If Sakura had to decide which of her two parents she'd gotten her personality from, without a doubt she would have said her father.

It was Kizashi himself who answered the door, and the silence was over in a split second as he called out her name and pulled her into a bear hug that threatened to crack open her spine. Sakura was grateful for Gaara's restraint. She knew the boy was defensive, and through her father's arms she saw floating sand around her at the ready, held back only by Gaara's realization that she wasn't, in fact, in danger.

"H-hey Dad…" Sakura managed to wheeze. "Good to see you too."

"You are in so much trouble, young lady!" Kizashi pulled away so he could look Sakura in the eyes, and though his tone was angry, Sakura could see genuine relief on his face. "Leaving the village with a note like that, how could you do this to your father? I've been worried sick!"

"I'm sorry…" Sakura winced, already prepared for the lecture that was to come, and boy did it. Her father had quite the set of lungs on him, and once he got started the lecture didn't stop. And Sakura knew what to expect. Worrying her mother sick, wondering where she was, wondering if she was alive or dead…

Sakura stole a glance behind her, curious what the boys were thinking. Gaara looked confused, but Sai looked...curious. Sakura wondered if Sai even knew who his own parents were. And Gaara, of course...never known his mother, and with the way his father treated him…

Did either of them know what a family was supposed to be like?

"Dad!" Sakura interjected. "I can take the lecture later, but I brought guests, you know? Can we at least take this inside?"

"And I swear if you ever pull this a-" Kizashi halted, blinking as he looked over Sakura's shoulder. "...you brought guests? Well why didn't you say so earlier! Get them on in here, we'll show them the Haruno hospitality!"

Kizashi swung the front door wide open, gesturing for them to come inside. Sakura let the boys in first, hesitating at the entrance. Her father had stopped too, briefly looking towards the nearby houses. Sakura heard one window snap shut, and then another.

"Dad…"

"Inside, little Shimi. We'll talk later."

The house was as she remembered it: lined with bookshelves, all handmade by her father. Her mother had been the one to fill most of them. There were books on more subjects than Sakura had ever had the time to read: carpentry, architecture, cooking, sewing, politics, philosophy...her father called her a bookworm, but it was her mother who'd earned the title long before she'd ever been born. Her mother was the head of the public library, meant for civilian use. Sakura had been surrounded by books since before she'd known how to walk. Coming back to this, seeing the rows and rows of pages...this was what home was to her.

"We haven't touched your bedroom." Kizashi admitted, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We knew it was only a matter of time before you came home. Just never expected you to go off so far. Earth country, Sakura, really?"

"Yup." Sakura grinned. "I have a lot to tell you about."

"Wait 'til your mother gets home. Guess I'll be making dinner for five tonight!"

Sakura knew better than to interfere when her father had reign of the kitchen, and if they were going to be staying here a while, she needed to figure out living arrangements. Gaara didn't need a bed, but Sai definitely would...and there was a part of her that worried about leaving him in a room alone, even if he was technically protected under the neutrality pact. She led them upstairs, rummaging in a small closet along the way until she found an inflatable mattress. Once upon a time, when Ino used to stay the night, she'd use it so she had a place to sleep. It would do for Sai, Sakura supposed.

Her room was untouched, as her father had claimed. Neatly organized, bed made, and a picture of Team Seven still in its primary spot on her dresser. There was a bit of dust on the frame, and Sakura lingered long enough to dust it off with her hand. Naruto had grown almost a foot since the picture had been taken, and she'd probably grown as well. And Sasuke...she could only wonder.

"So that's the Uchiha?"

Sakura turned at the sound of Sai's voice. He was looking over her shoulder, frowning.

"Doesn't look like much to me."

"I wouldn't be so cocky." Sakura chuckled. "He was one of the strongest shinobi I knew before he left the village. Now that he's trained under Orochimaru, who knows how strong he's become?"

"So what?" Sai shrugged. "You've trained under the Tsuchikage. He's trained under the Otokage. Doesn't make him special. Just means he probably knows how to throw some snakes around."

