Author's Notes:
Heya, everybody out there is reading this! I am back from a long long holiday! I almost couldn't get this up cause my mum was kinda fed up with my messiness/extreme laziness… Oh well… On a very important side note, I need some Betas… I have tons of grammatical mistakes in my story… Furthermore, I have absolutely zero people willing to proofread my story… Nope, no friend addicted to Naruto too, no older sibling willing to help for a bit of cash… Well PM me if you want to volunteer. On a side side note, I need advertisement too! This was brought up by Akira158, thanks a lot!
Well, if you could help, thanks a whole lot! I also want to thank the people who have read my story, liked it, and put it on story alert! They are BB'S-SHINIGAMI-KURA-HARUNO, Akira158, xxsakuraxloverxx, s87griffin, Lovely-Ice, 2008roseelixer, InnerCookie, OkamiNeko-chan, Dark Angel Princess Sarah and PlumageFox… See, the people who I know that read this story number few…
Oh well, on with the story and off with the pointless ( sorta ) chatter…
"My name is Takumi Kuro. I want to talk to you, Pinkie."
The team gaped at Kuro. Why did she want to talk to Sakura! The face of the emerald-eyed shinobi reddened.
"My name is Sakura!" Seethed the girl with the bubblegum pink hair. The other kunoichi present raised an eyebrow. 'I-Know' was written on
her face. It was Sakura's turn to be confused with that mysterious ninja's 'answer'. How did she know? She was sure she had not told the female nin her name, nor did her friends or Kakashi-Sensei.
"I want to talk to you and only you, Pinkie."Takumi repeated, less patient this time, tappin her foot on the ground.
Sakura's immediate reaction was to lash out at their apparent 'savior'.
"I refuse to listen if my friends can't hear our conversation! How am I supposed to know whether I should trust you? For all I know, you
could be after my team, Tazuna-san or myself!" Sakura ranted, panting slightly after her sudden outburst.
Kuro sighed.
"Tokoro-kun was right... You are reacting in a volatile manner..." She muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. Sakura's eyes widened in shock at the strangers comment.
"You... You know nee-chan?" She whispered, staring at the other female. The stronger kunoichi nodded sagely with one eye open.
"Tazuna-san, this conversation has nothing to do with you." She noted quietly, turning her head toface the old man. " However, I hope you can bring us to your home where it will be easier to explain it to them." The bridge-builder sighed. He nodded and began walking in the direction of his village.
" Please keep all of your questions to yourself until we get to Tazuna-san's home. After all, even the trees have ears. " Purred the kunoichi, glancing at the trees. Team 7 ( minus Kakashi, who was, at the moment incapacitated ) nodded. The blonde's eyes reflected worry for his childhood crush. The onyx-eyed boy remained as passive as ever, but there was a curious glint in his eyes. He was curious about the strange ninja, as was the old man who was leading the way. Sakura, who was trailing behind the team, seemed to be holding back tears,
remembering certain things from her past that involved her brother.
Sakura pov
- Flashback -
" Onii - chan! Why do I have to stay at Ino-pig's house? " I demanded.
It was just a week after my first fight with Ino-pig and I did not want to talk to her.
" Sorry, my little cherry blossom. Onii-chan has a very long missioncoming up so I need you to stay at Ino's house, kay? It'll be like a very long slumber party. " He said, gently stroking my hair. He had on his trademark smile that was the light of my life for nearly all my life. After all, I had never known my mother or my father.
" Fine. " I replied, pouting slightly.
That day would be the last time I would see my closest and only kin, my dearest onii-chan, Haruno Tokoro.
- Flashback Ended -
How could this stranger claim that she knew Onii-chan! He'd died during that mission, hadn't he? Did the village lie to her? " No! "
She shook her head vigorously as she desperately denied that the hokage had lied to her about her brother's death.
" Technically, your village did not lie about your brother's death. " Said the kunoichi gently as she guessed what was troubling the young kunoichi. " They had absolutely no idea where your brother went. Only the Sandaime Hokage knew what your brother intended to do. Now then, wipe your tears away. We're reaching Tazuna-san's home soon."
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"This is Tsunami, my daughter and this is Inari, my grandson." Introduced the old bridge-builder.
" Please settle down in this room while I get dinner ready." Announced Tsunami-san as she showed the shinobi to their rooms, smiling brightly.
Inari stood behind his mother glaring at the guests as they thanked Tsunami.
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The mysterious stranger set Kakashi down on a mat. She performed a few hand gestures, thereby sealing the room, ensuring the conversation's privacy. Okamura then kneeled on a Tatami mat and signaled for Team 7 to each take their seats.
" Well then, let me start from the very beginning. I don't have a waywith words so I may jump from point to point randomly. You may ask me questions at any time." Instructed the blue haired kunoichi, eyes closed, legs crossed. The others crowded around her gazing into her aqua orbs, waiting for her to begin her story.
"In this... World, there is more than one... Dimension. There are dimensions where only animals rule, dimensions where people have advanced technology and there are even dimensions that are totally void of life." She articulated, pausing every now and then to think of an appropriate word. "Every dimension is connected to a different dimension. For example, to get to dimension A, you may have to get through dimension B or C." The kunoichi paused, opening an eye to peer at team 7. They nodded at her to continue.
