Predecessor

Assess

When Sakura gets far enough away, she sends chakra zipping through her arm down to her fingertips which temporarily loosens the snake's hold on her and she tears it out of her jacket half a second later.

It wriggles and squirms, toothless mouth nipping and biting away at the air as it tries and fails to escape. The strange object protruding in its belly is more noticeable now and the Haruno raises her brows, shocked.

"What have you got innya?" she murmurs, eyes twinkling. She studies the serpent a little more — takes note of the odd texture it seems to be. Her little friend is definitely different.

She flexes and curls her fingers it had wound itself around, pins and needles travelling through her skin until it feels a little more normal. She then narrows her eyes, curiously.

What good is a fangless tiny snake? Probably a lot considering where she has found it, and even more so since Ibiki is looking for it.

Sakura knows she shouldn't have hid it from the Morino but something in her gut tells her she doesn't really need to follow the rules always. Nobody else seems to anyway.

She prods the protrusion with her finger and then the serpent reacts suddenly, tail coiling up defensively. Her green eyes go even rounder. This is definitely a discovery she should hand over to Anko.

But she doesn't.

And then suddenly the snake goes limp and it's struggling ceases completely. It's motionless and Sakura no longer senses a pulse.

It's dead, Sakura realises in shock. However she hasn't even done anything to kill it. She gently shakes it to perhaps induce movement but there is nothing. It has died. Truly. As if it's committed suicide, knowing it can't escape anymore.

Pouting, Sakura places it on the dirt floor and claps her hands together like a prayer, willing the small thing to pass over to some place better.

A moment later, she pulls out her kunai again and splits it in half right through the middle. A goo oozes out of it and as she pries it open further, she manages to snag something metal from within.

She withdraws the metal carefully, and then her mouth parts slightly in surprise. The object gleams as it catches the light.

A ring. Inside the snake is a ring.

Sakura doesn't know what to say, or think. She glances in the direction of T&I and then back down at the serpent, half a million theories running its course through her mind. This ring has to be of importance if a miniature messenger is trying to take it away from Torture and Interrogation's clutches, and Sakura tucks it into the pocket inside her jacket.

She rises to a stand, suddenly aware that hers and Naruto's ramen must be ready by now, and buries the serpent in the dirt and bushes. She makes a move before pausing and looking slightly over her shoulder with downtrodden eyes. She doesn't know where he is or if he's observing her as intently as she would he had the situation been reversed but she knows she has to say something. Anything.

"Ashura-san...please refrain from telling Itachi-san about this," she whispers.

What he says — but she doesn't hear — "Of course, Sacchan. If that's what you want."

::

Naruto and Anko fall asleep under the kotatsu within minutes of finishing dinner. Sakura and Naruto have wolfed back their ramen, and Anko eats leftovers from the night before. She's easily pleased.

Sakura can't, for the life of her, seem to fall asleep. She stares at the ceiling for what feels like hours, gently tracing her forefinger over the flat top of the ring that burns through her clothing onto her thigh. Over and over, she has thought of the kanji on the jewelry and what it can possibly mean.