Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 3 of Hiding the Truth! Sorry for the huge delay-life really does get in the way sometimes *sigh*

I will be starting college next month, so I will try to get another chapter in before that. Once I do start college, though, it'll take some time for me to figure out an uploading schedule. Of course, it shouldn't take so long as it did this time.

Also, I'm happy to say that the Wave mission will be coming in a few more chapters, but before that, something unexpected will happen. In fact, that's next chapter!

Well, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! I'm still trying to figure out a good writing style, so sorry if things seem a little different every now and then.

Thanks in advance for any reviews, favs, followers, etc. etc.!

-Erydia

Chapter 3: The Assassin & the Riot

"Wha-it's an Assassin! Kill her! Kill the Assassin!" Eijiro exclaimed, and took out his sword that had previously been at his side.

All of the men that were standing in front of the women moved away from them, and took out different weapons in order to protect themselves with.

I smirked, knowing that this would be an easy battle. The men looked like they were new to fighting, and had a slight fear in their eyes while facing me.

The first man that stood in front of me decided to attack first. With a yell, he ran towards me, his weapon ready to strike. When it looked like he was about to strike, I dodged it, and sliced his head off. Gruesome yes-but it had to be done.

The other men gasped at what they saw me do, and immediately started to run at me at once.

'So, they want to play it that way, huh?' I thought, holding my swords tightly.

One by one, each man was stabbed, sliced, or just outright killed by broken necks or bones. Each life that I took from my hands added to the burden that I carried onto my shoulders, and I accepted it grimly. In order to save lives, I had to take some away. It's a part of life that's hard for anyone to accept.

As the last man fell onto the floor, dead, I now stood in front of the Templar that started it all. He stood in front of me, slightly shaking in fear. It looked like he was ready to bolt and run for his life. Then again, I wouldn't blame him-who wouldn't be scared of a thirteen-year-old that just killed a whole bunch of men twice her age without much of an effort?

It didn't help that I managed to not have any blood on me after I killed all of those men.

That's actually something hard to do, you know!

"Y-you monster! You killed all of my men!" Eijiro exclaimed, his sword still out and pointing straight at me.

"Hmm…I may be a monster, but you're a demon. Not only are you a Templar, but you also run this disgusting business. No man should treat a woman like this! Not only did you use these women for your entertainment, but you've also tortured and killed some of the women already!" I exclaimed angrily, and with newfound strength, knocked Eijiro's sword out of his hand.

He widened his eyes, and started to back into a wall.

"N-no, please, don't kill me! I'll do anything; just please don't kill me!" He exclaimed, raising his arms up in surrender.

I chuckled darkly, and when I looked at him again, my eyes lacked the emotion that was previously in them.

"Sorry, but I have no remorse for the likes of people like you. I have a job to do, and I intend to complete it until the end."

I raised my sword; ready to strike.

"Goodbye, Templar. See ya in the next life."

My sword went through his heart, and the life from his eyes vanished soon after.

I closed my eyes, and sent a small prayer that all of the lives that were lost today would finally rest in peace. They may have been horrible people while they were alive, but that doesn't mean they have to stay that way in the afterlife.

I put my sword away, and turned around to face the women that were still tied up and in fear.

"Don't worry, everyone. I was sent here to save you and set you free. I just wish I could've been here on time to save the others…" I told them, and slowly, they all started to calm down.

Using my Assassin's blade, I cut the ropes and released the women from their captivity. After some convincing-and even some threats-the women swore to never tell a soul of what happened this day. They owed me their lives, and in return, they are now safe and able to live peacefully once again.

The women that were unharmed returned to where they lived, while the others were sent to the nearest clinic to receive treatment for their injuries. I decided that I would stay with the young woman's sister from earlier and help her return home.

"Young lady, may I know your name?" I asked her, and she smiled softly at me.

"My name is Maemi Sugiyama. I thank you very much for saving our lives, Miss Assassin."

I widened my eyes in surprise.

"You know what I am, Sugiyama-san?"

Maemi giggled, and nodded her head.

"The ninjas do not know of this, but we civilians know who and what the Assassins are, and we stand by your side. At least, most of us anyways. There are some people that side with the Templars, but it isn't that much right now. Of course, due to your actions, rumors will continue to spread about both of the Orders. It will only be time before the ninjas take hold of this information."

I narrowed my eyes, not liking what I was hearing. Although the Assassins and Templars were infamous for their battles and wars in other countries, we were trying to at least keep it quiet here in the Elemental Nations. That way, we wouldn't have any conflict with the ninjas-and the Hokage himself.

I guess we couldn't stay quiet long enough.

"Thank you for the news, Sugiyama-san. I think you should return home now. I fear that you're older sister is quite worried about you as of late." I replied, giving her a slight smile.

She widened her eyes, and bowed her head towards me.

"You're right; I should definitely go back to my sister and let her know that I am alright. Thank you once again, Miss Assassin! I owe you my life and gratitude!"

Maemi then ran towards the exit, and disappeared into the night. I went the opposite direction, and did the same.

When Sarutobi became Hokage, he knew he had to be prepared for anything in order to do what's best for his village.

He spent his life completing different missions, having his own Genin team, and even fought and sent out teams in war. He lost many people that were dear to him, but in return, he gained so much more.

However, he wasn't prepared for what he was going to hear next.

"Hokage-sama, there has been an important emergency! Some of the clinics in Konoha are reporting that several women who looked to have been severely beaten and totured-possibly even raped-have shown up for treatment! They say that a person dressed in white had saved them!"

Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, wondering on who this person was that had saved these women's' lives.

