A/N: Oh goodness. I am SO SO SOOOO sorry that I haven't posted this sooner. I feel so bad! I just…ugh. School, paired with sickness, paired with writer's block. Not a good combo. I just got out of the hospitak actually-but I'm perfectly fine now, and I finally got the ending of this chapter written. And here it is, waiting to be read by all of you, my wonderful readers!

Supa-Nikkeh: YAY! She's back! My evil plans can be put into action now!

Ash: Oh, wonderful.

Supa-Nikkeh: You know you missed me.

Ash: Not particularly.

Supa-Nikkeh: Whatever you say.

Ash: -sweatdrops- All right. Well. Anyways!

It comes to my attention that last time I posted a chapter, we did not have a weekly challenge. This will most likely continue for a while, because I am running out of names and I'd like to save some for later.

Oh, and one more thing-I've decided that updates will now be about every two weeks. I can keep up better than way, with writing new chapters and all. D

All right! Well, I think that's all-so. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, except my plot and characters. But other than that, nothing. If I owned it, do you think I'd be here? XD

"Good evening, Nightingale. Ready for the festivities?"

She grimaced. "Oh, yes, I'm sure I'll have a wonderful time. I intend to leave and take Sakura with me before the actual ceremony."

Sasuke was startled out of his thoughts by the name. "Sakura?" he asked, heart pounding. Why did Sakura's name cause this kind of reaction?

"Sakura Minawan. Satoya's daughter." She nodded to the small blond head that followed the puppet's movements.

Sasuke's heart stopped beating so quickly. "Oh. Her. Why are you taking her away?"

She grimaced. "Because her mother is dead, so she can't do it."

Suddenly Sasuke realized what was happening: the Nightingale had killed the little girl's mother, and now she felt responsible for her.

"So you're going to take her away while her wonderful father sacrifices five hundred of his people? How are you going to explain the ceremony to her?"

The Nightingale looked down. "She's seen them before. It's sickening- she doesn't even flinch. She's watched it since she was an infant. She doesn't realize that it's a bad thing."

Sasuke hesitated, and then let his curiosity take over. "How do they do it? The sacrifices?"

She looked up, eyes narrowed. "Why don't you watch and find out?"

Sasuke was about to reply that he might do just that when a loud, rhythmic drumbeat sounded throughout the camp. Everyone, man, woman, and child, raised their heads and slowly rose. Mothers collected their children from the puppet show or other entertainments, men shut down their booths, and the throng congregated towards a large platform in the center of the camp. Sakura raced towards the Nightingale, a grin on her small face.

"Yuki, Yuki! Wet's go watch da cewemony! Can we now?"

The Nightingale shook her head. "Not tonight, Sakura. Let's go look at the stars, all right?"

Sakura's forehead puckered in thought, and then she nodded. "All wight. Wet's go!"

Yukayumi nodded. "Say goodbye to Mr. Uchiha."

"'Bye Mista Uchiwa!" The small girl waved to Sasuke, who in return stared at the two as they made their way back towards the Nightingale's quarters. He shook his head, and headed towards the platform, sickly curious about the ceremony.

The platform was in the very center of the camp, where there had once been fields. The land had been flattened, and the platform built right on top of it. Fences around the square marked the distance away from the platform that the civilians would have to stand. Sasuke watched as the crowds gathered around the platform, holding children on their shoulders so they could see the ceremony. Slowly, as the crowd found places to stand, Satoya walked onto the platform, followed by his advisors. Sasuke and the Nightingale were the only ones absent.

As Satoya took the stage, Sasuke spotted a long line of men and women following behind Zarin. The puzzled looks on their faces told Sasuke that they had not been informed that they were going to become sacrifices. They were led out to the center of platform, to where a large block of stone sat, and slowly realization came crashing down on their heads. Many of them tried to dart back outside to the crowd, but the barriers kept them pinned in. Their families did nothing to help them; they believed whatever Satoya said. And he said that their husbands, wives, mothers and fathers were glad to die for the cause.

