Naruto Shippuden -H-: Chapter 016: Sakura's New Found Ability
A group of shinobi from Iwagakure had arrived at the location of Amazeo Village, one day after the massacre.
"I swear I will kill whoever did this to you all!" said Joakim, one of the shinobi that were present as he held up a kunai marked with a strange symbol.
"Sir, the footsteps, they lead over this way, across that mountain range, that has to be where these bastards who did this fled to." said one of the other shinobi present.
"We will follow this trail, and when we find someone suspicious, we will kill them!" said Joakim with a look of murderous intent in his eyes.
"Earth Release: Rock Crevice!" yelled Joakim as he created a large hole in the ground outside of Amazeo Village.
"Let's give these three hundred lives a proper burial at least, no need for them to have to see this horrible world anymore." said Joakim as he and the other Iwagakure shinobi carried out this task.
"We will follow this trail of footsteps at once." said one of the soldiers as seven in the evening came about.
Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Shikamaru were all on there second day of travel since leaving the Hidden Leaf, and they were several miles within the Land of Wind, Naruto made sure that he was following the directions in the scroll completely as he did not want the mission to go awry.
"It is approaching night, it seems we should be in Ishigakure by tomorrow at the latest." said Shikamaru as he was analyzing the environment around them, a vast desert on both sides of the road.
"This is the same desert that we went through when our old team was sent to Sunagakure after Gaara was kidnapped by the Akatsuki." said Sakura to Naruto as the four man team ran briskly up the road.
"Yes, though it seems that this road has been paved recently." said Naruto.
"This desert should be our last checkpoint before we close in on the border of the Land of Roses, where Ishigakure is housed." said Sai as he was studying his own map that Ino gave him.
"It is weird that none of those soldiers from before have tried to get in our way, seems that they would want to limit our progress, yet in these past two days, nothing has happened." said Shikamaru with concern.
"They probably are in wait at their home village, I have not sensed anyone around since we left." said Naruto.
"It always pays to be careful none the less." said Sai as a transparent, mirror-like being was trailing them.
Jesei was taking a rest near a tree by a river bank, and had his eyes closed, focusing on the figure following Naruto's location.
"I have been using this jutsu for about two hours now, since I am closer to Naruto's proximity, it has made the Mind Release: Shadow Crawler Jutsu far more effective." said Jesei with a smirk on his face as he planned to do something with the Konoha team before they even arrived in the Land of Roses.
Sai was still looking over his map, Naruto was studying the directions marked on the scroll, and Sakura and Sai were looking at the desert terrain surrounding them, as they were oblivious to the invisible creature, created by Jesei's jutsu, following them.
"I hope they have a good ramen export shop somewhere on this trail, these dirty crackers and jelly do not cut it!" complained Naruto as his stomach began to growl.
"Hey, it's food, and that is all that matters." said Sakura firmly.
"I agree with Naruto, they are almost as bad as your food pills Sakura." laughed Sai jokingly.
"Okay, go ahead and laugh, but when your ass is beaten up one day and you need one of my pills, don't even bother asking!" said Sakura angrily.
"Geez you guys, let's just focus, we can joke around in three hours when we take a break, we should be halfway to the Land of Roses once that time reaches around." said Shikamaru with optimism.
"Gotch'a captain, Sakura, Sai, let's boost ahead at full throttle!" said Naruto as he ran at high speeds without even breaking a sweat.
"He is going to leave us in the damn dust." said Sai.
"He has always had a lot of energy, I guess it is only natural that the idea of reaching his destination keeps him far more motivated than us." said Shikamaru knowing of Naruto's character very well.
"I wish I could stay motivated like him all of the time, it just seems like he never falters." said Sakura as the invisible figure closed in behind her and lunged it's hand forward to grab her.
"Excellent, I can take out Sakura here, and this will surely anger Naruto to no end, on the other hand, Sakura can prove herself and show us that she is one of the three great heroes of the number seven, the number of the human." said Jesei from within the mind of the transparent figure.
The figure grabbed Sakura by the back of her shirt, while she was running swiftly, causing her to crash to the ground at a high impact.
"Sakura, what the hell did you trip over something?" asked Naruto as he was quick to run back to check on Sakura's condition.
"Ninja Art: Super Beast Extermination!" yelled Sai as two large Axes were drawn on his artist scroll and were manifested in reality.
