What is there after death? Is it paradise? A fiery Hellscape? Or…
Something else entirely…
University is pretty tough. A ton of unending work, with little to no time to recuperate and relax. And more often than not, it was too much. Medical School was all that and more. While Sakura didn't regret it, she sometimes wished she had taken her father's suggestion and had decided to go to Waseda University instead of Tokyo Medical.
But Sakura just sucked it up and now, she was only 2 days removed from the end of her high school life and onward to adulthood. Sakura wouldn't say that she looked forward to living…not on her own but without her parents, but she did look forward to meeting new people. New people…yeah.
With a sigh, Sakura expanded a chair and set down next to the other ones. All of her friends would be going to Waseda. Naruto and Hinata. Sakura knew that Naruto was only going to Waseda because Hinata was. She knew for a fact that Naruto wanted to go and play basketball overseas, but he would do anything for his precious girlfriend. Though Sakura had little doubt that they were going to get married.
Then there was Shikamaru, who Sakura knew for a fact could've gone to Harvard or Cambridge of Oxford before he even reached 15 and yet he was only going to the closest university. Sakura forgot which one it was but she knew it was near Nakano. Actually, now that Sakura thought about it, the closest one to him was the University of Tokyo. One of the best, if not the best Universities in the country. Huh. Only Shikamaru would call the 56th ranked university in the world just a "local" one.
Of course, Shikamaru was the smartest person that Sakura knew. If only he acted like it. Skipping and sleeping through class. Sometimes he would skip class, eat his lunch and then sleep during the lunch period or go cloud watching. Most of the time he would sleep during tests, wake up 15 minutes before they end and ace them no problem. Or how he would never study. Not once did Sakura see Shikamaru studying. It irritated Sakura to no end. All those endless hours of studying and reading and research. And still, she couldn't catch up. No matter how hard she tried. Some people are just born gifted.
On the other hand, Naruto…was not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. He was really naïve in Sakura's opinion. There just are some people that can't be saved. People that are just pure evil. How anyone could think that a serial murderer or rapist could be rehabilitated were just…stupid was too strong a word. Naïve. That was the word that Sakura would use to describe those kinds of people.
And Hinata? Well, Sakura could safely say that she had some stalkerish tendencies. The only thing stopping Sakura from effectively calling her a Yandere was that she hadn't killed anyone yet. Though Sakura wouldn't be exactly surprised if she had. Especially considering that her father was a very prominent politician with shady business dealings with the Yakuza. So Sakura wouldn't be all that surprised if there was a dead body found in Hinata's backyard.
Sakura was pretty sure that the only reason she was even friends with these people was because all of their parents were friends during their high school days. Naruto and Shikamaru were good people. If not just annoying naïve and lazy. Hinata was fucking crazy. That much Sakura was sure.
Despite being so close to graduation day, Sakura was still at school. They had just finished exams and Sakura volunteered to help set up for the graduation. Only fitting for the valedictorian. Truth be told, Sakura was surprised that Shikamaru hadn't been chosen to be the valedictorian. After all, he was the smartest in the school. Because after all the valedictorian is supposed to be the smartest one right? Oh, how Sakura wanted to punch Naruto's teeth in that day. Perhaps Shikamaru was chosen by her peers, but the teachers took pity on Sakura and made her the valedictorian. Regardless, Sakura wasn't complaining.
After setting up the last chair, Sakura wiped the sweat off her brow. She looked at the time. It was 7:30 now. Huh. Not the latest that Sakura had stayed behind. Well, all of the chairs were set up now and all that was left to do was to rehearse the whole thing. She just hoped that Naruto wouldn't do anything stupid like forgetting his gown. Or bringing a bowl of instant ramen to the ceremony. Doing it during middle school was bad enough.
"Yo Sakura!" Iruka Umino, her math teacher called out to her. He had several cups of bubble tea with him. "Time to go eh? Hey, before you go, take one." He offered her a bubble tea and without hesitation Sakura took the strawberry flavored one.
"Thanks. Just to confirm something Mr. Umino," Sakura began as she took a sip from the bubble tea. As the plastic touched her lips, a shiver went down her spine. "We have to arrive at 11:30 was it? And then after the rehearsal, we can go home right?"
"Yup. And remember Sakura, please call me Iruka now. And remember to visit whenever you can."
"I'll try." Sakura smiled. She spun around. Her bag was propped up on a chair in the back. After swinging it over onto her back, she turned back around to face Iruka. "Goodbye!" As soon as she left the room, the smile fell off of her face.
