Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. The only characters I have made that are my own are Kirita, Ruyi, Kija, Hajime, and a few others who are obviously not apart of the Naruto universe.

Notes: Again, thank you for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. Also, questions will be answered at the bottom of the page since the answers are pretty long.

Chapter Four

The First Cut

One year later…

"Sakura, learning Kenjutsu is nothing like learning Kyūdō. You have to," with force, the dull side of the blade had hit the pink-haired girl's side, "pay," the blade slapped against the back of her thigh as Kirita smoothly spun out of Sakura's way, "attention!" And now resting against her shoulder, the sharp side of the blade near her neck, Sakura's eyes widen at just how quickly Kirita had struck her three times without even making a sound in her steps.

"I didn't even want to learn, but you told me I had to!" Sakura barked back, spinning from the opposite direction to meet her teacher/friend's eyes. Lilac and emerald had engaged in a heated battle, Kirita's once doting gazes were now of a serious trainer. "You think Orochimaru is going to recruit you if you can't even pick up a sword? It might not be your strong suit, but he will want you to be ambidextrous."

"..." Sakura's eyes menacingly looked down to the ground, her pride wounded as she immediately realized that a point was obviously said. Even though she had not completely mastered the bow and arrow, she was more than average; even close to proficient-but she had to learn how to use a sword, just good enough for defense.

"Daichi needs to step up his game or else he'll continue to be a wannabe samurai." Sheathing her sword, she had folded her arms and watched the Haruno adjust her grip on the katana's handle. Going back into a stand, which consisted of the sword being held in front of her with both hands gripping the handle, she gazed back at Kirita with a hard look of determination.

"Alright, I'm ready."

"No, you're not. Your grip is too tight." Kirita pointed, hearing the girl sigh of frustration due to what she deemed as minor and useless flaw to be pointed out. "I told you, when you hold the handle of the sword—"

"Almost as if you're holding a leaf. If you hold onto it too tightly, it might break your wrists when attacking and if you hold onto it too lightly then it'll fly out of your hands during battle, leaving you weaponless with death upon you.." She repeated monotonously as if she had heard it thousands upon thousands of time before.

"If you know then why must I repeat it? Do you know what's the age boys and even some girls train to become samurai?"

"Three." Sakura mumbled, quite embarrassed by the fact.

"Exactly. A child at the age of three can hold a katana better than you, Sakura. They don't even have a real weapon but a practice sword, but their handling and stance is damn near perfect. You have to pay attention; you're learning all of this at seventeen! Seventeen, for the love of Kami-sama*. You're competing against people who have been learning since the age of three. This is no time for games or mistakes."

"I know!" Sakura yelled out frustration, "It's just hard and every time I think I'm making progress, I just keep messing up."

Kirita's eyes softened, a sigh escaping her. "You told me to be hard on you. You told me to never make anything easy for you. This training is not close to being easy, Sakura. If it's not easy for you then it sure wasn't easy for anyone else."

"Not even… not even for you?"

"Not even for me. My brothers used to beat me up all the time. I have had so many close encounters with death with them that I hardly even feel the fear of being cut or close to a blade."

"So, your otou-san never taught you?" Sakura asks, curious as to why every time she mentioned training, Kirita never mentioned her father.

Kirita's demeanor had changed, the look in her eyes distance as if she was remember far back. "He was much like Kizashi-sama. Princesses didn't learn how to fight; princesses were meant to learn embroidery, reading and writing as well the good etiquette of being a good housewife. He loved and respected me, but he just did not see me as a fighter. He didn't think women belonged on the battlefield. My oji-san* is the one who pushed for me to learn, and we kept it in secret."

"Wait, so when did you learn how to use a sword?" Sakura then questioned.

"Seven." She admitted, sighing. "I started just a couple years late; at age three, you're given a practice sword. And at seven, you're given the actual weapon. My ojii-san gave me a sword; this sword. He always said: "The battlefield would look more beautiful if there were women fighting. Although I am against women dying but I've seen some tough women in my days to know they can fight just as good as I can." He was a firm believer in that."

Sakura looked down at the katana in thought, "Women… We always have to fight to prove things, right? Men make the mess but leave it to us to clean it up."

The dark-haired girl chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "Sometimes. There are few men like my oji-san, but I don't mind us changing other men's mind. In fact, they'll have no choice but to…" Kirita rose a brow, "still, before we can change anyone's mind, you need to practice."

"Alright, alright."

"Start with the basics."

With a nod, Sakura grasped the hilt of her blade calmly this time. She pulled the sword back with both hands, the hilt positioned just above her shoulder, a routine of strikes had soon commenced swiftly as she attacked the invisible enemy. Her speed wasn't as untrackable as she had watched Kirita do, but she was beginning to think with a little more practice that she might be able to.

Again and again she would strike, swinging the katana as if attacking an invisible to her own beat. Kirita kept her eyes trained on her, the corner of her lips slowly rising in what looked to be out of pride. Sakura hadn't notice, imagining herself of the night of parents death and how she would've cut down Orochimaru with all her might. Alas, this time, she would not show any fear. She would strike to kill without hesitancy.

