"MOVE!"

In a flash of yellow, the ground beneath them had crumbled and the ANBU root found themselves flying in the air thick with earthly dust and rubble. 'Damn it...where is she?' The shinobi's thoughts were promptly answered as he felt a large strain of chakra rapidly approaching at his back. Airborne, he could not move out of the way and he found soon found himself slicing through the air.

"GHARGH!" He choked as he smashed into the trunk of a tree. The searing pain radiating through his back from the chakra enhanced kick was unbelievable and from the awkward position he landed, he realized that he couldn't move.

His spine had completely given away.

"...S-Shit..." The rest quickly made a grab for their weapons as the smoke began to die down, revealing a very smug looking sannin standing in the middle of the rubble.

"Five seconds and one down." She said as she raised a perfectly manicured finger. Where they were now tensed up, she hadn't so much as batted an eyelash at the destruction she had just caused. "All it takes is this finger to take down the next idiot who attacks me."

"Earth style: Mud avalanche!" Her hazel eyes darted to the side and she quickly moved out of the way to avoid being crushed under the earth.

With a yell she charged towards the shinobi responsible for the attack. In a panicked notion he pulled out his tanto to block her kick, only to be appalled as her heeled foot easily broke through the sharp metal. "TOO SLOW!" And she raised her finger to flick his forehead, sending him flying back as the first one did. As he landed unceremoniously on his face, two more ran around her.

"WIND STYLE: MIGHTY TORNADO!"

"FIRE STYLE: FIRE BALL JUTSU!"

'...Tch. Combination?!' She raised her arms over her face as a giant whirl of roaring flames grew towards her. Cursing loudly she sprang out of the way, but not before they scorched the outer layer of her turquoise jacket.

Despite the fact that the flames were eating away at her skin, they gave her no chance to rip the article of clothing off and she quickly ducked as they threw dozens of kunai rigged with explosive tags at her way. It was then that she realized that they fully intended to cause her bodily harm if she refused to comply.

'Danzo you crazy bitch...' She thought as her teeth gritted together. She could see why Sarutobi didn't trust them.

"There is another alternative." The leader said and the Root ceased their attacks, allowing her to discard the clothing. As she began healing her burns, the white cloaked man dropped down from his branch and approached her silently. "...You will give to us in writing."

"Writing?" Her eyebrows furrowed together as he held up a scroll.

"Ye. An official piece of writing, complete with a seal that declares that the child known as Sakura was not affiliated with you in any way." He elaborated in monotone. "If you do so, we shall leave you be."

"...and why should I do that?" She asked curiously. Something was definitely off about all this. First they try to restrain her with force and then they expect her to write down a lie? 'What are those old bats up to...?' She thought with a glare. 'Damn it Jiraya. You're never around when I need you to be!'

"If you don't..." The Root ANBU raised a hand. Her momentary lapse of confusion quickly vanished as a pair of gas bombs were promptly flung at her and she quickly moved out of the way.

To her dismay, instead of ordinary colorless smoke, a large cloud of ominous purple escaped into the air and she quickly held in her breath. Who did they think they were, using poison on a poison expert? 'Amateurs.' She thought with an internal snort as she jumped upwards. Landing gracefully on the branch, she proceeded to break off those closer to her and catapulted them back.

Danzo had chosen a fine army of men to beat her into submission. But she was the Queen of strength and there was no way they would be able to defeat her!

"...Aa, you're here Naruto." Sasuke greeted pleasantly as he approached the playground. Naruto was sitting in the sandbox, his legs pulled up to his chest. "Watcha doing?" he asked curiously as he approached, pulling his side bag off. "Oh and kaasan packed us lunch. She made you some onigiri and wanted me to remind you that eating ramen all the time was bad for you."

Naruto kept his face down at the sand, drawing circles in it glumly and Sasuke stared down at his friend. Confused at his quietness, he crouched down next to the blond boy, staring at his face. "Is something wrong?" he asked, tilting his face to the side to glimpse at him better.

Receiving no response, the little Uchiha frowned.

What was wrong with his friend today? It was unlikely for him to be so quiet. Perhaps he was sick?

Remembering how he mother always checked for illness, he reached out a small hand to rest at the boys forehead. "...You don't have a fever." He noted. Naruto paused briefly to slide his cerulean eyes towards the concerned boy. For a moment he looked like he wanted to say something, but then Sasuke caught the puffiness under his glistening eyes.

