Hey guys, okay the chapter is finally out after like four months. Sorry for the wait.
This chapter is a bit dark and raw so I changed the rating to mature for later chapters also.

This is definitely an exciting one so enjoy XD

Angels and Demons

The shadowed streets were silent, almost silent.

The streets were never silent to Sakura, much like the winding paths of her mind. There were whisperings and echoes of the past refusing to release her from their grip. Every shuffle of the gentle wind was a voice from long ago, every leaf against the ground was an inner voice begging for penance.

Her own inner voice she knew but of course she would never admit that.

The short walk to the Uchiha Manor seemed long and drawn out. A night mare where no matter how fast you ran your destination was always out of reach. Every step brought back memories from the past, memories she was sure she had banished forever. Memories of her old life, her old self, her heart before it turned into ice. Each memory came with a wave of pain so fresh she could hardly breathe.

Seared into the backdrop of each memory was his face, the handsome and cruel face that had awakened her demons from hell. The look in his eyes burning through her pitiful soul, those child-like lips moist and haunting.

Passion and pain were a deadly pair when they joined forces and Sakura felt herself losing the fight.

It would be so easy to just turn around and head back.

To where?

To just exile those memories back into the dark recesses of her mind, where they would torment her in her dreams.

But how?

To just forget all about him and his charcoal eyes that ignited a fire in her she never knew she had.

Could she?

She could back down, bow low and release herself to him, let him have the victory

And give in to a man?

Never

Suddenly Sakura threw her head back into the night air. The moon shone down on all the city bathing her light body in its ghost light. She looked like an otherworldly being that shone of the heavens. She felt her resolve strengthening, the memories slowly receded far away, leaving her mind shuddering. His face dissipated until only the obsidian eyes were left, left there to forever haunt her.

Fury so great rose in her chest she could feel its fire setting her free. Her heart thudded a new rhythm. She had never known anger so powerful, never had she felt this much of an urge to kill.

An urge that crushed all others in its wake, even her urge for him. She was furious with him for making her weak, but now she was grateful to him for making her strong, for giving her this power, this fury that strengthened her. He had been her ultimate test, the final trial to test her will. He had almost broken her, she was ready to give herself away, just about.

Until from the ashes rose something greater then she could have ever dreamed. Yes, Sakura knew it, she had to believe or there would be nothing else to believe. She was revived. She was ready. To kill

One last breath of fresh air and she was gone, into the trees, moving at lightning speed. Her eyes aglow with the hunger for blood and her heart turned to stone.

0

The clatter of the wheels against the cobblestone were in sync with the wild thumping of his heart. Images of her rosebud lips, full breasts that were accentuated by the deep V of her kimono and those slender legs straining beneath sleek silk filled his mind. Heat seared through Sasuke's body and desire racked his burly frame.

She was like nothing he had ever seen before, beautiful, luscious, curvaceous and….…strong.

Not just in the mental sense, something about the way her muscles tensed in her arm when she poured tea or the way she gripped the table so fiercely it just about snapped in two told him she was strong in the physical sense as well.

He frowned at the thought, sure he liked a strong woman who could stand her own in the bedroom, play mistress to his perverse fantasies and fulfill his darkest sexual desires. What man didn't have fantasies of a mistress whom you would have to bow down to her every whim until she'd finally let you satisfy your craving for her.

Little games where all good and fun but no women would ever over power Sasuke, woman were supposed to belong to men. The sole purpose for which they were made was for the pleasure of men. She however refused to give as if somehow testing him.

Never had he met a woman who didn't want him, he was dashingly handsome and mysterious in ways that aroused woman, even he knew that.

So what made her so different?

At first she was so angry with him for seemingly no reason but then the connection between blossomed like a fire had been lit deep inside him. He knew she felt it too, the way she leaned towards him as if nobody was in the room, the way her lips were slightly parted and gasping for air.

He was sure he had her now, right into his swirling net and ready to take home, his mind (and eyes) were already wandering down to places and things unspoken of. Then suddenly she pulled away limp and weak and defeated? And before he left he felt the anger, oozing through her pores, seeping into the tatami mats.

He knew exactly what she was thinking, she expected men to bow down to her every whim, and she was surprised he was different.

Sasuke now felt anger replacing his desire instantly, lighting his body on fire. A different fire, he would possess her, no matter how hard it would be.

