"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
As soon as Hanabi charged forward, she unleashed her Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms without hesitation. The four burly men didn't even have time to react before they were all sent flying backward, coughing up blood midair, their eyes widening in disbelief.
"Talk! Where is your boss, Gato's sister?" Hanabi stepped forward and pressed a kunai against one man's throat, her voice icy.
"W-Wait… I-I'll talk…" the man stammered, feeling the cold edge of the blade. The killing intent radiating from Hanabi made it clear, this seemingly ten-year-old girl really would kill him.
Slash!
With a graceful arc of her kunai, a spray of red burst forth. "Tch. Too much nonsense," Hanabi muttered coldly.
"You three, who's going to talk next?" she turned, her expression still frigid, glaring at the remaining men.
Under her cold gaze, the three quickly spilled everything they knew about Gato's sister, terrified she might slaughter them on a whim.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Once she got the intel she needed, Hanabi showed no mercy. She eliminated them all.
Shikamaru had been observing the whole time, nodding in approval. He'd told Hanabi earlier, this mission was hers to carry out alone.
"Brother-in-law, Gato's sister Nami is in his corporate headquarters. Let's check in with the mission client first!" Hanabi turned back with a sweet smile, tugging on Shikamaru's arm, suddenly back to her innocent, girlish self.
"Mhm." Shikamaru nodded. Nami, huh? That name sounds familiar...
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BANG!
A loud slam echoed through the office. A fiery voice followed.
"Damn that Tazuna! Commissioning Konoha again?! Unbelievable!"
Gato's sister, Nami, was fuming. She had long suspected Tazuna's family would seek help from the Hidden Leaf. She had them under watch, but somehow, she'd just received word that Konoha ninjas had already arrived!
"Taio!" Nami snapped coldly to the man standing nearby.
"What do you need me to do?" the middle-aged man replied bluntly.
"Kill Tazuna's entire family. Hmph! Ruin my profits, will they?!"
Nami dared to act so arrogantly in the Land of Waves only because of the powerful shinobi standing before her.
"I got it, Miss Nami," Taio said casually. "Just don't forget our deal."
"I know, Taio-kun. Once Tazuna's family, and the Konoha ninja, are dealt with, I'll be yours," Nami replied with a seductive smile.
Once Taio left, her expression turned icy again. "Tch. What a joke. Just a strong ninja and he thinks he can claim me?"
Even as she muttered, strange fluctuations of chakra began to pulse ominously from her body...
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"Hanabi, head to Tazuna's house alone. I've got something to handle," Shikamaru said suddenly as they entered the village.
"Ah, alright! I'll go on ahead then!" Hanabi nodded and dashed off alone.
Tsk tsk... why is Sakura there? Shikamaru smirked as he watched Hanabi leave. He'd just sensed Sakura's chakra signature, at Tazuna's house, no less. He wasn't sure how to face her yet, but one thing was certain: since fate had brought them together again, he was going to bring her back to Konoha. No matter what, Sakura was his woman.
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"Excuse me, is anyone home?"
Hanabi arrived at Tazuna's house and knocked politely.
Creak…
The door opened to reveal a beautiful woman with a warm voice. "Oh, little girl, are you here to see someone?"
"Hello, ma'am! I'm Hanabi Hyuga, a ninja from Konoha," Hanabi greeted sweetly. Little girl? She wasn't just a kid anymore!
"Ah! Nice to meet you, Hanabi. Are you here alone?" Nami was shocked. Are ninjas getting younger and younger?
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a kunai shot out from behind Hanabi, aiming straight for Nami!
"Gentle Fist: Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Hanabi's ears twitched, she reacted instantly, deflecting the kunai mid-air. Her face turned cold.
"Byakugan: Activate!"
The moment she activated her Byakugan, Hanabi gasped, within her range of vision, there were two powerful chakra signatures: one outside the door, and one already inside the house!
"Oh? A ninja from Konoha?" Taio's voice rang out as he stepped into view. Spotting Hanabi's iconic eyes, he narrowed his gaze. "Byakugan, huh?"
"And you are?" Hanabi asked coolly, on full alert. Judging from his chakra, he was clearly stronger than her.
"Don't think you're special just because of your eyes. Anyone in my way is an enemy!" Taio snarled.
"Earth Style: Fissure Palm!"
BOOM!
The ground split apart, a wide crack racing straight for Hanabi!
She quickly scooped up Nami and leapt away. There was no way she could defend against that jutsu.
