Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
* * * * * *
Danger Lurks Beyond My Sight
Sakura looked down at the Konoha village from her vantage point atop the Hokage monument. The sun was setting already, casting its last fiery rays over the round wooden buildings and shops. The sounds of hammering, talking, and all around noise had faded with the day, casting a sleepy silence over the village. Even the artisans who had been working on the monument late into the afternoon had gone home, having completed their task of carving Tsunade's eyes into the cliff-face.
'Perhaps I should be getting home, too' thought Sakura as her tired emerald eyes stared blankly into the sunlight. With much effort, she managed to stand on her bruised and worn legs, pain screaming through her strained muscles. With a weary groan, she bent down and collected her scattered kunai, shuriken, and other assorted ninja weapons. Sakura turned, and began to stumble down the carved path that led to the bottom of the cliff.
'Maybe...' she thought suddenly, turning around to face the edge of the cliff, 'maybe just once more...' With a wide grin, Sakura walked back over to the edge of the cliff and closed her eyes, her hands held in front of her face in concentration. Suddenly, she seemed to step off the edge of the cliff.
The air currents rushed up at Sakura, blowing her hair straight up behind her as she walked down the front of the cliff. Despite her intense weariness from her extensive training, the feeling of the powerful breeze stirred something deep inside the girl. That was, aside from a means of practice, why she preferred to walk up and down the cliff instead of taking common paths. Her chakra control was near perfect for someone her age, and even some of the local jounins had trouble achieving what she had.
Sakura smiled tiredly as she landed back on horizontal ground, little remnants of the chakra in her feet stirring small clouds of dust beneath her. Stifling a yawn, the pink-haired girl trudged through the winding streets of town, thinking of what her mother had made for dinner that evening. So consumed in her thoughts, she was, that she didn't bother investigating the strange chakra that seemed to hover over the streets.
'Maybe she made chicken, that's always good... I hope she didn't make that spicy teriyaki...' Sakura rubbed her chin in thought, but her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh shit! It's already dark! Mom is going to kill me for being late!" The girl in red immediately quickened her pace, her teeth gritted and eyes wide as berated herself for not noticing the time. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Sakura!!! How could you let the time go by like that? Arg, this is so not good!" she muttered to herself as she ran through the streets. But, fate having its way, her legs suddenly gave out from beneath her, and she tumbled to the ground.
"Noooo!!!" she cried as she looked down at herself, her clothes now covered in dirt. However much she wanted to simply keep running home, though, her body would not permit much more movement, and in the end of her struggles, Sakura gave in and dragged herself to an alleyway between two old, run-down buildings and leaned against the wall.
"Mom's going to have my head," she mumbled angrily, half-heartedly brushing the dust off her dress. With a groan of displeasure, she leant back on the wall and closed her eyes. "Well, I'll just stay here until I get enough chakra back."
Sakura breathed deeply, concentrating on gaining chakra. Her attempts were going fairly well, until her concentration was suddenly broken by a strange chill in the air.
'What?' though Sakura, hugging her arms as the sudden chill swept over her skin. The air seemed empty, all warmth sucked out of it. The night no longer seemed beautiful, only barren and frightening. Sakura looked around in confusion.
"Where did the warmth go?" she asked no one imparticular, though she got an answer.
"Warmth evades my touch," said a low, colder-than-ice, scathing tone from the deeper shadows of the alley. The sound pierced Sakura's mind like tiny needles, sending more chills throughout her nerves. She squeezed her arms tighter in hopes of some warm relief as she answered, her eyes wide with fear.
"Who are you?" she hissed, her voice unwillingly trembling.
"Someone you will become very familiar with, Sakura-chan," replied the voice, and Sakura's mind seemed to break free of its icy fear. She stumbled backwards, towards the exit of the alleyway, nervous energy coursing through her muscles.
"Stay away!" she ordered, clumsily drawing a kunai from its string. "I'm warning you!" Her body trembled as she spoke, making her threat seem empty to even her.
"Now are you sure you want to hurt me?" asked the voice in a sickeningly sweet voice, and a hand reached out and grabbed Sakura's wrist, causing her to drop her weapon. Sakura stared down at the hand in horror, it was so hellishly frightening. It couldn't be described as pale, lord no, it was far beyond that- its hue was that of a dead thing. And only one thought ran through her mind at that moment...
'It is so cold!!!' her mind screamed in its panic. Sakura's breaths came short and raspy as she stood, paralyzed, in its grasp.
"Let me go!" she screamed suddenly, her logic returning to her. Surprisingly, the hand loosened its grip on her enough to so that she slipped away, staggering back into the streets. Sakura didn't even glance over her shoulder as she henceforth darted away, back to the warmth of her home.
"Soon, Sakura-chan, soon you will come to me," hissed the voice, amusement lingering in its tone as the warmth slowly returned to the night.
