Like Moths to the Light Chapter 2: First steeps, a naruto fanfic

Author's note: Okay, time for a long authors note I guess. First off I want to thank all of you who review the first chapter. I was shocked when I saw all the reviews come in. I almost cried in happiness! So thank you for making my life worth living and this fic worth reading.

Okay the second point, What really made me want to write this was the fact that nobody likes the moths. It's true. That and there are twenty some odd stories out there about Sakura and something to do with a butterfly. How mang are their of moths? noneaside from this one. I was never one for the crowd and I prefer moths over butterflies. Most people see moths as ugly insects that do nothing but eat your wool. I wanted to write a fic that portrayed the as beautiful beings. So that is why I originally wrote this. Giving love to the moths.

Another thing is that the first chapter had a lot in common with Moonbeam Great Goddess of the Night's fic Cherry Blossoms in the Moonlight (great fic go read it) with the first chapter and all. I just want to say I asked her if this was okay and she replied saying it was as long as I keep the plot of my story separate from her own. I can't thank her enough for that. Her own stories are very well written and I wanted to keep the focus of the story on Sakura's moth gift.

And last but not least I do not own Naruto. Only my moths.

Chapter Two First Steeps

Drawn like moths we drift into the city

The timeless old attraction

Cruising for the action

Lit up like a firefly

Just to feel the living night

She sat there for the longest time completely alone in the darkness.

"I should be use to this..." She rasped weakly, her voice straining to sound human.

Her eyes drifted towards some crumpled up pieces of paper in the corner she had thrown there weeks ago. They were copies of requests specifically for her from clients outside the village. People wanting her to go on A ranked missions for them. There was even an S rank one from a man living outside of Suna. Tsunade had taken these requests and handed them to other not as skilled as her.

Sakura was hurt of course but she kept pushing it away thinking it was just on mission. That one mission turned into two and those two turned into six and seven and thirteen and then twenty. There were forty five mission requests on her floor right now. -

It was still raining when she left her apartment many hours later to head over towards the Hokage tower determined to ask for a mission. Maybe Tsunade sensei would assign her one to cover up for the mission her team was sent on. By now her wounded hands were fully healed with nothing more than a scratch scaring their smooth texture. This time she didn't bother to mask her chakra as she passed by the guards openly and continued on her way towards the Hokage's office.

"One last time." She though keeping what little hope she had left alive.

Her heels made a soft clicking sound as she strode down the hall stopping in front of the same door that separated her from her team as they betrayed her. She stopped pausing for a moment frozen. She almost didn't want to knock knowing deep down what the outcome of her mission would be. But alas there was no point in postponement the inevitable so letting her knuckles fall against the dark wood she knocked politely.

"Come in..." She heard the Hokage call from the other side. Obeying she gripped the cold metal door knob and stepped through the open doorway and into the Hokage's large office room.

"Hokage sama." Sakura addressed bowing slightly in respect her short hair falling out from behind her ears and over she shoulders. The hazel eyed woman looked up and smiled brushing a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear.

"Oh Hello Sakura chan. What brings your way down here?"

"Hokage sama I wish to request a solo mission," said Sakura, her voice stern and even.

Tsunade flinched a little taken aback by her stone cold voice that seemed so unlike the bright and cherry Sakura she grew to love. True she did look a bit down for the past few weeks but Tsunade thought it was just a faze that would eventually disappear, not elevate. Waving it off as sleep depression she regained her smile and replied. "I'm sorry Sakura, I don't think we have anything at the moment for you. But I promise to let you know as soon as something comes in."

"Don't you have anything? You must have something for me." The desperation clear in her voice.

"Maybe something a little easier would suite you. I might have a B class escort mission to the Mizu no Kuni, the land of water somewhere in here for you." Sakura flinched inwardly hearing those words again as the blond woman bent down to look through the drawers searching through some papers grumbling about something along the lines of how messy it was and how she could never find anything. It was just as she thought.

"Here it is Sakura chan it's a B rank escort...Sakura?" Tsunade stated coming up to find her office completely empty. Shrugging it off she stuffed the scroll back into a draw. "She must have not wanted it." she though. Leaning back she pulling out a hazy green colored bottle hidden in her draw and took a sip.

On her desk was a picture of her younger brother and her old boyfriend Dan, Next to that picture was one of Shizune and herself. The last a -and her favorite- photo was of her and Sakura at and Ice cream stand. The stick sweet substance stinging to their faces around their huge joyful grins. Their smiles. Sakura never smiled like that anymore.

The Hokage put down her Sake and picked of the framed photo. It was an old one and Sakura looked so much younger. If you never meet either of the two you would have guess that they were mother and daughter. And to Tsunade that's what Sakura was to her- a daughter.

No!

Her daughter.

