I have no rights to Naruto.

Enjoy.

O0o0o

The Teachings and Laws of Jashin were so numerous and intricate they made her head spin with all the information but while death, destruction, slaughter, suffering and pain were some of the main focuses of Jashin teachings, the focal point was the belief and knowledge that they had a rightful place. They were needed for the continuation of life, for example without the destruction of forest fire the forest would not grow stronger and greener than it had been, the destruction took away the old and rooting wood, the pieces that damaged the forest, allowing it to grow again to all it majestic glory.

Many things made sense, without the pain of childbirth would you appreciate your child, if a couple had not gone through the pain and suffering of miscarriages and loss of hope would they cherish the child as much. If a child did not feel pain from falling would they learn their lesson not to climb too high. Without death would you live your life fully and love your family. Without slaughter would you know the importance of life or know when you had to fight to protect your home.

They were as important, maybe even more important than the teachings of love, forgiveness and righteousness, it made sense to her as a medic; sometimes the only thing you could do was allow death to take your patient, releasing them from the pain they were suffering from when you could do no more.

It was a part of life that was needed for survival, pain let you know you were alive, how hurt you were and it gave you the strength to keep going, as a ninja it had given her the strength to kill her enemy just as it had given Hidan the power to destroy the One Power soldiers that attacked them so long ago.

It had its own place as much as birth and life.

If life was simple would you truly live, would you grow, what would determine your character or your strength? For Sakura who had fought and worked for every bit of her strength this made total sense.

But killing people just because . . …, sacrificing them, and Hidan, those things still troubled her, but perhaps just perhaps her Father would take her blood too? She didn't want to kill someone for no reason. A tingle went down her spine, would it truly be for no reason, as a ninja she would have been prepared to kill on the Hokage's orders, while she hadn't gotten to that point she had killed to protect and defend herself and others.

Sighing heavily she leant her head against the stall door, Hades leaning down to ruffle her hair. Emerald eyes looked up gently as her hand came up to rub the large horse, here inside his stall, which was thankfully very clean, she was safe, hidden by his large and comforting frame she knew she would be left alone. For while Hades welcomed her, the only other people he seemed to tolerate were Commander Kaemon and the stable hand, so she was safe, safe to debate everything she had been told and learned over the last few weeks, weeks of Lady Kagome's, Nisou and Daisasha-sama's lessons.

Weeks of trying to be a perfect Hime, making sure she gave the proper response, reaction and greeting. The only thing she was looking forward to was the training Commander Kaemon had said would start soon, so it was with glee that for the last two weeks she had risen earlier and under Commander Kaemon's and a hidden Hidan's watchful eye she ran, stretched and started to regain her fitness. She had been disgusted by how winded she had been, appalled at how after only twenty minutes of hard running her lungs protested and her body shook, the humiliation that swept through her after she had collapsed had known no bounds, she was brought back to the painful days of when she was a genin, when she was weak.

Commander Kaemon had been supportive, saying all the right words but it was the materialization of Hidan in the training field and the look on his face that had made her go red, not only in the face but in temper when looking down with his pinky purple eyes he said.

"Four fucking years and your weaker than a civilian, that all you got Hime?"

He had walked off without a care, leaving a fuming Hime behind him who used Commander Kaemon for stress relief – she may have been very unfit but she could still pack a punch. She had never seen the approving glint in those pinky purple eyes when she picked herself up or forced herself to keep going 'just five more minutes' and she never knew he was always keeping a watchful eye out for her.

"Same old hiding spot Hime." The comforting voice of Nisou brought Sakura's head up spying the blonde haired High Priestess leaning against the stall door and looking down on her, giving her a gentle smile she greeted the older woman slowly getting to her feet.

A disgusting swoosh noise and whistling signalled Hades reaction to the High Priestess as he bared his teeth and stomped a large hoof.

Eyes closed and her face a mask of fury and revulsion Nisou raised her hands and wiped the spit from her face as her body trembled.

"EEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww." Her squeal filled the stable followed quickly by Sakura's laughter as Hades tossed his head in pride despite Sakura's gentle scowling. Leaving and closing his stall she walked over to one of the benches by the side and grabbed a cloth handing it to the spit covered Priestess.

Wiping her face and most particularly her mouth Nisou glared daggers at the huge horse "Jashin save me you disgusting beast if you do that again, I'll make you into a coat!"

Sakura barely contained the laughter that threatened to explode from her as Nisou and Hades faced off, the stallion simply huffing out a large breath and swinging his mane as he twirled his backside around to face the Priestess as if to say 'Go on try it'.

Gritting her teeth Nisou clenched her fists and let out an aggravated cry, Sakura was sure if she hadn't been so proper she would have even stamped her feet, but the Priestess was above such things. Or so she reminded herself cringing at the idea of identifying what actually covered her. Turning around to face the Hime she managed to say, "I'll meet you in the Prayer Hall." Before she trudged out of the stables muttering about hour long baths and scrubs.

Walking up to Hades she smiled at the amusement in his eyes as he reached out to be petted before leaning up and not so quietly whispering "Next time get Hidan."

Stamping his hooves in agreement the large war horse watched as his Mistress gave him a final pat and left the stable, all the while thinking how he could aggravate the silver haired man for hurting his Mistress.

x-x-x

Sweating lightly and her breathing only slightly ragged Sakura nearly whooped in delight as she finished Commander Kaemon's daily training regime, by her estimates if she added on a little extra she would be back to the same or near enough fitness level that she was as a Kunoichi in only a week or so.

