Chapter 26
Chapter 26: 3 vs a Thousand Part 1
The sun barely peeked through the thick mist of Nami, the clouds heavy with the remnants of a night-long rainstorm. The air was cold and damp, but Sakura was used to this. It was the perfect weather for what she had to do.
The day had arrived. Nervous but determined, Sakura left behind a blood clone and made her way to the site of her previous battle with Zabuza. The place was still scarred from the fight, the ground torn and pitted. She sighed. Her forehead protector was with the clone, and she had dressed in muted colors. This was an infiltration and assassination mission—no room for the usual flashy colors.
Why did my shadow clone make a deal with Zabuza again? she thought bitterly. But there was no use crying over spilled milk. If it hadn’t been for that deal, her team would be dead by now. No more second-guessing.
She focused her chakra, reducing her signature to nothing, blending into the surroundings like a shadow. Her steps were nearly silent as she walked. Sneaking out of the house had been tricky, especially with Kakashi being so perceptive lately. Her teammates, too, had grown more suspicious. But she couldn’t let them follow her. They wouldn’t understand what she had to do. Her sensor skills flared to life—two chakra signatures were closing in on her location. Her muscles tensed, and in an instant, a soft thud echoed from above, followed by a voice.
“Hm, you came, Pinky. I thought you’d chicken out.”
It was Zabuza. He was perched on a tree, his large blade resting against his back. His usual shirtless appearance was gone, replaced with tactical gear.
“So, you got any idea how we get to Gato? Oh, and this kid is Haku.” Zabuza gestured to the person standing next to him. Sakura couldn’t tell if Haku was a man or a woman, but their face was delicate, their expression unreadable. They definitely were the same age as Naruto and sasuke so 14, 2 years older than her.
Sakura nodded. “Well, Gato has one base here in Nami, but besides his legitimate steel and mineral businesses, he runs several illegal operations—human trafficking, prostitution, you name it. His goal is to isolate Nami, clear out the population, and turn it into a waterpark-casino for his illicit dealings.”
Haku raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Interesting. How did you gather all this information so quickly?”
Sakura’s eyes remained stoic, but a small, cryptic smile tugged at her lips. “A secret of my trade. The faster we wrap this up, the faster I can leave.”
She turned to lead the way, her chakra flowing evenly as she dashed through the trees. Zabuza, of course, caught up immediately, his voice ringing out behind her.
“So, Pinky, why don’t you want your team to find out?” he asked with a teasing edge.
“Reasons,” she replied sharply, not slowing her pace. She had long since memorized this forest. Every tree, every rock, every hidden path had been mapped out during the quiet nights when her team slept soundly and she snuck off to scout in secret.
Zabuza, still curious, pestered her further. “I don’t get you, Pinky. You’ve got the skills, but you’re hiding something big, aren’t you?”
Sakura didn’t respond immediately. Her senses were stretched to their limits as she focused on the mission ahead. She wasn’t just worried about keeping her team out of this; it was about protecting the parts of her past that she wasn’t ready to face. Her training had prepared her for situations like this, and she had learned to control her emotions, to bury her fears.
Haku, who had been silent until now, glanced back at her with a curious look.
Sakura ignored them, her mind whirring as she dashed through the dense foliage. She could travel for days without rest. She could go months without food, without sleep. She could fight without using chakra for a long time and take down small groups of men twice her size. She had a high pain threshold all thanks to her ROOT training, it had molded her into a machine—cold, efficient, and relentless. Sakura knew the perfect amount of strength to bash in skulls with ease what it took to end a life. Even now, she could take down a group of ANBU-level ninjas with ease, her body a weapon honed by years of torture and discipline under Danzo’s command. Danzo was dead, but the scars remained. She would never wish this life on anyone, least of all her teammates.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed Zabuza had fallen silent. She slowed to a stop, eyes scanning the area ahead.
“We’re here,” she whispered. “The cave is the entrance... but there are more of them today. Did Gato hire more mercenaries?”
Zabuza and Haku both halted beside her, looking around as Sakura continued, her voice low but steady. “They’re not all ninjas. I spotted four or five ronin—wandering samurai. One of them had a shotgun when I scouted this place.”
Zabuza blinked, clearly surprised. “Wait—you scouted this place? When?”
Sakura smirked faintly, her eyes narrowing. “Since the day we fought. I’ve been gathering intel on Gato’s movements.”
Haku’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Your team leader didn’t notice anything?”
Sakura raised an eyebrow. “No, he didn’t. I left a solid clone with them. He’s not all-knowing, you know. He can be tricked. But let’s focus on making a plan to get in.”
Back in Konoha
Shisui stood by the window, peering out as he spoke casually to Itachi, who was tidying Sasuke’s room.
“So, where’s your ‘chibi’?” Shisui asked, using his usual nickname for Sasuke. Itachi, rolling his eyes at the term, sighed as he moved Sasuke’s bed aside.
“He’s on a C-rank mission to the Land of Waves with his team,” Itachi replied, making a subtle gesture to clean up the area.
Shisui grinned. “Ah, he’s finally doing a C-rank? He’s growing up. I remember the days when he was practically hanging off your leg…” He trailed off, noticing something on Sasuke’s nightstand. His eyes widened as he picked up a photo frame.
“It’s his team,” Itachi said with a chuckle, glancing over at the photo. “Yes, that hair is natural, not dyed.”
But Shisui wasn’t listening. He stared at the picture, his fingers gripping the frame tightly. “… What’s her name?”
Itachi raised an eyebrow. “That’s weird. You’re usually not like this. Her name is Sakura Haruno. Civilian-born, but she’s good with medical ninjutsu and a solid kunoichi.”
Shisui’s grip tightened. His eyes went wide with disbelief. “Civilian? No wayshe can be…”
Itachi blinked, confused. “What do you mean?”
Shisui didn’t answer right away. His thoughts were racing, connecting pieces he hadn’t considered before. He was silent for a moment, staring at the photo with growing concern.
"Could it be…?" Shisui murmured, his mind working to piece together something larger. His mind blanked to a conclusion.
Itachi felt a chill in the air, an unsettling sensation creeping over him as he stared at his cousin, who was lost in his thoughts. Something was wrong. Shisui had put something together, and Itachi could feel the tension in the room building. The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to shift, but what they meant remained unclear.