"Are you sure?"
Roughly three days had passed since she had last seen them, remembering that dark night and the lingering chill in the air from that evening. Selfishly, she had isolated herself from the outside world since their departure, unwilling to cooperate with society and herself. Shizune did not prompt Tsunade further when the blonde ordered to not be disturbed. No mission requests, no updates, no simple chatter, she ordered. She needed silence, solitude away from the distractions located outside the windows standing behind her.
Since then, Tsunade sat at her desk and allowed her resolve to weaken, her walls rescinding to allow herself to think about her. Her wide smile. Her determination. Bright emerald eyes acting as a beacon to guide others through the darkness. Yes, there were many things about the girl to feel warmly about, but such thoughts would comfort the woman for only a fraction of time before ominous concerns clouded her head.
The famed Sannin blamed herself for this predicament. If only she had delayed her message regarding Naruto and the Uchiha boy, then maybe, just maybe, all of this could have been avoided.
But what could have happened? A whirlwind of possibilities flooded her thoughts as she recounted each one, strongly dismissing one after another. Sakura was capable of anything possible or even impossible to man. As her master, she herself knew this. To even think that such a bright light could be dimmed was almost incredulous to Tsunade. But something in the back of her mind stirred with dread, latching onto the small handful of fear that the woman rarely displayed.
No matter how great a shinobi is, they are still human. She reminded herself of that statement many times. As a great medical-nin, many have come to her for aid, some in a much worse state than others. To see one so close to death is one matter, but to physically pull them away from mere edges of the afterlife was another. So she reminded herself again, all humans die. They were fragile beings. So easy to be hurt, and so easy to be wiped away. Even the strongest will possess weaknesses for anyone to exploit.
She stopped at that thought and was upset with herself for even thinking such a thing. Sakura was different. Of course she will prevail.
The grueling process repeated itself as each day passed since Kakashi and Sai had met with her, acting as her personal form of torture before finally coming to a halt when both men entered the door on the fourth night, signifying their return from their mission.
"You are certain?"
Her voice was steady when she asked, strong and firmly echoing from the corners of the room. They had quickly relayed their findings, making sure to carefully run each detail by her. In return, her eyes were unwavering, and her mouth set to a firm line, neither a frown or a smile. Her question to them was simply that, a question. She was not insinuating that they had been careless or wrong, she was just simply asking a question like anyone would do when at a loss, unable to comprehend the words being said. With her hands grasped and elbows resting on the wooden tabletop before her, Tsunade looked to the two for answers.
The older male casted his eyes down, nodding to her. The other, pale-skinned and dark-haired boy took the liberty to speak, voice also firm.
"The radius of the blast was extensive," he started, looking directly at the Godaime. "From what the scroll had stated, she was in no condition to leave Suna." Though his face did not betray its stoic state, his eyes had said it all. Tsunade fought back the urge to grit her teeth.
"Even if she had survived, her low reserves would have prevented herself from healing."
She nodded, silently agreeing with him. Tsunade of all people knew how defenseless one could be without chakra, especially when death was close. She allowed the information to settle, sinking into each crack in the floor and deep within the stomach of those who stood between the four walls of the room.
She swallowed, fingers tightening their clasped position, "Did you find her body?" The statement sounded hollow, almost as if her own voice refused to face the truth of the situation.
"From the looks of it, it had been incinerated by the explosion," this time Kakashi spoke with a murmur. His shoulders were slouched, and his eyes were tired from the effects of the sharingan. But it was clear to the other two that his drained state was not from the assignment. The reality of it all had just begun to settle in.
"Nothing?"
He shook his head at her "It was evident that a body was there, but it would be impossible for anything to remain afterwards."
"But you're sure she was there?" Tsuande countered back, slightly raising her tone. The chair she sat in creaked backwards as it shifted from her sudden movement, and her fingers harshly pushed themselves against the wooden table. As quickly as her outburst appeared, it was hastily reigned back in as Tsuande murmured an apology and sighed into her hands.
Silently, Kakashi stepped forward and reached into his jacket side. With fingers firmly clasped around it, he pulled out a red hitai-ate and placed it in front of her. The heavy object soundly clinked against the oak tabletop.
"We found this."
Sakura's headband stared back at the woman, and a slight chill swept the room in response. Tsunade's mouth parted to speak, but as her collective state began to undo itself, she was left silent as the two men gazed at her. Quietly, Tsuande reached out to hold it, allowing her fingers to tightly wrap around the cool metal plate. She felt her a soft gasp escape from her lips, and her eyes harshly shut in an effort to not succumb to emotions.
Her mind told her that now was not the time to grieve, now was the time to act swiftly and accordingly with the information she had. But still, amidst the silent air a soft murmur was heard. It was as clear to them as it was clear to Tsunade, Sakura was dead. Regardless if each person accepted the fact or not, the statement hung in the air and reflected against the metal shield of the forehead protector, forcing every person to come face to face with the harsh reality
"Damn-it," Tsunade whispered, unable to stop herself from speaking. Despite her efforts, her throat began to tighten, and her hand almost threatened to crush the item in her palm, "...damn-it."
"Tsuande-sama," Sai spoke up, voice showing slight hesitation, "how should we proceed?"
The woman allowed herself to sink into her thoughts for a moment, trying to force herself to process as much as her conscious would allow. Instantly she knew what she wanted. The blonde understood the request was selfish as it didn't take a Hokage or a simple commoner to conclude that this assignment was now finished. The answer was there, and there was nothing else to be done. But Tsunade selfishly refused to acknowledge the truth, and for that she scolded herself.
With a sharp gaze and straightened back, she broke her gaze away from Sakura's headband and looked to Sai, "How much additional time can you devote to this case?"
