Zakuro looked out at the blackened night sky that loomed over her home village. Behind her she heard a loud shout and then a crash. Sighing she turned from the window of the Inn where she worked. before he died her father had owned this place, it was now run by crotchety old woman who worked Zakuro to death. However she still worked here because it held so many memories of ther father and she needed the money to live on her own. Unfortunately her mother had died within hours of her birth, with only one chance to hold Zakuro before she passed on. Still life was begining to crash on her like an ocean wave, repetitive and harsh.
"How's my favorite waitress today?"
Zakuro looked up from the drinks she'd been pouring. "Hi Sasuke." She smiled at her childhood friend. He was now known as the young heart throb of the village. His pitch black hair fell perfectly around his angular face, and hung in his dark eyes.
He cocked his head and smiled with one side of his mouth. "Thought maybe you'd like some company walking home tonight." Sasuke sat down at the bar and leaned toward Zakuro.
Zakuro sighed and shook her head, picking up the tray of drinks in one hand she lifted the section of the bar and stepped out. "Sasuke didn't we talk about this." Sasuke had always been her friend since the two met at the age of five. But lately he'd been getting a little too touchy-feely for her. She walked to a table of four men, they all looked up and smiled eagerly at her.
"Hey Zakuro." One piped up. " You doing anything later? I was wondering if you might grace me with the presence of an angel." He smirked.
Zakuro looked at him from under her eye lashes. "Sorry Hayate," She pouted. " I'll have to take a rain check."
"I'll hold you to it." Hayate called after her. A chorus of snickers and high-fives followed.
She winked a blue eye at him before she walked away. Turning she came face to face with Sasuke, he had a peculiar look on his face. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing." He quickly said and then smiled a very Sasuke-ish smile." I just want to walk my best friend home."
Zakuro cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah right." She smiled teasingly and headed back toward the bar.
Sasuke caught her elbow. "Seriously, I just htought it would be nice to walk you home." He turned on all the charm that those dark eyes could hold. Zakuro couldn't help but stare but only for a moment. Sasuke knew he was winning this arguement. "C'mon," He pouted.
Zakuro sighed. "Okay."
"Great."
"Zakuro!!"
The two turned to see Machi, the woman who now owned the Inn. She was a woman of fifty, who looked more like five thousand. Her eyes were beady and practically hidden by the wrinkles around her eyes, that were too numerous to count. She was hunched over and resembled an old tortoise and was just as slow. "I don't pay you to socialize with your friend, girl." Her words were garbled from her lack of teeth. "If anything save it for the customers." She said refering planly to Zakuro's looks.
"Yes Machi." Zakuro smiled. But then turned from the old woman to scowl and curse.
Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Easy there girl. It'll be okay."
"Alright," She sighed. "I've got to finish my shift. Then we'll go."
"Okay then." Sasuke smiled and sat down at a table. "I'll be here."
An hour later Zakuro whistled and wiped her brow on her apron. She looked over to where she'd left Sasuke, a huge group of girls Zakuro's age of sixteen and younger and even some older surrounded him.
"As usuall." Zakuro rolled her eyes.
Word traveled fast in the village as to where Sasuke was among the young women. The girls were staring at him with longing, some fiddled with their hair trying to get it perfect so he would notice them. However he was looking at Zakuro. She knew from being his friend that Sasuke prefered long hair. Zakuro thought nothing of it, but running a hand through her long honey colored locks, she thought otherwise.
Not only a heart throb Sasuke was a notorious story teller. He was constantly entrancing the villagers during the community bon-fire.
"Tell us a story Sasuke." A small brunette girl of thirteen piped up, trying to get his attention on her. "Please." She batted her large brown eyes at him.
Sasuke looked at her and smiled his trademark smile. A very sly smile. "Very well. But which one?"
The girls squealed with glee and huddled closer to him
"One of love." Another girl said, smiling.
"No," Another girl interupted. "A tragedy."
Sasuke thought for a minute. "How about one of the village tales passed down for three hundred years." He cleared his throat. "This story," He began. "Is not for the faint of heart." His ebony eyes sparked with and even darker look. Zakuro quickly noted that for as quickly as it had come it was gone. "I think I'll tell you of the Demon of the woods."
Zakuro bit her lip. Now she understood that look.
