The pain throbs in her chest, reminding her that she's still alive, still fighting, even in the midst of darkness. Consciousness returns slowly, like the dawn that dissipates the night.
Her mind is a fog, struggling to clear as she tries to remember how she ended up in this situation. Fragments of images crowd her mind: a deafening roar, the crunch of twisted metal, the smell of smoke and blood. Sasuke's lifeless body lying there, Naruto and his body on the cold ground with a gaping wound piercing his chest, her futile attempts to save him, her plea to the sage, her begging for him to live and her promise made only to reassure him, not really wanting to fulfill it. And then, the sensation of being pulled forward by an overwhelming force, like being carried by the wind. Darkness closes in around her, enveloping her in its cold and lonely embrace. Then comes the hard landing, the feeling of being stripped of the only valuable thing she had left, the immense hatred towards everything and nothing, the sensation of an intrusive energy invading her body, the victory obtained to maintain her chakra and the fight against the invader, the terrible burning and pain in her torn bones, and finally unconsciousness.
Consciousness doesn't come alone, it comes accompanied by immense pain, in every possible sense. If she had known that this would mean waking up, she would have stayed unconscious, praying that the next time she wakes up, it was all a dream, a nightmare in this case. That in the end she would wake up in her bed, with her mother's hysterical call and her father's boisterous laughter. She would prepare to start a shift at the hospital, attending to patients, helping Shizune with poisons. Then she would go to the Hokage Tower to deliver the hospital reports, only to find her mentor asleep on a pile of paperwork with a bottle of sake on the side, waking up startled only to relax upon realizing it was just her and not her older apprentice with his tendency to scold her. In the afternoon, she would stop by the florist and see her beautiful best friend Ino. They would talk about all the village gossip, tease each other, and end up laughing together. Later, she would arrive at the training ground to find her team. Sasuke and Naruto arguing in their usual fights, Kakashi reading his pornographic book that he insisted was erotic literature. Sai, lying by a tree focused on the drawing he would be making and that only he would understand, and Captain Yamato, sitting on the cold ground around colorful flowers surely made by himself. They would train for hours even though in the end only Sasuke and Naruto, the fools who didn't know when to give up, remained. Tired, they would go to Ichiraku for dinner, attended by the always kind Teuchi who knew their tastes by heart due to how often they went. After a while, Team 8 would appear, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, with them Team 10, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, and finally Tenten, Neji, and Lee, all with their respective senseis. They would overwhelm the small place with laughter, jokes, challenges. She would feel all the love and loyalty for them, swearing inwardly to protect them with every fiber of her being.
But nothing was a dream and she failed them all...
Her dry eyes weren't even capable of producing tears, she wasn't even capable of honoring their deaths. She didn't want to open her eyes and accept the reality of her situation. She wanted to sink into the fantasy of being at home, surrounded by the people she loves. But nothing was ever as she wanted it, and she had no choice but to accept it. So, with a tremendous effort, she slowly opens her eyes, blinded by the sunlight. Every movement, every breath was torture, she could feel pain in places she had never imagined possible, even if she were a doctor and knew every tiny part of the human body.
Despite the suffering, she needed to know where she was, to find out where the damned sage had taken her. With nothing but sheer willpower, she manages to turn her head slightly, exploring her surroundings with narrowed eyes.
She's in a forest, surrounded by tall, leafy trees. The light filters through the leaves, creating a pattern of dancing shadows on the ground. She can feel dried blood in her ears, nose, eyes, and even the metallic taste in her mouth. Her whole body feels sensitive, as if something had treated her like rubber, stretching and molding her at will.
Trying to scan herself to assess her overall condition, she realizes that her chakra isn't responding as it should, in fact, it isn't at all. What's wrong with her chakra? It's there but she can't move it, it feels heavy as if something is holding it back. Was it that intrusive energy? The one she doesn't understand where it comes from and the one she feels throughout her body.
Trying to avoid panicking because nothing good would come of it, she decides to focus on the other sensation. That other sensation hits her like a bucket of cold water, a familiar discomfort that creeps from the depths of her being. Years of confrontations have turned this feeling into a constant companion, an internal alarm that her body can't ignore, even in the state she's in.
Someone is watching her...
She forces her eyes open as much as she can, struggling against the weight of drowsiness and pain that seems to seize every fiber of her being. The possibility of getting up is discarded, she can only afford to turn her head slightly to examine her surroundings, searching for any signs of intrusion. It doesn't take her long to find what she's looking for.
There, to her right, a few meters away, lying against a tree, is a woman. She tries to get into a defensive position, but the pain hits her like a hammer, making her realize it would be an impossible task. Every movement is agony, and although her survival instinct screams at her to defend herself, her body refuses to obey.
With a frustrated sigh, she resigns herself and turns her head a little more to the right, where the presence is gnawing at her conscience. She's a blonde woman with long hair, tall (although everything looks tall and imposing from here) with her arms crossed. At first glance, her muscles and athletic build are noticeable.
She can't feel any chakra coming from her, despite her condition, she should be able to feel it, but there's nothing, not even a hint. Was she so good at hiding it? Or didn't she have any? That last one shouldn't be possible in her world, but...
Where is she? Just by looking at these trees with such green leaves, sky so blue, and clean air, something she hasn't seen in years. Seeing another person besides her team is evidence enough.
Clearly, it wasn't her world… or what was left of it.
The woman, with her eyes fixed on Sakura, radiates a curiosity that makes her feel uncomfortable. Was she a threat? How long had she been there?
As she tries to maintain her composure, she feels every muscle in her body contract at her approach, her confident walk. The feeling of vulnerability becomes sharper, as if she were exposed to a predator in full hunt.
The aura she emits, that sensation, feels like... like what she has inside her. Wasn't it chakra? What was it? What was in her body?
Whatever it was, it was powerful.
