Anime: Naruto
Pairing: ? X OC
Summary: A short tale about back in the day when rouge ninja were just bad guys that the grown ups dealt with. A story about 3 friends with very different paths they must lead. Can they still be friends when all is said in done? Is forgiveness as easy as they say when the one person you love runs away with your heart.(No Sakura)
Author: Triggerspec
OC: Kin Sasaki
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters. I also cannot take credit for the similarities to the plot. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto. (I only take credit for Kin Sasaki)
Italics = narrations & thoughts (though it's easy to tell the difference)

For being ninja, most of us were pretty decent, laid-back kind of people. It wasn't very often that the people in Konoha wouldn't stop and smell the roses or take a scenic route on our road of life. Hell, it was some of the people's greatest hobbies.

Three Genin sat in the shade of a tree. Two hours ago, they were supposed to have left for a mission. Two hours have passed since they began to wait for their Team Captain.

"Is he here yet?"

"No."

"Is he here yet?"

"No.."

"Is he here yet?"

"No..."

"How about now?"

Naruto looked left than right, "Nope."

Kin let out a sigh as she let herself slide farther down the trunk of the tree. She looked over at Sasuke who sat there so calmly, his eyes shut, his back straight.

"Sasuke-kun, how can you sit there so..., so, quiet like?"

"Easily, by not having the attention span of a guppy."

After a couple seconds passed by silently, Sasuke dared to take a glance at the girl sitting beside him. All he could do was blink in a dumbfounded manor. What the... What he saw was flat out bizarre. Both, Naruto and Kin stood in front of one another with their cheeks sucked in, lips pushing out and hands by their face, flapping. They made strange sucking noises as they wiggled their own lips. As messed up as they looked, it was clear they took Sasuke's guppy comments a little too far.

Kakashi appeared at what he figured was a very bad time. He stared blankly at his students as they waltzed around acting like fish.

"I guess I'm not the only one who was lost on the path of life."

The two blonds looked over at their captain before they both fell to the ground laughing uncontrollably.

"Welcome Kakashi-sensei, to the field of the guppy!"

Kin cheerfully greeted Kakashi when she could catch her breath.

"It's about time you got here Kakashi-sensei! We've been waiting for HOURS!" Naruto complained.

"I'm sorry. Shall we go then?"

"Alright!"

The three took their time, as their mission really wasn't all that important. All they had to do was go to the Land of Demons and find the missing baggage. Really, they weren't too sure why they bothered to accept the mission. Though it probably had to do with the fact that about a day ago all three men worried for their lives when they tried to deny it. Apparently, it has been Kin's dream to go to the Land of Demons and have her future told by the priestess that lived there. The boy's didn't seem to be all that down about it now that they were on their way, hell Naruto would make any mission a huge adventure no matter how small. Just this mourning he had caused his whole apartment building to second thought moving from the building just by looking for his boxers.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to the Land of Demons! This is truly amazing!"

"I don't see why you would want to know how you're going to die! That's friggen crazy, dattebayo!"

"But, if I know how I'm going to die, I can watch my surroundings and therefore have a higher chance of not dying."

"I'm all for changing your destiny and that, but cheating death like that..., I don't know Ki-chan, it sounds a little dangerous."

Kin let herself fall back to walk beside the quiet raven-haired boy.

"What do you think Sasuke-kun?"

"It doesn't concern me. No matter what happens I refuse to die until I get my revenge."

Kin slowed down as her blond hair shifted in front of her eyes and her lips pulled down into a frown. She was against everything that Sasuke believed in, and every time he mentioned it, it would cause a sharp pain in her heart. As much as she was against it, she refused to try and stop him for the sake of her beliefs. All she could hope for was for him to maybe find a reason in life to change his path. But, until than...

"What about you, Kakashi-sensei?"

The older man gazed down at the small blond who forced the smile back onto her face. He respected that aspect of her, the part where no matter what, she would always end up smiling.