Remember to visit? Yeah right. There was no chance in hell that Sakura would ever go back to Konoha High School. It was a shithole. An absolute shithole. If Sakura wasn't "friends" with Hinata, the scion of a wealthy family associated with the Yakuza, then she would for sure have been bullied. Well, she was. That was in elementary. Back when she didn't even know Hinata Hyuga existed. Back when Naruto was just the kid who teachers disliked because he kept doing stupid stuff and getting in trouble. Back when Shikamaru would actually get punished for sleeping in class. Back when she had first met Yamanaka Ino.
Ino…That was someone that Sakura hadn't thought of in a long time. The last time they had seen each was…4 years ago? Maybe 3. Sakura wasn't sure. It had really been so long since she had seen Ino. Sometimes Sakura would pass by the Yamanaka flower shop, but Ino was never there. There were times when Sakura wanted to go in and ask if Ino was there, but Sakura never did. Well, there was this one time that Sakura did see Ino, but she was kind of busy at the time and Sakura didn't want to intrude.
The car that her uncle had given to her as a present was across the street and inside a park parking lot. Sakura didn't trust the delinquents to not mess with her car. Even now, the ones that were loitering around the school were eyeing her like a wolf would look at a deer. What most people, mostly girls, would do in Sakura's place would be to pick up the pace and make no eye contact. Instead, Sakura kept her head up and continued to walk at the same speed. All the while staring straight into the eyes of anyone who would look at Sakura like she was a piece of meat.
Sakura eventually reached her shitty old car. It was falling apart at the proverbial seams. Cracked red paint, wheels that always seemed to be flat, blinkers that didn't work, a honk that didn't work, windshield wipers that didn't work. Sakura wouldn't have been surprised if her brakes just stopped working in the middle of the street. Fuck, Sakura wouldn't even be the least bit surprised if the engine just straight up exploded as she started it up.
Getting enough money to buy a car that wasn't a ticking time bomb was one of Sakura's many reasons as to why she wanted to be a doctor. Albeit, it wasn't one of the reasons until she got the car, but whatever.
Whenever someone asked Sakura why it was that she decided to become a doctor, they usually asked because they all thought the same thing. Why would the daughter of one of the most famous seiyuu's in Japan in Haruno Mebuki and the best attorney in Shinjuku, need the money to become a doctor. Truth to be told, she didn't. It was because Sakura didn't want to become one of those people who were famous because their parents were famous. If Sakura was going to be famous, it would be because she was someone who saved lives. And someone who made a difference. Sakura didn't really know when she had decided that being a doctor was her calling card in life, but she was pretty sure that it was when the pinkette met Senju Tsunade. If Sakura recalled correctly, it was her 8th or 9th birthday. Sakura forgot what happened, but whatever did happen, it was probably for the better.
"Great. Fucking great." Sakura muttered as her shitty ass car wouldn't start. After a couple more tries at starting the engine, it started. "Fucking finally." Sakura wasn't sure when she started to swear so much, but she pretty sure it was after Naruto introduced him to that one cousin of his. Tayuya or something or other.
Her childhood home was located where all the other rich fucks lived. The neighborhood of Azabu. Now Sakura lived in Roppongi Hills. If there was anything that Sakura could say about the place, it was that Roppongi Hills was basically another city within Tokyo. Kind of like the City of London with London, but not exactly. And no, Sakura did not live in a mansion or a fancy condo at the top of some tower. No. The scion of the Haruno family lived in apartment 315 in some apartment complex close to Mori Tower. It wasn't the best, but Sakura insisted on living in an apartment. Even though her parents wanted her to stay at their place. And in several weeks Sakura would be moving to a dorm in Tokyo Medical University. If Sakura was even a modicum successful as her parents, then she would definitely have enough money to get a decent apartment in some good neighborhood like Omotesando or Yoyogi.
As Sakura drove slowed to a stop at a red light, her mind wandered right back to Yamanaka Ino. The only person that Sakura would ever say earned the right to be called her best friend. What kind of best friend would Sakura be if she didn't go and at least try to reconnect? The Yamanaka flower shop was in Harajuku and wasn't that far off and it wouldn't be that much of a detour from her apartment. If Sakura remembered correctly, there was a parking lot in the back, but the only way to get there was to drive past the street and go to the back lane. Something about an error with the blueprints and a contract dispute with the construction company. So there wasn't really any easy way to park.
But thankfully, there weren't many cars in the area. But still, parking was a mess. There was one entrance. And it was also the exit. Most of the parking spots were taken, mostly by people who didn't anywhere else to park and weren't even at the flower shop. Instead, they were in the other stores along the street. Most of which were clothing stores. As of expected of the district known as Harajuku. Sakura would be lying if she said that she didn't see students from her school walking down the street.
