Welcome to Chapter 3! I am very pleased at the response the story is receiving. I would just like to say a quick little thank you to all of you.

Thank you.

Now, enjoy, shit goes down in this one!


Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 3: Understanding Loss


He had planned it all. Everything. Planned it all so perfectly that no one could stop him. Yet, in some ways, he failed. I made sure of that. Now, he did not hate me at this point. He was doing what he thought was best for Konoha. But it was definitely the beginning of what would become a mutual hatred.


Hi no Kuni —

They jumped through the trees in what had became a very repetitive rhythm. The Sound Four led the way, he and Sasuke following close behind. At this point in trips, he would have been itching for conversation, but right now he was silent. He merely had too much on his mind for talk. He touched his lips for what felt like the thousandth time. The warmth was still there. He was barely controlling the emotions inside of himself.

He had kissed her!

In a bold, and rather un-like himself fashion, he had kissed her.

He was torn. Seeing the look on her face and his duty to Konoha and his best friend had torn him in pieces. The image of her looking so broken and sad made him almost turn back more times than he could count. Yet he kept going farther and farther away; from his home and love. He glanced at Sasuke, who had a look of pale stone.

Suddenly, the four Oto nin went to the forest floor, which meant Naruto and Sasuke followed. The Sound Four turned and looked at them, Jirobo removing a cylinder container from his back and placing it on the ground. Kidomaru was the first to speak, "Listen well, brats, cuz' I won't explain twice." He held up a little bottle with tiny brown pills inside and a cork sealing it, shaking it like a rattle. "These little fuckers will advance your cursed seals so you will stop being a bunch of pussies." Tayuya interjected, pointing a thumb at the bottle. Kidomaru snorted, "I was going to explain!" He hit her arm away from the bottle. She scowled, cursing him. "I already told you to tone down the language, you might make a bad impression." Jirobo chided, starting a glaring match with the fiery red-head.

"Since we only have one coffin, you will choose who goes first...or we will." Sakon continued with a sneer, cracking his knuckles in a threatening fashion. The two looked at one another and it was apparent Naruto didn't want anything to do with this. "I'll do it." Sasuke said, walking toward Kidomaru and holding out a hand. Kidomaru smirked and popped open the bottle, shook out a pill and then put it into Sasuke's flat palm. Jirobo pulled the top off the cylinder coffin, smirking as Sasuke looked around nervously. He looked at Naruto, doubt creeping onto the edges of his demeanor. He put the pill into his mouth, covering his mouth with his palm and cringing. He made a dry gulping sound as he swallowed the pill.

Nothing happened for a few moments, but in a snap Sasuke was screaming. "Gah! ahhhhhhhhhh!" He collapsed to his knees. His seal swirled and pulsed a sickly red color, spreading across his body. Jirobo moved to pick him up. But, the wind picked up for a moment. Leaves swirled, branches swayed, bushes and grass shook. It stopped as soon as it started. Jirobo stopped suddenly, his expression changing from confusion to shock and then pain. Slowly, a thin red line drew itself across his neck. Then blood gushed out, sending itself all over the kneeling Sasuke and shocked Naruto. Jirobo's head tumbled uselessly to the ground.

Then everything went crazy.

The rest of the Sound Four jumped to the trees, blurs following them. Sparks flew, leaves were thrown about and branches broke. Naruto stood in shock, watching as Tayuya fell to the ground from high above, her arm cleaved off at the bicep. In a blur of motion, an Anbu appeared standing above her, blade poised downward to stab. Naruto recognized the Konoha Black Ops uniform easily enough. Tayuya screamed, but it was cut short by a blade through her throat.

Naruto was grabbed roughly on the neck and pushed down. He hit his temple on a rock, making his vision exploded with white and his head pulse in pain. He grunted from the strength this person was using on his neck. His vision cleared and nearly a dozen Anbu now stood around him and Sasuke, who was shaking violently and whimpering.