Her precious daughter

.
Sending her precious daughter out on missions where she could possible be killed was not something she was fond of. She loved Sakura and wanted her safe. A bit too much. But that was the only reason she held the poor girl back. She knew Sakura was strong. She knew she was powerful. She knew she could take on more difficult missions. She knew she was capable. She knew Sakura could do it, but she didn't want her to.

Sakura slipped out of the office the moment the blond woman bent over to look for that scroll. Stopping at the front desk she asked for Shizune, the only other ninja to train under to Hokage. Just as she though she was preparing for a mission. The black haired woman was most likely taking her pace on team seven's S rank infiltration mission despite the obvious fact that she was much weaker than Sakura. Everything was just as she though.

Taking a turn down the rain stained streets of her village she once again headed towards the dark colorless apartment room she currently occupied. A few stray drop of heaven's tears splashed across her face and over her hair in wet droplets but she didn't quicken her pace. She loved the rain. It was always seemed so serene and peaceful to her.

But today, today it was nothing to her. She couldn't feel the rain, she couldn't smell the sweet aroma's dancing through the air from the bakery, she couldn't hear her name being called by one of her old friends she see the street in front of her. Today her senses abounded her switching over to auto drive, blocking out the busy world and it's troubles.

Her footsteps once again echoed loudly as she walked down the hallway, around the corner, and down the stairs towards her apartment room. Her mind was a mess as she violently slammed the door behind her not caring if it echoed throughout the building. She didn't release her grip on the cold metal knob though. She just stood there not nothing, barely breathing as her dark forest green eyes stared off into space. Her body started to shake starting with a slight shiver escalating until her small frame couldn't take it any more. Letting her knees buckle under her weight she lifelessly slumped to the floor cold cement floor. Her knees caved inwards as her lower legs stretched outward. Her shoulders slumping down limply as her head drooped like a rag doll's heavy with a weight she didn't feel like lifting.

It was just as she and utterly down to the very words that escaped the Hokage's lips. It was just as she though so she shouldn't be so surprised right? Letting her head fall forward a shadow passed over her eyes.

"I hate being right." She murmured dully as the sad words passed over her pink full lips.

Lifting her hand up to her face she curled it into a fist so tight her knuckles turned white, letting her nails dig into her porcine skin ripping away her flesh. Four crescent wounds soon penetrated her skin bringing out her dark crimson liquid.

She smirked evilly at the pain that she couldn't feel.

The scarlet liquid snaked down her wrist like a serpent continuing to advance down her arm. A few small droplets dripped off her elbow on to the floor pooling in a dark red puddle that grew larger and larger with every drop of her precious life source. A tear drop slid down her chin and mixed with the dark red blood bringing it a shade lighter.

"Ga."

She blinked once holding a steady gaze at the small pool of blood, her almond shaped emerald eyes never straying. Soon that same puddle rippled as a pair of black and silver wings poked out followed by a small black body and a pair of furry antenna just like that had earlier that morning. It flattened it's wings a bit spreading them out to display the beautiful onyx wings with silvery white tips that ran in an elegant and graceful pattern.

She smiled to herself remembering that one day she was training in the forest by herself. Sai had called her ugly again and she didn't want to hit the ignorant boy so she decided to take her anger out on some trees.

She ran into the forest not bothering to notice how deep she was treading. As she ran her anger escalated for reasons she can't remember. She got angry a lot but looking back it was a way to mask her hurt or pain. She tried not to cry but soon she could feel her hot tears trailing down her cheeks. Closing her eyes she blindly dashed between the trees as the wind hissed loudly in her ears.

Her legs collapsed exhausted from the run at the base of a tree towering high above her. Screaming wildly she lashed out at the aged bark. She screamed again knowing she was too far away for anyone to hear her. She didn't care if she was pretty so why was she so angry when Sai called her ugly like he had so many times before? The only other thing Sai said aside from the usual ugly was fragile. Fragile as in weak. Weak as in useless, useless as in a hindrance a deadweight.

She stopped breathing heavily now and choked as another sob escaped her. Even now she was proving the dark haired boy's theory. Crying was a sign of weakness and here she was bawling her eyes out like a little two year old. What was the point of even being a ninja anymore if all she ever did was cry and hold her team back? Crying out one more time she punched the tree hard making it vibrate.

A buzzing noise hummed in the back of her mind causing her to look up and gasp. Thousand and thousands of poisonous moths were spilling out of the tree and into the air around her. They must have had a nest within the huge tree and when she punched it she disturbed them. Turning her head upward a she watched in horror as more and more of the winged insects spilled out of the tree. Taking a step back she tripped over one of the tree's many roots and fell back onto her rump. That was going to hurt in the morning, that is, if she lived that long.

