The Demon They Once Feared. {BOOK 2}

|22| Loran.

The burning sensation in her throat was longed for, she missed it. The bitter-sweet taste of the alcohol was pleasant on the tongue but the more she drank, the more she felt thirsty. As she sat there, healthy body slumped over the bar table, twirling the glass around as her violet eyes dropped from drowsiness, the people around her became a blur.

But her memories were crystal clear.

Their eyes, the looks on their faces, the sunken shoulders. The Whispers. Everything they did screamed disappointment and it wouldn't disappear from her mind.

So maybe drowning them out will work.

The bartender didn't batter an eye when she rose her hand, asking for another bottle. He was getting paid to give people alcohol, it wasn't like he was supposed to care an underage girl was drinking.

Mina rested her head on the table after taking another couple gulps of the drink. Seeing nothing but a blur of colours, her seemingly lifeless eyes scanned the area she could without moving her head.

"Have you heard?" She gathered from the people a couple seats away and her ears twitched, straining her hearing to listen to every word. "There's a leyline of chakra in the desert, once owned and controlled by Loran, a city that lies ruins."

"Well, what's the point of telling me that when we can't get it for ourselves." Mina squinted her eyes at in the general direction of the voices, listening carefully.

"That's the thing, this guy, Mukade -I think his name was- is trying to gain the power for himself." The man laughed, "There's no point though, Konoha despatched a team to stop him! He has no chance!"

Her lips twitched up a bit, suddenly the alcohol in her system lessening. She stood up and stretched her hands up, hearing the loud pop if her bones. Patting down her clothing and folding up her shorts a bit more, she flipped her multi-colour hair behind her back, and strutted, with a swing of her hips, to the men.

"Hey," She called out to them, dropping a tone in her voice. "I overheard you men talking and I wanted to know if you know what team was sent out?"

"Now, why would a pretty lady like you need to know?" One of the men asked, raising both brows and looking at her with mocking curiosity.

"Well, it's information that's important to me," Mina responded with a sweet voice, smiling a closed eye smile at the man. She could feel him scanning her, she could feel him gulp, though her eyes were closed.

Without much warning, he grabbed her wrist and attempted to drag her into his lap. Mina didn't move an inch, still as a huge boulder. The man's eyes widened at the sudden reveal of her strength.  Opening her eyes with no reasoning left in them, having been fed up with the humans in this world for a while. The already dim light in the bar darkened, but her violet eyes shone, piecing them with a deadly intention. "Tell me what team was dispatched, and if you try anything, I don't hesitate when I start ripping limbs apart."

The man released her hand instantly.

"T-team 7!" The man shouted, sweating appropriately for the look she was giving off.

"Thanks," She said, smiling once again and before they knew it, she was gone in a flash.

~~~

The wind blew profusely. Sand flying in the direction it was being blown in, luckily, Mina wasn't facing that direction so no sand went into her eyes as she crouched watching the team fight off the wooden puppets.

"Com'on Naruto," She muttered, staring intently, with all senses alert. "I showed you how to defeat a puppet and you really want to fight it head on without using your chakra blade?" She questioned irritatedly, face blank.

Suddenly, her leg muscles tensed, ready to pounce into action when she saw the multiple paper bombs attached to the demolished wood. But she released a breath when Sakura jumped to the rescue. As she watched the team interact after defeating most of the puppets, Mina drifted off into her thoughts. Her lips dropped into a frown.

She was unable to stop the haunting thoughts. And they were slowly eating away at her, munching on the disappointment and betrayal she may not be able to ever forget.

All train of thought stopped when she watched as her brother yelled at the man named Mukade. Her mind empties as the real-life images continued to move. Though she couldn't stop her movements when the man started absorbing the seal, smiling like a crazed man.

And just like lightning striking she was yelling Naruto's name, reaching out to him as he was being swallowed by the purple mass of chakra. His blue eyes widened profusely, "MINA?" He yelled confused, but there wasn't enough time for questions to be answered.

Their fingertips grazed, rough and hard skin scraping against each other as they stretched with all their might to reach each other. Mina bit her lip in anticipation, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

But they were never able to grab ahold of each other.

So close, but yet so far.