Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

This story takes place after the time skip, when the "rookies" are 18 yrs old and Team Gai is 19. Sasuke killed Orochimaru and is now in hiding. The rest of the story will unravel itself in later chapters, so stay with me. :)

"Sasuke... please, come back. Please...," said Sakura, looking fragile in the moonlight, her face streamed with tears.

"Your too weak, Sakura. You'll just get in my way," said Sasuke, looking at her with eyes as dark as the night sky above them.

"But I... I love you with everything I have! I promise, if you stay then I will get stronger and everyday will be a happy day! I swear! Just... please stay with me...," Sakura pleaded.

"Thank you Sakura, for everything. Good bye," Said Sasuke as Sakura went into a world of darkness.

The eighteen year old girl woke up, a layer of cool sweat covered her. Her green eyes were as big as saucers and her breathing was labored. She was trembling like a leaf in the wind.

'Sasuke, why did you have to leave? And why the hell do I keep having this stupid dream again? Why won't you go away!' Sakura thought to herself while taking deep breaths to try to calm down.

'Well, maybe because you still love him, idiot...,' said Inner Sakura.

'Yes, and brown cows make chocolate milk!' Sakura thought sarcastically.

The pink-haired kunoichi and medical nin looked at her alarm clock.

"Only 8AM? Might as well get up..."

Sakura swung her body, which was still stiff from sleep, out of bed. Today was her only day off from the Leaf Hospital. After a quick breakfast of rice balls and scrambled eggs, she took a hot shower. She came out smelling like cherry blossoms, wearing her usual non-work/mission outfit of a yellow shirt with a sleeveless red dress over it, which reached to above her knees. She also wore dark green leggings underneath.

*Ding-dong*

Sakura went over to the red front door of her small, one-story house, and opened it. Standing in her doorway was her teammate, Naruto.

"Hi, Sakura!" Said the blonde, grinning like the lovable idiot that he was.

"Morning Naruto. What's up?" Asked Sakura with a smile.

"Granny Tsunade needs to see us in her office at nine," said Naruto.

This made Sakura punch Naruto, hard.

"Ow! Why the hell did you do that for?" Naruto asked, rubbing his head where a bump was forming.

"You moron! It's nine right now!" Said Sakura, while grabbing the crying Naruto.

The two ninja ran like there was no tomorrow to get to Tsunade's office. Tsunade hates it when people are late, especially when it's nine in the morning. Quoted from a very drunk Tsunade, people who are late are just "Bitches who don't give a damn about anybody else". When the two got to Tsunade's office door, they knocked.

"Come in!"

Sakura and Naruto walked into the room, panting like dogs on a hot day.

"You're late," Tsunade stated simply.

"I'm sorry Lady Tsunade but Naruto, being the idiot that he is, didn't tell me until it was nine!" Said Sakura.

"Sakura, that hurts...," said Naruto, who was now injured physically and emotionally.

Tsunade's eyes softened as she looked at her student.

'Sakura had grown so much since Sasuke had left and she had requested that I be her teacher, which I happily accepted. She had been so weak, so small. She was always scared and easily brought down by a failure,' Tsunade thought, 'But now, she can break the ground with just one punch, and that's not even using half of her chakra. Now, she is a fully grown and developed women. Now, she is one of the top medic nins and kunoichi in the village. She had kept her pink hair above her shoulders, but now had more fire in her eyes than she did five years ago.'

"Just don't let it happened again," Tsunade said, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever granny. So what did you want to talk to us about?" Asked Naruto.

A vein of annoyance popped out on Tsunade's forehead.

'Naruto on the other hand still had that annoying, but lovable, attitude,' Tsunade thought, 'He has grown so much, inside and outside, since he left to train with Jiraiya. He is now taller than Sakura by two or three inches, one of his major accomplishments. Naruto was now one of the strongest young men ever. But he still kept his childish attitude, orange clothes, and obsession with ramen. Although, that last comment that he said does make me want to beat the shit out of him...'

Sakura could tell that Tsunade was holding in some inappropriate words, so she punched Naruto before Tsunade could attack him.