"Tomorrow, we'll become Daichi and Ichirou. We will infiltrate Ōta castle and meet up with the other recruits." said the purple-eyed girl, "Whatever is left of Sakura the Haruno princess, cannot come into the castle; what must remain is Sakura's will with Daichi's drive to serve and give his life to Orochimaru of the Yamata clan.."

o::

The halls of Ōta castle were quiet. The only sound that seemed to echo were the new Lord's feet walking among the wooden floors. His arms limply at his side as he walked, his golden eyes looking forward as he would sometimes gaze at the paintings that hung upon the walls. Orochimaru sought no need to redecorate the palace after the siege. This wasn't the castle he wanted, but it would due until...

"Orochimaru-sama."

His walking ceased as he gazed down to the kneeling boy, who he later then signaled to stand. In front of him was a young man, eighteen years of age with one eye. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch after Orochimaru deemed it unsightly since the boy lost sight in it at a young age. Now, he only had one amber-colored eye, which was bright unlike his mischievous personality.

His hair was a blue-black, medium length; unkempt and messy. He never made the time to look himself studious like his other comrade. However, he was one of Orochimaru's favorites. He was strong, tactical and even though he did not agree with everything Orochimaru said, he gave some input that was always of use to him; so his boldness was not for naught.

"Hajime, have you been keeping tabs on the Hyūga clan?"

"Yeah," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he was starting to get comfortable after the respectful greeting. "I think they're starting to get suspicious. Not of you, but of being watched."

"There will be no need to spy on them any longer. If the Shogun keeps holding off an agreement for marriage, Hiashi will grow angry enough to retaliate. Then they will fight one another, and then that would be our chance to drop in."

Hajime's jaw set upon hearing the plan, his eye casting a glance at the wall to his right in thought. The look on his face was noticed by Orochimaru, who held back to question what made the young man obviously uneasy. It was a matter he would look into because he was sure that Hajime would lie instead if he did bother to ask. Something wasn't boding well, and Orochimaru didn't want to believe it was not in his favor.

A faint blur appeared, kneeling was another young warrior. "At ease, Kija." Orochimaru ordered, the magenta-hair boy nodding and then standing, his jade eyes glancing at Hajime in curiosity before turning his attention back to his lord.

"Ah, Orochimaru-sama," the younger boy cleared his throat, trying to ease the thick tension in the hall, "Suigetsu has made it upon himself to introduce the soldiers. Should I assist him?"

"No." He shook his head before darting his eyes towards Hajime, "Hajime should. After all, I need more swordsmen."

"Sugietsu is a swordsmen too. Shouldn't he be the one testing them?" The one-eyed male spoke up, his eye now looking to meet the eyes of the man who embodied a snake.

"Suigetsu is good at observation, and he likes to fight to the death. I would rather you do it. I don't want anymore bodies to clean up. I need all the men I can gather." Having nothing more to say, Orochimaru continued down the hall and left both boys standing there. Hajime's fingers ruffled through his hair before he grabbed a handful

"What's up with you, Hajime?" Kija finally asked, seeing as they were alone in the hall and Orochimaru was not within earshot any longer.

"Nothin'. Just… nothin'." There was a wistful tone in his voice as he turned, moving down the hall in the same direction Orochimaru went.

Kija hadn't bought Hajime's response at all, but he knew better than to press the matter, especially when they have a job up ahead. "If you and Suigetsu are taking care of the new recruits, what am I supposed to do?"

"I dunno. Take a nap or somethin'."

"Tch… I can at least watch."

"Yeah, do whatever you want."

Kija stood there, debating if following was even going to be worth his time. Hajime and Suigetsu always had all the fun because they were skilled with weapons. He was skilled too! His bare fists were weapons of their own, so why did they get special treatment? It might have something to do with them being older too. Instead of sulking, he followed after Hajime as the courtyard began to become filled with samurais of all ages.

"Listen up, punks." Standing in front of them was a young man with straight, white hair that hovered slightly above his shoulders with a light-blue tint to it at the end. His eyes were almond-shaped with bright purple irises. "The only people servin' under Orochimaru, is anyone that is approved by this asshole over here since my shitty ass opinion doesn't matter." He pointed towards Hajime, who stood with his arms crossed and his slant eye observing them all. His eye shifted its focus to Suigetsu upon the insult, but decided not to make a scene. "I'm not allowed to fight. Tch, I love cutting things too much. Who fights letting someone live? That's stupid," He mumbled the last bit.

Kirita, now dressed as Ichirou, had glanced towards Sakura, who was now Daichi instead. It was taking everything in the Haruno not to burst out in tears to be in front of her home after a year. After the attack of her home and death of her parents, she couldn't help but feel uncontrollably overwhelmed and like a stranger within her own land. She chewed on her lip, trying to fight any tear that dared threaten to fall. It must've made her look angry because she already caught the attention of Hajime.

"You," his finger pointing directly act her.

