Chapter Two:

The sky was thick was shades of red and vivid orange, hidden from sight by the dense trees in the forest. Hours, half the day had gone by. Ino and Sakura had spent those hours on foot hopping from branch to branch, careful to match each other's the time their feet finally started to sting, Ino was fully sober. They were traveling as quickly as they could. Of course, fatigue finally caught up to them.

"That last mission took a bite out of us." Ino grumbled as she nearly fell off a branch. She immediately recollected herself, launching herself into the air in an attempt to catch up to Sakura. Sakura nodded, agreeing silently. This mission was without a doubt important. Why else would Tsunade send two already exhausted Anbu on a miles long journey? Glancing at the scroll, Sakura considered reading the mission details once more. Her targets were peculiar. It couldn't hurt to read the mission scroll again, especially since she'd only skimmed through it.

Not that she was scared or anything. But Sakura did admit that the mission gave her a strange feeling. Did Ino feel it too? That strange feeling of dread that grew stronger the closer they came to their destination? Speaking of which…

"Ino, let's go over the mission briefing. I think there was something we needed to know about the targets." Sakura said just loud enough for Ino to hear. She tossed the scroll back to her partner and Ino caught it without hesitation. She swung the rolled papers open. "Alright… it says here that our targets are a group of high level ninja. They are wanted internationally and have only recently started causing chaos."

Sakura glanced at Ino. "Recently?" she questioned. "And they're already in the Bingo Book?"

Ino grimaced. "Yeah… they've caused a horrible amount of problems for the Hidden Villages in the last few months! Killing anbu and jounin from other villages… even overcoming smaller villages and slaughtering the ninja sent to protect them!" A shudder ripped through Ino's core. "They're psychotic! All that for what reason!?"

Sakura scowled, her eyebrows furrowing. "Reason? We've see people who slaughter just for the sake of slaughtering… though, nothing of that scale since Orochimaru… who, by the way, is still slithering around like the snake he is. Maybe they're working under him. Read the rest."

Ino flexed her fingers. She wasn't sure she wanted to know anything more. Regardless, she continued. "So far other than the murder of the Hidden Villages' ninja… they've been focusing on small villages, like I said. They take over… then leave. It doesn't sound right. They have no purpose! And there is no mention of Orochimaru in here… of course, that doesn't rule him out. Or the Akatsuki for that matter." Ino paused. Sakura raised an eyebrow as her friend teleported next to her, pointing at the bottom paragraph on the scroll.

"Listen to this! Targets have unnatural abilities and require extreme caution when approaching. Do not engage. We have reason to suspect that the targets are jinchuuriki… but nothing can verified as of yet." Ino rolled the scroll and secured it to her waist. "What the hell is a jinchuuriki!?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. Does it matter!? It said 'do not engage'. We won't be interacting with them. If Tsunade didn't tell us, there's probably a good reason!" Sakura was about to continue when she caught a glimpse of a small town. "Checkpoint." She said, gesturing toward it. Ino nodded and the two descended upon the town.

Ino walked forward and placed her hands on her hips. "First checkpoint, huh? So they've been recently sighted here?" she inquired, though the question was rhetorical. Sakura easily matched her pace as they roamed through the small village, glancing around for any signs of unusual activity. The atmosphere was swollen, though with what, it wasn't apparent. Villagers were scattered here and there, abnormally quiet as if their voices had been forcefully taken away. Whether from fear or something worse, Sakura couldn't decide why villager hesitated to speak. As soon as someone caught her or Ino's eye, they averted their gaze as if there was some punishment to come for supporting human interaction. After wandering for a few minutes, Sakura grew tired of the repetition.

She approached an old woman, offering her a gracious smile. "Hello, miss. " Sakura glanced at the sign on the shop behind the elderly woman. Her gaze softened. "Are you the owner of this inn? You wouldn't mind the two of us staying here, would you?"

The old woman lowered her head, gaze dancing from left to right. Sakura and Ino watched with concern as the old woman's forehead began to glisten. Sakura's wariness hovered in the front of her mind. This woman was in a near meltdown state from being asked a simple question. From further observation, Sakura couldn't find any other strange behavior in the woman's actions. Still, Sakura made sure to keep a somewhat friendly air around herself. She spoke more gently. "Miss? Are you okay? If this is a case of money, I'm sure we have more than enough."

