stupid lj-cut...
Author: Scarlet Rose
Chapter: Little Red Riding Hood
An exasperated sigh left her lips, the woman-child considering the task before her. Why couldn’t those two old women get along? After all this time, and the war long over, couldn’t they see eye to eye?
Green eyes closed in relaxation, feeling the sun’s warmth against her bubblegum pink hair. At least it was a good day for traveling. Only the slightest autumn chill could be felt on the wind, obligating her use of her favorite red cloak. Pulling the hood above her head, the apprentice named Sakura tucked her parcel back into the bag which swung from her arm under the cloak.
“That poisonous witch ordered some items; I’ll need you to deliver them.”
“Um… Tsunade-sama, shouldn’t she come in like all customers. You said we don’t do-”
“I refuse to see that hag in my store, Sakura. You know that!”
“Yes, Tsunade-sama…”
Stupid, bitter, old hags was right. When it came to the two of them, Tsunade and Chiyo would rather bite their tongues than be in the same room. Deciding that any longer and her mentor would complain that Chiyo had kept her long on purpose, Sakura started her journey through the short wooded land.
Since the end of the Great War, Chiyo’s home city had been partially destroyed and there hadn’t been enough money to rebuild. The great poison master Chiyo and several other notable figures left the city for work, usually to send their earnings back home. And though Chiyo was old, her intellect was a rare prize. Her only competitor and ally was Tsunade. Living in different parts of Konoha, Tsunade usually received foreign herbs and remedies through trade, and Chiyo lay dominance to the city’s natural ingredients, to the annoyance of her mentor.
As Sakura continued along the beaten road, the wind slowly depleted as the thick forest closed in. The light appeared emerald and dewy from patches of sunlight on greenery. It was quite beautiful, this transition between summer and fall.
Almost so beautiful, she hadn’t noticed the wolf crossing her path. Freezing, her green eyes widened in fear at the massively terrifying creature. Larger than expected for wolves, it was covered head to tail in a single shade of silver, shining in the dappled sunbeams. Surprising eyes were a dark black, and a discolored slash of fur looked like a scar down the left eye.
A very distinctive animal.
They were both frozen; Sakura on the main path, the wolf crossing along a game trail. Belatedly, the girl considered signs of aggression and found none. If anything, the expression on the wolf’s face could be called surprised. Its mouth was slightly ajar, ears pricked but not entirely directed towards her, and tail at mid-height.
Slowly, it placed one frozen paw back on the ground and continued along its path. The eyes never left her, and as they passed under a spot of light she was struck by the fact that they weren’t black, but a deep shade of blue. The wolf continued on its way, the only evidence of its presence being the light claw marks in the hard ground and rustle of grass that could’ve been the wind.
Sakura released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. That was the first time she had come across a predator in Konoha woods. She forced trembling legs to continue on, figuring it wouldn’t be the last. Her pace was a step quicker from the adrenaline coursing through her veins, though she resisted running in case more wolves were about.
That had been quite exciting, if she thought honestly, because the wolf had been a truly magnificent creature.
Usually it took fifteen minutes to reach old lady Chiyo’s cottage; at her new pace it took under ten. The place was pleasant enough, round in architecture with a garden to the right, which might have been quaint if Sakura didn’t already know that each herb in that ground could kill a man with the right adjustment.
“Chiyo-baa-sama!” she called evenly to announce her presence, “Your order’s arrived.” Green painted nails flinched as the door knob swung open before her touch.
“Sakura! How good of you to see me!” For being a rather stooped woman with gnarled knuckles and sagging cheeks, Chiyo was enthusiastically spry. Since their first meeting where Sakura had saved her nephew, Kankurou, with a cure made from her own ingenuity, Chiyo had looked forward to aggravating her rival and having the pleasant girl over for company.
But the apprentice became uneasy when Chiyo suddenly became still, and just as Sakura worried the woman had a stroke, Chiyo’s face turned both worried and irate. “Get inside, Sakura.”
