Transition

Sakura is perceived from the perspectives of others as she changes during the years into something else entirely. The people near her follows her transition closely and when she starts abandoning everything she held dear - she gets closer and closer to her goal.

Chapter 12

Monsters

Through the Eyes of a Fox Boy, a Man with a Name and the Boy Who Was Once Loved

The Man with a Name Sai

In the early morning, he was right on time to meet his new team for the mission to Sunagakure. He didn't know the feeling in his chest as he thought about the mission. It was a bit like fluttering birds. He saw that the pink haired kunoichi was already there, waiting for the rest of the members at the gates facing out of Konoha. She smiled as he came up to her and he nodded. She wore a white top, for once, and a coat together with black hakamas. Her bag was slung over her shoulder casually.

"Good morning, Ugly." He said and went to stand beside her.

"Morning, fuckface." She greeted him absentmindedly as she looked at the rising sun at the horizon.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Someone yelled and Sai turned around to see a blond young man bounce towards them with an overly large backpack on his shoulders, but when the blond saw Sai's face he stopped and stood still. The young man called Uzumaki Naruto blanched as he took in Sai's features. There was recognition in the cerulean blue eyes of the blond boy and Sai didn't know what to make of it, since he had never met the blond young man before.

"What the actual fuck-" He yelled and stared at him, but Sai broke him off.

"Why is Dickless screaming like that?" Sai asked Sakura with a frown on his pale complexion. The boy called Naruto stuttered, then his eyes burned and Sakura chuckled.

"What did you just call me-"

"He's just surprised, Sai, that you look so much like our former teammate. Now, shush Naruto. That's just Sai's socially stunted way of bonding, giving people nicknames." Sakura said and patted her hand on Sai's back.

"What is 'bonding', Ugly?" Sai asked, perplexed. Naruto stopped seething and looked at him again, as if finally realising he was someone else.

"See?" Sakura chuckled and shrugged. "He's totally clueless."

"Huh. He just called you ugly, though." Naruto said sternly, then he couldn't contain himself and laughed out loud, holding his stomach. The pinkette frowned.

"Yeah, he did just so, Dickless." Sakura snorted.

"Hey." Naruto grumpily said, offended. "Not you too!"

"What? It's quite catchy." She implied and flicked a lock of her hair away from her eyes.

"Then I'm gonna call you flat-chested bit-"

Sakura smacked Naruto at the back of his head before he could finish his sentence, making him almost topple over. He glared at her as he rubbed his head and she glared back just as furiously. Sai contemplated for a second, then voiced his thoughts.

"I have changed my mind regarding the issue of you nickname, Sakura-san, since you're more ferocious than I first thought. I believe 'Pink Haired Banshee' would fit better." Sai concluded, nodding to himself as he walked besides them. Naruto laughed at that and Sakura grinned, seemingly having forgotten about Naruto's try at a nickname for her.

"You're not the first one to call me that." She chirruped. "It's too long a nickname though."

"True. What about simply 'Banshee'?" Sai suggested.

"Works for me." She grinned, but then she turned to Naruto. "This only applies to Sai. You are not allowed to call me anything but my name."

"Dattebayo, Sakura-chan." He said, still holding his hand over his head with a pout on his face. A protruding lump started to grow comically on his head.

"Good. Now where is our slothtastic sensei?" Sakura said and looked around her, then went to heal the blond man's head. "He's never late for missions."

"Yo. Missed me?" A man with silver hair and a black bandana covering half his face appeared behind them, holding an orange book in his hands.

"As if! You're late, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto yelled and Sakura retracted her hand from his head, the lump completely gone and healed.

"Got lost on the path of life." The man called Kakashi crinkled his one visible eye in a not so apologetic smile.

"Sure you did. Now, let's get going or we'll be late. All of us." The pink haired kunoichi said tiredly and strapped her backpack tightly on her shoulders.

They travelled fast and Sai got to know Naruto better. The forestation became less and less, the air grew humid and hot and Naruto started taunting him for his upcoming sunburn that would make half his stomach burnt by the sun and the rest pale as the moon. At that, Sai only needed to say 'Dickless' to send the Uzumaki into a quite amusing rage. On the fourth day they reached the mountains and as they descended them, they had a perfect view of the desert filtering in front of them. It was like a frozen rampaging ocean of sand. The dunes were high and they needed to strip some of their clothes off to not fall from the sun's stark presence. The Banshee produced a straw hat and pulled her pink hair inside it. A day later, they saw the gates to Sunagakure. They had arrived. Shouting were heard behind the gates and Sai picked up on one of the gate keeper's voice.

"It's the Kyuubi container from Konoha! The one who was in Team Seven with the Uchiha survivor and the Copy Nin!" The Sand nin shouted. "They have arrived! Open the gates."

They shuffled inside the hidden village and a few civilians looked their way, observing their strange clothes. Sai looked at Sakura, who idly walked besides him.

"Why didn't they mention you? You're a part of the past Team Seven. They should know about you." Sai asked. The pink haired kunoichi turned and the straw hat she wore shaded her face, yet her eyes were as green as ever.

"Oh. Well, I am the team member who people tend to forget. But it's alright, I'd like to keep it that way." She said and smiled.

"Why?" Sai pressed, still not comprehending.

"I work better in their shadows. That way, I can remain hidden. That way, I can contribute more easily, without unnecessary recognition."

"I get your point, but still- Don't you want to be recognised? To be seen?" He asked, regarding her statement strange, since he had read in so many books that humans craved recognition. Craved attention and a presence in people's minds.

"Maybe. But my goals keeps me from doing so. It would be nice, of course, to be a visible part of Team Seven. But it's not necessary."

The Boy Who Was Once Loved Kazekage Gaara

A young woman stood at the entrance, seemingly waiting for someone. Gaara's interest perked as the young woman's straw hat suddenly got caught in the wind and flew away, leaving the girl's head bare and left her flowing pink hair to swirl in the winds of the desert. A few civilians stopped walking on the streets to stare at her as she grumpily looked at the straw what flying away into the desert.

"Such disgusting flamboyant hair colour." The red haired young man commented dryly and watched her when she raised an eye brow. His siblings stopped walking besides him at the same time he did.

"Hey. No one insults the hair." The kunoichi clipped and glared at him.

