Disclaimer: Me no own.

Of Blades and Blood

Act I: Many Meetings

Four years have past, with her becoming the apprentice of the Fifth herself and Naruto's mysterious escape from Konoha.

Three since Naruto disappeared altogether, making him an S-rank missing-nin.

Two years since she has achieved the rank of Chuunin. Sakura looked at the years past in reminisce, idly wondering how all this could have happened within a short span of four years. But she quickly chided herself, and instead concentrated on the mission before her. Her eyes darted about the surrounding area, taking note of any possible locations in the numerous buildings where any enemy shinobi could conceal themselves for a surprise attack. Behind her was the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, the famous medical specialist, Tsunade, flanked by two special-Jounins on each side, including Neji Hyuuga who was recently promoted. The security was absurdly excessive but with the heavy tension of suspicion among the hidden villages veiling the continent, such measures were a necessity, especially so in a potentially dangerous village such as the hidden Stone.

"Sakura, is there any problem?" Tsunade asked her apprentice, who stopped abruptly. The girl scanned again, this time her eyes glowing as chakra empowered them. After several moments, she shook her head, her eyes returning to normal. "No, Tsunade-sama. It's safe to proceed." Tsunade nodded and continued walking with the group.

Strange, I feel a weird flow of chakra but I can't figure out where…no matter, it doesn't seem to be a threat, for the moment. She thought as her eyes flicked about, searching for the anomaly but nothing was found.

Much has changed during those last four years. But among all those changes, she wasn't the weak little girl like she used to be. This time she was competent, unlike those times where she was only a burden to bear. Her body had also grown, filling out expectantly in the desired places of developing teenager. She had also let her once short hair to grow out, eventually reaching her back. In all, the previous years made her a beautiful and talented kunoichi, and also an object of a male attention from her generation. But that was only on the surface, however. Emotionally, she was insecure. And even after so long a time, she hasn't gotten over Sasuke and still was very much in love with him, her feelings for him strengthening even though he betrayed the leaf. Now, he was seen to be with the Hidden Sound, serving as Orochimaru's personal guard. Over a slow time, her tears shed for him finally stopped but still she felt a great ache when she remembered.

Sasuke…why did you have to leave…? Her expression became pained, before it shifted into a cool mask of indifference. She tried to bury the feelings she had for him but it always came back in force, making her feel even more helpless than before. Worse still, her parents were killed a year ago during a mission; her loneliness growing as she lived as an orphan within an empty house. She and

But Tsunade noticed the look before it faded, and her features softened as her motherly instincts took over. She knew of Sakura's ongoing torment over the turn-coat Uchiha and felt sorry for the girl. The effect of Sasuke's actions had on Sakura were great but she knew that her pupil would be able to pull through this difficult phase. Tsunade saw the potential in Sakura to become a great medical shinobi but first she had to surpass the barrier that was Uchiha Sasuke, and thus she would cut Sakura some slack every time the pink-haired girl had that bitter expression, knowing that she still needed time to recover from her loss. However, that didn't mean she let up on Sakura's training, and Tsunade was proud to say that Sakura was getting better and better in her ninjutsu and taijutsu, not to mention her substantial skill in medical jutsu.

But the girl also trained hard on her free time. And it showed, by the way of Sakura's and the frequent resting of her eyes when she thought no one was looking.

She reached out to grab Sakura by the shoulder, startling the pink kunoichi. "Sakura, why don't you go on ahead to the hotel first? You're tired from the journey, and as far as I can see, you should rest." It was not true, but Tsunade needed some excuse to send her

"But, Tsunade-sama!-"

Tsunade waved a hand, stopping the girl. "Neji and the others would provide adequate protection until my meeting with the Tsuchikage is over, until then, feel free to wander about the city," Tsunade said, a reassuring smile on her face. "I am sure you will find something to do with your time. Later." Quickly, she walked off with her remaining escorts, leaving a silent Sakura alone on the crowded streets.

The hidden village of Stone was perched upon one of the many plateaus of the Earth country. For this, their agricultural produces were often one of the best, the mountain air contributing to its freshness. But one thing that Hidden stone village was known for, apart from their ninjas, was their simply delicious ramen no matter which stall you ate at.

And at one of those ramen stalls which littered the city's long streets, a grey cloaked man sat down, a sheathed sword dangling at his side. Silently, he gestured towards the menu for his desire meal.

"One pork ramen, coming right up!"

A steaming bowl of noodles soon appeared on the table, in front of the cloaked man. His face was partially hidden by the shadows of his hood, though blonde hair spilled forth from the hood. His lips set in a thin line, befitting that of a dangerous person. But the owner of the stall and his patrons did not know this and merely ignored the strange wanderer, for no one would question a paying customer.

"Hey, what kind of sword is that you got there?" One of the patrons asked, his eyes showing interest in the strangers weaponry as it was uncommon for anyone to own swords, since they were rendered almost obsolete by the skill and effectiveness of the shinobi caste.

"A reversed edged one." The blonde answered, as he ate, his left arm uselessly limp at his side. The guy next to him became confused. "Are you kidding? What type of swordsman are you to use such a blade?!"