Trying to hide her growing panic, she silently watches as she approaches slowly, like a cat stalking its prey. Every step she takes resonates in her ears like an ominous echo, and she can't help but feel trapped in her game.
Finally, the woman stops a short distance from her, accentuating her feeling of being on the edge of the abyss. The feeling of unease is overwhelming. She has never felt so vulnerable in the presence of danger, not even with Madara, who although she knew she couldn't defeat him, at least she could try. But now, just turning her head feels like she's fought 100 battles. She can't even resort to suicide if they decide to kidnap and torture her because she can't access her chakra to cause herself a heart attack. She's at their mercy and it's one of the worst things a shinobi could feel.
The stranger crouches down, resting her elbows on her knees, and her smile, although friendly, fails to dispel the shadow of distrust that looms over the pink-haired woman.
"You're quite a sight," she says with a mocking tone that echoes in the tranquil air of the forest.
Sakura presses her lips together, just looking at her without responding to her mockery. She doesn't know what to do, she can't afford to get on her bad side, she's in too much of a disadvantageous position.
After a few minutes of silence that seem to stretch like the forest undergrowth, where the blonde only looks at her with playful eyes without showing any signs of approaching, Sakura decides to break it.
The words get stuck in her throat before she can finally articulate them.
"W-What d-do y-you w-want?" she asks, struggling against the difficulty and roughness in her voice.
She seems even more amused. "Me? Nothing," the woman replies with a smile. Sakura frowns, giving her a look that tells her she doesn't believe her at all. Her playful chuckle only increases her paranoia.
"What?" she continued, still smiling. "I was wandering around the area when I felt a considerable amount of cursed energy. I started investigating, and when I arrived, there was only you. Don't blame me for being curious," she added, as if it were the most natural explanation in the world.
Her mind filled with questions. Cursed energy? What the hell was that? If she was alone when she arrived, did that mean that this strange energy she felt was it? Was that what the blonde woman radiated? And most puzzling of all, she didn't mention anything about chakra. Couldn't she feel it?
She had so many questions, but she didn't know if she could trust this person to get answers. Her words, although seemingly innocent, resonated in her mind with a silent warning.
"I thought about helping you until I felt something strange." Her statement snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. The person was looking at her intently. If her body could become any stiffer, it would.
"Quite strange, I'd say. Is it your cursed technique?" she asked, curious.
Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion as she processed her words. Cursed technique? Once again, she had no idea what that was, but it must be related to cursed energy, right? If the name is any indication. Some kind of jutsu, perhaps? And did she feel her chakra? Damn it, she understood nothing and didn't know how to get answers without exposing herself or revealing too much.
Her dark blue eyes seemed to shine with understanding as she watched her, as if she were reading her thoughts. "Do you know what cursed energy is?"
Shit. Was she that obvious?
Sakura didn't answer, but apparently that was enough of a response for the stranger. She let out a hearty laugh, shaking her head incredulously. "This is getting more interesting, girl," she said, ecstatic between laughs.
At that moment, she realized that, even in her current state, she was an open book. She had always been told that, but it had never been so annoying before. A feeling of vulnerability seized her. If she ever managed to get out of this place alive, she could no longer afford to be so transparent.
Calming down, the woman turned her attention back to the person lying on the cold forest floor. "What kind of sorcerer doesn't know what cursed energy is? Were you from this little town?... That could explain it," she said, holding her chin in a thoughtful, almost bored gesture, looking up at the sky.
Another term she didn't know and that was already annoying her. Sorcerer? Like those who use magic?
"You're not going to say anything?" asked the woman casually, with a serene expression and a distant gaze.
"I-I don't have to tell y-you anything," Sakura replied.
The blonde rolled her eyes and huffed loudly. She glanced at Sakura sideways. "I know. But it's not like you have many options, do you?" Her obvious tone was annoying, and it made it even worse that she was right. She really wasn't in a position to refuse help, but she wasn't willing to give her the answers she wanted. She didn't know what it might mean for her to reveal that she came from another world that was destroyed by war and was a carrier of an energy that increasingly confirmed that it did not exist here.
"You don't need to know anything about m-me. You c-can kill m-me if y-you want," Sakura murmured, partly resigned, letting the truth slip out. Naruto's promise echoed in her mind. She had promised him that she would live, but if something happened to her, technically it wouldn't be his fault, right?
The woman rolled her eyes again with exasperation. "I already know that," she replied, making it clear that she didn't care much about her fate. "But I like mysteries." She adorned her beautiful face with an intriguing smile once again.
"You know, for a moment I thought you were just a foolish civilian who used the energy within herself without knowing what it was and ended up like this," she said, gesturing to her entire body. "That would explain why there are no signs of fighting anywhere and maybe also that strange thing I feel in you, being the result of your stupidity in playing with things you don't know."
Sakura was offended. She would never play with things she didn't know. She was known for being cautious, meticulous, analyzing things before doing them, unless it involved the people she loved. But anyway, she wasn't stupid enough to think that she ended up in this miserable state just because of stupidity. She almost started to retort when the imposing woman spoke again.
"But I quickly discarded that theory. Just looking at your strange clothing and that weapon you have there tells me you're not a civilian," she said, looking to the side of her.
'The kunai? That's right, it came with me,' she remembered holding it in her hands when she was sent here.
"But that wasn't what really ruled it out," Sakura looked at her, already indifferent to her intense attention. "It was your eyes, I know that look, they are the reflections of someone who has seen horrors, who speaks of loss. They are the eyes of a weary warrior," she continued in a tone that bordered on solemnity.
Sakura felt a small surge of curiosity at her statement. It was made as if she had experienced it herself, her blue eyes were fixed on hers. There was an understanding as they watched each other, understanding that each had lived their own battles even though Sakura's were the most evident of the two.
