Chapter Text
His heart raced with a profound sense of destiny as he gazed upon her captivating form. She stood before him, a vision of ethereal grace that seemed to transcend the mortal realm. Her delicate features were like cherry blossoms in full bloom, each strand of her hair dancing lightly in the gentle breeze. Her eyes were mesmerizing pools of jade that sparkled with an otherworldly allure, drawing him in as if she were a celestial sprite descended from the heavens themselves. The air around her seemed to vibrate with the fresh, revitalizing energy of spring, infusing the atmosphere with an almost intoxicating vitality.
It was as if the universe had conspired to bring him to this remote village in the Land of Fire, guiding his path toward this fated encounter.
All seemed aligned, the stars and planets perfectly positioned to usher him to this precise location where she now stood before him. And when his eyes finally locked on her form, the rest of the village faded away, disappearing from his awareness as she became the sole focus of his world.
Her beauty was breathtaking, her presence captivating - a force of nature that commanded his full attention and threatened forever to alter the course of his people's destiny.
In that moment, he knew his life would never be the same, for she had cast an enchantment over him that he had no desire to break.
Kazan had always been skeptical about rumors of the existence of a girl who resembled Sakuya-Hime. However, when he caught wind of whispers of a healer who was providing aid to the victims of the recent human explosion incident, he knew he had to investigate.
His heart was filled with hope and fear as he longed to confirm if the beautiful healer was, in fact, his beloved Sakuya. The man couldn't ignore the possibility of finally reuniting with his lost love that was stolen from him by that man.
He was determined to uncover the truth. To figure out if the Four Great Shinobi War heroine was his Sakuya.
Kazan stared at Sakura as she moved with grace; his eyes fixated on the purple diamond on her forehead. This diamond was known as Byakugō, a symbol of immense power and prestige. It was a rare and valuable artifact possessed by only a privileged few, and Sakuya was one of them. This woman had to be her had to be her reincarnation, but he was too nervous to speak with her. Too nervous to approach her. He hoped she was not tainted by that man. A poisonous being that cost his Sakuya her life.
Ino's attention was caught by a peculiar man when the little girl she was helping tugged on her arm and said, "Um, some strange man is looking at Lady Sakura."
Ino looked up from tending to a young girl's cut and noticed a stranger intently staring at her best friend. After finishing up with the child, Ino approached the man, whose gaze had not left Sakura. He didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"Do you need help?" Ino asked the man.
"I'm just a traveler passing through, but I can't help but be curious about what happened here and who the healer is," he replied, pretending he was not aware of Sakura's identity. Deep down, he knew full well that the healer was Sakura Haruno, the legendary heroine of the Great Shinobi War and his future wife.
Kazan was acutely aware that he could not afford to reveal his true knowledge to this woman, this shinobi who was his beloved best friend. Kazan needed to keep his real identity, rooted in the ancient origins of Ninshu, a closely guarded secret. Disclosing this information would risk everything he had worked for.
"Oh, that's my best friend Sakura," Ino said with a smile. “Do you need her assistance? I can call her over and…”
"She's beautiful," the man remarked before turning and walking away without another word.
Ino found his behavior strange and couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye.
As a shinobi, she was used to maneuvering through layers of deception and concealed identities, but this man's level of secrecy surpassed anything she had ever encountered before. She raised her hand, attempting to read his mind, but found herself blocked. "This is strange," she thought to herself.
Ino couldn't ignore the intensity with which he had watched Sakura, and it made her uneasy.
Before she could ponder the matter further, Sakura approached, pinching Ino's arm, "Pig! Earth to Ino!"
Sakura couldn't help but feel a pang of concern as she watched Ino's gaze drift off, her usually sharp focus waning. As the team leader, Sakura knew she needed to keep her squad members attentive and ready, especially during these uncertain times when threats could lurk around every corner.
Ino turned, rubbing her reddened arm, and wincing in discomfort. "Ouch! What was that for?" she asked, her brow furrowed in annoyance.
"You were spacing out again. I know you miss Sai, but as your team leader, I need you focused," she said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ino opened her mouth to protest, but Sakura cut her off.
