A/N: Because I have taken a rather long time to write down the sequel, I have decided to give a teaser- well technically the prologue to Somewhere Between the Earth and the Sky. This is all because the readers have been supportive and very helpful. So, I hope this can hold you until chapter one. Yes, it's short, but that's how it goes. Enjoy, and as always, thank you for reading.

Sixteen years prior to the present

"Sakura, my love, have you heard the tale about the Bloody Moon?"

A four year old Sakura sat in a modest house staring at her grandmother, entranced with the older woman's words. The little girl shook her head and moved to sit upon the matriarch's lap, anticipating the story to come. The grandmother welcomed the child into her embrace and combed the cherry locks that were her legacy. Old Asuka Haruno looked softly down to her only granddaughter and smiled sweetly before she spoke.

"Then listen well and sing along—"And soon came a voice strong and true, despite the years that had passed since the song was last sung.

"Somewhere between the Earth and the Sky

She looks for my soul, for there it should fly

She cried those tears, my Sweet turned red

I had been the Sun that shined on her head

Somewhere between the Moon and her Sun

She looked to the stars and found there were none

Children will race into Fire's land

To help seek a Nine twixt forest and sand

Somewhere between the Flesh and the Bone

My soul lies imprisoned, sins not atoned

And so she will go, into this mind

Should she open the Gates, it's Hell I find…"

"The Moon was angry?" Sakura's voice was soft and unsure of itself.

"Oh, quite, my love," her grandmother said. "The Moon felt that she was abandoned by her lover and decided to take revenge by finding him and starting a war—with the help of the stars, of course."

"What's war?"

The old Haruno woman looked into those innocent green eyes, her mind set deep into thought. How could anyone ever explain the horrors of battle to a small child? Asuka Haruno had seen enough bloodshed in her time that could fill the bodies of every being in the village. She had lost her husband to the second Ninja World War after he served his village in the first. For so many years, the widowed woman had sat there and wondered what good came from the blood that had spilled. Asuka shook her head and looked back down to her granddaughter, finally moving her wrinkled lips to form her next words.

"War," Asuka quickly blinked away any trace of her tears and continued what would be the most difficult sentence of her long life, "is something I hope you will never see…"