Well, yes, I've only gotten two reviews so far, but I was impatient to update. Besides that, I don't know how often I'll be able to update, so expect them to be sporadic. Sorry for any inconvenience, but yea… too bad.

Disclaimer: (Looks around) if anyone on this website does happen to own Naruto, I'd love to meet them. However, if you steal Karasu Hana, I WILL sue you…

A/N: Yes, Sasuke gets tickled in this chapter. No, this will NOT be a tickle story. It might not be the last chapter with tickling in it, but it IS NOT a tickle story.

O-O-O-O-O

Come What May

O-O-O-O-O

Chapter 2: Kusuguri

A shiver ran down Karasu's spine as she appeared on a treetop overlooking the village of Konohagakure. Thin trails of smoke from her jutsu trailed from her limbs, giving her a ghostly appearance, with her dark clad body contrasting against the white background of the moon. Chills of delight from Orochimaru's orders had heightened her awareness, and her tongue slid excitedly over her lips. Tonight, and only tonight, she would have fun.

Silent as a cat, the kunoichi leapt off the tree and over the thick wall that surrounded the Village Hidden in the Leaves, slipping on her 'borrowed' ANBU mask. She had regretting killing that man, she really had, but as Orochimaru had so coldly reminded her only several nights before, a deal's a deal.

Karasu paused for a moment to unravel a map, checking her direction before heading towards a small, apartment filled section of town.

The first name on her list was a Jonin. Boy, would this be fun.

O-O-O-O-O

So intent was he on devouring paragraph after paragraph of Icha Icha Paradise that he almost didn't hear the slight, almost inaudible sound of a twig snap outside. Dropping the novel, a silver haired man quickly stood, his fingers clenched tightly around a kunai. He moved stealthily over to the window, careful to stay hidden in the shadows, and peered outside. Nothing moved, but the Jonin knew better then to fall into a false sense of security.

"After all," he murmured to himself, softly, "With all these reports of Orochimaru's increased activity, who knows who could be a Sound Spy these days?" his grip on the knife tightened as a raven sent out a screeching cry. Several moments slid unnoticed into almost an hour before the man finally relaxed and moved away from the window, shutting and locking it tightly behind him.

Outside, a slender girl breathed a silent prayer to the gods that she had not been seen. Mentally cursing herself for making such a trivial mistake as to step on a twig, she was grateful Orochimaru had not been with her; otherwise, who knows what he might've done to her.

Such mistakes can cost a mission, you foolish girl! Karasu flinched, unconsciously raising a hand to her right cheek, where a white scar served as a glaring memory of what Orochimaru was capable of doing to her.

"Okay," she whispered, sliding a needle out of a pouch strapped to her hip. "Time for some fun." She suppressed the urge to giggle. Gathering chakra into the soles of her feet, she slowly ascended the side of the plain, stone apartment building. Pausing outside the window, she whispered the words, "Soul of a raven, overtake!" she felt the familiar wave of black, visible chakra wash over her body, and, taking a deep breath, she stepped through the window.

Once inside, the kunoichi took several cautious steps, careful to avoid the creaking wood. An eerie smile spread across her face as she caught sight of her target: the slumbering Jonin sprawled across the couch. Breathing a silent prayer for strength, she flung two needles, burying them deep into his neck.

"W—What!?" Kakashi's single, visible eye sprang open once tingling pain spread through his body. Spasms made his muscles tighten, and his vision was blurry.

"I am sorry…" a soft voice, female, wafted to his ears, and the Copy Ninja felt a cool palm caress his cheek. "But it had to be done. You see, you were…in the way of my final prize. Rest well."

Waves of blackness washed a peaceful sleep over Kakashi, and then he knew no more…

O-O-O-O-O

Karasu drew in deep, gulping breaths of the fresh night air; her heart pounded extra hard, thumping with the thrill of an assassination, as it always did. Staring at the bloody kunai, still clutched in her hand, she licked her lips. Next, was the main target: Uchiha Sasuke. Kabuto, along with another of Orochimaru's pets, were to kill off the other two members of Sasuke's squad. Weaklings weren't worth her time, Karasu acknowledged with a sense of sick pride. She was Orochimaru's special girl; only she was entrusted with the task of luring the youngest Uchiha. Not even Kabuto was considered.

