Unknowingly

Chapter 2: Prelude to Inexplicable Events

A busty blonde woman reclined her chair backwards as she indulged at the early morning peace and quiet of her village. Sipping her hot coffee, she closed her eyes and relished the few minutes she had before paperwork start to pile up on her desk and different shinobi come in to her office to hand in their reports or to ask for a mission.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Konoha is her village, the same village founded by her grandfather many years ago, she mused. On her ascend to the throne as the Fifth Hokage, she made a promise to protect the village and its people from any harm, even at the cost of her own life. Although her life got extremely complicated the moment she accepted the offer, there was no doubt that Tsunade loved her duty as the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure.

Looking through her drawer, Tsunade fished out a scroll which contained information about a businessman named Katsuo Kobayashi gathered by her apprentice, Sakura. She had second thoughts about sending her pink-haired student on that solo mission at first, but she convinced herself that Sakura needed more experience in being alone in a mission. She has done a handful of solo missions before but they were all petty missions anyway. The last scroll Sakura sent was two weeks ago, and it seemed that she was nearly finished at that time. However, after that they haven't heard anything from her. Tsunade had asked teams who were at that area or were just passing through if they have seen her apprentice but none of them confirmed seeing her. The Godaime was starting to worry, it had been a month since she last saw her apprentice.

A knock at the door broke her from her thoughts and she gulped down the rest of her coffee. "Enter!" she yelled as she prepared herself for another busy day ahead.

"Good morning, baa-chan!" yelled the ever exuberant Naruto as he and his master, Jiraiya, stepped in at the office. The two of them were out of the village for two months for Naruto's training, Jiraiya also used that time to keep tabs on their former teammate, Orochimaru, and make sure that he wasn't plotting anything against Konoha.

The frog sannin waved at her and Tsunade waved back in return "Any news on Orochimaru?" she asked.

"Not much" replied Jiraiya in his usual cheerful tone "But it seems that he keeps on getting weaker and weaker"

"That was to be expected, his technique is fading and he will have to switch to another body soon" commented Tsunade then took notice of the sudden change in the usually cheerful blonde boy.

"Anyway," said Naruto abruptly, not wanting to probe on that matter any further "Where's Sakura-chan? I haven't seen her since I left for training. She promised to treat me at Ichiraku when I return home."

Tsunade regarded the young boy with a stare, not knowing how to deliver the news of Sakura's disappearance. The kyuubi container tends to act rashly when it comes to the people closest to him and that was the last thing the blonde woman wanted for him after just returning home.

All of a sudden, three hurried knocks where heard on the door, signifying its emergency. After hearing the confirmation from the Hokage, the door opened and it revealed Shizune who was panting heavily. Tsunade let her apprentice catch her breath first before asking what happened.

"We have news about Sakura!" exclaimed Shizune in between breaths.

"What's this all about? What happened to Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto, sensing something amiss involving his beloved teammate. Tsunade directed a stare at him that told him to shut up and let Shizune continue.

"Apparently, one of our Anbu units spotted Sakura in a small village fifty miles away from Stone Country when they were passing by. However, she was not alone. She was accompanied by two men" said Shizune, the look on her eyes conveying the gravity of the matter, as she handed a photo that the Anbu took of Sakura with two men at each of her sides.

"Those two men were believed to be Hoshigaki Kisame, missing nin from the Mist, and Uchiha Itachi, missing nin from the Leaf. Both of which belong to the criminal organization, Akatsuki"

Shock was clearly written on the faces of Tsunade, Jiraiya and Naruto. Only one question crossed their minds at that time, why was Sakura with the Akatsuki?

Hatake Kakashi and Nara Shikamaru stood before the Hokage, just as shocked as she, Jiraiya and Naruto had been when they heard the news about the missing medic. Sakura's two senseis and her boisterous blonde teammate confirmed that Sakura was really the person captured in the photo.

"I don't get it. Why is she with the Akatsuki? What do they want from her?" asked Naruto, the worry for his pink-haired friend evident on his voice.

