4 years after the Chuunin Exams… Sasuke hasn't returned and Orochimaru isn't dead.
"Here, Haruno, Tsunade-dono wanted me to give this to you," said Genma, scratching his chin, and looking dully at her. She was sitting on top of a roof, just staring out into no where. She turned her emotionless glare to him. He handed her a scroll. He wanted to wait until she opened it before he left. He had a funny feeling. A very funny feeling. He sat down beside her and watched her out of the corner of his eye. She opened it, and reeled back in surprise as a brown cloud of smoke appeared and covered her face. He chuckled and handed her a handkerchief. She scowled at him and raveled the scroll back up, before accepting the hanky. She rubbed it all over her face. His eyebrows raised as he saw her after look. She handed the hanky to him and lifted an eyebrow.
"What is it Genma?" she asked, putting the scroll in her mouth so she could dig into her pockets to find a mirror. He put a hand on top of hers. She looked up. "What?"
"Yo-your hair, Sakura-chan," he mumbled, looking away and scratching the back of his head. What was the hokage thinking? Why did she turn Sakura's hair brown? Sakura pulled a mirror put of her many pockets and looked into it. She squeaked lightly, holding in all the emotions she felt. Why the fuck is my hair brown? Oh, I am so going to kill Tsunade for this! She stood, shoving the scroll in her pocket and the mirror back into it's spot. Genma stood up with her, and held her in her spot. "Sakura, you are not to confront Tsunade-dono, by her orders, I apologize."
"But my hair, my beautiful hair is brown," she said, overly calmly compared to what she felt. She pushed past Genma, but stopped. She had to follow her superior's orders; she couldn't let emotions control her. She rubbed her eyes, and nodded.
In a puff of smoke, she appeared in her deserted condo and walked over to the couch. She jumped on it and laid there. She, slowly, pulled out the scroll, and opened it to read its contents. She gasped, softly, and tears of pure silence rolled down her cheeks.
In a few minutes, she was over it and stood up. She rubbed her finger across her lip in thought. This was an S rank mission, one many had tried to do before and had failed. They were tortured to death and left at the doorsteps of their families in pieces in a small black box. No wonder Tsunade had drowned her pink hair in brown. Sakura ran to her room and piled weapons on her body; everywhere she could fit them. She hoped she wouldn't die from this mission. This was one of the missions, she had hoped never to receive.
The scroll had wanted her to go to the hospital, before she left. She was told to meet in a surgical room.
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She had been strapped down in minutes; Tsunade had ordered her to. She was there and watching as Sakura stared emotionlessly at the tan ceiling. Blackness consumed Sakura as she fell out of consciousness by a needle in her arm.
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Sakura could feel the pain in her head or on her face somewhere. She knew it was inside and outside pain she was feeling. She couldn't pick up what had hurt the most. She opened one eye and looked around, she gasped as pain shot her when she opened her other eye. Her left eye hurt liked heaven and hell colliding. She gasped, trying to stop from screaming from the pain. She sat up, tried to scratch at her eye's pain, but all she was doing was crushing and opening her hand in a fist and not. Her right eye blinked unaligned with her left. It took her a few minutes, after she put down her hand, to get her blinking in line. Her left still hurt, but she could feel the pain seeping away. She widened her eyes as she saw, distant people watching her from behind.
"It is called the Shugengan," said a male voice, Sakura didn't recognize it. "It allows you to see everything and everyone, you can copy peoples' moves and use them as your own. You can torture someone by snapping their bones and making them bleed uncontrollably without looking at them. Read the scroll and accomplish the mission." A short pause. "You will succeed." She didn't question the voice, but just sat there and observed her hands. She disappeared in a 'poof.'
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She reappeared in her bedroom, and finished stocking up in the weapons. Before she slipped on the half face cover, she looked into the mirror, and stared into her Shugengan. The outward of her pupil was light blue, farther in it changed into a little white. Meeting the white were four bright green and yellow cylinders that circled around the pupil and then red was directly against the indigo pupil.
She slipped on the black half mask, and her ANBU mask that resembled a cat with tiger strips in gold.
When she completely finished dressing and storing, she disappeared through the gates of Konoha.
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8 years after Sakura went on the S ranked mission and 7 years after a mass murder involving 200 civilians and the entire village…
The two ANBU ninjas walked, precisely, through the tall, over grown forest of Konoha. It was the middle of the night and they were to go to the water village, and pick up a woman. The water village was where the mass murder took place years back.
"Still kills me inside how no now stopped the killer or knew who it was," whispered one brown haired ANBU, adjusting his right arm guard. "Or even what he looked like, or if it was a he or a she, or if it was a group of villains."
