Chapter 10: The devilโs whispers
Sarada let out a sigh as she leaned her head back on the wall behind her.
She sat in the Hokageโs office--an office that was empty for the last ย month--thanks to the disappearance of the Seventh, along with the Uchiha couple, as a result of the appearance of a mysterious person in Konoha; who destroyed more than half of the village before they took the village heroes away.
She understood why her mother did what she did. Sakura always loved her village dearly, despite the things she found out about it. She still maintained her vow to love, protect, and heal the villagers.
As for her father, he considered protecting the village a duty--a duty passed onto him by his brother and all the Uchiha who did the impossible just to protect it and to stop their own from opposing the village they loved.
But why did he do it? Sarada thought. Her fists clenching around her headband.
The Seventh was scrutinized by the villagers for nothing that was his fault for half his life. He was talked down to, beaten, abused; all that he still forgave them. He still rose above all the hatred that clouded his mind and protected them with all he had. He was the village hero, and at some point in time, he was her hero too.
Sarada was startled out of her thoughts as the door to the Hokageโs office opened, revealing a tall man with tan skin and spiky black hair, only kept out of his eyes by the Kumogakure headband tied around his forehead. โโEasy on that headband, youโll end up breaking it, unless that is your intention.โโ Ksuzu said, taking a seat on the floor next to Sarada.
Saradaโs grip on her headband loosened upon hearing his words--words that served as a subtle reminder of the offer he proposed to her before.
Help me with overthrowing the five kage, and youโll be one of the highest ranking of the empire weโll build.
His words echoed in her ears over and over, like an anchor pulling her down deep into the ocean of darkness sheโs been trying to swim out of for the last four years.
โโYou shouldnโt be this distrugled, his disappearance makes our mission much easier,โ Ksuzu said.
โโOur?โโ Sarada repeated, voice raspy and low.
โโWell you canโt tell me that you actually forgive the village for what they have done. They killed your family Sarada,โโ he said, before getting up and grabbing Saradaโs wrist, pulling her up and dragging her towards the window.
โโSee those people walking on the street,โโ he gestured to the people through the window, โโ those are the people that lived instead of your grandparents and great uncles and the rest of your family. Those are the people that deprived you of the the warmth of family you craved for so long. Those are the people that you were prepared to risk your life for, but at the same time, they were the people that stood aside while your family got murdered by their own-- and theyโre going to do the same to you.โโ
Sarada gulped, remembering the words the Seventh told her five years ago in this same spot.
โโThose are our family Sarada, so itโs our duty to protect them with all we can.โโ
โโArenโt I right?โโ Ksuzu asked, turning around so he could look at the kunoichi.
โโI donโt know,โโ Sarada answered.
What he just said, what heโs been telling her ever since she met him at the Gage candidate summit a year ago, contradicted with everything she knew. Everything that her parents, the Seventh, her teachers and her teammates have taught her.
โโYouโll come around. I hope soon since there are rumors that an attack will be launched upon Konoha soon. that will be a wonderful opportunity to take over this village.โโ
Sarada nodded. A minute later he left, leaving her alone in the hokageโs office.
Sarada took a deep breath as she tore her gaze from the view of the villagers continuing on with their daily lives, not knowing that something terrible will happen soon.
Her gaze caught the picture of the old team 7, her eyes landed on both of her parents first, then it lingered on the orange clad figure in the midI never go back on my word, thatโs my ninja way dattebayo!
I will never give up on doing what I believe in!
Those are the life lessons the Seventh has passed on to his godchild--lessons he expected her to abide to for the rest of her ninja career. But did he ever expect that a time would come where she had to choose between one of them?
Sarada closed her eyes, her final moments with the hokage playing clear in her min
โโYouโre going to have a big influence on whatโs going to happen from now on,โโ the seventh said, blue eyes peering into Saradaโs black ones, trying to read her thoughts and feelings. โโAnd Iโm afraid we might not be with you during this.โโ
Sarada tried her best to keep it together, but the moment her mind registered what he meant by โwe,โ her hand reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
โโUncleโฆโโ she muttered, voice breaking and barely hearable, but Naruto picked up on the old title.
