Mondstadt was…grand.
That was the first thing that popped in Sakura's mind as she crossed the wooden bridge that led into the city. She peered at the guards flanking the gates, thanking her luck that they seemed rather disinterested in her cloak-clad form, and hurried past them.
The city was made entirely of stone and wood, with cobblestone roads and the tallest bell towers Sakura had ever seen. Keeping the hood of her cloak low, she walked in the shadows, trying her best not to attract much attention to her person. Some vendors smiled at her kindly, but other than that no one bothered her, and for that she was grateful.
It was easier to observe others when no one was observing her.
The people seemed friendly, laid-back, unbothered. Sakura both envied and admired them for it. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt truly calm and she couldn't foresee it happening again in the future. Not when Naruto was gone, and Kakashi was gone and Tsunade was gone and everyone was just gone.
Her fist clenched on the fabric of her cloak as images flashed before her eyes. Images of Konoha burning, of Root members flooding the village's streets, invading the Hokage Tower and killing anyone who stood in their way. Tsunade, Kakashi, Guy, Genma, Shizune…How could they have escaped? Caught in perfectly set traps meant for each one of them individually, tailored to ensure that they wouldn't escape. Not with their lives.
And then Naruto and Sasuke – oh Gods, Naruto and Sasuke – offering their heads in exchange for Konoha's safety. Offering their lives willingly to save them all again. And again, they were betrayed. Because Danzo took. He promised he'd let them live if Sasuke and Naruto gave up their lives. But he lied. He lied and he took them. He took their heads and took the hopes of the rest of them away.
The War left Konoha on its knees and Danzo seized the chance he'd been waiting for and simply killed the village, spitting on it for good measure.
Sakura. Sakura you need to go. You need to leave right now, or your head will roll next. Danzo's Konoha has no allies. Go so far away from here that no one will ever be able to find you and don't look back. There's nothing left for you here; only suffering. Do you understand?
Kakashi's last words to her rang in her mind as loudly as if her standing before her all over again, holding her close to his chest and whispering them sharply in her ear lest anyone else was around to hear.
At first, she'd refused to leave them but then Tsunade joined in and she just couldn't disappoint them by dying. She couldn't disrespect Naruto and Sasuke's sacrifice by offering her head to Danzo on a silver platter. After all, Danzo's Konoha wasn't her Konoha. And he knew it too.
He knew that his Konoha was a village unwanted by both its inhabitants and its former allies alike. When he sent those Root members after her…He knew that she was the last remnant of a time when peace and prosperity reigned. He was perfectly aware that she was one of the very few people that could potentially ruin his vision. She was the student of two Hokage, one third of the infamous Team Seven and a war heroine. The people of Konoha loved her and if there was one person they'd rally around, that was her. He knew Gaara was one of her close friends, and that Suna too would answer her call for aid.
Danzo knew a lot of things, but above all else, he knew that he had to kill her.
Heh, how do you kill someone who's already dead, Danzo-sama?
The thought was bitter and hateful, just like she was. There was not much left inside her besides those profoundly strong emotions. Still, she held onto them. Gripped them tight to keep herself grounded, to stay focused. She knew she could never return to the Elemental Nations but planning a revenge that would never come to pass gave her purpose. A futile one, she supposed, but a purpose, nonetheless.
Pulling an old map of Teyvat out of her pouch, she looked for the red 'x' that marked the location of an inn that she sincerely hoped was still there. The map was at least a decade old and had been gifted to her by one of the sailors of the ship that carried her to this strange place that she'd never heard of before that fateful day in a bar of the Land of Earth's northernmost harbor.
The old sailor took a shine to her after she healed his son, and from the on took it upon himself to see to her comfort for the duration of their long voyage. It'd taken a good six months on foot to reach the northern corner of the Land of Earth. The journey wasn't usually that long, but she'd chosen the mountain passes to throw off her pursuers. It was difficult and treacherous ground, with just barely enough plants to sustain her, but she was a shinobi. She knew how to survive.