"M-Me?" Her eyes quickly looked towards him, widening a fraction as he shifted everyone's attention to her. She hadn't noticed the tone of her voice was at its normal level and not the tone she and Kirita practiced to sound more manly. Quickly clearing her throat, she fixed her voice. "Have I done something wrong?"

"That look in your eyes just then…" He trailed, letting silence linger for just a few minutes longer, "Why do you want to serve Orochimaru-sama?"

The question was something Kirita had warned her about. She could even feel those lilac eyes on her, curious if she would remember what they rehearsed "Orochimaru-sama's family… My father was a retainer* of theirs. He served them diligently; the Yamata have nothing but good to my family and I wish to return the favor."

Smirking, Hajime's head shifted to a curious tilt, "What's your name?"

"Kita, Daichi."

"Kita, Daichi… Huh,? What an interesting name. Alright then, Daichi, if your father served Orochimaru-sama then let me see what he has taught his son."

Sakura did not expect to be put on the spot so soon. "I'm more of an archer but I can give you swordplay, if you want."

"An archer? Interesting." He mused, unsheathing his sword swiftly out of its scabbard. "Then how about this then, if you leave a mark on me, you're the first one I'll let join to serve under Orochimaru-sama."

Nodding, she had set her bow and let the arrow slide against it, pulling back the string. Her aim was steadily on him as he prepared to slice the arrow once it was within range. Sakura knew that firing it head-on wouldn't be a wise decision, and so she decided on something better. Tilting back slightly, so that she was aiming towards the sky, she made bow's string stretch as much as she could pull the arrow back. After a few decisive minutes, she let the arrow fly into the sky.

"Huh?" Suigetsu commented, "What the hell is that? Tch, were you even trying to aim at him?

"...I had high hopes for you, Daichi. I'm not sure what you were trying to accomplish, but—Shit!" A thin, downward line appeared on Hajime's face. The cut bled instantly as she smirked, while is shocked face immediately turned into intrigue.

"As an archer, I discovered it's best to not let your enemy know exactly where you're aiming." Sakura replied, her voice quite smug as she watched the blood was now smeared across his face with a swift motion of his thumb.

"She got you, Hajime! Ha! Better hope that doesn't leave a scar." Suigetsu teased, taking a sip of water from his cup. "Hey, where are the servants? I'm still thirsty!"

"Heh, you got me. Head to the barracks, kid." Hajiime tilted his head towards the direction as Sakura nodded and glanced to Kirita, who had sneakily gave her a thumbs up.

Sakura went away from the line, hearing praises from some of the other samurai. A rough slap on the back that jolted her forward, but leaving a nervous smile on her face as she inwardly screamed by the string.

"Well, we would have more servants if you stopped killing them, Suigetsu." Sakura frown upon the words, wondering if any of them were servants that served her family. Her hand maidens… were they gone too?

"Alright, what's your name?" Suigetsu pointed.

"Nakamura, Goro."

"Big fella, aren't ya? Shit, I'd hate to fight you on the battlefield." The white-haired boy mumbled, watching his cup get filled to the brim before taking another sip

Once Sakura reached the barracks, she had laid down on the less-than-comfortable futon. She went into a coughing fit after all the dust that had flew into the arrow when she laid down.

"H-Hey!"

The voice startled her, Sakura immediately sat up to see a head full of magenta hair, peeking through the door. Curious, Sakura tilted her head, "Uh, you can come in, y'know."

"Ah, right." Clearing his throat, he stood upright and walked in. His chest was puffed up, trying to walk as if he had an air of confidence despite the meek demeanor he displayed a few seconds prior. She couldn't help but smile at this as he approached her. "So, I saw you cute Hajime-kun. Nice work!"

"Thanks. Not to be arrogant, but I've been working hard on perfecting my skills. I knew the result was gonna be worth it." She said without the slightest bit of modesty.

He wasn't offended neither, much to her surprise. He had given her a friendly grin, "I'd like to see if my fist are fast enough to catch your arrows."

"Your fists?" Sakura questioned.

"I don't really use weapons. I'm pretty strong on my own right. I'm more a fist fighter than a sword-user." Kija explained.

"Really? That's pretty neat. You should show me!" She hadn't see much of martial arts since she visited her grandfather in China. She always wanted to learn Kung fu.

"Those two are still fighting?"

"Yeah, that Ichirou guy is no joke."

Kija and Sakura glanced at one another upon hearing the conversation between the two men who just entered the barracks. Sakura immediately went to her feet, running out of the barracks and into the courtyard to see Kirita and Hajime locked in a heated had blocked each and everyone one of Kirita's strikes while stepping back, now on the defense. Kirita slashed repeatedly and relentlessly, pushing him back further as all the men standing in the courtyard separated whenever the two got too close. Hajime took a step back, now out of her range and then charged forward, letting their swords clash as sparks went flying through the air.

Repeatedly, whenever one or the other had strike, they met each other's blade until finally Hajime added enough force behind the attack to have the sword thrown from Kirita's hands and onto the ground. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Ichirou, was it?"

Sakura could tell that Kirita felt sour about the loss. The way she set her jaw and picked up her sword rather roughly before sliding it back into its saya*. "Yes, my name is Ichirou."

