Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Way Of The Shinobi: Destruction ❯ Chapter I: Frozen Heart ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Way Of The Shinobi: Destruction

By Crimson Drop

Rated M for the angst and harsh content and possible lemon content, not for the younger audiences

Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto World at all

Chapter I
Frozen Heart

Present Day: 12th Moon, Mitsukake House

“Master.” Her voice was soft and commanding, yet smooth like silk, her words running across the dark room like liquid. No emotion could be heard in her voice, no feeling that could be associated with what she had done for him, it was as if the woman was a blank slate. But that was how he raised her these past ten years, taught her everything he knew, destroyed everything she had been. This was the way of the shinobi, to be emotionless, to kill without remorse, to do whatever assignment they were given without question of whether it was right or wrong. She was his tool to use and by kami he would use her to her full potential even if he had to resort to final methods. Not that he has had to use it in years, she was now his fully willing slave in every given way but one.

Watching her silently from his seat on the couch he gave himself time to fully appreciate everything about the woman standing before him. While she wore the cloak, nothing about her was truly noticeable but with the cloak off, just like it was now, it would take a hard man to resist the temptation she presented. Her exotic long pale pink hair hung in a braid over her shoulder, her forehead covered by bangs, but it was her jade eyes that made the look all the more alluring. A wild beauty in every way possible, but it wasn’t just her heart shaped face, or those glowing orbs, even her outfit screamed out exotic. It was the same type outfit she always wore, with a blood red corset for the main body, black ribbon running up the front for effect. She wore black cargo pants, pockets hanging on the side for weapons of sorts, and knee high, three inch heeled boots underneath them. All in all she was a vision.

Shaking himself out his lustful thoughts, he glanced about the naked room before letting his eyes land on her again, their gazes connecting. It he hadn’t been her master, he would have thought she was being disobedient, but he knew otherwise. Those dark orbs were calm for a change, instead of roaring to life with fire and brimstone, they were dull and soothing. Obedient, that’s the word he would use for such a gaze, she was being obedient and taking it to a whole new level with him. All he did was snort, amused with his toy as he picked up the crimson jewel he wore on a chain around his neck. A bloodstone. Suspicious people would give him a wide berth when they spotted it upon him, thinking that he was wishing for death for wearing such a stone. More then likely he was, but at this point that wasn’t what his mind was on.

“We have a visitor coming,” he murmured catching his pupils interest.

“Hn.”

Letting a smirk cross his lips he released the stone about his neck and leaned forward, his elbows upon his knees, his hands clasped before him, his chin sitting upon them. A glint formed in his dark navy eyes as he watched her for her reactions. Already he knew how she felt about specific people, or more specifically, names in particular. Just after he had first taken her under his wing, the name struck a cord within her and rage always seemed the more dominant emotion when associated with that one name. Frightening possibilities formed in his mind as he thought about what his little assassin could do to his guest. What would be even more intriguing would be to see how his guest reacted to her, what he would say when he saw his little beauty. She maybe gorgeous and stood only five foot four, but she was a hellion with a fast right hook that would unbalance any man.

“Why don’t you go refresh yourself,” he murmured darkly, the smirk still firmly placed upon his silken lips, “get yourself ready for our guest, he might be generous enough to give you a task, and more then likely,” licking his lips he chuckled, “a bonus.”

“I’m no common whore, I need no generosity.” she glowered at him as she turned to escape up into her private rooms. His voice stopped her from going very far though, the warning in his voice making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

“But my Hyourin, for him, you will be dancing.”

Raising a brow she turned to him, “Is that an order master?”

“Iie, just merely,” the sneer upon his lips brought her up short, “that he’ll make you dance for him, and dance you will.”

Growling low in her throat she whirled away, her long braid falling upon her back as she walked up the stairs in an angry silence. He had been mocking her, threatening and promising all in one, like the dog that he is, the same dog she wished she could destroy. But wishes don’t come true, and dreams fade away into nothingness, just like hers all had. He had taken everything from her the moment he had bartered and paid for her life, like she was nothing but a slave, a dog not fit for anything but a leash. Though she had to give him credit, compared to others who had been in her position, she had gotten the better end of the sword.

