Chapter 25

The day was sunny and warm – the morning rain had been light, and the seas were calm. It seemed to be as good a day as any she might have asked for. She purchased a boat ride from a fisherman who had been at the docks, selling the last of his morning catch, and sailed with him out to the reef. He told her that he planned to fish on the afternoon tide while she did her task. He seemed an amiable man, happy to give her passage to the reef.

"My family has always tithed to the temples, and given thanks to the Three Tails for the bounty of the sea. We've never lost a boat or a family member, no matter how bad the waters got. I'm glad to be able to help a novice out on His work," mister Nomura told her as they sailed.

"It's been a real adventure already," Sakura said, thinking of the time and effort she'd devoted into training for the task. "I've learned a lot more than I thought I would on this task."

"All the gods have lessons for us mortals. It's up to us how hard those lessons need to be," he commented. She nodded. It was a common sentiment and one she was coming to share. All of her tasks so far seemed to have some side benefit of learning or experience. The gods didn't need trinkets and curiosities. The tasks honestly didn't seem to be about the things; they seemed to be about the process of achieving the goal at hand, and the lessons learned in the meantime. Her other tasks had all involved certain degrees of research, planning, learning, and performing new activities in the pursuit of her goal. Or, had human lessons, as her first task had. She still treasured the memory of the camaraderie and fun that the clam boil had generated.

And as she had been promised, none of it was beyond her abilities to do. Difficult, yes. Requiring skill, training, and focus, yes. But not impossible for her.

As they approached the reef, she strapped on the bamboo and reed fins that she had borrowed form the temple, flipped on her goggles, and got ready to dive. She had managed to borrow a special full-body protective suit from the temple, a spear, and weights to neutralize her buoyancy. She had a few useful items in the kit strapped to her leg. Underwater sparring with Rahyō had taught her a little bit about the mechanics of fighting in a liquid medium. She also had a basket to strap to her back, for when she retrieved the pearl.

"Here we are, girl. I won't be far – you should be able to see the boat. Send up your flare when you're done, and I'll sail over to you," Nomura said.

She nodded. "Thank you, mister Nomura. I'll see you in a bit, I hope."

He smiled and watched as she tipped over backwards into the water. She'd practiced the technique during her time training with Rahyō – even though she was learning to breathe under water, she'd also been learning much about diving and swimming in the process.

The first thing she noticed was that there was indeed less air in the salt water of the ocean. It took slightly more effort to draw in breath than it had in the practice tank. She adjusted to the difference quickly, and soon was breathing normally. The second thing she noticed was the current. There had been no currents in the training tank. In the open water, that was not the case. The tide was changing, and she could feel herself drifting.

She maintained her breathing, focusing the chakra, and swam towards the reef cautiously, spear in hand. She was alert for threats, and alert for the changes in the movement of the water. That said, a part of her was still taking in the beauty of the reef – the brilliant colours of the flashing fish that darted around, the intricate coral, the wealth of plant and animal life growing over everything. Fish swirled out of her way, avoiding what could very well be a predator in their little fishy minds.

All around her, the drama of life played out much as it had in the jungle, with creatures fighting and feeding, fleeing and searching, living and dying. A starfish crawled slowly towards something, leaving behind a trail of devoured coral. As she watched, a cone snail pierced a fish with its barb, and then began eating its victim. She realized that two fish that she had thought were fighting were in actuality mating. Anemones waved their tendrils, with clownfish nesting among the fleshy stinging appendages. Barnacles spat out their feathery cirri. Jellyfish undulated by, mindlessly brushing up against her suit – fortunately, the non-stinging type of jellyfish. Much of the animal life looked like plants, like the flowery anemones and the multi-coloured sponges – and much of the plant life looked bizarre – long streamers of kelp with enormous bulbs, brown and blobby bladderwort and sheets of purple dulse.

It was really beautiful. She had clearly been missing out during all those years of not-diving. She searched carefully among the corals, swimming slowly and deliberately, cautious of the currents. The corals looked lovely, but she knew from reading that most of the stuff on the seafloor risked cutting her up pretty good if she contacted it, not to mention all the various stinging things. Some of those cone snails had potent venom and would be able to put a barb through the suit.

An octopus suddenly seemed to materialize out of nowhere on a coral at her approach and scooted off, releasing a cloud of ink. She drifted out of the cloud, trying not to pull too much of it along with her.

The sudden lance of an eel intent on protecting its territory almost caused her to lose her concentration. She waved her spear at it to try to deter it as she renewed her focus. It retreated back into the hole where it had been hiding when she proved to be no threat.