Suigetsu then hummed in delight, "I'd like to fight you. That's the longest I've ever seen Hajime fight someone other than me."

"Not today, Suigetsu." Hajime warned before glancing back at the lilac-eyed warrior. "What's your family name?"

"Yukimura." Kirita answered with a straight face, "May I go to the barracks now?"

She was given a nod from the one-eyed warrior, who had watched her join Kirita and Kija. She glanced at Kija suspiciously, but was given a look from Sakura that obviously read 'he's alright'.

"Your sword prowess is amazing, uh, Ichirou-san." Kija praised, "Where did you learn such technique?"

"My oji-san." She answered, placing her sword next to her futon beside Sakura's, which near the end by the door. Even now when Sakura had a much better chance of protecting herself, Kirita was still cautious.

"He must be a great fighter!" Even though it was clear that Kija wanted conversation, his naivety and his child-like wonder could not help Kirita out of her funk.

Sakura noted it and didn't want the boy to be hurt should Kirita speak out of malice. "Uh, Kija-san... Your name, its foreign, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes! My mother was from another land Not sure where, my father never speaks of her. She named me though!" Fiddling with his hands, he noted that 'Daichi' was very attentive to him where Suigetsu and Hajime would've ignored him by now, somewhat similar to Ichirou's detached behavior.

"Kija-san, if you don't me asking, where is Orochimaru-sama?" Sakura asked, thinking the question was innocent enough.

"Ah, he's busy… right now." She watched as he sighed, "He has a meeting he must attend to."

"A meeting? Ah, I suppose Damiyo are in a lot of meetings." Sakura nodded.

"Yeah, he had to meet with his retainers now that he is completely settled." Those words didn't comfort her in the slightest, in fact they infuriated her. She wondered if any of her father's retainers had surrendered to Orochimaru since the siege.

Kija then gave a small smile and slight bow, "Well, I should be leaving now. Tomorrow and for the next two weeks, you'll be training and then we'll split you in several teams so you can go patrol the villages. There's been riots and bandits causing havoc, Orochimaru-sama expects us to keep the peace."

"It was nice meeting you, Kija-san." Sakura forced her smile, waving her hand.

"Goodbye Daichi-san, Ichirou-san." Kirita and Sakura watched the boy turn and leave. Closing the door quietly behind him as the two sighed.

"Training is going to be grueling, isn't it?"

"Of course."

"Good job, Daichi and Ichirou. That Hajime guy sure is arrogant but both of you put him in his place." came a husky voice loud enough for everyone in the barracks to hear.

Both Kirita and Sakura gazed up at the tall man, who had to at least be 7'0" with his brown hair pulled in a high ponytail and messy fringe. "Ah, you're Kenji, right?"

"That's right!" He gave a hearty laugh, "I wanted to crush that little bug so bad, but I heard he was one of Orochimaru's lil' minions."

"He is quite cocky, but he isn't so bad." Sakura shrugged, "He's talented, I can give him that."

"Pfft," Kenji rolled his eyes, "talented? Alright, I guess I can admit to that too."

Kirita couldn't help but crack a smile, watching as other samurai had gathered around to talk to them. It reminded her back at home, watching the samurai come together and converse. Although the situation wasn't ideal, for all these men willingly chose to follow Orochimaru, she was glad there was a sense of camaraderie.

The main thing that made her happy was how Sakura easily spoke to them. They all seemed drawn to her, curious of this 'Daichi', who was good with a bow and arrow. All of them seemed enthralled and finally, Sakura had company that wasn't her. Deep down, she wanted to warn Sakura to not get attached. After all, their whole mission would jeopardize these relationships she would form with them. In the end, they were just as much of an enemy as Orochimaru.

"Oi," Kirita piped up, "instead of all this chatter, we need to rest up for tomorrow. Training starts and we have to rise up with the sun."

"Oh, you're a killjoy, Ichirou!" Kenji complained in a teasing way, "But, I heard that Suigetsu guy is really gonna lay it on us."

"You see how big his sword is?" Another man piped up, "How can such a small guy lift that thing?"

"I dunno, but I would like to see it in action."

::

The moon had fully ascended, stars twinkling as they scattered across the deep, deep blue hue that was the sky. Naruto had sat in the moonlight, the only light source in his room as he had blown the candles out hours ago. He kept his window open to gaze out in thought since sleep had yet to come and take over him.

It was one of those days where the young samurai felt completely restless, the first thing he would think about when he attempted to close his eyes was how his year long search had amounted to nothing. In his head, he just kept thinking of the small girl he first met under the cherry blossoms.

He had no idea what the girl he had fallen in love with all these years had grown to look like, and so only her five-year-old self was the only image that could come to mind. It dawned on him how childish it was to be in love with a girl he hadn't seen since then, but the letters written between them was forever kept on his desk; being read over and over as the feeling of happiness when he first was given a reply had slowly numbed to nothing but nostalgia.

He couldn't get excited looking at her letters like he used to. Now it just made him sad. It made him think that those were the last thing he would ever receive from her.

