The first thing Sakura did in her new life was enter the place – more cottage than actual house – that Aki had lived in. The back of her mind was already racing through thoughts about what had just happened, and had realized that Kakashi must have known just what would take place if she said yes. That information only connected with the part of her mind that was still in a daze long enough to communicate that it would be a good idea to visit her sensei and ask him about everything.

"Yeah, everything," she mumbled, gazing at the nearly empty kitchen area. It wasn't as if she just needed to know how Kakashi knew about the demon, or what, but also how her life was going to change now, if she was going to go up in flames as well, and what it meant for her life as a ninja to no longer be human.

"Are you really willing to give it all up? Surely he told you that the price was great."

Sakura shook her head and headed into the bedroom, pausing to study the drawings adorning the hallway. Each one depicted the same man, although his garments and surroundings changed. Sakura leaned closer to read the name on one. Sonoda Aki. She smiled, suddenly wondering if being a demon would make her an artist as well.

At last, in the bedroom, she found something that might pertain to her new life: a diary. Hopefully, Sakura opened it only to cry out in frustration. The book was half-full of writing, but it was extremely faded and in a form of writing unfamiliar to her. Towards the end the writing became closer to what she knew though, and she found that the last few pages were easy to read. Hopes rising once again, she bent over to read in the failing light.

Sonoda Aki, Year Twenty-eight after Turning

I'm sorry if you're reading this because I turned you without telling you anything. My creator also told me nothing, although hopefully unlike him I did at least warn you somewhat. I only found this book two days ago after searching for something like it for years and so it is of no help to me, but hopefully you've found this soon enough that you'll have some use for it.  The writing's difficult for me to read though, and I can only imagine what it will be like for you. To make up for that and whatever I've done, I'll attempt to explain what I can to you in this.

You are a demon. If your mind is trying to tell you otherwise, then make it stop, because denial will only make this harder for you. To become this way, you gave up your humanity to me, causing me to revert back to how I was – a normal human, just like you were not so long ago. That's not to say that you'll begin acting like what you most likely know a demon to be. Rather, your habits like what you eat and when you sleep will change. I can't say exactly how they'll change, as that's something you'll need to discover for yourself, but they will. No other demon that's written in this book has mentioned it, although clues are left, and I will be no different. However, I will suggest you keep a diary, in here if you wish, of how you feel on different days and the factors that change those feelings.

Sakura scowled. What good was the book if it didn't tell her what was to change now that she was a demon? She touched her lips again, gently feeling the cracked flesh. Still, it wasn't as if she were clueless. Somehow the kiss had transferred some knowledge over. She would be stronger, with senses heightened far above what she was used to. It would take time as well – perhaps as much as years before she was at her best. Most of all, she knew her life would become extremely lonely, though she didn't know why. Sakura read on, hoping to find the answer to that question at least.

There is a man who can help you – his name is Hatake Kakashi. He lives in the HiddenVillage of Konoha. He will take you in if you can find no other place to stay. If you cannot find him, I would suggest staying alone for reasons you will discover as soon as you come within shouting distance of other humans. Look at that – all these years, and I still refer to them as 'other humans' as if we were a part of the same race. It's probably best that way though, as people don't normally take well to demons.

I've searched for others like us, and though there are none exactly like us, there are other people who either are demons or contain them. Such people are extremely rare though, and often dangerous. As for demons that remain uncontained and have no human form, the Kyuubi is most prominent. Fear him as if you were human if he remains unchecked, for he will kill you no differently than he would one of them.

I guess there's not much more to say now. Whoever you are, I'm sorry for what I've done to you, but I know I'll have to do it to someone. You just happened to be the unlucky one. Our strength does falter with our will to live, and we continue the line of demons on, if for no other reason than the sake of continuality. Think of this as belonging to a clan. No matter – if your experience is anything like mine, you'll discover that you must do to another as I've done to you through your own struggles. Remember though – this is not entirely a curse. Your strength will be enhanced, as will many other abilities. Most importantly, you will live as long as it takes you to create another. This will undoubtedly bring you many who would wish for this sort of life if you allow others to discover you, but it will also allow you more time to do whatever you might have wanted to do with your life.

