Healing Touch (Part 3)

Another part for this AU (Here's Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed it). Yeah, I just can't help myself.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“So you've finally come to check on your team-mate,” Jiraiya said, giving her a strong disappointed look. 

At his bedside, Orochimaru rolled his eyes. “He's been like this ever since he regained consciousness. You did the smart thing by staying away, Tsunade.”

As the persistent knot of worry about his condition faded into a relieved ease, Tsunade said, “I knew you weren't dying, so there as nothing to worry about. Besides I had family matters to deal with.”

Jiraiya gasped, looking betrayed. “I could have died.”

“Fools don't die so easily,” Orochimaru said. 

Tsunade nodded solemnly. “And you are a super fool.”

“You're both horrible. No one else has to suffer with such horrible unfeeling team-mates,” Jiraiya bemoaned. 

Ignoring his dramatics, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. “Your family?”

It took a moment for Tsunade to follow his line of thought and understand what he was asking, “Oh, no no. Everyone is fine and their usual selves. Nawaki made a fool of himself in front of Reina again.”

Orochimaru smirked in amusement.

“Poor boy,” Jiraiya said, sounding more amused than consoling. 

Happy Birthday Sakura

This isn't really a birthday piece- there's no birthday celebrating for Sakura. In fact it's the opposite of celebrating.

It's the start of a not-so-happy story that's been in my head, where Sakura is the main character. Something that a part of me wishes happened at the end of Naruto.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sakura painted the rest of the seals on the two bodies lying in front of her. Going over the information in her head again, Sakura double checked her symbols and seal lines. 

Reassured that she had done all she could, she took a deep breath and pulled on her chakra. The seal at the top of her head unravelled unleashing a rush of chakra that made her skin glow with energy. She grit her teeth at the heady feeling of power and channelled everything she could into the newly crafted seals. 

With a twist of power and an almost whispered prayer, Sakura said, "Impure World Resurrection." She wondered if she should have renamed the technique. After all the changes she had wrought, it only vaguely resembled the original.

The two bodies in front of her surged with life, the elaborate seals around them channelling her power and allowing the bodies to shift forms. 

After what felt like hours but was probably mere minutes, the procedure ran it's course and a strange aura filled the air. Sakura swallowed back her apprehension and stood, waiting for the two she had summoned to get their bearings.

It was the familiar blue eyes that blinked open first. "Sakura-chan?" Though hesitant, Naruto's familiar bright voice made Sakura's chest ache as he sat up. "Where... what?"

Beside him, Sasuke clutched at his chest as he looked around with narrowed eyes.

When Naruto looked at her, his blue irises seemed twice as bright against the black sclera. "Sakura-chan, you look different. Your hair..." Naruto paused.

A New Ally

This can be considered a sort of indirect sequel for this old ridiculous omake. I just wanted to write/explore something about Manda and clear out some of the ideas cluttering head since I'm hammering out AtO's first draft at the moment.

When I say I'm writing AtO's first draft, I mean I'm trying to write all of AtO from chapter 16 onwards and reach the Epilogue chapter that I wrote ages ago.

As you can imagine, it's been crazy. Putting together everything I've kept as separate snippets, working out what-happens-when, seeing certain characters do things that I only vaguely planned about and watching the word-count grow is all kinds of scary. But it's also encouraging and productive.

Anyway, on to the story.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 

The ship's sails flapped and rustled in the wind as the ship cut through the blue waves. 

Leaning over the railings, Harry reveled at the way his charmed glasses fended off the occasional spray of ocean water and allowed him a clear view of the ocean.

Beneath the blue waves, dark silhouettes of unknown fish both big and small kept Harry suitably entertained when everyone else on the ship was otherwise occupied.

The floorboards creaked as footsteps stopped beside him. 

“We're almost there,” Yamato said, his eyes fixed on the ocean as he mimicked Harry's pose against the railings. “The captain says we'll be able to see the black patch of ocean water soon.”

Harry nodded. “And he'll stop at the edge.”

Yamato nodded. “He doesn't want to be right on top of the deepest part of the ocean.”

“Can't blame him,” Harry said as he pushed his glasses up. “Especially since we know what it houses.” 

Yamato didn't reply.

“You still think I'm going on a fool's errand?” Harry said. 

“It's hard to accept,” Yamato said. “We would have known about it long before because people would have talked about it.Orochimaru's snake isn't... he's either delusional or luring you into a trap.”

Harry shook his head. “Manda seemed genuine about needing help with his love life. Anyway, I have to do this because he kept his side of the bargain and brought Sasuke back.” 

Yamato's lips pursed into a thin line.

“So,” Harry said after a moment of thought. “Do you dislike snakes or Sasuke more?”

“I don't dislike Sasuke,” Yamato said, his eyes scanning the ocean intently.

Harry hadn't been surprised when the rest of Team 7- even Sai- had opted to stick close to Sasuke in Konoha. But he had been surprised when Yamato had volunteered to accompany Harry on his quest to help Manda.

“I don't,” Yamato repeated firmly. “And I'm fine with snakes.”

Harry pulled up his sleeve, uncovering the small purple snake coiled around his wrist. 

The wood around them creaked, a little louder than normal, and Yamato pointed to the black stretch of ocean under the sunlight with something akin to relief. “There it is. What are you going to do now?”