"Don't worry Suigetsu. You'll get your chance against Kisame. Once we get the eight-tail, my loyalty to Madara is going to become somewhat . . .altered."

-Sasuke Uchiha, Somewhere north of the Hidden Mist, 25 February 112th Year of the Leaf

From the Personal Diary of Haruno Sakura 30 April 112th Year of the Leaf

I stood at the doorway to my father's workshop for several moments, simply turning the three-pronged bladed over and over in my hand as I thought about what I was going to say. My parents had been surprised to see me to be sure, but my mother was delighted when I told her I felt like staying the night. She made me get out of my damp clothes right away, and was of course horrified that I had been training in the rain.

I had told them goodnight and changed into some of my older pink pajamas. They were the ones with the small white circles for unity all over the pants. I felt a chill in the air and I knew that going into the workshop in these lightweight clothes would be even colder. I could see the light was on through the crack in the doorway. It was not uncommon for my father to get lost in time and work late into the night sometimes.

I had almost talked to him before in this same workshop. This time I knew it would be even harder to say what needed to be said. Especially, after all that had happened since then – all I had learned. Slipping the strange Kunai behind my back, I opened the door and crept into the workshop. My father was tinkering with a circuit board of some kind. It looked like the insides to the remote that controlled his "Shigoto-bot."

"Hi Daddy," I said sweetly in an attempt not to startle him.

"Sakura!" he cooed. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Right," he said. "We'll since you're here, would you mind giving me a hand with this? I need someone to hold this light for just a minute while I make some adjustments."

I took the small flashlight from him, but I knew I had better get right to the point, or I was likely to get dragged down some conversational tangent I didn't want to go.

"Dad," I began cautiously. "What really happened to Aunt Rin, you know, when she died?"

My father froze. I noticed his hands begin to tremble slightly as he held the small electrical tool in his hand. At last he seemed to get a hold of himself and he took a deep breath.

"What's this all the sudden?" he asked. "Its like I told you, she saved my life. Nothing more to it."

"Dad, I know there was more to it than that," I said. "I know she was in the hospital during the attack. I know she helped someone named Kushina deliver a baby. I know she helped the Fourth . . ."

"Stop!" My father commanded curtly. "You don't know what you're talking about."

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then tell me . . .please."

My father shook his head. "Sakura, some things are best left in the past."

I brought my other hand back from behind my back, and showed him the strange weapon.

"Sometimes the past catches up to us, Daddy." I said.

My father could not hide his surprise.

"This is . . ." he gasped. "That's the Fourth's . . ."

"The Fourth's," I repeated, stunned.

"Never mind that," my father said. "Where did you get that?"

"It was sent to me," I explained. "From Naruto Uzumaki."

My father put his tools down and lifted up the safety goggles he was wearing to rest on his head. He nodded his head in understanding as his lips hung open in an effort to find what to say next.

"So that's what this is really about then," he said.

"Kakashi explained to me that I should not use this except in the most dire . . ."

"You shouldn't use it at all!" my father sternly warned. "Leave the Uzumaki boy where he is. It was good that he was sent away, and I thought I had made it clear I didn't want you forming romantic relationships with that boy. The fact that he was your teammate was barely tolerable, after all."

"Father . . ." It was going just as I feared. Perhaps worse. If I lost courage now I might never get another chance. I remembered what Ino had said to me back then.

"Remember, you're still daddy's little girl. Never underestimate the power of cuteness and tears on a daddy"

Ino had a funny way of putting things, but she was right. This time there could be no holding back. I closed my eyes, and let my tears fall.

"Daddy I love him!" I sobbed. "I know you don't hate him, so . . . so I just want to understand why. Why do you hate to see me with him! Why when all he's ever done is protect me – watch out for me. He's saved my life in every way a person can be saved. I'm not afraid of what's inside him either, he can master that demon I know it! That's why the Hokage really sent him away, to master that power, not because she feared it . . . Daddy, I . . ."

I felt my father's arms around me. My vision had been blurred by my own tears, so I hadn't expected that at all. As I opened them, the first thing I saw was my father's silly little robot looking at us as if it was trying to figure out the strange human drama before it.