"Naruto?"

He remained still, hearing the shoji door slide open softly before being closed after his mother had stepped into the room. Her heart ached watching the lonely boy be illuminated by the moonlight. His smile had such sadness to it after the rescue mission seemed to have gone completely nowhere.

"Naruto," She called him again, "you should get some rest. You have to work on the development of the garrison tomorrow."

"I can't sleep." He admitted, knowing that his mother wasn't going anywhere until she talked to him.

Kushina had walked closer until eventually kneeling at his side. "Thinking about Sakura-hime? Look, Naruto, she might still be alive and-"

"I know she's alive, 'kaa-san." He interrupted, his eyes betraying his emotions. "If she were… If she were gone then I would know."

Slowly, she rose her hand to rub the side of her son's head. "I know how much Sakura-hime means to you, Naruto. That's why I can't tell you to give up on her, but you have to live. You can keep being stuck."

"I can't move on until I know that she's alive. I can't." Stubborn as usual, but on this matter, Kushina could forgive him. "If 'tou-san were missing and you had idea where to search for him, you would never give up. You would never just.. just move on."

"You're right. I wouldn't be able to, but I would have no choice but to live." Kushina's violet eyes had glanced away from her son and towards the stars. "I would have to live for you, Naruto. Even though each day would be painful and I would be at unease, I would have to bear it all for you; my boy, my son."

Naruto's eyes slowly gazed at his mother, seeing her pale skin glowing from the bright moonlight.

"Sakura-hime, I don't know what's in her heart or what she could possibly be thinking right now." She smiled softly, "But if she's anything like Mebuki-chan then I know she's putting up a hell of a fight, 'ttebane. So, Naruto, you have to do the same."

There was a sense of ease from her words, letting his shoulders relax as he laid his head upon her shoulder. "I'm… I'm getting tired, 'kaa-san."

"Its about time you head to bed."

After helping the now drowsy young man to his feet, she walked him steadily towards his bed and tucked him in. "Tsk tsk." She shook her head as her smile grew large, "You're turning eighteen this year and you're acting like a child." Hearing his light snore, she had moved some his blond locks away from his face. "But that's okay, you'll always be my little boy."

"Babying him, Kushina?" Peering over her shoulder, she rose a brow at her husband that stood by the room door. "I was hoping to beat you to it, but now he's already asleep."

Kushina stood and walked towards him, "My motherly instincts told me that if I didn't hurry up, his father would best me. And I can't have you besting me!"

"Why does consoling our son have to be a competition as well?" He asked, the corner of his lips upward as he kept his gaze on his wife. "Either way, I hope he does his work tomorrow or else he wouldn't have done enough deeds for a promotion."

His wife raised her hands to shush him, pushing him out of the room and closing the door. "What do you mean? Mikoto-chan's kid is Lt. General! Why isn't Naruto good enough for a promotion just yet?"

"Sasuke is a ninja as well as a samurai. He has more of a workload than Naruto. It should be the reverse considering Naruto is next in line to inherit the Shogun title. I've been too easy on him." Minato sighed, his arms akimbo as he and his wife walked down the hall of the castle.

"Naruto is only seventeen, he'll be eighteen this year. He has much to learn, and you have plenty of enough time to teach him. Besides, you'll be around for a long time. He shouldn't be rushed, 'ttebane!"

His wife's enthusiasm never dimmed, and Minato was glad at how much she put up a fight for their only child. "I know, I know." With another sigh, he looked ahead at the dimly-lit hall. "Naruto is a great fighter; he is very strong and adaptable when it comes to a naginata and spear. He's accomplished a lot for his age, so I'm not disappointed…"

"But you want him to be able to accomplish more." Kushina finished his sentence and received a firm nod in confirmation.. "He's just lacking the drive right now."

"You mean, he is still heartbroken about Sakura-hime." Minato watched her eyes lower, their confident sheen lessening upon the mention of the Haruno princess. "I wish I could help find her, but I don't have the slightest clue of where she could be or if she's alive."

"Not only that, Hiashi is growing impatient and appalled." Minato nodded, "He thinks we don't think Hinata-hime is good enough for Naruto, and even if we found Sakura-hime, it would be as if we thought she was better than her and thought a clanless princess was better than being united with the Hyūga."

Kushina had hit the nail right on the head. Minato had been mulling over what he was going to do the past year, especially since his son's search ended up being fruitless. "At this rate, Hiashi will not hold on longer; there will be war if I don't do anything about it."

"Naruto would never agree to it unless he knew for sure that Sakura-hime was…" The woman trailed, unable to finish the sentence.

"I know. The last thing I want is for us to battle anyone that is not Orochimaru. We need all the allies we can get."

::

The whole week was filled with relentless training; their bodies feeling sore to the bone. Suigetsu was not going to be as lenient as they had hoped. Sakura and Kirita had managed to find relief in a hot spring, discovering what hours were it usually empty so they hadn't meant any of the other samurai during their baths. Certain groups were given duty to patrol while others held the castle down. Sakura was unhappy that she had to stay within the castle and Kirita was given duty to patrol.