"Sasuke!" He croaked, his air becoming limited. Sasuke turned over and laid on his side, eyes wide with pain and fear. Naruto shook and tried to sum up some strength to fight back, but the Anbu that held his neck also sat on his back and clenched Naruto's arms against his body with his knees. He kicked, but it did nothing but look like a childish attempt at escape.

"What will we do with the Uchiha?" One of the Anbu that he could see asked, looking at a place he could not turn his head to. "What is it that they gave him?" A voice asked. Naruto froze. One Anbu held the bottle and was examining it closely. "A powerful drug if im guessing." He threw away the bottle and it shattered on the ground. The pills rolled all over the place. "Don't know, but it doesn't matter if he's alive, all he wants is the eyes."

Naruto watched as another Anbu walked into his line of sight. The demon masked Anbu. He was in a combat uniform now and it was covered in blood from chest to mask. The blood that dribbled down his mask made the design even more menacing. Naruto watched as a droplet fell down the forehead and around the left eye slit, moving away like it was avoiding the black of his eyes. Naruto tried to see eyes, tried to commit them to memory, but there was only black.

The Demon walked toward him, flicking his blade, cleaning it of blood in one solid swing. The life's blood made a wet disgusting splat sound as it was splattered all over the green grass. "You remember me?" He asked, tilting his head so his sandy brown hair shifted. He laughed, "Of course you do. Every time you see me you shake." It was true, he was shaking. Violently.

Sasuke screamed and a sudden burst of purple chakra shot from him. The chakra swirled and spun. It didn't seem to affect the Anbu in the slightest.

"What the fuck are you doing!?" Naruto managed to yell, the grip on his neck tightening after, making him make an odd sound that was a mix between a groan and a wheeze. "Our mission." The Anbu that held him answered. Naruto gasped, feeling him rummage around his ninja pouch. "Here it is." The Anbu tossed a scroll to the sandy haired demon. Naruto gasped again, but it was more like a broken attempt at an inhale. His parents scroll. The Demon looked it over, then tossed it into the air and caught it. "Now i'm going to explain something to you and you are going to accept everything I say, okay?" He kneeled down in front of Naruto and pointed at the scroll. "This scroll holds many secrets. The Hokage wants those secrets." His head tilted up and looked at the Anbu on top of Naruto. It fell back down as Naruto felt the pressure on his right side lessen. Before he could act, a hand gripped his loosened arm and pulled it out. Then another hand gripped his wrist, locking his arm in a straight pull. It was another Anbu. Naruto tried to pull it away, flail it around to do something in defence.

Yet the Anbu's grip was noncompliant. The Demon put a hand on his chin, forcing him to look into the black. "You will help us get these secrets." The Demon said in a tone so full of finality that it almost made Naruto believe it. His chin was let go and he dropped his head onto the ground, his teeth gritted and his mind whirling for a way out of this. Naruto inhaled dirt and grass when he felt the cold touch of metal on his wrist. Naruto's head shot up, looking at The Demon as he held a kunai to the bottom of Naruto's wrist. "All I need is a single, teeny tiny drop." He drew the blade across his skin, making him wince. He almost screamed, but the lack of air he was getting only made the sound sound savage and un-human.

The Demon watched as blood flowed from Naruto's wrist to the ground in a solid stream. "Just a teeny tiny drop." He repeated, reaching out and putting his hand right in the middle of the stream. Blood flowed into the palm of his hand and then flooded over. He slowly clenched his fist and pulled his hand away from the stream. He then held up his forefinger. "Just a drop." He said, preparing to open the scroll. "Hey, I think the Uchiha died." One Anbu interrupted, making The Demon stop. He turned his head and Naruto turned his eyes. He looked, looked at his best friend.

He only received a blank stare in return.

Sasuke's expression was one of pure fear and pain. His face was pale and covered by the black paint of the cursed seal. His eyes, once deep pools as deep as ink, now looked like a very dulled out black. His mouth was open in a scream.

He was dead.

Sasuke Uchiha was dead.

"Well, I guess that solves that."

