Chapter 5 – Accepting
Sakura stood looking over her sister as she slept peacefully in the crib. The girl would grow up not knowing the love of her parents. All Sakura could offer was the closeness of a sister, a kunoichi sister no less. In this profession you never knew when your life could be forfeit; could she subject her sister to a life with such uncertainty hanging over her?
Sakura shook her head. Best not to think about these sorts of things right now. Her mind was troubled enough as it was.
Satisfied that Yuri was sleeping peacefully, Sakura turned around and walked down to the dining room. The house was silent, more so than it had right to be. It would remain that way from now on, too. She sat down and stared blankly at the table.
The letter still lay there, unread, in the same spot Kakashi had left it earlier that day. She could not bring herself to feel the sorrow that was to be expected. Not a tear had been shed, nor a sob uttered. She contented herself by glancing woodenly at the letter, wondering why the emotions would not come.
It was in this position that she heard a faint knock at her door. Turning she glanced at the clock. Three in the morning. Who would be up at such an hour?
She stood and walked toward the entrance. Whoever it was, they would take her mind off her troubles, however briefly.
She opened the door and stared into the night. Sharp blue eyes looked back at her.
Naruto. She had wanted to sit down and speak to him for quite a while, but the opportunity to talk alone never presented itself. Now here he was, at her house for the second time in the past 24 hours. Looks like all it took to get his attention was a great tragedy—hers, no less.
"Hi, Sakura-chan. Could I come in?" he asked.
She nodded and led him into the house. When team seven made their visit earlier in the morning they had not stayed long. The three men left shortly after delivering the news. This sort of loss was not something they could understand.
She had toyed with the idea of being angry with them for not staying to comfort her in such a moment of need, but had discarded the idea just as quickly. She had to come up with her own ways of handling the pain. Nevertheless, she was glad that Naruto was here now.
Working quickly she brewed up some tea and set two cups down on the table. Satisfied, she sat waiting for him to speak.
He remained silent, watching her intently. This was not the same look she had seen on Sasuke's face during their dates; instead it was more questioning, somehow both warmer and colder at the same time.
He remained so until Sakura chose to interrupt the silence, "It should hurt," she whispered.
He looked satisfied as he nodded, "Yeah, I think so too."
Sakura took a moment to stare at Naruto. It was the first time he had truly spoken to her since that night.
Ignoring the stare directed at him, Naruto spoke. "You'll learn to feel more later on though. We all do. It's one hell of a release when it comes."
Though Sakura showed no visible reaction, inside she was shocked. In one phrase he explained so many of the questions that had been plaguing her for so long.
"What is – Us?" she asked cautiously.
In response he grinned, "What do you want us to be?"
Though she was sure there was a double meaning behind the question, she chose to remain sullen.
Seeing that his attempt to lighten the mood failed, he looked up at the ceiling, suddenly lost in thought.
"You know, Sakura-chan, that's an interesting question. What I am, and what you're going to be is... Well… Us," he spoke the last word in a way she had never heard before. It was as if eons of wisdom had become condensed into that single syllable, overwhelming her.
The illusion was shattered when he shrugged, "I dunno how to explain it. Not without quoting some old, dusty guys, and sure as hell not in a way you can really get it." He waved his hand dismissively, "Don't worry Sakura-chan, you'll know when you need to."
She turned her thoughts over while he remained in his position.
"How about two warnings though," he offered. "First, don't make promises you're not ready to keep; they always come back to kick you in the ass. Don't underestimate how important things are either. I'm sure I don't need to tell you this now, but sometimes what's most precious to you is something you took for granted all along. We simply stand lose a lot more than the everyone else."
Sakura looked at Naruto carefully, "Did you…?"
"Yes," he replied suddenly, looking straight into her eyes, "yes I did."
She absently noted that Naruto looked much cuter with blue eyes, than the color he sported now. Really... really… real…..
A muffled thump echoed through the room as Sakura's head hit the table, the girl completely asleep.
"You need to take care of yourself, Sakura-chan. Everyone has to sleep sometime. You don't think things through well enough when you're tired," he chided her.
He cleared the table and picked her up, taking her to her room. After she was lying in bed he took a few minutes to look at her form. It was probably best she didn't remember this meeting; his warning would serve well enough as a dream. He would not risk her because of his own mistake.
"Nighty night. Sakura-chan," he said, running a finger across her forehead, "and you too, Yuri-chan."
Satisfied that the Harunos were both safely in bed he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Now alone in Sakura's house he leaned against the wall.
"Damn," he sighed. "Damn it all."
