Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Wind is Whistling ❯ Sakura no Yuutsu: Live, Alive ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Gaara's lament will be the next point in the next chapter, one of so many things. A bit by bit mystery unsolved, and your eyes slowly opened.

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With gratitude,

Ein

Problems occasionally occur in one's life, and people handle it in different ways. One can confront it directly in the face. Another choose to lure and wait, baiting for the perfect time to solve it. And sometimes, they simply run away. Just like her, just like them, just like all cowards who could not stand to face the horrible storm.

She sipped her sake, feeling strangely enacted by this revelation. Tsunade the Sannin could not, for the sake of her love of gambling, predicted what would happen that day. Not because she eternally sucked in luck. She stared a little bit longer to the translucent liquid in her mug. Ha! Guess what? This Legendary Sucker still lived and breathing until this day. At the very least she owned her own life. Her life, her rule, it was as simple as that. And if she wanted to run, that would be the savior that had led her so she still be able to breath today.

Running is always a viable option. One must be a fool to discount the opportunity. It is not necessarily bad. One can always back away, knowing when to retreat, and come back to strike. It somehow become necessary, to know one's strength, to admit defeat; and mostly, to know when to get up and walk stomping fear in the face. Yes, and sometimes running can be the most foolish thing to do. Especially when one know that the battle has not over yet.

She'd drink to that, cheering herself sober. Raising her glass and tossed to the empty air. Kampai, she cheered, to myself. She was such a fool. Tsunade glanced to the side and saw Shizune sat in boredom. The brunette was holding TonTon in a protective manner, maybe from the drunkards fool that had been fighting for awhile now at the center of this bar. In the middle of shouting and yelling, drunkards were tossing dice and old man sweeping rugs in the corner. Tables turned upside down and grueling fist fight fell in the center of Tanzaku Gai largest casino. Useless men, she rolled her eyes and back to her drink. Huh, she herself was bored, real bored that she considered to break the brawling herself. Perhaps some thrill, enjoyment adventure for the cure of of this repetitive and constant life.

Tsunade shook her head, she had too much to drink it seemed. Her shinobi career had long done. She quited, and that was that.

Do you, really?

Marvellous, and now she began hearing voices in her head.

I'm hurt, the voice now was mocking at her,Is it so unbelievable that you can hear me?

Who are you?

Do you really want to know?

Yes, Tsunade's eyebrows twitched, unless you're some stupid hallucination and I'm going crazy.

Hmm, decision, decision...

Forget it, Tsunade snapped, just go away from me.

That was quick, the voice replied cheerily, Nope. I've decided my mind. It had mind? All right, where to start, where to start...

Make it simple.

Okay then, I am you.

Maybe her hearing had malfunctioned. Excuse me?

You hear yourself. Tsunade swore she could feel the voice shrugged.

What proof do you have?

Mmm..., I'm not sure. It will be real-ly hard to process you know?

Quit the riddle already. Tsunade tapped the table surface, feeling irked at this madness. She could see Shizune stared oddly at her from the corner of her eyes.

Quite the impatient one for a sannin, hm?

Yes, and this sannin will crush you soon. What are you? Demon? Wandering spirit?

Careful woman, you only referring to yourself.

You know what? Forget it and leave.

So sad, unfortunately I cannot do that.

Why not?

See? You, my lady, do not want me to leave for the first place.

Her eyebrows was now twitched madly. I don't care. Just do your job and get it over with. She swore she could feel the voice cheered, cheered.

As you wish. And now she could feel the voice bowed mockingly at her.

It was nothing at first. She did not hear anything, as if the voice just went away somewhere. Some sort of relief washed her (previously) disturbed mind. Huh, maybe it go away? Tsunade shrugged inwardly, whatever. Yes, it was nothing at first, but images slowly appeared before her very own eyes. As if she was watching black and white movie marathon, a very bad movie. The blond smashed her glass in the sudden. Her eyes wide, dilating with fear. She was shaking, hyperventilating uncontrollably; she looked down to her bloody hand. Not far from Tsunade's stool, Shizune watched her mentor with fear in her eyes.

“Tsunade...sama...what...,” but Shizune's words shut down quickly, at the fire she had not seen in her mentor eyes for years.

And when the next line was said, Tsunade whispered with every single drip of venom she had in her vein, “Stupid...” The blonds’ eyes flashed dangerously. “... Brat.”

It felt like just yesterday, thought Sakura as she floated again in the endless space. She looked at her surrounding. Only this time it was not dark, endless dungeon filled with memories. An ever ending tomorrow, she chuckled to herself. No, she could not just forget tomorrow. And now she floated in the sea of nothing. A few stolen moments, flashes of pictures in her mind was all that she had. Though she tried to resist being oddly mixed between happy and depressed at the same time, she was saving all her feelings inside. Even though she did not know if she still had the right to feel at all.

