"Tainted Demon Eyes"
By Nes Mikel
Acknowledgment;
I herby acknowledge that the work of fiction presented here is for my own personal amusement and entertainment purposes alone. Most of the story, characters, place names and other etc stuff in this fiction are copyright Naruto, Kishimoto Masashi, Weekly Shounen Jump, and any others I might have forgot. Enjoy.
- Chapter Two -
"El Condor Pasa"
"Old man, fight me!" – Konohamaru
Okay, so a correction. Haruno Sakura's happiest day of her life wasn't the moment when she had received the Leaf forehead protector from Iruka-sensei (which was the day before), but rather, it was going to be tomorrow.
When she was officially to become a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.
At least, that's what she felt like when she woke up. Things went quickly downhill from there.
It was really controversial as to whether Sakura would really enjoy the forthcoming day – there were a couple of annoying procedures she had to go through. Scrolling her eyes down on the official-looking form she received yesterday from Iruka-sensei after their trip to the Ichiraku (she knew he was going to lecture her sooner or later about the fine points of being a shinobi), she read through what she needed and what was to be done in order to properly become a ninja.
First: To take a photo of yourself and attach it to the official document citing your profile.
Taking a photo.
That meant interacting between people.
Sakura didn't hate hate people. Rather, she only despised a few, but those few were the only ones that mattered. The cold, icy glares they had given her over the ages had naturally taken its effect as felt her resentment towards the village grow day by day. She tried to ignore that and acted cheerful and bratty as much as she could in front of everyone in order to put her mind at ease – she noticed her alter ego surfaced a lot when she did – but whenever she came home for the day, the cold truth always stared in her face: There was nothing for her in her house, no one to greet her, nothing to take comfort into. Before she or everyone else knew about it, she realized that she was slowly isolating herself. Her outrageous pranks and acts of mischief were becoming fewer and more far in-between. The village didn't take notice of this. Even if they did, they must've felt relief instead. And now that Sakura knew the truth about herself, she could guess what they were thinking:
Oh, the fox seemed to have calmed down a bit. Good grief.
Iruka was the person that saved her from the darkness. She owed him her life for that. If it weren't for Iruka, she would've probably run away for good to god knows where, until she would either die from simple starvation or turn her sadness into bitter hatred for all life. She was okay for now, now that she finally had a place to fall back into, but the truth still hurt. A lot.
Before the revelation, she didn't understand the reason why she was feeling so isolated and alone. But now that she did, her perspective on people changed almost immediately. She could now understand the reason why she was being treated the way she was, and it frightened her. She had mentally beaten herself up on what she was and what she had done to attract attention to herself. Her acts of mischief had only made her look even worse in a village that had a hostile attitude towards her. She didn't hate the village for hating her. In fact, she hated herself.
Sakura sometimes cursed herself for thinking too much. It only served her to make her more depressed than she already was, and today was not meant to be like that. In fact, she was happy – her dream had become a reality.
The trip to the photo shop didn't turn out to be bad than she had originally thought. She was thinking too much, after all. She was a small celebrity; almost everyone in the village knew who she was – whether it was because of the pranks or the nine-tails, she didn't know – but they didn't seem to hate her. They understood why she had acted out like she did sometimes, and a few felt sorry for her and gave her teasing and encouraging words. It really didn't look like they hated her.
Not all of them anyway.
Arriving at her destination, she immediately heard a bored voice when she slid open the store door. "Bah, it's you… don't cause trouble for us, okay?"
"Oh come on, you're still angry for messing around with your archives?" Sakura replied as cheerfully as she can, trying to conceal her gloom.
He didn't seem to take notice. "Don't try to pull that innocent look on me. So, whatcha here for today?"
Sakura smiled. She pointed her finger to the top of her head. She tilted her head forward a bit to offer him a better view. "See this?"
The middle-aged storekeeper narrowed his eyes. "No way… you actually did it?"
"Yup!"
"Crud… was the bet still on?"
"Want me to show you the documents to prove it?" There really weren't such documents, but the storeowner knew where she was getting at.
"Fine, fine, you win… I guess I owe you that much. How troublesome. Go to the room in the back, Sakura. I'll get the machine ready. Just don't knock over anything."
"Thank you, Nara-san." She waved at the annoyed man appreciatively before she hurried past the store counter back into the room. These were the people who had acknowledged her (even if it had to be done in the form of pranks), and it was what kept her going. She wasn't going to play pranks to the photo store owned by the Nara clan today. She was going to be a ninja soon, and she vowed to do better from now on.
Or at least she tried to anyway. In her hurry her arms brushed against a small wooden table, and something fell onto the floor in a loud crash.
"SAKURA!"
Dammit.
At least she tried.
