Title: Picture Trends of Black and White
Author: Hiko Mokushi
Pairing:KakashixSakura
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, adult themes/sexuality, implied rape/sexual abuse, torture, human trafficking, and character death.
Disclaimer: Do not own at all.
Summary: Shizune froze. "What?" The blonde woman held her hands out in front of her, trying to work things through her fingertips that she couldn't with her mind. "What would you do to get Sakura back?"



III. Blitzkrieg

"Damn, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto laughed, watching as the Copy ninja unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped back to let the rest of them in. His blue eyes widened as he walked into his ex-sensei's apartment, rather impressed. "How the hell did you manage this? Your last apartment was nothing more than a one-bedroom trash can. This is like the true bachelor's pad."

The silver-haired man narrowed his visible eye shrewdly. "Thanks, I think."

"Yea, Kakashi's got it made." Genma chuckled and slid his hand along the island kitchen table.

"When you don't spend your money frivolously, and save it, then you can afford anything."

Genma rolled his eyes. "Or when your ex-student gets kidnapped and you reenter ANBU, only taking S-Class assassination missions, you tend to rack up quite a paycheck," he remarked sarcastically under his breath.

"Didn't know you were so jealous, Shiranui. Putting my life in jeopardy when you're at home,sleeping."

Genma shook his head and helped himself into Kakashi's refrigerator, pulling out a bottle of sake. He tipped the bottle at the dark-haired woman present, grinning slightly. "I believe congratulations are in order?" He poured some sake for himself and raised the glass before downing it.

Hinata sighed and settled onto the large brown-suede couch.

The young man slid his hand through his blond hair slowly, watching his wife carefully. "When were you going to tell me that you. . . that you. . . y'know!"

Kakashi couldn't help himself and let out a bark of laughter. "Still hasn't changed," he chuckled, watching Naruto match Hinata's blush almost exactly. "Have you Naruto? You know. You're a daddy, Naruto, get used to saying 'pregnant'."

The blond almost growled.

"I found out earlier," Hinata said softly, taking Naruto's hand in her own as she led him to sit on the couch beside her. "You came home, after your meeting with the Hokage." Hinata shook her head and looked at him with her pale, sad lavender eyes. "I couldn't tell you just then. Forgive me?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nothing to be forgiven for, Hinata. Unless you're asking me to forgive you for making you have my kid." He grinned as she blushed again; Kakashi rolled his eyes at his ex-student's antics.

"We'll leave at dawn?" asked Genma, watching as Kakashi searched through his cubboards.

"Yes," answered Kakashi, taking out a chipped porcelain mug. "I told Kiba and Lee to meet us just outside the Konoha gates—we don't need Kotetsu and Izumo blabbing around Konoha that they saw us leaving. We're supposed to keep this as off the record as possible. Especially after we get back."

Naruto cracked his knuckles and leaned back into the corner of the wraparound couch, propping his feet up relaxingly on the coffee table. "So?" he asked of Kakashi, who poured coffee, his back to him. "Why can't we leave now? Sakura-chan's not gonna wait for forever."

Hinata sighed and leaned forward, pushing his feet back onto the floor.

"What's she gonna do, Naruto?" Genma asked, perched on a stool beside the island table; senbon bobbing as he quirked an eyebrow. "She's waiting for us."

Kakashi clutched the mug tightly in his hands, thankful for the warmth that the porcelain transferred into his gloves.

The blond narrowed his eyes, and his wife rubbed her hand soothingly along his forearm. "Sakura-chan should be fine," Hinata murmured, intertwining her fingers with Naruto's. He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles quietly. "She's one of the strongest kunoichi I know. If there's any one who could survive through this, it's Sakura-chan."

Genma nodded his agreement, sipping his sake lightly. Kakashi leaned up against his kitchen table beside the brown-haired man.

Naruto couldn't help but clench his free hand angrily at his side. "Why is Sasuke-teme being such an idiot?" he asked furiously, gazing between Genma and Kakashi. Hinata's hand tightened in his, her fingernails setting a gentle rhythm; lightly scratching against his arm.

"Who knows?" Kakashi shrugged, visible eye closed impassively.

"He used to love Sakura-chan," whispered Hinata softly, her eyes closing. "He truly did. But the way he looks at Ino. . ."

"He can't love Ino as much as he loved Sakura-chan," the young man argued, "that isn't possible."

