Impossible

by themisheart

Summary:

It felt like she had swallowed the galaxy. Everywhere she looked, she saw stars. Planets and moons and constellations. Comets, meteors, and all the like. The vastness of space is nothing that she has ever thought of and feared before, but now it was all too easy to be sucked into the deep nothingness.

She was aware that she was still in the mortal world-her hands dug into the soft dirt, ripping up fragile grass while the wind whispered across her face-but she saw the unknown. The world was big, so very, very big. It stretched across her mind like a membrane of spiderwebs, making the impossible a known word.

Chapter 1: All In Green

 

 

    "I have an important mission planned for us today," Kakashi's voice clearly rang out, despite his mouth being covered by his obnoxious black mask. 

 

  His three gēnin, who made up the rambunctious crew, known as Team Seven—more like hellions, though—immediately perked up at his words that promised something more beside looking for lost animals. Was being a ninja really worth getting called mean names and earning ugly cat scratches?

 

  "Woohoo! Finally, an important mission!" Naruto shouted, grinning, his blue eyes bright in anticipation. His shirt was tucked into his pants, and a few sheet of toilet paper were on the bottom of his shoe.

 

  Sasuke's eyes also glimmered, though he kept his expression neutral. His hands were stuffed into his pockets, his famous nonchalant personality showing as usual.

 

   And Sakura, oh Sakura, she just had a happy smile on her face. She clapped her hands together in pleasure and the corners of her eyes crinkled. She was also, obviously, looking forward to the new mission.

 

  They weren't taking things seriously yet, but Kakashi needed for them to catch a glimpse of the real world. Yes, he knew Sasuke witnessed his clans death by the hand of his own brother, and that was definitely the real world, but he didn't mean about dark and heavy things like that. Just the sort of things that let you get out and see the great, unknown world. 

 

 "What's the mission?" Sakura asked, tilting her head. Hopefully it would be something awesome like protecting a fuedel lord, or even going to retrieve an important scroll. Her mind went wild with the possibilities of what they would be doing. Her heart did flips of excitement.

 

  The silver haired jōnin gave them a closed eyed smile. "We will be helping transport important barrels between two mines," he replied, tilting his head and leaning forward in that knowing way he did.

 

  Instantly, the three genin's moods plummeted, and they glowered. Kakashi had gotten their hopes up for nothing. Served them right. A ninja was there to help when needed, for whatever it may be. 

 

 "But Sensei.. That sounds boring! We've been doing simple jobs like that for awhile now," Naruto protested, frowning. 

 

  Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "All missions are important, despite how small and meaningless they may be. Now, I expect you three to meet me here in a half hour." With those words, he suddenly shunshined away, leaving the rest of team seven to disperse back to their homes and prepare for the upcoming mission.

 

  When Sakura arrived at her empty home, (her parents were out again for work, the usual business), she took a quick five minute shower so she would be clean, and packed her bag full of shinobi equipment she might possibly need. A simple first aid kit, some kunai, a shuriken, and even a small fan that she did not know how to work yet. 

 

  After one last check in the mirror and making sure her hair was good and pretty for Sasuke-kun, she decided that she was ready to go. Hopefully this mission would somehow turn out better than the last ones.

 

 

 

   Team Seven and their jōnin sensei made their way out of the village, and were walking towards the first mine. 

 

  "How far are we going?" Sakura asked, curious. She was walking in between Naruto and Sasuke, with Kakashi in front of her. Her green eyes were wide with the want to see everything that was around her. She has only traveled outside the village a few times in the past with her parents, but that was when she was far younger than she was now. This was almost new to her, too. 

 

  "Not far. We'll probably be walking for about an hour at most," the jōnin replied, glancing back at her.

 

  "Oh, okay. And uh, what will be moving? Is it heavy?" she asked, clenching her fists. She was torn between not wanting to work much but somehow wanting to better herself. She threw a side-glance to he two teammates, who were already pushing and bickering with each other. She sighed. 

 

  Kakashi looked at her, eyebrow quirked. Amusement seemed to be the only emotion he was able to communicate with his masked face. "Who's to say? We'll see when we get there, right, my cute little genin's?" 

 

  There was gagging sounds in the background, and Kakashi ignored them. But as for Sakura, she glowed under those words. 

 

 

 

   They finally managed to make it to the first mine in less than an hour, since the team had decided to pick up their pace a bit.

 

  Directly in front of them was the looming structure of a large cave, and Sakura could sense several people inside. The small traces of chakra told her that they were not shinobi, but ordinary workers. At the mouth of the cave, there were several wooden containers about half the size of herself. They were most likely the liquids they had to transport.

 

  "So you're the hired help, eh?" 

 

  A group of well muscled men were what team seven came across when they entered the cave. It was the leader that spoke, who had calloused hands from hard work and yellow, crooked teeth. 

 

  For some reason, Sakura felt as if something wasn't right. It was suspicious, the way these strong men had hired a team of shinobi to do their dirty work for them when they were obviously capable of doing it themselves. Why did they need ninjas? To protect them maybe? If they needed protection then, they should have said from what. Then maybe a more experienced team would have been chosen for this. But if Kakashi felt that something was off, he didn't say anything about it. She was probably just turning into her mom and become paranoid over things. (That was a scary thought.) 

 

  "Yes, that is correct. Is there a certain way that you would like these transported?" Kakashi asked as the leader and genin walked over to the plastic containers. 

 

  Another man came up to them with four masks, one for each person. 

 

 "Not much to say 'cept to wear these masks so you don't hurt ya'selves," the leader replied as Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke inspected the pieces of body gear that would prevent them from getting hurt.

 

  The one that was handed to Sakura had a smudged spot in the corner, but that was the only unusual thing that stood out. She crinkled her nose, wondering why she had to wear it. Was whatever was inside the barrels toxic? She eyed the wood warily, discreetly sniffing the air. 

 

  They didn't smell dangerous at least. Only the damp cave air lingered. 

 

  After everyone had their masks on, they set to work on transporting what was now obviously liquids to another mine that was a few kilometers away. 

 

  The pinkette struggled with her load, though she worked hard to hide it since the boys picked up theirs with ease. 

 

  Useless, is what I am, she thought bitterly. Though, it was her fault since she didn't work nearly as hard as she should. She has tried to do things like set up a system or schedule so she could train more, but it never worked out. She was bad at things like that, she was afraid to admit. Sticking to certain things required having a strong motivation. Her only motivation at the moment was stealing Sasuke from Ino-pig and making sure her plants didn't die. 

 

 She suddenly paused in her step, sensing something off. 

 

  Kakashi, who was walking to the left of her, glanced at her and motioned for her to keep walking with a small movementof his head. She did as he wanted, knowing that he had sensed it as well.

 

  They were being followed. And judging by the chakra's, they weren't just curious civilians watching shinobi do their work. Sakura could practically taste the killing intent coming off of them. Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who noticed them too, and slowed down slightly.

 

  It was when team seven was making their third and last round that the threatening ninja decided to officially make themselves known.

 

  A kunai came flying from the trees and cut Naruto in the arm, causing him to let out an muffled, undignified yelp and drop the container. Fortunately though, nothing spilled when it hit the ground. 

 

  Kakashi immediately put down his load and pulled out a kunai; Naruto did the same. Sakura and Sasuke quickly copied them and everyone went back to back, keeping the containers behind them to keep them safe, since it was unknown if the hidden shinobi wanted the hazardous liquids.

 

   "Quite hiding like cowards," Kakashi called out calmly, his uncovered eye flickering across the trees. And then in a lower voice he said to his students, "Don't take off your masks."

 

  Another kunai came from a different tree, and the jōnin sensei easily blocked it.

 

  "Leave now and we won't hurt you," a voice said from a nearby bush. 

 

  Naruto tensed his arms, the blood dripping from his cut already slowing down. "Like hell we'll leave!" 

 

  Pursing her lips, (though nobody could see that), Sakura quickly reached over and smacked his arm. "Be quiet, you idiot," she hissed. "Don't antagonize them!"

 

    Sakura redirected her attention though when somebody suddenly appeared before them, casually rocking on their heels. It was a man, who looked to be in his early thirties. A large scar ran up his neck to his peircing green eyes. 

 

  Two other rogue ninja appeared beside him, also sporting nasty scars on their faces. They were missing ninja from the Hidden Village in the Mist, judging by their crossed off headbands. 

 

  "We aren't looking for trouble now," the one in the middle said, giving them an easy smile. 

 

  Sakura felt Kakashi tense as well at his pleasant tone. She thought the rogue Nina was acting too friendly for her taste. It gave her a funny feeling. 

 

  "Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. I want you three to guard the liquids. But if those three put you in a life threatening situation, you save yourselves and each other," their sensei said quietly, before suddenly shunshining away, causing the rogue nin to quickly put up their guard and look around. 

 

  The nin on the right chuckled after a few moments. "It looks like your sensei left you for dead. What a great shinobi," he sneered, baring gnarled teeth. 

 

  Sasuke merely scoffed.  "Then what does that make you?"

 

  The leader quickly put his hand out, stopping the suddenly angry man from lunging towards them. 

 

  "Don't kill them just yet. They'd be worth a good amount of money, especially that little girl with the pretty hair," he said, a certain something in his tone, gesturing to Sakura who paled drastically under her mask. If only her hair wasn't so long; then it would have been hidden. 

 

  Naruto let out an animalistic snarl. "As if we'd let you bastards have us!"

 

  The leader suddenly dropped his smile and lowered his arm, allowing the other nin to finally lunge at the genin.

 

  He dodged several kunai, easily making his way to stand directly in front of Naruto, who in turn used his Shadow Clone Jutsu. The clones pushed the nin back, but were all destroyed within a minute. 

 

  The other nin then lunged forward at well, and used hand signs to also make a clone. The clone appeared in front of Sasuke, and he easily cut through it, though his hands were slightly shaking. Sakura had a feeling that the bloodlust he was sending must have been similar to when his own brother had massacred the Uchiha Clan. (She, of course, was wrong. Sasuke was nowhere near Itachi.) 

 

  That was when the pinkette realized something, hunched back in a corner and just watching them. These rogue nin were merely playing with them, testing out their jutsus. They were using their full power, but using them as toys. Which made sense. They were only genin, practically fresh out of the Academy. 

 

 But in all honesty, that pissed Sakura off. Sure, she knew she was weak. But it was a different thing when people just assumed that, and didn't take her seriously. 

 

  All rational thought left her as she took a step forward, barely abandoning her position, and therefore catching the others attention. That was her first mistake.

 

 "I think someone's upset that we've been ignoring her," the leader said, cackling with amusement. "I guess we can give her some entertainment~"

 

  After those words, he quickly preformed a couple of hand signs, and the barrel that Naruto had dropped exploded, sending toxic rain down on the genin's exposed skin.

 

  Fortunately, since it only came down in small amounts, the pain wasn't too bad. But, that was when the genin realized that they needed to get away from the containers. It was simply too dangerous.

 

  So they split up, and each went after a different person, which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. Kakashi had said help each other. But they were running away from their teammates. Was that cowardly? Did that count? 

  

  Were they scum?

 

  The pinkette inwardly fretted as she realized she was left with the leader who had been admiring her hair. Taking a deep breath and try to calm her mind, she pulled a kunai and held it in front of her defensively, before rushing towards him. 

 

  But she never got the change to engage him in a fight. Because Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of her. She noticed that his  forehead protector was no longer covering his eye, which was open for all to see. Sakura instantly recognized the sharingan, which made absolutely no sense, since she knew her sensei was definitely not an Uchiha.

 

  A familiar sense of annoyance forced into way into her core, pushing away fear, as Kakashi stood in a protective manner in front of her. 

 

  "Sorry for not coming sooner," he told the Sakura not taking his eyes off the the ninja. He then proceeded to go after him, leaving the genin to do absolutely nothing. He had unintentionally made her feel as if she couldn't handle herself. (Even though it was true, she couldn't really.)

 

  Things suddenly turned for the worst when two more rogue nin came from the trees, somehow managing to capture the boys, and distracted Kakashi from making sure Sakura was safe. 

 

   The punch came quickly and unexpected.

 

 

  The sound of cracking caused a wave of panic and fear to pulse through her. Glancing up at the corner of her maka to where the smudge was, was also where the sound had came from. 

 

  Her heart fell and she struggled to breath as she realized that a small spiderweb of a crack revealed itself. She didn't want her face to come into any contact with the poison-like liquid that already burned her skin in several areas. She felt itchy—squirmy in a way that was wrong. She blinked rapidly and teeth leered at her at the blank spaces in her vision. 

 

  But before she had time to react, someone yanked hard on the mask, and it slipped over her head. A hand quickly attached itself to her long hair, and then she was being lifted into the air.

 

  "Ah, a pretty face too. Such a shame that we have to ruin it," the leader said, grinning maniacally, as he threw the pinkette hard to the ground. "But of course, money is money." 

 

  "Sakura!" she heard Naruto's voice from somewhere to her left. She couldn't tell exactly where he was. Her head had hit the ground hard, sending waves of dizziness through her.

 

  Naruto and Sasuke were still tied up, while Kakashi was trapped in some type of water jutsu. They could not help her now. 

 

  Opening her eyes when most of the dizziness passed, she saw the cruel leader slowly stalking towards her, and a barely contained whimper left her throat.

 

  The last thing Sakura saw was blue skies, wet-dewed grass, and bright green eyes that were filled with the worst type of mirth. 

 

  The pain quickly came. Blinding, excruciating pain. She had closed her eyes too late, and now they burned like hell. No, worse than hell. Even more so than the time she got chili pepper in her eyes after accidentally rubbing at them. Her hands reached up to claw at her face, trying to wipe away the toxic liquid. 

 

 But nothing was working.

 

 She vaguely noticed a hand on her hair again, lifting her up. After a few moments she then she fell back to the ground, feeling  lighter than before.

 

  It soon became all too much. 

 

  Sakura passed out, the liquid still eating away at her pale skin. Locks of pink hair floated around her and horrid green eyes flashed in accomplishment.

 

  And the thing was, the damage would be permanent, and she would never be the same, both physically and mentally. 

 

  She should have listened to that little warning voice. But now, it was far too late. They had chosen her, unwilling but hopeful. 

 

 

 

 

 

   The first thing that Sakura was aware of when she woke up was a thick bandage wrapped around her head, covering her eyes. She was also aware of a slight pain above her cheek bones and a few other places on her arms and legs, but, for the most part, she felt fine. Maybe even better than fine. 

 

  Her hands twitched, and she immediately tensed when she felt something warm in her hand. It took a few moments for her to realize it was just someone's else's hand that had her own in a tight grip. Hesitantly, she gave the person a gentle squeeze, and a gasp immediately followed. 

 

 "Are you awake, Sakura?" a worried voice asked in a gentle whisper. It was her mom. She must have gotten back from her trip.

 

  The pinkette responded by attempting to clear her throat. Her lips clamped together. She needed something. 

 

  "Water?" she rasped, her dry lips smacking together. The hand quickly left here and a few moments later a cool glass was pressed against her lips. Sakura greedily downed the glass of water in a few seconds.

 

  After wiping her mouth, she spoke again, her voice clearer this time. "What happened?" Her head started hurt now. A headache was coming on. 

 

  There was a sigh, and she didn't see how her mothers eyes watered with unshed tears. Instead of answering her daughters question, she said, "I'll be right back, don't worry. I'm just going to get a nurse."

 

  Sakura was then left alone, after she heard the door close. 

 

  Her hand automatically went to the bandages wrapped around her head, and grimaced when she found that it was rubbing against her skin the wrong way. Wincing when she accidentally prodded the area around her eyes too hard, her fingers finally managed to find the end of the bandage, and she carefully unwrapped it.

 

  The thought that the nurses would rather them take it off than her, didn't occur to her.

 

  Instead of her eyes having to adjust to a sudden brightness caused by the sun shining through the window, she was met with darkness. She soon came to the conclusion that it was night outside, but, that didn't make any sense. Her mom had gave her a cup of water, which meant that there had to be some sort of light source. And there was a light source; she could feel it on her face. The sun was definitely up and shining on her, warmth drying away the faint hint of sweat on her cheeks and forehead. 

 

  But that didn't solve her confusion. Why couldn't she see anything? Carefully bringing her fingers up to her face, she made sure that her eyes were actually open, which they were. Her fingers brushed against eyelashes, grazing her skin.

 

   A door suddenly clicked open, and she swiveled her face towards the noise, brining her hands down. Still, no lights turned on, and she was left in the dark.

 

 She was starting to panic now, but tried to hide it. It was dark, so very dark. Her headache was getting worse due to her straining her eyes open. She could feel it. 

 

 There was a muffled gasp, and a sniffle followed. 

 

  "Oh, Sakura, you took your bandage off," an unfamiliar male voice said lightly.

 

  The pinkette tensed at the voice, and followed the sound of his sharp footsteps as they lead towards her. "I-I'm sorry. It was bothering me so I- I took it off. I hope that wasn't the wrong thing to do," she said nervously, wringing her hands. "Is my mom here too?"

 

  There was a light cough from a few feet away from the girl and Mebuki's familiar footsteps came closer. "Yes, sorry dear. I- I'm here," she said, her voice cracking in certain places. 

 

  Sakura suddenly flinched when she felt a hand on her forehead. The hand quickly retracted. 

 

 "I'm sorry, I should have warned you about what I was going to do," the male apologized, sounding guilty. Then he continued, "Do you remember anything before waking up?"

 

  The pinkette furrowed her brows, thinking hard. She was on a mission, with her team. They went to a mine and were moving containers of liquid. And then- 

 

  She gasped. 

 

  "There were rogue nin! Is Sasuke-kun okay!? And Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei!?" she asked, dread filling her. She remembered that they were being followed, and they wanted to take the dangerous liquids, and even sell the genin for money. And then her mask had broken, and she was thrown to the ground, just like a doll. The leader of the rogue nin had come after her, and had hurt her so much. She was pretty sure that he had manipulated the liquid to splash into her face. 

 

Splashed into her face. Toxic liquid. Toxic liquid splashed into her face. Into her eyes. 

 

  A whimper suddenly left her throat as she realized what had happened, and she wanted curled up into a ball, not wanting to face anyone one even though she couldn't even see them anyways. She had a good idea why her eyes wouldn't work.

 

  She just hoped it wasn't true. 

 

  "Your team is perfectly fine. Naruto is perfectly fine," the male was a little tense here, "while Sasuke had a sprained wrist. Your sensei only has a shallow cut on his cheek. You're the one with the worst of the injuries," he said, his voice sounding sympathetic at the last part. 

 

  Sakura took a ragged breath and sat back up. "What are my injuries?" she asked in a low whisper, not really wanting to know. But she did and she had to hear someone say it. She was going to throw up, she was sure of it. 

 

  There was another sniffle, (her mom), and a sigh, (the nurse). 

 

  "You have several small burns, a slight concussion, some tearing in your scalp,  and-" he paused, almost sounding as if he didn't want to continue. 

 

  Sakura knew what he was going to say. He just took too long to say it. She mustered up her non-existent will and spoke. 

 

  "I'm blind."

 

  Neither person in the room denied it. They merely kept quite.

 

  Sakura let out a sob, covering her tender face with her hands. 

 

  "Yes, I'm sorry. There was severe burns around your eyes, and your nerves have been damaged. I was able to heal most of the burns, however, there will be some scar tissue and the nerves are unfixable," the male finally said.

 

  The pinkette tried to choke back her ugly sobs.

 

  She was blind. She would never be able to see the faces of her parents and friends again, she would never be able to see the sunrises that she always got up extremely early in the morning to watch, she would never be able to see the beauties of the world. 

 

  She had always held a child-like wonder for the sights around her, ever since she was smile. It was what inspired her to do things. Like chase after Sasuke, learn how to dance, fill her room with plants. 

 

  Sakura didn't hear the door open, and she obviously didn't see the way her teammates and sensei watched her sadly from the doorway. Even Naruto, who so wanted to go wrap her up in a comforting hug, watched her with sorrow-filled eyes. 

 

  Mebuki knew her daughter didn't want anyone to see her like this without her knowing, so she quickly crossed the room and pulled her into a hug, blocking her blotchy cheeks and her eyes.. Oh Kami, her eyes..

 

  They were different than before she became blind. Her eyes were pupil-less, and their color had dulled to a haze-filled green. They were also swirled with white, giving them an effect of winter giving away to spring. But, Sakura would never be able to see them.  

 

 Mebuki almost started crying again, but she knew she had to stay strong for her only daughter. So, she cleared her throat and whispered in her ear, "Your team is waiting to see you."

 

  The faint crying came to a surprisingly quick halt , surprising the boys. They had thought that it would have taken at least a few minutes for her to calm down enough. 

 

  But she obviously didn't want them too see her like this. She felt absolutely pathetic. She would bottle up her negative emotions for later, or try too at least. She should ask for a trash can so she had something to throw up into. And maybe something to wipe her snotty nose. 

 

  Wiping her face, the pinkette gently pushed her mom away and looked in the direction of the door, where apparently her teammates were waiting. 

 

  "Please don't stand there quietly," she whispered, covering her eyes with her hand. Maybe she could pretend that everything was fine for a little bit, and that this was just a training session to see if she could survive without her sight.

 

  The blond genin grinned, and rushed towards the Sakura, trying to be careful as he put his arms around her, only for her to flinch at the sudden noise and contact.

 

  She didn't know what was happening, and pushed whoever was on her back. "S-Sorry," she stuttered out when she finally realized it was only Naruto.

 

  He blond genin understood though, and forced himself to make his way beside her in a slow and controlled manner. "It's okay, Sakura-chan."

 

Kakashi and Sasuke followed him, though in a slower pace their other teammate had done. 

 

  The Uchiha didn't know what to do, so he opted for sitting beside her on the hospital bed. He grimaced when he realized how scratchy the sheets were. 

 

  Kakashi looked at his student sadly, not yet wanting to think about what this would mean for her future. 

 

 "How do feel? Are you alright? Do you need some water? Are you hungry? And how can you stand sleeping on this bed?" Naruto blurted out questions left and right, and Sakura managed to find his mouth and cover it with her free hand. 

 

  "I'm fine. I'm not thirsty or hungry, and I wasn't sleeping on the bed. I wasn't conscious; there's a difference," she replied, hiccuping in a hard tone. She was scared again, for some reason. The same fear she felt when that ninja stared at her. The same fear she felt when the bullies would chase after her, making fun of her forehead. 

 

  While Naruto wasn't put off by her words, Sasuke's's and Kakashi's eyes narrowed. They had never heard her talk like this, and figured that she would be a little more dramatical and frantic. 

 

  Kakashi looked to Mebuki worriedly. 

 

  She sighed, and gave a helpless shrug. She didn't know what to do now. Her only daughter, blind. She should feel angry at the Jounin for letting this happen, but she isn't. She was just tired. 

 

  And so was Sakura. She sat back in her bed and gently pressed her eyes shut, not that it made any difference to what she saw. "Um, is it okay I take a little nap? I'm feeling kind of drained." 

 

  Naruto immediately jumped up and dragged Sasuke to his feet, obviously against the Uchiha's will. Mebuki gave Kakashi a look, and he quickly ushered the team out of the room. There was some place he needed to be, after all. 

 

  Before he closed the door, he paused and turned back around. "I'm sorry," he whispered aloud to himself. Then he left for the Hokage's Tower. 

 

  Mebuki was also gently persuaded outside the room by Shin. He told her that it was best if she came back later when his patient was ready for interaction. Then he himself left after a few more checkups, making sure nothing bad would happen in her sleep. 

 

 

The blind little girl crumpled the bed sheet into her fists as tears leaked down her face after the door shut. At least that was something about her eyes that worked. But within minutes, she let sleep gracefully take her away from her problems. 

 

 

  Sakura was sitting against a tree, her face hidden in her legs that were pulled up to her chest. She sniffed, trying not to cry. She's done to much of that lately, and her own sadness was making her sick.

 

  The sudden faint sound of bells made her lift her head,  and her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful woman standing directly in front of her. The woman couldn't be any older than twenty, and had long purple hair that cascaded to her waist, and faded silver eyes that seemed to look through her soul. 

 

  She crouched down, somehow not even wrinkling the sky blue kimono she was wearing. 

 

 "Why are you crying?" Her voice was sweet, and carried through the air. 

 

 Sakura hiccuped, and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks. "I'm not," she denied, hiding her face again, even though she really wanted to gaze upon the woman's  face again. She was even prettier than Ino. 

 

  A warm hand sipped under her chin, and the woman lifted her face up, making her look her in the warm eyes. 

 

 "Your are crying. But I'm guessing you don't want to," the woman stated, making the pinkette nod.

 

  "I- I don't know how to s-stop feeling sorry for myself," she admitted, her eyes starting to tear up again. 

 

  The woman have her a sad smile. "You're strong for wanting that. Would you like some advice?"

 

  Another shy nod, making the woman hum in approval. 

 

  "Why don't you make your tears into something useful?"

 

  Sakura frowned, trying to wrap her little head around that question. "But tears are only salty water.. You can't make anything with them, can you?" she asked, puzzled.

 

  A strong gust of air pushed past them, making their rare colored hair stream outwards.

 

  "Oh, you sweet little girl," the woman said with a light laugh. "Turn your tears into power, into motivation. The things that taunt you, bring you down and call you useless, use them to your advantage," she explained.

 

  The little child with the outrageous pink hair and wide forehead sniffed and wiped at her face. "I-I think I understand.."

 

  "Sometimes the things that make you cry, will be your greatest weapon. Don't fight the part of you that makes you, you."

 

  And with those words, the mysterious woman stood up and turned the other way, a smile lingering on her lips. Sakura blinked once, and then she was gone, leaving behind the sound of sweet bells.

 

 

 

  A few hours later and Shin had made Sakura stand up, trying to coax her to walk. She was using his arm for balance since was scared of falling down because she couldn't see anything. 

 

 "Your wounds are healing up nicely. And around your eyes are a little inflamed, but that will go down in a few days," the nurse told the pinkette.

 

  She nodded. "Is- Is there a chance that I could possibly regain my sight?" she asked in a low voice, finally voicing her fear. She felt him tense.

 

 "I'm sorry. I doubt you will ever be able to see again." His words were blunt, but not unkind. 

 

  Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded again, this time in defeat.

 

  "And um, will I be able to continue being a kunoichi?" There was the next question, the bigger question. 

 

  This was the question she truly feared getting an answer to. At first, being a kunoichi meant nothing to her. In the Academy, it was just a pastime while she focused on impressing Sasuke. But somewhere along the way, she had just realized this now, that she had come to enjoy the toils of being a shinobi. She had liked taking in the information she read in books, and she liked the satisfaction of doing something for others instead of herself.

 

  Such a shame that she had to finally find this out after she became blind and most likely ruined her future.

 

 "I'm going to have to be honest and not give you false hope," Shin started, and took a deep breath. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "No. I don't think it will be possible for you to continue to be a kunoichi."

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Sakura's face didn't change a muscle, but inwardly, her mind was in turmoil. 

 

 "Could you open a window. I'm feeling a bit stuffy," she choked out. 

 

  Shin immediately guided her to a window and quickly opened it. 

 

  "What floor are we on?"

 

 "Er, the first. Why do you want to know th- Hold on a second!" he suddenly yelled when the pinkette suddenly put her hand on the window seal and forced herself to jump out the window. 

 

  Sakura didn't know what she was thinking when she attempted to escape the suddenly confining hospital. What much could she do with eyes that don't work? Her body had just moved with its own accord, taking a risk.

 

  She landed awkwardly on her ankle, but still scrambled to her feet and began running. She had studied every location of Konoha, and she told herself many times that she would be able to navigate the village with her eyes closed.

 

  Well, she would figure out if that was true or not.

 

  Several bodies ran into her, and she hurriedly apologized before running off again. 

 

   If she was correct, the the place that she wanted to go should be just ahead of her. A sense of distance was one thing that she did not have, and it took a few tries before she was confident in where she was. 

 

  Fortunately, or unfortunately depending how you looked at it, she ran into another person, and this time, she kept a hold of them. 

 

  "Excuse me, is this the Hokage's Tower?" she asked, hating how raspy her voice sounded. 

 

  "I- Um, yes? Are you okay, miss?" a female's voice asked. 

 

  Sakura didn't answer, but continued her sudden and spontaneous journey. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone caught her and sent her back to that horrible hospital. Her plans of possibly becoming a medical nin was ruined now. She felt sick at the thought of telling others that they were broken, like she was.

 

  Slowing down now, she used her hand to guide herself up a long set of steps that she recognized. There was a turn, a small struggle of a walk, and another turn. She let out a breath of relief when she finally made it to the Hokage's door. 

 

  That's when she heard frantic footsteps from behind her. 

 

  "I found Sakura!" Naruto yelled, causing the girl to panic. How did he even know she was gone so soon?

 

  So without even bothering to knock like any respectful person would do, she quickly found the doorknob and flung the door open, before quickly closing it behind her.

 

 She made it. 

 

  "Sakura Haruno? What on earth are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the hospital," a familiar voice asked, that definitely wasn't the Hokage. 

 

   A different voice spoke, their voice in a hushed whisper. "What happened to your eyes?"

 

  Oh no. Asuma and Kurenai were in there as well. And she wasn't sure if they had brought their respective teams. 

 

 "Billboard-brow!?"

 

 She definitely should have knocked before coming in. 

 

  The door that Sakura had been leaning on suddenly was forced open, causing the pinkette to stumble forward. 

 

  "Aha! We caught you, Sakura-chan!" Naruto crowed in triumph. 

 

  Said genin gulped and felt panicked again. She couldn't see, she was now trapped, and she could practically feel the burning eyes on her. So she did what any muddled, blind person would. 

 

  She headed towards the nearest open window, and hoped she could make another great escape. 

 

  Obviously it was a stupid idea, because she suddenly forgot how many steps it took to get up here, meaning that she would be going down the same distance but without those very steps.

Chapter 2: Went My Love Riding

    She never made it to the window. 

 

  Instead, an arm quickly wrapped around her waist and she was set on a desk—in which she presumed to be the Hokage's—and a bandage was quickly wrapped around her eyes yet again. It was a surprise how much the bandage made her feel a secureness that she didn't know she needed before now, which meant it was probably going to become a common look for her.

 

  There were a few tense moments of silence, nobody really sure of how to deal with this turn of events. 

 

  "You can let me go now. I promise I won't run again," she said to the person who kept her in their hold, her voice holding a faint note of annoyance. The arm that was wrapped around her suddenly vanished, and she breathed out in relief. Having a person trap her like that was even worse than being in that hospital room. 

 

  "If I might ask, how did you manage to make it to here, from the hospital, without being able to see," Kakashi asked, his voice sounding disinterested even though he was anything but. He sounded close to her, so he must have been the one that prevented her from escaping again.

 

  She shrugged, bringing her hands up to make sure the bandage was actually secure. She then lifted it up just a little, feeling the need to rub at her eyes. "I memorized a map of Konoha awhile ago. I knew where I started from so it wasn't hard making my way here. Though I did run into quite a few people," she answered with a frown, shrugging her shoulders. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

  There was a short silence. 

 

  "Alright, what the hell is going on?" Ino snapped, crossing her arms. "I heard you were in the hospital! And what's wrong with your eyes and your face? They look differ-" A hand was quickly slapped over her mouth, effectively  silencing her. 

 

  The pinkette frowned again. Her eyes were different? "What do they look like?" she whispered, gently touching the area under the bindings where her eyes were. They seemed the same, besides the fact that they were still a little tender and it was always as if she had her eyes closed, but the same nonetheless.

 

  Everyone in the room, except for team seven, stared at the girl, surprised. Sakura's teammates were the only ones who were aware that she was blind, seeing as they only learned about it not even a short while ago, and that included the pinkette herself.

 

 The Third Hokage, Sarutobi, stood up from his char that he had been watching from and walked to the front of the room to stare at the pink-haired genin. 

 

 "Why have you come here, despite your unfortunate circumstances, Sakura?" the elderly man asked, but not unkindly. He already knew as well? Sakura wanted to felt a spark of something choking rise up in her. 

 

  But the answer was immediate, and the genin in question completely forgot about the question about the appearance of her useless eyes. It was just another thing to add to the growing list of things that made her weak, she thought bitterly. 

 

  "Please, I want to stay a kunoichi," she stated, her voice unwavering despite the waves of emotions running through her, and she carefully slid off the desk to bow low to the ground to where she desperately hoped her kage was standing. 

 

  Sarutobi would admit that he was surprised by her request, considering the situation. He turned towards the teams that were watching them in confusion. 

 

  "I'm going to have to postpone your mission details for a letter date, seeing as I have something else to take care of at the moment," he told them, who nodded without protest and left the room.

 

  Soon it was only team seven, a few hidden ANBU, and the Hokage who was left in the room. But Sarutobi turned towards the expectant faces of Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi, and dismissed them as well, much to their distaste. Naruto had to actually be dragged out, no surprise there.

 

  The whole time, Sakura was fidgeting, and she had to really pay attention to see if he was actually talking to her since she didn't know if the Hokage was looking at her.

 

  Finally, Sarutobi spoke. "Sakura, I understand why you would want this, but you must know that it is impossible. The use of your eyes are very important in the shinobi world," he told the pinkette, his voice full of pity. 

 

  But she wasn't looking for pity. She just wanted a chance. His next words though, almost broke her. 

 

  "I'm afraid that you can no longer be a part of team seven, and I must ask you for your hitai-ate. You can longer become a shinobi of the Leaf," he said, trying to be firm and not spare her feelings. Because that was the way of the ninja, and he had to allow her one last taste of what being a shinobi really was, no matter how painful.

 

 Sakura inhaled harshly. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. It was an accident.. She didn't want to become blind and become even more useless, for Kami's sake!

 

  When the girl didn't respond, or so much as twitch in acknowledgement, Sarutobi worriedly put a frail hand on her shoulder.

 

  She flinched, and the old kage could see her bandages slowly become damp with tears. She was crying, without moving or making a sound.  Her fingernails bit half moons into her palms.

 

   Then she spoke at last. "I understand. I'm sorry for taking up your time. I'll be off then. And, there's no need to send someone to walk me back to the hospital," she said, her voice hoarse and cracking. 

 

   She didn't see him frown at her. He had expected her to put up more of a fight, not that he was upset about this turn of events. It was easier this way. 

 

  Nodding, but quickly remembering the ex-genin couldn't see that, he cleared his throat and said, "If you're sure you'll be fine." After all, this was the least he could offer her. 

 

 The pinkette headed to where she thought the door to be, but flushed in embarrassment when her kage so helpfully told her it was a little more to the right. 

  She lied.

 

 She didn't go back to the hospital. Instead, she started heading in the complete opposite direction. 

 

  Sakura had reached the lowest point in her life, and it was all her fault. She had no one else to blame but herself. No longer could she use her eyes. They were useless. So useles. It made her question whether or not she was even cut out for this in the first place, for this life. 

 

  So she went back to the beginning. 

 

  Entering the Academy at the age of six, as everyone did, she found that even shinobi children were not above teasing, mocking, and bullies those that were considered less than themselves. The bullying of her larger than average forehead proved her the knowledge of just that. But one good thing that came from that, was that it allowed her to find distractions, or escapes, from such taunting, such as burying herself in an informative book or scroll. 

 

 Many people probably though that she had worked hard in her academic studies to try to impress a certain Uchiha, but that was not the case. Far from it, actually. She found that she could retain information easily, and it distracted her from the cruel youth. In addition, she was even able to put her newfound knowledge to use when it came to her bullies often by the use of outsmarting them. 

 

  Then, she had met Ino and the strange woman, who drew her out of her shell and made her feel more confident about her large forehead. But then again, things had taken a turn for the worst yet again. 

 

  Because it was then that the females of the Academy had come across a forbidden and beautiful thing that made their heart flutter, including Sakura's. 

 

  Boys. 

 

  Namely, one Sasuke Uchiha. 

 

  But she couldn't blame him for destroying the most positive relationship she had ever created. No. It was her own fault. She was naive, selfish, and prideful. Naive, because she had sacrificed her best friend over a stupid boy, (yes, she was still deeply in love with said boy but that was besides the point). Selfish, because she had not even considered Ino's feelings in the matter. For all she knew, that could have still been rivals but also friends. And then, the worst thing yet, she had become too prideful.  Even after realizing her mistake, she never went back to fix it.

 

  And then she had been put on a team with Naruto and Sasuke, with Kakashi as their jōnin sensei. That was when her doubts and self-depreciating thoughts began. During the bell test, she had utterly failed, even though she technically had been the one to give Naruto her food, despite the risk of failing. She had been beaten by a simple Hell Viewing Technique, and passed out when she saw Sasuke's head sticking out of the ground. It was simply idiotic of her. 

 

  After that, they went on a few simple missions, which were pretty easy even though she contributed very little.  

 

 And then, the latest mission. Sure, she had sensed the rogue nin that were watching them, but that was the only thing helpful she had done, and even then, Kakashi already knew about it. She had trouble hauling around containers of liquid that the boys easily picked up, and then she didn't even get the chance to fight after that because she got knocked out, and even worse, became blind. That led her to the discovering that she could never become a shinobi, and now she's being forced to give up her hitai-ate. It was absolutely shameful. 

  Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a faint sound from somewhere to her left. It sounded almost like a bird, but there was something off about its call. 

  The noise came again, but this time it was closer. So she made the stupid decision of straying off of the path that made her aware of where she was at, and headed towards the strange sounding call. 

 

  The pinkette let out an 'oomph' when she suddenly ran into something, and it took a few moments for her to realize that she had ran face first into a tree. Before she could worry if anyone had saw that embarrassing moment, the noise came again, but from directly below her. 

 

  Oh Kami, if she had taken one more step than she would have stepped on whatever was down there. 

 

  Crouching down, she reached her hands out and carefully swiped her hands along the ground, until her right thumb came into contact with something warm and pliable. 

 

  The same screech came again, and Sakura realized that the bird was hurt. Pity washed over her, and she frowned. If only she was able to see, then this would be so much easier, she thought.

 

  But she didn't let that deter her. She put herself in the bird's place, and if she did, she would accept help from anyone.

 

  "I'm going to help you," she whispered to the bird, even though she knew it wouldn't be able to understand her. 

 

  Instead of a screech, there was a small squawk, almost as if the injured bird was responding to her. But that was a silly thought, and she pushed it out of her mind. 

 

 "I'm afraid that I've become lost, so I won't be able to get you to an Inuzuka," she murmured, almost to herself. "But, that doesn't mean I can't try to help. After all, it's about time that I make myself needed and useful."

 

  Sakura knew very little about medical jutsu, but the knowledge she had scraped up in her mind might be enough to suffice. 

 

  "Let's see what's wrong. This might hurt a little," she warned, even though the bird couldn't understand her. That didn't matter though, she like talking aloud. It made her feel more secure and that was the only normal emotion she had felt in awhile.

 

  Her hands carefully sought out the bird, and she found that it was larger than she originally thought. It was about the length of her torso. 

 

  "Aha! There's the problem," Sakura said in triumph as she continued to feel the bird around. There was something wrong with its wing. If it was merely sprained, she should be able to fix it. But if it was broken, that was a whole different story, and would be impossible for her to fix.

 

  A diagram of a wing came into her mind, and she quickly compared how the bird wing felt to how she remembered the picture being. Thank goodness she had shown in interest in the hawks that the Uchiha's always had around before they were.. gone. 

 

 "Let's see.. I wonder if you're even able to move that wing around," she mused to herself, still carefully prodding the area. That was when the bird suddenly fluttered around, and that gave Sakura her answer. 

 

 She breathed out in relief. "Phew, it's not broken. I'm guessing you either sprained it, or you just put too much strain on it."

 

  From her meager understanding of medical ninjutsu, it requires a great deal of chakra control and intelligence. Luckily, the pinkette thought herself to have at least that. Since she had very little chakra, at least compared to Naruto or Sasuke, she was able to control hers better. Now, all that was left was applying her knowledge to real life stuff, such as healing this bird. 

 

  Taking a deep breath, Sakura put both her left palm over the top of her right hand and hovered them over the injured wing. She closed her eyes, despite not being able to see anything anyways, and concentrated harder than she's ever done so before. 

 

  Focusing on her core, she imagined that there's a fragile string connecting her soul to the birds, and she guides a steady stream of chakra to her hands. Even after a few minutes of nothing happening, she didn't give up. 

 

  Ten more minutes pass, and there's a steady flow of sweat dripping from her neck. She could feel her chakra doing something, but it wasn't going to her palms. All that she was doing was exhausting herself.  Although, she did notice that her ability to sense her chakra had somehow gotten even the slightest bit better.

 

  Just as she's about to give up though, she finally feels a strange warmth in her hands, and she feels it flow out of her body. 

 

 "Holy shit," she whispered excitedly, but still keeping her fragile concentration. "I'm actually doing it! And everyone thought I wouldn't be able to do anything since I'm-." She choked on her words. She didn't like saying the b-word. "—blind."

 

  You're blind!? a voice in her head suddenly yelled, causing the pinkette to lose focus and scrambled backwards. 

 

  What's going on?

 

 Oh no, I'm not supposed to be communicating with humans! Kei's going to punish me even more now!

 

  Then there was a loud squawk and Sakura instantly connected the dots. 

 

 "You can speak!?" she shrieked. There was a short silence and a fluttering of wings, which made her scared that the bird had left. Although, that meant that she had done her job correctly, and the bird could actually use its wing. 

 

  I'm not a simple bird, so quite labeling me as one! the voice shouted in indignation in her head. Despite how loud it was, Sakura was relieved that it didn't leave.  

 

   There was then another annoyed sounding screech, as she shakily stood up and used a nearby tree for something to lean on.

 

  "Well, if you're not a mere bird, then what are you? I am blind, as you can see and guess.  Or, are you the one who can't see here," she snapped back, a little miffed that the creature had the audacity to snap at her like that when she had healed them. 

 

   I- You're right; I'm acting ungrateful. You did heal me, and you're blind so you obviously can't see what I am. My apologies, the voice said, sounding guilty. 

 

   Sakura sighed. It was also her fault. She should have been more patient. It just, today hasn't exactly been the best day for her. But then again, a talking bird? Seriously? Just-what even??

 

 "All right, let's start over then," the pinkette started, attempting at a small smile. It felt like it's been forever since she's done that. "My name is Sakura Haruno and I was training to be a kunoichi bu-"

 

 She was cut off by a different voice, not the one belonging to the bird that wasn't actually a bird. 

 

 "Nico! I told you to stay out of the human's world!"

 

  The world seemed to shift, and an intense wave of vertigo came over Sakura. Her arms and legs felt like jello, and she felt her face  scrunching up in odd ways. Her hair was slapping her in the face, and her bandage was ripped away from her. Dizzying hands pressed against her forehead. It cradled, pressing into her eyelids and threatening to gag her throat. 

 

  And suddenly, it stopped. 

 

 Sakura collapsed on the ground, and noted how different it felt from the soft grass she was laying on before. Now, it felt like she was kneeling on rocks and dirt filled with roots. Quite frankly, she was sure she was in some pretty deep doo-doo here.

 

 "Who dares enter here, and with my godson no less!" a loud, unfamiliar voice boomed, making the pinkette jump in surprise. Where had that come from?

 

  Though Sakura didn't realize it, she had somehow found herself in a different place than Konoha. All around her, lay giant cliffs that gave away to crashing waves. The deep blue sky had not even a single cloud, and there were twin suns, as well as a bright, shining moon.

 

  The loud voice belonged to a resident of that land, and not just any normal one. His name was Kei, and he was the Eagle King. He was huge, almost as big as the Hokage Tower. A crown of thorns sat upon his head, and strange runes lined his blue-tinted feathers and yellow beak. His glowing yellow eyes gave him the impression of a demon from hell. He gave off of one hell of an impression, to say the least.

 

 Other lesser eagles of all and sizes were also perched around, staring at the Sakura in undisguised curiousity.

 

  Of course, the pinkette was blind to all of this, metaphorically and literally.

 

 "Wh-Who's there?" she shouted in a fearful whisper. She was somewhere unfamiliar with no eyes at all to help her. 

 

 "Are you blind, brat!" Kei snapped, giving his wings an aggravated beat, using so much force that it pushed Sakura back to the ground. She let out a fearful whimper, making the great eagle suddenly stop and tilt its head in curiosity. 

 

 "K-Kei-sama, please don't scare her.. She really is blind and accidentally came here with me w-w-when you summoned me back. I-It was my fault!" the bi- eagle that Sakura healed squeaked out, fluffing out his gray feathers in shame and guilt.

 

  "Summon?" the pinkette whispered in disbelief, sitting back up on her knees and gazing upwards. Curiosity and confusion momentarily blocked out her fear. That would make some sense then..

 

  That was when Kei finally caught sight of her hazy eyes, and he realized the human was in fact, blind. He sighed. This was indeed going to be troublesome, he thought to himself. 

 

 "I apologize for scaring you, brat. But it has been a very long time since we have been in contact with humans, and it has been even longer since one of your kind has ended up in our world," the eagle king explained, lowering his massive wings.

 

  Caws, squawks, and screeches of agreement followed, making Sakura flinch and become aware that she was surrounded. Though, the more she concentrated, the more she was aware that the land she was on was brimming with chakra. It almost threatened to consume. Nausea curled up in her stomach. 

 

  She may have been blind, but her senses were no worse than they were before the incident. 

 

 She took a shaky deep breath. "If I may ask, where exactly are we?" she asked hesitantly. Lots of wind blew here, and the suns was steadily shining down on her yet she didn't feel hot.

 

  "You are in the eagle summons domain, often called Tōjinbō Cliff's. I am Kei, the Eagle King and Overseer of this land, as well as Nico's godfather, the eagle you came back with," Kei answered, taking a few steps forward which made the ground rumble. 

 

 There was a squawk of fear and Nico, who thought Kei was still angry and would hurt the blind girl, quickly said, "The human healed me! My wing was sprained and she fixed it even though she couldn't see me!"

 

  Kei stopped. "What is your name, girl?"

 

 "Sakura H-Haruno," said pinkette answered, blinking her dulled eyes. 

 

  "Sakura Haruno, I must thank you for healing Nico. He's quite the troublemaker, and is young, but he means well. And if I might ask, are you a Shinobi, since you were able to heal him and I sense a good amount of chakra within you?" the eagle asked, making Sakura flinch, which he found curious.

 

 "I- uh, I used to be a genin. But due to a recent accident that caused my b-blindness, my kage told me to give up my hitai-ate because continuing down that path would be, uh, impossible," she replied quietly, trying not to let her tears out as the brunt of what that actually meant fully hit her. She didn't want to give up. She should have fought back, but it was too late now. 

 

  Kei studied the silently crying girl. "Impossible is merely a word used by fools who are ready to give up," the eagle finally stated, making the pinkette' eyes widen in disbelief. 

 

  She felt a flicker of something stirring inside of her that Kei easily saw in her swirled, blind eyes.

 

 "I don't want to give up," she admitted. Something barely there was keeping her going. It pulled on her legs and arms, like a puppet. She was the puppet, and the strings weren't ready to snap just yet.

 

 "Good. Then I will give you a chance."

 

  I will give you a chance. 

  

  Those words repeated over and over and her head. That's all she has been asking for, and maybe, just maybe, she could use the chance for something great. She quickly scrambled to her feet and bowed even lower than she had to her kage. 

 

 "I would be honored for a second chance," she whispered, hardly daring to breath. 

 

  Something soft touched her shoulder, making her jump, before she realized it was a large, warm wing guiding her up. 

 

 "No need to bow, Sakura Haruno. Now, we are equals, and we will become your partners if you accept our offer," Kei said, and a scroll appeared in his talons, which he set on the ground in front of her.

 

  His words ran through her head a few times before she realized what he meant. "Partners? You mean a summoning contract!?" she asked in disbelief.

 

  The giant predator chuckled, amusement evident in his voice. "That's exactly what I mean."

 

  Then very carefully, he guided her down and moved her hand so they were touching the summoning scroll.

 

  "It's your decision. And remember what I said; only fools believe in the impossible. I hope to see you soon." 

 

  After those words, Sakura felt her surroundings start to shift again, and she quickly grabbed hold of the scroll before her brain could work against her and lose this opportunity.

 

  After her nauseating trip back to the real world, Sakura found herself in what she believed to be the same place that she had healed Nico, now known as the eagle king's godson. But she couldn't ponder on what had happened for long.

 

  "Sakura-chan!" 

 

  She was being hunted again. So she quickly put the scroll in the pocket of whatever she was wearing, and then cursed herself when she remembered that her bandage was gone. She made a mental reminder to buy a whole pack of them and keep them on her for situations such as this.

 

 "Oh, there you are," a casual voice said from behind her. It was Kakashi. She quickly spun around, making sure to keep her balance, and stare blankly in what she hoped to be her old sensei's direction. 

 

 "Uh, hi," she responded, giving a small wave. That was when she sensed Naruto's chakra run up beside Kakashi. "Hey, Naruto."

 

  "How did you know it was me!?" the blond shouted in surprise. 

 

  The pinkette shrugged. "You weren't masking your chakra. Oh, and does anyone have another bandage? I, um, seem to have lost mine."

 

  Kakashi sighed. "If you had gone back to the hospital like Hokage-sama said, then you would've had all the bandages you like," he replied in a flat voice, though kindness still tickled at the edges. He seemed weary. 

 

   She glared at him. She really hated that voice. It was like she was the one that was in the wrong.  "Did you really expect me to go back after I've been told to hand in my hitai-ate?" 

 

 Naruto gasped. "But- But you can't stop being a ninja!" he shouted. Well duh. Of course she could. But, she wouldn't. She didn't want to.

 

  Sakura didn't feel like talking anymore. They were making her feel annoyed and like crap. It wasn't like she wanted to stop being a shinobi. That chance was taken away from her. 

 

  But.. 

 

  I will give you a chance. 

 

  Kei believed in her. Maybe that was all that mattered. Not the opinions or beliefs of others. She ignored Naruto's question in favor of saying something else.

 

  "Let's just go. I have a few things I need to take care of," she stated, and then proceeded to walk forward and brush past the the jōnin and genin duo.

 

  A hand quickly grabbed onto her arm, making her stop. 

 

  "You're going the wrong way!" Naruto told her, and then started dragging her in the opposite direction. Kakashi walked alongside them, making sure to keep an eye on his disabled stu- no, ex-student. He felt like a failure yet again. 

 

 "So, what happened after I passed out," Sakura finally asked, wiggling her way out of Naruto grip and settling for just walking alongside him. 

 

  The blond immediately told her, his voice growing even louder in excitement. After she got knocked out, Naruto had somehow channeled the Kyuubi that was inside of him, (he also told her about how he was the jinjuriki, and that was why people hated him), and broke out of the ropes. Sasuke had also activated his Sharingan at the sight of the passed out pinkette, and easily took out two of the rogue nin. Kakashi had set himself free and knocked out the rest of them, except for the leader who somehow escaped. He was currently being hunted down. 

 

  At the end of the story, Sakura settled for a simple, "Oh. That's nice." 

 

  They walked in silence for a few more minutes until Naruto spoke again. "I'm sorry about your hair, by the way."

 

  The pinkette furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

 

  "Ya know, how the leader of the rogue nin cut off some of your hair after he blinded you and threw you to the ground again," he answered casually.

 

  Sakura stopped in her tracks. Her head had felt lighter for some reason. Bringing her hand up to run through her hair, she found that it was in fact shorter and cut uneven at the ends. Her hair now fell to just above her shoulder. 

 

 "Damn," she said, and then started walking again.

 

  Kakashi stared at her strangely, though she couldn't see it. "You don't seem upset," he said aloud, making her shrug. 

 

 "I've actually been thinking of getting it cut for awhile now. It got too long," she simply said, making the two blink at her. It was a lie, technically. But she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. There were more important things on her mind. 

 

  "Hey, I know where I am now. I gotta go do something real quick. I'll be back!" Sakura suddenly said, and veered off to the right. 

 

  Naruto and Kakashi stared after the pinkette as she somehow??? dodged a tree she was about to run into. Sasuke finally decided to join the genin and jōnin a few moments later.

 

 "She doesn't look too upset that she's no longer allowed to become a shinobi," the Uchiha commented in a low voice, narrowing his eyes. 

 

  Naruto had to agree with him. "Yea, I guess. Though now that I think about it, Sakura-chan never really had much drive to become a kunoichi."

 

  The two genin looked at Kakashi, who sighed again and looked up into the sky. "Maybe she has another calling waiting, something more suited for her."

 

  Then they walked away, unaware that their voices had somehow carried over to the person they were talking about, who wanted nothing more than to disappear forever in that moment.

 

  So that is what they think of me; that the shinobi life is not meant for me, she thought, and then began to make her way back to her house for hitai-ate.

   Upon entering her house, Sakura carefully made her way to her room to where she knew her hitai-ate to be, since she knew her kaa-san brought it back here instead of leaving it at the hospital. 

 

  Narrowly avoiding smacking her face on her open closet door, she decided that the first thing she would do would be to wrap her face. Life with no sight is going to be difficult, she thought haggardly to herself as she nearly tripped over something that was laying about.

 

  After finally wrapping her eyes with a ripped up price of sheet from her bed to get a better sense of security, she moved onto the next thing she has to get done. 

 

  The summoning scroll.

 

  She sat on her knees and pulled it out of her pocket, sitting on the floor. Running her hands along the parchment after she spread it open, she noticed raised on areas that could only be the kanji of the contracts that others have made with the Eagles in the past, and she was going to add her name to it.  

 

  Signing a contract with a summon included a few things. The first, and most obvious, was the agreement to this by both sides, the summonee, and the potential summoner. The second, was a blood offering, to sign your name with your finger of the hand that you bled from. This was the hand you would use to contact your summon. And last, was the actual ability to complete the process with a series of hand signs: boar, dog, bird, monkey, and ram.

