Just warning you guys, I was cackling the whole time I was writing this chapter. It may have had something to do with the fact I finished the storyline finally for it and you all have no idea what you're in for. (insert evil laugh of the all-knowing author). But never you mind you'll find out. Eventually.

Huge thanks to Nameless Lurker for reviewing the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

…WeaponAndRoses…

Chapter 3

"Rei, get over here! Do you know how many customers I've had to serve because you couldn't get here on time? It was awful, some idiot nearly chipped one of my nails when handed me his cash.", Haruka whined, waving her hands around like some mad bird.

"I'm sorry", Sakura said absently as walked into the female staff change room.

"Oh really? I bet you are! You are completely unreliable and …." Sakura tuned her out as she quickly changed into her work uniform.

It had been three years after that meeting with Orochimaru and as promised the she got her sum of $100 trillion. She had used it to pay off a debt that she had personally considered hers, though technically it wasn't entirely. However, because of the large sum the people from the first fourteen years of her life were safe. She had had to do it anonymously because the rest of the world believed, apart from Orochimaru and Kabuto, Sakura Haruno was dead. And that was the way it was going to stay. Even if no one ever knew who she really was and no one remembered her. She didn't care. She had been on her own for so long, it made little difference now.

Let no one close, seemed to be the saying that dictated her daily life and every thought or plan that she had for the future. It was better that way for her. For them. And that was all that mattered.

She had had no contact from Orochimaru as also promised and nobody had come banging down her door to take her away for her crimes. Things were looking up, but that was only because Sakura had made some major changes to her life. Her last alias, before the job, had been a poor girl who had worked at a fruit shop and went by the name Kimi. A black haired, brown eyed unremarked human girl. Sakura had been able to fly under the radar as "Kimi", which had been very important at the time considering she was also running around as a thief for hire whenever she could. Of course her thieving career hadn't been all that intentional she had been forced into due to unfortunate circumstances. Well that and she was practically perfect for the job.

She had started small, never showing her face and getting paid honestly pathetic amounts. But as her capability to steal higher up items became known so did the amount of reward money rise. Especially when she started stealing from supernaturals. That should have been her first clue to get out. But she didn't have a choice. In a short period of time, she had become infamous to the streets, authorities and individuals. Humans and supernaturals alike. So much so that she had been given a name, "Shadow". Because according to reporters she slipped through security and the authorities fingers just like one.

They weren't far off on that one. Sakura thought. But Shadow sure pissed off a hell of a lot of people.

The authorities had been ridiculed to the extent were they posted a warrant for "Shadow" to be captured dead or alive. Many supernaturals had joined in the hunt and she had had way to many close calls. But still Sakura had managed to remain hidden as "Kimi". Since nobody knew what gender Shadow was there had been many public confessions. Women of every species had swooned over shadow declaring their love and fangirling. Men had wanted Shadow as their lover or as their personal hit man if she were a male. Sakura knew it was time to get out, but she needed just one more job that was extremely high paying to pay off that personal debt. Then she would go dark.

That was when the lower class daemon, Kabuto had approached in the fruit shop when she was working as "Kimi". Nobody had connected "Kimi" and "Shadow", yet somehow this lower class daemon had. Which only worried Sakura more. She didn't have much time left before authorities made the connection as well. He had made her an offer to steal a book and they would pay her and keep her identity as Sakura Haruno a secret. It was obvious she was stuck so she had gone allow with it. But first she wasn't stupid even if she had been backed into a corner. She had told him she would meet him later to discuss the conditions over her service. A few days later, she had met Orochimara, the leader of an underground cult or society. She didn't know which it was but she didn't care. The snake daemon and the whole underground hideout thing just gave her the creeps. And when she got that feeling it usually meant something bad was going to happen. But unfortunately this time she couldn't run away like the devil himself was on her tail. He had asked her to steal the old tome from one of the hideouts of one of the ruling supernatural families, the Senju's. That name alone was enough to nearly make Sakura balk and refuse the job. But with the snake bastard breathing down her neck and the personal debt she had no choice.

