Okay, first things first. I don't know if I would be fine without it but I'd rather be safe than sorry. My inspiration came from a story by Little Falcon called License to Kill. It was only a basic idea. Everything else I came up with on my own.

I am nervous about writing this because it's the start of my first multi-chapter fic. Hope you guys all enjoy it and please, please read and review. That's all I will ask, promise. Well other than to be patient with me.

I have popcorn!

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or the characters in any way. Besides, if I did, Gaara would show up with a wolfish grin and not a lot of clothes on in the series more often.

Hell's Wings – Musicians by day, assassins by night. When two rival bands clash, sparks ignite and tensions fly. Au, modern day.

Prologue

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Emerald green eyes scanned the inside of the club. The loud pounding music grated on her nerves – how the hell was she going to listen for danger if her ears started bleeding from all the damn noise? She calmly took another slip of her cold drink, face expressionless. She knew she looked calm, cool, and collected. How far from the truth that was.

Sakura placed her misting glass on the bar counter beside her and promptly ignored all staring aimed in her direction. The tight white dress her blonde friend had chosen left little to the imagination. Violent thoughts of murdering Ino in her sleep invaded her mind, keeping her entertained for a moment. A second later, the pinkette shook her head, dispelling all thoughts except ones for her mission.

The stupid mission which she had been volunteered for. She would have to get back at her team later.

Uncrossing her pale legs, she shifted in the uncomfortable seat, angling herself to get a better view of the entire room. Habit had her hand resting on her left thigh, just under where the slit up the side ended. Her fingers rubbed the material absentmindedly, knowing that a small gun was strapped to her thigh calming her slightly. She put her other arm on the surface of the bar behind her.

The pinkette had been there, in that same seat, for a good portion of the evening. She mentally checked through her objectives. Scout out a nearby club for rumors of another group of assassins and maybe get laid. Chuckling at that notion, Sakura tried to relax. It wasn't easy because of her training for the past eleven years. The academy forced you to always be alert no matter what, pounding that rule into the students' brains all the time. She suppressed a shudder as unwanted memories of that time flashed before her eyes.

The sudden quieting inside the room sent off sirens in her head. Back straightening, she searched for any possible threats, the hand on her left leg slowly inching closer to the gun strap under her dress. Finding nothing out of the ordinary (except for some "come hither" motions made in her direction), Sakura fixated her gaze on the stage where a single spotlight had flared to life. A lone guy with a microphone in his hand walked onstage, black hair spiking out in all directions and wearing what she hoped was a pair of jeans. It looked more like a scrap of cloth from all the rips and holes adoring it. His chest was bare – she knew for certain that was against the club's rules – and a dozen golden chains jingled around his neck. Sweat glistened in the bright light.

He stopped in the middle of the stage and raised one hand, palm facing the ceiling. "You guys ready?" A loud cheer rose from the crowd gathering around the stage. Sakura raised a delicate pink eyebrow. Ready for what exactly? Her mind questioned. The guy onstage put his free hand at his ear. "I can't hear you!" The deafening roar of the crowd made the pinkette wince.

She was sure she would become deaf by the end of the night.

The guy holding the microphone gave a whoop then flung his hand to the side. "Then please welcome the Hell's Devils!" Sakura had to cover her ears from all the noise the huge crowd in front of the stage made. Whoever this band was, it seemed like it was a very popular one. Just great, she fumed. Thanks Tsuande!

The spotlight dimed and the guy walked off. All other overhead lights in the club switched off, making Sakura more agitated than ever. She hated it when she couldn't see any detail around her clearly. Anything could attack her and she wouldn't even know it until the danger was point-blank.

Sakura stood up, the bottom of her heels clicking softly on the tile floor. She pressed her back against the bar counter, stomach knotting. Why isn't anything happening? She worried silently. Her fingers found the gun strap around her left thigh and were just about to whip it out when the spotlight flared bright once again. A black curtain slowly pulled up, revealing a drum set, one stand with a microphone, and two amplifiers for guitars. Dread churned inside her gut. It just had to be a rock band.

"I will fucking murder Tsuande when I get back." She mumbled under her breath. Her eyes suddenly riveted on the men walking onto the stage from the right side. More cheers hurt her sensitive ears.

The first had long black hair tied in a low ponytail with a drumstick twirling in each hand. He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with what she thought was a very weird symbol and skin tight black jeans. She could hear the soft click-clack of his black boots on the stage as it grew deathly silent. Shock jolted through her system as he stepped into the light and saw the color of his eyes. They were pale with hardly any pupils.

Her gaze left the first when she heard a loud clatter behind him. A man with wild blonde hair and blue eyes had dropped his blue and white stripped guitar. He quickly snatched it up, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Some snickers came from the crowd surrounding the lighted stage. The blonde headed straight for the opposite side of the stage, his boot clad feet almost tripping on all the cords littering the floor. She heard more laughter as she examined the guitar player. A dark blue shirt with the same symbol as the long haired guy was paired with a pair of black jeans. The only jewelry the blonde wore was a necklace with – Sakura squinted – a clear stone hanging from the string.