Metallic clangs and grunts assailed the kunoichi's ears as she neared the training grounds of Team 7. Looks like someone couldn't sleep… she thought, shrugging. Makes my job that much easier; I don't have go looking for him.

Suddenly, a shurikan whizzed through the air, burying deep into the tree, inches from her left ear. Heart pounding, Karasu nervously adjusted the stolen ANBU mask, breathing hard.

"How did you know I was here?" she whispered fiercely, her voice sounding loud in the deafening silence. She could hear Sasuke snort.

"You need practice in the skills of masking your chakra," he scoffed, stepping out of the shadows. His red-tinged eyes locked onto her face, drinking in the ANBU squad appearance. "I could sense you from miles away, onna." Karasu bristled at the insult, wishing to drive her nails into his smirk.

"Why did you not move until now?" she asked quietly, carefully taking a few steps forward. The teen in front of her stiffened, but remained in place as he replied,

"Didn't care to." Karasu let out a coarse laugh.

"Spare me the details… hgyah!" she cried out as she swiftly flung two thick-bladed swords, pinning Sasuke effectively to a humongous oak tree behind him. Surprise and indignation written all over his face, the Uchiha opened his mouth to speak, but abruptly stopped with Karasu held a kunai threateningly to his throat.

"All right pretty boy…" she hissed, her voice dropping to a low growl. Narrowing her eyes, she placed the tip of the knife to his neck and slashed downwards, creating a jagged streak in his shirt. "Tell me what I want, and maybe I'll be nice." She had to fight to keep from gazing at his now exposed pale, toned chest.

"What?" Sasuke retorted angrily, his handsome face contorting into a sneer. "I was simply careless!" He spat. Twisting his head, he surveyed his condition; his arms were interlocked straight above his head, and his ankles tied. His dark eyes traveled to the girl's bare right forearm, which bore a black tattoo of a snake swirled around a raven. Creepy choice for a tattoo… Shaking his head, he snapped, "I'm not telling you anything. Especially," he nodded with his chin, "since you're in leagues with Orochimaru."

"Shut up!" Karasu bellowed, swiping her kunai downwards, creating a light scratch on Sasuke's chest. The ninja flinched, but didn't say anything. Deep loathing rose in the kunoichi's body, and she bitterly wished she had made the cut deeper, for a mere scratch wasn't going to do much. "Tell me what I want, or things are going to get unpleasant!" she demanded.

"You don't think this counts as being unpleasant?" Sasuke replied coldly, glaring at his captor. She scowled, dragging her hand down his cut, and gazing at the blood. So…long… since I've…I've tasted blood… Karasu's thoughts were riveted, however, by Sasuke flinching.

Cold tingles ran up his spine at her touch, and he instantly clamped his mouth shut as to not make a noise. Arching his body backwards, he squirmed beneath her fingers. A smile spread across her lips at his reaction, and she trailed her finger lower on his abdomen, creating a crimson streak from the blood from his scratch.

"Oh, Sasuke," she giggled quietly, tracing more lines across his taut stomach. "You wouldn't happen to be… ticklish… would you?"

"What?" he gasped, his eyes widening. "No way!" his body's natural reaction belied his words, though, by tensing up, as she pressed a little harder on his ribs. Karasu smirked, changing her tactics. Now she gently raked her hands up Sasuke's sides, bottom to top, giving a little wiggle as she passed each rib. This caused the Uchiha's body to buck away, and he quickly bit his lower lip and tightly shut his eyes.

"What's the matter Sasuke?" Karasu taunted softly, slowly ripping away the rest of the boy's black shirt. She drew a light circle just around his underarms, causing his closed eyes to twitch, and his lips spread into a barely contained grin. "Too ticklish to handle it?"

