Ominous dark clouds and the rough waters of the ocean didn't deter Sakura from standing at the ship's bow. Stormy winds blew against her causing her hair to swirl in every direction, but she didn't care. She held the railings as the boat rocked and cut through the waters below them. Sakura's mood worsened after discovering what happened to Naruto. Ino mentally made contact with Naruto and found that he'd been captured, and he explained to her the enemy's plans regarding himself and Kurama.
When the others arrived, they found a large boat to transport them to the Sun Kingdom. The ship was making great speed toward the island but not fast enough for Sakura's liking. She closed her eyes, focusing on breathing as she did her best not to let her mind get carried away with anxious thoughts. It wasn't until the sound of light footsteps coming from behind her truly cleared her mind. She opened her eyes slightly, turning to the side as Shikamaru approached her with his hands in his pockets. He was already frowning slightly as he stood next to her.
"You should come inside. It looks like it's going to rain in a moment." He murmured.
Sakura laughed humorlessly once; it wasn't like Shikamaru to beat around the bush. She knew that wasn't what he'd come outside the safety of the ship's interior to say.
"Did they volunteer you to come and get me?" She asked curiously.
He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his weight on his feet. "Yeah, Kiba said it'd be better coming from one Jonin to another. Rather than a Chunin, funny how he wants a promotion in rank but didn't want the responsibility."
"That's Kiba for you," Sakura said softly. "I'm not mad if that's what they're worried about; if anything, I blame myself. I told him not to go, but he insisted on it. And now…." Her voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands and tightened her grip on the railing.
"I get it." He said softly. "I was glad he was allowed to lead a team and take on more responsibility as the future Hokage. That red-haired girl put a lot of thought into this plan of hers. She's been targeting you both for some time now, all the way back to your apartment burning down. And then to find not one but four people with strong Kekei Genkai that she had direct control over is impressive. Which lets me know not to trust that she sees eye to eye with the old woman, which is troublesome to us."
Sakura sighed, also drawing the same conclusions. "You believe she might double-cross her? And go ahead with the plan on Naruto."
"It's a possibility. If it were a game of shogi, I'd say it'd be a sure bet that's what she's planning. So I've devised a plan I haven't told the others yet."
Sakura fully turned to face him then. "Alright, let's head inside. That way, you don't have to say it twice."
As if on cue, raindrops began to fall from the skies above them, causing them both to look up in response. Shikamaru sighed and shook his head.
"Just when I was ready for a smoke break." He said before turning around to head back inside.
Sakura shook her head, frowning while resisting the urge to talk about the harmful side effects of smoking. He usually ignored her when she did try to warn him about it, so there was no need to waste her time. Together they headed back into the ship's interior and downstairs to the lounge where the others were waiting. They were scattered about in the room, but as soon as they both stepped into the room, all eyes were on them.
Ino, standing close to Choji, stepped forward with a serious look as she began to speak. "I've contacted Lord Six on the state of the mission. Neji Tenten and Lee had just finished their mission and now headed to the Land of Waves, which wasn't too far from them."
Shikamaru nodded. "Great, we'll take all the help we can get. Now then, for the plan to rescue Sai and Naruto. Since we have two complete teams, we will be the backup to Sakura." He turned to look at her specifically. "We'll have you go out onto the island first. We'll be in contact with you the entire time with the radio. Given your abilities, I'm not too worried about you getting into trouble unless they try to drug you. If they take you to Naruto, wait until your most opportune moment and get him out of there." He explained.
Sakura nodded. "And what's the backup? In case she decides to betray her grandmother?"
"We'll be ready, and we'll back you up. With team eight's tracking abilities, they can move as a unit and get to Naruto if they try anything suspicious. Meanwhile, my team should be able to handle anything extra while you knock that castle down by force if you need to. Ino will handle any injuries we get since you'll be alone. The main goal is to get Naruto and Sai back. Soon as we get them, we book it as fast as possible and then group up with Neji and the others. From there, we'll let Lord Hokage decide if we should take them out or leave them be until another time."
Sakura nodded and cracked her knuckles. She'd be on point for this fight. Nothing would stop her from saving her teammates, as it was time for her to come through for them.
"I can do that," Sakura said confidently.
"There is one thing I didn't mention," Ino said as all attention went towards her. "Naruto told me the one who made that giant vortex earlier is dead, leaving the one guy left. He couldn't confirm what had happened to Sai as he hadn't seen him yet."
