Sakura wandered aimlessly through the streets of a small town in the Land of Water. Since she was already here, she figured she might as well explore a bit.
If her memory served correctly, Kirigakure – the Village Hidden in the Mist – was currently enforcing its infamous "Bloody Mist" policy and maintained minimal contact with the outside world. Recalling the fragments of conversation she'd overheard from Itachi and Kisame mentioning "Tailed Beast," her thoughts immediately jumped to the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, who was the Jinchuriki of the Three-Tails. Their target must be him.
Is Akatsuki already starting to capture the Tailed Beasts? Sakura wondered. But isn't Yagura supposedly being controlled? They could theoretically make a move anytime. Logically, he should be one of the last targets, not one of the first. Perhaps Itachi and Kisame had other business in the Land of Water entirely. Either way, it seemed a trip to Kirigakure itself might be necessary to find out more.
However, getting into the notoriously isolationist village wouldn't be easy. Although Sakura's knowledge of Kirigakure's situation came mostly from rumors, even those secondhand accounts painted a picture of a heavily guarded and dangerous place.
She patted her pocket, sighing inwardly as her fingers brushed against the near-empty fabric. Even powerful ninja needed money to survive.
Walking through the town's streets, Sakura could feel a palpable difference in atmosphere compared to the Land of Fire. The people here were mostly silent, withdrawn, going about their business with downcast eyes. Even the shops lacked any sense of bustle or vibrancy. It felt as though everyone lived under a cloud of oppression, a stark contrast to the generally cheerful and lively mood back home.
It makes sense, though, Sakura mused. If the shinobi village that dominates the country is steeped in blood and brutality, how could the ordinary citizens possibly live happy lives?
Spotting a middle-aged man walking nearby, Sakura approached him. "Excuse me, uncle, could you tell me how to get to Kirigakure?"
The man shot her a brief, unfriendly glare before hurrying away without a word. Sakura awkwardly scratched the back of her head, then turned to try another passerby, this time a woman.
"Excuse me, Auntie, do you know the way to the Village Hidden in the Mist?"
The woman gave Sakura a sharp, appraising look. "You're the auntie!" she snapped back.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, Big Sister!" Sakura quickly apologized, bowing her head slightly. Best keep a low profile, she reminded herself. Exiled ninja on the run. "Do you happen to know the way to Kirigakure?"
"Don't know!" the woman replied curtly. She looked Sakura up and down again, then added grudgingly, "If you don't have extremely important business there, you'd best stay away."
"Why is that?" Sakura pressed, hoping for more concrete information than the vague rumors she'd heard.
The woman studied Sakura intently for a moment. "You're not from the Land of Water, are you?"
"No, I came from the Land of Tea," Sakura answered honestly.
"The Land of Tea?" The woman looked surprised. "What brings you all the way out here to the Land of Water?"
"Er... I'm here... sightseeing," Sakura improvised quickly.
"Oh ho ho, sightseeing here?" The woman let out a light, almost mocking laugh. "Little sister, do you have any idea what kind of place this is? It's not exactly a tourist destination. People who are careless here... tend to end up dead."
There was something unsettling about the woman's charming yet somehow sinister smile. Sakura felt a prickle of unease. "You don't need to worry about me. If you don't know the way, then never mind. I'll be going."
"Don't be in such a hurry," the woman said cheerfully, stopping her. "There's a nice dango shop just up ahead. Let me treat you."
Huh? Sakura found this sudden shift strange. The woman had clearly been annoyed just moments ago, and now she was being overly friendly. There's an old saying, Sakura recalled, 'Abnormal behavior signals ill intent.' Something fishy is going on here. Still, she decided to play along for now and see what the woman was after. Surely my luck isn't that bad that the first person I ask for directions turns out to be a kidnapper... right?
Following the woman, Sakura soon arrived at the dango shop she'd mentioned. It looked much like any other dango shop back in the Land of Fire.
Once they were seated, the woman asked with a pleasant smile, "What would you like to eat?"
"One of everything on the menu, please," Sakura declared without hesitation, seizing the opportunity. If someone else was paying, there was no reason to be polite, especially since she was starving.
