Chapter 1

"Sakura! Get back here!"

Mebuki Haruno yelled from the door of her small home in Konoha. The sun was soon going to set and darkness would fall upon the peaceful village of Konoha. Letting a hue of oranges and pink color the usually blue sky. And she didn't want her young and only daughter to be lost in said darkness by herself.

"Sakura!"

The little girl was running down the dirt road with a speed she didn't even know she possessed. Her own mother and herself got into a small argument but to her it was a huge deal.

Mebuki told her she wasn't allowed to continue the Ninja Academy. Even though she's been there for at least a year. Sakura knew her life would continue as a ninja even if she wasn't skilled, she just knew it. And she won't let her mom even stop her.

The petite pink-haired girl didn't hear her mother's yells after she turned a corner. She wasn't chasing after her. That somewhat bothered the pinkette but at the same time it was a relief. But she had no idea where she was even going to go.

The other thing that bothered her was that the sun was setting and she had no where to go.

Being the timid girl she was, that was very hard to get through your head. But that didn't matter. By looking around she already knew where she was unconsciously heading towards. Somewhere she knew she could get some peace and quiet. The training ground's forest. Yes, it was rather scary because animals and maybe some villainous shinobi lurked there but she really wanted to get away from everyone.

Finally reaching her destination, Sakura fell to her knees suddenly in the middle of an open and empty training ground. She had exerted herself to much and especially for such a little girl. Heaving slightly, Sakura wiped the small beadlets of sweat from her brow. Finally after she started to breathe normally, her small head looked up and turned to see if anyone noticable was around. Fortunately there was no one in sight. And the only noise that was around was the faint rustle of the bushes and the sound of distant birds.

Inwardly Sakura smiled as she got up. Her legs felt a little loose, maybe from running so much. At least it was a good excercise.

She walked swiftly to the deep forest and encased herself inside it. Now the young Haruno was looking for a place to just sit down and think maybe. The argument with her mom really got to her and she just had to think about it. That was what sakura was known for actually. Thinking. This rosette was very intelligent for her age and she always thought of the problem first before acting.

Sakura finally found a spot at a low tree branch. She climbed ontop of it and laid back against the tree that was holding said limb up. Her shirt pink hair was against the rough surface while she looked up at the partially covered sky. The sun was already setting. It took long to get here? It didn't really feel like it. But now the young seven year old girl was content with herself and soon enough she fell into a deep sleep. Unaware to anything happening.

Or going to happen.

The blonde haired women sat in her seat with a feverish frown. Her jade eyes wide, looking around at everyone who passed by. The Hokage had sent her to sit outside since he has sent two genins to go after her fragile, innocent daughter. Just thinking about how Sweet little Sakura is lost somewhere in Konoha made the once kunoichi cringe in despair.

Suddenly the Hokage's door opened and the fourth walked out with a soft smile on him. He sat down next to the distraught women and looked at her with his blue eyes.

Mebuki recalled being in the academy with his wife and himself. Kushina Uzumaki was a tough girl like Mebuki herself, but way more independent than she would ever be. Mebuki looked up to the red-haired woman and she still does today.

She had heard that the Hokage and Kushina had a son the same age as Sakura. Maybe they were friends at the academy. Who knows.

"Haruno-san, I can assure you that they will find your daughter soon enough. They have had many lost child missions, actually too many to count. You can trust them."

Mebuki smiled at that and slowly she wasn't as tense as she was before.

"Thank you Hokage-sama... I have my faith in you. Like always."

A nervous laugh escaped her throat. To which Minato responded with a bigger smile. The tension was now gone from the poor woman and he was grateful. He knew the feeling of not having your only child around and having no idea where they are. His own son has done it.

Hell, he's done it so many times that he can't even keep track.

Their son, Naruto, is just very rambunctious and likes to be moving. Alot. Minato concluded that he received that trait from his loud wife, Kushina. Inwardly thinking that, he laughed to himself and went back to consoling the poor woman who seemed slightly familiar.

"You know my son does this all the time. We know exactly where he is when it happens. Does your daughter do this frequently?"

Mebuki immeidatly shook her head and frowned.

"This is the first times she has done this. I was surprised because she never likes being on her own. Sakura's very timid."

A pause was shared between them.

"...I see. That's odd then. May I ask... Do you know why she ran away?"

Mebuki's frown deepened. She immediately knew the answer to this and she regretted it wholly.

"I-I... I told she couldn't continue her time at the Ninja Academy, because I didn't want her to witness the Shinobi life... She's just a child and the violence could ruin her. And we argued and argued for a while until she gave up and ran out..."

