Chapter One

I gripped my purse tightly against my chest as I ran towards the main dojo in the Sound Village, my white robes flapped around me. I was instructed to meet Lord Orochimaru there for my next assignment. I hoped that I would be permitted a partner on this mission, I was still incredibly irked from having to deal with a bunch of teenagers on my own, those squirts were easy pickings, but the girls I had run into on my reconnaissance were SO annoying. They thought that I was vying for their crushes/my targets affections. But I would never say anything to my lord about it; it was not my place to complain.

As I arrived at the dojo, I stopped for a moment and sorted out my appearance. I never wanted to look disheveled in front of the man who had spared my life when he had run into my cell when I was still a genin and my jonin cell leader decided to try and take him down. I remembered that afternoon all too well…

I was standing alone, bruised and terrified as I looked around at my fallen teammates. He had sliced through Master Kane without pause, so it was of no use for my teammates to try and fight him. Juro and Hu had fallen even faster that the jonin. I felt myself shake as the man who had killed my cell. I got into my stance, preparing to fight, even though I was sure that I was going to fall as well. I closed my silver eyes and activated my now extinct clan's kenkai genkai, I was a mind reader, I could get into an opponent's head and derive everything I ever needed to know about them; I could learn everything about them with one glance, sometimes when I lost control of it, more than I wanted to.

When I opened my eyes, I could see the power this man possessed, as well as the lust for blood, he would drop me in one second flat, but I knew that I needed to fight, it was my clan's way, it was within our motto: "Death Before Dishonor", and it would be very dishonorable to surrender to any opponent, even when I knew that I was going to die. I took in a ragged breath and brought my metal claws out. I could almost laugh at the jokes my teammates used to make about me being Lady Death Strike from X-men come to life. I prepared myself to do battle.

But the man did not charge, he merely smirked at me. "Why are you going to fight, when your death is assured?" his voice seemed to ring out my innermost thoughts.

"Death before dishonor." I told him, sounding more confident than I felt.

He smirked at me again, looking me directly in the eyes, and at that moment I saw everything, all the power he had, all the power that I family would have wanted for me…but more than that I saw all he had done to achieve this power, but I would never ask for it, though I was truly hungry for it. He seemed to read that hunger in my eyes.

"Oh, what is on your mind, you seem to see mine. Miss…Tianna." He finished with his smirk becoming even more pronounced, the look spreading into his yellow, snake like eyes.

"How…how did you know?" I asked shocked, how did he know who I was, what family I came from.

"Your eyes, your kenkai genkai…they are very distinct, as well as you utterance of that special little can motto and way of life…Death before dishonor…" he hissed, "What is it you want…power maybe…"

He was taunting me, teasing me about what I desired most, power, the power the Tianna's had once held…until we got wiped out…a feud with another clan…we killed one another off...

I remember Lord Orochimaru promising me power, promising me recognition in the Ninja villages everywhere, and bringing back the respect my family name. And I knew that he was being truthful with me, I was one of the few nonexpendable ninja in his village. I adjusted my robe once more and entered the dojo.

"Well, you were very nearly late, Salacia." Came a very arrogant voice as soon as I entered the building.

"Well I wasn't Kabuto." I spat.

"Now would it kill you to me nice, Salacia?" he asked, giving me his arrogant smirk of a smile.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question." I growled and strode off, away from him.

I heard him laugh as he followed me. Kabuto was just so infuriating sometimes. I entered into the room in which Lord Orochimaru sat. And as I walked forward, I bowed out of respect for him. He called me forward and keeping my head low I approached and stood before him, and then look at him.

"You called for me Lord Orochimaru." I said, politely.

He nodded, "I have a mission for you, concerning my old friends…the Akatsuki…" he began, with an easy tone, "They are closing ranks on one of my targets…they do not want the target…they want his friend…he is the host of the nine tailed fox demon…and my future body…could be at risk…" he paused and then continued, "From what I remember about my old…leader…he has a weakness…club singers of all things…that is where you come in…but he also has a habit of…disposing of them if they do not please him properly…which is where Kabuto…" he paused again as Kabuto walked and stood next to me, "comes in…he will play your manager…to make sure that you don't get hurt."

I felt a sense of resentment at that statement, but I said no word of that to Lord Orochimaru, but as he always been able to, seemed to sense that emotion.

"I do not wish for your identity as a nin to be known…that would defeat the purpose of this mission." He told me.

I nodded, "Of course, Lord Orochimaru, I understand."

I shot a dirty look over at Kabuto, his smugness at being named my protector radiated off of him. He was so irritating, I hated him, just hated him sometimes.

"When do we leave, my Lord?" he asked as I just stood there poised, I respected my Lord too much to just slap that smug smirk off of Kabuto's face in front of him.

"In one day's time; be ready." He told us and then dismissed us both.

I left the dojo, Kabuto at my heels. I knew that he was going to try and get another rise out of me, just like before.

"Well, you see how easy it is to be accommodating?" he asked in an almost sing-song voice.

I tensed, "I did not rise before out of respect…not for you, but for Lord Orochimaru." I informed him harshly, "But you are so aggravating, I just want to smack you."

He stopped me and gripped both my shoulders tightly, his onyx eyes boring into my silver ones. His intense stare was making me blush, ever so slightly, I hated when he did this.

"Come now, Salacia," he purred, "You know you like it when we get partnered up."

He removed his left hand from my shoulder and played with a strand of my auburn hair, winding the curl around his finger, smirking at me. I swatted his hand away and punched him in his shoulder hard.

"Fuck you, jack ass!" I spat, "I hate you!"

I stormed off, him laughing roguishly behind me. God, he was so irritating.