Hello readers! It's that time of the month again with new chapters and forms of escapism readily available! I am working on several projects as usual, being a busy bee and if you want to learn that I've been doing, all of my social media with the name KATSURA369 plastered on it will slowly be filling. Some of these projects will include new audios. Which I am also making commissions available for. So if you've got a message you want to send with the voice of your favourite anime character or even to read you a story, you can check that out on my membership pages under commissions.
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HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER
What was the saying about repeating the same process? It's a definition of madness? Then there's the philosophy of improvement. It involves consistently evaluating one's actions and processes and making incremental changes to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and outcomes. For a while, Sakura wasn't sure which category she fell into, as she attempted to grasp this hidden power in her.
She didn't know if she could even call it hers but took the concept to be similar to Naruto with the nine tails. But at the same time, this was different as well. Through meditation and reaching the point of exhaustion, Sakura could just about touch on that power.
But it was like putting her hand into a flame, all instincts telling her to pull back and though it only felt like a second, she would already be burnt.
Sakura's breath fogged up in front of her as she stood at the peak of the mountain, looking out over the vast expanse. The stars above her twinkled brightly, casting a soft light over the landscape. The air was icy and bitter, but she hardly felt it, lost in thought as she focused on the task at hand.
For the past several weeks, Sakura had been sequestered away in the mountains, training harder than she ever had before. Through all her efforts, trials, and error, she was finally able to get a glimpse of the results she needed. Now if she could just continue to progress. She might yet find a ray of hope.
Sakura closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She had been working on honing her powers, learning to control them so that she could use them more effectively. It had been a long and grueling process, but she was finally starting to see some progress. She could feel the power surging through her veins, almost tangible in its intensity. But like a spark, it was out again.
When her chest tightened to the point where it was like a fist in her heart, Sakura was forced to stop. She lay on the mountaintop, her vision of the sky blurring and tears threatening to fall, but non escaped.
She was exhausted but she has finally started grasping a bit of that power in her hands. If she could just learn to control it. She had hope that she could return.
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At night, Tokyo transforms into a dazzling metropolis, with towering skyscrapers and bustling streets lit up by a sea of neon lights. The city is a vibrant mix of old and new, with traditional temples and shrines nestled among cutting-edge technology and modern architecture. The streets are crowded with people, locals and tourists alike, making their way to the many bars, restaurants, and clubs that line the sidewalks. The sound of chatter and laughter fills the air and the delicious smells of street food waft through the streets. The city truly comes alive at night, with a vibrant energy that is palpable and contagious. From the glittering lights of Shibuya Crossing to the twinkling lanterns of Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo at night is a sensory feast that is not to be missed.
But Sakura wasn't interested in the scenery as much as the hidden underbelly of it all. Through back alleys, where the lights barely reached. There was a typical gathering of crowds in the building's basement that had been transformed into the fighting arena for her next match.
Since leaving the hero scene, Sakura had been spending more time as her alter ego, Nemesis. Taking activities when she wasn't training in the mountains. For the sake of financial stability, she needed to do something that wouldn't let her resort to stealing. She could pull it off though, but crime rates were rising enough without her assistance.
And it was also the best way to search for the League of villains, information trickled in but they were still a strong topic.
Sakura watched her opponent fall into unconsciousness, and she smiled behind her mask. The match took less than three seconds and the crowds were roaring, some demanding more blood but that didn't matter to her.
She left the stage coldly to collect her reward and leave.
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Sakura made her way down the dimly lit hallway, the weight of her reward money in her pockets. Just as she was about to step out into the cool night air, a familiar voice called out to her.
"Well, look who it is," Rappa said with a wicked grin, blocking her path. "Finally came back after all this time, where you been Nenemsis?"
Sakura's eyes narrowed as she looked at the man who had once tried to kill her in the ring. "What do you want?"
Rappa didn't beat around the bush and was direct, his tone serious but what he said still confused her.
"There's someone who wants to meet you, and I was asked to bring you in for recruitment,"
Sakura narrowed her eyes, "I'm not interested,"
This wasn't the first time Nemesis has been offered to do jobs for certain clientele that frequented the fighting pits, but she turned them down every time.
