Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to their respected owners, I did not profit off of this in any way.

Beta: Kaya Kazaki

Angel from the Dark

Chapter 1

It was the end of summer.

The sun was out, the wind was blowing gently through the trees, and two voices echoed down the quiet street. A young woman with pink and black hair, wearing black denim shorts, and a black and pink plaid tank top came bounding out of the front door. A large box was balancing precariously in her small arms. Behind her laughed a young man with tanned skin and whisker-like tattoos on his face. He wore casual black cargo shorts with a tight fitted black wife beater under a black and orange pin stripped dress shirt. Under one arm he balanced a box and in the other he held a bag.

"Sakura!" His deep voice was laced with a childish tone as he quickly walked over to her sleek, jet black hummer and laughed. "Just open the trunk and I'll take care of packing the boxes okay?"

Sakura huffed but placed the large box on the ground and popped open the trunk, avoiding a bag that came crashing to the ground at her feet.

"…Wasn't me…" She muttered, looking at a very interesting leaf blowing through the air. Very interesting indeed.

Naruto laughed heartedly and shook his head.

"Right, sure, mm-hmm. Sakura, just go make sure you've got everything and I'll repack the trunk, alright?" He nudged her shoulder and plopped the box he was holding into the trunk. Something shifted inside, and he ducked to avoid a swat on the arm from the pinkette.

"Watch it, Naruto! I have breakables!" she scolded. He rolled his eyes and began sliding boxes around in the hummer.

"Yeah, yeah, just go make sure you haven't forgot anything. I really would hate it if I had to drive all the way up there just to give you a box." He muttered.

The green eyed young woman stuck her tongue out at the spiky blonde then dashed back up the short pathway to the white front door and yanked it open.

'Okay! I think I only have one box left in the living room…' She made her way down the empty, cream colored hallway, past the vacant closets, and dining room to the hollow living room. Her anxious eyes landed on two boxes lying innocently in the middle of the room.

"….Oh…I guess I lied about it only being one…" She murmured and glanced at the empty walls staring back at her.

Sakura sighed and picked up the two small boxes, balancing one atop the other. She then walked though the other entry way to the living room and into the kitchen. Her green orbs fleeted around the pale orange kitchen and landed on the snack bag she forgot lying on the little island, its contents spilling out onto the gray marble top.

'Oh for the love of-!' She grabbed the bag and hooked it around her small wrist and clicked off the kitchen light.

"That should be it…" A little voice went off in the back of her head; yelling to double check.

"…Yeah yeah I know…" she muttered as she blew a chunk of hair out of her face.

The young woman heaved a heavy sigh, adjusted the boxes in her arms then walked up the stairs to the second floor. The pale white walls now seemed lifeless compared to how they once were. The paintings she and Naruto once painted were now packed away in one of the many boxes, the decorative fans and swords no longer graced the off-white bedroom doors.

She frowned and kicked open an orange door. Naruto's guest bedroom was now stark empty, devoid of any t-shirts or pants, no Ramen cups or DVDs littered the flooring; it was spotless. Sakura left the room and walked across the hall to her old bedroom; the pale pink walls that once held various picture of her friends and paintings were now devoid of any life. Only the faint outlines of them remained, like past memories forever imprinting themselves into the walls of her precedent life.

"Sakura!" Naruto's voice echoed though the house. "Hurry up or you'll be late! Do you have anything else left?" Footsteps sounded though the main hallway downstairs followed by the opening of another door.

"Yeah!" Her childlike voice squeaked, kicking a box near the edge of the doorway.

Shuffling was head near the front door. "Sakura, you need to work on your counting skills…" Naruto grunted, fumbling with the front door. "I just found three more boxes on top of the basement stairs!" Then the front door slammed shut.

"Aw crap…" She trailed off and stared down at the box she found in her old room, scribbled across it in her handwriting was a tag reading Sasuke, Naruto & Kaka-Sempai. 'Wow…I can't believe I almost forgot this!'

