Kakashi ended up lying in bed due to his overuse of the Sharingan. Tsunami, Tazuna’s daughter, placed her hands to her hips. "Are you alright, Sensei?"
"No… I’ll barely be able to move for a week." He spoke lazily.
"Then you should rest for awhile." Tsunami scolded.
"What? The Sharingan is incredible but if it puts that much stress on the body, I guess you have to think before using it." Sakura spoke as we took off our gear.
"But you defeated such a strong ninja so we should be okay for awhile." The old man reminded.
"By the way, who was that kid with the mask?" Sakura wondered outloud.
"That’s the mask world by the Hidden Mist’s special hunter-nin team. They are also known as body erasers. It’s their duty to completely dispose of a body without a trace. A ninja’s body holds many secrets about their village. For example, if I died, the secrets of the Sharingan could be revealed. If you don’t be careful, there’s a risk of an enemy stealing your jutsu. A ninja’s body can reveal important information. So by killing and disposing of the missing-nins who have abandoned their village, the hunter-nins protect the information from getting out. They are the specialists who guard the village’s secrets. No sound, no smell… that is a ninja’s end." Kakashi’s explanation sent shivers down Sakura’s spine. Kakashi didn’t take notice but instead fell asleep.
"So that Zabuza has been chopped up and disposed of? Scary!!"She shuddered.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I would have a more beautiful end than a missing-nin. "Did you know that after killing the target they take their head as proof?"I whispered into her ear.
"Ah!"She screamed and backed away from me. "Aura! That’s not funny!"
"I wasn’t kidding. Ask Kakashi-sensei when he wakes up again. It’s true."I said seriously, freaking her out more as I slowly fell onto my back. This mission was actually getting pretty interesting. I looked up and noticed Sasuke right beside me. I sent him a smile as I popped a piece of candy into my mouth. We stared at each other for awhile then made a move, I about to sit up, he about to lie down. I kept my eyes locked on his and rested my hand over his, signaling that he didn’t have to do anything.
"What’s wrong, Sensei?"Naruto questioned; Kakashi seemed anxious.
"Huh? Well… body erasing teams usually dispose of the body of the person they killed right there…"He began. I tried not to act shocked; it hadn’t taken long for him to to figure it out. He was pretty impressive.
"So what?" Sakura muttered.
"Don’t you see?" Kakashi slowly sat up to look at us. "How did that masked boy dispose of Zabuza’s body?"
"Ha? How could we know? That masked guy took the body with him." Sakura just shrugged her shoulders.
"Yeah… if he needed proof of his work, he could’ve just taken the head… and that weapon he used to kill Zabuza…" Our sensei breathed.
"Told you." I softly smirked at Sakura.
"No way…" I saw that Sasuke had finally caught on.
"What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna questioned.
"Most likely… Zabuza is alive."Kakashi breathed; his words alarmed them.
"What the hell do you mean?!"Naruto screeched.
"Kakashi-sensei! You checked and said he was dead?"Sakura added.
I assumed that this was something that they didn’t want to believe. "Yeah, I did… but that was most likely… just a momentary death. The weapon the hunter-nin used, unless it hits an organ, has a low probability of killing an opponent. It’s an item even used by doctors in acupuncture therapy. Hunter-nins thoroughly know about the body’s structure, putting a person in a momentary dead state is probably easy for them."Kakashi lifted his head. "First, he carried away the body of the much heavier Zabuza. Second, he used a weapon that had a low probability of killing. These two points indicate that his motive was… not to kill Zabuza, but save him.We can’t ignore that possibility."
"Aren’t you thinking too much? Hunter-nins are supposed to kill missing-nins."Tazuna sounded grouchy. I could see that the old man thought that this was a bit far fetched as well.
"No… with all the suspicion, we will prepare before it’s too late. A shinobi must see beneath the underneath… that’s a shinobi rule."Kakashi was almost certain at this point. "Plus, whether Zabuza is dead or alive… there’s no assurances that Gatou hasn’t hired an even stronger shinobi."Naruto began to shake… actually excited by the fact that there was the possibility of Zabuza being alive.