Huh, had she become this sentimental as the years go by? I'm getting old, she mused to herself. How long had it been? Months? Years? I don't know, I don't really want to know.

The last thing she saw was split seconds of that face. Those long blond hair, curled in a bun. Those determined eyes, steeled like a jade. That worried look, as if lost in a morbid world. How morbid, that seemed to be the theme of her life lately, if she did live at all that is.

Sakura was exhausted, tired from all scenes and roler coaster in her whole life. It's a never ending circle, and she did not really believe in reincarnation. Second chance, third redemption, fourth amendment, fifth forgiveness; as if she deserved to have one. She scoffed in the nothingness. But, Sakura felt something deep within herself, the warmth she felt was not an illusion. It felt like real, painfully real. For so long she spent her life, death, in a sea of churning turns. Even in death she could not do anything, saw nothing, met no-one. And suddenly the world shifted into different reality, where she finally felt something, a real thing. Her eyes were not opened, and she could not move; but she still feel.

The pain, the smell, the look given to her; it felt real. The warmth in that hold, she really wanted to move her cursed body, opened her eyes and took a look on her surrounding; but her system simply stubborn, she could not budge from her place.

She was tired, and surrendered once again in the nothingness. Thinking nothing, feeling nothing. Nothing really matter as long the warmth engulfed her presence anyway.

Yeah, that must be it.

The first thing he noticed was odd sensation in his stomach, prickling feeling on the back of his neck, and tiny seizures following on his fingers. He felt strange, he thought strange...heck, his vision was beginning to strange, to the point that he was ready to vomit his stomach inside and out. What began as tiny seizure developed into strong shakes, he was hyperventilating. What's wrong with me? He stared at his hands, tiny little fingers. When had it become smaller? And just like that his mind turned blank. Blank, as if his surrounding didn't matter to him anymore. Blank, that he felt like his body had just slammed into thousand carts. His eyes turned wide.

He gasped for air, something he desperately needed. He coughed uncontrollably, clutching the metal bar in front of him, desperately trying not to faint. He barely made out voices surrounding him, people surrounding him. His blurred sight caught tiny prickles of brown, crust spice below his knee. Potato chips. At first he didn't know, his mind barely registered the rush of knowledge rammed into his head. Chouji...chouji..., chouji, chouji, chouji. His eyes widen as he could see. Chouji knelt beside him, his face. Worried. No.

Don't. Whatever your judgment Juubi, this just not happened. He was dead. He must be dead. There's no way he survived that blast. This must be illusion, a cold, sick fantasies to the land of death.

A touch on his shoulder brought him out of his reverie, he tensed out reflex. “Shikamaru? Are you feeling alright?” The voice behind him made his pale face turned translucent white. The beard man was staring down at him with concerned look. No, he shook his head inwardly, I must be dreaming, this was just a nightmare.

Asuma was dead, long time dead. He avenged him. I am dead.

Chuckles followed him. “No Shikamaru, you are very much alive right now. What happened? Are you feeling tired?” Did he just voice that out loud?

“No,” he barely made out the word from his dry throat.

“Here, drink this.” Chouji handed him his water bottle. He looked at him, shaking his head, looking at the water bottle, shaking his head again. “You need this more than I do,” Chouji gentle voice called him to look up.

“Uh..., thanks.” He took it carefully, sniffed in subtlety for tracking poison, and took a sip from it; which soon turned into two, three, more, and he drunk the bottle dry. He swiped his drenched chin with the back of his hand.

“There, now.” A pat on his shoulder made him looked up again, less tense than before. “It's not that hard, isn't it?” Asuma was smiling at him.

Asuma was smiling. Asuma was smiling. Asuma was smiling. His mind reeling. He shook his head, this was just too much to take.

“No,” He barely made out his words as he sensed the familiar chakra, two familiar chakras. Familiar voice, running footsteps, his eyes turned wide again, wider than before. If turning could kill, then shifting his head might just snapped his neck at that moment.

No, he felt cold dread in his lung. He dropped the water bottle, ready to bolt and out from his ground. He was ready to leap, if not for two people holding his shoulder, preventing him to jump out of the gun.

“Shikamaru, calm down! What are you doing?!” Two simultaneous voices called him, preventing him. He couldn't care less. What was he doing? What were they doing. Didn't they see what happened down there? Let me go! He gritted his teeth so badly that he could feel his lips bleed.

“Let me go,” His voice was thick with malice, desperation as his eyes didn't budge from the sight. “Let. Me. Go. She needs me.”

