Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait! I've been busy with so many other things that I haven't been able to give this story the attention that it deserves. I am so sorry! I just love hearing what everyone has to say! Let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Warnings: Language, OOCness and unbeta'd.
Word Count: 4,279
"Listen to me," Sakura says slowly, putting her hand on the woman's shoulder, looking deep into her brown eyes. "Are you listening to me?" The woman nods slowly. "Good. Don't be a fucking idiot. That is the worst possible idea that you could ever have. Got it?"
She blinks rapidly, probably not used to being spoken to like that. "B-But, why?"
Sakura pats the woman's shoulder, smiling placatingly. "Because, hun, if we let you go in there, you'd die a horrible, clenching, oozing death. Unless you want to do that, you should just back off and let the professional and her four stupid lackeys deal with this, okay?" She nods, as if it was already decided. "Great!" She pulls her hands back, placing them onto her hips. "Now, head on back to the village. Go on now."
"Sakura," Hashirama says, rubbing the back of his head. "She's not a dog, and while I agree that we don't want her to put her life in any form of danger, I don't think you should just brush her off like that. You're hurting her feelings."
Sakura sighs. "I don't have time to give a shit about everyone's feelings, okay? That witch isn't going to wait."
"But!" The woman calls out to Sakura, who had turned her back to the village girl to go after the witch. "Miss, wait!"
"What?" Sakura snaps, turning back around. "I have somewhere I need to be. What do you want?"
The girl hesitates for a split second eyeing the two sets of brothers around her, as if uncomfortable in their presence. A part of her looked like she wanted to speak to Sakura in private but the impatient pink haired girl began to tap her foot against the dirt and it spurs the other girl to just speak. "My brother... he was taken by that witch. She... I... She was after me. He got in her way and so she took him." She bows her head, long dark brown hair sliding over her shoulder, eyes watering. "I need to help save my brother. Please!" She looks up at Sakura, eyes shaking but showing a strong resolve.
Sakura stares at her for a moment. She lets out a little sigh. "Okay."
Hashirama and Madara stare at her as if she had lost her mind while Izuna gasps, "Really?"
"You mean it?" The girl asks, eyes wide.
"No," Sakura says flatly, "are you nuts?" She points toward the village. "Go home."
Tobirama raises an eyebrow. "Wow."
"Shot down," Izuna says softly, black eyes wide. Tobirama nods slowly in agreement.
The girl stares back at Sakura, utterly upset and embarrassed for having gotten her hopes up only to be shot down once again. "But why? I want to be able to help! Why can't you just let me?"
Sakura sighs, running a hand through her hair slowly, wondering how much more time they were going to waste on this before deciding that she could no longer be nice about this. She was just going to have to be truthful about the situation and hope that this girl understood. "Listen," Sakura says, stepping closer to the girl again. "Are you listening to me?"
"Yes..." the girl says slowly.
"That witch isn't going to hurt your brother," Sakura says.
Everyone stares back at her, surprised. The girl blinks in shock. "Really?" She asks, hope edging into her voice.
"Really..." Madara says, disbelief evident in his tone. Tobirama looked just as skeptical at her words.
Sakura nods. "Yes, it's true. That witch's prey is girls. Once she realizes that she got a boy, she'll let him go. I can't let you go with because you are by default one of her token prey. She will be adamant about getting you if you come with. Now, please, let me do my job and teach these four dumbasses how to fight witches and stop any more women from becoming this witch's prey, okay?"
Finally the girl nods in understanding. "Yes, I do. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." She goes to bow respectfully but Sakura waves her hand around dismissively.
"If you finally understand, then go home." The girl nods and leaves, going down the dirt path that leads back to the small village at the bottom of the hill. She waits until she can no longer see the girl before turning to Izuna. "I'm glad you volunteered, Little Brother Uchiha."
Izuna's dark eyes widen. "What? What did I volunteer for?"
"You are exactly that witch's type," Sakura explains. "I'm going to need you to go in there and distract her while me, the prodigal brothers and the man with the nicest hair I have ever seen sneak in for the kill." Hashirama appeared to be the only one who liked their new identifiers.
Izuna blinks slowly, trying to contain his smile for a moment before it finally passes and he asks, seriously, "Didn't you tell that girl that the witch didn't like boys?" A pause, then, "You lied, didn't you?"
