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When Sakura left her small home town along the borders of Earth kingdom, she hadn’t known what to expect. Money? Not much to be made in the middle of a war, but robbing the odd ragtag group of firebenders was always effective. Friendship? Everyone was suspicious of everyone, even before factoring Sakura’s pink hair nobody else seems to share. Adventure? Well, if you count not knowing where your next meals were coming from and hoping for a local Fire nation invasion just so you had someone to rob, then sure.
Really, it’s just been loneliness interrupted with fighting and sneaking around. Certainly more exciting than if she’d stayed home, but if she had she probably wouldn’t have lasted another week without punching the idiots in charge in the face.
Huffing a sharp breath to blow her hair out of her eyes, Sakura crouches into another pose before stomping the ground, watching with satisfaction as the earth erupts before her into chaotic rubble. She claps her hands and slaps them to the ground, increasing her destruction tenfold and brushes off the dust with a broad grin. “Bastards won’t get here now,” she says, her voice slightly rough with lack of use.
Looking back at the town behind her, she starts walking between paths and her complimentary demolition. She’s been doing this for weeks now, steadily making her way through the less rural but not yet city parts of the kingdom. It won’t keep the Fire nation back for long, but it’ll sure as hell piss them off and she’ll take what she can get.
She doesn’t realise she’s been followed until she reaches her modest camp and somebody is already there. Hand already gripping her knife, she steps lightly and tries to cling to the thin shadows the hot afternoon sun offers.
“I know you’re there,” the stranger says, their beige hood concealing their face but that voice is light and feminine.
Damn it.
“Fine,” Sakura says, stomping over instead. “What do you want.”
“Such fine manners,” the woman says, her tone mocking but Sakura doesn’t sense ill intent. She draws her hood back and long blonde hair glimmers in the sun. The woman looks up at her with amused, sparkling blue eyes and Sakura feels like an absolute peasant in her presence even though there’s dirt on the woman’s hands and her lips are dry.
Sakura’s brain misses a circuit or two. Or three. But her body picks up the slack and she’s offering her water canteen before she registers what she’s doing, and the woman takes it with surprise but gratefully takes a few polite sips.
“So you’re the earthbender who’s been ravaging the countryside,” the stranger says, tone neutral like she’s admiring the scant clouds that dare to challenge the sun.
Sakura grimaces but doesn’t deny the accusation. “So what if I am,” she grumbles, dropping to sit across her. “I don’t suppose you’re a firebender coming after me for revenge.”
The woman’s laugh is as pretty as her – everything – and Sakura doesn’t know whether to be mad or wallow in inadequacy. “I’m not a bender. I’m Ino, by the way.”
Sakura wouldn’t call herself an expert at reading people, but she’d bet her left arm Ino’s lying. “Sakura,” she says. And maybe the heat is getting to her or she’s tired of not knowing anybody, but she flings a rock straight to Ino’s face.
She’d stop it if Ino really is just a civilian, of course. It’s not like she hasn’t had enough practice lately.
She doesn’t have to. Flame bursts from Ino’s mouth and the force of it knocks the rock aside. Ino’s eyes are wide with shock and escalating panic, but she doesn’t make a move to fight back and Sakura can’t hear anybody else nearby. “Not a bender, huh?”
Ino’s cheeks pinken with something Sakura can’t determine. “My mother was a firebender. She’s not around anymore.” Her voice clips at the end, clearly unwilling to elaborate. “It’s not like I’d fit in with them anyway.”
Sakura hums and starts to gather her things. “I’m gonna go piss them off even more. Feel like joining my one-woman rebellion?”
Ino’s eyes brighten like Sakura had offered her a five course meal. “Let’s fuck shit up.”