夢

Chapter Twenty-Eight

出会い
encounter

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...I had a lot of fun writing this chapter...hope you enjoy :]

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Sakura Haruno snuck around the trees and to the building. After sensing that no one was near her, she took off her hood, revealed her chakra, and channeled her strength into her one fist.

"Shannaro!"

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The first thing the soldier saw was the woman's eyes. They gleamed with hope and determination, shielded by an emerald fire. The soldier, who arrived by the time the woman started breaking down the building's walls, watched in amazement as the woman took down a handful of soldiers with only her hands and feet. Wow, all this happened during break of my two shifts.

The soldier watched as chakra glowed brightly around the woman's hands, puncturing the masked men's neck and knocking them out cold. The thing that surprised the soldier even more was that the woman had pink hair--someone the soldier had never heard about.

After all, no one has such bright pink hair, the soldier thought. The soldier's onyx eyes watched as the woman tore through the army as if they were mere flies. When the pink haired kunoichi finished, she made her way to the soldier.

"Well, are you gonna fight me?" The soldier was surprised by the tone the woman spoke in. The pink haired kunoichi didn't make a move to attack, and nor did she daunt or tease the soldier.

"I will not fight the kunoichi that is here to get me out of this hellhole. That is not a proper way to thank you." With those two statements, the pinkette flashed a bright smile. Even in the dark hallways of the building, where light was not visible, the smile managed to give sight to the soldier.

The soldier saw the fire in the pinkette's emerald eyes yet again. While the soldier was entranced by the kunoichi's gaze, the same pinkette reached for the mask on the soldier's face.

The soldier didn't resist--instead, the soldier let her take the mask off. A ghost of a smile graced itself on the soldier's magenta lips. "How free do you feel?" The pinkette asked, the smile on her face growing bigger.

At that moment, the soldier forgot about everything. The soldier didn't care that Danzo would soon come take care of them, she didn't care that more soldiers were coming as well. The moment the pinkette touched the her skin, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time--something she could barely even recognize anymore.

"Very much free. Something I haven't felt in a while," the soldier replied. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me. However, I do agree with this place being a 'hellhole.'" Sakura said as she turned around from the soldier. "If I had gotten here years before, then maybe I would have used this to make things...right. Maybe things would be different now. But now...even though I have finally gotten here, this place is, really, just a 'hellhole.' I'm glad to have helped you get out."

For the first time since the woman arrived (which was only a few minutes ago, but to the soldier, it felt like weeks) the soldier thought about the boy, Sai. Did he make it out? "Wait here, please." With that, the soldier ran off to check on Sai's room.

It was empty. But a book was left on the table.

The soldier gently grasped the book, carefully maneuvering the soldier's fingers around the torn edges. The soldier flipped the book open, and onyx eyes crinkled in soft joy as they trailed the sketches and lines made of graphite and ink on the paper.

The soldier heard footsteps outside of the room and stuffed the notebook in a kunai pouch. The soldier's onyx eyes were relieved to see the same medic walking around. "You found who you're looking for?"

The soldier's head shook side to side. "No. But I'm relieved to see that he escaped. He left his notebook...I'll return it the next time I see him." The soldier then heard the faint footsteps of other soldiers. "You should probably leave. There are thousands of trained soldiers headed this way."

Said woman nodded, pink hair flying with her movement, and sent a smile towards the soldier. "What's your name? I'm Sakura."

The soldier only shrugged. "I don't have a name."

Then the woman did the most unexpected thing ever. She turned around, but held her arm out.

"Well, are you coming with me?"

The girl's ghost of a smile grew brighter, making Sakura's grow as well. Together, they jumped out of the broken down wall that Sakura made, and ran.

The soldier's onyx eyes, which were gleaming under the moonlight, were stuck on Sakura's emerald eyes.

"It's only a matter of time until a better person steps in. And when that day comes, I'll be protecting them willingly."

I have finally found that person, she thought as the two of them ran out into the deep of the night. She felt the wind rush past them, letting the adrenaline run through her veins.

And I will protect her with all my life.

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[Five Months Ago]

In pure interest, Akira had stolen one of Satoshi's scrolls--in her words, she temporarily stole it, meaning she planned to read it and put it back like she hadn't taken it. Well, except for that one paper she took.

In Satoshi's scroll, he stored reports and information about each village (from when he was Hokage during the war). One village intrigued Akira, which was why she took it.

Otogakure, she remembered.

A small village. Dry, desolate land, far from being fertile. Contained an underground system, for Orochiamru's experiments. Low supplies of food, water, and weapons.

Homeless families.

Akira was sure that was where she'd start her plan, but first--she'd have to manage Orochimaru.