"I don't know Kin. I wouldn't want to know how I'm going to die. I'd prefer to just live and let myself run course."

Kin nodded her head as she listened to the older man, "Very insightful Kakashi-sensei, very insightful indeed."

"So does that mean you don't want to visit the priestess anymore?" Naruto cheered, hoping the girl had changed her mind.

It wasn't the fact that the whole future telling freaked him out, it was being able to hear when Kin was going to die. Though deep inside he would do anything to save her, a small voice over powered it screaming "What if I fail?".

"Ha! No, I was just listening to his opinion. I'm still completely stoked!

Though it's true, some of us had a slightly..., different preference for the flowers we stopped to smell or the sights we stopped to see. Sometimes, the decisions some of us made were just downright outrageous, but in the end, we continued to grow and so did our bonds.

Naruto looked around frantically, trying to find an excuse or pathway to leave so he didn't have to hear what would soon come to his innocent ears. For some strange reason, Kin forced all three males to stay with her as she questioned the young priestess.

"Please, I have heard of your predictions and the undeniable truth in them. I beg of you to tell me..., tell me my future, and what death finds me at the end of my path!"

Kin's comrades were blown away at the depth of her words. The way she spoke sounded as if she came out of a fairy tale or a book of poetry. To be honest, it frightened the youngest boys of the group. Naruto ran in place as Kin held him by the collar while Sasuke just stood, his eyes closed, unsure whether he wanted to be here or not. He even questioned whether to ask the priestess himself. The young girl stared down at the blond with a curious and arrogant gaze. Her pale lavender eyes had a very stern, cold look glazed over them. She appreciated how Kin's gaze never faltered or how her posture was strong and stern. What pleased the priestess the most was the girl's courage to hear the truth.

"Fine, as you wish."

The girl stared at Kin as her lavender eyes changed into a bright purple with a technical, geometric pattern. Kin's mouth made an 'O' shape as she stared in amazement. It only took less than a minute before her eyes turned back into their original colour and the priestess seemed to be back to her original state.

"I will only ask you this once more, Sasaki-san, do you still wish to learn of your death?"

"No! C'mon Ki-chan. You'll just be messing with something we don't know!"

Kin looked over at the pleading blond with stern eyes. She wouldn't let him stop her, this is what she wanted. She had no other goal's in her life, with this, it gave her something to train for, to fight for and against.

"Yes."

Naruto cringed as he pulled himself into a foetal position covering his ears. Even though he didn't want to hear it, his hands didn't push hard enough down to block out the sound. Sasuke just opened his eyes, as he watched Kin's reaction with a curious gaze.

"Though, your death seems hazy. It seems you will die in battle. Your heart will be full of sadness, hatred and anger. You're death will be brought to you by somebody who is very dear to you."

Kin's face never changed, her eyes just dropped to the ground as she thought over what the girl has just said to her.

"Wait, hazy? What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it clearly, but I think your death will come by the decision of someone standing right here. I cannot see it clearly because it is depending on what they do in the future. Not only you, but they will determine whether you will die how I see or not."

Both boys flinched at the priestess's words.

"What? What do you mean one of us will determine her death! What are you talking about?"

Naruto had lost it. Kakashi set a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down slightly.

"I can't say much more, other than she is going to die by one of your hands."

Naruto's face went pale and his body went limp. He continued to stand, mainly from the support of Kakashi's hand. Kin just bowed and smiled at the priestess.

"Thank you, Shion-sama!."

Kin's smile was nothing but genuine, which made the young priestess smile herself. She turned and help guide Naruto from the shrine with Kakashi. Sasuke stood, looking at the priestess for many seconds. Deep down he worried about her words. Between him and Naruto, he believed he was the only one capable of killing her. From that moment on, a fear began to tear inside of him as he began to realize what he truly felt towards the girl. She was a little more than just a comrade in his eyes, he knew that now. But the question is, what will happen because of it?