He would show her that men were made to rule and a whore should know her place.

He would have her begging for mercy

Never would he give in to her

Never

Never again would he be on the bottom watching helplessly as she molded him to her every will. Never again would he be an innocent slave to her desires.

In his mind he could almost see her shiny thin lips whispering to him the lies that had bound him for so long, the lips that savagely tore his innocence away before he even really understood what it was.

He was just a child.

How could she?

Memories of those cold nights returned to him. It always happened when it rained, like the sky was crying for mercy along with him, how the floorboards creaked, a dreadful foreboding in them. Shaking under his covers he could do nothing but wait, wait.

"Sir, are you alright."

Sasuke started knocking his head against the seat and only then did he realize he was curled up into a tight ball on the cold wood floor of the rickshaw. Arms wrapped so firmly around his legs his knuckled were white with the exertion.

No, that never stopped her, no matter how hard he wrapped his arms. No never.

"Sir?" came the concerned voice again along with a rough shake on the shoulder. Sasuke shook his head sharply pushing the dark images to the outskirts of his mind.

"Uh..yes..quite.. all right. Thank you." He stuttered dazedly looking around. Despite all the anger and determination he had just mere minutes ago. Now once again he was just a helpless child. She had scarred him forever, made him into what he is now.

A successful mogul or a monster?

Sasuke felt drained of everything, every emotion his body contained, even pain. All he wanted to do was curl up into a tight ball, so tight his knuckles turned white, and fall into a never ending sleep.

0

She stood on his balcony taking in the magnificent scene before her. Lofty mountains hung back obscuring a straight horizon, the pale wonton moon hung lazily between the shoulder blades of giants casting a ring of light like a halo around the land. It was breathtaking, heaven on Earth.

But of course that's not in the least what Sakura was looking at. Her swirling storm green eyes narrowed in focus analyzing every crevice and crack of the old mansion. She was looking for the easiest route down after the business was done.

After he was dead.

Sakura was long gone, maybe never to come back. Replaced by this…thing. In the moonlight she never looked more beautiful but her eyes glazed over with a red fog, her mouth dripped with spittle, lips drawn back in a permanent growl. A bloodthirsty murderer, no sympathy left in her rock solid heart. All the emotions, memories and pain stored away deep inside under lock and key.

Sakura's eyes relaxed, her mind satisfied, no more excuses. She was finally ready. It was time. Thirst parched her throat burning into her mouth which started to water at the thought of blood.

Deep maroon blood dripping from his body and pooling onto the floor, forever soaking his white sheets. She could almost smell the iron talc of the red liquid and her nostrils flared instinctively and a ravenous growl escaped her lips. She would savor the way he writhed and squirmed begging her for mercy, the look of pure terror in his eyes right before the final hit.

Yes she was finally ready

The balcony door gave way easily beneath her touch flinging open almost automatically. Moonlight filtered into the room, dancing along the walls like living beings. The night air was cool but Sakura didn't notice, there was only one thing in her world now and she couldn't tear her thirsty eyes away.

He lay on the bed curled into a tight ball shuddering and gasping in his troubled sleep, his brow was furrowed in agony and he squirmed away from some imaginary demon coming back to haunt him, he moved closer and closer to the side of the bed where Sakura stood watching him intently like a lioness watches its prey.

A fresh sheen of sweat covered his body and the pain was clear on his face, yet despite all this he was still beautiful. Perfectly arched eyebrows above a strong nose wrinkled in fear, the planes of his muscular chest rising rapidly in heavy breaths.

Sakura took this all in coldly her face never betraying a thought and yes she wanted him, but now for a completely different reason. Her eyes were fixed on the deliciously taut skin of his neck, blue veins protruding from the effort of the nightmare.

She could hardly resist biting into it, hear the snap of the skin as it gave way to her teeth, tasting the warm blood coursing through her mouth as she sucked the life out of him.

But she couldn't. Never leave a trace. Was the assassins code, if her lips touched him the evidence would be there, couldn't risk that could we. In one swift motion Sakura unsheathed her katana, it made a whooshing sound as the thin but deadly blade slashed the air in two. She raised the blade almost lovingly stroking the edges repeatedly.