The two men glanced at each other, making Tsunade speak once again.
"We owe it to her to uncover everything," she gritted out, jaw clenched. She knew her request was rash, but at this moment she did not care. "We owe it to Sakura to try to find her, regardless if she's still here or… or not."
"Kakashi-sensei?" Sai prompted with an underlying tone lacing his voice. He looked at the leader of Team Seven with an expression. The chances of changing the outcome of things was almost non-existent, he knew this. But still, he could not hold back the slight glimmer of determination that filled his chest and willed him to push forward. Maybe there's more to what they initially discovered.
Exchanging glances with him, Kakashi nodded, "Ten days. We can continue searching before a public notice is made."
"Ten days then," Tsunade answered back, gratitude laced in her words. "Go to Suna and collect as much information as you can. Speak with Gaara and the siblings, and figure out if she was targeted." Sighing to herself and casting her eyes down, she continued, "If there is a possibility that she did survive, find it. Until then, her announcement will wait until you return."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," both men uttered, as they bowed to the blonde-haired woman.
She nodded and spoke once more, "Please, get some rest. I will see you two in ten days." And with that, both men were escorted out, leaving the Sanin to quietly place her face into her hands as the red hitai-ate stared up at the woman.
Once outside, both men stood apart from each other and waited for one to speak up.
"We will resume tomorrow at dawn," Kakashi said as he pocketed his hands into his pants. A breath escaped his covered mouth, and he looked up at the darkened sky that was barely lit by moonlight. "I will meet you outside the village so we're not seen together."
The pale boy nodded, and a beat of quietness passed over the two men before Sai looked over to the older male, "Kakashi-sensei."
The jounin looked over and inclined his head in response.
Sai gave himself a moment to speak, careful of his volume despite knowing that no one was around, "Do you have any suspicions?"
Under the mask, Kakashi's mouth pursed together, "I don't have enough information at this moment to conclude anything."
"So you believe that she's dead," Sai murmured.
"No," Kakashi quickly corrected the boy, "what we have at this moment leads us to believe she is dead."
"Then you believe that she's alive."
Kakashi tiredly sighed and tilted his chin away from Sai, "As her sensei, I hope that she is, but as a shinobi, I know that the chances of surviving given the circumstances are against her." The jounin felt the weight on his shoulders increase, and he placed his hands back into his pockets. "But we owe it to Sakura, as her team, to know what happened."
Sai understood the significance behind his words, not only as a member of Team 7 but also as a friend of Sakura's. As an individual, she was faithful, incredibly strong-willed, and the glue that held Team 7 together. For her to suddenly disappear before them was something Sai did not ever think of before and could not fathom at the moment.
He turned his head to glance around again as hesitant words spoke once more, "Speaking of the team… what should we say to Naruto?" the young male frowned to himself, knowing how devastating the news would be to the boy in question "and now with Sasuke's return."
"We say nothing," Kakashi firmly answered back, "until this mission has officially ended, we will not utter a single thing."
His words were harsh, but they were necessary for this moment. If Naruto were to discover the truth of the situation, even Kakashi would not know what outcome would ensue. All the copy-cat ninja could ensure was Naruto's safety within the walls of Konoha. As long as he stayed within its protection, even then efforts of Akatsuki could be thwarted to an extent.
"It's a difficult situation to be placed in, I understand," Kakashi continued, "but it is our job to ensure the integrity of this situation stays intact. We will worry about the outcome after we clearly know what we are dealing with now."
Lips unparting, Sai nodded in silence. Meeting his teacher's eyes, another moment of stillness passed between the two before both men bidded farewell and parted ways.
Sai slowly walked to the direction of his home, which was not too far from the Hokage tower. Usually, the pale-skinned boy would be pleased with the short distance after a long mission, however, this night was different. Instead of having the small glimpse of eagerness for clean clothes and a comfortable rest like he usually did, Sai felt bothered, which prompted him to take the longer path to his residence.
He first noticed the feeling earlier but paid no mind to it as it was initially an almost unnoticeable sensation. However, as events progressed and heavy conversations transpired, the pale boy began to notice how the small sensitivity grew into a considerable throb. He felt something stir within the bottom of his chest, settling into a heavy, dull ache he was not accustomed to. As a shinobi and past Root member, death was not an unfamiliar friend. He's seen countless lives lost, some even at the doing of his very own hands. But never had he felt a way before.
The idea and possibility of Sakura's death had a greater effect on him than he would have imagined. As a man who still struggles with understanding the basis of emotions, he surprisingly had a decent grasp of what he was sensing now. Grief.
The emotion was an unfamiliar one, but Sai was quick to realize that it was one he very much disliked feeling. Like a burn wound continuously agitated, his chest twinge in response, making him wish he could resort back to the unperturbed boy he was years ago.
Letting his mind be occupied with thoughts, his feet habitually walked toward the direction of his home. The loose gravel pieces were kicked up by the soles of his sandals and noisily rolled away from his path as he continued ahead. As the silhouette of his house came into view, he felt his footsteps almost falter at the sight before him.
With his eyes narrowing, Sai forcefully submerged any restless feelings from within and set his lips to a firm line, making an effort to carry an impassive expression on his face. His breathing was even as he eyed the figure outside of his house and approached them.
Though it was late into the night and the residence lacked any outdoor lighting, the bright yellow coloring of Naruto's hair could be clearly made out in the dark.
With his body sitting on the ground and hands crossed, the boy could be heard mumbling to himself. As the sound of Sai's footsteps came closer, Naruto's head eagerly perked up, causing him to quickly rise and rush over to the dark-haired male.
