A/N: This is the revised version of this story. I've doubled up chapters, so what was two chapters have now been combined into one. For instance, chapters one and two have been combined into just chapter one. Chapters three and four are now just chapter two and so on. So now the chapters are longer with between 9,000 and 10,000 words for each. I've also edited all the chapters that were up. I've changed my username and will also be uploading this story onto Archive of our Own under the same username yokokuroba
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or One Piece nor do I make any money from my writings.
Chapter Four: The Mark's End X Questioning Ideals
"With this blade, I would like you to carve the mark of the slave out of my back."
Everyone stared at the female in shock and if her expression weren't so serious, many of them would have thought she was trying to be funny. The pinkette kept her gaze locked on the swordsman's, him being one of the few that regarded her calmly. Her request still hung in the air, leaving all of them to believe she wasn't backing out of it. Although, just to be sure, someone finally spoke up with nervousness in his voice.
"Y-you can't be serious." Usopp stated, shivering at the thought of someone having their skin carved out and he couldn't suppress the images that came to mind of Zoro hacking up the small female.
"U-Usopp's right." Nami said, a sheepish frown on her lips while she held up her hands in front of her in almost a defensive manner. She didn't like the thought of that either. "There are other ways to get rid of a mark. Don't be too hasty."
Sakura dismissed the comments and concerned looks she was receiving, keeping her stern gaze with the one that matched her own. She knew he was bouncing the thought around in his mind and the moment she had made her request clear, they had begun a silent battle of wills. She wanted the mark off her, which would no doubt bring her a large amount of pain, and he didn't want to waste his time bringing pain to her if she couldn't handle it. He was testing her and her nerve to see if she would break. She could tell.
After another moment of anticipation, the swordsman let out a sigh before pushing himself to stand up. "Let's get this over with." he grunted while straightening all the way and he was met with various of shocked expressions.
"Zoro!" Nami yelled in disapproval while setting a glare at him, not because he might be humoring the pinkette, but because the navigator knew he would actually cut a chunk out of the female if she were to ask. After all, the idiot almost cut off his own damn feet in order to try to escape from Mr. Three's candle trap.
Sanji stood up as Nami yelled and he set his own glare at the swordsman, his teeth gritted, and his fists clenched down by his sides. "There's no way in hell I can allow you to do that!" he seethed, "Child or not, she's still a lady and I won't tolerate you cutting her up!"
Zoro furrowed his eyebrows, scowled at the ones yelling at him, and with a retort just as sharp as theirs, he asked, "Why the hell not?! It's what she wants, and she asked me, so just mind your business."
Vivi was the next to stand and with her arms in front of her in a defensive manner, she frowned at the swordsman and glanced frantically over the cook and navigator. "Everyone, please calm down. I'm sure we can sort this out rationally and figure out what to do."
The tension was thick in the air between the crew members, something Sakura had expected would happen. Many of them were protective, liked to do things without much violence, and to avoid whatever conflict that might occur, whereas Zoro and Luffy did things on instinct and without much thought. That was one of the reasons she hadn't thought much about who should do it when deciding on Zoro. If she were worried about the pain or having more skin cut off her than necessary, she would choose either Sanji or Chopper, but she knew neither of them would be able to handle it. Neither of them would want to harm her and would worry if they were being careful enough. Zoro didn't know the body as well as Chopper and he probably wasn't as skilled or delicate with blades as Sanji, but she trusted him a hell of a lot more with her back than Luffy.
The little doctor had his hooves on his captain's leg, looking at the unfolding scene with concern. "Luffy, do something to make them stop. Zoro doesn't need to do that."
"Zoro's right." Luffy replied calmly, earning the shocked reactions of the group that were standing against what the green-haired man was planning on doing. His eyes were on Sakura, and she looked at him in return before her expression softened slightly from the stern gaze to collected features.
"But Luffy," Usopp said, "It's crazy. I mean, carving out someone's back. That's too much."
It was one of those rare moments when their captain seemed to turn more mature than he normally acted, somehow grasping a bigger picture than what others normally could. Sakura supposed it was his instincts kicking in, rather than rational thought. "It doesn't matter. This is something she wants to do to keep the crew safe and I won't stop it."
Many expressions fell at his words, including Sakura's and her gaze fell to the ground, a frown on her lips. Something hung in the air after those words left his lips, almost as if something unspoken had been shared through all of their minds. Multiple eyes settled on the pinkette then and she felt the stares as if they burned into her skin. She held Sasuke's sword down by her side and she gripped the sheathe tightly, feeling like she was being laid bare. Although normally, she wouldn't be ashamed to be naked in front of other people, but now she might as well have been since she felt like they were looking right into her soul.
It only took one look at her and everyone could tell she wasn't only doing it for the crew, but for herself as well. The ex-kunoichi needed this, she needed to get rid of that mark on her back and to feel like she had some of her old life back. She needed to feel like a free person again in order to fully enjoy her life and not to be branded like some kind of horse. She wasn't anybody's property, damn it.
Sakura set her eyes forward and met the eyes of Zoro before she pulled Sasuke's sword up to her chest, reminding him of her decision. Without wasting any more time, the swordsman began to walk forward and snatched up a piece of wood out of the fire pit to serve as a torch. He then walked past the fire and toward the pinkette and she couldn't suppress a soft sigh from leaving her lips. His expression was stoic when he reached her and he glanced down at her before nodding his head in the direction behind her, where large boulders rested. Sakura nodded her head in understanding before she turned and followed him to the boulders. At least if he did it over there, they would be away from prying eyes, and she knew that the sniper was already queasy from thinking about what was going to happen. It was for the best they didn't watch.
The duo made it behind the rocks and the light that came from the torch could barely be seen from over the boulders when they stopped. The members that were standing previously began to sit down, their expressions solemn and defeated as they worried over the small female.