"S-shut up!" he snapped, his voice cracking. "Just leave me alohahahaha!!!" Sasuke burst out into a stream of laughter as Karasu began to tickle under his arms. His whole body shook with his howling laughter, and a wide grin spread across Karasu's face.

"How fun this is…" she murmured, speeding up her rhythm a little; Sasuke screamed in ticklish torment. "I will probably never do this again, but…" shrugging, she smiled. "I'll enjoy while it lasts."

For several more, long, agonizing moments, she continued her attack on Sasuke's sides, stomach, underarms, and neck. What seemed like years to the Uchiha passed, and all he could do was fall into silent, painful laughter. Finally, she paused to give her target a breath, and she surveyed Sasuke. Red-faced and gasping for air, he glowered up at her through his bangs, deepest loathing written all over his expression.

"Why don't you just leave!?" he snapped, his voice hoarse from laughing. "And besides, what kind of torture is this? No ninja tickles their prey!" he said. Karasu scowled.

"Well, it seems to be working." That shut him up. "You know, I don't appreciate people talking back to me. I think someone needs to be tickled in…another area…" Sasuke's jaw dropped as she knelt down and began to remove his shoes. Eyes wide, he mutely pleaded with her not to do it, shaking his head.

"Too late," she murmured, lightly stroking her finger once just beneath the toes on his right foot. The reaction was instantaneous and explosive.

"Noooohahahahahhah!!!!" Sasuke howled, his voice rising to a new level. A surprised grin spread across Karasu's face.

"You're even more ticklish here…" she whispered, sadistically delighted. She then began wiggling her short fingernails all over the arches of his feet, causing Sasuke to scream.

"Enough!" Scared out of her wits, the black-haired girl fell away from her target rudely onto her butt; Sasuke took the moment to gulp down precious swallows of air, his dark bangs hanging limply over his red, sweaty face. Looking up, her lavender eyes narrowed, she glared ferociously at a green-eyed girl, her red dress in tatters and her cotton candy colored hair in a mess.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" Sakura whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. Forgetting all about the girl who still sat, dumbfounded, on the ground, she ran and pushed the sweaty black locks away from Sasuke's face. "What happened to you?" she cried.

"I—I…" Sasuke was embarrassed to admit what had done him in. The great Uchiha avenger, the last surviving member of his clan, master of the Sharingan, had succumbed to a bout of tickling. Luckily, he didn't have to answer.

"I tickled him until he was begging…screaming…for mercy." Sakura and Sasuke both flinched; Karasu rose, brushing dirt off her clothes.

"You tickled him!?" The Uchiha flushed with embarrassment.

"Yea," Twirling the fake ANBU mask around in her hands, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Guess I won't need this anymore." And with that, she tossed the mask to the side.

"Enough talk!" Sakura's pretty face contorted with a scowl. "No one hurts my Sasuke-kun!" the kunoichi drew a kunai and braced it in front of herself. Karasu laughed.

"So he was right… the pretty kunoichi does like picking fights," she snorted. Drawing her own kunai, she crouched into her own fighting stance, the tattoo on her forearm beginning to glow white. "You're not worth my time, but someone should show you what happens to little girls who accidentally stumble into the big league!" A taunting smirk slid across her face. "Come and get me, onna."

"Shut up!" Sakura spat, and with that, she lunged at Karasu, who simply laughed as she easily dodged the other girl's attack.

Sasuke sighed. He had learned, from experience, that you do not interrupt two squabbling girls, especially if one of them is Sakura. This was going to be a long night…

O-O-O-O-O

Wow I don't think I've ever written a chapter that long! (Even though it wasn't even that long…) It's 10:00 and I'm getting up early tomorrow, so no teaser this time. Sorry.

And thanks to: Sulhadahne, Se-chan, and Kyoto the Blood for reviewing the first chapter. I'd like a couple more reviews, though, before I update again.