"Who are you?" He asked coldly. He remembered the outrageous hair colour from the Chunin exams in Konohagakure, years ago. He had seen it and disregarded it, since his primary interest had been in the Uchiha boy and the other jinchuuriki Naruto. But she had probably been on the same team as them, he figured. He couldn't remember her name. Yet he showed unconcealed little interest in the girl. She reeked of blood and sin. The monster within him growled hungrily.

"Naturally being curious about a person is a dangerous state to be caught in." She smirked and the red headed man looked impassively at her. She dared to be rude to him? To the Kazekage? To a monster?

"Answer." He said sharply, as towers of sand slithered around him in a hostile attempt to show the girl he was not too prone for playing around. She looked dazedly at his moving sand and then she bowed gallantly, her hair dripping down her shoulders, though Gaara could discern the lilt of sarcasm in her exaggerated move.

"I am Haruno Sakura, part of Team Seven, proud kunoichi of Konohagakure. Pleasure to meet you, revered Kazekage of Sunagakure." She pronounced politely.

"The audacity of that girl-" Kankuro breathed angrily at Gaara's side, but Temari hindered Kankuro from interrupting.

"What is your purpose here, Haruno Sakura?" Gaara asked, ignoring Kankuro's comment.

"I am part of Team Seven, together with Naruto and Kakashi and the additional member Sai. We're here to investigate on the rumours of Akatsuki's real goal, concerning the jinchuurikis on order of Godaime-sama." The pink haired kunoichi drawled, as if she was not really interested anymore in the subject.

"You smell of blood." Gaara stated as he looked at her with cold eyes and she turned her head to graze him with her sapphire eyes. A smile played on her soft, cerise lips and her green eyes paled visibly.

"You do, too." She purred and Gaara felt the monster within him growl with anticipation. Without being able to control it, Gaara unconsciously let out a bit of killing intent. Kankuro and Temari froze at his side, hesitantly exchanging a look. The pink haired kunoichi from Konoha let her smile grow wider, and then suddenly a wave of blood lust hit him hard.

It was dripping, seething, boiling and he had not anticipated such enormous blood thirst come from a little pink haired girl. She only stood a few meters away from him, but the pressure was so overwhelming it felt like she stood behind him with a kunai pressed at his throat. Gaara noted how Temari shivered slightly and Kankuro swallowed harshly. Two monsters battled with blood thirst right in front of them, so mayhaps it was not so strange. Civilians on the street stilled and a baby started to cry in the distance.

The pressure from within him, the monster, pushed even more and Gaara couldn't help but produce even more killing intent. At this, some weaker pedestrians fell to the ground on their knees. Haruno Sakura winced as his intent struck her, then she bit her lip and her eyes burned. Another wave of blood thirst came off of her, hitting him hard and making him nauseous, it made Temari shudder and Kankuro's breath hitch. A thud was heard from beside him and when he looked, a bird lay dead on the sandy soils in the street. A few more thuds told him that several more birds had fallen due to her killing intent. Inside him, Shukaku growled for more. For her blood.

"Sakura! Stop it, for god's sake!" A shrill voice shouted and in a neon orange flash, Naruto appeared and stood in front of the pink haired kunoichi. The pressure lifted instantly and Gaara felt free, pressing down his own blood lust as he regained some sense. He no longer smelled the blood and he didn't feel as if someone pressed the air out of his lungs. The monster within him sighed, defeated and disappointed. Temari breathed deeply and regained her composure.

"Fuck, I just had an aneurysm." Kankuro cursed, pressing his hand on his forehead, as if trying to push down a headache. "I thought they were going to claw at each other's throats."

"If Naruto hadn't interrupted, they probably would have." Temari said sourly, looking at the pink haired kunoichi who discussed something leisurely with the angry Kyuubi container.

"I remember that girl from the Chuunin exams in Konoha. But from what I recall, she was a fangirling weakling. Seems like she's trained hard. And lost her mind, what with going up against Gaara of all people" Temari commented to Kankuro as she watched the pink haired girl. Gaara followed her gaze and he strengthened his hearing with chakra, just enough so he could hear the pink haired girl's and Naruto's conversation.

"Well, who doesn't appreciate the occasional twist?" The Haruno girl said and grinned at the fox boy. Naruto grit his teeth and frowned at the pinkette.

"The occasional deprivation of a moral sense for what's right and wrong and the occasional uncalled for fight between a political ANBU guest inside the borders of Suna and the Kazekage? Yeah, who wouldn't appreciate that." Naruto growled. The girl looked slightly taken aback as he said this, and then she looked down on the sandy ground.

"He triggered something within me. I haven't met anyone mortal with that amount of blood lust. I-... I felt it within myself and not just because of Izanami. I reacted to him, somehow. I'm sorry, Naruto." She said and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"It's not me you're going to apologise to. Go say sorry to Gaara." Naruto sighed and patted her on her shoulder, then he moved to push her to the Kazekage and his siblings.

"Shoo, shoo."

"Hey, don't push!" Sakura breathed as she waved him off. They then stood in front of Gaara and his two siblings. His eyes slid across her strong posture and she met his gaze, unwavering.

"I apologise for accidentally killing a few of your birds, Kazekage-sama." Sakura said and her eyes glittered. Naruto huffed and then pushed her head down so she bowed and she snarled, yet didn't shake him off.

"It is none the matter. My monster reacted to you as well. I apologise for letting out its hunger for your blood." Gaara said calmly and Temari drew an audible breath. Gaara knew it was beneath him to apologise to a simple kunoichi, but he felt the need to be polite with this young woman. Her presence was too predatory-like and changeable that he did not want to take any risks.

"Welcome to Sunagakure, you two. We were told to meet you all at the gates, though." Kankuro said and grinned, trying to get rid of the rigid atmosphere. "Now, where's the other two?"

"Searching for an inn to stay at." Naruto said and smiled. "I did too, but then I felt this chakra intense killing intent contest going on and I figured it had to do with Gaara so I came to save the day."

"Perceptive, aren't you." Temari said and gave him a crooked grin.

The Fox Boy Uzumaki Naruto

When they arrived at the inn they had found for a reasonable price, Naruto cornered Sakura in her room. She looked up from the bed where she was unpacking her bag. It was as if she had expected him to come. He settled besides her on the bed, crossing his legs. His eyes were honest as they watched her methodically pluck clothes from her bag and fold them on the bed sheet.

