Chapter 23: Infiltration

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Infiltration was a term Sakura was well acquainted with but slavery wasn't. It was something in this world that everyone had the potential to experience and she hated the thought. It gave her the horrible notion that no matter where you go there would always be strife and chaos in every world.

There was a rough pull along her chains that sent a shiver through the line of prisoners. She stumbled, the chains clinking in discordant harmony, and a man behind her crashed into her. As she turned around, concern etched across her face, the man seemed a worn figure in his thirties, his tan skin telling a story of exposure to harsh elements. Bruises adorned his body like morbid artwork, a testament to the torment he had endured.

"Are you alright?"

He met her gaze, a flicker of gratitude in his tired eyes. Before he could respond, a sudden force, brutal and unyielding, thrust them backward. A collective gasp escaped the chained prisoners as they stumbled, their interconnected fates chaining them to one another's misfortune.

"No talking!" bellowed a slaver, his voice a whip cutting through the air. His gaze, cold and indifferent, swept over the captive souls as if they were mere commodities. The captives were reduced to mere goods, a painful truth etched into every scar and welt on their bodies.

"Hey, don't damage the merchandise!" another slaver yelled.

Sakura's fists clenched at her sides. The ninja inside of her longed to break free, to lash out against the chains. But she resisted. Not until she saw Sinbad safe and free would she allow herself the luxury of rebellion.

Her eyes, pools of fierce resolve, turned away from the pitiable cries of her fellow captives but Sakura lowered her head, her expression a mixture of steely determination and suppressed rage.

As she trudged forward, each step was a painful reminder of the confines that held her.

"I'm coming, Sinbad," Sakura whispered.

The night's air was cool against her skin as Sakura stared up at the starry sky, standing on a hill overlooking Kou's Imperial palace. Admiring it for the last time. She turned around when she heard the wild fluttering behind her, a familiar figure emerging from the shadows.

"Yunan," Sakura breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said back

"Actually I was just leaving," Sakura said gesturing to the looking glass and she noticed Yunnan's eyes linger a bit longer on the mirror before he looked back up at her.

"I see," He smiled in reply "You're looking well Sakura,"

A sad smile graced Sakura's face "Am I? I feel like crap,"

"Certainly better than Sinbad," Yunan said, his expression turning grim then and it was something that immediately caught Sakura's ear and she was instantly filled with worry because Yunan ever so rarely appeared that genuine.

"Why would you say that?" Sakura asked, her stomach churning.

When he didn't reply Sakura walked up to Yunan and asked in a clear yet worried tone. Yunan what's happened to Sinbad?"

Yunan's eyes narrowed, and his soft face contradicted with a hard and serious expression, "Sakura; Sinbad has been taken as a slave."

"W-Where" She breathed heavily "Where is he?"

Yunan's lips formed a line as if he wasn't sure to tell her, but Sakura slammed her foot on the ground so hard that the earth cracked around them and on the edge of a steep hill no less-showing him that Sakura clearly had no concern for anything else but getting answers.

"If I tell you what will you do?"

"I'm going to get him of course!" Sakura answered appearing very infuriated now by Yunan's what she viewed as pointless questions wasting precious time.

"Then I will take you there myself," Yunan said

"Thank you,"

"But first," Yunan held out his hands "I need you to give me the mirror."

Sakura took a step back, her hand reaching out to cover the mirror, she frowned at Yunan "What?"

"And your djinns," Yunan added

"But-

"Sakura, it's been a few weeks since Sinbad was taken as a slave, you're going to find that you cannot bring Sinbad back the way you may have imagined you could."

"I don't under-

"You have to trust me on this," Yunan said holding out his hands.

With great hesitance Sakura removed the mirror and then gathered up her three djinn's metal vessels, looking down at them. 

With that said she handed them over to Yunan "This is not goodbye forever, I'll leave them where you can find them." Yunan reassured and then waved his staff.

White engulfed Sakura and she felt herself being lifted and carried through the air, a similar experience she had with the looking glass.

..

..

..

