"Kushina, how fast can you run?" Mebuki asked.
"M…me? Why?"
"We don't know how many of them are out there, but it would be really unwise for us to run outside in one group. We have to split up."
"What? Mom!"
"That's our only chance…if we wait anymore, they'll try to break in and then we won't have any chance." The woman walked towards the kitchen, grabbing four knives from the stand on the top of the counter. "Kushina…we'll draw them out." She looked at the redhead, earning a gasp from the other woman.
"While they are chasing us, Sakura and Naruto will run towards the village." In that exact moment, the two women looked at each other, sharing an understanding look with each other.
Mebuki handed a knife to both children while explaining the details of the plan to them. As the time of their departure came closer by each second, the nauseating feeling of fear came back to Sakura at full force. The fact that her mother won't come with her made the preteen even more despaired.
"Sakura." Her mother grabbed her shoulders, the sternness in her voice evident. "You are going to leave this cabin."
"But I can't-"
"Yes, you can. Once you are out, take a turn to the left and run. No matter what happens, run. Don't stop and don't look back. The village shouldn't be too far away from here. Follow the stream and you'll get there." She repeated. "You will go and get help, promise me."
Sakura swallowed hard, trying to compose herself. "I promise. But what about you and aunt Kushina?" The pink haired girl's voice was strained; she desperately wanted to stop herself from crying.
Her mother hesitated for a while. "We will be right behind you, I promise." She kissed her daughter on the forehead, and then straightened up. "It's time."
Mebuki and Kushina walked towards the door, removing the furniture that blocked it while the two children hid behind the sofa. Mebuki reached for the latch and yanked the door open, the two women rushing outside, into the now pouring rain.
Sakura felt Naruto grabbing her hand, squeezing it so tightly that it was beginning to be uncomfortable, but she couldn't let herself be distracted. Her mother told her to count until 60 before they leave the cabin, in order to make sure that whoever was outside started pursuing the two women and not them.
The wooden door moved slowly as the wind blew inside the enclosed space, its creaking noise making both of them even more anxious. The seconds ticked by in an agonizingly slow pace. Sakura's closed eyes popped open once the sound of wet footsteps became distinguishable from the ones of the storm. They both heard the person slightly nudging the door open with their feet and stepping over the threshold. The wet and probably muddy boots made a squeaking sound against the floorboards of the cabin. The heavy footfalls most certainly didn't belong to any of their mothers.
Sakura didn't even dare to breathe, too afraid that whoever was inside would hear her. Their time for departure was imminent, yet both of them felt unable to move from their spot. What if the person catches them before they would come even close to escaping from here? Can they defend themselves against them? They killed both of their fathers with ease; they wouldn't even have a chance against whoever was here right now. But if they stay here even longer, the person would find them, there's no doubt about that, not to mention that they would waste the precious time their mothers granted for them.
Even though she felt like her whole body was cemented onto the spot she was crouching at, Sakura made her decision…the only decision that made any sense in this terrifying situation.
"Just 10 more seconds left." Sakura mouthed to the boy next to her, Naruto swallowed hard and nodded.
10
The steps became dangerously close to where they were hiding at.
9
Sakura's grip on the kitchen knife her mother handed her tightened.
8
They will be found for sure if the person gets any closer.
7
Should they leave now? No…if they act thoughtlessly, they might get caught. They have to wait for the person to get further away from them.
6
She felt Naruto tugging at their joined hands. The blonde wanted to stand up and probably run, but she yanked at his arm while shaking her head.
5
The person had no intention to change their path, walking straight towards their location.
4
The person suddenly stopped in their tracks, their wet shoes no longer making noise.
3
Both children let out a scream when a sword pierced through the backside of the sofa, the blade slightly grazing Sakura's right ear.
The sword retreated and the person jumped over the sofa, landing behind Naruto and Sakura. The pinkette straightened from her crouching position and yanked the boy to the left, avoiding another stab from the sword.
The distance between the couch and the door was only a few feet, but right now, as they rushed towards the exit, it seemed to be miles away. Sakura felt herself being pulled backward, the sudden movement making her arm twist in an unnatural way. She lost her balance and fell on the floor with a loud thud together with Naruto.
Her whole backside ached after its harsh contact with the floor, her lungs thirsty for air. The hand which was previously being held by Naruto was free now, while the other one still held the knife. She tried to sit up, but the feet of the person connected with her chest and pushed her back, her head colliding with the floorboards once more. The girl felt another surge of pain as those same boots contacted with her wrist, making her release the knife she was holding out of reflex. The object made a hissing sound as it slid away from her once the person kicked it.
Sakura would never forget the coolness of the metal that pressed against her throat. She could practically feel the sharpness of the blade, slowly cutting into her flesh, breaking the unmarred skin of her neck. While previously her lungs were begging her to refill them with oxygen, right now each and every part of her being pleaded her not to do so, like even such kind of movement would prove to be fatal.
The person moved away from her, keeping the sword still flush against her neck. She heard a scream from Naruto, but from her vantage point on the floor, she couldn't see what happened.
The girl slightly jumped when the booming sound of thunder shook the cabin. The sudden movements made the blade dig into her skin and draw blood. Lighting followed soon after, engulfing the room in light for a brief second. Even this short span of time was enough for Sakura to see their attacker. His red irises reflected the light, their cruelty making her blood run cold, while his towering height, especially from her position, made him even more menacing.
Each fiber of the girl's body was telling her not to do anything, to accept whatever fate waited for her. It was futile for her to even try to escape, seeing that the person above her was much bigger and tougher than she could've ever imagined. The sharp blade of the sword pressed against her with such force that Sakura was sure of it slicing her neck completely open in a few seconds. The preteen closed her eyes, preparing for the final moments of her life.
