How did/do you make online friends ? Like ur close friendship with Vesper ? I’m helpless lost
Well, I think I would say it stemmed from a mutual interest/hobby, as we were both writing Sakura-centric fanfic. I had admired Vesper for years before we started talking and loved her stories for years and I think she was reading halcyon days at the time.
I genuinely don't remember who reached out first, I think it was Vesper? @vesperlionheart correct me if I'm wrong, haha.
And from there we just started talking in the DMs of Tumblr. It all sprawled from sharing an interest is a topic and geeking out over it. I think friendships can grow from sharing one thing it common, it just takes time and effort.
And I am forever grateful to have Vesper in my life.
It’s that time again where I make a new Shout Out post. It will feature new and old! Here we go!!
Almost all of these are going to have Sakura as the main. I will list the pairings like this: Sakura/Itachi.
Once again, thank you! You’re all wonderful. :)
[Part One]
[Hemlock] by @0hdeer
(Rated M. Angst/Adventure. Sakura/Itachi/Gaara. Non-Mass AU. Slowwww Burn! On going!)
[A different take on Inner Sakura. There's a monster in this girl's skin.]
[Sandcastles] by @0hdeer
(Rated M. Adventure/Romance. Sakura/Gaara and Ameyuri/Kisame. On going!)
[Sakura Haruno is five years old when she asks Gaara to be her best friend. A story where Sakura is raised in Suna and things are different, very different.]
[Broken Glass] by @ad0rkable
(Rated T. Adventure/Friendship. Characters: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Neji. On going!)
[Naruto and Sasuke left Sakura pathetically broken, but like any good shinobi she put the pieces back together the only way she knew how: relentless training/ Years later Konoha is in the midst of a war and Sakura is a force to be reckoned with. Frankly, she’s not even sure if she wants her teammates back.)
[More Than Words] by @anoceaninthesun
(Rated T. Romance/Humor. Sakura/Team 7. Poly Fic. On going! Ignore’s Epilogue/Canon Divergence.)
[”Are we really gonna pretend this is a surprise? Because none of you are acting upset about this stupid law, ya know!” Post war setting in which team 7′s dynamics change yet again. To Naruto’s dismay, everyone but him saw it coming. POLY!Team 7 centric.)
[A Requiem for Fireflies] by @anoceaninthesun
(Rated T. Fantasy/Romance. Naruto/Sakura/Gaara/Sai. Poly Fic. On going!)
[In a world full of magic, gifted individuals form contracts with powerful beings called yokai. Much to her horror, Haruno Sakura is one of these individuals. Despite her reluctance, Sakura and her team will need absolute trust in order to survive the dangerous conspiracy waiting in the shadows. POLYFIC/MultiSaku]
[If I live] by [ALightLit]
(Rated T. Angst/Adventure. Sakura, Orochimaru, Anko, Team 7. On going!)
[Every action has a consequence. It took one girl to screw all of Orochimaru's plans up, and nothing will ever be the same. "Look at you, such bloodlust. Darkness is a lovely shade on you, my dear." Major AU [Morally Ambiguous Dark(ish) Sakura] R&R! Mid-Chunin Exams onward.]
[Hollow Point] by @sariasprincy
(Rated M. Suspense/Drama. Tobirama/Sakura/Itachi. Crime AU! On going!)
[Arms dealing is her trade, but young and in a man's world, it takes a criminal mastermind to play with the big dogs without getting bit. TobiSaku/ItaSaku. Crime!AU. Rated M for mentions of adult themes.]
[Where it Happened] by @sariasprincy
(Rated M. Romance/Drama. Sakura/Itachi. Grey’s Anatomy AU. Complete!)
[He was the new head of Cardio and her new boss, and though she thought him a little full of himself, it seemed there was more to the famed Uchiha Itachi than he led on. Not that she could claim her life was that uncomplicated as well. ItaSaku. Modern AU. Grey's Anatomy AU. Rated M for mentions of adult themes.]
[Nightmare in Red] by @sariasprincy
(Rated T. Angst/Drama. Sakura/Itachi. Complete!)
[Haruno Sakura used to think the eyes were the windows to the soul, but after witnessing the horrors of the Sharingan firsthand, she's convinced they are the doors. ItaSaku. Nonmass.]
[Terror Rising] by [RansomNote]
(Rated T. Romance/Crime. Sakura/Itachi, Gaara and Sasori. On going!)
[If Sakura had known that a punch to the face was all it took to start a man's obsession, then she would have just stayed home. Underground fighter!Sakura x Police chief!Itachi]
[Haze] by @sariasprincy
(Rated M. Romance/Humor. Sakura/Shisui. Complete. On shot.)
[Because Shisui wanted her and really the alcohol was only the perfect excuse. ShiSaku. Rated M for adult themes.]
[The Uchiha’s Wife] by @ombreecha
(Rated M. Angst/Romance. Sasuke/Sakura. On going!)
[She was an otherworldly being of healing. An absolute nymph of spring. He was an otherworldly being of destruction. An absolute god of war. In a world where war makes him death, and chaos she will be the life, and love his people will talk of for years to come. AU x Warring States Period.]
[aut viam inveniam aut faciam] by @mayberainy
(Rated M. Romance/Adventure. Sakura, Itachi, Kakashi. On going!)
[Sakura lives her life as a warrior under the adventurer's guild of Konoha. She can create and she can destroy, just the same. When Orochimaru's Fourth Invasion on the guild separates her from her teammates and threatens everything she holds dear, she forces the last of her energy into the ancient summoner's circle and brings forth not just one demon, but two. AU.]
[The Barn] by @king-and-her-lionheart / @vesperlionheart
(Rated T. Sakura centric. Romance. On going!)