"Sensei, what do you mean prepare before it’s too late? You can barely move?"Sakura seemed to have to question every action.
"Hehe… you guys will receive training."He replied simply.
"Huh? Training?"Sakura’s voice went from soft to loud. "Sensei! What’s a little training going to do? Our enemy is a ninja you struggled against even with the Sharingan!"
"Sakura… who saved me while I was struggling? You guys are growing rapidly... especially Naruto! You’ve improved the most."He smiled. "But obviously, this is just training until I get better, you won’t be able to defeat him without me."I knew there was some truth to that. Even with my power, I doubted that I could beat someone like Zabuza on my own.
"But Sensei, if Zabuza is alive… he could attack at anytime… should we really be training?"Sakura spoke quiety; I could hear the fear in her voice.
"About that… If a person is put in a momentary death situation, it should take awhile before their body returns to normal." I informed them.
"So we train until then! Sounds like a lot of fun!" Naruto cheered.
"That’s not fun…" We all turned to see a little boy.
"Who the hell are you?!" Naruto screamed impolitely.
"Oh! Inari! Where were you?" Tazuna held his arms out to the boy and gave him a hug. "You’re a good boy Inari."
"Inari, say hello to these people; they are the ninjas who protected Grandpa." Tsunami requested. Inari didn’t do what he was told, instead he just pointed to us.
"Mom… they are just going to die." His words caught us off guard.
"What did you say you little brat!!!" Naruto jumped after hearing this.
"There’s no way you can win against Gatou…" Inari whispered.
"You brat!!! I’ll—" Naruto was overreacting and I couldn't help but wonder how every little thing could set him off.
"What are you doing getting pissed at a child? Idiot!" Sakura screamed as she attempted to restrain him.
"Hey Inari! Listen! I am a super hero who will one day become an incredible ninja called Hokage! I don’t know who this Gatou guy is but he’s nothing against me!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Pfft… What are you stupid? There’s no such thing as a hero?" Coming from a child, those words seemed pretty harsh.
"What?!" Naruto was outraged.
"Stop it!" Sakura yelled.
"If you don’t want to die, you should leave…" Inari headed for the door, a smart move on his part. I wish I had the same option.
"Where are you going Inari?" Tazuna sighed.
"To look at the ocean from my room." He replied as he took his leave. I shook my head at Naruto as he stomped out of the room to follow him.
When Naruto got back, we all headed for the forest for our training. "Okay, we will now start the training." Kakashi was now in crutches; I guess the Sharingan took more out of him than would’ve been expected.
"Hell yeah!!"Naruto cheered.
"Okay… before that, I want to talk to you about the shinobi ability: chakra."Our sensei began.
Naruto looked deathly confused. "Um… um… what’s chakra? I know I’ve heard it somewhere."
"You’re a ninja and you don’t know that?! What did you learn in school?!"Sakura yelled. This boy’s lack of the basics surprised even me.
"Hehe… I used to sleep during the hard classes."The blond scratched the back of his head.
"Fine… Sakura."Kakashi allowed her to take the floor.
"Listen Naruto! I’m going to explain it simply. Somehow try to remember it with that slow brain of yours!" She spoke as she pulled out a scroll. "Simply put, chakra is the energy a shinboi needs when performing a jutsu. That energy has two parts: the body energy that is in each of your cells and the spiritual energy gained through training and other experiences; these two parts are then combined. So by bringing out and releasing chakra, you can use a jutsu. This is done through the process of performing a seal with the hands." She finished.
"Exactly! Hm… Iruka-sensei had some good students." Kakashi complimented.
"Hey?! Hey?! I didn’t understand that complicated explanation but isn’t it something you do with you body?" Naruto’s total lack of understanding seriously pissed Sakura off.
"Naruto is right. We can already use jutsu." Sasuke just wanted to get on with it.
"Nope! You guys aren’t using chakra properly." Kakashi disagreed.