And thus, resigned myself to an early grave.

She had bargained hard and managed to get the sum of $100 trillion, her identity remaining secret and no further contact or jobs from Orochimaru and his goons. That they had agree to those conditions showed how desperate they were for the book. She had found out the job was more dangerous since they had already attempted to steal the book multiple times. Sakura preferred to steal from unsuspecting targets, since that meant that the item wouldn't be locked up by the best magick and non-magick security out there and guarded by a huge number of the most powerful daemons. She had believed before the operation that she would have a better chance running away in Hell from Death with a neon sign strapped on her back saying 'I'm here. Kill me, ya badly dressed pansy. Didn't you know ragged black frocks were so last century.' Yep, better to chance the Grim Reaper himself.

But obviously she had survived and Sakura Haruno remained "dead". All her conditions had been met and she had gone dark. No more stealing, no more fighting, no more trouble. As she had planned, over the past three years she had secured a new identity Rei Kita and become a goody-two-shoe's, law-abiding, human citizen with a small amount of magick. She had blended seamlessly into the human population, becoming just as ordinary and uninteresting as the rest of them. And as far as she was concerned the book incident was well and truly behind her. Though it never paid to be cautious.

Sakura had moved apartments and was now across the highly populated city in a safer and more human orientated suburb. However, some habits die hard. She always carried enough weapons that she thought could half fill a small armoury. Knives, a short sword, guns, a garrotte, poisoned needles, smoke bombs and a few other surprises. Oh, and of course her green pendant necklace that amplified her magick power and removed the limits that applied to her half human form. The limits that wouldn't have applied to her if she were fully her other supernatural half. Her hair, she had left its natural colour, pink and in all honesty it didn't stand out as much anymore. All the colours of the rainbow seemed to be the rage at the moment for dyeing ones hair. Even Haruka, the daughter of the owner of the café where she now worked, had outrageous bright purple hair that she flipped this way and that to get the attention of anything in pants that walked into the diner.

Finished changing, she walked out of the staff changing room and into the kitchen. Haruka followed her complaining all the way. Grabbing a serving tray, she loaded some plates of food onto it before hefting it up and walking out of the kitchen. Haruka finally stopped pestering her after being snapped at by the chef to get back to work. Placing the plates of food down on their respective tables, she wished each customer a good meal before heading back to the kitchen to grab more plates. The orders had piled up as they usually did when Haruka was on duty, but she was the boss's daughter so she got away with it. She did with most things come to think of it.

Smiling, she refilled a table's water jug and assured them their food wouldn't take long. She still wore brown contacts, but she let her skin colour return to its normal pale shade. Dark skin and pastel pink hair made her stand out more than her pale skin did. Changing her name and identity wasn't new thing for her. In truth, she had changed her name and looks three times after 'Sakura Haruno' had apparently died at age sixteen in an abandoned building that had caught on fire due to a gas leak. The papers reported it to be a tragic accident that had befallen on a bright but unfortunate teenage girl.

Tragic accident, my ass. It had been lit on purpose, with me in it.

The five hours of work passed fast. She did not have a moment to sit down thanks to Haruka spending most of the time flirting with male customers than actually doing anything. Walking back to the changing room, she quickly changed into her jeans, plain white t-shirt, black jacket and comfortable boots that she could kick someone's ass in if she needed to. Checking all her weapons were secured and she left the room swiftly to avoid Haruka before she back there to change. Call her crazy, but she just didn't feel comfortable or safe walking around without them. She had pissed off enough people in high places while she was "Shadow", especially during her last job. So she was not inclined to take any chances. Sakura grabbed her pay-check on the way out and called bye to her co-workers as she left.