Her attention was pulled to the third band member walking onstage. This man had his short black hair pulled up on the back of his head, making it look like a pineapple. His dark eyes looked bored, almost as if he rather be anywhere else at the moment. The black shirt (again with that strange symbol) and pants looked a little big on his lean frame. A plain red guitar hung over his shoulder. Once on stage, he stopped by the open amplifier.

Sakura looked back at the place the three men had entered, waiting for the final one. She knew whoever it was had to be the vocals; drums already taken by the long haired dude and the blonde and pineapple head were on the guitars. She just didn't know which was the bass and which was the actual guitar.

The air grew thick with anticipation. The guys onstage turned as one to the opposite side they had come on. The fourth and final band member stepped into the light, his crimson hair almost glistening under it. The first thing that the pinkette noticed was a tattoo on the left side of his forehead. She thought it looked like the kanji for love. Her green eyes slowly traced the features of his handsome face. Deep black eyeliner surrounded his eyes, making the jade color stand out more. A thin black choker adored his neck. He was wearing a long sleeved maroon shirt with midnight jeans. The ends were tucked into shiny black boots that had two buckles crisscrossing around the ankle. A single silver chain started from his right hip, went down and around one leg then hooked back onto itself. She noticed that his shirt also had the weird symbol on the front.

She suddenly realized that all four of these men were very good looking, even dressed mostly in black. She heard girls calling to them, some squealing when one of them smiled. Actually though it was the blonde guitarist who smiled while the pineapple head signed and the long haired drummer grimaced. Her inner stated that the redhead was the most gorgeous and definitely outstripped the other band members. She just would never admit it out loud to anyone.

When the crimson haired guy reached the microphone stand, he pulled the device out and put it to his mouth. "Hello everyone." The deep voice rumbled through Sakura's body, her mouth falling open at the effect his voice caused within. Her body began thrumming with energy – an energy she recognized but didn't want to feel for anyone.

"We are Hell's Devils as you all apparently know. No introduction is necessary I believe then." He continued on. More girls screamed as he started singing. If the pinkette thought his speaking voice was amazing, the honey voice now spilling from the redhead was even better. Much to her displeasure, it also affected her body more.

Her legs began to tremble slightly as the night progressed. She lost track of the song number they were on. Even with the boom of the drums and bass guitar, the silky voice rang out clear. Her breathing sped up, emerald eyes glued to the lead singer. Anger boiled hotly in her veins.

How dare he affect her like this! Her fingers clenched the bar counter's edge as her mind raged at the redhead. Never before had a simple voice made her body react so much in any way. Her stomach flip-flopped every time the crimson haired male looked in her direction. She didn't know if he could even see her with the bright light blaring in his beautiful jade eyes. Shaking her head violently, Sakura finally tore her gaze off the handsome singer. She panted from the effort of forcing her body to stand still instead of trying to get closer to the owner of the arousing voice. All of the sudden she felt extremely hot. Wiping her forehead with one clammy hand, Sakura recognized the deep trouble she was currently in. Anybody could attack her right at the moment and she wouldn't even be able to properly defend herself.

And it was the fault of that damn annoying voice!

She gritted her teeth in rage. She was stronger than this, trained better than this.

Her mind mulled over the events of the last few minutes to distract herself. The strange symbol on all of the band members' shirts stuck out the most. Maybe she should copy it down so Hinata could research it later. Struck with that random idea, she whirled around and hissed to the bartender over the loud music coming from on the stage.

"Do you have any paper?" The bartender shook his head sadly then produced a pen from one of his many pockets and handed it to her.

"You can use a napkin if you need to."

Sakura nodded in thanks. Grapping a napkin laying near her forgotten drink, the pinkette began sketching the symbol perfectly from memory. She tried her best to ignore the singing voice behind her, hoping the performance would end soon. Though she had to admit that the band wasn't half bad.

Sakura stopped for a moment and cocked her head to the side, listening intently to the music. The beat reverberated throughout her body, almost matching the fast thumping of her heart. Resisting the urge to close her eyes, the pinkette mentally slapped herself and resumed drawing. Once finished, she stuffed it into the gun strap around her left thigh, yelled out another thank you to the bartender, and hurried to the open front door of the club.

For some unknown reason, the pink haired girl stopped at the doorway and looked back at Hell's Devils. A pair of jade orbs surrounded by black met hers. They seemed to smolder and she wondered if he had been watching her the whole time. Ridiculous! Her inner snorted. Disappointment settled heavy in her chest. With one last awed look over her shoulder, Sakura walked out the door and disappeared into the night.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Gaara fumed silently as the pinkette he had been eyeing for a while waltzed right out of the club. Cursing his luck, he just continued to sing. He had hoped to at least learn her name after the performance of his band. The girl had caught his interest as he was walking on the stage. Her emerald eyes had roamed all over his body. He knew he was handsome. He wasn't conceited or anything – it was just a simple fact of life.

