Metamorphosis

Chapter 1: A Glint of Renewal and Plans

"Kabuto is it ready?"

The traitor medical-nin stepped forward from the shadows. Kabuto, once a loyal Fire Country Ninja, smiled a smile that read approval and loyalty to his master. He nodded and withdrew from his pack the item his beloved master wanted. In his hand was a medical syringe that held a deep purple liquid that would aid him and his master with their soon advancing plans.

"Its ready Master Orochimaru" he said with a bow. Orochimaru smirked slightly, everything was going to slowly fall into place. His black eyes fell on his apprentice, his once traitor apprentice. Sasuke Uchicha stood a couple feet away from him watching the medical-nin stand before them. He slowly learned that if he betrayed someone as powerful as him, he would learn his lesson. He learned it well; Orochimaru recalled the punishment the Shangarin wielder endured. His eyes glimmered slightly; he turned his attention back to his medic. In part of his punishment, this plan will be also put into affect for his lack of loyalty.

"Good, I want Hatake Kakashi out of the way"

He saw in the corner of his, Sasuke go stiff from the name. He continued on his reprimand.

"You know what to do Kabuto"

The Nin bowed low to the ground as well as the others that were accompanying him in the mission. His group stood up ready for departure.

"Kabuto don't disappoint me this time"

The Medical Nin smiled as his glasses flashed in the fading light.

"As you wish Orochimaru-sama" his voice replied as his silhouette faded into nothing. "Hatake Kakashi will be eliminated"

Sakura tapped her foot impatiently on the wooden bridge she was waiting on. It was about 6 in the morning and she was yet waiting for her team. In the course of the three years she was separated from Naruto, Sakura Haruno had grown into a well acknowledged young woman of 15 years. She grew up, training under the current Hokage, Lady Tsunade, as a Medical Ninja and was slowly becoming a promising ninja. She still had a lot of learning to do but she was learning something new everyday.

Sakura leaned over the bridge railing to glance down at the running stream under her. In her year's growth, she grew about a foot in the course of three years. Her hair was a little longer but it wasn't back to its original long length before she was forced to cut it off. Her attitude changed too, though from time to time old Sakura would come out if she was really angry or impatient. Before she didn't think things through and acted upon emotion, now she thought through things logically and strategically.

Sakura also changed her outfit due to growth spurt and line of work. She opted the black sandaled boots, a pale rose colored skirt that had slits in the sides for mobility, and a somewhat loose sleeveless vest that bore the familiar white circle on the back. On her hands she wore black gloves with white elbow guards to protect her arms from any rough movement. She wore short leggings with her kunai pack strapped to her right leg as well with a waist pack on her left hip that carried some medical supplies and on the rare occasion a scroll.

Sakura pushed a loose strand of pink hair behind her ear. She glanced over to her left shoulder. Nothing. She glanced over her right shoulder. Nothing. She sighed slightly.

"3…2….1…"

"Gotcha!"

She moved once she got to 1 so she could surprise the certain noodle loving ninja. She heard a yell, splash, and a very nice strand of curses float up from the water. She smirked as she repositioned herself on the other side of the bridge awaiting her yellow haired companion.

"When the hell were you able to do that?!" he asked jumping up onto a bridge post so he could crouch on it like cat. Sakura grinned at her friend. Naruto would and will forever stay Naruto, that was if he matured suddenly.

In his three year absence, Naruto didn't change that much. He still wore orange on a daily basis and his headband was black with the exceptionally long ends that trailed down his back. He too got taller and older looking. His fighting also improved from his ego emotionally run moves to that similar to Sakura's that were intentional and planned out. Except he had the chance to train under a well know Elite Jounin while Sakura trained under a Hokage that had to balance ruling a Country and train a apprentice.

She tilted her head at him and cracked a smile at him as she watched him shake off the water like a dog. She closed her eyes from the flying water.

"You're just too predictable"

She looked up into the sky to take a look at the sun, it was about 6:30 already and their teacher had yet to arrive. Kakashi, the famous Copy Nin and Sharigan User was still hanging around Konoha but a person rarely saw him except in the local pub talking to his other elite friends or on the rare occasion he would be coming home from grocery shopping and would stop to rifle through a magazine stand to find his beloved Icha Icha.