She searched through the underwater wonderland, thoroughly enjoying the sights and deftly avoiding the dangers. She saw several of the large clams like that from the vision, but not the specific clam from the vision. She wondered if she could find that clam and that pearl, or if any giant clam pearl would do. But then, she didn't see a pearl in any of these clams. They were beautiful, though. Their big, gummy mantles – which she had thought were rubbery lips when she had seen them in the vision – were brightly coloured and very vivid. She passed over what seemed like a forest of the beautiful creatures, but didn't see the clam.

Finally, after lots of careful exploration, she saw it – the clam from the vision. It was enormous. The other clams had been large enough to deserve the moniker 'giant clam', but this one could have passed as 'behemoth clam', or perhaps 'clam-that-ate-the-world'. It was almost as wide across as she was tall. She had a sudden frightening thought of being eaten by the clam, and then dismissed it. The research she'd done in the temple library had indicated that these sessile creatures were gentle giants, filter feeders possessing a symbiosis with photosynthetic algae, and did not hunger for kunoichi flesh.

A flash of white in the purple, green and blue mantle of the enormous creature grabbed her attention. The pearl! She swam closer to get a better look. There it was, embedded in the flesh of the clam. Tentatively, she reached out a hand towards the creature. As her shadow passed over it, it suddenly shut, pulling in its mantle and closing rapidly. It could not shut all the way – she realized her fear of getting trapped was completely unfounded. She knew she had the strength to force the clam open and take the pearl, if she had to. But, that seemed… unnecessarily cruel.

Unsure if she could maintain her breathing jutsu while using chakra to do other things, she took a deep breath and held it. Sakura reached for the clam again, focusing medical chakra into her hands and then into the clam, exploring. Why, the pearl was hurting it! This thing of beauty so valued by her own people was an irritation to the poor giant. She let the chakra stop flowing, resuming her breathing once more. The clam had no central nervous system, no personality that she could detect. It was not aware in the same sense that most animals were aware. But she could tell, through her medical jutsu, that the pearl was an irritation and that removing it would benefit the clam.

She took another deep breath and resumed the flow of healing chakra, wordlessly coaxing the clam. It opened, slowly, at her touch, revealing the lumpy white pearl. She reached in, carefully, maintaining the chakra flow encouraging the giant to respond, and very gently pried the object loose. Upon clearing the shell, she ceased the medical jutsu, resuming her breathing instead, as she placed the huge, lumpy white object in the basket on her back. Poor clam. Its torment was now ended as she retrieved the pearl for the Three Tails.

Slowly, she resurfaced, leaving the reef behind. Clams like this grew in fairly shallow waters, but she didn't want to take any chances. As she popped her head above the waves, she saw Nomura's boat in the distance, the fisherman standing and throwing his net into the water. He wasn't so far that she would have to send up the flare she'd brought – a special waterproofed firework designed for marine environments. She dipped below the surface once more, kicking her finned legs and enjoying the feeling of gliding through the warm waters. She hadn't dared try to swim fast down in the reef, but here it would be no problem. She resurfaced on the other side of the boat from where Nomura was casting his net.

"Hey!" she called out a cheerful greeting. Nomura paused, net in hand, and looked over his shoulder to where she was.

"Ahh, Sakura! I see you are back. Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked.

"Yeah, I did. Can I board your boat?"

"Of course! Do you need a hand in?"

She swam to the boat, taking hold of the side. She could probably get in on her own… she was a kunoichi after all, in the peak of physical fitness and trained in agility and strength. "I think I can manage," she replied, and then clambered into the vessel. She sat on the bench, noting the nets full of fish on the floor of the boat. She removed the goggles, flippers and the weights, and then the basket with its pearl, which she tied to the boat so that it wouldn't get accidentally tossed overboard by a wave or something, and force her to dive down after it.

"That pearl is huge," Nomura commented upon seeing the basket with its prize.

"Yeah," she agreed. It was. The clam pearl was almost the size of her head. Unlike oyster pearls, which were nacreous and iridescent, the clam pearl was white, and wrinkly. Despite that, it was still an amazing thing. It must have been growing in the clam for years, maybe even decades. The clam itself could have been more than a hundred years old – she had no idea.

Nomura fished for a little while longer, offering to teach Sakura how to cast the net. She obliged cheerfully, bringing in a few small casts of fish herself after some laughable starts, before the fisherman decided the best time to fish had passed and started the sail back to land. Sakura enjoyed the wind of sailing in her damp hair, glad for the suit which prevented her from feeling chilled from the evaporation of water on her skin. They pulled into the harbour and docked in the late afternoon, with the sun low in the sky towards the mainland.

She helped Nomura offload his catch into the huge baskets at the dock, and unloaded her own gear and the pearl. They wished each other farewell as he went to the market to sell his catch, and she to the temple to present the pearl.

