The Heist Continues

"What are you doing?"

'Should I kill her?'

When he found himself lying on the ground, faced with Sakura's angry yet adorably furrowed brows, his thoughts raced back and forth between whether he should kill her or not. She was useless to him now, her purpose lost the moment he figured out the reason for her change.

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place the moment Sakura's mother mentioned her husband's demise – her father's tragic death during the Kyuubi attack had served as the catalyst for Sakura's transformation.

In the original timeline, her father remained alive, and she led a mediocre life until she graduated from the ninja academy. But here, her father's tragic fate had propelled her down to a different path. 

In this altered reality, Sakura's life had taken a sharp detour. No longer leading her mundane life, she had chosen the path of a ninja with purpose; seeking strength either for revenge or for the desire to never lose her loved ones ever again – a mindset all too familiar in the world of shinobi.

However, there was another thing he was curious about.

In a swift and explosive motion, Enkai propelled himself into a sitting position, his movements displaying unparalleled speed and agility. The intensity in his eyes bore into Sakura as he rose to his feet, confronting her with an intimidating presence. 

With lightning fast reflexes, his right hand shot forward, delivering a precise and powerful palm strike to the upper section of her face. The impact reverberated through Sakura's skull, stunning her momentarily.

Seizing the opportunity, Enkai extended his hand forward and grabbed her neck, his grip tightened as his fingers pressed against her windpipe with unyielding force. He exerted his strength, forcefully slamming her onto the unforgiving ground beneath them. 

The world spun for Sakura as she struggled to regain her senses. In the haze of disorientation, she heard the ominous sound of a kunai stabbing into the earth, the sharp metal making noise as it shook right beside her face.

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and fear as she realized the gravity of the situation. Struggling to breathe under Enkai's grip, she desperately searched for a way out. Enkai, his expression stern and unyielding, leaned in closer, his grip tightening on her neck.

"Why... are you doing this?" Sakura managed to gasp out, her voice cracked in pain.

Enkai's gaze remained cold and calculating. "I need answers," he replied, his voice low and steady. "And you're going to give them to me."

Sakura's mind raced, trying to find a way to escape this dangerous situation, however when she found none she nodded hesitantly.

"How did you see through my genjutsu?" Enkai's voice cut through the tense air, his expression remaining indifferent.

Enkai's cold and unyielding demeanour contrasted sharply with Sakura's gasps for breath, making the atmosphere even more tense. He leaned in closer, his eyes boring into hers, demanding answers.

"I..." Sakura mumbled something incomprehensible, her words barely audible, though Enkai didn't relent.

"What was that?" Enkai's voice was demanding, his face inches away from hers.

"I...Can't breathe.." Sakura managed to grasp out, her voice strained, her struggles evident. Enkai stared at her in silence for a few seconds, his grip tightening momentarily before releasing it a bit, a silent reminder of his control. 

"Now speak." Enkai's cold gaze bore into her soul, leaving no room for evasion.

"I never saw through your Genjutsu, it was what you said…!" Sakura's words came out in stuttered whispers, her struggle evident.

Sakura, determined despite her predicament, continued, "You transformed into a baby boy and said your parents died during the kyuubi attack, but my father died when I was a newborn by the same attack, your age didn't make sense." Her voice steadied as she took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto Enkai's. "And when I realized that, your genjutsu lifted."

Enkai's face remained impassive, his mind working swiftly to process this revelation. 

It became clear that Sakura, as much of a genjutsu genius she was, hadn't unravelled his genjutsu but instead, had deduced the truth from the lies, shattering the genjutsu in the process. 

Enkai berated himself internally for his lacklustre efforts to conjure a convincing enough alibi. His mind, usually sharp, had been so preoccupied with elaborate thoughts on how to hack into a genjutsu at that time that he didn't pay enough attention to it.

Satisfied by her answers, he gripped onto her neck with an impassive face. The thought of killing her resurfaced in his mind again, however he hesitated, torn between ruthless efficiency and the complexities of consequence. 

Snuffing out her life seemed like the best course of action, with her being the only person who had seen him, no one will know that he was ever in Konoha. 