Unable to help herself, she realized the old woman wasn’t looking at her and turned about face whilst pressing her back to the door frame. And there it was the very same wolf. Staring with the same blue eyes with such intensity, she couldn’t look away. Chiyo called her name twice before she regained her senses and slipped inside the house.
The door was slammed with surprising strength while Sakura recovered her breath yet again. Not only was the lock latched, Chiyo slid a heavy board of wood to further bolt the door. Green eyes stared in shock, surely that wasn’t all for a wolf?
Her companion huffed before muttering darkly under her breath, “Just like his father.” She hustled across to the kitchen where a bubbling pot was close to boiling over on the stove. Sakura narrowed her eyes, finally retrieving the parcel within her bag for the woman.
“You know that… Him?” her sentence changed upon realizing how the woman called him. Apparently, he wasn’t just any wolf if Chiyo knew him. After lowering the heat on her brew, said woman turned a shrewd eye on her.
Sakura was unnerved as the old woman snatched her package with an attitude of annoyance, “So you’re one of the rare few who saw him, huh?”
“Just today,” Sakura felt quick to interrupt, defensive, but unsure why.
“He’s just an old soldier, unable to settle down,” Chiyo finished, though the apprentice wondered if she didn’t imagine the old crone keep muttering, “Or leave me alone…”
Coming to what she was unsure was the proper conclusion, her pink head turned to peer out the corner of a window. The wolf was gone. Goosebumps crept up her arms, “Are you saying, it’s a spirit?” A startled squeak escaped her throat when she heard pawing at the door she was near. For a moment, Sakura wasn’t sure she hadn’t scared herself.
“Can spirits do that,” cackled the old woman. Chiyo appeared to partially enjoy Sakura’s nervous behavior, but mostly held annoyance for the creature at the door, “What do you want?” she called.
As Sakura thought about it further, the scratching at the door had occurred as if with three knocks. An oppressive silence filled the seconds before Chiyo yet again cackled, “I’m not letting you in by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.” The apprentice wondered privately if the woman was going insane. The wolf must’ve been uninterested because he gave a low rumbling growl. It sounded oddly non-threatening.
“Bah!” Sakura flinched as the crone threw up her hands and came to the door, “Fine! But you know our deal, I’m not letting you in again tonight if you go out.” Chiyo pushed back the wood and unlocked the door, frightening the girl by allowing the large silver wolf into her home. What was the old broad thinking? Already Sakura had her back to the wall, though the home owner seemed unconcerned while she closed and locked the door once more, “Well? What is it?”
But the wolf couldn’t speak and sat comfortably on the rug, tilting its head at the insane woman. Blue eyes blinked slowly, and Sakura was struck by a sudden human intelligence the creature held. Unknowingly, the girl’s body started to relax, though she stayed leaning against the wall, “Chiyo-baa-sama…”
“Oh, calm down child, he’s no more wolf than he is spirit.” The poison specialist was back to stirring her pot, adding bits and pinches of whatever had been on her private parcel. Her statement confused Sakura, who instinctively turned to the subject in question, trying to find the answer.
Thinking hard on it, Sakura could think of no other real creature the animal could be but a wolf, “Anou…” squinting green eyes against his blue glare, she wondered at how Chiyo had spoken with the beast, “Does he talk?”
“Only at night,” came the distracted answer. The apprenticed turned, exasperated, to the old woman.
“Chiyo-baa-sama, please!”
A wheezy sigh escaped the woman’s lips. The stooped broad turned and stared slowly between the wolf and the apprentice, “Fine, but first I have to see what he wants.” Obligingly, Chiyo stepped in front of the wolf. Sakura was growing both worried and anxious, since the woman was getting closer in behavior to what her mentor often named her: a witch. The silver fur gave no ruffle, eyes no reaction, and Chiyo let out a frustrated huff, “What? No clue?”
A harsh banging slammed the door in its frame. Both women jumped a foot in the air, while the beast suddenly raised its hackles, looking completely vicious with pulled back lips, white teeth sharp, and high tail.
“Grandmother?”
