Early December, Konoha Year 60 – Land of Grass
December had arrived, and the weather in the Land of Grass grew colder. A chill wind swept through the courtyard, stripping the last dead leaves from the cherry tree.
"Junko, I'm mostly recovered. Let's head out this afternoon. See what you need to bring and pack it up," Sakura said, looking at the silently withdrawn girl.
"Yes, Sakura-senpai," Junko replied concisely, without a wasted word, then rose to gather her belongings.
Sakura herself had little to pack. The short-sleeved qipao-style tunic she'd originally worn was torn beyond repair, and her chainmail undershirt had been damaged in the fight. The clothes she wore now belonged to Junko.
Junko's packing was simple: the family's money and a few changes of clothes. Nothing else remained. Sakura pointed to the vase sitting on the dining table. "Aren't you taking this? Isn't it important to you?"
Junko looked at the vase, crudely glued back together and covered in cracks. Her eyes dimmed. She shook her head. "Just leave it here. The person I am now… I can't possess it anymore…"
Sakura understood instantly. The vase symbolized her parents' hope that her heart would always be filled with beauty. But now, Junko's heart was tainted by darkness, and she felt unworthy of it.
Walking to the table, Sakura picked up the fractured vase, examining it for a moment before placing it firmly in Junko's hands. "Take it," she insisted gently. "I don't want you to become like this either. We probably won't be back often, if ever."
Junko held the vase, her gaze distant for a moment. Then, she untied her bundle and carefully placed the vase inside.
"That… are those your parents?" Sakura glimpsed a photograph as Junko opened her bundle.
"Yes. Taken right after I was born." Junko finished securing the vase, then picked up the photo, a look of wistful remembrance in her eyes. "Granny Rika was still here then, and Mom and Dad… but now I can only see them in pictures."
Sakura had never experienced the pain of losing family, not in this life or her last. She knew she couldn't fully comprehend that depth of grief without living it herself, which was why she strove so hard to prevent such tragedies.
Standing behind Junko, Sakura looked at the photo: three adults and an infant. Granny Rika looked younger. Junko's father had dark hair. Junko's mother… wait… Junko's mother had… red hair!
Sakura rubbed her eyes and looked again, closely. Yes, Junko's mother definitely had red hair. Junko's father and Junko herself both had dark hair.
Sakura was unusually sensitive to red hair in this world, for one reason: its connection to the Uzumaki clan. While not absolute proof, red hair was a defining characteristic of most Uzumaki members.
Swallowing hard, Sakura found it hard to believe. Could it be such a coincidence? Does Junko possess Uzumaki blood? While Junko had succeeded in extracting chakra on her first try, not every Uzumaki became a ninja, just as there were civilians within the Uchiha clan.
"Junko, do you know your mother's surname?" Sakura decided to ask directly.
Junko turned, looking puzzled by the question, but answered, "No. I only know Granny Rika told me her name was Yukina."
Ah. Granny Rika might have known, but it's too late now. Or maybe even she didn't know. If Junko's mother was an Uzumaki, she likely would have hidden her surname.
Could she really be Uzumaki? Sakura watched Junko put the photo away. She stepped in front of the girl, gently took Junko's chin, and tilted her head up, examining her face from left to right, feeling disturbingly like a hooligan assessing a maiden.
Junko didn't resist having her chin held, though she didn't understand what Sakura-senpai was doing. She didn't want to resist Sakura-senpai. But after a moment under Sakura's curious gaze, a faint blush crept up Junko's cheeks.
Sakura studied her for a while but found nothing conclusive. Black hair, black eyes – no trace of typical Uzumaki coloring. Still, she couldn't be sure about the mother yet.
Oh well. I'm teaching her ninjutsu now anyway. If she has Uzumaki blood, it's bound to manifest somehow.
"What do you plan to do about the house?" Sakura asked as they stood beneath the cherry tree in the yard.
Granny Rika was buried beneath it.
"Just leave it," Junko replied, bowing three times towards her grandmother's grave. "I don't have any friends in the village I could entrust it to."
"One day, you'll come back," Sakura murmured with a sigh.