She allowed herself to analyze her; so far, she felt nothing hostile or hidden in what she said, but it was her evident curiosity that made her nervous. Curiosity wasn't bad, but in some people it reached a point where it made them commit the worst atrocities just to satisfy their thirst for knowledge, like a certain snake ninja. But the question was, what kind of person was she in the presence of?
Her tired mind began to gather the information she had gathered so far. She didn't feel a hint of chakra anywhere apart from herself. Her unwanted host was called cursed energy, which the strange woman also possessed. She didn't know what it was capable of, but it didn't feel anything less than dangerous. Also, the people capable of using them seemed to be these so-called sorcerers, but she didn't know what role these people played in this society. She didn't even know what this society was like. She mentioned civilian people so were the sorcerers soldiers? Like ninjas? Were they in charge? Would this sorceress take her to their government?
She regretted that she hadn't encountered a simple civilian. Just her luck. She would sigh if it didn't cause her tremendous pain.
Sakura turned her head to look at the sky. It was a beautiful sky, so blue, with some scattered clouds here and there moving slowly with the wind.
She missed seeing that. She missed them all so much. They should have seen this with her, they should have been here with her.
She was so tired, she just wanted to sleep, she just wanted to disappear. She cared less and less about what they did to her. Whether they helped her or tortured her for information, nothing would compare to the pain she felt in her heart right now.
"I t-told you, I-I'm not g-gonna s-say anything. S-so, w-what w-will you d-do to m-me?" She finally asked in a flat, emotionless tone.
Looking at the sky, she thought she wouldn't mind being killed with such a beautiful view.
She felt the sorceress's eyes on her for a good while, but she didn't turn to look at her. She really liked this sky.
A quick movement startled her, making her finally turn.
"It's alright, I've decided. I'll help you," announced the woman excitedly and completely standing up, an even wider smile spreading across her face, showing off white, perfect teeth. Her mood swings were dizzying. Definitely, even though she didn't know what was normal here, her instinct told her that this woman wasn't.
She had thought that she didn't care, but her declaration surprised her anyway. "W-why?" she asked, unable to not ask, distrustful.
She didn't flinch at her tone, as if she understood her reservations perfectly. "Because you intrigue me," replied the eccentric woman, looking at the other who was lying wounded on the ground, full of mysteries.
"Anyway, I'm not so cruel as to leave a dying person to their fate, especially one who doesn't even know what she has inside herself," she continued. She sounded surprisingly honest. "Giving you some explanations is the least I can do," she finished, shrugging with a bored expression.
Sakura watched her for any hint of a lie, but found none. Could she trust her? She didn't have many options. She was alone, wounded, with no knowledge of this place, and, worst of all, without the ability to use her chakra. This stranger could provide her with the answers she needed about this world and its strange energy. She had nothing to lose.
She had already lost everything.
"But first, I need to ask you something, and I want you to answer it with the utmost truth. Everything depends on it," she declared, capturing the attention of the pink-haired girl with her seriousness, in contrast to her previous mood.
Sakura narrowed her eyes. She wasn't willing to reveal anything, and she had already decided to help her, so what question would make her change her mind?
Curiosity sprang anew. "A-alright."
She could handle one question.
The sorceress's eyes lit up at her response. She leaned forward, bringing her face closer, causing her hair to hang over her face, creating shadows that added a mysterious touch to her countenance. The tension in Sakura's battered body increased, anticipation suffocating her.
After a few seconds, her lips curved into a subtle smile, and she asked, "How do you like women?"
Sakura wasn't prepared for that question.
Every step she took was purposeful. Greeting her colleagues with a friendly gesture and the patients with a reassuring smile. Her eyes quickly scanned through the patients' charts as she walked, mentally preparing herself for what awaited her in each room.
In the emergency room, the pace was frenetic. Attending to patients with severe injuries, administering medications, and performing bandages with firm yet gentle hands.
In the recovery rooms, the atmosphere was more subdued but no less important. She spent time with each patient, listening to their concerns and easing their fears. Changing bandages, checking vital signs, and offering words of encouragement, knowing that her presence and care made a difference. Even if what she did seemed like almost nothing to her.
Whenever she could, she alleviated the pain of elderly people with medical chakra or stimulated cell regeneration in severely injured patients to help their bodies heal faster. Initially, she had been careless, forgetting how slowly civilians could heal. In her world, it was the same, but after so many years healing mostly ninjas, that fact had escaped her. Consequently, even though she tried not to do too much, the miraculous healings of the patients she encountered on her rounds drew attention, to the point where she was nicknamed the "miraculous nurse." It definitely wasn't what she wanted, and she had to adjust the damage she healed. Now, if she saw a patient with a broken leg, she accelerated their process enough for them to recover 2 to 3 weeks earlier than expected, nothing too noticeable, and no longer fully healed in a month as she had once done.
She could really understand the surprise of many doctors considering that a normal civilian's broken leg took 6 to 12 weeks to heal. Remembering it, that feeling of helplessness engulfed her again; she had tried so hard to increase her medical skills to be useful in the war that a wound like this healed her as if it were a mere scratch, and now she had no choice but to settle for the person being functional a few weeks earlier than normal. But the worst would be when it came to diseases; it wasn't an area she had had time to expand and improve further, there simply wasn't time to administer any treatment to an ally in the midst of the war. It's not that she was bad at healing them; depending on the disease, she could treat them, some even in one session, healing them completely. But in diseases like cancer, which is a complex disease involving abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth in the body, its treatment goes beyond simply healing a wound or treating a common disease. She couldn't do much given her current situation. She would need more than a few minutes she provided to her patients.
But she knew she could treat them, she knew she could increase their chances of living or give them a longer life, and that was frustrating. She had been thinking about pursuing a university career, as useless as it may be for her, just to get the damn papers that validate her ability. She couldn't live with this feeling of helplessness anymore.