Chiyo seemed to freeze then tremble as some incredible fear came across her face. She hadn’t replaced the wooden bolt. Another round of pounding shook the door before the scared woman muttered the girl’s name. Stunned out of her fear, Sakura ran to the door to replace the board, only to be flung backwards as the lock finally gave in under one last bang.
Her breath escaped in a whoosh as she felt her ribs and spine bruise on the hardwood floors. The wolf and old woman were closer to the entrance, where two tall black cloaked men stood. A redhead entered first, letting the blond grin and stand in the doorway.
“So, this is grandmother’s house, yea.” The insane glint in the eyes of the man with long blond hair had Sakura momentarily trembling. Then she realized the quiet, doll faced man with short red hair was more dangerous. He was who old lady Chiyo stared at with such terror and regret.
“Sasori…” A loud snarl ripped through the women’s stunned features, drawing them back to reality. These men didn’t come here for food and shelter. They broke down the door. And the wolf had been ready for their presence.
“Chiyo-sama!” Sakura shouted, rushing the closest male with the strength trained fighter stance her mentor had instructed her in. But the apprentice lost her breath again as the old woman threw her out of the way before the man she named Sasori could throw down a hidden black iron hammer from beneath his cloak.
“Oh~ Let me help, Sasori-” the blond was cut off by a scream curdling from his mouth. The massive silver wolf launched itself upon him, teeth gripping upon his elbow. Sakura could hear the sickening crunch as the beast’s jaw snapped bone and fangs ripped tendons. The hammer wielding man turned to assess the damage, and possibly need for help. But his partner stopped screaming and started slamming his other fist upon the wolf’s head, “Stupid! Fucking! Beast!”
Seizing the moment, Sakura hauled ass to the still boiling pot Chiyo had been stirring. Whatever it was didn’t register to the apprentice, all that mattered was that it was hot, heavy, and could work as a defense against the man’s hammer. For the first time in her short life, Sakura noticed how fearful and small Chiyo appeared sprawled across the floor in her shawls.
Blood blossomed on the wolf’s silvery head. Sasori was turning towards her, hearing her footfalls and splash of liquid too late as Sakura threw the entire batch against the man’s chest and face. He gave a short howl, making his partner pause in shock before releasing his own scream when the wolf released his tourniquet. The animal lunged further for the man’s neck, missing only as the man launched himself backwards. White teeth latched onto the bicep of his working arm, following him down.
Sasori lifted his hammer in detached anger, slamming it heavily upon Sakura’s copper defense. The pot dented inwards as she held it lengthwise above her head. Several blows rained upon her and the apprentice was unable to think of a decent offense that wouldn’t otherwise leave her incapacitated from a single blow of that heavy weapon.
“Grandson…” The weak voice stilled the man’s strikes, just as Sakura fell to one knee. His metal hits had vibrated through her arms, breaking down her nerves. Her breath was shallow and her eyes lit upon her enemy just in time to see him come alight.
Literally. The man was on fire.
He wasn’t screaming. Just staring through the flames at Chiyo who had gathered her courage. She held a match and old aerosol can.
The women were startled from their reverie as the wolf was flung off his prey, sprawling next to Sakura with a truly angry snarl. She shivered and watched as the blond gave a wail of fury, clutching his barely attached elbow with his other arm, already soaked with blood.
“I won’t forget this, yea, you old witch!”
A sigh of relief escaped Sakura, fingers unconsciously reaching for the silver ruff of her fighting companion. Chiyo’s grandson fell to the floor, though only he stayed alight. Chiyo seemed to ignore the fleeing man, and Sakura wasn’t inclined to chase him down.
“I had been working on a poison absorbed through skin. Without the finishing herbs it is a highly volatile accelerant.”
Low flames continued to dance across the man’s dead figure. Sakura leaned further on the beast as her eyes glazed over. She uttered the woman’s name in concern. The wolf hung his head low, ears tilted to listen to their voices, “He’s my boy’s son. My grandson. A soldier turned criminal after his parents died. It’s nobody’s fault.”
Green eyes closed at the woman’s admission. A little piece of private history brought about by a man they had no idea why would want to harm the last of his family. Then again, perhaps that was too private to be uttered in company.