Sakura let the sun fall on her neck as she leaned a little more on the railing; she loved the early mornings. She found them refreshing with each new start of the day. Hearing a poof to her right signaled her teacher's surprisingly early arrival. Good thing for her and Naruto they were told they were being assigned with Kakashi. Due to having him as their Gennin teacher, they knew his habits of always running late to rendezvous points. They were scheduled to leave 7:00 this morning but they told Kakashi to meet them at the bridge at 5:00 to make their journey on time.

"Yo!" greeted their teacher with the familiar gesture of waving a hand to them. He halted his greeting noting the absence of the regular "You're Late!" serenade from his former pupils. Instead he was greeted with cool and calm smiles from the both of them as they exchanged glances. He looked around him making note to see if the very spot he appeared on wasn't booby trapped.

"You're….." Naruto started taking a glance over to his pink haired friend. She only gave him a half grin.

"…on time…..for once" she finished nonchalantly. Their teacher looked at them with a crinkled eye telling them his surprise. "So…what's the plan?"

"Yes…about that"

He took his normal position of slouching a little and slipping his hands into his pant pockets. Sakura would call him young; he after all is still considered the most desirable bachelor in all of Konoha, not including a certain Genma that had his way with women.

From the glimmer in his one eye, which he didn't conceal with his headplate, told her that it was young. Even though it was still was about an 18 year difference between her and Naruto. He wasn't that old when compared to both of their teachers who in their late fifties and plus some.

Nobody has seen him with his mask off, and she bet even Tsunade the Goddaime hadn't either, maybe she should ask her when she's on another sake escapade. Sakura fondly remembered the times she and the boys tried to get Kakashi without his mask on. She halted her thinking when a memory of Sasuke came to her mind.

"We are called onto an A-ranked mission" Kakashi said shattering her reminiscing.

Sakura raised a pink eyebrow. The last time they were called on such a high ranking mission they had to save a fellow Shinobi, Gaara of the Desert, and also take down the much hated secret group Akatsuki, well attempted to that is.

"We are to do a strict escort of a well liked personage coming from across the seas"

"Do we know who this 'well liked' person is?" Sakura asked. She really didn't like the sound of this one. To her surprise Naruto remained silent throughout the entire briefing, well so far let's say the least.

"He's a rich merchant by the name of Cairo Manaka. He comes across the seas once every three years to trade and also to hopefully expand his trading company"

She heard Naruto shift from his position.

"They want us to escort him?" he asked. Sakura was wondering this too, why would they have only two Chuunin's and a Jounin escort someone so important? They could just hire an ANBU squad to take care of it. Also save the trouble for two still learning ninja's.

"I thought it strange too, but they asked for us"

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Well, he apparently heard about you two from a certain little prince from a certain little island"

Sakura remembered the little prince that they had to escort and also save his overrun kingdom, back then they had Rock Lee with them at the time. She stood up from her leaning position and settled her hands on her hips with her feet spread apart.

"This is all your doing Naruto, not mine"

She said this while turning her attention to the demon carrier. He looked at her with a look of accusation. He narrowed his eyes at her to remind her of the duty they were assigned to back on that mission.

"Hey, it was also your job to protect the little brat"

"But I wasn't the one that got us—"

"What's done is done" Kakashi said stepping between the two Shinobi. "We are to pick up our client at the edge of Sound Country and then escort him back to Konoha"

Sakura halted her chakra collection into her fist; she didn't even know she started concentrating it to her favored fist. She let a forced sigh escape her lips.

"Wait, he's coming here?"

"Apparently, he wants to speak to the Goddaime about opening trade up here"

"Is he going to need us to escort him back?"

"I don't think so, if I remember correctly from the briefing, he tends to move then to Sand Country to talk to a certain Kazekage"

"Good luck with that" Naruto replied while slipping his hands behind his head in a huff of satisfaction. Sakura shot him a glance to quiet him. He saw the look and his smile faltered.

