Chapter 7: Retreat

DISCLAIMER: I DO NO OWN NARUTO TRUST ME I WOULD OF MADE A WAY BETTER ENDING IF I DID

RXR (READ AND REVIEW) HEADS UP I PLAN ON REWRITTING THIS AND CORRECTING THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS GRAMMAR SO SORRY ABOUT THE HORRIBLE GRAMMAR.

oO0Oo

Naruto clench his jaw he would of immediately ran and joined in the fight if Tsunade wasn't on his back.

"We should go and see what's going on." Neji says looking down at the village.

Fires was everywhere even from there they could hear screams of agony.

"Neji you come with me. Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata you three stay here and watch over the wounded." Naruto's temper gets the best of him.

"What!? No I'm going with you!" He glares at the pinkette's back. "You'll only get in the way." As if the world stopped Naruto looked shocked.

"Let's go Neji." Neji nods and follows after the pink haired Anbu.

Naruto stood there not moving an inch A hand lands on his shoulder that hand pulls him back to reality. "Naruto-kun please pull yourself together."

Naruto turns to look at the shy Hyuga eyes wide. He lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thanks Hinata I needed that." A false smile spreads on his face Hinata could clearly see he was in pain.

"If you two are done flirting I would like to take a little break from caring Shikamaru." Hinata felt her face flush. "Ahh shut up dog breath." They land on the forest floor and set down a comatose Tsunade and a asleep Shikamaru.

Naruto hops back into the trees and looks at the messed up village with sad eyes. "I hope that everyone is ok." He whispers to himself.

oO0Oo

Sakura ran as fast as she could cutting down root agents that stood in her way. She was looking for Kakashi and the other jounin.

"Neji do you see anyone that seems to be on our side." She glances behind and stops so Neji can look everywhere around him.

"There seems to be a battle at the Hokage's tower we should head there." Sakura nods and heads to the tower.

oO0Oo

Sakura and Neji arrives at the Hokage tower hearing the sound of kunai against kunai in various places. They both hurry to the Hokage's office sure that Danzo is there.

Sakura sense something coming towards her and hops beside Neji. A foot crashes into the floor boards when the smoke clears a familiar face is revealed. "Gai." Sakura simply says.

"My fellow youthful ninjas!" Gai says in a happy voice.

"Gai-sensei where is Kakashi-sensei?" Neji says.

"Hokage office you two go on ahead I'll take care of some of these unyouthful root." They both nod and keep ongoing.

oO0Oo

"Lord Danzo we are losing our people in this civil war. What should we do?"

Danzo walked down a dark hallway in his manor not acknowledging the ninja. He was thinking about how all of these started and Kakashi was ready for him to attack.

Flashback

Two of some of his strong agents attacked him. He pulled out two kunais and blocks the attack that would of cut clean through his torso.

Another two root agents appeared next to Danzo. "Lord Danzo it seems that some leaf nin are attacking. Orders." Danzo looks at the fight with a straight expression.

"Kill all that defies us." The root agent bows and is off.

The other Root agent that was to his right speaks up. "Lord Danzo shall I escort you to the manor?" Danzo doesn't take his eyes off of the fight.

He knew that Kakashi had the strength to defeat them both but it would be difficult. Danzo wondered if he should kill hatake or let him live the rest of his pitiful life rotting away in jail.

Flashback end

One of Danzo's agents appeared beside him giving him bad news that will change the outcome of the war.

"Sir we have word that Haruno-san has arrived in the village along with the missing Hyuga." Danzo kept his face impassive but on the inside his brain was working up ways to make Haruno come to his side.

Everyone in the village respected the anbu captain very few knew that behind the mask was a destructive woman. Even Danzo's root respected her and put her on a pretty high pedestal.

"I see."

"Danzo-sama I believe that we should get Sakura-Chan on our side." A snake like voice could be heard from within the darkness out walked a cloaked figure. The only thing on the cloaked figure face you could see is his glasses reflecting the dim lights.

"Why?"

"Instead of losing man power because of her we could increase our man power with Sakura-Chan on our side."

"Yes but we have Edo tensei. Or are you completely wrong about it being the greatest technique in the shinobi world. Even if we do kill Haruno we can bring her back and make her follow commands. Isn't that right Kabuto."

