Utopia

Rated M for strong language and violence.

A/N: Utopia is a fusion of numerous themes, such as cyberpunk, soulmate marks, and the supernatural. Inspired by Cristobal Tapia De Veer's music, Akira and Studio Ghibli (particularly Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle), as well as Peridot by VesperChan and Incantations by Thirrin73 (I could rave about their stories for hours so go take a look at their work if you haven't already!).

Chapter 1

A Birthday to Remember

The puddles had yet to dry from yesterday's rain, glistening dark on the pristine sidewalk. Evening approached, though it was hard to tell when the dark was seared away by the sharp, neon lights bouncing off the puddles' surface as lurid advertisements flashed above them. Holographic images of models beaming in garish delight over various products and useless gadgets assaulted them from every possible angle as they made their way towards the restaurant.

Sakura eyed passersby on the street, breaking out in hives at their shameless gluttony. She didn't have to look to know that Ino was just as revolted by the sight as her. Men wearing suits costing more than their yearly wage combined passed them, escorting beautiful ladies swathed in luxurious furs and jewels from faraway lands, all in search of a night of entertainment to sate their vices. The restless shift in their eyes gave it away. There was none of the hard-eyed gauntness Sakura was so used to seeing in the slums. This was a different kind of hunger. One that only the corrupt and the wealthy were privy to.

Sakura despised them.

Ino tugged her to hasten her pace, their heels clicking in sync as they walked up the street. They'd parked in an area reserved for the restaurant's guests, and Sakura had left her boots and jacket with her bike. She thanked the high heavens that Ino had taught her how to walk in these death contraptions. Arms were looped together, Ino's flowing dress brushed against Sakura's leg with every step they took. She looked fantastic tonight, having chosen a sweeping purple cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline that left her delicate collarbones on display. Sakura had no idea where she'd gotten the money for either of their dresses for the night but knew better than to ask. They were dirt compared to these people.

They had no business entering this side of town, where even the air they breathed was expensive, but Ino was determined to celebrate. It wasn't every day that her best friend turned twenty-three, she'd said. Every birthday was worth celebrating in her mind. Sakura had laughed when Ino told her not to worry because this was her treat. She knew that Ino didn't have any intention of paying for anything here and wondered how she expected to be able to outrun anyone in these shoes. Hence the reason Sakura had taken her boots along for the ride because there was no way she was getting chased in heels.

Sakura held open the door when they arrived, and Ino walked up to the reception manned by a greeter in a bowtie and bespoke suit. It was warm inside, with soft music flowing from hidden speakers. The floor was covered by a wine red carpet, which complemented the dark wood of the furniture. Sakura looked up at the gleaming chandeliers, trying to disguise her reluctant awe as she took in the the restaurant, lit in a soft glow so unlike the stark lights of the outside world. Everything looked so elegant here, and Sakura had to hand it to Ino — she really knew how to pick a place.

"Hi, a table for two," Ino said with a confidence Sakura was not feeling, and she couldn't help but marvel at how natural her friend looked here, surrounded by such opulence.

"Do you have a reservation?" The waiter behind the counter asked.

"No, I didn't think we'd need one." Ino gave with a cute pout, lounging up against the counter at a flattering angle that usually got her what she wanted. She knew better than to call. They would never have given them a table if they saw the area code of her phone.

The greeter feigned a smile, though there was nothing fake about the way he eyed her displayed bust, and looked down at his monitor. Sakura shifted her weight onto her other foot, ready to pull Ino away and head back towards their usual joint. This place wasn't worth the effort, no matter how classy it appeared.

"There was a cancellation. Our next table should be available in about thirty minutes if you're willing to wait," he announced after a moment of shuffling through the evening's reservations.

"Lucky us. We'll stay," Ino said with a sharp smile that he did not return.

"If you would be so kind as to wait here for a moment, another waiter will come to escort you to the official waiting area," he said but forgot about them when the door opened again. He looked past them and plastered on an oily smile.

"Excuse me," the man who'd just entered said. He was handsome in a painstaking way, his carefully coiffed hair and groomed features giving away the time and money he put in maintaining his looks. His date on the other hand, a tall woman with dark hair pulled up into an elegant knot, was an effortless beauty, skin glowing smoothly in the flattering light, her lips a glossy red. She eyed Ino and Sakura with barely veiled disdain as they rudely pushed past them to get the counter.

Sakura had the urge to stick out her tongue at her, just to see their reaction.

