Hi again. It's been awhile hasn't it? I'm sorry but I've been unbelievably busy, with life, and I promise I'll update quicker. Your reviews are all so sweet and they make me smile and laugh, and I'm sorry this update took so long. Please enjoy! Oh, the XXX are page breakers.

Disc: I don't own Naruto.

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Last Chapter: I met my siblings at the gate, unaware that what bound us together as siblings would soon be crumbling.

It seemed like Itachi hadn't told anyone about Ino yet, and for that I was eternally grateful. I kept sending him awkward pleading smiles on the walk home, until Konan told me to stop scrunching up my face because it made me look constipated. Kisame then began to sing a lovely tune about bananas and how they cured certain bowel issues, and I couldn't stop laughing.

Everything was looking so good, until, we reached home and found Tsunade and her suitcase.

For a second, there was a minute of stunned silence. Tsunade never came home early—not when I was sick with a fever, or when Deidara had been caught trying to blow up the Mayor's house. In fact, we only really saw her on weekends, which she had off, because she got up so earlier and came home so late.

We all stared at her, she looked pale and tired, her blonde hair limp and falling out of her bun. Her hands wouldn't clasp the suitcase together, they were shaking too badly to even pull on the zipper. Konan spoke first.

"Mom?" There was a note of uncertainty in her tone. We only called Tsunade 'mom' when the situation was serious.

Tsunade looked up, and smiled wearily. "I don't have time to talk. I was just called out on a sudden business trip and I'll be gone for three days. Pein's in charge. No arguing, alright?" Tsunade managed to get the suitcase closed, and wiped her sweaty forehead. "Now, Sakura I need to talk to you for a sec. The rest of you shoo, I love you, and I'll see you when I get back."

Deidara looked like he was about to protest, but Sasori clapped a hand over his mouth, and dragged him away. Then, it was just me and Tsunade. She immediately stepped forward and wrapped her hands around my waist, burying her head in my neck. I returned the hug, and feeling a slight wetness in my shoulder, I knew Tsunade was crying.

"Mom?" I asked, and my voice was shaking just as bad as Konan's was. "What's really wrong? Are you sick? Or, have you pissed off the wrong kind of people?"

Tsunade took a step back and wiped her eyes. "No, Sakura." She paused. "This is about you." With those words, my world promptly began to fall apart.

XXX

When I was fourteen, I got into a serious fight with Tsunade. We were applying for high school, and I desperately wanted to go to a different school then my siblings. We screamed at each other for days, while my siblings watched with wide eyed sadness. They didn't understand my need for separation—how suddenly I wanted to be away from them. I didn't understand how I was hurting them, yes, I wasn't as smart or as pretty or as talented as they were, so why couldn't I go to school with normal people, so I could feel special instead of just stupid? I loved my family, I just didn't want to be around them so much anymore. Especially after Ino.

Tsunade had called me stupid and selfish, and I told her she didn't understand but I wanted to be away from all of them. Konan cried, I remember and asked me why I didn't love them anymore. I stormed upstairs, burst into tears, and came down twenty minutes later, with red eyes and bruised knuckles. I apologized, and everything was good again.

I never quite forgot the look in Tsunade's eyes though—the troubled, half-knowing look of sadness, as if one day I really might leave the family behind.

She had that look in her eyes now.

"Sakura, you know that whatever happens, I love you alright? And that your siblings love you, and that we are a family," Her voice shook. "Regardless of what anyone else might say or claim. And we will always be your family."

"I know." I whispered. "I know."

"I'm leaving for court. Your birth parents—the Haruno's. They've filed for your custody. They say I'm an unfit parent—after the Sasuke incident. They say they were young and stupid, but they have the means to take care of you now, and they want you back."

My blood ran cold. All the color drained from my face.

"I'm going to fight for you Sakura. You are my daughter, and I will fight for you. But I can give you no guarantees alright? Now, I really have a flight to catch." Tsunade reached forward and gave me another hug. She called over her shoulder as she was leaving, "And don't tell your siblings about this!" And the door slammed behind me.

Numbly, I took off my backpack, no homework tonight, and looked up at the ceiling. All these years of being unsure of who I was in this family, of who I wanted to be, whether I really belonged or not, it had never really mattered. In the end, my family had never really been my family, and a court date could ruin everything.

I couldn't go back to my birth-parent's house, my hands shook. I couldn't go back there.

