NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Going Viral
The crime rate in Japan had been listed as one of the lowest in the world; despite this, Sakura saw many petty crimes being committed throughout her days here. Made her think about how bad the situation might be in other countries of this world. Society had taken some of these crimes and looked at them as entertainment, a live show of sorts when heroes were around. Heroes technically were sources of entertainment that's why they appeared in adverts and commercials and were hot topics in news stories; always on the front page. Glamorized to appeal to society and remedy the fear of quirks and what they could do. It was a brilliant method of creating an environment to control the chaos.
The issue was; for people who were born with such a prominent individuality that could only be expressed through following certain doctrine would result in some turning away from it. Deviant activity touched on psychological, environmental, and sociological factors. Which varied person to person depending on individuals' beliefs and agenda, but villains likely followed similar patterns that resulted in them.
That's what Sakura's analytical side concluded, as she viewed some of the most ridiculous acts of lawbreaking by villains. They had power but nothing to show for it. She understood the critical thought process but didn't exonerate villains for their actions that inconvenienced or endangered others needlessly.
And she didn't appreciate becoming one of those individuals.
Shelves crashed with magazines and specials displays placed out in the front of the store. All knocked down as the hulking individual stepped through as if deliberately burying his feet in the fall to crack the floors and cause tremors to exert fear and gain attention.
It worked well. The whole store was up in a panic; customers and employees rushed back.
"IT'S A VILLAIN,"
"SOMEONE HELP,"
"CALL A HERO"
He was tall, towering; pink skinned that folded over his head from his shoulders, casting a shadow over his face, emphasizing his cold white eyes. A chain cast over the right shoulder connecting to a corset vest. Sakura's mind distastefully thought one thing.
'Pink acorn,' She drew in her bottom lip to bite. Few of the cashiers were frozen in fear as he neared them too quickly for their flight instincts to initiate. It didn't matter, since the exit was being barricaded. Some looking around hoping for a hero to appear.
"I want all of this store's cash in bags within two minutes! Clean out those registers!"
The first aisle of items being tossed down accompanied by the second caused further distress and woke the cashiers from their fright as they started clearing out the money and putting it in their store's bags.
"HURRY UP"
There were whimpering mutters in the back, people all uttering the word hero and save repeatedly, likely wishing for one to appear about now. Sakura was one of them. Another aisle was smacked down by the villain.
'I'm going to lose my shopping spot if this store gets destroyed,'
Customers were all huddled, and the cashiers were moving as quickly as their trembling, sweaty bodies would enable in this stressful situation.
Sakura began unpacking her groceries from her cart, "Okay, would you mind checking these out for me?"
The cashier didn't know where to look, but Sakura's stunt had fractured his attention from transferring the money from the register to a store bag. Her demeanor easily stood out in the pool of fear everyone had created. And that's what she wanted.
A shadow enveloped her entire form, and the cashier had shrunk down at the register table; Sakura just hoped look was of fear and not because he urinated or she was going to have to check out at another register when this was finished.
"You little brat, didn't I say everyone on the ground!?"
Sakura didn't even glance his way as she kept unpacking, "Actually you said, clean out the registers,"
Infuriating her opponents, making them drop their guard, drawing them in close; it was a typical tactic for Sakura. She especially used it against powerful opponents, but in this case, she was more concerned about other people being used as shields and hostages.
She giggled, holding her chin, eyes narrowed with mischief, a crooked, mocking grin on her face, "Judging by your memory skills, I can understand why you're in this line of activity,"
"WHY YOU LITTLE-
This villain wasn't just strong he was also quick, Sakura deduced from how his fist drew back blurring, but it was that moment Sakura moved as well, but not to attack yet. With the chain of his vest clasped firmly in one hand, Sakura dragged the villain out of the store through the wrecked entrance. On release, he skidded across to the middle of the street.
Onlookers were few and more spaces were available, even so, Sakura knew better than to prolong a fight with someone unhinged, angered, and strong. Even more so on account of her actions.
The villain laughed, maniacally, "I get it now. Wanna play hero huh little girl? Fine then," He started shifting from one side to another, to show off his speed, then appeared right in front of her to take another swing of his fist "Let's play and see who-
"Yeah, not really," Sakura's movements were swift and fluid, she curled her fingers on the gold wristband, stuck her foot to anchor against his and watched the villain flip onto his back. Her fist impacted the villain's gut through his vest, she pushed further causing him to cough up a bit of blood. The ground had a slight tremor as this happened, and the tar had small fractures beneath the surface, as Sakura made sure to keep her chakra release in check to avoid uplifting the road.
