Dunno where this came from…

Oh, and Ino's sexuality is a tribute to my best friend. She adores Ino.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Dedication:To finally having a life again.

---

It was after that day that I learned how to shoot a gun.

It was cold, you know? That icy, wintry cold that should be illegal because it's so biting-icy-freezing-damnit-it-hurts cold. That's how that night was. And I was just a kid. Six years old, and terrified of the world in general.

None of us saw it coming.

I can't really remember it now; I mean, it's been ten years. And I… I don't really want to remember. I dislike thinking about it. It's not exactly the happiest of memories. That house, my mother, my father… No, not the happiest of memories.

Because, for a long time, I was happy.

But that happiness didn't wouldn't-couldn't-shouldn't last.

And, in a twisted kind of way, I got lucky. My family wasn't killed by a crazed family member, not like Sasuke, or was never there at all, like Naruto. No, my family was killed by the things I hunt, the things I destroy. So I guess I got lucky, because I can hate the things that killed my family. I can kill the things that took my life from me.

I am a vampire hunter, and my name is Sakura.

---

Most of that night was blurry to me, looking back at it now. It was bitter cold, like I said. So cold. That's the thing I remember the most. I remember how bloody cold it was.

And I remember looking up at the cloudy sky, snow falling everywhere, and thinking that normally, snow wasn't that red, so why why-why-why-i-don't-get-it-explain-to-me-why was it so red?

I don't know how it happened. One minute we were sitting around the fire, light glinting off my mother's bright red hair, and happiness shining in my father's green eyes and we were laughing, and I think we might have had company, but I really can't remember.

And then all the kids went to bed, and I remember hearing my parents murmuring softly to each other, and I was so warm and cozy, and, when you're six, parents can protect you from everything.

So I guess I fell asleep.

It couldn't have been more then a couple of hours later. My mother shook me awake, this grim look in her eyes. Now I think it was terror, horror, fear. Then, I just didn't understand why she was waking me up so early. I didn't have school the next day, so why was she waking me up when it was still dark? I didn't understand.

I remember she told me something bad was happening, and that I had to get out of the house, and that she was going to wake up my brother and sister, but I had to go right now.

I got as far as the outside of my house, only to watch the whole thing go up in flames. There was maniacal laughter, ringing from everywhere, and I was so scared. I started crying, and someone came up to me.

I didn't know who it was, but they smelled of death, and I could see my mother's favorite necklace hanging from one of this person's wrists, and there was liquid dripping off this person's fingers and I wanted to get away from this person as fast as I could.

The next thing I saw was eyes. Blood-red, and insane.

"Hello, little princess" was what he said.

I just stared at him, so scared that I couldn't move.

"Ah, I'm so thirsty, and you smell so good. May I have your blood, little one? I promise it won't hurt too much."

I remember shaking my head, wanting to get as far as I physically could from this person. Obviously, he didn't want me going anywhere, and he reached down to pick me up.

But before he could get his hands on any part of me, a bullet went through his head, and he fell over sideways, away from me. My six-year-old mind immediately wanted to cry out, but then I saw where the bullet had come from.

It looked like a teenager, what my oldest brother looked like. He had white hair, goggles covering his eyes, and a mask. I couldn't see any part of his face. But he didn't smell like death, and he looked terrified as I felt. So I instinctively trusted him. He rushed over to me, and stood about a foot away from me.

"Did it bite you?" he asked, wary.

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks. I wasn't wearing slippers or socks, and my feet were starting to get cold.

"Can I pick you up?" he asked, relieved.

I nodded, and as soon as he lifted me off the ground, I passed out, I suppose, because from then on, I don't have any memory. Not 'til a few days later, anyways, when I woke up, to find a purple-haired girl and the boy who saved me staring down at me, worry on both of their faces.

"Kakashi, she's waking up!" was what the girl said, and the boy nodded slowly. My vision was still a little blurry at the time, and I wasn't at all sure where I was… But I was always a stubborn child, and I tried to sit up.

That didn't work so well.

My still-blurry vision spun, and I sank back down with a pitiful mewl. The girl squeaked out an order to the boy, and he rushed off. I felt a little uneasy, strange to say, with him gone. I trusted the girl implicitly, already. She obviously cared about me, or she wouldn't be this easy to trust. I sill, to this day, think it was her hair colour that made me trust Anko so much.

But either way, another woman came rushing back in, the boy towed behind her, and she started asking me questions.

And that was how my new life started.

I found out that the boy who had saved me was Kakashi Hatake, and that he was a sniper, and that he was eighteen. The girl was named Anko Mitarashi, and she, too, was an orphan, and that she was seventeen. The woman explaining this all to me was named Tsunade, and right away, she felt like a grandmother to me. That made me happy. I'd never had a grandmother before them. I didn't understand most of it at first but (what six-year-old would?), slowly, things started to make sense.