Somehow, Sakura found a spot to park in. And it was just the right distance from the exit and the entrance to the store. "The perfect balance." She muttered. It was windy and Sakura was glad that she decided to wear her denim jacket today. She had also thought about bringing a raincoat, as it was supposed to rain, but decided not to. It didn't rain. Well, not yet anyways. The whole day was slated to have been a monsoon, but it didn't look like that until now when the sun was hidden behind a curtain of black and gray clouds. Some would say that it's a bad omen. Sakura saw it as nothing more than nature doing what nature does.
Sakura forgot how much purple was in the flower shop. There weren't many things in the shop that weren't purple or close to it. The floor tiles were gleaming purple and the walls were painted a bluish purple color. At the front next to the door were two vases painted different shades of purple and blue. Along the walls were light fixtures tinted a light shade of purple. If Sakura remembered correctly, Ino had often said that she wanted to replace those with actual UV lights. Why Sakura didn't know. Well, other than Ino thought it would look cool. As for the flowers themselves, there were six shelves full of all kinds of plants. Large and small. Exotic and local. All different kinds of colors and shapes. But despite how many plants there were, the shop felt…
Empty.
It looked like no one had been in the shop in a long time and some of the plants were wilting or outright dead. Some of the lights were flickering on and off and one of the vases up front had a large crack running all the way from top to bottom. Sakura wouldn't have been surprised to find the cash register empty too.
The woman at the register wasn't anyone that Sakura knew. Or perhaps it was someone that she knew. Sakura hadn't seen anyone from the Yamanaka family in years. The woman in question had Ino's long blonde hair and green eyes. As Sakura got closer, the woman's head lifted up and flitted over to Sakura. Her green eyes widened in surprise.
"Sakura? Haruno Sakura?"
"Uh…That's me. Right here. Um…I don't mean to rude and insensitive, but…do I know you?" Sakura stood in front of the desk, her arms at the side as she looked away awkwardly. "I mean, you do look familiar, but I can't really remember your name."
"Inori. Yamanaka Inori. Ino's mom. And don't worry. I wouldn't expect you to remember me after all these years. But I don't think I could ever forget you Sakura." Inori chuckled. There were bags under her eyes, which in turn were bloodshot. Upon closer observation, Sakura could see just how disheveled Inori's hair was. It certainly didn't look like Ms. Yamanaka was getting that much sleep. "After all, you were the first and so far the only person she could really call a friend."
"Am I really?" That was surprising to Sakura. And she had known Ino since they were children. It always seemed like Ino had a lot of friends. "Well, that's awfully nice of you. And I can definitely say that Ino is the person that I would ever call my best friend. Well, I don't think I can really call her that anymore. I mean, what kind of best friend am I? I haven't seen Ino in years." Inori's lips quivered and Sakura thought that she would burst out crying right then and there.
"Ah, well, even after all these years, I know that Ino still considers you her best friend. But…Ino hasn't been seen in years."
Sakura's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean Ino hasn't been seen in years? I drove by here a couple days ago and I'm sure that I saw her here!"
Inori smiled sadly and let out a choked sob. "That must've been her cousin. Irimi. Ever since Ino disappeared she's been helping the shop out. But, as you can clearly see, it's not like it even matters. Ever since…Business just hasn't been the same. But I guess that's to be expected. Everything depended on her."
Ino…was gone. "What happened? Wh-when did Ino just disappear?"
"Ino disappeared last year. One day, she told us that she would be coming to visit a friend for a school project. And she just never came home. At first, we assumed that the friend that she went to did something to her. But, they didn't. They saw her off at the Shibuya Metro and then…that's when anything related to Ino just…up and gone. There was no evidence to even come up with a plausible explanation as to what happened to her. She just…disappeared." A shiver ran down Sakura's spine. "That's why you're here right? You wanted to see Ino?"
"Uh…yeah. I did." Inori smiled sadly. Not wanting to leave on an awkward note, Sakura looked around for something she could buy. It was the least that she could do. Sakura grabbed the closest plant that was also the most appealing. Not that hard really, Sakura didn't know jack shit about flowers. "Um…I'll buy this." Inori smiled genuinely for the first time since Sakura entered.
"Thank you. And, if you ever come across Ino, please, please tell us."
"I…I'll try my best." Sakura wanted to say more but didn't want to come across as offensive. "Bye." She left the Flower Shop with a heavy heart. Her best friend. Gone. Just disappeared into the wind like the seeds of a dandelion. The chances of Ino being dead was as high as the chance of Shikamaru acing the entrance exam to some Ivy League University. But, if there was any chance that Ino was still alive, then Sakura would keep hope. But the thought that Ino might be dead…Sakura didn't want to think about it.
The drive to her apartment usually involved a lot of music and radio shows. But this time, it was the news. Perhaps it was because of the off chance that there might be news that there was some info on Ino. But Sakura really doubted it. Ino disappeared over a year ago. There was very little, if any chance of there being news regarding Ino's disappearance, but if there was…Well, there may have been someone who could have information about Ino's disappearance.