Though she waited for a reaction, the villain wasn't awake anymore. Sakura craned her neck to the right, cranking her shoulder "I'm not playing anything; idiot,"
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"Then she came back inside, asked to check out her items and left when the police cars were down the road," The store cashier watched the pen stroke follow his every word as he gave his report. Feeling somewhat prideful as the witness to the attempted larceny and defeat of Vihara Headgear. He was a powerful villain that had earned a reputation for larceny and murder, and now he was finally apprehended. By a teenage girl.
"And you don't know her name?"
"No, sorry detective,"
Another spectator abruptly entered the conversation, "She was amazing; beating that villain with one punch! And she's just a kid too! I mean, the video is just-
"Can I see that video?"
The quality of the video was subpar, but understandable given it was taken by a shaking witness. It started with Detective Tsukauchi looked at the screen in disbelief, he could see the face clearly in one frame, for barely four seconds. It was all done instantly, almost impossibly quick, the villain was dragged out of the store and then taken down outside. But what had him in awe rather than the actions taken was the one responsible for those actions.
Without a doubt, he could place the face to a name.
"This is not possible," But he was certain of it. This was the same girl that had disappeared right under their noses at the hospital; well and fine and taking down villains like a vigilante.
'I better call Eraserhead,'
"Are you sure it was her?"
"I'll send you the video to confirm but I'm positive that this is our missing girl,"
"Alright send it to my e-mail, get back to me if you find anything else and I'll keep an ear out," Shouta swiped his screen to end the call. He turned on the computer on his desk, logged in, and opened his emails.
It was assumed that the girl ran away because she wanted to avoid being taken by social services. it was a wonder how she managed to escape the hospital's fourth floor without leaving her room down a straight drop. The girl was an enigma which made it even harder to put out a report of her.
That night he found her looked like she was on the verge of death; her clothes were ripped in the section revealing a scar with blood fresh enough to mingle with the air and stain the ground beneath her. Signs of a very fresh and recent wound. The fact that the doctor was able to confirm she could heal, had led him to conclude she managed to repair whatever damage was done to her. On the other hand, what brought her to that position still lingered on his mind.
"Hey there, you're supposed to be finalizing the test papers for the entrance exam! What's with the long face?" Shouta didn't turn his head, but his eyes did glance for a few seconds towards the source of the very loud and overly positive toned voice. His colleague, Hizashi Yamada, hero name Present Mic. Shouta's classmate in high school and currently work colleague at U.A. Though they were in the teacher's office, like many others here he was in his hero costume, consisting primarily of black leather, from neck to toe.
The computer made a ding when a new message arrived. Shouta opened the attachment video and pressed play. Enlarging to screen to ensure he didn't miss anything. What he saw surprised him.
"Look at this," he said to Hizashi.
"Whoa!" Hizashi exclaimed when the video got to the part of Sakura punching the villain, "Isn't that guy high on the watch list?"
"I'm more focused on the kid taking him down," Shouta said with a slight hiss in his voice. "She's that girl I was telling you about. Went missing from the hospital a few weeks ago,"
"Oh! The one that's got you doing all those late-night patrols and adding darker shades to the rings under your eyes?" Hizashi moved closer to the screen. He pressed replay and increased the volume.
'You little brat, didn't I say everyone on the ground!"
"Actually, you said to clean out the registers,"
Hizashi snickered, "That's some kid. Looks about the right age to be signing up for a hero course huh?"
"Shes' a runaway patient possibly with amnesia. Not to mention a minor no one has reported missing, and with an identity that can't be found in any of the databases. What makes you think she'll be applying to school?"
"Who will be applying to school?" A light voice chimed in. Shouta and Hizashi turned away from the screen, dipping their chins down.
"Principal Nezu,"
It took a while for Sakura to get the basics for using this world's technology, but eventually, she learned them, allowing her to expand on her research and stay up to date on current events in this world. She only kept up with news reports in case any valuable information appeared. The media mainly covered stories about heroes and their activities, in turn, that underlined villains and their crimes along with both parties' quirks showcased. Sakura had taken to watching videos and reading articles online, but she still didn't understand the speed of the information flow. Until she learned the term, 'going viral.'
