Hi, this is my first fanfiction. Haha. Enjoy?

Summary:

Under Tsunade's orders, Sakura investigates Danzo's mostly destroyed home, only to find out that she is actually his long lost granddaughter. To avenge her biological family, she leaves Konoha to find Sasuke and kill him, despite all the pain. Will the other raven-haired, Sharingan-wielding enemy be able to change her mind?

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Counterblow

Chapter 1

It is a sunny day in Konoha – the kind that has people bustling about without a care, putting off their work because it is just so beautiful outside. Despite all the internal and external problems going around, the weather just brought about great moods. One pink haired girl runs towards a familiar tent. She finds her teacher inside the tent – the Hokage, with her trusty assistant at her side.

"Ah, Sakura, you're here," says Tsunade.

"Yes, you called?" responds Sakura.

"I have a mission for you," Tsunade begins, "I need you to comb through Shimura Danzo's home...or what is left of it."

"W-What? Why me? I mean, I'm not the best one at investigations. Shikamaru can do a better job, I believe." Sakura doesn't want to look through the man who ruined the love of her life's life.

"I think that there will be things that might assist in our investigation over Danzo and I can't trust anyone else besides you and Shizune on this, but since Shizune is busy helping me, there's only you."

"O-Oh okay."

"Here's the mission brief. His address and the items you should be looking for are in there."

"Okay."

"I expect a full report in two days."

"I understand."

"You may go."

"Thank you, shishou." She leaves the tent and walks back to her own designated tent. She opens the folder after checking that there is no one around. After going through the mission brief, she walks towards where the address said Danzo's house was. She finds it with no problem, but it is hard to recognize through all the rubble that's left. She hesitantly walks in, past what was supposed to be the door.

She looks at the traditional Japanese-styled home. It was lifted a little off the ground, like most Japanese homes that had heating on the ground. Most of the walls were torn off the ground during the attack on Konoha. The ground was charred and so was a lot of the furniture. There was barely anything left undamaged.

After an hour of searching around the remains of Danzo's home, Sakura figures that there is nothing – that is, until she steps on a charred wooden panel that creaked under her feet. She steps back a few stems and bends down to the ground and examines the panel. She feels around the floor with her hands, using chakra to enhance her senses at her fingertips. She soon discovers that she can lift the panel, like a secret passage. She finds a small ladder underneath and slowly moves down the steps. It is dark, but the area was fairly untouched by the attack. She feels around the ceiling and finds a string. She pulls it, but nothing happens.

"Oh right, no electricity," she says, scoffing at her own stupidity.

She digs into her pocket and pulls out her keys. Attached to her keys is a small flashlight keychain in the shape of a frog, courtesy of Naruto. She presses the button that turns it on, and flashes it around the room. There is barely anything in the room besides a futon, a table, some floor pillows and a bookshelf. This had to be where Danzo normally slept at night.

"So he was always scared that someone would attack him in his sleep," she mutters.

She looks around a bit more, lifting the futon to check for anything under it. Nothing. She moves to the table and lifts it slightly, checking the ground under the table with her chakra enhanced fingertips. Still nothing. She moves to the bookshelf and slides it a little to the side. She feels the wall behind the bookshelf and still finds nothing. She feels the ground under it, and finally finds a small passageway.

But it is locked. She sighs and flashes her flashlight around some more, checking for traps or safety precautions the evil man had set up. Obviously if it was locked, it had to have something important in there. She looks around a bit more, checks under each of the floor pillows. She still finds nothing. She looks through the books on the bookshelf, flipping through each book. Finding nothing else, she goes back to the small passageway under the bookshelf. She takes out a senbon and starts picking at the lock. After a few minutes, Sakura starts getting frustrated at the lock. She sighs and releases the senbon for a bit and leans against the wall next to the passageways.

"Breathe, Sakura," she whispers, "you can do this. He's not going to attack you. He can't attack you. Sasuke-kun killed him already." She trembles slightly at the thought of the evil that Danzo had been capable of committing. Tsunade had filled her in already about what Danzo had made Itachi do, though it was a highly protected secret. Sakura thought back to when Tsunade had been explaining to her why Danzo was killed by Sasuke.

X

"Enter, Sakura," says Tsunade from inside the tent.

