Thanks a lot for all the wonderful reviews, although SAKURAHATER I'm sorry to say that I like Sakura being strong. Besides you don't even know what I'm planning on doing with Sakura so I don't judge my cliff hanger so easily. Enough of that, here's the next installment. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto

Land of Leaves

Chapter 2: Blossom of Konoha

Away from all the chaos of the village, Konoha's 100 foot trees that wasbordering the city seems to be swaying in harmony. In all truth they are, but for the trained eye there are more than spring birds lurking in the shadows of the leaves.

'Kuso, how did they get so quickly…' a figure thought toitself. Hiding behind the branches of the Land of Leaves' sequoia tree was a ninja, well camouflage with a high-level jutsu.

"I know you're here Hokage-sama, better just show yourself and we'll be done with our end of the stick." Another ninja without a headband said, almost mockingly.

To the stealthy hidden nin, this amateur is nothing more of a dog for a Akatsuki. Nothing for an experienced warrior, like herself, to be scared about, and she was not in the mood to reveal just where she was hiding until the head honcho appears.

The antagonist Nin started to perform a series of hand-seals, "Crap…" She breathes as she jumped for another tree to avoid to sound waves that are going to be unleashed.

"Heh, still too jumpy, right Hokage-sama?" The un-banded Nin grinned.

Sakura, the kunoichi that was hiding and was being hunted, cursed to herself once again, 'Stupid reflexes…' As she was landing to another tree, she pumped chakra on her right leg. She used the powered-up limblike a spring and kicked herself from the tree that she was supposed to be landing in towards the enemy. She twisted her body to face the unknown ninja, who was a bit startled but amused that she's going to fight him. As she righted herself, Sakura pulled her left fist backward, flooding her gloved knuckles with chakra.

The enemy shinobi attempted to perform another set of hand-seals, different from the one that he used a deterrent. His jutsu came in too late though as Sakura apparently had used a simple genjutsu to make her look like she is approaching slower than she really was. The last thing the enemy saw of Sakura was probably her black-gloved fist before a deafening crunch of his skull against her inhuman strength.

The 23-year-old kunoichi caught the body before it made the usual thud on the ground. She laid the practically headless body down slowly to prevent further noises. She then stood up and quietly listened to anything peculiar. Once she's satisfied, she continued on to try and ambush her true pursuer.

Sasuke's eyes widened. 'Sakura…? The Sixth? But…how?' Sasuke bombarded Shizune with the same questions. How could a spineless and useless kunoichi become Hokage? Where was Naruto? Or even Kakashi. Anybody that he thought would be a better candidate to be the Sixth. He shook Shizune once again as he asked those questions. The assistant's only answer was that Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin, was brutally assassinated by who was thought to be Orochimaru himself and that Naruto left to both grieve and search for a scroll a few weeks before Tsunade died and hasn't come since. Kakashi himself refused the position when most of the Jounin and Anbu officers voted for him, saying that there's a better choice than him. After a while everybody agreed to make Sakura the Hokage, right after Kakashi announced that she should take her Sensei's place.

Sasuke growled at the stupidity of the ninjas of Konoha. They make Sakura rule and this is what happens. He could almost laugh at the foolishness of these people he once thought of as superior. He lets Shizune go and jumps out of the office through the window. If his stupid childhood fan girl was the Hokage so that means his brother would be after her. He searched for her still familiar chakra to no avail, 'She could hide her chakra this well now huh? At least she improved…' he smirked at himself.

His famous smirk was wiped away from his face as a few Leaf Chuunins sent fire ball jutsu towards him, some throwing shurikens. He dodged it very easily and kneed one on the gut.

"Uchiha Sasuke, how dare come back to Konoha? As an enemy no less." One of the chuunin asked.

Sasuke didn't recognize the opponent. He decided that he was probably one the students in the academy back then, "Is that a trick question?" He spat back with mockery. The moment his opponent made the smallest movement, Sasuke already has his fist locked on the man's neck. His opponent struggled but soon became limp. Sasuke dropped the body, of what he believeswas just unconsciousness, and jumped to the roof of the nearby building.

As he continues his search, he thought, 'Kuso Sakura, die now and let Itachi get away I swear that I'll destroy Konoha myself.'

