Prologue: Anbu Captain

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

-Inner speaking-

"Wolf-san, our target is heading through the upper east forest. We attack at your command..?" Tohru replies curtly through the static of the headset at the base of my throat. I simply nod knowing they're watching me as I am watching them.

A barrage of shuriken envelopes the "poor pedestrian" below, as if he is unaware of his eminent demise. I curse softly seeing through the clone and quickly flip backwards as a kunai comes soaring just mere inches from my throat. A hiss of metal warns me and I crouch down and kick out at my assailant hearing a satisfying crunch around his abdomen.

'Ouch, that's gotta hurt'

I glance up quickly as the man goes flying from my chakra infused kick into a tree splintering it into thousands of pieces. I smirk darkly at the light haired man as I waltz over to his hunched figure. With one gloved hand I grab him by the scruff of his black collar and haul him up to meet me eye to eye. Surprisingly he is a rather handsome man with chocolate brown eyes and dirty blonde hair, his sharp jawbone structure adding to his straight aristocratic nose.

'All in all a good looking guy, too bad he's about to die or he'd be my type' I mentally snort as I stare down the man with light colored hair, blood drips from his nose as he regains consciousness. In an instant he is on me but I am unfazed. I am an Anbu Captain not a mere Genin any more. Rogue nin are nothing. Tsunade-shishou had sent us on this mission to kill this man for importing weapons to the organization Akatsuki. If they obtained those weapons we would be in all honesty screwed when they attacked Konoha and came for Naruto again. I had to complete this mission.

I stare coldly into his eyes as he hovers over me, blood drips from his chin and splashes onto my black Anbu wolf mask. I wince slightly at my vainness before I hoist my legs up and around his mid section and flip us over making him go flying again. I was growing tired of the game of cat and mouse being as I was sweaty and travel worn from months of tracking this simple man who wasn't even putting up a good fight. Speaking of which where was my squad? I whip my head around every which way trying to find there chakra signature. My eyes grow wide at the faint flutter of four very weak chakra signatures behind me about a mile. I sprint over to the man and quickly slit his throat, the blood that splashes over me doing nothing to deter me from turning on my heel and dashing back towards my dying teammates.

All I saw was the blood. In my entire field of work I had never seen so much blood in one area before and I was a Medic nin.

Splashes of crimson layered the forest floor. Sprinkles of kunai and shuriken lay broken, bloodied and beaten on the battle worn ground. I composed myself in a fraction of a second and replaced my shocked expression with a stony glare. A flicker of a shadow alerted me before my ninja senses kicked in and I quickly hit the forest floor before the double edged scythe could impale me in two. Glad that my Anbu mask covered my face and my hair was genjutsued to a dull brown I stared critically at my new opponent. His silver like hair was slicked back and complimented his square jaw line and expressive eyes. A vague memory resurfaces but I push it aside, I know this man or know of him but I can't seem to remember… but what caught my attention the most was the red clouds on his all black cloak. I hiss at him and draw one of two short katana at my hip.

"Akatsuki scum." I blurt out. I quickly tense my shoulders in wait of the assault that…..never came?

Instead the handsome(I couldn't deny it) Akatsuki member licked his blood soaked scythe and grinned wickedly at me. I couldn't help but notice that it made him look even like a death god. I quickly throw aside that thought and come to realize whose blood he was licking up like a mad man. My teammates.

In my slightly shocked state(though I would never admit it) I hadn't noticed my squads no my friend's dead carcasses littered around the forest floor. My blood boiled over and I felt anguish rise up within me. I had never failed a mission before and I had just not only failed a mission but neglected to save them from a rogue nin. I turn harshly back to the man and try to keep my ragged breathes in check. Anger did nothing for you, only helped show your weaknesses to the enemy. And the Akatsuki was my number one enemy. They were a substantial threat to Konoha and my best friend, Naruto at that.

"Why are you here?" I ask the lone man still staring crazily at me. I use my talking as a distraction and silently behind my back I start to form thick chakra blades. The green glow hasn't alerted the man yet.

The silver haired Akatsuki member tilts his head to the side and flicks his fingers in a helpless gesture before smiling innocently.

"You, of course."

