Hey, y'all. Hope you guys liked the beginning... tried to pan it out without overdoing it, so hopefully I managed to do that. Since I'm attempting to cover as much as I can with people, there may be(I haven't done it yet, I'm just letting you know) a chapter where I completely never mention Kiba or Sakura. Rest assured they're still the main characters/pairing, but I'm trying to cover more ground in this sequel. :)

Any who, here ya go!

Chapter 4

Guess I should drop out now. Trunks thought as he descended from flying to the ground as he approached the upcoming village. He was still really nervous about this assignment, not only going into a village where this weapon was, but he's still not one-hundred percent convinced the Illusive Man is being straight forward with him.

Finally making his way past the front gate, he was stopped by two shinobi. One wearing a piece of white cloth wrapped around his nose stretching to the back of his head, and another with his chin covered by the undershirt of his uniform.

"Welcome to Konoha, what business do you have here today?"

"Me?" Trunks pointed to himself.

"Yes." said the man with the covered chin. "We've never seen you here before, so you'll need to take this registration form to the Hokage's office if you are here as a client."

"A client? but I'm-"

"Yeah." said the man with the white bandage across his nose. "Your boss was here just a few minutes ago. Older looking guy, said you'd be coming by here. Even if you're not a client directly yourself, any associated individuals must coincide with the papers for accountability. Standard procedure."

Really? The least you could have done is tell me. "Oh, uh, right. What do I need to sign again?"

X X X

Quite a bit of paperwork for the Saiyan as he made his way down the road towards the Hokage's office. He could feel people staring at him. He figured it might be because of his sword, but it's a village full of ninjas, what's the big deal if he had a weapon on his back? Then again, after hearing a group of girls whistling at him, he figured it probably because of his looks. Figures. he rolled his eyes. Couldn't get any peace back home either. Not sure which parent to blame for this one.

As he passed by a small ramen shop, Trunks couldn't ignore his stomach as it loudly declared its need to feed inside him. "I guess he wouldn't mind if I grabbed some food first."

He walked in to see an older man with mixed gray and black hair fixing noodles for another customer who was sitting down already. A woman, who appeared to be his daughter, greeted him as he entered.

"Hi! Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen Shop." she said. "You're... not from around here, are you?"

Geez, am I that obvious? Trunks thought. "Um... yeah, you're right. I'm not from here, this is my first time in Konoha."

"Well have a seat, son, we'll fix you up a bowl. What'll you have?" said the older man as he approached him, handing the bowl of ramen to the other customer.

Trunks glanced through the menu before finally coming to a decision. "Let me have... the miso ramen."

"No problem, coming right up." said Teuchi. "So you say you're not from around here? Where ya from, then?"

"I'm from Wes-... I mean..." he had to think of something quick... What did he put on the forms? There it was! "Iwa, that's where I'm from."

"You're a long ways from home." said Ayame. "But I don't see a headband on your forehead. Are you a shinobi?" she asked while noticing his sword.

"Oh. No, I'm not. I'm uh... I'm a bodyguard for my boss. He's meeting with the Hokage."

"Well, either way, we're glad to have ya." said Teuchi as he served Trunks a bowl of ramen. "Here ya go!"

"Thank you." he said while reaching for his chop sticks.

Teuchi and Ayame watched as Trunks wolfed down bowl after bowl, after each one politely asking for another until he finally stopped on his tenth bowl. He patted his stomach down in victory as he let out a sigh, taking a drink of water they had given him after his third bowl.

"Haha! Hungry?" asked Teuchi as he reached for the tab.

"It's been a while since I've had some good food. I haven't been home for a little while."

"Iwagakure is quite a ways from here. Plus if you're a bodyguard I'm sure you don't see home very often." added Ayame.

Trunks smirked. He didn't like lying, but he remembered what happened last time he interfered with the past like he did. Even now, he was already meddling in things he shouldn't be. "Something like that."

"Here's your bill." said Teuchi as he handed the tab over to Trunks. The Saiyan reached into his pocket but was shocked as he came to the realization; he didn't have any money!