"Grab a staff."

Commander Kaemon's smooth voice had her head snapping up to attention in a flash, a triumphant smile covering her face as she saw him standing with a wooden staff in his hands. Watching him turn his back and head into one of the empty training yards she ran to grab a staff and join him.

The loitering Guards gave her indulgent smiles and watched with interest as she automatically took up a defensive against the Commander. One of the sergeants a burly man that had been there the day the One Power soldiers attacked nodded approvingly as she blocked a head on strike from Kaemon and swiftly parried with her own.

Her training clothes were a pair of plain pants and a sleeveless vest that showed the muscle tone that she had regained, her muscles were taut and tight like a dancers, full of power but giving the illusion of fragility, and she moved like a dancer. When Kaemon swept his staff in a long arc she simply bent back quickly going for his legs, jumping he managed to clear it only to be caught in the backswing forcing him to roll and stand. The training courts filled with the sounds of wood striking wood as the two sparred neither conceding or pulling a hit, they were nearly evenly matched, Kaemon's knowledge and experience would have given him the edge, if it wasn't for Sakura's training and strength.

A devilish smile hit her lips lighting her eyes to a witching emerald green as Kaemon narrowed his eyes. She might be restricted but she had always been strong. Quickly bringing the staff down on her knee she broke in into two halves surprising Kaemon and their spectators, without giving Kaemon a moment she attacked. The broken ends of the staff were a blur in her hands as she twirled them forcing Kaemon's eyes to watch, then she suddenly struck out a lighting succession of strikes that he only managed to half block, the hard rapping of wood would be heard clearly as well as the grunts of pains, when she struck him on the biceps, thighs, abdomen and neck. She was fast but a bit of her noted not as fast as she used to be, her Shishou's exhausting training to avoid being hit paid off spectacularly as she bent and twisted her body gracefully, avoiding Kaemon's strikes while landing ones on him in return.

Looking at his feet she realised that his legs were spread too far apart and his equilibrium was off. Feinting a full on double strike she dropped and scissor kicked his feet from him while he had raised his staff to defend himself. Landing with an 'ooff' his staff was pulled from his grip and he was left facing the exhilarated face of his Hime as she raised his chin with one of her staff ends.

Standing up and back Sakura held out a hand to help him up, just as she had done with her team so many years ago. A brief pain of nostalgia hit her and as Kaemon took her hand and stood she looked around until emerald eyes clashed with hooded pinky purple ones. There was nothing on his face, not approval or acknowledgment she inwardly fumed and he had been the one to call her weak, well not in so many words she admitted but it had felt like he had.

Watching him turn and walk back into the castle she didn't hear Kaemon's praise or suggestion to try swords in a few days. She was too caught up in the realisation that Hidan was a ninja and that she had been trained as one, his goading words running through her head.

"Four fucking years and your weaker than a civilian, that all you got Hime?"

How would she have fared against another ninja, her brows lowering in thought she gave her excuses and walked into the stables. Without thought she opened Hades stall and grabbing a bridle put it on him, her dainty hands stroking his neck as she murmured to him.

"Wanna fly boy, let's fly, we'll get out of here and we'll fly."

Feeling his Mistress's confusion Hades lowered himself on his front knees and waited until her weight was firmly on his back, a gleam in his eye he simply cantered out of the stables, galloping out of the gates and past the huts.

The wind whistling by her and Hades strong body carrying her away from the castle brought a sad smile to Sakura's face as her silvery hair whipped around her. The further away Hades took her the freer she felt and a true smile light up her face. There was no need to think, there was simply her and Hades, the land surrounding her and the open skies. Cresting the hills, she pulled Hades up and looked back on the way she came.

The land was harsh and the Castle a force of strength. The sun was high in the sky bathing the land in its golden rays, lighting up everything and hiding no secrets. This was the home she been taken from for her safety, the land her parents had governed, these were the people that delighted in her return, the home of so many of her happy memories. It was a dark beauty, embracing people's true natures rather than expecting them to conform to ideals, it suffered no fools, liars or traitors.

It was harsh but fair, like Father and it had its own unique beauty. Looking down on the land Sakura patted Hades drawing comfort from him. Her life had changed, her ideas thrown upside down and now while she had the chance to simply turn Hades and head to Konoha she had no real compulsion.

She missed her friends but knew in time she would see them, but the idea of leaving the Castle pained her, Nisou with her comforting presence, Lady Kagome who yielded her fan with a vengeance, Lana with her tidbits of gossip, Cook who with her knowing eye would press a rolling pin in her hands and put her to work, Kaemon and his training, Kira the stable boy who chatted while she seeked comfort from Hades, Daisaishi-sama who was slowly taking on her Grandfather figure again. The Castle had once again become home and she had more than a duty to it, she had a love for it; she was not only the Daughter of Jashin but their Hime.

Sighing she turned Hades and began to slowly walk down the hill, meandering through the high and sweet smelling grass. She at least had Hades to escape with when things got too tough and hopefully in time she would truly accept the sacrifices to her Father.

0o0o0o

Dia Duit,

Sorry it's short but I've been working so time has been restricted. Kisukebenihime and I have wrote a story called Ibiki's Secret Weapon which features Hidan for all you Hidan lovers so please check it out – it's under my profile.

Please review and let me know what you thought.

Lots of love,

The Rose and the Dagger x xx