I know I haven't updated 'Bittersweet Aftertaste' in a long time but three letters: SAT. Yes, I've been studying for the stupid test for the past two months, and that is the only excuse I have. That, and Assassin's Creed…
Anyways, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I'm back, and for some reason during my free time, I've been more than addicting to all the Assassin's Creed games. It's an amazing game and if you haven't seen it, then you're missing out. I can't for the fourth installment Revelations! It comes out in November! *_* okay, enough talk. This story was kind of inspired by…Assassin's Creed…yeah.
But the only part that was inspired was the war between the Assassins and the Templars. Except in this story the war is between the Talons and the Ixona. But don't worry it's not a rip-off of the game.
Warning: Story contains blood, strong violence, tragic scenes, severe mind rape, and some sexual stuff.
Disclaimer: I own this story. That's it.
To say Yamanaka Ino was not happy that day would be an understatement. Her week had been full of crap thanks to the spawn of Satan known as her Sociology professor, whom had given her a community project to help 'lessen the pointless recreations that inflates her airhead.'
The nerve of that man! How dare that jerkwad question Ino's intelligence, but in truth she always wondered what he had against her, because for some reason he had somewhat a decent attitude toward the other students but her. And those nasty glares he would send her whenever she answered a question incorrectly made her shudder. But honestly, the fact the he made a list of the things that she did in her free time (which was all the time) that 'distracted her' irritated her.
Living in Konoha, Japan, anyone could have the finest luxuries and would barely have to pay any money for it. Compared to the other cities, Konoha had a small population of 15,000, and the country of Japan was governed by the top five senators. The decent-sized yet extravagant city consisted of the finest restaurants, the trendiest nightclubs, and Ino's favorite, the shopping districts; however, lately she had been spending too much time living her carefree style, so her grades had been slipping, especially in Sociology in which she had an average grade of 63.
Still, that was no reason for her professor to give her a cold attitude.
Miraculously, he had offered to give her a project that would provide enough credit for her to at least pass the semester. What she didn't count on though, was the fact that the project was basically a community service project. The moment her professor had given her the paper with details, she wanted to back out after reading over it. She almost succeeded, if he hadn't given her his infamous glare.
And that was how she ended up taking a cab to a woman's home a few days later. Apparently she had to go to talk with this lady and speak with her every day for the next week. And not only that, but she was partnered up with the fatass of the school, Akimichi Chouji. The whole 40 minutes they were in the taxi, he would not stop munching on those chips! It was like he had a year supply of chips tucked in his coat pocket.
Oh how Ino wanted to cry. It didn't make sense to her that Chouji was assigned to assist her just to make sure she did her job without any distraction. Out of all the students in the class, her professor had chosen Chouji. Why couldn't he have picked someone better (and hotter), like Nara Shikamaru?
Setting aside her dismay, she read over the paper that gave the details of the old woman she was to interview and deliver an essay and a letter from the woman as proof that Ino had spoken to her. The woman's name was Rose, and she lived in a house in the outskirts of town. She was originally from Japan, but she was raised in New York, and after she was 21, she lived in Paris, Beijing, and Rio de Jeneiro by the time she was 28. That was the only information that was given, other than the address of the house.
"She's lived in France, China, and Brazil?" Ino exclaimed, startling both Chouji and the taxi driver. Chouji looked at Ino questioningly.
"No fair! I've always wanted to go those places! She's so lucky!" Ino gushed excitedly. "She has to tell me all about it!" Finally, a project that might actually not be so bad, and Ino was already preparing herself to ask for international fashion magazines and tips.
The taxi slowed to a stop as they eventually arrived, and Ino raised an eyebrow at the traditional home with a lake and sakura trees surrounding it. It was a large yet remote property, and the crystal clear water and trees were breathtaking. Ino got out the cab and paid the driver as Chouji got out as well.
"Wow. This woman must be rich," he said as he munched on his beloved potato chips. "I hear that these sorts of houses are expensive nowadays."
Ino slung her over-the-shoulder backpack over her back and left shoulder as she walked across the arched wooden bridge. "This is amazing! It would be the perfect place for a romantic evening," Ino said dreamily as they approached the door.
"Agreed," Chouji said nodding. "This is very nice!" He said munching. Ino's eye twitched from the annoying sounds of chips crunching as she knocked on the door.
Said door creaked open as a young lady about their age peeked at them with her soft brown. "Hello, how may I help you?" She asked politely as she gave a friendly smile with her warm chocolate brown eyes.
"Yes, my name is Yamanaka Ino," said woman bowed. "And this is my partner Akimichi Chouji. Are you Rose?" Ino asked. The brown-eyed girl blinked as her gaze became a little wary.
"May I ask what this is about?" The girl asked.
"We're here for a Sociology project our professor assigned to us," Chouji said as Ino showed the girl their project instructions. She looked at the contents before her gaze softened again.