Her shift ended, and she was ready to go change and say goodbye to Emi when, as she approached the reception where other nurses were, some starting their shift and others ending theirs like her, she heard:
-"Finally, I can leave! I couldn't wait any longer, I have a date tonight and I must get ready." Komi Ayumi, a cute nurse with blonde hair and brown eyes. She always had a positive attitude that Sakura appreciated, even if she was a bit absent-minded.
-"Oh wow, who's the lucky one?" Her friend asked with a mischievous tone. Tenko Misaki, another nurse, short and brown-haired with eyes of the same color.
The blonde's cheeks flushed pink. "I won't tell you yet; I'll wait to see if it works," Ayumi replied embarrassed, before returning to her happy attitude. "I'm so excited! It's lucky that everything's quiet today," she added, unaware of what she had said.
A tense silence filled the air; everyone was rigid. Ayumi, upon realizing, widened her eyes and turned pale. Oh no.
Not even 5 minutes passed when the ambulance sirens sounded, and not even 1 minute since paramedics entered with two stretchers carrying severely injured patients. Acting quickly, Sakura approached them.
"Situation," she requested in an authoritative tone.
"Car accident, both have broken bones, and the woman has a punctured lung, they're losing a lot of blood," one of the paramedics reported.
Before she could start giving orders by instinct, Emi approached. "Alright, prepare the trauma room immediately, we need all the emergency equipment. You! Call Doctor Kimura," she yelled at a nurse who quickly obeyed the order. She turned to Sakura with eyes almost pleading. "I'm sorry, Sakura, I know your shift was ending, but we need you here."
She swallowed the bitter feeling inside her. 'I'm a doctor too, I can heal them before they even blink.' The persistent thought in her mind. She forced a smile on her face. "You didn't even have to ask; I'll go prepare the room," she reassured her.
She only received a grateful look before starting to run to the trauma rooms, with heaviness in her steps. Along the way, she saw the unpleasant looks directed at Ayumi, who looked guilty. Poor girl, she hoped she could have another date with her guy.
She was tired, what she thought would be one more shift turned into two, she had been awake for 36 hours.
Although that wasn't really what exhausted her.
After attending to the people in the car accident, after hours of surgeries (hours too exaggerated in her opinion), they managed to save both of them. But not long after, the ambulance arrived again, this time with a victim who was severely attacked. Actually, there were two, but the other one had already arrived dead, both had wounds as if they had been cut with something very large and sharp. According to what she heard, they were walking calmly when they passed through a dark alley, and that's where something grabbed them; the victim couldn't see what it was, only saw something big in the darkness before being attacked. Sakura already knew what the attacker could have been, but she was surprised that one survived. 'Maybe a sorcerer exorcised it before it could kill him.' Whatever it was, the survivor arrived very badly injured, and they quickly had to take him to surgery; that was her true ordeal.
She was present in the surgery, paying attention to anything the medical team might need, tools, oxygen, defibrillator. She watched as they tried to close the wound without success; each time the patient lost more blood, it seemed as if something was ruining the doctors' attempts. And Sakura knew what it was; she could feel it. There were remnants of cursed energy in the wound; she could see how it spoiled the flesh to a rotten color. None of the doctors' attempts would work because they couldn't see it, but she could. The desperation she felt was overwhelming, the urge to throw the tool tray and push the doctors to treat him herself was growing. There came a moment when she knew that if she didn't do something, the patient would die; it was a fact. She wouldn't be able to call herself a doctor if someone in front of her died when she could have saved them. She saw one more failed attempt by the head doctor to close the wound and made her decision.
Positioning herself behind everyone, she made the necessary hand signals and cast a genjutsu throughout the room. They would think they were still operating.
Approaching quickly, after pushing Doctor Kimura aside, who had glassy eyes, she carefully analyzed the wound, seeing how the cursed energy remained between the torn flesh. Summoning positive cursed energy into her hand, always making sure to use the same amount of chakra at once. She brought it close to the wound, and in a few seconds, she watched as the other malevolent essence disappeared; she quickly extinguished it and this time summoned her medical chakra. These wounds were her specialty, so it only took her seconds to stop the bleeding.
When she found out that cursed energy could also be used for healing, she was quite surprised. Reverse Cursed Technique, that was its name. How could such a dark energy do that? And then they explained to her how it worked, and she had to admit that it made sense.
A Reverse Cursed Technique processes cursed energy, which by nature is negative, into positive energy. To achieve the passage from negative to positive, it takes two sources of cursed energy and multiplies them together. As a result, the energy that destroys becomes energy that creates, and negative energy becomes positive energy. Simple mathematics.
She didn't waste time and tried to learn it, to finally master it, although it took her more time to figure out how to use it on someone other than herself. But she did it.
Healing, control, and mathematics were her strengths anyway.
Once she made sure there would be no more leakage and the patient was out of danger, she put Doctor Kimura back in his position. She grabbed her tray and dispelled the illusion, which was already about to break anyway. The doctors blinked dazedly until they focused on their patient, with the wound half closed and no blood loss, they sighed in relief and congratulated the Chief Doctor, believing that it was he who achieved such a feat, as he had led them to believe. She didn't care about not taking credit as long as she saved the person; that was all that mattered. Besides, she had to give credit to Kimura, he had participated in the previous surgeries and was tired, and yet he never stopped trying to save the injured. He was a man who clearly loved his profession, and for that alone, he had her respect.
But now she was here, in the same place 24 hours later. Emi wasn't there; she couldn't afford to work consecutive shifts like her at her age. So she just clocked out and headed to the locker rooms.