"There were reports of seeing an odd woman walking through the forests toward Mist," said the other with silver hair.
"So?" Silver haired rolled his eyes from under the mask.
"She appeared out of nowhere and landed in a lake near the chuunin's home. Then she walked out of the water and right past him and his family towards Mist."
"How did the chuunin know it was a she? I heard about that report, and others said 'she' was wearing a heavy black cloak."
"Don't be stupid Genma," said the silver haired, shaking his head in the other's shame. "When you get wet, your clothes stick to your body." Genma nodded, solemnly, and motioned for them to speed up. They jumped into the trees and sped, adding chakra to their feet.
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5 in the morning, a few minutes before the ANBU arrive…
"Sachi?" asked the woman, looking at her four-year old son. He looked up at her, from under his half mask. She was wearing an ANBU mask and a half mask over that.
"Yes, Mama Ruka?" he asked, picking up his backpack. She slipped it on over her coat, and slipped a white mask over his face.
"We still have a few minutes before the Jounins show up." She adjusted the cloaks she was wearing, and smelled the one of her lover.
"What about the swords, mother?" he asked, pointing to the large objects, thoroughly wrapped up in bindings.
"Well," she whispered in a playful tone to him, slipping on another backpack. "We will just have to make the Jounins carry them." Sachi giggled and turned to face the two ANBU before they landed. He waved at them and smiled under his mask. His mother clasped his hand with hers.
"Nice weather isn't it?" asked the silver haired as Genma studied the area.
"It's fair, but it is a pity that the blossoms won't bloom," she answered, that was a password. She looked down at Sachi and nodded her head. The little boy ran to the weapons and handed them to the ANBU. "I wasn't expecting for ANBU ninjas, I thought she would only send Jounins for me."
"Will the little boy be coming with us?" asked Genma, placing the heavy weapons on his back.
"Yes, he will," she said, interrupting the boy before he spoke. "Shh…" She silenced him, and held onto his hand again, as they began to walk into the forest.
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An hour later, Sachi fell asleep in his mother's arms.
"How old is he?" asked Genma, feeling desperate for some conversation; the silence was killing him… and so was the weight on his back. He needed a distraction.
"He is four years old in counting," she whispered, studying the back of the silver haired. Genma was behind her and Sachi. She smiled slightly. "Looks just like his father, but doesn't act like him very much."
Silence. "So how is Konoha?" she asked, softly, looking into the head of the person in front of her. She knew who he was. It was Kakashi, and the one behind her was Genma.
"Konoha has had its rough times and easy times," said Kakashi, turning his head slightly. Genma was making eye contact with him.
"I can't wait to show Sachi the place I was born in," she whispered, showing a tinge of her excitement. "I can't wait to see hokage!" She smirked bigger. Genma raised an eyebrow, sensing the change in the atmosphere: from negative to positive. Kakashi took out Icha Icha Paradise and began reading. "Has there been any new hokages, since Tsunade become one?" The two men looked at her; she was looking at Sachi in her arms.
"Been two more…" started Genma, trailing off and looking at his surroundings again. He thought he saw someone watching them.
"But the fifth was brutally murdered by the Akatsuki about five years ago," continued Kakashi, looking forward, he jumped over a large tree root and turned around to assist the woman. She jumped over almost without moving at all. Sachi sighed and turned in his mother's arms. "What is your name?"
"You may call me, Ruka, and I already know your names," said Ruka, moving a black hair from Sachi's mask. "Tell me who died and who is the newer hokage."
"Shizune, the protégé of Tsunade, and now Naruto is the sixth hokage," whispered Genma, swearing (cussing) under his breath. There was someone following them, and watching over them. Kakashi looked at Genma, suspiciously, and Ruka glared at him.
"Watch your words, Genma," she ordered, still smirking under her mask. Her dull eyes scanned his body and turned back to follow Kakashi. "No more speaking."
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5 hours later, only an hour away from Konoha…
"Mama!" complained Sachi, walking beside Kakashi and watching his moves.
"Yes, Sachi?" Ruka asked calmly, not a hint of the irritation she felt. The hidden weapons under the cloaks she was wearing were murder; she had to use a little of her chakra just to stay on her feet.
"Can I ask him a question?" he asked, pointing to Kakashi. She raised an eyebrow slightly and started to smirk under her mask.
"Go ahead," she said, calmly, stopping and turning to face Genma. Sachi pulled Kakashi down to his level by pulling on his arm.
"Can you take me to the bathroom?" he asked. The ANBU drew back, slightly with surprise. He nodded and Sachi took his hand.
"Where are you going?" asked Genma, passing Ruka.
