"This is the best 'After Mission' tradition we have!" Oni said with a huge smile digging her spoon into the sweet, creamy, desert.

"Yosh!" Ino and Sakura agreed, also digging with smiles on their faces.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

There was a knock at the door.

"I got it." Oni said, putting down her spoon and walking to the door.

She unlocked the deadbolt and slid the door open.

"Can I help you?" She asked turning to the person at the door. Her heart stopped and her blood ran cold. 'Shit! I thought we lost him?'

"Hai. You can come with me, un."

"Oni, who is it?" Sakura asked walking out of the kitchen. She dropped her spoon, with a loud clang against the wood floor. "No." She whispered.

"Sakura? Oni? Who is it?" Ino asked from the kitchen, "WAIT! Is it Naruto-kun? Is he proposing to Sakura? I have to see this!" Ino Said before barreling into the living room, dropping the hand towel she was using to dry her hands.

All three girls stopped and stared at the man in their door way. They eyed him from his feet up to the black cloak with red cloud patterns, to his blue eyes and finally his blonde hair that was in a half up due.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't all three of the kunoichi I was sent to find, un." He said cracking a very strange smile. It was somewhere between the Cheshire cat and a sadistic smile. Oni felt cold fear run up her spine.

'What am I going to do? I can't call my team. I promised mom I'd protect Ino!' Oni thought; panic bubbling in her stomach and chest. She kept her wonderful ANBU facial mask on, blank stare with fierce eyes. "What do you want?" Oni demanded, protection dripping in her voice as she moved between the Akatsuki member and her "family".

"Was I not clear enough for you before, un? The Akatsuki wants all three of you as members." He said moving his bang to the other side of his scope. "Now may I come in? We don't want to tip off the entire village that you're being recruited by the Akatsuki, un." He said moving closer to her and the door.

"And why should we trust you?" Oni said, stiffening her spine and closing the door to cover her left side.

"Because, Doll face," He said flipping her side bang and leaning in towards her ear, "I haven't attempted to kill you, un." He said with a smirk.

"Point taken." Oni said opening the door. "You can come in, but you need to leave any and all weapons at the door." She said holding out her hand. "Ino, get our guest a basket for his things. Sakura, Take his cloak and check him for hidden weapons."

"Aww. Come on, sweetie, un. You can trust me." He said coming in, slipping off his cloak and handing it to the pink haired girl. "Besides, when you join you'll be my partner, un" He said with a smirk studying her from head to toe.

'Hmm. She looks almost identical to the other blond girl, Ino I think… but Leader-Sama was right when he said I'd like her in more ways than one. She's hot, protective and has a back bone. I could get used to her.' The blond man thought, smirking, as he handed the pink haired girl his explosive clay pouches and ninja weapons.

"Against the wall and spread 'em." The pinky mumbled, just loud enough for him to catch it.

"Your Sakura Haruno correct, un?" He asked while following her directions.

"What of it?"She said patting him down like she was a cop.

"Sorry to hear about your clan, un" He said, he was being genuine. Sakura froze; she pulled her hands away from him and looked at his face.

"How do you know about that?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as threat dripped from her words.

"The Akatsuki is very well informed, un. My condolences." He said turning to look at her shoving his hands in his pockets and walked off in the direction of the look-a-like blonds.

"Thanks." She called after him as he walked off. 'I still blame myself for that night.' Sakura thought recalling what the Hokage had told her two months ago after she'd finished a mission.

*FLASH BACK*

Sakura knocked on the door to Tsunade's office.

"Come in!" She boomed.

"Konbanwa, Tsunade-Sama came to give you my mission report." Sakura said placing the scroll on Tsunade's desk.

"Sakura, sit down." Tsunade said, her face softening and her eyes getting sad.

"Tsunade-Sama?" Sakura asked, doing as she was told,

"Sakura, I have some bad news." She cleared her throat. "Sakura, someone murdered your entire clan."

Sakura's stomach fell. She let it sink in. Her mother, her father, her sisters, her brothers, her whole family, gone. Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Tsunade-Sama are you sure? Are you sure they got everyone?" Sakura didn't care if she had to take in a younger cousin, even if she disliked them, it was all she had left.

"Sakura I'm so sorry." Tsunade said coming around the desk and putting a hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "They even got Yuki." Tsunade said closing her eyes so she didn't have to see her students sorrow.

Yuki was the newest Haruno. She was only 6 months old. Sakura lost it. She choked out a sob.

"W-why?" She asked burring her face in her hands.

"We can only assume they were looking for you and killed anyone you saw them. When they could not find you they just killed the rest of your clan. I'm so sorry. You can have as much grieving time as you need." Tsunade said giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, before leaving the room.

"Arigato, Sensei." Sakura whispered as Tsunade left the room.

*END FLASH BACK*

Sakura followed the three blondes to the kitchen. Where they had sat around the kitchen island. Sakura slid on to the stool next to Oni.

"Who are you?" Oni asked looking the blond in the eye. After all, she was one of the top two interrogators in Kohona.

"I'm Deidara of the Akatsuki, un. And who are you lovely ladies?"