The song thankfully ended – their third for the night – and he turned to Naruto. "That's it for tonight." Naruto shrugged, knowing Gaara always did things his own way. The blonde signaled Neji and Shikamaru the decision. The drummer frowned while Shikamaru just rolled his eyes, muttering a "Troublesome." under his breath. The redhead replaced the microphone and walked off stage. The noise in the club dropped tremendously as the lead singer of the popular band disappeared.

Naruto sighed; Gaara would leave it up to them (more specifically him) to cover. Thanks once again, he thought sarcastically. Planting a bright smile on his face, the blonde guitarist walked over to the microphone. Neji stood up and followed the redhead without so much as a grunt. Shikamaru picked up Naruto's guitar and Neji's drumsticks he had left before lumbering off stage as well. Naruto wondered why he stayed in the band sometimes.

"Well that's all for tonight." He had to pause because of all the boos and protests (mostly from the female population). "I know, I know. But hey, this means we will have more songs for next time!" He cheerfully exclaimed. A grin broke out at the loud response the crowd gave. Replacing the device back in the stand, the blue eyed male followed his friends.

The sight that greeted him in their gathering room made him chuckle. Neji was once again arguing with Gaara over something stupid – you have to wonder if they're really friends – while Shikamaru slouched in one of the overstuffed armchairs, fast sleep and quietly snoring away. Naruto closed the door behind him and jumped on the big brown bean bag nearby the door. He watched the fight with amused sky blue eyes.

Gaara huffed in annoyance. Neji was being Neji and ripping him up one side and down the other for cutting the performance short. They had four songs beyond the three they had already played ready. The crimson haired man knew his friend didn't mean a single thing he was yelling about. This was just his way of showing concern. A jolt of anger shot through his chest. It was all because of that fucking academy that both he and Neji had a hard time showing any emotion.

Finally having enough, Gaara raised a hand. Neji swallowed what he had been about to say, a black eyebrow raised. "I get it already Neji. I'm fine." Casting a quick glance at the other two occupants of the room, he added under his breath. "Really."

The long haired drummer let out a sign – one of relief Gaara knew. "Fine." He crossed his arms, pale eyes still eyeing the redhead. Gaara leaned back and averted his jade eyes. He really couldn't hide anything from Neji. They had been friends for too long and had suffered through so much together.

"I was troubled by a girl is all." The quiet sentence came from the redhead. Neji stiffen in shock. Girls and Gaara were never in the same sentence, let alone him admitting to anything concerning them. Telling Neji meant it was of some significance.

"Who?" The pale eyed man asked.

Gaara pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's just it. I don't know."

"Ok-ay." The slight hesitant made the singer scan the room. Shikamaru was still sleeping and it looked like Naruto had joined the land of dreams as well.

He lowered his voice just in case. "She had pink hair and emerald green eyes." Those eyes still haunted him. He hated that fact with a passion.

Just who did she think she was to occupy his thoughts so much! He blamed it on the strange color of her hair.

"Gaara." Said man looked at his long time friend to see him frowning. "I think I know who that was." Confusion, fear, and awe laced his low tone. The fact that Neji was even letting emotion through in his voice made his stomach knot. That girl must be someone powerful to make him speak like that.

The redhead waited patiently. Then the pale eyed drummer whispered, "She was the lead singer from the Angel Wings."

Angel Wings.

Their eternal rival in the world of music. He had heard that they were nearly as good as them. The boys went gaga over the drop-dead beautiful woman of the band, much the same way girls went gaga over the gorgeous members of his band.

Gaara growled. Oh no he didn't.

Oh yes he did.

He had lusted after his rival singer. Rage burned in his body, mind assaulted with pictures of a thousand different ways to kill the offending pinkette. Never would he let her capture his interest so readily again. The promise he had just made to himself helped the sudden red haze in his vision to disappear – but not the anger. Neji watched with a wary eye as his friend internally seethed.

Suddenly the redhead's eyes snapped to the drummer's. "But why was she there tonight?" The question startled Neji. "Did she know that we were performing here?"

"I don't know why she would be here but it's highly unlikely to praise us." Neji shook his head slowly. "We should tell Kakashi anyway though."

"I agree. It's never a good sign when a member from your rival band is there on performance night."

It's never a good sign when a member from your rival band makes you feel all hot and bothered either. Gaara groaned as the image of the pinkette in that tight white dress popped up unbidden. Great, just great.

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I don't know when I will update this but I will say one thing – reviews are a good motivator.

Lightning Mistress