A lone figure darted swiftly along the Land of Sea's extensive coastline, using the reef rocks scattered across the sandy beach as perfect cover. Anko Mitarashi watched the scene unfolding ahead, realizing things might be more complicated than she initially thought. The two 'kids' – the target, Haruno Sakura, and her companion – weren't making any effort to conceal themselves, walking openly along the craggy shore.
And trailing behind them was a third person. Anko didn't recognize him, but he was clearly a ninja. Interesting, she mused. Someone else is after her too.
Anko felt no urgency to rush in for the capture. Assessing the environment, it was obvious Sakura was deliberately luring her tail into the open. It was a simple trap, one the pursuing ninja surely recognized. Yet, he still followed. Either he was incredibly stupid, or he had reasons compelling enough that he couldn't afford to break pursuit.
Deciding to watch the show unfold first, Anko settled deeper into her hiding spot among the rocks. Suddenly, a prickle of awareness made her whip her head around, scanning the area behind her. Her brow furrowed. "Come out!" she ordered lowly.
The space behind her remained empty. Anko let out a cold chuckle. "You asked for this." A small snake slithered out from her sleeve, gliding silently towards the rocks where she sensed the presence.
Before the snake even reached its target, three figures reluctantly emerged from behind the stones.
"Why is it you three?" Anko frowned, annoyed. "Didn't I tell you to stay back?"
"Sakura is our comrade," Neji stated calmly, meeting her gaze without deference or arrogance. "We share the responsibility of pursuing her now that she's defected. Besides, we likely understand her situation better than you do, Sensei."
Anko studied their determined expressions – Neji's calm resolve, Kiba's anxious energy, Hinata's quiet worry. She let out a quiet sigh, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. "I know what you're thinking," she murmured, reminded sharply of her own painful history with her respected master, Orochimaru. "But I hope you understand this: no matter who she was before, right now she has only one identity – a missing-nin of Konoha!"
Her voice hardened on the last words, her expression turning grim. Understanding their feelings was one thing; duty was another. The girl had to be apprehended. Since they'd encountered her here, they might as well attempt the capture, provided it didn't compromise their original mission objective.
"We understand," Neji nodded. He knew arguing the point further was meaningless. Better to take things one step at a time.
Hinata and Kiba nodded as well, though their motivations differed. Kiba desperately wanted to confront Sakura, to demand answers. Hinata held onto a similar hope, remembering how Sakura, initially aloof during their Academy days, had gradually become part of their group, especially after the Konoha Crush invasion.
Sakura continued leading Mei across the desolate stretch of rocky beach. The sparse, distant houses had long since disappeared from view. Behind them, the 'little tail' could no longer remain hidden effectively; the scattered rocks offered insufficient cover now.
Stopping abruptly, Sakura turned. "Come on out," she called towards the rocks behind them. "Stop hiding."
Apparently realizing concealment was futile, the Kiri ninja slowly revealed himself. He had a square face marked by a prominent scar, his Kirigakure headband worn tilted across his forehead.
"Ao-sama was being overly cautious," the man sneered, his eyes glinting maliciously. "Should've just grabbed brats like you for interrogation right away. Ready to surrender without a fight?"
"Why do you think I led you all the way out here?" Sakura retorted, releasing the seals she'd been maintaining. "I needed to confirm something. So, I decided to let you see my real face."
Poof!
With a burst of smoke, Sakura dropped the Transformation Technique. She was operating completely in the dark right now, lacking any solid intel. Since she'd decided to deal with this tracker, she needed to pry some useful information from him first – starting with whether Kirigakure had officially put out a warrant for her arrest.
As Sakura's true appearance was revealed, the Kiri ninja's sneer faltered. His expression flickered with surprise, then settled into grim recognition. "It really is you."
That confirmed it. Sakura was definitely on Kiri's wanted list. "Why?" she demanded. "Why does Kirigakure want me? I don't recall doing anything particularly hostile in the Land of Water."
"Hostile?" The Kiri ninja practically spat the word, his face contorted with indignation. "You assassinated the Fourth Mizukage and Lord Mangetsu of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen! You still dare to deny it?!"
"Huh?" Sakura stared at him, completely dumbfounded. She struggled to process his words. "What Mangetsu? You mean… Hozuki Mangetsu?"
"Ha!" The ninja let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "So you dare to commit the act but not admit it? Who else could it be but Lord Hozuki Mangetsu?! For the damage you've inflicted upon Kirigakure, I will exact justice for the village right now!" Fueled by righteous fury, he began forming hand seals even before finishing his sentence. Even if his opponent was strong, he couldn't allow his village to be humiliated like this.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
In the blink of an eye, a dense fog rolled across the rocky beach. Sakura instantly activated her Strength of a Hundred Seal, the dark markings spreading across her forehead. She vividly remembered facing Zabuza's version of this technique; it had nearly been the end of her. She couldn't afford carelessness now.
