Sakura was thankful that Eri managed to fall asleep and continue without incident or signs of nightmares because it gave her a temporary respite and allowing her to tackle the oncoming tsunami of emotions that she kept hidden from the girl. But this night Sakura could allow herself to run restless, her mind now racing with thoughts and plans. That persistent smile that had grown painful from holding back her inner turmoil could finally relax its arms.
The truth of Er's past, she knew was nothing short of a wound that still festered and ached with reminders of what she endured. For Sakura it resonated too closely with the horrors she had heard about Orochimaru's victims. All those subjects suffering under his experiments for his own gain. This one event reflecting so closely to home the nostalgia made her stomach drop.
She continued to engage in activities to keep Eri distracted, but it did very little to help Sakura herself.
Revenge had always been a concept she admonished, because the price seemed steep for the reward. But this time, her heart was steeling in its direction, a primal urge to obliterate all of Eri's darkness that was embodied in the form of Overhaul. These emotions threatened o consume her at every minute.
Sakura knew her actions could have consiquences. She had witnessed firsthand the devastating toll revenge had taken on Sasuke, and yet, at this moment, she was willing to abandon all caution and heed the call of her fury.
Despite the turmoil that threatened to engulf her, Sakura understood that she couldn't afford to lose her composure. Eri's entire state, physical, mental and emotional, all rested in her hands. She had become the girl's protector. Sakura knew that any misstep on her part would have dire consequences. And not just for herself.
The original looked at her clone with a sharp glare, "You know what to do?"
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Arriving at the underground fight clubs, Sakura's clone knew she would find what she was looking for here. The dimly lit room was filled with a cacophony of voices, the air thick with the smell of sweat, blood and anticipation. She blended into the crowd, her presence like a phantom among the boisterous fighters and eager spectators.
News of Nemesis had spread like wildfire through the underground network. Whispers of her exploits had reached the ears of those hungry for blood and glory especially since Shie Hassaikai had put a bounty on her head to be brought back alive.
The crowd murmured in excitement, their eyes fixed on the enigmatic figure in the black suit.
The arena was shrouded in darkness, the only source of light emanating from the spotlight that illuminated Sakura's clone standing in the center of the ring. The silhouette of her opponent, another fallen victim to her devastating punch, loomed on the other side. This time, the prize money held no allure for Sakura; she sought something far different-notoriety. Fighter after fighter had succumbed to her skill, eager to claim the reward awaiting the victor.
"Another one bites the dust! Nemesis hasn't lost his touch!" roared the announcer, his voice reverberating through the arena.
Hours had passed since Sakura had entered the ring. Each opponent found that for all their skills and experience, itw as all futile, none able to withstand the force of her first blow. As Sakura continued her assault, her eyes darted across the audience, observing their reactions. If Giran's information held, she wouldn't need to search the city for Kai Chisaki's men; they would come to her. Perhaps this battle would even serve as the bait that would draw the snake out of his hideout.
For Sakura, this was more than just a fight; it was a crucial step toward putting an end to Eri's fears once and for all. As much as she yearned to charge headfirst into the enemy's lair, she knew the importance of cornering Kai. There could be no room for escape, no chance for him to slip through her fingers. Eri's future depended on it, and Sakura refused to let her live in the shadow of fear any longer.
Fishing for her prey would take time, and she had to be prepared. Impulsivity could lead to failure, and Sakura couldn't afford to let that happen.
Her patience was finally rewarded when she glanced up at the commentator's stand. Though she couldn't discern their words, the distinctive plague mask worn by one of the commentators confirmed their affiliation with Shie Hassaikai.
"Well, unfortunately, folks, that concludes tonight's events. Thank you for joining us, and don't forget to come back for the next thrilling installment! Good night!" announced the commentator, calling everything to an end with a finality in his voice.
Whispers rippled through the crowd, some questioning the early conclusion of the event. Speculation arose, but many assumed that the absence of repeat fighters was the reason behind the abrupt ending.
As Nemesis was summoned to the backstage area to collect her well reward, Sakura couldn't help but smirk.
Oh, she intended to collect. This was merely the first step towards her ultimate goal, the showdown that would bring her face to face with Kai Chisaki and his twisted organization.
