Hey everyone! HAPPY EASTER from the UK! Whoo...This is my longest chapter yet. And the most fun to write too...hehehe. I don't plan on giving out favourite pinkette a break anytime soon!

Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed/alerted/faved this story! You know I love you but I'll say it again anyway! I LOVE YOU! Ugh...I might be a little hyped up on chocolate. WHEEEE! Yup. Definitely hyped up :P

I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)
Eternal


The Blossom Of The Leaf Blooms Twice

Chapter 11 - Implosion

Sun glared through the window's of Haruno Sakura's office as she worked tirelessly on some papers that Shizune had given her to work through. It wasn't the heroic saving lives that she was used to but she needed to make sure that the hospital ran smoothly while Shizune was busy. Her pen sped across numerous sheets as she simply signed her signature onto administrative papers that she had seen a thousand times before.

'Why does the real me get all the fun while I'm stuck here being her lapdog?' the pinkette thought as she signed another sheet. The door to Sakura's office opened with a soft creak which jerked the attention of the woman sat at the desk towards the person who had just walked in. The pinkette sighed and placed her pen down on the paper she was just about to sign her signature on, "Shizune? What is it?" she asked, looking up through her emerald eyes.

"I'm afraid I have some worrying news." she said with a hint of urgency in her voice, "Danzo has called a meeting of the so called 'Konoha Rookie Nine' and the clan heads." Sakura's face dropped into an expression of shock, "And I'm afraid that includes Haruno Sakura too."

"But I'm just a-" Sakura started.

"Just a clone I know." Shizune said, "But the meeting is right now. I'm afraid that we're going to have to risk sending you in there. The real Sakura won't be back for at least a few days so we have to try to fool them into thinking that you are the real Haruno Sakura." The clone stood up with a worried expression. She knew that it would be easier said than done, especially if Kiba and his mother were going to be in there with her. The fake medic was sure that they could smell the difference between a person and a shadow clone.

"Okay." she said, straightening her medic's uniform, "I guess I'd better be going. I don't want to arouse suspicion by being even more late." The clone's heart was beating at an inhuman pace as she formed some handsigns, 'I hope she has the chakra for this...'A poof of smoke filled the room. When it dispersed, Shadow Sakura was gone. The Head Medic sighed. Even she didn't know how this meeting would turn out. She only hoped that everyone was in too much of a panic to pay any attention to a genin.

-

Shadow Sakura's footsteps rang through the corridor of the Hokage Mansion as she sped towards the meeting room. It was highly humiliating to be seen running in the medic's uniform which left nothing to the imagination. When she passed open doors, many male ninja gave her behind appreciative glances and some were even brave enough to do the same to her chest.

'I will not knock these perverts out. I will not knock these perverts out.'she chanted in her head as she slowed down. Of course, the urge certainly wasn't easy to resist. The men of the village certainly were the most perverted bunch of idiots that she had ever met. Naruto, Jiraiya, Kiba, Shikamaru just to name a few.

"I was just in the middle of something when I got called to this meeting. It's gonna be such a drag." came a familiar drawl that made Shadow Sakura cringe. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, "Sakura? What are you doing here?" She turned to see that not only Shikamaru was stood there but so were Choji and Ino. That made her cringe even more.

"Yeah, Haruno. This is a meeting for real ninjas." Ino sneered, "Not genin."

"I may be a genin, Piggy, but I can still kick your ass." Shadow Sakura spat. It was good to see that Ino was keeping to her word. The pinkette noticed that Shikamaru was gawping at her chest with no attempt at trying to be discreet. She walked up to the trio and sighed, "My face is up here, big boy." she smirked, forcing Shikamaru's face up so he was looking into her eyes, "And you're gonna catch flies." The shadow nin blushed and closed his mouth. Sakura felt a strange sense of satisfaction when she saw Ino's outraged look, "Well then, I don't know about you guys but I've got a meeting to get to."

The trio watched as the medic walked off down the corridor. Shikamaru's eyes had worked their way down to Sakura's behind, 'Boy...That's one troublesome woman.' he thought as a blush eased it's way onto his face again. Ino growled and stormed off, pulling Shikamaru down the corridor. Choji chuckled. The old rivalry was still there. Only this time, Sakura wasn't the one doing the chasing. The chubby jonin shook his head and followed his teammates down the corridor.