"!" he panicked. How do you forget money? Wait, this currency is way different than back home. Plus I don't even have my wallet, good going, Trunks! Now I'm gonna have to wash dishes for a week to work this debt off! His mind kept racing until he was stopped as he heard a hand set down the money to pay the bill, a soft and feminine voice entering his ears.

"I got it."

He looked over to her. She was the one he saw when he first entered, and must have been watching him while he ate to pick up he didn't have any money as quickly as he realized it. She was around his age, maybe a few years older, a pink sleeveless blouse and dark green pants with her hair pulled up into two Chinese-style buns. On her forehead was a typical headband most shinobi wore in the village, her hair touching the edges of the top of the headband as she gave him a sweet smile assuring him she had the bill paid for.

"T-Thanks..." he said.

She reached her hand out. "Tenten."

He took her hand as they shook. "Trunks. Nice to meet you."

X X X

"So?"

"So, what?"

Deidara and Sasori were temporarily reunited as they went to scout out for Itachi and Kisame after they hadn't returned from searching for Killer Bee. Tobi lead the way, loudly grunting in each step in an attempt to motivate his teammates to move quicker, but only resulted in Deidara blasting him into the horizon from time to time out of sheer annoyance.

"Come on, Sasori, my man, it's been a week since you were helping Zetsu out with whatever it is you were doing. What happened?"

The tired red head shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't..."

(Flashback)

"How the hell do you know that?" demanded a sad and angry Sasori. When Zetsu required him to help him, he was actually called in by the Illusive Man to help with a particular project.

"Your parents' death is not hidden news, and I did not aim to offend you." he said, inhaling his cigarette before letting out smoke. "In fact, your extensive knowledge of human puppetry is so remarkable, I'd like to offer you a proposition."

"What... kind of proposition?"

"The usage of Human Puppetry preserves the body from decomposition after first hollowing out the body of internal organs and such things not pertaining to the outside shell. What I'm looking for is not just puppetry, but complete recreation of the body, even after severe physical damage makes it almost unidentifiable."

"You're asking for a Reanimation Jutsu... something I do not have knowledge of. That type of jutsu died with my grandmother."

"Not completely." he replied, clearing his throat. "A woman in Konoha named Sakura Haruno has knowledge of the jutsu, recently using it to save her husband's life several years ago."

Sakura?... Yes, I see. That bratty kunoichi that was looking for Orochimaru... So she's still alive then...

"You still haven't told me what you were going to give me if I help you."

The Illusive man tapped his cigarette on the arm of his chair before smoking it again and glancing back at him. "There is no if in this situation, Sasori, I can assure you. My request is simple: When you return with Deidara and Tobi on this assignment from Zetsu, I will need you to begin a reanimation serum that requires no jutsu, or hand seals to perform."

"I made poisons... that's my area of expertise. Nothing more." he calmly replied.

"Not necessarily. You'll find that upon a more detailed inspection of your capabilities, creating a human puppet like you did with the Third Kazekage is roughly within the same idea of what I am asking. Rather than preservation, we are seeking a reanimation, and a complete rebirth in itself."

"This is going to take a bit of time... I'll need a laboratory." Sasori lightly demanded. "I still don't know what I'm getting out of this. Why should I help you, when I know nothing of you, and when you claim to be a friend... only to take an interest in your own motives."

The Illusive Man's words about to be spoken were the final ingredients to earn the puppet master's respect and undeniable dedication. He was well informed, in many ways, more than Madara himself.

"Your parents."

Sasori's eyes shot wide open, both in shock and disbelief. ...Wh... What? The image of his parents quickly flashed through his head. His father's red hair, his mother's warm smile, and how quickly they left; how quickly they were murdered by Sakumo.

"How...?" he lowly growled.

"You and I are on the same side, Sasori. You'll come to find I am very well informed, but it will be for your own benefit if you carry out my one request, which I believe, you will come to support as well in time."

The words went in and out of the red head's ears as all he could think about was them. The pain, the loneliness of being alone all of his life. He may not be able to reclaim the lost time, but, he would be able to see them again. Maybe if he did that, he could put this whole Akatsuki business behind him, he and his parents could live their lives happily away from all of it.