"Thank you Sakura," said Tsunade, who's anger has gone down by a little bit.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Sakura...," mumbled Naruto, rubbing another bump on his head.

"Sorry, Naruto. Your one of my best friends ever, but... just be a little more mature, OK?" Sakura said, having trouble with how to word her question.

'He'll never grow up, will he?' Sakura thought to herself.

'Nope,' replied Inner Sakura.

"Anyway... I have a mission for you two. I guess this is sort of a test to see if you two live up to your newly appointed ranks."

Naruto's eyes sparkled.

'I can't wait!', Naruto thought, 'My first mission as Jonin! Now, I will finally be able to prove how amazingly awesome I am!'

Sakura just stared at Naruto weirdly, trying to figure out what his shifting facial expressions were suppose to mean. Sakura was an ANBU now. Yes, she was excited when she was promoted, who wouldn't be, but that quickly faded when all that she did was deliver "important" scrolls to other ninja in the village. But really, how special could this mission really be?

"You two will be sent to bring back Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto and Sakura both cringed at the name of their old teammate.

"What!" They yelled in unison, once the point of the mission sunk in.

"Why the he-", said Sakura before being interrupted by Tsunade.

"Language, Sakura."

Sakura was fuming now. She was clenching and unchlenching her fists, a habit of her's when she's angry.

"Sorry, but why do we need him back anyway? He will still be a criminal, just like the Akatsuki!" Said Sakura, nearing the point of a breakdown.

"Calm down, Sakura. And I've already thought about what to do with him. If you two were to bring him back, then we will have ANBU watching him at all time. He will do low rank missions until I think he's trustworthy enough to do anything else," said Tsunade, with a smug smirk on her face for coming up with such a ingenious plan.

"But-," said Sakura before being interrupted again.

"You heard me. I am not changing my mind now," Tsunade said folding her arms on her desk with a grin, knowing that she had won the battle. "Anyway, let me tell you a little more about this mission. We have an approximate location of Sasuke's current hideout. I want you two to break in and do whatever you need to do- drug him, tie him up, knock him out- just bring him back alive. Oh, and don't get caught by anyone. I heard that there are some rogue ninja running around that area. You will leave at one. Get your things packed and eat lunch. The journey to his hideout should take about half a day, so pack everything that you'll need, but pack light. Here is the map. Don't fail this time," said Tsunade, seriousness filling her voice.

"Yes ma'am," said Sakura, her eyes cast down in defeat, bowing to her teacher.

"You can count on me, Granny Tsunade! I'm definitely bringing Sasuke back! Believe it!" Said Naruto with fire in his eyes, his fist punching the air around him.

"You're dismissed then."

Sakura trudged home, feeling defeated, and packed everything that she'll need for the mission. This included extra kunai, poisoned senbon, shuriken, drugs for the-one-who-will-not-be-named, a medical kit, a very soft blanket to rest on, a water bottle, and some snacks; all packed in a dark green backpack. She then met Naruto at Ichiraku's for a quick lunch.

"Do you think we'll bring him back this time, Sakura?" Asked Naruto, after finishing his eighth bowl of miso ramen with extra pork, which was his favorite.

"Honestly, I don't know, Naruto. But... I hope we'll succeed this time," said Sakura, looking straight into Naruto's ocean blue eyes.

After the two finished lunch, with Naruto paying of course, they walked to gate. It was one o' clock exactly when they got there. They were met by Tsunade, who had her arms crossed over her chest, with a hopeful expression on her face.

"Are you two ready? It's going to be a tough journey," she said, while looking into a pair of green, and then blue, eyes.

"Definitely," Naruto said, and Sakura agreed.

"OK then, good luck, and I hope to see you two back soon," said Tsunade with a kind smile.

She then left after giving each a hug and a "Don't get yourself killed".

"Ready?" Asked Sakura, with an excited smile on her face, ready to finally go on a real mission.

"I haven't been this ready for anything in a long time," said Naruto, determination was written all over his face, his eyes were as bright as they could be.

The two Leaf ninja exchanged a nod and walked out of the big, wooden gates.

Chapter one!

E person :D

3-26-11

edited on 6-18-11