 

  "I can do this," the pinkette mumbled aloud, and she took a deep breath to study her nerves. She could do this. This would mark the time where she would change, and become a great kunoichi, even if she didn't have the support of others and her ex-team didn't believe in her. This had to be it.

 

  First came the finger prints. She bit her thumb, and touched it to each finger. Then she pressed the bloodied digits to the scroll, though she had a feeling that it was a little lopsided. Next came signing her name, which was a little difficult. If she had to guess, her name probably looked even worse than the prints. But, it wouldn't matter.

 

  Now, to see if she was actually capable of summoning one of the eagles. She knew that summoning took a great deal of chakra control and concentration, which she should be fine with. The part that worried her was if she even had enough chakra to do this. But all she could do was try. 

 

  After practicing the hand signs carefully and making sure she wouldn't make a mistake, she was ready. 

 

  Boar.

 

  Dog. 

 

  Bird. 

 

  Monkey. 

 

  Ram. 

 

  Then she slammed her hand down on the ground, sending up a large pulse of chakra into the air around her.

 

 There was a moment of silence. Then:

 

 "Hey, you actually did it!" a familiar voice said, making Sakura grin. She did do it, and was able to summon Nico. 

 

  She breathed out in relief. "Yes I did," she agreed, leaning back onto her arms. Then a question suddenly came to her, and she sat back up. "Why did you speak in my mind instead of talking aloud that first time we met?"

 

  The eagle tilted his head and ruffled his wings in embarrassment. "Well, I really didn't mean to. I was just so surprised to find that you were blind and able to heal me, that I think my thoughts accidentally projected into yours. Also, I can only do that if I form a special bond with a person, and since you healed me, I think that sufficed ," he explained, musing at the last part.

 

  Sakura shrugged, accepting the answer because she certainly wasn't an expert at summons and their ways. "I guess that makes sense."

 

  "You told Kei-sama that your Kage wouldn't allow you to become a shinobi due to your disability, right?" Nico suddenly said, making his summoner frown and nod her head in confirmation. Then he continued, "What are you planning on doing about that? Will you really allow yourself to be beaten down that easily?"

 

  At his curious but innocent question, Sakura pressed her lips tightly together in thought. That was a good question. The nurse had told her it would be impossible for her to become a shinobi, and the Hokage had agreed with that. But was that really true? The only thing preventing her from continuing in her training was her eyes; the fact that she was blind. 

 

  She supposed that sight was important for a shinobi, and without it, many things could go wrong. Such as, not being able to read hand signs when silence was crucial for a mission.

 

  But from those thoughts spawned an idea. "Not many people are blind, and those that do lose their sight are more often than not civilians, and if they were shinobi, they would retire early," she started, putting a contemplative finger to her chin. "Which means that nobody has actually seen the full potential of a blind shinobi using their other senses to their advantage. Everyone knows that when one sense is taken away, the others..," she trailed off, more and more ideas springing to mind. 

 

  A full out grin spread across her mouth, and she jumped up in excitement. "That's exactly what I'll do!" she stated, confident now in what she must do. 

 

  Nico had looked into her mind, and approved at what he found. His new - first - summoner was like nobody he's ever seen before-not that he's come across many humans to begin with. Her body may be weak and broken, but her mind was a sharp as a newly sculpted kunai. 

 

  The pinkette scrambled around her room for a few minutes, before finally finding her hitai-ate (mostly thanks to Nico), and put it in her pocket. She wouldn't put it on just yet, seeing as she had a point to make.

 

  She then held out her arm in the same manner that she used to see the Uchiha do when they were summoned, and Nico immediately took flight and landed on her arm. She winced as his claws dug into her flesh, and she just now noticed how big the eagle actually was. Her arm already aches and he was just so heavy. 

 

  But that mattered little. She would just need something to put on her arm to protect her from the sharp talons, and carrying him around would improve what little strength she had. 

 

  "Eagles have good eyesight, right?" the pinkette asked as they left the house to head towards the Hokage's Tower once again. 

 

  The eagle summon chuckled almost evilly. "Of course we do, after all, we have the best sight in the animal kingdom. Fitting, isn't it?"

 

  Sakura had to agree. A blind shinobi and her summon who had the best eyes. It was an oxymoron in itself.  

  "You're getting a lot of strange looks," Nico commented a few minutes later, casually gazing around him at the pointing and staring people.

 

  The pinkette shrugged. "I can feel their stares, but I guess everyone will have to get used to it, aye, partner?"

 

  "Partner.. I like the sound of that."

  Sakura stood in front of the Hokage's door and knocked without hesitation. If she was to go through with this, she couldn't show even a hint of doubt.

 

  She heard a puff of smoke, and she had a feeling that an ANBU member was in front of her.

 

   You are correct, Nico informed her from inside her mind. The mask clearly gave it away. 

 

  "Please hold on a moment. Hokage-sama will be with you shortly," the ANBU said, his voice showing no emotion despite his politeness. He also did not show his curiosity at seeing the girl, seeing as he had been there earlier when the Hokage told her that she could no longer become a kunoichi due to her blindness. And now she is back, with her emotions in better check and the eagle perched on her arm. How strange. 

 

  Sakura's lips lifted. "Of course. I'll gladly wait out here for as long as it takes so long as I get a chance to speak with him," she responded flashing her teeth. She felt coy somehow, her brief resentment making her words pretty. 

 

  Such smooth words, the eagle huffed, leaning to the side to poke her cheek, that was puffed out in indignation at his statement, with his beak.

 

   The trip waited a few minutes, until Sakura decided to ask the ANBU a question. 

 

 "Your mask-" she began. "-are you able to see well through it?"

 

  The ANBU tilted his head and stared at her in thought. "..My mask allows me to see the world clearly, yes." He didn't ask the reasoning behind the question, seeing as he had a good idea of what she was getting at.

 

  The pinkette nodded in disappointment, but didn't say another word. 

 

 The door suddenly opened, and the two both moved to the side. A good sized group of people stepped out of the room, and then halted in surprise when they saw Sakura.

 

 "Whoa! What's with that bird!?" the familiar voice of Kiba yelled as he stopped directly in front of her. It seemed that she had come back when the Hokage had decided to meet with them again.

 

  "He's not a bird, he's an eagle. And his name is Nico. Please excuse me, I'm sorry for the interruption," she answered, and then gave the people in front of her a short bow before quickly entering the room and closing the door, not allowing the curious genins to get any more questions in.

 

  Sarutobi looked up from his large stack of papers when Sakura entered the room.

 

  "Ah, I'm glad to see you here so soon," he said, smiling. "And if I may ask, that eagle on your arm, how did you come across it!"

 

 The genin in question frowned, sensing how he thought she was naive and incompetent to things around her. That definitely wasn't the case anymore. 

 

 "This is my partner and summon, Nico," she replied, her voice curling in amusement when she could practically taste the waves of surprise coming off her kage. Then she pushed the ugly feelings down and tried to be more placating. 

 

  "Oh. I see. And how exactly did you acquire a summon?"

 

  Sakura allowed a barely noticeable smirk to grace her face. "I was simply lending a helping hand and got rewarded for my obliviousness, and was also allowed a chance," she said, stressing the last word. 

 

  But her lips twitched into a frown when her kage completely missed that part and moved on. "You have your hitai-ate I assume?"

 

  The pinkette inwardly scowled, but kept her face blank as her fingers reached down to pull out her forehead protector. Nico took this as the signal to launch off her arm and land on his desk, making sure to accidentally spill an ink cartridge.

 

  Sarutobi merely sighed, and quickly cleaned up the mess. Though when he looked back up, he noticed the yellow eyes of the eagle summon staring intently at him, which he wisely chooses to ignore. He focused his attention back on Sakura, who had arm hitai-ate stretched between both of her hands, with the front part facing down. 

 

  "I will take this now," he said, and reached his hand out. The pinkette walked forward a few steps and leaned forward. Just as Sarutobi's finger grazed it, Nico slightly shifted and she suddenly pulled her hands back. "No," she said, her voice flat, as the  elderly Hokage watched in shock when she swiftly wrapped the hitai-ate around her forehead, and pulled it tight. 

 

 "No," she repeated. "I can accept the fact that I may never become great shinobi like my teammates definitely will, but I will not roll over like a dog and allow myself to be beaten. Even if I have nobody's encouragement or belief, I will become a respectable kunoichi!"

 

  Sarutobi looked at her sadly. Her hands were clenched into fists at her side, and her chin was tilted up in defiance, though he could tell she was shaking.

 

  He sighed, making Sakura flinch. "I wish that were the case, but it is impossible," he stated. 

 

  There was that word again. Impossible. It cut her deeper than anything anyone has ever said before. It was funny how a simple word could affect her so much. She grit her teeth and tried to calm herself. As she counted to ten, the tension slowly left her. 

 

 "Someone told me that only fools believe in the impossible; and I do not wish to remain a fool any longer," she whispered, her body finally slouching. All her previous frustration and anger had drained out of her, and she was left feeling tired. She was in desperate need of another nap. It seemed all the events of today were catching up to her.

 

  "Please give me one week to prove to you that I can be useful to our village. I will become an experiment. I'm sure that there have been other high ranked shinobi that have had injuries that force them to retire, such as the loss of one of their senses, such as I. And if this fails, only then will I willingly give up my hitai-ate," she finished, slumping forward into a submissive bow. After all, she still had to show respect even when defying the wishes of the leader of her village. 

 

  The silence that ensued stretched on, and she willed herself not to straighten up or panic. 

 

 Do not fret. He's merely thinking, Nico assured her, and relief washed over her. So he wouldn't immediately dismiss her offer after all.  

 

  After a few minutes more of terse silence, the kage spoke. "Stand up, young Sakura. I must admit, your idea is not a bad one. Unexpected, yes, but not bad. Though, if you do go through with this, you are aware that you cannot return to your team, right?" he asked, and Sakura could tell there was a sort of awkwardness to his tone. 

 

  She narrowed her eyes, suspicious. "Well..," she trailed off, figuring an internal battle. On one hand, she knew logically that their methods would no longer with her - as if they even worked in the first place. If she was out somewhere else, then maybe she could learn. But.. Team Seven was familiar. They had been close to becoming her second family, another home that she could escape to when her mother made accidental-sexist comments or when her dad found himself in a depressive slump on those rare occasions. 

 

  "Unfortunately Team Seven is gaining another teammate to replace your spot. She's a little bit of a special case and has specific needs that this team would help nurture," the Kage's voice didn't waver, even when Sakura clenched her jaw. He continued, "Also, Team Seven will not work for you. You must do this one on your own. No team, only yourself and whatever help you must employ." 

 

  Sakura trembled, bit her lip until she could taste metal, and nodded. 

 

  “Okay. Alright. So no team for me then. Does this mean you accept?" she said.

 

  "You have one week," was all he said. That one sentence managed to get her to crack a shaky smile. Relief washed over her. 

 

  "Thank you so much. I promise you won't regret this," Sakura said, bowing once more. Then she nodded to her kage again before holding out her arm, the opposite one than before this time since it was sore and tender. Nico immediately took his place on her arm and they headed towards the door. 

 

  She suddenly stopped, her hand inches away from the doorknob. "Cha! Screw that, I'm not going through that tonight," she said, referring to the several familiar chakra signatures  on the other side of the door that were clearly trying to eavesdrop. If only she had noticed that sooner.

 

 She turned her head towards her partner. "Can we?" was all she asked. And then she got the distinct feeling that Nico was smirking, or as close as an eagle could without a human mouth. 

 

 "Oh, we can."

 

  "Phew, thank goodness," she said, walking away from the door and passing the Hokage's desk, towards where the windows were. 

 

 Sarutobi let out a groan as he watched Nico talk Sakura through unlatching said window. 

 

 "Please tell me you're not doing what I th-"

 

  But she already jumped out the window.

 

   Sarutobi quickly scrambled out of his chair and to the open window, where he saw the blind pinkette being carried off by her peculiar summon in the direction of the hospital. 

 

  Then he turned his attention to the door, where there stood people behind it that Sakura apparently didn't want to face.

 

  He suddenly paled.

 

  "What have I done," he whispered to himself. He had crushed a genin's dream just this morning, and now he had just agreed to make this same blind, impulsive girl an experiment of the village. What had he done, indeed.

   And Kei, who was in the middle of cleaning himself, was filled with a certain type of warmth that made his feathers shiver and his bones rattle. His facial expression twisted into something almost pleasant and heartbroken. 

 

  "Please don't let me lose another.."

Notes:

I’m still figuring out how to use ao3 lol

Like, how can I enter my chapter into the text thing and NOT have to go over it again to italicize certain words?? I’m on mobile and it doesn’t seem to like me.. :”)

Chapter 3: on a great

"You can't make me stay here forever!" Sakura complained, crossing her arms over her practically non-existent chest and turning away from her mom in indignation.

Mebuki sighed. "You know I only want what's best for you. And you already got lots of scrapes and cuts on you from just attempting to walk around yesterday. Shin also said you've also shown impulsive tendencies," she pointed out, talking about how the pinkette had carelessly jumped out the window.

"But I asked what floor we were on.."

The frazzled and worried mother continued on as if the pinkette hadn't spoken. "Not to mention you scared the daylights out of quite a few people when you decided to try to jump out of the top floor of the Hokage Tower. What were you thinking!?"

Holding in a groan, Sakura rested her face in the palms of her hands. Ever since she had returned last night, her mom has been hovering protectively over her and not allowing her to do anything. Don't get her wrong, she appreciated it, but sometimes it was just way too much.

  Plus, she was feeling even more snappy due to the fact that yes, she was blind, and things haven't been easy. Moving around and always running into things, forgetting where she put her stuff and having to get someone to help her find it, and even doing simple things such as getting her own food has developed into tedious tasks.

"Mother, "she started sharply, raising her head and getting said womans attention. "I have exactly one week to show the Hokage that I can be of use, that I can become a kunoichi, even without my sight. I understand you're worried, but I really need to do this."

Mebuki frowned, looking at her only child. "But why would you want to?"

The question hung in the air, and Sakura's eyes widened. Why would she want to prove to the Hokage that she could actually become a shinobi? Was she serious!?

Her mom spoke again, her voice confused. "Why would you want to continue to do something that took your sight? Being a kunoichi is hard work. Do you really have it in you to do this considering you've already become blind?"

Ouch. That hurt. That really hurt.

Now it wasn't just her kage, teammates, and sensei that doubted her, it was her own mother as well. And for all she knew, her father felt the same way. Of course, she didn't know his opinion on this because he was forced to stay back in the village her parents were in before this all happened, while only Mebuki was able to come. He would be home within a few days though.

The door suddenly opened, and Mebuki remained oblivious to her daughters feelings as someone came in with a clipboard in their hands. Sakura instantly recognized Shin's chakra.

"I have good news and bad news, Haruno-san and Sakura-san. I'll give you that bad news first," the male nurse started. "The bad news, is that you will have slight scarring on your skin, especially around your eyes and you will have to come back here every once in awhile for checkups to make sure you don't have any skin problems. Burns or any type of skin spots that are exposed for the sun too long can develop into cancer. But fortunately, that is all. The good news, is that you can be released whenever you want to, Sakura, as long as you have your mother's permission of course."

The pinkette quickly whipped her head to Mebuki's direction, silently daring her to refuse. Thankfully, she didn't.

"I suppose I can bring her back home if you say she's fine," Mebuki decided warily, glancing from smiling Shin to the suddenly grinning Sakura.

The pinkette quickly jumped off her bed, have her mom an obligatory hug, thanked Shin, and unexpectedly-definitely expected considering yesterday's events-jumped out of the hospital window.

Again.

As she flew through the air, she quickly preformed five specific hand signs and and landed on the ground in a crouch, with her hand pressed into the hard cement.

There was a loud poofing sound, and then a flap of wings was heard.

"Sakura Haruno! You get back here this instant!"

Nico and Sakura blanched as the people that were milling around stopped to stare at them.

"You jumped out of a window again, didn't you," the eagle summon stated. The pinkette let out a nervous laugh, giving him his answer.

"Eto... Oops?"

Nico sighed. "Well then, we better go before that crazy lady catches us," he said, and then landed onto her outstretched arm. "Where to, partner?"

The pinkette took a moment to think as she began to quickly walk away, making sure to keep her senses spread all the way around her. She didn't want to run into anyone again. Or anything.

That tree really did hurt.

"Several places actually. First, I need to go to some shops to get some sort of arm protectors because of your sharp talons and a few other things, and I definitely need to stop at the library," she mused aloud.

Her arms were actually quite sore from hauling around Nico yesterday, but it was a pleasant type of pain. Her muscles burned with the satisfaction that they were actually doing work for once, and she was looking forward to making them stronger. Which meant.. no more unconventional dieting. She supposed she needed to actually eat so her muscles wouldn't become starved.

"So that's why you felt so light when I carried you," Nico commented, making the pinkette roll her eyes from under her bandage. Oh, that reminded her.

"I'll also need something better to cover my eyes. I've found that this material falls off to easily," she said, counting another thing she needed off on her fingers of her free hand.

Nico tilted his head, puzzled. "Why do you feel the need to cover your eyes?"

That was a good question. If wasn't like she needed to but..

"There's this sense of security, like a kid with a blanket or stuffed animals. Without it, my eyes are wide open for people to see, and I guess it feels like come sort of odd sheild in a way? I dunno, it's kinda hard to explain."

Her foot scuffed the ground as she walked, embarrassed that she had just blabbed something like that.

"I used to keep my mom's feather with me for the longest time after she died. I'm guessing that's natural," Nico said in an understanding voice. He then let out a soft cooing sound that made Sakura smile. She felt much better now.

After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at a well known shinobi apparel shop, and the girl hesitantly entered. She had never been here before, so she didn't know the layout of it and was afraid of knocking something down.

"Just follow my directions and I'll guide you to the lady that's behind the counter in the back, alright?" Nico instructed, gazing around.

The pinkette nodded, and within a few minutes she made it safely with the help of her summon.

"E-excuse me," she stammered out, not sure if her head was facing the right direction.

The woman at the counter was older, most likely in her late sixties, but she seemed to have aged well. Silver hair fell in waves to her back, and her blue eyes gleamed in the natural light coming through the large front windows.

When she heard a young females voice, she quickly dropped the r-rated book she was reading and looked up. But, as it turned out, she didn't need to worry about young eyes accidentally looking at mature reading material, because the pink haired girl in front of her had her eyes covered up by an ugly looking bandage.

"Hello, dear. How may I help you?" she asked, wisely not saying anything about the eagle on her arm or her covered face.

Sakura quickly licked her suddenly dry lips before replying with, "U-Um, I was wondering if you could help me get a few things? I would do it myself, but.. that's a little out of the question. I need something to replace these bandages and something else to protect my arms from when I'm holding Nico."

At the last part said eagle summon let out a little squawk and pressed the side of his face to the pinkette's cheek, his way of agreeing with her. She wrinkled her nose and pushed his head away from her with her free hand. He smelled like fish.

'Wow, rude.'

"Of course, I'd be glad to help!" the elderly woman cheerfully said, waddling around the corner to take Sakura's free hand. "Oh, and I'd be happy to help you pick out some decent clothes to~"

The pinkette halted in her track, squinting her covered eyes. "Decent clothes?"

An amused laugh came from the woman as she pulled the genin moving again. "Yep," she quipped. "That shade of red definitely doesn't go with your beautiful hair, plus, your current clothes don't provide much camouflage when on missions. Trust me, dear, I know these things. I was an excellent kunoichi back in my day," she rambled on with a big smile that lacked several teeth.

The next hour was filled with Sakura being forced to try on several things. And she could only trust the word of her mischievous summon and an old lady she just met to make sure she looked alright. She might not have been able to see herself, but that didn't mean that she didn't care about her looks.

In the end, the woman, whose name was Riba Enkin, and Nico finally chose a few new sets of clothes for the blind genin. That included a longsleeved mesh top that was paired with a forest green half top and gray pants, a teal shirt with a black pair of shorts, and a few other random items that would get sorted through later.

The thing that came next was something to protect her arms for when she was carrying Nico. After several tests, the pair finally decided on a nice set of leather gauntlets with special material on the underneath that wouldn't chafe her arm. As a bonus, it also soaked in any sweat her pores would produce in the future from training or other physical things.

"We're onto the last thing now. To find you something to put over your eyes," Riba stated, pulling the pinkette behind her once again as they bumbled around the surprisingly large shop.

A deft hand quickly unwound the bandages that were around Sakura's face, and she quickly snapped her eyes shut before anyone could see their appearance. She was afraid that they looked freaky and it would give another reason for people to make fun of her.

'Trust me, they don't,' the eagle summon tried to reassure her, but she still kept them closed, and thankfully, Riba didn't ask any questions about them or tell her to open them.

"Let's see, I think we are going to go with white, since that color matches everything and I know it looks good on you," the shopkeeper started mumbling to herself and dug around the shelves.

Something suddenly got wrapped around her face, and she had to stop herself from jumping in surprise. After the piece of cloth was tied in the back, she brought her hand up to feel the material.

"Whoa, that feels nice," she murmured, running he fingers along the fabric. It was soft, but it wasn't the type of material that would make you sweat in the heat. And it also soaked up any liquid if she were to actually sweat. And after a few tests that consisted of her jumping up and down and bobbling her head, she found that it stayed secured to her head without any trouble at all.

And so the trio made their way back to the counter and Sakura pulled out her bulging wallet. She had been saving up money for awhile now, and was never in a hurry to buy anything. Until now, that is.

"How much will everything be?" she asked, ready to pull out the wanted amount out of her butterfly wallet.

A hand stopped her from unzipping it though. "No, no. This is on me. I haven't had this much fun in awhile," Riba insisted, smiling at the surprised look on Sakura's face.

"But.."

"Not buts, dear. You get everything free as long as you promise to come back."

"O-Okay. I promise then."

 

Finally, the pair entered the library and went straight to the genin section, since that's the only place they were allowed to go, not counting the civilian area.

'What types of scrolls and books are you hoping to find?' Nico asked, before leaning down to peck at a loose string that was on her shirt.

She shrugged, carefully making her way to one of the shelves. "I'm not entirely sure yet.. Oh, I really hope I can do this," she whispered, nervousness evident in her tone.

She had only a week to prove that her blindness would not slow her down. She would need as much help as she could get.

In the end, she ended up picking out several books on chakra, a scroll on hundreds of famous shinobi, and-

"Shit!" she hissed when she ran her knee into the corner of a table that she definitely did not know was there.

Nico had the decency to hold in an amused snort, but his comment didn't help at all. "You really are as blind as a bat."

Scowling, the pinkette reached her hand up to swipe playfully at the summon, but suddenly stopped when an idea came to her. She grinned, and instead patted Nico gently on the head.

"That's perfect! Great thinking," she said excitedly, and limped to the civilian part of the library after depositing her other books at an empty table.

Nico blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm as blind as a bat, just like you said, right?" she asked, running her finger along the spines of books carefully, looking for a certain one. She was lucky that the kanji was slightly raised so she didn't need any help reading it.

"Yes? You are most definitely as blind as-"

"Aha, found it! Bats And Echolocation," she read aloud.

And the summon finally understood.

"That's actually pretty smart."

Sakura grinned again and brought the book back to her large pile, and she settled into one of the seats. Nico made his spot on top of the table and dragged over one of the books on chakra control to read.

Most of the books and scrolls in Konoha were made by hand, which meant that they used ink to write and draw with. That meant that the kanji, diagrams, ect. were slightly raised from the actual paper, allowing the pinkette to trace her finger over it with her fingertips and read.

The book that she picked out was a thick one, and had several chapters. Calls and ecology, acoustic features, frequency, frequency modulation and constant frequency, intensity, harmonic composition, call duration, and many, many more things.

She suddenly let out a low whine and set her face on the table, weaving her fingers through her hair and tugging. "How do people know this much about bats!? There's like a million things in here!"

Nico made a big show of fluffing up his feathers and bring his wings into a half circle over his head. "Science, my dear," he said dramatically as he brought his wings back down.

Sakura grimaced and went back to her reading. She had a feeling that she'd be here for awhile.

Most bats actually aren't blind, but they do use something called echolocation to hunt and forage for food in the dark. The bats pushed air past their vibrating vocal cords to create a sound wave. These sounds are so high in frequency that no human could hear. (That was a good thing for Sakura because stealth was important.)

They (bats), have one transmitter, (themselves), and two receivers, (their ears). When their soundwaves hit an object, they come bouncing back, and that allows them to use the arrival time, intensity, and frequency content of echo returns to determine the distance, direction, and features of the objects around them.

And that was only the basis of it. She had so much more she had to research. Maybe she'd get a scroll to write down all that she was learning and could use the information for later..

She suddenly perked her head up when she heard a rough sounding cough. Someone must be in here. Though, judging by the distance of the sound, they were probably in the chūnin or jōnin part of the library.

When she focused all of her attention on the direction that the person was in, she noticed that there was something off about their chakra.

'It's sickness; a disease that's spreading. Can't you smell it?' Nico asked, studying his summoner carefully.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she took a big sniff of air, and her eyes widened from under the cloth. The vague scent of death filled her nostrils, mixed with flowers and herbs. That meant that they were trying to cure the sickness with some type of concoction.

"H-How am I able to do that?" she asked in a hushed whisper. It was almost unreal!

The eagle summon tilted his head. "You said it yourself. When one sense is taken away, the others are magnified. Since you no longer have use of your eyes, your sense of smell, touch, hearing and taste are slowly being heightened. In this case, you can smell the sickness," he explained.

The coughing of the unknown shinobi continued. Sakura frowned, slowly becoming worried despite the fact that she knew they were being treated.

"Do you think they'll be okay? They don't sound too well.."

"I think they'll be fine. Though if you want to, you could probably add this somehow to the week that you have," Nico suggested, confusing Sakura.

"How would I do that?"

"Think of it as training. You can watch them, observe their chakra with your heightened senses, see exactly what is wrong with them, and possibly see what medics they're using. It would help with your analytical skills, you can learn how to hide your presence, and you can help strengthen your sense of smell, hearing, taste, and touch."

Sakura gaped. "Wow. That's actually really smart," she stated, making the summon ruffle his feathers in pride. Then Nico slumped.

  "Actually? Did you think I wasn't before!?"

Then a different noise caught their attention.

Grrrr!

The girls hand went to her growling stomach. "I need some food. I guess we can take a break and get some lunch."

"Yes! Food!"

 

A few minutes later, Nico and Sakura were walking along the main road, looking for a place to eat.

'I found a family of mice over in that alley. I'll catch you later!' the eagle summon said to her in her head before taking flight and leaving her all alone.

Rolling her eyes at his sudden departure, the pinkette finally picked out a place that sounded appetizing. It was a grill that many of the genin teams went to, and they gave you a lot of food for a low price.

"Is that you, Sakura-chan?" a familiar and not entirely welcome voice called out. It was safe to say that she was a little miffed about her old teams comments about her. Especially Naruto, because she honestly thought he would stand by her. Turned out that wasn't true.

Forcing her lips into a smile, she made her way to the table in the back that held three familiar chakra's, and one unfamiliar one. If she had to guess, she would say that the extra person was the new teammate.

On one side of the table sat Kakashi and the new person, and on the other side was Naruto and Sasuke.

A hand (Naruto's) suddenly snatched Sakura's, and she was suddenly sitting in between the boys. Nervousness, panic, and jealousy filled her.

"It's good to see you, Sakura," Kakashi said, giving her a closed eye smile she couldn't see.

Yea right. You just saw me yesterday, and I'm sure you don't want me distrupting your new teammate, or spreading my uselessness to them, she thought with an inward scowl though kept her face blank.

'Now don't be bitter,' Nico chided her, making guilt and shame fill her.

Oops.

So she put on a faux smile, and decided to go a different route than self degradation. "Oh, but you guys just saw me yesterday," she started, tilting her head. "And after I left, I believe I caught some saddening comments you three made. But, I'm sure they meant nothing."

She was obviously referring to the things they said yesrerday, when they thought she was out of hearing range. And now, she just wanted them to feel at least a little bad.

Sakura didn't see the way Naruto's face paled, the way Kakashi frowned, or the even the way Sasuke's finger twitched, but she did feel the shame coming off of them. And then she decided that was enough. She wasn't actually a mean person.

"Well, that's enough about me. Today should be about your new teammate, correct?"

Ah, so she was right.

"H-hah, hah, y-ye-"

The pinkette held up her hand, and Naruto quit his stuttering. She could practically taste the tension coming off of her old teammate. They probably thought she was going to explode soon. But that wasn't the case. She had better control of her feelings than that. ..Maybe.

"Oh, we should play a game. I'll guess things about the newcomer and for everyone I get right, you have to pay a portion of my meal, and for everyone I get wrong, I'll pay a portion of your meal, does that sound fair? This way, you guys can also learn things about them," Sakura offered, flashing her teeth.

'Good idea. Relive the tension and you might get a free meal.'

"Deal!" Naruto immediately accepted.

"Good," Sakura started, and focused on the person in front of her.

"Female?"

"Correct."

Damn. A spark of anger and jealousy flashed through her, but she pushed it aside. The girl had a really nice voice. It was soft and sweet, almost like Hinata's in a way, but somehow stronger.

Then the pinkette took a discrete sniff of air.

"You use watermelon shampoo."

Cue the surprised pause.

"I- um, yea. How did you know?" the girl asked, confusion clear in her voice.

Sakura smiled. "Easy. I smelled it. It's actually quite strong now that I think about it. But that's probably just me. Next one now. Let's see.." she trailed off, and then focused hard on the girls chakra to see if she could learn anything from it.

There. She found something.

"Give me your hand," she instructed, and held her own hand out for the girl to take. Very hesitantly, she put her hand in the open hand, and Sakura's fingers quickly found a certain place on the palm of her hand.

"You've recently been to the hospital and had your hand healed after you hurt it somehow," she stated.

The girl drew her hand back and hid it in her chest, frowning. "Yes actually. That's true too. How did you know that? I thought you were blind," she said, her voice almost defensive for some reason.

"There's a faint chakra residue on your hand that isn't your own. And I'm going to pretend that you didn't say anything about my eyesight, kay, sweetie?" Sakura replied, putting up a peace sign and giving an innocent smile.

'I see she's not the only one getting defensive,' Nico decided to throw in his two-sense.

Hey, it's not her fault she said that. She was still trying to deal with the fact that she would be blind for forever and this chit had taken her spot on the team she was growing to love, despite Kakashi's laziness and Naruto's idiotic tendencies. (Sasuke wasn't included because he could never do anything wrong.)

'Is that a crush I smell?' the summon asked, surprise. But Sakura didn't answer, she was still glowering at the female in front of her.

"Okay, Sakura and Akira, how about we just order," Kakashi finally decided to cut in, not wanting a cat fight break out.

So Akira is her name, eh? Sakura thought, trying to imagine what she looked like. Maybe a blond like Ino, but with a big bust and butt. Or, a shy brunette with no curves at all and glasses. OR, a spunky blue haired chick who was pretending to be soft spoken and was actually undercover and trying to gather intel to bring back to her boss.

'Whoa there, I'm sure she's not that last one,' Nico said, and Sakura could imagine him sweatdropping.

"So, Sakura, was it?" Akira began to talk, irking the pinkette when she didn't use an honorific. "Where's your hitai-ate?"

Now, Sakura knew that the girl was playing dumb. She must have known how she was able to suddenly able to get a spot on an genin team. She felt Naruto stiffen, and the chakras of Kakashi and Sasuke pulsed. And now that she thought about it, her old team and the girl must not know about the week deadline she has, her second chance. They must think that she actually gave up.

How ignorant.

She suddenly laughed, the sound filled with bitterness and amusement that surprised team seven. After her fit subsided, she reached under her cloth to wipe away nonexistent tears.

"Ah, sorry about that. Dunno what got into me there-"

'Heh, liar.'

"-though if you really want to know, it's right here." And she pulled her hitai-ate out of her pocket, letting it dangle off her fingertips almost mockingly in front of the team. The edge of her mouth pulled up into a smirk. Okay, so maybe she we just a little bit bitter about this whole thing.

'I'll say,' Nico snorted.

"B-But I thought the old man said you couldn't be a shinobi anymore, dattebayo!?" Naruto shouted, puzzled. Even the other three were confused at this turn of events.

Sakura shrugged. "Maa, that's what he said at first. But I may have managed to change his mind about that," she explained, putting her hitai-ate back in her pocket.

The reason she wasn't wearing it was because she didn't want Konoha to be shown in a bad light if visitors came around and they saw Sakura wasn't doing well. Also, it didn't feel right to be wearing it if nobody thought she deserved it. It was entirely unselfish, and she planned to wear her hitai-ate as soon as the Hokage believes for himself that she can become a kunoichi Konoha could be proud of.

There was a sound that came from Akira that sounded like a scoff, but nobody said anything about it. "And how exactly did you persuade Hokage-sama otherwise?" the girl asked.

"Simple really. I-"

But she cut herself off when Nico suddenly let out a loud squawk and said, 'The target has just passed me. And wow, he doesn't look good. Sunk-in cheeks and bags under his eyes. Probably hasn't had a decent sleep in awhile if I had to guess.'

"Cat got your tongue, Sakura-chan?" Akira asked, bringing the pinkette back to the conversation at hand. Oh, she sounded like she suddenly woke up on the wrong side of bed. It's probably because she feels her spot on the team isn't guaranteed because Sakura could possibly take it from her in the future.

The pinkette grinned, giving the people at the table a peace sign again. "Not cat, more like eagle. But I actually can't stay and have this lovely chat right now. My target is on the move, and Nico seems to be about ready to knock him out to get him to sleep, and I don't feel like dealing with that right now," she said, and vaulted almost gracefully over the table.

'Hey, I was just saying he looked to be in great need of a nap, nothing more,' the eagle summon defended himself, making her snort. Then she pulled out her wallet, pulled out a good amount of money, and set it on the edge of the table. There, she was actually making good use of her saved up money. Oh, she certainly had fun here, despite the everything. She felt different somehow, more free. And maybe that had something to do with her tongue becoming a little bit more loose than people were accustomed too, but she liked it.

"I know I technically get a free meal, but I'm feeling generous. Make sure you eat up. Cya later!" Sakura said with another grin and spun on her heel.

But that was a mistake, because her foot ended up swinging the wrong way, making her fall backwards. Fortunately, she was able to fall into a backbend (thank goodness for how flexible she was) and flip herself back over so she was right side up again.

Phew, thank goodness I didn't hurt myself. That would have been embarrassing. I hope nobody was paying atretention to that , she thought, and then quickly exited the grill without looking back to notice the shocked expressions of her old team.

In their eyes, they saw Sakura smoothly dodge getting smacked in the face by a tray that an incoming waitress was carrying. But let's just let them continue thinking that was what actually happened..

 

'Oh no! The target shunshined away!' Nico cried out, flapping his wings in panic as she quickly flew to his summoner, slightly slowed down by his full stomach.

"No! We're never going to find him now!"

Notes:

This chapter is most likely unedited. I haven’t returned to writing this but I figured that people would want to read it, no matter how shitty it is. I’ll try to post the rest of the chapters that I have written and thank you for your patience ❤️

I also haven’t figured out a faster way to edit the text on here for when I paste it and the italicization disappears from the original so.. My apologies for that.

Chapter 4: horse of gold

 

 

They lost him for the third time that day.

 

   Every time Nico and Sakura would get close to their target, he would just disappear. All that they learned about him was his name:

 

  Gekkou Hayate.

 

  But that was all, besides his obvious jōnin stature.

 

   "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be," the pinkette groaned, resting under the shade of a large tree, with the eagle summon roosting up on a low hanging branch. Her forearm was covering her red, sweating face.

 

   It was the afternoon now, and a cool breeze swept through the trees, causing bells to ring in the distance.

 

  "Here, here. It's like every time we get close to him, he senses us, and then uses that damn shunshin to get away," he complained, flapping his wings in irritation. 

 

  There was a pause, and then another groan from the pinkette. 

 

 "That's just it. He probably can sense us because we haven't been disguising our chakra.. Idiot, I should have realized it before," Sakura berated herself, and put her head into her hands, before pulling away her arms in disgust. She was really sweating. 

 

  The eagle summon spread out his wings and stepped off the branch, drifting down to the pinkette's spot and resting his head on her knee in comfort. "Don't be too hard on yourself. After all, this is training and you're bound to make some mistakes. All that you can do now is learn from them," he said in assurance.

 

  Sakura nodded. He was right. This was what being a genin was all about. It was a learning process, where you either utterly fail, or you pass. And since she had already hit rock bottom, the only place she could go was up. 

 

  Only fools believe in the impossible. 

 

  She would not be a fool, not again. The weak and useless Sakura was in the past. She disappeared the same day the use of her eyes did. Now, is where she would start over.

 

  "Disguising my chakra," she started, raising her head and weaving her fingers together in her lap, "requires perfect chakra control and the ability to know your own chakra. The best way to do this is to preform exercises that strengthens your chakra control, such as walking on water or up something without you hands or falling. Mediation also helps to memorize and become familiar with the way it works."

 

  "What scroll did you swallow?"

 

   Sakura childishly stuck her tongue out at the summon, who laughed in return.

 

  "If you must know, I've read a lot of books on chakra due to my infatuation with Tsunade-sama, the Slug Sannin, and strongest kunoichi in the land. She also is the best medic," she explained, putting a finger on her chin in thought. "And even though I've read about a lot of things and understand how they work, doesn't mean I'll actually be able to do then. But I guess all that I can do is try," she finished with a loud sigh.

 

  There was a big difference about reading in depth something and actually executing the move perfectly. 

 

  Standing up, Sakura forward to stand well away from the tree and turned back to face it. This would be the tree that she would test her chakra control and run up it with no hands.

 

  "I believe in you, partner!" Nico crowed helpfully, and moved out of the way to go back to his branch.

 

  The pinkette snorted, and smiled sadly. "You almost sounded like Naruto there for a second," she murmured, and then shook herself out of it. There was no use getting herself down about something that she couldn't help.

 

  So she focused on where the tree was, took a few moments to gather her chakra to her feet, and started running towards the tree. 

 

  And running. 

 

  And running. 

 

  And still running. 

 

  She stopped in confusion. "Where the hell did the tree go!?"

 

  Nick sweatdropped from his perch in said tree. "Um, your path curved and you ended up missing the tree entirely," he tried to helpfully explain.

 

  But that caused the poor pinkette to emit another loud groan in frustration. Things like this just kept happening, over and over and over again. "Damn it! I can sense the chakra of people and animals and avoid them, but other things have too little chakra!"

 

  "Don't fret. After all, you are working on that echolocation thing that will help. So just try again until then!" the eagle summon chirped, making Sakura nod begrudgingly and carefully make her way back to the tree. 

 

  She made sure to keep Nico's chakra in front of her so she knew where the tree was and wouldn't get sidetracked again. And then she started walking, which soon broke into a steady jog. Her right foot pressed into the trunk of the tree, and her left foot immediately followed. And she still continued running, up, up, up, to the very top of the tree. Gravity pressed down on her, but she refused to let it win. 

 

  "You did it! I knew you could!" Nico yippee in pride making Sakira grin when she reached the top of the tree. She held on to the very top, and breathed in the fresh and undisturbed air that rushed past her.

 

  She succeeded the first exercise to be able to disguise her chakra. It marked the first of many future firsts.

 

  The next exercise would prove to be a little more difficult: walking on water.  To do this, the pinkette brought a change of clothes for when she was done, because she doubted it would be fun walking around soaking wet and creating puddles wherever she went.

 

  "At least the water will be warm," Nico pointed out as the pinkette stood tensely in front of the hot spring.  She had taken off her head-cloth, shoes, and her red dress, leaving her in leggings and a black sports bra. She made sure her hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail, and then she was ready to go. 

 

 She walked to the edge, and dipped her big toe in the water. A pleasant shiver erupted along her spine, and she thought she wouldn't be too upset if she ended up falling in. 

 

  Rolling her shoulders, Sakura went thorough a list in her head if what she needed to do. Just like the tree exercise, she needed to focus her chakra on the bottom of her feet. But if she concentrated too much, then she knew she would end up falling in, the same if she were to concentrate too little. 

 

  "Okay, let's go." 

 

  And her foot left the safety of the ground, and hovered over the warm water. As her foot barely hovered above it, she made her other foot follow.

 

  ...She fell in. 

 

   Disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Water was different from a tree. While a tree trunk was solid, and didn't move, while the water was always fluctuating and never stayed the same. So she figured she would have to move her chakra to sync with the ripples of the water.

 

  She tried again. 

 

  It was a full minute that she stayed on top of the water, before she lost concentration because Nico startled her by unexpectedly trying to perch on top of her head. This time, she wasn't the only one to fall in. 

 

  A drenched bird of prey and a pink haired experiment genin pulled theirselves out of the water, giggling.  

 

  "Hah, karma's a bitch, isn't she," Sakura said in amusement, much to the eagle summons distaste.  

 

  He scowled. "Language, missy," he scolded bitterly, making her laugh again. 

 

  "As if you're any better."

 

  After that, Sakura practiced walking on the water until she was even able to focus her chakra to her hands and walk like that, with her feet handing in the air. 

 

  A half hour later, she collapsed beside the dozing summon and allowed the warm sun to dry her skin. Unfortunately, her clothes stayed damp, so she had to change into the dry ones she brought. It was the mesh-top with the green half-shirt and black pants. (Or at least that's what Nico told her.) Her shoes and head-cloth was dry, so she put those back on, and she liked her hair into a messy bun, not wanting the wet ends to stick unpleasantly to her neck.

 

 "I think I might be ready to hide my chakra," she announced, and then proceeded to flop on the ground with her legs underneath her. 

 

  The eagle summon nodded. "Well, while you do that, I'm going to leave for a bit and see if I can get Kei-sama to train me. I don't want to be the one holding you back in the end when we go on a dangerous mission," he said. 

 

  Sakura's heart warmed when he said when they go on a mission, and not if. He was one of the few people that actually thought she was capable of something, and she was grateful for it. 

 

  "Maa, you're gonna make me blush," Nico said in embarrassment. "And of course I think your capable! After all, Kei-sama hasn't allowed a shinobi to summon us in over a decade because he considered them all fools!"

 

  She smiled. "I'll see you later then," she said, and he poofed out of existence soon after. 

 

  After he left, the pinkette relaxed her body, slightly tilted her chin up, and let her hands rest comfortably on her knees. Meditating, which is what she was about to do, required a peaceful state of mind, and for her, that was absolutely no distractions or noise whatsoever. 

 

  Surpressing your chakra has its advantages, and it's disadvantages. When you surpress it, you can mask your chakra until it becomes undetectable, which is perfect for stealth missions. On the downside however, the user in unable to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. 

 

  Sakura let the natural noises around her melt into a study hum, and she focused on slowly down her breathing, which then slowed down her heart rate. Her chakra was spread throughout her body, and she found each individual chakra point. 

 

  Counting up from ten and back again, she let her chakra spread out, almost reaching the edges with her fingertips. Then, ever so slowly and carefully, she imagined the spread out chakra being condensed into barely noticeable size, like a flea.

 

   "Hey, where'd she go!?" 

 

   "Who are you talking about, dobe? There's nobody else here."

 

   "Shut up, teme! I could have sworn I felt Sakura's chakra!" 

 

   Her closed eyes snapped open at the voices of Naruto and Sasuke. Her mind was split with keeping her chakra condensed into a ball barely bigger than a flea, and listening in the the boys' conversation.

 

 "Hn. You're imagining things."

 

  "Boys, quite arguing. Remember, were supposed to be making Akira feel welcomed, not trying to scare her away with her bickering." Kakashi was there too, somewhere in front of her. 

 

  So, the whole team was here. No, the new team was here. It left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

 

   Sakura picked herself off the ground and quickly found a tree to hide herself in, using her newfound skill of walking up the trunk with no hands. 

 

  "Ah, sorry Akira-chan," Naruto said sheepishly, and Sakura could imagine him rubbing his neck his a dopey smile directed towards the new member of team seven. 

 

  "Hn," was all Sasuke offered, making the pinkette smirk. It made her feel better that he was indifferent about her, even though that was what he was like to herself.  

 

  "C-Could we maybe battle against one another? It would help me get to know your strengths and weaknesses, and you can tell the same with mine," Akira suggested. Her voice was timid, but Sakura thought she could sense some sort of smugness underneath her exterior.

 

  Kakashi spoke again, agreeing with her. "That's a great idea. How about you against Naruto, and Sasuke against me?"

 

  And so the blind, pink haired girl sat there, hidden in her tree, and listening to the sounds of their mock battles. 

 

  Meanwhile..

 

  "Wahhh!" Nico narrowly dodged a huge gust of wind caused my Kei's enormous wings.

 

   After he had appeared back at Tōjinbō Cliffs, he immediately sought out Kei and begged for him to train him. After asking a few questions as to why he wanted to train, the larger eagle finally accepted, and they got straight to work, starting with working on his speed, as well as his resolve.

 

  Gust after gust was sent at the poor eagle summon, and he was sent flying into a large boulder quite a few times. Pretty soon, he was aching all over, including in places he didn't even know existed. 

 

      A question suddenly came to Nico, causing him to sit up from where he had been dramatically slumped over a flat rock.

 

  "Why did you allow for Sakura-chan to summon us? It's been forever since you've done that, considering the last person," he said, shifting from foot to foot in an awkward manner. Rarely anyone would dare to talk about them, especially in front of Kei. 

 

  But the Eagle King didn't react to the mention of them, but merely went on the answer the question.

 

  "There are many of them attached to the girl, but the most prominent are the five red strings, and the one black string."

 

  The smaller eagle cocked his head. "What do you mean, strings?"

 

  Kei looked at his godson with a critical eye. "By strings, I mean the fates of people around her. The red strings represent the people she will save, and the black string, that represents the poor person she cannot save, no matter how hard she tries," he explained, his voice solemn at the last part.

 

  Nico blinked, his beak slightly opened. He never knew that the pinkette was that important and had a great future in front of her. 

 

  But Kei shook his massive head and leaned down to look the smaller eagle in the eyes. 

 

 "I want you to know this; something important that an eagle summon should be aware of," he started, making sure Nico was paying close attention. "All humans have these strings attached to them. The girl, her friends, her family, strangers; everyone. It isn't something special. The world is a great circle, and people are always affecting one another," he said.

 

  Nico took a moment to think. "Like a chain reaction of sorts?"

 

  "Exactly. For example: There was once a boy, a prodigy in the arts of the shinobi, in fact. He was eventually put on a team with two other people, a girl he may have developed a slight crush on, and boy whom he greatly disliked. There was also his sensei, a young man with an unknown tragic future ahead of him. And they trained, and bonded in their unique ways despite their differences. On a certain mission, both the girl and the boy ended up sacrificing their lives for the prodigy child, and each gave them something. For the girl, it was the nightmares of killing her. And for the boy, it was something that was held sacred in his clan. Then in the future, he even lost his sensei in an attack. So his old team was gone, but they had all given their lives for him to keep living, in one way or another. And that same boy went on teach his own genin team, and hopefully teach them what being a shinobi really meant."

 

   But what Kei didn't add was that he wasn't doing such a good job of it after all, considering the female genin he's been neglecting.

 

    "And the reason I chose her was because she had something that rarely anyone has. Do you know what that is?" the Eagle King asked.

 

  "Uh, no?"

 

  "Nothing," Kei said in a finalized tone. 

 

  "What do you mean, nothing?"

 

  "That's the answer. Sakura Haruno had nothing. No future, nobody to believe in her, no want to gain anything, nothing. If I hadn't given her a chance, then the strings that were attached to her would have completed faded, like they were already starting to fade when she came here. But I did, and I saw what was in store for her. That little seedling of hope, that would one day grow into a great  forest."

 

   Kei's speech brought up an intense feeling of affection and warmth towards Nico's little pink haired summoner. The little eagle had been aware that Sakura had been feeling down, to say the least, but he didn't know to that extent. 

 

 Kei spoke one last time, before raising his wings menacingly into the air, "As an eagle, your greatest weapon is your eyes. You can see things ordinary beings cannot. Use this to your advantage. Now, fight!"

 

 

 

  Back in the shinobi world, Sakura had left her spot in the tree in favor of getting far away from her old team. It was starting to make her depressed, and thought it would be best to leave. 

 

 And that was a good thing, because guess who she found only a few minutes later while heading towards the library.

 

  Her target. 

 

  Gekkou Hayate was sitting at one of the tables outside the building, presumably reading. Now, she was interested in what exactly he was reading. It might give her some insight of his hobbies, or even his condition. Which meant, she had to find someway to get over there without him getting suspicious and shunshining away. 

 

   She would keep her chakra suppresed just incase he recognized it (he probably would, because why else would he leave as soon as she was in the vicinity?), and act like a normal civilian, who just happened to be blind. Now that she thought about it, she could use her disability to her advantage. 

 

  The pinkette smirked. "He won't know what hit him," she whispered to herself.

 

 Sakura found a decent sized stick from the ground to use as a cane and sell the picture of her being an injured civilian. She also left her kunai pack, her bag full of her clothes and hitai-ate under a bush, and let down her damp hair to fall in waves to her shoulders. It didn't really change much about her appearance, but it helped her feel different and mold into the character she's going to play.

 

  "Agh!" she purposely squeaked out when she walked by the table that Gekkou was sitting at, running her body onto the bench. And then, not so purposefully, she ended up tripping over something and falling on her knee, managing to cut it open. 

 

  "Ow, damnit!" she swore under her breath, and plopped down on her butt, frowning. It was hard to keep her chakra under control while in pain. But now that she thought about it, pain shouldn't bother her, not if she wanted to be a kunoichi.  So she sucked it up and stood back up, completely ignoring her knee for now.

 

 "You should get that cleaned out," a voice said, and coughing quickly followed. Her head snapped up in surprise, seeing as she almost momentarily forgot about her target, who was sitting only a few feet away from her.

 

  "O-Oh. Uh, yea," the pinkette pathetically stammered out. 

 

  Now what?

 

 "I can heal it-" he coughed, "-for you, if you want," Gekkou offered. Without waiting for an answer, he gently took her hand and sat her down beside him. Then he grabbed her leg and splayed it across his lap, before hovering his hand above the gnash. Sakura felt a faint tingling, and as the skin knit itself together, it became itchy. That meant it was being healed. 

 

  "Done," the sick jōnin finally said, and let go of Sakura, who ran her finger over the newly healed skin. She smiled, and looked up in the direction of Gekkou. 

 

 "Thank you," she whispered, and then suddenly remembering that she was playing the disabled civilian, quickly asked, "How did you do that!? It- It just disappeared! It feels fine now!"

 

  There was then a short silence, which made the pinkette start to panic because she could practically feel the suspiciousness coming off of him, unless that was just her overactive imagination. Though, might have gone a bit overboard with the 'surprise.'

 

  "I've dabbled a bit in medical ninjutsu," he finally said, making Sakira calm down. "By the way, do I know you? You seem familiar.." he continued, an odd note in the jōnin's voice.

 

  Her mind blanked. 

 

  Oh shit.

 

________

 

  Sakura blinked at the summon in front of her.

 

  "You're not Nico," she stated, confused. The chakra signature in front of her was slightly smaller, and more compact, instead of Nico's usual large and free ranging chakra. 

 

  Yesterday, the pinkette had talked to Gekkou and managed to find out a little about him, such as the fact that he as interested in kenjutsu, judging by the book he was reading. And even though she learned very little, she was excited to tell her partner, but it looked like that wouldn't happen.

 

  There was a scoff. "Yea, and you're blind. Way to be obvious," a snobbish voice said, making an irk mark appear on the pinkette's forehead. The unfamiliar she-eagle continued, "Don't expect that birdbrain for a long time. Kei has him doing an exercise that will probably take all day and night for him to continue."

 

  Sakura cocked her head, remembering how Nico had said he wanted Kei to train him yesterday. That was also why she waited so long to summon him, for just in case he we still training. "What's he doing?"

 

  "Kei hid a ball behind a rock and Nico is supposed to find it without moving a spot on top of the Outlook Rock. Doubt that'll ever happen," the she-eagle explained.

 

 "Well, how's he supposed to find it if it's behind something and he can't move?" the pinkette asked, confused. 

 

  "Are all humans this stupid? Oh, quit making that face. It's obvious that he'll be able to find it by using its shadow. But of course, it'll take him awhile to figure that out."

 

  "Don't talk about him like that," Sakura finally snapped, irritated that somebody, a fellow eagle summon no less, had the audacity to speak about her friend like that. He might not be the brightest in some situations, but he had his special strengths to make up for that. In a way, he kind of reminded her of- 

 

  Guilt suddenly filled her, because she was that way with Naruto. Always underestimating him and thinking he was never good enough. She decided to make it a point to not do that in the future. 

 

  Brushing aside her guilt and new resolve, she focused her attention back   "So, who are you?" 

 

  "I'm Keiki, but that's not important. I'm going to take my leave now, since their is no way I'd be caught dead helping an ignorant human like you," the now named Keiki sneered, and the pinkette noticed a tugging on her chakra. Quick as lightening, she (metaphorically) grabbed hold of that chakra like a leash, and prevented the she-eagle from leaving back to Tōjinbō Cliffs.

 

  There was a loud screech, and then cursing. "Why the hell are you keeping me here!?"

 

  Sakura crossed her arms and stared in her direction. "I don't like the way you were talking about a Nico, so I'm going to keep you here with me since you hate me that much. The only reason you're able to be here, is because you are tied to my chakra. I can make you stay for as long as I have chakra," she snapped. 

 

  It wasn't like she actually wanted to spend time with the she-eagle summon, but she might need some help today with a few things. 

 

 "Let's go see Hokage-sama!" Sakura suddenly announced without waiting for Keiki's reply, and turned on her heel to head back down the alley she had walked in to summon Nico. 

 

  The she-eagle huffed, starting after the pinkette crossly, and landed on her arm when she held it out. "Snot-faced human," she muttered, making sure her summoner heard it. 