Sakura listens and enters the tent, bowing in respect as the tent's opening falls back to close. She looks up at her shishou and awaits the reason why she was summoned. Sakura looks around briefly, realizing that Shizune isn't there.

"Okay," says Tsunade, her voice serious, "I need you to go assist Shizune in her autopsy of Danzo's body."

"He's…dead?" asks Sakura. Shimura Danzo's imposing atmosphere was always able to instill fear into her.

"Yes, he's dead," confirms Tsunade, "Uchiha Sasuke was the one to kill him, supposedly." Sakura's eyes widen briefly. "You met with him after he had already done the deed."

"Oh," says Sakura. "I'm…I'm not sure why he would kill Danzo unless Danzo was in his way or something…"

"You don't have to defend him, Sakura."

"But-"

"I know why Uchiha did it."

"Why?" Both of them are hesitant.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this tent no matter what. No one else should hear about it besides us. I mean it, Sakura. You can't even tell Naruto."

"I understand."

"Danzo was the one who ordered Itachi to kill his clan."

"What? Why? How-"

Tsunade holds up a hand to signal Sakura to stop talking. "The Uchiha clan was planning to revolt. They still believed that Konoha belonged to them. Uchiha Itachi was the one who notified the Sandaime." Sakura's eyes widen yet again. "Danzo…well, though he's ignorant and annoying and completely out of his mind, always thinks that he's doing the best for Konoha, so he ordered Itachi to decimate his clan."

"But…Sasuke…"

"Itachi failed that mission…but he begged the Sandaime to protect Sasuke before he left Konoha," says Tsunade, "Sasuke wound up growing up in Konoha, but with a lot of pent up anger, as you already know…It was all kept a secret from Sasuke and the rest of Konoha because it was something that would inadvertently be seen as something completely wrong – making Uchiha Itachi kill his own clan, save for his brother, and then leave Konoha."

"That's…"

"He had to leave. Danzo told him that he was the one to do it because he could be used as a scapegoat…but Danzo also planned to have Itachi killed as well, but Itachi didn't take into consideration the fact that he wouldn't be able to kill his own brother…and besides that, there may have been other reasons. Itachi also threatened that if anything happens to Sasuke, he would tell Konoha's secrets to other hidden villages, which obviously, Danzo would not allow."

"So…Itachi joined Akatsuki?"

"To keep an eye on it."

"So…Itachi's not…"

"He is and always has been one of Konoha's most talented and valued shinobi."

"Then…it's a shame he's dead."

"Yes, a true shame."

X

Sakura opens her eyes. She had apparently dozed off. She looks around, and finds that she was still in Danzo's basement bedroom. She looks back at the small passageway. She picks up the senbon again and tries to pick the lock yet again. She fails. She sighs and knocks on the passage door. Wood. She lifts her arm and pats her elbow twice before bringing it down hard on the wood. The withered wood breaks under her assault. She lifts the broken wood pieces and breaks off the rest of the wood that remained blocking her view.

She looks down after cleaning up the door of the passage away from the passage. It is a small hole. How did he get down at all? She barely can fit herself. She lowers her body and lands lightly on her feet. The ceiling was only about six inches or so above her head. She flashes her flashlight around slowly, taking in her surroundings. It is a really small room, probably only 8 feet by 8 feet. It is rather empty, though the room is clearly old.

There is only a large portrait hanging on the wall next to her. There are two people in the portrait – a man and a woman, both fairly young, probably only in their twenties, but the withered colors proved that the photo is old. The man looks like a younger version of Danzo, but with vibrant green eyes. Sakura figures it is his son. She would have to ask Tsunade about Danzo having children. She looks at the woman in the photo. It is clear that the two are husband and wife, since his arm is around her affectionately. She has large blue eyes and fair skin. She is pretty, which for some reason surprises Sakura, but what surprises her the most is the fact that the wife has pink hair. Taking into consideration that the portrait is fairly faded, Sakura deduces that had the photo been new, the shade of pink would have been the same as her own hair shade. The green eyes that the husband has would have been the same as hers' as well.

