Alright guys, here's chapter 1! I've somewhat introduced two characters in this chapter. It is a little short, but I really felt like posting it. =) Enjoy!!

File 03:Chapter 1:Nightingale

I emerge from a steamy, warm shower. My feet are cold on the linoleum tile of the bathroom floor, and I shiver a little. I grab a simple towel and wrap it around my body, then reach for my blow dryer. As I'm drying my long, petal-pink hair I stare into my reflection in the bathroom mirror. From the mirror a pair of listless beryl green eyes stare back at me. I take my time getting dressed. I've got nothing better to do, really. Soon, I make my way to the living room area of my private quarters. I take a seat on my pretty little divan, and I stare off into space.

I'm bored. Extremely, utterly bored. I've been loafing around for the entire day, and until the messengers come inform me of my task I've got nothing do. My cup of red wine as well as the book I had been reading earlier lies forgotten on a metallic coffee table. Before my shower I had been reading this really great novel about a man who remained forever young and whose portrait grew ugly in his place. I'd just reached the part in which he belittles fiancée to the point that she commits suicide. That seriously annoyed me. Why couldn't she be strong enough to recognize her own self-worth? She shouldn't let her emotions get in the way of her safety. Whatever, I know I'm definitely not finishing the book.

Absentmindedly, I pick at my ornate outfit's sleeve as I think to pass the time. It's a Wednesday, but unlike ordinary students of Konoha academy I do not need to attend classes. I am general of the heavens, after all. My chakra is superior, as is my control over it. In fact, my chakra control is the better then that of the other two generals. Still, we generals are in a completely different league from everyone else. I don't mean to be snobby, but I bet I could probably blast every single one of the class instructors out of the building without even breaking a sweat. That's the power that a general requires at the least, I'm sure.

When most people see me they're surprised. The general of the heavens, second-in-command of this makeshift government, is a tiny seventeen year-old girl? I'm on the receiving end of a ton of sneers and dirty looks. They think I tricked my way into this position by getting cozy with the top commander, Lord Kakashi Hatake. He's the person in charge of the entire academy, and since our academy is basically Japan's new government he's like a king. If he really wanted too, he could've put me in my current position. The thing is, I really didn't need his favoritism.

Now, it's no secret that he has a thing for me. In fact, it's so obvious that it gets kind of creepy. He's always watching me, even though he tries to pretend he isn't. When we're at meetings or banquets I can feel his gaze on me. I always just do my best to avoid him. I've heard from others that he can be a nice guy, but I really can't bring myself to change my opinions on him. He's got much to big of an ego, and he even thinks that it's his God-given duty to protect the people! Apparently, the way his personality is like has got something to do with his past. His past…for the rest of my life I'll always remember the first time I met him. That was back when…NO!

I can't stand to remember it. I look at the coffee table as I remember the presence of my wine. I reach out for it, pick it up, and drink it all down in one round. As I close my eyes I can feel it swirling through my system. Even through the oppressive, mind-numbing qualities of the wine, flashes of my memories make their way through.

Mother..knife..she stabs me…

Did I love Daddy too much?

I'm cold…it's raining

The streets are unforgiving.

People pass by without a second glance

Until one day

A hand reaches out for me

I take it, and soon it's soiled with my blood.

I look up and catch sight of silver in his hair and love in his eyes.

Love

What's happened to me?

Cages…Why am I in a cage?

I'm not myself anymore

Power is pumping through my veins…

I see static and numbers…only numbers…

Needles and blood..so much blood…Is it all my own?

Pain

Screams…

A flash of silver hair…could it be him?

I call out, and it isn't my beloved…

Its Him

Anger, bursts of anger.

He destroys the cage that's holding me in, only to realize it was open all along.

I smile, just a pretty little nightingale with broken wings.

My face is scarred and beaten up.

He can't understand why I won't leave.

Nobody can understand me…

I don't care.

Darkness.

