A/N: It's here! Chapter 4 is here and finalized! Honestly, this was the most agonizing part of the story that didn't even happen in my Event Timeline, but since I'm making changes to the story I need to make sure things sound right. Shout outs and big thanks to my friend, who stuck through the entire on-the-fly process of this chapter, peer-reviewed, clarified, and gave me feedback! She really helped me pull through to the end! There's more interactions with Katsuyu, Tsunade, and Jiraiya so I hope all of you like this one! Please let me know how you're liking the story thus far! Feedback is strongly encouraged. Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Chapter 4: Private Booth It's silent in the private booth after Katsuyu declared her statement. Tsunade and Jiraiya briefly exchanged glances with a mixture of tension and uneasiness. "What do you mean she's on a mission to change everything?" Amber eyes refocus onto the slug. "What's her real mission objective?" "It's as I've stated previously. Unfortunately, I can't give you specific details at the moment. Both of you will need to meet with Lady Sakura to hear the full truth." Jiraiya leans one elbow on the table's surface to peer into the slug's gray optical tentacles. "Then what details can you give us until then?" Katsuyu becomes silent for a couple of minutes, allowing the adults to mull over what just transpired. Haruno? The last person with that last name left months ago for a trade post to help direct supplies for the War. He's about what, sixteen years old? He can have a kid at his age but…something doesn’t add up. Jiraiya eyes the slug for a second then looks at his partner, who’s also in deep thought. When her amber eyes made contact with his, there's a sense of mutual understanding exchanged between them. How did this person gain approval from the Slugs to sign the Contract? When did they sign it? Tsunade looks down at the Contract in front of her to examine the new signature. The pigment is bright red much like her own, but the Seal above it is concerning. She can sense something powerful about it - almost ancient. Besides, the family name puzzles her. The Haruno's are a civilian merchant family that was one of the early settlers after Konoha opened its Gates to welcome outsiders. While the family members are charismatic and sociable business people, they aren't suited to become Shinobi. Many of their men and few of their women enlisted to become Shinobi before the Shinobi Academy was built; however, they didn't meet the standard requirements at the time. Since then, the family have been contributing their help and knowledge in establishing trade diplomacy amongst other merchants and Clans within the village, foreign trade negotiations, trade posts in other regions of the Fire Country, and helping map out trade routes not only for civilians and merchants to use but also for their Shinobi forces. How did a member of the Haruno family sign the Contact? Who exactly is this person anyway? The last person of the same name left for a trade post months ago and he didn't mention having a child with some woman. Then again, he probably isn't aware that his partner might have been pregnant. So is this 'Sakura' person a younger sister? Maybe a younger relative? The corner of Tsunade's red-painted lips dip down. When her eyes make contact with her partner, he slightly nods his head down to affirm their mutual understanding. There's something suspicious going on and Katsuyu is withholding the information. For now. *** Hashirama Forest The Katsuyu that's resting on Sakura's left palm perks up upon the new memories flooding into her mind. "Milady," She hastily calls out to gain her summoner's attention, "I've been summoned by Lady Tsunade. She's alone with Lord Jiraiya in a private booth A privacy seal was already in place by the time I arrived." Dazed green eyes widened at the news, "Did Master say why she summoned you?" "She states to have felt a shift in our bond. It's as if someone attacked her." Pink eyebrows knit together in wonder, "If it had to do with the bond, could it be because of the Seal that's added onto my signature?" "Perhaps. My copy showed them the Seal that's also apparent on her body, then summoned the Contract Scroll upon Lady Tsunade's demand." "Wait, the Seal also appeared on your other copies?" Bewilderment crosses her face. "It seems so. Lord Jiraiya appeared to be very intrigued by it." "That makes sense considering he's a Seal Master or will become a Seal Master." She shakes her head a little to refocus, "Anyway, why did Master demand to see the Contract?" "When I mentioned another summoner, she rebuked me in disbelief. She declared herself to be the only recent summoner who signed the Contract." The slug hums softly, vibrating her small form in Sakura's palm. "Both of them were surprised upon