"Oi, Sai!" Naruto exclaimed, jogging over to him. "It's about time you showed up! Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
"Naruto," Sai blinked at the boy, "isn't it late?"
"You bet it's late," he groaned, slumping his shoulders. "Where have you been?"
Sai felt himself internally stiffen at Naruto's question, almost unsure of how to answer him. Kakashi's instructions echoed in his mind as his consciousness tried to find a suitable answer to give. But before Sai could even muster a probable excuse, Naruto's impatience had completely bulldozed through and skipped over the chance of Sai responding.
"Sasuke's been busy with whatever he's doing, Sakura's not back from her mission yet, and everyone else was practically gone!" he continued, whining with pouting lips and eyes glistening faux tears. "I've been alone for the past week, Sai. I thought I was going insane."
"How interesting," Sai answered back with a tone clearly showing how uninterested he was, "even you drive yourself mad."
With the mention of Sakura's name, Sai felt his insides clench even harder, but thankfully his face remained unchanged. Looking down at Naruto, Sai saw that the boy remained clueless to the current situation around their female teammate, making him internally sigh a breath of relief. But still, even with his ignorance, Naruto can be sharp and quick-witted. Despite his childish exterior, Sai still needed to be careful of any exchanged words with Naruto.
Naruto laughed at Sai's remark and swatted his hand around, "You've been reading those comedy books haven't you?" he giggled to himself, "because that was almost funny."
"What can I do for you Naruto?" Sai ignored his friend's statement.
"Oh, yeah," he said, instantly remembering why he came to visit in the first place, "do you want to grab a bite at Ichiraku with me? I heard you just came back from a mission and figured why not, you know?"
Taking a second to mull over his question, Sai was unsure of what to do. His natural instinct was to avoid Naruto during this whole situation to prevent unfavorable consequences from sprouting. However, he didn't think that Naruto would quickly seek him out instead, leaving him grasping for safety nets to fall back on.
Normally, whether it was out of hunger or simple boredom, Sai would usually agree to such outings with the boy despite the time of day. If he were to decline now, would Naruto begin to suspect anything? Sai grimaced to himself, already knowing the answer to that question. Once Naruto begins to question his refusal, he'll become tangled in matters unrelated to him, and that was something Sai needed to avoid at all cost.
So with a passive smile, Sai agreed and began walking with Naruto in the direction he just arrived in.
Thankfully, Naruto was more focused on his meal than conversing once they arrived at the ramen stand. As he sloppily consumed one handful of ramen after another, Sai quietly sat to the side and ate his dish, unbothered by the yellow boy's manners.
The owner of the shop came out to exchange a few words with Naruto, making the hyperactive ninja boom in laughter in response. Sai took the opportunity to finish his meal first and reached out to place the money on the counter.
"Finished already?" Naruto asked with broth staining his mouth. Sai nodded at him to which Naruto grinned back and raised his hands to give him a thumbs-up, "Okay then, thanks for coming with me. I'll see you around again!"
The pale boy waved farewell and began to walk home once more, silently preparing for the days ahead of him.
The next morning, Sai calmly collected his items to pack with him. The sun had barely begun to rise as bright gleams of orange streaked across the horizon. With his packed bag slung behind him, he leaped onto the top of his house and began dashing across the rooftops of Konoha, making sure his footsteps were light.
Once he spotted Kakashi waiting further away from the gates of the village, Sai leaped down and quickly approached him, pausing to hear his instructions.
Kakashi eyed Sai and tipped his chin at the boy before looking to the path leading deep into the outskirts of the town, "Did anyone see you?"
Sai shook his head, "I made sure I was hidden and swift."
"Good," Kakashi murmured and turned to the road, "let's hurry. I've already sent word to Suna regarding our arrival."
With a nod of his head, Sai easily fell behind the gray-haired jounin. Little by little, their figures became less visible as they distanced themselves away from the land surrounding Konoha.
Unknown to the two males, a few miles away and resting on a branch were two red eyes carefully watching them as they began their mission.
"How is he now?"
Small hands carefully placed themselves over the resting torso, softly emitting a green glow as they diligently worked.
"Better," a soft voice called back, "but still needs a lot of work."
Kisame frowned, focusing his eyes at the female kneeled at the side of the bed before them. With her hair tied back and face etched in concentration, the shark-nin watched as Sakura's hands hovered over the lifeless body of Itachi.
Though it has been a week since she had begun her treatment and considerable improvements have been made, he was still unsatisfied with the results. His sharp eyes were quick to narrow at the sight of Sakura as his lips parted to speak again. But he quickly decided against it and allowed silence to infiltrate the small inn room the three bodies occupied.
His complexion was better, Kisame noticed a few days ago. Itachi's breathing was less shallow and the bleeding wounds scattered across his body finally came to a stop. However, his partner continued to stay in a comatose state, almost as if it wanted to succumb to the afterlife despite the efforts being made.
It's not his injuries that made him like this. Kisame remembered Sakura telling him when she finished her first treatment. His illness is what's killing him.
Unlike Sakura, the information did not surprise him in the slightest as he had already long known of the truth behind his partner. From the years of fighting alongside him to both men becoming in-tune with each other, there were many secrets Itachi had kept that Kisame was aware of, his illness being one of them. Regardless if Itachi knew about it or not, Kisame never uttered a word about it to him. It was simply none of his business or interest to know.
However, the elder Uchiha's plan to let his brother kill him, all for the sake of closure and validation, was one secret the missing-nin could help but scoff at. The endless calculations and planning that went into his younger brother's sake, it was all foolish to Kisame. Let the ungrateful brat rot in his hatred, Kisame would say to his partner. The kid was stupid enough to go this far, let him be the one to burn to the ground based on this false world he's been living in. When Itachi meets his death, let it be for a more worthy cause instead.
