The illuminating circle rose, its rays squeezing through the gaps of the mountains. The gliders of the sky, wings spread pompously, soared easily through the clouds as the wind seeped through their feathers to give them flight. Their chants of joy, though bothersome, echoed across the hills, heard by the travelers that lie beneath them. One of those voyagers had again gazed up infuriatingly at the birds, hoping his stare of antipathy had thrown off their path of flight, knocking them into of pit of inaudibility.

Sasuke then sat up, his back scraping against the bark behind him as a soundless sigh escaped his lips. The chirping of the birds above caused him to lose sleep, something he valued tremendously. He glowered, his eyes shut from resentment. However, his thoughts of irritation had been altered upon becoming distracted – the three males he had met previously rose from their positions in their sleeping bags simultaneously, as if stuck to an arranged schedule, and began to gather their things.

His gaze fixated on the female of the group, her pink hair sticking up in random places due to turning unceasingly through her slumber. A few minutes after her teammates, she rose, stretching her seemingly aching muscles before she stood from her small sleeping bag and stuffed it into her sack. The darkened color beneath her eyes puffed out ever so slightly, displaying how distraught she was from the events earlier that week. Her gaze averted from Sasuke's, her form giving off an indignant aura.

She scrimmaged through her pack, pulling out a scroll and unraveling it until it spread out fully on the ground. Her eyes scanned its contents fastidiously, her fingers lifting to her rosy locks to brush them back behind her ear to avoid the hindering of her vision. Upon the rest packing their necessities, they strolled over to her, bending down and circling around the scroll.

Curiously, Sasuke jumped down from the tree, walking over to stand behind one of them. He inspected the scroll, inwardly declaring that it was a map of the Ninja Nations.

"I was thinking a lot last night," Sakura started off. "Once my ex-teammates get back to Konoha, Tsunade, the Hokage, won't hesitate to send an ANBU team after me. We need to get rid of our trail and head in another direction," she exclaimed, ignoring Sasuke's presence.

He almost raised her eyebrow at this, although, he wasn't quite surprised after her reaction towards him last night.

"I was thinking about heading to Iwagakure and getting as much information as possible along the way," she said, looking mainly at Tsubasu. "There are many villages that we could cover, and once we're done there, we can continue to head east," she finished, her fingertip brushing along the paper across the Earth Country and towards Takigakure. He nodded in response.

"I agree," he stated, followed by a nod from Daichi, who was clearly bored.

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan," Ryuu exclaimed happily before he scanned the Uchiha through his peripheral, noticing how he was intently staring at Sakura. He almost glared, but he kept his cool.

They stood to their feet, placing their bags securely on their backs and faced the designated direction. Sasuke opened his mouth to ask what their mission was, but he was cut off abruptly.

"Yosh! Let's go!" Daichi shouted proudly with his bag on his back and pointing out into the forest ahead of him, clearly ready to go. He started walking ahead, followed by a sweatdrop from everyone else.

"You doknow that you're heading in the wrong direction, right?" Tsubasu exclaimed. Daichi halted, quickly turning around and stomping in the other direction.

"Forward march!" he said proudly, as if acting like he wasn't embarrassed. Sasuke gazed at him in stupidity. He was like a sick merge of Suigetsu and Naruto put together – but weirder – if that was humanly possible. Everyone followed after him, not muttering a word about his hyper behavior.


The travel through the forest seemed to be endless, their movements of pushing off of branches and landing on another becoming more than redundant. Leaves and sticks had frequently brushed their skin, leaving a slightly reddish gash to appear against the paleness – or darkness – of their bodies. The sound of rushing wind had either become a ringing screech in their ears, or a subtle sound for those who let their thoughts consume their mentality. Sasuke was the latter.

He looked up towards the sky, the branches blurring above him as he passed them by. His mind was disbursed with thoughts; thoughts of a certain kunoichi who rushed through the forest ahead of him. Never would he think that they would in this position: he desperately attempting to pull her back to the place she longed to protect. However, days before she stood up against her old comrades with an iron fist, prodding away the declarations of friendship and deliverance. Memories from a month ago sprouted in his mind.

"After she had not been seen for almost a week, ANBU infiltrated her home once she didn't come to the rendezvous point for the next mission. Her parents were found dead and she was gone," Naruto said sadly, stuttering every other word. Tears filled his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Sasuke stood there in silence, at a loss for words.

"Who took her?" he asked angrily. Naruto, surprised at his concern, ignored the confusion he was feeling and shook his head.

