The Life of Kaoru Haruno

by Amulet Sugar

Kaoru Haruno has been treated as a princess almost all her life, so what is she to do when she is suddenly forced to move in with her cousin, Sakura Haruno, after the death of her father. Swearing revenge against her father's murderers, will Kaoru complete her goal and be able to live happily or will she be consumed by the dark feelings that come with swearing revenge?

1. Prologue

A/N: The story takes place during the beginning of Konoha 12's last year at the academy.

~X~

Prologue

~X~

I felt dead. I felt as though every part of me had died. The cries and sobs of the people around me fell onto deft ears. All I could focus on was the newly buried grave in front of me.

'Why? Why would this happen to me?' Was all I could think of at the moment.

I had been a good kid. A perfect one at that. I never cried obnoxiously and I never spoke out of turn. I excelled in all of my written subjects and I could play any instrument taught to me. I could sing like an angel, as others have told me, and I was graceful and poise like a princess. I had to be all those things if I was to be the daughter of a great lord. Or in my case, the daughter of a late great lord.

My father, Akio Haruno, was assassinated by a group of rogue ninjas while on his way to make a personal trade with a lord in the neighboring shinobi country. Because my father was a very wealthy lord, we had assigned at least 5 ninjas to look after him on his journey. Obviously they were not much help in protecting my father.

Just as his name quite literally states, my father was a glorious man. He was loved by everyone here in our secluded village. Our village was made up of groups of people from every elemental country that did not quite like how their previous village ran things and decided to make up a village of their own. This village was very secluded and not many knew of it. My father and I had moved away from our last village when I was at the age of 4, after the death of my mother whom died of a lethal sickness.

We had stumbled upon the village by accident, but it quickly became a new home for us. Soon though, the village began to become out of control and many of the adults wanted there to be a leader of the village. And long story short, my father ended up being elected after several people nominating him. He was able to make the village prosper diligently and gained respect in everyone's eyes.

And I, I was treated as a princess. I had everything I could ever possibly want: a loving father, friends (although most seemed to only like me for my position), a high ranking position, gifts, toys, and beauty. Despite these things though, I was never ever selfish. I hated the thought of anything bad happening to anyone. But now, after finally registering the death of my father, the only person I truly loved and trusted, I felt the warm flame of happiness in my heart become snuffed out and replaced with a thin layer of ice.