O.o Nothing to say… Mind empty… Mind numb… Too many school works… Teachers no mercy… Principle from hell… O.o … HAAAAAAA! SOMEBODY SAVE ME!

Don't expect this to be a good chapter. It's kind of short. (-,-)

Declaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 3: The Mark

A day has passed and she has not seen or felt him. That should have been a good sign but it wasn't. He was planning something… but what could it be? Her heart fears the worst… his up to something. And all she can do is wait and see what happens next…

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Morning…

Three Genins from the Hidden Grass village were heading to the village of Konoha. Their reason was the same as all the other Genins- to take and pass the Chuunin selection exam. They were big and bulky; it was obvious that they were not rookies anymore.

Whoosh!

Slash!

Blood!

The three Genins lay on the ground, bloody and dead. The ground was slowly covering with their blood. He shivered in pleasure to see blood flowing so freely.

"Mmm…" He merely said, a sly smile on his lips. "Let's see how Konoha will react to this."

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Afternoon…

Konoha ANBUs looked about in the area for any other evidences to who might be the culprit of such a horrible murder. One ANBU observed the carcasses of the three murdered Genins. It was obvious that they were from the Hidden Grass Village judging from their forehead protectors. He grimaced under his masked; they were too covered in blood.

But there was more too it that than blood. Years of being an ANBU has thought him well in dead body examination. And it wasn't good.

A second ANBU approached him. He was much older than the first ANBU judging by his body size. "What is the status?" He asked monotonously.

The other ANBU shook his head, a bad sign. "There wasn't a struggle. If there was there would have been more blood." Both ANBU looked at the bodies. The three bodies lay on the ground bathing in their own blood. He continued. "There was a lot of blood due to their wounds. The slash wounds are all the same. Each has one big slash wound at the base of their stomach; it almost cut them in half."

"Anything else?"

The ANBU hesitated for a moment before giving in. "There's a mark."

"What mark?"

The wind blew and the scent of blood mixed with that of the trees. The first ANBU knelt down near one of the dead bodies and opened his shirt near its collar.

"What the!" 'This can't be.'

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Tsunade rubbed her temple as a headache was starting to throb to it. Looking at her desk made even worst. Piles and piles of paper work were waiting to be finished right in front of her. What wouldn't she right now for a bottle of warm Sake? "Why did I take this job in the first place?" She asked in a frustrated tone.

She was about to go on with the rest of the hard aching work when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. Right at the door stepped in a distress looking Shizune with a scroll in her hands.

"Shizune?" She asked with a voice of confusion.

"Tsunade-sama, we have a big problem!" Shizune said while getting nearer to the Hokage's desk. Her voice nervous and worried which made Tsunade feel the same.

"What is it?" She asked calmly, making a point to herself and hoping that it might be not that serious. But by the look on Shizune's face it was definitely serious.

"There had been killing on the North side near the border of the village." Tsunade's heart skipped a notch; she knew that the Chuunin Selection Exam is nearing.

"They were applicants for the Chuunin Exam." Shizune said. Tsunade's thoughts had been confirmed. Had somebod-y took the exam in their own hands before it had even started?

"Give me the details." Tsunade commanded. Shizune held up the scroll in her hands to Tsunade. The Fifth Hokage took it and opened it quickly. It was a report from ANBUs from the scene.

It told…

To the Fifth Hokage from the Captain of ANBU Squadron number 20, stating its report from earlier events:

Three Genins from the Hidden Grass Village are found dead near the North part of the Village border. They were already found dead on the spot and bathing in their own blood. Based on the investigation all three had the same slash wounds on the middle part of their body, almost cutting them in half. There wasn't a sign of struggle in the scene of the murder. A battle has not occurred. The killing had happened somewhere near 9 in the morning based on the condition of the bodies.

Above all, a certain mark has been found on the three bodies that of which I am requesting for the Fifth to immediately come to the Konoha Investigation Building for a personal conference. This is an important construction and must not be ignored.

Under the massage was a name written in Kanji printed in blood.

'A mark?' Tsunade face frowned even more. 'A mark from on all three bodies.' At the bottom of her stomach there was a strange feeling that was telling her that there's trouble ahead. On the Chuunin Selection Exam.

"Tsunade-sa-"

"Shizune I'll be going to the Konoha Investigation Building. You take care of some of the work while I'm gone." And without a second glance at Shizune the Fifth went out of the room, leaving eerie atmosphere.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune was left to stare in the empty doorway. She knew that something is going to happened during the Chuunin Exam and it wouldn't be good.

