AS THE RAVEN CRIES THE LILY PRAYS

Listening to the low thrum of music breeze through my ears, my mind fluttered brushing through random memories, fragments making their way through, passing by like on a motorway – flashing once then flying by. Memories of my first day as a ninja, of the time I saw Naruto again 3 years later, the time I saw Sasuke again 3 years later, the time Naruto left again, then most of all, the time it all ended. All the memories blew by so fast, as it played out like a movie. But wasn't it like that with everything else in my life all moving by so fast? It's always been hard to stop and catch a breath.

As Sakura sauntered through the still sleeping village of Konoha, she enjoyed the familiar beat of her favourite soundtracks and instrumentals ease through, relaxing her, taking her to her own mental haven.

Despite being the fresh teen she was (if 19 could be called "fresh" that is), Haruno Sakura hated nothing more than the irritating whine of songs. She hated them with such a passion; she'd avoid all music stores streets, even opting for a longer path just to avoid it at times. All songs were about love, if not, about heartbreak, or affairs, or lust, at the end of the day it all revolved around love and if it wasn't about love, it would be about some next bullshit that wouldn't make a difference to her or frankly the world. Simply put she found it displeasing, there's got to be more to life that all that bull crap, she thought.

It was not that Sakura had any bad memories or prior experiences that made her feel that way, it was simply that she could not understand how these flimsy, spineless girls walk around with their heads in the skies dreaming about love and listening to stupid songs.

She sighed, I'm not in love and I'm certainly happy. It was not love Sakura objected to, but more the idiots that get so lost in it, simply put - everything a song sings about.

Close to her destination, Sakura switched off the soothing sounds, returning them to their sleeping place in her hip pack as she took a deep breath, straightening herself and walking up the familiar red stairs of the hokage tower.

Tsunade sat in her usual place, with her usual cup of tea and the usual scenery spreading out behind her, the only thing unusual that morning was the mission she was about to give to Sakura.

Then came 3 gentle raps against the withered door.

"Come in"

Sakura entered, closing the door behind her, and made her way to her usual spot in front of her master's desk. She bowed a short bow before she lifted her head again to look at Tsunade with a perplexed look on her face.

"Good morning Shishou, what have you got for me today?"

"Good morning to you too", she paused, "I'm not sure how to get this out, but I have a very important mission for you", Sakura's eyes brightened in excitement, "Now I'm sure you can guess I'm not all that willing to give it to you, however with Naruto in training and you being an elite and all, I don't really feel I can give it to anyone else"

"Shishou, you know I'm more than willing"

Sakura listened intently, nodding along in tune with the information that was being relayed to her as she absorbed the details of her next mission.

She was to capture and bring back rouge ninja, apparently called the "White shadow". If she couldn't capture him, she was to assassinate him. Furthermore, no matter the circumstances the preservation of her life was the most important.

It was certain that the ninja she was to catch was of Jounin level, however, how much above that was the uncertain part. Nevertheless this was an A-Rank mission and of that Tsunade was sure. Sakura was to lay in wait on the border of the fire country to ambush this man. There had been Intel that he was to cross the border within the next few days, heading for Konoha, thus he was to be stopped immediately.

Despite the fact that this was a high ranking mission, concerning a very dangerous man, no matter how much she avoided it, Tsunade couldn't help but face the facts that Sakura was well and able enough to take this mission, and by her self at that. It was just hard with the motherly instinct to protect that she felt towards Sakura.

However she couldn't deny the fact that Sakura had changed in the last few years, she had grown, losing that ever sweet innocent touch she had, replacing it with a cold hearted demeanour, that she only ever let down in front of her closest ones. Nevertheless, when she faced her enemies, Tsunade could honestly say she had never seen a bloodthirsty killer worse than Sasuke, yet she knew that had changed, with the face of Sakura, as she had experienced not so long ago.

Pulling back from her reverie, Tsunade looked over Sakura, feeling warmth as a mother would to her child. She sighed. Tsundere. Just how she herself had ended up, but perhaps even more ruthless and apparently uncaring than she had been.

"Sakura", she said sternly, "You are only to lay there in wait for 3 days and no more, if you breech this deadline by even a second there will be ANBU squads looking for you…hmmm", thinking over her words for a brief moment, she restated her plans "No, if its someone you can't defeat, then surely they wouldn't be able to either. Very well then, if you do not return I shall send Naruto to assist you."

Mention of Naruto coming to assist Sakura shocked her, all traces of excitement gone, thinning her eyes to slits in anger and worry.

"But you can't! Shishou, he's in training, this is very important to him!" And to me, she thought inwardly.

"And so are you" she replied simply, both knowing it was true. Naruto had looked after Sakura in so many ways, being the everlasting friend she needed, the brother she had always longed for. And that was what Naruto felt too, never would he be able to hold a romantic feeling to her, after all they had been through together, they were much too close to go there now.

