Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Where the fuck are we?” is the first thing that the girl says after they touch the ground.

Everything around is pretty calm as they arrive at this newfound location, she’s still on her toes about it. Looking around she can make out a few things, a tall building with different decorations.

Lots of green areas and what it seems to her, a bunch of signals around. It seems private, not many vehicles around which for a city is kinda crazy.

Behind her, the white dragon dissipates and soon enough what it seems to be the plan starts to unfold as Satoru begins to run in direction to the building.

The air is calm and nothing seems out of the ordinary.

Sakura can feel the curiosity itch under her hands as her shoes make a soft noise against the rocky little trail that the place had.

It seemed luxurious, uptight.

Her eyes were up and around as she looked and looked, trying to gather something from it.

But all she could tell was that they had taken her to a different side of town she didn’t even knew it existed.

So she was rightfully annoyed.

Behind her, Suguru stands with his hands on his phone as he looks at what seems to be a message and types in it.

He seems nonchalant enough, so Sakura could tell they had it all under control.

‘Nice’ she thought with a mocking tone, ‘I don’t wanna be involved.’

She flinches as she feels someone approach her though. Loud tippy sounds as heels sound against the floor.

“Language, miss!” Her eyes are rolled before she can even process what she had said.

At this point, it was just like muscle memory. She tilts her head towards the lady, inspecting her for a few seconds just to turn around again.

An unpleasant feeling starts to sink in her stomach.

“It’s a school, normal one at least, we just came here to pick someone up.” Suguru speaks behind her as he places his hands on his pockets and begins to walk towards the building as well.

His pace is calm, she can even see a slight smile on his face.

Behind him, a dark void is formed from where a couple curses come out.

Raising her pale brow, she crosses her arms across her chest.

Her feet were centered in her place, she wasn’t moving an inch. It didn’t matter what they could say or do, she wasn’t going in that place. Even if they told her that it was a simple school.

She was still doubtful.

Something she must admit was that the information she got was far more interesting than she thought it would be.

Her infrastructure as a ninja told her to gather the most information so she would be aware of her situation.

But something deep inside yelled that she would not be happy to hear it.

“Who?” It came out a bit more brusque than she had initially expected it to.

It made Suguru halt in his footsteps as he turned his head around to take a peek at her.

Satoru was right, she was a child through and through, but her voice modulation and mannerisms were the ones he would expect of an adult.

It weirded him out. Maybe it was his adolescence that made him reject the tone of voice an adult used, but sometimes…

Her voice made him jump.

“It’s not your business though.” He says sharply.

Sounding almost snappy, bratty. It surprises him since he had never had that kind of behavior, maybe it was one of the after effects of spending too much time with Gojo. The girl taps her small feet into the rocky trail as she observes Suguru’s back.

Not taking her eyes off him because just as him, her childish attitude sometimes (mostly with Todou) allowed her to display childish attitudes.

Even if her voice sounded a little grown. It was weird.

“It became my business the moment you placed me in the air like that, speak, bangs.” Her face is tilted in a way her nose is pointed up.

He was about to respond when Kuroi reached her side with a little side-eye.

Her hands behind her back as she holds her mouth twitch that begs for her to scold the little girl. Just a little.

But she doesn’t do that, she knows by looking at her it would be a lost fight so all she can offer is to meddle in the situation as she can.

“We just came here to pick up Miss Rika, the new star plasma vessel.” She speaks with pride and a head nod towards Suguru, motioning him to go ahead.

As they’ve talked, she would stay behind with the girl. It would’ve been a mess to bring her in without any more inconveniences.

Suguru nods back softly as he turns his head around and keeps on walking over the marble stairs.

His shoes echoing in a dry sound.

“Star… plasma.” Sakura repeats as the name bounces across her head for a few moments.

There’s a little hint of recognition in her tone of voice. Like a boomerang, the name travels around her head until she finds the right location.

Back in Sendai, on a very warm and long day, Yuki had had a conversation with them about Tengen where she explained, truly, what he meant for the Sorcerers society.

What he stood for, why was he here, since when and where.

In that said conversation (they were inside of a lake since it had been so hot, they were all red and sweaty) she had shared the words star plasma vessel.

Explained shortly what that was, a vessel for Tengen to exist.

At first, Sakura remembers being a little worried for it, what if Tengen passed his time and didn’t got a vessel? Being that old, having that much knowledge over cursed energy would make him an admirable adversity.

She had been fearful for a world with a vengeful Tengen for a second.

Then, Yuki squashed those thoughts away as she explained that Tengen was wise.

He knew beyond us, he saw beyond what we saw.

If fate spoke and his vessels chose differently, he wouldn’t fault them as he understood the severity of the fusion.

For a few halves of the story, Sakura thought it was all a tale sorcerers created to cope somehow.

A merciful god by them who never faulted them for their decisions? Sounded way too much like a made up story to her.

But when she learned that he truly existed, that he was truly among them, Sakura knew this topic had to have more layers.

And it did.

While Yuki didn’t spare details, she did tell them a little about the danger of being near the topic of the star plasma vessel and the ritual.

‘Just as we’re sorcerers that believe in the greater good, there’s organizations out there who believe in the opposite.’ She had said, throwing them for a loop.

‘They believe then in curses murdering people?’ Todou had spoken with a soft lisp as his teeth had just fallen earlier that day.

Yuki and then were sat in a small mound of dirt on the lake, making it seem like a small island.

‘Yep! They believe it is their God’s call, their fate.’ She had pointed out with a sarcastic tone of voice.

As always, Sakura spoke, sharp but questioning.

‘So… they believe sorcery should just run its course without any consequence?’ She judges while receiving a grimace by Yuki.

‘Yes, most likely in the past, these organizations were created by religious groups that had some kind of power over sorcery.’ Sakura could imagine.

Even in her own Ninja world those things were usual, like how the Hyuga were the way they were because long ago they were important. And they continued to be, but on a lower scale that they never believed existed.

‘Now they don’t have anything else but followers that are there because their ancestors were there.’ The blonde had made emphasis on that.

Sakura had her eyes open and curious.

‘Commuters, people without cursed energy, but they’re still powerful in other areas.’ She made a motion with her fingers.

A motion Sakura easily identifies as one who meant money.

‘Let’s say they hate Tengen and what it represents and are desperate to show their followers they’re on the right side of history.’ Her hands sunk in the water as they sat by the edge of the small islands, their legs and hands on the water.

Her eyes had told her everything she had needed to know.

‘They would do anything for it.’

Since then, the young girl understood that even if she considered herself strong and great at what she did.

Even if she had her skills polished, outside of her little bubble there was so much more that could defy her.

She had to remind herself that sorcery wasn’t just about punches and energy, but also history.

Power and pride, to know how to play the game. It was tiresome to think about and excruciating if she mixed Yuuji and Wasuke into it.

Their organizations didn’t have a heart, they would attack regardless of the individual, it didn’t matter. Her thoughts were just as before, she had too much to lose to try and play hero.

She wasn’t going to get involved.

As soon as the words ‘star plasma’ entered her ears, she knew.

If things had to run its course, so be it. For Yuuji’s sake, she was just going to be a spectator, no matter what.

As soon as she thought of that, her position became more relaxed. Her hands went to sit behind her head as a little yawn came out of it.

Kuroi opened her mouth to keep on talking.

Probably to explain further what it meant to be (truly) the star plasma vessel but Sakura had no intention to know.

The way her shoulders fell slightly told her so. She didn’t want to know anything else, her decision and the conversation was through and done.

“You're right, not my business.” she said as she turned around to lean into a pillar nearby.

Her eyes closed as she decided to just ignore it all, let the idiots do whatever and then ignore them again. It was not her place to get involved.

For the first in her present life and past one, she would slow down and just be a spectator.

She apologized to her bright yellow sunshine on her head, he would’ve dived right into the sea of monsters.

Maybe back then, she would’ve too. But not today.

Nope, not today.

Maybe fifteen minutes went by since Suguru ran off to find the vessel.

Outside nothing was different, the sky was still blue and the air was just as fresh and crisp.

Nothing was out of the ordinary for her.

Nothing that told her that this specific mission was so important that they couldn’t even let her go away, that they had to drag her around.

She would’ve thought she would be seeing some things different by now.

She was used to consequences and fate playing a good part in the life of others, to hear how they curse at it, how they run from it.

But even the maid that apparently was the maid of the vessel appeared cool and calm.

There was the sound of chatter around the school, a few people walking around the garden, nothing too important to check up.

Nothing to take notice of.

Not that she would anyways.

After she decided to not get involved, she took her own word as seriously as one would take the order of a Hokage.

She had leaned into the tree and stayed right there, chill and relaxed, she had even gone as far to close her eyes.

A sweet tone started to play in her head like an annoying little tweak.

Todou had found a new idol group that he was now pulling into Sakura, she wasn’t all into it honestly but it was fun.

In Konoha, Idol groups weren’t a thing for people like her.

There were singers who would make media for civilians, like the actor she once met when they were young.

But usually, those types of entertainment didn’t reach them. Ninjas were busy, always.

Shinobi were not created to rest and have normal lives, they had to be constantly working, putting in the effort, climbing the ranks.

Keeping everybody alive and safe. Idols, movies, shows… Were things that rarely reached them.

Whenever she found out a singer or song was trending… they weren’t anymore, the only music she listened to was the one she used to listen to when she was a kid.

The tunes from her mother, the music her dad would play back home.

Ino would sometimes play her or recommend a song or two, she only actually heard like one of the hundreds of recommendations.

Idol culture was too quick for her back then.

Now in this life, it was different, children didn’t have to throw their childhoods away for their clans to exploit.

They had free time to burn away, to indulge in something.

For some kids it was some sport like football or basketball, for others it was painting and drawing.

For Todou, idol culture was a must and also cartoons and tv shows.

She was sure the boy had indoctrinated her brain somehow because now, she could be doing the tiniest thing like washing a sock and one of his songs would play on her brain.

As annoying as it was to have a song stuck on your head when all you got is the melody, it was also cute.

Then, she usually passed the tune to Yuuji and he would have the song stuck on his own little head.

They three were like a cute chain. She thought it was adorable to think about.

Her time though was mostly indulged in Digimon but that was something we all knew.

Now she just had this little tune on her head, ugh, how did it go? it had words!

As her brow twitches while thinking of the words for that sticky and upbeat song, a presence near her makes her peak her eyes open.

Just for a bit.

Her brow raises as what she sees seems like an idiocy, something that someone pulled out of their ass.

The man in front of the school had a basic fit and a paper bag over his head like a weirdo.

Scoffing, she proceeded to close her eyes again without a care in the world. It didn’t matter to her if this idiot tried anything, first of all his paper bag was disrupting his speech so she couldn’t understand him.

And second, the maid had already stepped up to confront him.

Her stand told Sakura all she needed to know, it was tight and controlled, she knew what she was doing.

And, obviously the little cursed energy that flowed through her and her weapon was enough for her to put up a good front.

‘So, it 's good!’ she thought to herself as she went back to her little issue, she still didn’t remember the words for the song.

In the background, she could hear the fight that was going on.

Huh, now that she thought of it, she couldn’t even remember the name of it.

An exchange of words and some more, a punch or two.

Annoying.

A flinch went down her spine as soon as that thought crossed her mind.

“Wow, you ended up being very strong, Kuroi-san.”

‘Finally’ she thought as she heard Suguru’s voice come out of the school building at a slow pace.

She had seriously started to think they’d stay there for longer and that pissed her off.

His voice sounded as if he was smiling and behind him wasn’t anything else, no sound, no annoying white haired idiot.

Kinda nice honestly. It made her appreciate the day better if you asked her. He was alone and he was now by the maid’s side with half a chuckle hanging from his lips.

Yawning did make Sakura open her eyes, even if it was slightly, nobody could blame her.

She was usually active and moving, back in Sendai her life was loud and full of physical activities with Yuuji (who had to try jumping over chairs and climbing trees lately) and Todou (who… well, is Todou).

Whenever she slowed down and had a tiny piece of peace, she usually used them to nap along her grandpa.

Now that her body was feeling a bit of that type of moment as she is, under a tree, sweet breeze, chatter as a background noise? Yup, her eyes were drooping a little.