Sakura snorts. "What kind of jerk do you think I am?" Madara makes a look at that but she ignores him. "I didn't lie about that. Let's just say... she prefers her bed partners have more," Sakura gestures to her body, "then that," she points at Izuna's crotch.
"She's sleeping with the girls she kidnaps?" Tobirama asks, while Izuna turns away a bit, embarrassed to have just been blatantly violated in one single, slightly crude gesture. Tobirama's red eyes are wide at this new information.
Sakura frowns. "I wish it was as simple as that. She's... doing stuff to them, I'm sure. And in a different life, I'm sure she probably had a lot of willing partners, but such a thing is of the past. Now she's absorbing their life force into herself and... well, who knows what she's doing with the bodies afterward."
Hashirama gasps, brown eyes wide. Thankfully Sakura didn't have to paint the picture for them.
Izuna looks at her uncomfortably. "I don't get it. Why am I doing this when she's obviously into girls? I mean, why aren't you doing this?"
Sakura scoffs. "And give her what she wants? Hell no. I'll keep everything that is outside my body, just that. Who knows what she'd do to me." Sakura shivers unpleasantly. Madara looks slightly horrified while Hashirama's jaw actually dropped.
Izuna looks exasperated. "What the hell does that mean?" He throws his hands up into the air. "I would like for the same damn thing! I still haven't heard why it has to be me!"
"Kami damn it, Izuna, you are the pretties, effeminate man I have ever seen!" Sakura says back, throwing her hands up. "Accept your destiny and take it like a trooper!" She does a shooing gesture toward the cave up ahead that the witch is hiding in. "Besides, we are only using you because you are pretty enough to get close to her and once she is blinding in horror by your man bits, we will be able to move in for the kill."
"He's a fucking trap!" Hashirama realizes, letting out a bark of surprised laughter. Madara lets out an amused huff, but still looks anxious about this entire thing, not wanting to send his little brother into danger, needlessly.
"There is something I don't understand," Tobirama says, turning to Sakura slowly.
"What is it?" Sakura asks.
"Why is this happening to me?" Izuna whines, running his hands through his long dark blue hair, pulling it from it's low ponytail to redo it, preparing himself for this next battle.
Ignoring Izuna, Tobirama asks, "What is going to happen to that girl's brother once the witch realizes that she got a boy instead of a girl?"
Sakura shrugs. "No clue. I would assume that she would probably just toss him away and if she doesn't have any-" Her eyes widen. "Oh shit!"
"What?" Hashirama asks, snapping into work mode.
"The girls that she absorbs," Sakura says quickly waving her hands around, "once she absorbs their life force, I bet you anything she turns them into ghouls! I thought that the incidents were separate but this makes sense. The witch may let him go but the ghouls won't. They'll eat him."
"Then we shouldn't waste any more time," Izuna says, looking mighty displeased.
Madara looks like he wants to protest, but must sense that they really don't have time to come up with a better - or really an actual - plan. Each moment wasted is a possible gruesome death sentence for that boy. Without sparing another moment, the small team begins moving.
"Get him, Tobirama!" Hashirama yells, swinging his broad sword around, killing the ghouls that surrounded him.
As Tobirama races through the gathering of a couple dozen ghouls, all of their long nailed, pale blue hands try and grab at him, toward the cowering young man on the other side of the room, next to Izuna who is trying to play keep away from the witch and keep the boy safe from the ghouls.
The ghouls are very humanoid in shape, their skin a very pale, bluish gray color with blackened out veins. Their nails are elongated, as are their teeth, but the blunt teeth are broken and chipped to be a broken maw of sharp, jagged teeth, an extra row or two added in too. Their eyes fall out and their ears are like bloated masses on the sides of their heads. All of their hair is missing and anything physically distinguishable about them is gone. No breasts or vaginas visible as the skin melted away at one point only to regrow at these creatures.
Truly ugly creatures twisted by magic.
The witch, on the other hand, wasn't like Yoshino. She wasn't bloated, or bulbous. But she was more hideous than humorous looking. She looked humanoid, but her skin was gray and decaying off of the bone, like on her arms and one of her legs is especially bad, but the bone is like the toughest metal and not to be underestimated. She doesn't feel the pain physically anymore. Her arms are somehow removed from their sockets, making them awkwardly longer, but magic keeps them moving easily, and her hair is gone and so is a chunk of the back of her head and one of her eyes.