"Isn't it?" Hinata's pale lavender eyes fluttered as she trailed her hand along his cheek. Her smile was bittersweet. "How long did you love Sakura-chan before you loved me, Naruto?"

For a moment, the young man paused, and he merely stared at the dark-haired woman before him. Then he gripped her hand tightly in his and sat up on the couch. His free hand lingered on her jaw before he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, her cheek, the corner of her mouth, and then her lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered, laying his forehead up against hers. Hinata smiled and returned his kiss quietly, their eyes communicating words they didn't need to speak.

Genma downed his shot of liquor, poured another and shot that back as well. "All this mush is killing me."

Kakashi smirked behind his mask. Contemplating, he found he liked Hinata's logic.

Just because you previously loved someone didn't mean you couldn't find love again. If it wasn't true, he was screwed.

"I understand where Ino's coming from," Naruto sighed finally, pulling his head back and once again reclining on the sofa. This time he tugged Hinata into leaning with her back against his chest, arms wrapped possessively around her middle. "She has children now. Sakura-chan coming back, with the possibility of Sasuke-teme still being in love with her, could ruin her life."

Hinata smiled; glad that her man could understand why she was so comforting to Ino.

Genma rolled his eyes. "But that would only be if the cherry blossom is still in love with the Uchiha boy. Who knows? She's had five years to sit and stew inside a hell hole—and who's going to rescue her?" He smirked and set his sake bowl down, tugging at his Jounin vest importantly. "It'll be us, the ones who really care."

Naruto smirked and shook his head. "I wonder what she'll think about her precious Sasuke when he isn't with us."

Kakashi turned his head away from them. He pulled his mask down and took a sip of coffee while the three of them were distracted. He didn't know what Sakura would think about Sasuke, but he could think of a few possibilities he wouldn't mind.



This was exactly the reason that he didn't want to read it. Sure, the Hokage had given it to him with in the inclination that he was actually going to read it—but did he really want to commit the atrocities this man had committed to memory? Did he want to sit back and reflect upon the sickness that swelled in his stomach?

The first entry that mentioned Sakura caused him to break a bone in his fist.

Oct. 12
A young girl was injured today. She had her arm wrenched from the socket. Normally the girls deal with injuries on their own, but today one of the guards brought another woman in. She was badly beaten herself—covered in bruises, and she walked with a limp. She must have been a kunoichi, she manipulated a small amount of her chakra to heal Yumi's arm. She's unique-looking, with bright pink hair and green eyes. She
says her name is Mitsuharu Rin; for some reason I don't believe her. After two hours, the guard escorted her back out. No word of who she really is.

Kakashi sat, clenching the scroll in his pained fist, eyes shut.

He shifted uncomfortably in the navy and silver ANBU uniform, breath hot behind his mask. It had been years since he'd worn this outfit. It fit him, for the most part, still. He did, however, hate his mask even more so than before. It was pressing and stuffy and made him feel slightly claustrophobic. The discomfort was only increased by his anger.

The group of four had split up after they had gone off topic; Genma returning to his apartment to make sure everything was in order, Naruto escorting Hinata home and giving her a proper goodbye. Kakashi had gone straight to the meeting spot by the Konoha gates.

Dec. 25
Met 'Rin' again. I asked her why she was always brought when girls were seriously injured. I originally thought she was kept in a different ward. She claims they use her to keep the girls alive and well. She says she doesn't take part in the clientele. She broke too many of them. Will observe further.

Feb. 2
'Rin' is as beat up as ever. She says she doesn't know how to play nice with the other girls.

May 16
I was given a little extra time with 'Rin'. She's very nice, and seems to know quite a lot about Sunakagure. When I brought the Kazekage, she seemed as though she started to say 'Gaara' without any honorific. There are few who could call him so familiarly. She knew a few other names from Suna, as well as a few from Konohagakure and Kumogakure. But she's not given me any hints as to where she's from. I'm going to be watching her very closely.

Kakashi clenched his fist tighter—the bones popped agonizingly, but he barely even felt it.

All that time. . .

They had declared her dead for Kami's sake.

How the hell had either Konoha or Suna never have noticed her? Found her? Saved her from that hell?

How the hell hadn't he?

"You ready to roll?"

Kakashi glanced down from his tree perch at Genma, easily recognizable to the Copy-nin behind his characteristic porcelain wolverine mask; the creature's painted lips curved in a smirk that resembled its wearer. "Are you ready to go?" Kakashi snapped back, unable to control the anger, allowing a bit to wedge through. "Or do we need to cut a hole in your mask for your senbon?"