An Anbu stepped over Sasuke and kneeled down, pulling out a tube full of a liquid. He then processed to pop Sasuke's eyes out one by one, not really caring to check if he was dead or not. Naruto could not even make a sound, could not even form a thought. He was only filled with anguish. The Anbu stood looking at the eyes in the tube. "Oh, sorry Commander, I didn't mean to stop your sadistic trip." He said, pocketing the tube. Naruto did not hear The Demon's reply. He merely laid his head on the ground, eyes far away. He felt it, felt the power surfacing, felt their tainting and potent power. He let them come. He let them come to the surface.

"Woah, what the fuck!?"

"Is that orange chakra!?"

"Shit! It burned me!?"

"Get away, the combined power of a Bijuu and Cursed Seal are completely unknown!"

Naruto felt his arm be dropped, felt his wrist heal in seconds; he felt the weight on his back disappear. He heard the faint thump of the scroll. Yet he was consumed with rage. Consumed with grief for his best friend. He pushed off the ground, his hand a claw cloaked in orange. The grass sizzled and crackled from the heat. He stood and the air literally burned with all the energy. His eyes had turned red, his whiskers thickened. Yet as monstrous as he looked, he wept.

The Cursed Seal had been activated and black ink snaked halfway across his body. A thin amount of purple chakra had surrounded him. The rest of the chakra that surrounded him was orange. He looked at them with feiral red eyes. Going from one to the next. They stood with their weapons drawn in a half circle around him and some had moved to the trees. Three tails moved behind him, swaying in a nonrhythmic syncrasy. He took a step. He heard grips tighten, feet slide backward, gasps. They feared him now.

Good.

In a blur of orange, purple, and yellow he took out the first one. The very farthest away in the semicircle. His hand pierce through the Anbu's flak jacket and into soft flesh. The Anbu cried out in pain, feverishly trying to grab Naruto's arm. He pulled his hand from the Anbu's chest, letting him fall to the floor. It was the one that had taken Sasuke's eyes. He the felt the air being sliced in a way you would feel a barrier being penetrated. He ducked under a slash of a sword. He quickly threw his flat hand around and it sliced through the Anbu's neck as easy as anything he had ever done. He grabbed the Anbu's ninjato from the air as it spun wildly; turning and using it to block a slash that came from his side. He had no time to kill this one seeing as how another Anbu had attacked with him.

Naruto ducked, letting a thrust meant for his chest stab the air above him. One of his chakra tails then shot up and stabbed the attacker through the gut. Naruto used his position to quickly cut the hand off the Anbu he had blocked before; who had been preparing a downward slash. The Anbu staggered, gasping and crying insensible words.

This had happened in the space of several seconds.

His tail shot forward and took the entirety of the handless Anbu's right ribs out. Naruto turned as his tails swirled around him protectively. He looked at The Demon as he and his Anbu looked on in shock. Naruto held up his bloody hand. "Just a drop..." Naruto murmured, but the area was so quiet that he might as well have yelled it. He closed his fist and the blood made a sick squish sound. Their was a moment of pure shock. A moment of pure silence. It was broken when the Anbu commander talked. "F-fall bac-ck!" He ordered and suddenly Naruto wasn't afraid of him and his menacing mask.

They all jumped away, but the Commander stayed. He looked at Naruto, "I will kill you one day, demon…" He spat, then jumped away. Naruto watched him go, lowering his hand. No, I will kill you. He turned, his chakra shroud fading. He winced, covering his shoulder as the seal retracted.

He walked toward Sasuke's body and sat next to it. He did nothing for several minutes, only looking at Sasuke's face. He closed Sasuke's eye lids, not able look at the emptiness his stolen eyes made. He continued to sit for awhile, face blank. It was almost morning when he decided on what to do with Sasuke. He dug the hole with his hands and it took him several hours. He did it slowly and painfully. At one point he had started crying and ran over to clutch Sasuke against his chest, begging for him to be alive again.

He screamed and raged, cried and whimpered like a baby, cursed every god he knew and all the ones he didn't.

