Chapter 1

Another One Down

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Tatsuya Kaiden was lying lazily in his carriage, arms stretched over his head which was covered in fine silk, only made in his village. His clothes were of the same material, just a bit more ostentatious. Kimono-styled and patterned with richly colored sakura blossoms, anyone who saw him would know he was made up of wealth and power. And he was, there was no doubt about it. Every morning, he would stand out on his balcony, smirking proudly at how every villager would be on their knees, bowing. Their actions made him feel powerful and he basked in it. In his village, everyone had to bow to him in order to stay alive, but, until recently, a young girl of only sixteen, was late to the morning bowing.

Tatsuya opened one eye, smirking when he saw the young girl at his feet, rubbing them gently. She was too pretty to kill so instead of the torturous entertainment that his men gave to him while they slowly killed his disobeyer; he took her in as a harlot. The father put up a pretty good fight, but his soldier's blades were too much and the old man fell in his own puddle of blood. The scene had brought pleasure to the King, but the girl lost a part of her sanity, for her father died because of her and now she had to do whatever the King asked her to do.

A cold breeze passed the guards, blowing against their stone-like faces. The men's eyes were narrowed, trying hard to keep the wind out of them and their shoulders were growing stiff from all the carrying they had done that day. Their stomachs growled from hunger, but the relief that Konoha was only miles away kept them going. There, they would be able to sit down and have a nice meal, many cups of sake, and hopefully a good night's rest.

Inside, Tatsuya was growing bored, but of course his only source of entertainment was at his feet, ready to assist him in any way she could to keep her pretty little neck from being bruised. He laid down, the girl never stopping her massaging. Tatsuya folded his hands on his bulging stomach, closing his eyes once more.

The guards outside kept their eyes open at all times, watching. If anything were to happen to the King, they'd all die. They were trained to have a keen eye; all practicing by staring at screens and looking for differences in between the two pictures. Their ears could hear anything, even from a mile away, and whatever aroma filled the air, they could indentify. But there was one thing that they couldn't detect and they were watching them.

The white-cloaked figure was perched up in a tree, blending in despite the color differences. Their eyes were covered by the hood, but their lips were set in a firm line. A sharpened sword was sheathed at the hip, two smaller blades, their assassination blades, were located under the sleeves, ready to be colored crimson. A smaller sword was strapped to their back for easy access, and a pouch that contained throwing knives held about twenty. The figure watched the carriage, body itching to kill the bastard.

Tatsuya looked at his harlot, grinning widely. "Come here, my sweet. It's time for our evening fun." The young girl shook her head as the large man approached, crawling towards her. "No, no, please, not again..." The girl's lips were caught by his, his nasty tongue prying her lips apart. It was too much...she hated him for what he did to her and her father.

The white-clothed figure followed, jumping from branch to branch until they were finally settled at a perfect destination. They dug a throwing knife from their pouch and threw it quickly, the blade digging into the first man's neck, striking a pressure point that killed him immediately. The guard that stood beside him grabbed the other's post, pushing it up with great strength.

Tatsuya had jerked forward, falling on the girl who cried out from all the weight. "Get off of me!"

The figure jumped from their hiding place, retracting their small sword and pushed it through the struggling man's chest, then pulled out the now blood-covered blade, and striking him between the eyes. The front end of the carriage fell and the two people inside tumbled forward, almost falling through. The white-clothed figure walked to the back, confronting the two muscular guards. The cloaked figure blocked the attacking sword and circled the blade around until the opponent's blade fell to the side, and the figure could push their blade multiple times through the chest.

The other guard shook as the cloaked figure turned towards him, their lips forming a wicked smirk. That was the last thing he saw before the figure switched out an assassination blade and pushed it up the roof of his mouth, instantly killing him.

Though the figure had just killed a man, they gently put him to the ground, closing his eyes. Now the only thing that was standing in the way of success was the King, who was still in the carriage, but it wasn't long until he poked his head out, scanning the area.

"Stupid guards, don't you know how to carry someone?" The King's eyes looked to his left and he let out a gasp when he saw his soldier lying on the ground in a pool of shimmering blood. The other three were also dead and the King fell back into his carriage. The young girl shook in the corner for she could smell the iron rafting through the air. "C-Can you p-please do something, sir?"

The man glared at her. "Are you mad? I could get killed!"

