¤ Chapter 16.: The witcher ¤

~ part 1/3 ~

The barrier between us

Orochimaru.

That was the only word that resonated in her head until she slammed the front door of her house. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head and strode decisively into the deep night.

After a few steps, she stopped, her head tilted back, her jade eyes staring into the clouds. There were so many mixed feelings inside her that she couldn't sort them out, process all the thoughts, the terrifying theories that popped into her mind, and why her mother might visit the warlock's lair.

Sakura closed her eyes, letting the cool air ruffle her hair. She allowed her suppressed energy to shoot out from every pore of her body. She needed to release it so it wouldn't erupt like a volcano. She let herself drift in the intoxication of the green heavenly fire, which, despite its heat, failed to warm her. Her heart was full of love, and the new hope she had felt, thanks to Sasuke, was now cold - all she felt was anger at her mother.

She lowered her head, her gaze darkening as it bore into the unknown. Her black cloak lifted the moment her feet left the surface of the ground; she took off but didn't stop in the clouds to tickle her cheek as she loved. No, she was looking up this time, flying at a ferocious speed forbidden for regular use, but she didn't care. She wanted to get home as soon as possible and find her mother, find answers to unanswered questions. She could say her name because she knew that her mother would appear at her call, but she didn't want to talk to her hologram; she tried to look firmly into her eyes and have her in front of her.

She wanted to know if her mother was up to something - something to do with Naruto, who grew close to her heart as her brother. She wanted to be there so she could prevent it immediately. It was a world-known fact that her mother hated all jinchuuriki.

A few weeks ago, she would not have opposed her; she would not have dared to stand before her and contradict her. But that was before she knew him, and his friendship and smile changed all the opinions her mother had instilled in her since childhood.

If Tsunade wanted to hurt Naruto, she first had to go over Sakura, who was nimbly breaking through the clouds.

She wanted answers; she wanted to hear her voice from her mouth and look into her eyes as she explained why she had gone to the warlock when she was still so young and why she had held her in her arms when she was barely a few days old.

Sakura landed in the land of Clouds, only a few meters from the palace walls representing her home. She looked up determinedly at the chamber she assumed her mother would be in. It was Thursday, the day her mother spent her days locked in her study. Today, this Thursday, was no different. She frowned as her jade eyes spotted the figure of a familiar golden-haired woman outside the window, nervously pacing from one side of the room to the other.

*.*.*.*

By the time the Uzumaki was walking towards his best friend's house, the deep night was drawing to a close, and it was only a matter of minutes before dawn would begin. He knew well that he had to go there for his good, especially everyone else's.

He felt that it was suddenly too much for him; the Kyuubi within him was becoming increasingly erratic, and between him and Jiraiya, there was a stifling silence in the household that neither of them was willing to break. And worst of all, he couldn't erase the image of the golden-haired woman in the presence of his white-haired uncle at their home. That evening, he still hoped to see her in his dreams as he usually did when he needed to, but it didn't happen. He tried the next day, even the next, with the sound of the Kyuubi's mischievous laugh ringing in his ears; at times, he felt like he was going to go crazy, that he wouldn't be able to hold him back and cause a disaster.

Other times, Naruto wouldn't have worried because his uncle was a skilled shaman. For years, Jiraiya had studied the Kyuubi and Naruto himself, how the monster affected him so that he would be ready to intervene at any time. But this time, the blond was restlessly pacing the house, hoping that he would appear at any moment to give him a sense of false security, but the white-haired shaman didn't open the front door; he didn't collapse on the couch like he usually did on other days. This is why when the blond felt a nervous tingle in his fingertips, to the accompaniment of Kyuubi's laughter, he grabbed his trademark orange hoodie and went after the only one who could stop him. And this man had watched over him all his life so he wouldn't hurt anyone, just as he did for him.

A half smile appeared as he opened the front door to the Uchiha's house. Ever since they met, they knew they could turn to each other and count on each other to stop each other if needed.

Sky blue eyes looked around the interior. It was precisely what he would imagine the ideal space for Uchiha Sasuke to be. Tidy, clean, organized, minimalistic. However, when he entered the living room, he stopped in shock.

Sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, a sweaty black shirt that clung to his body, sat the older Uchiha. He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging desperately. Massive tears fell from his empty raven eyes, which were immediately replaced by others when they hit the floor. Sasuke knelt in front of his older brother. He put one hand on his shoulder to get his attention, but Itachi didn't notice him; he just sat there soullessly, crying and tearing his hair.

Sasuke didn't leave his seat, his hand resting on his older brother's shoulder to keep him from collapsing; he only turned his face to the Uzumaki. He gave him a brief, meaningful look before his attention returned to Itachi again.

Uzumaki's eyes widened in realization, his whole body immediately tensing; he took a decisive and quick step toward his raven brothers.

"Again?" he asked.

Looking at the desperation and sorrow in Itachi's eyes that radiated from his entire being, the jinchuuriki didn't even have to look at his best friend, who nodded in response.

* .*.*.*

The pink-haired girl slipped into the castle unnoticed. Initially, she had planned to rush to her mother's office immediately, break open the door, and spit out all the questions like fire. Still, the moment the gate of the castle palace opened, and the smell of home nostalgia hit her senses, she couldn't move; the fear of doubt overcame her. Was what she was doing even right?

She protected, cared for, and raised her; she was the mother she respected. Did she have the right to go in and dig into her past, to ask about the reasons that led her to the actions she did? She frowned at the thought.

She strolled along the magnificent corridors, ignoring their decorations, dragging herself like a body without a soul. Her resolve with which she left her Konoha abode waned with every step she took toward her mother's office door. She ran through the locks of her hair, touching the texture of her hair; her thoughts unconsciously wandered to the raven-haired man, noticing how often he buried his head in her hair, inhaling her scent as if the act soothed him. Sakura always felt that every muscle in his body suddenly relaxed when he made this gesture.

As the daughter of the goddess Aphrodite stood unsteadily before entering the office for several minutes, she shook her head violently. She loved her mother more than anything; she had no reason to deny that. Before all of this, before her mother sent her on a mission to Konoha, she would never have dreamed that one day she would be standing here in this place, with the thought of saving the jinchuuriki, the downworlders, and the human - an idea that you were fully aware of, that will cause war between them.

Sakura firmly clenched her fists and determined to raise her arm and knock. Before her hand touched the ornate wood to announce her presence, she stopped in her tracks. She stood stunned, with her hand hanging in the air as her heart stopped at the muffled sound of her mother's voice coming from the room.

"Come in,"

Biting her lower lip uncertainly, she let her hand fall back to her body. She took one last deep breath before entering and saw a golden-haired woman sitting behind a long table littered with documents. Sakura almost forgot to breathe; she could feel her heart pounding with nervousness somewhere in her throat, her legs shaking with every step.

Her mother's voice reached her ears again, but it didn't create an oasis of calm in her as it usually did. "What brings you here, Sakura?"

The grip on her clenched fists intensified as the emerald eyes looked at her mother, who didn't even look up to acknowledge her presence.

The woman, who was not paying her due attention, was holding a piece of parchment in both hands, wearing rectangular glasses, and was examining the contents of the documents with her eyes.

The pink-haired girl stood still for a few seconds, waiting for her mother to put the documents away, but when she didn't, she ran out of patience and slammed her fist on the table. The wood split in half under the burst of energy expended, and the table broke.

Sakura panted and looked up to look at her mother. Tsunade didn't move from her seat on the chair, her face showing no signs of taking in what the pinkette had done.

The goddess of love sighed wearily. Staring at the parchments she rolled up and tossed aside, she folded her glasses and slipped one of their frames into her neckline, letting them hang loosely. Then she leaned back in a sumptuous blue chair, placed her hands on the backs of the sides, and crossed her legs. She was sure this nonchalant gesture would turn her daughter on even more.

"There are more appropriate ways to say you've been missing me,"

Sakura frowned, taking a few steps closer. "I have questions, and you have answers—"

The beautiful woman raised her hand to interrupt her and investigated her face with an arrogant smirk.