Shadow Sakura could sense several chakras in the room that she was waiting outside of. At least twenty that she recognised easily. The others had to be the councillors. The medic's heartbeat had begun racing again. It had calmed momentarily during her little spat with Ino but now she was sure people would be able to hear her heart. She rested a shaking hand on the door and pushed it open. With a deep breath she eased herself into the room where the mass of shinobi turned their attention to her.

"Haruno Sakura." Danzo said, glaring at her. His eye travelled up and down her body and he smirked, making her shiver. She couldn't believe a man who was three times her age was checking her out, "Take a seat beside...Inuzuka Kiba if you please." He indicated to the dog nin that Shadow Sakura had desperately been trying to avoid all week. Tsume was shooting a nasty glare at her which she returned full force. As the medic walked, she could feel the eyes of every man in the room watching her.

"Hey Sakura." Naruto smiled up at her from his seat beside Yamato. Sakura smiled at him and her former assistant sensei. Yamato merely nodded his head. She eventually took her seat beside Kiba and looked anywhere but at him. She didn't want to give him the opportunity to figure out the truth. She looked, instead, at Sai who was wearing a blank expression on his face.

'So I sent him back safely.' she thought, thankful that her real body's plan was going smoothly so far. That calmed her down a little bit. The fake medic watched Ino and her team walk in and take their seats before Danzo decided to start.

"I'm glad each of you could make it today." he smiled, trying to make everyone like him a little better. That kind of sycophantic attitude made Sakura feel a little sick, "I have a matter of great importance to discuss with each of you."

"You see...We have reason to believe that some of the villages that lie on our borders are plotting to try to cause trouble." Koharu continued for the Hokage. "And we feel that the only way to deal with this threat is to...flex our muscles so to speak." The eyes of many of the summoned people narrowed. Of course, this was exactly the militaristic action that the Hokage was known for.

"Of course," Danzo said, "We need to confirm this suspicion before we may act. Which is why I intend on sending a team of five of you to investigate." Shadow Sakura knew why she was needed now. The team would need a medic if they were to go into the 'danger' that Danzo had described, "So I will ask that Nara Shikamaru, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Yamanaka Ino and our only medic, Haruno Sakura to go on this mission." his eyes rested on Sakura as he said the whole list of names. He seemed to have been plucking names out of thin air. A completely random decision.

"There is no need to accept the mission if you believe it is beyond your capabilities." Homura said.

"That rules Haruno out then." Ino sneered again.

"Now now, Yamanaka-san." Danzo said with a smirk but he didn't take it any further. Sakura sighed. She wanted to refuse the mission but then Danzo would know that she had broken his mind control jutsu. The imitation medic found it curious that Kiba sent a glare in the Yamanaka princess' direction. It seemed his mother had the same thought as she was giving her son a strange look, "Do any of you have a problem with my selection?"

"As a matter of fact." Tsume began, quite out of the blue, "I happen to agree with Ino-chan. Haruno isn't the best person to go on a mission which will take her out of the village boundaries." Shadow Sakura's eyebrow twitched out of annoyance as the Inuzuka matriarch shot an extremely dirty look at her to accompany the statement, "I mean, can we really trust a woman who has repeatedly decieved us and attacked her own comrades?"

The pinkette's anger was almost palpable. She was grinding her teeth, ready to tear Tsume limb from limb, "Give me a reason to prove myself here and now by beating the living shit out of you, mutt." Sakura spat without thinking about her situation. Almost immediately, her hand flew to cover her mouth. Her eyes wide as Tsume glared at Sakura with such hatred that it would have killed someone.

"I knowyou didn't just say that Haruno." Tsume growled, her features becoming much more feral than usual. Beside her, Kiba was trying to calm his mother down. He really didn't want her to try to kill Sakura. He understood why Sakura had reacted like that. His mother's comment had been out of line. Tsume yanked her arm out of Kiba's grip with a snarl as she stood up sharply. Sakura took the challenge and stood also.

'I guess I'd better follow up my statement.'she thought, biting her lip to prevent a smart-ass comeback from creeping out of her lips. She simply stood still and made eye contact with Tsume which seemed to anger the dog mistress even further.