The weather had changed overnight. Where the previous day had been bright and sunny, clouds now threatened to bring down torrents of rain on Konoha.
Sakura thought this appropriate, for her mood was just as stormy. Tomorrow she would attend her parents' funeral. She would look upon their names, carved into the stone, perhaps even run her fingers along the deep grooves as she had seen Kakashi do at times. She would not, though, feel sorrow, anger, or anything at all, really. Her mood was dark.
She wanted those feelings. They were natural, yet she could not experience them.
She had fed Yuri quite recently, and was now thinking of going out to let her mind wander away from her own troubles. She had refrained earlier, afraid that the pity she would see from all of her friends would simply serve to kindle her own anger. That was one of the few emotions that did not seem to suffer from her predicament. The silence was getting to her though, and she needed some interaction before she went crazy.
Her eyes fell once again upon the fateful letter. It seemed to be taunting her, goading her to open it up and read the words she had been avoiding. Angrily she grabbed at the paper, crumpling it in the process. Unfolding it, she noted that it was almost exactly as she had imagined.
One part in particular caught her attention. Since when had she been cleared for classified level 3? Last she checked, she did not even rate a 5. Something felt off about the situation, but her mind was now busy with a wide assortment of new possibilities. The letter did not mention anything about the killers. They could still be at large. Perhaps a trip to Records really was in order.
After checking to make sure Yuri was sleeping peacefully, Sakura headed to the front door.
A small part of her wondered if this was really such a good idea—a part that was efficiently silenced by the rest of her mind. Anger, after all, was not the only emotion she could feel. As she closed the front door, the only word in her mind was vengeance.
Briskly, she walked the familiar path toward the Hokage's tower. The people on the way paid her no heed. In a ninja town like Konoha death was such a common occurrence that news of it posed little interest to the average folk. This suited Sakura perfectly. She was on a mission now, one that she did not want to be disturbed from.
"Sakura!"
She nearly snarled as she turned toward the source. Ino stood a few feet away, her face unreadable. The two had not seen each other in a while, though Sakura would have really enjoyed the other girl's company at many times in the past few months. Now however her presence was more a distraction than anything else.
"Ino," she replied evenly. It felt strange not to hear their pet names, but she wanted to get to the tower. Noting the coldness, the blonde girl favored Sakura with a deep look. "Would you like to go get some tea?" She asked.
Not seeing any simple reasons to refuse, Sakura nodded and followed Ino in the opposite direction of the tower.
They found a small café hidden on a side branch off the main road. The place was nearly deserted, quite perfect for the serious discussion they were about to have. Getting two cups from the owner, they sat in a corner and waited for one or the other to start.
"How are you holding up?" Asked Ino, finally tired of the silence. "I only heard today, and I couldn't believe something like this would happen."
Sakura nodded, "It did anyway, didn't it."
Ino was taken aback at this cold attitude, but chose not to comment.
"It doesn't make sense, none of this does," said Sakura, words beginning to pour out, "They were always peaceful people, loyal to the village, neither rich nor poor. Just your average family. Then something like this happens, and all that is for nothing. Now I can't even cry. I've been living like this for so many years, and now it's all gone. You want to know how I'm holding up? I'll tell you how, Tomorrow is their fuckin funeral Ino. You understand that, TOMORROW I BURY MY PARENTS!" Sakura leaned back in her chair. Her outburst had attracted the attention of the owner and the few other patrons; each was now watching her curiously, wondering if the girl would have anything more to add.
Calming her breathing, Sakura bowed her head, "Sorry about that Ino. Everything is rushing in all at once. These emotions aren't what I should be feeling."
Slightly surprised at her mood swings, Ino nodded. "It's okay, Sakura. I wish I could say I understood, but this pain is something that I simply can't grasp. I want you to know though, if you need me, as a friend, as a sister, or even as a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you."
This was something new for Sakura. This was not the pity she was expecting. Instead, she received understanding, even if only to a small degree. "Alright, Ino-chan, I'll take you up on that someday."
The two girls spent the next few minutes in silence, enjoying each other's company, and the calm atmosphere.
At last Sakura's mission reasserted itself in her mind. Though the rest helped lighten her desire for vengeance, it had not even started to pass.
"Thanks for all this Ino-chan, it means a lot to me. I have to go though, I really need to see something, something important," she trailed off.
Ino looked at her curiously, but then nodded. "All right Sakura-chan, don't do anything that you'd come to regret," she gave a warm smile. It had been a while since the two had used those pet names, but now they were back, perhaps for good.
As Sakura got up she muttered under her breath, "Even pain is better than this."
"What was that?" asked Ino, looking up from the table.