She didn't make little fishy faces like Yoshino did. She opened her mouth and screeched so unholy that Sakura's ears hurt and her skin crawled. Any ghoul too close to her when she screeched, their heads would just explode. Sakura suspects that a part of it has to be that because the two sets of brothers are from ninja clans, therefore they have a bit of magic in their blood, they are able to survive being so close to her screams and not just die on the spot. The boy, thankfully, has always been just far enough away when she screams. His ears are bleeding, Sakura notes, and his hearing may be shot at this point.
Those screeches though. There is something about her screaming that sounded a little off to Sakura. But also a bit familiar somehow. It sounded weird to think about, but she just couldn't place where the sound is familiar to her from. While she would love to just sit there and ponder just what the answer to that could be, she knew she didn't have the time. She had to focus on not getting herself killed. She doesn't do anyone any good dead.
Ain't that something?
Tobirama weaves through the claws to the young boy, probably sixteen years old, yanking up onto his feet by the collar of his top and shoving him against the nearest wall. The boy begins to inch across the wall towards the entrance of the cave to escape while Tobirama keeps the ghouls away with his electrified blade - the Raijin, he called it once.
Now that Izuna no longer has to worry about he boy, he turns his attention toward the witch, alongside Madara.
Figuring that they could handle this witch themselves, Sakura helps Hashirama kill off the ghouls. Armed with a kunai in each hand, she slices and stabs at all of the clawed hands and gaping mawed faces that got a little too close. She works her way over to Hashirama to keep his back covered, and also her own. Hashirama seems to sense her intentions because he makes his way over to her too.
Once they reach one another, they turn back to back and fight off what feels like hordes of ghouls. Sakura knew that their numbers were starting to thin - or at least she was hoping so - but it just didn't feel like it. It felt like they just keep coming.
From where Sakura is fighting, she can see Madara and Izuna fighting the witch, dancing around her claws and her ghouls that sneak up behind them. She manages to grab hold of Madara's sleeve, leaning in close to him, taking in a deep breath to scream at him when he brings the heel of the handle of his fan and hits her ear as hard as he can. Apparently it's a very sensitive part of her body because she lets out a screech, but this time in pain, rather than as an attack. She clutches her ear and stumbles backward - right into Izuna.
The younger brother brings his sword parallel to the uneven cave ground and launches himself forward, shoving the sword through her back and chest. She lets out this horrible screech that echoes off the walls of the caves, making Sakura's head hurt, but she can't spare a moment to dwell on the pain and keeps moving, killing the ghouls as quickly as she can as a bright white light begins to envelope around the witch. She can't pause to see what's happening as she fights her way through the ghouls.
A few moments later, now that Tobirama was back in the fray and the boy was gone, and Madara and Izuna no longer had to worry about the witch, the five of them were easily able to kill all of the ghouls in time to see beautiful Tayuya staring back at them, hovering a few feet off the ground.
Tayuya, the sound mistress. Now her screeches make sense, it was the sound of a flute with too much air blowing through it without proper direction.
Her long red hair flowed around her, much like Yoshino's had, except her hair didn't disappear into oblivion like Yoshino's did. She too, is naked, but clutched in her right hand is a flute. Her red eyes are sad, and there is a frown on her lips.
She opens her mouth, about to say something, before she closes her mouth and brings the flute up to her lips. She takes a deep breath and blows into the flute, playing a beautiful, but sad tune. Sakura can feel the music in her soul. It makes her chest heavy and recalls all sorts of images behind her eyelids that she just wished would stop haunting her. Sakura feels all sorts of things, listening to Tayuya play the flute.
She is sad. Heartbroken, even. Such a beautiful sound, while sad, is enough to ignite her soul in a way she didn't think was possible. It makes her skin crawl and her stomach plummet into the soles of her feet. It was so sad, conveying Tayuya's pain in a way that she simply couldn't in words. It rings loud and clear to Sakura, and when she finally brings herself to open her eyes - she didn't know she closed - and she could see the other boys, standing amongst the dead ghouls, staring at Tayuya, listening to her flute.
