Like Moths to the Light Chapter 5: Summer Nights, a naruto fanfic

AN:/ Well I think I made you wait long enough.

Please review!

Disclaimer:/ The author known as Vesper chan dose not own legal right over the Naruto manga, anime or any part of the Naruto merchandise and/or it's profits.

Chapter Five

Summer Nights

The moths beat themselves
To death againts the lights
Adding their breeze to the summer nights
Outside, water like air was great

Sakura ran a few of her long slender fingers threw her mid length rose colored locks that were now a few short inches longer than they had been a few months ago when she left her village. It had a slight wave to it now and was currently framing her face in a wispy appearance, void of her outgrown bangs. A gentle summer breeze swept past her porcelain colored face playing with her cherry colored locks, urging them to join them in their dance. She breathed in happily enjoying the fresh sent of pine that surrounded her.

She was currently resting against the side of a tree, sitting on one of it's higher branches completely content with her position. Her left leg swayed slightly as it hung over the tree's branch slightly obscured by her long brown cloak that now sported a few tears and burn marks along the edges. She didn't bother to mend the tattered garment of it's blemishes, she liked it like that.

She fingered a small tear closer to her shoulder and smiled in remembrance as a not so distant memory descended upon her concuss. This one was from that assignation mission she had completed for a rich Lord who wanted to 'punish' a man he had leant money out to without receiving any sort of payment many months later. He was not pleased to say the least.

The man she was sent to take care of was currently very well off with his own chain of night clubs and drug smugglers. He had a few body guards that she found amusing but nothing close to a decant workout. The one who had managed to slice her cloak now lay far beneath the earth's surface as punishment for daring to attempt anything close to an attack.

Most of the men fled in fear with cries of 'it's the Poison yukionna, Hitokiri of the tainted wings or even Tenshi of the black eyes.' Nick names that sent fear into the hearts of men and quite frankly she was very proud of all of them. Her favorite one out of the many she had been given was 'dokubutsu ga' which meant poisoned moth.

Most of her time she spent training, honing her new power and abilities. She was very proud with the results she displayed over such a short amount of time. After all killing a man by just touching him was not something many could boast about.

Her speed and agility skyrocketed soon after her departure much to her delight and somewhat dismay. She had so much potential that was just… just wasted all these years. She was never pushed in any way to achieve anything aside from her training with Tsunade, so these results never came forth. If they had she could have been so much stronger than she was now.

But alas, the past is the past and can not be changed. With that she let out a content sigh and let her back slide further down the tree's rough bark. The sun was setting now kissing the evening sky ever so slightly as it continued it's descend down the heavens embracing a honey yellow glow fringed with pink. Soon it would be night and she would be active.

Sadly she still needed money for food and other necessaries she chose not to live without and that money didn't grow on trees. It was another assassination mission for a group of rebels held under a tyrant's thumb for too long. Her objective was to single handedly infiltrate his lavish home at midnight, sneak silently and kill all of his guards before finally killing the fat old man herself. It would be a fairly challenging task but she welcomed the challenge.

Swinging her legs underneath her slim body she pushed herself up letting her tattered cloak fall around her happy it was so concealing. The day was dying and soon night would come. Lifting her hand she smiled as a faded blue moth settled on her index finger.

"Soon my darlings, soon you will have you fun," she softly cooed stroking it's soft velvety wings with tenderness. "Soon, very soon."

With those comforting tender words the faded blue moth lifted it's wings letting a wind lift him into the air as it floated softy through the warm summer's nigh air.

Darkness soon descended upon the oppressed village pierced only by the light of a crescent moon. Midnight stuck and with silence a dozen soldiers fell dead, void of any bodily wounds or injuries.

A shadow walked down the long corridor with much pride, not even bothering to conceal herself. A pale almost invisible fog like substance with a hint of silver to it surrounded her as she approached the second wing where another dozen guards were waiting for her. When she turned the corner she was pleased to find twelve dead bodies laying lifelessly on the ground surrounded by the same sickly mist. She smiled sinisterly to herself with satisfaction.

Sakura smiled evilly underneath the shadow of her hood in satisfaction. Two ore wings to go before she could advance to e second floor. Then there would only e two wings waiting for her. After she completed that job she could advance to the third floor where the doomed tyrant waited for her most likely asleep in his lavished bed that cost more than what the entire village could afford.

Quickening her pace she confidently strut down he halls letting the poisonous mist that surrounded her kill off the next two dozen for her. The airy substance that surrounded her was filled with a deadly poison that once inhaled, would instantly kill. She owed her precious tea cup months for this toxic spore that surrounded her. She inhaled it deeply pleased with it's order less smell. No, she could not die from the poison since she was somehow linked with the moths and their immunity to their own poison and for that she was grateful. Logically if she wasn't she wouldn't be alive at the moment.

Stepping over another body she ascended the stairs, her cloak trailing behind her. By now she could hear the hurried footsteps of guards running back and forth in a panic. One of them must have seen the bodies and alerted the others. No matter, she was planning on making her presence known to them sooner or later. After all if she just used her poison to kill them all that would leave her with no one to play with.

