Just wrote this up, woot!

So I have made a decision. A decision that I think is going to make everybody very happy.

But you won't find out what it is till next update HA!

Much love! Enjoy!

Promises Not Made are Promises Never Kept

Flashback Twenty-Seven – Sight

The fight was over absurdly, incredibly quickly.

As Boulder raised a great arm upwards and curled his fingers into a tight fist, Sasuke saw Tyra's lips pull into a twisted smile. She crouched as if to jump.

Then, suddenly, she vanished in a blur of color, reappearing behind the Boulder in the same position. The Boulder paused in his assault, blinking in confusion as his prey disappeared right before his eyes.

As Tyra shifted up into a standing position, a jettison of blood sprayed out of the side of the Boulder's neck, coating the crowd on his left hand side as he stumbled to the right, collapsing against the bars of the cage.

Creaking, the bars bent grossly outwards then snapped as one, the Boulder's limp body smashing into the stands as the audience ducked out of the way to keep themselves from being crushed. Sasuke blinked in awe.

Wow. She didn't even need her weapons.

Tyra's left hand dripped in blood from the wrist down, a large majority of the liquid coating the limb's left hand side. A chunk of flesh lingered beneath her pinky nail. Her eyes sharp, she raised the hand to her mouth and slowly licked the outside of her hand, from wrist to pinky nail.

The announcer blinked in shock for a moment before he remembered that he had a job to do and raised the microphone to his lips.

"Amazing, ladies and gentlemen! Absolutely amazing! I'm pretty sure that's a new record here in these parts! Is there anybody courageous and stupid enough to challenge this new and upcoming star? Let them come forth and challenge her! There are more bets to be made!"

I would. Sasuke immediately thought. But I'd get killed. I'm too young. I don't know enough. He frowned. Besides, Zabuza would kill me.

As the body was carted off with great difficulty, Tyra scanned the crowd – half in excitement and half in challenge – and doing nothing to wipe the blood off her body. Was it just Sasuke's imagination, or did her hair seem a fiercer red now than compared to before the battle? There were murmurs in the crowd as people looked at each other and waited for an idiot to come forward.

"I do believe I shall."

A man in a bowler hat and faded gray suit and tie stepped forward, his brown mustache curled at the edges. He smiled pleasantly, taking off the checkered hat and bowing to Tyra.

"My lady, such beauty goes to waste in such a dreary place like this," he told her as the crowd went silent, his round wire-framed glasses flashing in the light. He was a little bit of a pudgy fellow, with carefully groomed beard and mustache and amused demeanor. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing. "But at the same time, I would rather see such frightening strength wrought upon the mongrels down below the surface instead of those above in the sunlight." He motioned to her in a sweeping gesture before replacing the hat, a cane hooked over the inside of his other elbow. "So you have my thanks."

Tyra's lips quirked up at the edges, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"And yet, if these creatures are so below you, why are you among them?" She asked curiously.

"I am here on vacation, my lady," the man replied simply. "On vacation, mongrel and royalty are the same to me."

"And we have a challenger ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer cried, walking over to the man as the crowd cheered. "What is your name, good sir?"

"My name is Mr. Knife," the man responded as he stepped into the ring in front of Tyra. He smiled, eyes on her. "But you may call me Jack."

With that, he reached into the sleeve of his suit, pulling out a wicked blade of gold and silver metals that curved wickedly at the tips, flashing wildly in the light as the twin blades conjoined at the same hilt. All doubt of the man's abilities vanished from Sasuke's mind at the sight. One didn't cart around a weapon like that without knowing how to wield it.

"Shall we?" Jack asked Tyra pleasantly as the broken cage lifted itself away from the ring. She gazed at his weapon, laughed, and kneeled, reaching into her boot.

"So we are to cross swords, are we?" She asked in amusement as she did so. "Mine isn't so fancy, but…" Pulling a long, angry machete out of her boot, she twirled it in her fingers and pointed it at Jack. "I'm sure it can cut you open just as easy."

She was armed the whole time. Sasuke thought – almost in relief. Of course.

"I am not worried about the easiness of the matter," Jack stated with a small smile. "If I thought defeating you would be simple, I wouldn't have wasted my time with you."

"Beautiful," Tyra breathed, her eyes alight. "We are in agreement then."

"Indeed."

"It looks like we have a fight on our hands ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer exclaimed as the crowd continued to yell out bets and money exchanged hands. "Looks like the combatants have agreed to the terms! LET'S HAVE A KNIFE FIGHT!"

