The sumptuous feast of top-grade Ise Beef left Sakura feeling thoroughly sated. Tatsuo, despite his obvious disapproval of Sakura, hadn't dared defy Chief Soga's orders regarding the meal. Sakura, for her part, cheerfully ignored the indignant glares he shot her way throughout dinner.
Karin's stomach was visibly round, and even Neji looked comfortably full. While the food aboard the Ikarus fortress had been decent (though perhaps only Sakura truly thought so), Karin and Neji hadn't quite taken to the foreign cuisine. Their palates, less accustomed to variety than Sakura's (thanks to her past life's memories), found the sudden change jarring, even if the quality was high.
Leaning back in her chair, Sakura casually picked at her teeth with a toothpick, a completely unladylike gesture. Across the table, Chief Soga beamed at her, waiting patiently. Sakura's mind raced, desperately trying to concoct an excuse, a plausible explanation for her lack of progress on his request. Millions of brain cells dying, and still no decent bluff...
Finally, she mentally threw her hands up. Screw it, I'll just tell him the truth. What could he realistically do? Complain after feeding them such an incredible meal? Besides, they'd never actually set a deadline for solving the curse.
"Sakura," Chief Soga began, clearing his throat gently. "Would you and your companions care for a relaxing bath?"
"Absolutely!" Sakura agreed instantly and enthusiastically. "Come on, Karin, let's go wash up! We had to be so careful even eating on that fortress. Now that we're back here, we need to properly unwind!"
Chief Soga choked on his tea, looking slightly exasperated by her bluntness, but nevertheless instructed Tatsuo to guide them to the hot spring located within the mansion grounds.
Gazing at the beautiful open-air hot spring, Sakura felt another pang of envy. Money really is nice. Building your own private onsen at home... She made a mental note: Earn some cash. This world is too dangerous not to enjoy life when you can. Imagine dying before getting to experience stuff like this!
Walking towards the entrance marked "Women's Bath," Sakura glanced sideways at Neji, who was heading towards the men's entrance. "Don't you go peeking with that Byakugan, okay?" she teased with a grin.
"Who... who wants to look at you!" Neji's face instantly flushed crimson. He was still just a teenager, easily flustered by Sakura's brand of teasing – a level of playful audacity that even the legendary Jiraiya might have struggled against. Neji stood no chance.
Karin, however, heard Sakura's comment and looked worried, knowing a little about the Byakugan's capabilities. "Sakura, he wouldn't really peek, would he?"
Seeing Karin's genuine concern, Sakura laughed and ruffled her red hair affectionately. "Don't worry. The Byakugan's vision is only black and white, remember? He wouldn't see anything interesting." Besides, Neji was far too serious and proper for that kind of behavior. Now, if Jiraiya were here, Sakura might actually need to put up some privacy seals.
"Come on, Karin... let me help you get ready!" Sakura chirped playfully inside the changing room, swiftly divesting Karin of her clothes before the younger girl could react, then regarding her with a mischievous grin.
Though Sakura's smile was warm, Karin felt a sudden shiver, like she was being eyed by a friendly demon. Sakura was just teasing, of course. After seeing so many bodies over the years – including her own reflection countless times – Sakura had long since resigned herself to her own physique.
As Sakura removed her own outer layers, however, Karin gasped. Revealed on Sakura's torso were two long, jagged scars – one across her front, another bisecting her back. They were ugly, brutal things. Karin immediately cried out in shock, hands flying to her mouth. Sakura quickly clamped a hand over Karin's mouth.
"What are you yelling about?" Sakura hissed quietly.
Aside from her mother,Junko, Tsunade, Shizune, and perhaps one other close friend, no one knew about these scars. Sakura always wore pajamas, even just sleeping in barracks, so Karin had never seen them. The sudden sight of such grievous wounds on Sakura was naturally horrifying.
"Sakura, what happened? When were you hurt this badly?" Karin whispered, her hands trembling as she stared at the scars. The green glow of the Mystic Palm Technique instinctively flared around her palms as she reached out to heal them.
"Get away, get away! They healed ages ago," Sakura swatted Karin's hands away gently but firmly. "These scars are a lesson. I can't erase them. I need to keep them."
"But..."
"Come on, let's go soak! It's not a big deal," Sakura insisted, wrapping a bath towel around herself and heading out of the changing room. The scars served as constant reminders: think before acting, don't be reckless. In this world, carelessness could get you killed.