Sakura frowned. "You know, Sai, I could say the same about your people skills. You better watch your mouth around my parents, okay?"

Sai put on one of his fake smiles. "Grumpy's right. You're still touchy about him, aren't you?"

Sakura gently punched the boy's arm. "Idiot. He was my teammate."

"Oh? Then what does that make us?" Sai rubbed his arm. "You were part of that team for five months. You've been with Gaara for more than half a year at least, if not close to a whole. Me, about just as long. But it's not very long at all. Not really. Yet you're willing to throw your life on the line for each of us. Isn't it strange, getting attached to someone like that so quickly?"

"What, are you saying you'd rather I'd let Root have their way with you? And you're one to talk, you know." Sakura poked Sai in the chest, accusingly. "You're the one who decided to join up with us."

"...yes. And it's certainly strange."

His eyes flickered towards the window, and Sakura's followed suit. There was nothing there, just a few trees and the roofs of houses...but perhaps that's not what Sai saw. Root were elite shinobi, and Sakura was more than certain that several sets of eyes would be kept on her from the moment she set foot in the village until the moment she left. Now that she looked at Sai, she could see a small hint of fear and worry in his eyes.

One misstep, and Sai's life was on the line. He wasn't just accusing her of being clingy...he was questioning himself. Questioning his own decision to break away from the only thing he'd ever known...questioning if he'd make it out of Konoha alive.

Sakura reached out, this time gently putting her hand over Sai's own. "Strange isn't bad." She told him, forcing a smile. "Every great shinobi has been a little off beat from everyone else. You don't make waves unless you're a bit strange!" Her grin became more genuine as she thought of Naruto, as strange as you could get at times. Boisterous, mischievous, always clad in orange...he wasn't exactly what came to mind when one thought of a shinobi. But Naruto was going to be one of the greats, of that Sakura had no doubt.

Sai looked downwards, not meeting Sakura's eyes. He still looked worried, to be sure, but...there was something else there, something Sakura couldn't quite put a finger on. But he didn't pull away from her touch, so perhaps she'd said something right.

Once her backpack was set down and her weapons unpacked, Sakura made her way back towards the stairs. She found Gaara there, looking at the portraits of her family that lined the wall. He had a hand out, touching the side of one of the frames.

"Gosh, that one's so old!" Sakura chuckled as she looked. That particular picture, she'd been six years old. Her parents were holding her up in front of the academy, her very first day. Sakura had been grinning like a loon. Neither of her parents had been capable of becoming shinobi, their chakra reserves too small. But Sakura had made the cut. The first of the Harunos to be capable of joining. "I look a bit like a dork, don't I? But I guess I was just a kid."

"It looks...nice."

It clicked all at once, and Sakura grinned slyly. "We'll get a picture taken while we're here, alright? My parents have a camera. We can sit out back under the trees for a nice background."

Gaara looked like a happy child at the mention of that, and Sakura couldn't help but giggle in excitement. The first photograph since…

Well, since Team Seven.

Sakura's smile faltered. Was it strange that she felt guilty? Naruto had been so eager to see her, but really, after all this time...he was more a part of Team Ten then he ever had been part of Seven. And now, much like Sai had said...she'd spent more time with him and Gaara than she'd spent with Naruto and Sasuke. It was almost like they'd been replaced.

The thought weighed heavy on her mind as they made their way downstairs to the dining room, just in time to see her mother arrive. Mebuki Haruno was far more reserved than her husband in demeanor, and instead of accosting her, she simply came and put a warm hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Was it a good trip, Sakura?"

And maybe she had replaced Team Seven...and maybe that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe, just maybe there hadn't been much of Team Seven left to salvage. She hadn't lost Naruto or Kakashi, she'd simply shifted her goals. And she'd gained Gaara and Sai. No, she shouldn't feel guilt over that. She doubted Naruto felt guilty. He would have simply told her to do what she thought was right.

