SWG: Hi peoples long time no update and I apologize. But I think this chapter was worth the wait, but I don't know what you guys think, so READ! Oh and Westie does the disclaimer.

Westie: Ohoy! SWG does not own Naruto and blah…blah…blah

Chapter Three: The Meeting

Naruto looked down sadly on his village; it wasn't the same without the cherry blossom. The village itself seemed more morbid. Clutching the strands of rosette hair in his hands he leaned against the Sakura tree. He came here often, sometimes just remising about the past. At times he would wonder how Sakura was doing; was she still alive?

Naruto was more mature now, looking every bit like his father, the Yodaime. And according to Tsunade, he was to follow in his father's footsteps. But he had refused.

"Naruto, as you know, once I die, someone will need to succeed me. And the elders have been bugging me to name a successor. And I think you know where this is going."

"Baa-chan."

"I Tsunade, name you, Naruto Uzumaki as my successor and the next Hokage."

Naruto shook his head. "If I'm not even strong enough to protect my friends, how can I be Hokage, Baa-chan?"

Tsunade morbidly looked at the blonde knucklehead that she had come to see as her own. "Naruto," she said in a soft voice, "Sakura is gone, and so is Sasuke." Naruto's eyes saddened. "But none of this is your fault. You don't have to blame yourself Naruto."

A few stray tears leaked out of his eyes. Sakura-chan, Sasuke-teme. But suddenly he smiled. You guys better stay alive…together.

Poof

Naruto jumped in surprise. "Uzumaki-san, Hokage-sama wants to see you."

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She breathed in the scent of the wind. Different scents filled her senses. Different chakra signatures registered in her mind.

She sat atop of a steep cliff, Getsuei scouring the forest below. Her eyes were closed, concentrating. Performing several hand signs, she murmured, "Mind Transfer Jutsu: Hawk's Eye."

Her body remained while her mind flew with the hawks in the sky…searching, just kept searching, searching for something. The wind whipped by her mind, granting her a sense of freedom and peace…if only for a while.

Sharingan eyes snapped open, the howl of a wolf breaking her concentration. Her mind left the hawk's as consciousness slowly returned to her human body. Grunting as she stood up, she stretched luxuriously after being in the position for almost two days. Searching for the Akatsuki in the skies and so far she had found nothing.

Moving her mask from the side of her face to the front, she leapt off the 200 feet cliff, free falling toward the forest below. Twisting her body until she was spearing through the air, her body spinning like a funnel. At the very last minute she spread her arms out, slowing her momentum. Her body automatically flipped around until her feet were directed toward the treetops. She landed on the branch of the tallest tree in a crouch; barely shaking the thin wood. Nor was there any noise from her free fall.

Behind her mask, her bleeding eyes were wide with excitement. She always loved to do that, even if it wasn't necessary. Smirking slightly as she felt a mind touch her own, she disappeared as the wind whipped around her, scattering cherry blossoms everywhere.

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Charcoal eyes snapped up as he sensed the familiar chakra. Turning his body to face the massive cliff face, he glimpsed something spearing through the air at an incredible rate. He quickly activated his sharingan, following the figure's dangerous descent. He felt his own eyes widen as he saw that it was a human.

Gesturing to his group, he sped off to the spot where he had saw the human. "Karin, do you sense anything?" The red head closed her ruby eyes as she concentrated. Her own chakra searching ahead of the group. Her chakra touched many animals, none a threat, but then she found a strange chakra. As soon as she touched it, in her mind's eye, she saw a horrifying black wolf baring its bone white teeth at her. But the thing that frightened her the most, was the Sharingan eyes. The eyes that were carried by the Uchiha in the group.

A deep, yet somehow feminine voice spoke from behind the snarling black wolf.

Get out of my mind wench.Or feel my mind's wrath.

Who are you? asked Karin's mind.

Someone who is stronger than you, Akatsuki. Though I wonder which Akatsuki is weak enough to let someone else track them through their mind.

You bitch! Who are you?! Leaf nin?

Maybe, maybe not. The voice taunted her. But your way out of your league little girl. You should have sent a male after me. Now GET OUT!

And the wolf snapped at her chakra form.

Gasping, Karin was pushed out, and back into her own consciousness. "Sasuke-kun! Someone is tracking us!" The Uchiha growled.

"Who?" he hissed out, clearly pissed that Karin had let someone track them so easily. Yet…for someone to have figured out Karin, was still quite unbelievable. "I don't know! But I think it was a Leaf nin."

Leaf wouldn't come out this far. Especially to Stone.

"Suigetsu, go find a water source and track our tracker. Juugo, I want you to go there," he pointed at the spot where he had spotted the human. Once orders were out, both men poofed to their own locations. "Karin, lead my mind to the one you encountered."

"Hai, Sasuke-kun." putting both hands on his head (ew!!) she let her chakra lead him to the mind she had encountered. Sasuke-kun, I found it!

Karin cringed as she saw the black wolf once again. But this time, thorns and strangely, cherry blossoms surrounded the wolf. It was all the more intimidating.

Sasuke gasped almost inaudibly at the sharingan eyes staring at his own.

Back for more Akatsuki? Oh and you brought reinforcements too? Your boyfriend perhaps?

Sasuke fairly gagged, and Karin blushed in delight. The wolf's eyes turned toward Sasuke. But he did not notice how the gaze faltered slightly before they turned to malice.

Who are you? this time it was Sasuke's mind that spoke.

