They watched as Mrs. Kowagatte shakily poured tea for them. Her slender fragile hands continued their trembling as she sat, and stared into her own black tea as they took sips of theirs. It was obvious she suffered from shock. The attack must've been truly horrid. It was Kakashi who decided first to break the ice.

"Mrs. Kowagatte, we mean to make this conversation as comfortable as possible. If you feel the need to cry or anything, we will not judge, nor get annoyed." He started, putting his tea cup down while Mrs. Kowagatte's silver grey eyes, a bit darker than Kakashi's hair, looked up to him and welded with more tears. She nodded.

"Shall we start then?" She whispered, her voice timid, and traumatized, shaky with suppressed tears and sobs.

"My name is Kakashi Hatake, and with me, is Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki." She nodded, as he gestured to each of the men, and looked away again. She began to play with her hands staring off elsewhere. Her silence told Kakashi to continue, and he glared, hearing Naruto whisper she was crazy. Mrs. Kowagatte looked at Kakashi, beginning to pick up her gray and black hair into a pinned bun, with loose strands of hair falling in front of her face, as if to at least try making herself look presentable.

"Mrs. Kowagatte, I would like to start off with only the simple questions before getting to the difficult ones…did your husband have any enemies that may be capable of the crime?" Sasuke stepped in. Mrs. Kowagatte sat up straightly.

"In order to answer your question Mr. Uchiha, I must first answer the hard one…," She cried quietly, tears leaving her eyes again.

"What you saw…," Kakashi whispered knowingly. She nodded and took a deep breath.

"That night…was like any other…," The woman started, and she closed her eyes, remembering it.

The supposedly great marriage between the Kowaggate's…wasn't a happy one. The man Mrs. Kowaggate thought she had loved was nothing more than an unfaithful drunkard, who didn't care about her or their children. Sometimes he'd go back to the same man she loved, but in the end he was just always going to go have a drink, come back, and beat her. The night of her husband's death was apparently unlike any other. Her husband had just finished throwing her to the floor for inquiring where he had been and if he was with another woman.

As soon as he left she silently followed him. Drunk, he was taking shortcuts through the allies, and she was sure he was going to some woman's house. That made Mrs. Kowaggate's blood boil and did have a knife on her getting ready to snap if he was with another woman.

Mrs. Kowagatte's eyes began to tear and she stopped looking away. Naruto placed his hand over hers and gave her the friendliest smile he could ever muster in his depressed state. She looked into his eyes and let the tears fall down her face.

"We're sorry Mrs. Kowagatte." For some reason she seemed to cry some more.

"Sorry? I-I was going to kill them! I…I…," She began to sob more. Naruto squeezed her hand.

"Mrs. Kowaggate…the important matter is that you didn't, and the children are still with you." Sasuke said seriously. "But for now we need you to continue." He said stoically, his words cold with ice as if he truly didn't care about her life story which in all honesty, Sasuke didn't. His primary objective was to find Sakura. And if this could probably be connected to her, he wanted to make sure he could do this fast and get to her before she had the same fate as Mr. Kowaggate.

Mrs. Kowaggate nodded and took a deep breath.

They all became very serious feeling the next couple of sentences would describe the killing.

Mr. Kowaggate was murmuring drunken slurs while on his walk through another alleyway, some about his wife others were just plain gibberish. Then it happened. Some kind of figure dropped down from the rooftops, and stopped him dead in his tracks. Mrs. Kowaggate stayed behind one of the large garbage bins and just watched. The woman was obviously a petite female, but since it was dark all she could see was one inch high heeled boots, black clothing and the rest she saw would be told later with the rest of the details. Mrs. Kowaggate thought it was her, the woman possibly sleeping with her husband but had stopped herself from confronting her.

The girl had something menacing about her that just screamed to stay away or regret would be eminent. Despite this, Mrs. Kowaggate's husband was not so smart to read the feeling, and started hitting on her. He went on, calling her a sexy babe, and a perfect mistress that Mrs. Kowaggate didn't have to know about. And all she did was laugh, and circle him as if he was some piece of meat.

And she was the wolf…

"How would your wife feel about that?" She whispered. Mr. Kowaggate turned drunkenly to try and face her but she only circled his body. A slight grin on her face.