Just as another bout of thunder came, the sword got removed from her throat. The absence of the cool metal against her skin made her open her eyes in shock. She tentatively sat up, the lightning illuminating the inside of the cabin once more. Naruto has tackled their attacker, the boy trying to pin him down with little success.
The man was far too strong to be held down by a scrawny boy, but he didn't count on Naruto's resolve. Even though he was being punched in various parts of his body, the blond held onto the torso of the man with all his might.
Sakura felt ashamed in that moment, ashamed that she was ready to give up her life so easily. She was ready to waste the valuable chance their mothers gave them, to just wait for the man to slice her throat without any resistance. She foolishly offered her life to this person on a silver platter, like it didn't matter to her at all. She won't make the same mistake again.
Her green eyes started scanning the floor of the dark room, searching for the knife the man made her drop. The seconds ticked by fast and there was no sight of the weapon, while Naruto's grunts of pain became louder and more frequent. Desperate to find anything that she could use, her gaze landed on a wine bottle rack a few steps away from her. Her fingers wrapped around the neck of one of the bottles before rushing towards where Naruto and the man were still fighting.
Due to the darkness inside it was really hard for Sakura to discern which body part belonged to whom. The thunder and lightning that appeared once more brought her out of her stupor again. She brought the bottle down on the top of the man's head with all of her strength. The glass shattered once it connected with the person's skull, only the neck and upper half of the bottle remaining intact in her hand. He shouted out in pain but didn't lose consciousness. His hand grabbed her ankle and brought Sakura down onto the floor once more, the glass shards embedding themselves inside her calf and heel.
The pinkette refused to think about the pain that she felt, she had to concentrate on other things. She lashed out with the hand that was still holding the bottle fragment, stabbing the man wherever she could repeatedly. She was conscious of the fact that with each motion she was tearing through skin and muscles, drawing the blood of a human being, but she refused to contemplate on it. Right now her only priority was for her and Naruto to survive this encounter. He tried to fight her off, but it was hard for him to do so with Naruto still on his chest. When the man seemingly had barely enough power to fight back, Sakura decided that it was time for them to leave. She stabbed the man once more in the side, leaving the bottle in the wound.
The surge of pain she felt in her injured legs almost made her lose her balance once she managed to stand up. She took a shaky step forward, grabbing Naruto's hand.
"Naruto! Come!" She pulled him up to his feet and started dragging the boy with her towards the exit.
While she knew that they were far from being safe, Sakura felt vast relief once they stepped over the threshold of the cabin. A few minutes ago she was certain that she would die, but right now their future didn't seem so bleak as if their chances of surviving have grown greatly.
They both got drenched completely the moment they stepped outside, the harsh wind making them shiver. The earthen pathway alongside the cabin turned into mud, their bare feet sinking into it until their ankles. The stream their mothers told them to follow grew into a river, threatening to flood the cabin if the storm continued on.
The two of them ran as fast as they could, but the mud and wind were slowing them down, not to mention that they could barely see anything in the darkness of the forest. Sakura's lungs were practically pleading for her to stop, even for a few seconds. The burning feeling in her chest was a sharp contrast to the icy cold of her skin. They tripped countless times, branches grazed their exposed skin, but they didn't really register any of it. The promise they made to their mothers was what kept them going. By now the two preteens were sure that they'll not see their parents alive ever again. The raindrops that covered her face were soon joined by tears. She looked back as if trying to prove herself wrong like she was hoping that the two women would be running closely behind them.
The pinkette almost lost her footing when she saw that they were indeed being followed by someone. But this person wasn't her mother.
"He's following us!" She screamed to Naruto, urging him to run faster. The man was going to catch up to them!
He tackled the two of them from behind, making the preteens fall head first into the mud. Sakura's nose and mouth got filled with grime, making her gag at the taste of it. The man flipped her on her back, pinning her hands above her head. She tried to kick him, but he easily blocked the attacks.
"You little bitch." She heard him say. Lightning struck at that exact same moment, illuminating the man's face. She let out a scream upon seeing it, the feeling of nausea washing over her. The left side of his face barely had any skin left on it, shards of glass poking out and thin strips of skin hanging off at some parts of it.
She was fully aware of the fact that this was her handiwork, and that the man would most certainly retaliate. What disturbed her, even more, was the fact that he was still capable of running after them with so many stab wounds on his person. He was truly a monster.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice was barely audible amidst the howling of the wind.
"Run Naruto! Find help!" She screamed, earning a slap from the man. The force of it made her head snap to the side, the entire left side of her face becoming numb. Even so, Sakura managed to scream again as loud as her vocal chords permitted. "Find help!"
Naruto must've listened to her plea since the man was about to run after him, but she grabbed his sides with her now free hands, using the momentum of his movement to flip them over. They tumbled down with great speed from the slope that separated the path from the stream, falling into the water.
Sakura tried to keep herself afloat, but the current of the river was far too great, and she felt herself being dragged to the bottom of it each time she tried to get back up. It didn't take her long to completely black out.
"We were lucky." Sakura opened her eyes, bringing herself back from the dark forest from almost ten years ago and into her bedroom in Konoha. "The river brought me to the village and some locals rescued me…Naruto arrived an hour later."
"The police searched the area for the culprits, but to no avail. They found our parents, though." She swallowed hard.
"It's okay…that's enough." Kakashi said softly, his grip around her tightening.
"It took them almost a month to find mother and aunt Kushina…in an area which was in the completely opposite direction to the village. They protected us until the very end…" A harsh sob left her. "Mother knew from the very beginning that they won't make it."
She buried her face in Kakashi's chest again, crying like never before.
So, what do you think?
Thank you so much for the warm welcome back!