Sakura is glad, though, in her own way. Like with all of the witches that Sakura killed before Tayuya, and even Yoshino, she is happy that Tayuya is now free. Sakura couldn't believe that someone could be so cruel to these lovely ladies, but they held her deepest condolences. She didn't need to say any words and offer them peace because death was all that was needed in place of words.
Once her little song is over, Tayuya lowers the flute from her lips and explodes into starlight, like Yoshino and every other witch before her. The last thing she offered them was a small, sad smile. And then she was gone.
Sakura turns to leave, happy when the boys fall into place beside her, not stopping to question her this time. As they leave the cave, Sakura pauses when a sound catches her attention.
"What?" Hashirama says softly. "Is that...?"
"Every witch leaves something behind in her death, right?" Madara says, casting a meaningful glance Sakura's way. The pink haired girl nods.
"It's her song," Izuna says, as a sad flute song plays out of the cave, so faint it could be mistaken for the wind. But they all knew better.
Years from now, not ten, maybe not even twenty, but years from now people will stumble across this cave - after witches and magic has long since died out in the minds of man - and hear music playing out of this cave and wonder how that is even possible. It will pierce their souls and break their hearts but they will never know for what reason.
Tayuya's scar on the planet will be a never ending hymn of sadness, pain, and loss from a girl who no one, but Sakura, will ever remember.
Sakura runs her fingers through her long pink hair, shaking her head around a bit to try and dry off the dark, wet strands. She looks around the fire seeing Madara and Hashirama quietly whispering about something, Tobirama is sharpening his blade and Izuna is tending to the fire. She was so used to being on her own for so long, in some ways it's still strange to look around the fire and acknowledge these men as her comrades, because that's what they are.
They are really starting to grow on her. It's been a month and a half since they joined her in her witch killing crusade, and she's even starting to enjoy their presence. While she doesn't mind being along, it is simply something that she's used to and even enjoys, it is also nice to have people around her to be able to share with and goof around with. She hadn't been around people for this long in years and missed the human connection.
Ever since the Grand Fire Coven was destroyed and the witches turned ravenous, Sakura went out on this journey knowing that she had to be the one to hunt them. She had a personal stake in all of this.
Curiously, though, Sakura had to wonder what the Uchiha and Senju clans had in all of this. Obviously there is magic in their bloods and Sakura knew that the previous leaders of the two infamous clans were closely linked with the Grand Fire Coven. She's not sure of the full story and while it might be an interesting one, honestly she didn't care enough to pry about it. If they thought it was important, they would have said. And from her own perspective, they've fought any possible urge they may have in asking her for her reasonings.
Sakura has always been a very private person. Her mother used to tell her that she needed to open up more, but it just simply wasn't who she was. She could laugh and joke like the boys, not caring about being proper and lady like, because she never really cared what people thought of her. If she did, she was in the wrong profession.
No one lasted long in this world always caring what others thought of them.
Sakura was starting to like these guys, though. She liked their quirky personalities, especially when together, and just the way the atmosphere changes when all of them are united. She's not sure about their past, other than at one point they warred with one another, but it obviously couldn't have been that bad since they appear to get along so well now. And she highly doubted that it was some sort of mutual hatred for witches, or even their desire to save innocence. It felt like more than that.
Sakura wouldn't pry, though. She wouldn't want people prying into her personal life so she wasn't going to do it to others. But she can't deny that she is definitely curious.
These men were very strange to her. They were shocked at first by her blunt and even vulgar attitude, but adjusted quickly and no longer bat an eyelash at her harsh words or sudden, inappropriate gestures. It's only been a month and half and they already seem very well adjusted to her way of living. Fast, constantly, and even a bit wildly.
They watch her close enough to make sure not to lose her in the crowd, but when she sudden starts stripping to get changed or bathe, they are very quick to spin away and offer her privacy. It has become the norm to them, but Sakura still finds it funny to tease them. She isn't afraid of them doing anything, especially when there is someone like Izuna, who's face turns beat red every time she does that. Hashirama is such a likable guy who scoffs indignant when someone's feelings are hurt she couldn't see him as a bad guy, and Tobirama is a very stoic and straightforward individual, his mind is set on hunting witches. It's one of the only things on his radar. And well, Madara... well, the one time he spoke about his mother, which was briefly and Sakura only caught the tail end of the conversation with Izuna, he spoke very passionately and loyally. A boy like that didn't strike Sakura as the type to try anything nefarious to women.
