An Artist's World

Summary: People say that the best assassins are the ones who can touch your heart before their dagger stops it. They can blend in with any crowd, become any face and live any life. And Sakura was one of them. To save a life she must destroy her own, and slake any heart that stands in her way.

Review Replies (From Amaya)

JasmineVee123: I am so thankful for your acknowledgment; and I wish you luck in your story-writing career! When you create an account, please be sure to tell me of your name so I may read your stories.

Ya-cho: Thank you so much for the review. Aiko and I appreciate the time put into it; and we hope to see more from you in the future!

Margaux: Thanks for your kind review!

JeanydeiXzz: Glad to see you've fallen for another one of our stories! I have been writing for fanfiction since 2008, I believe, and all these years worked to help improve my writing! So I am glad to see all my work has paid off and that I've gotten such kind reviewers such as yourself. Sasori and Deidara will make an appearance soon, so there's no need to worry too much. ^_^

FairiesDescent: Well, it's not that Sakura is cold, but rather she is indifferent. It will be explained further in the story, so I hope you don't mind being a little patient.

Reiame: Thank you for another review, Reiame-kun. I don't want to ruin why Sakura isn't allowed to search for Sasuke; I'll just let you read and find out! As for Sakura's personality, I based her loosely off of you ;) haha!

Sakura-and-Nami: I'm so glad that you enjoy my story! It's so nice to hear from you once again after all these years! I'm sorry that I haven't replied to you; there was a blackout for 7 blocks on the Thursday of the last update, so I couldn't reply. I'm going through the fight scene of the story you sent me and I'll hopefully be able to send it to you along with the Amaya and Aiko Guide to Writing.

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Author: Amaya
Editor: Aiko
Rating: Young Adult/Mature (check warnings below)
Characters/Pairing: [Sasori, Sakura, Deidara]; Akatsuki; Sasuke; Naruto
Categories: Drama, Adventure, Romance
Warnings: violence, murder, theft, possible sexual themes/content and mature language

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Chapter Three

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It was still early in the morning when the warm tendrils of slumber began to melt away from Sakura's conscious. Her eyes fluttered open, her pupils enlarged across her irises, and double-vision so aggressively made her acquaintance. The lines of her reality and her distress had become so distorted with the dullness of the pinkette's room, that it was almost impossible to tell her dreams from her arousal, and it frustrated Sakura for only a moment.

When the shadows dulled and the edges of furniture sharpened, Sakura forced herself to rise from bed and switch on her lights. The silence throughout the dorm gave off the idea that Ino was still beneath the Sandman's trance, and it only became all the better in Sakura's opinion. Just as she did every morning, she changed her clothes into something befitting for a morning's run and quietly slipped out into the common rooms.

After grabbing the provisions prepared the day before, Sakura zipped up her runner's jacket and hurried outside.

There was no one who passed her on her journey through the halls, and barely any sunlight to bring color to her pallor skin; the orange-hued streetlamps had just flickered off when she escaped the boundaries of her school, in fact. It would've once made her feel uneasy to be so alone and visible, but now there wasn't a mood she could really tack to her thoughts.

She had seen a park somewhere within the first two blocks away, she remembered, and it had a runner's trail that would do well to slake her anticipation if not for a few days. She just had to remember which way to go.

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An Artist's World

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The early morning brought a certain chill that seemed to ease Sakura along on her early run. When her heart demanded she stopped, or her legs threatened to collapse at the next step, the wind tucked her hair behind her ear and the trees would cheer for her accomplishment.

"Don't stop," they told her, their emerald pompoms waving and rustling with their animated dance; and Sakura would force herself to push on—even if only for a moment. She wasn't quite sure how long she was running—she didn't even know what time it was, actually—but it didn't really matter so long as she ran. When she ran, she could never think of days gone by or nights of liquor; only of the road ahead.

She rather liked that idea.

As she turned the corner of the winding running path, just around the bend of a small fish pond, Sakura found herself stopping when a sudden bolt of incandescence obscured her view. She panicked at first, her steps halting and her knuckles rubbing over her lids to somehow soothe away the burning ache of her vision, but when she heard the quiet curse emitted by her attacker, Sakura allowed herself to calm.

Sakura looked at the man who had taken her picture and found her cheeks burning with her sympathetic mortification. He was angelically handsome; so much so that her own beauty seemed to pale in comparison. His hair burnished just a shade darker than the reddest of roses and fell in deviant ringlets around his neck, while his eyes stole the resemblance of honey-glazed chocolate in a polished wrapper. He had to have been young—not much older than her, she supposed—as the slope of his nose and cheeks were sharp enough to imply maturity, yet smooth enough to indicate an eternal sort of youth.