After a two-month stay at one of the harbor inns there, she'd finally found a ship heading to the Lands Beyond the Seas. It took them another six months to finally come within sight of the shores of Teyvat, the continent shinobi never ventured into.
Well, Sakura thought mirthlessly, I suppose that would make me the first one. Let's hope it stays that way.
She doubted Danzo would waste so many resources and deploy men to a land so foreign only the Kage and a handful of others knew of just to find an errant kunoichi. After all, there wasn't much else he could take from her. Her life was all she had left and well…what good was her life, anyway?
She gritted her teeth, her fingers tearing into the faded material of the map as she clenched it tightly in her fist.
What I would give for a chance to tear Danzo's heart out of his chest and-
"Miss? Are you alright?"
Her eyes snapped up at the sound of a voice close by and she found herself staring at a young-looking blonde girl dressed in a white dress. Her big amber eyes looked at her worriedly as she peered at her from under her hood.
Beside her, a little girl with hair so light it was almost white floated near her head, staring at her unabashedly.
Not wanting to seem rude or suspicious, Sakura pulled her hood back, plastering a pleasant smile on her face.
"I'm fine, do not concern yourself with me."
"Are you new here?" the floating girl said, tilting her head to the side. "Paimon doesn't remember ever seeing your face around here."
Inwardly impressed, Sakura chuckled. "Sharp eye. I only just arrived in the city. Do you two happen to know where I can find this inn?" she asked, showing them the red 'x' on the map.
The girl in the white dress glanced at it and her amber eyes lit up. "Ah, I know that. That's the inn right above the Cat's Tail. It's a tavern. Margaret, the owner, runs both establishments. Come, we will take you there."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, please, I'd hate to be a burden-"
"Bah! Paimon thinks that's nonsense. We can't leave you wandering the streets on your own, even with a map. Paimon feels guilty just thinking about it."
The blonde beside her nodded vigorously. "That's quite true. The city's alleys can be confusing if you don't know the place. Come, it's close by."
Wordlessly falling into step with the duo, Sakura made sure to memorize the path for future reference.
"So," her companion started, "what's your name?"
The medic hesitated for merely a second. "I'm…Sakura. My name's Sakura."
"I'm Lumine," the girl replied, smiling at her brightly. "Welcome to Mondstadt."
TBC
I obviously changed the heck out of Naruto's story. XD
Hey y'all!
I know what you're thinking: Another crossover? Won't you ever stop?
I…uh, don't think so. XD
I recently got into Genshin Impact and I mean reaaaally into it. Not only are the characters simply stunning, but the plot is super interesting too, and I can't wait to progress the game more in order to see what follows.
Moving on to this little thing here, we see our dear girl arriving in Mondstadt. Why did you give poor Saki such a tragic backstory, I can hear you asking. First, tragic backstories create tension and drama and give depth to the characters. Second, Sakura would never willing leave Konoha behind without major, major reason. Third, having such a backstory herself, will help her connect to some of the characters and beat some sense into others.
Similarly to "Down the Rabbit Hole" (my SakuraXTwisted Wonderland story), this fanfic won't be one continuous story. Rather, it will be a collection of one-shots not connected to each other for the most part, featuring Sakura with different Genshin Impact characters (chances are you'll see a whole lot of Kaeya and Zhongli, 'cause I got my faves too). The one-shots will range from fluffy to angsty to NSFW and the rating will change the moment I upload the first M-rated one.
This first chapter is a prologue to establish a few things that will be common for all one-shots, namely the way Sakura reached Teyvat, her backstory, and her meeting with Lumine and Paimon.
As for where this'll go…we shall see!
I hope you enjoyed this and that it has piqued your interest.
Drop me a review to let me know what you think, if you have a minute to spare. Reading your thoughts always makes my day.
Until next time,
Lots of love!