"C'mon then Haruno." Tsume growled, "Where's the action to back up that big talk?"

Nothing. There was just silence from the medic who maintained eye contact. This wasn't like the Haruno Sakura that Kiba had seen on the last mission he went on with her. She looked so much weaker now.

"That's because you ain't Haruno." the Inuzuka laughed. She pulled her fist back and struck Shadow Sakura in the face with brutal force. To everyone's surprise, Shadow Sakura disappeared in a cloud of white smoke leaving nothing behind. Tsume growled, "You see? The realHaruno Sakura isn't here." Danzo stood up sharply with an outraged look on his face. He never thought that Sakura would betray him.

'I put that jutsu on her. There's no way she could have defied me.' Danzo thought. For once, he was completely at a loss as to how he had failed so badly. He turned to the Rookie Nine, all of whom were on their feet with shock looks on their faces, "You have a new mission. I want each of the Rookie Nine to find and arrest Haruno Sakura. She will be made to answer for her actions. Don't return to the village without her. But I want her alive."

-

"FUCK!" Sakura said, standing up sharply. Itachi, Kisame and Sasori looked at her with confused expressions.

"What is it, Blossom?" Kisame asked as the medic unravelled the scroll more. She channeled chakra into a kanji symbol which erupted in a small poof of white smoke. In her hand was one of the teleportation scrolls that she had given to Sai so that he could get back to Konoha, "Blossom! What are you doing?"

"I need to get back to Konoha." Sakura said ugently, "They've found out that I've left. Danzo will want my head."

"Then we're going too." Kisame said standing up.

"DON'T BE AN IDIOT!" Sakura screamed, causing the whole cave to shake, "You three are missing-nin! If you're seen with me, then we'll all be killed on the spot. No, if I am arrested alone then maybe, just maybe, I can diffuse the situation." Sakura unrolled the scroll and placed it on the ground before standing ontop of it, "Besides, I need you three to do what I asked you to do. Everything you need is in those scrolls. Meet me at the point we agreed. Be discreet."

The trio nodded (Sasori was more reluctant) and Sakura's hands began to move in a blur as she weaved a complex web of handsigns. Kisame rolled the large scroll up, "Seal Jiraiya-sama's body in the scroll." Sakura said as she continued to make high speed signs, "I want to take him back to Konoha when this is all over." Kisame and Itachi nodded as Sakura exploded into a shower of cherry blossom petals just as Sai had done. The scent of the petals washed over the only two ninja who could actually smell.

"How appropriate for a Blossom, eh?" Kisame smirked. Itachi rolled his eyes at his partner's attempt at a joke.

-

The rookie nine leaped from rooftop to rooftop with Kiba, Shino and Hinata at their head. Kiba had put his and Akamaru's noses to work and Shino had his kikaichus searching for Sakura's chakra signature while Hinata did the same with her Byakugan. All that they other's could do was hope that the best trackers in Konoha were skilled enough to catch the most devious kunoichi in Konoha.

"Hinata, have you found anything yet?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing. Sorry Kiba-san." she said quietly. He sighed. Shino hadn't found anything either. That was until the bug master picked up on a sudden surge of chakra to his left, in the direction of Sakura's home.

"Kiba!" Shino said urgently. The dog-nin nodded. He too had picked up on something in the direction of Sakura's apartment. Neither of the pair of them could be too sure that it actually was Sakura because it was such a powerful feeling chakra. Much more powerful than Sakura had ever been. The pair of them began to veer off to the right which made the group follow them. None of the group had expected the trio to find her so quickly. Many of them had thought that Sakura had left the village if a shadow clone had taken her place at the meeting.

'That woman just doesn't learn does she?' Kiba thought. Although, he did admire the fact that she was daring enough to try to fool Danzo right under his nose. It seemed to be a little bit of a trend. Sakura tries to fool a powerful shinobi and gets caught. First by Kakashi and then by Danzo. It was almost amusing. The dog-nin had to supress a smirk as the group of ninjas sped up the staircase of Sakura's apartment block, "Guys. When we get there, you lot wait outside. I'll try to get Sakura to come peacefully."

"Please. She'll kick your ass." Naruto chuckled, "I'm going to talk to her."

