Chapter One

The Assignment

He dashed through the trees, allowing what few barks that got in his way to take their fair share on his skin. She was fast; he'll give her that. For five days Sasuke Uchiha had laid low and waited for her arrival; tonight, he finally got his chance. Though he had left the rest of his team in his dust, he did not mind. They would catch up sooner or later. He stopped on a nearby tree branch, suddenly loosing sight of her. Glancing around, he wondered where she would be hiding. His black eyes darted every inch of the forest, searching, listening. She was close; he could feel it. And as sudden as his thoughts came, his opponent gave means of move. Only this time, she had changed from defense to offence.

In a mere second, Sasuke found himself falling through trees with extra weight pressed closely on top of his chest. He reached into his back pocket in what little time that took him to fall. Quickly, he broke free of her seemingly harmless hold as he sent a rain of darts towards her figure. His eyes widened when she did not dodge, he was even more surprised when he saw his own weapon enter her body. His mission was to bring her back unharmed, not a dead corpse. Sasuke watched helplessly as her lifeless body hit the ground. For a moment, he was numbed by his own actions. In another second, his senses came back in realization, and he cursed under his breath for his stupidity.

"Substitution Jutsu!"

Sasuke quickly turned to locate his opponent, but was already too late. The battle was over. The girl slammed her forefinger into either sides of his chest in one quick motion, and Sasuke suddenly felt his body motionless to his demands. He growled, noting her techniques. He had never seen anything so unusual before, and wondered if this would be the end of his pathetic life. 'Killed by a girl.' He almost snorted at the thought. 'Naruto's going to have a field day with this.'

For the first time, he glanced at his target, catching a good glimpse of azure eyes that hid behind a delicate mask. Her figure seemed fragile, weak, but he guessed this is what they meant when they say looks can be deceiving, for Rei Kashino was anything but weak. Her long black hair drifted in the wind, and for an instant, Sasuke felt the urge to reach out and touch it. Slowly, she removed her mask, revealing clean skin and lushes lips. Sasuke stared, puzzled. Why would she take off her mask in front of the enemy? She raised her left hand, pushing back the collar that reached well above his neck. Her fingertips brushed against the mark engraved into Sasuke's skin, her touch was so cold and death like, that he almost shivered.

"Orochimaru." The name rolled off her tongue with such delicacy, one would think she was in love. Yet the hard look in her eyes told him otherwise.

"Let me go!" He demanded.

They were so close together, that he could practically feel her breath on him. Rei ignored his humbled request, her eyes transfixed on the cursed mark. Sasuke tensed, knowing Kakashi's seal wouldn't hold much longer. He could feel it, the curse breaking loose with every ounce of strength that he gains. It was killing him, and she knew it. Slowly, she moved down to his left hand, locking her fingers with his. Her skin was cold to his touch, but only for a second as she began her incantation, marking him with a seal of her own. Her symbols burned into his skin, covering every inch of his body, and he screamed, letting his pain fill the whole forest. When her power had left his body, he felt every ounce of energy drained out of him, and strangely, he felt the same thing for her.

"Leave him alone!"

In another second, he had caught a glimpse of pink hair, followed by Sakura's dart. Everything happened so fast; Sasuke had neither the time nor the strength to react as the dart flew past Rei's left cheek, taking a line of skin with it as well. Sasuke's eyes widened. All girls worshiped their appearances, and that cut was anything but a scratch. Blood poured out of her wound. He could see Rei physically tense, but she was in no condition to fight. So she simply fled, shoving him towards his teammates while she's at it. Her small figure shifted easily amongst trees, and that was the last thing Sasuke saw before he passed out.

Six days ago…

"You are to bring Rei Kashino back to Konoha." The Fifth Hokage's command was not to be taken lightly.

The team of three had earned their respect within the village. With Naruto's recklessness, Sakura's beauty and Sasuke's strength, the team had established their name as one of the most efficient, as well as the luckiest team around. For if luck weren't on their side, surely Naruto would have died a multiple time.