And Sasuke, the stupid boy, he would be my undoing once again.

I went to the bathroom, splashed water on my cheeks, and came into the kitchen smiling.

Kakazu was sitting on the now replaced table, counting a wad of money. He didn't look up when I came in, but instead, still counting, asked slowly. "What did Tsunade want?"

"Told me to keep an eye on Pein and his meds." The lie flew out so smoothly I was surprised. "Her sister's sick, really sick, so Tsunade had to head over there quick."

Kakazu smiled. "You mind not telling anyone else about this? I need to make fifty bucks, and this is good info." Good, false info.

"No problem. Just give me a five percent cut." Kakazu stopped counting and looked up at me through his lashes approvingly.

"Smart girl. I probably would have given you ten." We shook hands, and I settled next to him.

"Where is everyone, anyway?"

Kakazu smiled. "Ah-ah-ah, I need five dollars for that pricy piece of info." I sighed and pulled out my Hello-Kitty wallet.

Kakazu smiled, and added it to his pile. "They're upstairs in Itachi's bedroom, having their usual Sakura-club meeting."

"What?" I asked curiously, and Kakazu shooed me away with his hands.

"I know you only have five dollars. If you're curious, go find out for yourself." I knew out conversation was pretty much over, and headed upstairs to Itachi's room.

Itachi, the lucky bastard, had the biggest room in the house, big enough to fit all of my crazy siblings into it comfortably. So, when we had family meetings, we generally used his. As I approached, I could hear the quiet murmurings of something?

I pressed my ear to the door. I could hear Hidan talking.

"That is the last time you ever dress up Sakura, Konan. I mean, good Jashin, the bitch looked hot and fuckers were freaking staring."

I could hear someone sigh, I assumed Konan. "Not that I don't love how intelligent that statement sounded, you inbred, but Sakura looks pretty regardless of how I dress her. And I shall continue to do so, and you can't stop me." I was sure she was probably sticking out her tongue.

Hidan sputtered. "You bitch! You don't understand how the male mind works! There are some sick fuckers out in the big wide world and-"

"Yeah, like you, un." Deidara chimed in.

"As if," Hidan replied—and then Itachi cut him off.

"We have business to attend to. Ino's been bullying Sakura, and she has yet to tell us."

Pein spoke up. "This concerns me. Very much so, considering I do read her diary, and she has no mention of this 'Ino'." He said her name with disdain. For some reason I felt like I had stumbled upon some sort of evil council or something. It was creepy.

And I was so glad all I wrote in my journal now was stupid stuff- like the amount of eggs it took to cover a whole building, or how much I wanted to kill Itachi. I especially liked drawing dead Itachi pictures.

I would have to draw some more—considering he just told everyone the one thing I didn't want them to know. Still, I could understand their protective natures. After Sasuke, my siblings had gotten a tad obsessive over my well-being.

Everyone except Kakazu, who understood my need for space. I focused back in.

"And we can't let her know that we know. Cause that would upset her." Kisame added, slowly. "If we're dealing with Ino, we're doing it quietly."

"Cause Toby is a good boy!" Toby screamed, and I shrunk away from the door.

"How do you propose dealing with this… Ino?" Pein asked quietly.

"Kill her," Toby said calmly, darkly. I shivered- "I mean, Toby is just joking. Toby is funny. Haha Toby. Haha!"

There was an awkward silence, and then Deidara began to talk, excitedly. "Why don't we blow up her locker, un?"

"We've done that before." Sasori argued.

Itachi rubbed his nose. "Let me handle it."

"What are you planning, bitch?" Hidan snarled.

"You'll see," Itachi said mysteriously, and Pein banged on some sort of drum.

"Sakura-Club meeting, adjourned," I could hear them all standing, and I stood quickly, ignoring how numb my legs felt, I took a step and fell.

When Deidara opened the door, his smile fell off his face at my form, sprawled out on the floor smiling sheepishly.

"You, un!" He sputtered.

I scrambled up and bolted, taking the stairs two at a time, I grabbed my coat and cellphone off counter, and twenty dollars out of Kakazu's money pile. Deidara was close at my heels as I reached for the door and yelled.

"I'm leaving!" I slammed the door in Deidara's face and headed for the street.

XXX

Naruto, loyal as always picked me up at the street corner. His smile was practically thousand watt- although Temari's was practically a scowl.

