Author's Note: Read & Review, else I don't know if I'm writing rubbish or not :P

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Kurai's POV

"Well done, Kurai. You have succeeded in acquiring not only the village's trust, but that of the elders as well. You passed every test and every examination satisfactorily, and I believe I speak for the rest when I say you are no longer classified as a threat to the Hidden Leaf Village."

Tsunade beamed at me, and behind her the elders nodded their heads. I stood awkwardly in front of fifty people gathered in an ordered crowd and the only thing I could think about was what to do with my hands. An expectant silence followed Tsunade's congratulatory speech, until I finally realised they were waiting for me to say something.

"Uh, thanks guys," I said, rubbing the back of my head. "Really appreciate it."

One of the elders, a stern wrinkled old woman with piercing grey eyes, stood up and approached me. She cleared her throat in a formal manner. "Now that your name has been cleared of the fear and misunderstanding that once clung to it, you may return to your duties as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. There are a great many pressing tasks at hand. Your first priority will be to dismiss a rising army of fierce rebels in the east, which have been terrorising the neighbouring towns and villages for two weeks now. If you are able, please leave tomorrow to quell their uprising."

Wait, what?

"Harikimo!" Tsunade admonished. "Are you seriously going to just fling Kurai back into the field of duty? After everything she's been through?"

"A Jinchuriki such as Naruto has gone through similar life experiences, and yet he still serves our cause. The welfare of the village is his number one priority, as it should be Kurai's. Was this not the entire reason you brought her back? Was it not so that she could be evaluated and passed as fit for duty? She is a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, Tsunade, and she must pay her dues and carry out her missions like the rest of us."

The shock and fury on Tsunade's face was beginning to affect me. Deep inside me, a dark part of my subconscious reared her ugly head. "See? What did I tell you? You're nothing to them. Just weapon. A tool. They want to control you..."

And she was right. Tsunade and the elder continued to argue in raised voices, but I didn't hear them. I was struggling with my own emotions, my own inner fights, trying to find hope in my future. This was it. Welcome back to the village, sorry for banishing you, well done on controlling your powers, now get back to work. Is this what my future was going to be like? I didn't sign up for this. I didn't want this. I just want to be left alone. I've seen enough fighting, enough blood, enough death, to last three lifetimes. I don't want anymore, and I don't need the village or anyone in it to tell me what to do.

The arguing continued, and in the corner of my eye I could see Kakashi. He looked... disappointed. And angry. Like he had expected this to happen. That's right, even Orochimaru warned me this might happen. I was naive to think these people's opinions of me had changed. Their words were cheap and fortified with false flattery and empty promises. I wanted none of it.

"Enough!" I yelled with such force that caused the whole room to silence. All eyes were on me. I took a deep breath. "I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back."

A thick, heavy atmosphere immediately encompassed the room, weighing down the silence. Tsunade was the one to break it. "What?" she asked in a small voice that didn't sound like hers.

"I said, I'm leaving and I'm not coming back!" I yelled, angry by their reactions.

"You cannot do that!" The elder called Harikimo piped up, her nostrils flaring. "You have a duty to this village and you must-"

"I don't owe you people anything," I spat. "You hear me? Nothing. I owe you nothing."

"Kurai, think about what you're saying," Kakashi said, stepping forward. "If you leave, you'll be classified as a rogue ninja. Do you really want that kind of life?"

My eyes blazed at him. "My name has been cleared. I'll leave this village a free shinobi and I'll go where I please and live whatever kind of life I want. If any of you think that my status will change just because I don't belong to a village then I dare you to try and convince me of that. If any of you are stupid enough to get in my way, then what happens to you is your own fault."

I gave the room one last icy glare before turning on my heels and striding out. Nobody stopped me. I was furious, and I'm sure my anger visibly resonated around me like a warning aura. I picked up my pace once I was outside and sprinted to the village gate, where the guards gave me one look before letting me out. I carried on, running and jumping through the trees in the rough direction of Orochimaru's hideout. I didn't look back once.

Stupid, stupid people, I thought. Forgive me, Tsunade.

I steadied my pace, believing there was no rush to leaving the village, until a kunai flung past my face, slicing deep into my left cheek. I spun around, meeting the eyes of six ANBU on my tail. "I'm on your side, idiots! What are you doing?" I yelled. They ignored me.

I leaped to the ground, pulling out a kunai of my own and darting evasively between trees while I activated my Kekkei Genkei. The golden chakra armour appeared and my speed dramatically increased. I felt fifty pounds lighter and unhindered by gravity, with the strength of a hundred shinobi backing me up. I hadn't used my Kekkei Genkei for almost a month, and boy did I miss the way it felt. Except this time it felt slightly different. Instead of an icy cold feeling that usually penetrated me to the bone, my armour was warm. My chakra, too, felt different.

"Careful!" One of the ANBU shouted. "She's activated her Kekkei Genkei! Don't get too close, she's extremely dangerous and can't be trusted! Take her down!"

That was it... the last push needed before my cool, calm control snapped and the rage encased me. Suddenly, my armour turned icy cold as the warmth seeped out of it. I turned on the ANBU, my eyes blazing with murderous intent and I unleashed all my fury on them. How dare they... How dare they do this to me! They'll pay for this... I'll make them pay... They'll fear me so much after this that they'll never think of attacking me again. I watched as one ANBU after another was shredded before my eyes. I felt like an innocent observer, trapped inside my own body while my hands tore through flesh and bone, scattering limps and pieces of limbs all over the forest floor, which quickly became a giant pool of blood. Their screams echoed in my ears, and for a brief and terrifying moment I forgot what I was even doing. Who was screaming? What's going on? Why are my hands covered in blood? Where am I?

Who am I?