Green eyes sparked in annoyance as the box fell from atop the pile and hit her on the head.

"Shit!" She growled and placed the stack down on the ground and grabbed the box that fell and placed it back on top. 'Okay…okay Sakura you can do this…it's just a few heavy boxes that can crush you if fall...no problemo' She slowly picked up the stack and walked out into the hallway and down the stairs, the bag bumping against her thigh the entire way.

"Naruto!" She yelled as she tried to open the front door as it shut in her face. "Ha...sorry Sakura..." He opened the door to see a stack of boxes in his face.

"Ah...let me help you with those..." He grabbed them from her arms and walked over to her Hummer and placed them in the last available spot in the trunk.

"Are these the last?" The baby blue eyed male yelled over his shoulder as he heard the front door shut.

"Yeah. Thanks Naruto." The green eyed young woman hugged her best friend and kissed his cheek.

"No prob!" His face fell slightly. "I'm really going miss you Sakura..." She smiled sadly at his words. "Yeah...me too Naruto." He reached around her and opened the car door. "Take care. Call me when you reach Kyoto, and let me know if I have to kick anyone's asses for messing with you about your pink hair!"

Sakura laughed and nodded; a sad glint in her vibrant green eyes. "Do you have your keys?" Naruto asked, twirling a strand of her pink hair absently. He was really going to miss playing with her hair, it was one of his favorite pastimes.

"Yeah." She grabbed something from the passenger seat beside her and jingled a key chain filled with various keys.

He nodded and smiled then stuck his head in the window and kissed her lips and grinned easily at her slightly flushed face. "I'll see you soon okay?" He asked, his voice low and laced with sadness.

Normally Sakura would have punched him or at least scolded him for kissing her full on but she hadn't the heart given the fact she was leaving. "Yeah. You definitely will. See ya, Naruto. Be careful with all those investments of yours. I'll call you." With those parting words, Sakura Haruno drove off down the road, leaving her best friend behind.

Naruto stared up at the now empty house in front of him. The pale pink curtains that once graced the windows were now gone, the sunflowers lay dead in the flower box, and the mailbox hung open from Sakura's last minute check. 'No more Sakura.' He shook his head and leaned against his orange Chevrolet Corvette, his body hunched.

'No more late night Ramen snacking; it's no fun without her…no more sneaking into her house at night when I can't sleep…no more her sneaking into my house when she can't sleep…no more Saturday Movie's…no more Sakura…'

"As long as she's happy." Naruto mussed before opening his car door and took one last look at the now deserted house.

OOO

The pink and black haired young woman pulled in front of a quaint little house and smiled. Everything was already in place for her arrival. She was one of the best psychiatrists around and as soon as Tsunade caught wind of her, she immediately offered her a job at Kyoto's Insane Asylum, a house and just about anything else she could possibly think of.

'Wow…Tsunade is the head nurse at Kyoto's Insane Asylum but I didn't believe she could do all this…'

Sakura backed into the long driveway and began to unload all of her belongings. She grabbed a box and made her way up the long pathway to the front door and opened it for the first time. The sight she saw knocked the wind right out of her. The house was fully furnished, complete with decorations.

The green eyed young woman wandered in, completely forgetting the box she dropped at the doorway. Her fingers lingered on the marble countertop as she stepped into the kitchen to see a coffee maker turned on and filled with freshly brewed coffee; a note stuck to it.

She blinked baffled and took up the note, her eyes quickly scanning it.

Hello Sakura,

I hope you enjoy your new house. I wasn't sure what you liked but I did my best in picking out the furniture and what type of decor to choose.

The kitchen is fully stocked as well. I stopped by earlier and made a fresh cup of coffee for you.

Your bed is made and waiting for you as is the bathroom.

I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you but I'm busy at work.

Can't wait to see you tomorrow.

-Shizune

A small smile found its way upon Sakura's lips as she stared at the coffee maker. "No wonder I was told only to bring my clothes…" She took a deep breath and clicked off the coffee maker.