But Itachi would simply shake his head, stating that his beloved brother had been kept in the dark for far too long, something Itachi had taken full accountability for. Kisame thought the whole situation was too drawn out and pointless, but nevertheless found himself helping move this agenda along.
When the time was quickly approaching, Kisame knew that the illness was beginning to take its toll on Itachi. His movements became slower, his body was significantly weakened, and far less words were exchanged between the two partners. Replacing the conversations that usually transpired was this heavy essence of death that lingered, causing the blue male to begin making his own plans.
It was then that the shark-nin found himself acting in a way he had never done before. He began to find ways to extend his partner's life, whether it be indirectly postponing his plans or directly interfering. Still, each one failed to accomplish its ultimate goal, and it wasn't until both brothers finally faced each other that he resorted to extreme measures.
If Itachi wished to die, then Kisame will ruthlessly bring him back to life.
He looked at Sakura once more and inwardly frowned. To gain Pein's approval, Kisame knew that his plan to save Itachi needed more sustenance. Sentiment was not something favored by their leader, much less held by the members of Akatsuki. Thus, sprung the idea of using the girl as bait to lure the jinchuuriki. With her renowned abilities, her as a prisoner would also be of use to him and for their leader.
His approval for Kisame to fetch the girl instantly spurred the missing-nin into action. However, her predicament has caused the large male to stumble. How easy it was to convince her to treat Itachi, how simple minded and predictable the girl was without her memory. All of it was almost effortless, for Kisame to benefit from and for Pein to manipulate.
When Kisame announced the new circumstances they were faced with, he fully expected the Akatsuki leader to withdraw. But the sudden proclamation to make her join the ranks and replace Itachi, that was something Kisame was never prepared for. And much to his unliking, he felt unsettled.
Though his plans of reviving his partner were indeed carried out, Kisame no longer knew what Pein's true intentions were. When he discovered that a manipulation jutsu was placed onto her mind, he knew things had taken a complete turn of what was planned. The entire situation had become foreign ground for him, making his guard increase in wariness of what may come.
Still, Kisame's interest lay in the male resting before him, not in the pink-haired woman to his side. After Itachi is recovered and both men can flee from the grasps of Akatsuki, what comes to her is not of his interest.
But unfortunately as she continues to minister treatments and stands in the role of his partner, Kisame is forced to take interest in her.
"Get her prepared in two weeks," Pein had instructed to him, "the time for her usefulness has come."
Since her recovery, Kisame had taken the liberty to train her. As an enemy to the organization, her skill set was something the members had familiarized themselves with. However, as Pein had instructed, she was no longer a member of the Leaf Village. Now, she was an Akatsuki member. It was imperative for her to learn how to entirely encompass one.
Her willingness to train with him was expected. She was a kunoichi, and as a ninja, the need to train and spar was a feeling that constantly needed to be satisfied. Kisame could still tell that her hesitation of the organization was still residing within her, but her inability to remember alongside the jutsu placed on her mind made Sakura easy to persuade.
So almost each day, Kisame would bring her out to the training grounds and test her. Her movements, her tact, the ability to fight. And interestingly enough, each time she would surprise him in some way. With his effort to have as little interest in her as possible, she was making that task somewhat difficult for him.
Occasionally, Konan would come out to observe the two spar with one another. Silently, the blue-haired member would watch Sakura before soundlessly returning back to the building. Kisame didn't pay any mind to it until the second training session Konan attended.
Entering the inn, Konan ushered Kisame to the side of the hallway, hiding in the corner from those who may be wandering around.
"Pay close attention to her, Kisame," she stated, her eyes looking up to the broad male.
He deeply scowled at the woman, "What do you think I'm doing? Does it look like I've just been standing around to you?"
Konan pursed her lips together, "No. I mean pay attention to her mental state."
"Why the fuck would I care about her mental state?" Kisame growled, "I have more important matters to give my attention to."
"The jutsu Pein-sama used is something he simply conjured up on the spot," her eyes roamed to the end of the hallway before returning back to Kisame, "I'm unsure if it's damaging her mind and will interfere with his plans for her."
"I still fail to see why you have the need to discuss this with me."
"Because," Konan sharply retorted, "if she's useless to Pein-sama, he will be quick to do away with her regardless if your plans are completed or not."
Kisame felt his hands ball into fist, annoyed with the added complications. It was supposed to be clean and easy, but now things have gotten much more convoluted. "If that is such an issue, why will he not remove the jutsu?"
She paused before speaking again, "The possibility of her regaining her memories is something Pein-sama does not want to give leeway to." Her bright eyes gleamed up at him once more, "For now, it's okay if she's confused, but we must avoid the chance of her consciousness becoming fragile and incapitated. We'll lose our upper hand if that occurs."
Kisame scoffed, not wanting to waste any more of his time, "If there is something then I will let you know, Konan." And as quickly as the discussion had begun, the shark-nin hastily ended it, losing the patience to take any additional orders from another person.
And with that, Kisame walked away, simply not bothered to give more attention to Sakura than he had already been forced to provide.
Sakura herself knew something was amiss the day she woke up. With her inaccessibility to recover her memories, Sakura's body had unconsciously stayed in a constant state of hyper awareness. Awareness to her mind, awareness to her emotions, and most of all awareness to the individuals surrounding her.
The possibility of the Akatsuki members killing her off was an idea that plagued her mind for days. But when that time would come or who would be the one was something she could not quite calculate. Even if they were going to kill her, Sakura felt her consciousness tell herself, they would have done it when they crossed paths in the forest. The reasoning was sound enough for Sakura to lessen her guard to an extent. Even now, she was more of a hindrance with her predicament. Why would they keep her around if they intended to do away with her?