Tsunade stared at the strategist, asking for his opinion on the matter. "Tsunade-sama, is it possible that they took her for her medical skills?" voiced out Shikamaru, this was the first thing that crossed his mind upon hearing the news.

The blonde woman nodded her head in agreement, she had thought the same as Shikamaru earlier but decided to hear other's opinions before coming to a conclusion. The fact that she and Shikamaru thought of the same reason held a high possibility of it being true.

"Yes, especially since Sakura is an exceptional medic nin and has developed a name for herself" answered the Hokage as she eyed the photo that was laid on her desk once again.

"The last time I faced Uchiha Itachi in battle, his vision was already deteriorating because of the sharingan" commented Kakashi, a frown showing through his masked face.

The Godaime nodded her head again, understanding where Kakashi was getting at. Yes, that would seem to be the obvious answer but knowing the intellectual capacity of the Uchiha clan murderer, there must be other reasons for him to take her apprentice under their captivity. After all, he was not given the title of 'Uchiha prodigy' for nothing.

"The enemy we're dealing against is far too dangerous," trailed off Tsunade then directed a meaningful stare at the agitated Naruto "so we'll have to think of a strategy first before acting out."

"What do you mean by that, baa-chan!?" retorted Naruto, not being able to hold back his composure anymore "Sakura-chan is out there with two dangerous men keeping her captive, and you're saying we just have to sit here!?"

Tsunade didn't really want to start her day negatively, but the blonde boy was just asking for it. She pounded her fists on her desk, using them as leverage to stand up from her chair. "And you think that this doesn't affect me at all!?"

Every pair of eyes inside the room stared back at the angered woman but Tsunade paid no mind to them "Naruto, she is my student! My apprentice! I'm the one who sent her on that solo mission that led to her being captured. Now, how does that make me feel?!"

Naruto didn't dare answer back or even face the Hokage and instead let his gaze fall to the floor. It was foolish of him to only think about what he had to say on the matter.

Tsunade let her anger cool down a bit before she settled back to her chair "Gather as much information as you can about Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame and give it to Shikamaru. If you don't have any questions, you're dismissed."

The Godaime watched as everyone left her office one by one then rested her face on the palms of her hands. She knew her apprentice very well to know that she won't give up easily, but everything changed when the Akatsuki got involved. She only hoped Sakura could hold on a little more, because there was no way Tsunade could leave her daughter figure to the dangerous clutches of the Akatsuki.

The sun shone brightly in the morning sky, very much unlike the sky these past few days because of the passing storm. Four figures exited the small house, one was sad and the other three were eager to go on their next trip. Satoshi Tanaka suppressed another long sigh as he escorted his three guests for the past two weeks out to the gates of their small village. Although he was annoyed with the two males who did nothing except to slouch down and enjoy their free accommodations, the presence of the pregnant Sakura and hearing laughter within the confines of his small house was more than enough payment for his services to them.

"Can you not delay your trip for another day or so?" asked Satoshi with hope burning in his eyes as he stared at the married couple.

Sakura smiled sweetly at the generous old man who housed them for two weeks "Thank you for the kind offer, Satoshi-san, but we must get going now. As I told you earlier, my mother has yet to know about my pregnancy and I really can't wait to see the look on her face once I tell her the good news."

Satoshi sighed again and a smile crept up on his wrinkled face "It's alright, but you better promise me that you will come back here with the child."

"Of course!" answered Sakura cheerfully, her smile never faltering. Itachi placing his hand around her waist didn't surprise her at all as she turned around to see his face.

"We must go" stated the raven-haired young man as he smiled lovingly towards his wife. Sakura smiled back at him and together with Kisame, they bid farewell to Satoshi.

"So, where are we heading to this time?" asked Sakura as she leaned her head on Itachi's chest, taking note that his arm was still wrapped around her petite waist. Even though they were now walking through the forest, they were still within the vicinity of the small village so the cover must still be kept up.

