Hello to all of Fanfic readers! I'm back with yet another story of trial in error in the Naruto verse and I believe that you all will love to read this and my second story. This story features some darkness later on in the story and is based on a romance among missions and time off between that of Sakura and Naruto.

I would like to point out to all that read this that this is a completed story when I publish it. All that I have to do is tweak it, correct it and then post the chapters.

That being said, I am still willing to add chapters in between the story parts and if asked, will provide a more in depth look into the characters that are Naruto and Sakura.

In these stories, I will be replying to reviews in the author's notes and love reviews that may be a twinge of helpful criticism. If you wouldn't say it to your dying mother, don't say it to me.

All that said, I do not own Naruto, or it's assets in any way. If i did, Sakura would be kissing Naruto every episode and Sasuke would be Naruto's best man, in prison, or dead. Now, on with the show!

Smile In The Darkness

Chap.1 The Assignment and the Pain

Deep down in a cavern underneath Konoha, there is a red bridge that spans the length from end to end. Two men appeared in the center, one kneeling before the other. The kneeling one stared to speak.

"You called for me Master?"

"Yes Naruto, you have been useful and highly resourceful these last few years, it's time you went out into the real world"

"What do you mean Danzo-sama?"

"I have a mission for you Naruto. There is a clan known in the village and the world only as the Harunos. They have always been a small clan, no more than a dozen families at most, but they are a dangerous clan to any that comes across them. Their bloodline abilities include a second persona, another entity if you will, that acts according to their will, as well as being intellectually gifted and very adept at medical ninjutsu. To fight them would be like fighting two people at once with a single set of eyes."

"I suppose that they are a threat to you Danzo-sama. If it may be your will, I will…..dispose of them immediately"

"On the contrary, my young apprentice, you are to protect them. A specific one to be exact. The Harunos, while being two entities hold half their fiercer emotions in check. They never hold grudges and are hard to anger unless those close to them are threatened."

"And who is it that I must protect, exactly?"

"Sakura Holly Haruno. The next heir to the head of the clan in fact. She has been in need of a new teammate for some time now, although the space has never been filled to allow her to grieve. Grieving, you see, is a Haruno weakness, as they grieve longer due to two personas."

"I do not understand how to grieve Danzo-sama, you have drilled and told me from a very young age to never allow emotions to weaken my mind."

"That I did, Naruto-San. Now go, join their team, your new team 7, as it is called. They are also now known as team Kakashi as they are now all Jounin."

"Why does she need protection then, my lord?"

"Do not question me, Naruto-san, just follow your orders."

"I will, Danzo-sama….with my life. "

With that, Naruto flashed out of sight.

The sun rose up into the sky, sending its brightness into the windows of all who were to wake. One girl however, did not want to wake just yet. As the girl stood up and got out of bed, she mumbled out a single question. "What's so great about today?"

The girl was beautiful in the eyes of men and women alike as her hourglass and athletic figure was displayed proudly around her. Her unique pink hair stood out to even the dullest light, and helped to make her stand out like a sore thumb. Her forehead seemed a little big, but it together with her hair made her believe that she wasn't as pretty as everyone thought she was.

The girl stood up off her bed and looked at the reflection of her body in the full length mirror. Her eyes had blackness drawn underneath them and her hair seemed out of place. Her clothes while still fitting her; though they seemed too big on her frame, suggesting to others that she wasn't eating well. The girl looked sick and she felt anger build inside her before she let her right hand launched forward, smashing the mirror in front of her. As the seconds passed, her arm fell lifelessly to the floor, red water flowing down her fingers slowing forming a small but evident pool of blood on the floor. The girl's name was Sakura Haruno and she hated her life.

(An hour later)

Sasuke leaned up against the railing, sighing as Kakashi arrived on time as usual. Well as usual since the incident two months ago. They had lost a comrade, a friend, a pseudo brother in arms. They had all taken the death of the man each in their own way; one took it by fighting constantly as training became second nature to him. The other showed up on time to meetings and proved that he was a competent leader. The last one however, still hadn't woken up from her dream world. She and the boy had been close, closer than most.

They'd been dating since they left the academy and found that they were on the same team. No one could get through to her now. She would shut them out before they could get close to her and most had given up on her.

It was a hard thing to convince a Haruno, and only her best friend Ino and teammate Sasuke could get her to even open up, although in truth, they were only at the entrance, always an arm's length away from their missing smiling, and always laughing friend. Her smile and laughter were infectious to all that met her. And with it gone, the rookie nine had faded from each other, sadder than ever.