So, she felt secure in that regard. Not that she couldn't beat the ever loving hell out of them for trying anything, but, well, yeah.
"Sakura?" Izuna calls out to her, pulling Sakura from her thoughts.
"Yeah?" She pushes some of her long pink hair over her shoulder.
"Where to next?" He asks, moving to sit back next to Madara in the dirt.
"South," Sakura says easily. "Our next target is in that direction."
"How do you know this?" Madara asks.
Sakura smiles. "That's the reason I stick on highly populated trails when I'm learning about witch locations," she says easily. "Word of witches travels fast on the main roads."
"I get that," Hashirama admits, turning away from Madara to look at Sakura from over the fire, "but how do you know when stories about witches are real or if it's people just jumping at shadows?"
Sakura's eyebrows shoot toward her hairline. Such an insightful question she wasn't expecting from the goofy one of the group. Hashirama is by no means dumb, even though he gives off that aura well. He's actually quite intelligent, but he's perhaps so powerful in the magic in his blood and his ability with a blade that he's a bit thoughtless when it comes to the important things.
Ninja clans, like the Uchiha and Senju, have magic in their blood whether it be from a witch blessing their family, some kind of natural occurrence which is rare but not impossible, or it is something they have carefully cultivated over time. They can't cast spells the way that witches do, nor is their lifespans expanded like a fully realized witch's. But they are faster, stronger, smarter, more agile and with a higher vitality than a regular human. Sakura actually never took the time to study ninja but she knew that in some cases, like the Uchiha, they are capable of controlling the elements. Fire, in the Uchiha's case. Both Izuna and Madara. Water in Tobirama's case, counteracting his sword nicely, and wood in Hashirama's case.
These abilities exist but are difficult to use often for those who aren't witches. Their bodies simply aren't built to be conduits of magic like witches were. It doesn't make their ability to use it any less impressive. If Sakura could use elements, she's pretty sure she's abuse such a power.
But she's getting too off topic.
"How do I know?" Sakura asks slowly. "How do I know if a story I hear is of a real witch or just a story?" She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't, I suppose. I follow my gut. Has there been an increase in deaths in that region? Can anyone else collaborate that story? Does it sound viable? I think about all of these things and go from there."
All four men sit in silence, lost to their thoughts.
For the Reviewers:
1. Fudge-Cakesss: Oh my goodness! I'm so glad that you were excited that this story updated! It's funny that you shifted the possible embarrassment onto your friend, I just hope that I didn't get you into any trouble. I really like it too. I want all of the Sakuras that I make to be different. They shouldn't all be carbon copies of each other because all of their lives and circumstances are different and they must adapt to tem. Thank you so much for your kind words, I appreciate them!
2. AngelsHeart0908: Thank you. I do too. I am really liking Sakura's character. Hm, I have been giving Izuna and Sakura as a pairing some thought. I haven't done one with them yet so it should be interesting. Thank you very much!
3. silverwolfighter00: Thank you!
4. Guest: I'm not a big fan of multiple lovers, but I'll give it a shot if that is what people want. Thanks!
5. Shine10: Oh my goodness, that is so sweet of you to say! You were in class too, when you started reading this? Naughty, naughty! You are the second reviewer to say that! ;) I am so happy that you are liking the story so far! I know it's not much but I do appreciate it! I am really liking this Sakura, no joke. I like to add a bit of humor to my stories, simply because I'd like to believe I'm funny at times and it's something I believe that all characters have a bit in them so a jab or joke here and there don't seem so bad to me. Okay, I'll take your pairing thoughts into consideration. Fufu maybe something like that can happen. Not now, though, but later. ;) I have also heard for Sakura and Izuna so I'll give it some thought. I am so sorry about the wait!
6. FlyingSilverDreams: Thank you!
7. thentherewasIA: Me too. I wish that all my stories could be web comics. I just can't draw to save my life. Everything on deviant art is so bad, I cringe when I see it. XD
8. Hana-Taisho: Yeah, I'm not very picky with pairings either. I'm sorry about he wait!
9. LeonaMasha: Thank you!
10. Chancellor S: Hm, okay. :D
11. ILoveSxS: Haha, same!
12. TCRLN-ARnC: Sorry about the wait!
13. lara'tjie: Thank you so much! I am sorry about the wait!
