The Hidden Bloodline

Disclaimer: You know the drill,Naruto isn't mine blah blah, but I found it interesting, so I'm going to give it a try, okies?

Chapter One—Running

How could she have been so stupid? Again? Stumbling slightly she fell to her knees, but caught herself, and winced as thorns from a bush dug up and into her palms. Ignoring it, she pushed herself up, and continued on again, fighting her way through the dense vegetation, away from her home, her humiliation, her life.

Your weak, weak!

You're a pathetic excuse for a kunoichi.

I'll kill you if you run…don't betray me.

Why would anyone want to be with you? You can't even defend yourself!

You're so annoying; get out of my way.

You have no use anywhere's…

I'm surprise your still alive…

Tears won't ever help you, they mark you as weak and useless…

Your weak!

Yes. She was weak. That was why she was running away, because she couldn't take the verbal abuse anymore, the scathing looks, the teasing, the loneliness that was tearing her apart…the stupid way she kept falling…the nightmares and pitiful looks…

Angry tears filled her eyes as she raced on through the trees, jumping over obstacles that came in her way, expanding her energy, pushing herself angrily, sadly, bitterly. With a scream of frustration bubbling up her throat, her chakra filled her and burst out, streaking down the path before her, causing trees to flatten and the area to be partially destroyed. Slowly down to a halt she stared around with wide shimmering eyes. Suddenly, an idea came to her as she shifted the small pack on her shoulder. She had only thought to leave for a couple days…but, looking around, an idea, and plan, formulated in her mind.

What if she left for good? Teams would be sent out after her of course, probably her own as well…but…they would know her too well…or so they thought, she looked bitter. They thought they knew her, thought they knew her way of thinking, but she had always kept her thoughts to herself while with them, even after all they had been through…her eyes flashed with pain and fury. It had been…nearly three years…after he came back to Konoha. And it wasn't like she even existed, after she all she had done for them…

No…I don't want to go back. Never again.

Slinging her bag up into a tree, she made sure it was secure before she brought a dagger from her side into sight, and twirling it once in her hand before she brought it up to her locks of hair. She chopped off enough to think that someone had grabbed her hair, and she had cut herself free. Dropping the strands of hair on the ground casually, she made a few tracks on the ground, pretending that she was fighting someone, to make it believable. After adding a few more extra tracks carefully, she tore a strip of her clothing, dirtied from the ground, and left it lying within the green and brown. Then, lifting her arm, she slashed it with her dagger; blood fell on to the torn strip of cloth, and then to the ground, as she moved around carefully.

Then with a last thought, she removed her forehead protector, and staring at the symbol that spoke of the Hidden Leaf village, she let blood seep onto it, before it fell to the ground, taking out one of her shuriken's, she looked at it for a moment, before she aimed with careful precision, and threw it, seeing it lodge half out of sight between two branches, she smirked as she wrapped her arm carefully, cleaned her dagger, and jumped up into the trees, catching her bag again. With a final look over the area, she let her eyes linger over the mark of her acceptance of a shinobi before she jumped away, leaving what she had once been far behind, without looking back, or feeling regret.

Where could she be…? Tsunade glanced outside impatience and worry going through her once more as she waited for her apprentice to show up for their lessons. Although she could admit herself that the lessons were hardly needed anymore, for her student had well surpassed her in power and skill, it was still nice to share tea in the early morning before they went to work, and talk about the various things that made them special. Over the years, she thought she had made quite a bit of progress with the girl, bringing her out of the shadows she had locked herself in with the devastation that had consumed her. Tsunade had begun to see the real woman underneath the timid mask that was presented to the world, yet it pained her to know that the girl was still unwilling to accept herself, accept her true powers…

With a sigh, she stood and walked out, finding her secretary, and other apprentice, Shizune. The other looked over at her, worry also apparent. "I'm sorry, she hasn't shown."

Child…where are you? With a feeling of bad premonition, she gave orders to the other woman, and retreated back to her room full of anxiousness.

"Ha! Bastard! You'll have to do better than that!" Grinning with good mocking cheer to the raven-haired male across from him, a blonde ninja laughed at the glare he received, before he yelped, his opponent on the attack…again.

