II

Recap: The rest of the shinobi hastily backed away from Sakura, who was sitting on the ground, her head bowed, and arms wrapped around her knees. She was trembling, while her wings flapped lightly.

"Hokage-sama," an ANBU lightly whispered into his ear, after arriving in a blur.

"Yes?"

"Haruno Kaoru and Haruno Yuki are here."

"What? Here?"

"They came to the Hokage tower demanding to be brought to their daughter. It's apparently an emergency."

Kaoru and Yuki suddenly burst onto the battlefield, a pulsing book in their hand. "Sakura!" cried Kaoru, as he desperately tossed to book to her. Said girl looked up faintly, to see a book flying towards her. In a blur of movement, she grabbed it out of the air, and everyone shielded his or her eyes when a blinding light flashed from the book, engulfing Sakura, wings and all.

"What in the world is happening…?" Kakashi inquired to himself weakly.

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Yuki fell to the floor weeping because she knew from the beginning what would happen to her adoptive daughter when given the book. Kaoru wrapped a comforting arm around his wife's shoulder, while trying to banish his own grief. As the blinding light faded away, all that was left in the place where Sakura had stood before was, well, nothing. She was gone.

Naruto stared with large shocked eyes where Sakura had been moments before. A cry of terror escaped his lips as he cried out, "Sakura-chan?!" There was no answer but for the harder sobs of Yuki as she cried into her husbands arm.

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Later, Sakura's adoptive parents and Sakura's team stood in the Hokage's office. The gloom of the atmosphere threatened to suffocate those in the room. Kaoru and Yuki had recounted the true history and origin of Sakura and now they knew that Sakura might never return.

You see, when a member of The Clan is reborn from the cocoon, they will be completely reborn, which means she would know nothing other then some common instincts. Of course, it wouldn't take them very long for them to learn the usual necessaries of the world due to the fact that her brain knows most of the information, like how and what you do with a spoon, but it has been pushed back and hidden into the back of her mind.

The book was passed from mother to daughter, and it contained all the secrets of the lost clan. But Sakura would not be able to open it until the book thought her ready. And that could take from 1 to 80 years. Some never managed to learn the full extent of their power their whole life. When the book opens, there is also a 0.356 percent chance of regaining their memory back again as well. Otherwise, the memories of their past would be locked forever.

Yuki told them tearfully that Sakura would most likely never gain her memory of her past life. She would start from scratch. When Sasuke asked them where Sakura was now, they replied that the book would have transported her to where she was born, but they knew nothing more. Kaoru knew that Sakura was born in a small village, somewhere on a mountain, but what village and what mountain, he didn't know.

"It is highly probable that we will never see her again…" Kaoru whispered hoarsely, his eyes glazed with sorrow. The rest of Team 7 listened with shocked expressions. A look of terrible rage shadowed Naruto's face.

"Why did you give it to her then?! Why did you give her the stupid book?!" he bellowed. Yuki bowed her head solemnly.

"If we did not, she would have died. A reborn must touch the book at least once to survive."

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In a poverty struck village in the mountains located in Lightening Country, a beautiful girl appeared with a small book in her hands. She was slender, young with light skin, large confused pale green eyes, and long silvery pink hair. She had no name, history, past or knowledge. All she knew was a single word, Sakura. The girl did not know what the word meant, but she grasped onto it like a lifeline. The wings that fluttered on her back slowly started to shrink and fold themselves back into the girl's back as she stood up shakily. Looking around her with a wary posture, the 'angel' headed toward a hut in the distance. As she neared the doorway, she entered with ease for the owner of the hut was much too poor to buy food, and without money to buy food came their lack of funds to buy a door.

In the gloom, she could make out the filthy floor, littered with broken fragments of objects, and bloodstained walls. Trembling, Sakura ventured deeper into the hut. A hand suddenly grabbed her. The hand belonged to a hideous man. His breath reeked with decay and blood, and his large bloodshot eyes ran up and down Sakura's slim figure lustfully.

"What a pretty little girl. Are you here to look for the owner of this dump? Well if you are, you're too late, they're all dead!" Roaring manically, the man tightened his hold on Sakura. The man had once been a rather powerful missing-nin, but was now reduced to being an insane drunk, who lusted for blood, death, gore, and the usual.

