Standard disclaimer applies. Naruto belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto.

Decadence

n. the act or process of falling into an inferior condition or state; deterioration; decay

Hardly anything was sacred. The cities buzzed with corruption and Heaven was full to the brim with quelling all the mishaps of everyday mediocrity. Wardens were sent out every which way, often without getting the requisite two-day resting period before new assignments. Sakura was working in Nairobi. Things in Nairobi were beyond bad. It wouldn't be long before demons got a hold of that place too. But before she could see the case to completion, Sakura had been pulled from that Nairobi to recover a lost item from the great Angel Wars recently discovered somewhere in north eastern Asia.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

Sakura stared across the room and frowned. Broken glass and torn fabric littered the floor of her modest apartment. Someone had been intent on finding something in her apartment, fool enough to think that she would leave something that important unattended while she was out. Like a hunter, she crouched and felt the glass shards. It was fine. Not the work of some amateur thief looking for a quick buck. She rose and dusted her hands off. Noiselessly, she made her way out of the foyer and into the living room where most of the damage seemed to be. Everything from small lamps to glass vases to couch pillows were ripped and shattered. Brutal and unthinking, quick and too the point. From what they did to her apartment, that was who Sakura was dealing with.

Vvvvvvvvvvvt...Vvvvvvvvvvvt...Vvvvvvvvvt-

"Hello?... Yes... No, they didn't... I have it with me... Yes... No problem... Tonight is fine. Bye." She breathed out a long sigh. Her boss never made it a habit to check up on her. The situation must have really winded him if he felt the need to call her cell. She slid her phone shut and pocketed it. It was rough doing the dirty work. Playing "keep away" wasn't only a kid's game. It was the basis of what her organization was founded on. Keeping the relics away from those who would abuse it. Her cell phone vibrated again, but only once this time.

Your rendezvous point. Be there in five hours.

Sometimes she just wanted to scream out at the injustice of it all. She was not invincible. There was no Clark Kent looming to watch over the city. This shit-hole was about to collapse with all the political corruption getting fat off the weak. Survival of the fittest her ass. Sakura was waiting for the apocalyptic signs to appear so she could leave and return the jewel back to her superiors. Her assignment was to watch over the city until it was deemed "Past the point of redemption." As far as she could see, this city was past that point long before she was assigned as its Warden. God needed new glasses.

Once a city isn't worth saving, the Warden must relinquish it to the demons. Sakura combed her bangs back with her fingers. Humans were a pitiful group. Petty and insufferable as the insects they smashed beneath their designer shoes. She decided long ago and never once changed her mind.

The apartment was in relative order. Heavy duty garbage bags had done their job in keeping all the shards from breaking through the plastic. Her apartment should look like a simple college student's home. There was nothing valuable to lift for some money and she didn't remember pissing anyone off. She brought the bags to the dumpster outside. Filthy as always, she thought, her nose scrunching in distaste.

It was time to leave the apartment anyway. Her landlord had been a slimy person anyway, and felt no regrets leaving the place in the condition it was. In her mind, it served him right, a kind of "justice" if you will.

She made her way to the bicycle she chained a little ways off. Just because she didn't care about the city didn't mean she had to add to its problems. Pollution was bad enough without her adding to the mess. Sakura rode it down and out of the block to the main street. At this time of night, the streets were clear. She could ride in the streets if she wanted to, but it would be a stupid way to die if a wayward driver driving under the influence were to hit her. She may have connections with God, but she isn't indestructible.

Sakura relished the feeling of the night air on her skin, blowing her hair back as she pedaled to the docks. She lived for these moments. Seeing children play in the park, hearing rain fall and hit the windows in a soft –pitterpatter-, and the feel of a cool breeze.

She was jerked out of her moment of peace when her bike veered off course and teetered to the side. Sakura was thrown off and landed on her side. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to pull herself up. She wasn't merely thrown off. She felt something pull her down, and in her vulnerable state, she wasn't willing to look for a fight.

"Don't move." Sakura was dragged to her feet, and felt something cold and metal push against the back of her head. She slowly reached for her cellphone in her front pocket, but heard a click from behind her and felt the gun press harder into her head. "I said don't move," he repeated. Her captor's voice was deathly smooth and left no room for mistakes. He roughly pulled both her hands behind her back and tied them with a leathery rope. Sakura felt herself being pushed along the side of the building. She tried turning her head to see if she could see her captor, but only caught a face shadowed by a hat before she was turned around again.

"Where is the artifact?" Sakura stiffened. She was dealing with a demon.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered. Sakura opted for a confused and defenseless civilian. She heard demons were notoriously stupid and banked on that rumor to save her life.

He stopped pushing her for a moment and leaned in. Sakura felt a breath behind her ear and it traveled down to her neck. She stiffened even more.

"Liar. I can smell it on you," he grit out, slightly annoyed. His nails pierced her bound wrists as he pushed her forward with renewed vehemence. That's it. She's had it. Sakura gnashed her teeth and grabbed his hands and kicked herself up and smashed her head against the front of his face. She used the momentum to flip them over, landing on top of the demon. A whoosh of air escaped from his lips and a clang of metal on concrete. Sakura bolted up, running as fast as she could to get away from the demon.

"Fuck." The demon pushed himself up and spit out blood from his split lip.

"Fzzt-kay...Fsssht... Sasuke? Have you acquired the artifact? Fzzt." His ear piece crackled. Sasuke wiped the blood from his mouth and retrieved his gun.

"No. The artifact has been found but the Warden still has it with her," he replied, cracking some bones and getting ready for the hunt.

"Fssssht... You know what to do... Fssht." He smirked, teeth tinted red. He got a good whiff of her before and she wouldn't be far for long. Sasuke took a deep breath, red eyes bright.

The chase is on.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To know that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

-Robert Frost

End Note: Thanks for reading. Hope it tickles your fancy, but if not, well then to each his (or her) own.

Empyreal Blue

-posted 2.17.08