Itachi sighed. "I set my brother free. I let him go. I made it appear that he's dead… but sooner it was revealed."

Everyone was surprised.

"We were taken away by our relative Uchiha Madara to join the assassins. I didn't think of it yet that it would be incorrect. While we were training under Master Zabuza, I realized that I must not involve my brother. And so I was given an offer, to kill our clan in order to save my brother. In the end, I was framed. When everyone in our clan was killed, I didn't know what to do. There was someone who helped Sasuke escape. I have no news about him for I haven't seen that man again…" he ended.

Kurenai stood up and went to Itachi, "Who is that man, Itachi? Tell me. I'm going to guard Hinata's actions outside the turf, and I'm getting Master Orochimaru's approval. I will then hunt that man and ask about Sasuke."

Itachi nodded. "He's Hatake Kakashi, the jutsu master from Kyoto."



--

Chapter Six: The Haruno Estate

--

Hinata looked at the six strangers in front of her. Then she looked around and saw a different surrounding—one that she's never been into before, or was not scanned by her memory. She doesn't know a thing about herself too. She suddenly started to cry. Sasuke and the rest of his troop were startled and they do not know what to do.

"Woah! Miss! Calm down!" Naruto interjected. "I know that Sasuke's hitting on you, don't worry! Uzumaki Naruto is here to protect you!"



This remark of Naruto was followed by an abrupt mock punch. It was Sasuke's fist, and his glaring eyes are on him again.

Kiba slapped his forehead. "What do we do now, Master Uchiha?"

Sasuke thought for a while, "We have to take her immediately to the Haruno Estate. I know a medicine man there who could probably give us some concoction or anything to calm her."

Shikamaru yawned. "Yeah, I agree. I need sleep, you know. Eight days of travel with little sleep is sure hell, right?"

Chouji shrugged his shoulders and looked at Shino. "What do you think, buddy?"

"Master Uchiha is right. Let's follow his orders." He replied. "And Master Naruto, we could eat ramen at the estate, I'm pretty sure with that."

Naruto's eyes glistened. "Really? Really, really? Well then, hurry up!" he glanced at the weeping girl beside him. He took his handkerchief and gave it to her.

"You know, miss, it's better if you don't think of anything first till we get there. Better yet, think of how delicious the ramen at the Haruno Estate!" Naruto mentioned to Hinata gleefully. Hinata accepted his hanky and wiped her tears. She took a short glance at Sasuke, and then her gaze went back to Naruto.

They walked along the way with Hinata still unknowing, and Sasuke observed her with a keen eye. He suddenly recalled something in his past. He'd been to the Haruno Estate, and he's met the renowned Lord Haruno. Even his bratty daughter, Sakura…

A glance at a cherry tree made him remember vividly what happened.

"You're so good at that! Can you teach me how? Dad won't let me touch one of those! What do you call that thing, strange boy?"

Sasuke glared at the little Haruno heiress. "Don't call me strange boy! You're the one who's stranger! You haven't touched a sword? You don't even know what it's called!" he retorted.

Sasuke continued his sword training and Kakashi was just watching them from behind. Sakura wailed, and Kakashi eventually came out.

"What's the matter, Sakura?"

"That boy's making me feel stupid!" Sakura angrily pointed out to Sasuke. "He's so mean!"

Sasuke just looked at her remorsefully.

Kakashi chuckled. "That's because you ask him a lot of questions, young lady. Be more nice to him, you only have to get to know him better…"

--

Sakura, Anko and Kakashi are having tea near the herbarium. Sakura put down her teacup, and turned to Kakashi.

"Sir Kakashi, will the herbarium be closed?" she suddenly asked. "I thought that dad would want me to continue managing the herbarium once I've learned from you and Mistress Tsunade."

Kakashi looked at the herbarium while Anko suddenly snickered. "I'm pretty sure that your dad finally decided that I should continue teaching you. You would only learn trivial things from him, you know."

With that, Kakashi didn't even react. This made Anko more challenged in deriding him. "You know, Sakura, Kakashi used to be purely a jutsu master and his expertise is not about herbs and plants…" Anko began.

Sakura was flabbergasted. "What? I always thought he balanced both ever since! Is that true?"

Kakashi simply nodded unemotionally as he sipped his tea.