What did he have to lose?

"Alright... I'll do it."

(End Flashback)

"...anything important." he finished.

"Oh, okay. Thought Zetsu needed you to do something boring like water his plants or something. I think I liked our other leader better, yeah."

"It doesn't matter. Pain is dead, and at the very least, Zetsu is reliable." Sasori replied.

They all kept quiet as they entered a village during the dinner rush as the streets were full. Luckily the entire time they had been walking, they had kept their fishermen hats on them, the white cloth covering their faces without hindering their eyesight as they passed through until...

"! Senpai! Senpai senpai senpai!"

Deidara knew what happened. He didn't even have to check. Don't tell me it's another-

Without a chance to finish, the three were staring at a dango shop, Tobi spinning himself around in circles in a frenzied excitement. "Senpai! Senpai! SENPAI!"

His face was hidden, but he didn't try and hide his annoyed expression. Yep... Another dango shop.

X X X

What is it with this girl and swords? thought Trunks as he watched Tenten practically falling in love with his weapon, which he reluctantly let her see, not realizing that she was a specialist in that particular area.

"Hm." she thought out loud as they stood in the middle of the courtyard leading up to the Hokage's office. "The blade is off balance by ½ an inch."

Trunks furrowed his eyebrows. "Uh... are you sure?"

She nodded her head. "Positive." she said as she laid the sword down and pulled out a kunai. "I'll just unscrew this here and-"

"H-Hey, hold on a second!" he said. "I got that sword a long time ago!"

"And? I do this stuff all the time, don't worry." she smiled as she slowly unfastened the hilt. After a few minutes of watching her, he was happily surprised that she was able to not only find the source of the problem, but ultimately fix the sword as she tightened everything back to the way it was.

Twirling the sword around a few times and swinging at the air, she handed it back to him. "Your sword, Mr. Bodyguard from Iwagakure."

Trunks gave a small blush as he scratched the back of his head, taking his sword back and clasping it. "Thanks, but I should probably go up. My boss is probably waiting for me.-"

"Tenten!"

Tenten and Trunks both turned around and saw two people and a dog walking towards them. Trunks figured they were just friends of hers. A young woman with pink hair and emerald eyes with a shinobi flak jacket, and another man by her side wearing the same attire, with shaggy medium-length brown hair, and two red upside down triangles, one on each cheek. To his side was a large white dog with his eyes so slanted, they didn't even seem open.

"Hey Sakura! Hey Kiba! What's up guys?"

"We're just checking in with Lady Tsunade to tell her we finished a mission." said Kiba. His nose started picking up something familiar, primarily off of the person standing next to Tenten. "Who's this guy?"

"Trunks." he quickly replied, his and Kiba's eyes in a deadlock between each other.

Kiba didn't like this guy. The scent... he knew he smelt it sometime ago, recently, too. And the way he looked back at him gave him the If you try and fight me I'll kill you. look. Definitely something that naturally put him on edge as Akamaru picked up and growled at Trunks.

"Kiba?" Sakura tugged on his arm. "You okay?"

Kiba snapped out of his trance from the tug. "Those papers in your pockets are for people who have never been to the village before."

What the? How does he know I have those in my pocket? I never showed him! "Have you been watching me?"

"No. I can smell it. Your scent has a funny trace around it. I've smelt it before, and it wasn't at a friendly event, either."

Trunks kept his stare on Kiba as they each held their ground. Finally each woman on the side of the men intervened and separated them. "Alright, you two, that's enough." Sakura and Tenten said in unison.

"Sorry, Sakura, we should get going. Let's talk some other time, okay?" she said as she rushed Trunks away from them towards the entrance.

Kiba just kept his fix on Trunks. He knew something was wrong about that guy, but he couldn't tell what.

"What was that?" Sakura asked. A few moments passed by and Kiba still said nothing as his nose followed the scent all the way into the building. "Hello? Earth to Kiba?"

I know that scent... Where was it?... It was a mixed scent within others...

