When the Flowers Cry
Written By: Banana007
Chapter 1: The Case of the Missing Doctor
A/N: IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO SOME MUSIC TO ADD TO THE ATMOSPHERE, OPEN THE FOLLOWING YOUTUBE LINK:
/XCKQgJ0Eqlg
A cold breeze had begun sweeping the Land of Spring the moment Sakura had left the small tourist village to press on. Icy air snuck past the small openings of her red coat and she shivered, tugging the fur-lined hood closer around her face. She glanced up at the pale sky, the snow crunching louder beneath her quickened pace once she realized the sun hung far lower than half an hour ago.
Something wet touched Sakura's cheek and she blinked, raising a hand to her face.
It's snowing again?
This country was called the Land of Spring, but during winter, it was more like the Land of Snow that Sakura had been more familiar with as a child. At the thought of its former title, she couldn't help but smile.
How many years had it been since that mission when four of them had come here together? Had laughed, and fought, and eaten, and slept, and bickered together for weeks like the family they'd been? Glancing to her side, Sakura giggled quietly at the vision of Naruto and Sasuke in their Genin years, squabbling with each other as they often did back then. Of course, their sensei would have his nose stuck in his favorite Icha Icha book whilst keeping a vigilant eye out for them. And she would be defending Sasuke or berating Naruto as always.
She shook her head at that, smiling at the vision of her team members from a time long ago.
Another brisk wind blew away the fantasy of her team and Sakura stopped to brace herself against the harsh push of the elements. One hand gripped the bag at her hip and the other hand rose up to block out the cloud of snow that flew at her.
The weather's getting worse, she thought to herself. That was strange; the worst of winter had already passed weeks ago. Some snow remaining was normal, but she didn't expect to encounter another snowstorm this late in the season. The frozen tundra that made up most of the land didn't make it ideal for her to travel in this condition. If conditions were more ideal, she'd consider turning to head back to the village she'd just passed through. Thinking back on it, it'd been a poor choice to continue her journey when it was already midday, but…
Suppressing another shiver, Sakura kept a hand up to shield her face as the fullness of the storm hit her. The wind ripped her hood back, exposing her pale thin neck to the harsh elements.
"Where in the world did this storm come from?" she grunted to herself, slim body swaying side to side as if she were at sea. The wind seemed to be pushing her to the right as if in an attempt to lead her astray from her path northwest.
Her surroundings were completely white, however, and the more Sakura stumbled onward, the more she found herself losing all sense of direction. The sun… where was the sun? She squinted up, but a blast of snow obscured her vision all around. If this went on any longer, nightfall would leave her out in the cold. No matter how strong and capable she was as a disciple of one of the legendary Sannin, even Sakura Haruno was powerless against the forces of nature.
Shelter. She needed to find shelter and quick.
It would do Yukigakure no good if the doctor they were expecting had become a mere frozen statue.
Her feet began to sink into the building snow, leaving her leg warmers frozen like the tips of her hair. Ah, what she wouldn't give to have Sasuke here with her. At least he'd be able to spew some flames to clear a path. No, even Naruto's company would be welcomed. Someone to keep her awake with incessant chatter.
Her eyelids began to fall, chin jerking down as a cold slumber called to her. She jolted back, slapping a hand across her face, maybe harder than necessary but the pain woke her up. At least only for a few minutes until her vision began to bleed dark at the edges once more.
She slapped her cheek again, this time the other side.
"No good," Sakura mumbled, letting her numb feet drag through the thick snow. "Can't… go on much… longer…"
Something black appeared before her several feet away. Like a splotch of ink on one of Sai's white canvases. Blinking in confusion, Sakura rubbed her eyes first before squinting at the figure ahead. Through a flurry of snowflakes, she glimpsed a… a woman? A woman standing calmly despite the torrential rage of the storm. Long ebony locks twisted in the air, pulled up by the icy fingers of the wind. Still, the woman remained standing resolute and staring directly at Sakura with blue eyes icier than the glacial mountains in the distance. She almost seemed like a statue; too still to be alive, but too real to be lifeless.
"H… H-Hello?" Frozen lips trembled as she tried to speak louder, voice cracking like a broken flute. "Hello!"
The woman merely turned around and walked away from Sakura, her loose hair trailing like the black ribbon Sakura had worn at the Third Hokage's funeral as a little girl.