"Correction. You, my dear," she spoke in a deep voice; she braced herself against the back of her chair as she rose to her feet lazily. "You have questions, and you think I 'll give you answers."

Sakura didn't miss how the hazel eyes moved to the corner of her eye for a moment before returning to her again, but she chose not to pay any attention.

In the middle of the silence, mother and daughter exchanged glances full of pleading, rage, anger, anguish, and misunderstanding.

The moment Sakura opened her mouth to speak again, she had to stop and immediately jump as Tsunade slammed her fist into the floor of the room, creating a huge crack to trap her daring daughter in. However, she was faster and deftly dodged her attack.

Tsunade smirked proudly when she saw her quick reaction, but she didn't wait long for her next attack. She raised her hands, and she began to gather golden shimmering energy. She then shaped it into spinning balls, which she threw at the girl like snowballs.

Surprise flashed across the pinkette's face. Of course, she expected her mother to get angry, but she didn't expect their conversation to turn into a fight before the argument started. She understood quickly that the one who won the duel would probably be entitled to the prize. What else she didn't expect was that despite being able to dodge the light attacks her mother sent out with great ease in the air, she felt a pressure wave come from her back and hit her like a ton of bricks.

After the explosion, Sakura fell to her knees but immediately gathered herself to her feet. Confused, she looked back to find her opponent's position. Her mother stood not far away, her arms wide open, approaching, golden sparkles dancing in both of her palms, taking the form of bombs she was about to throw at her.

*.*.*.*

Even after several more hours, the older Uchiha was still sitting in the same position with his back against the wall, staring absently into space.

The blond put a hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Itachi,"

The elder Uchiha didn't respond to his gesture.

The Jinchuuriki shook his head to banish the unpleasant thoughts the Kyuubi was forcing upon him. He was determined to keep him under control as much as possible.

The Uzumaki looked for Sasuke, who was looking at his emaciated and desperate older brother. Despite Itachi almost looking like he was leaving him, Sasuke didn't show anything on his face. He leaned casually against the opposite wall, arms crossed over his chest, jaw clenched.

How many times have they experienced this?

The blond turned to the older Uchiha again. His jet-black eyes no longer overflowed with happiness, love, empathy, and understanding; his lips no longer showed a pleasant and warm smile. His gaze was blank; his eyes could not cry more tears, and his body was exhausted from the tension he was constantly experiencing.

Maybe if Naruto hadn't walked side by side with Sasuke all his life, like brothers who didn't fear death, he would have thought that the sadness, darkness, and despair raging inside of Itachi had not bothered him. However, the Uzumaki knew that one look from Sasuke held and meant more than a thousand words that could have been spoken. It was one of many thoughts that guided him - words are useless until they make a difference.

And the blond knew that this situation matched his philosophy exactly. No words in the world could remove the sadness in his older brother's heart that he hid behind his smile daily.

He dropped the hand on Itachi's shoulder and approached the younger Uchiha. "I'll call the others,"

Sasuke nodded blankly without his jet-black eyes moving away from Itachi.

*.*.*.*

At first, this fight seemed to the pinkette like one of those drills she had done often when she was little, but her mother made her more challenging with each attack. Their fight was getting more severe by the minute. She realized this the moment one of the other golden bombs exploded near her head, which she barely managed to avoid.

Her ears were ringing as she was unable to avoid being hit by the shock wave completely. Disoriented, she looked around to find her mother's figure, but the smoke in the room blocked her view.

Sakura knew she had to toughen up if she didn't want to end up defeated and walk away empty-handed.

"Byakugou,"

After her words, a heavenly mark appeared in the center of her forehead, from which more symbols began to climb out and cover the skin all over her body. With every centimeter the black matter crawled, she felt an infinite energy awaken in that limb, igniting within her like a spark.

A wild fistfight ensued, in which Tsunade excelled. It was undeniable that she was the one leading the fight and had the upper hand, but Sakura, despite taking a few hard hits that she was sure had broken a few ribs, was determined not to give up without a fight. She gathered enough energy into her right fist, which she clenched, and looked at her mother, whose silhouette stood out from the smoke and dust swirling dramatically around her.