Chiyo heaved a great sigh, before sagging into an old chair nearby, “Put the body outside. I’ll ask you to have the undertaker’s men come out here to set up a funeral pyre tomorrow.” Sakura looked upon the corpse once more and found the chemical flames worn down. Swallowing, she pulled a pair of gloves from beneath her cloak. Belatedly realizing silver hairs clung to her hands she wiped them on her black pant legs before slipping the gloves on.
She only noticed the wolf helping her when she looked up from the burned leggings. Bloodied fur rose from beneath the man’s shoulder, Sakura noticed the wolf carefully balance the man-no… In death he looked peaceful, even boyish. He looked young.
Swallowing thickly, the apprentice hefted the legs as high as the wolf’s back, nearly reaching her waist and followed his lead as they exited around the unhinged door. They left him beside the garden, and Sakura hoped the night wasn’t particularly wet.
Her pink head only lifted from her numb and depressed state when she heard Chiyo prattling in the kitchen, “I’m making dinner. Stay the night, will you?”
“Yes, Chiyo-baa-sama.” Sakura couldn’t deny her. She’d only settled herself on the arm of the couch when she noticed the wolf’s fur was covered in small pieces of burnt cloth and flesh and the fur of his head was matted with blood. Working on autopilot with a need to put her shaking hands to work after the unusual turn of what were everyday events, Sakura grabbed a wet cloth from around Chiyo’s work space.
She was slightly surprised the wolf let her work the cloth and her fingers through his silky fur. He sat still as death, only slightly shivering when the cloth reached his head. Sakura found the few abrasions and cuts the blond man’s knuckles had made and requested a needle and suture.
“Hmph. Don’t bother, he’ll heal at sun down.” She bit her bottom pink lip at the crone’s answer and though she looked worriedly at the no longer bleeding wounds, Sakura accepted the words. In spite of still not understanding their meaning. Her fingers wove into the shiny, silver again, fur and a slow smile appeared on her face as the wolf gave a low rumble in pleasure when she scratched behind his ears.
From the smell, Chiyo had left another pot on the stove of stew for their dinner. The old woman returned to the chair she had collapsed in before. The curious side of Sakura wanted to ask the full story of the young man they had jointly killed in defense of their lives, but the healer side of her resisted, knowing old wounds when she saw them.
“He really was an old soldier, you know,” but apparently the wolf was a safer topic, “I knew his father, and the boy is a spitting image of him,” said soldier’s ears tilted downwards in a displeased fashion, eyes narrowing on the woman, “Think what you like, you really are just like him.”
Sakura gave a small smile at their interaction, weariness delaying the strangeness of it all. Then she gave a thoughtful frown, “But Chiyo-baa-sama, you said he’s not a wolf. He obviously isn’t human.” The contradictory sentences felt strange on her tongue and she reached for the animal’s thick neck fur to splay her fingers through. The wolf gave a slight shiver then pulled away to lie across the rug.
“Ah, Sakura-chan…” The old woman gave a slow, knowing smile, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Green eyes were directed again to the wolf who snorted quietly before nosing his muzzle between his paws as if in irritation that he couldn’t pitch in to the conversation.
It was then in the dimming light that Sakura’s tired mind made a sudden leap, quick enough to call an epiphany. ‘Only at night’… ‘Sun down’… Her lips parted, eyes widening, and then hurriedly looked outside through the small window. Tonight the faint image of the half moon was visible above the forest line while the sun’s golden glow continued to descend.
“But…” Sakura hadn’t noticed Chiyo move from the chair. As her head turned back around, the old woman was heading towards her small walled off bedroom. It only held her bed, wardrobe, and important chests, consisting of a quarter of the cottage itself.
The poison master’s voice was incredibly jaded, Sakura thought as Chiyo said over her shoulder, “Help yourself to dinner, then save the leftovers, will you.” The old hags never did make requests, only orders. Something that strangely endeared them to the confused apprentice.
“Yes, Chiyo-baa-sama.”