"We don't know."

If she had been taken two and a half years ago, why had she not returned upon being released? She had exclaimed the significance of her mission earlier, but how could she have an undertaking outside of her own village? Had she absentmindedly declared a mission and sought to leave the village willingly? If so, why were her parents murdered? She would not have done that herself – she cherished her family more than anything, and she loved Konoha and everyone within it too much to just leave without an avowal. A captor was the only alternative.

But, who was this mysterious abductor? His eyes roamed the three males around him, an immediate thought springing to his mind. If they had captured her, she would have fought them off – not accompany them eagerly. Sakura was much too stubborn to accept defeat so easily. She would have given her life before she let herself be used by the enemy.

So what were the reasons for convoying these three? They seemed protective of her – too protective. They clearly had a bond between them, something instigated by a common association. But, what was that link?

"I'm starving! When are we gonna stop for food?" Daichi complained, Sakura rolling her eyes in response. This seemed to be an instant reaction to Daichi's complaints these days.

"There should be a tea shop up ahead. We'll stop and get something to eat," Tsubasu stated. Daichi grinned, his sharp, wolf-like teeth appearing from behind his pale lips.


After another ten minutes, a little tea shop came into view just below a large mountain range. The placement seemed perfect, its location positioned just along the pathway for travelers to stop by for a warm meal. The outside of the shop seemed outdated, scratches and dirt covering, yet blending in with the worn out, brown colored timber. "Green Tea House" humbly prevailed on the rooftop, its wording slightly crooked from the gust of air as it tapped repeatedly against the wood behind it. The wind chimes dangled from the edge of the roof, knocking against each other from the subtle breeze as a soft, yet repetitive ring reverberated from them.

Once entering the tea shop, they eyed the room, instantly claiming the only open kotatsu in the corner. Sakura bent down to her knees, placing herself comfortably on the cushion closest to the wall for the availability of gazing out the window.

Sasuke, who was about to seat himself next to her, glared maddeningly when Ryuu stepped in front of him. Ryuu positioned himself down on the orange cushion, grinning warmly to the girl next to him. Seemingly oblivious to his own actions, he ignored the defiant stare that penetrated through his skull. The rest of the group filled the open seats.

After a few minutes of an awkward silence, the waitress walked up to their table – a pen and pad in hand – with a bright smile covering her face.

"What can I get you guys?"

"We'll share a plate of onigiri and some green tea," Tsubasu said stoically to the waitress, cutting Daichi off before he ordered everything on the menu. She smiled in response, casting glances at all of the male figures and ignoring Sakura, who sat at the end.

"It will be out right away," she said, winking towards them before strutting off, her hips swaying deliberately with every step she took. Sakura rolled her eyes. Daichi laughed in response.

"Oi, Sakura-chan, I bet you were jealous that our waitress was hitting on me!" he said proudly, his thumb extended towards himself. Sakura chuckled humorously.

"I highly doubt that she was flirting with you, baka," she stated. He scoffed in response, leaning more on the kotatsu.

Sasuke and Tsubasu remained quiet, their eyes closed. Ryuu, who decided to change the subject, looked beside him towards Sakura.

"How long are we going to stay in Iwagakure?" he asked her. She looked down, as if calculating things in her mind.

"Well, Iwagakure is a pretty large village and there is a large population. It will take us a few days for us to find some information about his whereabouts," Sakura stated. Sasuke opened his eyes, lifting his head to look at her.

"Whose whereabouts?" he asked. Ryuu glared at him.

"It's none of your bus –"

"We are trying to find out where Orochimaru is located," Sakura stated, glaring at her folded hands on the table.

The atmosphere automatically tensed as each individual had many thoughts and memories running through their minds. A silence swept over the group, the voices around them becoming inaudible and the figures becoming forgotten.

Sasuke kept his stare on the female across from her, his eyes roaming her facial features, as if attempting to depict a fault in her proclamation. He waited for her to burst out into a brash laugh that would echo throughout the room, her smile stretching from ear to ear in amusement. However, it never came. Her emerald eyes glowered back into his, resolve and determination residing within them. His eyebrows furrowed, his deep voice breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Orochimaru is dead."

"No, he's not," Tsubasu responded stoically from beside him. Sasuke glared subconsciously.

"I killed him over three years ago," he interjected.

"He's alive, Sasuke. We don't know how, but he's alive. You don't have to believe us," Sakura stated, not meeting his gaze. He was about to say something when the waitress came back with their food, cutting him off.

