Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 1

The morning dawned bright and warm; it was spring in Konoha. Sakura awoke on her pillow, her jade eyes opening slowly, languidly, her long cherry blossom hair warmed by a soft breeze. She rose, motes of dust dancing in the stream of morning light. There had been no more dreams last night, and there had been no lingering warmth from the wraith like touches she'd received in dreams past. Nothing but cold.

Methodically, she stepped out of her bed and smoothed the sheets. It was a routine, a comfort. The last time. She slipped her nightgown over her head, dressing in her under things and slipping into her hospital garb; simple black pants, a white t-shirt, covered with her white medical robe. She couldn't have anyone suspecting anything; she had a regular shift today. She'd meet Naruto for lunch at Ichiraku, as she always did.

Turning, her form came into view in a full-length mirror on her bedroom door. She'd grown, nearly as tall as a tall Naruto now, and deciding to let her hair grow to the middle of her back, strands in front framing her soft face, now less round and childlike. She pulled her hair up and rolled it into a pair of sticks.

I am a grown woman now. I am not a child, I am not weak. And I am not waiting for anyone anymore.

Brave words, indeed.

"Sakura-sensei, there is a case I need your help with in Room 210. Can you assist?"

It had taken some time to get used to being called sensei. Naturally she'd started teaching at the academy some of the medical arts she'd learned from Tsunade. There was no one above her now, other than Tsunade herself. Still, these things didn't add up to a battle kunoichi, she thought bitterly. She hadn't tested out her training in a real mission situation yet; did she truly measure up?

I wonder how much of my other training Tsunade even knows about. She might not approve.

"Hai," she responded brightly. "Hand me the chart there. Let's get to work."

Naruto paced outside Ichiraku, his nose sniffing the air appreciatively.

"Ahhhhhh… AH! Sakura-chan! You're LATE!" He pointed in accusation, gesticulating wildly as Sakura jogged to him.

She giggled. He was still such a kid.

"Sorry, Naruto. I had a tough case at the hospital this morning. But I'm hungry! Let's eat, eh?" A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes in that moment. She stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him in and resting her head on his chest. He looked down, shocked, and encircled her in his arms, his cheek resting on her hair. His brows knit.

"Sakura-chan, what'd I do to deserve this?" He tensed. "Am I in trouble? Are you about to sock me with those evil monstrous fists of yours?"

Silence.

"Hunh? No yelling at me for calling your fists monstrous?"

She reluctantly released him from her embrace. "Nah. I mean, I should be nice to you, since you're buying right?" She smiled pleasantly, her eyes crinkled in happiness. It was important to see him now.

"Gaaah, Sakura-chan, you tricked me!" His lips pursed comically, deep in thought. "Hey wait a minute, does that mean this is a date?"

"Sure, Naruto. It's a date. Now quit talking and feed me!"

He grinned wide enough to burst a capillary or two, then happily obliged.

Her shift was over, and she began her walk back from the hospital. It was mid-evening, the sun had just set; she'd spent some extra time there tonight, clearing up odds and ends. She paused for a moment.

Am I really doing this? Am I really leaving? …Sasuke… yes.

It was odd, now, after all this time, to begin thinking that she really didn't know him all that well. It seemed as if it didn't really matter; her heart really hadn't given her much choice. The slightest acknowledgment from him, no matter how miniscule, was enough to send her into a bubbling good mood for days. She smiled. No, it was true it wasn't the most logical thing in the world, but it was real.

Sakura's feet pivoted, and began walking an unusual path. Her thoughts continued to meander, to Ino, to Shikamaru, to Hinata, even Neji. And Lee. Of course. As difficult as it was, she simply didn't have any feelings for him, and it made her heart sink when she'd broken it to him. Although lately, he and Tenten seemed to be getting along well enough.

Sakura's steps stopped. Her eyes rose slowly from her feet, to the building in front of her. The gray stone wall had seen better days; it was crumbling and completely broken in several places – vandals had seen to that. A swath of black paint had covered what used to be emblazoned on the once proud stone – the Uchiha fan.

Sasuke… if you could only see what they've done. You have to come back. This legacy is tarnished, but you can save it. Wecan save it, together… maybe…

Her gaze traveled to the rusted iron gate. She peered in every direction, seeking intruders. Sensing none, she gathered her courage and stepped through the threshold, the metal screeching open in protest. None dared to enter here for a long time.

Sakura moved into the compound. There was a shop, and several modest houses in the beginning; the windows were long since broken. As she continued walking, she looked up at a full moon peering over a telephone pole; its light was kindly, forgiving. But she couldn't ignore the chill in the air. She took in the walls, pock-marked and decaying.

Her eyes narrowed as her ears caught the slightest of sounds; a rock skidding across the ground – her sensitive vision picked up its location, in front of a larger house in the compound. Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine. What the hell was she doing here? It didn't feel right now. It felt horribly, horribly wrong; fear crept into her, a trembling shudder wracking her body. Why was it suddenly so cold?

Dammit, why am I so scared? Big words you said to yourself today, MOUSE. PICK YOURSELF UP! Move. MOVE! You wanted answers, seek them.

