THE PAST THREE CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN EDITED AND UPDATED. TRUST ME, YOU GUYS NEED TO READ THEM TO UNDERSTAND FUTURE EVENTS.

Summary: As everything she had ever known is turned upside down, Sakura strikes out with her newly founded team in a perilous time when friend and foe alike can become complications. AU. MultiSaku. Sakura centric. SakuraHarem. Sequel to "no good gift (goes unpunished)." Multi-chaptered.

Pairing(s): SakuraxNaruto, SakuraxSasuke, SakuraxSai, SakuraxGaara, SakuraxDeidara, SakuraxSasori, SakuraxKisame, SakuraxItachi, SakuraxHidan, SakuraxKakuzu, SakuraxTobi, SakuraxMadara, SakuraxPein, KakashixSakura, KibaxSakura, ChojixSakura, ShikamaruxSakura, HakuxSakura, ZabuzaxSakura, LeexSakura, NejixSakura, ZetsuxSakura, KimimaroxSakura, KabutoxSakura, ShinoxSakura, SuigetsuxSakura, JugoxSakura, ShisuixSakura, IzunaxSakura, KotetsuxSakura, IzumoxSakura, GenmaxSakura, KonohamaruxSakura, YamatoxSakura, BxSakura, CxSakura, DaruixSakura, MenmaxSakura, JiraiyaxTsunade, OrochimaruxTsunade, (implied) AxTsunade

Genre: Adventure/Romance/Friendship/Humor/Angst

Warnings: some cursing (they are teenagers!), general OOC-ness, dark and sometimes suggestive themes

Notes: Man, I'm so sorry I took so long you guys! I don't know where the time has gone. Actually, yeah I kind of do. College sucks the life out of you.

I just want to clarify a few things. Ino is not Gifted. Sakura is the only Gifted female alive aside from Tsunade, it's a main component in her importance to other people. Ino is, however, trained in martial arts and the like. She just does not have a Gift to back her up. She is, however, very connected and generally knows what's going on in the Gifted world. She's got friends in high places and has some pretty handy spy skills.

Chapter Summary: In which Sakura gets a new look; Sai is excited; Sakura is stalked; someone is very jealous and a fight breaks out.

"the gifted and i"
-4/26-
Of Encounters & Escapes

Naruto smiled, hanging his head out the window to feel the breeze fly through the air. Sakura had decided to rent a car so they could drive to the nearest train station. Naruto was loving every second of sitting in the front seat with the pensive girl. He turned to Sai and Sasuke, cramped into the small backseat with all of their gear, with a mischievous grin. "How are you guys doing back there?"

Sasuke's scowl deepened and Sai's grip on the armrest tightened minutely. "Best Friend," Sai said, looking positively green. "Might we slow down a bit?"

Sakura turned her gaze from the road to the speed barometer. She flushed when she realized that she was driving twenty-five miles over the speed limit. "Sorry Sai, I just…" she hesitated, before finishing rather lamely, "got distracted."

Sasuke's brow furrowed. Something had been off about Sakura since her disappearance and it had begun back at the airport. He had a feeling that he knew exactly what, or rather who, had started her mood. His fists clenched and he resisted the automatic and heady pull of the Sharingan. No matter what he did, how strong he became, Itachi was always ten steps ahead of him. He couldn't even protect the people closest to him. No, Sasuke's eyes slid close, this time he'd be stronger. This time, he'd be victorious.

Sai frowned slightly, leaning forward to lean his head on Sakura's headrest. "Distractions are not good, Best Friend. Why don't you…how did the book say it…talk to us about it?"

Sakura frowned slightly, trying to relax the grip of her hands on the steering wheel. Her gaze met Sasuke's in the rearview mirror briefly before flittering away guiltily. "I…I had a bit of a run in with Itachi."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah? So did we, we were right there with you!"

"No," Sakura paused, keeping her eyes trained on the road. She knew beyond a doubt that Sasuke's Sharingan had flared to life, as it always did when he was angry. "At the airport Itachi trapped me in Tsukuyomi."

"What?" Sasuke, Sai and Naruto hissed. All of their studies at the Academy had taught them about the power of the Uchiha clan's ultimate technique Tsukuyomi.

"Were you tortured?" Sai asked bluntly, eyes flashing with hidden anger. If anything-anything-had happened to Sakura…well, Sasuke wouldn't be the only one thirsting for revenge against Itachi.