"I said get Sasuke for both of us. Me and him are through after all," she lied, ignoring what may have been guilt. It was time to do something extreme, and it was best Ino did not know.
As she walked out of the Café her cold mask returned. Somewhere ahead of her loomed the tower of records, and in there the truth she so desired.
The hall of records had not changed much since Sakura last stepped in there. Still the same old book smell, still the pale head librarian, still the stony quiet interrupted only by sudden yells in the Records dialect. It was her that was different.
She walked up to the desk, clutching the fateful note in her fist. The librarian raised her head, waiting for the inevitable request.
"I would like to request all information on a file related to this notice," she said, not a hint of hesitation in her voice.
The lady at the desk took the paper, reading over it carefully.
"Ahh yes, Haruno-san," she said, "You're expected, believe it or not. Quite rare to see such a jump in clearance, some interesting circumstances here no doubt," she trailed off, looking at a large book on her desk.
Sakura realized that an explanation of said circumstances was not to be forthcoming, so she simply stood back, waiting for the file.
Finally, the librarian looked up at her. "Since this is your first visit at this clearance you probably do not know of the rules regarding such documents." It was not a question.
Sakura nodded nonetheless.
"These documents may hold some of the highest secrets of Konoha, therefore every file you may ever see in this room will never leave it. I'm sure I don't need to explain to you what would happen if something went missing," the threat was impossible to miss. "Of course since the Hokage feels you are ready to have such responsibility there won't be any issues."
Sakura nodded mutely. All the previous times she had been in here the librarian had never shown much in the way of emotions, and certainly never any mistrust. Now it was so incredibly obvious. This new clearance would be interesting.
The librarian continued, "Clearly many of these documents are important enough that they contain information even someone fully cleared might not need to know, therefore any time you request information a detailed report on the purpose of the inquiry should be submitted."
Sakura's heart sank. How would she explain her desire to track the last few minutes of her parents' life, to find those responsible and avenge them in the most direct way possible? The librarian, ignoring the girl's inner turmoil, continued.
"Finally, and most importantly, you… will… be… silent."
At that Sakura stared incredulously at the woman, before giggling to herself. "Yes M'am. I understand."
The librarian treated the girl with an even look before reaching into her desk. "The Hokage has cleared these files for your viewing. I'm sure you want to get to it."
Heading to the reading room, Sakura looked at the endless shelves of the Hall. Every one of them represented an event, some important, others not. How many deaths were stored in these halls, how many murders...
Finally she was safely in the quiet reading room. Sitting down in a chair she opened the file and began to read.
ANBU-Investigation report 921829
Subjects were found at grid location NS-72 Konoha map, having traveled by foot from the main road, where two horses were found dead. Both possessed signs of melee kunai wounds. Signs of a brief struggle were also present. Autopsy revealed presence of several unaccounted for chemicals. Assault appears to have been carried out by a group of at least nine Chunnin level or higher ninja. Residue chakra signatures suggest an involvement of highly specialized water nin. No further identification is possible as no jutsus were utilized during the attack. A full analysis of the findings follows, and cross references ANBU-Intelligence report 325812.
Briefly Sakura looked through the other sheets in the folder; one slightly censored paper bore the heading of ANBU-Intelligence and spoke of investigations into the activities of Hidden Village of the Mist. Numerous other documents, each dealing with more mist investigations and several terrain analyses. At last there was the event analysis that she most interested in. Her heart started to beat a bit faster.
She lifted the paper and lay it down before her. She needed to know what they knew. She needed the truth.
Briefly she closed her eyes and…
…She was running through the forest, her husband a step behind her. Something had taken out their horses with kunai and was now giving chase. At first the steps of their pursuers were close behind them, but now it seemed that the pair had lost them.
"Yasuo, what in the world was that?" She asked frantically, "What do they want with us?"
Her husband merely shook her head and put a finger to her lips. "Don't worry Akina, I'm sure they're just bandits."
Even though neither of the pair had any formal ninja training, living in a Hidden Village taught them how to defend themselves. Bandits would not be too much trouble, especially considering how easily they had outpaced them.
Breathing heavily, they waited for pursuit, each clutching a dagger . Several minutes passed and still there was nothing. The pair began to relax.
"We should keep going," whispered Yasuo. "Maybe they gave up and went after another target. If we get to Konoha soon we can warn the ANBU guard and have them flushed out."
They were off again, this time quieter, slower. Every few minutes they would pause to listen for signs of pursuit, but luckily there were none. They made good time towards Konoha, their breaths condensing in the chilled night air. With just a few miles left to go they came upon a small clearing. A huge cherry tree stood in the center, like a monument to some long forgotten event.
