Chapter 1

She ran through the underbrush, dodging with all she was worth, the enemy close on her tail. Those kunai coming after her weren't just sharp little objects, they were poisonous sharp objects. Neither of which she liked to be hurled in her direction. She was tempted to discard her bright and colorful outer kimono, its flapping created noise, and its colors were unnatural to the forest. But, when it came to it, it could be used as her only identifying card and she wanted her people to find her.

She jumped down from the canopy in unnatural speed, throwing up a metal shield to umbrella her descent. These people were unnaturally persistent, although it was a good quality to have in some people. In this particular case, Sakura found it merely annoying. She absorbed the shock up her leg and channeled it through her body to her finger tips where she let a few paper bombs fly. She turned to run knowing that it wouldn't detain them for long. She was after all dealing with the infamous 'Akatsuki' for what they wanted her for, well least to say she had a lot of enemies.

She adjusted her porcelain mask, securing it, making sure that not a strand of her long pink hair got loose. She felt their chakra signatures flare up right behind her. They were following and unnervingly fast. She found herself at a cliffs edge. Trapped like a rat, shit, her fault for not checking the map thoroughly. From behind her she heard the leaves rustle, that was quick. She turned to look at them, looks like she was gonna have to dive down for it, and hope she didn't end up a mass of bones and flesh when she reached the bottom.

She pulled out her white sheathed katana ready for a fight. If it had been just one of them, she knew she would have managed just fine, but when there were two of them she didn't even want to try. She examined the two carefully, the blonde one with a blue eye had a slight smile on his face, so this was the rumored Deidra, she looked at the thing beside her, and he was the one called 'Sasori'. "Is our little game of tag over?" she asked, shifting her weight ready to throw herself off the cliff at any moment. She had full confidence that she could escape them, might as well learn why they wanted her.

"It was fun while it lasted, ANBU member Youkai-chan, but you've quite the bounty on your head. You are after all the Fire Lord's ANBU Black Op's Commander." She sighed; she hated it when people got too full of themselves. "Did you really think, Akatsuki member, Deidra and Sasori-san , that I would be that easily caught?" She threw herself backward and let herself fall, she watched as clay bombs made their way down toward her, she didn't have time for it. She held out her long katana and spun to slash at the ground, beneath her a gash opened in the air. Good to know that there was an open channel for her to enter.

She had to get back to her original mission before they had their little game across the country. She let herself go through the purple chakra colored mark floating in the middle of the air of where she slashed letting herself go into its purple depths it was time to go to Konoha, the fire lord was waiting for her report. She slipped through the chakra tear into the atmosphere and landed safely on her feet, on the ground and began leaping away leaving to slightly stunned akatsuki in the dust.

~(Itachi)~

Itachi sighed inwardly and looked at all of the paper work at the table. His discontent brother beside him, leave it to Tsunade to make Sasuke as his head Secretary in case file paper work. Really the woman worried too much, to Itachi subordinates were only good for decoration really he preferred to do the work himself to save Konoha from any part of negligence on their part if he were to entrust anything fully to a subordinate. Of course there were exceptions.

For the fifth time to today Itachi sighed. Sasuke was uncomfortable to be around. The never ending emotions that danced across his face, and the way he was angry all of the time, was not a pleasant thing to be with. That is ever since 'Akari, Kaguya' had been injured and put in a coma, his and Naruto's former teammate. If Itachi was correct the replacement for the girl would arrive today, Itachi hadn't had the time to look over her profile, he made a mental note to check on it later when Saske was out, he hoped that Tsunade chose someone with at least a little bit of talent. She had to be in order to put up with the trouble Duo of Konoha. Itachi heard the snapping of bamboo for the thirteenth time today Sasuke broke his pen. He had been like this all day since they found out that Kaguya was getting replaced. Itachi wasn't one to easily get irritated but this was getting old. "Sasuke." He brother turned an annoyed looked on him a look that Itachi should have been pulling on him. "What?" "Go out and cool down." The meeting with the new teammate was to take place soon.

If possible Itachi didn't want to cause any unnecessary friction. Sasuke turned an unsightly red then stormed out of the room mumbling under his breath. Itachi didn't understand his brother, to say the least. Then again, Itachi had never seen anyone so in love. That's right, Sasuke loved Kaguya, and now she was blind and crippled due to his inaction. They had been a flawless team, although Kaguya herself hadn't changed, she only slept there on the hospital bed, Sasuke felt responsible. Itachi could see what was going through the young 17 year olds mind right now. 'How dare they replace her! No one can replace Kaguya!'