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The silence was unnerving. She didn't like the way the wind blew the leaves of the sakura tree outside the kitchen window. Since it wasn't March yet the tree had been in the shade of green by its leaves. Sakura lead out a sigh, maybe it was just paranoia she was feeling.

"Sakura dear, you're looking uneasy today. What's wrong? Is there a problem with the team?" Her mother, who looked like an older version of her, asked while doing their soon to be lunch. Sakura looked at her misty with misty eyes. Her mother was a middle aged woman with cherry red hair. Not exactly pink like hers but near to that. Sakura was almost the same height as her mother now. She was almost like her except for the eyes; her mother had almond brown eyes. She got the color of her eyes from her father. Together they were like a perfect family.

Yes, a perfect family. Just the way she wanted it to be.

"Sakura dear?" Her mother turned away from her cooking at her daughter not responding.

"Uh…? Oh, sorry mother. I was just thinking about something that's all." But she didn't smile nor looked at her mother while saying so.

Her mother made action to say more but…

"He's here." Sakura said in a hollow voice. Her mother remained silent yet she looked worried.

"He confronted me two days ago." The kitchen clock ticked a few seconds before her mother responded.

"Are… Are you sure it was him?" She asked in nervous tone.

"Yes." Sakura's eyes were covered with her bangs and her hands turned into fists. When her eyes did show from her bangs they were filled with mixed emotions: Fear, Worry and most of all ANGER! Her soft green eyes seemed to turn pure green in her anger. It was clear that she was more angry of the man than she feared him.

"Sakura, what are you planning to do?" Her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The young girl flinched but not due to the woman's touch but at the thought of battling that man. He is much too stronger than her. She gave off a deep sigh.

"I don't know." She admitted. "But we must be ready for anything his up to."

When Sakura looked out the window again the rain was pouring hard and the wind was battering the branches of the sakura tree quite harshly.

'I'll be like that sakura tree, battered by force stronger than me, unless I do something soon.'

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Tsunade rushed into the Konoha Investigation Building. It was raining cats and dogs outside and so she was a bit wet but she didn't care. What was in her mind was that certain mark the ANBU captain was referring to. She passed the doors of each hallway; she knew which one to take. The door at the very corner of the building. And that door was now in front of her. At the top of its frame it read in Kanji 'Dead Body Investigation Unit.'

She opened the door with a soft thud. And all eyes were on her. The assign people in the investigation unit, with their medical masked on and white uniform, looked at her with critical expressions.

"Hokage-sama." An ANBU without his masked on came to her. Tsunade thought that he must be the one who sent the report. "I'm grateful that you came." He said to her. The rest of the unit bowed in respect then went back to their work.

"Show me the mark?" Tsunade asked in a serious voice. The ANBU nodded and lead her the way to one of the bodies. He uncovered one of them from the plastic cover. And what lay before her almost made her hurl. The body was almost cut in half just like what the report had stated. Its clothes were soaked in blood. She gave a close eye on the spot of the slash cut. Already she made a conclusion that it wasn't done by a blade. The slash looked like it was torn up by something not of something thin and sharp but by something blunt yet sharp. 'Strange.' She thought.

"Hokage-sama, here's the mark." Tsunade snapped out of her reverie when the ANBU spoke. The ANBU slowly showed the mark on the body. As the piece of cloth from the body was taken away to show the mark Tsunade's eyes grew wide opened.

"Bu-But how… How could this happen?" She stuttered which made all the others stop from their work. 'This is impossible. They couldn't be back here. They don't have a reason to do so… not unless…'

"GET ME HARUNO SAKURA HERE RIGHT NOW!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. The others were shock but the ANBU looked like he understood the whole situation.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." And off he went.

Tsunade tried to calm herself down but the situation was getting dangerous.

'I just hopped that nothing horrible will happened and that my thoughts are wrong.' She continued to stare at the mark while the rain continued to pour.

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He saw the ANBU raced to the Haruno household amidst the strong pour of the rain. He chuckled, though he was soaking wet he didn't mind. It was giving him grate pleasure to see his plan working perfectly.

"Soon is coming my dear Kohana." He chuckled again. "Soon is coming indeed."

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A/N: Ha! How was that? Confusing isn't it. Don't worry in the coming chapters things will clear out soon.

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