DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here goes the seventh chapter! Enjoy! :] And, yeah, I changed the title. Hopefully, this would be the final one.

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CHAPTER VII

Sasuke leapt from branch to branch. He picked up speed as he reached the boundaries of Fire Country. He knew he had to escape this country and find peace (or the thing closest to it that he could actually feel).

He had been traveling nonstop all day and was almost too exhausted to continue. He knew he could run but he also knew that if he pass out due to extreme exhaustion Keiko might escape from him. And he could never deal with that. That would only make him more miserable.

Missions were his only life now. He had no friends, he had no family, and he had no one to love – not even himself. He knew he must complete this mission. He must bring Keiko Senju to the Akatsuki headquarters and complete this task given to him.

And so, Sasuke decided to rest on a clearing. With a stroke of luck, he found a body of a dead rabbit there that was covered with leaves and twigs. It wasn't really dark but it was cold, he knew they could use a fire. He smirked and let down the girl he had carried straight from the forests of Konoha so that he could do hand seals and set the dead rabbit's body, leaves, and twigs on fire with the use of Katon no Justu.

Half a second later, when a relatively big fire was kindled, Sasuke made his way to the girl and crouched in front of where he had set her down and checked if she was asleep before he leaned against a tree opposite the one he rested her upon. He still couldn't believe any of the things he heard about her but by the time he laid his eyes on her, everything was confirmed.

Her looks. Her sleek jet-black hair and a hint of ivory in her complexion, he was sure it was from Orochimaru. And her eyes that he saw earlier, the brown orbs must have been the physical trait she had from Tsunade.

Her eyes had been warm (and with the slightest and fleeting hint of hurt) when she looked at him. This thought made him ponder: why did she look at me with such tenderness when we barely knew each other? Her gaze, it seemed as if he knew everything about me when in truth she don't even know my name…

His head was full of different thoughts, of different answers to his question but he knew he would only find out if he asked her – which I would not do, he decided. It was out of his normal character to ask about anything that struck his imagination and he would not change that now.

I would just have to find a way to get the answer from her without necessarily asking, he finally gave the verdict because his mind was already tired to wonder over such things. He needed his rest. Badly.

He sat himself next to Keiko, wrapped his right hand on her left wrist and leaned his head back to the hard tree. Sasuke could at least get some rest with this position. Once awake, her pulse would change and that would alert him.

Sasuke smiled at this. Smiled. He really needed some good night's sleep.

Ai felt terrible. She knew she could have saved Keiko. She knew that someone could have ran after Hiro had she told the mask-bearing, black-clad people who arrived soon after her friend was abducted. But she was terrified. She saw Hiro with red eyes.

Sorry. I am so, so sorry Keiko.

These were all her thoughts as she attended to the pregnant lady who had been knocked unconscious before she and Naruto arrived.

The bruises the woman received were very minimal, and so Ai started to check on the baby. She focused her hands on the woman's abdomen, she really didn't know what she was doing but something seemed to have told her that she was doing the right thing.

"Is Hana-neechan all right?" She heard Naruto asked from behind her. She still hadn't forgiven him for what he said and what he did before.

"Yes. I'm checking her baby now," she said in a very clipped and calculated voice.

She again focused on Hana's swollen belly and checked on the baby twice with her back turned to Naruto. And that is the reason why she didn't see the hurt evident in his eyes.

"The baby is safe," she announced loud enough for Naruto, the remaining ANBU and the long-haired, red-eyed man who just entered the clearing to hear. After the announcement, she stood up and walked to the green-clad boy.

However, due to extensive usage bordering to abuse of her chakra, her vision dimmed. The place swiveled around her and she lost footing.

Naruto, who had been watching her treat Hana, caught her before she hit the ground and carried her swiftly back to Konoha after Itachi left with Hana.

The ANBU's were the last ones to leave the clearing to look for any Akatsuki members near the village.

Keiko felt warm lips on hers. She knew who this person was, she told herself as she melted in his arms.

Keiko knew that though he doesn't seem the gentle kind, he really was gentle – very gentle, actually.

All of a sudden, Keiko felt him move away. He disappeared and reappeared only to be seen in the arms of another girl, kissing that girl with so much passion. Keiko felt her heart shatter into millions of pieces unable to be held together by anybody's hands except his, she told herself. She wanted to get him, claw him out from the bitch's arms if she could, claim him as hers but she knew that she didn't have the heart to do any of those things.

She had always been the one to give up on someone if that person was not willing to be with her anymore. Running after someone was something her pride couldn't do.

And so she just settled to closing her eyes and avoiding the scene in front of her while she silently cried and muttered his name over and over again. In a matter of minutes, she felt two familiar-feeling hands grip on her shoulders. In extreme shock, her eyes fluttered open only to see Hiro once again now hovering in front of her – Hiro – with all the glory of his raven hair but red eyes.

Keiko knew she must be frightened, terrified even but the faint trace of concern in those red eyes cancelled out all frights. Keiko knew that Hiro still cared.

She smiled a sad smile as her eyes glazed over. However, her ego wouldn't let the tears fall. Contrastingly, she composed herself and looked at the boy in front of her and addressed him with a small smile on her face, "Hiro."

Beads of sweat formed on Sakura's forehead as she concentrated on TenTen's most fatal wound.

It had already been twenty minutes since Neji had brought TenTen here but Sakura still hadn't made much progress with her gal pal.

"Ino!" She called out to her friend who was at the other hospital room. Ino had been treating Neji but Neji didn't have fatal wounds unlike TenTen so he could be left under the care of other medic nins.

Now, Sakura needed someone who was good. Damn good.