Sasuke leaned forward as Sakura walked up the path towards the bridge. Her hair covered her emerald eyes as her head starred down at the ground in front of her. Sasuke could tell that she was tired; it was in the way she walked, looked, and sent out in her chakra. It also helped that Ino had stayed with her as Sakura recalled the nightmares of that day two months ago.

"Sakura, hey, how've you been?"

"Same as usual, Sasuke." Sakura mumbled as she took her spot next to him.

"Alright you two, you are here today because the council has decided that a three man team during a war is not fit for duty."

"But Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura blurted out.

"No buts Sakura, I know that we're all Jounin here, but every team includes four man cells."

"That doesn't need to happen. Were as good as any four man team!"

"So adding another teammate will make us stronger."

"No it won't! If Rick-Kun was here…"

"He would support the decision, and you know it Sakura…. I also know that you talked to some of the council members into letting you stay in active duty despite your condition."

"My….Condition? I don't have a freaking condition!"

"Calm down Sakura-San."

The team of three turned to face the new voice that had suddenly appeared on the other side of the bridge.

The figure before them was a tall figure completely covered from head to toe in black. Metal gears covered him around his knees and elbows while blood red arm guards rested lightly around his frame. Black ninja boots covered his feet and black fingerless gloves with metal plates along the back of them were adorned on his hands. Yep. This guy was ANBU, pure and simple. Though one thing was missing however; he wasn't wearing his mask.

Sakura's eyes widened as she took in the man's complexion all at once. The jawline, the luscious lips, the beautiful golden locks that defied gravity; and finally the thing that entranced her completely. Sakura stared at the most amazing cerulean eyes that she'd ever seen. When the man turn to look at her, Sakura felt as if she could hide nothing from this man. But she did a double take as she swore that she had seen sadness and grief on the man's face before he turned to face her sensei.

"Kakashi. I am here as the third member of your team."

"Great, now the two of you must introduce yourselves to him."

"No need." The man pointed to Sasuke, "Sasuke Uchiha, high Jounin level, mainly ninjutsu, adept at taijutsu, can't make genjutsu but has a bloodline that counters for it. And of course, a prodigy of the clan, like his brother."

"Don't talk about my brother and we'll get along fine." Sasuke got up out of his seated position and moved his hand forward. The man copied his movements and they moved to shake their hands together in a lateral motion. As they broke away, the man's eyes found Sakura's and he smiled a bit.

'If he thinks a fake smile like that will win me over then he's dead wrong'

After a couple seconds, the man sighed and started his deductions again.

"And you must be the infamous Sakura Haruno, a prodigy in her own right, surpassing the legendary Tsunade in medical jutsu, and for her massive strengths in both physical and illusionary methods."

"Care to tell us your name since you apparently know ours?" Sakura sneered at the man.

"Fair enough. My name is Naruto, just Naruto. I have been assigned by the council as your team's third member under the direction of Kakashi. I hope that we'll all get along well."

"Great, well now that that's over, let us get on with the mission briefing."

Team Kakashi sped forward passed the gates of Konoha and straight up into the trees. As they went towards their destination, they all thought about the mission details that Kakashi had entrusted to them.

A group of Ninja from the village hidden in the Ferns had been attacking the border cities of fire country. Their job was to find the ninja and eliminate them by any means necessary. Pretty simple, if you asked any of them.

As they arrived past the point of no return, Kakashi signaled his team to the clearing directly below them. Kakashi landed first, followed by Naruto and Sakura five meters to his sides and Sasuke followed behind him a few seconds later. Kakashi turned to face his team.

"Alright, we're just about there to the village. As it is, if we move under the new moon, we could injure ourselves further as well as prove incapable of finding the enemy base of operations. We'll rest up here for the night. I'll take first watch; Sakura will be next, followed by Naruto and last is Sasuke to finish off the night. These are two hour shifts but you should stay a bit to get to know our newest member. "

"Hai"

"Okay, everyone set up and rest up, we leave at first light."

With that, the other members quickly set up their sleeping bags around a pile of logs before Sasuke lit it with a Katon Jutsu. Kakashi moved a little away to watch the surroundings as his clones set up defensive wires and traps for any ambush that could potentially hit them in the dead of night. This was war. And war preferred the best prepared.

Kakashi's mind however was on another matter entirely. Why had the council decided to add a member to his already cohesive team? A chunnin would have sufficed, and yet they gave up an ANBU? Things just didn't add up. Kakashi sensed no ulterior motive coming from Naruto, besides that of a respectable young man who showed kindness without a smile, something hard to do even for the most hardened of ninja.

So he was a part of ROOT. So the real question was…what was Danzo up to?