Here's a little Valentine's gift for all of you who have followed this story even though it went on a yearlong hiatus!
The re-edited version of the prologue! There are only a few minor changes, nothing really extreme. You will notice that I deleted the part after this point, but that is because it no longer fit in there.
For all of you new readers out there: This is a story that I stopped writing for a year and will start up after I have finished up my other story. I'm making changes to the plot, mainly because it didn't have one before...
Thanks for reading!
Prologue
All of it was a lie: the smiles, the hugs, the tears, the annoying behavior, the weakness, the happiness, the sorrow, the hate, the begging, the love, even the voice... All of it. It was all a lie. One of the biggest lies ever, was I, Sakura Haruno. I was not weak I was a prodigy. My personality wasn't annoying it was an act. I did not cry about everything or laugh at every little thing Sasuke, Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto said, I was serious. Last, and perhaps the biggest lie of all, I was not in love with Sasuke Uchiha, I was protecting him, how could I love him, someone so consumed by hatred and so bent on revenge? How?
It was my job to lie, the position I was placed in when I was only seven. "Lie to them Sakura, lie to everyone, until that day," That's what he told me the day he left, when I was too young to understand what had happened. The only real joy that was brought to me was whenever I would receive a letter from him, I would trace my finger over the words he would write. I started at the greeting and read all the way to the closing. I would then re-read the letters ten times over.
I wasn't entirely heartless. I did grow to care for my teammates, but they never really knew me. I couldn't care entirely for people that never knew me.
The day finally came when my real journey started. It was my fourteenth birthday and I received a letter from him telling me it was time. That night I left to finally be at the place where I was promised a position. I crept out of my room window that night. I didn't pack anything, I wouldn't need it; I just left. I was in a hurry, but I refused to show my rush to be reunited with him, I was good at acting by now. I wondered in the forest for miles, taking note of how the trees would thin and then thicken almost as quickly as they had thinned. The stars speckled the sky and displayed themselves beautifully up against the midnight blue canopy of the sky. It was all so much more beautiful to me now as I knew all the waiting was finally over.
I came to a river, which was as wide as three of me lying down. Across the river was a cave with flowers blossoming all around it. I jumped easily over the river and crept into the mouth of the cave, and, for the first time, I was nervous. I took a deep breath and walked in the dark for a while. My eyes slowly adjusted to the low lighting. My feet stopped when I came to a staircase lined with unlit torches, as I started walking towards the stairs again the torches lit and I proceeded up. At the top, I was greeted by a small group of ninja in a 'v' formation. The one in front possessed orange hair with several piercings, and what seemed to be a ripple effect in his purple gray eyes.
"Pein," I greeted bowing respectfully.
"Welcome our newest member, Sakura Haruno, of the Konohagakure," Pein said almost emotionlessly to the other members of Akatsuki and you could feel his dominance over them. Pein turned and walked away into the shadows, followed by Konan. I stayed rooted in the place I was standing while looking for him. My eyes grazed the other members and landed on a man with an orange mask with a strange pattern on it. Something about him unnerved me. I shook the feeling off when I spotted him and walked towards him, "Itachi," I greeted.
"Sakura," he greeted me in return, "it's been too long."
"I agree," I said staring up at him, he stared back and I was at last reunited with Itachi Uchiha, the older brother I never had and we began to plan for the day this would all end.
That night I would finally let the mask fall and break, never again would I be the girl I had pretended to be for so many years.
If you have read this story before and missed my Author's note I have attached just so you have a clearer understanding of what's going on.
I have decided to completely start this story over because I am not happy with the direction it took. Let's just admit: Sakura ended up being like her usual self if not worse... I'm disappointed in myself... (I'm not saying I don't like Sakura's character she's one of my favorites :))Look for a possible update after A Blurred Past is completed!
The plot line may even be different! GASP! I'm still trying to tweak it a bit.
I'm going to start thanking all of my reviewers, favoriters, and followers in my updates so that's a nice little change to look forward to :)