"That's you right?" Hitoshi held up his phone, video on the half screen where she could read the title. 'Girl stops villain at a local supermarket with one punch!'. She winced when she watched herself punch the villain.
"Oooh, so that's what it looks like from the other end,"
Since Hitoshi had taken in Licht their regular meeting place had moved from the quiet underpass to the park close to Hitoshi's school. It had a better aesthetic, basically, a miniature garden, of neat grass verges filled with children's laughter while they played on the various colorful play equipment and pleasant chatter of the parents and passersby. Hitoshi commented on it being noisier but Sakura referred to it as lively and warmer on the concrete bench without the shades of trees, likely making it unpleasant on hot summer days but perfect for the cool weather right now.
"It already has over twenty thousand views, you should read the comments. A lot of people are talking about looking forward to seeing this future hero in action one day again,"
"Oh god," Sakura slapped her forehead. This would be a first; not having dealt with villains out in broad daylight before like this. And she assumed that by avoiding the police and heroes like every other incident, she would be able to keep her head low. "How do I get rid of this?"
"Delete the internet, because this video is on several social media sites and blogs,"
"Okay, how do I do that?" Sakura was looking so intently that the boy realized she wasn't joking.
"You can't-that was sarcasm. Seriously did you live your whole life under a rock?" Hitoshi titled his head, as he stared indifferently at the screen. "And wasn't your quirk healing?"
"Something like that," Sakura scratched her flushed cheeks.
"This video clearly says that it's something more than that," Hitoshi sighed, "I didn't think you were one of those,"
"One of what?" Sakura crossed her arms detecting the sliver of disdain.
"The lucky powerhouses that stand out even in a world where everyone's special is ordinary. Healing with super strength; it's the perfect quirk. You're really blessed. No wonder it was so easy for you to-
"To say what?" Sakura asked, but Hitoshi didn't speak realizing that he was about to step on a landmine he didn't think existed with the pinkette. Appearance alone, Sakura would blend into the crowd as less than ordinary. So to discover that she was this able made him disillusioned to her words.
"That it's not the quirk that makes you but your actions,"
Sakura threw her head back, her neck touching the concrete rest of the bench, "I didn't think you were that presumptuous. Is that just the way people are made to think here?"
He frowned, "I'm not being presumptu-
"But you do think I'm a lucky powerhouse-
"Well aren't you?" Hitoshi interrupted with rising frustration in his tone, "Isn't that why you said those things to me?"
"You think I said those things because I pity you rather than being empathetic?"
"Didn't you?"
From the perspective of anyone else in this world, it would be like that. Most quirks gave one function and it was the owner that was responsible for varying their uses. Chakra was different in that respect because it allowed a variety of uses, but it took training and what was possible for one individual wasn't possible for all. Chakra reserves varied, nature types, skills, talent, control. It all came together to play a role in the use of it for each person.
Control and training had been Sakura's foundation for her chakra abilities and that had taken years for her to get to where she was now. So to others who didn't understand how much training it took from a young age would of course assume she was just a lucky talent. With quirks that's usually what it came down to. That no matter how hard you tried, without the right quirk any effort would be a waste of time.
"Well if that's your concept about me; get over it, because what I said; it's still true" Sakura rested her chin on her hand, leaning forward to look ahead in the park, "And even if there are 'lucky powerhouses' out there; is it so important that it will affect your decisions and dreams for your life?"
Hitoshi inhaled softly, "No, guess not,"
"Everyone wants to be more than what they currently are, but without determination and action you'd just be wasting your time being bitter and watching everyone else get further ahead of you,"
Hitoshi and Sakura sat in absolute and thickening silence as her words lingered in the air until the pinkette stood up, her back turned away from the violet haired boy.
"No matter how talented or 'blessed' some may seem; everyone will have their own share of shortcomings and burdens to bear. No one get's anything in life for free,"
That night Sakura went to the underground fight club in a mood that synced with most of the other fighters present. The name Nemesis had spread quickly and there were many challengers eager to knock the fighter down and take on the recognition and popularity that was accumulated with it.
Of course, no matter who Sakura fought it was always the same result.