"They'll be back in a few minutes," said Ruka, patting him on the shoulder as he passed, and dropping her and Sachi's backpacks onto the ground with a very loud 'thud'.
"Rest here for a while," ordered Kakashi, picking up the boy and jumping away. Ruka leaned against a tree, and sighed with relief. She slid down the tree and rested with her head leaning against its bark. Genma followed suit and leaned against the same tree. She, slowly, let her subconscious control her as she fell deep into sleep. The items that had been held up by chakra under her cloaks rolled out. Genma noticed this and walked over to observe them: five different type bombs, fifteen shurikens, twenty kunais and two katanas. He raised a masked eyebrow and shrugged, he opened her bag to put the shurikens, bombs and kunais in. Inside were the rings and headbands with a scratch through their symbol, along with many unidentifiable objects and weapons. He shoved everything he could in there and attached the katanas to his back.
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Thirty minutes later…Sachi is attempting to sneak up on Ruka; no one sneaks up on Ruka.
Sachi smirked at his mother as she slept. She was aware of the fact he was about to jump on top of her. He jumped up and she swiftly caught him in her arms. This, however, caused her hood to fall, revealing black hair. She did not care, she spiraled around, glad to feel the air blowing through it.
"Are we there yet, Mama Ruka?" he asked, giggling. She smiled, softly, wishing to remove the mask from his face.
"Not yet, my sweet, another hour or less," she said to him, lifting her mask and lowering her half mask to kiss him on the head, where the mask didn't hide his black hair. She put her mask down and let go of him. She straightened her black cloak and lifted her backpack onto her back. Sachi pulled his on, and began to lead the group in the wrong direction. Kakashi picked him up and motioned the others to speed up to the gates. They had no time to lose. Well, actually they had all the time in the world to get to Konoha.
"Is Sasuke back?" asked Ruka, watching her son as he reached out to grab some leaves. Sachi drew back from the trees and wrapped his arms around Kakashi's neck.
"Yes, and he has been severely punished for his actions about six years ago," said Genma, trying to keep up with Ruka. "Why do you ask?" She looked at him as she dodged around a tree in a camouflaged flash. (Non-visible to the human eye.)
"I have something to give him that's all."
"I hate Sasuke," whispered Sachi, so quietly, he thought no one could hear him.
"You know him?" asked Kakashi, probably to Sachi, but Ruka answered.
"Yes, we were friends," said Ruka, speeding up slightly at the sight of Konoha's rusty gates. She stopped, suddenly, as a thought crossed her mind. Genma crashed into her from behind, but this did not cause her to move at. Kakashi turned around from the sound, and jumped to the front of the two.
"Why did you stop?"
"Umm," she started, twiddling with a piece of her hair. "If you know where I'll be staying I'd like you to drop off Sachi, please…"
She looked up at Kakashi with one of her pleading eyes visible. He shook his head.
"I don't know where your quarters are, but he…" He paused, sighing and scratching the back of his head. "He could stay with me, until you find out where you will be staying." She smiled widely under her mask and bowed to him.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei!" Then she disappeared in a 'poof' of smoke. Genma jumped towards Kakashi and Sachi.
"Did she say, 'sensei'?" he asked, and dodged through the rest of the forest to Kakashi's condominium.
"Yes, I believe she did," Kakashi replied, quietly, and Sachi giggled.
"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" Sachi exclaimed, giggling even more.
"He'll like your four-year old, Kakashi," said Genma, smirking. "And your eight year old."
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Ruka dusted off her cloak and removed her half mask, still wearing her ANBU mask. She was in front of Tsunade's office. A few jounins and chuunins in the hallway looked up and a few of them stood. She, meekly, knocked on the door. She unlatched her ANBU mask and pulled up the half mask. Her left eye remained shut as the door opened a crack. She pushed it open and entered the room. It was dark and only a light by the desk was on. She entered the room, closed the door, and went to the center of the room.
Ruka untied all of the cloaks, and dropped her bag to the floor. Seven cloaks fell to the floor and six of the cloaks were of those that once belonged to Akatsuki. She stepped out of the center and dropped the five katanas she was (still) carrying. She adjusted her arm and hand protectors to fall off. Then she stood in silence waiting for Tsunade to speak. The chair turned around to face her, but no one was in it. She opened her left eye and noticed someone with yellow. Naruto?
"What are you doing here? ANBU nin?" he asked, harshly, standing up. At least he is talk first, not fight first.