"Jeez Sasuke, don't you know how to rest?" Naruto shouted as he summoned some clones to distract the other male. Without replying, the onyx-eyed boy flung out shuriken's and pierced all of the clones, leaving the blonde foxy looking male standing looking puzzled at his lack of comment.

"What's got you all worked up?" Naruto asked bewildered as he flopped down on the ground, leaving Sasuke to lean against a nearby tree panting slightly. When he got no answer, Naruto looked over to where their sensei sat reading his precious book, 'Ichya Ichya Paradise'. Rolling his eyes, the blonde tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, before his stomach growled. He was starving. He licked his lips thinking about his absolutely favourite food, ramen.

"Saskue, Naruto." Kakashi suddenly called looking up from his book. Both looked over with different expressions, Naruto curious, Sasuke indifferent. "We've been summoned before Tsunade-sama." The elder ninja spoke seriously.

"Aww, what does she want now?" Naruto complained. Then he perked up. "Maybe its another mission!"

"Or perhaps not…" Kakashi murmured to himself as they walked. Sasuke glanced over at him suspiciously, before he looked away, and stared at the ground blankly in silence along the way.

When they entered the elderly woman's office, she looked up with an expectant look on her face. "Have you seen Sakura?" She demanded.

All three were surprised. "Sakura?" Naruto blinked dumbly. "Ah, no." He mumbled staring at her fallen face. Kakashi looked at her. "What is this about Tsunade-sama?"

She fretted silently. "Sakura was supposed to come and see me yesterday. She didn't show up." She looked at them with worry reflecting strongly. "No one has seen or heard of her, I even had her home searched, and she's not there!"

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "You mean she's gone?"

"I fear that might be so." Tsunade whispered. "But I cannot imagine why?"

"But…" Naruto whispered. "Sakura…"

Kakashi looked at the two members of team Seven. "We will go out and look for her."

"I sent out team Ten all ready." Tsunade told them. "They should be returning…"

"Tsunade-sama!"

The door was thrown open and Ino burst through with tears streaming down her face as her team followed more slowly. "In the forest…blood, trees down, chakra…"

"What is she going on about?" Naruto mumbled as the atmosphere became tenser. Ino fell to her knees crying as Shikimaru stepped up behind her and crouched putting his arm around her slowly and Choji stared at the other occupants numbly. "She's…she's…"

"She's dead." Asuma said wearily. The team Ten's leader stared at team Seven blankly. "We found a place that held the lingering trace of her chakra. It looked like she had been attacked, it was just outside our boundaries…we found blood, along with…her hair, a torn strip of her shirt…and these…"

He held up two objects that made the blood drain from each face of the male of team Seven. "No…" Naruto whispered.

Sakura… Sasuke thought staring at the bloodied forehead protector, and single shuriken. Kakashi closed his eyes and bowed his head. How could have this had happened…? Everything had being going so well…no. Wait…he remembered that for the past three years…they had seen even less of her…he thought…he looked at Tsunade who was silently crying.

"Tsunade-sama…" he began slowly, with a hint of hoarseness. "We…haven't seen Sakura for a very long time…since the team…" he trailed off, then began again. "Was she always with you…?"

"No…" the woman looked at him wide-eyed. "I thought that she had gone at times to go and visit and train with you again…" she stared at them, as a dreadful realization came over them.

"Had Sakura fully recovered from…?" Kakashi stopped suddenly. Naruto froze. "It couldn't have been that…could it?" He asked timidly.

Sasuke looked at them all as the other team listened, Ino moaned shaking her head. "No." She denied. "She said she had forgotten…"

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke demanded coldly.

They all looked at him at once. Uneasy at the stares he scowled. "Well?"

"Asuma." Tsunade spoke in a slightly wavering voice. "Take your team and get rest. Ino is going into shock."

Nodding the team left, Shikamaru helping the blonde haired girl ninja out. Slowly Tsunade looked at Sasuke. "I suggest you sit for this." She whispered. "You won't like it." He gave her a look, but silently sat, and waited. Naruto practically collapsed staring with wide blue eyes. "She didn't go because of that did she?" He demanded in a tiny voice.

