It was 2 a.m. when Sakura was shaken awake by a hand on her shoulder. The green eyed girl rubbed her face with one hand while peering up into the darkness at the person.

"Blossom I need to talk to you," the dark haired boy said while flicking on the lamp on her bedside table so that she could see. He sat down next to the girl on the bed, smiling as she gave him an annoyed look.

"What's the matter Shisui? You know it's 2 in the morning and we got to get up early for dads meeting party thing for work." She said while yawning. The young girl glanced at the bed on the other side of the room, noticing that it was empty. Konan must have gone to get a drink, she thought. He didn't say anything for a moment. Which made her look up at him. There was a storm in his eyes. She felt her chest twist up at the look on his face. Sitting up in the bed, Sakura looked at him worriedly.

"Is everything alright?"

"No baby. Nothings alright."

Sakura froze. Don't freak out, she told herself. Something must have gone wrong on a mission. Let him explain.

"We're leaving Sakura." He said in a horse whisper. Sakura just stared at him, completely speechless, waiting for him to say it was a joke and bust out laughing. But he looked absolutely heartbroken.

"…What? Leaving where?"

"I can't tell you where. You know it's time we leave. Sound is getting too vicious. Too violent and getting closer to home. But we will be back…just please…wait. I promise." He said in a broken voice, cupping his hands around her soft face and leaning his forehead on hers.

"I can come with you guys, can't I? Who's going to heal and bandage you guys up after missions?"

"No. Where we are going is too dangerous…but god I wish you could. I wish I could just take you with us more than anything." He said, kissing her temple and running his hand through her short pink hair. Sakura was borderline having a panic attack. She shoved him away and got off the bed.

"No…no I won't let any of you leave me!"

"Sakura wait!"

Xxx

RIIIIIIIIIIIING

"Forehead! Wake up!"

Sakura jumped awake from not only the last bell of the day but from a loud blonde. With a hand on her chest, trying to calm the rapid beating of her heart, Sakura gave her friend a pissed off look.

"What the hell Ino? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Never mind, I know you are."

Ino rolled her eyes and laughed, "I only live to give you heart attacks forehead. What are besties for?"

She couldn't help but chuckle a little as they both got up from their desks and grabbed their bags. The two girls walked out of the history classroom together and to their lockers, dodging the rowdy football players that just always seem to take up the hallways wherever they go.

"You were completely zonked out there forehead. What's been going on? That's the third time this week you passed out in class."

"I don't really know. Just haven't been sleeping much I guess." She said while opening her locker. The blonde gave her a concerned look from around her own locker.

"Is it your dad? Has he started drinking again?" She said in a whisper after shutting her locker.

Sakura sighed, she was hoping she would drop the subject. Not meeting her eyes she pretended to look for something in her bag while she answered, "Nope, surprisingly he's still going strong and sober. New record for him. Been about a 2 months."

Ino believed her. She looked relieved, as she smiled at her while hooking her arm through her own.

"Finally that basterd is doing something right. But you do know that if he starts up again I got plenty of room at my house for you. I heard that withdraw is really rough. So if he does anything at all, you got a place to crash forehead."

Sakura smiled at her friend, feeling so grateful to have her. But internally she feels horrible for lying to her, but she can't have Ino involved in her crazy life at home. She'll turn all wrinkly and grey too early from all the worry.

"Thanks pig. But you don't have to worry. Once I turn 16 I'm going to get emancipated and get out of that house."

"Orrrrrrrrr you can just come live with me and my parents! I know I said I wouldn't keep bringing it up but it's going to be so hard living by yourself and my parents would love it if you lived with us!"

"They won't once they realized all the bad qualities that come with living with me!"

"Like what? Do you snore? Leave the toilet unflushed? Act like a lazy slob? I just named the three worst things that could happen with living with someone and you don't have anyone of those qualities. Name one thing."

"Um…uh I fling my shoes off wherever I want and-"

"I do the same exact thing forehead."

"Annnnnnnnd I uh…eat too much popcorn and ice cream!"

"Only with me!"

"Nuh uh I eat a lot of that at my house!"

"What are you two going on about? Popcorn and Ice cream?"

