BK: Dark, lovely, cunning, and heart wrenching. Romantic, longing, and unique. Are you ready for this?

BK

"Another time."

"But I want you right now."

"Ah... but gentlemen do not beg for a woman's presence. Especially one with wife."

"I don't care about her. I want you. I love you."

"..."

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you love me... Hinata?"

"...Will you give your heart to me?"

"Yes. I would. I would give you anything!"

Her hand caressed the man's face and then she looked at him with those hauntingly beautiful eyes. He looked back with blinded admiration, love, and lust. She could his heart thumping like a train that had been on a thousand mile route. It deafened her sensitive ears. She looked into his eyes, his soul, as if searching for something desperately. Something special. Something unique.

Alas... she saw nothing but his blinded love and lust for her. Her mouth curved into a small seductive smile.

"No... your heart is not mine."

And then she struck her hand into his chest, breaking through his ribs, and ripped his heart out. It pumped in her hand like a flailing fish and she looked apathetically at the man who stared at her in disbelief, the light of life in his eyes fading away as horror filled his face. He fell onto his back with a deadening thump and Hinata looked at him without really registering what he looked like.

This was the two hundred and sixty eighth man whose heart she had ripped out. The night was as dark as the color of her hair and the moon that shone bleakly behind the clouds finally dripped out its light that reflected the color of her opal eyes. It was a quiet and silent night. The only sounds that had interrupted its lovely silence were the few hours before where the man in front of her flirted and played around with Hinata.

It was lovely being a demon. You ate the hearts of people to stay alive. You outlived them all, being immortal. You had supernatural powers that people with ambition craved for. You were beautiful and charming, stealing the glances of everyone in either awe or admiration. You never had to worry and you had all the time in the world to do anything you ever wanted.

So why was it when Hinata looked at these people, she felt strange feelings of sadness and longing?

BK

Sasuke bowed his head and waited respectfully for the leader to walk by. They had just returned from the most current revolt in the outskirts of the Fire Country. They were all extremely tired from the fierce fight and wanted nothing more to do than sleep, drink, and be merry.

Their leader smiled at them all and she looked at Sasuke specifically.

"Men, we vanquished the revolts! Now we can all celebrate our success! May the Hokage live a long life!"

The men and soldiers around them hurrayed, throwing their fists into the air. Many of them whooped and started preparing for the celebration, pulling out the tables, food, and wine. The leader watched with a smile as everyone scurried into some position of work and then looked directly at Sasuke again. Sasuke gave her a faint smile before walking away.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke swallowed something in his throat and looked back at his leader. She was red headed, but her hair was so light it looked pink. Her green eyes glittered like emeralds and she constantly always looked to his direction. She was a medic in the ranks. Highly revered and trained by the Hokage herself. Her name was Sakura and her intelligence, as well as impressive strength for a woman, was well known throughout the neighboring countries.

Sasuke was assigned to be her partner so that he could keep her safe. Sakura was very beautiful. However, she wore a gilded mask to cover half her face. Many people wondered what laid under that mask. No one had ever seen what was under that mask except for the Hokage and Sasuke.

Sasuke looked down at his feet and urged himself to smile. He could never forgive himself – he should at least smile for her. Brushing back his jet black spiky hair and fixing his forehead band, he walked over the small hill to Sakura, laying his starry dark eyes on her emerald ones.

"Yes, Sakura?"

She smiled, white teeth showing, and crossed her arms together.

"You did exceptionally well out there. Tsunade will be very proud of our victory," Sakura said with joy in her voice.

Sasuke smiled lightly back, "Please call her Hokage, Sakura. We're not supposed to know her personally."

Sakura scoffed and then quickly corrected herself with a dainty smile, "Oh! That's right, my apoligies. Are you ready for the perimeters scout? We're on the first shift. By the time we're finished, the food should be plenty ready!"

Sasuke nodded and he headed towards the forest. Sakura followed him quickly like a little duckling. The sounds of their feet gracing the tall grass could be heard in the silent night and soon Sakura's shuffling feet stopped. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, waiting for her to say something, having stopped himself.

"Sasuke... do you love me?"

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows and took in a deep breath. The hand he placed on his sword gripped ever so slightly. He let out a long sigh and turned to look at Sakura.

She looked at him with curious eyes. Her face and gestures wanted everything Sasuke knew he could never give. However, it was his fault that she wore that mask over half her face. It was all his fault.

"Sakura... I – I..."

Sasuke gulped. What should he say? He had been with Sakura his whole life protecting her. Why couldn't he be like his other friend Naruto who was bounded to protect the country his whole life instead? Why was he placed with a medic who clearly wanted his affections? He had never wanted to think about these things.

"...Ex–excuse me... soldiers of Konoha... I..."

To the side, a weak voice interrupted the confession and Sasuke quickly switched gears, pulling out his sword. He pointed it to the general area where the soft voice had come from. Sakura had jumped back and she took out her own short sword to the intruder.

It was a girl! Her pale kimono was bloodied and her hands were painted with red. On her mouth, blood seemed to spill and she looked at them with half lidded eyes. The colors of her opal eyes stunned him. The moon above them seemed to illuminate her paper white skin as she fell to the ground and disappeared underneath all the tall grass.

Sasuke ran towards her. He could hear Sakura yelling his name and telling him to stop.

"Sasuke! Stop! We don't even know who she is!"

