Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.

Place / Time

"Talking"

Thinking

Japanese Words/Suffixes

"Demonic/Distorted Voice"

CHAPTER 2: CONSPIRACIES

The Night Following the Announcement

Ami Tsukino was pissed.

No… what she felt was beyond anger, beyond rage. It was a boiling mix of hatred and jealousy, woven together to create an endless wrath.

From the first time Ami had stepped through the doors of the shrine dedicated to Amaterasu, she had been mesmerized. Mesmerized by the green gardens, mesmerized by the life within the temple grounds and mesmerized by the Goddess herself… It was then she had decided that she wished to become a part of that and learn all there was to know about being a servant of the Kami. She had been very young at the time, but something about the shrine had been soothing, welcoming. Even to this day, it never ceased to amaze the ambitious young woman how peaceful the atmosphere was up here, atop these steep cliffs. But tonight, as she walked among those beautiful trees and delicate flowers, even the pure and pervading presence of the Great Goddess couldn't calm the raging emotions within her heart.

All of her life had been spent preparing for this day. Every ambition Ami had ever possessed had been about taking on the mantle of her dear teacher. She had decided long ago that this would be the one thing she would achieve, no matter the obstacles thrown her way. Didn't they say that once you worked hard enough for your dreams, the Goddess would see it fit to reward you? But where was Her justice? After all the sacrifices Ami had made for the sake of her wishes - the sacrifices she had made to serve Amaterasu to its fullest - Sakura had been the one chosen in her stead. Dear sweet Sakura who always managed to perform the best in every duty. The same Sakura who never wanted the title, who could never be bothered to care about what the future brought.

"I know not how my current actions will shape the future, so why bother with guessing? All we can do is make sure we make the right choices at the right times and hope for the best."

Ami shook her head, the words echoing in her mind. Oh, how she hated it when that girl started talking to her as if she were a little child… giving Ami advice as if she herself was oh-so-wise.

Tired of pondering, the woman stood up from the stone bench she had been sitting on. As she closed her eyes and turned her head to face the skies, the wind gently caressed her face. Standing there, in the dark of the night, she made a silent pledge.

Let it be known that Ami Tsukino is not one to take kindly to defeat.

Sakura, her rival, had taken away her sole purpose in life. And Ami wasn't about to let the pinkette get away with something that belonged to her.

Her mind set, she calmly walked back towards the shrine doors, aiming for the ages-old library hidden beneath the structure.

Sakura was in a good mood as she paced along the stone path winding through the gardens. It had been almost two weeks since her new position had been announced, and she wasn't surprised to find that her title brought with it a lot of new responsibilities. Purification rituals, funerals, weddings and countless other ceremonies… Suffice it to say, she counted herself very lucky for finding enough time to take a stroll in order to clear her mind.

Crossing the bright-red bridge built over the koi pond, the priestess let her mind wander, as she always seemed to do while here. It was a nice day, she thought, despite the exhausting morning. The sun shone up in the sky, its rays filtered by the blossoms of the sakura trees trailing alongside the pathway. Perhaps these trees were the reason she liked this part of the garden the most. The young woman looked at the delicate petals of the flowers she was named after, a smile gracing her face. Lost in her thoughts about the past few weeks, Sakura almost didn't notice the figure perched on one of the stone benches up ahead. There, sitting close to the sakaki trees(1), was none other than her best friend, who she was thrilled to see.

"Hey~! Forehead!" the figure screamed, who apparently was very happy to see the pinkette as well.

A vein pulsed on Sakura's temple, making her irritation painfully obvious. "Stop calling me that, Ino-pig!"

The blonde woman, Ino, looked around Sakura's age. She had her long hair pulled up into a ponytail, with bangs framing the right side of her face, and wore an ice-blue kimono that showed off her well-developed curves. Her blue eyes were alight with mirth.

In an act hardly expected from an adult, she stuck out her tongue in response, before giving a mocking bow to her friend.

"I apologize, Nikkō-sama(2). I shouldn't have made such a comment, despite how… um… distracting it is." she said as she straightened, gesturing towards the pinkette's face. "Wouldn't want to damage your new-found reputation."

Despite the frown marring her face, deep down, Sakura was glad. It was heartening to see that somethings never changed. Still, not wanting to encourage Ino's taunting, she forced down the smile threatening to break out.

"Well, Pig, seeing as we hardly had any time to see each other these last few days, why don't we sit down and catch up?" she asked the blonde, making sure to keep her face stoic just to annoy her friend.

Seemingly disappointed by the lack of reaction, Ino agreed. Dropping the gentle teasing, the two women sat down on the bench hidden among the leaves and began to speak of their days. Soon enough, their laugher was echoing across the temple grounds.

The next morning dawned upon the city like any other. As the sun slowly rose, bathing the world in beautiful hues of red, life at the temple had already started.