Yet by midday he was laying his brothers body into the very shallow but wide hole. He looked at Sasuke for a while as he laid in the hole, looking almost peaceful. He then gathered long pieces of wood and stacked it all around and over Sasuke in a very informal fashion. Then he got some kindling, spread it out over the base of the wood stand, and lit a blank scroll on fire. He looked at the flame as it danced and waved around like a little demon; consuming the scroll bit by bit.

He tossed it into the woodstack. And the flame spread quickly over the wood and kindling. The baby fire demon grew up into a raging inferno of unbearable heat. He gained some distance away and stared at the fire for a very long time, face blank.

He was in shock.

He had been played. He had been tricked into abandoning Konoha, abandoning everything he knew and loved, all so Danzo could betray him. All so Danzo could take his parents secrets and kill him. All so Danzo could kill Sasuke and take his eyes.

All because they wouldn't be a threat anymore.

Danzo knew he wouldn't have been able to control them. So he plotted to get rid of them.

By the time It started to rain the fire had died and was now a bed of ashes and embers. He let the rain soak him, unconcerned. He just looked at the fresh mound of ashes, as they hissed at the rain and steamed in retaliation to being drowned.

After he finished staring, he tried to find anything useful on the Anbu's bodies. He found some ryo, scrolls with food, kunai, smoke bombs, and he even decided to strap one of the ninjato to his back. He did not know any Kenjutsu, but he felt like the extra length of blade would help. He wrung out a cloak and covered himself with it, finding it a bit big around the shoulders and long at the legs.

He was going through a pouch when he touched something that made him freeze. The tube. He pulled it out, feeling his heartbeat in his ears. He looked at the eyes. Sasukes eyes. The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. He looked at Sasuke's ashes, wondering if he should burn the eyes too. He decided against it and put the tube gently into his ninja pouch and stood.

He walked over to the burnt indent his chakra had made in the grass. He picked up the scroll, expecting it to be sopping wet. Strangely, the seals around the scroll protected it from any kind of damage, so it stayed dry despite the rain. Seals are useful, huh? He mused dryly inside his mind, picking the scroll up and turning it over in his hand. He saw that no blood had gotten on it. But it wouldn't have matter, cause the place that needed blood was marked by the kanji for blood.

He looked back at Sasuke's ashes again. Knowing he was repeating the action. He stared intently, wondering as to what he was going to do. A pain vined through his system, originating at his neck. He touched his Cursed Seal. Orochimaru...he will take me in, but… The only reason he was going to go in the first place was for his mission. Now…

He walked then, restless in his thoughts.


Sakura —

She walked, not knowing what to think of all that had happened in the past twelve hours. Naruto and Sasuke-kun are gone. This morning — after running around and trying to find her sensei — she had learned another piece of news; Danzo and the Fire Daimyo had declared war on Suna. It was a surreal thing, and she was unsure as to how she should react. She had never experienced much death. So war was going to be a shock of reality.

"Out! Out! OUTTTT!" Sakura turned her head at the sound of the very loud yelling. Some other villagers stopped and turned their heads too. A very angry man was waving a cudgel at a tall busty blonde woman, who was obviously drunk by the way she walked out of the bar. Walked out, mind you, not pulled out. She said something that was incoherent from where Sakura was. The man had heard her clearly though, "I don't give a rats ass about who you are! You are several hundred silver ryo in debt to me! Now, piss off you big titted idiot!" The man's face was red from his yelling, but it turned snow white when the blonde woman pounded her hands together, one palming the fist of the other. A loud craacck! sounded out as she popped her knuckles.

"What did you say at the end there?" The woman said, clear as glass despite her obvious drunkenness. It was at this time that Sakura recognized the woman as Tsunade Senju. Sakura gasped and ran over to the quarrel. She could kill him with just her finger! "I'm so sorry from my master's behavior." Sakura said quickly, sliding in the space between the two, trying to sound as polite as possible. "But she tends to have very little control of her emotions when she drinks." She smiled, acting embarrassed. She averted her eyes and blood rushed to her cheeks. I'm better at acting than I thought. She bowed her head in shame and Tsunade made a unlady like snort behind her. The man looked all too eager to accept her apology after realizing what shit he had stepped into. "Right, well, uh...don't let it happen again." The man said lamely, glancing at Tsunade and then heading back into his bar.

