Thank you crimson dragon, maxridelover, loveitasakuxx, and Fluttershy 2059123!

I know it's been a while, but I'm in college now so life takes priority. Classes aren't over until May so sorry guys, but you won't be seeing a lot of me =(. I'll update when I can!

Obito stood in the sunlight of the Village Hidden in the Rain, arms folded behind his back. Now that Nagato was dead, the rain had ceased to pour every day. This was quite an annoyance in his plans. He'd known that Itachi, Sakura, and Sasuke would turn traitor, but he never was concerned with it. It wasn't that surprising that Kisame was taken down by Itachi either. Itachi was on his own level of strength and power. There were very few who could hold a candle to him. The question he had died with Nagato. What happened in Konoha to make his most loyal pawn completely deviate from their plan and give his life to save the people he'd just killed? Konan was also nowhere to be found. No matter. She would be, and she would tell him where Nagato's body was. Those eyes did not belong to the recently deceased ninja.

Obito turned and entered his room, taking off his robe and throwing it to the side. His bed creaked as he sat down. He linked his gloved fingers together. Obito was aware that the Kages were planning on having a summit. He'd go and make his intentions known there. They had no choice but to follow Obito's wishes or they would a war on their hands. Obito was ready for it. Next, he would check on his army. It was almost time for them to do what they were created to do.

Sakura was on her way to have lunch with Naruto. It was about time she sat down with her best friend and told him everything that happened while she was "kidnapped". She'd been home for a week now, but there was a lot of interrogation going on, then she had to help with the injured. Although they'd been brought back from the dead, they still retained the injuries they received before dying. That was okay. At least they were alive. A part of Sakura was alive again too. There was still a huge battle that they had to face, but she was back home. Her friends and family were starting to trust her again, and best of all, Itachi was with her. The village wasn't as accepting of him just yet, but once they know the truth, everyone would understand.

Sakura pulled her hood over her head just as the wind started to pick up. The temperature was fluctuating between cool to chilly every few days like summer was still desperately trying to hang on. It was slowly disappearing until next year. The leaves were falling by the bunches off the trees and pooling around the trunks. The air had the crisp feel to it that Sakura loved around this time of year. Nostalgia was hitting her like a wave. If only the village looked like what she remembered. They hadn't been able to start rebuilding yet. There was so much debris and rubble to sift through and move. Sakura helped with that a lot as well. She and Naruto were actually going to be having a picnic since Ichiraku's and the other restaurants were destroyed. Hinata offered to make it for them.

That thought made a smile cross her features. It was about time her idiot friend realized just how much Hinata cared for him. She thought they'd be adults long before he caught on, and poor Hinata was so shy, she'd never flat out tell him. That was a story the medic definitely wanted to hear about. Sakura bounded up the side of the rocky peaks on the outskirts of what was left of the village. The skies were clear and the sun was bright in the sky. Sakura squinted, placing her hand over her eyes as a shield. Naruto was waving to her wildly with one hand while a picnic basket hung loosely in his other. Sakura smiled and walked over to him.

Naruto hooked an arm around her shoulders and walked them over to a brightly lit patch of grass. "Hinata made a lot of food! Hope you're hungry!"

Sakura's stomach growled in response as she sat down cross-legged in the grass. "You bet!"

Naruto followed, quickly opening the basket. He pulled out a steaming container of wonton soup and rice. There was also some salted fish in it, and Sakura helped herself to it. "This is so good! You're a lucky guy Naruto!"

He chuckled, grinning widely. "Yeah I know. Couldn't ask for a better girlfriend." He drank a bit of the soup before saying, "So what the hell happened Sakura? I don't understand this thing you got goin' on with Itachi."

Sakura chewed and swallowed. "It's a long story."

She spent the next hour telling him the same things she'd told Yamato, Anko, and Sai. Towards the end, Naruto folded his arms and closed his eyes. He seemed to be taking everything in. Sakura waited for the outburst that was sure to come. It never did. Instead, he exhaled.