'I need to unpack before anything else…'

OOO

Sakura stood in the middle of her bedroom after a well deserved shower. She gazed around her new bedroom and a happy sigh escaped her lips.

"I am in Kyoto. I'm in a breathtaking house and I have my dream job…I start tomorrow." She then promptly face planted into her king sized bed and fell into a deep, contented slumber.

OOO

Naruto sighed as he poked a hole into the muffin in front of him, several crumbs tumbling off and onto the dark blue rug. He was lying on the living room floor atop a body pillow with a cup of coffee at his side.

"You Dobe!" A young man with midnight blue hair growled as he walked into the living room with a steaming hot cup of coffee in his hand. "What the hell are you doing to the muffin?!"

"Oh shut up Sasuke." The spiky blonde flipped him off and avoided eye contact.

Sasuke snarled but took a seat on the couch. "Why are you even here? Don't you have important things to do?" He asked, sipping his coffee.

"I'm bored without Sakura." Naruto whined. "Where were you when she was moving huh? She had a shit load of boxes to pack and you weren't there to help, so you have no reason to complain." He flipped onto his back, his voice now filled with curiosity.

"I thought you would have wanted to say goodbye to her before she left…even Neji and Kaka-Sempai stopped bye and helped a little before they went to work." His baby blue eyes darted to an emotionless Sasuke on the couch. "What happened?"

Sasuke glared at the coffee table. "…I was busy." Was all the explanation he offered.

OOO

:RAWR: :RAWR: :RAWR: :RAWR:

"Naruto!" Was the first thing out of Sakura's mouth when she woke the next morning. 'So that's why he insisted on getting me a new alarm clock...' She glared at the black clock sitting innocently on her side table reading five forty five AM. 'Might as well get ready.'

Six forty five AM read the clock when she glanced at it again. 'It took me an hour to decide what to wear?! Wow that's pathetic…' She mused as she poured herself another cup of coffee and grabbed her keys. She was completely ready by seven on the dot.

"I'm on time...wow, that's one for the record book." She murmured to herself as she climbed into her Hummer, coffee in hand and began her journey to Kyoto's Insane Asylum.

When she arrived, she took a moment to take it all in. It looked like a pleasant place; you'd never know it was a mental institution by a fleeting glance. Though, upon closer inspection she spotted bars on most of the windows, guards at few points and the doors were made out of metal.

She parked her Hummer and made her way inside the large building and walked up to the front desk to address the woman that was seated. "Pardon me; I'm Sakura Haruno, the new psychiatrist."

The woman had short black hair and dark brown eyes. "Oh hello! Yes, we've been expecting you! Follow me please. My name is Shizune, by the way." She smiled warmly and stood up.

"Shizune?" Sakura repeated. "The one who furnished my house and made me coffee?"

A dust of pink appeared on Shizune's face as she walked around the desk and motioned for Sakura to follow her. "Yes…I hope everything was to your liking?"

"Yes! Thank you so much for doing that by the way. It was really kind of you."

Shizune lead Sakura down a series of hallways to finally arrive at a huge wooden door. "It was no problem at all. Aside from that you are one of the top psychiatrists around; we want you to stay with us now." She smiled and she opened the wooden door. The first thing Sakura saw was a busty blonde woman staring back at her.

"Hello Sakura, I am Tsunade." The busty woman spoke. "Here, we'll get you your assignments and acquainted with the place, yes? Shikamaru!" She bellowed; her loud voice making Sakura flinch. 'Huh...wonder if those are real...'

"You screamed?" A man's voice spoke from behind Sakura. She turned to see a tall man with a high, pineapple shaped pony tail on his head and a bored expression on his face.

"Yes I did. We are going to get Sakura here acquainted with the facility and how things work. She's our new psychiatrist." Tsunade gestured to Sakura proudly.

Shikamaru stared down at the short, slight, pink haired girl that barely made it to his shoulder. She resembled a small child trying to appear mature and grown up.