"That nine tailed demon," my father said. "took loved ones from many people. Yes, your Aunt Rin died to protect the Hokage's technique, and that child. But she also died to protect me. I was supposed to be the one to help perform the seal. Not her. When I became injured in route to the site where the seal was to take place, Rin took it upon herself to aid the Hokage, even though she knew she wasn't strong enough. She was just supposed to watch over Kushina. She was supposed to take Kushina back once it was done . . . she was just supposed to . . ."

My father began to cry. Slowly, I returned his embrace. I wondered how long my father had held onto this pain by trying to forget it. I began to understand what feelings must have tortured him to just look at Naruto, and to remember what was sacrificed to make him a jinchuriki.

"Naruto is a good person, I'm sure." My father sniffed. "But he's also cursed, and our family has sacrificed enough for him. I hope he finds happiness, I do. But Sakura the risk is too great. The burden he carries . . . I know, eventually you would want to protect him too, and if I lost you . . ."

"I understand, father." I said as I took a step back from him at last. Tears were still streaming from his face, and he wiped them away with the back of a dirty hand. "But it's too late. I'm already willing to sacrifice everything for him."

I held up the Kunai and let it dangle on my index finger.

"Besides, he's going to be Hokage someday," I said. "Don't you think there was a certain important person that believed, as I do, that Naruto would overcome his curse?"

My father stared at the weapon for a long while as if it were speaking to him in a pitch or language only he could understand. He looked from the weapon, to my eyes, and back.

At last he sighed and said. "If you love him that much, I guess I can't really stand in your way."

Relieved, I hugged my father tightly. Weeks of pain and worry suddenly fell away from me, and I felt lighter than I had felt in a long time."

"Hokage huh?," my father added pushing away to study me. "That's really what he wants to be?"

I nodded.

"Like I started to say before," my father said. "That weapon you have there was a signature of the Fourth Hokage. If you throw it, it alerts whoever embedded their chakra into the sigils on the handle that it is traveling through the air. If the boy . . .if Naruto really gave you that, I wonder if . . ."

My father's eyes gathered a distant look, as if he were pouring through memories to try and find his next words.

"Wonder what?" I pressed.

"It's nothing," my father said. "Just be careful when you use that, like Kakashi said."

"I will," I said.

"Well then," my father said as he turned away and placed his goggles over his eyes. "If it has to be you to help him keep that demon sealed away, promise me you'll make sure he reaches that dream of his. I think the Fourth would have entrusted his son to you, and now, so will I. Just keep yourself safe in the process."

"I promise, father."

I gave my best impression of the "nice girl" pose, signaling my dad with a huge thumbs-up and grin. It was an easy promise to make. It was a promise I've been making to myself for a long time. It was my promise of a lifetime.

Konoha Mission File

Mission Rank: A Start Date: 31 April 112 YOL

Mission Type: Escort Client: Konoha Business

Notes: Return Konoha Ninja Home – considered prime enemy target – proceed with

Caution

Report Filed by: Haruno, Sakura Day 1

Classification: SECRET – Releasable to the Hidden Village of the Sand

We left in secret this morning before dawn. In addition to Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, and Shino, we were also joined by Neji Hyuuga. The idea was to use people who would not be easily missed on this mission. Anko was covering for me, and I did not envy her job, as she would be emulating a lot of meditation training. Kakashi-sensei and Shikamaru were both not even supposed to be anywhere near the village, and Shino and Neji were being covered for by their teammates. Finally, Kurenai-sensei was supposed to be a mother at home taking leave. Kimiko was actually being left in the care of Iruka-sensei for this three-day period. That had me worried a little, I had to admit, but Kurenai-sensei seemed fine with it.

I felt really bad for her to have to leave Kimiko alone for any length of time, but the mission was supposed to be short. It would have to be. Any longer and the Nara blockade at the Suni border would fail, and so might peace.

We traveled northwest by treetop until we reached the river, then we followed it north toward the mountains. It was a fast paced trip, and we took few breaks. By dusk I was already nearing my limit. We could see purple mountain silhouettes rising in the distance, but they were still miles away.

"We'll stop here for the night," Kakashi-sensei announced. "From here we should reach the rendezvous point within eight hours at a good pace."

I was all to glad to stop for the night, but part of me wanted to keep going through the night. It was a difficult decision to rest when there was no time to lose, especially considering who were going to be meeting with. I was planning on pleasant dreams of him shortly, but Kurenai-sensei had other plans.