The moths circled around her flying a bit lower to the ground. Sakura had heard stories about men and woman that had angered the moths and were killed by their poison or at the least hospitalized in critical condition. She had seen the damage they could do. Oh well if she were to meet her end her she would deserve it, she did after all try to destroy their home out of blind anger. She wouldn't hold it against them if hey decided to press justice upon her.

The moths were still buzzing around her but they seemed to stop moving, weather it be flying in place or landing. She turned her head back towards the tree and noticed that the moths streaming out if it seemed to have stopped. Then out of one of the higher holes a snow white moth with pink tipped wings fluttered effortlessly down to her.
"She must be their queen or something." She thought silently to herself remembering how insects usually had a queen that they all served.

The snow white insect circled around her head passing by her eyes at a very close rang giving Sakura a good look at the moth. If she had to guess she would say the winged insect was pretty old and on her last leg. She seemed to be inspecting her deciding weather or not to kill her.

Stopping in front of her face it hovered for a few moments as Sakura held her breath praying it didn't want to kill her. Seeing the moth move out of it's little area The green eyes child gasped as it landed on her nose letting it's wings fall limply to it's sides. Lights flashed behind her dazzling emerald green eyes as she felt her head become heavy as it's toxins spread throughout her body. Moaning she fell back lifelessly onto the tree roots as her eyes closed in darkness.

She later learned that a random Jonin had found her many hours later by pure luck and brought her to the hospitable before leaving to inform her teammates. Since Kakashi and Naruto were not around only Sai knew. Tsunade said she had never seen the calm artistic ninja so freaked out. With a light laugh she added that it was a good thing Naruto or Kakashi didn't know about her little accident or they two would freak out. Though Sakura had a hard time picturing Sai panicking over her or anything for that matter.

They asked her what happened but she didn't tell them. No one, not even Tsunade knew what really happened that day since all she told them was that she felt something land on the back of her head before passing out. She wanted to keep it a secret fearing they would try to take her new abilities away. She had a feeling that the white moth wanted her to have these...these capabilities as a gift before she died.

She lifted up two fingers in a horizontal position making a perch for the moth keeping it close to her face. The moth burred and eagerly flew to Sakura's outstretched fingers awaiting the instructions of it's mistress. Sakura brought her long delicate fingers closer to her face so that her eyes were level with those of the moth's and parted her lips preparing to speak.

"It was just as I though." She whispered with a sad sorrowful tone. "You know what to do." The moth beat it's wings and hopped off her fingers flying towards the only open window landing on it's sill. It turned around and rubbed it's antenna tighter making that same purring noise. For some reason it's tone seemed sad.

"I know, they shouldn't have said those things about me but they did and what's done is done no one can change the past. Now go, the rain has stopped but it looks like it'll pick up soon". Sakura replied with a lightness to her sorrowful voice, even sparing a quick smile to the winged insect before it took off into the growing dusk.

Sakura turned her attention back towards the pile of bags and necessary gear in the corner. Her old light blue backpack was tossed aside, replaced with a dark gray knapsack filled with dimension scrolls, food, money and clothing as well as a few medical necessaries.

A ping of gilt rippled through her heart when she didn't bother to pack a picture of her friends but she pushed that feeling down as she closed the flap. She pulled out a dark brown hooded cloak that dragged ever so slightly behind her due to her lack of height and fastened it around her shoulders with an highly wrought black winged broach after slinging on her backpack. The cloak would be perfect for what she had in mind.

She stood up and looked over at the counter where a piece of paper lay next to a box. The piece of paper was for whoever came into her apartment when she wasn't home and the box was for the Hokage. Grabbing the box she tucked it under her arm and opened the door stopping to take one final look around her apartment before leaving. To put it lightly, it was a mess. There was still that small crater in the ground from her fit before filled with dry blood as well as a few overturned chairs, a table broken in two, three shattered lamps, and a overturned couch. Such was the anger and betrayal the small girl felt. Her curtains were pulled down and torn into shreds and her precious bookshelf was void of most it's books as it lay overturned on the floor.

She smirked sinisterly to herself as she walked out, closing the door behind her. Her body shifted direction and now headed for the Hokage tower for the last time in a while. She pulled her hood up over her head letting a shadow cover her face as her lips moved the utterance of words.

"Everything is going just as I though. "Hokage sama." The lady at the front desk called walking into Tsunade's office and bowing slightly to show her respect.

The hazel eyed Konohagakure leader looked up from her paperwork happy for a distraction. "Yes Aikra?" She asked, "What is it?"

"This package just arrived for you a few minuets ago. It's addressed to 'Tsunade' not Hokage sama so I though I should tell you about it right away." The young woman replied.

"Tsunade? Who is it from?" The hazel eyed woman asked reaching out at taking it from the young woman's outstretched hands.

"There is no name or address on it what so ever as you can see and I don't know who delivered it." The Hokage raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner and looked at Aikra who bowed her head and blushed with shame.

