Hakkenden: The ninth gem

Episode 10: A Lonely Figure

Sakura then said. "Not sure." Then Sakura started to think. 'That unique smell. I remember I had that smell once. So if anyone is running short on time.'

Arrived to the door, they opened it and it was the creepiest scene ever. There was two little old ladies and their faces were light up with a candle. Freaky.

Sakura had her hands up in front trembling. She was really scared. "Calm down Sakura. I'm pretty sure they're not spirits, monsters or demons."

"If they're not. They got to be mummies." Sakura said frighten.

Then the lady from the left said. "What this? This is most unusual for a young man and a child to pay us a visit. Are you happen to be lost or something?"

Then the other lady said. "Or, did you come to attack a pair of decrepit little old ladies?"

Then the first one said. "That's quite pathetic. If you did." The second started to laugh creepily. Which only scared Sakura more and caused her to take a step back. And run for her life out of the church. "Ahhh..."

She ran out of the church and she was now really far away from the church. "Good. God. Why couldn't they sent Shino instead of me. Twin Mummies and a spider." Then Sakura looked around her. "Where am I?"

She then turned around and heard the sound of the feet of a horse. She saw the horse and saw it was Kenpachi who was riding it.

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Sakura was riding behind Kenpachi. When Kenpachi's horse stopped for a bit. "Are you still searching for someone Asakeno?"

Sakura es hiding behind Kenpachi for not Keno to see her.

"So tell me. Who have you been patrolling the streets for?"

Keno answered him. "That's none of your concern, lieutenant." Then Asakeno spotted Sakura. "What are you doing, Sakura."

Kenpachi answered. "I found her up the road a bit. She's lost."

Then the air changed. The atmosphere actually changed. Sakura could feel it. With the help of Akiko, she could feel a shadow. Then the wind turned up. There was a man standing in front of them. When he put his cap down. He revealed his face. He was Sosuke but he missed an eye. Sakura was troubled to say the least.

The man said. "Well, then there a new look for you, Sakura. It was so long and pretty for your cute and little face."

Keno said. "Bastard." He then ran towards him. The mysterious man showed him a look of determination and said. With that Keno stopped or rather froze. "Not you're turn yet, baby boy. Unless you want to rush into death. All the players haven't taking the stage yet. However, I'm glad to see you're doing well, Sakura. I was worried what mit have happened to you way back when."

'Way back when... What does he means?' Sakura asked herself. She looked at the man like he was a mystery. She was sure at 100% that, this person isn't Sosuke.

The man then said. "So how does it feel to arbor a monster inside you?"

'How does he know that?' Sakura asked herself. Then Kenpachi pointed his sword still in it's strove.

The man then said. "If you wish hard enough it'll come true for sure." That struck Sakura. An old memory. It was before Sakura and Shino were diagnosed with their illness. It was something Sakura said to Sosuke and Shino. Only to them. "You said it. Not me. Not Shino either. Hey, see you around Sakura." With that he left. Keno ran after the direction he took.

Kenpachi then said. "He looked like Sosuke. Do you know him?"

Sakura looked at the ground and said. "No. I don't know him at all. But he knew about me. To much about me."

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Sakura ran in the Manor and past by Kaname. She decided to ignore what he had to say. She continued running towards Satomi's office.

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"There's a man that looks identical to Sosuke." Rio said surprised.

Then Sakura said. "Akiko referred to him as shadow. Sosuke hasn't any memories of his childhood. But this one sounded like he knew everything." Satomi started to think. "Come on. You noticed their were holes in Sosuke's memories. You had to expect it but what about this other guy?"

Rio then said. "It's hard to say. However, you're gonna reach the same conclusion I have. Sosuke is obviously missing half of his soul." It surprised Sakura at first. But now that she thinks about it. She noticed it at well and Rio's conclusion made a lot of sense. "It is a fact in this world. There no creature that walks this earth that can survived with only half of his soul intact. The results of not joining those halves is utter damnation to the underworld. It's been five years since the split. The only thing binding him and it's very tenuous is your's and Shino's desire to keep him among the living, Sakura."

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After the conversation between her and Satomi. She went to see Shino. She told him about the shadow and everything that Rio said to her. He was surprised but he knew that his sister would never joke about something like without a small smile. Tending on her lips.

They both agreed to not tell Sosuke.

Later that night, Shino went to see Sosuke. While Sakura was still finishing what Shino had started this morning. That's when the atmosphere changed but before she could reacted. She felt a pain in her neck that made her unconscious.

Ao was Sosuke's shadow. He had hit Sakura on the back of her neck and caught her before she could hit the ground. He could lift her like a baby with one arm because she was so small. Then he went to the roof to talk with his partner. Sakura was still unconscious. Ao removed a strain of her hair from her face and couture with his finger the side of her face. The woman that was on the roof with said. "You really love that girl and that boy. So much, that you taken her here up on the roof."

"No sure. For the girl, when we were children. I said to myself I wanted to marry her when we would grow up. But now she's just a precious thing that's like a gem for me. For the boy, back when we were children. I hated him. He was so weak. Both of them were..."

And the conversation goes on and on. When Sakura woke up, she told herself that she must not have enough sleep. No idea that she was gone from that place for an hour. She closed the door of the room and joined the others at Kona- ya.