A/N:

Thank you so much for all of the support! Seeing everyone so excited for this story makes me even more excited to show it to you.

One thing of note in this chapter—I know a lot of people have feelings about flashbacks and dream sequences in stories. While I did ultimately move away from using them in this story, there were two that I wanted to keep, and one of them is in this chapter. But if you absolutely hate them, rest assured it will not be a regular thing.

And now, back to your regularly scheduled ANBU programming!

It had finally happened. Sakura was going to be on an ANBU team. It was the culmination of everything she had worked so hard to achieve. She was filled with elation—right up to the moment when her new captain's growl rang through the office.

"Absolutely not."

Tsunade looked surprised when Kakashi spoke up to argue with her, as if she wasn't used to him disobeying her. "You have something to say, Hatake?" she said in a dark voice—the kind of voice that Sakura knew was a warning to him to think carefully about what he was going to say next.

"I don't need a medic," Kakashi said bluntly. "None of us do." Sakura watched Genma and Tenzo, her other new teammates, exchange a look as Kakashi continued, "She won't be able to keep up. Medics don't belong in ANBU."

All other thoughts flew out of Sakura's mind to be replaced with the familiar anger of being underestimated. She didn't even think; she rarely did in situations like this. Instead, she just took a step and swung—and with enough chakra behind her fist to show that she meant it.

It happened fast, but not so fast that she didn't see Kakashi's eyes widen in surprise and then pain as he instinctively caught her fist in his hand. Idiot, she thought, though a very small part of her was impressed that he only made a very small sound at the back of his throat—with her strength, she knew it had hurt.

Genma, sounding amused, suggested, "I've got an idea. How about we don't hit our teammates?"

"I'll show you exactly how well I can keep up. Any time. Any place," Sakura threatened, even as a rush of embarrassment went through her. She had lost her temper in front of Tsunade. Again.

"What a convenient display of your anger management issues, Sakura," Tsunade said dryly as Sakura, abashed, returned to attention. "It perfectly illustrates the other reason you're joining Team Ro. Kakashi, I expect you to teach Sakura discipline."

Sakura could feel her face heating up and opened her mouth to protest, but Kakashi beat her to it. "Lady Hokage, please reconsider. A green medic in the field—a green medic with a lack of personal control—it's a recipe for disaster."

Tsunade's honey-colored eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're not disobeying a direct order, are you, Hatake?"

Sakura heard a slow, controlled exhale leave Kakashi's nose before he calmly answered, "No, Lady Hokage."

"Good." Clapping her hands together once so that the sound rang through the room, Tsunade nodded. "Genma, Tenzo, take Sakura down to ANBU headquarters so she can be outfitted. Hatake, you stay."

Sakura filed out of the office behind Genma and Tenzo, and none of them broke the silence as they traveled down the stairs to the street. Once outside, both men stopped short and looked at her expectantly. "Ready to go?" Genma asked.

Sakura should've wanted to go. That was what she'd been ordered to do. But something was sticking in her mind—that little sound, barely noticeable, that Kakashi had made when he'd caught her fist. There was a good chance that she'd fractured at least one of the bones in his hand. All she could think about was how it was now her job to heal him. It definitely was not her job to hurt him because she couldn't control her temper.

"Let's wait a minute," she said, and Genma and Tenzo seemed to understand. At least, they didn't argue. The three of them took up positions against the wall, waiting for their captain to show up.

"Your objection is noted, Hatake. What I can't understand is—why aren't you stopping this from happening?"

Kakashi frowned, not sure what she meant. "Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade leaned against her desk and stared at him fiercely. "I've given you the out. You just have to take it."

Ever since the Third Hokage had first asked him if he'd like to leave ANBU and take a student team, this question had come up regularly—and Tsunade had only continued the tradition when she'd stepped into the role. Kakashi briefly closed his eyes, raising his hand to pinch the bridge his nose but stopping when a sharp pain lanced through his hand. He really shouldn't have caught that punch.

"Are you ordering me to leave ANBU?" Kakashi asked quietly, returning his attention to Tsunade.

Tsunade frowned. "I've told you that will be your choice, and I haven't changed my mind about that. But I strongly urge you to reconsider. If you're not up to doing this anymore—if you don't want to take Sakura onto your team—just step down, Kakashi. No one will think any less of you."

He didn't want Sakura on the team—when he thought about having a medic on Team Ro, all he could think of was Rin, and how ill-suited she'd been to field work. Medics just didn't belong in the field. But he wasn't about to get pushed off of his own team.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment, and then Tsunade sighed as it became apparent that he wasn't going to accept her offer. Sensing the conversation was over, Kakashi pulled his hound mask into place. "Is there anything else, Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade sank into her chair, waving her hand. "You're dismissed."

Turning smartly on his heel, Kakashi left the room and moved through the building without really seeing his surroundings, his thoughts turned inward. He knew Tsunade wanted him to quit, wanted him to start teaching some of the next generation of shinobi—but he found it hard to believe that he had anything worthwhile to teach them. He wasn't exactly the best example of a healthy, well-functioning soldier.