As her eyes opened, she could see the maid still on her fighting stance, her back a bit down and shoulders up.

Her eye traveled from the weirdo to the other weirdo, yeah, the one with the bang who was judging her from his place.

“Were you going to let that one dude hurt Miss Kuroi ? Huh?” Sakura’s ‘tsk’ is loud as she keeps herself right where she is.

As a response, her shoulders go up in a shrugging motion.

“Well he didn’t.” She says as mockery drips from her tone.

It’s bratty and childish, but who can blame her? she's a child.

“But you could’ve done something.” He rebuttals as his hands start to move, seemingly ready to keep the fight if needed.

The paper bag weirdo stares with his eyes wide and dry. While the man doesn’t look roughed up, the enemy doesn’t either.

This doesn’t mean anything bad to be honest, but it wasn’t an observation.

Maybe the maid was just as the level of the paperbag man.

“But she handled it well.” She observed with her tone still bratty.

Suguru scoffs as he turns around to look at Kuroi who doesn’t drop her stance nor her weapon.

‘Smart’ he thinks quickly enough as his hand goes to his pocket, fishing for his phone.

“Look at her, she’s strong, she doesn’t need my help at all.” Sakura says as she finishes her conversation, leaning back on the tree with a relaxed position. Nothing was going to break her peace.

“Whatever, and Riko?” Suguru shrugged her off easily as his eyes went back to the man in front of him.

It was odd, usually enemies knew about them enough to know that they shouldn’t be idiots and show themselves just like that.

Usually they had better plans.

A small smirk appeared on his lips, these idiots didn’t stand a chance after all.

At the mention of the vessel, Kuroi perks up and turns back for the first time to look at Suguru with sharp eyes.

“I saw her leave campus with Mister Satoru!” The boy nods after he hears and for a second, closes his eyes.

His brain is going quick, processing information with the speed of a racing car.

What he knew, knows and is gathering forms a sequence of words on his head that now throws a red flag all over it.

He’s not really liking this. What had seemed an easy mission of just picking a girl up and done, was turning into a more detailed and dangerous situation.

Not for them though, but for those who were involved.

“Alright then,the situation is getting a bit out of hand.” He sighs with a little hint of exhaustion as his words come out.

However, his eyes open again as he hears the man chuckle in acknowledgement.

As if a theory had been confirmed right there and there.

The paperbag while it covers the face, highlights the eyes who pop against the sunlight and the bright tile. Making him seem wild as he looks up.

“So what I just saw were my 30 millions, huh?!” The man says and now that Sakura is actually paying attention she can hear how his voice is gruff and disgusting.

She grimaces as she observes the whole thing go down.

Until it gets a bit interesting as a void opens under the man and he gets pulled down, from his calm state, she could deduce it was some sort of technique.

Kuroi and Suguru stare as the man disappears along with the void.

Now that piqued her interest.

“Shikigami?!”

‘Nope’ Sakura thought in response.

As she thinks about it, the maid had been slightly correct when thinking of Shikigami, but it was incorrect.

Yuki had once told them that Shikigami had a certain frequency that they emit that is different from the one a Sorcerer does when they apply a technique. After training for a while with it, they were able to identify it.

It was just like when Sai made his paintings, it was pretty similar.

Suguru on his part pulls out his phone and starts punching some buttons as he looks at it.

“Nope, not a shikigami… Satoru?” He confirms the things she thought as he speaks, not looking that stressed honestly.

The answer comes almost immediately, they're a little far from her position by the tree but even by that she can hear the idiot chattering away.

The voice yaps away by the phone as she closes her eyes again, no longer interested anymore in this scene.

The whole thing about the ‘Shikigami vs technique’ had been cool, she couldn't wait to tell Todou about it, he was especially interested in those topics of identification of energies.

It would make him happy to know that they’re on the right path.

“Ah, yeah an illegal site placed the bounty on her head with a limited time space, apparently until the day after tomorrow at 11:00.” Suguru speaks at a well-paced tone, his free hand in his pocket as he lazily stands right where he is.

Sakura’s left eye peeks as she listens to what it's finally the situation at hand.

The quick recap makes her analyze the type of trip they’ve taken her in as a newcomer, as someone they don’t truly know and it pisses her off.

It’s dangerous and tricky.

It was getting a bit controversial.

Just being close to the star plasma vessel is tricky enough but now adding the fact that they’re dealing with illegal bounty hunters was crazy.

They were truly stupid, even if Sakura knew she could take any of the enemies with ease, it was terrible for them to pull her in without even knowing her skills.

What if she wasn’t capable enough? The information is concise and clear, and apparently enough as after a few moments Suguru raises his eyebrow and puts his hand down.

“Huh, he hung up.” He speaks as he observes his phone with a tiny little twitch on his eyebrow.

Now that was a tiny little quirk of his friend that always made him want to punch him ‘till he couldn’t feel his fist anymore. He sighed harshly.

“What a dick.” Suguru muttered to himself as he placed his phone back in his pocket and turned around.

Turning around he begins to walk as his hands move, right in front of him, where there’s nothing but just a field the white dragon appears in a second.

There’s a million thoughts that go through his head as his steps make him come closer to his curse.

Million theories that could become true, that could hurt them and make them feel it.

They weren’t expecting for a literal bounty to go up for the person they were chaperoning.

They hadn’t had a plan for that, and while Satoru is all about action and quick thinking, Suguru likes plans.

They make him feel better, organized and safe.

He likes to coordinate his moves and create a plan b and even c if needed, he’s rational and knows every enemy will not move just because they have a hunch or too much confidence.

There will be one in a million that will have a good plan, and they need a better one. Knowing that they’re in a game against time, without a plan, without a warning… Makes him uneasy.

“Mister Geto!” Kuroi follows him with quick steps as he advances. Her words go unnoticed as he’s deep into his thoughts.

There’s so much to think, so little time to act.

He’s taller than her so his steps go further, she walks fast until she reaches him right when he’s walking by the tree the little girl had taken as a place to rest her eyes for a moment.

She looks upset as the boy stands by her and looks down, expecting the outburst.

The pinkette lowers her arms until they’re right across her chest and looks up.

“Why did you two bring me in the middle of this idiocy?” She demands as her nose scrunches in disgust.

The boy lets out the thirteenth sigh of the day and places his hand on his forehead as he thinks on how he’s going to proceed with all of this.

And mostly, sulks because he knows the young girl is right.

They couldn’t have known that this whole ‘easy peasy mission’ was going to become something else.

Something dangerous.

So when they saw her they had been actually excited to cut their extended chores short, but Suguru knows now that it had been an stupid idea.

And if he ever needed confirmation from his thoughts, just the glare of the girl would do.

“It just got out of hand as I said, let’s go, we gotta bring support to Satoru.” He signals the dragon with his thumb and Sakura puffs her cheeks angrily.

If it was her call, she would never ever in life get on that godforsaken dragon again.

Kuroi takes the moment to cut in and finally speak what she had tried to share, her hand on her chest as she spoke.

“Mister Geto! You’re faster, you go there with Miss Amanai!” That pulls both kids from their silent staring contest.

The dragon was ready, he was ready, they needed to go.

Like now.

Decisions were to be made and Suguru hated to make them when he was in a team, not in a solo mission.

But Kuroi’s voice told him that this was way more important than his own stress and anxiety.

They had Amanai’s life on their hands and for Kuroi, that meant a lot.

While he didn’t truly know any of them, he was a sorcerer over it all and his morals as one made it impossible for him to ignore. He had to get there quickly.

“What a drag.” He heard by his side as the young pinkette had leaned back into the tree.

Apparently thinking they would just maybe leave without her? Or maybe for him to go without her? or anything, but she looked as if she could retake her last position and rest.

There was no time for decisions, it was time for action.

“Alright then, let’s go!” He ended up saying in between a sigh as he felt his own walk perk up.

He could see that his words didn’t offer Sakura anything as they offered a sense of security to Kuroi if her facial expression told him so.

Her thankful sigh was enough.

But for Sakura it was something different, she didn’t even know the girl they were taking care of, she didn’t even know them.

It would take more from him to make her move on her own.

That’s why he had to move her. “Me too?! What the heck!” She yelled as she felt herself being lifted from the ground.

Suguru’s strong arm got wrapped under her belly as one would usually do with cats and placed her right by his side, letting her feet and arms hang.

Like a rice bag. As a usual response, she began to kick around and try and push his hands off her while he walked over to the dragon, stepping on him in a second.

She hated being a kid!

She was always carried around!

She had feet!

She thought as she got dragged onto the dragon’s back.

“The other clones might be with Satoru now, he might need assistance.” The boy ended up saying as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

Sakura could pop a vein right now.

The dragon starts to lift into the air again and while she can feel the vertigo creep back into her belly, she still puts the tough front up.

Even if her hand in a very tiny and small motion grips Suguru’s arm that’s holding her from the stomach. It was just a reflex of course, yeah, not fear of being dropped.

Again!

“Isn’t he like the strongest?! Let him deal with this bullshit and put me down, you stupid tower-like emo bangs bastard!” Suguru could feel his smile transform from one filled with mockery and a bit of disdain to an amused one.

Every time they make her angry she pulls a better insult after the other, maybe they should give her an award after the hundred insults.

He’s sure she will reach that goal by the end of the week.

The dragon begins his flight as his hand doesn’t come undone on the girl's belly, keeping her by his side.

On the contrary to Satoru who made her afraid of being by him, Suguru felt safe for the most part.

Just keep him quiet and he’s cool, Sakura guesses as she stops kicking and flinging her arms around.

Feeling a little brave, she opens her eyes looking at how differently from before, the clouds, buildings and the sky are now a blur.

Before, maybe because there were more people on the dragon, they had had a quick but calm ride.

They could see it all with clarity, every window of the buildings and the shapes of clouds.

But now, just with Suguru it was impossible. Everything was blurred out. How could he even see if they were going in the right direction at this pace?

“Haven’t people told you you’re the sweetest?” The boy speaks as a light smirk appears on his face.

Amused by the girl's brave face, also by the little grip he feels on his arm.

Just for the record, he would never drop her.

He doesn’t do those types of pranks, those are Satoru’s doings.

But he understands the fear and the little shake he can perceive as the dragon quickly dips in between what he can make out of a few buildings as they approach a little corner of the city where the others wait.

It would always surprise him to see the girl who seemed too grown up and mature act like a kid. Have fears and anxieties, have trust issues but also not.

It was nice, it was cute.

It reminded him why they do what they do.

And why they have to be the strongest, always.

“Shut up!” A yell that sounds like a whine comes out of her mouth like a loud sound that travels across the air.

It moves quickly just as her hair does against the wild pace they got. Suguru barks a laugh loudly as they blur into the distance. 

Sakura had never thought it would be so nauseating to travel as they were on top of the dragon.

It had never felt as it was right now, her stomach on her throat and her senses going overwire while trying to remain calm and tight against the teenager by her side.

Thankfully Suguru wasn’t like Satoru, while he could be as annoying, he chose not to.

Probably read the room while traveling, the smaller girl had been quiet and with her grip tightened to the boy.

No mention of it had been done, not even in a little joke or teasing comment.

It made the girl wonder but also, she couldn’t help but thank him in her head.

Or as much as she could since they were traveling so fast she was worried her thoughts weren’t as fast as their pacing.

Her eyes were peeking softly as they captured the buildings stretching in question of milliseconds.

They were slithering into the city like a plague, the dragon didn’t stop as it advanced.

The girl was almost sure that the curse already knew where they were going, maybe by being connected with Suguru or something to do with the white haired idiot.

It was annoying to even think about it.

But it wasn’t as annoying to see him as they were, at the end of a street by a little alleyway. His tall figure was standing in a distinctive pose, seeming to be in a mood.

It was interesting to see how he didn’t even flinch when the dragon stopped just inches from his body, probably sure that it wouldn’t hit him or hurt him badly.

Still made Sakura a bit annoyed at the cockiness of his stance.

The girl was about to roll her eyes when she felt herself being lifted while Suguru started to walk down the dragon’s back.

The arm under her belly kept her body firm against his side, it was a hold that she could recognize as a thrustful one.