"Understood Danzo-sama."

With that answer Danzo summons another root who was in charge of finding out what the Anbu were doing.

"Lord sixth the Anbu are against us and are being lead by Tenzo."(Yamato)

Danzo scowls hs thoughts once again wander to the head Anbu and what would happen if she was to start directing them they would surely lose this war. "Dismissed." With that the Root agent was gone.

"What are you going to do with those annoying Anbu?" Kabuto asks not really curious.

"That's only for my Root agents to hear." Danzo walks away to his corridors to finish some work and research on a certain jinchuriki.

oO0Oo

"There's no end to them." Neji uses his gentle fist on one of the agents trying to stop him from moving onward to help Kakashi. He looked over to the pinkette who was currently fighting using her blade. From where he was standing he could tell that her sword had all of the key components that a sword should have it had hardness, strength, flexibility and balance. A good sword has to be hard enough to hold an edge along a length which can range from 18 in to more than 36 in. At the same time it must be strong enough and flexible enough that it can absorb massive shocks at just about any point along its length and not crack or break. Finally, it should be balanced along its length so that it can be wielded effectively.

He could tell without even asking her that the sword was special he could sense blood lust come from the sword. He couldn't really get a clear view of the hilt but he could of sworn he saw the hilt glow red. Neji couldn't dwell on it much longer since more Root came.

"I got it Neji just watch my back just incase." She says to him.

'Like you need me watching your back.' He would never actually say that allowed but he couldn't help himself from thinking it.

Sakura grips her sword with her right hand she slightly crouches down signifying that she was ready to strike. Neji saw that her stance was sloppy maybe she did it on purpose to confuse her enemies Neji didn't know.

Sakura runs to the group it was about 10 to 20 Root they circled her obviously they got orders from Danzo to kill her at all cost.

She looked as ready as she could be her eyes held a certain glint in them that he noticed before she became who she became. One unlucky man or woman was the first to charge at her and got his or her head chopped off the blood flew all over the ground. Once the first blood was spilt all hell broke loose they all attacked together.

Left and right she swung her sword stab, slice, dodge, blood and repeat. That was how it was her long pink hair was like a curtain she used it to her advantage so lavishly.

Neji was mesmerized.

He wasn't Hematolagnia it was just the sight of her fighting lifted his spirits. Neji was just glad that someone as powerful as her was on their side.

Sides.

What were the sides anyway?

What's the reason we are fighting when a war is looming on the horizon?

Blood poured, spattering her face and chest but never her hair. How? He wondered.

He always wondered about a lot of things one of them was Naruto's infatuation with the pinkette. He knew now her fighting spirit that was what was in her eyes Naruto must've seen it plenty of times.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when someone shouted his name.

"Neji let's go before more people come." She flicks the blood off of her sword which creates deep red almost black dots on the ground. Neji just nodded and follows close behind her with his eyes open for anything.

oO0Oo

"It's been an hour where are they?" Naruto paced back and forth getting impatient with every second that passed. "I knew I should of went." Naruto mumbled to himself.

"Naruto if anyone can make it back alive it's definitely those two even if it's troublesome." Shikamaru woke up about 10 minutes ago from Kiba and Naruto arguing about something unnecessary.

"Yeah sit down you're making everyone nervous." Naruto glares hard at the Inuzuka who was just sitting back and relaxing.

"Whatever."

oO0Oo

Kakashi was tired he didn't know how long he could keep it up he knew that the two people he was fighting was high in ranks of root.

He had to be extra careful especially with the guy with a mask hands. They were purple which usually meant poison and he wasn't planning on testing his hypothesis.

The moment the guy sent out some bugs he knew he was in the Aburame clan and it was going to gruesome to deal with him and the auburn colored hair guy. The auburn haired guy only used his tanto but he knew a distraction when he saw it and boy did he see it.

When the Aburame sent his parasites at him he immediately did a fire jutsu to burn the bugs. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the guy do a familiar stance. That's when realization hit him.

"Yamanaka!" Kakashi only had a split second to react to the poisonous hand reaching to him and the Yamanaka waiting for him.

He only had a second to think about what he was going to do so he chose to be poisoned instead of controlled. Before the hand could touch his it was sliced clean off with the blood splurge on his joy in vest.