"I get it Sakura," Naruto said slowly. "If you and Sasuke both have forgiven Itachi…I guess I should too, but how do you look past him killing his whole family?"

Sakura paused for a moment, pulling her knees to her chest. "There is something that no one knows about the massacre, except for a few people. Itachi is the one who should reveal the truth. I don't think it's my place."

Naruto nodded, blonde strands shifting into his face. "Okay, I'll wait then."

"And by the way, Sasuke will be back in Konoha soon."

She watched with amusement as his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Sasuke will be back soon?! I can't wait to see him!"

"He actually wants to see you too," Sakura answered. "I know he acts like an ass half the time, but he does care about you."

Naruto leaned back and placed his hands behind him. "You don't have to tell me. I already know. He's just an asshole."

They laughed like Sakura had never left. It was comforting to know they could just pick up where they left off. Naruto stood to his feet and Sakura followed. "Well, I have to go help with rebuilding."

"Okay," Sakura said while stretching her arms over her head. "I'm going to stop and check on the location where the patients are then go see how Lady Tsunade is doing."

Naruto held up a thumb to her. "Sounds great! See you later Sakura!"

He jumped down from their perch. Sakura's gaze scanned over the empty bowl that was once Konoha. It tore her heart to pieces, but there was nothing they could do now, but rebuild and start over. Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing into the chill of the wind. Her breathing was deep and slow. Opening her eyes, Sakura knew it was time to get to work. The wind whipped her hair around her ears while she descended. As her loose strands snapped annoyingly at her skin, it reminded her that it was time to get her hair cut soon. That right now wasn't priority; she'd just have to pull it up into a ponytail.

Making it to the ground, Sakura quickly traveled over to the underground area where they were keeping the injured. It was bustling with nurses and medical shinobi. Sakura made a beeline for the immediate patients. Being a full blown medic again made her feel in her element. Sakura grabbed a stethoscope from a table and walked briskly over to a male ninja that was probably in his early 30s. He was seizing violently on the ground. Sakura quickly jumped forward and put him on his side.

"Get a bite block!" she commanded.

The closest assistant handed her one, and she expertly placed it in his mouth without getting bitten. She stood and let him continue seizing. "Let him finish, then intubate him if he's not breathing. I saw a gash on the back of his head. His seizures may be caused by that injury. Heal it!"

"Yes Sakura-san!" the girl who gave her the bite block responded while getting intubation quickly out of a bag.

"Sakura-san! Over here!"

She whirled around at the sound of her name and ran over to a group of people. This one was a young woman, probably barely twenty. She all that was left of her hand was a bloody stump that had already been bandaged tightly, but her missing limb wasn't the problem: she was obviously in labor. Her legs were spread widely sweat sheened on her forehead. Her black hair was drenched and stringy around her shoulders. A contraction hit her hard, causing her to shriek in agony. A man was kneeling at her side holding her other hand.

"You can do this Reikaya," he coached. "It's tough, but there's no woman tougher than you on this planet!"

"Shut the fuck up!" she raged. "I'm in all this pain because of you, you asshole! Oh my god! This fucking demon is ripping me apart! Get out you little shit!"

She screamed again as another contraction rolled through her abdomen. By this time, Sakura was completely gloved up and had a gown on, eye protection, and face mask. She'd delivered a few babies here and there. Hopefully, this would be a smooth delivery. Sakura lifted the woman's dress to her knees.

"My name is Sakura Haruno," she said quickly. "I'm a medical kunoichi. I'm going to check to see how dilated you are okay?"

Reikaya nodded while trying to breathe. Sakura checked her and she was ten centimeters dilated. She could feel the head right there. Sakura looked up. "Get ready Reikaya. This baby is coming now! Push with your next contraction!"

Reikaya squinted her eyes shut and groaned loudly as she bore down. Her husband counted slowly to ten for her and she let out couple more ragged breaths. Sakura's eyebrows knitted together in concentration. "Again!"

