Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters.
When she was a tiny little kid, there were many things Sakura imaged she would become: a doctor, a law officer, a designer or even a gardener liked Ino. She was never a sappy girl but she was ambitious. She dreamt and yielded to create a foreseeable happiness. However, much to Sakura's disappointment, there were not many things that suited her. She was not extremely smart liked Shikimaru. She was not terribly beautiful liked Ino. She was not filthy rich liked Hinata and there was none of the admirable grace liked Tenten's she owned. Sakura was plain, to the point she thought she would never suit to be anything but a man's housewife
So, Sakura did just that. She set her life force to pursuit the most charming boy in the village, Sasuke Uchiha, even if before that day, she wouldn't even spare any boy a glance. She worked and worked and worked. Cut all ties with Ino (a potential threat), obese with fashion, drown in two-scent love advices in some rubbish girly magazines, even went as far as stalking the boy and accepted all the painfully insults he threw at her, just so, her dream could blossom.
Sakura was stubborn and she thought that because she had offered too much, of course, life must be fair and rewarded her back with something even better.
But Sakura was young and stupid. The sense of life justice died within her the day Sasuke betrayed his home for power. And for the first time in her life, Sakura realized the reality of her dream. She longed for love, for belonging, for plain happiness and in such cruel world like the one lived in, that simple wish was just as out of reach as the earth to the moon. She couldn't have love, but she knew she would achieve the new goal she just made.
Power. Fame. Money. Sakura didn't care if she was called greedy.
Human is greedy. And she would obtain what she wanted soon.
Even if it meant the sacrifice of her dignity.
"AKIRA!"
Eyes snapped opened, the groggily kunoichi sprang out of her bed with startlingly speed and cried. "Holy mother farts!"
As Sakura's blurry vision slowly focused back, the kunoichi realized something was suspiciously strange. It was abnormally cold, which could be explained by the absent of the comfortable blanket, and there was something missing when she moved. Her search for the tugging sensation was distracted by a thrilling laugh. It was warm and invited. She saw a boy, probably taller than her 5 inches, was keeling over beside the door as tears of laughter streaming down his face.
"My goodness! That must be the weirdest curse I've ever heard!"
Sakura's brows knitted with confusion. The face was familiar but that didn't help Sakura in determine who this loon, who was laughing and wincing about stomach ach – at the same time- was.
"Don't mind Yamamoto Kun, Akira Kun." Sakura lowered her eyes and as she took in the image of a smiling Tsuna, her brain threw itself into full speed race. The scenes from yesterday and the days before finally flooded back and the shinobi groaned.
How could he forget? Of course, Akira was no longer in Konoha and his life was practically pulled up side down. And, for the love of his pink hair, how dare he forget the downright humiliated experience the bastard over there had caused him to suffer?
"If I did, the loon would already be 10 feets under ground." The shinobi told his client seriously, who forced a chuckled and instinctively took a step back at the glare of pure malice his cousin just presented his best friend.
Akira shouted, as the loud noise of shrilling laughter still rung in the room. "And you can stop now!"
The tallest guy, with jet black hair and twinkle brown eyes, beamed. "Oh man, it's been forever since I've heard something that funny!"
Noticing the low, angry growls from his cousin, Tsuna commented with false calmness, hoping his indifferent could cool the pink haired boy down liked it would do to Gokudera. "You were very rude, Yamamoto Kun."
"Sorry. I sort of lost my mind a bit back there."
"A bit?" Akira asked sarcastically.
"Yeah." The cheerful boy confirmed.
"I don't think you have ever own any 'mind' to lose it in the first place." The shinobi said flatly.
Yamamoto frowned. "Hey, did you just mock me?"
How denser could one be? "No, close."
"An insult?"
"A direct one. Congratulation, genius."
"I know! It's great, yeah? It's the first time I successfully detect an insult!" Yamamoto laughed, and if this was a cartoon, Akira's face would have been visibly glowered with bright thunderous flash.
"Are you sure he's sane?"
Chuckling along with his best friend, Tsuna nodded. "He just gets great sense of humour."
