Beautiful Scars

Chapter 3

Flashback

Sakura stood in front of the Mioke house, a present in hand, the home looking like a small cottage in a fairy tale, the light from the sun shining behind the Mioke's household.

"Sakura-san!!"

A little girl ran straight towards Sakura, a small party hat in top of her straight , brown hair, her eyes glowing bright green with excitement..

"Happy Birthday, Nemiko!" Sakura held out the wrapped gift to Nemiko.

"Oh, Sakura-san, arigato! I am so glad that you came!"

Nemiko and Sakura were suddenly surrounded by the rest of the Mioke family.

"Welcome, Sakura-san." Mr. Mioke bowed respectively. Sakura bowed back, "Arigato Guismasta for the invitation for Nemiko's party.

Nemiko rolled her eyes as she grabbed Sakura's hand.

"Come on, Sakura-san! I was just about to blow out the candles!"

Later

"Open your gift, Nemiko." Mrs. Mioke quietly moved aside the cake-splattered dishes, and pushed Sakura's present in front of Nemiko. Nemiko took Sakura's present and tore it in a record speed. Nemiko opened up the cardboard box and pulled out a bear that has a pink bow that was tied around its neck. Nemiko gasped.

"Oh, Sakura-san…she so cute! Arigato!"

Nemiko ran around the dining room table and hugged Sakura around the waist. Nemiko sighed.

"I hope that this day never ends!"

Sakura smiled and placed her arms around the small girl.

End Flashback

Sakura stood in front of the now empty looking Mioke home, her eyes and senses searching for something, anything. Sakura went towards the front door and slowly opened it. Sakura looked at the surrounding room, (nothing had been touched since the medical team had come) looking for a clue to the murderer. Sakura's eyes went towards the broken window, the Mioke family's blood staining on the floor. Sakura turned her head, and looked at the living room.

Gulp

"I-I must go in there…"

Sakura closed her eyes and walked in. Sakura opened her eyes and looked at the outlines of the Mioke family. Coldness settled in her heart. Sakura looked around, her sadness frozen. Her eyes traveled at the floorboards when she saw something. A piece of cloth was lying underneath the sitting room. Sakura went over to the chair and pulled out the cloth. Sakura examined the cloth. It looked cut off, like it was cut by something extremely sharp. It was half white and half red, only the red was shaped in a small half circle. Sakura put the cloth to her mask and sniffed it. It smelled like snake.

"Orochimaru…" Sakura clenched the cloth in her hand. Sakura's eyes were narrowed and all she could see was red.

"..Teme..."

At the Edge of Konoha:

Sasuke had pulled a long black cloak that was so dark that if in the shadows, the person wearing the cloak would be invisible. As he put it on he leapt over the Konoha wall and landed gracefully onto the ground. Once on the ground, Sasuke red eyes opened and looked over the Konoha forest.

'Now…'

Sasuke took out the coordinates of the current location of the Specter Ninja.

'It's not far…'

Sasuke smirked as he did a few hand signs that made his chakra undetectable. Sasuke then started to run at full speed. A few short moments had passed when Sasuke was directly across the Specter Ninja's location, hiding in a small, dark alleyway. Suddenly, Sasuke detected a familiar chakra that he hadn't sensed in a very long time. It was coming down the path, quickly. Sasuke froze as he saw Naruto walk down the street.

"Naruto Uzamaki! Get your ASS OVER HERE! "

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto cringed as Ino ran up towards him.

"Naruto, where the hell is Sakura-chan!?!"

Ino grabbed Naruto by his jacket and shook him.

"I swear to god, Naruto…if you DON'T tell me…"

Naruto's head went back and forth and he tried to answer.

"Ino-chan…Stop…PLEASE!! Sakura-chan…went away…!"

Ino stopped shaking him and dropped him. Naruto groaned and felt sick. Sasuke snickered inside.

'Dobe…'

"Sakura went away for a while…she needed some time alone…"

Ino looked courious for an instant when her eyes widened a bit, relizong the reason for Sakura to leave.

"She went because of what happened…the assassination…"

Naruto stood up on his feet and nodded. Naruto suddenly stiffened. Sasuke crouched, but was thinking at the time, 'Sakura…assassination…NANI?'

Naruto twisted his head a bit, looking directly at where Sasuke was hidden.

"Naruto…what is it?" Ino's head came around to look where Naruto has looking at.

