Diclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but if I did, Itachi would still be alive, and Orochimaru would never have existed. He is just plain gross man -.-


Dainty fingers laid down the hand of cards on the green surface, causing the figures sitting around the table to gasp.

"Well, sorry gentlemen, but it looks like you lost again" a silky voice drawled, with a edge of mocking in the tone.

"I-it can't be!" exclaimed one young man, staring closer at the cards, shocked.

Full pink lips smirked, as the feminine hands began to pull the money from the middle of the table towards her.

"Now now, I won far and square, there is no need to be a sore loser," taunted the beautiful women, her smirk now a full-blown triumphant grin. She had jet black hair, her soft locks free from any ties, and let loose. Her hair just touched her shoulders, framing her angelic face. Her eyes were a stunning emerald green, a startling contrast to her creamy skin. She wore a long-sleeve, V-neck dress, showing of enough of her cleavage to hint what was underneath the satin fabric, but not enough to be indecent. The blood red garment reached down to the top of her feet, with a long slit up the side that stopped just at her mid thigh.

Her presence demanded all the males eyes towards her, there looks hungrily looking her up and down. It irked the female gamblers, though they partly understood. The lady was so beautiful, it almost seemed surreal. She glowed, showing off her sparkling personality, just as much as her physical looks, which were very pronounced due to the tight fitting of the gown.

The lady threw her head back in laughter at the look on the objecting mans face as she told him off. The man stared at her incredulously, his face becoming red with anger and embarrassment.

"You dare say-" he began, fists clenching in anger. This damned bitch had ripped him of all his money, every game, and she was going to pay.

Taking note of the mans expression, the woman stopped her laughing to look him in the eye. "Say what? You are going to have to speak louder if you want me to listen" she bit out, her eyebrows tilting downwards in annoyance.

The other gamblers around the table slowly back away, unsure of what was going to come. Despite the fact that the woman was inhumanly beautiful, she had an aura that was slightly menacing, and her threatening tone now only confirmed the fact. Though she looked harmless, humans have certain instincts to tell them that something could possibly harm them, and that trigger was going off in the minds of all those who sat at the table.

Unfortunately for the young man facing her right now, he had only realized the fact that she was dangerous at this moment. He gulped an desperately tried to back up. "I didn't mean anything ma'am. You are right, you have won. You truly are a good gambler." he mumbled out in fear, keeping his eyes lowered in respect.

The woman glared at the young man before her, who was biting his lip in slight fear. Staring at him for a few moments longer, she lifted her head and laughed once again, her dazzling smile back once again. Her voice rang throughout the high class casino, before being drowned out by conversations of the other gamblers.

"You, my young man, know how to walk yourself out a compromising situation" she said merrily, her good cheer back. She then put on a slight pout, which would not have been becoming on anyone but her. She donned a sad expression, feigning innocence. "After all, you did try to threaten a young lady".

The young man blushed. He couldnt help it. The women was breathtaking, and her sweet expression made him momentarly forget she had just silently threatend him.

The black bomeshell patted her hand down on the table in finality, standing up. "Well boys, I had fun playing with you, but I best be off" she declared, taking her wad of cash and stuffing it into her purse, quite gracefully for such a forcefull action.

She walked away, nodding and smiling at the murmured farewells and congratulations that the rest of the tables members gave her. Walking away, she couldn't stop the happy smile that spread across her face.

As she headed to the bar, her last stop before she left for home, she thought wryly that the young man who dared challenge her was not far off from the truth. It couldn't be, and it wasn't. Underneath the draping sleeves that completely covered her arms and part of her hands were hidden cards that she had been using to cheat off the clueless men the entire game. She smiled inwardly, as her thoughts then drifted to the now close to bursting purse, full to the brim with hundreds of dollars.

Reaching the bar, she sat down, inwardly grimacing that she was pleased that she had ripped those men off. She knew she had other ways of making a living, and she had no need to scam people for cash.

What are you talking about? Those fools desearved it! cried her inner self, who always seemed to agrue with her righter morals, and then stopped to encourage her whenever she failed.

They had no chance of knowing. It was wrong and I enjoyed it, she thought, disgusted and confused with herself. Although she knew many people cheated, and it wasn't the worst possible crime normal citizens have come up with, it wasnt something her old self would have done.

The old us dosn't exists anymore. Face it, we have changed, for better or worse I can't tell you, but we have changed somewhere along the line, her inner voice told her solemly, a slightly pained tone etched into her voice.

Stay out of my thoughts will you! cried the young woman inwardly, knowing that her inner self wouldn't have talk about change if she hadn't been snooping in her head.