"What she don't know…won't hurt her." He slurred. The woman chuckled.

"Oh? But what about all those nights you've done nothing but abuse her?" She asked. Here Mrs. Kowaggate's eyes widened. No one knew of the abuse. She was careful and amazing at hiding it. Mr. Kowaggate stopped and glared at her.

"Listen lady! What I do to that bitch is none of your business!" He yelled. The female began to circle him closer and seem to even to take smells at him.

The three boys suddenly began to notice a slight smile reaching Mrs. Kowagatte's face.

"All right…all right." She said, her words slow and comforting, and alluring, and seductive. She slowly pressed her body against his and Mrs. Kowaggate froze.

"What do you propose we do?" She whispered brushing his lips against his. He grinned.

"How 'bout you make an unhappy man happy sweet cheeks." Suddenly the female stepped back slightly and grinned.

"While I'd be much obliged to please an unhappy man…," she started and with almost sheer force and brutality, she pushed her hand through his stomach and upward. She pulled it her husband fell and looked at her with terror. He began to plead and beg for mercy trying to claw himself away. The figure grinned stepping on his leg, and slowly adding more tension until she broke it.

"Your wife wouldn't very much appreciate it." She said. Mrs. Kowaggate still couldn't really see too many details of her because it was dark, but she pulled down what seemed to be a hood. It was kind of obvious with the motions she was making but other than that she truly wasn't sure.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. A hooded woman? Could it have been the same one he had been encountering? He didn't say anything but listened to her story.

"Do you see what your wife felt like?" She asked.

She walked over to his arm, and broke it the same way.

"How you've slowly stepped…," She started and placed her foot at his jaw to silence him.

"And pressed…," More pressure to her foot was added. Mrs. Kowaggate began to cry silently but didn't come out in fear that that would be her next.

"And broke her?" She said, and in the last word was a mixed animalistic growl. There was the snapping of his jaw but she didn't stop. He was trying to get away and she placed her foot only harder on his jaw. He tried to scream but it only came out in painful, excruciating groans. She only giggled before lightly stomping on his throat taking the window out of him.

She remembered, faintly, seeing her grin largely and instead of regular teeth, there were fangs. Mr. Kowaggate saw it too and with his one arm and leg tried to get away. She laughed and laughed something beautiful, and reached down to grab his throat.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to play with me?" She asked. Her eyes then began glowing a menacing red, bright and entirely. Staring into them her husband began to cry and shook his head. Then she laughed as she tore him apart, sinking her teeth into his neck and doing only god knows what. The wound she caused earlier was torn completely apart, along with the arm. Doing all of it seemed like nothing but pure fun. She kept laughing and giggling as the light slowly faded from her eyes. She then reached into his abdomen and pulled out something before standing and putting it into her pouch.

She then slowly walked and Mrs. Kowaggate froze almost hoping she wouldn't see her, but the woman almost seemed to know she was already there. She looked down at her, glowing red eyes overcoming her, and even if she tried to look at the rest, it was almost like she couldn't. The red eyes were petrifying enough to make her stay in her place.

Mrs. Kowagatte then burst out crying and grabbed her face into her hands.

"I was so scared I didn't know what to do…" She cried and sobbed out. Sasuke looked at Kakashi.

"Glowing, red eyes?" Sasuke whispered in question. Kakashi looked at Mrs. Kowagatte.

"Did she do or say anything to you?" Kakashi asked. Mrs. Kowagatte nodded and looked up.

"She said…" Mrs. Kowagatte trailed, and the image of red eyes came into her mind. Glowing red eyes that looked down at her with a fang filled grin. She remembered feeling a hand caress her face and wipe her tears away. In that moment, she wasn't completely scared but all she could see was the glowing red eyes. Then her mouth opened and in a demonic, alluring but sensitive voice, she spoke.

"I have relieved you of trash that has done nothing but spoil and defile for years. I will return for your payment; for you are forever in my debt."

Mrs. Kowagatte looked up and stared at the men, whose faces were serious.

"We'll put you under witness protection Mrs. Kowagatte. We are sorry for your loss and thank you for your time." Kakashi said standing with Sasuke and Naruto. Mrs. Kowagatte shot up immediately, with her shaking her head.

"No…don't." She whispered. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed.

