Darkest Before Dawn

Their Similarity

   Sixteen year old Sakura walked into Ayumu Alley in Grass Country with a feeling that she didn't belong there. This decently sized town was completely filled with people and 'adult' enterprises. Sakura chuckled to herself. Hidan would have a field day in this place. She walked to the first restaurant she saw that didn't look too shady. The minute she stepped in, she spotted a black-haired woman with her head on the table and a small pig beside her, snorting in concern.

   "Excuse me... are you alright?" asked Sakura as she sat opposite the stranger. The jaded woman raised her head and offered a weary smile.

   "I'm fine, just a bit tired."

   Sakura reached into her pack and pulled out a vial filled with light blue liquid. She gestured to the half empty tea cup on the table.

   "May I?"

   The woman shook her head and watched as the teen poured out the vial's contents into the cup.

   "These are herbs I found exclusively in Yugakure." Sakura explained, "This particular concoction is supposed to relieve headaches, muscle pains, and give a quick boost of energy. Not at much as caffeine, but it's certainly the healthier alternative and it only took a few hours to make. It don't taste very good, but it'll help you get through the day. By the way, my name's Sakura Haruno."

   The older woman grasped Sakura's waiting hand.

   "I'm Shizune. Nice to meet you, Sakura-san." the woman smiled. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip of the altered tea. Shizune's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Sakura.

   "Sakura-san, do you have a another vial of that elixir?"

~

   Shizune found who she was looking for in a pachinko parlor about two hours later.

   "Tsunade-sama!!" she shrieked, "You're gambling again and wasting all your money!!!!!"

   Tsunade waved off her frazzled assisstant and continued playing.

   "Loosen up, Shizune. Have some fun, will ya? I'm only playing a small game, you should play too." the blonde said.

   "You've been playing for over two hours!"

   "That's beside the point."

   Shizune sighed and took the empty seat next to the Legendary Sucker. Tonton oinked at the black-haired woman and nuzzled her stomach, reminding her of something she had stashed in her pocket earlier. Shizune pulled out a vial from the inside pocket of her dress. She held it out to Tsunade, who looked at it with a cocked brow.

   "What's this?" Tsunade questioned. She grasped the container, took a whiff, and tried some of it, "An energy booster? And a high-quality one at that. Where'd you get this, Shizune? This kind of stuff is usually expensive because of the herbs used and the time and effort it takes to make it."

   "I thought so too. I was at a cafe and this young lady gave it to me. She told me that it only took a few hours to make. It was different than the ones I've seen in stores and it was similar to yours, Tsunade-sama. Granted, it wasn't as strong as yours would have been, but the resemblance is uncanny."

   The blonde stared at the elixir with a new found interest. It wasn't everyday that they'd come across someone who had a talent close to her own.

   "I'd like to meet this person, whoever she is. Her name, Shizune?"

   "Sakura Haruno."

~

   The aforementioned sat in a booth in a bar on the nicer side of town. She had just paid a visit to Zetsu and had been chatting with him for the past two hours. He was the same as usual and had provided her with a great abundance of rare herbs that he had grown himself. She would have spent more time with him, but he had to go on a mission. Sakura took a swig of her beer and leaned back into her seat.