ItsukoAkatsuki: Hello everybody :) Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy Ch. 3. Again I apologize about the section headings. I tried something different but that apparently didn't work either so I'm just going to use letters but you'll know when. Reviews are helpful so I can do better on the next chapters..

Character List (this is a list of which Naruto characters are replacing who)

Sakura = Cloud

Neji = Tifa

Killer Bee = Barret

Sasuke = Shinra

Suigetsu = Reno

Jugo = Rude

Marlene and Denzel as themselves

Sephiroth as himself

I'll list the other characters in future chapters, enjoy :)

#

Chapter 3: The Past I Wanted to Forget…

The first thing Sakura saw was flowers; bright almost neon flowers. The rest was surrounded in white as she saw herself lying next to Neji in the flowerbed but behind them was a dirty gray wolf. It was old but watching them with eager eyes, as Sakura looked at this wolf she couldn't help but remember a familiar face.

Kakashi…no…he's…?

Then everything went blank and Sakura found herself lying on something hard and a bright bulb above her, this scene was vaguely familiar. Sakura moved around but she was being pinned down by belts and her hands were tied to the bed.

What the—?

"Oh, she's awake sir" Sakura heard someone say from the shadows. A door opened and a tall man wearing a lab coat walked in. The symbol on his coat was a hawk, Taka. Sakura watched him closely as he walked around her. After he got to her left side he produced a sharp needle from the tray. It was filled with a bluish green liquid.

"What is that?" Sakura demanded out of the doctor. The doctor smirked and took some gauze and sterilized a spot on my arm, and then he flicked the needle.

"Jenova cells…fresh from the Mother herself" he answered but before he injected her he turned and called to the people in the other room.

"I need you to hold her down" he said to the men that came, even though Sakura was tied down the guards held her arms and legs down. One braced her head with his arms.

"Now…this is only going to hurt…a lot" the doctor laughed foreboding and Sakura tried to break away but with the restraints and the people holding her down it was impossible to move except struggle.

The doctor didn't hesitate before jabbing Sakura with the needle and Sakura could only gasp as Jenova's cells were forced into her blood system. She breathlessly yelled out.

She had never felt such pain in her entire life. Even though it was only in her arm her entire body was stinging, especially her chakra network. Sakura's body was limp against the table and her vision went away but before she blacked out she heard the doctor say: "That's strange…this one is actually still alive…all the others died instantly…hmm…I wonder…Sephiroth…"

Sakura's mind faded.

#

Sakura opened her eyes slowly.

She felt numb and tired but she kept her eyes opened and focused on the setting sun until her vision straightened. She was no longer in the church; she was in her old room.

Sakura jerked up but she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and left arm, that damn stigma again? She cursed. Taking a look at herself she noticed that she was shirtless but her curves, shoulder, and left arm were wrapped up in gauze and medical tape. Who?

"You're lighter than I thought" Sakura turned around and saw Suigetsu and Jugo standing at the door. Suigetsu was grinning about something and Jugo was closing a first aid kit. Sakura swung her legs over the side of the bed but Jugo's voice stopped her, "Stop! You shouldn't move, the stigma is still affecting you, you don't want it to spread" Sakura stopped, against her wishes with a sting, and actually listened.

"Did you…?" Sakura asked Jugo, slightly nervous at someone seeing…!

"No, I just gave assistance; she's the one that helped you"

"She?" The door opened and Sakura could only stare at who was waiting there. The girl smiled at Sakura.

"…Shizune?" Sakura's eyes felt moist. Shizune came in and sat next to Sakura, on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too. It's strange; I got a call from Sasuke saying that there was something wrong with you and that you were dying. I rushed over and he was right…" Shizune explained solemnly.

"The stigma?"

"No, actually, it was the Jenova cells in your body"

"Jenova cells?"

"Yeah, they were reacting strangely but you're okay now but you shouldn't move" Shizune pushed Sakura's should back down and she let Shizune push her back down but something came into mind that made Sakura sit back up.

"Wait…what about—?"

