DISCLAIMER:

NARUTO © Masashi Kishimoto

BLEACH © Kubo Tite

Lost Symphony

Naruto/Bleach Cross Over

Sakura Haruno and Byakuya Kuchiki

Romance/Adventure/Humor/Drama

Rated M: for Language/Blood/Maybe Lemons?

Chapter 1: Voices

"Talking"

Sakura's thoughts/thoughts

Inner talking

Zanpakutō talking

Snow

Elegant

Cold

Freezing

Covering the lands he had step on, masking the dead surroundings his eyes lay with and killing the life that once flowed beautifully. It was sort of disturbing. He had known winter was harsh, he had known snow was cold but it never fail to disturb his thoughts. It felt like the snow will be forever, that the snow will kill the next season.

Glancing up on the sky he asked himself. What was beautiful with the snow?

"It's like cherry blossoms." It is not like that. He kept on telling himself. Snow is different. The truth is he hated it. Its coldness freezes his blood; its blandness hurts his eyes.

Who would love snow? He smirked. There is one. The 10th Division Captain of Gotei 13: Hitsugaya, Toshiro. The young captain likes it, no, loves it so much from what he had observed. He may admit that the snow held elegance because of its whiteness, but that is all he can say about it. Though they say it symbolizes pureness, for him it symbolizes death.

He sighs.

Of all the shinigamis to come here, he had volunteered. No, he didn't volunteer, he was blackmailed – by Rukia, nonetheless. If threatening him that she'll marry the Shinigami substitute can be called blackmail. He doesn't care even if she married him right in front of him as long as she's happy, which she was, every time the ryoka would visit Seretei. He can see his adopted sister eyes twinkle in happiness every once in a while at home, clearly thinking about him.

He was happy for her.

He really was.

He let out a soft laughed remembering Rukia's stupefied face when he told he that she can marry Ichigo. She was surprise. He chuckled at this, shocking Rukia even more.

"Are you sick, onii-sama?"

"Go, before I change my mind. You were to meet him today, right?"

Her face, the face of happiness, the face of contentment, and the face of hope, he can't felt but feel a little jealous. His sister was growing up, while he was stuck.

Stuck on the world of Shinobis, stuck in the world of blandness…

Shaking his head, he trudge forward listening to the sound of his feet crushing the snow. The soft crunch was music to his ears. It was like a symphony that kept on playing, like a song that someone kept on singing. He let himself smile. Maybe someone really had thawed his freezing heart just like what Shunsui kept on taunting. He retorted, his heart was not frozen, for all he knew.

That didn't matter. There are things that are more important than reminiscing.

His mission in here.

The mission was supposed to end last year, but was continued due to the 12th Division Captain's persuasion. How he agreed was a great question.

Scout and Observe – the first order he received.

Scout as for there are hollow sightings and was ordered to be eliminated.

Observe as the Mayuri Kurotsuchi seems interested in the Shinobi's way to manipulate their energy or from what he heard from some of his travels on the watery lands of Kiri – Chakra.

As of now, he can count on his fingers how many hollows he have sighted and killed – 9. Hollows, apparently was a rare sight on this world. This must be the reason why Shinigamis were dispatch here every 3 years. Though the shinobi's world was reeking with death and there are many wandering souls, the hollows find it unappetizing as only few people in this world had high Reiyoku. Still, even if this world was not in war with Hollows, they are on war with their own kind. For centuries, they have bleed, and die for their beliefs, their undying love for peace and of course – power.

It disgusts him that they kill their own, for such selfish reasons. Though, he can't blame them, after all they are humans. And humans are capable of doing things that destroy not only themselves but also others. A little different than Kurosaki's world, and he preferred that world than this.

As he reported what he had found, Mayuri requested to extend his mission which he greatly opposed. He had stayed in there for a year, almost dying with – he'll admit it – boredom. Watching shinobis killing each other was not even worth his time. Sending souls to Soul Society was tiring as many souls preferred to stay. Many struggle, though they didn't stood a chance to him. He's not lazy, he can assure that, but doing things that even a non-seated Shinigami can do was really irritating. And his Zanpakutō can't help but to agree.

As for his question a while ago, he really doesn't know what made him agree. Their conversation was always vague and limited. He'd rather stay away from the sadistic captain rather than stay and be civil with him. He's not scared as what others might have say, it's just he doesn't need to see what kind of experiments the captain had. Mayuri took a liking in talking on his lab rather in his office.

