Disclaimer:
I am a penniless student trying to get through hell aka college. You will not get anything from suing me. I do not own anything. (Maybe Neji?hehehhe). Maybe the plot and the original characters.
"…" speech
'…' thoughts
When the Snow Melts..
Chapter II
Kazumi
The cool wind brushed across her cloaked body, making the robe flutter against her body. It was the time she had waited for more than a year, when justice finally falls in her hands, so that she could exact it, so that her anger could be put to rest and guilt appeased. One way or another, it would be tonight. Only one of them will be left standing, only one will walk away breathing, only one will live to tell the tale.
The campsite came into view, there were huge tents standing in the area, a few lamps were lit, illuminating figures inside. Shikamaru estimated the number of people to be around fifteen at most.
"They are all class S criminals. We're outnumbered so we go for stealth, be as discrete as much as possible, especially you Naruto. If you see anyone with red hair, don't touch her, leave her to princess over here. We meet at our site four hours ago. If you are discovered, finish as many as you could. We do not take any prisoners. Questions?"
A slight swishing sound was heard, it was the mist nins who got rid of their robes.
"Didn't think they'll actually bother to get rid of it."
Naruto was speaking to Kiba who at the moment was at loss for words. The rest of them were. The kunoichi whom they mockingly called captain was standing under the pale moonlight, dressed in a black tunic, with a print of a silver fanged dragon circling the whole dress. Black spandex could be seen underneath, with a shuriken pouch on her left leg. Another small pouch was on her right, possibly for medicine. Her hair which looked a light shade of blue due to the light, it was in a messy bun, needles keeping it in place. What caught all their attention was the Konoha hitai-ite wrapped tightly on her right upper arm. A black tattoo could be seen above it, symbolizing the ANBU. The back of her hand had another tattoo, two ovals placed near each other. Her face however was still covered by her mask.
"Are we going or what?"
She was obviously unhappy with all the attention she was getting from the Konoha shinobi.
"You're ANBU!"
Kiba and Naruto spoke at the same time, staring disbelievingly at the female.
"Was."
She looked at Shikamaru who immediately snapped out of his thoughts.
"If you have no more questions. Commence."
They all disappeared in a puff of smoke, each going to a target.
Not a sound was heard in the camp as shadowy figures darted from tent to tent.
It was silent.
Too silent.
The shinobi traded looks of confusion, apparently, the camp was abandoned.
"Shit. They probably knew we were coming."
Shikamaru's fists were clenched tightly, shoulders slumped in annoyance.
He nodded at Naruto who was behind him, radiating displeasure. He obviously didn't find it funny like Shikamaru.
"We better signal the others, they probab-"
He was stopped in midsentence by the sound of a shrill whistle coming not far from where they were standing.
Naruto's face lit up, his boyish smile showing in his face
"Looks like the Mist hunter-nin have more luck than we do."
Shikamaru simply snorted and started heading towards the sound.
Standing under the dim sky was a figure dressed in a white sleeveless shirt. The Mist forehead protector gleamed from the moonlight but what grabbed their attention was the deep line drawn across the insignia.
And the bodies that lay strewn at her feet.
"Shit. What the hell happened here!"
Utter confusion was seen in Naruto's face while Shikamaru had more of a disgusted look.
The woman who they were talking about was face to face with the male mist nin who spoke a while ago.
"Been awhile, Akito. How is Tsubaki-sama. I hope she's doing great."
Her face looked innocent and friendly as she continued to gaze at him.
"Don't call me by my name traitor! How's mother! Miserable after what you did to oni-san. How could you do that to him? And what the hell did you do here!"
His hands were balled into fists, in an attempt to contain his anger.
She however, looked more amused as ever.
"I needed practice sweetie."
A malicious smile drawled on her face as she spoke the next words.
"Are you up for it? Aw, the little brother is going to avenge his brother."
Three icicles coming from behind Akito zoomed towards her, surprising her that it brushed the side of her face causing blood to ooze from the wound.
"No, but she will."
Akito looked behind him and promptly jumped off from the area.
"If it isn't Yukito's prized princess. Enjoying yourself with men? After all, Yukito is well.. Not here anymore."
Her laughter echoed into the night, giving off an ominous feeling.
The other woman, the leader of the Mist nin seemed to find the situation not at all amusing.
"You bitch. He's not here because you killed him."
"What are you going to do about it, princess? You couldn't even heal him at that time. Tsk Tsk.. You're probably dying from the guilt aren't you?"
The hunter nin's fists were clenched so hard, her knuckles were turning white. Beneath her mask, her lips formed to a sneer, each word she spoke was laced with venom.
"Still can't get over the fact that he didn't choose you, Kazumi? Don't be such a sore loser."
Kazumi's eyes glinted in the moonlight, hands forming hand seals as she prepared for an attack.
Five massive fireballs flew from every direction, towards an unmoving target. A swirl of water blocked them all, sending them flying towards the trees.