He was crying, realized the shocked boy. "...H-Hey...did something happen?" He asked gently, unsure how to proceed with this. While Sasuke did have a snobbish side to him, he was a boy who genuinely cared about his friends and the fact that his normally happy friend was tearing up made him upset. Greatly.

And then he realized something.

"...eto...where's Sakura chan?" He asked, looking around the grounds for his other playmate. Normally by the time he arrived, the two would already be playing together.

"...Hey Sasuke..." Naruto finally spoke and Sasuke winced at how stuffy his voice sounded. By how it seemed, he had been crying for a long time.

"...yes?"

"...Why...why do they call me a monster?"

He blinked. Once. Twice.

"...What?" he asked slowly, "...monster?"

"...Why?" A tear rolled down his cheek and onto the sand, creating a small impression. It was followed by several others before he let out an audible wail. "...WHAT DID I DO WRONG!?" And for the first time since Sasuke had met him, he cried loudly. Scrunching his fists into his eyes, he bent his head forward, much too distressed to notice Sasuke attempting to calm him.

"S-Stop crying! I'll find that jerk who called you that! You are Naruto Uzumaki!" He said as he tugged at his arm, trying in vain to calm his friend, "Remember what you told me when I was down with a cold?! You said only sissy's cry!" And then he stopped in place.

He was dirty.

He was covered in dust and dirt and there were shoe prints all over him.

Something hot rushed through Sasuke upon the sight. It was burning and downright unpleasant as it churned in his stomach before it bubbled up to his chest. "...Naruto. Who did this to you?" He asked quietly, realization steeping into him. When the boy wouldn't stop crying he grabbed at his shoulders, forcing him to look up. "LISTEN TO ME! My father is the leader of the Uchiha clan! And you're my friend! If he so much as catches sight of those boys they're dead!"

"...But..."

"NARUTO! You're my friend!" He declared firmly. In any other given situation, such a bold declaration would have sounded utterly embarrassing. But his friend was being bullied and he was crying in pain when he should be screeching with laughter in their usual playtime. "Stupid as you are, you're my friend and I won't let anything happen to you!"

"...But it was my fault..." He bawled, breaking out into hiccups. "S-Sakura chan..."

"...Sakura chan...?" His loud voice died in his throat quickly and he stared at his friend who erupted into sobs one more. Fear crippled him momentarily and he wondered whether he should press on to ask what had become of their sweet pink haired friend. "What happened to Sakura chan...?"he asked hesitantly. Upon receiving no proper response he shook him violently, feelings of unease rushing through him. "ANSWER ME! WHAT HAPPENED TO SAKURA CHAN!?"

"...We were playing...and then these boys came..." He explained between pauses caused by his body racking with hiccups, wringing his grimy hands in front of his face. "...they started picking on me."

"...Do they always pick on you?"

"...Yeah." He sniffled. "...They avoided me for a couple of weeks because...because Sakura-oneechan was always here. She'd always protect me from them...but then they came back today...and they ripped apart my book. Sakura chan was really mad because she was teaching me basics of chakra...but then they started teasing her because of her huge forehead..."

If there was one thing Naruto wanted -it was to become a ninja. And being the young intellects that she was; Sakura helped him often to brush up on his basics before their official enrollment into the academy.

"...And then..?"

"...She barked at them. Told them to stop teasing me...and then she insulted them on my behalf..." Naruto hiccuped, clutching his shirt tightly. "Next thing I know they have me pinned down to the ground...and one of those boys dragged her in front of me and...and..."

"..And what?!"

"...They punched her." he whispered hoarsely, clutching his head. "They swung their fist across her face and...I tried to scream...to get them to stop...but they stuffed my mouth with a rag. And they forced me to watch while they kicked her over and over...and over...and over..."

He froze at her words, ceasing tugging on his arm. "Beat up...?" He asked slowly, "What kind of boys would hit a girl?!"

Sakura was in general a sweet girl who wouldn't hurt a fly. Sure she had a temper at times but she looked out for both him and Naruto -bringing cold juice packets when the sun brightened and always letting them pick the bigger sweet pieces. She was someone who would trip over her own two feet when petrified.

"...I don't know...but she continued defending me through that. Told them that they were the monsters and not me...they snapped. And then that guy swung his fist at her head and..." He buried his face into his hands, trembling violently. "...I remember it all Sasuke. His fist connected with her head...and then she didn't move. There was blood gushing on the ground..."