She put the pearl on her bed before removing all her gear and having a quick shower to wash the sea off. She dressed in her usual outfit and took the bundle of water gear in one hand and the giant pearl under the other arm. She returned the gear first, smiling at the reaction of the shinobi on duty when he saw the pearl.

"That's really something," the nin said, eyeing the pearl. "Was it hard to get?"

"I had to use some medic tricks as well as what I learned," she admitted. He nodded.

"I think the Three Tails will be pleased. That's amazing."

"I hope so," she smiled. Feeling elated by the accomplishment of retrieving the pearl, she made her way to the obelisk, and knelt, placing the pearl in offering. She closed her eyes and prayed.

The presence of the Three Tails filled her once more, in wordless communion. She felt his acceptance of the completion of her task, and the acknowledgement that she had taken the time and spent the effort to learn a new skill instead of taking the easy route. Once more, she had the sense of being blessed, and then the god withdrew. She took a deep breath, coming back to herself fully, and stood.

"I trust it went well?" Ao's kindly voice reached her.

"Oh, sir Ao," she exclaimed, turning. He smiled at her, crow's feet crinkling slightly around his one visible eye.

"That's some pearl," he said. She nodded. He laughed. "Good work, Sakura."

"Sir Ao…" she began, and he nodded, indicating she should speak. "What is the blessing of the Three Tails?"

"Ah, he was very satisfied, I take it. I should have not expected less of Tsunade's protégé. My god's blessing is a protection from the elements. You'll be able to survive extremes of temperature and exposure that would kill others. Hypothermia will take longer to set in. You probably won't sunburn, either. It's a good blessing to have," he said.

She nodded. That was indeed a very good blessing. Exposure could kill even the toughest shinobi. To be granted some measure of protection from it was a wonderful thing. She hoped she would never have to put it to the test.

"Thank you, sir Ao. I should ask Haku to send that seagull and get ready to go back to Miyajima."

"Before you go, Lady Mei wishes to speak with you. Stay the night, Sakura. There's no need to rush off. Enjoy one more night in our guest quarters – I remember how cramped the novice cells are." He smiled.

She blushed and nodded. She would indeed miss the guest room – palatial in comparison to her little stone room back in Miyajima.

She bowed farewell to Ao, who smiled at the gesture, and made her way up the long staircase to the top floor. She knocked on the tall inlaid doors, and awaited Lady Mei's response.

"Come on in, Sakura," Lady Mei said. Sakura pushed the door open and entered, bowing.

"You are such a cute young lady," Lady Mei said with amusement. "Stand up, Sakura." The young kunoichi did so. Mei was smiling, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"I greet you, Lady Mei," Sakura managed, still feeling a little bit intimidated by the obviously powerful high priestess of the Three Tails.

"I know why Rasa's boy is so smitten. You're something else, Sakura. Just like Tsunade. I don't know many who would spend three weeks learning how to breathe under water when they could just borrow a rebreather and go right away," Mei grinned.

"Well, um…" Sakura rubbed the back of her head. "I suppose I could have just borrowed a rebreather, but the skill existed and it seems like I could learn it, and well, you never know when it might come in handy…"

"Indeed. Not many can learn it, and even those who can find it a difficult and time-consuming process, as you've discovered. Knowing the technique has saved my life once or twice," the older woman admitted. "Rahyō speaks highly of both your dedication and your skill – and from him, that's something. It's been a real pleasure having you as a guest in our temple. You're welcome back any time you'd like to visit, girl. I can only approve of having more strong, driven kunoichi in the Nine Temples clergy."

"Thank you, Lady Mei," Sakura said, blushing at the compliments.

"I've let Haku know that she can go back to Miyajima with you. We'll resume her studies when she's done recovering."

"Recovering?" the young kunoichi raised an eyebrow.

"She's been on the medicine treatment now for more than a year. I've given her leave to pursue the surgery in Miyajima. It's the only place where I will entrust my precious little Haku."

"Oh," Sakura's hand flew to her mouth. This was so exciting for Haku! "Already? She spoke like it might be years away."

"She's ready, her body is ready, and it should be done while she is still young enough to recover quickly. She's an acolyte, and she's reached the age of majority for civilians. I know she'll be all right in the care of the Six Tails' dedicated." Lady Mei smiled absently. "And I know she'll have a good friend around, to help her."

Sakura nodded. "Several, actually. My friends all love Haku."

"Of course," Lady Mei said. "You'd better get to the refectory before you miss the supper mayhem."

"Oop," Sakura blurted. She bowed to the high priestess, who laughingly bid her farewell, and headed for the refectory.

"Sakura, I saw the pearl. That thing is a monster!" Haku said as she joined her dark-haired friend at their usual table.

"I know; I couldn't believe the size of it. You should have seen the clam it came from!" Sakura responded. "Haku, Lady Mei told me you're coming back to Miyajima with me. She said you were going to have the surgery."

