This is the Second Part. Now Sakura and Kisame are on way to the next dream...

...

...

Shortly after, the two made it safely to the next dream — after being chased by two enraged artists. Their yells echoed across the castle and Kisame had to princess carry her away as he ran faster.

And the instant they entered the door, it shut and the vision of the dream soul's backstory played out…

Sakura could see a tall priest dressed in white stand over a young boy with silver hair and the older man raised a whip. The man spoke, "Hidan, my son. This is for your own good. You are born evil so you must be cleansed of your sin." And so the man whipped his son.

The scene skipped over and soon, she found the boy had become a young man as he was placed in the town square. Hung on a cross, he was hit by tomatoes and whipped in front of their view. He was whipped until he had many bleeding scars, but his dark magic healed them quick as they came. His voice dragged out, "I…am…not evil. I killed…the dragon." He spat out blood.

The king from the side spoke, "You have slayed the dragon using dark forces. As such, against the law of the holy land of the sun god, we must eradicate all evil. Killing the dragon is like killing your evil kind — of course it is easier for you to do this job. Blame your father for loving a witch, soulless heathen." And at his order, the king urged the tormentor to drop his whip and take out a flaming sword. "Since you cannot die by human blade, then our holy sword will suffice. Do it."

Hidan roared in rage as the sword of fire swung down — only to be dropped to the floor. The executioner dropped dead along with it. An eerie voice echoed across the now silent yard, "If you humans do not accept this boy, then we will…" And so, a strange dark force erupted across the courtyard and the people fell to the ground as one. Hidan himself was cut loose and the force disappeared as quick as it came.

He yelled toward the skies, "Who are you?!"

A voice echoed in the air over the fallen people. "Jashin. Practice your power against the monsters and gain strength. When you are deemed ready, we will collect you and give you a test. Betray me and seek the consequences. Now go."

The vision fast forwarded to three years later and Hidan is now the man he is now. After demolishing a large dragon, the voice returned. "It is time for your test."

Instantly, Hidan kneeled to the ground and said with lowered eyes, "Yes, Jashin."

"First, let yourself be killed so you may know death is temporary. Then kill an innocent so you may prove your allegiance. The path to us is painful, but true. Do you accept?"

"I accept. I will not fail you."

"We shall see."

At that moment, Sakura thought the vision would end, but it merely stayed in that one scene and after a long while, Hidan's shoulders shook. And like her past dreams, she could feel his emotion: Doubt, rage and hesitation. But on the outside, the man looked happy.

Hidan laughed louder and louder as he cursed at the skies, "See that father!? Your worship of that false god led the evil god to me! How ironic. But that makes sense in this hypocritical country!" He cursed out the king, the people and his father. And then finally he whispered, "Mother was stupid for loving you. And you killed her."

Sakura could feel his negative feelings morph into something darker and soon it fade to the feeling of emptiness as Hidan stated hollowly towards the silent skies, "Nothing in life is permanent. Everyone is fake. God is fake. Only Jashin is here."

"Only Jashin answers me."

And Sakura could feel his resignation.

And so the vision ended.

[Soul: Hidan the Fanatic. A prime candidate to join the evil gods. He is not the Fantatic yet and your mission is to change his fate. Failure to do so will end in despair for all. This will be the last night Hidan will remain human so time is of the essence. The forces of dark will be your enemy.

Required: Retrieve the Book of Jashin from Hidan and destroy it with your light magic. High Priority.

Time Limit: One Night. Once he chooses his path, disaster will reign.

Hint: The God of War Ares still loved the Goddess of Love Aphrodite. Good luck!]

Then Sakura found herself in a dark alley as she muttered to herself, "The forces of dark? If that's the case, shouldn't it say emergency alert or something like last time?" She couldn't shake off the vision of Hidan's empty eyes and his painful past. This couldn't be an easy dream and it even involved an evil god, so why was this not an emergency status?

She was wearing unusually practical clothes — hell, she had on trousers. For the first time in her life, the lady was dressed as an adventuress in a tale from trousers to long boots and a cape.

Kisame stood at her side in the same type of garb and gave her a look. "Probably because it knows you're a powerful light mage now so the forces of dark should actually be afraid of you, kitten. Nice look. Practical."