They are our thoughts you idiot! I am you! cried her inner, exasperated.

The woman huffed annoyed, and about was about to retort to her troublesome inner when she was jerked back to the present by a voice.

The emerald eyes looked upwards to see a expectant bartender waiting for her order. "Is there anything I can get you ma'am?" he repeated, searching her face.

"Ah, yes. Get me something strong. Anything" she replied, wanting something strong. Her mind was slightly confused, and she needed something with a bite to wake her up.

"I will see what i can come up with" replied the bartender, leaving to get her drink.

When did I become like this? she thought desperately. When did I become unfeeling for others, so much so that I would silently threaten a young man who was completely right about me being unfair?

Its been like that over time. Time changes people. We are no exeption, replied her inner.

Would you just go away for once? snapped the lady mentally. Just for once I would like to think without you pestering me about everything!

The picture in her head of her inner self crossed her arms and scowled, obviously not aprroving of not being there to argue with her. Fine then, I will leave you to try any figure things out on you own. she snapped back before completely dissapearing from her mind.

The woman stared at her fingers, content with the silence in her head, as she was left to her own thoughts. She continued to look at her fingers, that where clasped in front of her, her elbows leaning on the counter of the bar.

How many shinobi's blood was on her hands? She couldn't even remember anymore. She did what she had to do to survive, and although she had tried to put their deaths out of her mind, their dead, cold eyes that stared at her still weighed heavily on her conscience. It had been so long since her departure from Konoha, that she had forgotten what it was like to be protected again.

She grimaced at that thought. Its not like she needed the protection. She was strong enough to survive on her own, and she had proved that many times over in her years as a missing-nin.

It wasn't that kind of protection that she had forgotten. It was the kind that you felt when you had someone you could depend on. All these years she had survived, but she had survived them alone. After the people who she thought that were her kind of protection betrayed her, she has yet to trust anyone again. Sure she has worked in groups of other missing-nins, but she preferred to work alone.

Besides, the people that she had always been partnered with were inadequate to handle any of the jobs that they were given. Even though she could have let them be, and continued on with the mission, being from Konoha was still etched into her teaching, and she was taught to never abandon her comrades.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath, looking up at the sound of footsteps to see the bartender coming her way once again with her drink. He placed it in front of her as she murmured her thanks, taking a big swig of the drink. She closed her eyes as the familiar burn of the liquid went down her throat, barely satisfying her. Lifting the ceramic cup to her mouth, she greedily drank the rest of the contents, slamming the cup back onto the table.

"Another one ma'am?" asked the bartender politely. She just realized that he had been standing there the entire time, as she chugged the burning liquid. She nodded, and watched as her poured more into her glass.

Turning her jet black head, she glanced around the bar, and finding no other costumers, she turned her head to the bartender."Slow day, huh?" she asked the man, before taking her drink and taking another big swig out of it.

He smiled ruefully. "Not really. Its only 4. You are my first costumer" he told her, watching her tip back her head to empty another cup.

She laughed softly, shaking her head at her own folly. "Ah, well that explains it". They went silent for a minute, before the woman pushed her cup forwards, grinning. "This is some stuff" she said, eyeing the cup in anticipation of the alcohol that would soon fill it.

The man smiled back at her as he refill her cup once more, having a feeling her would be doing that a couple more times before the nights end. He watched the beautiful woman down the glass, as her cheeks turned flushed from the effects of the drink. "Glad you like it."

She rested the cup on the counter and sighed loudly with content. "Ah, I am finally feeling it!" she cried, grinning widely.

The bartender stared at her in disbelief. This women had downed three cups of the strongest thing he had, that most people couldn't stand a sip of, of she is just feeling it effects now? She is certainly interesting.

After he poured he another drink, he left her alone, deep in thought about the beautiful woman. As soon as he left, the object of his thoughts sighed, releasing the chakra that she had drawn to her face to make it become flushed. She smirked inwardly, knowing that it was odd enough that she survived three of these drinks, but if it looked like she wasn't at least a little buzzed, the bartender might get curious.

Before she drank, she always ran her chakra through her liver and bloodstream, already getting the alcohol out of her system. She never truly allowed herself to become drunk, knowing all to well what could happen if she were caught unaware by any hunter nins. Right now the amount of alcohol actually courseing through her body was only equivalent to a few sips of the drink.

She was suspicious of the bartender. She had no reason to be, but her instincts screamed out at her to be wary. She happily obliged, knowing to follow her gut when it tells her something. She had to act like it was normal. She wouldn't make conversation with him, but she would be the slightly drunken beauty he expected her to be after this many drinks.

