The Land of Rain—once again, Sakura Haruno raced toward the direction of Amegakure, her heart weighed down by a mix of determination and despair.
A Heavy Burden
In the days since her parents' resurrection through the Edo Tensei technique, so much had transpired.
Because her parents were reanimated corpses, tainted by forbidden jutsu, Sakura knew she couldn't openly bring them back to Konoha.
Using her savings, she rented a small house outside the village, where she would visit them whenever she had free time.
But Konoha had always been strict about its curfews, and after Sasuke's attack, the restrictions had only intensified.
Even as the disciple of the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, her frequent absences from the village without a valid reason raised suspicion.
Word eventually reached Tsunade herself, who questioned Sakura on multiple occasions. But each time, Sakura deflected her mentor's inquiries with vague excuses.
Still, she knew this couldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the truth would come to light.
The stress of it all left Sakura utterly exhausted.
Her parents, unwilling to see their beloved daughter sacrifice her bright future for the sake of the dead, made a heartbreaking decision. With a strong resolve, they broke free from the Edo Tensei and willingly returned to the afterlife.
That night, when Sakura visited their rented house again, she was greeted by the sight of their disintegrated White Zetsu bodies and a single message left behind:
"Our dear daughter, live well on our behalf."
Sakura collapsed to her knees, tears streaming uncontrollably as memories of her time with her parents flooded her mind. She couldn't accept it. She couldn't bear to lose them again.
"If only it weren't for the Edo Tensei," she thought bitterly. "I could have brought them back to the village openly."
But she refused to beg Naruto to use that resurrection technique again. She resolved to rely on her own strength.
Her thoughts turned to the forbidden jutsu of Chiyo, the Reanimation Technique. During their battle against Sasori, Chiyo had used this very technique to save Sakura's life.
Later, Chiyo had employed it to resurrect Gaara. If Sakura could master it, she could bring her parents back to life.
The Quest for a Forbidden Technique
With this determination, Sakura ventured to Sunagakure, seeking to obtain the scroll for the technique from Gaara.
Of course, Sakura wasn't naive. She knew that if she told the truth, Gaara would never hand over such a dangerous scroll.
So she lied, claiming that the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, wished to study the jutsu to see if it could be refined into an advanced medical technique to benefit the ninja world.
Since it was a request from the Hokage herself, Sunagakure was more than willing to assist.
Gaara agreed without hesitation, but after searching, he realized the scroll was missing.
Recalling the past, a realization dawned on him.
"Damn it! That night when Naruto and I got drunk, I must have accidentally handed the scroll over to him along with the others! That technique is far too dangerous to leave unchecked—I need to get it back from him!"
Gaara was about to set off for Amegakure when Sakura volunteered.
"Let me go instead. We need the scroll as well, and it wouldn't be right to trouble you further."
As the Kazekage, it was indeed inappropriate for Gaara to leave his village unattended. And since Sakura was a former comrade of Naruto, he saw no reason to refuse her offer.
"Very well. I'll leave it to you, Sakura."
A Dangerous Determination
And so, Sakura found herself running toward Amegakure once more.
But as she ran, her mind churned with conflicting thoughts.
According to Chiyo, the technique worked by transferring one's life force entirely to another. Even if she mastered it, her own life force would only suffice to revive either her father or her mother—never both.
And would her parents even want her to sacrifice her life for one of them?
Her thoughts shifted.
"In that case, I might have to ask Naruto to use that jutsu—the one he used to resurrect Jiraiya-sensei. But would Naruto agree to help me now?"
Her gaze hardened with resolve.
"This is my last chance to bring my parents back. No matter what it takes, I'll make Naruto agree—even if I have to grovel or do something even more humiliating!"
"If I can't bring them back, my hatred for Sasuke will never fade, and I won't be able to move forward as a ninja."
With these thoughts, Sakura finally arrived outside Amegakure.
Betrayal in the Shadows
Whoosh!
From the shadows, Violet, an ANBU operative, appeared to intercept her.
Recognizing Violet as the one who had guided her to Naruto before, Sakura spoke urgently.
"Please, take me to your leader!"
Behind her mask, Violet's eyes gleamed. "What is it this time?"
Sakura replied, "It's an important matter. I've been entrusted by the Kazekage of Sunagakure to retrieve something from your leader. Please, take me to him immediately!"
"Is that so? Then follow me."
Violet turned and began leading the way, with Sakura close behind.
As they moved through the forest, Violet suddenly stopped and handed Sakura a water flask.
"Thirsty? Have some water."
After the long journey, Sakura was indeed parched.
"Thanks," she said, accepting the flask.
But as she drank, Violet's lips curled into a cold smile.
Shing!
Without warning, Violet's blade flashed, slicing cleanly across Sakura's throat.
Clatter!
The flask fell to the ground as Sakura's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Blood poured from the deep gash in her neck.
Her throat and windpipe had been severed.
"Urgh… Urgh…"
As a medical ninja, Sakura knew exactly what this meant. Without air, her brain would succumb to oxygen deprivation within moments.
Thud!
She collapsed to the ground, her fading consciousness driven by a desperate will to survive.
"I have to use the Strength of a Hundred Seal!
The mark on her forehead began to stir, its power ready to activate.
But Violet was already behind her, her voice cold and merciless.
"Do you realize how much trouble your foolish actions have caused Lord Naruto?"
Shing!
With precision, Violet drove her blade into the back of Sakura's head, piercing her brainstem.
Instantly, Sakura's life ended. The light in her eyes dimmed, and the Strength of a Hundred Seal faded away.
Erasing the Evidence
Violet withdrew her blade, wiped it clean, and sheathed it calmly. Looking down at Sakura's lifeless body, her expression remained cold.
"She was one of Lord Naruto's comrades. If he finds out, my already low favorability with him will plummet further."
More importantly, Naruto might try to resurrect her, even at great personal risk. That jutsu he used to bring back Jiraiya required not only a soul but also a body.
Pulling out a vial, Violet smirked. "To eliminate any risk… let's dissolve her."
She poured the chemical solution over Sakura's corpse, watching as it disintegrated into nothingness.
A Serpent's Witness
Unbeknownst to Violet, a small snake had been observing the scene from the underbrush.
But before it could escape, Violet's sharp eyes caught its movement.
"A snake, huh? No matter what you are, if you've seen this, you must die."
With a swift motion, she crushed the snake underfoot and poured the remaining solution over its remains.
Elsewhere…
Far away, in a hidden lair, Kabuto Yakushi licked his lips in delight.
"What an intriguing woman… Her personality suits my tastes perfectly."
Adjusting his glasses, he murmured, "Though I didn't manage to collect her, I might still have something from years ago that could prove useful. If I'm lucky, it might just work…"
His sly grin widened as he began rummaging through his collection.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
"8 amazing fanfics available on my Patreon.
Support for 200+ advance chapters:
patreon.com/DarkGolds"