Sakura clapped her hands. "Oh! Right. I just — I forgot okay!" She pouted. Then she tapped the tip of her boot against the dirt and smiled excitedly before focusing on the mission. She could get used to this.

Shaking her head, she scanned the area — they were in…

"You're kidding. The soul is in a bar getting drunk now? And I'm supposed to fight forces of dark here?" Before her was an old tavern with a rowdy crowd inside. She only knew this because the doors were wide open and already someone got thrown out. "I have a feeling things won't go down peacefully tonight. Ready for a fight, Kisame?"

"Always, kitten. Sounds like my kind of knight." The shark man grinned as he felt the heavy weight of his sword on the back. "I'm glad this spell summoned my sword in with me. Nothing can replace my baby."

Sakura blinked in surprise. "I never knew it could do that. Then why don't I get to have any weapons?" She searched her pockets and nothing came of it. "I love the outfit, but why does a lady like me get sent into a bar of drunks with no daggers? The magic is playing favoritism!"

"Really Sakura? Don't try to fool me. Your magic is already a cheat against these poor saps." He chuckled deeply and stepped in the bar. "Shall we?"

Sakura followed him in and Kisame casually placed his arm behind her back as a sign to any onlookers who she was with. She winked up at the protective swordsman and quickly scanned the crowd for Hidan.

The pair stuck out against the unruly crowd — a tall fishman with a massive sword and a lady adventuress with pink hair would draw eyes anywhere. The two paced around the medium-sized tavern, but found no one.

"How hard is it to find one guy?" Sakura grumbled. Could it be that he didn't show up yet? Or was he not in the tavern at all? The dream usually puts her within walking distance and made it obvious where the soul would go, but there was not a single silver-haired mad men in the place. The only hint besides a war god loves a love goddess was that she'd be fighting the forces of darkness. Since the time limit was one night, then she shouldn't be too late to find a wayward soul.

Wait. If her enemy was the forces of darkness and they didn't want her to interfere…could she be under a spell right now?

Sakura wasn't used to magic just yet and while she picked up a few things, it wasn't enough. If she truly were under a spell that made her blind to Hidan's location, how did she counteract? It was just a theory, but the more she thought about it, it made sense. The town was very small. It was more like a village than a town and unless the mission had an emergency alert, then it meant that the difficulty shouldn't be too extreme to have her hunt for a crazy dude in the middle of the night in the forest. Fairy Godmother Ella wouldn't do that to her. So, if her hunch was correct, then how could she counteract? She could try use her magic, but so far she only knew about replenishing energy, healing, fighting and if she was lucky, flying — and that was a big if since she had no idea how she did it half the time. But tracking and dispelling enemy illusion magic or whatever it was? Where did she begin?

"And this is why it's good not to always rely on magic." Sakura considered the issue and her advantages. Then she analyzed Hidan's behavior from the vision. He seemed to love a challenge and he loved a fight. She recalled a mage once said in court that even if a person couldn't see past magic, that didn't mean she wasn't invisible to everyone else. If she couldn't find him, then she'd make him come to her! Since she was a lady adventuress now, why not play the part to the fullest!

So Sakura whispered her plan to Kisame and he nodded then left her side to chat with the bartender, making a show that his lady companion was now on her own.

Meanwhile, Sakura went to the first table with a bunch of tough guys and asked with a confident smirk, "Hey fellas! Can you do me a favor? Do you know a guy named Hidan?"

"Well, well, well." The first of three fellows was a short guy who seemed to be decked in tattooes. Next to him were a rather bulky warrior and a lanky robed man with yellow teeth. If she judged it right, they'd be the Brains, Brawns and Mage. Typical set up. Sure enough, the short man leered up at her and waggled his tongue, "A woman in pants, men! Quite bold of a whore to wear. Now we can see where that pretty little crotch lays."

"I am an adventuress not a whore." Sakura didn't let it faze her as she repeated her question, "Do you know Hidan? If not, stop wasting my time, pig."

"And if I do?"

"Tell him I'm here to kick his ass." Sakura said the most provocative thing she could and hoped he heard her. Come on, come get me so I can see your face! "I heard he was weak and couldn't hold his own in a fight. I want to see if it's true."