[Sakura is a witch without a coven, and who hasn't touched her magic in six years. But, after inheriting a house she believes to be haunted, she unwittingly unleashes upon herself the vexation that is a myriad of new faces-each one vying to be her familiar. Sakuracentric]
[Daddy’s Little Girl] by [FallenInDreams] (Can someone tag?)
(Rated T. Romance/Family. Sakura/Kakashi. Complete One Shot!)
[A drunken attempt to get Kizashi's permission to marry Sakura doesn't go as smoothly as Kakashi had hoped. KakaSaku. For MultiSakuMonth2018 on tumblr.]
[A Place to Call Home] by @astroaves
(Rated T. Romance/Family. Sakura/Karin. Complete One Shot!)
[Since the death of her mother when she was just a child, Karin had never felt the warmth of 'home'. When an unexpected situation brings Sakura into her life, however, Karin finds herself coming closer and closer to what she once lost.]
[Time Flies Like an Arrow] by @katlou303
(Rated K. Family/Friendship. Sakura. On going!)
[Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's a four-year-old civilian having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.]
Feel free to add your own! Thank you all again! Thank you for letting us read your babies.
AAAAA FIRST TIME LEAVING A COMMENT HERE I DID ONE ON FF I THINK YESSSS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE!!! I WAS REALLY CURIOUS BEFORE ON WHAT'S ITACHI'S ROLE WILL BE AND DAMN IS THIS ALL FAMILY CRIME BUSINESS WITH THE UCHIHAS AND ITACHI BEING A SHRED OF LIGHT??? ANYWAY LOVELY UPDATE AS USUAL!
Thanks for coming to tumblr too! It's really awesome as a writer to see reviewers across different social media platforms. Don't forget, Madara was CIA, turned traitor ;)
xx
@vesperlionheart
Is he hot, must be an Uchiha!
Or Senju ha
xx
@mariko-ko
And now we see where Itachi comes in! How in the world is Sakura going to handle the CIA’s involvement in her already dangerous life? What is Sakura’s end goal? I keep wondering why she got involved with the other Senju’s in the first place. Is it just power or is it something else? I do love her partnership with Kakashi. How in the world did they meet? Loving the story!!!!!
I'm so happy to see all your questions! Standby for answers! ;)
xx
@mugglemiracle
As usual, great writing from you. Kept wondering what Itachi's role would be. I was thinking he was from Akatsuki, but I guess CIA is more badass. For one fleeting moment, I imagined who would Sakura better end up with. I am a multishipper and I love all your pairings, but I really wish for TobiSaku. Hehe. Tobirama is so damn hot! I am sooo religiously following this story and I am excited for the next chapter! More power
I love both ItaSaku and TobiSaku. And I do regret (sorta) that Itachi, Sakura and Tobirama are all about to be put through hell. Whoops!
xx
@beansproutlover
THE ITACHI REVEAL YES. JUST YES. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT I’M SHOOK.
I'm excited too! ;)
xx
@arraveugchan
This is my favorite chapter so far gaaaaaaaahhhhh with Tobirama and Itachi in one chapter! I love the reveal, I love how Sakura remains in control of the situation though Itachi has everything figured out. I was half expecting Shisui to be there but it’s all good because at least Sakura was able to flirt her way through their meeting. You also wrote both men so well!!! With Tobirama being our usual hot sassy ass to Itachi being this hot calculating agent eyjejfhtwhneyths I’m so excited to see how all of these will play out! Thank you so much!!! I had fun waking up to this!
Itachi and Tobirama's characters are both powerful and dangerous, but their personalities are so different. They're both a blast to write. Shisui to come soon!
xx
@-lookingforthesky
Holy fucking shit, yes finally Itachi bae makes an appearance~ I'm surprised she turned down the deal :o but I guess I'll just have to wait patiently to figure out why. Thank you for writing :D
;)
xx
@black-is-a-shade-you-stock-fish
WOOOOOOOOOOOO I open tumblr and the first thing i see is this post. YEAAAHHH ITACHI'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!
So much Itachi love. (I'll say I was excited for his appearance too)
xx
@faithangel366
Omg omg omg I have been waiting for Itachi to show up for a while now. I almost screamed while reading 😍😍😍.
I admit I sometimes scream while writing.
xx
@beyondthemoor
*gently touches @sariasprincy ‘s face* Bless you for sharing this, and giving me something so wonderful to read on my only day off this summer. I want to review, but I know I would reveal spoilers, and I don’t dare do so. But know that I desperately want to. You beautiful, cruel, ethereal creature…
…Who do I need to FMK to get chapter 9?
Well, I mean if you're going to compliment my *flips hair* beautiful, stunning, gorgeous looks, I may have to bless you with an update.
xx
@keep-me-near
#ahhh so many things happening in this chapter#like if tobirama ever called me princess and grabbed my hips like that 😏#also I was so stupid not to realise who inspector haswari was lmao#and then BAM you introduce itachi#which gets me thinking... who is inspector tuvia!? is it shisui?? u said they looked so alike they could pass as siblings or cousins sooooo
Yes, Tobirama is damn hot. Though, I don’t think he really meant ‘princess’ as a compliment ha <3
Thank you everyone for your comments, reblogs and tags. They are much appreciated.
This was supposed to be short, but I have absolutely no self-control. To wrap it up: Utopia is a fusion of numerous themes, such as cyberpunk, soulmate marks, and the supernatural. Inspired by Cristobal Tapia De Veer’s music, Akira and Studio Ghibli (particularly Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle), as well as @vesperlionheart Peridot, and @frostmarris Incantations (I could rave about their stories for hours so go take a look at their work if you haven’t already!).