"Too bad, I don't. Now, shut your gob before I shove my shoe to your ugly face, jerk!"
"Whoa, whoa. Easy, mate." The fool still had enough brain to halt his mirth as he gestured a peace sign. "Quite a temper you got."
"What is he doing at our house anyway?" Akira stared pointedly at Tsuna instead, who looked quite uncomfortable.
"It's my house, actually." Yamamoto cut in.
"Then, what the hell are we doing at that dork's house?" Ignoring the high-spirited fool, the shinobi narrowed his jade eyes at his client, who flinched quite visibly under the violent rage that Akira didn't intend to aim at him at all.
"Oh, I get it! I reckon I am getting a better hand on this subtle act. It's a game, ne?" If possible, Tsuna was practically shrinking as the rapid increasing rate of intense bloodlust in his cousin's glare. Yamamoto, who never owned any natural talent when it came to mood-reading skill, smiled brightly. "Tell him you are here because last night, Nana San said you two could sleep over as walking home so late at night would be dangerous, guy or not."
"And how in the heaven could I be possessed enough to agree?" There were veins in Akira's eyeballs right then and Tsuna knew he was very lucky by the fact that look couldn't murder.
"Ah, you don't actually say so but how could I ask if you are practically unconscious?" God must be real because he had answered Tsuna's pray.
Akira snapped his hellishly vicious glare at Yamamoto, who involuntarily took a step back at the sheer mental force of the pink head, and the shinobi growled with unconcealed hatred. "You hypnotized me?
"Of course no—"
Akira accused. "You hit me to unconsciousness!"
"No wa—"
Horrified, the shinobi thundered. "How dare you drug me, bastard!"
"What are you talking about!" Though highly amused by the ridiculous look on the newcomer's face, Yamamoto heard this inner voice, which sounded suspiciously liked survival instinct (which he didn't know he owned until then), that told him to shove the crazy ticklish urge off or he wouldn't live to see the sun. So, be sensible for once, the baseball player explained casually. "Listen. It's true. I didn't do any of that. Just right after the door closed, you fainted."
"Impossible!"
"It's true, Akira Kun." Tsuna timidly confirmed, paling a bit under the incredulous stare of his cousin. "I think that's because you worked over your limit. After all, you are the most popular amongst the three of us and I would faint too if I had to serve such huge amount of customers."
'No, you'd be dead if you had to spend such huge amount of charka.' Inner mentally grumbled as recognition dawned on Akira.
Of course. Again, how could he forget how exhausted and charka-drained he was at last night? No wonder he was so dead to the world that his nervous system kinda shut down until now.
"Let's get the hell out of here." Akira declared shortly after, grabbing his client's hand and striding with determination out the room. He also pointedly ignored the concern protests of Yamamoto, the nervous squeaks of Tsuna and even shoved the old man out of him way. He was very impatient to leave the place that had dramatically scarred him for the rest of his life. Just the thoughts of yesterday night sent waves of disgust down his toe and back to his skull.
Frankly, Akira wasn't really sure if he could stay calm and collected if he was to face the sore reason that made him suffering from such disgrace.
"Wait, Akira! You forgot-"
The shinobi spun around, grasped the startled boy's collar and hissed. "If you don't want your friend's head being strung up by his intestine then don't stop me."
The pure fury that rolled off the shinobi liked thunderstorm must have the desired effect on the poor, innocent Tsuna because he quickly closed his gaping mouth and looked away, half paling, half blushing (which was kinda weird. Fear makes people blush? Inner wondered.) Tsuna stammered quite pathetically. "B-but what I mean is-"
"Just shut up." The deadpan whisper from Akira killed whatever words that going to emerged from his client's quivering mouth. Satisfied that he had got his companion partner under control, Akira straightened up and would have dragged the boy home, if he could move that was.
"Bloody hell." The shinobi breathed, nearly doubled over by what his eyes just presented him.
The quiet alarm before rung, now, loudly and insistently in his mind.
The shinobi bitterly wonder how he could be so stupid, so brainless, so careless, so fucking dim-witted to let his guard down in the middle of the street, where women was going to market, girls going to schools and ladies went to their workplace.
