Hey guys, been inspired with so many ideas these days. I was craving a revenge story with SakuraxSasuke as lead couple so I made it a reality! Hope you like it! Leave a review!
Correction in progress...
KONOHA WAR, the 15 year old witness of a tragedy...
It all started with a simple blanket. Pure red... softer than a thousand feathers. The war had killed many. Konoha was not at all what it once was. The happy streets filled with children playing merrily were now painted red with their blood. The beautiful sounds of the popular Geishas everyone once admired now replaced with the loud sorrows of the grieving wives and mothers of those who had fallen...
It reeked of pain, it smelled like death. Yet the city still had the audacity to be one hell of sight...
Pale, pure, freezing and selfish white. Most people loved the snow but if this war had done anything, it had shown Sakura that white was her least favorite color.
It revealed all. There was no hiding stains, no hiding the evil deeds of this world. No hiding the dirty hands of those guilty of the pain of this whole city's sorrow. White was pure, white was justice. And she hated everything about it.
Throwing one last look at the shallow grave she had put together for her parents, Sakura graced them with one last bow before standing up.
Death had such a finality to it. Just like that the two people who had raised her with so much love and care were now gone. They'd left this world in the most awful way imaginable. Beheaded... like chickens, like a regular animal for a feast.
She continued staring as she slowly processed her rage. She knew what they would've told her in this instance. To go away, far far away from this land. As fast as she could. To seek refuge somewhere no one would care to make her another random fatality.
She knew her mother would've washed away all her dirty thoughts of revenge and what not. But she wouldn't listen. This time gone was the nice and studious Sakura who only cared about making her parents happy.
Done with bowing down to the world just so she could fit in and pretend to be normal. Konoha was done for for good now. The foreigners had invaded the lands and made it theirs. There was no place for her to call home anymore. She was utterly alone now. Only with her dark dark thoughts. So she would embrace it. With all the rage and the pain of the thousands of people who's souls were discarded in the name of greed. It was only a goodbye. At least for now.
But the air was not only filled with the smell of rotting corpses... There was the faint, almost unnoticed hint of something else that required patience. Something that required her to nurture this feeling of rage filling her blood and body with motive. And what was it ?
Of course it was revenge.
Her father's sword in hand, a face as pale as a corpse, Sakura finally turned around and took that first step towards her new reality. Towards her new found purpose in life... The utter and complete destruction of those guilty of this irreplaceable loss.
The Uchihas.
5 years later: On the other side...
"Where the hell is Sasuke?"
"I-I'm sorry your highness... I'm not sure"
"Well get along, find him! The gathering will take place in a week, we're to have a meeting!"
That was typical Itachi. He was probably the most unbearable human being Sasuke ever had the unfortunate task of having to deal with.
Actually, maybe that was a stretch... but everything to him was too much of a task to require his entire attention. Itachi only spoke about political strategies, conquering the country, overpowering the enemies and many more boring subjects.
What was really the point in all of that diplomatic talk? Their family was the wealthiest and the most powerful in the country. The only one who was able to loudly challenge the Emperor. Who cared about boring diplomatic meetings with the intent of peace-making and deal-securing with other clans they all knew were weaker than them?
They had gotten where they were through violence and dominance. That was his expertise. On the ground, sword in hand, a deadly smile at the sight of the decapitated corpse of his enemies... He loved that melody. He lived for it even.
Sasuke was aware everyone feared him. They all heard of the horrors that followed him anytime he entered foreign territory. His thirst for blood was a true asset for the Uchiha clan. And with that and his very smart and powerful brother they dominated.
Their dream had been the same since the reign of their parents and theirs before them as well: Expand the power of the Uchiha clan. In their household they believed they had been blessed with the rare Sharingan gift for no other reason than to stay on top of the world. And what better proof that they were right than to reach and maintain said spot at the top?
Staring at the slaves running around in search for him, he was growing annoyed. Itachi knew not to disturb him during his meditating hours so why would today be any different?
"Highness..."
The voice was faint, reeking of fear. Nothing new. He followed the direction of the voice and noticed a small boy in cheap clothing. He knew this one. It was a new slave from last week's batch. They had conquered the northern lands last month and the soldiers had carried women and children to their land for labor.