Pairing: Sasori/Sakura
Rated M for strong language and violence
Part 1 - A Birthday to Remember
Their heels clicked loudly against the flagstones as they walked up the street towards the restaurant. It had stopped raining yesterday, and the puddles reflected the neon flashes of advertisement. Holographic images of gadgets and beaming people assaulted them from every angle, and Sakura eyed passersby on the street but saw none of the cheerfulness being showcased. The evening was approaching, and they passed men wearing expensive suits who were escorting beautiful ladies that were swathed in luxurious furs and jewelry, all of whom were in search of a night of entertainment to sate their vices. There was none of the hard-eyed gauntness Sakura was used to seeing in the slums. This was a different kind of hunger that only the corrupt and the wealthy experienced.
Sakura despised them.
They’d parked her motorcycle in an area reserved for the restaurant’s guests, and Sakura had left her boots and jacket with her bike. She thanked the high heavens that Ino had taught her how to walk in these death contraptions. Their arms were looped together, and Ino’s flowing dress brushed against Sakura’s leg with every step they took. She looked fantastic tonight, having chosen a purple cocktail dress with a sweetheart neckline that left her collarbones on display. Sakura had no idea where she’d gotten the money for either of their clothes for the night but knew better than to ask. While they both had enough to go by, they were poor compared to these people.
They had no business entering this side of town, where even the air was expensive, but Ino was determined to celebrate. It wasn’t every day that her best friend turned twenty, she’d said. Sakura had laughed when Ino had told her not to worry because this was her treat. She knew that Ino had no intention of paying for anything here and wondered how she expected to be able to outrun anyone in these shoes. Hence the reason Sakura had taken her boots along for the ride. There was no way she was entering a car chase in heels.
Sakura held open the door when they arrived, and Ino walked up to the reception, which was manned by a waiter in a bowtie and suit. It was warm inside, and soft music played from hidden speakers. The floor was covered with a rich red carpet, which complemented the dark wood of the furniture. Sakura looked up at the gleaming chandeliers that lit the restaurant with a soft glow. Everything looked so elegant here, and Sakura had to hand it to Ino; she really knew how to pick a place.
“Hi, a table for two,” Ino said with confidence, and Sakura marveled at how natural she looked here, surrounded by such opulence.
“Do you have a reservation?” The waiter behind the counter asked.
“No, I didn’t think we’d need one,” Ino said with a cute pout that usually got her what she wanted. He feigned a smile and looked down at his monitor. Sakura shifted her weight onto her other foot, ready to pull Ino away and head back towards their usual joint. This place wasn’t worth the effort, no matter how classy it appeared.
“Our next table should be available in about twenty minutes if you’re willing to wait,” he said after a moment of shuffling through the evening’s reservations.
“We’ll wait,” Ino said with a sharp smile that the waiter did not return.
“If you would be so kind as to wait, another waiter will be here in a moment to escort you to the waiting area,” he said but forgot about them when the door opened again. He looked past them and plastered on an oily smile.
“Excuse me,” the man who’d just entered said. His date, a tall woman with her hair pulled up into an elegant knot, observed Ino and Sakura with an air of disdain as they rudely pushed past them to get the counter. Sakura had the urge to stick out her tongue at her, just to see what kind of reaction she’d gain.
“Ah, monsieur. Your usual table?” the waiter asked the asshole. At receiving a nod, he lifted the countertop to escort them personally. “Excuse us, ladies,” he said, and they both smiled with false demureness as they stepped out of their way. Sakura made sure that the couple had to let go of each other to get between them, her arm brushing against the man’s suit as they passed. Ino did the same on the other side, but she purposefully bumped into the lady hard enough to have to grab her by the shoulder to keep them from falling.
“Oh, my! I’m so sorry,” she said earnestly and took a step back to give them more space. The lady sent her a frosty glare but said nothing as she put her hand on her companion’s arm again.
“It happens to the best of us,” he assured them with a stiff nod before they continued on.
“That fucker took our table!” Ino hissed into Sakura’s ear when they were out of hearing range.
“What did you expect from a place like this?” Sakura whispered back, and Ino scowled. She opened her mouth to make another scathing remark but was interrupted by the arrival of their waiter.
“If you’d be so kind as to follow me, ladies. You can take a seat at the bar while you wait for a table,” he said with a bow. The bar served as a waiting area as well, and Sakura wondered why they couldn’t just have their dinner there. The tables were tall enough for them to stand by them, but they chose one with chairs. Sakura wasn’t eager to stand for long in heals. Ino placed her purse on the table as they took their seat and Sakura took a look around. Their new position gave them a good view of the establishment, but her back was to the door.
“Can I get you ladies anything to drink?” he asked when they were seated.
“Yes, I’ll have the House Blend,” Ino said after considering the menu. The waiter nodded and looked at Sakura expectantly.
“I’ll just have some sparkling water,” Sakura said.
“Excellent, I’ll have your drinks ready in a moment.”
“Water? It’s your birthday, forehead. Live a little!” Ino said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
“It’s fancy water,” Sakura defended. “Besides, one of us needs to keep their wits about them.”
“Always so responsible,” Ino sighed.
“You’d be dead without me, pig” Sakura teased, reminding her of all the times she’d bailed her ass out of jail.
“Probably,” Ino agreed.
They bickered back and forth. Sakura couldn’t keep the smile off her face, honestly glad that she’d agreed to Ino’s harebrained scheme. She’d never been inside such a fancy place.
“Here we are.” Their waiter set down their drinks in front of them. Sakura smiled politely in thanks, and Ino batted her eyes flirtatiously. He flushed. “Anything else I can get you?”
“No thank you.” Ino gave him a sultry smile and wrapped her lips around her straw to take a sip. “We’ll call if we need anything.”
The poor guy didn’t stand a chance against the blonde bombshell. He bowed and walked away with a slightly dazed expression. Ino snorted when he was out of view. Sakura held her glass up to her mouth to hide her grin against the rim. Her drink wasn’t nearly as indulgent as Ino’s, but she needed to keep a clear head when they hit the road again. Ino lounged back in her chair, holding her ridiculously expensive cocktail to her chest, and Sakura watched as she took another sip of it, careful not to smear her lipstick.
