Eve POV:

You must be questioning why I decided to put on my black beast identity and discard that of Eve.

Well, lets put it that way. Black beast is a bounty hunter she can be anywhere -no, not puff out and appear where she desires, I meant that she can be whenever trouble is - but Eve, nope.

I'm going to allow myself to play the role of a coward who hid or ran away instead of revealing to those wimps my power, lady Tsunade looks like a cunning woman, I won't give her the leverage of using me.

I was a sweaty mess- to put it lightly - my clothes clung to me as if it is a part of my skin. The scorching heat irritated me to no end, but I was still determined to find out what--or who is behind this strong energy.

I could hear my heart pounding erratically against my chest as if it is going to burst out, I passed a throng of trees until I came upon a jagged opening of what looked like a cave.

The cave was built into the muddy brown rocks hidden between a mass of trees, the stone guarding the entrance was uneven, arranged in such a way, that it would be difficult for passers-by to spot.

It was a cave mouth of impenetrable blackness- a beast mouth - as I stepped in, I watched my shadow dissolve into the surrounding chilling darkness. The walls above arched another hundred feet up. In the cave, the only sound that met my straining ears was my ragged breathing.

I walked carefully not to step on any small, loose stones that might be littering the floor, I followed the damp wall with my hand to guide me through the perpetual darkness depending on my senses of touch, hearing, and smell.

All of a sudden, flaming torches sparked to life, lighting up the tunnel ahead and bathing the entire place in a flickering orange glow.

It's like the place is alive! I wondered in astonishment.

I blinked lightly, a row of torches placed along the wall, the rough rocky walls turned smooth and arranged, like collaborated bricks.

I followed the trail of chakra, and after a series of turns and endless corridors, I stood in front of a wooden door, contemplating my next move.

The amount of energy coming from here is suffocating!

I slowly opened the door ready to fight whatever possessed such powerful energy, I wonder what kind of monster or animal is in here. However, I didn't see a monstrous figure or a giant animal inside... it was far from that.

A figure shrouded in darkness is laying on a mattress, the dim light coming from the corridors illuminated the edges of what appears as a sleeping figure.

I opened the door widely, not minding the consequences of revealing my presence so early, I could now see the man clearly.

A mess of black hair as dark as a crow stood proudly on his head since he was facing the other side, I was able to see his backside only. He is wearing dark blue pants, over which hangs a blue cloth that covers him from his stomach to his knees and which he secures with a purple rope belt. He complements this with a white long-sleeved shirt.

He seems to be in a peaceful slumber.

Good, so he hasn't sensed me yet.

The moment I took a step inside, a sharp and hard metal grazed my cheek, right under my left eye.

The wet sticky blood trailed it's path downward, carving a trail of red on my cheek.

I turned my head slightly to see a shuriken embedded in the wall a few inches beside my cheek

So, he's not asleep after all! Interesting! I chuckled with intrigue. Or maybe I triggered some hidden trap that launched this weapon at me!

"What do you want?" his thick muscular voice plunged through the sickening silence, clear as the pure water, he still didn't turn around to face me.

However, I remained silent, assessing him in the dark, and evaluating my next step carefully.

Slowly and lazily, he got up from his sleeping position and turned towards me, his posture is still relaxed and aloof, I noticed that his white shirt is open at the torso, showing a glimpse of his muscled chest.

His eyes caught my attention--they are as cold as a winter night.

Suddenly, I felt the temperature drop ten degrees by the intensity of his cold stare.

He remained silent, waiting for my answer, then he stood up and came closer, his eyes went downward then back up to meet my eyes in a swift movement of assessment.

The coldness in his eyes is unfathomable, it leaves you a quivering mess, shivering and shaking internally until you snap under its pressure.

However, I kept my facial expression stoic- not that he can see any because of the mask covering my lower face - leaving him clueless to the turmoil raging inside.

Our gaze clashed, I stared into his void charcoal eyes, trying to detect any weakness while he stared into my ocean blue ones silently, with a look I could not decipher.