Her feet dragged, coaxing the settled dust into puffs. Instinct moved her body, her keen aqua eyes scanning every detail minutely, legs plodding, heavily, finally stopping before a door. She didn't know where she was, and her logical mind was screaming at her to flee. But…

Move. Move. MOVE.

Sakura's eyes suddenly latched onto an irregularity in the dust; a print, just barely the slightest indentation, a whisper of difference.

Idiot, LEAVE, there is danger here.

Her thoughts battled her inner self; fight or flight rushing adrenaline through her veins. But she had opened the door now. The threshold gaped wide, and she had to see.

It was very dark in the house. The once kindly moonlight now cast long shadows on the interior, ghosting obscured geometry on the surfaces. Each movement and flex of muscle was stiff and painstaking, gravity an enemy now.

Some rooms had more light than others; as she stepped across thresholds, her fingers sought and searched the walls, blindly attaching to solid wood and pawing along the counters and shelves. A squeak escaped her as she knocked something to the ground, the tinkling of shattering glass greeting her ears. A kitchen; she'd knocked over a picture. Picking it up, the broken frame nicked her finger. Wincing, she brought the injured digit to her lips and sucked, peering at the contents of the broken treasure.

It was the Uchiha family. A child; grinning Sasuke was in front, and a beautiful woman was behind him with her hand on his shoulder, her long raven hair gleaming. Beside her was their father, austere and chiseled, his eyes set deeply and a pair of lines drawing outward from his nose. On the other side of Sasuke was a hole, raggedly ripped from the portrait, a single hand visible beside it.

Her pulse quickened, heart sending irregular pulses of blood through her veins. She was wrong to be here. This was where Sasuke's family had been murdered. She never, ever should have crossed this boundary. She was keenly aware, now, that she stood in the middle of a cheerless graveyard, uneasy spirits surely roamed here.

Sasuke… how did you handle this? How did you live with this? Why did you not let anyone comfort you…

She kept staring at the portrait, her eyes welling with tears. As she set it down, a tiny spot of blood stained the ripped edge of the photo, and she ran out of the house and out of the compound as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Sakura's return to her apartment was quick. More than anything, she had to get out now, was ready and willing, and prepared to let everything go for his sake. She had to pry him out of that darkness.

Hastily, she changed to her mission garb; black shorts and a white skirt with slits all the way to her hips for freedom of movement. A form-fitting red sleeveless shirt, followed by her shuriken holster on the left thigh, bandaged carefully. Her belt carried another two pouches, one for exploding tags, wire, and kunai; another for medical supplies and herbs. Finally her sai were tucked into sheaths on either side, and one in the small of her back. Her boots slipped on and strapped up to her knees, and she donned a pair of long, fingerless gloves backed by metal.

A small backpack was packed with essentials for fires and some food; a tarp and her jounin jacket.

She was ready.

Her journey began uneventfully; there had been no one looking for her, and thankfully her timing worked out well – she'd already asked Tsunade for some time off from her hospital duties to study, so she wouldn't be expected in the usual places for the next week. Having plotted her course in advance, she should reach Sound in approximately three days, presuming no issues or weather to hinder her.

There had been precious few clues as to Sasuke's potential whereabouts. It had to be assumed that Orochimaru had abandoned his previous complex in Sound; the Akatsuki attack had been reported to have been brutal, but it was suspected that Orochimaru had barely escaped, presumably along with some of his core followers – Kabuto and his elite shinobi. Sasuke could well be among them. Sakura had to shake off the possibility of Orochimaru having taken Sasuke's body; Sasuke would never allow that. Ever. How could he realize his dream of revenge if he was not in his body to do it? Although the precise mechanics of the technique were elusive, it stood to reason that the body's soul would be eradicated. That certainly seemed to be the case with the poor body of the Grass nin they'd encountered in the Forest of Death.

Sakura slowed as it came to sundown the following day. She'd been traveling at a decent clip since the previous evening, and desperately needed to rest. Her initial vigilance had waned, and without a break she'd be too vulnerable. Choosing a small clearing on the forest floor, she carefully began setting traps and preparing camp.

Her hands walked through two familiar seals. "Obfuscation Jutsu." The genjutsu slowly surrounded her camp in shifting shadows, causing anyone to view it to have trouble focusing on any one spot, and keeping her campfire reasonably difficult to notice.

Satisfied with her work, Sakura curled up in her blanket beside the fire and settled in for sleep. She hoped it would be dreamless… and in the end, leaving Konoha in this way, she thought perhaps she'd evaded the cruel fate they depicted.

She had been targeted for months now. He mused briefly on how simple it was. Konoha had not detected his presence, not once, despite repeated entries and exits to infiltrate her apartment. Initially, he thought his plan was flawed; he could not continually come here without risking detection regularly.

But, lacking wartimes, Konoha had become soft. Even after the invasion of Sound, they had not established an effective perimeter. This could potentially be attributed to a decline in the number of available shinobi. The Hokage was busied with convincing the neighboring countries that they were strong and flush, prepared to take on any mission at any time.

Foolish.