"Wait!" he finally said out loud, taking his pink-haired wife by surprise. "Akamaru?"

"Yeah. There's no mistaking it." he replied.

"Kiba?" she asked, worried.

"That scent, Sakura. I know you don't smell it... but I do. Akamaru's nose and mine are never wrong about this kind of thing... That's the same scent that was mixed in with Deidara's last week."

"What?" Sakura asked in surprise. She definitely wasn't expecting that as an answer. "Are you sure?"

"We need to tell the Hokage, come on!" Kiba said as he pulled onto his wife's hand and they ran up the staircase.

X X X

"No problem, I'll be there. See you guys tomorrow!" said Hana as she exited the veterinarian office. Over the course of the thirteen years she had risen up from just another vet to the head of the office itself. She was the top veterinarian, and although it was an esteemed title, she had little free time to herself. At the very least, she was grateful for the Three Haimaru Brothers always sticking by her. It made her day that much easier and clients with dogs that much more comfortable having someone else of the same species in the same room.

The air of dusk was still and relaxing, the occasional breeze felt nice as she made her way home. She chose to stay living with her mother simply because it had the most room to carry all of her books, files, medicines, and other things pertaining to her practice. Finally home, she picked up her mother and Kuromaru were out, most likely on another mission. She was always happy with how much energy her mother still had, even as her age continued to progress. Then again, the Third Hokage was in his sixties when he died, and he was still stronger than almost everyone in the village.

She passed by the living room and glanced at the pictures above the fireplace. It was the only picture they had of her and Kiba's father and his companion, and every time she looked at it, her brother looked more and more like him, minus her father's hair being much longer. Right next to it were the wedding pictures from his and Sakura's, her amusement in the reception was high since Kiba retaliated by starting a food fight with the cake afterwards, ruining his suit and his wife's dress, but they had the time of their lives, she could tell. Everyone could tell.

And to the last picture on the edge of the fireplace was of her nephew, Kiyosato, named after their father, and his graduation from the academy at age eight, with her niece at his side.

She sighed. She was too busy to try and search for anyone. Besides, she had become so accustomed to doing everything on her own, she figured having someone else in her life would just be a hindrance. She left the living room and ventured upstairs to her room, glancing at the door that led to her brothers room and smiling at the memories they had when they were younger. Things were sure a lot simpler back then, right little brother?

Finally entering her room, she sat down at her desk to review some notes she had been working on for an antidote earlier that morning. She reached for a pen but realized it had dried out. She grunted to herself and reached for the shelf next to her, rummaging for a writing instrument of any kind, but froze when she caught the image of something she hadn't seen in years.

An older picture frame with the image of a younger Hana and a young man rushed back memories to that day, and to that man himself. The picture she kept with her until he left, in which she promised she would destroy the picture, but she never did. She couldn't. Sitting underneath a cherry blossom tree, she laid back in the arms of a young shinobi, the bangs of her straight hair flying away in the wind as she held onto his arms which were wrapped around her. The man was about her age, wearing khaki pants and a solid black shirt, the collar ending just before his chin. His headband parted his hair onto two separate sides, each bang falling just an inch past his cheeks. His dark gray eyes were warm and happy, and a sincere smile combined with hers made the picture perfect in every way possible.

"You still have it."

Hana's eyes opened with shock as she quickly grabbed a kunai and tossed it behind her, then fully turning around, pulling out another one and rushing to the voice she had heard, clashing into another kunai herself in under a second flat. The Haimarus snarled at the man she was at an even struggle with, ready to attack when the opportunity arose.

All she could see was the black robe, and the red clouds. She didn't decide to look up at his face until just now. When she did, she gasped, and dropped her kunai to the floor as she stepped back.

"N-No... No..." she raised her hands up. "Release!" she called. It had to be genjutsu, it had to. When nothing happened, she did it again. "Release! Release, god damn it!"

"Hana-"

"DON'T come any closer!" she yelled frantically, picking her fallen kunai up as she raised it in a defensive stance. "You're not... You're not real!"