"He's all yours." She purred cold metal connecting with rose red lips. Sakura lowered the blade until the tip touched a blue vein in his neck, Sasuke was still battling inner demons and the rest of his body writhed and fought but his neck head stayed still as if it knew one wrong move and it was over.

Sakura bared her teeth which shone in the pale light, grinning maliciously.

"Don't worry Sasuke I'll make the ghosts go away." The words escaped her lips a throaty whisper caught by the evening breeze. Sakura pressed the tip harder into his neck, he twitched jerking his head sideways and fell silent but his eyes never opened.

She barely heard him gasp through the churning of blood through her veins and the thumping of her heart beating a deadly rhythm.

Kill Kill Kill

A prefect bead of blood clung to the pointed tip of the blade and rolled down his neck and yet Sasuke was completely oblivious, still in his own world fighting his own demons from the past.

The urge rose in Sakura churning like the angry sea. Time to send her own demon away forever. Goodbye Sasuke. She tensed her arm ready to send the katana right through his neck.

Suddenly Sasuke jerked, lifting his hand. For a moment Sakura thought he had woken and immediately applied more pressure to the sword.

Finish him off now

But she felt frozen, unable to move, unable to look away as he brought his hand clumsily up to his head brushing away a stray bang from his eyes. His hand lingered near his back awkwardly then fell back to his side.

A purely sub-conscious move, he was still asleep so finish him off now. Do it!

But she couldn't. She couldn't even move her hands, dread crept up Sakura's spine wrapping its suffocating fingers around her throat. She had seen that gesture somewhere, but where?

The pain was returning worse than before and Sakura knew this was her last chance before she crumbled. So why couldn't she bring herself to do it. Where had the anger and blood thirst gone? She lifted her head and forced her damp green eyes onto him, the katana was still pressed into his skin and a thin stream of blood flowed onto his night shift.

But now his face was serene, almost childish the way his mouth formed into a pout, his brow was now smoothed out and the moonlight refracted off of it making him look younger, damaged innocence.

Coldness racked Sakura's till she shook and a horrible gasp escaped her lips. Instantly her entire body felt numb and the katana clacked loudly to the floor cutting through his sheets as her hands fell dumbly to her sides.

Everything suddenly made sense to Sakura now. Why hadn't she noticed before? How could she have been so stupid? She knew exactly why she couldn't kill him. Her body knew all along her mind was just refusing to accept it.

She turned back to the bed where his painfully familiar face lay sleeping. The memories came pouring out like wine, she was drowning in them, images swam through her mind dropping her to her knees arms around her mid-section gasping for air.

The room started to spin at a dizzying speed and Sakura had no control at all anymore. Memories and voices flooded her mind until there was no room left for anything else. Sakura only knew one thing, she had to get out of here, his face was too much to bear.

Still gasping for air Sakura dragged herself onto her feet stumbling onto the balcony gulping in the night air. Without caring she flung herself over the side landing heavily in a bush, no pain came, she felt nothing, only the need to get away, a sickening need.

Sakura ran into the shadow of the trees hap-hazardly swinging at branches in the way as she stumbled through the forest. The tears started long before then flying out behind her like silver streaks, shooting stars.

Only then did she remember she had left her katana.

0

Crouched near the piles of sand bags, torn skirts hitched up beyond her scratched thighs, knotted hair blowing in the sea breeze, an indescribable emotion in her again churning sea foam eyes; Sakura must have looked like a whore to anyone and everyone. But she didn't really give a damn, did she ever really? Would she ever again?

Last night was surprisingly clear in her mind, clear as a crystal, it refracted in the light playing itself from all angles. Usually her mind automatically blocked out the things she didn't want to remember, stored them somewhere deep and dark, making the memories a blur.

But this was different, she felt it searing into her mind until her head throbbed and she silently begged for mercy. Everything she saw around her reminded her of him, his taunting face, so masculine and yet so child-like, so hauntingly familiar. Now she tried to conjure up images of him back then, but those were blurry and unfocused, she could see them, the two of them, but their words were silent and their faces were empty.

At least there was no pain, not really. Just a pounding reminder of it in different parts of her body, as if underneath there was a beast so furious it could rip her apart, but it was chained down and could only howl its threats.

Last night she didn't return to the okiya, just the thought of being in that confined room with nothing but your tatami matt and your memories made Sakura run in the other direction.