Such thoughts in her consciousness fought against her body's reaction, both struggling to gain the upper hand. However, in the end, it was her mind's constant reassurance that overcame her natural instinct to flee.
Even so, each night she laid in her bed and tried once more to reach into her mind, desperate to recover any inkling of information about herself. But each time, she found herself falling further and further away from her goal. As if it were sand falling through her hands, Sakura simply did not have the strength to bring her fingers together to stop the spilling. It was as if her own hands could not move, no matter how hard she willed them to. And only could she helplessly sit and watch as the mineral continued to fall into a broken heap before her.
Still, she forced herself to try. But with every reach for her past self came the sudden scorch of pain that even her own chakra could not mend. And instead of discovering her memories, Sakura found her fear of dying from Akatsuki lessening as her fear of the pain in her mind grew. A pain she had never experienced before now and something she had grown wary of experiencing again.
Exhausted from what she could not heal, Sakura allowed her emotions to overcome her. Loneliness, abandonment, surrendering. Feelings that were only natural given her circumstances. So then she found herself growing complacent to the situation that she was in.
"If there were people looking for you, then they would have found you before we did," Pein had said to her.
The statement spurred Sakura's emotional state into a storm that wreaked havoc inside of her. How long had she been injured in that forest? Why did no one try to find her then and even now? Such thoughts had caused her heart to ache each time and forced herself to come face to face with the feeling of being unwanted, insignificant even.
Though Pein knew his words were untrue, twisted to create an outcome he wanted, he continued to provide false comfort to the young girl and took every opportunity to gain her favor. "However, Sakura, you are a part of Akatsuki now. Though the world may not want us, we continue to live and flourish."
"Ah," Sakura said softly, "...thank you."
Pein regarded her sharply, swiftly allowing his ringed eyes to sweep across her figure. He noticed the fatigue lacing her body, probably from the various nights of prying around his mind jutsu. Though the concept had been risky, it has proved to be reliable during this time. And for that, he was greatly pleased with himself.
As long as her past memories are continuously suppressed, the Akatsuki leader did not mind playing along with her self pity and need of comfort. In fact, it was something Pein had grown fond of doing, interested in how far he could take her.
"I see you continue to doubt, Sakura," he spoke again in a low tone.
Sakura nervously bit her lips and shifted her weight to the side, "I'm still having a difficult time with remembering everything."
"Your memories," A grimace appeared on the male's face at her words, "you are still trying to recover them?"
She nodded.
Pein quickly hid the frown and replaced it with a neutral expression, "I understand your desire to uncover the truth behind what led you to be here. There was a time where I too was the same."
Emerald eyes look up at him with an expression, "Really?" Sakura's voice was laced with curiosity and slight hope. Her face was attentively facing his, open to hearing what he had to say.
He looked at her, "I wished to know why I was abandoned, why those around me recoiled at the sight of me. But when I discovered the truth, it brought me more agony than relief. Opening up my past had forced me to shoulder pain I never wanted. " he said to her with his eyes now casted away.
"Are you prepared for that possibility, Sakura?" He continued again, prompting her.
She parted her lips to speak, but hesitated instead. Pausing for a moment, she allowed herself to digest his words and felt her inner body stiffen at the possibility of such an outcome. Unable to conjure a comprehensive sentence in her mind, she turned to her heart instead and listened. Finally, she opened her mouth and softly answered, "...no, I don't think so."
The orange-haired leader simply nodded, "Then focus on what you know now." Pein anticipated her need to remember. With now a man-made obstacle placed into her mind, he knew her desire to do so would increase immensely. But, he also knew that her situation was more favorable to him than to Sakura. If he could persuade her to go one direction before her own will convinced her to go another, then he would be successful. And as of this moment, it seems that he was on the path of success.
Quick to change the topic and set his plan into action, Pein opened his mouth to speak again, "In two weeks, you will carry out your first mission for Akatsuki."
"Oh," Sakura's forehead wrinkled at his words, "Are you really sure about me joining?" She watched as he tilted his chin in affirmation before speaking again. "My current situation would only get in the way, would it not?"
"No," Pein quickly stated, "we will help prepare you. Do not feel as if you are a burden when you are already assisting us with Itachi."
"...these missions… what are they?"
He hummed to himself, the answer already prepared as he had anticipated her question, "We provide mercenary services for villages who cannot afford aid or protection. Some areas are not fortunate enough to help themselves, and so we offer our assistance instead."
"I see," Sakura softly. Another moment passed by, and she asked again, "What exactly will I be doing?"
"A nearby village has been the target of a number of rouge attacks. The area is already impoverished, but due to the assailants, resources are low and the death count has been increasing."
"Oh, so we're providing protection?" She mused.
Pein shook his head, "We will be disposing the rogue organization."
Sakura stopped and quickly glanced up at the male standing before her, "Disposing?"
"The group has caused a lot of suffering to this area. Unless we put a final end to their tactics, how will those people regain a sense of life again?"
Understanding the meaning, Sakura wordlessly agreed with his statement. She understood the mission and the angle that must be used, but still a strange sensation settled at the pit of her stomach. As a ninja, death was not an uncommon occurrence. In times of survival, death was the only outcome in almost all situations. The only option that many are faced with is who exactly dies. Themselves or another. But why was this mission causing Sakura to feel uneasy?
Sakura herself was not opposed to the idea of joining Akatsuki. At first, she was unsure of the organization, but since her mind had come to an ease, she had felt nothing but welcomed and reassured. Was it the fact that external life continued to move forward despite the fact that her internal self had come to a standstill?