Minato frowned and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"Shinobi life is the hardest of lives Haruno-san but if your child for sure wants to follow it, let them. You shouldn't hold them back, instead you should encourage them to the fullest. You never know... They could be the greatest of heros."

Minato finished wisely. Now Mebuki knew why he was the Hokage. He was amazing.

Mebuki nodded slowly and smiled.

"You're right. When she comes back I'll tell her. Thank you."

Minato smiled once more and nodded. As he opened his mouth to say whatever he was going to say a very loud explosion from outside deafened the two people inside for a moment.

Minato was the fastest to recover and he shot up from the bench Mebuki and him shared. The women followed in suit and her eyes were widened in panic. The Hokage turned to her and whispered lowly.

"Stay here and get to anyone in this building. I will be going to check what's happened."

She nodded and before she could say anything Minato disappeared in a flash. So the Haruno woman did as she was told and looked for anyone in the Hokage building.

Minato stood on the roof and was looking around with a stone hard face but yet inside he was cringing from the sight.

Mostly every building in sight was lit in flames that glowed in the night dark. Clouds of smoke were already filling the air and multiple screams of terror and help rang through the usually silent air. Civilians were running in the streets and children as well.

His blue eyes narrowed into slits as he looked for whoever had done this attack. There was no warning or sign that he could recall. But now he was just wondering if his family was okay. Kushina and Naruto were at home for the night. They were usually at the Hokage Tower so they could just all go home together, but Minato announced to them that he would stay late. So they went home.

Visibly, this time, he cringed and his fists clenched until his knuckles bled white. What the hell happened?

Before he could even come up with a thought, two more loud booms echoed through the village and more wisps of fire were around. More than ever. But there was no time for thinking. Instead Minato acted and jumped down the high roof onto the damaged floor of Konoha, looking for the mystery attacker.

Concentrating the correct amount of chakra to his feet, he ran through the crowded streets and jumped onto the roofs a moment after. With the chakra enhanced in his body, he was insanely swift but suddenly he saw him. he knew it was him by the chakra. The same chakra was lingering over the village due to the fires.

Clad in a black cloak and hood, the attacker was still unknown with the hood shading his face.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

"...You'll never know Minato."

Suddenly he poofed away, leaving the Hokage to watch as the cloud of smoke lingered. That was a clone... Minato jumped up onto a higher roof and looked around. Finally spotting his chakra signature, yet it was too late. He was already miles away and too far for anyone to catch up with. Even the Yellow Flash. Minato groaned and noticed explosion behind him. The attacker must have left bombs.

He turned and noticed it was in the training grounds. The fire was already attacking the trees in the area and Minato fled off towards the Konoha grounds to calm the citizens down and douse the fires as soon as possible. He already knew his shinobi were taking care all around Konoha.

Plus the Hokage would take care of the training grounds later, for he knew no one was ever there this late.

A shrill scream rang through the now lit forest of the training grounds. Sakura was getting herself deeper into the almost no-ending forest. When she heard the first explosion, Sakura woke up and went deeper into the forest to hide herself but that was the worst idea to conjure. Now she was very lost.

And very scared too.

Her loud scream was interrupted when she tripped on a branch. Her face was now full scratches and small hints of blood since she was get cut from over-hanging tree limbs and her legs and arms were cut and bruised as well. Only if she didn't run away. Only if she tried to reason with her mom instead of pouting and not even listening. Only if she didn't bring up the academy today to her mother!

A low whimper escaped her throat as she laid on the floor crying. She knew no one was here this late and she had no more hope. She was lost and hopeless.

All she wanted now was to be with her mother and in their home with no explosions or fires around her. And she wished especially someone would save her. Anybody.

Finally something ignited in her, and the rosette got up from her lying position and started walking froward. She was trying to think of a way to get out. She already tried going backwards to find the opening but that got her even more confused. Now she was just clueless.

Her jade eyes were starting to have that familiar stinging feeling and her lips were starting to quiver as she continued to walk sluggishly to no destination at all. The pinkette knew she should have stayed put; it's the number one rule if you get lost! Stay right where you are and just wait. And she had broken that rule awhile back.

She finally stopped and her tears spilled out as a wail of despair filled the burning forest. Her eyes clenched together as she kept wailing but she almost jumped when she heard the soft tenor of something in front of her.

"Shhh..."

Her eyes immediately opened to see the stranger, excess tears fell off when her eyes blinked. Now she was terribly scared. A strange man was now in front of her.

Ruby eyes that seemed very sharp were staring right into her doe-like jades. His raven, inky hair was tousled a bit from an unknown reason and it was long, tied at the nape of his neck and ending at the middle of his back. He had a uniform on too. Sakura remembered the uniform from a man she had seen walking around. This man was an ANBU and from what her mother told her is that they were extremely strong.