The okiya gave her nothing and she needed the whole world.

Somehow she ended up on the docks, but maybe that's right where she needed to be. The salty sea breeze carried with it the smell of life, life that existed somewhere away from this world. The churning ocean so majestic in its size was slightly comforting. The slap of the waves against the shore was as rhythmical as the beating of her heart, and so like that she squatted for hours letting time slip away, waiting for something.

But what?

"Sakura-chan?"

Startled from her thoughts Sakura looked up squinting into the early morning sun. Flashing viridian eyes met giddy cerulean ones. Eyes like blue flames, flickering excitedly and so full of life.

"Hello Naruto," replied Sakura slowly, surprised at how happy she was to see him.

"What brings you here Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto, obviously elated, as he plopped down on a sand bag beside her. He smiled widely, his teeth glowing, the scent of ramen swirling in the air. It was everywhere, in his abundant straw colored hair, on his plain cotton fishing pants. Sakura grinned weakly despite herself.

"I came to think," She replied, that was the closest to the truth anyone would ever know.

Sakura had known Uzamaki Naruto for a while now. She bought fish from him one day when she was just an apprentice geisha and the okiya has been his most faithful customer ever since. She hadn't seen him in months because she no longer ran errands for the okiya and rarely went it town anymore.

"No problem Sakura-chan! I just came to think to." Naruto cried loudly, making a show on putting his arms behind his head and staring off into the ocean. Sakura shook her head half-heartedly and looked over at Naruto, bemused. He had changed greatly since the last time she had seen him.

He shoulders broadened and his jaw line had become more defined, his arms now bulged, evidence of the labor her did everyday. Yet Naruto had not really changed at all, he was still the cheerful, optimistic teen she had known when she was nothing more than an apprentice. They would have been good friends if everything was normal, if Sakura's life was normal, if Sakura was normal. But she wasn't, so he was nothing more than the fish boy from the market.

She had more important things to think about

She wasn't allowed to have friends

She wasn't allowed to care about anyone

Sakura glanced at Naruto again, the dawn sun shone on his face tinting it pink, the salty sea breeze ruffled his soft tresses, his eyes hopeful but not innocent. Sakura didn't know much about his past but she had a feeling it was much like hers, as in there was too much pain for anyone in a lifetime; they had both seen things that had tainted their ability to love forever.

She felt it; every time he was around she could feel it. A dark power so great that it smashed her in comparison, like a living beast inside him, held at bay for the moment but only barely. She had no idea what it was but she felt its energy radiated from his body, always trying to take over his mind.

And yet, Sakura shook her head in amazement, here he was brimming with love and joy, his heart filled with faith, his smile so genuine Sakura had to turn away in shame. They had both been though so much, their childhood seared with anguish. So then how did Naruto defy all odds and turn out still so bright, like the sun while anyone else would have become a monster, hidden in darkness, like Sakura.

Naruto turned towards Sakura and grinned widely, reassuringly, before turning back towards the rising sun coming over the deep blue ocean.

He is an angel, Sakura thought suddenly, with so much capacity for love and with so much love to give. A thing of god and at that moment Sakura wanted nothing more than to sink into his love, absorb it all and for the first time in her life know what love feels like. She so desperately wanted it to turn him around and smile back into those electric blue eyes.

But she couldn't have him, she felt the darkness pressing down, she didn't deserve him, kind, sweet, loving Naruto. Not after all the people she had killed, all the things she had down. No. She was something of the devil, a beast. There was something in the way, the wall she had built around her heart stood tall and resolute, refusing to let him in. The same wall that Sasuke could crumble with just one look from those eyes that were as black as her heart.

She took one last lingering look at that shining face, got up and walked away with out a word, despite the calls from Naruto behind her.

She walked until there was nothing but silence, though his voice still rang in her stone heart.

I'm sorry Naruto, I wish you could understand. I don't deserve you.

You're an angel and I'm a demon.

Yessir, there you go, all the angst I could squeeze into the tiny chapter.

Well, I originally planned it so that Sasuke would be the "demon" and Naruto would be the "angel" but in the end Sakura kind of became the demon too.

Hope you guys like it XD

Please review, please review, please review

The more reviews the faster the next chapter comes out

Okay thanks. Until next time

Blackeri