"There seems to be powerful shinobi that you can challenge"

"I'm not power hungry as Zaraki and as dense as Kurosaki that take on any challenges to get myself killed." That is what he replied, and was promptly ignored as Mayuri voice another reason.

"How about women?" He glared at the captain.

"How about –"

"Fine. I will extend my stay."

He said that out of impulse. The promise of pain and death circled in their conversation that time. The extension was approved and here he was on the world of Shinobi once again.

As he strides through the snow, he heard voices. He was not surprise at all, if there are people that can stay out in this cold, they must be shinobis. And based on the sound of weapons hitting each other, groans and shouts, they are fighting. Fighting for something he won't even dare to think. He won't stop them; it is not his responsibility to stop their death. It is against the balance of nature and he won't dare defying the god's. If it's their fate to die then so be it.

A shout interrupts his thoughts. He halted and focuses his hearing on the sound. But he heard nothing next. The shout must have been caused by the battle. But the shout was different, he can tell. He ignored it and continues his walk. He thought that he was probably hearing things, that he was making another personality on his mind, much to his Zanpakutō's amusement.

He sighs; this is a waste of time if he was asked.

"KAITOU!"

Startled, he jumps through trees to find the source. It was not his imagination. He heard it right. That voice, it was somehow identical to her.

He wanted to see who owned it.

He wanted to know who owned it.

What greeted him was not a good sight. He was right, a battle had occurred. On his position he can clearly see the decapitated body of a man, a huge hole on the middle of the field that he was sure the cause of the earthquake he felt a while ago, scattered weapons, bloodied and battered bodies and a woman. A pink-haired woman clutching desperately to a man that was clinging to his life. He can hear her cries of desperation, and her calls of help, for a reason Byakuya can't think of.

"Kaitou…" That must be the man's name. He was still alive, though anytime soon he will breathe his last.

"Kaitou…" That was the voice he heard. It was refreshing to hear that kind of voice. It was a soft voice laced with sadness, regrets and grief. Many shinobis he had seen only speaks with malice, death and sometimes even happiness.

Humans really are not same, he mused.

The blue-haired man knows his demise. He can hear him telling the woman to stop crying, not to regret and move on. Are they lovers? Siblings, was dismiss on his train of thoughts. Blue and pink didn't match. He's not blind either and of course, he was not an idiot too. Senbonzakura snickered at this.

The cries of the pink-haired woman drew his attention once again. This time he witness how the man named Kaitou die. As his soul separates on his now cold body, as woke up with only that broken chain on his chest and as he was become a disoriented soul. His dark blue eyes stare lovingly at the woman that was still shaking his dead body. Telling him to wake up and don't joke on her. He was aware that no matter what he'll do, he will never be alive.

It is his fate to die today.

He cried and tried to touch the woman's hand as if he can still do it. "Sakura, I'm sorry." The familiarity in voice gave him the answer on his questions a while ago.

Lovers.

Were you jealous?Senbonzakura knew the answer. Of course his master was jealous. But he knows he'll answer it cold-heartily.

"I am not." He was right. Maybe what Shunsui said was wrong. Wait. He was only mocking Byakuya at time so, it was probably wrong.

"Who are you?" His voice hoarse from crying, he was still crouching position and never even bother to look at him.

"My name is not important." Byakuya answered. "I won't harm you."

"I know. Who would harm a dead person?" Kaitou Shigeru knows. He knows that this man was not a human; he knows that this man was not an enemy, and he knows that this man might help him. He stood up, his eyes still looking at the crying pinkette.

"Please" He looks at the stranger for the first time. His grey slate eyes looking at him while his hand touching the hilt of his katana. "I'm begging you."

"What is it?" His answer shock Senbonzakura. He can tell that even Byakuya was shock too. He was just good at hiding it. Byakuya will do a favor for a human. That is something he'd expect from Rukia. He can say he was wrong about the cold hearted part. He'll take that back.

"Take care of her." Raising a delicate eyebrow, he shifted his gazed at the oblivious woman, and then nodded. The soul was content.

With the glace at the woman, he mouthed words that will Byakuya will never forget – "I am sorry. Being with you even only for a few weeks was a dream come true to me. Thank you."

The same words as what Hisana had told him. It hurts to hear that again, but he can't show it. Taking his katana off his hip, he tilts it upside down. He asked Kaitou to look at him and without hesitation he tapped the end of the katana's hilt to his forehead.

As he soul disappear, Byakuya shifted and walk towards the still crying woman. The oblivious woman is going to get herself killed. Her right side was bleeding and he knew she was exhausted.

"You do know that you made a promise, and that is –"

"I am aware."