There was someone at Konoha High who knew what everyone liked to do. What they liked to eat, what they did in their free time, who they went out with, who they banged during one of Hinata's crazy parties. His name was Aburame Shino. And if he turned out to be a spy in the future, Sakura would not be surprised. The guy knew everything about you. Hell, he even looked the part of a spy. A trench coat over a jacket with sunglasses and the only skin that was visible was his face and hands. He also happened to know a lot of things on the internet. And if there was even the slightest chance that he knew anything, anything about Ino's disappearance…then Sakura would bite the bullet and take it.
Now if only Sakura knew where he lived.
Well, she had seen…ugh…Hinata hanging out with Shino before. Before taking the plunge, Sakura stopped by a vending machine to get a coke. Because of course, Sakura needed the extra dose of caffeine to converse with Hyuga Hinata.
"Hi, Sakura!" The pinkette in question cringed. Both at the high pitched voice and at the fake cheerfulness of the borderline Yandere that was Hinata Hyuga. "What do you need? You need to talk to Naruto?" There was a dangerous edge in Hinata's voice. Sakura rolled her eyes.
"No. I don't. I need to ask you something."
"Ask away. You can ask me anything."
"Do you know where Aburame Shino lives? It's kind of important."
Hinata giggled. "Are you that desperate for a boyfriend that you'd go to him? No offense to him, but really? Well, to answer your question, Shino lives in Shimokitazawa. Kind of fitting for a hipster like him don't you think? Well, if that's all, I'll be going now. Bye."
"Well, that was actually helpful. Still fucking need more coke. Goddamn, that fucking crazy bitch." Sakura muttered as she chugged the coke and threw it into a recycling bin. Shimokitazawa eh? One of the best neighborhoods in Tokyo and also an old one. If Sakura remembered correctly, Shimokitazawa to Harajuku from Harajuku station was a thirteen-minute drive away. The station was just a couple of streets down, so it would make sense if she could get there in good time to the Aburame household. And then Sakura stopped to think.
Shimokitazawa was commercial and entertainment district. With a ton of independent fashion retailers, café's theaters and all the like. It was also one of the most popular places for young people to live. Sakura doubted that Mr. and Ms. Aburame lived there, but Shino was the only person who could give her even the slightest lead. Well, aside from the police, but she doubted that they knew any more than they did before.
"..In recent news, some new information has come to light regarding the case of Yamanaka Ino, who disappeared last April." Sakura almost came to an immediate stop in the middle of the road but manage to reel herself in. Fortunately, the light turned red. Well, it seems that Sakura wouldn't be needing to go after Shino after all. "The camera footage within Shibuya Station, which until today had been corrupted, has finally been cleaned up and now it is very clear that something happened, there is no footage of what happened after Ms. Yamanaka disappears into the restroom. The footage, however, does show an unknown person in a dark leather coat with shoulder length hair going after her…" Sakura zoned out.
Ino was right there. In front of her.
Sakura only knew one person who wore that purple jacket. It was a letterman jacket with Sakura's and Ino's names sewn onto the back of it. And that blonde hair tied up in that ponytail with that bang covering part of her face…There was no doubting it. This was Ino. There was a parking lot for an outlet store nearby and as soon as Sakura was out of the car, she was off.
If this was Ino…what then? Sakura didn't know. But she did know one thing. She was going to confront Ino. It was raining now. And all that Sakura could hear, was the sound of herself repeating Ino's name in her head. Why did Ino suddenly appear? And why did it happen, right when Sakura was looking for her. This couldn't be just a coincidence. Right? Right? Things like this happened for a reason. This wasn't because of fate, or some jackass god. Right? RIGHT?
"INO!" Sakura felt butterflies flutter around in her stomach as the girl turned around to meet Sakura with wide green eyes. Time stopped. This…This couldn't be…happening. Could it? This girl…It really, really was Ino. There were some people who looked at her like a crazy person as she forced her way through the crowd like an Olympic swimmer in the 100-meter race. Ino stood still like a deer in headlights.
By the time that Sakura had reached Ino, the crowds had cleared as the rainfall intensified. Sakura felt like she was in a movie. The one time she thought about her missing best friend. The one time she decided to try and find her. All within minutes of learning of Ino's missing status. It really felt like Sakura was in a cheesy romance movie. The ones that Hinata insisted taking Naruto on. Sakura came to a stop an arms-length away from Yamanaka Ino.
