HELLO FANATASTIC READERS!
Hope you're ready for another chapter and for more to come and soon I'll have more to share. So just sit back and read to your hearts content.
JOIN ME ON TUMBLR: www.tumblr.com/blog/katsura369
So you can reach out to me and chat and I can continue to share with you any updates, art and more incoming projects!
Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
CHAPTER 79
Izuku's mind had a voice of its own. There was never a moment of silence even when he was alone, that was when his mind became particularly rowdy, filling him with endless and at times useless thoughts. Rushing like water through a broken pipe. What consumed him this time, was the unnerving dream that caused him to erupt into a catastrophe in his sleep and destroy his room. On any other day, this wouldn't bother him, but today he needed his mind to be focused on the single task at hand. This training exercise.
He already worried that his overlaying thoughts delayed his progress, but he could feel chains of doubt wrapped around him whenever he used his quirk now. He was watching a glass on the cusp of being filled past its brim and he was afraid of what would happen when it finally tipped over. But he couldn't worry about that, not when he had a classmate declaring a battle royal of 19 to 1.
The high rocky hill he stood on could oversee nearly the entire grounds. The wind pulled at his hair as he gazed over the forest, from here he hoped to gain a vantage point. He would only be able to view large-scale movements, but when your classmates were heroes with powers that flashed brighter than city lights, Izuku didn't doubt there would be some kind of activity.
Training with her had taught him one undeniable truth: Sakura always had a plan. Whether it was setting traps, using the terrain to her advantage, or drawing her opponents into a false sense of control, she excelled at turning any situation in her favor. And she had encouraged him to learn to do the same.
This was why he wasn't thinking of chasing after Sakura when she vanished, but rather to let someone else find her and give away the location. Another factor that made Izuku feel a bit devious was letting someone else attempt to wear Sakura down.
During the training camp, they had trekked for hours through the forest, fighting off clay monsters and by the end of it they could barely stand upright. But Sakura? She hadn't even broken a sweat.
"If I just chase after her blindly, I'll burn out before I even get close," he reasoned. He knew that Sakura wouldn't propose this kind of training without putting in thought to her own skills.
There was a whisper of a feeling hitting Izuku from behind, he turned swiftly on his heel before he even heard the shuffling stones. He deflated his posture in relief when he saw Ochaco appear around the bend. She must've used her power to float to the top and then come around on the other side.
"Uraraka!"
Ochaco seemed equally delighted to see him, rushing over. "Hey, Deku you're here too!"
Izuku quickly straightened, "Y-Yeah! What are you doing up here?"
Ochaco looked out over the forest, then back at him. "Well, I thought it would be easier to find Sakura like this. If she fought someone then-
Unable to contain his excitement, Izuku chimed in with a rambling chorus, "Exactly what I thought! She's very family with this kind of terrain, so she'd be able to hide out easily, and I don't think she'll let you track her. So when she fights with the other I thought then I'll be able to follow the commotion, just like we did back at training camp. Not that I think Sakura's like a villain but the way she thinks-I mean-
Having been friends with Izuku for this long, Ochaco knew that she had to pull the brakes for him or he wouldn't stop. "So you figured if you got to a high point you could see where any commotions were happening,"
Izuku nodded, "Yes!"
"I had the same thought. Guess we think alike!" Ochaco and Izuku blushed at her comment. He tried to redirect their attention to the goal.
"I-It's just S-Sakura's stamina is better than anyone's in the class and she knows her way around a forest." Sakura had told him that it was her main training ground. A place her teacher would bring her to work on her strength. That was the last time Izuku ever heard about it. Sakura seemed to have caught herself sharing more than she intended.
Ochaco let out a breath but her voice didn't have a chance to follow, when a heavy rumble erupted, shivering through them and turning their heads. They saw a large rupture of ice emerge above the trees, and there was only one person who had the ability to do that. And under the circumstances, there was only one reason he would.
That was their sign.
..
..
..