Although, to be fair, keeping Uchiha Itachi out of anywhere he wished to be was decidedly difficult.

A tug at the corners of his lips beneath his Akatsuki robes betrayed no movement in his eyes.

He had heard of the Yamanaka clan, and indeed had been part of missions with the clan head, Inoichi. Itachi had copied the clever mind techniques from him with his Sharingan, and was pleased with his foresight. How perfect a compliment to Tsukiyomi it had become. His victim's minds lay bare and open as a book as he sought, prodding and prying through their treasured memories, manipulating them and crafting them, an exquisite torture.

The Haruno girl had at first proven somewhat challenging in this arena. He'd intended to begin by prying her open and learning her mind to use with his illusions, but there was resistance; a "second will" almost, battled to repel his entry. He quieted this with some simple illusions, having determined one thing without mining her psyche – she was pathetically spellbound by one Uchiha Sasuke. All it took was the breath, the insinuation of him and she calmed, allowing him to work.

At first, Itachi sought the immediate information he required for the illusions he'd planned to conjure; simple enough, she would do nearly anything for the sake of Sasuke, repeatedly in her life she'd sacrificed things for him – her friendship with Ino, most notably. She'd even offered to go with him when he went to Orochimaru; she would have completely shrugged off her comfortable life in Konoha, leaving Naruto and everything else behind, regardless of their wishes. Itachi did not enjoy bringing his brother into his work, but it was clearly the most efficient route to his desired endpoint.

As it became easier, he began to plumb her for more, seeking further ammunition. She'd grown up happy; loving parents, warm afternoons picking flowers with Ino. Birthday parties, festivals, success in the Academy, though beyond that, she did not display any particular affinity for her chosen craft. She was intelligent enough, but not powerful. Her parents worried about her incessantly. In short, she'd been coddled and pampered. She was not fit for the life of a true kunoichi.

Then he sought more recent memories. Sasuke's smirk and the occasional smile. She viewed him in a soft light. A vision of Sasuke riddled with kunai sent her reeling to a dead faint – she awoke doubting herself. Another vision of Sasuke as a pincushion for senbon awakened intense sadness and fear. Another, when it is revealed that for once, her savior on a mission turned out to be Naruto; a slight softening for him. Acute fear as she watched Naruto and Sasuke battling, each poised with a deadly technique blazing in their hands, a rivalry. She was intensely attached to those who were important to her. Meanwhile, Naruto fawned over her, while Sasuke appeared to detest her.

She was completely oblivious to what Sasuke truly was, what he had become.

It was this weakness he would exploit. It was fascinating to watch it unfold; she hadn't grown at all, she had not learned from her failures. Not at first. Strangely, as his sessions continued, her attachments and his illusions appeared to become reason enough for her to train harder, coming home now only to sleep. She was hardening her resolve, but still completely entangled emotionally to her companions. When she'd return from the hospital or a day of training, she looked resolute, focused, as she meditated. But then, in her dreams, and as she slept, her face softened, and she succumbed to her childlike state again. She'd dream of a field of flowers sometimes, before he began his brutal ministrations.

Itachi halted these thoughts.

The question was, when the time came… would she truly go as far as he intended her to?

Sakura awoke, her heart beating at full gallop. Something had tripped her barrier. On full alert, her back erect and her fingers wrapping around the grip of her sai, she crouched into a defensive stance and scanned the area for a chakra signature.

It was unmistakable. Naruto. His chakra was like a quivering bomb, ready to flare at a moments notice.

Dammit! I thought I'd covered my tracks… he must've followed me by scent. But this isn't over yet. He hasn't seen through my genjutsu. He was always weak there.

Staying crouched low, she formed seals. "Enveloping Mist Jutsu." A whisper of moisture coalesced over her campfire, the logs and coals becoming sodden and dying with a puff a smoke.

Naruto came into eyeshot, panting, his eyes searching fruitlessly. He sniffed the air, but his expression was frustrated, vague.

"Sakura!" Naruto howled. He sounded angry. He shook his head as if clearing away cobwebs, snarling. "SAKURA! I know you're here somewhere! I don't know what you're planning, but you can't do this alone!" He looked down at the ground. His blue eyes half-lidded, he sighed gently. "You can't do this alone. You can't. I made a promise…"

In that moment, Sakura was incensed. She bit back a snarl of her own, some choice words hovering in her vocal chords; he'd failed to bring him back before, his promise unfulfilled. Naruto… go away… She shook her head, the thoughts feeling vaguely alien..

Suddenly, his anger came roaring back, and he swiveled, crouched like a beast, ripping clods of earth under his fingers – it reminded her briefly of Kiba. "Come out. COME OUT, BASTARD!"

Sakura felt the rush of a new chakra signature, foreign, or perhaps just… bigger than she'd previously known. Her eyes darted across the clearing, desperately seeking the source. A figure appeared in the branch of a tree. Dressed in Sound garb, a white robe, purple ropes dangling from his waist. Onyx hair, midnight blue beneath it, pale skin, and piercing eyes the color of blood, daubed with darkness. The leaves surrounding him shuddered in the chill wind.

"Sasuke…"

A/N: Reviews are appreciated :)