Yasuo noticed his wife was starting to breathe heavily. Normally this sort of trip would be nothing, but she had but a month ago been pregnant. She was still not quite up to her usual status.
"Akina? Love? Let's stop here for a bit. I'm sure we've lost them"
She turned toward him and nodded gratefully. "Still, it's so strange to see bandits this close to Konoha," she said, leaning back against the tree. "Do you think Sakura-chan will have some tea ready for us? I'll need it to calm down after all that."
Yasuo nodded. "I'm sure she'll be waiting, you know how she always is…" he trailed off. "Although these days something's been off."
She nodded. "It's been an interesting time to be a girl. The boy she loves came back, and the demon finally lay off her a bit."
Her husband winced, but said nothing. It was often a point of disagreement between them whether Naruto could be trusted. Yasuo felt that the boy had proven himself to be more than honorable, but he knew that his wife would never be able to trust something that caused that much destruction, especially near her precious daughter.
They spent a few minutes in silence before both were too cold.
"Let's head ou-" Yasuo trailed off. She turned toward him, wondering what was wrong.
Suddenly a sharp pain ripped though her gut, "AKIN-AUGH!"
She struggled to open her eyes and saw her husband on the ground, clutching at his shoulder.
"But by all means, keep talking." It was a cold voice, colder than any ANBU she had spoken too.
Her eyes glazed with pain, she looked towards the source of the voice. A cloaked figure stood there, several more moving in the shadows behind him.
"You were just beginning to get to the more interesting parts."
She caught her breath, trying to tune out the pain. "What do you want from us?"
The man shrugged. "Me? I want you to talk, then I want you to die."
With that he grabbed a kunai and stabbed it through Yasuo's chest.
She could only stare in mute horror as her husband lifted his eyes and looked at her. The only thing she could see within them was an apology, and then even that faded.
"NOOO!" She yelled, finding new strength and rushing at the man. She did not see him move to deflect, but suddenly an even sharper pain in her hand joined the searing pain in her gut. She looked at it, only to see a bloody stump.
Shock set in as she fell to her knees, barely having enough strength to stop her fall.
"Now then talk, I want to know everything about that… Demon."
She remained silent, not able to speak even if she wanted to.
The man noticed, and snapped his fingers., "Flame, jog her…"
One of the men in the background stepped forward, holding a vial of a glowing blue liquid. He roughly grabbed her head, and upended the content into her mouth, following up with a sharp blow to her back, which made her swallow everything.
A cold feeling filled her entire body. She shuddered involuntarily and then stilled.
"Now then," the leader started again, "I want to know everything."
She looked up and…
Looked straight into a black eye.
"Kakashi-sensei!" she jumped back. Sheets went flying everywhere.
"There you are Sakura! We've been going crazy trying to find you! I sent Naruto to your house and Sasuke to ask all of your friends, but the Hokage suggested I check here."
Sakura blushed faintly. Whatever she had experienced, it was best she keep it to herself for now. "I'm sorry sensei. I just wanted something to take my mind off…" she trailed off.
Kakashi nodded, looking over her shoulder. A sheet mentioning a Mist Village investigation was lying haphazardly on the table, clearance rank clearly visible.
"I guess you got the evil librarian talk?" he coughed.
Sakura nodded hesitantly.
Kakashi waved his hand dismissively, "She's like that for all the first timers, don't let it get to you."
Meanwhile Sakura gathered up fallen papers, and dumped them into the folder. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei. I'm done here now so let's go find those two troublemakers. I could use some cheering up."
Kakashi favored her with an apprising glance and nodded. She was holding up quite well, all things considered. Some time with her friends would definitely help.
The Haruno funeral the next day was a quiet affair. All of the former rookie teams had gathered, most out of respect for Sakura than any mourning of the deceased. Sakura stood in front of the stone, holding Yuri close to her chest. It was hard to believe she was having such a final goodbye when she was so young, but she held on. Looking around she examined those who had showed up.
Hinata stood behind the small crowd next to Neji and Ten-Ten, all of whom looked rather solemn. They each liked the Haruno girl to varying degrees, though all agreed that this loss was something too much for her to experience this early.
Gai and Lee both were on the verge of tears, each no doubt thinking about Sakura's diminished flame, or some such nonsense. Thankfully neither displayed their common talkative selves, for which Sakura was infinitely grateful.
Kiba and Shino both stood near the back. Neither had known Sakura or the Haruno family well, but she was still a friend, and deserved their support.