"Fine, well let's get a move on" she said turning her attention back to her former teacher. He only nodded his head in understanding.

"Well, we're off"

Sakura flew atop of tree branches with a steady speed to that of Naruto's and Kakashi's. They were scheduled to meet up with their client the very next day around noon, so they could travel at an easy pace so they would not strain themselves upon arrival.

Sakura jumped higher up a tree to catch up with the boys, she still thought herself weak but it was slowly dawning on here that she was comparing herself to two very different people. Naruto was a living carrier vessel that held the feared Nine Tailed Demon. Kakashi was well known as an elite and ANBU which he joined at a young age, but he was widely known as the Ninja that could copy 1000 jutsu's. But Sakura was able to do things that her comrades couldn't do like her outstanding ability with the controlling of one's chakra and also she was also considered the strongest kunoichi in Konoha. She also was becoming a very well known and liked Medical Ninja who was ranked very high in the Hospital list. She was said to even overpower Tsunade with due time and training.

She jumped to another tree when she saw something flicker out of her corner of her eye. Turning her attention to the whizzing trees around her, she saw nothing except for blurs of brown and green. Sakura narrowed her eyes, she saw something but it suddenly disappeared from view. She turned her attention back to the path ahead of her, when she saw it again. Except this time it was something black, her eyes darted over to look to her left. Nothing there. Sakura brought up a hand to her head piece.

"Naruto" she said into the microphone. Around her neck was a transmitter that ever Shinobi wore when they were in groups and in case they needed to get a hold of each other they used radio transmitters.

"Yeah" his voice crackled in reply.

"Have you been seeing black shapes in the trees?"

There was a pause over the channel.

"No…..I'm not sure what you're—"

His voice suddenly cut off, Sakura halted her tracks on a tree limb in anticipation.

"Naruto?" she said urgently into the piece. "What is it? What did you see?"

"I just saw something come out of the trees"

Sakura's heart leapt, why was she the first one to notice them and not Naruto or Kakashi?

"Kakashi-sensei? How about you?"

She continued her tree hopping to stay close with the boys. She propelled herself up onto another higher tree, waiting for her teachers reply.

"God, what's taking him so long? He's probably reading those perverted books" she muttered. She jumped onto another tree and vaulted over a low hanging branch.

"No, I am not" came a very annoyed Kakashi over the head set. Sakura nearly ran into a branch, she thought she was muttering to herself but she saw that she was still holding down the speak button.

Nice going stupid Inner Sakura laughed.

"Shut it" she snapped at her.

"We need to regroup" Kakashi replied calmly. "Now"

You didn't need to tell Sakura twice. She jumped up on another branch to rejoin with Naruto, she noticed that the trees were rapidly thinning out and she could see a cliff drop telling them their almost arrival at Sound Country. Sakura glanced over at Naruto and saw that he had an unsure look upon his face, telling her that something or someone was indeed following them.

They jumped off the last branch they were on and landed a couple hundred feet away from the cliffs edge. Kakashi soon joined them, his face told her something but she couldn't place it.

"We're being followed" he said. Sakura nodded and silently drew a kunai out of her leg holster. The three of them had their backs turned to each other so they could cover the same amount of ground so no one could sneak up on them.

Kakashi looked over at Sakura; he didn't know how Sakura noticed their followers before him. He was amazed to how much she changed as a young women, he still could only remember her as the careless little Gennin he used to train. He pushed the thought aside and looked back over to the forest. He could sense five things in there and maybe more if they covered up their chakra signatures.

"We're surrounded" Naruto said as he slowly drew his hand to his leg holster. Sakura looked over her shoulder but couldn't see anything. Then quickly she felt five rapid moving chakra signatures climb up from the cliff side.

Sakura narrowed her eyes, why were they being followed? She felt something in her shudder as she drew her attention back to the forest in front of her. Her insides recoiled to the sight she saw.

"Kabuto" she spat.

The medical-nin only smiled at their group.

"My, My, Hatake Kakashi when did you return training Gennin's?" he asked. His glasses flashed in the sunlight this made Sakura's stomach turn more.