As she changed, Sakura couldn't help but think about how tired she felt, and upon analyzing it more deeply, it wasn't just because of the consecutive shifts. It was the tension and frustration she constantly felt, taking a toll on her body, which felt stiff. She had truly thought she would settle for being a nurse, that helping even a little was enough for her. But she hadn't counted on the helplessness, anger, and all sorts of frustration. It was becoming increasingly difficult for her to contain her negative energy; it wasn't good. She knew that even if she got her medical degree, it still wouldn't be enough. She would never be able to truly show what she was capable of, and that filled her with great sadness.
With a deep sigh, she headed to the street. As she exited, she discreetly analyzed that there was nothing suspicious. One reason she didn't use the reverse cursed technique to relieve pains or discomfort in her patients was because she didn't want to be detected, and there was a high probability, if not a certainty, that the reason the victim of the attack didn't die was because a sorcerer must have killed the cursed spirit. Which means there might still be a sorcerer in the area, even though many hours had passed. She had to be cautious; she had risked using the reverse cursed technique, even if only for a few seconds. But she didn't regret it; thanks to that, an innocent person was still alive.
Shamans could sense her chakra, but only if she used it in certain amounts or directly by them. What she used to heal her patients would hardly be detectable, but even so, with her precise control, she made sure not to leave traces. But her control wasn't the same for cursed energy; that's why she only used her chakra to heal and stored the cursed energy in her whip. The seal where she stored it was specific to it. It allowed her to summon it automatically wrapped around her waist and not above or at a certain distance like in common seals. This way it was easier and more discreet to send her cursed energy through it.
'I need to improve my control with cursed energy.' That was the thought that came to her mind before she started walking.
Looking for her phone to check for notifications, she surprisingly found a message.
-"Hey Girl! Do you still remember me? Why do I always have to write to you? I taught you how to use the damn phone! You could send a message. You're ungrateful :'( - 6:15 pm
Tsukumo Yuki. That woman.
Sakura rolled her eyes at her complaints.
-"Don't be so dramatic" - 6:17 pm. She replied.
She quickly received a response. Oh, she hadn't seen that she was online.
-"Don't you know how to say hello? My teaching job is far from over from what I've seen; I'll start charging you, I warn you." 6:18 pm
She couldn't help but laugh at her antics.
-"When are you coming back?"- 6:20 pm.
-"Mmm I don't know, I still have things pending here. Maybe in a few months. Why? Do you miss me already?"- 6:20 pm. Sakura could imagine her winking.
-"I miss Garuda"- 6:22 pm. She missed her but wasn't going to admit it.
-"Oh yeah? Let's see if it's Garuda who brings you gifts :(, damn bitch. By the way, I need to teach you to write faster, my grandmother takes less time" - 6:23 pm
A hint of irritation surged in the pink-haired woman. She was still getting used to typing on a touch screen, okay? She sent her a few offensive emojis in response.
She put her phone away and set off on her way.
Yuki was the person who found her that day in the forest and helped her. She was with her during those worst months when depression, confusion, and desperation for her situation almost swallowed her alive. She lifted her up and encouraged her not to give up when all she wanted was to succumb to everything. Only that and her promise with Naruto made her strong enough to continue, to understand, and to live.
She was the only person who knew her situation. Even if she didn't want to reveal anything at first. A few days after finding her, when her wounds were already healing, she had eaten, could move more, was more conscious, and felt safer, she tried to control her chakra again and once again failed, which made her fall and fully understand, for the first time since she landed in this dimension, the situation she was in.
She wasn't in her world anymore; she wouldn't see her friends; she was alone.
All her emotions erupted at once, so intensely that Yuki felt the energy emanating from her and quickly went to see her. She tried to calm her down, but she couldn't stop, and she let everything out, everything she had said she wouldn't say because it would be dangerous. She couldn't help it; she couldn't control it; she was devastated and just wanted to cry and scream that nothing was fair, that she shouldn't be here, that her place was with her friends, she didn't want this cursed energy, she wanted her chakra. She screamed and screamed until her vocal cords couldn't take it anymore; she ended up fainting.
When she woke up, Yuki was still there, still looking at her with curiosity but also with pity. There was no point in denying anything at that moment; she had already messed up (Yuki's words). But she was surprised when Yuki told her that she would help her adapt here, teach her, and show her everything. It's in the ninja nature to be wary of so much kindness without expecting anything in return, and she expressed it. Her words were:
"You're the most interesting source of entertainment I've ever had in my life; I won't help you just out of goodwill. I'm intrigued to know everything about where you come from and what you can do."
Sakura didn't know how to take that; she didn't know if revealing her abilities and information from her world in exchange for information about where she was now was the right thing. In the end, she simply chose to believe; after all, she wanted to believe that if she were in her position, she would also be too intrigued if she suddenly came across a dimensional traveler. Besides, it's not like she had more options than to trust her at that moment, and certainly she didn't regret it so far. Yuki was a woman with an intriguing personality with not always clear objectives. She knew she hadn't helped her out of the goodness of her heart, as she had said, but in the end, she wanted to believe that in the time they spent together, sharing knowledge and training together, they formed a nice friendship.
She was the one who got her all her documents and the job where she was currently working. The only luck she had in this world was meeting her, and she didn't say that just because of the emotional and physical support she provided her, but because Yuki was a special class sorceress (the highest rank as she boasted) but she wasn't really connected to the jujutsu society; she had a different perspective that made her pursue her own objectives. She was a loner and worked on her terms. So it was her luck (for the first time) that someone like her found her, with no strings attached, with the knowledge, resources, and contacts necessary to make her fit completely into this world.
Sakura owed her a lot and would find a way to repay her for everything, even if she insisted that all the entertainment she provided was enough. She missed her. Her extravagant and relaxed personality was amusing, and she never got bored being with the exuberant woman and her friendly shikigami.
She reached halfway on her way when she stopped to look at a pastry shop. 'A little sweetness wouldn't hurt,' she thought. Her body and brain needed it. Determined, she headed in and entered. Immediately, the smell of freshly baked coffee and sweet bread filled her nostrils, making her mouth water. She definitely needed it. Luckily, the place wasn't too crowded.