"Who knows…" trailed off Itachi, not even sparing her a look. Annoyance built up inside of her as the three of them trudged through the foliage of the forest. Here he was again, not disclosing anything to her when it has come to her attention that her cooperation is very essential to them. Yet, she has decided not to push him for answers, she has spent an awful two weeks with him to know that pushing his buttons wrong might prove to be dangerous.

The rest of the trip went on in silence, each of them in their own thoughts. Even the outspoken Kisame was silent which was very unusual of him, Sakura mused. Itachi and Kisame not telling her anything about their plans made her assume things. Itachi's body contact with hers still hasn't changed so she assumed that they were still remotely near the village they had stayed in or that they were nearing another village.

Suddenly, Itachi slipped his hand that was keeping her secured on her waist away and kept a good distance from her. Sakura directed a strange look at him and although he could see what she was doing, he chose to ignore it. Sakura told herself that the act served its purpose and now that there was nobody keeping a watchful eye on them, there was no purpose in keeping up their cover.

Kisame took notice of the awkwardness between his partner and the pinkette and it amused him. "Why, little mouse? Are you missing Itachi's touches already?" he asked as a wide grin appeared on his face, showing his razor-sharp teeth.

Sakura resisted the urge to land a kick on him and instead settled on giving him a hard glare, inflicting physical pain was against the rules anyway. And besides, her body was just used to him being around that when he left it sought him out. It was just her body and not her whole self, she kept on replaying in her head. And in time she was sure she will get used to not having him around her too much, which was a good thing because there was no way she'll be their captive for the rest of her lonely life, even if they have grown quite close to each other.

Sakura was too absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even sense her companions stop moving and almost collided with Itachi's back. She stared up at him questioningly and then she felt it, three chakra signatures that were advancing on them in a rapid pace. They were concealing their chakra but not hard enough to get pass through Sakura's keen ability to sense chakra signatures. She looked up at both Kisame and Itachi and noticed how relaxed they were even at the knowledge of enemy coming to face them. She guessed that living a life of a missing nin did that to you.

Within seconds a barrage of shuriken flew towards them and they evaded it with ease. Kisame swung his sword forward, ready to take care of the nuisance and Itachi just stood there as if he didn't care while Sakura tried to locate where their enemies were lurking.

"Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi, I'm sure capturing you would make us millionaires, after all you two are both listed in the Bingo Book" said a man with a raspy voice as he came out of the tree he was hiding and revealed himself. He was a middle-aged man and his appearance told them that he and, probably, his friends, who were still hiding, were rogue ninjas.

"But what's this?" asked the man, who was probably their leader, as he directed his gaze at Sakura. "Why are you with these missing nins? A young lady like you shouldn't be in a place like this in the first place."

Then Sakura felt his stare grew more malicious and directed towards the lovely contours of her body "Or better yet, you should come with us. It's been a while since my men and I had female company and we've been feeling very lonely lately" he said as he broke out in a mischievous laughter, pissing off Sakura further.

It took an immeasurable amount of resistance for Sakura to stay still and not beat the bloody lights out of him. But what can she expect? He was just like Katsuo and all the men that made her believe that all of them cannot be trusted.

All of a sudden, the laughter broke caused by Itachi's hand grasping the leader's vulnerable throat and lifting him up in the air. The so-called leader of the little rogue team didn't even have time to form hand seals before he was lifted up in the air, how pathetic.

Grateful for the fact that his back was facing his companions, Itachi's grip on the rogue leader tightened, his normally cool onyx eyes unconsciously turning to a raged sharingan as his victim's face was slowly losing its healthy color. He didn't know what came over him but he felt a strange feeling when he saw how this pathetic excuse for a ninja regarded Sakura. Without even thinking, he launched himself forward to where he was standing right now, it was as if his body moved on its own.