Her smile only grew when she heard one of the guards shout, "We must leave while we still can. It's the Poison yukionna! She's come to kill us we are all doomed!"

"Taro get a hold of yourself we must stand and fight."

Turning down the hallway she calmly continued her walk not even flinching when she saw twelve fully armed guards waiting for her, prepared for the fight that was destined to take place. She didn't waver as four kunai were thrown, aimed for her head. She simply smiled sidestepping to the right turning her body sideways as the kunai passed by her head only barely nicking the edge of her hood above the eyes.

With a wave of her hand two of the guards fell dead, their stricken faces rolling to the floors as their heads left their body. Another wave of her hand and three more fell dead with poisoned needles sticking out of their guts. Another five fell as she dodged the sword swipes and jabs aimed for her untouchable body that seemed to move like a shadow in the darkness.

Two were left standing and she smiled guessing that they were the scared boy that cried out about her, and the captain of the fallen quad that scolded him earlier.

"Demon you shall not pass, you days end here." The gruff sounding man cried unsheathing his sword and charging at her. Her eyes were half lidded in a board expression as her chakra enhanced twine stopped him in his tracks catching him in it's iron hold.

"You call me demon yet you know not who or what I am. Tell me, why is that?" She asked taking a steep forward, seeing that the boy made no move towards her whether lacking the courage to do so or maybe possessing the wisdom not to.

"You kill my men without a second though and show no remorse for the fallen even though they sacrificed their lives protecting our honorable lord who- ugh!" His explanations were cut off as her twin tightened around his body drawing a bit of blood.

"Honorable? You think that fat pompous is honorable? I pity you for you blindness for money and greed. You say I am a demon because I hide my emotions yet Shinobi and kunoichi kill everyday without so much as a bat of the eye, as it should be done. They are not demons nor am I. If anyone is the demon it is you. You have lived long enough, it is time you perished." And with those words her twine pulled sharply and quickly cutting his body into pieces that fell limply to the floor, drenched in blood.

Sakura turned towards the boy from before who was now cowering like a little sheep knowing he would die. He fell to the floor his head to touching ground as tears flowed from his eyes. "Please do not kill me, I do not wish to die, please I want to live!" He pleaded.

Sakura kneeled down in front of him and tilted her head. "What is your name boy?"

"M-My...my name is Taro miss, I am but thirteen years." He replied nervously still not bothering to lift his eyes from the floor.

"Tell me Taro, do you think I am a demon? And do not lie to me telling me no just so you will escape with your life, I want you to tell me why." Sakura commanded.

"...N-No, I do not think you are a demon and t-this is why; you kill yes but this a normal part of life. I...I d-do not believe you killed because you enjoyed it but because it was necessary. A demon would k-kill for pleasure, you did not." The boy lifted his eyes slowly as if waiting to be killed.

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Well said for this you shall live. But for now I can't have you causing a commotion so…"She gingerly pressed his forehead letting a spore that covered her hands transfer to his skin. He soon lost consciousness and fell over. "I know that when you wake you will tell tales of the Poison yukionna that killed with ease and yet found mercy for you."

With that said she gracefully stepped over his fallen body continuing on her way. She stopped at the bottom of a small flight of stairs leading up to the third floor that served as a large bedroom for the tyrant. Not bothering to use the handle she kicked the door open using her inhuman strength channeled into her leg. The loud bang of the door falling to the floor woke up the sleeping bundle in the middle of the king sized bed. The sleeping figure angrily hopped out of bed grabbing a knife from under his pillow reliving himself to be a stout little man on the overweight side.

"How dare you interrupt my slumber! Who are you, and why are you here?" The fat old man bellowed in his anger.

Sakura merely blinked in a board fashion flicking two of her finger in front of her face sending his knife flying from his hands across the floor due to her invisible chakra strings. Now unarmed the old tyrant became a bit frightened but tried to hide the fear that filled his mind.

"My true name is irrelevant and will mean nothing to you, but to put an end to your question you may know me as the Poison yukionna, killer of many." Sakura calmly stated.

Hearing her words fear completely overwhelmed the fat tyrant as he fell to his knees and began to cry like a little child promising her gold and jewels if she let him live. Sakura took a few steep closer to the old man and pulled a kunai out from inside her sleeve.

"Please just let me live I don't want to die! I can give you anything you want just don't kill me I don't want to die, please don't kill me!" He groveled sniffling like a infant. "I'll do anything just let me live!"

"Beg you trash." Sakura harshly commanded as the man threw himself to the floor continuing his desperate cries and pleas for mercy. "Filth." She muttered to herself before plunging her dagger deep into his skull silencing him forever.

His body fell over limp and dead a trail of crimson liquid snaking across the floor around his head. Sakura frowned and in a split second flung another kunai across the room imbedding it into the wall.

"You can come out now I've already sensed and memorized you chakra signature." She called keeping her body facing forward.

She heard the clapping of hands and turned to see a man emerging from the shadows dressed in ninja attire. "Well done darling, I'm impressed that you recognized me so early."

"Cut the complements, you'll get nowhere with flattery. What do you want with me?" She sneered.

