Ultimate

Summary: Sakura is coming home from a mission when she hears a sound in the bushes. Stopping, she finds a gravely wounded black tiger. Thinking it just a wounded animal, she helps it, not knowing that one day she would bond with it, and in bonding, be given a power unlike any other. Rated T. Takes place during Shippuuden. Sasuke is in Konoha.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own the plot.

"moo" speech

'moo' thoughts

'moo' Inner Sakura

'moo' Tari

'moo' Sakura mind speaking

'moo' Tynashi

Ok, someone gave me an idea, and I thank that person, though I can't remember who it was, so, following the idea, on with the story. Oh, and since they were all 16, they will now be 18

2 Years Later, 4 pm

Sakura and Tenten sighed. There, in the distance, stood Konoha's Gates. They had been there in two years and were probably considered S-rank missing nin, killed as soon as they enter the village. Iai looked at them both with sympathy. He had had the same expression when he had returned to the lightning village for the first time after leaving to train. Now they were in his position. Iai stepped between the two girls, laying a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. The girls looked at him, seeing a small smile dawning his face.

"You'll do fine. They won't kill you first thing, if only to hear what you have to say. And if they try, you can kick their butts easily. You are now the two strongest kunoichi, each with your own unique talents. Sakura, you can save a life and crush a mountain with the same hand. You have an extensive knowledge of herbs and what each look like, along with where they can be found. You have grown stronger, growing together with Tari. Your team work with her and Tenten it flawless. Tenten, you can use any weapon to any extent, and you have a natural talent for tracking. You have also grown closer to Tynashi (her grey wolf), and you have each developed your own special techniques, unique to you abilities. You'll be alright." he said, trying to encourage them. It seemed to work. The fear vanished from their eyes and they seemed to have an air of confidence. Iai nodded, and then spoke. "Do you wish for me to accompany you?" he asked, serious. Sakura smiled at him.

"If you want to." Iai smiled slightly and nodded, looking at her to make sure she was ready. She had changed a lot, not just in strength, but also in appearance. She had grown her hair again, so it was about an inch past her shoulders. Her body had curved out, but she was still muscular. Instead of her pink outfit, she now wore a black shirt with a dark purple tiger head on it, yellow eyes seeming to glow. It looked like Tari. She also wore a red skirt, black biker leggings under it. She still wore her black gloves, and was now sporting a black trench coat (think Anko's, but black). Iai then switched his gaze to Tenten, who nodded at him and smiled. She had also changed in appearance. She still wore her hair up in two buns on her head. Her outfit consisted of black biker shorts under an icy blue skirt, her top a shade of lavender. The shirt had long sleeves, and they were slightly poofed and there were slits on the four sides of her arms, showing her muscular arms. She had 3 large scrolls tied to her back (in the style on Kankuro, but the size of her one in shippuuden) and her belt was filled with smaller scrolls. She had developed amazing back strength from carrying around those huge scrolls. Iai nodded. They were ready, and with him accompanying them, they were more likely to be guaranteed passage. They all nodded and jumped swiftly down to the dirt path leading to the Gates. As they approached, Izumo and Kotetsu, the guards, looked at them in surprise and even ran out of their post to make sure it was them.

"Sakura Haruno, Tenten Asugi, missing nin of the Hidden Leaf Village. All Shinobi were ordered to bring you directly to the Hokage if we saw you two, but we never suspected you would come right to us. Now, come with us quietly and we won't call the ANBU to restrain you." Sakura and Tenten nodded. Kotetsu and Izumo talked quietly and Izumo remained behind to guard the gates while Kotetsu lead Sakura, Tenten and Iai to the Hokage.

Hokage's Office

Tsunade growled as another migraine threatened to pound her brain. Her life had been slowly falling apart ever since Sakura had left the village. The council had hassled her to send ANBU after them to capture them and give them a sentence, but Tsunade had shut them up quickly. But she couldn't deny naming them missing nin. Tsunade sighed as suppressed tears rose in her eyes, but she pushed them away when she heard a swift knock on the door.

"Enter." she called, hearing a slight quiver in her voice. She heard hushed voices from beyond the door, and then Kotetsu entered, looking slightly shaken. Tsunade was worried. "What is it?" Kotetsu hesitated, then spoke, an unbelieving tone in his voice.

"Well, Hokage-sama, you see..." he started, unsure of how to say it. Tsunade waited patiently for once. "Well, you see," he took a deep breath. "Sakura Haruno and Tenten Asugi have returned." he blurted. Tsunade's heart stopped for a moment. Sakura, back? It wasn't possible, yet as she thought that, her pink haired former apprentice walker through the door, a smirk on her face with Tari, followed by Tenten with Tynashi, and her old friend Iai, who was smiling slightly. Tsunade stared at them, hazel eyes wide and filled with many emotions; confusion, relief, anger, amazement. When she finally got her emotions under control, she spoke to them, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Sakura Haruno, Tenten Asugi, you are charged with abandoning the leaf. This, itself, is enough for a death sentence or life in a top security cell. But..." she stopped, her emotions forcing themselves forward, refusing to be ignored. A lone tear trailed down her cheek and suddenly she was hugging Sakura, who smiled, tears streaming down her face. Tenten stood away from them slightly, looking at the touching seen with hard eyes. There was no one to welcome her back, no one to hug her, no one to cry for her, no one to hold her and whisper in her ear how much they had missed her. She had no one. She looked at Sakura as she turned towards her, reaching her arm out to bring her into the hug. Tenten smiled and joined them.