The gesture was a childish display of a need for protection, but maybe thatโs how much she felt endangered. To her surprise, the Seventh didnโt seem surprised by her gesture. He instead smiled at her, and raised his hand to rest it on her head, affectionately rubbing her hair.
โโYouโll be okay, just never give up on what you believe in dattebayo!โโ
A loud explosion interrupted what he was going to say next.
โโSarada,โโ he began, a grave tone settling into his voice,โโ promise me youโll protect the people you consider as your family.โโ
Sarada gulped, not sure if she should make that promise, but time was running out so she went with her gut instinct. โโI promise, I promise I will.โโ
Naruto gave her a final smile before turning away.
And that was the last time she saw her hero before he disappeared.
Sarada suddenly couldnโt stand being in his office anymore. She jumped out of the window, legs automatically taking her towards Takiraโs place, before halting midway.
She and Takira broke up two month ago. Sarada knew that her former lover wouldnโt shut her off, she knew she still cares, but Sarada found herself running in the opposite direction of Takiraโs house. Her mind immediately went to Boruto, but he wasnโt anywhere near the village as the latest report from Amegakure said. Mitsuki wasnโt in village either. He was at who knows where, helping his parent with research.
Saradaโs feet came to a halt near the empty training grounds. She leaned her forehead on the tree in front of her, suddenly losing all of her energy upon the realization that she had nobody she could trust to talk too. She was alone, completely and utterly alone while a war was going on inside her head. Itโs a war between peace and conflict, a war between blood and bonds and a war between two conflicting beliefs.
โโShould I protect them or attack them?โโ Sarada asked herself.
It felt like she was being ripped in half. Half of her wanted to protect her family, to abide to her promise. While the other half wanted to achieve the ultimate peace, the kind of peace that could only be achieved by the methods of Ksuzuโs rebellion.
Her fist tightened around the headband in her pocket. The headband that signified her loyalty to the village and her vow to protect it while her other hand held the handle of a kunai tightly, ready to put a scratch through her once most prized possession.
What do I do? Sarada thought. Her mind taking her to all what Ksuzu promised as the devilish shine of his eyes appeared in front of her.
Ksuzu was pulling her to his side, and she knew that once she stepped into the darkness heโs inviting her too, she wonโt step out of it ever again.
Sarada blocked the dozen Kunai Ksuzu threw at her before she jumped up and shot a fireball towards him
โโYou never told me what happened to the rebellion after the five kage returned,โโ Sarada said as he opponent formed a barrier to stop her attack.
โโWhy should I tell a traitor of the rebellion?โโ he retorted, disembarking the shield he used to block the fire to forme smoldering steel shuriken. He then kicked it one by one towards Sarada. She easily dodged them.
โโI never said I was joining you. You just assumed that,โโ Sarada spat, as she blocked the sword that aimed to pierce her neck.
โโStop the talking and fight me seriously!โโ he demanded, forming another sword in his left hand and thrusting it towards Saradaโs chest.he former ANBU captain jumped in the air and landed behind Ksuzu, who turned around just in time to block a jab to his neck.
He grabbed her hand. Their eyes met for a second, before he pulled her to him while raising his knee to connect with Saradaโs stomach. She spat out blood as his knee connected with her stomach in a rough hit.
โโI thought the Lightningโs Spawn would actually use a little lightning in her fighting,โโ Ksuzu ย taunted while he grabbed Sarada by the neck, raising her up to his height.
โโWhy are you doing this?โโ Sarada said between gasps, instead of responding to his taunt like he expected.
โโFor peace,โโ he answered without batting an eyelash, as if she was asking the most obvious question in the world.
โโSo your way of peace is by killing the Five Kage and enforcing your rule on the villagers?โโ Sarada asked, laying her hands on Ksuzuโs hands but keeping her grip on his hands loose..
โโBetter than faking peace and just waiting for something to happen to disband this so called allianceโโ he responded.
โโAnd who told you that is going to happen?โโ Sarada choked under Ksuzuโs tightening hold, ย but her hands were still loosened around his.