"B-But think o-of all the g-glory you would get." the girl stammered, but her voice suddenly got steady. "Just think of people not only bowing to you, but to your name also. You'd become a world-renown figure; you'll go down into history as one of the first people to kill an Assassin. All the more women...money...jewels...everything would be in your possession."

Tatsuya took a moment to process all that information, suddenly breaking out into a grin. "I'll do it." Typical; the man was so full of himself; he probably thought he could rule the world. The young girl watched as the King climbed out, taking out his sword. She knew he was already vulnerable because of the fog, but his arrogance got in the way of that. The King stood there, searching for any movement. He knew that the Assassin would probably try and take his life from behind so he turned, watching the sky. Not a very smart move, but he thought he was invincible...and that thought cost him his life.

A pain entered his foot and he cried in pain, falling to his knees. The same pain entered his stomach, then chest, and he knew what was next when he fell to the ground on his back. The figure was on top of the carriage in a heartbeat, towering over him. If only his guards were here...

"Your death is the only way to pay for the sins you have committed."

The King shook his head, "Please, I beg you mercy."

"Mercy...? I have none." And the cloaked figure dove towards him, sending their assassination knife through his head. Blood poured out from the back, staining his fine clothing. The white-cloaked figure had no stains on their clothing, but their blade was shimmering with blood, the upper part was so nicely polished, it reflected the young girl's face. The Assassin turned as they stood up, staring at the girl.

"Is he gone?" she asked, standing there with a hopeful look on her face. She gave a sigh of relief when the figure nodded, and she clutched her heart. "He has caused me great pain, both physically and mentally." Even though the person didn't respond, she felt like they had a connection. They were her savior, and she was most grateful. "Can I be of any service?" she asked, stepping out from the carriage.

The figure shook their head, but they stepped towards her. The Assassin calmly took her hand and pressed their lips to her forehead. The young girl closed her eyes, smiling at the love and peace the kiss brought. It wasn't one of those kisses that passionate lovers gave to one another, but it brought this calming sensation to her whole body. She remembered the stories her father had told her about how Assassins would give a kiss to the forehead when there was a distressed innocent around.

"Thank you." the young girl said, releasing the grip from the Assassin's hand. They disappeared into the trees, leaving the girl standing there. The Assassin was her savior...and she would never forget them.

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Morning...

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Akira Feisu knelt down beside the corpse, pressing her two fingers against their neck. Even though they were obviously dead, it was protocol to make sure that they didn't have the slightest pulse or else they would lose their rank and be put through a whole year of lectures and the first time around was torture; the second time would be murder. "He's dead!" she declared, noting it in her notepad. The Medical Corps and ANBU Black Ops were also there, scanning the area for any traces of the murderer.

"Any signs of them?" she asked, standing up when her legs began to cramp. The leader of the ANBU shook his head. Akira gritted her teeth, looking back down at the corpse. "For five years I've been trying to track this Assassin down and still nothing..." she muttered to herself. She flipped her notepad shut, shoving the pencil behind her ear. "Hey Kakashi," she called out, looking over her shoulder. "Have your dogs found any traces?" she asked, staring at the silver-haired man. He too, shook his head.

"Whoever this Assassin is is a damn good one."

"You bet they are. This is the sixth kill in a month. That's got to be the hundredth kill in a year." When there's been several kills in a month for a whole five years, the total starts getting into the high numbers. "This person is definitely in the Bingo Book."

The Medical Corps gathered the last body in a bag and set it down gently with the other four bodies. They heaved them into a cart, stacked one on top of the other. The leader started to pull the cart towards the village, preparing them for examinations.

"I have to go to Lady Hokage and you," Akira jabbed her finger into Kakashi's chest, then stuffing papers into his hand. "Have paperwork to do." She gave him a cheeky grin when he gave her that half-opened eye look.

"Oh, how the excitement is filling me up..."

Akira grinned, patting Kakashi on the chest with her hand. "I knew you were. Now, I have to go."

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Tsunade slammed her hands into her desk as Akira told her the news. "That's the sixth this month! How can they slip through our fingers again?" Akira watched as the woman plopped herself in her chair, setting her cheek upon her clenched fist. Her fingers drummed against the desk as she stared out onto the village. "These are my people that this Assassin is endangering. What if they target one of us next?"

Akira flipped through her notepad, rubbing her neck. "It seems that whenever you invite a King or someone of high status to come along, they always get killed."