"You see many who have wandered too far into the woods have never returned because they have met the Demon. It's been said that when you get lost in the woods that border our village, you hear him following you." Sasuke wandered slowly around as he spoke taking in the fear in the girl's eyes. All have been warned away from the woods since the day of their birth. "However when you look, you're just alone in the woods. This can go on for hours or only minutes. It depends on how the Demon feels that day. You know the worst is near when you hear the music he has written." Sasuke paused. "Beautiful music. But be warned it is the Demon. Very few have seen him and lived to tell about it, but those who have find they can never sleep again for this corpse of a demon haunts their dreams. His skin is as pale as moonlight, his eyes sunken in and flash fire, his limbs as twisted as a dead tree. And if you ever hear the music," Sasuke paused again, looking at the terrified faces of his audience. "AHHHH!!" Sasuke lunged at the girls. They jumped and screamed. "The end." He whispered and smiled. "You must always be on your guard, he could find you. He enjoys targeting young women. And others." He added and that look returned to his eyes, vengence.
Zakuro walked over to place a hand on the shoulder of a trembling girl. "Don't let him scare you." She smiled. "Besides," She looked at Sasuke. "It's not wise to speak of him remember." Along with being warned away from the woods all the villagers were warned not to talk about the Demon. "To speak of him is to bring him upon you."
Sasuke snorted. "Let him come." Quick as a flash he pulled out his kunai. "I'll take care of him once and for all."
Zakuro rolled her eyes. "It's only a legend anyway." Turning she said over shoulder. "I'll be right back Sasuke then we'll go."
"You're not scared of the Demon, Zakuro?" Sasuke smirked.
"No." Zakuro kept walking headed for the backroom behind the bar. suddenly a flash of gray flew just past the left side of her face and hit the wall. She looked back to see Sasuke's right hand out stretched, the knife gone. "You missed."
" 'Wasn't aiming for you." He replied with a chuckle.
Zakuro then felt her bangs fall loose around her face. She looked at the wall to find her red hair ribbon nailed to the wall by the kunai. She made a face and looked back at Sasuke. "Show-off."
The girls all squealed again. Their fear evaporated by Sasuke's show of talent. "Only Sasuke." Zakuro thought.
"Incedible shot Sasuke." One praised.
"Unbelieveable." Another said.
Zakuro walked right past where the hair ribbon was. She'd get it tomorrow, she hated it anyway. Machi made her wear her hair back while she worked. Zakuro prefered her hair loose. So had her father, he'd always praised her hair and told her it looked just like her mother's. Zakuro's throat tightened as she closed the backroom door behind her.
Sasuke walked over to the kunai and removed it from the wall. He looked at the red ribbon for a minute before pocketing it.
Inside the backroom Zakuro took a few deep breaths to calm herself down as her vision started to blur. Three of the backroom walls were lined with small lockers, when her father was still alive all of those lockers belonged to an employee now only five were taken. The wall that held the door was cieling to floor mirror and a small chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Zakuro untied her apron and pulled her black cloak out of her locker, placing the apron inside she slammed it shut. Turning she took in her reflection, her long dirty blond hair and ocean blue eyes, pale skin covered in a crimson red dress that showed off an ample bust and thin waist. She turned a few times wishing she wasn't so skinny and taller than 5' 4''.
"Ready to go?"Zakuro asked walking back out to the main room.
"Yep." Sasuke said goodbye to his adoring fans and met Zakuro at the door. He took her heavy cloak and pulled it over her shoulders and held the door open for her. Stepping out into the cold night, the wind bit at their faces as an omen of the oncoming winter. They walked in silence for awhile before Sasuke suddenly asked. "What's with you insisting that the Demon's a legend?"
"Because it is."
"What if it isn't?" Sasuke was walking faster now. "Remember all those girls who disappeared."
"They didn't disappear." Zakuro said. "They moved or got married."
"Them why were they all last seen outside the woods?" Sasuke glared at the tree line on the horizon. "Just as well I suppose." He shugged.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zakuro asked, struggling to keep up with his strides.
He shrugged again. "Women are just more succeptable to falling into traps."
"What ?!" Zakuro stopped dead.
"I didn't mean you." Sasuke turned back his eyes apologetic. "You're a lot smarter than that. It's just women are more weak minded than men."
"What?!" Zakuro blushed with anger.
Sasuke held his hands up in front of him. "Wait that came out wrong."
"You think so !"
Sasuke sighed. "I'm sorry Zakuro." He rubbed a hand over his face and through his long bangs. "I've just been under a lot of pressure lately so I'm acting like and idiot."