"You'll try and hump her leg Uzumaki." Kiba growled. Naruto blushed at the man's suggestion. He was, of course, referring to his obsession with her when they were younger. But he was better now. Honestly.

"Better than trying to hump her everywhere else!" the fox boy snapped back.

"You're both wrong." Shino said, breaking them both up, "Why? Because I'm the one who's going in there. Got that?" The pair of them looked at Shino weirdly, "It is better to have a person who thinks clearly and can keep calm when someone isn't being cooperative. Both of you have short tempers."

"Asshole." Kiba muttered with a pout. He didn't like people pointing out his faults, especially when they had a point. It seemed Naruto had the same thought. The bug master broke away from the group and began to lead the way to Sakura's apartment. He stuck his hand out to tell the rest of the group to wait on the stairs where Sakura wouldn't be able to see them and walked over to the door that was to the left of the stairs.

"Wrong way." Kiba hissed with a smirk as Shino walked silently to the right again. He could sense the embarrassment coming from his best friend. Naruto let out a stifled laugh. Shino sighed before rapping his knuckles on the door that he knew was Sakura's. It was a couple of minutes before he heard the sound of shuffling and a sigh.

"This had better be good. I was just- Shino?!" the pinkette who answered the door asked in shock. Her emerald eyes were narrowed slightly in confusion, "What are you doing here?"

"May I come in? I would like to talk to you." Shino said.

"Erm...Okay." Sakura said, her eyes darting to the stairwell, 'Fools. They think I can't sense their chakras. And Kiba's hair...'She rolled her eyes at the tuft of brown hair that she could see poking around the corner. It was obvious that the dog-nin didn't understand what 'hiding' was all about. Sakura stepped aside, opening the door to allow Shino through into her home, "Can I get you anything?" she asked, trying to maintain an innocent air while inside, she knew exactly why Shino and the other's had come to see her.

"No." Shino answered abrupty, "I'm fine." Sakura motioned for him to sit down while she put some distance between them by sitting on the single chair, "Where were you this morning?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"The meeting." he reminded her, "Why did you send a clone rather than come yourself?" To his surprise, Sakura let out a laugh as she swept her hair behind her.

"Honestly?" she asked, "I couldn't be bothered."

"That's a poor attitude to have as a shinobi." Shino scolded, "Especially when it makes one's superiors angry."

"Danzo?" Sakura asked, "Shino listen." The pinkette leaned forward, "He can kiss my ass for all I care. There is one thing that I will neverdo, and that is his bidding. His isn't Hokage. He will never be Hokage in my eyes. That position belongs to two, maybe three people. One of whom is dead." Shino found his classmate's loyalty to her former shishou touching and admirable but when it meant that she was causing trouble for him and his comrades, he had to do something.

"He wants me to arrest you." Shino said.

"Arrest me? For sending a shadow clone to a meeting I was too tired to attend?!" Sakura asked faking an incredulous look. Shino nodded.

"But, just by reading your chakra...I can sense that I wouldn't stand a chance of aprehending you alone." he sighed, "Only a fool would challenge you now."

"Is that why you're both trying to drain my chakra and contact Kiba outside?" Sakura smiled sweetly. The medic hadn't said anything before about the fact that she could feel the tiny bites coming from the man's kikaichus around her ankles. Even behind his glasses, she could see that he was shocked that she had noticed. Using a trick that Tsunade had taught her, Sakura turned part of her chakra into electricity and sent it to her ankles. The bugs trying to drain her energy were zapped as they absorbed the electrical chakra and fell from her body, stunned.

"Sakura..." Shino warned. The medic could hear the agitated clicking of the bugs inside him and laughed.

"Shino. Please leave before I have to hurt you." she continued smiling, "And tell the rest of them that I'm not going to see Danzo dead or alive." She stood up and walked to the door before resting her hand on the handle, getting ready to pull it down and open the door. Shino rose from his seat and just looked at Sakura. On the outside, she was pleasant but he could sense the real threat coming from her that he had never ever felt from her before.

'How did she get so strong so quickly?' he wondered. "Sakura, I'm not leaving without you." The medic sighed. She didn't want to hurt Shino and fighting an arrest ordered by the Hokage, no matter what Sakura thought of him, would only make everything much worse for her. Shino's bugs had begun to creep out of his sleeves as she delayed him.