Pushing his mask to the side to display his face, he grimaced. "Shizune gave me gum," he replied dolefully, munching more obviously. The man's eyes narrowed. "You okay?"

"Didn't know you cared so much."

"Deal with it." Genma grinned before his tone became serious again. "But seriously, are you? This affects you more than the rest of us—everyone can see it." The Jounin leaned his back up against the tree Kakashi sat in, his eyes turned toward the rising sun. "When Haruno got taken. . . you changed. Naruto used to worry you'd take a mission and specifically not come back."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, slipping the scroll back into his pack. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said sarcastically, shoving his hand into his pocket.

"Kakashi-sensei, stop being such a stick in the mud!"

The silver-haired man glanced at Naruto, face hidden behind his fox mask. "What did I say—?"

Naruto sighed and crossed his arms. "Fine," he grumbled, Kakashi, then. But really, we're rescuing Sakura-chan! It'll be like old times again!"

"You were planning on inviting Sasuke to join us once we're back?"

"Team Kakashi—not Team 7."

Genma slid a look at Kakashi. "I doubt Hatake would want to have the two of you as students again." He smirked and chomped his gum. "For more reason than one."

Kakashit shot him a withering glare, pushing his mask to the side. Genma shifted nervously at the sight of the Copy-nin's Sharingan practically glowing red; his hitai-ate was gone from his head. "Kiba, Lee," he said, glancing at Naruto before nodding to the two shinobi marching out of the darkness.

Kiba snickered, hand rubbing Akamaru's head. "I always wondered what it would be like to wear one of these things," he chuckled, lifting his mask up and letting it rest on the top of his head.

Lee frowned after removing his own and holding it in his hand. "It smells weird."

"Take off your forehead protectors. It's common ANBU procedure to leave no trace that could lead your target to believe Konoha," Kakashi coolly instructed of the two non-ANBU members. "We'll travel from now until dusk. We should reach Suna by late tomorrow."

Naruto's eyes darkened fractionally.

"Also, from now until we get to Suna, we keep our masks on; if you need to say someone's name to get their attention, use either a nickname or something that only they'll understand."

Genma smirked. 'So, if we need to, we can call you Junko?"

The man was amazed Kakashi's droopy gaze could get so deadly. He knew for sure if looks could kill he would have been melting into the earth. "Stop being an idiot."

The brown-haired man grumbled and chewed his gum harder. He pointedly slid his mask to cover over his face. Kakashi glanced at the boys, nodding his head. As if on command, Kiba, Naruto and Lee all slid their masks into place—hitai-ate hidden in their travel packs. Kakashi slid his on last, taking the time to pull the hitai-ate from his pocket and rub it before his eyes—for luck—before anyone else could see. He replaced the hitai-ate in his pocket.

The same hitai-ate that had fallen from Sakura's head when she'd been taken.



"Tsunade-sama."

Unfocused brown eyes attempted to lock on the black blob that represented Shizune within her tired vision, and she raised her head slightly from where it had formally rested on her arms. "Hmmmm?" she mumbled, wiping off a bit of drool that had gathered in the corner of her mouth.

The dark-haired woman couldn't help but muster a miniature glower at the Hokage's laziness. "We've just received word from our correspondents in Sunagakure."

Tsunade's head shot fully up and her fingers clenched the edge of her desk.

"Kakashi-sempai and his squadron have arrived in Suna, unhindered; and are going to be taking counsel with the Kazekage as soon as his schedule permits it." Shizune glanced at the scroll, scanning along for anything else she felt worthy to mention to Tsunade at the moment. "If things work out, they plan on forming their strike and moving out around dusk—to get there by moonrise."

"How do they plan on attacking?" Tsunade asked, fingers clicking a rhythm. For someone recently asleep, she was incredibly astute. "Have they any sort of strategy yet?"

The scroll unrolled further in Shizune's hand. "Blitzkrieg."



"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Naruto smirked and glanced at Temari's swollen belly, one hand pressed to the small of her back, the other resting on her ever-present Iron Fan. "You've been busy, Shikamaru, huh?"

"You wanna say that again?" Temari growled, eyes narrowing.

"Don't worry," Naruto laughed, "I've been busy too."

The blonde gawked. "Hinata's pregnant?"

"Two months."

