with the other Konoha ninja. It's likely that, if large amounts of water are being displaced, there will be a wave - but there is no high ground to run to. "Do either of you have anything that could shield us from a tsunami?" Sakura inquires, planting her palms on the ground, as if to feel better.

Tenten's lips become a very fine line. She exchanges a quick glance with Lee, who nods energetically. The brunette tilts her head to the side, quizzically, and then he shakes his head with a small frown. After the quiet exchange between the two teammates, they both turn back to Sakura.

"A controlled explosion could work, if timed properly," offers Tenten. "How big of a wave are we talking about?"

Sakura knows it's a very wild guess, because she could only feel one pulse, but that is probably the only hint they have. She makes a few mental calculations, putting the best of her analysation skills to use.

"Can you raise a wall with an earth style jutsu? Deflect the wave with a water jutsu?" Sakura shakes her head at every suggestion. Tenten isn't a master of any element, either - her skills are in sealing and weapon usage.

"Even if I could dig us a hole to hide… the terrain underwater is very unstable. One wrong move and we could sink. I don't think this piece of rock has been here for long. It's probably debris from another explosion," she reasons. "There isn't enough stone to create a proper shield, nor am I strong enough to cast one. We can only hope a detonation won't make the island sink."

Just like that, she gets up on her feet and so do her fellow shinobi - she gathers every document she can find. Tenten assures her that she can create somewhat faulty seals easily. Even if they don't go off by command, the explosion of a proper seal should be enough to detonate them. Which is good, because there aren't enough of them left.

In the meanwhile, the pinkette raises the ship again - Lee seems to have gotten accustomed enough to his new condition to move around easily, and at her command he redistributes the few crates of food within the vessel. Closer to the exit… and ready to unseal most of their contents if needed be.

"Don't worry," Sakura whispers towards Misho, who seems to be unsure of what to do. Maru merely sits nearby, on watch duty. "We've handled worse." Most of us are crippled because of it, too, but I won't let you die.

Once in control of the ship, Sakura can acutely feel the water surrounding her - and the pulses of energy that seem to be pushing it against the island. Something is releasing a large release of chakra, somewhere in this ocean - and these agitated, charged particles are taking a very worrisome pattern of movement. It almost feels like a jutsu of some sort. It's not natural at all.

"Ah, there must be a very powerful creature thrashing around," mutters Maru, giving her a pointed look. He knows - but he will never tell, will he? Not even in a life-threatening situation. He hasn't moved a single one of his tiny fingers to actually help, or indicate that he knows something that could save them. Yet, he is still one step ahead.

"I don't know what's going on, but I want to stay away from it," she states, because the rat seems very willing to suggest things that cause trouble. He snickers, balancing himself atop his staff.

"I'm not letting you die until you get me my geodes, Pinky," he comments, wagging his tail without a care. It should be throwing off his balance, especially on a ship, but it doesn't. "Ah, I'm sure you can figure it out if you think a bit." Sakura narrows her eyes, but he won't tell anything - not even under threats. She knows too well.

'What do I know of massive water jutsu that could be causing this to happen?' She sits on her stool, musing, as she moves the ship to the other side of the island. It should be ready and guarded, when the explosion goes off. She informed Tenten that whatever wave hits, it will be big.

She knows chakra users that, in the past, were capable of causing great havoc through the use of water jutsu, but they were very few and chances are that they died. She would think this is a new person, probably a threat, but Maru's tone suggests that she should know the cause of this incoming disaster.

A natural explosion? An underwater event, involving the submerged masses of land, many meters below her feet? No - it's laced with chakra, she knows. It feels like ripples, as if something huge was splashing in the water, miles away from them, unleashing large amounts of energy and causing gigantic ripples. It's not a natural disaster… Wait.

"Maru." She forces herself to speak, in order to avoid gawking with her mouth wide open. It can't be. The rat doesn't reply, but Sakura forces herself to regain composure and focuses on the sensations she can feel through the ice. The pulses of energy are much clearer now - and like she guessed, they're getting stronger. Closer.

Her whole body feels numb with something akin to fear, her mind filled with a barrage of memories, set loose by her brief instant of panic. Focus! She can't lose her head now… and with her heart beating so quickly it hurts, and the Ningyo tightening warningly around her, Sakura finally understands what the rat meant.

"Tenten!" she calls out, feeling slightly choked. The brunette rushes into the room a bit too fast, as if she had been expecting to find an attacker inside. When their eyes meet, her worry shifts in cause and intensity - she can probably see that the pinkette is barely holding herself together. The ice encased within stone makes a strange cracking sound, as if it was about to break.

