Third chapter. Here ya go.

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Edited as of: March 12, 2014

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It was dark. Very dark. Like, pitch black dark. There wasn't any source of light. Just blank nothingness. It was disconcerting. For a second, I almost thought I was sleeping. One only saw this kind of black when their eyes were closed and they were merely trying to sleep. I threw that idea away almost immediately. I couldn't be sleeping. I couldn't see any part of my body, but I knew my eyes were open. Don't ask me how I knew. I just did. It was almost like a gut instinct.

I tried moving my body. No response. My lips pulled down into a frown. I tried again, this time focusing solely on my arms and trying to make exaggerated hand movements. Nothing again. My heart began to pick up speed. Okay, so my arms were out of commission. I tried my legs. Same thing. My heart jumped up into my throat. I couldn't move at all.

I took a deep breath, letting it out shakily. Okay, I just had to calm down. Freaking out would get me nowhere. It'd only make me irrational and would hinder my ability to think. Then again, it was already difficult enough trying to think since it seemed like the darkness seemed to be enclosing me more so than before. It seemed more prominent and—freaking out, FREAKING OUT!

I mentally shook my head, seeing as how I couldn't move my head either. I wasn't getting anywhere. I had to think positively. I couldn't loose my cool here. Wherever "here" was, but it was the same concept that counted. Losing my head had gotten me into a shit load of trouble numerous times in the past and it would only be added onto my mental list of all the problems I had encountered in my life. That list was getting pretty long, I've noticed. That can't be a good thing. I should probably figure out a way to keep myself in check whenever it seems like I'm about to lose my mind. Then again, any of the times I've tried that only ends up in me losing my temper and that's never ended prettily, either. I can't count how many times I've mentally scarred people cause I destroyed something.

I sighed. And I'm off-topic once again. Naruto's habits are starting to wear off onto me.

It was as I was thinking that specific thought that I realized some very important things. One was the main one: I had no idea where the hell I was. And to any smart shinobi, being in an unknown area was enough to freak out any one. Being in a foreign place meant no home field advantage. It meant being at the mercy of someone else and I know that every shinobi didn't like having that realization dawn on them. It pretty much spelled out a person's death.

Two: I was completely and very much by myself at the moment. I could only just feel my chakra and the brief contact that I had with it wasn't enough to reassure me, but the little bit that I could still use was enough for me to feel around my surroundings. No one. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. No Naruto, Sasuke, not even Madara. I couldn't sense anything. I only felt the darkness around me. I didn't sense the strange chakra that hummed in the plants and the earth and I didn't sense any human presences either. A passing thought in my head wondered if there was even a ground in this strange place that I was in. I felt more like I was just floating in the air rather than standing on solid ground. Something to think about later, I guess.

Three: I couldn't remember much. My memory was so hazy. I couldn't remember anything that happened previously. Naruto's voice rang strong in my mind and I remember him telling me when to charge at Sasuke...but the memory stops there. I can't get past anything else. I don't remember what happened to Naruto...to Sasuke...not even to me. I couldn't remember how the hell I ended up in this weird ass darkness.

My immediate reaction was to worry over Naruto's and Sasuke's well-being. While one was a complete asshole and didn't deserve my sympathy, the other was one of my best friends and had to be worried over before the other idiot should be thought of. I didn't know if he was alright or not. I couldn't know if I couldn't recall anything that had happened. So that was a big predicament. I had somehow achieved amnesia. If that wasn't the biggest pain in the ass ever, then I don't know what was.

And four: what the hell was that odd presence that kept flickering in and out of sight?

It was barely noticeable, but it was there. A tiny flash of light would always shine through the darkness and I would regain the usage of my limbs if only for the briefest of moments, but then the light would disappear and I would be left in the dark, completely frozen and unable to do anything but think my thoughts. It was almost taunting. I didn't like being taunted.

The presence—brief as it was—was something I had never felt with chakra before. It was emanating what I assumed to be soothing waves of energy off of it, seeing as how my heart left my throat and continued to beat slowly and peacefully in my chest. It felt...warm. I couldn't describe it. It was a very strange thing and it wasn't something that I had ever encountered before.

Closing my eyes, I focused more on my chakra, grabbing it with all the mental strength that I could muster and thrusting outwards. My sense were immediately assaulted by the strongest life force I had ever had the chance of feeling in my entire life. It was so powerful. It thrummed with power and strength. My body began to shake the tiniest bit, my face breaking out in cold sweat. Fear. I was scared of this presence. It was so strong. Almost on Madara's level, but more...dangerous, if that were possible. This person could wreck so much havoc and yet...I sensed that they didn't.