The tired woman gripped her husband's hand so tight, he was having second thoughts about letting her hold it while in full blown labor. The agonized look on his face was enough to tell Sakura they'd have to heal his hand too. The baby was crowning. Sakura put gentle pressure on the infant's head to prevent an explosive birth. Luckily, it was face down.

"Push!" Sakura commanded.

Reikaya screeched as she followed Sakura's orders. The baby's head was out. Beads of sweat lined Sakura's forehead. One of the nurses she'd worked with for years reached over her shoulder and began suctioning the baby's mouth and nose.

"Hold on Reikaya, don't push!"

"I have to!" she moaned. "Get it out!"

After the baby was suctioned, it was slightly turned and the little one slid right out. Reikaya collapsed onto her back, breathing heavily. Yukai brought her numerous blankets for Sakura to wrap the child in.

"It's a boy!" Yukai said excitedly. "Congratulations!"

Sakura placed the child on his mother's chest just as he began to cry. Reikaya reached for him gratefully with her one good arm, clearly in awe of the miracle she'd just brought into the world. Her husband kissed her temple, then ran his large hand gently over the newborn's head. It warmed Sakura's heart how entwined and complete they seemed with their little one in their arms. Her mind immediately wandered to thoughts of Itachi as a father. Her cheeks darkened. It was a little early to be thinking about children.

Temari just made it back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, but the truth had already reached her ears. She couldn't comprehend it, not until she stood looking down at the crater that once was the most powerful village in the nation. Gaara warned her before she returned just how bad it was, but that was nothing like seeing the destruction in person; however, Konoha was already in the process of rebuilding. That brought a smile slowly to her lips. She jumped down into the massive hole, sliding down the loose gravel. Han weighed heavily on her mind. Something didn't feel right; dread sat like a heavy stone within her chest, pressing against her heart every time it tried to beat.

The wind princess walked closer to the rebuilding process; the sound of saws and hammers echoed loudly around her. Her eyes widened as the most peculiar sight came into view. So shocking, that Temari stopped walking completely. Naruto, Sakura, Itachi Uchiha, Shikamaru, and Sasuke Uchiha were walking close by. Shikamaru noticed and walked over to greet her. He looked in the direction she was staring a smiled.

"It's a long story."

"Well you'd better start talking," Temari snapped. "Why is Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha here?! When did Sakura get back? Why is everyone acting like it's okay to have Uchihas here after what they've both done?!"

"Because it is okay," Shikamaru answered, placing his hands in his pockets. "Come on, we can talk about it at my place."

"The Nara compound survived?" Temari questioned.

"Nah, it's just been rebuilt with the help of Yamato and the villagers. I pulled a favor from Yamato. He owed me."

Temari rolled her eyes. "And what did he do to owe you a favor?"

Shikamaru shrugged nonchalantly. "My mom makes him meat pies from time to time. He can't get enough of them."

Temari shook her head as they walked past the construction. Once they were at the Nara compound, Temari glanced around thoughtfully. The compound had an upgrade. There was a large water foundation in the front of the compound. A large stone steer was in the middle of it, raised up on its hind legs elegantly. It also looked a lot larger.

Shikamaru saw the questioning look on her face. "We've actually been keeping a lot of the villagers here. Mainly, the elderly. My family's medicinal herbs help them a lot."

"Well aren't you a sweetheart," Temari cooed, pushing her boyfriend slightly.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow playfully at her. "I can be."

They padded along the wooden sidewalk and turned into the room at the very end of the building. The shoji panel doors opened to reveal the same exact room Temari was used to: plain bed against the wall on the left side of the room, desk in the center against the furthest walls, and nothing but a simple, red rug on the floor. Despite how lazy he was, his room was always neat and tidy. That was probably because he feared his mother's wrath. Temari went over to the bed after taking her sandals off and putting her fan down. She sat down cross-legged. Shikamaru followed, lying down on his back and placing his head in her lap.