But the grip only tightened. “Calm down Shika, we will talk. Slowly alright. Slowly.” He snapped his furious gaze to his team-mate and sensei. Calm down? Calm down? Are you fucking insane? He wanted to shout that out loud, but somehow the words stuck in his throat.

“No! Don't...” His warning came too late, and the stadium fell into silence.

He could feel the hold on his body lessened. Their gaze was not at him anymore, no, but to something behind, far behind. Down there, the pit hole in his stomach deepened. He quickly released their clutch, shunshin-ed away to the middle ground. And then he saw them, in the opposite hold unlike the last time. So unlike that it made him sick to his stomach. Was he too late? Was this too late? This, the salvation he was waiting for? Another familiar presence made him jolt out of his thought. The figure walked slowly, the footsteps made their way to him.

A hand on his shoulder, he didn't need to look back to know who he is. “She is not dead yet,” the voice was merely above whisper, “Alive, but barely. We have to move. Fast.” And fast they did, firm footsteps to the body in the blonds’ hold.

000

One more time, one last time, she kept telling herself. The time to prove her worth, the perfect smile on those lips, that precious touch on her hand. She only needed one chance, one more try to make the rosette looked at her, really looked at her. The cold metal in her grip felt surreal, and so the warm liquid covering her arms. She couldn't believe it. Wasn't this what she had been searching for? And she had found it. She succeeded, and she felt like crying. She had succeeded, but not like this. This wasn't what she wanted.

She won, and a blond felt like crying.

She could not believe it, she had won, but at what cost? She could hear her own beating heart, the slowly ticking tingle on the back of her neck. She was on the ground, crossing her legs with the rosette in her arms. Sakura didn't dodge in the last moment, as if the rosette was paralysed by some kind of genjutsu. She didn't. And as Ino ran toward her with kunai in her hand, Sakura was so still. Sakura still was even until the kunai had buried in her abdomen. Sakura still was as Ino stared dumbstruck at Sakura's perplexed face. It was as if the rosette didn't know how to respond at all, as if Sakura just met her for the first time. Sakura just met her, and didn't mind at all knowing she was going to be killed.

It was hard to breathe for Ino, her gaze was vacant. It felt like dream, unreal. The soft touch on her cheek was not real. The smile the rosette gave her was not real. The body in Ino's hold was not real. Ino wanted to shout at her. What are you doing! What's so funny! But the body wouldn't respond even if she did that. Never in her jog of memory had Ino felt so at loss, so...defeated.

She was prepared with her all. One strike, one move, one blasting chance to finish their rivalry. This is my all. This is me. This is all me of standing before you. Can you see me? Can you feel me? Can you now acknowledge me? Can you now see that I'm not looking at your back anymore? Can you see my face?

She did, Sakura did, but not the way Ino expected her to. If anything there was no sick satisfaction in Sakura's expression, anything but triumphant and victory. It was as if Sakura was relieved to see her, just by looking at her face, just by holding her tight.

Ino felt like crying just then, but her tears wouldn't come out. She killed her precious friend, and she had never feel so alone. What good was victory if she couldn't save her best friend? What good was proud for her jutsu if Sakura couldn't hear it by the time the sun went down the horizon? All it left her was an empty feeling.

Ino didn't hear footsteps down to her place. And she did not care if her hearing had malfunctioned. Her hand caressed Sakura's pink locks, the side of rosette face. Her face was so peaceful, like the rosette just went asleep. Maybe Sakura would wake up tomorrow and had their daily dose of banter again. Perhaps their rivalry would end tomorrow and they could train together. Perhaps they would be jounin together in time. Everything will be fine, and Sakura will get her portion of scolding tomorrow, she kept telling herself that.

She felt nothing, she heard nothing, and she saw nothing. Everything else didn't matter.

“It will be alright, she will wake up tomorrow,” her words were barely above a whispered hush. Assurance, which she needed a lot. “She will get a lot of yelling tomorrow.”

She shouldn't feel anything, and the hand on her shoulder was not an exception.

“Ino, listen to me. She is stronger than you think, you didn't kill her.” A whispering words to her ear didn't faze her in the least.

“Maybe she will want to train together after this is over. We can have training trip together. Maybe to wave?” The words were repeated over and again, like a broken tape. Ino still holding on the still body, never let go.

“Ino...” The voice stricken. “...Ino, Sakura needs you.” The voice was so persistent, but it as if Ino didn't hear it.

“Maybe Asuma-sensei will ask Kurenai-sensei to teach you. Don't worry, she's so adept in genjutsu. You adept in chakra control. Don't you, Sakura?” Ino wore a soft smile, still caressing the rosette pink locks. “You will be okay.”

“Sakura is dying, Ino.”