I charge him point blank, my chakra blades ready to slice and dice his pretty little head cleanly off of his shoulders. The metal plates underneath my knuckles rub against the chakra in a soothing manner as my actions replay in slow motion. I blink slightly and see red and black before I am catapulted backwards form the force of the blow inflicted not from the silver haired man but from a new target.

I quickly back flip in the air and land nimbly on my feet. The force from that last attack should have left me unconscious but I wasn't any mere Anbu. I stand up straighter and hold my chakra blades tighter adding a second thicker coat of pure chakra to them. In a flicker I am gone and up in the air sending a barrage of poison tipped senbon at the men in the shadows below, I slip in a few explosive tags disguised to appear to be senbon.

The silver haired man moves sluggishly backwards and away from the attack while the figure coated in shadows simply attempts to rush the barrage point blank. Obviously the Akatsuki leader had sent me the not so bright members of there organization. I quickly detonate the explosive tags and watch in slight satisfaction as the darker and much shorter figure's black eyes widen a second too late before they explode. My smirk drops a bit when I see him slightly maneuver out of my trap with a torn sleeve and a couple of cuts. I scoff and zig zag at the silver haired man, flash stepping in and out of existence to the human eye. I roll my eyes slightly when the man hefts his scythe up and attempts to block my flying kick heavily dosed with chakra. I had put enough in it to possibly shatter his face if it landed head on. Too bad his pretty little scythe will be ruined instead.

In the moment after my kick lands, the scythe trembles and then shatters into a million tiny shards of metal and blood. My face remains blank as I quickly retreat from the dazed and slightly p*ssed off Akatsuki member. I kick off from his chin and hear a satisfying snap of his teeth colliding together. The member in the shadows is behind me and I quickly dash away from him and his partner as to see all angles of there attacks.

Another barrage of kunai is sent my way and this time the force is too much and a couple hit me in my back, legs and arms. 'Ouch that's gonna leave a mark. On me.' I stagger as my medical chakra forces the kunai out ever so slowly and painfully.

The silver haired man whose scythe I just reduced to rumble is trembling while holding a strange looking necklace, an upside down triangle inside a circle.

"F***in' c***! You broke Jashin's gift to me! I'll f***ing kill you b****!" He roars.

A piece goes to together in my head as I remember his name and profile.

Silver hair: Check, Temper: Check, Vulgar tendencies: Check. Hidan of the Akatsuki!

'Aha, now I remember! Hidan is the one who killed Asuma….I'll avenge him for you Shikimaru, Ino,and Choji .'

I ignore Hidan and eye the other member critically. It seems the shadows stay with him, I hadn't yet seen his face, just a silhouette.

"State your business here Akatsuki scum! I don't have the Jinchuriki with me as you can see. Nor will I state his location so p*ss off!" I retort with my Captain voice, authoritive but with a hint of my old feisty self.

The forest is quite except for Hidan's angry rambling in the corner. The other stranger is silent but I'm sure he is deadly just from his stance. I shift my foot and they'are on me in a flash. I panic and quickly pull my fist back and shatter the earth. The forest floor splits cleanly in half as plateaus of earth rise up from the force. Hidan stumbles caught off guard and the mysterious figure stumbles a bit but then jumps into the trees which are slowly being uprooted along with the entirety of the forest. In my desperate attempt to cause a diversion I had put too much chakra in my blow. I was only at half my usual reserve. Not nearly enough to take them on both. I could try though.

"Hey! Princess! Quit your f***ing games and just come with us. Leader F***in wants you for some d*mn reason!"

I don't stumble until a flying katana pierces through my hamstring. The pain is tremendous and I stifle a gasp. I quickly send healing chakra to my hamstring and half *ss stitch it back up. If I removed the katana I would be unable to move as fast, speed was my only option at this point.

-We could try…that move? Tsunade-sama said it was a last resort and we don't want to fall to Akatsuki so easily do we?-

I sigh and stagger forward. I hiss slightly as my wound reopens. I could attempt that jutsu but…it still had some kinks to work out. I wasn't sure if I would survive in the process.

'No ! I must not be captured. If not for my village, if not for me, then for Naruto.'

