Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
A/N: Oh, and the very beginning bit may seem a little rushed, but don't worry, in time it will be properly explained. :)

Chapter 2: Bitter Memories

It was early in the morning. The air was chilly and the forest still had the morning dew on the leaves, making the vegetation seem to sparkle with delicate life. It was my first time at the Hidden Leaf Village. I was planning on living there because I had nowhere else to go...

I looked up from trying to see my feet through the shallow fog. I could see the gates of the Leaf Village coming into view and two guards were standing there, protecting their home town.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The left guard asked me.

I looked up to him in the eyes. I gave him a death glare. "None of your business," I said. The words crept off my tongue. My voice seemed to chill the air at how cold and harsh my voice was. I looked over to the other guard. He was just staring at me. "Take a picture, it lasts longer!" I snapped.

Both of the guards questionably looked at each other, deciding if I was an enemy. The left Guard spoke again; the other one mustn't be much of a talker. "Well then, what is your purpose here?"

I didn't look at him, I kept my eyes closed with my head tilted down, shadowing some of my face. "Hn. To live..."

They let me in. They knew I wasn't a threat, but they knew they weren't going to get any other information out of me.

As I walked down a dirt road towards the Hokage's office I saw a boy with black, spiky hair running towards me. I looked past him and saw a huge dirt cloud about fifteen meters away from him. The dirt started to say: "SASUKE GO OUT WITH ME! I LOVE YOU!" Then more and more pleading and arguing voices came after. Oh my GOD! The dirt is speaking. Praise the lords!

No wait. I take that back. It's just heaps of girls making dirt and dust fly around them... Oh great. I sarcastically said to myself as my lip twitched. He saw me looking at him. I rolled my eyes, and he harshly glared at me. I could feel my top lip rising in a snarl, but instead I kept walking towards the Hokage's ignoring him and the girls.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Yes, come in," he said.

I walked in the room and bowed. "Sir, I would like to live in your village." He gave me a reproachful look.

"What is your name?" He asked interested, once he finally saw what I looked like.

"I am Jade, last survivor of the Mitsuki clan from the Hidden Storm Village," I said in a 'proper'-like mannerism. Once I said that to him, his eyes lit up with some sort of emotion that I couldn't comprehend.

"Welcome, Jade. It's an honour for us to have you here." He said improper, making it feel casual. He smiled.

"Thank you for having me." I smiled back.

He tossed me a headband with the leaf symbol on it so I could represent the village with honour. Well since I'm living here now I kind of have to... Then he tossed me a set of keys; I raised an eyebrow questionably.

"You'll be staying with Sasuke," he said, answering my question.

I huffed. "Thanks," I said while rolling my eyes in annoyance. A boy! Great, another fan... Well since he knows what it's like to have people crazily chasing you around, he won't be one. I hope. I started to walk out the door.

"Oh, and Jade?"

I turned half around then turned my head the rest of the way so I could see him over my shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Sorry about what happened to your family and clan..."

When he said that all I did was look at the floor and did one nod to say thanks, then left the old man with the vivid memories of what happened that day running through my head.

Two years later

I am currently fifteen and three quarters years old... and I hate Sasuke Uchiha because: One, He betrayed my trust. And two, He left to train with Orochimaru, even after what that Slimy Serpent did; trying to destroy the village and for also killing the Hokage in the process. But noo, that didn't stop Sasuke to train with that 'snake,' Orochimaru so he could get more power to kill his brother, Itachi!

Their names left a bitter taste in my mouth.

The day was mild; a light breeze ruffled the air and small clouds slowly puffed across the sky. As I walked through town a flock of boys started to come close. It was like a game to them and I was the annoyed victim. "JADE, JADE. GET YOUR SMEXY ASS BACK HERE!" Someone shouted amongst the crowed. Grrr, why did they always have to do this to me? I ran around a dark corner before I could hear anymore boys pleading to go out with me and headed to the woods that were near so I could get further away from the, err, dim boys.

It was moist. Moss grew on rocks and bark. Thick, dark leaves covered the sun, making everything darker - mysterious, almost enchanting. Humm? I looked behind me and cheekily smirked; I think I lost them. Hehe, they didn't win this time! I leaped into a big tree and laid on a branch with my eyes closed to mellow out with the beautiful tranquillity that surrounded me.

Pity it wasn't going to last long.

"Hello Kiba," I said with my eyes still closed.

He leant over and kissed me gently upside down on the lips. "How did you know?"

"I could hear and feel the vibrations around me," I said and opened one of my eyes to look at him. I smirked.

"Why must you kiss me?"

"Because I like you." He smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Hn, and I like you too but, not in that way," —I think...? No. No I didn't.— "sorry Kibbles." I got up and walked away from him to lean against the tree I was laying on, instead.

He got up and walked over to me. He pinned me there and stared to kiss me hard, trying to change my mind so I would be his girlfriend. After a little while I got to my senses. "No, stop. I can't! I'm not ready for anything and I don't want to hurt you!"

He looked to the side dejectedly. "Fine, but I'm still going to fool around with you sometimes." He cheekily smiled. "Best friends still, right?" He said with his usual wolfish grin.

I smiled. "Yeah, best friends. And if you do fool with me don't think anything of it!" I gave him a quick, friendly hug then left him alone so I could go off to train with Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura. I knew Kiba didn't mean fool as in going THAT far, so I didn't mind what he said, that much. I just went along with the same word he used even though he used it wrongly.

Kakashi was teaching them new jutsus when I got there. "Hello Jade, how are you?" He smiled from behind his mask.

I walked near them with my eyes still closed and lent against a tree. "Fine. Yourself?"

His head tilted up to the sky. "Good," he said vaguely. His dark eye looked at me. "So are you ready to perfect Chidori?"

I smirked. "Yeah!"

He smiled from behind his mask. He turned back to the other two."Ok," he said, drawing the other two's attention. "Naruto and Sakura keep practicing. Once you've mastered it come to me and I'll teach you something else." Kakashi told them with his usual bored tone.

They both obeyed by replying with a, yes Kakashi-sensei!

I looked over to them. They were both learning a somewhat difficult Jutsu called Energy Blast; It was when all the elements, fire, water, air and earth, twisted around each other in a tight, small ball. They were having trouble learning it so it would give me and Kakashi more time to expand Chidori. I wasn't learning Energy blast because I already mastered it last year. Well actually, I made it up and taught it to some of the main ninjas around the village.

As I was about to turn around to leave, someone crushed me in a familiar, comporting hug. I twisted around in their embrace and hugged them back. "Thanks Naruto," I whispered.

Before Kakashi and I disappeared. I awkwardly waved goodbye to my teammates with a faint smile – it was more of a smirk. They both returned the friendly gesture.

-
She panted with a sour, darkened look upon her face. Her body was craving; craving to die, slip way into oblivion, to sleep for replenishment. Her hand crackled as she moved her fingers, freeing the tight muscles. Staring, she forced the energy back out; she was going to make her body make this attack, to master it once and for all!

...To be continued