With each word that left his lips, Sasuke could barely contain his fury. He was beyond pissed at this point and all he wanted to do was to lash out at those bastards who would dare to hurt his friends.

"LETS GO!" He snarled, turning around. "WE'LL FIND THEM AND MAKE THEM PAY!"

"...I did..."

He stopped in his tracks. "...what?"

"...I saw red Sasuke. I saw the blood...and suddenly everything just blacked out and when I came to my senses they were all lying on the ground." He still refused to raise his face. Confused, the Uchiha boy stared at his friend as he continued. "...And these ninja were holding me down. Sakura chan's mom appeared and took her...turned to me with those eyes..."

"...Eyes?"

"...Those eyes. Those eyes that they all give me. Like I'm some sort of freak. And she screamed at me to never approach them again..."

"...Naruto..."

"...I'm...not allowed to be with her anymore! She said that I'm a m-monster and that I'll always be one..."

Sasuke had heard enough. He wasn't going to stand for this. "Let's go." He hissed as he pulled his friend back up to his feet. At the teary questioning expression, his glare hardened. "We're going back to her house and demand her to listen! It's not fair for that obasan* to draw conclusions! You protected Sakura chan and-"

"I don't want to!" He quickly shook his head, fear evident on his face. "They took Sakura chan to the hospital! She's really hurt and if we cause a ruckus there..." He trailed off and the two looked at the ground. "...She wasn't moving at all Sasuke...I'm still so scared..."

"...Maa...you have a point..." his grasp slackened, his expression marred with worry. He stole another glance at Naruto who was now taking short gasps of breath thanks to the heavy crying episodes. "...What happened to your bruises?" He asked, noting that there were none on him.

"...I...heal fast." He admitted quietly, wiping the tears from his dirty cheek. "...It's a thing that happens." Sasuke was intrigued by the words but knowing it wasn't the best time to have his curiosity surface, he bit it down. Blacking out and knocking out a group of bullies...fast healing; could it be that Naruto was somehow a gifted shinobi? "...If...If Sakura neechan were here...I bet she could talk to them." he sulked. "...I bet if she were here..."

"...Yeah...but right now..." He tightened his grip around his wrist again and picked his bag up. "...Let's get you home. Kaasan will get you a bath and a change of clothes and-"

"...I don't want to."

"What do you mean you don't want to? If you tell kaasan this'll get sorted out quicker!" Sasuke frowned at his best friend who was now glaring at the ground. "Come on!"

"IF YOU TELL HER SHE'LL TELL THE HOKAGE! AND THE HOKAGE WILL PUNISH THEM!" He burst out yelling, clenching his hands into tight fists. "AND THEY'LL COME BACK AND ROUND ON ME AGAIN!"

"They won't! I'll protect you!" He hissed, "Thats what friends are for!"

"I DON'T NEED PROTECTING! I'M UZUMAKI NARUTO! BESIDES, WHAT WILL YOU EVER UNDERSTAND?! YOU HAVE A PERFECT HOME, LOVING PARENTS AND EVEN PEOPLE YOU CAN CALL SIBLINGS!" He choked on his tears, covering his face with his hands yet again, "...A warm home to return to...and fresh food waiting on the table..if only I had parents...no one would hate me..."

"...You're my friend." Sasuke tried to reassure him. "...And kaasan really likes you. If you want to be a part of my family..."

"Sakura chan got hurt badly today because of me..." The kyuubi container interrupted him, "...will your kaasan still like me ...if bullies start attacking you because you hang around with me?" Sasuke blinked, startled. "...Will your kaasan still like me if you end up in the hospital because of me?"

"N-Naruto!"

"...Besides...you're Uchiha Sasuke. Brother of an elite shinobi and belonging to an elite clan. You have no problems in making friends. You have a caring brother and caring parents...and..." He turned around, despite the fact that Sasuke was trying to persuade him. "and..I...hate it all. Why am I the only one?!"

"...N-Naru...to..." His words died in his throat as his friend promptly ran off, leaving him standing alone in the park. What would he say to that? All he could complain was that his brother was always on missions and that sometimes his mother didn't let him sneak snacks from the kitchen. For someone who had to wake up to an empty, cold house constantly...eat instant ramen...

...what could he really say?

'Even if I go after him...there isn't much I can say to comfort him. I don't understand him. Unlike him I have a home...and unlike Sakura chan I have many friends.' he thought, looking down at his side bag. There were freshly made onigiri in them, as well as a lunchbox packed with tasty side dishes and rice so that Naruto could have something to eat tonight.