The man stayed silent before turning towards the one who made the outburst. The man gulped as he felt inhuman eyes stare upon him. He stared down, afraid to see what sort of eyes the strange swordsman possessed. Reasoning that no man could possess such frightening eyes, he gathered the courage to look. And he saw contemptuous crimson eyes stare him down, as if challenging him to a fight. Finally, the stranger turned back to his food, much to the other man's relief.

"One that doesn't kill." The man grunted as he sipped the last of his soup. With that the hooded figure left the ramen stall.

Sasuke stared at the crowds of the Hidden Stone from above the building, feeling disgust for the simple-minded and aimless populace which walked the street. They knew nothing of suffering and pain, content to a lower sense of existence than those of the Ninja way. And for that, he truly hated and as much as he would hate to admit, envied them. He envy for their ability to continue to lead an ignorant life, oblivious to the events which would not affect but yet concern them.

The past four years have changed him, though much of it was positive. Positive in the fact that he was getting stronger everyday, unlike the times where he spent in Konoha dwindling his time by childish act. His strength has increased dramatically under the training and time spent in the Sound village, now equaling that to a special Jounin in terms of strength and techniques, and perhaps even more. He would soon be equal or exceeding to that of his wretched brother Itachi, which he was sure of. And soon he would be able to kill the one who has could him so much torment. However, he did not feel joy over the prospect as it would take away his purpose as an avenger for his mission would be complete. He had no idea of what he was going to do next, everything planned was in preparation for the day he would fight his brother and triumph. Aside from that, it was the only way to justify the immoral acts he committed in the quest to gain power to destroy his brother, because without it he just would become another replica of his brother; a power hungry madman. He would not end up like his brother that he would swear, even if it cost him his soul in the process.

But it was not the time to regret, for he could question himself as long as he want after he killed Itachi with his own hands, though some part of him wished he chose to stay within the beautiful village of Konoha; which was paradise compared to the dilapidated state of Sound. But under such deplorable conditions, Sound had managed to produce some of the best ninjas ever to be seen, making it easy to test his strength against Orochimaru's finest.

Like everyone else who has the curse seal, he is part of the elite group which accompanies Orochimaru wherever he goes. Acting as bodyguard to the Snake-sannin was detestable to say the least, but the amount of rare and powerful jutsus that Orochimaru offered in exchange was well worth the cost. He would obey the snake as long as he would stand to gain, even going as far as to kill his former friends in Konoha, should such a situation arise.

And here he was, acting as a bodyguard to Orochimaru, along with a dozen Sound-nins much older than he was, to the Hidden village of Stone to negotiate a possible alliance against Konoha. He had dismissed Sasuke from his guard duties, allowing him to roam the city for pleasure, and on a more subtle note, scout out any vulnerabilities to be exploited should the need arise. It was a clear sign of favorism but the other Sound-nins were indifferent, either not really caring or just waiting for the time is right to discredit him for their gain.

Sometimes, he missed the simple life when he was just a kid, where his only worries were that of passing his next examinations. But those simple times were over. They were over once Naruto showed him the strength that he must surpass. He never knew what had become of the blonde haired boy, only knowing that he has been out of sight for the past three years. Anything was possible during those years but Sasuke found it for Naruto to be still alive, especially with those Hunter-nins that were reportedly dispatched after him. He knew of the demon which Naruto kept contained, and the hate the older generation of Leaf-nins held towards him. Surely there was no way a genin like Naruto to survive being pursued by such high level shinobis through those years.

His thoughts turned to the other member of Team 7. The pink-haired girl which had confessed her love to him that night so long ago. He felt compelled to accept her offer to end his, and ultimately, her loneliness but duty towards his deceased relatives and parents stayed his desires. Any possible feelings that he would have felt for her were now rendered void, now all that he has to live for would be the slaying of his brother. He idly wondered what would become of them should he accept her proposal, but such thoughts were useless.The life of an avenger was cruel but he knew the consequences before he accepted.

Jumping from the roof, Sasuke landed into a deserted alleyway before he walked into the street as another face in the crowd.

He moved through the streets of Hidden Stone with particular haste, the grey mantle he wore blending him into the dull granite ground perfectly. Flitting through the crowds, his presence was barely registered by the ordinary people who strolled blindly. It was routine for him to leave cities as soon as he reached them, for he never knew when that man would appear, ever ready to find him and bring him back to the place of his birth. It would take him twenty minutes to reach the city's exit if all goes well, but knowing that the hunter-nins were ever present, it would take him much longer to exit the city unnoticed.

A sudden jolt of pain spread through his arm, eventually spreading to the other parts of his body. He took long and quick strides, his eyes searching desperately for a place where he could deal with his wound before pain overcame him. Turning into a deserted alley way, he backed against the wall for support, bracing himself for the torment that was to come Great pain coursed through his body, making him convulse violently as waves of blood red chakra ebbed from his body like a flowing river as he gripped his sword tightly. The torturous pain continued for several minutes before he finally slumped down, his ragged breathing slowly turning into a normal pace, his sword crashing to the ground as his grip loosened. He had learned to ignore the searing pain of his poisoned wound, but the effects they had on his body were unbearable. The price for his carelessness. He really hated the Akatsuki.