The fool, if Kaguya woke up that would mean that she would now be out of danger. The way one of her legs had broken saving Sasuke would prevent her from ever entering the battlefield again. Although she couldn't fight anymore she had been a very good healer and can remain in the hospital, as a medic. Really it wasn't the end of the world, to Sasuke though it probably was. Kaguya after two weeks hadn't woken up despite any of the medics treatments.

Itachi signed a piece of paper work, it was a pity Kaguya had certainly been a skilled nin, all of that talent went to waste but that was the risk to being a nin, there was no 100% you would get out of any mission alive. Itachi dug through his mountain of paperwork, since Sasuke was out and he had the time to do it, he might as well look at the new girl's file. He picked out the carefully tabbed file and flipped it open. It was surprisingly thin which made him suspicious. Why would they send a novice to match up with an Uchiha and a raging jinchuuriki?

Unless there was information missing. He skimmed through the file it was extremely basic, even from her file she seemed like a mystery especially her looks. Why put a pink-haired green eyed girl on such a team? Itachi had to wonder what she was like, luckily for him being the Hokage's ANBU Commander and Black Op's director there was nothing he wasn't entitled to.

~(Sakura)~

She put away her mask and changed into different clothes before stepping on the road again. She effectively donned the mask of her maiden name ' Haruno, Sakura.' She walked on foot at a normal pace her katana bumping her back with every step she took, she adjusted her walk to be less predatory and more feminine, she softened the look of her eyes to make her seem more innocent. She put herself on the mind set of an average nin with abilities for healing and super strength.

Although usually she didn't add these features they were necessary she was being put in a, 'special' group so she needed to play the part. For now she had to seal off all of her modern fighting style patterns and work around them. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to do. Exercises without certain aspects were often trained into an ANBU of her caliber daily when she was off missions. It kept her at the top of her game, and for now she would treat this mission like one of them. Not only that it would throw the Akatsuki off of her trail for a while, as she gathered information. It was another one of those 'kill two birds with one stone' situations.

She walked through the Konoha gate in a slow and easy stride, her pink hair catching in the wind as she went to the check in desk and pulled out her papers, "Haruno Sakura. I'm here to replace a 'Akari, Kaguya' can you direct me to the Hokage's office?" Their eyes raked over her appearance, she held herself with careful feminine grace, aside from her usual regal queen bearing. To be an ANBU meant that you could easily conform to the views of others. She knew they noted her long straight pink hair, her green and light eyes, her knee high nin sandals, and her Chinese motif outfit.

It was different from her usual look but, for every ANBU mask she had, she bore herself and made herself a different character to match it. Right now though, she was a proud traveling nin, about to be accepted into a kind society. One of them handed her directions which she took with a courteous smile and gentle hands, with that she shouldered her pack and left, leaving for what she knew as pheromones fly all over the place.

She, held the map up as if she were looking at it, but in truth she had already seen the Konoha blueprints. She didn't need their direction but then again anything to play the part. A few minutes later she found herself at the Hokage Tower gate. Now to decide did she make a flashy entrance? Or did she make a professional one? She thought about the character she was constantly building for this role and decided to play it safe an do the professional one, flashy was for her other faces. She composed her face and walked in one foot after the other easily slipping into her role; she had after all played it more than a thousand times, to get it down pact.

After all, nothing was easily obtained even if you were a genius, a commonly misconnected word. To be a 'genius' you just got concepts better then some, it wasn't a particularly special thing to be, but with that power she was able to make it here today. She was directed to the door which she came to politely knock on. "Enter." Said the well trained military voice of the widely known Tsunade. It seemed that Sakura was right in choosing the more professional route. She opened the door to see the grand lady, Sakura closed the door behind her noting the many people in her room all of which she knew the names of. Naruto keeper of the Jinchuuriki, Kakashi son of White Fang, Azuma former revolutionist for the Fire Lord, and two of the Uchiha clan along with Tsunade and her assistant who cradled her pet by the name of Tonton.

She stood at ease while she awaited further instruction while the group surveyed her looks just as the guards had earlier. "Introduce yourself." Sakura felt a mental twitch, she wasn't used to being talked down to, even in her undercover jobs it looked like that was something else she would have to work on. "My name is Haruno, Sakura very nice to meet you all. I have been told that I will be replacing a 'Akari, Kaguya-san' who is currently in the hospital recovering from an accident prior to my hiring. I hope to get along with you all."