A smile cracked Ino's wet face. "You haven't changed a bit. Eh, billboard brow?" The fluttering of the butterflies only intensified at those words. "Then again. Neither have I. Wouldn't you agree?" Sakura could only nod dumbly. There was truth in Ino's words. She was just as Sakura remembered her. Yet, at the same time, Ino felt like a stranger. The look in Ino's eyes…It was something that Sakura had only seen in her grandfather, who had survived the horrors of World War 2. The eyes of someone who had seen and experience death. But that wasn't possible. The Ino that Sakura knew couldn't even hurt a fly if she wanted to. But Sakura supposed that people do change. Anything could happen in the course of three years.
"Yeah. I suppose." Sakura chuckled. "You know, if I wasn't so in shock I would slap you right now. I just…I didn't expect to find you here. Especially considering, you know, that you're technically missing."
"Uh…" Ino laughed nervously. Her eyes darting around, hands fidgeting with something in her jacket pocket. Sakura noted the slick and formfitting black gloves and turtleneck that Ino wore. "Yeah. If you want an explanation, I could give it to you. But, I'd have to tell you in private."
"I don't mind. I live by myself anyways and my car is a piece of shit."
Ino laughed. "Well, you don't have to worry about my car breaking down or something like that. I take the metro. Come on. My apartment like, a 20-minute metro ride from here." Sakura had to smile. Despite the haunted look in Ino's eyes, it seemed that the girl was still upbeat and cheerful. Or at least it seemed that way to Sakura. "Anyways, enough about me, how are things going with you? Still want to be a doctor?"
"Yeah. Going to Tokyo Med this spring. How about you? Still planning on building that greenhouse?"
"Nah. I've actually been thinking of pursuing a career in journalism. Thought long and hard and deliberated over my choice for like…maybe 5 minutes and then I said to myself, fuck being a botanist." Sakura and Ino shared a laugh as Harajuku station appeared over the horizon. "Nah, but to serious, I did think about it long and hard. And I just didn't want to do something that doesn't interest me. At least not any more."
"What made you change your mind?"
"I don't really know, but all I knew was that I did not want to spend my time back in that Flower Shop. I know it sounds heartless, but that business isn't going to succeed in the future. Not when people do the actual gardening themselves and when people stop giving each other flowers for dates. When that happens, I want to be able to support my parents, because I know they won't be able to change their minds."
"Is that why you still haven't revealed yourself to your parents?" Sakura asked as the two of them patiently waited for the train to arrive. "Because you don't want to disappoint them or you're afraid of what they'll think?" At Ino's silence and guilty look, Sakura's jaw opened slightly.
"It's…not for any of those reasons." Ino looked very, very guilty. "I just…Needed some time away from them." Sakura could tell that Ino was lying. The Ino that Sakura knew was very close to her parents. Almost to the point where they had more of a best friend relationship as opposed to a parental one. It was mind boggling to Sakura to think that someone with that kind of relationship would suddenly want some time away. And it wasn't as if Yamanaka Inori and Inoichi had driven her away. Or at least Sakura didn't think they did. It certainly didn't seem like the Yamanaka's were that kind of people.
"You know, you've never been a good liar," Sakura told her. Ino's shoulders slumped as she was caught red-handed. "What's the real reason you ran away from home. Because that's what you did. You ran away. Why?"
Ino sighed. "You probably wouldn't believe me." Sakura scoffed. "It's true!"
"Bullshit. I was-I am your best friend. You can tell and I'll try to believe you." Ino looked around before sighing once more and relenting.
"Fine. But only after we get to my place. I can't tell you here. Way too crowded. Too many people." Ino looked around like everyone that wasn't Sakura was going to shoot her in the head. Sakura was baffled. What happened in the past year that would lead Ino into becoming like this?
Ino's apartment was somewhere in Shiodome. Which boggled Sakura's mind. Next to Ginza, Shiodome was atop some of the most expensive property in the world. How Ino ever managed to afford an apartment here, at her age, and with salary or whatever, was mind melting. But Sakura wasn't going to question it.
Ino's apartment was near the top floor of some unfathomably fancy and modern skyscraper. Though with the lightning quick elevator, it felt like it was only twenty floors as opposed to the sixty or seventy that Ino had mentioned it being. The lobby downstairs was jaw dropping and Sakura was sure that she saw several members of AKB48 mingling amongst each other by the indoor fountain. Before taking the elevator, Ino sauntered over to a café by a giant piece of modern art and got two cups of coffee. The elevator floor was made of red velvet and the walls were decorated with golden branches with some silver leaves mixed in. All of it screamed, rich and beyond and anything that Sakura would ever be capable of making.
"Close your mouth." Ino chuckled, bringing her cup to her lips. "You'll get flies if you keep it open that long. Impressed?"