 

  In return, the pinkette stuck her tongue out at Keiki. "Bratty she-eagle," she shot back. 

 

  "Obnoxious-haired girl."

 

  "Greasy-feathered bird."

 

  "Hey! My feathers are not greasy! If anyone's hair is greasy, then it's yours!"

 

   Sakura chose to ignored her now. "Oh look, we're here." 

 

  And sure enough, they made it to the Hokage's door. After a quick knock, the door swung open, bringing a cold gust of air that made the two shiver. 

 

  "Hello, young Sakura," the very man that the pinkette wanted to see greeted her.

 

  She lifted her lips into a smile. "Hello, Hokage-sama. How are you?"

 

  "I'm doing well, thank you for asking. How about you?"

 

  "I'm doing great as well, considering. But.." she drew the last word out, hinting that she wanted something.

 

  "What is it you need?" he asked, his voice curious as to what the blind girl might want. It could be anything for all he knew.

 

 "I want to travel to Otogakure, The Village Hidden in the Sound."

 

  There. It was out there. She said what she wanted. 

 

  Sarutobi was quite taken back by her words. It was a few moments before he could actually manage speak again. "Ca- Can I ask why you made this request?"

 

  "I've done my research, Hokage-sama, and I understand what I'm asking. Otogakure is a recently established village located in the Land of Rice Patties. Not much is known about the village because it's so new, but the genin of the village specialize is using the power of sound to their advantage, which I believe would help me greatly if I were to learn from them."

 

  "..Okay, so you've done your research and given the facts. But your week is not yet over," Sarutobi pointed out.

 

  It was time for Sakura to take a risk now.

 

   "I know. Which means I must ask you to either extend my week or pass your judgement now. Already in this short timespan I have been so graciously allowed," Sakura tried to keep her voice even on that word. She still was struggling with her sight impediment and that whole incident, "I have gathered much information on how to use my disability to my advantage and was also able to train myself to do things a normal genin would learn, such as walking on water and up tree using only my chakra."

 

  "I see you've also learned the power of a silver tongue. That is also quite impressive."

 

  He said 'also', which meant he approved of the other things too. It was a start.

 

  "Before I make a final decision, there are some things you must know. Of course, no normal genin would know this, but you already dubbed yourself as Konoha's experiment, is that right?"

 

  Sakura wouldn't lie; there was a small part of her that feared at what her kage was getting at. But she wouldn't let his words scare her. "That is correct." 

 

  "Then I see no reason to keep this from you, especially if you are to go to Otogakure."

 

   Especially if you were to go to Otogakure. Did that mean he would allow her to continue being a genin? She found out her answer when her kage nodded his head, somehow know her unasked question. Relief washed over her. She could now wear her hitai-ate proudly on her head with the knowledge that the Hokage accepted her.

 

  "Thank you, Hokage-sama," she breathed out, and then she bowed low to the ground to show her gratitude.

 

  "I wouldn't be thanking me just yet, child," the elderly Hokage said in a dry voice, and making the pinkette tense as she straightened herself back up. "After all, I'm turning this into an A-ranked mission you just might not come back from."

 

  His words hung in the air between them, crackling with the promise of death and animosity.  

 

  But the determination in Sakira's heart was hard and true. Twisting her hand right to lay directly over her heart, she squared her shoulders and positioned her head straight in front of her, tilting her chin up.

 

  "Understood, Hokage-sama."

 

  "Good. Now, onto these suspicions that the elder council and I have had about Otogakure..*"

 

  

 

  "Wow, that old man can talk," Keiki commented whenever Sakura was done and walking outside. She was on her way home to prepare for her first real mission. It was also going to be different because her team would no longer be with her. 

 

  "Well, what he had to say was important," the pinkette pointed out, absentmindedly petting the she-eagles feathers with her free hand. It was a habit she picked up with Nico.

 

  "Get your sticky hands off me, rat." 

 

  "Shut up."

 

  Just a few minutes prior, the Third Hokage had given her her mission details, a goal, and a thin file that contained all that was known for a fact about Otogakure. 

 

  In a few days, Sakura was to set out for the village, and would stay there for two weeks. She would be there under the guise of a disabled genin who was there to help her and would be a show of peace between Konoha and Otogakure. In reality, she would be scouting around and confirming or disapproving a few suspicions that the Hokage and council had. 

 

  All in all, there was a chance that she would be found out and killed. Though, hopefully that wouldn't happen because it would be bad for the Sound Village if something were to happen to a visiting genin from a different village, especially one as powerful as Konoha. It would place even more suspicion on them that they really didn't want or need.

 

  "And I wonder who I'm going to be going with," Sakura pondered aloud.  The kage had also said that there was going to be another person accompanying her, but he wouldn't tell her who. 

 

  Just as Sakura was about to say something, Keiki distracted her by saying, "Whoa, whose that man with the crazy pink hair?"

 

   Crazy pink hair? 

 

  There was only one man in Konoha who had hair similar to her own. 

 

  "Dad!?"

 

  "Ah, Sakura! There's my little girl.

I've been looking everywhere for you," Kizashi announced in a cheerful voice, and then proceeded to lunge at the pinkette and capture her in a tight hug, effectively trapping the eagle summon as well who was using all of her self control to not gouge out his eyes.

 

  "When did you get back?" Sakura asked after they pulled away from each other, and Keiki quickly escaped flew away to a nearby tree. No way was she risking getting caught in the middle of that disgusting display of affection again. 

 

  "Just now actually. I got here as soon as I could, which wasn't actually that soon because business held me up," he replied in an apologetic voice. But Sakura wasn't upset. She was just happy to se- well no, not see, but hear and touch her beloved dad.

 

  "That's fine. Oh, and Keiki-san-" the pinkette focused her attention back on the eagle who was resting in the tree. "-you're free to go."

 

  The she-eagle disappeared even before she finished speaking, much to Sakura's amusement, and slight disappointment. The foul-tempered eagle wasn't actually that bad of company. 

 

  "Oh, I wasn't aware that you had a summon," Kizashi said, sounding surprised. The pinkette furrowed her eyebrows together. 

 

  "I didn't know you knew what a summon was," she said, causing her otou-san to laugh. 

 

  "Of course I do. In fact, I even went to the Academy as a child," he said, and it was Sakura's turn to be surprised. 

 

  "You went to the Academy!?"

 

  "Yep," he said, popping the p. "I aced the written part of the test with the best results in the whole class, but failed the other one. I was always horrible at jutsus. After that, my own dad pulled me out and wouldn't let me continue another year. Instead, I was introduced to the business of trade," he explained as they walked side by side with Sakura's hand holding onto his sleeve. She didn't feel like using the energy to make sure she didn't run into anything.

 

  "Wow, I never knew that! What about mom? Was she in the Academy?" she asked, genuinely curious. 

 

  Kizashi just laughed, an amusement-filled sound that reverberated from his deep in his chest. 

 

 "Oh, Kami, she definitely wasn't."

 

   Sakura laughed as well, and was glad that she could have a normal conversation with him. She was also happy that he wasn't acting as if her blindness was a disease that needed to be kept away from.

 

 

 

 "We're home, Mebuku-chan!" Kisashi called out when the two entered their house. 

 

  Shuffling came from the kitchen and the orange haired woman appeared a few moments later, a huge grin on her face. 

 

  "Kizashi-kun, Sakura," she greeted the two, giving the latter a quick hug around the shoulders, and pulled in the former to give a quick kiss on the mouth. 

 

  The pinkette made a bleh face at the wet sound and started to venture off into another part of the house while her parents had their own little reunion. But before she made it very far, a hand pulled her back and she was placed beside her dad.

 

  "Don't you think you're getting away that easily. We haven't had proper family time in awhile," Mebuki tutted, and lead her to the family couch by the hand, making Sakura feel hot in the face. She pulled her hand back and held it at her chest, before walking in front of her okaa-san and walking herself to sit down on the soft cushioning of said couch.

 

   "I don't need you to lead me," she said in a quite voice, folding her hands neatly in her lap after adjusting the cloth around her head. 

 

  Kizashi ignored the tense atmosphere between his wife and daughter. He instead chose to sit beside Sakura, which left Mebuki to sit across from them on the wooden rocking chair. 

 

  The pinkette took this chance to tell her parents about her mission. "The Hokage said I could still become a genin, and assigned me a mission for I'm a couple of days," she said, choosing to leave out the bit about it being A-ranked and how she was Konoha's Experiment, meaning it was possible she could die. After all, she didn't want them to worry. 

 

   Kizashi opened his mouth to congratulate her, but before he could, Mebuki spoke first.

 

  "What is that man thinking!?"

 

  Ouch. Words hurt.

 

  But her okaa-san wasn't done. "Sending you off on a mission and allowing you to continue when it's obvious that you can't entirely take care of yourself yet. Why, I'll go to him myself and make him take back his words, Hokage be damned," she said, going off into a rant. "Sending a blind genin child off on a mission. That's preposterous! You'll have to be led every step of the way, and that would make you a liability!"

 

  As she continued to speak, Sakura sank deeper and deeper into the couch, wishing that she could take back her words and disappear into the ground forever. 

 

  "And you have no team. Even though Hokage-sama said you could continue being a genin, you've already been replaced, and-"

 

  "Enough."

 

  Kizashi's booming voice was enough to make Mebuki pause in her talking, and even Sakura jumped. She had never heard her dad that angry before. Honestly, it was a little scary, especially since she didn't know who it was directed towards. But that was made clear a few moments later. 

 

  "Mebuki, I think it would be best if you stopped talking for a bit and go make us some lunch, alright?" he asked, but the females knew that it wasn't a question. As soon as the said woman vanished into the kitchen, Sakura took this chance to jump off the couch and run up the stairs, escaping into her room.

 

    Sakura ripped off the cloth that covered her eyes and threw it to an unknown part of her room, before rubbing them as hard as possible. But as hard as she tried, her sight never returned. The inky blackness that surrounded her stayed, and it would be like that forever. 

 

  They thought she was weak. They thought she was useless. They thought she couldn't do it. That it was physically and mentally impossible for her. The reality of what was wrong with her was hitting her now. 

 

  She was blind. 

 

  She would never, ever see again. And it would affect her future as a kunoichi, as a genin, as a person. 

 

  A sob escaped her lips, and she eventually collapsed beside her bed, hiding her blotchy face in her knees. Screw trying to turn her tears into something useful. She tried and tried and tried to be positive about things. About being blind. But she was left with frustration and panic. She couldn't do a thing that she was able to do before. How was she supposed to work with this when even her own mother didn't believe in her? 

 

 

  Kizashi looked at his only daughter with sad eyes after he entered her room.

 

  He crouched down, and gently lifted Sakura's face from her knees, wiping away the tears below her unseeing eyes with the pads of his thumbs. 

 

  "Don't listen to yourmother. She is small minded, and only understands what her brain can comprehend," he whispered, his voice soft. The still crying girl didn't acknowledge him, so he continued. "But us two, we are able to understand and see things that nobody else can. Its what separates us from them. It is for this reason that I'm always the one in charge of our little business trips."

 

  He sighed when Sakura still made no move, and pulled her into his arms, where she immediately buried her face into his chest. 

 

  "Why w-won't any-o-one understand th-that I need t-to do this, and want to d-do this?" she cried out, her voice coming out in slight stutters. 

 

  "Because they don't believe in the impossible."

 

   There was a beat, before her blind eyes widened and she sat up. Her otou-san said almost the same exact words as Kei had. It made her wonder if they somehow knew each other. 

 

 "And you do?" she asked, hardly daring to believe that he actually believed in her.

 

  Kizashi smiled at the barely noticeable hint of hope in her voice. "Like I said, we are different from them. And besides, who else is going to help you prove them all wrong, that you can do this?"

 

  That made her smile, and she wiped at her wet cheeks. "I love you, otou-san."

 

  "And I love you, my impossible little blossom."

 

  

  That night, Kizashi convinced Mebuki to apologize to Sakura, though the pinkette knew it wasn't heartfelt. She was only doing it to make her forgive her. But it was no matter. She was now prepared for people that wouldn't believe in her.

 

  Because, she would make them believe in her, no matter what it took.

 

 

 

  Meanwhile, at Tōjinbō Cliffs..

 

  "Where the frickity frack is that ugly red ball!? Imma poop on whoever decided to hide it!"

 

  From behind the large cliff that he was-no, not hiding, waiting, Kei made a mental to note to teach his godson better insults and threats.. And maybe to avoid flying under him for awhile.

Chapter 5: into the silver dawn

 

 

  The sun was warm on her skin as Sakura breathed in the fresh air from atop of the balcony that extended from her bedroom. It was early in the morning, the very day that she was to leave on her A-ranked mission for Otogakure. The night before she had prepared her traveling bag and said her goodbyes to her parents who were leaving yet again for another business trip.

 

  The pinkette pulled on a forest green tank-top, black pants that were bandaged around the ankles, and a navy blue traveling cloak. She then pulled up the top half of her hair into a bun, tied her cloth around her eyes, and put her hitai-ate on top of her head like a headband. She also pulled on her trusty leather gauntlets. After slipping on her ELEPHANT and swinging her bag behind her back, she was finally ready to go.

 

  Not too long after, she made it to the gate, where she sensed a few familiar chakra signatures. They must be about to head out on a mission as well.

 

  "Hey, Naruto," she greeted in a casual voice as she pulled up along side the hyperactive blind without being noticed by him or even his other team members. 

 

  There was a loud screech, followed by Sakura ducking to avoid getting hit by a fist that she heard cutting through the air towards her direction. (A large part of her was annoyed that he would have actually hit someone if she had been another person, but a small amount of pride bubbled up in her chest nonetheless. She was able to sense more things now.) 

 

  "Ahh! I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan!" Naruto shrieked out in alarm when he realized he had almost punched his dearly beloved crush. But instead of her getting mad like he thought she would, she merely tilted her head and smiled. 

 

  "It's alright. Maybe it'll help you remember to always keep your guard up. I could have been a dangerous nin for all you know," the pinkette pointed out, making Naruto's face pale in realization.

 

  And then he nodded, a wide grin coming onto his face. "Wow, that's great advice! Thank you, Sakura-chan! And- Oh, is that you're hitai-ate!? So the old man is finally allowing you to become a kunoichi!?" he yelled, excitement clear in his voice.

 

  When Sakura nodded, he let out a whoop of joy and lunged at her, managing to wrap her up in a hug. 

 

  "Does this mean you can return to our team?"

 

  Before the pinkette could respond, another voice intervened.

 

  "How'd you manage to trick Hokage-sama into letting you wear your hitai-ate?" Akira asked, her voice sounding the epitome of innocence, though the question was anything but. Sakura thought she could hear a barely noticeable note of fear, and she suddenly felt a little bad for her. 

 

  Technically, Keiki would not have been able to become a kunoichi with Sakura on the team. Who knows how long she had been waiting, or what this meant to her. Maybe her reason for becoming a kunoichi was even nobler than her own. 

 

  So a soft smile reached the pinkette's lips and she stepped in front of the other girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. Maybe she could try being nice to the girl who was her replacement? "Don't worry. I won't be coming back to the team." She paused, hearing a gasp that came from Naruto, before continuing, "And as for how I'm still able to become a kunoichi, you could say that I'm a special case of sorts for the Hokage."

 

  She opted out of saying that she was Konoha's Experiment, because to outsiders who didn't know what was going on, it probably sounded more than a little inhumane. But them, maybe it actually was that way, considering the risky mission she was about to go on.

 

  When Akira didn't respond, Sakura removed her hand and stepped a couple of steps to look in the direction of the other person that helped made up team seven.

 

  "Ah, Sasuke-kun. How have you been?"

 

  "Hn," was all she got, and quickly translated it into, 'Everything's annoying as always, including you.' It was safe to say that she had somehow managed to learn the special Uchiha Language in her brief time on the team.

 

  "Who's this little pink-haired chit? Another brat to annoy me?" an unfamiliar voice said, creating a tick mark on her forehead. That must have been their customer, and she could smell the alcohol on him from all the way over there.

 

 Instead of letting him annoy her though and talk shit about everyone, she smoothed over her features and let her mouth take over for her.

 

 "Oh, good sir," she began, catching everyone's attention, including Kakashi's who just arrived and was squatting on a nearby tree branch. "Is that anyway to treat the people who will be protecting you from harm? But, that's no matter. I'm sure you have a good enough head on your shoulders to realize what qualified people are here to keep you safe. After all, why else would you hire Konoha shinobi? And oh, is that Bourbon County Stout that I smell?"

 

  During her little lecture, the drunken mans face had changed several times. First, it was an annoyance that this little brat had the term to talk to him, then it was slight fear because he needed these ninja's to accompany him, and lastly it was appreciation that she had been able to to namethe drink he was gulping down. Maybe she wasn't as bad a kid as he thought.

 

 "Yes, actually. I had to travel way up north to get this stuff. How did you know?"

 

  "My parents are traders, and I remember this same smell as an alcoholic drink that they wer-"

 

  "Maa, Haruno-san! We don't have all day," a familiar voiced reached said pinkette's ears, and she turned around in surprise.

 

  "You!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger in the direction of the one and only Gekkou Hayate. The jōnin started chuckling, but it was interrupted by a bought of nasty coughing.

 

  "Yes, me. Did you really-" he coughed again, "-think Hokage-sama would send a complete stranger with you?" he asked, but not unkindly.

 

  Naruto suddenly nudged her side with his elbow, catching Sakura's attention. "Who's this dude? He looks almost dead," he whispered into her ear, making the pinkette gently smack him across the head. She had to remember to not get angry because he had no filter for his mouth and just spouted out whatever came to mind. It wasn't something he could control.

 

 "Don't be rude," she scolded him, making him apologize sheepishly. "And for your information, his name is Gekkou Hayate. He is a tokubestu jōnin with interest in kenjutsu and has this cough that doesn't seem to go away." She last the part in a whisper so as to not offend him. She didn't know if the cough was sensitive. 

 

 Gekkou smiled at the pink haired girl. "So I see your little stunt proved to be useful, eh, Haruno-san? But anyways, we best be leaving. This mission won't complete itself, and it's thanks to you that it's even possible for us to do this, no matter the stakes," he said casually, making a small blush to reach Salura's cheeks in embarrassment. She never knew what to do with compliments, or anything that resembled them.

 

  "Huh?" Naruto said, confused.

 

  But Sakura didn't bother to fill him in. Instead, she gave him a quick pat on the head, turned towards Keiki and Sasuke with a bow, and then called up to the trees, "Cya later, Kakashi-san!" And with that, she skipped over to where the other jōnin was waiting and the two exited the gates with a small wave to the guards that were on duty. 

 

  Kakashi blinked in suprise before dropping down beside his students. 

 

 "Hey, you're late again!" Naruto whirled around and yelled in accusation, making the silver haired jōnin give him a closed eyed smile. 

 

 "Yea, sorry about that. I got lost of the path of life yet again," he lied, making the blond glare at him. As usual, he had actually been visiting the K.I.A stone, and then picked up the newest addition of the Icha Icha Paradise series. 

 

 "That's bull!" he exclaimed, making Sasuke hit his head, definitely not being as gentle as Sakura was. 

 

 "You're being too loud, dobe," the Uchiha stated in a bland voice. Keiki covered her mouth to hide a snort, while Kakashi rolled his eyes.

 

  "Hey, how is Sakura-chan able to tell who is who and walk around without running into anything? And she was even able to dodge my punch," Naruto suddenly said, catching everyone off guard since he didn't even bat an eyelash in response to Sasuke's rude nickname. 

 

 Kakashi cocked his head to the side in thought. "Well," he started, "Everyone has a chakra signature, including the smallest of insects. And you can sense them without having to look at them, which Sakura must use be using to her advantage. But with how she's able to dodge things and run into things that are inanimate, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe we could ask her when we get back," he suggested, and then ushered his genin in front of him so they would start walking.

 

  "Yosh! We will totally do that, dattebayo! But uh, what's this chatra stuff again?"

 

 

 

  Back in the forest with Sakura and Gekkou, they were having their own little conversation. 

 

 "I- um, I'm sorry for spying on you and following you around for like a full day," the pinkette started awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

 

  Gekkou only laughed, and patted her head. "But you learned some things, didn't you? The first time I sensed your chakra, I didn't think anything of it. The second time, I got a little suspicious and let you follow me around for a bit before leaving. And then the third time you came around, I disappeared on the spot and watched you from afar," he explained, somehow strong enough to hold in his coughing fit until after he finished. 

 

  Sakura gaped at him. "You were watching me?" she asked, incredulous. 

 

  "I was. And I must say, you have excellent chakra control, so much-" some coughing, "-that even a jōnin couldn't sense you after you figured out how to maske your signature. And on top of that, you-" more coughing, "-even managed to find yourself a worthwhile summon. Not just any genin could do that, and a blind one at that."

 

  His blunt words were strangely refreshing, in the pinkette's opinion. Other people would usually just ignore the fact that she was blind, like her otou-san, or just skirt around it, like everyone else.

 

  Her cheeks stained red yet again. "A-Ah, thanks.."

 

  He patted her head yet again.

 

 "It's also why I helped vouched for you and reported your accomplishments to Hokage-sama."

 

 Sakura stopped in her tracks, almost tripping over an uprooted root. She turned her body towards the jōnin. He's surprised her yet again, and possibly helped her more than he would ever know.

 

 "Y-You have?"

 

 Unknown to Sakura, Gekkou had an uncharacteristicly soft smile on his face. "It's impressive what you've done, considering your disability. And people don't believe in you, do they? But even through all of that, you still try."

 

  They began walking again, with Sakura adjusting her grip on the bag. She didn't speak for a few moments after that, his words running through her mind.

 

 "It's only because I had a few special people helping me. Without them, I probably would have just given up the second Hokage-sama told me to hand in my hitai-ate, and that I would never be able to become a kunoichi," she finally admitted, feeling ashamed of how she was acting then.

 

  The air felt good on her skin, mingled with the suns gentle heat. Her head was clearer in that moment than it ever was, even with Gekkou's repetitive coughing fits. She thought about how things would have been a lot different if she hadn't found Nico in the forest with his sprained wing.

 

  "You can't change the past. But you can learn from it, and grow. Knowing what you know now, would you still be so quick to give up?"

 

  She responded without a second thought. "Of course not."

 

  He chuckled. "See? You've already grown so mu-" he suddenly paused, slightly tilting his head up to sniff the air. From beside him, Sakura stiffened but chose to keep her mouth shut. She had a feeling that Gekkou found something that probably wasn't supposed to be there, and they had barely walked an hour. That wasn't a good thing.

 

 "Haruno-san, how much experience have you had with fighting?" the jōnin said in a voice so quite that the pinkette barely caught his words. 

 

  She gulped. "None." She remembered the last time she tried to fight. It didn't end well. 

 

  "Well then, I believe you'll have your first chance today. It seems we have company," he said in a casual voice, as if they were talking about the weather instead of a possible battle. But of course, he must be used to this thing, considering his jōnin status.

 

  The pinkette took a shaky deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She didn't think she was exactly battle ready, especially with her blindness. She wasn't trying to make up excuses, but she couldn't fight even before she lost the use of her eyes.

 

  But..

 

  She had to try. If not for herself, then to prove the ones that didn't believe in her wrong.

 

 "Should I summon Nico?" she asked the jōnin, making sure to keep her voice in a low whisper that only he could hear.

 

  "Wait until the battle actually starts. If you were to summon him now, then they would know that we know that they are watching."

 

  "H-Hai."

 

  It was a smart idea. She admired his way of thinking, and hoped that she would be able to be like that one day. Maybe she could even get him to train her? It seemed like his senses were even greater than hers, and he was able to use all of them so they weren't even being heightened.

 

  A twig suddenly snapped. 

 

  She finally heard them. There was someone just above her to her left. And.. there, to her right was a person who was poorly disguising their chakra. She wondered what kind of nin they were, and what they wanted, although, she had a fairly good idea about the latter question.

 

 

 

  "If they are suspicious of you, and we are right about them, then they will try to take you out."

 

 

 

  Those were the Hokage's words. His warning. And then directly after that he had given her the option of backing out, which she obviously didn't take.

 

  "Ahhh!" The sound of metal against metal was heard directly after the battle cry. 

 

 "Now, Sakura!" Gekkou yelled, and the pinkette quickly preformed the proper hand seals. Within moments, Nico was letting out a wicked screech and started attacking, needing no direction or command needed. With the help of Kei's training, his speed, strength, and senses had become even stronger than before.

 

  Now, it Sakura's turn to do something that she had spent the last couple of days practicing. To be able to properly fight, she needed to know where everything was located around her.

 

  Channeling her chakra to her throat, the transmitter, and to her ears, the receiver, she quickly yelled out, producing a sound wave that was so high in frequency that no human could hear. This was done by modifying her own vocal cords using chakra. She felt the vibrations of the sound wave around her, and whenever they hit something in its path, they bounced back to her, allowing her to 'see' the shapes around her, using her enchanced ears. 

 

  The first few times she experimented using this, her ears and nose bled, while her throat became extremely sore. She had accidentally made the frequency to low, and the sound was so horrible that several of the Inuzuka's hounds came running. The pinkette had quickly masked her chakra and ran away, not wanting to be subjected to questioning or possible scolding. From then on, she practiced far outside of the village and kept a first aid kit on her at all times.

 

 There was a buzzing in the air. 

 

  Sakura dodged the shuriken that came flying past her head. 

 

  There were five nin around her and Gekkou in total. To her left, the jōnin was fighting two of them using some type of sword, telling her that kenjutsu wasn't just some interest for him. Another nin was just above her in a tree, continuously throwing kunai and shuriken. Nico was fighting with one to her left, and there was another one to her right that was slowly advancing towards her.

 

  Mustering up all her courage, and not wasting a second more, Sakura lunged towards the nin on the right.

 

  She was tossed to the side like a mere rag doll.

 

  It was infuriating and slightly painful, seeing as her spine had hit a tree trunk, and her clothes weren't thick enough to protect her. 

 

  But she picked herself back up again and hurled towards the nin yet again, this time holding out a kunai. She quickly summoned a clone of herself, disguised her chakra, and slipped away to sneak up on the nin in the tree while her other self was distracting the other one.

 

  Her clone dodged an incoming punch, and swung her legs out to trip the nin. Sakura could hear a light gasp, meaning they stumbled. The clone used this opportunity to channel chakra to their hands, and slammed their fists into their chest, causing him to fall over. 

 

 But their small victory didn't last long. 

 

  The nin picked theirselves back up again, drew a sword they were carrying on her back, and cleaning cut her in half, making her vanish with a poof. Even though it was just a clone, it sent a bust of fear in her that she was defeated so easily.

 

  Meanwhile, her real self was sneaking up behind the nin in the tree. In order to not be caught, she lowered her breathing and stepped lightly on the ground.  Also, she had made sure to use unscented shampoo and soap before she left home, because some people would be able to smell it. 

 

  There was a loud scream, and the sound of a body hitting the ground, meaning Nico had managed taken out his nin. 

 

  'Yep. He's out like Tsunade-sama at a bar.'

 

  Good. That left four more nin.

 

  Silently creepy up a tree, the pinkette got a sudden idea that spawned from Nico and the mention of the slug sannin. If medical ninjutsu was for healing the body, maybe she could reverse it somehow to harm the body.

 

  But that very potent, useful-dangerous thought had caused her attention to slip, and a hand suddenly wrapped around her neck. She was pulled backward and was most likely being hung over the ground, which was a good fifteen feet down there.

 

  "Stop!" the man holding her yelled, causing everyone to pause and look at the two. Fear was etched across Nico's face, while the other nin had looks of triumph. Gekkou's eyes were narrowed. 

 

 "If you don't surrender yourselves, I will break her neck."

 

  Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, the pinkette repeated in her head, trying to claw at the hands that were holding her. It was no use though, he wouldn't budge. She really didn't want her neck broken. 

 

 "Release her!" Gekkou yelled, his voice almost a snarl.

 

  While they were speaking, Sakura had slumped in his hands, giving the impression of giving up. But that wasn't the case. No, she wasn't going to do that again.

 

  Her fingers twitched as she slowly ran chakra through them. It was hard to concentrate when you were slowly loosing air and being strangled to death.

 

  "Hey, a-asshole," she choked out, gaining his attention. At the rude name, he sneered and tightened his hold on her, making her choke again. 

 

  The nasty, gurgled sound make the jōnin and eagle summon tense.

 

  "Don't hurt her, and you can have me," Gekou said slowly, easing his hands up in submission.

 

  But Sakura wouldn't have that. She was getting desperate now. And desperate people often preformed desperate acts that they might regret later.

 

  Sakura twisted herself around to face in the direction of the nin that was holding her. Her mind was becoming foggy, and she could barely breath. 

 

  "You're a w-worthless bastard that doesn't deserve a h-heart."

 

  And then she proceeded to plunge her outstretched hand into his chest, pulling out his beating heart. Warm liquid spattered onto her face, and she finally felt herself falling towards the ground. Her throat was free, but the after effects of being strangled were getting to her. 

 

  Everything was distorting itself around her, and she had the vague recollection of something catching her. The strange thing was, it didn't smell like Gekkou, or feel like the talons of Nico. It was definitely someone she didn't know, and she could only hope that it wasn't the nins.

 

  Before she completely faded away into unconsciousness, one last thought raced through her mind.

 

  I just killed a man.

 

______

 

  Sakura woke up with a strangled gasp, and immediately sat up, with her head spinning, and her stomach feeling nauseous. Her throat felt as if it was on fire.

 

  "Oh, you're finally awake," a familiar voice stated, followed by a bout of coughing that told her that Gekkou was somewhere to her left. 

 

  The pinkette cast her senses around, and found that Nico was gone, most likely due to her passing out, and she was in an unfamiliar place. Her head was resting on something soft, and she knew she was laying on grass. 

 

  "What happened?" she managed to ask in a hoarse voice, smacking her parched lips together. 

 

  From beside her, the jōnin shifted almost awkwardly. "After you killed the nin that was holding you, Nico dissapeared, and I was able to knock out the other ones, since you provided a ..distraction.

 

  What distraction..?

 

 And then she remembered. Thrusting her hand into the mans chest, pulling out his heart. Warm blood splattering onto her skin. The smell of something heavy and rich and disgusting. She was marked by death.

 

  Bile rose to her throat, and she quickly turned to side and heaved into the grass. Gekkou oh-so-helpfully pulled her hair back, and gave her a handkerchief to wipe her mouth off when she was finished emptying the contents of her stomach. Maybe eating that big breakfast earlier that day wasn't such a good idea.

 

  "I killed someone," she whimpered out when she finished cleaning off her mouth, tears pricking out of the corner of her useless eyes. "I ripped his heart out. And now he's dead.. He could of have a family; a wife, maybe even children. And I kill-"

 

  "He would have killed you if you hadn't," the jōnin interrupted, ruffling her dirty hair with his hand. "I'll admit, I didn't expect your first killing to be that- erm, gruesome.. but it was necessary."

 

  Not trusting herself to speak, the pinkette just nodded and covered her face with her hands. Then she remembered the white cloth that was tied around her face, and grimaced. It was probably covered in blood, and she only had one. Well, at least she would fulfill her promise to that elderly shop keeper. She also noticed a bandage around her neck, and was sure that there was nasty bruises there. She could only hope that they would heal before she home, because she didn't want people thinking she was still incapable of being useful.

 

  And then she remembered what had happened right before she passed out.

 

  "Who was it that caught me?"

 

  Gekkou sighed, not making her feel any better or more assured. "I don't know. All I was was a black and red cloak, before they disappeared, taking the bodies of the nin with them. I doubt they were Hunter Nin, because I didn't see a mask," he mused aloud.

 

 The pinkette was slightly disappointed that she wasn't able to meet her savior, but she just shrugged it off. More pressing matter were on her mind, besides her killing of that shinobi. She pushed that certain matter to the side, which probably wasn't the healthy thing to do. But she figured she was on a mission, and that could wait until later to figure out.

 

 "Those nin," she started, "We're they from Otogakure?"

 

  It made sense. If the rumors were actually true, then of course they wouldn't want anyone seeing their village if at all possible. And to take them out before they even made it to the Sound Village would be their best bet of getting rid of them without anyone getting suspicious.   

 

  "I- I'm honestly not sure. They wore no hitai-ate, and their faces were covered by blue masks while they wore pitch black cloaks with no emblem or anything that showed their allegiance," the jōnin replied, making Sakura nod. 

 

  So they were still in the dark and had learned nothing so far. But that was fine. After all, they still had two weeks, and even if they didn't find anything, the pinkette would be able to learn new skills to help her.

 

  After taking a short break, the two were on the move again. Gekkou asked her several times if she needed to stop for a bit, or if she needed some counciling, but the pinkette refused. She just wasn't ready to deal with it yet.

 

  It would take approximately three days to get to Otogakure, but they hoped to make it in two by running as much as they could. Gekkou would be able to easily do it, but Sakura didn't exactly have the best stamina. She was really cursing not taking her training hard enough in the past.

 

  That night, the two found a nice sized clearing to set up camp, that was located beside a steady steam. Sakura used the water to try to clean off her cloth, but Gekkou said it only made it worse. She would have to remember to get a black cloth instead of a white one do bloodstains wouldn't show up as easily.

 

  Her stomach reacted again, and she it took a few minutes until she finished hurling into the grass.

 

  Less than twenty fours hours ago, she had killed someone in cold blood. Ripped out their heart, like an emotionless monster.

 

  But.. it wasn't as if she meant to. In actuality, she had been aiming for his throat. She wanted to catch him unaware just as he did her, but she had completely missed that area. Maybe it was a blessing that she missed it, since she would have probably ended up just tearing his throat out.

 

  She couldn't decided which was the worse alternative.

 

  A weight suddenly pressed on her head, startling her, and she instinctively pulled a kunai out her pack and whirled around, holding it defensively in front of her. But she instantly lowered it when she found that I was just Gekkou. 

 

 "Sorry," she mumbled, putting her kunai away and tying her damp, red stained cloth around her closed eyes. 

 

  She didn't see the sad smile he gave her. "No, that was good. It means you have good reflexes, which is much needed to be a shinobi," he assured her, before helping her up from her spot on the rocky ground.

 

  The pinkette suddenly let out a sniffle, and she looked up in the direction of Gekkou's face, where the sounds of coughing was coming from.

 

  "D-Do you think that maybe I could become a worthy kunoichi one day?"

 

 His hand took hers, and she was lead to where their makeshift camp was. "I think that if you try hard enough and really believe in yourself, you could become worthy of being a sannin or kage," he said, surprising her. 

 

  She had never actually thought about going that far, probably because she thought she would never be able to achieve it.

 

 "Could you help believe in me?"

 

  "Of course."

 

...

 

  The only time Sakura Haruno regained her sight, was in her dreams. In the past, that had been a blessing, however, that was about to change.

 

  The scene around her was full of serenity. She was in a forest filled with beautiful, towering trees, and rivers that ran through them. The sky was a perfect mixture of cotton candy pink and blue, telling her that the day was slowly ending. 

 

  Besides this, the first thing the pinkette was aware of was the lack of sound, and the fact that she couldn't breath. It was another moment until she realized there was a pale hand wrapped around her neck. His somehow seeing eyes followed that hand to reveal a bare arm, and eventually a man. 

 

  A gasp of horror strangled up in her throat when she realized it was her own father that was doing this to her. His normally puffy hair was let down on his back, and his face was a sickly pale. 

 

  "Why did you do this?" her dad gasped out, and it was then that she saw her own hand sticking out of his chest. Blood flowed freely doen her arm, staining the skin wherever it touched. Panicking, she hurriedly pulled her hand out, but instantly let out a sharp cry when she brought his heart with her. 

 

  She couldn't control her own body. Almost mechanically, it seemed like, she dropped the heart and turned towards her dad, who had already released her neck. 

 

  Kizashi stumbled backwards, and held his hand over the large gaping wound on his chest. His face showed horror and betrayal. 

 

  Sakura couldn't move, couldn't even begin to start begging for forgiveness or trying to help him. She was simply, a mere statue watching someone she loved suffer in pain and slowly die.

 

 "Sakura.." he called out to her, holding his arms out. He slowly lumbered over to her, and somehow managed to wrap his arms around her petite frame. 

 

 "Sakura.."

 

  The blood seeping through his wound was so warm, it was disgusting. Suffocating. She could feel it on her own clothes and skin. Yet, she was powerless to move. Suddenly his body slumped, and she couldn't even catch him, sending him falling into a murky fast-paced river, where he slammed harshly against a rock and disappeared beneath the current.

 

 Nausea built itself up in her stomach. 

 

  Despite the fact that nothing was constricting her neck, she struggled to breath properly.

 

  A monster. That's what she was. She killed her own dad. She didn't deserve to be a kunoichi. What was she even th-

 

 "Sakura!"

 

 She woke up, and instantly covered her mouth to smother a scream. Her small chest caved in and out rapidly as she tried to find the breath of air that she was starved of from her nightmare.

 

 Gekkou hovered worriedly over her, his hand on either side of her head to try to calm her down. 

 

 "Shhh, it isn't real. It was just a nightmare. You're safe now," he whispered to her, keeping down his coughs. But the words that came out of her mouth almost stopped his heart. 

 

 "I know I'm safe.. It's them that aren't safe from me," she sobbed out, uselessly covering up her blotchy face.

 

  As calmly as possible with her fragile state of mind, he pulled her into his arms and stroked her head. "If that is the way you see it, then I guess you could say we are all monster," he mused aloud, making the pinkette look up at him in confusion. 

 

 "W-What do you mean?" she hiccuped. 

 

 "What I mean is," he started, running his finger comfortingly through her pink locks, "that is the circle of life. The animals aren't safe from us, because we kill them for meat. Our villages are safe from rogue nin, because they kill us. And the rogue nin aren't safe from us, because we kill them."

 

 When Sakura didn't say anything, he continued, "And did you know, that people thought I was t be able to become a shinobi either?"

 

  That got a gasp out of her. "Really!?"

 

  He nodded. "People thought I was too sick to do anything, because I have this undiagnosed cough. But I worked hard for it, and became a special type jōnin. So if I can do this, then so can you," he said encouragingly.

 

  But when he looked down again, the small genin had fallen back asleep. Smiling slightly, he layed her back down and set up watch for the rest of the night, not bothering to wake her up like he said he would for her turn.

 

 

 

 The second day passed without a hitch, and they were so close to Otogakure, only about two hours away. So far, nobody else had attempted to attack them.. Yet. 

 

  They kept their guard up, and even had Nico flying overhead. At the gates of Otogakure, there was supposed to be somebody waiting for them, ready to show them around and take them to their leader.

 

 The Hokage's words suddenly echoed through her mind. 

 

  "There are several reasons why we are suspicious of Otagakure. The first and most obvious is that nobody had yet met their kage. It was only a few moons ago that this village banded together and got the approval of everyone else, but nobody has ever seen this mysterious leader. The second, is that reports of almost grotesque people and nin have been seen in that area. Some guess that horrible expirements are being done to them, or it could be some sort of unholy ritual. Of this we are not sure. There are several other things I could go on and on about, but that will be included in this  file."

 

  It was so many rumors and suspicions that were set against this village, it almost made  her feel bad for them. But then she had to remind herself that it was their own fault for being so secretive.

 

  Your mind works in the most unique of ways, Sakura-chan, Nico told her from high above in the sky. 

 

  Sakura let out a snort if amusement, making Gekkou raise an eyebrow.

 

  "What's so funny?"

 

  "Nico's just complimenting my mind," she responded, a slight smile set upon her lips.

 

  "How does that work? The way he's able to see inside your mind and communicate with you that way," the jōnin asked, spurning genuinely curious.

 

  It was Nico himself that responded wheneve he swooped down and landed on the pinkette's outstretched arm.

 

  "Us eagle summon are able to communicate with our summoner, or even another person, when we create a special bond with them," the eagle summon began, "These bonds are special because it's a sign of mutual trust between both recipients. When I allowed Sakura-chan to heal my wing, that created a bond, because I gave her my trust while she healed me. And since there is no bond between Sakura-chan and Keiki-chan, they cannot do what we can." He has found out about the other eagle that Sakura met, and assured her that she was nasty to everyone.

 

  Gekkou took a few moments to process this, and even Sakura was letting this new information sink into her brain. 

 

 "Interesting.. And what special abilities do you have? I've never remembered hearing about eagle summons before," Gekkou commented, curiousity clear in his voice. 

 

  The pinkette was able to answer this time, having taken a full day to train with him and figure out the extent of his abilities.

 

  "Eagle summons have the best eyesight out of all the known summons, which is kinda funny considering my blindness. They are also very agile, fast, and are extremely strong, as Nico caught me when I jumped out of the Hokage's window one time," she said, making the jōnin sweatdrop.

 

  "Um, that's nice."

 

  The pair hummed in agreement, now with their heads pushed together and seeing who could push the other back the most, causing another bead of nervous sweat to roll down Gekko's face.

 

  There was a hiss in the wind, the sun glinting off of something in the distance, and Nico and Sakura simaltamiously went to grab the flying senbon out of thin air, only for it to disappear in their grasp.

 

 "Wha-? Ow!" the pinkette gasped when warm blood started to trickle down her cheek, unintentionally reminding of of the events of yesterday. It took a few moments for her to realize that there had been another senbon in the shadow of the first, which had been only a mere clone.

 

  "Damn, they're here again!" Gekkou whsiepred, unsheathing his sword from his back and holding it in front of him. 

 

  Nico took to the sky once again while Sakura took out a kunai. She secretly wished she had a bigger, more intimidating blade, but she could fix that later. Right now, they were in danger.

 

  Fifteen people surrounding you, from all sides. There are no escapes. You'll have to fight your way out, the eagle summon told Sakura, who nodded and relayed this information to the tense and alert jōnin.

 

  She was noticeably shaking, and she could hear her heart hammering in her chest. She was afraid of what might come. 

 

  A voice was suddenly close to her ear, and she almost let out a startled gasp, but kept still. "There is nothing to worry about. You're strong, and have abilities that are greater these nin, understand? And kill if you must kill. That is how you survive in a world like this," Gekkou calmly told her, before leaning away. 

 

  Kill if you must kill.. Survive..

 

  Those words rang through her ears as more weapons flew through the air. 

 

  Behind you! Nico hissed, but Sakura was already whirling around, and lunged at the nin coming after her. She applied chakra to her feet, and stomped on the ground, unknowingly creating hairline fractures in the dirt. The vibrations from her feet to the ground told her that two more nin were coming after her.

 

 Sakura didn't have much in her arsenal of tools and weapons, but she did have her mind. So she tried something she had only practiced once before at the Academy. 

 

  A genjutsu.

 

  She would try the Hell Viewing Technique, which would put the nin around her in a simulation of their own personal hell-obviously, which was hopeful going to be horrible. It was quite fitting.

 

  Concentrating her chakra in her mind, and then casting it out around her. She suddenly fumbled, remembering something. Since she was blind, she wouldn't be able to make eye contact with any of the nin.. But, there were several other ways to cast genjutsu, those other options would really come in handy, since visual genjutsu was out of the question.

 

  She would be using audible genjutsu, which meant she would be able trap the victim from long distances. She would just have to make sure that she didn't trap Nico and Gekkou as well.

 

  Dodging a kunai to her shoulder, and a kick to her right leg, she thought about how to go about performing a genjutsu. 

 

  But why stop there..

 

  The voice was hers, not Nico's as another idea came to her. Why stop at just using auditory genjutsu? The genjutsu would affect the victims brain into allowing the caster to make them feel, hear, taste, ect. what ever they would want to. And that greatly appealed to her.

 

  She also wondered if she would be able to tap into the part of the brain that controlled their moments. She'd have made her own personal puppet then! She shouldn't have felt so gleeful then. 

 

  Careful now, you don't want to go all power hungry and get a god complex now, Nico warned, currently clawing a nins eyes out. Sakura ignored him in favor of setting up her genjutsu.

 

  She let the person in front of her hit her shoulder, and during that brief contact, she sent a silver of her own chakra into their brain. She did the same to the other nin surrounding her, and though that allowed her to collect quite a few bruises, she was satisfied. 

 

  The pinkette was aiming for the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that controlled smelling. Them, with a few clumsy hand seals, the nin around her started gasping for air. She had made the illusions that they were breathing in smoke, and that they were being starved for oxygen.

 

  They choked and grasped at her skin, jagged nails ghosting after pain. They passed out within moments, much to her satisfaction.

 

  Then, in slow motion, Sakura heard a body hit the ground, and the sound of coughing abruptly stopped. She had no idea if Gekkou was dead, or just knocked out, but fear momentarily overpowered her, before she let blinding anger consume her soul.

 

  Nico instantly vanished with a poof when she disconnected her chakra to him. She didn't want him to get hurt with what she was about to do. If these nin were sound ninja, just like they had suspected, they should drop like flies after she was done.

 

 She let loose a shrill scream from the back of her throat. The sound wave she let out was low enough in intensity to hear, and that was exactly what she wanted. Warm liquid seeped out of her nose, eyes, and ears as she continued to yell. Blood was also starting to poor in her throat. She was choking. 

 

 The pinkette wondered how long she would be able to do this until she passed out. Hopefully she would last longer than the nin around her.

 

  That is, until a hand slapped over her mouth. "Don't make another sound," a pained voice hissed out, and Sakura went to defensive mode. She was about to pull out a kunai that she had hidden up her cloak, before she suddenly recognized the chakra.

 

  Almost instantly, her fear vanished. 

 

  Being brave now, she decided to lick the persons hand in attempt to get them off, but frowned whenever they didn't even tense. She absentmindedly wondered how many people have licked that hand before..

 

  "I assume your done now. I'm going to remove my hand, but if you make so much a as a peep, I'll knock you out. Got that?" the males voice said, making Sakura quickly nod. 

 

  After about a moment, the hand was removed from her mouth and she stumbled forward, gasping for air.

 

 Finding Gekkou's faint, but still there, chakra signature, Sakura rushed over to him and found his pulse. She breathed out in relieved she found that he just knocked out, though there was pretty deep cut on his head.

 

 The pinkette quickly untied the cloth around her eyes and used that to dab up the blood on his head. Maybe she could get the whole thing stained red so people would just think it was naturally dyed that way.

 

  When she finished, and tied the cloth securely around the unconscious jōnin's head, she turned back to where the other man was waiting.

 

  She sniffed the air, and caught the scent of something metallic coming from him. 

 

  "Damn it!" she cursed in alarm when she realized that the man was also bleeding, and it was probably all because of her. 

 

  While hurrying towards him, she tore off an under peice of her cloak into a long strip.

 

  A warm hand caught her wrist before she could lift her hand up to his face.

 

  "What are you doing?" the man growled, keeping her wrist in his grip. 

 

 She grimaced, feeling guilty. "You're bleeding."

 

  "And how would you know that? Your eyes are closed."

 

  Sakura dared to open her eyes, and felt the body before her tense. Something warm hovered against her cheek, and guessed that his free hand was going to touch her face. But before he could, she jerked her head back and looked to the side, snapping her eyes closed once more. 

 

  "You're blind. I'm sorry." And then he released her, but didn't move to walk away. 

 

  The pinkette looked back at him and cocked her head. "Do you want to clean up yourself, or shall I?" she asked, faintly annoyed he wouldn't let her help, and the cloth was taken out of her hand. 

 

 "What's your name?" she suddenly asked, wanting to know exactly who had rescued her. 

 

  There was a brief pause. 

 

  "..Itachi."

Chapter 6: four lean hounds

 

 

  "Itachi?" Sakura repeated, testing the unfamiliar name on her tongue. It sounded almost familiar, and translated to weasel. She wondered if that was something important about him. But shoving that thought aside for later, she flashed her teeth at her rescuer, and bowed her head.

 

  "I'm Sakura Haruno," she introduced herself. Now, later thinking about this, she  probably shouldn't have told her name to a random stranger, despite the fact that he told her his own name, if it was even real. But that thought didn't even cross her mind at the time.

 

  Then she straightened herself up and listened in on the sound of quickly approaching footsteps. Someone was coming. 

 

  Frowning now, she quickly hissed a "Prepare yourself," to Itachi, and hurried over to Gekkou to stand protectively in front of him, because she was too weak to carry him somewhere safe. At least she wasn't alone now.

 

  Almost like the strange man had read her mind, he suddenly appeared beside her. She could feel the weight of whatever cloak he was wearing on her skin. She vaguely thought about asking where he got it from because it was an extremely nice material. But she had the decency to at least hold her tongue. Itachi then stepped away from her side and instead stood in front of her.

 

  The footsteps got closer and closer until they were directly in front of the little group. Sakura heard a barely audible gasp, and she knew that they were gazing around at the destruction that she had caused. She was only filled with a little regret, and that was only for the pain she had caused Itachi.

 

  "Konoha-nin-san's, we apologize for not making it here sooner to assist you in the journey. We are from Otogakure," a males voice said, and he followed that with a click of his tongue. At the sharp noise, a person from his group of four separated themselves from them and cautiously walked forward. 

 

  The same man then spoke again in a reassuring tone, "Don't worry. It's just our medic."

 

  The pinkette was suspicious now, but let the person get to Gekkou. How would they had known to have brought a medic? But her question was (unfortunately) answered when it was followed by, "There have been lots of rogue nin in the area recently. We figured that something had happened when we realized you were a little bit late."

 

  A small seed of frustration boiled up within Sakura at his tone, because she felt clumsy and useless. The loss of her eyes was inhibiting her from gathering certain sorts of important information, such as what the rogue nin and these new nin looked like. Maybe if she had her eyes, then she would be able to compare them and possibly find some connections. 

 

  But the pinky pushed down that wallowing emotion and bowed her head. "Our thanks for helping us. We are-" she suddenly paused, a headache suddenly splitting at her skull. She grit her teeth and wobbled as her mind started to become distorted. Seems like all the screaming, bleeding, and genjutsu look a lot out of her.

 

  An arm wrapped around her waist before she could tumble forward, and she was pressed against something soft. It took her a few moments for her to realize that Itachi had caught her before she face planted into the ground.

 

  Just before she completely passed out, she caught the tail-end of a conversation.

 

  "I thought only two Konoha nin were coming?"

 

  "I asked to tag along, because I was curious about this new village myself."

 

  Suspicion and confusion pulsed through her, but before she could even attempt to inquire as to what Itachi and the man were talking about, she promptly passed out in the formers arms. 

 

  Itachi shifted the unconscious girl in his arms so he was carrying her bridal style, with her head resting against the chest of the henge he had transformed into; a man with shoulder length brown hair (because he never really liked short hair), average brown eyes, and the typical Konoha jōnin uniform.

 

 

 

  When Sakura finally woke up the next morning, she found herself laying in something soft (a bed, most likely), beside a still passed out Gekkou, in a cold room. 

 

  "Ah, I see you're awake," a young male's voice said, startling the pinkette. "Don't worry, you're safe in Otogakure-" (that didn't reassure her at all) "-I'm just a medic here, and can tell that absolutely no harm will come to you."

 

 Sakura nodded and sat up, her hand automatically reaching up to feel the bandages around her eyes and ears. There were also little cotton balls up her nose. Then she gently touched her throat, and felt no pain there. It must have gotten healed.

 

  She cleared her throat before asking, "How's Gekkou?"

 

  "Oh, your little friend here. Unfortunately he's suffered quite the concussion, and will be out for a few days. There was also some bruising on his skull, underneath that nasty cut, but I was able to heal that with no problem," the medic answered. 

 

  There was something off about this whole thing, but Sakura couldn't quite put a finger on it. 

 

  Maybe.. Aha!

 

  "Sir, why are you masking your chakra?" she cautiously asked. That was why she didn't notice him in the first place. She was genuinely curious, but was also afraid that the medic nin might take this question the wrong way and get suspicious of them, which they didn't want.

 

  There was an almost awkward silence until the male cleared his throat. "No reason, really. It's more for the patients benifet. Some people are extremely sensitive to chakra, so anything new or off could disturb their recovery."

 

  Unfortunately, that answer was plausible. These nin were really good at covering up their tracks. Well, either that or there was actually no need to be suspicious of them.

 

  Sakura nodded, and then there was a gentle knock at the door. She recognized Itachi's chakra on the other side, and suddenly remembered the conversation she had heard before she passed out. 

 

 "Are feeling up for a chat with your Konoha friend?" the medic asked, and she nodded mutely with narrowed eyes.

 

  She wanted answers. 

 

  After Itachi entered the room, and the medic left, Sakura dropped the smile that was on her lips and crossed her arms.

 

  "So, a Konoha shinobi, eh?" she said, tilting her head. The bed shifted as Itachi sat down at the end.

 

 "The opportunity presented itself. And besides, I'm sure we could help each other," the man said, and Sakura could hear the offer in his voice. 

 

  She feigned confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked innocently, slowly unwrapping her head bandage. It was too tight. 

 

  An amused chuckle followed. "I'm sure you know what I mean. The rumors of Otogakure of reached all kinds of places by now, including the likes of me, you, and your unconscious friend over there. So like I said before; I believe we can help each other."

 

  So it seemed that she and Gekkou was already found out. She frowned. "Well, I'm also here to learn from the people of the Sound Village," she defended herself in a harsh whisper. 

 

  A hand patted her head, and she let out an embarrassing squeak. She quickly grabbed Itachi's hand, who chuckled again, and ended up running her hand over his finger nail. Instead of giving the hand back to its rightful owner, she inspected the tips of his fingers. 

 

 She finally looked in the direction of the nin. "Are you wearing nail polish?"

 

 (Apparently the henge didn't change that part.)

 

  It's been awhile since her own nails had been polished. She couldn't do it herself without looking like a toddler had somehow been in contact with her fingertips, and she was too embarrassed to ask someone else to paint them. 

 

 Before Itachi could answer, the door swung open and an unfamiliar person stepped through. "He is ready for you. Your friend can continue his rest. Just you two are needed," a female with a clear voice said. 