'Scratch the pity party, I have Sakura, Iai, and Tynashi, right girl?' Tenten thought, speaking to Tynashi on the last part.

'Yes. You have me, as you always will, and your have your friends. We, you, do not need someone to hold you if you messed up when you have someone else who will be right next to you saying 'well that was fun!'.' Tynashi spoke calmly. Tenten warmed and smiled widely. Released form the earlier hug, she crushed Tynashi in a hug, letting go when she was done. Tsunade regained control of her tyraiding(sp?) emotions and sat down at her desk, motioning for Sakura, Tenten, and Iai to take a seat. They each pulled up a chair and sat in front of the Hokage. Tsunade sighed.

"Listen Sakura, Tenten, when the council finds out your back, they will be in here every day, pressing me to execute you. I won't of course, but I can't let you off scot free either. So, if you promise me you will never leave again, I will forgive you. To get the council to stop harassing me, you will be put under tight surveillance for six months and you will stripped of your rankings, doing only D-ranked missions for those six months. After that, you will be aloud to take the chuunin and jonin exams. I'm going easy on you here, so don't harass me or start complaining." Tsunade concluded, writing everything on two scrolls and handing them to the girls, who only took the scrolls and nodded. Tsunade then summoned eight ANBU to her office and explained the situation. Once the ANBU had left, the four started talking, sharing stories about their adventures and their training. When the clock struck 8, Tsunade sent the girls back to their old houses to rest and eat, and she reserved a room at one of Konoha's hotels for Iai. Tenten and Sakura bid goodnight to the Hokage and Iai before setting off towards their houses, walking in silence. Soon, they parted ways, each tired and starving.

Sakura

Sakura yawned openly as she trudged home, Tari walking along side her. Sakura smiled tiredly and sat down on a nearby bench, stroking Tari's velvet soft head, making her purr in content. Sakura laughed quietly.

'So, we're finally back, huh girl.' Tari looked up at her with her glossy eyes.

'Yes, we are. Your first day seemed to go well. I think after six months, you will become a very respected kunoichi.' Tari responded, Sakura nodded and got up from the bench, resuming her trudge home. Along the way, she was stopped by a dark figure. Recognizing the chakra signature, she smirked and Tari growled.

"Sasuke, what a coincidence seeing you out at this time." she said, sarcasticness dripping from her words. Sasuke glared at her.

"I thought I chased you out of here two years ago." he growled, glaring at her through the Sharingan. Sakura smirked and shrugged. Seeing her master's confidence, Tari ceased growling at lay at Sakura's feet in a display of ease and laziness, another way of saying she felt unthreatened and safe.

"Guess you failed. Now you gonna go slit your wrists with a razor and mutter to yourself about your revenge against your brother?" she mocked. Sasuke ground his teeth together.

"You bitch. I'll make sure you wish you had never come back." he yelled, pulling out a kunai and running towards Sakura, who pulled out her katana and blocked the kunai, pushing Sasuke off. He threw the kunai at her and she dodged, soon after dodging three shurikan. She watched them, and as she suspected, they twisted towards her, wire glinting in the moonlight. She dodged again, but got caught the third time, pinning her to a tree. Sasuke smirked and performed hand signs, blowing fire down the wires to engulf Sakura. She screamed loudly and Tari pounced, ripping and tearing at his face with her obsidian black claws, growling fiercely, baring pearl white fangs in Sasuke's face. Sasuke grunted from the extra weight on his chest where Tari landed, back claws digging deep into his chest, drawing blood. Sasuke pulled out another kunai, stabbing Tari in the stomach, but she held on, back claws digging deeper, making Sasuke grunt in pain. Her front claws dug into his back as she roared, biting down hard on his left shoulder. Sasuke let out a sound in pain and started pushing at Tari, only to have her bite and claw deeper. Her eyes glinted blood red in the moonlight, blood lust evident in the usually calm eyes. She started raking Sasuke's chest with her back claws, reaching farther down his back with her right paw, digging in her claws, then tearing them back up, splitting the flesh to the bone. Tari adjusted her grip with her jaws, clamping down harder, crushing Sasuke collar bone beneath her steel bite. Sasuke cried out, and he heard laughing. Squinting through the pain, he managed to open one eye to look over at the tree Sasuke had wrapped Sakura on, only to see a burnt log. He looked slightly to his left to see Sakura, smiling widely.

"Missed Sasuke. And now Tari is out for blood. Your blood. She's very protective. Once, a sumo attacked me, and she took him down by herself in under 10 minutes. She's going easy on you." she explained. Finished, Tari growled again, dug deeper than the other times with her claws and teeth one last time, then let go and jumped back, landing on her feet next to Sakura, anger and protectiveness still evident. Then, for the first time ever, she spoke to Sasuke.

'You ever try to hurt Sakura again, I will do more than shatter your collar bone and leave bloody gashes in your body. I will crush your skull in my jaws, ripping your face to shreds with my claws and clawing out your heart while your still alive.' she growled, her presence like glass and steel in his mind, causing him to wince. Sakura smirked and walked past him, Tari following closely. Sasuke ground his teeth together against the pain and rage, slamming his fist into the ground before struggling to his feet and limping off to the hospital, his wounds still bleeding quite heavily.

Ok, it's not that long, but I couldn't think of anything else to put, so ya. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Review please!