Yunan had transported her in the middle of a forest but she didn't have a lot of time to question why because she had then come across a band of slave merchants making their way through with slaves in toll. She knew then that this wasn't a coincidence. So she disguised herself, changing her hair to a blonde nearly as strong as Naruto's and then revealing herself as a weakened girl and letting them capture her.

"We've arrived, get up you scum!" a harsh voice demanded. "Everyone get up!"

Sakura stood up, the chains rattled in an uncomfortable rhythm. They took her and the rest of the enslaved people to a dock where they boarded a ship. It had been an uncomfortable few days but Sakura got through them-imagining what Sinbad must have been feeling then and possibly still while she was off in a palace.

As the sun hit her face for the first time in days, only one thought came to mind. 'I'm coming, Sinbad,'

..

..

..

Ria Venus Island, a name that echoed both prosperity and despair, held a cruel juxtaposition beneath its sunny facade. The transition from the ship to the cramped carriages was a shift from the vastness of the sea to a confined circus of misery. Sakura couldn't help but draw an analogy to a cage.

Ria Venus Island, for all its apparent opulence, was a grotesque stage where humanity's darker impulses took center stage.

The streets were adorned with prosperity, a facade painted with the gleam of wealth. Fine clothing and jewelry adorned the residents, and the entertainment establishments spoke of indulgence and excess. It was a city that might have appealed to Sinbad's more hedonistic tendencies, a thought that tightened the knot in Sakura's stomach.

The carriages came to a halt before a colossal structure, a castle that loomed over the city.

The cries of the children filled the air. The slave traders, their patience wore thin, responded with aggression, slamming on the makeshift cages. Sakura's heart drew her to the corner where the youngest captives huddled.

Sakura, with a tenderness that contrasted the harsh reality, extended a comforting hand to a little girl with tear-streaked cheeks. Dark hair, woven into a tight braid, framed a face marked by innocence and terror.

"Shh, don't let them see your tears," Sakura whispered, her voice a soothing balm. The little girl's trembling form found solace in Sakura's protective embrace. A gesture that started with one child soon became a gathering.

"You have to be brave, okay?" Sakura said, her head glancing back and forth between all of them "I know it's scary but don't let that be the only reason you cry."

..

..

..

The carriage finally arrived at a magnificent entrance, the building that loomed in the distance now in full view. Sakura had taken it in before, but its grandeur was more apparent up close. Yet, any sense of admiration was quickly replaced by the harsh reality that awaited them.

With a jolt, the carriages came to a halt, and the occupants were unceremoniously dragged out, the chains that bound them pulled with a painful insistence. It was then that Sakura appreciated why Kiba had never treated Akamaru with the indignity of a dog leash. The harsh crack of a whip echoed through the air, a sound that made Sakura grit her teeth against the rising disgust.

"Come on we don't have all day!"

"There are more coming,"

"We might have gone a little overboard."

"Hey, the more slaves we have for Lady Madaura, the better we get paid!"

'Greedy pigs,'

The underground room, carved from dark rock, embraced its occupants with an oppressive atmosphere. Torches flickered on the walls, casting an eerie glow that danced with the shadows. Sakura noted the absence of natural light; they were deep within the earth, shielded from the sun's warmth. Large cages, like ominous sentinels, lined the rocky walls, capable of confining multiple souls. The torchlight threw distorted shadows across the uneven surfaces, creating an almost macabre ambiance.

The line shuffled forward, each step a hesitant progression. Sakura's sharp eyes took in the details—the rough-hewn walls, the cold metal of the chains that bound them, the faces etched with a shared sense of trepidation.

A voice echoed through the chamber, its tone dripping with boredom. The monotony of 'this one, this one, no, this one, no, no' grated on Sakura's nerves. Despite her curiosity, she maintained a stoic silence, a conscious choice to avoid provocation.

The clinking of chains, like a somber melody, signaled the start of a cruel sorting. Sakura's gaze lifted, and she witnessed the division—the chains unlocking for some, leaving others still shackled. A cruel arithmetic unfolded, revealing that those spared the chains were predominantly children.

She reminded herself of the mission—to find Sinbad.

"They're all old! Might as well ship them out now, don't waste my time!"