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Sakura chuckled, listening to the pained groans like it was a melody. "And here I thought I would have something to worry about. I'm surprised you are this foolish,"
"P-Please," The stage owner stammered, "I'll give you the money, whatever you want!"
The moment Sakura had darkened the halls of the spectator-free area, they tried to jump her. The leftover opponents for the night were waiting for their share of blood. Eager to ambush her. With lightning speed, she launched herself into action. Her fists and feet moved, filled with chakra giving speed and strength that none could match. ,The sound of bones breaking and bodies hitting the floor filled the room.
As the dust settled, Sakura's clone stood victorious amidst her fallen foes. There was likely a heavy deal struck here for that to happen. It didn't matter as long as Sakura could get what she wanted. And right now what she wanted was writhing in pain, backed against the wall, with unconscious bodies scattered along the hallway that was now a mass of blood and shattered bones.
"Luckily, you've already brought me what I need," Her eyes were now fixed on the man who was trembling in the corner.
"What- what are you going to do?" He stammered, weakly holding out his hands at a poor defense.
A cold smile played on Sakura's clone's lips as she replied, "Make you talk."
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Torture was not a skill Sakura took pride in, but because this circumstance was brought about for Eri's sake, she knew she had to do whatever it took to get the information she needed. Overhaul's loyal henchman had proven to be a formidable adversary during the interrogation. Sakura didn't now if the reason she struggled to pry the information from his throat was due to his loyalty towards the organization or juts pure fear for what Overhaul would do to him at the end of this reveal. Either way it didn't matter to Sakura. Because she learned she could be stubborn when she really wanted something. And right now what she wanted to the absolute truth.
She led the yakuza member to an abandoned building on the outskirts of the city, far from prying eyes and the chance of anyone hearing his screams. The desolate structure acting as the perfect home for tearing down secrets.
The room inside was devoid of any comforts, its walls with tearing paint and cracks were soon covered in blood splatters.
She began her interrogation with a precision attack, applying pressure to the yakuza members ' pressure points and inflicting pain in strategic areas. She knew the human body like a master sculptor knows their clay, and she molded the man's suffering to her advantage.
As the pain intensified, so did the yakuza members ' resistance. He gritted his teeth, refusing to give in to Sakura's tactics were cracked from forcing silence onto himself. But she was relentless, and much like a force of nature that couldn't be moved by any mans cries.
With each passing moment, the man's facade began to crack. His voice wavered, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. The room echoed with his muffled cries, the agony of his torment manifesting in every fiber of his being.
"I'll tell you nothing!"
Sakura remained stoic, her eyes unwavering. "Your loyalty is commendable, but I must protect someone. I need to know everything about Shie Hassakai to do that."
The man breathed through his teeth, trying to suppress his pain, but Sakura's expertise made it almost impossible for him to withstand. She applied pressure on his body again, hitting the points that would induce a massive escalation of pain.
"Argh! You won't break me!" he shouted, throwing his head up as if he had a prayer of hope.
"We'll see about that," Sakura replied calmly.
Sakura knew she couldn't rely solely on physical pain. She needed to dig deeper, to unearth the buried secrets that lay within the yakuza member's mind. And so, she delved into the recesses of his psyche. This time ready to use her chakra for something that she hadn't done outside of actual practice before. To induce hallucinations and nightmares.
And that is when she knew she'd won. The man's resistance faltered as his mind became a battlefield of terror and despair. He could no longer differentiate between reality and the twisted visions Sakura had conjured. His mind became a canvas, painted with the horrors of his own making.
"I-I can't... please, no more," he pleaded, his spirit finally breaking under the pressure Sakura placed.
Sakura paused, "I need to know about Shie Hassaikai's leader Overhaul. Where he is and what he is going to do next,"
In his weakened state, he finally broke, his body trembling all the while, his mind with barriers drained like a battery ready to be thrown away.
He spilled the secrets of Shie Hassakai, divulging the reason behind their pursuit of Nemesis and Eri, whom he needed to use to create the quirk-canceling drug. In hopes that he would be able to revive the yakuza and stand on top as the new number-one villain.
Sakura listened intently, her expression steady behind her mask.