Approaching the counter, she began to look at what she could take.
"Welcome miss! What can we serve you?" Asked a young man with black hair and dark green eyes, wearing his white uniform and cap.
"Hi, do you have anko balls?" she asked hopefully; they were her favorite.
She saw his expression drop. Damn it.
"No, I'm sorry. We ran out an hour ago," he said regretfully. He must have seen her disappointment because he quickly added, "But we have dango with 3 colors! They're the specialty of the house," he exclaimed a little too loudly.
Considering it, she nodded, "Sure, I'll take those. Give me 2, please," she asked kindly.
"Of course." In his frenzy to grab a bag, he almost stumbled but finally did and handed her order.
"Here you go, I added one more, courtesy of the house for being your first time here," he said shyly.
"How do you know it's the first time?" Sakura asked, curious.
"I-I would re-remember it," the young man replied, especially looking at her hair.
'This is becoming somewhat common,' she thought wearily.
"Oh. Okay. That's very kind of you. Thank you very much!" She gave him a grateful smile.
"I-it's n-nothing."
She didn't feel like eating while walking, so she decided to sit at one of the tables furthest from the street, overlooking the street.
She watched people walking quickly, many with tired expressions like her, providing evidence that they were also finishing their workday. The noise of the cars was a bit loud, but she didn't mind; it was relaxing enough.
As she settled in, she took out her phone to go back to her English course; she was almost halfway through the modules of the intermediate level. She started eating her dessert, and oh God!, she understood why it was the house specialty. They were delicious!
Sweets were one of the things she missed the most during the war.
As she practiced each sentence, she noticed out of the corner of her eye a clump of gray hair entering the shop. She felt a pang in her chest; she knew it couldn't be possible, but a glimmer of hope still sprouted. Quickly raising her head, she looked at the person who had just entered. He was a fairly tall man, thin, and upon closer inspection, his hair wasn't gray, it was white. He was wearing dark sunglasses even though the sun had already set.
She couldn't help but feel disappointed, even though she knew it wasn't possible for him to be her sensei. Remembering him only made her heart ache. Her sensei and Obito were still alive when she was transported here, and she didn't know what had become of them. Were they still alive? Did Madara capture them? She just hoped they had been able to escape and, in any case, have a quick death. She was still angry with them for agreeing to such an important decision without considering what she wanted, but she couldn't do anything about it now. She just hoped they were okay; the possibility that they might have suffered or been tortured at the hands of that lunatic caused her the worst nightmares.
She pushed those thoughts aside with pain, not wanting anyone to see her like this, and focused again on the person who had just entered.
From disappointment, she moved to caution. She recognized that uniform; he was dressed in a high-necked shirt and pants, both completely dark blue.
He was from the sorcery school. He was a sorcerer.
Wait...'Tall with white hair?' It couldn't be...
Before she could start her travels again, Yuki had warned her about the people she should stay away from if she wanted to go unnoticed, among them those from the sorcery school. As well as the 3 noble clans. She detailed some people of relevance to keep in mind, such as the 3 special class sorcerers that existed, Yuki included, but among them one in particular, the most important one, because he belonged to everything she had named that she should avoid.
Gojo Satoru...
Of all people, why was he right here? Now she understood why she hadn't sensed him; he knew how to hide his presence very well. No wonder he was the strongest.
"You would recognize him instantly," her friend had told her, and she was right. He was unmistakable.
She hoped that his being here was just a simple coincidence, it really did.
She returned to what she was doing, trying to pretend indifference but now unable to fully enjoy her dessert. Too bad, it was really good.
A few minutes later, she felt the chair across from her being pulled out.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" asked a masculine voice.
It couldn't be...
She lifted her head, fearing what she would see.
There, in all his glory, was the man she least wanted to see, with a relaxed smile.
'Team 7's damn luck'
Did he sense her? He had his own method for hiding his presence, a very effective one if his blonde friend claimed she couldn't even feel it, but she didn't know if it would work with those eyes. As Yuki had said, "Those eyes see everything."
Trying to hide her unease, she looked around noticing several empty tables. Sakura raised her head and gave him a look reflecting her question.
He got it.
"What can I say, it's very boring to sit alone," he said carelessly. "So, may I?" he asked again, looking at her.
No, she didn't want him here.
"Actua-"
"Thanks! You're very kind," he blatantly cut her off and took a seat anyway. Surprising her.
'This guy...' Irritation boiled inside her. Goodbye to her moment of relaxation.
"And tell me, are you from around here? I've never seen you before," he stared at her intently. "I'd remember," he added with a flirtatious smile, looking at her hair.
'Really? Couldn't they come up with something else?' she thought, irritated.
"Um, it's my first time here," Sakura responded, omitting the other question. Obviously, he noticed, but Sakura didn't care. What did he want?
"First time and you already got the last dangos left. How bold," he commented mockingly, a hint of... annoyance?
Surprised, she looked at the half-eaten dango in her hand and the last one on the table. Huh.
"Oh, I didn't know they were the last ones," she said confused. "I only ordered two, and this last one was given to me as a courtesy for coming here for the first time. You can have it, if you want," she offered. Maybe that way he'll leave.
He stared at her for a while until he started laughing. 'What's wrong with him?'
"A courtesy from the house?" he asked incredulously between laughs. "I wish I had that same treatment," he added with a mocking smile.
She didn't know what to say to that. She just wanted him to leave.
"And thanks, I'll take it," he grabbed the last dango left.
She watched him take a big bite with delight, his expression much happier. Was it possible? Did he just want dango? Or was it just a ploy?
"Tell me, is it natural?" he asked, his voice muffled as he chewed, his gaze fixed on her.
"What?"
"Your hair, is it natural?" he asked again more clearly after swallowing his bite.