You wouldn't believe me even if I told you.

The wolf snarled harshly as the thorns shifted slightly.

Try me.

Fine, but I won't give you details.

Pictures of Team 7 bombarded his mind. Flashes of Naruto and Kakashi.

Now, chose one.

Sasuke thought hard. Naruto, he wasn't nearly smart enough to use his head, and even if he could, it would be the Kyuubi, not a wolf. But neither of them should be this far out. But Kakashi was the only one he knew that could use the sharingan. Besides his brother, but he was in Cloud, not Stone.

Neither.

Smart Uchiha, your girlfriend would have answered idiotically. But then, who am I Uchiha? I'm not Naruto, not Kakashi. And I'll give you one more hint. I belong to no one. Now, now, put away your snakes Uchiha.

Sasuke had unconsciously let loose his snakes.

Why should I?

Because…I can help you.

How? he asked, suspicious.

The black wolf gracefully stalked toward them, the thorns swaying with it's every light step, until the wolf was a foot away. Sniffing, the wolf's sharingan eyes met with Sasuke's and sparked amusingly.

Orochimaru still resides inside your mind…deep within your consciousness. Waiting to devour you when he gets the chance. I suggest you get rid of the curse mark Uchiha.

How do you know of my curse mark? The only ones outside my group that know of my curse are Konoha.

The black wolf stalked back to its original place and lied down, licking its paw.

I belong to no one, but myself.

Then who are you?

We will meet when you meet "nii-san"

The wolf suddenly stood and turned its head expectantly toward the darkness behind him.

Now, GET OUT OF MY MIND!!

The voice was much closer now. From the voice, came a kunai, hurtling toward the Uchiha, another speared through Karin.

Darkness swallowed Sasuke. But then he felt a tongue lick his face. Naruto sends his regards, but I hunt Akatsuki…so beware Uchiha, because your next. The scent of cherry blossoms engulfed Sasuke, almost like an embrace…then he was back in his body. An unconscious Karin beside him.

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Sakura sighed in relief once his mind was out. Though Sasuke's mind was weak, Orochimaru's, even in dormant form, posed a threat. The cherry blossoms reformed into Sakura as she ended the jutsu. A moist nose pressed against her hand. Her hand went to rub her friend's ears.

"Did you find Bumblebee, old friend?" he nodded and pointed his nose toward the training area. Iwakage-sama will be mad when he finds out Bumblebee in training drunk.

"Lets go." Getsuei was suddenly rigid, scenting the air. He let out a low growl toward the river beside them. A figure was rising out of the clear liquid. Forming a Suigetsu. Sakura sneered behind her mask. So he's Akatsuki too now eh? Getsuei growled loud and low. She placed her hand on his head, between the ears. A calming command.

Suigetsu curiously looked at the black masked kunoichi. Nice hourglass figure, not to busty either. Smells like sakuras. Sharky likey. He slowly licked his lips.

"Hey, pervert." Suigetsu's head snapped up at the comment, smiling. "Catch." a kunai was thrown toward him. He caught it right when it reached his forehead. His hand shook slightly from the power of the throw. "Give that kunai to your 'leader'." Then she disappeared. She's fast.

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"Here." said Suigetsu as he handed the kunai over to Sasuke. He rather liked the scent of it.

"What's this for?" Suigetsu shrugged.

"Some hot kunoichi told me to give it to you." drooling as he thought of the nice hourglass figure. Until someone bonked him on the head. Karin had woken up. "Wipe your drool Sharky." he smirked.

"Jealous much? Ugly?" Karin screeched something in a very high pitch that greatly annoyed Sasuke.

"SHUT UP!" he managed to hiss over the bickering teammates.

As Sakura neared the training grounds, she sensed that Sasuke had been handed the kunai. Smirking she whispered, "Kai".

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the kunai suddenly burst into smoke. But they widened after he saw the cherry blossoms in his hand and a note beside it that read.

Have you figured it out yet Uchiha?

Smirking greatly, Sakura let out a small laugh when she imagined his face.

Reaching the training grounds, all she saw was a pile of ruin. Walking onto the destroyed rocks, she spotted a figure on top of a large rock hill.

"Bumblebee-nii-san, you shouldn't train drunk, Iwakage-sama won't be happy."

The figure turned around with a large grin on his face and sake bottle in hand. "I don't give shit."

Sighing, Sakura walked up to him, "You shouldn't train in your real form, Iwakagure won't last long." He let out a harsh laugh. "Did you save some sake for me nii-san? I came all this way just to protect your sorry ass."

He laughed again, and handed her a large bucket of sake, "Same ol' Sakura."

"Hn."

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SWG: -yawn- finally done!! So what did you guys think?

Sasuke: Boring, you fag.

SWG: You are so rude. Fang, go bite the damn Uchiha

Damn Uchiha: AHH!! Ouch! Get it off.

SWG: Good boy. And now I introduce new people!

Janelle: HI PEOPLES!! Yesterday was my b-day! If you have read Tomboy vs. Playboy then you already know that!

SWG: Yea and this is her late b-day present!!

Jakey: SWG calls me Jakey for some reason.

SWG: Cause you're my little bro!! and say hi!

Jakey: Fine, whatever…hi, I starred as Jacob in the other AN in Tomboy vs. Playboy.

Westie: Ohoy! I was formally known as Dark Asylum, but now SWG calls me Westie.

SWG/Damn Uchiha/Janelle/Jakey/Westie: Leave a REVIEW!!

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