Ch: 22 Bad Guy Philosophy


Sakura

It was mid-morning by the time they left Mrs. Yasumichi's house and headed into Yukkao's cold and busy streets once again, except this time on the way out of the city instead of into it. To say Sakura was a little confused by what Mrs. Yasumichi's words would've been the understatement of the century.

He's absolutely smitten, the woman told her.

Sakura scoffed and went down a mental checklist of drugs that would've caused an otherwise sweet and sane woman to say such a thing. The person who carried her unconscious body to the house could never, ever, not in three millennia, be Sasuke. He hadn't spoken one word to her since his questioning last night, and opted to constantly send odd glances her way as if there was something on her face that he did not like—or was it maybe just her face? How was she supposed to believe that Sasuke had positive feelings towards her?

As Sakura trekked shoulder-to-shoulder past one civilian after the next, she stared at the back of the icy son-of-a-bitch's head in disbelief, with one hand stuck on the phantom sensations on her freshly healed neck. She inched a little closer to the Jinchuriki. It did not go unnoticed by her that, here she was, seeking out the bodily warmth and protection from a vessel of gigantic chakra who, three days ago, she would've killed and neatly gift-wrapped to Akatsuki without blinking an eye. Near death experiences sure did funny things to people.

She told herself she was going to play by her own rules, but for now that only meant doing whatever she pleased, thinking independently from the agenda of an organization that did no honor to her loyalty. Being here with Team 7, as a kunoichi of Konoha, offered a temporary solution until she found another way to be repaid of the debt owed to her and her parents by the shinobi world. For now, she had relationships she could leverage, powerful heavy hitters like the Copy Ninja, Rock Lee, and Princess Tsunade in her corner. And soon, it wouldn't matter; she wouldn't need anybody once her Mitotic Regeneration technique was complete.

That was about the only reason she was on this god-awful trek to Iwa. And if she was going to freeze in these mountains, at least she wouldn't die alone.

Sakura's hand fumbled the inside pocket of her cloak where she felt the ribbon on the gift she wrapped for the Tsuchikage. The original scroll the Princess gave them was long gone by now, so the one she'd scrapped together would have to be good enough.

"What are you thinking about?"

Sakura snapped to attention, to the Jinchuriki walking next to her. "Nothing," she lied. "Just tired."

She knew he didn't believe her, but he didn't say so. "It's going to be a cold winter," the blonde said, changing the subject. He tilted his head upward and breathed a thick cloud of fog into the air.

"Yep, and we haven't even gotten to the coldest part," Sakura muttered.

"Hey, look. Watch this."

Sakura obliged, watching as the Jinchuriki took a deep breath. He brought his right hand a few inches in front of his face and exhaled. Where his foggy breath met the palm of his hand, a tiny spiral of chakra fused with carbon dioxide. It began to form the fleeting shape of a palm-sized cherry blossom.

"Mom! Look!" a passing kid shouted to his civilian mother.

"It's not polite to point," his absent-minded mother chastised as she shooed the kid's pointed finger away from their direction. She missed the flower, which had disintegrated in the air, but the kid continued to gawk.

"Where'd you learn that trick?" Sakura asked, amused.

"I didn't." The Jinchuriki looked at her face, smiling. His eyes were a bright, happy blue, as if he had not a care in the world. "Just came to my head, ya know?"

Sakura looked to the road in front of her, side-stepping some more pedestrians. A few weeks ago, the thought of making extended small talk would've been unbearable. Even if she was sticking around for convenience, with moments like this she couldn't deny that it had become kind of nice.

From ahead, Sasuke signaled that they would begin running when they were in the clear, which from the looks of it, was just another half mile. Soon they would reach the edge of town, where the number of civilians dwindled, and begin their first sprint towards Iwa.

The Jinchuriki's face appeared in front of her, blocking her view. He brought his face close to hers, his eyes peering curiously at her forehead. "Have you always had that symbol thing on your forehead?" he asked. "Kinda looks like baa-chan's diamond jutsu thing."

Sakura tucked her chin into the hood of her cloak for shelter and touched her forehead defensively. "It's not a 'diamond jutsu thing'."

"Yeah, yeah, baa-chan's explained it to me before. Diamond jutsu's just easier to remember," he said. He inspected it again, clearly oblivious to the concept of personal space. "So why's yours appearing all of a sudden? And how come it looks different?"