"Great—you ruined my shot."

Even his incensed voice seemed delectable in her comparison, she mused as she set her hands against her hips in an attempt to steal the air of annoyance. "Excuse me? You should have paid more attention. You could've seen me from a mile away if you just looked up."

The young man offered a snicker for some reason or another, and he apathetically tucked a segment of his hair behind the bend of his ear as the wind picked up in spite. "Yeah, like I'm going to notice someone like you running around the park."

"If you don't spot someone with bright pink hair running around, you need your eyes checked out," Sakura pointed out, and she smiled when the man gifted a minute chuckle.

"I guess I can't argue with that." He lifted his hand into the air and offered it in proper etiquettes, his expression falling into an arrangement of casual snide. "My name is Sasori Akasuna."

Sakura took his hand, "Sakura Haruno; I'm new here."

Sasori's brow quirked amusedly in response, and he offered her a teasing sort of smirk. "I would have said it's a pleasure to meet you, but you sort of ruined my shot." Seeing the way Sakura's brow puckered, Sasori lifted the camera towards her and mumbled, "But, I suppose it's not that bad."

Color burned heavily against Sakura's cheeks at the implied compliment the man supplied—more so when he beckoned her close to share the picture he had mistakenly snapped. Her tea rose hair had been messy and windswept with her casual jog, bringing movement to clash against the stillness of the background; and her brow had puckered with whatever it was she was thinking at that exact moment. Not exactly a pleasing photograph, she mused, but still better that most.

He noticed her reaction almost instantly, and found himself charmed by the way she indignantly huffed despite her blush. The childlike action presented made her all the more alluring, it seemed, as her eyes burnished so enchantingly with her annoyance that he wished to tease her further. But instead, he set his palm against her shoulder to ensure his gentle tease. "I believe you owe me coffee, Sakura."

At his words, Sakura's cheeks burned heavily in mortification, and she found herself sputtering embarrassingly for some sort of response. She found none, however, and Sakura sighed as her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "I don't really know the area very well since I just moved in…"

Sasori paused for just a moment, his eyes wandering over her hips and thighs—was this necessary?—before he stuffed his hand into her front pocket. Sakura moved away quickly, but not quick enough to impede his confiscation of her phone. Without hesitance Sasori began punching in the numbers to his personal line then handed it back. "I'll see you right here on Friday—3 o' clock. Don't be late because I will leave without you."

Sensing the impish rise in octave and feeling the warmth in the smirk offered, Sakura smiled and went on her way.

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An Artist's World

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When she reached the end of her morning routine and found the way back to her on-campus dorm, Sakura was surprised to see Ino sprawled across the leather couch. The pinkette slowly ambled into their conjoined dormitory, warily setting her jogging coat atop the nearby hook, then kicked her shoes into the nearby closet.

Hearing the door close, Ino lifted her back from the couch, her head tilting back to catch a glimpse of her roommate then she offered a tired smile. "Good morning."

Sakura went through the kitchen over towards the left side of the room, and quickly sifted through the refrigerator to find a meal worth making. "Good morning," she indifferently replied, "did you just wake up?"

"Yeah; I was up late studying, remember?"

Sakura gave a low hum in response, not even bothering to recall the actions—not studying—of the night before. She watched amusedly as her roommate draped her fleece coverlet about her body, shivering dramatically to display her pajama-clad body; Ino sauntered over with some sort of skip in her step actually, more so when she tangled Sakura's hair like some sort of child. Sakura intended on slapping her hand away but stilled her palm when Ino sat atop the kitchen counter.

"So I was thinking—you're new here so you're basically pretty lame," Ino started, smiling as she tossed her platinum mane over her shoulder. "How about you and I go around town for a little roommate-bonding time?"

Amused at Ino's choice of words, Sakura quirked her brow and took a granola bar from he further cabinet. It wouldn't do her any good to sit around, now would it? So she gave a shrug in mock-indifference, "As long as we can eat, we can do whatever. I need to pick up a few things anyway. Give me an hour?"

"Sure thing."

Smiling, Sakura meandered past the fallen trinkets of Ino's night and into her room to gather her clothing. She picked out simple items—nothing with brands or labels, or sparkles to catch the eye—and jeans that were breathable for just in case.

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An Artist's World

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They'd been walking for what seemed the entirety of the day, in Sakura's opinion. She appreciated Ino's company—not just because she offered stability to her unknown arsenal of knowledge, but because she was actually rather interesting.

For example, Ino couldn't stand when people crossed the street when a crosswalk was just a few feet away. It drove her crazy enough to the point that she would spend minutes ranting in frustration. She also hated when people walked their dogs inside a store, or when someone threw a cigarette butt out onto the curb.