“You know that there’s bound to be as much sugar, if not more, than alcohol in that drink,” Sakura said, and Ino pouted.
“I’m not on a diet so don’t spoil this for me!” Ino clutched the drink to her chest defensively.
“You never needed to go on a diet in the first place,” Sakura sighed. Ino relaxed, a small smile crossing her face. The door opening let in a gust of wind and Sakura shivered as the cold air brushed against the bare skin of her back. Her red dress was backless, a far cry from her usual getup, and she was grateful that it had sleeves.
“Stop squirming, you look hot!” Ino reassured her. Sakura stopped fidgeting and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. She felt like the slit that ran up her thigh to her hip was exposing her nether regions to the world. She was wearing underwear of course, but the only pair that would look good with this kind of dress was a high waisted thong, and that hardly gave her much coverage. Sakura was only glad that the fabric around her left leg concealed the slim dagger she’d holstered around her thigh. Ino had a pistol in her purse, but Sakura hadn’t dared to travel unarmed even though they were in the safer part of the city.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ino grumbled and gestured towards the reception with her chin.
Sakura turned around and saw the headwaiter lead three men in suits to the dining hall. The tallest had a dark scowl on his face, and his unnaturally green eyes and red sclera sent a pool of dread down Sakura’s spine. She knew danger when she saw it, and this was not a man to be trifled with. His two companions, a blond and a redhead, appeared bored to be there, but Sakura knew that they weren’t here to mix business with pleasure.
Her skin tingled, and Sakura shivered at the odd sensation. She took a cooling sip of her drink and was about to comment on it when their waiter returned. He was eager to give Ino a refill, but she placed a hand over her glass.
“Could we have something to nibble on instead? We’re starting to get hungry,” Ino asked, and Sakura could see the annoyance lurking underneath her playful smile.
“Of course! I apologize for the delay; your table will be ready in a few moments.” He hurried off and returned with a basket full of bread and a small jar of pesto. It was freshly prepared by the cook and on the house, according to the waiter. It was delicious, and Sakura could feel how hungry she’d been. They took a moment to appreciate the taste and texture of it.
“Let’s hope there won’t be a shootout,” Ino spoke suddenly, and Sakura knew she was referring to the new arrivals.
“Yeah, that’s not how I want to spend my evening,” Sakura agreed. It was depressing how frequently fights broke out nowadays. Civilians got caught in the crossfire of gang wars countless of times, and corrupt officials looked the other way while men like these made dark deals in fancy restaurants.
Luck was with them tonight, and when they finally got a table, they were relieved to see that it was close to the kitchen so they could make a quick exit through the back if things turned sour. Sakura smirked when she saw whose table the men had joined. It was the couple they’d bumped into in the reception and Sakura got a mild kick from seeing the nervous sweat on the man’s face at being cornered. Served him right for getting involved with them when he couldn’t deliver. The lady was unhappy with the new company; going by the glare she was giving her date.
Their waiter weaved in between tables and steered them through the dining hall with ease. Sakura was relieved that the man with the scary eyes had his back to her. The blond, who was closer to Sakura’s age, winked at her when he saw her looking. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at his apparent appraisal of her, and his grin widened in return. She moved her attention to the last man at the table, the redhead with hooded eyes. A tremor ran through her, but the unsettling feeling lasted only for a fraction of a second as she passed by them. He didn’t look up, much to Sakura’s relief.
They placed their orders when they were seated, having had plenty of time to make up their minds while they waited. They decided to go all out tonight and requested a three-course meal.
“Tonight we eat like royalty,” Ino said and held up her glass in a toast which Sakura gladly reciprocated.
Curiosity got the better of her and Sakura looked over at their table. Now that she had time to observe them properly she noticed the similarities between the blond man and Ino. He wore his hair half pulled up in a ponytail with a long bang covering one eye.
“I think I found your long lost twin,” she said, and Ino scoffed.
“Where?”
“Over there.” Sakura gestured discretely to their table, but Ino had no such compunction and craned her neck to get a better look.
“Motherfucker, you’re right,” Ino gasped in outrage. She wasn’t the only one to have noticed, and the blond met her with a disbelieving stare of his own. Ino scowled, and he glared back. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned back to Sakura. “Whatever, I’m still prettier.”
“I don’t know,” Sakura drawled. His visible blue eye was quite striking. “He could give you a run for your money.”
“You’re horrible,” Ino deadpanned, and Sakura finally gave into the urge to laugh.
The blond’s pouting must have caught the attention of his companion because when Sakura looked over again, she made direct eye contact with amber eyes. Her skin crawled with a sudden, unnatural heat. Uncomfortable with his scrutiny, Sakura’s eyes lowered down to his hand, which was curled around a wine glass. Thin blue strings extended from his fingers and stretched across the room. She quickly turned to see where they lead, but they vanished through the front door. The shock of seeing something so bizarre forced her back to reality, and her eyelids fluttered against the sudden lightheadedness she experienced. She snuck another look at him out of the corner of her eye, and her heart lurched when she saw that he was still watching her.
He only looked away when the rich guy had made to stand up, but something pulled him back down. A new string had materialized from the redhead’s finger and was now connected to the man’s chest, forcing him back down with a twitch of his finger. Sakura’s eyes widened in horror, and she hastened to look away before the redhead discovered that he had a witness. Ino hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary, or she would have reacted, but Sakura was desperate for a distraction. She searched wildly for something to say before she went into hysterics.
“How’s work?” She asked, her voice an octave higher than natural. Ino’s parents were florists, which was not the most lucrative business, but Sakura knew they might have been well off if they’d lived in another world. Ino gave her a weird look but chose not to comment on the abrupt change of topic.
