[AN: Hi there! Long AN to kick things off because I think some context is in order. After this, I'll be keeping the ANs brief.

I'm an editor/write by trade but a Naruto (and fanfic) newbie. I'm steadily making my way through the show, but have NOT read the Manga (one day...). I do know the general trajectory, and I'm going to try to keep things somewhat faithful (character wise, not when it comes to plot), but please remember that creative license is part of the beauty of fanfic. If you notice something unforgivable (butchered spelling, weirdly used Japanese, nonsensical geography, an explanation of a technical feature of "ninja-ness" that is plain crazy), do let me know!

Chronologically, this story picks up soon after Team Kakashi's first encounter with Sasuke following Sakura's battle with Sasori, prior to all the craziness with the Twelve Guardian Ninja. The team has returned to the village, Kakashi is out of the hospital (at least for now :)), and Sasuke is still with Orochimaru. Since this is fanfic, the story is obviously going to diverge (wildly, at times) from canon here on out. One point where this is the case from the get go: Everyone is two years older than the appear on the show, so Naruto's generation is 18 years of age (my "simple" explanation: Naruto travelled with Jiraiya for four years as opposed to two, Orochimaru's host is actually good for four years as opposed to two, etc). No underage relationships, folks-that's important.

This is rated M for language, violence, and sex. As on the show, things may seem a bit dark at points. Please don't feel compelled to read anything that makes you uncomfortable; I write for pleasure, not to hurt. Finally, I do not own Naruto, and have absolutely no plan to profit from this story. Thanks for bearing with me, and happy reading!]

Chapter 1. The Prisoner

It was a dark, moonless night when they brought him into the village. Despite the late hour, a sizable crowd was gathered in the Hokage's office, awaiting the arrival of the prisoner. The room was silent, tension thick. Tsunade herself was seated behind the desk, jaw locked and amber eyes glittering dangerously. Behind her, stood the rest of her senior staff, backs to the window. Shizune, dark eyes set on the back of her mistress's head, hands locked together nervously. Iruka, his usually benevolent face stern with its infectious smile nowhere to be seen. And Ino, even paler than usual, light blue eyes focused intently on the door that would soon open.

In front of the desk stood a platoon of eight Anbu guards, the yellowy glow of the room glinting off of their porcelain-white masks. They were joined by several Jonin. Kakashi, Sharingan revealed; next to him, Shikamaru, face uncharacteristically tense; and Neji, dark hair tied back and hands ready to activate his Byakugan if the need arose. Another four Anbu stood by the door, and a cluster of at least four more waited on the other side. Tsunade had truly taken every precaution possible.

Sakura stood by the large, oval window, watching the glinting lanterns of the prisoner's escort approaching. From her perch, she could see Guy leading a group of ten other figures: eight more Anbu surrounding him. They were close now; squinting into the dark night, Sakura could now make out the final member of the group, the wild, white hair a dead giveaway… Jiraiya! Sakura's heart dropped as she realized that there was no sign of Kurenai or Asuma. The advance reports must have been true, then.

The minutes crawled on. Sakura wet her lips; her mouth was dry with nerves, and her stomach flipped unpleasantly. The party had vanished from her view-they must now be inside the building. She turned away from the window and glanced worriedly down the line at her best friend and rival. After all, Asuma had been Ino's sensei. If the reports were true, she would be devastated.

Sakura could heard the sound of footsteps in the corridor. They were here. A voice spoke outside of the door, and Sakura tensed, eyes shooting to the source. She recognized Guy's tone, but couldn't catch what he was saying. No matter-she would know soon enough.

The door creaked open, and Sakura felt the cool air of the passageway seep into the warm, stuffy room. On any other occasion, it would have been a welcome relief, but not tonight. Tonight, the coolness felt dark, deathly, evil. Guy entered first, eyes downcast, followed by two pairs of Anbu and then… him. Someone (Ino?) inhaled sharply, and Sakura saw Kakashi shift his weight slightly, his shoulders locking aggressively.

For a moment, Sakura felt her eyes drawn to the prisoner's gaze, but she managed to catch herself, suddenly remembering Kakashi's harsh warning when they had last confronted Itachi several months ago. Beware the Sharingan! Whatever you do, do not make eye contact! She dropped her gaze downwards, noticing with revulsion that he was still wearing the black and red Akatsuki robes that haunted so many of her nightmares.

"It's all right everyone," Guy's voice cut into the silence, loud and booming in its intensity. "You can look. We have him blindfolded."

Sakura's eyes traveled up his robes, noticing the dark polish on his nails, the ruby Akatsuki ring glinting menacingly in the dark. He was taller and thinner than she remembered, perhaps due to whatever substitution jutsu he'd been using during their previous encounter. Broad shoulders; a defined yet delicate jawline; slender lips, set impassively; a fine, slender nose; and long, black hair, tied back. A fresh cut adorned his cheek, grazing his left cheekbone. His eyes were indeed covered by black fabric, torn off of one of the sleeves of his robes. Stomach flipping not quite unpleasantly, Sakura found her mind drifting back to Sasuke. With Itachi's eyes covered, the resemblance was uncanny.

