Ch: 9 Business as Usual

"Hey, Naruto…" said Sasuke between labored breaths. "Rescue Sakura if it's the last thing you do."

"I will, don't worry," Naruto affirmed.

They were at the disadvantage, facing Gaara in his transformed state. Sakura was trapped against a tree, knocked unconscious by a solidified sand appendage that held her up by her neck.

"And after you've rescued her… take Sakura and waste no time in fleeing. If anyone... you can do it. I'm counting on you."

"S-Sasuke… you can't stay behind. You'll—"

"I still have the ability…" Sasuke grunted as his muscles strained to keep himself upright. "… To hold him in check for a while."

"But Sasuke—"

"I've lost everything once. I don't want to see my precious comrades die right before my eyes again."

Tsunade stared at the note.

Its edges were crinkled from abuse and it was spotted with dried tea stains. It was the fifth time she'd taken it out in the last two days.

Hokage-sama,

No enemy activity has been detected. We will return earlier than expected—within two nights' end.

-Inuzuka A.

…

She gripped it once more, and with shaking fingers, read and reread the two sentences.

It was dated two weeks ago.

Two of Konoha's elite and an entire scout squad of nin-dogs had vanished from the outskirts of Land of Rivers during a routine scope of the area. Something had gone terribly wrong and Konoha had not heard a whisper.

No rumors, no witnesses—nothing.

Tension was brewing.

But they couldn't raise the curtain just yet. Konoha would need as many allies as possible before she could do that, if it was as bad as she thought it was.

She looked at her personal calendar.

Jiraiya and Naruto would be back today.

She needed Jiraiya to send his scout toads to investigate. It was an emergency now. The search would probably have to extend the rest of the neutral lands—Kusa, Tani, and Ishi.

Ame could wait. Konoha shinobi knew not to get too close to Hanzo. While he wasn't hostile, he protected his borders well; nobody went in and nobody came out.

Tsunade felt her eyes refocus on the note again. Furrowing her eyebrows, she read it once again.

What happened to them?

Their deaths would not go to waste—she'd make sure of it. But she couldn't go around pointing fingers until a few other things fell into place first.

Tsunade shoved the aged note back into her drawer, the strength of her movement causing the entire desk to shake and send ripples through the lukewarm tea that sat on a stack of papers.

She lifted her mug and scattered some loose papers until she found another crinkled note.

It was a small note; a hand-scribbled secondary roster of a select few shinobi. She'd thrown it together last night when she couldn't sleep.

It recapped the most recently deployed shinobi:

Jonin: Kakashi H., Sakura H., Mimi I., Naruto U., Neji H., Konohamaru S. ...

Chunin: Hinata H., Ashi I., Moegi K., Ino Y., ...

Genin: Sasuke U.,

…

When all the new paperwork came in, she'd have to merge this with the master list.

The logistics of everything was giving her a headache.

She checked her clock.

It was only 7am.

"Kotetsu! Get me Shikamaru!"

"Does it have to do with boil release?"

"No, try again."

"What about lava style?"

"..."

"What?"

"For crying out loud, it's not that complicated. Your own team leader has this one."

"Oh… then it's lightning."

"No…your other team leader." The older man rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.

"Oh! Why didn't you just say so? It's Captain Yamato. Wood."

"Because Naruto… the whole point was for you to think."

"Bah!" Naruto threw his hands up in the air as he continued to walk. Riddles and trivia were never his strong suit. "I'd rather use a shadow clone and find out."

"Well, I've told you for many years. Trust me, fighting becomes a lot easier when you learn to use your head. I know because I used to be like you," said Jiraiya.

"No, you were more dorky and less skilled than me."

"No, actually, I was very cool."

"HA! I never pegged you for a liar. Baa-chan alls the time," he said.

"Why you—" Jiraiya stopped and cleared his throat. "Anyway… let's not get off topic here. Naruto, haven't you ever wondered why Sakura is capable of fighting the same enemies as you even though she's weaker?"

His eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite pinkette. "She's not weaker. She has that monstrous strength... " his voice trailed off as a shiver snaked down his spine. "I mean, she's strong. Like me."

"Naruto, she's a phenomenal medic and kunoichi, but you're much stronger. Physically. You have more chakra reserves and ridiculous stamina. You'll even learn sage-mode soon. Even without that, Sasuke, who doesn't have your chakra and stamina, is stronger than her."