Chapter: Little Red Riding Hood
An exasperated sigh left her lips, the woman-child considering the task before her. Why couldn’t those two old women get along? After all this time, and the war long over, couldn’t they see eye to eye?
Green eyes closed in relaxation, feeling the sun’s warmth against her bubblegum pink hair. At least it was a good day for traveling. Only the slightest autumn chill could be felt on the wind, obligating her use of her favorite red cloak. Pulling the hood above her head, the apprentice named Sakura tucked her parcel back into the bag which swung from her arm under the cloak.
“That poisonous witch ordered some items; I’ll need you to deliver them.”
“Um… Tsunade-sama, shouldn’t she come in like all customers. You said we don’t do-”
“I refuse to see that hag in my store, Sakura. You know that!”
“Yes, Tsunade-sama…”
Stupid, bitter, old hags was right. When it came to the two of them, Tsunade and Chiyo would rather bite their tongues than be in the same room. Deciding that any longer and her mentor would complain that Chiyo had kept her long on purpose, Sakura started her journey through the short wooded land.
Since the end of the Great War, Chiyo’s home city had been partially destroyed and there hadn’t been enough money to rebuild. The great poison master Chiyo and several other notable figures left the city for work, usually to send their earnings back home. And though Chiyo was old, her intellect was a rare prize. Her only competitor and ally was Tsunade. Living in different parts of Konoha, Tsunade usually received foreign herbs and remedies through trade, and Chiyo lay dominance to the city’s natural ingredients, to the annoyance of her mentor.
As Sakura continued along the beaten road, the wind slowly depleted as the thick forest closed in. The light appeared emerald and dewy from patches of sunlight on greenery. It was quite beautiful, this transition between summer and fall.
Almost so beautiful, she hadn’t noticed the wolf crossing her path. Freezing, her green eyes widened in fear at the massively terrifying creature. Larger than expected for wolves, it was covered head to tail in a single shade of silver, shining in the dappled sunbeams. Surprising eyes were a dark black, and a discolored slash of fur looked like a scar down the left eye.
A very distinctive animal.
They were both frozen; Sakura on the main path, the wolf crossing along a game trail. Belatedly, the girl considered signs of aggression and found none. If anything, the expression on the wolf’s face could be called surprised. Its mouth was slightly ajar, ears pricked but not entirely directed towards her, and tail at mid-height.
Slowly, it placed one frozen paw back on the ground and continued along its path. The eyes never left her, and as they passed under a spot of light she was struck by the fact that they weren’t black, but a deep shade of blue. The wolf continued on its way, the only evidence of its presence being the light claw marks in the hard ground and rustle of grass that could’ve been the wind.
Sakura released a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. That was the first time she had come across a predator in Konoha woods. She forced trembling legs to continue on, figuring it wouldn’t be the last. Her pace was a step quicker from the adrenaline coursing through her veins, though she resisted running in case more wolves were about.
That had been quite exciting, if she thought honestly, because the wolf had been a truly magnificent creature.
Usually it took fifteen minutes to reach old lady Chiyo’s cottage; at her new pace it took under ten. The place was pleasant enough, round in architecture with a garden to the right, which might have been quaint if Sakura didn’t already know that each herb in that ground could kill a man with the right adjustment.
“Chiyo-baa-sama!” she called evenly to announce her presence, “Your order’s arrived.” Green painted nails flinched as the door knob swung open before her touch.
“Sakura! How good of you to see me!” For being a rather stooped woman with gnarled knuckles and sagging cheeks, Chiyo was enthusiastically spry. Since their first meeting where Sakura had saved her nephew, Kankurou, with a cure made from her own ingenuity, Chiyo had looked forward to aggravating her rival and having the pleasant girl over for company.
But the apprentice became uneasy when Chiyo suddenly became still, and just as Sakura worried the woman had a stroke, Chiyo’s face turned both worried and irate. “Get inside, Sakura.”