Haruno Sakura
Ninja Registry Number 102607
Born October 10th, age 12
Genin of the Hidden Leaf Village
Profile: Hobbies – Reading, eating Dango.
The Third Hokage of the Hidden Leaf looked up from what must've been the thousandth document today, but this document held some particular importance. This simple piece of paper could be viewed as important as one's life, depending on how serious the person was with their job. It seemed to be in perfect order – save the rather short profile – but he noticed something rather interesting in the self-portrait photo pasted on the top-left hand corner of the document.
Looking rather miserable, the picture featured a frustrated looking Sakura with a huge bump on her on head. Putting the document back on the table, he looked at the kunoichi that was sitting on a chair not too far away. Sakura, looking down at her fists on her lap, was grumbling something about taking revenge on a particular lazy family man or something along those lines.
"Hm… interesting choice for a picture, I might say."
Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah well, I really didn't have any choice. Nara-san said that that'll be the only picture he'll take that I didn't have to pay for. Dammit, this wasn't in the bet."
He knew about the bet. The Hokage smiled to himself briefly before he spoke. "You sure you don't want to retake it?" he asked, leaning slightly forward. "This Ninja Registry lists all those in the village who are capable, so it should be an important document for you too. You don't exactly look like your best if you decide to go with this."
Looking bored, she tipped her chair slightly backwards. "Don't have much choice. Kind of broke at the moment anyway."
"Dango again, Sakura?"
Her gaze finally rested on him. Her eyes were slightly wide. "…How did you know?"
"I get complaints from Iruka all the time that you're making him broke from making him buy you all those sweets." The Hokage gave a heartily laugh. Sakura blushed at his outburst, eyes shying away.
It didn't go unnoticed. "Sakura, what's wrong? You don't seem to be your usual self today."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Knowing your personality, you would normally be coming back at me by now." Physically and/or verbally. the Hokage mentally added.
Sakura's eyes were focused to the ceiling as if that were the most interesting thing in the entire world. "Just tired." she replied softly.
The Hokage looked at her strangely for a second, but dismissed the thought aside. He nodded towards Sakura. "Okay, you can go. Be sure to be at the orientation tomorrow."
Within a moment's notice, all that was left behind in the room was an empty chair. A pang of guilt sounded in Hokage's wise heart.
Was it… perhaps, too much for her? He thought briefly as he sorted through his documents. Too busy with his thoughts and papers, he didn't notice another presence in the room until it revealed himself with a shout.
"Old man, fight me!"
If it weren't for the fact that his grandson tripped before he managed to throw the shuriken at him, the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf could have been dethroned by a mere six-year old.
Sakura didn't lie back in the room. She did feel tired, but not in the usual way. What she felt was a lack of enthusiasm, and a severe one at that. Soon, she would be assigned to her new duties, and be working full-time as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf. It was what she had strived for and worked hard over the years.
Now that she was here, she wasn't sure what she was going to do.
The Hokage she wanted to become was a goal to work forward to. She was quite determined at that, but that was when she was naïve. Now that she stood here in the plains of reality, she realized the folly in her ambitions. It was just a faraway dream, only obtainable by the truly gifted and the elite. She didn't believe that before; she had thought hard work would eventually pay off and prevail.
However, things were different now than before.
She knew the truth.
There is no way a demon like me could be the Hokage. Sakura thought.
Sighing inwardly, she decided now was a good time to take a walk in the woods. Even Iruka couldn't solve her problems now. It was all up to her. Sakura only hoped a solution was forthcoming, or at least some sort of distraction to take her mind off the disturbing thoughts.
"Listen, you are the grandson of the Third Hokage."
His tutor was going on with his philosophic ramblings again.
"I, your elite tutor, Ebisu, know best."
If such things were possible, Konohamaru wanted to take down both his tutor and his grandfather down at the same time in a ninja fight right now, but the boy knew that the only thing that will happen as a result was further humiliation. He wasn't going to fight now, not in the open like this anyway. Ninja employed stealth, and struck when his opponent least expected.
"You want to become the Fifth Hokage, right?"
Yes, Konohamaru wanted to be the Fifth Hokage. And he almost accomplished that too, if it weren't for the trap (although there was nothing, he still insisted) set in place that caused him to lose balance and fall. That girl the elderly man was interviewing just earlier – although he had no idea why – had distracted his grandfather enough to grant him a chance. Wait a second… where did he see her before?
"If you learn ninjutsu from me, becoming Hokage will be simple."
If it were so simple I would've been Hokage by now, stupid tutor. Konohamaru inwardly growled. Ignoring his teacher, his thoughts went back to the pink-haired girl. He was positive that he knew her from somewhere before. He just couldn't place it. The details were fuzzy, the information traveling slowly. He had a feeling she was somehow involved in the intruder incident just yesterday…
"Yes, learning from me is your best shortcut to becoming Hokage."