"I probably look exactly like their child would have," she whispers. She wouldn't question her own lineage. She looks like her own parents as well. "It's probably just a coincident." Pushing it to the back of her mind, she looks around the room, feeling the walls and ground for anything important again. Finding nothing, she lifts the portrait and checks the back, expecting to find nothing. Instead, there is a note attached to the back. She unfolds the paper and reads the contents.

March 29, XX85

My Dear Son, Haruto

I do not know why I bothered to write this letter…but it must have been because I cannot get over your death. I know that it is because of me that this fate has befallen you and beloved Sana. I cannot feel enough pain in my heart right now. I cannot apologize enough to Sana's parents. If you two see them up there, please tell them that I am so sorry their daughter's honorable life was cut short because of me. She was only a civilian. Not a ninja. I will never comprehend the reason they decided to take you two and your newborn daughter's life. It must have been too easy for them. Taking the life of a newborn child and a civilian woman. You must have tried so hard to protect them. I keep replaying what I vision had happened to you three in my mind and I cannot stop my heart from aching.

I will never get over the death of you three, my family. Now, I have no family, no home. I live in fear, wondering when they are going to come for me. I know who had done it. The damn Uchiha's. They know that I am a force to be reckoned with, so they aim to destroy me. To crush me. I will not allow them that pleasure. I will destroy them. Each and every one of them.

I know that my anger and vengeance will not bring you three back, but I want them to know how it feels to lose your family – your world. This is the first moment that I wish I had never met Hiruzen. That I had never become a ninja. That I had just lived a life of peacefulness as a civilian like you two should have. I regret not giving you two the life that you always wanted. A life away from hiding and pretending. I was a bad father to you.

For all of that, I am truly sorry.

I'm sorry, Haruto. Sana. Their child. Mana. A truly beautiful name that will never be bestowed upon the well-loved child who would have been the embodiment of her name.

I'm sorry, Sana's parents. Your daughter's death falls on my shoulders. Her unhappiness…her pain…I wish I could take it all away.

I'm sorry, Suzume. It's all my fault that our son was never able to be happy. You never wanted any of this to happen for him. I should have heeded your words.

Remorsefully,

A terrible father

At the end of the letter, Sakura finds herself with tears flowing from her eyes. This letter holds, by itself, secrets beyond what she was looking for when she first entered the home of the notorious killer. It justifies him, and that scares her. Sakura quickly folds up the letter and places it safely inside the folder Tsunade had handed her. This can not wait. She would bring it to Tsunade right away. Right before she leaves, she looks at the portrait again. She would have to investigate this Haruto and Sana. The resemblance she bears to them was uncanny.

X

"Sakura, you're here early," says Tsunade, "Is something wrong with your mission?"

"Yes," says Sakura, "There's something wrong." She takes out the letter and hands it to Tsunade. "I found myself sympathizing with him. That's what's wrong."

Sakura's eyes are still swollen. Tsunade looks at her questioningly and takes the letter, opens it, and reads. Her eyes widen as she reads. Her eyes get watery, but she doesn't cry. After she finishes reading, she doesn't immediately look up at Sakura. She opens her mouth to talk, but no words come out. No one ever knew that Danzo suffered this much at the hands of the Uchiha's. It is much unexpected. She closes her eyes and folds up the letter again. She waits a few seconds before opening her eyes again. Her amber eyes land on Sakura, very serious.

"You are-"

"Not allowed to speak of this to anyone, I know. I wouldn't even dream of it."

"Good…I'm still going to need the report in the morning, describing everything. Is there nothing else at his house?"

"There was a portrait of Haruto-san and Sana-san, I'm assuming. It was two levels underground."

"I see. Danzo's family is not to be spoken of outside of me and you. Do not even tell Shizune. The less people know, the better."

Sakura nods. "I understand."

"Okay, I'm going to need you to do some research on this Haruto…Sana and Suzume. I'm assuming Mana didn't live long enough for anything to be documented about her."

"I figured that…according to the letter, the birth was kept a secret, just like Haruto's existence."

"But, Haruto was supposedly a ninja."

"And Sana was a civilian. There wouldn't be much information on her at all."

"That's true…and Haruto could have been specially trained by Danzo."

"Like Root."

"Like Root," repeats Tsunade. "Okay. I will go down there to check out Danzo's residence with you later, and you will have to show me the portrait. I will also need you to question any older Root members, preferably…ones around your parents age right now and see if you can find out anything. Also, look through the documents that we still have left of both civilians and ninja. See if you can find any of their names."