Pausing at the top of the stairs, she looked down the grim black hall, the same hall that felt like it was trying to suffocate her every time she walked down it. Somehow it always reminded her of the darkness that awaited her, the same darkness that had changed Uchiha Sasuke and had taken him from his friends. The difference between them though, was that she hadn’t sought to become strong, strength had sought her out, and now there she was, hanging onto life by an invisible rope. A silver rope so thick it choked her, the same rope that bound her to her master and she could never leave except by death and even he wasn’t that merciful. But she wasn’t being ungrateful, he had given her a roof over her head, fed her when he could have starved her, and left her to die in that black room. A nightmare room that brought out all of one’s fears, played upon them until one was far too gone to even function.

Even though it had been his orders that had placed her into that room, it had been him who had visited her everyday, fed her, showed her that she could survive if she gave her life to him. That day, the same day he released her, she died, everything inside her body, her mind, her spirit, her heart, they all died except for her loyalty to him. Nothing was left of Haruno Sakura, the medic nin from Konoha, instead she was Hyourin, the Shadow Stalker, an assassin sent to take away anyone’s life. People feared her, many worshiped her, sought her out like she was an angel sent by god, the god who was her master.

Walking down the black hallway, she passed pictures of a young woman with long raven hair and navy eyes so bright they could warm up a room. But this woman was no more, she had been the master’s wife, a fragile being who wore only black kimonos and veils. Hidden from the world, kept safe from the eyes of man, but war had changed all that, Sakura knew that it had. Death had been that woman’s gift, and as she passed the next picture, one of a full blood moon, she couldn’t help the shudder that ran down her spine. In that picture, the one she had passed to get to her room, had a blood moon hanging in the sky, shining down upon a bloodied field, but there was nothing there save a dead cherry tree. That one picture always frightened her more then anything life could deal, and it was because the death hadn’t been that of a human, but of a cherry blossom tree.

Stopping outside a door she closed her eyes and breathed out, before turning to a black door, and twisting the silver nod before entering an elaborate room. At first glance it was a fancy room draped in rich silks of the colors black and red, but upon looking again, it really was a plain room. A four poster bed sat in the middle of the room, fine silk red drapes falling in curtains to surround the bed, their thin layer showing the behind hidden behind them. The walls were a rich velvet black, and the only other piece of furniture in the room was a wardrobe filled with the little amount of clothing that she owned. A round mirror hung on the wall opposite the wardrobe, but the room was otherwise empty of anything else. It was almost as if no one lived in that room, but she knew otherwise, for it was her own room. Spacious and empty of all but her queen sized by and what little else she had.

Heaving a sigh she walked towards the wardrobe and pulled the doors open, her hands shifting through the hangers before taking a thick obsidian black cloak out of it. Closing the door she turned around and walked towards the mirror sitting on the right of the door she had entered from. Placing the cloak on her shoulders, she pulled up the hood, hiding all her features save the lower half of her pale face, jade eyes barely hidden under the hood as they glittered dangerously in the darkness. Suddenly the banging of the front door alerted her to the arrival of the guest and she quietly walked towards the door, opened it, and exited, closing it quietly behind her. Walking to the top of the stairs, she froze, her heart in her throat as she listened to the familiar voices downstairs. Something didn’t feel right about the situation, it didn’t feel right at all.

...

“Ah, Mitsukake Ryouma, my dear friend.”

Ryouma bowed politely to his guest, feeling obsidian eyes upon his form as he did so, causing a shiver to run down his spine. They weren’t good friends, actually they were the farthest from, but he would fallow the man before him to the ends of the earth if he had to. Much respect and lust for power ran too deep in his body to ever get out of the debt he owed the man that was sitting upon his dark violet couch.