Then, as if a door was busted open before him, he suddenly remembered. That's right! She was the girl that defeated Grandpa and stole some scroll from him! He suddenly felt envious. She couldn't be more that six years older than him, and above all she was a girl! Yet… she was capable of defeating his Grandfather, while he, despite (what must've been) his twentieth attempt today, could not? To hell with listening into lectures, he was out of here. He must know the secret behind his Grandfather's defeat…
"Do you understand, young master?"
It took Ebisu a full thirty seconds to realize that his star-pupil was no longer in front of him.
Spotting a familiar figure atop the Hokage Mansion, Iruka changed his trajectory and landed silently behind his leader. It wasn't as if being silent wasn't going to change anything – the best ninja in the Leaf Village already knew that he was behind him.
"Hello, Iruka."
"Sorry, did I distract you?" the Academy teacher immediately apologized.
The Hokage shook his head sideways. "No, I was just smoking my pipe, enjoying the view. Care to join me?"
"I don't smoke, but gladly."
Iruka didn't look exactly at his best at the moment. Considering the damages he suffered from the hands of Mizuki he should've been in the hospital, but medical-nins in this Hidden Village could daily perform what could almost be considered miracles. He wasn't bleeding anymore from any of the wounds, and could move almost as efficiently as before, but the scars left behind still hurt considerably. The constant tug the bandages wrapped around all over him was annoying, but it would have to do until he completely healed. He was released from hospital, but was under strict orders from the medics to rest as much as he could for a week.
Yet, he came here.
Iruka followed the Hokage's gaze and looked at the Hokage monument. His eyes traveled from left to right, as the faces of the First, the Second, then the Third came into view. Iruka reverted back his gaze to the leader besides him for a moment.
Compared to the monument, he sure has aged…
"What was it that you wanted, Iruka?" the Hokage interrupted Iruka's thoughts.
He asked the question that has been nagging in his mind. "Did Sakura show up for the Ninja Registration?"
The answer was simple and quick. "Yes."
He immediately felt a weight lifted off from the shoulders. "Ah, that was a relief… she wasn't at her house, so I was worried." He emitted a small embarrassed laugh. "I lectured her at the Ichiraku yesterday, and all she could talk about was how 'cool' it'll be for a girl to become a great ninja, take the title of Hokage and then have the village acknowledge her strength…"
Iruka saw his leader's eyebrow rise. "She said that?"
He felt himself grow tense. "Yes, she did. Why, is there something wrong?"
A cold breeze passed through them. Iruka didn't like where the atmosphere of this conversation was heading. Something was definitely on his leader's mind that didn't bode well. Iruka couldn't help but think that Sakura was somehow involved in the mess of things.
He wasn't wrong. "Sakura's dream… may be impossible."
Iruka didn't know what to say. It wasn't long until he realized where his leader was getting at. In silence, he let the Hokage continue. "As you know… the only people that know that Sakura is the demon fox were the adults that fought it twelve years ago. I had made it a rule to never mention that fact, and I have severely punished those who have broken that rule."
"What does that have to do with Sakura's dream?" He had to ask, just in case he was proven wrong.
"The children of this generation don't know that truth. Hence, that is the only thing that Sakura has going for her… but…" the Hokage took a puff on his smoking pipe when he suddenly changed the topic. "Iruka, when the Fourth died performing the seal, do you know what his dying wish was?"
He wasn't aware of such a thing. "No."
"The Fourth sealed the nine-tails into the forehead of a new born baby girl, hoping to lock it away inside the innocent mind. Since then, Sakura had then become…" he paused slightly. "A container. A container of the nine-tails for the sake of this village."
He continued. "Unfortunately, most, if not all of the adults in this village don't see Sakura that way. They don't see her as an unfortunate girl who had lost her parents during the war, carrying a slightly bothersome commodity – no, they see her as the nine-tails demon itself. Not only that, but because of their attitude towards her, it's been passed down to the unknowing children as well." the Hokage paused slightly before adding another sentence. "It is truly, a pity."
Iruka was given a moment to ponder this. What the elder man said was true. Given the factoids of horrors that demon had spread forth twelve years ago, it's mere mention of its name still drove fear into many. Yet what if they were told that the demon was still alive, but instead living inside a person who lived in your own village? Just what will one think?
That person is the demon itself.
Resentment, hatred, and fear of the demon had grown in the village, and had slowly invaded into the clueless young's minds. It was almost a miracle that the truth remained hidden from Sakura and all the other children – until Mizuki had broken the forbidden boundaries – but it was just evidence that the fear of the nine-tails still lingered within everyone's mind.
