This is my first story. Please Please bear with me for the first few chapters. My writing style is fairly rushed here at first but things will "smooth out" and make more sense as the story goes. For anyone who has already read this, these notes are the only new thing in this chapter. Otherwise, enjoy the story!

"Wow..."

"So much has changed since we were last here."

Two figures stood staring out over their home, nostalgia flowing through them unchecked.

"So what do you think Sakura, should we finally head home?"

The pinkette`s answer was simple: "Yes Naruto, I think we should."

Smiling, the duo slowly made their way to the front gate of Konoha. On the way, Naruto couldn`t help thinking back to what seemed like eons ago.

"Hey Sakura can you believe were actually on the same team!"

Sakura sat there staring at her teammates in disbelief.

"Why me?" Was all she could say as she sat looking at the new 4-man squad dubbed Team 8. The team consisted of Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka, Nabitora Izumara, and finally herself, Sakura Haruno. The other 2 squads, Team 7 & Team 10, were nowhere in sight. Team 7 consisted of Saskue Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and Rykuga Azu. Team 10`s members were Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Shikuke Yita.

"Damn it, why am i stuck with NARUTO!" The pinkette was absolutely seething with rage and nearly tore Kiba in half when he started snickering. Akamaru was smart enough to leap away as Sakura smashed Kiba over the head with a hammer fist that even a veteran shinobi would stay clear of.

"Um Sakura, i think you killed him" Nabitora commented as him and Naruto stared at a twitching Kiba.

She was prevented from turning her unholy rage towards Nabitora by someone clearing their throat behind them.

"Is this a bad time?"

All heads instantly turned to the source of the voice to see their sensei standing in the doorway.

"No? Good then lets get started. My name is Kurenai Yuhi, your new sensei."

Several months later...

"Hey Nabitora!" Nabitora quickly faced the direction of the noise and smiled at his comrades as they were walking towards him.

"Hey guys I was just heading out to find you." Over the past few months they had all started to build a strong friendship with each other and even Sakura and Naruto became close friends. The blonde was currently in the middle of another attempt to get Sakura to go out with him. These attempts used to put him in the hospital but recently the response has started to grow more friendly.

"Now why on earth would I do that" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Because you want to date the future Hokage" Naruto answered matter-of-factly with that signature grin of his.

Nabitora could tell it was going to be a strange day when he heard this:

"Alright Naruto but only if you pay" His shocked expression quickly turned into a goofy grin until she added "And only if Kiba and Nabitora come also."

They all laughed when he started complaining, saying that it wasn't a date if they came along.

They were all laughing when Nabitora asked if they had seen Kurenai-sensei around.

"I thought someone already told you that she is on a mission." Kiba commented in a somewhat confused tone.

"Hmm i guess were on our own for now." Nabitora thought to himself.

In the Land of Rice Patties...

Kurenai, Asuma, Izuma, and Kotetsu were shocked at the sight before them as a green-black fire reflected in their eyes.

"Who...How...Why..."

They suddenly scattered as a lone figure emerged from the firey depths of the former village.

"Who are you!" Kurenai called out.

The figure suddenly appeared in front of them. Thats when it hit all of them: this persons chakra levels were...

"Thats impossible!" She muttered. But yet as she said that the figure just started to laugh.

"So you realize it then?" The voice was unbelievably...dark? Chilling...Evil.

"Everyone stay on your toes. He's unbelievably powerful!" Kurenai yelled out. She barely had time to draw her kunai before he struck.

The blow sent out a shockwave of pure energy from the point of contact. The Sage was enjoying the feeble genjutsu he was in as he blocked the pathetic excuses called attacks.

"Burning Ash!"

As soon as it surrounded the robed figure Asuma ignited the ash.

They all paled when they heard him laugh again.

"Now it's my turn you pathetic whelps."

The temperature dropped significantly as she realized she was in a genjutsu. Her future played in front of her like a movie. When she had a family the movie stopped and the nightmare began.

Asuma watched as Kurenai dropped to her knees, shuddering and crying uncontrollably. He started to rush to her side when he seen a flash of black to his right. He never seen the Tailed Beast Bomb coming.

Izuma and Kotetsu stared in horror as Asuma flew into a tree and crumpled into a unmoving heap. Kotetsu turned to find Izuma several feet higher and significantly more shocked than he remembered until he followed his friend's line of sight down to the hand holding a sword of solid chakra. The blade held Izuma up for another second before the man viciously ripped the blade to the right, nearly cutting Izuma in half. Kotetsu couldn't move. Not even when his friends blood suddenly coated his face and chest.

"Pathetic"

The Sage stared at the man paralyzed in fear as he tossed his friend's body to the ground.

"I'll be with you in a minute," he coldly chuckled, "don't you run off."

He then turned his attention to the victim of his genjutsu, still immobilized by the raw emotoins she felt. He slowly approached her trembling form. He suddenly grabbed her with a hand made of white chakra, which immediately sunk into her chested and grabbed her heart. The Sage proceeded to lift her off the ground.

Kotetsu looked on in pure terror as the white hand started to turn a tint of red. Only when the hand was removed did he feel an indescribable feeling of rage.

The Sage was about to turn around when he felt several explosive kunai pierce his back and detonate. He materialized behind the last ninja and simply plunged his hand into his back and tore his spine out of his body.

"Her eyes..." Kotetsu couldn't help but notice as he fell towards darkness that Kurenai's eyes were now white, "I swear her eyes were red."