"Enjoy!" she said, looking towards them and winking again before beaming off. Daichi frowned once seeing the two small plates of food in front of them. How was he supposed to share all of this food?! He was a growing man, you know! Even after years of eating a limited amount of food, it never ceased to surprise him every time he shot a glimpse of his meal.


After fifteen minutes of Daichi's constant chattering, they paid their bill, retreating from the tea shop and hiking down the pathway towards the border of the Earth Country. Daichi placed his arms behind his head, gazing up towards the sky, as if trying to find something to think about because of the awkward silence that seemed to consume the group.

His head casted back downward, observing the actions of the others. Tsubasu was casually walking in front of the group in a stoic manner, causing Daichi roll his eyes. He thought he was so cool, but not cooler than him! He could probably beat him in one move.

His eyes then glanced over to Ryuu, who was walking with his eyes closed, as if he was secretly debating within his own mind. What the hell is he thinking about? He didn't ponder on it too much as he gazed at both Sasuke and Sakura.

They were walking close to each other, yet keeping themselves at a distance. He squinted his eyes, as if there was something in the atmosphere that he could only catch with super vision. The aura between them seemed odd and awkward, as if they were total strangers. If he recalled correctly, they used to be teammates, right? He was surprised they weren't constantly talking about the old days. Maybe there was something he was missing. And why was she so pissed at him all the time?

"Oi, Sakura-chan, Chicken-Butt," he called out to them, giving Sasuke a nickname resembling his hair. They both turned around, Sasuke giving him a glare, and Sakura – a blank stare.

"What is it?" Sakura asked him, as though she was just cut off from being deep in thought. He gave them a lazy, yet curious look.

"You guys used to be teammates, right?" he asked. She blinked in curiosity, not liking where the question was heading to. Ryuu and Tsubasu also looked over, whose attention was now caught.

"Yeah, why?" she asked hesitantly, not really wanting to hear the answer. He shrugged.

"Why are you acting like you hate him?" he asked ever-so-bluntly. Sakura's eyes widened, and then she looked to the ground, glaring and avoiding everyone's gaze.

"I don't hate him," she muttered. This caused Sasuke to glance at her, hearing the hesitance in her voice. Daichi blinked obliviously.

"But, Sakura –"

"Daichi, leave it alone," Tsubasu prodded, glaring at him with his visible eye. Sakura then turned around, closed her eyes, and walked forward past everyone else. Ryuu reached out, as if he was about to say something, but his voice was caught in his throat.

Sakura-chan…

Sasuke stared at her back unemotionally. He seemed unaffected, but inwardly, questions raced around his mind. Daichi grouched, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

"Eh! You're so bossy, Tsubasu-teme," Daichi spat. Tsubasu glared.

"Maybe if you weren't so loquacious, and supercilious, I wouldn't have to tell you to shut up all the time," Tsubasu exclaimed, causing Daichi to give him a livid, yet confused look.

"I-If I knew what that meant, I would give you an ass kicking!" Daichi yelled, causing Tsubasu to sweatdrop.

"You're an idiot."


The sun had had come and gone, leaving the moon to watch over the night. The illuminating rays from this orb reflected off of still waters, ripples appearing occasionally when a fish would snag a hovering mosquito. The animals of the night were silenced, except for an occasional owl whose hoot seemed to ring through their ears. The only thing that was heard by trekkers would be the ruffling of leaves as the team of ninjas swiftly traveled through the forest, their steps imperceptible and untraceable. Their hair and clothes fluttered, the wind caressing them as they hopped from branch to branch.

Daichi, proudly leading the front, held a smirk on his face as he occasionally glimpsed at his teammate, Tsubasu, who followed him from behind. He rolled his eyes every so often when he could feel Daichi's pride radiating off his body like a vent.

Ryuu trailed behind Tsubasu, casting glances at the female of the group through his peripheral to confirm she was still there. He was secretly afraid; afraid that when he looked back, she would be gone – taken captive by the Uchiha who would not leave her side. His eyes curved into slits, casting a glare towards him. It was unseen by Sasuke, however, and he enforced himself to turn his head.

The said female, Sakura, was right in front of Sasuke; she too gave glances back at the person behind her, hoping that the male suddenly vanished upon finding a reason to leave, but he was always there, monitoring them like a hawk. Pun intended.