"I'm so sick of training! If I see another training dummy, I'm going to lose it!" She snapped, making sure that no one was around as she unleashed her anger on the unmoving, samurai armor-cladded dummy. She had given it a swift kick in the chest, letting straw fall to the ground.

"Uh, Daichi-kun, are you alright?"

Immediately, she whipped around to face Kija; her heart pounding less than it was minutes ago in fear that Hajime or Suigetsu heard her. "Ah, Kija-kun…" She said in relief, "I'm just sore is all. All this training really isn't making me feel good, but I know it's necessary."

"The reason why Orochimaru-sama wants you guys to train so hard, is because we're going into battle tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? It's only been a week, Kija-kun! We're not ready!" More like, Sakura was not ready to go out into a battlefield just yet.

"I don't know if you know this, but Orochimaru-sama cannot let such opportunities go by. He has to regain strength, and he can't do that if he doesn't make a move." Kija's explanation didn't seem to justify anything in Sakura's eyes, and it surely didn't make the least bit of sense. "The real war will begin is when Orochimaru-sama marches to the capital, but we'll have to work our way."

"He wants to… become Shogun?" She questioned, wondering what the man's true objective was.

"Uh, no. That's silly title to Orochimaru-sama. He wants to kill the Shogun, take his lands, and then work his way to emperor. Then, all the lands will be united under him. Orochimaru, the Great Unifier, he will be named. Never again would the Yamata clan be so small and clouted."

Her green eyes were wide as she soaked everything in, her expression wanted to shift to pure horror but she knew she couldn't reveal such a face to Kija. Instead, she tried to fight her expression, putting on a fake smile. "Wow, Orochimaru-sama… has such high goals…. I hope… w-we can help him achieve them."

The boy nodded in agreement. "Right. You're a good archer, Daichi-kun. I'm sure you'll be there right with us and stronger than you are today!" How could he be so cheerful for such an evil plan? Was Kija really that brainwashed that Orochimaru was a good person? "Ah, anyway, I have to go, Daichi-kun! Keep training, it's going to be a long day tomorrow!" Sakura bitterly waved back, sighing once the boy was out of her sight.

"What am I going to do…? I'll have to kill innocent people tomorrow. People that don't deserve to die…"

"Haaaa, we're back!"

Kenji's voice was loud enough for everyone in the training yard to hear. As he strutted over, she could see a disgruntled Kirita among the group of men. Seeing her angry face was enough to make Sakura snort as they slowly approached her. "Daichi-kun, you shoul've been there!" Wrapping his large around around the dark-haired girl's shoulder, he pulled her close and bent forward so that their faces were pressed against each other's side by side. "Ichirou-kun had the girls swoonin'."

"Ahhhhh~ Ichirou-kunnnnnnn~" Another samurai said, teasing as he reenacted the hordes of girl that watched their patrol. His hands were clasped together, his eyelashes fluttering as he imitated their high pitched voices. "He's soooooo handsome~"

Kirita's eyes averted, a shade of red tinting her cheekbones as Sakura went into a fit of laughter with her hands clutching her stomach. "I'm pretty sure they would've said the same about you, Daichi-kun. Most women go gaga over that feminine-type of look. You both have soft features, I'm sure they would've been screaming your name too."

Wiping a tear from her eye, Sakura couldn't calm her laughing fit. "Don't worry, Kenji-kun. You're handsome in your own right."

"I know!" Kenji pouted playfully, batting his eyelashes towards Kirita. "You should've introduced me to some of them instead of letting them fawn all over you."

"If I could've pushed them towards you, I would've did it." Kirita said dryly, her eyes still averted.

The man sucked his teeth, letting the girl go from his tight grip. "I'm the tallest man among you all, but your face had them glued to you! It didn't matter if you told them to look up. A pretty face beats height."

The swordswoman merely rolled her eyes and made her way towards the barracks, "I'm tired. I can't deal with anymore of this."

Sakura had watched her and then looked to Kenji, "You better start training, Kenji-kun. We're heading out for battle tomorrow and you need to work on your judo!" She lectured before jogging backwards and running after Kirita.

"I will…" Kenji sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "not… I'm gonna get me something to eat."

"Ichirou," Sakura called out her name, watching as she was taking off her armor to prepare herself for rest. "We're heading out for battle tomorrow. What am I going to do?"

"What do you mean what are you going to do? You'll have to fight." The girl said as if it what would be happening was simple. Just completely clean-cut. "We'll be fighting against the Oshino clan, Kenji told me during patrol."

"...Aren't they innocent people? I don't want to kill people Orochimaru has a vendetta against. They are usually undeserving of it, I mean… After all he and his people did..."

"Nobody is innocent, Daichi. Orochimaru doesn't like the new Damiyo of the Oshino clan because the man, who came into power, killed his father. His father was an ally of Orochimaru's clan and since he is dead, I guess Orochimaru believes the land and that guy's death belongs to him."

"How could someone kill their own father?!" Sakura questioned, "For power? I mean, that's too cruel."