 

  Sakura wondered who the he was, but figured she would find out soon enough. So she returned Itachi his hand, and swung herself out of the bed.

 

  The floor was freezing. 

 

  "Uh, has anyone seen my sandles?" she asked sheepishly, and her footwear was handed to her by her new comrade.

 

    She was then lead out of the hospital that was apparently in, walking beside Itachi. The area surrounding her was unfamiliar, and it was even worse because she knew where nothing was. There were also a few people on the street, but that was it. They all seemed to be shinobi was well. 

 

  Are there any civilians here? Or is it just made to hold ninja? she asked herself.

 

  "Otogakure was made originally for shinobi and kunoichi that have nowhere else to go, but we occasionally get a few civilian families. They leave before long though," the female said, and Sakura realized that she had accidentally asked her questions out loud.

 

  "What do you mean, if they have nowhere else to go?" the pinkette asked.

 

  "Some people don't approve of their children becoming ninja, so they run away. Or, if a civilian were to want to train as a ninja, and were to old to go to a school or learn with other beginners, they come here."

 

  Itachi asked a question this time, "And after they finish, do they usually end up staying?"

 

  Sakura sensed her surroundings change as she and Itachi were lead into a new building. 

 

 "Yes, actually. There is no reason for them to go back," the female responded, before saying, "You're here now. I'll be waiting here for when you're done." 

 

  With a short nod, Sakura entered a (what she believed to be) dark room with scented candles, unexpectedly warm air, and she heard the breathing of a person on the other side of the room. 

 

 "Welcome, you two," a familiar voice said. It was the medic from before, the same one that healed her and Gekkou. And he said he was just a medic. Pfft. Yeah right. 

 

  A hand, that she recognized to be Itachi's, gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, until they stopped in front of some cushions, in which they sat down on. Itachi and Sakura say shoulder to shoulder, or more accurately, shoulder to arm.

 

 "Greeting's, Otokage," Itachi began, but was interrupted by a giggle coming from the medic and supposed Otokage. 

 

 "No, I'm not the Otokage. He's actually ...visiting in Suna for a bit, so I'm taking over for him until he return. Unfortunately, you most likely won't get to see him during your stay because he won't be back until before the chunin exams take place," the medic said.  

 

  The chunin exams? It's the first that Sakura had heard of them.

 

  Sakura smiled, and let her silver tongue take control in place of Itachi. She could speak for her own village, thank you very much. "That's no matter. We are just honored to even be given the satisfaction of staying here, no matter how brief it may be. Since your village is such a new one, I'm sure not many people have visited."

 

  The pinkette became almost smug when she could practically taste the controlled surprise rolling off the nin beside her. Even the medic didn't expect that.

 

 "So you've done research on Otogakure?" the male asked, making a bear of nervous sweat suddenly run down her neck. 

 

  "I was curious, naturally. Although, there was only so much information I could find. It seems that the Sound Village hasn't gotten much notice yet," she smoothly replied, well aware she was heading into dangerous territory.

 

  A warning hand touched her shoulder, but she shrugged it off and continued, veering the conversation into a different area before anything went wrong. "I'm also excited to be learning from from the sound shinobi. Due to my, erm- blindness, I find it difficult to do things normal ninja can do." It wasn't exactly the truth though, anymore.

 

  She was discovering new things to do, that she probably wouldn't have found out if she hadn't of been blinded. Actually, a lot of things wouldn't have happened if that accident (it wasn't really an accident) had gone differently.

 

  She heard the medic shifting, and guessed that he was sitting on cushions as well. "Ah yes, your blindness," he started, and Sakura felt a wee-bit anxious at his interested tone. "I've found some interesting things while going over you, such as the fact that your optic nerves are completely demolished. Mind telling me the story of how it happened?" he inquired, obviously curious. 

 

  Sakura grimaced, but nodded. She could tell that Itachi wanted to know as well. "Well, my team and I were on a mission. We were only supposed to be transporting liquids, and yes– they happened to be extremely toxic and we wore gas masks– when a bunch of rogue nin showed up out of nowhere. During the fight, my gas mask was shattered to pieces, but that was probably my fault because I noticed something suspicious with the glass but didn't speak up. Anyways, one of the barrels got spilled, I was knocked to the ground pretty hard, and then you can guess what happened. A splash in the face was all it took. He also took my hair," she added as an after thought, reaching up to twirl a short strand of her hair with her finger.

 

  There was a few moments of silence that Sakura took to look more in depth as too what had happened. Those men from the mines had looked perfectly capable to lift those things themselves. Did they know that those rogue nin were out there? If so, why wouldn't they tell them? There was also the fact that she had been given a defected gas mask such was a hazard safety, and no person worth their brain in marbles would ever have someone use it, much less an inexperienced genin. And what was with the hair thing?

 

  Was it.. Was it possibly planned? she thought in horror, chewing nervously at her cheek.

 

  She was brought back to reality when the medic cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for what happened, Haruno-san. Otogakure will happily help you out when you arrived here. I'll have a team waiting for you tomorrow. For now, I'll have Michi-san bring you to your temporary room while I talk to Hosuh-san. I'm sure you'll want to finish your recovery in peace," the medic said.

 

  Hosuh-san? Who was- Oh. Apparently Itachi, if that was even his real name, was feeding more lies to the nin of Otogakure. She wisely said nothing on the matter, but was bound and determined to do so later.

 

  She would get her answers. 

 

  But in the meantime, she stood up and smoothed down her clothes, before lowering herself into a bow. "Thank you again for allowing us to be here, and for enabling me pick up tips from your shinobi. And I'll see you soon, Hosuh-san."

 

  Then she straightened herself up and spin on her heel, using her sharpened memory to remember where the door was a smoothly walk outside.

 

  It was after Sakura left the room that realized that the medic nin had not given out his name, or did he unmask his chakra. 

 

 Disrupting the patients my ass, she thought, internally rolling her eyes. That medic nin was just full of bullcrap, and wasn't making things better for himself or the village.

 

  The woman from before was waiting in the same place that she had left Sakura and Itachi. "Now that you're done, I'm to bring you to the guest quarters," she said, the pinkette guessed that this was Michi.

 

  After a nod, the woman promptly took the lead, all the while answering any questions she had had about anything at all. Unfortunately, Sakura couldn't seem to ask questions that had to be left unanswered or were suspicious.

 

  "Here we are," Michi finally said, and they stopped in front of a door. After a quick farewell, the woman left Sakura with a key and her luggage, as well as Gekkou's and apparently Itachi's. She was tempted to look through the latter stuff, but decided it would be disrespectful, and didn't feel like getting her ass kicked.. 

 

  After plopping everything on the floor, and closing the door behind her, she sent out a sound wave high enough in frequency so that it wouldn't hurt her. 

 

  It still did though.

 

 Her throat burned, and her ears began to ring. But, at least she found where everything was located. 

 

 The room was a little small, but it wasn't bad. There were two beds on the left side, with a nightstand in the middle. On the other side, in the left corner, was a tiny kitchen that had an equal tiny table. And then, near the door, was a simple couch with another small table in front of it, set on top of a rug.

 

  That was all the detail she got. 

 

  Deciding it was enough for now though, and that she could check to see if the room was bugged later, Sakura dragged her belongings over to the bed on the right, and then promptly collapsed in it without changing. She was suddenly too tired to do anything, and quickly fell asleep without a second thought. 

 

  That was her mistake. 

 

   

  Sakura woke up a few hours later with tears streaking down her cheeks, and warm hands cupping her face. It took her a moment to realize that it was Itachi that was hovering over her. She didn't hear him enter the room last night, and she must have woken him up. 

 

 "I-I'm sorry," she hoarsely stammered out, hating the feelings of weakness and helplessness that enslaved her. 

 

  But she was only gently shushed, and his thumbs worked soothingly on her cheekbones below her eyes. "Your first kill is always the hardest, especially when it's done in such a violent manner," Itachi whispered, making the pinkette wonder how he knew. Her silent question was answered a moment later. 

 

 "I watched it happen, and caught you when you fell," he explained. "It was a form of self defense to protect yourself from being killed. There's nothing wrong with that," he said reassuringly, and she could feel herself begin to calm down. 

 

 "Could you tell me what he looked like? In my nightmares, I've been replacing him with my friends and family," she said in a small voice, and the hands left her face to grab her own fingers.

 

  "He had short brown hair,an average type, like the henge I'm using now-" of course he's using a henge, but- A thought came to her. 

 

 "The room could be bugged," she quickly spluttered out.

 

 "I've already dealt with that."

 

 "Oh.."

 

  "I will continue now. Your ninja had brown hair, dark green eyes that almost looked black. The bottom half of his few was covered by a mask, he wore no hitai-ate, and there was a mole just below his right eye. Will that do?" he asked, taking his hands away from hers.

 

  Sakura breathed out. "Thank you," she simply said in reply. Sleepiness was clouding her mind again, and she let out a yawn. She shouldn't be trusting a stranger, but she was young, naive, and inexperienced. 

 

 "Go to sleep now," Itachi insisted. "Everything will be fine."

 

  Without another word, Sakura got comfy underneath the scratchy covers, and her breathing slowed.

 

  She was asleep again, and this time she could fight against her nightmares.

 

 

 

 

The next morning, Itachi decided that he explore the village while Sakura was out training with the sound nin. It would be important to know where everything was and what everything was for their mission, and Sakura would possibly be able to learn more about Otogakure during that time.

 

  After performing five quick hand signs and slamming her hand on the ground, Nico appeared with a loud screech, and leaped onto the poor girl, successfully knocking her to the ground. 

 

  "You do not do that again, ya hear me!?" the eagle summon began, a hitch in his words. "I was worried sick. I saw what was going through your head, and you could have died! What were you even- Wait, who's that?" 

 

  Nico had finally noticed Itachi, who was standing there almost awkwardly. 

 

  "Too much to explain. Just look inside my mind," Sakura said, standing back up and moving to get clothes to get dressed. She chose a pair of black shorts and a red shirt. Simple, and easy to move around in if the situation called for it. 

 

  "Ahh, I see. So you changed your henge to look like your real self for now," the eagle summon finally said after a few minutes of silence. 

 

  The pinkette whirled around to face in the direction of Itachi, and held her arm out. "We never did talk about you, did we? So Nico, what does he look like?"

 

  The eagle took flight and landed on Sakura's outstretched arm despite not having the gauntlets on. "Let's see.. Long black hair that reaches his shoulder, black eyes, deep tear lines, a black cloak with red clouds, looks to be a few years older than you.. And those are the basics," he finished. 

 

  He's also pretty cute, Nico added in her mind, wiggling the eyebrows (that he didn't have), suggestively.  

 

  But Sakura was thinking of other things. She cocked her head and put a free finger on her chin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that matches the description of an Uchiha!" she exclaimed. "But Sasuke-kun is the only Uchiha left, so that's impossible."

 

  Nobody saw the briefest look of panic flitting across Itachi's face, before disappearing behind a calm facade. He simply raised an eyebrow. "You know the famous last Uchiha?" he said, sounding more than a little curious. 

 

  The pinkette. "Yup," she said, popping the p. "We were on the same team until I get kicked off because of my blindness," she answered casually, as if being forced to leave her team was nothing to fuss about. It was everything to fuss about. 

 

 "Also, Itachi-san, please turn around," Sakura suddenly ordered the nin, who raised an eyebrow but did what she said anyways. 

 

 "And for what reason am I doing this?" he asked.

 

   It was Nico who answered though. "She's getting changed, and doesn't want you to see. The only bathroom is downstairs, and she's too lazy to walk all the way down there." 

 

  Itachi sweatdropped, but stayed turned around like the respectful gentleman he was raised to be. 

 

 "Alright, done!" the pinkette announced and the nin turned around to see his roommate dressed and ready to go for the day. She had also pulled her hair into a messy bun on her head, and displayed her Konoha hitai-ate proudly.  

 

  Then she suddenly frowned. "I need something to put around my eyes.." she murmured, before walking around the room and letting her hand trail against everything, seeing if there was anything useful in the small room. 

 

  Something was suddenly draped over her head, and discovered that Itachi had handed her a bandage. 

 

 "It's the only thing I have, but it should do," he answered the pinkette's silent question, making her smile at him gratefully and wrap it around the top of her head. 

 

  When she finished, she sat down on the couch that was beside the door and had an expectant look on her face. "So, Hosuh-san, I believe there are some things you'd like to tell me," she stared, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand that was propped up on the side of the couch. 

 

 Itachi let out a sigh and sat beside her. But since it was so small of a couch, they were practically squashed together. Nico had to hide an amused chuckle at that sight, and decided to perch himself on the candle holder that was on the table in front of the two.

 

   "I'll only answer questions of my choice. No more, no less," the nin said in a bargaining tone, which Sakura obligingly accepted. 

 

  "First question. Why the fake name and henge?" she started off with, leaning back into the couches soft cushioning. It was certainly more comfortable than the bed she slept in last night. 

 

 "To protect my identity," Itachi responded vaguely, making the pinkette frown.

 

 "Why would you need to do that?" she asked in puzzlement. Naive little girl. It would get her killed. 

 

  She suddenly sensed Itachi's face lean forward and felt his breath on her cheek. The nin unleashed a powerful aura that oozed power. Finally, finally, Sakura felt fear in his presence. Her heart thudded against her chest and her hands clenched against her sides. Her body was telling her to run while she could. 

 

  "Pass," he whispered in her ear, before leaning back and reeling in his bloodlust. It took a few moments for Sakura to find her voice again. 

 

  "N-Next question." She didn't mean to stutter. She still needed answers. For herself and her village. She needed more knowledge. More experience. "What suspicions do you have of Otogakure, and who sent you? Or do you just work on your own?"

 

  Itachi let out a little chuckled and patted her head. It baffled Sakura how quickly he could change his attitude. "So many questions for a little genin," he said, making the pinkette frown. He continued, "My suspicions are something that I can tell you later, and I can't tell you who sent me."

 

  So he was working for someone else. An organization of some sort? Was he a rogue nin that was undercover? Well, the undercover part was obvious now. But there was so many things she didn't know, and her brain was telling her to find out all that she could.

 

  I'm not sure either, though that cloak he's wearing does seem familiar somehow, Nico told her in her head, his voice wondering. 

 

  "How old are you?" Sakura asked, changing the direction of the interrogation. 

 

 "A few years older than yourself, like your summon said. But if you want an exact age, then I would have to tell you that I'm seventeen," he answered.

 

  So he's around five years older than her, which really wasn't that much of a difference considering she was twelve. (Thirteen very soon.) 

 

  Before she could ask another question, such as if Itachi was even his real name, a knock sounded at the door, startling Sakura since she had been focusing all of her attention on the person beside her.

 

  She quickly bounced to her feet and opened the door that was only a few feet away. 

 

  There were four chakra signatures, and she knew that the group consisted of shinobi such as herself. "Ah, hello. You must be the people that medic-san said would be waiting for me," she said, wishing that the medic had told her his name so she didn't feel like an idiot right now. 

 

 That's not hard to do, Nico mused.

 

 Sakura turned around, still holding the door open. "Nico.." she said in a warning tone.

 

  The eagle summon innocently ruffled his wings. "You can't prove I even said anything," he shot back in teasing tone. If she could see him, the pinkette would be glaring right about now. He was lucky. 

 

  She turned back to waiting ninja. The one farthest to the right spoke first, who she suddenly recognized as the female from yesterday, Michi. "Greetings, Haruno-san. This is my team, Dosu Kinuta, Kin Tsuchi, and Zaku Abumi. For the majority of your stay here, we will be helping out with you," she said. Despite her upbeat tone, her words sounded like Sakura was a problem that needed to be fixed. She couldn't tell if that was purposeful or not. 

 

  The only female on the team spoke first. "I'm Kin Tsuchi. But you probably didn't know that because you're obviously blind," she stated in a hard tone. 

 

  Sakura prided herself on not even twitching a muscle. She had a feeling that this would happen sooner or later. And it would be best to learn how to deal with those types of comments. So she lifted her lips into a small smile, surprising everyone, and completely ignored the girl. She didn't respond at all, like she knew Kin wanted her to. 

 

  After the tense silence, the boys introduced themselves next in rude tones as well, but said nothing more on her apparent blindness.

 

  Dosu was obviously the leader of the three genin, while Zaku seemed like the type of sit back and watch the action. Sakura didn't get good vibes from either of them.

 

  Michi then clapped her hands together, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Now that that's done and over with, how about we get going. Hosuh-san, will you be joining us?" she asked the man who was standing behind Sakura. 

 

  He shook his head. "No, I'm sure Haruno-san can take care of herself," he replied, and then proceeded to gently push her and shut the door behind her.

 

  Wow, how nice, the pinkette thought sarcastically, an stood there in exasperated silence as the door was opened again, and this time Nico was kicked out. 

 

 "Your friend certainly is a rude one," Nico said stiffly as he landed on the pinkette's arm, who nodded her head, agreeing with him. 

 

 "That he is."

 

 

 

  About five minutes later, Sakura was being lead down the road by a team that basically hated her guts. Fun, right?

 

  She tensed as Kin slowed down to fall into step beside her. "So, Haruno-san, I'm surprised that your kage even allowed you to become a kunoichi," she said in a snotty voice. 

 

  "I may be blind, Tsuchi-san, but I'm not incompetent," she responded in the same tone, earning an oooh from Zaku, who was quickly shut up by Dosu with a slap on the head.

 

  Kin merely snorted. "Says the genin who woke up on a hospital bed yesterday," she shot back. 

 

  There was that feeling worthlessness again. 

 

 "I challenge you to a battle," Sakura suddenly said, the words tumbling out of her lips without a second thought. She had to control herself from slapping her hands over her mouth. 

 

  Like I said. It's not hard to be idiotic, Nico oh-so-helpfully stated, making the girl tug on one of his tail feathers. The eagle summon let out an undignified yelp and left her arm in a hurry, not wanting to be abused again (even though it was technically his fault in the first place).

 

  The female kunoichi suddenly wrapped her hand around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her closer. "I'd like to see you try to win," she whispered in her ear before pushing her away. The pinkette stumbled a little but caught herself before she fell.

 

  Nervous sweat rolled down her face. What have I gotten myself until, she thought. It was only luck and putting herself in the hospital that allowed her to defeat those rogue nin. It was doubtful she would win against this Sound genin.

 

  You doubt yourself too much, Nico chided her from his place in the sky. 

 

  The pinkette didn't respond.

 

 

 

   Kin and Sakura started with basic taijutsu, and it was clear to see who the superior one in this battle was. It was all the pinkette could do to block her punches, and stay out of kicking range. A break in the wind told her about an incoming hit, a shift in the earth meant she was moving and changing positions.

 

  The Otogakure genin suddenly appeared behind her, and sent her flying forward to the ground. She basically ate a pile of dirt. It was humiliating. 

 

  Anger and frustration were starting to lend her energy now. As quickly as she got thrown down, she jumped back up. Numerous plans and counter attacks started running through her head.

 

 I'm nowhere near strong enough to face her head to head, and I'm also not fast enough to continue avoiding her. My best bet would probably be to move her away from taijutsu moves into so thing else, like ninjutsu or genjutsu, she rapidly thought, all the while managing to get kick sent to her shoulder blades and making her slump forward. As soon as she was even just a little out of it then, Kin suddenly kneed her chin, making her arch and fall into her back.

 

  "Weak," the genin taunted into her ear, pulling her up by her hair. For some reason, there was almost something dejavu-like about this position. A kunai was then pressed to her neck, and all rational thoughts left her. She began working on instincts alone.

 

  Very suddenly, the pinkette rammed her head into Kin's forehead, making her loosen her hold. By default, the kunai also pressed against her throat causing causing blood to drip down to her collarbone. She took this opportunity to grab the the kunai, and with deft fingers from doing normal household activities with no sight, she turned the weapons around towards its blunt head, put her head slightly to the side, and pushed it back. 

 

  When the kunai's hilt hit Kin, she released Kin and stumbled backwards, her hands flying to her welting cheekbone. Without giving the genin any time to recover, Sakura lunged forward, ready to let her chakra consume the genin's mind.

 

 But a noise stopped her. A loud, ringing noise that echoed through her ears, and her heightened senses made it worse. With a gasp, she fell to her knees and tried to block out the sound. It didn't work at all. That meant it wasn't an actual sound, but affected the mind. Kin had gotten her in a genjutsu before she could. And, did she mutually herself into several clones? It was her chakra was everywhere, and it was extremely confusing.

 

 A hand yanked on her hair again. "Do you give up?" Kin asked, her voice loud and clear.

 

  Sakura really didn't want to give up and admit defeat.

 

  You can do it, you can do it, Nico chanted in her mind, trying to lend her moral support.

 

 It worked. Sakura channeled her chakra to her hands and feet, and then hauled herself up to her feet.

 

 "Hah, what are you going to do, send a couple of toothpicks at me?" Kin asked, mockery evident in her tone.

 

  Toothpicks.. Maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

 

  The pinkette discreetly pulled a couple of senbon out of her pouch, and hid them underneath her gauntlets-which was actually turned out to be an excellent place to hide things.

 

  "Hey, Kin. Mind telling me about all the snakes around her? Or more accurately, the snake statues?" she suddenly asked, and when she felt the genin's chakra faulter, she sent her senbon flying. Kin was able to pass them, but not the ones flying in the shadow. 

 

  Sakura knew they hit their mark when the genin let out a sharp gasp, and could smell blood. By using the place of the sun, and what direction they were facing, the pinkette was able to determine where the shadows would be. Of course, only using senbon wouldn't render her useless, so that why she had connected her chakra to them, creating chakra strings.   

 

  With a quick tug of her fingers, the senbon slid out of her flesh and she quickly wrapped the strings around her, trying her up. With a slight pull, she was then able to make Kin fall on her face, just as she had made her do before. 

 

  Revenge tasted like dirt. 

 

 Michi then decided to intervene and call it a drawl. "That was good, you two. I'm impressed," she said as she easily cut through Sakura's chakra strings and helped her student up. The pinkette meanwhile was left to fend for herself, and cut off the part of her brain that required hearing, before turning it back on. The ringing finally stopped.

 

  Sakura, you really need to stop doing experiments like that on yourself. Just because you named your Konoh's Experiment, doesn't mean you always need to risk doing something that could permanently damage you, the eagle summon scolded her, coming to land beside her as she collapsed on her back on the ground and spread her limbs out. Sweat was rolling in a gross manner down her back.

 

  "Oh, but Nico-kun, then if I hadn't of experimented, then I wouldn't have been able to heal your wing, and then who'd be my voice of reason?" she pointed out, her sentence ending in a large yawn.   

 

  Nico let out a a squawk of alarm. "You mean to say that I was basics an experiment as well!?" 

 

  "Maa, the details aren't important."

 

  Before they could bicker anymore, someone suddenly lifted the pinkette up, and was thrown unceremoniously over their shoulder.

 

  "Hey, what the hell It- Hosuh-san!?" Sakura yelled at her captor, kicking her legs and hitting at his back. But his grip on her thighs didn't waver in the slightest.

 

   "I'm going to take my genin and get some food into her stomach. She didn't eat breakfast, and gets violent when she's angry," the pretend-Konoha-nin said in an apologetic voice voice, before suddenly shunshining the two away.

 

  Nico was left behind her again, and escaped into the sky to find them. 

 

  After Itachi put on the pinkette down, she realized that they were back in their room, and there was food sitting on the table.

 

  Her stomach suddenly growled, and she finally realized how hungry she was. But she refused to be bribed, and crossed her arms over her chest, facing the undercover nin.

 

 "Why did you kidnap me?" She asked in a slightly annoyed voice. She didn't even have the chance to learn anything from them. 

 

  "Because I needed to talk to you," he simply said, making an irk mark appear on her forehead.

 

  But her stomach growled again, and she blushed. Very grudgingly, she made her way to the table and plopped on the couch. She didn't waste a second to start digging into the delicious food.

 

  "Snakes," Itachi suddenly said, making the pinkette choke on her food. 

 

  After dislodging the peice of food from her throat and swallowing it, she turned towards the nin who sat beside her and raised an eyebrow. (Maybe the food was helping her attitude.)

 

  But Itachi's next word confused her. "I believe there's a snake in Otogakure."

Chapter 7: crouched low and smiling

"Are you saying that you believe that Orochimaru is behind all of this?" Sakura asked, disbelief and nervousness clearly evident in her voice. There was a fresh bandage across her neck from where Kin's kunai had cut her.

Without hesitation, Itachi answered with, "Yes."

The pinkette let out a groan and fell forward so her forehead hit the table. She would probably have a nice sized welt there now. "Great.. So we are in a village that possibly tried to kill me and basically put Gekkou-san in a temporary coma, filled with genin's who hate my guts, and now on top of that, the famous Snake Sannin and S-Ranked ninja might be behind this all," she rambled on, and a hand gently patted her back in sympathy.

"Such is the way of a shinobi. We are put through impossible tasks, that we can either pass or fail. It's our Will that keeps us going," Itachi said, suddenly sounding years older than he actually was.

Only fools believe in the impossible.

Sakura was thankful to be surrounded by people who had good sense in them and inspiring words.

"So what made you come to the conclusion that-"

THUNK.

Itachi and Sakura swiveled their heads towards the window where Nico had unceremoniously hit the glass. The pinkette quickly leaped to her feet and opened the window, and the eagle summon practically cuddled to her neck.

"Uh, are you okay, Nico-kun?" she asked, running her fingers along the feathers on the back of his head.

"No," he whined. "Something happened, and I felt as if I could see everything. People were crying, filled with pain, and some of their bodies were mutated!"

Sakura felt Itachi come up behind her, and he gently took the frightened summon out of her hands. She worriedly chewed the inside of her cheek, not knowing what to do. She was a horrible summoner, partner, and friend.

"Haruno-san, would you like me to see what happened? I posses a.. a special kekkai genki that allows me to access people's memories, among other things," the undercover nin suddenly offered, confusing the pinkette. What type of kekkai genki was capable of that kind of feat?

But she agreed, and Itachi brought the shivering eagle summon to the bed and gently laid him down, before covering his body up with a blanket.

A few silent, tense minutes followed, where Sakura guessed that Itachi was using his gekkai genki. He suddenly let out a strangled sound, so low that any normal-person wouldn't be able to hear it, and the pinkette couldn't help the startled "What!?" that fell out of her mouth

It seemed that he had finished, because he replied with, "What Nico-san saw, was what was actually going on in Otogakure. There's something hidden underneath these grounds, and I'm willing to bet that the entrance is also somewhere around here."

Sakura took a moment to process his words, while sitting on the bed and pulling the eagle summon on her lap to her chest. "So, you still believe Orochimaru is at the bottom of all of this?" she repeated her earlier question hesitantly.

Itachi made a little sound of affirmative. "There are several signs, starting with what you said earlier while fighting with that genin. There are several snake statues in Otogakure, and it isn't for the aesthetic."

The pinkette cocked her head in confusion. "How did you know I said that? I thought you were busy with other things, which I why you kicked me out of my own room," she said.

"Our room," Itachi pointed out. "And I sent a clone to watch over you incase anything happened, so I heard and saw everything. Which brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"Besides claiming that the Snake Sannin is up to creepy stuff?"

"Yes. The fact is, you need a sensei, someone to train you and help you become stronger. Do you have one?" Itachi asked bluntly, causing Sakura to blanch.

The pinkette didn't even have to think before she answered. "As of right now, no. After my accident, I basically got kicked off the team, had a about a week to prove myself to Hokage-sama that I can be of use, and then he sent me here with Gekkou-san. And I can't rejoin my old team with Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun, and Kakashi-san because I've been replaced already," she summed up, frowning.

She did need a teacher. It was a must-have for any genin. Sensei's were given a team so they could pass on their skills and help their students fix their mistakes. Without one..

"Then it seems for the rest of my stay in Otogakure, I will see to it that you get trained personally."

Before Sakura could ask what he meant by the remainder of his stay, she was already behind pushed out the door with a sleeping eagle summon in her arms, still confused about what exactly happened with Nico.

"Take these," Itachi instructed, pushing something into the pinkette's free end (she had sent Nico back to Tōjinbō Cliffs earlier to rest up). Puffing her cheeks out, she felt them up, trying to figure out that the were. The items were quite heavy, seeming to be weighted down by something, and was almost like something you would wear on- Oh.

"Are these leg and arm weights?" she asked suspiciously, her arms already getting tired from the combined weight from everything.

"Yes. Put them on."

Sakura plopped onto the ground and obediently slid them into her legs and arms, before making sure they were secure. She then shakily stood up, and felt a considerable amount of success when she didn't even fall over. "Wow, these things are heavy," she puffed out, sweat already beading along her forehead.

Itachi deadpanned. "Those were the lightest available," he said, making the pinkette gawk.

Wow, I really am weak, she thought, a depressed aura coming off of her. A hand patted her head. "Don't worry, you'll get used to them. And when you do, we'll get a heavier set," the undercover nin assured her, (not that it made her feel any better).

"I want you to take five laps around the whole village at a medium paced jog. No using chakra please. While you do that, I will go scout around for the entrance to the base underground. When I get back, then we can over over your battle from earlier and see what you did wrong and how you could improve from it," he added, not bothering to wait for answer before shunshining away.

Even if Sakura would have agreed to that, it would have been a lie. There was no way that she would let some dangerous, undercover nin do her mission for her. For all she knew, he was was just using her (which is what he was technically doing anyways) to get information and didn't plan on sharing it with her.

Making up her mind, the pinkette decided to enlist Keiki to help her in her endeavors, even though there was little doubt that she wouldn't help at all. But it was her only option since Nico was currently recouping from his earlier trauma, and she wanted company.

The she-eagle appeared, annoyed at eveything already and eager to gouge her summoners eyes out. But of course, that didn't happen. She instead settled for perching on Sakura's shoulder and digging her talons into her flesh.

The pinkette winced, but didn't say anything, figuring that she might have deserved it. "Hello, Keiki-san," she awkwardly greeted her.

The she-eagle sniffed. "Sakura-san, why the hell did you summon me?" she asked in a deceivingly cool tone, digging her talons even deeper into the pinkette's skin, nearing the point of drawing blood.

"How fond of you are eating snakes?" the pinkette asked, keeping her voice steady.

Keiki paused, tilting her head, weary now. "They're enjoyable enough. Why?"

Sakura didn't respond, but cast around her senses until she found something. Then she began her walk, and the eagle chose to then perch on her arm while they lumbered towards something.

Finally, Sakura rested her free hand on the top of a snake statues head. Keiki squinted. "I am not eating a rock snake. What's wrong with you!?"

Mentally rolling her eyes, and leaned up against the snake statue. "That's not what I meant. But I was hoping you'd understand what I was trying to get at," she began. At the she-eagle's silence, she continued in a whisper, "Who do you know of that is represented by snakes?"

Keiki took a moment to answer. "Orochimaru?" she guessed, uncertainty clear in her voice. This was the first time Sakura heard her say something without hate.

She couldn't contain a grin. "Correct. I was actually exploring around here this morning when I came across several of these things. And then Itachi-san, someone I met recently, says that the Snake Sannin has something to do with all the weird things that are going on around here. So, we are going to go exploring to find a secret entrance to something that's under this village," she explained.

After Keiki reluctantly agreed to go along with her, the two set off, which the eagle flying high in the sky, and her walking around with her senses expanded all around her.

The village wasn't as big as Konoha; only about half that size, and from what intel she leaned from Keiki, it wasn't in that good of condition either. Houses were run down, some even built unevenly and were leaning to the side. There was also the fact that barely any people were around, and the ones who were, wore cloaks over most of their bodies, which was suspicious all in itself.

After about fifteen minutes of wandering around the small village, Sakura was starting to get impatient, which wasn't the best quality a kunoichi could have. And from that impatience spawned an admittedly stupid idea; tunneling under ground.

In order for this to work, she would need to figure out exactly how far down the underground network was, where each room was down there, and if there were people there. Which meant a couple of things.

Sakura would have to expand her range of senses, somehow connect with the earth beneath her feet, and become familiar with the villages current inhabitants to see if she could recognize anyone that was down there. There was also the problem of how she was going to tunnel under ther without anyone noticing, and how she would get the strength to do it, seeing as she was extremely weak. But luckily, she had an idea of how to solve all of that.

The pinkette took a deep breath and pulled a kunai out of her pack on her leg, and raised it in the air. Not thinking about what was just about the happen, she quickly lunged the sharp blade into her arm and slid it across her skin.

From high in the air, Keiki suddenly smelled the pungent scent of blood, and quickly swooped down, only to see her idiotic summoner holding a bloodied kunai above her bleeding arm.

"What are you even thinking!?" the eagle summon shrieked, and proceeded to grab the blades object with her talons, and chucked it to the side in the dirt.

Then, unintentionally, it happened. What is it, you might ask? Simple. The bond between an eagle summon and its summoner. It struck the moment Keiki lunged st Sakura to take the weapon from her; forged between the she-eagle's worry, and how touched the pinkette felt that she actually cared.

In what felt like only a second, Keiki suddenly saw everything that ran through the pinkette's head, and she understood. No longer did she feel irritated-that much, anyways-with her summoner, but that was instead replaced by grudging admiration and approval. But Sakura wasn't aware of this bond yet.

The genin glared. "Calm your feathers, I know what I'm doing," she exclaimed, holding her steadily bleeding arm. Then without waiting for a reply, she lifted her hand, hovered it above her wound, and concentrated, just as she had done with Nico's wing. Compared to his injury, hers was only a flesh wound, so it would hopefully be easier to heal.

The reason she was doing this was because learning medical ninjutsu would greatly improve on her skills, despite the fact that she said she never wanted to become a medic after she first lost her sight. People with outstanding chakra control and who had a great understanding in medical ninjutsu often reaped special be ideas, such as monster-like strength. Lady Tsunade, the Slug Sannin, was an example of this. Because of being the best medical kunoichi in all the land, that helped her gain her super strength, also giving her the title of strongest kunoibji.

Also, learning medical ninjutsu would also help her hone her already impressive chakra control. Basically, it all went hand in hand. The reason she was using it on herself, and not anything else, was because she simply because she felt cruel purposefully hurting another being, even if she did intend to fix them.

Sweat started to bead down her neck and back as she continued to concentrate on her chakra, but it wasn't working no matter how hard she tried. The blood continued to run down her arm until it started to drop into the ground, slowly forming a puddle. She was begin to feel light-headed already.

Bandage it. Now, before you pass out, a voice in her head commanded Sakura, and it took a few delayed moments before she realized that it was Keiki.

Wha- How in Kami's name did we form a bond!? the pinkette thought in confusion as she quickly took the wrap from around her face and used it on her arm. The pinkette heard Keik shift on her talons almost awkwardly.

"That's- uh, not important right now. You need to make sure that cut doesn't get infected and bleed anymore. Go to the hospital if you have to," the she-eagle quickly rambled out, then cut off her own chakra to Sakura and quickly disappeared, leaving the pinkette alone and confused. But she quickly shook herself out of in when a sliver of pain ran throughout her whole arm. She sighed. She would have to go to the hospital.

And so five quick minutes later she sat in a hospital room with the medical nin and Otokage-stand-in patching up her arm.

"Mind telling me how this happened?" he asked in a light tone, dabbing rubbing alcohol into the wound to stop any infections

Sakura nervously licked her lips. "Ah, you see I was using my chakra strings with my kunai, but they somehow disappeared and it came back down to cut me before I could move out of the way," she lied, not wanting people to believe she was suicidal or depressed, even if they knew she just wanted to learn medical ninjutsu.

The nin was skeptical, of course, but didn't say anything more on the matter. "Your Konoha friend is in the room next to us, if you would like to see him. I believe that he will still be out of it for a few days. The hit he took was pretty hard," he suddenly said, and then stood up when he finished with her arm.

Sakura stood up as well and thanked him with a small bow. She had actually been planning to visit Gekkou tonight.

When the pinkette entered the room, she found the jōnin that she was looking for at the corner of the room. His chakra was weak, but she could sense a change in it from last time, which was a good thing. That meant he was recovering nicely.

She sat in a chair beside his bed and took his warm hand in hers, running a finger along his knuckles in a soothing manner, but she knew he couldn't feel it.

"You're a good person, Gekkou-san, and I admire you for that. I hope that when you wake up, we can continue to do what we came here to do, and then I'll ask you to teach me kenjutsu."

After releasing his hand, he stayed a few more minutes, before finally leaving. She had a few laps to run, and she didn't want Itachi to find out what she was doing. If he was allowed secrets, then so was she.

 

The next day was was basically the same as the one before. In the morning she trained, this time a mock battle with Dosu, and learned how to hear the sound waves around her and use them to her advantage. Itachi then had her run around the village, while he left to find any entrances to the underground base. But while he did that, Sakura was slowly working on her medical ninjutsu. She only managed to seal up the very end of the cut that she purposefully caused on her side under her shirt, but it was better than nothing. She also summoned Keiki, who was surprisingly becoming more civil towards her. The day ended with a large meal, and a recounting of the day, in which neither Sakura or Itachi completely revealed the truth.

This continued for the next four days, until something happened that made Sakura immensely satisfied and happy.

Zaku came at her with a killing intent, and went in to wrap his hands around her throat. But she quickly stopped him with a well aimed kicked to his wrist. (She made a mental note to possibly think about enforcing the toes of her shoes with something metal and heavy to inflict the maximum amount of damage).

"That was a dirty move," the genin growled when he realized that not only did she hurt his wrists, but somehow pressed a pressure point that made his hands useless.(Yes, she might have accidentally figured that out by using it on herself, and nearly had a heart attack when she almost couldn't fix it).

"All's fair in surviving," she shot back, wincing when the ringing in her ears began. But it somehow wasn't as bad as the dust time. She was probably slowly getting used to the horrid sound.

Zaku suddenly lowered his guard, something that Sakura didn't know was accidental or not, but she took it. She pulled her arm back into a fist, and infused it with chakra. Then, when the moment presented itself, which was when the Otogakure genin showed his shoulder, and lunged forward.

Her eyes widened when he flew back several feet due to the impressive force of her punch, and then slumped to the ground, unconscious. The ringing came to an abrupt stop, and she looked at her unhurt hand in awe. She had done that, and it was all on her own, with nobody's help.

Michi appeared beside her, and patted her shoulder. "I'm impressed. That definitely was unexpected," she told her in a light tone, but the pinkette sensed a strang uneasiness beneath it.

That night, Sakura slept better than she had in days, with no nightmares about the people she had killed. Instead, her dreams were filled with black and red balls of yarn that stretched over the whole world, forever connecting the earths inhabitants.

Sakura stood in front of Itachi, her palms flat in front of her, her legs slightly bent, and a determined look in her unseeing eyes. She also had her weights deposited on the ground a few feet away, which meant that she would be going all out.

Itachi was calling it a skills assessment, to see how far she's gotten in her training. And the way he wanted to test her, was to battle her himself.

It was safe to assume that the pinkette was internally freaking out. And since Nico wasn't here, she would have to get through this herself. The reason he wasn't here was because of the words that the undercover nin spoke to her earlier:

"I've noticed that during your little battles with the sound nin, that you've kept your summon with you the whole time. You need to stop that, because your summon is connected to your chakra, and you need to conserve that as much you can, especially since you have less than than the average person's amount."

And so since then, the pinkette hasn't summoned Nico for battles that he wouldn't partake in, all to help conserve her admittedly small amount of chakra.

"Come at me," Itachi ordered, his voice sounding as cool as ever.

Sakura breathed out, put her right foot in front of her, and pushed herself forwards. But in doing so she stumbled, because she was going a lot faster than she expected. She was glad that Itachi didn't laugh at her embarrassment. After regaining her balance, she locked onto the undercover nin's chakra and lunged towards him again.

But, if she was even just a little fast, he beat her speed-wise by a lot. Quicker than an eye could see- or an ear could hear -Itachi appeared behind her and sent her flying forward with one well aimed kick. She got a face full of dirt.

"Good, your speed has drastically improved. I'm happy to see that."

The pinkette narrowed her eyes and got back up, spitting out chunks of rock and earth. There was no way she could fight him head on. Which meant she would be focusing on long range attacks, and she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

It was something that she's been trying to kept hidden, so she could use the surprise to her advantage. Although, most of it would just be planned today, after she acquired some new information about her abilities.

Yesterday, Itachi had handed her a peice of parchment and told the pinkette to focus some of her chakra into it to see what her chakra affinities were. When she did, half of the paper turned to water, while the other half crumpled to dirt. It wasn't totally unexpected, considering the things that Sakura had done in the past, but it was nice to know what she was capable of doing all the same.

Water and earth were her natural affinities, and she planned to use that to her advantage.

"Hey, Hosuh-san," Sakura began in a deceivingly light tone. Her heart was actually pounding, and her hands were clammy with the thought of what she was about to attempt.

She didn't see Itachi narrow his eyes in suspicion, but she knew he suspected something was happening.

"I really doubt normal people talk during battles," the nin replied, slowly beginning to put his guard up. He knew that if there was anything dangerous about that pink haired genin, it was her way with words. He had seen it several times; for example when she battling with Kin, and made her lower her guard by mentioning the snake statues.

The pinkette snorted. "Actually, a lot of people speak in battles. For example if the good guy was loosing-" she paused, slowly advancing towards Itachi now. "-he would spew out some speech about the power of friendship or family. And then he would win in the end by the pure power of 'love' alone."

While she was speaking, the pinkette was gathering chakra in the palms of her hand and the soles of her feet, preparing to try out her sudden and new jutsu that she had only read in scrolls.

Itachi watched his pupil in anticipation, and made a split second decision that would help him evaluate her; activating his kekkai genkai. And he saw something extraordinary. Small, but easily manageable, burst of chakra spread equally throughout her body, which was a feat in itself. Most people, especially genin, had trouble evenly distributing their chakra, so they would often either end up hurting themselves or accidentally destroying something important in themselves in the process.

Deciding to further test her, the undercover Akatsuki member suddenly shunshined in font of her, and pressed a finger to her forehead.

Sakura had no idea what happened. One second she was ready to slam her hands into the familiar ground around her, and the next she seemed to have teleported to a different place. It was impossible, to be sure, but her senses told her something else.

There were more rocks than before, and chakra was suffocating her senses. The ground beneath her was brimming with strange creatures, while wind whipped in her face. It was all too much for her sensitive body to handle.

With a cry, she threw herself forward, somehow catching the sleeve of Itachi, who was somehow (it was just a slip-up, he told himself) caught himself off guard. Of course he was suprised by her outburst; he had no idea how heightened her senses were. With no eyes, she could hear more things, smell better, and practically taste the air.

Digging her long nails into his sleeve, which eventfully peirced into his skin, Sakura channels her chakra to her hands and attempted to throw him to the ground using her recently found super-strength. But this time, Itachi was prepared and used her skills against her, flipping her to the ground, where sharp ricks impaled her delicate skin.

The wind was picking up, and the creatures beneath the earth were now screeching. It was somehow worse than even the sound ninja's jutsus. The pinkette's breathing was coming out in erratic bursts now, and beads of sweat rolled down her neck. Fortunately, she had her slowly growing out hair pulled up in a tight bun now.

Sakura stayed on the ground for an extra second, giving herself a small break, before quickly jumping back up to her feet. A whoosh to her right indictated where Itachi was heading, so she instinctively ducked, narrowing avoiding a harsh kick to her chin.

"You avoided that one, but can you miss this?"

The Akatsuki's words made her cringe; his low voice was way to close her sensitive ears, making her get distracted and kicked in between the shoulder blades. That feeling was coming back to her, that one of helplessness. It made something lodge in her throat, and carried a heavy weight in her chest.

What was wrong with her?

But she didn't have the time to find out, because she was beat to the ground yet again. As Sakura Haruno lay pathetically in the dirt, sweat pooling in the creases of her dirty skin and grit between her teeth, a sudden, horrible thought came to her in her desperation.

Maybe it was time to play dirty.

She knew that a Ninja of the Leaf was supposed to have honor, and fight fairly, but maybe sometimes that wasn't the case. To complete your mission, to go home, to be of service, meant that you had to survive in the first place. And sometimes, there are going to be others that were stronger or more intelligent than you. Does that mean that you had to roll over and show your belly? Or could you still win.

Sakura knew what she wanted. She wanted to crush that feeling of uselessness, so she would not roll over like a dog and die, as blunt as that sounded.

Hope surged through her tired limbs, giving her renewed energy. She had caught her second wind, and she wasn't going to let go of it that easily.

A crunch to her right, hands slowly scraping up dirt, starry eyes snapping open. All of that happened in an instant, and Sakura threw up dirt and rocks into Itachi's eyes, temporarily blinding him.

The chakra around the duo flickered, making the pinkette finally realize what was going on: she had gotten trapped in a genjutsu, courtesy of Itachi. And his power was in his eyes, seeing as the genjutsu had alms it faded out of existence when his eyes were targeted.

Maybe it was time for someone to loose something precious to them. Sakura had a plan now, an opportunity, and she wasn't going to miss it this time.

The pinkette crouched low to the ground, letting a hand balance her against the sandy earth. The other hand was on her thigh, fingers stretched out.

Suddenly, she leaned forward, pushing off with her right foot, and sweeping it gracefully in front of her, creating a half circle in the dirt. The snake sign was then clasped together at her chest, and in one movement, she slammed her hands against the earth. The pressure was rapidly building between her hands and the ground, while Itachi's rapid footsteps headed towards her.

"Shannaro!" Sakura shouted, and released her hands.

Itachi almost paused when he saw a wall of earth, in the shape of a half-circle rise up out of the ground, but he still continued forward.

That, he would soon find out, was a very big mistake, and the member of the S-Ranked group Akatsuki, was ashamed to say that he almost did not see it coming, even with his Sharingan.

Just as soon as he was about to smash the wall to pieces, it suddenly exploded outwards, towards him, and his eyes instinctively snapped shut. That's Sakura was able to break through the genjutsu, with a few simply handsigns and a burst of chakra.

Sakura almost didn't believe that would work, but she quickly pushed it out of her mind, wanting to focus on the present. She had only a second, maybe more, to pull the rest off.

The vibrations from the ground told the pinkette's that Itachi was shaking the debris from himself, and so she rushed forward before he could finish.

With a clench of her fists and using the remaining of her chakra, the broke earth started to move again, this time coming back together. But, alas, she was still to inexperienced to do what she wanted to do, which was to trap the nin in a sold block of dirt. He escaped within moments.

The pinkette was promptly pinned to the floor, and she had no energy left to even push Itachi off. She lay there, limp, and her blind, milky eyes slid shut.

"I yield," she murmured, trying not to pass out on the spot. Her chakra was exhausted, and she probably smelled horrible. A steaming shower was definitely in order.

The undercover nin let her go and stood up, still keeping an eye on the genin to make sure she was alright. It was safe to assume that he was mildly impressed. She had shown lots of progress from the behind, and more was still ahead of her. Konoha was lucky to have a faithful ninja like her, even if they couldn't see it yet.

When Sakura woke up, the wafting smell of hot soup filled her nostrils, and her starving stomach growled. A chuckle reached her ears, and she opens her eyes.

Somehow- though it was really no surprise -she had passed out after Itachi beat her. She figured that he must have carried her back home, and with a start, she also realized that she was a bit cleaner than before. He must have wiped her as well. Although she was faintly embarrassed, she was thankful. It was better to wake up moderately clean versus covered in sweat and dirt.

"Mhh, 'Tachi," the pinkette mumbled, a yawn escaping past her lips. Something warm was pushed into her hands, and Sakura accepted the bowl that was given to her. "Smells amazing."

Itachi laughed again, reaching over to fluff up her stringy hair. "Thank you. Think of this as a goodbye meal," he replied, something strange lacing through his voice.

It took a few moments for the words to process through Sakura's muddled mind. When it did, and the implications he made were clear, her eyes widened in a comical manner and she hurriedly set her bowl down.

"You're leaving!?"

A moment of silence shrouded them, before Itachi broke it with a sigh. "Yes. I am leaving at first light tomorrow. Your friend will be waking up, and I cannot be here when he does. There is also no need for me to stay, seeing as I got what I came here for," he explained, almost sounding guilty.

Sakura blinked. And blinked again. Then she pursed her lips. "I should have figured," she murmured, taking a deep breath and putting her head in her hands.

Of course. Itachi was an undercover nin, part of a secret organization. There was no way that he would share valuable information. She was so stupid, stupid, stupidstupidstupid.

And then a wave of peace washed over her, and her expression pulled over into something calm. She shouldn't have let him stay. It was good that he was leaving. She wouldn't make this mistake gain.

Sakura nodded. "Understood," she said, hating the way her voice cracked. She couldn't- no, wouldn't blame him. He was just playing dirty after all, and wasn't that what she was doing earlier?

Itachi winced. He knew he betrayed her, hurt her. That was actually the plan all along. But there was something he didn't count on; befriending the blind, pink haired genin with major self-esteem issues. So maybe he decided to change his plan along the way, since after all, he did have Konoha's best interests in him. Wasn't that why he slaughtered all of his flesh and blood to begin with? He couldn't have done that all for nothing then.

The Uchiha watched as the pinkette's blank features seemed to gaze at him, even see inside his soul despite them being blind. This genin was learning about the way of the ninja the hard way, so maybe he could make things easy for her for a change. It was the least he could do considering everything.

"But before I leave," he started, tilting his head even though she couldn't see him. "We should go for a walk around the village."

Confusion rushes through Sakura. She sensed something change in his tone, to something steadier. Warily, she nodded her head. It was true, she might have been upset with him, but Itachi was still a friend to her, maybe one of the few she had.

And so after Sakura finished her soup, and got a shower, they left their shared room to take a final walk together.

"Hey, Hosuh-san," Sakura used the nin's alias. When he made a hum of acknowledgement, she continued, "What is your goal in life? Why are you a ninja?"

Itachi didn't pause in his step, and she waited patiently for him to answer.

"My goal, you ask? Well, I suppose it would be to protect the ones I love, and to be loyal to my cause," he finally replied in a heavy tone, looking up to the gray, cloudy sky. The smell of rain was in the air. He would be leaving just as the storm hits.

Sakura nodded, unsatisfied by his answer, but not wanting to ask anymore.

They walked in silence, just quietly enjoying each other's company. It was almost clear to see that they had developed a bond, something invisible connecting them. It was due to fate, or maybe it was a coincidence, that they had found each other, and ultimately changed their futures. A small ripple, can change even the largest of things.

"Sakura-san, you're an inspirational person," Itachi decided to say, smiling when he looked down to see said genin looking in his direction with wide eyes. He decided that she needed a little ego boost, something to lift her extremely low self-esteem,

"Care to elaborate?" she choked out.

Itachi laughed. "Not at all. You see, you started out as a whiny fangirl, with a team who only saw the vague outline of you."

"Harsh, but true. Though I still don't see what you're getting at."

"Well you see, you've changed due to hardships you've face in the past, are facing now, and will face in the future. Most people you're age don't go through that. And those that do, they also change, though not always for the better. You're an exception though, and keep pushing forward to be the best you can't, despite it breaking you into nothing along the way."

Sakura almost burst into tears when he finished. She was not expecting that, and nobody has ever said that to her before. It was.. gratifying to say the least, that someone could physically see her efforts.

Hesitantly, she gabbed Itachi's sleeve to pull him to a stop, and immediately face-planted into his chest, giving him a large hug. She felt him flinch at the sudden contact, but he eventually eased into it enough to awkwardly return the hug by patting her back. When Sakura seperated from him she had to wipe away lone tears, and sniff a few times.

"Thank you," she told him, walking forward again, trying to control her face from turning an obnoxious red. She definitely wasn't the type to hug just random people.

After Itachi recovered from the shock of getting his first hug in years, he started walking again. His hand then tangled through her damp hair when he caught up, and he smiled when she scowled, knowing she didn't like it when people messed with her head. It was slightly amusing seeing her get worked up.

"You are welcome, Sakura Haruno."

 

Chapter 8: the merry deer ran before

"Sakura Haruno," Gekkou started in a dangerously low voice from his place on her chair. "Tell me exactly what happened while I was out."

The pinkette was at least satisfied to say that she had sensed him from a little ways away, so his sudden appearance didn't completely startle her. His head was bandaged, and the dark circles under his eyes were more prominent than before. But other than that, he looked exactly the same as he had before he got knocked out.

"Gekkou-san!"

She suddenly screwed up a big smile on her face, from the quite sudden happiness that she felt because Gekkou was finally awake and there was some she could trust whowouldn'tbetrayher! and attacked him with a large hug. For a moment, her positive emotions were outweighing her negative ones, and she seemed comfort in the solace of a hug.

"You're awake!" she half-sobbed into his chest, feeling relief when a weight she didn't know she had been carrying lifting from her shoulders. Finally, there was someone she could trust and talk to freely, without the worry of giving away sensitive information to strange ninja.

The recently awoken shinobi sighed, and rubbed her back in a comforting manner, his amnesty subsiding some. It was hard to stay firm with an obviously traumatized genin in his arms.

"Maa, Sakura-san, I really do need to know what happened.. I've apparently been here for a week and a half, and our time here is already almost up. And, I've been hearing things about you and another person from Konoha. The thing is, I don't remember bringing anyone else with us," he paused here, pulling the teary-eyed pinkette away from him. " And I'm sure I didn't hit my head that hard."

Sakura sniffed, and wiped off her face, nodding her head. There was no way that she could possible lie to him, and even if she wanted to, she doubted that he would believe her. And so she told him everything that happened.

Everything.

From her waking up from knocking herself out and finding the nin that rescued her, to telling Gekkou about how he helped train her, and even how good of a cook he was- though that wasn't important. But, the only thing she kept to herself was Itachi's true name. It was the least she could do considering what had happened yesterday after their walk.

"So your saying that an undercover ninja took advantage of us being here to scout out things for himself, and but decided to help you in the end?" the jōnin asked in a stiff voice, barely withholding his frustration. He never got angry; he was always calm, but sometimes too much was too much. And this was definitely way too much.