He recalled his friend saying how happy he was when he received a homemade meal from Sakura-oneechan. Back then he couldn't really understand why he had been so elated -after all, what was so special about simple rice and side dishes?

There was a difference between hot instant noodles and a hot rice platter made by someone self exclusively for you.

Ramen was cheap no matter how you looked at it. He might have not even liked it at first but ...what choice did he have?

He had confided in his mother earlier that he was rather upset about how Naruto always got to binge on junk food while he was stuck with plain, homemade meals he considered insipid in comparison to the many delightful potato chips and packaged barbecue pieces Naruto had for lunch every now and then. In return, the matriarch of the Uchiha clan glanced at him with an unknown expression that somehow made a pang of sadness echo through him.

She had wordlessly then, made this lunch box and riceballs and strictly instructed him to gift it to Naruto with her well wishes.

Being a child, he could barely understand the full implication of her actions as she silently uttered 'Kushina' under her breath before glancing blankly out the window, consumed in her thoughts. He had wondered when he should touch upon the subject of asking her to spoil him just a little with snacks for lunch as he exited their home, but now, he wasn't sure.

His small hands clenched at the shoulder straps and he swung it around him. "...What should I do? He probably doesn't want to see me...or anyone..." He grumbled, shifting from one foot to the other as he contemplated. "...But he'll get hungry without eating..." He stood silently for what seemed like an eternity before he made his decision.

"...Maybe I should just tell tousan." he decided as he turned back towards home. "He'll sort it out quickly."

"The kid is right. That'll only worsen the problem."

Sasuke froze.

Frightened, he turned around immediately towards the source of the deep, masculine voice, startled as he saw a robed man standing by the swing set, staring intently at him. "Who're you?" Sasuke clutched his bag closer to him. He certainly didn't look like a ninja; at least from Konoha. Then again, he reasoned, that several shinobi chose to completely neglect the standard shinobi gear to customize their own attire for individuality.

"You should just go find him." The man ignored the question completely, stuffing his hands inside his pocket with a hint of a smile. "He's your friend isn't he?"

"Yeah but, he doesn't want to see me." Sasuke uttered quietly, wondering why this strange man was helping him at all. "Are you a bad person?" he asked in an afterthought out of mere curiosity.

"Yeah."

Grimacing, he turned around. "Nice try. Bad people dont' agree that they're bad." He declared before turning and walking off towards the direction his blond friend had sprinted off to. The man smirked in amusement as the boy ran off.

"Using Naruto's reasoning huh?"

'After delivering this to them, I'll need to visit Sakura-Chan.' Sasuke decided as he ran. He was going to explain what happened to her mom, even if it killed him. There was no doubt over the fact that his words had really stung him when he declared his distaste for everyone's good families, including him. But mulling over the hurt wouldn't do anything -you had to act on it.

Or so his brother had told him long ago.

'He didn't mean it. He was just hurt.' He reassured himself as he dodged through the crowds of people who cheerily greeted him. Naruto often said mean things and was a rather brusque person as a whole, but his mother had assured him that he always meant well. And he trusted his mother.

"Sasuke kun. Out playing again?" A familiar voice called out kindly and he skidded to a halt.

"Ojisan, have you seen Naruto?!" He asked, gasping for air. The way the smile wiped cleanly off his face and the disgusted expression that made its way into the shopkeepers eyes did not go missed and the boy faltered. He had always come here before to shop with his mother and never once had he seen the kind old man make a face like that.

"You're best off not mingling with such a brat." he said as if it were a factual statement. "He's going to ruin your good upbringing."

"...but did you see him?" he asked again, albeit quietly, pretending not to hear the scathing remark. His small hands clutched tightly at the shoulder strap of his bag as the man curtly pointed to the direction he had seen him go. Half of him wanted to tell the grumpy old man to mind his own business. After all, who he made friends with should not bother him and Naruto never hurt anyone. He wouldn't even think of it.

But he was bought up to be a kind person and the only ear-splitting insults he sprouted towards Naruto were on friendly terms.

Mumbling a thank you, he took off yet again.

Time and time again he stopped to ask for directions, and each moment the blond, whiskered boys name uttered from his lips, he witnessed their faces contort in twisted expressions. Hate. Disgust. Fear.