Temari removed his hair tie and gently stroked her fingers through his coarse hair. Many people didn't know that Shikamaru's hair was actually curly, but he brushed it straight. Temari actually liked his curly hair. The first time she saw it was when they were in the hot springs together for the first time. Those perfect waves were something many women would kill for.

"What happened," Temari asked softly.

Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes. "It's a long story."

By the end of it, Temari couldn't believe her ears. If Naruto hadn't have changed Nagato's mind, she'd never see Shikamaru again. That hit her hard. She tried her hardest to hold back her tears and swallow the lump in her throat. She was a strong woman, and it would make her feel extremely weak and vulnerable if she wasn't able to keep her emotions in check. She took a few deep breaths. Shikamaru noticed the change in her breathing and sat up. He studied her features intently.

"You'd miss me huh?"

"Idiot!" Temari grasped him by his shirt and kissed him roughly. "Of course I'd miss you!"

Shikamaru reached up and grasped the back of Temari's head, pulling her back in for a searing kiss. Her body immediately began to grow hot as his other hand slowly slipped up her thigh. Before things got more intense, Shikamaru abruptly sat up and swung his legs over the side and placed his head in his hands. Confusion crossed her features.

"What's wrong?"

Shikamaru looked up at her, turning to face her. "Temari, Han died in the attack. He couldn't be brought back."

Temari's fears had finally been voiced. Numbness enveloped her being, latching onto her throat to prevent a single noise from escaping. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to make a sound. She leaned back slowly against the wall, her mind in a state of shock. That rough man; she pictured them being best friends. He'd changed since the first moment he tried to kill her at his home in the woods. He was opening up, little by little, every day. The way he easily put himself in the way of danger to help others hadn't gone unnoticed. It was then a phrase that had stuck with her for a while entered her mind.

This new life has opened my eyes to what I was missing. Never take a day alive for granted. Life is too short to live without purpose.

When he said that, it was a little over two weeks after being in Konoha. To think he'd barely gotten to really start living life with a different perspective broke her heart. Tears finally slid silently down her cheeks as she lowered her head, bringing her knees to her body to rest her forehead on them. The first hitch of her breath was hard, and after that Temari couldn't stop the sobs that racked her body, no matter how hard she tried. Shikamaru got up to crouch in front of his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Temari," he murmured while gently stroking her back.

Temari couldn't answer. She couldn't control the array of emotions she felt. Reaching up to grip Shikamaru's shoulders, she cried brokenly. The shadow user was silent as he continued to softly rub her back soothingly. After a few minutes, Temari's breathing slowed and she wiped her face with the backs of her hands. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then got off the bed. She grabbed her fan and looked over her shoulder.

"Come on, I think kicking your ass a little bit will help me feel better."

Shikamaru smirked and slowly stood. "And I thought you actually liked me."

He padded over to her, yawning as he did so. It was clearly his third nap time, but Temari wasn't letting any of that happen. She knew Han wouldn't want her crying over him. He'd want her to grow stronger to take out their enemy, and that's exactly what she planned to do.

"If you will two out of three rounds, I'll give you a blow job."

Shikamaru perked up. "When you put it like that, I guess I'll have to put some effort into it."

Kakashi stood and listened to the elders bicker about who would be the Sixth Hokage would be. Kakashi honestly didn't want such a responsibility. The power and pressure that came with being a village leader was not in his nature. He preferred going on missions and training new gennin, something he wouldn't be doing at all with the mountains of paperwork, mission assigning, meetings, national security, and attempts at keeping the peace between villages. That sounded terrible. When would he have time to read his books?

"Kakashi is obviously the best choice," Homura spoke. "He's our strongest and most experienced ninja. He's proven himself a leader time and time again. What other reasons do you people need?!"

Danzo had been silent for a while now, but finally, he slammed his fists on the table, standing up so abruptly that the chair behind him tipped over backward and clattered loudly to the floor.