Rappa held up his hand. "I'm not making the offer, that pitch is up to the guy who wants to bring you in,"
"And who would that be?"
"A while back, I fought against someone in the ring and I lost to him," Rappa explained. This surprised Sakura because Rappa was quite powerful and fast. Against her, he couldn't contend but she was far from the average fighter and he was a reigning champion in the underground ring until she came along and earned the title.
"Have you ever heard of the yakuza, Shie Hassaikai?"
Sakura frowned, "No,"
"Well the boss is looking to meet you, and sent me out here to give you the invite, that's all," He held out a card with a number on it but Sakura turned her head.
"As I said, I'm not interested,"
"You sure? I heard some big leads are coming out for them. A couple of days ago we nearly had a takedown with the League of Villains,"
Sakura's mind raced. "What? You went against the league?"
"Not really it was just Overhaul, things stopped before they could get fun. Anyway, that's all." Sakura called after him to stop, but he just told her that if she wanted to hear more she could meet the ring leader.
Sakura stared at the card, with the symbol on it skeptical.
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The wind brushed against her skin. Sakura looked up at the star-filled sky as she lay out on the veranda. Outside the house, the silence was only broken by the rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. The moon cast a pale light over the surrounding fields, and in the distance, the dark shapes of the mountains rose against it.
The only source of light was the porch light above the front door, casting a warm glow over the wooden planks beneath it. The wood creaked under Sakura and her nose filled with the smell of wet grass. She could hear the crickets chirping and the distant sound of a stream trickling through the fields.
She held onto the card Kendo Rappa had given her, resting the hand on her chest.
When she left, Sakura immediately started looking for information on this yakuza group and called in Giran to give her more intel. Sakura learned that the Yakuza were Japanese organized crime syndicates but most are not criminally active, having lost a lot of the influence they once had due to the work of heroes. Especially after All Might had come onto the scene. But there were still a few around, although they were on the verge of extinction.
But what were they doing looking for recruits now? Was this just another result of the stirring in society that had been caused by the loss of All Might and All For One?
If the League of Villains wasn't mentioned, Sakura would've already thrown the card away.
In the end, Sakura took her burner and dialed the number.
"This is Nemesis,"
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Shie Hassaikai. It was astounding, what information Sakura was able to pull before the meeting regarding this group. They had become one of the most active yakuza organizations since All Might's retirement. But Sakura was yet to discover their goals and their connection to the League of Villains.
When she called the number, she was given clear instructions on where she needed to be at a certain time of day.
Sakura was alone at first, fully disguised as Nemesis, waiting under a bridge near the city. She listened to the sound of the water running softly. The space under the bridge was dimly lit, with shadows cast by the structure creating an eerie atmosphere. The air might be cool and damp, with a distinct smell of concrete, moss, and earth.
Finally, she felt a presence.
"Nemesis," The voice was almost muffled like it was bouncing back, and Sakura figured out why. A mask that extended out like a bird's beak. Sakura didn't know it was referred to as a plague mask.
"The boss is waiting for you."
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Following the masked individual, Sakura was taken to an underground network of tunnels that she had to walk around through for almost thirty minutes. The reason was likely to throw off anyone who might attempt to find the main base of the yakuza. Just like a maze. Sakura had memorized her path into the reception room she was brought to.
Though all the hallways appeared the same, Sakura had no trouble memorizing the path because she already thought to be aware.
The room was simple in design, with wall art of the Shie Hassaikai symbol painted and two couches with a shouji board in front. There was a man sitting with two other masked people standing behind him.
"Welcome Nemesis,"
Sakura could pick out the leader instantly. Kai Chissaki, aka Overhaul. She didn't see Rappa in the mix though. He would've been easy to pick out in a line up.
"Overhaul,"
"Yes," Chisaki Kai confirmed gesturing for her to take a seat on the other couch. "Let's cut to the chase,"
Sakura nodded, "I heard you've been looking for me to apparently join your organizaiton. Before getting into that, I want the pitch,"
If the League of Villains were involved, she would rather they admit it themselves than making her dig for the answer. But that was still on the table as an option.