"Don't worry about it too much." Ace spoke up, the only one among them with a semblance of a smile on his lips. Everyone looked over at him and before anyone could speak up, he added, "She's a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for."
Luffy perked up in curiosity at something many of them were curious about, something they had surprisingly avoided beforehand. "Hey Ace, how do you two know each other?"
"You mean me and Sakura?"
"Yeah. You said you were old friends, but that was it."
Ace had to hand it to his little brother. Normally the rubber boy had no talent at deception, but he was putting up one hell of an act. Then again, Luffy cared a great deal about his friends, especially his siblings, and they were intent on keeping that promise from all those years ago… He must have been devastated when he realized that the girl didn't remember them at all from that time and Ace had no doubt Luffy was using every last fiber of his being and willpower to keep from throwing himself at the pinkette in an attempt to embrace her like he had done so many times before.
The fire-user lowered his head more, his hat covering his dark eyes and a deep smile, almost resembling a grin, was on his lips. "I met her two years ago on the other half of the Grand Line." he started with everyone present listening attentively. "She was a lot skinnier then and looked close to dying when the captain found her. She was small, but far from fragile and the crew instantly took a liking to her."
Ace felt fondness in him as he recalled the memories of two years ago and he let them be known to everyone around him, "I, on the other hand, didn't care much for her and found myself avoiding her at all costs."
The comment surprised them, everyone except Luffy. With him being with the older male since a young age, he knew how Ace was and wasn't surprised he would avoid someone. After all, it probably hurt him to see her…
"What for?" Nami asked.
Usopp commented next, "She was a child. Why would anyone avoid her?"
"There was just something about her." Ace added, "She made me nervous at first, to be honest. Every time she looked at me, I felt like she could see through me and there was something dangerous about her that always put me on edge." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the entire truth either. Something about her had changed that had unsettled him.
The two women in the group looked at each other knowingly, having experienced that same feeling themselves the first time they had spoken to the pinkette. Ace glanced upward and saw the exchanged looks between them and couldn't help the smirk that grazed his mouth. It seemed Sakura had that effect on other people as well.
Lowering his gaze, he continued, "Although, I wasn't able to avoid her for long thanks to my nosey crewmates."
"What happened?" Chopper asked and like Luffy and Usopp beside him, he was engrossed into the story the oldest male of the group was telling. The blonde cook was also interested in hearing it and was silently surprised their loud-mouthed captain was sitting still and listening. Normally, Luffy wouldn't care about what happened in somebody's past, but it seemed this case was an exception. The enigma of the newest 'member' of their group knowing his older brother, Sanji supposed it was expected for Luffy to be interested in something like that.
"I was locked up in one of the cellars with her for a few hours." he answered, "It was really awkward at first until she practically demanded I talk to her. An argument happened, but I can't remember what it was about."
Ace lifted his head and one of his eyes was visible as he looked up at Luffy, smirking. "She wouldn't stand for me trying to avoid her and wouldn't leave me alone until I talked with her."
Luffy smiled in return and was reminded of when they were children. He had practically done the same thing with Ace when they first met. Also hearing that Sakura was the one that approached Ace brought relief to him. Despite having lost her memories of them, she was keeping well on her promise as well. Neither of the brothers thought she was aware of the memory loss of that time, but it brought them joy that they had met her again.
"How long did it take for that to happen?" Sanji asked before taking his cigarette out of his mouth and rubbing it on the bottom of his shoe to put it out. He then rested his arms over his knees and his hands dangled in front of him while his legs were pulled upward.
"We talked for hours in that cellar." Ace said, looking down at the ground with a soft smile. "It didn't take much for her to win me over though when she smiled at me. It might sound embarrassing, but the way she looked at me and the way she smiled, like she was accepting me for me, it could make the most hateful man soften up."
Everyone smiled at that, being able to imagine how that would happen. None of them could argue that Sakura was a cute girl and even with something frightful lying dormant underneath her, she still managed to appear gentle and kind while carrying around an air of wisdom and understanding with her.
"She told me of her past without expecting the same from me." the fire-user said before looking up at the sky. "She's been through a lot and has overcome pain most people couldn't even dream of enduring, but despite that, she keeps living."
Ace glanced over everyone and added, "Anyone can tell by looking at the scars on her body she's been through hell and back. Give the young lady some credit."
~SCENE CHANGE~
Zoro had to give the girl some credit. He knew what he did had to be painful, yet she took every moment of it without even flinching once. He had gotten a good look at her back, neck, arms, and waist while he was fulfilling her request and he was surprised by the number of scars that adorned her pale skin. They were proof she had been through countless painful situations in life and the fact she didn't seem affected by the pain further proved she was dangerous. Despite that though, he had grown a level of respect for her. If she was going to use that sword as a weapon from then on, he would have to challenge her once she grew some. Sparring definitely wasn't out of the question.
After he was finished, he had asked Chopper for some cloth and bandages before wiping off the blood that flowed down her back. He was more accustomed to taking off bandages rather than putting them on, but he had helped her anyway. She wouldn't be twisting around or bending over anytime soon and she sure as hell wouldn't be pulling any crazy stunts for a while. That much was for certain.
The swordsman was reluctant at first to do what she asked, but he had been moved by her silent conviction, although he would never admit it. He would admit, however, that the girl did have some balls. Not many would willingly sit there and have a mark carved out of their back, let alone not show an ounce of pain. Even when they returned back to the camp, she didn't show that she was in any sort of discomfort, which had earned the surprise of many of the crew members.
While she had sat down calmly next to the oldest male of the group, with a gentle smile playing at her lips, Sanji couldn't help but gape slightly at her, his newly lit cigarette hanging loosely in his mouth. Zoro had returned to his previous spot before he had left and entered a small, casual conversation with the straw hat wearing captain while Usopp looked at the ground as if he were about to throw up. The two female teenagers glanced over the pinkette as she quietly talked with the fire-user, both silently impressed by her, though still incredulous she had willingly gone through such a thing.
