I wanted to say this to TheBeauty without harshly talking back: I realize the "hate" on Sasuke because you just now brought it up, but it's not TRUE hate. It's more like wariness, because Sasuke betrayed them all and hurt them before for no reason, whereas their opinions of Itachi changed as soon as they discovered the truth behind the massacre. Per canon, his revenge quest in Itachi's name is like a slap back to everything his brother did for both him AND their village.

It's been awhile since I've seen that with my own eyes, but it certainly is obvious that Neji and Sasuke would have some kind of hostility towards each other, right? No matter what. Given their families have also long since been rivals, too.

Personally for me, it's hard for me to let that anger and frustration go, so it must show in my writing whether it was intentional or not. :(

Chapter Sixteen

Operation in Play!

Hinata...no, oh, God, she can't be...

I'm afraid so.

Hinata was dead. She could never stop repeating that enough in her brain that she lost awareness of what was happening around her - and she found herself in Neji's arms, looking up at him with a horrible feeling in her heart. "Naru!" was all he could get out.

"Naru, please, hold on," Shizune exclaimed softly, helping him stand her back up, her legs wobbling.

The actions brought the attention of Kakashi-sensei and the Uchiha brothers, and she was surrounded. The words Neji told her slipped out without hesitation, and Kakashi was grim as he affirmed, then explained further what exactly happened. All the while, Shizune picked up poor Tonton who wiggled her nose and oinked occasionally with each monstrous detail that was exposed.

"It happened so many months ago, but after Danzo was made official. She was given a choice to stick with her friends - in support for you - or she would suffer the consequences. And of course, her father asked her the same thing, for the sake of their clan, but her answer was to both him and the Hokage: she would rather die than betray you, Naru, and the others. A week later, it was done behind closed doors."

She was executed because her ideals were a threat to the Sixth Hokage's brand of order, Kurama growled, his voice causing the bars of his cage to rattle, mirroring what was going on exactly in his hostess.

One of my greatest friends was sacrificed for her clan's security, what else is there?! I wonder if her father is gonna be able to live with himself after this! "What happened to her exactly? What did they do?" Naru demanded, looking up at Neji, and he lowered his eyes.

"I was ordered to have it done, whether I was abhorred or not. The method was that she have her eyes removed, but prior she was tied down and blindfolded as well as placed with seals so to prevent her from fighting...but another ANBU member under my command had to finish it all off by breaking her neck."

Her world felt like it was spinning. Now another to add to her personal loss list: Jiraiya...Konohamaru...Tsunade...now Hinata.

She had all but given in to the whirlwind she was feeling, her vision turning into a blur like it had on the day she found out that Sasuke had been given the death warrant. She fell into one of the Uchiha brothers' arms, but had no idea if it was the one she loved or the one who she still considered a friend.

~o~

No longer did it surprise him that the stress would get to Naru when she least expected it. And the Hyuuga captain filled him and Sasuke in that no more of their friends were dead, but everyone was waiting back home alive and well - whatever the definition was.

The day was still bright, but they paused for now, and building a barrier to shield their presences was in order. They were deep in the forest, ensuring no Black Ops were nearby, but Neji assessed it for all of them and swore to keep the post. And there was Sakura sitting beside Naru, who was also ignoring Sasuke who occasionally looked her way. This the elder Uchiha surmised while sometimes kneeling before the unconscious woman.

"How is she?" he asked the pink-haired woman, who shook her head and smirked a little, though it never reached her eyes.

"Oh, she's going to live...except she's going to be more than sore when she comes to," Sakura said quietly, a faraway look in her eyes. "I'm glad you're here. Except I was prepared to hate you if Neji and Kakashi didn't trust you, or Shizune..."

He nodded, having been prepared if she hadn't been told the details, between their small group only. "But never mind me, for the time being. I wish to know about yourself, Sakura Haruno. I'm impressed you've developed, up to the level of your master." His attention fell to the rhombus in the middle of her forehead. "Use of that jutsu yet, by any chance?"

She shook her head. "No, it was filled only months ago without usage. I can only generate it if it's necessary, or if we wind up in a real war which I hope never comes. As Lady Tsunade always said: you can break the first three rules in wartime only when you've mastered the art of Mitotic Regeneration," Sakura said with a tight smile and brows in a single line. Now, Sasuke, if my memory serves correct: you saw her as a nuisance not worth your time.

And from what Naru said, the pinkette had persistently chased after his brother when they were still Genin, though seeing this fierce woman, he wasn't sure about now, unless she, too, was hardened as the Uzumaki was. "I'm impressed," Itachi said, "but what of my brother?"