"Yes." Sakura answered with a smile. "I'd say it was pretty good."

"So you're the Kazekage's son? Ha, I knew my girl was making friends in high places." Kizashi laughed heartily over his meal, and he reached out a hand to pat Gaara's back, completely missing the thin layer of sand that shielded Gaara from the touch. "Course, Suna's got a new Kazekage from what I hear. We're supposed to see them at the upcoming exams, I think."

"There's many village Kage coming this year." Mebuki added. "I believe it is because of you, Sakura. They are curious about the treaty."

"Well, I guess that's good. It means I won't have to travel to them. Do you know everyone who's coming, Mom?"

"I hear rumors at the library. They say Ame's new kage is going to be coming. No one knows who that is either, not since Hanzo's death."

"So...lots of surprises." Sakura groaned. "The last thing I need while I'm here. Mom, if you can find out anything at all…"

"You know I'll tell you." Mebuki gave a curt nod. "And, who is the other boy you've brought to the table?"

"Oh, that's Sai!" Sakura looked nervously over at Sai, daring to send a prayer to Jashin that he wouldn't say anything weird. "He's, ah, another shinobi from here in Konoha, but he's joined up with me as an ambassador."

"It's good to meet you." Sai put on one of his trademark fake smiles. "Your home is…"

Sakura held her breath. Sai paused, for about a moment too long. He was thinking, what would he say…

"...average."

The table was quiet. Sakura noted that her father was mid bite, and Gaara looked as though he was going to knock Sai across the table.

"Hmm." Mebuki answered cooly. "Said well by someone who embodies the word."

Sakura spit her drink. She'd forgotten how slick her mother could be with her words. It seemed to catch Sai off guard, but he recovered quickly.

"I like your mother." He said simply. "She knows how to act normally."

Sakura groaned. Now Sai was just going to be encouraged. But...it wasn't the worst thing he could have said. Maybe, little by little, he was improving.

Sakura found herself outside watching the sunset after dinner. Mebuki had already wrestled the boys into helping clean up, though secretly she knew that her mother was just trying to give her and her father some time alone. Kizashi didn't take long to come sit outside next to her, a long pipe in hand. Sakura still hated the smell of smoke, but she'd given up convincing him out of the habit a long time ago.

"They're a little strange, those boys, but they'll do." Kizashi commented, taking a long, deep breath of the night air. "As long as they keep my little girl safe, that is. But it sounds like you've become a capable shinobi in your own right."

"I've certainly tried." Sakura admitted. "As the first Haruno shinobi, I have to make a statement, right?"

"You've...definitely done that." Kizashi's eyes narrowed. "They talk about you, you know. All the neighbors. The shinobi that pass through."

"...oh."

Sakura remembered the glare of the shinobi at the gate. Were the civilians, too, thinking of her so poorly? Did rumors spread so quickly?

"We're the parents of a traitor to the village." Kizashi continued. "They don't understand what you're up to, I don't think. You need to watch yourself. We hear things, your mother and I. Half the village thinks you're going to see the village to its downfall. Or that you really did take after your old teammate."

"I'm doing this for peace."

"And you know better than anyone that shinobi politics have led to plenty of wars in the past, little Shimi. Civilians suffer when shinobi go to war. We're caught in the crossfire. Only time will convince them that your treaty is for the greater good."

"And what do you think, Dad?" Sakura looked to her father, desperate. "Do you...do you think it's a lost cause too?"

"Course not. My little girl's the one running it. Bookwork and papers...that's always how you excelled at the academy. Fighting was never your strong suit, it was knowledge. Mebuki's the only one who can run that library because she can keep track of hundreds of issues at once. You're her daughter. Your mind is your weapon." He put a hand on her head, grinning from ear to ear. "I don't care what those idiots next door think. You're my pride and joy, that didn't change even when you left home. I always knew you left for a good reason."

Sakura smiled. Her parents had always been supportive, that much was true, but hearing the words was a confirmation she'd needed.