The Sage Chakra coursing through her system sharpened her senses dramatically, allowing her to pinpoint the Kiri ninja's location within the thick mist almost immediately. However, she held back from attacking. If he realized the mist didn't affect her perception, he'd likely change tactics. And she wasn't alone; Mei, having forgotten even basic ninjutsu, let alone combat skills, was completely vulnerable.
"S-Sister Mikoto," Mei stammered, her voice tight with fear. She had been quiet until the fog enveloped them. "Wh-what is this?"
"It's the Hiding in Mist Technique," Sakura replied, her tone soft, like she was comforting a frightened child. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."
The square-faced Kiri ninja had intended to use the mist for a swift, silent assassination. But the sight of the intricate pattern spreading from Sakura's forehead gave him a jolt, a primal sense of danger prickling down his spine. Hidden within his own mist, he suddenly felt completely exposed, as if her eyes could pierce right through the fog.
Cold sweat beaded on his brow. He was a Special Jonin, capable of holding his own against full-fledged Jonin, yet facing this girl, he felt an overwhelming sense of being outmatched. So this is the power that defeated Lord Mangetsu, he thought grimly.
He couldn't afford to wait. His intuition, which had never failed him, screamed that she was baiting him, waiting for him to make the first move. Then he heard Sakura speaking reassuringly to her companion. A calculating look entered his eyes. That girl in the dress… she must be important to her. A new plan formed: take the other girl hostage.
"Anko-sensei, shouldn't we intervene now?" Kiba asked nervously, peering into the dense fog.
Hinata and Neji stood beside him, Byakugan activated, their expressions tense as they watched the confrontation unfold.
Anko shot Kiba an exasperated look. "What's the rush? Let them beat each other up first. We'll move in when they're both worn out."
Kiba's real fear was that Sakura might actually get killed, but Anko had no such concerns. Her objective was capture. Letting the two combatants exhaust themselves was standard opportunistic ninja practice – the perfect time for the fisherman to reel in his prize. Honorable duels were for samurai, not shinobi.
There! Sakura clearly sensed the Kiri ninja's aura surging towards her from behind, radiating sharp, undisguised killing intent. She mentally shook her head. This guy is pretty amateurish. Can't even mask his killing intent properly. How does he expect to assassinate anyone? Zabuza was leagues better than this.
Just as the attack was about to land, Sakura dropped her stance slightly, then spun with blinding speed. Her hand shot out like a striking viper, clamping down unerringly on the arm holding the kunai. With a sharp twist—
Kaba!
—the distinct sound of a dislocated joint echoed faintly in the mist.
The Kiri ninja grunted, fighting through the searing pain. His original plan – a feint attack followed by grabbing the hostage – had gone completely awry. Sakura's speed was terrifying; he hadn't even had time to react before she'd disabled his arm. In desperation, he flung several shuriken from his other hand towards Mei, hoping Sakura would be forced to abandon her attack on him to protect her companion.
He had to admit, it was the right move.
Sakura saw the shuriken hurtling towards Mei, who stood frozen, completely paralyzed by fear. Damn it! Sakura cursed inwardly. Her combat instincts really are completely gone! Left with no choice, she released her grip on the Kiri ninja, scooped up a handful of pebbles from the rocky ground, and flung them towards the incoming projectiles.
Note to self: find a place to restock kunai and shuriken soon. While she rarely relied heavily on standard ninja tools, going completely without was proving problematic. Her throwing accuracy with actual weapons was merely passable; with makeshift pebbles, it was downright atrocious.
"Dodge!" Sakura yelled frantically at Mei.
But in that split second, Mei, having forgotten how to fight, how to move, couldn't possibly react in time. One of Sakura's pebbles managed to knock a shuriken off course, but the other three struck home with sickening thuds— Pupupu! —embedding themselves deeply in Mei's shoulder and arm.
"Ngh!" Mei cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground. The shock and injury proved too much; her Transformation Technique flickered and died.
Poof!
With another puff of white smoke, the frilly-dressed girl vanished, revealing the true form beneath.
Seeing Sakura release him, the Kiri ninja instinctively started forward, intent on seizing his now-vulnerable hostage. But as the smoke cleared and he saw the face of the woman crumpled on the ground, he froze mid-stride. His jaw dropped, his eyes bulged, and his finger shot out, trembling uncontrollably as he stammered, "Y-y-y-you... Lady Terumi Mei?!"