Now, the elderly woman was shaking, her hands trembling from more than just the weakness of old age. She gestured pathetically to the inn. "Y-yes… I own it." She leaned in close, so very close that it seemed that she would cling to either Sakura or Ino. "But you mustn't stay… please. They are returning soon."

"They?" Ino chirped. She glanced at Sakura who nodded. Ino continued. "Miss, please tell us all you know. What are they like? What have they done to the people here? We can help you, but we need you to tell us everything you know."

"Everything. Don't skip any details, even if you think it's insignificant." Sakura added, her smile now replaced by a stern frown. The old woman shook her head wildly. "I can't say a word! Not here, not now! Leave! You are young and have so much life… take the children of the village with you! They gain power from fear!"

Sakura carefully moved the old woman to the side, Ino following shortly behind her. They entered the small inn. Ino tossed some money onto the counter and shot the innkeeper a grin. "We'll be staying the night. Don't worry about us, miss."

The old woman's shriveled face twisted as if she'd had a stroke, her already pale lips growing an unhealthy shade of blue. "You steal my breath." She choked, holding a fist to the middle of her chest. "And break my heart! Why are the young so rash?" She scrambled after the duo. With one look, Sakura could see that the innkeeper was frail and that her push to catch up to the two ninja was causing her great strain. Sakura turned and held the woman steady. "Everything you know." She repeated with a strict tone. "We are not going to leave. Give me a good reason we can't stay."

The innkeeper clenched her fists. "Because they are staying here." she hissed. As she said those words, the sliding doors at the entrance were kicked in. Sakura and Ino immediately referred to their training and made the proper hand signs to teleport into one of the rooms. They concealed their chakra and watched through a crack in the door.

Ino groaned. "Well, that's just rude." She muttered, irritation raising her voice an octave.

Sakura shrugged it off. "Does it matter?" she hissed in a low voice. "Shut it! We don't know what we are up against yet!"

"Yes we do… jinchuuriki."

"What's a jinchuuriki?"

Ino grimaced. "Oh right…" she moaned, shaking her head. "We don't know."

Sakura gave her partner a grave look before returning her attention to the door. The innkeeper was frantic, her glassy brown eyes threatening to overflow with tears. From her position from behind the door, Sakura and Ino couldn't see the assailants yet, but they heard them clearly.

The old woman, however, could see just fine. From the rubble of the doorway, two young men emerged. The first, blonde haired and blue eyed, grinned in a friendly manner. "Hey, granny!" he greeted the innkeeper with an enthusiastic wave. The second man, taller with shades and blonde hair, smiled. "Yo!" he said with a slightly different energy. "Where did you go? We thought you ran away, you know?"

The innkeeper flinched. "W-Why would I do that?" she murmured. From the corner of her eye, she saw a glimpse of pink hair in the room diagonal of her. She didn't want to believe that the two girls were still here, but in her heart she knew it to be true. Everything would be fine, wouldn't it? Those girls were ninja, though from where she was unsure. In her many years of life, she'd never really dabbled in the ninja world.

But now she had a good reason to care. She was convinced that the world was ending.

And it was collapsing right over her head.

The blonde walked over, leaning over the old woman so that the ends of his black cloak nearly brushed her. "What's wrong, granny? You look sick." He seemed genuinely concerned from what Sakura made of his voice. She almost dismissed him as an enemy. "Don't worry, though. You won't suffer long."

Now he was in full view. Sakura and Ino's breath hitched. They looked at each other with broad confusion. By now, they'd known each other so long, they could almost read each other's minds. The same thought was reflected in both their eyes.

'Naruto!?'

The name echoed in repeat in both their heads, ricocheting off the walls of their psyche. Somehow, it couldn't break through. They knew his name. They knew what he looked like. But who he was as a person didn't shine through. The Anbu's training was strict. The barriers they built mentally would be difficult to break, even for the sake of a mission. Who is Naruto? They couldn't figure it out. As far as they knew, he was the boy in front of them and according to the bits of their memories of him they could access, a missing ninja.