Tsunade turned her chair around, giving a narrow-eyed look to Akira. "Thank you for stating the obvious." Her eyes flicked to the door when there was a knock. "Come in!" Tsunade called out. The door opened and Shizune stepped in, carrying the pig, Tonton. "Lady Tsunade, you have a visitor."

"Bring them in."

Shizune pulled the door open, stepping away to reveal a small, young girl with hair the color of golden wheat and eyes the color of cerulean. Her hands were folded politely in front of her skirt, and she bowed her head towards the blonde woman. "If I may, I can give you some information on the Assassin that I saw last night." The room got silent and Akira's eyes grew wide as shock filled her. This was the first time that the Assassin left a survivor.

"The Assassin saved me last night, saved me from the King I mean. They gave me their Calming Kiss."

This wasn't the first time that Assassins have been known to do that. There were Assassins all over the world that committed such an act, but this was the first time that this Assassin was said to do such a thing. "The Assassin was wearing a white cloak and had about four blades on, possibly more, but they were hidden. They killed with such skill..." She faded away into a state of wonderment. She quickly bowed her head, "I apologize if the information is unneeded or already known, but..."

Akira raised an eyebrow, "But what?"

"I think this Assassin has a good heart..."

There was another knock at the door, but this person didn't stop to wait for an invitation. Kakashi stepped in, bearing papers. "I have information, Akira." He noticed the girl that looked shyly over her shoulder at him, a thin line of blush running across her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Tsunade glared at him, "Liar..." she muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. Kakashi gave a nervous laugh, but he came in the rest of the way. Akira's arms were crossed, but she still unfolded one, motioning for the papers. He handed them to her, watching as she read them quickly, soaking up the information like a sponge. "No wonder the Assassin chose this guy to kill...he's pure evil..."

"What's the problem with him?" Shizune asked, knowing that Tsunade was wondering the same thing. Akira opened her mouth to speak, but the young girl spoke first. "He kills people for pleasure. Every morning, he stands out on his balcony and watches people bow down to him. If one person is late, they are arrested, brought to the castle, and tortured in front of him." Her eyes started to water, but she quickly wiped the tears away with her sleeve. "I've watched the killings and he laughed every time." Akira's gaze softened when she saw the girl's bottom lip quiver.

"He's also big on prostitution. He sends five girls to every village to try and sell themselves for money."

"We know." Tsunade muttered. "They arrived not too long ago. Now they're being educated properly and have been making appropriate livings. I will have no such thing in my village..."

The girl nodded, "Maybe the Assassin noticed what he had been doing to us and wanted to pay him back." The girl's hand went to her heart and she smiled appreciatively. "I know for one thing, they saved me and now...I'm as happy as I've ever been." Akira smiled at the girl who smiled back shyly, wringing her hands.

Tsunade looked back out at the village, cogitating. "What is your name, child?" she asked. The girl looked up, "Ayumi, miss, Ayumi Kotone." They watched Tsunade nod. "You'll be staying with the Hyugas. I will inform and arrange with Hiashi and you will work as a maid for them. Hopefully, the life that the King has caused you to lose will be made up with your time there. I will also have the Hyugas teach you the basics in the jutsus so if you are to ever get in trouble again, you'll be able to fend for yourself." Tsunade stood up, hands clasped behind her.

Ayumi's face broke out into a smile and she ran to Tsunade, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much!" she cried, tears suddenly falling. Tsunade looked down at the girl and smiled, surrounding the girl in a kind warmth she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Akira, I want you to go get Sakura. I need to discuss some things with her."

Akira nodded and walked past Kakashi and Shizune, closing the door behind her. "Kakashi, please fetch Hiashi and bring him here." The Jonin nodded, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Tsunade continued to stroke the crying girl's hair. 'This is going to be a long day...'

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Sakura sat in the Ichiraku Ramen Bar with Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji. The four had just returned from a simple escort mission that had taken them awhile to take the annoying couple to Suna, but they received their money and all of them had a craving for ramen, except for Sakura, something was on her mind that kept her from eating like the others. She felt like something was going to happen, something that was going to change the village.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Shikamaru asked, the only one that always seemed to stop and ask her things while the other two inhaled their food. That was Shikamaru for you; he was the one that you would think wouldn't care, but he was always the first one to ask. He was always aware to the feelings of his friends and that's what Sakura liked about him. She remembered when she first met him and he annoyed her so much, but they both matured and became good comrades.

"I'm just...I feel funny..."

"Good funny or bad funny?"

"The bad..."