"Hahahah!" The trio laughed as they eyed her thin, curvy frame and soft hands. Of course, they lingered over her boobs and hips. "And you're going to fight him? Why don't you have a turn with us upstairs. We'll show you a real fight."

"I cut thugs like you down for dinner. Back where I'm from, I'd have your heads for bounty within the hour. I'm not here for you, I'm here to see Hidan." She lied through her teeth as she tried to think of a backstory. How did adventuresses make money? Sure they hunted for treasure, but maybe they also hunted down bounties? There couldn't be so many treasures to pay the bills with, are there? On the surface, Sakura kept her poker face cool and collected.

The short one smiled wider and waved his hand toward his underlings. The pair stood up and the mage was about to chant while the brute tried to grab her —

But suddenly the three brutes were submerged in golden light and one by one flew out the doors of the bar, deep into the night. Where they ended up, she didn't care. But she made sure they landed somewhere far and high before she released her power. The further they were, the less her magic held and her magic had a wide area of influence so they must be miles down the road by now.

Turning away from the now empty table, she faced the astonished crowd and she stomped a foot on top the table before she yelled, "HIDAN! COME OUT AND FACE ME! OR ARE YOU AFRAID?"

And just like that, a black fog appeared out of nowhere before it revealed a human in the center. Nobody reacted to the fog so she knew it was just her vision clearing up from whatever messed with her sight. The silver-haired man's shadow loomed over her and she saw a wide muscular chest covered in a vest made of fishnet fabric. Her eyes trailed up the large muscles….collarbones…and finally landed on a rugged, handsome face.

With a cocky lop-sided grin, the thuggish man returned the gesture and looked her up and down before he said with a sexy, husky tone, "Hello, spitfire. I saw you deal with the guys up front and I just had to tell you how I so appreciate a violent woman. Now what do you want with me again?"

"I'm not violent! It was self-defense!"

The man held up his hands in acquiescence. "True, true." Then he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "If I pissed you off, would you give me the same treatment? You wanted a fight, didn't you?" His purple eyes gleamed as he continued, hot breath tickling her, "I am curious about what kind of pain a small woman like you can do to me? Miss…?"

"Name's Sakura. Now. Unless you want to have your ass tossed by magic, then you'd better back off a bit, you're too close." She wasn't sure how to handle a guy who loved pain as much as he did so she put on a hard face. Hopefully by pretending to be strict, he wouldn't get any funny ideas…So why did that seem like a bad idea?

She had a strong feeling that he was on the brink of madness and if she didn't act soon, his soul would twist further than normal. She had heard of people who liked pain before, but not of one who sought it to such a degree as him. For the first time since she entered the spell, she felt worried. If she hadn't already seen his past in the vision, she wouldn't trust the guy at all — especially since he was a candidate to join the dark forces. She didn't know what these forces intend to do, but it couldn't be anything good.

"First off, I didn't really want to fight you. I just wanted your attention and I'm not into violent men." She stepped back as she tried to ignore his mischievous look and her throat felt a bit dry. That body of his was too sinful.

Hidan noticed her step back and his grin widened. "Shame." Then he pointedly glanced at Kisame in the corner of the bar and said, "I see you like your men big. I figure if you ain't here to fight, then maybe you want to try me out for size?"

"Pervert."

"Says the woman starting a fight just to get my attention." Hidan shrugged. "What's a guy supposed to think?"

"…" Sakura blushed and cursed the dream world for the first time. Yeah! What am I supposed to do, dream spell?! She should've trained with Sasori on dispelling dark magic more.

"Well, if you won't fight me, then I'll make you. I want to see how far you can go against me." And with that, he took out a black book from his side and opened the pages. "Ri Jo Me…" The room seemed to fill with a black fog and instantly everyone ran out. Kisame tried to intervene, but it seemed shadows were holding him against the wall and he couldn't speak!

Sakura could see the dark power surround him as he began to chant so she did the first thing that came to mind. Using all her strength, she jumped up to cover his mouth with her hands. As she did so, she slapped the Book of Jashin down. They fell to the floor, but before she could grab the book, Hidan already took hold of it as he wrapped his arm around her. "Nice try, but I got this book as a reward so I'm not giving it up. You're after immortality, too, aren't you?"