"What?!"Naruto argued.
"Well, listen… as Sakura said earlier, to release chakra means to bring out physical and spiritual energy and mix them together within your body. And based on what jutsu you use, the type and amount of chakra that is released will be different. You guys are not using chakra effectively yet. Even if you are able to release a high amount of chakra, unless you control it properly, the jutsu will be weaked or not work at all and by wasting energy, you won’t be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear."
"So… what should we do?"The blond laughed nervously.
"Learn how to control it through very tough training."Kakashi answered.
"What are we going to do?"Sakura noised.
"Tree climbing." He replied.
"Tree climbing?!"Naruto and Sakura screamed.
"Yeah…"Our sensei answered softly.
"What kind of training is that?"Sakura pouted.
"Well, listen until the end."Kakashi walked toward a tree. "This isn’t normal tree climbing. You’ll climb without using your hands."
"Sounds fun!"Naruto cheered.
"How?"Sakura looked at our sensei in disbelief.
"Well… watch."He performed the necessary handsign and began climbing up the tree vertically. I now understood what he meant but this was no challenge. I had done this countless times before.
"Gather your chakra in the bottom of your feet and climb up a tree. This is something you can do once you can use chakra well."
"Wait a minute! How is learning to climb a tree going to make us any stronger?!"
"There’s the main part… listen closely. The purpose of this training is first to teach you how to control chakra... to bring out the proper amount to the proper area. As I said earlier, this is the most important aspect when using jutsu. This can be difficult for even a skilled ninja. The amount of chakra needed to climb a tree is small but must be exact and it is said that the bottom of the foot is the most difficult area to gather chakra. So theoretically… if you can learn to control this, you should be able to master ninja jutsu."This got the blond’s blood pumping. "The second thing is for you to develop the stamina needed to control chakra properly. Depending on the jutsu, control your chakra properly can be very difficult. And ninja will usually be gathering his chakra during the battle while constantly moving. Those types of situations make controlling chakra even more difficult. That’s why from this tree climbing, you must gain the stamina needed for this proper control. Well, me talking isn’t going to accomplish anything… this is something you’ll have to learn with your bodies."He threw down some kunai for us to use. "Use those kunais to mark how high you make it up the tree. Then use that mark as your goal and try to surpass it. You guys won’t by good enough to just walk up the tree at first so get some momentum and try running up the tree. Got it?"
"This training is nothing to me! I could do it before breakfast cuz I’m the most improved!"Naruto grinned.
"Why don’t you stop bragging? Pick a tree and hurry up to try and climb it." Kakashi sighed as I watched my teammates focus gather their chakra. I was completely uninterested in this lesson.
"Here I go!" They all charged at the tree but instead of doing that, I just sat back to watch. Naruto instantly fell on his face, Sasuke cracked the bark and Sakura… surprisingly did well. I suppose she had good chakra control.
She stuck her tongue out. "This is pretty easy." She looked to Sasuke, hoping that her crush would notice her abilities. Her smile soon faded when Sasuke looked away. I couldn’t help but feel bad for her but she should’ve known that Sasuke wasn’t the type to allow others to beat him. I suppose we were alike in that manner.
"Looks like the best at controlling chakra right now is… Sakura."Kakashi challenged. I rolled my eyes; I didn’t need to prove anything.
"Wow!! You’re great Sakura!! That’s the girl I put my confidence in!!"Naruto complimented. "Though… I am a bit pissed off…"
"Wow, not only does she know a lot about chakra but her control and stamina are quite good. As of now… Sakura is the closest to Hokage, unlike a certain someone."Kakashi statement made Naruto twitch. "I guess the Uchiha clan isn’t worth much either."I told myself that I didn’t have to prove anything but this got me and Sasuke.
"Why must you insult the Uchiha clan?!" I screamed as I sat up. Kakashi raised a brow at my statement as I clenched my fist and focused my chakra. I ran up the tree and reached a branch above Sakura's. "Well?" I crossed my arms and looked to my sensei.
