Shades of Grey

Chapter 20

Sakura finally caught sight of her prey and felt her anger reach a boiling point. The scum were just leisurely walking through the forest and looking at the spoils of their conquest. It only took one chakra enhanced jump to land before them.

"You will go no further." Her voice was as cold as ice.

"Really." Her target laughed. "Look here boys a little girl is going to stop us."

"Oh, she is not a little girl." One of the others argued his eyes moving down her body.

"I kind of like the pink hair." The third one laughed. "We could have a lot of fun with this one."

"I shall be the one having fun with you." Sakura assured them as a kunai made its way into her hands and a predatory look entered her eyes.

"Whoever knocks her out gets first go." Her original target taunted.

Sakura had enough. She let her chakra flare and felt a thrill run through her when she sensed their fear. After what they had done, she would not go easy on them. They would suffer for every one of the tears the mother at the well had shed.

"Shall we begin?" She expertly launched her kunai hitting one of the weaker nins in the thigh a spray of blood erupting. All she would have to do was keep the fight going and he would bleed out. That tended to happen when a femoral artery is sliced.

"Bitch!" The one she had hit hissed throwing several senbon in her direction.

Sakura had noted that all three of the rogues were from grass and was careful to dodge, not wanting to deal with the poisons their people were famous for. She watched them as they fanned out in an effort to surround her. When the moment was right her small chakra enhanced foot hit the ground causing it to crumble beneath them. Bingo, one of them went down and she was on him in a flash. One burst of her healing chakra and his heart would never pump again.

"I know who she is." The one whose leg she had hit declared. "She is the apprentice of Tsunade, and rumor has it the jinchuriki for the nine tails."

"Bravo." Sakura mocked. "This is your last chance to lay down your weapons and surrender."

"Why should I?" He tried to remain brave even as his adrenalin made his wound bleed faster.

"Because once I have killed your friend, I might just heal you." The girl with glowing green eyes offered.

"Don't listen to her." The leader yelled at his comrade. "She has no idea who she is up against."

"Shinji, you deflected from Grass." The kunoichi supplied. "You have spent years preying on the defenseless. You are despicable, but I promise you that you won't live to harm another soul."

"So that's your angle." The man laughed. "You are one of those holier than thou Leaf losers."

Instead of replying Sakura sent several kunai flying his way. The man took note that her aim was nowhere near as deadly when she was angry.

"So, what has you all worked up, little kunoichi?" He mocked. "Did you see the last village that we stayed in? Did they tell you about all of the fun that we had with the girls?" Or maybe you saw those little brats that we used for target practice?"

Sakura remembered the little boy that she had helped, the blank faces, and the little girl she had not been fast enough to save. These sick bastards would pay. She could vaguely hear the Kyuubi calling for her to calm down. Instead she gathered his chakra with her own letting the purple energy dance around her. She felt the rage that was an innate part of the demon's power and embraced it with her own. The purple flames caused her hair to blow in its wind and she gave a feral smile.

"I am not so sure that angel is an accurate description." Kisame said as he and his partner finally reached the scene of the massive chakra. "But she sure as hell is my kind of woman."

Itachi quickly took in all that was happening before him. He had no cause to worry about those she faced; they would be no match for her in this state. His eyes lingered on her the power so strong it was visible to the eye, a tail dancing about behind her. Her pink hair was wild, and her startling green eyes were lit from within by an eerie glow. He did not like the feral smile which graced her lips.

"Guess we better get down there before she has all the fun." Kisame freed his giant sword.

Itachi did not answer but made his way down to the scene. Just as they arrived the kunoichi used her tail to wrap around the neck of an already injured shinobi. Blood sprayed from his wound as she lifted him into the air.

"That has to be the hottest damn thing I have ever seen." Kisame declared causing the kunoichi to look over and give him a smirk which Itachi was sure the blue man would fantasize about for the rest of his life.

The kunoichi saw her target make a move so she tightened and twisted her tail. A loud snap echoed through the clearing before the body dropped to the ground.

"Kisame." Itachi did not take his eyes off the girl. "Take care of our mark, I will handle her."

"She is going to be pissed if we interfere in her game." The large man cautioned even as he headed towards the fight.

"She will not interfere." The Uchiha assured him as he allowed his cloak to flutter to the ground. He heard her growl when she realized that they meant to intervene.

"You will cease this behavior at once." Itachi commanded.

"No." She hissed. "Leave now and I will let you keep your lives."

"You cannot defeat me." The Uchiha replied. "Stop your foolishness."

He knew when her tail twitched in his direction that she would hear no reason. She was going to force him to do something he had no desire to do. Luckily, her blood lust had left her with no fear, and she stared defiantly into his eyes. The tomes in his scarlet eyes spun and a mere second latter she crumpled to the ground.

"Why have you allowed yourself to fall into such a state?" Itachi questioned. "You possess more control of the beast than this."

"The nine tails has nothing to do with this." It seemed that even in this world of red and black she had not yet calmed down. "I took his chakra. This is who I am."

"No." The Uchiha argued. "This is nothing like the kunoichi I know you to be."

"You know nothing." She roared. "You didn't see what they did to the last village they were in. They deserve this; I deserve this."

"I saw the village." He told her. "Their crimes there have nothing to do with you. You do not deserve to live like an animal because they chose to do so. That village heralds you as its angel; this is not how their savior should behave."

"I didn't save them all." Sakura sank to her knees in her sorrow.

"As a shinobi you must know that even saving one life means you have done your duty." Itachi's voice sounded as though his thoughts were a million miles away.

"So, what now?" The woman raised her eyes again to his. "You've caught me. Is this where you hand me over to your leader?"

"No." He shocked her with his answer.

"But why not?" She was perplexed. "Isn't that your job?"

"Because I do not want to." Itachi told her and saw a small true smile make its way to her face.

He was not sure why he had answered her in such a way. He could have told her that it was not yet time. But he had been honest in his reply. He knew that doing so could chase away a small portion of the sorrow that he saw devouring her from within. A sorrow he knew firsthand had the power to leave a shinobi a mere shell. It was a fate that was unbefitting the girl.

"I will allow you to awaken now." He told her right before their eyes both fluttered open.