Not too faraway, Konoha shinobi circled the area, looking for other signs of life, having seen none, they turned towards the direction of a battle taking place, only to be repelled by what seemed like an invisible wall.
The Hyuuga prodigy activated his Byakugan once again, trying to discover what was blocking the way.
"It's a massive wall of rotating chakra that's enveloping the area."
He moved his head around, as if trying to look for something.
"There is no weak spot. We're going to have to wait until the caster tires out."
"We're going to be here for days if we wait it out. But it won't take that long. She will finish this."
All eyes were placed on the speaker, the hunter mist nin who first encountered Kazumi-Akito.
"Besides, if she didn't put up the justsu, they would probably destroy the whole forest. Especially if she plans to use that."
Everyone was deathly silent, waiting for him to continue speaking. Akito, whose eyes were fixed on the sapphire haired kunoichi, simply sighed and continued to watch in earnest.
'Onee-san. Ki o tsukete.'
The two women were currently facing each other, both looking at the other in an appraising manner.
"Seems like age has finally caught up with you Kazumi. You can't even get a single hit."
"I can't wait to wipe that smirk off your face, but before that, I'll get your mask first."
"You wish."
Once again, they jumped off, moving in a speed so fast that to the eyes of the observers, they looked like a blur of blue and red, swirling, clashing in the darkness.
A single hand moved quickly to form hand seals. Another grasped the hilt of a slender katana.
"saru-tora-ebi-ryu. Nan ju man koori no hari!"
Hundreds of thousands of small icicles flew in every direction, but all headed towards the red haired mukenin, whose hands launched into formations of hand seals in defense.
"uma-inu-ushi-saru. Kaze-"
"Osoi!"
Her katana moved to slash Kazumi in the abdomen, which missed by a hair width, however, she was not able to evade the rain of icicles closing in on her, she received cuts on her arms and legs, splashing her pure white shirt and slacks a deep scarlet.
Not at all contented, the hunter-nin sprang forward, fist aiming for the muke-nin's heart.
The target saw this and did a double flip, to get away as much as possible.
The azure haired shinobi's fist met only the dry earth beneath.
Cracks formed within a 10 meter radius before the ground crumbled, forming a 5 meter deep hole.
"You won't get away, Kazumi."
She moved her katana to block three kunai rushing towards her face.
"Why are you hiding Kazumi? You still haven't paid for what you've done."
Her brows knit in annoyance, rising when realization dawned.
"Shit."
Adrenaline pumped in her veins as she used all her strength to propel herself from the chasm she created.
After her feet touched the ground again, a loud explosion erupted from behind her, the place she stood not so long ago engulfed in flames. A kunai was pressed behind her head, the sharp blade poised to slash her head open.
Instead, it cut the thin strap holding her mask.
A soft thud resounded in the eerie silence as the mask fell on the ground.
Seeing a chance to flee, she threw a kick behind her before creating distance between them.
Her quick movement dislodged her hair, letting it flow freely to cascade at her back. It was the color of the summer sky, contrasting with the deep amethyst of her eyes. Some wayward strands covered her face, still hiding portions of it.
"You were saying? Well, it's nice to see your pretty face again. Such a shame that you're going to die."
A triumphant look was in her eyes; her lips were curved into a mocking smile.
"And I love what you did to your hair and eyes. But I can't call you by your adorable nickname.."
A surge of water was heading towards Kazumi which she evaded with ease.
Grabbing a senbon from her pack, the hunter-nin, twisted her hair into a bun, showing her pale face completely.
"How about you get rid of the genjustsu, princess? The wall is using your chakra as it is."
"How kind of you to point out."
With a sardonic grin on her face, the hunter-nin placed her hands in front of her, poised to form a hand seal.
"Kai."
The others could only watch in deafening silence as the genjutsu faded away.
As the color of the clear blue sky melted to the spring cherry blossoms.
As the color of amethyst changed to a striking emerald.
"Nice to see you again, Pinky."
The silence was broken when a loud voice shouted from the end of the field.
One word echoed in the night.
One name shattered it all.
"SAKURA!"
Notes:
So how was it? Drop a line, you know you want to..(ehehhehee)
If you still don't know who the female hunter nin is, I give up, hehe.
I hope the chapter answers some of your questions or clears up the confusion (if any)
If you're wondering, where the hell is Sasuke, he's alive, his part would be later. Besides, the spotlight is on Sakura-chan.
The pairing is definitely Sakura and Sasuke, but I still have to establish the plot.
There are curses here and there, well the fic is rated M so, there.
Vocabulary:
Ki o tsukete- take care
Kai- dispel
Osoi- late or slow
Nan ju man koori no hari- basically means hundreds of thousands of ice needles.
(yeah, lame, I know. I need someone to come up with jutsus..snicker)
To those who reviewed, thank you very much!
Arigatou gozaimasu!