Sakura wasn't sure if it was a personal reason, or just a natural peeve, but she thought better than to ask.

Instead she listened to whatever it was Ino said; she pointed out chic Mom and Pop's and the "in" tanker, where was the cheapest place to buy groceries—everything Sakura supposed she would've needed to know about this unfamiliar place.

Konoha was beautiful when compared to her previous mission-places, Sakura admitted as she glanced at the lights strung across the twisted trees, and the complex working of the metal gates. And lots of people seemed to go by without so much as a care for the world.

How stupid.

"Hey Ino, is there a bookstore around here," Sakura interrupted, her steps slowing as she thought about—never mind.

Ino halted when she noticed Sakura's pause, then she laced her fingers around Sakura's wrist. "Yeah, it's around the corner. Need to pick up something, nerd?"

Though affronted, Sakura ignored the pulsating tick of her temples and tangled her index finger in her keys as they continued on their walk. "I need to get some books for my classes."

"Oh—what classes do you have, anyway?"

"Uh I'm majoring in Massage Therapy and Literature," Sakura replied. "I don't remember the instructor's name though."

"You probably have Kurenai and Shizune," Ino muttered, "they're both cool—if you're into the whole "I'm a perfect spaz" kind of thing. A friend of mine is in Massage Therapy. Her name's Hinata Hyuuga."

"Hyuuga?"

"You know her?"

"I think know her cousin," Sakura answered, then searched her mind for an answer when she spotted Ino's expectant stare. "We uh, we were good friends back in Tanzaku. I may have met her once—I won't know until I see her."

Ino nodded in acceptance, then turned the nearby corner as she hummed, "Hinata's great; I think you two will be good friends. I can introduce you guys if you want."

"That'd be great. Thanks Ino."

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An Artist's World

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"Hey, I'm going to go the café right here and get us a table," Ino informed. "Meet me inside when you're done, alright?"

Sakura nodded and dispassionately waved as Ino disappeared into what seemed to be the popular espresso bar just a shop away. Once she was sure Ino was gone, Sakura glanced at the store across the street.

There was something comforting about the scent of a bookstore, in Sakura's opinion. It felt so fresh and neutral; so familiar that even the harshest days could dim with the store's presence. Just seeing the tiny, brick-lined shop across the street made Sakura's heart leap above her chest and pound against her ribs, and the urge to lope across the blacktop made her muscles stretch.

The bell overhead tolled with her arrival, but barely more than a glance had fallen over her unfamiliar person. She offered a rehearsed smile of greeting to those who bothered acknowledged her, the flow of her hair undulating with her nod and her body tense, then slowly meandered through the high-stacked rows of books. Music hummed enchantingly above the silence of the room's occupants, lulling her interest further as she roamed the halls. She first went to the fictional collection hidden in the furthest corner of the store, and rapidly brought her gaze over the emblazoned titles of the offered hardbacks.

Clockwork tales and books of mystery were her preferred choice, and the colorful spines presented made something within Sakura's chest rise pleasurably.

She picked up a book with some title written in almost indecipherable cursive, and skimmed over the summary written on the inner cover as she took a seat on a nearby couch. Sometime within the hour, the weight of an unknown hand rested over the crest of her shoulder. Out of natural instinct, she tensed; and she fought the urge to tightly curl her fingers around this person's throat.

"Excuse me, but I believe you dropped your wallet."

Sakura turned to address the man who spoke, but found her words caught within her throat as the man's appearance sparked against the senses of her recognition. He was rather tall, and handsome by perfect right. Inky tendrils fell against his neck, secured loosely by a rubber band; and his eyes burnished charcoal in the artificial light.

"Ma'am, is everything alright?"

A smile spread across the pinkette's expression at the man's intellectual use of lexis, and she played along with his uninformed act by bowing her head as she accepted the aforementioned item. "Thank you, sir."

The man gave a nod in recognition, mumbling a reply Sakura couldn't quite catch before he went on with his way. And Sakura stared after him, waiting for him to leave the store before she opened the red and green wallet he had handed her. A note had been slipped between the frontal folds of her little purse, perfectly folded in a way only he could; with such smooth letters scrawled across its entirety.

5:00 PM
402 Raven Crest BLVD
-Itachi

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Author's Note

I do hope that you aren't that upset with the delay in this update. I've been so busy with school and my new boyfriend and whatnot. I was also in Spiritual Isolation for a stint of time so I had absolutely no access to technology! You all forgive me, don't you?

-Amaya and Aiko no Akatsuki