seeing your name and the Seal above it. They questioned me for more information; however, I only told them that the Seals are connected and that you're on a mission. They'll need to talk to you to receive more detail." The child rests a curled index finger against her chin, "I think I'd understand Master's reaction if I was in her position. The Slugs are particular with who they form a bond with, so hearing about a new titleholder is suspicious - especially depending on how recent Master signed it. "I wonder…was it the Seal that Master felt? After all, she formed a bond with you, right?" The little slug nods her head. "Maybe…well…I'm not sure." Sakura scrunches her nose while she tries to make sense of a new theory, "Okay. So you felt The Sage's chakra form the Seal on your body, causing you and the other Slugs to feel something was amiss, right?" "Yes. It's why I examined the Contract myself." "Then maybe Master felt something similar to that - hence, why she summoned you! The Seals are on our chests, so it's possible that she felt the after-effects?" Uncertainty is evident in her questioning tone at the end. "We won't know for sure unless we meet, but that's what I think." Katsuyu regards the younger summoner's theory, "That's a likely scenario." She pauses then adds, "I should also mention that Lady Tsunade seems to be familiar with your family name at this time because she asked if they're a civilian class." Nostalgia is reflected in Sakura's eyes and voice, "I remember my dad telling me he used to help direct supplies between trade posts and base camps during the Second and Third War. He wasn't strong enough to pass as a Shinobi, but he wanted to help in any way he could. Being the son from a civilian merchant family gave him that opportunity." Suddenly, a strong wave of trepidation washes over her small body, "Wait…my dad and my mom…" The slug observes her with worry at the sound of fear in her voice, "Milady?" Wide eyes filled with panic snap towards the gray optical tentacles. "WHAT AM I GOING TO DO ABOUT MY PARENTS?!" The little slug freezes at the sudden outburst and it took her a second to understand Sakura's dilemma. "That is a good question." A wretched groan rumbles loudly from the child's throat as her head droops downward, "What am I going to do, shannaro?" Her head snaps upward with a sharp gasp, "What if they don't end up together? What if they end up hating each other? What if they're already in a relationship but they're going to break up?" Her breathing starts to become erratic. "What if one of them dies?! Oh stars, what if both of them die?! Is that one of the changes The Sage meant before?!" Outer. Inner Sakura firmly calls out. Calm down. Katsuyu wraps her tail around Sakura's thumb in comfort, "Please calm down, Milady. I'm sure we can figure something out regarding your parents. For now, let's make a plan and take things one step at a time." She's right. We can worry about your parents later. Right now, we need to figure out what to do with Master and the old pervert. Inner consoles. The child takes a deep breath filling her lungs with air before exhaling loudly. "Okay. Okay, you're right. That's a worry for another date." Who knows? Maybe after Master and Jiraiya help us get the Third Hokage on our side, all three of them can help us figure out what to do about your parents. The Third Hokage? Wha -? An image from the desolate battlefield shows the reanimated Third Hokage as his parting words echo in her head, "If you land in the time I was the village leader, then convince my younger self about the truth so that you can have an ally." Sakura hums with contemplation. Hmm. You have a point, Inner. The Third Hokage was, er, is known to favor his former student…even if that includes the snake. She huffs at the mental image of the traitor. If I can get Master and Jiraya on our side, it'll be easier to convince the Third Hokage to believe me. Plus, having all three of them as my allies would make things easier, or so to speak. The issue is how are you to convince those two first? "Milady?" The child returns her attention to the small slug in her hand. "Is there anything else to report from the adult's side?" "No. My other copy is currently waiting for further orders from you." "I see." She scans the inside of her wooden dome as she racks her brain to come up with something until Inner provided an idea. A mischievous smile slowly creeps on Sakura's lips, "Alright. Here's the deal." *** Private Booth The Katsuyu that's sitting on the table twitches her tail upon receiving the new information. "I've received news from Lady Sakura." Both of the adults are pulled out of their thoughts and straighten up their posture. "You're with this 'Sakura' person now?" Tsunade raises a trimmed blonde eyebrow. "Yes. I was summoned hours before you called upon me." "Can we