Even if she still didn’t trust the boy entirely, it was safe for her to know that he wouldn’t drop her.

She let out a small huff as she thought of the action a little bit overboard, she wasn’t going to run away (She didn’t even know where they were right now) and she wasn’t a baby.

It was a little annoying to feel as if both teenagers weren’t taking her seriously. Lowkey, she was thankful though.

Her knees were a bit shaky from the experience of flying at that velocity.

“Suguru, they got Kuroi.” Satoru blurted as soon as his friend's feet touched the ground, without any type of sugarcoating it or making any conversation.

The black haired boy stopped on his steps and lifted his eyes towards the other, wide and surprised as he processed the information.

Curious and attentive, Sakura moved her head to look at him and his reactions.

She was surprised to see how they were able to portray such emotions as seriousness and surprise.

It was interesting, for a few kids that she had thought weren’t capable of that, it was a new experience to see them like that.

Suguru stopped on his steps while the dragon dissipated behind them, not being needed anymore.

“That’s… my fault, I didn’t realize the value the enemy has for her as well.” He spoke softly as his eyes showed a new emotion, guilt.

Sakura felt her eyes widen and pop a little as she stared at him, hearing Satoru’s click of his tongue.

Annoyance.

At the same time, she felt how the hand holding her by the belly started to place her down on the floor.

Her feet touched the floor again and she didn’t know if she should cry out of joy.

After the little adventure they had, she had never wanted something as intensely as it was to be on the ground again.

It had been crazy and exasperating, but it was done now.

However she chose to remain in silence as she patted her clothes a little from the invisible dust she knew she had.

Neither of the boys looked back towards her as they continued their conversation as the atmosphere around them dropped slightly.

She could feel the tension in between breaths.

“Their next move will be to propose an interchange, they’ll either ask for Amanai in the place of Kuroi… or they’ll threaten to kill Kuroi if Amanai doesn’t die.” Satoru said as he postured in front of the boy.

Sakura took the time to look around for a few moments as the conversation kept on going without a worry of the fact that she was still there, hearing it all.

They were right at the opening of an alleyway in between buildings, it was desolated though.

She could see a few cars but nothing more, no people, not much noise around them. It didn’t matter much though, while she was sure the boys weren’t worried about her, she wasn’t even hearing them entirely.

She had decided to not get involved and she wouldn’t.

So they could talk about their next master plan and she would focus on fixing her ponytail.

“But our advantage is, we got Amanai.” Satoru kept on talking, this time he pointed with his thumb to the interior of the alleyway.

Until then, Sakura hadn’t truly looked into it as she decided to just stay by the boys and by being with them she meant just staying there.

No peeking, no being curious but she couldn’t help herself to look into the alleyways as the teenager pointed into it.

Her curious emerald eyes captured then, at the end of the alleyway a small fenced space, it even had a door.

It kinda looked like a tiny prison, kinda funny honestly.

She held herself from scoffing as she could see someone inside the space, a girl with her head down and wearing a school uniform.

‘So that’s Amanai’ she thought with a small bitter tone in her head.

“If we can arrange a place for the deal, it will be easy peasy to turn the cake around.” The girl wasn’t moving and for a thick minute Sakura thought she wasn’t really a girl but an illusion or a doll.

But then the girl let out a deep sigh and she moved.

With her ponytail re-done, Sakura leaned back as she found herself by one of the walls of the alleyway and placed herself there to see how everything would unfold.

Again, with no help coming from her, oh no.

If there had been any remaining feeling of ‘i need to help’ they were gone now by what she was hearing.

A whole conspiracy to kidnap the girl so hard they had to get the strongest in sorcery society to keep her safe… And even they were having issues? Yeah, nope.

Crossing her arms she took a nonchalant position as the words flew into one of her ears and out the other.

All she could faintly hear was Satoru making more plans of actions that honestly weren’t that crazy as she thought they would be.

A little rough but they could work.

“Let’s take Amanai to the tech and ask Shoko to be her double-” He was speaking seriously as Suguru nodded, already on board as what his friend spoke.

It was a show of trust, how he could just give his opinion and a plan he just thought of and the other would just follow.

Admirable, as she thought, even back in Konoha where trust and loyalty was all they needed to back up their morals and plans were the decisions taken like that.

They still had people who fought back and questioned, but here was Suguru trusting blindly.

The plan was cut short though as Amanai chose the moment to interrupt.

Her voice weary and scared as her hand shot up towards the bars in the small space she was being kept.

“Wait a moment!” She said as her hand went up towards one of the bars. Sakura tilted her head towards it as she found an interesting part of the planning by the girl's voice, a sweet but young one.

Her view was then taken by the determined stare of the girl, fierce eyes taken a stance as she spoke.

Full of determination while she stared down Satoru. Sakura raised her brow.

“I’ll go too! I don’t trust any of you so I’ll go!” Her voice grew a little more stable as her words went in, taking the younger girl by surprise.

She liked her attitude, even more now that she tilted her head back to the boys who were looking back at Amanai.

Both of them with their own set of expressions painting their faces.

Suguru looked sympathetic as he stared at the girl in the enclosure, like a bird in a cage.

While he didn’t want to admit it, he had been feeling a certain type of way because of their mission, it was cruel but he wouldn’t say it out loud.

Sorcery duties were beyond him and this was fate, it was Tengen.

His brow was twisted in an expression Sakura could describe as gentle pity.

Again, interesting.

It was certainly that as she turned to see Satoru who was sporting an annoyed look on his face, a total contrast as his friend’s.

“Hah?! Again with that shit, brat?!”

“Even if you saved her!”

“If she didn’t arrive on time for the fusion with Tengen-sama… Still, I haven’t said goodbye.” Silence is all that they hear.

It’s obvious the boys don’t know what else to say as they let the silence linger, Amanai looks distraught as they just stare.

The air is fresh as it washes over them, but it doesn’t do much on the heavy feeling that sinks into their stomachs.

Suguru at least doesn’t want to sound insensitive, and doesn't want to say the incorrect thing for the occasion.

They know Amanai has known of her fate since birth, but he can guess it’s not as easy to process when the time is actually here.

He doesn’t feel grown like that to add anything of value, and Satoru stays quiet because he just can’t truly add anything.

He knows of fate and how it works, there’s nothing else to add.

Sakura on the other side scoffs as she turns her head around towards the boys and cracks a slight smirk, full of mockery and a simple motion of her fingers to add to their feeling of not knowing what to say.

“So… you two are taking her like sheep to the slaughter house?” She ends up saying after a few moments while the silence grows.

She feels as if it was enough of the dramatics. This however breaks the silence as Suguru turns towards her with a scoff.

In his face the irritation is painted as he tried to find the words to maybe make the younger girl think over what she said. While it’s true, it doesn’t sound as nice.

“Shush…. it’s not that.” He tries as he comes a bit closer to the girl who stays leaning back into the nearby wall of the alley.

Satoru didn’t even acknowledge the whole thing though, he was too focused. His feet turn as his eyes are right at Amanai’s, silently challenging her.

“What? It sounded just like it though, you’re taking her to die.” Sakura ends up saying in the background while the tallest boy in town begins his walk into the alley.

A serious atmosphere quiets the little bickering the pinkette and Suguru starts right at the entrance of the alley.

The sounds of the steps begin to make a soft and intense sound as the white haired boy opens his mouth.

“The kidnapper will make contact any moment, but in the case that they’re smarter than we think they are…” He speaks with a clear and decisive tone of voice.

Sakura’s ears perk up a little as she captures a new tone of voice out of who she thought was the most idiotic person she had ever encountered in this lifetime.

For a moment she became a little wary, she slapped herself over the head on her mind. She should never forget what he was capable of, even if he was an idiot most of the time.

He’s one of the strongest sorcerers in this present time.

He’s the definition of dangerous.

As the boy stalks into the alley, he opens the door of the small space where Amanai had kept herself and hovers over her.

His eye, now visible, is burning a hole in the girl’s.

“Or that the probability that Kuroi’s survival rate drops because of you, we’ll leave you behind.” He says it like an ultimatum.

The severity in his voice makes the girl defy him again, however it doesn’t change the way he’s viewing her or hovering over her.

He just deepens the feeling as he wants to make her know that what he’s saying is not a joke or a play.

Gulping a bit of saliva, Amanai nods trying to reciprocate the feeling.

“Alright, I get it.” She says, but Satoru doesn’t budge.

He stays where he is, blocking the door as the girl begins to feel within herself, a bit of fear.

It seems to Amanai like the world was fading slowly.

As if she took a look away from the boy, she would face a fate worse than the one she was expecting.

But the voice of the boy pulls her out of that thought.

“Or if you panic in the middle of it and you want to turn around, we’ll ignore you.” The severity that drops from his voice makes her shiver.

Goosebumps burst on her arms and neck as she held his gaze. For a moment she fears the mere thought of blinking.

“Prepare yourself.” He says and it feels like the end of the conversation has reached.

As he blinks, the tension lessens and soon enough he’s leaning back from the door and the way he was hovering to just stand by it.

Satoru might believe that fun is the way and all he does is just be a puppet of the tech until the end, but he knows when situations get tricky.

This is one. He hates to say that he failed a mission, that he didn’t accomplish it.

Until now, that hasn’t been part of his vocabulary.

By Suguru’s side, all of their missions have been a success ever since they got paired together and he wants to keep it that way.

Call it pride, call it selfishness that he only feels the duty to be firm with the girl now that there’s a danger in between.

And if you want to call him worse names since he’s genuinely not worried about their person but mostly on his reputation, do so.

It’s not like he cares or will change.

The Gojo pride, while annoying and archaic, it’s ingrained in his brain like a tattoo.

Amanai stands from where she was sitting and pats down her school uniform as she begins to walk out of the little enclosure they had her in.

For the first time since the news hit her, she began to look around.

Pink found her eyes as she realized another person was there with them.

“But for right now… Let’s go back to the tech, we gotta wait for the contact to happen, and also.. To bring that one there.” Satoru shares, turning a little until he’s facing the end of the alley and points with his thumb at the girl who is still leaning on the wall.

With a sigh, Suguru walks a bit off from them to make a phone call, probably to their sensei or whatever, it didn’t matter because now Amanai’s focus was on the young girl who was grumpily looking at the sky.

She looked shorter than her, she was not in a school uniform and she looked a bit disheveled. Her aura though, it was nothing she had expected from a kid with a hair so pink.

It rivaled the pink power ranger figure she had back home.

“That… one, ah, I hadn’t truly noticed that she was with us as well but... She seems younger than me?” Amanai speaks as she gives a better look at the girl who hear her.

Immediately and taking her by complete surprise turns with a fierce look on her eyes.

The younger leans a bit back on her stance as she points her nose up in a small signal of arrogance that looks kinda comical coming from her.

“So what if I am, huh?” The pinkette almost barks as she glares at the other girl, defensive and protective of herself.

At the end of the day she doesn’t even know the girl, she could be an issue for all she knows.

Yuki didn’t really go into details about any ability that a vessel might have against others.

For all she knew, she could hold a greater power than the two idiots that were traveling along her, or be as annoying as Gojo.

Either way, she had to keep her guards up. Suguru who had stayed behind her as he stared at the entire thing felt a drop of sweat go down on his temple.

Even when the aura of the Pinkette was dangerous and sometimes it peaked to a level that made him look at her differently… She was still a child, and her behavior said so.

It was slightly comical.

“Like a tiny rottweiler.” Suguru said in a low mutter as Satoru approached his side with his phone on his ear.

Most likely receiving information and directions from Yaga.

Both boys stared at the way Sakura didn’t drop her stance as she pulled her lip up to reveal her teeth in an attempt to snarl.

Amanai, on her side, kept her cool as she approached the girl with a determined step.

“And her attitude sucks just like the both of you.” She said in a tone of voice that almost sounded like a playful teasing one.

Sakura felt her own body perk up a little as she heard her. Who was her to even say that her attitude sucked just like that?

“Hey! being kidnapped surely sucks!” She yelled back as her lip curled like she was about to snarl.

Both teenagers behind her feel a small drop of sweat go down their foreheads as they stare at the ridiculous scene of a pink haired child with the aura of a dangerous villain.