Casualties. That's what he called them. The boy was trembling and looked horribly starved. That sight was probably his least favorite in the world. Not that anybody would ever know, but he almost felt something when it came to smaller humans. The boy was probably not older than 5 springs.
In a second he was on the ground from the Sakura tree he usually chose to isolate and meditate from. Hands behind his back, curious eyes on the boy, he finally spoke.
"How did you find me boy..."
The young child was still trembling. Clearly terrified of this tall man with the odd reddish eyes and the scariest of reputation. He was used to it. That's why he admired the child when he finally spoke up.
"I have followed you here before..."
He knew this of course. He'd witnessed it when this child had been brought in. The boy had full eyes, loud of pain and trauma. The only reason he'd remembered this boy was because he knew that if he one day let his emotions consume him enough, he would have great potential. The boy had nothing to lose. He was the perfect spec for a soldier.
"And what's your name ?"
"Henko."
Typical northern name. Their culture was interesting. Their look even more. They had that typical pale looking skin and those weird colored grey eyes.
He knew his brother had been infatuated with it for years before he'd decided to make the territory theirs as well. Of course the list of reasons was much longer than that. Their rich lands and highly effective ports were needed to take control of the other ports in the country. They were incredible at see. So it wasn't surprising that majority of the current slaves within this palace were now northerners.
"And why do you follow me boy"
He had stopped trembling but he still reeked of fear.
"His highness needs you in the meeting room..."
"That's not what I asked you."
"I-
Passing the boy, Sasuke was already bored.
He limited his interactions with people a lot because he always felt out of touch. Why was he supposed to care? What was he meant to do when people threw such glances of pity at him? He felt nothing but disgust from such blatant and obvious emotions.
It was a secret for no one that if there was one thing in the world he struggled with, it was that emotions were complicated for him to either decipher or commute. So he didn't bother at all. And that was probably why he was the greatest warrior his clan had every seen.
Walking into his brother's courtroom, he ignored as the slaves made space for him to pass through. Eyes zoomed in on his annoying sibling who he returned his angry eyes to with a blank face.
"I don't like that you disturb me when you know not to."
Itachi returned his eyes back to the document he had been reading before retaliating.
"And I hate that you consistently go back on your word to participate in your duties"
"I have not agreed to any title nor responsibility Itachi. Stop irritating me."
"It is your birth right to be my heir as long as I'm without child so automatically you have both."
Anger. I guess that was what people called having anger issues. Sasuke had that skill of getting angry so quickly he often gave up on hiding it.
"There's no point at gritting your teeth at me. You're the chief of the Uchiha clan army now that this injury deposed me from battle. You're to lead our men to victory so evidently it makes sense you take part in those meetings you consider silly."
"I don't like being pissed off. You don't like it either so why ignore my pleas to leave me alone?"
"Because you agreed to only be summoned when needed."
"I said on the ground. Not in any diplomatic courts."
Itachi's nonchalance was irritating. He knew him too well and yet he didn't mind pressing him to do things no one would ever dare him to obey.
Ignoring him, he turned to leave the room when his brother spoke again.
"As much as you don't care for it, this mission concerns you heavily as it links to someone you have wanted to meet for a very long time."
He immediately stopped in his tracks.
The only thing in this world that Itachi could mention that he would ever care for apart from a blood filled war was of course his one true enemy.
An uncontrollable smile was growing on his face as he remembered just why he cared so much about seeing this man again.
His name he would never forget. Uzumaki Naruto. One hell of a fighter. If anything, the only man that he considered worthy of truly calling him his equal. 5 years ago he had scarred his brother badly in battle enticing him to get involved. No one had ever done that. He'd never needed to fight his brother's battles and yet there he was attending to his brother's aid. He had left this ugly injury that would never allow Itachi to walk straight again, leaving the battlefield commandment to him. And their fight ? The best he'd ever had. That kid had a one of a kind skill. He was possessed by a fox demon that had made Sasuke's blood thirst even more intense. Yes. They were meant to meet again.
