Flower of two worlds

17.- Sakura from Konoha

Finally, we've reached one of my favorite chapters. I hope you enjoy it, and I hold it so dear that I put a lot of effort into trying to improve it from its original Spanish version.

" Kakashi-sensei said: Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum"

Several alarms echoed within Sakura as she felt an imminent threat slithering in the darkness, like a cunning rat out of everyone's sight. Upon detecting it, the whispering voice, backed by some machinery, made itself known.

"I'm sorry, Tiger. She always had a good quirk," the voice came from the depths, where the heroes and Tiger turned to identify its origin. "It was the perfect opportunity, and I took it."

The heroes went on high alert.

"Are you with the League?" Gang Orca inquired.

"Turn on the light," Tiger ordered.

"When my body transformed like this, I also lost much of what I had gained" the voice continued, still in the shadows.

Gang Orca ordered him to stop, and when ignored, Best Jeanist was the first to react quickly, sending several denim threads wrapping around the man who approached calmly despite the heroes telling him to stop. Despite Mount Lady's complaints, Sakura agreed with his quick reaction to keep him restrained. This man gave her chills. It's not normal for a man to remain so calm in a situation like this.

Dark rays surrounded the man; the denim ropes broke instantly before the area exploded.

The explosion was so powerful that Sakura barely had time to take cover, suppressing the urge to cough from the inhaled dust. She peeked over the wall to locate the heroes and, especially, the kids. Looking outside, she experienced a spasm, unable to believe what her eyes witnessed. Several buildings around had been reduced to rubble. In the midst of that chaos, the villain began to applaud, unharmed, even though the other heroes were scattered, injured, and unconscious, except for Best Jeanist, who, although conscious, lay unable to get up from the ground.

"As expected from the number four hero" the villain acknowledged, "I thought I had blown you all away. Manipulating your suits and pushing you aside in a matter of moments. It takes nerves of steel to make such quick decisions and exhibit such skills."

Despite Sakura facing death's edge for years, she felt her body tense simply by seeing this man. She could sense that he emanated power and danger. There was no doubt in her mind that this individual had snuffed out lives without the slightest hint of remorse, just as many of the enemies she had faced had done. Her UA companions were mere meters away from a villain of a completely different league than the ones they had seen so far.

"Damn it" she cursed frustratedly as Best Jeanist tried to confront him and, instead, received a blow that tore a hole in his stomach, rendering him unconscious immediately.

Looking back at her friends, the five were paralyzed, drenched in sweat. Even Yaoyorozu and Midoriya seemed on the verge of vomiting.

'Yes' she thought solemnly 'Remember this fear forever, the lack of control over your own bodies. Now you will understand the immense power difference between you and the villains.'

A small part of her fervently wished they hadn't witnessed such chaos in their lives and, instead, could enjoy a quieter existence as heroes. Especially because she knew intimately the chilling fear they were experiencing at that moment.

She could almost see herself in them, remembering how, at twelve years old, she would tremble to the bone and instinctively reach for her ninja pouch to grab a kunai. Her memories transported her to the Forest of Death, where she faced the terror of standing in front of Orochimaru, marking a turning point in her life, similar to what they were experiencing now.