"Ah, I see. Welcome, my name is TenTen. Come on in," she said as led them inside. Ino and Chouji followed as TenTen shut the door rather quickly and locked it. "This way please."
The interior was very pretty as it had a simple yet distinguished décor. There were a few pictures of the woman, presumably Rose in her childhood and teenage years from her baby pictures to her high school graduation.
"She was beautiful," Chouji said with a blush as he looked at more pictures. There was one behind the other pictures he noticed as he picked it up. It had Rose, and a red-haired man in what looked like Los Angelos. Chouji's eyes widened as he immediately recognized the man.
"Hello there," a gentle voice said making Chouji quickly put down the photo. He looked at the woman at the top of the stairs and his blush immensely. She was prettier in the pictures, not mention she didn't look a day over 25. Her pink hair was in an elegant bun with two senbons pinning it up. Her soft emerald green eyes were warm, yet a little cautious as she descended the stairs.
Ino couldn't believe it. It was like this woman stepped out of a photo that consisted of exotic beauty, and she was the model.
"Hello, welcome to my home," Rose said as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Nice to meet you," Ino and Chouji said as they bowed respectfully.
"We apologize for the intrusion Rose-san," Ino said. "If this is a bad time, we can come back another time," she said.
"It's no problem at all. I could use some company," Rose replied as she took a seat in the living room. "Come sit down, make yourselves at home."
"Arigatou," Chouji said as he and Ino took a seat.
"Would you like something to drink? I have sodas," Rose offered.
"Yes please, and thank you," Chouji said.
"I'll just have lemonade if that's alright," Ino said.
"No problem at all. TenTen, can you bring two Dr. Peppers and a glass of lemonade?" Rose called out.
"Yes ma'am!" TenTen replied from the kitchen.
"TenTen tells me you are here for a project?" Rose asked as TenTen came with the drinks. She handed Chouji and Rose a Dr. Pepper and Ino her lemonade. She had a Sprite for herself as she sat down in a chair.
"Yes," Chouji said. "We're supposed to get to know you for the next week and write an essay for our professor."
"I see… and who is your professor?" Rose asked she opened her can and took a sip.
"Sabaku Gaara," Ino replied.
Shock that covered Rose's features was an understatement as she nearly choked on her soda.
"A-are you okay Rose-san?" Ino asked surprised as TenTen quickly patted Rose's back until she regained her composure.
"Yes," said woman after a while.
"Do you him?" Chouji asked, though he knew the answer to that already.
"I… I did. But that was years ago," Rose said solemnly as she stared at her soda.
"Did you two used to go out or something?" Ino asked. She had her pen and paper ready on her lap as TenTen looked at Rose in alarm.
"Are you sure you want to tell them?" She asked worried.
"I have nothing to lose, so why not?" Rose said with a humorless chuckle. She took a deep breath as she looked at Ino seriously.
"I did know Gaara. In fact, we used to be married."
Ino and Chouji's eyes widened. In honesty, it explained why their professor would send any student a death glare every time he or she teased him by saying he either needed a girlfriend, or a good lay.
"But that was such a long time ago. I actually thought he was dead," Rose said sadly. "It's been almost 200 years since I last saw him."
Ino nodded as she wrote down the bit of information. "What happened? Did you guys get—wait…did you say 200 years ago?" She asked taken aback.
Rose laughed at Ino and Chouji's faces. "Yes, 200 years. I am much older than you think," she said. "Have you heard of the war between the Talons and the Ixona?"
"We learned it in Mythology class last year," Chouji said.
Rose nodded. "I see, but the war is no myth. It was real, gruesome, and it is still going to this day."
Ino and Chouji were utterly perplexed, which did not go unnoticed by Rose.
"I supposed you want a better explanation," she said with a soft tone. When the two college students didn't answer, she continued.
"The current year is 2216, but I was born in 1995. During that time, the war between the Talons and Ixona was the most the intensified. They fought for dominance over countries, supporters, and power. Not tyrannical power, mind you, but actual power that an individual carried. Those individuals were called Liliths, and I was one of them. The Ixonas were cruel people, and kidnapped the Liliths, brutally cutting open their bodies and severely poisoning their minds to take the power for their own."
"But why would they go through the trouble?" Ino asked as she tried keep up with this information.
"Because they want the power to rule the world, and the other worlds as well," Rose said.
"Other worlds? There are more worlds out there?" Chouji asked bewildered.
"Yes, but not many of them," Rose said.
"How do you know so much of this?" Ino asked curiously. Rose gave TenTen a glance before looking back at Ino.
"Because I have been through Hell in many ways and forms you can't imagine," Rose replied. "They took everything from me: my life, my friends and family, and my identity."
"Your identity?" Ino asked.
Rose chuckled and gave a small nod.
"Yes. Before I become Rose, before my 21st birthday, my name was Haruno Sakura."