"How does it concern him?"
Itachi smiled. He knew he'd peeked at his interest.
"That fallen city, Konoha... It has been a pain in the ass in the last 2 years apparently. We've been keeping it under wraps for a while but even as it was completely destroyed and their armies conquered, that fox demon guy has apparently slowly revived the city with his own little army. They seem to also be challenging our allies now. They have marched to the South and are now at war with the Shō clan."
"So Konoha stands?"
He almost smiled. He hadn't been part of the rampage their armies had caused in the East years ago apart from that one fight with the Uzumaki boy. His knowledge was little. But he knew Konoha had been a thriving power. They had had powerful fighters, advanced technology, an interesting culture. The East was known to be a multi-cultural land mixed with the most powerful clans in the whole country. Of course that was until Itachi challenged them against their Uchiha clan.
"Konoha is trying to..."
He almost chuckled. Interesting. That would mean Itachi had actually failed a mission. That was unheard of. This perfectionist of a brother did not like the sound of failure. He would kill before that failure would ever spread the news anywhere. So this was excellent ground to spit on his pride. And that was melody to his ears. So he chuckled. Loudly.
And from the veins suddenly appearing on his brother's forehead, as expected he was having a hard time dealing with this reality.
"You're to meet the Shō clan's representatives next week. They will fill you in on what the updates are in the South. Whatever you do just remember, we need the South, they provide us with the strong metals your powerful swords are made of. This liability cannot be lost to anyone. We absolutely need it."
At that, Sasuke pulled out both his swords and admired them thoughtful. He hated it when Itachi was right but he was, and often. The south's metal and craftsmen were reputable for the best swords they had ever had the honor of using in battle. He'd tried many and none compared. And for a man of war like him, Itachi was right. He just couldn't fathom losing such an asset.
As much as he didn't care about the values and political priorities of his clan, one thing was certain Sasuke didn't associate with failure. Ever. His pride was out of this world when it came to that.
They were the most powerful clan in the country, had the strongest forteresse and the strongest army in the country. They were about to challenge the King of this country. Small weaklings from Konoha would not embarrass them. He'd slaughter every single one of them before that ever happened.
"You're lucky I care brother. Very lucky."
And on that note, he walked out. His brother's counsel hot on his heels. Responsibility was calling. He would pretend to care for once.
Somewhere in the West...
Being an assassin was an art. It required skill, patience, knowledge. First you needed to be familiar with the art of seduction. The art of hypnotizing one without them realizing. An intriguing look dragging your prey's guard to the ground. An innocent yet seductive smile intensifying the dopamine level of said prey. Oh it was easy. Men especially.
They let themselves go so fast when it came to the female species. Pretty legs, demoiselle in distress play and boom either they tried to take advantage of your weakness or it activated the savior complex in them.
That was how she'd survived in the last 5 years.
Konoha was no more. She hadn't heard nor asked for any news on her forgotten home. There was no point. It was all in the past. What her priority was currently was completing her list.
She had carried the names of all the ones that had played a part in the betrayal of her people. The Harunos had been nobles. She had aristocratic blood going through her veins and yet they had taken everything from her.
In cahoots with some greedy nobles from surrounding lands the Uchihas had won the war. They would have never had there not been a breach of loyalty. It was interesting how some households like hers lost everything on top of their lives and others within the same loyalties had gotten richer and more powerful.
Their names all in her list, she scratched the name of her 3rd victim clean off with the red pigment of her lipstick under her finger.
Turning to stare back at the cold body of the man so many feared in this region she almost smiled. Killing was almost easy for her sometimes.
The men who only let their urges guide them in life were usually the easiest to kill. She didn't even have to kill them in a way that would expose her.
With this one it had taken a simple look, a few seductive words and he had asked for the little slave to visit his rooms for a good price. He'd asked her to pretty up and be ready to feel the entirety of his desire for her and yet it only took one kiss for him to succumb. Snake venom. Her best trick. She'd learned it in the forest with the people from the West. They'd taught her so much before she'd left. How to numb your lips and protect yourself from the venom. How to inflict it to her victim.
