Disclaimer: I don't own the anime or the characters I write about except for Sakura's followers, Shinsetsuna Airisu, and the story idea, if I owned the anime Karin would be dead and Team Taka would be on their knees willing to do anything for their goddess, Sakura!


Chapter 8

They walked side by side to the market place. "Kakashi I'm glad that you haven't lost your touch but I suggest that you get stronger or at least a little faster. That or you must learn to be more careful. At your current level you'll never be able to stand by my side." Kakashi then understood why she ran from him, she wanted to test him. "So that chase was a test?" She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, smirking at his relieved yet very wounded tone. "Yes, and had I not slowed down and let you capture me I would have gotten away quite easily."

Kakashi stopped in mid-step and gawked at Sakura. Her long hair swaying behind her in time with her hips. Her thin body hiding the true power she held within herself. She looked back, bending her back so that when she saw him, he and the world were upside down. "You let me capture you?" She smirked at the disbelief in his voice. "You didn't expect that I would have remained a free rogue all these years and you would be able to catch me after only a few measly minutes, did you?" He sighed and shook his head. She stood straight and kept walking, leaving Kakashi to catch up to her.

His eyes scanned the surroundings and as they were entering the market place more and more people were stopping what they were doing to stare at Sakura. Whispers filled the air like the buzzing of an insect wings and Sakura knew they were about her. After all she was the most dangerous and recognized ninja in all the lands.

From a young age children heard of her as a legend and as they grew up they learned that she was no legend, no myth, that she was real, and they also learned how true those stories about her were. They learned to fear her, they had nightmares about her, while the adults learned of her betrayal to the village and her brutality, learning to hate her.

Sakura stood tall, proud as she was met with glares and hostility. Kakashi was on alert for any villager that could attack her or cause her to snap. He tried to distract her and cleared his throat to get her attention. "Sakura do you still remember how to create remedies and the different lists of healing herbs?" She looked at him, scowling, insulted that he would think that she would forget things of such importance. "Of course I remember, Kakashi. I still use many of those herbs when I get injured in my fights or when someone tries to kill me by poisoning me." He cringed at her tone but even more from the images her words brought into his mind. From the way she made it sound, people tried to kill her on a daily basis.

"Why do you ask Kakashi?" She spoke innocently before hissing at a man that came too close to her with a knife hidden in his wrist guard. The man narrowed his eyes, trying to seem like he wasn't intimidated by the young kunoichi but sweat dripped down the back of his neck from his fear and he backed away from her. As the man disappeared amongst the crowds Sakura's hackles lowered and she walked calmly like nothing had happened. Kakashi sighed. It was no surprise that people would try to kill her but he was surprised that she was so comfortable in the situation. "One of the stores we will be going to is a store that sells herbs. I believe we'll need them for the mission." Sakura nodded before stopping at a table that had jewelry laid out on it. While looking through the items she spoke to him. "What is your mission anyway Kakashi?" Her eyes caught an oval emerald set on a silver flat collar like necklace. The necklace had small circular studs of lapis lazuli around the emerald and larger circular garnets set around the rest of the necklace going in a horizontal line. The way the garnets changed color in the light made Sakura think of Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes, going from onyx to sharingan. The lapis lazuli reminded her of Naruto's sparkling ocean blue eyes and golden hair. The emerald was like her own eyes. It was like the original Team 7 was back together.

He noticed her attention to the necklace and narrowed his uncovered eye at the stones adorning the silver. She reached her hand out to it and her fingertips caressed it affectionately, like she would the face of her lover or someone she missed dearly. While she focused on the necklace a kunai was stabbed into her arm. She yelped and wrenched her arm back to her chest protectively.

The owner of the jewelry on the table recognized her as the Sakura Haruno, the killer rogue of the Leaf Village. She had killed his ANBU daughter during one of her visits to the village and his need for revenge took over. Kakashi tensed up, ready to pull Sakura away and transport them out of the village if the need arose. Sakura's jade eyes glared at the man and a growl escaped her pulled back lips. The man's courage faded away and left him trembling under her glare. Sakura reached under her strait jacket and tossed the contents of her hand at the man before snatching up the necklace and storming off, leaving Kakashi and the man at the table.

Kakashi's eye was wide as he saw the coins thrown at the man. She was paying him off for the jewelry yet the man was still cowering in fear. His eye narrowed as he watched the pitiful man take his head from behind his arms and look around, seeing the coins on the ground around him. "You are lucky she didn't kill you. Never tempt a rogue, especially one like her."

He ran after her to see her injured arm hanging limply at her side. She grabbed the kunai in her teeth and tore it out of her flesh, spitting the kunai to the ground as she continued walking. Her eyes glowed with fury but they were more controlled than he expected them to be. Kakashi watched as she blew onto her wound and chakra left her lips, beginning to heal her wounded arm. Her other hand still held on tightly to the necklace she had gotten stabbed over. He only observed her, not knowing what to say to her. She sighed when the flesh had stitched itself back together and the wound was healed. She turned back to Kakashi who had been as silent as death itself.

He noticed how much better she had become at using her chakra to heal and how much faster she could heal injuries. "Which herb seller are we going to?" Kakashi noticed her reluctance to speak about what just happened in the market place and took the lead, bringing them to the store. There was incense lying in a metal disk, hanging from the outside ceiling and she inhaled deeply. It smelled of Jasmin and Sandalwood. The scent was familiar and worked well at calming her.

When the door opened a bell jingled, alerting whoever was in the store to their presence. The store owner's attention was on them almost immediately. The store owner was an older woman with dull brown eyes and grey hair. She gasped as she saw and recognized Sakura. Sakura had been a frequent patron when she was still a ninja of the Leaf and it was hard to forget that face even after all these years. Kakashi was expecting another episode of what happened with the jewelry cart owner but was instead surprised.

The woman smiled at Sakura and Sakura went up to the woman. She was met with a tight hug by the woman's spindly arms. "Sakura you haven't come here in so long, you had me worried." Sakura nodded and apologized, giving the woman a list of herbs she needed and the woman hurried off to the back of the store to gather the herbs Sakura listed. Her eyes were emotionless and cold even though she was smiling sweetly at the woman during their conversation. As soon as the woman was gone though, the smile was wiped from her face.

While she was in the back Sakura spoke up. "Her name is Shinsetsuna Airisu (Kind Iris). We were very close in the past, she was like a mother to me, similar to how Tsunade was, but she has a disease. This disease erases anything traumatic from her memory; this includes anything she doesn't like. The war, my old teammates' deaths, my leaving the village and the news of me becoming a rogue is obviously included." Her voice was emotionless and monotone, like she was unhappy with the situation but she couldn't complain either. She had seen Kakashi just standing there with a confused look on his face and decided to fill him in on the situation. She tucked the necklace into the underside of her strait jacket and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes and waiting for the woman to finish gathering everything and come back to speak with Sakura.