"If you behave, I won't kill you." he rasped as he leaned in closer to her trembling figure. The pink-haired girl stared with wide eyes, not understanding, but knowing that this man was dangerous. The man dragged her out of the hut by her silky hair strands, and then pushed her to the ground, with him on top. He lowered his mouth to her neck, and that's when Sakura knew for sure that this thing was a threat. The instincts all told her that exposing her belly and neck was dangerous.

With a cry of fear, the girl easily flung the man off her, and his body flew back at least 10 meters. The man wasn't the only one in shock at her strength. On the roof of the hut, two men were sitting watching the whole incident. The two were Hidan and Kakuzu from the Akatsuki. They had come to assassinate the missing-nin on the order of the Leader, but for now, they decided to watch the interesting predicament that the missing-nin had fallen into.

The man growled angry as he stumbled up. Grabbing a kunai, he lumbered toward her. The killing intent that leaked from him frightened the already wary girl. As the man got closer, she narrowed her eyes, and hissed, giving him a clear warning to not mess with her. The man idiotically ignored her. Retreating a step back, Sakura let her wings burst out. They gave off an eerie, luminous glow.

The man paused, an incredulous look on his face. Hidan's and Kakuzu's expressions were the same. "What the F—?" Hidan muttered. The two Akatsuki members watched with gleaming eyes full of wonder, as Sakura suddenly disappeared to reappear, just inches, before the drunken missing-nin. Her pupil-less green eyes seemed to gleam, as she grabbed the man's face with her bare hand. As soon as her hand met his filthy skin, the area where they connected started to burn. The skin on the man's face where Sakura held onto was literally being eaten away.

The man screamed in pain, as he grabbed her hand, to let go once again, when it burned his hand as well. He had already dropped his kunai; so instead, he desperately clawed at his face where her hands didn't touch, helplessly. Abruptly, the pink-haired 'moth' removed her hand from his face. Hidan and Kakuzu observed the man's burning, decaying face with something akin to wonder. She raised one hand and backhanded him. With the simple blow, the man's body was flung up into the air, and came down with a crash, meters away from his original location, obviously dead.

"F—ing Jashin-sama!"

"Interesting… I wonder what she is," murmured Kakuzu.

"Are you f—ing blind?! Can't you see her f—ing wings, Bast--?! Or her f—ingly amazing powers you -BEEPING-Idiot?! She's obviously an angel of Jashin-sama's!!"

There was complete silence after this. Sakura, who had noticed them a while ago, had listened with interest to Hidan's colorful rant. She cocked her head to the side, and asked, "F--ing?"

Hidan froze and Kakuzu stared. They both turned to look at the completely innocent girl.

"You idiot. You just taught your precious Jashin-sama's angel a profanity."

"Ah F—!" Was the silver haired man's reply.

Hidan leaped down from the roof, with his scythe in tow. The man bowed his head respectfully, before raising his hands to the skies. "Oh great Jashin-sama! Thank you for sending me your angel to guide me! You are too generous, to send me your deadly seraph for just some third class sacrifices! I will be sure to find good blood to offer to you in gratitude!"

"Hidan. You're frightening her." was Kakuzu's blunt observation.

Indeed, the pink-haired beauty was backing up fearfully from them. Her eyes were wide, as she stared at the scythe. Kakuzu's remark quickly halted Hidan's prayer, as he turned to gaze once more upon the 'angel'. The silver-haired Akatsuki swiftly fell to his knees, as he begged, "Please, oh angel! Please forgive me if I have frightened you!"

In the background, Kakuzu was glaring fiercely at the man. "Stop acting like an idiot."

Sakura paused, and gazed with a slightly confused gaze to observe Hidan. She tentatively took a step toward him, then another. Soon, Sakura was standing right in front of him. For some reason, she knew that these men would not harm or try to harm her.

"What is your name?" asked Kakuzu. He was the one who had to ask due to the fact that Hidan was in a complete daze. Sakura didn't know what the Akatsuki was asking, but she decided to reply with the word, that she had known since what was the beginning for her.

"Sa…ku…ra..."

(A/N: This will not be a Hidan/Sakura. Hidan worships her too much to even think about any type of romance with her.)

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"On a warm summer day

The sky was white and gray

The heaven's tearful cry

Would fall as her smiles die

Sky mourns for him

The silver angel grim

A single girl weeps

As his silent soul sleeps

The dreams that were lost

To leave a love like frost

The promise unfulfilled

Left her fragile heart killed

Slipped into her eyes

Is the single face that tries

To call her up to death

Asking for her last breath

Soft feather hair

Bright blonde and so rare

With eyes warm blue

Pure as sky dew

Tempting like sin

Was his kind cheerful grin

That beckoned to her

With appealing power

An angel so new

His all a virtue

Caught her frail hand

He said, your life will still stand

A new promise born

In the silent girl torn

She will save and mend those

Her strong will to heal arose"

(A/N: I own this poem.)