"Okay. I understand."

X

Sakura walks back towards her own tent. She just finished briefing Tsunade about what she found out from some older Root members. Her mind is still reeling in all the stunning information she just acquired. Reaching her tent and walking inside, she sits down on a chair. Running a hand through her hair, she puts the pieces together.

"Haruto-san was always quiet. He never talked much and I never saw him around much. There really isn't anything significant about him that I recall. There was only about one time that I saw him outside. He was with a civilian, I think. I remember thinking she was really pretty, but I don't remember her that clearly."

"Can you tell me more about Haruto-san?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. He was…rather talented, but there were rumors running around that he wasn't even a genin…that he didn't even attend the academy."

"No one reported it?"

"We couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Danzo-sama would always catch us talking about it and he would always be furious… now that I think about it, it was rather strange."

"I see…well, is there anything else that you remember? I heard from some others that Haruto-san was rather popular among the girls."

He chuckles. "Yes, he was always really popular. I think you would find out more if you asked my wife. She was with me that day I bumped into him on the street. She almost divorced me because she said that he was really attractive and asked me why I wasn't as attractive as him. I retorted by asking her why she wasn't as attractive as his partner. Oh, that's right." He paused. "The woman he was with had pink hair, much like you."

"Yes, I know that."

"My wife probably remembers the partner more clearly than I do, since I compared them. You should ask her."

"Okay, thank you. Where can I find her?"

"She is probably at the medical tent helping out."

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"No problem."

After that, Sakura successfully tracked down his wife. His wife had recoiled from Sakura, stating how her mother almost ruined her life. Sakura was surprised, of course. Sakura then introduced herself and the wife automatically apologized, having heard of Sakura before. Sakura then asked the wife what the woman looked like back then.

"She looked exactly like you do. Maybe a few years older, but with blue eyes, but I would never forget her face. She looked exactly like you."

And, following that, through the undamaged remaining documents, she actually traced down Sana's heritage. Tracking down Sana's living classmates, she found out more about the woman. Again, the classmate mistook Sakura for Sana's child.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's just…it's just that you look so much like her. I was really close friends with her as a child. She had such a sunny disposition – able to put a smile on anyone's face, really. She…she was a treasure. It's such a shame."

"What do you mean?"

"Sana was collateral damage, I heard. S-She…she was caught in between a fight between some shinobi. There was only one body found with hers'. I heard he was in Root or something. I-I-I was so worried when I found out what happened to her. That Danzo guy, you know? He didn't allow any of us to find out what happened in the autopsy. I tried to find him several times to ask him what happened to little Mana, but he would never tell me."

"I see, thank you so much for your time."

"W-Wait," said the woman as Sakura got up to leave, "If you're looking for more information, maybe you should look for anything Danzo left behind. Every time I saw him after the death of Sana and that guy she was with, he would always just glare, but it was never directed towards me, I mean…I mean…"

"I understand. Thank you."

"If you find out what ever happened, please let me know. She was a dear childhood friend of mine."

"Sure thing, miss."

"Thank you."

It's strange how everyone thought she looked like Sana.

"I'm back!" announces Mebuki.

"Welcome back, mom!" responds Sakura. Before she knows what she is doing, Sakura is already standing in front of her mother.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?"

"Um…mom, I have a really weird question to ask you."

"Can't be any weirder than that question you had about the Uchiha boy years ago, right?" Sakura looks down.

"No, it's actually weirder. By a lot."

"Okay, Sakura. You're scaring me."

"Um…I...amIadopted?" Sakura continues staring at the ground.

"What was that?" She can hear the smile in her mom's voice falter.

"Am I adopted?" Sakura repeats, slower. Her heart is pounding in her chest. She knows the answer, but she just wants to verify. There is no way that she is not her parents' child. It is impossible…right?

"…"

"Mom?" asks Sakura, seconds later. She lifts her emerald eyes to find her mother's filled with tears. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"…W-Who told you?"

Sakura can feel her world crumbling around her as her mom's tears fall. Sakura doesn't know how she wound up on the ground, but all she knows is that she was on the ground, staring at her own feet in disbelief.