"I'll be in the basement, little Shimi. Do you want to lend me a hand?"

It had been well over a year since Sakura had helped her father with his woodworking. Ever since she'd become a shinobi, she'd always come home too exhausted. A part of her wanted to help him now but...she had time, and for now there was too much to think about.

"Tomorrow, maybe? Once I've had a good rest."

"I'll save you some work then." Her father rustled her hair one last time before leaving her alone.

From there, it was quiet, with only the rustling of the leaves to keep her company. Her family's backyard had always been a peaceful place to study. Sakura had fond memories of her mother reading to her under the large tree in the back, and memories still of her and Ino planting flower seeds, with Ino telling her each one's meaning as they grew in. Her childhood had been a pleasant one, all things considered.

How tragic to think that so many people precious to her hadn't been given that luxury. And how many more wouldn't get to experience that peace, having been forced into war at an early age? Having been made into Jinchuuriki, pulled into Root?

Sakura's fist clenched tight. She hadn't come home for a nice reprieve. She had two missions now, and she couldn't let herself get distracted.

As if on cue, Sakura felt something. Energy, approaching her at a rapid pace. She closed her eyes, focusing on her sensing jutsu. Yes, that sort of energy was unmistakably-

Orange landed in front of her, and a sloppy grin. "Sakura, Sakura!" Naruto tried to whisper, but his voice still held excitement. "Come on, you gotta go! We're all meeting up at Shikamaru's!"

"Shika's?" Sakura blinked, then looked back towards the house. "They can come too, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think he said they could. Gaara and...um…" Naruto paused for a moment, thinking. "...Tai?"

"Sai." Sakura corrected him gently. "Naruto, you need to get better at remembering names if you're going to be the Hokage, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, Granny's always telling me." Naruto crossed his arms with a frown. Then, he suddenly held his hand out, pretending to write on it with one finger. "She showed me this thing that helps though! She says if you write a name on your hand three times then you never forget it!"

"Oh really?" Sakura couldn't help but smile at that. Tsunade had got Naruto figured out: Naruto learned better by doing. By combining action with the memorization...of course he'd remember things more easily.

"Sai, Sai, Sai…"

"What do you want?"

Naruto flinched as Sai appeared next to him. "A-ah, I didn't want you! I was just trying to, um-"

"Is my name so difficult to remember? Hmm. So you're...Brainless." Sai gave Naruto a smile, and Sakura winced. Naruto had never responded well to Sasuke's teasing, and Sai was even worse. Sure enough, she could practically see Naruto's blood begin to boil.

"Why you little-!"

Naruto looked at though he was about to throw a punch. Then, all at once, Naruto stopped. He let out an angry grunt, then took a deep breath. Then, he began to pace, counting out loud as he did.

"One, two, three, four…"

"Hmm? What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura watched curiously.

"Granny says if someone I don't like says something irritating, I should take a deep breath and count to twenty." Naruto insisted. "Then, if I still want to punch them, they deserve it. Nine, ten, eleven…"

"...maybe I should take some tips from Tsunade." Sakura admitted with a chuckle. If she could even get Naruto to hold his temper…

Or maybe, just maybe, it was Naruto starting to grow up.

It didn't take long for Gaara to join them, and then the four of them were leaping off into the night. Sakura realized that she'd never really been to the Nara compound before. It was on the outskirts of the village, bordering a forest that the Nara used to raise their deer herds. Outsiders were forbidden without the consent of the clan. (Typically for all clans, usually, who were fairly protective of their clan secrets.)

That night, however, the Nara compound was full of visitors, familiar faces. Sakura was pleased to see Ino and Chouji, as well as Hinata, Kiba, and Shino. All of the remaining members of the Rookie Nine...a true homecoming. Chouji had brought snacks, of course, and with that Shikamaru began to lead them out into the woods.

"You know no shinobi can come out here into the Nara forest." Shikamaru explained to her as they walked. "So, that means we can talk freely. We've been using this as a base for our top secret S-ranked mission."