"She's not that much weaker," Naruto said in protest.

"Oh, yeah?" Jiraiya looked at him like he was naive. "Why don't you tell me exactly what happens when you guys are in combat together?"

"Uhm…"

He had to think.

He never asked himself these questions. And why should he? They made a great team. He always liked having Sakura around.

"Well, she usually stays back because she's a medic-nin and they're supposed to," he said. "From that position, she gives me ideas about how to beat enemies," he said.

"She gives you ideas, or she tells you exactly what to do?"

Okay, fine.

"She can usually spot the weakness of the enemy or find some way to trick them. And that gives me the advantage," he said.

"Exactly. Now imagine how strong you'd be if you were still you and had Sakura's analytical abilities," Jiraiya said slowly, as if Naruto wouldn't understand if he spoke too quickly.

He pondered that idea.

His shadow clone technique was all he needed, wasn't it? Whether it required one or a thousand, he would be able to clone himself enough to learn about his enemy's weaknesses eventually. Or just wear them out.

"Pervy-sage, that's great and all… but…"

Everytime they started talking theories and textbook stuff, Naruto would get bored and for some reason the information wouldn't stick.

He decided he'd have to dig into that on his own time.

But, later. He was hungry now.

He looked around. Were they there yet?

Naruto and Jiraiya were on their way back from the latest C-rank mission—keeping a girl company because her rich parents weren't convinced that she could make the journey on her own. He could've sworn that she was giving him signs that she was interested, especially during the last day of his mission. But nothing happened because pervy-sage was around.

He was never allowed to run around without the old man or Yamato or Kakashi, or sometimes Sakura for less risky missions. He had to remain guarded—Akatsuki threats and all. It was kind of annoying to be treated like a child, but as he matured, he understood why.

Where were Sasuke and Sakura anyway? It'd been over a week since Sasuke returned and they hadn't been assigned anything as Team 7. Kakashi said they'd get right to training and then poof, that man was off on a mission.

Naruto was so bored.

"Hey, Naruto," Jiraiya called, pulling him from inside his head.

Naruto looked up at his mentor who had a more serious expression than earlier. "What?"

"Do you consider yourself a man?"

"Huh?"

Was it a trick question? Naruto couldn't figure out how it was possible not to consider himself a man.

"Of course I do!"

Jiraiya smirked. "Have I ever told you about when a shinobi becomes a man?"

"Uhh..." Was this going to be that kind of conversation? The old man was a little late if that was the case. Naruto went through puberty a long time ago.

Jiraiya probably saw the look of embarrassment plastered on his face. "I'm not talking about that, idiot."

Thank goodness, Naruto sighed in relief.

"I'm not talking about rank, either. You aren't a man just because you're strong or at a certain age," Jiraiya said. "Or even when you become Hokage."

Hokage? The most powerful shinobi in Konoha wasn't considered a man?

"Take me for example. I'd taken lives—many. I'd loved and lost in the war—was even named Legendary Sannin—but none of those things made me a man. Not until I was around thirty."

Thirty was long past manhood and treading into grandpa territory as far as Naruto was concerned. Shinobi grew up quickly; kids as young as eight were taking lives. In fact, at that age, Jiraiya was older than Naruto was now, and even Naruto considered himself to have already been a full fledged man for many years.

Naruto felt a 'back in my day' kind of conversation coming. It didn't happen very often, so he was actually quite interested to hear what his old man had to say.

"Pervy-sage…what happened when you were thirty?"

"I was in Amegakure when we came across some orphans—civilians. Their parents were casualties of the war and they were left on the brink of starvation to fend for themselves."

Naruto understood. He'd been orphaned and left alone too.

"There was no comfort we could give them, though they begged and begged. I was starving, myself. And I hadn't written Icha Icha so there was nothing to my name. Orochimaru wanted to put them out of their misery."

"He was with you?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Tsunade was there too. Orochimaru was still with us back then, as my closest friend and comrade."

"Oh." Naruto as he realized how lucky he was to still have both of his teammates. "What happened then? Did he kill them?"

"No. I stayed behind and I taught them how to survive. I don't know what compelled me to—it's not like they had anything to give me. But that decision was the defining moment in my life when I felt myself grow from a person who suddenly knew nothing to a man who had left a lasting impact on somebody else's life."