Of course, this wasn't the same dopy kid. He was obviously older, around 21-23, just as Sakura and Ino.

Naruto closed his eyes tightly for a moment, his lips still stretched in a smile. "Say, Bee? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he said calmly, sniffing the air. Sakura tensed at the sight of a row of dagger-like teeth as Naruto grinned. The older man, who Sakura believed to be 'Bee', gave Naruto an inquiring look. He raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" Bee nodded toward the innkeeper. "I'm thinking that I could use a burst of energy and this old lady, maybe, has some for you and me."

Naruto opened his eyes to reveal two crimson orbs filled with an eerie leer. In no time his hand was around the innkeeper's neck, locked in a death grip. To Sakura and Ino's horror, a red glaze surrounded the missing ninja and, to their further shock, the old innkeeper as well. It swallowed her eyes and mouth, burning with a dark intensity. The longer it remained the older and more haggard the old woman looked. Her shriveled skin appeared as if it were melting, her once trembling hands were curling in an unnatural way, looping and curving backwards. Ino placed one wavering hand on Sakura's shoulder. "We have to do something!" she whispered, voice bordering a suffocated shrill.

Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists, gritting her teeth and shaking her head. She could feel her palms grow clammy and her eyes threatened to pop out of her head if she didn't do something soon. "Our order."

"But the old woman!" Ino shrieked, barely containing herself. The innkeeper's body bent in twisted positions, her back arching in a way that seemed as if it would break, her neck stretching in the opposite direction. Ino's eyebrows furrowed. That was no longer a missing ninja… Naruto was a rogue ninja, as far as she was concerned. If she had glanced at Sakura, she would have guessed that the pink-haired ninja felt the same way, her eyes wide with terror.

Suddenly, the wall of the room was smashed in, the rubble knocking Sakura and Ino to the opposite side. Bee raised his eyebrows and laughed as he walked in. "Hey, fool! Guess what I've found!" he called out to Naruto. The red cloak pulled back into Naruto's skin and he flung the crippled corpse of the old woman to the side. Sakura gnashed her teeth at the disdain for human life, but stopped when she noticed that Naruto was now staring at her. Bee continued. "Two odd broads eavesdropping!"

Naruto kicked down the other side of the wall without hesitation, making his way into the room. He was slow, taking each step with deadly caution, despite his unnecessary form of entrance. "Sakura?" he said the name softly, red eyes easing back into baby blue. Instantly, the hostile red took over his irises again and he growled sharply. "What the hell are you doing here!?"

Sakura hopped to her feet, offering an assist to Ino before replying. Her gaze was dangerous, her head lowered and her eyes narrowed. "I could ask you the same thing." She hissed. Her focus momentarily moved to the innkeeper's corpse. She grimaced. "From old teammate to rogue ninja. What a way to meet again." Sakura paused and fixed her gloves. "I guess it doesn't matter now, anyway. How have you been? Anything you want to inform me of?"

Naruto's body shook with a quiet rage. "You heard about me and came looking?" he questioned, voice taut with restraint. "No." The word came out harshly as he scanned Sakura's uniform. "You're an Anbu. I'm being hunted… and by my hometown. What a warm welcome home I'll get if I go back now! A kick in the face and an execution!" Despite his fury, Naruto managed to create a bitter grin. "But I guess that means they've finally acknowledged me! Even you, Sakura-chan…"

Bee glanced at Naruto and folded his hands behind his head. "What's with that stare? You know little miss pink hair?"

"I used to have a crush on her." Naruto's bitterness rang through every word.

"Used to?" Bee inquired, seemingly unaffected.

Naruto's eyes darkened. "Maybe I still do… If we break a few limbs, I might be able to figure it out."

Sakura nudged Ino and the two immediately disappeared, everyday room furniture in the place where they'd been. From outside, already on a mad dash through the village, Sakura and Ino heard Naruto snarl viciously from afar. They increased their speed, barreling through the tiny village swiftly. Ino gulped. "What was that weird jutsu he used!?" she asked, a shiver running through her.