The rustling from behind and from the side signalled the incoming attack of his two companions and Sakura and Kisame moved out of the way in time to avoid the futile attack. Kisame didn't even bat an eye as he sliced the rogue nin who came to attack him. Excited to finally get some action after two weeks of not doing so, Sakura landed a chakra-laden punch to the ground, causing her enemy to lose his balance. Taking note that she has limited chakra to use, courtesy of Itachi and his chakra-binding technique, Sakura threw two chakra scalpels on her enemy's chest, hitting the vital points and causing his immediate death. She didn't even have to look around her surroundings to know that the other two rogue nins were already disposed.

Without a word, Itachi moved forward and motioned his companions to do so, all the while making sure that his earlier rage was already gone. He didn't know what compelled him to be in such a state of anger. That was the first time he felt that way ever since he left Konoha after the massacre. He then looked back behind him and caught a glimpse of the pink-haired medic. Now that everything is clear to him, he remembered the leader saying such rude things towards her and that's when his anger started to build up. He didn't really know why but maybe he hasn't truly let go of the loving husband façade he has been acting when they were still with Satoshi, maybe acting that way towards her took its toll on him.

Perhaps, keeping her is an unwise decision after all, Itachi mused.

"Don't worry about those petty rogue nins, little mouse. We face them everyday" commented Kisame in a mischievously cheerful voice as they continued on their journey.

"I guess so. You can expect those when you're always on the run" mentioned Sakura, finding herself not at all bothered at the knowledge of the vast amount of danger just lurking around the corner, especially since she's travelling with a pair of missing nins. The life of a shinobi is like that, very much identical to the life of a missing nin, but the latter is more complicated especially since their villages are no longer there to provide them protection.

"Those idiots know nothing about becoming a missing nin. That served them right!" said Kisame out loud and a little laugh escaped Sakura's mouth. He was certainly proud of being a missing nin!

The remainder of their trip was spent with Kisame telling stories about his encounters with other shinobi and his experiences with being a missing nin. Sakura was glad for Kisame's stories because she'll probably go insane if the silence kept on going. The both of them were too absorbed in their conversation that they failed to sense the dark aura coming from the raven-haired missing nin.

Sakura sat on one of the chairs in the lobby of the inn as Itachi and Kisame went to get a room. They kept the same cover once they got near this village, that she and Itachi are a married couple and Kisame is a family friend. Unlike the last village they were in, this village is bigger and held many tourists. The people in this village didn't stare at them like they were some species of aliens and she was glad for that, it simply meant that she didn't have to worry about blowing up their cover.

Itachi must have realized that too for he wasn't acting like the loving husband he used to be towards her. Of course, they still held hands and he still held her close to him but Sakura felt like they were forced, so much unlike the way he was holding her when they were in the last village they've been to. But Sakura didn't have the nerve to ask him what was going on, Itachi was probably irritated and she has known not to behave rashly when he's in that kind of mood.

"We're going, love" called Itachi as he held out his hand to her. Sakura just stared at his face for a moment before she accepted his outstretched hand. They were joined by Kisame shortly and the three of them went upstairs to their room.

The room was big, big enough for the three of them, Sakura thought to herself as she inspected their room. There was a bathroom, which had a decent-sized bath tub for goodness' sake, two single beds, a big window, overlooking the commercial district of the village, and a nice heating system especially designed for winter.

"You," said Itachi as he stared at Sakura who in return was staring at him in a confused manner "will sleep on the floor."

Surprise was clearly written on her face and she managed to ask him why.

"Because I said so" remarked Itachi, not bothered by her reaction at all, as he sat on the corner of his bed. Sakura was ready to retaliate and, if possible, land a hard punch on that pretty face of his when Kisame decided to intervene for the better.

"There, there, little mouse, you can have my bed if you want to" he said as he held back Sakura through her shoulders.

"No, Kisame" said Itachi as he regarded his partner with an even glare "she will sleep on the floor."

Kisame just laughed nervously and casted a glance towards her that told her 'sorry'. Sakura, who clearly didn't have a choice on the matter, just glared at the Uchiha who was glaring evenly at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Being so mean all of a sudden!" she spat out, her glare towards him never fading. In a blink of an eye, Itachi was standing right in front of her.