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, catching glances of all of their faces. They were murderous. "In fact," she continued with a sort of embarrassed pride, "I kind of-well, he kind of fainted."

Naruto let out a disbelieving snort. "Are you for real?" Sakura nodded slightly. Naruto's shoulders began to shake with the force of his guffaws. "Oh this is priceless! Haha! You go Sakura!"

Sakura smiled tensely, making eye contact with her two more taciturn teammates. Sasuke was frowning in a rather thoughtful manner though he nodded to her in acceptance. Sai gave her a smile that had actual feeling behind it. Sakura felt the corners of her lips lift as she began to laugh along with Naruto. Even though hard times were undoubtedly ahead, Sakura knew that with her teammates at her side she could accomplish anything.

Sakura raked a hand through her bright pink hair with a rueful grin. She'd lost her bag of disguises along the way. Well, first things first…

Sakura hummed to herself, bustling down the aisle of the small convenience store. Mercifully, she'd been able to drop her teammates off at the train station before making a loop to the closest store. The three of them were still not used to the unGifted world and she didn't want to delay on their mission. Drawing her hoodie further over her tell-tell hair, Sakura scanned the different hair dyes. She wanted something normal that would blend in with the crowd. Something that wouldn't draw attention. Something like…

"Passion fruit blossom?" she muttered in disbelief, rereading the label to make sure. "How about not."

Sakura continued her perusing, wondering how her teammates were holding up in the rather small train station. They were not used to be stranded in the unGifted world without her. Even though they were used to be sent out on missions in places where the unGifted roamed and reigned, Sakura knew that they didn't really understand the unGifted ways. She honestly doubted that they ever would. She hated the segregation between Gifted and unGifted, but there was nothing she could do about it. At least, not at the moment.

Sakura shook herself out of her reverie. She needed to focus on the mission. The Academy was depending on her team.

"Platinum blonde?" Sakura thought of Ino and felt her heart lurch as she quickly placed the dye back on the shelf. She really couldn't handle being reminded of her best

She lifted another package of dye off the store shelf. Sakura grinned.

She covertly watched as the pink one riffled through the contents of the shelf. Her eyes narrowed to slits. She knew that this…this mere girl was the reason for the major upset among the clans but she could scarcely believe that this child could cause such uproar. Then again, perhaps her own personal feelings on the matter were clouding her judgment.

She let out a huff, running a hand through her hair as she watched the girl pick up a bottle of dye and head to the counter. She couldn't allow her personal issues to compromise the mission. She hummed to herself, drumming her fingers along the car's steering wheel in boredom and anticipation.

There was no love lost between herself and Sakura. She knew all about her though. She'd heard the praises sung about the only living Gifted girl aside from Tsunade. Her own accomplishments as an incredible agent were ignored in favor of Sakura's achievements. Why, the girl was trained personally by Tsunade herself, something that made her blood boil with jealousy and resentment. She wanted to knock the spoiled princess off her pedestal. Sakura didn't understand her pain. Sakura had not experienced her hardships.

Her fists clenched. She would not fail this mission.

Fingering her now brown hair, Sakura hummed to herself as she made her way into the train station, instantly scanning for her teammates. Suddenly she froze, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prick with awareness; someone was following her. Sakura turned sharply away from the train station's entrance, instead heading into the thick brush that surrounded the rather isolated area. She rhythmically tensed and relaxed her muscles, trying to get them a bit warmed up for the fight that was about to come.

"Come out and face me!" Sakura called, turning around to face the battleground she'd chosen. It was a rather open area among the trees, allowing for some elbow room which was definitely a plus for Sakura's fighting style. She could also utilize the environment itself as a weapon if worse came to worse.

She watched with the nervous excitement that came with anticipation as a figure stepped out from the trees. The figure was a young woman, probably only a bit older than Sakura herself if she had to guess. She wore the dark, neutral clothes of a Council agent. Sakura automatically tensed in anger. She really did not need the Council tracking her too. She had enough on her plate juggling the Akatsuki, her teammates and their mission without the Council making a mess of things.

"Who are you?" she snapped, falling into a defensive position and taking note of the way the woman's eyes clinically observed and dissected her motions.

"I am the Council's representative," she replied evenly, not a hair out of place. It bothered Sakura that this girl was so put together.

Sakura made a noise of derision. "What's your name?"

The woman faltered before her face smoothed over again. "I am known as Tenten."