'Kashino. Where have I heard that name before?' Now at the age of nineteen, Sasuke stood just blow six feet, the perfect height for a ninja. As dashing as he was, his eyes had hardened a great deal over the years. He was no longer the child he once was. No, that was not true. He was never a child, he never had time to sit and enjoy his childhood. Oh no, he was too much into revenge for that.

"The team that retrieved the Yue scroll."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. Of course, why hadn't he noticed sooner? The Yue scroll held one of life's greatest wonders. In it contains the secret to an eternal life. Six years ago, a team of three twelve year olds single handedly located and brought back the scroll of Yue, earning them the highest respect within Konoha. But all great things require great sacrifices. Three people went on the quest, and only one returned. Afterwards, she was never spoken of again. Although the scroll was in Konoha now, it remains sealed within Tsunade's library. For no one but the one who retrieved the scroll may be granted the power to break the seal.

"Why?" Naruto asked heatedly. His boldness remained throughout the years.

"We owe her that much." This time, it was Kakashi who replied.

His words had left his former students in a daze. But as a ninja, they needn't question their orders. So, feeling somewhat confused, Sasuke left his feelings behind and went forth. Tracking the girl down was not a problem; it's what to do with her after that bothered him.

"Sasuke-kun!"

His vision cleared as he slowly pulled himself to a sitting position. His head throbbed like crazy. Turning to his right, he found Sakura staring at him with worried eyes. Sasuke was practically shirtless when he looked down at himself, with bandages running along his left arm. His eyes narrowed as he began to unwrap the bandages. Layer by layer, the white cloths fell to the ground. At first peek, he would have sworn Naruto had painted over his skin with black ink, but on a closer scan, Sasuke found, to his surprise, a pattern that he knew was beyond Naruto's abilities. He followed the chain of incantations that nested his forearm, all the way up to his neck. Slowly, he ran a hand over Orochimaru's curse, and felt traces of Rei's power seeping through.

"What's this?" He demanded. Sakura looked away, unwilling to answer. "Well?" He pushed, louder this time.

"Yue's curse." Sakura spat viciously. At his confused look, she went on explaining. "It symbolizes ownership. It was used on slaves a couple of a hundred years back. Once the curse is put upon a designated target, he would become one's slave for all eternity. Unless…"

"Unless?"

"The master wish to free of her slave by offering her own body. It means the master no longer sees the slave as that of lower value, but as equals."

"Intimacy?"

Sakura nodded, swallowing back tears. The thought of her Sasuke with someone else simply killed her inside. "The penalty for disobeying orders is death. Such art should have perished long ago."

Sasuke heaved a sigh. Of course, why hadn't he expected this? As the last remaining member of the Kashino clan, Rei alone holds the ancient power lost many, many years ago. He closed his eyes, remembering the strange technique she had used on him. He remembered the look in her eyes, she did not want to harm him, but after Sakura wounded her, he has no idea what she'll do. Rei was not afraid to kill, he could tell from the way she moved. If she really wanted to take his life, then she would have aimed for his neck instead of his chest. What they needed now was a plan.

"She can move easily in the forest and blend in with the trees, but in the open, she's as good a target as any."

Sakura turned towards Sasuke, wondering how he knew. "You could tell by your last encounter?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Kakashi-sensei."

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto echoed, his blue eyes widening. "How did he…?"

"I don't know!" Sasuke snapped. "Stop asking stupid questions and get to work!"

For the rest of the days to follow, the team had set up their trap and laid low in waiting for Rei to make her appearance. Sakura did not like the idea at all, for she feared the girl might be too much for them to handle. Yet Sasuke was determined to capture Rei, for he wished freedom. A day passed, then two; still, no sign of Rei's approach. The rain fast approached the passing days. It was now five days after their last encounter, and Sasuke somehow found himself perched on the same tree. He felt foolish. Rei could be anywhere by now. Yet somehow, he knew she would return.