Sakura turned and the door slammed behind her heavily. She smiled up at Tsunade, who was looking at her with a confused and almost interested expression. "Master? I don't know you girl." Sakura shrugged, smiling innocently. "I had to think of something that made my words more believable." Tsunade's brow furrowed and then she burst out laughing. "Now that's gold!" Sakura shook her head, not really finding it that funny."You were about to kill him." Sakura said a little scathingly. Tsunade laughed even harder. "Hahaha! Yeah right! I might have big tits but i'm not an idiot." She slowed her laughter and snorted, glaring at the wooden door. "So, what do you want?" Tsunade's honey eyes flicked back to Sakura's own jade ones.

"What do you mean?" Sakura shifted nervously, her head tilting. "You know what I mean." Tsunade said hotly, crossing her arms underneath her bosom. Sakura felt a flare of jealousy. She smiled, suppressing her insecurities and trying to stay ignorant looking. Tsunade waited, even starting to tap a foot against the road. Sakura sighed, knowing that playing dumb wasn't going to work, "Would you be kind enough to train me?" She asked as politely as she could, looking up at the Sannin with big innocent eyes of green grass.

"What, why?" Tsunade asked, and then said, "No, I don't take on students." Sakura's expression fell and her heart dropped into a deep abyss of sadness. "But, I…" Her voice cracked, tears welling up into her eyes. She wiped at them, feeling angry again. Is crying all you can do? You big baby! Tsunade was taken in a loop at the little pinkettes tears. "Geez, I wasn't that harsh kid." She looked away, a little ashamed. "Besides, there are ton of other ninja in the village you could ask."

Sakura shook her head, wisps of pink hair swishing into her face from the motion. "No...I just wanted to get stronger faster, so I could go after Naruto and Sasuke." She cracked a tiny smile, "It's okay, i'll just get my team sensei to help me." She bowed then turned to walk away. "Wait." Sakura turned around looking at the Sannin expectantly. Tsunade bit her lip, then let out a long, exasperated sigh, "Fine." Since you want to get Naruto back. Sakura's face blossomed into a beautiful smile. "Really?" She asked, Tsunade almost shook her head, but nodded once.

Sakura squealed and hugged Tsunade around the waist, yelling, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank youuuu!" Tsunade pushed her away gently, looking flustered from Sakura's sudden affection. Sakura practically danced in her place, giggling like a mad woman. Tsunade's eyes hardened, turning from thick honey to bars of gold. "You know Naruto?" Sakura's excitement was swept away in a breath. Her expression fell, and she looked at the road, unconsciously touching her lips; thinking about the missing warmth that had plagued her since last night. "Yes," She started slowly, her feelings coming to the forefront. She looked Tsunade in the eye.

She quickly shook her head, throwing back the emotion to the deepest part of her. But Tsunade had seen all the hurt and confusion. "Naruto isn't the type of person to abandon everything he loves." Tsunade said seriously, her eyes plates of forged gold. He did though… Sakura thought with a little bitterness "There has to be a reason." Tsunade said with more certainty than Sakura could ever feel after seeing the emotions in Naruto's eyes.

"Of course there's a reason…"


Naruto —

He stood on a branch at the edge of a treeline overlooking a valley. He looked out over the hill valley village that he was currently going to pass through. He had seen many places like this during his time in Ta no Kuni. The rice fields ran all throughout the valley, cutting through the hills and even climbing the subtle ascension of the lone mountain and its lower area. The village followed the rice fields along the hills and mountain, the buildings mixing in the areas the fields didn't cover. Roads ran through the entirety of the hill valley. A lake was to the east of the village, and man made streams provided water to the rice fields.