"Ah, monsieur. Your usual table?" the greeter asked the asshole. At receiving a nod, he lifted the countertop to escort them personally. "Excuse us, ladies," he said, and they both smiled with practiced demureness as they stepped out of their way. Sakura made sure that the couple had to let go of each other to get between them, her arm brushing against the man's suit as they passed. Ino did the same on the other side, but she purposefully bumped into the lady hard enough to have to grab her by the shoulder to keep them from falling.

"Oh, my! I'm so sorry," she said earnestly and took a step back to give them more space.

The lady sent her an arctic glare as she put her hand on her companion's arm again, their silence expressing far more than any words as they continued on.

"That fucker didn't seem to need a reservation. I bet they took our table!" Ino hissed into Sakura's ear when they were out of hearing range.

"What did you expect from a place like this?" Sakura whispered back, and Ino scowled. She opened her mouth to make another scathing remark but was interrupted by the arrival of their waiter.

"Allow me to escort you, ladies. You can take a seat at the bar while you wait for a table," he said with a bow. The bar served as a waiting area as well and was just as grand as the rest of the establishment. Sakura wondered why they couldn't just have their dinner here.

The tables were tall enough for them to stand by them, but they chose one with chairs, neither of them eager to stand for so long in heals. Ino placed her purse on the table as they took their seat and Sakura took a look around. Their new position gave them a good view of the restaurant, though her back was to the door.

"Can I serve you anything to drink?" he asked when they were seated.

"Yes, I'll have the House Blend," Ino said after considering the menu. The waiter nodded and looked at Sakura expectantly.

"I'll just have some sparkling water." Sakura smiled.

"Excellent, I'll have your drinks ready in a moment."

"Water? It's your birthday, forehead. Live a little!" Ino groaned, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"It's fancy water," Sakura defended. "Besides, one of us needs to keep their wits about them."

"Always so responsible," Ino sighed.

"You'd be dead without me, pig" Sakura teased, reminding her of all the times she'd bailed her ass out of jail.

"Probably," Ino agreed, unrepentant.

They bickered back and forth and Sakura couldn't keep the smile off her face, starting to feel glad that she'd agreed to Ino's harebrained scheme. She'd never been inside such a fancy place.

"Here we are." Their waiter set down their drinks in front of them. Sakura smiled politely in thanks, and Ino batted her eyes flirtatiously. He flushed. "Anything else I can get you?"

"No thank you." Ino gave him a sultry smile and wrapped her plump lips around her straw to take a sip. "We'll call if we need anything."

The poor guy didn't stand a chance under the full force of Ino's brand of seductive charm. He bowed and walked away with a slightly dazed expression. Ino snorted when he was out of view. Sakura held her glass up to her mouth to hide her grin against the rim. Her drink wasn't nearly as indulgent as Ino's, but she needed to keep a clear head when they hit the road again.

Now that they were alone, Ino lounged back in her chair, holding her ridiculously expensive cocktail to her chest, and Sakura watched as she took another sip of it, careful not to smear her lipstick.

"You know that there's bound to be as much sugar, if not more, than alcohol in that drink," Sakura said, and Ino pouted.

"I'm not on a diet so don't spoil this for me!" Ino clutched the drink to her chest defensively.

"You never needed to go on a diet in the first place," Sakura sighed. Ino relaxed, a small smile crossing her face. The door opening let in a gust of wind and Sakura shivered as the cold air brushed against the bare skin of her back. Her red dress was backless, a far cry from her usual getup, and she was grateful that it had sleeves.

"Stop squirming, you look hot!" Ino reassured her.

Sakura stopped fidgeting and smoothed out the skirt of her dress, feeling like the slit that ran up her thigh to her hip was exposing her ass cheeks to the world. She was wearing underwear of course, but the only pair that would look good with this kind of dress was a high waisted thong, and that hardly gave her much coverage. Thank the gods that the material was too heavy to blow away at the slightest breeze. Sakura was only glad that the split fabric meant that she didn't need to hike up her skirt to grab the trusty old blade she'd holstered around her hidden thigh.

Ino had her pistol concealed her purse, never leaving the house without it, but Sakura hadn't dared to travel unarmed even though they were in the safer part of the city.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ino grumbled and gestured towards the reception with her chin.