Shikamaru nodded. "Good to know; we should be there soon enough. For now, take it easy and be ready as soon as we approach the Kingdom."
Everyone nodded in agreement and went back to talking to one another. Sakura took a deep breath and adjusted her gloves, pulling them tightly by the cuff. Her only hope was that Natsumi would stick to the plan.
After an hour's worth of traveling, the boat stopped a short distance before the island, and the shinobi made the rest of the way on foot. If they needed to escape, they wouldn't have to wait for the crew to undock the boat while being chased. As planned, Sakura stepped foot on the island and started walking in the castle town. The similarly built stone homes colored in white and blue colored hues filled her eyes on the overcast day. As she slowly continued through the city, she quickly noticed she was alone. No citizens or villagers were walking around the town or showing signs of habitation. She assumed the enemy had already prepared the innocent for an attack of some sort but made sure not to get too relaxed.
Team eight exited the boat shortly after Sakura once Kiba and Akumaru got Naruto's scent. They would be moving through the shadows while Sakura would take the attention of the enemy ninja walking out in the open. Team ten trailed Sakura as she continued walking, using the buildings as coverage, while Ino focused on the surrounding area for enemy ninjas with sensory techniques. A chirping noise came from her radio set as Kiba began speaking.
"It's too quiet. I don't like the feeling of this at all." He warned in a hushed tone.
"So far, neither of our teams has found anything or anyone yet," Shikamaru said. "Let's continue to be cautious."
"Roger," Sakura said and released the button on the radio pack.
As Sakura entered a large open area with a large white and blue painted stone-figured watering fountain running, Genji, the enemy ninja she had faced before, sat on the edge of it. When their eyes locked onto one another, he stood up from the fountain's edge and clapped once. The rough sound of his hands seemed to echo throughout the empty town.
"So you've finally shown up?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at him. Something was a bit off; he wasn't as excited or lively as the last time she'd seen him.
"Yeah, I have; what is your leader gonna run out here, needle in hand?"
He laughed once. "No, she's waiting at the castle. Your fiancé asked us to bring you to him after he was captured. Not sure why she'd entertain an enemy, but I'm just doing my job."
Sakura tilted her head to the side, skeptical of believing him wholeheartedly. "Alright, take me to him and your boss. I get the feeling she's not one to keep waiting."
He nodded and turned around before jumping to the top of the fountain. She moved to follow him, and as they began moving, she noticed hundreds of black and white creatures filling the empty cities. Her eyes widened as she focused her vision back on Genji. He looked back at her, grinning momentarily, and continued jumping.
"Can't have your backup trying to follow us into the castle." He said and continued pushing forward.
Sakura frowned, and a sound from the radio started up again.
"Looks like Sai is behind all these creatures," Shikamaru said as the sound of splashing ink filled the background noise of the radio. "Team eight, we're counting on you to keep pushing forward and be ready to provide Sakura backup if needed while we find Sai."
"Roger," Shino's voice called from the other end.
Sakura agreed silently and continued following Genji toward the castle.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji were ripping through inked animal after an inked animal as they were immediately surrounded.
"Partial expansion jutsu!" Choji called out as his arms and hands expanded in size. He began swatting large amounts away from him and Ino while she caught her breath.
"Ino," Shikamaru said suddenly while cutting through an inked centipede with a kunai knife. "See if you can find Sai! The faster we can get to him, the quicker we can get this all to stop!"
"Right," Ino replied and closed her eyes as she stood between Shikamaru and Choji as they continued to defend her. Her mind was filled with the large volume of blue chakra as the drawings continued to come toward them. She saw Sakura following behind the enemy shinobi as they moved further and further away. Team eight was still headed toward the castle. Finally, she caught his chakra signature. After locking onto him, she mentally sent the location to Shikamaru and Choji and then opened her eyes, drawing her kunai out again.
Shikamaru cut down two more ink drawings as he turned to look at Choji. "Choji, how are you holding up?"
Choji smacked several drawings away, splattering ink on the nearby buildings and homes. He laced his hands together and slammed his expanded hands down on the cement, leaving a puddle of ink.
"Doing fine; we can handle it between us!" He said cheerily.