Zakuro was confused now. "What kind of pressure?"
"My parents are all on my case about getting married." He looked into Zakuro's eyes in a way that her cringe on the inside. "I'm just waiting for the perfect girl to say yes."
Zakuro shook her head. "Not again." She thought. Her head snapped up as Sasuke grabbed her hand, he met her halfway grasping her face with his other hand.
"Please just give me a chance." He whispered.
Zakuro tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he held her tight. "Sasuke," She tried to let him down easy like she had before. However her patience was wearing thin. "I've told you before, I don't like you that way." Besides her own feelings Zakuro had promised her father on his death bed that she wouldn't marry Sasuke. He had confessed to her that he loved Sasuke like a son and how Sasuke always took care of her, but there was something he had never liked about Sasuke. Zakuro now knew what that was. Sasuke's attitude and how everything has to go his way. "Someday you'll find that girl and she'll be the luckiest in the world." She smiled at him.
"I already have that girl." He bent his face to hers, to kiss her. This was the third time this week that he'd tried.
Zakuro was quicker than him, she slipped out of his grasp and shoved him in the chest. He stumbled back before landing on his back on the ground. Zakuro stood over him. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this!" She was furious now. "I have no interest in you that way! Get it throught your thick head before you ruin our friendship!"
Sasuke was on his feet in seconds. "Excuse me for wanting the girl I love to love me back!" He was furious now too.
"You're not excused! You need to backoff !"
Sasuke waved his hands through the air. "That's it! I'm done! Walk yourself home!"
"Fine!" Zakuro yelled walking off.
Sasuke was fuming. "Don't expect to see me in the Inn tomorrow!"
"Don't expect me to want to see you in the Inn tomorrow!" She shouted over her shoulder.
Sasuke watched her walk away. "When I see something I want," He muttered under his breath. "I don't let anything get in my way." He walked toward his home.
Zakuro was still fuming as she walked to her house. "I don't believe him." She thought angrily. "He's changed since..." Her words fell away. A few years ago Sasuke's brother had been found dead outside the woods and it was rumored that the Demon was responsible. Needless to say Sasuke believed the rumor. This had torn Sasuke apart. He and his brother had been so close, Zakuro had been jealous when she watched to two of them. She had wanted a sibling to take care of her, to watch over her. After his brother's death Sasuke had changed, he was darker and harsher. He'd hidden it well around Zakuro but she'd always been able to see throught his facade. She knew how to read people. She'd now discovered that the vengeful glint in Sasuke's eyes and how he now hid his true self from her was what her father had seen those years ago.
She sighed. Her life was going nowhere. Sasuke was getting too close to her and thus pushing her away. He wasn't her friend anymore, he was somebody else. Zakuro was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed the tears stinging her eyes. Now her tears fell like rain, silently sliding down her cheeks and shining like stars in the street lamp light whenthey came to rest on her cloak. She missed her father, her friend was gone, everything was going wrong. Zakuro felt her shoulder's shake with every silent sob. She wanted to leave this all behind. Suddenly a small gust of wind made her look up and she gave a start, the forest lay before her.
Not many other than Zakuro were brave enough to live this close to the woods but they'd never intimidated her, she rather liked them. The sounds of the forest seemed to sing her to sleep every night. The view from her bedroom window was her own private heaven. When she used to sing the forest sang with her. She smiled and took a determined step forward. She would show that Sasuke "weak minded". Glancing around Zakuro spotted a lantern sitting on a short stone wall surounding the house on her right. She recognized it as Shikamaru's house. He and Zakuro were close friends. She even found him quite attractive dispite his lazy attitude. He wouldn't mind if she borrowed that lantern for awhile. Picking up the box of matches beside the lantern, she popped one with her thumb and lit the wick inside. She closed the lantern, blowing out the match she tossed it aside. She picked up the lantern and set off for the woods.
However when she stood at the edge of the forest looking into the darkness that lay before her, Zakuro's mouth went dry. She was one of the bravest girls in the village,any of the others would have run back screaming by now. But when another gust of wind seemed to forbid her from entering, she shivered. With a deep breath and a glance behind her she stepped onto the forest path.
Meanwhile back in the village Shikamaru stepped out of his house, his dark hair tousled. He yawned loudly, after just being rudely awakened from his third nap today by his mother. "Man is she scary." He muttered. " I've got to remember to ask Dad why he married her." Mid-yawn he noticed the missing lantern. He walked to where he'd left it earlier and raised an eyebrow. Then he noticed a light in his peripheral vision, turning he saw a small figure poised in front of the woods. He knew who it was immediately.