"That's the way this world works. Loyalty is hard to come by." Kirita sighed as she adjusted her armor, "People say they follow the way of Bushidō, but they are just liars."

Three hours before dawn, Hajime had led the troops towards Mino province. Sakura, Kirita, and the rest of the new recruits had to settle for walking while the officers that served before them were given horses. Much to Sakura's sadness, she knew these horses were Haruno bred. Other than that, she felt completely scared of what was happening before them. Her eyes stared solemnly towards the ground before looking up as the sun began to rise. Hues of red and orange had filled the sky as the sun ascended as they walked the vast open fields, trees seemingly far but yet close.

"Is there your first battle, Daichi?" Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes immediately looking up to Kenji, who must've noticed how uneasy she was. "Its okay if it is."

Biting down on her bottom lip, she gave a slight nod. "Yeah, it is."

"I remember my first time in the battlefield." He sighed, his head tilted back in thought. "You can never forget it." Sakura's eyes stayed trained to his face, a hint of sadness in his features. "Severed limbs and broken corpses everywhere, the mud looks as if it made of blood, and the smell... The smell of carnage everywhere."

Other samurai had listened on their conversation, Kirita even glancing towards Sakura as her green eyes were wide. "You think you're in a nightmare, and you become a shell of who you are. You do anything to live. You would choose anything as a weapon if it meant you would come out alive. It changes you, and it haunts you."

Kirita's gaze shifted away from the princess, recalling her own experiences. "How.. How do you become yourself again?" The desperate plea in her voice was enough to almost make her shed tears. "How do you… go back in your body and stop being a shell?"

"I can't tell you. Its different for everyone. Some people come back the same, and some people change… forever."

From the distance, there was a tall tower, which made Hajime halt his horse and turn to face them. "We're at the watchtower, which means if we conquer this then we'll easily make it to Inabayama Castle." He said, looking at all of them. "All the medics and extra men will stay here and make camp. We'll also be receiving reinforcement from the Wakahisa clan, so I want you to stay here and lead them to us."

Suigetsu seemed eager for battle, the grin on his face made that all the more apparent. Sakura would've guessed that Kija would be uneasy, but he seemed unfazed as well. Was she the only one feeling nervous? Almost as if she wanted to turn around and run back, so that she didn't have to do this. She almost wanted to tell Kirita to forget revenge. Yet, there was something stopping her from being a coward.

She worked her way here, and so what would be the point in turning around and going back? She had to this. Sakura had to prove to herself that she was stronger than she was back then. She was not a helpless princess anymore.

Hajime unsheathed his sword raising it into the air as he turned away from them with his horse. "Alright men, today we conquer Inabayama castle and all of Mino province. We fight to day and we die for the Yamata clan!" All of them raised their weapons, cheers erupted into the air as the morale of the army had increased ten fold. "Charge!"

And with a running start, they headed towards the watchtower where Oshino forces were waiting for them. Sakura stood back, being an archer meant distance was in her best interest. She had wished she had a horse to make it much easier, but due to her being just a lowly recruit, she couldn't obtain it just yet.

Narrowing her eyes, she slid bow from her shoulder and prepared an arrow. She looked for which samurai proved to be a threat and once she caught her target, she made to shoot. Before Sakura could draw on the string of her bow, a sphere of air came rushing forward with the tenacity of a minute whirlwind and knocked her to the ground. Her quick instincts had her roll to the side patches of earth. She turned over and saw a a medium crater beside her.

Luckily she held tight to her weapon, instead of standing, she crouched low and searched for whoever sent the attack. Feeling a strong presence from behind, she barely managed to dodge as it moved swiftly. The princess spun around as what looked to be a larger than normal dog made a pass and sliced into her shoulder. The cut seemed superficial, but it had hurt like hell.

"W-What the hell?" Sakura hissed, gritting her teeth as she knew she couldn't stop the bleeding from her hands since she had to be prepared to attack again. Holding tightly to her weapon, Sakura tried to find a place of safety while also keeping her guard. She found Kirita, who seemed to be in a heated battle with someone, whose face she could not see from this distance.

As she was about to enter the forest, which seemed close to her at this distance, a form blocked her path and a powerful gust of wind pushed her back into the clearing. Sakura turned her back to avoid the rush of air that left her breathless.

"You're not going anywhere." A voice said to her, but she could never find that person quickly enough to see their face. Another gale of air struck her again, knocking her to the ground.

"Dammit!" She huffed, unable to take much more of this due to her own frustrations. Lowering herself on one knee, Sakura decided not to play by her enemies' rules. Stringing her bow, she took and a pink aura surrounded her boy. Sakura's eyes widened, never witnessing the act before, but decided not to dwell on it, she watched as the arrow lit up the clearing, bathing the area in pale, pink.

Most of the samurais were distracted by the sudden color, looking around confused of what was happening. Once Sakura discovered where the wind-user was, she abruptly turned in that direction and released her arrow.

