Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, there would be more Uchihas alive in the end.


Chapter 9: Re encounters.

A black-clad figure with a gray vest and porcelain mask jumped through the tree branches, increasing the amount of chakra in the feet and ran as fast as possible to reach the designated destination. Feeling the blood pulsate in the veins to the point of hearing the accelerating beat echoing in the ears, ANBU Special Forces agent could only think of the opportunity that this mission presented to personal plans.

Accelerating further as the energy of some familiar chakras approached quickly. The anxiety of the re encounter and the expectation of where this mission might lead took all the self-control necessary to maintain the serenity.

The masked figure approached the group of four men who came at high speed through the tall tree branches in the forest, purposely raising the chakra so they would not assume that were an enemy and attack unnecessarily. Faster than expected, they approached, bringing the resolution that she was not the only one to become more agile in recent years.

Hatake Kakashi took the leadership position of the group and approached with caution. "Kitsune-san." His voice echoed through the forest breaking the silence.

Sakura smiled under the fox porcelain mask, watching as Kakashi still kept the necessary formalities in front of an ANBU partner. "Kakashi-senpai." She said it out loud, without revealing emotion or removing the mask, as the good agent she was.

"Maa, Kitsune-chan... What happened to sensei?" He said with a smile beneath the annoying blue-navy mask.

Sakura immediately gave up the formalities and lifted the mask, but held it above her head. "I'm on a mission, and you have not been my sensei for a long time, Kakashi- senpai ." She smiled back at him, though the smile was small and barely reaching the corners of her mouth.

"Ooh, la la". Jiraya's voice joined in the conversation, making Sakura narrow the eyes at the pervert man of the white-haired in front of her. When she saw his hand lift slightly toward parts where she did not want to be touched by him, Sakura growled, causing the man to retreat immediately.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto exclaimed when he out of the state of stupor that was put on after seeing Sakura for the first time in three years. Sakura looked at the blond-haired friend and almost smiled when she saw how his voice had changed as well as his height. She tilted the head to the side, analyzing all the changes in him, including the outfit. After a brief minute of scrutiny, she realized that the years were generous with Naruto.

"You're two years late, boys." She said putting the hand on the waist and her most frightening voice, congratulating herself internally on how the three men she knew so well shuddered a little.

"You did a lot without us." Sasuke's thick voice said as Sakura turned to him. Just as she did with Naruto, she took a some time to analyze the changes in Sasuke and was shocked at how much he reminded her of Itachi, with the biggest hair, the hardest eyes and the height that changed drastically, she decided that black clothes looked good on him, as well as looking perfectly at Itachi, should be an Uchiha thing.

"You're drooling, Sakura." Sasuke said with a wicked grin.

"Oh, shut up." She said at the same calm voice, trying to hold back the laughter that wanted to escape bacause his teasing. She thought of some more witty answers, but realized they were wasting a lot of time. Straightening her back and taking on a more serious face. "You have to report to Hokage as soon as possible and get the order parchment to follow me on Suna. It will be our first S-sorting mission... together." She added the last word belatedly, causing Sasuke to raise an eyebrow, indicating that he realized it was not her first high class mission without them.

Kakashi assumed the same upright posture and frowned, making Sakura realize that he was curious about what could be so serious as to require them to leave before they even arrived. "What happened?" He asked in a serious, slightly concerned voice.

She closed the eyes for a few seconds and sighed. "The organization called Akatsuki attacked Suna and kidnapped the Kazekage." Sakura tried to hide the sadness as she looked at Naruto. "I'm following before you to save the life of Kankuro who was attacked by one of the members of Akatsuki trying to recover the Kazekage. You find me there until the end of the day so that we can follow the mission. The Hokage will explain everything when you arrive ".

"That's why you found us halfway there." Kakashi stated instead of asking.

Sakura nodded. "We're wasting time here, we can catch up when the mission is over." She turned the eyes to Naruto. "Gaara is the kazekage of Suna."

Naruto gasped and his blue eyes flashed with a slight despair. "I'll go with you, Sakura-chan." He said with conviction.

Sakura let the whole expression fade from her face. "No! You're going to report to the Hokage and meet me there before nightfall." She stated firmly and left so quickly that the four men hardly followed her with their eyes.

"I knew she would become a thing when she grew up." Jiraya said after a few seconds that Sakura left, doing all the weight of the information she gave, fell.

"You old pervert." Naruto screamed in disgust and frowned at the ero-senin he normally admired when he was not being a pervert.

"She's ANBU." Sasuke stated trying to hide the surprise, completely ignoring Jiraya's madness.

"What you've been waiting for... have passed three years. Sakura has potential and was trained by the Hokage." Kakashi said as if he was not surprised and continued the path toward Konoha running as fast as he could, followed by the others. "And you're still genin." He said with an amused tone in the voice, glancing over his shoulder at Naruto and Sasuke.

"EEEEEEEH," Naruto shouted indignantly.

Kakashi could swear he heard Sasuke growl at some point.