The voice made her halted in her tracks, she continued her whispers, “You will be fine, Sakura. You hear me?” Although her voice sounded less sure this time.

“Her death is assured...” but Ino didn't hear the rest of it, the words stuck in her mind like glue.

Her death is assured. Her death is assured. Her death is assured. No, no way.

No. Fucking. Way.

She finally snapped and whirled around. She didn't care if it was the death god himself, she would not accept it so easily. And she yelled toward the redhead with black kanji of 'love' on his forehead. “Shut. Up.” Ino was seething. “SHUT THE FUCK UP!! She is fine!! Ino pointed her thumb on Sakura's still body. “Just who the hell you are? Sakura. Is. Fine.YOU HEAR ME!! She heaved, breathing heavily, staring daggers at the redhead with every word came out of her lips. She couldn't believe it, and the Suna redhead something dare to smile at her too.

The redhead was still smiling as he spoke the next sentence that made her stop dead in her tracks.

“I said, her death is assured; unless, she are not to receive medical attention,” said the redhead, “Sakura-chi is very strong, you see. She just need your help and soon.”

Ino really wanted to reply that statement with something, anything, but the word that able to slip out of her lips was a dumb, “Huh?”

“Gaara is right, Ino.” And she turned around to find Shikamaru staring down at her with mix amusement and boredom. It was as if this was a bad soap opera or something.

“What? Shika?”

Shikamaru shrugged. “You heard him.”

“How do you know?” Ino's eyes narrowed, her eyes challenging. Shikamaru only fixed a direct stare, an assured look to her.

“I trust him,” Shikamaru said.

Ino merely looked at him. Trust is something rare in their world filled with deception and lies. For the lazy genius to trust someone she barely knew, they barely knew, was something to be weigh in. Shikamaru didn't trust easily, and for him to trust this stranger was something. And Ino trust Shikamaru. They were running out of time if what the redhead said was true. So she gave a final nod. “What do I suppose to do?”

“I can smell her chakra,” the redhead said, he put his palm on the blonds’ hand “Feel it with your body.”

000

Her chakra flailed dangerously around her body, effectively stopping the fight in immediate silence. The uncaring glances had turned into fear as her step created crack on the floor. She didn't care either way.

The bartender stared scare, his opened lips closed suddenly at his patron behaviour.

She was furious; her electric chakra destroyed everything in her way, sending destruction to obstacles in her path. Wood turned to briskets, rock dispersed into dust, and metals melted into clay of burnt liquid. Her eyes screamed fury for everyone who dared to look to her. All scurried away, giving her street to walk on, away from her wrath. No one dared to mess with rampaging sannin in her highest.

“Moron, troublesome, brat.” Her words never rise above whisper, and it made her more dangerous. “How dare she?” She seethed her teeth, gritting harshly that it drew blood in her mouth wall.

“Tsunade...sama?” Shizune was now frightened, looking at her mentor carefully, not wanting to anger her anymore, no matter what her problem is. She yelped at the fast snapped look thrown at her, and more to the throwing object that embedded deeply into the wall behind her. A kunai deeply stabbed into the wooden liquor rack, scaring the bartender to death, on the handle stack of bill hung limp.

Shizune didn't say anything, merely following her mentor with cautious step outside. Her heart thumping in her chest. What's wrong? She afraid of voicing her thought. Her eyes fixed on the hanging green cotton on her mentor shoulder, staring at her straight furious back spine.

“Shizune.” She looked up slowly, to the gradually calming sannin, but still had intense look in those eyes. “We're leaving.”

“Huh?” She stared oddly at her mentor.

“We have business to attend.” Tsunade didn't leave any room for argument, and Shizune didn't dare to speak any further. They arrived at bare land. She watched her mentor knelt down, biting her finger with less care than necessary and drew seal on the ground. Not much later a large poof surfaced on the ground, revealing giant slug and a large scroll hung in the mid air. She stared openly, her mouth wide open.

“Katsuyu,” Tsunade didn't bother with pleasantries at that moment, “bring Gamabunta here.”

“Tsunade-hime, what made you troubled so?” The giant slug peered down to the blond woman.

Her scowl surfaced, deeper than before. “My baka apprentice, what else? She just had to complicate things, had she not?”

The slug looked at Shizune, who shifted uncomfortably at her feet.

“No.” Tsunade snapped. “The other one, you know it.”

If it possible for invertebrates to smile, then Katsuyu had already grinned in mirth. “She made it then I presume.” The deep voice resounded in the clearing.

“Yes.” Tsunade firmly answered. “Now, skip this chit chat. We will discuss it later. And I need to get there as fast as possible.”

Shizune nodded with her ability to do so, looking back and forth to the princess and the slug.

“Your wish is my command.”

And with that, Katsuyu bowed low.



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