But at the same time, it was kinda cute.

“Or a chihuahua?” Satoru murmurs towards his best friend as he lowers his glasses for a moment.

From the back of the alley Amanai got completely out of her small prison and began to walk across the whole thing.

Her small footsteps resonated against the alley walls like an eco.

Tap-tap, small and young as they had a slight bounce in the way they quickened as she reached the entry.

“I guess I can relate to that.” Amanai smirks as her hand shoots out in front of the younger kid.

Sakura’s face had dropped slightly as the girl approached her.

Now that they were at arm's length she could see her better, before it had been difficult because there were bars and then Satoru’s big head.

But now, the pinkette could see the girl in front of her. Young expression that melted in a childish smile when her hand reached almost the pinkette’s chin.

The way her cheeks blushed softly made Sakura think of all of those kids back at school who answered their questions right and the teacher praised them.

Her green eyes lowered to see the hand right in her direction.

She noticed that if she learned she could easily take her wrist and throw her over her shoulder.

Her stance was soft, carefree.

How she bent a bit to be at Sakura’s eye level, which wasn’t that dramatic to be honest, but still made her point it out.

The remaining little dots of past nail polish at the end of her nails made her realize now that the girl in front of her had nothing to do with the terrible fate she was linked to.

“My name’s Amanai Riko, I… Am the star plasma vessel.” Sakura’s green eyes went up to look at the other’s with a bit more attention.

‘Riko’ she thought, it was a pretty name. It was difficult to process the fact that this girl would soon become part of what keeps Jujutsu as it is.

The lively spark on her eyes would be soon gone to be replaced as a vessel's duty.

Now that she realized that, she found it a little upsetting to think ahead of a time where Riko wouldn’t be her anymore.

Where another entity would take place in her, would wear…. Her face.

“You know what that is?” Amanai’s voice shakes her out of a shiver induced panic.

Goosebumps exploded across her spine as she thought about it again.

How many years had it been since she truly thought about… that? It’s been too many, she had buried that image somewhere so deeply she had compromised herself to forget.

Forget her mother’s touch and hands, her way of walking, the little skip she used to do sometimes when shuffling around the house.

Her mannerisms, the way her head used to tilt to the side when speaking to her in a baby voice, her high tone of voice.

Her facial expressions when she told her she loved her, her eyes…

After Yuuji got to her arms, Sakura had sent an apology to her mother in her mind and buried the remaining pieces of her in the deepest pit on her heart like a grave without a mark.

And even since then she had focused on Yuuji, then training, then studying and soon enough she had no time to think about it.

Grandpa had placed all family photos that included her away so the topic soon enough vanished from their house.

Not even on her most random days she thought about it.

But now, Amanai as a vessel… Felt too close.

A bit too personal. Amanai’s eyes lowered a little as she thought that maybe Sakura was too young to understand what was happening and her little introduction had failed.

Even on days like these, she was always excited to make a new friend, even if it was for just a few moments, minutes or seconds.

Her hand was still up.

“I guess, well, I’ll be Tengen-samma’s-” Sakura’s brow twitched.

She didn’t want to hear it again, nor did she want an explanation.

While Yuki never went into details on their little lesson, she didn’t need them.

She had no desire to be part of any of that, it seemed a little too political for her right now.

Her lip curled again as she closed her eyes in a tired expression as she sighed.

Her fist went up to slightly push the hand in front of her face a few millimeters away like a more casual greeting.

She had seen something similar once in a show Todou loved to watch.

“You’ll be their vessel, yeah, I've heard a bit of it.” Her tone of voice makes Amanai blink curiously.

While Sakura looks like a younger girl than her, her voice sounds like the one you’d imagine to hear from an old man.

Over it, sluggish and disinterested. The blue haired girl lowers her hand slowly as she observes the other, expecting something else.

Maybe a curse or a yawn. However, what she gets is what she didn’t expect.

“Sakura.” Her name, Amanai blinks for a few seconds as she processes her name.

A smile begins to form on her face again.

Was this an adorable case of irony? The most serious girl she had ever encountered had such a fitting name.

So feminine and sweet, along with a bad mouthed girl.

‘Maybe things are not as lost as she thought they would be’ she thought as she also thought of the fact that the girl had responded.

In her own way but she had given her name as well, even if her last name was still a mystery.

Maybe it was not that important or relevant.

Amanai was well informed about the clans that practiced Jujutsu and their appearances, while she didn’t truly have in-depth information, she knew bits and pieces.

How they looked, how proud were they and eager to say their last names.

And Sakura didn’t fit any of those. But it was still common for random people to wake such gifts sometimes.

“Nice to meet you, Sakura…” She brushed those thoughts away as she responded with a radiant smile.

Such a bright moment between two girls who got involved in a mess, just to be interrupted by a loud voice behind them.

Sakura didn’t even have to turn around to see whose voice it was.

It was obvious it belonged to an annoying idiot with white hair.

His voice was enough to recognize him even if he was a new person in her life just by his voice who sounded like a blade going down on a mirror.

Irking.

“Ah! so your name is Sakura, fitting!” Sakura’s eyebrow twitches as the voice from hell crashes against her eardrums.

Like a car crash. No, something worse… Like a boat crash.

Deciding to ignore him like the plague, Sakura’s eyes find Amanai’s as she stares into them.

“Yeah, you’re in a whole lot of shit.” Her way of speaking was harsh before, but now that’s directed at her makes Amanai flinch a little.

Confused, she tilts her head when she doesn’t get it, but then she does.

The pinkette felt as if it was her duty to say something, anything. It would bother her if she didn’t speak.

The youth around the girl's eyes made her want to push herself enough to speak.

The bright way her eyes sparkled as she noticed how Sakura was trying to make a bit of conversation made her heart break.

Why was she stuck in a world where the youth is fated to perish, again.

“Ah, she’s so well spoken.” This time it was Suguru who spoke in low tones of voice as he scoffed at what sounded to be a laugh.

Didn’t matter, Sakura was not interested in entertaining them at the moment.

Her shoulders went up as she shrugged, her hands finding a place in the pockets of her jacket. She wasn’t that good with words, she had never been.

Back then, her words would either provoke anger, disappointment or nostalgia.

Even when she wasn’t lying, when she hadn’t had any bad intention, her words were always twisted somehow.

She wasn’t gifted with the superpower of super talk, she wished she had.

So for now, she kept herself at bay with clear and concise words that could not be twisted even if they tried to. All she had to do was to say something.

“I guess all I can do is wish you luck.” She said along the shrug.

While it came out a little too nonchalant (she had to practice it, sadly Shikamaru wasn’t around to mentor her in the arts of laziness), Amanai understood.

Her smile faded softly as she nodded slowly, her bangs moved softly over her brows like a thin curtain.

Dancing around her unplucked brows as the afternoon breeze washed over them.

“I… yeah, I mean, being a vessel is… fate.” The pinkette’s mouth twitched at the word again.

It almost made her feel like the words by itself had poured salt in her tea this morning, it was uncomfortable.

Weird, she shuffled her shoulders a bit as she decided to avoid it.

Just like she used to do with the word ‘moist’.

“I know a thing or two about fate.” Sakura breathes out as she lowers her shoulders. Her words sounded heavy for such a tiny girl as she was, so the tallest couldn’t help but question under her breath.

How could she… Know about it? The sun was starting to settle behind the buildings, the yellowish hue making her eyes pop under the alley’s new illumination.

Behind them, the boys had allowed them a few minutes of camaraderie.

They had walked a bit further from the alley and Suguru was making a phone call while facing the wall.

Soon enough the call was done with the soft ‘pop’ of his phone closing.

“You… do?” Her eyes went up and down the small girl again with questions burning her forehead.

Her entire life had been tied with the rope of fate in such a tight knot that it was hard for Amanai to look out from her perimeter.

When she was younger and she heard her fate, maybe a bit younger than Sakura, she remembers herself being terrified.

The story of the process had been told again and again.

The protocol, the pride, the duty…. It didn’t weigh down the loss.

It didn’t wash away the feeling of missing her life already, knowing that she wasn’t going to be there but her face and persona would.

For the greater good, of course, but was it worth it? She shook her head softly as she looked at the girl again, relaxed and with a lazy stare on her emerald eyes.

“Everybody up the dragon, now!” It’s until now she notices Suguru’s dragon is out again, waiting for them to step foot into it.

It lowers his belly until it touches the floor and his small arm moves down to act like a ramp.

“Kinda do, I know enough of it to know that it can feel like torture sometimes, and other times is a safety blanket.” The pinkette’s voice makes her head turn back towards her with wide eyes.

Her chest felt full for a second.

She was unmoving like a stone, still looking at her with bright eyes under the shadow of lashes so pink that if she hadn’t been as close as she was, she would think they were fake.

Her head turns around for a moment as she realizes someone else also relates to her experiences.

It tastes like a strawberry cake. It’s exciting and new.

“Well, I… yeah?” She’s proud of herself for not stuttering her words as she usually does when she’s nervous.

Or yelling in excitement, the boys would never let her live that down.

Sakura finally moves, her knees make her stand straight as she looks a bit up to make eye contact.

“I hope your fate is everything you asked for Amanai-san, truly.” Her voice sounds too confident as she pronounces the last one.

It makes Amanai stop breathing for a moment.

Was it crazy to think that such words, even if simple, made her feel like she was being seen as a person first? Her lip trembles under the now light up alleyway lights, warm and low.

Behind them, the boys grow impatient.

“Hey, pink bug! get on the dragon!” Satoru while standing on the top of the dragon with his hands by his mouth.

As if they were so far he had to make it sound louder.

Sakura held eye contact for a few seconds, then after giving her the smallest nod she had ever received, she rolled her eyes.

Moving until she was walking towards the curse with a slow pace, like someone who has no worries in the world would. She would love to be that person.

“Amanai, up!” Suguru interrupts her thoughts as he stays at the bottom of the hand of the dragon, waiting.

She shakes her head for a moment and turns with a skip.

Sakura is walking up the dragon without looking back, Amanai’s eyes follow her as she flips Satoru off and settles herself.

A smile forms on her face when she reaches Suguru but she knows it’s not him.

“... Thank you.” She whispers into the wind that crashes against the dragon’s ears when they begin to float.

It’s been an eventful day, there was an awful situation.

But somehow she had found a piece of a puzzle she knew one day she could fit in within herself. 

The fly back towards the tech had been uneventful.

Thankfully (for Sakura’s psyche) the dragon had stayed at a reasonable level of velocity, it had been ten times better than the other times she had to travel on it.

If she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself in her grandpa’s car putting her head out of the window.

They had lifted until they were at the top of the tallest buildings and softly went even higher.

Her eyes looked down as she observed how they had scurried their way into the city and then out.

Streets she didn’t recognize, people living their lives.

A sweet mutter of life was on as they passed them by.

Then, the city washed out for a moment until they reached a hill that supposedly many would climb to reach a temple. It was tall and almost hidden.

The dragon slithered between the trees until it reached a curved entry like door at the top of the stairs.

Tilting her head over its ears, she could see how there was a big space for them to land (or park? whatever).

There was green around, vegetation like she had only seen deep in the forest of Sendai.

It smelled like soft petrichor, it floated in between them as the dragon settled down on the floor and placed his hand back on the floor as he had done before.

Suguru patted the curse on the head while the other boy stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

He jumped off the dragon’s back with a groan as he stretched.

Amanai skipped down its arm with a careful stance and Sakura stood up, a serious glance as it travelled around them.

She could see hills and the grey of concrete.

A few structures that looked as if they belonged to another era.

Looking up, the trees covered her view from the sky, only allowing her to visualize it for a few moments. Like it was playing peekaboo with her.

She walked down the dragon’s arm with her hands still on her pockets, behind her Suguru came down as well.

“So, here we are, let’s go to Yaga-sensei now.” Satoru spoke as soon as her feet touched the ground.

She eyed it down at it, the concrete was not perfect, between the cracks in a few of them she could see little patches of grass.

Even in a place like the tech, flowers have found a way to grow on concrete.

Sakura begins to follow the boy who after he spoke had started to walk off towards where she supposes it’s said Yaga’s office or something.