The two bickering girls whipped their heads over to see a dirty blonde with an amused smile on her face walking toward them. She felt the blonde straighten and tense up slightly but she returned the smile.

"Hey Temari! We're just having a debated argument is all." Sakura said with a shrug of her shoulders and a smile. Now that Ino doesn't have her distracted she realized the hallway was almost empty of students.

"Sounds serious. Here's your movie back. Thanks for letting me borrow it. I balled like a damn baby through most of it."

Sakura laughed, "I think we all did. I still can't believe you never seen The Notebook."

"Yeah it was good but I don't think I can handle watching that again. Although Shino was so sweet to me throughout the movie."

Ino bumped the other blondes shoulder with a mischievous grin. "I'm sure he was just as sweet after the movie huh?"

Temari only laughed with a steely look in her eyes before redirecting her attention to Sakura. Before Sakura's siblings left town, Ino and Temari had a heated…relationship I guess you could say. Sakura was always friends with both girls but the two absolutely hated each other for their mutual crush back in middle school. Her brother Shikamaru.

Sakura sighed, out of her 13 brothers the two had to have the same crush on just one of them. But since their mysterious disappearance, the two blondes have tried to work it out for Sakura's sake.

"Hey Naruto was looking for you Sakura. He's waiting for you at the front doors."

Shoot. She forgot about Naruto. As the two girls were approaching the glass doors, Ino moved onto the topic of boys, or as of late one boy in particular. Aido Kurosaki is Konoha Highs school quarterback.

"He keeps coming over to my lab table and talking to me! Oh my god forehead! He is just the hottest thing-"

"Pig you do realize how typically clique it would be if you two got together right?"

"It would only be clique if I was a cheerleader-"

Sakura turned her head to see whatever caught the girls' attention and speak of the devil. It was Aido with some of his teammates. As the two neared the doors the football players hushed their voices and watched as the girls pass them with flirty grins on their faces. Once the girls pushed open the doors, they started walking over toward the yellow buses.

"Okay the staring is getting annoying."

"Oh c'mon forehead they can't help but stare, we're pretty damn hot!" Ino said, flipping her hair over her shoulder and fluttering her eye lashes at her.

Sakura rolled her eyes and laughed. Ino might enjoy the attention but Sakura certainly didn't. She couldn't comprehend why juniors and seniors would pay any attention to two freshman.

Just then they finally found who they were looking for. Past the buses a tall blonde boy was leaning against a Cutlass in the school parking lot. He grinned when the two walked up to him.

"There you are Sakura! I was about to call you! You made me wait foreverrrrr!" he whined, giving the pink haired girl a hug and a smile toward Ino.

The two blondes weren't very familiar with one another. Naruto always use to hang out with Sasuke and Gaara, Sakura's brothers. Ino was too shy to talk to them when they were younger so she only recently just started talking to Naruto. Now that Sakura's brothers are M.I.A. the two grew close. He takes Sakura (and sometimes Ino) to and from school every day, and whenever the two are free they hang out.

"Sorry, you didn't need to wait for me Naruto. I could've just taken the bus."

"No one likes those stinky cramped things. You ready to head out?"

"Yeah do you mind dropping Ino off?"

"Not at all, hop on in Ino."

Ino glared at Sakura, she always got shotgun. Sakura stuck her tongue out at her. Naruto blasted the stereo system with Vampire Weekend and the two sung along to the lyrics. Ino groaned in the back.

"Ino you are too mainstream."

"Yeah pig, broaden your horizons a little. You're like a 12 year old with your love of One Direction."

"I am NOT too mainstream! And forehead you promised not mention that I love One Direction!"

The two in the front laughed as they kept teasing her on her love of pop music and boy bands till they dropped the blonde off. Once Naruto pulled the Cutlass in front of the Greek revival styled home, he stopped Sakura from getting out with a hand on her wrist. He looked into her eyes, for once serious.

"Sakura I know I said I wouldn't ever ask you again but…do you know when there… coming back?"

Sakura sighed and closed her door. Turning toward Naruto with a pained look. The blonde just missed his friends and was worried. He hasn't asked her in a while if she heard from them at all, so there was no point in getting mad.