She growled, her eyes shutting in displeasure. Oh, how she would love nothing more than that – for him to suddenly disappear with no awkward goodbyes, no apathetic mumbles to grace their ears. But, thinking about it now, it seemed too bittersweet. Though the Uchiha was known for being uncaring, he was equally recognized as being stubborn. So, compelling him to leave would be unsuccessful and exhausting. The best she could do, however, was to ignore him and continually to secretly hope that this was some sort of nightmare that would come to an end.

She spun her head towards the front, letting her mind wander to concentrate on something else. Consequently, the first thing that came to mind was her old friends and comrades.

She wondered what the reactions would have been when Naruto ran back to the village to proclaim her existence and her obduracy to not return. Would they be hurt? Afraid? Concerned? Angered? It seemed so long ago that she walked the streets of the Leaf Village as a resident – so long ago that she could barely remember the smiling faces of those she once called friends. Acquaintances seemed more accurate now, people who only have a slight knowledge of her current life or none at all. She continued to reminisce in the past, and once again, unfortunately and inevitably, her contemplations reverted to Sasuke.

Why had the Uchiha willingly returned to Konoha? He had openly declared his resentment towards the village when he held a sharpened blade towards her neck with the intent to kill. That was something she would never forget – his bloodthirsty, Sharingan eyes glaring at her, his whitened knuckles tightening around the tarnished hilt of his sword, his lips tightening from the grinding of his teeth – like the blood he had spilled, the picture stained into her mind, permanently marking its place, never to be removed from her memory.

Though his stubbornness had done nothing but developed, something about his personality had altered. There seemed to no longer be a vicious characteristic that took over, no strive for power that dominated his decision making. He appeared calm, tactful – somewhat perceptive towards the given occurrence, though he was kept in the dark for most of the happenings. She would usually keep the secrets of their objectives, but she responded to his earlier question at the tea shop with a sort of spite, a grudge that had been placed heavily on her shoulders. But, she knew it wasn't his fault for what was going on, but it relieved some of the pain and stress that clouded her thoughts.

She stopped suddenly, her face coming in contact with someone's back. Her nose scrunched against his spine, causing her to stagger backwards; barely falling off the branch she landed on.

"Ouch," she mumbled, rubbing the tip of her nose while gazing upward at Tsubasu, who she apparently just ran into. He raised his eyebrow at her, causing her to frown. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"We're stopping her for the night," Tsubasu exclaimed, leveling off the branch and heading towards the ground. The rest followed, their feet grinding against the dirt.

"I'm going fishing," Tsubasu stated, unsheathing his blade and heading towards a river that was located not too far from their location. Daichi smiled immediately.

"I'm coming too!" Daichi said, running after him. Sakura turned in the opposite direction.

"I'm going to go look for some wood," she said before walking off.

After a few seconds, she noticed that Sasuke was walking right behind her, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She halted, turning towards him with a scowl.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked him sternly. He shrugged.

"Making sure you don't run off," he stated simply. Her glare deepened.

"I'm on a mission with my team. You really think I'm going to just run off?" she asked him rhetorically. He shrugged once again.

She turned around, taking a deep breath before sighing in annoyance.

"Whatever," she responded, as if trying to calm herself down. Sasuke continued to follow her, and they both began to look for lumber.


The fire devoured the wood, scorching the remains until there was nothing left but earthly residue. A constant, crackling noise emanated from it, the flames increasing in size. The heat radiated, pressing against the people who sat around it to warm their bodies.

Daichi prodded the timber with a stick, causing more of a sizzling sound to emit as he continued to speak whole-heartedly, chattering to Ryuu about a memory of his childhood. Ryuu half listened, paying more attention to the thoughts within his own mind as he took another bite of his food.

Tsubasu sat there, quietly, listening to Daichi and Ryuu's conversation every so often. He tore a piece of fish with his teeth, chomping down on the meat in satisfaction.

Sasuke was seated in the tree, crunching down on a bite of apple, the juices pouring onto his taste buds.

Sakura adjusted her seating on the log, staring in front of her, and the fish on the end of the stick in her hands being burned to a crisp by the flames. Her attention was caught, overpowered by memories of the past.

Her thoughts traveled to Orochimaru. They didn't have a strategic plan once they faced him, but they intended on fighting to the death to save future generations from the poisonous bite of the serpent. She would do everything in her will power to bring this menace to an end, even if it meant using the very thing she swore not to use. Her free hand casually slid up to the curse mark on her neck, her fingertips grazing against the blackened tattoo. If there was no other way to defeat him other than to entice the darkness inside of her, she would do it. She gripped her neck, remembering that the Uchiha was sitting in a tree not too far from her.