"Mrs. Kowagatte if what you say is true and your husband's murderer will come back for you, we must—" Sasuke was only cut off.

"I am prepared. I owe this woman my life. She did me a great service, and has saved me from what eventually…" Mrs. Kowagatte trailed and looked away.

"…What eventually would have been suicide." Mrs. Kowagatte's eyes turned slightly menacing and emotionless despite team seven's shocked eyes. She smiled gently.

"I want to repay her in any way she asks. Even if she wants my life to end, I want to give it to her. My husband deserved to die, and I wanted to do it myself. I just couldn't and she took that burden away from me." Mrs. Kowagatte's eyes then changed again, from soulless to that of awe and admiration.

"She's the savior of Konoha and soon we will all be in her debt. She will save all of us." She whispered while the boys stared only in shock and slight fear. The woman appeared to be mad, and the three quickly walked out of her home. Sasuke looked at Kakashi quickly, his voice stern and serious with a slight tinge of disgust and disdain. The woman freaked him out. Her face was that of an obsessive admiration and it overcame her in only a matter of a second.

"We can't just leave her alone." Kakashi said, reading Sasuke's eyes. "If what she said is true, and that…thing, comes back for her, she'll be in more danger than ever."

"Hell we can't!" Naruto immediately objected loudly as they began to walk. His cerulean blue eyes were serious and filled with frantic panic and fear. He stood straight and pointed back at the house like a madman.

"That lady is freaking nuts! I don't care if she watched her husband die! First off, she liked it! Second off, she's devoting her life to some, some…thing that made her watch her husband's death in the first place! You are out of your damn mind if anyone in ANBU is going to even want to protect her." Naruto yelled while Sasuke leaned against the wall of an alleyway they entered, and Kakashi sighed at his outburst. The villagers passing by looked at the nine tails' vessel with confusion as well as curiosity, and then began to whisper among each other. Sasuke glared at Naruto smack him upside his blond head, and looked at Kakashi.

"In retrospect to everything, and more respectfully then Naruto, I agree with him. Not in fear, but in concern. She's obviously not in her right mind, and if anything, I'm concerned she'll attack us if we try and protect her. Not to mention, who's to say our murderer won't somehow get pass them and reach Mrs. Kowaggate anyway? And who's to say whether or not our murderer will not kill the ANBU officers just to get to her. I doubt, fully, she will have a problem offing a few ANBU guards around someone's home she feels owes her everything." Sasuke said crossing his arms. Kakashi looked at them with his one eye.

"I admit the woman is a bit insane, but she is a Konoha citizen and is required our protection." Kakashi argued.

"She clearly stated she didn't even want it." Naruto countered.

"She's not in her right mind."

"She's a danger to our fellow shinobi Kakashi." Sasuke snapped lightly. Kakashi looked at him with a slight glare.

"Please tell me how a civilian can be a danger to our fellow shinobi Sasuke, or do you still believe we are weak?" Kakashi taunted lightly. Sasuke pushed off the wall standing into Kakashi's face, meeting him eye to eye. The real implication of Kakashi's taunt was enough to make Sasuke's sharigan activate.

"Excuse me?" He growled.

"You heard me you power sick bastard. If I remember correctly, you were a sick freak who didn't want our protection from Orochimaru." Kakashi sneered and Sasuke slammed him against the opposite side of the wall. His red eyes stared long and hard into Kakashi's charcoal own, and after some time of Naruto telling him to let go, and debating in his own mind, Sasuke released him.

"…Do whatever the fuck you want Kakashi. Just know if there are lives lost, it's on you." Sasuke growled and stalked off.

"Neh Sasuke! Hold on! Don't go!" But the Uchiha only continued his walking. Kakashi went the other way opposite of Sasuke.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did you say that to him?" Naruto whined and ran in front of him, stopping the older silver haired man. Kakashi looked down in sadness.

"Naruto I…," he trailed off looking away. "I honestly don't know…," he whispered.

"I'm going to report to the Hokage now. I'll come and tell you anything that is of importance." He said and disappeared in smoke. Naruto stood alone in the alleyway for a moment and looked up to see gray clouds forming above. His eyes monotone, but scared, his body still, but restless, and his mind focused but confused, Naruto let a tear fall from his eyes.