"Sakura. That wasn't like you at all, that thing with Gaara. I know you have changed and all, but I also know that you're not that wicked. What's going on?" He asked her and he saw her close her eyes. She breathed deeply for a few moments and then she opened her eyes to look at him. They were pale green.

"I know. It's just that lately... I feel so fragmented. It's like different parts of me are battling for the completion of my personality. It's not like it was before, when I was whole. When I just had Inner to argue with. Now, I feel dishevelled. There are parts of me that wants to go to war with the world, to bathe in blood and stand on heaps of skulls. Then there are parts of me that wants nothing but peace and innocence and rainbows and stardust. I'm not sure I can cope with myself much more. The parts of me all want to take over, to be the primary source of my personality. Yet all I want is to complete my goals, and all the parts of me wants the same. If I somehow can blend these parts into one, into me, then maybe I would be at peace with myself. But it's hard. It's just so hard. And it's even more disturbing that I don't want to let any part of me go, since they are what makes me - me."

"Wow... Uh. That's- Is it because of Izanami?" Naruto asked, concern in his voice.

"Probably." She sighed, then she looked away into the distance, her eyes empty. It scared Naruto.

"Will I simply peel away?" She whispered, as if to none in particular. The Kyuubi container then hugged her tightly.

"You won't. I won't let you. Whatever you decide to be, you will still be Haruno Sakura. You will smack me across the sky when I do something inappropriate. You will tell me to calm down. And nowadays, it seems you are eager to prove yourself. You should know, Sakura-chan, that I will always approve of you." Naruto said and he knew that in that moment, he matured just a little bit. It seemed like just being in close proximity to this changed Sakura, he changed as well. Maybe he had become a bit more thoughtful. To rather actually consider the words that left his mouth instead of just saying whatever came to his mind.

"Thank you, Naruto." She whispered as she gave back a hug.

"You know, I cling to my goals as if they are what makes me human still. If I lose sight of my goals, I don't know what I would become. They are my life force, a part of me that will never die. They are my reminders of a purpose with this life. They are what drives me to smile and still claim lives and stand over mountains of corpses." She whispered at his ear and Naruto felt himself almost shiver.

"I'll guide you, if you want." Naruto said and she hugged him tighter as her answer.

"Sakura-chan. You should know... that I no longer think your back is small."

"I know, Naruto. I know." She said and he felt her tense shoulders relax in his embrace.

Forty minutes later when they had unpacked and refreshed, they went down to meet up with Kakashi and that dick Sai, to discuss the briefing Kakashi had attended together with the Kazekage about the Akatsuki. Their lunch was served in the inn's bar part and the atmosphere was steamy from the cookings of the nearby kitchen. They were all tired from the constant running the past few days and was happily scrounging the food on their plates.

"So we're going to meet up with the Kazekage later. All I heard on the briefing was that Akatsuki has been hunting jinchuurikis. They have succeeded in capturing and killing two thus far." Kakashi said and picked his chop sticks in his food.

"That's horrible." Naruto said with food in his mouth.

"We'll talk more about it later. We'll come up with a plan on how to handle things and then we're going to report back to Godaime-sama." Kakashi concluded and in a blur, so fast none could see, he had eaten a few pieces of meat by quickly drawing his mask up and down. Naruto was a bit fascinated at this feat.

"There's no meat on your plate Sakura. Are you not feeling well?" Sai questioned the girl as he squinted his eyes at her plate. Naruto saw what Sai pointed at and he looked curiously at his pink haired team mate.

"No, I'm perfectly fine. I just don't eat meat anymore." She said. "I kill enough as it is."

"Oh. But what about the protein?" Kakashi asked.

"The protein meat provides is easily found in plants. It's basic knowledge, though not many care to look into it." She explained.

"Really? But meat is delicious! I would never be able to stop eating it." Naruto commented, staring at her confusedly.

"I believe that only for my own delight, it is not right to take away an animals life. There's much more to food than just meat."

"It's kind of hypocritical of you though, don't you think? You're willing to kill people but not animals." Kakashi remarked.

"I am a shinobi and it is required of me. Whereas, I have never shed innocent blood of a human. Animals has never done me anything wrong or has ever been part of any mission. Hence I prefer to not eat them."

"I see." The Copy Nin said and nodded to himself, continuing to eat.

"Hey, you killed some birds before-" Naruto was cut off short when Sakura gave him a hard glance. He knew it had been accidental due to her killing intent, so he shut his mouth. For a few seconds, Naruto looked at his own plate that contained beef. He frowned and poked around a bit, then he shrugged and started eating, since the dead animal on his plate already had died. Sakura continued to eat her plant based food and quietly drank some green tea.

The Fan Wielding Woman Temari

Apparently, that Naruto brat had decided that him, Kankuro, Gaara, Kakashi and Sai were to have a night out on town without the kunoichis' on their teams. Temari was left to be stuck with the pinkette and were to meet her up at the Scorpion's Inn within five minutes. She prolonged her steps a bit, not really wanting to meet the pinkette.

Temari couldn't understand the foolishness of the girl from Konoha. She remembered the pinkette to be a fangirling twat at the Chuunin exams two years ago, but what met her eyes today was a woman who had seen blood and enjoyed the colour. To act up against Gaara of all people? To the fucking Kazekage? Temari didn't know if the girl was somewhat brave or completely mental.

Gaara had went into a meeting with the four ninjas from Konoha about the recent activities of Akatsuki in the late afternoon. Temari had seen the tension before they went into his office, but the cheery laughter from that Naruto seemed to lighten the mode. Temari noted that the blond boy had matured into a somewhat handsome man, if it weren't for the marks on his cheeks and his gleeful obnoxious behaviour. She had stood outside the office and filed a few papers for her brother. She and Kankuro had become Gaara's aides in the Kazekage work, since they were both highly effective and as well as for the fact that they were two of the few people Gaara would trust standing at his side. Temari knew it hadn't been easy for him, that boy with a monster sealed inside him. But since the people of Suna respected strength more than anything, it was at the end obvious that Gaara would be elected Kazekage. Recently, there had been some disputes with other villages, the complaints directed at him for his position at such young age, complaints about them stealing their trade, amongst other things. Temari sighed as she made her way to the bar inside the inn. She saw a bundle of outrageous pink hair at a table and she wrinkled her nose. Elegantly, she walked up to the girl who had a conversation with the waitress.

