story: Orichimaru and Sakura - My Hollow Soul
anime: Naruto
written by: smile-ookii

Whoo. I thought of this, while talking with my friend JOS. We got a lot of ideas for pairings, and this one really got me, and my attention. So here we are..Sakura and Orichimaru. I'm making it so that they first hate each other, then they become grateful to each other, and then, finally, love. I'll try to make this stretch out, and maybe a twist ending if stuff works out right.

Chapter One - weak strength

She hung her head, and let the wind ruffle her long pink hair. Fern-coloured eyes glistened in the early morning light, and lids with thick lashes half-hooded them. She hung halfway over the railing of their home, the one she shared with her best friends and squadmates, Naruto and Sasuke. Everything that had needed to happen had happened long ago; but there were still wars between the villages. Waterfall, Mist, Sound and Wind were completely neutral, and so the Hidden Leaf Village of Konoha had forgotten them. It had been like this ever since the failed attempt on the Third Hokage's life had failed, and Orichimaru had escaped. Nearly every ninja and kunoichi were out searching for him, each for their own reasons. It had been five years, and at 17, Sakura was a skilled kunoichi. Naruto, Sasuke and herself refused to be separated, so they bought a home to share, and assigned themselves to the same squadron. They had their arguements, sure; but they had been through so much together, and they weren't about to quit now. There had been a time, while they were living in the house, that Sakura had told Sasuke her true feelings. He rejected her, quite calmly, and told her what he thought of her.

"Sakura. You are weak. I need...strength, someone who will not bow to the danger, but rush into it, defeating everything in their path. You, you bend, you bow, you stoop, and you are not the woman for me. Please, do not ask me this again."

Sakura had been extremely shocked to hear that about herself, and had spent two weeks outside the house, roaming the forest surrounding them, and had come back, a colder person. Naruto had commented on it once, wondering if all was well; neither Sasuke nor herself had told him about the incident.

"I'm changed, Naruto. Not exactly scarred, but torn, dismembered. I am scattered ashes, and I have nowhere, but everywhere, to go."

Naruto had thought on this for a while, and decided there was no purpose. And so here they were now, everything remembered, but not forgiven. And here was Sakura, colder, and hanging over the railing as though she were a limp rag holding on.

"Sakura, is that you?"

She didn't lift her head, but nodded. "Who else would be here, Sasuke? What do you want?" Sasuke stood there, uneasy. He felt bad about what he had said to her, but that was so long ago; couldn't she let go, and be the warm and bubbly Sakura he had known most of his life? He guessed not, because as soon as he spoke, her body stiffened, and she seemed to grow colder. Much, much colder.

"We have a mission today, to Yuruba. A scroll has been causing a lot of trouble for the villagers, and we're to take it and destroy it."

"And that's a mission? Are you serious? We're taking a scroll simply because it bothers the neighbors. No, thanks." Sakura fully closed her eyes, breathing lightly. She liked to imagine another world, the world behind her lids. In there, everything was as she saw it, and went as she saw fit.

"No. That's not it. Apparently Orichimaru has been sending shadow clones into that village for some time now, looking for that scroll. We've found it, and we're hoping that he hasn't found out yet, so we can locate the source of his shadow clones." At the sound of Orichimaru's name, Sakura's eyes snapped open, and she turned to face Sasuke. "What rank is this mission?" She asked him.

"A. There's a chance that he's extremely far from the village, but that'll make it easier for us, seeing as his chakra would be losing heavy doses. If we encounter him, the real him..then it'll be classified as a S-ranked mission." Sakura slowly nodded.

"When are we leaving?"

"Now."

- - - -

It was dark in the area surrouding Yuruba, and Sakura was glad. I'd hate to see my own blood, she thought. They had fought many other ninjas heading in the same direction, though they were all headed to the same place. Apparently, they had been driven mad, because Naruto had recognized one ninja from a previous mission. "Kohi? Are you headed towards Yuruba as well?" He had said to him, and his mouth was still agape as the silver star had flown near him, cutting his cheek. Sasuke and Sakura stood back as Naruto knocked out his friend, and killed him. He was silent for the rest of the trip. Sakura had cried out, as she heard blood splatter on the leaves.

"Naruto! Why did you kill Kohi? He could have been reversed from whatever was wrong with him!"

"Shut up, Sakura. You didn't see what I did. Let's go."