"Well then." she said with a smile, "I guess we'd better be going hadn't we?" Shino frowned. She was acting extremely strangely, even for Sakura. He hadn't expected her to change her mind so quickly. The medic's hand pulled the handle down and she strode out of the door, not even waiting for the bug master to follow her. "Guys...You need to work on your hiding abilities." Sakura laughed as she walked down the stairs.

'This is it. Stage four of the plan is about to begin.' she thought with an evil smirk as she passed her friends. The look on her face worried Naruto and even Ino. The Yamanaka princess was only feining her hatred of the blossom. Inside, she was still scared of what Sakura was becoming.

-

"Oh! It's the execution committee." Sakura smiled as she walked into the room that the meeting had been held in previously. All of the clan heads as well as Kakashi and Yamato were there. Her graduating class walked in behind her. Danzo looked absolutely livid at Sakura's blatant disregard for his orders.

"Haruno." he began, "Why weren't you at the meeting today when I expressly said that you had to attend?" His glare was the first bit of negative emotion that Sakura had ever seen from the man, "You were told to attend."

"Was I?" Sakura asked.

"In fact, I made sure you would obey me." Danzo said, "Thanks to a jutsu that you yourself developed." That statement made Sakura burst out in raucous laughter. Everyone in the room gave her a weird look as she continued to laugh at the old man in front of her, "How could you defy me?"

"I'm sorry. I just thought you said that I would 'obey' you." Sakura smirked, "I wasn't aware that I was merely a meat puppet."

"You are what I tell you to be." Danzo growled, leaning over the desk.

"Oh really?" she asked, appearing right in front of the Hokage in the blink of an eye. Even Kakashi was taken aback by the speed Sakura had moved with, "Because I was under the impression that the Hokagegave orders here. Not some insignificant little worm." Danzo's visible eye flashed angrily before he pulled up his emotionless facade. Behind her, Sakura heard two of her friends snort with laughter. 'Kiba. Naruto. You always were the children of the group.' she smiled.

"I am Hokage." Danzo said.

"No. You're not." Sakura sighed, walking away from the desk, "As I told Shino before, only three people could possiblybe Hokage in my eyes."

"And who would they be?" Danzo asked.

"Tsunade-shishou, obviously." she began, "And the other two...I think I'll keep them a secret. I don't want you killing them out of jealousy." The smile on Sakura's face was genuine. She was loving pushing Danzo's buttons. It was funny to see him trying to supress his anger and keep his cool like he thought a leader should. He sat back down and sighed. The clan leaders were looking from Danzo to Sakura with shocked faces.

"Arrest her." Danzo said simply after clicking his fingers. Numerous ANBU agents jumped out from nowhere with their weapons drawn, ready to pounce on the pinkette.

"You move, you die." Sakura snarled, her smile vanishing instantly. Her chakra pulsed throughout the room, making her killer intent known. Sakura wasn't about to let them take her away. Not yet at least. The ninjas froze in place, not sure whether to take her seriously. The chakra sensors in the room such as the Inuzukas and Aburames were staring at Sakura with wide eyes. Kiba had never seen Sakura like this. She looked truly fearsome, like someone who was ready to kill everyone in the room if she had to. It was one of the few times that he actually feared for his life.

'What is she? This is insane.' he thought. Sakura aproached Danzo.

"You are sadly mistaken if you think that I am going to....oh what's the phrase?" she asked, turning to the rest of the room, "Oh yeah. Come quietly." The medic's hand shot to the pouch on her waist and pulled out a trio of spherical objects.

"Smoke bombs." Kakashi muttered, "Sakura. Just give yourself up. This is only going to make things worse for you."

"I don't think it will Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said, shaking her head, "How can things possibly get worse? My shishou is dead. My ninja life is going down the toilet and everyone already thinks I'm a traitor. What I'm going to do will help both myself and everyone else too." There was a tone of finality to her voice that no-one in the room liked. Danzo eyed Sakura up warily. He wasn't sure what she was about to do. He was still shaken from the fact that she was so blatantly turning against her village in front of a congregation of the most powerful shinobi to ever live.

