A/N: Like I said it was going to take a week for me to post this but Chapter 2 is here! I decided to use Chapter 2 as a way to introduce a few things. Like why Naruto is really here, etc.

I also decided that since it has been three years that Sakura and Naruto do not recognize one another, but Sakura feels like there is something about him. After all, meeting a stranger that you didn't even know their name in three years is quite hard to remember! Chapter 3 might be posted earlier because it'll be a shorter chapter, which might introduce the elements of body dysphoria as a heads up!

Enjoy!

Three years. It had been three years since Sakura dropped out of Konoha Junior High and went into home schooling. Three years since she decided to befriend Karin who helped her with a routine for her to lose all the weight. Sakura managed to convince her grandparents again to enroll her in Konoha High for her final year of school. The young girl was now eighteen years old. Glancing at the mirror, she smiled at herself because she was completely changed.

The overweight girl who weighed a little over two-hundred and fifty pounds was now one-hundred and seven pounds. Karin managed to convince her to cut her hair so it was no longer long but short and she had also given her contacts. Sakura enjoying the look of the contacts no longer wore her glasses. Part of her spent more time with Karin as they elaborated their scheme as to take over the school from Ino and Tenten than she did with Hinata. However, Sakura and Hinata always wrote to each other.

Apparently, the latest rumor was that Sakura disappeared because she had died due to her weight. Not like Sakura cared, even though she knew the moment some of the students were to catch on about her identity that she would probably become a laughing stock once again. Keeping her posture cool, calm, and collected, Sakura managed to check her computer for any messages.

The stranger she chatted with on the internet is something she still managed to keep up with, although there would be weeks without a message, Sakura managed to always make sure to immediately respond. It was the week before school and Sakura saw that they had a student night for all the students to get reacquainted with their friends, locate their classes, and meet their instructors.

Karin managed to send Sakura a text, informing her that she should go so that their plan could start. Sakura got herself dressed and smiled as she headed downstairs.

"Sakura, you look very beautiful," complimented her grandmother as she was watching her stories.

"Thank you. I'm going to go out and go to the student night the school is hosting," she mentioned as she fixed her hair a bit.

"Have fun dear! Tell me all about it."

"Will do!"

Sakura managed to head outside and made her way towards Konoha High. This will be her first time ever on a high school campus so Sakura didn't know what to expect. As she continued her walk, she smiled as she saw a familiar face running to embrace her in a hug.

"Sa-Sakura! You look so amazing!" exclaimed Hinata, smiling as she hugged her best friend tightly.

Hugging back, Sakura smiled, "Hinata, it's so nice to see you. I'm sorry if I wasn't as productive. I just…had to take a vacation sort of."

Hinata nodded. She knew that the event of getting rejected by Sasuke sent Sakura into a spiraling depression. Even when Hinata tried inviting her over, Sakura would always reject. It never bothered the girl because she knew to be a good friend that she had to just be there for Sakura even if it was at a distance.

Arriving at the high school, Sakura stared at the campus in awe. She was surprised at how beautiful it was. They obviously had made some revisions and updates but she was surprised. Staring for a bit, she realized someone accidentally bumped into her.

"Hey! Watch where you're going you troubleso – Sakura!" Shikamaru exclaimed greeting his old friend. He could easily recognize her.

Sakura smiled as she greeted her old friend. "So, anything I should know about anyone?"

"Well…Lee and Sasuke are the stars of the school carrying most of the teams. Shino runs his own Photography Club…not that I would go. Chōji has decided to enroll in the culinary program they have here because he aspires to be a chef and there is an obnoxious son of a bitch that you should avoid. His ass is troublesome and he likes to buttheads with Sasuke a lot."

Sakura nodded, making sure to take mental notes. "May I ask who should I be avoiding?" she tilted in confusion since Shikamaru hadn't given her a name.

"Oh, come on Shika, he isn't that bad." Hinata defended as she walked alongside Sakura.

"You only say that because you haven't dealt with Naruto in PE. Trust me, once you deal with him a bit more, you would understand what I'm talked about. Besides, I am glad to get early release both semesters. I rather start my year off easy."

Sakura laughed, 'Some things never change,' she thought. Hearing an argument, she found herself turning towards the direction of Sasuke and a blond boy who was ready to beat down.

