Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto: Shippuuden, it is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Note: I get that Yagura's story was a lot different in the show, than it is here. I also get that I'm heavily changing Mei's backstory (If she even has one... I've tried to find it.). But dammit it's my story! Lol. Plus, I need to tie some things together.


"It's what she can do with lightning in particular, and her past that drive me to get her back as quickly as possible."

Naruto glanced up at the Mizukage, his eyebrow raised. "Eh? What do you mean? What can she do with lightning?"

Sakura stood next to the blonde, folding her arms. "And what about her past? What makes that so important?"

Mei looked down, a shadow covered her eyes as she sighed lowly. "Well... I may as well start with her past..." The red-haired woman bit her lip, while staring at her desk. "When she was young... She and her sister watched as her parents were beaten to death... By two of our own."

Kakashi's eye fully opened, as he looked at Mei. "What? Why didn't anyone?..." He trailed off, having a feeling he knew the answer already.

Mei shook her head, as she glanced up at Kakashi, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I wasn't the Mizukage then... I was a simple Jounin who had no say... But speaking of me..."

She glanced out the window, seeing that rain had begun to pour in the village. "I was returning from a mission when I heard the cries of two young girls... No one went to help them, so I investigated." She shook her head, trying not to get lost in her past. "They were so frightened when they saw me... I can't blame them, honestly. They were betrayed by their home... And such a horrific event left them so fragile... When I saw they had no one... I did the first thing that came to mind."

"You adopted them..." The three looked at Anko in slight surprise, before looking back at Mei.

The red-haired woman had a small smile on her face, as she nodded. "Yes... I adopted them... Emi, and her older sister Kira." Mei hugged herself, as she looked down. "I knew that I could never replace their parents... But I did my best to show them the love and care that any parent should..."

The Godaime laughed to herself slightly, brushing some hair from her eyes. "They were so gifted, too... Both had the potential of becoming great ninja." Mei's smile proceeded to fade to a more somber look. "I wanted to train them both, but Kira proved to be the prideful little girl... And Emi and I weren't exactly close... Even then, I loved them both so much." She looked up at the group, smiling all the while. "They both graduated with flying colors, as well. They went on missions constantly, and always finished them successfully... I couldn't have been prouder."

Her smile faded, slowly turning into a frown, as she continued. "Some time before Yagura's death, they tested out Emi's powers, as she was a new Genin, they needed to see her potential." She looked up at the group, a hint of a smile showing on her features. "She was astounding... She had the potential to be one of the strongest ninja in history. Think about it, being able to move yourself at high speeds, by using electrical currents? Being able to use lightning based abilities with only a slight amount of chakra? Along with her water manipulation, she had the potential to be very powerful... I was so proud, but also afraid of what could have, and almost happened."

Her eye closed slightly, giving a sort of dulled look. "Yagura called me into his office after the tests... And told me what he planned to do... It wasn't for consent or anything, he just wanted me to hear it, since I was Emi's Mother... He had wished to transfer his Bijuu into her... To make her his weapon... His tool for war." As she said this, her words were laced in venom.

Naruto's eyes fully opened from Mei's words. "Eh? He was a jinchuuriki? Which one?"

Mei brushed some hair from her eyes, as she glanced up at Naruto. "The Sanbi." She pinched the bridge of her nose, while shaking her head slowly. "To this day, it still doesn't make sense... Yagura was a manipulator, but he would never purposefully make himself weaker... I worked for him long enough to know that..." She then let out a sigh in slight relief. "Luckily though, he died before he could go through with his plans... Emi was almost thirteen by the time that happened. The council of the mist made me Mizukage after that without delay... We were happy, the village was happy... Life was going great."

A small, and somewhat sad smile appeared on Naruto's features, he could feel Mei's emotions, and it left him conflicted. Mei's smile instantly left, as her lip began to quiver. "That's when the good times ended, though..." Her eyes twitched, feeling tears build up in them. "When Emi was sixteen, and Kira was eighteen... gasp...!" She hiccuped, as tears flowed down her face. "I-I'm sorry... Not really acting like a kage now, am I?..."

Sakura went to Mei's side, and put a hand on her shoulder. "No... It's okay, we understand that this is hard... You don't have to continue if you don't wish to."