“You hungry, Amanai? we’ve got a cafeteria here.” Suguru speaks behind her to the other girl.

Sakura keeps on walking at her usual pace, slow and calm as she follows the lazy idiot who scratches his hair as he walks.

Her eyes kept on looking around at the tech, she imagined it a bit… fuller.

The silence was interesting.

“Ah, yeah… what about you, Sakura-chan?” Amanai responds with a sweet tone.

The use of the suffix makes Sakura flinch.

In this life, nobody called her that… Not even teachers or other kids at school.

That suffix had a name behind it.

A meaning.

She heard it all the time in her head, but hearing it in person like that after so long it made her arms burst into goosebumps.

She refused to turn around because she knew who she would see and she didn’t want Amanai to feel bad.

Her jaw hurted, it was until that moment she realized she had clenched her jaw tightly at the mention of the ‘chan’.

Satoru’s hand shot up from the place it was resting on his head, taking the attention in a second.

She hoped he wouldn’t turn around, she wasn’t sure what her facial expression was and she didn’t have time to school it back to normal.

“After I get her to Yaga-sensei we’ll meet you two down there, I’m starving!” He didn’t turn, he kept on walking without turning around not even for a tiny peek. She thanked him in her head.

Behind her, Suguru chuckled with a boyish kind of twinge in his voice as he did.

The air made a quick sound that made her know the dragon was now gone.

“I bet you are, send me a message after you finish so I’ll order your usual.” His steps were clearer than Satoru’s.

Suguru’s steps were clear and sound, he stepped every time from his heel to his toe like a well organized movement.

Satoru in exchange dragged his feet around a bit, it was a different kind of movement.

She decided to focus on it, adding the small skip sound that Amanai does when she walks.

Just focus and walk, breathe.

Her own words sounded like an stupid mantra to her own ears, but it was what she had to not think.

“Great! See you there!” The white haired teenager said as he turned a corner and she followed.

They walked on what seemed like a small plaza in the middle of such structures, small trees around them in small squares on the floor.

The colors didn’t vary, nor the sizes. It was all very symmetrical and parallel, she hadn’t expected a place like this to be a tech.

She had imagined something more school-like.

This seemed like what being inside of the Hyuuga’s district felt like, she thought as she kept her steps behind Satoru’s without trying to keep up with him entirely.

Satoru turned another corner to reach a certain structure, going up a few steps as he knocked.

Knock-knock.

His knuckles bounced against the door with a small sound.

“Yaga-sensei? We’re here!” He drags the last sound of his words a bit as he knocks over again.

There’s a shuffle inside and before Sakura can even question it or maybe try to analyze what it was, a voice is heard.

“Come in.” It’s an old man, she guesses. As they enter the space, she confirms it, or well not really.

He seems younger than what she thinks an old man really is, but still.

If someone is older than her, instantly they’re old.

“So, you’re the kid Satoru talked about.” The man speaks with a low tone of voice but his voice is not tough.

There’s a sliver of tenderness as he lifts himself from the chair he had been sitting on.

Pieces of craft utensils are around his desk, yarn and polyfill coming out of a few bags on the floor.

He’s tall as she can see, his glasses are kinda cool and his stance doesn’t show any ill intentions, yet.

“So what?” The man who Satoru has been calling Yaga-sensei analyzes her response with a quiet tilt of his head.

He seems to be judging her attitude but he should’ve been used by now, right? He deals with Satoru and Suguru who are literally way worse than her.

Talking of the devil, Satoru can’t stay quiet for a few minutes as he immediately jumps on.

“Her name’s Sakura.” He shares a dumb smirk on his face, unaware of the killing glare the girl was shooting at him from behind.

“Shut up?” She muters, she had been thinking of making her introduction cool.

Maybe being mysterious wasn’t the route.

Yaga hums as he opens one of his hands and Sakura can feel the flow of his cursed energy just for a tiny moment.

The girl blinks a bit impressed as the man leans into his desk with a thoughtful stance.

It made her think that this man was someone who liked to know it all before he spoke, to understand before making a statement.

Maybe he was more respectable than what she thought he could be. “I see, you do have a big cursed energy core.” He speaks, but not to her, just to himself as he moves his head again.

Thinking, his finger taps softly on the desk as he recollects his thoughts.

Satoru seems used to his behavior as he moves around to sit on a chair by a window, a relaxed position on the way he hunches over.

“Where do you come from, again?” Yaga points out as he moves his head.

The girl stares with a blank stare as she analyses the man in front of her. He didn’t look as different as the men that Konoha built, but and tall. She wasn’t sure yet of his character, so she has to keep her guards up.

“Sendai.” She deadpans, it doesn’t pull a reaction out of the man.

“What are you doing all the way here?”

“Just… Visiting.” She halts just for a moment.

Leveling her choices is the smartest thing she can do, she doesn’t know them truly.

All she knows is what Yuki has told them about the tech, the people from the tech and Satoru.

And to be honest all of those things have been a superficial level description.

So while she doesn’t truly believe that if she says something that might reveal exactly where she lives, it won’t matter.

If Satoru was ever sent to find her, he would’ve done just that so it didn’t matter. But it also didn’t hurt to play the mystery game, did it?

“Hm?” Yaga hums as he tries to push for an answer.

But Sakura’s not having that.

“It’s not illegal, is it?” Her eyebrow goes up just as Yaga huffs out.

‘Why are all prodigies such brats?!’ He says in his brain as he stares at the girl.

Talking about prodigies, Satoru right on his spot bursts out in laughter.

Booming and annoying as he throws his head back.

As if what he just witnessed has been the funniest, most hilarious thing in the world. In reality, it was just a bad mouthed tiny child and a big bad faced man.

With a big gulp of air, Satoru slapped his knee as a wheeze came out of his throat.

“See! Told you she was a brat!” Sakura’s brow twitched.

She’s about to turn her head like she’s part of the movie The Exorcist, ready to chop heads and maybe spit a little.

Maybe skip on the whole cursed energy shit and just fist fight the idiot until he bleeds.

Yeah, that would be a great outcome of this whole situation, truly it would be what would give her peace.

And truthfully, her hands begin to make themselves into firsts because even if Kakashi had been a questionable teacher.

He didn’t raise no bitch.

But then, Yaga lifts his hand as if he knows what’s about to occur and he stops it with a movement.

His mouth opens and his deep voice fills the space like tide to a beach, soft but solemne and it snaps the girl out of her murderous intentions.

“Maybe you’ve heard about this tech and what it does.” He lowers his hand as soon as he finishes speaking, moving it swiftly as he motions.

His stance behind his desk doesn’t show a speck of nervousness or doubt on his words.

There’s a sprinkle of so much resilience in his words, it makes Sakura want to listen.

At the beginning she had been thinking to just ignore the people at the tech, to just let them talk and then leave.

But she was curious, in all her years knowing about cursed energy the idea of a school being built just to train those who can do that is interesting.

Even more when you know such a population is so small.

Back in Konoha the academy wasn’t a weird institution because they were a ninja village, but there were different villages and towns where Ninja’s were a rarity or a tale. Still interesting.

That’s why she decided to stay quiet for a bit and listen to what the old man was saying, Yuki had spoken about it but not much.

“We train our physiques just as our techniques to become the best version of ourselves in the name of protecting others against curses.” Yaga speaks again as he places his hand on the brown wooden desk.

Satoru scoffs as he balances on the back legs of his chair, his eyes crinkling annoyingly as his voice goes up.

“That sounds way too dramatic!” He chuckles some more, not caring about the fact that neither Yaga or Sakura give a hell about his comment.

The chair behind the old man creaks as he pushes it back, he takes a few steps until he’s right in front of her now.

She can take into notice now that he’s soft as he walks around the space and avoids a few craft supplies on the floor.

A few crochet hooks and a couple of black scissors.

Her green eyes sweep around the floor until she reaches him again, finding his gaze behind the glasses he has on.

“We’re always seeking new talents, since sorcerers are a minority in society.” His face lowers a bit as he observes the young girl.

Sakura notices how cool it is to observe how an adult treats her not like an adult nor as a child.

The man probably had some experience with the way he spoke to people, she felt respected somehow.

It felt weird not to be called a little girl or a child, but instead to be given the information straight up.

“Always trying to support new talents, and even when Satoru is a dumbass.” Said dumbass perks up from his space.

Such movement almost makes him fall from the chair as the seat tumbles a little backward as he was balancing on those legs.

“Hey!” He manages to catch himself as he yells. Yaga lets out a tired sigh and Sakura gets him.

“I trust his judgment.” He says with a small strain in his voice, as if the mere action of saying it out loud was enough to piss him off.

The dumbass stays quiet as he listens.

And Sakura’s patience is running thin, she steps a bit on the floor as she lifts her nose to look at the man directly (to where she thinks his eyes are).

“What are you saying, old man?” Her lip curls a bit as she speaks.

Yaga stares, to him she kinda looks like a bad mannered puppy, all ready to bite and take off if needed. Something common he has found in prodigies.

Most of them don’t need authority, rather they just need a support system, a place to fall back and trust. Loyalty is better than power sometimes.

“I’m offering you a spot at tech, here.” He says as he places his body against the desk, leaning back into it with a relaxed motion.

It helps Sakura to feel a bit of leverage of the conversation as she blinks a bit confused as she processes the words.

A… spot?

“I’m still a minor and at school.” She places a bit of weight on the last words as she observes the man.

Her eyes wander around as they look for any instance of a lie being made or being crafted.

It was only normal for her to think that, right? Yuki gave them the ‘talk’ about the tech, but the way she spoke about it made her feel that maybe in a few more years the tech would get to her.

She was a bit curious to see if he was lying or making a joke.

But all she could see was a determined man with a calm voice.

“We can arrange something in between.” He mentions as if that part of the conversation is obvious and Sakura’s mouth runs quicker.

“Grandpa would never allow me to leave home right now.” She speaks and as soon as she does, she can feel Satoru leaning in as he noisily listens.

His voice comes out in an expected manner, a bit annoying and stupid as he makes a question a bit stupid taken in consideration as she just said.

“You live with your grandpa?” She rolls her eyes in response.

She’s not about to share that type of information with someone like Satoru, and Yaga apparently gets it as he just solemnly nods.

“As I said, we can arrange something he can feel comfortable with.” Sakura quirks her eyebrow as he speaks.

It sounds like the plan is already made before she even speaks, it irks her a little though.

Maybe is the brat in her persona but she feels ready to retaliate when Yaga lifts his hand again to stop her from talking.

“Listen kid, we have to put in a report of everything that happened, from the first explosion to what just happened and we have to add you there.” Sakura’s hands become fists again.

The crawling sensation comes back into her skin, she had always hated to choose when she had no other alternative.

But deep down she knew it would happen, right? Yuki had told them to expect being scouted for their talents and traits.

But when she had said it, she had expected something really different than just being told she would get added to a report she had nothing to do with.

“When the news of a new unmonitored talent gets to the higher ups, we don’t know what could happen.” His shoulders go up just as a sigh comes out at the end of his words.

His long shirt crinkles a bit as he moves, the desk makes a soft sound as his weight pushes a bit into the wood.

Sakura’s eyes harden slowly as his words fall into her head, making her think of the perspectives she hadn’t thought about.

How could she have been so dumb? Just getting involved with the worst of the crowd, just because.

“They might give us the order to hunt you down and make you join, or they might give the order to someone else.” It feels as if the atmosphere had dropped as the words that came out of the old man drilled holes into her mind.

Now, being hunted by Satoru and Suguru was one thing.

Those two were idiots and while she would give them a run for their money, they would capture her but everything would be fine.

The tricky part was when she would think of another person being the one hunting her.

Someone out of money and orders, someone who didn’t care about collateral but just the prize at the end of the catch.

“Or… If any of these higher ups feel threatened, the plans might change from a hunt to something else.” As if Yaga was reading her mind, speaks.

A shiver goes down Sakura’s spine. How that was something that she just couldn’t let happen.

Nobody would ever touch Yuuji and come out alive.

She had made that promise years ago, Sakura never broke any of her promises and she wouldn’t start today.

Her brother was sacred.

Nothing would ever do him no harm.