"Good evening." Temari said dryly and the girl looked up from her companion.

"Oh, your friend finally came! I'll leave you guys to it. Have a great night!" The cheery blond waitress said happily and bounced away. Sakura waved and smiled.

"Good at making new friends, now are you?" Temari clipped as she sat down.

"If they don't comment on my hair, then yes." Sakura smirked and sipped from her beer. Temari wrinkled her nose, then she searched for the waitress that had been called to another table full of men. She took their order and then noted Temari's intense staring. She bounced up to them and smiled with brown eyes glittering. The girl knew how to do service, at least.

"Hello again! Have you decided? What's your order?" She asked gently.

"I'll have the same as she's got." Temari said and smiled thinly.

"Great choice! It's got a faint hint of citrus that I just love, and the hops blend so well. Oh, I'm talking too much. Coming right up!" The waitress cheered and then bounced away, yet again.

"Such innocence." Temari mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. The pinkette in front of her only regarded her. Temari felt that annoying feeling of being looked down upon and so she smiled lovingly at the girl.

"Oh, I just remembered. Didn't you go all fan girl on your former team mate, that Uchiha Sasuke? I remember him to be quite a stud. Sad to hear that he betrayed you." Temari said, testing her limits on the girl. She watched her warily, yet interested in what her reaction would be.

"I'm sorry, just two tears ago I would have given a fuck. Now I'm all dry on tears." Sakura said and drank from her beer, seemingly undisturbed. Her facade was complete and she left nothing to show. Temari felt that the girl's answer made her a bit more worthy to speak to.

"I see." Temari chuckled. The girl was more interesting than she had first thought. The waitress came up to them and didn't disturb their conversation as she only put the beverage on the table in front of the blond kunoichi.

"So how are things? Seems like the political climate is rather stiff at the moment." Sakura commented, eyeing the Suna kunoichi as she drank her beer. It tasted a bit like citrus.

"So you noticed?" Temari said and raised an eyebrow. The girl was perceptive as well, she thought as she continued. "Yes, indeed. A few little villages are trying to show off and accuse us of some petty matters."

"That must be annoying." The pink haired young woman commented and sipped from her beer.

"Yeah. Puts a bit of strain on all of us."

"Seems like they're eager to raise the bar. Do you think their intention is to declare war on Suna?" She asked and traced her beer's round edge in a circular movement with her finger tip.

"I duly hope not. Crushing flies do take a bit of an effort, if they're many." Temari sighed.

Sakura laughed. It was tingling yet dark and raspy. It was a rather sexy laugh, making a few men turn their heads in their direction at the bar.

"I heard they've gathered some allies, yes. Not any major villages as of yet, but it could turn into a bloody mess if you don't act soon." Sakura said then and her eyes were hard. No laughter was left visible on her face.

"Hm, hm. True. What would be your point of action?" Temari asked, suddenly interested in the pinkette's opinion on the matter.

"Well, I would first try to negotiate with them. Make a large meeting with all of them, create a lot of attention. Not keeping it behind closed doors. People would recognise their accusations as ridiculous and not agree with their standing. If not, I would simply display Suna's strength. Maybe in the coming Jounin exams in Suna which will occur in a few days, and crush each and every opponent. Make a show with Gaara's strength as well, perhaps." Sakura said, her posture thoughtful, then she continued.

"I would then make allies with other major villages. Konoha would be the primary choice. Having two major villages cooperating would make them shake in their boots. I would also see to have spies in their village to acquire information regarding their thoughts on the matter. But if it all comes down to it, I would fight." She ended her sentence grimly.

"That is an interesting point of action." Temari commented. She would take Sakura's plan up on the next meeting with Gaara as a recommendation. Maybe it was worth discussing.

"I heard you're still Chuunin, by the way. How come?" Temari asked as she remembered the lower rank the pinkette shouldered. At that, Sakura chuckled.

"It was necessary before. For a facade, of sorts. Though I no longer believe it to be necessary." She explained and sipped from her beer.

"Then why don't you take the next Jounin exam here in Suna? It will give you a higher ranking. Our Jounin exams deem to be a bit more... Difficult than those in Konoha, I have heard. It would also strengthen your bond to Suna." Temari suggested.

"Sounds like an idea, actually." Sakura said as her eyes lit with perked interest. Temari regarded the girl for a moment.

"I must say, you have proven to be a better company than I had expected. What changed since the Chuunin exams?" The blond kunoichi asked, sincerely curious as to her change. Sakura only looked at the blond then, her eyes suddenly unreadable.

"A lot happened. Sasuke-kun betrayed us. Naruto left to train with Jiraya. I became the Hokage's apprentice. I acquired a cursed sword. And amongst other things, I set up a few goals. And in order to accomplish them, I need to become stronger."

"So you're still in that quest for strength?" Temari asked.

"I think I will never finish that journey. It's a long way to walk."

"Just don't let it go to your head. I have seen first hand what that thirst for power may lead to." The Sunagakure kunoichi said and looked down on her hands.

"I know. That's why I have a few friends to guide me on the right path." Sakura smiled.

"Then all is good. You know, it's getting late. The boys must be back by now. Shall we?" Temari asked.

"Yeah." The pinkette said and rose from her chair, Temari following her example. As they made their way to the bar to pay their tab, Temari noted in the corner of her eye how the drinking men fell silent as they neared them.

"That's a fine piece of ass." The man with a scar on the bridge of his nose rumbled and smacked Sakura's behind loudly as she passed him. Temari felt it sting herself. He grinned slyly, as if he was satisfied with his effort, and a roaring laughter accompanied his own from his fellow drinking partners. Temari felt anger coiling in the pit of her stomach and was about to give the man a good beating, but was hindered by a scarred hand preventing her from going any further. Sakura only smiled lovingly and was about to walk away when the very same scarred man grabbed the passing blond waitress and pulled her to sit on his lap. He moved her hips against him and she yelped in disgust.

