On the gangplank, the burly boatman sneered at the two furious girls before him, utterly unfazed. He blew a sharp whistle towards the ship behind him, then yelled, "Boss! Got a couple of fresh little birds here lookin' to work on our ship! Total newbies!"
Instantly, a rough-looking crowd clattered down from the deck, surrounding Sakura and Mei. The onlookers nearby hastily gave them a wide berth. Locals knew better than to interfere, and travelers certainly weren't looking for trouble.
Incidents like this weren't constant, but they weren't exactly rare either. As long as the sailors didn't target locals or actually kill anyone, the Land of Sea's Daimyo, needing their trade to bolster the nation's economy, tended to turn a blind eye. If officials happened to witness it, they'd intervene. If not… well, the victims were just unlucky.
Clearly, Sakura and Mei's luck had run out. No officials in sight, and they definitely weren't locals. Sakura, however, felt a cold smirk touch her lips as she eyed the surrounding thugs. You brought this on yourselves. After she beat them all senseless, she'd just take their ship.
"Hehehe, little girls," the lecherous boatman from before crowed, his eyes burning with unconcealed lust as he looked them over like prize chickens. "Just come aboard nice and quiet now."
"Hmph. Fine by me!" Sakura snorted, placing a hand on Mei's shoulder and whispering, "Stay right here. Don't move."
Just as Sakura gathered her chakra, preparing to end this swiftly, a voice – crisp and vaguely familiar – cut through the air.
"I strongly advise you all to disappear. Now."
Sakura whipped her head around and instantly felt an overwhelming sense of 'Are you freaking kidding me?!' What cosmic joke was this? Those startlingly white eyes, that proud, commanding tone… it was unmistakably Neji Hyuga. And behind him stood Kiba Inuzuka with Akamaru, Hinata Hyuga, and bringing up the rear… the imposing figure and vibrant energy could only belong to the Chunin Exams proctor, Anko Mitarashi.
What are THEY doing here? Sakura gaped, baffled by the bizarre team composition. Before she could process it, Anko stepped forward.
"We don't want any trouble," Anko announced, a predatory grin spreading across her face as she surveyed the sailors, "but we can't exactly stand by and watch the strong bully the weak. So, are you leaving on your own, or do I need to… help you along?"
The sailors' bravado evaporated the moment they saw the Konoha headbands. They might be thugs, but they weren't stupid. Reading situations was key to their survival, and they knew better than to pick a fight with Leaf ninja.
"We're going!" the boatman boss grunted, his expression shifting rapidly. With a wave of his hand, the crowd surrounding Sakura and Mei dissolved, scrambling back towards their ship without a backward glance.
"Honestly," Kiba said, stepping closer to Sakura and Mei, "how'd you two manage to tick off guys like that?"
"..." Sakura just shot him an irritated glare. Way to ruin my mood, she thought sourly. I was actually looking forward to beating the crap out of them.
Of course, thanks to the Transformation Technique, they couldn't recognize her. Mei, however, beamed gratefully at Kiba. "Thank you so much!"
"Haha, no problem!" Kiba puffed out his chest. "Anyone would step in to help in a situation like this, right, Akamaru?"
"Woof! Woof!" Akamaru barked, but his tone sounded surprisingly cautious, not quite echoing Kiba's confidence.
"Alright, situation handled. Let's move out," Anko said, turning to her team.
"Um, Anko-sensei," Hinata spoke up softly, glancing back at Sakura and Mei. "Those men… they might come back. Shouldn't we escort them home?"
"Hm?" Anko considered Sakura and Mei for a moment. "Suppose we could. We've got plenty of time. Where do you two kids live?"
"Uh, you really don't need to trouble yourselves! We'll be fine on our own," Sakura said quickly, trying to keep her voice steady. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She was still a wanted missing-nin from Konoha, and she had Kiri ninja tailing her. She was a walking powder keg. Who knew what Anko – whom she barely knew – would do if she discovered her identity?
"It's no trouble at all," Hinata insisted kindly. "Those men seemed dangerous. Please, let us see you home safely."
"Really, we're okay!" Sakura forced a smile, appreciating Hinata's kindness but desperately needing them to leave.
Kiba, meanwhile, had fallen silent. After a brief, low exchange of barks and growls with Akamaru, his demeanor towards Sakura shifted subtly, a flicker of wariness entering his eyes.
Anko, noticing Sakura's repeated refusals, grew visibly impatient. True to her straightforward nature, she didn't press further. "Fine, suit yourselves. Let's go, Hinata, Neji, Kiba."
"Yes, sensei," Hinata murmured, looking disappointed but falling into step beside Anko.
Sakura watched them walk away, finally letting out a long, slow breath of relief. Okay. Now that her cover might have been inadvertently blown to Konoha shinobi, dealing with that Kiri tail became priority number one. She needed to get rid of them, fast. Then she'd commandeer a ship. Given the situation at the port and the talk of sea monsters, the regular routes to the Land of Tea were probably suspended anyway. No more time to waste.
"Wait here for me," Sakura instructed Mei, turning serious. "Don't wander off, understand? There might be fighting soon. Just focus on protecting yourself."
"Okay," Mei nodded obediently. "Where are we going?"
"To the Land of Tea," Sakura replied, her gaze flicking towards a shadowed alcove near the docks. "But first, we need to exterminate some rats."
Kiba walked behind the others, his mind racing. He'd thought they were just a couple of cute girls in trouble – and they were, physically – but Akamaru had given him some deeply unsettling news. His partner insisted one of the girls smelled distinctly of Sakura.