"They are no longer in my care"

Sakura drew in a breath.

"Why is he just standing there?" she thought. "Something is wrong here"

"Shame, just an absolute shame"

She felt Naruto shift his position, she knew that he wanted to very badly retort from the comment. Their time was nearly up for getting Sasuke back that is if he went back to Orochimaru to gain more power in hopes to kill his brother.

"What have you done with Sasuke?" Kakashi asked evenly. Sakura's eyes drifted up to her teacher, she wasn't the only one thinking this.

"Oh, he's fine" Kabuto replied, he then chuckled. "But he had to relearn what it means to have absolute loyalty to my Master"

"You sick bastard" Sakura said. She caught herself, she didn't mean to talk. She was supposed to stay quiet and keep an eye on their surroundings.

"Why if it isn't the brat that is being apprenticed by the famous Lady Tsunade"

Sakura tightened her grip on the grasped kunai she held in her hand. How dare he speak her name.

"What if I am" she spat back, she was only getting herself in trouble talking to him but how he insult her and her teacher.

"I just wonder if your skills are greater than that of your teachers"

Sakura clenched her jaw, what was he trying to do? He was trying to get her to attack first to draw her away from the others so they could attack in separate groups. That was not going to happen.

She sliced her eyes over to Naruto; he was as tense as she was. Waiting for the time to attack and end this mans life. She drew her attention back to Kabuto and that was when she felt it.

"It's a trap!" she screamed, just when the ground they were standing on exploded and sent them into the air. Sakura got the wind taken out of her as she flew into the air. She greedily took in the missed air as three rouge ninja came in her direction. She drew more kunai out of leg holster and threw a shower of steel down onto her attackers. One unfortunately was hit in the throat but the other two evaded the threat and still came toward her. Sakura quickly brought her hands up to create a double of herself but her ankle was grabbed and she was thrown back toward the rumble and wreckage. Instead she flung a crescent kick in her attacker's direction and sent him flying. She crashed to the ground but she quickly rolled back onto her feet. She quickly looked around her to see Kakashi and Naruto being overrun with thugs.

"What is his plan?" she thought. She drew a shuriken out of her pack as well as some more kunai and got back into the fight. Her only attacker that she dealt with came charging in her direction. She waited till he wasn't but a couple feet from her did she threw her weapon as him, one landed in his throat as he crumbled to the ground. She charged in the direction of Kakashi to hopefully fend off some of his attackers.

"Wait, where is Kabuto?" she thought frantically. Throughout the skirmish, he was nowhere to be found. She was no more than 10 yards from Kakashi when she saw Kabuto appear from behind him. "He's after him! I got to get there!"

She began pouring chakra to her feet to get there faster. No more than 5 yards away, Kabuto reached into his pack to pull out…………a needle?

Sakura let the kunai she had in her hand fly toward him but it was intercepted by her other attacker that she kicked earlier. He fell to the crumbled floor in a mass of blood.

"No!" she screamed. She watched in horror as Kabuto let the needle go sailing toward Kakashi's back. "Kakashi!"

He spun around to a mass of pink hair fly behind him. Sakura felt a sharp pain go through her upper chest. Sakura staggered from the blow, Kabuto faced her with an anger filled expression. But it was short lived due to Naruto coming from behind and gave him a double crescent kick in the back.

Sakura collapsed onto the ground with the device still in her chest, she was barely fighting consciousness. She saw Kabuto's body go flying over toward the cliffs edge, too bad he didn't fall down. Everything was swimming, what was in that syringe? She felt something under her; Kakashi had her body being supported by his in attentions to keeping her elevated.

"Sakura, stay awake, stay with me Sakura"

She was barely listening, her eyes were on Kabuto. What was he trying to do to Kakashi? She watched the medical-nin get up and turn to face the group. What was left of his group surrounded him. She could barely see his face but what she saw read hatred and revenge. His voice barely reached her but she heard the promise,

"Kunoichi, you'll be sorry when we meet again"

She didn't know what he meant by that but all she saw before she passed out was a blur of orange and black running in her direction.