"The Hyuuga guy? He's fine, he's downstairs in his room" Suigetsu jerked his thumb out the door.

"Hey, weren't there some kids living with you?" Jugo suddenly asked.

"Because they ain't here" Suigetsu said quickly before Sakura could answer.

Sakura was quiet as she slowly looked down and away. "You don't care?" Jugo asked. The room was quiet.

"I just…" Sakura closed her mouth and from behind Suigetsu Sakura could see down the hall at Neji's room door, it was closed. She bit her down her lip and looked away again.

Suigetsu sighed and shifted, "You're a real handful, ya know?" With that Suigetsu and Jugo turned and left the room, Jugo slamming the door closed…

#

The trees were tall and neon white. The forest was far away from any civilization, the perfect spot, Kadaj thought. He, Loz, Yazoo, and the group of kids he got from Midgar were crowded around a huge statue. Loz had Marlene's shoulder clinched in his fist, preventing her from getting away.

Kadaj turned to Loz and looked down at Sakura's black case, the one that filled with Materia.

"So Big Sister was hiding it." He went to the case and bent down to take one of the Materia, "this is the power of the Lifestream." He showed it to Loz then turned away from him. He held up the Materia, his bluish green eyes were slit again, his eyes looking at the Materia with hunger.

"This Materia will give us renewed power. Our chakra systems will be protected from the Geostigma, even for a moment. " He explained and pushed the Materia into his left arm, the Materia dissipated and it's energy went into his chakra tunnels, washing them out with new, fresh, chakra.

The place where he put the Materia in his arm was glowing, even from under his leather sleeve. He held it up for all to see.

#

It was dark out now. Sakura, against Shizune's wishes, was standing up and looking at the window. She had been quiet the entire time, her mind fighting with her as she worried horribly for Marlene and Denzel but her heart didn't ache, it had been hurt so much already.

Suddenly, Neji burst through the door, breathless, he must have just woken up. When he saw Shizune he let go of his held breathe.

"It's good to see you…Shizune" Shizune nodded, Neji, then, turned his attention to Sakura.

"Suigetsu and Jugo are looking" Sakura answered his question before he asked.

"…You have Geostigma, don't you?" Neji asked, his anger already rising, "so it's okay to just give up and die. Is that it?" Sakura didn't answer, Neji sat down on Sakura's bed and looked at Sakura's back.

"So it is."

"There's no cure."

"That's not stopping Denzel, now is it?" Neji looked up as Sakura turned. "Don't run. Let's fight it together. We can help each other…we have in the past, it's in our blood to work together."

"Or is it too late for that? Shinobi doesn't exist anymore so should that mean that we don't? That everything our teachers beat into us means nothing now? Does it?" Neji asked, angrily, he was tired of Sakura closing her doors to everyone, it had to stop.

"Neji…I'm not fit to help anyone. I couldn't help my family, not my friends" Sakura shook her head, looking down at her hands. "Nobody"

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally…" Sakura slowly looked up at Neji, he wasn't looking at her.

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally…" Neji said again, faster this time.

"I think he wants you to move on, man." Suigetsu suddenly said from behind them. Sakura turned, Jugo was with him. Neither Denzel or Marlene was with them.

"Did you find them?" Neji asked, standing up.

"No. Only a witness" Suigetsu answered, flatly.

"Kadaj's gang took the kids…not just them, the alley kids too, the ones with the stigma…"

"Where are they?" Sakura asked Suigetsu.

"They're at their base now. At the Forgotten City" Jugo answered for Suigetsu.

#

Sakura was speeding along the forest on her bike, alone.

#

The alley kids, including Denzel, were standing at the foot of a small manmade river, it was waist deep, and the water was clear, shining against the trees and moonlight.

"Mother has given me a special gift" Kadaj announced. He was on the other side of the river. Yazoo and Loz a ways away behind him.

"The power to fight…against a planet that torments humanity. She gave this power to all her children. That's right. You and I are brethren." Kadaj looked and smirked at all the children.