'Why?' he thought as he continued running. By now he had to rely on himself, for no one else seemingly saw him pass by. His feet kicked against the ground and his heart pounded wildly in his chest as their expressions circled through his mind repeatedly. For some reason, his eyes stung. He felt like crying even though he was not the one being treated like a monster.

His thoughts were cut short as a figure abruptly cut his path and he winced as he fell backwards. "...Ow..."

"Oh my. Are you alright?"

He looked up slowly to see a large man clothed in Jonin attire peering down at him curiously. Sasuke shivered as he caught sight of the scars across his face -it gave off a menacing aura along with his hair that was pulled up in a spiky ponytail and he half thought about turning his heel and running off. But his eyes resonated with kindness and he didn't utter a word as the man picked him up gently and dusted him off.

"...There you go." he beamed as he bent down to his level. "...are you hurt?"

Sasuke shook his head quietly, keeping his face down.

He felt like crying. Today was such a horrible day. Sakura-chan was in the hospital. Naruto was terribly hurt.

"...You're tearing up. Are you lost?" he asked, "I could take you home."

Should he try again? He would probably be met with the same answer. No one cared for his friend.

"...Uwohhhh..." The mans eyes widened, visibly startled as the boy in front of him began to cry. This was bad. People were starting to stare his way. Dealing with emotional children was such a troublesome task...but he couldn't get out of this one.

"...C'mon. I'll take you home." he attempted to coax the boy, but his hand was brushed away as the dark haired child wrung his tiny hands in front of his face, bawling quietly. His father would be terribly upset if he saw him crying. Shinobi weren't supposed to shed tears. Never mind that he didn't even join the academy yet.

But he couldn't stop. And now he was breaking out into hiccups.

"...Uhm..." Shikaku Nara smiled nervously, scratching his cheek. "...Hey, I know. I have a boy around your age. Would you like to come with me? I'm going to pick him and his friend up to go eat barbecue."

Lunch.

"...No..." he finally said quietly, wiping his wet, red-rimmed eyes. "...I have to...go give this."

"Oh? Are you delivering lunch to someone?" Shikaku asked curiously.

Sasuke faltered. "...My friend."

"Ohhh? So...what happened? Did you forget the direction to his house?" Shikaku asked, relaxing now that the boy had stopped weeping out a river. He would help this kid wherever he needed to go, considering he bumped into him. And then he'd be on his merry way of keeping his headache down over two other kids.

"...kinda.." he sniffled. "...I think you might know him..." he added after a moments silence.

"Hoh?" He said, intrigued. "Who might that be?"

"...Naruto." The young boy meekly met his gaze just as the expression of shock plastered over his face. "...Do...do you know him?" he sounded mildly hopeful and the Jonin blinked slowly.

So the child already had friends?

"Sasuke."

The boy jumped at the tone of voice and Shikaku slowly raised his gaze. Standing in front of him was the leader of the Uchiha Police -Uchiha Fugaku in all his might and glory. His face marred with his signature frown of disapproval. 'Sasuke huh?' he thought as the Jonin approached the boy quietly. 'He doesn't look anything like his over achieving brother or father.'

No, the kid seemed innocent for now.

For how long, he didn't know. It was common knowledge that Fugaku was a strict father and a hardened shinobi who had pushed his eldest to become an overachiever. Still, Shikaku respected the misunderstood man -despite his unwavering attitude, it was quite obvious that he loved both of his sons equally. The only reason he pushed Itachi was because of what he had witnessed as a child.

He alone could understand the troubles of the Uchiha clan after that way. Him...and Shisui of the storm.*

"...Fugaku san." he greeted with a light bow and the Uchiha patriarch responded with the same. "I was just guiding Sasuke to Naruto's place."

"Oh?" He glanced at his son's surprised expression, "And why would that be Sasuke? Naruto usually comes over to our place doesn't he?"

The surprises just kept coming today. So the son of the fourth was finally allowed near the Uchiha premises? '...This could speak well...' He thought, mildly stumped by the fact that there was a lot he apparently missed out on the past few days. 'At this rate the conflicts might cease and Mikoto san could take care of her friend's child.'

"Uhm...something happened. Naruto is really sick today." Sasuke lied through his teeth, feeling guilty doing so. But it was for Naruto; he could risk getting in trouble just this once for averting the truth. "...May I please go with Jounin san?"

Fugaku stood with a contemplating look for a good six seconds before he gave a curt nod in approval. "Be back before sundown. You need to train." And with that he glanced warily at Shikaku, "I leave him in your care Nara san. I have business to attend to so please look after him.