This guy had her completely lost. What did he want from her?
She watched him for a while and decided to respond, "Yes, it's natural."
"Wow, that's unusual. I never imagined someone with that color, but if I had, it definitely wouldn't have been so beautiful," she wasn't sure because of his extremely dark glasses, but did he wink at her? What the heck?
Was he flirting with her? Was that it? Did he come here for that? It couldn't be, there had to be something else. But Sakura wouldn't be the one to bring up that conversation.
"Thank you, I guess," she replied a bit nervously and... maybe a little red.
"What's your name? No, wait. Let me guess, with hair like yours, you must surely have a name related to that, right?" His smile reflected his excitement.
She wanted to sigh heavily but just shrugged.
Not at all discouraged, he assumed a thoughtful posture with his hand on his chin. "Let's see... Haruka?" he tried.
This conversation was getting crazier. She wanted to leave.
She shook her head. Giving up on the situation. She would have preferred him to be straightforward instead of keeping her in this uncertainty.
The man continued thinking, "Kaede?" he tried again but Sakura shook her head again. "Hanami?" Again she denied, tired and she would never admit it, but also a little amused.
"Hanako?... NO, I know it! Sakura! Definitely Sakura, right?" he asked excitedly leaning in with his torso and hands on the table.
The woman looked at him seriously for a few seconds until she couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.
"Yes, it's Sakura," she admitted defeated with her shoulders slumped. She shouldn't have given him her name, but it's not like it was very strange, it was a common name. And her hair simply gave it away. Her parents weren't very original.
"YES! I knew it!" he celebrated laughing and leaning back in his chair again "I'm the best at guessing names," he boasted proudly of his achievement and went back to eating his sweet.
As she ate, Sakura analyzed him carefully. He didn't seem to have hidden intentions, beyond wanting his dango and a little flirting. But she couldn't trust him.
For now, she would play along, while also bringing him down from his victory cloud.
"It's not like it was so difficult. It was easy to guess it right away," Sakura told him.
Certainly, many had done so.
Gojo put a hand on his chest and a expression of pretended offense "Do you doubt my mystical abilities?"
"Definitely," she confirmed.
"Ouch," he expressed with a slight pout before forming a mischievous smile. "Alright, I'll make the effort to show you my greatness. Just for you."
'He has an ego as high as him' the medic thought with an imaginary sweat drop falling from her forehead.
"Oh yeah? How would you do that?" she asked, curiosity lacing her tone.
Gojo pondered for a minute until he seemed to have an idea.
"How about this? I'll guess what you do for a living," he suggested.
He seemed to notice her hesitation in her silence because he quickly added.
"Let's make it more interesting. If I guess your profession..." he began then looked at her phone, which was on displaying the module she was practicing.
"You'll agree to let me teach you English," he finished satisfied. "Completely free, of course," he added with a wink that she couldn't see but inferred from the slight movement of the upper part of his eyelid. 'Could he even see anything with that?'
"How do I know you know English?" she questioned with narrowed eyes.
The man seemed amused. "I know many things, I can teach you whatever you want, dango girl," he responded in a perfect tone, achieving a seductive accent that sent a shiver down her spine. 'Control yourself, Sakura.'
She raised an eyebrow at his nickname.
'Dango girl?'
She read the question perfectly again.
"Haven't you noticed? You're like the personification of a three-colored dango. Your hair, eyes, skin. I'd even say what you're doing now is cannibalism," Gojo joked, amused.
Sakura looked at what was left of her dango and then back at him. It was the strangest thing she had ever been compared to in her life.
She decided not to respond to that.
"What if I guess your profession? What do I get?" Sakura asked, the words coming out of her mouth without permission.
She wanted to hit her forehead against the table. 'You're just encouraging him, idiot,' she heard Inner scolding her in the background.
The idiot's lips curved again. "You can ask me anything, I suppose," he shrugged carelessly.
What was he plotting? He was a sorcerer but she wouldn't say it. That's why she chose this game. He wouldn't lose.
Unless he knew she already knew...
Was he looking for that? That she confess? It wouldn't happen.
"Alright, it's my turn," said the tall man, excitedly placing an elbow on the table and resting his head in his hand to look at her closely.
She couldn't see his eyes, but she could feel them roaming all over her body. It made her nervous.
He stayed like that for about two torturous minutes for her until he seemed to come up with his analysis.
"From your tired appearance, I deduce that you've recently left work. You decided to come and stay in a pastry shop, which means you wanted to treat yourself. You said you came here for the first time; and from your tired appearance, I doubt you'd veer off course from your destination just for some dango. Someone tired wouldn't bother going to a place to buy something unless the food and place are tempting enough. While the desserts here are very good, being in front of a main route doesn't make it very relaxing, I might add. It means you probably made a direct route from here to your workplace. Your dark circles speak volumes about you being awake for a long time, meaning your profession has a heavy work schedule," he mused aloud.
Looking up, he continued with his theories. "The only place I can think of near here where long work hours have to be fulfilled is the hospital" he turned his head to look at her. "So... doctor?" he asked with a confident smile, quite sure he had guessed it.
She was surprised by his analysis but didn't let him see it too much. He was close, very close. In a way, he was right. But if they followed the stupid rules of this place, then no.
'You almost got it but no, I'm a nurse,' she clarified, smiling at his defeat.
"Oh come on! It's almost the same," he retorted.
"Definitely they're not, it seems your skills aren't as mystical as you thought," she teased amused.
He groaned in frustration. "Today is not my day," he sighed, then lifted his head to look at her.
It was hard to read him, but she thought she saw a glint of interest. "So... Sugisawa Hospital, right?" he guessed again.
Sakura avoided tensing as much as possible. Did he already know where she worked? Or did he simply deduce it? It was the nearest hospital, so that could be it.