trust this person?" Jiraiya eyes the little creature. "Yes. She's a loyal kunoichi of Konoha." Amber and dark brown eyes widen in shock. Tsunade speaks first with clear disbelief, "A kunoichi? A Haruno became a kunoichi?" "Yes. Lady Sakura is a strong, loyal, intelligent, and formidable kunoichi who was taught only by the best." A sense of pride radiates from Katsuyu's small body. A smirk appears on the Toad Sage's face as he rubs his thumb and index finger along his jawline, "So she's a strong female, hmm?" He wasn't fast enough to dodge Tsunade's choice of weapon, wincing as the sake cup bounces off of the side of his head. He aims a pout at his partner while rubbing the rising bump. "Is that hard to believe?" Katsuyu tilts her optical tentacles to the right with curiosity clear in her tone. Jiraiya refocuses on the small animal again. "We know some of the Haruno family members within Konoha. None of them passed to become a Shinobi." "Lady Sakura was promoted to Jounin status." Tsunade scoffs incredulously, "Impossible! None of the Haruno's we know of passed to achieve Genin level!" "The Haruno's you know, perhaps. However, Lady Sakura is different from her family." The atmosphere becomes thick with tension. The blonde woman narrows her amber eyes, "How different do you mean?" "She's different from her family." Katsuyu calmly reiterates. After a pause, she adds, "If you have further questions regarding her private life, you'll need to speak with her in person." She's inwardly amused at their annoyed expressions. "When and where can we meet this person?" Jiraiya asks. "Lady Sakura hopes to meet with both of you today. Preferably, with only the four of us." "Four?" A white eyebrow arches upwards, "You're going to be present during the meeting?" "Yes. Lady Sakura believes both of you would be less suspicious if I'm present." Tsunade purses her lips to the side while Jiraiya's expression becomes stoic. *** Hashirama Forest Sakura looks down at the scene in front of her: there are two copies of Katsuyu with one on the right and the other on the left to mirror the adults' position in the private booth. Just then, the child's stomach rumbles loudly. A faint blush dusts across her chubby cheeks in embarrassment. Both slug copies giggle at the girl's expense. "May I suggest Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya bring food at the rendezvous point?" The slug copy on the right asks. An embarrassed giggle rises from the small child, "That would be nice. All I had was a ration pack a few hours ago." "I see. I’ll inform them to bring food as part of the deal." "Oh! Be sure to get the receipt then!" So you can pay them back? Sarcasm drips from Inner's gibe. "Receipts usually have the date stamped on them!" A proud smile settles on her expression when Katsuyu makes a noise akin to realization. "It's a subtle way for me to find out what period this is!" Inner claps her hands with praise, Clever! "That's very clever, Milady!" The prideful smiles widen on her childish features. *** Private Booth "Lady Sakura requests the both of you to bring food to the rendezvous point with the receipt. She will repay you in full and give the answers you seek." Katsuyu informs, which earned miffed snorts from the two adults. "Who the hell is she to request we bring her food?" Tsunade snarks. "You will know when you meet with her," Katsuyu responds nonchalantly. "You have yet to tell us where we're going to meet with her." Jiraiya reminds. "I will guide you there myself. Please ensure we're not being followed until we've reached the secured location." Tsunade can feel her temper rising at the audacity of this person. "Why not have her meet us instead? Is she that 'high-and-mighty' to demand we go to her first?" "Tsuna," Jiraiya drawls out her name nervously. "Please calm down, Princess." He flinches at the intense glare she's giving him. "I am calm, you stupid frog!" She snaps her attention back to the innocent slug, "Now you tell that little hussy to meet us instead! NOW! Have her get her own damn food!" *** Hashirama Forest "Hussy? HUSSY?! WHO THE HELL IS SHE CALLING A HUSSY?! SHANNARO!" Sakura roars, enraged. Both copies of Katsuyu try to placate their raging summoner. *** Private Booth "Lady Tsunade, please calm down!" The slug with the adults tries to pacify the tempered blonde woman. "Lady Sakura cannot be seen in public yet." Both adults freeze for a moment until Jiraiya breaks the silence, "What do you mean?" "She's in a precarious situation at the moment. It's best if I guide you to her to avoid a mishap." The adults make eye contact with each other and the little slug knows they're engaged in a silent conversation that only they understand. *** Hashirama Forest Maybe we should take their silence as an opportunity to explore our surroundings. We need to figure out where we are before we