"Naruto!" Sakura groaned. Team Seven were at their designated training grounds, working on throwing their kunai and shuriken. Naruto had messed up one of his throws and sent his kunai just inches from Kakashi's face. Now he was blaming the only person he'd always blame.

"This is all your fault, Sasuke-teme! If you hadn't distracted me, I would have hit the bullseye, 'ttebayo!"

"If you were truly aiming for the target, you would have hit it, usuratonkachi."

"Oi, who the hell are you calling usuratonkachi, asshole?!"

Sakura sighed hopelessly and looked over to see her sensei who was reading his customary Icha Icha Paradise. He returned the exasperated stare with a cheerful eye crinkle.

"You can go head on home, Sakura." he said, "Since all your projectiles hit the center of the target, consider this a little treat."

She sent him a tiny smile before turning around and walking off the grounds. She remembered Kakashi from before, but she wasn't sure if he remembered her. Kakashi Hatake was the ANBU that orchestrated the attack on her family and the one man that took her from her home. Sakura sighed again as she entered the market district. The place was bustling, as usual, but even more shinobi were in the area than you expected.

'They're probably preparing for the chuunin exams that'll happen in three months.' she thought. Sakura sat down in her favorite sweets shop. After she ordered a plate of green tea mochi, she leaned back in her chair and stared down at the table.

She really did miss everyone.

It had been six whole years since her Papa told her he'd come for her when everything was okay. Six whole years since Konoha took away everything she held dear...

She shook her head then smiled at the waitress who brought over her food. As she ate, she was unaware of the black cat sitting on the window sill, watching her curiously with it's mismatched eyes.

Zetsu looked at his one, true leader.

"Is there something of interest to you, sir? I'm sure that your cheerful demeanor is not because of the wonderful weather."

The leader chuckled.

"No, no. That isn't it at all. Tell me, Zetsu-kun, do you remember the little Hoshigaki child?" he asked.

"Sakura? Vaguely. I barely had any interaction with her, but I know how much she meant to the organization.And of course- I wasn't talking about our line of business."

The leader sat down on the couch in the empty Akatsuki 'living room' and stretched out full length.

"Well, it turns out she didn't perish in the lightning explosion. The Konoha shinobi mistook her for a hostage and brought her into their village where she was put into foster care where she has been staying with a single civilian family for the past six years." he explained carelessly. Zetsu's eyes were wide as he listened to this newfound info.

"I'll go inform the ot-"

"You will not."

The leader's lips were curled into an amused smile as he twirled his mask on his finger.

"The Akatsuki will not know of her existence until she makes herself known by her own means in the shinobi community. 'Till then you will not mention her. Is that clear, Zetsu-kun?"

"... Yes, sir."

Zetsu sunk into the ground, leaving the leader to his thoughts. When he knew he was alone, he grinned- pleased with himself that he conveniently left out the part where Sakura was placed on a genin team with the man who kidnapped her, the lone survivor of the Uchiha massacre, and the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

One normal, calm day in the surrounding area of the Akatsuki House in Tea Country, Itachi, Hidan, and newcomer Deidara made a depressing discovery.

The three were waling in the forest after completing a three-man mission (they succeeded but the teamwork was horrendous), and the tension between them was high. As they walked down the path that separated the beach from the forest, Deidara saw gray from the corner of his eye.

"What's that, un?" he asked, pointing to the side. Itachi and Hidan turned their heads to see a slab of rock positioned under the shade of trees with a fresh bundle of lilies in front of it.

"A gravestone? What the fuck?" Hidan questioned, stepping towards it with unmasked interest, "Who's Sakura Hoshigaki?"

At that moment, Sasori's words played through Itachi's head.

"One day, you'll know."

Back at the house, Kakuzu was sitting at the dining table with numerous papers and the Akatsuki's funds laid out before him. The three returning from their mission walked in and took their respective seats on the old couches. Without turning around, Itachi spoke.

"Kakuzu-san, who is Sakura Hoshigaki?"

Kakuzu halted his work.

"... I take it you three have seen the grave."

Deidara and Hidan nodded. The older man sighed and set down his pen.

"It's not my story to tell, so you need to ask Kisame about her."

He gathered all his belongings and headed off to his room.

"But who the hell was she, seriously?"

"She's... a little girl."

There was a heavy blizzard settling in Frost Country just where Itachi and Kisame were assigned to complete their mission for the next two weeks. The storm forced the duo to take refuge in a damp cave for the night. A crackling flame sat between the two, providing the only sound for the first half of the night.

"Kisame-san," Itachi said, finally breaking the silence, "It is not my intention to pry, but-"

"The grave. Yeah, I heard from Kakuzu-san."

Another bout of silence slithered through them.

"Sakura's my daughter," he murmured, "Her mother died giving birth, so I took her into the Akatsuki. I had no other choice and there was no way in hell I was ever giving her up. So for six years she was raised in this organization. The others had no problem with her so she was able to stay. But one day, a group of Konoha shinobi came and blew up the house."

He pointedly left out the part where he found out that she didn't survive, but Itachi understood perfectly. Kisame leaned back against the cool wall of the cave.

"She's in a better place." Itachi commented quietly. Kisame's head hung low as he propped his arm up with his knee.

"... Yeah."