It was Sakura's turn to falter. She'd heard of Tenten before. She'd been a charity case taken in by the Council as some sort of show of goodwill. It'd paid off in the end as she quickly ascended the ranks within Root, the Council's personal branch of protection, to become one of their deadliest agents. She was something of a legend within the Academy for being one of the few teenagers to rank so highly within Root. Sai was the only teenager to ever rank higher. He'd been groomed as Danzo's successor from childhood. However, his constant interactions with Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke had eventually disillusioned him about Root. He'd opted out, turning his back on Danzo and Root forever. Sakura knew, however, that Danzo wouldn't take it lying down. Sai had been the only Gifted individual that Root had ever gotten a hold of. In fact, Team Seven had been preparing for the eventual confrontation.

"Why are you here?" Sakura questioned, dreading the answer.

"Your reckless actions have compromised the Gifted community. This is a time of fear and chaos; your actions have not been helping the Council's precarious position. You hold an important and vital role to the Gifted community and it is not within your rights to go about gallivanting off without giving a thought to the impact and consequences of your actions on our community." Tenten loosely dropped into a fighting stance, hovering on the balls of her feet. "I am here to take you back." Her eyes flitted over Sakura's form thoughtfully. "Apparently by force."

Sakura frowned. "I didn't act out of turn. I was commissioned to-"

She was cut off as Tenten took off at an incredibly fast pace, drawing her standard katana from its place on her back. As she approached Sakura quickly grabbed one of the many knives on her person. "I don't need to hear your pathetic excuses," Tenten growled as Sakura blocked jarring blow and jarring blow. "I will incapacitate you and return you to the Council as I was ordered to."

Sakura's frown deepened to a scowl as she kept to the defensive as Tenten struck at her with a myriad of weapons. She truly didn't want to hurt Tenten; she was only doing her job. Sakura got the feeling that Tenten hadn't exactly been privy to both sides of the story. Still, Sakura refused to return at the behest of the Council. They existed on a morally dubious plane of existence and Sakura really didn't want to put herself in their hands. The Council was too calculating, too focused on the so-called "greater good" to pay attention to the individuals harmed by their actions. No, Sakura would only return on Tsunade or Kakashi's orders.

Sakura shook herself from her thoughts, contemplating just how she should fight Tenten without crippling her. Sakura's techniques were built on sheer brute force and Sakura definitely did not want to harm one of her own people. She focused inwardly, trying to determine just how much Gift she had to draw from. She'd only built up about half of her usual reservoir since Kisame's draining attack. Her recovery from Gift-draining was always slow going though.

Sakura's eyes flitted about her surroundings. Tenten was incredibly powerful, exceptionally so for an unGifted individual. She certainly kept Sakura on defense the entirety of the fight thus far. Still, Sakura realized that Tenten was more of a close-combat fighter than far-range. While she was sure that Tenten was exceptional in both fields, Sakura would need some distance for her next move.

Sakura watched Tenten's movements for any sort of opening. As soon as the agent raised her katana for another jarring attack, Sakura struck out with her Gift, palm flat. Tenten was shoved back a full forty yards, tripping and falling. Panting, Sakura dashed towards the copse of trees around them, quickly uprooting one. She whirled on Tenten, only to find her gone.

She turned just in time to kick the agent to the ground, but not before she managed to gouge out a good chunk of her cheek. With a hiss of pain, Sakura quickly put the nicely sized tree on top of Tenten, pinning her to the ground. The agent howled furiously, writhing about as she tried her best to escape without any luck.

Sakura plopped down in front of the riled girl, lifting a hand to her face as she began to heal her wounds. She released a shaky breath and leaned back, exhausted. "You're good," she said to Tenten once she'd quieted. "But that's to be expected I suppose." Tenten turned her face away, ignoring Sakura. Sakura frowned. "I know that this is a mission but I'd say you've definitely got some sort of vendetta against me." When Tenten turned and glared at her, Sakura merely raised her hands peacefully. "I'm calling it like I see it. I don't know why you dislike me but it's your business. Anyway, before you attacked me I was going to inform you that I'm not 'gallivanting about' as you claim I am. I'm on an authorized mission from Tsunade." She pulled a scroll out of her pack, unrolling it and holding it eye-level for Tenten. "I don't know what the Council told you but I get the feeling it wasn't the complete truth. I'd look into their actions if I were you." She sighed as Tenten remained as tight-lipped as ever. "Well, I'm going to go now. I hope you don't try to follow me when you get out from under the tree but whatever. It's up to you."

