Note: Sorry I haven't up-dated this story in so long its just I've been busy working on a new Naruto fanfiction as well as my next Avatar: Last Airbender fanfiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor do I own the Naruto story line.

Chapter Twelve:

Replaying On A Screen

I wont bore you with the details of what happened the first three days of our mission, but instead simply say this: everything was going fine until the fourth day.

Our mission was very clear: we were to locate Itachi and take him and his partner down by all means nessary in order to send a message to the group orangized to steal the nine demons of our world.

If we completed our mission then we were to locate and capture, but not harm, Gaara so that we could extract any information he had from him- at the same time we would be a step closer to finding Sasuke.

It was a simple but brillant plan: where ever we found Itachi, Sasuke would be near, and where ever we found Sasuke, Gaara would surely follow fueled by the sweet revenge for his only family and really his first source of love.

The fourth day into this plan started off like the other three, smoothe and calm until we reached about six miles from the end of the forest; we traveled at a constant pace so that we would have a steady time each day.

We didn't realize what would happen when we reached a small clearing to rest.

Naruto stretched his arms over his head and yawned- after all we had been traveling since before dawn.

"Hey Sakura," he said as we strolled to the small creek that ran a little ways into the woods, "When we get back home you wanna- I dunno- hang out?"

My mind was distracted by thoughts of Sasuke and Gaara- and the irony of our situation.

"Hey are you even listening?" he asked me, fustration apparent in his ocean blue eyes.

"Huh?"

"I said when we get back to the village-"

He was cut off by the sound of a crash from the area that Kakashi had said that he was going to explore, we looked at each other then took off in that particular direction.

When we arrived at our destination we found that our former sensei was surrounded by several odd looking rogue ninja's, their eyes all glowing yellow with the desire to kill and their bandaged hands twitiching with excitement. There were four of them, one in front who I assumed was the leader, and three in the back of him; they looked like the fearsome sort with their grimy teeth showing their pleasure of the hunt and their stench like iron- no- like blood; their smell was so strong in that aspect that it nearly made me vomit right there and then.

I knew I couldn't.

If I showed them any signs of weakness they would chose that moment to attack- you could see that in their eyes.

Blood was what they were after and thats what they had intended on getting.

The leader pulled out a long sword his lips turned into a wicked grin, "We wont hurt you," he cooed at us as he advanced, "We just wanna play, thats all."

"Oh yeah?!" Naruto challenged him moving his hands so that he could perform a jutshu, "PLAY WITH THIS!"

He vanished from my sight- his speed had increased ten fold since we were younger- and the next time I saw him he was behind the leader; his hands moved at an alerated rate then he yelled, "Fire Flame Jutshu!"

Three large balls of blistering flames exploded from his hands sending the man flying through the air, but the ninja quickly regained control of his body and kicked off the tree heading for Kakashi.

From behind Naruto two of the amber eyed ninja attacked my blonde companion, but luckily enough I was able to send a shock wave through the earth knocking them away from him.

The third ninja headed my way with his blade raised in his attempt to impail my stomach, I moved fluidly out of the way landing on a near by rock. Once I had gained my footing I flew at my attacker only to miss and be punch in the stomach.

For a minute my vision went black and everything around me went silent.

I remember thinking that I could pass out- that no matter what I had to keep moving for the sake of my friends- these thoughts and these thoughts alone made my eye sight sharpen and the noises of battle all came rushing back to me.

We weren't winning against these strange opponants, but in fact I believe we were losing.

At the time we had no idea who they were, but we later found out.

By the end of the day, I had been pinned down to the ground with a blade against my throat cringing from the smell of the ninja, Naruto had been cornered against a tree by the other two followers his blonde hair matted against his head from sweat- I could see the exhastion written in his face, and our former sensei was struggling with the leader- he of course showed no signs of exhaustion.

Before I knew what was happening a small falcon swooped down from the skies, similiar to the way I would image an angel would, knocking the ninja on top me off.

Though I was glad that the bird had saved me I was confused.

Who had sent it?

I wandered looking around for the possible owner.

The falcon, pitch black with the exception of his amazingly honey colored eyes and silver feathers on the tips of its wings, swooped back down on the man and preceeded to peck his eyes out.

The demon-like ninja screamed in perpetual terror, trying to slice at it with his sword only to cut himself along his cheek.

"Jiyrah!" a voice barked, "Come."

I looked away from the bleeding figure that was aimless walking about now that he was blind, to see a boy standing in the shadows of the forest as the small, magificant beast perched itself on his out stretched arm, rubbing its head against the lower part of the figures cheek.

I gasped, hardly believing my eyes.