Mei shook her head, and put on a smile for them anyways, despite the tears that continued to flow from her eyes. "I-I'm fine... Really." She wiped her eyes, biting her lip even more in hopes that would keep them from returning. "Kira... Was on a mission, and they ran into trouble... In the end, her team left her for dead... And watched as she was killed."

The entire group stared at Mei wide-eyed. Kakashi grimaced, while looking to the side. Mei looked down after that, her eyes hiding in the shadows. "Emi didn't speak much after that... And our relationship was more distant than ever before. She treated me like a stranger than a parent... A friend..."

She let out a laugh, while the tears of her pent-up sorrow fell down her face. "Despite that, I loved her... She and Kira were what made my life have meaning... Now it's her and my duties as the Mizukage."

The group looked at each other, then back at Mei, Sakura being the one to speak. "And after that?..."

Mei gave a slight shrug, as she stared down at the desk. "The years between then and the time she left went pretty well... She actually got to that point where we were becoming closer again. Things were starting to look up." She then grimaced, as she looked down. "Then when she was twenty two, she found out that the two who killed her birth parents were released from prison..."

Kakashi sighed, while looking down, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "There's always corruption somewhere..."

Mei nodded to Kakashi's words, and closed her eyes. "Yeah... I never saw Emi so... Angry... She blamed me for what happened, and she had every right to... I wasn't doing my job as Mizukage."

"No, you never could have known that something like that would have happened." Mei looked up at Naruto in slight surprise, before looking down, not saying anything in response.

The pinkette looked at Naruto with a worried look plastered on her face. She then looked back at the Godaime. "I'm assuming she did what I think she did?..."

Mei bit her lip, not looking back up at them. "Hai... She murdered them... She retreated from the village before we could get there." She then sat up, her eyes had bags under them, exhausted from the emotion she poured out. "And here we are, two years later..."

Naruto looked down, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the floor. Mei grimaced, while looking at the blonde jinchuuriki. "I understand if you don't bring her back... The crimes she's most definitely committed under the Akatsuki's name are..."

"I will bring your daughter back to you."

Mei's eyes widened greatly, as Naruto picked his head up. "Emi went through a lot of pain and loss in her life... The reason she left was simply because she gave up. On humanity, on hope... everything. A perfect state of mind for Madara to get her to join him..." His frown, then turned into a small smile. "But that doesn't mean she can't gain that hope again... I will get her back, so you can give her the help she needs, and deserves... I promise my life on that."

Mei's eyes grew, tears building in them all the while. Despite that, she smiled. She had never felt so touched... So hopeful from someone's words. His promise didn't feel empty to her, it felt sincere. "T...Thank you... All of you." She then turned to Sakura, letting out a small laugh. "I can see why you like him... He's got a way with words."

The pinkette returned Mei's smile with one of her own. "Yeah... He really does."


The group walked out of the building, and looked up at the rain pouring down on them.

Kakashi's lazy eye glanced up at the dark clouds above them, and shook his head. "Guess we'll be staying in Kirigakure for the night..."

Anko stretched her arms, groaning all the while. "Good, because I'm to fuckin' tired to cross the ocean again."

Naruto laughed at this, as the group walked to find an inn.

The pinkette didn't laugh though. Something else was on her mind. She closed an eye, as she started to feel rather... Sick.

'Ugh... why do I feel like this? I feel like I'm about to throw up any second...'

'Did you eat something bad?'

'No, rather I've barely eaten anything today!'

'Maybe that's the reason? I mean, you can start feeling nausea from not eating enough.'

'But that's just it, I'm not hungry. My chest hurts too... And earlier today I felt like what may have been a cramp.'

'Those are some rather odd symptoms to have together.'

'Yeah...'

Being the nurse she is, she began to think of just what she could possibly have from the symptoms present.

'This might take a bit to think about...'

As she thought about it, the group found an inn, and checked out two rooms. As they did, a loud growl could be heard.

This knocked Sakura out of her thoughts, as she along with Kakashi and Anko turned to Naruto. Said blonde was rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry... Guess I'm hungry."

Kakashi closed his eye, smiling all the while. "Well, we could always go grab something to eat..."

Anko did a fist pump as the group walked out of the building. "Yeah! And it's on Kakashi-kun, too!"

Said gray-haired jounin sighed lowly, as he looked at the purple haired woman. "Alright alright."