She placed her hand on Tenten's forehead, ignoring the way she bristled in anger. Sakura allowed her Gift to flow into the agent, healing her wounds. Once she finished, Sakura stood and began walking away.

"Wait!" Tenten called out. Sakura turned. The agent refused to look at her, staring sullenly at the ground. "Why didn't you…end it? For that matter, why'd you heal me? You know I'm going to continue to track you."

"That's your decision to make and you're entitled to it. If you follow me I will fight you if that's what is required." Sakura's lips twisted into a sad, solemn smile. "I didn't kill you because we're not enemies. We're on the same side, even if we have differing views on the issue at hand. Besides, death really isn't my style. I hope we meet on more agreeable terms next time, you seem like an awesome gal."

Sakura strode off out of the clearing without looking back.

Sakura leaned back in her plush seat on the train, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"I don't like it," Naruto muttered.

"What?" Sakura asked, looking sidelong at the boy.

He was staring intently at her head and seemed to be…sniffing the air? "Your hair!" he moaned, burying his face in his hands. "It looks pretty I guess, but it doesn't smell like you."

Sakura stiffened, feeling her face flush. "What?" she hissed, feeling embarrassed. "You-you sniff my hair?"

Naruto darkened to a bright red. "Huh? What? No! The Kyuubi gives me a heightened sense of smell. Everyone has a distinct smell, including you. With the dye in your hair I guess it's being blocked. It makes me…edgy."

"Whatever, idiot." Sasuke's comment announced his return to the compartment.

Sasuke quickly doled out the snacks he'd been commissioned to fetch with a look of boredom on his face. He wasn't much for traveling. Sai on the other hand…

"Best friend! Look out the window. Do you see that landscape? I should have kept my sketchbook with me. Dickless look at the way we are moving. Pansy you too." Sai jostled Sakura's side as he sat down beside her, well-nigh pressing his face against the window. "It's very aesthetically pleasing. The movement of the train is highly soothing as well."

Well, Sai was practically ecstatic.

Sakura smiled at him. "After this mission when we get some vacation time we'll go on another train ride." She grabbed the boy's hand. "I promise."

Sasuke slouched down into his seat, frowning at nothing in particular. After several minutes of peace and quiet he spoke up, "What happened when you went out to get dye?"

Sakura paled. Naruto perked up and chimed in, "Yeah, you were all dirty and mussed up when we met up in the train station. Did ya get attacked?"

Sakura sighed, "Yeah. We're being tracked by Tenten." Her teammates all looked at her incredulously. "Yes, the Tenten. We knew that the Council was going to track us at some point. They apparently decided to go with the big guns on this one. Anyway, we got into a fight and I managed to incapacitate her for the time being. She didn't seem to know that we were on an official mission so the Council is definitely trying to maneuver us into returning to the Academy. I think it's proof that they had a hand in the attack somehow."

"Sakura," Naruto said firmly. "You gotta tell us about this sort of stuff. We're your teammates, friends and family. You can't hide stuff like this from us. We've got your back, just like you've got ours."

"Sorry Naruto," Sakura said, looking away from her team guiltily. "I-I didn't even think about it. I'll definitely try to stay honest with you guys, as much as possible."

"That's all we ask," Naruto replied with a grin. "Now get some sleep, we've got a long ride ahead."

When Sakura came to, it was sometime in the late evening, probably around eight or nine. Her stomach growled. Naruto, hearing this, laughed and threw her a protein bar. "We'll get some real food when we get to the station," Sasuke muttered, catching sight of the distaste on Sakura's face. "The food service on the train is rather pricey."

Sakura made a face at the Uchiha before settling in with her "dinner." She couldn't fault him; after all, he was just planning ahead. Still, it certainly wasn't the most appetizing dinner she'd ever had. Team Seven allowed themselves to just enjoy their time together during their quiet and rather uneventful ride.

Finally, around three in the morning after Sai had yawned one too many times, Sakura spoke up, "Alright guys, we seriously need to get some sleep. Let's head to the bedroom."

The group stumbled blearily in the general direction of their rooms, thrown off by the movement of the train and the time of night. Sakura couldn't help but giggle. Here they were, four of the most graceful students the Academy had ever produced, yet they stumbled about as though drunk. "Definitely sleep-deprived," she mumbled to herself.