"Wait…" She forced her legs to move even though she couldn't feel them anymore. "W-Wait!"
The woman had definitely seen her, so why would she just leave her behind?
The storm pressed at her back now, as if nature was a strict mother urging Sakura onward with impatient hands. Determined to not die here of all places, especially considering she was now a war hero who'd survived the Fourth Shinobi World War, she bit her bottom lip and used the pain as a shot of adrenaline to keep herself awake for as long as possible. One foot in front of the other, she chanted in her mind. At least until she could find that lady again.
Or maybe—she tripped over an upturned root the snow had hidden—maybe she'd hallucinated the woman?
The image of long black hair and an icy gaze remained stuck in her mind.
Shaking her head, Sakura pulled herself up, her muscles stiff and aching but as strong as ever. Another step forward and she collapsed once more, her hand falling onto a panel of wood. She frowned, face still pressed against the snow as she dragged a gloved finger across the surface.
It was smooth.
Raising her face, she gasped at the sight of the house before her. Did the woman live here? There was no warm glow to be seen through any of the windows. If anything, the house looked as if nobody had lived here for decades. Whatever peach paint that had coated the old home had long since peeled away with age and neglect. As Sakura was about to knock on the door, she noted that the wood was rotted. That had to mean nobody lived here, right?
Just to be sure, she kept her hand pressed against the front door, letting her chakra spread across the whole structure. No one, just as she expected.
"Excuse me," Sakura muttered anyway, twisting the frigid knob to enter.
The small house already looked dilapidated from the outside, but the inside was far more derelict. The only furniture that remained was a single lone rocking chair laying on its side right by the window overlooking the porch. As if the last owner just sat there all day, their life whittling away with each passing day before they finally'd turned over and died.
Sakura shuddered at the thought, her wide green eyes straining to adjust to the dim light of the room. It would be dark soon, and she did not want to sit around in the dark even though it was certainly much better than sitting outside in the freezing temperature.
Half of her didn't want to close the door since that was where most of her light source filtered in from, but the more rational side of Sakura knew she'd be wasting the little shelter she had by keeping the door wide open to the weather. With a sigh, she reached a hand out, cautiously stepping forward to where she'd glimpsed the fireplace upon entering. It took all but ten steps for her boot to crunch on snow and Sakura was all too familiar with the sound to know what that meant.
Groaning, she fell to her knees, gloved hands reaching out to grab fistfuls of snow from the pile clogging the fireplace. So much for having a nice, hot fire to warm her chilled bones.
"Well, it's not like I had any dry wood to use anyways," she blew fairy-flossed hair from her face. A quick pinch to the cheeks had some blood rushing to her face, but not enough to feel warm.
On the bright side, at least she had a few candlesticks to use for an emergency. Oh, who am I kidding? What good will a candlestick do against a storm?
She shrugged. "Better than nothing."
Setting her extra bag aside, Sakura tugged open her knapsack, retrieving the single stick she'd deemed to bring with her. It was not meant for practical use, but rather to keep her from feeling homesick whenever her travels took longer than she'd like. With a quick flick of the matchstick, the smell of lemon filled the cold room. Not the most comforting scent, but it was home in a way. A reminder of the lemon-scented soap Konoha's hospital favored to mask the pungent smell of antiseptics and sweat. Tugging off her gloves, Sakura sighed as warmth brought feeling back to her fingertips.
The scent did not last long, however, as it soon vanished when the light of the candle winked out without warning. Huffing in frustration, she struck another match against the box and relit the candle, watching the tiny flame dance and flicker before it was snuffed out again.
"Oh, come on!"
Today's just not my day, Sakura grumbled to herself. It was completely dark now, with what little light there had been outside now gone with the sun's absence. Even though she'd found shelter from the harsh elements outside, Sakura was not comfortable with the idea of staying in the cold and dark for the remainder of the day and night. Sure, she'd often camped outside with not a single candle to light her way in the forest, but Konoha's forest was her home and the stars above were her security blanket. Here, in a land she was hardly familiar with, the dark was not welcomed. She didn't have Kakashi-sensei to make sure she was safe, nor did she have the warm backs of Naruto and Sasuke pressed against her sides.
I'm completely alone.