Not everyone was as understanding of her spirit as the few male warriors of the group. Chopper kept glancing over her expression and posture, trying to gauge if she were in a large amount of pain and if Zoro had unintentionally damaged her back to the point of something being permanent. It was difficult to judge, considering her tolerance for pain, but since she wasn't at least flinching whenever she moved around, he assumed she was fine. He would make her some ointment for it when they got back to the ship.
The silent commotion of what happened died down quickly and within minutes, they had all retreated back into their respective tents to sleep the night away. Much to Nami and Vivi's disapproval, Sakura had decided to sleep inside of the boys' tent, choosing to sleep next to Ace. The females had tried persuading her to sleep with them, but as they were beginning to learn with each passing moment, the pinkette was too stubborn to be persuaded out of doing something she wanted. As a result, she had slept with her head planted firmly into the dark-haired man's lap while she held Chopper's body close to her chest. Neither of them had any protests against it, Ace being used to her being affectionate while she slept, and Chopper realizing she sought out his warmth in a search of comfort.
Luffy had ended up getting tangled up with the trio during the middle of the night and his legs had tangled around hers in an absurd manner while his arm stretched outward across her head. His hand dangled in her face while her back was faced toward him, and he laid on his back. His loud snores echoed throughout the tent and ricocheted off the material before attacking her ears. Sakura could vaguely remember grumbling his name before shoving him away from her, causing him to roll over and assault the blonde cook with his flimsy limbs before he was shoved away with a grunt. The low sound of chuckling vibrating from the man above her that she had fallen asleep against was the last thing she heard before she drifted off to sleep once again.
~SCENE CHANGE~
"Sakura."
The small woman tensed when she heard her name being uttered by a masculine voice, though it was soft and gentle. Turning her head, her wide, jade eyes settled on the lone figure sitting behind her. His dark eyes were solemn while he frowned down at her, an expression of his sympathy for the grief she felt. Black hair fell over his forehead, tousled from the deep slumber he had been in moments before. He was sitting up in his bed and the sheet that had been covering his body previously rested around his hips, showing off the toned skin of his bare torso.
"Did I wake you?" she asked softly.
"It's fine." the dark-haired man replied and scooted over on his futon to make room for the small female. He gestured by waving his hand toward her, showing her it was alright for her to come closer to him. Without missing a beat, Sakura climbed her way up further onto the bed. Sliding underneath the thin sheet, she rested her body into the futon and laid her head on the pillow the male was willing to share with her.
Jade eyes looked ahead of her into onyx, as if searching for something. Both expressions were relaxed, and the male had his arm under his head, prepping it up slightly. With both of their heads on the small pillow, they were less than a foot away from each other. The close proximity didn't bother either of them. In fact, neither of them seemed to notice how close they were to each other and in some ways, there was an unsettling feeling they were too far away.
Ace continued to stare into those large eyes he thought were undoubtedly beautiful. They were so close to him, and yet so far away. She looked straight at him, but he knew she couldn't truly see him. There was enough light in the room he resided in on his captain's ship, the soft flickers of candlelight coming from his desk on the other side of the room.
Even if she was looking right at him, the fact she didn't remember their past together was enough to put a damper on the fire-user's mood. Her vision was clouded by the thick fog in her memories. All that time she had spent with him and his brother when they were young, all of it… It wasn't there. She didn't remember.
However, she still wanted to be close to him. She still wanted to form some sort of bond with him. That alone was enough for him for right now. It couldn't be helped if she didn't remember, he told himself that, but… He hoped one day… From some miracle, she would remember.
He wanted her to remember…
Remember the times they shared, remember the promises they made, remember everything. Ace watched as the pinkette fluttered her eyes closed, slowly succumbing to sleep. A soft smile adorned the male's lips, affection in his gaze, and he didn't hesitate to reach forward and gently stroke her cheek with his fingers. He would be content for now, although he knew that he would want more in the future.
To watch Luffy become the Pirate King and to see Sakura carry on their name by his younger brother's side, that is what he was looking forward to the most. She told him she wanted to return home to her shinobi village once she was cured, but the fire-user knew better. He had no doubt she would one day return to her people, but she wouldn't stay there. Fate had other things in store for her, he knew, and she would rise to greatness with loved ones by her side.
The morning had her waking up first and the sight of the swordsman and cook sleeping in close proximity to each other had brought curiosity to the pinkette's mind. Of course, she knew they wouldn't be lying only inches from each other if they were awake. They would no doubt scream at each other if they were to awaken like that and the thought brought a soft, amused smile to her lips.
After having left the tent shortly before the sun began to rise, Sakura began looking around the area. With her new sword held tightly to her waist by the sash tied around her, her jade eyes were calm and collected while she walked behind the rocks that decorated the area around their campsite. A frown slowly curved her lips as she thought back to the conversation she had with Kankuro the previous day. His words played over and over again in her mind and before she knew it, she had gotten a bit far away from the campsite. Her eyes trailed back to it while she stopped her feet and the wind gently blew past her, caressing her long, pink tresses. She wasn't that far away, she could still see it. It only had to be a mile long trek. She would be fine.
Continuing on her short journey, she walked briefly toward the side where a large boulder rested, and she used what little strength her body was capable of producing to pull herself up onto it. It was a short climb up to the peak thirty feet in the air and she made it safely to the top. Even if she couldn't use her chakra, she was still able to do small things such as climbing without any problem. Of course, that didn't stop the tiny protest her back gave as the freshly cut skin ached with each stretch of her body. Once reaching the top, she sat down on the hard surface and folded her legs in front of her. Placing her hands on her legs, her jade eyes set on the horizon in front of her. Though she glanced over the desert lands, her mind didn't focus on it.