Ino stood next to Sakura, holding her shoulder reassuringly. Off to their left Shikamaru and Chouji stood. Having Ino for a teammate, they could not help but feel closer to the Haruno girl, thus both looked forward with heavy eyes.
Even Asuma and Kurenai had made an appearance.
Finally team seven. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi flanked Sakura on all sides, none daring to touch her, yet letting no one but Ino close.
Several other people had come, most friends of the Haruno couple, though a few ninjas and even two ANBU were present in the back.
Tsunade stood at the head, two pictures set on the stones, which soon would be covered in white flowers.
"We will now be starting the funeral for two citizens killed in the line of action," she spoke, signaling the gong to ring.
"They were good people, ones I knew quite well due to my apprentice." She inclined her head at Sakura. "In the course of investigations we have found that they exhibited bravery when faced with odds they stood no chance of beating. Therefore, their names will be added to the memorial stones with all of the fallen heroes of this village."
Once again the gong sounded.
Sakura watched as everyone began the long procedure of paying respects to the fallen, each laying a flower on the stone, and saying a quick prayer. She wanted to say something, do something. Perhaps she wanted to cry, or even deny it had happened, but all she could do was stand and watch.
Naruto favored her with a distant look. Feeling his gaze she returned one in kind.
They spent a few seconds staring into each other's eyes before Naruto looked toward the sky. 'Cry' he mouthed, and cry it did, the rain coming down upon the small gathering, blanketing the village in sheets of cool water.
Sakura nodded thankfully at Naruto, though what prompted her to do it she did not know.
And at last it was her turn to step up to the memorial. She did so with no hesitation in her step. These were her parents, and she'd be damned if she showed them they raised a weak girl. In her arms Yuri looked quietly at the pictures; it was not hard to believe she understood what was going on, but that was certainly not the case.
Two roses were added to the small pile and at last Sakura bowed her head. There would be reckoning, she thought. And then she would live, and make the memory of her parents proud.
That night found Sakura leaping from tree to tree, a destination burned into her mind. Where many would have found the silence perfect she could not help but hear every minute sound. A bird shuffled in a tree, a faint breeze moved a few branches. As she neared her destination the sounds seemed to grow louder, clearer. The light too seemed to grow brighter with each step, and even now she could tell the color of every leaf on the ground.
Already she was nearing the spot on the map where the bodies were found. A chill started to rise as she got closer to the spot, though she did not care to notice where it was coming from. Suddenly there was a feeling of being followed, and she spun around, throwing three kunai into the most obvious concealment places. Each hit wood, and left her muttering out a growl. It would not be that easy, she knew.
On a whim she sniffed the air, and smelled something almost sweet. Whatever it was, she was almost there.
With each step she knew she was getting closer to the fateful spot, and with each step her thirst for revenge grew.
At last she came to a clearing, flash frozen blades of grass around her snapping like twigs as she walked through them, which did not concern her in the slightest. It was at this moment the feeling of being watched returned. Once again she twisted around and let loose the kunai, the chill evaporating instantly.
This time the kunai did not hit trees, as ten figures jumped from the shadow, blocking the weapons.
"Hmph, a ninja?" spoke a familiar voice, "No matter."
Her rage had chosen that instant to evaporate, and leave her hanging. Now acting solely on reflex she rushed the man that had spoken, trying to punch him with her augmented strength. He avoided both of her attacks, and jumped over her kick, leaving her overextended. Realizing her peril she tried to jump to the side, and was happily assisted by a strong kick.
Sliding on the grass she lost her footing and had to drop into a roll, barely recovering control of her body.
"Pitiful girl, so pitiful."
Again she rushed him, trying to catch him in the jaw, and again he dodged, slipping out of range at the last second.
He did not expect her to follow up with a spinning backhand. She grinned victoriously as she felt her hand connect, though that grin died a painful death when she realized that all she had accomplished with the attack was to shatter his mask. His face was rough and unshaven. Several scars ran from his mouth, and his eyes were a rough black, promising pain.
"Well now, I guess you'll have to die, bitch. Can't have you babbling what I look like."
A few of the men standing behind him guffawed. "Need some help with the little girl, Smoke?"
The man glared back at them before throwing a vicious haymaker at her gut. Fortunately she had seen it coming and fell backwards, aiming a kick for his crotch. The man proved to have much better control than an average brawler and stopped short, grabbing her leg as it came down.
Her eyes wide, Sakura desperately punched at his exposed leg, causing his grip to falter for a second. This was all she needed as she pushed off, and found herself lying on the ground.
With a bestial roar she rose, executing a perfect uppercut. Or what would have been perfect had the man not caught her arm.
"This is boring, bitch. How about we have a chat instead?"