He came to a halt as he walked out the exit and immediately came across the members of his team. Genma and Tenzo had both replaced their masks and were looking out at the village, but Sakura was watching the door expectantly, waiting for him.

She strode toward him with a determined look on her face and put her hands out. "I need to see your hand."

She sounded so sure of herself that Kakashi held out his aching hand to her without thinking, hissing slightly when her fingers sent probing tendrils of chakra into his palm. Sakura's brow knotted, and she didn't quite meet his eye when she muttered, "I shouldn't have lost my temper."

"Was that an apology? I don't think he heard you. You might want to speak up," Genma piped up from behind her, having turned his attention to what she was doing.

Sakura visibly bristled but didn't take the bait, lifting fierce green eyes to stare at Kakashi and speaking to him instead. "I can do this. I'll show you." He could feel the small bones of his hands knitting back together with a tingling sensation that was slightly painful, but he was focused instead on the intense stare she was fixing him with. "You'll be glad that I'm on the team. I promise."

Kakashi didn't answer her, looking down to watch closely as she repaired the damage she'd done. When she finished, she pulled her chakra back into her own body and released his hand, letting her own fall to her sides. Kakashi flexed his hand experimentally, finding it back to normal, and raised his gaze back to hers.

"Tomorrow morning, six o'clock, Training ground 3," he said. Pausing, he shifted his gaze to Genma, and then Tenzo. "All of you. We're going to train." Looking back to Sakura, he added, "You can bring your temper. You're going to need it."

He saw her brow furrow again and she parted her lips as if to speak, but he'd already flashstepped away in a flurry of leaves.

"So… is he always like that?" Sakura looked up from where she was having the red ANBU swirl indelibly inked on her upper arm to where Genma and Tenzo sat. Neither of the men needed to ask who she was talking about.

"Like what?" Tenzo asked disingenuously.

"Like he has a huge stick up his ass," she fired back, not willing to sugarcoat it.

Genma frowned around the senbon he had in his mouth. "Well, I don't know—are you always so fucking rude?" he drawled, having obviously decided to take offense for his captain's sake.

Sakura gave him a scowl. "I just want to know if he's always going to hate me."

"He doesn't hate you," Genma said. "He just doesn't want you on the team. He probably wouldn't have me or Tenzo on the team either, if he could help it."

"Why not?" Sakura frowned slightly as her eyes drifted back down to her tattoo-in-progress and she resisted the urge to try to touch it.

Genma sighed, leaning back in his chair and linking his hands behind his head. "I think he just doesn't like it when other people take risks on his account." Tenzo made a small hum of agreement.

Sakura probably should've shown some gratitude that they were both willing to open up to her, but she snorted instead. "Then maybe he shouldn't be the captain of an ANBU squad."

Tenzo winced. "You probably shouldn't tell him that."

"I'm not stupid," she replied. Of course she wouldn't actually tell him that. She would never say something like that to her direct superior… probably.

They lapsed into a silence broken only by the low whirring of the tattoo gun. Both men had accompanied Sakura to ANBU headquarters in order to retrieve her new uniform. Everything—including her new sword—was included in the bundle; everything except her mask, which she was told would be delivered by her captain. As she watched the last bit of her tattoo get colored in, she mused on what her codename would be.

Genma finally stood up, stretching lazily. "Looks like you're about done, so I'm out of here."

Tenzo stood as well, nodding to her. "It was nice to meet you, Sakura."

"Don't forget about training in the morning. Kakashi will kill you if you're late." Pausing, Genma smirked a little. "Also, we're going to have a team bonding session tomorrow night."

Sakura frowned. "What kind of team bonding?"

Scoffing slightly, as if she'd asked a stupid question, Genma replied, "The kind that involves a lot of sake."

Sakura looked doubtfully at Tenzo, who smiled slightly as he said, "It'll be fun. Genma's pretty amusing when he's drunk and trying to flirt with anything that moves."

As the man tattooing her finished and wiped the remaining ink and blood from her skin, Sakura raised a brow at them. "What about the captain?"

Genma flashed her a grin. "I doubt he'll come. Didn't we already establish that he has a stick up his ass?" he taunted, completely bypassing the fact that he'd gotten mad at her for saying the same thing. Without waiting for her answer, Genma turned and lifted a hand in farewell, tossing over his shoulder, "See you later." Tenzo, much less loquacious than his teammate, merely gave her a small smile before he left as well.

Sakura sighed, barely listening as the tattoo artist explained the aftercare for her tattoo. Instead, her mind was focused on tomorrow—not on whatever ridiculous "bonding" Genma had in mind, but on the morning training session. Kakashi was obviously a hardass who didn't think she had what it took to make it in ANBU, and she had a feeling that he'd be doing his best to prove it.

Gritting her teeth in determination, Sakura stood and gathered her uniform and sword. If Kakashi thought he could intimidate her into dropping out, he was going to learn differently tomorrow.