Sakura nodded to her, walking forward to gather the maps that had been drawn up for her, in essence, grateful for the get a way.

Holding the maps, Sakura retreated a few steps to bow. "Thank you Shishou, I shall leave immediately." And with that Sakura disappeared into the air with a puff of smoke.

Reappearing on the street below, Sakura walked towards her apartment, scanning over the maps in her hands.

Planning out what she would pack as she entered her apartment. Small as it was, it was her little home. The one place she belonged.

Pushing against the face of the old door, it creaked open as Sakura picked up her mail, walking inside on her way.

Dumping the pile of useless junk mail on her small desk that resided next to her bed, she slid off the usual gear. Her usual gear being, a long sleeved black cheongsam lined with red, which she wore to mid-thigh length, accompanied by a pair of Lycra black shorts that stopped just above the knee. She then reached to unwind the lengths of bandage which she wrapped around her calves, a pointer which she got from her sensei. After all was off, including her mid-calve boots, and her long hair was down, Sakura showered and still dressed in her robe took a 2 hour rest which she would need if she were to be up scouting the next 3 days. However despite that being her mission, it wasn't her plan. I'll finish this in one day only and I can do what the hell I like, she thought as she relished in the idea of a much needed vacation.

2 hours later…

Pulling on her shin and arm guards, she placed her short leather gloves in her hip pouch along with some other essentials, then draped the long string holders that held on to the sheath's of her katana, one over each shoulder.

Prepared, after memorising the maps she headed off to the border of the fire country.

1196, 1197, 1198, 1199, 1200… 1200 minutes now, that's 20 hours, Sakura did the mental calculation with ease.

She had been counting the 1200 minutes that she had been waiting, in the same place, the same spot and the same position for 20 hours. She sighed, resigned night had come and gone and now dawn was stretching over the murky green she sat in. Exhausted, she let out her legs from under her and lay back on the soft dewy grass. She winced at the wetness, thinking that she wouldn't be surprised if she found dew had collected on herself through the endless night of wait.

Endlessly bored, Sakura decided to scan the perimeter, as a useless precaution, she thought. Closing her eyes from the position she lay in, she gathered Chakara, enclosing herself in it and creating threads from it, then letting them fan out in all directions hoping for a disruption. And she found one. Her eyes opened wide in surprise as she flew up into a sitting position, gathering more Chakara and checking again. She was right. A very distinctive type of Chakara was headed her way, how strong it was, she couldn't tell from such a distance, but he was at least 5 miles away and it would take him a while to reach Sakura.

So Sakura jumped up, regaining her balance from the mild head rush and body aches, she scanned her area, preparing her self and jumped up to the high branch of a tree that resided just above her.

Where she had been camping out all night overlooked a small green clearing in which she intended to have her face of with the so called "White shadow"; it was wide enough and the tree she was perched upon gave her perfect view of the area. If Sakura was anything, it was prepared. She hated, more than anything, being caught in those unprepared moments of confusion.

She waited there, knowing she would have a good 20 minutes before this person would come anywhere near her zone.

Sakura held her stance, standing in a half crouch, with her right hand on the hilt of one of the katana resting on her back and the other in front of her, balled in a fist and charged with chakara. She stood ready to lunge, her eyes narrow, focusing on the prey that she couldn't yet see but could feel with ever other sense in her body, her chakara concealed yet on full damage, she monitored every single movement her target made, every breath he took, every step he made, any interruptions on the way, all she could feel, hear, smell and sense with every ounce of her being.

As Sakura concentrated intently on what she could now tell was a man, she was beginning to decipher aspects of his being, such as the way his ligaments moved with his walk, gave an indication to immense speed, the way his eyes narrowed at things she knew were far away, and most of all his distinct chakara taste, the smell, taste and tenor to it was unique and rather peculiar, she could tell from the strength of it and by how well he kept it under control that his domain was chakara manipulations and his main techniques were likely to based of that, there fore she deducted he was probably a genjustu user or specialised in certain ninjustsu's.

Sakura began forming a plan in her mind, an order in which to ambush this man all based of spilt seconds assumptions of which were all decided upon by a few bodily indications.

Despite this as a medical-nin she was sure, and tackling him would simple and most of all fun. Nothing says fun like a bowl full of kick ass, she smirked to herself at the idea, basking in the heat of the impending moment, and relishing the shivers of excitement it sent coursing through her.

"Having fun, stalker"

A low dark voice, echoed in her ear, pulling her from the reverie which she was so deep in. Sakura was so deep in her prey, so lost in it, she didn't even hear anyone approaching, let alone feel, someone come up right behind her, enough so that their bodies were touching, body heat mingling, and he was able to whisper low in her ear.

A shiver crawled its way along Sakura's spine. Within in the second she heard that voice and felt that chakara, she knew it was a member of the Akatsuki standing behind her and she knew that member was Uchiha Itachi.