Konoha Year 60, November
Haruno Sakura moved swiftly through the lush forests of the Land of Grass, following the trail left by the two Rain ninja. Although she lacked Kiba's enhanced sense of smell or the Byakugan of the Hyuga, she still possessed the fundamentals of tracking. And the two Rain ninja, it seemed, hadn't bothered to meticulously cover their tracks – perhaps assuming no one from the isolated Takigakure could possibly pursue them, or perhaps simply too desperate to reach their destination to worry about concealment.
In any case, this carelessness proved fortunate for Sakura's modest tracking skills. Since the previous afternoon, she had been engaged in a relentless pursuit. Even through the night, the Rain ninja hadn't paused. Now, late into the afternoon of the second day, the surroundings began to darken. The air grew heavy with the smell of damp earth and imminent rain, and sporadic raindrops began to fall.
"Nearing the Land of Rain," Sakura muttered aloud, glancing up at the gloomy sky. She found their pace increasingly strange. They had no way of knowing she was tailing them, yet they maintained a relentless pace, almost as though they sensed pursuit. Running non-stop during the day was plausible, but continuing through the night without rest? Highly unusual. Sakura had briefly wondered if they'd sensed her presence and laid false trails, but the tracks remained consistent. It was conclusive proof: they had some urgent matter demanding their immediate return to Amegakure, something of extreme urgency.
Realizing this, Sakura pushed herself faster, determined to intercept them before they reached the Village Hidden in the Rain.
"Pant... Pant... Pant..."
The rain fell relentlessly now. The air was heavy with sorrow and damp. Ahead lay a narrow valley flanked by towering cliffs. A group of figures fled through the valley floor. Their attire marked them as Amegakure ninja. Their expressions were grim, etched with fatigue and edged with anxiety. Even as exhaustion forced them to heave for breath, they didn't stop, running as if pursued by demons.
While sprinting, the lead ninja spied a cave mouth high on the cliff face. He stopped, pointing towards it. Two ninja immediately shot past him, making a beeline for the cave. The rest of the group used the few precious moments to catch their breath.
After waiting a moment, the two scouts reappeared at the cave mouth and gave the all-clear signal. The leader scrambled up first, and the others followed him into the shelter.
Inside the damp cave, the group sat slumped haphazardly, cross-legged on the ground, deep exhaustion etched on their faces. The leader leaned against the cold stone wall, eyes shut, lost in thought or simply trying to recover. Just like that, the group of Amegakure ninja settled into a heavy, weary silence.
Border of Land of Grass / Land of Rain
"Gasp... Gasp..."
Haruno Sakura ran onward, breathing raggedly. She had finally crossed out of the Land of Grass; the Land of Rain itself lay just ahead. The grueling chase had stretched her stamina to its breaking point. Yet, those two Rain ninja showed no indication of stopping, and were, if anything, increasing their pace. This forced Sakura, who naturally possessed less raw stamina, to grit her teeth in frustration.
She didn't quite know why she was pushing herself this hard. Was it for that damned vial of Hero Water? Perhaps partly. Or was it pure stubbornness, a refusal to be beaten by these two? Or maybe just indulging her curiosity about their motives? This pursuit had already led her across an entire country. Under normal circumstances, she never would have done something so impulsive – chasing two unknown ninja with unclear objectives on such a long pursuit.
But having come this far, turning back now would be infuriatingly unsatisfying. Whatever the initial reason, she was deep in it now. Sakura was determined to see this through, no matter what.
"Pant... Pant~~ Pant~~~"
Thud!
Two figures dashed through the woods – then suddenly, one of them abruptly collapsed. The other skidded to a halt and rushed back to help the fallen figure up.
"Hisame, stay with me! We're almost there!" The ninja was Murasame, one of the trio who had attacked Takigakure.
"Gasp... gasp..." Hisame wheezed, her words broken by ragged gasps. "I... I can't... make it... You... take the water... hurry... Get it... to the Leader... It'll be... my last... contribution... to the village... Go... now... Not... much time... left..." Her eyes fluttered closed, and she lost consciousness.
"Hisame!!!" Murasame cried out, gazing down at her still form. He possessed no medical ninjutsu, and besides, after running non-stop for a day and a night, his own chakra was almost completely depleted. What kept him going now was only the weight of his comrades' sacrifice, the mission entrusted to him, and a gnawing fear for Amegakure's future.
Murasame, Kirisame, Hisame – all orphans of war, taken in together by Amegakure and trained as shinobi. Their talents weren't exceptional, but they treasured the chance they'd been given, always looking out for each other in training and on missions. Forged in their shared past, their rapport allowed them to fight as one, enabling them to overcome opponents stronger than themselves countless times. They had earned their place in this turbulent world, and until now, the three had never been separated.