The goddess's hazel eyes flashed excitedly at the sight of the pinkette standing in a determined fighting stance, gathering her green energy into a fist. She felt a slight twinge of pride as she looked at her. She felt like she was looking at her reflection centuries ago when she was still young and inexperienced. She was just as impulsive, searching for answers and possibilities, and unwilling to submit to rules and authority. She did not doubt that Sakura had inherited all these rebellious traits from her.

She looked into the jade eyes and was stunned for a brief moment when she saw her other sides in them – her kindness, her empathy, her ability to accept everyone for who they are, her prudence, her undeniable intelligence that had awakened in her as a little girl, who flitted merrily about the palace, her laughter resounding throughout the land as she grew in beauty.

"Shannaro!"

Tsunade jolted out of the reverie she was thrown into when she heard her daughter's voice. She saw Sakura start to meet her with determination coming from her soul's depths.

Tsunade smirked.

The goldilocks gathered energy into her fist, following her daughter's example, repeated the technique she had chosen as her final strike, and charged towards the furious girl.

Slow seconds, it brought them closer, even as they hurtled towards each other at a brutal speed that surpassed light until their fists met with an impact that sent a shock wave emanating from their collision. Both women dug their boots more deeply into the floor to maintain their stability under the onslaught of pressure that wanted to throw them apart and determine the winner of their duel.

Sakura growled, pressing her fist against hers to generate more energy. However, she was forced to close her eyes for a brief moment as a blinding flash blinded her. The energy that had built up between their touch exploded and threw them both away. She slammed her whole body into the wall, fighting her mind with only willpower to keep from falling unconscious.

*.*.*.*

It wasn't long before the summoned downworlders - wizards, werewolves, sentients, and vampires - that the Uzumaki had called to help arrived.

The brown-haired girl was the first to approach Itachi, placing her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

"How long?" TenTen asked shortly as she grabbed his chin to force him to look into her eyes. "He'll get over it. Let's mix the potion.'

After assessing her, she looked at the wizards present. Chouji, Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou nodded decisively at her words without further protest.

The brown-haired wizard TenTen looked sadly at the elder of the raven brothers. She didn't like these days; the desperation she saw in this man was crushing her heart. She had to immediately stand up and walk away to fight back her tears and focus on her work. She glanced uncertainly at Sasuke, who looked as if he hadn't even registered their presence; his gaze locked on Itachi, minor signs of a frown beginning to show on his face.

"Let's go," Gaara ordered authoritatively, arms crossed over his chest while glancing at Sasuke.

Gaara was waiting for his command to make his way to the room where they could begin the potion preparation ritual.

The downworlders stood dumbfounded as the raven-haired man didn't respond to Gaara's words; it wasn't supposed to be this way. Sasuke was supposed to nod, grunt, snort, bounce nonchalantly off the wall, and leave the room - anything that would signal them to begin. They were waiting for any gesture to indicate that he didn't care what they did—just let them do it and do it now. But Sasuke's scowling face showed no signs that Gaara's words had reached his ears. He continued to stare at a desperate Itachi, who was running his hands through his hair, pulling at it, tearing at it, shaking his head from side to side, whimpering in pain none of them could see.

The Uzumaki moved closer, standing directly before him to block his view of Itachi. "Sasuke,"

The black pupils took a second to look at the hand Naruto placed brotherly on his shoulder, and then his gaze returned to the blond's face again.

Everyone present fixed their eyes on him, waiting for his next instruction. Sasuke surveyed them all hatefully, giving his older brother and Naruto one last look before turning his face away and walking towards the room's exit.

"Do what is necessary," he growled before disappearing into the space of the house.

The blond watched as his friend's dark cloak drifted away. He didn't need more words from him to know that inside, he was screaming for help. He waited for the moment when he heard a sharp slamming of the room door the black-haired man had chosen for his solitude, in which he would deal with his demons of the past. Only when the lock locking echoed deafeningly throughout the house did he turn to the downworlders exchanging suspicious, uncomprehending and confused looks.