"I knew you lost your chakra, but don't tell me you've lost your mind also." Kankuro argued with her, his eyes pleading with her to reconsider what she was planning to do. Of course, he would still need to grant her request in order for her to do it in the first place. As it were at that moment, he had no intention of fulfilling it. For her to do something so ludicrous… He knew Sakura could be reckless, but this was just going too far. "If you go through with this, Sakura, you will die."
The former kunoichi kept her gaze lowered down to the ground in a moment of uncertainty. She was frowning deeply, her pink brows were furrowed, and she had a look of defeat in her eyes. That had Kankuro's expression softening, if only slightly. She was usually so confident in herself, never questioning her intentions or obligations. It was only when she was struggling internally with something when she lost that confident demeanor.
"I know that, but…" Sakura trailed off before glancing over to the side, where her eyes landed on a female with a head of blue hair. She was talking with Nami, her body slightly tense with the situation they were in, but with a genuine smile on her face. The pinkette had watched her closely while they traveled ever since she found out about her lineage and she had found out that the princess wasn't as hard to be around as she first thought it would be. However, Kankuro wasn't aware of what had happened to her since she had left her village seven years ago. She couldn't explain to him about the Celestial Dragons. She couldn't let anyone from her home continent know about that.
Of course, she could give him another reason why she wanted to do this. A valid reason. A reason that overthrew her desire to live, to find Law. Sakura still wanted that, but she wanted to help the people of this country even more. It was the medic in her that screamed and ached for her to do something for them, to stop the bloodshed and agony that would come with the war that would surely happen. She could feel it, she knew it was going to happen. It made her skin prickle and her blood boil, she could sense the future rise of chaos slowly etching its way closer. However, she couldn't tell the princess that. All she could do was set her goal aside and lay her life on the line to help her new comrades. They were trying to save this country, so she would do everything in her power to help them and deep down, she wanted to feel of use to them in some way with her weakened body.
Although, there was another reason. Sakura knew what it was like to watch loved ones die right in front of her, not being able to do anything to save them. She had taken a small liking to the princess before she realized it and she didn't want anyone to go through that kind of agony. It was that that had set her decision in stone. At least, that's what she told herself.
"I want to help these people. I don't want their deaths on her hands." she finally replied, her eyes taking on a glow the puppet master recognized completely, and he knew he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it.
That wouldn't stop him from trying one last time though. "Even if it means your own death?"
Sakura slowly closed her eyes and she felt a light fluttering circle around her heart. For the first time in a long time, she felt free to choose her own decisions. There were no orders coming from clients, no instructions being yelled out in order to save patients in time, and no expectations to be had of her. Even her quest for Law was something fate had chosen her to do. She had to find him in order to procure her own life and it was her stubbornness to find him that had kept her going. There would be no fat men shouting out orders at her. No pirates locking her up and forcing her to tell them things she didn't even know.
This was the only thing she would be able to do of her own complete, free will and that made her want to do it even more. A soft, yet heartfelt, smile slowly grazed her lips and if she were able to see her face, she would be able to see how relaxed and gentle her features were. "Yes."
However, she was unaware of the dark and sad gleam deep within her eyes. There was something there Kankuro could see and if he hadn't known the pinkette since the time they were children, he wouldn't have been able to pick up on it. It told him the truth, something even the very owner of those eyes didn't comprehend. She most likely wasn't even aware of it, but it was that emotion hidden in her eyes that reassured him he would see this woman again in the future. It reassured him he could grant her task and not have to worry what the outcome would be. It was while he was leaving that he silently prayed that cheerful captain of the group he had caught sight of would be able to help her before it was too late. He hoped it wouldn't come down to Sakura giving up her life just like that after she had spent years of struggling just to live.
With calm feet, Sakura made her way back to the campsite and the closer she got, she could see that a few of the crew members were awake. From the sounds of it, one of them was Luffy and it brought a renewed smile to her lips. Quickly reaching them, she watched in slight amusement while Luffy was kneeling and holding up the tail of what was no doubt a scorpion.
"Ahh! I found a shrimp!" the captain exclaimed in excitement.
Chopper, who had been by his side, held out his arms and smiled in interest. "You sure it's a shrimp? That's neat."
Usopp made it to the duo while the pinkette continued walking toward them. His voice was filled with doubt, but still held a level of interest as he slouched over slightly and said, "Shrimp don't live in the desert."
Luffy immediately jumped around to face them and he held up the red creature for them to inspect. "Look." he said, smiling.
"I stand corrected. It's a desert shrimp." the sniper replied, his own smile on his lips.
Sakura couldn't help but let out a small laugh at their antics. Never before had she heard a conversation like this one and it didn't fail to amuse her greatly. The trio looked over at her as she stopped shortly behind Chopper and her smile was directed at Luffy as she began, "Luffy-sama, that's a scorpion."
The male lowered it a bit and frowned in return. "It's not a shrimp?" Sakura shook her head before he added with a bright smile, "Is it edible?"
The pinkette let out a sigh before making her way to him, her air of calmness never leaving her as she added, "You probably don't want to eat it." Stopping beside him, she smiled down at him. "It's filled with poison and can kill you if you get stung by that stinger." Of course, she knew that scorpions could be eaten, and water could be extracted from it, but it was too small to do him any good.
Luffy immediately frowned at the information as if he were now bored by the creature he held in his grasp, an expression that momentarily surprised the pinkette. A more normal reaction were the ones that Usopp and Chopper had, they flinched backward from them in fear.
"Oh." the captain grumbled, "I don't want it anymore then." The next moment, he flung it behind him before it started scurrying off to a safe haven away from the straw hat wearing male. Jade eyes followed the small creature, and she couldn't blame it for running away. Although, she silently wished he hadn't thrown it off. She would have been able to extract the poison from it for something useful. Then again, she wouldn't exactly be needing it with what she had planned for in the near future.