Sakura had stayed silent as Naruto leapt off into the canopy of the trees, and wondered what Naruto had saw. Now, standing before the gates of Yuruba, with blood dripping off her tight ANBU outfit, she wondered about Orichimaru. Was he really here? And would just the three of them be able to apprehend him?

She didn't think so.

- - - -

Naruto walked over to a water pump, stripping off his clothing and cleaning himself. Splashing water onto his face, he rubbed his thin facial hair until Kohi's blood was spread, thin and watery, over his hands. He stared at them for a long time, still afraid, and angry, and sad. The trio had met Kohi on a C-ranked mission. They had been capturing a serial killer who had taken a child hostage, and Naruto strongly remembered the look in Kohi's eyes that day as the man began to rant.

"I'll kill her I'll kill her if you take a step towards me you ANBU bastards come closer and I'll ---"

His final word was cut off with his head as Kohi launched his unique scissor-sword onto the man. The shojo had run over to her parents, and before they could thank the ANBUs, they had vanished. Walking slowly, they had rested in a nearby town, and talked about it. "Hey, mister..what was that look in your eyes, when you used your scissor-sword on him? It was pretty damn ferocious."

"Kid..that was cold hate, pure and simple. That happened to a friend of mine, but it didn't turn out like today. I'm sick and tired of bastards like that, taking advantage of the weak. But anyways, who are you guys?" There had been strong bonds made that day, as they discussed themselves, and the world around them. It had been nightfall when they finally broke apart, and they had plans to meet the next day. It continued for many years, and Kohi grew close to all of them, but especially close to Naruto. About a year ago, Kohi had come by the house to pick up Naruto for some one-on-one time, and Kohi had surprised Naruto by finding a beautiful cliff overlooking the Leaf Village.

"Wow, Kohi! This place is awesome! I've never been to this spot before..." Naruto's voice drifted off as he surveyed the beautiful landscape. The moon was large and bright, and it seemed to engulf half the town with its gigantic craters. Kohi silently watched Naruto as he skipped around, checking out their "secret spot."

"Hey, Kohi..what you'd bring me up here for? And why are you so quiet?" Naruto raised a puzzled eyebrow. Kohi coughed, then blushed.

"Naruto..." He walked over to Naruto, his hands shaking just a bit. He placed them on Naruto's shoulders, and bent down, close to his face. "I...I..."

"I love you."

Naruto started, and his striking blue eyes opened wider than they ever had in his entire life.

"But...but Kohi! I'm...not a woman...and I thought...you were a...ma-a-n..."

Kohi laughed softly, and whispered softly into Naruto's ears. "Oh, but I am, and no, you're not." Kohi wrapped his lean arms around Naruto's quivering body, and laid his head down on his shoulders.

"When I was younger...I was constantly persued by a man. His name was Drake Akashi, a Japanese-American who was here to get 'back in touch' with his Japanese heritage. He started after me one day as I was leaving Doku Daigaku, a small community college. "Young man, is there anyone special to your heart?" He asked me, and I was startled, but told him no. I wasn't going to tell anyone that I had a crush on bad-boy Ryoma Inaka, a top scholar at my school. Akashi just laughed at me, and said he'd come back and ask me tomorrow. And so everyday, he came and asked me the same question. I always told him no, and he always laughed at me and said, "I'll come back tomorrow." Little did I know that Akashi was, in his own way, courting me. Finally, he asked me if I would dine with him, and I accepted, knowing that now, I had someone special to my heart." Kohi nuzzled deeper into the cleft of Naruto's neck, and his words sounded a bit clogged. "And I loved him so much, Naruto. I loved him because he made me fall so hard...but he lied to me. Not a large lie, but a lie, nonetheless. I heard him coughing hard one day, and I asked him if he were sick. "No, no, my love. Just a nice spring cold is all." And two years later, he died of cancer. And I...was unconsolable. I hated him, I loved him, I missed him...so I went through life, became an ANBU, and tried to forget the pain of death by killing others. And as you see, it worked all right. But them you came along...and you seem...so much like...my itoshii Drake..."

Kohi began to cry, and Naruto finally huggged him back. They stood there a long time, and Kohi's sobs generally subsided.

"Kohi..." Naruto gripped him harder than before, nearly crushing the thin man.

"You have...a weak kind of strength, don't you?"

- - - - - - -

kunoichi - lady ninja
shojo - young girl
itoshii - darling, beloved
Kohi is a fictional character.