Two weeks after that, Kakashi taught me how to hold a gun. I gulped down the knowledge, and learned quickly. It didn't take me long to learn what made a good gun, how to hold a good gun properly, how to set the trigger without blowing my fingers off. And there were accidents, like when I nearly shot Kakashi in the foot (the gun was pointed down and towards Kakashi; never point a gun down and towards someone else), or when I nearly blew up the kitchen (I can't cook, not gonna lie). But it could have been worse, I guess.

Anko was my stand-in mother, and Kakashi quickly took over the position of father. By the time I was ten, my blood-parents were starting to blur out of my memory. I could still remember my mother's kind smile and her red hair, and my father's booming laugh and the twinkle in his eyes, but they were faceless to me. When I had a problem with boys teasing me, I went to Kakashi, and he would straighten it out. If I had a problem involving boys, I would go to Anko, and then she would straighten that one out.

I was happy again, you could say.

And so the years past, and I started to grow up. We moved a lot, whenever Tsunade needed us in a new location, or somewhere safer. When I turned eleven, Kakashi and Anko got married. I snorted at them only two words. "About time." Anko had rolled her eyes at me, and told me to zip up her dress before she freaked out and ran off. So I did.

Training, moving, eating, sleeping, schooling, more training. That was my life for a long time.

And now it's led me here. I'm sixteen, pink-haired, green-eyed, punked-out, and really bitchy, most of the time. Kakashi thinks it's because I'm a teenager. It's not. I'm just a bitch in general. We've moved to Konoha, and I already hate it. It's tiny, and I'm a big city girl. And there are… trees… everywhere. It's actually a little scary.

And I have to go to school. I've never had to go to school before. It's made me a little more then pissy.

"Sakura, come on, we have to get you to school. No, what are you doing, put the knife down, killing me won't help anything! ANKO!!!!" Kakashi, the cheat, called my mum.

"Sorry Hatake, you're in this one on your own. I'm not the one sending her to school!!!"

I laughed insanely, and advanced on him, the silver knife in my hand not even close to hidden. I probably would have stabbed him, too, had I gotten the chance.

But he got that knife out of my hand, and he dragged me all the way to the car, shoved me in, tossed my bag in after me, and off we went.

---

It took me two minutes in the place to make the observation that it was a shit-hole, and that I hated it. Kakashi did not seem amused. And he thinks I'm going to cause trouble. Of course I'm not!

But, seriously, if someone gets too close to me, there will be hell to pay. I've got two guns strapped to my thighs, knives in my boots, skirt seams, and in my wrist guards, and an entire artillery of weapons that could technically be considered illegal in my backpack.

Well. They were illegal for citizens.

Anyway, it doesn't matter, not right now. I have a class to get to. I looked down at my timetable, disdain written clearly all over my face, I was sure.

I was not putting up with anyone's shit today, not after dealing with Kakashi this morning. I think I had a right to do whatever the hell I wanted after that. The teacher could suck my metal guns for all I cared, I wasn't introducing myself.

I pushed the door to my homeroom class open, shoved the note Kakashi gave me at the teacher, and walked to the back of the room, to one of the only empty desks. The teacher raised an eyebrow, and gave me a look that said you-better-get-back-up-here-or-I'm-going-to-freak-out. Oh well. She could freak out, for all I cared about it right now. Dumb bitch.

I glared at her, and I guessed she figured that I wasn't having a good day, and she let me off the hook. Yay.

I grumbled to myself, crossed my arms on my desk, and then happily hid my face. A few minutes later, the mumbling whispers started, and I half wanted to kill myself.

Actually, no, I wanted to kill some leeches. That would make my life a lot more worthwhile and a helluvalot more interesting.

And with that, I ignored the rest of the class, and went to my happy place. Oh dear god, there were so many other things I could be doing right now…

"Sakura Hatake, would you please come and introduce yourself?!" Whispers broke out when she said my last name. Kakashi wasn't infamous for nothing. Weird… there was a group of kids sitting together, all of whom happened to be staring at me like I was the most engrossing thing in the entire world.

I snarled, but stood up and went to the front. Kakashi was going to be on my ass if I didn't at least make an effort…

"Okay, hi, I'm Sakura Hatake, I'm sixteen, I hate people, I like guns, and now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be sitting back down." So I went and sat back down.

The room was dead silent.

Damn. Now I feel like a waste of life in general. I didn't know I had the power to turn a room totally silent without even trying…

The teacher looked nervous. "Well, I need someone to show Sakura around for the first few days… who would be interested?"

The entire group that had been staring at me, all of their hand's shot up. The girls, anyways. The boys just seemed a little out of it. Whatever.