But there he is... He's... right there. her mind debated as his view was absolute now. So little had changed about him... but it made such a difference in how he used to look. His eyes carried such a stern look, his robe distinguishing his affiliation with his hand hanging in the middle... and his headband's horizontal line identified him completely.

Itachi.

He slowly stepped closer to her as she quickly began to tremble in her legs. She finally gave way and fell to her rear, her legs arched in front of her as a hot stream of tears fell down her face. Her companions came to her side, still defensive, but not growing as they remembered his scent. It had been years, but they remembered Itachi. They could smell on him he wasn't going to try and harm their master.

"But you're... dead?" she weakly said.

"It's true... I was. I was brought back just recently."

"The Second Hokage's resurrection jutsu?"

Itachi shook his head. "No. I have complete control over myself. That is why I came here."

"Yeah?" she glared up at him. "And what were you expecting to find? That I'd just take you back after you killed off your entire clan besides your brother, become a member of the Akatsuki, and just... left?" her glare hardened as her tears continued to spawn and fall to the ground. "How could you?"

Itachi knelt down to be eye-level with her. She had definitely aged from the looks of it, but more by maturity. She still looked the same whenever he would sneak to the gates of the village to see her for a few minutes at a time. He would be merely a few feet from her window, on another roof top before her dogs, Akamaru, and Kuromaru started barking and woke everyone in the house up. He did this every so often when he had a break, just to keep an eye on her. It's true, Itachi failed to protect Sasuke, and his little brother lost his way, but he always had someone else on his list, even if she hadn't had him on his anymore.

They just looked at each other. He was so much different now. His eyes were cold, full of hurt. Full of pain and regret. He had a universe inside of him, with only a little bit of light that could not reach him. Why was he here then with her? So much had changed, she had moved on... right? It had been... easily over twenty years since she last saw him. No. It wasn't fair. This isn't fair! Why now? When I finally have everything I need set up?

Yet here he was, less than five feet away from him. Why would he be here if he wasn't looking for something? Sex? No, not that. They barely kissed when they were kids, much less do anything beyond that.

"Why... after twenty years... Why are you here now?" she said as her head sunk.

"I'm not here to rekindle what we once had." he said in monotone.

What? Hana glanced up at him. "But?-"

"Sasuke is dead. Someone is manipulating the Akatsuki, which is why I was brought back. Zetsu leads us, but the shadow casted behind him is too great to ignore. Unfortunately, Kisame and myself seem to be the only ones to be fully aware of it." he said as he kept his eyes locked onto hers. He missed her, he really did. Which is why it broke his heart to tell her this. "I'm planning to stop this person. But I'm not going to make it back. I know I won't." he stood up, keeping himself facing down on her. "That's why I came to say... I'm sorry, and good-"

He was unable to finish that word when the Inuzuka grabbed onto him, locking her arms around his back and burying her head into his chest. Itachi could feel his heart beating faster. The feeling he had missed so much. The two people he left behind forever that he only wanted to protect. Where he failed to protect his beloved brother, he was ready to forsake his love for Hana because of his certainty in his mission being suicide.

"Please... don't finish that sentence." she said, voice muffling as her face planted into his chest. Who was she kidding? You can cover up your feelings, but it won't ever get rid of them. And her mother wondered why she could never find a mate. Her mate she marked had been gone for so long, she never attempted to find someone else. How could she? He was... Itachi was... special to her. He was just Itachi. Sure he was a genius in the Uchiha clan, and one of the most gifted former ninjas they had produced, but knowing him personally made him that much more alluring.

But that is also what frightened her. All the rumors, all the stories, she had to know.

"Itachi..." she said, bringing her head back up, their faces merely inches apart. "I want to know everything."

He closed his eyes and nodded his head. "Alright."

END!

=P I figured why not on the ItachixHana thing. Who knows, maybe they'll be able to fix things up? What about everyone else? I kind of like the idea of Tenten and Mirai Trunks, but there's no telling how it's gonna happen, if it'll even happen. Blah, blah, blah, it's late and I'm just rambling . Anyway, please review, and I'll see you guys next time!