"You don't waist any time do you 'eh? Well I won't either, I work for someone who might be interested in your abilities." He then kicked the side of the dead tyrant she had killed moments before. "He already has two other people for the job and needs a third. He's willing to pay you handsomely for your efforts, it would be a mistake to deny such a generous offer."

Sakura coxed her head to the side resting a finger on her chin. "I'm listening."

The other man smiled clearly pleased. "Be at the northern gates of this village three days from today an hour before midnight, one of my subordinates will be waiting for you there with details on the mission. Until then darling…" With a flourished bow the man disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Well, seems like I'll be set for a while now won't I?" She mused waiting a while before lifting her arms up separating the flaps of her cloak the reveal hundreds of little moths that flew eagerly out of her cloak flocking to the dead bodies downstairs. "Leave this one," she commanded point to the tyrant. "The villagers want him intact sadly."

A few of her moths hovered around her head circling it in a delicate dance before following the rest down the stirs where the dead bodies lay waiting for them. Sakura could still hear the humming of their wings as the flew even more graciously than butterflies.

Bending over she grabbed to color of his shirt and began to drag the heavy dead man down the stairs not even blinking when she saw the half eaten corps of her victims. "My babies must have been hungry tonight." She mused continuing on her way down the hall leaving a smeared trail of blood behind her.

Back in Konoha Gai's team consisting of Neji, Lee, Tenten and of course Gai slowly stumbled through the gates. It was well past midnight and their extensive five month mission was finally over. It was expected to last only a month or two at the most but the hadn't counted on a few…obstacles to suddenly pop up out of nowhere like they had.

Neji yawned and stretched his arms above his head in a sleepy manner. His pearl colored eyes slightly closed in exhaustion. The cool summer breeze played through his long chocolate colored locks as he listened to Lee rant on and on about how he was happy to be able to see his youthful spring blossom again. Actually the part about wanting to see Sakura again slightly got on his nerves. Sure the green clad boy had been spouting off about her for years but lately it was getting him really ticked.

Speaking of the cherry haired damsel, he hadn't forgotten his promise to her that was made before he had to leave on that infernal mission. In the mornings everyday the two would meet and spar together, the daily exercise was greatly beneficial to both of them and he had grown forward to their little training sessions. He promised her before he left that they would continue their daily ritual once he got back.

Now that he was back he was ready to see that promise through. Thinking about her again brought a slight flush of pink to his cheeks. Even after all these years of knowing her he still wasn't strong enough to resist the flush of coloring that was so commonly found with most other males she knew.

"…And then I will do 700 laps around Konoha then Sakura chan will finally fall in love with me!" Neji heard Lee chant with stars in his eyes. The prodigy growled and rubbed his brow. Lee's chanting was really starting to get to him.

"You do that Lee, I'm going home to rest, see 'ya latter guys." Tenten mumbled stumbling off towards her home as best she could with what little energy she had left.

It was funny even after a super long and dangerous mission that pushed them to their limits Lee still resembled a squirrel high on crack. It seemed like there was nothing that could bring his spirits down at the moment. And of course Gai sensei only encouraged this 'youthful' behavior despite that face that it was past midnight and yelling at the top of you lungs 'YOUTH' was not the best way to make friends with the neighbors. Regardless this was who they were and no amount of fate or destiny was going to change it.

Neji mumbled his goodbyes as well and started the short walk towards his apartment located off to the side of the main branch's main house. Soon he would be in bed resting. It sounded so good compared to makeshift tents and hard earth floors and her eagerly anticipated the change.

After he was rested he would wake up and meet Sakura for their training spar. He subconsciously smiled to himself thinking about the petal haired beauty. He was really looking forward to seeing her again, it seemed like forever since he had last seen her smiling face. That mission was too long for his taste and if he could help it he would tend to stay away from long term missions. Being away just didn't seem that desirable to him at the moment.

After all, training with her was helping him improve on his own taijutsu. He had to admit despite the frail appearance Sakura was a force to be reckoned with. When you first saw her you would tend to think that this darling little doll couldn't hurt a fly if she wanted to but when it came down to it, she could do more than that. She could very well take you out in one hit and if you gave her the tinniest opening she would not hesitate to do so.

Neji frowned when he heard another 'youthful' cry from his green clan jumpsuit wearing friend a ways away. Something else about his Sakura chan falling in love with him if he did one thousand pushups. Shaking his head he wondered would Lee's reaction would be if he ever found out he was training with his long time crush behind his back. Just to be on the safe side both he and Sakura decided not to let Lee know. Heaving forbid, he had seen Lee after a small swing of sake and his anger would most likely work the same way.

Kicking his sandals off by the door the chocolate haired Jonin sleepily stumbled into his bedroom where his soft comfy bed waited for him. He smiled falling back into the mattress letting his eyes fall shut and stay shut. His mind now somewhere far off caught up in the wonders of the realm of sleep.

(Hands you a cookie for reading the whole chapter) I like giving out cookies.

I started a form with info on a bunch of story ideas I have. Maybe one or two ideas that need to be adopted will be posted in the future but for now it's stories I have just started writing. So if you want to see that please go ahead.

Please review!

ja ne you lovely people