"Brothers and sisters chosen…when we inherited Mother's memetic legacy through the Lifestream." Kadaj walked around and turned his back to the children, his hands held up in the air, but stopped.

"But…the planet doesn't approve of that at all!"

"It's doing everything in its power to hold us back!" his voice broke in sadness and anger.

"That's why it's been racking our bodies with pain, filling our hearts with doubt!"

His faced softened, "now, let me heal you. And we will go to Mother together" his eyes narrowed and a white fire started to emit from his body. Sephiroth's power coming from within Kadaj's body.

"We will join as a family and strike back against the planet!" Kadaj's speech was similar to Sephiroth's.

The white fire flared around him and dissipated. He strode forward to the river.

"Do as I do" he told them then he went into river.

The beautiful water turned pitch black as Kadaj entered it. He stopped in the middle and cupped his hands together, water dripping from between his gloved hands. He held his hands to his mouth and leaned his head all the way back as he drunk the now black water. After he was down he held his hands up with a smile. He dropped them and chuckled.

The kids, understanding what to do, starting walking in the water, all of them. Each of them drinking from the river. Denzel followed them and hesitantly he did the same.

"Denzel!" Marlene called to Denzel but he didn't notice her.

"Denzel!" Marlene yelled again.

Denzel drank the water, slowly, and when he finally swallowed his body twitched and his deep blue eyes turned to a bright greenish blue and his pupils became slit. There was a flicker then nothing.

#

Sakura had been going through the forest, not seeing anyone at all. Her mind was heavy on what Neji had said. She tried to distant herself by looking at the neon white trees, the branches were leafless. Upon looking at them her mind suddenly felt like and at ease.

Sakura was thrown into a world of light. She nervously looked around but the space was empty.

"You came." a familiar voice said, blissful.

"Even though you're about to break." A soft hand touched Sakura's sleeve.

Before leaving Sakura had changed into her battling clothes. Her tripp pants from before had been replaced with long worn pants with that part at the bottom so that her shoes wouldn't trip on the front cuffs. Her pants were past her feet. Her cloth top was now covered with a white dress shirt with Gothic cuffs, the cuffs parted at her thumb, the rest covering half her hand. Her shoulder protector was still on her left shoulder, the belt was tied tightly around her torso. Her sword holder, it could hold up to nine swords, was also tied around her body and held itself on her back. Her hair was still in a bun, her left wrist was tied tight with a black belt so that her cuffs wouldn't flutter. Her dress shirt collar was up, not folded down.

"You still have this…" the soft hands fingered the first Hokage's necklace that was wrapped twice around Sakura's neck. The bluish green stone hung lonely on her neck.

"That's a good sign" Sakura felt Naruto's chin on her head. His hand clasped Sakura's leather gloved one and held it tight, like he was fearing that if he let go she would be lost.

"So…why did you come?" Naruto dropped her hand turned away from her. Sakura looked down at the flowerbed beneath her.

"I think I…want to be forgiven." Sakura shook her head, lazily, "more than anything."

"By who?" Naruto asked, already knowing the answer. But Sakura didn't answer, she paused, and then turned to look at Naruto but when she looked all she saw was neon white trees. Her bike racing forward. Suddenly, there was a sound of a gunshot and Sakura, instinct, moved her bike to the left. She looked ahead and saw there they were: Yazoo, Loz, and mostly importantly Kadaj.

Sakura clinched her teeth and sped up towards them. Yazoo and Loz were both shooting at her and upon a further look she noticed Materia was shining in their wrists, the bullets had more power into them each time they shot. The sides of her bike opened and her swords came out. Grabbing two, one long and wide, and one shorter but wider than the first. She pumped chakra into her legs to keep the bike in place while her hands were busy.

Kadaj pulled his double bladed katana out from its sheath on his back and twirled his hand in the air. Suddenly the alley kids jumped down from the trees and stood in front of Kadaj, protecting him from Sakura.