She guessed her forehead bore a faint resemblance to the traditional diamond shape, and that it was barely visible at this point. But did she really want to explain all that and possibly give away her secret abilities?

When she only saw innocence within the Jinchuriki, she relented. "It needs a bit more chakra reserves to complete. Once it does, it'll look like the real thing, and I'll be able to do a bunch of things I can't do right now." Sakura spared him the details, but particularly left out the fact that she spent a considerable amount of energy healing herself the past couple days and it set her back a bit.

The Jinchuriki stared some more. "Then, when it's done, are you going to trick everyone into thinking you're young?"

"Why would that be a trick? I am young!" Sakura yelled, smacking him on the back of his head.

"Ow! Okay! Yeesh! Then what's the difference?!"

"Well, for one, I won't have to constantly redirect chakra to the seal, so I'll have my full concentration back."

"Oh, I see, so it'll be like you're smarter! Not that you're stupid or anything," he added quickly.

Sakura sighed. "And you know how you can summon toads? I'll be able to summon a massive Katsuya, which can only be done by people who have the full diamond," she explained. "Oh and," she added, "I'll finally be able to use my full chakra. What I use now is limited to around 10% of total availability."

"Eh?! Only a tenth?!" the Jinchuriki exclaimed.

Sakura could've sworn she saw him shudder. He must've been picturing all the times he called her strength 'monstrous', only now realizing that he hadn't seen nearly what she was capable of. She stuck her tongue out at him, teasing his pallor.

The Jinchuriki looked from her hands back to her forehead. "Smarter and stronger? Well shit, I'm glad you're one of the good guys," he muttered.

Sakura's smile fell. She told herself there was no such thing as 'the good guys' or 'the bad guys', at least not in the shinobi world. But for some reason, an inescapable feeling began to creep into her awareness that if she ever went back to Akatsuki, she would indeed be one of the bad guys.


Tsunade

Tsunade stared outside the window to the streets below, where two gleeful children were being chased by their exhausted mother from the tower's entrance. Any outsider would've thought she was people-watching, but her thoughts weren't with the people—they were in Iwa, with her disciple, future Hokage, and a haunting radio silence that had plagued their journey as they traveled with a potential serial killer named Sasuke Uchiha.

Something couldn't have happened to Sakura and Naruto. If something had happened, especially at the hands of the infamous Sasuke Uchiha, the news would've spilled like a bursting dam. That much Tsunade could rest assured, at the very least.

The first thing she needed to do was figure out if Danzo was telling the truth. His fancy reports were worth less than the paper they were printed on, so she would have to take it upon herself to answer the question—was Sasuke really behind all those shinobi disappearances?

x

"Is this everything referenced in Danzo's report?" Tsunade asked, holding up a folder and an envelope. "I want to see the technical data sheets of the latest DNA test. I also want to see the chakra signature report, samples included."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the front desk girl said, hurrying to the computer to log a check-out of all the requested material. "The DNA profiling is in the folder, and the chakra scrolls are in the envelope. That's everything we have."

Tsunade juggled the two in her hand, momentarily deciding to stuff the envelope under her armpit in favor of the DNA profiling folder. Drowning out the typing behind her, she shuffled through data sheets. They examined twenty STR markers using a method similar to the one she pioneered back in the day. Twenty out of thirty, albeit, it was rare to have a complete profile unless the sample came from an abundant source. According to this report, Danzo sampled only a few drops of blood from Sasuke's alleged dagger.

The typing behind her stopped. Tsunade looked up. "What?"

The front desk girl was looking at her. "What should I log as the reason for the check-out, Hokage-sama?"

"Because Danzo's a pain in my ass," Tsunade muttered. "Get that in writing," she added as she marched off to the next building, before the girl could heckle her for a more proper response.

The more Tsunade read, the more was the same. All of them in Sasuke's records more or less matched with the scrappy evidence Danzo picked up.

STR marker D3S1358: Sasuke, 11.5; DNA sample, 11.5

STR marker vWA: Sasuke, 12; DNA sample, 11.97

STR marker CSF1PO: Sasuke, 10; DNA sample, 10

STR marker TPOX: Sasuke, 13; DNA sample, 12.8

And more and more, with paragraphs of explanations attributed to each number reported. Tsunade turned the corner to her main office, sunk in her chair, and with her free hand opened the drawer to the only sake stash in her desk that Shizune hadn't already confiscated. With her eyes still peeled on the STR markers, Tsunade poured a shot for herself.