This wasn't something she took note of in practice, but after all the time she spent in this other world, Sakura began to realize the difference of perspective her own upbringing had brought to light. She lived relatively normal, or so she thought. She didn't have the expectations or responsibilities of a clan that was packaged with the headband she wore. And she wasn't saddled with a legacy, disgraced or revered. And yet it was in this world, that Sakura was reminded she was a shinobi. A warrior, a living weapon who shared a different insight into what was in front of her.
Even now as she presumed the role of the chased, darting through the trees with the sound of footsteps and restless leaves followed after her. She didn't feel like she fit into the mold. The chaser was filled with the desire to escape and evade, their lungs screaming as their muscles were willing to go far beyond what exercise could ever demand. The body and brain are in full survival mode, a state that brings nothing but pain.
But she was exhilarated. Unafraid, even as the noises stopped.
She stood on a branch stretched out to her, staring forward into the forest, the corner of her mouth curved as she lightly curved her shoulder, avoiding Tsuyu's tongue lashing out at her. It snapped back to the girl, who had been sticking to the tree much like a frog. Her body was curled knees bent upwards to her torso and almost flat against the trunk. She was transparent at first, camouflaged.
"And here I thought only Toru could do that trick,"
"I've learned a lot, kero," Tsuyu replied, her tone steady as her large, unblinking eyes locked onto Sakura. She had one of the most unreadable faces even besting Shoto.
A net, stretched out wide like a gaping mouth waiting to swallow her came in Sakura's direction, she quickly twisted out of its path. Her sights fell on Momo, who had carefully positioned herself nearby and she couldn't miss Yuga. Not in that costume, it could be the darkest of nights with a new moon and she would be able to spot him. Right now his cape alone was glistening in the sunlight, creating refractures of light that stood to call out his position.
He fired a laser beam, forcing her to halt and redirect herself away from Momo. He didn't cease his attack though. Yuga continued firing, the beams deliberately herding Sakura in a circular pattern. The strategy became clear: they were cornering her.
Suddenly, a deafening BOOM echoed through the forest. A cannon fired from Tsuyu's direction, its payload a massive steel net. The net shot through the trees, unfurling mid-air before slamming into Sakura, pinning her tightly against a tree. It was heavy, Momo must've created it with more deliberate weight specifically to counter Sakura's strength. It was an impressive feat though. Momo had taken some very calculated actions, working with Yuga and Tsuyu to trap her. She might've been the first to realize what this test was truly about.
Momo stepped forward. "We've got her!"
Yuga and Tsuyu also rushed towards her, "Quickly get the bell!"
Barley five steps in before Sakura vanished from beneath the net, in a puff of smoke. In place was a log. The three ran up to the net, completely taken aback. Trying to figure out how she could've slipped through.
"I didn't know about this part of her quirk, kero,"
Although she had escaped the trap, she didn't try to evade their presence, and even made hers known, sitting with feet dangling over a branch not too high or out of reach for her super-powered classmates.
"So you decided to team up to best me?" Sakura's eyes fell hard on Momo, who reciprocated the gesture. "Smart,"
Momo's heart gave an exhilarated beat, even as she watched Sakura leap from her spot, and take off through the trees. Momo, Tsuyu, and Yuga took after her, she could hear their movements, imprinting an image of their positions in her mind. They were keeping a steady pace at least, not losing their composure at the failure of their first attempt. Commendable.
"What now?" Tsuyu asked.
Momo's jaw tightened, the soles of her feet beating into the ground as she pushed her legs to move forward, her neck straining to hold her head so she could keep her sights on target. "We can't lose sight of her."
There were too many probabilities of danger if Sakura vanished from their line of vision. She could either escape or choose to counter, but their options would be lost, and essentially so would this training.
Just then, the sound of revving engines roared from the underbrush. A blur of blue and white dashed into view, weaving through the trees. There was only one member of class A who could pick up that kind of speed and maintain it.
"Iida? Where did you come from?" Momo called, trying to pick up her own pace.