"Want some tip, sweetheart? I'll treat you some if you give me a lil' extra service." He said and grabbed her butt without inhibitions. The waitress tried to get off but the man only pulled her down as he laughed at her struggle. His hands were suddenly all over her body and she tried to push him away, but he was stronger than her and only laughed her attempts off. When the waitress got her top torn open and her bra was left visible and she blushed ashamedly, Temari swore she could hear something snap as Sakura was fast to turn around, elegantly walk up to the man and look at him with cold eyes.

"Let her go."

The waitress squealed as she felt the killing intent overwhelm the bar's atmosphere. It was like murky water trickling into the mind, as sharp pain blinded the eye. Temari shuddered. Yet the man held the waitress even closer and stared with a crooked smile at the pinkette.

"You want something, honey? A threesome, perhaps?" He asked with a syrup coated voice and his fellow companions roared. Apparently, he was an experienced shinobi, since he could take the killing intent pressing down in the room. Or he was completely oblivious and had no instinct of the feeling of a predator, Temari thought. Or maybe he underestimated her because she was a woman. The blond kunoichi felt her eye twitch.

"You have crossed the line. Way over the line." Sakura said and Temari shuddered at the coldness in her voice. In one movement, as if she were to shake his hand, she thwacked the man at the side of his neck with her hand tilted. He yelped and then his head was paralysed in a very crooked angle, his ear touching his shoulder. He wriggled in his seat but was too confused as to what had happened and the waitress found her chance to leap off his lap and away to the bar. His comrades stilled for a second, then they were off their seats and went for the pinkette with raised fists. It was like a dance, almost comical. The girl swiftly evaded the men's attacks and Temari almost swore she saw the pinkette yawn. In seconds, the men lay on the floor, grunting in pain. Temari didn't even know if they were civilians or shinobi. Sakura stood in front of the paralysed man with a crooked neck and regarded him with disgust.

"Touch a girl again against her will and next time I see you, it won't be just a crooked neck." Her frozen voice was like ice shattering the silence in the bar. The threat hung clearly in the air and the man gaped at her, then scrambled up from his seat and hurried out the door.

"Dealing with sexist pigs in a peaceful way is not exactly my forte." Sakura said and cracked her knuckles. Temari laughed whole heartedly as they left the bar after paying the tab. The waitress didn't thank them, she was quiet and confused, yet her eyes glittered. Temari would never have thought that pink would be a fearsome colour.

When they got back to the inn after having strolled around the block for a bit, Temari showing Sakura few of her favourite spots, they met a man inside Sakura's bedroom. Sakura had invited Temari over for some late night shogi playing, but it seemed like this would not happen tonight, Temari thought, as Sakura greeted her former teacher.

"Curse your hair colour!" Kakashi, a man with silver hair and a mask covering half his face, growled as he paced inside the bed room. Temari and Sakura flinched as they felt waves of anger evaporate from the famous Copy Nin.

"Pardon me?" Sakura asked, still visibly baffled at the otherwise so relaxed man.

"Mindlessly attacking a civilian of Suna? Haruno Sakura, what the hell were you thinking?" Kakashi growled at the pinkette. They stilled. Temari then gripped her shirt and raised an eyebrow. News travel fast within Suna's borders, it always has. But this must be a record, she thought.

"I can vouch for her. I witnessed the situation. The man was acting up and behaved ridiculously, he deserved it." Temari said.

"Still no reason to paralyse his neck! And his name is Ito Raigo." Kakashi snarled and pointed his Icha Icha book accusatorially at Sakura.

"It will wear off in a week. Maybe his view on the world might be straightened up as well." The Haruno girl said, a sarcastic lilt to her tone.

"Sakura. You are an ANBU, part of Team Seven, the outer face of Konoha. This is unacceptable behaviour." Kakashi replied coldly.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience. The man, Raigo you said?, was sexually harassing the waitress and I could not stop myself." Sakura said, yet her stance was not so apologetic as she stood straight.

"Please, Hatake-san. If Sakura hadn't done it, I would have." Temari interjected.

"But that did not happen, now did it?" Kakashi said grimly. "Raigo's family is of high standing within Sunagakure. They have powerful ties to the Ginkaku Clan. They want Sakura punished or banned from Suna. Either way, this will have consequences."

"I see. Then... I will accept the punishment." Sakura said and bit her lip.

"No! Sakura, you don't need to-"

"Temari-san. This matter belongs to Konohagakure." Kakashi broke her off. "Please refer from meddling in our business."

The crackle of sand told Temari who would arrive within seconds. At the same time, Naruto walked inside the room together with Sai.

"Tell me what happened." Gaara said as he appeared from flying piles of sand.

"Yeah! What's going on, 'ttebayo?" Naruto asked as he waved his hands, all wide blue eyes. Sakura turned her head and regarded the red headed man who towered over her. Her green met his icy blue.

"Me and Temari went to the bar. A man called Raigo, who was accompanied with seven other men, was drinking alcoholic beverages besides us. Raigo then pulled down a waitress-"

"And he also smacked your butt after calling it a 'fine piece of ass', Sakura. And you did nothing. You were about to walk away and let it slide but then that man sexually harassed the waitress, getting frisky without her consent and he also ripped her top open. You came back and let your killing intent out. He still showed no remorse for what he had done and then you paralysed his neck. The other men came at you and you handled them while avoiding hitting their vital points. Something I myself consider they didn't deserve." Temari clipped and elaborated on the story. Silence pressed in Sakura's rented bedroom.

Naruto's jaw dropped.

"He touched you, Sakura?" He said and Temari could hear anger rasping inside his throat. "I'm going to rip that piece of shit into shreds-"

"Now, now. Don't be hasty. We don't want another complaint from the Ginkaku Clan." Kakashi waved his hands and then looked at the pinkette with one squinting eye. "Sakura. Why didn't you tell us? This changes things considerably."

"It was irrelevant. So when he harassed the waitress, was that not good enough for you?" Sakura seethed. "Do you feel so much obliged to protecting me and only me since I am your female teammate? Does one girl working at a bar not matter?"

"Sakura-"

"It's not-"

"The man Raigo will be punished." Gaara broke off the heated discussion with one single sentence. Everyone in the room looked at him.

"His behaviour was not acceptable. Harassment against male nor female will not be tolerated in Suna. The waitress will be compensated accordingly." Gaara concluded.