"Not a chance." Sakura growled as she tried to move her arms, but his thick muscled arms crushed her against him just enough to immobolize her. Every part of this man was firm as steel and she couldn't break his hold one bit.

She didn't want to really hurt him, so she focused on taking the book away from him first as that was high priority. So she focused her magic into a floating orb that surrounded the book in Hidan's hands and tried to grab the book, but black sparks erupted and broke apart the sphere of light.

"I may not be officially in yet, but I can do this much. Nice try, though." Then he frowned. "I don't really want to kill you. But Jashin requires a sacrifice. I don't know." For a brief moment, Sakura saw doubt in his eyes and she knew this was the only chance she had to get through to him.

"You don't have to do this, Hidan. Jashin is not the only way to, erm, enlightenment."

"I'm a child born of evil. Jashin is the only one who can accept a man like me."

"It doesn't have to be that way. Jashin is not the only one. I can accept you. Again, you can change your path."

Hidan frowned as he let his serious nature reveal itself. "No. You don't understand. Look at me. I'm a mess. I don't work like other people, I am violent and I crave pain. The only one who could break me from my treacherous self is the revelation of pain under Jashin. My power is too evil to be used with your god, little light mage."

Her god? Sakura didn't know what he was talking about. The only person she believed in that lived over the skies was Godmother Ella and maybe an unknown force. But gods? Don't make her laugh. If god existed the way zealots implied, then there would be no suffering. No children starving, no poor folk in front of her cruel castle's doors, no dark secrets in the courts. Even more scandalous than Hidan's fantaticism was her own disbelief in the god of her home country. Call it what you will, but a lady of noble birth who refused the teachings of her church was a poison in the water, according to her parents. No. She had no god like that. And she sure as hell wouldn't let Hidan give his life away to Jashin or any other god!

Since he wouldn't listen to reason, then she'll make him listen. If only then he'd stop the future him that lived off sacrificing, then it was enough. She had enough of men doing evil in the name of their gods. And the Hidan right now still could be reached. He wasn't a true fanatic yet.

"If you have time to bow down before some god, you can just bow down to me. I'll teach you the way. At least I won't ask you to kill people for me." And so, she blasted light magic into him and instantly Hidan jolted as the magic electrified him from within and the conflicting elements of dark and light tore through his body.

"Ahhh!" Hidan shouted as he felt the turbulent magic collide within him and he started to convulse. But he still didn't let go of her so Sakura added more power. The shocking pain loosened his grip and Sakura jumped out of his arms as she watched him tremble. The more pain he felt, the happier he became. He laughed maniacally. "More! More, baby, more!"

Sakura shook her head. "No way." And she let her magic run it's course as it faded out of him.

Hidan noticed the loss immediately and sobbed like an addict without a hit. Then he grabbed her shoulders and leaned in close so they were nose to nose, and with a deep growl said, "Do that again."

Sakura blinked slowly and a mischievous thought played in her mind. So she acted on it, "Oh? And what will you give in return? If you want to follow Jashin, then you won't need me. I don't care for careless acts of violence." She looked down on him like he was a crude peasant and mustered up all the 'royal bitch aura' Hidan seemed to like. If it wasn't against her character, she had to admit it was a bit fun to play the part.

Deep down inside, she was still nervous. Aura? What aura? And how do I stop a guy from following a violent cult when he was clearly masochistic! I'm not really knowledgeable on this side of things, but I have to appear domineering, right? RIGHT? Oh gods this was embarrassing! On the outside though, she appeared regal and noble as if nothing dirty touched her foot.

Hidan's lips pulled back and he appreciated this side of the pinkette. Then he looked at the book he took from his last mission. Jashin? Or this little fiery woman? It took no longer than one second before he handed the book over. "Here. Jashin will try to kill me, but that's not new. I think it will be funny when word gets out that an evil god candidate is following a light mage. I like that kind of trouble." He licked his lips while Sakura took the book and immediately burned the book in her hands. Screams wailed from the book until it turned to ashes.