Sakura had noticed she was put with an older group, there wasn't anyone that was near her age group; they were all either children or adults but none adolescent.

"Hold on Fatima!" she heard one of the men call hurriedly "There is one-

"I said don't waste my time!"

"But look at this one! I promise you won't regret this." the man persisted and Sakura realized he was pointing directly at her before walking to the front where he continued to argue with whoever it was at the front of the line. Sakura became tense, she knew the kind of jobs slaves would have and it was especially worrisome for girls…of course, she would never allow anyone to try that because she castrated them with her bare hands- something she was very capable of.

"Please,"

She heard a frustrated grunt and then footsteps moving closer towards her, her eyes immediately went to the ground but then she felt a sharp smack to her head.

"Hey look up girl!"

Swallowing her anger Sakura looked up, a deep frown on her face, eyes hard as stone, unafraid.

A boy, barely a few years older than Sakura herself with long white hair and sharp cruel eyes, he wore a white drab with a fur pelt around his waist held by a gold belt, even though she could see the whip in his hands he was wearing a collar but it was different from the ones she had seen before, other slaves collars weren't as polished and a bit rusted but not his.

"Heh, you actually found something worth your over-pay," he said looking at Sakura, his eyes lingered on her "… Okay, cut her loose and put her with the other's."

Sakura felt the chain attached to the collar around her neck being removed before she was pulled out of line and put with the group of children, her heart wrenched as she listened and watched them cry. She leaned down, crouching with her hands on her knees.

"Hey guys come on," Sakura shushed them looking over at the people carrying whips, she didn't want them to turn their attention in their direction. The few who recognized her immediately ran up to her and she had to hold out her arms as if creating a barrier between them and the slave merchants.

"Be brave," Sakura told them

"The rest can get shipped off,"

There was more crying being heard but it was coming from the other side of the room, she saw the haired boy hovering over the children with a deep frown on his face as he ordered them to stop crying, she didn't know what he was expecting, who would be happy about being sold into slavery and treated like property even though they were just as human as those who believed they 'owned' them.

"Shut up!" he screamed and was about to bring his whip down only for his wrist to be caught by another hand.

"Fatima, can you let me handle this?" a very familiar voice asked causing Sakura's form to go rigid.

..

..

..

"Sinbad…" she breathed softly.

Sakura's breath caught in her throat as a soft. Her eyes were wide with disbelief. She hesitated, grappling with the possibility that this figure before her, adorned with the signature long purple hair and piercing gold eyes, could be the once vibrant and charismatic Sinbad.

A mere shadow of the man she remembered. His skin, once kissed by the sun's warmth, now bore a pallor that spoke of confinement. The usually bound and purposeful hair cascaded loosely around him.

Yet, it was his eyes. Those once vibrant and determined eyes, the source of an infectious enthusiasm that rallied those around him, had lost their luster.

 Her heart clenched with an ache that transcended physical pain. The Sinbad she knew, seemed to have vanished.

The weight of the situation pressed down on Sakura's shoulders, and the initial glimmer of hope sparked by Sinbad's presence dimmed as swiftly as it had ignited. The reality of their predicament unveiled itself in cruel clarity.

As the boy known as Fatima walked away, Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Listen up, you guys are already 'slaves'."

Sakura gasped in disbelief, her joy for seeing Sinbad even in his current condition faded.

"Slaves are property, as things, they can be bought and sold and would no longer have any human rights. So you need to…be quiet, behave and be good children. If you can be good children, there won't be any reason to whip you. If you keep your body unscarred, then you can be bought by someone from a good place. You might even catch the eye of my master, Lady Madaura. You don't want to be hurt even more than you already are right?"

The procession of subdued children marched forward, their earlier cries now replaced by a quiet acceptance, a defeated hush that spoke volumes about the cruel lesson fate had imparted upon them. Sakura observed the transformation, a disheartening metamorphosis from spirited individuals to meek shadows of their former selves.

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, she hadn't been gone that long had she? Was this really Sinbad? The same Sinbad who wanted to change the world? He was dressed exactly as Fatima and a few other slaves carrying whips. The wave of shock that washed over her was so big it engulfed her entire body, rendering her paralyzed. She didn't even listen to the conversation that went on between Sinbad and Fatima.