Kakashi snapped his neck to the Yamanaka who fell to the ground limp with Hyuga Neji behind him. Kakashi turned back to the Aburame who's neck was slit the blood was like a sprinkler.

"Looks like we made it just in time Sakura." Neji steps over the body towards Kakashi who finally registered what was happening.

Sakura drops down from the ceiling a indifferent look on her face. "We're leaving Konoha." To say Kakashi was surprised was an understatement.

"Sakura we can't just leave w-"

"Kakashi everyone is going to die if we don't leave who knows how many root Danzo has. How long do you think everyone can go until they run out of chakra?" Sakura looks around the office lifting papers and searching through drawers until she finally found what she was looking for.

"What is that?" She didn't answer Neji instead she showed him a map.

"We're going to need this. Neji you're going to find Shino get his help to tell everyone that we are retreating to Wave. Kakashi I want you to find Yamato and tell him we're retreating." Sakura puts the map away.

"What are you going to do?" Kakashi narrows his eyes at the pinkette.

"Don't worry about it just do your mission." One minute she was there then she was gone.

"let's just do the mission." Neji sighs.

oO0Oo

Sakura found herself in front of a secret vault in the Anbu HQ.

'Time for the yellow flash to be reborn.' Sakura opens the complicated vault using her chakra.

She grabs the files with the name Namikaze on it. 'In this file is the reason why Iwa hate us so bad.'

oO0Oo

Neji was on top of the messed up Hokage building with his byakugan activated searching for the Aburame.

'I see so he's fighting someone.' Neji leaps off the building on his way to where the Aburame clan is fighting.

"Shino." He finally grabs his attention along with some other people in the clan.

"I need your help. Sakura wants us to retreat to wave and I need your help to spread the word." Shino nods all he had to do was look at the other members of his clan and they soon had their bugs spread out.

"Thanks." With that Neji was off to tell the group he and Sakura left behind.

Neji occasionally ran into Root he blocked their chakra network and kept moving. He couldn't help but think that something was wrong with the root they were to weak. Unless Danzo was keeping his good agents at the base and was just holding us back. Did Danzo know that something like this was going to happen and just planned it or did he just take a wild guess?

Finally he arrived at the edge of the forest where everyone was. "We're retreating to Wave right now." Neji prepared himself for the angry response especially from the Uzumaki.

"What?! We can't just leave and where is Sakura-Chan!" Naruto yells upset at abandoning his home when they needed him most.

"Naruto." Naruto instantly calms down at the familiar voice.

"Sakura-Chan we can't just leave our home that... That's wrong." His voice sounded like it was cracking little and his face pulled at almost everyone's heartstrings. If Sakura was like the old Sakura she would of immediately broke down and fight for their home but she's not.

"No. Neji you take Tsunade to wave Kiba you're also going to take Shikamaru to wave I'll heal that later. Hinata you'll also go and keep a look out on them so stay in the back. Naruto we are going back into the village. No time for questions let's go." Everyone follows their orders and disappears except two.

"What is our mission?"

"We confront Danzo." Naruto stood there shocked until a grin forms on his face.

"Heh I knew the old Sakura-Chan was in there somewhere. Well than let's go." Naruto dashes off to the main gate with Sakura close behind.

"Naruto this way." Naruto then realize that he had no idea which way was Danzo. So he stops and turns around a little bit.

"Uh where is Danzo?" Sakura just blankly stares at him with a look of indifference.

Sakura points in a direction that Naruto guessed was the way they were suppose to go. He scratched the back of his head and blushed in embarrassment.

Sakura did the hand signs for Kage Bunshin no jutsu. The cloud of smoke disperse and standing there was two Sakuras. "They'll both guide you to Danzo I have to do something first and then I'll catch up." As she was about to leave Naruto quickly stops her.

"Sakura-chan how do you know where to find Danzo I can't sense his chakra." Sakura eyes flashed with emotion but not the kind Naruto wanted to see. It was anger, sadness and deep deep hatred.

"Don't worry about it." With those words she was gone only leaving behind cherry blossom petals but they weren't pink but red.

"Sakura wants us to quickly get there." Sakura's clone says. It was weird his clone referred to themselves as Naruto but Sakura's clones don't. Naruto wondered how Sakura got her clones to do that he made a note to ask her later.