"You are our prisoner. Anything you say doesn't matter" he stated, his eyes piercing through her.

Sakura just stood there, feeling like a cornered mouse in front of a huge cat. Itachi was right, the fact remains that she was their captive, whether she liked it or not. It was foolish of her to assume that they have gotten into friendlier terms with each other during her time with them. In the end, they were still missing nins who betrayed their own villages and killed countless lives just for the fun of it. If anything, she should be glad that, despite the reputation of her captors, she was still treated with modesty. She has seen how Konoha handled their captives and she didn't even want to compare her village's way of treating their prisoners to her situation right now.

Feeling defeated, Sakura turned and went to the bathroom. At least she wouldn't see his face there.

The shade of the half-moon illuminated the sky full of stars as the gentle breeze of winter passed through the small village. It was in the middle of the night and most people around the neighborhood were probably resting their tired bodies for another productive day ahead. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle hum of the breeze as tree branches and leaves danced to its rhythm.

To put it simply, it was a peaceful night, in fact too peaceful for his liking, Satoshi Tanaka thought as he lay down on his bed. He got used to the noises caused by his guests for the past two weeks and now that they were no longer here, his house felt like it always used to be since his wife passed away, empty. His two sons were busy living their lives to its fullest and starting their own families. There was no doubt that Satoshi was very proud of his children, but still it wouldn't hurt to come and visit once in a while, would it?

Telling himself that thinking about his sons will just make him sad, Satoshi deviated from his earlier thoughts and instead thought about his guests who left two days ago. The large man named Kisame was always the humorous type. He would always make light of the situation whenever Itachi and Sakura were quarrelling. However, he doesn't seem to know the boundary of privacy so there were times when he 'accidentally' spilled a secret or two about the couple. Nevertheless, he was fun to be around, thought Satoshi as he stared at the white ceiling, a smile forming on his wrinkled face.

Itachi, now that's a different story. He was quite the silent type, he rarely spoke and he held an aura around himself that kept anyone near him away. Although there were times when he vocally expressed his doubts about Itachi's feelings towards Sakura (he only did it for Itachi to take the hint and care more for his wife), there was no doubt that Itachi truly cared and treasured his wife. He felt foolish and embarrassed when he got suspicious one night and checked them in their room. That proved his suspicions wrong but still it was improper of him to just enter their room without permission, even if they were his guests.

And then there was Sakura, oh how she reminded him of the daughter he could only wish to have. He was most happy whenever they engaged in small conversations which lead to topics he hasn't thought they would discuss. She said that she was only twenty years of age, yet she talked like she had the life experience of a fifty-year old woman. She was smart, thoughtful and he admired her patience in dealing with her husband, when it was supposed to be the other way around with her being pregnant. She was truly a kind-hearted person.

Satoshi's smile widened as a thought crossed his mind. Itachi and Sakura were really different from each other. Itachi was always serious and quiet while Sakura was cheerful and outgoing. It was a wonder for him as to how two people with such different personalities ended up together. But then who was he to question fate? Itachi and Sakura were a testament as to how love actually works.

Happy with his bedtime musings, Satoshi closed his eyes as he relaxed more on his comfy bed. He still had a lot of things to do in the morning and it wouldn't do well for him if he overslept.

An hour passed by and the village was still peaceful, with most of its residents already retired in their beds. However, the serene atmosphere changed in just a snap as a line of houses was suddenly engulfed in flames. Quickly, the residents escaped their burning houses, bringing with them as much belongings as they can. Shortly after that, another line of houses exploded in flames and the small peaceful village was peaceful no more.

The alarm bells were heard all throughout the village, indicating evacuation for all. Satoshi sat upright as he heard the alarm and went to check out what was happening through his window. Shock and fear flooded through every nerve of his body as he took in the sight he was seeing before him. The village was in total chaos! Residents were running, with no particular direction, with their primary goal to get as far away as possible from the inferno that were their houses and save themselves. Some houses even collapsed from the damage it sustained and Satoshi forced himself not to think about the unfortunate people who didn't even get the chance to leave their houses.