"..A-Ah..." He watched in awe as the leader of the police task force promptly walked off without so much as a second glance. Now what was going on exactly?

"Hurry! I need to go now!" The young boy tugged at his shirt petulantly, "Naruto might be really sick!"

So the young boy was really sick. Perhaps...a few extra visitors might cheer the boy up a bit. He had nothing against Shikamaru playing with the boy -but then again, his friend might very well object to letting Choji do the same. "I guess barbecue will have to wait." he smiled at the young boy's puzzled face. "Let's go."

"And there he goes...the silly child." A low voice uttered, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen around him as he observed the young boy running up to the apartments, clutching the bag tightly to him. A lone eye glinted as they promptly switched to second ball of energy beside him and he silently watched as the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju branched upon a tree, intently listening to the leader of the remaining ANBU root.

"Are you going to consider betraying your teacher?" He intoned curiously, resting his pale chin upon his gloved hand. "You look like you're about to consider revealing whatever information you have about the pink haired girl."

And finally, his gaze rested upon the third orb of energy which displayed the image of four very anxious shinobi following Tsunade's scent.

"Pakkun! How far are we?!" The girl asked worriedly and the pup let out a low growl.

"Pretty close! But she's not alone!"

"...Now, I wonder what you'll do if Danzo reaches your mentor before you, Haruno Sakura?" The question remained hung in the air -there was no one in the room besides him, and his small cat that was curled up upon his lap. His fingers absentmindedly stroked its delicate, coal colored fur as he fixated his eye upon the running shinobi -there was one in particular who had caught his interest long ago.

"There's no more movement at the site. The chakra is now at rest. I'm going ahead!"

"Be careful Shisui!"

"Got it petal!"

"...Uchiha Shisui. Grandson of Uchiha Kagami, a young wielder of the sharingan and a child prodigy." He listed thoughtfully as the young Uchiha activated his complete sharingan, speeding up ahead. The hand that had been scratching the felines ears paused, and slowly rose to his face to brush aside the long fringes that fell over his right eye and they observed the numerous invisible strings attached to the child's body.

There were strings attached to them all -all four members of team Heiwa; but the fact that this one boy alone had so many attached to his limbs -so many that they nearly blocked out his actual form was intriguing to him. "What is this? He murmured as he saw three very thick, prominent ones protruding from his neck, very evidently attached to his jugular. Two of them were fairly recent as he made them out to be. "Heh..Making more room in your heart for the two newcomers are you?" He said, bemused.

He leaned back in his chair and resumed stroking his cat as his eyes fell back to the face of Haruno Sakura that was contorted with conflict. "...What are you going to do now, Sakura?"

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Tsunade Senju scowled lightly as she witnessed the abrupt entry of Uchiha Shisui. Wielding a small tanto, he approached the now, silent group of Root Ninja. Whatever took these brats so long? "What are you doing here?" he demanded, annoyance evident in his voice. "You are completely disregarding the Hokage's orders!"

"On the contrary, child, the Hokage didn't specify that no additional backup be sent to retrieve Tsunade Senju-sama." The man he presumed to be the leader of the remaining, (or should he say, surviving?) Root spoke out acidly.

"Retrieve? You tried to kill me." The future Hokage spat as she let herself fall to the ground, landing gracefully.

"Listen here. The hokage sent four of us on this S ranked mission." His words prompted Tsunade to shoot him a questioning look. "No more, no less. Spying on us while we were carrying out this extremely important mission and on top of that...attacking the very person we were ordered to protect..." His crimson eyes glinted maliciously, "Give me five good reasons why I shouldn't stab you three to death right now."

"Spying? You have no proof."

"You were spying on my friend and teammate, Haruno Sakura and we have proof." Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out a small scroll and both Pakkun and Tsunade eyed it. "...then again, the fact that she was sent on this mission was probably the reason why elder Danzo sent you, am I correct?"

'...So the time traveler is coming?' Her hazel eyes flickered back to the group of now, uneasy Root. "In case you are wondering, those offers you made me? I reject them all. And I fully intend to lodge a complaint with the council about the fact that you endangered my life. Now if you had asked politely I may have considered going with you."

"...well what are you standing there for? Get lost!" Shisui said impatiently, waving the tanto.

"First, the scroll." The leader said, stretching his hand out unexpectedly and Shisui stared at it. "That belongs to us, although we have no idea how that got that into your hands."