She took one step back to avoid a flying kunai although it was unexpected she made it a priority to always be on the alert. "I wasn't aware that the standard greeting in Konoha was to throw kunai at our potential team mates." She said with a smile, the boy who threw it looked stunned. The room in general was actually surprised so this hadn't been planned to test her capabilities, how boring. He was livid, his black hair standing his black eyes sharp. "You'll never replace Kaguya." So the boy loved this 'Kaguya' person. Think now how should I proceed?

That's right she was going for the professional wicked character. It was better for her to assert her dominance now rather than later, she didn't like being stepped on, and if her teammates didn't want to face her wrath she might as well give them forewarning. She took a step forward, "I had heard that the Uchiha clan was the brightest of the nin clans. And as the second son of the Main house. I would have thought that you were more intelligent and temperate to cope with your loss." She took another step forward a nice smile on her face, "So in other words does this mean your simply stupid for an Uchiha, because protocol demands that you show no emotion. Or does Konoha have a different set of rules I need to abide by? Sasuke-san."

She saw the way his eyes widened, "I had been told you would be difficult, however, I only expect that on a personal note not a professional note. Sharpen up boy, or you might possibly get yourself killed with that overactive temper of yours." She turned slightly to look at the blonde blue eyed boy who looked at her strange as well, Sasuke clenched his fist and settled, his face turning red.

It was standard to embarrass her subordinate when they slipped up that bad. Sakura turned back to an interested looking Hokage and pulled out her transfer certificates. "I'll state this again. I hope we get along, isn't that right Tsunade-san?" Tsunade took the think envelope with care. Tsunade probably already knew why she was there and who she was, but that didn't really matter. To Sakura this was just another little reconnaissance mission for their lonely Fire Lord who wished to hear more tales about the outside world. Poor man was terribly shut out from the world only able to look at things in wonder while he attempted to rule the country in that state. "I hope so Sakura-san."

She wondered how the royal court would be fairing without her, she worried to leave such matters in the Lord's hands as his right hand assistant she worried like a mother hen over her chicks. Everything the Lord decided affected the country in one way, shape or form. Truthfully she wasn't even sure he knew how to make the right decisions, but she had left him in her trusted subordinates care and hopefully that would be the end to it. And although she was anxious to return she was a bit relieved that she wouldn't have to dress in that stuffy six layered kimono in the summer weather with nothing but a fan to cool herself as she listened in on the meetings behind a bamboo screen.

In court her identity remained a secret her face was not known, she was addressed as 'Lady Haruno' and due to that discretion towards her identity she could remain free to do her ANBU work in peace. As the last of the Haruno clan she wanted to do her late noble parents proud. "Welcome to Konoha." The woman said back to her, Sakura was then introduced to everyone present, it relieved Sakura to know that the remainder of the meeting without a hitch. But, she knew like every mission that this was only the calm before the storm, because next she had to spend some time with her new 'teammates'. She had to somehow inject her presence in their lives, which wasn't easy since they didn't want her, which meant that a couple of friendly 'sparring' matches were in order.

If it was one thing she liked in her team was her dominance in it, people followed her not the other way around, and with two thickheaded muscle bound idiots as her partners she wasn't sure how well it would go over. Sakura walked to her new apartment she had sent all of her things there she was meeting with one of her many informants 'Ino' when Sakura parents were still alive they had met in the Yamanaka household as a friendly visit between friends and they hit it off without a problem and even to this day Ino remained loyal to her. Ino was also one of the few people who would know her true character, so it would allow her a little cooling time before she went out again to locate her teammates at the training field.

Quietly she opened the door, but as expected Ino gave her a big hug, "Long time no see Forehead girl!" Sakura smiled at her friend, it was certainly good to be back. "Back at ya, Ino-pig." She patted her comfortably on the back and smiled she handed her the case files, "Here's the do's and don'ts of Konoha girl, good luck." Sakura gave her a smile, "Thanks Ino-pig." The blonde girl waved away the thanks and laughed, promising to see her later as she walked out the door, leaving Sakura time to unpack. Sakura looked at the two boxes she had brought with her, it seemed that she was already gathering attention; the way the First heir of the Uchiha clan had looked at her was proof enough.

Slowly she began to set up elaborate traps, so secure that not even a mouse would get in. If it was another thing she liked, it was privacy. She took out her summoning scrolls, and summoned her ANBU masks, all nine of those different identities stared up at her with varying expressions. She, picked them up gently hanging them up on the wall, quietly whispering their names. It was time to create a new character, the character of the nin 'Haruno, Sakura'.

My new story! I hope you like it!