"That is a wise decision, however, I believe I have already punished him enough." Sakura said, yet she smiled gently at Gaara.

"You are to reverse his neck into a healthy state. Then he will visit the Prison of Suna for a week. I believe his stay there will teach him a thing or two."

"Isn't that a bit too much? I hear there are considerably dangerous missing nin residing in there." Sai asked, oblivious to the glances he got.

"Maybe. But this will also set a statuary example. Sexual harassment will be punishable from now on in Suna, since it hasn't been before. Now, I have matters to take care of. Good night." Gaara stated and turned around. Temari got up quick from the chair and followed Gaara out the door. When they were descending the steps she neared him. She noted how he needed to gather strength to make his sand stand back and not attack her.

"We will need to gather the Elders for this new law proposition." She mumbled and Gaara nodded. Temari saw that he was clenching his fist as they went out on the moon lit street.

The Fox Boy Uzumaki Naruto

In the early morning the next day Naruto jumped around excitedly in the corridor, eager for the first morning practice with the new Team Seven members, having completely forgotten the mess of yesterday. He bounced inside the pinkette's hostel room and made his way over to Sakura's bed and shook her shoulder lightly.

"Time to wake up, sunshine! Come on, come on. It's almost sun rise." He cheered and earned a sudden hard smack on his head, making him wobble down on the wooden floor from the force of it. He felt a large bump protrude on the top of his blond spiky head. Surprised, he suspiciously watched the blanket covered form of Sakura. A sound was produced from the huddled form and the clenched fist that had hit him retracted back into the covered depths of blankets.

"Hn."

Naruto almost laughed out straight as he got up from the floor and swiftly yanked away her covers, leaving her visible with murderous green eyes and ruffled pink hair. She wore a grey top and shorts and with a groan she turned her head away from the stark sun light shedding inside the room.

"It's amazing how Sasuke-like you are in the morning, Sakura-chan." He chirped and she grumbled, as she angrily reached for the covers in his hands. He jumped gallantly away, her fingers touching nothing but air. An even more murderous sound was heard from the depths of her throat and Naruto almost felt cold sweat break at the nape of his neck as she rose from the comfortable bed to sit and she stared at him. Pale, green eyes. Maybe he had gotten himself in too deep waters.

"Good morning, idiot." She said instead of declaring her never ending hatred for him, or kill him on the spot, which he had expected her to do, as she rose slowly from her sleeping mattress. She shuffled away from the bed as she yawned, grumbling something about Izanami finally letting her off training for once and sleep without dreams, and went into the bathroom, then shut the door gently.

"Don't you dare fall asleep in the bathtub, Sakura-chan." Naruto howled and went out of her room with a grin on his face as he heard her snarl from inside the bathroom.

One hour later on the training grounds Naruto, Sai and Sakura was gathered. Kakashi had said that morning he was to meet up with an old friend so he would miss the training session, not that Naruto really minded. Sakura called forth her summonings as she bit her thumb and reached the bloodied finger to her neck, closed her eyes and mumbled an incantation. A lightning sparked through the air with a large crackling sound and in a puff of smoke, four handsome men stood in front of Naruto.

"Good day, Sakura. Is it time for a training session?" A man with spiky white hair asked as he looked around.

"Yes." Sakura said shortly and wielded her katana. A black haired, tanned and scarred man got out a large sledge hammer from his hilt and went away a few yards and started practicing several moves. The red haired man who had a constant frown on his handsome features went to the sole tree and sat down as he closed his eyes in the shade of the tree.

"Hey! Which one of you is Seiryu?" Naruto yelled excitedly.

"That would be my name." The tallest man amongst the group of Celestial Beasts answered and stepped forward. He had long azure coloured hair and he emanated such powerful presence Naruto almost yelped.

"Can you transform into a dragon? Just once? Please." Naruto pleaded.

"No." The beautiful man said and turned around, walked a distance to a sand dune and sat down to meditate. Naruto was baffled, but couldn't really press the matter any further since he knew he'd see it one day. He'd just have to wait. The white haired man jumped up into the tree and settled on a branch, a straw in his mouth.

When Naruto took a water break from sparring with Sai, he watched as Sakura performed a few complex katas with her sword as she swiftly danced in the stark light of the sun in the desert. Grains of sand sprinkled away when she whirled around and pushed her feet into the ground.

"That move was exaggerated." Suzaku, the frowning red haired man, drawled from the shadows of the tree, his eyes burning amber when he gazed at her. Naruto looked over at the red haired beautiful man curiously as he clunked some water down.

"Huh?" Sakura turned around to glare at him, sweat making her pink hair plaster on her forehead.

"Your sword style is insufficient, human. It's sloppy." He added and rose from his meditative position on the little patch of dried grass under the single tree in the desert area.

"I-" Sakura started, but was cut off with a snort.

"Do you even have a sword style? It looks inelegant and only instinctive." Suzaku said as he leaned against the tree, looking down on her with frowning, arrogant eyes.

"I'm self-taught, Suzaku-sama. I'm sorry if it displeases you." She said through gritted teeth.

"Oh get over yourself, Suzaku." Byakko grumbled from up in the tree, where he rested on a tree branch with a straw in his mouth.

"Why don't you teach her your sword style? Whatever it was called, fire blooming or some other clichéd shit." Genbu ruffed and snorted loudly when he appeared to them, from having practiced with his sledge hammer a few yards away. Deep marks on the ground showed where he had used the force of it, similar to claw marks.

"Pff. My sword style is too complex for a mere human." Suzaku sniffed and wrinkled his nose.

"You need see past your preconceived ideas about your celestial status, Suzaku. She is our contractor now. The least you can do is to show her respect." Seiryu's cold and startling voice rumbled through the clearing when he appeared from behind the large frame of Genbu. The other heavenly animals almost flinched. The azure dragon was back from meditating on a sand dune and his presence was overwhelming.

"Yes, Seiryu, but still-" Suzaku started hesitantly, but the pinkette broke him off short sentence.

"It is all right. I know I need to practice on my sword style and stances. I will train harder, Suzaku-sama." Sakura said lowly as she looked down on the sandy ground. Suzaku gazed at her in silence, his yellow eyes piercing her.