"Ninja Art: Multi Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Taio sneered and formed seals, summoning a barrage of shuriken aimed at the fleeing duo.
"Rotation!"
In desperation, Hanabi activated her Rotation technique. But with such a power gap, and protecting someone else, she was clearly at a disadvantage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
She managed to deflect every shuriken. Setting Nami down, she blurred forward.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
POOF!
Taio vanished in a puff of smoke, just a clone.
"Earth Style: River of Mud!"
The ground beneath Hanabi turned to sludge, pulling her down like quicksand.
"Protective Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Hanabi had no choice but to fend off the attack with her technique, her body now trapped in the earth flow.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet!"
Taio showed no mercy. A Hyuga from Konoha was a threat, he wasn't about to go easy.
"Cherry Blossom Release: Dancing Petals!"
Just as the flames were about to hit, a pink-haired woman stepped in. With a wave of her hand, a flurry of cherry blossoms formed a protective barrier.
It was Sakura, the second chakra signature Hanabi had seen. She couldn't stand by and watch a fellow Konoha ninja fall!
She'd been spotted in the village earlier and brought back to the house, only then did she realize something was going down in the Land of Waves.
"Who are you?!" Taio cried out. He hadn't even sensed her coming, and now she'd neutralized his jutsu with ease.
"The Cherry Blossom Witch... You're the Cherry Blossom Witch!" he shouted in recognition. Sakura's unique "Cherry Blossom Release" jutsu had become infamous across the ninja world.
"Who are you, and why are you attacking these people?" Sakura ignored his reaction, questioning him coldly.
"Sis, that's the ninja Nami hired!" Inari shouted, rushing out to help Nami up.
"A lackey for the corrupt? You deserve death!" Sakura sneered. Her hands formed seals rapidly.
"Cherry Blossom Release: Silent Petal Rain!"
Countless cherry blossoms fell from the sky, beautiful yet deadly.
Taio's expression turned grim. He knew these petals weren't just for show.
"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"
He summoned a massive 50-meter-wide slab of earth to block the petals.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Explosions erupted as each petal struck, blasting the earth barrier apart.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
His voice rang out from beneath Sakura.
"Sis, careful! He's underground!" Hanabi warned. Thankfully, this beautiful older sister was an ally, so strong!
But the Sakura Taio grabbed turned into a cloud of petals, a substitution!
"Trying to escape? Not so fast!" The real Sakura appeared at a distance, glaring coldly at Taio, who was trying to flee.
"Cherry Blossom Release: Blossom Tomb!"
Taio's eyes widened as cherry blossoms enveloped him. He didn't even have time to react before he was sealed in a floral prison.
If Taio hadn't panicked and underestimated Sakura, he might've held out longer. Despite being a Jonin, his fear after seeing the earlier technique, and reliance on a shadow clone distraction, had doomed him.
A low grunt escaped as Taio's corpse collapsed, wrapped in blossoms.
"Wow! You're amazing, pretty big sister!" Hanabi cheered.
Tazuna's family stared in awe, Sakura had become unbelievably powerful in just a few short years.
"Hanabi, you're Hinata's little sister, right?" Sakura smiled at her.
"Huh? You know my sister?" Hanabi exclaimed in surprise.
"Mhm. So Hanabi, are you here alone?" Sakura asked curiously. This seemed too dangerous a mission for just one girl.
"Oh no! My teacher is with me too, but he had something to do and stepped away for a bit," Hanabi replied honestly. Sakura had just saved her and knew Hinata, plus, she didn't sense any hostility from her.
"Really? Who's your teacher? Maybe I know him!" Sakura asked, intrigued. This was the first time she'd chatted with a Konoha ninja since leaving.
"Hehe, you definitely know him, Sis!" Hanabi said proudly.
"Konoha's Shadow Lord, Shikamaru, he's my sensei! Do you know him?"
"Shikamaru…" Sakura gasped, scanning her surroundings. Her expression twisted into something deeply complex. Know him? He was the man who took her virginity...
But she obviously wasn't about to say that to Hanabi.
"Shikamaru! Come out! I know you're here somewhere!" she called out, her voice a mix of resentment and excitement.
She was ready to give him a proper beating, but also strangely happy to see him again. The emotions inside her were a tangled mess.
"Heh… Sakura, long time no see."
As her voice faded, Shikamaru stepped into view, smiling gently as he looked at her.
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A/N: Ugh… so conflicted. Typing while nodding off… I need to sleep.
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The Mountain of Ice and Fire (GOT) – 56 advanced chapters!
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