Shikamaru clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations. His face, however, was serious. "I see Kakashi, I see Lee; where's Sasuke?" he whispered quietly to Genma after drawing away, trying to keep Naruto from overhearing his question.

Genma shifted awkwardly. "He refused to come. Don't bring it up in front of Naruto."

Shikamaru nodded wisely before turning and interrupting Lee, Naruto and Kankuro. "Gaara-sama is waiting for us," he said, waving his hand toward the building behind him. "If you'd come with us, we can make a game plan. Temari can't come, but Kankuro, Gaara-sama and myself will join you."

Genma sighed. "Yea, let's go inside. It's too hot out here."

Naruto led the way into the house, his mask slapping against the back of his head. He ran up the stairs, knowing full well where his friend was cooped up. He slowed and opened the door quietly.

The Kazekage leaned against the back wall, sand slipping from his gourd in a steady, soothing rhythm. His arms wrapped around a small bundle of cloth that giggled and cooed. A small smile played on the teal-eyed man's face. Naruto entered the room as the sand pelted forward, mock-chasing the small girl. She let out a squeal and dashed toward the blond.

"Naruto-nii-san!'

Naruto lifted the child into his arms and smiled at Gaara. "All of us have been busy," he murmured with a smirk, glancing at the baby in the red-head's arms. "What's this one's name?"

"Daisuke," Gaara replied softly, bouncing the babe slightly in his arms. He glanced up finally, eyes sliding from Naruto to the girl. "Mika-chan, go get your mother."

"Hai, Otou-san!" The little black-haired girl wriggled free from the Leaf ninja, scrambling from the room and nearly striding headlong into Temari as she ran into the hall. Naruto smiled. "She's grown. How old is she now? Five?"

"Turning six in three months."

The young man shook his head in amazement. "I never imagined you as a father, Gaara," Naruto admitted, though he watched the young Kazekage with keen admiration. "I can only hope I do half as good a job as you do."

"You'll do fine," Gaara murmured, pressing his lips gently to Sano's forehead. "Would you like to practice?"

The blond offered his arms. "Cradle his head," Gaara instructed, laying the baby in his arms. Naruto instinctively straightened his posture. The red-haired man drew back, crossing his arms as he stared blankly at his child. Naruto had frozen; merely peering at the baby in his arms. He jumped when Mika ran back into the room, singing loudly.

"Ah, Naruto-kun," the young woman said, shushing her daughter, "you look good with a baby in your arms. Mika, hush."

Mika clapped a hand to her mouth as Gaara bent at the waist to pick her up. He held her against his hip, and the girl wrapped her arms around her father's neck. "Natsume, keep Mika out of the conference hall; we're not discussed topics that are proper for her ears." He smoothed his hand over Mika's head and she giggled dramatically.

Natsume nodded, taking Daisuke into her arms as Naruto offered him back. "So you're going to rid us of the woman-snatchers," she mused, olive eyes serious as she pushed a lock of dark hair out of her eyes. "I guess we should be apologizing, Naruto-kun, after what happened to your friend. I hope she's alright. I never met Haruno-san personally, but Gaara speaks fondly of her."

"Sakura-chan is a very important person to us all." His blue eyes glanced out the door and toward where the rest of his part was relaxing. "We've missed her greatly."

"I'd imagine." Balancing Daisuke on her hip, she motioned for Gaara to put Mika down. The dark-haired woman pressed a kiss to the red tattoo on her husband's forehead, taking her daughter's hand. "I'll get Matsuri-chan to watch Mika after I put Dai down for his nap. Then I'll come join you."

Gaara nodded and sifted a hand through her hair quietly before motioning for Naruto to follow him.



"This is Hiraoka Arashi," Gaara introduced the man to his right in a cool, calm air; and the man bowed how head. "Along with Ichigawa Taizo and Tsuruya Sango, they infiltrated the compound at my command. They were present in the group for two and a half years total. It is much easier for Arashi-san to explain everything."

The Kazekage nodded his head, and Arashi cleared his throat. The man was large by most standards, with a wide face, heavily-lidded eyes and somewhat pale skin for a Sand ninja. "We were first assigned the mission to figure out where the girls were being kept. We used Sango as bait; she took on the persona of Higarashi Ami and allowed herself to be taken. We found, only after her mock-abduction, that it would be harder to get her out than we first thought; it's heavily protected."