"I just caught sight of Haruno," Tenya replied, his voice clipped as he surged forward. He took off ahead of them, they could hear the engines in his legs growling as he pushed them, though he held back on his speed for his own sake. Though he was born with his quirk, he had to train when it came to handling the speed, especially taking steep turns. The forest grounds were treacherous for vehicles and someone with engines in their legs was no exception, its ground uneven and riddled with roots and debris. Steering at such high velocity required precision he was still mastering. The slightest misstep could result in a nasty skid.
However Tenya kept his eyes clear, his head tilted upward, fixed on Sakura. He was fortunate enough to come across her by overhearing the ruckus caused by her scuffle with Momo and the others.
Everyone in class A had started to establish a position that the others could place them in. Izuku was the one who never faltered and gave encouragement to others not to give up, Shoto was a force of power, Katsuki was the embodiment of controlled chaos, Momo showed how brilliance could turn the tide, and so on. All of their roles gave others a sense of inspiration, whether they meant to or not. Tenya wanted to be the one to show what Speed could accomplish as a hero, however, he felt like he had lost that position to Sakura a long time ago. He was certain that many of the others felt the same way, even if they weren't aware of the roles they held.
There was something, that no one else in class A might have realized, but Tenya did. He understood that everyone was looking at the pink-haired girl. Each perhaps with their reasoning. Whether she was someone to aspire to, or an obstacle to overcome, a challenge to their own strength or weakness. Sakura Haruno was able to embody a piece of something that everyone wanted.
Tenya pushed himself harder, his engines roaring louder as he shifted gears. He broke through the underbrush and into a clearing, only to be met with a sudden steep incline. He skidded to a halt, barely managing to avoid tumbling down the slope.
Momo, Tsuyu, and Aoyama caught up moments later, their eyes following his gaze. They hadn't heard it when they broke through but they were able to catch themselves without tumbling down the incline, which connected to a stream.
And in the middle of the stream, standing as if the rushing water were solid ground, was Sakura.
"Is she… standing on water?" Yuga asked, squinting his eyes at her feet.
Her hands were the only thing moving, weaving intricate signs that had onlookers spellbound, her eyes were focused ahead still, not a single glance down. Her face was stern though. However, her classmates weren't clueless this time. Remembering her performance during the practical exam.
"Is she going to
As her final hand sign snapped into place, the water stirred unnaturally. It swirled and twisted, the gentle stream transforming into a turbulent force. The water coalesced, rising high into the air and taking on the form of a massive, serpentine dragon. Its body shimmered like liquid glass, droplets cascading from its edges as it coiled in the air. The dragon's eyes gleamed, and its jaw opened as if attempting to resonate a raw that would not come from a body of water.
The dragon surged toward them, its gaping maw open wide.
"EVERYONE LOOK OUT!" Momo shouted. Everyone had turned on their heels to make a run for it, but escaping a tsunami when you were only a few feet away wasn't possible. And this situation was equivalent to that. The others closed their eyes, preparing for the impact. But the strike never came.
Even with their eyes shut, they felt an overwhelming cold reach them, but it wasn't damp, rather chilling. Their ears ached from a crackling noise reverberating to their eardrums. It was the only thing they could hear in the sudden silence, the rushing of water gone. They opened their eyes and jumped back seeing the opened jaw of a dragon, literally frozen in front of them.
"Todoroki!" Tsuyu exclaimed, being the first to catch sight of red and white.
"Ready for another round?" Sakura called out, unbothered by the interruption as she met Shoto's gaze.
Shoto breathed out an icy mist, he was fixated on Sakura, aware that she could move out of his range at any moment. Over his time at this school, he was learning the importance of control for both sides even though only to unleash enough ice to freeze the water dragon, while keeping its master in sight. His attack was a bit slow because he had tempered it, so Sakura had time to also get out of the way and avoid her feet freezing in the water.
"Are you?"
Shouto's right hand swept forward, releasing a frigid blast of ice that raced toward Sakura like a tidal wave. The frost crystallized in the air, reaching for her in jagged tendrils. She leaped onto the rising sheet of ice, landing on a single foot. Balancing on the slick surface, she kicked at the sharp edges, shattering them with precision and creating a makeshift platform.