But, her fist tightened and she felt the muscles squeeze hot, I have a mission to complete. I have people who need my help. I can do this!
"I think I'm starting to sound like Naruto. Maybe I've been hanging out with him at Ichiraku Ramen too often," a soft giggle escaped her frozen lips and Sakura reached out to tug her bag closer.
Huh?
Frowning, she swept a hand across the floor, but her fingertips hit nothing but torn up wood. That's strange. Maybe she left the bag a bit further away when she'd busied herself with the candle?
Striking a third match, Sakura lit her candle a third time, but it died out in a second. She froze, gazing where the little flame had lived with the lifespan of a mere spark. It had taken her a while to realize that there had been no draft since she'd closed the door shut. The windows were closed too, their shutters sealed tight and rattling against the wind. So how…?
Never mind. How hard could it be to find a bag of supplies in a small, empty hut? She didn't need any light for that.
On her hands and knees, Sakura crawled forward, retracing her steps and wondering where else she could have left the bag. Her palms swept across the smooth wood of the floorboards until her pinky brushed a different texture. She frowned, pausing to lay her hand atop of…
With a shriek, she jerked her hand back.
That… That felt like hair.
Human hair.
But she'd seen nothing when she'd opened the door and surveyed the room from the threshold. The hut had been completely bare, stripped of any signs of life save for the rocking chair. Had she seen wrong?
Maybe… Maybe there really was a person here. If they were unconscious, then they might need her help. What if it was that same woman she'd seen earlier? Yes… Yes, it had to be someone alive—just unconscious. It was dark when she had entered, and she'd simply missed the person laying on the floor.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Sakura called out softly, "He… Hello?"
Silence.
C'mon Sakura, you've faced worse. Heck, you've faced an alien goddess from the stars! Get a grip, girl! You can handle this!
"Hello?" She swallowed down the lump of fear lodged in her throat. "Is anyone there? I'm Dr. Haruno… Haruno Sakura. I'm a medical-nin from the Land of Fire… From the Hidden Leaf Village."
More silence.
With a shaky hand, she reached out once more. Instead of the cold threads of hair, however, she touched only the smooth wood of the floor. Her shoulders sagged in relief. Had she imagined the hair too? At this rate, it was difficult to tell which was real and which was a hallucination.
"I must be too exhausted," she rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn.
Something creaked beyond her shoulder.
It's the wood, logic told her. The frigid temperatures are pulling moisture from the wood and making it creak. That's not uncommon during this time of year.
The creaking continued, persistent and… rhythmic.
Sakura stiffened once more when she realized where it was coming from: by the window overlooking the porch.
The rocking chair.
No… No way...
No, it's the wind making the chair move. Yeah, that's—no, wait, hadn't the chair been knocked onto its side when she came in?
Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak… Creak…
A Genjutsu maybe? But she'd sensed no chakra presence inside the hut.
Lacing numb fingers together, Sakura whispered, "Release!"
The creaking stopped and she waited a moment longer before sighing in relief right before the sound of something heavy dragging across the floor caught her attention. Staying silent in case the enemy didn't know of her position yet, Sakura touched her fingers to the floorboards, letting her chakra pulse out like a wave.
Nobody was here but her.
The dragging had stopped, but Sakura knew for sure that she hadn't imagined it. Could the enemy be concealing their chakra signature? She'd never met anyone besides Lady Tsunade who had the perfect, delicate chakra control to do that. Whoever it was in this room with her had to be a sensory ninja like herself if they'd been able to somehow pick up on her own concealed chakra signature. They may be better than even her!
Another creak, but it was the floor this time instead of the rocking chair.
Sakura listened closely, blocking out the noise of the wind whipping outside and focusing solely on the sounds of the house. Her hand crept to her side where she flicked open her weapon pouch.
Goosebumps pricked up her arms abruptly and Sakura rolled forward, swiping blindly at whatever presence she'd felt from behind. Her kunai cut clean through the air despite her lightning quick reflex.
So they know where I am…
Another pulse of chakra burst from the soles of her feet, but Sakura felt no chakra signature just like last time. Damn, they really know how to hide!
"I know you're out there!" she shouted into the dark, eyes strained wide open in the hopes to somehow improve her scope of vision. "Just show yourself already!"