"He will never let her go….." The man's confession left a bitter taste in Sakura's mouth...
With the knowledge she had gained, Sakura knew that her next move had to be strategic and swift. She had to be one step ahead of Chisaki's men from this point on, because soon they would realize that a direct assault was coming and it was coming from her direction
Standing up, Sakura got a new angle of the yakuza member before her, broken with eyes glazed as if he were now an empty shell. She wondered how the interrogation unit in her village managed to maintain their sanity when it felt like she would lose hers from using these methods constantly. Soon these memories would bleed into the original and she would have to carry that weight on her shoulders.
She took out her phone and dialed a number quickly, "Here's what I got,"
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Sakura sat up under the futon, her fingers gently playing with Eri's hair, letting the softness soothe her as the girl continued to slumber, relaxed under the touch. She found this had a great effect on calming Eri, even when she became erratic without warning. At the very least, Sakura hoped it would give her some pleasant dreams so she could have an escape from this reality, at least until she was able to fix it.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her attention away from Eri for a moment. It was from her clone, reporting on the information she had obtained from the yakuza member they had interrogated.
"I see... Good work," Sakura murmured to herself. The clone had managed to find one of Kai's men who knew the location of their main base. But that was just one of many bases scattered around, making the task of taking down Shie Hassakai all the more challenging. "Why did you call though, I get all the information when the jutsu is….oh clean up huh? Alright, make it quick, and don't get spotted…Right do a quick scope but don't make a move,"
Sakura turned off her phone and returned her focus to Eri. The girl's fever seemed to have worsened after she nearly lost control of her quirk. Sakura knew that Eri blamed herself for not being able to control her power, but the truth was that she had been a victim of circumstance, and Kai had taken advantage of her by manipulating her to believe there was no one who could help her and that she needed to abide by his will. Children wanted to be told they were good, they wanted praise, but Kai had twisted Eri's perception of herself so much that it was going to take a long time for Sakura to detangle those knots.
As a medic, Sakura tried to assess Eri's power as best she could, but the girl herself didn't fully understand the extent of her quirk. All she knew was a small extent of the damage it had caused and the guilt that burdened her young heart because she couldn't control it.
gave lessons on quirks, and it was explained that sometimes individuals weren't able to control their own powers, especially children, it was like an infant learning to crawl and then walk. There were phases. Most of the time a quirk would grow with a person, so it would have an infancy phase, toddler phase, and so on. But other times the full extent of its power was granted. Like how the first incident recorded was of a newborn would emitted a light. While others waited until they were four to develop one.
In that vulnerable state, Kai decided to step in and use Eri for his ambitions.
Taking a deep breath, Sakura formulated her plan. She knew that taking down Shie Hassakai needed to be executed flawlessly. Kai was the leader of this group, but he likely had a few close henchmen, and Sakura had experience in dealing with the type. They also formed their ideas that stemmed from their leader's and there was no chance she would allow Eri to fall into that situation again.
The weight of the task ahead pressed on Sakura's shoulders. She wanted nothing more than to erase Kai's shadow that darkened Eri's life. If it meant painting everything in red to achieve that, she was prepared to do so.
'If Naruto was here, he'd probably want to rush straight in without any plan,' Sakura smiled at the thought of her friend. She knew he would probably be the only one able to do something like that and achieve the same result she would strategize for, only without the strategizing part. But it was just her. She would need to be the one to protect Eri while working towards taking down Shie Hassaikai.
Sakura glanced down at Eri, with a sense of protectiveness. She couldn't let anything happen to the young girl, not when she had already suffered so much. The moment she stepped in to save Eri, she decided that she would be the shield that stood between Eri and any harm that may come her way. Now she was going to have to make good on that.
As the night wore on, Sakura's mind buzzed with plans and strategies. She knew the path ahead would be risky considering her own position in this world right now, but she was ready to face whatever came her way.
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Sakura sat beside Eri, brushing through her hair still even as the glow of the morning sun came through the window. Lightly dabbing the damp cloth on her forehead before tossing it back into the bucket beside the futon.
"Here, sweetie, let me check your temperature," Sakura said softly, reaching for the thermometer. She placed it under Eri's arm, holding her close as she waited for the reading.
