Floral
.
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She was decorated. Her pale neck caged by a large necklace made of many variation of flowers. Her green orbs traced the young faces, none of them seemed to have familiarity with the formalities of welcoming a stranger into the group, unless they were female it seemed. Her brain couldn't grasp the reason of why they welcomed her as if she had always belonged on their group.
She joined her fingers. Played with them as a distraction.
She began to bite her bottom lip, it was the second time. Then she felt it. The delicacy of their touches as they braided her pink hair. Laughing like small kids, a paradise painted for girls. But, for Sakura it was hell. The intruding digits that caressed her hair with a familiarity and the way they praised and continuously conversed made her irritated. It felt as if a group of harpies were pulling her apart from her group.
"Were almost done. Sakura!" The voice behind her cheered.
Sakura returned a crooked smile as she turned to see one of her braids. She took the opportunity to see behind her. Searching.
She pleaded to Buddha, anything that could give her a clue of where her teammates were. Then as if electricity had pierced both of them at the same time her orbs widened a little when a familiar gaze met hers. Relief washed over her. Her irises brightened as the dark-brown eyes watched her with a hint of anger. Not towards her, but the group that surrounded her. His expression was enough for her to read of what he thought of the women. They were, well...Troublesome.
He was meters away talking with a long woman of red mane that cascaded all the way down to her butt. He never broke off their contact, but the fury on his expression became more fierce as the conversation dragged more and more.
She must be a troublesome woman.
She almost laughed at her thought. Until something cold pressed against both sides of her cheeks.
She felt two hands grabbing her face, forcing her to look away from Shikamaru. A hollow sensation on her chest began to sink as the image of the Nara began to disappear. Only to be replaced by the smiling face of a beautiful youth of her same sex. Forcing her insipid happiness on her.
Sakura was done with her politeness.
"I need to go." She grabbed the girl's wrist. Slowly retiring her hands.
The girl blinked and watched how Sakura rise awkwardly from the grass she had been sitting for long hours. Sakura felt a chill going down her spine when she raised her head and saw a variety of eyes that judged her every movement.
In a slow pace and almost scared of walking away from the group of young women she began to distance herself from the group. Then a voice behind her made her pause on her tracks.
"He abandoned you here. You know that?"
Her pulse began to rise. Her protective side demanding her to respond. And responding she did.
"Whatever, freaks."
Annoyed she began to run. All those eyes buried behind her back, watching her naked feet racing thru the grass in search of her male comrade. It felt as if at any moment they would come full speed and tackle her down. So she never stopped by the fear left behind by those crazed women.
Her panicked pupils began to blink and trace. Where was Shikamaru? He had been there few seconds ago. Breaking in a cold sweat and confused she searched worried. No one was there. Just those crazy fanatics in the distance.
"Shikamaru!"
She felt something stab her chest. A sadness of abandonment.
"Shikamaru!" It was weird. Why was she freaking out? They had come here for a mission there was no way she had been left by her own. "Shikamaru."
Those freaks knew their way with words. A way to make people feel uneasy.
In her search she began to feel anxious. Her orbs desperately in need of tracking the familiar figure of any of her teammates. Her feet began to move clumsily, going in any direction just to find them faster.
"Shika-AH!" Two hands gripped her shoulders. She clenched her eyes shut. "Let me go!"
She began to kick her captor. But, the grasp became tighter.
"Sakura. It's me."
The tunes of the commanding voice and the mocha hair that tangled around her braids washed away her uneasiness. Looking up at the larger figure she tilted her head and watched the pale orbs blink at the same time as her. She almost went in for a hug. But knew better than to try.
"Neji!" She grasped the Hyuga's shoulders. Using the contact as a comfort. The Hyūga went rigid as a rock. Not knowing how to act.
"Why were you screaming?" He never broke her grasp. Only looked uncomfortable as hell.
She wanted to speak. But, a nauseating feeling caged her. Those women, there was something really off about them. The invasion to her personal space and the way they tried trick her mind in to fear had left her shaking.
Parting her lips and trembling a little she began to speak.
"It was-"
A figure marched towards them. The irritated way he walked and the frustrated expression was all she needed to see.
"Damn, troublesome hag. I'm going to choke her. Neji we have to get Sakura-" he began to talk watching Neji with a fierce expression that he rarely wore. He paused midway as he noticed the pink-haired girl that clung to the Hyūga's shoulders. "Sakura! How-"
The tension on his shoulders cleared up. He walked towards them. Making a close inspection on Sakura's state.
"Shikamaru!"
He felt his air being knocked out as soon as she went for a unannounced embrace. She buried her head on his shoulder.
"Oof-!" He closed his eyes on pain, she was a strong-ass kunoichi alright.