For some reason, Sakura noticed her appetite had become ravenous lately. She seemed to need at least three times her normal portion size just to feel full. Maybe it's a growth spurt? she wondered, unconsciously rubbing her chest.
Hearing Sakura's order, the woman's pleasant smile instantly froze on her face. "Can... can you really finish all that?" she asked, her voice slightly strained.
Sakura nodded eagerly, bobbing her head like a chick pecking at rice. "Yep, yep! Totally!"
The woman sighed, looking resigned, then turned to the shop owner. "One of everything on the menu, please."
Sakura watched her through narrowed eyes, her suspicion growing stronger. Ordering the entire menu wouldn't be cheap. Why would this woman be so generous to a complete stranger? She definitely had an ulterior motive. But what could she possibly want from me? Sakura wondered. Unless... she's a human trafficker? Is she planning to kidnap me?
An amused thought flickered through Sakura's mind. Heh, if she really is a kidnapper... maybe I should try my hand at being a trafficker too. Imagine getting kidnapped by your own intended kidnapping target... That could be interesting.
"My name is Yuan," the woman introduced herself, interrupting Sakura's thoughts.
"What's your name?"
"I'm called... uh, Misaka Mikoto!" Sakura replied, mentally sending a quick apology to a certain electromaster. Sorry, Railgun, just borrowing your name for a bit! Please don't zap me later!
"Sister Mikoto," Yuan began, "did you come to the Land of Water all by yourself?"
"Yes," Sakura confirmed, then steered the conversation back. "Sister Yuan, why did you say I shouldn't go to Kirigakure?"
"Ah, it's not that you can't go," Yuan clarified, taking a delicate sip of tea. "It's just... very dangerous for someone your age if you go alone."
"Eh? Why is that?" Sakura asked, feigning curiosity.
"Because," Yuan explained slowly, her voice dropping slightly, "they tend to seize children like you there... and force them into ninja training." She leaned in conspiratorially. "And very few children who are taken like that survive the training. Most of them die."
Sakura listened, not particularly surprised. It fit perfectly with everything she knew about Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policy and its brutal graduation exams. A village that killed off so many of its own potential shinobi would inevitably need to supplement its numbers somehow. Kidnapping civilian children seemed like a grimly logical, if horrifying, solution.
"I just wanted to commission a mission in Kirigakure," Sakura said, testing the waters. If this woman really was a trafficker supplying children to Kiri, she must have a way into the village. "Sister Yuan, do you perhaps know of a way?"
"Hm?" Yuan looked slightly surprised by the question, tilting her head. "Little sister, aren't you afraid?"
Just then, the waiter arrived, laden with plates upon plates of dango and other sweets, covering the entire table. The enticing aroma hit Sakura full force, and her hunger surged. Without waiting for her host's invitation, she grabbed a skewer of dango and started eating enthusiastically.
"Afraid?" Sakura mumbled indistinctly around a mouthful of dango. "Yesh... sho I wash hoping shishter you could help."
"I'm afraid I can't help you with that," Yuan replied, watching Sakura wolf down the food with a faint, knowing smile. "I'm not familiar with Kirigakure myself. The dangers are simply common knowledge throughout the Land of Water." She picked up Sakura's teacup, poured her a fresh cup of tea, and gently pushed it towards her. "Eat slowly, now. There's plenty more. Have some tea; it will help."
This Yuan woman seems genuinely gentle and considerate, Sakura thought fleetingly, noting how she had thoughtfully poured the tea because Sakura was eating so quickly. However, it would be even nicer if this tea wasn't laced with Datura powder.
Although Sakura considered her pharmacology knowledge merely passable, she could certainly recognize one of the most common knockout drugs. Holding the teacup, her mind raced, confirming her suspicions. Yep, definitely a human trafficker. Why else would she try to drug me? Okay, so what's my next move?
Sakura looked down at the mountain of delicious, uneaten food still spread across the table, then back at the seemingly kind woman opposite her, a difficult dilemma forming in her mind. Do I finish eating first, and then flip the table and capture her? Or do I deal with her now and risk losing all this free food...?