I'm getting reviews so fast now that I can hardly keep up! But still, I'm greedy and want more :p 40 please! (Hopefully I'll have a chapter almost ready by then!)

Note: Though in chapter 6 (cherry blossom katana) it sounded like they immediately walked into Sakura's house after the whole face-implant-in-alleyway-situation, they didn't, they walked a little longer.

Edit: I fixed the typos in this chapter, sorry about that...

..::Everything has its Reason::..

The two crooked jonin walked into the Hokage's office for the second time that night. The first time their heads hanging in shame, now with grins of sadistic satisfaction.

"Did Mission: Eliminate Distraction go as planned?"

"Yes sir" they both answered and bowed respectively.

"Very good. Was it completed in the manner that I ordered?"

"Yes sir" one replied as the other gave details, "Kill quickly and painlessly, kunia to the throat. Then cover the body in various scratches and stabbings, postmortem."

Sarutobi nodded his head, "Then be on your way. Speak a word of this to no one." He said the last harshly.

They nodded, about to leave, when, "And when this is brought up tomorrow in council, you have no ideas or opinions about what happened. Correct?"

"Yes sir" they paused, to see if he would say anything else, then left.

"I am sorry Mrs. and Miss Haruno, but this needed to be taken care off. You were simply to much of a distraction to him and a liability to the rest of us. May you rest in peace." he mumbled to himself, looking up thoughtfully.

Meanwhile...

Both Sakura and her father were zombies. They acted as if dead. Sasuke held a limp, barely breathing Sakura in his arms, while her father was propped against the door frame, looking at the floor, but not really seeing it.

They had been this way for hours. The sun was already rising in the sky. Sasuke decided that soon they would need to alert the council. Sakura would have to be the one to do it though. He didn't know how they'd react with him coming with more bad news involving the top business man of Konoha.

Probably not very well.

So, he again tried to snap Sakura out of her daze, he didn't bother with her father, the man deserved hell for the way he had treated these women, "Sakura, we need to tell the council what happened."

She didn't reply, as expected.

"You have to do it. I can't, nor can your father. Be strong." Be strong. Now where had he heard those words before? He hated weakness, would do anything in his power to get rid of it, and right now Sakura was being weak, and he was indulging that weakness.

As soon as the thought occurred, he dropped her. Her body fell to the floor with a 'thump'. She looked up, somewhat shocked and surprised.

"Come on" he said harshly, not even offering her a hand to help her up. She had to do this on her own, had to learn that weakness could be fatal, not just to her, but to others. He had learned his own lesson well.

She sat there for a moment, looking at him, her glazed eyes slowly clearing.

Then she stood.

"You have to go to the council and-" she had already hopped out of the window. He stood there for a moment, wondering what to do. He looked at the shell of a man on the floor and the corpse on the bed. It'd probably be best for him to get out of there. He'd make his own alibi. Sasuke left via window.

..::Sakura::..

There were too many emotions in her to follow, but she knew one, and it was anger.

Sakura stomped through town, a pink tornado, just waiting to reek havoc. On her way through town, she passed Ino, who as always, made a smart remark about her forehead. Sakura didn't stop walking, but gave Ino the scariest death glare the latter had ever received.

"What's wrong with her?" she whispered, upset, to Shikamaru.

"How should I know?" he said in a normal-volumed voice.

"Useless" Ino muttered, turning her gaze forward as they continued to walk towards the training field.

Sakura was just about at the Hokage's building now. As she stepped through the doors and angrily stomped down the corridor, she saw Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei talking. When they saw her they stopped talking and their eyes followed her. Finally she was at the Hokage's door, no one there to stop her.

Through muffled by the door, she heard the invitation to enter. Not that she planned on knocking.

Sakura stepped in, and Sarutobi feigned shock. "Well if it isn't Sakura Haruno, the brightest genin kunoichi in our village. To what do I owe this welcome visit?" he waved his hand toward a comfortable looking chair in front of the desk.

She was speechless, all she could do was glare. This man had hid the fact from the rest of the world what her father was doing to her mother and herself, and look what had become of it? She then decided that it was his fault too.

"Well?" he prompted, "I do welcome your visit but I am a very busy man Sakura."