Neji sighed. His pale eyes watching a large camp some feet away from them. The presence of him and Shikamaru was rejected since their arrival to the camp. Sakura remained with her embrace as he and Shikamaru talked.
"They don't want any male near their territory."
Failing to escape from the strong hold of Sakura's hands Shikamaru tried to talk as his air was being blocked.
"Y-Yeah. I noticed that. It was never mentioned on the mission scroll."
"Seems they didn't fill up the blanks." Neji mentioned as he watched the Nara struggles to escape. "So what should we do?"
The Nara's eyes once more became angry at the idea of their next step.
"They abound like termites in old wood. Once we get on their good side of the wood, we can make our move."
Pearl orbs rolled in disbelief.
"You think they will welcome two males into their-"
"Cult?"
Neji closed his mouth. Not so sure if he had a better name for the collective of women. Shikamaru pushed Sakura with a gentle move, only to receive a tighter grasp. He closed one eye as he began to feel soreness on his shoulders.
"What else can we do? That troublesome hag is a stubborn-Argh. Hey Sakura."
His words went unheard. As a last resort he went in for a pleading help as he looked at the Hyūga helplessly. Neji's lips curved.
Slowly he approached Sakura. A small tap of his fingers made her liberate the Nara who half knelt on the floor gasping for air.
"What about Sakura? You saw what they did-"
Shikamaru rose up and watched both of his teammates. They were send to a mission with little to nothing. After all, it was information that they were supposed to collect. But things had become more difficult.
"We can't do much. Or you can dress up and-" a gentle fist went straight into his chest. "Argh. What the hell, Hyūga."
"Continue your jokes about me possessing effeminate features,Nara. And I will end the mission by taking you out."
She watched. Their interactive game distracted her. Shikamaru grabbed his stomach and began to say something about Hyūga's always worrying about long manes only to be once again attacked by Neji's palm. A chuckle escaping her lips.
The strange sensation of something bad lurking around her was present. It made her a little stiff. Her green orbs watching the dancing girls from afar.
"Guys."
Both turned their attention towards her.
"I felt something strange back in the camp. Is probably that thing."
Neji and Shikamaru looked at each other.
"I hate this." Shikamaru sighed. "But, we got no choice but to remain here until we find out what the hell is in this village."
Her fingers gripped around the white dress that she was almost forced to wear. The instant she was pulled away from her team a gut feeling had possessed her. As much as she hated it, she realized that there was only a way to get more information.
"I'll do it." She said confident. As soon as her words left her mouth Shikamaru shook his head.
"No way."
She grunted.
"What other way-" She was silenced by Shikamaru's hand. A smirk appearing on his face as he spoke. A flickering flame of dark humor danced on his orbs. Both Sakura and Neji puzzled, shared a look.
"Don't worry. I don't need a woman for this job."
Shikamaru. Oh, so slowly turned his gaze towards a unprepared Hyūga.
"I just need to give them a distraction they have never tasted."
At those words Sakura's eyes slowly turned to see Neji. Waiting...and waiting until the Hyūga caught the Nara's message. It was glorious how the calm expression of the Byakugan user changed to pure disbelief and a little of mixed anger.
"Nara."
"Hyūga."
Neji grunted.
"Is this your strategic plan? If you wished for bait to lure those women you should've brought Inuzuka. Or better yet. Do it yourself."
Shikamaru shrugged and continued to massage his pained stomach.
"I'm not a chick magnet, unlike you."
Sakura looked at Shikamaru as if he was crazy. What kind of plan was that?
"Shikamaru get serious."
He sighed.
"Look for the moment I don't want you to be infiltrated. It will separate us and Besides is just for now. First, we test the waters. Well, more like Neji tests their hormones-" a smack to his head made him clench his teeth. "Fucking ouch!"
Pale orbs bore into Shikamaru's head.
"You'll pay for this,Nara." Shikamaru went rigid at that warning. Neji smiled.
"Yeah. Yeah..."
There was a vague feeling that danced around the two of them. But she couldn't point it out.
"You two get along really good."
It wasn't a question.
It was a statement.
Shikamaru looked at her with wide orbs. As if she had just figured something she shouldn't have. Neji tensed a little bit, but ignored her. Shikamaru turned his head and smiled.
"Look, is almost nighttime. Let's get moving."
She paused to see.
The two walked close to each other. She began to walk behind the two. She blinked and smiled as she watched them once again walk as if they were one shadow.
To be continue...
ShikaNeji. featuring Sakura.
Thanks for reading. I just watched Midsommar trailer. It kind of made me write this. I always wanted to make Sakura kind of the best supporting friend in a ShikaNeji story. And this is my stupid attempt of it. Sorry for typos and bad grammar.
Side story of Roots. Before the events that occur in Roots. And yeah. Me and writing about cults is something.