As she stood there with no recollection of who she was and with the inability to discover her past, Sakura questioned herself. Will she stay at a standstill or will she push herself to focus on the present? Pein's earlier words echoed in her mind, causing her to create mental circles as she played with the thought of what she would do. The restless nights and exhaustion of trying to recover her memories had left her in an empty state and with no progression. Did she want to continue the same pattern, only to discover a possible past that could harm her? Sakura shuddered at the thought.
Here, she was being handed a new life on what seemed like a silver platter. Will she accept it and force herself to move on? The idea of that also made Sakura's chest heavy. With Pein's words coaxing her, she felt as if the misshapen pieces of the puzzle were coming to some sort of fit with one another, allowing her to come to terms with some sense of reality that she could agree to.
She agreed. She could not simply sit and wait for her memories to resurface. While she had the capability to move on, she needed to push herself to continue and not wallow in self doubt. If she could do something with herself, especially to help others who may be in a worse predicament than her, why not move forward? Though she desperately yearned for her past, something was blocking her from discovering it. Maybe it was simply not the time for her to relive such memories, like Pein had notioned. Until she can successfully find a way to get them back, she will not wait. She must move forward.
"Will you accept?"
Pein's voice brought Sakura's attention back to current discussion, and she felt herself stand straighter as her thoughts came to a close. Letting a small breath out, Sakura cleared her throat, "I accept."
Soon after that, Sakura began training with Kisame, as the two will begin working as a pair soon. The initial silence between them was pretty significant, but the atmosphere was never too tense for her to bear. With her very brief run-ins with Konan and miniscule interactions with her new partner, Sakura was fine with it all, grateful for any social interaction she could get despite the fact that they were far from social to begin with.
With her first training, Sakura knew she was rusty. Her movements weren't as quick as they usually were, and her chakra was still trying to recover its full capacity. With Kisame's large figure and menacing sword techniques, all she could do was try to evade his attacks. Though Sakura was quick to voice her frustrations, Kisame had stayed silent for the entirety of the training.
By the time of their third session, Sakura was able to regain her usual fighting style. As the shark-nin heavily slashed at her, she quickly dodged and prepared her fist to counter attack. Hours had gone by with the two charging at each other and causing injuries to both sides. It wasn't until after they had finished that Kisame spoke to her.
"Do you usually fight like that?" His voice was gruff as he sat on the ground with his sword lying to his side.
Since the two did not exchange much words between each other, Sakura was surprised to hear him initiate a conversation with her, "What do you mean?"
"Brute strength," he clarified, eyes lazily roaming the field they were sitting in.
She felt her mouth open, slightly offended and annoyed at his remark, "Excuse me?"
His beady eyes looked over at her, "Your taijutsu is strong, but is that all you have? Close contact fighting with your fists?"
"Your point is?"
"Where is your ninjutsu?"
Sakura said nothing. She knew her taijutsu and chakra control were impeccable, that she could argue for. But her lack of ninjutsu? That she never really thought of. Her fighting skill never considered it.
"It's clear that you're a water and earth release, and with your chakra, you can be a bigger force than you are now. So where is it?" He continued to push.
Scrunching her eyebrows together in thought, she said to him, "I really don't know." It was an honest answer. Though she kept her ability to perform medical ninjutsu and fight, she really could not pinpoint where exactly such techniques came from.
Kisame watched as she looked down at her hands and sighed to herself. He was truthful with his words. The girl was a strong opponent, and her ability to fight was one that kept the shark-nin on his toes, but her lack of any other skill set left her at a disadvantage.
Because she relied on physically attacking, it forced her to make every situation she was in to be close-ranged. With Kisame's stature and long-ranged weapon, it made the fight for Sakura more labor intensive and difficult for her to carry-out. Though she was quick-minded and skilled at evading, if she used other methods, like ninjutsu, it would make the situation entirely easier for her.
She had potential to be more, but it was just unfortunate that her previous teachers failed to recognize that. By only honing in on her excellent chakra control, they ultimately hindered her in the end.
"If I didn't go easy on you with Samehada, you'd be even more sliced up than you are now," he stated.
Sakura shifted her eyes at him, "I'll keep that in mind for next time."
"No," he grunted to her, "if you keep fighting like that you'll make every situation more difficult for yourself. Practice ninjutsu so you can have the chance to put space in between you."
She pursed her lips together, "Where do I even start?"
Kisame raised his chin to peer at the blue-headed figure sitting a distance away from them. Also sitting on the ground, Konan silently watched the two interact with one another. He turned to Sakura, "Konan will give you some scrolls to study."
"Ah," she nodded, "uh, thank you."
Kisame did not feel the need to respond, and instead he pushed himself off the ground. With a hand reaching down to grab his sword, he dusted off his robe and signaled for them to head back to the building. Sakura wordlessly followed behind him, returning to their silent state like before.
When they reached the inside of the inn, Kisame came to a stop and instructed her to wait a moment before disappearing. A minute had passed when he returned, but this time with an item in hand.
The sharp edge of metal caught Sakura's eyes as she looked down at the katana. With a curved blade capped at the end with a wooden hilt, the sword gleamed up at her, waiting for her to take it. With his hand stretched out, Kisame extended it to her.
"Here."
Sakura hesitantly took the object, feeling the sudden heaviness weigh her arm down as she gripped it.
"Is there a reason why you're giving me this?" she wondered to him.
The shark-nin looked at her, "Learn how to use this. You need to rely on something else other than your measly kunais."
She felt her face frown at his kunai remark, but graciously accepted his advice. With a slight bow of her head, she thanked him again and returned to her room.
