The Red Crimson Bride

Naruki woke up in the night in terrible sweat. She stared around frightened as memories of her dream, no, nightmare rushed through her mind. She started to tremble and caught her head with her arms wipping away the sweat. She had the same dream for days now. She looked at the clock which was on the cupboard. It showed 3 am.



Still trembling she got out of the bed and went in the kitchen. Getting a glass of water she went at the window and stared through it at the sleepy village.



"Why am I dreaming about nii-san?" she asked loud. She leaned her head forward and touched the cold glass of the window which sent shivers down her spine.



These last few days she kept on dreaming about the day she graduated the Academy and about her small talk with her older brother before he went on his first and last mission as captain. She still remembred their words exactly. He was concerned about her harsh training and asked why was she doing that to herself.



Naruki's face softened. Her brother took care of her everytime she was in distress and was very protective with her. She loved him very much. And also she hated the fact that he had to be sent in that fake mission.



After her graduation her dream would turn badly and show the scene when Amegakure got destroyed. She still remembered the faces of the villagers who got killed including Ichiro, her presumed husband. It sent for the second time that night, shivers through her body.



She drank the whole glass in one swallow and closed her eyes shut. She didn't wanted to cry, not that night, not ever. She opened them and stared at the village. This one was the fifth in two weeks she searched for any trace of her 'teammates'. It was strange, since she killed Hidan and Kakuzu, the others didn't even show themselves to anyone. And they haven't done missions or tasks. She sighed, they probably got the message that she was after them.



She made a wide smirk. Naruki knew them very well, they were trying now to find her and eliminate her for good. She chuckled, they would make it easier for her now that they were coming after her.



Naruki put the glass in sink and walked went again at the window gazing through it. Her eyes went red for a second then returned back to blue.



"She's still following me." Naruki said frowning. "Since I left Konoha she stalked me everywhere. Naruto-san probably sent her." she sighed. "I can see that she is good with hiding her chakra, but not good enough to escape my kekkei genkai." she smirked.



Naruki was right, when she left Konoha, Naruto sent one of his guard captains to follow her. He would have left after her by himself but he still had to a village to take care of. So he sent her. Naruki smiled, the woman was sitting on the roof of the hotel opposite Naruki's. Her silhoutte could be seen in the silvery light of the full moon and her hair was flipping in the whispering wind.



"If she'll follow me everywhere, she'll get herself killed." Naruki murmured and closed her eyes.



On the roof of the hotel opposite hers, the pink haired woman was staring at the window where Naruki was. Sakura knew very well that Naruki would be going in the kitchen to drink a glass of water. She did the same thing every night. After the nightmare. But this time was different, Sakura noticed that Naruki was staring right in her direction. Could it be that she had been spotted? But how, she took every precaution so she wouldn't be found. Naruto also told her to be careful around Naruki, she was very intelligent and had incredible power. Defeating her was almost impossible.



Sakura let out a sigh in relief as Naruki left the window and went to her bedroom. Another usual night. She saw that the chakra flow weakened meaning that she fell asleep. She moved her gaze and watched her sleep but soon there was a change of wind. She didn't mind about it, but something caught her attention.



"Who are you?" a voice whispered in her ear sending shivers down the spine. She tried to move her head but a kunai was being held at her neck. "Don't move if you don't want to get cut." Naruki said putting the sharp object closer to Sakura's neck. Sakura wide her eyes open. How could it be Naruki? She was just watching her a few seconds ago and she was sleeping. She moved her gaze at the bedroom window and saw that there was no one there. 'She's so fast.' she thought.



"Sakura Haruno." she said. The pink haired kunoichi couldn't see Naruki's face but she could feel that the redhead was smirking.



"Well Sakura, why are you following me?" she asked whispering. "Or better said, who sent you?"



Sakura tried to get out from the kunai but without success, Naruki was blocking every chance of her to escape.



"I have an order." she said. "From the Hokage." Naruki frowned and retrieved her hand from Sakura's neck putting the kunai inside her pocket. Sakura turned around and stared at the redhead.



"I suggest you should stop following me, what I'm doing is not for people like you. You'll die." she said and stared at her.



"I can't, an order is an order. And I'm the Hokage's first guard, I'll do whatever he says." Sakura said regaining her composture. Naruki rose an eyebrow at her words, "First guard, huh?' she said to herself and a smirk crossed her lips.