"Sakura. Think about what you're saying!" Yamato said. Ever since he trained her and Naruto, he cared about the pinkette and didn't want to see her throw everything she worked for away on a gamble.

"I already have." Sakura sighed, "I've been thinking for a very long time. And you know what I've decided?"

"..." Danzo's eyes were boring into the blossom with an intensity that seemed almost inhuman. He leaned back quickly when a kunai flew right at him.

"Don't even try it." Sakura snarled, brandishing another three in her hand while she held the three bombs in her other, "Your Sharingan will not work against me. Don't even try." The chakra around her brain was pulsing, causing her to think at an accelerated speed as well as protected her from the mind control jutsu that Danzo was trying to place on her, "Right. Now I've really decided."

"Sakura-chan." Naruto whispered. He didn't like the tone of Sakura's voice.

"I'M DONE WITH THIS CESSPIT OF A VILLAGE!!!" she screamed, causing the entire building to shake as she stomped a foot on the floor.

"SAKURA!" Naruto shouted, "NO! You can't turn your back on us!"

"Why not?" Sakura challenged, "I've saved each and every one of your lives at one point or another and what do I get?" She stormed over to Tsume and lifted her up by the scruff of her neck, "I get mutts like this one selling me out. Calling me weak. Useless. Pathetic." Sakura threw Tsume against the wall with a roar and Kiba ran over to his mother to help. The pinkette's eyes were brimming with tears. Years of hurt shone in them, "Do you have any idea how much that hurts? Any of you? The only one...the only one who ever understood...that was Naruto."

Naruto was looking at his feet. Everyone knew of his hardships. Living without a mother or father, being hated by an entire village. Sure it hurt but not as much as having what you loved ripped away from you like Sakura had. Only he knew how much Sakura was hurting.

"Sakura. That's not true-" Kakashi started.

"YOU!" she screamed, "You're the worst! When you trained us it was always Sasuke! 'Sasuke this, Sasuke that. Sakura who?'" Kakashi fell silent as Sakura glared at him, her tears now falling, "But..." she sighed, calming down a little, "If I hadn't been so completely pissed off with your sexist style of teaching, I'd never have sought Tsunade-shishou out. I'd never have become the kunoichi I am today."

No-one knew what to say. The shy, timid little girl was long, long gone. Now, before them stood a strong independant woman. The spitting image of her former shishou, and she wasn't taking any shit from anyone anymore. Kakashi, as shocked as he was, had to admit, she really had grown. Too bad he hadn't contributed to it as much as he thought he had.

"And finally, the usurper." Sakura snarled, glaring at Danzo, "I wish you luck in your job as Hokage. Kami knows you'll need it." She raised the hand which held the smoke bombs high in the air and turned to her friends, "See you later." she said as she threw them to the ground, causing the room to be filled to bursting with thick, black smoke. Naruto's back straigtened when he felt lips press against his cheek.

"Give him hell from me, Naruto." came a mischievious whisper in his ear which made the fox-nin grin like an idiot. He knew that his childhood friend was smiling too when she had said that. 'Sure thing Sakura-chan.' he thought.

-

"Man, Blossom. We heard your performance all the way out here." Kisame laughed as he handed Sakura a cloak and hat matching his own. A blush crossed her cheeks as she put them on, "Are they to your liking, Leader-sama?"

"Yes." Sakura smiled, "You don't think I overdid it on the anger did you?"

"Of course not." Itachi smirked, "It was fun to hear you put Danzo in his place. I'd have paid to see his face." Sakura laughed as she pulled the hat onto her head, becoming a fully fledged member of the newly reformed Akatsuki.

"Now then. Let's get going, shall we?" Sakura smirked, "I think Konoha will like my little surprise."


Did you enjoy that? I know that I enjoyed writing it. It felt good to get some of Sakura's rant off her chest. But don't worry! She won't be gone for too long. And you can be sure that Naruto will keep his promise to her even if it kills him. It looks like things are going to get interesting inside (and outside of) Konoha doesn't it. *insert evil laugh here*

Just a heads up, if you haven't voted on my poll yet, you have until Wednesday (UK time) before I close it and start to add more romance to the plot. So get voting (if you want of course)

Review if you'd like :)

Thanks for reading,
Eternal