Walking down the busy, snow covered street she remembered she had to finish that paper on different magick and non magick ways to heal a bone by next week. At the age of twenty-two, Sakura or Rei was a respectable student studying the application magick and medicine at one of the many magick and education colleges for mortals and supernaturals alike in the city. The smell of ramen wafted tantalizingly in the air. Perhaps she could duck by the Goblin Market and pick up some. A cold winter breeze whipped down the busy and bustling street. Yes, she was definitely getting that ramen, it would get rid the frozen feeling in her bones and warm her up nicely.

Taking a left at the lights, she moved around a handsome, blond male vampire, before heading down the street. The modern human world had been merged with the supernatural world some hundred years ago. Skyscrapers towered overhead while daemons, angels and any other creature that could fly buzzed about them like a chaotic swarm of wasps. And they weren't just in the sky they were on and under the ground as well. Supernatural beings walked in plain sight, some choosing to blend in while others hid nothing. The humans or mortals as these creatures liked to call them walked completely at ease and oblivious dangers the many different creatures possessed. Don't ask her how, but they all managed to sweet talk the general population of humans into believing they meant no harm and were there to protect them.

Yeah and zombies don't eat people., Sakura thought sarcastically.

So now both mortal and supernatural beings had completely assimilated into the same environment where they managed to get along quite well most of the time, as long as you didn't piss a supernatural off that is. Though that wasn't always the case sometimes. Just like psychotic humans were bloodthirsty so were psychotic supernaturals, only they tended to do a heck of a lot more damage.

Just the other week a vampire went on a psycho killing, sorry, feeding spree. Forty-nine people were ripped to shreds. Most of them died instantly and they were the lucky ones. However, one human girl had had her blood drained completely and had ingested some of the vampire's blood when she had bitten him while trying to fend him off.

Stupid, stupid girl.

Being bitten by a vampire does nothing to a human's genetic status. To be more clear, you don't change into a vampire. Being sucked dry by a vampire just ends with you dead. So it's not recommended. And unfortunately, being sucked dry by a vampire and ingesting some of the said vampire's blood doesn't change you into one either. Nope, you tended to get a bad case of zombie-itis, which is most definitely incurable. Vampires are born NOT bitten and transformed! So the girl ended up permanently dead with her brains blown out on the street. The vampire wasn't so lucky. He was buried alive underground in a coffin for a half a century as punishment. Talk about brutal. Yep, it was better just to maintain a healthy distance and not become overly involved with a supernatural. Not that Sakura could talk. She was half supernatural being herself which next to none picked up on. But it didn't really count since she wasn't a bloodthirsty psycho who would screw your life and soul six ways to Hell.

Turning one more corner she walked down the busy street and through an archway marked with an ancient inscription which roughly translated into: Goblin Market. Goods for sale. Barter at the peril of your life and soul.

Great welcoming greeting. All it needed was some dried blood, claw marks and a couple of hanging corpses on it and the effect would be complete.

Sakura didn't often come down here anymore. Mortals were known for being eaten or killed if they bargained wrong and that was putting it nicely. So it was mainly those few humans who were crazy, stupid and/or naïve enough to go there and mostly supernaturals that attended. She passed a stall that was selling legs of all sorts including human and another stall that was selling priceless jewels and an assortment of weapons. Anything and everything was on sale and it wasn't always legal. But if you needed something that was hard to get, this was where you would go to find it. It was also a maze, which meant you could wander about for days before you found your way out or bartered away your soul to find your way out. Luckily, Sakura had learned this maze so well she knew it like the back of her hand. She had lived here for the last few years before Sakura Haruno's 'death'. It had been a great but hazardous hiding place.

Avoiding an arguing banshee and goblin who were having a vicious screaming match over an old family relic. Apparently the family who the banshee sang or screamed for when their time came had owned it. One more twist and turn and she was there. Ramen Ichiraku. It was a great ramen bar that was run by a kind lower class daemon, Teuchi and his daughter, Ayame, who had let her sleep there sometimes during her nights on the run. At the time, she had dyed her hair dull brown, tinged her pale skin with a cheap dye that had made it darker and worn blue contacts. Her name had been Yue at the time and she had been a lot younger. Now the kind Teuchi no longer recognised her and regarded her as just another customer, which was for the best. If ever it was ever realised she was alive, this would be one of the first places they would look.

