Title: Broken Cadence
Author: HarmonyRose
Claim: Sakura Haruno and Neji Hyuga
Theme: # 27-Violin
Rating: M
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this plot
Summary: The end of all things should have come to a close under the prevailence of peace. However, history will forever repeat itself, and the ceaseless threat of war is continuously just over the horizon.

A thanks to Popping Fresh for beta'ing and Lady Kaliska for suggesting the beginning of this plot

Suggested listening: Sad Violin (Final fantasy 10) on youtube

Chapter two: Musically Inclined

Cautious viridian eyes peaked out into the courtyard of an old castle from an ivy-covered window on the second floor. Seeing no one about so late after the castle's occupants had fallen asleep, the figure, clad in an aged ink colored cloak that shadowed all of its features except the bright shade of emerald orbs they possessed, carefully climbed out of the window. The figure grasped the edge of the window with one hand, the other hand held some sort of irregularly-shaped, black case. Not able to keep from falling with the strength in their sole hand forever, the darkly clad person hastily found a foothold in the castle's chunky granite, stone wall. In the dark, the cloaked figure was nearly indistinguishable from the ivy growing up the wall and the figure made its way down to the ground with the practiced ease of an expert.

At last stepping onto the ground the creeping creature turned around, luminescent eyes carefully scanning the surrounding area. Once again satisfied at not getting caught, watched, or followed, the person crept silently alongside the building's wall, careful to stay in the shadows and blend in with the rock and creeping vines. Which wasn't difficult for the figure, as it seemed not to have a defined shape in the absence of light against the building.

When they reached the corner of the castle closest to the ground's main stables, the person peered around the corner. Assured that there was no one still on guard, the figure made a run toward the old, wooden barn.

In the thirty seconds the figure was illuminated by the silvery glow of the moon, a few more feature could be made out; a straight nose, high cheekbones, a smooth face, and full, pastel-pink lips. The gender was also now discernable from the figure's small statue and facial features, it was a female.

Walking into the barn, which was only lit by the moonlight, the woman could just barely discern the nearly endless rows of occupied pins the royal horses were caged in. The cloaked woman quickly strode toward the other end of the stable. Finding an ash-grey warhorse in the fourth to last stall, she hurriedly jumped in and started to gather the bridle and the reins. Gently coaxing the horse to open its mouth, the viridian-eyed girl inserted the bit in the horse's mouth. She put the bridle on the horses long, proud head and then clipped the reins onto the bridle. The female sensed more than knew that she had to hurry, the shift change she was exploiting should be ending soon and unless she wanted to get caught she had to move fast.

Reaching on the other side of the stall door, the woman unlatched the door and led the stocky animal out of the barn. Jumping up and straddling the horse's saddle-less back the girl turned the horse eastward. She put her irregular shaped box in front of her, trying to secure it from falling. As the girl galloped out of the castle grounds, a triumphant smile made its way onto her face. She had escaped without getting caught once again. Not that she couldn't have handled it if she did encounter trouble, but it was a relief to not have to deal with the any extra distractions.

The girl kept the cloak on and continued riding farther away from the castle. On one side all the vast farmland could be seen and to the other side was the dangerous forest. The woman wasn't afraid though, she knew the woods and the creatures that lived in it would never hurt her.

The woman was looking for a small, almost hidden pathway among the densely populated trees. It would take her deep into the forest, near the giant river that separated the imperial city from the next town over. It was nearly impossible to find the small entrance to the pathway without having seen it previously and that made it the perfect getaway for the young woman to escape to. Finding the rock that was at the head of the trail, the woman gathered the reins and led the steed cautiously through the shadowy and eerie woods.

The moonlight cast an odd, nearly creepy light in the forest. All the trees, their limbs, and their leaves were painted with a misty grey, obscuring their true colors. Casting a surreal, hushed, and almost too quiet feeling over the forest. The shadows pranced between trees like flames dancing in a campfire. Leaping, flickering into and out of existence, and darting to new hiding places.

The cloaked female reached a small clearing, just large enough to tie up her horse and stand on the large, slightly upraised, flat rock that was unearthed from the pelting rain that hit country in the warm springs of her country. Taking the case in her left hand the woman dismounted, sliding off the horse like a true equestrian. Giving a quick command to the horse to stay in a foreign language the small-figured woman didn't bother to tie up the animal.

Stepping up onto the rock, her favorite place in the forest and the only reason she came every night, the emerald eyed girl knelt down on one knee. She placed the case in front of her and effortlessly unlatched the two clasps holding the case closed. Reverently opening the case to reveal a beautifully built violin the woman sighed in awe. It was nothing new, she had been seeing the violin for the last year, but just the elegant beauty of the instrument was enough to amaze her.

Night was her favorite time to play violin, the maple wood of the body glistened majestically in the soft, muted light of the moon. The glinting strings contrasted starkly with the ebony of the delicate neck that couldn't be seen in the dark, creating the illusion that the fine violin had been fashioned without the neck to keep the silver strings in place.