But this mission… it was of paramount importance. Kirisame had sacrificed himself as a decoy, leaving Murasame and Hisame crushed by grief. They knew instinctively that pink-haired Konoha girl was strong, defeating her likely impossible even if all three had fought together. And every second counted. The relentless chase, the grief over Kirisame's sacrifice, the crushing exhaustion… finally, Hisame couldn't endure the strain any longer.
Murasame pulled out the crystal vial containing the Hero Water, gazing at it with a haunted look in his eyes. Was any of this worth it? he wondered bleakly. Banishing the thought, he steeled his resolve. He was almost there; only the last step remained. Gritting his teeth, he had to deliver this.
He located a small, hidden cave nearby and gently laid Hisame inside, along with a small pouch of rations. He checked his remaining soldier pills – only three left; he'd already given one to Hisame earlier. He added one more beside the rations. Gazing down at Hisame's unconscious form, he murmured softly, "Whether you survive now... is up to fate. Forgive me, Hisame. Forgive me, Kirisame!" Roughly wiping away a tear, he turned and emerged back into the rain, forcing himself onward.
"Gasp... gasp... C-can't... keep going..."
Sakura sagged against a tree trunk, dragging in ragged breaths. Damn it... so exhausting. She pulled a soldier pill from her pouch and chewed it slowly, letting the effects kick in. A steady drizzle had started, and though she had no idea what time it was, night was falling fast.
I wonder if Sasuke completed his part of the mission, she murmured, tilting her face up towards the gloomy, rain-streaked sky.
After a few minutes' rest, Sakura pushed herself back to her feet, resuming the track. Whatever happened now, she was close to the end of the trail. Surely the remaining Rain ninja must be slowing down too, right? The trees here were fewer and farther between; the closer she got to the Land of Rain, the more the rocky landscape dominated.
"There!" Sakura stopped abruptly, her eyes fixed on the ground. Clear drag marks. Someone had collapsed and been dragged. Unmistakable. So, one of them couldn't continue. He stopped here. That simplified things. Following this trail should lead her straight to them.
Popping another soldier pill into her mouth, Sakura followed the tracks cautiously. They led to a small cave. In addition to the drag marks leading in, a single set of footprints led out.
Hmm... So he left his partner here, Sakura deduced. She pulled out a kunai, gripping it tightly, narrowing her eyes at the dark opening. Go in? Or is it a trap?
Screw it. She decided to risk a look. She herself was hitting her limit; the chance of an elaborate trap seemed slim. Besides, he hadn't bothered covering the tracks – clear evidence he didn't know he was being pursued. It was probably just the abandoned teammate inside. Since he took the effort to drag her here, she was likely still alive. Maybe I can get some answers.
Cautiously, Sakura flicked a kunai into the cave. Silence. No tell-tale sizzle of an exploding tag. Gripping her second kunai, she crept forward, scanned the immediate entrance – no obvious traps detected. Then, she slipped quickly inside the dark opening.
Huh. Just inside lay the female ninja, sprawled on the ground. Sakura recognized her instantly – Hisame, the woman from the Rain trio. Beside her lay the small pouch of rations and a single soldier pill. Sakura realized her caution had been excessive. Not a trap. Just abandoned.
Sakura moved closer, quickly assessing Hisame's state. Her breathing was shallow and weak, her chakra signature barely perceptible. She was dangerously close to death. Seeing this enemy ninja, who had tried to kill her teammates just hours ago, now lying helpless and dying, Sakura sighed softly. She reached out, green chakra glowing faintly around her hand, and began applying the Mystical Palm Technique, offering some basic first aid.
Several of Hisame's internal organs were showing signs of critical failure due to extreme exhaustion. Without immediate, intensive treatment, her survival would be left entirely to chance. Sakura could heal this level of damage completely with little effort, ensuring no lasting effects after a month's rest.
But Sakura wasn't Naruto. Towards an enemy, she wouldn't waste significant chakra on a full recovery. Just enough stabilization to bring her around would suffice.
"Urgh... cough cough..." Under Sakura's treatment, Hisame's eyelids fluttered open. Her gaze was unfocused, dazed. She coughed weakly, then rasped, "Water..."
Once Hisame was conscious, Sakura looked at the meager rations nearby, picked up a bamboo canteen among them, and pulled the stopper. Gently supporting Hisame's head, she tipped the canteen to her lips.
"Gulp... gulp..." Hisame managed a few weak swallows. A little color returned to her usually striking face. Her gaze cleared slightly, focusing on the person helping her. Suddenly, her body jerked, perhaps trying to recoil or sit up, but she was utterly drained of strength.