As Sakura continues her run-and-kill plan, she felt that she getting farther and farther away from the village. She decided to turn back, confident that her tallied kills of 48 should've helped the others struggling in the village. As she ran back on the ground, Sakura pumped her legs with chakra, which she worked hard for ten years to build up, to quicken her travel. When she reached an unusual clearing in the forest her senses automatically perked up, knowing that clearings were traps covered in grass. And she was right; shurikens flew from the trees surrounding it as well as kunai knives and, to her surprise, spears, then crescent blades and steel fans.

Sakura did a set of hand seals and without saying the name of the jutsu, an invisible barrier was erected around her, thwarting off all the weapons aimed at her. She smirked and yelled out, "Ten-ten I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't kill me."

The mentioned kunoichi jumped down from her hiding place and approached Sakura, "I'm sorry Hokage-sama but I had to make sure that it's really you and not some nin using henge." The weapons' mistress explained.

"Don't worry about it Ten-ten," She then pause and looked at her with a sort irritated expression, "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not the Hokage and…" but before she could rant, Ten-ten cut her off, "But you're close enough, as you say, you're the Acting-Hokage until Naruto returns."

Sakura sighed in defeat…

"Sakura, since you're here I need your help…" With that Ten-ten led the way.

Sakura tilted her in confusion but followed anyway, "Okay…" and jumped after her missing the chakra of a dark figure just hiding in the shadows.

"Found you my little blossom…" The black figure hissed.

Sasuke followed the faint trace of Sakura's chakra towards a corpse splayed down on the ground of Konoha's sequoia forest. He examined the dead body and was both disgusted and impressed, 'Sakura did this…? She's…changed…' he thought and tried to look for another lead, sensing not her usual light aura but a different more sinister one. That was definitely not her chakra.

'He's here…!' He frantically shouted in his mind.

Sakura followed Ten-ten to a hidden cave. As they were entering Ten-ten whispered, "I'm sorry Sakura but I would like to ask you to heal Neji. A damned ninja, probably a Sound Jounin, knew about his weakness and used it to his advantage. My hands were full at the time to help or warn him." The Leaf Jounin almost sobbed in guilt for letting her friend get hurt.

Sakura gently smiled at her and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "Where is he?" she asked.

Ten-ten nodded gratefully to her supposedly superior officer and led her further inside the cave. Sakura started asking about the Hyuuga genius' condition, Ten-ten answered, "The wound itself is nothing but the kunai was spiked. I don't know what venom it is since the symptoms are unknown to me. I was hoping to find a medic-nin and fortunately I found the ultimate Medic in Konoha." Sakura flushed with embarrassment, "Thanks for thinking of me so highly Ten-ten."

"No I should be the one thanking you. I know that you would rather save up chakra for the battle and…"

"No, Neji is also a friend of mine and one of my most trusted advisors. Healing him is the least I could for everything that I owe him." The pink-haired kuniochi reassured the older ninja.

Sakura and Ten-ten reached Neji, who was shivering and sweating hard. The poisoned Anbu gasped for breath and groaned in pain. Sakura kneeled down next to him and examined her patient, 'Over-sweating, pain in the chest, high-fever…' she listed all the symptoms as she narrowed down her diagnosis.

Gathering chakra on her palms, Sakura told Ten-ten to roll Neji over so that she could have access to the open would on the back of his neck. She gently touched the nape of his neck and started to direct her chakra to manipulate Neji's own. After a few tense minutes of painstaking chakra control, Sakura finally have the purple poison inside a sphere of chakra on her palm.

She disposed of the poison and reached in her kunai pocket, "Ten-ten," She paused to wipe the sweat from her brow, "Make him drink this, it'snot a full cure but since the toxin is already taken out, this remedy would be enough." The medic-nin sighed and slowly stood up. When she did, Sakura heard an explosion from outside the cave, "Ten-ten, I have to go back to the village right away and I believe that we could useyour help. As soon as Neji could stand I would like you to go back and take himto the hospital so you can fight with me. Alert everybody you come across. We're going to go offensive, I'm tired of running."

With that, Sakura exited the cave only to gaze into dark eyes…

Thank God, I finished the second chapter in...3 hours! Thanks for everyone that reviewed and if you could please review again.