"More than impressed," Sakura admitted as Ino led her down a hallway. "I'm actually speechless." The floors were covered with velvet carpeting and in between every apartment door was a vase with flowers that looked like they belonged in the Imperial Palace or something. The walls were lit up with golden light fixtures. Ino stopped by a door with a golden 420 on it. Sakura shot Ino a look. "What? 420! Don't you get it?"
"Oh, I get it. Just not funny."
"Whatever. My sense of humor is just more high class than yours. As evident of my living space and my posh accent." Ino spread her arms out as she led Sakura into her apartment. It was…not what Sakura expected really. It was minimal, with only the bare necessities and some of other things. But they were of the highest quality. Satin bed sheets on Ino's queen sized bed. Silk curtains hid the balcony from view. There was a wolf skin rug at the foot of Ino's bed. The T.V was mounted to a wall and looked like on those 8K that Sakura had only ever seen during Sony Conventions and on T.V. Along the walls were top of the line oak dressers and cabinets. In the kitchen, Sakura could see a chandelier with rainbow colored lights hanging down the center. To the right of the doorway was a computer set up. The ones that Sakura had only seen from posts online. With lights and two screens and a fancy gaming chair. Propped up against the PC were a pair of headphones. "Well, what do you think?"
"Ah…Um…I only have one question."
Ino smiled smugly. "Go on."
"How in the hell did you afford this? As a matter of fact, how do you, a student without a job that I know of, pay the rent for this? It must cost hundreds of thousands of yen!" Ino shrugged.
"A friend of mine got it for me and pays for it until I can find a steady enough job that I can start paying for the rent on my own. Now come on in! Make yourself at home. But watch vase. Apparently, that cost three hundred thousand yen. And please be careful with the glass." Ino pointed to a glass of soda atop her oak standing desk. "That cost like 50 000 yen. But aside from that, treat this place like it's your own home. Now wait here and watch some videos or something while I prepare some snacks for us. Do you want caviar?"
"Uh…"
"Just kidding! I don't have caviar. Nachos sound good to you?" Sakura nodded. "Great! Got all kinds nachos! Original, extra spicy, extra cheesy. Does that sound good to you? Extra cheesy?"
"It's fine. I'm not here to eat, though. If you remember." Ino hesitated but continued on her way to the kitchen. She reached into her sleek, mahogany cabinets and grabbed a smooth porcelain bowl and poured a bowl full of chips. "Can you tell me why you've hidden and pretended that you've disappeared? Why you want people to believe that you're basically dead in all reality?"
"Turn on the T.V."
"No. Not until-"
"Turn it on and go to channel 4. Once you do, then you'll get your answer. Just trust me. Okay? Can you do that Sakura?" The girl in question groaned, but nonetheless reached over and grabbed the remote lodged between her PC and the monitor.
"…A warning to all our viewers." The news anchor said. Her face was pale and in the box next to her…was a picture of Ino. "What you are about to see is extremely graphic and is not recommended for any viewer under the age of twelve."
It seemed like a continuation of the corrupted footage from Shibuya station. The footage was grainy, but Sakura could still make out Ino amongst the ocean of people. It wasn't that hard really. Ino's blonde hair stuck out like a bar of gold amongst stacks of silver. Ino ran out of the washroom and began to run. As she disappeared from view the camera's switched to a view of the parking lot. Someone was following her. It was a man in a leather coat with longish hair. His face, however, was hidden by a bandana and a pair of shades.
Sakura's eyes widened as the man pulled out a gun and shot Ino right where her spine should've been. And it played exactly like what Sakura imagined getting shot would feel like. There was a spray of blood as the bullet penetrated Ino's body. Her best friend fell to the ground almost immediately as she lost her balance. But her shooter wasn't done as he continued to fire until there was no longer any more bullets. It seemed that the gun was silenced because Sakura didn't see anyone reacting to the gunshots.
As Ino lay dying, the man grabbed her by the legs and threw her into the backseat of a car. He then smashed the car window with his elbow and hotwired the car. Sakura counted 45 seconds. It took Ino's assailant that long and yet no had come still. At this point, the image had gotten so grainy and fuzzy and it was cutting to black every few seconds.
Ino slid in next to her on the couch. "That was when I blacked out. I think I died right then and there. Now, you might be asking, how am I right here then? In front you? Eating nachos slowly when in reality I should be dead. Deader than dead. Six fucking feet under." A smile appeared on Ino's face. "That day, I was chosen."
Sakura took a step back as Ino's left arm slowly began to disappear. Kind of like a 3D printer except in reverse. Without realizing what was happening, Sakura had opened the door to the balcony. "What the fuck! What the fuck!" Ino approached her. Her head slowly disappearing. The railing of the balcony struck the small of Sakura's back.