A lasting impact on somebody else's life, Naruto echoed.

Hadn't Naruto already done that? With Sora, or Sasuke, for example?

He thought about it.

Well…

It took him a minute, but he realized what pervy-sage was really saying. A lot of his own personal motivation up until this point stemmed from wanting something in return for his efforts—to be powerful, to be recognized, or to feel connected. This was different.

"Anosa… where could I find something like that?"

Jiraiya laughed. "It's not something you go out looking for, but when it arises you'll know. And it doesn't have to be so dramatic as it was with me." He then waved his hand to dismiss the air of somberness. "Well, this is just my personal philosophy, anyway. It wasn't supposed to be so serious. I just thought you should know. One day I hope you'll tell me about your defining moment."

Naruto returned a cheerful smile. "Sure, pervy-sage. I will."

They continued to walk in silence as Naruto pondered over their conversation.

He kept seeing Jiraiya sneak glances in his direction with a suppressed smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Sakura, another one over here. Hurry!" a civilian nurse shouted.

Shit. She was so tired.

Sakura formed her hand seals for the thirtieth time that day and immediately tended to the unconscious woman's stomach area.

"Ino! Here," she called. Murky yellow fluid drifted out of the pores of the woman's light skin. "Keep a sample for analysis in the lab." Sakura carefully controlled the floating muck with her chakra and sent it into an empty bowl.

"Got it," Ino said as she filled a test tube and labeled it.

"Hinata! Check for anything lingering, then hydrate."

"Y-yes, Sakura-chan." The meek purple haired girl ran over with a second prepared bowl and took over.

"The next one, Sakura!"

As summoned, she ran over to where a child had just passed out from dehydration. The young girl's skin was extremely pallid and wet to the touch, and she was shivering, indicating that she probably had a high fever, too.

"Ino! Bring the tray and some water, please." Sakura quickly wrung a cool towel and placed it on the girl's forehead.

"No!" The girl began to scream. "Stop it! Please—"

"You're okay," Sakura said, shushing her. "I promise."

The girl was probably having some sort of a nightmare.

When Ino came back with the assorted pills, Sakura picked out a low-dosage painkiller and cut it exactly in half with her fingertip. She dropped it into some water and gently lifted the girl's head, opening her mouth to funnel it down the girl's throat.

Just then, a man groaned from the corner of the room. "I'll give you what you want," he said with a strained voice.

That one was having some type of visions too. Sakura looked around for free hands.

The blonde was carefully re-organizing the pills on the tray, probably cleaning up the mess that Sakura left earlier.

"Ino, when you're done with that, please check bed number 32 for vitals and make sure he's stable. If he's not, continue performing the procedure I taught you guys."

"Sakura, over here," the nurse said again, barely giving Sakura a chance to set the girl's head down.

It was all the same. At some point, time had blurred. Had it been two hours? Six? Was it well into the night now?

The Princess had received word that almost everyone in the local civilian village had fallen ill. Normally, a new strain of the flu would hit every year, and it was just a matter of time before everyone overcame the bug and resumed business as usual. It had taken at least a day for word to reach Konoha by horse. Sakura, Hinata, and Ino were sent within the hour, and she hadn't had a moment's rest since arriving that morning.

This was not the flu.

Sakura guessed that it was something in the latest harvest or water supply that caused the outbreak. None of the villagers were even able to hydrate themselves because their bodies kept expelling content, and their dehydration was probably causing people to hallucinate. When the village's only doctor fell ill too, the situation became dire. It would require some later analysis in the lab to reveal the true culprit.

Something moved in the corner of Sakura's eye—Hinata just finished at her station. Without she was assigned to another. "This one is the same as last," Sakura said. No need for a sample—just heal. Then change the towel on his forehead."

Hinata nodded in affirmation before her hands glowed green.

"Next!"

Sakura didn't have time to think about anything else.

The afternoon continued similarly, one iteration after the next.

Sakura's chakra levels were severely depleted.

Thankfully, the local doctor said he already felt much better and he'd be able to take it from there. It was odd for something to pass so quickly, but Sakura wasn't going to complain. They were ordered to return within the day; Sakura knew the Princess was strapped for elite shinobi.