"Well, it looks like the females have the most chakra control." He announced, hoping to motivate the boys. He then looked to me. "Amazing Aura, even in those shoes you’re able to treat your chakra in such an advanced way." He seemed to compliment me. I looked down at my shoes and noticed the vast difference in thickness compared to everyone elses'.
I turned to Sakura to give her a bit of advice. "I suggest that you learn to walk on water next. It poses more of a challenge."
"You can walk on water?" She looked at me in disbelief.
"Didn’t you see me do to earlier?" I wondered as she gasped. I just shrugged my shoulders then jumped out of the tree when I took notice someone. I walked a few feet into the thicker trees and appeared behind Inari.
"You know it isn't polite to stare." I whispered causing him to immediately jump.
"Wah! How!" He looked stunned.
I just smiled and kneeled before him. "Here." I slipped a lollipop into his hand and patted his head. "I thought about what you said, Inari-kun."He looked at me with those pure, childish eyes. "There are such things as heroes Inari-kun but the question is: Can you believe in them?" I took my leave and went back to my team. When I returned, I saw that the boys were still going at it. Sakura seemed exhausted from her own training as well. I just shook my head a bit and laid myself against a tree. I found this a perfect time to gather information on the Kyuubi. I was about to pull out my notebook when I noticed that Kakashi had made his way beside me.
"Don't think I've forgotten what Zabuza said. What are you really capable of Moonlight Assassin?" He asked; I had honestly hoped that he would’ve forgotten. I had tried so hard to stay quiet and avoid any attention.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kakashi-sensei." I spoked evenly.
"What are you up too?" His eyes narrowed into a glare.
I replied calmly. "Like I said before, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Fine— but like I said I'll protect my comrades with my life." His words didn’t faze me one bit. It just gave me the upper hand.
"Well, I'm one of your comrades now. So does that not mean you'd protect me too, Sensei?" I twisted his words.
"Sakura!" He called.
She stood up and made her way over. "Yeah? What is it, Sensei?"
"You and Aura will supervise the bridge construction... as well as each other..." Kakashi lowered the tone of his voice. "Dismissed." I bowed as Sakura started toward the bridge. I looked back at Naruto and Sasuke then approached them.
"Good luck, you two." I spoke with an encouraging smile.
Naruto reached his hand forward and patted my hair. "You too." He smiled. Unwilling, I blushed and giggled from his touch. Ever since I began this mission, I attempted to befriend the blond. For some reason, I began to start thinking of Naruto not as a mission or a Jinchūriki but as a comrade. Because of all the times I had attempted to save him during the D-ranked missions, I couldn’t help but feel the two of us become somewhat closer. Before I took my leave, I gave him a few tips.
"Thanks, Aura-chan." He gave me that fox-like grin of his.
"No problem." I said as I turned toward Sasuke. "Good luck." I whispered with a small wave as I went and followed Sakura.
I silently sat by myself, a good distance away from Sakura. Out of the entire team, she was the only one I couldn’t seem to get along with. I wasn’t trying to provoke her but she really didn’t have to glare at me everytime I spoke with Sasuke. I couldn’t help it… we were living together so of course we had learned to be more comfortable with each other. I couldn’t help but feel bored; the construction process wasn’t exactly the most interesting thing to observe. I pulled out a bottle of nail polish and began to shake it. Sakura turned and watched as I applied a new layer of teal onto my fingertips and toes. Painting my nails didn’t occupy enough of my time but I supposed that the drying process would. I turned to Sakura who was still staring at my nails. "Do you want me to paint your nails too?"I offered. I didn’t want for there to be any tension between us; it would just hurt our team.
"Well—" She looked at me hesitantly.
"I think the color would really match with your eyes if I apply a thin enough layer." I smiled softly.
"Do you really think so?" She blushed a bit and I couldn’t help but nod. I gently grasped her hand and began to paint her fingernails. The thinner layer which allowed for a lighter shade. "Um— Aura… there was something that I wanted to ask."