"I would tell you if I knew."

"I'm going to kick their asses when they get back." He said with burning blue eyes. His hands were clenched around the steering wheel.

"Right there with you."

It's been two years since they left and none of Sakura's brothers have tried contacting the two, as far as Naruto knows.

She gets secret texts from her sister Konan every few weeks or so. Always off a blocked number that she can't reply too. It started only 4 months after they left. Sakura, out of anger for them leaving, got a new number, but Konan somehow got a hold of that number not a month later. The messages were short but the sentiment behind each text was there.

And about 5 months ago she got a call from a blocked number. When she answered the phone all she heard was silence and very, very slight breathing on the other line.

"Hello?"

"…"

"Hello? Anyone there?"

".." Slight breathing.

Sakura froze. They called. She knew that if it was her sister she would've talked, so it had to be one of her brothers. She just knew.

"Whoever this is…I hope you're…safe. And happy. Wherever you are."

"…" Heavier breathing.

"Because I don't want you to come back. Stay the hell wherever you're at. I don't want you in my life ever again."

She hung up.

Sakura shook herself back to the present and gave Naruto a big hug and a smile before getting out of the car. "Thanks Naruto!"

Naruto waved and waited till she was standing on her porch to drive off. Getting her keys out of her canvas backpack, she unlocked the door and stepped in. Heading straight for the kitchen to assess the mess her father probably made the night before in his drunken rage. And there was…nothing. No broken bottles on the kitchen floor, no spilled whiskey on the table, nothing.

I could've sworn I heard him throw a bottle last night. Did he clean-up for once?

Completely confused, the pinkette went to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle only to see that she could barely get it out. The huge stainless steel fridge that barely ever had anything other than liquor and water in it was stocked with food. Usually Sakura just ate at school, at whatever house she would babysit at, or at the Konoha Hospital she so proudly got an internship at because of how empty it usually was.

He went grocery shopping? The hell?

Sakura was so confused and slightly overwhelmed by the amount of groceries her father could not possibly have gotten before going to work this morning. And just when it hit her, a voice spoke up from behind.

"You seem very surprised. I guess it's true that our father hasn't been taking good care of you."

Sakura froze. She slowly closed the fridge doors and turned around.

A tall man slouched against the frame of the kitchen entrance. The two stared at each other for a moment. Sakura was shocked to see him move first. He quickly spit out the senbon in his mouth and it expertly landed on the oak table. Before Sakura could react, he had his arms around her, crushing her to his chest and slightly lifting her.

"Oh cherry." Was all he said.

The young girl was shell-shocked. Her first instinct was to return the tight hug but it didn't take her long to remember her anger.

"Let go Genma." But he did the exact opposite. At first he tensed at her command. But then he promptly tightened his arms even more, lifted her up higher off the ground and slowly pushed her up against the kitchen wall.

"Genma!"

"God I missed your voice Sakura." He said, pressing kisses to her neck. Sakura fumed and started trying to shove him off, which proved pointless.

"Sakura."

Damn it! I forgot they never travel alone! The young girl thought, staring into dark charcoal eyes.

"Sasuke…"

Genma pulled his head back, slightly glaring at his younger brother for interrupting as he made his way over to stand next to him. He stepped back a little, but kept and iron grip on her waist.

They just stared.

Sakura saw the slight changes in their faces as their gazes moved up and down her body. Starting from her white converse, shredded blue jean shorts, a black New York tank top, to her green and black plaid flannel tied around her waist.

They saw everything, every detail.

Like the lavender and grey ankle bracelet Ino made her, the silver rings on her fingers, the leather watch, and the studs in her ears. But the biggest surprise was her tanner skin, the long wavy pink hair, the fact that she had boobs and curves had shocked them. She was 13 years old when they left, she was a completely different girl then. There little sister had milky white skin, short hair, and was premature. Hell even the fact that she was taller took them off guard although she was still quite short for a 15 year old.

She noticed the differences as well. Genma still had most of his physical characteristics although he looked way stronger. He had bulgy muscles from what she could see from his black wife beater under his unzipped Akatsuki jacket.