There were too many unaccustomed to her statue and were fooled by what was in front of them, the small lithe limbs that played to her advantage. Even in prolonged fights against enemies, it was always easy for Sakura to manipulate them into dropping guard giving her free chance to strike. Sight was always the overriding sense.
Sakura with her winning streak and no losses to her name yet was drawing in more quality opponent and tonight she was going to be up against one of the best.
This time, Sakura was going to be fighting a crowd favorite. Who dominated the underground fight club since his arrival long before Nemesis. This was promising to bring in one of her biggest rewards if she won; the stands were overcrowded with myriads of bodies, jostling for a better position and roaring.
"It's the fight you've all been waiting for! Our greatest highlight this evening! Both fighters are known for taking down their opponents with one punch! Now we're going to find out who's the top dog at long last! Here we have the newcomer, Nemesis!" Sakura felt her ears ring from the mesh of voices, "And of course the man with punches too fast to count, KENDO RAPPA,"
Sakura's opponent Rappa stood with the spotlight glaring down, emphasizing his massive form. One of the few fighters that felt no need to wear a mask, his wild brown hair cascading over his eyes. Gloves and leather straps with metal covered his hands. His presence made no effort to hide his anticipation for a fight. He was looking at her without judgment for her appearance as the other opponents.
It was the first time that she felt the need to put her guard up, since entering the underground fight club.
"You're strong right? You fight with your fists; so you understand don't you?"
Sakura didn't respond; Nemesis didn't have a concluded gender and it was assumed to be male. Though there wasn't a reason for it yet; Sakura preferred to keep the truth to herself.
Rappa raised his fists, "A real fight is when you use only the strength within you to kill…..you understand?"
'Thought so,' In her life as a ninja, she had come across many eccentrics for battle. It set them apart from other fighters who acted out of necessity, rather than their own desire.
"FIGHTERS READY…..BEGIN"
Like all her other opponents, Rappa rushed her; wind swirling around his fist when he pushed forward. He was known for his swiftness combined with the strength of his attacks that came like a barrage for those who could remain standing after the first hit. However, what the audience was seeing as a blurring fist was a clear image for Nemesis.
She ducked against the fist blow easily a little surprised by herself. Then came the spate of attacks fists flying like bullets attempting to hit the target. Sakura's form matched the blurring punches.
There was no frustration from Rappa as she kept maneuvering herself away from his attacks, making use of her nimble form. Instead, he began laughing, "THIS IS GREAT, THIS IS GREAT. YOU AREN'T FALLING YET!"
'This is….off somehow,'
Certainly, Tsunade's training had produced results, but even the pinkette had to wonder how they were this perfect? Her eyes had adjusted quicker, her heartbeat and breathing were calm as if she was sitting a field meditating. Already she was seeing a pattern to the attacks, all wild jabs flaring with excitement. It was like a child's mentality combined with power surpassing an adult.
The crowds were going as wild as Rappa by now, cheering, shouting, drunk on a thirst for blood. "ISN'T THIS SOMETHING FOLKS? IT'S A FIRST THAT RAPPA'S OPPONENT DOESN'T FALL VICTIM TO HIS FIST AFTER THE BELL"
"Finally! This is what I waited for so long! Now give me a real fight okay? Show me what you've got!"
'He's really excited,' Sakura backflipped twice to put distance between herself and Rappa, the material of her hoody torn from the graze revealing her stomach. She shouldn't prolong this. She had no obligation to do so. Even if he was just someone looking for a good fight.
Rappa didn't stay still for long and closed that distance quickly between him and Sakura.
In a fraction of a second, he lined up his shoulder with his opponent. He propelled himself forward. His opponent's guard went up, leaving nearly no openings but it didn't matter to Rappa. All he had to do was keep punching and see how Nemesis endured the force of his attack.
"No one was ever fast enough to dodge me, now I'm all warmed up!" A wide smile spread across his face.
Sakura decided to move onto the offensive, while Rappa rushed her. 'My turn,'
Lowering her body, she balanced herself on the palms of her hands and twisted her entire body to kick the man from under. Caught off guard, he stumbled was off-balance, he knew it. He had to get his feet under him, but now Sakura was lunging forward.
There was nothing for it. He couldn't block anything while he was still off-balance. His opponent drew a fist and connected with his chest. Something so small yet it felt as several tons of weight had been dropped on him in an instant, traveling throughout his body, cracking his bones, pushing blood up to his throat, and into his mouth. He felt the ground crack beneath him and the entire arena quaked startling the audience.