“It’s been kind of slow lately, but we’re bound to have more business if these gang wars keep up. Funeral flowers are always so depressing to arrange,” Ino sighed before she perked up. “I have an early shift tomorrow; you should totally come by and save me from boredom.”
“Yeah, I might,” Sakura said absently. It had been some time since Sakura’s last visit to the Yamanaka Flower. That had been for a funeral as well. Ino looked up from her plate and appeared pensive all of a sudden.
“You know that there’s still a chance they’re-” Ino started quietly, her expression soft but Sakura couldn’t bear it. She knew where this was going and had to put a stop to it before she said their names.
“I think this dress is giving me a rash,” Sakura interrupted her. She refused to cry on her birthday. “I’m going to go to the bathroom and check it out.”
“I need to piss,” Ino said after a pause and stood up. “I’ll come with you.”
“Is everything okay?” Their waiter popped up, and Sakura’s eyebrow twitched with annoyance. His eagerness to please had been amusing at first, but now it was starting to wear on her patience.
“We’re just going to powder our noses,” Ino said, her words devoid of her earlier crassness. She put her hand on Sakura’s back and led her away, recognizing the signs of her rising temper.
They had to pass their table again, and the blond shamelessly checked them out though he still appeared put out by Ino’s similarity. The scary-eyed man was speaking to the rich man in a low, threatening manner. Sakura feigned obliviousness, and carefully kept her eyes ahead, aware of the pair of eyes drilling into the back of her head. Hopefully, Ino wouldn’t notice.
“You’ve got an admirer,” Ino said the moment she’d locked the door, and Sakura bit back a curse her perceptiveness. Those freaky strings only meant trouble, and there was no way she was going to drag Ino into harm’s way.
“Oh?” She said with forced disinterest. She pulled her arms out of the long sleeves of her dress, the silky fabric rolling as she pushed the front down. She didn’t feel a lick of embarrassment when the cold air nipped at her exposed flesh. There wasn’t anybody here to see her half-naked except for Ino, and they’d been best friends for over ten years. The skin between her breasts was a splotchy red and irritated, and she compulsively put her hand on it. It felt hot to the touch and was sore and slightly raised with inflammation.
“What the hell,” Ino breathed, leaning in to take a closer look. “Do you think it could be an allergic reaction?”
“It’s not appearing anywhere else. It looks like a bug bite,” Sakura said with a frown.
“Gross.” Ino grimaced.
Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend’s squeamishness and went over to the sink to wet a tissue with cold water. She pressed it to her chest and sighed at the momentary relief. Sakura leaned against the sink, marveling at how clean everything was here, while Ino took a leak. She could see her reflection on the tiles. It would be hard to return to reality, where public bathrooms were disgusting from the acts of vandalism caused by bored teens, and needles and syringes, as well as the occasional blood splatters, left behind by the shaky hands of drug addicts.
Ino checked Sakura’s hip to get to the sink, and Sakura threw the now warm tissue into the bin. She looked into the mirror to get a closer look at the redness and put her dress back on after a moment of deliberation. It didn’t seem serious, and the pain was mild compared to what she’s experienced.
“Does it hurt?” Ino asked. She slung her purse onto the counter and pulled out a gloss and handed it to Sakura.
“No,” Sakura said. She met her eyes in the mirror as she applied it and raised an eyebrow in question when she saw Ino’s smug grin.
“I got her pearls,” Ino said and dangled the necklace in between her thumb and forefinger to show her. It belonged to the woman she’d bumped into at the reception.
“Well, I got his wallet,” Sakura countered and held it up with a devilish smirk. Ino laughed in delight and slung her arm over Sakura’s shoulder.
“How much is in there?” she asked, and Sakura opened the wallet. They both gasped when they saw the thick wad of bills inside.
“What an idiot! Who the hell carries around that much?” Ino snatched the money and counted it quickly, swearing when she noticed they were all one hundred bills. She stuffed it into her bra for safekeeping.
“I’ve never seen a credit card like this,” Sakura mused and showed Ino the sleek black card she’d found inside the wallet. It had a holographic serial number on it and a small silver chip but no name or address.
“It’s a luxury card!” Ino gasped. “Who the hell is this guy?”
“An idiot we just robbed,” Sakura smirked and tossed the wallet into the garbage. It wasn’t worth the risk of keeping when there was a chance of it having a tracker sewed into the leather; rich people were so paranoid these days.
“Well, who wouldn’t want to be robbed by a pair of babes like us?” Ino asked, and struck a pose that put her curves on display. Sakura snorted and smacked her on the bottom.
“Should we pay the bill now that we have the money?” She asked, handing Ino her gloss back.
“Are you crazy? I’m not going to waste a single penny in this pretentious place!” Ino hissed. She looked scandalized at the thought, and Sakura laughed.
“We can’t keep this,” Sakura gestured with the card. “The chip definitely has a tracker, and they’ll find us if we make a withdraw.”
“We’re not taking it with us, but we could use his card to pay for our meal,” Ino dismissed.
“What happened to not paying a single penny?”
“It’s not every day a rich, handsome man pays for your meal.” Ino swiped the card from Sakura’s hand and put it in her purse. “Besides we’ll be gone before they notice.”
“True,” Sakura agreed.
“Come on, I want some dessert,” Ino said and pulled Sakura out of the bathroom. They rounded the corner just in time to see the redhead man mutter something with a small smirk that sent the blond off. The couple was nowhere in sight, but Sakura noticed that the men were eating the food they’d ordered.
“How can you say such a thing? Art is supposed to be fleeting!” the blond cried, banging the table for emphasis. He would have continued, but he’d incited the ire of the scary-eyed man when the cutlery clinked loudly against the wooden tabletop.
“Deidara, shut up,” he growled, pointing his knife at him threateningly.