"I don't know." Tsunade said reluctantly. She paused and glanced to Sasuke who still waited. "When…you left, it was of course devastating to your team. And we all knew how Sakura felt about you…" she paused. "Afterwards, she came under my care, and my teachings, as a medi-nin, among other things. She was very skilled, and so, I took her as my apprentice. But…just before you came back…the Akatsuki raided here…and kidnapped her."

Sasuke froze within. Carefully he kept his face expressionless. "What happened?"

"…We don't know." Kakashi finally admitted after a prolonged silence. "Sakura refused to speak of it."

"But she constantly had nightmares…and I think still does…did." Tsunade whispered tears falling again.

Sasuke looked at them. "How long was she there for?"

"Four months." Naruto said hoarsely. "She suddenly appeared one day, beaten, covered in blood. She never told us how she got away, if she did. And we never questioned her."

"Her mind was frail." Kakashi went on quietly. "We didn't want to loose her to madness."

"It didn't help." Naruto mumbled gloomy.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked sharply.

"The experience changed her, obviously not for the better." Kakashi replied. "She withdrew mentally, she was still the same in some ways, and in others, had brought out a new part of her that was…" he paused. "Darker. But…after you returned…she had less and less to do with any of us…I see that now…" he mused to himself.

"But why?" Naruto demanded. "After everything happened, and Sasuke came back…I thought she was happy!"

"That's what she wanted us to believe." Kakashi answered. "She became a good actress…"

"Too good." Tsunade whispered closing her light brown eyes. There was a pause before the Hokage shook her head. "Go. I have things I need to prepare…" pain filled her face as she turned away. The male ninja's looked at each other, but respectfully, they left, and outside, split up, going their own ways to deal with this sudden shocking occurrence.

Asuma looked at Kakashi as he sat down, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. He stared out at nothing for a long time. I wish we could have done more for her…

"So am I." He murmured. "So am I."

"Naruto…?"

The blonde looked up and found pale eyes watching him with concern, and the beginnings of tears. Though she still had a trace of her stutter from years before, the dark haired, lavender eyed heiress of the Huugya clan had become a close companion to him. He held back his tears wanting to be strong as Hinata sat beside him. "I-I'm sorry…" she whispered. "We heard…from Ino…"

He nodded staring down at the ground blankly, and finally the tears he had been holding back fell down his cheeks in a silent loss for his pink-haired teammate and friend. "This is our fault." He mumbled. "We let her go, we didn't do anything to bring her back…"

Hinata hesitated, touching his hand with hers. "It…it was her choice Naruto. She had her reasons…" sadness entered her eyes.

"I miss her…" he whispered like a small lost child.

"I know…" she hugged him to her as he cried and held him soothingly; tears pouring down her face in mourning for their friend.

Cold empty eyes looked over the battle area, taking in every detail with the falling dusk. Walking further in, he paused, and stared down at the ground, slowly falling to his knees, and reached out to gingerly touch the strands of pink hair on the ground.

How can you leave us? Me? I love you!

Sasuke-kun!

You're hurt…

I'm annoying? Get over it, you're infuriating!

Because I care…that's why. Now deal with it.

I love you with all my heart!

He hunched over the pink locks of hair as if in pain and hit the ground closing his eyes tightly. "Sakura…" he whispered inaudibly. "Dammit, you stupid girl…" He straightened and took out the throwing star, and forehead protector Asuma had left behind. "Why…?"

Okay, so this may seem a little confusing, hell it does even to me! But I've wanted to post this for a while, I've been in the works on it for a couple months...and yeah, trying to work on my other stories too...-gloom- not that its helping any, though I can thank Chikyuu Defender for helping me earlier! -wink- Your the best girl! Anyways. Things within this story I'm hoping will be explained as the chapters are put out...if not...well, review and ask questions, I will answer. Until then, this is my FIRST Naruto fic, and I'm still learning everything about it, but still, enjoy!

Storm