Chapter 98.5: Sakura’s initiation ritual

***Many years ago***

Sakura Ishikawa had once worn the badge, standing tall as a police officer, proud and determined to protect and serve.

But when her superiors asked her to infiltrate one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the region, led by the ruthless Sabushi the Brutal, she accepted without hesitation.

It was a mission that would push her to her limits.

A deep-cover operation where one wrong move could mean her death.

Sakura perfectly knew what that world had to offer, but she cared about the life of everyone and she clearly wanted to help her friend Yuki

Her first encounter with Sabushi and his gang would forever change the course of her life, and working under cover would've been more difficult, but that was a necessary step.

The night of the initiation was cold, the kind that settled into your bones and refused to let go.

Sakura stood in the shadows of a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of town, dressed not in her police uniform, but in worn-out jeans, a leather jacket, and combat boots and clothes that had seen violence and chaos.

Her hair was tied back tightly, and her face bore an expression of hardened indifference.

She couldn't afford to show fear, not here, not now.

This was the moment that would determine whether she could survive among monsters.

She walked into the dimly lit space, the stench of sweat, alcohol, and blood heavy in the air.

Around her, men and women eyed her suspiciously, sizing her up.

Some smirked, others sneered, but she ignored them, keeping her eyes forward.

In the center of the room sat Sabushi, a hulking figure whose very presence demanded attention.

His scarred face and cold, calculating eyes held no trace of mercy.

His eyes were testimony of a lot of murderous stories.

He leaned forward slightly in his chair, scrutinizing Sakura as she approached.

He looked at her, like he was scanning her soul and analyzing what she was probably feeling.

"So, you're the one who thinks she's got what it takes to run with us," Sabushi said, his voice a low, dangerous growl.

He flicked a cigarette to the ground, crushing it beneath his boot.

Sakura met his gaze without flinching. "I'm here to prove it," she replied, her voice steady.

A cruel smile twisted Sabushi's lips. "We'll see. I heard many stories about your perfect ability to strike. But skills are useless without a strong will."

With a snap of his fingers, two men dragged a bloodied figure into the center of the room.

The man was barely conscious, his face swollen from repeated beatings.

He was one of Sabushi's former lieutenants, accused of betraying the gang.

Standing beside him was another man, tied up, his eyes wide with terror.

A witness. Someone who had seen too much and now needed to be silenced.

But worse than that, the witness was nothing more than a young man around his 20's.

He didn't even know why he was there and you could read the word "terror"'from his eyes.

Sabushi rose from his chair and walked over to Sakura, towering over her.

Every single step he took was enough to make someone's soul tremble in fear.

"This is your test," he said. "First, you take him out." He pointed to the beaten lieutenant. "And then, you make sure no one else can talk about it." His finger shifted to the witness.

"Make sure no one else can talk about it." Sakura repeated into his mind.

She was initially confused after hearing these words, but she then realized.

The room fell silent, the weight of the moment pressing down on Sakura.

She could feel the eyes of the gang members on her, waiting to see what she would do.

Sabushi's cold gaze bore into her, as if daring her to hesitate.

But Sakura wasn't here to hesitate.

She wasn't here to falter.

Her mind flashed back to her training, to the countless hours spent honing her body and mind for situations like this.

She had been chosen by the police for her skills.

She was here to bring these people down from the inside, to help the police dismantle this network of violence.

And that meant doing whatever it took to gain their trust.

Without a word, she walked over to the lieutenant.

His eyes, swollen and bloodshot, met hers.

He tried to speak, but no words came out.

He was already broken, waiting for his final moment.

Sakura didn't hesitate.

She grabbed the knife lying on the table next to him and, in one swift motion, slit his throat.

The gurgling sound that followed was short-lived, and the body slumped to the ground in a pool of blood, still twitching.

There was no turning back now.

The room remained silent, save for the soft shuffle of boots on concrete as gang members watched her every move.

Sabushi watched too, his expression unreadable, but she could tell by the faint twitch of his mouth that she had passed the first part of the test.

Now came the harder part.

She had to make sure that nobody was watching.

Her eyes fell on the other witness, who was still tied up.

He began to squirm, his breathing growing rapid as he realized what was coming.

He shook his head, muttering pleas through the gag in his mouth, his eyes wide with panic.

Sakura stepped toward him, and for a moment, her heart clenched.

This was the line she didn't want to cross.

Killing a traitor in front of the gang was one thing since he was already marked for death.

But killing an innocent man, someone whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time… that was something else.

But if she didn't do it, she would've been dead.

The tension in the room mounted as she raised the knife again, this time hesitating.

She felt Sabushi's eyes burning into her, waiting for her to act.

The gang wouldn't give her another chance.

She knelt down beside the man, lowering her voice to a whisper only he could hear. "Close your eyes. Don't fight it."

With one swift motion, Sakura plunged the knife into his heart, twisting it to ensure the kill was quick.

His body convulsed once, then went still.

The room erupted in cheers, some members laughing and clapping at the sight of blood.

To them, it was entertainment.

To Sakura, it was survival.

Sabushi approached her, his eyes gleaming with approval. "Welcome to the family," he said, clapping her on the shoulder.

Sakura forced a small smile, but inside, she was already planning her next move.

She had gained their trust, but it came at a cost.

Now, she was in deep, and there was no telling how far she would have to go before she could take them down.

But one thing was clear.

Sabushi the Brutal had to fall.

And when the time came, Sakura would be ready to strike.

But before the welcoming event ended, Sakura had realized one other thing.

The men who actually brought the traitor were shaking a little.

With only that little detail, she realized another thing.

"Make sure no one else can talk about it."

The men who brought the liutenant and the innocent man, were probably the one who snitched about him.

And they were the responsible of that innocent man's death.

And for what? For Sabushi's favor? Or for the emotion of eliminating someone?

Spies would've been dangerous and Sakura came to a realization that those men could've easily betrayed the gang and Sabushi.

The boss was looking at Sakura , not moving a single muscle.

Meaniwhile, with another fast movement, Sakura grabbed the knife again and rapidly slit the men's throat with a quick smash.

The didn't even have the time to think that they fell directly on the ground.

Sabushi's eyes widened in surprise and he clapped his hands in satisfaction after seeing Sakura's determination.

The look on her face was literally saying everything.

Eyes as cold as the ice while drops of blood were falling on the ground.

"I wasn't expecting that. You're very clever." Sabushi said with a satisfied tone of voice.

"I would've killed those two personally. You just anticipated my work." He said, with an evil grin on his face.

Sakura didn't speak at all.

She just dropped the bloody knife on the ground.

"Now that's a true welcome, Sakura." Sabushi said.

"Now clean this mess. There's an incinerator in the building in front of us. Bring the bodies there and make sure that no one else is watching." Sabushi said while walking away.

"You have my interest, Sakura." He said as his last words before going away.

Sakura didn't speak.

Instead , she took a look at the bodies on the floor and noticed that the witness' body was still moving.

But it wasn't twitching because of muscle memory.

He was still alive and was probably not feeling pain because of his state of shock.

Sakura was really surprised.

She thought she had pierced his heart, but it seemed like she missed.

But she was grateful.

That innocent young man didn't deserve that.

She quickly leaned next to him and cut a piece of clothes off from a body next to him to stop the hemorrhage.

The man was one inch distant from dying of blood loss.

The life was slowly disappearing from his eyes, but Sakura managed to keep him alive.

"Thank goodness…" she said to herself while helping the guy after he passed out.

And now, an unexpected turn of events would've brought her to something worse…