Shikamaru nodded, cutting down more drawings. He threw the kunai with enough force to cut through a mass amount of the drawings before crouching. He held his hands together in the sheep sign before his shadows explained, jumped from the ground, and began whipping large amounts of drawings. He looked toward Ino and nodded. She knew what that meant; they counted on her to take care of Sai.
She nodded, jumped to the nearby building, and headed directly for Sai's location. She moved as fast as she could for him and her teammates. The longer Sai was under enemy control, the worse this situation would be. After landing in front of him, Sai hadn't noticed her. He was drawing nonstop, focusing on the page as creatures crawled off the page and dripped off the sides of the building toward's their location.
She approached him as he continued to work and did the tiger hand sign.
"Release!" She said firmly, but the genjutsu didn't break. He continued working about on the scroll, not even noticing her. Ino frowned as she realized he actively resisted her, meaning she needed to try something else. She moved away from him, quickly knelt, and held her hands out, lining him up with her eyesight. The mind transfer jutsu would more than easily allow her to overtake his subconscious and enable him to be free from the genjutsu. Just as she was about to go through with the jutsu, a flash of red appeared in her vision. Ino lowered her hands to see a red-haired boy with blue onyx eyes.
Ino's eyes narrowed as she easily guessed that this was the boy impersonating Prince Toshiro all this time. The boy smiled slightly as Sai continued to work behind him without moving.
"Miss Ino, you came." He said loud enough for her to hear. "You should stand aside and go back to your village. I barely got my mom to spare you last time."
"Thanks for that; I didn't see her coming. What's your real name?"
"Kotaro," he answered truthfully.
"Kotaro, you've got a lot of talent for someone your age and fooled all of us with the transformation jutsu. But I want you to know I won't hesitate to attack you. Stand aside and let Sai go." She warned him seriously.
The boy laughed before pulling out two Kunai knives. "No, Mr. Sai will be staying with me. And I'm sure I can handle you on my own."
Ino raised an eyebrow, sure she was more of a support role in her group. But when it came down to it, she could hold her own. And there was no way she would pull her punches with him right now, even if he were a child. He charged towards her, his kunai knives drawn, and threw both of them her way. She easily dodged them both and without trouble at all.
Just before getting close to her, he'd pulled his fist back to strike, but Ino hit him lightly in the neck. He'd gone unconscious, and she caught him just before he fell over her. She looked down at the boy and sighed in regret. She regretted having to attack him at such a young age, but she had to save her friends. After using some spare rope she had stored in her ninja pouch, she tied his hands behind his back and laid him atop the roof a short distance from herself. She looked back at Sai and proceeded to hold her arms out again.
"Ninja art mind transfer jutsu!" She called out.
Her spirit shot into Sai's body, causing him to stop drawing. Ino opened her eyes to reveal that she was inside Sai's mind. It was a dark and shadowy place like all other minds she'd entered. She found it funny how the brain worked. A sudden thought or image would fill the space's dark void and disappear as fast as it appeared. But when a person was under genjutsu, only one thought stayed persistent. She started traveling down the road of his mind ignoring the steady order to continue making drawings.
It wasn't long until she found Sai sitting at a table, drawing nonstop. He looked afraid as if something was threatening him. Only then, a figure emerged behind Sai when she focused a little harder. Ino's eyes widened as it was none other than Danzo, the former leader of the root. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the scowl he used to sport, staring down at Sai's back.
"He's watching me," Sai muttered, oblivious to Ino's presence. "If I don't have a use for him, he'll get rid of me! I don't have anyone to help me!"
Ino gasped and covered her mouth in shock to hear his revelation. Danzo chuckled behind him, enjoying Sai's misery.
"Yes, you only serve as a tool at my beck and call. To be able to serve me in the root is your ultimate duty to Konoha. No matter how many years pass or how much to try to change. You will never be one of them."
"That's not true!" Ino said confidently, taking a step forward.
Sai didn't notice her presence yet, but Danzo did. He laughed once and turned to face her. "You must be of the Yamanaka clan. Ino yes? One from your clan also served within the root."
She narrowed her eyes; she knew some of her clan members were in the Anbu but not the root. Regardless, he was only stating words as he was no longer alive.
"Shouldn't you be resting in eternity somewhere in hell?"
"I assure you I'm alive in all those who fear me. Like this boy here, I'll always have a grip on his mind, no matter how much he tries to shut me out. I return stronger and better than ever!"