After making it just outside the village, Sakura couldn't will herself to run any further without resting for a bit. The three of them stopped, and she found herself perched on a large boulder. If it weren't so damn cold, it would've actually been quite peaceful sitting under the night sky.

Correction—if it weren't so damn cold and if she couldn't hear the whispers from behind the tree...

"Oh come on Hinata, just ask her already!"

"N-no Ino, s-she's probably tired and—"

Yes, Sakura was tired. Thank god goody-two shoes had manners.

"Pfft, you're not bothering her. Come on!"

Sakura's eyebrow twitched. Leave it up to the confident blonde to ruin her fun.

The crunching of dried leaves under footsteps signaled the death of any possibility for solitude. Sure enough, it wasn't long before both women appeared.

"Forehead. Hinata has something to ask you."

Sakura twitched again.

"Ino!" The blushing purple-haired woman chided her friend, although it came out more like a whimper.

While waiting for an explanation, Sakura did her best to give them a blank expression instead of the one she actually wanted to give. She'd already spent all day with them, so her patience was wearing thin.

"I-I…well…n-not to intrude…" Hinata started doing that annoying thing with her fingertips again. "Y-you and N-naruto…" her voice got more quiet, and, after a few seconds passed, it seemed like she wasn't going to actually finish the sentence.

"Hinata's in love with Naruto," Ino said impatiently.

The girl turned so beet red that Sakura was almost afraid that she was going to faint.

Yeah, Hinata was in love with the Jinchuriki. Everyone and their mom knew. Even he knew. So what?

"Y-you two are c-close. C-could you a-ask him t-to…" she stopped mid-sentence, again, and Sakura wanted to smack the stuttering woman.

The blonde interjected, probably to everybody's relief. "Forehead. Can you ask Naruto if he'll go out with Hinata on a date?"

And then Hinata actually fainted.

"Whoa—" Ino barely had time to react. "I got you," she said softly.

They propped their unconscious teammate against a nearby tree and waited.

"This woman needs to build some confidence," Ino said as she shook her head.

Sakura inwardly cursed as she rapidly fanned Hinata's face so that the unconscious girl would come to. Here she was, an elite S-class criminal, helping women with their love troubles and doing nothing to further her own mission. In fact, since the return of that man, this was probably the most eventful day in weeks. It was maddening to say the least.

"S-Sakura, I-Ino…" Hinata said as she tried to recollect herself.

"You're fine. Just a little winded is all," said Sakura. "We'll rest for another ten minutes and then head home."

Good thing they were close. It was probably because it was so last-minute that she hadn't prepared well enough, but this mission had pushed her to her limits. Sakura's legs were weak and her brain was getting foggy—all symptoms of being critically fatigued. Not to mention she was getting crankier by the second.

Still, it was nice to get away from the village for just a little while.

After the … visit where Sakura accidentally allowed him to see her in her... pajamas, she'd done her best to avoid the Uchiha brat like the plague. Their encounters around town were one too many and she felt like she could never get far enough away from him. But even when he wasn't physically around, the image of his stupid smirking face would pop up in her head randomly and without warning—like when she was talking to patients in the hospital or at night when she was trying to fall asleep. So while she was shivering, tired, grumpy, and being annoyed by Hinata and Ino, the bright side was that he was nowhere in sight.

"So Sakura, what do you say?" Ino prodded on behalf of their shy colleague.

"Y-you d-don't have t-to…"

Huh?

She'd zoned out again. Curse that Uchiha. What were they talking about again?

"Will you ask Naruto?" asked Ino.

Right. The Jinchuriki. It was too bad he was just a vessel—the love was doomed from the start.

"Sure, Hinata, I'll ask," Sakura replied.

"Thank you, Sakura," Hinata said.

"Told you she would!" Ino said, rubbing her bare arms. "Hey—by the way, do you guys feel like the weather's getting chillier each year? I'm freezing!"

"D-do you want my jacket?"

"No Hinata, you'll get sick," said Ino. They were all wearing short sleeves under their flak jackets.

"I'm not cold," she responded. Sakura felt her eyes starting to get heavy. "Keep your jacket, Hinata. We should probably start heading back now," she said as she got up. Her legs wobbled a little.

With a nod, they started sprinting through the trees behind her.

The women behind her didn't say much for the next few minutes, which Sakura was grateful for.