"The sentients will keep him conscious; the werewolves and vampires keep the outer and inner guard," he pointed with his finger at the individual groups that began to move according to their classification. "Wizards, you know what to do."

As the room emptied, the Uzumaki looked up sadly at the ceiling one last time. He knew that just above him; his best friend was waging an internal battle with himself that he could do nothing to help.

*.*.*.*

Blinking, Sakura felt a trickle of warm liquid run down the right side of her face, from her temple to the corner of her lip, and it wasn't until she touched it that she realized its color was strikingly dark, resembling... blood. The emerald eyes narrowed to try to focus her blurred vision. The sounds of the surroundings, which she could not distinguish, echoed dimly in her ears. Her body was heavy as lead as if her brain had been disconnected from the rest of her body.

She was lying on the dusty, dirty part of the floor that was still intact from her fight with her mother. She felt as if intoxicated by a potion of delirium; time dragged on, and she watched the dust motes dance above her nose as the breath left her lips.

"Sakura,"

She frowned in pain, her lips burning with the metallic taste of blood. She could feel her broken ribs throbbing in her chest area.

Sasuke's voice saying her name sent her into a higher stage of daze. She closed her eyes spasmodically to put him out of her mind.

"Sakura,"

Why, at this very moment, when she was about to be defeated and at the edge of her strength, she thought of him, his smirk, his touch on her face as he brushed a naughty lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, as his the hand gradually going down to her chin, pulling her closer to his firm body, his possessive and unique way she felt safe?

"Sakura,"

She could feel his touch on her face, running his fingers over her wounds, supporting her, looking at her broken ribs and emaciated body as he helped her sit up. Sakura knew this idea shouldn't fool her, but she couldn't help it because the illusion was more potent than herself. Sasuke's image, mixing with the swirling dust surrounding his non-existent body, slowly faded away as he stroked her cheek one last time.

As she got back to her feet, she hissed as the pain shot out of her chest like a thousand stabbing knives. She looked for her mother, who was panting and staring at her.

Frowning, Sakura looked down at her fist, recharged her hand, and moved closer to Tsunade, who was copying her actions.

She stretched herself to gain enough speed, strength, and intensity. Tsunade mirrored her attack, but jade and hazel eyes widened in surprise when their fists didn't meet this time as they were stopped by an invisible barrier separating them. Sakura cried out in pain as she hit the wall, which she was unable to pick up with her naked eye.

They stood there, facing each other like two arch enemies and mother and daughter at the same time, whose centers of the universe were so different that it made Tsunade's heart skip a beat to see her daughter scowling at her with hatred.

The pink-haired girl pierced her beloved mother with a hostile look and snapped with a snarl: "You visited the warlock. Why?"

Tsunade approached the invisible barrier and reached out to touch its surface. In doing so, barely visible ripples reflected around her palm as if she had felt the water's surface.

"Sakura…" she whispered; a single tear ran down her face. "You were still so little. I had no choice. Please understand,"

"I want the truth, Mom."

Sakura reached out to touch the invisible wall that separated her from her mother. The tips of her fingers felt where the hand of the goddess of love rested on the other side.

Their palms would have connected if it weren't for the wall that separated them from a hug or another fight.

The blonde shook her head sadly. Sakura pulled her hand away, breaking the only contact she shared with her. Tears glistened in the hazel eyes, but eventually, she lowered her arm to her side.

The pink-haired girl turned on her heel to leave the palace, to leave the ruined study, to leave the only relative she had to find answers elsewhere. She stopped in her walk at her mother's voice but did not turn to her.

"Sakura," she called, her voice breaking. "Don't do it."

The pinkette walked towards the exit until her figure disappeared from the Goddess of Love's sight.

Tsunade angrily punched the barrier before her with a curse that made a metallic echo.

"You can show yourself now," she whispered in a sad voice into the void.

At her words, a tall, massive figure of a man in red robes stepped out from the corner of the shadow. He walked over and then pulled her into his arms. He hugged her with one hand, the other pulling the red hood off his head to reveal his iconic long white hair.

" This is not going to go well, Jiraiya,"

" It will be a disaster,"