I tilted my head slightly. "What did you want to know?"
"Well, your relationship with Sasuke-kun… what is it?" She muttered.
"I don’t exactly know myself. I didn’t know that there’d be another Uchiha in Konoha so I suppose that we’re distant relatives of some sort." I replied.
Sakura began to pout. "Um… is that all? You said that you liked him…"
"I do like him." I smiled softly.
"Then, I guess that makes us rivals." She pulled her hand away.
"Why—?" I wondered as I reached for her hand.
"—Because I like Sasuke-kun!" She screamed.
"Oh—" I couldn’t help but chuckle when her face turned grave. "A girl should never allow herself to make such an unpleasant face." Beauty was something to be maintain at all times. "Don’t worry. Sasuke’s nice but I’m more interested in Naruto." I meant it in a completely different way but it seemed to reassure her. "Now, allow me finish." I grasped her hand and finished quickly, giving it a good amount of time to dry.
"You two seem pretty bored all by yourselves." Tazuna commented after noticing Sakura yawn. "What happened to the blond idiot and the other one?"
"They’re training." I informed our client.
"You don’t have to?" He seemed pretty surprised.
"Since I’m so superior, Kakashi-sensei asked me to protect you." Sakura seemed a bit full of herself but I supposed she had the right to gloat. If I hadn’t learned how to do this before, I would be struggling like the others. My chakra was very timid which was probably why I went undetected for as long as I did.
"Really?" He spoke as he placed the piece of wood down.
"Hey Tazuna!!" Another man made his way toward us.
"Hn?" Tazuna noised as he stood. "What is it Giichi?"
"I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently and… Can I stop working on the bridge?" The man looked seriously scared.
"Why is that?! This is so sudden!! Not you too!!" I supposed that Tazuna must’ve had a lot of faith in this man.
"Tazuna, we’ve been close for a long time now… I want to help you but if we continue this, Gatou will notice us and fi you get killed then what’s the point? Why don’t we quit now… building the bridge?" Giichi tried to reason.
"I can’t do that."The air around Tazuna felt tense. "This bridge is our bridge. This is the bridge we started building together, believe it would bring resources into our super poor country."
"But what if we lose our lives!"Giichi’s words didn’t discourage the old man one bit.
"It’s already noon, let’s stop for today. Giichi, you don’t have to come tomorrow."The master bridge builder turned to us. "Come on."He motioned for us to follow him.
Walking through this village made me realize how difficult the world could be on normal villagers. The villagers looked weak and pitable, trying to do anything to survive. There were screams for help and yet no one would come.
"We’re here."Tazuna announced. "I’m supposed to buy ingredients for tonight’s dinner."
"Welcome."The owner spoke dejectedly. Sakura and I looked around; there was barely even anything to buy.
I noticed a man reach for Sakura’s bag and readied myself to pull out a weapon. Before I could make my move she suddenly swung around and kicked him, calling him a pervert.
I just shrugged, reminding myself that I had to do something for the children I had passed on the streets earlier. After Tazuna bought what he needed, I grabbed whatever I could and paid the vendor.
"Give me a minute, I’ll be right back."Sakura eyed the bag as I ran into the middle of the street. "Here."I said as I held the bag out for the children. "I’m sorry it isn’t much but please do try to share."I apologized. They looked at me and their eyes somewhat sparkled.
"Thank you, Onee-san."They sent me a smile and I couldn’t help but force myself to smile back as more children gathered around to take what they could. I reached into my purse and looked at my wallet; I hadn’t brought much, but I knew that this money would be put to much better use with them. I pulled out a few bills and slipped one into each of their hands. "I hope it helps."I whispered as I took my leave. I ran to catch up with Sakura and noticed a small girl tugging on her dress. The child held out her hands to Sakura, hoping for something, anything. I looked into Sakura’s green eyes and saw the pity and sorrow she must’ve felt as I arrived. Sakura reached into her bag and gave the girl some candy. The girl smiled thankfully and turned away. I opened up my purse once more and kneeled to slip some money into her pocket. Everyone looked at with surprise as the child turned around.