This…was not what Sakura expected. What she had expected would happen was that Ino was just tired of the ways things were and decided to run away under the cover that someone had kidnapped her. She did expect to see her own best friend living in a lavish apartment wildly beyond anything Sakura would've ever expected. But this?
It's often that you see your best friend get shot to death and get kidnapped. Well, actually that NEVER FUCKING HAPPENS! It's also not often that you see them sitting right next to you while watching herself get riddled with nine-millimeter rounds. It's also not often that your best friend's body parts start to disappear! All the while doing so with a smile on her face.
Ino laughed. "Come on! You should see the look on your face right no!" Ino's eyes widened as Sakura tipped over. "Shit! Hold on!" She reached her hand out, forgetting the fact that it was slowly disappearing. Meanwhile, Sakura's center of gravity pulled her down and off of the skyscraper. "Sakura!"
The falling pinkette reached out for the railings. However, her hands slipped from the wet and slippery marble railing. With no other option, Sakura reached out for Ino's stump of an arm. Sakura let out a cry of panic as her hand passed through Ino's. The smile on Ino's face disappeared and was replaced with a look of panic.
"Shit! Fuck! Fuck!" Ino cried out. Sakura had fallen too far to reach with normal means. The pinkette felt tears appear in the corner of her eyes. Was this how her life was going to end? Falling to her death after her best friend revealed that she had superpowers or some shit like that?
Without any warning, Ino leaped. Only the bottom half of her face, most of her torso and her thighs were remaining. And then, Ino fully disappeared. Did Ino not have full control over her own abilities that she would just disappear like that? Sakura was dead. There was no way she going to survive this. All that would be left of Sakura was going to be paste. Bloody, mush and paste on the second most expensive land in the city of Tokyo.
Anticipating her death, Sakura closed her eyes. And she got…
Nothing.
Well, nothing except the feeling of hitting the ground. But it wasn't the feelings of hitting the ground at terminal velocity. It was more like the feeling of rolling over in your sleep and falling to the ground. That was the feeling that Sakura got. But, she was afraid to open her eyes still.
"Sakura? Fuck." Ino? Ino!? Immediately Sakura opened her eyes and was greeted with the face of her best friend. But, she looked a little different. She was no longer wearing her jacket and was instead wearing a black full body suit with what Sakura thought looked like a retractable headpiece. Numerous armored plates covered Ino's body. Strapped to her back were two swords. One of them looked like a Katana.
"Ino? Where…" Sakura trailed off as Ino helped her up. She looked around. Now she was inside what appeared to be a gymnasium of some sort. But it was a little too small to belong to any school or University or was public. It seemed more to Sakura that it was part of a privately owned home. Sakura looked out of the windows that were placed near the ceiling. The moon was out. Well, it had already been out by the time that her death occurred. Or what was supposed to be her death. Not that Sakura was complaining "Where are we?"
"Daikanyama." A male voice interjected. And it was then that Sakura became aware that she and Ino weren't the only ones in the gym. In fact, Sakura could see at least 20 to a quarter of a hundred people in the gym with her. Most of them were elderly and some of them looked like they were Yakuza. Others were dressed in the black suits associated with the sea of business on Shinagawa Station every morning.
The voice in question belonged to a guy standing close to an unbelievably bright ball in the center of the gym. He was dressed in the same black gear as Ino. Strapped to his waist were two Uchigatana's and across his back was a Nodachi. Having a Nodachi was illegal as far Sakura knew and unless this was some sort of ceremony, Sakura doubted the guy actually got the sword legally. Strapped to his side was a holster with some sort of gun. It wasn't any kind of handgun that Sakura had ever seen on T.V or during the movies. But then again Sakura wasn't exactly what you could call a weapons buff. A shiver coursed through Sakura's body as the man looked at her with his cold, obsidian eyes.
"Stop staring at her like that Sasuke," Ino demanded of him. Sasuke scoffed and walked away. "Sorry about him. He's kind of a dick. A rich one. A handsome one. But a dick."
"I bet you dream about his dick all the time." Another and more youthful voice chimed in. Sakura's head swiveled to look and came face to face with a middle schooler. He too wore the black armored jumpsuit and had a katana strapped to his side. He had spiky brown hair and had a long blue scarf wrapped around his neck several times. He snickered at the enraged look that appeared on Ino's face. "Who's this lady? A friend of yours? Heh. Looks like she's gonna be the first one to die today."
"Fuck off Konohamaru." The brat slinked off to a corner all the while sneering at the two of them.
"Ino was that…"
"Yep. Those guys? That was Uchiha Sasuke and Sarutobi Konohamaru." Sakura's eyes widened in realization. Ino laughed. "Yep. Sasuke gave me the money to rent out that apartment. Mostly because I saved his life. Not that he'll admit that he needed saving in the first place. Guy pride and all."