His effort was not in vain. On the night of the sixth day, he had seen movement amongst the trees. The figure was approaching at a slow paste, but he could tell at first glance that it was her. Excitement filled his veins. He would show her, and perhaps the rest of the world, that he was ready for Itachi, and he would prove it by defeating her.

He signaled for Sakura and Naruto to get ready. They would lie in waiting until Rei walks into their trap. Any moment now, they would spring from the trees and tangle her up in the net they've set up. Two more steps. Rei was right on mark. Naruto and Sakura both leapt from their hideout, net stretched out on either side of them. Rei did not look up when she flipped backwards. Her flexible body landed smoothly on her feet a couple of meters away. She was expecting it. But how? Their plan was so carefully plotted that it was almost flawless. 'Flawless?' It was too perfect, so artificial that one would know right away that there was an unnatural taunting about the path. Why did she choose it then?

"Down!"

There was no time to react. Sasuke felt his legs give away from under him, and soon, he found the ground flying to confront his fears. He hit land with a thud. Embarrassment pained more than the fall as he lay there with the wind knocked out of him. 'What happened?' Then he remembered the curse. Nothing surprised him anymore. This girl was tough to deal with. If only he could find a way to slow her down, then maybe, just maybe, they would stand a chance. Rei had turned her attention to the remainder of the team, assuming Sasuke would be a good little boy and stay where he was. Her decision, however, almost caused a fatal blow to her downfall.

For the few seconds that Rei spared to attention to Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke had resumed his battle stance. His eyes darkened as he summoned up his chakura, the strings of his windmill technique already at the trips of his fingers. He signaled for the rest of his team to step off to the side as his almost invisible string tumbled swiftly towards Rei's body. 'Gotcha!' He thought, seeing her trapped under his weapon.

The strings he controlled with the tips of his fingers swirled about, coating her around the wrist and ankles like a cocoon. For a moment she almost looked confused at the stiffness of her body. Then the struggle began. But the more she moved about, the more Sasuke's strings would tighten. Like a spider, Sasuke sprung his trap. Her struggles, however, did not cease, until finally, the strings broke her skin.

"Stop moving! You'll only make it worse!" Sasuke warned, frowning as he saw trickles of blood slide off of his cord. He wasn't supposed to hurt her; he wasn't even supposed to touch her.

His words didn't seem to affect her. Sasuke winced, feeling the strings tighten around his own fingers from her constant struggles. He gave his left arm a forceful pull, bringing her right hand above her head to stop her from reaching for her knife. Rei had stubbornly refused to cooperate. The consequence was beyond imagination, a thing of which Sasuke regretted doing later on.

Through all the fighting, he had failed to notice the jade bracelet around her wrist, and in pulling; he had successfully shattered the ornament. Pieces of the fine jewel now scattered the ground, some entering her already scrapped skin. Rei watched as fragments of the jade spread motionlessly across the ground, her expression, unreadable. And Sasuke thought she was going to cry, the way a little girl would when she lost her favorite toy. Yet when she looked up again, it wasn't sorrow that he saw, but anger.

It was as though a demon had awoke inside of her. He stumbled back a few, seeing a crazed look in her eyes. A gaze so intense that one would only see from someone who no longer cared for the world around her. And for that, Sasuke felt a rush of fear down his spine. What was scarier than a crazy ninja? Easy, a crazy ninja who can put her life on the line in order to win. He wanted to be like that, but he was afraid, afraid of death. He couldn't die, not before he kills Itachi. Rei lashed out with such a force that the strings attached to Sasuke's fingers were ripped loose by her strength. He panicked.

"Move it Sasuke!"

He heard Naruto's voice, but was unable to control his legs. He cursed, knowing she had something to do with this. She still had him under her curse. Rei was less than ten feet away now. Over to his right, he could hear Naruto's voice, nagging him to get a move on. Five feet now. She dashed for him, knife in hand; anger flaring. He closed his eyes. He hadn't expected himself to die this way. There was a splash of blood. 'It's over.' He thought. But it wasn't his blood. His eyes snapped open in alter disbelief. Inches in front of him, crammed in what little space between Rei and himself, was Naruto. Her knife pierced the side of his waist. She didn't blink as she pulled out her weapon, drawing blood. Her face, a look of hardness. She truly was a killer.

