Key:

"talking"

thinking

kyuubi

It Begins with Death

She was panting, exhausted, as she leaped from branch to branch desperately trying to shake her unknown assailant. She had noticed him following her, observing her every move right after she had finished her mission to heal the leader of a small village.

It was a simple mission really, all she did was heal the man of a petty disease, not even a fatal disease, it was something any proper medical ninja could have done, but the oaf requested her specifically. I guess when you miraculously heal the kazekage's brother after being poisoned by Sasori of the Akatsuki you become famous enough to be requested specifically by the rich for the dumbest reasons. And now to top it off, she was being chased through the forest by a total stranger. Not to mention this stranger, whoever he was, was most likely a very strong ninja, or possibly a professional assassin.

Sakura bit down lightly on her lower lip, she was getting tired, and her follower wasn't easy to lose, he had managed to dispel all the genjutsu she weaved and she couldn't track him at all. He made no noise, and he concealed his chakra perfectly, he was like a ghost, the only reason Sakura even noticed him and realized he was following her was that he made no effort to conceal himself visually. She could literally see him chasing after her, gaining on her. Sakura turned her head slightly and glanced back expecting to she her pursuer close behind like numerous times before. Sakura was surprised with what she saw this time. He was gone.

She stopped in her tracks on the branch her legs had just reached. "What the hell." He just vanished, did she lose him? Thank kami. She was also only a few miles from her destination, Konohagakure, home, she was almost there. She turned to continue her journey, but was stopped immediately by what faced her, or rather who faced her. There he was.

He was standing on a branch only four trees away. "Shit". As if in response to her voice, he suddenly launched himself at her. Reflexively, Sakura jumped back from her branch to the ground behind her and looked up to see the man above her in the exact location she had previously occupied. "Well, if it's a fight you want" her words were cut short when she tried to reach in her pack for a kunai, but being unable to, she realized she couldn't move her body. She gasped and saw a grin flash on the man's face. In seconds the man was only a foot in front of her staring her down with gold eyes that appeared to glow in the darkness of the night.

She decide to use the current ongoing awkward silence to take in the man's features, he was tall with pale almost translucent skin, he was wearing a black yukata with a yellow waistband that seemed to match his eyes, he also had long black hair. He was gorgeous! She was surprised at his appearance not so much because he had a striking resemblance to Sasuke, or more likely, to his brother Itachi, but because he didn't have the appearance of a Shinobi. No uniform, no scars, weapon's pouch, not even a weapon, well, except for a decorative katana tied at his waist.

She was about to inquire about his identity, when he spoke. "It's been a long time…" he smiled calmly at her. "What" she was about to protest about the fact that she had never seen this man before in her life when he continued. "Heh, you definitely look different" he chuckled and twirled one of her pink locks. "Let go of me!", " Who are you anyway!" Sakura would have punched him in the gut with a fist full of chakra if she could move, but instead she settled for a hateful glare. "Hm, you're a lot more fiery then I remember, but I guess being raised as a Shinobi will do that to a person" What? Who is this guy? "Um, sorry but I think you have the wrong person, I don't know you." Sakura spoke calmly, after all she didn't want to somehow anger the man who had control over her body's movement or lack there of. "There is a distinct difference between not knowing someone and not remembering them" his cold eyes harden, but then became soft once more when he replied "but, that's to be expected because it was in another lifetime" he caressed her cheek with his thumb "Please forgive, but now that I've found you, I have to cut your human life short…" His eyes became sad " It's for your own good and protection." When he finished, it finally struck Sakura as to what he meant, and shiver ran down her spine. She stuttered " C…Cut my life short?" her voice betrayed her fear. In response to her words the man stepped back, his eye became dark, and he unsheathed his katana. " I'll be quick, there will be no pain".

The katana's blade was as black as a starless night. " Wait! Don't!" Sakura struggled and demanded her body to move. Her chakra flared up abnormally as she tried to break free from his invisible grip. Nothing. She squeezed her eyes shut, Move! I said Move! Hurry up and Move dammit! Why won't you–. Her thoughts were cut off and her eyes flew open in response to an odd pressure on her chest. She looked down to where she felt the pressure in horror, only to see that the dark sword had pierced her heart and exited through her back. He was right, there was no time for pain, her vision quickly darkened around the edges, and her body soon became numb, and her mind sleepy. She hadn't even noticed that the strange jutsu or whatever the invisible grip on her body was had vanished and the man had gently lowered her body to the ground. She was on her side, sword still in her body like a skewer, she gave her killer a final glance only to find silent tears flowing from his face. Tears? He's crying? Maybe he really is crazy… but for some reason his crying face seemed to shake her soul and she felt sadness for the man who had just stabbed her in the heart. Good bye everyone, the faces of her friends, teammates, sensei, and family seemed to flash briefly before her eyes. A single tear fell down her cheek, then her vision shifted to black.