“Don't try to deny it. I can see it in your eyes." Ino sighed in resignation, knowing Sakura was right. She did miss Sai, but she knew her duty. Knew what this mission meant.
But then, Ino's gaze sharpened, her expression shifting as a flicker of urgency crossed her features. "I wasn't thinking about Sai," she insisted, her eyes darting around their surroundings like a hawk on the hunt. "That strange man was watching you." She pointed toward the shadow of a figure that just vanished around the corner, leaving an unsettling air behind. “I tried to read his mind, but nothing came through. He placed a shield over his thoughts, making it nearly impossible for me to grasp anything about him.”
A chill raced down Sakura's spine at the implication of being watched, even though she attempted to mask her unease with a casual shrug.
"I'm used to strange men watching me. It's not a big deal," she replied, her tone light and dismissive. Yet, beneath her nonchalant attitude, a knot of anxiety twisted in her stomach as she contemplated the hidden motives of this mysterious observer.
"Well, it should be! We don't need another creep trying to kidnap you." Ino’s voice rose with frenetic energy. "How many restraining orders have you filed since the war? Five?" Her eyes widened with concern. "If Sasuke knew, he'd be worried."
"He’d probably ignore it because it isn’t important. I can handle myself," Sakura declared firmly, taking the lead as they made their way back to the makeshift medical station. The air felt thick with tension, the remnants of the recent chaos still lingering in the silence. "This is the last location affected by the exploding human incident," she added, her mind already shifting to the task ahead, determined to focus on what truly mattered. “Once we finish up here in the next day or two, we can head back to Konoha, I am sure Sai will be pleased to see you.”
“Enough about my romantic relationship with Sai!” Ino pressed on. "Sasuke Uchiha came back to Konoha specifically for you when Kido kidnapped you. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody ignored all Kakashi's requests, but he only returned when he found out something happened to you. You'd tell me if something was going on between you two, right?"
"We're just friends, nothing more," Sakura lied, aware of the blossoming feelings between her and Sasuke that she wasn't ready to share.
"But do you want to be more?" Ino questioned, already knowing the answer but choosing not to pry. “I know he came back, the day after you were kidnapped. That he spent the night at your place.”
“He was just checking in on me.” Sakura sighed, knowing Ino was going to press further.
“So did you fuck?” Ino asked.
Sakura sighed, growing tired of everyone trying to meddle in the relationship between her and Sasuke. "We have work to do, and I want to complete it in an hour. I want to return to Konoha by tomorrow. I have research on a new procedure that I want to get back to." Ignoring Ino’s invasive question.
“You know I will eventually find out what is going on between you and Sasuke, right,” Ino smirked.
Sakura sat down at the desk and looked at the vials of blood she took from the victims. “I will tell you when I am ready, and if something is blossoming between us. I promise that you will be the first to know.”
After a long and perilous journey across vast, uncharted lands, Kazen finally reached his destination - the sacred shrine of Sakuya-Hime, the revered princess whose divine essence he had been seeking for so many years.
His heart raced with anticipation as he gazed upon the enchanting portrait that decorated the shrine, the delicate features of the princess' face stirring memories of a love that had transcended lifetimes.
This was the moment he had dedicated his life to - the chance to be reunited with his eternal beloved, the reincarnation of Sakuya-Hime herself.
For he knew that Sakura Haruno, the young woman whose destiny was so intimately tied to the prosperity of his people, held the key to unlocking a ritual of immense power. Only by leading her to this hallowed place could he ensure the continued well-being and flourishing of his kingdom.
Yet his joy at this prospect was tinged with a deep, gnawing fear - the fear that time might be running out, that the fated connection between Sakura and Indra's reincarnation, Sasuke Uchiha, had already been forged. If the two had fallen in love, as they had in a bygone era, then all would be lost, for their bond threatened to unravel the delicate tapestry of fate that the man had so carefully woven.
He could not bear the thought of history repeating itself, of once again losing his beloved princess to the one who had torn them apart millennia ago.
"My beloved Sakuya, we will finally meet again, this time under the same sky!"
His quest had reached its climactic juncture, and the future of his people now hung in the balance.