Sakura looked up and saw Denzel and Marlene in the front. Marlene was pulling at Denzel but he was motionless. She looked at Sakura, scared.

I can't hit them, Sakura cursed under her breathe and tried to turn but she stumbled off and her bike went spinning. The kids jumped out of the way, Kadaj as well, and it only stopped when Loz caught it with his foot.

The kids surrounded Sakura as she slowly got up. Kadaj emerged from behind them and walked up to Sakura, watching her with interest.

"I'm glad you could make it" Kadaj said cheerfully, bending his head down to Sakura's level. He chuckled at her.

"I'm only came for the kids" Sakura answered.

Kadaj shook his head and walked around Sakura, looking at the children, "See this girl? She's our Big Sister." Sakura glared at him, watching his every move.

"But alas…" Kadaj pouted, "In our happy flock…she's what you'd call a black sheep" Kadaj pointed his katana at Sakura, the end of the blades were almost touching Sakura's neck. Kadaj pulled it away and was about to spin back and attack Sakura but Marlene called "Sakura!" Kadaj stopped and Sakura grabbed the blade at her feet. She swung it back at Kadaj but he just jumped over it and away from Sakura. Yazoo started to shoot at Sakura and Loz ran forward, thanks to the Materia, he was faster than the human eye could catch.

Sakura blocked Yazoo's bullets with her sword, she barely missed one that grazed her neck and Loz jumped at her with a kick. She blocked him with her sword and pushed him away. He went charging and Sakura blocked him again, while also trying to dodge Yazoo's bullets.

Using his new speed, Loz sent strikes at Sakura but she dodged him but one connected and it sent Sakura flying back but she landed on her feet cleanly. Loz chuckled at her, not impressed, and this sent Sakura off. She charged with a yell and jumped up to slash him from his head to his feet but he got under her and flipped while kicking her in the guts, sending her flying again. She hit the dirt hard but right next to her sword. Lucky me Sakura smiled and took it quickly.

Yazoo had jumped forward and using the knife part of his gun he made Sakura block him so he could kick her squarely. While Sakura resurfaced he sent a whole clip at her but none of them made contact, one grazed Sakura's arm, spotting blood on the white tree. Sakura jumped up and threw her sword forward but Yazoo caught it under his foot and climbed up the sword and jumped over Sakura's head, Sakura knew this time and dodged the last bullet in his clip.

Loz, letting himself be a distraction so Yazoo could reload, activated his weapon and smashed his hand into the ground beneath him. The ground came up and headed straight at Sakura like a tremor, Yazoo reloaded instantly and jumped over the flying ground, he smirked and chuckled at Sakura. Child's play he thought.

Sakura focused on Yazoo's bullets before she sent chakra through her sword and when it was strong enough she sent a chakra slash at the ground and it exploded, making the ground into harmless dirt. Sakura stopped to feel a sting of stigma and Loz used that second to use his super speed to get right in Sakura's face. He jammed his weapon into Sakura's stomach and she got a painful shock.

She jumped back and Yazoo propelled off Loz's arms straight to Sakura. Now Loz's and Yazoo's attacks were more coordinate so it was harder and harder to dodge them. Loz flipped over to dodge Sakura's sword and Yazoo went under him and pulled out his gun from its holder. Yazoo made Sakura block him with both swords so Loz could run behind Sakura and having no other choice Sakura jumped high in the air. Yazoo went straight for Loz and Loz shot Yazoo after her.

Using both the gun and the knife Yazoo and Sakura traded blows but none connected with its target. Sakura pumped more chakra into her sword so that she could kick Yazoo back, Kakashi's training had done them both well, and Yazoo shot his gun after her as he landed on the branches of a tree. One of the bullets hit Sakura in the hand and she had to release her sword. It fell and jammed itself in a tree. Sakura landed and went straight for it. She managed to get to it and swung up and over using the hilt and head herself on top of the blade, looking down she saw Loz smirk, he was at the foot of the tree.

Loz laughed and using his strength he punched the tree and completely broke it off from its trunk. The tree began to fall and Yazoo jumped on it and calmly walked towards Sakura, unloading his gun. Shit, I can't get a hit in.