His face was cut and dirty, same with uniform too. Also he looked a little ragged too, despite the lines streaking down his face showing that he was a hard worker. Sakura didn't really care or know about that but what she did notice was the small, welcoming smile on this man's face as he bent down to her level.

But being in such a strong presence and since it was stranger, her lip quivered, signaling that she was about to cry again. The ANBU noticed that and slightly panicked.

"...Are you okay?"

Sakura was slightly surprised and looked back at the man with wide eyes. But she believed it was impolite to not reply so she did by shaking her head, indicating a 'no'.

The man inwardly frowned.

"Are you hurt then?"

"No. I'm scared."

She didn't notice the soundless tear fall dawn her face as the man straightened up.

"You're lost then?"

She nodded and used her arm to wipe the tears beading in her eyes.

"I'll help you get back to your parents then. What is your name?"

Sakura hesitated and looked down at the ground.

She has already trusted the man because of his ANBU outfit but she never really liked strangers. So she decided to turn the tables on him, and this surprised the ANBU Captain slightly.

"What's your name?"

He hesitated and looked down at her.

From all the children he had to rescue from being lost or other reasons, they would give their names out first. This was a first for the ANBU Captain and plus he just found this girl in the forest by herself. At night. This as well was a first.

"...Itachi."

Sakura nodded, eyes still jaded from crying.

"Mine is Sakura Haruno."

Itachi nodded and bent down on one knee.

"Okay Sakura... I'd prefer that I carry you out of here. Will you comply?"

The pinkette gave him a hard look for a brief second until she nodded and walked towards the man she just met. Itachi smiled at her reassuringly and held out both of his slender arms just to warn her silently. Then he picked her up. One arm was under her rear end to hold her up. His other was at her back, pressing her against him slightly so that she was secure.

Sakura felt awkward being picked up by Itachi, and just when they met but it made her feel secure in a way. Before she could think again, Itachi jumped off the ground and into the trees that weren't currently on fire and towards an opening. She was defiantly going the wrong way.

"...Wh-Where are you taking me Itachi-san...?"

"To an opening."

She nodded and looked over his shoulder as they were in the air. She felt as if she was flying. But what scared her was that when she was alone running deeper into the forest, she was going straight into the fires. If Itachi wasn't there to find she surely would have perished.

Suddenly everything, the fires and the tops of the trees, were gone and the two landed.

"Oi, Itachi!"

Sakura yelped and dug her face into Itachi's chest. She was jumpy right now since everything was too much to handle for a little girl like herself.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at his best friend and cousin. Shisui Uchiha raised a raven eyebrow and walked towards the two. The mask that the older Uchiha was holding was tied back onto his waist as he continued walking cautiously towards his younger cousin and small girl in the man's arms.

Quietly he said to Itachi-

"Who's that?"

Itachi patted the little girl on the back to comfort her, she was slightly shaking.

"I found her in the forest and I'm taking her back home. Are you going to go back now?"

Shisui nodded.

"Yes. Let's go."

With that the two Uchihas and a little girl dashed back to the damaged Konoha in search for the the pink girl's parents or if they have to, put her under the care of the Hokage.

While jumping mid-air, Itachi checked the girl in his arms. She was looking over his shoulder with her doe-like eyes glowing a hue of red from the fires around them. They have just gotten into the village and it seemed that everybody got rounded up somewhere. Itachi concluded that it was the Hokage's doings.

Shisui and Itachi jumped onto a roof that was partially burned. They could still hear slight screams from around the village and barely all the fires were out. It seemed that the fires were chakra infused and that they would only go out with a lot of water. And by alot of water I mean alot.

"Itachi."

"Hn."

Shisui leaned towards Itachi's ear and asked a question not meant for Sakura to hear.

"What if that girl's parents are gone?"

Itachi didn't think of that, nor he just didn't want to. But it was the hard truth. Her parents could be dead now and they wouldn't know it. Maybe it was best if they took her to the Hokage's tower than to risk taking her through the village.

"Sakura, where do you live?"

Said girl took her chin off Itachi's shoulder and she looked at him.

"I live in the West of Konoha... Kind of close to the Uchiha Estate and the Academy."

Hearing that, Itachi and Shisui realized their plan. They could drop her off at home and take her parents and Sakura then check their families. Perfect.

"All right. We'll be going now, hang on."

She did a small nod and resumed her place on Itachi's shoulder. Atleast she wasn't crying anymore. So with that they went west towards the Uchiha estate, their home, and the little girl's home as well.