Haku nodded. "I decided I was ready and she agreed. It's time."

"Are you nervous?"

"Well," Haku said, "it's a fairly major surgery. Any surgery has risks."

Sakura nodded. As a medic, she was well aware of the risks. But the Six Tails' temple in Miyajima was well staffed, with some of the best medical shinobi in the country, including specialists who had conducted similar surgeries successfully in the past. Being woman-souled or man-souled was rare, but not unheard of.

"If it's what you want, though, then it's worth anything, right?" Sakura asked.

Haku nodded. "The risk isn't that big, and I don't think I could forgive myself if I cowered out of it. But it's a long recovery and I'm not looking forward to doing nothing for so long."

"We'll stop by every day to see you when you recover," Sakura promised, knowing most of her friends would be more than happy to come visit Haku.

"Thanks, Sakura. You're a very kind-hearted girl," Haku smiled.

"So are you," the pink-haired nin laughed cheerfully in response.

That night, she curled up in the comfortable, large bed, and went to sleep with a smile. It had taken her three weeks, but she had finished the Three Tails' task. Two more tasks, and she would be an acolyte.

"Sooooo… how was it?" One's voice was teasing.

"I. Hate. You. Seriously!" Two said, to One's uproarious laughter.

"Oh come now, it wasn't that bad! Besides, you don't hate me. We've been friends too long for that."

"I can't believe you did that! When I get back to the city, I'm going to kick your ass!"

She was back in the white dream, she realized, listening in on One and Two. Who were arguing. Or… rather, Two seemed upset about something that One found absolutely hilarious, to judge by his reaction.

"I wasn't that mean to you!" Two insisted, at One's gales of laughter.

"I thought you were pretty mean. Really! A perfectly spherical stone in the desert? Do you know how long that took?" One was indignant. Two started snickering.

"It existed! I knew you'd find it eventually. All it took was—," Two sniggered more, "luck."

"Crazy fox!" Both One and Two laughed together. Apparently, whatever they were arguing over was forgotten for the time being.

Not for the first time, Sakura wondered who these two dream-people were. She looked over at her side, and wasn't surprised to see Hinata lurking there. The other girl met her eyes and nodded with a small smile. Sakura mouthed a hello.

"So, are you on your way back to the city, so I can kick your ass?" Two asked.

"You'll have to wait. This mission is taking a long time. It took us almost three weeks just to get to where we needed to. I'm a little bit worried that they're going to keep us in the field here for months. We don't have time for it, and I'm not sure this is providing any useful information," One replied. "It's just keeping me away from her, at this time that's so important for us, too."

"How do you think I feel?! You sent me away from mine, dumbass!"

"I have no doubt that you'll recover, my friend," One said, then stifled a snort and more laughter.

"I hate you soooo much right now!" Two growled.

"Nonsense, you love me," One said, voice dripping with humour. "Besides, you're done. Go, with my blessing, young one," he said, and then, by the sounds of it, lost it laughing again.

"You're lucky we're such old friends!"

"Yep," One agreed, cheerfully.

"I want to see who this is," Sakura whispered to Hinata. The Hyūga nin turned white and shook her head.

"What if they're enemies, Sakura? Or someone who gets mad at us for being here?" the other girl whispered back.

"I don't care. We keep having these dreams. I want to find out why, and who is doing this. It's clearly some kind of jutsu." She started creeping along the white wall. The only reason she knew it was there was because she could feel it – everything was featureless white here, and she couldn't even see where the wall ended. If it ended.

"Well, I think I'd better wake up, old friend. I have a long journey ahead of me," said Two.

"Not half as long as I have," One sighed in reply.

No. Noooooo… she was so close to seeing who this was! Sakura ground her teeth.

"See ya later, old friend." The bright white surroundings faded suddenly, and she opened her eyes to the darkness of the guest room.

"Damn it!" she muttered. She had been so close. Before the dream jutsu had ended, she thought she had felt a corner under her hand. And then she had woken up – probably because the two speakers had ended the jutsu somehow. What was this strange jutsu? Something that allowed instant communication over the vast distances that these two seemed to suggest separated them would be very, very useful. And who were they, anyway? She was so curious.

She rolled over in the bed, curling up and making herself comfortable once more. Oh well. It was time to sleep.

The next morning, she and Haku sailed back to Miyajima together, aboard Kagari's lovely little sailboat. Sakura was looking forward to seeing her friends again. And after three weeks, she wanted to practice combat manoeuvres again. She'd had a break while on Kishimoto Island, but it was more than time to get back at it. She wondered if Naruto was back yet, how Ino fared in the jungle, and what task Hinata was now on, and… Gaara, off on his mission – where was he? Was he back yet? Was he ok?