As predicted, her face became taut. "What of him, after everything he did to us?" she asked icily.

"Yes, Sasuke tried to kill you and Naru, but he's not a true monster. He's simply misguided -" He lowered his voice. "- single-minded and forgot what it was truly like to love the way he did as a child, before what I did...but it seems he acknowledged his friendship again with Naru. I have no idea what is going on in his mind now at this moment, but he's been persuaded to help us," Itachi finished with a wry smile that mirrored hers.

"Let me guess: Naru got through to him."

"More or less with the help of her new friend." Which was none other than the Kutone Blade which lay harmlessly a couple feet away from its owner. Sakura admired it with a sparkle in her verdant irides. "That, my dear, is a blade of legend and can unlock its full power if wielded only by Jinchuuriki. Courtesy of your friend, the Kazekage." She smiled at the mention of Gaara. "You should see your friend with her improvement. She had Sasuke down for all it was worth, and his sword up in the trees."

"...amazing," she breathed with a sparkle of amazement in her eye - and perhaps a hint of envy not in a negative way. "She did what I fantasized doing to that brother of yours."

Wanted to do worse to him, eh? "So, you're no longer infatuated with him, I gather," Itachi stated, getting a huff and a throwback of long hair.

"I had feelings for someone who never showed me respect no matter what I did for him - tried to do, in most cases. I see that he has a more handsome face, but that doesn't mean I have a reason to trust him. I had to learn everything the hard way: you have to look beneath the surface to see what he's really like...just like this one did with you," Sakura finished, looking down at Naru who was moaning a little and starting to come to.

Pleased as he was to hear this, Itachi was immensely troubled - Sasuke, you should start making amends with these people, too, including this one who loved you once, if you ever decide to return on your own - because of the seeming hatred the young pinkette as well as the Hyuuga had for his brother. If anything, he couldn't bear it since Sasuke didn't deserve it anymore than he himself did.

"In that case, my brother should start seeing what he missed, and it's up to you now, since Naru has done the job of shouldering the burden of the promise made."

She looked like she was pondering this, for her eyes turned off to the side momentarily, and finally, she said it softly, "Yeah, I know what to do." Then she frowned. "But what did he say to you?"

Itachi hummed. "Well, to keep a long story short, since he said nothing about you, he said this of Naru: since the death of your mistress, he's witnessed the grief in her and Shizune. But he refrained because he had no idea how to console either. He's all but forgotten what it was like, as I've said, because he can't enjoy anything in life without feeling pain, that much I know. I've been there at times. And he admits he hates seeing her the way she was, so perhaps there is a chance he'll do the same with you when chance comes." The tears were pouring down her cheeks which she reached to wipe off. "I told him he should start learning to be a friend like you and Naru tried to be."

"Except the friend thing I tried, then screamed my 'love' when he left the village. I couldn't even mount up to that," she said sourly. "But I know that if he does, then I'll give him all the cold shoulder so he knows what it's like."

Before he could respond to that, there was a murmur below them, and it had come from the blonde herself, but then a certain word slipped out of her mouth that he would have expected was her dead friend she was having nightmares about, but it was HIS name. And this made Sakura's cheeks turn pink enough to match her hair as she pieced it together.

"Oh, and I used to think we could compete for your brother. Now I'm jealous...she's got you, and I think you two deserve each other."

~o~

When she was sleeping, she was trapped in black oblivion, and she thought she would see Hinata's face. But somehow, it didn't come at all. Because when Sasuke left so long ago, she had nightmares for weeks about his face. Only with Hinata, she expected to see her face, especially because last time when she saw the Hyuuga put herself against Pain and died for her...

...but instead, she saw her and Itachi, in a surreal sequence of blissful coupling.

And when she opened her eyes, feeling like she'd come down, there was Sakura over her, and she was smirking to one corner of her mouth - oh, she heard you utter HIS name, runt. Be ready for her bombards.

"When did it start between you two?" Sakura asked. Naru sat up, stretching her bones by rolling the shoulders and popping the bones. "I didn't think you'd actually get lucky with an Uchiha - and him of all people." She was referring to Itachi, of course.

"I didn't even plan on it," Naru told her, looking over her shoulder to see him, his brother, Shizune, Kakashi and Neji gathered around a fire that was being built, and this would last until early dawn tomorrow, when they would finally get into the village to save Ino and Sai, but it had to be someone from inside that they trusted. "It just...happened. We understand each other, and he helped me get through everything, besides Gaara. Because of him, I realized that he was more man than Sasuke ever was, no matter that he did everything for his brother. I know Sasuke never knew anything, but Itachi should have just trusted him," she said, looking deeper at the picture which seemed like one thing happening: Itachi was staying beside his younger sibling as Sasuke was working to get Neji to see he wasn't a threat, and doing so with Kakashi had been easy. Shizune didn't seem too bothered any more than before.