It was a simple trick. Kiss your enemy passionately. Run your hands all around him and his manhood to distract him. Then start kissing his lower lip with so much passion he doesn't notice when you bite him to let the venom in.
3 minutes. That was all it took.
That man had been pathetic. She remembered when he used to come to her house and beg her father for more Gold to readjust his hold to his clan. Yet he'd had the audacity to cahoot with the enemy.
Standing up. She stared back at the big man with disdain. Without realizing, one of her foot was on his cold body. She pushed his face with it as she cursed and crushed his skull deeper in the ground.
"Rest in Piss, freak."
As she was about to taint his body even more, her friend stopped her.
"Enough, we need to go! The boat is waiting, the sun will be out in a few minutes Sakura"
Hinata had been her companion for the past few years. They'd been friends since they were children and she was probably the only person from Konoha she had the blessing of finding alive out there in the world.
It was still a mystery to her the way she'd survived but she had. And Hinata had helped her find some level of peace.
Her hand in hers, Hinata pulled Sakura away from the body. Her familiar bag in hand as they rushed away from the crime scene in the dark night. In a few minutes they had reached the boat and were guided by Hinata's fisherman intel to waters away from the City of Uka.
They'd been planning this assassination for at least 3 months. It was always the same. Find a name, locate the prey, analyze his weakness and then strike.
In this bastard's case at the very least she could give him the honor of admitting he was careful. Of course, you had to be when you were a traitor to your own house. He'd enriched himself with the blood of his own cousins and siblings so it only made sense he had little to no trust for anyone.
But women lived in a different reality. Beautiful women even more. Both women were incredibly beautiful so it made sense some men forgot themselves and their craving for safety at least for one night.
Sakura's pink hair was the rave anywhere she went. She had grown it below her back. Hinata cared attentively about her skin and maintenance. Anywhere they went they passed as mistress and servant. For this mission though, Sakura had decided to play servant to get faster to this man. She was content with her decision. He had paid for his crimes quicker than expected.
"Where to now?" Hinata asked
Brought back to reality, Sakura turned to her friend as they noticed the sun coming out on the horizon.
"The next name is Shō."
Slowly nodding, Hinata looked away.
"So I guess we're finally heading there then..."
"I guess..."
She smiled sadly
"Are you ready for that?"
"I've been ready for years Hinata."
"Do you remember who the Shō's are ?"
"The Southern clan. Rich in metal and the best craftsmanship in the world."
She nodded.
"And also your distant relatives."
"Indeed..."
"How will you do it?"
"Well, like usual I can't say before we get there..."
Hinata nodded again before speaking
"There are rumors they are meant to reinforce their alliance with the Uchiha clan soon. I heard it from some slaves today..."
"What kind of alliance are we talking about?"
"They are saying marriage. That's surprising because the Uchiha clan has never bothered using other ways than threats and violence since their armies are so wicked. But there is talk that the quality of the Sho's metal is so excellent they are considering an unbreakable blood bond with the south that will reinforce their claim in the region for generations to come."
"Makes sense, they do have the strongest army and the south does have the best quality weapons..."
In the last 4 years there hadn't been any news of the Uchiha's armies losing anywhere. They'd almost conquered the entire country and rumors were the Emperor was scrambling for alliances to regain some influence in the country but it was done.
The people called him the puppy Emperor. He had no influence left. 7 out of 8 of the provinces were now entirely controlled by Itachi Uchiha.
She hated hearing or pronouncing that man's name. The man was the reason she'd lost everything. He'd destroyed everything she'd known in 14 days. That's all it had taken. 14 freaking days.
As her mind wandered she envisioned the decapitated bodies of her parents again and started trembling with anger. That's until Hinata's warm hand tightened around her shoulder.
"You're fine."
She closed her eyes in one deep breath before nodding.
"So how many names left ?" Hinata asked
"5, and 2 of them are from the Shō clan"
"Alright. Are you ready?"
"Always. Let's do this." She declared.
Her red blanket all around her, she stared ahead at the sun peeking at them. Sinister days were coming. She hoped they were ready to pay.
To be continued...
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