His large battle warn hands grasped the bloodstone hanging from his neck as his eyes scanned his Emperor’s form. Fine cloth covered the man, the richest black he could have ever seen, and the red clouds upon the silk cloak he wore only made Ryouma’s blood run cold. They weren’t friends, would never be friends, the man before him carried too much power for such a thing to be possible. The man before him was too bent on creating the perfect world, his perfect world. There was nothing left that was human within that black gaze, there was nothing left that hinted at a soul or a heart, and that was what frightened him most of all. Even he could be draped in the best cloth like he was now in his dark violet robes, but he could never carry the essence of a killer the same way the man before him could.

“Uchiha Itachi, it’s so nice of you to visit.”

All he did was smirk and lean forward, his elbows upon his knees, his hands laced together, “Trying to butter me up, Ryouma? I’m touched really, but I’m not here for pleasantries. Where is the assassin known as Shadow Stalker, I wish to meet him and to assess whether or not he would be useful.”

Raising a brow Ryouma chuckled darkly, “Oh, a he is it? I’m sure that my dear assassin would be very displeased to hear what you think of her.”

From the top of the stairs she scowled, her eyes narrowing on the forms just barely hidden from her view. So taking her master’s words to heart, she moved quietly down the stairs, not a single sound issuing from her as she took one step after the next. Down she went, down into the pit of hell, no longer an angel, but the spawn of Satan. The one man she hated more then life greeted her as she escaped to the bottom of the steps, her eyes locking onto his form as he sat on the couch. His eyes flared to life as he leaned back, one elbow resting on the arm of the couch, his head tilted into it as he watched her glide effortlessly forward, towards him.

“Ah, such a soft looking face,” he murmured before turning his eyes upon Ryouma, “you had never told me the assassin was a woman. If you had before hand, I may have dressed more appropriately to greet such a wonder.”

Clenching her fists beneath her cloak she flatted her expression, not wanting him to catch a single emotion, least he think he can rule her. It was clear what he thought himself, so arrogant in his ways, so cold and silky, his words as smooth as glass. Just like she remembered it to be, just like she remembered him to be, a pure ice hearted bastard that deserved his throat slit. The will to kill him, the instinct, the urge to destroy the threat before her loomed over her, her eyes darkening as she thought up all the ways she could murder him. All the lives he had killed, all the blood he had spilled, all the land he had taken were only a small list of things he had done. It all burned her insides, spurning them until her hate and anger nearly consumed her, but she stood tall through it all, her eyes unwavering as she watched him.

When the Uchiha had stood however, she had to hold herself back from flinching, his great presence nearly suffocating her. He walked slowly towards her, each step echoing about the room, crying out her death as he did so, but she knew he wouldn’t strike her down. Not yet, not when he still needed her to do his biding, to blindly follow his orders, to kill, to hide, to destroy the life that he would command her to. But she wasn’t who he thought her to be, and more then likely if he were to catch a glimpse under her hood, he would remember. Remember and attempt to control her, but she would never let him that close, ever.

Taking a step back she held up a hand, holding off his approach. He raised a curious brow as his smirk deepened, “Ho? Trying to keep me from seeing your beautiful face? Is there something about you, some feature you don’t want me to see?”

Her lips twitched at his attempt to flirt with her, to catch her off guard, but it didn’t work as well as he had hoped, “It’s not that, it’s merely,” her lips twitched again but she made no move to sneer or smirk at him, “that I don’t have one. I don’t exist my lord, you can be sure of that, and so for that reason, and that reason alone, I can not allow anyone to know my identity.”

Laughter, cold laughter escaped his lips and a shiver ran down her spin but she showed no outward appearance that he had affected her in anyway. Assassins were meant to never be known, their identities meant to be kept from the world, all great lords knew this, and so it came as a surprise when he took another step forward. This time her satin lips twisted into a frown before a scowl rose up and she froze in her steps, not wanting to be trapped against the wall only centimeters from her. Under these circumstances it was always better to keep space every which way incase of the need to escape, and escape she felt like doing. Despite the verbal and probably physical thrashing she would get later, she had no want, nor any need, to have that damn man come another step closer.