Biting her lower lip, she sinks her eyes on Yaga’s dark glasses and she realizes that the decision was meant for more than just protecting her peace.

But protecting everything that mattered.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow to decide… If you agree to be part of the tech, then our report won’t be as… Detailed.” It’s such a normal way to mention the fact that they would either share her allegiance to the tech.

Maybe those words would totally place her under the umbrella of protection and by that, her family as well.

The sounds of Yaga’s voice take every corner in her mind as she begins to understand fully how just as in the ninja life, politics were never away from power.

Yaga nods again, probably thinking about the storm he had just settled into the girl’s mind.

Even as prodigies, everybody has weaknesses and a fear.

It sucked to use them like that, but it was worth it if it would keep the higher ups from sending killing parties towards non allegiance sorcerers to the tech.

The world would be thankful to have another strong fighter out there with the power that the girl, at such a young age, was already mastering.

“Accept, and you will master every skill you want, that’s… a promise.” To Sakura's point of view, those words are exactly what she would expect a double edged sword to sound like.

The sun glows in a warm light behind a window as it darkens the corners of the room like a well trapped cage.

She looks up as she realizes she fell deep in the wolf’s den too quickly and the decision making moment was not as difficult as she thought it would be. 

Steps resonate softly as they walk across a stone little pathway outside one of the structures at the tech.

The darkness still hangs around Sakura’s edge of vision like a bad dream.

They had gotten out of Yaga’s office after a few minutes of crafting a plan that could work if things were decided by the next day.

It sounded way too easy and that made her feel even worse, was it supposed to be like this in an organization like the Jujutsu tech?

While it made her feel a bit uneasy at exposing her family just like that, it also made her think if she had made the right decision to listen to those ideas.

She hadn’t made up her mind yet, but still.

The words were drumming against her skull with questions and alternatives.

“So, what do you think? You joining?” An idiotic voice by her side decides to ask an stupid question.

She doesn’t even turn, she’s already feeling a headache forming on the back of her head without the idiot’s annoying voice.

Add him to the mix and she will get a migraine.

She huffs, if he thinks she’s going to take him into any type of consideration, he’s wrong. Like totally, horrendously wrong.

“I’m not discussing that with you, bald brows.” The boy for a good second looks genuinely shocked.

And maybe a little impressed.

‘Not even Suguru has pulled that one out!’ He yells in his brain. He quickly schools his expression before the girl turns and sees him. He has a reputation to maintain for god’s sake.

“So you’re considering!” He says with a slight teasing tone.

They’re still walking through a small path that entered an open hallway.  There’s no walls, just pillars by the side and a roof.

The afternoon breeze makes their hair sway against the orange hue in the horizon. Sakura sighs, a hum glued to her lips like a resigned sound.

Her head was full and rolling.

But nothing actually useful was being constructed or even mentioned. It was getting a bit frustrating.

“Who knows.” Satoru's side eyes her. His shoulders go up, his hands stay in his pockets like a boyish reflex.

Sakura catches a few of his movements rather youthfully.

Like a bratty kid who didn’t get his red dinosaur, instead he got a blue one and he’s making it known that they got it wrong.

His movements sway a little as they reach a few steps at the end of the long hallway.

There’s a big door, navy blue with a silver handle.

His hand pressed against the glass in the door, it had a pair of tall windows by the sides of the handles.

She notices how huge his hand is in comparison to the width of his arm.

“I’m not trying to dissuade you and convince you of anything, honestly.” He mentions as he shrugs.

He looks as nonchalant as his bright eyes can make him look.

Sakura scrunches her nose as she steps behind him, following now on their new pathway.

The door leads them into another hallway, there’s a crossroad after a few steps.

Now that they’re inside the actual structures, she admits that it looks like a school. But only until now. They take a turn when they arrive at the crossroads to the right and they get into a new door.

Her eyes are looking around like an eagle, capturing every little detail she can gather.

It’s a cafeteria, just a few tables around.

A couple people, she can see by the small glimpses she can get from being behind the tree (Satoru) that’s moving in front of her.

“Just know that you’re part of a community now, if you’d like.” That snaps her back to him.

Her brow twitches but she can’t find it in herself to say something about it or to deny it.

It’s interesting to hear him talk like that.

He speaks with a calm tone, grounded.

‘What an interesting creature you are.’ She thinks as she observes how the man stops leading her.

He walks towards the table where Suguru and a couple of people were seated.

“It’s your choice.” He says as he passes her by.

Blinking, Sakura follows him until he’s right in front of the table and sits down.

Her lip curls a bit, what a terrible idiot. Her eyes go again around the cafeteria with curiosity.

She had imagined the place to look a bit battered or plainly old. Just judging by the architecture from outside, but on the inside it looked just like a school cafeteria.

There was a food bar at the back where Amanai was serving her own food.

A few refrigerators around and some vending machines.

Nothing that shocking or crazy, even in her own school back in Sendai there had a lot more to choose from.

She guessed that because they are in Tokyo things were exaggerated all around.

She guessed it’s not everywhere like that. Her head turns as a girl who was seated by the two idiots waves her hand to catch her attention.

She takes a moment to think as she processes if she should take the opportunity or not.

Biting her lower lip, she guesses that if the end goal is for her to be in the tech, then it wouldn’t hurt for her to meet the people actively in it.

Her feet make the decision for her as she takes a few steps towards the girl.

In front of her, she observes a brown haired girl with her hair short and brushed.

She’s a pretty girl, she can tell, her attitude seems amused at the whole thing as she moves her hand like she’s presenting her with a seat.

The toothpick on her lip tells everything Sakura needs to know about her. She already likes her.

“Your haircolor is amazing… I’m Shoko.” It’s the first thing she says, her voice is just as she imagined her.

She sits down with a huff and a nod on her head.

Suguru is already eating a sandwich and pushes a sandwich packed in plastic towards the white haired boy who talks away to his friend.

Her back is straight as she turns her emerald eyes towards the neutrals of Shoko.

“Sakura.” Her voice is soft but curt. As soon as she speaks back, the girl hums in understanding, her hand moves until it holds her face with interest.

A smile begins to form in her face, behind her a couple of boys appear with their own food.

Sakura, as usual, minds her own business and does not acknowledge them until the girl, Shoko, points them out.

“Nice, fitting… these two are Nanami and Haibara they’re second year students, you two, say hi.” She says as if the two boys who just got there were puppies who needed guidance, ´patting the table a couple of times and then pointing at the young girl, it was curious to see such a bossy person without being annoying.

Just one of the boys actually perked up in obedience, a brown haired boy with a big smile stayed up as his presentation flowed from the tip of his tongue like a well practiced line.

“Hello, Sakura-chan! Nice to meet you.” Flinches.

Damn it, that damn suffix sneaked on her again.

“Nice meeting you, Sakura-san.” Muttered the second boy who had taken his seat since he got to the table.

He was a blonde with a particular hairstyle, only spared her a glance as he nodded.

Well, now she had to tell Todou she had found a boy with the hairstyle of one of the members from an idol group they were making fun of the other day.

That would get a laugh out of him, surely.

It was obvious he was more interested in his lunch than anything that she could offer.

“Yeah… Nice meeting you two.” She cringes as she listens to herself.

Maybe her grandpa was right, maybe she needed to have more conversations and interaction with humans.

Probably with that, she would have more practice at speaking to people.

That used to be one of her skills in the past, to be amicable, nowadays well… Seems like the times have changed.

Haibara, the boy with brown hair and a puppy-like energy about him looks around the table as he inspects everybody and then looks up.

His brows go up as he speaks, a bit rushed but gentle.

“You’ve eaten already? Let me get you something.” He says quickly, turning around and walking towards the place Amanai had just finished serving herself a plate.

Sakura cannot even get to say something as the boy just dips.

Well, she guesses it’s alright . Hopefully the food is good. Her eyes sweep around the space one more time as it washes with the new information, the new setting.

It looked fairly normal and calm, nothing boisterous about the cafeteria.

There were no sounds around like there would be in a normal school, just small chatter in a quiet place.

Amanai turns around with her food at hand and widens her eyes when she sees the other girl already sitting by the table.

The next thing that is heard is the little pit-patter of her feet as she quickens her steps to reach her side.

“Is it just you guys? here in tech, I mean.” She says after a few moments, her curiosity gets to her as she sees the room.

It isn't that bad honestly, she kinda likes the thought of a school with minimal students.

Amanai sits down by her side just as Shoko hums and places one of her hands on the table, ready to explain.

“Well! We also got Ijichi who is a first year student but he’s out on an errand, he’s a short guy with black hair, cool dude a bit shy though.” She speaks in a low tone of voice, without dropping the toothpick that hangs from her lips, of course.

With her hands, she counts to one as she speaks.

Amanai by her side smiles a bit as she bites into her sandwich and opens a juice can.

“Utahime and Mei Mei are out on another mission today, maybe they’ll come back later so you can say hi.” The brunette keeps counting students as she continues.

Her voice drops a bit and waves her hand around while ending the comment, making it seem very nonchalant and usual.

“We also have Kirara and Hakari, but well…” Her shoulders go up in a lazy shrug.

On her side, the blonde boy takes the word as he eats calmly and cleanly.

He was the only one without a sandwich and juice, having a proper bowl of food of some kind, a pastry by his side and some drink.

“They got expelled so they don’t count anymore.” He says as he takes a bite of his food. That catches her attention.

“Yeah.” Shoko mutters as her hand goes back to her cheek, lazily staring.

Interesting, so the whole thing about being in the tech wasn’t completely permanent, but also had it’s loopholes where you could be expelled.

What would that mean, though?

Like just from the tech or the society?

Would it had consequences?

What would need to happen to get expelled? So many questions in her tiny brain, they were making her dizzy.

“You can get expelled?” Sakura tilts her head as she questions with a soft tone of voice, still wondering about the tons of interrogatives that bursted in her mind.

It was the exact moment where Haibara came back, placing in front of her a silver tray with a few onigiris, a mixture of a stir fry and a juice.

She smirks a bit as she opens the juice can and takes a sip.

Apple juice, tasty.

“Of course you can, here you go.” He says as he makes a motion with his hand.

The girl nods in a thankful way as she begins to open the onigiri’s wrap.

Everything looks fresh, it makes her feel better when eating.

“We’re a small group, but we got each other’s back!” The boy shares as he sits down right by the blonde’s side and side hugs him.

It doesn’t look like it makes the other uncomfortable, maybe just a bit pissed.

There’s a chuckle around as the table sets and the others begin to eat.

Sakura does as well, her small hands gripping the Onigiri that seems as big as half of her face.

“Something like that.” Shoko shrugs around her toothpick.

Sakura chews on her Onigiri as she looks down and observes how Amanai’s chopstick drops some chicken pieces on her Onigiri plate.

Her emerald eyes go towards the other girl, there’s a smile on her lips.

It seems like she’s one of those who like little details like that.

“So you’re getting a tour of some kind? Maybe you’re a soon-to-be student?” Haibara speaks again with the same energy of an overjoyed puppy.

He looks like he’s most certainly the most extroverted kid in the group.

Everybody seems at a normal energy while he’s at a thousand in energy. His eyes are wide and brown.

“Yaga just offered her a spot though.” As always, the sweet dulcet tones of the stupidest sorcerer alive is heard.

It seems like the calm aura of the table breaks as everybody halts when the words sink in everybody’s head.

Even those who look as nonchalant and indifferent as they can be.

Sakura huffs, annoyed at the breakage of the tranquil space. Why must everybody be so dramatic around here?

“What!?” Puppy boy barks as he stands up from the table.

His movement makes said table shake, the juice cans making a sound as they clank around.

Shoko tilts her head as she stares.

“But she’s so small.” She takes the toothpick out of her mouth as she hums.

Suguru’s ‘Huh?!’ is audible, only making his best friend cackle.

Nanami, for the first time since he sat, opened his mouth.

“That shouldn't be possible.” The boy beside him nods energetically, then stops and shakes his head, again stopping just to nod.

The boy couldn’t make out what to even decide to do.

Satoru’s laugh booms across the cafeteria as he observes the whole group react.

“That’s what I said! She’s a little bug, she cannot!” He adds, there’s an audible tone of mockery left in his voice.