"I should be the next Hokage!" Danzo shouted. "I have been alongside the village since the Third Hokage's reign! No one else has more experience with national politics than I do! I would be the logical choice!" He pointed a withered finger at Kakashi. "You are correct in saying that he is one of our strongest and most experienced ninjas. What sense does it make to take such power off the battlefield?!"

The Fire Daimyo fanned himself thoughtfully. "That is true. The Copy Ninja would be a much better asset as a shinobi instead of sitting in an office. Besides, he seems more of the quiet type. He'd struggle with mingling with the villagers and other townsfolk."

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek. Yes, he came off as the quiet type, but he didn't think he was unable to mingle. He just preferred not to. On top of that, women already draped themselves over him. It would grow worse if he had power, which means his promiscuity would finally be known to the world. Kakashi didn't want that. Then he'd have to answer for his actions.

"I suppose that does make sense," Koharu said, linking her fingers together. "Danzo would be the best choice. He's been involved in numerous dealings with other villages and has been on the council with us for decades. Kakashi has no experience with politics at all. He'd have to be taught."

Homura stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right."

It was time to vote. The smile on Danzo was trying his best to hide was enough to show that he'd finally gotten his wish. As Kakashi exited the meeting, he could feel dread building in his chest. Nothing good would come out of Danzo being the Hokage, but for now, he would simply play it by ear. When he exited the Hokage tower, the cooling night embraced him hard. His hair filtered back from the push of the wind, the corner of his eyes starting to water a bit from how strong the winds were, but first, there was something he had to do.

He jumped nimbly across the rooftops, his destination less than three minutes away. Who he was looking for was already there and waiting. The abandoned Uchiha barracks were just as eerie as they'd always been as they came into view. Not even the sound of crickets of nightlife was heard, only the wind rushing around him. Somehow, that bizarre feeling increased with knowing two of the fallen clan were there. Two who were supposed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, fighting until death ended their battle. That was not the case anymore, and Kakashi was going to find out why.

The brothers were standing in front of their old home. As Kakashi got closer, it was unbelievable how much they looked alike. Both of them had their hands at their sides. Kakashi wasn't used to seeing the Eldest Uchiha without his Akatsuki robe. They watched as he silently landed in front of them.

"Thank you for meeting us Kakashi," Itachi spoke easily. "There is much to discuss. Sasuke and I decided it would be best to inform you of everything that has transpired over the years concerning the Uchiha clan."

"You killed your clan," Kakashi answered. "What more could there be?"

"Haven't you once wondered why someone who was so dedicated to his village would suddenly turn on his clan and abandon the village he loved?" Sasuke crossed his arms comfortably over his chest while he waited for an answer.

That was a question that everyone had after the slaughter. It didn't add up, but over the years, he just surmised that Itachi was an evil person. If Sasuke had given up his revenge, there must have been irrefutable reasons why.

"I did," Kakashi answered. "Why did you do it Itachi?"

"The village Elders ordered me to," Itachi responded. "In order to prevent the Uchiha from rising up against the nations and causing another war to plague this world."

Kakashi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You killed your clan under order? Why didn't you refuse?"

"Because the Uchiha clan was, in fact, planning a coupe. Their actions would have led to the loss of thousands of lives. I had to do what was best for the best of the entire world. That is why I accepted the mission, under the pretenses that I would never reveal that the Konoha government wanted the Uchiha Clan dead."

"Why tell me this now?" Kakashi asked. "What changed?"

"This is bigger than Konoha or the Uchiha Clan," Sasuke answered. "Danzo was the one who gave this order."

"He is about to be Hokage."

Itachi and Sasuke looked at each other for a moment. Sasuke turned to his older brother, placing his hand on his katana. "We need to stop him. He's a dictator whose only goals are domination."

Kakashi held up a hand. "Hold on to that thought. First Itachi, I want to know everything from the beginning all the way up to now."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "Very well."

So Danzo is about to be Hokage just like in the series, but things will definitely take a different turn. Sorry again for being so late with updates!