Hidan leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I like your imperial highness act, but you need to insult me more to make it work. Other than that, I also like your softie side, spitfire. It makes it hot to see the gap between your goody-two shoes self and your merciless electrifying power."

Sakura blushed heavily over the fact that she was caught acting and then she glared at him for playing along. It had only been a short while, but she was already infuriated by him. "You're lucky you're handsome."

"I know." He smiled at her. "But you're my royal goddess now, so you can't leave me." He winked, but he was dead serious and she knew it.

"As long as you listen to me or I'll have to chain you to the dungeons."

"Is that a promise —"

"Nevermind. I'll leave you on a deserted island."

"Aw, go back to the other punishment. I want chains." His purple eyes lit up at the prospect.

Sakura had a bad feeling that Hidan and Sasori might make good friends. Was this a trait for dark mages/warriors?

Suddenly, Kisame came closer as he was released by the shadow magic and he said, "Am I interrupting some punishment play or…?"

"Nope! Nothing! You're interrupting nothing!" Sakura squeaked out as she stood up with Hidan following suit. "I feel like this went easier than I thought. Where are the forces of darkness?"

Kisame rolled his eyes. "It may seem easy to you, but the rest of the town just pissed themselves. We better go before they summon an army to kill off us heathens, okay? There are way too many crosses. Some are good, but I don't like this place."

Hidan nodded, "You have good instinct. This was Jashin's test — to kill the hypocrites. They are not innocent, but now that I'm with you, I'm sure we'll have a fight sooner or later against Jashin's forces. So don't worry, more will come!" He said this like it was a treat.

"I see why this world wasn't put as emergency status. My whole life is about to be an emergency."

Kisame placed his hand on top of her head and rubbed like she was a cute kitten. "Aww, don't worry, I'm here. Besides, you're a magnet for trouble so it's fate."

Hidan stretched out his limbs as he started to walk out the door. He called out to the confused pair, "They'll bring a mob here soon. Follow me, I have a secret spot I camp at whenever I visit here. They won't find us."

And so, the trio ended up going from a bar fight to a secluded campsite in a secret clearing beyond the town's boundaries with a self-professed madman. Sakura couldn't help but marvel at her ability to adapt these days.

The trio looked at the simple tent and small bonfire. Hidan said, "After a certain point in the forest, they'll see nothing but fog so they won't come out this far. It's not much, but at least you have a place to rest now."

Sakura bowed her head slightly. "Thank you. We appreciate it."

"I'm going to cut to the chase. We only have one night here, so why not test the waters? I know you're dying to, Sakura. The others told me about their adventures in these dreams." Kisame gave her a playful smirk and Sakura blushed at her caught shamelessness.

Hidan questioned, "Test the waters? Dreams?"

"See, our princess here has quite a few fans following her. And you'll find out soon about dreams."

"Kisame! He barely knows us."

"He'd figure it out anyway. Especially when morning comes." Kisame rolled his eyes. "Why are you shy now? Oh, is it because your fake reputation of a bounty-hunting adventuress is at stake?" He laughed. "You really wanted to play the tough act this time."

"Stop ruining my fun!" Sakura stomped her boot on the ground.

Hidan grew confused, but got the sense that there was a harem for the princess? Whatever. Better for him as that meant he had a chance to join. In that case…"I would like to test the waters then."

Hidan paced forward until she was standing right against him and he said huskily, "Life is too short to hold back, miss adventuress. Don't you agree?" He waved his arms wide open, showcasing his muscled chest below that fishnet and Sakura felt her throat go dry at that sinful image. "I'm all for the taking."

A fire burned behind Sakura's green eyes and they shone like star-lit emeralds under the night sky, her fair skin glowing by the warm orange tones of the campfire. Kisame came up from behind and ran his hands up and down her arms, tugging at the white cotton blouse. He kissed her temple and said, "I will service you thoroughly."

Under the romantic lighting by the campfire, the three stripped off their clothes as they gave into the pleasure of their touches. Sakura then remembered the spell's voice as it said that the Ares loved Aphrodite and when she looked at the violent, thuggish man in front of her and the way he carefully touched her even though he was still a bit rough — she couldn't help but smile.