"But both of them are supposed to be dead."
A smile spread on Ino's face. "Yeah. And so am I. Right? Yet here we are. Standing in front of you." The glowing orb in the center of the gymnasium began to glow a dim red. Everyone's eyes snapped towards it. "Heh. Guess it's about to start. Thirty people. That should be more than enough." Ino muttered. "Sakura. Do you want to live?"
"What? Of course, I do!"
"Then pay attention to Yami. She'll tell you everything that I can't explain to you. Not because I can't. But because I'm terrible at explaining and we'd be here all night if I did try to explain all of it to you." Ino muttered as the glowing ball expanded. Before Sakura could erupt into a panic like everyone else as a crimson light went over her body, Ino put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. It'll be alright. Yami's only scanning your body so that the armor he gets for you fits."
Finally, the crimson light dimmed and Sakura felt something cold begin seeping up her body. She looked down. The same black jumpsuit that Ino had on had materialized onto Sakura and was slowly covering her body.
Yami spoke.
"Your pathetic and pitiful excuses for lives have ended." Yami had the voice of a woman. A woman with no emotions, and no tact. Many of the other newcomers to whatever this was, began to rant and rave at the orb of light. Sakura listened intently "And now, whatever shall to it, is in my proverbial hands. Until I say so, you shall be sent into the halls of demons, aliens and all the likes."
Many people scoffed while others looked towards Ino and others armed with weapons. Everyone must've been thinking the same thing as Sakura. Aliens? Demons? Her head was spinning. None of this could've been true. None of this should've been possible. Reviving people from the dead, a talking ball of light. Her best friend looking like some sort of assassin or a superhero that an edgy teenager thought was cool.
"Your mission today is to eliminate this pack of Hellcats." The orb projected a picture of a giant, demonic cat of some sort. With long, razor sharp fangs. Their eyes were a blazing red. Some of the people looked at it and laughed. The kid from before, Konohamaru stood up and walked over to Sasuke. The two of them were too far away for Ino to hear what they were saying. Sasuke's cold gaze washed over Sakura as he looked at Ino and her from over his shoulder. "Once they have all been eliminated, you will be sent back here. Only then will you be allowed to return home. But do not think that this will be the end. You will return once more when I require it. The transfer will start now."
Weapons of all kind appeared on the gym floor in flashes of light. Everyone that wasn't Sasuke, Ino or Konohamaru immediately rushed forward for the best weapons. Or what they thought were the best weapons. "Here. Wait. I'll get you the best one." Ino reassured her. "I promise."
Sakura reached out for Ino as her best friend ran towards the center. "Listen girl." It was Sasuke. He stood behind her. "If you want to live, stick either with me or Ino. Going with anyone else will get you killed."
"Like everyone else?"
"Look at these people." Sasuke spread his arm out and beckoned Sakura to look out at the masses clamoring for the best weapon. "Businessmen, high schoolers, Yakuza that really weren't all that intimidating, and the elderly. Do you really think that any of these people are going to be able to defend themselves? I highly doubt it. Let them die. They'll only be a detriment to your own survival. That's just how things go."
"So you won't even try to save them? Are you just going to them let die? Are they nothing than cannon fodder for you? For you to observe and analyze the enemy?" Sakura asked, her fists balling up.
"Yes. Exactly. I won't cut it any other way. That's the only way to survive."
"You're the worst kind of person." Sakura snarled at him. "But I'll listen to you. Only for Ino. If you're in any danger, then I'll adopt your philosophy."
"Hn. I don't expect anything more."
"Yo!" Ino called out as she came to a stop in front of Sakura. "I come bearing gifts! Take this." Sakura let out a grunt as Ino dropped a giant gun in her hands. The barrel was large and cylindrical and the body of the gun sleek and modern in the design. Everything about it was futuristic. Honestly, Sakura felt a little intimidated. Sakura looked up as someone let out a cry of alarm. Someone had just disappeared in a flash of light. "Alright. The transfer's happening. The moment we arrive in whatever location we'll be sent to, I want you to follow me. Alright? Let's get started." Ino's face was suddenly covered by a helmet with a glinting black visor.
Sakura gulped. "I'm counting on you Ino."
"Don't worry. You can count on me. I won't let you down." A flash of red light engulfed Sakura's vision. When the light faded she was greeted with…a Gundam. A white one at that. Sakura had seen this exact one before. "Hey, DiverCity."
"Yeah," Sakura replied. "Odaiba." The pinkette was too caught up in the sight of the Gundam to see the pair of glowing red eyes peering at her through an approaching mist.
Most of this is heavily based on the great Manga Gantz. In fact, it actually started out as a crossover. But I had my own ideas and decided to go in a different direction than that of Gantz.