Strong One

Chapter 4: The Battle of Fort Jinya

Port Dia and Cheve were some of the most humiliating defeats that Hoshido has gone through, it was so terrible the soldiers' march didn't seem composed and correct. Takumi's forces now marched back into Hoshido having docked near Izumo for protection and soon were coming up into the Wind Tribe. Sakura could only remember Subaki staying behind and Hana running into the fire, and when a Hoshidan escapee told her that Hana helped him escaped and met his faith at the hands of Hans well that just turned her stomach upside down. 'Weak' she kept saying in her head, 'if it wasn't for me Hana and Subaki might still be alive with me.' Takumi and Sakura finally made it to Hoshido, they were all beaten and down with morale, Ryoma didn't greet them, he was busy trying to do the next course of action.

Hinoka was to busy training so she didn't greet them either, Sakura looked at her soldiers, when she left they had Orochi, Reina, Hana, and Subaki and a army but now they had no more than 200 soldiers left and all the other retainers dead. Takumi went in to the palace and locked himself in his room he wasn't coming out anytime soon, and not only that Ryoma was also in his room contemplating what the next move was going to be. Sakura was in inner struggle with herself she couldn't come to terms that Subaki and Hana where dead, many warriors were already lined up to take Hana and Subaki's spot.

She didn't want to talk to anybody nor take them in, she didn't want their sacrifice to go in vain, and she didn't want nothing to happen to her family again nor her friends. She was ready to kill Corrin even if it killed her. Alas the entire people of Hoshido also sensed the tense atmosphere within the castle and soon new retainers were assigned to Sakura, Kagero and Hayato, leaving Ryoma with only Saizo and receiving a new unknown retainer to Sakura. But Sakura she didn't want them, she didn't want to replace Hana and Subaki, then yet again the voice crept up.

You must accept them, they will help you in killing Corrin, plus they want you to use them to kill Corrin and bring them peace.

Sakura smiled to herself, yes, if Hana and Subaki failed then she knew they were incompetent to her cause anyway, she knew Kagero and Hayato would do. She wanted nothing more than to kill Corrin right now. She knew that killing Corrin would finally ease the pain in her head, she knew it to well. Weeks passed and the war continued, Hoshido being pushed further into a defensive war, one that would present more Hoshidan lives, Sakura gave up her bow altogether instead she focused on training alongside Subaki's Pegasi. She knew that with a naginata in her hand it'd be way much more easier to get close and personal and finally watch the princess' death at her hands much like she did to that blonde girl and those Nohrian knights at Cheve. People began to question her motives seeing as she was no longer healing but instead fighting, she said that she needed to protect Hoshido but not in all truth, she wanted Corrin dead with her own word.

Kill.

She trained her self alongside Hinoka, often riding and training with her. Hinoka didn't care though and Sakura noticed Azama, Setsuna, Kagero, and Hayato training a lot more these days. As another week passed Ryoma received a letter from Archduke Izana about a banquet being held and he was inviting the Hoshidan Royal family to attend. Sakura didn't plan on going but she was being forced by Ryoma and it was a huge debate at the dinner table. "We have to go, we have to strike deals with Izumo." Takumi was getting even furious, "Ryoma, for the Light Dragon's sake we must not go, Izumo is not even bent on war they literally won't do anything for us." Sakura agreed with Takumi, she wanted to keep training even more. "We must go!" Ryoma yelled, Sakura grabbed the fork in her hand and stabbed it into the table and fumed, "we are not going Ryoma." Sakura yelled. Ryoma looked at her younger sister perplexed, "Sakura where is this all coming from?" Ryoma said, "I will not let this banquet happen if you will all go then fine, but I'm not going, not while the war is still going on. I will not accept that Corrin is still out there and we are allowing the luxury to go and eat a dinner with some person who will not do anything for us!" Sakura shook his head, "forget it none of you will understand that because deep down you all still love Corrin. But not me, I am not her sister and she is not mine, soon the whole Nohrian army will be upon us and we will have to fight till the end, but I will make sure that Corrin dies by my naginata, I will not let anyone take that pleasure from me, including all of you."