Okay, let's do this thing. Standard C&C Disclaimer, you know the drill.
Eimii wrote:
> Sakura let the clay teacup warm her hands as she stared down at her
> shadowy reflection in the water. *I've always liked dango, haven't I?*
Heh.
> "Hmm..." The jounin's expression grew pensive, and a hint of worry
> pinched the corners of Kurenai's eyes. "I would still prefer to escort
> you there, even if need to send you on to the castle alone," she noted
> in dissatisfaction. "As you said earlier, bringing you is a risk, and
> I would like to avoid any preventable mishaps."
"even if I need" or "even if we need"
> *Hmm... self-correcting?* Kurenai was impressed and troubled at the
> same time. It was uncommon for a first year genin to know even
> 'simple' genjutsu, let alone anything that sophisticated. The more she
> saw of Haruno Sakura, the more of a mystery the girl became.
Hmm, indeed. She came up with the concealment genjutsu before the whole
Anko mess started, right?
> *Dammit, Anko-chan, why do you always have to hand _me_ the
> suspiciously ticking box?* Kurenai lamented, reaching for her wallet
> with a long-suffering sigh.
Hee.
> Thinking about her actions stirred conflicting emotions in Sakura. She
> was ashamed of herself, but she was also exhilarated. Her limbs were
> light as she fled from the scene of the crime, and she felt like she
> could run for days. *Dammit, it's wrong to feel good about stealing
> food!*
Indeed; you're only supposed to feel good about stealing stuff you're
getting _paid_ to steal, Sakura-chan.
...I think I may have used that joke the first time this chapter was posted.
> Laughing as the pair fell into defensive stances, Sakura held the pose
> for a second, then dropped her bag and turned to the side, giving them
> her best impression of Gai's 'solemn hero' profile. "You're both lucky
> I'm not a _real_ ANBU inspector," she chastised gravely, crossing her
> arms. "In these dangerous times, one must be ever vigilant for unseen
> enemies!"
Hee.
> The pale girl seemed surprised by the suggestion, and Sakura could see
> the indecision gnawing at Hinata as she reflexively glanced down at
> her feet before catching herself and looking at Sakura's face instead.
> "I'm not..." Chewing her lip, Hinata wouldn't make eye contact, but
> after a second she gave a jerky nod. "I- yes, that would be fine."
Hmm. So was Hinata not supposed to go along on this mission?
> "But what if your uncles dropped the charges?" Hinata prodded
> insistently. "Then, couldn't your parents get married?"
Hah.
> After his confirmation, the new Lord Haruno wasted no time in
> dispersing us back to our home provinces- 'to help prevent another
> tragedy,' he said. Perhaps he knew what was coming, or maybe he just
> thought, like all of those other pampered bureaucrats, that there was
> no need for the Fire Country to have an army as long as we had our
> great 'allies,' The Hidden Leaf.
So it's not Sakura "telling" the story. That's a bit... awkward,
particularly since we "fade out" on Sakura starting to tell it.
> One hundred ninja, killed by twenty swordsmen, a senile monk and two
> old ladies; I got a good, long laugh out of that. I'm sure the old
> Lord Haruno would have approved, though his younger brother seemed to
> think my humor was in poor taste.
It is a little hard to believe, even with the advantage of the
consecrated castle's wards, given the power and scale of ninja abilities
canon has shown.
> "There are a few things I'd better tell you, then," Sakura warned,
> turning up her coat collar and feeling a twinge of envy as Hinata
> pulled up her hood. *Dammit, forgot to bring a hat.* This was already
> shaping up to be another _beautiful_ day on planet Sakura (population:
> at least three).
Hee.
> *'Flat land can be a disadvantage against cavalry or siege engines,
> but it's the hardest terrain for ninja navigate.'*
"ninja to navigate"
> Her grandfather dismissed the suggestion with a tiny shake of the
> head. "They'll keep coming. The merchant cartels of the Wind Country
> have been sending assassins to 'discourage' their foreign competitors
> for years. The only thing that changes is who they're killing."
>
> "If you agree to sign the treaty, they won't be coming to kill _me_,"
> Sakura pointed out.
Hee.
> It was also the only section of the castle that ninja were officially
> permitted to enter. Their gear was confiscated before they were
> cleared through security, but that was to be expected. Not even
> samurai were allowed to wear their swords in the castle unless they
> served the Lord of Ryuuzen or the Daimyo himself.
Of course, confiscating ninja gear would really be purely symbolic;
kunai, shuriken, and the like are hardly the most deadly things in a
ninja's arsenal.
> Giggling inanely, Hinata shook her head. "I'm- I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!
> I just-" Taking a calming breath, the brunette brought a hand up to
> wipe her watering eyes and gave Sakura a smile of relief. "I'm sorry.
> I'm not trying to tease you, but that was funny!"
Well, at least she's in a good mood, all things considered.
> "I don't care if you tease me, just promise you won't talk like that
> anymore!" Sakura pleaded.
>
> "But it feels so... so..." The Hyuuga trailed off with a playful grin.
> "Wow... shit!"
>
> "Hiiinaaataaaa!"
Hee.
> Though she didn't care for the creepy eyes, the Hyuuga certainly
> seemed to have more than their fair share of 'genetic advantages.'
Not caring for creepy eyes, huh? Either Sakura-chan's lying to herself,
or she'd better hope Sasuke doesn't follow Itachi's example of keeping
the Sharingan active all the time...
> "That doesn't mean you didn't do anything!" Hinata argued, a hitch of
> envy creeping into her voice. "At least you were there. Shino-kun
> wouldn't say what happened, but he thinks you're really strong. He
> warned Kiba-kun not to fight you because he'd definitely lose."
>
> "Kiba wants to fight me?" Sakura blinked in confusion. *Why the hell
> do all of the loud idiots want to fight me all of a sudden?*
Because loud idiots like fighting other loud idiots? ;)
> A stab of worry shook Sakura out of her licentious stupor as Hinata's
> entire body seized up, then suddenly went limp, as though her adorable
> new toy had blown a fuse. "Hinata-chan?" Panic welled in the
> pink-haired girl's stomach as she shook her unresponsive companion.
> "H-hey, are you okay? Hinata-chan!"
And that's _still_ an evil cliffhanger.
> To be continued... soon, really- for real this time! O_o;...
Better be. ;)
--
Aaron Nowack
"Never let reality get in the way of a good hypothesis."
http://www.mimiru.net/
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