"One bowl of beef ramen, please", she asked Ayame.

With a bright smile Ayame said, "One moment please, it won't take long." Then she walked away to serve another customer.

Ah, it was good to sit in familiar company even if they didn't recognise her. That and she couldn't wait to have Teuchi's ramen, which she had gone without for two months.

A bowl of steaming beef ramen was placed in front of her by Ayame a few minutes later. "Please enjoy your meal.", she said before she was gone again.

"Itadakimasu" Sakura dug into her meal savouring every single bite.

Ah bliss.

It wasn't until she had almost finished the bowl that the hairs on the back of her neck rose in warning.

Glancing from the corner of her eye, she saw two devilishly handsome daemons. A blond fox daemon and a dark haired chaos daemon.

Well shit.

"Naruto!", Teuchi called knowingly, "Back again already."

The blond fox daemon, Naruto beamed a mega-watt smile and sat down at the bar "You bet, pops!"

"Oh and I see you brought Sasuke with you."

"Hn", came the one syllable answer as he to sat down at the bar just four seats away from Sakura.

"More like dragged. He was being emo again and having a hissy fit."

"I was not. You whined until I agreed to come with you."

Sakura barely managed to keep her composure. Their aura's were just as strong if not even stronger than last time she meet them. And even though she had gotten stronger, she wouldn't last long against the pair of them. She didn't even want to think of the consequences of them recognising her. Her fear and panic nearly had her in a quivering mess, but she controlled it.

Time to go.

Leaving her money on the table as payment for the ramen, Sakura carefully rose with a siren and satyr who were leaving and exited the shop with them. Neither daemon spared her a glance as she left. It wasn't until she was halfway down the street that she let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Quickly, she hurried along down the cobble stone streets of the market towards the entrance she came in. She kept her pace brisk but not fast. Sakura didn't want to draw any attention to herself.

That was way too close. No more Ramen Ichiraku ever. It's not worth being caught even though they shouldn't have any way of finding me. They may not know what I look like, but that doesn't mean they don't have other methods to find me.

Glancing over her shoulder indiscreetly, she didn't see hide nor hair of either daemon. Releasing a deep breath, she turned back around and slammed into a clothed, muscled, male chest.

"Sorry", she muttered, brown eyes downcast as she moved to step around whatever she had run into.

"Hello little mortal. Did you forget me?", that oh so familiar dark, lulling voice and musky scent invaded her senses. Her heart burst into a sprinting pace and her palms became sweaty.

Sakura looked up involuntarily and was trapped by unmerciful blood red eyes. A vengeful and arrogant smirk graced his handsome features. She couldn't look away! Couldn't move! Couldn't defend herself! What in hell magick was this?!

Leaning forward until their faces were separated by an inch he whispered, "I haven't forgotten you. Not for the week I had to recover from that lovely stab wound you gave me that made me crash into the ground. Nor the three long years that followed."

Oh, shit!

Her life was over. Finished. Done. Kaput. There was absolutely no hope now.

"Sasuke!", the voice of the blond fox daemon, Naruto, yelled distantly from behind her.

"Sweet nightmares, little Shadow. Think of me."

Then whatever magick from his blood red eyes intensified and she found herself falling backwards. Dully, she registered strong arms coming around her and lifting her up. Her eyes drifted shut as her vision blurred.

"Who is she, Sasuke?", a garbled male voice came through her muddied hearing.

Dark laughter rumbled from the muscled, warm body that held her close. And the next few words came through with piercing clarity. "The mortal who caused us all that trouble three years ago. And I intend to repay her in full and then some."

He said something else, but it was lost to her as the darkness overwhelmed Sakura and dragged her down into oblivion.

…WeaponsAndRoses…

Thanks for reading. Please review.