Sakura turned around and saw the greeter lead three men in suits to the dining hall. The tallest had a dark scowl on his face, and his unnaturally green iris and red sclera sent a wave of dread down Sakura's spine. She knew danger when she saw it, and this was not a man to be trifled with. His two companions, a blond and a redhead, had their back to her. The lazy slump to their shoulders lent them the appearance of boredom, but Sakura knew that they weren't here to mix business with pleasure.

Her skin tingled, and Sakura shivered at the odd sensation. She took a cooling sip of her drink and was about to comment on it when their waiter returned. He was eager to give Ino a refill, but she placed a hand over her glass.

"Could we have something to nibble on instead? We're starting to get hungry," Ino asked, and Sakura could see the annoyance lurking underneath her playful smile.

"Of course! I apologize for the delay. Your table will be ready in a few moments." He hurried off and returned with a basket full of bread and a small jar of something. It was freshly prepared by the cook and on the house, according to the waiter. Whatever it was, it was delicious. Sakura was too hungry to be instantly soothed by some fancy bread but they still took a moment to appreciate the taste and texture of it.

"Let's hope there won't be a shootout," Ino spoke suddenly, and Sakura knew she was referring to the new arrivals.

"Yeah, that's not how I want to spend my evening," Sakura sighed. It was depressing how frequently fights broke out nowadays. It was always the same — civilians caught in the crossfire of gang wars, and corrupt officials looked the other way while men like these made dark deals in fancy restaurants.

Luck was with them tonight, and when they finally got their table, they were relieved to see that it was close to the kitchen so they could make a quick exit through the back if things turned sour. Sakura smirked when she saw whose table the men had joined. It was the couple they'd bumped into in the reception and she got a mild kick from seeing the nervous sweat gathering on the man's face at being cornered. Served him right for getting involved with men like these when he couldn't deliver. The lady was unhappy with their new company, and going by the fierce glare she was giving her date, this hadn't been a part of their evening plans.

Their waiter weaved in between tables and steered them through the dining hall with ease. Sakura was relieved that the man with the scary eyes had his back to her. The blond, who was closer to Sakura's age, winked at her when he saw her looking. She raised an unimpressed brow at his shameless appraisal of her, and his grin widened in return. She moved her attention to the last man at the table, the redhead. His head was turned and Sakura only got a glimpse at his profile, too brief to tell anything beyond a straight-edged nose and a sharp jawline. A tremor ran through her, but the unsettling feeling lasted only for a fraction of a second as she passed them by. He didn't look up, much to Sakura's relief.

They placed their orders when they were seated, having had plenty of time to make up their minds while they waited.

"Tonight, we eat like royalty," Ino said and held up her glass in a toast which Sakura gladly reciprocated. They were going all out tonight and had requested a three-course meal.

Curiosity got the better of her and Sakura looked over at the mafioso table. Now that she had time to observe them properly she noticed the similarities between the blond man and Ino. He wore his hair, which was a shade darker than Ino's natural platinum, half pulled up in a ponytail with a long bang covering one eye.

"I think I found your long lost twin," she murmured, barely containing a cackle when Ino scoffed.

"Where?"

"Over there." Sakura gestured discretely to their table, but Ino had no such compunction and craned her neck to get a better look.

"Motherfucker, you're right," Ino gasped in outrage. She wasn't the only one to have noticed, and the blond met her with a thunderstruck stare of his own. Ino scowled, and he glared back. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back to Sakura. "Whatever, I'm still prettier."

"I don't know," Sakura drawled. His visible blue eye was quite striking. "He could give you a run for your money."

"You're horrible," Ino deadpanned, and Sakura finally gave in to the urge to laugh.

The blond's pouting must have caught the attention of his companion because when Sakura looked over again, she made direct eye contact with hooded amber eyes. Her skin crawled with sudden, unnatural heat. Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, Sakura's eyes lowered down to his hand, which was curled around a wine glass, and her breath caught in her chest.

Thin blue strings extended from his fingers and stretched across the room. She quickly turned to see where they led, but they vanished through the front door. The shock of seeing something so bizarre forced her back to reality, and her eyelids fluttered against a sudden lightheadedness. She snuck another look at him out of the corner of her eye, and her heart lurched when she saw that he was still staring at her.

He only looked away when the rich guy made to stand up, but something yanked him back down. His date had abandoned him to his fate. A new string had materialized from the redhead's finger, now connected to the man's chest, forcing him into submission with a twitch of his finger. Sakura's eyes widened in horror, and she hastened to look away before the redhead discovered that he had a witness. When it came to survival around here, Sakura was good at keeping her head down. Ino hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, or she would have grabbed Sakura and hightailed out of there.