The male screamed in pain as the arrow embedded itself in his shoulder, burning at his skin as it pierced through. The smell of burning flesh filled Sakura's nostrils, alarming her and making her run further down the battlefield. Around her, people had gone back to fighting, no longer mystified of that strange light that appeared minutes ago. The screams and crunches of hacked limbs and armor being pierced by weapons had rung in her ears. Blood was everywhere, and it seemed to rain down as long as she ran.

Kenji was right, It did feel like she was in a nightmare. Unsure of what she had done minutes ago, she steady her arrows and fired at any enemy within sight. She couldn't find it in herself to aim had places that would bring imminent death, and so she settled for places where she was sure they would live after the removal and some medical treatment.

"So you're the one who hurt, Kiba, huh?!"

Quickly turning, she was greeted by an angry pair of blue eyes. Her heart tighten in its rib cage for a second, feeling as she had seen those eyes before. A wave of recognization had overwhelmed her, but her fear for her life pushed back those feelings. Drawing back her arrow, she aimed it for the blond-haired boy.

"So, what of it? This a battle." Sakura replied haughtily, her head tilted back in an arrogant angle.

With gritted teeth, the boys grip on the spear had tightened. "You're going to regret it."

"I doubt it." As they stood in their standoff, both of them remained glued to one another before he charged forward, Sakura fired her arrow and then prepared another. The boy had effortlessly twirled the weapon in his hand and slashed the arrow straight down the middle and continued charging forward.

Sakura fired another before throwing the weapon to the ground and unsheathing her sword. Like the first arrow, he destroyed it but had yet to prepare himself for Sakura's suddenly released her sword. It whipped through the air a little more than a silvery blur, the blonde caught each blow with a reckoning force.

He unleashed a powerful strike from above and it was too much for her skill to counter, and she stumbled. Seeing the opening, Sakura's foot connected with the center for the boy's check. Whatever the source of her sudden tremendous strength, it was enough to create a wet crunch when the kick connected. The boy stumbled across the ground with Sakura breathing heavily, surprised she had managed to do something like that.

"You think you're in a nightmare, and you become a shell of who you are. You do anything to live. You would choose anything as a weapon if it meant you would come out alive. It changes you, and it haunts you."

Kenji's words rung inside her head, the girl stumbling backwards. 'No, no! I don't want to change…'

She gasped when a trail of blood slipped out the corner of the male's mouth. Her eyes staring intensely at it as he wiped it away but kept a smirk. "Wow, that was pretty strong." Even though he was slightly heaving, he acted as if nothing happened. As if her kick wasn't as devastating as she thought it was.

Sakura watched the tip of his naginata drip up to point straight at her. It looked like he wasn't going to give. He wasn't going to give her a peace of mind… She didn't want to kill him. He wasn't her enemy. Unable to find the will to continue, with a smooth motion lifted her sword and slid it home in hr saya. "I don't want to fight you."

"Whaddya mean you don't want to fight me?!" It was as if he was offended by her mercy.

Her face scrunched up sourly. "You're an idiot." She huffed, turning away from him and walking forward.

"Hey, come back here! W-What are you walking away for?" He shook his fist at her retreating form, confused as to who stops a fight in a middle of a battle.

"I said I don't want to fight you. Go fight somebody else!" She yelled as she ran forward.

"...What the hell is that guy's deal?"

"Naruto." Looking over his shoulder, he had smiled upon the sight of the person.

"TenTen, did something happen?" Naruto questioned, wondering why the ninja appeared in the middle of a battlefield.

"Hai! I have some important news." The brunette smiled, "I think we found Sakura-hime."

Dictionary:

Kami-sama - God

Oji-san - Uncle

Retainer: Samurai retainers are elite expert swordsmen. They assist in battle and offer counsel to Damiyo.

Saya - A katana's sheath

Notes:

Hmmmmmmmm, there might be another love triangle afoot. Poor Hajime though, I don't know if Hinata will ever return his feelings.

Some backgrounds are based on actual samurai's because they were pretty badass and I like symbolism. If you're curious as to who I based on who then you can ask. c:

Irishwriter - I doubt I'm ever gonna get into it in the story, but I like the idea of Minato as being a person in power. To me, he is benevolent enough for people to trust and also tough and firm when it comes to war. Even though he's kind, he really suited his Hokage position and so I gave him the Shogun position. Its more of the Namikaze being a low born clan and Mianto rose through the ranks. And I can see Tsunade trusting him with such a position since most Shogun were chosen by the Emperor.

Naruto is inheriting the Shogun position, and since Minato was a Damiyo for his clad, Naruto also technically is an inherited ruler of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clans since Kushina is technically in a position of power since she was princess and the elders are no more since the war. Karin is a princess, but she is a princess because Kushina named her one to pass on the bloodline to keep them marrying positions of power.

Naruto is a Captain, a position higher than chief. This is why Minato worries but look how long Naruto was a Genin? He's always worried about other things.

Samurai ranks are usually ( from highest to lowest )

General

Lt. General

Captain

Chief

Sakura as Daichi has the chief rank along with Kirita as Ichirou under Yamata.

Hajime is General along with Kija and Suigetsu - there's never just one general due to how large the armies and fiefdom were.