Chappie 12! Well, right now I'm not sure about how many chapters until this fic ends, but I do know that it passed the mid point of the story and the highest point will be a couple chappies or so later. And Sorry for not putting much action yet but I promise to make up for it in the next chappie!

Key:

"Talking"

'Thoughts'

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Read and Review please!

Sasuke was opened his mouth to say something when he was cut off by someone else talking in the training grounds.

"Sakura… is someone precious to me…" A familiar voice said

Was that Kakashi?

Naruto looked at his best friend who returned the gaze. Both silently walked to the edge of the training grounds while masking their chakra and listened in on what was going on.

"Was she your relative? Sister? Lover?" asked Sayuri energetically

Haru looked just as curious as Sayuri, but Daisuke merely stuffed his hands in his pockets uncaringly.

"She was my student just like you three." He answered solemnly.

Daisuke's attention perked up at this.

"Really? So she was part of the team before ours?" Asked Haru

"Yeah… Along with Uzamaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke." Kakashi said with a ghost of a smile.

Daisuke turned and faced Kakashi, his full attention set on his sensei. Haru and Sayuri's eyes widened.

"You mean Tsunadae's successor? Two of Konoha's few ANBU Captains were your students?" Haru asked in amazement.

"The golden team 7." Kakashi said distantly

"What happened to Sakura?" Asked Daisuke

"It's classified information, but you'll find out sooner or later." He said and paused "Three years ago Haruno Sakura left Konoha and became a missing nin. A few weeks later she was reported as another member of Akatsuki, days after she had killed Kisame."

He three genin froze. This kunoichi became a missing nin, killed an Akatsuki member, and then became one soon after?

'How strong is Haruno?' Though Daisuke

"Who is Haruno Sakura?" asked Daisuke

"She is about 19 right now and nearly at 17 she had left Konoha. Before she left she had already surpassed Tsunadae in the medical field and took over the title of Slug Sannin. She was part of ANBU and also worked in the hospital when she wasn't needed on A or S ranked missions. She posses the ability to heal of course, as well as monster strength from the Godaime. She used to be Tsunadae's apprentice for a few years." Kakashi informed

The three genin stared in awe and disbelief at their sensei.

"Haruno Sakura… She must have been very strong." Haru commented

Daisuke was too speechless to even comment while Sayuri waited quietly for Kakashi to continue.

"How was she like as a genin?" asked the female genin

Kakashi chuckled as he remembered the old times.

"Ah, Sakura was defiantly the brains of the group. She had brain smart that Uchiha Sasuke, her former teammate, couldn't even compare to. She memorized all of the handsigns and the Shinobi way. She has perfect chakra control as she demonstrated on a mistaken A-Rank mission. On the Chunin exams she had no problem with the written exams unlike her other teammates. She also specializes in genjutsu." Kakashi said, recalling his memory.

"Smarter than an Uchiha?" Asked Daisuke while Haru looked dumbfounded.

"Hai, she even has better chakra control then either of them." Kakashi answered.

"Sugoi." Sayuri said, with every word from Kakashi she felt as if this girl really is someone amazing. Kakashi doesn't give praises so easily.

"Heh heh. She also has her downsides though. While she specialized in genjutsu, as a genin she severely lacked taijutsu and ninjutsu. Her technique with kunai and setting traps was good but her physical strength was lacking, and she mostly stayed on the sidelines instead of out in the battle. In her terms 'always being protected'. She also had a short fuse and getting her angry is something you would want to avoid. She has a tendency of wacking her other teammate, Uzamaki Naruto, over the head when he would do something 'stupid' – "

"Wait" Haru interrupted "She hit the next Hokage?"

Kakashi chuckled, "Quite often. There was also another thing; she would fawn over Uchiha Sasuke. She had a crush like obsession with him which would get in the way of her training."

At this Sayuri perked up and listened intently. Daisuke would avoid looking at Sayuri while Haru was oblivious to all this.

"Sasuke would always get annoyed, but she was persistent and he held a sort of dislike towards her until the Chunin exams that is. In the forest of death with both of her teammates unable to help her she realized that she needs to focus more on training, she was against three sound nin. Even if it seemed hopeless she fought on, with eventually some help from a few friends, to protect her teammates. Around that time is when her crush started to grow into something more and she stopped constantly fawning over Sasuke, and gave him more space by distancing herself a little more from him."

"What's the point of all this? Why bother saying her weaknesses?" Asked Daisuke indifferently

"Becausee her weaknesses caused her to leave. The night Sasuke left she had poured her heart out to him, only to have it thrown in her face. Not long after, Naruto had left and she had been alone. That was the time she needed them the most, because on her fourteenth year her only family had been slaughtered during a raid right before her very eyes."

There was a moment of silence. Sayuri and Haru looked at Kakashi with disbelief and sympathy for Sakura. While, Daisuke merely kept his gaze down.

This is the shinobi way. No one lies forever, they all die someday.

"Since, then." Kakashi continued "She had never been the same until one day she decided to leave Konoha to get stronger outside the village. Somehow she ended up with Akatsuki… It's hard to believe someone like her would do this. It's hard, when someone close and dear to you turns around and betrays you. It hurts."

The old Jonin was quiet and when Sayuri opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted.

"Her family…" a deep voice said from behind the team,

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly in shock before he turned to face none other than Naruto and Sasuke. The three genin looked at the two living legends with awe.

"Naruto… Sasuke…" Kakashi greeted monotonously, motioning the genin to leave.

The three left reluctantly.

"Her family is gone?" Asked Naruto carefully.

"Hai." Confirmed Kakashi

"All this time… for 5 years she'd been alone and no one knew about it?" Asked the other team seven member.

"Hai, with the acceptation of the godaime."