We he stepped up to the other side of the counter, she lifted her glass to him. "Sir, if you would be ever so kind to pour me more of this heaven in a cup please?" she asked, swirling her cup in front of him. Remembering if he was a hunter nin, he could sense chakra, she let hers appear disorganized and tangled, like a normal civilians would. She had no need to mask her chakra, since she always has most of it suppressed. Even a genin can sense chakra as strong as hers, and it would do her no good to attracted unwanted attention.

Studying the pink haired woman in front of him, the bartender poured her another glass, thinking of how bad her hangover will be in the morning.


It was around 8 at night when the young woman thought it was well time that she left, before she would be forced to feign passing out. The bar was now full with people, many of which where staring at her supposedly drunken form, that draped over the counter.

Looking around, she decided to do one last thing before she made her escape. She had spent a much longer time at the bar than she had originally planned, so she wanted to get out of there fast. She was starting to get sick of guys coming over to hit on her, thinking she would be a easy lay since she was so hammered.

Bastards.

Glancing over, she saw the bartender coming up to her at last, having been preoccupied with his others costumers. She crooked a finger at him with a wicked grin, motioning him to come to her. When he reached her, she leaned across the counter quickly, grabbing the collar of his shirt and pulling him towards her.

She rested her head on his shoulders, exhaling deeply, allowing him to smell her breath, thick with the scent of alcohol, giving him no doubt in his mind that she is truly drunk.

"I had fun tonight" her voice purposely slurred, as she patted his shoulder with her other hand. As she did this, she exerted the smallest amount of chakra into his neck, which her hand that still clutched his collar touched slightly. Using her medical justu to ensure that he would not know what she had done, she released him, stumbling backwards drunkenly.

Waving over enthusiastically, causing her to stumble even more, she made her way out of the bar. As soon as she was out of sight of the bartender, she straightened her walk, and let go of the chakra that was keeping her face flushed.

The raven haired woman grinned widely, not caring if anybody saw, which was unlikely, since she was walking towards her hotel on a very unused road, obvious by the signs of grass growing in the cracks of the cement.

She had fooled the bartender, if he had indeed been a hunter nin. She had fooled him into thinking she was just a ordinary female, having a bad day and drinking away her worries. Which, although rings true in some aspects, was completely wrong. She was anything but ordinary.

In truth, with out her henge, she had bubblegum pink hair. If she knew anything, she knew that bubblegum pink stands out in a crowd of browns and blacks.

Her content mood was shortly lived, as she felt a strange spike of chakra trailing behind her. She cursed under her breath, feeling the chakra draw closer. She recognized it immediately, narrowing her eyes in frustration.

The chakra she sensed was her own. It was the tracker that she inserted into the bartenders neck, for situations such as these. While she continued walking, she listened intently, concluding to there were two footfalls. As soon as she heard the noise of something passing through air quickly, she pivoted on her heal, side stepping the kunai as it passed right by her nose.

Reaching her index and middle fingers forwards, she caught the kunai, and with no hesitation spun it around in her hand and whipped it back up right where it came from. She heard the clang of metal as the shinobi after her deflected it with ease. She narrowed her eyes at the obvious skill of the two nins after her.

As soon as the nins deflected the on coming kunai, they landed on the ground before the young woman. Looking over at their outfits, the pinkettes mind immediately went into chaos. These were Leaf ANBU, the best of the village.

Slowly, without the kunoichi even realizing it, her feet shifted into a fighting stance, her body so familiar with it it was second nature. "Leaf ANBU" she said harshly, letting them know she knew who they where. On the inside she was panicking, though her expression and body didn't show it. She had no weapons on her, and she was in a expensive dress and stilettos. Fuck, was the only thing her mind said at the moment.

Suddenly, the ANBU put up their hands, as a sign of peace. "We are not hear to fight" one of them announced, his voice not at all muffled by the porcelain dog mask that covered it.

She quirked a brow, pretending to be shocked. "Is that so? Then are we just here for a chat? Because you don't make friends by throwing potentially leathal weapons at them" she drawled, her eyebrows scrunching up with agitation.

"It was to get you attention" said the one who she knew was the bartender from before, due to the tracking chakra he had in his neck.

"Well you have it!" she snapped, her patience drawing thin. When were they going to attack? Talking to her would do them no good.

"We have a job offer for you" he said.


(A/N) Well here it is, the start of my first story! Hope you enjoyed it! No flames please, but pointers are appreciated and encouraged!

Note: I am sorry if Sakura turns out a bit OOC. I will try to keep her personality the same but in the story, she is gonna be a kick-ass female hero. And yeah, I am a hard-core feminist.