"So you don't care if you'll die?" she asked. Sakura frowned, Naruki could see that she was hesitating. "As I said, my job is not for people like you." she murmured and turned around walking away.



"What kind of people?" she said. Naruki stopped and turned around a bit.



"People who don't know what true pain is. People who only feel happiness." she said and walked again. Sakura frowned and started to walk after her.



"Even if I'm not like you that doesn't mean that I'm going to quit. The Hokage is the person who I respect and I always do what he'll ask me. And even if I don't know what pain is I'll learn that following you." she said clenching her fists. Naruki stopped and so did Sakura.



"You're not following me because you want to learn what pain is, you want to find a person who left you and Konoha a long time ago. You hope that following me you'll find him." she said.



Sakura wide her eyes open, how did she knew? She frowned staring at her back. She felt that she was hating her right now.



"And don't you think that what happened then is enough pain for me to bare? I tried many times to find him and to bring him back. And now when I have the chance to do this you think I'll let it-"



"At least he's still allive somewhere!" Naruki cut in yelling. She turned around and went quickly to Sakura facing her. "You really think that this is pain? You think that if someone left you is hard to bare?" she yelled and grabbed her by the collar. "At least your love is still allive somewhere. But mine isn't! Mine died! And I blame myself for that because I couldn't protect the persons I loved. I couldn't help them!" she said full of rage and her eyes faded to dark red. "You do not know what pain is! Not even a bit! You have your guarantee that he can come back but I don't! They died and everything I'd try won't bring them back!" she yelled and let go of her. Sakura fell on her back staring with shock at the woman filled with rage in front of her. Those red eyes were piercing her and she could feel the killing intent surrounding her. She tried to get up but her body didn't move, it felt paralysed and she couldn't only stare at the red eyes. Blood red eyes. Eyes used to the sight of blood and murder.



"I-"



"Don't say anything. What you just said it's already enough." she murmured. "I'll let you go. You can do whatever you want, follow me, return back to Konoha, anything. Just... don't get in my way or don't interfere in what I'm going to do." she added silently and her eyes faded back to blue. She stretched her hand forward. "I'll show you where he is. But I'm not doing for you, I'm doing it for him mostly." she said and Sakura grabbed her by the hand. "His place is in Konoha even if he doesn't admit it."



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The next day, Naruki left the village at dawn with Sakura following her. This time Sakura kept distance, the events from last night imprimed in her mind and fear for the ex-assasin grew inside her. Especially for those eyes. She noticed pain rushing through them and very much regret.



Naruki was walking silently through the forest paying attention to the slightest movement and Sakura was skipping on the branches of the trees.



"I see that you still want to come even after what happened last night." Naruki said not stopping from walking. Sakura sped up and finally reached the redhead.



"I learnt not to be afraid of anything or anyone." she said. Naruki started to chuckle.



"Oh, cut it out with these phrases of true shinobi. I know already the reason, you can talk freely about it. I'm not going to judge you. I can't do that anymore." she said and turned her head only to give her a sly smile. "Even if I can't trust you."



"Then how could I tell what's on my mind if you don't trust me. Or better said, if I don't trust you." she said between her jumps. Naruki chuckled again.



"You're smarter than I thought." she smiled. "We can learn to trust each other perhaps sometime, don't you think?" she said giving her a truthful smile.



After those words, they stayed silent for a while only the sound of the leaves was disturbing the quietness.



"You saw him, didn't you?" Sakura murmured. Naruki hesitated.



"Yes." she said not turning around.



"Why didn't you tell Naruto?" she asked. "He blames himself for not being able to stop Sasuke-kun."



Naruki stopped and so did Sakura.



"I wanted but I couldn't. He's like me. And I'm like him." she said and walked again. "He wants to destroy the source of his pain. Which is the same as mine." she whispered the last part. "And also... I owe him for saving me. If he would have been somebody else, he would have left me die burning along with the village."



"He saved you..." Sakura murmured to herself not believing the words she just said.



"And took care of me for three years while I was in coma." she said. "I owe him that much." she stopped. Sakura did the same and stared at her. "We're here." she said and Sakura moved her gaze in front of her. She gasped, it was a large building.



"Akatsuki base." she whispered. Naruki made a smirk and took her cloak off. She tokk a scroll and made a few hand signs. After that, the cloak and the handbag disappeared. "Now you can show me how good you are as a shinobi. This will be a deadly fight." she said. Sakura gulped and landed beside Naruki. "Be careful and under no circumstances let yourself get killed."





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