He was not wearing his mask!
This is a very serious life-death situation. Akira thought, trying to still himself as Inner frantically searched through the hazy mess namely, his memories from last night.
Where did he leave that stupid mask?
The shinobi wanted to tear his hair out but the fact that his movement might break the artificial peace he luckily had stopped him instead. It seems that the women in front of him were too entranced by his face that they forgot that they could move.
Well, what did he expect anyway? Even the kunoichis in his world would have forgotten they could use charka if they were to witness such beauty liked him. (Though, on the other hand, some seemed to have developed better charka level and fighting techniques after the chase they gave him. This was fantastic news for Tsunade but downright horrendous news for Akira)
We are getting closer and closer to the hardcode level of narcissism, you know? Inner pointed out in glee, before adding. But who don't when they are as good looking as us? Mwhahahaha!
Why don't you shut up when you are required to? Akira sighed mentally, before planning on how to escape from the danger with both his virginity and his healthy mental intact. He was grateful that at least, Tsuna had a common sense, or good survival instinct, to stay silence and not alerting the horde of hormonal wolves in front of them.
BANG! (–Door slamming-) Akira twitched.
"GUYS!" Inner started to mumble her prayer.
"YOU. FORGOT. THE MASK!"
If there was a person Sakura wished to string up and torture to death that moment, it would be the asshole named Yamamoto.
Cold sweats broke out between the shinobi's temple the second he saw the threats in front of him flinched and then the dangerous gleams Akira was getting used to see (sadly) flared instantly in the eyes of the ladies in front of him.
"Eh? It's early and there are this much customers?" The shinobi gritted his teeth as he heard the cheerful laugh behind him. "Well, I guess I can't hang out with you guys today then- Whoa!"
"He's lucky that Shinshou personally demanded that no harm is to be done to the client's friends and families." Akira muttered as he swung the paling Tsuna to his shoulder and dashed back to the door, passing the surprised Yamamoto. Snatching his mask and secured it tightly to his face, the shinobi flung himself to the window nearby, not give a damn that the whole glass shattered by the impact and sulkily regretting that he couldn't break the whole wall instead.
Swiftly climbing on the tree, Akira used the roof as the escaping path from the crowd of screaming females, who were shrieking at him to stop and let them love him.
I totally understand why most handsome guys are psychopaths. Akira grimaced in mortification, not daring to look behind in case he did find some women who are entranced enough to throw caution to the wind and follow their new love anyway.
"W-what's the matter with them?" Akira glanced down to the trembling Tsuna, who, luckily, didn't find anything wrong with their way of traveling (on the roof tops) as long as they were to get rid of those over-crazed women.
"Hormones overload, I reckon."
"Do you think Yamamoto and his house will be alright?" Tsuna bit his lips worriedly.
"The money they gain from last night will be more than enough to fix whatever that accidentally be broken." Akira sulkily said.
Tsuna nodded. "So, is this why you always wear your mask?" The shorter boy asked as he leaned back to peek at their behind.
"More than accurate, dear Tsuna." Akira sighed. "Any sight of danger?"
"Fortunately, no." Tsuna relaxed against the shinobi's arm. "And to think that I used to envy you."
"I'm glad that you have finally realized how unsafe the situation I am in."
"Still, I bet that it must be nice to be so good looking. I mean, you're probably able have any girl you like." Tsuna muttered. "It's a good thing Kyoko Chan doesn't live near here."
Well, it's a bad thing that Akira is actually Sakura and wouldn't be able to have any guys she likes. Sakura would like to say this fact back to Tsuna but as she was a professional kunochi, Akira remained silent as he abruptly dropped his charge down the ground once he was sure they were safe.
"Ouch!" It's totally not the shinobi's fault that Tsuna owned the luck of a Devil and instead of landing liked usual people - on his sorry butt - it was his face that kissed the harsh floor.
Akira apologized with politeness. "I'm sorry."
"That's alright." Tsuna muttered to his indifferent cousin as he rubbed his ached nose. "Just remember to warn me before you drop me off the next time, please."