"You're giving me some of your money?" Her eyes widened at my gesture.
"Here."I whispered softly as I handed her more.
"Wah! I couldn't—" She tried to decline but I wouldn’t let her.
"Take it." I spoke while patting her head. "You need it more than I do."I nudged her forward. Her eyes welled up with tears but she held them back. With a nod, she ran away.
"Are you insane?" Tazuna exclaimed.
I placed my finger to my chin and looked up. "I don't believe so?" I replied.
Sakura grabbed my shoulder. "Aura! Do you have any idea how much money you just gave away?"
"It doesn’t matter… it was only pocket change."I defended. "I’ll be fine without it!"
"Yes! You are insane! I bet that's more then what my parents make from their jobs!" Sakura screamed.
My closed my eyes. "It isn’t fair! These people don’t deserve to be suffering like this! No one should be suffering like this!" I’ve been treated as a princess all my life and to see the lives of those less fortunate than me broke my heart. "I just wish I could do more to help…"
After awhile, we went back to Tazuna's home. I decided to help Tsunami out with dinner; after all, this family was being so kind to us. After she placed the food on the table, we took our seats and began to eat.
"Wow! This is super fun! It’s been a long time since we ate with so many people." Tazuna smiled. The fact that this old man wouldn’t let his spirits fall was very inspiring. I began to eat then noticed that Naruto and Sasuke were still competing. They ate their meal quickly, devouring the soup in seconds; I assumed that they wanted to replenish their chakra but they really didn’t need to rush.
My eyes widened as they jumped up and held out their bowls. "Seconds please!" They spoke simultaneously then glared. The tension between the two began to emit sparks.
I held in a sigh, their behavior was completely uncivilized. I had never seen Sasuke act this way. "Eat more slowly or else you’ll—"My words were interrupted when they did as I had feared. Sakura looked at them disgusted while I shook my head.
Sakura slammed her hands onto the table and began to scold them. "If you’re going to throw up then stop eating!"
"No, I must eat." Sasuke wiped his mouth as I patted his back.
"Yeah, I have to eat even if I have to force myself… I have to become strong quickly." Naruto agreed with tears in his eyes.
"Yup, Yup, but that's no reason to throw up!" Kakashi sighed. I looked to Inari and noticed that he had his eyes been fixated on a photograph on the wall. I wondered what the significance was of the torn picture but decided that it wasn’t my place to ask.
"Naruto-kun, you still have some food on your face." I grasped a napkin and began to wipe his worn out face.
He happily grinned at me. "Hehe. Thanks, Aura-chan."
I froze a bit at his sincerity. He shouldn’t have been thanking me… if he knew what was good for him then he would’ve run away and hid himself. I forced a smile. "You’re welcome, Naruto-kun."
After dinner and while Tsunami washed the dishes, I made some tea. Gently, I poured the warm liquid into the cups and set it before each person.
"Wow, Sakura-chan! You painted your nails! They look pretty! They match with your eyes!" Naruto complimented.
Sakura's face seemed to turn in diappointment. "Thanks..." She stood up and walked over to the frame to get a better look at the picture. "Hey, why do you have a torn picture on the wall? Inari-kun was staring at this during dinner. It seems like someone purposely removed the person that was in the picture." Sakura commented as she turned to look at the boy. I noticed the atmosphere tense around the family.
"It’s my husband…"Tsunami began.
"He was the man known as the hero of this town."Tazuna spoke. Inari dropped his tea and jumped out of his seat to take his leave.
His mothered called as he closed the door. "Inari! Where are you going?"She went after him but not before glaring at her father. "I told you not to talk about him in front of Inari."
"What’s wrong with Inari-kun?"
"There seems to be a reason behind this."Kakashi stated as he turned to Tazuna.
Tazuna released a deep sigh and explained to us the truth… the reason behind his grandson’s actions… and the reason for the lost hope of this town.