It was then that Vivi came out of her tent and Sakura turned to see her walking out while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The pinkette's expression straightened out and turned stoic before it fell slightly as she thought back to her decision. Sakura then lowered her head and closed her eyes while she smiled. How ironic things have turned out. The human heart was a fickle thing.
"Oi, Sakura."
Said female turned her attention to the fire-user stepping out of the boys' tent, a black cloth in his grasp while he smiled at her. Lifting it up toward her, he said, "I think this belongs to you."
Jade eyes instantly widened as she realized what it was and she smiled sheepishly as she ran over to him. Stopping in front of him, she took the cloth from him while smiling gratefully up at him. "Thank you."
Ace nodded in return and watched as she safely placed the cloth inside of her shirt. He knew it was important to her, having been told it was a shirt that belonged to her husband. He was aware of Sakura's past, who she was, what she did, how she lived, and who with. He knew just about everything of her life before she left her continent and though she wasn't physically strong enough to live up to what she told him, he could see that she told him the truth just by looking at her eyes and body. He had been able to tell the shirt belonged to her husband by looking at the crest on the back of it.
The two of them turned their attention toward the horizon when the sound of strong wind came to their ears. Sakura frowned as she made out the sight of sand moving around in fierce circles in the distance. "Heh, it looks like the wind is picking up." Ace stated with his usual smile.
"It's a sandstorm." Sakura added quietly after a moment and the outlines of the small twisters became clearer the closer they got.
Within moments of Vivi yelling for everyone to hide behind the rocks and the storm getting closer to them, Sakura noticed the awed and curious expression of the fire-user beside her. "You certainly look like you're enjoying this." she told him, which caused his grin to broaden on his freckled face. Although he didn't reply as the storm got even closer and he scooped her up into his muscled arms, moving quickly. Sakura grabbed a handful of his clothes above her and her back pressed into the sandy ground underneath her. Her eyes were clenched shut and she didn't need them to see in order to know Ace was kneeling above her protectively, one arm wrapped around her body and holding her close to him while the other was bracing himself against the ground as the storm assaulted them.
Wind whipped around them viciously, causing sand to slide over their bodies before shortly covering them. Sakura's ears burned with the harsh sound of the wind screaming at them and she wondered how the ones in the tents were holding up in the storm. She was sure that she would have been blown away if it weren't for the hard body above her. Much to her chagrin, she had been told by the swordsman she actually weighed less than their furry doctor and that she should start eating more now that she had the chance.
Long moments passed by and Sakura could feel the weight above her had increased and when she tried looking around, all she could see was darkness. A very little amount of oxygen found its way into her nose, along with a greater amount of sand. They had been buried. Staying calm, she waited until Ace pushed himself up out of the sand, holding onto her back the entire time. He did not disappoint and within seconds, he did so and large amounts of sand fell from his body on all sides of him. He then pulled her up with him and though she was covered with it, not as much sand fell from her petite body as his.
"Are you alright?" he asked, a small smile forming on his lips and it deepened at her returned gesture and a nod of her head.
The pinkette brushed herself off as they stood and Ace quickly made his way over toward Vivi, who was lying down on the ground. Glancing around, Sakura watched as the crew members began emerging from the sand. The sun was in the sky by that time, showing some time had passed since the storm hit. Letting out a sigh, Sakura began to walk toward the others and she had a nagging feeling in her gut that something was off and there was the suspicion that it had to do with that storm.
~SCENE CHANGE~
Two sets of feet stood in the middle of a clear area as sand blew gently past them. There weren't any rocks or the occasional plant that could be seen as a marker, just an endless plain of sand. The sun was set overhead, marking it as late afternoon.
"I think we're lost." the female calmly stated as her jade eyes looked ahead of her.
"I think you might be right." the male replied, a frown adorning his features as he looked ahead of him as well.
How it happened, neither of them were sure, but they had somehow gotten separated from the rest of the group. Of course, it didn't help that Sakura was too preoccupied with her thoughts to pay much attention. She had followed the closest person to her, making sure to stay within a certain perimeter of them, which had been Ace of all people. How he managed to get lost, she didn't know.
The next moment, the sand behind them began to stir and they turned before watching a scorpion slowly rise up from the ground. Sakura had to lean her head back as she watched the creature rise and her jade eyes widened in awe as it finished, towering over them completely.
"Its huge." she stated, the amazement clear in her voice as Ace smiled before chuckling at her, the pinkette unaware of the fact she had just reminded him of the rambunctious male they had previously been following around.
He held his arm out in front of her while the scorpion lowered its stinger above their heads. "Stand back and let me take care of this."
"Alright." the pinkette replied and started stepping back before something caught the corner of her eye. Turning her head back, Sakura spotted what looked like an odd type of lizard and it had instantly captured her curiosity. Leaving Ace to fight off the large scorpion, the small female made her way over toward the odd creature, sliding down a sand slope before she pressed her feet down on firm ground once again. She quickly made her way over toward it and stopped once she was a few yards in front of it.
It was purple with a yellow underbelly that went under it to the back of its tail and up to its mouth, dark purple spots aligned the side of it with red scales going down its back from head to tail, and large eyes. It held its hands up loosely in front of it and if it was able to produce any sort of expression, she would describe it as dreary. Tilting her head to the side, the pinkette watched the large lizard do the same as it stood at least three times her height in front of her.
Sakura continued to regard it curiously while Ace had finished setting fire to the large scorpion. It burned with a bright, red color and collapsed onto the ground. The easy victory brought a broad smile to the fire-user's mouth. "I warned you." he stated before he turned around and held out his arms to the side in a showy manner, his eyes closed with that same, broad smile on his lips. "Did you see that, Sakura? Were you impressed?"
