Inner Demons

Sakura POV.

After the meeting and the greatest maybe even the stupidest decision of my life, I ran back to my apartment to gather my things together in preparation. Tsuande said everything was to go down tomorrow night.

‘I am starting to feel odd emotions from you Sakura. OddOddOdd feelings. Chickening out already?’-Inner Sakura

I decided I would give her an answer later as I heard some movement downstairs in the kitchen. I looked up at my clock and it read 6:03am. Kaa-san must be up and cooking breakfast already.

‘Wait… that drunk Hokage kept us for 4 hours! ARE YOU KIDDING ME! WE NEED BEAUTY SLEEP TO BE BEAUTIFUL’ -Inner Sakura

‘Obviously you imbecile’-Sakura

I stopped packing and I realised something.

‘I’m going to have to leave her. My own mother. She will see me as a traitor to the village.’

‘It was your decision Sakura. Remember I am ignorable.’-Inner Sakura

‘Do not try to talk away your part in this decision! I understand that I made my choice and I deserve the consequences. But I just didn’t think of the outcome’-Sakura

‘No. You just thought of protecting the village.’-Inner Sakura

‘But what about my friends and family? Did I consider them in all this?-Sakura

For the first time in a long time Inner stayed silent, which made her the incredibly odd one. I decided to head downstairs to the kitchen. I needed to see her. To make sure she knew I loved her. Even after everything. I loved her. I would never betray my own mother.

“Oh, good morning Sakura.” Kaa-san greeted me as I entered the kitchen. Her appearance was always perfect in the morning. She had deep red hair just above her shoulders and dark blue eyes. And she was dressed in today’s clothes whereas I am dressed in plain smelly clothes from yesterday.I don’t understand how someone who got up at 6am everymorning could look so presentable.

“Morning Kaa-san.” I greeted her back and sat down at the dining table. Breakfast smelled wonderful.

“Did you just get back from the hospital? I thought you were supposed to be back around midnight?’ She asked.

“Yeah, they needed me to stay back longer. Some chunins came back from a mission badly injured. It just took til now to fix them up.” I answered.

‘I am lying to her now. Great just fucking great.’-Sakura

‘Kami-sama Sakura, grow up you use to do it all the time when you were a brat. How is that different to now?’-Inner Sakura

‘Screw you’-Sakura

“That’s not good, I hope they recover.” Kaa-san came over and placed some food in front of me.

Miso soup with tamagoyaki and dumplings. My favourite. She always serves this when I am home from missions. Kaa-san sat down across from me, said ‘Itadakimasu’ and began eating.

I too began shovelling food down my throat. I hadn’t eaten since my dinner break last night.
It was a quiet breakfast. Which was nice, just to sit with her and enjoy the time I had left. After she finished eating she started conversation.

“What are you going to do today? Sleep? I believe Naruto-kun wanted to see you today with the rest of the team?” Kaa-san said.

Sleep sounded amazing. “Naruto has a mission with the rest of the team today.” I answered.

Tsunade told me she was sending everyone from team 7 out of the village while I began my mission. Just to be safe.

“Are you going with them?”

“No. Tsunade gave me the day off.” Which was the best thing she has ever done.

‘I’ll say. Drunk Hokage never gives us a day off.’-Inner Sakura

“They can handle it.” I smiled at her.

“Alrighty then, well, I am going for my spa day with Ino’s mother in about two hours. I’ll be gone most of the day, so you get peace and quiet to sleep.”

“Ok. I love you”

“Love you too baby. Have a good sleep” She got up and went to the kitchen to clean the dishes.

‘SleepSleepSleepSleepSleep now please Sakura?’-Inner Sakura

I finished my breakfast, washed up my dishes and headed back to my room. I finished packing all the essential items for my mission. Extra ninja clothes, civilian clothes, all my weapons which I sealed in a scroll. Tsunade told me to take as much money as possible just in case I lost touch with them. I labeled that one important.

‘You gonna take anything else? Come on Sakura.’-Inner Sakura

I walked over to my bedside dresser. The portrait of the genin team 7. Should I take it?

No… It’s just a reminder of hurtful memories.

‘We use to so happy. Well I did at least.’-Sakura

‘If Sasuke was ever happy the whole universe would implode. That boy never smiled when we were friends. Naruto on the other hand smiled to much and definitely still does. Its like the sun burning our eyes with that much orange. And Kakashi is just odd. Like you. Except you don’t read porn.’-Inner Sakura

I burst out laughing.

‘Thanks Inner. And when have I ever been late to a meeting? That man is an irresponsible idiot.’
‘True.’

I put the portrait in with the scrolls in my bag. After everything was packed and sealed away in scrolls, I went to sleep. I had no dreams. If I did I assume they would be nightmares about this mission.

*time skip*

I awoke at 5:30pm. I had slept for nearly 10 hours.

‘Hey long time no annoy. Feel better?’-Inner Sakura

‘Much better. Except now I am more anxious than ever’-Sakura

I grabbed the mission scrolls Tsunade gave me and began to study every detail of them. All the safe points she was talking about seemed to be in remote non- populated areas. Which could be to my advantage. I was to meet the business man ‘Shikamaru’ I was selliing the scroll to on the border of Fire Country. A small village there. After that, I was on my own. I had to track down the Akatsuki and find a way into their ranks.