Time passed. She didn't know how much. By the time she got to the last page, she had to squint through the dark to find the light switch in her office. She felt the strain on her vision, the muscles behind her eyes tugging from a level of studying she didn't have to do since Rock Lee's procedure from Rookie 9's Chunin exams.

On paper, the DNA report was flawless. Despite the fact that it was raining the day Sasuke had this alleged battle and that it remained a mystery how Danzo managed to extract any DNA samples from a dagger in the dirt, that goddamn Danzo would be able to present a solid case against Sasuke. And if word got out, it could put a target on Sakura or Naruto by association.

It was no longer safe for Team 7 to be in Iwa alone. Especially with Danzo pulling some kind of strings in the background, Tsunade had to send them back up. It would have to be someone as experienced as possible, someone who could be trusted to navigate murky political waters and fight on their own. Her first choice was Jiraiya, but he was already deep undercover in Amegakure.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called.

A few moments later, her assistant's footsteps came from down the hall, accompanied by the snorts of a miniature pig. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Send Kakashi or Yamato to Iwa to retrieve Sakura's team."

"They just left to liaison with Cloud," Shizune explained. "They won't be back for weeks, at best. Is there anyone else we can send?"

"Damn it." Tsunade flipped to her logbook. Shikamaru wouldn't be back for just shy of two weeks, either. "Nevermind then. Get me the encrypter. I'm sending a message to Sakura in Iwa." She grabbed the first pen and notepad she laid eyes on and began scribbling something vague enough that wouldn't compromise Team 7 if read by anyone else:

NOTICE FROM HOKAGE TOWER

Sakura. You have a critical assignment in Konoha that now must take top priority.

Expedite your return and send a receipt. This is urgent.

Hastily, Tsunade folded the note and put her seal on it that only she, Sakura, and Shizune could read. "Get this out."

Shizune took the note in her pocket and nodded. When she spoke, she was unable to mask the alarm in her voice. "Tsunade-sama, what is it?"

"Team 7 is coming home now."


Sakura

Sakura moaned. She was too tired for this shit.

It was a relief to finally kick off her worn-out boots, which tumbled to the ground beside her bed. She grimaced as she rubbed her sore heels, cursing the tiny rocks and pebbles that had weaseled their way inside, wedging themselves between her toes. She didn't allow herself to be bothered by how pathetic it was that this small effort made her chest rise and fall rapidly, with her breath speeding to catch enough oxygen in the high mountain altitude. She was more fixated on how unprepared she was for the strikingly cold temperatures, and how sad her wallet was going to be when she'd have to buy new clothes to make up for it.

The road was long and arduous to Iwa, so no one on Team 7 complained when they arrived during a blackest hour of the night and were escorted to their beds without seeing the Tsuchikage first. A servant had instructed they were to remain in the isolated guest wing of the castle until further notice. Sakura hadn't seen a soul since then, save for a brown dog that trotted around the outskirts of the courtyard.

The next morning, Sakura awoke to the violent howl of the wind beating against the outside walls of the castle as if berating her for sleeping in. The cloudy weather outside made it hard to tell what time it was, but they hadn't been summoned yet, so she guessed it was still early morning.

To avoid the risk of falling asleep and not waking until the next week, Sakura forced herself to get out of bed and stand up. She looked from the foot of her bed to the frayed rug sprawled in front, its ugly blood-stain color covering the large dusty space all the way to the door. A spider crawled into a crack in the wall. Homey, she thought groggily. But as depressing as it was, this was exactly how she'd pictured Iwa. It was no wonder they didn't have many guests. The only exception to the dust was an area of the room that housed an odd cabinet in the far corner. It looked in good condition, which meant it stood out like a sore thumb. Inside, she found two large jugs of water stacked on top of each other. She used it to fill her pack, refilled it twice to quench her thirst, then closed the cabinet. Wearing her silk undergarment, she fished in her pack for a small towel and ran a few fingers through her unruly hair before balling up all her dirty clothes in her arms to head to the bath.