"Are there any women who are willing to give information on who this person was that had saved them?" He asked.

The secretary shook his head in reply.

"No, sir. They say that they are sworn to secrecy, and that nothing would make them speak any more about it."

Sarutobi sighed, and sent the secretary back to his desk at the front of the tower.

It looked like he had some work to do.

It had been a few days since my last Assassin mission, and after reporting the details of it to Mentor Ezio, I didn't receive any more missions afterwards. In a way, it was good to have a break from everything. However, I was still technically a "ninja," and so I had to act like one.

It wasn't that hard. I just had to act like I was generally weaker than usual, as well as act like an annoying fangirl. It wasn't part of the plan originally, but I guess it's better than nothing. By being annoying, cheerful, and the "damsel in distress," no one would even believe that I was an Assassin. It was perfect!

It was now a little bit past 12 o'clock in the afternoon, and I was walking around Konoha for a bit of a stroll. It was relaxing, and I could take my mind off of all of the things that were stressful that day. I had already changed into my Assassin robes; finding it much more comfortable than my ninja one. Plus, it helps me blend in with the crowd, thankfully.

As I neared the busier area of Konoha, I started to see something that was a little unusual.

In the middle of the clearing, a crowd had formed into a circle, with a few civilians in the middle. There were some ninjas nearby, and by the looks on their faces, they didn't seem too happy at what was going on in front of them.

Curious as to what was unfolding, I headed straight towards the crowed, and moved in between them until I could see and hear on what was going on.

"Why do we have to continue to suffer? Why can't we just stop all of this fighting once and for all?!" A woman said, looking at the ninja in front of her.

"Yeah, why can't we all just live in peace? No more fights, no more war, just complete peace!" The man next to her yelled, raising his fist in anger.

"Look, ma'am, sir, please calm down and return to your homes. You have nothing to gain while doing this here in the Market section." The ninja replied, trying to calm down the civilians in front of him. It seemed like the two ninjas were Jounin.

I narrowed my eyes at this.

Something seemed familiar…

The man continued to shout about peace, and soon enough, other people started to join in. Soon, it became a full-on riot.

'This isn't good. How did this even start in the first place? Who made these people think they needed to start this riot?' I thought, and proceeded to look around at my surroundings.

Soon enough, I found the culprit.

The leader of the riot seemed to be the man from earlier. Instead of being next to the woman, he was now outside of the riot, walking away and going home.

Getting out of harm's way, I went to one of the buildings and parkour all the way to the top. Then, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, I followed the man until I was able to catch him alone.

Jumping down to the ground, I immediately walked near him, and covered his mouth with one hand, and holding his hands behind his back in the other.

He froze for a second, and then started to squirm and yell in order to get free from my grasp. I rolled my eyes at his attempts to get free, and then brought him to an alleyway in order to speak with him without anyone else hearing us.

Letting him go, he backed away from me and towards the wall in fear.

"An Assassin! What are you doing here in Konoha?" He asked, pointing at me in disbelief.

"What am I doing here, in Konoha? I should be the one asking you that, Templar." I replied, and started to walk towards him slowly.

He widened his eyes, knowing what situation he was getting himself into.

"P-please, don't harm me, Assassin! Look, I'll tell you anything you want to know, just please don't hurt me!"

Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

"Alright then, you're going to answer some questions for me, and you're going to answer them honestly, and truthfully. If you don't, you will be losing your limbs- and even your life. Do you understand?" I told him, and he nodded his head frantically in reply.

"Good. What's your name?"

"J-Junzo Mishima."

"Why did you make the citizens start a riot? What do they have that is against the ninjas?"

"They have nothing, Miss. I was just told to start it. I don't know why."

I narrowed my eyes, and took one of my swords out, threatening him,.

"Are you telling me the truth, Junzo?"

Junzo brought his arms up in the air, a sign of surrender.

"Y-yes, I am telling the truth! Please, I wouldn't lie right now when my life is at stake!"

I stared into his eyes, and saw true fear into them. He really was telling the truth.

"Fine. Now, why are the Templars here in Konoha?"

"I do not know of that either. I only heard that the higher-ups are looking for something here in Konoha, but that is all. I know of, I swear!"

I sighed, knowing that this interrogation was going nowhere, fast. This man truly did not know the consequences of his actions, nor of what it meant to be in the organization that he is in.

It looked like he shouldn't have been a Templar in the first place.

Poor, poor man.

"I have one more thing to ask of you, Templar."

"W-what is it?"

"Your life."

I slid my sword into his heart, killing him instantly. I pulled the sword out and laid the Templar onto the ground, and closed his eyes.

"Rest in peace, Templar. You have joined a cause in which you truly did not know the consequences of."

I put the sword back into its place, and headed towards the far corner of Konoha.

"…I see, so that is what had happened. Good job, young Assassin."

"Thank you, Mentor Ezio." I replied, and bowed towards him in thanks.

"Now, you may return home, Sakura. But before you go, there is something that I should let you know." He said, and the thoughtful look on his face turned into a serious one.

"Yes?"

"The situation that you have encountered will most likely be one of many. I still do not know the full details yet, but what you have just witnessed is one of the reasons why I am in Konoha, and not inside of the Assassin's Bureau outside of Konoha. Please be careful, young Sakura. I fear that this won't be the last of the Templars that we will hear from today."

I nodded my head, knowing that what he said is true. As long as we are here, the Templars will always exist. That is why we must always fight them until the end.

I bid Mentor Ezio farewell, and started on my walk back home.

Something tells me that I'm not going to like what happens in the near future, and I'm not looking forward to that at all.