Sight

disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any characters or Marked I do own the plot, though!

Sight

As dawn turns to dusk;

As light turns to dark;

We wait and watch;

Hold your sword close;

And steady your heart for creatures draw nearer;

We must be strong we must not fear;

We must only open our eyes;

And welcome these strange things;

For they live among us just as we live among them;

Since I was a little girl this poem has always been my favorite, I've memorized word for word. Because I know it's true, they live among us just as we live among them. They are most commonly called no-faces. But commonly, seems to big a word, to describe how many people know about them. It's not that there are few of them it's just that people haven't open they're eyes to them. I mean out of the billions of people, (ninja and civilians) only 500,000 people out of 3 tribes can still see the no-faces.

The elders who teach us the ancient jutsu and whisperings of our ancestors have told us that there was a time when all people where open to the no-faces existence, and could see and live with them just as we do.

But don't get me wrong the no-faces are everywhere; people just can't see them anymore. That's where we come in; we of the Haruno, Tenshi and Shinigami tribes come in. We work slowly trying to help people open there eyes to a forgotten world, but we can't force them. Some understand, and their eyes are opened. Some don't, and they remain blind for their life. We can only watch and wait, wait for them to see...

"Sakura! Quit your daydreaming- we have to go!" I blinked a few times, the world finally coming back to me. That's right...lessons were today. I stood and stretched easily. "Sakura-chan, hurry up! The elders will kill us if we're late again!" Blondie – as I call him – yelled at me, standing with his hands on his hips, clearly impatient. I laughed slightly. "You look really stupid, you know. Alright, let's go." Running towards him, I gave him a playful shove. "Sakura-chan, wait!" He dashed after me, catching up easily. We walked in silence to the elder's home- there would be plenty of time to talk later, after the lessons. "Glad you're finally on time," A voice said dryly. I looked up into the face of Kyo, my teacher. He was at least 180 years old, and that was considered young by the elder's standards. It may seem old to outsiders, but because of our bonds with the earth and demons, some live unnaturally long lives. Even though Blondie and I are both 15, we're considered hardly older than young children. "We're sorry, sensei," We both said in union, bowing our heads in respect. "Well, might as well come in, even though there are no lessons today." After he said this, we both stood there, mouths gaping like fish. I had to run here for nothing? "Before you say anything, although there are no lessons today, you two are going to be informed of an important decision we have made. Come," He said, disappearing back into the house. We followed quietly.

When we entered the gathering room, our council of elders, was already seated. Both Blondie and I bowed respectfully. For once I could see seriousness in Blondie's eyes. "Sakura and Naruto, you two have been chosen to travel far to become ninja of Konoha, to help spread our beliefs and to help open their eyes." I stood in shock, while Blondie, who originally came from Konoha, looked up. His fists clenched in anger. "I mean no disrespect, but why are you sending us there, to the people who shunned me?" His face looked cold and cruel. "Naruto you must do this in order for you to truly open eyes. You must face your fears." "What's the point in that I can already see the no-faces!" he said his voice cold with a burning hate in it. "How dare you question our judgment1 if you can not a bid by our laws then leave this village!" an elder said daring Naruto to question them again. Naruto remained quiet for the rest of the meeting, not saying a word. After the meeting was over, we walked home. He still seemed so distant. I had never seen him like this since he first came to us at 7 years of age, alone and afraid. "Hey, Naruto, cheer up! I'll buy you some ramen, alright?" He looked up and smiled sadly at me. "Sure, but you better be prepared, because after this, your wallet is going to be pretty empty." I gulped- I knew how much Naruto could eat. Giving me a foxy grin, he ran ahead of me to his favorite food stand. Good. The kid looked happier already.

--later that day—

After going out to eat, doing some training and getting our things packed we were exhausted. Naruto and I lay on the floor of my bedroom; he was currently drawing a bowl of ramen on my arm. He seemed very content at the fact he had pretty much wiped out my wallet. "So," He began wearily, "We're going back to my home town huh?" The Question was more asked to himself than me. But I decided to answer him anyway, "Yeah I guess we are...hey can I ask you something?" "Yeah I guess what is it?" his eyes were now looking at me instead of the new fox he was drawing on my arm. "What was it like in Konoha?" "It was filled with drunks and asses who couldn't tell a boy from a fox, that's what it's like," After he said this I instinctively knew what he was talking about, but I wasn't going to give up that easily. "No Naruto you're telling about the people, I want know to what it's like," He wasn't looking at me anymore when he said "What the hell is the difference?" "I mean, is it pretty with lots of trees, and flowers. Are there lots of medics?" I asked in a softer voice. "Well I guess there are a lot of plants and stuff, I'm not sure about how many medics there are...God why do you have to ask such complicated questions?" "It's not complicated at all though," "Well I didn't exactly, have time to look into that stuff when I was getting a beating or running for my life," He said angrily at the memories, I think he may have been crying 'cause he turned his back to me.

After a few moments of, complete silence I saw Kyo-sensei come to the door. "Sakura, Naruto There is something we need to discuss, immediately," After he caught a quick glance at Naruto he softly added "So I expect both of you to meet me in the commons in 5 minutes," although the sternness hadn't left his voice I could tell that he defiantly, was a lot softer than he used to be. I propped myself up on my elbows and let out a tired sigh. "Hey, neko sorry, 'bout snapping at you... you know I don't mean it right? I-I mean I just don't want to see you hurt...especially not by them" "chill fox-boy I know you didn't mean anything, so quit your babbling," I said smiling at his nick-name for me. Saying this was like breaking a spell on Naruto, he went from mopping around like an emo to giving me his signature, foxy grin. "But we better hurry other wise, Kyo-sensei will murder us," I said, he returned my words with a nod before darting out of the room. I quickly got up and went after him, after all what I said wasn't that much of an exaggeration; Kyo-sensei was not someone you want to piss off.