She was Naruto's older sister, also adopted, and didn't like me much. But then again, she didn't like Naruto much either, because she was a Senior and a little too cool for us lowly sophomores. It was too bad she'd lost a bet she didn't think Naruto could eat thirty Cup Noodles, and now had to spend the whole year driving Naruto around.

"Hey, Sakura." She sighed. "Hop in." I entered the Mini-Van, stepping over the fallen Instant Ramen packages and nodded at her.

"I'm not sure who I feel more sorry for. The car, or you Temari." I said quietly.

She grinned, a real smile this time. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, Sakura. Dealing with Naruto does have a tendency to make me short tempered."
"Hey!" Naruto squealed angrily.

"Where to?" Temari continued, oblivious.

"You know where Ino lives?" Temari scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"You want to visit that bitch? The self-proclaimed Wicked Witch of the West? Why?"

Naruto put his foot on the dashboard. "No questions, sister-slave. Just drive!"

Temari sighed, and did just as she was told.

Once we reached Ino's, Temari turned off the car and gave me a look. "You sure you want to go in there? I've heard rumors about Ino and you, and they're never good."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the ride. Naruto, let's roll." We left the minivan, and headed up the gravel drive.

I'd been to Ino's house many times, before Sasuke of course, everything that had to do with Ino involved a before and after Sasuke, and I'd always liked the place. It was quaint, a yellow cottage like house with a cute garden and perfect little fence.

It suited the Ino I used to know.

We knocked on the door.

Ino's mom answered, and she looked surprised. "Sakura, it's been ages." She gave me a hug. "Hinata and Ino are up in her room. You know the way," She smiled kindly, and I brushed past her and took the stairs two at a time, Naruto close at my heels.

Once we reached the top, I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans, schooled my features into a look of stone and opened the door.

Ino looked surprised, Hinata looked sad, and I looked around the room with a raised eyebrow. The place hadn't changed much, in fact it was exactly the same as I had remembered it, all purple walls and funky furniture, glitzy jewelry, a stereo and a bunch of old torn photographs.

I remember when those photos were whole, when I would come home to Ino's almost every day. Naruto coughed nervously.

"So this is what Ino's room looked like. I thought it'd be more," His voice trailed off. "Witchy. You know, with cauldrons and stuff. Maybe a Sakura dart board, and some whips and chains."

Ino stood, and put her hand on her hip cattily. "Why?" She purred. "You into whips and chains, Na-ru-to?"

Naruto blushed. And I smirked. "No. He's into Barnie though. He likes his purple dinosaurs, rough." I deadpanned, and promptly flopped down on Ino's bed.

Naruto still stood awkwardly near the doorframe, and Ino turned her head towards me. "Now, who the hell let you in?"

I glanced at my nails. "Language Ino, there are children in this house." I motioned towards Hinata. "Your lovely mother let me in of course. Seems like she missed me. Can Tenten really fill my large shoes?"

Ino snarled. "Shut. Up."

I had thrown her off by coming here, and I could tell Ino didn't like it. She, normally the one in power, was baffled by my sudden change in our relationship.

"I came here to warn you. Itachi's planning something, and contrary to your lovesick ideas, he's a sick bastard when he wants to be. He kicked that soccor ball into your face on purpose, and will screw with your feelings just like…" I stopped myself. "I'm only warning you because I know Itachi. And he'll get involved because he feels obligated, and this is our fight."

Ino grinned, cynically. "Oh, you know Itachi, just like you so knew Sasuke. I can take of myself Sakura. I don't need you." She sighed. "I never did."

Naruto spoke up. "Could you turn the bitch down Ino? Sakura's just trying to be nice here-"

Ino's face went red. "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura." She whined. "Is that all you guys care about? You're a bunch of whipped idiots aren't you? I'm the bitch, and I bully poor Sakura. But do you know what? Poor Sakura killed my boyfriend!"

Ino stepped towards Naruto. "Poor Sakura killed Sasuke."

XXX

And that's the end of the chapter. Sorry for the little humor and the shortness, but this had to be serious to give the story some plot. Now, you know some of Ino's character, and you get to see Temari. What is Itachi's evil plan? What's up with the Sakura killed Sasuke bit? What happened with Sakura and Ino?
Well, find out next time when I have time to update! Which will hopefully, be soon.

Thank you for reading, please review.