What freighted everyone the most was the fear of the demon actually taking over Sakura's body – the fear further reinforced by the fact it was sealed inside her forehead, where it was close to her mind – and eventually fully transform itself back into its original form. Many thought it not likely, but there were a few that did think it was possible. They weren't wrong, as there was always the one in a million chance of the seal breaking, but their confidence in the Fourth was just as strong as the fear of the demon itself. So Sakura was rather, let's say, lucky in the fact that she never had any assassinations attempts on her life. Until yesterday.
Everyone knew that Sakura herself wasn't the demon. But the possibility was still there, as minimal as it could be. Everyone was weary of that, and therefore…
"Iruka, did you know?"
"What?"
"When a person hates and doesn't acknowledge another's existence… the eyes that they use when looking at them…"
The Hokage slowly turned to face Iruka with sad eyes.
"They are frighteningly cold…"
Sakura was usually not the one to surprise herself, but after aimlessly wandering around the dense woods, she eventually came to a small clearing where the memories still stung her heart. The first place she and her beloved Iruka-sensei had almost been killed.
Her mind went blank as her eyes took in the scenery. It hadn't changed – she didn't expect it otherwise, it only happened just yesterday after all. The dirt above the ground was slightly disturbed, testimony of the life and death struggle that had taken place recently. She found a few kunai in the small shack erected in the otherwise empty clearing, weapons courtesy of Mizuki.
Mizuki – oh how she hated that bastard.
Sakura didn't know what fate had store in for the traitor. When she and Iruka left here last night they had left a badly bruised, pulp-faced ninja who had cried himself into unconsciousness. She would've preferred to personally throw him in one of those horrible underground dungeons she remembered reading, but given the physical condition of her and her sensei it was hard to even drag themselves out of the woods. They had filed in a simple report to a nearby sentry and had gone to rest for the night. Sakura guessed that the ANBU squad had taken care of the evil man, and wished cruel punishment upon him. Sakura giggled to herself slightly when she remembered what she did to him… he wasn't going to have any children, that's for sure.
Her cheerful thoughts slowly came to a stop and depression sunk in once again. Choosing to poise herself in front of the trunk of a nearby tree, she sat there to rest. Her eyes darted back and forth across the clearing, recalling in vivid detail of the proceedings last night.
It hurt… so much…
A sudden rustling sound from the bushes dragged Sakura out of her daydreaming. Someone was here! Startled, she jumped up, and immediately reached for a kunai in her holster she always carried – but much to her dismay it wasn't there.
Shit, how could I forget…! Her inner-self cursed loudly at her. "Who's there?"
The sudden panic she felt left her as fast as it arrived. "Hehe, impressive to see though my hiding spot… you aren't bad." she heard the intruder chuckle lightly as he slowly revealed himself.
"You…" Sakura recognized the boy. If her memories were correct, it was the Third's grandson. The coup he had attempted daily on his grandfather was well known throughout the village, its rumors reaching the secluded Sakura's ears as well.
And above all, he was the Third's grandson. Everyone knew who he was. Or, to put it in a more precise way, everyone knew who the Third was.
Pausing slightly to catch his own breath, the boy opened the conversation. "Finally, found you!" he pointed his finger at her.
Arms crossed in front of her, she took a rather cautions step towards the boy. He was known for playing pranks too, although not as serious as the ones she herself had done in the past. One could never be too careful. "You were looking for me? What do you want? Did someone send you for me?" she quickly added the last part. Iruka-sensei could be looking for her again.
Konohamaru shook his head sideways vigorously. "No, no, I came here by myself."
His presence was annoying her already. She was tapping her feet on the ground, irritated. "What do you want?" I wanted to be alone, and this kid had to drag me out of my sorrows… why can't I be left alone now that I want to?
"Well…" twirling his two thumbs together, he avoided Sakura's demanding gaze. "I'm not sure how to ask… you are a girl after all."
His sexist comment had immediately pissed off Sakura's inner-self, as it suddenly surfaced. "What did you say? What, just because I'm a girl, does that make you superior than me? UGH! I hate male chauvinists like you!"
"What's a chauvinist?"
Sakura blinked once, taken aback by the unexpected comment. That's right. Sakura was dealing with a six-year old here, she didn't expect him to know complex vocabulary.
That didn't stop her from being angry, however.
"It means that you shouldn't try to piss this gender off." She cracked her knuckles, making sure the boy could hear the noise. "You want to try me?"
When Konohamaru had first spotted her, she looked so weak. She was mumbling to herself, looking around the clearing as if something tragic had happened here. If it weren't for the fact that this weak girl actually defeated his old man, he would've left her to her thoughts long ago. Even so, he was about to leave when she caught him.
He didn't expect that same girl to be bearing down in front of him with an almost visible aura of killer intent.