"S-ranked mission?"

"Operation: Konoha Revival." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "...Naruto picked it, not me."

"If it's an S-ranked mission, it has to have a cool name!" Naruto insisted. "Otherwise what's the point?"

"But before we talk, we need to straighten something out."

Shikamaru stopped in his tracks, turning to face Sai. "Rather, we need to straighten out things with you."

Sai stopped as well, though he kept his smile on his face. "Oh? So, unlike Brainless here, you can actually think."

Sakura briefly caught sight of Naruto starting to pace again. Shikamaru, of course, was unphased.

"You've claimed to have sided with Sakura and abandoned Root. But we have to confirm that's true. After all, what better way to ingratiate yourself to Root again than by exposing the shinobi that want to take them down?"

Sakura froze. It was something that she hadn't even considered, despite how obvious it was. Still, if she couldn't trust Sai, after everything…

"You can trust him."

Sakura was surprised to see Gaara step forward. He had stayed quiet all during the Nine's reunion, and during the walk. In fact, ever since he'd stepped foot into Konoha's borders, he'd barely spoken much at all. He'd talked briefly with Naruto, but otherwise had kept his distance. It was Sakura who knew all of the Konoha shinobi, after all, not him, so perhaps Sakura could understand. She'd learned that Gaara had a shyness around those he wasn't used to. But now, to speak up to those strangers, in defense of Sai…

"If he wasn't trustworthy, he wouldn't be here." Gaara continued, glancing over to Sai as he spoke. "He would be dead."

Sakura felt a small chill fall over the group at that, though Sai didn't look nervous at all. If anything, Sakura could have sworn she felt relief.

"Sakura…" Ino whispered in her ear. "You know, I've read all your letters, but...Gaara still seems really scary."

Sakura laughed nervously. "Listen, he's just trying to make sure Shikamaru knows he's serious, that's all. And he's right." She straightened up, turning to face Shikamaru. "Look, I trust him too. He's been by my side all this time and proven-"

"No offense, Sakura, but I think I'll trust Gaara's words over yours in this instance. After all, you defended Sasuke to your last breath."

Sakura's breath hitched, and this time Naruto couldn't hold back. He appeared in front of Shikamaru all at once, teeth bared. "Shikamaru, don't you dare bring Sasuke into this!"

"This is precisely why I have to, Naruto. I know you and Sakura care about him, but he left us. It doesn't matter how much you trusted him, that didn't stop him from leaving. Your trust was misplaced." Shikamaru argued. "You both care about people deeply. I get that. That's precisely why I can't trust your judgment in this sort of situation. Sakura is the kind of person who will defend Sai to her last breath. Gaara, however, does not have this track record. If he trusts Sai, then Sai is trustworthy." Though Naruto had grown taller than Shikamaru, it was still Shikamaru that looked as though he was dominating the conversation. Even in his rage, Sakura realized...Naruto had come to respect Shikamaru's leadership.

And to Sakura's surprise, Naruto stood down.

Well, she couldn't let Naruto show her up in maturity. Sakura calmed herself, looking over to Gaara. "Alright. So you can't trust my word, but you can trust Gaara's. So does that mean you're okay with Sai being here?"

"Actually, I was sort of counting on him being here." Shikamaru admitted. "Now that the three of you are here, we can start discussing our plans."

Chouji brought out a picnic blanket, and the ten of them sat and began to talk.

Team Eight had been the most active since the 'mission' had began. As a squad that specialized in reconnaissance, they'd been the most suited to gathering preliminary information about Root. Hinata in particular had proven, by coincidence, to be the best suited to the task, due to her being the heir to the Hyuga clan. Clan heads met periodically to discuss village politics, alongside the Hokage and the three elder council members.