Sakura was desperate for a distraction. She searched wildly for something to say before she went into hysterics. Her voice was an octave higher than natural when she spoke. "How's work?"

Ino's parents were florists, which was not the most lucrative business, but Sakura knew they would have been well off if they'd lived in another world. They sold the most beautiful flowers in all of Konoha, freshly grown and imported from the Yamanaka clan greenhouses, still kept up and running from the long-bygone era of Konoha's Founders if the rumors were true.

Ino gave her a weird look but chose not to comment on the abrupt change of topic. "It's been kind of slow lately, but we're bound to have more business if the fighting keeps up. Sympathy flowers are always so depressing to arrange," she sighed before perking up. "I have an early shift tomorrow. You should totally come by and save me from boredom."

"Yeah, I might," Sakura said absently. It had been some time since her last visit to the Yamanaka Flower. That had been for a funeral as well.

Ino looked up from her plate and appeared pensive all of a sudden. "You know that there's still a chance they're-" she started quietly, her expression soft but Sakura couldn't bear it. She knew where this was going and had to put a stop to it before she said their names.

"I think this dress is giving me a rash," Sakura interrupted her. She refused to cry on her birthday. "I'm going to go to the bathroom and check it out."

"I need to take a piss," Ino said after a pause and stood up. "I'll come with you."

"Is there a problem?" Their young waiter popped up, and Sakura's eyebrow twitched with annoyance. His eagerness to please had been amusing at first, but now it was starting to wear on her patience.

"We're just going to powder our noses," Ino said, her words devoid of her earlier crassness. She put her hand on Sakura's back and led her away, recognizing the signs of her rising temper.

They had to pass their table again, and the blond shamelessly checked them out though he still narrowed his eyes at Ino, who didn't hide her disdainful appraisal of him. The scary-eyed man spoke to the rich man in a low, threatening manner. Sakura feigned obliviousness, and carefully kept her eyes ahead, aware of the pair of eyes drilling into the back of her head.

Hopefully, Ino wouldn't notice.

But of course she did.

Perceptive as a bloodhound on the scent, she smirked at Sakura the moment they'd locked the door.

"You've got an admirer."

Sakura could only curse. Those freaky strings only meant trouble, and there was no way she was going to drag Ino into harm's way.

"Oh?" she said with forced disinterest as she pulled her arms out of the long sleeves of her dress, the silky fabric rolling as she pushed the front down. She didn't feel any shame when the cold air nipped at her exposed breasts. There wasn't anybody here to see her half-naked except for Ino, and they'd been best friends for over ten years. The skin between her breasts was a splotchy red and irritated, and she placed her hand on it. It was hot to the touch and sore too, feeling slightly inflamed against her palm.

"What the hell," Ino breathed, leaning in to take a closer look. "Do you think it's an allergic reaction?"

"It's not appearing anywhere else. It kinda looks like a bug bite," Sakura said with a frown.

"Gross," Ino grimaced.

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend's squeamishness and went over to the sink to run a tissue under the cold water and pressed it to her chest, sighing at the momentary relief it gave her. She turned around and leaned against the sink, marveling at how clean everything was here, while Ino took a leak. She could see her reflection on the tiles. It would be hard to return to reality, where public bathrooms were disgusting from regular acts of vandalism, and more often than not littered with needles and syringes - with the occasional blood splatters - left behind by the shaky hands of addicts.

Ino checked Sakura's hip to get to the sink, and Sakura threw the now warm tissue into the bin. She looked into the mirror to get a closer look at the redness and put her dress back on after a moment of deliberation. It didn't seem serious, and the pain was mild compared to what she's experienced.

"Does it hurt?" Ino asked. She slung her purse onto the counter and pulled out a gloss and handed it to Sakura.

"No," Sakura said. She met her eyes in the mirror as she applied it and raised an eyebrow in question when she saw Ino's smug grin.

"I got her pearls," Ino sang and dangled the necklace in between her thumb and forefinger to show her. It belonged to the woman she'd bumped into at the reception.

"Well, I got his wallet," Sakura countered and held it up with a devilish smirk. Ino laughed in delight and slung her arm over Sakura's shoulder.

"How much is in there?" she asked, and Sakura opened the wallet. They both gasped when they saw the thick wad of bills inside.