"Alright, Hinata, I think you'll do fine. Sakura, go sit next to Hinata, if you please."

"I don't please…" I muttered to myself, but I gathered up my stuff and went and sat down next to the indicated girl anyways. I didn't want to hurt her feelings; she looked nice enough.

But seriously people, it's a tiny freakin' school. I've worked in the dirtiest streets in New York; if I can get away from blood-thirsty, crazed monsters there, I'm pretty sure I can manage to memorize a couple of hallways. Gimme a break, I'm not helpless.

Hinata smiled, and the teacher started talking about cell division in plants, and how it differed from cell division in mammals (not at all, to be quite frank), and I grumbled angrily to myself. I learned this stuff a year and a half ago!!! Do you enjoy annoying me with pointless information?!

Hinata tilted her head, and shoved a piece of paper at me. Her writing was pretty, cursive, and I almost felt sick. My writing is chicken scratch, and I can't help but feel more then just a little bit jealous. Damn.

Oh, so you're Sakura, huh?

Yeah, I guess you could say that.

Why're you so… mad?

I seriously do not want to be here, and I did this shit a year and a half ago, when I was actually interested in Biology. It had to do with my favorite thing, so I was working pretty hard on it.

She nodded, and that was the end of that conversation. I spent the rest of the class staring at the clock, praying to god that it would be over. I went to one class Kakashi, what more do you want?!

The bell rang, and I was about to bolt. Screw it, I'd take the bus home. I was not staying here… But before I managed said bolt, Hinata grabbed my wrist and held me back (life be cursed, damn, damn, damn, daaaaaaaammmmmnnnn…). Normally, I would have broken her grip, but there was something in her eyes that made me stop moving, and like a rabbit, listen.

"C'mon, let me show you something, Hatake."

It was the way she said my last name. She said it the way Tsunade sometimes says it, when she's really pissed off at Kakshi, or when she's trying to drive home a point.

So, against my better judgment, I let the indigo-haired girl pull me from the class, and towards a huge-ass tree not far from the campus line.

"Hold on a few, everyone'll be here in a bit."

"Everyone?" I asked, nonplussed. I totally didn't get it, what can I say?

"You know that group that we were sitting with, all the kids and that? The four girls and the six boys? Yeah, well, that's everyone."

"So why am I waiting for these people, when I clearly don't know them? Look, I just want to go home, kill my dad for making me go to school when I could be home-schooled, and talk my mum into talking my dad into letting me go back to being home-schooled. It would make my life so much easier. So, may I go now?"

Hinata shook her head, and I groaned. How unfair was this?

We waited another ten minutes, and then that group of kids came up. Weird, I could the imprints of… well, things that shouldn't be on school property, hidden under every single one of their clothes.

A boy with sky blue eyes and blonde hair came bouncing up to us, and threw his arms around Hinata. She turned red, and looked a little faint. Oh, dude, she's totally into him…

And he was about to throw his arms around me. Hell. Fucking. No. I had him tossed on the ground, a miniature handgun pressed into the hollow below his Adam's apple. He was not going to be putting a hand on me.

He growled. "Get off of me, you crazy bitch, I haven't done anything wrong!"

I snarled, and pressed the gun deeper, before jumping off of him, and looking at the others.

They seemed unsurprised by my lightning-fast reaction.

There was a head talking.

"Nothing more then we'd expect from Kakashi Hatake's only offspring and daughter. Sakura Hatake, previously Haruno, Elite Sniper, sixteen years old, pink hair, green eyes, five foot three, a hundred and twelve pounds, currently working undercover at Konoha Municipal High School, and obviously not liking it."

I glared at the talking head. He was pretty, in a twisted kind of way - dark hair, dark eyes, really pale skin, black skinny jeans, studded belt, and oh dear god, I think I'm going to faint… Do you not understand how highly attracted I am to boys in skinny jeans?! See, now this was the reason Kakashi didn't want me going to ordinary school…

"How do you know I'm a Sniper?" I didn't care that he knew I was working undercover. I did care, however, that he knew my old last name. "And how do you know my old last name? That's not public information, and I suggest you tell me, and I might not kill you."

He smirked at me. How dare he?! "I know because I heard it directly from Tsunade, and she heard it from Kakashi himself. You got saved a long time ago, little girl. Don't think there's anything we don't know about you."

I stared at him, my glace cool and calculating. He was pretty, yes, but there was something… unsettling at best… about him. He seemed too aloof, and there was an almost vampiric aura surrounding him. Not inherited; he was completely human, but there was… something there.

"If you know so much about me, shouldn't it be fair that I know exactly the same amount about you?"