"I had the thought at one of the meetings that it would make sense for the head of Root to be someone who has a lot of influence…" Hinata admitted. "But it couldn't be a clan head. The Third Hokage wouldn't have let one clan have so much influence. That narrowed it down to the three council members…"

"That's when we had the bright idea to have Shino start bugging them!" Kiba interjected. "It was super easy! Shino had a few of his bugs stay with Hinata during a meeting, then had them slowly make their way onto the council members while they were distracted with the talks. It only took a couple of days to confirm it!"

"Yes. It was easy to deduce." Shino confirmed. "Why? Because of the three council members, only one consistently went underground, meeting with dozens of shinobi daily. The other three mostly spend their time at home, or in the Hokage tower to meet with Lady Tsunade. Thus, we concluded that it must be Danzo Shimura who is the head of Root."

Nine eyes looked towards Sai for confirmation. Sai blinked before speaking. "Well, I cannot exactly confirm or deny it." He said with a shrug before sticking out his tongue. Sakura briefly saw the black lines marking his seal. "I'm not allowed to speak of anything regarding Root secrets."

"Then don't speak it." Shikamaru countered. "Just give a thumbs up if we're right."

Sai blinked again. Slowly, he moved his hand to give Shikamaru a thumbs up. "Oh." Sai said. "...maybe it's Danzo who's been brainless this whole time."

"I imagine it's mostly meant to deter interrogators who think they can torture information out of you. If they see a seal like that, they might assume there's no possible way for you to give information without paralyzing yourself. Danzo never assumed a member of Root would turn on him."

"...yes, perhaps so."

"That means we do have a confirmation method." Shikamaru grinned. "Perfect. That means we have at least one witness."

"Witness?" Sakura thought for a moment. "You're planning on bringing Danzo to trial?"

"Yes." Shikamaru confirmed. "But we can't do it yet. Root is an officially sanctioned Konoha organization. We can't bring Danzo to trial simply for leading an organization that the Hokage herself has allowed to exist. What we need is proof of Root's actual crimes." He pulled out a scroll, unrolling it for all to read. "Through Sakura and our own investigations, we have two leads. One is Root's removal of Konoha children to train in their program. It's not going to be enough to convict them of anything; they'll likely have covered their tracks and claim that these children willingly joined them. In fact, this is likely why Root has mostly focused on orphans for their recruits. However…" Shikamaru gestured towards Shino.

"Shikamaru had originally thought that Root wouldn't dare risk taking clan children. Why? For fear of invoking the wrath of the clan." Shino began. "However, I can say with absolute certainty that this is not the case. This is because Root approached myself and my cousin when we were young in an attempt to recruit us."

"What?" Sakura blinked. "They tried to recruit you?"

"Correct. Though I felt uneasy accepting Root's invitation, my cousin, who had recently lost his father, accepted the invitation. I believe he hoped to find purpose working in Konoha's underground. I have not seen him since, and thought little of it until recently. When I asked my parents what they believed happened to my cousin, they informed me that he had died on a mission. Since this conflicted with what I saw happen in my youth, I realized the possibility that Root might be misleading clans by claiming their shinobi had passed in battle, when in actuality they had been recruited. Following that logic, one could make the reasonable argument that Root has been taking children from clans without their permission."

"The clans will riot if they find out." Ino added. "Every single clan is going to be questioning if their members have simply died, or if it was faked by Root. All we need on that front is to show that Shino's cousin has really been in Root all along."

"And Shino's already confirmed it. His kikaichu could easily sense his cousin's hive. In terms of evidence, we got this one in the bag." Kiba said with a grin.

"So why wait?" Sakura asked. "Why not bring this up to the Hokage right away?"

"Because that's not enough." Shikamaru explained. "There are a dozens of shinobi in Root, possibly a couple hundred. All of them are elite shinobi, potentially clan members. If we try to bring Root down, it's possible that Danzo will use it as an excuse to start a coup. Right now, he believes himself to be hidden, manipulating things from the shadows. That's how he likes it. If we bring him into the light, there's no longer a reason to behave himself. No point in letting the Hokage be his figurehead. He might just try to take over."