Eri looked up at Sakura with tired eyes, her cheeks flushed with fever. "Sakura... what's wrong with me?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," Sakura reassured her. "You're just not feeling well, that's all. It's normal for kids to get sick sometimes."
There were plenty of reasons Eri had fallen sick, the emotional turmoil alone was enough to cause physical symptoms. High stress, shocking her nervous system to this point. And it could just as easily be her quirk losing control as well.
Sakura gently wiped Eri's forehead with a damp cloth, hoping to alleviate some of the discomforts. "Shhh, it's okay. I'm here with you, and I'm going to take care of you. You'll feel better soon, I promise."
She brought a bowl of simple broth to Eri's bedside, encouraging her to take small sips. "You need to stay hydrated, Eri. It'll help you feel better."
Eri nodded weakly, obediently sipping the warm broth.
After finishing the broth, Sakura made a cup of soothing tea for Eri. She knew that the herbs in the tea would help alleviate some of the flu symptoms and provide a sense of comfort as a bonus.
"Here, sip this slowly," Sakura said, holding the cup to Eri's lips.
Eri nodded, taking small sips of the tea. Sakura sat beside her, gently rubbing her back in soothing circles. She could feel the girl's body relaxing under her touch, her breathing becoming steadier.
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As the day wore on, Sakura continued to care for Eri, bringing her blankets and making sure she was comfortable. She stayed by her side, holding her hand and whispering words of comfort.
"It's going to be alright, Eri," Sakura said softly. "You're strong, and you'll get through this. I won't leave your side until you're feeling better."
Eri looked up at Sakura with tearful eyes, her small hand gripping onto Sakura's tightly. "Promise?"
"Promise," Sakura replied, her voice filled with sincerity. "I'm right here."
Eri closed her eyes, a small smile forming on her lips.
When night arrived, Eri had already drifted off to sleep, her fever starting to break. Sakura remained by her side, keeping a watchful eye on the girl.
"You're going to be just fine, Eri. I promise."
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Nighteye didn't like the smell that hit him when he entered the dimly lit bar, thick with the scent of smoke, and apples.
Nighteye sat at the counter, his keen eyes scanning the room as he patiently waited for his target to appear. He was not accustomed to being on the front lines, preferring to handle matters through his sidekicks with the aid of his powerful quirk, Foresight.
Tonight, however, the delays in their current project had forced him to take matters into his own hands. The weight of responsibility pressed upon his shoulders, but Nighteye was resolute. He was willing to adapt to a circumstance if it would get this cold case thawing out.
As the minutes turned into hours, he endured the rambling drunks and the noise that filled the establishment. The patrons around him were unaware of the grave purpose behind his presence, merely seeing him as just another customer in a sea of faces.
Finally, his keen senses picked up on the subtle shift in the atmosphere as his target made his entrance. The man was well intoxicated, his steps stumbling and his laughter boisterous. Seizing the opportunity, Nighteye approached him with a feigned expression of concern.
"Are you alright, sir?" he asked, his voice laced with a facade of kindness.
The man blinked, his bleary gaze focusing on Nighteye's face. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just had one too many, you know?" he slurred, gesturing to the half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand.
Nighteye knew better. His quirk allowed him to peer into the future, glimpsing the threads of fate that weaved around every individual. What he saw was a chilling vision, a future none too bright for this individual. But finally, the lead he may have been looking for.
Nighteye's demeanor did not falter, as his glasses hid the true reflection of his eyes that flashed whenever he used his quirk, but he had to keep his facial expression in check as well so as not to startle him.
This target of his was a patron of Shie Hassaikai and had been recorded in repeat dealings, he was also part of a group that had a history of dealing. Nighteye had come out, hoping to find one of the direct members but this was also a fruitful discovery and good use of Foresight.
Though not in the manner he was expecting.
He called one of his sidekicks immediately after leaving the club, "I've got something…..a location. Yes on Shie Hassaikai but also the girl,"
He could hear his sidekick blubbering a bit with questions, but he answered swiftly in turn.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Yes…" Nighteye looked up at the stars through the cities filter, "Get ready; because according to the future, he will also make an appearance,"
He turned off his phone, and moved through the streets, readying for another long night in the office. "Nemesis, this ends now,"