The man opened his eyes when he didn't get a reply and he was surprised to see that the spot he had expected her to be in was empty. Looking around frantically, he spotted her off to the side and sighed at her and the silent staring contest she was seemingly having with the creature before her. "I should have known." he mumbled with a sheepish grin before he made his way over toward her. She was as unpredictable as his younger brother whenever she wanted to be. He would leave her in one place, and she'd show up in another. He should have been used to that by now.
Sakura turned her gaze back toward the dark-haired male as he slid down the slope and she raked her eyes up toward the scorpion that was steaming from the heat that previously attacked it. "Oh, Ace-sama." she said before looking back at him as he now walked toward her. "You killed that giant scorpion. Good job."
"Gee, thanks." he replied with his eyes closed and he had that sheepish grin back on his face. He could tell her words were genuine, but he would have felt more gratified if she had said them after having watched him kill the large creature.
Stopping beside her, he looked at the lizard before them and though it was much smaller than the scorpion, it still stood a few feet taller than him. "What is this thing? Your new friend?"
Sakura turned her eyes from him and onto the questionable reptile. "Not likely. Although, it's curious, isn't it?"
"It is." he confirmed before stepping forward, only for the purple creature to step in his way. Ace immediately stopped his advance and frowned at the lizard. Neither of them saying anything about the action, the fire-user felt jade eyes watching them curiously as he tried stepping to the side, only for the lizard to step back in front of him with its same dreary expression.
Sakura couldn't suppress an amused chuckle as she watched the duo repeat their actions and she could tell Ace was getting extremely irritated with the creature. It seemed her amusement at what was happening only fueled the man's irritation and most likely turned into embarrassment as he gritted his teeth and red tinted his cheeks. The next instant, he was pulling his fist back toward the creature with fire blazing from his arm and he grumbled out a few obscenities as he prepared to strike the creature.
The pinkette immediately jumped up toward his arm and wrapped her arms around his elbow before pulling his fist back. Her eyes were clenched shut, and she held onto him tightly. "No, Ace-sama!"
The dark-haired man released his flames so that they wouldn't burn the girl clinging to his arm, but he still held his fist in the air, eager to get this reptile out of his way. "This stupid lizard is mocking me."
"That's no reason to kill it." she replied, "It's not hurting you." She knew he wouldn't kill the poor thing since it didn't actually pose a threat to either of them, but that wouldn't stop the fire-user from beating the hell out of it to get it out of his path.
It was then that a river of tears began to slide from both of the lizard's eyes and both of them were surprised momentarily by the sudden change. Ace lowered his fist with a sigh, "Fine."
Sakura smiled softly before walking toward the lizard and instead of moving in front of her to block her path, it stayed still while she made her way to its side. The difference in reaction toward them had Ace frowning disapprovingly, though he made no move to let that emotion be known other than folding his arms over his chest. The pinkette stood beside the large lizard and placed her hands on its sun-kissed skin while she smiled up at it. "Besides, I think it's cute."
"Of course, you would." he replied with a smirk.
"I wonder if he would let us ride on his back to the next town."
~SCENE CHANGE~
"Where is Law?"
"I don't know."
"If you value your life, you'd stop lying to me."
"I told you I don't know where he is!"
The sound of cracking echoed throughout the room, and it brought upon a fresh sting and left behind a red, sensitive mark. It also brought upon a gasp, but the female had gritted her teeth and stopped herself from letting it out. "I don't know." she repeated more softly.
"You were seen together with him."
"I've never met him." she retorted, and her heart ached more than her body at his words. It pained her to hear she had been with him at one point in time when she knew she hadn't met him. If she had, she wouldn't be in the position she was in right now. She would be back in Konoha, with her family and friends, smiling happily amongst them and healing the wounds on people that were more humane than the ones that her body adorned.
"That boy left our family with something important. I have to find him."
His words caused a defiant smirk to form on the pinkette's features as a sickly feeling curled in the pit of her stomach. "I can't blame him with the way you describe a 'family'."
The man in front of her scowled coldly at her as she continued, her voice low and gruff from the dryness of her throat, "A family shouldn't have to torture their young ones in order to gain their respect. It should be earned through example, not fear." Blood rolled down the side of the pinkette's mouth as she looked up and met cold eyes glaring at her from behind a pair of pink sunglasses. "The people following you aren't 'family'. They're nothing more than simple lackeys that either can't think for themselves or don't have anywhere else to go because they don't know what a true home is." The young girl watched as a vein stood out on the blonde man's forehead and she could see he was infuriated by her, but that didn't stop her from defiantly adding with a smirk, "It's pathetic."
What happened next became a blur of her body being jerked around and pain assaulting her, causing her consciousness to shut down in order to handle everything. Although, she was certain she had bled the most that night judging from the pile of dried crimson spread across the floor of her cell. She wasn't able to move at all for the next few days and for her to move properly took weeks. The pain had been excruciating but the look of pure rage spread over that man's face had made it worth it. Sakura could vaguely remember hearing the guards and their usual comments about her. They would always pass by her and remind her of her position and that she was going to die soon. It also reminded her she had to survive to escape from this as she had done once before. She had to live in order to find Law.
~SCENE CHANGE~
Jade orbs slowly opened and the memories her dream brought her left her feeling cold. It was only a moment before the warmth from the body in front of her began to enter her chest and it had her eyes fluttering all the way open. The early signs of morning light assaulted her vision, and she tightened her hold on the person as she straddled his back, strong arms tightening his hold underneath her backside in return.
Sakura made no sound to announce she had awoken on their journey and she paid no heed to the vibrations of the lizard running underneath them. Instead, she thought back to the dream she had awoken from. Although the memories still brought on nightmares and restless nights, they weren't as bad as they used to be and it was then that she realized that.