The patter of Sakura's light footsteps bounced echoes off the hard, stone walls of the long corridor. She followed her instincts to the washroom, seeing as no one had bothered to show them where it was. She chose to take a trip around the corner when she smashed into something as hard as a wall.

"Ah!"

"Sorry, my fault," a voice said. It was the handsome Iwa Jonin, Jun. He was looking at her feet, to her horror at what she realized was the filthy, blood-stained laundry she'd dropped.

"No, not at all," Sakura replied, quickly snatching her things up. "Sorry, I was just about to wash these—"

"You again."

"Oh right!" Sakura exclaimed, her tone a little higher pitched than she intended. "Jun, right?"

He nodded. "You remembered."

"And I'm—"

"Sakura Haruno," he finished. "I'd heard we sent a pigeon to Konoha last night for our new visitors' arrival, so I came to give my formal introduction. Well, a second one anyway."

"Right, thanks," Sakura said. "Hi… again."

Jun gave her a soft smile, and there was again that effortlessly cool demeanor that she'd seen the first time they met, similar to Shizune's teammate Genma. Except unlike Genma and the majority of Leaf shinobi such as the Copy Ninja or Naruto, who were all quite casual in their interactions even with high-stake political figures, there was an air of formality about Jun.

He looked to be around her age. He had deep, hickory brown hair that reached just past his jaw, which he kept up in a half bun, and had a few loose bangs framing his face. Together, with his six-foot-two height, strong jawline, and great teeth, it was hard for Sakura not to picture what kind of sculpted body might come with his strikingly handsome face.

She combed some fingers through her unruly hair. Because while Jun was certainly pleasant to look at, Sakura knew she wasn't at the current moment. Why couldn't the universe wait fifteen minutes and send a gorgeous Jonin her way after her shower?

To her relief though, Sakura heard someone else coming down the hall in their direction, and she waited dearly for liberation, to the moment she could bolt to the washroom. The servant who arrived was young, and her face brightened at the site of Jun. "Good morning Captain Yashin," she said as she curtsied beside them.

Sakura looked from her back to Jun. Captain?

"Morning Kahako," Jun replied without breaking his gaze from Sakura. "Any reason why our honored guests from Konoha were escorted to this wing?"

"I thought it best to keep our guests' privacy in their own chambers," Kahako replied, her disdain for outsiders evident even through the bubbliness of her voice, "away from the business affairs of the Tuschikage."

"I see," Jun replied. "Do the bedrooms in the East Wing not offer that same privacy?"

Sakura could sense pointedness, as if Jun was scolding the servant without raising his voice.

Kahako seemed to sense it too, as she backtracked quickly. "I can find something more comfortable. Perhaps the East Wing."

"The East Wing sounds perfect, Kahako," Jun agreed, even though it was his idea. "Our guests from Leaf are here in good faith. Remember that."

Kahako glanced at Sakura, as if questioning that statement.

Sakura remained casually pleasant, as to not give away truth one way or the other. While it was true that Team 7 was visiting Iwa in good faith, and this was all a stepping stone to a potential Konoha-Suna-Iwa alliance, technically she and her teammates were supposed to snoop just a little bit. But she couldn't complain, because if the East Wing was closer to the Tsuchikage, then their job just became easier.

"Sorry about that," Jun said. "You three should be in new rooms by evening."

"I'm sure we'll love it," Sakura said quickly. "Thank you for your hospitality." A little unexpected, given Iwa's reputation.

"So, I assume you haven't had a chance to explore?" Jun asked.

"Not yet," Sakura admitted, holding up the ball of laundry in her hands. "I was just getting ready to wash these for a change of clothes before we hit the road again."

"You should check out our downtown marketplace. It's not often a foreigner gets a chance to come into our village, so take advantage while you can. They might even be running some discounts," he said.

"That would be perfect. I'll head over there before we meet the Tsuchikage."

Jun nodded. "We're having a dinner ceremony tonight in your honor," Jun said. "I'll have someone escort you to the Great Halls when we commence."

Sakura nodded and gave a small bow to show her etiquette, as this was the most proper and at-length conversation she'd had with any Iwa-nin since arriving. "That would be much appreciated. Thank you again for all your hospitality."

"Yep," Jun said, turning to leave. "Catch you later, Haruno."