Up and getting ready for the day, Sakura slipped on an elaborate silk kimono with the help of her attendant. Moving quickly, her obi around her waist, she left her chambers and headed for the garden. Her footsteps echoed within the empty corridors as she walked. Once outside, she headed for the small fountain located near the entrance to the haiden(3). There was a harsh wind, playing with her hair and blowing the hems of the fabric she wore.

Pacing down the pathway, she felt a chill trail down her spine. She felt ill at ease. It was almost as if the soothing presence of the Goddess had left her for that morning. Or could it have anything to do with the sun-rise she was gazing at right now, which seemed to have adopted a much redder glow than the one she was so used to seeing?

Upon reaching the fountain, she dipped her hands in. The water was cool and refreshing as she used it to splash her face, fully clearing her mind and waking her up. The young priestess cupped her hands under the stream, using the water to wash her mouth a few times. Now ready, she moved towards the stairs leading to the gates of the haiden. Before she could climb the first stairs, though, she was interrupted by a loud commotion.

Unused to seeing the peace of the shrine disturbed, much less this early in the morning, Sakura turned to face the group of young trainees rushing her way. Their panicked expressions and pale faces were enough to set her on edge. The group came to a stop before her and bowed in sync, panting from the exertion.

The pinkette motioned for them to stand up, alarm shooting through her.

"What is the matter? Is something wrong?" she inquired from the the girl standing closest to her, who also seemed to be the oldest one among the group.

Still trying to catch her breath, the young girl had to take a few more breaths before she could answer.

"A guard was sent here… from one of the watchtowers located at the edge of the forest, Nikkō-sama. Something of… interest was found near the walls this morning. He said that they are in need of your assistance, since the guards don't seem to know what to do."

That wasn't all, judging from the fear the girl's eyes clearly expressed, but Sakura let it go.

"What is your name, Gakusei-san(4)?" she asked instead.

"Kotori Yamauchi, Nikkō-sama." The answer was timid, accompanied by another bow.

"Thank you for informing me, Yamauchi-san. I'll look into it at once."

Once the group left, the pinkette set to work immediately. Something had happened. That much was obvious. Even though she was both alarmed and curious, upon seeing the terror on the girl's face, she had refrained from asking anymore questions. The guard would probably inform her all the same, so there was no need to dally any longer. She quickly made her way back to her chambers, intending to find her attendant.

Barely ten minutes later, she had informed a shrine-keeper of her leaving and was on her way to the torii(5) leading into the temple grounds. Her attendant walked by her side, almost running to keep up with the priestess' steps.

Finally reaching the gates, the guard was easy enough to notice: standing to the side of the path, clad in the traditional armor standard for all forces of Konoha.

When he turned to face the newcomers, though, his sweaty face broke into a grin.

"Kiba-san?" Sakura was surprised. This was one of the guards who constantly got posted to watch over the temple grounds. Hinata even had a thing for him, if she remembered right. Seeing him had been unexpected.

"Nikkō-sama." he greeted, bowing.

"Please, Kiba-san. You don't need to be so formal with me. We're friends."

Despite his reluctance at honoring the request, he complied.

"As you wish, Sakura-san."

"Now, if you don't mind me asking, what is this all about? Those trainees that informed me looked as if they'd seen the Kyuubi in the flesh."

At her question, Kiba's mirth was quick to disappear. He now had a somber look as he gazed into the eyes of the Head Priestess.

"We found a body at the outskirts of the forest this morning. She wore no specific identification, but we believe she was one of the Suke(6) of the shrine."

Sakura's eyes went wide at the revelation. One of the new Priestesses, dead? Suddenly, that feeling she had been repressing ever since dawn – the feeling that something was inexplicably wrong – washed over her once more. Hit with a sudden bout of dizziness, she leaned against a tree for support.

Shaking her head, she did her best to gather her stray thoughts.

"How was she killed?" she managed to ask, despite the slight tremor in her voice.

Kiba frowned, "You see, that's the strange thing. It's not easy to explain. It would be best if you see it for yourself."

If Sakura had had a bad feeling about this, now she was ready to bolt. What could have been so strange about her death that they hadn't even moved the body?

Or had they?

"Where is the body now?"

"Still where we found it. We decided not to move it till you'd taken a look."

Taking a deep breath and glancing back at her attendant, who looked as white as a sheet, she nodded to Kiba, silently telling him to lead the way.

Descending the long stairs leading down from the cliff took a while. When they finally made it to the level city grounds, they immediately took off toward the city gates.

As the sun had slowly but surely made its way high into the sky by then, a lot of the inhabitants of the city were already up and about. As they left their homes or walked to their destinations, all stopped to give a bow to their Head Priestess, murmuring a greeting. Sakura did her best to greet them back as she rushed after the guard, hoping to reach the gates as quickly as possible. Soon, they were visible.