Shikamaru smirked, turning back to his ramen. "Well, that's a drag..." Sakura smirked also; everything was a drag to him. "I feel like something bad's going to happen." She continued to play with her food as Shikamaru stared at her, reading her emotions. He only gave a 'hm' before slurping up some ramen. Sakura looked over her shoulder when someone came in. "Akira..."

The blonde girl smiled and her presence made everyone turn. "Well, long time no see," Shikamaru said, smirking. "Haven't seen you in awhile." Akira returned the smirk. "I've been busy; Sakura, Lady Tsunade needs to speak to you. I think it has something to do with the latest assassination." The owner of the bar looked up when she informed them that piece of information.

"Who was it this time?"

"A merchant king by the name of Tatsuya Raiden; big on prostitution and murder. We have a girl that witnessed the whole thing and said that the Assassin gave her the Calming Kiss, can you believe it?" Teuchi frowned, hands on his hips. "Sort of...with this Assassin at least." Sakura was beside Akira in a second, ready to go. "That's what I said too. Hopefully we'll catch them this time."

"Hopefully..." Shikamaru muttered, staring at Akira. When the two girls left, Choji started to laugh. Naruto gave him a confused look, "What's so funny?" he asked. Choji shook his head, slurping down the broth. Shikamaru, on the other hand, knew exactly what Choji was laughing about.

"Shut up Choji..."

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When Sakura and Akira arrived, Kakashi was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "Hello, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura greeted. He waved, turning the page in his book, not paying any attention to the two. Akira knocked on the door, waiting for Tsunade to say..."Come in." Akira opened the door, stepping away so Sakura could come in. "You coming?" Akira asked. Kakashi shook his head, his eyes scanning his book. Akira nodded, stepping in and shutting the door behind her. Ayumi and Hiashi were standing there, staring at the newcomers. Ayumi was blushing vividly due to the presence of the higher-up, but Hiashi, as always, remained stern.

"I believe my nephew will be more than capable of training this girl. It'll be good practice for him."

"I agree." Tsunade said, leaning back in her chair. "Have a nice day, Ayumi." The small blonde girl bowed politely and followed Hiashi out the door. Once it closed, Tsunade turned her attention to the two girls. "Sakura, I need to speak to you alone. Akira, I need you to go and see if the Medical Corps have found anything that might lead us to this Assassin." Akira nodded and left, leaving Sakura and her Master alone. Tsunade folded her hands under her chin, looking over at her student.

"I need you to do a favor for me, a favor that requires a watchful eye, social skills, and most of all, secrecy. The only people that you may discuss things with are Akira and I. Akira because she knows more about minds than any ninja I've ever seen. And me, well, that's kind of obvious."

"Yes, ma'am."

Tsunade shifted some files around when she held out one manila file. Sakura took it, flipping through the pages. "In that file contains suspects that I assume might be the Assassin." Sakura scanned over the first page: Izumi Yamanaka, Ino's cousin.

"Even though Izumi may look and act sweet, her skills of gaining information are incredible. There are some things that she's told me that are confidential and only the highest-ranking ninja have access to. Keep an eye out for her and if you find her sneaking around, tell me."

"The second person is a newcomer named Daichi Hideki. He's an excellent swordsman and sword maker, the kind of skill that an Assassin may hold. He's often seen lurking around the streets at night and seemingly disappears on the days of the killings. Be very careful when confronting him."

"The third person is a woman named Haruka Jun. Her past is truly a mystery and she claims that she can't remember, but I've heard that story far too many times to believe it. The memory story is often a cover-up for something that people don't want to admit."

"The fourth and final person is a man named Saburo Susumu. He's been all over the world, according to his stories, but he's stuck around for five years, enough time to commit all these assassinations. He's the big, muscular man that everyone describes that looks like a bear, remember?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Sakura," Tsunade stood up, walking over to her students. She laid her hands on Sakura's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "If you don't feel comfortable about doing this mission, just tell me or if you're confident now, but change your mind later, you can tell me and I'll send someone else to do it. But as good as you are with illusions; I think you may be able to see through people's lies just as well as anyone else."

Sakura nodded, her fingers tightening around the manila folder. "I accept."

"Good," Tsunade placed a caring kiss on Sakura's forehead and patted her on the shoulder. "You've grown a lot."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"And be careful."

"I will. And don't worry; I won't let you down."

So how was it for a first chapter? Good, bad, weird, cool, well, review and tell me what you think.