Kiba trusted Akamaru's nose implicitly. News of Sakura's defection hadn't fully permeated Konoha's civilian population yet, but pretty much every active ninja knew. Standard shinobi discretion kept such sensitive matters contained. The village had even issued an official wanted notice.
Although Kiba found it incredibly hard to believe Sakura would do the things she was accused of, the official reports – the 'iron-clad facts' – left little room for argument. But why? Why would she kill fellow Leaf ninja? He still couldn't wrap his head around it. He remembered having a crush on her, or maybe seeing her as a rival back in the Academy days… and now she was a missing-nin.
He thought of Sasuke's perpetually grim face whenever he saw him around the village. Everyone in their graduating class studiously avoided mentioning Sakura's name, terrified of upsetting him further. Sasuke himself had been acting strangely secretive ever since joining ANBU. Kiba had overheard that red-haired girl who worked at the hospital – Karin, was it? – saying Sasuke was conducting his own investigation into Sakura's case.
Choosing between loyalty to a former comrade and his duty to capture a village traitor… Kiba felt torn apart. If they hadn't stumbled upon her, he wouldn't have had to face it. But now that Akamaru had identified her scent, the choice was unavoidable, and agonizing. He trailed behind the others, feeling dazed.
He desperately wanted to run back, confront Sakura, and demand answers. But he couldn't just abandon the mission without a valid reason.
"What's wrong, Kiba?" Neji asked, noticing his teammate's distraction.
"Nothing," Kiba mumbled, shaking his head. He hesitated, then asked, "Hey, Neji… what did you think of that girl back there? The one who, uh, thanked me?"
"The girl?" Neji stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So you sensed something too. I couldn't shake the feeling I'd seen her somewhere before."
"You… you know her?" Kiba pressed.
"No," Neji shook his head. "But she felt familiar. It might just be my imagination."
"Actually…" Kiba took a deep breath, then plunged ahead. "Akamaru… he says he knows her."
Might as well tell them, Kiba decided grimly. If Sakura really is guilty, then even as a former comrade, she needs to be brought in. If she's innocent… I trust Lady Tsunade will clear her name.
"What?" Neji stared, surprised, glancing down at Akamaru.
Anko overheard and immediately sidled closer, her curiosity piqued. "Who is she?" she asked Kiba directly.
Kiba gritted his teeth. "Haruno Sakura," he forced out. "Akamaru said the girl smelled like her."
"What?!" Anko, Neji, and Hinata froze, stunned.
Hinata's face filled with worry. Neji's expression became conflicted, mirroring Kiba's own turmoil. Only Anko's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint appearing within them. "Her? The A-rank missing-nin from your graduating class?" A sinister smile touched her lips. "Accused of poisoning six patrol ninja, three ANBU operatives, and one civilian… Well now. Fancy meeting her here."
Anko vaguely remembered the pink-haired girl from the Chunin Exams. She hadn't made it to the final round, but her performance in the Forest of Death had been undeniably impressive. And she was Lady Tsunade's apprentice, no less. Who would have thought she'd end up going down the wrong path, just like Orochimaru?
"Anko-sensei! Sakura would never do those things!" Hinata protested immediately.
"I know you kids were close to her," Anko said dismissively, flicking her tongue over her lips in a way that sent shivers down their spines, "but you can never be too sure about these things. Sometimes the kindest face hides the most ruthless killer. As Konoha shinobi, we have a duty to apprehend A-rank wanted criminals. The village will determine her guilt or innocence."
"But—" Hinata started, but Anko cut her off.
"You three don't have to participate," she said, offering a deceptively casual smile. "She is an A-rank target, after all. It's still early. You guys go ahead and prepare for the mission we came here for. I'll just pop over and handle this. Be right back." With that, Anko vanished in a swirl of leaves, using the Body Flicker Technique.
The official assessment of Sakura's strength had been deliberately downplayed by Tsunade, who had kept certain facts – like Sakura defeating Hanzo – under wraps. Thus, Sakura was listed as merely an A-rank missing-nin, roughly equivalent to a Special Jonin, which matched the general perception of her abilities before her defection.
It wasn't that defeating someone like Hanzo automatically made one Kage-level; strength assessment was holistic. Sakura's raw power, particularly her monstrous strength, was undeniable and could potentially overwhelm an average Jonin in a direct confrontation. However, her broader tactical skills and experience had lagged, initially keeping her overall evaluation lower (Tsunade had only reluctantly promoted her to Chunin). But relying solely on brute force wasn't how most shinobi fought. Who would willingly trade blows with that kind of strength?
This assessment, however, was based on the Sakura of the past. Since leaving Konoha, while she hadn't mastered Sage Mode itself yet, she had gained access to Sage Chakra and accumulated significantly more real-world combat experience through numerous fights, big and small. Even the slowest learner improves under such conditions. The A-rank classification was dangerously outdated.
Not that Sakura would be foolish enough to showcase her full strength just to get upgraded to S-rank. While an S-rank designation might deter casual bounty hunters, any official pursuit team sent after her would inevitably consist of Kage-level shinobi.
"What do we do, Neji-nii-san?" Hinata asked worriedly, turning to her cousin.
Neji glanced at Hinata. Despite any lingering awkwardness between them from the Hyuga clan's internal politics, Sakura's situation took precedence. He looked at Kiba. "Can you track Anko-sensei's scent?"
"Yeah," Kiba nodded firmly.
"Alright then," Neji declared. "Let's follow her."