Chapter 3: Demon in the Snow

The team spent the rest of the day hanging around the inn after the scare from the night before, Sasuke slept most of the day too since he was up all night. Around 7:00 it started to get dark, so Kakashi went up stairs to go wake up Sasuke, and then the team assembled down stairs.

"Alright, the only way into or out of this town is through the gates so, I figure if two people guard each gate they'll have no chance to escape." Kakashi explained.

"Good plan Kakashi sensei, so what are the teams?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I think the best teams would be you and Sasuke, and Naruto and I." Kakashi answered.

"Okay." Said Sakura.

"I'm fine with that." Naruto added.

Sasuke just gave a nod of approval and the teams headed towards their gates, Sasuke and Sakura took the entrance, while Kakashi and Naruto to the exit.

They began walking and Sakura trailed about two feet behind Sasuke, "Wow not only do I1get to defend this village from a killer and prove myself, but I also get to work with Sasuke! This day could not possibly get any better!" Sakura thought as she happily walked behind him.

They reached the gate and went outside of it to stand and watch. After an hour they both got tired of standing and decided to sit down, Sakura yawned and Sasuke stared off blankly into the distance. "Well, at least it's a clear night." Sakura said, since she was getting annoyed with the long silence. "It sure is cold though, you think I would have thought to wear something warmer."

She looked over at him, but he didn't say or do anything, it's like he wasn't even listening to her. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked. All of the sudden he stood up, and then leaned casually against the gate.

"Last night...I saw him." He said, closing his eyes.

"You saw who?" She questioned.

"The killer that's been going through this town, I got there before you all becaus I was up all night…waiting for him to come so I could kill him."

"But you don't even know these people or anything; you don't seem like the type of person to just defend anyone." She said, getting up and facing him.

"Your right I don't know them but I know what it's like to have everyone you know and love die right before your eyes."

At this Sakura backed off, she knew exactly what he was talking about…his brother. "So...what did he look like…this killer?" She asked, leaning up against the gate also.

He opened his eyes, looked at her for a minute, and then looked to the sky. "I couldn't really tell, it was too dark the only thing that I could make out of what he looked like were his eyes…they were…red."

"Do you think it could be!" Sakura said in a surprised voice.

"No…Itachi wouldn't sink this low, he's too smart to do something like this just to get to me." He told her.

Sakura just nodded and that gave her a bit more hope. "It wasn't really his eyes…it was more…the look he gave me…it was the exact look that Itachi gave me after he killed our parents."

"Oh." Was all Sakura could manage to get out. She slid down the gate, and sat back down again, "I'm sorry I asked."

"It's fine, you're probably the only person I would tell something like that anyways." She gave him a slight smile, and then looked out onto the road blankly.

All of the sudden Sasuke and Sakura heard a twig snap and they both quickly scanned the area for any sign of the enemy. Sasuke saw him first and quickly threw a shuriken into the trees, but it missed. Sakura looked in the direction the weapon was thrown and also saw him flee.

"So, this is what the village of Kohana has brought me, a bunch of kids to defend the city." Said a deep voice from the trees.

Sasuke and Sakura looked up in the direction of the voice and saw the killer standing in one of the trees. He looked quite young, and had short blond hair with two read streaks in it. He stood tall, and it looked like he was wearing some kind of white robe, he also had blood red eyes tha shot right through them.

But, his appearance isn't what struck them about him; it was what was under his right arm…Sheena. She looked like a doll just hanging there; she must have been knocked out.

"Let her go!" Yelled Sakura.

"Oh, so you think I'm just going to let her go without a fight? Foolish girl." Said the guy back.

Sakura gritted her teeth and glared at him. "By the way," He said, jumping down from the tree, "My name is Shuzaku." And he took a bow.

All of the sudden Sheena disappeared from his arm, "What did you do to her!" Sakura yelled.

"Don't worry you'll get her back if you defeat me, and that's a big if." He said with a snide remark.

Sakura had just about had it with him and quickly threw a shuriken at him, but he just side-stepped the blow.

Sakura then looked over to Sasuke hoping that he would have that look on his face that said, "Ha, you think you can defeat me? Well I've got news for you." But instead when she looked over he had his head down and she couldn't see his face. This worried her because if he wasn't going to do anything then she was on her own and defeat was immanent.

But this fight wasn't over yet, and Sasuke wasn't down and out just yet. Shuzaku was laughing hysterically at their attempts to damage him and Sakura was trying to quickly come up with a plan when something caught her eye to the left.

She looked over and realized that there was a sort of purple smoke emanating from Sasuke's body and she knew it was bad news. She had most definitely seen that smoke before and it meant trouble for Shuzaku and maybe even her.

"Oh no…Sasuke no this can't be happening, not again!" Sakura yelled in a failed attempt to snap him out of it. Shuzaku stopped his laughing rant for a minute to see what she was yelling about and he too saw the smoke, but had no idea what was going on.

Then the black markings started to appear first on his neck and then gradually started working their way down his body. Sakura knew she had to do something fast before he went crazy on Shuzaku and anyone else.

It was then that she remembered that last time this happened she hugged him and yelled for him to stop, so she decided to take that chance again. She ran over to him and threw her arms around his waist, "Please Sasuke don't do this again, you'll hurt yourself!" She yelled.

She looked at his face to see if it had any effect but before she could even get that far he threw her off him. She was flopped over on her stomach and from the force of the throw it felt like she had broken a few ribs.

"Stay out of the way Sakura this is my fight, it's between me and him." He said in a deep and scary voice that pierced through her ears.

"Oh so, you think that some stupid little technique that you can conjure up will stop me?" Shuzaku said with a confident look.

All of the sudden Sasuke disappeared, "No, but maybe this will." Said a voice from behind him. It was Sasuke, in this form he had a ton of speed, had managed to get behind Shuzaku, and put a kunai to his throat. In his fury and rage Sasuke quickly cut his throat and Shuzaku fell to the ground.

"Why…you could have killed me right now…why didn't you?" Shuzaku said, holding his throat and rasping for air.

"Because I want to see you suffer. You see, while I'm torturing you, you'll wish you were dead…but I won't kill you until I see you beg to die." Sasuke replied.

"Never, I'll never wish I were dead no matter how much you put me through."

"Fine then have it your way…and suffer the consequences." Sasuke said, and then grabbed a handful of Shuzaku's hair and lifted him up to eye level, "Get ready for pain."

Sakura was still lying on the ground about four feet away and was watching horrified. "Sasuke…" Was all she could manage to gasp out through her crushing lungs. She had to think of something fast before it was too late.

End Chapter 3

Shuzaku: Pronounced shoo-za-coo

Okay then here is the end of chapter three, and I know I left you on another cliff-hanger and I'm sorry covers head for incoming objects. I'm really sorry, but all will be solved in the next and final chapter of Bred to Kill ooohhh ahhhh exciting! Anyways, after this one I've got a Shikamaru x Temari one shot coming up so stay tuned!

Blue-mage 865