Satoya watched his sacrifices panicking from a seat that had been placed at the head of the platform. Turning to Zarin, he nodded, and the drums began again. The advisors herded the group into a line again, reasoning with them that they should be glad to give their lives for the cause, that it was honorable for them to die. Slowly, drawing out every drop of drama he could, Satoya rose from his seat and glided towards his victims. They gazed at him fearfully, eyes wide and frightened. They knew what everyone in the camp knew: once you were chosen, it did not matter what you said. Refusal was not an option.

Satoya, dressed in a flowing crimson robe, raised his hands towards the sky, stars glistening off the rings he wore on every finger. The crowd followed suit, raising their hands above their heads; even the children knew what to do. Their heads titled upwards, facing the stars.

"We ask for the gods to find favor on us in light of this gift we present to them. May we grow and prosper, and may the gods protect us from the horrors of the outside world. May they bless us, each and every one, until one day we rise to join them in the sky."

The crowd repeated the mantra, swaying as they kept their heads tilted to the sky. They chanted all at once, men, women, and children, drowning out the normally loud sounds of the woods around the camp. Sasuke, hidden in a tree near the platform, watched silently, wondering what would happen next. No wonder the Nightingale hated these ceremonies: just the sound of all the blank voices chanting gave him goose bumps.

As the crowd finished chanting, the drums began again, a loud, steady beat. The first in line, a young girl with dark hair and eyes, stepped forward towards the large rock table in the center of the platform. Her eyes were wide with fright, and she glanced around like a startled rabbit, searching for a way to escape. Zarin, standing at Satoya's side, instructed the girl to kneel down in front of the table. She obeyed silently, pulling her hair away from her neck. It was then that Sasuke knew what was going to happen.

Sasuke turned his head as the ax came down, but he couldn't shield himself from the scream the girl ejected into the night. His curiosity satisfied, perhaps too much, he darted back towards his quarters, trying to ignore the terrible shrieks that continued from the platform.

"See how the stars form constellations, Sakura? That one there is said to be the savoir of my village. See how the stars form his hair on top? And there, those two bright ones beside each other are his eyes."

The small girl propped her head up and turned towards Sakura. "Yuki?"

"Yes?"

"What viwwage did you come fwom?"

Sakura kept her eyes on the sky. "The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"Konoha?"

"Yes."

"That's not to faw fwom hewe."

"No, it's not."

"Do you miss it thewe?"

Sakura turned to her small charge. "All the time. Every day."

"Who d'you miss?"

She gave a small smile. "My family. And my friends. My teachers."

"Youw boyfweind?"

She laughed warmly. "I didn't have a boyfriend."

"Why not?"

"I thought I loved a boy once. But he didn't feel the way I did, and eventually I grew out of it."

"You can stop woving somebody?"

Sakura's voice lowered to near a whisper. "I did. Now hush, and listen to the wind around you. It's speaking to you. Can you hear it?"

Sasuke, perched in a tree above the two, listen carefully, waiting for Sakura to ask more questions. However, the little girl, distracted by the wind whistling through the trees, forgot all about the Nightingale's village, or her friends. Sasuke sighed, quickly realizing his mistake as the Nightingale sat abruptly up.

"What was that?" She tilted her ear towards the trees above her. "Whoever you are, reveal yourself!" She called. When no one came out, she said, "Stay put, Sakura. I'll be right back." She leaped into the trees, her sharp eyes watching for movement.

Sasuke had hidden among the leafy branches of the tallest tree, and he knew that the human eye could not see him. However, the Nightingale was not an ordinary human. He watched as she smirked, jumped up into the trees, and landed beside him with a small thump.

"So, Uchiha, do you wish to explain yourself?"

He came out hiding. "How did you find me?"

She shrugged. "Simple. I sniffed you out. Bonfires leave smoke on your skin. And no one else has the sense to leave one of those things so early. Now if you would be so kind as to explain why you were spying on us?"

He stood up straighter. "I wasn't. Satoya told me to patrol the woods and make sure no one was attempting an attack on the camp." He was lying through his teeth, but what the Nightingale didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

"Oh? I see." She jumped onto a branch closer to him. "Then once the ceremony is over I'll have to ask why he didn't leave that task to the search party that is patrolling the borders as we speak."