Suddenly she found him behind her, holding a kunai to her throat.
She could smell it, her blood on the kunai. It was a strangely intoxicating smell, reminding her of something hanging just outside her reach.
"Doesn't she remind you of that last pair we killed?" Wondered one of the masked men, peering curiously at her. "These Konoha idiots don't know when to stop."
The remaining men barked out a laugh.
The one holding her growled for attention. "Well girl, here's your chance for a quick death. Tell us everything you know of the guard patterns. If I'm satisfied I'll make it nice and quick." He paused to glance at the rest of the company, which was starting to check her out. "Perhaps after we show you the night of your life." The last part was said with a rather lecherous undertone.
Sakura remained silent, considering what she could do and coming up blank.
The silence reigned for a long minute, until the leader decided it was time to do something to jog her memory, "Maybe you'll talk after, stupid bitch." For an instant she felt the kunai leave her throat and heard the sound of fabric being ripped. In the next moment she found herself pushed to the ground, the man's hand beginning to handle her in ways only he could ever consider erotic. Through all this the even look in her eyes never faded. The feeling was so much closer now, it was as if all she had to do was reach out and grab it.
The man's hands were beginning to grip at her bindings, before getting frustrated and lifting the kunai from Sakura's neck and moving it to her chest. As she watched the action a smell caught her attention, one she had not noticed before due to the overpowering smell of her own blood. She felt the cold of the blade on her chest, and at the same time tried to understand why this smell was so familiar.
Done with her bindings, her captor began to move the weapon back to her neck, an in that instant she realized what it was she was missing. The smell was blood, not her own but one so very close. It was at this very spot that she lost the two people in the world that she loved more than anything.
A pain spread through her hand, and she belatedly realized she was gripping the attacker's kunai by the blade. Surprise registered for an instant on his face, before training kicked in and he tried to pull the blade out of her hand. The blade, though bathed in blood would not move an inch.
For Sakura time seemed to slow to a crawl.
"What the fuck?" He yelled as he tried to jump up in order to get some distance from the crazed girl. The others were instantly on alert.
He did not get the chance to evade; the instant he moved she did too. Her other hand grabbed hold just below the man's elbow while the first slid lower to grip his hand. Training kicked in and she found herself soaring over his head, having rolled out from under him and pushed off the ground with all of her might.
Looseness in one of her hands told her the task she had set had been accomplished. Still in the air she set her feet, and inexplicably they found purchase. She looked up then, and for the first time gazed into her enemy's eyes. They were black and battle hardened. Surprise and shock had started to register, and she knew soon pain would be there too.
A sharp crack reached her ears, and out of the corner of her eyes she saw the splinters of bone stabbing roughly through the crippled arm.
Without thinking she pulled back the hand that had been gripping his. Her legs expanded and she was flying past him, her hand slicing through the air for his unbroken arm. Twice her hand moved, each time striking harmlessly below the shoulder. Unnoticed, two black seals faded into existence on what was once clear skin.
Then she was past him, hurtling head first toward the soft ground. With an almost unconscious gesture, she spun around in the air, aiming a chop at the man's neck. The opponent proved himself to be better than an average ninja, and fell forward on instinct. The chop whistled past, barely missing his neck. Believing the assault to be over he fought through the pain to turn around, yelling orders to his companions. "Mov-"
Whatever he was going to say was cut off as all the air was forcefully pushed out of his lungs, and at the same instant a sharp pain from the right side of his chest joined the already blinding pain in his arm. His body went flying toward a nearby tree, leaving a crater from the impact.
Sakura stood on the forest floor, one palm out in what was the end an incredibly vicious palm strike and the other behind her back, completing the stance. Taking a deep breath she unwound, standing to her full height, the state of her undress not even registering in her mind.
For an instant there was silence, interrupted by groaning from the fallen leader. All this had happened in less than a second. The girl regarded her opponents, each of whom seemed to just now begin registering the events. The smell of blood was stronger now, and not all her own.
Then they were upon her, ready to beat her into submission, or failing that, death.
Sensing danger Sakura dropped into a roll, her foot lashing out at the last second and smashing into something solid, a satisfying crunch telling her all she needed to know. Flowing with the strike, she hooked her foot behind whatever she had hit and pushed with all of her might. The faint whistling in the air was ignored as she went flying back in the direction of her origin, behind her the sound of weapons piercing flesh rang out clearly.
Again she found herself in the air, flying very fast at another ninja. The look or surprise barely registered on his face when she grabbed his shoulder, feeling her fingers sink deeper than logic dictated they should. Flipping around the man's shoulder she found herself standing and the man flying into one of his allies, yelling in pain.