Loz jumped up to them and punched the part of the tree Sakura was standing on and it shattered like glass. Both Yazoo and Sakura jumped up and soon Loz joined them on Sakura's other side. She used both blades to keep them at bay and when her attention was focused on Loz Yazoo kicked her back towards the trunk of another tree. Sakura landed on it, putting chakra in her feet to keep her from falling down, she put her sword inside the bigger one and jumped down to the ground.

Straight at Kadaj.

Kadaj was waiting for her. Sakura's eyes met his and his eyes reminded her of Sephiroth but she blocked him out of her mind and swung her sword at him but he easily connected it with his. Since his katana was double bladed Sakura noted that she needed to be careful and not get hers wedged in between his, he had enough strength to cut the sword in half.

Their swords connected a few more times before Sakura realized her fatigue catching up and at the moment Kadaj was too much for her. She slipped and fell onto the dirt, Kadaj stood over her and was about to sink his blade into Sakura's neck when a something loud clashed with Kadaj's blade. He looked away and saw a black and red cloak flying in the wind.

'What…?' Kadaj jumped away from Sakura, kicking Sakura's phone into the deep puddle not far from her.

The cloak came down and covered Sakura protectively. It spun around her and bullets came from within it. Kadaj used his sword to block the bullets, his frustration getting higher.

Loz charged towards the cloak and Yazoo shot back but the bullets melted before it even touched the cloak.

The cloak collected Sakura in it and flew up and away. Kadaj went after it but it was too evasive for him. It jumped around him and jumped up into the branches and disappeared.

Kadaj watched it go, Damn it! He cursed.

#

Sakura was seated in the dirt. Carefully touching her stigma infested arm. She was frowning and depressed.

"See…I knew I would be no help" she said, sorrowfully. She weakly sighed. She looked up at the man that had just saved her life, despite her personal anger at the man she just couldn't be hateful after he had just saved her especially when this man didn't do it for a living, more the opposite.

"Itachi. What do you know about all this?" she asked him, he was standing behind her. His Akatsuki cloak was old and slightly ripped, the Akatsuki were long gone, but he was still loyal enough to them to still wear the cloak, it was almost frightening. His looks hadn't changed and he looked no older than her.

"I come here often." He moved his cloak away so he could step forward.

"I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing." Itachi reached down and grabbed Sakura's left arm, she jolted with the sharp pain that emitted into her bones.

"The stigma" he watched Sakura's eyes.

"It's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it and overcompensates." Itachi explained, he released her arm and got up to walk away.

"Inside our body is a current, our chakra tunnels, like the Lifestream. That current is what fights off any malevolent intruders" he continued.

"…What do you mean…intruders?" Sakura asked slowly.

"The Sephiroth Gene. Jenova's memetic legacy. Call it what you want." Sakura rested her elbow on her knee.

"You're well-informed" Sakura announced.

"Karin. She was brought here half-dead. She must have been brutally tortured." Itachi mentioned.

"I did what I could to save her but…well, we'll see" he shrugged, his lack of care for Karin showing.

"Tortured?"

"She had it coming. She thought she had gotten her hands on Jenova's head." It finally began to dawn onto Sakura.

"Then when Kadaj says he's looking for 'Mother'…"

"Heaven's dark harbinger. The calamity, Jenova." Itachi became serious "If they wanted to…they could bring back Sephiroth."

Sakura bit her lip and she held back anger, "Kadaj…what is he?" she asked aloud instead.

Itachi shook his head, "humph, I'd rather not know."

Before the bushes started to shake Sakura was up and reaching for her sword. Itachi merely looked but his stance showed that he was prepared. The bushes continued to move around, whatever it was, it was coming.

But as soon as it was clear from the bushes Sakura dropped her sword and caught Marlene as she crashed into Sakura, throwing her arms around her waist.

"Marlene!"

"Sakura! Denzel and Neji…" she tried to catch her breath.

