Chapter 1
The sky contorted with dancing spirals of thundering clouds was filled up with a warning. A warning that I brushed aside.
Rushing with the wind towards Konohagakure, tiny drops of rain started pouring down on the path I was currently running on. Bursting chakra down my legs to pick up speed, a cold wind etched goose bumps into my skin. In that moment I was fully aware of the growing ominous feeling in my stomach. Instead of proceeding my instincts of stopping and just giving up, I kept running. I was eager to get to Konoha as fast as possible. Not only would I fail the mission but get caught in a storm in Fire Country. Never the best idea.
The hair on my neck spiked up. I could feel the electricity building up, surging through the air. A blast of lavender light infused with red struck the hazy crying sky. The roar of thunder erupted, soaring for miles and miles on end.
At the rate I was running, I should arrive in Konoha in a few minutes into the safety of the village. I could see the borders coming into view. Passing the guards I flashed them my citizenship and ran off to the Hokage Tower. Where unknown to civilians and non-members, lay the quarters of Danzou's Anbu underground as well the Root. Something that should not even be allowed. A person with so much influential power could always find the time to make havoc.
Besides the Hokage and village Elders; nobody else should have that power. These people were entrusted by other people for the important jobs.
It was not Danzou's Anbu at first. Tsunade got tired of the responsibilities that came with managing the Anbu. Between managing the village, hospital, and assigning missions to other shinobi her job was far more tiring than it appeared so. I did whatever I could to help out at the hospital when I did not receive a mission knowing Tsunade did not have time to waste energy on something I could invest. I also have to sometimes do my mentor's paperwork, which is always somehow five feet tall when I come back in, even after I finish.
Instead she adopted the position to Danzou; who clearly asked the Hokage to give the job to him. That was exactly where I was headed. The Anbu headquarters. I only had a few minutes before I fail the mission time limit. In which case I will be accused of helping the enemy. The rules state currently that if you fail the mission in anyway, you become a traitor. The current Hokage can't even argue with the little handbook given to every Anbu once they make it in.
Rushing towards the entrance, I flickered through some hand-signs and was teleported to the front door of Danzou's throne room.
Knocking thrice a low, "Come in." announced my permission. Opening the steel doors carefully I entered and let the doors meet again.
"Ah, Haruno Sakura or should I say Bloody Spirit. You are late."
"Forgive me. This will never reinstate again." I bowed down in front of him letting my flowery hair form a curtain.
"Of course it won't," I let out a sigh of relief, "That is why you will turn in your mask."
A small gasp struck my throat, "Please reconsider." My voice still a calm façade.
"Have you read the handbook Bloody Spirit?"
"Yes."
"Then you must understand you are now a traitor to Konohagakure."
A lone tear rolled down my cheek.
"There will be a trial to formally unemploy you and maybe execute."
"Is that why some Anbu have been disappearing?"
"Yes. I first make it seem that they actually betrayed this village and once the trial begins no one wants to help them."
"You mean all those Anbu that we have exiled are innocent."
"You presume correctly."
"How could you perform such a vile act?"
A laugh echoed throughout the area, "Is it not obvious?"
I shook my head from side to side.
"I only want the best of the best. Not Anbu who fail their missions."
"The only reason I have failed to complete within the time limit is of the storm raging through Fire Country. You can't just banish me becau-"
"Enough. You have read the obligations and abided to them through your penmanship."
"When is the trial?" I bit my lip in a nervous gesture.
"In two days. We can't have traitors running around now can we?"
"What about the Uchiha? You let him in without a mere discussion and here I stand before you; a loyal Anbu kunoichi."
"Sasuke-kun is a different matter."
"It is because of his bloodline." I snarled the answer.
"Bravo Spirit. Bravo. Your mask please."
"As you wish." Getting up from the luminary floor, I took off my mask.
I traced over every single detail on the mask. From the red and white outlines of the extraordinary art to the eye sockets narrow slits. Each stroke of paint embroided a sense of fear. The mask really did look like a Bloody Spirit.
Flashbacks of the time I got the mask pivoted my mind. Still the knowledge of what the mask beheld was riveting. The mask symbolized somebody with complete control of their enemy never having to dirty their hands with blood. Always killing without a trace, and no bloody outcomes presented. What a lie. Complete control of the enemy. Danzou is my enemy from now on and I can't even gather enough courage to go against his monarchy.
The mask didn't even portray me completely.
Silently I approached the man and handed him the mask, in which he snatched it from my hands leaving an empty feeling in my stomach. Unlike before where the feeling of something horrible was going to happen, it was replaced with light. So light in which it was becoming hard to breath.
In a moment's haste, I drew the katana strapped behind my back and pressed the blade against Danzou's neck. A small smile surfaced on my lips as Danzou looked at me with shock laden eyes. I knew my decision was rash but some kind of power just pushed me through the actions.
"You kill me and Konoha will label you a traitor." Danzou spoke up.
"Not like there's a difference."
"Oh but there is, you're killing one of your own."
"There is no difference. You have killed innocent men and women accepted in the Anbu. Not only that but you have even robbed them of a proper grave and their honor is wounded. Unlike them, you deserve to die."
"Killing is never the answer."
"According to us shinobi, it is." With that being said I strengthened my grip and drew blood slightly.
"Think about what you are doing Sakura-chan." And for a moment, I did. Danzou's voice was soothing, never have I heard him use a tone like that. Was he planning something? No matter. I'll do everything in my power to stop his schemes.
"No Danzou. It's over." My blade went right through the skin and severed his head. It dropped onto the floor with a sickening 'plop' right next to my feet.
A tremor shot up my spine and suddenly I did not feel right. This was only the beginning of the end and I knew it.
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