City of Night

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Animals!"

"Vermin!"

"Trespassers!"

The Druids bristled and snarled at the insults and Sakura, Tenten, Hinata and the Sand Siblings were the only thing keeping fighting from breaking out between the two races on opposite sides of them.

"Enough!" Temari barked and the two groups fell silent but continued to glare at one another with open hostility.

"What is this, Sakura? Druids don't belong in vampire territory!" someone shouted. "How could you bring them here?" Someone else demanded loudly from the crowd of vampires and Sakura growled from low in her throat, glaring at the Sand's inhabitants with narrowed and deadly eyes.

"Have you forgotten," She said loudly, sharp canines bared and emerald eyes scanning the pale and pretty faces in front of her, "That we are at war? And that this war," she pointed to the Druids grouped behind her, "Isn't with them?" Neither group could come up with a reply and watched Sakura with suddenly wide eyes as she continued.

"Would it not be logical to accept the help of the Druids when the Sand is the only Hidden Village not under Ino Yamanaka's control? When we are so obviously outnumbered? When we are only Village left against four others?" Sakura looked over at Temari and Kankuro and saw that they were watching her, and that their faces held nothing but respect and pride.

"Have you forgotten," she said in a low voice. "That your Kazekage was a Druid before he was made into a vampire against his will?" The Druids hissed in acknowledgement from behind her and murmuring broke out amongst the vampires. "Yet you all still managed to accept him, and that the Kazekage before him's wife was a Druid."

Sakura gestured at herself. "I am human and yet you all still came to accept me as a friend and ally when I am neither a vampire nor a Druid."

Naruto stepped out of the crowd and moved to stand beside her, his face serious, and Sakura took his hand and pointed at the vampire group in front of her with her free hand as Tenten, Hinata, Kankuro and Temari also joined her side. "Vampires are our enemy in this war. Ino Yamanaka is a vampire. The Druid's are our allies. Learn to accept them or accept defeat."

There was a stunned and shocked silence before finally Baki, a vampire of the Sand, and Minato, the Chief of the Druids, both stepped forward, expressions humble. Baki extended his hand and Sakura smiled when Minato took it firmly and the two shook hands, sealing the first alliance between the two races since times long forgotten.

"That was amazing, Sakura," Tenten said in awe, "You just ended a one thousand year feud in a matter of minutes."

Sakura shrugged as she watched the two groups become a single group as both races started curious and nervous conversations with each other. "I only told them the truth, and besides, the Druids were already prepared to bury the hatchet. The vampires just needed the push."

"So what do we do now, Sakura Haruno?" Baki and Minato were looking at her now with serious and grave expressions which Sakura returned when she replied in a low voice. "First, we train and prepare for battle."

"And second?" Naruto asked and Sakura's eyes darkened at the thought of what was to come, all eyes were on her now.

"We make the first move."

xxxxxxx

"It's been a week since the death of the Kazekage," Ino hissed to her father and Mei Terumi watched with mild amusement at the disrespect the Yamanaka child was showing to her father, her elder. "Why hasn't Sakura done anything yet?"