For a reward, she ran her hand up his chest, feeling those firm muscles, and asked, "Hidannn…Would do you want me to do?" To test things, she gave a very tiny bit of her power like back in the bar and saw his skin get goosebumps and his face flush with excitement.

"Do that again. But add more to it. I know you have more power within those tiny fingertips." He clutched at her hand and held her against his chest as he got a taste of the tempestuous forces. "I'm at your mercy, Sakura."

So Sakura put more power into him, careful not to over-do it as she just wasn't ready to go that far, and watched as Hidan growled against her touch and moan. "Ahn, Sakura. Only you can give me this exquisite pain just the way I like it!"

Hidan's eyes darkened as he went in for the kiss, moaning as the force of light collided against the dark elements within his body. It felt like he was both being torn apart and put back together in a macabre dance. Who knew there'd come a day when an evil god candidate would fall for a light mage? The electric shocks and sensations brought him to ecstasy and Hidan could only think that if anyone would tame the beast within, she could only be Sakura. As a man who would rather die than be owned, he was at odds with himself when Jashin ordered his allegiance to the point that he feared he would lose his human self and literally go insane with power. But now…even though he was still offering his allegiance to this strange light mage, he willing accepted this fact. He wouldn't have it any other way.

He just met the powerful, silly woman of light, but for some reason, he couldnt' leave her alone. He had a strong instinct that if he let this opportunity pass by now, then he'd never get the chance again and become someone different entirely. He would never find a woman like Sakura again.

And so, the almost-immortal kissed Sakura's lips with the worship he saved for a god and whispered, "My goddess."

And so, by immersing in her power and embracing her heart, Hidan finally devoted his self to the strange goddess who fell into his life.

The night was long as the two experimented with each other and Kisame held her legs while Hidan finally entered her. Once he fit his large dick inside, Sakura belatedly realized that this would be the first time she's had two very strong and large men at the same time and she had to be grateful for Godmother Ella's insight in giving her that tea.

Hidan plunged into her as Kisame took her from behind and she felt those long, big dicks pound into her. She cried out as Kisame lifted one of her legs slightly and she felt them go deeper. "Ahhh!"

On and on, they held her as their hot breaths mingled among the cold night and she couldn't remember how many times she climaxed. Their large hands rubbed along her skin as Hidan licked her neck and Kisame kissed along her back.

By the time the men thrusted into her one last time, she was limp within their arms. Satisfied, the two warriors collapsed — Kisame to the side and Hidan below — as Sakura rested her head on Hidan's chest.

Then Hidan spoke, "Sakura?" He rubbed his thumb along her hip.

"Yes?" She snuggled against him as a cold wind blew. He was her personal warmer now.

"You said you had one night here."

"Yes, but —"

Hidan placed a finger on her lips and said, "I know you just met me, but I have a feeling I won't be given another chance. Please, before you leave, consider taking me on as part of your group." And like he was trying to prove his worth, he spoke out everything in his heart toward this pink goddess that came out of nowhere and declared herself an enemy of Jashin, an enemy that completely overwhelmed him heart and soul. It was a strange new world for him.

Hidan spoke, "If you accept me, I will vow to be your hands and eyes. I will not kill without your permission and that is saying a lot. But you must accept me completely. I won't let you leave." He loved the way she made him feel, but more than that, he was entranced by that spirit. Something about the woman called to him like a moth to a flame and he craved more. It was unlike anything he ever felt before — beyond pain and pleasure. Like a dark part of himself that was slowly being transformed, he felt…purpose. And as a highly fanatical man the he was aware he was, once he found a purpose, he never let go. So what if there are other believers in her? It made sense for a goddess. But he'll be her most fervored one.

Sakura blinked slowly at him and her lips parted. Why did she feel like she was running a cult now? But she replied seriously, "I will accept you if you remain true to your vow. Any senseless killing, any disobedience on my bottom line and I won't hesitate to do what I must. Understand?" She felt she had to be strict with this man or who knew when his madness would take hold. "I believe you are better than you think you are."

Hidan held her gaze and vowed, "If I shall disobey, kill me where I stand. You shall become my faith, this I vow." A lot could be said of his violence, but no one could deny his fanaticism. He always took a vow seriously when it came to his faith.