"It's happening again Sakura-Chan." He whispered to the sky. "We're falling apart again and again I can't do anything about it." He cried out quietly, his voice strained. The clouds seemed to darken at his confession and thunder was heard.

"I'm sorry Sakura-Chan…," He whispered as if the dreary weather was her. Again he stood there in silence and close his eyes as a raindrop hit his cheek. A giggle was heard and he turned only to see he was in the forest with the rain pouring down on him, and beside him Sakura.

"Naruto, I know you hate stormy weather but look!" she said pointing up and he did. He looked back at her not understanding.

"In every dark cloud there's a silver lining…meaning that no matter what, soon, you'll see the sun return." She said smiling and kissing his forehead while he was in his crouched position. Naruto smiled and blinked only to find her gone and in the alleyway he was standing in currently. His eyes saddened as he stared into the clouds. He tried desperately to see the silver linings created by the sun…but it was nonexistent.

Naruto looked down and began his own walk in silence.

Three Months Later

"You summoned me Lady Tsunade?" A smooth voice said from the window. Tsunade looked over to Kakashi as he hopped down fully and bowed to her in respect. She slouched in her chair a bit and nodded. Naruto sat on the couch to the side of the room, staring at Kakashi with a slight smile. His eyes however, seemed dull and dreaded. Kakashi looked back at Tsunade.

"Well if Naruto's here I assume you summoned Sasuke…" Kakashi said. Tsunade nodded but remained silent. Just after the sentence was uttered the door opened and in came the last Uchiha in Konoha. He glared at Kakashi and gave Naruto just the slightest acknowledgement. It had been three months since the three saw each other. It was said that Sasuke was always gone, doing only he knew what. Naruto would take his time searching for Sakura, while trying to find reasons for his disappearance. Kakashi was making himself slowly believe Sakura was gone. It wasn't his first time losing someone close to him and he tried his best to not let the possibility of Sakura's death destroy him.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I called you here." She said calmly, standing at looking out the window. The three remained silent.

"Mrs. Lina Kowaggate has gone missing. Her daughter and son have not seen her for two days." She informed them. The three seemed slightly shocked.

"I told you to send ANBU there for witness protection." Kakashi said. Tsunade shook her head.

"I did." She looked at him. "They saw and felt nothing."

"Well, what do ya know." Sasuke said smugly, a cocky smirk on his face directed towards Kakashi. The older male glared at him with his one revealed eye and turned to Tsunade.

"So what do you want us to do Tsunade? Search for her?" Tsunade nodded at Naruto's question.

"You are to investigate her disappearance the best you can and see if you can pin point her location." Sasuke scoffed and turned around. Tsunade raised her eyebrow and glared slightly.

"Where are you going Sasuke?" She called to him. Sasuke only turned slightly.

"I'm resuming what I have been doing for three months and that is my search for Sakura. You have delayed us long enough. I don't give two shits about Kowaggate or her husband. My primary goal is to find Sakura safe and sound." Her said beginning to walk out.

"If you want to search for Sakura at least listen to the second thing I have to say." She called to him. He stopped immediately. She took a large inhale as if to calm herself and sat down in her chair. She looked at the picture of her and Sakura on her desk. The two stood smiling, Sakura had her arm wrapped Tsunade's waist, and Tsunade had her arm around her shoulders. They both grinned confidently and beautifully, and behind them was nothing but destruction from the training they did just a few minutes earlier. It brought tears and a slight smile to her face.

She blinked them away and became stoic after placing the picture faced down.

"Sakura Haruno has been missing for three months now." She started. Sasuke's ears perked up and he stayed in the room meaning he was listening. Only her eyes shifted downward in order to avoid looking at the men. Naruto became serious, and Kakashi as silent and aloof as ever.

"While investigation of absence will remain open I need you boys here and for other missions as well." She said. Naruto's eyes widened as he pieced together what she was going to say and aloud tears to escape as he stood up angrily.

"Tsunade!" He yelled.

"As much as it hurts…," She trailed off and looked down in sadness cutting Naruto off in the process.

"I'm going to declare her dead." She said.

"You can't!" Naruto yelled. He slammed his hands onto her desk letting the tears shed.

"You can't just give up on her!" Naruto yelled. She stood glaring.