Suddenly Danzo grew so much so that his upper torso, neck, and face towered over them. Ino began walking closer toward Sai, and when she reached him, she stopped.
"The mind is powerful," Ino said softly. "Our thoughts can bring joy, happiness, and even fear when we allow them to run rapidly down dark paths. You're nothing more than a bad thought or a memory Danzo."
She placed her hand on his shoulder, and Sai stopped drawing at the desk. He looked up at her blinking a few times in confusion before recognizing her.
"Ino," He said softly.
"You're not alone, Sai," She said as she looked down at him. "I'm right here with you now. And I'm not the only one you know this."
Sai's eyes widened when suddenly Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Choji, and all the others began to appear in his mind behind her.
"No!" Danzo growled.
Sai looked up at Danzo's figure and gasped in reaction. Ino let him go to walk forward. Sai held his hand out to stop her.
"Ino wait!" He called.
She looked over her shoulder, smiling softly. "He's not real; he can't hurt me! I know because you won't let him."
Danzo growled; his giant fist appeared, and it shot out toward Ino. In seconds Sai appeared in front of Ino with his hand above his head, stopping the fist in place. Sai narrowed his eyes while he stared at Danzo, who was glaring at them.
"No, you don't defy me!" Danzo roared as his figure began to shrink before them.
It happened in seconds as he kneeled before Sai and Ino with Sai still holding his fist. Sai shoved Danzo back, and he began crawling away from them. Sai started walking toward him, drawing his sword from his sheath.
"Ino's right; you're gone. You no longer have any control over me and my life. It's time I get rid of you for good!"
Danzo's visible eye widened as he screamed when Sai cut him down. Danzo disappeared utterly, leaving nothing but shadowy remnants behind. Sai stared at the place Danzo was but turned around when Ino's warm hand touched his arm. His eyes widened as he turned to look at her. She smiled and nodded.
"See, he's not here, and you're not alone. It's time for me to go, but I'll see you in the real world."
He nodded and turned to face her directly. She put her hand on his forehead and willed chakra to her palm.
"Release!" She called out.
Sai gasped as he opened his eyes; he looked up to see Shikamaru holding Ino's body and Choji on the other side of her. Ino began to wake up as her eyes fluttered open, and Shikamaru let her go. As soon as Sai steadied his breath, he looked around, unsure where he was.
"Where are we?" He asked hoarsely.
Shikamaru chuckled. "The Sun Kingdom, you were captured by the enemy. Glad you're back on our side."
"Yeah," Choji said. "You better have Sakura check on your wrist. You'll surely have carpel tunnel after drawing that many animals quickly."
Sai groaned as he noticed the searing pain coming from his right wrist. "What's happened since I was captured? Also, I'm almost out of the chakra. Sorry, I'm not going to be much help."
Suddenly a loud thunderous crash from the castle capturing all of their attention. As they braced themselves, the earth began to shake along with the buildings in their area. Shikamaru stood up, frowning in the direction of the castle. He held the button on his radio and immediately reached out.
"Can someone fill us in on what's happening?" He asked.
The radio was silent for a brief moment before Hinata answered. "Sakura's fighting the shinobi, and we're close to Naruto."
"Alright, Choji and I are on our way. Ino will stay with Sai and let him know what's happening." Shikamaru responded.
"Roger," Hinata replied.
More crashing sounds came from the castle when Shikamaru turned to Choji. "Come on, Choji, let's go back Sakura up."
"Ino you be careful alright!" Choji said, looking over at her.
Ino nodded, and they disappeared instantly as they began heading to the castle. She stood up, walked over to Sai before kneeling again, and held his wrist. He flinched slightly, and Ino began healing sore tendons with the mystic palm technique as she looked at him.
"I'm glad you're okay," She said.
Sai smiled as he looked at her. "Thanks to you, Ino; I owe you one."
She giggled and decided to be outright with her feelings. "How's about a date, your treat, of course."
Sai chuckled before showing her a genuine smile. "Deal,"
Earlier, before the crashing noise, Sakura cautiously followed Genji into the castle, falling in step behind him as the large double doors of the entrance closed behind them. She was cautious of her surroundings, looking around for traps, hidden shinobi, and any sign of Naruto. She would've liked to use her sensory jutsu to map the entirety of the castle in her brain. But she needed to keep up pace with Genji for now. They were silent as they went as their footsteps echoed through the giant empty hallways of the castle.