"Show some respect, boy," Warned one of his henchman. The man behind the mask was Chronostasis.
"I just want to insure my talents aren't about to be wasted,"
"Why you little-
Another one of the masked figures stepped forward, but Kai held up his hand to silence any protests.
"It's only fair, that you understand what our intentions are," Digging into his pockets Kai pulled out a small cylindrical shaped objects with a small needle sticking out.
"And that is?"
"The key to curing society's sickness, of the disease we call quirks,"
Naturally as she was still an outsider, Kai didn't detail much of his plans but gave a brief outline of what he wanted to accomplish. They were working to manufacure and distribute these bullets that were able to destroy a persons quirk.
"Why do you want to do that? Is it just for waeponizing?"
"It's so much more than that," Kai now had a peculiar gleam in his eyes when he spoke. "I am looking to fix societies sickness,"
"Is this sickness you're referring to quirks?"
Kai extends his hand, but it does not reach for her, "This world existed before quirks, everything had its rightful place, including Shie Hassaikai. It will be the greatest movement of the underworld, and I'm offering you a place to witness that, a place where you can reap benefits,"
This man had a clear goal in mind, but it was quite horrifying. To be able to take away someone's quirk as easily as All For One could?
"How are you able to create these bullets?"
"Manufacturing process is not your concern, but we need more distributers in order to expand, and more muscle. Heroes have been sniffing around recently, that's to be expected with our recent distributions but should things take a turn and we have any confrontation, it would be beneficial to have someone like you around,"
There was clearly so much more to this plan as well, quirk destroying bullets would be a great danger to heroes and society. It would uproot the entire worlds way of life.
With all of this, Kai still didn't bring up the League of Villains yet. What was their involvement with this group? If any?
'Guess I gotta ask,'
Sakura was about to ask, but then someone came rushing into the room in a panic.
"Boss! She got out!"
"What?"
"I looked away for a second, but I'm sure she's close around the area!"
Kai's shoulder's tensed, he stood up, dashing for the door. He didn't even look back. "I have some business to take care of,"
Who got out? The sentence made Sakura's gut scream in alarm. Was he holding someone captive?
"Let me assist if I can," Sakura said, following after him. She had slipped past his minions but they were on the trail. She hadn't even officially joined but it seemed that Kai's attention was elsewhere. "Get all avalable bodies down here now and find her!"
Kai seemed rpepare to tear down the walls, but then one of his men called in alert, "I see her, she went down this way!"
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Sakura didn't know who they were chasing after, but the next hallway led them to an exit and back out into an ally way. It was a different exit from before, saying that there were many different paths underground.
Kai was searching around when he saw movement, and a flash of white vanish behind a building wall and he followed after quickly. Sakura moved to come with but he turned back finally realizing that she was tailing him.
"Stay here," His order was firm as stone but Sakura waited until he was far enough before she took to the building above, that helped create the ally Kai had gone into.
He had taken to a much slower pace now, but that was because his target had stopped. But Sakura was astounded with what she saw.
On the other side to the open ally way, there were two figures. A blonde boy, she couldn't place and the second who was in a recognizable hero costume of green.
'Izuku,' It was strange seeing him here since U.A students were confined to the dorms system now. But he was now out and walking around like a real hero on patrol, and he had walked himself into trouble.
Izuku was holding someone to his chest.
A small girl, with a distressed expression, clutching onto Izuku, while Kai loomed over them like a heavy shadow.
"Sorry about that," Kai said to them, "My daughter likes to play around a lot and keeps getting hurt."
Of all times, it just had to be Izuku that appeared like this. There was someone else with him, another teenager, couldn't be that much older but he was keeping a much calmer demeanour than Izuku was at the moment.
Kai was intent to getting the girl to come back without kicking up a fuss. Yet she refused to let go of Izuku. With her body wrapped in bandages around her arms and legs, there was no way that Kai's excuse she got hurt from playing roughly was believed. And yet, watching the way the two boy's were engaging, Sakura felt that they were trying not to alert Kai.