And once more, the light came and took them away.

[Dream Eight Complete]

[Reward: True light comes from within and the true signs of a leader doesn't always come from power, but also from resourcefulness and the knowledge of when to fight and when to hold out a hand to the enemy. True nature will always reveal oneself, but true redemption comes from the will to change. Keep grwoing to become your highest self, Sakura Haruno.]

END DREAM.

….

….

….

Meanwhile, in her garden drinking tea, a certain blonde fairy godmother smiled at a dark shadow at the corner of her garden. "My little protege has won our bet." Then in a rare burst of vulgarity, the godmother spat out, "So go fuck yourself, Jashin."

Then her own shadow surged outwards until a tall man stepped out from behind the Godmother Ella and pulled out a holy sword as a few small fairies flew by her side. "Leave or let the spirits eat your bones clean when we kill you."

The opposing shadow trembled in rage before disappearing. Before it faded completely, a hiss sounded in the air, "You can try."

When it fled, the godmother and man smiled at each other with relief. Ella laid her hand on the hilt of his sword, "My love, it will be time soon. She will succeed. I know it."

The man spoke gently, "I believe in your judgement, dearest. She has your spirit."

"After all, Sakura is the new generation."

….

…

….

AUTHOR NOTE:

Konban Wa, Lovelies!

My apologies for the long wait. A lot of stuff happened, but it's good now. Had to pub this before I got caught up with my head. Hope you enjoyed Hidan's chapter. It's not as polished this time so forgive my tired hands.

Honestly, have you ever thought of so much to do and about everything that could go wrong? I think I took those thoughts wayyyy too far because next thing I know, I'm imagining myself as a homeless wannabe samurai girl in her 80's searching for One Piece to sell for food because she didn't plan for retirement in her 20's. Yeah. Fear is irrational. Maybe I can do fortune telling for word mage heroes? I don't wanna be hungry when I'm sixty…

WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT BILLS IN MY SIXTIES?! Inflation is scary, yo. How much will soda be? $10? I guess dieting is good…I wish I were Cho Cho. She can eat whatever and simply butterfly mode it away and turn it into super strength T.T Now girl's got the REAL secret jutsu we all need. Go away, Hulk. Cho Cho is the queen in town!

Yes, my depressive thoughts are still bugging my sleep. No, I don't think I need to see Hisoka's therapist (wait…). Yes, if an isekai needs a hero, I volunteer as tribute. Kakashi, wassup?

Another thought: If heaven exists and it's where we are happiest (play along with me now), then….You know…"Itachi, since we up here, how about we chat? *Wiggle brows*". Ok, so I've been kicked out. Whatever, just isekai me to Omniscient Reader. Or I can be some guardian goddess to help out a BL World. I don't mind. *Cough*

Now then. Hope y'all are having a good holiday and staying well. And thank you for your reviews. They truly made my day. It's always fun to geek out over fandom so much kisses!

Wishing you a shinobi harem christmas,

WitchySkies

P.S. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever doing enough. But fanfic and reading somehow at least brings me to believe in something. I find more happiness in a chapter than I do a "normal" night out (not that I'm doing that these days). Anyone relate?

P.S.S. Just gonna upload the works I somehow finished before trying to gain some semblance of a routine next week. Please bear with my caffeine addicted ass.

. Webtoon or Manga? I'm caught between both worlds. My wallet says manga, but…UGH. SO MANY STORIES I NEED TO DEVOUR. RAWR! *Que Sasuke Scream While Launching a Fireball from his Mouth*

PSSSSSSS. Forget all of the above. Plan B for Life: Find Naruto and marry him. Change that. Find Kakashi and marry him — we can giggle over Icha Icha together ahahaha. Huh? Sakura? No, I-I won't quit. Yes, I'm studying. Gah, I'm not a homewrecker! I'm sorry, I won't kidnap Kakashi! *BAM* …..Please heal me, senpai.

Seriously though, for all you chilling/bitching/eating with life like me, thank you for reading and loving Sakura. Kanpai to Team Seven!

Added note: I can't believe it's been such a long chapter. It's not as edited as I would like, but just trying to get some chaps out before I work on a normal routine again. Hope y'all are safe.