"Sakura, are you okay?" a voice said, interrupting her thoughts. She blinked down at her fish, which was now completely burnt, and looked up to see her teammates staring at her. She went over the voice in her head, and recalled it was Ryuu who called out to her. Her gaze returned to them, and she felt a stare gazing at her from behind. She pulled up a fake smile.

"Oh, yeah. I'm sorry," she said.

"What were you thinking about?" Daichi asked. Sakura thought for a moment, quickly searching for a lie in the back of her mind, but at the moment, her mind was blank.

"Oh, nothing," she responded before rising to her feet. "I'm going to bed early; I'm a bit tired," she stated, handing Daichi her burnt fish. She walked towards her sleeping bag, sliding down inside of it and turning away from the fire. Ryuu and Daichi looked at each other in confusion as Tsubasu closed his eyes, clearly understanding her thought process. After a few seconds of silence, Tsubasu stood up, looking at his fellow teammates.

"Let's get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us," he said, ignoring the Uchiha within the trees. The other two nodded, and they stood up, making their way towards their own sleeping bags. After they were each located in their respective beds, Sasuke watched onto the campsite where everyone previously was, propping himself comfortably against the trunk of the tree. He looked up towards the moon in the sky, which were hidden slightly behind the branches. His mission began running through his head.

It had become clear that Sakura was not going to submit to his earlier proclamations, concluding that he was going to be lingering with their squad for quite some time. He placed his arms behind his head, falling deeper into his subconscious thoughts. He thought it was very ironic – how he just got back to Konoha just to leave again. But, he's serving Konoha now; not chasing after his so-called "dream" anymore. What would Itachi think of him now?

He mentally cringed. Itachi. That was such a sore subject for him.

"Sorry, Sasuke; there won't be a next time."

Those were his final words as death had finally grasped his soul.

His eyes softened as he gazed deeper in the sky, as if searching for something, but he found nothing.

"Sasuke, why are you doing this?"

"Revenge! I will make sure they will all repay for what they have done –"

"Just like your revenge on me?"

Words had never struck him so hard.

Without another thought, he was instantly consumed by sleep.


Tsunade clasped her hands directly behind her back, walking mindlessly back and forth in front of the best, tracking ANBU squad Konoha had to offer. Her eyes were cast downward as her mind was racing furiously, filled with thoughts. The ninjas stood proudly, their backs straightened and their faces steadfast, though they were covered by intimidating animal masks. After thinking to herself for a few moments, she stopped and turned to face them with a glare filled with willpower. The squad remained calm as a slight breeze blew past them, causing their hair and clothes to slightly flutter. After a few seconds, Tsunade spoke up.

"As you know, your mission is to bring back Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and whomever Sakura is accompanied by," she said as her eyes scanned the ANBU masks in front of her. "The three ninja that are with her are highly dangerous ninja. With the help of Hyuga Neji's team who came face to face with them, and some research, we received some information on them."

Tsunade scanned the squad, making sure they were ready for the information she was about to give them.

"Your first one is Daichi. Former village: Unknown. Height: 6'1". Elements: Fire and lightning. Weapons: A pair of wristbands. Nara Shikamaru described that he had longer sleeves to hide them," Tsunade informed them. They nodded immediately.

"The second one is named Ryuu. Former village: Unknown. Height: 5'11. Elements: Unknown," she said, scanning the ANBU to see their reactions, but, of course, there was none.

"The third is named Tsubasu. Former village: Kumogakure. Height: 6'2". Elements: Wind and lightning. Weapons: Two blades." She placed her hands behind her back again and looked at them sternly. "Do whatever it takes to bring them back. And do notreturn until the Uchiha and my former apprentice are within your custody. Have I made myself clear?" They all nodded simultaneously.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," they all said in unison. She nodded in response.

"With that, good luck. You are dismissed." They nodded before they all disappeared, causing the air to whip around Tsunade, Shizune, and Ton Ton. Shizune covered her eyes as Tsunade just stared out into the forest outside of Konoha's gates. As the wind calmed down, Tsunade simply stood there, continuing to stare out into the open. Shizune stopped shielding her eyes and gave a worried glance to the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune began in concern.

"They will return with Sakura; I'm sure of it," she said optimistically, as if encouraging herself. Shizune nodded absently.

"Of course they will," she replied. Tsunade then turned to her.

"Shizune, I want you to retrieve Neji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Ino. I have a mission for them." Shizune nodded quickly before standing up straight.

"Yes ma'am!"