A sadistic smirk found its way into his emotionless face and that was my sign to attack.

Before his fist could reach my stomach I countered his attack with my own fist toward his face while blocking his attack with my other hand.

He turned his head to the left avoiding my fist while his hand that I blocked caught mine in a vice grip, with a firm tug he twisted my body so that I was facing the wall and my back hit his chest lightly.

I tried to free my hands that are now locked in front of me. To onlookers, it would look like he is embracing me, but his embrace is a prison in which his hands are chains against my wrists.

I felt his lips against my ear, my back instantly stiffened in anticipation and fear.

"Weak," he whispered asserting.

And that was all the trigger my mind needed to break out of the numbing fog his presence has put me under. I know those eyes!

I felt a fire boil inside of me.

I'll rip his tongue out for calling me weak!

With one hard tug, I freed my hands and planted my left elbow into his stomach.

He hissed at me and took a step back, but when I turned around instead of seeing eyes blazing with fury, I was met with the same cold smirk while his eyes held an unsatisfying hunger that sent shivers of fear to rock my body, but I won't let him know that his freaky eyes affect me such.

It's as plain as day, he's toying with me!

"Who are you? And how did you find this place?" he asked, malicious intent dripping from his stance.

The silence was my only response...well besides my fist.

Immediately, I did a series of signs, preparing to attack.

I'm not one to go for the kill unless I know the person in front of me deserved death or because he's dangerous; that is he abuse the power he wields.

However, this guy really gives me chills of terror, I don't know why, but I feel a sense of unease when he looks at me.

It's like he wants to devour me, consume my soul, and possess my mind--not in a good way, though.

What a freak!

"Explosive frost balls, " a storm of ice balls the size of my fist, charged at him with at the speed of a raging fire, destroying everything in its way.

This jutsu is best performed for long-range, but I want to put distance between us and hand to hand combat won't do that, so this will push him away.

He twisted his body so none of it touched him, he swayed right and left dodging each and every one of them, it didn't even graze him. He is extremely fast, to the naked eye it would look like he disappeared, but my enhanced eyesight shows otherwise.

The impact of my Jutsu destroyed the whole room and several rooms ahead, it carved its way to the outside of the hideout leaving behind a huge gaping hole in the wall and a series of destroyed corridors and rooms.

I ran all the way outside to see if he was affected by my Jutsu.

You see these balls of ice could destroy any solid structure, let it be rocks, iron, but most important... bones.

In addition, it burns any flesh it comes into contact with.

Even though the balls are made of ice, the amount of chakra -especially the kind I infuse in them- gives the opposite outcome, so instead of freezing or merely destroying, it burns and fries anything alive by a mere touch.

I stepped outside of the partially-destroyed-hideout, the sound of battle is echoing like a furious thunderstorm.

Damn, I totally forgot that those so-called teammates are fighting as well!

No time for distraction, I have my hands full here, I reminded myself of my current situation, as I looked at him.

His clothes look untouched, not a speck of dirt marred them and his limbs are still intact, unfortunately.

No problem, I can change that.

I decided not to help those idiots and here I am stumbling across that kabutos' guy partner! He ought to be one, or else what would he be doing here! But why was he inside that hiding place resting instead of helping his friend?

I guess I'll find out soon!

My eyes zeroed on him, his back is turned to me and his head is lifted upward, bathing in the sun.

I went rigid. The same dreadful feeling is creeping inside of me at the sight of him.

Why do I feel like this whenever I look at him?

Why does his presence send chills of dread to crawl up my limbs?

Is it the way his eyes look, so void and sinister, like the deep pitch of the ocean or is it the way he carries himself...maybe it's the aura that surrounds him, suffocating and demanding submission?

I snapped out of my thoughts when he turned and faced me completely.

"Kekkie genkei?" He questioned amused.

His voice! His eyes?!