The pinkette nodded. "Yes. And, he showed me the entrance to where Orochimaru's supposed base is, though not in so many words."

"And you trust him?"

Sakura didn't hesitate to answer. She should have, but she didn't. "Of course not. But what more do we have?"

With a pang of regret, Gekkou realized that he had missed a crucial point in Sakura's growing, and had a feeling that she had a rough time while he was out. Hopefully it didn't messed her up too bad, or this would stay with her for a long time.

A half hour later, after Gekkou had a proper meal for the first time in a long while, he and his genin set out to the edge of the village, with Sakura leading. Team Dosu passed by, and few nasty like were traded between them and the pinkette, while their sensei scolded them.

"What was that about?" the jōnin asked, puzzled. He had thought that his genin would at least be showing kindness and goodwill to people from the village. Though she probably had a good reason.

Sakura grimaced, a nasty look making its way onto her face. "That's the team I've been training with, and they've practically tried to kill me on multiple occasions. They're strong, very strong, and I've been trying to keep and eye on them, as well as pinpointing their weaknesses," she explained, waving her hand dismissively in front of her.

Over the course of the week and half, Sakura had learned a lot about this village and its inhabitants, though it wasn't what she really wanted to know. But, it was better than nothing, and soon she would have everything she needed, thanks to Itachi.

A hand came down on the pinkette's shoulder, making her turn towards her partner in surprise. She had gotten used to random touches on her head and shoulders, so she didn't jump like she would have in the past. Her heightened senses were also helping her out. "Yes, Gekkou-san?"

The jōnin seemed to hesitate, and his feet shifted against the ground. "I- I'm proud of you. From what you've told me and things that I've heard, you've handled this situation well. I can name several things to back up that statement, but I'll wait to tell that to Hokage-sama when we get back. Then, after we do a skills assessment, I'm going to recommend you for the Chunin Exams."

The pinkette's mind almost short-circuited, and she almost tripped over a root. Luckily though, she caught her balance just in time. "R-Really!? But don't I need a team of two other people to enter it?" she asked, hardly daring to believe him. She was blind, for Kami's sake!

All that she got was a simple sentence, before something else begrudgingly drew her attention away.

"I will handle it-"

"We're here!"

Gekkou and Sakura stopped at the edge of the shabby village, where a lone, leaning tower sat. Stone was build up around it, most likely to stop it from completely tipping over, and tall grass surrounded it. Sakura would have probably grimaced at the view if she was actually able to see it.

"Snakes seem to like to gather in there. I'd check it out if I were you; we wouldn't want an infestation on our hands, now would we?" Those were Itachi's exact words when he and Sakura passed by it. Those words had gotten her thinking, until she figured out the meaning behind them.

Orochimaru.

"This is the place," she clarified, taking a deep breath. She did her part, now she had to wait for Gekkou to see how he would handle this.

The jōnin stood up straighter, and cast his eyes around to make sure that nobody was watching. There were no chakra signatures around, save for the creatures that were nearby. Gekkou walked closer to his genin. "What are the guard schedules like? Is this place usually surrounded by people? What about at night?"

The more questions that the jōnin asked, the more Sakura felt like a complete and utter failure. She had gotten no information on any of those things, and now it seemed obvious that she should've done way more.

When Gekkou realized that his genin was remaining quiet, he liked down to seen the crestfallen look on her face. But, he wasn't upset with her. Not in the slightest. With a gently smile, he patted her head, making her look In his general direction. He also noticed that the cloth around her eyes was stained completely red, which made him internally sigh. He could only image the scenarios in which that happened.

"Ah, that's alright if you didn't," he began in a reassuring tone. Of course he shouldn't have expected her to think about all of that, considering she had no proper training and nobody to guide her. "I think you need to get some rest. You look like you're going to drop dead any minute."

It was true. The pinkette had gotten very little sleep these last couple of weeks due to her intense training. There was also the fact that it was hard for her mind to fall asleep because she was constantly in darkness and had grown used to it. Therefore, it was hard to differentiate from when it was bedtime or not.

"Fine," she murmured, an unwelcome yawn escaping her. With a wave of her fingers, she turned around and navigated back to their room.

A hand gently shook the slumbering genin awake, chasing away the dreams of rotting apples and tangled yarn.

"Sakura," Gekkou's voice hissed. "You were right. Orochimaru has set up some sort of base under this village."

Said girl let out a large yawn and rubbed at her unseeing eyes. "You found it?" she murmured in surprise, sleep still evident in her voice. She hadn't been expecting to for him to find it so soon. He really was a great ninja.

"Yes. Though I wish we could do something about it. But Hokage-sama specifically stated that our mission was only to scout this place out, not take it down," the jōnin replied in disappointment.

It took a few moments for Sakura to respond, and when she did, her voice was hesitant. "Would it still be considered scouting if we, um- took a few samples?"

Here, Gekkou was confused. "Samples? What are you proposing?"

The pink haired kunoichi only grinned in response, her mind already forming a plan. Spending time with the undercover nin had rubbed off on her, with finding loopholes and such.

...

"I'm trusting you on this; don't fail," came Gekkou's voice the next morning. It was heavily raining, perfect for what that day would bring.

Sakura stood next to him, facing the direction of the window. "I won't," she promised him. I won't, she repeated to herself, a determined expression crossing her face. She could do this. And she will.

The pinkette had nominated herself to collect some samples from the underground base. Gekkou had tried to tell her no, that he would go. But, she had a good argument by saying that he couldn't be out anymore, and needed to talk to the person in charge of Oto. And while he was talking, Sakura would be under them.

It definitely wasn't a fool proof plan, but it was a start and a vital part of training. Ninja were leaders, and that came with plenty of responsibility, such as planning missions and carrying them out.

After a brief hug between the two, they seperated. It was time.

Sakura had approximately two and a half hours to complete this, more than enough of time.

Gekkou promptly shunshined away, leaving the genin to herself. She had a bag filled with things she might need, like traps for distractions. And after adjusting the cloth around her eyes, she was ready.

"Don't be a scaredy-cat, don't be a scaredy-cat," she whispered to herself. Her hands were shaking a bit and flashes of everything that could possibly go wrong went through her head. She could get lost down there and eventually die of dehydration. She could get caught and be tortured for information about her own village. She could- The list was endless.

It didn't take her long until she was completely soaked to the bone from the pouring rain. She would have to wait the time to dry herself off then, so she wouldn't leave a wet trail.

She thought about summoning Nico, or even Keiki. But, she wanted to save her chakra and not have them caught in this mess just incase something did happen. No use in them all dying today. But hopefully it didn't get to that.

A few hours prior to to this, Gekkou had drawn out a map for a part of the base that he had been able to explore. Sakura was then able to trace it with her fingers and easily memorize where the tunnels were.

Itachi must have explored them too. She wondered how far he got with it, and if his mission was only to scout around as well. He certainly seemed powerful enough to take this place down. Maybe she was overestimating his skills? (She was completely unaware that she was going quite the opposite; underestimating him.)

It was a little hard to navigate through the constan sound of raindrops falling on the ground, but she eventually made it to where the entrance was and made sure nobody was around before going inside.

It was dead quiet. No even the sounds of any insects were present. It was an ominous feeling, knowing that a dangerous sannin could be down here with her at this very moment.

But she pushed that though out of her mind and continued toward. She knew that she was a in a tunnel about five and a half feet tall, and would eventually split into two larger tunnels up ahead. Gekou went down the left one, so that was where she was going to go.

Or so she thought-

As she came up to where her tunnel split into teo, she heard the distant sound of footsteps to her left. She panicked, even though she knew whoever was there was still far away, and ended up going to the right, into unfamiliar territory.

The footsteps faded away as she went further into the tunnel. Though, it also got colder, a sign she was heading downward. Thankfully, she wasn't claustrophobic or this would be a lot worse.

The pinkette reached her finger tips out to trail at the cold, stone walls. A shiver raced down her spine when she thought about what went on down here. She could only imagine the most gruesome of things, considering who they were dealing with.

Eventually the wall against her fingers dissapeared, revealing a musky room. There were no chakra signatures present, so she assumed that nobody was there.

It was dark. She only knew that because she couldn't usually hear static from lightbulbs or flickering flames from fire.

She went around the perimeter of the room, and found many of shelves. And on the shelves were all different kinds of glass containers. Her breath caught. She had found it. A place where she steal some samples of whatever was here.

Just as she was reaching for something on one of the higher shelves, something sounded from beside her. In the back of the room was a wall, so that must of meant that there were more rooms like this around here.

Damn it.

The pinkette kept as quiet as possible, holding her breath. But she couldn't keep that up forever and as soon as she took a deep breath, some dust went up her nose, making her splutter.

"Someone's here!" a voice hissed.

Sakura's blind eyes widened in fear, and she grabbed whatever was closest to her, a vile filled with warm liquid. She then ran as fast as her short legs would take her. She was infinitely grateful that her training had included running. She took the same route back that she had taken in.

And maybe her ears were tricking her, but she thought she could hear something behind her. Panic lodged in her throat like a stone and she spurred herself on faster.

She was so close.. Almost there..

And- she made it. Bats flew out of the entrance, letting out shrieks as the rain hit them. But they all dispersed within moments, and Sakura was left alone, sweat and water pouring down her face. The vile was clutched close to her chest.

She was safe. And she did it. A feeling of accomplishment rose up in her, drowning out her adrenaline.

...

The journey away from the Sound Village was a welcome one. No longer did her shoulders feel heavy from being secretive and constantly watching her back. And as soon as her head had hit the pillow last night, she was out like a light, only waking up when Gekkou gently shook her. Team Dosu and the medical nin had seen them out with a few polite words and bows. Uneasiness was surrounding all of them.

The vile that she had stolen was tucked safely in Gekkou's vest pocket. There was some sort of green liquid in it, most likely a serum of some kind. But unfortunately they wouldn't know until they got back to Konoha.

Speaking of getting back..

"Um, Gekkou-san," Sakura started in a hesitant voice only an hour later. The pair was currently walking on one of the main trails.

Said jōnin looked at her and cocked his head as he repositioned the large pack that was on his back.

"My old teammates, Kakashi-san, Sasuke-kun, and Naruto-kun are on a mission in the Land of Water. I was wondering if we could make a small detour and head in that direction?" she asked in a small voice, twiddling her thumbs.

It was a huge request, and she understood if her partner and sensei would deny her it. But, she was feeling an aching homesickness for her old team. Sure, they though her weak and incompetent, but a team was a team, even if it was only in the past.

Gekkou sighed and ran a hand over his face. He could tell her no, and they'd be able to make it home to their families sooner, but he could see the twitch in her fingers and the restlessness in the lines of her mouth. He wasn't heartless and could see this meant a lot to her. Plus, she deserved something like this considering what she went through.

"Fine. But we don't stay there any longer than we need to, understood?"

Whatever Sakura and Gekkou had been expecting, it certainly wasn't seeing her old teammates on a half built bridge surrounded by dozens of rogue ninja. There was a body floating in the water beneath them, and three other bodies near Kakashi, Naruto, Akira, and another man.

And while the jōnin was only able to see the scene, Sakura could feel the murderous intent in the air. It was thickening. The rogue ninja all had their swords drawn, and had a malicious glint in their eyes. Their chakra's were at ready, ready to lash out and kill.

Despite Sakura knowing that her old teammates probably had it covered, her unseeing eyes still widened and she lunged forward out of the boat she was in, ignoring Gekkou's calls to come back that was soon followed by a bought of coughing.

It was easy to run across the water, despite it being her very first time doing so. (Her chakra control was marvelous due to her training in Otogakure.) The water she was kicking up licked her her skin, covering her in a slight mist. Very quickly, she made it to the bridge, where she walked up the side of it. Though she almost fell of because she nearly forgot to solidify her chakra, she was up within seconds.

But nobody noticed her, and she was not needed, as it seemed. Kakashi and Naruto had summoned enough to clones to scare off all the rogue ninja. They would hopefully also take them out later and allow hunter nin to pick them up.

The civilian man was the first to notice her. "Ah, another little brat! Where did you come from!?" he all but yelled, causing the other to turn around in surprise. They obviously weren't expecting Sakura to be there.

Kakashi was the first one to recover. "Sakura? What are you going here?" the jōnin asked, clearly puzzled.

Said genin didn't answer, searching for someone specific. But she frowned when she couldn't pinpoint Sasuke. "I thought Sasuke-kun was with you?" Unless.. No. He was too strong to die. It simply wasn't possible.

Everyone was silent then. The sound of Naruto's feet running towards one of the bodies could be heard. Except.. It wasn't just a body, Sakura realized with a start. It was Sasuke.

She gasped and was by his side in an instant, efficiently surpising every one again by how fast she got to the boy's body. But she didn't notice, though she did let out an exhale in relief.

"He's not dead," she assured everyone, her hands hovering over his chest, above the numerous senbon that stuck out of him. "His heart is still beating. These needles were only meant to slow it down, giving off the image that he was actually dead."

A snobby voice immediately followed her words. "And how would you know that? How could a blind person like you be able to help," Akira snapped.

Sakura didn't react at all. Team Dosu had given her enough of shit about being blind like that. It was safe to say she was becoming used to it. "I think it's a little hypocritical to say that, considering you only became a ninja due to my blindness and leaving team seven."

It was a low blow, but it was also true. Akira needed to be knocked down a peg or two.

The other kunoichi didn't respond as Sakura carefully picked the senbon's out. And when the last one was gone, Sasuke let out a gasp, his eyes fluttering open.

The pinkette was smug when she felt Akira's chakra waver in surprise. Wasn't so useless now, was she.

"The hell are you doing here?" Sasuke muttered, seeing the pinkette, and she felt a stab of pain through her heart at his unintentionally harsh words. He had only just woken up and that was the first thing he had to say to her. It hurt.

"Sasuke! You're alive!" Naruto yelled, squeezing in beside Sakura to hug the brooding Uchiha. Kakashi went to stand beside them as the blind genin silently backed up to stand beside Gekkou who had made it there as well. She felt only a little hurt at her crushes words, and felt the need to isolate herself a little. Besides, the others were worried a small well.

After team seven was done fussing with their recently resurrected teammate, they turned towards the newcomers.

"So, Sakura-chan! How was your vacation?" the hyperactive Uzamamki asked.

Said pinkette tilted her head in confusion. What were they talking about. She wasn't aware that she had gone on a vacation?

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Sasuke scoffed, as if she were asking a stupid question. "While we were out here dying, you and that sick jōnin went away. Where else would you two have gone besides on a vacation?" He hasn't spoke that much in awhile. Apparently being in a death-like sleep made him broody.

But Sakura didn't feel any sympathy or love for him in that moment. Shock and hurt coursed through her, causing her to clench her fists right enough to draw blood, and a flash of something raced behind the cloth in her eyes. She felt.. angry at the Uchiha. Almost like she wanted to slap him across the face.

A vacation. That's what team seven assumed she as doing these last few weeks. Not risking her life or training hard. Not spying on a Sannin or rooming with an undercover nin. Her blood-soaked cloth must have simply been berry juice then, for all they thought.

A hand clamped down on her shoulder, grounding her. Gekkou had sensed the feelings that raced through her. He understood better than most what we was going through.

Kakashi must have sensed it too, because he gently smacked Sasuke across the head, making the Uchiha glare at him. "You should watch what you say, Sasuke. Gekkou-san isn't as sick as he looks," the jōnin chided him.

And at that comment, Sakura almost felt better. But, her name wasn't added in that. To them, she was still nothing. But, she thought with an internal sigh, they were still naive at the moment. After all, what had she shown them that she could of be of use. Nothing.

Yet.

She wasn't done trying yet. Itachi had said that she was meant for amazing things. She would prove him right. She had too.

So Sakura tried to smiled at them. "Let's not talk about what Gekkou-san and I did. What I want to know is what happened-" she paused to wave her hand around. "-here."

Gekku turned to her in suprise, sure that she was going say something about how their supposed vacation was actually something else entirely. (Though good thing she didn't because that would make a lot of work for him. Their mission had been sensitive after all.)

But, maybe this was her showing that she had grown and wouldn't answer out of spite. He allowed himself a small smile at that and patted her head, making her head turn towards him in confusion and slight agitation.

He kept forgetting that she didn't like her hair messed with like that. But, he wouldn't stop anyways. She was just too cute sometimes.

...

Zabuza and Haku had a unique story that was sadly at a close. Sakura wasn't ashamed to say that she had shed tears when Kakashi had told her what happened when they made it to the place they were staying, which was the man's, Tazuna, daughters house.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Akira were all taking baths to cleanse themselves, because they were apparently covered in blood and dirt from their rough battle. (She definitely understood that. Their was rarely an hour in the day when she wasn't caked in mud, blood, or sweat, in Otogakure.)

When everyone was gone, and it was only Kakashi and Sakura, the pinkette let out a sigh of relief and quickly yanked the cloth over her eyes off, before snapping them shut.

"Hey, Kakashi-san?" the pinkette hesitantly called out, capturing the jōnin's attention from his book.

"Yes?"

"Um- What material is the mask over your mouth made of?" It was a weird question, she knew, but she just needed to know.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not exactly sure. But if you told me why you want to know, I might be able to help more," he replied in an easy time.

Sakura blushed and ducked her head. "Well, I was wondering how bloodstains never seem to show up on your mask.." she responded in a meek tone, playing with the red cloth.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he put two together. The cloth in her hands, to the grimace on her face. "Oh, Sakura." he murmured, setting his book down and scooting closer to the pinkette. A hand came down on her shoulder. "Is that all blood on there?"

She nodded.

"Yours?"

She shook her head, a gross sob escaping her. She was hunched over herself now, arms wrapped around her stomach. "It's not mine. And even though I can't see it, I know it's there. It smells disgusting, no matter how much I wash it." Of course it smelled. Her nose was extremely sensitive.

"Was this mission your first kill?" Kakashi asked gently, his lips turned downward. To think that his young genin had already made her first kill. It reminded him of himself.

"Not just my f-first. Or even my second, third, fourth, and so on. I k-killed a total of sixteen people. I- I'm a m-monster," she cried out, her head in her hands and tears freely escaping her.

She had tried to block out all the death's she had caused to focus on the mission. But now that it was over, her emotions were over-flowing. It was too much. All too much.

And before she knew it, gentle arms were wrapped around her and she was sobbing into her former sensei's chest. It felt good, in a way, to get out all her emotions like this. It wasn't something she didn't have time to do before.

Kakashi looked down sadly at the blind genin he used to teach. Well- that wasn't exactly true. He had spent his time pushing Naruto and Sasuke to be stronger, but had unintentional left Sakura behind. Maybe- Maybe if he had worked harder, he would have been able to stop her from becoming blind. Then she would still be his student. And she wouldn't have killed sixteen people.

Maybe for a short time, she would have still peen sweet, innocent, and pure. But that was gone now, replaced by a scarred and broken girl.

I'm so, so, sorry, he whispered in his head, feeling like crying as well. But he let Sakura have her moment, and tucked her in his bed after she fell asleep. He left the room with a heavy heart, knowing he had failed as a sensei.

 

"She's different than I thought she'd be," Gekkou admitted when the silver haired jōnin came back downstairs. He was sitting at the table, a bowl of soup in front of him. "When Hokage-sama first told me about a blind genin I was supposed to keep an eye on, I was picturing a child who had no life left in them. I was wrong though. She was just like any other child. A little lost and broken maybe, but just like anyone else."

Even before Sakura has sought out Gekkou, the Hokage had told him to watch over her and make sure she didn't hurt herself. But, he had found not a girl who had lost hope in living, but someone who was trying to put their life back together again after a crushing defeat.

Kakashi sat across from at the table, folding his hands together. He hung his head and exhaled. He understood what the other jōnin was saying. He saw that now. "I underestimated her. She reminded me of Rin, you know. I know I shouldn't see her like that, but I just wanted to protect her. I wanted her to live. It was selfish of me," he admitted as well, shame evident in his voice.

The little genin known as Sakura Haruno was an impossible soul, and would continue to exceed everyone expectations. All she required was a little guidance and understanding. Kakashi had a lot to make up for. And even though Sakura wasn't a member of his team anymore, he could still look after her.

Like he should have done from the begining.

And this time, Gekku would help as well.

...

"You know, there are a couple of hot springs around here if you guys would like to go," Tazuna said reluctantly the next day while everyone was wasting breakfast.

Everyone, including the jōnin, looked at him in interest.

"A hot spring?? And you didn't tell us sooner!?" Naruto shouted in disbelief, making both Akira and Sakura him to be quiet, though they both glared at at each other. Well, Akira glared, and Sakura faced intently in her direction. It was safe to say they still hated the others guts.

The bridge builder grimaced. "Well, I didn't want you to leave me alone for fear that those two ninja would take me out while you were gone," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Sakura secretly thought he had a good point. She was sitting at the table after sleeping for fifteen hours straight. Her hair was pulled messily ontop of her head (luckily it was just long enough for that again) and she was still in her clothes from yesterday. Her red cloth was back around her eyes, seeing as she had nothing else at the moment. And Kakashi had offered to take her out shopping later to find her something better, which she thought was extremely nice of him. He didn't seem like the shopping type.

But a hot spring did sound really nice. She stood up and stretched. "Sounds nice. Where is it?" she asked, already imaging soaking her muscles in the hot water.

Tazuna chuckled, while Sasuke and Alira rolled their eyes, still thinking that she had actually gone on a vacation and was going to get to relax some more. But Naruto was just as excited as her and started jumping up and down in his seat.

"Yes! Where is it, old man!?" he shouted, already roaring to go.

"It's a few miles from here, behind the town. And it's not a mixed hot spring so don't go getting any ideas!"

...

They found it no problem, and had split up to to their designated areas. Gekkou, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto in one, and Sakura and Akira in the other.

The pinkette had her towel wrapped securely around her, and her sandels in one hand. Though, the walk to the spring seemed to be longer she would have thought it was.

But the heat of the water eventually wafted around her, and she knew she made it. Oh, how she would enjoy this.

"Wha- Sakura-chan!?" Naruto's loud voice suddenly reached her ears, making said genin screech in surpise. She held the towel tighter around her.

"Naruto! What are you doing in the woman's spring!?" she shouted in an equally loud tone, ready to beat the living crap out of him for being there.

"What are you talking about!? You're in the men's side, 'ttbayo!"

Oh- Oh shit. The pinkette paled. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she not have see- er, realized that!? Akira's chakra wasn't even close to here.

"Naruto what are yelling ab- Oh." Kakashi and Gekkou had come out as well.

Sakura's face had gone completely red and she was glad for once that she was blind. Oh the horrors, she thought to herself, swiftly turning on her heel to go back the way she came. Maybe she would be able to convince Akira to help her.

But it only got worse.

She suddenly ran into someone and let out another screech. That someone seemed very familiar. It was Sasuke.

"What the he'll are you doing here, you pervert!" He was most definitely red now too, breaking his stoic and indifferent character.

And Sakura was still mad at him about the comment he made yesterday on the bridge, so this wasn't making things any better. Rage got the better of her in that moment.

"I'm fucking blind you little shithead!"

And that promptly shut everyone up. The pinkette let out huff of anger and stomped out of the spring, making sure to keep her towel wrapped tight around her.

"Stupid idiot, thinking I'm a pervert. I'm blind, for Kami's sake! He should be calling Kakashi-san that!" she kept muttering things to herself as she tracked Akira'a chakra to the right spring this time.

The grumbles only stopped when she sank into the water and let out a heavy sigh. Now this was something she could get used to, even with the other kunoichi glaring daggers into her skull.

The water seeped into her skin and relaxed her muscles. And eventually, she put her whole face under as well, submerging herself completely.

It only lasted for a few minutes though, until she was forced above the water by Akira, who was screaming her head off for some reason.

"How the hell did you hurt yourself in here!? That's a lot of blood!"

At first, Sakura had no idea what she was talking about. She didn't herself recently? But there was an odd metallic smell in the spring with them- Oh.

And that day she figured out how to clean the blood out of the cloth that went around her eyes. All it took was some hot water.

Akira wasn't amused in the slightest, to say the least.

...

The walk back to Konoha was quick, only taking a few days. And Sakura had kept to herself during that time, still deeply embarrassed by what had happened in the spring. Fortunately, nobody had brought that up.

On the final day that they would be traveling, Gekkou moved up front to stand beside the pinkette.

"I hope you understand that you can tell nobody about this mission, not even your parents. If word got out to the wrong people about what we did, Konoha could be in a lot of trouble," he whispered to her.

She frowned. "I do understand. That's part of the reason I didn't tell the others. Plus, I just wanted to make sure first. A shinobi's life is full of secrecy," she told him, also speaking low. She was aware of the curious looks that Team Seven was sending them.

Gekkou gave her a quick pat on the shoulder. "Good. And as soon as we get back, we'll head straight to the Hokage to give a mission report, as is expected of all ninja when they finish a mission."

And eventually, the towering walls of Konoha appeared in the distance. They had finally made it home. They were all a little more mature than when they had left, scars on their body, and nightmares in their mind. And things wouldn't get any better.

Yes, home sweet home.

 

Chapter 9: fleeter be they

Gekkou and Sakura were called in first, leaving Team Seven behind to wait their own turn to present their mission details and analysis.

Sarutobi was sitting at his desk, the usual papers stacked neatly on his desk and a water bottles bottle in front of him. His hat was dipped low over his eyes, while his robe splayed out around him. His mouth was cupped over his fingers, and he seemed to be focusing intently on the two returning ninja. There was a reason why he had called them in first. He needed to be sure.

Sakura used her senses to "see" around her, taking in the general shape of the room and quickly finding where all the hidden ANBU were. Two in the ceiling, and another in a closet that she didn't know existed. (Which was kinda weird if you thought about it, but Sakura's head hurt too much to really care.)

"I'm glad to see that you two have returned safely," the elderly Hokage murmured, unclasping his hands to lean them on the desk. "Mission report?"

Gekkou nodded and took a deep breath, before starting from the very beginning. He told of how they were ambushed, Sakura's first kill, another ambush, him getting knocked out while the genin made morel kills, as well as the undercover ninja that arrived after.

Sarutobi frowned when they got to that part. He glanced at Sakura, who he saw was fidgeting in her spot. "Is this true, Sakura?" he asked, and the pinkette nodded, much to his horror. Things would be difficult indeed.

"And is it true that he claimed to be a rouge ninja who was also searching Otogakure for Orochimaru?" There was another nod, though he wasn't expecting for Sakura to speak.

"I am unsure if he was a rouge, or simply sent from another village. He had a henge cast over him for most of the duration, and when he was back to his normal look when we were alone, I didn't get see what he actually looked like," she told him, gesturing to her covered eyes as if to emphasize her blindness. What completely slipped her mind was that she actually did know what he looked like, because Nico had told her in the beginning of the week.

Sarutobi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I understand. But you handled it well, I hoped. Didn't give away any of Konoha's secrets and such?"

The genin shook her head. "The only thing he knows of Konoha is what everyone else knows. Just basic information," she assured him, her voice stronger now that she was more confident. Sakura had made sure to be as vague as possible about her village when it would come up in conversation. Though if Itachi had noticed, he didn't point it out.

"I believe you," Sarutobi eventually said, leaning back in his seat. "So what did you discover?"

"That Orochimaru is in fact involved with Otogakure and has secret tunnels under the village. Though we are unaware if the village's occupants know this," Gekkou replied, scratching at his head. The circles under his eyes seemed even darker than usual.

Both ninja looked a little worse for wear, and the Hokage nodded. "Well, you two may leave for now. I will want to talk to you again later though, after you two have settled down a bit."

Then Gekkou, as if finally remembering something, started pulled the vile of logos out from his vest. He set it on the desk. "Sakura managed to pull this from one of the tunnels rooms. She did good," Gekkou praised the genin, causing her to blush.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to pluck the vile. He brought it close to his eyes, before shaking it a little. He then stuffed it into one of his robe's pockets.

"This could prove to be useful. Thank you, Sakura. I hope you didn't risk too much getting this possible valuable peice of information," the elderly man gently chided the genin, who simply scratched her cheek sheepishly. "You two may leave now. And send in Kakashi after you."

The nodded, and walked outside. "He's ready for you now," Sakura told her old team, leaving the door open so they could step through. She let out a large yawn and covered her mouth. She was ready to go home.

Kakashi pat her on the head as she walked past, causing her and Gekkou to turn towards him.

"Don't forget we have some shopping to do~" he said in a chipper tone, and Sakura grinned. She had also missed Kakashi, despite his past actions.

She let out a small smile. "I look forward to it," she replied, her hands doing up to fiddle at the cloth covering her eyes. And she really did.

As she walked away, she heard Naruto let out a laugh. "You Kakashi-sensei? Going shopping? That's not manly at all!"

His words were soon cut off by a yelp, as the jōnin gave him a good head slap.

 

"I'm home!" Sakura called out when she entered her house. She knew her parents were home by the smell that wafted in from the kitchen,

She felt her mom's minuscule amount of chakra come towards her as she already from the doorway. Her headache lessened, now that she knew she was at home and safe.

"Ah, glad to see you back," Mebuki greeted her, pulling her in for a hug and kiss on her large forehead.

Kizashi appeared beside her as well, and stole her from Mebuki, filling her into a warm hug. "I've missed you so much!" he exclaimed, making Sakura giggle as she was smothered half to death. Not that she minded. It felt good to be in his arms.

He eventually pulled away and they were both ushered to the kitchen by Mebuki and sat at the table.

"So, what was the mission? Save any princesses or important fuedel lords?" Kizashi asked, a playful tone in his voice.

The pink haired girl only shook her head and pretended to lock her lips up with an imaginary key. "It was a super secret mission, so I'm afraid I can't tell you," she responded in a sly voice, grinning like a crazy person. It just felt so good to be home.

As Mebuki continued to make lunch, her husband pretended to pout. "Oh, you're no fun Sakura-chan! But I guess I can't argue with a super secret mission," he laughed.

Lunch was soon served, and the whole family dug in. Mebuki managed to keep her disapproving thoughts about her daughter being a ninja to herself, and they reminisced about old memories.

A story then came up from Kizashi, about before he married Mebuki and had Sakura.

"I was probably about nineteen, and was way more adventurous than I am now. My old man was passing along his trade to me, gearing me up to take over his business due to his old age. I was hesitant at first though, and tried to pass it on to my younger sister, much to her horror," he began, before Sakura interrupted.

"I never knew you had a sister!" she exclaimed in suprise. Nothing like that had ever come up before.

Something akin to sadness and guilt popped up in the man's eyes, but he replied with, "Not many people knew. She wasn't my real sister, but I loved her like one. We both had strange colored hair, mine pink and hers pretty and purple, so many people just assumed anyways. She was an orphan, her family being killed-" he suddenly shut his mouth, and shook his head. "They had been killed," was all he offered. "and left her all alone. My old man found her hiding under an old box like an abandoned kitten, so he took her in. And then, I gained a sister."

"But back to the story- I didn't want to inherit the business, but neither did my sister. She believed that she had a greater calling, to be a kunoichi, just like you are doing," Kizashi stated, leaning forward to poke his daughter cheek. She puffed out air and he laughed. "So, in order to see who would take over the business, we made a little game. We would try to seem as unresponsible as possible, which was probably a bad idea at the time, but we made sure that there was no actual damage to the old man's world. Though in the end, it was still me that ended up taking over."

Sakura was transfixed on his words. She leaned forward and propped up her face on the palms of her hands, her elbows resting on the table. "What was her name?" she asked, curious.

"Her name was Tsuki." Kizashi told her with a smile. His head was resting in the palms of his hands as he gazed at his only daughter.

  "And.. what happened to her? I've never seen her or heard her talked about. Did she actually become a kunoichi?" Sakura rushed out, excitement filling her. Maybe she would have someone else to talk to about her experiences.

  The man known as her father lost his smile, his usually bright eyes dimming. "She died during her first mission."

...

Today was the day. The day that Sakura would go shopping with Kakashi.

The genin wrinkled her nose in amusement as she was putting her sandels on. It was a strange thing to think, really. Never in a million years did she think that something like this would happen.

"Tell us about your sensei, Sakura-chan!" Nico urged, huddled into a ball at the edge of her bed. Keiki was there as well, choosing to be perched on the opposite side of the room, on the dresser.

Sakura had decided to summon them both today, due to not seeing them in awhile and missing them. While Nico didn't really mind Keiki being here, the she-eagle settled for the silent treatment, like a child.

That caught her attention. "I'm not a child!" she protested, flapping her wings indignantly.

Sakura snorted as she brushed a few knots out of her hair. "Okay, okay, I didn't mean it." She then focused on the question that Nico had asked earlier. "Well, Kakashi-san is a little weird. He's always a few hours late to meetings, reads porn in public, has an air of indifference around him, and has the Uchiha's Sharingan in one eye."

Keiki perked up at the last things. "Sharingan you say? He isn't an Uchiha, is he?" she asked, tilting her head in puzzlement.

The pink haired girl shook her head. "No, he's a Hatake. And even then, I don't know much about his family. So how he gained the eye, I'm not sure."

There was a thought nagging at her head though. A transplant was very possible, no matter how rare. It was no secret how powerful the Uchiha's kekkai genki was, and there was only one of two ways that an outside would gain the ability.

Number one: It was given to them in a time of life or death.

Or number two: It was forcefully taken.

Either one made her feel a little queasy.

"Maa, don't look so down, Sakura-chan," a familiar voices rang out from the genin's balcony.

It was Kakashi. Squatting on the edge of her balcony. Not even seeming bothered by the two summons who squeaked in surprise. Just glancing between the pink haired girl and his pornography.

"Pervert!" Sakura yelled as soon as she was done gaping, and groped around for something to three at the jōnin. Her fingers finally wrapped around her hairbrush and she whipped it at Kakashi, only for him to merely duck. It instead hit a nearby window, making everyone wince.

"Let's pretend that didn't happen," Kakashi said in an easy tone, stepping through the balcony doors to step into the room and settle on one of the chairs in the corner.

Sakura glared in his direction, not appreciating him barging into her room like that. "You know, I could just scream and pretend that you were being inappropriate to me," she threatened, pulling off her sandel to throw at Kakashi, determined not miss this time.

The jōnin' eyes widened and he quickly hopped out of the chair, heading outside again. "No need to do that, Sakura. I'll just be waiting outside."

And then he was gone.

Keiki turned to the genin who was putting her sandel on again. "You're right. He is weird."

"I know."

Pretty soon the two summons and their summoner made it outside, ready to go. Kakashi, as promised, was lounging against the side of the house, waiting for her.

"You finally made it," was all the jōnin said, before he began to walk away, leaving Sakura, Nico, and Keiki to quickly follow.

As soon as the pinkette reached his side she asked, "Where are we going?" Maybe it was to the same place she went last time with the nice old lady that pulled her around all day?

But Kakashi only tutted. "It's a surprise~"

The pinkette sighed at the answer and settled for just giving herself tiny scratches and healing them for chakra practice. She would need to set up a training routine now that she was back home. It wouldn't do to have her loose the little bit she gained from her time with Itachi. Plus, there was something she needed to work up to.

"You're being pretty quiet back there."

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The Chunin Exams."

Kakashi choked on his spit and turned around. He obviously wasn't expecting that response. "What about the Chunin Exams?" he asked wearily.

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing much."

And that short conversation was over once the jōnin realized he would get nothing more.

"Well, we're here!" Kakashi said a few minutes later, sliding his disgusting porno into his vest.

"Where is here exactly?" Sakura asked, having absolutely no idea where they were. She never remembered being in that area. And in the map she memorized, she didn't recall a place like this. Even as they were walking here, the genin lost track of her place.

The jōnin grinned lazily. "We're in a secret spot only jōnins' and elite chunins' know of them."

That didn't make any sense whatsoever. Sakura cocked her head in confusion. "Huh?"

There was a chuckle and Kakashi patted her her head. "You really think that jōnin's get their supplies from the same shops as everyone else? If we did, there would be no telling the things that could happen."

Again, Sakura still didn't understand. "What do you mean? What's wrong with everyone getting their supplies from the same place?"

"Several reasons actually," he began to explain. "You see, all of those shops are for the public, and although they only allow Konoha nin to buy them, slip-ups may still happen. For example, if there was a shinobi from another village here, they would be able to easily to go to that shop and see its supplies. See what we use and how we fight. He could bargain with the shop owner under the table and buy our weapons."

The pinkette was beginning to see it now. How every village had a certain style of fighting, and how ones weapons could be the secret to uncovering it. And now that she though about it, the weapons shop in Oto had been a little shabby. "So there's another shop, this one secret?" she asked, trying to get clarification.

Kakashi nodded on instinct, though voiced his confirmation aloud after remembering the girls.. disability. "That is correct. And genin' are rarely taken to this place, so consider this a privilege. Follow me."

There were multiple twists and turns, and the air turned colder as they entered some sort of cavern. It reminded her the tunnels in Oto and made her more than a little nervous.

Speaking of that little self-appointed mission you did, I think that was very dangerous and you could have gotten killed, Nico chastised her from his place on her arm. Keiki was on her opposite shoulder, and seemed to be humming in agreement.

Sakura grumbled. It wasn't like she didn't already know that. But the need to prove herself was too strong to overcome. Plus, Gekkou had let her, albeit reluctantly.

Keiki seemed to scowl there. But again, it was Nico who spoke. Yea well, I don't care what that jōnin thinks. I don't want anything happening to my partner.

His words made her warm, and she let her head dip into his feathers. "Thank you," she whispered. Then Keiki fluffed up her feathers, and Sakura nuzzled up to her, showing that she appreciated her silent concerns.

"Oh, watch that sign-"

His warning came too late.

Sakura barely registered the pain in her nose before she let out a flurry of profane curses, and the summons on her shoulder drifted to the ground. Their laughter echoed through her mind.

Something warm began to drop out of her nose, and it took a few moments for her to realize that it was blood. "Do you think I broke my nose?" she managed to ask, her voice muffled from her pinching her nostrils together. It really hurt.

Kakashi hands tilted her head up as she removed her own from her face. The jōnin hummed under his breath as he magically pulled out a cloth and pressed it to her face. "It might be," he admitted, letting the genin hold the cloth her her own nose.

Sakura sighed. "Figured. Well, at least it can be quickly fixed," she muttered, and no sooner did she finish speaking, a hands glowed a bright green light. Within moments, her nose felt better better. Then she pulled her hands away.

There was a moment of silence.

Kakashi was shell shocked, but all he managed to stutter out was, "It's crooked now. Your forget to pop it back in place."

Shiiiiiiit.

And so, after rebreaking her nose, putting it back into place, and then healing it again, they ducked past the low hanging sign and entered into a warmer room.

Well that was embarrassing. At least she learned for next time though.

"Impressive to see a genin able to use healing jutsu," a low voice grumbled, and Sakura saw Kakashi's chakra waver.

"U-Uh, thank you?" she said timdily, wondering what had surprised her old sensei.

"Sakura, this is Ibiki Morino, head interrogator at T.I.F, the Interrogation Force," Kakashi introduced the genin to the other person in the room. Er- was it shop actually?

The chakra coming from Ibiki was strange, it's tendrils wary yet alert, as if a predator stalking its prey. Sakura knew what the Interrogation Force was after all, and she knew the types of things that happened there. The Academy made sure to drill it into the students brains that horrible things that would happen if you defected from the village and was caught. In short, it wasn't butterflies and rainbows.

  There was also this thing with the ninja that hailed from that place. Usually chakra was always at least partially hidden. You never knew when something could go wrong and you had to hide. But the chakra from the T.I Buildings people was wild. They did t bother masking it. Probably for intimidation purposes.

  Enough chakra bombarded at you at once could paralyze your senses. It was a technique only a select few could accomplish.

Sakura gulped. "N-Nice meeting you, Morino-san," she stuttered out, twisting the hem of her shirt nervously. Keiki and Nico promptly poofed from existence due to the genin accidently cutting off their chakra.

"No need to be nervous, genin," Ibiki said, curiousity laced in his voice.

No matter his assurances and Kakashi being there, Sakura still felt like a trapped animal. It was the aura that Ibiki exceeded, and she remembered Kakashi displaying a fraction of it only once, when he was scolding them during the bell test that seemed like so long ago.

When the pinkette didn't respond, Ibiki took it upon himself to continue. "I see Kakashi is breaking a few rules for you, hm? Genin's aren't aloud here you see, them not being able to keep their mouths shut and all."

"Morino-san.." Kakashi trailed off in an off-tone, positioning himself so that he was almost shielding the genin.

Ibiki only laughed, the sound strange and rough. "Don't worry, Hatake. I won't hurt your little blind genin. On the contrary, I want to have a chat with her. So you go on and take a walk for now." It wasn't a suggestion.

The white-haired jōnin almost protested, but as soon as Ibiki's chakra clashed with his, he wisely nodded and walked away, disappearing out the door.

Leaving Sakura alone with possibly the most dangerous man in Konoha. She gulped again, wishing that she had kept more control on the chakra that secured her two summons here. She also cursed Kakashi for leaving her. She still needed her new mask.

"So, I hear the weather in Otogakure is nice this time of year."

This time, Sakura choked on her spit. "H-Huh!?" she eventually managed to get out, having to smack her own back a few time in order to get the words out coherently.

Ibiki let out a dark chuckle. "Oh, you know, I heard from a little birds that Hokage-sama sent you and that Gekkou-san out on a mission," he said in a low drawl, his hand clamping down on her shoulder as he tugged her forward, leading her to an unknown area of the secret shop. His intimidating aura was choking her.

The pinkette licked her suddenly dry lips. Some water sounded amazing about now. "I-I have no idea what your t-talking about," she lied, knowing that her mission was a secret one, and she would be in deep shit if she told someone. Even if it was the head interrogator at T.I.F asking her about this, she wouldn't give him what he wanted.

"Hmm, not what I want to here, little genin the jōnin said in a disapproving tone, though his chakra wavered a bit.

Sakura pulled herself out of his grasp in a not so nice manner. "I'm sorry, Morino-san, but my sensei brought me here to help me get something, so if you would be so kind as to allow me to return to him? I'm afraid I cannot answer any of your questions."

That was also not the answer that he was looking for, for he snatched her arm and squeezed hard, to the point of her letting out a whimper of pain. His voice was suddenly close to her ear, "I don't believe that's true. Maybe the part about Hatake-san bringing you here, but not the part about you answering my questions. I'll ask one more time, or things are going to get messy- What do know about Otogakure."

If Sakura was one thing, she was stubborn and was rarely dissuaded from anything, no matter if be love or war. In this case, Konoha's secrets were on the line. And what use would she be if she couldn't keep this simple secret.

"If you don't believe me, go talk to Hokage-sama," she tried to keep her voice as steady as possible, despite the pulsing fear she felt within her. If he wanted to, Ibiki could snap her like a twig.

Ibiki glared at her, before he abruptly let go of her and cleared his throat. "Congratulations, Sakura Haruno, you have now been officially been accepted into the Chunin Exams."

For the second time that day, the blind girl was left flabbergasted. So flabbergasted in fact, that she stumbled backward, running her head into something hard and fell to the ground.

She awoke a few minutes later to cold washcloth on her face and multiple people surrounding her.

"Maa, Sakura, you can't keep hurting yourself like this," Kakashi said, his chakra becoming clear as the genin focused on him. A large smile was on his face, though there was an air of barely concealed worry about him. And behind him was Ibiki, a hand on his hips and a smirk on his face.

Sakura's hand flew to her temple when it let out a flare of pain, and let a small trickle of chakra heal it. Though, a dull throbbing was left in its presence, her already abnormally low amount of chakra diminishing even more.

"What the hell?!" Sakura finally shrieked when realization came crashing down on her. She had been accepted into the Chunin Exams, according to Ibiki. Was this some type of test?"

Ibiki nodded, and she realized that she had asked that last part aloud. She really needed to stop doing that. "And a test that you easily passed. As a shinobi, there will be many secrets that you will be forced to keep. And sometimes, other shinobi or even civilians will want that information," he explained as Kakashi helped the genin to her feet.

She scratched the corner of her mouth in thought. "And I passed because I didn't tell you what you wanted to know?"

"Correct."

"And Kakashi was in on it this whole time?"

"..Also correct."

The genin frowned and turned to her old sensei, and even without seeing him, she knew that he was trying to look as innocent as possible.

"You should be happy he didn't stick Iruka-san on you like he's planning to do with his own team," another familiar voice rumbled in amusement. Apparently Gekkou was also around as well.

Sakura grimaced. "I don't see how Iruka-sensei would be worse than Morino-san, not that there's anything wrong with your method," she said that last part quickly, not wanting to offend the scary man and make him actually angry at her. That wouldn't end well.

In the end, after Ibiku left with a smirk on his face, the pinkette did end up getting her mask. It was black, like Kakashi's, accept that it covered her eyes. It was also made of the same material, and was extremely comfortable. Now, she wanted to find Naruto and see if he even knew about the upcoming Chunin exams.

Though she had a feeling that he didn't. Kakashi wasn't the type of person to let his students know about that type of thing. She would know.

Sakura found Naruto awhile later, hanging around three lesser chakra signatures. He must have been trying to teach a few Academy students, she thought wryly to herself. After adjusting her new mask on her face, she flared her chakra so they would be able to sense her presence.

Even Naruto, who wasn't the most perceptive of things, noticed her. He turned around in surprise, his own wild chakra flaring. "Sakura-chan?! I didn't see you there!"

And she thought she was the blind one. The pinkette raised an eyebrow.

Then one of the kids by Naruto spoke, "Why do you have a mask over your eyes?" a boys voice asked, soundly slightly dopey. The question caught Sakura off guard for some reason.

  She tried to smile at him. "I'm blind".

  The little kid audibly gulped. "O-oh. I'm so sorry I asked. I didn't mean to offend you-

"You didn't, it's okay. Are there anymore questions?"

"Excuse me, are you his girlfriend?" one of the little kids asked, a girl.

Both Naruto and Sakura started spluttering in shock.

"N-"

"Yea, of course!"

"Really, boss? Nice! Though she does have a large forehead.." (Apparently the mask didn't hide her forehead as well as she had hoped.)

"Naruto!"

"Ahhhh, I'm sorry!"

"Wait why are you chasing me too?! Is it because of the forehead comment??!"

Sakura only stopped chasing after them when she suddenly sensed a chakra similar to Naruto's own, but much more blood-thirsty. It was on a different level than even Ibiki's.

Strangely enough, she couldn't place exactly where it was coming from. All she could sense was two other chakra signatures, strange and unfamiliar.

"Oomph!"

The boy, Konohamaru, had run into one of those strangers. There was suddenly a bad feeling in the out of her stomach.

"What do we have here?" a males voice said, cocky. It sounded like he had some type of narcissistic problem. Or Sakura was reading into it too much. That was highly probable too.

She heard Konohamaru kick and grunt, trying to get free.

"Hey, let him go!" Naruto called out, stepping forward. The other two kids came rushing up and his behind Sakura.

There was another chakra signature behind the unfamiliar boy. Unfortunately, neither chakra matched that of what the pinkette had sensed earlier.

Naruto and the two newcomers argued back and forth, (in which she learned their names, Kankuro and Temari), and that they had come for the Chunin Exams.

And Naruto, being the complete moron he was, had to sully the name of Konoha and make a fool of himself. "Huh, what are the Chunin Exams?"

The pinkette facepalmed so hard her forehead became bright red. There was sure to be a bump there later.

"Naruto, if you would have paid attention in school even once of your life.. or if Kakashi actually had the decency to let you know... you would know what the Chunin Exams were. They are here because-"

Sakura suddenly remembered something, and she stopped in her tracks. Her milky green eyes widened from under her mask. If there were already people coming for the Chunin exams, then that must mean he might be here too.

...

It was night time, and Itachi and Sakura were heading back to their shared room in Otogakure. The pinkette paused though, a sudden thought coming to her. Her fingers reached out to stop Itachi, grasping at his sleeve.

"Hmm?" the undercover nin asked his silent question.

"W-Well, the Chunin exams are going to be starting up in my village soon," she began, her voice squeaky and unsure. "And I was wondering if you would to like to come and watch me participate."

Sakura had come to the decision that she would take part in the Chunin exams, if she was granted permission to, a few days ago, while she was in a particularly grueling set of sit-ups. It was not an easy decision to make, the very likely possibility of dying along the way threatening to scare her away. But, she knew she would die anyways. Maybe not anytime soon, but quite a few years along the road. The thing that really pushed her to her decision was actually that very thought.

You see, Sakura was blind. Obviously. Her disability slowed her down. She found herself lost, unable to find a purpose for herself. And that scared her even more than dying. If she didn't become a ninja, then what was left for her? She didn't carry on a family tradition of making weapons, where he heightened senses would help her. There was no way she could become a doctor and help people like this. But, she could possibly become a ninja. Even if she died early, then she would be dying for her purpose. Serving her village. Her friends. Her family. The bonds that held her here.

Without that purpose, she was just an empty shell.

Itachi was strangely quite, not making a sound. At first, Sakura thought he might refuse. She wouldn't be mad of course. She was just a genin that he could use. Someone he passed by in his travels. But, he held a special place in her heart, as evasion as he was. He was her first real mentor besides Kakashi, and someone who had encouraged her. Trained her. Helped her. Believed in her.

"I might pass by Konoha. I have business in there. And I might be bringing a friend along. So we will see."

Sakura felt an inkling of worry in the back of her mind and almost regretted asking. But she smiled anyways, giving a thumbs up. "Sounds great~"

...

"-akura? Did they do something to you?" Naruto's worried voice snapped her back, and she let out a gasp. Quickly spinning on her heel and nearly smacking the Uzamaki in his nose, she grabbed his shoulders.

"Have you seen a man about-" Then she stopped with what she was going to say and clamped her mouth shut. She let go of him. "Never mind."

Itachi wouldn't be stupid enough to use the same disguise as last time, just incase anyone recognized him.

Konohamaru's indignant cry relieved her of her thoughts, and she suddnly realized she shouldn't be just standing around drifting off into space. The other genin, Kankuro, still had a hold of the Academy student.

Sakura stepped forward, even as Kankuro threatened to really hurt the boy if she came any closer. "Did you know that the earth beneath your feet has an eighty five percent chance of caving in if I put enough of pressure here?" she asked in an informative voice, stopping exactly seven feet in front of the Sand Genin.

Kankuro scoffed. "Yea right. You're just bluffing."

The pinkette cocked her head. "Am I though? I'm a Konoha ninja, and you know what kind of affinites our people have. Plus, you barely know me. How would you know if I were lying or not. Unless, you want to find out.." She brought out her fist and layered it in thin amounts of chakra, until it became barely visible. A bead of sweat ran down her back.

"L-Liar," It was Temari that spoke now. "You wouldn't risk hurting your precious friend. Plus, you're blind. What could someone like you do to us?"

Ouch, that hit a sore spot. Way to point that out in such a way. Asshole.

Sakura summoned a sicky sweet smile. "Watch me." The she preformed a couple of quick handseals, and lunged her fist towards the ground.

"Wait, okay fine! You win." Kankuro then proceed to dropped Konohamaru to the ground, and the boy scrambled to his feet. He ran back and hid behind Naruto.

Sakura smirked and allowed her chakra to be released. She held back her sigh of relief. "Good job. And you were right, actually."

"Huh?"

"I was bluffing."

Of course she was. She didn't even know what she was talking about. It sure sounded fancy though. Maybe she should become an actor. It took a a lot of willpower and a good chunk of her chakra to make it visible. She had never tried anything like that before.

As she was about to speak again, Sakura suddenly sensed something. With a confused frown on her face, she turned to her side. That was.. odd. "Is anyone there?" she called out, ignoring Naruto's questions.

Someone was, in fact, out there. She could hear them. But for some reason, there was absolutely no traces of chakra. It was a well known fact that all living things had at least a small amount of chakra. Even non-ninja, and ordinary animals.

She could hear faint rustling sounds, and what seemed to be shoes against pavement. (She still wasn't good with naming the sounds she heard.)

Just then chakra became visible, though it was still greatly condensed.

"I'm impressed, Sakura-san."

She knew that voice.

"It- Hosuh-san!"

A large smile spread across her face and she started running towards Itachi. She had hoped he would come, seeing as he was one of her closest friends.

Buuut not close enough to jump on him and give him a big hug. (They would slowly get there though.) Instead she stumbled to stop a few feet in front of him. She would have fallen face first though if large hands hadn't of gone to her shoulders to steady her.

Sakura turned her face upwards with a smile. "I've been accepted into the Chunnin Exams," she said in a happy voice. "And I got a new mask, so blood won't show up on it anymore!"

The way she said that so casually should have been worrying, but Itachi's lips turned up and he patted her head. His fingers looped down to tug at the mask and feel it out.

"Good job, on both the exam and the mask," the nin said in an approving voice, withdrawing his hand.

The pinkette let out a hum. "Thank you. Though, now that I actually made it this far, I'm not sure how long I'll make it," she admitted its a frown.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," the older nin assured her. "Konoha is fortune to have a worthwhile kunoiche such as your-" He pause for, his little amount of chakra fluctuating in surprise.

Another chakra signature suddenly appeared, startling Sakura. She definitely hadn't been expecting that. It was almost similar to what Itachi had done earlier.

Then she remembered something else, that if Itachi did come, then he would be bringing a friend. Was this the friend?

"Ah, hello, brats." There seemed to be another chakra surrounding him, as if he had two systems running through him. It was curious.

"Hey, why is your skin blue?" The question that came out of the Uzamaki's mouth was extremely loud. Sakura and all the surrounding party, (yes, everyone was still there, extremely confused as to what was going on but having no intention to leave just yet), winced.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "You just can't ask someone why they're blue!" Though she was curious. Was Itachi's friend actually blue? It seemed a little unnatural. Though she herself couldn't say much. After all, how many people did she know with bright pink hair?