"Alright let's go." Running behind the clones and stopping every now and then to defeat a Root agent. He couldn't help have his thoughts wonder to where Sakura was going.

'I hope you're alright Sakura-Chan.'

oO0Oo

Sakura stopped at her home it was silent the civilian must be hiding in their homes or are evacuated.

She didn't have the key to her home so she just kicked the door down. Walking through the living room she went straight to her room. Sakura gets down on her knees and pulls out an old rusty looking suitcase out from under the bed.

"So you followed me." Sakura stopped what she was doing when she felt someone behind her a familiar chakra signature.

"Yeah." The pinkette tighten her grip on the suitcase prepared for anything that might attack her.

"I did what you asked but I can't retreat with you guys the seal on my tongue won't allow me to." Sakura stands up she never once look to see who the person was since she already knew.

"It's fine just spy for us."

"What's in the case?" The guy ask.

Sakura opens the case that was full of scrolls and added the Minato Namikaze scroll in it. "None of your concerns."

She looked down at her torn clothes she needed to change her clothes were covered in blood and part of her face was covered in dried blood. Before she went to get some new clothes she sealed the case in a sealing scroll that only she could open. She then went to her drawers and pulled out a newer anbu outfit that Tsunade gave her since she was head Anbu.

Her outfit consisted of a grey flak jacket that stopped under her breast and revealed her flat stomach, black skin tight pants, metal arm guards and fingerless gloves, ninja sandals with a heel that was equipped with spikes for travelling into mountainous regions, three ninja pouches on her back-waist and last was a red scarf that her mother gave her before she died.

"Should you really be wasting your time by changing your clothes." Sakura let her long pink hair stay down she finally looked up at the person she was talking to.

"Sai you should get going."

"I can't I have a mission from my superior." Sakura raises one eyebrow until it finally clicked why he was there and his 'mission'. She hmms in understanding.

She was his mission.

Unfortunately she didn't have time for Sai at the moment so she shunshin away.

Her next destination was the grave yard she could feel so much grief and sorrow in one place. It threatened to take over her she wouldn't let it like all the other times.

Sakura walked up to her parents grave it read the usual. Here lies Mebuki Haruno and Kisashi Haruno.

Sakura dryly laughs the last time she was here was when she said that the only emotion she would have is hatred to her friends. "Look at me now I'm not even feeling hatred towards them anymore. Next thing you know I'll be crying my eyes out." As she said that a few tears escaped her dull green eyes which she let fall on the green grass. "Damn... I'm not angry at him I'm not angry at you both anymore. What the hell is wrong with me?"

"You're pathetic."

"Maybe you've found someone else to hate more then your parents or your friends." Sakura knew that when she was in the graveyard her skills seems to leave her since she couldn't even since her old sensei chakra signature behind her.

"Kill him."

"Maybe it's about time for you to stop hating them and start depending on them." Sakura bows her head slowly taking in the words like she starved for days and his words were food.

"Don't listen to him."

"I haven't seen you so vulnerable in a long time. That's the effect graveyards have on you." Kakashi walks up to the girl and puts a hand on her shoulder. He could tell she was in a dark place especially from that mission they went on a few weeks ago. Kakashi wanted to lift her up he knew he was probably being a hypocrite but she needed someone. He was willing to be her father figure and take her out of the darkness that threatened to take over once again.

"Don't trust him."

"I know I didn't pay much attention to you when you was a Genin but let me be the first to say you've developed into a beautiful and strong kunoichi and I'm proud of you." He wasn't lying he was as proud as he could be even if she got her strength from pain. Team 7 was broken beyond repair he was well aware of that but he pledge that he would get his team back. The first step to repair was trust

"Liar!"

Sakura slowly lifts her head tears flowed down her cheek and a small smile was on her face. "Thank you Sens-" Sakura eyes widen as wide as plates her clone poofed and she received the information her clone received. Sakura runs away from the graveyard silently saying goodbye to her parents grave. Sakura could hear her sensei's footsteps following close behind her he could probably sense the worry off of her. "Sakura what's going on?"

"Naruto." That was all she had to say for Kakashi to understand immediately and they both sped up.