"Zakuro, what are you up to?"
The sounds of the forest were beautiful. The trees breathed with her, small animals scurried away and the sound of their feet was like music to her. Even the shrill cries of bats above her head made her smile. She wandered for what felt like hours, then the trees opened up and Zakuro found herself in a huge clearing. Her jaw dropped in awe as she took in the sight of a large mansion with walls ten feet high surrounding it. A stone bridge lay before her and she could hear the sound of a river far beneath it. The building glowed in the moonlight and Zakuro shivered again. Suddenly a flash of lightning struck across the sky and she saw a menacing man standing on the second floor balcony. She gasped and stepped back as a roll of thunder shook the ground under her feet. She quickly looked back at the balcony, the man was gone. Zakuro shook her head, her heart pounding in her chest. After one huge drop hit her square on the head the sky opened up and it began to pour.
"Perfect." Zakuro mumbled as another thunder clap shook the earth. Then she set her face hard, convinced that the man she'd seen was just a trick of the lightning and her imagination. She had to get out of this rain. Zakuro stepped onto the bridge.
"Do this Sakura. Do that Sakura." Inside the dimly lit mansion a girl the age of sixteen was carrying a pile of clothing. Her short pink hair was tied back in a black ribbon that matched her dress. "I'm really getting tired of this." Glancing out the window her green eyes went wide as she beheld a small blond girl carrying a lantern walking toward the mansion doors. The clothes fell from her arms. "Oh no." She whispered. "Naruto!" She called rushing to the stairway.
"I know. I saw." A boy with spiky blond hair answered from the bottom of the stairs.
Sakura hurried down the stairs, cursing the length of her skirt and the two looked out the front window. "Do you think he'll-?" Sakura was cut off by the sound of a slamming door upstairs. Naruto and Sakura locked eyes momentarily as a dark figure walked down the stairs and headed for the door.
"Sir?" Naruto said.
He was cut off by a harsh command. "Stay inside." As soon as the figure was out the door he vanished.
The two stood there momentarily chilled by tone of their master's voice. Suddenly Naruto swung his fist through the air. "I hate it when he gets like this!" He yelled.
Sakura sighed. "You should know well enough by now that that is the way he is." She said skeptically.
"Yeah well, I'm tired of it!" Naruto paced the floor of the hall.
"There's nothing we can do remember." Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "Our ancestors signed in blood."
"So now we're his slaves." Naruto stopped pacing. "You'd think our ancestors would've been a little smarter."
Sakura scowled. "That's not realy the brightest thing to say, genius."
"What are they gonna do, haunt me?" Naruto smirked.
"Probably." Sakura quickly bit her thumb.
"Yeah right." Naruto turned his back to her and bit his thumb too, shedding his blood to ward off bad luck and evil spirits.
"That poor girl." Sakura knew what that girl's fate would be. She looked out the window, dreading what she might see. "She's still coming!" She exclaimed. The girl was nearly at the front door.
"What!!" Naruto ran to the window.
Sakura glanced at him. "She can't see us." She whispered and draged Naruto by the collar of his shirt into the study.
"Hey!!" He yelled.
Outside, the rain pelted Zakuro like ice cold bullets, chilling her to the bone. Her cloak was soaked and clung to her slim frame, she nearly tripped twice. Finally reaching the door Zakuro held the lantern high, there was nothing to tell her who lived here. Suddenly Zakuro got the creeping feeling that someone was watching her. She turned as another flash of lightning lit up the clearing, she didn't see anyone. Turning back she mustered up her courage and knocked on the door.
Inside Sakura and Naruto froze. "Just ignore her, she'll go away." Sakura closed her eyes and whispered.
Zakuro knocked again. Naruto headed for the door. "I'm gonna answer it." He said.
"Oh no you're not." Sakura grabbed him and threw him up against the wall. "You want to get us all killed?!"
"I'm not scared of him Sakura." Naruto insisted. "And I'm not just gonna let that girl stand out there."
Zakuro knocked once more. She still felt like someone was watching her and it was making her skin crawl. She needed to shake this. She tried the door handle, it clicked open. Peering inside for a moment, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. However unknown to her, a shadowy figure of a man stood on the bridge, an unreadable look on his rain soaked face.