Authoress’ Notes: A three-part fic, not including the prologue. Yes, this is the prologue. I thought I’d posted this already, but apparently I am such a loser that I couldn’t even accomplish that properly.

The next chapters will be up very soon, as this is a gift for Ate Klao. I am so sorry it took so long, Ate! I really hope you like this. I’m not as good as Ate Melps, of course, but, er, I try? Still, I hope you’ll enjoy. Hee. Take care always, Ate.

Note to the reader: the storyline of this will definitely deviate from manga/anime canon. But its only four chapters, so, bear with me? We all want to deviate from manga canon, anyway. …Right?

Disclaimer: I really wouldn’t be writing fanfics if I owned them. Or wait, maybe I still would. But that’s not the point.

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Rewrite
PROLOGUE
By psychedelic aya

The moon was not bright tonight.

And Sakura thought,

Will this ever end?

Things weren’t quite the same anymore.

She had no choice but to accept the consequences of deeds done and the impact of words said.

Will this ever end?

Somewhere everywhere and nowhere, she could sense the melancholy of death and hear the sounds of slaughter. There was the dramatic gush of blood spilled and the cacophonic clangs of metal striking against each other.

Nin were facing off; leaders were killing their own people (once again) and brothers were killing their own kin (always and always once again).

Screams ached. Wails pierced. Shouts stabbed.

She couldn’t say a thing.

Will this ever end?

She wanted to be part of it. She wanted to join the aching screams, the piercing wails, the stabbing shouts. She wanted to join the unending story of pain and regret and sadness—but she couldn’t she couldn’t she couldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

(They wouldn’t let her. Never ever let her.)

It was nearing the end.

Something cold caught her throat and her body refused to move.

She barely even registered at the back of her mind that someone was talking.

“Sakura…”

A familiar low tone; it was soft, gentle and merciless.

(They’d never ever let her—)

“Thank you.”

(—die.)

Those words—(those familiar cursed words that haunted her dreams her mind her soul her heart her life—for years and eternities to come)—after those words were spoken, she just knew that the inevitable was coming. That he was coming.

That it was about to end.

She could do nothing about it.

(She thought that maybe they just wanted her to be safe.)

Safe, safe, safe—

“Sakura-chan, I promise I’ll return—”

“Sakura, you’ve improved a lot—”

“Sakura… thank you.”

So she smiled and prepared to die.

Will this ever end?

A kunai slit her throat.

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The moon was bright tonight.

When Sakura’s body slumped to the floor, she barely even had time to scream.

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Authoress’ Notes: Strange plot, this story has. Fu fu fu. All for Ate Klao. I MISS YOU ATE. Ho ho ho. Have fun in the merry Land of the Rising Sun. Dress warmly and take care of yourself po.