The second step to repair was help.

oO0Oo

Neji was constantly thinking about his Anbu captain. Especially when she didn't tell him anything. Now Neji been working with the pinkette for a while without knowing that she was who she was. He had to admit it hurt his pride just a little bit but from the strength she showed he knew he had to work harder.

Neji was quite uncomfortable with carrying the Nara on his back but it had to be done. He just wished someone would repair his legs for he thought that Shikamaru was enjoying the piggy back ride a little to much. Neji would often check on his cousin and the Inuzuka from time to time to make sure they are alright.

Hinata was on edge she wasn't fit to be in Anbu that she knew but when it came down to business she was a formable competitor. Neji was well aware of her crush on a certain blonde he was sure she knew that the blonde liked someone else with pink hair. Hell maybe even loved her.

Hinata was a sweet girl she just wasn't made for the ninja life.

"Neji nii-san." Neji turns his head slightly to the owner of the shy voice.

"Hm?"

"What did you and Sakura-san do while you were both gone." The Hyuga heiress ask in a sweet shy voice.

"Hinata you know I can't tell you that." Neji didn't like upsetting his cousin but he had to do what he had to do.

"Neji..." This time it was Kiba who spoke up.

"Tell us what is Sakura like? Why should we put all our trust into her?" Kiba didn't at all sound like his usual loud mouth self he was deeply concerned.

"Sakura head may not be in the right spot now but her priorities are in the right place. She has secrets and I'm fine with that everyone does. She kills without even flinching and I like that. She doesn't let her emotions slip through because she feels the pain some of us felt and I admire that. Just by being with her foe only a little bit I can see how many walls she has kept up and I desire a way to break down those walls." Everyone was awestruck that Neji was able to speak so highly of someone who's changed so much.

Shikamaru knew something was up with the Hyuga maybe he had a crush on her. He didn't know but he was going to get to the bottom of it. "Neji you speak so highly of her as if you know so much about her she she barely tells us anything. Why?"

Neji smirks and chuckles lightly at the Nara of course he wouldn't understand he didn't see what he saw. "The way she fights... On the mission to sound we didn't get a glimpse of what she did to those Root. I was mesmerized the way her pink hair never got covered in blood no matter how much blood she sheds. And her sloppy stance but it's only an act it's unique. She makes me want to know more about her.'

"Neji nii-san d-do you like Sakura-san." Hinata asked the way her cousin was describing Sakura's fighting abilities she could feel how strong he felt for her coming off of him. She thought that him and Tenten had a thing on maybe she read them wrong and it was only what Naruto and Sakura had before he left a strong bond.

"I don't know." After that silence engulfs the small group. Neji just hoped people made it out alive especially his teammates.

oO0Oo

Naruto was alone fighting off some Root but something was different about them they were stronger then the ones Sakura's clones beat. They caught the clones off guard and they both poofed out of existence. He always acted loudmouth and unpredictable but he did know his limits and knew when he needed assistance.

'Sakura-chan should be here any minute now.' Naruto made about 50 kage bunshins to hold off some of the root. He was using his rasengan left and right he didn't have time to use sage mode.

"Use my chakra."

He frequently threw some kunais at the people who got pass his kage bunshin. Naruto engage into a taijutsu match with one if the many root.

"Use my chakra."

Naruto kick a guy in the stomach as hard as he could causing bile to come out of his mouth.

"Use my chakra."

He was frustrated that damn fox kept calling out to him he remembered when he hurt Sakura-Chan using the Kyuubi's chakra.

"Rasengan!" The rasengan collides with a Root agent's face shredding and tearing his skin before he flew back into a building.

Even after a rasengan some of them just got back up as if they weren't hit but his rasengan. Naruto weaved and dodged the people who swung their tantos at his.

"shit!" A spilt second he had to react a tanto was coming down on him. 'Can I dodge in time?'

In slow motion the light reflected off of the tanto coming down on him to try to cut him in half. Naruto saw out of the corner of his eye a kunai aiming for the Root's head.

He dropped dead.

Another agent that tried to kill him was immediately decapitated.

"Hm Impressive."

Naruto ignored the fox for some reason the fox was starting to talk to him more and more. He didn't understand Kyuubi sometimes.

Naruto turns around and sees his sensei with his sharingan activated.

"Naruto are you ok?" Naruto just simply nodded since he was too shock to utter any complete word.