"So what you're saying is that it's pointless to go after Root. What we need to do is go after Danzo himself." Sakura confirmed.

"Right. Cut off the head and the body won't know what to do. Without Danzo, Root will likely fall apart. Even if they don't, they've been trained to be loyal to Konoha to the death. If not Danzo, they'll listen to the Hokage next. From there, Tsunade can disband Root and integrate the agents back into Konoha proper."

"Alright. But you mentioned two leads into Root, didn't you?"

"I did." Shikamaru nodded. "Though the second one has only come up recently, and it came from you, Sakura. You remember what you told me about what Itachi said to you?"

"Wait, you met up with Itachi?" Naruto spoke up. "Where was he? What was he doing?"

"We saw him on the border of Taki." Sakura explained. "He confronted me and asked after Sasuke. When I told him he'd driven Sasuke off to Orochimaru, he...suggested that it wasn't what he'd meant for Sasuke. And that someone had promised him they'd keep Sasuke safe."

"At first, I thought that Itachi might be delusional." Shikamaru began. "After all, he murdered his entire clan, only leaving Sasuke alive. Why would there be anyone that condoned that behavior? Who would have promised Itachi anything after Itachi butchered a clan?"

"...it sounds like you might have an answer."

"Not yet. Nothing confirmed. But it's a lead we have to follow. And that's where our current plans come into play. There are two places we can look to find out more information about Itachi." Shikamaru pointed to Naruto. "And Naruto is our best man for the first place."

"That's right, I'm the best!" Naruto grinned. "...wait, why am I the best?"

"The Hokage has files on every shinobi that has ever existed in the village. I would wager even those who have gone rogue. What I need first is access to all of Itachi's files, and as the Hokage's pupil, you, Naruto, are in the best position to get ahold of them. So, Naruto, this is your new mission, assigned by me. Get me that file, and make sure nobody knows you've gotten it. Especially not Root."

"Roger!" Naruto saluted. "You know me, I'm the stealthiest shinobi around! I'll get you those files no problem!"

"Let Team Eight be your backup, Naruto. If anything seems too troublesome, use them to help you out. And that leaves Team Ten and Sakura's group for my second mission." Shikamaru continued. "And that mission is potentially the most dangerous of all. What we need to do...is infiltrate and investigate the Uchiha clan compound."

Sakura swallowed. "Shika...if you get caught doing that, it might be considered treason. If I get caught doing that, it could undo everything I've set out to accomplish with the neutrality pact. Nobody in any village would ever trust me again."

"You're right." Shikamaru agreed. "In fact, outside of Sasuke, nobody has been allowed inside the clan compound since the massacre. Or rather, nobody is capable of getting inside. It's sealed by a powerful barrier that will only allow those of Uchiha blood to enter. Even getting inside to clean up the massacre took the work of the Hokage and several seal-masters in order to breach it. Seal-masters that I theorize may have been a part of Danzo's Root."

"If Root did the clean-up, doesn't that mean there's probably nothing left there of use?"

"Potentially. It's possible we won't find anything of use at all. But I have an inkling we might just find something if we know where to look, and in order to get inside, I need your help specifically, Sakura."

"Me?" Sakura frowned. "I don't really know any seal-work, Shika."

"Neither do I." Shikamaru agreed. "Thankfully, if we play our cards right, we won't need any sealwork. Remember when I asked you to send me a list of all of the skills you had at your disposal?"

"Yeah, about a month ago, right?" Sakura nodded. "So you're saying something I know how to do can help."

"Bingo." Shikamaru agreed. "And I can almost guarantee that we won't get caught. All we need to ensure is that nobody will know that you're missing for a long period of time. For that, we need Ino."

"Me?" Ino pointed at herself. "How so?"

"Sakura's been your friend since you were children. It's only natural she'd want to spend a day catching up with you, right?" Shikamaru pointed out. "And Gaara...you've spent all this time with Sakura. Do you think you could effectively make a sand clone and mimic her for a few hours?"

