Chapter 15: Oki's
Blessing
(Sakura's eyes slit open as she lay in her bed, safe
and sound. No one was in the room when she first looked around. She
sat up, it was late afternoon.)
Sakura: "What happened?"*she
put her legs over the side of the bed and turned to her bedside
table. Her clock read 5:30 pm and a black kunai sat next to it. she's
surprised to see it* "Did I-"
(It begins to
ring.)
Sakura:*picked it up and stared at it* "Hello?"
(The
otter from before appeared out of nowhere. It gave a quiet
chirp.)
Sakura: "Oh, it's you."
Otter:*nodded prideful.
The only thing different about her now is that there's a seaweed
ribbon tied around its neck and that her eyes had turned a brilliant
sea green*
Sakura:*smiled* "Where's Lei and the
others?"
Otter:*shrugs*
Sakura: "Hmm."*turns the kunai
over in her hand, on the other side of the knife is an etching of the
name 'Oki'* "Oki? Is that your name?"
Oki:*nodded prideful
again. Her head turned to the door*
Sakura:*looked up as Lei came
in through it*
Lei: "Oh good your up."*there's a spirit
behind her, but it is difficult to make out who it is until she steps
out from in front of it. It's her father.*
Sakura:
"Seiraiya-sama?"
Seiraiya: "Aye. Nice to see you too
Sakura."
Lei: "About damn time too. I'm kinda getting tired
of everyone looking at me like I'm a psycho-path because I'm
talking to my spirits."
Sakura: "You talk to them in
public?"
Lei: "Sometimes. It depends on the situation."*turns
to Oki* "Did you learn her name?"
Sakura: "Oki."
Lei:*her
eyes widen* "The Sea Otter,
Oki?"
Oki:*nodded prideful*
Lei: "Blessed Phoenix feathers.
I never knew she even passed away."
Oki:*looks a little sad and
chirps in a tone to match*
Seiraiya: "She said she was
murdered."
Lei: "By who?"
Oki:*shrugged. And gave a quick
chirp*
Seiraiya: "It only happened recently. This is probably
why she warmed up to Sakura so quickly."
Oki:*shook her head and
chirped*
Seiraiya: "Oh."
Sakura: "Eh?"
Seiraiya:
"She said she lost the trust of the living men. Especially since
the person who killed her was her summoner."
Lei: "That's a
disgrace. Going around and killing your summons for the hell of it.
Who in their right mind would do something so heartless?"
Seiraiya:
"Aoi and Mizuki."
Lei:*shivered* "Don't remind me. They
were creepy."
(There's a sudden rush of wind even though
the doors and windows are closed.)
Sakura: "What
the?"
Voice:*ringing in Sakura's ears* "Do not be afraid. I
am here for you and you alone Haruno Sakura."
Sakura: "Who are
you?"
Voice: "It is me, Oki."
Sakura: "You can
talk?"
Oki: "Of course I can, but only to you. Seiraiya may
understand otter but he cannot hear me when I talk to you through
telepathy. By gaining the ability to use the Second Sight you can now
see what many others cannot. You can see the spirits of the dead and
those of the sleeping. Abuse this power and I can strip you of the
sight. However, it is not in my nature to be rash. So go with my
blessing, and the blessing of the sea."*her spirit returns to the
kunai, saying* "Call upon me when I am needed."
Sakura:*blinks,
confused* "Okay."
Lei:*sighs* "He was the same way;
confusing as hell."*referring to her dad.*
Seiraiya: "Shut
up."
Lei: "I don't have to."*pulls a green strip out of
her pack* "Here, tie this around the kunai so I know it's yours
and so Kyo doesn't accidentally pick it up and use it in battle.
She won't like that because it's not you, her original
capturer."
Sakura:*takes the ribbon and ties it around the
handle. She rests it on the bedside table again* "How am I suppose
to summon her to get her help in battle?"
Lei: "That is
all up to you Sakura. Every person has a different way of summoning
the spirits. You have to come up with your own unique way to do it.
This phase I can't help you with."