Scary…
The 'call a girl a girl' trick was something he enjoyed doing for some time. He didn't know why it was effective, but it was a major put-down for most members of the opposite gender. It usually put the bratty ones down and quieted them immediately. Moegi especially was a vulnerabletarget at this, and he would've said more means things about her if his best friend Udon didn't interfere.
In any case, Konohamaru didn't expect for someone to be pissed off so much just because he called her a girl. Above all, he never expected for a girl to be so scary. He could've sworn that her eyes had briefly turned red, and it was glittering with malice. He took a step back.
"S-sorry…"
"Sorry ain't gonna cut it kid." Sakura – that was her name – slowly approached him as she grabbed the collar of his shirt. He realized that he was being lifted off from the ground; his feet were no longer touching the dirt floor.
"Hah! You think you can punch me?" That's right, she's just a girl, she can't hurt me – she's just pretending! His confidence was boosted again when he reminded himself of his opinion. His jabbering didn't seem to work however, and she was slowly raising her fist in the air, preparing for a punch.
It left him no choice. He smiled weakly, as he tried once more."Go ahead, punch me! I'm the Third Hokage's grandson!"
It worked. He noticed the pink-haired girl flinch a little, and lowered her eyes. She was clearly hesitating now.
Konohamaru really didn't want to resort to mentioning his grandfather's name to get him out of situations like the one he was in. It made feel like he was a mere… a mere shadow of his grandfather. He hated himself for feeling that way, but he couldn't help but think it was true. The mere mention of his grandfather's name was proof enough.
Now that she knows who I am, she can't do it. Pfft… she's just the same as my tutor and everyone else.
Much to his surprise, he felt a fist connect, and Konohamaru felt a sharp jab of pain on his head.
"You think I give a damn?"
No way… she actually… punched me!
Konohamaru slowly fell onto the dirt as his mind when slightly black.
Sakura thought that she might've went too far by knocking him unconsciousness, but this brat just deserved to be punched. She didn't care if even if he were the grandson of some evil overlord that controlled the entire known world, she would've punched him regardless.
Another reason was because of the excuse he gave – and as far as excuses go the one he gave was pathetic. He was relying on not his strength, but someone else's to get him out of his troubled dilemma. He was just, simply put, a spoiled kid. Not only that, but Sakura was still angry for the elder Nara man to punch her in the head, and this was a little form of sweet revenge. Even if she had to take it out on someone who was completely uninvolved, she tasted the satisfaction.
In a way, however, Sakura envied Konohamaru. Even if he had to resort in bringing out his grandfather's name, the mention of him having a family had brought forth some hesitation in Sakura. That, however, resulted in fueling her anger further so she proceeded to punch him anyway.
Laying him carefully on a nearby log, Sakura jogged quickly to the nearby shack to investigate its contents. Much to her delight she found what she was looking for – two cans of drinks. Pressing the cold container light into the cheek of the young boy, he instantly woke up from the chill. "H-Huh? What?"
"Ah, you awake already?" she said annoyingly as she tossed him one of the drinks. "Here. Drink." Konohamaru was staring at her. She turned her back towards him, unable to tolerate his presence. "Just get out of here, and leave me alone."
"NO!" Yelling his denial was something she didn't expect out of him. "I… well, I'm sorry for the way I said it. You're really strong!"
"Huh?" she slowly turned around again, her depressing mood quickly dissipating. "Me?"
"Yeah, I didn't know girls could be really strong! Er… don't take it the wrong way," he quickly added as Sakura gave him another death glare. "It's my fault for judging you by appearance."
At least that's an improvement. "So what do you want then?" it was curiosity that had prompted her to ask the question.
The boy immediately brightened. "I want you to teach me the jutsu that defeated Grandpa!"
Sakura remembered what she had done to get her hands on the forbidden scroll, and a slight blush appeared in her cheeks. "You want me… to teach you the Sexy no Jutsu?"
"Whatever that is, yes!" he shouted. He sounded determined.
Sakura slowly shook her head sideways. "No."
"Why not?" he wined.
"It's… rather embarrassing." Her blush deepened. The Sexy no Jutsu was, now that Sakura thought about it, was a rather embarrassing Jutsu… no one wanted to be naked in front of strangers, and she was no exception. She could only afford to do that jutsu only because she had transformed herself into her (rather ideal-centered) adult form, and that much she could do because she wasn't an adult yet. However, that alone took a lot of courage, and didn't really want any leering men slobbering at her naked body – so she avoided being completely naked by placing some rather well placed smoke in front of the body parts that needed to be concealed. She had performed that jutsu in public only because it was an effective way of gathering attention to her. Even if it were the wrong forms of attention, that is.
Of course, it was going to be rather hard explaining all that to the bratty kid in front of her. "Come ON! I don't care!" Konohamaru insisted. "Just teach me so I can defeat grandpa!"