We were all very nearly settled in around a campfire when Kurenai-sensei stood up.

"Sakura, come with me for a moment please," she said.

I obeyed, and found myself following my genjustu teacher into the dark woods. The moon was full, and my eyes were adjusted to the darkness, so I could see well enough, but it still felt spooky not knowing where we were going. Before long we came to a clearing covered in a soft bright green grass. Kurenai stopped at last in the middle of the clearing and turned to face me. Her ruby eyes shimmered in the moonlight, and I did a quick check of my chakra flow to make sure I wasn't already in a genjustu.

"What is it, sensei?" I asked.

"I told you yesterday that we would train while we traveled," Kurenai said flatly. "Remember."

"Y-yes," I said before taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"This will be your final full lesson," my teacher said. "After this, I won't be much more than a training partner. After this, your training will be up to you, understand?"

"I think so," I said. "But why . . ."

"Genjustu against Genjutsu training. This will be the final phase. Go ahead and connect with me Sakura, if you can. I will be doing the same. Keep in mind the first to connect and take the initiative has a slight advantage."

I prepared myself to leap, my muscles tensing and flowing with strength-enhancing chakra. "Right!"

I leapt straight up, throwing a spread of three kunai tagged with scent exploding notes. I blinked and Kurenai-sensei was gone, the grass where she had been standing was barely disturbed. I looked above me as I flipped and landed in a soft crouch.

"Stop!" The voice of my teacher called in my mind. "If you don't gain the initiative, take it. You are already in my illusion."

The moon spiraled out of existence, and I was engulfed in a world of darkness. Nothing below my feet, and nothing existing around me, I seemed to just be floating in darkness. I was falling, spinning aimlessly through space, and I searched for any way of securing purchase, of finding my teachers mind to counterattack.

"You're already forgetting to anchor yourself," her voice echoed though the darkness.

The moment I called upon a small swirl of Sakura blossoms to surround me, my uncontrolled spin through space began to slow.

"Good," my teacher said. "Remember that's always your first step, regardless of how the connection happens. Now, see if you can replace this illusion with one of your own. Or, simply recreate your original surroundings if that's all you can do at the moment."

I tried. I reached out for a target, I pictured the glossy star-lit clearing in the woods. I pushed for that with all my intent and will. I created a small patch of grassy land for me to crouch on, but I couldn't get very far beyond that.

"Difficult, isn't it?" Kurenai's voice questioned.

The illusion was lifted, and though I found myself still standing in the same spot I was in before I left, I suddenly felt extremely nauseous and fell to my knees. I wretched and coughed before I heard footsteps coming towards me through the grass. My blurred vision cleared enough to see the legs of my teacher coming toward me.

"It's called a vertigo illusion," Kurenai said as she knelt beside me. "Its usually a good starting attack, because even if your enemy breaks it, they feel just like you do now for several moments after the illusion ends, leaving them exposed."

"S-so what are you saying by this, sensei?" I asked weakly, sitting down on the soft grass and taking deep breaths to try to orient myself. "Make sure you connect first?"

Kurenai shook her head.

"When facing another genjustu user, there are two types of combat. The first is the way you just tried to fight me, by matching your willpower against my own. In a test of will versus will, usually the one who connects first will win yes, but the one who has a greater chakra strength or raw power will also win. For example, the Mangekyo Sharringan possesses a will that is nearly impossible to break or even manipulate.

"But how would I know if I have the greater will?" I asked.

"If I recall," Kurenai tried to explain, "You broke free and took control of a mind transfer technique in your first Chuunin exam with sheer willpower. That was very impressive, and it's similar with genjustu. You just have to have a feel for it. You won't know beforehand."

"So what is the other type of combat?" I asked.

"Ah!" Kurenai said holding up a finger to indicate I had asked the exact question she had wanted. "That will be the focus of this lesson."

Kurenai helped me to my feet, then began to walk away from me for several paces as she explained.

"While it's true the genjustu artist is only limited by the imagination, when you lose the initiative you must throw your opponent off balance and reclaim it with an illusion that makes sense. We in the genjustu community call this "illusion molding.""

"I-illusion molding." I repeated thoughtfully.

"This time I'm going to connect with you again, and I'll start with a more simple illusion. I want you to try and transform it into something that gives you the initiative in the illusion, understand."

"Mmmm!" I hummed with a nod of my head.