The bow was lying untouched in the soft, azure velvet. The horsehair taunt and waiting in anticipation to play, needed only one thing to be ready to make music. Taking the amber rosin from the case, the woman took the bow gently into her hands and ran the glassy solid along the hair of the bow to help increase the quality of the tone the notes would make.

Finishing with that the cloaked woman placed the rosin back with care into the violin case. Taking the violin out and resting the end on her shoulder, the lady placed the bow on a string and began to play a simple scale. After every note the woman tweaked the tension of the string by twisting the tiny knobs by the shoulder rest, purifying the tone.

After she had finished adjusting the stiffness of all four strings to the best position for the sound of the notes, the woman paused with the wooden bow right above the violin. She closed her emerald eyes slowly in concentration and breathed out the air in her lungs. Breathing back in, the girl touched the bow to the maple instrument and started moving the bow and her fingers rapidly in sync with each other. The bow flew over the strings and her nimble fingers scurried over the neck.

The piece of music was a well-known piece, mostly played during independence festivals. It wasn't quite a march, because the tempo was too fast for anyone to march to it. The song was a lively piece that uplifted the people's spirits. It had been the first song her homeland had played after the victory that ended the Elfin wars. The music expressed the rapturous feelings of the people after they realized their families would be coming home soon, the hard times of barely making ends meet was finally over, and lastly that the dreaded cloud of war was lifted off their burdened shoulders.

With her eyes closed the women reminisced while playing the music, remembering that first time she had heard the violin and this piece of music nearly a decade ago. She had been eleven at the time and true to her nature she had snuck out of the castle when she wasn't supposed to. Staying hidden in the shadows so, she wouldn't be spotted and reported to her mother, the young girl watched the people who were seemingly transfixed on a caravan of people walking toward the city's gate. It had been such a long time since any traveling traders had come and the people were staring amazed at the sight.

When the group of people came into the city it became apparent that they weren't traveling merchants. The people tensed up, men kept a hand on their swords, waiting for the men to make one wrong move. Reaching the center of town square the lead man stood and prepared to make his announcement. Smiling the man bellowed, "We've won, the war is over and the King is on his way back to the castle!"

There was a slight thread of disbelief that ran through the crowd. Then the woman remembered the joyous shouts people let out. The combined shouts of everyone was so deafening the she remembered having to cover her ears. She had taken in the sight of the people celebrating, many were dancing in the streets and some of the women had tears streaming down their cheeks.

One of the boys who had been just a little too young to go off to war, ran into his house and came back out. He was a shopkeeper's son and was dressed well for the times. His clothes weren't in need of patching nor were they dirty, but it wasn't the boy that attracted her toward him. It was the instrument he had brought out. It was a violin and it was worn, but the sounds coming from the instrument were heavenly. She gravitated nearer to the boy as she listened to the festive song coming from the instrument. It was beautiful to the girl, both the song and instrument.

When the song ended she was awoken from her light trance, but she longed to have an instrument like that of her own. She knew her mother and father would never agree to get her a violin. Her father was human and although she loved her father he was stuffy and abhorred music. Her mother held only a bit of persuasion with her father and wouldn't be able to coax him into letting her have one. Their marriage had only been one of convenience and her father hadn't ever fallen in love with her mother. It wasn't as if they fought or anything, they just stayed out of each others presence as much as possible.

The woman grinned in remembrance, during the short walk out of the town and on the cobblestone path that led toward the castle she had managed to think of hundreds of creative ways to get a violin, some plans including everything from fish to peanut-butter. Less than halfway to the castle which could only be reached by traveling alongside the forest, the Gods had smiled on her, quite literally.

A young boy who looked about her age came through the forest and onto the stone pathway to stand before her. His skin glistened with unshed sweat and his breathing was on the heavy side. It looked as if he had run all the way from town. "Sakura," she was startled to realize he knew her name. She tilted her head slightly, she didn't think she had met this particular boy before and she was sure she would have remembered his distinctive features. He had blonde hair and sincere, intense cerulean eyes. Both facial characteristics were uncommon in the area, where dark eyes and an array of shades of brown hair were the predominant features. He was too different for her young mind not to have remembered him.

The blonde boy panted almost inaudibly once, and then smiled warmly at the vision of the young, green-eyed girl in front of him. "You're very pretty Sakura-chan!" the boy with sapphire eyes exclaimed loudly.

Her younger self had openly scowled at the boy before moving to start going around the obstacle in her path. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use my name so openly, there's a reason I'm wearing a cloak," she had informed him curtly.

"Oh, Sorry Sakura-chan," came the reply, which was more like a stage whisper than softly spoken words. Her eyes had widened a little, she wondered if the boy was stupid. She quickly turned and clapped her hand over his mouth, "Don't say my name I don't want to be found out. What's your name anyways and how do you know me?"

"I'm Naruto and I'm going to be the greatest God of the Sun and music ever! That's how I know your name too, because my regent, Jiraiya taught me that I should always know a pretty girl's name," the fair-haired boy jubilantly shouted.

She had hastened to bow and started to spew out an apology. The girl had heard about this adolescent God, whose father and mother had perished when he was an infant. Naruto didn't let the girl in front of him finish bowing he bent down to her level and got into her face, "Hey Sakura-chan, whatcha doing?"