Pushing back my fear, I hesitantly examined the life force more and started a bit. It was the same as the bright light that occasionally shone through the darkness. I forced my eyes to narrow through my frozen state, finding it so much more easier to move now that my chakra was humming against my skin stronger than it had before. I was beginning to come to.

What the hell is going on?

OoOoOoO

A gentle hand smoothed over the dirtied clothes of the patient before her. She was very dirty, all covered in blood that looked to be hers and possibly somebody else's. Her skin was marred by the red stain of blood and the mysterious woman could only just make out cuts through the blood. Strange. The woman couldn't help but question what kind of trouble this girl could've gotten herself into to attain such wounds.

She turned to the two men behind her. They were fidgeting nervously, looking around the room in a desperate attempt for something to distract them. The girl on the table was only just covered to be considered appropriate and the woman before them would more than likely become rather fearsome if she caught them staring. They jumped to attention when her quiet voice questioned them.

"Where was it that you found this girl, Tamaki-san?"

The one called Tamaki—he was of medium-height with blond hair that curled at the ends and normal-looking hazel eyes—stiffened at the question and struggled to come up with an answer. Not even he could explain what had happened. And he had found the girl in the condition that she was currently in. His partner elbowed him in the ribs, hastening him to answer their superior.

"We found her in the pond. Near the Kuchiki Residence."

The woman tilted her head slightly in an almost innocent fashion. Tamaki knew it was anything but. She was suspicious of them. "In the pond? How did she get there?"

Tamaki looked down nervously. "We don't know, Captain," He mumbled. "We had only been patrolling like Captain Kuchiki had asked us to."

"Why would he ask you to be patrolling the grounds? Surely there is little to no trouble in the Kuchiki household."

The men winced at the silent jab. They were very lucky their Captain wasn't here to hear what the Captain before them was saying. "Captain Kuchiki had sensed something was off," the unnamed man said, trying to take the spotlight off his friend. It worked. Like a charm, at that. The woman turned her grey-blue eyes on him like a hawk. The back of his neck began to sweat and he struggled not to rub it away. "He thought he had sensed something. He wanted us to patrol around the compound and report back to him if we found anything."

The woman made a sort of humming sound in the back of her throat, turning away from the men to stare at the patient on the bed before them. The two men sighed softly. There was only so much one could take of the look the Captain before them gave anybody and she had stared at them with said look for far too long for comfort.

"It seems like you certainly did find something. Captain Kuchiki certainly hasn't lost his touch, even in his old age." And just like that, the thick tense that had been accumulating in the air dissipated, becoming more tranquil and peaceful. The perfect atmosphere for a recovering patient. The men silently wondered if the woman before them was bipolar. One moment she's making concealed jabs at another Captain and the next she's the most friendliest person you'll ever meet. "Report back to your Captain. I'll bring this matter to the Head-Captain as soon as I am finished treating her."

Tamaki frowned at that, his fear of her disappearing slightly at her words. "I'm not questioning your authority as a high-ranking officer, Captain Unohana, but is that really the best action? That girl could be an enemy for all we know."

The other man nodded. "He's right, Captain. She just appeared out of nowhere. Soul Society may be experiencing peaceful times right now, but things happen all the time. This girl could be the start of something very bad."

The woman, Unohana, looked over her shoulder and smiled at them. "I can assure the both of you that this girl is of no threat to us."

Tamaki and his friend exchanged looks. "How do you know that, Captain?" Tamaki asked, deciding to push his luck a bit more.

While the girl was quite defenseless simply lying there on the bed covered in blood, the two men couldn't help but be suspicious. Danger could come in any shape or size. The girl may be female and short she most definitely was, but they both knew from experience that she could pose a threat if they weren't careful. Strangers were welcomed in Soul Society—seeing as that was how Rukongai really was full of, it being filled with random souls that appeared at random times—and they were treated respectfully, but those that came without notice, and in the Seireitei at that...least to say, it was beyond suspicious.

Souls didn't appear in the Seireitei. They were instantly transported to Rukongai, where they either lived and prospered or struggled to live and suffered. Those too far out in Rukongai were beyond the help of the officers in Seireitei. They just didn't have the man power to go out to all four of the Rukongai districts and help those that really needed it. But then this girl appears out of nowhere, covered in blood and wounds, and defies the laws that were laid down in the Soul Society when it was first created. If that wasn't suspicious, then what exactly was?

She looked back to the silent girl before her, eyes sparkling in what appeared to be amusement. Not that the two men behind her could see it, anyway. Hence why she turned her back. "If she really wanted to cause something, she would've already done so." She let the two men puzzle over her words as she escorted them out of the room. She ordered them to return and report back to their Captain and reassured them once again that she would report the girl to the Head Captain. While she was reluctant in doing so, she knew that it had to be done. She couldn't keep the girl a secret from her Head Captain. That was almost treasonous on her part. And a traitor she most certainly was not.