"What an idiot! Who the hell carries around that much?" Ino snatched the money and counted it quickly, swearing when she noticed they were all one hundred bills. She stuffed it into her bra for safekeeping.

"I've never seen a credit card like this," Sakura mused and showed Ino the sleek black card she'd found inside the wallet. It had a holographic serial number on it and a small silver chip but no name or address.

"It's a luxury card!" Ino gasped and grabbed it, already pulling out her phone. "Shika is going to freak! Who the hell is this guy?"

"An idiot we just robbed," Sakura smirked and tossed the wallet into the garbage. Bless Shikamaru and all his tech. Ino would send him the serial number so he could bleed the bastard dry. It wasn't worth the risk of keeping the wallet when there was a chance of it having a tracker sewed into its leather. Rich people were so paranoid these days.

"Well, who wouldn't want to be robbed by a pair of babes like us?" Ino struck a pose that put her curves on display for the mirror. Sakura snorted and smacked her on the bottom.

"Should we pay the bill now that we have the money?" she asked, handing Ino her gloss back.

"Are you crazy? I'm not going to waste a single penny in this pretentious place!" Ino hissed. She looked scandalized at the thought, and Sakura laughed.

"We can't keep this," Sakura gestured with the card. "The chip definitely has a tracker, and they'll find us if we make a withdrawal."

"We're not taking it with us, but we could use his card to pay for our meal," Ino dismissed.

"What happened to not paying a single penny?"

"It's not every day a rich, handsome man pays for your meal," Ino cooed and swiped the card from Sakura's hand and put it in her purse. "Besides, we'll be gone before they notice."

"True," Sakura agreed.

"Come on, I want some dessert," Ino said and pulled Sakura out of the bathroom. They rounded the corner just in time to see the redhead mutter something with a small smirk that sent the blond off. The rich man was nowhere in sight, but Sakura noticed that the men were eating the food the couple had ordered.

"How can you say such a thing? Art is supposed to be fleeting!" the blond cried, banging the table for emphasis. He would have continued, but he'd incited the ire of the scary-eyed man when the cutlery clinked loudly against the wooden tabletop.

"Deidara, shut up," he growled, pointing his knife at him threateningly.

"Don't point that knife at me unless you want to dance, Kakuzu, yeah!" Deidara spat, looking ready to vault over the table and tackle him.

The redhead leaned back in his seat and watched them with open satisfaction at having successfully riled his partners. Sakura slowed down, wanting to catch his name now that she could hear them, but he saw them. The moment their eyes met, the skin between her breasts started to sting again, and Sakura was now positive he had something to do with it. She narrowed her eyes at him, insulted both by his looks and herself for finding him attractive. His brows rose, unimpressed by her scowl. Sakura didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him see how unnerved she was and was grateful when Ino pulled her past them, breaking their strange connection.

"What a bunch of weirdos," Ino muttered as they sat down.

Sakura agreed, there was definitely something wrong with them. She was hesitant to call it supernatural, but it was either that, or she was losing her mind.

She preferred the latter.

They ordered a sinful slice of chocolate cake and a bowl of strawberry ice cream to share. Ino was slumped back in her seat by the time they'd finished, having gorged herself on the excellent food. She entertained herself by twirling her wine glass by the stem, and Sakura felt an overwhelming fondness for her. She reached over the table to take Ino's hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you for tonight."

"Of course, only the best for my friends," Ino dismissed after her initial surprise. She turned her hand up and tickled Sakura's palm until she let her go. The redhead was still watching her with a calculative gaze, and Sakura wanted nothing more than to leave. Then, she realized that nothing was stopping her now that they'd eaten.

"Ready to get this show on the road?" she asked, and Ino nodded. She threw her napkin onto her plate and stood up.

"Go get the bike, I'll be ready."

Sakura hurried away, fearing that the redhead would follow her out if she didn't walk fast enough. Her heart sank when she was reminded of his strings. They were still in place, shuddering like a spider's web as the waiters stepped on them and sent the vibrations back to their caster. Suitably freaked out, Sakura avoided touching them and followed a group of rowdy businessmen out of the restaurant. They spilled out onto the street with drunken guffaws, but they walked on unhindered by the threads.

Sakura darted down the sidewalk towards the parking lot, observing how the strings dispersed in every direction and extended until they were out of sight. She shuddered and picked up her pace. It was getting dark, and the chilly air nipped at her skin. Three men sat on another restaurant's veranda and catcalled loudly as she passed but she forced herself to ignore them. The one leaning against the railing stretched his hand out to swat at her ass but missed. He laughed and made a crass gesture to his lap with a: 'Hey, baby! Come sit with us — there's a seat for you right here!'