Like Kisame had promised, Konan delivered several scrolls for Sakura to read, all focusing on various earth and water techniques. During the times where she wasn't healing Itachi, Sakura would go out to the practice field and meditate. As she concentrated on her chakra flow and the hand-signs she weaved, she slowly felt her ninjutsu abilities increase with each practice, and her desperation of the past drift away.
Instead of the empty hole that she found herself with, her determination to strengthen her abilities and fight became her new purpose. And for a moment, she felt as if she was finally taking a step forward.
A handful of sessions continued on, mostly of Kisame supervising her ninjutsu technique and sword handling. Days of endless practicing passed until she could weave hand signs without hesitation and the weight of her sword became an extension of her arm. It was then that Kisame told her to prepare for the next training session as it was time for Sakura to show her progress and testament of her new skills.
The sun was low by the time the two met once again on the practice grounds. Unlike the previous times, Konan was nowhere in sight, leaving Sakura and Kisame alone with one another. With the wind slightly blowing Sakura's hair to her face, she stretched her arms and peered to the Akatsuki member in front of her.
Shifting Samehada to rest on his neck, he dauntingly grinned down at Sakura, slightly curious to see how she would surprise him this time.
"Remember," he began, hands playing with the grip on his sword, "it's life or death."
Though the statement had caused bumps to rise on her arms, Sakura only raised a brow at him, "I hope you choose wisely then."
He did not respond to her cheeky response and instead brought his sword down. With the tip of Samehada touching the floor, Sakura smoothly reached behind her and unsheathed her katana in return.
The two stood there, observant of each other, and waiting for any signs of movement. Sakura firmly gripped the hilt of her katana and raised it to her side. With a cock of her head and gleam in her eyes, she watched as Kisame dashed to her, making the first attack. Unlike their previous sessions, this one was truly a death match.
Her legs propelled her forward and a loud clang of metal meeting metal was heard. Sakura felt the blood in her veins roar to life as adrenaline pumped through her body. With her muscles contract from her movements and emerald eyes ablaze, Sakura was excited of what limits she could now push herself to.
Swords scraped against each other as both users pushed against them in a violent manner. Arm shaking from the weight of Kisame's force, Sakura felt her katana begin to buckle underneath the pressure of the Samehada and hastily planned her next moves. Using her small frame to her advantage, Sakura quickly pivoted and twirled her sword toward his side, aiming to slice his rib area.
Kisame roughly counteracted her attack with Samehada and moved to bring it over his head. With a heave of his upper body, the weapon came on her. Sakura used her momentum to flip herself back to dodge the sharp steel, causing it to slam on to the ground and become stuck between the cracked earth. Particles of dirt violently flew into the air, but Sakura wasted no time in attacking once again.
She leaped to the air and swung at his head. Unable to unlodge his sword, Kisame was forced to physically avoid her attack before finally regaining his weapon. As the shark's sword began to rise, Sakura forced herself to twist her body and deliver a roundhouse kick. Instead of it meeting his face, Kisame's hand roughly grabbed her foot, stopping her attack, and flung her away.
She landed in a rugged heap as her katana clattered to her side and her back harshly hit a tree, causing it to break from impact. Sakura groaned out loud, before gasping and shoving her weapon in front of her to block the oncoming strike. Kisame knew his physique had an upper hand in this battle, and unlike the other training sessions before, he was fully using it to his advantage as he pushed his weight down onto her with his sword.
Beads of sweat accumulated on Sakura's forehead and she gritted her teeth in exertion. She felt her arms start to quiver once more from the pressure, and she began drawing chakra to her legs. Focusing on her lower body, Sakura let out a grunt and kicked both feet up at Kisame's arms. One foot missed as the missing-nin shifted to the side, but the other seamlessly connected with his wrist, resulting in a loud crack and grip loosening from his sword.
Kisame hissed in pain, allowing Sakura to roll away and regain her stance. She charged, and slashed the katana at him with chakra pumping her movements. However, the male instantly recovered and easily blocked her again. Bringing on hand up, he unrelentlessly sliced at Sakura who hastily evaded before counter striking.
The screeching of both swords hitting one another cut through the air as it traveled through the wind and shook the trees that surrounded them. Sakura's hair flew wildly around her, sticking to her wet face, while she tightened her grip and jabbed forward.
The tip of her katana met skin, cutting through the side of Kisame's leg and forcing him to let out a roar. Flipping to her right, she spun her weapon behind her and swung at his dominant arm, hoping to slow him down.
Her left hand came behind the hilt of her sword, and she instantly pumped chakra to it. With a tight expression, Sakura angled her weapon over the shark's shoulder blade and slammed her strength-infused palm on the base of the hilt.
A sickening crunch of bones breaking and flesh being split apart was loudly heard as half of her blade became embedded into Kisame's shoulder. The red and black cloak which covered his body now exposed his blue skin that was now deeply saturated in blood.
"You're fast," he lowly chuckled, "I'll give you that."
Before Sakura could remove her sword from him, he viciously turned around and hurled Samehada at her. Unable to find her footing, Sakura awkwardly angled away, allowing for Kisame to successfully slice her side.
She let out a yelp of pain and fell to her back from the strength. With her hand instinctively coming to her wound to heal herself, Kisame swung again, forcing her to leap several feet away and only able to stop the bleeding.
Sakura watched as he paused in his spot. With a hand reaching behind him, Kisame grabbed the katana sticking out from his back and easily pulled it out. Unfazed by the pain and blood seeping from the injury, he locked eyes with Sakura and threw her sword to the floor.
"Don't waste your chakra on trying to fully heal," he said while looking at her side. "It'll be a shame if you need it for what's coming next."