Returning to the girl's side, she wasn't surprised to see startling green eyes staring at her intensely. They were focused entirely on her, every ounce of concentration that the girl possessed trained solely on the older woman. Unohana smiled at her.

"Can you stand?" She asked politely.

The girl looked away from her, eyes narrowing in what appeared to be in concentration as she fought to move. Her legs shook as she carefully swung over the edge of the bed. Unohana dully noted that the bed was now dyed red and she felt sympathetic for the poor worker that would have to clean these sheets. Blood was difficult to get out of white and Unohana knew that the maid would have a hard time getting it all out due to the quantity of it on the sheets.

The girl slowly rose from the bed, staring at her legs as they wobbled and shook. Her arms hung out to the sides slightly for balance and she took a hesitant step forward. She didn't fall, which Unohana took that to be a good thing. Feeling more bold, the girl took another slow step, pleasure showing on her face as she did so. Unohana touched her arm lightly. The girl's eyes were instantly on her, watching her in a fierce and calculating look. Unohana found that the look seemed to fit the girl's appearance, despite the fact that her hair color was odd and her clothes were even odder.

Not that Unohana had any right to talk. She had been a Captain of Soul Society for a long time as it was and she had seen quite the...interesting characters in her lifetime. This girl was practically normal compared to what she had seen. It was almost refreshing. Keyword being almost.

"Come with me, please. We need to get you cleaned. I can't have you walking around as you are."

She was expecting the girl to be difficult—who wouldn't be when one was talking to a complete stranger—and was ready to use more persuasion and a bit of force if necessary, but she was pleasantly surprised when the girl followed her, albeit somewhat reluctantly. It made her work so much easier when the patients cooperated with her. She wasn't against using force on a patient if it meant it would get them treated, but at the same time, it'll make them more reluctant to come back if they ever get hurt again. That was a terrible habit to start and Unohana wouldn't ever let that happen. So persuasion and coaxing was the best way to go as far as she was concerned.

Entering a room connected to the bedroom, Unohana had the girl sit upon the gurney-like table, already retrieving supplies from the cabinets on the far wall. Walking over to the sink, she filled a round silver basin with lukewarm water, tucking it under her arm securely as she grabbed the necessary bandages and tape on the counter. Grabbing a swab of cotton balls on her way over to the quiet girl with her other hand, she placed them on the medical table beside the gurney. Smothering a clean white towel in the water, she gestured for the girl to hold out her arm. She did so, closely watching her as she wiped away the excess blood. Unohana noted the minute way she cringed despite the gentle rubbing Unohana was doing to her arm and held back a frown. That wasn't a good sign.

"I beg your pardon, but I never asked your name," Unohana said as she walked back over to the cabinets to get another clean towel. There had been a fair amount more of blood on the girl than she had expected. She grabbed three extras just to save her the trip if need be.

Green eyes narrowed at her. It was right of her to be suspicious, but it would save the both of them the trouble if she wouldn't be so wary of her in such a way. Unohana wondered what kind of living environment the girl had lived in for her to be this reclusive. It couldn't be good for her. It was a wonder her health hadn't been affected. Such a personality caused more stress than it did relaxation.

She almost gave up on getting an answer from the girl. She hadn't spoken a word since she had woken and she doubted she would anytime soon. So it came as a pleasant surprise when the girl's mouth opened and she said her name in a quiet, but proud voice. Unohana found that the girl's voice was somewhat high. She dared to say it was almost hypnotizing with it's faint undertone of melodic tones.

"Haruno Sakura."

Hopefully chapters will be more frequent like this one from now on. :) I'm mighty proud of getting this chapter out so quickly. It's only been a few days since my last update. I'll hope that it'll stay like this for awhile. :)

I'm sorry to disappoint all of you with my decision to rewrite this story. I couldn't proceed without fixing it, though. The mistakes were so ingrained that I couldn't add in what I wanted to without confusing the hell out of all of you. *Bows* Please forgive me.

Also! At the request of a friend, I have created a Facebook page dedicated to this story, my other two stories, and my page in general. :) So if any of you have a Facebook and are interested in staying up-to-date with what's going on, please go like our new page! The name is my PenName for this website: Kalafina94. :) Exactly like that.

One more thing: if anyone is interested in creating a cover photo for this story, I would love to use it for this story. :) It'd be amazing if one of you could draw a picture that signifies what you think this story is like for you. So if you wanna do that challenge, go right on ahead! If not...I'll try drawing a picture myself and see how it goes.

Until next time! Ja ne!

-KalafinaJ