"Yes, my dear! And you know why he suddenly became inclined into being a medicine man? It's because of his first love, Rin!" Anko continued. "She is the best medicine woman on her time and was branded as Mistress Tsunade's successor. However, during the battle where your mother died, she also—"

Anko stopped when Kakashi abruptly stood up. "I have to get going. Sakura, don't forget that your father's summoning you. I have to greet the guests and you should follow to the reception hall."

"Admit it, Kakashi. You can't let go of her. Your frustration is to be with her and so you tried to act like her and do what she does. Rin won't come back anymore…" Anko muttered.

Kakashi glanced back at her stoically and he didn't say anything. Sakura stood up also.

"I have to go now, Mistress Anko… and… maybe you said too much that Sir Kakashi got hurt," Sakura admitted.

Anko smiled at her. "Don't worry too much about that guy! I guess he's not taking what I said seriously. We're like this, you know."

She took a sidelong glance at Kakashi. Why don't you just let go of it, Kakashi? It hurts me more to see you like that…

--

The farther Sasuke's troop gets, the more women are following them. Naruto was just used in the presence of a crowd, Sasuke used in women following him, and Kiba and Shino were fine with it as well. However, Shikamaru and Chouji were alienated and confused on what's going on around them.

"Geez! Sasuke! Why do you have to draw this crowd of women?" Shikamaru exclaimed. "They are annoying! Their squeals hurt my ears!"

Sasuke sighed, "I didn't force them, I wanted to eradicate them too you know."

"What a cruel word to use to a crowd of lovely women!" Naruto muttered. "You should deal with them in gusto!"

"Whatever, just hurry up and escape Sasuke's fandom and let's go straight to the Haruno estate!" Chouji replied.

Naruto was sweat-dropped. "Those women are after me, you know."

Shino sighed inaudibly. "Let's hurry, Master Naruto."

Ino was one of the women in the crowd. She was there at the marketplace to buy ingredients for the feast in honor of the guests.

Are they the guests from the north? Oh my! I better tell Lady Sakura about them! They're so cool… especially the dark-haired guy! Ino hurriedly rushed and it's also the way Sasuke and his troop are taking, when she accidentally tripped and collided with the slow-walking Shikamaru.

The eggs toppled from Ino's basket and broke into Shikamaru. This incident woke him from his daydream and realized what had just occurred.

"Hey!"

The crowd stopped, and so is Sasuke and the rest of them.

Ino coolly faced Shikamaru with an obviously irked face. "It's your fault for dreaming in the broad daylight." She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Shikamaru frowned. "No, it isn't. I am in the right of way. This is the lane we're taking and you overtake suddenly without further notice."

"What's this about?" Sasuke suddenly entered the scene. "Let it be, Shikamaru. We'll get you changed when we arrive. Let's not waste time here and Chouji might eat stuff here. We also have to see the medicine man for her."

Sasuke pointed to the almost salivating Chouji and the clueless Hinata. Shikamaru grunted. "You're getting away this time…" he murmured to Ino.

Ino, on the other hand, was dumbstruck by the handsome man in front of her. Her heart beat rapidly and continuously. She blushed profusely and got lost in the moment.

--

Silence is what you would meet as you enter the pavilion of Lord Haruno.

Sakura entered slowly, and was led there by her ladies-in-waiting. As she walked inside, she saw her father seated seriously in the tatami mat.

"You called for me, father?"

"Yes, yes…" he replied. "Be seated, Sakura."

Sakura sat obediently and her ladies-in-waiting left immediately.

"Sakura, I finally decided on what you should do about the sword training with Anko-san." Lord Haruno announced. "Before that, you must abide in order to continue your training. Promise me you will abide by my rules."

Sakura was taken aback. "Why does it have to be conditional, father?" she asked eagerly. "Fine. I would not let anyone interfere anyway. I agree with what you want, if it is about the bodyguard—"

Lord Haruno smiled. "You got it correct. You will have a bodyguard in turn for the sword training. I do not want you to get hurt, is that understood? I heard that the guests from Sapporo are coming. I'll either hire one of them, or one from the ones from Edo."

"Edo?"

"Yes." Her father nodded. "In fact, they have now arrived the main town. They are with the guests from Sapporo, and I assume that they are all good people. Now hurry up and welcome them."

Sakura bowed down. "Yes, father."

At the same time, Sasuke and his troop had arrived the Haruno Estate, after roughly a week of travel…

--

Tbc