There was a subtle peacefulness to the village that he could not enjoy. His mind was a numbed mess. He was still in shock. He had not realized his state of mind when he was burning Sasuke, but it had become quite clear to him when his emotions had calmed down a bit. A state of shock does not mean you can't feel emotion, in fact, a shock was when you have so many emotions that your brain can't function properly.

He now understood why Sasuke was so affected by his clan's death.

He now understood loss more sharply than ever.

He had lost his parents, the Sandaime, and now Sasuke. He had lost his chance at being Hokage. Lost his chance at ever being with Sakura ever again.

With a heavy heart and a blank mind, he jumped from the last tree and onto the ground. Walking toward the closest road, rain started to fall. He looked up at the clouds, frowning in irritation. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head — stepping from the grass and onto the road — looking down at the road as it slowly started to turn to mud.

He walked the length of the road down to the village, carts wheeling by and farmers running past him. No one seemed to care to stop and check on him, or even to ask him why he was here. It wasn't like he was entitled to their concern. He had heard so many stories about lost and beaten hero's being helped by kind people that he almost expected it to happen to him.

Yet it didn't happen.

Why should he expect it to? He was no hero.

He was just a stupid kid who trusted too easily.

The rain was cut off by his stepping onto a landing outside of an inn a good way into the village. The cover making it seem like he stepped into a whole different place. Friendly and homely light shone through the window. He heard laughter and shouts so happy that it would be tempting to smile at them. Yet his lips did not crack from their straight line.

He pushed open the door, and it was almost like a wind demon had came and stolen away all of their voices by how silent it got.

Every eye in the room looked at him and he had to keep the surprise off his face. There were several dozen people, most men. Some were women, but all of them were farmers coming in from a hard day of work or people who served at the inn. He pushed his hood back and let his hair free to dry, slowly finding a smile within himself. "I apologize," He started, his tone becoming amused, "but I was just passing through town, so I hoped I could find a place to stay at this inn." He was met with a cold silence, and he forced his smile to not fall.

He let the door swing shut behind him, muffling the outside world. He walked toward the bar that sat a good portion of the people. All eyes on him. A great fire was popping and crackling in the hearth that another great majority of the people gathered around. Suddenly, like a shift, a great majority of the room lost interest in him and turned back to their own business. He sighed as he sat on the bar.

He rubbed the counter top with the palms of his hands, nervously looking at the men that sat around him. He gingerly pulled out a iron ryo and motioned the bartender over. "Yes?" He asked politely, but it was easy to see he knew what Naruto wanted. "A room and meal, please." He held out the coin, not knowing how much it would be. The bartender took it and eyed him, "I'm sure you would also like a bath." He stated, then tilted his head to make it into a question.

Naruto froze, finally realizing what had made all of the people look at him. He stunk. But not with the kind of stink that comes from not bathing in a while, but from blood. The tangy potent iron smell of blood was on everything that he had on him. When he had walked in, it was like he had brought death with him.

"I would." Naruto finally said, blushing in embarrassment.

The bartender nodded and pocketed the iron coin, then pulled out his hand with several copper penny ryo in change. He dropped the coins into Naruto's hand as he spoke, "The bathhouse is out back." He motioned with his thumb in the direction, then paused as Naruto put away his money in his eccentric froggy wallet that he affectionately called Gama-chan. "I'll get someone to bring you water."

Naruto smile gratefully and pushed off the stool he sat on. "Yimi, get some hot water ready for the bathhouse!" The bartender ordered. Naruto made a quick exit, not wanting to offend these people any more than he had to. He found the bathhouse easily enough, only getting a little soaked on his way. It wasn't anything special, just a long shack with benches flush against the wall, cubicles that held the very large wooden bathtubs, and screens to get changed behind. Lanterns were hung on the walls by nails, letting off a sullen light.

He picked the one furthest from the door and stripped behind the screen despite there being no one else around him. He left his underwear after some contemplation, but decided quite easily to keep a kunai in hand. After he stepped around the screen, he heard footsteps coming closer to the bathhouse. He put the kunai behind his back, eyeing the door.