But he couldn't stop. He had already started running towards her and she looked badly injured. Sakura had decided that she couldn't stop him and ran after him herself. Finally, they were standing right above the fallen girl and Sakura gasped. There was an arrow sticking right outside her back. It had impaled her where her heart should have been, missing only by a few inches.

The girl beneath them registered that they were looking at her. With gasping breaths, she touched Sakura's foot with a bloodied hand.

"P-please... help me."

Sakura nodded and she looked at Sasuke, "Get the others. I need a medic crew. Bring the stretcher and bandages."

Sasuke nodded and he looked away quickly from Sakura, running towards the camp whence they came from. He stole a brief look backwards to where Sakura and the mysterious girl were. He caught a glance of the mysterious girl's eyes. They seemed to glow.

BK

Hinata woke up groggily and looked at her surroundings. Judging from the way the night felt, it must be a few hours past midnight. The moon should be well into the sky. She reached around to her back left shoulder and winced at the pain the ran throughout her body. She waited for it to numb and then reached a little farther until she felt the hole that was bandaged.

How hurtful. The demon hunter had shot a gold arrow into her shoulder. He had been aiming at her heart, but she dodged it at the last second. That did not mean that it did not hurt. After all, demons were susceptible to gold. It could potentially kill them.

Hinata sighed and she closed her eyes. She concentrated the demonic energy within her body to collectively heal her wound. Even if the demon hunter had been on her heels since he first saw her, it did not mean she was scared. After all, she had lived for more than a thousand years. She had much more power than most demons he should have encountered.

Hinata relaxed and laid her hands down in her lap. Who rescued her? She vaguely remembered two humanoid forms. They were soldiers, she believed. This was the Fire Country, so that meant that they had just finished quelling the revolt in the north. They must be on their way back to the city.

Hinata listened to the night briefly and then touched her lips. The demon hunter... he was still after her. How did he find her? She thought she had left all traces of herself behind in the Sand Country. She even masked her scent by mingling with humans and traveled part of the way as her demonic form: a snowy white feline.

Hinata shook her head and looked at her surroundings. They seemed to resemble some sort of makeshift bed inside a tent. Above her was a lantern and in front of her was the opening flap. There were some bags around her that held clothes and other things. She spotted a sword in one of the bags. Hinata smiled a little.

She did not sense anyone in the tent with her, so she stood up and opened the flap to step outside. She noticed the shadow next to her and took in a deep breath before turning to meet the person in the eyes. It was a pink headed girl with emerald eyes. She was very beautiful.

"You're awake! You shouldn't be moving. Go back and rest. Tomorrow we are going back to the court to tell the Hokage the good news. We won a victory in a revolt."

Hinata tilted her head gracefully and observed the interesting female in front of her. She was loud and brash. Unfeminine in all respects. Even the way she spoke sounded screechy and unrefined. So this was what women in the Hokage's force were like? How amusing.

Hinata held her fingers lightly to her chin and spoke with her eyes looking slightly down.

"I am very grateful you saved me. May I have the name of my savior?"

Sakura blushed. She had never met someone so beautiful and graceful. The lady in front of her seemed mature by years and godly beautiful. Her eyes were opals and her face was small and delicate. Her dainty fingers seemed skilled yet refined and every movement she made seemed to have thought behind it, as if there was a purpose in every movement. Sakura felt a little intimated by the person she had just saved.

But something seemed a bit off. She was almost too graceful. Almost cat-like and there was a glint of cunning in her opal eyes. Her dainty fingers were small and beautiful, but they were undoubtedly trained and clawing. Even her beautiful, painted red nails looked like it could tear off someone's head. Her body was lithe and alluring, every movement she made drew people to her. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"My name is Sakura Haruno, commander of the medical unit in the Hokage's force."

Hinata smiled at Sakura's statement and bowed, "Thank you miss Haruno. I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do for you, please say so."

Hinata looked back at the girl. Sakura seemed intimidated by her, so Hinata smiled at her. A demon that was saved is indebted until they repay it back. Hinata did not want to stay long in any place, but she had to pay back the debt to this girl who saved her life. Demons were evil beings, but sometimes they bring good fortune to those that they meet.

Hinata did not know if she should gift this unfeminine girl in front of her or doom her.

A shuffling sound came from behind Sakura, who had now taken off her armor and held nothing but her sword, and a man emerged. He was dark and handsome as the starry night sky above them. His contrasting looks brought a sense of attractiveness to his being and when his dark obsidian eyes landed on Hinata's, she could not but help smile at him.

Sakura saw Sasuke and she gestured to Hinata, "I was just introducing myself to her. I wanted her to go back and rest, but she insisted on knowing who saved her. This is my bodyguard, his name is Sasuke. He's been with me all my life. Sasuke, this is... her name is... uh... I'm sorry, I forgot to ask. What is your name?"

Hinata looked at the way Sakura's eyes glittered when she looked to Sasuke. Clearly the unfeminine girl was in love with him. Even behind the mask that covered half her face, Hinata could tell that she longed to be with that man. However, Sasuke looked back at Sakura uncomfortably.

Then Hinata's face broke into a feline smile. Sakura was in love with Sasuke. Sakura wore a mask that covered half her face. Sakura was the commanding leader of the medic team. Sakura was in love with Sasuke and Sasuke did not know whether he reciprocated the same feelings back.

Hinata was a demon. They ate the hearts of people to survive. They brought either fortune or misfortune, and unfortunately for humans, most of the time they brought the latter.

Hinata smiled sweetly at Sasuke, "It's a pleasure to meet you Sasuke. My name is Hinata."

BK

BK: By the way... Like the title?