There was no sound coming from the radio, so she had to assume that everyone was still safe for the time being. After traveling for a few minutes, Genji opened another set of double doors revealing the throne room. Sitting in one of the oversized golden chairs with purple fabric was an older woman dressed in a white Kimono. To the left of her was the red-haired woman Natsumi Ino showed her using her telepathy technique before they arrived on the island.
The doors shut behind Sakura again, and Genji knelt before both women with his head down. Sakura stayed behind him, keeping her eyes on both women ahead of her. Genji cleared his throat as he kept his head down.
"I've brought the girl mistress."
Natsumi smiled and put her right hand on her hip as she leaned against the throne.
"So you did; stand aside, Genji; we women have much to discuss," Natsumi said humorously.
Genji stood up silently and walked to the side of the throne room at attention. Sakura noticed he no longer had a confident look, and his hands shook slightly as he walked. Her training with Tsunade made her pick up on these things unselfconsciously now. She pitied him, knowing that if he made one wrong move, Natusmi could end his life instantly. She walked forward, focusing on the two women and stopping where Genji had just knelt.
The older woman smiled as she glossed over Sakura from head to toe. While she did this, a shiver ran up Sakura's spine as she knew she was in the heart of the enemy's territory.
"Haruno Sakura, Konoha's cherry blossom beauty and student of Lady Tsunade herself." The older woman said. "Strangely enough, I'm glad you managed to survive our attempts to kill you. It'd stain the reputation of the granddaughter of a woman from our clan if you'd ended up being just a Kunoichi."
Sakura smiled slightly. "My Sensei may have trouble when it comes to gambling. But Lady Tsunade doesn't strike out when training her students."
The older woman laughed. "I'm glad, and here we are! So I'm sure you know exactly why you're here, yes?"
"Yes, where is Naruto?" Sakura replied calmly.
"He's fine, but that depends on what you decide here and now." The older woman said before tilting her head to the left slightly. "Naruto has agreed to turn on the Leaf so long as we agree not to harm you and bring you to his side. If you accept these conditions, kneel before Natsumi, and she will place her seal on your tongue like she's done the shinobi you've faced so far."
Sakura's eyes widened as she continued looking at them. "I thought-"
"You thought wrong," Natsumi said, cutting her off before grinning. "If we take you to him, you'd quickly turn on us and try to help him escape. That seal is what will keep both of you in check. He won't go turning on his word, and we won't have to deal with your monstrous strength and the both of you won't be making a run for it."
The older woman laughed briefly before leaning forward in her chair toward Sakura. "So what's your choice, dear? Will you bend the knee?"
Sakura bawled her fist at her sides as her eyebrows furrowed. She would not allow them to place that much control over herself or Naruto. So that meant she had to do this the old fashion way.
"Go to hell!" Sakura growled.
The old woman laughed once as her eyes narrowed. "Wrong answer."
Genji barreled toward Sakura in seconds, already covered in his metallic armor like before. She had just enough time to see and dodge him as he charged past her straight into the wall cracking it in multiple places. Sakura looked away from him to the throne to see it empty and the two women escaping through a door. Before she could chase after them, Genji appeared before her again. He didn't sport his excited smile like in their last battle. Instead, he stared at her with vicious, murderous intent.
"No hard feelings, but I ain't dying because of you or your boyfriend." He growled.
Sakura held her fist in front of her as her eyes narrowed. "I know you're doing this against your will. But I won't be holding back on you like last time."
They charged toward one another as they cocked their fist back and punched each other's fists, causing a thunderous crashing sound as they flew back from one another. Genji flew into another stone wall, his back breaking through part of it. He shook his head, and his eyes widened as Sakura slowly walked toward him. She cracked her knuckles as she glared down at him.
"This is your last chance Genji; move out of my way!" She growled.
He stood up, not looking away from her, before shaking the dust off his back. "Either way, I'm dead either by your hand or hers. So let's make this fun, shall we?" He said before grinning as they charged toward one another again.
A/N
Hello,
I'm sorry for the delay in this chapter; it's been a lot of changes in my life, good things! And with those changes, I hit an awful writing block in this chapter which held up progress. Regardless, I plan to see this story to the end and hope you will continue reading it. Now to write some fight scenes!
See you next chapter!
- Colorfulone