Sakura:*sighs* * "Looks
like a harsh day of training tomorrow."*
Lei: "No worries. It
will come to you in time."*she turns to leave the room.* "Your
next trials are what you should be more concerned about, because they
must be given all in one day. Whenever your next vision comes, tell
me. Then the trials will begin."*walks out.*
Sakura:* "I don't
think I'd be able to take them all at once."*
(Oki rings
in.)
Oki: "You must. It is the way of the sight. You have to
abide by the rules as others before you have."*short pause* "Hey,
for pulling that off the top of my head that sounded pretty
good."
Sakura: O_O^ "OKI THAT'S NOT FUNNY!!!!"
(Sasuke
and Naruto just happened to walk by.)
Naruto: "Uh, Sakura. Who
the hell are you yelling at?"
Sakura: O_O! "No
one."
Sasuke:*raises eyebrow* "Doesn't sound like
it."
Sakura: "Oh, I'm not. Hehehe."
Naruto: ¬¬.
"Right. Who where you really yelling at?"
Sakura: "No
one."
Inner Sakura:* "Dammit he just won't give up."*
(The
two boys exchange looks and Naruto gave a shrug. The two of them soon
walked off.)
Sakura: "Phew. That was way to close for
comfort."
Oki: "That's what you get for yelling so
loud."
Sakura: O_O^
Oki: "Well it was. Even Lei knows
better than that."
Sakura: "You're real encouraging
Oki."
Oki: "I never said I was."
Sakura:*groan*
(A
little while later, after everyone has eaten and the sun is sinking
in the sky. Sakura has wandered off somewhere and her team is looking
for her.)(In the forest at the moment.)
Naruto: "Where the hell
could she have run off too in that short of a time period?"
Kakashi:
"Who knows? She didn't even say anything to Lei."
Sasuke:*looking
around with his Sharingan, not seeing much.* * "Damn, where are you
Sakura?"*
(There's a red flash just past the trees.)
Naruto:
"What the hell-"
Kakashi: "Oh no. Don't tell me."
Sasuke:
"What?"
Kakashi:*picks up the pace* "Hurry it up you
slowpokes."
Naruto: "Alright we're coming. Yeesh."
(The
three of them come to a pond with a waterfall leading into it. Sakura
is sitting on a rock in the center of the pond.)
Sasuke:
"Sakura."
Sakura:*merely turns her head to them, then turns it
back.*
Sasuke: "What's she doing?"
Kakashi: "I'm not
exactly sure."
(A column of water suddenly surrounds her. In the
column and above her head is a spherical shadow.)
Sasuke:*reaching
for his knives*
Kakashi:*grabs his arm* "Hold on. You shouldn't
interfere."
Sasuke: "And why not?"
Kakashi: "It's a
Blessing."
Naruto: "A what?"
Kakashi: "A Blessing.
She's already passed her third trial, and apparently gained a new
friend."
(Oki has appeared in front of Sakura again, but is more
lifelike now.)
Sakura: "Explain to me again why you have to do
this."
Oki: "It's tradition for the spirits to properly
bless the capturer. That is if the summoner and the summon had not
been previously acquainted, which we have not. This'll also allow
me to see what kind of abilities you posses and whether or not we
need to assess your skills."
Sakura:*sighs* "Whatever you
say."
Oki: "Now then, let's see what you can do."*her eyes
turn a startling blue and stare into Sakura's eyes, which also
turned startling blue.*
(They stare for several minuets before Oki
finally looks away and seems satisfied.)
Oki: "Interesting. Your
ninjutsu is fairly normal; taijutsu isn't that great, genjutsu is
your best form of Jutsu, a high intelligence, good. Your power is
low, you're not very fast, your stamina is poor, but your knowledge
of seals is far more advanced than I've seen in anyone your
age."
Sakura:*not liking the fact that Oki makes her look weak,
but smiles at the compliments of everything else.*
Oki: "I'm
just saying. You need to be fairly assessed before you might be able
to summon me. It'll take a lot out of you to complete it the first
time, but it gets easier as time goes on."
Sakura: "I
see."
Oki: "Now, I can't begin your training just yet. You
still have to acquire the Second Sight before that will become a
possibility. Work on what I have told you to. Don't worry it won't
be too difficult. Good luck Sakura-chan."