The man sighed and glanced at Gaara out of the corner of his eye. "On urge from the Kazekage-sama, we entered as spies and got in contact with Sango. We took on fake identities as we were taught in ANBU. But the situation was unlike anything we'd ever done. Sango, under the name Ami, started taking notes on everything. About a year ago, Sango was killed. We were one of the ones who were to dispose the body—she was killed by a kunai to the throat."

Naruto's eyes narrowed angrily. "Who?"

A lean, wiry young man with bright amber eyes finally raised his head from he'd had his forehead pressed to his hands. "We can only guess," he said, in a strangely melodic voice, "that they found she was a spy. I don't know why they killed her—she was of no use as a spy other than taking notes. But we can tell from her records that something was going wrong with her; she was growing paranoid and a bit psychotic."

Kakashi grunted quietly to himself, remember words from the woman's, this Sango, writing.

Something is going wrong.

It's not safe anymore.

I find myself contemplating death—it does not seem like such a bad thing.

The woman had certainly been taking curious notes towards the end of her records. Not much of her later dates had been of use when speaking of Sakura; but it did give them a specific area of where the entrance to the compound was located. Despite going crazy, he owed this deceased woman.

"That's reassuring," shot Genma, who had long-since abandoned his gum for his usual senbon. He lounged low in his seat, hands clenched on the table top. "We're supposed to trust the word of a woman who went crazy because her mission got to her? Real comforting prospects. We've been waiting for the day when we got some word about Sakura. I swear, if this is—!"

"Genma!" Kakashi's hand was hard on the man's shoulder. "You want to walk out of this room?"

Genma's hands visibly shook, but he slid them quietly into his lap, below the table, and shut his mouth

Kakashi watched his friend for a moment longer before glancing back to the. "Forgive Shiranui," he asked, tilting his head down in a small nod. "Sakura saved his life before she was taken. He would have died if not for her. He feels he owes her a return favor. There are many of us who feel the same."

Taizo nodded his head. "That's understandable," he said; though his face betrayed his unease at what Genma had pointed out. "It was difficult when we lost Sango. We would have given anything to get her back."

Lee cleared his throat, glancing up from where his eyes had been fixed on his clasped hands. "Excluding the facts that Sango-san might have gone crazy, do we have enough evidence to be able to agree with the assessment that Sakura-chan is in the facility?"

Gaara glanced at the green-clad Jounin, their years of rivalry long gone. "Positive."

Taizo nodded. "We've seen her."

"You're sure?" Naruto leaned forward in his seat, blue eyes ablaze. "What did she look like?"

"About this high," mused Arashi, lifting his hand into the air a little above his head. "Bright pink hair, about mid-back, jade-green eyes. She was a tiny thing, but when we saw her, she was giving Gomimaru the beating of his life."

"I've never seen a girl punch a guy that hard, kunoichi or not." Taizo grinned in remembrance.

Lee and Naruto exchanged a grin. "That sounds like our Sakura-chan!" Lee exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air emphatically. Naruto turned to shoot a wide smile at Kakashi, who crinkled a smile.

Yes, it certainly does.

Naruto clenched his hands at his side, face lit up with excitement. For the first time in years, his blue eyes were bright in a way they had lost since the disappearance of Haruno Sakura. "Do we have a plan?" he asked, teeth bared in a grin far more feral than normal. "Besides busting in and beating the ever-loving shit out of these guys?"

"That's where Taizo comes in," Arashi said, smirking.

Gaara glanced up from his seat at the head of the table and let a smile curl the corners of his mouth. "That is one of Sand's classified information—so I trust you not to go blabbing it to everyone. But Ichigawa Taizo is our secret weapon. He's got a photographic memory. Everything he sees, be it a book, face or location, he can memorize it and store it within a second. With help from a mind-jutsu specialist, he's developed what we like to call theAngya-no-Jutsu. With practice, Taizo-san has been able to mentally produce a 3-D image of whatever he wishes."

"Tricky little bugger," laughed Kiba.

Lee nodded in agreement, black eyes intense as he listened jealously.

Arashi chuckled. "It definitely came in handy after we'd discovered Sango's records and had to escape through the back tunnels."

Kakashi shifted and glanced at Naruto—who now had a permanent smirk plastered to his face, and had leaned forward in his seat—before settling back in his seat. He narrowed his eye and watched silently as the jesting continued, until Taizo got to his feet and began performing seals at a rapid speed.

Silence ensued.