Unable to help herself, she realized the old woman wasn’t looking at her and turned about face whilst pressing her back to the door frame. And there it was the very same wolf. Staring with the same blue eyes with such intensity, she couldn’t look away. Chiyo called her name twice before she regained her senses and slipped inside the house.
The door was slammed with surprising strength while Sakura recovered her breath yet again. Not only was the lock latched, Chiyo slid a heavy board of wood to further bolt the door. Green eyes stared in shock, surely that wasn’t all for a wolf?
Her companion huffed before muttering darkly under her breath, “Just like his father.” She hustled across to the kitchen where a bubbling pot was close to boiling over on the stove. Sakura narrowed her eyes, finally retrieving the parcel within her bag for the woman.
“You know that… Him?” her sentence changed upon realizing how the woman called him. Apparently, he wasn’t just any wolf if Chiyo knew him. After lowering the heat on her brew, said woman turned a shrewd eye on her.
Sakura was unnerved as the old woman snatched her package with an attitude of annoyance, “So you’re one of the rare few who saw him, huh?”
“Just today,” Sakura felt quick to interrupt, defensive, but unsure why.
“He’s just an old soldier, unable to settle down,” Chiyo finished, though the apprentice wondered if she didn’t imagine the old crone keep muttering, “Or leave me alone…”
Coming to what she was unsure was the proper conclusion, her pink head turned to peer out the corner of a window. The wolf was gone. Goosebumps crept up her arms, “Are you saying, it’s a spirit?” A startled squeak escaped her throat when she heard pawing at the door she was near. For a moment, Sakura wasn’t sure she hadn’t scared herself.
“Can spirits do that,” cackled the old woman. Chiyo appeared to partially enjoy Sakura’s nervous behavior, but mostly held annoyance for the creature at the door, “What do you want?” she called.
As Sakura thought about it further, the scratching at the door had occurred as if with three knocks. An oppressive silence filled the seconds before Chiyo yet again cackled, “I’m not letting you in by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin.” The apprentice wondered privately if the woman was going insane. The wolf must’ve been uninterested because he gave a low rumbling growl. It sounded oddly non-threatening.
“Bah!” Sakura flinched as the crone threw up her hands and came to the door, “Fine! But you know our deal, I’m not letting you in again tonight if you go out.” Chiyo pushed back the wood and unlocked the door, frightening the girl by allowing the large silver wolf into her home. What was the old broad thinking? Already Sakura had her back to the wall, though the home owner seemed unconcerned while she closed and locked the door once more, “Well? What is it?”
But the wolf couldn’t speak and sat comfortably on the rug, tilting its head at the insane woman. Blue eyes blinked slowly, and Sakura was struck by a sudden human intelligence the creature held. Unknowingly, the girl’s body started to relax, though she stayed leaning against the wall, “Chiyo-baa-sama…”
“Oh, calm down child, he’s no more wolf than he is spirit.” The poison specialist was back to stirring her pot, adding bits and pinches of whatever had been on her private parcel. Her statement confused Sakura, who instinctively turned to the subject in question, trying to find the answer.
Thinking hard on it, Sakura could think of no other real creature the animal could be but a wolf, “Anou…” squinting green eyes against his blue glare, she wondered at how Chiyo had spoken with the beast, “Does he talk?”
“Only at night,” came the distracted answer. The apprenticed turned, exasperated, to the old woman.
“Chiyo-baa-sama, please!”
A wheezy sigh escaped the woman’s lips. The stooped broad turned and stared slowly between the wolf and the apprentice, “Fine, but first I have to see what he wants.” Obligingly, Chiyo stepped in front of the wolf. Sakura was growing both worried and anxious, since the woman was getting closer in behavior to what her mentor often named her: a witch. The silver fur gave no ruffle, eyes no reaction, and Chiyo let out a frustrated huff, “What? No clue?”
A harsh banging slammed the door in its frame. Both women jumped a foot in the air, while the beast suddenly raised its hackles, looking completely vicious with pulled back lips, white teeth sharp, and high tail.
“Grandmother?”