โโI just know,โโ he smirked, confidence in what heโs saying shining in his eyes.
To his surprise, Sarada smirked upon hearing what he just said. โโI thought Iโm the one that can see the future.โโ
โโYou donโt need special eyes to see that this so called peace is going to end badly for all parties involved,โโ he paused, taking a deep breath before his lip twitched upwards, โโIโm disappointed. I wanted to see the Lightningโs Spawn in action, but sadly, I have to get this under wraps. I got three little genin to play with, that is if theyโre still alive by the time I get to them.โโ
The widening of Saradaโs eyes made the smirk on Ksuzuโs face broadened before he squeezed with full force on her neck.
A minute full of choking noises and wriggling legs passed before her body grew limp in his hands. And it wasnโt until then that he noticed the distinct smell of ozone in the air.
Lightningโฆ he thought while looking around, not seeing any sign of the aforementioned element. He felt the weight he was carrying in his hand fade, he looked to see Saradaโs limp body fading from his hands.
โโGenjutsu,โโ he murmured, closing his eyes and focusing on releasing the illusion.
โโYou seem to have forgotten that you are fighting a master at genjutsu.โโ he heard his enemyโs voice echo around him, barely audible from the sound of the rain.
โโYouโre reputation as the Crimson Falcon and as the lightningโs spawn far exceeds your reputation of being a genjutsu master.โโ he said, matter of factly while turning around to face her.
She was walking towards him, with slow steady steps, swords in hand, but that wasnโt what caught Ksuzuโs attention. It was the lightning coursing through her whole body that has managed to render him breathless. The sharp loud crack of thunder in the sky tore his attention away from Sarada as he readied two swords in his hand to stand against the onslaught that was bound to come.
โโYouโre about to see what earned me the nickname of the Lightningโs Spawn,โโ Sarada said, charging her swords with lightning.
The sound of an explosion tore both of the ninjas attention, the sound came from underground, and from the smoke rising from the hidden door leading to it, it was a tell tale sign of a huge fire release.
Ksuzu was panicking, as he recalled that the ninja he sent to capture those brats and Tsubaki were both earth release users, and judging from his opponents smirk, it wasnโt good.
โโWho the hell is that?!โโ Hotaru asked, crawling backwards towards a corner, away from the fire that just came out of nowhere.
Well not nowhere, more like from the strangers hands, who Hotaru didnโt even realise the presence off until they practically burned them all with fire.
After a second, Hotaru regained focus and scrambled towards Akihiko, who was laying on his back after he got his arm shattered by that manโs earth release. Hana was crouching next to him, trying her best to alleviate the pain since this injury was way out of her league.
โโKsuzu said it was just three genin. He didnโt say we weโre facing her!โโ one of the ninja that attacked them shouted at the other one, who was trying to turn off the fire surrounding them with earth release, but that seemed to have no use.
โโWe have to run Kozui, sheโs--the second in command of ANBU!โโ the shorter one said, already heading towards the exit of the underground cave. While the other nin followed suit, forgetting about their fallen teammate, who was taken care of by the three genin.
The second in command of ANBU? That means that sheโs the woman Akihiko was talking about. Hana thought, remembering what Akihiko told her about his family, more specifically about his step mother.
โโWhere do you think youโre going?โโ the newcomer said in a low voice, while walking towards the two criminals.
Akihiko seemed to recognize her voice as his eyes shot open and he raised himself upwards to make sure that what he thought was correct. And it seemed that it was by what he said next.
โโMother?!โโ Hotaru said after him, starring between the two as Hana took a moment to glare at him. But Hotaru wasnโt the only one surprised. The blonde womanโs hazel eyes widened upon hearing what the dark haired boy just called her, but he focus was shifted quickly as she sensed the the two criminals fleeing the scene.
With a flick of her hand, fire covered the path leading towards the closest exit. โโYou want to leave you got to get past me,โโ the heir to the Kasai clan said, walking slowly towards the two.
Both of the missing nin readied their weapons, ย ย despite the slight tremble that coursed through their bodies. ย They knew were facing somebody who has a track record of hunting down missing nin.