Loud knocks were heard at his front door and, with as much speed as he could muster, Satoshi made his way downstairs to open the door.

"Satoshi-san! We have to leave now!" a young man by the name of Seiji, a neighbor who was living just around the corner, said in between breaths, his facial expression denoting just how serious the situation was. The young man was a very nice person, there was never a time when he rejected the older man when he asked for help. Without a second thought, Satoshi went with Seiji with nothing more than the clothes on his body. He had managed to thank his neighbor who went out of his way to save him as they were making their way towards the evacuation area and also managed to ask him what was going on. Apparently, their village was being attacked by unknown forces for unknown reasons. However, their village is small and is not a shinobi village, what could they possibly be after? Asked Satoshi to himself as he and Seiji made it into the evacuation area.

It was unnerving to just sit there and wait for the village chieftain's orders. The attack was truly unexpected seeing as they were not a shinobi village. The village was peaceful and there were no attacks for as long as Satoshi can remember. So they were left paralyzed in a situation like this.

All of a sudden a dark figure moved out of the shadows and appeared right before them. It was a tall man with dark hair framing his pale face. A black teardrop was painted under his right eye and his lips were painted black. He tilted his white hat to the side as a frown made its way to his painted face.

"Oh! I didn't know you were holding a get-together party. You didn't even invite me" said the painted man then suddenly his frown turned into a wide grin "But that doesn't matter now, does it? I'm not here to play foolish games with you. All I want are answers to my questions."

"Who are you and why are you attacking our village!?" yelled the chieftain, no longer able to keep his anger towards the attacker at bay.

However, the chieftain's display of anger only seemed to increase the painted man's amusement further and his abnormally wide grin widened even further, baring his row of white teeth.

"I'm just a traveller searching for a certain treasure," he then glared at the middle-aged man who dared to rise up and yell at him like that "Now, will you cooperate with me and answer my questions?"

Suddenly yells were heard and a bunch of men ran towards the attacker of their village, ready to strike with their weapons of forks, hoes and axes. Without much effort at all, Yukio raised his right hand in the direction of his attackers and a harsh wind sent them to the thick forest surrounding the small village with great force.

At that sight, people started running to get as far away as possible from the man. Satoshi stood there in fear while the rest of the village people kept on running around with the goal of not being the next target of the unknown attacker. The old man flinched as he heard the painted man laugh his insides out, as if the sight of the people in chaos was the most hilarious thing he had ever witnessed. Fear filled his entire body and Satoshi hardly noticed the forest around them burning and the horrified screams of the villagers.

Yukio let out the laughter he has been trying hard to keep all this time since he went and set flames to the little village. It was so entertaining to see people, no matter the age or gender, scream their lungs out and run for their lives. Although he was used to it by now, the chill and excitement he always gets upon seeing pitiful people trying their hardest to escape and survive is simply too hard to resist.

"Satoshi-san!" yelled Seiji as he took notice of the unmoving man. This caused the old man to finally break away from his trance and he regarded Seiji with a worried look.

"Satoshi? That's the name those people told me earlier" mumbled Yukio to himself as another grin appeared on his painted face. During his earlier attack, he had managed to politely ask, as politely as a notorious shinobi such as himself can be, some of the residents if they have indeed seen the girl he has been looking for, his doll. But the only response he got was to ask a certain 'Satoshi' about her whereabouts. Yukio admitted to himself that he wasn't really a patient person so upon answering his question, those villagers were forced to take their last breath. What he did was a noble thing, really, Yukio mused to himself. He gave them a quick death instead of a slow and agonizing one they were to experience if they stayed on the land of the living a little longer.

Eyeing his prey, Yukio appeared right in front of the old man named Satoshi in a split second. The young man, who was obviously worried for the older man, fled right away and Satoshi was left alone with the demented man who set his small village on fire.

"I've heard a lot about you tonight, my dear Satoshi" said Yukio as he patted Satoshi's wrinkled face with his cold hand, sending shivers down the old man's spine.