Chiyo seemed to freeze then tremble as some incredible fear came across her face. She hadn’t replaced the wooden bolt. Another round of pounding shook the door before the scared woman muttered the girl’s name. Stunned out of her fear, Sakura ran to the door to replace the board, only to be flung backwards as the lock finally gave in under one last bang.
Her breath escaped in a whoosh as she felt her ribs and spine bruise on the hardwood floors. The wolf and old woman were closer to the entrance, where two tall black cloaked men stood. A redhead entered first, letting the blond grin and stand in the doorway.
“So, this is grandmother’s house, yea.” The insane glint in the eyes of the man with long blond hair had Sakura momentarily trembling. Then she realized the quiet, doll faced man with short red hair was more dangerous. He was who old lady Chiyo stared at with such terror and regret.
“Sasori…” A loud snarl ripped through the women’s stunned features, drawing them back to reality. These men didn’t come here for food and shelter. They broke down the door. And the wolf had been ready for their presence.
“Chiyo-sama!” Sakura shouted, rushing the closest male with the strength trained fighter stance her mentor had instructed her in. But the apprentice lost her breath again as the old woman threw her out of the way before the man she named Sasori could throw down a hidden black iron hammer from beneath his cloak.
“Oh~ Let me help, Sasori-” the blond was cut off by a scream curdling from his mouth. The massive silver wolf launched itself upon him, teeth gripping upon his elbow. Sakura could hear the sickening crunch as the beast’s jaw snapped bone and fangs ripped tendons. The hammer wielding man turned to assess the damage, and possibly need for help. But his partner stopped screaming and started slamming his other fist upon the wolf’s head, “Stupid! Fucking! Beast!”
Seizing the moment, Sakura hauled ass to the still boiling pot Chiyo had been stirring. Whatever it was didn’t register to the apprentice, all that mattered was that it was hot, heavy, and could work as a defense against the man’s hammer. For the first time in her short life, Sakura noticed how fearful and small Chiyo appeared sprawled across the floor in her shawls.
Blood blossomed on the wolf’s silvery head. Sasori was turning towards her, hearing her footfalls and splash of liquid too late as Sakura threw the entire batch against the man’s chest and face. He gave a short howl, making his partner pause in shock before releasing his own scream when the wolf released his tourniquet. The animal lunged further for the man’s neck, missing only as the man launched himself backwards. White teeth latched onto the bicep of his working arm, following him down.
Sasori lifted his hammer in detached anger, slamming it heavily upon Sakura’s copper defense. The pot dented inwards as she held it lengthwise above her head. Several blows rained upon her and the apprentice was unable to think of a decent offense that wouldn’t otherwise leave her incapacitated from a single blow of that heavy weapon.
“Grandson…” The weak voice stilled the man’s strikes, just as Sakura fell to one knee. His metal hits had vibrated through her arms, breaking down her nerves. Her breath was shallow and her eyes lit upon her enemy just in time to see him come alight.
Literally. The man was on fire.
He wasn’t screaming. Just staring through the flames at Chiyo who had gathered her courage. She held a match and old aerosol can.
The women were startled from their reverie as the wolf was flung off his prey, sprawling next to Sakura with a truly angry snarl. She shivered and watched as the blond gave a wail of fury, clutching his barely attached elbow with his other arm, already soaked with blood.
“I won’t forget this, yea, you old witch!”
A sigh of relief escaped Sakura, fingers unconsciously reaching for the silver ruff of her fighting companion. Chiyo’s grandson fell to the floor, though only he stayed alight. Chiyo seemed to ignore the fleeing man, and Sakura wasn’t inclined to chase him down.
“I had been working on a poison absorbed through skin. Without the finishing herbs it is a highly volatile accelerant.”
Low flames continued to dance across the man’s dead figure. Sakura leaned further on the beast as her eyes glazed over. She uttered the woman’s name in concern. The wolf hung his head low, ears tilted to listen to their voices, “He’s my boy’s son. My grandson. A soldier turned criminal after his parents died. It’s nobody’s fault.”
Green eyes closed at the woman’s admission. A little piece of private history brought about by a man they had no idea why would want to harm the last of his family. Then again, perhaps that was too private to be uttered in company.