I'm shivering…why can't I get ahold of myself? Of course! I just need to clear my brain a little bit. I grip at my left wrist and push up my sleeve. I'm met with the sight of my nightingale tattoo. I take in deep breaths and try to focus on it. My past won't get in my way. I'll make sure of that. I need to pay attention to my tattoo-only my tattoo.

My nightingale tattoo...It really is quite pretty. The large, graceful nightingale is curled around a branch of a blossoming sakura tree. It's head is tilted up, and it appears to be in song. The tree's branch reaches all the way up my inner forearm, tracing over my veins. I suppose it makes sense that my love chose a sakura tree-it is my namesake, after all. I'm happy I was given it. In the presence of my tattoo, my past means little. Whenever I look at it I get this feeling of hope, and makes me believe that someday he'll come back to me. He promised he would return to me, and I know that he will. Someday I'll get to see his shining silver hair again, and I'll prove to Lord Hatake that I don't need him around. I blink a couple of times, and then I glance at the half-empty wine bottle on my coffee table. Just to be safe, I pour myself a final glass and drain it in a matter of seconds. I feel so much better now, really.

All of a sudden, a clumsy young recruit bursts into my quarters without knocking. His pale blue eyes are darting around the room, looking anywhere but at me. He's nervous, and it's obvious that he's new around here. I narrow my eyes in annoyance, but I'm willing to forgive his rudeness because he's bringing my hopefully entertaining assignment.

As I'm striding up to him I can feel his anxiety increase tenfold. He's shifting his weight from one foot to the other, and is holding out my mission scroll as far from his body as possible. This is too funny. He's so silly! Does he really think I'll do something to him? Eh, whatever. I cut his nervousness short when I simply snatch the scroll from him and return to my divan.

"You can leave now," I tell him, and he doesn't need to be told twice. He turns swiftly on his heel and almost runs out of my room. I can't help but to crack a grin. The recruit really has brightened my day with his antics, and he's also brought me my assignment. I look at the scroll I'm holding. I quickly unroll it and scan the information. I'm supposed to travel up north to the city of Mito. Apparently, there's some sort of large disturbance of power there and I'm supposed to investigate. There's no branch of the academy up there, so Mito is often subject to much unrest. I take down all of the directions and statistics I'll me needing in my memory bank and roll the scroll back up. I throw it down onto the coffee table and I just make my way out of my quarters. Now that I know what my mission is, I really don't need the scroll anymore.

As I pass through the hallways of Konoha academy, I'm once again the victim of dirty looks. Suddenly as I'm turning a corner, I bump into someone and lose my balance. Arms wind around my waist and set me quickly on my feet once more. I'm about to tell off whoever just carelessly ran into me, but as I look up at the perpetrator my words die in my throat. It's Lord Kakashi. I look down at the arms around my waist-he still hasn't let go of me. Many of the recruits wandering the halls have begun to take notice of us. Kakashi smiles down at me, or at least I think that's what he's doing. He wears this strange mask, you see. It covers almost of his face except for one of his eyes. And..oh no, is his head closer all of a sudden?! I'm moving around and trying to free myself of his grasp, but he won't let go. Why won't he let go of me? His cloth-covered mouth comes within a few centimeters of my ear. His breath is hot in the shell of my ear and I really want to pull away. He whispers a quick sorry, and as he pulls his head back his silver hair brushes against my cheek. Kakashi's silver hair..I feel disgusted whenever I see it. It only reminds me of how different he is from my beloved. And it reminds me of what he always tells me. He truly, honestly believes that my beloved will never come back to me. He keeps on trying to convince me that he could love me so much more. But he doesn't get it, no one does. I've grown to disregard other people's opinions when it comes to matters of the heart. I try to pull away from Lord Kakashi's arms again. He finally, finally lets go, and I brush past him as fast as I can.

He goes on his way without once looking back at me. As I continue down the hall I can feel the eyes of the recruits boring holes into my back. I hear their whispers about me. General Haruno is such a whore, they're saying.

I don't care.

There you go guys, Sakura Haruno is number 03. So, like it or hate it? =D tell me and review!