Itachi's arm on the girl back tightened slightly since he was there and by the sight of what he was seeing he knew he had to tell her the worst news in her life. The whole section of apartments and home were burning and crumbled down into rubble. Probably including her home.

"...Are we here Itachi-san?"

Shisui gave Itachi a worried, hesitant look and nodded at him to tell. But instead Shisui walked behind Itachi and in front of Sakura's view.

"Hey little girl...I-"

"Who are you?"

Her little and very quiet voice asked. Shisui's lip curved into a smile as put his hand on his hip. A quiet laughed escaped his throat.

"Of course... Let me introduce myself first. I am Shisui Uchiha-"

"An Uchiha?"

"You like interrupting don't you? But anyways yes. What is your name?"

Sakura averted her eyes to Itachi's shoulder and her answer was muffled due to her mouth on Itachi sleeve.

"Sakura."

"Okay Sakura..."

Shisui was searching for the right words to say to her. Her house was turned into rubble and he didn't know if this girl could handle the news nicely. But from their earlier experiences when she jumped after hearing him unexpectedly, Shisui doubted if she would handle the news normally.

"Your... home. It's gone. But your mother and father could be alive, just don;t lose hope okay. You'll be with us for awhile okay?"

Shisui waited to hear a wail of some sort but instead Sakura spoke quietly.

"I don't have a father though."

"What?"

"He died when I was born and all I have is mother. An-And I-I don't want to..."

Itachi patted her back to console the shaking child. He already knew what she was gonna say.

"I-I don't want to lose m-my mom too!"

With that she sobbed loudly into Itachi's shirt and clenched onto her shirt almost painfully. Though the ANBU Captain rubbed her back gently and waited for her to cry it out. Shisui on the other hand rested his hand on her head and cooed her with soft words.

Now there plan was to get to the Uchiha Estates and maybe if it was safe enough, leave the little girl there with Itachi's mother. Itachi already knew his father was scoping out the village along with other Uchihas.

But before they could continue that plan, a kunai shot out towards. Fortunately, the two Uchihas jumped up, separating, onto roofs. The kunai had an explosion tag and the two noticed that too. And just as they expected, a huge cloud of smoke and loud explosion took place.

Itachi tightened his hold on Sakura and she was still sobbing lightly into his shirt. He lowered his eyes to the place they once stood, and from where they were hiding behind a pile a rubble, his sharingan spotted two ninjas clad in black cloaks. They were fairly tall and he couldn't see their faces. Just mysterious nuke-nins standing there.

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly as whispered to Sakura.

"Don't make a sound or move Sakura. Just hold on."

The rosette nodded slightly into his shoulder and choked a whimper down. She was utterly confused and still scared. She just wished that she could see her mother. At least one last time. Her little palms clenched onto his shirt harshly as he pulled out a kunai with multiple explosion tags on it. Itachi gripped onto it one last time and threw towards the mystery ninjas with no mercy. And as expected, Shisui had thrown the same thing to at them. Unfortunately the explosion was too much for Sakura as she screamed into Itachi's shirt and sobbed quietly.

He cooed her and his grip tightened even more that it bordered on the line of painful. Itachi regretted not going to the Uchiha Estates firsthand because if he hadn't had Sakura with him, Itachi could have attacked but he had to run and take the poor girl away from the dangerous nuke-nin.

Suddenly a dozen of kunai shot at the two and Itachi fell back with Sakura off the crumbling roof. Flipping, he landed on his feet and saw Shisui at his side. With a nod, the lowered their chakra signatures and sped off towards the brush of a tiny forest in the village. Luckily it wasn't burnt down or that damaged.

As they were running, the two Uchiha could hear the bombs breaking behind them. They were throwing very powerful bombs at them and they were lucky they were fast enough because one was almost close to catching them.

"Where are we going Itachi?"

Shisui asked harshly as they dashed through the miniature forest. Itachi's grip hadn't faltered an inch as they ran and he narrowed his eyes intently.

"The Uchiha Estates. Hopefully my family is still there. We both know that they have guards up all around."

Shisui nodded and they enhanced their chakra to their feet and rushed to safety. Safety for that little girl. Now Sakura knew the violence of the Shinobi world her mother was talking about earlier this evening and she did not like it.

I apologize for any mistakes and the next chapter will hopefully be up soon... I hope.

This story is just a random story about another way Itachi and Sakura meet. And yes, Kushina and Minato are alive, aswell as the Uchiha clan! Yay!

Oh and the two genins that were told to save Sakura are just random ninjas that have no meaning to this story whatsoever. *nervous laugh*

Reviews fuel my inspirations and will to write more and they make my day always! :)))