Sasuke winced inwardly: he'd been caught. "I…"

She laughed coldly. "Let me guess-the ceremony was sickening and you didn't want to stay and watch the rest, and you just happened to find us."

"Essentially."

"Well, you aren't very different from me when I first arrived, excepting the fact that I found Burukarei, and you found me."

"Burukarei never watched the ceremony either?"

She shook her head. "Burukarei was sickened by them. She only stayed because she loved Satoya."

"She loved him."

"Yes, of course, or she would have left a long time ago."

"Why do you do it?"

She looked up into his face. "Pardon?"

"Why do you do this? Why are you an assassin, if you disapprove if killing so much? You said you were a medic nin-they save lives, they don't destroy them. So why do you kill instead of heal?"

She gave a little half-smile. "Well, Uchiha, you certainly are observant. But perhaps you shouldn't ask questions that will get you into trouble." Her eyes flashed dangerously, but Sasuke ignored it.

"I want an answer."

She raised an eyebrow. "My, my, aren't we stubborn. All right, here's your answer: if there was no death, would life still be important?"

"That's not an answer, that's just another question."

"It's all I'm giving you. Think about it." She hopped to a lower branch, and then turned to face him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I was a little busy before you interrupted." She jumped back down to Sakura, who was looking around, as if to magically see who the Nightingale had been talking to.

"Yuki? Who was that?"

Yukayumi looked up. "Just a friend. Let's go look at the stars again, Sakura."

The little girl shrugged. "Mmkay."

Sasuke watched as the pair walked back into the fields, thinking about what the Nightingale had said. Would life really be important if there was no death?

Itachi's face flashed in his mind, and he knew the answer. If there were no death, his life wouldn't be worth living. Not that it was anymore anyway. With Itachi gone, what was his purpose? What did he really have left? He had betrayed everyone who was important to him in order to kill his only remaining relative. What was he thinking, that everyone would immediately take him back into their hearts?

Well, he had at least been sure that Sakura would. Sakura, the one who had always been there for him, and never questioned anything he said or did. Except when he left.

How could he have just left her there? She could have easily been killed while she was passed out. And if she had woken up and tried to stop him again, he was fairly sure that he would have tried to kill her. She was the only one who cared enough to stop him from ruining what little he had left, and he had pushed her away like she was nothing.

His mind was so clouded with his thoughts that he didn't see the crowd begin to file out of the area where the ceremony was. He only began to realize that the ceremony was over when the drums stopped beating. He looked down to find the Nightingale and Sakura, but they were nowhere to be found. He resisted the urge to jump down and search for them; instead, he quickly made his way back to his quarters. He had some things to think about, that was for sure.

The next day was a bright, warm day. The day was considered a holiday, a time for rest and relaxation, after the ceremony and sacrifices. However, Sasuke still found the Nightingale training as always. Well, actually, he found her in a tree.

Sakura had decided that she needed to brush up on her chakra control skills, so she had taken it upon herself to climb the top of the tallest tree in the camp. She was perched at the top like a bird when Sasuke found her.

"Nightingale!" He called. She looked sharply down, nearly losing her balance, but managing to right herself.

"Yes, Uchiha?"

"Satoya wants to see you immediately."

The Nightingale dropped from the tree, landing with a soft thump on the ground. Sasuke eyed the height she had jumped from: it was a long fall.

"That took some practice," she said. "Doesn't hurt nearly as bad now. You were saying?"

"Satoya wants to see you in his office right away. He says it's urgent business."

She nodded. "All right." In the blink of an eye she was gone, and Sasuke's Sharingan barely caught the outline of her form running towards Satoya's offices. He blinked, and then turned to the targets in front of him. He doubted he would ever understand the Nightingale.

"Ah, Nightingale, come in, have a seat," Satoya said, rubbing his stomach as he pulled a peppermint out of the huge bowl in front of him. Satoya's office was sparsely decorated, containing only a desk, a chair on either side of the desk, file cabinets, and, of course, his ever present bowl of candy.

Sakura sat down in front of Satoya, helping herself to a caramel. Satoya narrowed his eyes at her, and then gave a big-bellied laugh. "Very bold of you, Nightingale. I will let you slide this once."