Inari had a father that he wasn’t related to but that man was known as the hero of this country and he died by Gatou’s command.
"On that day, Inari and Tsunami changed along with the rest of the village."
Naruto quickly took a stand but then collapsed. "Ow!!"He whined. I went to help him up.
"What are you doing Naruto?"Sakura questioned.
"If you’re thinking of training, take a day off. You’ve released too much chakra; anymore and you could die."Kakashi warned.
"I’m going to prove it— I’m going to prove that in this world… heroes do exist!"He pulled out of my arms to continue his training. I could tell that he was determined so I decided to just check up on him in the morning.
I took my leave, needing some time to myself. I sat in the room and began to think about my mission. I knew that I was supposed to be keeping tabs on Naruto but this didn’t feel right. I came to Konoha not knowing anything but his name; never had I imagined Naruto to be someone so filled with determination and kindess. This mission was going to be tougher than I’d thought.
"Aura… Aura…" I was pulled out of my thoughts when I noticed Sakura waving her hand in front of my face. I looked at her with a questioning glance. "Are going to sleep? I’m ready to turn off the light."
"Oh right! I’m sorry."I apologized as I quickly undid the intricate obi around my waist. Thinking about this too much would just mess me up. After folding the sash and arranging my weapons, I crawled onto my futon and closed my eyes, allowing darkness to replace my vision.
Not too long after, I woke up only to realize that there was a full moon out. I sat up and smiled at the starry sky. Quietly, I slipped away through the window and onto the veranda. Nights like this reminded me of my curse… the curse of being both a princess and a servant.
"Couldn't sleep?" A voice whispered.
My head turned toward the source of the sound to see Sasuke. I shook my head and smirked a little. "The moon... I just love its light." I breathed in the salty ocean air, enjoying the feeling the cool wind gave me as it hit my bare flesh. "Same happen with you Sasuke?" I wondered politely as I held my arms out toward the full moon.
"Then I suppose I heard right." Sasuke’s words puzzled me. "I heard what they said, Kakashi and Zabuza." My eyes widened at this; he had completely caught me off guard! I turned to him with a calmer expression.
"Oh really? What might you have heard?" I murmured, my voice challenging.
He took a step closer before speaking. "You're the Moonlight Assassin... the infamous deadly kunoichi who gracefully disposes of her victims under the light of the moon." He spoke. Under the moon's ray of light, I could see his face perfectly. I couldn’t help but admire his very Uchiha-like features as the orbs that held such blackness. In his eyes, I could see that he meant no harm and yet there burned a fire of… jealousy?
"Such a sweet compliment but I have no idea what you're talking about." I spoke as evenly as I could before turning away.
"You're lying..." He accused.
I couldn't help but gaze back at him coldly. "Why are you asking such things of me, Sasuke?" I hoped to look innocent but he just wouldn’t stop.
"I want to know… How did you get such power?" Sasuke’s words were laced with envy and anger. I attempted to watch him from the corner of my eye as I rested my chin against my hands to look down at the ocean ahead.
"Sasuke… there are questions that I suggest you don't ask."I warned.
I felt him grasp my wrist. "Aura..."I couldn’t believe Sasuke! My eyes narrowed at him as I rested my hand over his shoulder and pulled myself closer.
"Why… aren’t you afraid?" I whispered into his ear. "If I truly were the Moonlight Assassin, I could kill you right where you stand." He seemed unfazed by my threat.
"You wouldn’t…" His words shocked me. "You’re without a weapon."
I smirked at his words, knowing that it was true. "When you stain yourself with the blood of others... there isn’t going to be any turning back... no matter how much you want to."
"That's a risk—" He started to speak but I placed my fingers to his lips to silence him.