The crowd cheered, and Sasuke watched in awe as the match began.


"Did you enjoy that, you little spy?"

Sasuke let out a small gasp as Tyra appeared in front of him, his eyes flickering back into black as he looked away. Reaching down, Tyra hefted him up by the arm and roughly shoved him out the door.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it!" Sasuke exclaimed as she continued to push him forward, making him stumble repeatedly as he fought to keep with her pace. "This place is boring! I followed you because I needed to! I-!"

"You're lucky nobody saw you, you idiot child!" Tyra hissed into his ear, gripping his upper arm and yanking him to her, pulling him up so she could lower her voice. "What were you thinking, with the eyes you have?"

With a huff, she released him, and Sasuke blinked at her in shock as she strode past him. The streets were quiet with the night still resting heavily upon the land.

"How did you know about my eyes?" He asked quietly, making Tyra turn to look at him. "Does that mean you've known who I am? All this time?"

Tyra gazed at him for a long moment before sighing and walking back over to him.

"You awoke because of Molly," she offered in explanation. She shrugged at him, turning to walk away again. "There isn't much I don't know about you anymore."

This made Sasuke feel incredibly, exceptionally vulnerable.

"That's not fair!" He exclaimed, chasing after her. "It's stupid that you know everything about me and I know nothing about you!"

"The world isn't fair, Sasuke," she stated dismissively.

"That's not an excuse!" He hissed. "Why is that everybody's fallback for not telling me stuff?!"

Tyra gazed at him for a moment as they kept walking. Sighing, she shook her head and stuck her hands in her pockets.

"My name is Tyra," she began simply, making Sasuke look up at her. "My charge's name is Molly. We are traveling to learn about the world. I was an only child. My mother died when I was young and my father abandoned me soon after. After he left, suffering and pain were the only things I knew. Sometimes I wonder how I managed to still get up each morning."

Sasuke blinked at her, his curiosity officially perked.

"Why did he leave you?" He asked. "He loved you, didn't he?"

"He said he did," Tyra replied softly as they drew nearer and nearer to the apartment complex. For the first time, Sasuke saw true emotion in her eyes as they darkened. "He told me that he was leaving to find us a better life, and to take care of things until he got back. He promised to come back, but…" she shrugged helplessly. "He didn't. He never returned. Everybody has told me that he's probably dead by now, but I don't believe that. My father… wasn't the type to just keel over and perish. He's out there somewhere. I'll find him. And I'll figure out what his problem was. Because for the life of me I can't figure out what I did wrong to make him leave."

"Maybe it wasn't you," Sasuke suggested, making Tyra raise an eyebrow at him. "Maybe it was him."

Tyra let out a bitter laugh.

"I doubt it," she breathed, looking away. "He was perfect." Her eyes shone in sadness as her voice lowered to just a whisper. "He was beautiful."

That struck Sasuke as a very, very odd thing to say, and as he raised an eyebrow at her paired with wide eyes she shook her head and thus the expression from her face.

"Anyway, that doesn't matter," she stated. "What matters is that you were a very bad boy and followed me to a place you shouldn't have. You can't do that again."

"Please, Tyra," Sasuke begged. "The only reason Haku and Zabuza brought me here was so that I could learn more techniques! But this place is so boring that's impossible! The underground is where I need to be! That will make this place worth it! Please, I have to keep going with you! If I'm with you they won't hurt me."

"You are not my responsibility," Tyra snapped in irritation as they stopped in front of the complex. "If you're so bored out of your mind that you start bleeding from the eyeballs that is not my problem-!"

"I'm sure Molly would disagree with you," Sasuke hissed coldly, making Tyra's jaw snap shut as she glared at him. "You woke up this monster within me. So yeah, it is your problem!"

Tyra was silent as she gazed angrily at him.

"Fine," she snarled, making Sasuke bite back a cheer. "But we're going to have to get you something to keep you a secret. Especially those eyes of yours." Eagerly, Sasuke nodded, and Tyra sighed in exasperation. "Be out here at two am tomorrow night and we'll get started."

"Yes ma'am!" Sasuke replied cheerfully, saluting as Tyra rolled her eyes and shook her head, turning away as he hopped off to his room. Sighing, she raised a hand to her face and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Oh, great Warrior, what have I done?" She breathed softly as the dawn began to break.

End Flashback Twenty-Seven – Sight

Is Jack Knife dead? Who knows?

But let's just assume that Tyra won the match.

Super-duper exciting stuff to be had in the next flashback! I promise!

But until then, onto present time!

Much love,

DDB