"Yes. But I couldn't go far from it."

"You won't have to. I know you won't like it, but everyone expects you and Sai to be joined to Sakura's hip while she's here. While your sand clone is with Ino, you and Sai will be nearby to watch over it, still playing the part of her bodyguards."

"You mean...letting Sakura go alone with you." Gaara frowned. "You're correct. I don't like it."

"There won't be anyone in the compound to hurt her, if I've read the situation right. Just me and her, in and out, back before anyone realizes what's up."

"And this is necessary? No other way?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Alright." Gaara nodded. "Then we will do it."

Sakura couldn't help but swallow again, nervous. Infiltrating the Uchiha compound...what would Sasuke think of her if he ever found out? And the other villages, if she was discovered…

But Shikamaru was the smartest person she knew. If he thought there was something in the compound to discover, she had to trust him.

"We do it." Sakura agreed. "Whenever you're ready, Shikamaru."

"Tomorrow then. The quicker we do it, the more time we have to analyze what we find. After all, we don't have much time before the next step of our plan."

"The next step?"

"Right. The chuunin exams are coming up, and both our teams will be participating. That'll be limiting the ability we have to research...but it will also mark the next phase of the plan. Because, if I'm correct, Danzo will be making his move at that time as well." Shikamaru looked to Sakura, as serious as ever. "Danzo...either he or someone under his influence going to ask you to do something in the coming weeks. Something that's going to seem ridiculous. Maybe even stupid. You should protest it, claim you don't want to do it...but whatever happens, you have to do it."

"That's...really ominous, Shikamaru." Sakura frowned. "Why would I want to do something that Danzo wants me to do? And what do you think he's going to ask, anyway?"

Shikamaru put a finger to his lips. "It'll be more genuine if I don't tell you, but you'll know when the time comes. And at that time...you'll know what the next step of the plan is. Trust me."

So much she didn't know...so much she wanted to know. But she was the one who had brought Shikamaru into this. She couldn't pull back now.

"I trust you." She confirmed.

And only time would tell if her judgment was correct.

It was almost pitch black as she made her way back home, Gaara and Sai close behind her. They were silent as they returned, each of them still mulling over what had been discussed in the Nara compound. Even as they each settled in for the night, Sakura found herself too anxious to fall asleep just yet. She made her way to the roof of her house, spreading out against the tiles and looking up at the stars. She couldn't wrestle the feeling of dread from her heart, and likely wouldn't until Danzo was dealt with. And who knew when that would be? Sometime after the chuunin exams, but what could the exams possibly do to help them?

Sakura thought back to her own exam a year ago. So much had happened then...so much had changed. Sasuke had met Orochimaru...Naruto had met Jiraiya and started harnessing the power of the Fox...and she had realized, for the first time, what she would have to do to become a true shinobi. Were these exams destined to be another beacon of change? Would everything she knew get turned on its head, once again?

Sakura took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Only time would tell, she supposed. She put her hands around the amulet at her neck, letting herself lull into a meditative state. Out of instinct, she let her sensing jutsu pulse out around her. She sensed Gaara and Sai below, sensed the vague energies of the shinobi stationed around the village, and…

And?

Something...nearby.

Sakura opened her eyes, squinting in the darkness. On a rooftop, one house over, Sakura saw her.

A woman, dressed in a long black coat. Even in the darkness, Sakura could see the brilliant blue of her hair.

Then, as the wind blew and pushed against them, the woman's image seemed to flutter away and fade into the night.

Sakura stood up, looking around and sending out her sensing pulse again. There was no sign of the signature, nothing like what she'd sensed before. Was she losing it? The woman's signal had been so faint that she'd barely picked up on it at all. So faint that, before her time with Itachi, Sakura might not have even been capable of sensing it.

Maybe she was just tired. Maybe she'd been seeing shadows. But something told her, something insisted…

No.

Her troubles at Konoha had only just begun.