In a flash Naruto held Kakashi in a choke hold while Sasuke held his Kusanagi dangerously close to Kakashi's neck. Naruto had a look of anger with Kyubi's chakra swirling around his eyes in rage. Sasuke's bangs covered his eyes, a dark aura formed around him.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell us?" The Uchiha whispered lethally.

Swirling Mangenkyou eyes darkened chakra visibly whipping around in the murderous orbs.

"I just found out myself, Sasuke."

Slam.

Tsunadae looked up from her work. Eyes focused and determined.

"What do you think – "

"Why didn't you tell us about her family?!" The usually cheerful voice yelled

The blonde slammed his hands down on he desk with an Uchiha who looked as if he was about to demolish everything in sight.

But judging by his violently trembling arms, he's trying to control himself.

Tsunadae sighed.

'So they know?'

"You have to understand that – "

"What is there to understand?" Sasuke growled.

Slam.

"Enough!"

Tsunadae slammed her own hands down on the table and nearly making it collapse from her chakra infused strength. Her face neared Naruto's dangerously, reminding him who he's talking to.

After a few moments of the glaring contest Naruto backed away in defeat.

"What I was trying to say is Sakura didn't want you to know."

"What?" Both boys asked , not getting why their teammate wouldn't tell them such a thing.

"Why wouldn't she tell us?! We could've – !"

"You could've what, Uchiha?!" Tsunadae interrupted standing up to her full height and glared at the Uchiha, "Sneer at her and tell her that's the Shinobi way, to suck it up? Tell her that now she can actually comprehend what it means to be truly alone? Call her weak for not being able to let go of their death?!"

Sasuke was silent and merely glared at her. He would have never done such a thing, but now that he thought about it, before she left he hadn't treated her any better than how Tsunadae predicted him to act towards Sakura. What Tsunadae said… is the cold hard truth.

"And you!" She yelled turning her angry gaze to Naruto. "What could you have done?! Pity her? Be more protective of her? Never allow her to fend for herself because she is so fragile?!"

Naruto looked down with a scowl at how much the truth hurts. Tsunadae glared down at both as she spoke.

"This is why she didn't want to tell you! Because of how you'd react! She was afraid you two would try to avenge her family. She was afraid of how you would act towards her. She was afraid of being weak!"

"I understand that." Sasuke said looking at Tsunadae with an unreadable expression. "But she could tell us anything. We could've helped her through it seeing as we've been through the same thing."

Tsunadae shook her head.

"No. Even if she did tell you, it wouldn't bring them back. She doesn't want your comfort." Tsunadae said firmly

"Tsunadae-baa-chan! If you're saying we should give up on Sakura-chan - !"

"No." Tsunadae interrupted curtly "That's not it."

"Then what?" Sasuke asked frustrated and trying to get to the point.

"The point is we've gathered all of the remaining Jinchuuriki in Suna. Which means…" She trailed and let Naruto continue.

"Which means that all of Akatsuki are going there." Naruto said with an unreadable expression.

"We plan to take out all of them, once and for all." Tsunadae said as several other Jonin and ANBU appeared In the room.

"Naruto, you lead sector A, your team will one by one take out each Akatsuki pair except Uchiha Itachi and... Haruno Sakura." She said hesitantly and Naruto nodded reluctantly.

'I wanted to be the one to find her and bring her back along with the teme.' He sighed

"Uchiha Sasuke," She said turning to face the Konoha Uchiha.

"Hai," He said with hard eyes.

"While Kakashi leads sector C you lead sector C, you main goal is to eliminate Uchiha Itachi and get back Haruno Sakura at all cost. Then once that is done you will go after the leader." She said

'At least one of us will be the one to bring her back' Naruto thought silently

"Suna will aid us in this battle and help us fight off shinobi of Amegakure. Understood?" Tsunadae said with authority.

"Hai." The various shinobi replied automatically except for one.

Tsunadae and the rest of the occupants in the room looked at the Uchiha carefully. His face showed no emotion but his eyes showed it all.

Anger, Hate, Remorse, Guilt, Concern, Anxiety all swirled in those deep onyx eyes.

"Hai," He nodded, closing his eyes.

'Finally, this is what he'd been waiting for. A chance to finish his brother and the one who corrupted the once loyal kunoichi, and a chance to finally get her back.' He inwardly breathed, he couldn't mess this up.

"Good. We leave tonight."

The sun was now slowly sinking behind the few trees and mountains. From a cliff legions of Shinobi stood surrounding it and staring at the setting sun. A village could be seen at a far distance as wind lightly breezed.

Their expression held anticipation for the fight to come. Malicious grins on the missing nins' and high classed criminals' faces.

Atop the hill are the nine Akatsuki members. Pein stood in front at the edge of the hill with Konan to his right while Itachi and Sakura stood to his left.

"Pein how do we know if this is not a trap?" Konan asked, not believing that all of the Jinchuuriki could possibly be gathered in the same area.

"This is no trap nor bluff, Konan. They'll be there."

"Then we should expect company." Itachi said with his mangenkyou eyes

"Konoha nin?" Asked Zetsu

Itachi glanced at Sakura furtively. She remained still and unmoving with her slashed hitae-ate around her neck.

"Hai, and don't be surprised to see Suna fighting alongside with them."

"Of course." Answered Konan. "When will we meet them?"

"Soon." The Akatsuki leader said with an unreadable tone. "We leave now."

The Akatsuki members nodded silently and in a split second disappeared in a gust of wind. The other nin following their example.

Looks like Sasuke and Naruto now now! Wonder what'll happen when they finally see Sakura after three years apart... Anyway, sorry about not much action going on but, again. in the next chappie there will be a whole mess of it!

Please read and review!