Sakura's breath came fast as she approached the Valley of the End, desperate to close the remaining distance between herself and her two teammates. As she got closer, she could hear the unmistakable sound of battle.

As she burst from the tree line into the clearing, she caught sight of Naruto and Sasuke racing toward each other across the open water, both transformed by the inhuman powers that were housed within them. Naruto's body was covered with shimmering red fox chakra, while Sasuke's bestial transformation had left him with dull grey skin, batlike wings, and wicked-looking claws.

They looked like monsters—or gods.

Sakura watched them helplessly from the sidelines, trying to figure out what to do. Anko-sensei would tell her to do something. Anything. As she watched, Sasuke went on the offensive, expertly hurling rounds of shuriken as Naruto deflected them one by one—until the last one got through his guard, burying itself in his right shoulder.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she finally launched into a run.

Naruto's attention was temporarily diverted to her, and that was all the opening that Sasuke needed. In a moment's time—the kind of moment that was so small but would impact her world forever—Sasuke closed the final distance between himself and Naruto and drove his clawed hand into Naruto's chest.

"No!" Sakura shrieked as she ran across the water. Sasuke ripped his fist out of his teammate, the bloody remains of Naruto's heart in his hand. Naruto's trembling legs, no longer capable of supporting him, gave out beneath him and his body fell limply to the water's surface.

Sakura reached his side and fell to her knees. Naruto's body was beginning to sink beneath the waves as he lost control of his chakra. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, she screamed his name again as she struggled to hold him above the water, her eyes burning with tears.

Naruto looked up at her with wide, glassy eyes, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something—but nothing but blood bubbled out, livid and scarlet against his rapidly paling skin. The red chakra that had enveloped him was fizzling and rapidly disappearing as the tailed beast inside him failed to heal such grievous damage. Even it could not replace a heart. Sakura fruitlessly shook him, as if she would be able to make him snap out of it, but she could do nothing but watch the light fade from her teammate's eyes.

A keening sound rose in her throat, but it sounded distant, like it was coming from someone else. Still desperately trying to keep Naruto's body above water, hot tears coursing down her face, Sakura wasn't prepared to defend herself when Sasuke appeared at her side, fisting the front of her shirt in his hand and pulling her upward. Forced to release Naruto's lifeless body and let it sink beneath the water, Sakura stared despairingly at Sasuke as his other hand pressed a kunai to her throat.

"Why?" she croaked, her throat raw. "He just wanted you to stay." The first flame of the anger that would plague her well into adulthood flared to life in her heart, and she hissed, "You're a monster."

For a moment, some emotion—something almost like hesitance—moved in the crimson of Sasuke's eyes, but then it was gone. He sneered, and then it was like her whole world was drowning in the coldness that took over his gaze. The only thing she could hear was his emotionless voice echoing in her ears.

"If you come after me again, I'll show you exactly what kind of monster I am."

With a gasp Sakura bolted upright in her bed, panting as she fruitlessly struggled to free herself from her sweat-soaked sheets. It took her several long moments to realize that she was safe at home in her bed—that Naruto's death hadn't just happened moments before. Finally dragging her legs free, she sat at the edge of the bed, staring vacantly as she caught her breath, her mind overwhelmed by the past.

Team 7 had always had its problems. Ever since Anko had been assigned to teach them, she had taught them to compete with each other—to drive each other further. "Never trust anyone more than you trust yourself," she'd always said. They had all taken it to heart, and it had strengthened the existing animosity between Sasuke and Naruto—but even then, they'd still been held together by the tenuous bond of sharing a team.

Things had changed after the Chunin Exams. Anko-sensei never talked about her own curse mark, but it was clear that she distrusted Sasuke after he'd received his from Orochimaru. When Sasuke finally fled the village while Anko-sensei was occupied with her duties as a jonin, Shikamaru had led a student team to retrieve him—a team that Sakura had insisted that she be on. After all, Anko-sensei had worked so hard to instill in her a fighting spirit, and she refused to be left behind.

She would never know if Naruto would have lived if she hadn't been there to distract him.

It had been over a decade since Sasuke had killed Naruto—since Anko-sensei had come back to the village and then raced off after Sasuke herself, only to be defeated by him and Orochimaru. Over a decade since a particularly cruel older shinobi had dubbed Sakura "the black widow of Konoha", the unlucky girl whose whole team was either dead or a traitor. In that time Sakura's grief had never fully faded—but her anger had grown, bigger and bigger, until it became the thing that fueled everything she did. It fueled her when she slept, when she ate, when she trained—it fueled her until she was finally able to join ANBU.

And one day, if she was very lucky, her ANBU team would be called to deal with a certain missing-nin. Because Sasuke was still out there. She'd heard rumors over the last few years, enough to know that he was still active in the wider shinobi world. But all that mattered was that she was in ANBU now, among the ranks of Konoha shinobi who were expected to handle—often lethally—those who had betrayed the village.

All she needed was one chance—and then she'd make Sasuke answer for what he'd done.