X

"So…what happened? H-How…how did this…?" Sakura asks. She is sitting across the table from both her parents. Kizashi's arms are wrapped around his weeping wife.

Normally, she is the stronger one.

"On…" Kizashi starts. His voice is weak. He knows it. He takes a deep breath and opens his mouth to speak again. "On the day that we found you on the front steps…" He averts his eyes from Sakura's confused ones. "We had…we had just lost our daughter. It was a stillbirth…and it had just been a few hours when we found you on our steps…and it was…"

Mebuki interrupts. "I thought that God was responding to my prayers. That they gave me you. That some parents who didn't deserve you gave you to me because they knew that I would take care of you better. That…That…" Her voice cracks. "I just… I couldn't…I can't… Sakura, you are my daughter. No matter what."

"I know, mom, I know…I just…you guys couldn't tell me? These 16 years…I've pretty much been living a lie!"

"No, Sakura!" argues Mebuki. "You are my daughter. It is not a lie. It will n-never be a lie…" She cries into Kizashi's shoulder again.

Sakura takes a deep breath. Her heart is beating erratically. How can this be? This morning, she was happy with her family and now… she finds out that the two people who took care of her these past 16 years are actually not even related to her. She has more to say, but she has a mission to complete.

"Okay, I understand." Mebuki turns around at a speed that probably can break her neck. Sakura's voice doesn't sound the same. It is as if she isn't even there. Like she is just doing something she has to.

"Don't talk like that, Sakura," says Kizashi.

Mebuki searches her daughter's eyes. Figuring out that Sakura has a mission to complete, she takes Kizashi's hand and gives it a light squeeze.

"Okay, darling," says Mebuki.

"What happened on the day that you found me? Is there anything else you know surrounding my birth?" Mebuki looks at Kizashi.

"Your father's name is Shimura Haruto and your mother's is Hojo Sana. They were...they were killed after your birth, I think."

"Why?"

"Some shinobi were after them. I think because Danzo-san was Haruto's father."

"…Who were the shinobi?"

"All I know is that at least one of them had the sharingan."

"You…you guys didn't say anything…when I told you that I wanted to be an Uchiha woman someday."

"It was ironic…we couldn't tell you the truth. It would hurt."

Sakura scoffs. "How do you think I feel right now?"

"Sakura, you will not talk to your family like that."

"Well, is there anything else that you know?"

Kizashi looks to Mebuki. Mebuki opens her mouth and speaks.

"From what we could tell the day after we found you…during the investigation…" says Mebuki. Her voice is shaky. "Whoever the shinobi were…they were trying to kidnap you. Your parents tried to protect you. Hojo Sana was a civilian and…your father was a Root member, I believe. After the shinobi k-killed them, Shimura Danzo-san showed up...I think. By that time, you were already in our home, safe. He didn't see you. He fought off the shinobi…but he didn't kill them. Instead, he did something – I'm not sure what, and the shinobi simply walked off, like nothing happened."

"You guys never told anyone that I'm actually Shimura Danzo's granddaughter?"

"No," says Mebuki, "You were given birth to secretly…so if we even told a soul, you would have been put in danger, I think."

"We told the Hokage the day after, on the 29th, that you were born the day before at the time that our daughter was given birth to."

"I see." Sakura sighs. "I understand."

"Sakura…n-no matter what anyone says…no matter what happens, you are my daughter," says Mebuki. Sakura nods.

"I know. I'm sorry for acting out before," says Sakura. Kizashi lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He reaches over the table and takes Sakura's hand into his own.

"You are our daughter, Haruno Sakura." Sakura nods and rotates her hand in his to hold his hand back.

"I know."

X

Sakura walks towards Tsunade's tent again. She waits as Tsunade calls her inside. Figuring it might take a while, Sakura looks around…trying to spot anyone she knows in the midst of the people working to rebuild Konoha. The sky looks gloomier, supposedly.

"Come in, Sakura." Sakura does as told. She notices that she's not the only one in the room. Sakura nods briefly at Kakashi, Yamato, Sai and Naruto as she walks inside. They just came back from a mission, apparently. She walks up to Tsunade's desk and puts a piece of paper down.

"My mission report."