His show of determination had piqued her curiosity. Walking over to the fallen log he was standing by, she sat down next to Konohamaru. Flinging her hair over her shoulders, she turned to him and asked. "Why are you so insistent in going after your grandfather?"
She noticed that the boy's mood had turned somber. His determined face crumbled, and was replaced with a shy face. It took a while for him to respond. "I… it was grandpa that named me Konohamaru. I was named after the village, in hopes that I grow well as the village had."
Sipping her drink a little, Sakura nodded as she urged him to continue. "So? Isn't that a good thing?"
"No…" he said bitterly. "Even though everyone is familiar with that name… nobody ever calls me that. When everyone sees me or calls me, all they see is Hokage's grandson. Nobody sees me as me. I'm sick of that."
Nobody sees me as me… Sakura repeated the boy's words in her thoughts. His words had reminded her of what she was. Deep in her heart Sakura wanted to believe that she wasn't the demon fox, but the village had unfortunately thought otherwise – thus, the cold looks. The only glimmer of hope left within her was to believe that she only contained the nine-tails within, but was otherwise a perfectly normal teenage girl. It was something she was clinging onto desperately now, the only thing that kept her from falling completely into the painful darkness.
I am not the reincarnation of the nine tails demon fox… She decided right then.
I am Haruno Sakura!
"That is why…" Konohamaru continued, unaware of the new determination that rose within the female companion besides him. "That is why I want the Hokage name now."
His mention of the goal of becoming Hokage had touched a sensitive corner in Sakura's mind. She sneered as she replied to his words. "Hmph, idiot. Who will acknowledge a brat like you?"
Konohamaru stared at Sakura, looking confused. "Huh?
Sakura leaned back slightly, finishing her drink. "The title of the Hokage… it's not that easy to get. Especially to a punk like you."
She heard him growl in anger. "What did you say? Take it back!" He stood, his fists in ready position, preparing himself for a fight if need be.
Ignoring his threat, Sakura didn't move from her seating position. "Hell, if you want the name that much, then…"
"Then what?"
"Then you have to beat me to it!" Sakura declared, grinning widely as Konohamaru reacted the way she'd expected him to.
I am not the reincarnation of the nine tails demon fox…
I am Haruno Sakura! The future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf!
HELL YEAH!
Her inner-self was having the time of her life.
Looking through the glass sphere that saw through all, the Hokage silently reminded himself from refraining to observe personal events from afar too much. It was fast becoming a favorite hobby of his, watching over people like this. To be frank, it wasn't the best hobby. He was, after all, intruding into other people's personal lives, seeing things never meant for the other's eyes. Why, if he were to overextend its use, he could find many creative ways to…
He shook his head. It was uncharacteristic of him to think that way. Such thoughts should never come to intrude his mind in the first place. The Third Hokage had to use all of his willpower to resist the urge of turning the crystal's view of sight to the not-too-far away bathhouse, and instead focused it on a single young woman. He let himself mutter a sigh of relief once he was assured that Sakura's determination had been sown anew once again. He didn't expect his own grandson to be the catalyst in this joyous occasion, but for that he was proud of it.
Haruno Sakura was herself once more.
It didn't take long until Konohamaru's tutor Ebisu eventually found the pair just when Sakura had finished teaching Konohamaru the jutsu that defeated the Hokage before. Konohamaru had vowed his first victim to be Ebisu himself, as he performed that jutsu in front of him. The result was disappointing as his tutor's reaction was… well, just shock. But not the harsh nose bleeding which was the effect Konohamaru was undoubtedly expecting.
Outraged by the vulgar skill his pupil had just performed, Ebisu tried to drag him out of the clearing so he could 'fix' him, and isolate him from the bad 'influence' he had been hanging around with. This touched a nerve in Sakura, as she quickly performed the seal written in the forbidden scrolls: the seal for the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.
Ebisu didn't look too concerned. After all, he was an elite teacher, the best of the best. He had taught many hopeful Hokage candidates in the past, and thus his skills as a ninja was held in high regard. He confidently walked in the middle of the clearing as many Sakura's started to surround him. The tutor crouched down slightly, prepared for anything.
He wasn't however, prepared for what came next. The many Sakura's suddenly performed the Henge, as the many Sakura's transformed into…
Many beautiful, sexy, and naked women.
Dubbed the Harem no Jutsu, Ebisu was KO'ed instantly.
The Hokage shook his head in disbelief. Maybe looking at the bathhouse would've been better. He thought as he calmly wiped the small trickle of blood coming out of his nose.
"Dammit… dammit… I couldn't even defeat my tutor! Yet you…" Konohamaru stared at the heavily nose-bleeding Ebisu on the ground before he turned his envious eyes to the one responsible for crippling him. "Why is it so hard? I really want a name that people will acknowledge! Yet why…"
Sakura gave him a light slap on his cheek. "It's not so easy, dimwit." she said as Konohamaru rubbed the sour spot on his face. She kneeled in front of him, her right hand on his head, crumpling his hair. She enjoyed teasing him that way. Teasing someone – it was the only way that took her thoughts of the memories that had intruded her mind as she began her speech.