In his last breath of consciousness, he spoke, "You do…..understand,"
Sakura was always quick to analyze her opponents to identify and expose their weaknesses, and against someone like Rappa, she felt no need to second guess herself. He was stronger than most, which fueled the lack of hesitance he had when stepping into battle. His mentality was also a hard shell. But it was nothing she couldn't break. His fists were fast, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of his body. It was his quirk.
"I-IT'S OVER. ISN'T THAT SOMETHING? FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HIS APPEARANCE RAPPA HAS BEEN DEFEATED! WINNER NEMESIS!"
Sakura smirked behind her mask, feeling a tinge of satisfaction from her fight. Her mind taken away from her issues on the surface, but it was only a brief respite.
The days that followed Sakura weren't silent. Sometimes people would watch her with recognition, but she didn't mind it so long as they didn't go up to her and ask about the incident which happened several times. She wasn't expecting the incident to draw that much attention, but there was nothing she could do at this point. Her daily activities remained the same, but she could sense lingering glances at times and it wasn't pleasant.
Sakura stepped into the shower, the soles of her feet barely flinching on the tiles. She lifted the
handle, old and metallic, releasing thousands of cold drops turning lukewarm, darkening her
hair. Steam filled the room as she bathed her skin heavily, removing all signs of her day's activities.
Her mind fades into dullness, calmed by the steaming water. It's one of those days where she would stand until there was no more hot water. Drowning out the world around her. Through the fog, her thoughts were clearer, her goal and what she wanted. To return to her world.
Another week had gone and there were no breakthroughs in her research. What she read was beginning to repeat itself in paraphrases. New information growing scarce due to her specifications.
Her forehead touched the cold glass of the shower door, as she met her eyes. 'I'm going to find a way back,'
If nothing else she was at least determined. But she was also coming to terms that it was likely going to take longer than she wanted. Each day that passed; every sunrise and sunset was cruel to her; but she could be patient. So long as she didn't have to sit still.
'Whatever it takes,'
There were barely any steps Sakura needed to take in her all in one apartment. The bathroom door greeted her bed resting on the opposite side of the room, adjacent to the bathroom door was the kitchen space crammed in the corner next to a window. It had the bare minimum, a fridge, microwave, stove, and small cupboard hanging over it.
It wasn't particularly pleasing to view with its peeling paint layers and discolored wooden floorboards, but Sakura didn't mind any of it. Cleaning wasn't her favorite pass time and the less space the better. Her floor mainly covered with books and bags she kept her clothes in rather than unpacking. This wasn't her home and she had no intention of making it one.
She was just grateful that the landlord didn't mind his tenants so long as the rent was paid on time and most of the people here kept to themselves. At least they did until some of the tenants recognized her from the video.
Four times that week, someone had knocked on her door, either just wanting to say hello or chat her up about the event. She didn't understand the excitement when there were so many other stories of villains running around in the city and causing chaos and heroes putting a stop to them. Except she wasn't a hero, that's what made the story so unique. With the current state of the world, the number of civilians that would rush forward to assist in states of urgency was basically nonexistent. Those who did were called vigilantes and considered lawbreakers, no different from villains.
'Still, they could at least restrain from coming to my front door,'
At the thought, while she was digging through her fridge for a can of soda to cool down from the shower she heard the footsteps across the hallway and knocks on her door. She closed the fridge and threw herself back on her bed, returning to the book she was reading taking little interest in the noise on the other side of her door.
It was too late for company by her terms; and while the knocking went on for almost two minutes, Sakura continued to wait it out.
'Seriously is it the landlord?' No one else had been that persistent when she didn't answer her door but by now he would have called for her.
Eventually, there was a voice muffled through the wood, but it wasn't the landlord, "Sakura Haruno open up!"
The pinkette paused turning her page, "That voice….."
The knocks were more aggressive this time, "Sakura Haruno!"
Jumping up, Sakura unlocked her door, her vision meeting with the hero Eraser head and detective Tsukauchi standing in her doorway.
"Finally found you," said Shouta.
"Sakura Haruno, you need to come with us,"
With little concern for her appearance towards the adults, she slumped forward, heaving a breath, "Ah crap, not you people again!"