But all he did was stand there, watching her, waiting for a single movement, telling him which way she would move. Instead she stood there, her eyes flashing darkly, her blood boiling with the need to wipe that damn smirk off his face, and her heart clenching with anger. Shifting slowly, her movements barely noticeable except to the Uchiha’s sharingan eyes, she moved her hand up behind her cloak, a pair of swords strapped to her back. Unfortunately she didn’t get a chance to make any other moment as her master intervened, his cold calculating eyes watching her steadily as he stepped up to her side. Bringing her hand back down and fisting it in anger she wiped her face of emotion but her dark jade eyes sparkled with malice towards the Uchiha.

“Uchiha-sama,” Ryouma murmured, his eyes shifting between the two, “I must ask that you don’t inquire into her identity, for as she has stated, she has none. I don’t even know who she is, all I know is the woman I bought before gave no name and her identity was wiped clean with her training. She is the prefect assassin, the only way anyone can see her face, is if she was about to kill them.”

“Even then it’s rare,” she murmured darkly.

“Hn,” he murmured thoughtfully before turning away from her and walking towards the couch, and stopping just before it. All he did was look down, not bothering to take a seat, something was on his mind, something deadly and harmful towards her. When he looked up and turned around, she could see his red eyes and kept her focus upon her master, not wanting to meet that penetrating gaze. If she did, she would be forced to her knees, her mind unable to escape his technique or so she figured. But something ate away at her conscious, what if her inner soul was able to stop him, just like at the chunnin examines, those same exams that she had managed to overcome her best friend’s mind technique. If she could escape his sight, then maybe, just maybe, she could kill him before he got to her.

“I’ll give you a job, one that must be completed,” he uttered smoothly, orbs deepening a couple shades.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously she glowered at him, the hint of a growl in her smooth velvet voice, “And the consequences? Or payment?”

Snarling at her, he clenched his fist before charging towards her and pinning her to the wall, one of his hands going through it as he did so. She made no sound, her breath didn’t even snag in fright or loss, instead her eyes flashed in warning as she grabbed hold of one of his arms. Her tight grip didn’t even incur a flinch but his eyes flashed back to obsidian and he leered at her, pulling back a little after having caught sight of her eyes. Familiarity flickered in his dark orbs, but then it was gone just like that and he took hold of her wrist, expression suspicious of her every action.

“Your eyes, they are breath taking in their familiarity,” he murmured in deep thought, “we’ve met before.” It was a statement of obviousness, but she knew he couldn’t figure it out, figure her out, and it only made her sneer at him in contempt.

“I am dead to the world,” she hissed, “which means whoever you think I am, no longer exists.” Staring him down now, she ground out her next words in anger, “Now let me go.” Each word punctuated with her fury.

“Hn,” he mocked, his gaze filled with twisted amusement, “don’t like being held? Don’t like it when the man has the upper hand? Don’t worry, soon enough, once your debt is repaid to Mitsukake, you’ll be mine.”

Malicious jade watched as he back away from her, his cocky smirk still in place as he did so, tempting to incur her wrath upon him, to see what kind of woman she really is. The bait was easily laid out, but she didn’t bite, she refused to be underhanded by the mongrel and only smirked back, her vision twisting with disgust and ire. Uchiha Itachi knew how to push the right buttons it seemed, but there was something there that his gaze wasn’t telling her, it was like he already had everything figured out.

“Uchiha Itachi,” she murmured, “what is it you know?”

His eyes widened before he closed them, his lips pressed in a thin line before he opened then and stared hard at her, “I don’t answer to the likes of you.”

“Because I’m a slave,” the monotone voice told them nothing of how she thought about her predicament, “The barcode upon the right side of my neck proves it to be so,” chuckling sardonically, she glared upon the Uchiha, “because I carry this mark, I am forever a slave, ne Itachi.”

“That is enough, Hyourin.” Ryouma hissed, “You are stepping out of line, I forbid you to talk back to him, and if I hear another word escape from your mouth before I say to speak, I’ll punish you worse then you’ve ever been punished before.”

