What Will Be

Chapter 34

"AKIO!" Mitsuki ran towards the red-haired girl as quickly as he could, quickly wrapping his arms around her and pulling her away from the woman from the festival. He glanced down to see Sakura unconscious on the floor.

Boruto snarled at the woman, already forming the sign for making shadow clones. But the woman didn't react. She just stared at Akio in shock.

Boruto and Mitsuki watched dumbfounded as the woman fell to her knees, tears running down her face. "Akio."

The woman didn't even notice the other boys. It was as if she and Akio were the only ones in the room. She reached out, but when Mitsuki flinched back she stopped. "Please. Akio. My love." Boruto and the thirty-something shadow clones he conjured stood awkwardly as Mitsuki glared.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want with Akio?"

Now the woman turned to acknowledge Mitsuki. She shook her head, voice coming out choked. "My name is Davina. I'm her mother."

It was as if those words lit a lightbulb in Akio's head because right then she began to squirm. Mitsuki frowned. "Akio? Are you sure?" The girl nodded at Mitsuki, and so he let her go.

Akio ran to Davina, who welcomed her with open arms, clutching onto her for dear life. Davina started sobbing into Akio's shirt while Mitsuki and Boruto shared a look.

She pulled away to rub her thumbs on Akios cheeks, looking up at her with panicked eyes. "Are you ok? Are you hurt? Have they been hurting you?"

Akio frowned. "Mitsuki is nice. And so are the others." She scowled at her mom, tears welling in her eyes. "I missed you. Why'd you leave?"

Davina took a deep breath, bringing Akio in once more to hug her. "I'm so sorry baby, mommy had no choice."

The two shared a moment of silence before all of a sudden Davina was pulled back by her hair. Boruto and Mitsuki jumped into action, both of them grabbing the startled Akio and pulling her back.

Sakura scowled from behind the woman, pressing a kunai against her neck. Davina looked up to meet a fiery glare. She smiled with sad eyes. "Thank you for letting me see her."

Sakura didn't respond. "I'm going to kill you for what you did."

"NO!" Akio screamed, trying to yank herself out of Boruto and Mitsukis' grip. But they held on tight, and the girl fell to the ground crying.

Davina nodded with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She looked with sorrowful eyes at her daughter. "Before you do, can a dying woman make a final request?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Davina took a deep breath. "Can you have your village's best Fuinjustu master look at her?"

Sakura said nothing, merely shoving the bottom of the kunai into her neck. Davina slumped to the ground while Akio kicked and screamed.

Sakura muttered a jutsu under her breath, and Akio's eyes fluttered closed, the girl falling into a deep sleep.

Mitsuki lifted her up to carry her in his arms, glaring at Sakura. He disappeared quickly after, Boruto following with a grimace.

Sakura rubbed the bridge of her nose. What a mess she had gotten herself into.

~*~

"You want me to what?"

Naruto stared at Sakura as if she had grown two heads. "I can't do that. She nearly killed Kiba! Have you forgotten?"

Sakura grit her teeth, frustrated. "I know! I know! But I truly don't think she's a threat!" Naruto shook his head. "Hell no. That's not happening."

"You don't have to pardon her or anything! All I'm asking is she gets put on house arrest or something like that instead of being killed or thrown in the torture chamber again!"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry Sakura. We can't risk it, it's too dangerous."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You mean like how it was too dangerous for Sasuke to come back because he was a rogue nin?"

Naruto glared at her. "Don't go there. It's different." Sakura crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oh really? How so?"

"Well, first of all, we don't know her."

"I was pretty damn sure I didn't know Sasuke anymore when he left the village."

Naruto grit his teeth. "She's not a Konoha nin."

The woman hummed, tapping her chin. "I wonder who else gave up the Konoha nin status?"

"She could kill all of us at any given moment. She's working for Orochimaru."

Sakura laughed. "That's bullshit and you know it. I can't believe you just said that." Naruto shook his head. "Everyone would be against it."

"Yea, but has that ever stopped you before?"

The two adults stared at each other, neither of them backing down. Finally, Naruto turned away, sighing. "Talk to Hinata about it. If you somehow manage to convince her, I'll allow it."

Sakura took a deep breath. "Fine."

~*~

"Fuck no."

The door was promptly slammed in her face. Sakura sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Hinata?" Sakura pleaded. "Please just hear me out."

A muffled voice came from behind the door. "It sounds like to me you're trying to convince me to let off easy someone who kidnapped my husband and stabbed him in front of a hundred people, so no."

Sakura groaned. "Please Hinata. I promise you I'll take full responsibility for whatever happens. I won't let anything happen to anyone, I swear."

The other woman scoffed. "What are you, going to manage her 24/7?"

"Yes."

A moment of silence passed and then Sakura could hear the audible click of a lock opening. Hinata was glaring at her, fury reflected in the tense way she stood. "I can't believe this. You like her."

Sakura flushed. "No, I-"

"You like this woman. Need I remind you that she tried to kill all three of us? She was going to try and kill Naruto." Sakura sighed. "She was doing it for her daughter."

Hinata frowned, and Sakura pressed on.

"What would you have done if it were Himawari in the same situation? You would have done anything you could to protect her, even siding with Orochimaru."

Hinata narrowed her eyes at her. "I would have beaten the shit out of him."

"With Himawari at knifepoint, and a seal on her that would kill her from the inside out the minute you turn against him?"

"What?" Hinata's eyes were wide, her eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Akio? She...?"

Sakura nodded. "I took a look at her condition after locking Davina up. It's... really bad."

Hinata shook her head. "Poor girl." Sakura looked expectantly at her. Hinata sighed. "Poor Davina."

"Alright, fine. But I deserve at least ten free hits for what she did to me." Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She laughed in relief, wrapping her arms around Hinata in a tight hug, who returned it with a soft smile.

OooOOoOOoOo looks like some questions are aboutta get answered.