Like he had been waiting for the moment to make some comment.

Such a Gojo move. Sakura takes a moment to swallow her food, calm and collected just for a moment.

Then, she turns back to the idiot, throwing him the meanest glare anybody on the table has seen on a child’s face.

“I’m not a bug, you asshole!” Shoko’s brow twitched with amusement.

On the other side of the table, the brown haired boy begins to cackle loudly as the blonde scoffs out a laugh.

Anytime anyone says something to Satoru he’s going to laugh.

“Oh, I like her.” The girl with the toothpick on her lips says, chuckling.

Satoru keeps staring at the kid with a shocked expression. A hand is placed on his shoulder as Suguru leans in.

“Told you, she’s great.” He shares with a knowing smile, it only makes Sakura’s frown deepen.

She’s truly not about the conversation anymore, finding it annoying now that the idiots have woken up and entered the conversation like they were invited to it.

With a huff on her lips, she stabs some of the pieces of meat that Amanai had dropped on her place.

The meat seems fine and tasty to be honest, when she bites into it she confirms it as the flavor floats in her mouth.

There’s a hand on her arm.

Her eyes follow the dainty hand to its owner, only to find a pair of worried blue eyes.

Amanai’s grip on her arm tightens a bit as she stares at her.

“You’re… going to be a sorcerer?” Her voice is soft, low and traced with a ton of worries that Sakura hadn’t even thought to be possible to have for someone you just met.

But maybe the girl was just like that, maybe she had a good heart.

For a moment, Sakura felt a bit of shame for taking a while to realize it.

She had forgotten that not everybody had a wall between themselves and the people around.

Some people had the privilege to make friends without looking around over their shoulders, looking for something.

She lowered her chopsticks as her eyes observed the others, understanding swimming on her tone of voice when she spoke.

“Probably.” Amanai doesn’t look as comforted by the words, but she seems to hold her tongue.

“Is that what you want?” Her words seem a bit chopped as she speaks.

Sakura sighs, Amanai was a sweet kid.

She looked like those kids who had a very free tongue so now she was genuinely trying to be more collected on her words.

It was sweet to know that she wasn’t trying to insult her in any way or make her uncomfortable.

The pinkette shrugs with a nonchalant movement.

“It might be my fate.” Her words come out like an answering machine but Amanai doesn’t say anything else.

Her head nods softly. At least in between their eyes as they connect they know that fate is something they can’t fool.

Fate is part of them somehow, and even if they don’t know the connection of it for the other they know the duty it conveys and how much it pains to carry it around.

So the blue haired kid smiles and pats down her hand.

The silence is not deafening but comforting.

Sakura thinks that friends can be found anywhere in the world, the problem is always the timing. 

Time passes quickly when one is having fun, and for a while Sakura had to admit she had it.

The group was fun when they got together, the banter was interesting and for the time she had with them, she could decipher their personalities.

Starting with Shoko, she had found the girl to be hilarious and awesome, she was so smart but also extremely chill.

In some instances, she could imagine her and Shikamaru having a laze off.

Her eyes were kind. Haibara was sunlight, very vibrant and friendly.

An excited boy who was always talking and making conversation.

He knew what to say, when to say it to make a joke or make everybody listen.

She could see how he would fit in a group like this.

Nanami on the other side was quiet but she couldn’t say that he was rude.

He just kept his words to himself. He would surely give Sasuke a run for his moment, just as emo, just quieter.

Yeah, he would, she thought for a moment while everybody was joking around and Nanami was just quiet on the side, listening to music on his earphones.

Satoru and Suguru were idiots on each side of a coin, one was more on the chill and nicer side, while the other was unhinged.

In the few hours she had stayed with them eating pastries and drinking juice, she had found a tiny little feather of nostalgia falling onto the lake in her memories.

The ripples were small but they were noticeable. She could see herself fitting on the group, but she shut that thought.

There’s things one can’t run towards unless you see all sides of the box.

This was only one of its sides, she thought as the whole group walked out of the cafeteria towards the exit of the hallway.

Sunlight was long gone, the tailmon watch on her right wrist told her the exact hour, 08:45 pm.

A tired sigh came out of her mouth as she turned towards the group behind her. It was time to return to reality.

“It’s late as fuck, I have to get back to my hotel, my friends must be… maybe asking questions.” Her hands found a place again on the pockets of her jacket.

There’s a few things she could get from them, the most visible was the young girl reaction.

Amanai looks a bit surprised at her announcement of just leaving, but she also seems tired so Sakura knows it’s nothing too personal.

Maybe she had thought that she would stay the night, but nope.

Sakura would rather go back to the idiots and sleep along Todou and his crazy snores.

Besides the blue haired, Suguru perks up as he stretches his back a bit, leaning forwards as his bones make soft sounds. Just like an old man.

“I mean! We could take you after we got our plane tickets.” The pinkette eye rolls because what the hell.

As if, she’s not that insane. She wouldn’t get on that dragon willingly ever again.

Flying has never been very interesting to her in the first place.

“I’m not getting on your stupid dragon ever again.” Her arms cross over her chest as she stares directly at Suguru.

But he’s not the one who reacts to her words.

A big gasp is heard from behind the pouting boy, and of course is Satoru.

“Hey! Apologize to Haki!” He walks towards the girl with big steps and a pointing finger.

Sakura’s eyes roll at a slower pace as she lets him know how much she cares about his words.

There’s a snort that she quickly recognizes as Shoko’s.

She’s about to speak again, maybe say a quick goodbye when besides her Nanami appears fixing his backpack straps.

“I can accompany you, Sakura-san, I’m on my way to run an errand.” It surprises Sakura a bit since it was the first time since he introduced himself to her that he spoke directly to her.

All afternoon he had kept it to himself, his food, his words, his actions and to Sakura that was utterly fine.

It was just surprising when the words were not directed either towards Haibara or the group entirely but to her.

She blinks as the blonde turns towards her, nonchalant. Damn, it was such a Sasuke move.

“Huh, alright.” She responds as she takes a step towards the boy who nods and begins to walk ahead.

Again, behind her there’s another gasp.

You guessed it, it’s Satoru again.

“Why are you accepting going with Nanami and not us?!” Sakura tilts her head towards the idiotic duo as she gives them a tired stare.

The type of stare you give to people when they say something so obvious, it’s getting stupid.

“Because he’s normal, and you two are idiots.” Her voice is laced with a bit of mockery as she speaks, gaining a few glares from the dynamic duo and a chuckle out of some of the others around.

As she’s about to turn around like she just dropped the mic, Yaga opens the door from the cafeteria area.

The man stays right at the door of the cafeteria and stares. The atmosphere sobers a bit as he speaks her name like a reminder of what’s to come.

“Sakura.” Her head nods in acknowledgement.

Yaga takes a few moments before he speaks again, his hand right on the door frame as he speaks. There seems to be no rush on his words or actions as he nods back to her.

“Whenever you’re ready, we can arrange it.” He speaks, the group stays quiet as they observe Sakura.

Even Nanami, who had taken several steps ahead, stops to look back at her, curious and a bit worried as his forehead wrinkles.

The youngest girl nods again as she hears him.

Her eyes tell him that she’s not only doing it to please him or to make him shut up.

The understanding behind her lashes is clear and loud, louder than he thought it could be.

“Thanks, I’ll think it over tonight.” The man seems satisfied with the answer as he nods back and turns around.

The cafeteria door closes again as the figure of the teacher vanishes behind it.

Her eyes follow him until Nanami speaks again, breaking her out of her rushing thoughts as she questions herself if there’s actually anything to think over.

She thinks he had spoken quite directly at her.

She understood what he meant. There was no debate about it, no game around it.

“Sakura-san, let's go.” Nanami calls out to her and she nods her goodbyes to the group.

Her body twists as she turns to follow the boy out of the premises of the school.

It’s silent in the area but her mind is loud.

“Sakura-chan!” A hand touches her arm again, it’s the same dainty hand from before.

Amanai’s eyes look a bit worried again, her brows dip into a soft frown as her hand tightens around her upper arm.

The younger girl stops on her tracks and turns slightly to the girl, looking straight into her eyes.

There’s a faint understanding in Sakura's mind that this is going to be the last moment she will see her.

After this, she will be gone to become a vessel.

She will be someone else.

The sweet Amanai Riko she met today and found to be particularly nice, would be gone forever and Sakura didn’t know if she was fine with that.

A few crickets are heard around them as both girls stare at each other.

Faint night lights illuminate their faces under the dark, cloudless sky.

“If… we don’t see each other again, I also hope that your fate is everything you wish for.” The taller girl speaks with a growing smile.

Melancholy is felt as her smile turns a bit saddened. Sakura’s eyes widen slightly, the other girl also knows this is the end.

“Amanai-san…” Said girl shakes her head softly as she lowers her hands and touches Sakura’s softly in between hers.

Why are always children the ones who are destined to die in the words of fate?

“Thanks for… treating me like a normal girl and not… the vessel.” That word again, it makes Sakura’s small body flinch.

It’s like an immediate reaction, she feels thankful that Amanai doesn’t point it out.

Her body turns a bit more so she’s right in front of the other, their hands still together as they look at each other.

“Have a safe trip, Riko-san, I hope we can see each other before the fusion.” She feels shitty as she observes how the other girl smiles, there’s hope reflecting on her eyes.

She feels shitty for lying.

Behind them, she can catch a glimpse of the boys and their postures and that gives it away.

She feels shitty for giving hope at the last meeting.

Their hands unlock and Sakura nods as the other waves with a new wave of feeling across her face.

She feels shitty as she turns around and walks behind Nanami because she knows her words have no true meaning.

They both walk until they reach the stairs in silence, a comforting but haunting silence.

She feels shitty for not allowing herself to feel anything beyond pity for Amanai, as sweet as she was, she couldn't allow herself to attach.

To feel was to care and to care was to love.

Love was a scary word she could only give towards a limited group of people, she wasn’t opening new slots now.

Maybe never. 

The lights from a convenience store illuminate the street along their faces in the dark.

The walk from the tech to the center of the city hadn’t been that crazy, after catching a ride with a staff member they had been dropped off near her hotel.

Nanami had insisted on dropping her off as close to her hotel as possible, something about the safety of children at night.

This time, they were walking side by side as the alleyways twisted and turned around a block.

The silence that had covered them like a blanket was calm and comfortable.

Finally, they had reached an area Sakura knew to be a bit close to her hotel but not enough.

She turned towards the boy with her hands still on her pockets as she eyed him, the boy caught it right away.

He stopped on his tracks and looked around for a moment. All there was with them was a convenience store and that was it.

“Are you sure you want to be dropped here?” Sakura almost chuckles at the tone of his voice as he asks. It’s a mixture of incredulity, worry and weirdly enough a bit of a mocking tone.

She thinks it's kinda cute how his personality shows from moment to moment. With a sigh, she nods in response.

“Yeah, don’t get me wrong but I barely know you… I’m just taking my precautions.” She adds to it, receiving a small nod in response.

“It’s fine, I get it.” Nanami lifts his hands as if he’s signaling he’s giving up and turns towards the end of the alleyway.

The girl nods once again, deciding to stay where she is until he’s out of her view.

“Thanks though.” She means it, as the boy turns around she allows herself to smile a tiny bit.

It felt good to feel some kind of camaraderie after years of solitude, years of sticking to Todou like a lifeline.

To have someone else worry and make questions, someone who had nothing to do with her was a feeling she had forgotten.

Nanami walks for a few moments and then stops on his tracks.

Even after they had begun to walk, she had noticed his need to speak, to say something but he hadn’t allowed himself to say it.

To spit it, but now it seemed like he was ready to do so.

“Are you… Sorry for the curiosity but, are you truly considering joining the tech?” He fidgets with his hands as he speaks.

Sakura stares at his back as he doesn’t turn around when he speaks.

It takes her a few moments to answer a question she should have a clear answer.

“I don’t know.” She shrugs as she speaks. It seems like the nonchalance of her words makes him react a bit as he turns around, finally.

His face looks blank enough so she can’t make an accurate reading on what he might be thinking. But his tone of voice is clear.

“Very well.” He says in a contained sound against his lips.

Green emerald eyes observe with a quiet but analyzing movement the way he bites down on his lower lip after he speaks.