"Shadow Circle Jutsu!" proclaimed Shikamaru as he created a ring of shadow using the nearby shadow of the sunset as a base.
"Ugh, what the hell, something grabbed me from behind." said Sakura as she seemed to shake off the fall very well.
"Mind Release: Adam's Protective Whim!" yelled a voice from the transparent figure as Sakura seemed to disappear without a trace.
"Whoa, what the hell, Sakura just vanished, I don't understand!" yelled Sai with great worry.
"I am using Sage Mode, but I cannot detect anything but a faint scent of her chakra, and strange enough, she is still in the same location, we just cant feel or see her." said Naruto as he was trying to make sense of what just occurred.
"I will keep the Shadow Circle Jutsu on standby, try to figure this out Naruto." said Shikamaru.
Sakura awoke in a black sphere with a purple light surrounded by vines and red berries. The sphere was around one hundred feet tall and three hundred feet wide.
The purple light was up in the top center of the sphere, with half of the sphere merged into the ground, creating a flat surface to walk on. The area within was dark, but there was just enough light to see ten feet ahead.
"I must have got caught in some kind of jutsu, but Naruto would have sensed anyone who was even remotely close to us, this makes no sense." said Sakura as he had her right hand clenched.
"It's not a jutsu that one can sense through chakra alone, but don't worry, you should have no trouble, Sakura Haruno, disciple and successor of Tsunade's teachings." said a voice from further within the depths of the sphere.
"Where is everyone else, and who are you?" asked Sakura angrily.
"This is an alternate dimension, no one can see you or feel you, yet you are not actually gone, the physical body of yours is still present, it's just no one can see it as long as you are in this sphere of mine." said the voice as the transparent figure appeared in front of Sakura and made itself visible.
"You, you were one of those three men who invaded the village and gave Naruto that scroll, what are you doing here?" asked Sakura surprised.
"Relax, this is but a copy of me, I am merely here to test your capabilities, that is all, if you die, it is because you are trash!" said the figure who resembled Jesei, as if it was a Shadow Clone.
"It can't be a shadow clone, but only one way to tell!" yelled Sakura as she ran towards the copy of Jesei and threw a shuriken at it.
The copy of Jesei dodged the shuriken and countered by throwing a shuriken of it's own.
"Come on, you think this will get me." said Sakura as she was not concerned about the predicament.
"Shadow Shuriken Jutsu!" yelled the copy of Jesei as the one shuriken turned into fifty.
"Now this is a problem." said Sakura as the fifty shuriken closed in on her.
"Heh, with the limited visibility in this dimension, you will have a hard time dodging them all." said the copy of Jesei with confidence.
"Oh really." proclaimed Sakura as she nimbly dodged all fifty of them as quickly as they approached her.
Not a single shuriken managed to graze her as she remained unharmed.
"Oho, that was nice, I have never seen anyone dodge this jutsu without at least one scratch." said the copy with surprise.
"I need to hurry this up so I can get out of here and we can presume our mission!" said Sakura as she jumped in the air above the copy and raised her leg in the air.
"Cherry Blossum Crash!" yelled Sakura as she slammed her foot onto the ground causing the copy to fall and the surrounding area to crumble, though the barrier itself remained intact.
"Impressive, but that will not cut it, the only way to escape this jutsu is to kill this copy of me, hehehe." laughed Jesei through the clone as it got up and prepared a jutsu.
"Hmmm, I might as well use my own new technique, it seems to be the only way to end this quickly." said Sakura as the diamond on her forehead disappeared, created a series of markings around her eyes and face, different from the Strength of a Hundred Seals Technique.
"What is this, I have never seen a jutsu like this before, but no matter." said the clone to itself as it finished it's hand signs and casted it's jutsu.
"Mind Release: Self Doubt!" yelled the copy as Sakura started to run towards the copy.
"Time to show off the...huh, why is my mind feeling hazy, it feels as if I cannot focus at all." said Sakura as she was stopped running and fell to the floor.
"Even though Sasuke was able to not be effected by the jutsu, this one does not possess the Rinnegan, so this time it should work." said Jesei through the copy.
"I am having doubts about my own skills, but why, I must find a way to break through." thought Sakura to herself as she began to have a cold feeling in her chest.