"Sure thing." Akira nodded, surveying the roof that he just landed on. "And I hope you know the way to get back home from here, Tsuna Kun."
"Eh? You are not leaving me here, right?" The shorter asked in panic, quickly grabbed on the taller's shirt sleeve.
Akira raised an eyebrow. "Why should I? I'm new here so of course I need you around. How else can I get back to your house?"
"Oh." Tsuna exhaled a soft sigh of relief, then, to Akira's bemusement, blazed a bright red color as he quickly detached his hand and took a few steps back to return his cousin's stolen private space. The brunette stuttered while awkwardly glancing around the quiet area. "Uhm, well then, let me see where we are."
He seems to be used to people leaving him alone in strange places. Sakura thought, watching her charge's back (who was walking to the edge for better view) with pity.
Tsuna didn't say anything about his fear and Sakura didn't know him long enough to have evidences to prove her belief either. However, from what Sakura had observed from Reborn so far, that evil infant could be the type that uses such method to torture, er, train his student, aka Tsuna.
In a way, the method Reborn treated Tsuna kind of reminding her of Tsunade's brutal training style and for that, Sakura sympathized with her charge. She knew the pain of having a legendary sadist as a teacher.
But then, again, if she was to compare her mentor with what her teammates have, such as Orochimaru –the legendary pedophile or Jiraiya –the legendary pervert, Tsunade sounded just like a piece of cake.
Her silent thank to God for gifting her with such wonderful mentor was interrupted by a sharp ear-piercing shriek. The dreadful sound, to Akira's horror, belonged to none other than Tsuna.
Resisting the urge to delivering himself straight away to his charge by a simple jutsu, Akira dashed to the back of his charge while sending out waves of charka to search for threat. As the shinobi finally reached Tsuna, aside from the alarming unhealthy blood-draining face, Akira couldn't detect any sight of injuries or life-threatening attacks that could produce such a sound liked his charge just emitted.
"What's wrong, Ts-"
"We've gotta get the hell out of here right now, Akira!" The urgency seemed to be great enough for Tsuna to leave the horrific out of his cousin's name.
Gripping the hysteric Tsuna, who appeared to also suffer from a nearly heart-attack, Akira said forcefully. "You have to tell me why, Tsu-"
"No! We are running out of time, Akira!" Tsuna, surprisingly snapped back. "Now! This is so bad! So bad! You don't understand! We could die! Oh god! Let's go already!"
Forcing the shorter but definitely more than scared by his shoulder, Akira hold his ground as he grabbed Tsuna's face and twisted it around so emerald eyes finally met worried caramel gaze.
"Calm. Down." Using a much gentler but firmer tone, Akira commanded.
Sakura worked in a very stressful environment, namely emergency department of Konoha's hospital. While it's true that time is precious but if the one in charge, the dotor, couldn't understand what her nurse was trying to explain, all because of sheer anxiety, this would cause even further delaying in treating the patient. Stressing out never helps in solving anything and Sakura had learned this the hard way. So, as the experienced one in her career, despite her young age, Sakura usually needed to use this kind of tone to calm any freaked out newbie in the hospital.
Always, such method had proven to be very effective, as once stressed, the person would usually listen to the one that sounded and looked authorized.
The effect was immediate, as the shinobi had predicted. His charge started to breathe and stop trying to wiggling around in a weird dance that definitely not going to help him escape from whatever he was so scared of.
Once, Tsuna's eyes had looked clear enough to produce sensible answers and not incoherent babblings, Akira asked again. "Where are we-And don't freak out! Just answer me. Where. Are. We?"
Tsuna swallowed. His answer was shaky but audible enough for Akira to hear. "N-namimori Middle High."
"Good. Now, calmly tell me why we shouldn't be here."
"Because herbivores like you should not be in my territory in such unholy time."
Tsuna promptly fainted and Sakura suppressed a flinch.