Reaching up, she plucked a strand of her cotton pink hair, wrapping the vibrant thread around the base of her kunai.
"Come out now and I won't hurt you!"
Silence…
And then—
THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP!
The quick thud of footsteps heading towards her from behind prompted Sakura to pivot towards the source. There was the subtle whistle of the kunai shooting forth and then the heavy thunk of it hitting wood instead of flesh. Was it a substitution jutsu? She reached out with her chakra, tracing where her kunai had landed. The distance between her and the wall was approximately twelve feet, judging by the hair strand she'd imbued with a hint of her own chakra.
The floor creaked again, too heavy for the winter temperature to be the culprit.
"That's it! I'm done playing games," she tightened her fist and braced her other hand against the frozen floorboards. "SHANNA—"
THMP! THMP! THMP! THMP!
It was heading straight for her again—from the back like last time. Smirking, she swung her fist but instead of hitting the ground, she followed the swing of her punch, letting her body twist around. At the same moment the footsteps ended right behind her, her fist met empty air. The frown on Sakura's face deepened in confusion. She was so sure she'd heard the thumping stop right by her. So how could there be nothing before her now?
"You know what? Fine!" she shouted, simply frustrated now. "Have this house! I can find shelter elsewhere!"
Whatever. If they were skilled enough to conceal themselves from her, then they were capable enough to try and kill her. But they hadn't. If anything, Sakura felt she was being toyed with—maybe even tested. But that person chose the wrong kunoichi to toy with, and she was not in the mood for tricks and games.
If they wanted to fight her, she was more than ready to teach them a lesson with her fists.
She was not willing to play hide and seek.
With a huff, Sakura trudged over to where she'd last seen the door, nearly crashing into it (although she hoped the enemy didn't see that). Fumbling with the knob, she paused at the thought of having to leave the bag of supplies behind—possibly in the enemy's hands. She shook her head, deciding to come back for it as soon as there was enough light.
Twisting the knob, she pulled the door open… only it didn't open.
Frowning, she tugged at the handle a few more times and, when it didn't give, she put her whole body into it. The hinges should have been torn off long ago by her strength, but it was like she'd been sealed in.
The fine hairs on the back of her neck crept up. She was definitely being watched. Whatever was in the dark with her seemed to be stalking her. A predator toying with its prey.
The footsteps thudded towards her again and Sakura turned, fist raised to give her mystery assailant a good knuckle-sandwhich. The fall of footsteps ended right before her, but she still saw nothing. Sakura squinted into the dark, craning her face forward inch by inch until—
Pale white hands shot out from the blackness, ice-cold fingers wrapping around her throat before she could so much as let out a gasp. Her back collided with the floor as she was pushed down by an unforgiving force that challenged even her own strength. Clawing at the tight grip around her throat, she shuddered at the curtain of hair tickling her cheeks. Those long, icy strands should've led to the face of her foe. Yet, she peered up at nothing but darkness and… and eyes a chilly blue like frost.
"Agh..!" The hands squeezed harder and Sakura opened her mouth in a desperate attempt to breathe.
How…? How were they stronger than her?
Not they, instincts told her.
It.
She reached for another kunai, but tendrils of ink-black hair circled her wrists tightly, holding her in place.
Eyes rolling back, her strength began to weaken from the asphyxiation. As if sensing her weakening struggle, the entity withdrew its long white fingers from her throat. Sakura immediately sucked in a deep breath, but that was the worst mistake she could've made. The moment she made that sharp inhale, something entered her mouth. Something cold and intangible and… awful.
She gagged, choking on seemingly nothing but a dark, tainted wind.
Those cold eyes continued staring down at her.
Her stomach clenched as it slid down her throat, pulsing and shifting and forcing its way into her. Sakura's back arched, but she could not scream. The only sound that escaped her was a low, pitiful whimper as more of that thing slipped through her mouth, down her throat, and inside of her.
The loose floorboards rattled beneath the kunoichi as she quaked violently. Every molecule in her body seemed to be shaking out of control, invigorated by a dark rage she'd never known before, but it felt like it'd been festering her whole life.
Stop, she screamed in her head. The thought twisted with an unfamiliar hatred that did not belong to her.
A new voice echoed back, husky and raw, but womanly.
'Never.'
Her vision went black, and in the darkness of her mind was that same pair of cold blue eyes, filled with an icy rage that froze even Inner Sakura in place.