"Thank you." Tsunade looks towards the other four and crooks her head to the side a little bit to signal the other four to walk outside. The four nodded and stepped outside. They wouldn't be able to hear with the privacy jutsu set inside the tent. "Is there anything else that you've found out?"

"No. Aside from the fact that the Uchiha's were the one who attack Danzo's family, there was nothing else that I could find. Everything that I did find out was in there. There was nothing very important."

"Okay, in that case, you can go back to the medical tents and help Shizune out. While you're going out, can you send the four of them back inside?" Sakura nods.

X

"How did I get here?" Sakura asks to no one in particular. She isn't in Konoha anymore. She looks around. She was far from Konoha – probably near the border of Lighting Country. She has been traveling for probably two weeks now. She lost count of the days.

After her meeting with Tsunade, she had walked back to her tent slowly, thinking of what to do. Her sadness at finding out that she was adopted was overwhelming. Although her parents were as loving as ever, it would never be the same. Sakura had grown up not knowing who her parents truly were and in fear of her biological grandfather without knowing it. She had basically spit on her biological parents' sacrifice. They fought for her to live. To probably get to know her grandfather and be strong for them. To remember them. To think of them lovingly because probably no other living person could.

By the time she got back to her own tent, she had already made up her mind to leave and avenge her parents. Though most of the Uchiha's were already dead, there was still Sasuke. The all-important Sasuke. The one who killed her grandfather. She had to kill him. Before she knew it, she had already left Konoha. Everyone thought that she was simply stepping out for a mission. They barely asked her nowadays since everyone was mostly working on other things. They only asked people who were suspicious and people who were ambitious.

Suddenly, Sakura feels someone coming towards her at an insanely rapid speed. She quickly ducks to the side before the person can even touch her. Sakura whirls around and looks at her attacker. Freezing in her spot, she finds herself eye to eye with Uchiha Madara. Sakura stumbles backwards in fear. She shakes violently.

"Ah…Tsunade's apprentice, if I'm correct," says Madara. Sakura doesn't dare speak. He looks her up from head to toe. "Doesn't seem like you're on a mission."

"I…I left Konoha."

"Obviously." Sakura doesn't speak. "How about this? I'm short of many Akatsuki members, as you probably know. How about you join? You're a medic, are you not?"

"Y-Yes."

"If you join and swear loyalty to Akatsuki, I'll let you live until your usefulness has run dry." Sakura hesitantly nods. "Is there nothing that you can say? I wasn't aware that The Slug Princess took in a mute apprentice. Really, the Senju clan is nothing compared to the Uchiha. Even in our tastes for followers…"

At the mention of the Uchiha clan, Sakura's senses are thrown back into her. "I'll join…and heal. Only if you train me."

A smirk found its way onto his lips. "Well, well, well, she speaks. And she negotiates!" He lets out a haughty laugh. Shivers find their way down Sakura's spine. "Fine. I'll train you; however, no one is to know of what I ask you to do." Sakura hesitantly nods. What is he going to ask her to do?

A million thoughts run through her mind. What would he possibly ask her to do? The Akatsuki wants to capture the Tailed Beasts, a fact. Is he going to ask her to help capture the Kyuubi? After all, she is one of Naruto's best friends. Her assistance in capturing him would definitely weaken Naruto, especially since he would be hurt.

"Come," Madara says as he turns. Sakura knows that she is barely a threat, which is why he can turn his back to her. She doesn't dare take advantage of it. Instead, she obediently follows him. Madara walks slowly. Leisurely, even. Sakura slowly walks behind him. After only a few minutes, they seem to arrive at their destination. "We're here."

Sakura looks up at the building in front of her. It looks like a regular cottage.

"Go inside and heal him. You will be staying here and helping the person in there survive, no matter what the costs. If he dies, I will hold it against you. Also, put these in." He hands her a black jar. Sakura takes the jar into her hands. She doesn't look away from his eyes to see what's inside the jar.

"I understand."

"He is not allowed to die."

"Okay."

"If he dies, you die." He then disappears. Sakura lifts up the jar. Her eyes widen. In the jar are two eyeballs. But, that's not what's surprising. They were two sharingan-wielding eyeballs. "It can't be."

She rushes inside the small cottage and lo and behold, on the bed nearest to the window lays the one and only Uchiha Itachi in all his dying glory.