"I'm sorry Hokage sama, I heard a noise and went to see what it was and when I got back the package was sitting on my desk."

Tsunade sighed and let the poor woman go back to her desk without a word before looking over the package. Turning it over she found a blank white envelope taped to the bottom with nothing written on it. Curiously she picked it up and opened it taking out the beautifully written letter addressed to her in Sakura's unmistakable handwriting.

Dear Tsunade,

As you are well aware there were no missions for me today. Seeing this I wish to be left alone for the next seven days for reasons I can not discuss with you over this letter. I would have asked you in person and explained the whole subject but some troubling matters arose preventing me from doing so. As my sensei and as my friend I humbly beg of you to respect my wishes.
If anyone comes to ask about me please tell me that I simply do not wish to be disturbed. Though I highly doubt anyone would waste their breath let alone their time on a inconvenience such as myself. So you need not worry yourself to much about that. On the eight day feel free to open the package I have sent you but until then please refrain from doing so. Once again I ask this of you as your student and friend. If there has ever been a moment even in the slightest that I found favor in your eyes please respect my wishes. After seven days everything will be made clear. I will forever remain your humble servant and student,

Sakura

Tsunade frowned deeply setting the letter down and looking at the package and then back at the letter and then back at the package. If it had been anyone other then Sakura she would have opened the parcel up in a minuet but seeing that it was Sakura.

"I guess I could wait a week, her team should be back by then." She murmured setting the packed on one of her bookshelves where it would wait for the rest of the week. "I just hope I'm not making a mistake." She murmured not noticing the brand new crack on the side of her teacup.

A dark brown blur flew over rooftops appearing to float or levitate due to the grace it possessed. The rain had started up again and a light was raining down though not as heavy as it had earlier that morning. The blur stopped dropping down into an alleyway between two buildings pressing up against the wall to hid in the shadows as a tall brown haired Jonin passed by.

Sakura let a breath escape her lips as she pulled back her hood to run a hand through her silky pink hair void of it's usual headband. Her heart was pounding a mile a minuet with excitement. She felt a small twinge of guilt tug at her heart remembering the letter she wrote to the Hokage. True she didn't really lie but she didn't tell the whole truth and that was just as bad.

"Well I wouldn't have to do this if only they believed in me." She though as she pulled her hood back up and slipped out of the shadows continuing to fly towards her desired destination.

It wouldn't be much longer now. Just as she predicted the gates of Konohagakure were now in her line of vision. She stopped by one of the lookout booths and peered inside. She smiled a bit seeing the guard snoring loudly, fast asleep. A copper red moth was resting on his head. The sleep spores this moth gave off would last a while with no ill side effects except bit of drowsiness so she had plenty of time.

She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and the moth left the slumbering body and flew to her shoulder. "You did well little one your job is complete feel free to return to you dwelling and rest."

The moth 'buuured' happily before flying off into the mist quickly taking care to avoid the rain by staying under the trees.

Sakura turned around to face the village hidden in the leaves and let her half lidded eyes scan the sight before her. It was very dark out due to the approaching night as well as the dark gray rain clouds that blocked out the sun. Her village seemed so gloomy when wet. Or maybe it was just her looking at it with eyes clouded by sadness.

"This isn't goodbye, at least I don't mean it to be. Who knows, I could very well die and never return like I planned. I don't know how long I'll be gone but I plan to only stay away for a year, a year and a half if necessary." She mused speaking to her town as if it could hear her. "I wonder If you'll miss me. You will at fist I bet, but after a while you won't even notice I'm gone. You'll like it without me here, after all no one likes having a deadweight around to hold them back."

The guard from inside the booth groaned in his sleep muttering something. The sleeping spore wouldn't last forever so she decided to wrap things up.

"Well you won't have one in me. May you do well in my absence, farewell my radian village of the leaves, until we meet again. I leave to find my happiness" And with those words the cloaked figure turned on her heel and darted away from the hidden leaf village leaving a small dainty footprint in to mud only to be filled in with rain that would soon wash it away till nothing remained.

"I'm leaving to find my smile..."

1.) Ga means moth

Gah you don't know how many times I had to re-uploade this part into the documents folder thingy on FF. first few times it had all these weird signs through it so I had to week it out and they kept coming back but I think I get them this time. Somebody must really hate me 'cause it took me two hours to weed it all out. I think this is my longest chapter yet...I hope you like it long!

There you have it. The second chapter of Like Moths to the light. Sorry for the hugely long author's note at the top. I like to type...a lot.
Anyway please review! Please, please, please! I love reviews, even flames. I know someone is goona flame me sooner or later and I have a feeling it's going to be about this fic. But that's okay! Sakura lovers please REVIEW!

ja ne

(And happy 4th of July weekend!)