“Don’t point that knife at me unless you want to fight, Kakuzu,” Deidara spat, looking ready to vault over the table and attack him. The redhead leaned back in his seat and watched them with open satisfaction at having successfully riled his partners. Sakura slowed down, wanting to catch his name now that she could hear them, but he saw them. The moment their eyes met the skin between her breasts started to sting again, and Sakura was now positive he had something to do with it. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised his eyebrows, unimpressed by her scowl. Sakura didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of letting him see how unnerved she was and was grateful when Ino pulled her past them, breaking their strange connection.
“What a bunch of weirdos,” Ino muttered as they sat down. Sakura agreed; there was something wrong with them. She was hesitant to call it supernatural, but it was either that, or she was losing her mind. Her analytical mind preferred the second option.
They ordered a slice of chocolate cake and a bowl of strawberry ice cream to share, and Ino was slumped back in her seat by the time they’d finished, having gorged herself on the excellent food. She entertained herself by twirling her wine glass by the stem, and Sakura felt an overwhelming fondness for her. She reached over the table to take Ino’s hand and squeezed it. “Thank you for tonight.”
“Of course, only the best for my friends,” Ino dismissed after her initial surprise. She turned her hand up and tickled Sakura’s palm until she let her go. The redhead was still watching her with a calculative gaze, and Sakura wanted nothing more than to leave. Then, she realized that nothing was stopping her now that they’d eaten.
“Ready to get this show on the road?” she asked, and Ino nodded. She threw her napkin onto her plate and took up her purse.
“Go get the bike, I’ll be ready,” Ino told her as she stood up, and Sakura hurried away. She feared that the redhead would follow her out if she didn’t walk fast enough. Her heart sank when she was reminded of his strings. They were still in place, shuddering like a spider web as the waiters stepped on them and sent the vibrations back to their castor. Suitably freaked out, Sakura avoided touching them and followed a group of rowdy businessmen out of the restaurant. They spilled out onto the street with guffaws, obviously drunk, but they walked on unhindered by the threads.
Sakura darted down the sidewalk towards the parking lot, observing how the strings dispersed in every direction and extended until they were out of sight. She shuddered and picked up her pace. It was getting dark, and the chilly air nipped at her skin. Three men sat on another restaurant’s veranda and catcalled loudly as she passed but she forced herself to ignore them. The one leaning against the railing stretched his hand out to swat at her ass but missed. Anger burned brightly inside her at their audacity. She kept going nonetheless, knowing that she wasn’t equipped to get retribution at the moment.
Her bike stood untouched, and Sakura wasted no time in pulling up the seat after unlocking the compartment under to get her clothes. She gladly switched her heels for boots and pulled on a pair of skintight shorts. She didn’t have the time to take off her dress, but she shifted the holster to her bared leg for easy access to her knife and threw on her jacket. She then wrapped the skirt around her thigh to keep it out of the way and pushed the seat back down.
The engine growled loudly as she put her key in the ignition. Sakura kicked off with a savage grin, and she tore off onto the street. She hadn’t forgotten the man who’d tried to touch her and steered her bike onto the sidewalk. Walking pedestrians flattened themselves to the wall with shouts as she rode up the pavement. The men were still sitting there, calling harassments after a group of teenaged girls, and she gave a burst of speed. Sakura took great pleasure in grabbing him by the head and smashing his face into the table with enough force to break his nose. Screams broke out as the table toppled over, sending glass flying, but Sakura didn’t slow down. They were bound to call the cops on her, but she didn’t care. She needed to get Ino, and they’d be off. Besides, the police wouldn’t follow them into the lawless zone. They never did.
Sakura proceeded onto the street and slowed down when she came to the restaurant but didn’t dare to get any closer when she saw that the mobsters were standing on the sidewalk. They were preparing to leave but stalled when she revved her engine as a signal for Ino to get her ass out. They looked up at the noise, and Deidara threw his head back with a laugh when he recognized her.
“I like your style, pinky!” He called. Sakura scowled, resenting the juvenile nickname, and flicked him the finger. Her pink hair was stunning!
Ino threw open the door to the restaurant and jumped out. It was amazing how fast she could move in those shoes, because she was past the mobsters and on the streets a split second later, shouting: “So long suckers!”
She hopped on behind Sakura and wound her arms around her middle. Sakura laughed, adrenaline rushing through her veins when the waiter burst out of the restaurant. In his haste, he bumped into Deidara with enough force to send him stumbling.
“Watch it!” Deidara shouted as he caught himself on the redhead, who shoved him away, but the waiter wasn’t listening.
“Ma’am!” He yelled, rushing towards them with his hand raised. Ino laughed hysterically and fluttered her fingers in farewell as Sakura kicked off. They tore down the street loudly, Ino’s laughter drowned by the sound of the motorcycle.
There wasn’t much traffic besides the usual cabs, but people walked carelessly onto the streets. The sound of Sakura’s motorcycle was enough to warn them of her approach, but she had to swerve to avoid crashing into a group of young adults. They shouted profanities at them as they pelted past. Sakura’s ears picked up the sound of sirens approaching, and she knew they would be in trouble if they didn’t make it to the Fringes before they caught sight of them.
She gasped as the dull pain in her chest burned brighter. Something was seriously wrong with her, but there was no time to stop and check, and going to the hospital was out of the question now that they were being tailed.
“Wow, that was quick!” Ino remarked when a police vehicle sped onto the street some paces behind them. Sakura didn’t answer but knew it was her fault for being such a hothead. Sweat gathered on her forehead, and she tightened her grip on the handlebars. They gained more speed as they got closer to the Fringes.
The traffic was worse in this part of the city, and horns blared around them as they zigzagged between cars. Sakura saw an opening between two lanes as they approached an intersection. The lights were red, and the police were stuck behind the other vehicles. Nobody liked cops in these parts, so no one moved out of their way despite their sirens. Sakura thanked her lucky stars that they hadn’t sent any backup.
