Note: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I myself would be in the show kicking some sense into Sasuke A/N: I know these go at the end but I must put this first First of all, I'd like to thank you for reading, I am a beginner so I feel honored that you have even considered to read this. THANK YOU!! Special Thanks: To Sam my editor whom I'd die without, I love you! To my readers, whom i would go nowhere without.
Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
It has been four years.
Four years have passed since Sasuke-kun has left.
All our attempts to retrieve him have failed…
Naruto has been out training and on missions just to get stronger and I hardly see him any more, well, at least there's still Sai. She was seventeen now, the time went by far too fast for her.
A knock at the door brought the pink headed kunoichi from her thoughts.
"One Minute!" she said as she walked towards the door and opened it.
"Ready to train ugly?" there stood Sai, him and his fake smile.
"Sure thing let me go get my gloves first. Come on in"
As Sai walked into Sakura's tidy, yet dusty, apartment he asked
"Ugly, what's the use of having your own apartment when you barely even use it? Guess I should have known you were ugly and mental."
Sakura simply smiled. Sai's insults hardly bothered her anymore. They were his own (but bad) way of being nice.
"Well," Sakura answered, "I figured that since I get up at the crack of dawn and don't return until midnight from training, it'd bother my parents, so I just moved out." she lifted up a stack of books and retrieved her gloves.
"Alright, let's go."
"Don't be so hasty Ugly, I'll still beat your sorry ass."
"Excuse me, but who was it who won the last two times, hmm?"
"Don't get cocky hag, I let you off easy, you were having an off day."
"Well what do you know; Sai's discovered another emotion, huzah"
"It's not an emotion Hag, it's an observation."
"Whatever you say Sai, whatever you say."
"You mean you even need Sakura?" Neji asked in shock
"Especially her Neji, she's the ANBU captain, and this mission calls for the captain" Tsunade replied.
"But Hokage-sama, it's just a retrieval mission"
"Yes, but this is Sound we're dealing with"
"Alright then" Neji gave in
"I believe you know where to find her?"
"Hai." he answered, she was always raining with Sai.
"We'll get going then"
And Neji left.
**flashback**
"Neji do you think you can help me take these to the Academy?"
Neji looked up at the pink haired kunoichi pointing to a few boxes with a smile on her face that wasn't her own. She never smiled like she use to. He guessed she felt abandoned because first Sasuke left, and Naruto was always training and on missions, and the poor girl only had Sai to train with, along with the occasional outing with her best friend Ino and the occasional training session with her lazy perverted sensei Hatake Kakashi.
"Hai, Haruno-san" he answered
Neji grabbed two of the four boxes and saw Sakura with a frown on her face.
"I really wish you'd just call me Sakura, Neji. You know me well enough now"
Neji fought the urge to smile. It was true; they had become good friends along with Ten-Ten and Lee. Sakura would sometimes tag along with them during their training session and he had no earthly clue as to why she would train with Gai-sensei.
"Alright then" he answered
The two shinobi walked into the academy and placed the boxes on the front desk.
"Tsunade-shishou said to leave them here so we're done now, thanks Neji!"
Neji turned around and bumped into one of the students.
"G-Go-Gomen!" the little student hastily got up and bowed several times.
Neji could see the student was frightened of him.
Sakura just laughed and ruffled the boys hair.
"Michi, there's no need to be afraid of Neji-kun! He may be a great shinobi of Konoha, but remember, he may just be one big softie underneath for all we know!" And she winked at the little boy.
"Hai Sakura-sama!" the boy let out a giggle " Bye Neji!" the little boy said excitedly.
"Er, bye"
And the boy was gone.
Sakura stood up and turned around looking at a confused Neji,
"Erm, what?" she questioned
"Neji-kun?" he said
She just nodded her head and this time the smile was real.
Neji leaned forward and hugged her. Sakura was the first to adress Neji as if he was close to them. He was too intimidating. he scared most people.
"Thank you, Sakura"
He pulled back.
She stared at him for a moment not knowing why he was thanking her, or hugged her for that matter, and she noticed he said 'Sakura'.
She just giggled "Your Welcome Neji-kun!"
"Say you give up!" Sakura held the chakra filled fist near Sai's face as she sat on his back.
"How the hell did you get so strong Ugly?"
"How the hell did you get so weak?" Sakura smirked
"Look Ugly, Naruto's back"
"I'm not stupid Sai; I'm not falling for that one"
A familiar voice cried out, "Oi! Sakura-chan!"
Sakura looked up in disbelief.
"N-Naruto?"
Taking advantage of the distraction, Sai flipped Sakura over and in turn sat on her back with a kunai to her neck.
"Dammit Sai! That doesn't count!" she said in frustration.
"You've got to focus in a real battle Ugly, or else you're dead."
"Damn you Sai! just you wait! I'm going to kick your emotionless ass!"
"Oi, cant you two just call it a draw-"
They both shot Naruto death glares.
"-for now anyways?"
They looked at each other and finally agreed and stood up.
"So how'd your mission go?" Sakura asked
Naruto's head dropped "Gomenasai Sakura-chan, I just-"
"Naruto it's okay, I already told you, I gave up on him, well, kind of. But for now, I could care less."
After she last saw him with Orochimaru and Kabuto and how he was determined on staying with them. Even if they used his body for that snakes container.
"Demo, Sakura-chan-"
"Sakura"
All three members of Team Kakashi turned to see Neji.
"Nani?" Sakura questioned.
"Hokage-sama has a mission for us" he stated
"What kind?"
"Retrieval."
"A retrieval mission? How big is this mission if that's all it is?"
"Big enough that she needs the ANBU Captain."
"NANI?!?!" Naruto's mouth was wide open, "Sakura-chan! How long have you been Captain!?"
Sakura sighed. She had always felt like a burden to her tem, and after her last encounter with Sasuke, her flaws were emphasized by how weak she was. The solution was simple: she'd train her ass off. And that's exactly what she did. How else could she have become captain?
"A year, you've been gone a lot Naruto so I haven't been able to tell you, Sai's my second in command."
"N-NANI?! SAI?!"
"That's right dickless" Sai said.
"B-Bastard! I Ought to-"
"Does Sai need to come too?" Sakura asked to save a fight from breaking out.
"Hai, She'd like him to report as well."
"Okay, let's go Sai."
"Hai"
"Aww Neji! I just get here and you're taking Sakura-chan away already"
"Gomen Naruto, but I have to."
"Aw alright. But Sakura-chan, when you get back, you're going out with me and Hinata."
Sakura smiled. Naruto and Hinata had been going out for two years. When they finally entered a deep relationship, Sakura pretty much told them that it was about damn time.
"Um, wouldn't that be a little awkward Naruto? Besides, I don't want to intrude on your date with Hinata."
"Well, find someone then. We can double."
"Easier said than done. I'd be on a mission and I'll have no time looking around and by the time I get back I'd have to ask someone right away and I don't think I like that idea."
"Aw Sakura-chan!"
"Bye Naruto!" Sakura said with a small smile
And all three ANBU were gone.
A/N: So I know there may have been a bit of OOC in here, but thats why I'd like your criticism to help me.
Believe me, I may need all the help I can get
By the way, has anyone read the latest Naruto manga?? I've fallen more deeply in love with Itachi now because of it (YAY).
Thank You all once again I Love You All!
Takara Makoto :)