Sakura blinked. Was it just her, or did his personality do a complete 180 within the last ten seconds of their interaction? As she watched his retreating back, she decided that she'd have to get to know this Captain Yashin.

X

When Sakura came out of the washroom, she'd managed to labor enough over scrubbing the blood stains out of her clothes. Instead of the deep brown color of dried blood, they were tinged with a stale yellow. She shook her head and decided she wouldn't be able to meet the Tsuchikage in those clothes.

When she returned to her room, she saw a few maids already moving some of her things out of the room and most likely to her new quarters. She quickly found her backpack and grabbed the scroll filled with recipes she was supposed to deliver to the Tsuchikage later—she didn't want another mishap to mess with the delivery. It was better safe than sorry.

Sakura stuffed the scroll into her cloak pocket and left the servants to do their work in peace. She found Naruto's door and put her ear against it, only to hear the sounds of his snores coming through. She didn't feel inclined to check Sasuke's, so she decided to pay a visit to the market as Jun recommended.

If Sakura had paid any attention to the architecture of Iwa on her way into the village, she'd have stopped dead in her tracks. With the exception of Hokage Rock, Konoha's style was exactly opposite to the architecture she saw in front of her. Iwa's buildings were a collective masterpiece sculpted over many, many generations, like they'd lifted from the clay of the earth. They had an ancient mysticism, works of art created by gods thousands of years ago, yet still standing ever so strong today. The roof of every building was rounded with a single peak, which gave Iwa that unique look she'd always seen in pictures. But seeing it in person was a different story.

Shopping was good for her, she decided. Seeing the sights was keeping her busy, providing distraction from the big problems that weighed in the back of her mind—Akatsuki, her secret, or what she was going to do if playing Team 7 got old.

Sakura suddenly became very thirsty and took out her pack, which she'd filled from the large jugs in her room earlier. She chugged half of it when, from around the corner, the dog she'd seen trotting in the courtyard earlier made an appearance. He was brown, with floppy ears and a curly medium-length coat, happily wagging his tail along the street. As the villagers passed by him, they all gave him a 'good boy' which he seemed to expect. However, his usual business came to an abrupt end when he crossed paths with Sakura. As soon as Sakura got near, his ears went backwards and he stood very still, watching her apprehensively.

"Uhm, hi," she said. She reached down to pet him, but he ducked his head away. "You don't like strangers, do you?"

His eyes fixated on her, then to her waterpack, then back to her.

"Are you thirsty?" Sakura asked, bending down to pour some of her water for him.

The dog began to back away. As soon as he was certain Sakura wouldn't go after him, he took off.

"Okay then," she replied, more to herself than anything.

After meandering, Sakura found a clothing store which had a poster plastered on its window—a large advertisement of the Tsuchikage looking younger and fiercer than she'd ever remembered seeing him. He towered over the rest of his family who stood around him.

She wondered if the Tsuchikage always looked like that. It just went to show how little Konoha knew about Iwa, because whatever she read in papers was surely the opposite of what was in the advertisement. He wasn't a small, frail old man; he was depicted powerful, like royalty. And so she decided, this trip had officially piqued her interest—she found herself looking forward to meeting the Tsuchikage later, because maybe she could get some answers to the mystery.

Once inside the clothing store, Sakura strode past the front displays she knew carried abysmally high price points in favor of the discounts in the back. A few minutes later, she found knits in various colors at price points well below market value. There were two large-sized sweaters for men, one orange and one navy.

The coincidence was uncanny. It would just be a waste to not take the opportunity, so she put them in her shopping bag to gift to her teammates later. Sakura wasn't so lucky with the practical women's items, save for a beautiful black cocktail dress she'd managed to fish out of a 'clearance' pile. It was silky, with thin straps, and figure-hugging, perfect for an evening out if she ever had the time.

At the checkout counter, Sakura spotted a pile of women's graphic sweaters on sale. "How much are these?" she asked.

"80% off. Haven't sold one for months," the young checkout girl replied.

Sakura compared the fabric of the sweater to the cloak she was wearing. Though it wasn't as versatile as a cloak, it was made of the best material she'd seen so far, and it would certainly keep her warmer than whatever she had in her pack. At this price point, she couldn't refuse.

"I'll take one," Sakura said. "No, two."

The checkout girl raised an eyebrow. "You sure? We've got other options."