"What you want is the title of the Hokage, the greatest ninja in the village."
It means that you, Sakura, are the Nine Tailed Demon!
"With so many bad things…"
You were sealed up by the Hokage you admire and…
"I found myself lost."
Didn't you find it odd that everyone hated you?
"I finally found someone that would accept me, but…"
Congratulations… on graduating.
"Just that alone, was incredibly difficult."
Sakura smiled when she observed Konohamaru's reaction to her words. It was evident that he was thinking hard about it, and she decided to give him a small word of encouragement. "Hey, you know, you better prepare yourself." she began.
Distracted from his thoughts, Konohamaru looked at her, confused. "Prepare?"
"If you want an incredible name like the Hokage that everyone will acknowledge… there isn't going to be any shortcuts, even for me or you!"
Raising his eyebrows, then quickly turning his back against her, Konohamaru grumbled in protest. "Bah! Stop lecturing me as if you're important. I'm not letting you be my boss anymore! From now on…" Konohamaru turned his head towards her slightly, one eye visible. "We're rivals. And I don't care if you're a girl!" he declared. "You're still my rival."
This time, being called a girl didn't piss Sakura off. Instead, she smiled as sweetly as she could and gave him a pat on his shoulder.
"I'll be looking forward to it… Konohamaru."
Without an ounce of hesitation this time around, Sakura could confidently say that she was indeed looking forward to the next day now.
Tomorrow, the path to her dream will begin.
The Way to the True Ninja is still far away… but know this.
Dreams are never impossible.
- The Third Hokage
-
Tainted Demon Eyes
- Chapter Two -
"El Condor Pasa"
-END-
Author's Notes:
Ack, hasty ending… I went brain-dead. So sorry…
Mmm… mixed reactions from the first chapter, mostly negative. Oh well (shrug), I guess that was to be expected. For those who actually had the patience to read through this second chapter after reading the first, you have my thanks! I sincerely hope that my effort in introducing gradual change was more evident in this chapter, instead of being a straightforward narrative rip-off that was voiced by many of you in the first. Change is going to be slow, but it will come. Hope this chapter proves that, and eventually shape up into a good fic in the coming chapters. At least, that's what I hope to accomplish.
Reviews, comments, criticism, always welcome. Keep them coming! I really didn't expect so many for the first (although I guess it's because I'm leaving myself open to criticism because of what I have done. Oh well ), and well… what can I say otherwise? Many thanks!
Well, that's it for now. Until the next chapter!
- Nes Mikel
(Chapter Format Revised, 01/15/06)
Japanese Word Translations in Chapter Two (in order of appearance):
sensei – teacher
ninja – a member of a class of 14th-century Japanese mercenary agents who were trained in the martial arts and hired for covert operations such as assassination and sabotage. Note that the ninja's in this fic is not based off real life, but based off the ninja's in "Naruto"
ichiraku – a ramen stand in "Naruto". Literal translation is "easy one". I think. Could be wrong.
shinobi – literal translation is "those who stealth". Another word for ninjas.
san – the closest translation will have to be "Mister". Attached after a name, it is a way of calling people who are older than you or out of respect.
genin – novice-class ninjas on the ninja hierarchy.
dango – a traditional Japanese sweet/snack. Packed full of stuff called 'anko', which I'm not exactly sure what it's made out of.
hokage – literal translation is "shadow of fire". Title given to the leaders of the Hidden Leaf.
kunoichi – female ninjas. Literal translation is "nine is one." If one combines the three kanji's (one of the three types of the Japanese alphabet) that make up the word kunoichi, it becomes another kanji that means "woman".
shuriken – its shape and size can vary widely, but it is usually a small, star -shaped, quadruple-bladed throwing weapon used by ninjas.
ninjutsu – literal translation is "ninja technique". In "Naruto", these are the techniques used by ninjas that require the use of chakra that does physical damage.
medical-nin – ninjas trained in the way of medicine and health. Think of them as battlefield doctors.
kunai – small, metallic daggers used by ninjas. Can be used as both melee and throwing weapons.
anbu – literal translation: "dark squad". In "Naruto" these are elite ninja squads that accomplish the most dangerous missions such as assassinations.
jutsu – technique
sexy no jutsu – sexy (seduction) technique. Sexy and Naked lady appears in front of you. A one shot KO technique to most men.
kage bunshin no jutsu – literal translation is "shadow replication (clone) technique". Create clones, which are actually real physical bodies. Disappears when hit.
henge – could mean "transformation" or "metamorphosis". Most go with "transformation".
harem no jutsu – harem technique. Lots of Sexy and Naked ladies surround you as far as the eye could see. If the Sexy no Jutsu doesn't work, usually this one will.