"Where is Tsunade-dono?" Ruka asked, smirking slightly, and closing her left eye. She was used to keeping her left eye closed, unless in battle. She jumped to the side as Naruto, (she guessed), attempted to attack her. He crashed through the wall, but jumped up on his feet. She walked over to him, slowly, still smirking. "Are you alright, Naruto?" The chuunins and jounins were on their feet again, watching. She reached out her hand to help him up, but jumped back, as he was about to punch her. He was staring at her neck. She tilted her head to the side in question.
"Why is your headband's symbol scratched like an Akatsuki member's?" he asked, gravely. She opened her left eye and jumped through a window as the jounins and chuunins were about to attack her. She sighed, if Tsunade were here, she would have cleared this up. She dodged stealthily as the jounins tried to keep up to make an attack. She sighed in boredom, and looked down.
There stood Tsunade yelling at a pair of genins, who could not look her in the eye. "TSUNADE!" shouted Ruka, jumping down to her, all the jounins fell on top of one another as they attempted to surround her and "protect" Tsunade. The fourth hokage turned to face Ruka.
"HOLY SHIT! SAKURA!" shouted Tsunade, stepping over the fallen jounins and running to hug Sakura. The genins ran off as a crowd of more advanced ninjas formed. Naruto stepped forward; he was glaring at Ruka.
"She's an Akatsuki member, Tsunade-dono," he said, advancing in a threatening towards Ruka. Ruka smirked and shook her head.
"The Akatsuki are dead, Naruto," she said, leaving her left eye closed. Her green eye showed uncommon warmth towards the unfriendly hokage.
"Meet me in my office, Naruto and Sakura," ordered Tsunade, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Ruka followed suit and, after a few moments alone, so did Naruto.
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After Tsunade yelled at Naruto for stepping foot in her office, and Sakura had organized all of her "souvenirs" from her mission in front of Tsunade.
"Where is the Kusenagi and the Samehada?" asked Tsunade, touching the weapons she had only dreamed of seeing up close.
"Kusenagi?" asked Naruto, frowning. He still did not realize who she was. Numb skull! "You mean the Kusenagi? The one that belongs to Orochimaru?"
"I was ordered to…" She stopped and looked at Tsunade for permission. She nodded and played with one of the weapons. "I was ordered to kill Orochimaru, while joining the Akatsuki, and then kill Akatsuki."
"But," mumbled Naruto, looking at the floor in shame that he did not get to do it himself.
"Naruto," she drawled slowly. "Do you remember who I am?" He looked up at her and studied her face. She had grown a bit and without the pink hair, it was not going to be obvious. In addition, the fact she was going to keep her left eye closed and she only had one green eye left. "We haven't seen each other in eight years? I'll buy you all you can eat ramen if you get it right." He perked up slightly, and placed a hand on his chin. He studied her for the longest of times, was he… no… was he checking her out? She blushed slightly, but automatically paled at the thought of Sachi's father. She was not sure if he was really dead or not. She had not double-checked like some of the others. Tsunade looked up, and set down the sword.
"For god's freaking sake Naruto!" she said, loudly, leaning over her desk. "That is Sakura Haruno! Remember? Your teammate?" Naruto widened his eyes, but did not move from his spot.
"But Sakura has pink hair, not black," he said to Tsunade as if she were stupid. She gave an aggravated sigh and shook her head. Sakura smirked, slightly, and picked up Itachi's Akatsuki cloak and her own black cloak. She slipped on both, and headed for the door. She pulled up her half mask, and changed her hair to cover her left eye.
"I am going to…" She thought for a moment almost forgetting who she was. "I am going to be around…"
Tsunade nodded. "Sakura, you must know that jounins will be watching you," said Tsunade, shuffling the papers under the weapons around. Ruka narrowed her eyes and frowned, disappearing in smoke. Tsunade sighed, and Naruto stood still glued to that spot for the rest of the day.
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Sakura walked down the rows and rows of apartments, houses, and restaurants. She knew they were following her: she could sense their personal chakras. Ino, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Shino, that's who they were. She knew she had been marked as a missing nin once she left for the mission. However, that was not why they were following her. She was not quite sure, but Tsunade probably wanted someone to watch her kuniochi for her.
She turned the corner to where Sasuke used to live. She knocked, almost timidly, on the door. She waited a few minutes and then shrugged to walk away. She would track him later. She sensed someone else's chakra. She opened her left eye and looked around without even moving.
"What are you doing?" asked the voice, walking towards Ruka. Ruka closed her eye and turned around.
"Why are you here?" she asked, coldly, advancing one step. The person chuckled darkly.
"You can't run from me, Ruka."
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R and R, please. Not following story lines. Nevertheless, things will happen in similar ways. Not all thoughts are italicized. Just the more emotional ones, or the ones I thickly agree with. Also, yen is the money type in this fan fict.
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