"I believe you hold all the answers to my questions."

Satoshi's eyes widen in complete shock and fear and all the words that came out of Yukio's mouth was downed by the heavy thumping of his own heart. Never in his fifty eight years of existence had he felt such enormous amount of fear circulating through every nerve of his body. He always told himself that he was an old man and came to accept the fact that death will come to meet him soon, with such a frail heart that he developed through the years, but for the first time in his life he feared dying, not in the way he had always thought it could be but dying in the hands of an unknown man.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" said Yukio, a sadistic smile marring his face as he put both of his hands on the older man's shoulders, preventing any attempt of escape "Have you seen a pink-haired lady go by this village?"

"You mean Sakura?" asked Satoshi without even thinking. The question 'what business does this dangerous man have with the innocent Sakura?' lingered in his mind.

Upon hearing his reply, Yukio's smile widened even further "Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to ask for her name the last time we met. But the name does suit her, with her pink hair and all. Does this mean that you've seen her?" he asked as his eyes gave a pleading look for the old man in question to say yes.

Satoshi just stared wide-eyed at the man who was bombarding him with questions involving Sakura. He was having second thoughts about answering his questions, this man clearly had ill intentions on her and judging from the way he attacked the small village just to get info about her, he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, which is the pink-haired pregnant lady he had come to know.

Yukio sensed his captive's hesitation and his eyes shown with menace as he directed a glare at the older man "Spit it out, old man. I'm not a very patient person."

With his heart beating faster and faster by the second, Satoshi kept his eyes on the man hovering over him. From the way he had set fire to the village, leaving innocent people to die without much thought, Satoshi assumed that being left alive after answering his questions might not be a possibility. He was not so oblivious to realize that this painted man enjoyed other's misery.

Suddenly, the hands that were resting on his shaking shoulders started tightening its grip and Satoshi can feel the attacker's nails digging deep into his shoulders and leaving a trail of blood. He stared back at the grinning man before him as it felt like his heart will be exploding inside him anytime soon from utmost fear.

"I WANT ANSWERS, YOU USELESS THING!" yelled Yukio in sheer anger, which was something not really becoming of him.

"I…"

"Yes?" said Yukio in response, his eyes shining with menace as he waited eagerly for the answer he has been longing for all along.

"I…"

All of a sudden, Satoshi felt like the air was brutally taken away from his lungs and his heart felt like a ticking bomb, ready to explode anytime. He clutched his chest but it did nothing to alleviate the pain he was feeling. It felt like a thousand needles were embedded on his chest, particularly his heart, and the only thing he could think about was the pain.

And that was the last thing in his mind as he fell lifeless to the ground with a loud thud.

Yukio just stared at the new corpse by his feet and nudged it with his left foot. All of his suspicions about the old man still being alive were proven false when the said old man didn't move a muscle at the rough contact with his foot.

At this, Yukio left the clearing as he breathed out a sigh of defeat. He was so close to finding out the answers to his questions, too bad the only person who held the answers died a little too soon. But his trip to the now destroyed village wasn't in vain, though, he had managed to know his doll's name. It really does suit her, maybe he'll still call her 'Sakura' when he turns her into his little pink doll.

Out of the blue, a menacing laughter echoed through the burning forest, overpowering the screams of the villagers as they try to find their way out through the burning maze. He had managed to go this far and every step he took has lead him closer to his most precious doll.

The painted man didn't care how many villages he'll destroy, as long as it will lead him to the most beautiful creature he has ever seen, his most precious pink doll.

Author's Notes: Hello! I'm sorry I took too long in updating. I had to catch up with the things life was throwing at me and there's nothing I can complain about it. I'm enjoying my new job now and writing/reading before going to bed has been part of my life.

If you have any questions, don't be shy to let me know. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Please review, it motivates me to write more and work harder.

And as always, thank you for all the support!

Don't forget to write a review after reading!

See you in the next chapter!

(*^o^*) Peace out! (*^o^*)

Kaycee