Sasuke looked a lot more mature and his hair was a whole lot longer and covering some of his forehead. He looked like he took up working out as well. He shot up to Genmas height and so both men were like ogres to Sakura, who by the way, only grew about 2 inches the past 2 years. A whopping 5ft 2ins.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked breaking the silence. At the sound of her voice the two looked up from analyzing her. Sasuke spoke, staring down at her with bleeding red eyes.

"We came back."

No shit Sherlock.

"We were the first to arrive. Everyone will be back soon."

Sakura opened her mouth but before she could speak, Sasuke bent down and poked her forehead. She deliberately sucked air between her teeth, making a sharp noise. She rubbed her forehead and gave him an annoyed pout.

"The hell Sasuke mmhhff-"

He swooped down with no warning. Sasuke, who rarely ever initiated any move first, kissed her like a thirsty man drinking water for the first time. Genma made no move to stop the situation, only started messaging her sides with his hands.

I have to get out of here.

This was overwhelming her. Sakura was trying to get her thoughts together.

Think, think, think Sakura.

There was only one way of getting out of this situation that Sakura could think of. So she executed it. She quickly bit Sasuke's lip while at the same time swinging her leg up into her brother's balls. While the two exclaimed in pain Sakura took off through the front door.

Sakura threw open her phone as she was cutting across the street. Quickly pulling the number up on the screen she began calling.

"Hey! I was just about to call you-"

"Tenten I'm on my way to your house right now! Unlock your window!"

"Okay! Okay! What's happening? Where's the fire?"

"I'll tell you when I get there. Be over in 5."

Hanging up the phone Sakura kept cutting across backyards in a panic. After what seemed like a long escape she finally neared the house. After climbing up the Oak tree in the back yard she opened the window and climbed in.

"Hey Ten! You're harboring a fugitive right now just so you know." The pinkette said with a smile at her friend who was on her computer chair munching away on Funions.

"Awesome! It sounded like you were running away from the cops. I will die before I become a rat." She said getting up and plugging her ipod in her stereo.

"Aww how sweet."

"But for real, what was the hurry?" The bun haired girl sat down next to the girl on the bed, handing her some Funions.

"I…" She's going to find out eventually anyway. "My brothers…I think their back."

Tenten stopped chewing, her funion dropping out of her hands and her jaw slack. "Are you serious?"

"100%"

"Holy fuck."

"Yeah."

Tenten took a minute to think this over. Then took a moment to look at her friend. Realizing the encounter wasn't something she wanted to talk about. Tenten was a good friend of Sakura's even though she was a junior. But she only knew what everyone else knows. That her brothers are in the ferocious gang, the Akatsuki.

Expecting Tenten to ask questions, Sakura was surprised the girl only smiled and then squeezed her hand.

"This is the time to give you the good news then."

Sakura cocked her head in question. Good news?

"There is a party at Sinkill Alley tonight! 8 p.m.!"

It worked, Sakura cracked an excited grin. "Yes! The timing couldn't have been better!"

"Right? Seriously though it's been forever since that last one. I think it's been two months now."

Then Sakura realized something. She had no clothes.

You don't just show up to Sinkill partys looking the way she does now. Even if it's in an abandon alley near the slums of the city. Despite the fact that even some of Sound High kids go, the seniors from Konoha High set it up and almost everyone except for freshman's and sophomores can go.

But Sakura was an exception. The reason for this being that everyone knew who her brothers were. But it was also the fact that she was friends with many of the upperclassmen as well. She didn't go to the parties too often. Partying, internship at the hospital, babysitting, and school is just too much to juggle. But she loves to go when she can.

"Damn it. I've got nothing to wear."

Tenten grabbed her wrist and pulled her off the bed toward her closet. "You and I are going out tonight! So pick out whatever you want. I think this one would look good on you though."

She pulled out a red silky dress that was strapless with a sweet heart neckline, cinched right under the bust, and the length flowed to a stop at mid-thigh.

"Holy-"

"I know right? It's a little big so it will fit around your boobs."

"Awesome! Aw thanks Teenie!"

"No problem! We've got some time to kill. Want to play some Mortal Kombat?"

"Hell yeah!"