All I felt was a small shift in the cool night breeze, and I knew my mind was being invaded. This time my anchor was up and waiting within seconds, the petals circling me slowly as I determined the source of the illusion. Once again, Kurenai had disappeared. It was one of her typical illusions, the surrounding trees began to elongate and grow dangerous looking thorny vines that reached for me through the silvery moonlight.

I concentrated on the trees, the branches began to bend, tying themselves in knots. But the vines and branches kept growing, and I found myself dodging and running just as it had been when we had first started training.

"You're focusing too much on making the illusion safe for you to operate in," my teacher's voice said from somewhere above. "Make it your own illusion, and use it to find me."

I tried again. This time the thorns sprouted Sakura blossoms and became soft. When the vines reached me, they did not cut. My sakura blossoms spiraled back up the vines, turning the trees into fluffy pink cherry trees in spring bloom. The sun began to rise, and that's where I found her, crouched in one of the trees.

"That's better," Kurenai called to me from the treetop. "But remember that a genjustu fight is just as dynamic as a physical one. Just like when facing a non-genjustu type, don't hold onto an illusion too long if it begins to fail or your opponents mind doesn't buy it."

My Sakura orchid caught fire as the morning sun suddenly turned an angry red. The heat I felt was nearly unbearable, and suddenly there were flames all around me. The forest was burning. I was coughing, gasping for air. I passed out.

I woke up to a canteen full of water being poured on my face.

"Get up, we're not done yet," my somewhat ruthless teacher commanded.

I let a small moan escape my lips, as my head was still throbbing. I normally would deck someone for pouring water on me while I was sleeping or even out cold, but as I struggled to my feet it wasn't long before my anger faded and I was determined to do better this next time.

We sparred for eight more rounds. Four times she had the first connection, and four times she let me make the first illusion. I never once was able to subdue her.

I think the longest amount of illusion exchanges was a staggering eight. I always seemed to run out of ideas somehow - at least ones that made sense in the context of the current illusion I was being attacked with. Yet, if I tried to defeat Kurenai on willpower alone, she would squash me without fail. Despite this, I know I learned a good deal more from losing to her than I would have if I was winning often.

After the eighth time, Kurenai-sensei had a special request.

"That should do for tonight, Sakura," she said. "But before we go to sleep I need you to do one more thing for me."

"What," I huffed. "What's that, sensei?"

"Use that illusion you defeated Shikamaru with on me. I want to see it for myself."

"B-but you said . . ."

"Don't worry about me, Sakura. What I told you yesterday was on a hunch, based on the type of reaction Shikamaru's body was under while he was under your illusion. I need to know for sure."

"Right," I said after a moment's hesitation. I still had reservations, and I wasn't truly sure I could repeat an illusion I came up with in the heat of the moment. I initiated the connection visually with my earring, and Kurenai let it happen easily.

I found that it wasn't an illusion that was difficult to recreate for me at all. It is simply based off of my anchor, after all. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of sakura petals fluttered lazily toward my mentor. Then they began to swirl in a furious cyclone.

She barely flinched as the first petal-blade cut across her cheek. She still stood firm as a second blade nicked her elbow. Then the cuts increased. She squeezed her eyes shut as the swirl cut her again and again. Soon her dress was in ribbons. I was terrified; I couldn't control the 

speed of the illusion. It was like trying to slow down a two ton oxcart as it rolled down a steep hill. Once the illusion got going this fast I could only guide its movement.

"Sensei!" I screamed in horror as she fell two her knees bleeding from hundreds of tiny cuts all over her body. The petals continued to slice her to ribbons.

Then I noticed something peculiar, Kurenai's bloodied husk of a body began to turn transparent and fade into nothingness.

"Don't worry Sakura," Kurenai's voice echoed around me. "That was just a decoy mind – a conscious of condensed chakra meant to throw off a genjustu attacker. I will teach you to do this as well before we retire. I was prepared for this, but an enemy may not be."

"Sensei," I breathed, "I- I couldn't control it, not once I got it started, I . . ."

"Yes, it's as I suspected." Kurenai said calmly. "That's why I told you to never use this on a friend. Its power is connected to your anchor and as such, it may be a genjustu technique only you can do."

We were still connected, still in a realm of illusion, but I could feel my hands trembling as I looked at them. What a terrifying power this was!