She smirked. "That's what you said last time, as I recall."

Satoya shrugged. "What can I say? You have more than earned your share. Speaking of your work, I have a job for you."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you called me here."

"Yes, of course. I don't let you steal my candy for no reason."

She laughed coldly. "I see. Well, tell me about the job."

He shifted uneasily. "Yes, well, you see, this job is most unusual. I have never asked you to do something of quite this caliber. So for it, you will be paid triple your normal salary."

"Oh really? Is it that important? Do tell."

"I need you to kill Sakura."

Sakura froze, and she cold feel the blood in her run cold. "You want me to kill your daughter."

"Well, yes."

"You want me to kill a child?"

"Yes."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "And you think that I will do it because you are paying me triple my normal pay."

"I know that it is not a pleasant task, but it needs to be done."

"Why exactly is this?"

"Because she is just a girl. Girls are worth nothing to me. Girls cannot run a nation, they cannot be trusted, and they are only good if they can be married to a wealthy man. She is much too young for that, and she is only a hindrance to my plans. Besides, with her mother gone there is no one to take care of her."

Suddenly Sakura knew exactly what to do. "I will ignore that insult to my gender, although I will point out that you seem to trust me perfectly well. I will do it, because you ask it of me. But what do you want me to do with the body?"

Satoya blinked. "Body?"

"Killing a grown man and leaving his body there is one thing. But a child…people will surely talk. They will know that you have ordered me to kill her. Your followers would be disgusted with someone who kills their own child. But if she were to simply disappear, who would know the difference? You could say that you sent her off to be cared for somewhere else."

Satoya smiled at the Nightingale; he knew that she always had his best interests at heart. "Very well then. Get rid of the body somehow. I can take care of the rest."

"Of course."

He nodded pleasantly. "You may leave."

Sakura bowed, and then stepped out of the office, her heart pounding. She immediately ran to her quarters, ignoring the stares of the maids working and flinging her office door shut behind. She didn't stop to rest, but immediately sat down at her desk and began a letter to Tsunade.

Tsunade,

I am sending Burukarei's daughter, Sakura, to her. Satoya asked me to kill her, and to dispose of the body. This is the easiest solution. Please send someone for her immediately, as I cannot leave the camp. I can give her something that will make her sleep, and I will have a maid hand her off to the shinobi who comes for her. Please tell Burukarei immediately-she will want to be ready for her.

Sakura

She whistled urgently for Tsukaitori, who was sleeping on her perch near Sakura's desk. At the sound of her mistress's whistle the bird perked her head up and, seeing the small scroll of paper in Sakura's hand, opened her beak and took it.

"Take it to Tsunade as fast as you can," She said quietly, rubbing the small bird's head affectionately. "And peck her hands until she writes a reply. All right?" Without a sound the bird took off through the open window. Sakura sighed and let her head fall into her hands. This act was becoming harder and harder to keep up.

She squared her shoulders stubbornly. She had to keep it up for a while longer. She had to protect her village, and the people she loved. And she had to find a way to get to Satoya and kill him. That was her mission, and she had to complete it, whether she liked it or not.

The door to her office creaked open, and she sat bolt upright, her shoulders easing when she saw her secretary poke his head in.

"Nightingale, Satoya has called a meeting of his council. He has sent a message requesting your presence there. They are meeting in the third conference room."

Sakura nodded. "Tell them I will be there in a moment." He bent his head in thanks and closed the door. She waited until she heard his footsteps on the wooden floor, and then stood. She rolled her shoulders back and stood as straight as she could, preparing herself to put her mask back on. When she realized that she couldn't stall any longer, she pulled the door open and walked down the long hallway. She stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, and pulled it open.

"So we need Sador to…ah, Nightingale. How nice of you to join us."

"I am sorry, Satoya. I had other matters of business to attend to before I came."

"Well, you are here now. Have a seat, and close the door behind you." Sakura nodded silently, closing the door firmly and taking the only remaining seat, in between Sador and Sasuke.

"As I was saying-Sador, you and four of your men will track down these shinobi and make sure that they do not find the camp."