He paused for a moment, and we both continued to glare at each other. The blonde boy who had glomped Hinata broke the silence. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I'm seventeen, and I'm what most would call Assassination Squad One. I play heavy weight and I'm pretty fair with a set of knives, although personally, I prefer really big swords."

Hinata nodded. "Well, you already know me, Hinata Hyuuga, sixteen-"

I cut her off. "Hyuuga?"

"Yeah." She smiled slowly, dangerously. "I take you know my family, then."

"Yeah," I replied. "Intel isn't the easiest thing to manage, not gonna lie, I suck at it, and the Hyuuga family is known for being the best of the best. Your eyes are signature, then? Because it looks like you're related to White-ey over there." I nodded at another boy, with the same white eyes and dark hair.

I took another look at Hinata, before deciding something very important. 'Yup,' I thought to myself. 'She's the type that keeps whips and chains in her closet.

Hinata nodded. "That's my cousin Neji. Don't worry about him being a dick, he doesn't talk much. That's Sasuke's job."

"Sasuke?" I asked, unsure. I knew that name, Kakashi had mentioned it before, I was so sure of it…

"Sasuke Uchiha, seventeen, Assassination Squad One Leader, third-to-last remaining member of the Uchiha family, youngest Squad Leader since Kakashi Hatake." The jerk from before answered my question.

"Was I talking to you? No. I was talking to Hinata. Hinata?"

"He's right."

"Damn you. So who else is here?"

A blonde girl with blue eyes who could have been Naruto's sister smiled coyly. "I'm Ino Yamanaka, and can I have your number? You're really hot."

I was just a little freaked out, and Hinata, beside me, sighed. "Ino, stop it, you're freaking her out. Could you wait until after you get to know them before you ask them out?" Ino shrugged at her. Hinata glared at her. "Sorry about that, Ino's very into both sexes, and she's not afraid of letting people know. She is dating someone right now though; he's sitting next to her. His name is Sai."

I nodded, calm now. I had no problem with her sexuality, now that I knew about it. It was just a little bit unnerving to have it thrown in your face like that.

Hinata continued. "And she's the best seductress we've got; her blood is irresistible to the leeches."

"Ah," was all I said. I knew how important seduction was, in the game we played. If she was good at it… whatever. Ino's boyfriend looked up, and gave me the once-over.

"Hey Ugly."

I twitched.

About ten seconds later, I was standing behind him, a gun at the base of his skull. Damn, I really had to learn how to control my temper; this was getting ridiculous!

"Don't ever call me that, again," I hissed into his ear. He was totally calm, and, just to prove I could, I pulled out my second gun, and shot a perfect hole through a leaf while looking the other direction. Oh yes, I am good…

"Yes, Miss Ugly."

I snarled out something unintelligible, and walked back towards where Hinata was standing. They were all staring at the leaf, and then looking back at me like I was some kind of monster. Seriously people, it's not that hard. It just takes a lot of practice.

Hinata glared at Sai. "Sai, be nice, she's going to shoot a hole in your head if you keep it up."

"Yes, Your Shyness."

Hinata fumed, and muttered under her breath "Fuck you, you asshole…"

I was very proud of her. So she did have a dirty mouth, just like the rest of the world.

Another girl, this one with brown hair in two buns, raised her hand in welcome. "I'm Tenten, just a random orphan Tsunade picked up off the streets. I'm work best when it comes to quick, out of sight things. Like stealing." She grinned, and I grinned back at her. Anyone who could be so blunt would be worth talking to.

The others introduced themselves, and I came to know Shikamaru, Temari, Karin, Neji, and Suigetsu. They seemed like a bunch of kids I could probably get along with.

Karin did what I did, Sniped, and I knew without a doubt that we would get along. Apparently she was dating Suigetsu, but I didn't see how, as all they did was fight. Hinata whispered "They break up three or four times a week, but Karin told me the make-up sex is incredible."

Okay, that was a piece of information I had no desire to know.

Temari had the look of someone who was quiet, but would kill you in a second for looking at her wrong. She had a techie sort of look to her, with goggles hanging around her neck, and black wire tape around her wrist. Her blond hair was, oddly enough, up in four ponytails, and I thought 'Da-yum. The chick has balls.'

Shikamaru was the laziest person I have ever met, and that is saying something. Kakashi is my father, and he is late for everything, so yes, it is saying something. He, too, looked the techie type, with an undertone of rebelliousness. He seemed like a pretty cool dude.

Neji was too busy staring into space, so I think he might have been a tad bit high, because not everyone can pull of that totally uncaring attitude, and I hardly said two words to Suigetsu. And that was because Karin had kicked him, and he was lying on the ground, writhing in pain.

Oka-ay then…

So I went home after that. I was not into staying at school and re-learning stuff I had learned in previous years. I complained to Anko, and she promised that she would talk to Kakashi.

But really, at the time, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.