"No… it isn't. It shouldn’t be. You don’t know what it’s like to take a life!" I knew that he was still pure. "I haven't forgotten your dream... To restore the clan and kill a certain someone— I've thought what you've said and if you need to revive the clan, I presume that certain someone is the person who murdered it. Go and find a new dream! Restore the clan but don't seek revenge or you'll be the one crying in the end... drowning in sorrow." I felt warm tears escape my eyes, realizing the trueness of my own words. "All the lives that I stole will never ease my own soul..." I murmured as I violently began to shake. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Sasuke grabbed my shoulders. "Aura..." I heard him whisper my name before the darkness engulfed me.
サスケ
I couldn't sleep, I was thinking too much about my brother and of this mission. I walked outside to get some fresh air then took notice of the full moon. For some reason it sort of reminded me of Aura. I had seen her rich expressions sway and change in a way that was similar to the phases of the moon. Her sweet smile could just warm my heart. I had to wonder why she seemed so perfect around me. My eyes then widen when I realized, everyone had to possess a flaw and hers was... the Moonlight Assassin. As if on cue, she appeared, stepping out of the window. I saw her stare at the full moon; its light made her pale face glow and her silky black hair shine. "Couldn't sleep?" I whispered into the cool wind.
Aura turned to me then shook her head. "The moon… I just love its light." Her very being seemed to bathe in the celestial rays. "Same happen with you Sasuke?" She questioned.
I looked into those mesmerizing dark fuschia eyes and something inside me started to burn. "Then I suppose I heard right." Her expression turned into one of confusion. "I heard what they said… Kakashi and Zabuza." I assumed that she couldn't see me from the shadows that concealed my presence though, I was was sure that she could hear me quite clearly.
"Oh, and what might you have heard?" I could tell that I'd struck a nerve. I just couldn't understand her. She was incredible... the same age as me and has already murdered countless amounts of shinobi. I couldn’t help but wonder how she did it, for right now she's restraining herself... trying not to reveal her true strength.
"You're the Moonlight Assassin... the infamous deadly kunoichi who gracefully disposes of her victims under the light of the moon." I walked closer to her; in the light I thought her irises tinted a more crimson shade.
"Such a sweet compliment but I have no idea what you're talking about." She spoke; I began to feel entranced by her eyes.
"You're lying..." I breathed.
My words shifted her gaze. "Why are you asking such things of me, Sasuke?"
I snapped out of my trance and locked my sights on her figure. "I want to know… How did you get such power?" I couldn't resist— I just had to know how to get stronger.
"Sasuke… there are questions that I suggest you don't ask."
I wrapped my fingers around her thin wrist. "Aura…"
She placed her hand onto my shoulder and leaned in. "Why… aren’t you afraid?" She questioned. "If I truly were the Moonlight Assassin, I could kill you right where you stand." Her soft whispers made my blood run cold.
"You wouldn’t…" I had to sound like I had the upper hand. "You’re without a weapon."
"When you stain yourself with blood... there isn’t going to be any turning back... no matter how much you want to." I could hear the severity of her words.
"That's a risk—" Before I could finish speaking, she placed her fingers to my lips to silence me.
"No… it isn't. It shouldn’t be. You don’t know what it’s like to take a life!" This sweet, level-headed girl who was with me all this time— really killed people! Aura really was the Moonlight Assassin... "I haven't forgotten your dream… To restore the clan and kill a certain someone— I've thought what you've said and if you need to revive the clan, I presume that certain someone is the person who massacred it." Itachi’s face came to mind. "Go and find a new dream! Restore the clan but don't seek revenge… or you'll be the one crying in the end... drowning in sorrow." I refused to heed her words of warning. Itachi deserved to die! I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard her start to cry. Had I pushed her too far?
"Aura…?" I whispered her name somewhat afraid to touch her. All this time, there had been a murderer living with me. Still, even if it was a lie she tried to protect me… she was kind and— innocent…? I grabbed her shoulder then looked into her watery, scarlet eyes. "Aura..." Her tears made me feel awful; no matter who she was— she was my teammate… she was human. When she had finally calmed down, I realized that she had fallen asleep in my arms. I picked her up and breathed in that sweet foral scent. "I'm sorry." I whispered as I brought her back inside.