"You'll regret this, Byakuya."

And he was right.

Right after, he crouched to her level and brought his hand to her face. He found her glaring intently at him.

"Who are you?" that's her last word before she collapses.

This wasn't right. The woman can see him.

Instinct, one of the qualities a ninja must possess. "It is an untaught ability" Iruka once told them when they were still academy students. "A ninja with good instinct may save oneself but a ninja with honed instinct can save lives." It was an ability that everyone has, an ability that every ninja was proud of. And Sakura was one of them.

Her instinct was one of her best qualities. She can tell something was wrong before it can happen, she can detect it from the start. Maybe because she's a Genjutsu type or she just possesses that skill. She used that instinct when fighting with Sasori, her fight against her opponent in Jounin and ANBU exams. Even Kakashi was amazed to it. He once said that "Trust the instinct to the end." She always keeps that in her mind ever since she passed the ANBU exam. Every time her squad had a mission and even when she is at home.

But there were times she forgot about it. Like when she saw Sasuke, or when she and her Jounin team were ambushed, killing everyone except her.

It was a lesson to her.

It was her lesson.

She already had the hunch that something will go wrong with their mission. From the day they were just on the training grounds till her subordinates agreed to bring Kaitou. She can't blame them though, neither Kaitou's cunning abilities to persuade her. She ignored that instinct.

And now she's paying for it.

"This is not supposed to happen." Their mission was just a simple rescue and retrieval operation. An S class it may be, because their client was a daimyo, but this was not part of the mission. They already expected that a group of C class missing nins have kidnap the daimyo's son and they were easy to eliminate. But their mission was already a failure.

The daimyo's son was already dead.

Now, as she and her squad running– more like what was left in her squad which consist of her – the Captain and the new recruit – Kaitou Shigeru. She knows, no, she is certain that right after witnessing those nins killed his teammates, he will be forever scarred.

She can see it.

Apparently signing for ANBU was great but, now signing to it comes with a package – DEATH, seems like he wasn't ready for that. She gritted her teeth in frustration. She knew that they won't survive together. She had to think a way.

She decided to take the risks.

She'll sacrifice.

Looking at the man right behind her, she signals for them to stop. Bewildered by his captain's order he voiced his opinion. "I don't think stopping is a good idea Taichou."

Sakura shakes her head "Listen. Go back to the village. You can go on your own right?" Shocked at what he heard, he was supposed to answer but was interrupted as a kunai was shot on their direction. Jumping away from the projectile they both landed on a clearing, and suddenly surrounded by 9 Shinobis.

Well, thought about luck.Inner commented.

Shut up. You're not helping.

Clearly, their enemies have advantage.

Around her were nine fully equipped nins. And a 9 fully equipped nins vs. 2 ANBU with limited supply of weapons = DEAD.

And 9 fully equipped nins with a S-class missing nin as leader vs. 2 ANBU with limited supply of weapons = DOUBLE DEAD.

Shit. She felt helpless right now. Why did she agree of taking new recruits in this mission? Oh yes, they have predicted Nins as their enemies but never an S-class one. Growling, she never expected this.

Well, expect the unexpected. Inner noted.

Right in front of her was Hidoi Amagaki – S-class missing nin hailing from Iwa. Listed in 3 Bingo books – in Iwa, Kiri and Konoha, melee combat specialist, has a lot of jutsu in his arsenal, Escape if encountered.

More like prayed if encountered.

God, she didn't need Inner's constant sarcasm now. She needed distraction so she can lead Kaitou out of the battle and leave for Konoha. Concentrating chakra on her right hand, she ran towards Hidoi, attepting to attack him. It seems he expected it and stood in his battle stance, but he didn't expect what she did later on – she puched the ground. Hidoi jumps out of the way while the not so intelligent nins – which was 2 was buried alive.

She shouted at Kaitou. "Leave. NOW!"

He was hesitant at first then nods. "Stay alive, Taichou." He left.

"Give a little faith with your Taichou, kid." She muttered as she scans the area. So far, no enemy nins followed Kaitou. Good. Grabbing a kunai in her holster, she grips it hard, not wanting it to slip. She still has 5 kunai and 3 shuriken at her disposal. With only 35% of chakra left, 7 enemy nins to kill with an S-class one, she smiled.

"I'm sorry, Naruto."

Dundundundun…

Yes, I did a rewrite. I'm not satisfied on the first version so I hope this version will be fine.

Tell me what you think about it.

Thank you for reading this.. :)

No Flames Please :)

~2008roseelixir out