The dreams would always prey on her fractured and aching soul, leaving her to feel vulnerable and empty like she had back when it was actually happening. It was then she realized that the nightmares had slowed down its coarse when she had become friends with the man carrying her. She was grateful toward him for the times they were able to sit down and talk about what haunted her. Although it had helped her, it hadn't healed her.
Nonetheless, she had something else ebbing at her consciousness. Another day had passed and that meant she was one day closer to her demise. Closing her eyes, Sakura tried to squish down the tears she felt threatening to flow and ultimately, a small smile formed on her lips. She would have to enjoy the warmth this man provided her as long as she had the chance to. She would have to enjoy the scents around her and take in the sights this desert had to offer her while she was able. It was odd, yet she found nothing more gratifying at that moment. The first place where she had to see a comrade die was in the desert and now this would be her resting place.
The only issue now was to decide whether she would die with regrets or not… She hadn't exactly lived her life to the fullest. That was something she decided to do once she joined the Straw Hats. All she had known her life was fighting and trying to survive, but this little bit of time spent with this crew had been enlightening and in that little bit of time, she had smiled more with them than she had done in years. She was beginning to live again by watching the small arguments they had, the witty comments of some few, and the way they crowded around each other. She was able to breathe and laugh again.
However, she couldn't get rid of her old ways. She wasn't a pirate; she was a shinobi. The proof of that was branded into the flesh of her right shoulder, but even if she knew she wasn't really a part of their group, she couldn't help but feel remorse for what she was planning to do. Deep down, Sakura knew she wouldn't be able to do it if she had truly smiled while with them. If she had been able to summon true happiness from the pit of her soul and brought it out for everyone to see, she wouldn't be able to lay her life on the line so easily. She wouldn't die for them so easily.
Sakura would want to live alongside them.
How ironic this was. She spent seven years searching for Law, overcoming death just in order to survive and now she was choosing to die before she even found him. She was choosing to die in order to save people she didn't even know, all for the sake of a princess of a race she despised with every fiber of her being.
Sakura shoved her thoughts aside as they made their way into a town and the pinkette left the lizard and fire-user to seek out a tavern out of habit. It wasn't until she found one that she realized that, but she went inside regardless. Quickly going toward the board filled with bounties on it, her eyes searched for only one and she dismissed the rest of her surroundings almost completely. When she couldn't find the man's name, she felt disappointment tear at her, though she wasn't sure why. She had already made her decision. So why was she still looking for his poster?
With a deep frown, the pinkette left the tavern without a word, not even bothering to speak to the bartender about who she was looking for after her last episode at the previous bar. Her head was lowered down to the ground, her mind filled with thoughts of her situation. She should have been paying attention to where she was going and if she was focusing even remotely at what was going on around her, she would have been surprised she didn't run into someone. She would have also been looking for Ace if she remembered she had left him without a word of where she was going after he had let her off his back. Even if she didn't know where he was, it wouldn't be hard to find him. All she had to do was look for the place that had the most food and he would be there.
What happened next came out of nowhere, making her stomach do flip-flops and her mind reel. The overwhelming urge to vomit hit her, but she managed to calm it down. A feeling she wasn't by any means used to washed over her and she couldn't put a name to it. It felt like she was being pulled back somewhere, but nothing was touching her body. What was happening?
Her jade eyes were clenched tightly shut and the pinkette waited for whatever was happening to her to end. She didn't have time to question if she had been attacked or stepped on some sort of trap before she felt everything around her calm down. Her body was sensitive, and she felt that the atmosphere around her had changed drastically. Instead of the harsh and dry desert air she had been breathing in previously, the air was calm and still, clear of any natural elements.
She hadn't even been in the new space for a second before a pair of arms encircled around her and enveloped her completely. Her eyes immediately snapped open in alarm, wondering what the hell had just happened. Looking over a shoulder that was clad with a black jacket, her eyes slowly widened at the sight in front of her.
A pair of hazelnut eyes were brimming with tears and a gentle, relieved smile rested on the lip-gloss coated mouth. A purple, rhombus that matched her own stood proudly on the woman's forehead and her blonde bangs were parted to each side that brought out the seal even more. Sakura could never forget that face. A face she hadn't seen in so long and the warm embrace around her was lost on her. She didn't even register the tears that slid down the side of her neck and soaked into the collar of her shirt.
Tears of her own began to slide down her face and her cheeks flushed. Her soft face began to scrunch up and her mind was running on overtime, but not as fast as her heart. Lifting her hands, her arms folded over the shoulder that had a grasp around her. Sakura brought the small appendages to her chin as her bottom lip began to quiver slightly. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"Shi-Shishou…" she said weakly, trembling.
First it was Kankuro and then Tsunade appeared in front of her, not to mention the person that obviously knew her since they had their arms wrapped around her shoulder and waist. The pinkette prayed this wasn't a dream, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out how this happened.
"It's good to have you home, Sakura." the blonde woman said softly, and her eyes expressed how true those words were. The Fifth Hokage couldn't express how relieved she was to see that her protégé was alright.
Sakura lifted up her head slightly and as more tears slid down her cheeks, she let the reality of the situation sink in. Lowering her head down so that her bangs covered most of the upper half of her face, she clenched her eyes shut and lowered her hands to grip the arm wrapped around in front of her. "I'm home."
~SCENE CHANGE~
It took a while for Sakura to calm down, having refused to believe she was finally back in Konoha. She found out after she had stopped crying that it had been Ino that embraced her as soon as she appeared in the office of the Sixth Hokage. What had seemed unbelievable at first actually had a rather simple explanation.
"I used a summoning jutsu to bring you here." Kankuro had said with a sly smile on his face and the dumbstruck look she had given him hadn't failed to amuse him. "I put it on you during that hug."