A woman walked around it, carrying a bucket in both of her hands. She turned the corner like she already knew where he was. So this was Yimi. She was old, but to him everyone could be considered old. She looked close to twenty and maybe not even close to that, with stringy brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was almost plain in features, but in a sort of pretty way; maybe that was why he thought she looked older. "I'm surprised you didn't strip all the way." Yimi said casually, stepping over the lip and onto the riverstone that made up his cubicle. "It seems like all men don't give a damn about being seen naked! Even the teenagers!" She complained, easily dumping the bucket into the tub.

He had been so shocked at her words, that he didn't find words until she was almost out the door. "What does that mean!?" She rounded the corner, leaving his question untouched. He was left to silence until, "It means that all men don't have a shameful bone in their bodies!" She yelled, picking the conversation back up where it was left. She snorted very unlady like, "Some should, really. With the size of their dicks." Naruto felt his whole body blush at her words. She seemed unabashed by her own comment.

Yimi emptied the bucket again and then turned around to look at him. He suddenly felt very exposed. She grinned, "Well, I can't say I would complain if you took off your clothes." She eyed his body openly, making him shake with embarrassment. He had always been short for his age, but over the past few months he had finally started to hit a growth spurt. With that growth spurt had came added muscle mass.

He was quite proud of the muscle he was sporting after being a skinny brat for so long.

She seemed pretty damn proud of it too.

He shifted under her gaze, but then she snorted again, "Relax kid, you're way too young for me." She then looked uncertain, "How old are you anyway?" He tilted his head, unsure as to what that had to do with anything. He didn't even thinking of lying, "Thirteen." With that, she lost interest as quick as a buyer losing interest in a lame horse. She left to refill the bucket, leaving him sorely confused.

She refilled his tub a few more times, not speaking. The process seemed rather stupid to him. Going back and forth, back and forth. Then he remembered that he was a long way off from Konoha. So most people couldn't afford plumbing and running water. The only thing that resembled plumbing here were the small holes in the floor that collected water and delivered the water into several channels that went somewhere he didn't care to find out.

By the time she was done, she was soaked with rain water.

"So, what's a kid like you doing coming into town reeking of death?" She asked the question casually, but he could hear the underlying intentions. The question turned his insides cold, "That has nothing to do with you." He said almost a little coldly, the grip on the kunai behind his back becoming forceful. She was shocked enough to turn around and meet his eye.

She saw cold blue so lightly colored that it almost looked white.

She turned around again, looking at the tub. Steam rose from the full tub and she looked at the water with wide eyes. "I-i'm sorry, I shouldn't o-of asked." She started to leave, but then he stopped her, his voice sounding true through the bath house, "Could you please wash my clothes too?" He held them out, leaving his cloak so he wouldn't be completely naked when done. She took them, not meeting his eye, "I will bring you a fresh pair, but i'll need—" He held out a gold coin, stopping her sentence. She eyed it as it glistened in the damp lantern light. He idly wondered if she had even seen gold before. Gold ryo were worth ten time more than silver ryo, and you don't see a mere kid flailing around one everyday. She took the coin, "This is way too much. Several bits of silver or maybe iron will do." She said truthfully. He smiled, nonchalant. "That's okay, just find me some clothes that fit and feel comfy, then keep the rest as a tip." He felt bad for getting angry. She looked shocked, but then she bowed, muttering her thanks. He watched her go, sighing as she turned the corner. "Damnit…" He muttered, bringing the kunai from his back and loosening his grip. He looked at the blade and frowned.

He had reacted quite badly to just a curious question.

Bitterness flooded through him. It was none of her business.

He stripped his underwear, deciding he was too tired to care anymore. He layed back into the warm tub, sighing pleasantly. He closed his eyes, feeling a sort of calmness come about him. The steam continued to rise into the air and he tried to keep his thoughts under control.

All the while, he clutched his kunai at his side.


I'm an evil bastard, I know.

That's why you should tell me what you think in a review!