"Idiot." Naruto muttered, his voice, weak, tangled with a hint of pain. "M-Move!" His knees buckled, and he fell in the face of his opponent.

"Naruto-kun!" Off in the distance, Sakura shouted her teammate's name. She had seen him fall countless times and get back up; but this time, he wasn't about to move. "You!"

Sakura let her anger get the best of her, which proved to be a deadly point. She let her guard down, as a result, she fell victim to Rei's substitution. When she realized, though, it was already too late. A deadly kick to the neck sent her flying towards a tree, where she hit her head hard, and fell unconscious afterwards to a pool of blood. Each blow from this girl was deadly, yet she hadn't moved to take their lives.

"Sakura!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Rei was strong, but he wasn't known for giving up either. If he could break free of Orochimaru's curse when he was little, he could take on anything. Rei turned back, saving her final strength to break him. With her left hand, she formed a fist and slammed right for Sasuke's face. He flipped backwards and stumbled to land on his feet. She was surprised. She hadn't expected him to do this. Her eyes hardened as she got into a battle stance. He prepared his own show. Rei launched first. He blocked.

Once or twice he landed a few punches on her, but she quickly gained the upper hand. Sasuke stumbled back in an attempt to block her, loosing his balance for a few seconds. Rei saw her chance. She round housed, knocking his feet out from under him. Sasuke fell with a thud. Rei wasted no time in getting on top, her legs spread apart on either side of him, pinning him down with her weight. She raised her knife, ready to end him. Sasuke knew; he knew she would stab him to death. He closed his eyes and cried out, his voice of fear filling the forest. He didn't want to die, not here, not now.

Suddenly, there was a shift in power. He couldn't die, not before he kills his brother. He pushed his weight from underneath her with his left knee. In one swift movement, Sasuke rolled himself over. Her surprised body fell, hitting the ground hard as their position switched. Anyone standing in his way of achieving his goals deserved death. Mission or not, she was going down. He pinned both her wrist down with his left hand while raising a knife of his won with his right. His mind went blank as he brought the blade forward in a downward motion. She simply lay there, as if waiting for the incoming death.

"Sasuke!"

He froze at the voice, the blade only inches from her neck. He couldn't believe it. For a moment, he actually thought of killing her. Slowly, he turned to his left, finding Kakashi standing a couple of feet away. A look of concern crossed his former sensei's face. Sasuke frowned. He had never seen Kakashi worry for anyone. Even if he were worried, he wouldn't let it show. But now…

He hadn't time to figure out Kakashi's feelings; he had other things to attend to. Getting off, he ran towards the direction where Naruto lay, kneeling down, he checked for pulse. Then he sat back and gave a relieved sigh as he felt Naruto's soft, even breathing. He was still alive.

"They all…died." Sasuke could hear Rei's soft voice, as she lay unmoved in the same spot. He stood up, wondering what she was talking about. She hadn't killed anyone. She knew her own strength.

"Hai." He heard Kakashi reply.

"Why am I…?" Rei's voice cracked as she spoke. "Still doing alive then…?"

"They traded their lives with death for yours." Kakashi kneeled down beside her, his good eye staring intently into her empty orbs. "You have to keep living. For them."

Then something happened, something neither Kakashi nor Sasuke expected. It was at that very moment that Sasuke realized, all along, she had been pleading death from him. He looked at the girl, suddenly curious as to what had happened to make her this way, to loose all hopes of living. And as she reached up, Kakashi enclosed his arms around her, holding her with a never before gentleness, like as if she might shatter if he presses any harder. The tenderness was clearly visible on the man's face, and for some reason, Sasuke felt a tug at his heart.

"Sumimasen. Kakashi-san." And for the first time since her last assignment, Rei cried.

A/N: Jah, something happened, and something something. Kay, well, here's the first chapter. Me go to art class now! REVIEW! -