Sakura looked straight ahead, biting her tongue for a moment. "I don't know… but that might have been the reason we were told 'do not engage'. We need to get out of here and report back to Tsunade quickly-" Sakura was cut off as a dark tentacle wrapped around her and slammed her weight into the ground. Ino stopped, ready to help. A transparent purple tendril held Sakura on the ground. A woman with long blonde hair stood above her, cloaked in a violet haze similar to the type Naruto had been covered with.

Ino moved her hands to form the appropriate seals. The mind disturbance technique would be all she needed for now. The jinchuuriki (or at least that's what Ino assumed she was) that trapped Sakura flinched. Ino was ready to declare victory… until that flinch evolved into a vicious smile. The jinchuuriki released Sakura and rammed her tail into Ino, sending the blonde ninja flying backwards. Sakura groaned on the ground. She shook her head and regained focus. She was here and Ino was… lying in rubble.

Clearly in pain, but not seriously injured.

Sakura slammed one chakra pumped fist into the jinchuuriki, sending her opponent off her feet and into a nearby tree. Not waiting to see the results of her actions, Sakura ran to where Ino was just rising to her feet. Ino clenched her head. She moaned miserably. "We have to hurry."

"Really?" Sakura muttered sarcastically. "I didn't think of that." They tried to begin their run, only to find that they were completely surrounded. Only a few feet away stood Naruto and Bee and the jinchuuriki that had slammed Sakura, also not standing too far away. Her lips twisted in a snarl. On the assumption that all the nine people surrounding them were jinchuuriki, Sakura breathed in and out, calmly trying to make a decision. It came to her like a dim light, striking a bit of hope into her.

Unfortunately, it wasn't hope for herself. The teleportation jutsu couldn't bring them all the way back to the Hidden Leaf, it didn't have the range. However, if Sakura could somehow help Ino escape, not only would Tsunade now have a location, she'd also have a ninja around the enemy. She just needed to convince them not to kill her.

"Naruto…" Sakura pleaded. "You wouldn't kill us, would you? We're your friends, remember!?"

"My friends? If I recall correctly, you couldn't stand me." Naruto growled, fox-like eyes burning. "Why shouldn't I kill you? You came here to kill me!"

Sakura brightened. "Actually, I didn't!" she insisted. Ino eyed her friend cautiously. Sakura gave Ino a reassuring smile and grabbed her arm. She pulled her closely. "You go tell Tsunade everything… I've got a tracker on me. I'll be fine." And she picked up Ino and threw her as far into the air as she could. "Teleport!" Sakura screamed. Ino did as she was told, but not before giving Sakura a glimpse of a tear streaked face. This was their duty. Anbu were always subject to danger, so is the life of the guardians of the village. It had to be done.

But their duty didn't stunt the growth of their feelings. They were only human and humans had emotions. Ino would move quicker than she'd ever moved in her entire life.

Bee crossed his arms. "Yo, Naruto! She can't go too far, with a jutsu like that. We should track her down and plan an attack."

Naruto shrugged it off, staring at Sakura. "No need. She's heading back to my home village and when she gets there, she'll only tell Tsunade what she knows… which isn't much." He grinned. "Since Anbu are here, I guess we've made a huge impression, guys!" He walked towards Sakura, stopping when if he'd taken on more step they'd collide. Sakura didn't step back; she simply met his gaze with a glare.

"I thought you were better than this." She lied smoothly. In truth, she couldn't remember whether or not he was better than this, not that it matter any longer. An enemy of Konoha was an enemy of hers. Naruto frowned. "We're taking her with us!" he announced, turning to smile at his comrades. He turned back to Sakura, malicious intent dripping from his every word. "And maybe you'll experience how I felt… trapped in that village."

Sakura didn't struggle as the jinchuuriki apprehended her.

-Skip-

"Naruto." Naruto turned to face Gaara and offered his friend a warm smile. "Gaara." He answered swiftly. Gaara folded his arms, gaze steady. "Why are we keeping that girl? Is she something to you?" he questioned bluntly. "You've never taken prisoners before."

Naruto's smile dropped. His expression changed into something more hostile, his blue eyes darkening with rage. "She is an Anbu of the Hidden Leaf. Maybe we can get information out of her."

"Then why did we let the other one go? Bee, Yugito, or Roushi could have easily caught her."