"Hn. Maybe I can teach you the few basics. It will be difficult and it is probably impossible for you, but maybe we can get your sword style to be plausible at least."

"Ah. Thank you, Suzaku-sama. I will try my hardest." She nodded with her head, a faint smile spreading on her pink lips.

"Drop the suffix, Haruno. We are your equals now, as our contract states." Byakko said as he gnawed on the straw up in the tree. "No matter how much Suzaku will miss the suffix."

"Quit it, Byakko. If she respects me then it is by all means right to address me accordingly." Suzaku snapped. Byakko huffed and closed his eyes, instead deciding to ignore the vermillion bird. Naruto continued to watch as he felt the sweat on his forehead dry in the merciless sun. Sakura stood side by side with Suzaku and he positioned her hands right until he was pleased.

"Make a series of katas. The most basic you know." Suzaku drawled.

Sakura flowed on the sands, her movements fluent and not yanking, her steps were light on the mischievous sands and Naruto realised she pushed chakra to her feet to keep from sinking in. He cursed himself for not having thought about it earlier. When he got back to sparring with Sai he wouldn't fall in one of that jerk's sand traps. He had sand in places he didn't even know existed on his body. Sakura moved again and the katana reflected the sun and stung Naruto's eyes yet he didn't look away. When she was finished, she was sweating a bit. Suzaku frowned again and sighed as he went up to her panting form. The white top she wore clung to her salty skin and she wiped a hand across her forehead.

"Hm. It was acceptable basic moves. But, initially, you need to be in rhythm with Izanami."
"How?" Sakura huffed.

"First of all, right now, you are only using her as a means of a weapon. A simple junk of metal. But she is alive and so much more than that and you need to dance with her, not by yourself. She is a fallen Goddess and you're not using her to the fullest potential. I think you two should have a talk about the Merge." Suzaku said.
"The what?"
"Oh, how clueless you are. Take a moment to talk with her about the Merge, she will understand. However, I myself don't comprehend why she hasn't talked with you about it yet." The vermillion bird said thoughtfully.

"Okay, sure. Just a moment, then." Sakura said, drew her sword again and closed her eyes.

The Goddess of Death Izanami

She had tired of sitting on her throne of skulls and diamonds in her imaginary Underworld. The large halls of the Darkness was sculpted with exquisite patterns on the walls, a few sculptures displaying winged creatures with horns and swords, the candle lights flickered in the stillness with a blue light. When she moved slightly on her seat of death, the sound echoed in the empty palace halls. The barbaric rituals of violence seethed quietly inside the marble walls. It had been soothing at first, being reminded of the powerful Goddess she was and her dark home in the veils of the earth, but it had gotten boring now. It had gotten boring for a long, long time now.

She huffed and stood up. In a flash, she changed the scenario in her mind, distorting the image of the Underworld. It was night in the human world. She stood in the middle of a field which stretched as far as her eyes could see and the grass was covered in old blood. Corpses had been left to rot on the grass and they had been eaten by scavenger animals. Some were dismembered, some were burnt. She looked up in her memory of the clear night sky. Stars covered every part of the universe and shone. The moon was thin and not full as of yet. Izanami settled down and let her white yukata fold over the wet grass as she lay down on her back. It had just rained. She felt the grass under her palms, it smelt of fresh leaves and metallic liquid and she stared into the never ending sky. Then she started counting the stars. It was soothing it its own way.

A painful memory flashed inside her and she grunted in pain. That sky lit night thousands of years ago he had held her in his arms, kissed her senseless and then he had told her that night that he would stop loving her when she had counted every star in the sky. And she was lost in his fire.

She stopped counting the stars and showed her teeth in a painful grimace.

Lies lies lies lies lies

It's all lies!

Why did he torment her so - still? After all these centuries and millennia, how come it still affected her so? Boiling hatred for the world seethed in her chest. Only blood could numb her pain, only screams of suffering could lessen her raw feelings, only carnage could make her into nothing. It was so dark, so dark, dark dark dark

"Izanami-sama?"

A voice tingled inside her imaginary world and she consciously thrashed away the abandoned sky lit battlefield, turning her consciousness into a murky atmosphere without time and space. The girl hesitantly bowed as she appeared and then looked at her with apple green eyes. Izanami floated above her.

"What is it?" Izanami asked irritably. "You know better than to disturb me while in my mindscape."

"I apologise for my sudden appearance. I just wanted to talk about the Merge."

"The Merge, you say?" Izanami said and pondered for a second. "Who told you about it?"

"Suzaku-dono did."

"I see. That little bird, if anyone, would know about it. It is a long forgotten technique."

"I do not know what it is. Suzaku-dono would not tell me." Sakura said lowly, hanging with her head. Ashamed of her ignorance.

"Of course you don't. Well, the Merge is basically our chakras fusing together while fighting. It would boost your energies and I would be one with you, even more so than now. We would share one mind. In that way, if we manage to achieve it, we would dance as one."

"I see. And that would aid us in battle?"

"Yes, very much so. But it is extremely difficult to Merge since every shinobi's chakras are different and flows in separate currents. And since I am a fallen Goddess, my powers might overrule yours. I would not mind taking over your body and destroy your mind, but we have a contract of blood and life. I will not break my promise to you."

"That... That is a relief. Then- Do you think it would be possible for us to achieve the Merge? Without you overruling me that is." She asked hesitantly.

"It is difficult to say." Izanami drawled as she observed her finger nails. They were dirty.

"I am willing to try." Sakura's voice echoed in the murky atmosphere and Izanami looked at the pinkette. Her voice had been made of determination, iron hard will, knocking away any doubt.

Izanami silently looked at the girl and suddenly, as if the girl broke, she caught Izanami's black eyes with her own and they were accusing her of the world put on her shoulders.

"I still have seven hundred and thirty one lives to extinguish. But who am I to kill these pitiful mounds of flesh and dreams? To claim these mournful desires?" She asked lowly and her eyes were pained, her voice being more of a whisper than anything.

"You are a means for me to sate my hunger, of course. To sate my need for cleaning these filthy soils of the world." Izanami clicked her tongue. Sakura only watched her.

"When did your hatred seep into your being?" She asked, eyes so pale green, so pale. "When did you learn the taste of blood was satisfying on your finger tips?"

"I have no obligation to you, girl, whatsoever to let you in on it." Izanami clipped.