"No matter the confidence of an individual, even the slightest moment of doubt can throw them into a situation of delusion and despair." said the copy of Jesei as it approached Sakura with a katana that seemed to be emitted from the purple glow at the core of the barrier.
"I am dissapointed, you have always wanted to stand out amongst Team Seven, yet here you are again, writhing in fear and having doubts about yourself, pathetic." said the copy as it stood above Sakura and raised the katana in the air.
"Damn, this is bad, move body, dammit, move!" thought Sakura to herself as she was sweating profusely.
"Die, you heathen, you don't deserve the be associated with the golden hero Naruto Uzumaki in the slightest." said the copy with a smirk on it's face as the katana approached Sakura.
"Mastery of the Hundred Seals Technique!" yelled Sakura as her shoulder was pierced by the Katana.
"I don't know what you just did, but it seems to be in vain." said the copy as it took the katana out of Sakura's shoulder with blood pouring from the blade.
"You want to know what I did, I had faith in myself, that is what I just did!" yelled Sakura as she thrusted her index and ring fingers into the forehead of the copy softly.
"Hehehe, a tap on the forehead, did you loose all of your strength from that injury?" asked the copy with laughter.
Sakura removed her fingers from the forehead of the copy and stumbled back, almost falling to the ground, but she managed to keep her footing.
"Three, two, one." said Sakura with a smile as she looked at the copy of Jesei with determination in her eyes.
"Has my jutsu droven you mad, what are you so confident about...huh, what the hell?" asked the copy as blood started to pour from it's ears, eyes, mouth, and nose.
"Unlike the Chakra Enhanced Strength, or the Strength of a Hundred Seals technique, the Mastery of a Hundred Seals damages the opponent internally, rather than externally." said Sakura as the copy fell to the ground in agony.
"I feel like I am dying, ugh, this jutsu is similar to the Gentle Fist of the Hyuga, but more severe." said the copy as it started to fade away.
"Next time make sure that your will is greater than your opponents when you try to cause self doubt." proclaimed Sakura proudly.
"Good, good, when I meet you in person, show me the same determination that you did in this mock battle." said the clone as it faded away due to the effects of the injury.
"Huh, what did you say?" asked Sakura as the sphere around here cracked and the purple light, surrounded by vines and berries dissipated, causing the sphere to shatter.
Sakura suddenly found herself standing in front of Sai, Naruto, and Shikamaru just like she was prior to the clone's attack.
"Sakura, you did it, you overcame the jutsu!" said Naruto with joy.
"You are injured, what the hell happened, Naruto said he could sense you right here, yet you were gone, and we could not feel you?" asked Shikamaru with confusion.
The injury Sakura received had healed instantly as she stood up with a smile on her face.
"I will tell you about it later, I was attacked by a clone of one of those three men that left the village, but I managed to defeat it." said Sakura.
"Just give us the full details later, let's go to our next checkpoint!" said Naruto as he and the rest of his team ran off down the desert road.
Jesei opened his eyes after his clone was defeated.
"Damn, she is good, that clone was as powerful as me, but now I know what to expect, time to head to Ishigakure, I will be sure to be the victor next time." thought Jesei to himself with confidence, knowing of Sakura's new ability.
"Still though, how did she manage to come so far, everyone on this planet is just an ant compared to Naruto, she should be no different, she is just a fallacy to the golden hero, I will prove that in person if I have to!" said Jesei with anger as he ran pass the riverbank.
Joakim and the other Iwagakure shinobi arrived at the end of the footsteps of the soldiers of Abraham as the sun began to set.
"The trail ends here, they must have covered the rest of their tracks to prevent us following them to their base." said one of the Iwagakure shinobi.
"Then why not cover the rest of their tracks, is this a trap or something?" asked another shinobi.
"I don't care what it is, whoever tries to oppose us will die!" said Joakim with the intent of avenging his wife and son.
"Good, if you don't care, then you can ask them how bad the pain was when you meet them in Hell!" said Zaire as he appeared in the middle of the large canyon that the Iwagakure shinobi had arrived in.
"Are you one of those scoundrels you killed my family and home town?" asked Joakim with anger as he held his marked kunai above his head.
"No, but I will be the one who kills you cretins." said Zaire with blood shot eyes and a malevolent grin on his face.
-To be continued next time with Chapter 017...-