Doubting Katsuo's identity..

Katsuo finally done with skinning the animal handed Sakura everything she needed.

Going inside her bag she picked up some seasoning.

"You actually brought seasoning?" Katsuo furrowed his brows. "of course, it is not like I want to taste something plain, then I will not have an appetite." Sakura put the meat on the spike and hanged it above the fire and began seasoning them. Once done she gave ichika her jackalope meat and split the boar meat amongst herself and Katsuo.

Taking a bite Katsuo thought this is actually great, while Sakura thought old habits die hard because she was a natural cook.

Finishing their food they packed up ready to walk again. This time when walking they did not see no animals or beasts, sakura felt something was off but what could it be. She did not know.

Another five hours later they finally got to the middle of the forest, the sun started to go down. "I thought there would have been many beasts here?" Looking towards Katsuo, Sakura felt something was off with him.

"I thought so too, stay here, I am going to look around for a bit." Said Katsuo, walking off. Putting a lantern on a tree Sakura thought might as well make another fire pit for the night, even if there is something up with Katsuo she should prepare for the worst in case. Thinking of setting some traps Sakura began to pick up materials, anything in nature could be used as a trap, in the modern era they did not have cultivation and everything was handmade.

Sakura whispered to ichika to help her dig a whole in the ground to be digged as deep as a humans size, then tying some sticks and string together she made it to where it was stable enough to hold together. Putting it on top of the hole ichika made Sakura then put a bunch of leaves on top of it so it would not be noticable.

Walking towards one of the trees she grabbed a rope out of her bag, she thought if anything happened it would be useful, right now seems to be right. Climbing up the tree wrapped some of the rope on a branch a tossed both sides down one side will hold a weight of some sort while the other should be able to hold onto a person's limb, once the person moves the weight that will be placed high in the tree will be moved a little and be able to drop down causing the person to be swept off the ground.

Finished with the two traps Sakura remembered what the queen had said to her before she left.

"Sakura I know this may be weird for me to say but I do not think Katsuo has been himself. Before meeting you, he was in fact supposed to be in a battle but something was weird when he returned with you. He was actually born with red hair but now his hair is white. Katsuo said he got hit with a power that made it that way saying it was a poison but well he looks the same though his attitude and hair is basically different. His father believes him. In my opinion as a mother I feel as though that man is not my child, so in case I want you to take this with you, if you have it near him it will glow red if it is truly my son but if not then he is an imposter. You are the only one I trust, please if he is not my son, promise me you will find him. I know that you may not return if it is true so here I give you is enough money to last a while. Thank you for everything my dear let me know with a letter if you can." Handing Sakura an orb and a bag holding the money, Sakura hugged the queen and promised what she can before leaving.

Heaving a sigh Sakura set the orb in a hidden spot near the fire pit. She thought maybe some books can help, pulling out a book from her bag, it read ways to communicate through cultivation.

Reading a couple pages she thought she could attempt it. Crossing her legs and putting when arm on her temple and one finger on her heart, she called out in her mind.

"Calling out to the King and Queen of Azure Kingdoms son, please respond."

Not sure if it will work, she thought to try, if it does it will at least take an hour till she would get a reply.

Closing the book she started to do some stretches. Deciding to put up a big barrier around herself Sakura sat In lotus position and cultivated.

After cultivating, she became an Earth level cultivator. she looked around Katsuo was not back and she did not receive a reply yet. Sakura pulled out an apple and leftover meat from her bag, handing the meat to her beast so it can have some food, Sakura ate the apple quickly seeing something move in the dark she grabbed her sword, upon a closer look Sakura saw that it was Katsuo holding on to a person with green hair.

"hey what happened, what is with the dude?" Sakura asked quite worriedly. Looking down at the man she felt that she has seen him somewhere but now is not the time, as Katsuo was walking closer the orb that his behind the tree was starting to turn into the color white. Understanding what the orb was saying. Sakura knew then that the Katsuo in front of her was not the person she thought he was.

Turning off her barrier she walked closely towards him. Katsuo smiled "oh I found him tracking us, I thought I would find out some information about what he intends to do."