"No. I believe I have a right to know. The blood is no longer on your hands only; it is smeared on mine own. The least little thing you can give me is the reason why." The pinkette craved of her.

"If you knew the reason why, it still would not change anything. Their deaths will always be on your consciousness." Izanami pointed out causally. The girl flinched.

"I am aware of it. Yet I still... I still need to know." She then said and stared at the fallen goddess of carnage. Izanami cocked her head to the side.

"Well, well. If you wish to know that much... I concede, then." Izanami replied and held her gaze with steely composure.

"Eternities ago I was in love with a man. We cherished each other to the point of sharing heart beats. We loved unconditionally, at the beginning of everything, of time and space. But when the day came for me to give birth to our child of fire, I died. I died in flames. And when I woke up in the Underworld, I thought all was lost. I no longer desired to move, to speak. I ate the fruits of the Underworld and I became one with the darkness. Then one day or night or just one moment, I didn't know, he was there. He declared he would bring me back and that everything would be as it were before. I was such a fool, falling for him time and time again, such a fool. He gave me that spiteful thing called hope. When we were about to leave he saw what I had become within the darkness, as he turned around when I had warned him not to. He saw my rotting flesh, he saw the maggots crawling on my once beautiful skin and he was disgusted. He saw me in the embrace of Death and his love for me did not reach so far as to accept me veiled in the darkness of the earth."

Izanami glanced away into the darkness of the murky atmosphere, her eyes blank, unseeing, and then she continued her tale of sorrow.

"He turned and ran away from me and I called for him, not wanting to understand his faded and frayed love for me, I ran and stumbled and I lost him. My lingering love vanished when I reached the entrance to Death, the gates between the living and the dead, and my love was replaced with mournful hatred for the man I once cherished with my own life. I could no longer reach him. But since my life was no more and I was but a shadow of who I once were, I became an abyss of murdering desire. I promised him to take thousands of lives and he promised to give the lives of more when he blocked the entrance to Death. After that I grew powerful as I fed off dead things beneath the earth and managed to surface in the lands of the living. We met on battlefields of humans after that, battle after battle I claimed so many lives. Each time, when one human joined the darkness under my hands, I felt that this time maybe he would look at me. Maybe he would see me. But he turned away, never taking note of me, and produced another life to be condemned into this world."

Silence pressed between the two women, one ancient and one still new to the world and its hardships. Izanami breathed lightly and she knew the red ruby on her forehead was glowing. The ruby which had once been a sapphire, that had changed because of her changed heart. The diamond that had been since coloured crimson by her hatred.

"He left you." Sakura said and let tears fall from her eyes, like clear jewelled droplets. Izanami almost flinched. The girl cried for her? For a demon? Izanami snorted.

"He did. And I will never stop ravaging the world." She concluded and looked down on the pink haired girl. Her green eyes shimmered with tears.

"The man you once loved... Was Izanagi." Sakura breathed and realised it was true.

"Yes." Izanami sighed her answer.

"What would you do if you met him today?" The girl dared to ask after a bit of contemplation and Izanami chuckled, more to herself than at the girl. A smirk played on her pouty lips.

"I would obliterate him. Destroy him completely, utterly. I would not allow for him to come to the Underworld, that would be far too merciful. He wouldn't simply die, he would vanish from existence all together." She laughed again. The girl only looked at her with eyes of sadness and Izanami silently cursed the girl. How would she know? How would she know that blood was the only thing that could soothe her pain? Numb her aching heart?

"No more of this. So now you know about my reason. We'll talk about the Merge later. Head back." Izanami snarled and the darkness pressed around them harder and the girl shrunk as she felt it come on to her. One last glance at the girl made Izanami stop when she floated away. The tears on her cheeks had dried and her eyes looked at the goddess with a different light. And then she was swallowed by the coiling charcoal black smoke.

Author's Note

Long time no hear peepz! Thanks for sticking with me.

There seems to be a slight misconception about relationships among the reviewers. A relationship does not mean that the two depend on each other, and in this case it would not mean for Sakura to be 'taken care of'. A relationship is about trust in each other and not about control. If Sakura is to be in a relationship with anyone, she will still be free. Love has no boundaries, yes?

Now, to the poll!

No, Sakura doesn't need to fall in love - 6 votes

Sakura should fall in love with:

:::Neji::: 6 votes

:::Sasuke::: 6 votes

:::Shika::: 4 votes

:::Kakashi::: 3 votes

:::Ino::: 2 votes

:::Itachi::: 2 votes

:::Sai::: 1 vote

Conclusion to this; I'm getting more and more confused lol. Maybe I'll just fuck it all up and make her all emotionless and make a harem of guys follow her around like lovestruck puppies. But at least I'm getting at what kind of direction you guys want this fic to take!

A warning for you all; I will add a darker touch in parts of the upcoming chapters. It will be necessary for the story's progression as well as Sakura's growth. I am sorry if you dislike the more morbid happenings, but I assure you the darkness won't have a recurring role in this fanfic. I tend to blend a bit of everything into my stories, so there will be light moments as well as dark ones, just like life. (Clichéd I know)

And once again, I thank every single one of you reviewers and readers. You can't even begin to comprehend how much you lift me up.

As always as well, please give some constructive criticism if seen needed. I always want to improve and if you feel like you're missing something in my chapters, please tell! I would really appreciate it.

I'm in a bit of a struggle with life now, and that's why it's taken a bit of time to get this chapter out here and it will take a bit of time for the next one as well. I'm actually writing most of the parts on my phone while I'm out smoking. Somehow, I feel more inspired on my balcony than on my kitchen table.

Love you guys,

fascalia

— — — UPDATE — — —

To one reviewer: This story is not Canon compliant, meaning that Sakura is by no means meant to end up with Sasuke only because Kishimoto made it so. I also believe their reunion and marriage and what not was too shallow and quite meek. I was very disappointed with it actually.

THE POLL HAS NOW ENDED
I have decided on the pairing now, thereby ending the poll. To me it seems to be too many contradicting opinions about Sakura's love life and therefore I have decided to be all dictatorial and decide myself. However, I have read all of your reviews and will take your wishes into consideration. I'm not revealing now on what I have decided, you'll just have to wait and see guys! ;)