[Episode 229890] [Episode 229890]The years hadn't been kind to her, but they hadn't been kind to anyone who had ties to the old power structure. The Sixth Hokage, Danzo, had turned out to be a vindictive sort.
She set the guard's body to the side. It wasn't as if she'd had to strike very hard, one finger had been all that was required. No witnesses, that was the order. Danzo's agent had been quite clear. No witnesses meant absolutely no one who saw her could be allowed to identify her afterwards. She replaced the ANBU mask on her face, though it didn't really help and was a pain to breathe through.
She'd seen so many deaths over the past ten years. Naruto, when it had looked like things were finally going his way. Sasuke, after a long and dark road. Others, a blur of faces that haunted her on sleepless nights.
She slipped from the guard shack like a ghost. She had reason to work on her stealth techniques after all. She'd had to kill complete innocents before, even more innocent than a border guard who'd simply spotted what he thought was a cold and lonely young woman who'd been caught in the rainstorm.
Sakura lifted her face into the rain. She couldn't weep, so she'd let the sky weep for her.
She was supposed to be a medic-nin. A HEALER. According to the current philosophy within Konoha, that just meant she'd be all the better service to the community as an assassin. Turned loose to kill.
"So it's you," said a voice.
Sakura dodged to the side as a blast of wind carved the ground she'd just left.
"Did you think you wouldn't be discovered?" asked Temari's voice as the former Sand ninja manuevered around. "The poison-expert Sakura Haruno?"
Sakura snarled at the voice. Like she had a choice?
"You even killed your best friend when it was discovered she was part of a resistance against your precious Hokage!" continued Temari's voice.
Sakura let a faint smile cross her face. At least SHE wasn't giving away her position with pointless talk. Besides, she'd killed Ino rather than see her once-friend under the tender not-so-mercies of the Torture & Interrogation Team.
Which meant Temari was right over THERE!
Sakura leapt, bouncing off a small tree, then another leap towards where her prey was.
"Stop playing around, Leaf-girl," said Temari.
"IDIOT!" said Sakura, leaping out past the tree towards - nothing?!
The wind caught her in mid-leap, slashing at her, throwing her into the ground hard enough that she felt ribs crack. The wind didn't let up though, throwing her back along a path so that she went through the guard shack. As she rolled to a stop she caught a glimpse of a whirlwind gathering up the broken glass and wood that turned them into missiles.
They hit as Sakura tried to scramble to the side. Chunks of glass slashed into flesh, she felt spikes of agony as wooden shards nailed her to the ground.
"I learned to throw my voice," said Temari, walking along the path of destruction. "How does it feel, being the attack dog of a village that has thrown every treaty you've made away?"
"Like I've got a choice in this," said Sakura as she reached around to pull a wooden rod out of her chest.
"Like any of us have any choices anymore?" replied Temari. "Well, good enough. Just stay there and it'll be quick and over with."
There was a quick temptation. Not to have to kill people for no reason other than a glimpse of her face? Not to be part of the new ANBU whose entire purpose was simply to enforce Danzo's whims?
Temari's face expressed several different emotions in quick order, then she simply brought her fan up again. "Rest in PEACE!"
Sakura snarled and threw the kunai that she'd prepared. Even if the winds deflected it, the wind would swirl the poison around.
As predicted, Temari deflected it with a short air burst. The kunai exploded, sending a red mist everywhere.
Sakura relaxed. She'd die. Temari would die. Even the grass here would die. Concentrated King Scorpion Venom was that deadly.
Finally, she could stop killing. Maybe she'd see Sasuke again. Or better yet, Naruto. Sad to know what was valuable only when it was gone.
Do you want to see him again?
(Posted Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:38)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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