Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters! The only thing that belongs to me is the plot, some jutsus, and some characters that will be mentioned at the BOTTOM A/N. Thank you.

Chapter One: How to Save a Life

It was never my goal to be a killer.

I didn't have an excuse; no murderers did. It just happened. Whether it was a product of provocation, divine intervention, grudges, or my own insanity, the next thing I knew, I was staring down at two dead bodies, their skin bleached a cadaverous white and their eyes glazed and blind. They gazed fixedly up past me, into the depths of the darkness behind me, the ghosts of shock still frozen into their milky orbs.

I didn't recognize the people for a moment, but then I realized that, only moments ago, I had indeed assassinated my friends. And now I was looking down upon them like a judge, though I had no right to guide the hand of fate.

Strangely enough, I didn't feel the pain. Maybe I was numb, or perhaps I really didn't care enough for the anguish to set in. My megalomaniacal facet stuck with the latter on instinct, though I knew it wasn't true. I contented myself with the wonderful feeling of invincibility to avoid my more chastising side.

The cadavers were strangely beautiful. They were both men, but for some reason, the fingers in my mind scrabbled fruitlessly for their names. Try as I might to identify them, I could not remember their epithets. Only their faces. I doubted the amnesia would last very long; it was most likely a mechanism of my own subconscious to protect my mental health from the grief and self-loathing.

I felt a stirring behind my sternum, as if something was turning about in by chest. It was an uncomfortable sensation, but it was familiar, and didn't hurt as much. It didn't bother me as much as its cause.

What's this? My little Atsuko finally did what she was meant to. Well, good riddance. They were annoying, anyway.

The voice was deep and rasping, like stone grinding against metal, but it was faint and slightly slurred with sleep. I heard it in the back of my mind, just a small sound nagging against my conscious.

I didn't know you were awake, Makaze. I answered mildly. I didn't object to his rebuke.

I felt the shifting again. My lungs prickled uncomfortably and my throat tightened. It was difficult to breath, like I had forgotten how, but the process soon returned to me.

Makaze was a spirit. He was to be given credit for my immense Chakra. He boasted about being more powerful than a Bijuu, but I knew that wasn't true.

My clan's bloodline limit was the ability to summon dead spirits and seal them inside a person. It added onto their Chakra and boosted their longevity.

I didn't know why he was sealed inside of me. He had been there since the day I was born. The evidence was right on my breastbone. A small, swirling seal, barely noticeable, rested just beneath my forehead protector that was tied loosely around my neck.

My teammates. They had been my teammates. Not they; we. Together we had been Team 19. Together we had earned our forehead protectors, together we had survived the Chuuin exams, and together we had clawed our way to the top of the charts as the most elite Jounin in the country.

It was me who had brought about our demise.

They both had honey blonde hair, grown out to be long and wolfish. They were twins, I remember. Their faces were similar, but beautiful in their own different ways. The slopes of their noses were slightly differing, as were their eyes.

Those eyes.

I tried to pull away, but my gaze was trained to their bodies. Dark liquid pooled from beneath their alabaster limbs, spreading across the sugary sand and clogging the air with its acrid scent. Their flak jackets were torn across the chest in the same identical place. Their swords lay patiently in the holsters at their hips, never to be drawn again.

It took a minute for me to regain my senses. My hand gripped a kunai. The metal felt cool and comforting against my palm, but it was slick with blood.

This wasn't my style. I was a Kamaitachi artist. I didn't use kunais unless I had to.

The night was balmy, though a breeze chilled my bones. The navy sky was spangled with an array of stars, but the moon was absent from the otherwise perfect night.

It wouldn't be long before someone came along. I had to leave.

She was old enough to look out for herself, right?

Regardless, she had to now. I had sheltered her for too long.

I wouldn't return home that night.

A/N: Alright, a Naruto story. I'm rewriting it. It was gathering dust in my files, so I figured, 'hey, what the heck?'

The beginning takes place a little before the original story begins. There will be some timeskips, but I'll notify you. I'm working on character profiles, histories and jutsus, so be patient or PM me if you don't understand something. The explanation on Makaze was a bit shaky here...I'll go into it with more detail when I can. Thanks for reading! And please, PLEASE review! That lovely little button is just begging to be pushed. Comments, Critiques, and ideas are very welcome.

Tsuchiya Atsuko and Makaze belong to me. 'Makaze' literally means 'demon' or 'evil' wind.

Oh, and 'she' will turn up in the next chapter. It's alternating POV's.