The stranger let out a gruff laugh. "You kids are funny. I'm suprised Hosuh-san actually knows you guys, though I suppose it not much of a surprise considering.." he trailed off, a knowing tone in his voice that peaked Sakura's interesting. Considering what?

Itachi seemed to recover and took control of this situation. There was a barely noticeable edge in his voice. "Sakura-san, this is my partner, Kitaru-san," he introduced the two. The way he said it, like he said his own name. Was it code also?

"Hmm, so this is the little she-ninja you kept hiding from me. She doesn't look like much, being blind and all. But I'm impressed, especially since she seems to be the only one that sensed their chakra," Kitaru stated, his voice sharp with interest.

Huh? Sakura tilted her head in confusion. What was he talking about? And could people stop making comments about her being blind, for Kami's sake!

Itachi's partner laughed, filled with a biting cold. It sent shivers down everyone's spine and nobody dared to speak.

"Oh yes, you were noticed, with that bloodthirsty chakra of yours. And you too, the one in the tree. We know you're there."

 

Chapter 10: than dappled dreams

The unfamiliar chakra that oozed bloodlust suddenly became clear, and Sakura could finally place where it was coming from. That area beside them, was that a tree there-? They were being watched the whole time but she had barely noticed it.

"Hnn, took you long enough to notice me," the familiar voice of Sasuke said, his chakra becoming more noticeable to the pinkette as he jumped down from his place. She would have never noticed that he was there in the first place if she hadn't of known to specifically look for his chakra. It was being greatly overpowered.

Naruto let out a girly shriek. "Ahh! Where did you come from?!"

Sakura could almost see the way Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You must be even more blind than Sakura," he muttered, making an irk mark to appear on said girls forehead.

Kitaru (what even was his real name?) was the one to break the tension. "Says the person who didn't even notice the other person hovering around here," he snorted, obviously not impressed with the boy, as if he had been expecting more from him.

It was Sasuke's turn to be confused. "What are you talking about? What other person?"

Sakura's senses zeroes in near a place from where Sasuke had emerged. Her finger rose to point in that direction of its own accord. "That person," she said, capturing everyone's attention as they looked in the direction of where she was pointing.

Only Temari, Kankuro, Itachi, and his friend didn't seem surprised. (For the first two, their main emotions were worry and slight fear.) The others, however, were quite shocked as they watched a small red haired boy appear out of a small whirl storm of sand.

Something clawed at the pinkette's chest, making her uneasy. The sharp scent of blood was on her tongue, and she could practically taste it. On edge now, she discreetly inched towards Itachi, probably the only person here that she trusted to make sure nothing went wrong. (And how strange that was, her trusting someone who wasn't even a part of Konoha, and who she knew next to nothing about.)

Itachi glanced at her, being the only one to notice her small movements. He exhaled through his nose. It was time for him and his partner to leave. They had found more than they had hoped for, two of their targets. But, their orders were for only one. And the time wasn't right. He wasn't eager to stick around and make a mess of things so early on. Thank Kami for henges.

"Kitaru-san, I believe it's time for us to leave. No point in getting ourselves mixed up with shinobi," he said in an easy tone, already turning around to walk away.

Sakura quickly faced him, momentarily distracted. "You're leaving so soon?" she asked, trying to keep out the disappointment in her voice. She had expected for him to at leas stay for the exams.

"Oh, we're not leaving the village," Itachi's partner was the one to speak up. "We only just arrived and we still have some business here. Though finding a place to stay is our top priority."

Sakura's mind worked at a quick pace. First relief hit her. Itachi wasn't leaving. That was good. Very good. That meant he was going to stay. But that also meant he would need to stay at an Inn, and with the crowds coming for the Chunin Exams, places to stay would be hard to find. Before she knew what was going on, her mouth was opening.

"I have a place you could stay? Before you say no, hear me out," she quickly rushed out, already knowing a protest was on Itachi's lips. "There's an apartment beside my house that my dad owns for when business partners come over. I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting you stay.."

"Of course we'll take it!" Kitaru spoke immediately, surprising Sakura. She wasn't expecting that. "Can't say no to free lodging, eh, Hosuh-san?"

The man with said alias sighed in defeat. "We accept. Thank you, Sakura-san."

For the second time, the pinkette beamed up at him. "It's no problem. I can take you right there." And then she turned around to face the other genin.

"I trust you guys to not make fools of yourselves. Please remember that we are all respectable ninja and that quarreling with each other is for children. We wouldn't want to cause a dispute between our villages, yeah?"

And with that, the three of them turned and began to walk away, with Sakura unaware of the seafoam green eyes that looked at her with a faint murdurous intent and more than a little curiousity.

The male faced the Konoha genin. "What is her name," he murmured. It wasn't a question, but rather an order.

...

Sakura walked a few paces in front of the Itachi and his friend, her fingers laced together behind her back She chewed the inside of her chin thoughtfully, trying to figure something out.

Itachi was here, that much was true. Agreeing that he would come to watch her in the exams. But it was possible that he also had an ulterior motive, like in Otogakure. And he had brought his friend, who also probably used an alias. She was willing to bet that he was also an undercover nin, or something of the like. And were they actually partners? For more than just this trip? The stranger did seem to know a good bit about Itachi, more so than Sakura at least, who had spent a short time with him.

And if they were here so something other than seeing her in the Chunin Exams, then what for? She didn't think Konoha was that interesting or had any deep, dark secrets like Otogakture was harboring. Or maybe there was? Everyone was capable of covering up things, after all.

"If that pretty little head thinks any harder, it might explode," Kitaru laughed, though it didn't sound all that pleasant.

The pinkette jumped a little, but slowed down to fall in step in between the two. She kept her face straight ahead as she spoke, "I just want you two to know, that just because I'm giving you a place to stay, does not mean that I necessarily trust you, understand?" It was sorta a lie. There was a little bit of trust there for Itachi. But that was it.

But it was best to get that out now, just incase they thought that they could get away with whatever they were doing.

She flinched when Kitaru's chakra suddenly became a lot closer. And mingled with that secondary chakra, it was terrifying. "Little girl, you are right to be wary of us," he whispered in her ear, and she could hear the sharp grin in his voice. He only backed off when Itachi send him a warning look.

Sakura cleared her throat, a little put out, but still unpersuaded from her goal, despite the realizing danger. "So," she began again, changing the subject. "What henge are you using now? I'm assuming it isn't the same one as before?"

Itachi patted her head. "Good job. I would have thought that you might have thought that I used the same henge for everything, but I guess not," he replied. "And you're correct. My current henge looks like an ordinary civilian, with long blonde hair, green eyes, and tall. Now, can you tell me why I chose a civil henge instead of my normal shinobi one?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose in confusion, causing Kitaru to laugh. "Is it because someone might recognize you?" she guess in an unsure tone.

"Close, but not quite. It's because for one, yes, there might be someone from Otogakure that could recognize me. But, I chose a civilian rather than a shinobi henge because it is simply easier. I entered through the gates under the guise of being a merchant, which I could pull off after forging some paperwork If I would have shown up as a shinobi, then I would have had to prove a a number of ways to make sure that I was who I said I was. Understand?"

"Uhh, yea. I think so."

  Should she be worried that someone was able to sneak into the village that easily?

...

The reached her house within no time, and discovered that it was deserted, with only a note on the fridge explaining about Mebuki and Kizashi had some emergency business come up. Sakura kept her back to her guests as she tried to get her breathing under control. Suddenly, she was very aware of the danger she was getting herself into. Playing with fire, with no supervision whatsoever.

Shit.

Gathering herself together, Sakura turned around with a so obviously fake smile on her face. "Please come in. Our house in connected to the apartment over, so we have an entrance to that in here," she explained, her mouth moving mechanically. It wasn't as if she didn't trust Itachi- they had slept in the same room before for Kami's sake. But his friend on the other hand.. it was certainly a risk.

"Nice place you have," Kitaru commented as he walked behind her, taking in his surroundings with keen eyes.

The pinkette lead him and Itachi to the door. She jiggled the handle, only to find it locked. With a frown, she set off to search for the key that she knew was somewhere around here. It would be so much easier if she could actually fucking see- Sakura took a deep breath. For some reason her temper had become short within the last hour, and she was in desperate need of some time to herself.

Mumbling to herself under her breath (something about stupid people and breaking something heavy), she quickly gave up on looking for the key and resorted to more violent measures.

Not even a few moments later, and the door was being punched and something was flying through the air. Sakura somehow found herself huddled into the familiar robes of Itachi, and there was a pain in her arm. It took a few moments for her to realize what had happened.

The door exploded. Wood went flying. Itachi tried to make sure she didn't get hit. But there was something sticking out of her upper arm.

And holy shit, it stung. Really bad. "I think there's something in my arm," the pinkette mumbled, and crawled out from under Itachi.

It was Kitaru who grabbed her arm (surprisingly gentle for what felt like large hands) and pulled the large splinter out. It was quick so she barely registered the pain at first. And when she really began to feel it again, there was a bandage wrapped rightly around her.

"Wow, you sure can pack a punch!" Kitaru whistled, sounding surprised.

The pinkette pulled her hand to her chest and blushed. "I-It's nothing. And I didn't mean to do that.. But I guess the door won't be a problem anymore," she sighed. Then she flexed her hand. Her strength seemed to be improving at a rapid pace. Now she needed to figure out a way to hone her enchanced strength so that things like this didn't happen. Control was key.

When the cold air of the other apartment hit her, Sakura knew that the place would need some major cleaning. She immediately started sneezing due to all the dust in the air and had to fight back the urge to gag. Something was rotting. Possibly food that was left out when the last people were here?

Kitaru merely wrinkled his nose in disgust and Itachi narrowed his eyes. They both glanced at each other, before simultaneously turning around and walking back into the other house.

"Come along now, Sakura-san. I'm sure you have an extra bedroom up here somewhere?" Itachi said in a wondering tone.

Sakura frowned and turned around, putting her hands on her hips and trying not to breath through her sensitive nose. "Nuh-uh. You two get back here.. Please?" she added as an after-thought, not at all eager to be chopped into a million different pieces due to being disrespectful. "This place needs cleaned anyways, for whoever visits next. It will be easier to just get it done now."

Kitaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Nah, I'm good. But you can do what you want, little genin. I'm just gonna take care of Samehada. Holler when you're done." He then proceeded to pull something large from his back- that secondary chakra- and took a seat at the dining room table. The sound of metal sliding against metal rang out.

Which left Itachi and Sakura to clean the disgusting mess.

"You know what? I have to go retrieve a few things for our stay here. I will even pick up a few food items. I will take my leave now. Good luck. And Kitaru-san, make sure you don't bother little Sakura-san too much."

And then there was one. Kitaru snickered at the crestfallen look in the pinkette's face as Itachi promptly disappeared, leaving the two alone.

Sakura shivered at the sudden drop of temperature and could only hope that the blue man wouldn't antagonize her.

...

   Nico was running a fever. His wings were dripping with sweat and his small body shook and heaved.

  "I-I don't understand what's happening," he heaved, trying not to throw up. And his eyes, Kami, his eyes, they burned like nothing else. It gave his skull a splitting headache.

Kei was simply hovering over him, blocking the sun from reaching his frame. "Something that should not have happened so soon," he answered, his voice heavy. He had hoped that they would still have time, precious time to train and prepare, but that was not to happen.

They would have to get through this one moment at time.

  For everyone's sake.

 

The name of Itachi Uchiha was well known throughout the land, for better or for worse. It started with his being the Clain Heir and a prodigy, becoming genin, chunin, jonin, and then ANBU at such a rapid pace. It also helped that he was very young when all of this happened.

  It was impossible to get inside his mind and pick it apart, to discover how he worked and why he did the things he did. Which brought us the second reason of him being so infamous- The massacre of his entire family, save for one little soul. It was one of the top unanswered questions that people had.

  And nobody would expect that very man to come back to the village in which it all began—even if nobody actually knew it was him.

  The very man that scarred the village so long ago was walking in broad daylight yet hidden in tucked away memories.

...

Sakura wasn't a fan of cleaning. She also wasn't a fan of being watched while she was cleaning. It was unnerving. 

  "Did I miss spot?" she suddenly asked, turning towards Kitaru and putting her free hand on her hip. Her other hand was holding a smelly rag.

It was a moment before the nin responded.   "Yep. But that's not why I'm watching you."

  How vague. "Then why is it?" Was there something on her face? Crumbs or sauce from her last meal? Hopefully not though. That would have meant that they had been on her face all day, and that would have been embarrassing considering the things that happened and the people she was around.

  "The way you move."

  "Excuse me!?" Sakura's mind had immediately went to the gutter of all places. She felt her face get red and started to reach for the broom, ready to wack him over the head, dangerous nin or not.

  Kitaru let out a chuckle when he realized that the pinkette had taken his words the wrong way. "Get your mind out of the gutter, kid. I was talking about how you move like you can see, though you obviously can't. How do you do it?" he asked. Sakura could imagine him tilting his head.

Intrigued by his question, and more than a little embarrassed, Sakura set her rag down and wiped off her hands.  "It's.. kinda complicated I guess. Since I'm in an environment that I have lived in my whole life, including the time from when I could see, I sorta memorized everything here; it's called a photographic memory I think." She could read something once and forever remember it. Floor plans were no different.

  The nin let out a hum. "Interesting. But how do you move around unfamiliar environments?"

  "Oh, that's easy. I-" Sakura cut herself off, and her eyes narrowed for under her mask. "Wait, why do you want to know." Suspicious. He was suspicious. This whole thing was suspicious. He was Itachi's partner for crying out loud. He was dangerous.

  "Whoah, calm down, kid," Kitaru said. "I'm just curious is all. It's not everyday that I meet a blind girl who technically infiltrated a sannin's base."

  Fuck. He knew. Itachi had someone he needed to report to as well. Of course he knew. He was his partner after all.

  "Shut up! Keep your voice down. I'm not supposed to be talking about that!" she whisper-yelled to him. Maybe she would hit him with her broom. If she put enough strength into it she might be able to knock him out. If she didn't break the broom first.

  "I know, I know. Your Hokage's orders and all. Though I'm surprised he actually sent you there. You probably would have died, or worse, if Itachi-san hadn't have been there."

  His implications were true. There were way worse things than dying, things that would make death seem like a gift.

  "..I know." was all she said, and that shut down the conversation. She could practically feel Kitaru's frown.

  A half hour later when she was finishing up, the door swing open, and Sakura detected quiet footsteps that were meant to get her to notice the person. Itachi had finally returned. Thank goodness, she was getting uncomfortable talking with the other nin.

  "Where did you go? That took a awhile," Kitaru asked, successful distracted. Sakura took a deep breath and put her mop and bucket away.

  "It was only an hour," Itachi said. He slipped his shoes off and walked to the couch, where he too settled down.

  The pinkette rolled her eyes, feeling indignant.  "Yeah, enough time for your partner to interrogate me," Sakura muttered.

Itachi though seemed to hear her. "Hmm, don't worry, he was probably just curious."  The next part he directed towards his partner. "What did you ask her."

  "Just about how she could navigate in unfamiliar areas and why her Hokage even sent her on that suicidal mission." Kitaru

  "Hn, Kitaru. You know better than to ask about those kind of things." Itachi

  "Excuse me, can we just stop taking about it all together?" the pinkette blurted out, really wishing they would just talk about something else. (Maybe about their organization, or even Kitaru's real name?) "I can make us dinner if you'll allow me..?" Anything to get their minds off of this.

"Ohh, sounds great! What are you going to make me, kid?" Kitaru quickly asked, and his stomach let out a loud growl.

Hopefully Sakuta would have enough food for everyone. Usually when her parents left her on her own, it was with everything, including getting food.

  "U-Uh, let's see. I could make some.."

  Somehow after that awkward (for Sakura at least) meal, but Itachi had managed to pull her out of the house and was leading her somewhere. Kitaru was currently passed out on the couch, his large sword resting on the ground by his fingertips.

  "Where are we going?" Sakura asked as she walked slightly behind the nin, her hands crossed behind her back.

  "Can't tell you." Itachi was a man of few words.

Sakura pouted a little, not put off his his answer. She was used to it. "Why not? Is it a surprise?"

  "Sure, something like that."

  Sakura wilted a little at the note in his voice. That meant she was going to be beaten into a pulp by him, or he was going to watch her get beat into a pulp by someone else. Either way, it wasn't going to be fun for her.

  The walk was peaceful. She could feel the sun sliding down her face, making its descent towards the ground. There weren't a lot of people on the path that she and Itachi were taking, so it was quiet. It had been awhile since she had felt as calm as this—not worrying about her future as a kunoichi or having to keep her guard up to watch for potential threats. Right now, she just was.

  Occasionally she would brush up against Itachi, and maybe it was just her imagination, but he didn't seem as tense either. (He also felt a little shorter, though that was just due to his henge.) Maybe he also found comfort in afternoons such as this, if even he even found any.

"What's your favorite color?" Sakura, for the second time that day, blurred something out. This time it was an innocent question. Right now she felt no urge to ask him things to figure out his identity.

Itachi's chakra flickered in surpise, though he kept on steadily walking. "What a strange question, Sakura-san," he said. "But I suppose if I had to choose, it would be red. What about you?"

  The pinkette was almost suprised that he answered, and even bothered to ask her back. But she tilted her head, putting a finger to her chin. "Hmm, it's not really one specific color I guess. The one sight that I miss the most is watching the sunset from my balcony. All the colors mixing together—the reds, pinks, yellows, and even purples and blues." She let out a small reminiscent sigh.

"You miss being able to see." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

  "I do. I really do. I miss being able to watch the sun rise and set, being able to look in the mirror at myself-" Yes, she was admitting to that no matter how vain it sounded. "-And looking at my friends and family; seeing their smiling faces."

  "But.." she trailed off, exhaling. "Strangely, I find myself becoming thankful for my blindness. I can sense a change in myself, and I feel happier. I also feel stronger and smarter. Sometimes I think I actually have a chance, and I appreciate myself," she admitted.

  She didn't see Itachi's soft smile as he patted her head like one would do to a pet.

  "Sometimes in order to see the beauty in certain things, you must become blind to others—quite literally in this case."

  The pinkette smiled as well.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed that walk, because that was your only break for awhile. Now comes pain."

  Before Sakura could ask what Itachi meant, something rammed itself into her cheek and she went flying backwards, hitting the ground harshly.

  Holy shit man, that hurt. A lot.

  She scrambled to her feet, feeling a nasty bruise already forming along her cheekbone. Her guard went up, and her senses went into high alert. Itachi was a few feet in front of her, his chakra suffocating. It's tendrils wrapped around her, making her senses fuzzy.

  "Are you trying to kill me!?" the pinkette shrieked, still reeling from the sudden attack.

  The nin clicked his tongue. "If I was trying to kill you, you would be dead already."

  True. This was training then. Incredibly painful training. He's never hit her like that before. It felt unrestrained compared to the other times he trained her.

  "Better start doing something before I knock you on your face again."

  Again, he punched her, this time in the shoulder. Sakura heard a crack and she let out a strangled scream that cut off when a sandal began to press down on her neck, blocking off her airflow. Her short nails tried to claw at his leg as she her voice gurgled in helper throat.

  Was he actually trying to kill her now?

"If there's one thing I've learned about you, is that the only way you really fight is when your life is in danger. And right now, your life is in danger. In approximately forty-five seconds you will pass out," Itachi barked out, his voice emotionless. "So, what will you do?"

Sakura could feel her conscience began to leave her as she grew dizzy.  How was she supposed to fight back like this? Her head was trapped, her hands were of no use, and her legs couldn't reach high enough to kick him.

  What do I do? What do I do. Whatdoidowhatdoidowhatdo-

  It was too late. She had blacked out. In less than a minute, the fight was over, and Sakura hadn't even raised a finger.

  When she woke up next, she was in excruciating pain. Her shoulder and cheek were sending jolts of pain through her body, and her throat hurt. She needed water.

  It was hard opening her eyes, even if she didn't needed them. It was even harder sitting up. At least she was in her own bed. But—she didn't remember getting there. She didn't even remember falling as-

  She didn't fall asleep. She didn't even want to be out like a light. Itachi had literally stepped on her throat until she passed out. What. The. Fuck. That prompted her roll out of bed. Regret hit her when she landed on her bad shoulder. A pain-filled tear ran down her face as she bit her lip in frustration.

  When she somehow managed to make it downstairs, she found Itachi and Kitaru sitting at the table.

  "Wow, you look like shit, kid," Kitaru said when he caught sight of the girl. And she really did.

  An ugly purple and black bruise was covering almost her entire left cheek.  Her mask wasn't on, so he could see the bags under them. (Though they didn't look new.) Her body was hunched forward, her right arm hanging at an odd angle. The messy hair and wrinkled clothes didn't help her appearance any bit.

"Yea well, I don't feel any better," she muttered in reply, or tried to at least. Her voice was extremely crackly and it hurt to speak.

  And stupid Itachi wasn't saying a damn thing. It irked her.

  Sakura took her seat right beside him, clumsily landing on the couch and accidently knocking against him. She felt the nin stiffen.

Kitaru, somehow finding it in him to have pity towards the girl, handed her a glass of water that she gratefully chugged. After she finished, she wiped her mouth and set the cup by her feet, turning towards Itachi.

  "Mind telling me why you knocked me out like that?" She felt a little better now. Her throat was still on fire though. "Or why you didn't even give me a chance to fight back?"

  "Any enemy you fight will never give you a chance to fight back."

  Itachi's voice cool, lacking that emotion from yesterday's walk. The atmosphere had changed so fast.

  The nin was suddenly looming over the blind girl, so she was focusing completely on him.

"I went easy on you in Otogakure. I pushed you just enough to survive. But now it's different. Now, those you go up against in the Chunin Exams will be merciless. They will knock you down just as I did, and won't let you back up," Itachi stated, his voice harder. "Tell me Sakura, do you want to die?"

  He asked if he she wanted to die, not survive. If he had said survive, the answer would have been quick, without thinking about it. Yes. But this was different. It made her pause. Saying no was a lot harder than saying yes. But, it wasn't impossible.

  Only fools believed in the impossible. Now, dying wasn't an option for her. She would make it through the Chunin Exams. And Itachi would watch her as she did.

  Sakura gritted her teeth. "No."

  Itachi suddenly leaned back, the atmosphere changing yet again. Only Kitaru could see the way he nodded approvingly. "Good. Now you must know Sakura, that pain will become your constant companion. Unless you find a way to heal yourself without going to the hospital, you better get used to it. There is only a week until the exams. Not nearly enough time to help you, but just enough to make you fear for your life every second of everyday."

  Kitaru cackled while Sakura gulped.

 

Chapter 11: the swift sweet deer

Itachi wasn't joking. Sakura was never without pain. Despite her trying to heal herself as often as possible, she just didn't have enough juice to help herself completely. Plus, no sooner did she fix that fractured leg, it just got hurt again a half hour later.

They were on day four of this, and Sakura was attempting to hide somewhere where Itachi and Kitaru (sadly, the nin had gotten his partner to join in) would hopefully not cause as much chaos, and therefore pain—the library.

She's tried other places, like shops, restaurants, and even parks filled with little kids and there parents. But, they always found her and the end result wasn't pretty.

Sakura found that she wasn't alone in the library, but she didn't know if it was a good or bad thing. Good, because there were witnesses, or bad, because it was Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji that was there. Maybe she could just hide in the back, but close enough to them that if something could happen, she could catch their attention. They probably would t be able to help much though, but maybe they could distract them enough so she could escape again.

But alas, fate was not on her side.

"Oi, is that you Billboard-Brow?" came Ino's screechy voice. Before she knew it, the pinkette found herself surrounded by a curious team.

Sakura hunched over herself, mindful or her throbbing hand from trying to punch Itachi and instead hitting a log, and made herself as small as possible. "Hey, guys," she said, thinking that if she was nonchalant they would get bored and leave her alone.

"Where have you been!? And why have you been acting so weird lately? And what's with that ugly mask?" Ino barreled out question after question.

Sakur's hands flew to her mask against her will. "Hey! My mask isn't ugly. Well, at least I don't think it is," she muttered the last part. Kakashi had said that it looked good, but he wasn't exactly good in the fashion department himself. Damn.

In order to save herself from Ino's mocking about her lack of fashion sense, she said, "It's not like I can see what it looks like anyways!"

"Huh?" Crunch, crunch. "What are you talking about?" Crunch. Choji was eating barbecue chips while he spoke.

"Yea, it seems like you can move around just fine. That mask is see-through, isn't it? You just want to look cool!" Ino accused.

(Does that mean her mask wasn't actually that bad looking?)

But in the end, it was Shikamaru, the smart one in the group, that resolved everything. He ended up elbowing his teammates in the ribs, shutting them up.

"Be quiet, you two. And Sakura is actually.." he trailed off, unsure if the pink haired genin would be offended with how he would put it.

Sakura rolled her eyes and saved him the trouble. "Blind. He's means I'm blind. Did you guys really not know that?" She was surprised. She wa sure that everyone in the village had known by now. Especially with Naruto's loud mouth. Apparently not though.

Ino's mouth had fallen open in shock, and Choji stopped munching on his snack.

"Nani!?"

Before Sakura could speak, a rumbling sound was suddenly heard. The pinkette shut her mouth and sighed. Her hand twinged in pain. "Damn. I thought I would have more time. They really are going all out today," she mumbled to herself, standing up and brushing past the team. She put the book that was in her hand in its rightful place on the shelf. No way did she want to get a fine for accidentally destroying it. All her money was going to feeding her "guests."

"What, what is that? It almost sounds like when Choji uses his expansion jutsu," Ino said thoughtfully.

"Uh, judging by Sakura-san's face, that's no Akamichi," Shikamaru muttered.

Sakura winced. Now she almost felt bad for dragging them into this. But, she had to do what she had to do. Including sacrifice her old classmates. "Um, sorry in advance," she said to them, hoping that they either wouldn't be too pissed her or just wouldn't know that what was going to happen was because of her in the first place.

"Sorry for what, Billboar-br- Holy shit!"

The ceiling had suddenly caved in, and wood went flying everywhere. Sakura swore loudly and rushed towards where the door was supposed to be—only to be stopped by Ino.

"What are you doing!?" the blind genin yelled. "Let go of me!"

Ino grunted. "No can do. You're blind. And we need to get out of here."

Sakura almost smacked her. Yea sure, she was blind, but she wasn't stupid. If anything, she should be helping them escape. Dust particles were having a blast invading her nose and mouth, gagging her. She doubted the others could even see in all this debris.

She didn't want to open her mouth anymore, but she needed to if she was going to get them out of here. Using her made-from-scratch-jutsu, that she recently dubbed Bat's Call Jutsu, she was able to create a map in her mind of where everything was.

There— behind them—was the exit She had been heading in the wrong direction. "Come one Ino-Pig," she muttered, dragging her along. Two the right of her she spotted Choji, crawling away from a halfway falling down bookshelf that was being held up by Shikamaru's shadow.

The blind genin felt a wave of guilt. Choji could have been hurt because of her. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was one thing if she got hurt. It was another of it was others.

After Choji and Shikimaru joined them, the four somehow escaped the building with minimal damage. But as soon as they stopped for a breather, Ino, Shikimaru, and Choji suddenly vanished with a poof of smoke.

Everything was suddenly quiet, save for Sakura's rapid breathing. Her hand still hurt.

"I'm disappointed," was all Itachi said when he landed beside her. Kitaru was a few feet away. "You would have really put your friends in danger?"

He was right. Obviously. What kind of sick bastard used their friends like that. What's that Kakashi used to say about scum and trash? Yea, that was her. Sakura hung her head. She didn't apologize though. Saying sorry wouldn't do a thing. She had learned that early on.

"You're lucky none of that was real. Or there would be harsh consequences." Itachi came closer, and grabbed her shoulders. "You're going to run. As fast and as far as possible. And you better hope and pray that we don't catch you. You get a ten minute head start. Go." (As if that wasn't harsh.)

And Sakura ran, using her humiliation and guilt as an extra leverage to fuel her. She had been in the wrong. But the two nin would whip her into shape, mentally and physically.

Somehow, she hadn't thought about it until now. But it was obvious. The Bingo Book. Of course.

That night Sakura—covered in nasty red welts and bloody cuts—hid in her closet and pulled out an extremely old Bingo Book that she had gotten when she first joined the Academy. Stupidly, she didn't even think about upgrading to its current version.

The name she was searching for was Itachi. For some reason, that name had always sounded familiar. She was willing to bet that it was somewhere in the Bingo Book. (Though she desperately hoped that it wasn't.)

"Itachi, Itachi, Itachi," she muttered, her finger trailing over the pages. There were a lot of rogue nin out there. She shuddered when she came across Orochimaru. He was a monster.

She was now three quarters of the way though, and she had still gotten nothing. She had went past a Zabuza and Kisame, who were rogue Hidden Mist ninja. There was also many names she didn't recognize.

Sakura suddenly went back to Kisame and re-read his page, this time more throughly. And the more she read, the more nauseas she got.

Oh fuck.

Everything matched. The blue skin. The sword. The jutsus he used. And even the sharp teeth that Sakura had felt when he decided to fucking bite her—He was part of an organization known as the Akatsuki. She had heard a little about the Akatsuki, and how some of the most dangerous rogue ninja were a part of it. They hunt bounties for people, mostly illegal, and collect the money.

If Kisame was Kitaru, and he was Itachi's partner, that meant they were a part of the same organization, also known as the Akatsuki.

Now she just needed to find Itachi's page. She was positive he was in there somewhere.

And finally, a few hundred pages later, she found him. Itachi Uch-

Wait a fucking minute. Sakura immediately drew her finger away as if she had been scorched. That couldn't be right. It was a typo.

  It had to be.

  There was no way that Itachi was an Uchiha, much less Sasuke's brother, and the one that massacred the whole clan.

She let out a whimper and shoved the book away from her in a violent manner. She was going to throw up. Her head rested in between her legs as she rocked back and forth. No. Nononono-

But— She sat up and wearily grabbed the book again, opening it the last page she was on. There it was.

Itachi Uchiha.

As she read through his information, she deflated more and more. It all made sense. Every last bit. She remembered when Nico had described him to her, an how she commented about how he reminded her of an Uchiha. All his quirks; the occasional hnn that slipped out. He was a master at genjutsu.

He knew this place. Konoha used to be his home.

Itachi was the monster that parents would tell their children at night to make them be good. And that monster was in the same house as her.

 

When Sakura awoke the next morning, still in that closet and covered in her own blood, she came to a realization. Maybe it was the lack of sleep and paranoia getting to her, but she started coming up with a plan.

For the past five days she had been running from two S-Class Ranked criminals. And they expected that. They were smart—really smart. She needed to do something that they would expect, to catch them off guard.

And learn information. For now, she would keep her secret to herself. Pretend absolutely nothing was wrong. That she didn't want to kick, and cry, and scream.

"Good morning, Sakura-san. Did you sleep good?" Kitaru—no, Kisame, asked when she walked downstairs.

And Sakura, somehow, let out a large smile, baring her teeth. "Nope," she said truthfully.

Itachi's stare melted her skin and shiver ran down her spine. The house was red, covered in thick, warm blood. It seeped through her fingers, mingling with those she killed. But now, it wasn't just their blood. It was her own. And Kisame's. And Itachi Uchiha's.

  It stained.

 

Sakura could feel the sickness creeping up in her mind.

  She was constantly aware of every little thing going on around her, even those things that didn't want to be noticed. Like those people in the back alley, passing around something sketchy that smelled like horrible. Or the flinches of children when their parents get a little too close.

  It was dark beneath the village. Underneath the layer of the of nice homes and Konoha's slogan, The Will Of Fire. The thing was, nobody really noticed, or cared, about the things that were happening beneath their noses. Or maybe they did know, and they did care, but they were too afraid of doing something about it.

  Sakura found herself sitting on top of one of the mountain training grounds after hiding from Itachi and Kisame. It was hard getting up here, even with chakra. It was extremely high up, and there wasn't always footholds to catch herself when she slipped.

  Her hands were sliced open. She was used to the pain now. It was just another thing she noticed, and cast off as unimportant. Even all the way up here, she felt watched. The eyes wouldn't leave her. And she couldn't pretend they weren't there.

  It was warm at least. Warmer than down there. She liked the sun. It chased away the terrifying shadows, and revealed all that was hidden. Sakura peeled her mask off and stuffed it in her pocket for safe keeping. The cool air hit her forehead and eyes, but was quickly warmed up.

  "You're eyes almost look like mine."

  It was that boy. The one that scared her. Sakura could feel the sand on her skin. The way the air was disturbed only the slightest bit. She didn't jump. She knew he was coming.

  "What do your eyes look like?" she dared to ask. Right now, the blood lust was only beneath the surface. She was safe. For now.

  "Dark circles," was all he said, and Sakura nodded.

  "That sounds about right. Sleep is a goddes that refuses to bless me." It was a moment before she spoke again. "What is your name?"

  "Gaara. I know who you are."

  Surprising how blunt he was. She was no one special. "Hmm, is that so?"

  Gaara didn't respond, and sat a few feet away from her. The sand shifted off of her and went back to him. Apparently she wasn't a threat. She didn't ask how he got up here or even knew of this place. She didn't want to know.

  They stayed like that for a few minutes. Sakura tried to relax herself. She tensed every muscle in her body, and slowly let go. It did very little.

  And then was time to go. She needed to talk with the Hokage and figure a few things out.

  She stood up and pulled her mask back on. "You scare me, Gaara. A monster lurks beneath your skin. I hope you don't let it control you."

  Sand rushed at her and stopped an inch from the back of her neck. Damn. She was still too slow. At least he didn't kill her. Sakura continued forward as Gaara muttered to himself under his breath. The blood lust was rising. The monster was fighting for control.

  Going back down the mountain was just as hard as going up it. Her legs and arms wobbled when she touched the ground, and she just wanted to collapse. But she didn't. A little healing chakra to her limbs did the trick and helped her stay on her feet.

  The ANBU watched her with sharp eyes as she walked through the Hokage's office without knocking. As she guessed, it was empty, save for the Hokage and ANBU of course.

  "How shall I proceed with the Chunnin Exams?" she asked, putting her hands behind her back. A strand of hair blew into her mouth and she had to pull it out. "Teams of three are needed to enter. And I have no team."

  Sarutobi cleared his throat. "I'm aware." That was all he offered.

  Sakura clenched her jaw. So she was supposed to figure this out for herself. "Okay.. Is it possible for me to be included in a team?"

"It could be." He sounded amused for some reason. She didn't like it. It was like he was playing a game, and waiting to see what move she would make. Her like for him was slowly diminishing .

  "Would I be able to enter without a team..?" she ventured.

  Apparently, that was the right question, but he clapped a few times. "Good job, Haruno. As Konoha's Experiment, you have been entered in the exams with no team."

  It sounded sketchy. "H-Hai," she said, giving a small bow. She straightened herself up. "And will I be expected to make the same expectations with those that have a team?"

"No."

  Sakura slumped in relief.

"Your expectations will be higher than everyones."

  She was ready to slug someone in the face. Preferably the old man in front of her. Her jaw slacked and fell open. "W-What!?Why!?"

  When Sarutobi didn't answer, she closed her mouth and gave a silent snarl, shock turning to burning anger. She stalked forward and slammed her fists on the table.

  The ANBU stiffened. Her hands left two large dents.

  "I will do it. But only because I came up with this stupid idea in the first place, when I was desperate. I don't care that you're using this against me for whatever reason. I just want to become a kunoichi and live off the rest of my life," she said in a hard voice. "And I'll tell you what, if I become a Chunnin, no—when I become a Chunnin, you will never again use the title Konoha's Experiment against me."

  She glared at him in her head and stood up. She headed towards the window and pushed it open.

  And jumped out with no flying summon to carefully land her on the ground. The ground beneath her broke into several large pieces, creating a small crater that Lady Tsunade would only a spare a glance at.

  Itachi and Kisame watched from the distance, as they had been doing all day.

  "Wow, I'm impressed! It's been a week and she's already started applying the skills she's learned." Kisame commented, resting his chin on the butt on his sword that was disguised as a walking stick. A thoughtful look tugged at his face, one that made Itachi frown.

"No, there is no way that we are letting the Akatsuki get to her," Itachi told his partner in a firm voice. His hands tightened around the dango stick he was eating.

  Kisame sent him a suddenly very dark look. "You know that I would never let that happen. As much as I like what I'm doing now, I wouldn't let a blind girl go down that path, a potentially powerful kunoiche or not."

  That night, Sakura was given a grace period because the first exam was the next morning. She was able to heal most of her wounds, only leaving her with a few small bruises and a cut on her back before her chakra levels were about depleted.

  A new ninja bag was on her nightstand, something that she has remembered to go out and buy a few days ago. She had gotten it from a used store, because of her lack of money, but it was worth it. The last person that used it had used some type of jutsu and made it bigger on the inside without actually changing its size. So she could store a lot more in it like a decent medical kit, a whole lotta kunai and shuriken, a ninja star, some paper bombs, and a few blank pieces of paper for seals. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

  As usual, sleep evaded her. She was too distracted by every sound and shadow that moved, always fearing the worst. And with her heightened senses everything was worse. She was so used to straining to hear Itachi and Kisame coming, that she had started to do it unintentionally even when she was safe.

  It was only when the sun began to rise above the horizen that she fell into an uneasy sleep, and was woken only two hours later by a creaking step. That was as how she got the dark circles under her eyes.

 

  Before Sakua left out the door, Kisame patted her shoulder, and Itachi petted her head. She flinched at the familiar gesture, and headed out the door without so much as a farewell. It was hard facing them and even speaking to them when she knew who they actually were. 

  She had somehow arrived early at the Academy, where the first exam would be taken and where she was to sign up. Barely any people were around, only a few genins and even some chunnins.

  At least the person who signed them up was there.

"Name."

  "Haruno, Sakura."

  "Rank."

"Uh, genin?"

  "Age."

"Twelve."

  "The names of your teammates."

  Here, Sakura didn't have an answer. "Um, I don't actually have a team.." she trailed off, scratching her neck sheepishly.

  The Chunnin suddenly gasped and set her papers down with a loud smack that echoed throughout the room. "You're that blind genin everyone's been talking recently!" she exclaimed, catching a few others attention.

"Wow, really? I heard Hokage-sama is letting her participate in the exams without a team!"

  "Yea, and did you see how she jumped out of his tower yesterday? She broke the ground open!" 

Sakura didn't like the attention on her. It was unnerving. She backed away, before dashing out of the hall. She could take all the eyes watching when she couldn't at least watch back.

  She eventually ran past a crowd of people.

  "Hey, where are you going! Isn't that the wrong door?"

  Without pausing, she vanished the genjutsu. A blind person couldn't be tricked by something that was meant to distort your sight.

  There were already a few people in the room when she entered, the obvious staring making her uncomfortable. She headed towards the back of the room and pulled herself on top of one of the tables, letting her legs dangle.

  About a half hour passed, and more people filtered through the room. She recognized a few of them, like Gaara with his team, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba, and Ino, Choji and Shikamaru. Her old team wasn't here yet.

  When they did arrive though, they easily stole everyone's attention. Naruto was being loud and obnoxious as usual. Sasuke was brooding—holy fuck, Sakura was basically living with his older brother whom he desperately wanted to murder, talk about problematic—and Akira was trying to get Naruto to shut his mouth.

  Sakura just stayed in the back, not feeling any urge to go mingle with them. Recently, she hasn't felt like socializing which probably wasn't healthy. All she had for company was two Eagle Summons and two very dangerous S-Ranked ninjas. 

  Three familiar chakra's suddenly caught her attention, and she stiffened. Team Dosu was here as well. Even as Dosu suddenly rushed towards one of the nin that was standing beside Naruto, she didn't move, not wanting their attention on her. She's had enough of them to last her a lifetime. Though she did breath out in relief when Ibiki suddenly appeared—

  Wait a second. The blind genin almost started choking on her spit. What was Ibiki doing here!?

  Apparently he was the proctor of the exam, which was a test, as she soon found out. The test had nine paper questions, an hour to complete them, and there was a big emphasis on no cheating if the chunnins that were scrutinizing them were of any consideration. After the hour was up, then Ibiki would announce the last question.

  Sakura trailed her fingers over the paper, and her eyes narrowed. Any normal genin would never know the answers to these problems. They were made for high chunnin/low jounin levels.

  Fortunately, she would be able to answer all of them without cheating, which was what Ibiki obviously wanted them to do. ("Do not get caught," he had said.) Of course, even if Sakura wanted to cheat, that was be a little hard.

  Or—

  Would it? They were being tested for their ability to gather information. And she was apparently being held to higher standards. The Hokage knew how smart she was, but he wanted to see what she could do when she didn't know anything and needed to sneak around.

  She would prove to him that she could do it.

  Sakura set her pencil and casually let out a large yawn. Bat's Call Jutsu, she said to herself triumphantly when the room became clear. Her chakra layered itself on everything. And now that she thought about it, that jutsu wasn't helping her reserves at all. Maybe it should be modified somehow.

  A blind person was always moving their head, so hopefully it didn't strike anyone as odd when her head tilted a little to the side. There. Right beside her. That was definitely no genin. More like a Chunnin using a henge. Those particular jutsus were very familiar to her.

Now she just needed to be able to read what was on his paper.

A thought suddenly came to her mind as her jutsu began to fade. It was a risky thought, but would hopefully prove to be worth it. Chunnins had been watching her every move thus far; that she could feel. Her name had already marked down once. Two more times and..

  She let out another yawn, smaller this time, and put the side of her face in her palm. She was tired.

  With a sigh, she lifted her head and—

"Haruno, Sakura!" a chunnin suddenly yelled, causing said genin to jump in surprise. "You are herby disqualified from the Chunnin Exams due to cheating."

  But, even as everyone began to stare at her in surprise, Sakura didn't stand up and leave the room. Instead, she just frowned.

"Huh? I think there's been a mistake," she said aloud.

  "No mistake. I caught you cheating three times."

Narrowing her eyes from under her mask, Sakura abruptly stood up, accidentally causing her paper and the Chunnins paper to fall to the floor. She gasped and immediately started pick them up, setting them back on the desk.

  "I'm sorry," she murmured to the Chunnin, before turning towards the other one. She pointed at her face. "I'm blind, in case you didn't know that. How the hell would I be able to cheat!?"

  It was Ibiki who spoke up though. "Sit down, Haruno-san. You're in the safe After all, blind does mean that you're completely harmless." There was a smirk in his voice as Sakura sat down again.

  Though feeling miffed at being called harmless, she almost grinned in satisfaction. Because the paper in her fingers wasn't her own. It was the Chunnin's.

   From beside her, the Chunnin smirked. 

  The tenth question was a no brainer. She obviously wouldn't fail, and she didn't. The last question had been a trick. And yes, everyone was supposed to cheat on those last nine questions.

  After that, a jounin crashed through a glass window and whisked away the remaining genin, heading towards the Forest of Desth as the second part of the exam. (Everyone was screwed if the rumors about that training group proved to be true.)

  All except for Sakura though. She was pulled back by Ibiki just before everyone left.

"The little stunt you pulled with the paper, it was daring and risky," Ibiki said, leaning back against his desk. Sakura gulped. He still scared her. Like, a lot. Probably even more so than Gaara. (Though Kisame and Itachi scared her the most.)

Of course he caught that. Did that mean she was disqualified?

  "But—It was also ingenious and creative. I'm almost impressed," he finally said, letting out a chuckle. "And I'm sure Hokage-sama will be to, given that fact that your being graded to be above the expectations."

Sakura scowled, but didn't say anything. That was still horse crap to her.

Ibiki sighed. "I don't know what he is up to, but I hope that whatever he's planning, he doesn't end up ruining you. Go. You're dismissed."

  Sakura was thankful there was at least one person suspicious, and because of that, she gave him a small, genuine smile; something that she hasn't done in quite awhile. Maybe allies weren't as far away as she thought.

 

Chapter 12: the red rare deer

The Forest of Death was a physical horror story. It held foul creatures that roamed the land before even Konoha's founders were born, and plant life that could kill you just by being to close to it. The inside of that cage was a death maze, and very few people could successfully navigate it.

  Even with a team, it would take a gruesome amount of effort to come out of that place with little wounds and mental exhaustion. In short, Sakura was screwed.

  When she arrived at the training ground with the others, the rules were being told and everyone was lining up to be given either a Heaven Scroll or Earth Scroll. A team has to have collected by a Heaven and Eartch Scroll, and have made it to a tower in the middle of the training ground to pass.

  Sakura received a Heaven Scroll, and put it in her ninja pack. She would have to find a more secure place to hide it after she actually got into the trading ground and started.

  The approaching chakra and footsteps of Naruto made her turn around. She adjusted her mask with twitching fingers.

  "Hi, Sakura-chan! Kakashi-sensei told you to tell us that we wish you good luck!" the Uzumaki exclaimed. A loud smack followed his confusing greeting, and Sakura heard Sasuke sigh while Naruto whimpered in pain.

  "What the dobe means to say is that Kakashi-sensei wished you good luck," Sasuke explained. His voice held that disinterested tone that Sakura heard in Itachi.

  No longer did the blind genin feel her heart flutter when Sasuke was around, and her hands didn't shake in nervousness. Instead, all she felt was apprehension. Did he know? Sakura could tell him. She could tell the Hokage about the two Akatsuki members in the village. But.. they were immensely strong. Shinobi would die trying to fight them off. All she could do was hope that they would leave soon. And never come back — that was just foolish thinking though.

  "Ah, I would tell you guys to tell him thank you for me, but I'm sure I'll see him soon.. If I survive that is," she whispered the last part under her breath.

  "Hey, don't you have a team? Kakashi-sensei told us that a whole team had to be present in order to be entered into the exams. And I don't see you following around anyone like a lost puppy," Akira decided to put in her input.

  Sakura still didn't really like her. "I don't have a team," she told them bluntly, crossing her arms.

  Naruto gasped. "What, how!?"

  Sakura shrugged. "I honestly don't know. That's just what Hokage-sama told me," she admitted.

There was an awkward pause of silence. Nobody knew what to say next. Luckily, they were saved by a psycho

  "Time to get a move on, degenerates!" the woman from earlier that crashed through the window, Anko, called out. She was a little scary and seemed kind of unstable. It reminded Sakura of Ibiki in a way. They had the same predatory chakra.

  Everyone split off into their teams, and were lead by either a Jounin or Chunnin to a specific gate outside of the training ground. And somehow, whether it be fate or coincidental, Sakura ended up with Gekkou. It had been a little bit since she last saw him.

"I hope you do realize that you might not come out of this place alive," the Jounin muttered to her. His chakra was flickering in unease. It was clear that he didn't like this any more than her.

  Sakura steeled herself. "I know," she said. "I've known since the beginning. But this is something I have to do."

  They finally made it to the gate. The air felt chillier, and a dark presence layed on their shoulders. Sakura shivered, and Gekkou stared sadly at her, but it was interrupted by a cough.

  "Stop looking at me as if this is the last time you'll see me," she muttered. She would make it out alive. She had to. Even though Itachi was a monster, her monster under the bed, she still made a promise. Plus, she needed to see her parents again. They didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

  Gekkou breathed out, obviously trying to believe her. He pushed open the gate. "It's time," he said, coughing. "Good luck."

  And then Sakura was pushed in, and the gate closed shut behind her. The jounin vanished in a poof of smoke, leaving her all alone in the Forest of Death.

  The leather gauntlets Sakura wore chaffed against her bruised skin. She worried with them; twisting the material and testing it beneath her sharp finger nails. It was thickening — the air. Hot and humid. Already, she was sweating. And eternally thankful for the odorless deodorant she wore. She had to go undetected when hiding from Kisame and Itachi, and that included masking all smells that could possibly produce. (Her long nails were carefully grown, and very important as well.)

  Five minutes passed since the gate had closed behind her, and so far nothing had happened. She had been expecting to get jumped as soon as this whole thing started. Her expectations had apparently been too high.

Though, sudden faint screams could be heard in the distance, before being abruptly cutting off .

  Maybe not, then.

  Summoning Nico or Keiki was out of the question, because she wanted to save as much chakra as possible for as long as she could. Sometimes—most of the time—she hated her unnaturally low reserves.

  Thick leaves that were still covered in the morning dew brushed against her skin. In the same way, the towering trees blocked out the sun gave her clues of her surroundings. The buzz of nearby insects and distant wingbeats urged her to mask herself, condensing her chakra until it was similar to that of a mouse. She was getting better at not being noticed.

  The Heaven Scroll seemed like a bag of rocks in her ninja pack. It was a nagging worry in the back of her mind, that it wasn't hidden well enough and would be easy to take. Unfortunately she knew of no sealing jutsus or anything of the like, so hiding in somewhere that wasn't on her person was out of the question.

  Sakura's mind worked at a million paces at once. She needed an Earth Scroll. And she needed to find the tower in the middle of this training ground with both scrolls and herself in one piece. And relatively quickly.

  Which meant that she had to move. Now. And she did. Dodging trees, bushes, and other things that might have been hindrances in the past were of no bother now. Using a mixture of all five senses working all at once had become near habit to her in the recent weeks. 

  It was when the soft sent of decay and death reached her nostrils that she came to a halt. There were a few people just ahead of her, close enough so that her exaggerated senses noticed them, but not enough so they found her, participating in the act known as killing.

  Blood seeped into the earth, thick and suffocating. Sakura wasn't fazed one bit. Her hands prickled with something unknown to her. They twitched and her heart raced with adrenaline despite the fact that she wasn't moving.

   Sakura swatted away a large, loud, buzzing fly they was molesting her face and started forward again. Her chakra was significantly masked and her breathing lowered until not a scant was heard in the gentle breeze.

  What greeted her was two dead genin and someone who was barely hanging onto their rapidly draining life. Not even seconds later, and they too faded into nothing.

  Sakura really did puke then, something that contained forced up stomach acid and saliva. Then after digging around for a scroll, though there was no luck there, and accidentally discovering that the last genin was missing a large chunk of their head, she turned her feet to what she believed to be the center and walked once more.

Sakura let her feet carry her for the good part of an hour before she stumbled across someone else. This team of three genin were still alive and were not currently fighting to the death.

They were not Konoha nin from what she gathered. Their little group consisted of the usual female and two males. They were talking.

"I can't believe we ended up here again. Who knew it would be difficult to to just head towards one spot," one of the males whispered, a frown obvious in his voice. There was some movement and something rustled. It sounded like a chain-link fence.

  "Do you think they'd let us out and take us the tower themselves?" the female joked. "I think we deserve it after already managing to get our other scroll."

  Sakura immediately learned two things. Number One: This team had both scrolls, which meant that one of them was the Earth Scroll she needed. And Number Two: She had somehow wandered to the perimeter of the Forest of Death instead of the middle.

  She wanted to smack her face against a tree.

But at least she wasn't alone. It seemed that another team was lost as well. So, for the next foreseeable future, she would shadowing this genin team to the Tower. Then, she would take one of their scrolls and hopefully wouldn't feel too bad about it later.

  "-should get going. It's going to get dark soon and we need to set up camp. Then we can decide what to do in the morning," the other male said, his voice emotionless compared to his teammates.

  The next hour and a half consisted of Sakura carefully tailing them without being noticed, before they stopped to set up their camp. As the team debated on the pros and cons of making a fire, she decided to make herself comfortable in a tree.

She found a thick branch that was high in the sky, but not too far from the ground in case of certain emergencies, and secured herself to the trunk. A bit later, the smell of smoke reached her nostrils. So they had decided to keep themselves warm, cook food, and scare off wild animals as opposed to hiding from other ninja.

  They seemed to be confident in their ability of protecting themselves from genin teams, and Sakura had to wonder at that.

  Their names were Fumiko, Makoto, and Naoki. Fumiko was the only female. Makoto was the male who held no emotion in his voice. And the other male was Naoki. They were from Kirigakure. This was there first time taking the Chunin Exams. And they were preparing for a bloodbath.

  Obviously.

  Unlike the genin from Konoha who was basically all but thrown into this—the Kirigakure ninja were more prepared. Emotionally, mentally, and physically as it seemed. Or maybe they were just psychopaths. Sakura couldn't tell.

(One might say that she should be able to tell, because of whom she was living with, but the rogue nin didn't seem like psychopaths. Maybe more like sociopaths. Or something like that.. She didn't know and honestly didn't really care.)

The bark dug uncomfortably into her skin and her stomach growled. She was starving, and had no food.

Morning couldn't have came quicker.

  Morning, in fact, did come quicker than she expected. Maybe Kami was on her side. Or maybe whoever was out there knew that she deserved some peace before hell broke out. Sakura was hoping that it was the former.

  The bags under her eyes were deeper and there were deep scratches in her skin from the trees. She only dared to move after the genin team moved out from underneath her. The night was peaceful, and the three managed to take turns sleeping, something Sakura didn't have the luxury of. Sure, she nodded off a few times, but it was absolutely terrifying to suddenly jerk awake and not know where you were. But nobody came for them in the night, so she considered that a plus.

Still unbelievably hungry, Sakura continued to follow the team for another hour, traveling deeper into the forest.

    Her hands barely skimmed across the branches at she attempted to keep up. They were fast, much faster than she was expecting. It took a quarter of her chakra to be able to keep up, straining her senses and using her Justus.

 

She shouldn't have known, she did know, that things wouldn't last this way forever.

Midday was when all hell broke loose. Sakura didn't have time to even move out of the way when something impaled itself into her shoulder. She staggered, and promptly fell from the tree branch she was gripping onto, free falling towards the ground.

She landed with a loud thud, something cracking along the way.

 

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

  The voice was amused, sounding close to her ear. Sakura could only respond with a grunt of pain when someone pushed her to her back, sending pulses of pain up her leg and through her shoulder. That was a long fall that she took.

  Itachi wasn't there to save her this time.

  "We know you've been following us. Ever since we made it back to the barrier. But why haven't you attacked us yet, hmm?" a voice questioned, Fumiko. She was the only female, so Sakura felt pretty accurate in her guess.

