Healing

The Mission

Sakura landed smoothly in a destroyed village. She shook her head. It was peacetime but bandits took full advantage of people's comfort, destroying villages and looting them for all they were worth. She had been dispatched to both heal those who were left behind, and to figure out if there was link between the several villages which had been attacked recently. Ino and Sai were dispatched with her.

As they walked around the village, there was little to found. The people they did find were well-past dead. The place wreaked of death. Even Sai seemed bothered by the lack of life. They split up and entered households, searching for any survivors.

As Sakura exited her last household, she reconvened with Ino. "Why are you double checking my work, forehead?"

Sakura stared back to her bewildered, Ino had taken the houses on the south side, Sakura had taken the ones to the north.

"I didn't."

Ino glared. "Who the heck else is leaving pink hair everywhere?"

Sakura dashed into a southern house. There wasn't a lot but Sakura noted the two or three pink strands near the body. They were long, nearly Ino's length. "They're too long..." she mumbled and Ino nodded.

"You're right, but pink isn't exactly a common color." Ino knelt down and using a glove, placed the strand in a baggie to bring back for sampling.

As they moved onto the next village, they didn't have to go far. It was clear these bandits were on a spree. They entered the village and while more recent than the last, they were unsure if they'd find any survivors. They once again split up.

Sakura paced the east end, praying at least someone would be alive. She couldn't help but note at least one more strand of pink hair. It was once again too long to be hers. Her thoughts were interrupted by a groaning. She dashed toward the noise. She spotted a young black-haired boy. He was next to a woman, presumably his mother who had been ripped to shreds.

Sakura swallowed the bile filling her throat. Whoever did this was a monster. The boy had been injured, though only superficially. However, he was covered in blood from head to toe.

She approached with caution. "Hello, my name is Sak-" the boys eyes met hers and the scream he let out was blood curdling. Sakura backed up as Sai and Ino came running.

Sakura left the room, bumping into Ino. "I don't think my appearance will soothe this boy in any way. I think the pink hair culprit did this."

Ino nodded, understanding and entered the room. She knelt down and greeted the boy, explaining who she was and what her intentions were. She treated his wounds before sedating him. Sakura finally entered, followed by Sai.

"He is the only one left," Sai noted.

Ino nodded. "I'm going to briefly look at his memories, the recent ones at least." Sakura caught her friend as she went limp. A few minutes passed before Ino's both regained consciousness.

Tears welled up in Ino's eyes. Seeing horror was par for the course for shinobi, but some things were unbearable.

"That woman is a monster," Ino glanced up at Sakura. "And she looks almost just like you."

Sai scooped up the boy and they headed back to the village. They had the information they needed.

The three stood in the intel office, the sedated boys memories played in the middle of the room. Kakashi stood alongside them. They finally caught up to the recent massacre which had taken place. Their suspicions were completely off. It was not a group of bandits. It was one lone woman, one which eerily resembled Sakura. Her hair was longer, and her eyes were a light violet, but the facial structure and hair color was identical.