Sakura watched as Sador rung his hands nervously under the table. "Yes, of course. Which men shall I take with me?"

"It is your choice who you take with you, it does not matter to me. You will leave tonight.

"There is only one more matter of business, and it is the reason I have called you all here." Immediately the mood of the room changed; the advisors sat up straighter and focused their attention on Satoya, not sure what he wanted to discuss. Satoya looked around the room to make sure that his advisors were paying attention, then nodded to himself.

"The Village Hidden in the Leaves has officially declared themselves to be against our religion. This has made quite a change in our plans, as Konoha has always been quite open-minded when it comes to our cause. But with them against us, we will no longer be welcome to enter the village to recruit members. We will have to find other ways to infiltrate the village. It will require some thought and planning, but I believe that there is no reason we shouldn't be able to recruit twice as many members if we put our minds to it. So be thinking of ways that we can do this. If no one has any ideas at the moment, then we may adjourn the meeting."

The room was silent, although everyone was looking towards each other. Satoya nodded. "All right then, you all may go." The sounds of chairs squeaking against the wooden floor filled the room as Satoya's advisors prepared to go back to their jobs. Sakura lingered, eying the maid who had set to wiping the table down. She glanced around quickly, making sure no one was watching, and then walked towards the maid.

"Excuse me."

The maid, a young woman, jumped at the voice behind her. "Nightingale!" She straightened her shoulders, meeting Sakura's eyes. "Was there something you needed, Nightingale?"

Sakura felt herself smile; this girl seemed to have some fire in her. It was rare to find it. "How would you like to do a job for me?"

"A job?"

"Yes. One that doesn't involve cleaning up after Satoya's candy binges."

Tsunade set down Sakura's letter, rubbing her temples. She knew it was better for the girl to be back with her mother, but couldn't Sakura have found a way to bring her to the village? All her qualified ninjas were out on missions. She only had one choice.

She opened her eyes with a sigh. She didn't have a choice.

"Shizune!"

Shizune, who often stood outside of Tsunade's door, poked her head in. "Yes?"

"Get Naruto. Tell him it's urgent."

Shizune nodded. "Right away." She disappeared, and Tsunade could hear her quick footsteps as she left. Ten minutes later, she reappeared, followed by a disheveled Naruto. Tsunade nodded to Shizune to leave, and then turned to face Naruto, who was breathing heavily. She looked at him curiously.

"Naruto, what were you doing before Shizune came for you?"

"Training."

"For how long."

"Five hours."

Tsunade felt herself wanting to smile-it was classic Naruto. "Naruto, I have a mission for you. But you're going to have to be absolutely mature about this. It's a serious mission. No one but you and I are to know about it. It requires absolute concentration and secrecy. Can you handle that?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, opening his mouth to say something, but Tsunade cut him off. "Naruto, you're going to Satoya's camp."

"What?!?"

"Listen to me very carefully. Burukarei and Satoya have a daughter. One of our highest-ranked informants has found a way to get her out of that camp and back to her mother. We need a trained, qualified ninja to retrieve the girl from the camp. You're the only one qualified who isn't on a mission. You need to go to the edge of the camp. Someone will meet you there with the girl."

Naruto nodded, excitement pounding through his veins. "So I'm leaving tonight?"

"Right now. Ino can take over your shift with Burukarei."

Naruto nodded. "I'll go pack." He turned around, ready to head out of the office, then stopped.

"What's her name?"

Tsunade looked up. "Who?"

"The girl. What's her name?"

Tsunade looked down. "Sakura."

Naruto cringed, then walked out, slamming the door shut behind him. Tsunade let her head fall on the desk, then reached for her pen.

Dear Sakura,

I'm sending Naruto for the girl. Please have someone deliver her to the edge of the forest. Make sure she is fast asleep-we can't afford to have her wake up while he's on his way back. He will be there in a few hours.

Tsunade.

"Sakura, would you like a cup of tea?"

A/N: So, finally, this chapter is done. I'm hoping that your guys enjoyed it-once again, I am SO sorry about not getting it to you sooner! But now you've all had a bit for the suspense to build up yes? D So. You should review perhaps? Next chapter in two weeks-see you then!