They didn't answer him when he asked the hero agency they belonged to, but admitted to being students, interns. So it looked like that had started again at U.A.
Her observation skills realized that the older boy, the blonde Sakura couldn't place, was trying his best to disuade any suspicion. He even stated to realize that Kai was part of the Hassaikai group. While they weren't technically labelled as villains they had started moving in a way that should grant them the label. But unless the authorities had proof of their business taking place, ther ewas actually nothing they could legally do against the mafia.
Sakura only understood as much as what was explained to her.
"Um…your daughter seems scared,"
"That's because she just got a scolding," Kai answered smoothly, but there was a clip to his tone. A warning.
From how panicked he behaved in the hideout, Kai was determined to get the girl back no matter the cost, without drawing attention to himself. He was cautious in the way he moved.
Whatever play they were attempting to put on though, Izuku wasn't willing to easily let go of the trembling girl. Asking more questions, not a smart move if he wanted to avoid suspicion or drawing Kai to take offensive measures. But why?
'Something is not right about this,'
"What are you doing to this girl?" Izuku aksked, his eyes glaring now at Kai. Who had been giving all kinds of 'reasons' to explain his daughters injuries. He was obviously harming her, and she was trying to escape from him. She was desperate enough that she had attempted it with all of the other members as well.
Her instincts were blaring warnings, and Sakura refused to avert her eyes from the situation.
"Geez, herose are so sensitive to the subtle signs of people huh?" Kai turned around facing the ally again. "It's embarrassing to talk about. People are watching so will you please come this way?"
Izuku picked up the girl and carried her through the ally, followed by his partner who was hiding some stern eyes behind his goggles. Even stepping before Izuku with his shoulders straight. Indicating he was someone with far more experience to these situations than Izuku.
Still their behaviour was off. Heroes had a habit of jumping into a situation even if they don't fully understand and in this case there was enough evidence to assume abuse, but they didn't call Kai out. Did they have some objective then? Because she had only seen people behave like this when they were on missions that included pursuite, observation and espionage.
'The Hassaikai group have gotten into distributing drugs, but I can't confirm if that's the reason they're behaving like this,'
Staying out of sight, Sakura moved along the building top, looking down into the ally.
Then something happpened. Kai was talking about having trouble with his daughter Eri, and moved to take off one of his gloves that's when his killing intent spiked high enough to reach Sakura and she thought he might move to attack. But then the girl immediately jumped from Izuku's arms and returned to Kai's side.
'She's saving them…'
Her body language was rigid even from the angle Sakura peered down at. This girl was obviously terrified of Kai yet she was willing to stand next to him so he wouldn't attack.
Izuku moved to try and call back and go after her but his parnter stopped him.
"He showed his killing intent to pull that girl back to him. If we chase him too far, it'll be even harder to catch him. Let's ask Sir what to do,"
Sakura was quick to theorise the situation. The reason why they couldn't chase after the girl and save her straight away, to risk a brawl with Kai. He was well known as the leader of the Hassaikai. Some type of investigation must've been going on around them, or at least that's how it felt to Sakura. But it also sounded like they were only able to look for now. For a reason to take action. Like there was something bigger going on than the fate of one hurt child. Big enough that they were willing to let her go back to him.
Kai was moving across the street and heading into the next allyway of buildings, likely to return to the tunnels.
Tightening her fists, one thought came to mind, 'That has nothing to do with me anyway,'
That's all Folks. Remember if you want to see the full update schedule for June, just check out my Tumblr. I will also be giving info on available commissions and art.
CHAPTER SNEAKPEEKS: Available on 7th and 22nd of each month on Tumblr page.
Here's a small layout of what's here and what's to come!
MEMBERS NOW:
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 45, 46, 47
-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 13, 14
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 13, 14
-Through the SpyGlass chapter 1 , 2
Public Posts 15 June
-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 44
-Through the Looking Glass chapter 13