"No, thanks. This is all I can afford right now," Sakura said, knowing that merchants just try to upsell their patrons whenever they can.

The girl suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "Oh no, that's not what I meant—sorry. You're not from around here, are you? Some political-themed clothes sell well, but not these. You would only know that if you lived here."

Sakura eyed the sweater curiously. Sure, it wasn't exactly fashionable, but it was functional and warm enough. And there was the Tsuchikage's granddaughter in it. If she recalled correctly, she would've been around the same age as Sakura now.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Sakura asked.

"It's nothing with the quality of the sweater itself," the cashier insisted. "Some people would say—".

"What's the issue out there?!" a voice cut in from the backroom.

"N-nothing, sir!" the checkout girl exclaimed.

"Then stop fraternizing with the foreigner and get back to work!"

"Yes sir!" Her flushed face now a bright maroon, the girl took the bills from Sakura's hand and placed all the items—sweaters included—into a bag without another word.

As Sakura headed out the door, a familiar energy approached, drawing her attention up the street. It was the Jinchuriki running towards her. "Naruto!" she yelled to him, holding up her bag. "Got you something!"

As he got closer, Sakura realized he looked upset. No, more than that. He was glaring at her intently, the shadows on his cheeks darker and more prominent than usual. Behind him, she saw Sasuke.

Her blood ran cold.

She felt the Jinchuriki's hatred, the intent to kill, his arrival imminent.

Dread began to pool at her insides, and her mind jumped to her worst fear, that somehow Sasuke had snooped and found something like Itachi's communication scroll, that he was right to be suspicious.

"Naruto?" Sakura whispered as she backed up, prepared to run. She reached for her leg holster, only to remember that she'd left it with her pack.

But then her teammates did the last thing she thought they'd do. They ran right past her, as if they hadn't even seen her.

What the hell?

X

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled from behind.

The three of them flew past a pedestrian. Sakura tore a shuriken out of the clay, where it'd thumped into a building, and shoved it into her shopping bag for lack of a better place. "Ah—!" Her shoulder clashed into a bystander. "Sorry!" She glanced back, but saw nothing but a sea of random heads behind her.

And she still didn't know — what in the world was the Jinchuriki dragging them into? Who was he charging at with such murderous intent?

Another shuriken flew forward. Sasuke jumped ahead and blocked it with the hilt of his sword, sending it clattering to the ground before it could harm someone.

"Naruto! Stop," Sakura shouted. "Where are you going?!"

The Jinchuriki sped even faster, eliciting gasps from startled men and women who jumped to the side.

In the clearing, Sakura saw it — a briefcase resting on the ground, unmoving against the chaos in the street. Next to it, a man and woman conversed, both with their backs turned towards them. It seemed like they were waiting for something. Sakura didn't recognize them, but it seemed like the Jinchuriki did.

Something glistened in the air. Wire string. Sasuke's. It flung towards the Jinchuriki's legs, coiling around the blonde's ankles, stringing his legs together and incapacitating him like a snake on prey, just in time to stop the Jinchuriki from caving in on the couple.

Sakura dropped her hands to her knees and hunched over to catch her breath. It seemed the crisis was averted, for now at least.

"He took everything from her," the Jinchuriki yelled, tearing his legs free of Sasuke's wire string. "I have to save the next one! That woman over there — she's in danger!"

To aid in the confusion, Sakura saw nothing amiss; just a man and woman standing still in a busy street. Scattered luggage was sprawled across the road. A coachman speedily picked one after another and loaded them all into an expensive-looking carriage. The man kept his personal briefcase close to him, away from the carrier.

What the hell was the Jinchuriki going on about?

"Lower your voice," Sasuke said. "I don't want anyone to hear us."

"The audacity…" a bystander mumbled as he looked down at the Jinchuriki.

Sakura couldn't blame the stranger — the three were clogging up the narrow walkway.

"Look, Naruto — let's find some cover first. Then we can talk about what you think you saw," Sasuke said, picking up his wirestring and turning to lead the way.

Sakura crouched beside the blonde, giving him a hand. "Come on. Let's go with Sasuke."

The Jinchuriki continued to stare daggers into the couple's back, visibly tense on high alert. "I'm not going anywhere," he said in a low voice, carefully rising to his feet without her assistance. "That man gets what he deserves. He dies today, or I take him with us."