"Uchiha Itachi. Long time no see." Her mistress stood up behind her desk, spitting the words out harshly. Resting her hands on the dark wood, she leaned forward slightly, as if trying to get a better look. "Guy, you are certain that this is him-?

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

The Uchiha nodded his head slightly in recognition. "Tsunade-sama." His voice was a touch deeper than Sasuke's, yet had that same cool, emotionless smoothness.

Tsunade's eyes moved from the prisoner to take in the rest of the group accompanying him. Sakura saw her shoulders drop sadly. "Kurenei...?"

"Taken to the hospital, mostly for observation," Guy said darkly, eyes hooded in a mixture of rage and sorrow. "Physically unharmed, but mentally..." He trailed off, giving Itachi a look of utter hatred.

One of the Anbu spoke, a medic-nin by the sound of it. "I did all I could, but I couldn't save Asuma. That damn sword of this bastard's partner sucked my chakra dry." Shikamaru's shoulders dropped, and Sakura heard a gasp to her left. Ino.

"Shizune," Tsunade murmured fiercely, not taking her eyes off of the Uchiha. To her periphery, Sakura was aware that Shizune had silently crossed to Ino and was escorting the sobbing girl out the side door that led to Tsunade's private chambers, head bowed.

A deathly silence filled the room as the pair exited and the door clicked shut. Then, Tsunade spoke again, her voice barking out instructions in that way she had of masking her more tender emotions. "Take him to the prison. Make sure he is well guarded. I want two teams of Black Ops on him at all times. And by no means should anyone take off that blindfold. It might very well be the last thing you do."

With that, Guy's party exited the room, only Jiraiya staying behind. As the door shut behind the last Anbu, Tsunade collapsed into her chair, face bowed into her hands. "Damn, I can't believe that shark-faced bastard got Asuma," she hissed angrily, arms shaking with rage. Then, looking over to the cohort before her desk, her eyes settled on Shikamaru. "Nara, are you all right?" The command was thrown out in that same, militant way, yet there was a certain maternal softness behind it.

Shikamaru let out a deep sigh, face harder that Sakura had ever seen it and fists clenched by his side. "Asuma-sensei's death will be avenged."

Tsunade nodded, eyes lingering on him for longer than usual before directing her attention to the rest of the group. "It is late, and we could all use some sleep. We will meet tomorrow to discuss how to proceed with the Uchiha."

The remaining Black Ops began filtering out, along with Neji, left arm slung over Shikamaru's shoulder in a somewhat uncharacteristic show of support. Sakura glanced over at Tsunade to make sure she was no longer needed and then started to make her way over to the door as well; however, Jiraiya held out his hand to stop her. "Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, a word?"

"Make it quick." Tsunade's face was worn. While the interview with the Uchiha had been brief, it appeared that she had just about reached her limit.

"Of course. It's about Naruto." It's always about Naruto. "It would be wise for us not to mention the return of an Uchiha to the village."

Tsunade nodded her assent and looked down at her desk, rubbing her temples in exhaustion. "Fine. For as long as we can. Word will get out. Jiraiya, why don't you plan to take him off for additional training tomorrow. We can at least delay the inevitable."

Jiraiya nodded and headed for the door, with Kakashi and Sakura silently following. Sakura paused before exiting the room, wondering if she should go back to assist with Ino, but felt a gentle yet firm pressure on her upper back, directing her towards the door. Kakashi-sensei.

Sakura allowed the cool darkness of the hallway to wash over her, her face hot and heart heavy from the events of the evening. They made their way out of the Hokage's tower, Jiraiya leading by a couple of paces and Kakashi behind Sakura. A vision of Sasuke swam before her as she remembered the night of his departure, Leaf headband affixed to his forehead and that familiar scowl set on his face. The headband fell off, and, slowly, he stretched, growing taller, his shoulders broadening, his face thinning slightly, and his cheekbones coming into focus as he transformed into Itachi, eyes flickering red with that mysterious, all-knowing Sharingan. Sakura shivered, not altogether unpleasantly, despite the warm evening. She jumped slightly in surprise as a warm hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"Are you all right, Sakura?" Kakashi had noticed the girl tremble.

"Hai, Sensei," came the timid reply through the darkness.

Kakashi resisted the temptation to use his Sharingan and examine her face for signs of tears. He could only imagine what she was going through. As a full-fledged Jonin who had encountered Uchiha Itachi numerous times over the years, he still found the resemblance between the two brothers jarring. How he wished that Tsunade had agreed to his request that the girl be left out of tonight's meeting. Talented healer and strong kunoichi though she may be, she was after all still just a child of barely eighteen."It will be good for her development," Tsunade had said shortly, dismissing Kakashi's concerns with a wave of her hand. Kakashi wasn't convinced then and he was even more uncertain now. After all, he remembered well Sakura's girlhood fascination with the younger Uchiha.