Sakura didn't know what to do. Still, she didn't speak. Panic whirled around in her mind. She willed her mouth to stay shut so she wouldn't get herself killed—not that she wouldn't anyways.

Someone tsked. "What are you, deaf?" A hand pulled at her loose hair, dragging her head off the ground. She was slammed down again. "And what even is this?" Fingers pulled at her mask, causing it to flutter loose. The sun felt warm on her eyelids.

"Give it back," she finally rasped. Her fingers snaked along the sandy soil, searching for the material to cover her eyes. She felt naked without it. Vulnerable.

"Oh look, it can speak."

  Sakura snarled and shot upwards, ignoring
her would wounds, and going in for the kill. Screw waiting around. She was tired and pissed. Someone needed to die.

  But she was swiftly side-stepped, and a sharp blow to her head had her falling sideways into a tree. Her eyes finally snapped open in an effort to stabilize herself through sight, which was a habit she still needed to break.

  There was a moment of silence where only Sakura's heavy breathing carried through the wind.

"Holy shit. I can't believe it," Fumiko finally laughed. It sounded almost pretty. "You're blind."

Someone roughly grabbed her face and pulled her eyes open even wider. Sakura spit into their face and roughly hit them with her head, hoping they wouldn't kill her for that. That same someone hissed and slapped her face.

   She closed her eyes.

"You're like, really blind," Fumiko spoke again, sounding incredulous. Still, there were no orders to kill her. Sakura was thankful for that.

  Sakura attempted to sit up. Her leg was definitely broken. And her shoulder was still bleeding. She needed to pull the kunai out yet so she could begin to heal it.

  A new voice joined into the conversation. "Stop antagonizing her." It was Makoto with his usual curt voice.

"Why should we? This useless brat has been following us since yesterday. She should've spoke up if she wanted a piece of us," Fumiko spat, her mood taking a one-eighty.

Someone clapped their hands together and giggled. "Ooh, can we kill her now? I mean, we don't need another scroll, but I wonder if we would get extra points or something like that~" Naoki said.

Sakura was still working on slowly healing herself without them noticing. She had to do it so little that no green glow would be noticed, but use enough chakra so that it would actually work. She was blending herself on the edge, like a coin teetering on top of a cliff.

The genin team continued to talk, to figure out her fate. So far, Fumiko wanted to play with her, Makoto wanted to just leave her here to rot with her wounds, and Naoki wanted to kill her. The only one that she favored was Makoto's option, but that was only because he didn't seem the type to leave her and then send a pick of wolves to eat her up as they watched.

But then again, she didn't know him. So maybe she was wrong.

In between one of the team's brief pauses was when Sakura finally decided to speak again. She struggled to sit up on her elbows and everyone's gazes snapped to her. She let out a grunt.

"You know, you guys are almost as bad as Gaara-san," she muttered, sitting up more to rub at her eyes. They were feeling a little dry due to being exposed to air again. She really wanted some eye drops right now.

  Fumiko let out a hmph. "You mean that Suna brat with mommy issues?" she asked. There was a beat of silence. "Okay, I guess you're not wrong. He would've killed you as soon as he laid eyes on you."

  In Sakura's opinion, that might have been true for them, but not necessarily her. Gaara had the chance to do just that, but didn't.

  She licked her lips.

  "I was only following you because I got lost and couldn't find my way to middle," she admitted. Maybe if she told them the truth, then they wouldn't see her as a threat and would be less likely to kill her. She might've had a chance against them, if she hadn't of been caught by surprise and hurt like she was.

  She was slowly growing confident in her abilities, which was a step up from where she was so long ago. It was from that same confidence that caused her to speak out against this genin team.

"Wow, that's actually kinda sad," Naoki whistled. Their bloodlust was thankfully going down. It tasted bitter on Sakura's tongue.

Sakura's leg was finally almost back to the way it was before, and she felt good enough to stand up on it. Though, despite it feeling better, it would have to be re-broken later and put into its proper place. She wasn't looking forward to that.

She used the tree behind her for support and stood wobbly on her legs. Sweat poured from her skin. Medical chakra still took a lot out of her since she didn't actually know how to use. At this point, she was just guessing and hoping for the best with everything.

  "Hey, didn't you break your leg? That was a nasty fall you took. I could have sworn I even heard a crack," Fumiko mused. It was odd, the way Sakura was so easily conversing with these people. Somehow she seemed to find herself in these types of dangerous situations acting so casually. Kisame would probably be proud.

  He said that it was a good tactic to gain people's trust and then use it against them in the end. He said awful things like that a lot.

  "Oh, umm, it doesn't really hurt all that much? Maybe it just seemed worse than it actually was." Sakura was literally bullshitting them. Way to go her.

There was a rustling sound and something was shoved into her hands. "Today's your lucky day! You won't be dying," Fumiko announced. "If you're gonna be coming with us, then I won't be listening to that stomach of yours."

In Sakura's hand was a soldier bar and some pills. They would sustain her hunger for awhile until she got real food into her. She forced out a smile that pinched her dry lips. "Thanks."

Naoki scoffed. "We're only taking you because you have no team anyway. They probably got killed by that sand kid earlier and somehow missed you."

Oh, they thought that she was no longer really participating because she was alone and assumed that her team was gone. Yes, she could work this to her favor. And they were kind of assholes, with the exception of Makoto, so she wouldn't feel too bad knocking them out and taking their scrolls. She just hoped that they wouldn't find her after the Exams and murder her in her sleep.

  Though, she supposed they would have to get through Itachi and Kisame first. She might actually pay to see that happen.

  Sakura took a step forward and almost fell flat on her face, but a hand roughly shoved her to safety back on her feet. Makoto's hands were there next to steady her, a heavy warmth on her shoulders.

  "Be careful. If you show too much weakness they might still get kill you," his warnings were passing ghosts in her ear, barely there but still chilling her to the bone. She cleared her throat in a silent response and he let go of her.

  Fumiko decided that they had wasted enough time and immediately set forward, Naoki following close behind. Makoto tapped Sakura's shoulder once and they began following as well.

Sakura was going to kill herself later for somehow loosing her beloved mask. After it was torn off, she never got it again and left before she could find it. Now she felt unbalanced and not in total control of herself. The mask acted as a something to ground herself with; a familiarity where everything was cold and foreign.

But still she continued on, wind and leaves brushing against her skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

They did not stop for several hours, pressing on and on, and testing Sakura's stamina. She could feel the side stitch pulling at her organs and sweat dribbling down her face, sometimes pooling in her eyes. It didn't effect her sight, obviously, but she still tried to blink it away, disliking the sticky feeling.

The stench of her own body odor eventually gave away to something much worse, warm, sticky metal. She could taste the blood in her mouth already. But while she felt disgust coil up in her, the genin team felt excitement. Even Makoto was twitching, his shoulder occasionally brushing up against her own.

  The others bloodlust was much worse than their own though, and Sakura didn't know if they would survive it.

  Gaara's chakra brushed up against her own and she instantly found herself surrounded by sand. It restricted her movements and embedded itself in uncomfortable places, some of which where sand definitely shouldn't be.

Gaara's chakra was wild, like a cat hissing and spitting, obviously not in any mood to calm down and try to control itself. Behind him was two other familiar signatures, his siblings. As opposed to Gaara, they were downright scared. Fear so strong that it leaked out of them.

And Sakura was like same, because she felt like she could piss her pants too.

"Sakura-san," Gaara's voice carried out in the wind. "You shouldn't be here. I think you're going to die."

The other genin team was beside her, struggling and growling against their own restraints.

"I'm going to die? Or are you going to kill me?" There was a simple yet big difference between the two, and Sakura was hoping that Gaara would somehow understand.

  Chakra coils flickered to her side, and Sakura finally realized that they weren't along. There was another genin team there, hiding. And they were very familiar. Team Eight was lucky that Gaara was thoroughly distracted, or else they would probably be in deep shit, just like she currently was. Lethal chakra twitched and the sand squeezed tighter, threatening. Sakura wheezed, trying not to choke on the sand that somehow lined her throat.

The other genin team was snarling against their restraints, obviously struggling to break free. "I'm going to cut your dick off if you don't let me go," Fumiko hissed. Sakura could almost imagine her baring her teeth like a rabid animal.

  Sakura panicked now, because she didn't want them to goad Gaara on into killing them. The way they were going now, they would be dead before long. And if Team Eight didn't leave soon, they would only add to the body count.

Naoki suddenly disappeared from Sakura's senses and she tensed, expecting the worse. But, there was no cries of surprise from the captured genin team, and no smell of metal. Gaara seemed to grunt, and some of the sand receded.

"How did you do that!?" Gaara's female sibling exclaimed. Her fear rose a few more notches. The pink haired genin wanted to know what was happening and struggled against her grips. She was surprised when they easily gave away.

"Pathetic. You think you can escape my sand without consequences." It was Gaara speaking, voice marginally deeper; raspier with an almost amused lilt. Sakura felt more than heard everyone flinch. Almost everyone, that is.

"Wooo! Go, Naoki! Rip off his dick and feed it to blondie!" Funiko crowed from beside her.

  She and Makoto were also free. But her triumphant cry suddenly turned into a scream. Something wet landed on their skin. Sakura felt it dribble down her face and she gagged when it leaked into her mouth. It was warm and sticky. Blood. Naoki's blood more specifically.

   "You tore off his fucking legs. I'm going to kill you."

  Sakura wanted to throw up. Instead, she forced it down and shot forward to grab a hold of the female genin. Her previously broken leg screamed at her to stop. Fumiko clawed and spit at her, obviously not in the right mind to even try to fight her off like she obviously could. Makoto joined her in restraining the bloodthirtsy girl. The males breathing was ragged, showing the was also affected by the sudden and unexpected death of his teammate.

Sakura almost pitied them. But she squished down that feeling and stood in front of the pair, and made sure that Team Eight was also behind her. "Gaara-san," she began, cursing herself when her voice wobbled, "Can you please let us go? You proved your point. And they won't be passing this now. You've done your damage." She didn't say anything about herself, and how there was still a chance for her to move onto the next phase.

For a few moments, the only sound was a harsh breathing that was stuck between a sob and hysterical laugh. There was no wind to cool the sweat from their skin. No rustling trees or outside ambience to distract them. Just.. them. Lingering between certain life and death, balanced on a precocious blade of words and will.

  "..I don't think I want to kill you yet, Sakura-san. I.. think I will wait until the others are watching to tear you apart," Gaara finally said, and all remaining sand dispersed. At his words, Team Eight finally crept away as well, feeling safe enough to move out.

Sakura breathed out, and then in. She nodded and bowed her head, trying not to shiver as his words registered. He still wanted to kill her, but he was going to wait until there was an audience, where her friends and family could watch her beat down.

She and the remaining members of the genin team turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. They were heading backwards now, away from the tower, but they had no choice. They didn't want to pass Gaara and risk him changing his mind. They were lucky the Fumiko and Makoto were even spared. The boy was truly ruthless.

  It was Makoto who forced Fumiko away, restraining her arms and legs in such a way that she couldn't escape. She shrieked the entire time, until he was forced to knock her out. Then he put her on his back and they ran for awhile, untying deciding to stop for the night.

  Sakura was thankful for the respite. Her leg was killing her and she desperately wanted to clean the blood from her skin. She was also starving and in need of a nap.

  "I'm sorry about your friend," Sakura whispered.

  It was slowly getting cold, so she started working on a fire, big enough so that she could feel the heat from the coals but small enough so that the flame hopefully wouldn't be too noticeable. She didn't want others to find them. Makoto had gone out to hunt, and returned with two squirrels and a weird hybrid thing — a mix between a frog and a snake that they were working on skinning and gutting.

  Fumiko had yet to wake up.

  Makoto's chakra flickered in such a way so that she knew he heard her. "He was not my friend. But he was my teammate and a strong one at that."

  So he didn't have particularly strong feelings towards the deceased genin. Sakura didn't even know any of them, but she still felt a stab of sympathy in her heart. Even if she didn't particularly like the annoying Naruto, she would probably be broken if something happened to him.

  "Ah, I see." She continued to carefully stoke the fire with a stick she found. She also had yet to clean herself up.

  As if sensing her thoughts, Makoto spoke again. "There's a small stream a little bit that way," he paused and then cleared his throat somewhat awkward. "To the right of us, you just have to walk straight and avoid a couple of tree. The ground will turn to soft soil so you'll know when you get there."

  Honestly, Sakura wasn't sure if she should feel annoyed or gratitude towards the male. While it was true that sometimes she needed a little direction when going to new places, she didn't want to be treated like a kid. She settled for a small smile, one with teeth. "Thanks."

  While Makoto cooked and stirred the coals for her, Sakura gathered her things and headed towards the direction of the stream. She found it easily enough. She clamped down on her chakra until it was like that of an animals and began to clean herself up to the best of her abilities. She started with her face, of course, and used her hands to pile the water to her face. The she worked on her throat and shoulders, where the rest of the blood had dropped too. She also cleaned her armpits and under her legs, wanting to get rid of the smell of her body odor. She really wanted a shower. It was only after that she felt sufficiently clean that she headed back to camp.

  The smell that greeted her was mouthwatering, and her noisy stomach agreed. Makoto made a noise of greeting and gave her a stick with stabbed squirrel meat. She took it gratefully and wolfed it down, settling herself on the hard ground by the fire. They ate in comfortable silence and saved some of the meat for Fumiko for when she woke up.

"You're blind, Makoto suddenly stated, and Sakura nearly choked on her food.

"..Yes?"

"Why has your Kage allowed you to participate in this?" It was an innocent question enough.

She shifted a little, unsure of how much she wanted to reveal. "It was a test." An admittedly frustrating death that could possibly end in her death sentence but still a test, nonetheless. "To see if I could survive."

"I see. What about your team? Surely they had something to do with this test?"

He was almost interrogating her, but didn't have the pushiness that Ibiki used. Sakura debated on how much she wanted to tell him. She finally shrugged her shoulde and mentally said screw it. They wouldn't be able to pass anyways and she could run away now if she needed to. She could probably take on Makoto. Just wasn't able to when the other two were around.

"I'm alone in this test. There was no team."

Makoto's chakra reared back in surprise. Then she heard shuffling as he got closer to her. "Blind with no team? No wonder you started following us. That's just.. unheard of. But I suppose your Kage can do what he wants considering this is his village that we're testing in."

Sakura nodded. Yes, the Hokage could do whatever he wanted. She's heard of a council that could vote against his decisions, but that rarely happened.

Makoto's hand was suddenly pressing down on her shoulder and she was ready to run. "That means you can still pass this," his voice was more serious than she's ever heard from him, even with his cool demeanor. "You can take our scroll and run, since you most likely still have yours."

Shock courses through her, and maybe even a little bit of hope. She squeezed her eyebrows together. "I- I couldn't take your scroll. I didn't earn it. Wouldn't that be cheating?"

The male suddenly laughed, arm going around her shoulders as he shook with mirth. He was really close to her, and she didn't know how to feel about that. "We're in a forest with human-eating animals and you watched.. heard our teammate die. We have no use for this scroll. And for all I know, you could have been planning to use us to get to the tower, and then just taking our scroll from there. So technically, you earned this one way or another."

Sakura fought down a blush and scolded herself for being so open with her intentions. She didn't respond him and let him continue to laugh against her.

"You're a strange genin, Sakura-san, but not unpleasant." He pressed something into her hands, and Sakura realized it was his teams scroll. He was giving it to her. "Take it now. And tomorrow morning, leave. Fumiko will be up by then and won't be happy with me. I'll just tell her that you knocked me out and ran. She'll try to go after you, but there's really no point. We're done here."

He squeezed her shoulders gently before letting go. "You're a strange one," he repeated, "But I like you. Hopefully I'll see you again."

Sakura shakily smiled back and stuffed the scroll into her bag with the other one. She then thanked Makoto from the bottom of her fast-beating heart and scurried up a nearby tree to sleep in. She didn't trust sleeping next to them, no matter what the male had done for her.

And when the morning came, she would leave.

 

Chapter 13: four red roebuck

Morning came and went, and Sakura had vanished from the tree. She was on the run now, hoping that Makoto would keep his promise and keep Fumiko away from her. She finally had directions to the tower, courtesy of the composed male. It laughable at how easy it really was to actually get to the tower. Just follow the sun as it rose over the testing ground. When it was at its highest peak, the tower would be right under it.

  To think that if she was actually able to see, she would have figured this out sooner. She could have been at the tower by now. But, she supposed, she wouldn't have had both the scrolls she needed. Fortunately, the scroll Makoto gave her was different from the one she had, which meant she had both the Earth and Heaven scrolls.

Not that she knew what she needed to do with them when she got to the tower. Just hand them in? But the sudden sound of harsh growling had Sakura stumbling in surprise. The sound was entirely unexpected and got much too close to her in a small amount of time to be comfortable.

It sounded like an animal, and a big one at that.

  Hot air streaked across her heels, followed by a snapping sound. Sakura tensed and pushed herself faster, recovering quickly despite her damaged leg.

  "What the hell?" she wheezed, finally deciding to clamber up a nearby tree. She pulled herself onto a high branch and hugged the trunk with her body, letting her forehead rest on the bark. Perspiration dripped down her face and arms.

  She heard the growl again, this time below her. Sakura spread out her senses only to gasp. Whatever it was, had a large chakra presence. It had to be one of the unnatural creatures that spawned in this training ground after the creation of it, something to do with an excess of chakra that infected the inhabitants. She's heard rumors that the First Hokage has created this training ground with his wood release jutsu.

  The growl turned into a roar, and a heavy burst of wind pushed Sakura out of the tree. She flailed wildly, not wanting to break anything else. Remembering what her neighbors cat used to do when it jumped out of the window, she arched her back, letting her feet tuck underneath her body and bringing her hands to her face. She slowed only slightly, and used chakra to soften the blow.

  Only for the ground to explode.

  She was knocked onto her back and groaned, spitting up dirt in the process. Just as she was about to push herself to her feet, somethings heavy pressed down on her chest, putting tight pressure on her lungs. She choked, hands going wild against the warm, furry thing that was on her and the ground.

Was a few moments of peace too hard to ask for?

The lack of oxygen made her eyes roll back into her head. She was reminded of her time before Oto, when those ninja tried to kill her and Gekkou. Only now, there was no way she could rip the things heart out.

Pity.

The paw, she finally realized what was holding her down, flexed and then she was crying out in pain, screaming. It's claws unsheathed and impaled her chest and collarbone. Blood spurted out of her mouth, what little oxygen she had keeping her from immediately blacking out.

There was a low, hot breath on her face, searing against her skin. Something warm dribbled onto her cheek. Warm, sinewy muscle flexed.

Her breathing slowed. The pain turned hot with shock and then quickly faded.

 

Numb.

 

      The scissors hovered above her heart.

 

Closer.

And closer.

 

The blades came haunting at her door.

                   Kei shook his massive head and looked up at the unforgiving twin suns.

But the cut never came and a shadow fell over her. The tiger, a wild and wicked chakra beast that was only trying to protect her cubs against the unknown, was swiftly killed with a quick snap of its giant head.

"Haruno Sakura. I was wondering what happened to you. When I found Sasuke and you weren't there, but an annoying little girl was, I wondered what happened to you," a voice mused.

  The figure sighed. "But I guess plans never go right, now do they? You were supposed to be a catalyst to him leaving, did you know? K-san and I did the numbers and figured it all out. I guess we missed an unknown factor though.. I wonder who?"

  Sakura was gently picked up and cradled to someone's chest. The figure moved the pink hair away from her lips and wiped off the wet blood, smearing it further against her face.

  One hand was pressed against her chest, filtering out the bad blood. The medical chakra was the only thing keeping her heart beating, the punctures were jagged and ruthless. They would forever scar.

  But, the blind little genin would live yet another day.

  Orochimaru sank to his knees and held the girl closer to him. In the safety of the forest and child murders, he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers, whispering his secret.

  "Haruno Sakura, I want to die."

Sakura woke up two days later under a thorny bush with two scrolls pressed to her chest and nothing else. She was missing her bandana and sense of self.

Memories of the thing that killed her had her stumbling to her feet, thorns pulling her skin apart. She tried to level her ragged breathing, but it didn't work. She deemed it safe enough to summon Nico and sent him into the sky. She needed eyes.

"Sakura! You're alive! But how-" He let out a gasp and ignored her pleas for staying up. He circled around her and landed on her shoulder. She grunted but let him stay.

"I dunno. Fucking died I think and just woke up. My face feels weird." Her forehead, more specifically. It felt like there was dried glue on it. She reached up to touch it but Nico nipped at her fingers, causing her to draw back.

There's a mark, he said. A kanji, I believe. I don't know what it says though.

He then pecked at her forehead, and Sakura pushed him off her.

It's written in blood. Yours, maybe?

Sakura was just really confused and wanted to sleep for two months. She scratched whatever it was off her forehead. "I can't deal with this right now. Or ever, maybe. Where's the stupid fucking towers."

Nico was silent for a moment. "It's uh, right behind you."

  Sakura nodded and didn't ask anymore questions, because like she said, she couldn't deal with literally anything. She was in a state of shock and could have a panic attack later.

  "That's convenient. Let's go."

  Time passed quickly and before she knew it, a shinobi appeared in front of her.

  "Please say I was supposed to open those scrolls and you aren't going to murder me. I don't feel like dying again."

  "Okay, what the actual hell is that supposed to mean, kid."

  "Trust me, Ibiki-san, even I don't know and Nico refuses to speak to me," she grumbled, keeping her hand over her chest to make sure that her flayed shirt didn't reveal anything indecent. Whatever murdered her had ripped up her shirt and skin, according to her summon. Even her bandages for over her breast had been destroyed and she was in constant danger of flashing someone.

  She would be freaking out a lot more about the indecency but, ya know..

   "Well, congratulations. You passed. Again. Yadayadayada. You can stay in the tower for the remainder of time, which is only a day, and you can find yourself a room. Clean up a bit. There should be a medic somewhere around here. You look like you need it."

  Sakura breathed out and slumped in relief. "Okay. Cool. Thanks."

Ibiki's chakra flared and he suddenly stepped forward. Sakura immediately sensed the intimidation technique and jumped into alertness, suddenly wary. Had it been a ruse? Was this another test?

"There's been reports of a intruder in the forest. Have you seen anyone?"

"Well for one, I can't see anything." The chakra brushed against her own and she cringed backwards. "But no, I don't think so? Besides people trying to kill me, it's pretty normal."

The stood like that for a few tense seconds and Ibiki finally stepped down. "I see. Thank you. You are free to go now."

Sakura resisted the urge to say, 'What the fuck,' and gave him a small bow, before scurrying past him to where a door suddenly opened in the wall.

Ibiki didn't disappear yet and she slowed, but didn't turn around. "Uh, if you're thinking about going out there, be careful maybe? There's some big things out there. And they want blood."

She left him with that warning and flicked away the dark thoughts at the corner of her mind. She wasn't ready yet. Nico followed her and the door disappeared.

It was quiet in the tower, and Sakura was thankful for Nico to act as her eyes. It was a maze of rooms and stairs. Eventually they found a suitable room on the seventh floor and quickly claimed it as their own.

Sakura peeled off her shirt, wincing as some of it stuck to the shallow wound on her chest. Though, she could have sworn that it was much deeper. Her dirty pants followed, along with her underwear.

The bathroom wasn't that big, but it had a sink, toilet, and tub. She ran the sink and let it fill up until it nearly overflowed, and plugged the bottom with a pillowcase she found so that water wouldn't drain. She put her dirty and ruined clothes in it, hoping the cool water would prevent too many stains and keep it at least semi-wearable for whatever was to come tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the bath was filling up with the hottest water it could manage. Nico kept guard by the door and offered a small commentary to keep her thoughts from running too much away.

Somehow, Sakura has lost her entire bag so she had no weapons, extra clothes, food, or medical surprise. It was just her and what she had on her person, which was just clothes. Maybe she would invest in a pair of pants with a shit-ton of pockets..

The bath felt amazing against her sore skin and she let herself soak for a good two hours. The water needed replaced three times, but when the last lingering scent of metal disappeared, it was worth the pruned skin.

There was a mildewy-smelling towel hanging on the bathroom door that she wrapped around herself, and she pulled the clothes out of the sink to dry.

"I think I'm depressed," Sakura finally said, laying across the springy bed and letting her hair drip onto the floor.

Nico sat on her stomach. "Possibly. Are you going to see a therapist when this is over?"

Sakura shrugged. Logically, she knew that she should. That's what therapists were there for, they helped people deal with their emotions and made it so that they weren't a liability. But.. Sakura didn't want anyone to see inside her head.

She knew she was mostly a failure, weak in the eyes of many. She didn't want anyone else to see that.

Believe in the impossible.

It had become a slogan for her. It pushed her. From becoming blind, to loosing her team, to going to Oto, to meeting Itachi, to figuring everyone out, to this. But when was it too much?

She was stuck. She didn't know what to do sometimes. Yes, she was trying to prove to the Hokage that just because she was blind, she could still be a ninja. But..

  Why? Was she doing it for herself? For others?

  She became a ninja for admittedly stupid reasons. And yet she got mad when anyone pointed that out. How could she really get upset at people for being logical and pointing out the truth. How-

  You think too much, child.

  That wasn't Nico's voice. Both Sakura and her summon jumped in surprise.

  "Kei-sama?" Sakura said incredulously.

You doubt so much, always looking for rhyme or reason... I will tell you one thing—there is not a point. No point in life. No higher power or reason. No pre-destined plan. There is simply the past, and how it affects our future. It just is.

Sakura slid the to the cold floor and wrapped her arms around her knees. Nico followed after, pressing himself into her side.

You're in the present, stuck in the past, wondering about the future. All these why's and how's, they're irrelevant for the time being. Focus on yourself, and growing. Find a little hope somewhere, even if it's not in yourself. The rest will come naturally.

Kei's voice was overpowering in her head. She grit her teeth and clenched at her skull. There was a note of bitterness in his voice, one that made Sakura want to cry. She was just so confused. And she hurting, by Kami she was hurting. Both emotionally and physically.

"But what do I do now?"

There was a sharp sound in her head and she cringed even more, sliding down the floor onto her back. Nico backed away. Well for one, I would get off the floor. You're going to get a cold like that. And put your clothes back on, they should be dry now. Then you're going to take a nice nap and wake up tomorrow ready for blood.

 

Kei, for what it was worth, was really trying to help. His last summoner had gone towards a dark path, which was why he and his kind now tended to avoid humans — fear of failure again. But when this one appeared before him, he couldn't help but accept her. She was so much like the last one, lost and afraid. He wanted to lead her down a better path.

  Death would not await this one. No, she would live and be wonderful.

   ______

  They stepped into the forest disguised as children. It was actually laughable how horribly the Forest of Death was guarded. It seemed that Konoha worried about what would get out, rather what would get in.

  They came across many teams. Some alive and well, some dead and gone, and some bordering on insanity from the horrors they've witnessed. All the while, they were left alone. An aura seemed to radiate from them, even when disguised.

  Do not mess with us. We will turn you inside out.

  The forest sensed another power.

There had been one to pass through earlier, someone who granted both life and death in the same afternoon. Curse marks and tiger attacks were trivial things to him, a soul snatched up and he did what he pleased with it.

This power lead the newcomers to two spots.

One, an alcove hidden from others. The smell of darkness and fear lingered there. There was blood, but no bodies. The pair watched the story unfold, looking between branches and under boulders for the past. The little brother was still alive, stronger that the vileness that sat on his neck. An unlucky enemy was not.

  Itachi bowed his head, a silent thank you sent towards the other who gave the gift of power. Kisame only watched solemnly, the importance of this not lost on him.

  Next was a clearing in the trees. Blood and fur puddles there. This time, beside the scene, was a body. A snapped neck. Four strong paws capable of dealing death to protect its young. Lips drawn into a fierce snarl. Two cubs huddled into her stomach, whining.

  This time, both Itachi and Kisame bowed. Orochimaru was many things. But easy to understand was not one of them. Nevertheless, he was an important aspect of their plan.

  Sasuke was continuing down his path. Sakura was still alive and mostly well.

  The forest allowed them one more glimpse into the past, this one showing them the Before, when the trees were as high as a child's knees and there were no monsters. The Forest was hopeful for a better future. The Forest no longer wanted blood. It was tired, and rested it's power upon five shoulders.

  They left with the mark of the forest on their forehead, blood from their own inwards dripping despite having no memory of doing so.

..

  Sakura was running on four hours of sleep and no food. She had considered venturing outside the tower for search of food, but wisely decided against it. She didn't want want to be murdered by jealous genin that probably lurked outside, able to get it either by missing a crucial part of their team, scroll, or maybe even both.

But she sipped the dirty water from the sink and pushed done the pangs of hunger in her stomach.

She was fine.

She wasn't in too much danger of dying from starvation yet.

  She bared her teeth at whatever she was facing, imaging Kei's words. She would be out for blood, and that is what she would feast on.

  Nico sat on her arm, his claws resting against the leather gauntlets. He had been alert when the first presence appeared outside their door. A shinobi had come to collect them. The time was up and they were going to be escorted somewhere else while another crew collected whoever was left, and whatever was left of them.

Sakura didn't walk with her head held high, nor did she walk with hunched shoulders. She just was; she was Sakura Haruno who was blind and somehow came out of the forest alive. Not many could say the same. The blood of the Forest was now under her nails and she was itching to use it, despite having no understanding.

  The room they entered was large. She sensed several other presences, almost all of them familiar. She was gently pushed at the back of the pack, and Nico helped nudge her face in the right direction.

The Hokage was in front of her, as well as Gekkou-san. She resisted the urge to yell a hello to them, and forced herself to sit quietly. Despite her sluggish brain, her body just wanted to move.

The Hokage spoke about strengthening alliances in the form of murdering each other. Not that he spoke those exact words aloud, but she could see what he was really saying. Then there was the option of opting out against this incoming fight. Sakura only briefly considered it, still a seed of doubt in her thinking, 'what's the point?' But the majority of her still wanted to prove herself, so only one person left that night. Someone who was very familiar but she couldn't place her finger on it.

They were dismissed to head up to the second level where they would be watching the fights.

  The preliminary round was here because apparently there was still too many people to move onto the next round. Which, in Sakura's opinion, was a little stupid. If the point of this- — besides a ploy to show the other villages that we were strong as fuck — was the find capable chunnins, then the number really shouldn't matter. If anything, we should be proud that such a high percentage of us made it through.

  Sakura settled herself against the banister. She felt naked without her bandana. That was besides the fact that she was actually showing a lot more skin than usual- Her shirt had barely been salvageable. She was forced to cut most of the material off in order to make something that was cover her breasts. The rest of her torso was exposed. Fortunately she also kept a ponytail on her wrist, so cut it in half with a broken pipe she found in her room, and used to go tie the flowy ends of her shirt together so it wouldn't fly up in a fight.

Sasuke and this other random nin are first, Nico told her. She nodded in reply and focused her chakra on the Uchiha's. She immediately retracted in surprise and a faint amount of disgust. There was something.. dark lingering around him, enveloping his chakra. It was almost familiar too, but she couldn't be sure from where.

  He passed by her without even one word of acknowledgment, and she didn't stop him.

  The fight was worrisome. Even though she couldn't see it, the gasps, Naruto's yelling, and Sasuke's chakra imbalance was sign enough. She could only breath deeply through her nose to try to calm herself. If Sasuke was having trouble, and he had been the best on her team, than what would happen to her?

  Was that a selfish though?

  Just breathe and you'll be fine, Nico assured her. Kei knows you'll do fine too. If anything happens I'll just get him here to kick everyone's ass.

  I don't think you can actually do that, but thank you, she smiled faintly.

  The fight was doom over and they both ended up unconscious, though Sasuke ultimately won. She hurried down the steps and stood at the bottom, waiting for the medic nin to go past with the stretcher. They stopped only a moment for her, allowing her to graze her fingers against his forehead. She pulled back and nodded at them to continue, hiding the dried blood between her fingertips.

  Confusion rattled her bones. This was the start of something, she could feel it.

More fights took place. She barely acknowledged them and sat against a wall, trying to get in a nap before it was her turn. Her fingers drummed against her thigh and she focused on calming her uneasy chakra. Nico, as always, was her silent protector.

 

  Sakura Haruno vs Kiba Inuzuka.

Sakura blinked her dry eyes open and pulled herself to her feet. She didn't even get a nap in, but that fine. Sorta. She could handle this. Hopefully.

Kiba was known for being quick-tempered and a hothead. Combine that with Akamaru, they were a dangerous mix.

  Sakura followed Gekkou's chakra to the middle of the floor, leaving Nico perched on the banister to act as her eyes. Kiba followed her, chakra radiating with smugness and the smallest amount of guilt. He thought he was going to hurt a blind person, as well as the person who practically saved them from being murdered by Gaara.

  The pair faces each other and bowed.

  "I want a clean fight. No purposeful killing. Other than that, all's fair," Gekkou coughed. "Now, begin."

  Kiba was quick to lunge at her. Sakura swiftly sidestepped per order of Nico, and the pattern continued for a few minutes.

  To the left.

  He's behind you.

  Left.

  Right.

  Above you!

  Sakura Was only fact enough to avoid the brunt of the attacks. In the end, she still got several punches and cuts.

  "Fang over fang!"

  It was one of the Inuzuka's signature moves. Kiba and his companion barreled towards her, faster than she or Nico could comprehend. But, Sakura was far too used to two S-ranked ninja chasing her. She rooted her feet to the floor with chakra and braced herself, spreading that same chakra through all her coils. When they arrived, Sakura was a steel wall. She was pushed back several feet and slammed into a wall, but her limbs were still intact.

"If you don't actually fight back, I'm gonna never talk to you again!" a familiar voice suddenly yelled. Ino. Why was she encouraging her? She should hate her. After what she did so long ago. And here she was telling her to fight and win? What gives?

  "I'm a little blind here. Kinda hard to!" she yelled back, sidestepping Akamaru. The dog nipped at her toes, sending her running again.

  "So what!? You're annoying as well but you somehow made it this far!" Ino shot back.

Sakura bit her lip. She knew what she was doing, not going completely all out. She barely had the energy for it.

"Hey, focus on me!" Kiba cut in, and she appeared in front of the blind genin. His chakra flared in faint annoyance.

Sakura groaned. "Oh, screw it then. I'm damned either way I guess." Her leg was starting to act up again. It had been healed the wrong way for entirely too long. It aches in ways that made her want to kick and scream like a child. But she grit her teeth and soldiered through the pain.

  She had a fight to win.

I trust you, Nico acknowledged, before disappearing from existence. The chakra drainage from him vanished and Sakura felt her limbs and mind reenergize the slightest bit.

"Don't make me feel bad for hurting you!" Kiba threatened, and fire lit in Sakura's veins. She hated the reluctance and pity swarming off the other genin.

  "I'm not weak!" she screamed and slammed her fist into his face when he suddenly appeared in front of her. There was a crack and a deep inhale. Everyone became silent.

  "You bwoke my nothe, you bith!"

  Sakura almost winced. She didn't completely plan for that to happen.

  The next fang over fang caught her off guard though. She panicked and somehow grabbed onto Kiba as he came at her, sending both of them flying through the air. She dug her fingers into the fleshy part of his jaw, hoping that her fingernails were sharp enough to cut him. They were, and he shrieked, throwing her off.

  Sakura landed in the ground on her back, winded. The air had been knocked out of her. She was disoriented for a few moments, before there was suddenly a heavy weight on her chest. Low growling filled her ears and paws pressed against her chest.

  Real panic seized Sakura this time. She was instantly in the Forest again, claws ripping her apart. She was trapped yet again, under warm, musky fur. A putrid breath stank in her face.

  "Get.. off.." she said weakly, barely able to speak. She clawed at Akamaru, trying to escape. Her chest wound stung like fury. She wanted the floor to swallow her whole.

  "..Sakura, I want to die."

  The voice wasn't here. She didn't want to die. She just wanted to escape.

  Sakura opened her mouth in a silent scream, chakra pouring into her lungs and throat. Her mouth was open so wide, her lips were going to tear her face in half.

  Blood dripped onto her face and there was a low whine.

  "S-stop it! Please! Stop-" Came Kiba's voice, pleading. Desperation and pain came off him in waves. Nausea coiled in Sakura's gut. As soon as the dog rolled off of her, she rolled to the side and threw up. She couldn't feel her leg anymore. Her head was wringing.

  "We g-give up. We're done. Please- Just stop," Kiba whimpered, and Sakura only just realized that she was still squeezing Akamaru's paws, which were suddenly a lot smaller than they were before.

  Guilt and the smallest bit of triumph filled her. They tried to kill her again, but she beat them.

  ..But she also hurt them. Extremely bad by the sounds of it.

  Sakura was soon declared the winner and everyone started talking. Whispering. Shouting. Accusing.

  You hurt your own comrades, what kind of monster are you? They're scared of you now. Akamaru was just holding you down. He wasn't going to kill you. How could you do that? Why?

  Sakura pulled herself to her feet and simply walked away. She couldn't..

  She couldn't walk. Or stand up. She was imaging things that didn't happen. She was still on the ground. Or maybe the ceiling, upside down. She couldn't feel her leg. She couldn't feel her hands. Blood poured from her eyes and ears. She just wanted to eat, to consume-

  Sakura Haruno rolled to her side in fetal position, inches away from her own vomit, and started sobbing.

 

She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die,
she didn't want to die, she didn't want to die, she didn't want to die, she didn't want to die, she didn't want to die, she didn't want to die,
she didn't want to die, she didn't-

 

Something was stabbed into her neck and she went limp.

 

Chapter 14: at a white water

There was a faint beeping that blended with a gentle humming sound. It warbled between the folds of her brain, sending electrical signals to each of her nerves, rapid firing. Her fingers twitched in a pitiful attempt to drum out the beat. Fingers brushed against her arm in a calming manner. It left a warmth trailing through her arm and she whined, struggling to turn her body so she could reach it.

There was a chuckle and the hand receded, leaving her cold and lonely.

 

When Sakura woke up, she couldn't see anything. She only panicked for a few moments before she remembered she was blind, and held back a frustrated scream. Something was still beeping and she pulled the wires out of her arms and head. The machine came to an abrupt halt.

Nobody burst through the door to stop her. There wasn't even chakra signatures near her. She deemed it safe to button the back of her hospital gown — she didn't need to moon anyone today — and carefully find the window. The latch was easy to undo, though you would think that people would learn to fix that due to how many shinobi liked to escape.

By her judgment, she was only on the third floor. She pushed the window open and crawled onto the ledge. She bumped her leg and hissed, pain racketing through her limb. But she didn't stop until she had scaled the building using her chakra. As soon as her bare feet touched the grass, she was running.

Well, maybe not running, but hobbling. Whatever morphine was in her was wearing off quickly. The ungraceful hobble was the fastest pace she could handle.

   As soon as she was far enough away from the hospital, she slowed to a steadier walking pace. The sun was high in the sky and warmed her skin. There was also a slight breeze, chasing away any humidity that might hope to gather in her pores. For once, even with her aching limbs and lack of mask, she felt almost content.

Home was her destination in mind. Once she got back, she could crawl up to her bed and collapse in it, maybe sleep for a few more days. Then, and only then, when she recuperated enough, she could prepare herself for the final stage of the Chunnin Exams, if she even felt like it by then.

Sakura opened the door to her home and instantly shrunk back at the chakra's that pushed against her own.

How could she have forgotten about them?

"You look like shit, kid," Kisame commented.

  Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. What was left of the morphine was making her drop her guard. "Thanks. Feel like it too."

  She walked through the doorway and her legs began to wobble. She leaned against the doorframe, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. The walk between the hospital and her house was a long one; strenuous. Her body didn't like it.

  Before she could take a step manage to topple over, arms wrapped around herself. Itachi scooped her up and brought her to his chest. She clung to him as the world suddenly spun. Moments later, she was sinking into the soft and familiar couch of her home.

  "Let me guess, you broke out of the hospital?" Itachi mused, amusement lacing his voice. Sakura leaned her head backwards as the rogue nin propped her feet up on the coffee table. The pressure is her leg immediately subsided.

  She shrugged. "I might have." A nap sounded good right about now. Not to mention the fact that she was being pampered. A blanket was wrapped around her front and pillow was shoved under her head. "You guys are being weeeiirrrdd," the last word was slurred. "Like super, duper weird. Am I dead? Now that would be pretty funny.."

Kisame took Itachi's place and pulled the small girl against him. He radiated a body warmth that Sakura needed. She was shivering a bit. "Nah, pretty sure you're not dead. Not yet at least," he snickered. Something suddenly flew through the air and walked him in the head. "Ow! Stop throwing shoes at me, Baka!"

Sakura snorted and pressed her face against his chest. His chakra turned from the usual dangerous and intimidating to warm and soothing, wrapping her up in its own metaphorical little blanket of comfort. There was still that familiar confusion, the feeling that she was missing something important.

  Pain bloomed in her forehead and Kisame used his finger to massage it and ease it away. A part of her expected to smell tangy metal in the air as a result — blood, but there was nothing. Simply whatever Itachi was making in the kitchen that smelled wonderful, despite her not being hungry.

Itachi returned a little bit later, just as Sakura was falling asleep. She grumbled in protest when Kisame pushed her into sitting position. A plate was pushed into her hands.

"I'm uh, not really hungry."

"Fuck that. You're gonna eat it."

"Hn."

Sakura signed and lifted the fork to her mouth. As soon as it hit her tongue, her stomach growled loudly and the past feelings of starvation she reached her. Self-preservation made the food on the plate quickly disappear. A cup of water was handed to her next and she also made that vanish down her greedy throat.

  Afterwards, the utensils were taken from her and Itachi settled beside her. She was now squished between two very dangerous people. Sakura couldn't stop the words that tumbled out of her mouth.

   "'You guys plan on killing me, by any chance?"

  Her body was curled into a ball. She felt the shinobi tense and turn towards her. Warm hands cradled her face and hands.

  "We're not going to kill you, Sakura-san. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Your ours now, and we protect our own. You have nothing to fear from us," Itachi told her, voice firm.

  She relaxed, though not entirely. "..Oh, okay..." Then she thought about his words. About what they meant. "I think something happened. In the Forest. I don't know.. I can just.. feel it. Right here." She slipped out of Kisame's grasp and touched her forehead. The pain had come back and was traveling to her eyes.

  "I don't understand what's happening. I don't even remember how I-"

The inky darkness that she had grown used to suddenly flashed with a blinding white and she gasped, leaning forward to catch her breath. It felt like shock had take a beastial form and swallowed her whole.

"W-What's happening? I can't- I-"

The coffee table was pushed forward so Sakura could comfortably sit on the ground. She rubbed her eyes hard, trying to make it go away. To make everything go away. Large hands rubbed her back. A smaller, but no less powerful set of hands pressed against her temples.

"It is okay, just breath. It will go away soon," Itachi reassured her.

  Sakura cried.

 

  It was over an hour later. The panic attack left her feeling tired; drained and lethargic. The white eventually receded to black again, though she could swear that she sees stars in the corner of her blank vision.

The blanket was spread out so everyone could lay on it. Kisame was on the bottom on the pile, Itachi tucked into him. Sakura lay in the middle of them, face pressed into someones belly and legs wrapped around another.

Human contact was the only thing that soothed her — that soothed them all.

"Something did happen, I think. But it's okay. There is nothing to fear. For now, it is just us. Rest, Sakura. We will be here when you awake."

Sakura was on mandatory bed-rest for three days before Kisame and Itachi finally let her go. They coddled her and attended to her every need like, er— good little shinobi? Whatever was going on, she was just thankful that they hadn't made a move to start training her again.

   The stars at the corner of her vision kept her constantly on edge. She would always catch herself turning, trying to seek out the pulsing orbs of light. But they always escaped her full-on gaze, and that frustrated her to no end. The blazing white never returned though, thankfully enough, but there had been other new developments.

  First were the stars, obviously. Along with that was the near constant pain in her head when she concentrated too hard on something, whether it be mental training or going too long without seeing Itachi or Kisame.

It was a few hours after her panic attack that Kisame pointed something out. Right in the middle of her forehead was a marking. Not the blood kanji that was there before, but an etched black symbols, like stained ink on her skin—a perfectly crafted sun. It appeared not long after he escaped the hospital and showed no signs of leaving, or doing literally anything else for that matter. It acted just as a tattoo, merely displaying a cosmetic purpose.

    Sakura didn't have much experience with supernatural phenomenons, though whoever decided that it would be a good idea to get an impulsive blind girl and two highly dangerous shinobi together was a supernatural fuckup because let them be assured, those three were major screwups with a few screws loose.

  After a quick shower and a check-in with the hospital, she was officially allowed to go home. Though that isn't to say that her nurse wasn't happy with her (it ended up being Shin again.) She was scolded for not coming back for a checkup on her eyes, and for entering such a dangerous exam when she was blind.

Sakura nearly threw hands with him right there but when her forehead started pulsing, she backed down.

The scarring around her eyes had much healed, though there would still be visible signs of what happened. The other cuts and bruises from her time in the Forest has been mostly healed.

Her leg was another story though. It had been healed and never properly set. For a few days she had gone on like that. The damage was pretty extensive and while the bone was re-broken and healed the right way, she would have pains in it and a limp. For how long? Shin couldn't tell her. It's up to your body for you to get better, he had said.

Sakura was able to leave soon after and left with medication, antibiotics, and a slip of paper directing her to a physical therapist.

She was sitting in her bed with a cup of hot tea in her hands and a scroll on elemental justus in her lap. Nico was curled into her side, reading the scroll aloud to her. It was about five in the morning and Kisame would be dragging her out of bed in an hour to start doing stretches. The time for bed rest was over and it was time to start getting into things again.

  The Chunnin Exams didn't wait for the mentally and physically fucked up.

  "You have an earth affinity, right," Nico asked, nudging her thigh with his beak. He didn't wait for her to answer out loud and smoothed down the scroll with a powerful wing. He started to read:

  Those connected with the earth have likewise affinities. There is a special bond between them and the ground.

Contrary to popular belief, a chakra's properties does not always determine one's affinity, especially with the earth. Details such as personality, thoughts, and a deeper understanding of the world around them is needed.

Different experiments have been undergone to figure out the specific causes of what grants a person affinities such as these; earth, water, lighting, air, and so forth.

The most popular method of finding one's elemental affinity is with chakra paper, a parchment that is specially sealed to connect and react with a persona chakra coils. It a special method that was made by an unknown kunoichi — who chose to keep her name anonymous , it says .

When the parchment reacts to chakra, an inner combustion — that still has yet to be researched thoroughly — happens and the elemental affinity briefly appears through this process. This burst of which is called a chemical reaction is most likely what allows the user to connect with their affinity. But as stated before, the hows and whys behind this are mostly unknown.

Nico stopped and the pair sat in silence to absorb his words.

"Hmm, I wonder why there hasn't been much research done? I mean, you would think that figuring out the definite link between chakra and a person would be important? Especially for creating new Justus and whatnot," Sakura mused.

  Nico shrugged against her. "Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe since it's elemental affinities are such a normal part of shinobi culture, no one has really thought of looking deeper into you," he answered.

  "I suppose if you look at this way, that it was only when Konoha was founded that major breakthroughs began in shinobi culture. And that was only a few generations ago.." Sakura suddenly wrinkled her nose in confusion. "But what about everyone else outside of Konoha and the Warring States? When were the other great villages founded? Did they make advances in the shinobi ways before us?"

  She couldn't recall many history scrolls describing the relation between Suna and the other ninja villages in the beginning. She wasn't even sure if it had been talked about at the Academy.

  How did Konoha even become one of the most powerful villages in the Land?

  Somehow Sakura ended falling down several rabbit holes. Information which she had never thought would elude her was pooling through her fingertips like water; she was unable to grasp it. She was just thankful that her head had yet to start throbbing.

  There was a knock at her door and she felt Kisame's chakra brush against her own.

  "How ya feeling, kid?" he said, entering her room after her greeting.

  Sakura shrugged. "I feel fine." And it wasn't a lie. She did feel better than before. Her leg no longer felt achey, but there was an odd strain in the muscle that made walking funny. She hated the limp. But her eyes were good and despite the constant nightmares, she had just enough sleep to keep her going.

  For now.

  Kisame took the scroll from her and set it to the side. He also took it upon himself to pull out a clean pair of clothes for her and drape it across the end of her bed. The large man, despite his slightly aggressive personality, had started to show a slightly brotherly streak around her. Sakura surmised that it had something to do with what happened in the Forest — whatever that was — but she didn't really mind.

  At least most of her doubts about them murdering her in her sleep was gone.

  She yawned into her hand and let Nico vanish with a quick goodbye and a promise to train together later.

  She reluctantly pulled the covers from her body and crawled out of bed. Kisame ushered her into the bathroom and let her get a shower in peace. When she was done, she got changed into a pair of jean shorts and a loose, soft shirt that was definitely not hers. It smelled like her dads, and she wondered if Kisame or Itachi raided her parents closet during their stay.

  The steps were a hassle as usual with her leg, so she settled for perching on the banister and just sliding down it. Her balance was a little wobbly and she almost fell on her face at the end, but she recovered quickly enough.

"Itachi made breakfast again since he's the only one who can cook. He made eggs and bacon I think. Hope you don't mind," Kisame said and shoved a bowl of food into Sakura's hands. She nearly dropped it but quickly saved herself and said her thanks to both of the rogue nin."

"Hn."

Sakura nearly smiled at Itachi's acknowledgment and wished she could stop feeling so safe around them. Her emotions have been totally out of wack and her lack of self-preservation was most likely going to get herself killed. But she physically couldn't help it. Sure, she's been ignoring it these last few days but that's because she was in bed that whole time and didn't have enough energy to confront them.

  Now though..

  She quickly ate her breakfast and pushed the plate to the side. She wiped her mouth and patiently (that was a lie) waited for the other two to finish. When they did, she cleared her throat and their attention was on her.

"I need to know what happened."

"Not yet," was the immediate answer, and Sakura groaned, throwing her head back and running a hand down her face.

"Why not?" she asked. "I want to know why I suddenly went from being deathly afraid to you to fucking cuddling with you, why I'm seeing stars at the edge of vision, why I suddenly have this thing," she dug a finger into her forehead. "Quite honestly I've had a lot of time to think and I'm not even sure if this has one hundred percent to do with the Forest." Her admittance had even herself biting her lip in anxiety.

She reached out for their chakra and found that they were as tense as her. She curled her lip and brushed past them, making them jump slightly. Though she took slight triumph at making them react like that, she didn't feel much better. That just meant that they had let down their guard with her as well.

Itachi signed and reached across the table for her hand. She resisted the urge to pull away and let him hold it. "You see, we would tell you if we did know everything. There are things that happened in the past.. things that that might have lead to this. But unfortunately those are personal and must be kept secret."

Kisame grunted.

Sakura reaches forward to take his hand as well. Now she was the one holding both of them. "I know who you guys really are," she finally admitted.

When they tried to pull away, she clamped down on the with her chakra and they stilled.

"I figured it out before I left. It was actually really easy, once I caught on. The bingo book was surprisingly helpful. What's the Akatsuki?"

Itachi inhaled sharply and yanked his hand away. He stood up abruptly, the chair crashing to the floor in his haste. "Please never mention them here. They are none of your concern."

She was undeterred. "It is my concern if the both of you are are living under my roof and have connections to whoever they are."

There was a moment of silence.

"Then we'll leave."

Kisame's protest was cut off when Sakura's eyes widened and she flew over the table, knocking herself and Itachi to the ground. She sat on his stomach and held his shoulders down. His fingers curled around her calves, a warning.

"You can't leave. Not yet. Not now. I literally have nobody else. My parents are gone again. Dunno when they'll be back. My old team doesn't need me anymore. I don't know where Gekkou is. I ruined what I had with Ino. I literally have no other friends. And Nico can't be with me all the time," she pressed, fingers pressuring insistently into his shirt.

The fight seemed to drain out of Itachi at her words and the tension left his body. He pulled the girl down into a hug. "I'm sorry. So so sorry. We won't leave yet."

Sakura blinked back unshed tears. Somehow, she didn't feel disgusted at her manipulation of getting them to stay. What she said was true. She had no one else.

Kisame carefully pulled herself off the Uchiha and sat her on the table, feet dangling off the edge. He suddenly let out a giant laugh, the type that could be felt through his chest.

  "You are something else, girl. You're like the little sister I never had," he ticked her sides and Sakura slapped his hands away in faint amusement. Itachi got to his feet and joined him, ruffling the girls hair.

  "You two are horrible," she pouted.

  "Yes, but not as horrible as it will be when you're fighting us." The smile was clear in Itachi's voice, and when Kisame let out another laugh—this one slightly more evil—Sakura gulped.

 

   After getting scolded for doing simple stretches wrong, Sakura worked back up to doing short laps around Konoha, water-walking, and basically just running through her arsenal of weapons, jutsus, and abilities.

By far her most powerful was the Bat's Call justu, but that one had to be used sparingly because she didn't have complete control over her range and it often ended up with her hurting herself.

  Sakura didn't have much experience with earth justus, but that was okay. She was pretty good at sensing things and allowing her chakra to mold with the ground. The only problem was, she was only able to summon a small wall only half the time. Again, she wished she knew the underlying causes and connections between chakra and other elements. Then maybe it would be easier to use and so much time wouldn't have to be wasted with experimentation that could otherwise be used learning the right way.

Her hearing and smell was unparalleled. She could sense blood from meters away. She was much more aware of her surroundings. Trees were no longer and obstacle to go around as they once were. They rustled and swayed in the wind, helping her pinpoint their movements. They also had the faintest bit of chakra that she could feel as she went past it. The animals that scampered around the trees also helped.