It must've only been about six minutes when she found herself struggling to keep pace. Both Hinata and Ino had overtaken her and they were waiting for her to catch up. She thought about taking a soldier pill, but the journey home was so short that it would just be a waste and she wouldn't get a good night's sleep before likely being summoned for something else tomorrow.

She took another jump forward when—

"Sakura! Watch out!"

She slammed into something hard. The impact to her head dizzied her vision. She felt herself falling through the trees faster than she could figure out how to stop.

"Sakura! Sasuke! We're coming!"

Both her teammates rushed forward.

Falling from this high would hurt like a bitch, but it's not like she had the energy to do anything but wait in resignation. She'd probably break a few bones. Wait—did she just hear someone say Sasuke?

Suddenly, an arm yanked her body from the air and she felt herself somersaulting on the ground like a tumbleweed.

"Hey—are you okay?!"

She must've been knocked out badly, because Ino's voice sounded so far away.

"Sakura, are y-you okay?"

"Yeah… I think so…" she said as she rubbed her head. The world looked like it was jumbling around her. The next time Princess sent her on a mission, she'd be sure to not try so hard.

When her vision finally stabilized, Sakura realized that one of her arms was slung around Hinata's shoulder and the majority of her weight was leaning on the purple-haired woman. It took a while, but finally her mind caught up to her body and she realized that Ino's voice sounded so far away because she wasn't the one to save her. "Where's Ino?" she asked.

"Helping Sasuke," replied Hinata, blushing slightly.

Okay. Her night was officially ruined. Sakura scanned the trees, and sure enough, found something green and glowing next to a certain Uchiha brat's face. He had his arm around Ino, who appeared to be holding him up as she healed his nose with her free hand.

Hinata helped her hobble over to the other two and it wasn't long before she was met with onyx eyes.

"Sakura…" he began.

She didn't have the energy to force herself to not feel the curiosity spark within her, to not ask questions that would signal that she was anything but impartial to his existence—and that hearing him say her name gave her butterflies. But of course, all those things happened simultaneously, in her head.

He was such a son of a bitch.

"You look like shit," he said.

Crickets.

"HA—oh my, Sasuke, you must've hit your head really hard!" Ino laughed a little too loud as she nervously looked between the two.

Sakura seethed.

"Actually Ino, my head feels totally fine," he said, smirking.

"Why don't you watch where you're going, Uchiha," Sakura spat.

"Is that what you say when someone shows concern for you?"

"Oh, that's what that was," Sakura retorted. "Well in that case, you look like shit too."

"All the more reason for another healing session," he said with a wicked smile.

Sakura blushed furiously. It looked like he wasn't injured enough—

"Whoa, guys," Ino said a little awkwardly, probably trying not to get caught in the cross-fire.

And that was another thing—Ino sure looked content holding the Uchiha like that. Sakura was about to say something else when she realized that the brat actually didn't look so good himself. It looked like he was leaning on Ino quite a bit, like he was injured. Healing him was useless if he'd gone off and broken himself again.

"What happened to you?" Sakura asked. Her voice sounded a little more concerned than she meant it to.

"I finished my fourth mission today," he said.

Ino's eyes widened. "Fourth?"

"Y-you should c-come back with us," Hinata said to him. "Y-your chakra levels are dangerously low."

The Uchiha brat nodded in agreement, doing little to protest Ino's help.

Karin would probably say that Sasuke was pathetic if she saw his current state.

Sakura's hard and round head bashed squarely into his nose. He hadn't even felt her coming—that's how low her chakra was. Or maybe how out of it he was. She really did look like shit, and the expression on her face when he said so was priceless.

He was pushed to the brink of exhaustion himself, having almost completed all the low-ranking missions assigned to him in rapid succession so that he could just get this part of his pardon over with.

"We're almost there," said Ino.

He nodded.

"Forehead," Ino called behind them, to where Hinata held Sakura. "I never thought you'd be so hostile to Sasuke," she said with a snicker.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one who enjoyed poking fun at Sakura.

"If you don't want him, I'll take him…" she said.

"Shut up, Ino-pig."

"Oh, so you do care!"

"Shut up, Ino-pig."

"Better watch out if you want to keep him around, Billboard Brow!"

"As if anyone would want to be with you, ugly!"

His angst-y thirteen year old self would've probably rolled his eyes in annoyance. His present-day self was too tired to give a shit.