Sakura paused in her steps, and Kakashi stopped next to her. "Jiraiya-san, I will catch up with you later." Jiraiya gave them a wave and made his way towards the village gates. Does that man ever sleep?

Alone with his former student, Kakashi sighed deeply, allowing his right arm to rest paternally on her delicate shoulders, noting as he did so how much taller she'd grown since they'd first formed Squad 7. "They are so similar," she murmured softly to him.

Don't go down that road, Sakura-chan. "Physically speaking, yes."

"You don't think..."

"That's where the similarities end, Sakura," He replied firmly, seeking to quell not only her doubts but his own. After what Kakashi had heard from Tenzo (or was it Yamato now?) about the rest of his team's most recent encounter with Sasuke, he was no longer quite so certain.

Sakura let out another sigh, and Kakashi felt some of the tension drain from her shoulders. He was surprised at how deeply her pain affected him. Deep inside, he felt an urge to pull her in close for a hug, but he refrained from this un-sensei-like display of emotion. There were lines, after all, even if she was, technically, now an adult. Letting go of her shoulders, Kakashi straightened up and cleared his voice. "Let's get you home; it's late, and tomorrow promises to be difficult." He started off down the road that led to her parents house.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei, I actually have my own apartment now. This way." Sakura took off down a side street to the left, and Kakashi followed. Quite the adult.

Kakashi walked her silently to her door of the complex, noting how quiet and dark the streets were that night. Then again, it was likely after two in the morning.

Sakura unlocked the door and stood in the threshold. "Goodnight, sensei." She gave him a small smile. "And thank you." In the dim light radiating from the entrance hall, her eyes shined emerald out of her pale, drawn face and the light framed her petite hourglass shape most alluringly. For a moment, Kakashi found himself acutely aware of just how much his former pupil had grown.

I'd better get out of here. He shook his head ruefully; he was more tired than he thought. Through his mask, he gave Sakura a small smile of his own and that familiar salute from her childhood days, before setting off down the street to get some much needed rest.

Sakura shut the door behind her instructor before reaching up to wipe the tears that had started gathering in her eyes. What a night. The elder Uchiha's appearance was more challenging to handle than she expected, although her sensei's words provided some comfort. He was right. Uchiha genes aside, Sasuke was who he was and Itachi was, well, pure evil. Besides, the ones who were truly suffering right now were Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji. And Kurenei. Poor Kurenei.

As genin, there had always been a fair bit of gossip about the activities of and relationships among the sensei. Of course, Kakashi's rivalry with Guy was well known, but the interactions between Asuma and Kurenei had carried a great deal of mystery, at least for her and for Ino. Smiling sadly as she made the way up the stairs to the fourth floor of her building, Sakura remembered the gossip with which she and Ino used to entertain one another: "Asuma-sensei was late to training this morning again; Hinata said that Kurenei-sensei was as well"; "Shikamaru says they've got to be dating; he heard his mother talking about them"; Choji saw them coming out of Ichiraku's last night… apparently they were holding hands." As a medic-nin, Sakura knew all about healing physical wounds, but she couldn't imagine what the team treating Kurenei now could possibly do. From her own limited experience, she knew well that wounds of the heart never truly went away.

Sakura unlocked her apartment and entered the small studio, breathing in the familiar air with relief. It felt as if she'd been gone for years, when really she'd only departed for her mistress's office just a few hours earlier. She set her keys down on the kitchen table and looked around, making a mental note to clean the kitchenette tomorrow. For now, the neatly tucked double bed by the window was calling her name.

It was a bit stuffy; the landlord had apparently turned on the heat in the building despite the warm night. Kneeling on the bed, Sakura opened the window and looked out, watching dreamily as a crow floated down and landed in a nearby tree, softly cawing. She loved this view of the village: the small, dusty side street below; the sleepy little rooftops of houses nearby; and of course the comforting view of the Hokage's tower and the faces of the five Hokages, carved into the sandstone.

Sakura yawned, glancing at the alarm clock on the small desk next to her bed. "2:46 AM" read the red neon light; no wonder she was exhausted.

Climbing off of the bed, the kunoichi undressed, neatly folding her red top and placing it over the back of her desk chair. Shrugging on a robe, she made her way into the bathroom; a quick shower would do her good.

Sakura turned on the light in the small, white-tiled room, gazing at her face in the medicine cabinet mirror. She didn't look too much the worse for wear, all things considered. Her oval face was perhaps a bit paler than usual and the shadows under her eyes were pronounced, but the irises themselves sparkled brightly back at her. Giving her reflection a small smile, Sakura began brushing her shoulder-length pink hair before moving on with the rest of her nightly routine.

She was in bed by three and asleep just a few minutes later, lulled by the warm breeze and the gentle cry of the bird outside her window.