Sakura arrived in Suna four hours after meeting the old team and could not deny herself that she was impressed by how the two boys grew up physically, she could not wait to spend time with them and see if they grew mentally too. After Sasuke's joke with the mischievous grin and Naruto's glances at her, one thing she was sure, they were not the unconscious thirteen-year-old boys anymore that she'd said goodbye.

She set the thoughts aside and returned the focus to the mission as she passed the gates of Suna.

One of the shinobi who guarded the gate accompanied her to the room Kankuro occupied in the Suna hospital, which was near the main tower of the Council. As they walked, he told her all about Gaara's attack and the fight with the man in a black cape of red clouds. Sakura questioned how the attack happened and her mind was revolving around a possible internal conspiracy, an attack of this magnitude had to have been orchestrated with the help of someone inside. Sakura knew it was almost impossible to invade Suna through those walls, with all the shinobis surrounding the place, so her suspicions were confirmed when she questioned the guard who secretly passed on information to her, knowing she was an ally.

Sakura could only think how much he and the others were desperate to recover the Kazekage, just so this, the man would give confidential information to her, for a moment she allowed to think about how Naruto would be proud of the progress his friend made. Gaara conquered the trust and respect of the people of Suna even with all the things he did as a child. She hoped that Naruto would conquer his place in Konoha too, even after all the trials he spent as a child, Sakura lost the account how many people she had to face to defend him and how many children she beat to leave her friend alone.

"We're here." The shinobi opened the door and motioned for her to enter, so he positioned outside the door to guard the room.

Sakura looked around and saw Kankuro squirming on the bed, with some doctors around. Temari looked at Sakura with a look that Sakura knew very well, and she knew that the woman was trying with all her strength to keep the fear under control.

She took off the mask and strapped around the waist, tied the long hair in a ponytail and took on the 'medical mode', as Shizune used to call. Then she walked over to the bed, examining the patient who was in a state of agony over the poison, coming to a precise conclusion after a few minutes. "The poison used in him has been refined with heavy metals and penetrates the muscles causing destruction of the cells."

"Could she figure it out just by looking at him?" One of the doctors asked in a low voice.

"Even the kind of poison and what it do?" Another doctor asked with a little skepticism in his voice.

Sakura ignored the murmurs and requested the report with the patient's data, deducing that Kankuro's condition was much more serious than she thought. She sighed and pressed the tip of the nose in frustration. "The poison has been working in him for some time, I'm sorry I wasn't here before. I can create a antidote in one hour, at the very least, but I can't guarantee there will be no sequels."

Temari's face changed dramatically, fear and despair taking over her features. "There's nothing you can do immediately?"

Sakura looked at her, seriously. "I know a procedure, but it's very painful."

"Do it." Temari said without even thinking. "Please." She added.

Sakura nodded, picked up the clipboard and scribbled down the ingredients she would need, handed the paper to one of the doctors. "I need you to dilute it in serum and bring me into some bowls. I'll start the extraction as soon as you get it."

A few minutes later the medical staff returned with buckets full of the liquid Sakura requested, she inserted the liquid in Kankuro's body using chakra and extracted the poison as fast as she could while Temari held him. The procedure lasted a few hours but was successfully completed. "I extracted the poison that was circulating through his body, but he still need an antidote."

Temari leaned against the wall, falling against it with obvious relief. "Ask for anything, Haruno-san, the medical staff bring it to you." Temari gave her a look of gratitude and Sakura nodded knowing that words were not necessary.

Sakura left the room toward the laboratory to create the antidote. She felt a presence in the hallway and increased the guard just in case.

"You look like that slug-girl." A voice sounded from a distance that Sakura considered securely, turning slowly, she stared at an old woman in a black outfit that covered her whole body, she had noticed the old woman in the room next to Kankuro's bed.

"Tsunade-sama is my Shishou, she sent me here to help." Sakura declared and kept walking.

An old man approached the old woman standing in the hallway in the same place. "Nee-chan, the things are changing." She nodded but said nothing in return.


Sakura left the lab at dusk having prepared enough antidote for Kankuro and the team that was on the way, since she did not know which one would be lucky to face the same adversary that Kankuro faced, if they were lucky the man would use the same poison, or at least one poison with the same properties. Not wanting to risk dealing with luck, she made an even more potent antidote in case the Akatsuki member is creative and as cautious as she is when it comes to poisons. If he was a little like her, the man would not use the same poison twice.

She walked to the Kazekage tower and headed for the main hall where she was feeling the presence of some familiar chakras.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's cheerful voice echoed for the hall, indicating to her exactly which room to enter. She walked into the space that had an open door finding her old team and the old team Gai, sitting around a large table with Temari and Baki. She nodded and took a vacant seat between Neji and Kakashi.

Neji put a backpack in front of her on the table. "Hokage-sama order to bring it to you." He said in the calm voice and a half smile gracing his lips.

"It's better that it was Tenten or Shizune who went through my things, Neji-kun." Sakura said in a voice that would scare any grown man.