Nodding her head, she held her sword close to search for an opening. Before doing anything a voice rang in her head "This is the prince of Azure kingdom, I am being held captive in the kingdom to the north of Azure beyond the forest, right now someone is appearing as me but is an enemy. who are you?"

Listening to the message and now knowing where he was, sakura was sure to defeat this guy.

Running as fast as she could Sakura prepared to strike a blow to his back using the sword, but instead he caught it with a small dagger. "Sakura what do you think you are doing?"

"uh nothing.." attempting to play it off as training Sakura fake laughed "I was trying to see if I could try to get a hit on you like when we were training."

Understanding her intention Katsuo nodded and set down the guy before tying him to a tree. "Would you like something to eat?" turning towards Sakura he asked.

"uh yes I do actually, do you have any idea what time it is maybe?" Trying her best to come up with a plan Sakura thought of one but it may be risky.

Looking towards the sky Katsuo informed her that it was close to midnight and that they should get some food before they decide on anything else "do not untie this man, I do not know his intentions are but soon we will find out." said to Sakura before he grabbed his sword to go hunting.

Waving at him as he left she no longer saw his body, quickly running towards the unknown man she kept tapping his face till he became conscious, waking up he saw the girl he was supposed to talk to quickly looking around he did not see the imposter.

"miss you must run that man is not what he seems to be." he whispered. He had to get this young lady to save the actual prince, he has been watching her and knew what she possessed.

"Wait.. Do I know you, who are you, what do you know?" Sakura questioned. She knew this man had to be here to help and thought Katsuo obviously is trying his hardest to hide his real identity.

"I was his royal crown princes subordinate, Sato and Kenshin were my brothers but we got seperated during battle, I saw this man capture the crown prince and changed his appearance into a look a like. I was sent by the prince himself to find someone to help him but no one believes me."

"I believe you but we must hurry, I know where he is too, we must leave immediately before the imposter comes back." Quickly untying the man Sakura grabbed her stuff and her pet and they began running with their qing gong, they headed north really quickly.

The imposter Katsuo was actually not hunting at all currently he was in the palace in the northern kingdom, staring at the blood soaked prince. "Did you know that now I live your life, you will not be living for long Katsuo?" said the imposter with an obvious grin of pleasure.

"Someone will help eventually you demon!" the crown prince yelled. He was exhausted, the real Katsuo had strong defined facial structure, red hair, and his robes were red, they were actually white when he came into the dungeon but after so many torture methods it became soaked with his blood, Katsuo felt like his life could slip away but he kept hanging on after he heard the voice that was sent to him. these people made it to where everyone who was outside of this kingdom was unwilling to enter, now his family does not believe his loyal servant and would believe the imposter.

"Oh do not fret over anything, even your fiance does not even doubt me, and you know what, she holds great power and not only that she was full of wisdom and you can not meet such a thing either.' the imposter wanted the prince to let go of everything and to become nothing but filled with despair and resentment, wanting him to become something like a lifeless doll.

Staring at the imposter with hatred he knew someone was eventually going to save him, but who, what he did not know was that his fiance would actually be the one to help him when they did not even meet, resulting them to grow close.

"Well I have things to do so I hope you enjoy your time in this cell of mine.' with a cruel laugh the imposter left as quick as he came.

When the imposter came back to the middle of the forest he was carrying a deer with a grin on his face he was thinking eventually he would rule two kingdoms and how great it would be but unfortunately for him, when he got back to the place where Sakura should be, she was gone and so was the person he captured.

"Shit," he cursed the recited some unspoken chant. A mist appeared in front of him and salve arrived "You need something my lord?" with a bow salve awaited his orders.

The imposter was filled in rage he thought he did not need this disguise no more after all Azure Kingdoms king and queen will know soon. Taking out a bottle of blue potion out of his pocket he opened the lid and drank it.

A white mist started to form around his body, his hair turned purple and was flowing down his waist, his robes were black, his face had a strong jawline and slanted purple eyes. In the middle of his head held a green piece of jade. This was his appearance.

"The girl that I was with figured everything out, we must find her soon. We can not let her get to the crown prince of Azure, also we can't let someone harber her unfound power. If we can not get her the easy way then we will have to settle the hard way salve."