Several claps echoed through the room, Sakura ignored it but when she heard the voice, a soft and sickly sweet voice similar to Gyokuen's she brought herself to look up. There was a woman, walking over to Sinbad and Fatima, the sclera of her eyes was dark and her pupils light, she had long dark purple hair, a different shade from Sinbad's and not as vibrant and much more wavy.

"Wonderful, you thought things through Sinbad." 

"Lady Madaura!" Fatima called his voice now laced with excitement equivalent to a child's and in complete contrast with his previous tone.

"It seems like the job of head slave suits you. As expected, it was a good idea to leave it to you!" Madaura praised Sinbad.

Sakura's head shot up, had she heard right? Head slave? Sinbad was a head slave? It wasn't a term she was familiar with but from what she had just witnessed she could understand the context of it. The woman in front of them as well, Madaura they called her, Sakura knew she was the one in charge of….Sakura looked around in disgust, all of this and to think Sinbad referred to her as his master. She hoped for a minute that none of this was real, that she was dreaming or somehow got herself trapped in a world parallel to this one, that way she could take comfort in knowing this Sinbad wasn't 'her' Sinbad but her logical side took over a bit too soon and Sakura knew that this was all real.

She continued to glare at the women as she praised Sinbad and spoke to him in that same 'sweet' voice.

'It's her fault!'

Sakura wanted nothing more than to go over there right now and tear through that woman's heart with her bare fist. She knew she could do it too…but when she looked back at Sinbad, who had a slight smile on his face as he spoke to her all thoughts of that left her. She was here for one reason and now a simple rescue mission seemed to have far more complications than she thought. 

'If I just took him back by force…'

"Sakura, thank you for everything.'

Her heart constricted in a painfully familiar way-she felt as if she was making the same mistakes all over again as she realized something, a terrible fact-Sinbad was gone, he had left and what now stood was an empty shell of a man she once knew.

Sinbad then made an announcement for everyone to refrain from using the whips on everyone, but it was of little comfort to Sakura knowing that there wasn't that big a change in the situation. These people would still be slaves at the end of it but what frustrated her was that Sinbad knew that too and he wasn't doing anything about it. He was the one who was so passionate about changing the world so much he swept up everyone he met-including her and now to see him like this…

Madaura then turned around, her eyes falling on the children who were gathered together, and walked over to them with a smile. Sakura did her best to mask her disdain for the woman who had gotten closer to her but it was no easy task, a natural response or rather typical response would have been to leap at the woman and savagely attempt to rip her to shreds until her anger was sated but she reframed, her face holding nothing to be used against her but her eyes were as hard as ever.

Soft footsteps came to a halt and Madaura's voice rang with a soft echo, everything seemed to fall silent all except for the soft cries of the children who were hiding behind Sakura. She leaned passed Sakura and towards one of the children-a young boy and brushed his face along with his tears.

"Now, now there is no need to cry," she said

The children quieted, the warmth in her voice beginning to envelop them, while Sakura watched and she witnessed something very strange.

Madaura then turned to a little girl (the same girl Sakura had comforted before) and picked her up, her arms wrapping around her in a motherly manner nearly causing Sakura to frown. "You don't have to be afraid anymore, because from now on I am going to take care of you,"

Her eyes then landed directly on Sakura who kept her stoic expression, though internally she felt differently.

"All of you."

Sakura heard the fluttering around her, the rukh had stirred due to the children but Sakura still revealed nothing but she did not like the look in this woman's eyes. Past Madaura she glanced at Sinbad as she was led out of the room along with the other's, she wanted to scream out to him and yet she didn't.

'He might not even hear me.'

And she meant that in more ways than one.

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 -NEW STORY: Kunoichi amongst Benders (Avatar x Naruto crossover) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 65, 66, 67, 68

-Kunoich amongst heroes Spin Off: Movie Part 5 (Finished)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 26, 27, 28, 29

-Crossroads of Fate chapter 18, 19, 20, 21

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6

-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi

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