Like he’s stopping himself from speaking too much. Sakura tilts her head as she observes how he reacts with a question burning on her lips.

“Why? you think it is a bad idea?” The boy sighs, looking back at the alleyway.

He moves his shoulder as his body shrugs in a way that it seems like he’s trying to appear nonchalant, but it doesn't.

You could see the care in his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you want to achieve, but this route is dangerous.” His voice drops a bit as he ends his sentence.

It floats around the air, around them.

It drapes around their shoulders like a rope.

“Many don’t come back.” Sakura understands the severity of his words.

She can almost taste the dot he adds at the end to make it seem serious, like a drop or reality against her emerald eyes.

A smirk sneaks on her face. He is one of the most responsible kids she has ever encountered.

It’s interesting and also a bit… cute? to see such a serious kid looking worried.

“I’ve heard… But, Nanami-san?” Her tone folds into a sweeter one as her head tilts towards him.

The boy turns around a bit,showing her that he’s paying attention. The light from the alleyway lamp makes his hair brighter and a bit more shining.

“You ain’t gotta worry about me, I don’t make decisions just because… I have too much to lose to just do that.” She adds as her shoulders go up a bit.

Nanami seems a bit interested in her words as he turns a bit more towards her, his eye visible now against the harsh shadow.

“I’m not going to make decisions just for the sake of making someone happy.” The boy stares for a few more moments as Sakura speaks and nods slowly.

His head bobs a few more times until he stops.

His eyes, analytic and serious, stare into her eyes for a few more moments until he sighs slowly and turns around. In his head, there was still a slight doubt in her words.

She was a kid at the end of the day and she might be underestimating her abilities to become a sorcerer but something was on her eyes…. On the way she was standing right there.

The way her shadow appeared taller than she made him think that, in the sea of kids he had to tolerate, this one might be the most rational one.

There wasn’t any sign of mockery or playfulness in her voice, and that was enough for him to just agree with Yaga.

She was something else.

“I see then, alright.” He turned around, fully this time as his fist gripped the bag he was carrying.

His steps began to resonate around the alleyway with a slight echo.

“Tomorrow Shoko-san will pass by here at 3:00 pm to run another one of my errands.” He says as he advances through the space with his usual tone of voice,

Her thin pink brow rises.

“Is that so.” The boy doesn’t stop his steps.

Slowly, the shadows cover him and only certain parts of his hair and his key shine softly against the bouncing light from the convenience store lights.

Sakura thinks it’s a bit dramatic.

“If you’ve reached a decision, then she shall meet you here and walk you back to the tech.” Even when the boy is not looking at her, she nods softly as an agreement.

“Alright.” She chirps as his keys become dull against the shadows and she knows he’s on his own way now.

“Night, Sakura-san, I hope you make a conscious decision.” And secretly, Sakura knows that the decision is already done. 

Before she even set foot on her short trip towards the hotel where she was staying with her two idiots, she decided she already had a convenience store behind her.

So she turned around and entered it because she wanted chips.

It was an usual occurrence for her and Todou to have night snacks.

Sometimes they would get it for each other, on other occasions they would buy them together. This time, she decided to get something for both of them.

The convenience store is a bit cold when she enters.

The light is blueish and it illuminates every space of it. There’s just a cashier at the front of the store with a tired expression on her head, even like that she takes the time to nod at Sakura as a hello.

Sakura returns it and continues to walk in between the aisles.

Her mind floats in between her duty, her fate and what she wants and it’s overwhelming.

It’s too much to think about for a kid like her.

Her conversation con Yaga bounces across her forehead and makes her want to scream.

However, at the same time it’s a bit comforting to know that it’s not only Yuki and Todou the ones who know about cursed energy.

To know that there are people out there, a society… even if they’re evil, it’s comforting to know. It makes her feel at ease.

Her eyes go across the chips aisles and hums, there’s way too many options.

It was something so crazy to see, back at Sendai they already had lots of options, but in the city? It was like they multiplied them to the maximum.

The convenience store is quiet, a small time dancing around like a lullaby. Some new idol’s music on.

Her steps went from aisle to aisle, and then the little bell from the door announcing another customer.

The girl ignores it, she’s too busy deciding between honey chips or bbq ones.

After a while, she decides to just get both and then grabs a buffalo sauce flavored chips for Todou.

She steps at the back of the store to grab a coke.

Her feet go on her tippy toes to get them, why must she be so small? Todou is already growing steadily and she’s lagging behind.

She should do something about it.

Her fingers brush against the coke bottle, almost getting it.

Then, she feels it.

She turns her head to the side and catches a man behind her coming closer.

His eyes widened a bit, like he wasn’t expecting to be caught or noticed yet.

The girl looks towards him with a serious stare, the man just walks in and takes the coke bottle, giving it to her.

He’s not that tall though, but he’s weird.

He feels weird.

The pinket mutters a quick ‘thanks’ and bolts towards the cashier.

It’s a quick process, she gives the girl a small tip that makes the tired worker smile, she grabs her things and exits.

She decides to avoid the alleyway where Nanami had left, instead she decides to round the block to get to her destination.

She just needed to think.

She needed a bit of silence.

As soon as she thinks that, the bell from the convenience store is heard. She had only taken a few steps away from it so she turns.

There was the same man from before.

“Hm?” Her brow twitches in annoyance.

Said action only makes the man smirk, his hand in his pocket as he takes a few steps towards her.

“Hey kid.” He smirks, the scar on his lip stretching like a bad tale.

Sakura stared, his hair was disheveled, he smelled like soap and he had only got a box of cigarettes from the store.

He looked neutral, like any other person around.

But there was something that told her to not drop her guard.

“The hell you want, old man.” She says in a tired tone of voice.

She’s had enough of this socializing shit, ok? She’s tired, her mind is tired and also her ears and mouth.

It’s that moment of the day where she just needs silence.

The man’s brow twitches in amusement, the side smirk he gives her only emphasizes that he’s having fun.

His slippers make a soft sound on the concrete as he approaches.

“Huh… What's your name girl?” Sakura grimaces.

In her mind, a gigantic image of Wasuke appears yelling at her about stranger danger.

Not like she needs it. But it’s stupid to even think a kid like her would fall for that scheme.

She’s almost offended.

“None of your business, sir.” She tsks as she speaks, annoyance dripping from the way she gesticulates the word ‘sir’.

With a bit of attitude, Sakura turns around and begins to walk.

The sound of her feet pattering around is heard along with the slight creak of her plastic bag.

The man chuckles and waits for a second.

He counts the little steps and then he takes a step of his own.

“I see.” His bag crinkles against the brush of his sweatpants.

His steps are lazy and slow but soon enough he finds himself right behind the girl.

She feels him again as she gives him a side eye.

“Nice night.” Her words come out as chopped and turn her head.

Probably already deciding that it was the end of the conversation.

A few steps go by.

She steps twice, he steps once.

Her mouth hums a bit as she tries to distract herself.

She steps thrice, he steps once.

Why is he still close to her? The vein on her forehead pops a bit.

She elongates her steps, he chuckles.

With a groan, the girl turns around finally, looking over the edge as she glares at the man.

“Why the hell are you following me?” Her voice comes out like it would come out of a kitten.

The man smirks, his nose points up in a non caring manner. It’s making her go crazy.

“It would be irresponsible to just let a young kid go out in the dark, I’ll walk you home.” His voice comes out like leather.

A bit rough as he speaks, a bit scruffy too. The tone of his voice is different though, it’s like he’s trying to tease her.

“You don’t have to do that, I’m fine.” She rolls her eyes as a response while the man takes a few steps to reach her.

She steps off again, angry little leg lifts as she groggily walks.

The man eyes her a bit intently, hiding it behind a scoff. He hasn’t taken his eyes off her since the convenience store.

“But I do, what would your parents think of the way they raised you if you arrived alone this late?” It’s time for Sakura to scoff, and she does.

She was about to turn his wig around.

Which by the way, from the way it was just… all around, it kinda looked like a wig.

She didn’t understand how hair could be so dark and disheveled.

“I don’t have parents and I came up just right.” She gives him a lopped smile with a new shine on her eye.

The man stares again.

So an alone kid, with a bunch of chip bags and a coke, walking around at night and a mouthful is enough to make him feel a bead of sweat coming down his forehead.

“I can see that.” It’s enough of an answer and the girl takes it.

She eyes him again.

There’s nothing else as recognizable than his scar, not even his way of talking. She couldn’t even feel any cursed energy but somehow she could feel him. Weird.

“So what? You should leave, what if your kids know you’re walking someone else’s kid around?” She throws back at him as a response.

He flinches for just a second.

Then his eyes go over the girl, half questioning, half amused. Sakura knows she hit the spot.

“How do you know I have kids?” For just a moment his voice came out darker.

It would’ve made others turn his head to hear, but it was just them on the street.

The few lights on the alleyway took them onto the Main Street and from that, just a couple lamps were on.

Different tonalities were added to the light and the shadow that they were under.

His eyes looked smaller for a moment, even when she knew it was all about the shade.

“I mean, you do look old enough for it.” The young girl shrugs and just like that, his gaze changes.

Half a chuckle slithers out of his mouth.

“Do I look that old?” His voice comes out a bit airily, like he wasn’t making the question to anybody.

But obviously, the smartass by his side had to answer.

“Yup.” She stops herself from swinging her plastic bag a bit higher.

She had to remind herself of her coke. She didn’t want it to explode on her when she opened it.

“Well.” He adds in the silence that her answer had created. They reach a few quiet alleyways and pass by a pharmacy.

Another lingering silence drops over them like a tension blanket.

Sakura honestly doesn’t really get it, it’s difficult to think for someone else you know nothing about.

And worse than that, someone you couldn’t truly know what they were about. Usually you can tell, the danger screams and yells and makes you feel it.

He felt like a brewing storm, tense and weary.

Sakura didn’t know why she was always a magnet for weirdos.

“Was I right?” He takes a moment, a smirk stretches the scar on his lip and it makes Sakura wonder if that smile can be sincere.

Up until now, it had been like an portrayal of some kind.

“Who knows.” With a sigh he ends the conversation and she puckers her lips softly.

It didn’t felt like an answer.

Her head turns and finally, she recognizes the next alleyway.

They’re right in front of a turn that would take her to a small shortcut by an alleyway to the back door of their hotel.

To be honest, it was a rather small one.

The name had the ‘hotel’ in it but it felt more like a hostel.

However it was good because she could disguise it as that if anything came up.

Like right now, she could just dip in between the buildings and a few apartment complexes and make it look like she lives there.

She honestly didn’t think she’d need to lie about it, but it was a good security measure against weirdos with dragons. And now adding weirdos with wigs.

Her small get comes to a sharp stop and the man by her side stops as well.

The dark haired man smirks when she turns her head around and faces him.

Her eyes were determined and serious, they were the kind of eyes that said ‘obey’.

“It’s been a nice walk, old man, this is my stop.” She adds as she gives him those eyes again.

He understood that they were meant to be a warning, a clear ‘do not follow me’. And as much as he was curious about her existence, he would respect her.

There would be more time ahead to look into her appearance and why she was there.

So he chuckles and nods, his body moving back a bit, giving her space to move even when she already has it.

The girl turns and with quick steps walks into the dark alleyway.

“See you around, kiddo.” He says as she begins to blend in with the darkness.

Only the back of her bright pink hair is slightly visible.

She doesn’t turn around.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He can hear as she disappears like she had never been there.

The man thinks the world might have predicted the death of Satoru Gojo and it was the reason why another prodigy had been born.

His steps turn, one… two.

Relaxed as he thinks, was it incredible to be surprised that another individual has felt him? No one ever does, but two people.

Or well, in their cases… kids.

It made him chuckle, the thought becoming almost ridiculous as he really detailed it.

Maybe nature was preparing itself for the loss of the great. Maybe he was just getting a bit delusional.

He needed to know more about that kid, but now that he thinks of it… he didn’t even know her name.

Another chuckle ripped out of his chest. It was a bit ironic.

Satoru was dying tomorrow, but he was meeting the replacement today.

He took out his phone to send a message.

“The world is becoming more fun everyday .”