pick a location to meet up. Inner suggests, causing Sakura to sigh with agreement. "I guess it's time to leave the nest." She straps on her pouch diagonally across her chest with Kakashi's secured around her smaller waist in the back. Next, she grabs a fist-full of dirt to extinguish the small fire embers. After that, she slowly moves to stand up on her small, bare feet. Her body is still sore from the previous activities, but thankfully she's not injured. The feeling of a headrush overwhelms her mind - her body sways momentarily until she wills herself to stand her ground. Both of the slugs watch with worry as the summoner collects herself. Once she seems composed enough, the slugs slither towards her feet then up her bare legs. They slither over her Jounin shirt until they settle inside the jacket collar on either side of her neck. "Will you be alright?" The slug on the left asks. Sakura tiredly smiles with closed eyes, "Yes, I'll be okay. C'mon, we need to get moving." She claps her hands into the Snake hand sign, channeling the right amount of chakra to dismantle her wooden dome back into the ground. The change from dim to bright lighting blinded her the second the dome receded. A piercing headache pounds against the middle of her forehead; she can hear her heartbeat loudly in her ears. She shuts her eyes tight in an attempt to dull the pressure and tries to focus on her breathing. Both slugs send a soothing wave of chakra from either side of Sakura's neck to alleviate some of the aches and pains throughout her body. Stars know that she needs all the relief she can get. The pinkette finally regains her bearings once more and opens her eyes. She's greeted by the sight of dewdrops on the low-cut grass, various sized puddles scattered on the muddy ground, and tall lush trees standing 30 feet away from her position. Thick bushes are surrounding the base of the trees; she can see red berries growing in a patch of foliage. When Sakura turns around to further inspect her surroundings, she realizes her position is closer to a cluster of tall trees. The ground directly under her feet is charred like it was bunt. It spreads out in a circle about 5 feet in diameter from her position. She deeply inhales the scents around her - the freshness after a rainfall; the earthy smell from the ground; and the subtle sweetness of the pine trees. She directs her gaze to the sky to note the overlapping gray clouds with no chance of natural sunlight peeking through. She suspects the rain will pick up again and she'll to need find shelter once more. A chilling breeze passes her bare feet, causing her to shiver. She's inwardly grateful of wearing a long jacket, but she wishes she had pants and shoes that fit her current size. "Hmm…" She hums lightly as she expands her chakra threads outwards to map out her surroundings. "Okay, I seem to be in a forest?" She locates different animals littered around as well as vaguely senses other people's chakra signatures further out. "The best way to know your surroundings is to explore!" The Katsuyu on the left suggests. The pinkette lightly giggles with a roll of green eyes, "Yes, yes." *** Private Booth "Have you reached an agreement?" Katsuyu pipes up after observing the two adults for a while. They've been engaged in a silent exchange of eye contact and subtle body movements to convey their messages. After sharing a brief nod, Jiraiya speaks first as he faces the little slug. "We'll allow you to guide us to meet with Sakura." "As well as bring food?" Katsuyu asks. "She's quite famished." Tsunade releases a huff but says nothing. "Yes, including the bill. We expect her to answer all of our questions in return." Jiraiya narrows his eyes by a fraction. "Of course. Lady Sakura swears to deliver her end of the bargain as long as the two of you fulfill your end." The Toad Sage breaks into a smile as he picks up one of the menus. "Great! So, what shall we buy for her?" "May I see the menu?" He places the item down in front of the slug and watches as her optical tentacles move from left to right. "You're in luck. Lady Sakura also favors this bar." "She's a regular?" Tsunade inquires. "She's not a frequent customer, but she likes the food and drinks. Her favorite combination is peach sake paired with the chicken gyoza, the shrimp tempura, and grilled asparagus." She looks up to Jiraiya, "She'd like two orders of that and plenty of water, please." "Is one of the orders for you?" He jests while he opens the paper door just enough to peek through, breaking the privacy seal, and gains attention from one of the servers. He recites the order to the server, which will take about 20 minutes to complete for take-out, then closes the door once more with the seal reactivated. "I prefer consuming various plants, herbs, and berries than what you humans normally eat." She says