He wasn't going to let this go, Sakura realized. She looked over to the couple nervously. They were just standing there, talking. Sakura saw their coachman close the trunk to the carriage and assist the woman to her seat inside. It seemed they were ready to leave.

"Naruto," she began. "I—"

A sudden, blistering cold wind erupted from beside her, forcing her backwards. She felt it capture the edge of her cloak like a tornado, snatching her hair, causing it to whip and lash in her face.

The Jinchuriki was gone. When he reappeared a few yards ahead, he was accompanied by an unmistakable rasengan at his side.

The man, still unaware, was just about to enter the carriage, but he was handing something off to the woman's outstretched arms.

And from the angle Sakura stood, it became too clear what it was. "Naruto, stop!" she screamed. "There's a baby!"

The man stood with his back turned to them in blissful ignorance, cooing lovingly to his happy baby girl, letting her take his thumb into her tiny hands. The look on Sasuke's face told her that even he knew he was too slow to stop whatever was coming next. Sakura closed her eyes, refusing to watch —

"Can I help you?"

A single voice cut through the noise, penetrating Sakura's ears. It was like all the chatter, the sounds of children playing, all the footfall muted except for the man's velvety, soft words.

"Hep yuu?" An innocent, playful voice echoed after the man's phrase.

When Sakura felt brave enough, when she didn't hear any collisions or screams of terror, she opened her eyes. The man stood before the Jinchuriki face-to-face. He was in a well-tailored, freshly-ironed suit, his medium-length curly hair pulled neatly back in a low ponytail underneath his hat. The baby in his arms fidgeted out of her blanket to get closer to the Jinchuriki, like he was some sort of big-person friend.

This disarmed the Jinchuriki. His hands fell to his sides, limp and defeated. "You're a father? What about Kiya? Tsuta? How am I supposed to—"

"Honey!" A mature voice called from inside the carriage. "What's the matter? You coming?"

"Coming," the man called over his shoulder.

Life flowed back to Sakura's heart, along with relief. She jogged to the Jinchriki's side.

"Excuse me," the man said to the two of them with a polite smile. "I have to get going now."

Again, his voice was velvet, and it melted away noises of bustling foot traffic and chattering like they were made from butter. Sakura felt herself being mesmerized into hypnosis by his departing words, and she watched his elegant movements as he turned back to the carriage.

"I-I almost…" the Jinchuriki whispered. "I had no idea—his family—"

"It's okay," Sakura said, hushing him. "You didn't." She rested a hand on the Jinchuriki's shoulder. Then felt eyes on her, and saw Sasuke approach, his lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw clenched, his focus locked ahead. "Sasuke?"

With Sasuke staring ahead, and not at her, she realized the eyes she felt couldn't be his. She followed Sasuke's eyes to the road, to the couple in the carriage in the distance.

The woman and child were sitting forward, watching the path ahead. But next to them, there was a hat, and beneath it a face, one that peered at Sakura.

Upon this realization, Sakura became nauseous. Something about the scene wasn't quite right.

The face was decaying, grey like it was made of crumbling ash. It belonged to a third body on the carriage, watching her and her teammates with its sallow, wild eyes and its lips quivering with delight, its mutilated smile stretched so wide that it looked like a sewn-on mask. An arm extended from behind the face, and it tipped the hat at the three of them.

Sakura brought a hand to cover her mouth.

It was the father. Except his legs were facing forward, away from them, meaning his head was on backwards. Soon after tipping his hat, he twisted his neck 180 degrees, un-contorting his wretched body until his face was gone and he was back to normal. The woman rested her head on his shoulder, unaware.

Sakura's body suddenly felt that maggots and worms had crawled all over her, and she so badly wanted to purge the grotesque images she'd just absorbed, the shuddersome feeling of decay. Who was that? She wondered. And how could something so grotesque take human form?

The Jinchuriki and Sasuke looked equally perturbed, but their observations were cut short by three Iwa-nin who appeared beside them.

"You're coming with us," one of the Iwa nin said.

They were in trouble now. Sakura should've known better than to cause a ruckus in a village that didn't like foreigners. She backed up into Sasuke and Naruto until their blindspots touched, ready on the defensive.

"And if I refuse?" the Jinchuriki asked.

"You're not going to want to do that."


To be continued…