Sakura burst through the cave's exit first, followed closely by Sai, then Yamato. She came to a stuttering halt, nearly making a rather awkward entrance via stumbling through a bush. Sakura blinked. A bush as tall as the Hokage Tower.

"So this is..." Yamato paused and stared along in wonder. There was the most vibrant vegetation growing everywhere, mostly consisting of flora of all colors. Most of which he didn't even recognize. Further along were clouds of steam, ginormous silhouettes hidden from them. Like everything else in the Shikkotsu Forest, their surroundings were huge compared to them. The shortest flower sprig he could find was a few inches taller than himself. Yamato closed his eyes, breathing in the air. It was so clean, so... full of life.

"Sakura-san!"

The kunoichi looked up in alarm. Towering over them was a white and blue slug, its antennae moving closer to them. "Katsuyu," Sakura greeted. "You are much...bigger." Bigger was an understatement. Katsuyu was easily larger than Naruto's summon, Gamabunta. At least triple the size.

"Yes," Katsuyu agreed. "I have never been completely summoned outside of here. Doing so takes an incredible amount of chakra, one that has not yet been reached by any summoner of mine. Come, Sakura-san. I'll lead you to where you're going to be staying." The slug paused. "Unless you wish to sit atop me." The three stared at each other and nodded. A few moments later, after everyone was secured, she slid forward, leaving behind a thin trail of mucus on the wide dirt road.

Sakura looked down below her, the man-sized flowers now looking like a quaint field. The rising clouds of steam she had seen from far away, she learned, was from an onsen. In it were an assortment of creatures, ranging from giant turtles floating lazily to tanuki sitting stiffly. Ever further along were streets lined with attractions—bars, restaurants, you name it. Sakura stared at the large crowds curiously as Katsuyu travelled further away from the busy parts of town. Finally, she stopped at a much-smaller, old-fashioned shogunate house, and allowed them to slide down her back before speaking. "Here is where you'll be staying. The housing should be suitable for your stature, as it was intended to be. I will collect all of you for meals, and you, Sakura-san, will join me tomorrow morning after breakfast."

Sakura nodded to Katsuyu, then entered the house, trailing behind Yamato and Sai. She paused, taking note of the careful details carved into the wood. Tsunade had said that Shikkotsu Forest was untouched by humans, so why was there a building made for one? Sakura peered throughout the elaborate house. The wooden floors were smoothed down to prevent splinters, and the materials used told her that whoever it was staying here had been important. But why omit mentioning them to Sakura?

A call from Yamato brought her back to reality. "Sakura, make sure you have enough time to bathe before Katsuyu fetches for us."

Sakura nodded to herself, then proceeded forward. The floors creaked quietly, the wood groaning from the pressure. Whoever had been here hadn't been so in a while. She navigated the hallways, peeking in each room to find a suitable one for her. Eventually, she found one under careful scrutiny that she deemed temporarily hers, and dropped her backpack on the tatami mats that were in each room. Sakura held back the desire to simply lie in the canopy bed, in the end deciding she didn't want to dirty the sheets. She moved to the shoji doors and opened them, pleasantly surprised that her room was directly connected to the engawa with a view of the forest around them. Sakura moved to sit on the polished wood when she heard her own door slide open and a head pop in.

"Hello, Homely." Sai had already bathed, his hair wet and sticking to his skull. He shuffled in, wearing house slippers and a black yukata. "I hope you did not mind my intrusion."

Sakura stared at him blankly, trying to get a read on him. Most expressive people were simple enough, now that she knew what to look for, but Sai was different. She noted that he didn't have any weapons on him. Was he underestimating her, or did he mean only to talk peacefully with her? Her eyes met his again, and she nodded, closing the shoji doors before turning to him.

Sai opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He shifted on his feet. Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly. "I... I am confused by you, Homely," he admitted finally. "You did not tell Yamato what I had done in the cave. Why?" He watched her intently, remembering the relief when she hadn't recounted their interaction with the jōnin.

Sakura thought, trying to put together her thoughts. She hadn't really thought anything of it. In a way, it felt almost normal to forget his attack. Attempts on Sakura's life weren't rare, considering her past affiliations. Her brow creased almost non-visibly. "I did not have a desire to tell Yamato," she answered eventually. "And I do not now."

Sakura's reply, however, did not lessen Sai's confusion. He tilted his head, still thinking. "I have read reports on you, Homely. You are objective and blunt. You speak your mind regardless of others' feelings. His brows furrowed as he came closer to her. "It does not make sense to me. You do not make sense to me. Your report is incorrect."

Sakura stood her ground against Sai's slow advance. "The human mind is complex," she offered steadily, internally growing wary of his approach. Her heart began to pick up its pace as Sai watched her with his dark eyes. Her hands were now clammy, and her mouth felt dry. Alarms in her head were going off by now, alerting Sakura to move, to do something.

"I am going to shower," she said thickly, pushing past Sai. Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth. "And refrain from entering my room again."

✿ ✿ ✿

If was after dinner and her guests had left when Katsuyu sighed, taking comfort in her saké. She was currently soaking in a large dish of it, her wet skin absorbing the fermented rice wine. Her antennae moved lazily, her mind just a tad hazy. It would take a lot for saké to affect a creature as large as she, but took comfort in the warm buzz it gave her. At least, tried to take comfort.

A large beetle named Touma was buzzing his wings every few seconds irritably, still sour that she had allowed humans to enter their sacred grounds. "You're too lenient towards humans," he told her gruffly. His wings buzzed again.

Katsuyu sighed again, shifting in the saké. "Sakura-san is a gentle soul, Touma-kun. If Tsunade-sama trusts her, then I do too. I can sense residual chakra from Hashirama-sama in her, too."

Touma laughed heartily, his legs stomping in amusement. "You must be drunk if you see Hashirama in her. He was a great warrior and a compassionate leader. That pink stick isn't anywhere near as powerful as him, nor is she good with people." He sniffed haughtily before sipping his own saké. Sakura had promptly pelted him with questions during dinner that made him uncomfortable. (Note: Never ask a sacred animal for a ride unless they offer to.)

"Katsuyu is correct, Touma," a large frog named Ryoichi replied wisely. "You are blinded by your own admiration for Hashirama-san." He chuckled watching Touma buzz indignantly. "I could sense it, too. Does she have his Mokuton, Katsuyu?"

The slug's mouth puckered in thought. "Tsunade-sama said it was something similar. Shōkuton, was it?" Katsuyu submerged herself deeper into the saké, lazily blowing bubbles as her friends squabbled over Sakura.

A/N: An update after a suuuuper long time! To be honest I'm a little lost with SS' plot even though I have some ideas of what I want to happen... it's just that I don't want to make it too fast-paced or too slow, yafeelme?

N e ways,,, go read inaka! There are three chapters up currently 😤😤

oh wait!! here's a cover made by _FirstKiss !! it's super cute and they make awesome edits!!