I cough up some blood and wipe it on my black Anbu outfit. I was outnumbered but THAT technique could stall if not immobilize them completely.

I stand up straighter even against the pain of the throbbing katana in my leg and form hand seals at lightening speed.

"Sakura uzu-jutsu, in'n?rir?su!" I shout out weakly. My head was spinning wildly.

'I hope I don't screw this up.'

A sea of cherry blossoms engulf the forest, me, Hidan and the stranger entirely. The aroma is sweet but deadly, the tips poisoned with paralysis abilities. The petals may look soft but if you touched them it could slice you in half. Or so I'm told by Tsunade. In all actuality it was my first time doing it properly or at least I hoped I had. After all the hard part had yet to come.

Hidan curses loudly as the blossoms land on his cloak tearing it to shreds as blood spatters the air. The stranger hisses in pain but does not move from his spot. I can feel eyes heavy on me but I scrunch up my face in concentration and let the next stage flow freely.

Next the cherry blossoms wither and die turning into ashes and swirling around in a prism vortex. 'The beautiful shall turn ugly with time' my mother used to say.

A sweat breaks out on my brow and I fight not to unlink my hands form the tiger seal. The ashes create a fog and I almost faint as my inner cage is rattled. The beast shall come forth.

-Let me out! Please? I can beat them, you know I can! Please…I need blood!-

I stagger once more and my breath comes in quick pants. It seems my genjutsu worked on Hidan but….the stranger still stares at me, more relaxed than ever.

"Inner R-release!" I shout out. This was the main problem. I couldn't control her. She thirsted for blood.

A black and pink vortex swirled around and around the wind knocking my Anbu mask off, I had no hands to quickly put it on.

My long slightly curled pink locks escape a bit from my low ponytail. My vivid emerald eyes shine with fatigue and determination. My plump pink lips gasp for breath. I was the picture of beauty right?

I hear Hidan let out a low whistle and I am aware my genjutsu was gone. I stare intently at the ground. I knew they were immobile but for how long? They were strong and the stronger they were the more screwed I was if I didn't get this right.

"Pretty pinkie! F***in beautiful eh Uchiha? You didn't tell me she was a beauty on top of being a feisty b****!"

I freeze momentarily at the name. Uchiha. That could only be of two men and one was so called dead…so?

"Uchiha..." I breathe out. I couldn't keep it back, I knew I was losing the jutsu; I would either die or be kidnapped. Neither sounded so hot.

Finally he steps out of the shadows, his slightly spiky ebony hair and red eyes shining in beautiful contrast to my now fading cherry vortex.

He steps forward, knowing I am no longer in control and removes his hood. He's more beautiful than I remember. Another katana is pressed to my neck slightly drawing blood. I wince but don't break my eyes from staring at his chest, anywhere but his eyes which I know are bottomless and cold. The eyes that would be my undoing.

"Hn, Actually I prefer Sasuke." He sneers crudely.

I put on a stony face and scoff at his arrogance. Same old Sasuke alright. I square my shoulders and attempt to look as deadly as possible but the constant grimace of pain and hunch of my shoulders dissipate the non existent illusion.

Sasuke stares emotionless at my hair and face whilst I'm grimacing in pain. Simply to pass the time and get it over with I turn down to my hamstring. The katana is stuck all the way through and I moan mentally at the task at hand. I knew undoubtedly I would either die because I refused to heal the wound or get captured. I had a suicide pill sewn into my boot, I wouldn't become a traitor.

Without giving another glance to my attackers I rip out the katana from my flesh in a spray of blood and sweat. I grit my teeth in agony and spare the ground the sight of my vomit. I wipe my mouth and face Sasuke. I ask him only one word.

"Why?"

Sasuke stares at me and our eyes meet. I knew I shouldn't but I smile anyways. Sasuke simply stares.

"Because I can." He states simply before I collapse into his arms, blood and all. His Sharingan whirling all the time.

Before I faint I hear my name. Just my name but it is enough to know. To know who I am and what I have to do.

"Sakura."

I am Sakura: that I know for sure.

Well Review please! If you like it! Oh and Sakura's Jutsu is simply translated :Cherry blossom vortex Jutsu, Inner Release Heheh I made that one up! With google translates help of course!