matter-of-factly. "However, I do enjoy the Herbal Pills Lady Sakura makes for me. They're delicious!" "Herbal Pills?" Tsunade parrots with curiosity. "Yes! It was a project that Lady Sakura devised to carry herbal remedies used in teas for herself and her patients while traveling. She makes extras for me to try and they're usually delicious!" The blonde woman is dumbfounded. That's…ingenious! "She's a medic?" "One of the best medics." Pride swells within Katsuyu's body, reflecting the hard work her youngest summoner has accomplished. Skepticism arises within Tsunade at the new tidbit of information. Someone from the Haruno family managed to become a Shinobi and sign the Slug Contract. Now she's also a medic? Who the hell is this person? Jiraiya notices a shimmer in her amber eyes and silently sighs for what may happen at the meeting. *** Hashirama Forest Meanwhile, Sakura strolls along the path she chose as she observes her surroundings. It's peaceful yet strangely familiar to her. "I feel like I've been here before." She mumbles softly as she ducks under a fallen tree to continue onwards. "That's a good sign!" The slug on the right cheerfully exclaims. "Yeah. Like, I think…I think I used to come to this forest a long time ago…" Something in her peripheral vision catches her attention. When she looks slightly to the left, there's an imperfect stone pathway weaving around the bases of trees. She takes the chance to walk along the path while remaining observant. The stone pathway leads her down a small slope where she encounters a wall with a curtain of moss, vines, and foliage. A particular memory appears in her mind. --- A young girl with the same pink hair and green eyes runs through the tall trees, leaps over uprooted vines and logs, and hops over boulders in a rush to arrive at her intended destination. It was a happy accident for this child to find this place for the first time. She was on her way back to her home from a flower meadow of cosmos when she noticed a rocky wall covered in moss and vines. She didn't know what prompted her to follow along the wall - perhaps childish curiosity- but she stayed close to it as she went on a detour from her original path. The vines and moss thicken as well as have clusters of foliage drape along the walls. Soon, she's walking on an imperfect stone path that leads upward to a small slope. When the young girl eyed the wall again, however, she noticed there's a big gap in between two large draping foliage. She steps closer to the gap then pushes the vines to the side. She's greeted by a dim cave-like space with a near-flat floor and varying-sized rocks along the inner walls. She steps further inside and is pleased to know its ceiling is quite high. There's plenty of space for her to move around while standing up; the place seems bigger if she sits down on the floor. A giddy smile appears on her face as she imagines what this space will look like when she decorates it. "What should I name this place?" the girl's voice slightly echoes around her. "What was the word that mama used for the back garden?" She takes a second to remember what the word was, then gasps when it clicked in her mind. "Ah! I know!' --- A nostalgic smile appears on her childish face, "The Alcove." Both slugs on either side of her neck look to her in question, "Milady?" "I know where we are, Lady Katsuyu." She chuckles a bit, "It's been a long time since I've been here. I'm surprised this exists at the moment." She veers off the stone path a bit to find the gap in between the thick foliage lined up on the wall. Similar to her first discovery in her childhood, the space presented in front of her is almost the same. "Will this be the rendezvous point?" The slug on her left asks. "No, it's too small for the adults to fit. But I do know a better place with plenty of room." She steps out of the hidden space to continue her trek on the stone pathway, leading her in the familiar direction of where the flower meadow should be. Her nostalgic smile widens as her eyes sweep across the sea of lilac and pink cosmos flowers. "This is the place." "It's very beautiful, Milady, but are you sure? It's an open field." Sakura firmly nods her head, "Yeah. I'm sure." A/N: Hope y'all liked this chapter and how I depicted the conversations and reactions of each character. For those of you who've been following my story this far, I hope the different styled fonts and formats help separate who is speaking or what's going on. If not, please let me know if you'd like a Key at the top A/N to guide you through. Also, general feedback is strongly encouraged! Feel free to leave a comment here or send it to my Tumblr page (you can find it on the "ABOUT" page).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Monthly Archive
September 2021
AuthorHi there! My name is Kristine and welcome to my website! |