Anger seethed inside her at their audacity. She kept going nonetheless, fists curled tight with the desire to strike out, but she was missing her knuckledusters for an unforgettable hit and knew that now wasn't the time for retribution.

Her bike stood untouched, and Sakura wasted no time in placing her hand on the scan to verify her identity and pulled up the seat to access the compartment underneath for her clothes. She kicked off her heels in favor of her boots with glee, wriggling her stiff and aching toes, and pulled on a pair of skintight shorts. There wasn't time to take off her dress with Ino waiting for her, but she shifted the holster to her bared thigh for easy access to her knife and threw on her beat-up racer jacket. She then tucked the skirt into her shorts to keep it out of the way and pushed the seat back down.

Her baby purred to life as she undid the kill switch on the circuit, thrumming warmly between her thighs. Sakura kicked off with a savage grin, and she tore off onto the street. She hadn't forgotten the man who'd tried to touch her and steered her bike onto the sidewalk. Walking pedestrians flattened themselves to the wall with shouts as she rode up the pavement. The men were still sitting there, whistling at a skittish group of teenage girls, and Sakura gave a burst of speed.

She took great pleasure in grabbing him by the head and smashing his face into the table with enough force to break his nose. Screams broke out as the table toppled over, sending glass flying, but Sakura didn't slow down. They were bound to call the cops on her, but she didn't care. She needed to get Ino, and they'd be off. Besides, the police wouldn't follow them into the Fringes.

They never did.

Sakura proceeded onto the street and slowed down when she came to the restaurant but didn't dare to get any closer when she saw that the mobsters were standing on the sidewalk. She took note of the little red cloud emblem they wore on their tie clips but couldn't place it. They were preparing to leave but stalled when she revved her engine in signal for Ino to get her ass out. They looked up at the noise, the redhead turning to her when they recognized her but before he could engage, Deidara threw his head back with a laugh.

"I like your style, pinky!" he called.

Sakura rolled her eyes, resenting the juvenile nickname, and flicked him the finger.

"You jealous?" she called back, seeing no harm in engaging in some light-hearted smack talk when she'd be gone in less than a minute.

As if summoned, Ino threw open the door to the restaurant and jumped out. It was amazing how fast she could move in those pumps, because she was past the mobsters and on the street a split second later, shouting, "So long, suckers!"

She hopped on behind Sakura with practiced ease and wound her arms around her middle. Sakura laughed, adrenaline rushing through her veins when the waiter burst out of the restaurant. In his haste, he bumped into Deidara with enough force to send him stumbling.

"Watch it!" Deidara shouted as he caught himself on the redhead, who shoved him away with a snarl, but the waiter wasn't listening.

"Ma'am!" he yelled, rushing towards them with his hand raised. Ino laughed hysterically and fluttered her fingers in farewell as Sakura kicked off. They tore down the street, Ino's laughter drowned by the growl of the motorcycle.

There wasn't much traffic besides the usual cabs, but people walked carelessly onto the streets. The sound of Sakura's bike was enough to warn them of her approach, but she had to swerve to avoid crashing into a group of young adults. They shouted profanities at them as they pelted past. Sakura's ears picked up the sound of sirens approaching, and she knew they would be in trouble if they didn't make it to the Fringes before they caught sight of them.

She gasped as the dull pain in her chest burned brightly. Something was seriously wrong with her, but there was no time to stop and check, and going to the hospital was out of the question now that they were being tailed.

"Wow, that was quick!" Ino remarked when a police vehicle sped onto the street some paces behind them. Sakura didn't answer but knew it was her fault for being such a hothead. It was still worth it. Sweat gathered on her forehead, and she tightened her grip on the handlebars. They gained more speed as they got closer to the Fringes.

The traffic was worse in this part of the city, and horns blared around them as they zigzagged between cars. Sakura saw an opening between two lanes as they approached an intersection. The lights were red, and the police were stuck behind the other vehicles. Nobody liked pigs in these parts, so no one moved out of their way despite their blaring sirens. Sakura thanked her lucky stars that their petty crimes didn't warrant any backup.