"Better me than Lee." It was the only response he gave, making her shudder involuntarily at the thought of Lee going through her dresser drawers.

"We've been away for a looong time, I see." Kakashi said in an amused voice and Sakura could swear he was giving a mocking smile under that mask. Gathering a glare of Sakura and Neji, Kakashi swallowed. "Sakura-chan, you can cool off and change your clothes while Pakkun returns with the clues from Akatsuki's whereabouts. This isn't an ANBU mission and I will be the captain in this mission."

"Like old times." She said with a smile and nudged him lightly on the ribs.

"Yoshi!" Naruto exclaimed with a dazzling smile.

Sakura nodded and left, carrying the backpack with her, not realizing the strange look that Naruto and Sasuke was sending between her and Neji.


Sakura took a shower as fast as she could and donned her usual clothes, blouse wine and black shorts with pink skirts over the shorts, tied the bandages that held the guns on the thigh, put on the boots and the gloves. They could find the enemy at any moment from the moment they crossed the walls out of Suna.

She hurried out of the room and found Temari and Baki in the hallway that led her to the edge of the wall and lifted the exit from the Village. Temari reported how the elders did not allow her or any other important member to leave with them to get Gaara, since Suna would be vulnerable to attacks now that the Kazekage was absent. In the middle of their conversation the same old woman who had intercepted Sakura in the hallway offered to accompany the Konoha team.

"I look forward to seeing my grandson again." The old woman muttered, making Sakura feel a curious edge about who would be her grandson.

"Where are the others?" Sakura asked as she met the former team who had been waiting for her.

"Team Gai went ahead with Pakkun, we were waiting for you and some more guidance from the elders of Suna." Kakashi said in the same monotone voice of always making Sakura remember how much she missed the quirks of each one of them.

"I know you should be anxious to go out with Neji-kun, but you'll have to settle for us." Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi who had already left.

Sakura narrowed the eyes at his ridiculous insinuation and bit the tongue so she would not start a fight.

"Chyo-sama will accompany us on our journey." She stated making the three of them notice the old woman for the first time. "And... Just for you know, Neji and I did a lot missions together in the last years after we became Jounin. Your jealousy is ridiculous, Naruto-kun." She released the last part with a seductive tone that made the poor boy blush.

"I'm not jealous." He screamed after recovering and kept rushing to reach his team.

"Have you been on many missions with the Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked in a more serious tone than Naruto and this was the first time Sakura had heard his voice since they met in the forest.

She examined him for a few seconds and was sure that affected the two boys, far more than she'd expected. "Neji, Shikamaru and I were a Jounin team before I joined ANBU." She stated and waited to see some reaction from him or Naruto that was between them. Realizing that the tension was gone, she became more relaxed as well. "My ANBU team has two other guys, one of them was your kohai, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi slowed allowing Chyo to stay in the lead and stood next to Sakura. "And who would that be?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

"He has no name." She stated and quickened the pace, but stopped running as soon as she realized that Kakashi had stopped on one of the branches.

Sakura looked back and was frozen in place when she saw the cold glare Kakashi was giving her. "Tell me you're not a member of ANBU Root, Sakura." He used a somber tone that almost made her shudder.

She sighed and kept her voice neutral, allowing no emotion to escape. "We can talk about this later, Kakashi-senpai." She turned and kept running, but was stopped by a firm arm at the waist.

"We'll talk now." He whispered close to her ear. "You can move on, we'll reach you soon." He shouted toward the other members of the group and with that demand the others left, but looked curiously at the couple they left behind.

"We're on a mission, Kakashi." Sakura said with a little anger in her voice. But when she saw the seriousness in his eye, she gave up. "Do you know how much Danzo is... Er ... hard to handle?" She asked, trying to soften the conversation.

"Hard to handle?" He sneered. "That man is despicable." He spat with obvious aversion.

"Shishou needed someone of confidence inside..." It was the only thing she said and when he released her, Sakura realized that he understood exactly what she meant. "Don't worry, I can take care of myself."

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "You leave me with white hair, Sakura-chan."

Sakura laughed out loud and followed the old sensei to where the others had gone.


They ran and quickly reached the rest of the team. Suddenly, smoke preceded the arrival of Pakkun, who warned that the Gai team went into battle with one of the Akatsuki members who looked like a shark, Kakashi recognized as Hoshigaki Kisame and swallowed hard with the possibility of them finding Itachi.

They fell into an open field and walked through the grass, since there were no tall trees in the way they were supposed to follow, to be camouflage, when Kakashi stopped walking and looked at the four other members who were following him closely. "Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with frowning eyebrows realizing something was wrong.

Kakashi looked directly at Sasuke and gave him a look that Sakura had not seen for a long time. "Don't attack!" It was the only order Kakashi gave before a figure using a black cape with red clouds stopped a few feet away.

Sakura felt all the air come out of the lungs when she saw the person who had stopped in front of them.

"Itachi." Sasuke's voice growled beside her and she was sure it was not an illusion.


Note: Dun dun dun.