The pink-haired girl softly sang the song with her beautiful lilting tone. She was seated on the bed as she gazed out the window, a serene glow in her eyes. As her voice rang out throughout her room, a wind with an echo seemed to cry for her to sing again.

"What was that song? Sakura-chan?"

Said girl looked up, a faint look of surprise on her face. "Oh, Deidara-nii-sama! It isn't really a song. It's actually a poem. I just decided to sing it."

The blonde gazed at the girl with unreadable blue eyes. "It's beautiful… That was true art." (A/N: I'm not going to put 'yeah' in Deidara's speech, because it gets annoying.)

Sakura's eyes widened at the compliment. It was extremely rare for Deidara of all people to compliment someone else on art. Her eyes softened, as she murmured, "Thank you."

Grunting in slight embarrassment, the man stepped into her room, and plopped down on the floor by her feet. "So, did you write that one?"

"Yes. I had a dream about a blonde-haired boy with blue eyes, but no matter how much I tried to reach him, he was still too far away…"

Deidara glanced at the girl, who had a rather sentimental aura about her. Raising one eyebrow, the blonde grunted, before muttering, "It's already been a year since that Jashin crazed maniac, and that money obsessed heart collector, came back to the Akatsuki with you in tow. You're a fast learner though. You learned how to read, write, talk and do everything else in only a year."

A brilliant smile graced her face, as she said, "Yes. You were the first person that taught me how to use chopsticks and spoons."

The blonde blushed, a scowl on his face. "Well anyways, I came to tell you that Hidan and Kakuzu left on a mission today. They were in a hurry, so they asked me to tell you."

She nodded in understanding. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Deidara-nii-sama? Do you mind if I let out my wings? I kind of want to let them stretch."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Are you kidding me?! Of course you can! You know how much I love seeing your wings!" Sakura smiled at his eager tone.

With a soft, whoosh, the wings bloomed from her back. The sunlight gleamed through the slightly translucent moth wings, as she flapped them lightly. Deidara stared at them in awe, even though he had seen them plenty of times, they never ceased to amaze him.

The door suddenly opened and Sasori and Itachi entered. "Deidara, we're leaving on a mission," Sasori said, in a monotone. The blonde scowled at the puppeteer, but stood up to leave.

"Bye Sakura-chan!"

"Bye Deidara-nii-sama! Bye Sasori-nii-sama! Be safe."

The former grinned at her, while the latter gave a lazy nod.

When the two left, it was only Sakura and Itachi. "Itachi-nii-sama?"

"There's a mission for us. We leave today."

On Sakura's left hand, an Akatsuki ring with the kanji for 'Void', which had once belonged to Orochimaru, sat on her left pinky. Sakura stood up, and 'put away' her wings once more. "Is Kisame-nii-sama coming as well?" She asked while shrugging on her Akatsuki cloak, leaving all the buttons undone.

"Just the two of us. We are to act like a couple." was his stoic reply.

The pink-haired kunoichi wasn't surprised. She had played the role of a beautiful, innocent girlfriend too many times to be alarmed. "Ah. So I should bring some feminine cloths." With a nod, the girl started sealing her belongings into a scroll. Itachi noticed that Sakura packed her small book as well, the one that refused to open.

Itachi turned to exit the room, but before he did, the Uchiha said, "10 minutes. Outside." This literally meant: 'Meet me in 10 minutes outside in our usual meeting spot'.

Finishing all her packing, she picked up her headband that Leader had given to her, and left the room. On the forehead protector, was the symbol of Konoha that was slashed through with a clean-cut scratch. (A/N: Let's just say that Sakura lost her head band in her battle against Ino.)

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Everyday was like hell for him. No matter how far and long he looked, he still wasn't able to find them. "I'm such a failure. How am I ever going to be Hokage if I couldn't even protect my best friends…"

"Naruto. It's only been a year since you started your search, and one is in a complete unknown location, where the other is with a missing-nin who can easily hide his tracks."

"Do you call that comforting me Ero-sennin?!"