He winced as the pain came back, though it was considerably less compared to the previous moment. He placed a hand on his wounded arm, feeling more relaxed as his chakra healed his injuries. He pumped in more chakra to ensure that he would never have to go through that horrible pain again. As his wounds were healed, his eyes came upon the tattoo on his right hand. It has been four years since he chose his path, and in those years, he became strong.

He smiled as the fox tattoo pulsed, as it energized him with newfound strength.

Making sure his hood was still concealing his face, he walked back out into the streets with his sword in tow, mingling in the crowd as another wandering traveler.

Sasuke strode purposefully, his eyes scanning the area, taking note of the streets which led to the important parts of the city. While his Sharingan was not as powerful in observation like the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan, it could be used not only as a recording device for copying jutsu but also by storing information about a particular place.

As he passed by a shop, he saw the happy faces of a complete family, content with each other's company. He stopped, silently watching from afar. The sight stirred feelings within the lonely boy, which reminded him of things that he lost. The love that his parents showered him with, the carefree times where he would bother his cousins to play, all of these were stolen from him on that fateful night.

-"FATHER!!! MOTHER!!" He screamed, watching as their bodies lay still, dark red liquid flowing onto the floorboards. He ran to their sides, desperately shaking them as his tears flowed from his eyes. "Please, please, don't die…" His brother stood watching from the shadows, the triple marks of the Sharingan glowing with the color of blood.-

"Your not worth being killed, foolish brother."

"If you wish to kill me, develop hatred and grudges towards me…"

"And then…"

"Continue living pathetically."

He clenched his hands, his heart hardening to the joyful family in front of him and moved off. He will kill Itachi, even if it's the last thing he did.

Sakura wandered about, noting the various landmarks with little or no interest. She had been walking about aimlessly for almost three hours now. There was nothing really special in the city that took her attention, but rather she used the time to focus on her thoughts. For one, she felt angry that Tsunade was being too soft on her, knowing that her teacher gave her time off to sort her troubled feelings. But in her heart, she felt gratitude for her sensei's concern though she knew that she didn't need it. She had gotten over Sasuke Uchiha. Or that's what she hoped to believe.

She took a turn into the street, and then she bumped into somebody. Taking a breath to apologize, her eyes took a look at the boy. Dark eyes greeted her, a spark of familiarity running through those eyes. And she immediately recognized those mysterious dark eyes since she knew there was only one person who could own such gems.

Sasuke-kun…

He had grown taller, but that was to be expected of a growing boy. His hair style remained the same if not slightly longer. His face became more refined, giving him an arrogant air. But now he showed a look of shock, before it turned into indifference as always. Like last time. She felt her barriers crumbling as she gazed upon him after so long, her suppressed emotions running free from the hidden corners of her heart.

"Sasuke-kun, I-" She began to speak, wanting to tell him everything. Of how she missed him, about how much she loved him all this while, and about the ache he left in her heart. But she halted as the butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making her blush involuntary.

Those wonderful opal eyes stared at her, half-urging and half daring her to speak. She ignored her nervousness and pressed on, determined that nothing would prevent her from this. It was what she dreamt unconsciously every night, even though she didn't remember them. But she did, deep down where her heart hides.

"I love-"

"Don't say it." That stopped her, making the illusion disappear, leaving her to deal with the hurt that those emotions brought.

She stared at him with an unreadable expression, before turning away with downcast eyes. Sasuke looked away before he began to walk pass her. But a hand grasped his, and he turned to face Sakura once more.

"Come back with me," The girl pleaded, her jade orbs showing hope and sadness within. "Please." He looked into those eyes and almost agreed to her request to end both of their loneliness, before the harsh reality came crashing into him. He could never be with her, not until he killed Itachi And even then, he wasn't sure about a lot of things. Better to save her from the pain now. Gently, he shook her hand off from his, before regarding her in his eyes.

"I can't." He said, mustering as much hate as possible. "Move on with whatever you call a life."

He walked away, this time no hands came to stop him. He never once looked back, and even though his heart told him to, he never did. Sakura stood still as she watched him walk away a second time, and for the first time in many weeks, she cried. The tears flowing as the footsteps of a boy faded into the backdrop.

A/N: That's the end of Act I, folks! This chapter was more of a filler and introduction to the story and it touches on the relationship that Sakura and Sasuke have. For now, there may not be any pairings though I may make it a SakuSasu or a SakuNaru. I admit that there has been a certain lacking of action from Naruto's part, but I assure you all that he will appear in the next chapter. If you have any suggestions, please review and tell me about them, or if you wish, you can drop me a note at As always, if you like this story, please R&R!! Thank you all!

One Azn Dragon: I haven't decided on the pairings but rest assured, there WILL be no yaoi. I shudder to think otherwise. And don't worry, you will all find out about Naruto's powers soon enough! :P