To say that Sakura wasn't impressed would have been an understatement. Despite being glad to have seen some of her loved ones, she spent close to ten minutes scowling at everyone in the room. They allowed it, mostly because they weren't sure what they should talk about first or what they should bring up. Of course, they were all sure the pinkette still had her attitude and knew better from experience not to mess with her when she was upset. That time had also allowed her to come to terms with what was going on, though Kankuro stating what he had done pretty much summed it up.
Her mind was still racing with questions however. Why did they bring her back here? How was she going to get back to the others? Did she even want to go back? What was she going to do? What about her plan to save those citizens? What about Law?
No…
She couldn't think about him right now.
"We've found a cure for you." Tsunade stated calmly while she leaned against the front of the Hokage desk with her arms folded under her large breasts.
Sakura, who had been previously staring down at the ground in thought, looked up at the older woman, surprise written clearly across her face. Seven different pairs of eyes were on her in anticipation of her response. Kakashi was at his desk, sitting behind it in a cool demeanor with his elbows on the desk and his hands folded together in front of his covered chin. Naruto stood to the side with Sasuke, each with their own varied expressions of calmness and worry and Sakura hadn't failed to notice Sasuke was the only one who had seemed to be the most reserved when she returned.
Also to the side, but closer to the Hokage's desk, stood Kankuro, his arms lowered by his sides calmly. Ino stood next to Shizune on the opposite side of the men, the former holding her hands to her chest while the latter held her faithful pig Tonton in her arms. Sakura had glanced over each of them and they all looked older, more mature. Then again, it had been seven years. That was a long time for someone to grow, but thankfully, not much had changed about their appearances and they looked healthy enough.
The pinkette let the words Tsunade told her sink in. They found a cure for her? Was that why they brought her back? So what? Was she just supposed to forget everything that had happened while she was gone? She didn't know what to do so she just stood there, her eyes never leaving hazelnut ones. She really was glad to be home, but was that it?
Sakura had returned home against her will and as a failure. She didn't ask to be brought back and she hadn't wanted to until after she was cured. Law was supposed to cure her, not them, but here they were… looking at her with such expectant gazes. What was she supposed to say? 'Thank you'? For what? For forcing her into a situation she hadn't wanted to be in? She wasn't supposed to be here. But then where? Where was she supposed to be?
Jade eyes glazed over in thought as they lowered down to the ground in front of small feet. Words floated around in the air between her and whoever was talking, but they didn't register in her mind. Her arms hung limply by her sides and she blinked slowly, her body losing its weight and making her feel empty.
What was wrong with her? Wasn't she supposed to be happier? She could live as a shinobi again and she was finally home. In the back of her mind, the images of several people made themselves known, along with a sense of impending doom. Guilt sat deep inside of her stomach, but what for? She felt relieved her life could be spared, but why?
She asked herself those questions, but she already knew the answers. It was because she didn't accomplish her goal. It was because she didn't have her honor. She promised Nami she would travel with them. She wanted to talk more with Ace and witness more of Luffy's ridiculous antics. She promised Vivi she would help save her people, but most of all…
Sakura was scared…
Her body didn't tremble, and her teeth didn't rattle. Tears didn't fall and her legs didn't give out. She didn't show any sign of it, but she was scared. The pinkette had no doubt dying for a loved one wasn't frightening to her at all, but this was different. She hadn't even realized it until she took this chance to look deeper inside her mind and heart. Now with the chance she could live, she couldn't help but question herself and everything she stood for until now.
The people of Alabasta meant nothing to her. She didn't know them and she sure as hell didn't owe them anything, let alone her life. There was something in her head telling her she didn't need to throw her life away. To live. Sakura was scared of dying for that unknown country, but…
A bright smile appeared in the forefront of her mind, accompanied by blue hair and grey eyes. It seemed the princess had grown on the pinkette more than she had originally thought. She never pictured herself as the type to trust easily, but apparently she was, at least to some degree.
Nonetheless, she still didn't want to die now that she was able to think on her own without the constant reminder of the desert and its sufferings. After all, who did? She thought she had prepared herself to sacrifice her life for those people, but she wasn't prepared at all.
Typical… When it really came down to what was important, she was losing her nerve. Again. Just like all those years ago with Sasuke.
Closing her eyes and furrowing her brow, small fists clenched down by her sides. Sakura was at least relieved to realize her lack of conviction now before it was too late, but that still didn't change how awful it was.
And what about Law? After seven years, after all she had been through, it took a dying country to make her turn away from him. What the hell was wrong with her? All of that suffering would have been for nothing. The former kunoichi knew it was ridiculous to feel this way, but a sense of betrayal on her part fell upon her. Was her devotion to the journey to this man really that weak? If so, then what had she been doing? She didn't deserve to be cured by him… but that still didn't stop her from wanting it done.
There was a cure right in front of her, the option to have it done and over with was within her former master. It was so close and yet so far away. So tempting and so painful.
"Sakura, you're alive now because of the Byakugou seal." Tsunade said calmly and cautiously, almost as if she didn't know how to approach the topic. She wasn't even sure if the pinkette was listening anymore, but it had caught the younger female's attention. "Your connection with Katsuyu has kept the poison at bay enough for you to have lived this long."
Well, that answered one question she had been confused about. At least that made sense in a way. It was better than saying it was fate or her will to live. She was supposed to have died over six years ago after all. Then again, she didn't remember much from around that time, so she supposed anything could have happened and she didn't realize it.
The blonde, former Sannin frowned, and she knew this next thing wouldn't be easy to say, but it had to be done. For the sake of someone important to both her and Sakura. She was hesitant at first and Sakura could hear it in her voice when she started. "But because of that…" the woman paused, preparing herself for whatever response the pinkette was going to have. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good. "Katsuyu is dying."
Jade eyes slowly widened in shock, and they settled on the woman that had just told her the news. Goosebumps rose on her skin and her complexion paled as her mouth fell open slightly.
What?
~END OF CHAPTER FOUR ~
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please look forward to the next one.