I'm here! I'm hereeee! I'm sorry!

Okay, without further ado, HERE IT IS! Really short, but I guess it's something?

Chapter 20- Haruno Jin

"Honestly, I can't believe you did that," Mizuchi muttered angrily, rubbing her temples. Kōjin shrugged and they both glanced at their frozen pink-haired descendant.

"There was no other way to say it. I've never been one to beat around the bush, you know that. It's a waste of time." She sighed and shook her head, and looked up as she heard Sakura take a deep breath.

"Okay, okay so this man murdered my parents. What can you tell me about him?" She asked resolutely. Kōjin's face darkened slightly as he answered.

"Look, I know what you're thinking, and I get it, I really do. But you're not ready meet this guy. He creeps me out, and I'm a god."

"But, how on earth can I just go back to my little world and pretend that I don't give a damn about this? Knowing that my parents' murderer is out there?" She spat out, shaking in anger.

Mizuchi winced but her brother raised an eyebrow and answered. "Who said you have to do all that? I just said you're not ready yet. You will face him eventually. If you meet him now, you'll get crushed. Literally."

She paused at that. "Oh. I...see."

"As for what we can tell you about him, well, now that you know all this there's no harm in telling you the rest. You see, Haruno Jin was your father's second cousin. They were never really close, but Jin greatly envied your father's position in the clan. He was after the power you possess controlling both the elements. He tried to get his followers to perform the ritual for him, but they were simply too weak. We only met him once directly, but we knew he was trouble. After that, when he tried to connect with the lake to talk to us, we blocked it. Apparently, he desperately wanted us as his mentors," Kōjin scoffed as he said the last line.

"That was never going to happen and he understood that, eventually," Mizuchi said firmly. "So, he sought other means to get power. He hoped that getting stronger would get us to mentor him. After years of obsessive research, he stumbled upon his late father's journal, full of jutsu of the wrong type."

"Wrong type?" Sakura asked, furrowing her brows.

"Let's just say that if, the one you call Orochimaru were to get his hands on them, he'd probably die of happiness," Kōjin snorted.

'Oh. Wow'

'Yeah.'

"But one of those jutsu was what killed your parents. Initially, Jin was only going after your father. Your father was barely alive when your mother arrived on the scene, and seeing his state drove your mother into a state of rage. She used every bit of her energy into the fight, and her helplessness caused the essence of her element to leak into her normal chakra. Your mother had no control over it, and for Jin it was the perfect opportunity. He stole the essence."

"He stole the essence?"

"Absorbed it into his own, thus increasing the power of his element," he confirmed.

"That is why you need to learn how to control your own elements before taking him on. Because you're potentially more powerful than the average Haruno, if the same thing happens to you it'll be disastrous."

"I'll defeat him. For the clan, and for my parents," she stated confidently. 'I can't fail.'

The other two smiled and stepped forward. "I think you're forgetting something," the male half of the duo said with a sly smile.

She stared at him before facepalming. "I don't know how to use my ability."

"Well, the next part will help with that," Mizuchi murmured softly as she put one hand on the younger girl's head, and her brother did the same.

"We'll see you soon, kid. Anytime you need to contact us, make sure you're near a lake. Your inner self will tell you the details."

"Wait, I-" She blacked out and her eyes snapped open. She blinked dazedly as she glanced around. 'Wha...' She heard a giggle and turned to see a small blob of light. She smiled faintly as the little blob dove into the lake.

"Look, she's back!" Sakura looked back to see Naruto at the shore, jumping up and down excitedly. "Sakuraaaa-chyaaaaan." She laughed and got up, jogging towards him at a slow pace.

"So which one is it?" He asked as she reached him.

"Both," she answered, eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Huh," Kakashi said. Then he shrugged and ruffled her hair.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Yui said wisely as Kenji rolled his eyes.

"I'd think not. Since our great ancestors warned you about this before young Sakura even arrived." Sakura gaped at the old woman as the latter blinked innocently.

"What? They told me not to tell you!"

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