The banter continued for a few minutes, until eventually, familiar buildings emerged. They were getting close to his apartment.

The four of them stopped under a flickering streetlight at a crossroad.

"Hinata—I'll take Sasuke home. Can you take care of Sakura?"

"Yes, I c-can," he heard a small voice respond.

Sasuke guessed that he'd have to entrust Hinata to get his teammate home, because as it was, he was only standing because of Ino.

"Alright. Let's get you home," she said.

Unknown

He was still undetected, watching Sasuke's every move from the shadows in the trees.

It'd been interesting to observe his interactions with the villagers of Konoha recently. This time it looked like he was bringing a guest home with him. From the looks of it, they were close.

He felt his body tense when he realized who it was.

Why was she here? And with him? Were they lovers?

He had to restrain himself from acting. It was still not the right moment to attack, according to this paper.

Rest assured, Sasuke.

He would, though.

Soon.

From the corner of Sasuke's eye, as they walked side by side, he took in the view of the woman who was much more capable than he remembered her to be.

Ino was one of the few to accept his return without animosity. He never knew much about her personality, except that she used to be really touchy with him when they were kids. Come to think of it, today was probably the first day they'd ever had a conversation.

"Ino…" he said quietly.

She looked at him like she was surprised.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

She smiled. "For Sakura's sake."

Along those same lines, it appeared that Konoha's bonds only strengthened with time. He decided that he'd also make an effort to be nicer to the rest of Konoha 11.

"I don't know what's gotten into her lately," she continued. "I'm sure you've noticed that she's different."

Sasuke was about to ask if anything had happened recently, but decided that it was probably not his business anyway. He wasn't the type to be nosy.

"But it's not just for Sakura. I know what it's like to be judged," she added. "I'm not exactly promiscuous despite what you'd hear, and you're not as cold or heartless as people think," Ino said with a laugh.

He looked at her blankly. Promiscuous? Was she? He hadn't heard.

"We're here. Give me your keys," she said.

"I got it," Sasuke said as he took his arm back and straightened himself up. He reached into his pocket and dug out the key to his front door.

He didn't sense that she was going to walk away, even after he'd unlocked his door.

Why was she still standing there? Was she waiting for something?

It suddenly occurred to him that she was standing really close to him. A little too close.

"Ino, thank y—"

"I have one more thing to say to you."

The sudden curtness in her voice surprised him.

"Sakura went through hell when you left. Don't do that again or I'll make you regret it," she said.

It appeared that Ino getting under Sakura's skin was only a show; it was clear now that she was actually a true friend. Not too unlike his friendship with Naruto.

Sasuke inwardly chuckled at the implied threat. She'd make him regret it? While he could appreciate the gesture, he didn't know how Ino was going to enforce it if she had to. She was probably even less of a threat than his pink-haired teammate.

With his acknowledgement, Ino smiled and returned to her normal cheerful self. "Anyway, get yourself inside and rest up! I'll see you later."

He nodded his thanks and she waved a last goodbye before darting off in the direction of her own home. After she vanished from view, Sasuke went inside his apartment and locked his front door.

The light next door was on, he knew, but he wasn't in the mood to socialize with Naruto, so he kept his lights off and collapsed on the couch. Despite how tired Sasuke was, he knew he wouldn't get any sleep. His mind was restless—the way he usually got when he was forced to idle for too long.

Here he was, a Genin. Completing D and C rank missions like when he was twelve, doing nothing to get closer to his brother—the whole reason he returned to Konoha in the first place.

His fists tightened.

Not only that—the council was holding the Uchiha mansion over his head until he started to do the other thing. Date.

The bureaucracy was one thing he didn't miss about this place.

It was all a means to an end, he told himself. He couldn't be hot-headed about it. His younger self wouldn't have understood, and that was okay.

For now.

He willed himself to relax.

Sighing, he got up for a shower.

In the distance…

"Fuck! What is that?!"

"Don't look—just run."

Two men sprinted through the dry dusty air, their necks wet with blood.

"We're not gonna make it—"

They were stopped short by a mysterious being that re-appeared in front of them.

"I always like it when they have a little fight left," the cloaked figure said. "It adds life to my collection."

"N-no—what're you doing—"

"Even better when they scream."

To be continued...