Her fist unballed and reballed. "You" she said then stopped for a deep breath. "My mother" she tried again, it wasn't just anger now, the pain was seeping back in, making her body tremble.

"Sakura, I believe you should take a seat. What about your mother?"

She didn't really sit, but collapsed into the chair, her knees giving out, the tears rushing down her face.

Stay strong.

That's what Sasuke had said, but how was she supposed to stay strong during something like this? Her mother was murdered! Someone had tortured her, Sakura had seen all of the stray cuts on her body.

"My m-mother" her trembling had increased, causing a stutter, "w-was murd-ered." Another wave if pain, another river of tears.

The Hokage looked down for a moment, ashamed of himself. He hated to hurt this girl, he hated to hurt anyone in his village. But he also knew what was best for the village, and right now they were short on funds, so he couldn't have what funds that were coming in to be canceled. The distraction had to go, so more work could be done. He was tired of Haruno-baka taking sick days to get drunk and beat on his family. He hated him beating on his family period. And if this distraction removal didn't succeed, he'd simply remove the other distraction as well.

He looked back at the sobbing, oblivious Sakura. What a sweet little girl, it pained him to see her this way.

"Call a meeting of the council" he yelled through the door, and there was scuttling on the other side.

"So it's finally happened" Kakashi muttered to himself, heading towards the room where the elders stayed. He, like Sakura, believed it was her father who had killed her mother.

"An Anbu will follow you to the body. Please do not touch it, you may disturb evidence." he said this, though he knew there would be no evidence, that this would simply be an unsolved murder to go with the many others in Konoha. He had even reassured that Haruno-baka had went to work and stayed late.

Yes, this would go according to plan.

An Anbu stepped in and took hold of Sakura's arm. She mumbled something and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

..::Sasuke::..

Sasuke had gone to his apartment for a change of clothes and to shower. He had to think about what he would do next.

He wasn't sure if he'd have to leave yet, but he packed just incase. What he needed to think about was his relationship with Sakura. They'd been rather close lately, but he couldn't become too attached. He had his revenge against Itachi to think about.

Drying his hair better, he stepped out of his bathroom and walked towards his kitchen for a bottle of water.

Not to mention what he'd been doing to her. By babying her as he had been, he'd brought out her weakness and filled her with notions that they'd be together.

Yes, he needed someone to one day rebuild his clan with, but he would never take anyone as weak as her.

He chugged from the cool bottle, tossed his towel in the laundry room basket, and sat on the couch. Planning.

..::Sarutobi::..

The council had finished after a skilled medical nin had done a quick autopsy on the body, and the decision came to just as Hiruzen Sarutobi expected it would. Mystery, yet to be solved. Ofcourse, he had had the final decision in the matter.

He once again sat as his desk, feeling no satisfaction at all really. He had hurt one of his grandchildren, as all the villagers were to him. He turned in his chair to look out the window. Outside, there was a group of civilians, most likely wondering who had died and for those who knew who, what had happened.

He sighed. This woman was loved by many in the town, meaning he had hurt many of his villagers by ordering her death. Another sigh, and he turned around, getting back to work.

..::Sakura::..

Dead.

The word played through her head over and over again.

Not strong enough.

Why wasn't she there to protect her mother? She could have taken her place as always, reduced the blows.

She was weak. That's why. From here on out, Sakura decided that she would become stronger. She would train harder. One day, maybe, she would prove herself to the person that did this.

She wasn't sure if it was her father anymore. The council had ruled him out since had been at work. She also had thought about how neither of her parent's had any ninja training, and how she had had all of her equipment with her, so neither would have had a kunia.

She didn't know.

She didn't know anything anymore.

But she would learn. No longer would she be naive. This weak Sakura had to go.

Starting now.

Sakura stood from her place on the ground, leaning against one of the many buildings in Konoha, and made her way towards the training grounds. Hell Yeah! Inner Sakura cheered.

Though she didn't know, Sasuke was heading the same way.

How was that? For all of you who were tired of Sakura just sitting back and waiting... Well, here she is, about to kick some butt!

Review Please! 40 for the next chap! (I know that's higher but more people are reviewing faster now).

Btw, if you guys feel really down after reading this, read the last chapter in my story Moments and you'll melt from the cuteness! Also, Thanks to those who have reviewed! You all get virtual chocolate chip cookies!