  Another thing that she considered herself proficient at was medical chakra. Though the first had been extremely lucky for both her and Nico, she was able to heal small wounds and even her broken leg—even if it was done wrong and ultimately hurt her worse in the long run.

  It was doubtful that the old Sakura would have made it this far with team Seven. Sakura briefly pressed her eyes shut and wished that she still somehow could have found a way to stay with them and be accepted.

She sat on the ground in a long abandoned training field at the outskirts of Konoha and concentrated on the marking on her head. It didn't feel any different than a normal marking. No chakra, no pulling, nothing.

But Sakura was becoming a fan of experiments and wasn't able to let this go. She scrunched her nose in concentration and used chakra to bring a leaf to her forehead.

The Will of Fire.

In the Academy, Iruka-Sensei had taught them about what that meant. Though she wasn't focusing too much on the meaning today, only the action.

As soon as the leaf made contact with the moon etched into her skin, her breath caught in her throat.

It felt like she had swallowed the galaxy. Everywhere she looked, she saw stars. Planets and moons and constellations. Comets, mentors, and all the like. The vastness of space is nothing that she has ever thought of and feared before, but now it was all too easy to be sucked into nothingness.

  She was aware that she was still in the mortal world—her hands dug into the soft dirt, ripping up fragile grass while the wind whispered across her face—but she saw the unknown. The world was big, so very, very big. It stretched across her mind like a membrane of spiderwebs.

  She used her concentration to keep the leaf sticking to her forehead while looking into the vast nothingness. Something twinkled to her right and she moved her head to look at it.

  A hand touched her right shoulder and her concentration broke. The leaf fluttered into her lap and gasped for air, unaware that she had been holding her breath for most of the time.

  "Sakura-san?"

The Stars receded to the corner of her vision and she slumped, feeling as if all the energy was taken out of her. The hand moved to her shoulders and helped prop her back up.

"Hey, Shikamaru-san," she murmured. "What ya doing here?"

  The Nara signed and settled onto the ground next to her. "I'm here every afternoon to watch the clouds."

  Sakura nodded and leaned back into the grass, trying to remember the feeling of being able to see the World and fighting off fatigue at the same time. Her heart was still beating with exhilaration and there was a slight catch to her breath.

  "What about you?"

  It took Sakura a few moments to realize that he was talking to her again. He had seen what happened. She cleared her throat. "Uh, training? Maybe.. I kinda got distracted."

Shikamaru snorted. "I could tell. You looked like you were staring into space, like there was something you didn't expect to see."

Sakura tensed and cursed herself for how smart Nara's were, especially this particular one. Even on accident he seemed to be able to read her. She settled for humming in agreement and trying not to let her mind wander too much. The urge to pool chakra into her forehead again was strong. Self-destructive tendencies were a bad habit to develop.

They stayed like that without talking for an hour before Shikamaru stood and brushed himself off. "I'm gonna go now. Dad wants me home for something, probably Chunnin Exam related," he said. "By the way, you were terrifying to watch, you and Kiba. Especially that ending. So troublesome."

Sakura sat up and rubbed the back of her head. She shook grass and small rocks out of her hair. "Thank you, I think? I uh, hope I don't have to fight you. Might just bail out before that happens," Sakura suddenly said, quite honest.

Shikamaru terrified her for some reason. All Nara's made her weary, but he was almost worse since he was closer to her than anyone else in his family was. Which meant that he knew her better, even just slightly. And that gave them all the edge, especially in battles. Nara's had a way with words too and getting under people's skin.

  Sakura shuttered. She had too many secrets and too many bottled up emotions to deal with that.

  She felt the other genin regard her for a few seconds. Then his chakra brushed against her, genuineness bleeding through.

  "Same."

When Shikamaru left, Sakura let chakra pool into her forehead and was transported to that Space. It wrapped around her senses in a way that she could never accurately describe to someone. It was intense, like when you're caught in a moment, a simple moment where everything becomes still and clarity bleeds through. The sharp, concise thought that this is it. This is what the world is, this is what I am.

She leaned back again and whatever world she was seeing shifted. Unlike that pulsing stars and planets that surrounded her, the sky was made up of suns. Suns that expanded and shrunk as Creation took a breath—each movement a god dying and beginning again—the lives of even the smallest spider was between the horns of the sun, so very significant even in the grand scheme of things-

  The giant gods hummed with each beat of her heart. It thrummed against her delicate skin, rubbing it raw. But— no, she was scratching her own skin, trying to bleed the same color as the spiders. They bowed their heads at her, numerous golden eyes staring into her soul as the Sun's burned her retinas with the image of hope and fear and anguish—they wanted her, they reached towards her with willowy fingers and stuck them down her throat, twisting and reaching until they pulled out a chunk of her heart.

They cradled the precious organ in their grasp, hums turning to gentle cooing. They etched their names into the beating flesh with their horns, wanting to be remembered before they lived and died in the endless cycle of Creation. Then what followed could only be described as an overload of sensations as she was forced to eat her own heart and choke on its still throbbing veins.

It could have seconds that she witnessed the gods turn from pantheons to lonesome Beings, or maybe centuries. She tasted their wants and fears under her tongue and felt it slide to her belly.

The gods whispered her name in a language that she didn't even know but somehow understood. It scared her, froze her limbs and her heart stilled.

She summoned enough self-control to force down her chakra and Sakura fell onto the palms of her hands, retching violently. Blood and puss emerged from her stomach and vomit dripped from the split ends of her hair. She summoned more strength to roll down the small hill and land in a slow-moving stream. She only briefly thought about sticking her head under the gentle current and letting it down her, but her heart bubbled in her throat, reminding her of the things she might see if she died.

Sakura..

Her eyes opened from being forced shut and she could only summon enough energy for a shiver. They knew her name.

Sakura didn't want to think about the other world she had been shown. Even though her headache had vanished and she could sense even the smallest of creatures beneath her fingertips, she was afraid.

And when she was afraid, she ran.

  The squirrel was laughing at her as Sakura tripped over a rock and landed on her knees. She cursed everyone from her late grandmothers goldfish to Nico's last meal. She got back to her feet and brushed off her legs. Kisame was somewhere behind her, and she wasn't prepared for him to catch her.

  They had been at this for two hours already, this game of cat and mouse. The rules were slightly different this time. Instead of just the two rogue nin chasing her, Kisame would be going after Sakura, while Sakura had to attempt to find Itachi. Once the person was found, they had to be incapacitated.

Sakura was certain that she wouldn't be able to do that to Itachi Uchiha. It was physically impossible. But Sakura felt something brush against her senses and her heart jumped in her throat, urging her forward. She would have to, or Kisame would probably break her legs.

She was still in the outskirts of Konoha. There were a few stray houses, but it was mostly farmland, trees, and the occasional rocky areas. Sakura moves towards the latter part of the terrain, thinking of Tōjinbō Cliff for the first time in a long while. Nico has told her about his training there and how he was learning to use environment to his advantage.

The open air was strange above her head. There was no familiar rustling of leaves or shadows that cast its coolness on her. Here, she was exposed to the sky and the heat of the sun.

It was almost dusty in the area, only kept billowing upwards by the stillness of its surroundings; one of the reasons that she had chosen this place was due to that dust. Whereas she was used to not being able see, she was hoping that it would be different for Kisame and Itachi.

  Sakura sneezed and glanced upwards. The stars followed the edge of her vision and her eyes almost rolled into the back of her head, but she somehow managed to catch herself before she fainted. The sudden upwards movement had made her eyes moving too fast. Vertigo held fast onto her but she pinched her thigh and brought herself back to her right state of mind.

The only reason that Sakura became aware of a presence behind her was the sudden lack of noise. She dropped to her knees and the blade of a chakra-hungry sword missed the top of her head by centimeters. The force behind the weapon caused a huge burst of wind, sending hair into her mouth.

  She spat out the locks and turned on her heel, still crouching and with her other leg extended. She clawed the dirt in the process, swiping up in the air and sending it flying.

Kisame was behind her in seconds and just as she got to her feet, her legs were swept out from under her. She landed on her back with a sharp wheeze. She squeezed her useless shut, not wanting to see the Beings and be subjected to another form of what could only have been described as self-cannibalism.

Even with this self-imposed training, with her telling them to take it easy on her, her mind still returned to There. Of course it would, because she was Sakura Haruno and her experiments always screwed her up.

Kisame was again upon her in an instant and the heavy chakra of the sword pressed against her throat, cold steel just barely grazing the skin there.

  A hand reached across her chest and Sakura sat up into the blade, letting it slice her collar-bone. Kisame's grip had dropped a mere centimeters and that was all it took for Sakura to not decapitate herself. The sword greedily drank up her chakra, and the headache returned much worse than it previously had been.

  "What the fuck, kid, are you crazy!?"

  Sakura ignored him and pulled herself to her feet. She pressed a hand to her neck and crudely healed the cut. Knowing her luck, there would be evidence in the form of a thin silver scar. But, in doing so she had figured out his weakness.

Kisame was hesitant to actually use the sword against her. Sure, he was going hard on her and didn't have any qualms against bruising her so she could get stronger, but any more than that was something that he could not do. She leaned further against the blade until he took it away.

She felt so faint and limp, chakra-drainage pulling at all her limbs. Why couldn't she move? Why was her throat clamping up? Her mouth was parched and lips were cracked with the beginnings of blood. She licked them and didn't wince when they stung.

  The heavy presence of Kisame was upon her again. He probably didn't know she was practically paralyzed. The ground send ripples up her fingertips, feeling each step he took that would take herself closer to the end of his fists. What was she even doing? The doubt was back again and she wished she drowned herself earlier. Then she wouldn't hear the whispers in her ears and the ground telling her to do something.

  It prodded and poked at her faded chakra. Dust settled into her lungs and nose. She sneezed and her hand spasmed, slamming against the ground. Her small, dainty fist made contact with the rocky dirt and it exploded inwards. An ordinary eagle screeched in the distance and she could suddenly taste the wind in her tongue. She was flying through the air from the after-effects of whatever the fuck she just did.

   There had been little to no chakra in her hands and yet she had caused an explosion. Her mind briefly went to Tsunade-sama and her monstrous strength. Paired with her at-times dangerous medical chakra that most likely spawned from amazing control, and maybe she found an explanation? But then she was falling back down, back away from the Suns and their horns, to the safety of the constellations and the planets that are starting to not scare her anymore.

  Metaphors, there were so many metaphors that could only be used to possibly explain when she's seen, felt, and knew. They pressed against her consciousness, even without actually seeing them again, she knew they were there and that this was what the world actually was.

  Sakura arched her back and stretched her limbs out, replicating a cat once more. The landing was softer than before and she wasn't hurt.

Her lips curled into a snarl and no, she was telling the truth that time because Kisame no longer scared the shit out of her and she was fucked up so even if she died, it wouldn't matter anyways.

Sure, her chakra was majorly depleted and she just wanted to go home and take a nap, but the horns pressed against her back and urged her forward, they wanted her to fight, and maybe not win because she was still pretty weak against an S-ranked nin, but they wanted her to at least try and she couldn't stomach their disappointment again. She had thrown up the last time.

So Sakura cracked her fingers and let herself be guided by the instinct that she had developed from those months of no sight. Loosing that sense has made her connection to reality that much deeper. Kisame swung at her and her bicep was bleeding now. Followed by her shoulder, thigh, and even calf somehow. He was everywhere at once, barraging her with attacks that he barely left her defend herself against.

She was so good at running and defending herself, that she maybe forgot how to actually stand up and fight—or did she even ever know how to..? But that didn't matter because sweat was pouring out of her skin. Dust turned into mud and slicked from her toes to her big forehead that she had stopped caring about because out of sight out of mind.

Sakura suddenly tumbled to her legs in front of him and let her body go limp. She sensed his hackled lowering and as he went to catch her before she cracked her head open on a rock, she used the last of her chakra to boost her forward and clocked him square in the jaw. There was a sharp crack from bone breaking and she was was being knocked to the side with the pummel of the cleaver.

The inhuman chakra almost seemed to press against her in apology at the self-reflexive violent reaction but she understood. She rolled to her side and coughed. Her head felt numb now and maybe she was thankful.

"Sorry," she wheezed.

Kisame snickered and let out a pained groan. There was a loud pop and he seemed to be setting his jaw back into place.

"Don't apologize. You did pretty good. Surprised me there at the end," he grunted.

Sakura sat up and wiped her mouth, smearing wetness across her nose and cheek. She tasted metal. "Can we get a smoothie now? I'm hungry." A smoothie sounded so good right now. Vanilla, or maybe strawberry. But she needed something cold and sweet. Right now. Something that didn't taste like blood or reminded her of her own heart. She still felt nauseas over that.

Kisame helped her up and set her on his back. "Sure, sure. Sounds good. I need to get some groceries anyways. Itachi has been complaining about the lack of good food in the house".

"Itachi-san complains?" she wheezed, surprised.

"..No. I just know what he's thinking."

Sakura nodded against his shoulder and then grimaced. "I think I got blood on you," she monotoned, and felt him shrug.

"Don't worry, I've had worse on me." She could practically hear the grin on his face, and felt the smugness radiating from his chakra.

"That's disgusting. I did not need to know that."

He snickered again and she finally smiled.

"Hey, do you feel like we're forgetting something?"

There was a pause.

"Nah."

Itachi puffed out his cheeks and wondered when Sakura would find him.

* sakura does not have a kekkai genkai. and I am fueled by comments xoxo

 

Chapter 15: the cruel bugle sang before

  In the case of one Sakura Haruno, dreams were just that — dreams. They didn't manifest into visions of the world or future events. Sometimes that resembled past events that happened, but then they were always distorted into something worse and not entirely accurate. They were a representation of her thoughts and emotions, becoming more extreme and even sometimes so wholly inaccurate that she would call them nightmares.

  She had lots of those; nightmares that twist around the bottom of her small ankles and cause her to stumble, often falling headfirst into either a pile of mud or a yawning mouth with brittle teeth that cut skin deep and red.

Tonight's nightmare was one of her waking up fully-clothed in a bathtub filled to the brim with sparkling pink water. Everything was saturated to the extreme, the veins in her hands standing out as a prominent blueish-green and the mirror to her side showed the deep rogue of her lips. When she remembered that she was supposed to breathe, the first inhale she took was of rotting fish. She choked and gagged on the flavor. Sakura pulled herself out of the tub and onto the marble floor, naked and shivering. She could see her reflection.

  Her fingertips pressed against the hand on the floor - her own, she hoped - and that hope fled when the reflections frown turned into a grin and the free hand pointed to her left. Sakura looked up to see an open door. She got to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest. To battle the horrid smell, she pinched her nose and breathed with her mouth. It helped, just the slightest bit.

   Something bloody had been dragged across the cold floor. Her feet were stained red from it and it was warm against her skin. Opposed to the chill in the air, it would have felt nice if it hadn't of been blood. But the carcass of something large was in front of her, at the end of the hall. It jutted up from the ground and no light was cast onto it. It was just a hunk of nothingness.

"..Sakura".

The closer she got, the louder the whispers became.

"..This is not your place."

Small details started to stand out to her, the closer she got.

"..You couldn't have saved it. It was his time."

It was a whale, so big and blue that tears sprung up in her eyes. It's stomach was split open and organs threatened to slip onto the floor. Sakura caught sight of its eyes and she turned around. So empty and gray - lifeless. It was already dead.

"..Do not cry for him. He will be missed, but he served us well."

Sakura didn't understand. The hall and bathroom abruptly vanished. She was There again, in that space that scared and fascinated her so very much. She watched as one of the planets grew brighter and brighter and brighter and brighter until it finally collapsed inward on itself. Her heart ached and she knew that it was gone forever.

"..I'm sorry that it was you who was chosen to see. You're cursed with knowledge and power. They tried to kill you, but they had no idea the Things that they would unleash. Would you like to help us, Sakura?"

Sakura stalled- thinking and looking and deciding- and blinked once, and said hell no, and woke up. She was certain that someone had died. Who? She could only hope that it wasn't someone she knew. She wiped her wet eyes and went back to sleep, hoping to forget everything. She had a fight to win tomorrow.

  It was wet when she woke up. The dew soaked into her skin and she knew goosebumps ripples across her flesh. With a soft sigh, she pulled herself out of bed. For the first time in quite a few weeks, she felt almost refreshed. Sure, her eyes were dry from crying and there was an itch where her bruises and cuts were still healing, but her mind was clear.

   She was Sakura Haruno. She still had a lot of questions, but she knew that today she was going to fight someone, and she was going to win. That was fact. She was stronger than ever before. She could see more, hear more, taste more, feel more. It didn't feel all broken or muddled. Her body was no longer a disadvantage. And where her mind usually was filled with chaotic thoughts, it was pleasantly quiet today.

She had hope.

Kisame and Itachu had disappeared sometime in the night. All evidence of their existence had been wiped away. Despite knowing this wa going to happen eventually, she wasn't at all prepared. They had been her only emotional support, along with Nico. And now they were gone. No note, no goodbye in their words last night before she forced herself to bed. She wondered if they even trusted her, in the end. To keep their secret. They were so careful is avoiding the elephant in the room and evading all questions. Her peace was momentarily broken and frustration grated at her nerves.

  Surely she deserved better than this. Being abandoned all the time, she was starting to get a complex. Sakura took the moment and allowed herself to slam one cup onto the floor. It shattered into enough pieces to leave glass in hidden places for the next year against her soles and she felt better, more restrained.

She left the cup there.

  She would deal with these emotions later. When she was mentally able to. Not now. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe not soon. She had things to do. Fights to win. A village to challenge.

The streets were notably more crowded and rowdy. More than a few elbows and hands knocked her about and Sakura decided that keeping to the roofs were a safer option. Wind whistled past her ears. She felt the ebb and flow of life and the energies of every slab of roofing against her soles. Everything felt so small, up here. Instead of the harsh yelling and bustle from the right in the streets, it all dwindled into whispers and caresses against her brain.

  She arrived at the arena quietly, slipping behind the murmuring guests. A chunnin had found her earlier in the week and told her where to go and the registration steps. She had already signed the proper papers and was ready to turn them in and find her waiting seat. It was also during that time, that she was told the name of the person she would be up against: Shino Aburame. By pure basis alone, Sakura knew that he would be overwhelming. And as a recently self instated rule, she avoided the Aburame Clan in general. The magnetite of chakra that radiated from a single clans member alone was enough to have her flinching from the overload that onslaught her senses.

  Sakura knew that they held thousands, possibly millions of insects inside their bodies, as creepy as that sounded. This was what  caused her to be slummed up at the library for hours on end, sacrificing sleep so she didn't run into her physical training time with Kisame and Itachi. Very little information was given to her on the clan members themselves due to a lack of clearance. She supposed it made sense- why would someone want to research so intently on a group such as them, if not to use the information against them. Which, to be fair, that was exactly what she was planning on doing. Whoops.

  The most information she got was purely the basics. The Aburame Clan is known to be one of the four main Clans of Konoha, and a powerful one at that. Each member is characterized by the insects that they use as their primary weapon inside of them. Of course, Sakura was given no insight as to what kind of insect a certain individual had inside of him. Clan members were essentially a host for these insects. They had a special symbiotic relationship, closely resembling those such relationships found in nature. The insect fed off the chakra of the host and turn, the host could use the insects in battle or for other uses such as extracting healing properties, if that particular insect had what was needed.

  Other than this, Sakura was forced to use what she knew of Shino from her time with him in school. Very rarely did they interact, save for having been partnered on mandatory group work and, years and years ago, scavenger hunts.

  During one particular scavenger hunt, Sakura got to see Shino in action. They had been around eight or nine, during this time. Shino was still learning to communicate with his insects and often buzzed around him, instead of staying tucked away and hidden inside him. Nobody had been allowed to laugh at him or make fun of him due to this. One civilian kid made the mistake of calling him dirty— an unclean rat, and he was found the next day half dead and covered in bites and completely drained of any little chakra he had. The Aburame Clan were quick to clean up the mess and not let much word get out of the incident, but none of the students forgot what happened and most tended to ignore little Shino's existence afterwards.

   It was after this incident that Sakura was paired with him. They were to collect a special herb from one of the lesser training fields. This was during one of their rare lessons about medicine and natural remedies that Sakura genuinely enjoyed. Sakura was still wary of Shino during this time and not a single word passed between them since the start of their assignment. The girl noticed a lack of bugs that exuded from Shino, unlike before. Now it was just a singular tiny little bug that liked to float lazily around his head and sometimes land on him.

  Sakura already caught him whispering to his shoulder twice, before the two kids made eye contact and he looked away, tips of his ears turning red.

  The herb they were looking for was deep red and orange- bunches of flowers that occupied the same space in little bursts. Sensei called it the Bloodflower, but didn't tell them the use of it. Just to wear their rubber field gloves when handling it, and to not let it into their eyes and mouth. The pair wandered towards a bright patch of sunlight towards the back corner of the field.

Sakura scanned the bushes and thick undergrowth, searching for hints of fiery color. The hunt brought her to her knees, pulling in the gloves as a precaution and beginning to dig into the soft grasses and brambles. She always preferred the physical aspect of things. In pursuit of knowledge, she had begun to learn that the application was the true test of power. Merely reading was one thing, but to actually remember and understand what was being absorbed, was another thing.

A soft brush against her back had Sakura turning. Shino pointed somewhere to the left, and squatted down beside her. From the tip of his finger, a little insect emerged. The girl didn't let herself jump or move, or even speak. She put her trust in her partner, and was rewarded when it went straight to a bright petal that had escaped her eyes. Both children looked at each other and grinned. They found it.

Shino went reaching for it immediately but Sakura grabbed his hand, and then quickly let go. "Your gloves," she whispered, moving her own covered hands up in the air for him to see. He paused, and then nodded at her, before pulling on his own set of gloves.

The worked together to dig up the plant, careful to separate it from the surrounding foliage and to keep the roots as intact as possible. More bugs had floated out to keep them company. They made happy little swirls in the air and chirped in Sakura's ear. Some even landed in her outstretched hand when she offered it. Sakura had decided to be brave, and give the boy and his friends a little more trust. She didn't like bugs, but she didn't think Shino was too bad.

They were the last group to make it back, but one of the more successful ones. A lot of the other teams had either failed to find their plant, didn't follow proper instructions and had given themselves rashes, or had ruined the whole plant by somehow tearing it apart in the retrieval process.

"Look at this little beauty!" their Sensei has exclaimed. "In such good condition too, I'm impressed. Did you know that this one is actually poisonous? You probably wouldn't believe it because of its cute little petals, but you know how it goes- the pretty ones are most often the dangerous ones."

The group was given a perfect score on their assignment and sent in their way.

Before separating to go home at the end of the day, Shino again brushed Sakura's shoulder to get her attention. She stopped, and waited patiently.

He scratched his cheek, and then clasped his hands together. "Nioki thinks you're very pretty and look like a flower," the words rushed out of him. "A-And I think you should be dangerous as well, like that flower, because you're pretty. You don't need to fear the world if the world has to fear you." And then he quickly walked away, and the lingering bugs that Sakura hadn't even noticed fluttering around them vanished as well.

She didn't know what to make of his words. He thought she was pretty. And he also thought she should be dangerous. She liked the sound of that.

After that, they still didn't talk much, but every so often, she would see a little friend crawl up her pencil or on her desk, and she would smile at it, replaying those words in her head. Maybe that's what inspired her to try a little harder: to read more books- to run a little faster in those tests to ensure her passing grade and rival Ino- to smile at Sasuke even when he started to develop homicidal and sociopathic tendencies- to push past the fear that welled up inside of her whenever Naruto's eyes flashed a certain way, all slits and lupine- to suffer the laziness and trauma that wafted from Kakashi, making her already crazed teammates worse- to feel the broken insides of a creature she couldn't even see to save it because the world would not scare her.

    Sakura was going to make the world eat itself. She's tasted her own heart already, felt the brush of gods on her skin and seen the universe turn in on itself. Left abandoned by her family, her team, her own village and Kage. But despite that, she's found inner strength she never even knew she possessed. She was making her own home now, harnessing her own power and despite everything, she was still fighting to survive.

The chunnin at the desk had taken her forms and read to her a set of rules for the fight. It was simple stuff, no going out of the arena, fight to win- not kill, no attempting to harm the audience. Sakura's lip has curled at the word. Audience. As if their death matches were amusement for the rich. But in some way, they probably were. The ninja needed funding and the wealthy wanted a show. And this was it. They paid to see their protectors fight against other villages. It was actually a downside to have the exams in the examinees home village. They have more stress put upon them because they needed to win, needed to ensure that money went where it belonged.

It didn't even matter that this was a ninja village. Over the years, civilian families had begun to dominate and put in charge of many of the ninja operations, especially after whatever happened with the Uchiha Police Force. Sakura had been just a child but she wasn't deaf to her parent's conversations.

A buzz interrupted her thoughts, and nearly caused Sakura to stumble in surprise. It had been awhile since she's been graced with one of Shino's friends. But she wasn't surprised. It was something she was expecting, something smart that would have disappointed her if it didn't happen.

"Your presence doesn't go unnoticed by me," she murmured. Maybe at one point the little bug could have slipped by, but now all she could sense was it. "Stay close so you don't get accidentally squashed."

   The noise and jostle of people became greater as she found the stands. She would have been sitting here if she had lost the fight to Kiba, but for now, she was to wait in a separate little room if the arena, with the other fighters. Her senses guided her away, towards a quieter setting. She encountered Naruto and Shikamaru quickly after entering.

    Naruto launched herself at her and she was quick to sidestep him. "Sakuraaaaa! Are you okay? I haven't seen you in so long. Have you seen Sasuke? Or any frogs around? I have a frog contract! And I am going to beat Neji's pretty perfect face into the ground!"

    The sound of Shikamaru's hand slapping his face echoed. "You fool. She can't see anything. Calm down. And really, you called him pretty?"

   "And perfect," Sakura pointed out. Naruto brought out his usual amount of annoyance in her and she couldn't resist the urge to mess with him. There was also the fact that she was actually somehow having a normal conversation with people her age, no matter how cringe or weird it was. She was trying to savor it. "Sounds like someone has a crush."

Poor Naruto screamed. "No, no, no. Ewww. I only like woman! Like Sakura! And that one lady who feeds me ramen! Just because Neji looks like a pretty girl with pretty long hair and soft skin doesn't mean I like her! I mean, him! Yeah?!" He sounded confused now.

Sakura pinched her nose in disbelief. At least he wasn't going on about her now, like last time.

   "Man, you're so weird. Can you stop yelling? I don't think everyone needs to hear your about your crush on the Hyuuga brat. Already have enough to deal with Hinata," Shikamaru whispered the last part under his breath but Sakura still heard. Naruto, obviously, did not, for he screamed yet again and ran in the opposite direction.

Awkward silence ensured. Sakura scratched her cheek. The last time she had a conversation with the Nara, she had an.. experience. "At least it's not us fighting," she offered him a few words. And she really was thankful for that.

The only right answer to winning a fight with a Nara is to not get in one at all and head the other way immediately. Shikamaru was scary. Terrifying. And when he actually tried, he was even worse than that. Sakura aced all her exams in school after long hours of studying and she even retook tests that she felt were lacking in scores. She fought her way to the top and worked hard to keep herself there. Even against Ino, who had the natural advantages of being Clanborn and surrounded by this type of knowledge and lifestyle her whole life. But even she took the time to practice and study, knowing any risk of failure was not an option for her.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, didn't have to try. In fact, he'd rather sleep and play with the cards he kept in his bag. He'd doze while Sensei was speaking, let himself be dragged along in group activities, did the bare minimum when he could. He would stare at people when they talked to him through half lidded eyes, yawning when they would get upset for not receiving the same energy they were giving him. It was only Choji who didn't mind this, and was happy enough to find someone who would let him talk talk talk with expecting anything in return.

    But Sakura always saw his name at the top of the academic lists each year. She started to watch him closer, noticing her was the first one to turn in tests, how he wasn't actually sleeping, but keeping his eyes closed and still somehow paying attention to the lectures at the same time, how how he did in fact read over whatever papers were given to him and more often than not, left behind soon after. Somehow, he still paid attention- absorbing and remembering everything. He was quick. Efficient. Not paying attention visibly but somehow taking it all in. The girl has seen first hand the brutality of his intelligence. Ino told her that she was also intimated by the Nara family. And whatever scared her once upon a friend, in turn terrified her. She had held Ino on the highest of pedestals during that time.

"Shino won't go easy on, just because you're blind," Shikarmu drawled.

  Sakura pursed her lips. "How do you know it's him I'm going up against?"

"Process of elimination." Of course.

  In all honesty, Sakura didn't want to fight him. Or his little bugs. She remembered the awful whimpering of Kiba's companion; she had gone too far in her need for survival. Fear, exhaustion, and hunger had ruled her. The pair had not been her real energy, and yet she had treated them as such. She had been a cornered rabbit. She couldn't do that again. She would have to be quick. Do the most damage possible with as little physical harm or the murder of Shino's' little friends.

  Sakura was saved from having to contribute to the conversation due to Naruto running back past them and vaulting to the ground beneath them. Sakura followed the sound of his excited shouts. His and Neri's match would be beginning soon. Sasuke and Gaara would be next. And then finally, Sakura and Shino. Shikamaru and Temari would go after.

  In the end, Naruto managed to win.. quite literally through the power of sheer determination and, friendship. Sakura also got the sense of something, other, during the fight. It felt alive. Animalistic. Hungry. The same confusing paranoia that Sakura had gotten when they were younger had briefly reared it's head before she was able to push it down. There wasn't time for any of that now.

Sasuke failed to show. Instead of disqualifying him and giving Gaara an immediate win, it was decided that their match would be pushed back. Shikamaru told her that it was because beta were placed heavily between to the two genin. It was rumored for them to be some of the strongest of the bunch. No doubt that a lot of people had lost money due to Naruto's win, and the audience was looking to restore their prides and refill their pockets.

    And so, it was Sakura's time to shine. She let out a deep breath, and almost flinched when the Nara put his hand on her shoulder, fingers digging delicately into her clothed skin. He leaned close to her ear, as if he had a secret to share.

   "Don't pull your punches. Keep alert. You're probably already bugged- pun intended heh- and he's going to use that. Use your brain. You're a good person. You're strong. Stubborn. Use what you know and trust yourself." And then he let go, and pushed her forward. He was stronger than she expected and Sakura found herself sailing towards the ground.

She landed soft, crouched low and letting her hands brush against the soft grass. She heard Shino land on the other side of her, four limbs thumping against the ground in what she assumed to be a crouch as well. Her heart hammered in her throat. The chakra around Shino almost lit up the world like a firework. She could feel so much from him. All the life that he held. It almost called to her, the humming from inside his very bones that sought out the Queen that floated around herself.

   They wanted what she had. Shino wanted her as bait. He had already pulled his first move. She wondered if he even knew about her knowledge of it.

   Genma Shiranui stepped forward, voice carrying into the air. "Shino Aburame versus Sakura Haruno. I want a fair, clean fight. I know you both know what that means. You may start when the whistle is blown. Ready, set..."

   She breathed out.

  The whistle blew and a flurry of screaming insects flew at her immediately. The audience laughed at their entertainment. A blind girl and the kid from the weird bug clan.

The Queen nudged against Sakura's cheek, so small and soft and knowing fragile- knowing her master needed to show that he was worthy. 
 

  
***
  After two years, the long awaited update is here! I've managed to move up in my job, get kicked out, had to live in a van, got an apartment, got pregnant, lost of the baby.. oh so much.

Anywayyyy. My writing has much improved since then. I plan on expanding on this chapter later, especially the flashback between Shino and Sakura because it's so cute. I've also decided to head into a new direction that involves the development and more insight into Sakura's relationships with other characters. These kids just deserve to be happy man.

   I'll be back now with more frequent updates. I'm still figuring life out and I've done so much stupid shit that I have to untangle myself from. But this fanfic is so important to me and I will one day finish this, I pinky promise .

  I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
  

 

Chapter 16: horn at hip went my love riding

  

    One thing about Shikamaru Nara, is that he knows that not everything is as it seems. And one of those things, is Konoha's very own Sakura Haruno. Hailing from a mostly civilian family, she was never expected to excel in the Academy or even make it on a genin team. The school was simply not made for those of her kind. Sure, it sounded awfully prejudiced against civilian folk, but it was realistic.

 

   And quite honestly, it wasn't even their fault. They didn't come from a long line of ninjas, or powerful clans. They didn't have the same type of knowledge and training that clan kids did. They didn't have the same resources or the quality weapons. They had what was taught and given out at the Academy, and no more. But the Academy was meant to be paired with an extracurricular program at home, from their own families who had already gone through this.

 

   So it was to everyone's surprise and then some when Sakura managed to be the only civilian in their year to graduate. She probably didn't even know either, what she had accomplished. And then somehow she put into the same team as Sasuke and Naruto of all people, two kids who had an entire legacy's behind them and way already on another level. And ON TOP of that, Kakashi Hatake was the one chosen to be their team leader. All in all, it should have been a recipe for disaster for the pink haired girl. 

 

    Shikamaru by now knew that Sakura had more ambition and motivation than she let on. After all, it took a certain kind of drive to continue to pursue Sasuke Uchiha after the murder of his entire family and the drastic turn of his mannerisms and sociability. Most of his fangirls learned to avoid him, sensing the darkness and borderline murderous rage that frequently exuded from him. Even Ino had taken a few steps back from the angry emo child. 

 

  But Sakura had stayed. Always clamored to be his partner, which she succeeded in more often than not. Was quick to give him a smile, give him copies of class work if he happened to not be paying attention - all pages written in careful, precise kanji and written nearly word for word from Sensei's mouth while still maintaining extra side notes with more in depth explanations- She was unstoppable. It had been so annoying. 

 

  She was still annoying, but more in that general all girls are gross sort of way. When he learned of her accident and loss of her (still living) team, he had been sympathetic. Those kinds of injuries were common during war times and for the more difficult missions for ninja, and she had been unlucky to be one of those hurt during what was supposed to be a beginner routine mission. Shikamaru was sure that he'd rather loose a limb than loose his eyesight. Too much of what he did relied on physical visualization. And he probably wouldn't be able to bare not longer being able to cloud watch. 

 

  A dark cloud hung after Ino in the following weeks. She was quieter then. More focused on training with her team than she ever had ever been. More determined. "Sakura is not going to give up," she had whispered to Shikamaru one day. They had chased a damn cat all over the damn village again. Claw marks tracked across their exposed skin. "She is going to get even stronger now. I know everyone feels sorry for her, but they shouldn't. Their doubt sows her mind, her spirit. She is going to push back. It's what she always does," she said, shaking her head with a frown. 

 

    The boy knew this, but didn't yet know the extent until he talked to her on the hill. He had watched her briefly, knowing something had happened just before he got there. Sweat dripped from her skin. Pink waves of hair swept across her bare shoulders and covering the cloth around her eyes. He had wondered what damage lay beneath it. She clenched grass between her fists, chest heaving. Evidence of chakra exhaustion had been written all over her. But she had spoken to him as gracefully as ever, acting as if nothing was wrong. So he obliged her. Gave her a bit of normal-ness. Even truthfulness. He was not keen on going against her. Savagery was written into her DNA. A stubbornness matched by very few. She was likely spreading planning her way back into the Konoha ranks. A village that wouldn't appreciate her, no matter how far she got. 

 

  And then the exams; he had only seen her briefly during that time. But that was more than enough to solidify his opinion that she was terrifying. The amount of blood that she had been drenched in. The  obvious claw marks. The lack of bandage around her eyes. He could then clearly see the milkiness of the iris and raised white scars left from the incident. And if he weren't a nin, the indecent of her exposed skin from her rags of clothes would make him blush. Sakura looked downright wrecked. Half dead already. And yet she took down not just Kiba, but his partner as well. It had been a desperate move of a madwoman, but she pulled it off well and secured herself a win before succumbing to her own wounds. 

 

  Ino had been proud, and gave Shikamaru an, "I told you so. She is relentless." As if she hadn't been pushing Sakura herself, with her loud shouting. What terrible women he was surrounded by. 

 

 

 

 

  Watching Sakura now, Shikamaru was reminded of a Baobab tree. They were some of the oldest trees in the world. Built strong and could withstand fire and heat. She stood strong, chin up and shoulders squared. A slight wind whipped, pushing her ungodly long strands on pink hair everywhere. She should get it cut but really, what's the point. It was going to block her vision? Pfft. 

 

  The girl didn't even move as a whole entire swarm of insects cut through the air towards her. They came closer and closer until they were almost upon her, and only then, did a column on earth elope her form. The chunk had wrapped her entire body in a makeshift cocoon. It was eerily similar to what Gaara had done to himself. Both nin had been smart. In Sakura's case, it was to keep Shino's swarm from immediately draining her of chakra. A few seconds passed before the earth cocoon shifted forward a few feet. Shikamaru could only imagine how much effort it took to hold the entire thing together, much less move around the battlefield in it. It offered protection, but was ultimately a waste of chakra. 

 

  That's why it wasn't surprising when seconds later, Sakura burst out of it. She made a few quick hand signs and landed on the ground, palms face down in a familiar summoning stance. Not one, but two eagles appeared in a burst of smoke. Shikamaru was close enough to smell mountain air and wildflowers. Each were easily the size of Sakura, and judging by Sakura's scrunched up face, not entirely planned. 

 

   He watched her mouth move, barely able to distinguish the words, "Where is Nico? Or Keiki?" 

 

   The humming of a thousand wings drowned out nearly everything. The only thing yet keeping the insects away from Sakura was the steady wind beats of the twin summons. Each flap of the wing caused a hurricane of dirt, leaves, and air to whirl around the stadium. The pair worked in tandem to protect their summoner from the determined onslaught of chakra hunting insects. 

 

   Shikamaru didn't hear their response. He didn't even know if they did answer; neither beak moved except to let out powerful screeches. He winced, fingers going to shield his eardrums. 

 

  He watched Shino stand erected, fingers pressed into fists. The wind didn't deter him or push him away. He was braced- shoulders squared, thick ringlets of hair whipping about. Chakra exuded from him. Intent sharp as day. Easy to distinguish. The Aburame had something to prove, clearly. But what it was, Shikamaru hasn't cared enough to really look into before. Unlike Sakura's ambition, something that had been hard to ignore, especially with Ino always comparing herself to the pink haired girl. 

 

  Sakura seemed to have come to an understanding with her summons. They beat their wings harder, pushing themselves higher into the sky before breaking into a dive towards the broken earth. Shikamaru watched the girl take a deep breath and- he was distracted by the eagles sudden change of direction, charging quickly towards Shino.

 

  The Aburame crossed his hands in an ex over his face. His whole body was pushed back by the force of the winds that assaulted him. One of the lenses of his glasses cracked. 

 

   A distraction. An Aburame's intent was crucial to control over his insects. With Shino's attention split between now three enemies, Sakura was free to- This was where Shikamaru replayed what had happened in his head. 

 

   He had been fooled as well. Obviously not knowing what to look for, not being able to see exactly into Sakura's mind, he hadn't been able to see what actually transpired. Somewhere, at some point, the Queen insect that Shino planted on Sakura before the exam was passed to one of the eagles (presumably swept up in the windstorm as well) who were directed to move it far away from Sakura after using a diversion. 

 

  The Queen was pushed out of place, Shino was occupied trying to keep himself upright and out of the way of the eagles sharp talons, the insects had been momentarily confused by the loss of their target, and Sakura bolted. 

 

  She was fast. 

 

  Hugging close to the ground, finger tips dragging. Seeing while being blind. A few moments of distraction was all she needed to enact a plan. 

 

  Shino was fast as well. Rarely did he let the eagles get close enough to cause physical damage. Honestly, it was all a blur at this point. Too much wind, and debris flying around. He was good. 

 

  But it was Sakura that Shikamaru wanted to keep an eye on. He wouldn't let himself get caught up in distractions again. He wasn't the one fighting her, for which he was again grateful. She was almost upon Shino, the insects close on her tail. Close quarter combat honestly seemed more her style. She was earth, physically and unrelenting. 

 

   Just as the girl reached her opponent, the eagles disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura, still crouched low, reached out, fingers brushing against Shino's shoulder. The insects caught up now too. Surrounding the pair, but only the girl was in danger. 

 

  A genjutsu. Sakura was using a genjutsu. Shino flinched, hard. He backed up, chest heaving and hands going to his ears. "Stop it, stop killing them," Shino mouthed. They were so far away. The swarm was was a veil of inky blackness around them by now, nearly blocking their images. It was hard for Shikamaru to read their lips. "Please, stop. You can't". 

 

  Sakura's lips trembled. Her skin was absolutely covered. She still held tightly to him. When had she even performed the hand signs? 

 

  Why had she gone after Shino, and not taken out his insects first? To get her win over with quick? To make it clean? Something was missing. There was something lacking from this fight. Something was different from her fight with Kiba. This one wasn't out of desperation if survival. If anything, it was to preserve life. 

 

   And now, it was a battle of wills. Sakura, for whatever reason, did not want to harm even a single insect. She wanted to disarm Shino, break him down and get him to surrender while she had to last for as long as possible under the lecherous insects until he did so. This was a mental fight, more than a physical one. 

 

  Shino was still under the genjutsu. He sunk to his knees, bringing Sakura with him. "Surrender," she whispered to him. "You don't need to anymore of them." She was crying as well. Her face was scrunched up in pain, all her limbs tense. 

 

  But, it was too much for her. She couldn't protect herself, risking killing one of the Aburame's insects. She slipped, letting go of the genjutsu. Shino was brought back to reality with a gasp. The swarm dispersed a bit, thinning to allow their host to see better. 

 

   Sakura was on her hand and knees. Blood spurted from her nose. She had barely enough energy to lift her head up. "I won't hurt one of my own for this stupid exam again," she raised. "I won't let them make me like them. I'm better than that. I yield. Your friends are safe from my hand. Take your win." 

 

  Shino grit his teeth. He was silent for a moment, thinking. The insects plucked themselves off the girls bruised body and flew back into his thick jacket. "I concede with your words. But this would not be a fair fight to win. You would have bested me had you played the game you were meant to play today. I yield to you, Sakura Haruno." 

 

  Murmuring drew up from the crowd. Shikamaru rubbed his hand across his face. Of course. Shino was too prideful to take this as an actual win and Sakura refused to actually kill or maim his insects. Both were too honorable. They had the right idea though, if Shikamaru was being honest. This whole thing was rigged anyway. A show of power against other villages, a spectacle for the merchants expense. Ridiculous. Troublesome, he would say. 

 

  Genma looked troubled from the sidelines. Probably confused as to what to do now. This could be considered a draw, in a way. Neither Shino or Sakura would announce themselves the winner, nor would they fight each other now. 

 

  Sakura glared in Shino's direction, as much as she could anyway. "Youre impossible," she said, exasperated. "In that case.. I yield," chakra carried from her voice. It wavered, chakra exhaustion likely taking over, but it was clear to everyone. Shino jolted, too late to do anything but stand there helplessly as cheers erupted after a few tense moments.

 

   It was official now. Shino was declared the winner and Genma looked exasperated. 

 

  The Aburame knelt down and carefully pulled the injured girl up and over his shoulder. Pink hair splayed over his shoulders as they walked towards the med nin just under the balcony of the stands. They disappeared from view soon after. 

 

  Well, that had been.. that. Whatever that was. It wasn't as exciting of a fight as Naruto and Neji had been, but it had been interesting. No doubt that Sakura had done something huge in letting herself forfeit. But the size of her personal honor and deep loyalty to her comrades was certainly something to be commended. She was admirable. 

 

  The next fight was soon to commence. And it was his turn this time. Shikamaru groaned. 

 

 

 

  Holy fuck. She had done that. She had given Shino the win. She didn't want to hurt him. As soon as she stepped onto the field, she knew that she physically couldn't. Not for something like this. And damn her words from those few weeks ago. So what if she had just thrown the towel, ruined all her chances of becoming a ninja. Because if this is what it meant, this is what kind of ninja she had to be in order for her Hokage to accept her, she didn't want it.

 

  Not at all. 

 

  Shino sat beside Sakura on the bench as the medics healed her bruised skin and brought her chakra level to a more manageable level. She had her leaned back, trying to breathe in and out deeply before she had a panic attack. Fuck. She still can't believe she did that. Shino didn't even know what she sacrificed. 

 

  Tears pricked at her eyes. She wouldn't loose control. Not here. Not now. Her forehead pricked, pain traveling to the back of her skull. She couldn't. Her chest heaved even more, gasping for air. She couldn't breathe. The medic was trying to tell her to calm down but it was all muffled. Hands held her shoulders down. 

 

  "I f-failed," she hiccuped. "I could- couldn't do it. He's going to- I can't," she whispered. 

 

  Shino silently moved in front of her, crouching between her legs. The medic let him take control and he took Sakura's hands in his. "You did not fail. You saved my kikaichū from being slaughtered. And for that I will forever be in your debt. While yes, I would have hoped to have a more honorable win against you, you still evaded me well." 

 

  Sakura shook her head. She did fail. The Hokage would never let her continue to be a ninja now. She didn't win. She didn't pass. She was useless. What good was an honorable ninja if she was useless. 

 

  "You don't understand, Shino. The Hokage won't let me be a ninja anymore. I failed the exams. That was what we agreed on. I'm done for. I can't- I can't do this." 

 

  Shino's grip on her hands became strong and he stood up, leaning forward so their heads nearly touched. "I will not let that happen. I will vouch for you. My clan will vouch for you. You did not fail. I think this because it is the truth. You yielded, but that does not mean that you lost," he urged in a rush. He seemed to feel the words so strongly. 

 

  She sniffed. Breathing was still hard but becoming manageable. Shino managed to calm her down before she went down bad. She really hadn't wanted to hurt his insects, or even him. Every time she thought about actually fighting, the whimpers of Akamaru filled her head. She just couldn't inflict that kind of pain on those who obviously don't deserve it. She's hurt a lot of people. And killed as well. She didn't need any more deaths on her hands. 

 

  "I'm sorry," she rasped. "I hope you're right, Shino. I'm so sorry." 

 

  He loosened his grip and knocked his forehead against hers, just once, gently. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You did well." 

 

  Something metallic lingered on Sakura's tongue. It was sharp and bitter. Blood. Shino was bleeding. Sakura reached her hands up his arms, feeling for the wound. There, at his right bicep, was warm and wet. She pressed, channeling her chakra to her hand and let the wound heal. He deserved that from her at least, as tired as it made her feel afterwards. She was already exhausted. Mostly from her emotions. She just needed a damn break. 

 

  Sakura slumped backwards and slipped from Shino's grasp. 

 

  She heard the cheers from the crowd and knew that Shikamaru and Temari from the Sand were currently battling. 

 

  "Damn Nara runt just yielded as well. What is up with these kids," some passing through medic muttered, but Sakura clearly heard. So maybe not currently battling then. But, unlike her, Shikamaru was smart. He must have had a pretty damn good reason for pulling something like that, especially after hers and Shino's little stunt. 

 

   "At least Naruto had a full win," Sakura said. Shino moved to sit beside her again and she could feel him shrug in agreement. Of course it was Naruto of all people to do that. He was strong and charismatic. A very deadly combination for his foes. Sakura wouldn't even be surprised if she managed to rule the world one day with the power of friendship. 

 

  Shikamaru soon sauntered in and joined Sakura and Shino on the bench. 

 

  "This blows," Shikamaru stated. He earned a nod of agreement from the two. 

 

  Sakura was becoming numb at this point. She was pushing away all negative feelings and thoughts until after the exams were over. Maybe, just maybe, she had proved herself enough that her Hokage had found a use for her. She couldn't bare not being an ninja anymore. It was what she had to do. 

 

  "I think I almost died in the forest," Sakura admitted quietly. She didn't know why those words came out of her mouth. It was something she hadn't shared with even Itachi or Kisame. She was scared of what they might do, of how they would react. 

 

  The two nin stayed quiet, their silence a silent urge to continue. 

 

  "I only remember some of it. But I heard the growls. And I remember something heavy on me, clawing me open. I was so scared. My chest was in pieces. I have nightmares about it. And I wake up with my heart hurting. I have scars. I don't know how I survived, or what brought me back. I was healed somehow. But I should be dead right now." 

 

  She should be dead. But she wasn't. I want to die. Those words also echoed through her. What did they mean? Who said them? There was so much blank space and missing memories. But here she was, given a second chance at life and proving her worth and she had squandered it. Good going. She couldn't even be mad at anyone but herself. And then be even more bad because it made no reason to be mad at herself because she knew in her torn up heart that she did the right thing. Fuck. Again.

 

  "I didn't think I would ever end up here." 

 

  And she didn't. She was blind. But more powerful and stronger than ever. She had found more friends, and more connections. She had Nico now. And she had Hayate, wherever he had slunk off to. And Itachi and Kisame, somewhere out there. Her parents. Maybe now, even Shino and Shikamaru. And she wanted her friendship with Ino back.

 

  Shikamaru sounded wondering when he spoke. "Man, you're really something else. Not in a bad way. Just, scary. Good scary? Weird. Why are girls so weird. Ugh." 

 

  Sakura almost giggled at that. Shikamaru was pretty weird too. 

 

 Shino bumped his shoulder against hers. "I think you are amazing, Sakura. Even if you died. My kikaichū think so as well, and also thank you for taking care of their Queen. You could have gotten rid of her the moment you spotted her around her. You have my thanks as well." 

 

  The girl blushed. "I couldn't hurt it. It would be wrong. But thank you, Shino. And thank you Shikamaru." 

 

  During their talk, Kankuro had also forfeited, before even facing his partner and by this point, the entire crowd was hectic with shouts and boos. 

 

   But then Sasuke appeared, smelling of rain and char. Kakashi was with him, apologizing for the delay. Training until the very last second it seemed. Gaara was quick to materialize nearby, waiting. Sakura didn't like the smell of putrid blood that wafted from him. It was dreadful. She was truly scared of him. 

 

  "I think Gaara needs to take a chill pill," she mumbled. Hinata, Shino, and Kiba has indeed been lucky to not capture his attention when they were in the forest. Or they would have been dead right now. 

 

  Shino leaned close to her ear. "I saw you talking to him, there. You were with a group of genin. He killed one of them, and my team ran while he was distracted. I am sorry for not helping you," he said, sounding horrible guilty as if he just remembered. 

 

  Sakura couldn't even be upset. She understood all too well the line between suicide and saving your friends. She might have done the same, if she were then. Gaara was terrible like that.

 

  "It's okay. We all survived and that's what matters in the end. I don't blame you."

 

  Sasuke and Gaara were at each others throats. Sakura worried for the darkness that she sensed inside both of them, but tried to keep distracted in her conversation with the boys. She was content to keep her mind as far away from them as possible and to focus on making sure her hands didn't shake like they so wanted to. A nice long nap was in order. 

 

 But, unfortunately, peace would not be so. Because something went terrible wrong, or terribly right depending on who you asked, and something pricked Sakura's mind. Warning bells instantly went off in her head and she was quick to release whatever gentjutu was trying to push its way over her. She felt Shino do the same, and gave Shikamaru a sharp smack when he just let it take him. Unmotivated Nara. 

 

  "Troublesome. Why is it always us," Shikamaru groaned. 

 

  Sakura was on her feet in an instant and summoned Nico. Fortunately, this time, it was him who appeared and not the twins (that had been unexpected and not at all what she planned but she went with it anyway.)

 

  "Something wrong, Nico," she said to the confused eagle. 

 

  The summon flapped about. Hold on, let me take a look. He was in the air and returned a few moments later, alarm in his voice. He spoke aloud this time. "It's not good. Sand nin have popped up front everywhere and are attacking us. Sasuke vanished. Along with Gaara. I saw Kakashi and Genma fighting some of the Sand but there's a lot and I don't know how they're gonna last. Everyone seems to be sleeping." 

 

  So that's what was happening to her. Or what was attempted. Well, no rest for the wicked as they say. 

 

  "We need to help,"Shino stated. 

 

  Sakura agreed. "We need to wake up as many nin as possible. Leave the civilians asleep. It's safer for them. They'd only panic and get themselves killed at this point." 

 

  The three set out, waking some of the medics along the way for more help in waking people up and helping any injured, and Nico acted as look out.

 

  It was at this time that Shino and Shikamaru left, urged to chase after Gaara and his siblings who were fleeing the village. Shino wanted a possibility to bring more honor to himself and Shikamaru found himself pulled along. Sakura knew she didn't have the chakra or energy to be active in any fights, especially with Gaara, she she decided to make herself useful elsewhere. 

 

  Sakura was alone. Until she wasn't. She had been given a brief report of giant snakes that had been released into the village and of evacuation plans for the civilians and was told to assist with any injured she found from a chunin that found her. 

 

  Nico landed on her outstretched arm.  

 

  "Well, let's go save some asses. Maybe we'll find Itachi or Kisame hiding on a roof along the way," Sakura sighed wistfully. They could certainly use their help. The village was being invaded and all of this was way above her pay grade. All she could hope was that nobody she knew was dead and that she could prevent any of those deaths from happening. 

 

  Fuck indeed. 

 

 

 

 

 

  I read through the previous chapters and let me just say, I'm cringing so much. Those chapters will 100% be rewritten. And I absolutely hate how I wrote everyone's characters. Especially her interactions with team seven, and Ino. I value relationships a lot and I really didn't do those ones justice. Plus I was young when I wrote this and yeah, more cringe. 

 

After I complete this fanfic, I'm gonna rewrite the whole thing probably and make it less bad. Joy. But new content! So yay? Anyway. 

 

 Until next time <3 I love reading comments and they motivate me to write more. Xoxox

Notes:

I have the first 14 chapters already written, and they are being edited as I post them. These are also cross posted on Wattpad and Quotev.

This is not my first Sakura fanfic, but it’s the only one that I kept and still continue to write for. The lovecraftian/eldritch themes become *a lot* more present in chapters 13 and 14.

Lmao anyways, please leave a comment because that fuels much of my motivation to write, and I hope that you enjoy this!