"We confiscated it." He replied calmly. "The scroll belongs to us now and besides, you were gathering intel on someone entrusted under our protection. I'll be hanging onto this." He tucked it back inside his shirt with a disapproving look. "It will serve well against you in the Hokage's office."

Almost immediately after the remark was made, they sprung into fighting positions, now making it clear that his very presence was threatening to them and in a split second, the master of the body flicker technique was in front of Tsunade. "Appreciate the effort kid but I can't take care of them myself." She scowled, crossing her arms over her busty chest.

"I know but I still have my duty so bear with me..." he muttered as he held his tanto against him. "You need to be in Konoha, unharmed."

"And where are the rest of your fleet?"

"...They're a bit...slow." he said as he began to formulate a plan inside his head. As far as he knew at their current travelling speed, Itachi was likely to get here first, followed by Kakashi and then Sakura. Given the present situation though, Sakura was the best to take the offensive along with Kakashi; they could very easily end this in five seconds flat.

While he and Itachi possessed better agility and speed, they were reluctant to take lives necessarily; especially their own village-mates, and were likely to scrape around the edges and leave them immobile at the most. But for that, they needed to engage in battle briefly in order to figure out the best possible way to take them down with the minimal amount of damages.

Now, Kakashi was proficient in casting a genjutsu; they could use that to procure important information from them. Perhaps then they could figure out what exactly Danzo wanted with their Sakura.

They were going along with complete trust at this point -whatever information they had were shared between the four explicitly and nothing was left out. Sakura needed as much information as she could in order to create a measurable shift in future events. But as far as he had guessed, even she didn't know the complete story, nor the proper points in time she needed to change.

Right now though, forming team Heiwa and shifting Kakashi on the Uchiha's side was at least a noticeable change in comparison to the world she came from. To what extent it influenced the future, he hadn't the slightest clue. But procuring Tsunade Senju to their side would definitely strengthen Sakura's position within the Uchiha -considering she was the granddaughter of the first Hokage.

Judging by the look on her face however, it was rather evident that Tsunade-sama wasn't the least interested in siding with them, let alone returning to Konoha. If anything she was likely here to just hear a proper explanation on the mess she had been drafted into.

"Hey kid. Why don't you just let me handle this?" Tsunade rested her knuckles on her hip, "You may be an Uchiha but I am Tsunade-Senju. I was doing fine before you came here. Ask them."

"...Leader, it would be wise to wait till he attacks first." Said one of the root members, turning to who Shisui suspected was his captain.

In response, Shisui let out a low chuckle, surprising them. "I'm...honestly really baffled as to why Danzo-sama would send you lot to complete this mission. The least he could do is send those with the proper knowledge on approaching an Uchiha. There are three main rules you follow when confronted with an Uchiha with a complete sharingan. The very first rule is that you don't let an Uchiha make the first move. That ensures our victory."

"Getting cocky are you kid?" Tsunade muttered under her breath, but despite herself, took a few careful steps back. Uchiha with complete sharingan were not to be messed with -no less a child prodigy by name of Uchiha Shisui. He was a master of the body flicker technique and when taking a battle seriously, could rival with the speed of the Fourth himself. But those were the known traits.

As per experience, Uchiha always had some hidden technique up their sleeve. Especially child prodigies.

Taking no notice of the fact that Tsunade herself was standing back, one of them charged forward, kunai outstretched. But no sooner had he moved from his spot, Shisui had already appeared beside him and whipping his kunai to the blunt side, rammed it into his neck hoping to knock him out. To his mortification however, his eyes noticed a small protective sheathe covering his neck -the second delay was enough for the nin to react and he raked his own blade against the boy's arm.

They both withdrew immediately, Shisui clutching his upper arm and the ANBU root clutching his kunai to himself. "...you do realize you're just piling evidence up against yourselves." He uttered quietly as he pressed tightly against the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. "You have to be the stupidest bunch of root ANBU I have battled so far."

"So far?" Tsunade scoffed lightly, remaining cautious all the same.

"Sakura chan, please get here quickly to heal me~" He said in a singsong voice as he briefly applied pressure to the spot before releasing it. Unknown to him, a very irked future Gondaime glared daggers into his skull. The boy showed no signs of realizing what he had said wrong and she decided to patiently wait out for him to take care of this irritating mite on the loose before bashing his face in.

Her student was more qualified than her to heal a simple wound now eh?

"Take care of them quickly!"