It settled within Sakura, nestling deep in the cozy confines of her body and leaving her twitching and writhing in the dark. Outside, the storm raged on well into the night.
/WPvfhLDj0c8
The rabbit could only make so much as a quiet whimper before its heart stopped beating a few seconds later. A white lump disappearing into the background of snow as gentle white flakes rained onto it.
A hand reached out, grasping the little creature by the ears as Sasuke Uchiha studied his kill. The arrow had gone straight through the eye, clean and precise. His cross-bolt couldn't compare to a proper bow and arrow, but it was the sport itself he found joy in. Tracking the rabbit had reminded Sasuke of the time when Itachi had taught him how to hunt a boar with a bow and arrow. Old-fashioned, but there was something appealing about relying on primitive tools and having to adjust to the steep learning curve.
He paused upon sensing a presence at his back.
The trees were too quiet all of a sudden.
So the hunter had become the hunted.
Calmly, Sasuke turned to face the bushes behind which the leopard was stalking him from. He tossed his kill, letting the rabbit fly over the bushes. Without checking to see if the other hunter had accepted his peace offering, Sasuke turned around and continued onward in search of other prey.
The leopard did not come after him.
Instead, a different animal did.
The messenger hawk landed on a low branch of a leafless tree, its tawny brown eyes considering him from the short distance. Snow crunched under his boots as Sasuke approached the bird, eyeing the scroll strapped to its back. Retrieving the scroll, he noticed the red seal that indicated the urgency of the message contained.
The scroll rolled open and Sasuke eyed the message, all of which were two mere words: 'Come back'
With a swish of his cloak, he reached for the Chokutō at his back, unsheathing the sword just an inch so he could press his thumb to the single edge. Blood welled up at the cut and he lowered his hand to the snow. There was a puff of smoke and Garuda shot up, spreading golden brown wings to catch the gentle breeze. It circled above Sasuke once before swooping down to catch its master.
Riding on the large hawk's back, Sasuke let Garuda fly him back to Konoha.
It was no longer snowing by the time he finally reached the village gates. No doubt the patrol units had been informed ahead of time of his imminent arrival. Their wary gazes burned into Sasuke's back as he made his way to the Academy, quick and quiet. It was still early morning, and the quaint village of Konohagakure remained sleepy and docile, but its well-trained Shinobi ever alert. It made it easier for him to slip into the administrative department and right into the Hokage's office.
He'd expected Lord Sixth to greet him, and even Naruto and that other Team 7 member who'd meant to replace him—Sai, who still retained a deep connection with Anbu. Their presence didn't surprise him. What did surprise the last Uchiha were their grave expressions.
He held up the scroll in his hand. The one that had urgently demanded his presence with no warning.
"What's the meaning of this, Kakashi?"
His former sensei took a moment to study him and Sasuke returned the favor. There were bags beneath the older man's dull gaze. No doubt from the endless load of paperwork that seemed to only build over time. But there was also a certain kind of stress that didn't seem to be from the work of reading too many documents.
"It's Sakura." Dark grey eyes stared back at him. It seemed as if everyone was trying to gauge Sasuke's reaction.
His own stare remained steady even as his mind churned with questions tainted by unease. Clearly, he'd been called back for her sake just like last time when she'd been kidnapped by Kido. And last time, the kunoichi of the cherry blossoms had…
He takes in a breath. "Whatever has happened, she's not so weak any—"
"She's missing, Sasuke."
He was about to repeat himself until he noticed the foreboding grief that already darkened the Hokage's expression. As if those first two words had twisted a knife Sasuke couldn't see. At the side of the desk, Naruto remained uncharacteristically silent, sunny blue eyes turned down to one of the papers on Kakashi's desk. Sai's face was unreadable, but the tension in the room was palpable.
She's missing? Again, that wouldn't be the first time. And like the first time, Sakura had proven herself more than capable of taking care of her own business no matter how awry the situation went. But Sasuke's gut told him that this time was different.
This time, she might need Team 7 at her back once more.
"... I'm listening."
A/N: This story takes place a little after the events of Naruto: The Last. The character looks & outfits are also the same outfits they wear in the film.
Reviews are much appreciated and motivate me to update regularly ^_^ Thank you for reading!