Naruto heard a body fall to the ground behind him. "Sakura-Chan." She probably just killed that guy on the roof tops. He was confused he could of sword there was more Root then just 4 or 5 bodies he was just facing a whole army.

"Genjutsu." Naruto turns to the pinkette he noticed her change of attire it fitted her better than a cloak or ripped clothes.

"She's perfect."

Sakura flicks the blood off of her sword like she did earlier. She looks up at the sky no cloud was in sight.

"Let's go." They both nodded following quickly behind her.

Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi hop from roof top to roof top. Naruto notice the blood red scarf that flapped in the wind. He wondered why she was wearing it scares usually got in the way she fighting. Then again it's not like they can actually touch her when she has that sword in her hand.

"Do you feel that?" The Kyuubi asks.

'Feel what?' He would entertain the Kyuubi for now since he was sort of curious as to what the fox was talking about.

"Bloodlust coming from that girl."

'Who Sakura-Chan?' Naruto felt himself get sucked into him mind. He was now standing in a sewer like place with a huge gate with a small paper on it that said seal.

"What is it Kyuubi and why are you all of a sudden talking to me?" Naruto saw his red eyes glow beyond the gates and a growl escape from him.

"If you let me talk then maybe I'll explain!" He shouted.

"The girl interest me." Naruto was bewildered he didn't think he would hear those words come out of Kyuubi's mouth.

"S-Sakura-Chan interest you?!" Naruto shouted he refuse to believe what he heard. The Kyuubi huffs he couldn't believe he was sealed in someone so incompetent and stupid.

"Yes she gives off this deadly aura I noticed it a few weeks ago but I didn't pay attention to it. Now I understand darkness lurks inside of her." Kyuubi grins his sharp teeth glowing in the dark.

Naruto faces turns serious more serious then Kyuubi has ever seen him before. "I want let you do anything to Sakura-Chan."

"Foolish child I don't even have to do anything the darkness already has planted it's seed and is in full bloom. I'm curious if she knows that a dark entity is shadowing her." Naruto eyes widen how did he know. He thought to himself

"I am a demon I would know when something as dark as me lurks around." Kyuubi says answering his question.

Naruto didn't know what to say it did make a lot of since but what was he doing to do. Naruto finally comes to a conclusion. He looks at the Kyuubi right in the eye ocean blue that continued in endless waves meeting blood red that showed so much agony and terror it caused just by looking at people. Naruto walks closer to the gates not even daring to break eye contact. He lifts his hands up to the gates and clutch them as tightly as possible.

"I'll fight away the darkness that surrounds her. I'll destroy the demon that confines the real Sakura-chan. I'll light the way back to reality for her. I could care less what you say you're either going to help me do it or stay silent in you're cage like a good little kitty because I'm king of this castle whether you like it or not." Naruto growls when he got through with his declaration.

"Very well-" Naruto has a smug look on his face he wasn't going to back down not now not ever. As Naruto was fading away he heard a very distant "for now." Which made him start thinking he never got his answer was he going to help him or not.

Kakashi has been watching Naruto for awhile the way his eyes was different more far away glazed over.

'He must be chatting with the Kyuubi.' Kakashi advert his eyes to his other student leading the way.

'Sakura I want to continue our chat.'

Sakura felt their eyes on her back but she didn't really care. She had only two things to worry about right now and it had nothing to do with the both of them.

"So cold Saku."

Sakura scrowl she needed to get rid of the voice in her head. No matter how much she mediated that voice would still remain telling her to do things like kill, defect, seduce, and the voice kept taunting her reprimanding her for thinking for herself.

She could feel they were getting close to Danzo.

And she was a mess in the head

oO0Oo

Ok let's get started the whole Neji thing well I've really liked Neji in alot of fanfics so I want to give him a bigger role in this fanfic. I wanted to establish some bonds in this chapter and get at least a little bit of depth to Sakura's new character. I also wanted to introduce the Kyuubi and reintroduce inner Sakura. Kakashi will be the second person who will get close to the new Sakura. Tsunade is already pretty close to her look at chapter 1 and you'll understand. And I'll maybe have Neji be the third or maybe Naruto. I did lose my motivation throughout the story so sorry about that. RXR

I should probably be quiet now before I spoil everything.