During the time she had sent out her charka waves, they had alarmed her that a figure was approaching to her and Tsuna's direction with an inhuman speed. Due to this piece of information followed by a quick calculation, Sakura had decided that even with her charka induced speed, it wouldn't have been fast enough to haul both her and her charge's ass out of trouble. So, now that the option of flight had been snubbed, the only choice was to fight. Sakura had hoped that Tsuna, who was clearly a local here, would be able to tell her what the hell she was expected to fight.
Now that he was unconscious, Sakura had no choice but to go with the unknown. She hoped that whatever ability the person behind her has, it would not be too strong that Sakura would need to use extreme violence.
He was insanely fast. Inner whispered not so helpfully. And he didn't even use charka!
Ignoring the hiss to run as fast as he could from Inner, Akira laid the unconscious form of his charge to a corner before turning to face the owner of the roof they were unwittingly stood on.
It's proven to be good timing because the shinobi barely had enough time to duck from the blow which cut several strands of pink hairs just due to its sheer air pressure. Before Akira had much time to hiss that such attack was purely dirty, a sidekick caught his head and with in a sec, the impact slammed the shinobi's body straight to the ground, not too gently, he might add.
If it was not thanked to the survival instinct of a shinobi that Sakura horned so sharply for many years, Akira might have meet Sakura's ancestor with the punch delivered from his attacker. Fortunately, regained enough sense to gracefully roll bodily away from the ruthless strike, Akira hopped up the ground and narrowed his eyes at the eerily crack on the floor where his head just have been.
Doesn't the bastard know it's an ungentleman gesture to use violence against a lady? Inner shrieked with fury.
Well, we are not exactly appearing as a lady right now, you know? In addition, I doubt he would be nicer if he was to hit a girl, anyway. Akira replied back dryly, swiping away the blood that was sputtering from the side of his forehead. The wound would have been severe enough to knock him out if it wasn't for the forehead protector Akira swore.
So, my headband does have a purpose in battle after all. Sakura thought with ironic humor.
"It's rude to attack a person without introducing yourself." Talking might give the shinobi some minutes to catch his breath and scheming a way to not only get way safely, but also be able to take Tsuna in the process.
"Herbivore," The boy, around Akira's age, hissed. "I will bite you to death."
"So much for a pleasant introduction." Already estimating the speed and strength this 'carnivore' might possess, the shinobi pumped more charka to his legs as he duck and dodge from the furious storms of blows. Akira tried again. "I know you want me dead but isn't it a bit more polite if my murderer is to explain what crime I commit."
Breaking away as one kick nearly shattering the shinobi's skull, Akira crouched in a defensive style, eying the emotionless figure in front of him warily. The 'Carnivore' was faster than Gai, that was for sure. Sadly, Sakura had never be able to win against her teacher's rival before, thus, decreasing the chance she might be able to escape this monster and not having any severe 'bite' during the process.
"What is your name, Herbivore?" 'Carnivore' commanded, cocking his head aside in what to appear as an innocent curiosity action. With his look (how Inner could still able to identify this monster as good looking was beyond Akira), it might have been easy for Sakura's heart to start melting with admiration. However, the horrible pain from Akira's head broke any pleasant desire Inner could mutter up.
"Akira." Sakura said while sending out several charka waves to detect a route to get pass the person in front. She needed to get Tsuna (who was behind the Carnivore's back) away with her as well. Reborn would chew her head and Tsunade would castrate Akira if the precious heir of Vongola was to have even a slight scratch on his toe!
"Don't lie to me." If possible, the hungry gleam in those onyx gazes blazed even brighter.
"I didn't." This is bad. No hole whatsoever.
"Akira sounds unnatural on your tongue. Unlike how Hibari rolls out from mine." The attacker explained smoothly, too smoothly for Akira's liking. This tone reminded Sakura strongly of Orochimaru and anything related to that snake is bad news.
"Indeed." The shinobi slowly straightened up. "But why should I be sincere to my foe?"
"Very cheeky, Herbivore." A chuckle from Hibari sent deadly chills down Akira's spine. "Unfortunately, I hate such trait in my prey." Another seductive smirk was given but Akira was wise enough to realize now that whatever this Hibari wanted from him, it would somehow involved blood and broken bones. That terrifying pleasant mask Hibari was adorning sent a sense of dread to Sakura's heart. It was how a predator would look before striking the final blow to end its target's life.