They were almost at the intersection when suddenly a monstrous creature emerged from the shadows of an alleyway. Its body bubbled like boiling tar, but its dark skin was nearly translucent as it crawled forward. It looked ill. People walked passed it without hesitation, completely unaware of its presence as it slunk across the street in front of them. Sakura watched in horror as the cars moved right through it like it was invisible, a scream bubbling in her throat. What the hell was going on!
“Do you see that?” Sakura shouted. She was fed up with being the only one freaked out by this.
“See what?” Ino asked, confirming Sakura’s suspicions. This may be happening inside her head, but there was no way in hell that she was getting close to that thing.
“Hold on!” Sakura slammed on the breaks. The rubber of her tires squealed against the concrete as she changed direction abruptly. Ino’s grip on Sakura turned bruising as she held on for dear life.
“Sakura!” Ino screamed into her ear.
They rounded the corner and Sakura growled as they steamed into oncoming traffic. She turned sharply, and they sped off the street and onto the walkway before they could collide. People jumped out of their way with alarmed shouts. They needed more cover, so Sakura swerved onto a side street, and recognized their surroundings with building panic. They were close to the bridge where most of the street beggars slept at night, and that meant they were encroaching Oto’s territory. They’d be shot down on sight; Sakura’s hair was very noticeable.
“Fuck,” Sakura muttered and turned back towards the Fringes, crisscrossing between streets and toeing the line between neutral grounds and Oto. The sirens were fading away, but Sakura didn’t dare to stop until they were inside their own neighborhood.
She navigated past noisy teens that roamed the streets restlessly in search of entertainment. They acted like they owned the city, and Sakura was forcibly reminded of the time she similarly spent her nights, getting up to no good and looking for an escape. It seemed like this generation lived by the same principles; live life like there was no tomorrow. She’d been right in a sense, the future wasn’t worth much here. Now she was an unemployed twenty-year-old, on the run from the police after a stupid dine and dash, and seeing monsters at every turn. What a time to be alive.
“You can let me off at my parent’s apartment,” Ino said as Sakura automatically headed towards her own apartment.
“You sure?” Sakura asked, and Ino nodded. She pressed her face into Sakura’s shoulder, most likely tired after all the excitement.
“Early shift tomorrow remember?” she said so quietly that Sakura almost didn’t hear her. She’d completely forgotten about that.
Sakura shook off her nostalgia and delivered Ino home. She came to a stop in front of the Yamanaka Flower, and Ino hopped off to stretch her legs. Her parents had lived in the apartment above the store for as long as Sakura could remember.
“Why did you head towards Oto like that?” Ino asked.
“I thought I saw something,” Sakura mumbled; that monster was the least of her problems at the moment. She was breathing through her nose in an attempt to conceal how shallow her breath was. The burn in her chest had turned into needlelike pinpricks.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Ino asked, unconvinced.
“Yeah, I’m just tired,” Sakura reassured her with a weak smile. Ino considered her for a moment before throwing her arms around her in a quick embrace.
“Whatever. Stay safe, forehead.” She pulled away.
“Night,” Sakura said, her chest hurting in more than one way. She waited until Ino had unlocked her door and returned her wave before taking off home.
She made it in one piece, but the stumble up the stairs was agony. She was wheezing by the time she was on her floor and all but fell into her apartment after unlocking the door. The pain in her chest spiked, and it felt like she was being stabbed with a knife. She staggered into her bathroom, and turned on the light, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the harsh brightness, and blanched when she saw herself in the mirror. Her sweaty face was sickly pale and her eyes feverishly bright; she almost looked as bad as that grisly ghost she’d seen.
“Shit!” Sakura gasped as the pain rose to a new level and tore off her dress with shaking hands. She watched in transfixed silence as the irritation on her skin started to take shape. Red welled up through her skin and Sakura trembled as a distinct mark appeared on her solar plexus like a ghostly tattoo.
It was an outlining of a diamond with a scarlet scorpion in the center.
Inspired by Vesperchan's fic Under the Rabbit Moon - beautifully written, and not enough of these two (who am I kidding I can't draw the Senju brothers yet) Saku- chan's got her hands (and lap) full
Sakura is either A. a sea monster with many forms or B. the handler/tamer for sea monsters that costal governments contract to negotiate with said beasts (or just spank them back into the ocean.)
Sakurainhales the scent of brine, bitter and heady, as she lifts her caramel latte toher lips. She’s close enough to the stormy waters that she can almostfool herself into believing that her drink is salted caramel. Sakura casts hereyes out over the roiling waters, lifting her palm just as the sky lets forth adeluge of rain. The rain falls in a globe around her, not touching her in theslightest.
She keeps her eyes on the brewing squall, beginning acountdown in her mind.
3.
2.
1.
Her phone rings.
Sakura glances down at the blocked number and picks up,fingering the wide brim of her hat. “I told you so,” she says, voice dry.
A sigh fills her ear. “I don’t pay you to be right,”Sasori replies, unwilling to concede the victory to her. “I pay you to fixthese messes.”
“Technically, youdon’t pay me anything; Chiyo does,” Sakura says. “This whole event could havebeen prevented if you’d just listenedto me. These entities get riled up in this season, it’s in their nature. If youjust let them—”
“I don’t have time for this,” Sasori snaps. “We have menout in the bay right now who need help. Where the hell are you?”
“Right where I need to be,” Sakura replies, a squall ofher own rising in her voice. “Careful how you speak to me, Sasori. Any deathstoday are on your hubris, not mine. I expect twice the usual payment for theshort notice deposited by sunset today. If it isn’t, I’ll know exactly where todirect my attentions next.”