Karin followed closely behind Sakura, her heart aching for her friend. Sakura was the closest person she had. Though Karin had made other friends during her time in Konoha, Sakura's initial kindness had been the lifeline she desperately needed. Sakura had shown her genuine care when she was at her lowest. In Karin's eyes, Sakura was everything – her successes brought joy, her troubles brought anxiety and sorrow.
Meanwhile, in the men's bath, Neji stared blankly at the wall separating him from the women's side, lost in contemplation. To look... or not to look...? He found himself wrestling with a uniquely adolescent dilemma.
....
....
After soaking comfortably for a good hour and a half, Sakura felt utterly refreshed and revitalized. A maid handed her a fresh set of clothes as she stepped out of the bath area. "Ah, truly decadent," Sakura murmured, slipping into the clean garments.
"Where are our rooms?" The thought of collapsing onto a soft bed after a hot bath was pure bliss.
"They have been prepared, my lady," the maid replied respectfully.
"Alright, lead the way then," Sakura nodded, adopting a slightly imperious air.
"My lady, the Master is asking for you," the maid said, remaining still, her tone polite but firm.
"Urgh..." Sakura mentally slapped her forehead. So much for escaping. "Alright, I understand. Where is he?"
"The Master awaits you in the reception room," the maid replied with a bow.
"Karin, you go on ahead and rest," Sakura said. "I have some things to discuss with Chief Soga."
"I want to stay with you!" Karin insisted, looking slightly fearful at the thought of sleeping alone in this unfamiliar, opulent house.
Sakura considered it. "Hmm, okay then. Come along." Even if Karin overheard, it wasn't a huge secret. The details of the curse primarily affected the Chino clan, not Konoha.
"My lady, the Master requested you come alone," the maid interjected anxiously.
"It's fine, I'll explain it to him. He won't blame you," Sakura reassured her. Without waiting for further argument, Sakura took Karin's hand and headed towards the reception room.
Chief Soga was alone when they arrived; Tatsuo was nowhere to be seen. Soga's eyes lit up when he saw Sakura, then flickered with hesitation as he noticed Karin beside her.
"She's like a sister to me," Sakura stated simply as she and Karin knelt formally on the cushions opposite him. "Besides, Konoha has no interest in your family's affairs."
"Well..." Soga hesitated only a moment longer before relaxing. "Very well then."
"You wanted to ask about the curse, right?" Sakura began, deciding to get straight to the point.
"Yes. Have you managed to break it?" Soga asked, his gaze filled with hope.
"No," Sakura replied bluntly, shaking her head. "It's not that simple. Your people haven't broken it in over a thousand years. It's only been a few months for me."
Disappointment flickered across Soga's face, though he nodded in acceptance. "You speak the truth. I was perhaps too eager. Ai... I hope you understand my feelings."
"Of course, of course," Sakura replied, nodding vaguely, trying to steer the conversation.
"From a shinobi's perspective," Soga pressed, "regarding the curse... have you discovered anything?"
"Well..."
Just as Sakura was about to formulate a response, Karin suddenly stood up, pointing directly at Chief Soga. "Sakura! He has Gelel Power inside him!"
"Wh-what?" Sakura blinked, stunned by the sudden declaration. "What did you just say?"
Karin didn't back down. "I sensed something during dinner, but it was faint, flickering in and out. Now I'm certain. It's weak, but the feeling... it's definitely the Power of Gelel!" Her expression was calm but intense. "Sakura, the real reason I insisted on coming with you was to confirm this!"
Karin admitted she'd felt it earlier but had initially dismissed it, thinking her senses were skewed after their recent experiences with Gelel energy from a different 'civilization'. But the intermittent pulses during dinner had made her suspicious. When the maid insisted Sakura meet Soga alone, Karin resolved to follow and concentrate fully. Now, focusing intently, she could clearly perceive the distinct signature of Gelel power within the old chief.
"Playing tricks on me now, are we, Karin?" Sakura looked at her teammate with mild surprise, realizing Karin's earlier fearful act had been partly subterfuge. She wasn't angry, though; Karin was too endearing for that.
"I didn't mean to!" Karin lowered her head guiltily. "I was just afraid you wouldn't let me come along if I told you earlier. I was worried about you."
"Alright, alright, I'm not mad at you. Sit down," Sakura chuckled softly at Karin's sheepish expression.
Turning her gaze back to Chief Soga, Sakura's expression became serious, assessing him anew. "Alright, Chief Soga. Now, perhaps you can tell us what's really going on." She had already suspected a link between Red Island and Ikarus. She hadn't figured out how to broach the subject delicately, but Karin had just blown the lid off. Time for direct questions.