Finally, the quartet managed their way to their connected rooms, Sakura and Naruto heading into one and Sasuke and Sai into the other. The team was used to overnight missions and they'd set up a rotating buddy system to ensure that no one would be left alone and vulnerable as they slept. Sakura went through the motions of readying herself for bed quickly, eager for sleep. She sighed as she hopped onto the bed, burrowing down beneath the covers. Naruto climbed into the bed as well, near enough for her to feel his warmth. With a contented sigh, Sakura drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and safe.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Sakura came to at Naruto's insistent hissing. She was immediately on the alert as she caught sight of Naruto's worried face. "There's a group patrolling the halls. They're Gifted!" Sakura's eyes widened. Naruto had always had a knack for sensing Gifts in people. He attributed it to Kyuubi. Still, Sakura was surprised that she hadn't woken up sooner. She was usually a light sleeper. She chalked it up to utter exhaustion.

"Are Sasuke and Sai-?" her voice trailed off as she caught sight of her two other teammates sitting at the foot of the bed. She sighed when she realized that all of them had their gear on them. "Out the window?"

"Out the window," Sai said blandly in conformation.

Sakura quickly pulled on a pair of jeans over her shorts and pushed her hair into a messy ponytail. "It just had to be the window," she griped.

Sasuke smirked.

Sakura quickly hefted her pack onto her back and moved to the window, unlatching it silently. She crouched on the window sill, feeling a rush in the pit of her stomach. She turned around, holding on to the window with tight fingers for a few moments before letting go, powering the soles of her feet with her Gift. Sakura walked briskly up the side of the train, enjoying the way the wind whipped about her. Her teammates joined her one by one.

"What's the plan?" she asked.

"We're going to see if this group is tracking us," Sai replied, always the strategist. "I assume they are, but we need to be sure. If they are, we will ascertain their goals and act from there. If we do battle it is best that it be done up here. I would suggest that you have a weapon prepared."

Sakura hummed her affirmation, sitting down on the roof of the train car, feeling a sense of surrealism. Who else could say that they'd had a battle on top of a speeding train instead of going to some sort of dance? Not many she was sure.

"Guys, the Gifts of these people feel…familiar. I'm not sure how though," Naruto said, deep in thought. "I'm pretty sure we've fought them before."

The others exchanged glances before nodding, unsure of what was to come. They were all functioning on various levels of paranoia as they stewed about in silence, waiting for the inevitable.

POOF!

All four whirled in the direction of the noise, poised to attack. Instead of finding an assailant, they found a very familiar and welcome face.

"Pakkun!" Sakura exclaimed, crouching in front of the dog. "We're glad to see you! You scared us." She ignored Sasuke's snort of derision. "What are you here for?"

Pakkun cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed. "Sorry about that. The boss sent me with a message for you guys. He says, 'Hello my adorable students! My mission has been completed with success and the Headmistress has filled me in on everything. I'll rendezvous with you all in Las Vegas. I have some intel regarding Orochimaru. He's on the move. Stay on your guards. He's constructed something of a nomadic sector, known currently as Sound. He's gained a lot of recruits from other sectors including Konoha. Your mission has just been upgraded to S-ranked. We're unsure of Orochimaru's exact plans at the moment but remain vigilant. I'll see you all soon. Good luck and keep safe.' End message."

Team Seven exchanged horrified looks. Orochimaru was creating his own sector? Things were getting worse, a lot worse. They needed to get to Kumo as soon as they could. Sakura sighed, running a hand over her face. "Thanks Pakkun. Anything else we should know?"

"Nothing that I can think of. The boss will send me back if anything else comes up. I'll see you guys later. Stay safe." And with that, he disappeared.

Team Seven wasn't given time to contemplate the consequences of Orochimaru's actions. In fact, they weren't given time to even speak to each other when they heard a loud thump behind them. They all whirled about; catching sight of a group they'd never wanted to see again.

Team Sound.

-4/26-
Complete
-4/26-

I am so sorry about the delay! I've been having some major medical issues recently and the school work has been piling up. Not much of an excuse but it's the only one I have.

Anyway, how was it? Did you all enjoy my interpretation of Tenten? She's one of my favorite characters and I wanted to bring her into direct conflict with Sakura. Maybe she'll change her mind about her or maybe she won't. We'll see. Also, Orochimaru's schemes are beginning to come to fruition, to the dismay of Team Seven and the Konoha sector.

I hope you all enjoyed this segment and hopefully the next one won't take nearly as long. We'll see.

Please read and review, I absolutely love feedback!

-jay