They got out from the east gate, which led into the lush forest that surrounded most of Konoha. As they passed through the gates, Kiba barked out a short order. Immediately, three more guards had come to join the small group, surrounding the Priestess and her attendant from all sides.

The group finally reached their destination, just slightly into the tree line. There were another group of guards there, clearly awaiting their arrival and whispering among themselves. As Sakura and her escort came into view, though, all conversation ceased.

"Nikkō-sama." they bowed.

Sakura swallowed her irritation and made a dismissive motion with her hand, "Forgive my rudeness, but I believe this is hardly the time for any formalities. Where is the body?"

The guards shared a look among themselves, before giving a nod and standing aside.

Sakura's breath hitched as she took her first look at the now revealed body. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to swallow back the bile rising at her throat.

The corpse, clad in the distinctive kimono worn by most Suke, was lying on the forest floor. Her lusterless eyes, still wide open, were fixed upon a horror only she could see. Sakura couldn't stand looking at that face – that face, frozen and full of terror – and shifted her eyes to look at the rest of the body.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

That red color, which her numb mind had taken to be a design of the kimono at first glance… Blood, she realized. It was blood. The crimson liquid had drenched the chest of the kimono and covered the ground the body was lying on. Despite wishing that it had, Sakura's keen eyes also hadn't failed to notice the giant hole upon the Suke's chest, which the blood had apparently seeped from.

Hearing her poor attendant emptying the contents of her stomach, the young woman couldn't prevent her own from doing the same thing. As she gasped, body bent over the bushes at her side, she was dimly aware of someone holding her hair back for her. When she was sure that the initial shock had passed, the pinkette raised her head to see Kiba and gave him a shaky smile in thanks. His worried gaze was enough to tell her that he wasn't fooled.

Gathering herself as best as she could, Sakura took another look towards the body. Now that she knew what she was to see, it was slightly easier to inspect it. She walked over with wobbly steps, crouching down next to the lying figure.

Up close, it was much easier to understand why the guards had asked for her assistance. The corpse was completely covered in runes, drawn in smooth lines by an obviously experienced hand. They were foreign to her, drawn and arranged in a style she had never seen before. They ran over both skin and fabric, uninterrupted.

Feeling well enough to ask questions, Sakura licked her dry lips before she began.

"How long?"

Immediately knowing what she was referring to, one of the guards answered, "About six hours, maybe a bit less. She was probably attacked during the night, but the thing is: why was she out here in the first place?"

Sakura frowned. Indeed, that was strange. It was unusual to find someone outside the city walls after midnight, as the gates would be closed by then.

"Were you able to find any sign of struggle?"

"Unfortunately, no. That's another thing. It almost looks as if she dropped dead on the spot. But we will continue looking. There are bound to be some clues."

The young woman nodded in agreement.

"Haven't you noticed something else, Nikkō-sama?"

She turned to look at the guard, an eyebrow raised in confusion. The guard gulped, before steeling himself and gesturing back at the body.

"Her heart is missing, Nikkō-sama."

Sakura flinched, before spinning around to look at the figure. At her chest, specifically.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, doing her best to hold on to her composure for as long as possible.

"Keiko." Her attendant looked at her with fearful eyes, listening for what she had to say.

"Go back to the temple. Take a bath and meditate… relax, clear your mind. That's an order." She added the last part when Keiko opened her mouth to protest.

Defeated, the young attendant took her leave with a bow.

Looking at the guards standing around her, she issued her orders.

"Inform Tsunade-sama of this incident. Tell her that as much as I hate to disturb her, this matter requires her attention. I have no knowledge on the meaning of runes such as these."

She took another look at them. "I'll also need ink and parchment to copy these down." she said as she started flashing through hand-seals, preparing a protection technique to preserve the body for as long as possible.

One guard took off with a salute.

"Yes, Nikkō-sama!"

Chapter Notes:

(1)Sakaki tree: a tree native to Korea, Japan and mainland China. It is considered sacred in the Shinto religion.

(2)Nikkō: sun; sunlight. It is the title given to the Head Priestess of the temple in Konoha, due to the belief that she is the most dedicated servant of Amaterasu –the Goddess of the Sun.

(3)Haiden: the part of the shrine called "Hall of worship", where most prayers are made.

(4)Gakusei: student; pupil.

(5)Torii: a traditional Japanese gate through which people enter the shrine grounds.

(6)Suke: assistant. Also used as a title to refer to the new priestesses within the Konoha temple.

I would appreciate it if someone who knows Japanese could help me out with the titles and such ^^; I really need the help.

AN: So, here is the new chapter! I did my best to make it longer. Please tell me what you think? Flames are bad, as they have no point what-so-ever, but I'd gladly accept constructive critism.

Guess what? Today is my birthday...so review! Pretty please? *u*