Closing her lips tight she averted her gaze, not daring to look either man in the eye as she waited for her instructions, knowing that she had stepped over a very steep line. Though, she knew, even when she was being punished later, she would never take back her snide comments, and the implications behind them. Nor would she take back her assessments and questions, he was hiding something from her, and by the greatest of kamis she would find out what. Even if it cost her, her life. Not that she really had much of a life to begin with. While she couldn’t complain of her treatment, she knew full heartedly that she was nothing more then a caged bird, waiting to be free of her prison. To escape her jailer, the same man before her who had kept her under lock and key for years, Mitsukake Ryouma.

Everything she had ever been taught, past and present, stood before her now, both the good, and the bad. He, Uchiha Itachi, is an S-class missing nin from Konoha, the brother of one she had once thought she had loved with everything she had. But, Tsunade, her teacher, her mother figure, had taught her what it meant to heal others, what it meant to have strength in herself without relying on others. Uzumaki Naruto, had taught her what real friendship was, had shown her that she wasn’t alone, that she didn’t always have to be the strong one. Those two had held her together even after Uchiha Sasuke’s betrayal, even after he broke her heart, but now, the embodiment of the man that had taken everything from her, stood only meters away, and there was little she could do but wait.

The barcode upon her neck, the one that told everyone she was a slave, was hidden underneath a black ribbon, hiding what she had become. Upon looking at the men in the room, she knew that to hide such a mark, was nearly impossible now. It was the tie that held her to the men, the reason she felt pain when she disobeyed or acted out of line. A slave in every term, there was no saving for the likes of her, there was only the darkness that these men had cast her into. There was no saving for the little song bird, her wings were broken, and she had no one left, but she would not give in.

“I need you to go on a little hunt and destroy mission,” Itachi said evenly, his voice lacking any of the feeling he had shown earlier, “I want you to assassinate someone for me. He goes by the code name, Senbon,” her eyes narrowed, something about that name pulling at her mind. He pulled out a scroll and tossed it to her, and she caught it with ease, her eyes kept upon his form, “All the information you need, is in there.” He turned and made to walk out of the room, but he paused in the door way, his head turning towards her, the sharingan blazing red, “I except you to be better behaved when I see you again.”

Watching him walk out the door, and out of the house, she felt like her whole being was on fire. He had told her she was a tool, thrown it in her face, demanded that she do what was asked of her, as if she had no choice, and the truth of it all, the real crux, is that she didn’t. It hurt, it burned her insides with the truth, destroyed what she had been working towards, and yet, just made everything stronger. Giving up wasn’t something she would do, isn’t something her best friend Naruto would do.

Naruto, she thought to herself sadly as she turned and walked towards the stairs, I would give up everything just to hear your voice once more.

“Ah, just a moment, Hyourin.” She paused but didn’t turn around, “I just wanted to warn you, you pull another stunt like that again, and you can be sure that you’ll visit that room again.” Her insides froze at his warning as she clenched her fists in fear, “I know how much you despise it, so I suggest you clean up your act.”

Scowling she stormed quietly up the stairs, heading towards her room before pausing outside the door. All she wanted to do was curl up into a tiny ball, and to never look at the world again. Already she could hear the whispered words of the ones that had been closest to her, already she could hear the berating and the quiet cheer that they always tried to fill her with.

“You are a shinobi of Konoha, Sakura, a Hurano with spirit. To give up is to forfeit your life.” Her otou-san had always been the level headed shinobi, teaching her all that he could before the battle between sand, sound and Konoha. She had wanted to be like him in every way, but now she could help but reflect sadly upon the past and his soulful words.

“Don’t give up my Sakura-chan, you’ve got a whole world left ahead of you.” Her okaa-san, the voice of reason and love, someone that looked after her even when she didn’t want help. While she had been gentle, she had a head for battle and would have done anything to protect all her precious ones.

“You’re meant to save lives, my apprentice, that’s the reason I taught you all I knew, don’t lose faith now.” The 5th Hokage of Konoha, her shishou, her mother figure after she lost both her parents in the sound and sand invasion. If only she was there now to lead her through the rough times.