"N-nothing…Ino, I can't seem to find Hinata. Do you know where she is?"

Ino nodded, but was laughing her ass off inside.

'Naruto…you have fallen for Hinata…haven't you!'

"She is probably is at training. I need to go there to see if Shikamaru is there…" Ino blushed as she said his name. Naruto rolled his eyes, but made sure that Ino didn't see him, and pulled Ino into a run.

"BAKA! NOT SO FAST!"

Sasuke waited until he couldn't hear Naruto, Ino, or anyone coming that way or leaving that way. A strange sensation came over Sasuke as he thought about Sakura…

"W-what the…Sasuke…you're still weak, you teme…you are NOT worried about…her…Sakura was never…'

Sasuke remembered the last time he had seen eyes like Sakura's.

'That…girl…'

Sasuke shook his head in annoyance and looked up to see a window open in the second floor. He ran up the wall and jumped into the window, Kunai in hand. Nobody was there. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them.

'Sharingun…'

Instead of Sasuke's original color, Sasuke's eyes were now red with black swirls. Sensing no chakra in the room, he opened the door and walked into the apartment's hardwood floor.

The training grounds:

"Hinata's here, Naruto!"

Naruto looked over to wear Ino-san was pointing. Hinata Huyga was sparring against Neji Hyuga.

"Naruto…lets watch!"

Naruto nodded once, smiling. He loved to watch Hinata spar. Naruto thought back to when he was over at Sakura-chan's home, the uneasiness that had over come him, like someone was watching them. When Naruto looked around, he saw nothing, but all he knew was that it was not safe there.

'There was something there…I could feel it…'

Naruto shook his head in disgust.

'STOP IT…there was nothing there…'

Naruto looked back up at Hinata right before she blocked a punch from Neji. Hinata seemed extremely focused, but he didn't seem to see Hinata's eyes shine when she heard Ino's voice say Naruto's name, meaning that he was near there….watching her.

'Naruto-kun…'

"Ino, did you see that! Hinata is kicking Neji's ASS!!"

Neji rolled his eyes as he threw a punch at Hinata, whom had already found an opening and threw an open-hand punch, putting some chakra into the punch. Neji's eyes widened as he blocked it...barley. Naruto grinned and laughed as Ino looked shocked.

'Nani…this is Hinata? She has become stronger than before…'

Hinata then side stepped, moving one foot in front of the other and then suddenly disappeared. Neji's eyes narrowed then opened wide.

'N-nani?!!'

Just as suddenly as Hinata disappeared, a hand from behind knocked him bakewards, but as he was falling, Neji did a series of flips before landing in a crouch, breathing heavily. Naruto and Ino gasped in awe as they saw Hinata, standing where Neji was a moment ago, not breathing as hard a Neji was.

"Holy Shit…Hinata…you're amazing…!"

Hinata's face was already starting to blush when she heard Naruto-kun admire her newest technique. Neji stood up.

"Hinata-san, I think that this is enough training for today."

Hinata nodded and bowed to Neji.

"A-arigato Gusimasta, N-neji-sama."

'I'm so glad…you approve…Naruto-kun…you were watching me…'

Naruto ran to Hinata and opened his arms wide. Hinata found herself in a hug that was basically unbreakable. Hinata face turned into a red tomato.

"N-n-nar-rtuo…-k-kun…"

Ino smirked as she watched Naruto eyes widen and his face beginning to turn bright pink as he realized what he was doing and immediately let Hinata out of his arms. Naruto suddenly felt a loss. Naruto put his hands behind his head.

"Uh…uh…great job, Hinata-chan…heh-heh…!"

Neji just shook his head.

"...Baka…"

Ino chuckled and thought to herself, 'Oh Sakura…if only you were here to see this…'

The Forest near the Mioke home:

Sakura jumped from one branch to the next, moving quickly. Sakura felt cold and distant, her eyes were bright through her cat mask as she thought of Orochimaru. That thing that was not human or animal that stole something from her.

"You stole my friends and Sasuke…

…You will DIE!"

Sakura leapt from another branch when she felt an impossibly strong source of chakra nearby. Sakura immediately stopped her running, crouched and pulled out her Katana. A red cloak with clouds appeared in front of the tree where she was standing in. Red Sharingun eyes starring at the place where Sakura was crouching down.

"…You…No…"