A breeze rushed past her head; focusing her attention on the blood pumping in her ears, she was feeling more alive than she had for months.
The brief stillness almost cost her, and she had to spin around, parrying a kunai aimed for her back. In the same move she grabbed the dagger and threw it toward another incoming projectile. This was no time to enjoy the moment.
The youngest of the group had seen his allies begin a ranged attack and chose that time to catch the girl off guard. This proved to be a costly mistake as he found an elbow in his face followed by a knee in his gut.
Sakura pushed off the downed man, jumping into the air as he slammed hard into the ground, absolutely winded.
Once again the whistling was back. With no opponent to snag nearby she had no choice but to grab her knees and fold into a roll. Her opponents had not predicted this maneuver and the thrown weapons continued their course through the air unhindered by flesh. Sakura on the other hand had hit the ground, and instantly uncoiled like a wound up spring. She knew instinctively that her opponents would soon regain their thoughts, and begin to harass her with ranged chakra attacks. Already she was gathering her own energy into what would become the inevitable retaliation. Her eyes found the nearest source of chakra, and she was off, aiming a precision strike at the center of the gathering energy.
The fool who had been her kicking platform before had recovered, and started to form chakra for a jutsu. When he saw Sakura coming at him his courage failed and he jumped into the air, hoping to avoid another unpleasant trip. He was quite lucky; a double finger strike bit into his leg, throwing him into a sudden spin. The alternative would have been much more grisly. Nonetheless, the man's mistake had led him directly into an ice based attack fired by one of his allies, freezing the joint of his uninjured leg, and leaving him unable to land safely. As he fell toward the ground and the inevitable pain, he saw the air above him compress and violently expand. The resulting explosion dazed both him and the man who launched the ice jutsu.
This time Sakura did not stop during the brief lull. Already enough of her energy had been gathered, and she performed the first technique that came to her mind, a nameless jutsu that she had made up on the spot. Had she been in a more aware state Sakura would have balked at the unlikeliness of her creating a technique in the heat of combat, but in the moment her hands flew into an unfamiliar seal. A loud crack sounded directly behind her, followed by an agonized scream.
The leader had overcome his pain, and had been in the process of sneaking up on the unaware girl when his good arm suddenly exploded in earth-shattering agony. He could do nothing to hold back a yell, and watch in horror as his quarry spun around, aware of his presence.
Sakura dropped, finding purchase in the ground and almost flew away from the man that had been holding her some seconds earlier. He was completely crippled, one arm shattered by her earlier escape, the other by whatever jutsu she had performed in the heat of the moment.
Once again, they found themselves staring into each other's eyes. The message was clear. It was time for the fighting to end. It was time for someone to fall.
The energy she had been gathering suddenly released itself, flowing out of her body and into the sky. Letters she had never seen glowed an unearthly hue in the air around them, and even the remaining conscious ninja stopped short to stare at the spectacle. Moving her body on instinct she dropped into a loose stance, both her hands held out to her sides with three fingers raised toward the sky. At her command the letters shattered, sending blinding sparks flying in every direction. Something within her was awake now, something that wanted blood. Lost in the moment she looked within herself to see what it was, and knew without a doubt that it was nothing but her true self.
Once more she found herself changing stances, this time a hand hovering over her shoulder, ready to defend, while the hand she had less than a minute ago used to grab a kunai, now perfectly healed, was poised to strike. She looked one last time into her opponent's eyes. They had stopped showing pain or hate. Stopped any emotion but the calm acceptance. This was not what she focused on. Instead she saw her own reflection in those eyes, herself standing majestically surrounded by a halo of flowing sparks almost like the wings on an angel, her hand ready to deliver a final blow.
And her eyes were blacker than the darkest night sky.
Above the battle a cherry tree stood regally. Flowers had just started to appear on its branches. A single blossom, perfectly formed even this early in the spring, graced the branch above the combatants. In that eternal instant between one moment and the next something, perhaps Sakura's unsealing technique, perhaps the aura of power overwhelming the field, or perhaps even the simple truth of a gentle breeze, unsettled one of the petals. It flew gently downward, swaying but slightly in the peaceful air. It was after all just a flower petal, nothing to cry over.
Sakura struck, her hand flowing through the strike in a mutability she had seen but once before. A lone sakura petal fell victim to the unstoppable force of her attack, and at last she stared at the fading sparks behind her opponent, his body almost held in an embrace if not for the fact that one of her arms was piercing through his heart.