"I can't do that." He said after a moments hesitation as he suddenly realized something. If he were to kill these four surviving root members, or let either Sakura or Kakashi take them down, then there would be no evidence that Danzo ever sent his men after them. There was of course, the scroll and their verbal statements; but Danzo was a sly dog and he would quite possible come up with an excuse on the spot before tuning the elders against them.

This was bad.

"Then what are you doing here?!" Tsunade barked in annoyance, now seething at this point. "If you're not going to take them down then I will!"

To her dismay, Shisui quickly blocked her path while keeping his eyes fixed on the ANBU root. "I trust you won't disable my muscles from behind." he said dryly. He couldn't voice his epiphany out. Danzo's minions were unpredictable; these morons could dispose of themselves just as easily, as well as their comrades bodies. Nevermind that half were still very much alive (albeit in terrible pain).

"Shisui!"

His heart jumped at Sakura's sudden voice and he turned to face his newly arrived teammates who immediately stationed themselves around an extremely irritated Tsunade.

"Haruno Sakura I presume." Tsunade spoke up in a tight voice and Sakura turned her face to glance at her master. She smiled cheerfully before returning her gaze to the ANBU root.

"How annoying." Kakashi said quietly, "You guys just increased my paperwork."

"We would like to escort Tsunade sa-"

"I don't think so." The pinkette cut him off brusquely, pulling out her tanto, alarming Shisui. He kept a calm exterior, hoping she would realize the same; or he would be forced to intervene. "If you want her, you can try to take her. Although I sincerely doubt that you can handle it."

"...Very well then." the leader finally uttered darkly, seeing that they now had no chance fighting up against them and raised his hand reluctantly. "Team, disperse."

And with that, four streaks whizzed up into the air, disappearing. Shisui let out a heavy breath he didn't know was holding in before collapsing on his behind. "Fucking hell." He groaned, "That was so stressful, Sakura chan. I thought you were going to maul them." he said, making Kakashi look at her questioningly.

"If I did, there would be no more evidence." she said, winking mischievously before turning to face her master again. "Tsunade Sama." she bowed respectfully. "I apologize. We got delayed because of some trouble on the way."

"So you're my student from the future huh?" Sakura slowly raised her head to meet Tsunade's stern eyes. "The one who wants to change the future?"

"...yes." she said, standing up straight. "I need your help."

"My help?"

"Tsunade Sama. Sakura is from years into the future. They had been ravaged with a war greater than the one we fought." Kakashi spoke up, standing behind her. "She is the only one who survived from her team. She found a scroll which would allow her to return to the past and she needs our help to change it. Pakkun must have already informed you that she is residing with the Uchiha clan."

"Aa. That he has." she stared at Shisui and Itachi with an icy look. "A war eh?"

"I feel it'd be better to discuss this somewhere better." Kakashi continued, "If you would follow us-"

"Hold on." She said, stopping the group in their tracks. "I didn't agree to go with you." she said plainly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Tsunade Sama. Danzo is planning to rid me of the Uchiha. Right now, the Uchiha clan is being boycotted by the government and they are being driven to a corner. The fate of the future rests within this clan. And I-"

"That's all fine." Tsunade cut off the frantic girl, "War is nothing new to me. War is war, whatever the scale of it. I have been through it. And I have suffered through it. I know how dreadful it can get. However..." Her eyes narrowed, "...why should I help you?"

"Huh?"

"Give me one good reason..." she reiterated calmly, "...why I should help you specifically."

Authors notes/Q&A section

Well my adoring readers.

I have kept you all waiting for a year, and I sincerely apologize. I had been extremely ill throughout the duration of the year and it had inconvenienced me greatly, as it interfered in my day to day functions. As such, I was forced to take time off. Luckily, I am now back on my feet and I shall try my earnest to keep updating regularly.

(Although I suspect with the end of Naruto, most are likely to put down fanfiction -sadly)

I had been receiving a few reviews and PM's throughout my absence that noted the appearance of plotholes. Rest assured, as the story progresses, a lot of it will be resolved.

A lot of you may be deterred by the sudden appearance of a mysterious robed stranger. He would be making more appearances within the story from now on. Please note that I shall refrain from answering any questions regarding his nature; whether its villainous or benevolent, till his character is revealed in the story.

(Although a few of you who had kept up properly with the timeline may have already guessed who he is :D )

Thats all for now!

Your reviews encourage me to keep writing~

~Owari~