Sakura knew she couldn't do this all alone. TenTen had several other wounds not to mention internal bleedings due to damaged vital organs, excessive blood loss, and several concussions on her head.

Ino immediately came and went over to Sakura who was at the right side of TenTen's hospital bed. Ino gasped as she took in TenTen's appearance – her blood-soaked shirt and hair that seemed to be red rather than brown.

"Get over your shock and work on her," Sakura hissed through gritted teeth. This is so much harder than it seemed. Kuso.

"I wish Tsunade-sama is well enough to help," Ino wished as she concentrated on treating TenTen's lungs.

"Quit wishing, start working!"

"I am working!"

"Just shut up," an exasperated Sakura answered back. She was on the verge of crying. She was already doing her best but nothing had changed. TenTen was still on the verge on death and with every damn second that they couldn't get her away from that verge, her soul slipped farther and farther away.

I couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let her friend die, she was one of the best medic nins in the village, for crying out loud.

"Sakura!" She heard Ino call her with such a frantic tone. No, No! Ino, please don't tell me. Please, Ino, don't.

Her wish was granted, Ino didn't say the things Sakura didn't want to hear. Ino found no need to. The machine connected to TenTen did the job as it showed on the screen that the kunoichi's heart was no longer beating.

Tsunade felt someone move her pillow and she couldn't help but let the annoyed groan out of her lips.

"Oh! You are awake now, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said as Tsunade tried to sit upright on her bed.

"If that isn't obvious, I do not know what is," she muttered to her apprentice as Shizune turned to the table next to Tsunade's bed.

"Please take these to help you recover from chakra exhaustion," Shizune said as she handed Tsunade two pills and a bottle of sake.

"I don't need the pills," the patient said and she took the bottle from Shizune's hands to chug it down her throat.

The other woman released a sigh. Tsunade was their Hokage and so, she wasn't one to be ordered around. If she said she wouldn't take the pills, she really wouldn't.

She was about to take the two pills and the rest of the medicine out of the room when she heard a thump behind her. Apparently, Tsunade tried to stand by her own. Their kage wasn't exactly one to ask for help, she was too stubborn and proud for that, so she just figured that she would stand on her own.

Shizune helped the still-weak and recovering lady up and sat her on the bed. Maybe, just maybe she could persuade Tsunade to take the prescribed medicine.

With the thought in mind, Shizune couldn't help but let a smile spread in her pink lips.

She felt cold hands from behind her wrap themselves around her waist and hot breath tickled her neck.

"So, how was Tsunade-sama?" the person asked.

"Well, she's awake now though she's still on her way to full recovery. Good thing, I was able to persuade her to take the medicine or else she would have difficulty recuperating." She sighed.

"Don't worry about her. She wouldn't be made hokage is she wasn't tough."

"I know, but Yamato… I care for her a lot, she's like family to me. I just want her to be alright."

"With your care she'll be back in action in no time. Trust me," the ANBU said as he turned her around and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," Shizune replied as she freed herself from his grasp and held his left hand with her right.

They walked in silence for a pretty long time before Shizune said something.

"Something's bothering you."

"Well, yeah. You see, in the clearing where Orochimaru attacked, Naruto was there. Also, he was with a girl who obviously don't belong in Konoha nor Fire Country. I don't even think she's from this world. But I saw her treat Hana-san's wounds. I saw her check the baby. And she did it with skill and precision that was somehow akin to the Godaime Hokage's."

Shizune was taken aback by this but she tried to think and tell her boyfriend something that might answer his question.

"You told me that Tsunade-sama has a daughter, right? Maybe she's the daughter. Right, maybe Ai is the kage's child" she said.

"No. I already saw the girl – Tsunade's daughter. That girl had black hair and the one I saw in the clearing had red hair."

"Strange," Shizune mused as she came to a stop in front of the hospital. They had walked long enough to go to the park, idle there before they decided to go back to the hospital.

"Indeed. So I guess I'll do a research about it. And don't worry, I'll take care of myself. If I can't do that I would love it if you take care of me," he teased as Shizune blushed a thousand different shades of red before she punched him on the arm.

Yamato never saw the punch coming and so, in a jiffy, found himself sprawled out on the floor, a few meters away from his girlfriend.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry. I never meant it to be so hard," Shizune said as she rushed to his side and let him stand up.

"It's okay, I knew you never intended to hurt me," Yamato answered with a sweet smile.

Shizune was moved so she hugged him tight before she went back inside the hospital to check on her patient, err, her boss rather.

Yamato immediately went to start his research. He went beyond the barrier and spied on the people there. He even reviewed periodicals from years back in hopes of digging out something that might help him understand the situation better.

However, even the newspapers were not very helpful.

The ANBU decided that he needed to do more if he wanted adequate information so he disguised himself as a normal person and walked over to Hamano-san, Ai's father or that was what all the information he gathered told him.

"Hamano-san, good day! Can I ask you a few questions, maybe?"

The man eyed him suspiciously for a couple of seconds before carefully and slowly nodding his bald head.

"Do you know Ai Hamano?"

"No."

"Isn't she a daughter of yours?"

"No. I only have three daughters, Momo, Mimi, and Sumire."

"Oh. Uhm, do you remember knowing a girl with red, shoulder-length hair and green eyes?"

"No. I told you. I know nothing about this Ai Hamano! Now, if you'll excuse me," he said as he narrowed his eyes and walked away from the then-disguised Yamato.

Said ANBU member heaved a sigh before walking to a safe place to change back. Looks like, there was nothing in here.

Maybe, there was more to Ai not in this place, but the one behind the barrier.