Returning Samehada to the sash across his back, Kisame placed his hands in front of his chest and moved them together. Blue fingers intricately weaved one sign after another, signaling the summoning of jutsu and for Sakura to regain her composure.
Immediately, water had risen and accumulated behind him. Taking a step back, Sakura watched with wide eyes as the mass grew larger and loomed over them. The hair behind her neck stood in anxiousness as her mind hastily calculated the possible ways she could defend herself.
Her head turned to the trees and shook in disapproval, knowing that the timber would easily be swept away from the sheer force. She eyed her sword which had laid helplessly on the ground and knew that option was also no good. With no other way to avoid his attack, Sakura took a moment to steady herself. With a deep breath and tightened footing, she prepared herself for what came next.
At a frantic pace, her thin fingers began joining together, creating their own set of signs before she could get pulled down by the threat before her. The violent roar of rushing water surged forward, making her chest pound in return. With the menace merely a few meters away, Sakura finally completed her last sign and heaved in a deep breath of air.
With chakra flowing to her feet and rooting her to the ground, two fingers came to her lips as a great force of water erupted from her mouth and outward at her opponent. With her own body of water quickly gaining momentum and volume, it forcefully collided with Kisame's wave and impeded it, successfully preventing it from reaching Sakura and moving any further.
Both bodies crashing into one another defended the surrounding area with an exploding boom of fighting currents. Since the two jutsus were equally matched in power, the fight had abruptly turned into a waiting game of who could prevail the longest.
Sakura felt the burn her body had started to feel as she strained it to hold her attack. Legs tighten, arms stiff, and mind strictly concentrated on her opponent, she compelled the water from her mouth to preserve its force despite how much energy was being drained.
Barely a second had passed before Kisame suddenly halted his attack and allowed his jutsu to instantly dissolve. Because of the lack of obstructiving force, Sakura's jutsu pushed its way to Kisame, who leaped to the side.
Rows of trees fell to its demise as her water forcefully pushed its way in the direction of where Kisame one stood at. Realizing that she missed her target, Sakura stopped her charge and turned to where he leaped to.
Instead of finding Kisame there, however, a large dragon made of water barrelled toward her. The size of the animal was twice the amount of water used for his first jutsu, and judging by the speed and strength coming at her, Sakura knew that contact with it would have devastating results.
Her body reactively composed a new set of hand signs to weave before she slammed her palms to the ground. The earth below her shook in turn and proceeded to quickly raise itself to create a wall to protect her. Not even a second had passed when Sakura felt the dragon slam into her newly erected barrier, causing water to spew out from the sides and a thundering howl from contact.
Kisame, who stood from his location in a nearby tree, observed the girl's actions with enthusiasm. Though he knew that her potential would be great, he never imagined her ability to reach it to be so quick. Her sword handling was refined for a beginner and even her usage of ninjutsu was surprisingly superb for a person who only relied on taijutsu.
With the short time that was given to her, Sakura had already made great leaps from the leaf-ninja Akatsuki had encountered in the past. Though training her was never his initial plan, Kisame felt a slight sense of satisfaction knowing that he had a hand in creating a much more challenging force to reckon with. But as he watched the sheer force of his jutsu obliterate the earth barrier Sakura summoned, he knew she was still a target that could be taken down.
Harsh cracks appeared on the wall, allowing pieces to completely falter and crumble as more water pushed its way in. Sakura let out a growl of frustration as she tried to hold everything together. As the pressure of Kisame's attack increased, the wall protecting her collapsed and swept her away. Unable to anchor herself to the ground, Sakura choked out a scream and was pulled under the current.
Still perched in the tree, Kisame waited for any signs of movement from her. One minute, two, and then three had passed with no signs of Sakura recovering. Kisame scoffed to himself and languidly leaped down to the training grounds.
His feet casually strolled to the area of now fallen trees and scattered wood. The once dry dirt ground that they walked on was now a flooded floor with chunks of earth upheaved and moved. Kisame's narrow eyes silently scanned his surroundings as he approached the location where Sakura's body would have ended up. Knowing the amount of chakra that he poured into that attack, he was prepared to find her in a comatose state.
But instead of finding her unconscious body where he expected it to be, the shark-nin only found empty ground. A wave of confusion washed over him, and he wrinkled his face as he looked around. Even though he had fully calculated this attack, the possibility of her body being pushed to another spot is likely. After glancing around one more time, he grunted to himself and started walking again.
Without getting a single step forward, an almost inaudible footstep was heard and a body suddenly appeared to the right of him. Kisame's eyes widened in shock, and his hand reached behind him to unsheath Samehada.
Two fingers just managed to graze the hilt of his sword before a fist came crashing down on his chest. With bright emerald eyes blazing at him, Sakura bared her teeth at Kisame and forced as much chakra into her hand and behind her attack.
Kisame's body caved underneath the stress from Sakura's strike, and for a moment his vision had failed him, turning to black as searing pain enveloped his body. A tremendous boom resounded, bouncing off of him in shockwaves and created a crater triple the size of Kisame. As his back was pushed into the ground, clumps of earth flung itself upward and dust mingled in the surrounding air.
Sakura stood with heaving lungs and bruised limbs, glaring down at him. Her lungs barely managed to inhale air, and her legs cried out to her for them to rest. Letting out a loud sigh, she wrung the water out from her hair, and peered at Kisame's body.
Her hands froze in her hair once her eyes made contact with his. Though completely battered and sprawled onto the broken ground, the shark only looked up at her with an unsettling grin. The space between Sakura's forehead wrinkled in reaction as Kisame chuckled at her.
"You're ready."