Sakura ends the call before Sasori can reply, tossing herphone back into her satchel. She stares down into her latte, taking anothercouple long swigs before mournfully placing it on the hood of her car,expanding her spherical umbrella effect to cover it. This done, Sakuramethodically begins to remove her layers, starting with her hat and ending withher black jeans. The chill in the air presses in around her, but Sakura merelytakes a pinch of raw wool, spending it in a quick warmth cantrip. She folds herclothes methodically as the sky booms with thunder and flashes with lightning,ignoring the frantic ringing of her phone. She has no doubt that it is Sasori,impatient that she hasn’t yet solved this problem of his own making.
As if treating with entities of the Deep is a simple,easy task.
Sakura locks her car, disappearing her keys into a pocketdimension, and steps to the edge of the cliff. Below her, the bay and the oceanbeyond are in absolute turmoil, waters twisting and writhing unnaturally. Thebay has taken on the shape of Charybdis, though Sakura knows that Charybdis istouring the arctic waters of the North Pole for the next decade alongside herlover Scylla.
She wonders briefly which Deep entity is stirring up mischief,but she supposes she will soon find out. Sakura stretches her arms out to hersides and leaps from the cliff. She moves her arms above her head, aiming forthe water in a dive. She keeps her umbrella bubble around her as she strikesthe water, angling her body to get as deep as she can with that velocity. Itgets her nearly thirty yards deep and she swims deeper still, her magic seekingout the perpetrators of this storm.
Familiar magic reverberates back to her from beyond thebay, from the unconfined wilds of the ocean.
Sakura frowns slightly, propelling herself forward with aspell, seeking them out not with her sight but with her magic.
The Kiri Court has never come so close to shore.
She was expecting a confrontation with some adolescentkrakens playing chicken, not an encounter with veritable Deep royalty.
She is on good terms with the Kiri Court, as much as anyland-dweller can be, each of her experiences with them taking place hundreds ofmiles away from any land mass. It is unprecedented for them to come so close.
She is still organizing her thoughts, dread settling inher gut, when she gets within a mile of them. Sakura casts dark vision uponherself, blinking against the sting of the spell. It is far worse than thecolor contacts that Ino made her wear for Halloween once, but it is a price she’swilling to pay.
It comes in quite handy as a figure coalesces in thedarkness near her, faintly glowing from her spell’s effect. He has thetrappings of a humanoid, though there is something reptilian about him, alienin such a way that calls her magic to her defenses. He is wearing a guise,something meant to set her at ease though all it does is set her teeth on edge.
“Zabuza,” Sakura greets. “How wonderful to see youagain.”
His head cocks at an inhuman angle as he assesses her. “Youseem well, Sakura. Your respiratory system is still cycling oxygen. Would youlike to try something different?” His smile is sharp, crowded with too manyteeth.
“Again, Zabuza, I will never consent to drowning. Thankyou for your consideration though,” Sakura says with a roll of her eyes. It’swhat passes for a sense of humor, though Sakura finds it lacking. “Will youtake me to the Patriarch?”
Zabuza goes utterly still in that strange way of Deepentities. “Of course, follow me.”
Sakura does so, unflinchingly meeting the gazes of theshadowy monstrosities they pass. Few have a care for Sakura’s humansensibilities and she appreciates their honesty in form.
Zabuza leads her to their leader, the one wearing thesmallest of guises, yet his energy eclipses everyone in the vicinity.
“Yagura,” Sakura greets, bowing to him. “It brings megreat pleasure to see you again. Unfortunately, these are not the best ofcircumstances.”
“Sakura,” he says, voice booming through the crushing,ever pressing water. Sakura’s umbrella spell wavers before she shores upstrength around it, holding it fast. Should she lose it here, at these depths,she’ll be doomed. “We are pleased to be greeted with your countenance. Please,join us for the festivities.”
“Festivities?” Sakura asks mildly. “Is that what we arecalling the squall above?”
Yagura waves a hand. “We are not concerned with theabove, only the below. The only part of the above that we enjoy is you. We wishyou to partake of the festivities. We are adding a member to our Swordsmen, ourcandidates must fight for the honor.”
“Is—is that why you came so close to shore?” Sakura says,swallowing. “To draw my attention?”
“Of course,” Yagura says, his smile a weight uponSakura’s heart.
“It is a great honor to draw your attention,” Sakurasays, treading lightly with her words. “Might we move these festivities outwardfrom here? Say, three hundred miles west? I am afraid that I cannot dedicate myfull attention to these festivities so close to shore. The magics there call tome.”
The storm that enters Yagura’s eyes is quelling andSakura closes her mouth.
“We shall move,” Yagura says decisively. He reachesforward, passing through Sakura’s umbrella spell to touch her skin. His skinlooks human, but his guise does not extend to his touch, his hand cold, wet,and somehow reminds her of the reflection of a full moon. His hand retreats,but his gaze is a brand. “We require your full attention.”
Oh man, I think I’d set it up as a sort of college!au where Sakura becomes a magical girl later in life than most. Most magical girls manifest in elementary or middle school, but Sakura becomes a magical girl rather explosively during her freshman year of college.
The cards, I think, would be just about the same as they are in CCS, though maybe there would be one that lets Sakura walk on every surface. I don’t know what the card would be called, “Sticky?” Lol.
Most people are stressed out about exams when they start college; Sakura is concerned with keeping herself and her classmates alive.
Ino would be Tomoyo, enthusiastically filming Sakura and supplying her with different outfits.
I don’t know who would be Syoaran, maybe Shikamaru or Sasuke? Oh and Shisui and Itachi! Or maybe there would be multiple people, trying to get the power of the cards? I could see Neji, Hinata, and Tenten getting in on the action. Oh and Gaara. Just imagine the possibilities with all of the foreign shinobi!!!
Naruto would be Kero in some sense, maybe a classmate whose magical side is awakened alongside the cards as Menma/Kyuubi. Which honestly kind of makes him like Yukito right? He’d have blackouts until Sakura helps him balance both entities within him.
Honestly, this would be such a fun verse, someone send me prompts!!! I have a NEED.