"It's not a matter of giving up Naruto it's a matter of being realistic!" She yelled angrily throwing the other blond into a shock as it sunk in and he retracted from her desk. Kakashi leaned on the window, and remained silent. Naruto looked at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei…why aren't you saying anything to this?" He cried out. Kakashi looked at him solemnly and then looked away again.

"Naruto…it's time we all faced it. We all know that when someone disappears the first forty-eight hours are the most crucial to finding them alive. It's been three months…it's only real to accept the possibility of her death." He explained. Naruto shook his head through the explanation and looked to Sasuke who seemed frozen in his spot.

"Sasuke…Sasuke say something. We can't just let them declare Sakura-Chan is dead! You and I both know more than everyone she's still alive." Sasuke turned slowly to reveal tears of his own, making Naruto's heart sink.

"Sasuke…," He started as the said man wiped his tears away.

"She's not dead." Sasuke said instantly. "But Kakashi is right." He said. Naruto's eyes widened.

"We have to at least accept the possibility." He said seriously. Naruto shook his head.

"I'm not accepting anything! She's alive!" Naruto yelled and ran out of the room. Sasuke disappeared in smoke and Kakashi stood alone with the Hokage seated still at her desk. He looked at her fully.

"Dismissed."

Naruto sat on the swing at the park in across the street from the academy. He sat only swinging lightly with his foot and staring down at the grass, watching as the young kids got out. Sakura's laugh filled his mind and he closed his eyes.

"Naruto will you push me?" She asked kindly. She was seven years old and her hair was short and she was so beautiful. He blushed but grinned to hide it and nodded.

"Sure Sakura-Chan!" He yelled loudly and she laughed at his enthusiastic attitude. And instantly they ran towards the swing. Sakura sat down holding on the ropes in her small hands. She looked back at Naruto behind her.

"Ready!" She said grinning. He smiled back and grabbed the bottom ropes, pulling them and then pushing her gently. He smiled gently. His large blue eyes warmed when she giggled and asked him to push her higher. When she told him to stop he did and walked over to the side to watch the cherry blossom fly. As she went up, her hair blew back, revealing her pretty face and large doe, grassy green eyes. When she went back down, she looked like she was falling away only to miss the ground and flutter back up.

He smiled.

"Hey Sakura-Chan, let's go get some ramen at Ichiriku's!" He said grinning. She smiled jumping off at a high height and landed a couple of feet away from Naruto. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Race ya!"

"Neh? Sakura-Chan! Wait for me!" He yelled running as she took off.

"Of all places, you came here to get away from it all?" A scoffing voice said, breaking Naruto away from his flashback. He looked over to see Sasuke against the tree connected to the old swing. Naruto looked and glared for a moment before looking down.

"I wasn't looking to get away…" He growled. His eyes saddened.

"I thought if I simply passed by, I'd see her sitting here, reading or watching the kids like I have over the years." Naruto confessed. Sasuke looked down. He remembered this was one of Sakura's favorite places to be. She would sit here and read, and watch or even play with the children. She liked kids a lot from what he saw. There was a warm look in her eyes whenever she was around them. He supposed it was their innocence that touched her.

He liked that quality though. She was a sentimental woman, of brains, brawn, and beauty.

"A lot of memories here…," Sasuke stated touching the tree he and Sakura used to climb in competition with each other. She always won of course, having the most chakra control even at a young age. He remembered one of their first tests by Kakashi, to see if any of them could climb the largest tree in Konoha. Sakura was the only one who got to the top in the very same day, later confessing it wasn't her first time doing so.

"Yeah…" Naruto whispered. His hands gripped the rope tighter and Sasuke noticed.

"Sasuke…do you really believe she's still alive?" Naruto asked in a choked whispered. Sasuke looked at him seriously and nodded.

"I know she's still alive…somewhere. Sakura is strong. Even if she goes down we both know she won't go down without a fight. She can also fend for herself for a while. We'll know if she's in danger Naruto. I'm sure of it." Sasuke tried to reassure, but he knew he was lying. He wasn't even sure himself. He wanted to believe Sakura was alive. God knows what he'll do if she wasn't. But there was that part of him, from training, that just said she could be laying somewhere, dead.

"I guess..."