She couldn't help it, he was squinting at her like he'd never seen someone bow before, she started to giggle uncontrollably. She stood up and offered her new acquaintance a smile.

"Naruto," there was a small, hope-filled pause, "Have you learned to play any instruments yet?"

"Of course! What kind of music god would I be if I hadn't learned something in eleven and a half years?" Naruto shouted for all of the world to hear his outraged, or rather outrageous, declaration.

"A loudmouth with no common sense," the small cloaked girl muttered under her breath while her friend babbled on obliviously.

"Eh, Sakura-chan did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing at all," Sakura smiled sweetly at her new friend. There was no reason to inform Naruto that she was very sarcastic for an eleven year old, besides he probably wouldn't take her teasing comments well. The green-eyed girl continued down the pathway toward the castle with the prattling boy with sincere blue eyes in tow.

Suddenly, Naruto turned serious, or at least as serious as a boisterous blonde could be, "Why did you want to know if I could play any instruments? Was it because of the violin you heard in town?"

Shocked, childish, emerald eyes turned toward the boy. Was he always that observant? "Yes," came the half stuttered answer. She was still in shock he had noticed her at all.

"I saw how amazed you were at the violin. Unfortunately, I'm not very good with string instruments, so I can't play you a violin song but," there was a long silence and Sakura hung onto the word "but," because that one little word was an addition to the sentence that made the next statement an exception to the first part. Which could mean he knew a violinist she could listen to… "I can do the next best thing," he finished and formed a combination of hand-seals the girl was unfamiliar with.

She was confused. What was he planning to do? Just then a cloud of smoke appeared in the boys waiting arms. As the smoke cleared, it became evident that there was an item in his hands. Sakura was astounded when she learned what the jutsu had done. It had brought a violin case. She had never seen anything like that, sure her mother had taught her a few jutsus, but they were mostly for communication and medical purposes. She wanted to learn that jutsu, especially if it brought her a violin.

Naruto opened the case and in a show of gentleness, for it seemed even the careless boy understood the beauty of the instrument, he removed the striking, wooden violin from the case. The girl was flabbergasted, she was standing so close to an actual violin!

Naruto placed the violin into Sakura's hands. He smiled gently at her wonder-filled expression. In the same manner as his previous actions he said, "Go ahead and try it."

The girl slipped off her cloak's hood to reveal mid-back length, bubblegum pink hair and a prominent forehead. Reverently placing the delicate instrument on her shoulder the awe-struck girl plucked cautiously at the various strings. The strings produced a soft plink every time her finger caught a string and released it. Such a marvelous sound, but not the same one as the boy in town had made. Furrowing her brow, the young girl wondered if she could make that sound. It had been beautiful, exquisite even. Which just left her with a persistent question: could she produce that kind of sound?

The blonde boy silently handed over the bow. The girl took it eagerly, she wanted to know each and ever sound it made. She moved the bow along the strings slowly, delighted as she discovered each new sound. At first the bow strokes had made the tone of the violin sound uneven, but after a moment the girl became accustomed to the tension she needed to put on the four different strings to create the clearest sounds. The sound became fuller and smoother as she continued to play. The on-looking god was astounded that the green-eyed girl improved her sound that quickly. He was also curious about her very unusual pink hair, but decided he would ask when she wasn't so preoccupied.

Remembering herself, Sakura stopped fiddling around with the bow, a slightly morose expression on her face as she gave the violin back to her new friend. Naruto carefully put the wooden instrument back into the case and locked it tight. Picking up the case, he hoisted it into her arms and smiled brightly, "You should keep it Sakura-chan. You have the talent for it."

"But what will you do? Don't you need a violin to practice on?" Sakura cut in, thrilled he wanted to give her the instrument, but doubtful that he should give such a beautiful instrument to a friend he just met.

"I'm not very good at string instruments, the strings break too easily!" the pinkette laughed at the boy's obvious good nature and boisterousness. He was back to his normal loud self. She accepted the gracious gift the adolescent god offered to her.

The girl's cherry lips upturned at the memory, that had been the best day of her life. She gained a best friend and a violin she still plays today as she stands on the platform made of rock, performing only for the forest to hear.

Sakura slowly eased out of the allegretto march, slowing the speed at which she moved her nimble fingers and passed the bow over the strings. The smile adorning the small figure's shadowed face melted as the melody took on a heartbreaking sound. There was a memory that accompanied this as well…

Summer had two little well-dressed girls, with necklaces made from grass and flowers tucked precariously behind their ears, running and giggl-

The verdant eyes snapped open briefly as she abruptly halted the memory, with an almost inconspicuous pause in the movement of the song. She didn't need to go on a trip down memory lane.

Fully concentrating on the music once again, the violinist lost herself in the ambience of the music. The gradual crescendos and the mournful decrescendos, the notes melding into phrases and twisting the musician's heart with a melancholy sensation so powerful she felt numb.

The forest was still, not a shadow or creature stirred, the wind dwindled to nothing and all of nature strained to listen, to hear, to feel, to be moved by the heartrending melody.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to review :)

HarmonyRose