The man gesticulated without pause or hesitation, mumbling under his breath quietly. Then he paused, and Taizo suddenly held out his hands before him, finger splayed wide; his index fingers and thumbs touched, forming a triangular-like shape in the space before them. With a final seal exclamation, the air between Taizo and the table shifted as chakra pulsed without containment. Slowly, in the middle of the table, a large 12x12 image began to form.

It was strangely insubstantial; see-through transparent and light-weight enough to float inches above the table. Kakashi could almost perfectly see Gaara directly across the table from him; the slight dulling of his aquamarine gaze being the only difference. It reminded him of the holograms he'd seen often in movies. For a moment, it rotated in place; merely a blob of floating, materialized chakra. Before their eyes, it morphed.

The dull blue—such a strange color for visible chakra—turned brown and beige and it was suddenly the 3-D image of the entrance to a cave.

"To those who don't know it, it's merely the seventh largest cave in the Tobikomi Mountain Pass; about a quarter or the way down the Chikireme Chasm on the eastern border. It acts as a divider between Wind and the unaligned Takumi village." Arashi stood now.

Taizo grunted, eyes shut as he watched the path his mind made in his head; the image sudden went forward, into the darkness and then took a nosedive into the dark rift. Kakashi felt his gut clench even though he could feel his seat firm around his torso and against his back. The blackness slowly gave way to a dimly lit, prison-like containment area.

"To those who do, it's known as "Joushi no Hitoshirezu Oashisu".

Naruto clasped a hand over his mouth and Lee looked away, sickened. Temari turned her head, burying her face into Shikamaru's chest as Kankuro rubbed his hand against her shoulder. "That's sick," snapped Genma.

Arashi nodded, watching as Taizo mentally led them right, left, left again, and then straight down a hallway even more poorly lit. "There are nearly 60 individuals working for Mujihi, but the girls outnumber them three to one. As you can see, they're kept in large, prison-like areas, where they have little more than a sleeping area, and then a crude form of a bathroom. They are kept in bars, like you now see; but whoever made this area is able to manipulate the sand into forming a wall over the bars as solid and strong as concrete to both touch and appearance.

"Haruno Sakura is supposedly kept in the ward at the back of the compound, hidden amongst Redirection and Confusion jutsus. She is taken out only when there is a serious injury amongst one of the other girls, using her chakra-manipulation and healing abilities to keep the other girls in 'working order'." Arashi's lips pursed at his own choice of words. "They keep chakra binds on her ankles and wrists, and we've information that she generally gets beaten up a lot."

The pity-filled glance the man shot their way made Kakashi's stomach churn angrily. He didn't need the ninja's pity; he needed his brain so that he could rush into that Whatever Chasm in the Who-Cares? Mountain Pass and beat this Mujihi to a pulp, so bloody even his departing spirit wouldn't recognize him.

"Can you show us the way in?" The way Naruto's fists were clenching the table top gave the Copy ninja the clue he needed to surmise the Kyuubi was focusing on the same wavelength he was.

Arashi nodded calmly. "With Taizo's technique, he can not only show us what is in his memory, but as it is his memory, he can back track his steps and follow the exact same path."

"Currently, the list of those shinobi going is at 9: Naruto, Kankuro, Shikamaru, Lee, Inuzuka-san, Shiranui-san, Hatake-san, Taizo-san, and myself. I believe that no one else wishes to attend; I really doubt that we will need anyone else." Gaara glanced up; his hands folded patiently, elbows bracing himself on the table. "Shall I make the announcement to my council that we will be leaving about dusk?"

Kakashi nodded, glad to have something to distract him with. "Sounds fine to me." That gave him about twelve hours to sleep and then about six hours to eat, relax, take his mind off the massacring he'd be doing come dusk and then get ready.

Gaara nodded and got up—the others followed suit and stood out of respect. "Shikamaru and Kankuro will show you to your rooms. Sleep well."

They chorused similar responses as the Kazekage showed himself the way out.

Naruto turned to Kakashi, his face lowered to stare at the floor as though it had suddenly grown feeler and begun to attack his toes. "I want to kill them Kakashi-sen. . . Kakashi." The young man glanced up, blue eyes wide with an untold horror. "I've never felt this way before. They hurt Sakura-chan, took her away from us for five years, and all those other girls. . . I want to cause them pain. Am I a terrible person?"

"No, Naruto." Kakashi put his hand on the young man's shoulder comfortingly. "You're not. I feel the exact same way."