We made it to the commons,-which were basically like a giant living room, but because Kyo-sensei is so old fashioned, he calls it the commons-and found that it was filled with all our friends, and tons of other people, some of which are the most poweful people I have ever known. "Oh my god," I said, Naruto who was also having a similar reaction, nodded dumbly. Suddenly everyone turned to us as we walked towards them, they, grinned, and told us words of "good luck", and shook our hand. Okay so maybe it's not that shocking that our friends and family would do this but like I said there were other people, ridiculously strong, or smart people. One of which was Naomi Toga the incredibly smart, seal mistress and a poet, (the one who wrote my favorite poem,) but most of all she is my idol.

Then she saw me and, began to walk towards me, I mean me of all people, there were tons of other smarter, people of the room and she was walking towards me. "I hear your a fan of mine am I right?" To shocked and excited at the same time, I did the idiot thing and nodded my have up and down so fast I thought it might come of. "Yeah, I mean yes I a-am a fan of yours," I said quickly stumbling over my words, god I am such an idiot, some one just shoot me now, groaning mentally at my idiotic-ness, which probably isn't a word, I forced my self to swallow the lump in my throat an continued. "I mean your like, one of the most powerful women I can think of, and I just love your work especially your poem, Sight" I told her, "Really? Well that's strange most people don't like that one much, saying it's to simple, and that it's so obvious." she told me and I was quickly reacted without thinking, snapping my head up I looked at her and said,

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," people had begun to stare at me now, I guess I didn't realize how loud I was being but I didn't stop myself from continuing, "Isn't the whole point of that poem to be simple? I mean what your saying is all based on how we live, so I think the best features, of the poem is that it's simple, and not some riddle that takes forever, to find out," Now nearly everyone in the room was staring at me, I felt the blood rush to my face, making me look like a tomato.

Naomi looked at me for a second before a grin made its way to her beautiful face. "That's exactly what I thought when I wrote it," She said her voice was so soothing and it seemed to take away all the tension in the room. And soon enough everyone in the room went back to their own conversation, well everyone except for one scrawny looking man who came up to Naomi and whispered something in her ear. Naomi nodded at him before looking at me again and saying, "I'm sorry but I must be leaving," she paused here to study my face before continuing. "Keep your friends close, young cherry blossom, and remember light is not always good as dark is not always evil," She flashed me a small smile before weaving her way through the crowd, and out the door.

I felt as though a warm atmosphere had wrapped around me, it made me feel good and relaxed. I shook myself from my thoughts and began to mingle with other guest, and found my friends who I stayed with for most of the night-or at least I tried to. "Man, neko-chan, You keep getting dragged away from us I'm starting to think they're doing it on purpose," Geminia, my best friend, told me, sighing, and shaking his head, the others of our little group of friends nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they probably don't want to see me hanging out with a bunch of bums like you," "Now that was just plain mean, neko. What have we ever done to you?" Izumi, another member of our gang asked. I had a million of the most embarrassing things they had done to me going through my mind, but I decided to be mean and say, "Oh you haven't done anything to me or any other girl in that matter." Izumi went red and we all shared a laugh at his expense.

"What exactly is so funny?" Kyo-sensei asked his eyebrow raised, "Nothing," we all half said, half shouted in unison. Shaking his head Kyo-sensei looked at us-or more specifically me and Naruto, he held out 2 kimonos and said, "Well, you better put these on quickly, because you stick out like a sore thumb." After he said this, the realization hit me that everyone,-including our gang- was dressed in the traditional kimono, and suddenly a large blush of embarrassment hit me, making my face all hot. Naruto and I had showered when we got back but we dressed in a pair of our training outfits. Grabbing the kimonos, we both split the separate ways to our bedrooms.

It took me a good 20 minutes to get to my bedroom and change into the kimono. The majority of the time I spent trying to tie the evil obi around my waist. Whoever created a kimono like this is obviously a sadist. I took a quick look at myself, straightening out the kimono before opening the door and leaving. I tried to hurry back to the commons, but unfortunately, the sadist that created the obi also decided that there was no leg room allowed in the kimono. 'We should, like, go back in time and kill whoever made the kimono like this! Shannaro!' 'Yeah, like we could ever do that, stupid,' 'You know you want to...' Mentally, I punched my inner self. Kami knows why she's in my head.

Quickly, I scuttled back to the commons - hopefully, no one would notice that I had gone. However, when I got back everyone was pretty much gone; accept for my family and friends. Oh, the irony. Giving a deep sigh, I returned to my group of friends – Naruto hadn't even bothered to change. Instead, he had gotten his iPod from his room – for once, he had made a smart choice. I walked back to my group of friends, and for the rest of the night we cracked stupid jokes, laughed at each other, and hid the despair of having to be separated. We had known each other for so many years – and now just the thought of leaving them for so much time to be with a group of strangers who were supposed to be our "comrades" and "friends". Occasionally throughout the night I saw relatives from my fathers side, the Tenshi Tribe, and my mothers, the Shinigami Tribe.

--Later--

It was about midnight when Naruto and I finally got to sleep. And for the first time in so many years, I cried extremely hard. I cried until it felt as if I had no tears left. This was my home – everything I knew was here, and now leaving was probably the scariest thing I would face when I'm not on the battlefield. Finally my mind got too tired to think about leaving, and I drifted off into a deep sleep.