It was like a bucket of water thrown at me when I least suspected it, the amount of shock left me wide eyes- which actually happens rarely since I learned to contain my emotions- startled, my eyes zeroed on his face feeding on the realization of who he actually is.

Blood red.

Crimson blood eyes.

Like a lock snapped in half, the flood of memories ran free, out of control, and attacked me mercilessly, forcing the blocked thoughts to surface again.

"Sasuke Uchiha," I uttered unbelievingly.

Despite wishing to meet him here, it still came as a shock to see my tormentor.

Like an electric shock that jolts your whole body into a rude-awakening, everything made sense, I was just so blind to see and he was here all along...in front of me.

Raven black hair, blood eyes that glowed with evilness, pale skin, and a smug smirk.

Stupid, Eve.

He was in front of you all along and you didn't even suspect it. The same man who agonized your life haunted your thoughts and destroyed your innocence is standing right in front of me.

They say "There is nothing to fear but fear itself," yet in our world that isn't true. Many things are worse than fear. The truth, for me, in those words are a warning that fear can change who we are inside, make us compromise where we should stand firm.

What is worse than fear itself you ask. Well answer this:

What keeps us from being the goodness inside us? Who puts that fear in our hearts and minds?

Simple, humans.

Humans are worse than fear itself because they wield it as a weapon. They are the embodiment of it.

Humans are the reason we change, they are the reason fear is inflicted...is feasting on our insides with unsatisfying hunger, until we go insane or left broken beyond repair.

And he did exactly that to me, he broke me into irreparable pieces, drove me to the verge of insanity, made me a whole new person, I can barely recognize myself now.

I could taste the bitterness of my thoughts on my tongue- an unwelcoming and torturous feeling filling my insides at this sudden realization.

"I don't like to repeat myself, who are you?" he firmly inquired, his eyes blazing with a newfound fury, my silence irking him.

Fear, that's what I feel right now.

I longed for this moment and here I am face-to-face with the person who murdered my family, yet I can't move a finger out of fear.

Even though fear is an illusion, an intangible threat, like the ghost stories in children's books, it is like shackles, a knife in the gut slowly twisted, a constant hammer on the head.

No, I can't feel that way, not now, I vehemently tried to convince myself.

"I'm your worst nightmare," I sneered at him after I gathered up what's left of my courage.

After more than two agonizing years of blood, sweat, and tears I'm finally granted the wish I longed for since that incident happened... and that is to kill him!

I charged at him ready to end this, to end the pain, suffering, and quench the fire of vengeance that's been lit because of the sins he committed.

He robbed me of my innocence, of my happiness.

He took away my loved ones and today I am gonna take away what is precious to him: his life.

However, when I was exactly six steps away from him, the sight of my teammate startled me, so I hesitated.

Just a second, that's all it took.

Just a quick glance, a quick glance toward them... and it was my downfall.

A searing pain shot through my abdomen.

Wet-sticky blood rushed out of the gap Sasuke created with his fist ready to be freed out of my body with a speed that almost all my attire is now drenched in it.

A cough forced its way from between my lips.

Blood dripped from my mouth, my eyes strayed from my teammate to the person who was able to hurt me, yet again.

Cold black eyes stared at me back emotionless, his lips pulled upward smirking triumphantly at me, "don't answer, it's not like I care."

With a quick tug to my hoodie, my pale pink locks flew free of its confines and danced slightly in the breeze.

He immediately withdrew his fist, a frown marred his face as he heard the collective gasps of everyone.

I collapsed and fell to my knees.

"Eve," shouts filled with astonishment, shock, and betrayal, but no one dared to come closer, my eyes are still on Sasuke glaring daggers at him.

Then it suddenly registered in my mind that I'm busted.

Shit.

Oh, Eve, you're busted.

Can you be any more reckless, tsk tsk?

What will happen now that Eve's identity is discovered?

Will teams turn into foes, especially since she's aiming for Sasuke's lovely head!!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, keep reading because things are gonna turn hawt.

thank you all for reading and I'm sorry for any mistake :)

*~ Eva