"Yes" lying about this wouldn't do any good. She was bad at it anyway.
"Hmm, I don't have good memories of that place" his tone had a slight melancholic tone.
Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. He was a sorcerer, she forgot that it's a dangerous profession where he might have lost colleagues.
"Oh... Did you lose someone?" Sakura asked softly.
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "None of that, yesterday I had a date and the girl who works there canceled on me. It was very painful" he replied, putting on a clearly fake sad expression.
Sakura couldn't believe it, here she was feeling sorry for him. She rolled her eyes exasperated. She should have expected that from someone like him.
Suddenly she remembered.
"Wait... a date? Just in case, you wouldn't happen to be going out with Ayumi-san?" Sakura recalled her coworker's failed date.
"Who?" he answered confused.
She looked at him. Didn't he know her? Wasn't it him?
"Ayumi" she emphasized, but he was still confused. "Tall, blonde with brown eyes."
The annoying man thought about it for a while. "Ah yes... it was her, of course" he confirmed with obvious doubt.
She looked at him, incredulous. Was he going out with someone and didn't even know her name? She couldn't believe it. What a character.
She shook her head slightly at his negligence.
"You know what, never mind. It's my turn" she reminded him.
The idiot's lips curved again. "Go ahead" he replied, leaning back again, crossing one leg over the other.
It was Sakura's turn to place a hand on her chin and examine didn't really need to, she already knew what he did. The act was more to find out what she could say, since it was obvious she wouldn't say he was a sorcerer.
This man made her so nervous that she didn't even think about what she was getting into. Damn it, this wasn't like her.
His scrutiny didn't seem to bother him; in fact, he seemed to enjoy it even more if the growing smile was any indication. Sakura couldn't believe so much egotism.
'Reasons abound' another intrusive thought from her mental companion.
She was beginning to remember why he used to annoy her so much before.
She could say he was a model to follow to keep up the act, but she didn't want to boost his ego even more.
"Let's see. Your clothes, although simple in design, don't seem like something you would casually choose, it looks more like a uniform. From a club maybe? Or some kind of organization? You're not old enough to be a student, and from what little I know about you, I don't see you in teaching" he mused aloud pretending to analyze.
That last comment seemed to amuse him, more than he already was. A teacher?
It made sense, Kakashi was one of the strongest ninjas in Konoha and yet they put him as a jounin-sensei, even though he was terrible at it.
She could go with that.
Sakura waited a little longer before continuing.
"This is tough. You really don't give me much to work with" the kunoichi pretended a defeated expression.
She could already see the satisfaction in his conceited face.
"Without so many clues, I'll go with your previous statement about knowing many things and offering to give me classes... so, Teacher?" Sakura attempted. Her tone was casual, but deep down she was anxious.
The strongest sorcerer's smile completely vanished from his lips.
YES! Victory!
Gojo looked at the ceiling huffing loudly. "This has to be a joke. Definitely not my day," he turned his resigned gaze to her. "Yes, you're right. I'm a teacher," he confirmed reluctantly.
'Apparently, he didn't like to lose.' Sakura thought with amusement.
"Wow, it feels good to show my greatness," she mocked him. Winning was fun.
Again, she didn't see him but she was sure he rolled his eyes.
"Yes, yes, you won," he said half annoyed, but then smiled again as he looked at her. "So, what are you going to ask of me?" he asked with a mischievous tone.
She thought about it for a while and decided.
"Your name."
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "My name? Just that?"
"Yes, your name. You have mine, it's only fair I have yours." She didn't need anything from him, and it was better if he left. This game had already gone on for too long.
Gojo seemed to think about it for a few seconds. "Eh, you're right I guess."
Sakura was surprised to see him stand up and make a slight bow, placing his hand on his stomach.
"Gojo Satoru, at your service," he introduced himself in a low tone, looking at her intently. From this position, she could see a bit of his eyes above his glasses. A bright blue.
His gaze left her stunned. Those were the famous eyes.
She shouldn't stay here anymore, and not with him. She composed herself, grabbed her phone with her bag and got up.
"Well, it was a pleasure, Gojo-san, it was a fun conversation, but I'm afraid I must go now." She said goodbye without showing her hurry.
She stared at him for a few more moments. For a moment, she thought he realized she was running away from him.
He put on a relaxed smile again on his attractive face.
"The pleasure was mine, Sakura" he emphasized her name with a sweet tone that made her shiver 'Why did he have to say it like that?'
"English lessons are still available if you want," he casually offered.
Sakura just smiled, not knowing what else to do. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodbye." With one last look, she said goodbye and headed to the exit, waving goodbye to the store attendant who greeted her enthusiastically.
She could feel his eyes even as she stepped out into the bustling street noise from the trucks.
Heading home, she could still feel the adrenaline coursing through her body. She couldn't afford to kill the little curses she saw on the way, not after the encounter she just had.
She was hyper-aware of her surroundings, checking that she wasn't being followed. She didn't know if it would help if it was Gojo, if she couldn't feel him before, she doubted she would when he really wanted to go unnoticed. But it didn't hurt to be cautious.
Finally, she reached her building, went straight to her apartment, practically threw all her things in the entrance, and went to her room. She collapsed on the bed lying face down.
"What a day..." she sighed tired both physically and mentally.
With her last strength, she got up to take a shower and then change into pajamas. Today she didn't feel like training.
Lying down, she thought about the events of her past few days.
At this point, it was quite obvious that the universe didn't want her. First the man on the train and now the strongest sorcerer in the world.
Encountering other people who could see curses or even sorcerers wasn't so rare, although it wasn't normal either. One simply ignores it.
The problem was that men like them knew. She just knew that being on their radar wouldn't be good.
Nothing might have happened during those encounters, they may not have even noticed anything about her.
But something deep down inside her, like a feeling she was familiar with from her days as a genin, told her that her life would soon change.