“Quit your wallowing and whining forehead, it’s not like you to give up!” Yamanaka Ino, her best friend and rival, and the one person who put it to her straight. What she would have done without her she didn’t know, but she would never forget everything they had gone through together.

“Mou Sakura-chan, everything will be fine! Don’t give up now, you never know what will be awaiting you. Believe it!” Ah Naruto, the one she wished she had given a chance, the same one she wished could be by her side. But he was gone, gone away to never return and she couldn’t help but find herself loving him even after everything, even if he was no longer by her side.

It was almost like they were all by her side, at that moment, wishing her well, telling her that she was strong and cared for. Minna, she thought to herself, a small half smile upon her lips, one that disappeared as quickly as it came, thank you for everything, but this is my life now. Opening her bedroom door she went into her room.

I am no longer your sweet Sakura-chan. Her eyes swept over the furniture before walking towards her mirror, dark jade eyes staring back at her from her double, I’m a caged bird meant to be controlled, I’m not free, but for you, I will survive.

12th Moon: Two Days Later

Narrowing her orbs, she glanced around the deserted forest, the snow laying thick upon the ground as she did so. Dark grey clouds covered the sky, but not a single flake fell, and there was barely a breeze to flow through the trees. It was silent, still, as if something had come and destroyed all the creatures of the land, taking away all the sound as they did so. The silence was nearly deafening, it’s cries heard above all others, because nothing was said, because the voice of such a soul had perished leaving nothing in its wake. If she hadn’t been used to silence for so long, if she had not gotten used to a barren waste land that was her heart, then standing there upon that branch would have been nearly impossible.

Out of nowhere the sound of crunching snow could be heard causing her to hid all traces of her scent and chakra. Her eyes watched below her, waiting for whoever it was to come out, to show their presence. When a man came into her sight, she frown, her orbs darkening as she watched the man for any false movements when he stopped not far from her position. Clenching her fist, she waited to see if he knew she was there when suddenly her frown deepened realization spreading over her.

Shoulder length brown hair hung about his face, sporting a bandana upon his head. Her nails dug into her palms, digging into the flash as if she wasn’t wearing gloves to keep her hands warm and her prints away from the scene. This was someone she recognized, but for the life of her, she couldn’t tell who it was, couldn’t see his face, but this was her target, she just knew it. Her expression flattened at that thought and she pulled out a kunai, but the man swiftly turned around, his eyes sweeping his surroundings, close to her position.

“You can come out now,” he called out, his smooth voice playing with her senses, “I know you’re there, there isn’t any use hiding from me.”

Dropping down from the branch she was on, she crouched low to the ground, their eyes connection. They were studying each other, each waiting for the others next move, trying to find the hidden weakness within their opponents. Eyes narrowed upon a senbon he was chewing on, she couldn’t help but think of the irony of it all. His nickname was Senbon, or so the Uchiha had mentioned, and not only that, she was sure that he knew how to use those to the most deadly of attacks.

“Are you the one they call Senbon?” she asked merely for amusement.

His brown eyes sparkled with some emotion she could not name, she could not remember, and his smooth baritone only helped to confuse her more, “I take it you’ve been sent to assassinate me then?”

Smirking beneath her cloak she watched him steadily, “And if I was?”

“I won’t go easy,” he turned a bit, and a flash of metal caught her eye and she froze in her tracks, in her speech. This wasn’t just any prey she had been ordered to kill, and if that bastard of a Uchiha had guessed who she was, then he knew what he was sending her into. Not only would she have to fight her own people, she would have to kill him as well, and then that was when it hit her, who this person before her was. He wasn’t just an ordinary shinobi, he was a special jounin of Konoha, and a flirt to. Closing her eyes she found herself nearly collapsing to her knees, but she held herself together, it had been so long, so very long. The feeling was nearly elating but also worrisome. If he was here, close to the capital, it meant something deeper was going on, but she, a slave, would more then likely be killed for whatever was about to happen.

“Shiranui Genma.”