Naruto looked around, until he saw a place. "Oh, a sushi bar is still open."

Kakashi rubbed his chin, as he nodded. "Haven't had sushi for a while... Sure."

The blonde looked over at the pinkette, with a raised eyebrow. "You okay with tha... Sakura-chan?"

He picked up on the fact that she was hunched slightly, and looked kinda green in the face. The blonde walked over to her, and put a hand on her arm, knocking her out of her trance. "You okay?"

Sakura blinked, as she looked up at Naruto, and gave him a tired smile. "O-Oh... Yeah I'm okay..."

Naruto's look of worry just wouldn't go away, as he shook his head. "Sakura-chan, you don't look like you're alright. You should go get some rest."

The pinkette was about to argue, until he put one of the room keys in her hand. She let out a sigh, as she nodded. "Okay..."

She turned, and walked off, heading back to the inn. When they saw she was going back, the three went into the restaurant.

Once she heard the door close, she turned her head, just to make sure they were inside. "Okay... Time to make a quick stop before I go to the inn..." She turned, and went toward her selected shop.

'Maybe I'm wrong... But I have to know.'


"So, what're you gonna do about this?"

"Hm?" Naruto opened an eye, after popping a piece of sushi into his mouth. "About what?"

Kakashi set his chopsticks down on his empty plate, as he leaned over the table a bit. "About Emi... How are you going to convince her to go back?"

The blonde blinked at this, then scratched his cheek. "That's a good point... What am I gonna do?"

Anko had a deadpan look on her face, as she held her piece of sushi. "You don't even have a plan?..."

Naruto shrugged, as he ate another piece. "Well... I don't really need to convince her. Her Mother should be the one who does that. All I need to do is beat her, then bring her back." He gave a fox-like grin, while setting down his chopsticks. "Piece of cake, right?"

Kakashi rubbed his temples, while keeping his eye closed. "That can't be all you're planning..."

The blonde sipped his sake, as he glanced at Kakashi. "Well, it's not like I can convince her. She doesn't know me, and if I tried it wouldn't be as effective, because it's not coming from someone she can truly connect with, just a stranger. Doesn't help that Madara has basically made her hate me."

Kakashi nodded as he sat up. "Yeah... You do have a point."

Sakura, meanwhile, opened the door to hers and Naruto's room, holding a bag. "Alright..." She walked into the bathroom, and stared into the mirror. "I really don't look good..."

'Are you sure about this assumption? It's a pretty out there one.'

'True... But all the symptoms match, and anything else that relates to these symptoms, would bring a fever along with them, which I don't have.'

She dug into the bag, and pulled out a small box. She stared down at the box, feeling the outside world completely shut off. She could hear her heart beat, as she could feel herself getting anxious.

'Girl, you okay?...'

'No... I'm not okay... I'm so afraid...'

Sakura gulped, as she opened the box. She then closed and locked the door. She held the object in her hand shakily, as she looked down.

'Maybe... Maybe I shouldn't do this! I mean... Who knows, it's probably just me getting ahead of myself...!'

'Look... Even though it's an out there assumption... You've gotta know...'

She nodded, as she began to do what the box instructed. She bit her lip while grimacing. She didn't know how to feel at this point. She was both anxious and excited, afraid and hopeful.

Sakura sighed, as she sat on the toilet, waiting for the results.

'W...What if I'm right?...'

'Well... How would you feel about it?'

'I don't know...! I mean... the idea of it makes me feel all warm inside, but I'm also afraid as well...'

'What if you were wrong?'

Sakura's eyes fully opened at Inner's words. She felt... Sad. She didn't know why, but she did.

'I would be relieved... Because now isn't the best time... But I'd also feel... Sad...'

'Well. Time to find out, girl...'

The pinkette gulped, as she trembled. She was so frustrated from her conflicting emotions. She knew that now was the moment of truth.

She looked down at the object, her pupils shrinking as she saw the results. She put a hand over her mouth, as tears built up in her eyes. "O...Oh my god..."

'You were right...'

"I... I'm pregnant."


*Takes off sunglasses* My god... PLOT!

Man this chapter was so much fun to write! Hell it's why I was able to write it so much faster than the last one.

So... Sakura's pregnant... Yeah. Lol.

Later.