Everything was up to her. She always had a choice in the matter of decisions that came to her, no matter the speed and urgency in which they came. She was known as a great decision maker, an even more commendable leader, with more successful missions under her belt to prove it. But there was something hidden within her that no one knew about, another side to her that she never let come to the surface unless she could not under any circumstances..control herself.
It had been years since she needed a 'release'. A release so powerful and fulfilling that sex could not compare to such a feeling of euphoria the moment she committed the deed, but like all addictions, it was a double-edged sword. All addictions are sinful, just as all addictions are deadly or could very well likely become lethal, but with this youthful ANBU...it was everything the word lethal brought forth from one's mind. After such sinful acts are done however, she can't hold back the immediate feeling of guilt and monstrosity running to reign in her consciousness, whatever of that she had left.
Still, she was a wonderful asset to the village, to her leader, and to her friends. There was just one small problem with the other side of herself that she never let out...
It was completely and in full meaning of the word, insane.
Sakura Haruno had rised to the top in the ninja world. Not Hokage if that's what your thinking, but close enough, the Hokage's right hand. Some of her peers and colleagues her age thought it unfair of most of her privileges because she was the Hokage's personal protector and one of his many advisors despite how little she gave her opinion about most things.
Some referenced her to a common dark cloud looming in the sky hovering near a white cloud that took up most of the space; the dark presence in the room. She was a complete 180 compared to her teenage years and even more so compared to her pre-teen days, the days where her smile and her loud mouth would fill everyone with mirth. But ever since Sasuke departed once again, the past invasion of Konoha by the akatsuki, and soon after the ninja war against the fearsome Madara something in her changed...something more serious and cruel.
To be an ANBU she knew she had to hide it well, the cool and focused gleam in her hard eyes, it was looks like these that frightened the civilians and made the Hokage himself anxious. All ANBU had some type of personality to them even if it was the tiniest of character, but Sakura...it was frightening how the most noticeable part of her could simply disappear.
She smiled sometimes, though it never reached her eyes, Naruto could tell it was more just to assure him rather than show her emotions on her face. Otherwise, another person would get a dead, blank stare.
~Sakura's arrival back into the village after a four month long mission~
Her jade eyes assessed the village gates slowly, looking around momentarily for any sign of attack or invasion and found none. It was comforting to know that was not the case ,but she couldn't deny that it would be hard to relieve herself out of her battle mood. Throwing away her aimless thoughts, she glanced at the full, big moon above her that illuminated the pathway to her beloved home that much more and then looked at her silent teammates that walked on either side of her. She wanted to be alone to enjoy the path home by herself.
"Leave" she said simply.
They were gone like the hint of a whisper or a sound, it would leave a commoner wondering if they were even there to begin with. ANBU were made to aid people into going insane, that's why they were feared and that's why they were held by the necks with tight leashes.
Sakura pondered on the whole of the village before her mind lingered elsewhere, to the familiar feeling that was coming from the back of her head. It wasn't the time nor the place to have an episode so close to the village, not with an innocent bystander standing no further than twelve feet in front of her at the entrance of the green gates. She could mask it during the heat of battle and in front of her squad on the same plateau, but not here. Anywhere was fine but here.
She was saved by a subordinate of her's that simply appeared in her face, his white and red ANBU mask revealed nothing of his facial features to her.
"We've reported to the Hokage upon our arrival and your dismissal of us, he wishes to see you for a full report" he stated in a monotone.
She peered at him through the matching red and white mask almost mirroring his. "You've done well. You should rest awhile and I'll call if I happen to want you on my squad again"
He stood still and silent and offered no response to her comment, no hint of formality nor familiar with him. Sakura couldn't help but slightly smile, she'd taught him well. She nodded her head at him and like before, he disappeared elsewhere. As soon as she felt his chakra leave the area completely, she relinquished her ANBU mask away from her face and breathed her first breath of fresh air after four months of non stop battle with well bred jounin of the Sound. She closed her eyes silently in relaxation and opened them to find herself in front of the Hokage's office, she heard voices from the inside with enhanced chakra hearing, but dispelled it out of respect for the Hokage's privacy.
She waited patiently before one word allowed her entrance into the Hokage's office.
"Enter" commanded a calm voice.
She opened the wooden door immediately and shut the door gently behind her, standing at attention in front of the Hokage's serious eyes as he looked upon her. He noted the tightness of the bun full of pink hair on top of her head and also noticed the stains of blood on the ANBU mask that lied still on the side of her head, an obvious sign of carnage during her long term mission. This was not the first time she's come back from a mission covered in blood, but it was the amount of it that unnerved him. There was barely any on her at all.
He passed that thought along as just another observation and continued along with the questions he was going to ask her about the mission.
"Good evening Haruno-san" he greeted her with slight incline of his head.
She bowed low and at the hip. "Good evening Hokage-sama"
"I trust that this mission I sent you on was an overall success and that you minimized all if any casualties as possible"
He noticed the slight flinch in one of her legs and the slowness in her response.
"Little to none sir"
The stillness of her face as the lie slipped off her tongue was another unnerving thing about her, she could lie so effortlessly without batting an eyelash and to her Hokage even more so. He was vaguely glad he could see through it so well despite many other highly trained ANBU and the enemy could not.
"Sakura" he said a little more sternly.
It showed more in her face then, the chance that he could find out every secret she was hiding from everyone else. The very thought brought an abrupt fear in her and it showed in her face, there was no escaping it now that she was caught.
"Two casualties. Children of the sound, ages twelve and fourteen" she said slowly.
A long stretch of silence filled the Hokage's office and she could only feel more nervous, why wasn't he asking any more questions?
"Were they ninja children of the Sound?"
She kept her mouth shut, her words and response time not coming along fast enough, he would grill into her if he had to. He knew about all the pride she had as an ANBU and she'd best remember that he was the one that allowed her to still be of service after her little incident three years ago. His fist made a dent in his desk and she jumped in fear, looking at him warily.
"They were civilians.." she said in a rushed tone.
She couldn't bear to look at him now, he would be so disappointed in her. After all the effort he put into fighting his advisors on the subject of her even being an ANBU in the first place just made her feel horrible. "I didn't mean to they were just...there's nothing I could've done" she said looking away from him.
The hokage sighed and stared at her now shrunken form. Just a few minutes ago she was all confidence and now she could hardly look him in the eye. This is the human part of her he didn't wish to see, because this was the only human part of her. The rest was all ANBU. He got up from his chair and walked past Sakura to his office door to which he locked himself, then he proceeded to stand in front of Sakura and remove the formal headpiece a Hokage was required to wear.
Long dark raven hair flowed past the Hokage's shoulders and deep onyx eyes peered into Sakura's porcelain face, her green eyes still darting from his presence uncertainly.
"Sakura look at me" he ordered gently.
She did as she was told and returned his gaze, silently pleading with him not to be too mad with her. What she saw in his eyes was that much more hurtful, it was almost pitiful and regretful as if he could've done more for someone that was already gone.
"I didn't want to have to tell you this..."
"Then don't" she said quietly.
"I don't know how you'll feel about my decision, the next step..."
"Please no" she pleaded with him.
"I can't cover for you anymore" he told her.
She shut her eyes and almost thought about covering her ears. "Itachi.."
His face grew hard at the sound of his own name coming off her lips. "Sasuke is back"
A/N: is this my first Naruto fanfic? I think it might be...wait no it isn't -_- the other one was interesting at first but then started to fizzle out at the end. Tell me what you guys think of this one instead :3. Your reviews determine if this is continued or not.