A/N: Hello :) This is my very first story ever to be published on fanfiction *hopes it goes well* I would love to have reviews and critiques to improve my work. This is going to be a long story, so sorry in advance if there are many mistakes ^_^; I would also like to thank my dear friend for putting up with me constantly bothering him to read through what i have wrote to make sure it is ok *lacks confidence* I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Redemption from the Darkness
Prologue
The sky was lit with stars beaming brightly high up above the clouds, twinkling gently above Konoha. The moon shone illuminating everything below, from the quiet grassy fields with many a pot hole and divot pummelled into the worn land from training ninjas, to the rocky cliffs that stand tall hugging a slumbering Konoha with the previous protectors of the loved town smiling down forever, keeping their watchful glaze.
A cooling breeze swept through the peaceful town, caressing the buildings softly with its icy touch, giving somewhat of a reprieve from the humidity which was smothering the summer night.
In the centre of the main residential district stood rows upon rows of apartment blocks, each looking slightly different and unique in style yet they still all manage to fit together to form a cosy appearance. In a row of two story apartments stood a single sand coloured building four stories high, towering over the neighbours giving spectacular views of the surrounding shops and compounds. The building looked worn down, with well used stairs at the front leading to each apartment and damp patches slowly seeping into the corners of the walkways making it seem darker than they should. To say the least it needed to have a fresh lick of paint and a clean up but this never worried the ninjas sleeping within. They spent most of their time on missions which entailed sleeping on tree branches and forest floors for the most part and the occasional hotel bed thrown in when you were really lucky. To them this was heaven, a place of their own to come back to and if you were really lucky there would be someone waiting for you.
At the very top of the sand coloured building was a window open wide to entice any gust that graced the land and to coax it into the stuffy room attached. A smile adorned the kunoichi face as the cold air danced upon her slick skin while she slept spread out on her double bed. The moonlight filtered in from the window softly, casting an ethereal glow to her skin making the creamy colour shine almost as bright as the stars. Cool wisps of air filtered into the room fluttering the mid length pink strands of hair against the pillow and across her back. Her long slim face distorted into a frown as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. Strong lean arms lay tucked beside her petite form as her moderately sized chest rose and fell with each breathe she took. To say Sakura had grown since her genin days was an understatement. Once a wallflower, now had grown into a blossoming young woman. Now at the age of 22 Sakura was more comfortable in her own skin than ever and looked and felt better about herself. Long gone were the days she dressed to impress Saskue-kun, now it was for comfort not style. A small hum escaped her lips as she moved across the bed to find a cold patch to snuggle up on. Still asleep, a small sigh left her mouth as she drifted from dream to dream.
The Moon lit up her bedroom giving a soft hue against her meager possessions. Sakura was not at all deprived, as proven with the new double bed she brought a few weeks back. A small wooden table stood firmly wedged against the bed with an old red lamp with a cream shade hung loosely over a dim light bulb standing proudly in the centre. A pile of books lay next to this, with the lasted medical journal she had checked out the library open at the page she had previously studying. Across the room was a door leading to her en suite which was the main point Sakura had brought this apartment for. Inside was an over sized bath consuming the small room. She could think of nothing better than to finish a days work with a glass of sake and an old book.
As it is widely known, ninjas don't get paid a great amount and the only way to save was to go on highly ranked missions. This was ok, if you could get the missions but more likely than not it was a simple B class escort mission which did not pay that well. This meant saving up for her own apartment was a difficult task and many times she had gone without luxuries. Weapons aren't cheap and their upkeep being essential as it could be the difference between life and death, so this inhibited her.
Not many ninjas feared death, they saw it more as a downside to the job. But, if there was a choice to stay alive or die the vast majority would without a doubt be inclined to stay alive if not for themselves but for loved ones and friends. Sakura often thought about life and death during a day as being a medic nin she could not only take life but give it. She didn't want to die, not when she had so many things left unfinished. When she was younger it would be because she didn't want to leave her friends and family, but now it was because she wanted to be the best and to do that she would have to stay alive.
Sakura had long surpassed Tsunade after many years of studying and was now known throughout the lands as one of the best medics. Most would have thought this would be enough for someone, but not Sakura. Long ago she had decided she didn't want to be the weak link in her team and started training every hour she could. Long days of training and working in the hospital meant Sakura grew distant from her friends. She couldn't understand why they wouldn't be happy that she was training so hard to be better, but all she heard was disappointed lectures when she missed birthday parties and pre arranged visits.
Sakura trained non-stop for four years so she was good enough to try out for Anbu which had always been her goal. After a long battle and a badly bruised body Sakura made it through with a smile. One of her last true smiles. Sakura didn't smile anymore; well she didn't smile like she used to. Now she had perfected her fake smile that wouldn't quite reach her eyes like it used to but it was enough to fool most people. Sakura soon learned emotions were unnecessary hindrance which could get you killed. Her friends just didn't understand she had to do this to become strong enough to protect the ones she loved, even if it meant them not loving her back. It had taken Sakura just two more years to make Anbu captain, and now was the proud leader of her team. They had just got back from a mission to Iwagakure to kill a lord who had become greedy and violent. To Sakura he was just another kill on her list, she held no compassion for the man who robbed families of their money for his own greed. A quick slice to the neck and he was gone from this world, never to hurt anyone again. Of course not all missions were like this, and some tested even the new hard resolve of Sakura. She could never forget one of her first Anbu solo missions. She had to kill a ten year old boy because his clan saw him as a threat to their way of life. They of course couldn't kill him because of the implications so paid for Anbu to dispose of him.
She remembered standing over him in the darkness while he slept, his long black hair fanning over his pillows like a halo while his peaceful face slumbered. She must have stood there for three hours straight debating if she could actually do it. To end this child's life because his clan disproved of him. After the fourth hour the sun was beginning to rise, and she knew if she was going to do this it would have to be now. She closed her eyes and placed a glowing green hand on his heart. It stopped beating. His eyes suddenly flashed opened as he gasped for breath clutching his chest in his arms before setting down back to his restful place once again. Never to awaken. She had done it, she had overcome her emotions to be a hardened killer. Was she happy? Was this all worth it? No tears would come to her as she jumped back into the trees towards Konoha. Only these questions went round in her mind along with the eyes. His eyes. The painful near death realisation in those sparkly purple eyes will haunt her until her grave. She had become numb, no emotion on her face, dull eyes watching her path towards home. This was the new Sakura. A shell of her former self whose only goal was to become stronger so she wouldn't be a burden. But at what cost?