An artificial safety that lured the prey to false peace.
As Akira noticed with growing alarm that the muscles on Hibari's arms were slowly tightened, a discreet action but the shinobi was keen enough to detect anyway. This meant only one thing. The time had come and Tsunade be damned.
Sakura had never wanted to die, or murdered by the teeth of a psychopath nonetheless, so, against Akira's better judgment, she hauled her fist to the ground. Predictably enough, this impact was induced with just enough charka that shook the ground and tore the land with so much force, a mini valley appeared.
This new development, obviously, was not in Hibari's plan which momentarily stunned him, which, Sakura slyly, or desperately, used as the chance to dash pass him, grabbed the fainted Tsuna and jumped off the roof in one swift move.
What left was only a matter of speed now and if the vision of her death didn't inspire her to run fast enough, Sakura seriously didn't know what.
So much for her life motto: "Less enemies, more allies."
As Sakura was dashing toward the rising sun, wondering bitterly that what had she done in the past life to deserve such shitty life and shitty mission, a lone figure stood staring at the ground of his precious school's roof, or what's left of it anyway.
"Kyoya Sama!" His trusted right hand man rushed into view. "Oh God, Kyoya Sama! Are you alr-"
"Kusakabe." Hibari cut him off mid-way. "What did the baby want this morning?"
"Wh-" The look his boss was shooting him must be the most frightening glance he had ever seen during his short life span and the huge boy hysterically searched his memories for what his master was talking about. Baby? He must mean that infant who always wears a suit. "If my memories serve me correct, Reborn said that there will be a new student who is going to attend our school and that you, er, should excuse his strange appearance and-"
"Pink hair and wearing mask?"
"I'm not too sure, sir. Reborn didn't describe anything specifically." Kurosabe informed, while wondering what kind of creature that owned pink hair. "However, he did say that if you agree to not, er, punish this new student, he will willingly build a new wing for our academy, without any charge and even add unlimited amount of cash to our school's financial department."
"A very appealing deal."
"Should I call him back right now to inform the good news?"
"I didn't say I accept."
Kusakabe glanced up in surprised. His fluttered confusion must amuse his boss because there was a low chuckle before a command was announced. "Search this town for a herbivore who has pink hair and wearing a mask. I expect this task to be completed without any fault or delay, Kusakabe. Within 3 days from now."
The subordinate gulped nervously, eying the shadow of his master. "May I ask a question?"
"Be quick." A yawn was heard.
"Does this peculiar person, by any chance, relating to this roof's damage?" Kurosabe peeked at his master.
"Yes." The subordinate shuddered in fear at the smirk on his master's face. There is nothing more frightening than that excited gleam on Hibari's eyes. "And the herbivore will pay. Dearly for his sin."
Kusakabe truly, sincerely pities the prey that his master had set his eyes on.
It was either death or hell for such victim.
And it would be either death or hell for him if Kusakabe was not be able captured whoever his master want. This, also showed clearly in Hibari's eyes.
Ku fu fu fu. Isn't this turn of event interesting?
"Certainly." A girl perched on a building lowered her binocular. "But is this person a good or bad news, Mukuro Sama?"
~Hm~ I wonder the same thing as well, my dear Chrome.
"Brother? Why are you staring at the sky?"
"Kyoko Chan." Said brother turned to his sister, his eyes sparkled with life and his mouth formed a wide grin. "I saw a ninja!"
A/N: I wrote a whole paragraph for you readers. However, my internet did a lovely job and deleted it all. Well, to sum up what I was to say:
Thank you for your patience. I'm impressed that anyone could still follow this story. I hope the wait worthes it.
For those who reviewed, I do take your advices seriously so thank you for your support. Your words inspire my writting speed. In fact, I finished this chapter after rereading the reviews I got.
Well, hope you enjoy this chapter. I will try to write the net one as soon as possible. See ya.