"Neji is alright" Sakura answered her concerns.

"I wanna talk to him" Sakura nodded and reached into her pockets but was surprised to find nothing. Her phone was gone.

Marlene didn't wait and she turned to Itachi, "may I?" she asked him and he picked up his cloak.

"You don't have a phone?" Itachi dropped his cloak instantly.

"Itachi, will you take Marlene to Neji? I'm going to see Sasuke for more answers, I know he knows all about this." She began to hand Marlene off to him, normally she wouldn't trust Itachi with Marlene but she didn't have any options and deep down Sakura knew Itachi had lightened up a lot since the war.

"You know I can't do that" Itachi started.

"But I—" Marlene moved out of Sakura's hold, "forget it, Sakura" she looked up at Sakura, holding back tears. "Why don't you ever pay any attention to us?" she asked bluntly, she ran over to Itachi and hid under his cloak.

"Marlene, please give me some time. There's a battle to be fought…but it's not as simple as just fighting it. Understand?"

"No, I don't!" she shouted, still in Itachi's cloak.

"Sakura. Are you sure this is just about fighting?" Itachi asked Sakura. Sakura paused and looked down. Her mind once again returning to Neji.

#

"Where are they?" Sakura asked Suigetsu, "at their base…the Forgotten City." Jugo answered for Suigetsu.

"Go" Sakura told Suigetsu and Jugo.

She stood up and turned to them, "I'm going to talk to Sasuke"

"Damn it, Sakura, stop running already!" Neji shouted. "I know. Even if you find the kids, you might not be able to help them. Maybe something will happen that can never be undone. That scares you, doesn't it? But you need to think about now. Really take it in. Look you think you've got it so damn hard. So, you hate being alone so let people in. Sure you don't answer your phone but I don't see you throwing it away either." Suigetsu and Jugo were almost entertained with Neji and Sakura's quarrel.

"You go, Sakura, the base is all yours" Suigetsu nodded, then turned to exit the room, Jugo following.

The room was tense as neither Neji or Sakura said anything. Finally, Neji spoke, "which is it, our memory or us?"

Sakura's mind began to wonder and she was in the world of white again.

'But I let you die.'

"Dilly-Dally, shilly-shally" Naruto shook his head.

"Isn't time you did the forgiving?"

#

Sakura opened her eyes, Itachi and Marlene, standing in front of her.

"Are sins…ever forgiven?" she asked Itachi, she kept her head down.

"I've never tried" he answered honestly.

"You mean…never tried" Sakura answered her own question. The wind picked up.

Sakura suddenly looked up, a new look in her eyes, she reached her hand out.

"Marlene, let's go"

Marlene came out from under Itachi's cloak with a bright smile. She nodded enthusiastically and ran to Sakura.

"Well, I'm going to try" Sakura told Itachi, letting Marlene take her hand.

"I'll phone in the verdict" she said to Itachi before leaving.

#

Sakura's phone was replaying messages as it floated down the hole. The water was collecting in the phone but it was still working.

"It's me, Kiba. Akamaru says hi too" Kiba laughed in the speaker. "Anyway, how's work going? I saw one of your flyers, damn girl, how the hell do you stay in business? You never change, Sakura. If it's alright, I was thinking about helping you out, but I guess I'll call back another time. Bye" The message ended and another came on.

"Surprise! It's me, Moegi. So, hey, something happened and now all the kids from Wutai are missing. Have you heard anything? Give me a ring and fill me in, ok?" The message ended.

The phone finally hit the rocks at the bottom and it was quiet but for a moment, only a moment, Naruto's voice came from the phone, saying: "I never blamed you, not once"

"You did all you could for me. That's all that matters." The phone was lit for only another second then it went dark.

#

Back where Kadaj and the others were once standing, at the dark river. There was no one around but looking down at the water was the dirty gray wolf.

As soon as he was there he was gone…

#

TBC…

ItsukoAkatsuki: Thanks everybody and Ch. 4 will be updated soon. Merry Christmas all :)