"Humph. It's better then you, whose wallowing in self pity!" There was no answer from the blonde. Jiraya frowned, and sighed sadly while ruffling Naruto's hair affectionately. "Don't worry. We'll definitely find them."

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"…."

"Here we are, in the Stone country. Yet we have still been unable to find the scroll."

"Shut up Ayu. Someone's coming."

The two shinobi and the kunoichi quickly hid as they felt the presence of two people making their way down the road into town. Soon the figure of two, a male and a female, could be seen. The male was tall, dark and with sharp aristocratic features.

Oh. Tall, dark and handsome, the kunoichi thought, while ogling the man.

But her ego and gaze was quickly jerked away from him when she saw the woman lightly holding his arm. The two shinobi and kunoichi stared at her in obvious shock. She was the most beautiful person that they had ever seen. The man was wearing a black and red yukata, while the girl wore a beautiful white and pale green one.

They were walking at a steady pace toward the small civilian town, and both were dressed, it seemed for the festival that was going on. "Wow," the girl murmured when the pair disappeared into the crowd.

"You can say that again."

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Sasuke and Kabuto silently weaved through the crowd of the civilian town. He wasn't worried about Konoha shinobi because one, there was a festival, and there was hundreds of people. Two, this was Stone, not Fire country. And three, he never worried about them in the first place.

Suddenly, a flash of pink hair flew past his vision. Sasuke spun around and stared with shock when he saw a beautiful girl with silvery pink hair, and pupil-less pale green eyes. She was standing at a dango stand, happily munching dango, while watching a group of children play with firecrackers. There was a gentle smile on her face that lit up her whole feature.

Sakura?!... I heard from Kakashi and Naruto that she changed, and became extremely beautiful but…

Sasuke's eyes bled red, to see if she was a genjutsu. His eyes clearly stated that it was not.

"Sasuke?" asked Kabuto. He ignored him, and quickly made his way through the crowd towards her.

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Sakura was happily eating dango, while Itachi went to kill the missing-nin who had, unfortunately for him, gotten on the bad side of Akatsuki. Either Sakura or Itachi could have easily accomplished this mission by them self, but they had been sent together for the purpose of looking like a couple. Sakura admitted that it had been her turn to take care of the job, but with one puppy look, Itachi had sighed, poked her forehead, and left to take care of it. Sakura swore that she saw a smile on his face after he turned around, though it was gone before she could check.

She giggled lightly, and stuck out her tongue a bit, while thinking, Thank you Itachi-nii-sama! He and the rest of the Akatsuki were like older brothers to her. Even though they were pretty much heartless killers, they had taken her in, and taught her patiently the ways of the world.

A sudden memory rose up:

Flashback:

11 months ago…

"Sakura-chan! This is Itachi. You can call him Itachi-nii-sama."

"I…ta…chi…nee-sama?"

"…"

"Sakura-chan… It's nii-sama, not nee-sama." Deidara quickly whispered to her, while throwing the Sharingan user a wary glance. The girl blinked, before smiling brightly.

"Gomen, Itachi-nii-sama!"

The blonde gazed cautiously at Itachi. But all he did was blink blankly, and then poke Sakura on the forehead. "Remember that," was all he said before walking away. That was Sakura's first encounter with Itachi.

Sakura was pulled back into reality when she realized that someone was standing in front of her. She blinked before turning to look at the boy/man who was gazing at her.

"Sakura."

Said girl cocked her head to the side and asked, "How do you know my name?"

Sasuke's eyes bled red angrily at her words. The girl stared at him in surprise before remarking, "You have the Sharingan like him!" Sasuke started, and stared at her.

"Who has the same eyes as me?!" He demanded.

"…Nii-sama?"

A/N: Yes! I'm finished with this chapter! I think I liked this chapter a lot. It was fun to write because it was my first time writing Deidara, Hidan, and Kakuzu. Well anyways, sorry for the cliffhanger…I couldn't resist. Oh, and I want to thank everyone who reviewed and read the first chapter! Thank you! I hope you liked this one as well!

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BETA's Note

Chocolat-chan reporting before you before her judgment day comes…Yes, starting Monday we have the big NJASKS, A.K.A. the big state test. It is IMPERITIVE that you do well.

Hopefully my brain will be still a brain by the end of the week. D8

Anyways, I should really start Sakura's picture. When I first started it I got a lot done, but it deleted on me. ECK. But during the time between now and then I've improved some.

And I'll try to convince Layla-chan to put a smidgen of HidaSaku in here for you fans. –giggles-