Review Replies (aka – the Cleanup/Explanations/Excuses corner):
dark – Thanks, will do.
EfrainMan – I hope for both my sake and yours this chapter proves that it's going to be a different story. I'm really trying my best to break from the original plotline, and it's slowly come to focus. But I just couldn't mess up the good intro.
Licht Sieger – About the personality; if you read carefully she's a little bit shyer, although the change incorporated was so minimal I guess it's easy to miss. As for Sakura turning out into a depressive loner… well, she can be, as this chapter shows.
Tsuragi – Thank you. Yes, I know the similarities between her and the blond-haired hyperactive kid. I will do my best to break that as the story progresses. No, Naruto won't have parents. No, Sasuke won't be cold as he is (gasp!). No, Naruto won't know Kage Bunshin… it is a skill written on a forbidden scroll after all (which makes me curious as to why so many people know the skill). But he won't be like Sakura in the original, I can tell you that.
Miko-chan – AU fics tend to lack originality, especially in the beginning where the change slowly takes place as it breaks off from the original fic. The plan I had was to keep the beginnings similar but slowly develop into something else entirely so it becomes much more believable. As for Sakura's parents' issue: in the manga, Sakura only makes reference to them, and in the anime we only hear her mother off-screen. Henceforth, I am going to assume she has no father, and her mother died at childbirth for the sake of avoiding complex family issues. (I'm a terrible author ) Also, just because Naruto will have no parents in this fic doesn't mean he'll turn out to be a troublemaker. Look at Sasuke. You'll see what I mean soon.
WS.Blue – Different characters might react to different situations; you're absolutely right. However, given that fact that I gave Sakura a complete identical past and upbringing as Naruto in this fic, it shouldn't be that surprising they grew up the same way even if she is a girl. Also, I think that Sakura isn't that much different than Naruto personality wise – if you compare Sakura's inner-self personality, that is. In this fic Sakura's inner-self personality is more strongly represented than in the manga/anime. Hope that satisfies your fic-reading curiosity.
Jingle Bells – As for the pairings, I'm still trying to work that out. It shall be… interesting.
Grand Admiral Gin – Soon, you shall. Soon.
GenocideHeart – Hm, not to butt in or anything but are you sure the "Hokage" means "Shadow King"? I mean, "Ho" is an alternate pronunciation of "Fire" and "Kage" is "Shadow", therefore the "Hokage" is the "Shadow of Fire". This makes sense when you consider the other Kage's names; Kazekage, Tsuchikage, Mizukage, and Raikage, which translate to "Shadow of Wind", "Shadow of Earth", "Shadow of Water", and "Shadow of Thunder". If "Hokage" does indeed mean "Shadow King" then what will the other Kage's translate to? As to your suggestion of reassigning teams, I considered it, but for the story's sake Naruto has to be in Sakura's team, so the only logical choice for the last member will be Sasuke. I will, however, toy with the idea of rearranging other people's teams… as for Haku and Zabuza, I have no idea at this point.
Kokoro Kakera HP – Much thanks.
Busogre – The latter (yes, this story will go in a different direction). No, Naruto isn't gone. And yes, in this story Naruto is the son of the Fourth Hokage, and he knows about it. I understand how there are many die-hard fans of Naruto out there, so I will not try to disappoint. Just keep in mind that Sakura is the main character here… but Naruto will play an important role.
KevinEC – I guess I did deserve the harsh comment, but I accept it with thanks. True, I should've altered more things here and there to make the story much more, well, unique so it is more original (I'm guilty of that in a couple of other fics I've written). However, I believe that the coming change in development will redeem myself from that mistake. It is the only thing I can do to undo similarities, now that the first chapter has been posted and the damage done.
(blank) – Parings are undecided. Not a major factor in this fic anyway – some people center their stories too much on pairings, so… yeah.
RuByMoOn17 – Hahah, I guess you can say that.
Darak – Here's the second chapter. Enjoy.
Xetirox – Thanks for the comment on my writing skills. Hopefully this chapter proves that I do have some originality left in me. I promise, this is only the beginning, and the developments will be forthcoming. It's just that I have a lot of material I have to go through before the AU becomes really apparent.
Iibaru – Naruto does indeed exist in this fic. As to why Sakura was chosen as a container for the nine-tails fox, explanations are coming in the latter chapters. Don't expect everything to be explained all in one go. I have kept her character as much as I could, as it is much more apparent in this chapter, but given the fact that I have given Sakura the exact same past as Naruto it shouldn't be that surprising there are many similarities. Hope this chapter makes it more exciting for you.