"Get out while you still can." He whispered to her while Tsunade grabbed a stack of manila folders in her arms, he then turned around and began walking away.

"Let's go my dear!" Tsunade yelled over her shoulder to Sakura's frozen form.

"I'm a guard here." Shikamaru began as they walked down the hallway. "I've been assigned to you; my job as of now is to keep you safe from your patients." He eyed her up and down. "As it seems you couldn't possibly take on half of them..." He stared at her hair. "Pink with black highlights? Interesting choice for the top psychiatrist."

Sakura raised a perfect eye brow at him. "Oh? Why? Because stereo-typically speaking I am suppose to be ugly, serious, and have normal hair? I was born with pink hair and recently I added black highlights."

He sighed and yawned. "Never said anything about your features; it just an observation."

Tsunade stopped in front of a door cleared her throat and opened the first manila folder.

"We will visit your first patient. His name is Obito, but he likes to be called Tobi." She said before they entered a room.

"It's mine!" A screech was heard from the corner. "It's Tobi's! Tobi is a good boy!" A young man was desperately clutching at his mask as another patient with silver hair was trying to grab it from him.

"Give it to me you fucking baby!" The man with silver hair had his back turned to the group as he tackled Tobi to the ground.

"No! Tobi is a good boy!" The man grabbed Tobi's mask again; it was then that the guards intervened and dragged the silver haired man off of Tobi. Sakura calmly approached the scene and looked at the silver haired male. He was a tall, well built young man that had tattoo's everywhere. His shirt; that was issued to all patients, was white and slightly ripped down the front; giving Sakura a glimpse of his well toned body.

"What are you looking at you fucking bitch?" The silver haired male grinned devilishly at her as the guards dragged him out of the room.

She glanced down at Tobi, who was cowering on the floor in the fetal position.

"Tobi?" She called softly. He shook, but glanced her way. "My name is Sakura. May I talk to you?" He shook his head no and curled back into the fetal position.

"May I ask why not?" He let out a shuddering breath but spoke in a shaky voice.

"M-m-w-w-y-yyou might...hurt...Tobi..."

Sakura gasped softly at his words."Tobi, I'd never do that. I am here to help you, not hurt you."

"Really?"

"Yes really." He slowly uncurled from his position and looked at Sakura through his mask.

"Y...Your name...means Cherry Blossoms...can Tobi call you Cherry?" Sakura smiled at him.

"Of course you can. May I ask why?" Tobi squirmed happily on the ground.

"'Cause Cherry's name reminds Tobi of Cherries!" Sakura smiled and reached a tentive hand out to pat his head softly.

"Will Tobi see Cherry later?"

Sakura smiled. "Of course you will!"

"Sakura." Shikamaru called from his place behind her. "It's time to go visit your next patient. Tobi also has to take his medication now." Sakura nodded in understanding.

"A-a-can Cherry give Tobi his medication?"

Tsunade kneeled down next to him. "I'm sorry Tobi, Sakura still doesn't know where and what medicine you take. But by tomorrow, she will. Ok?" Tobi looked down sadly but nodded.

"Come on." Shikamaru grabbed her arm and took her out into the hallway."Your next patients name is Sasori. He likes to make puppets, so he is in the art room at the moment."

Sakura nodded then looked down at the folders Tsunade gave her earlier."Hey...Shikamaru? Who was that sliver headed guy before? The one that was harassing Tobi?"

He glanced down at the young woman walking beside him. "That would be Hidan. As you can see he curses a lot and is a nuisance to a lot of people. Here's a tip; if he doesn't curse, he's lying." She nodded and mulled over the events that took place so far.

'Hmmmm...only one hour here and so much has taken place...wait...I don't have to deal with Hidan do I?'

Shikamaru answered her unasked question."By the way, he's one of your patients too so you better get use to his language."

Sakura's face fell. 'I have to deal with some guy calling me a bitch?! And I can't even fight back?!'

Shikamaru smirked. 'Told her to get out while she can.'

OOO

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