* * * * * *
Danger Lurks Beyond My Sight
Sakura looked down at the Konoha village from her vantage point atop the Hokage monument. The sun was setting already, casting its last fiery rays over the round wooden buildings and shops. The sounds of hammering, talking, and all around noise had faded with the day, casting a sleepy silence over the village. Even the artisans who had been working on the monument late into the afternoon had gone home, having completed their task of carving Tsunade's eyes into the cliff-face.
'Perhaps I should be getting home, too' thought Sakura as her tired emerald eyes stared blankly into the sunlight. With much effort, she managed to stand on her bruised and worn legs, pain screaming through her strained muscles. With a weary groan, she bent down and collected her scattered kunai, shuriken, and other assorted ninja weapons. Sakura turned, and began to stumble down the carved path that led to the bottom of the cliff.
'Maybe...' she thought suddenly, turning around to face the edge of the cliff, 'maybe just once more...' With a wide grin, Sakura walked back over to the edge of the cliff and closed her eyes, her hands held in front of her face in concentration. Suddenly, she seemed to step off the edge of the cliff.
The air currents rushed up at Sakura, blowing her hair straight up behind her as she walked down the front of the cliff. Despite her intense weariness from her extensive training, the feeling of the powerful breeze stirred something deep inside the girl. That was, aside from a means of practice, why she preferred to walk up and down the cliff instead of taking common paths. Her chakra control was near perfect for someone her age, and even some of the local jounins had trouble achieving what she had.
Sakura smiled tiredly as she landed back on horizontal ground, little remnants of the chakra in her feet stirring small clouds of dust beneath her. Stifling a yawn, the pink-haired girl trudged through the winding streets of town, thinking of what her mother had made for dinner that evening. So consumed in her thoughts, she was, that she didn't bother investigating the strange chakra that seemed to hover over the streets.
'Maybe she made chicken, that's always good... I hope she didn't make that spicy teriyaki...' Sakura rubbed her chin in thought, but her eyes suddenly widened. "Oh shit! It's already dark! Mom is going to kill me for being late!" The girl in red immediately quickened her pace, her teeth gritted and eyes wide as berated herself for not noticing the time. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Sakura!!! How could you let the time go by like that? Arg, this is so not good!" she muttered to herself as she ran through the streets. But, fate having its way, her legs suddenly gave out from beneath her, and she tumbled to the ground.
"Noooo!!!" she cried as she looked down at herself, her clothes now covered in dirt. However much she wanted to simply keep running home, though, her body would not permit much more movement, and in the end of her struggles, Sakura gave in and dragged herself to an alleyway between two old, run-down buildings and leaned against the wall.
"Mom's going to have my head," she mumbled angrily, half-heartedly brushing the dust off her dress. With a groan of displeasure, she leant back on the wall and closed her eyes. "Well, I'll just stay here until I get enough chakra back."
Sakura breathed deeply, concentrating on gaining chakra. Her attempts were going fairly well, until her concentration was suddenly broken by a strange chill in the air.
'What?' though Sakura, hugging her arms as the sudden chill swept over her skin. The air seemed empty, all warmth sucked out of it. The night no longer seemed beautiful, only barren and frightening. Sakura looked around in confusion.
"Where did the warmth go?" she asked no one imparticular, though she got an answer.
"Warmth evades my touch," said a low, colder-than-ice, scathing tone from the deeper shadows of the alley. The sound pierced Sakura's mind like tiny needles, sending more chills throughout her nerves. She squeezed her arms tighter in hopes of some warm relief as she answered, her eyes wide with fear.
"Who are you?" she hissed, her voice unwillingly trembling.
"Someone you will become very familiar with, Sakura-chan," replied the voice, and Sakura's mind seemed to break free of its icy fear. She stumbled backwards, towards the exit of the alleyway, nervous energy coursing through her muscles.
"Stay away!" she ordered, clumsily drawing a kunai from its string. "I'm warning you!" Her body trembled as she spoke, making her threat seem empty to even her.
"Now are you sure you want to hurt me?" asked the voice in a sickeningly sweet voice, and a hand reached out and grabbed Sakura's wrist, causing her to drop her weapon. Sakura stared down at the hand in horror, it was so hellishly frightening. It couldn't be described as pale, lord no, it was far beyond that- its hue was that of a dead thing. And only one thought ran through her mind at that moment...
'It is so cold!!!' her mind screamed in its panic. Sakura's breaths came short and raspy as she stood, paralyzed, in its grasp.
"Let me go!" she screamed suddenly, her logic returning to her. Surprisingly, the hand loosened its grip on her enough to so that she slipped away, staggering back into the streets. Sakura didn't even glance over her shoulder as she henceforth darted away, back to the warmth of her home.
"Soon, Sakura-chan, soon you will come to me," hissed the voice, amusement lingering in its tone as the warmth slowly returned to the night.