Time flew as the girls played the PS3 game and before you know it, they started getting ready. Tenten wore a sparkly silver high wasted skirt with a semi-baggy black tank top tucked into it and black suede ankle high heeled boots. For accessories she had silver bangles, and dangly earrings. Her brown hair was down and scrunched cutely to her collar bones with a touch of lip gloss on her lips.

Sakura had the red dress on along with black strappy heels and her rings on her fingers. She traded her studs in for silver hoops. She curled her hair into beachy waves down her back. To finish off her look, she added mascara and eyeliner on the top of her eyes.

The two girls made kissy faces, poses, and taking a few pictures in the mirror on her closet door and giggled.

"Is Lee going to be there?" Sakura said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Tenten blushed and pretended to fix her make up before grabbing her purse.

"Maybe. I texted him and told him about it."

"Aw I can't wait for you two to get together already." Tenten rolled her eyes with a blush.

The two crept out of the house, they were being fashionably late since Tentens parents don't go to bed till at least 9. After tip toeing through the front door, the two ran down the street hushing each other's giggles.

25 minutes later Sakura and Tenten heard the party before they saw it. The bass of the music was making the rocks on the cracked sidewalk bounce. The two girls grinned at each other before squeezing through the crowd at the entrance. The two pushed past grinding bodies till they found the keg and a familiar blonde.

"Ino! Lee!" The blonde turned from her conversation with Lee and grinned.

"Hey finally you two showed up! I'm all ready to dance forehead!"

Sakura laughed and filled two cups up with beer while Lee hugged the poo out of Tenten, who of course was blushing while telling him to calm down.

"Where is everyone else?" She gave Tenten her cup and took a sip out of her own.

"Shino, Choji and Temari are over by one of the tables. They're going to smoke. Sai and Kankuro ran off to the stereo to change the music so they will be back. Hinata still hasn't shown up yet but she did tell me that Naruto is getting off early and that he and Neji are going to come later!"

"Awesome well I am ready to relax and have fun tonight you guys. It's been a long day." The pinkette said already finishing her first cup and pouring her second.

Tenten and Ino shared a look and Tenten mouthed to her 'later'.

"Share your everlasting youth Sakura! We will both have a youthful time! Yosh!" Lee said to her, tapping his cup with hers. Sakura laughed and was about to walk over to where her friends were sitting when she saw someone walking toward her out of the corner of her eye.

Turning toward the person she could see it was Karin pushing past the crowd toward her. A posse of girls at her back. When she finally stood in front of her, the red head sneered down at her.

"Hey sis. How's it going back home?"

Sakura crossed her arms, trying her very best to keep the disgusted look off her face. "You would know if you came back. Where have you been?"

But of course, Karin wasn't going to tell her anything. "Around."

Karin was supposed to be a junior at Konoha High but is only a sophomore. She failed freshman year, the year there siblings left them. She went downhill real fast that first year.

Although she wasn't close with the boys the way Konan and Sakura were, she still loved them. She was and still is jealous of the two for having something with them and blamed Sakura when they left, just like their father. When their father would get drunk and lash out Karin would leave the house. To where is lost on Sakura. She goes for a couple weeks at a time and skips school a lot of it.

"The boys are back. Well…some of them at least."

Sakura said to her and before she turned away she saw the shocked look on her sister's face. Not bothering to stay for questions she may or may not have.

Ino latched on to her arm as they made their way toward the smoking tables. "When did this happen?"

"Today after school. It was Genma and Sasuke that were waiting at the house. But knowing my brothers two more will show up by the end of the night."

"You want to stay at my house tonight?"

Sakura smiled at her and shook her head, "Thanks Ino, but that's the first place my brothers are going to look for me. I'll hit up Haku later and stay at his place."

"Maybe now that they are coming back your dad will stay sober. And your sister can get sober."

"I doubt it with my dad. I hope so with my sister." Karin started doing coke as well when the boys left. Sakura can't wait to see the horrified look in their eyes when they see her all skin and bones.

"Alright enough of this. Let's get this party started with some jello shots!" Tenten said coming back with a tray of them. Sakura smiled and decided to stop worrying and the four toasted to a good night.