After lunch, the two girls climbed to a high point overlooking Red Leaf Village.
"Let's go, Junko," Sakura said, seeing Junko staring blankly at the view.
Sakura could understand the feeling – enduring humiliation, leaving one's home behind. Junko must be heartbroken right now. No matter how harsh this place had been, it was still her homeland.
Taking a deep breath, Junko turned away, her eyes hardening with resolve. "Let's go, Sakura-senpai…"
Just as they were about to turn and leave, a sense of crisis washed over Sakura. A figure burst from the trees behind them! Sakura instantly adopted a defensive stance, ready to engage.
But the shadow wasn't targeting her – it was heading straight for Junko.
Not good! Sakura thought frantically. Junko only had three days of training; she couldn't possibly block such a sudden attack.
Without a second thought, Sakura dropped her defense, poured chakra into her feet, and surged forward with explosive speed. Arriving fractions of a second before the attacker, she interposed herself in front of Junko, drew back her right fist, shifted her weight slightly, and channeled power from her core into a devastating punch.
"Die!"
The figure seemed startled by Sakura's sudden appearance and the sheer force behind her punch. He abruptly halted his momentum and leaped backward, retreating rapidly.
Seeing her guaranteed hit dodged, Sakura's heart sank. This is a Jonin. This is trouble. If she were alone, she could run if she couldn't win.
But Junko was here. And his target seemed to be Junko, not her. Glancing back, she saw Junko's face was pale, but she wasn't frozen in fear. Instead, she had adopted the basic defensive stance Sakura had taught her.
Sakura was relatively pleased with Junko's reaction. It was likely her first real enemy encounter. Sakura remembered her own first time – she'd burst into tears, terrified, even though she'd been younger than Junko was now (though mentally, Sakura felt much older).
Confirming Junko was alright for the moment, Sakura focused her attention on the figure who had stopped nearby. As she recognized his face, fury ignited within her.
"So, it's you!" The words left Sakura's lips, cold and devoid of emotion.
"Heh heh, not bad," Yuichi sneered, cracking his knuckles.
Seeing his face, Junko's eyes filled with an indescribable rage. Her teeth ground together, her small fists clenched, and her entire body trembled as she glared at Yuichi.
"Don't be impulsive, Junko! He's a Jonin!" Sensing Junko's state, Sakura quickly warned her, afraid she'd charge recklessly.
"I understand, Sakura-senpai." Sakura's voice snapped Junko back to reality. She forced her emotions under control, her gaze remaining locked fiercely onto Yuichi.
"Why are you here?" Sakura demanded. Though she desperately wanted to kill him, Junko's presence forced caution. She needed to understand his motives first.
"Haha! Don't be nervous. I'm not here to kill you. Konoha commissioned me to find you. Now, you step aside. I'll kill that little brat, then you'll come back with me to Kusagakure," Yuichi said with a laugh.
Yuichi didn't consider Sakura a match for him. If she refused to cooperate, he'd just knock her out. But the dark-haired girl had to die.
If Junko had remained a civilian, Yuichi wouldn't have cared. But seeing her being led down the path of a ninja by this Konoha girl changed everything. Yuichi always eliminated potential threats in the cradle; it was this cautious ruthlessness that had kept him alive so long.
"Konoha sent people to find me?" Sakura believed Konoha would search for her, but she didn't trust a word Yuichi said. "You want me to go back with you? Fine."
"Oh?" Yuichi raised an eyebrow, a scornful smirk playing on his lips. "Trying to negotiate terms with me? Do you even have the qualifications—"
Hiss! Hiss!
Just then, chaos erupted. Two large snakes shot up from the ground beneath Yuichi, instantly immobilizing him. Before he could react, he felt a sharp blow to the back of his neck, and his chakra flow abruptly seized. Rendered powerless, a cold dread washed over Yuichi as sweat beaded on his forehead. A voice spoke from right beside his ear.
"She certainly has the qualifications. I, however, don't think you have the qualifications to negotiate terms with her."
A figure stepped out from behind Yuichi.
Sakura stared at the newcomer's face, shocked. "Why is it you?"