The smell of blood was absolute now, though now none of it was hers. She pulled back, spinning towards her remaining opponents, all of them staring at her in horror. She felt alive, more so than ever. A pang of pleasure ran through her body. Yet at the same time she felt sorrow, greater than any that she had ever thought possible. A lone tear traced the path down her cheek, and at last, she heedlessly thought she understood what Naruto was trying to say.
The sound of a corpse hitting the ground came from behind her, shaking both her and her opponents out of all thought. There was still a battle to be fought. She fell into a familiar stance, and beckoned them to come…
Sakura woke to the feeling of her bed beneath her. For a few instants she lay, trying to understand the dream she had just experienced: Pain, rage, and then… blood, so much blood. The memories of her venture the previous night suddenly came back into perfect focus. Every move, the sensation of elation as she took her first life and the bliss that followed every one after. Even now the memory was almost orgasmic. A piece of her mind wanted to deny that the memory was real, but her entire body knew it to be true.
At last she opened her eyes. A familiar ceiling greeted her, almost cheerfully reflecting the light coming through her window. She stood and idly noticed she was clean, no blood splatters or scorch marks marring her body. She was dressed in a loose fitting shirt and shorts. Briefly she wondered at the flowing crest that adorned one of the sleeves, but it was of no consequence.
She walked downstairs, noting that Yuri had been fed as she passed her room.
Sitting at the kitchen table was Naruto, his hands steepled in front of him, his gaze regarding her, unwavering.
She walked forward and sat across the table from him, not knowing what else to do.
They remained like this for several minutes, until Naruto moved. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew a small, white bead. Looking at it he nodded and tossed it to her.
She caught it deftly and stared at it curiously. It seemed to call out to her, almost as if it knew it belonged to her. Noting the string passing through the center she raised her hand to her hair and tied it to a loose bang.
"Congratulations, Sakura-chan."
Her hand was still touching the bead, wondering what it meant.
"Congratulations on first blood."
And at last, all of the events of the past day, past week, and even the past year hit her, all at once.
"WHY!" She yelled suddenly jumping at Naruto, a runed dagger appearing in her hand, aimed for his throat.
"WHY ME!"
Naruto calmly caught the offending hand, and looked straight into her eyes, "Because you wanted this. Sakura-chan."
Sakura dropped to the floor, realizing what he said, and at last… She cried, feeling the sorrow she had been denied for so long.
Heart wrenching sobs were torn from the fallen girl. The dagger fell from her hand and evaporated into mist.
She curled up, sobbing, letting the pressure that had built over the year release itself. The changes, the knowledge, the death of her parents, and her first kill... Her first kill had been but a few hours ago, and now she knew that so many others would follow. It was her fate, and for that she cried.
Naruto kneeled next to her and put his arms around her in a comforting hug, gathering her into his lap. Normally she would have punched him and started screaming, but now it was all she could to latch on to him and continue crying in sorrow for what she would never have again. A hand stroked her hair, for hours, until at last she was asleep.
Naruto looked down at the young girl in his arms. She had been reborn, and with her first blood he knew that grand things would come for this one, known as Sakura. Three marks now adorned her cheek, and a crescent was half formed over her eye.
A battered frame clutched at the woman, her blonde hair hitting him in the face.
"WHY!" He yelled, staring at her with desperate eyes, "Why didn't you warn me?"
She looked down at him, "Because that's the way it was meant to be, my dear Naruto."
He shook off the memory. Time had all but forgotten that event, so long ago.
Instead he gathered Sakura into her arms and walked upstairs. Unheard by any ears, a whisper rang out in the empty room.
'And because, all I know is that you love her.'
Shadris Corner:
Important Shadris Houses: (Excerpt from "The Shadebourne Histories") The Shadris political structure is divided into Houses. Though the specific arrangement and types of houses will be discussed at a later date it is important to know the major players when dealing with nearly any member of the Shadris race.
The Houses of the Five: Besrai, Endrai, Elesai and Nerai. The Great Houses such as Raven. The independent Houses the likes of Everai and Joursai. The historic Houses such as Fane, Endora or Laithir, all contributing beyond measure to the history of this people.
Each of these has a rich history and great powers. It would pay to know them well.
Author's Notes:
Once again I was a lot more satisfied with this chapter after the changes. Perhaps I'll keep it as it is for now. There was mention of the SC notes being distracting, something I can understand. They are pretty important in setting up book 2 though, so I can't remove them and feel the same about the story. They also serve as little aides for cautious readers, providing a few hints into what will be coming up.
Virtual cookie for the
first one who tells me what Sakura's attack is called.
(Huge hint: I've
explicitly named it before.)
Ch. 5 – Version 1.1
Proofread by sharingank