An Inch of Gold

20

Sakura remains silent as she watches Sarada determinedly etch a map into the dirt from memory. At least, that's what she assumes the girl is doing, because she can't exactly see it. With moonlight as their only source of light, she has enough trouble making out the other's girl's profile, let alone the rough drawing in the dirt.

All the while, she tries to ignore the mounting sense of apprehension.

Sakura wishes she was used to all this by now. The life she has chosen is not one for the faint of heart. Even in the few months since graduating from the Academy, she's experienced more than a few instances of genuine terror and danger.

S-Class criminals, giant snakes and even a demon.

This feels different.

It isn't just the fact that she and Sarada are essentially planning to go up against a strong, deadly opponent who wields time travel and possibly the ability to end the world. In fact, that bit is still so extraordinary to Sakura that her brain hasn't even properly registered it yet. And even the idea of trying anything without the benefit of her teammate backing her up isn't as nausea-inducing as she expected. She's been on her own in more situations than she likes to admit—

Protecting the guys when they were unconscious in the Forest of Death, kidnapped by bandits that time with the monkey idol, none of them ever telling me anything until it's over...

She clenches her fists at that last one.

But right now, she is about to embark on something insane. Something on par with the crazy, half-suicidal stunts Naruto always magically manages to pull off. And on the only thing she has to rely on are her wits and her badly-injured future daughter.

A badly-injured future daughter who could wink out of existence if I do something wrong or get myself killed.

She swallows.

No pressure?

"Alright, that looks about right," Sarada says, sitting back on her heels and frowning down at the dirt sketch. She indicates several places in front of her. "These are the coordinates my team and I mapped out, anyway."

"If you say so," Sakura says, because it all looks pretty much like more dark to her.

"Well, it's not exact, obviously, the thing is growing, but based on the coordinates I remember from before and the position of the stars where we are now—"

"No, that I get. I just can't see."

"Oh." Sarada glances down again and then lets out a sheepish chuckle. "Sorry. Forgot. My team and I don't do a lot of night missions. And the last one, the science ninja gave us experimental night-vision goggles, so..."

Sakura raises an eyebrow, not even bothering to ask.

"Anyway," Sarada says, refocussing on her map. "By the best calculations we have, the epicentre of the time-bubble is about a kilometre north-west of here. That's where Teisōko must be holed up."

"Do you think it's another underground base?"

"Who knows?" Sarada replies. "We'll have to scope it out once we get closer. Come on—"

"Wait!"

Sarada pauses and glances at Sakura in surprise.

"Are you sure—absolutely sure—that you want to do this?" Sakura questions. "We're talking about facing an insane woman that can travel in time. And if she's an Uchiha, like you said..." She trails off and shifts uncomfortably, trying to tamp down the mounting panic and healthy dose of fear. "Running into Sasuke's big brother was scary enough. And the only reason either of us are alive right now is...actually...I'm not entirely sure why we're still alive. But this Teisōko person probably isn't going to be as merciful—as merciful as mass-murdering criminals can be anyway. And if she's the one doing all this..."