Except Neji's taut features hinted that he had no reason to trust Sasuke no matter what, just to be safe. No hatred present, but still.

"...I see."

Sakura was looking at his direction, too, as if scrutinizing, and then she tore her eyes away when Sasuke sensed he was being watched. But Naru had to study him without staring...and did she detect a hint of disappointment in his eyes when Sakura, the girl who chased after him when they were all Team Seven, refused to keep her eyes on him? "Did something happen between you while I was out of it?"

"You could say that," the pinkette answered. "I didn't even approach him, nor did he, but then we just ended up in each other's presence while I was laying you down - and he had to help. I tried not to look at him, but then he had to ask me how I was...and I think he really noticed I changed when his attention was on this." She tapped her forehead where the seal rested. "Guess he started to not be smart with me," Sakura said with a wink. "I was tempted to give him a good punch so he'd see that the weak girl with pink hair was more than ready to bust his balls. Or pick up that new toy of yours." She nodded towards the Kutone which was still laying beside her. Too bad it won't be compatible with your chakra; otherwise, it's an ordinary sword.

"And then?" Naru asked.

"And then, he told me that he looked forward to seeing me in action when the real battle begins. And I told him I looked forward to seeing you bust his ass if it gets there, to which he answered that he had it done already. I decided not to say I would, because he'd tell me, no doubt, that I'm still so annoying."

"Do you hate him, then?"

"No, but I want him to know how I felt."

Oh, Sasuke, you're gonna get a real wake-up call.

Naru decided to change the topic. "I'm sorry you weren't there when Granny..." She didn't have it in her to finish, and that was when her old teammate's face fell.

"I know. I wish I was there, too. I wanted to go, but Shizune insisted I stay in the village to look after the others." Sakura then reached behind her to hold the ornate vase in both hands. "But at least I know she's entrusted the rest to us." And then her face twisted, the marking coming down to nearly touch the line both her brows formed.

"I look forward to seeing Danzo exposed for the real criminal he is. For not only putting two of our best friends away for protecting you - Ino was innocent, I just knew it! - and making Inoichi invade his own daughter's mind! And for so many other things, like covering his tracks and letting Itachi..."

And branding Sasuke. But no problem, right, Kurama?

Not at all, runt. If only I could get out and finish him for all of you and get this over with.

Naru grinned and raised her hand, closing it into a fist, holding it out to Sakura who stared at it for a moment, before grinning back and doing the same; their fists both bumped together. Then the Jinchuuriki had the most brilliant idea that she knew her friend deserved as much as she did.

"How about we both kick Sasuke's ass together for the fun of it once this is all over?"

~o~

The first part of the Chuunin Exams was over. No one killed anyone - yet - but there were also minor injuries.

He found himself dwelling on tomorrow which was the start of what was coming sooner than expected. The Yamanaka girl was released finally only yesterday back into her father's custody, and he made damned sure Inoichi would keep an eye on her until the day her lover would be executed. Danzo personally watched the release, took in the sight of the grim Inoichi as he led his daughter by the arm out of the jailhouse, refusing to so much as look at his Hokage in the eye as he took Ino away. That just left the boy who was still locked up back there; he was surprised that the girl didn't protest if she knew what was good for her.

You heard correct: he could no longer trust Sai, who still would not talk because of his friend the Jinchuuriki - and he had never been so disgusted and disappointed. At least this would serve as an example.

Unfortunately, the reverie didn't last. Not only did he not hear back from Torune and Fuu, but he also got the notice from the prison and jumped up, livid to his core: Sai had escaped from his cell - no, someone had broken him out, not before subduing the guards. He growled angrily through his teeth; who could have DONE this?!

But there was an idea at the back of his head: Naru...you've finally come back, have you? I predicted as much. That means I shall see you and your band very soon.

Which meant extreme measures were to be taken if she and her friends were to be captured before the Chuunin Exams were over. They couldn't have picked a better time, he would give them that.

Hope the wait was worth it. I also picked up on a Kim Possible story which concludes a series, "Honeymoon in Cambodia". :)

So, I was at a dilemma what to do about the first part of the Chuunin Exams, whether to change what it is in canon or not, given Danzo is Hokage. Maybe I'll reveal the entirety in the next chapter, if someone gives me a suggestion which would help.

Reviews appreciated.