AN: I don't own Naruto….PS, all of the shinobi are suppose to be around 21-22 years old.
Chapter 1 - All Apart
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"It's been six years Shizune, and they still didn't come back. Ever since that last battle with Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki, they disappeared. Do you think they're still alive out there somewhere? Or Am I just being a fool?" The fifth hokage said as she rested her chin over her laced fingers.
After failing to get Sasuke back, Naruto and the others worked hard to grow stronger. Naruto trained days on end mastering his wind element and new jutsu, as Sakura continued to train with the Hokage. Many loses took place in the fast paced training. Asuma was killed by Hidan, an Akatsuki member, which brought team ten to work with team seven to great heights. Gai's, and Kurenai's team paid the other teams visits as well. The relationship between the leaf nins grew from comrades to something like a family. It was when Orochimaru and a couple members of the Akatsuki attacked the young nins, that they were separated from each other…for too many years.
"Tsunade-sama. I'm sure that those eight are still alive out there." Shizune said with strong hope.
"But Naruto was even one of the ones that didn't come back."
"Tsunade-sama…"
"Maybe one last search won't hurt. This time…We'll look in the Sound Country."
Ramen Shack
The small noodle shack was silent and lonely since their number one customer vanished years ago. To most people it held dear pleasant memories, while others, just a painful reminder.
Sai, one of the last remaining members of the famous team seven sat alone on one of the stools staring at the cold bowl of noodles in front of him. He remembered the battle as scenes replayed in his mind. He only wished he could go back and redo some of his actions, but he knew that, that wouldn't do anything now.
"Hey, what are you doing here, Sai?" Choji asked as he sat down next to the lonely nin. "One miso ramen."
"Got it." Said the chef.
"Nothing." Sai responded with one of his fake smiles.
"Hey you guys, Tsunade wants to see us!" Kiba called out with Akamaru and Neji by his side.
"But I just ordered." Choji said as his ramen was set in front of him.
"Get it to go! Come on." Kiba said as he jumped onto Akamaru's back and dashed off toward the hokage tower.
Tsunade's Office
"Neji, Sai, Kiba, and Choji. I have decided for one last search for our missing nins." Tsunade said. Tsunade expected them to look determined, but what she saw was hopelessness.
"Hokage-sama." Neji said as he looked directly at her. "It's been years since we had any sort of proof that they're even alive. They're gone. We have to…accept that." The byakugan user said with some difficulty.
"Doesn't mean we can keep trying!" Shizune said. The four jounins looked at her.
"Nonetheless, this is your mission. After this…if nothing is found, then we will write their names on the memorial stone." Tsunade said as he gaze faltered toward the window. "Now for the briefing."
Sound Country
"Kuso!" A tall lean blond nin yelled out as he slammed his fist against the wall. "We were so close!" He leaned his head against the wall as he tried to suppress his anger.
"Naruto, calm down." A woman with dark brown hair tied in a bun said. "That snake might give us more days of confinement if you act up."
"What does it matter Tenten? It's going to be another month in the dark." A tall blond woman said as she lay against the wall.
"Ino, we can't let this get to us." Tenten said as she sat down on the cold stone floor.
"We should have known that Orochimaru would send Kabuto to watch us during our mission." A man wearing sunglasses and a hood said.
"Well, Shino, we have a whole month to think of another plan." Tenten said with mock cheer.
"I don't know why that teme would leave Konoha for this." Naruto said as he finally cooled down.
"I suppose that's why Sasuke-kun left this place before we even got captured. Which brought Orochimaru to attack Leaf Village, thinking he was there." Ino said.
"Don't forget attracting the Akatsuki because the Sound's attack would give them an opening to attack us themselves." Shino said.
"I wonder how Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan, and the others are doing?" Naruto said.
"Probably still in the village." Ino said. "Lucky bastards."
Akatsuki Compound
"Sakura-chan, we need to get ready for our next mission." A white eyed woman with long black hair said as she entered the hospital wing.
"Hai, Hinata-chan. Did you tell Lee-san and Shikamaru?" Sakura asked as she put on her Akatsuki cloak.
"I'll get them right now."
"Ok, see you in the meeting room." With that, Hinata exited the room and went down the hallway. When Sakura was sure no one was around she ran over to the medicine cabinet and took out four vials of clear liquid. She carefully paced them in her kunai pouch as ran out of the hospital wing.
When Sakura got to the meeting room, she looked around to find her friends in the corner.
"Over here Sakura, and hurry up." The lazy jounin said as he sat down on the floor.
"Hey Sakura-san." Lee said as he gave her a thumbs up.
"Hi Lee-san." Sakura said. "So Shikamaru, do you know what the meeting's about?"
"Something troublesome I bet." Shikamaru said as he looked straight ahead.
"Maybe it will be close to ho-" but Hinata stopped in mid-sentence and looked to the floor.
"Huh? Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" Sakura asked as she turned around to where her friend was staring. Near the entrance Sakura had come from, a tall man with black hair tied in a pony tail walked in toward the center of the room. A large blue man accompanied him, and he held a large bandaged sword on his back. "Itachi." Sakura muttered through gritted teeth.
"If he's here, then this must be something big." Lee whispered to his companions. The other three seemed to agree.
"Sakura!" A man with tied blond hair called out as he approached the group. He blew away his bangs from his eyes as he stood next to the pink haired medic nin.
"Hi Deidara-san." Sakura said with a smile. Out of all the Akatsui members, Deidara seemed to be the friendliest of the group. After years of being held captive , Sakura and the rest developed some kind of friendship with the clay artist.
"Let's get this going already!" The tall blue man called out. Everyone in the room fell silent.
"Don't have to be so loud Kisame, yeah." Deidara said.
"We're setting the mission in sound. Two groups will be dispatched, one to go into the heart of the country's capital, and the other as back up." A man with what looked like venus fly trap growing from his head said, "First group, Kisame, Lee, Hinata, Shikamaru. Second group, Sakura, Deidara, and Itachi."
The three leaf nins looked at Sakura to see her expression of disbelief. Deidara, she was fine with, but she always had a problem with Sasuke's elder brother. Even if she sees him almost once every week for his weekly sessions to heal his eyes, she didn't feel comfortable around him. She couldn't for six years and counting. She just guessed that it was probably because she was still loyal to her other teammates.
"You know your mission, get a move on." A man with a cloth covering most of his face said.
"Just shut it Kazuku, yeah." Deidara called out as everyone started to leave in their groups.
"Be careful you guys." Sakura said as she hugged each one of them. At the same time she slipped each one of the small vials into their kunai pouches.
"You too." The three told her.
"I tell you if we run into any signs of you know who." Hinata said secretly to Sakura.
"Thanks." Sakura said. Everyone believed she was over the young Uchiha, and so did she, but nonetheless she still care for him, and wanted to bring him back to Konoha.
She exchanged glances with Shikamaru before they left. As if they were talking to each other telepathically, Shikamaru knew what the contents the small vials were.
"Let's go, Sakura." Deidara said as he walked next to her, Itachi way ahead of them.
"Naruto, Kakashi, Sai…I wonder what you guys are doing right now. Probably having fun and eating at Ichiraku's I suppose." Sakura thought as she and Deidara followed Itachi to Sound country.
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AN: Well, just started on a new story, Whoooooo! So, what do you think of the beginning? Hopefully you aren't printing it out and burning it because you're a nut……lol, well…now for ch.2!