However, that might also prove to be counter productive. With her going missing or found dead, Konoha might start linking her death with the stolen scroll of seals, and if that happened then Hiruzen will not spare any effort to hunt down the thief of the scroll of seals. Ultimately leading to more, and potentially troublesome complications.

In the long run, letting her live might be the safest choice, Enkai can always just make an excuse for attacking Sakura, he was confident in his acting skills to pull it off. In the off chance he couldn't, she shall meet her father.

Enkai slowly released his grip, his fingers releasing their hold on Sakura's neck. With a deep breath, he eased his posture, sitting beside her. 

Sakura, now free from his grasp, quickly scanned her surroundings. Her eyes fell on the kunai Enkai had previously stabbed into the ground, a reminder of the danger that had just passed. 

With swift determination, Sakura seized the kunai and sat up, her movements fueled by adrenaline. As she twisted her body, she aimed the weapon towards his neck, ready to slice it off. 

Yet, her resolve faltered, her grip loosening, when she heard the boy speak, his words weaving a layer of doubt into the intensity of the moment.

"I am sorry for breaking into your genjutsu like that," Enkai said, his tone laced with regret. He rubbed the back of his neck, his apologetic eyes meeting Sakura's. "I thought you were some sort of evil person who was kidnapping those innocent villagers."

Sakura hesitated, momentarily swayed by his explanation. She paused her attack, but suspicion lingered in her eyes. Despite her doubts, she continued to swing her kunai in a horizontal arc. However, her strike missed its mark by inches as Enkai deftly moved his neck out of harm's way.

After her unsuccessful attack, Sakura stood up and jumped backward, putting distance between them. Her expression turned sceptical as she questioned him, "Then why did you attack me after getting out of the genjutsu?" Her voice held a mix of curiosity and suspicion, demanding an explanation.

"Because I wanted to surprise attack you so in case you turned out to be a bad person, I would have the upper hand," Enkai replied, his tone now casual, devoid of his previously shown sentiments.

"Really?" Sakura questioned, her skepticism evident. Enkai merely shrugged his shoulders, well aware that his explanation was a blatant lie, but confident she wouldn't discern the truth.

"Well, now I know you're not a bad person and are, in fact, just as beautiful inside as you are outside," Enkai said, his charming smile returning. He swiftly changed the topic, diverting her attention away from the serious matter at hand, determined to keep her off balance.

Enkai's words and smile worked their magic, and Sakura's frown slowly melted away. She glanced around, avoiding his eyes out of embarrassment, her cheeks tinted with a faint blush.

Satisfied that his diversion had worked, Enkai raised a hand and waved at her. "Thanks for tolerating me. It was nice meeting you. Bye-bye!" he said, his tone friendly, before vanishing without a trace.

"W-Wait!" Sakura raised her hand in a futile attempt to stop him, but he was already gone. She looked down, her expression now a mix of curiosity and disappointment. "He didn't even tell me his name..." Her voice trailed off, a lingering sense of mystery surrounding the encounter.

Enkai observed the disappointed Sakura from a distance, his expression cold and calculating. Despite the time he had wasted deciphering Sakura and her deviations from her original counterpart, he felt no remorse. 

Satisfying his doubts was imperative; in a world where fighting was second nature for a ninja, distractions and a lax mind could lead to death. Enkai understood this truth intimately. Lingering doubts were akin to shadows that threatened to consume him, diverting his focus from the ruthless pursuit of his goals, both in and out of the battlefield. In his world, distractions were not merely inconvenient—they were deadly.

And with the distractions removed, a sense of inner peace washed over him. His worst fear, the possibility of another reincarnated being in this world, remained unfounded. The mere thought of unpredictability, especially from others, irked him to no end. 

"Alright, back to searching every nook and cranny of this damn village," he muttered, fatigue lacing his voice. Retrieving the stolen map from the Hokage's office, he planned his next move. The allure of Hashirama cells as a form of physical plot armor was a tempting prospect—one he wouldn't hesitate to exploit.