Slowly, the taller man turned away and begun to follow Shikamaru as he led the group out of the conference hall. Then he paused and glanced over his shoulder. "And I promise, we will cause them pain."



"You're the oddest guard I've ever met."

Sakura sat on the floor near to the bars, her legs curled up underneath her. She fingered the corner of the blanket with one hand, perusing through the medical supplies slowly before glancing up. Gomimaru sat on the floor before her, a foot away from the bars and just out of reach, on the other side of the cage. "You almost killed Botan two days ago. She didn't do anything but insult you."

The man's wide-spaced faced furrowed unattractively. "I don't feel like dying just yet."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but the bite was still behind the words. "Gee, you sure know how to flatter a girl."

He smirked; it twisted his face into odd proportions, making him look even more flat-faced than a pug.

"Also, Joushi-sama said he didn't want that little bite you got to get a'staph' infection." He pointed one of his ham-like hands at the crescent-shaped cut on her arm. "Said we'd have to amputate your arm to make sure you didn't die, and then one of your hands wouldn't be able to heal. It'd lower your worth around here." He grinned. "Always said, if a bitch loses a limb, one less bitch in the world."

Sakura chuckled, shaking her head slightly, and Gomimaru felt quite a bit of his confidence fade.

"For someone trying to keep me happy and appeased. . . " The pink-haired kunoichi smirked and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear; green eyes focused on some spot past the man's head. "You're doing a really shitty job."

"That mean I'm gonna die?"

"I said from the beginning, I'd kill you," she murmured, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. She felt her body warm considerably with just the little bit of wool provided. "I am merely an honest kunoichi. I don't like to lie—or go back on my promises. It's a nindo I adopted from a friend."

Gomi shifted backwards before getting to his feet and activating the sand.

Sakura's smirk widened. "Going so soon?"

"You know you'll die here, right?"

The key lingered, half-turned in the ignition lock; the sand flittered halfway up the bars. Gomimaru stared down at her, face cold, eyes impassive. He seemed eager for her response.

"Of course."

The man gawked, mouth dropping slightly.

"But I plan on taking as many of your people out with me as I possibly can. Only fair, right?"

The bars disappeared into a solid, concrete wall, forming a barrier between him and Sakura—a barrier between him and death.


TBC. . .


Bet you guys have been wondering when I was going to update, hm?

Well, yes, again, like I told you, no KakaSaku interaction. I'm pretty sure that's not going to happen until the end of next Chapter or Chapter V. But I promise you, there will be lots when it does decide to come. For Angst, this will have lots of Romance in it; which is why I put Romance first in the Genre catagory. I also decided to forgo writing two 9-10 Chapter stories (Picture Trends and Shambling Grounds) and just adding in the parts I'd already written of Shambling Grounds into this one. It actually seems to fit rather well. It just means that this is going to end up being a longer-chaptered story now. I'm not sure how long. But I know that I have planned up until Chapter VIII. And that's without an ending worked out. And that's without the section of Shambling Grounds (which is practically a chapter in and of itself :).

This is the first chapter, also, that I have posted without my beta, the lovely Alaina, reading it beforehand. Not only was she sick this weekend, but she was about two and a half hours out of town visiting her sister; so I had no chance to get it to her to be betaed. As this is the last week for the dmhgficexchange stories (of which, I have worked on the littlest amount that I have ever dedicated to a fiction) (they're to be sent in friday/saturday), I will be focusing all my energy on that this week. That and essay writing—I have an Ancient Olympics essay due, as well as descriptive sermon essay due.

And then saturday's my 17th birthday. x Yay me!

Gaara's wife is a dedication to Alaina. Yes, I love you, and I know you're screaming and probably texting me right now.

Many of you are probably wondering why I'm making everybody pregnant. I'm just making things a lot harder for Sakura to deal with when she gets back. The idea of everything being changed, everybody being paired up, her life being pulled from under her like a rug. Trust me, there's a lot more twists and turns with emotion that I'm going to be bringing in. Just because Sakura's going to be coming home soon (as you all knew she would be) doesn't mean the angst is dropped at the cave door.

Angya-no-Jutsu— Walking Tour Jutsu
Tobikomi Mountain Pass — Plunge Mountain Pass
Chikireme Chasm — Bloodrift Chasm
Joushi no Hitoshirezu Oashisu — Joushi's Hidden Oashisu

Thanks again,
Hiko Mokushi