They were almost at the intersection when suddenly a monstrous creature emerged from the shadows of an alleyway. Its body bubbled like boiling tar, but its dark skin had an odd transparent quality as it crawled forward. It looked ill. People walked through it without hesitation, shuddering like they were caught in a cool breeze but otherwise completely unaware of its presence as it slunk across the street in front of them. Sakura watched in horror as cars moved right through it like it was invisible, a scream bubbling in her throat.

What the hell was going on?

"Do you see that?" Sakura shouted. She was fed up with being the only one freaked out by this.

"See what?" Ino asked, confirming her fears. This may all be happening inside her head, but there was no way in hell that she was getting close to that thing.

"Hold on!" Sakura slammed on the breaks. The rubber of her tires squealed against the concrete as she changed direction abruptly. Ino's grip on Sakura turned bruising as she held on for dear life.

"Sakura!" Ino screamed into her ear.

They rounded the corner and Sakura growled as they steamed into oncoming traffic. She veered sharply, and they sped off the street and onto the walkway before they could collide. People jumped out of their way with alarmed shouts. They needed more cover, so Sakura swerved onto a side street, and recognized their surroundings with rising panic. They were close to the bridge where most of the street beggars slept at night, and that meant they were encroaching Oto's territory. They'd be shot down on sight — Sakura's hair was very noticeable.

"Fuck," Sakura hissed and turned back towards the Fringes, crisscrossing between streets and toeing the line between neutral grounds and Oto. The sirens were fading away, but Sakura didn't dare to stop until they were inside their own neighborhood.

She navigated past the cocksure teens roaming the streets in search of entertainment. They sped past groups of boys posturing to one another, their raging testosterone spilling onto the streets and nearly always gravitating them were groups of girls, who eyed them in smug appreciation. Too many paused to call out to Ino and her in predictable overconfident jeers.

It was grating, seeing them act like they owned the city, but only because it reminded Sakura of the time she spent her nights in a similar fashion. They were looking for the same thing — an escape. It seemed like this generation lived by the same principles; live life like there was no tomorrow. They were right in a sense. Because the future wasn't worth shit. Graduating with a title of 'likeliest to succeed' had made Sakura cocky, so certain of her future when she, out of all her friends, had nabbed an internship at a clinic. Her dreams of becoming Dr. Sakura Haruno seemed laughable now. Fired from a dirty clinic and now a woefully single and unemployed twenty-three-year-old on the run from the police after a stupid dine and dash, and seeing monsters at every turn.

What a time to be alive.

"You can let me off at my parent's apartment," Ino said as Sakura automatically headed towards her own lonely apartment.

"You sure?" Sakura asked, and Ino nodded. She pressed her face into Sakura's shoulder, most likely exhausted after all the excitement.

"Early shift tomorrow remember?" she said so quietly that Sakura almost didn't hear her. She'd completely forgotten about that.

Sakura shook off her worthless nostalgia and delivered Ino home. She came to a stop in front of the Yamanaka Flower, and Ino hopped off to stretch her legs. Her parents had lived in the apartment above the store for as long as Sakura could remember.

"Why did you head towards Oto like that?" Ino asked.

"I thought I saw something," Sakura mumbled. That monster was the least of her problems at the moment. She was breathing through her nose in an attempt to conceal how shallow her breath was. The burn in her chest had turned into vicious, needlelike pinpricks, stabbing the flesh between her breast raw.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Ino asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Sakura reassured her with a weak smile. Ino considered her for a moment before throwing her arms around her in a quick embrace.

"Whatever. Let me know when you get home, forehead." She pulled away.

"Night," Sakura said, her chest hurting in more than one way. She waited until Ino had unlocked her door and returned her wave before taking off home.

She made it in one piece, sending Ino a quick but distracted text as promised. The stumble up the back stairs was agony. She was wheezing by the time she was on her floor and all but fell into her cramped studio apartment after unlocking the door. The pain in her chest spiked, and it felt like she was being stabbed with a knife. Staggering into her bathroom and turning on the light, Sakura blinked as her eyes adjusted to the harsh brightness. She blanched when she saw herself in the mirror. Her sweaty face had a sickly pallor to it and her eyes glistened feverishly bright.

She almost looked as bad as that grisly ghost.

"Shit!" Sakura gasped as the pain rose to new heights and tore off her dress with shaking hands. She watched in transfixed silence as the irritation on her skin started to take shape. Red welled up through her skin and Sakura trembled as a distinct mark formed on her solar plexus like a brand.

It was an outlining of a diamond with a scarlet scorpion at its center.