Chiyo heaved a great sigh, before sagging into an old chair nearby, “Put the body outside. I’ll ask you to have the undertaker’s men come out here to set up a funeral pyre tomorrow.” Sakura looked upon the corpse once more and found the chemical flames worn down. Swallowing, she pulled a pair of gloves from beneath her cloak. Belatedly realizing silver hairs clung to her hands she wiped them on her black pant legs before slipping the gloves on.
She only noticed the wolf helping her when she looked up from the burned leggings. Bloodied fur rose from beneath the man’s shoulder, Sakura noticed the wolf carefully balance the man-no… In death he looked peaceful, even boyish. He looked young.
Swallowing thickly, the apprentice hefted the legs as high as the wolf’s back, nearly reaching her waist and followed his lead as they exited around the unhinged door. They left him beside the garden, and Sakura hoped the night wasn’t particularly wet.
Her pink head only lifted from her numb and depressed state when she heard Chiyo prattling in the kitchen, “I’m making dinner. Stay the night, will you?”
“Yes, Chiyo-baa-sama.” Sakura couldn’t deny her. She’d only settled herself on the arm of the couch when she noticed the wolf’s fur was covered in small pieces of burnt cloth and flesh and the fur of his head was matted with blood. Working on autopilot with a need to put her shaking hands to work after the unusual turn of what were everyday events, Sakura grabbed a wet cloth from around Chiyo’s work space.
She was slightly surprised the wolf let her work the cloth and her fingers through his silky fur. He sat still as death, only slightly shivering when the cloth reached his head. Sakura found the few abrasions and cuts the blond man’s knuckles had made and requested a needle and suture.
“Hmph. Don’t bother, he’ll heal at sun down.” She bit her bottom pink lip at the crone’s answer and though she looked worriedly at the no longer bleeding wounds, Sakura accepted the words. In spite of still not understanding their meaning. Her fingers wove into the shiny, silver again, fur and a slow smile appeared on her face as the wolf gave a low rumble in pleasure when she scratched behind his ears.
From the smell, Chiyo had left another pot on the stove of stew for their dinner. The old woman returned to the chair she had collapsed in before. The curious side of Sakura wanted to ask the full story of the young man they had jointly killed in defense of their lives, but the healer side of her resisted, knowing old wounds when she saw them.
“He really was an old soldier, you know,” but apparently the wolf was a safer topic, “I knew his father, and the boy is a spitting image of him,” said soldier’s ears tilted downwards in a displeased fashion, eyes narrowing on the woman, “Think what you like, you really are just like him.”
Sakura gave a small smile at their interaction, weariness delaying the strangeness of it all. Then she gave a thoughtful frown, “But Chiyo-baa-sama, you said he’s not a wolf. He obviously isn’t human.” The contradictory sentences felt strange on her tongue and she reached for the animal’s thick neck fur to splay her fingers through. The wolf gave a slight shiver then pulled away to lie across the rug.
“Ah, Sakura-chan…” The old woman gave a slow, knowing smile, “Never judge a book by its cover.” Green eyes were directed again to the wolf who snorted quietly before nosing his muzzle between his paws as if in irritation that he couldn’t pitch in to the conversation.
It was then in the dimming light that Sakura’s tired mind made a sudden leap, quick enough to call an epiphany. ‘Only at night’… ‘Sun down’… Her lips parted, eyes widening, and then hurriedly looked outside through the small window. Tonight the faint image of the half moon was visible above the forest line while the sun’s golden glow continued to descend.
“But…” Sakura hadn’t noticed Chiyo move from the chair. As her head turned back around, the old woman was heading towards her small walled off bedroom. It only held her bed, wardrobe, and important chests, consisting of a quarter of the cottage itself.
The poison master’s voice was incredibly jaded, Sakura thought as Chiyo said over her shoulder, “Help yourself to dinner, then save the leftovers, will you.” The old hags never did make requests, only orders. Something that strangely endeared them to the confused apprentice.
“Yes, Chiyo-baa-sama.”