Which was going to be difficult.

I heard the front door open and slam. “I’m home Sakura! There’s food here if you want it. If not its going to the fridge!” Kaa-san yelled from downstairs.

I looked at my clock and it was already 7pm. I had been studying and decrypting these scrolls for over an hour.

I stopped and hid them. If Kaa-san found them I don’t know what would happen.

‘I’ll burn them later’-Sakura

I went downstairs and grabbed my dinner from Kaa-san. It was dango. Another favourite.

“How long did you sleep?” She asked.

“About 10 hours” I admitted feebly.

She sighed. “Feel better?”

“Yeah, I’m wide awake now. How was your spa day?”

“Oh absolutely wonderful! I feel completely relaxed so don’t get me angry! We had so much fun just being away from home and out and about.” She said a little too cheerfully.

“That’s good. Everyone needs a day off.”

“I’m heading to my room dear, I bought a nice little book and I am excited to start reading it” She told me. After that Kaa-san kissed me goodnight and went upstairs to her room.

“I love you.” I said even though she was gone. At least she was happy on her last day with me.
I ate my dango quickly and went back to my room. I burned the scrolls with fire jutsu and double checked everything.

I was ready.

‘Are you sure?’

‘If I’m not I still have no choice. I accepted this mission and it is my obligation to fulfill it.’

I secured my equipment bag and a black cloak with the hood up.

Now it was time to wait.

No Ones POV.

It was quiet. Not that a library isn’t usually quiet. But the room was tense. It was always like this when guarding dangerous weapons that can be used against you. Even if it was a room full of paper made weapons.

Four chunin stood guard at the Konoha-Nin Library. Two guarding the main entrance and two inside guarding the target.

All of a sudden a chakra spiked inside the library. A hooded figure appeared in the middle of the guarded room, surrounded by cherry blossom petals.

“Stop right there,” said the taller one of the chunin’s. “Who are you?”

The intruder stayed silent.

“I’ll alert the Hokage,” the smaller chunin told his comrade. He then went to the closest wall, bent down and pressed a button underneath a shelf.

An alarm sounded.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

It was now or never.

The intruder charged both the chunin. With weapons drawn they proceeded to fight back.
But before they could even attempt to fight, the intruder disappeared. And then they were both knocked out.

Sakura POV.

I landed just behind Izumo and Kotetsu. Poor guys, they never stood a chance against my speed.

‘Now. Which scroll is it?’-Sakura

‘Why not try the big revealing looking one over there?’-Inner Sakura

‘Quit being bitchy.’- Sakura

I grabbed the scroll she was talking about and double checked I was the right one.

‘The Scroll of Sealing? You figured they would have it in a more secure place since Naruto stole it.’-Sakura

‘Yeah but is Naruto smart enough to get past two chunins with making a lot of noise?’-Inner Sakura

‘Hey we did technically trip the alarm.’-Sakura

‘Shut up.’-Inner Sakura
I strapped the scroll to my back and exited the library. I jumped from roof top to roof top towards the village main gate.

‘This is it! WE ARE FINALLY LEAVING!’-Inner Sakura

‘Why are you so happy?’-Sakura

I never received an answer as a kunai came from my right planning to maime me. I dodged it with ease and kept heading straight for the gate.

‘Here comes the tricky part.’-Sakura

The main gate was barricaded by 14 Leaf-nin. I began forming hand signs for a genjutsu. There was no point fighting them up close and personal, this was much easier.

“Illusionary Technique: Crimson Massacre” I said. All these chunin level ninja would now be dealing with their own deaths. Mentally of course, I would never kill a fellow comrade. I based this jutsu off of the Sharingan’s Tsukuyomi. It’s just deals less damage.

‘Yeah, and no one dies.’-Inner Sakura

I jumped over their unconscious bodies and made it through the main gate. I pumped chakra through my feet to increase my speed. I needed to get out of as quickly as possible.

‘That seemed awfully easy. Tsunade must have done something.’-Sakura

‘Stupid Hokage making it easy for us? We need the challenge!’-Inner Sakura

‘Oh boohoo. Get over it you whiner.’-Sakura

‘If you called me a whiner, does that mean you are calling yourself one?’-Inner Sakura

‘Shut it’-Sakura

‘You just told yourself to-’-Inner

I blocked out the rest and tuned her out. I needed to find somewhere to hide until tomorrow morning.

*Flashback*

“Find a safe and secure spot near the border. Try not to be seen by anyone. You need to be able to meet Shikamaru without any difficulties.” Lady Tsunade explained.

*End of Flashback*

After a few moments of thinking, Inner and I both agreed that staying in civilian villages wasn’t safe. Even with a henge, it would be to risky. And I am not going take any chances.
I arrived at the border after two hours of non-stop running and I have to admit my legs were shaking from the pain.

There was a nearby tree to position myself. I set a few traps just to be safe and put on a henge just incase someone wonders along.

‘Well, at least we are safe?’ Was Inner trying to reassure me? If she was, she is definitely terrible at it.

‘For now. The easy part is over.’-Sakura

‘Fine, be a let-down.’ -Inner Sakura

‘I’m just saying, that its going to be tough from here on out. There is not going to be time for anything but the mission.’-Sakura

‘As Shikamaru would say, how troublesome.’-Inner