Good luck with your new life. I pray you be successful in whatever you attempt.

Sakura scanned the pages again, but they still told her nothing but what she already knew – that she must return to Konoha and Kakashi. Biting her lip, she glanced at the rest of the room. Various weapons hung on the wall, but even from where she was sitting, she could tell that they were just for show. Not one of them was the least bit sharp, and no scent of blood came off them. She blinked, retracing her thoughts. "Scent of blood? Sakura, these things could be hundreds of years old – how would you know if they'd ever been near blood?" she asked herself impatiently. This wasn't the time to begin going insane. Inner Sakura didn't know anymore than she did, though was quick to point out that Aki had at least looked insane as well. "Great."

The rest of the house proved no more fruitful than the kitchen and bedroom, making Sakura wonder if Aki had actually lived in it. More than once the idea that Kakashi and Aki had planned the "assassination" together flitted through her mind, although for sanity's sake she quickly pushed it away.

Finally Sakura realized that the residence held nothing more for her, and with only the book and her original supplies, she set off for Konoha. It had taken her three days to reach the demon's home; now that she knew the way it should take a bit less time. Pushing all the confusing thoughts to the back of her mind for Inner Sakura to deal with, Sakura allowed herself to drift back into a sort of daze, only coming truly awake to check landmarks against her memory. In this way, it was only Inner Sakura who noticed that the speed she was going was much more like Sasuke or Lee's than her own.

In Sakura's subconscious, Inner Sakura was making other connections and discoveries as well. From the wording of the diary entry and the events of the day, it seemed that she would live as long as it took to create another, but no more. After a certain amount of thinking, this began to make sense, although it left many questions. After all, if making another did nothing but return one to the way they were as a human, would she not die if she didn't wait until her body would have been dead anyway? If that were true, she could stop being a demon any time within the next eighty years without any consequence.

Another question, one Inner Sakura passed up into the conscious, was more important: could she die from anything else? After all, if she ended up decapitated somehow, it didn't make sense that she could just heal herself.

Hopefully, she wouldn't have to find the answer to that one.

Sakura woke out of her trance as the sun began to set. It was about time she should start looking for a place to spend the night – she hadn't had that luxury on the way to her mission, but on the return trip she could afford to take the extra time. Frowning, she glanced around, checking her surroundings. For some reason they looked more familiar than they should after passing through once. She continued to look, head darting back and forth, until she realized it. This was the area just outside Konoha village. Brow furrowed, she leaped down from the trees she had been jumping through and looked down at herself. There was a light sheen of sweat covering her body, and a good amount of blood on her clothing, but no more. She wasn't even tired. Confused, she walked in through the gates and headed home.

"Sakura! You're back! How was your mission?"

Sakura's head jerked up at the sound of her name. Ino. "I went fine. She did most of the work herself," she exclaimed cheerfully. She left out that she hadn't really killed Aki, rather just provided the demon a way to die. "How've things been here?" Her stomach growled, reminding that she hadn't eaten yet that day.

Ino grinned, draping an arm around Sakura's shoulder. "Fine. I think Choji might be right though."

"About what?" asked Sakura. Clearly Choji had said something that should be common knowledge, but Sakura hadn't been paying attention to rumors in the time before her mission. She had spent most of her time worrying about Sasuke and Naruto.

Ino blinked. "About Shikamaru liking me, of course." She shook her head. "He's not so bad – if he asks me out I think I might say yes."

Sakura nodded slowly. Now that she thought about it, she had heard her mom talking about something like that. "Hey, Ino. Kakashi-sensei hasn't had any missions recently, has he?" Something wasn't right – her senses were suddenly focusing on Ino with startling intensity. She licked her lips.

"No . . . oh yeah! That's right! I was supposed to tell you to go see him when you got back," Ino said happily, still thinking about Shikamaru. "Hey Sakura. . . ." She froze, arm still hanging in mid-air. Sakura was gone.

Author's Note: Ummm… don't have much of one, except to say that I won't be giving titles to my chapters. It just doesn't feel right for me and hey – that's the main person I'm writing to, right? Anyway, I hope this chapter meets the standard I apparently set with the first one.