The mist from before is threatening to swallow everything, now filled with voices, images of another time… But she has to at least say these words, before she sinks in a silence filled with nightmares and hatred.

"We're not deflecting a wave. There is a Bijū coming."

Something's not right. She can tell that much by the way her thoughts are thrown off-balance by each wave. It's more than fear… She knows the effect that a Tailed Beast's wrath can have on a person, the killing intent magnified by such an immense, raw power… With each pulse, there is a greater strength behind the strange sensation that fills her mind and heart. Her surroundings become blurrier, mist closing in, choking and vile. On her side, Tenten barely takes half a second to nod diligently, though she seems unsure on how to proceed.

"...Don't touch the water. This creature is projecting a genjutsu through it," Sakura instructs. And she can feel it with an intensity that is almost unmatched by anything else. That... thing is coming for us...

The codewords for an encounter with a Tailed Beast include 'running like hell in the opposite direction' - but there is nowhere to go to. This Bijū has, for some reason, noticed them. And it just had to be in such an unfortunate moment. Sakura tries to remember anything that could save them from getting attacked by the beast's wrath, but she is no Jinchūriki like Naruto, to be able to connect with a being like this one.

Why now, why them? She doesn't even know how many tails could this creature have! There has to be something she can do... She can't just wait here and let herself and her friends die! What can Sakura remember about the nine Beasts? There wasn't that much information about them, and even the things she could see weren't enough to be certain now.

Suddenly, she's falling, deeper into water that closes around her - the pressure growing, light fading away… She wants to swim, but she can't. It's too heavy, an iron grasp holding her limbs in place. Then, there is a presence next to her, a familiar one, but the pressing need for air has wiped away every rational thought. One hard shove from behind, and a hand closes around hers, pushing up, towards the surface.

These eyes are bluer than the sky itself, staring back into hers with reassuring confidence. The hand closed around hers releases its grip, and he steps back, fading into the crowd around her. Where did all these people come from? The ship wasn't so crowded before. A wave has crashed against the vessel, filling the control room with water and causing the crates to float - however, Lee and Misho are still holding them in place as best as they can.

Blinking with a blank expression, Sakura takes a moment to organise her thoughts - everything around her is blurry. And these figures standing around her, grey and faded, stare down at her with harsh eyes - yet they won't attack. Their faces are blurry, and no one else seems to be able to see them.

"Interesting, ah." Maru's voice cuts through the silence like a knife, and she looks at him, all these gazes still trained on her. Time has become hard to process - but there is a pressing urge, coming upon her. "You can wait here or go, ah," he adds, merely turning back to stare outside of the porthole. Something in the small rat feels off, but she has no time to process what it is.

Tenten is gone. Sakura stands up, a functioning part of her mind saying that it is safe for her to do so - in a flash, Maru is gone from the porthole. But she has no time to turn around and check the stool. The waves are finally rising, a warning of the looming threat that hangs over their heads.

A blast of energy runs through the mist and water - Tenten is holding her own head, standing next to a series of explosive tags connected by wire, floating near the shoreline. So she was affected by the pulses of chakra, after all. One tentative step later, Sakura sets her foot on top of the surface of the water, and then she bends down to pick up the metal wire.

Timing her steps with waves that she can barely see coming would be difficult, but she can still feel them. Spending too much time on that damned stool has strengthened her sensitivity - only enough to predict them, but her reaction time is still severely skewed. The figures are all around her, familiar and not so much, eyes shining bright red...

Sakura brings her hands together to form the snake hand seal - the explosives go off in a chain reaction. It will surely damage the ship, which has been left behind… but she feels, she knows she shouldn't worry. Why, she can't delve into, as her delicate balance break and she falls into the water, launched forwards by the blast.

'Why do you keep blowing yourself up?' mutters her sarcastic inner voice.

A big yellow eye stares back at her from the dark depths of the ocean. Too close. But she isn't surprised - not this time.

Isobu… A large amount of energy fills the water around her, random flashes signaling the creation of spheres of coral. They are created and quickly fall into the black abyss below, with no coordination behind them. For a time too long, she stares back at the blurry, golden eye, glowing underneath her.

Naruto sent me to save you.

A.N.: I like writing chapters that feel like filler, but in reality hide very important clues. Bakunawa is one of the many additions I made to this universe's mythology - it's actually a parallel for a real life one. Thanks for all the support, cheerps!