Naruto sighed and plopped down onto a couch. Because of the previous encounter (and a childish love of smashing things), the inn had been too messy to stay in. The jinchuuriki and their prisoner had been forced to relocate to another inn just before sundown. Personally, Naruto liked this inn better with its high ceilings and cream colored walls. He rarely ever stayed anywhere fancy. It seemed like a nice place to destroy when he was finished.

"I told you, she doesn't know anything." Naruto muttered. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Plus, she's got no power other than that family jutsu of hers.."

"We could have killed them both." Gaara remained calm and collected, his face never betraying his thoughts.

Naruto's eyebrows furrowed. He held back an irritated growl. "But we didn't. So leave it."

It was Gaara's turn to sit and he did. He crossed his legs and flopped one arm across the back of the chair. "You still love her, don't you?" He didn't wait for an answer. "She's changed from that girl who you knew. How much, I don't know. Maybe you can tell me."

"I don't love her… not like I did." Naruto interrupted strongly. "She and Uchiha sent me over the edge. I left the night after she asked me to bring him back. How couldn't I? She'd never paid attention to me or given a crap… but when Sasuke leaves, she cares about my existence? It hurt, Gaara! It hurt so badly…" Naruto hung his head and gripped his chest. "And all this training and it still hurts! She hasn't changed; she's as wicked as before! She hasn't spoken gently to me even once…from the moment she saw me, I was the enemy! I saw fear in her eyes, Gaara! She thinks I'm a monster!"

Gaara sat silently for a moment, allowing Naruto to wallow in what he'd just admitted. Naruto jumped up and punched a wall, bringing it down. "Shit!" he hissed. "I'm going to make her life hell, Gaara! And then when we destroy the ninja world, it won't hurt as bad… I won't feel an ounce of remorse."

Gaara leaned forward, knitting his hands together in a way that resembled Sasuke when he was younger. Naruto didn't believe the gesture was done on purpose, but it certainly slammed into him with the force of a brick. Naruto spoke through his teeth. "Are you judging me, Gaara? Aren't we going to kill your family when we attack the Hidden Sand? You're no better than me."

The jinchuuriki of the one-tailed beast didn't move. "I'm not judging you." He closed his eyes. "Her eyes are like ours, you know. Loneliness dwells inside her, just like it dwells inside you. I wonder why."

Naruto stiffened, craning his neck so he could stare at Gaara. "That's bullshit. Her eyes are nothing like mine. She has a family and friends and people who love her-"

"Many people have those things… yet they still feel lonely. They yearn for happiness and don't know why they can't find it. What makes you think she is any different?"

Naruto remained silent, turning away and starting his way back to his room. "I'm going to rest, Gaara. Goodnight." He muttered in a hollow voice. Gaara reopened his bloodshot eyes and nodded. "Enjoy your sleep." He said in raspy voice. He dug his nails into his arm, inhaling sharply. "It's a luxury I'll never know."

-Skip (to Sakura)-

Sakura propped her arm up on her bent leg, staring out the sole window of her small cell. She sincerely hoped Ino was okay. It was a mystery how long she'd be here. During that time, she refused to sleep. She wasn't in a rush to be killed in her sleep. From the small glass, she could see someone exiting the inn. She barely recognized them. Red hair, dark rings around his eyes, he was familiar but his name eluded her.

He crossed his legs and sat on the crowd, staring at the moon. He was the image of sickness, pale with an unsteady, low breathing pattern (judging from the painfully slow rising and falling of his chest). Sakura guessed that, just as her, he wouldn't sleep this night.

But unlike her, he wouldn't be weak in the morning. Unlike her, he was a monster in human form. Just like Naruto.

Just like Naruto.

(A/N: Hey! Chapter two is finally here *^* Forgive any grammar mistakes! I just skimmed over it to edit… and probably edited badly xD

Anyway, Ino is on her way to the Leaf and Sakura is being held captive! Stuff will happen! :D Thanks for reading!

P.S Sorry if it's difficult to read with the time skips. Fanfiction doesn't allow me to keep the original spacing format for whatever reason so I was forced to just write the word 'skip' I personally find that annoying, but I guess it will do for now, as long as it works.)