"You!" Hisame gasped, eyes widening in recognition and hostility. Her voice was laced with venom, practically gnashing her teeth. A large part of why this mission went wrong was because of Sakura and her brats. Plus, Kirisame had been left behind to buy them time... Seeing Sakura here now meant Kirisame was almost certainly dead. A wave of fresh grief washed over her, and her glare turned murderous.
Sakura, unfazed by the hostile glare, settled nearby, watching her coolly. "Now that you're conscious, let's talk. What's your true objective?" Sakura no longer believed their desperate flight was merely about the Hero Water. Rushing headlong towards the Land of Rain without even bothering to cover their tracks – there had to be some other, hidden purpose.
"Hmph... As if I'd tell you anything?" Hisame scoffed, her voice weak but defiant, filled with surprising force. "Kill me if you want. I won't say a word."
"Is that so?" Sakura shrugged lightly. "What reason would I have to kill you? Your partner is perfectly fine back in Takigakure!" His corpse is perfectly fine, anyway, she added silently.
"What!!!" Hisame's eyes widened again, a flicker of desperate hope igniting within them. "Kirisame's... alive? You didn't kill him?"
"Of course I didn't," Sakura lied smoothly, without batting an eye, weaving a plausible lie. "Technically, Amegakure and Konoha are allies. Despite your interference with my mission, based on the bonds of alliance between our villages, I spared him." (Internally, Sakura noted this part wasn't entirely fabrication – Ame and Konoha did have fragile, often broken alliances, as did Ame and Iwa. Ame's strategic importance made it a target of political maneuvering.)
"Hmph. Affairs?" Hisame's brief flicker of hope extinguished, replaced by cold fury. "Amegakure's problems were caused by your Konoha! And you expect me to believe a word you say?!" Eyes burning with hatred, she spat the words out, each one dripping venom.
"Huh?" Sakura was genuinely bewildered. "What problems in Amegakure? Caused by Konoha?" As far as she recalled, Amegakure was Pain's stronghold. The only reason she'd dared pursue this far was her conviction that this incident had nothing to do with Pain. I mean, seriously, would someone like Pain need the Hero Water? And even if he did, would he employ such low-level operatives? But hearing Hisame's accusation, it seemed something significant had occurred in Amegakure, and Konoha was somehow involved. Another unforeseen consequence? A butterfly effect? Her headache pulsed behind her eyes. What could I have inadvertently done to impact Amegakure?
"...Hah..." Hisame gave a cold, bitter laugh. "You Great Nations use smaller countries as pawns to advance your own interests. Someday you will face judgment. You've committed countless evils. You won't escape judgment either."
Sakura stared, momentarily speechless. Countless evils? Me? Is she serious? I literally just saved her life. But then again, from Hisame's perspective, Sakura probably did seem like the enemy. Concepts of right and wrong blurred depending on where you stood. Sakura herself had used civilian lives as leverage back during the Zabuza mission. To Tazuna and his family, she could have easily been seen as a villain. If killing innocents guaranteed her own survival, or the lives of her comrades, she wouldn't hesitate. In the eyes of those sacrificed, she would undoubtedly be seen as a devil.
At that moment, Sakura gained a deeper understanding of why the Great Shinobi Villages were trapped in endless cycles of war. Everyone's perspective differed; everyone believed their own cause was just, their side righteous. Seeking vengeance only created new grievances, perpetuating the cycle endlessly. Before, she'd heard the arguments about why mutual understanding was impossible, but they were just words; the emotional weight hadn't truly resonated. Now, being directly accused, condemned as evil, Sakura finally, truly felt the weight behind those abstract arguments.
Maybe this is what it means to grow... to understand. Jiraiya had understood this pain, spent his life searching for a way to break the cycle. Yet, his search often only seemed to sow more hatred.
This flicker of empathy clarifying her thoughts, Sakura met Hisame's hateful gaze and stated baldly, "Kirisame is dead. He used a child hostage from Takigakure to threaten me. I had a reason I could not ignore that threat, so I eliminated him."
"You... devil..." Hisame's world seemed to tilt, darkness encroaching at the edges of her vision. "Kirisame... he... he wouldn't have really hurt the child... He just..."
Overwhelmed by a fresh wave of rage and grief, Hisame's words choked off before she could finish. Her eyes rolled up in their sockets, and she lost consciousness again.
Sakura moved closer, crouching beside Hisame's still form. After a silent moment, the faint green glow of the Mystical Palm Technique appeared once more over Hisame's chest...
Even enemies, even pawns like these... have bonds, Sakura reflected somberly, glimpsing the connection between the Rain trio through Hisame's reaction. To Hisame, maybe Kirisame and Murasame... were the equivalent of what Sasuke and Naruto are to me.
She sighed softly. "This damned world..."