"Listen carefully, Sakura," Kurenai continued. "I haven't observed such a deadly mental force in all my years of training. In effect it works mentally in much the same way Naruto's Rasenshiruken does physically. You literally could lobotomize every brain cell from the other, making your opponent brain-dead within seconds. We'll call it, Sakura Cyclone."

"Sakura Cyclone." I parroted.

I'm not big on naming my techniques, like Naruto, Sasuke, and a lot of ninja are. But the name of this technique, which was purely connected to me – I had to admit liked the sound of it.

We disconnected, and then Kurenai spent the next half hour teaching me how to make a mental decoy, a gathering of consciousness born from my subconscious. She told me my training at this level would last the rest of my life, and I knew it to be true. I would train with her when possible, or find other suitable sparring partners like Kakashi-sensei. But right now, come sunrise, we had a mission to complete. It was a mission I'd been waiting for since the day he left. Finally, we were bringing Naruto home.

Emergency Call for Backup

By way of the Hokage Reason: Encountered Powerful Enemy Force

Sender: Haruno, Sakura Casualties: 2 of 6

Status:

We require immediate assistance. The mission is in jeopardy.

Kurenai Yuhi seriously wounded, requires immediate evac.

Neji Hyuuga wounded, unconscious and chakra level low.

Two enemy groups, estimated six in total. Possible two more Akatsuki seen in the area as reported by the enemy themselves.

Naruto has not appeared yet, and the toads are not aware of the danger as far as we know.

Details:

We've retreated to a concealed location at the base of Mount Source. We will not be secure for long. This was our first fall back point, but it seems we've already been compromised. We arrived at 1330 hours at the rendezvous point as scheduled. As briefed we expected Naruto to appear in a dark cloak as he made his way to this place from the nearby secret entrance to the pocket dimension.

We were greeted by a figure in a dark cloak, however the figure turned out to be Kabuto. His knowledge of our rendezvous suggests an information compromise. Kabuto is even more disfigured now than was last reported in his file. He did not attack immediately, but wished to bargain for Naruto, saying it was better for us to give him up to him then let Akatsuki retrieve him. We refused.

We were ambushed by the same group that attacked me in the Valley of the End. They no longer called themselves "Hebi" but declared themselves to be "Taka." Despite the surprise, it appeared we had the situation in hand. Neji Hyuuga held off the one called Suigetsu, while the Kunoichi Karin was physiologically affected by Shino Aburame's insect swarm. I managed to knock the one called Jugo temporarily unconscious.

Then the enemy received back up. It was Sasuke Uchiha. He was not supposed to be with the members of Hebi, as far as we knew. They were supposed to be looking for him, but I now suspect he's been with them all along. It makes me wonder what they were really after that day. Kurenai was engaged alongside Kakashi-sensei against Kabuto, who fought manically and seemed not to be in control of himself. Sasuke stabbed her through the abdomen with his chidori-sword immediately upon his sudden appearance.

I've stopped the bleeding internally and externally out here in the field, but I can not regenerate tissue fast enough with what I have available. She needs immediate evacuation, so send a medical retrieval squad.

Sasuke also demanded we give up Naruto's appearance location. He said already two Akatsuki members were in route, and he didn't have time to, "play" with us as he put it. Kakashi and Shikamaru have been planning a counterattack that will - That's it, we've been discovered. Please send any available assistance.

COMMENTS:

I feel more an more like Kishi every chapter lol. I really needed to wrap up the situation at home for Sakura right here though. I don't think we'll see Jin Haruno again until the final book. Hopefully, the pacing was right for this little father-daughter relationship - I have big plans for Jin and Shigotobot, but this book really was just his introduction.

The mission. Feels more like a training block doesn't it? I really was trying to bring the relationship with Kurenai full circle too, but I don't quite feel like I nailed it yet. What this was supposed to do for you as the reader is show that Sakura is introduced now to the top tier of Genjustsu fighting, but she's quite inexperienced - and still no match for Sasuke techinically. Hopefully, you will come out of this feeling like she has a fighting chance against Sasuke, and will find her confrontation with him believable.

Sasuke - yeah I wanted to give you folks a bit of a ciffhanger, but I wanted to skip past a few details. I hope you don't feel jipped out of a few fights, but let yuor imaginations run wild and this should expedite the story to its heart - and Naruto's return.