"However, there are two dimensions that are connected to all other dimensions. Those two are Heaven and Hell." She finished as gasps of surprise and shock rippled across the group. She asked if they had questions. But they shaked their head, understanding the story thus far. They were surprised, yes, but they would have to deal with it. Even the usually stoic, pale faced boy seemed slightly shaken by the fact that Heaven and Hell did, indeed, exist.
" Heaven is closed entirely. No living creature can enter it. But the angels inside can enter and exit however they want. Hell, on the other hand, is not so enclosed. Living creatures can enter it but it is dangerous, few manage to survive the trip. Those that do are permanently scarred." Reiterated the female, skipping past the description of Heaven and Hell. "The demons inside Hell can come to the human world but only by possessing an object or a living creature. However, there is also need for a leader. In Heaven that person is god. In Hell that person is Satan. Thankfully, Satan is unable to possess a normal body since his own body is much too powerful for a weak human body." The kunoichi's gaze swept from the chicken haired boy (Sasuke) who was staring at her intently trying to detect lies to the team's sensei that seemed too shocked to speak.
It was never easy to tell people that the ghosts of their pain-filled life lived on in another dimension. Usually, people who hear this message would spiral into depression, desperately looking for a way to enter the locked doors of Heaven, in the hopes of meeting their loved ones. It was especially so in this world, where killing other people was part and parcel of their everyday job description.
But, Tokoro-kun had told her that the ninja of Konoha were hardy as weed. They never gave up ,showing off their will to live, their will of fire. That was their way of life. It varied between ninjas, but the basis was always the same. That they would do anything to protect the country they loved and the people in it.
" How... How do my brother and I fit into all this? " Questioned the cherry blossom quietly. She looked like someone had taken her entire world and turned it upside down. In a way, it was.
"There are people in this world that are born specifically for one reason." She continued. "That reason is to provide a body for Satan, the lord of the demons. These people are born when Satan impregnates a female. The result is a half demon. Half of the person belongs in Hell and the other in the world of the living. In other words, Satan would be able to possess these people and destroy the world. There is, thankfully, a catch. That person, if he survived his most likely fatal childhood, could escape his or her fate by becoming the exact opposite of Satan. Demons often possess people who are the most like them, vile, ugly and disgusting. If one is exactly opposite, then Satan will most likely be unwilling to take over the body."
" Where does my brother fit into all this!" Demanded the Pinky with more intensity. Her eyes held fire in them.
" I'm coming to that." Kuro answered dryly. "Your brother and I were one of them, one of the demons. We were strangers back then. But we met each other on our travels one fine day and we've traveled together since. There are many demons in every dimension that should be dealt with harshly but aren't because no one is willing to confine their lives to merely defeating monsters . Your brother left Konoha because he felt it was his duty. He wanted to protect his country, his world and his little cherry blossom. He took up the job and become an exorcist, someone who fights off these demons and throws them back into the gates of hell." The navy haired half demon finished.
" And me? Why are you telling me this? " Asked Sakura quietly, shell-shocked.
" Your mother was a special person. She was the one and only woman, in this dimension and all others, who was able to take two pregnancies instead of one. Her want to care for her own blood, even if he was demonic, was so strong that she came back to life seconds after your brother's birth." The kunoichi elaborated.
"But, her body started deteriorating. By the time she gave birth to you, second child of Satan ,of the Harunos, her body had already begun to fall apart. The final and most important part of this lecture is this; since you are also a half-demon and since your brother wanted me to ask you, I am to offer you a chance."
" A chance? " Echoed the curious girl.
" That is correct. It is a choice of either following the path yourbrother chose, the path in which you will grow stronger but at the price of your freedom. If you choose to accept this chance, I will bring you into another dimension and you will grow stronger. Eventually, you'll be strong enough so that you can come back on your own and spend your entire life defeating these creatures and you will have to mentor at least one person to complete the job for and with you."
The Navy haired female stared at Sakura, eyes piercing, expecting a quick answer." I... I don't know..." Answered the Haruno. Kuro studied the frightened kunoichi sitting opposite and sighed.
" Your brother feared this would happen so we made a scroll for you. Here. " Said the blue-eyed maiden, handing Sakura the scroll. The latter held the scroll tightly in her hand. "The scroll will summon me to your side when you are ready to accept your duties. I also have a little gift that your brother wanted me to hand to you."
The kunoichi rummaged through her pouch before pulling yet another scroll out of it. She unfurled it and muttered a few phrases. With a poof of smoke, a small wolf appeared. It had a coat of sleek silver fur with red markings on its body. It had green eyes similar to those Harunos possessed. It barked at the pinkie.
" What is this? " Asked the blonde sitting beside his crush. He, along with the others in the room stared in awe at the wolf.
" The name's Akamaku. I'm gonna be your contract. " The wolf, well, woofed, winking at Sakura. The jaws of the others in the room dropped to the ground.
" He was the first demon your brother managed to defeat and he was surprised so he decided to pledge himself to Tokoro. " Answered the kunoichi, ignoring the shock in the bubblegum haired girl's eyes.
" Anyways, he'll be your personal guard from now on. Don't underestimate him just because he's small. This is his normal form but he can grow bigger when fighting. I'll be taking my leave, kay? So consider my proposal." Kuro said lightheartedly, winking at the team.
She promptly disappeared in a swirl of bright blue flames, leaving the team to gather their wits. Or at least, what was left of it.
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UPDATE: Trying to make Kuro less serious and such! Tell me if you want it!