This didn't bother him as it would before. Sakura was faster than Stain. She could also draw in at him any time, the moment she decided to do that Shouto knew he wouldn't last against her. One hit would be enough just like last time. He had to keep her at a distnace.
He did his utmost to do that, in hopes of draining her stamina by forcing quick maneuvers, Shouto released waves of ice, one after the other, building walls and platforms, seeming to shield himself while acting on the offensive.
From her perch, she tilted her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "You still don't like using your fire, do you?" she said, her tone conversational, as if they weren't in the middle of a fierce battle.
Shouto's jaw tightened. She was right, of course. In a forest like this, the risk of starting an uncontrollable blaze was too high. The dry leaves and tangled underbrush were a perfect tinderbox, and his flames could easily spiral beyond his control. But she wasn't referring to the safety reasons. "I'm different now. Thanks to you,"
Sakura shook her head free of frost, "I'm not the reason you changed, that was your decision. And I'd like to see how far you'll go. So don't disappoint me."
Shouto moved in to attack again, the air turning so frosty that the cold caught in your throat and your skin raised in bumps almost painful at the unexpected turn in temperature. The cold didn't hinder Sakura's joints or muscles they remained hot as they maneuvered her over the jagged icy planes. Shouto was keeping her in his line of vision, but his eyes were running words. As he watched her, this wasn't the trailing eyes of an opponent trying to gage for an attack. This was an attempted reading on another topic.
"What's going through your mind Shouto? You seem to be thinking hard," He could turn his emotions and expressions into a blank page but there was always writing on the back. A lesson Sakura learned harshly from Sasuke.
"I was just thinking," Shouto began, his tone steady as he prepared another strike, "I don't know a lot about you, Sakura."
Sakura's laugh rang out, light and unbothered, as she vaulted over a jagged spire of ice. "I think you know more than most of our classmates, Shouto."
Shouto hesitated for just a moment, "If I get the bell, will you answer a question for me? Honestly?"
Sakura's dodge was fluid, her smirk returning. "What's this? Bargaining? That's not like you, Shouto. What do you want to know?"
"Who are the people in the painting?"
This might've been a ploy, a joker card played to throw off the game however as it was Shouto who was dealing, she knew he wasn't someone who would make that kind of play. To throw her off balance. The question landed like a thrown stone breaking the surface of still water. For the first time, Shouto saw Sakura's expression falter, a flicker of something guarded flashing in her eyes.
"That's what you want to know?" she asked, her voice quieter now, the playful edge dulling.
"Yes," Everyone in their class had noticed when Sakura had been bedridden for days. They hadn't pried, respecting her unspoken boundaries, mainly because they knew she wouldn't be willing to let anyone pass them. But Sakura had gone over Shouto's and he was urged to return the favor, not wanting to fall into the same pattern he had with Tenya that led them to battle Stain.
Sakura regained her composure "Well, that is, if you can even win. Do you think you've improved enough for that?"
"See for yourself,"
THAT'S ALL MY LOVELIES! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and Remember to stay strong! I'll see you soon!
PRIVATE MESSAGING: Available on Tumblr ONLY! I love when you guys reach out to me but it's hard to respond to everyone especially when I need to hop onto different platforms. If you want to reach out personally with questions or messages please do so via Tumblr. THANKS Loves!
Check out the SCHEDULE POSTS On Tumblr, and if you like my stories, want to give me some extra support to help the creations of new stories and can't wait for the latest chapters consider joining me as a special member of my seedling troupe:
https://www.tumblr.com/katsura369/783637458214682624/join-katsura369s-membership?source=share
EARLY CHAPTERS FOR MEMBERS NOW:
https://ko-fi.com/katsura369/tiers
- (Bleach crossover) Kunoichi amongst Reapers: exclusive chapters (Sneak peek on Tumblr)
-Commission: Demon slayer x My hero academia (PART 1 & 2)
- Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter ( 80, 81, 82, 83)
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter (34, 35, 36)
-Crossroads of Fate chapter 25, 26, 27, 28
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 30, 31, 32. 33, 34, 35
-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6
-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi
Want more INFO on my STORIES and ARTWORK lookup Katsura369