'That must be Naruto…' she thought.

"Bastard!" Sasuke muttered glaring at Naruto.

"Oh please, as if you have any chance of defending your title. I'm the one coming for it this year asshole!" Naruto growled. Naruto found a rival in Sasuke, ever since he started school in Konoha, there was something about the boy he didn't like. His whole holier than thou attitude always rubbed him the wrong way. By taking something that Sasuke wanted most, Naruto figured that would be the best way to deal with someone as dreadful as him.

"Sasuke he's not even worth it!" Tenten said glaring at Naruto. Naruto was popular because of his money and his looks, but Tenten saw through his hold façade. She felt like that Naruto was hiding something from the rest of them.

Ino nodded, "Sasuke, how about we just go and hangout at my place?"

Sasuke sighed, "Fine, as long as I'm away from this idiot."

Naruto glared as Sasuke walked away.

Sasuke as he walked glanced at Sakura, staring at her deeply for a moment in thought wondering where had he seen her before.

Ino glanced in his direction as well as Tenten and noticed Sakura.

"Wow…she's beautiful. Maybe the new girl can sit with us, after all we need to save her reputation."

Sakura could feel herself making a face as Ino and Tenten approached her.

"Hey, um…have we met somewhere before?" asked Tenten wondering why she looked so familiar.

'Shit, my cover has already been blown' Sakura thought as she tried to come up with a lie to get the two girls off her.

"Maybe…I mean unless we met somewhere in Suna during the summer then maybe we might know each other."

Sakura felt Ino scanning her features, even looking at the name tag which was given to each student as they signed in. This was the school's way of knowing how much of their students attended the event.

"Are you sure? I mean your name is Sakura Haruno…" questioned Ino. Trying to figure out why the girl in front of her was vaguely familiar.

"Well…maybe it's just a coincidence. I mean I have a pretty common name and surname. You're probably mistaking me for someone else."

Tenten shot Ino a look as she crossed her arms. "Ino, that is enough, I'm sure it is just a coincidence, leave the girl alone. We don't need to be making enemies before school even starts. Besides, she doesn't seem all that bad."

Tenten approached Sakura handing over something towards the girl, it was a piece of paper with a phone number written on it.

"This is my number, I have a feeling that we're going to be the best of friends." She hinted signaling at herself, Sakura, and Ino.

Sakura flashed a fake smile. 'The excuse worked. I thought for sure I was going to be noticed immediately…thank goodness for three years.'

Tenten and Ino waved at Sakura once more before following Sasuke, leaving the premises. Turning around, Sakura glanced over at Hinata who was staring at Kiba.

"You never really did tell me whether you guys decided to make things official."

"Well…during the date three years ago, I kind of told Kiba that I wasn't ready for a relationship. S-So over the summer, we kind of decided to reconnect and now we're kind of official."

Sakura smiled widely, "That's great Hinata! I knew things would go well for you two, even if it took you a little longer to realize your feelings. Kiba is such a great guy, as long as he doesn't hurt you then he's fine by me."

Turning around, Sakura realized that she accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm so sorry!" she shouted realizing who she bumped into. Sakura glanced up at the boy, it was Naruto.

"It's okay, I mean, you were pretty occupied with your friend," he responded, signaling over to Hinata.

As the boy turned to greet Hinata, asking about her summer vacation, Sakura stared off into the distance. She didn't know why but there was something about him that she couldn't place her finger on. Something about his aura that was familiar. Even if had been awhile, she felt like she had met Naruto before in her past, before she changed. As she continued observing his features, she couldn't help but wonder something. Before she could say anything, Sakura was immediately cut off from her trance as she a student she had never seen before approach Naruto.

"Sir dickless, what are you doing here bothering these girls?"

Sakura felt immediately surprised about the boy, he had similar features to that of Sasuke but clearly, he had a fake personality. She didn't know if he was doing this to gain the boy's attention or not.

Naruto growled. "Sai, you bastard!"

Before he could give the boy a sarcastic remark, Naruto felt Sai lifting his shirt, poking his toned stomach.

"Looks like someone finally decided to tone his stomach over the summer period. Are you interested in trying out for anything? Perhaps with that lover of yours..." Sai smirked, he enjoyed messing with Naruto because Naruto always took the bait.

Sakura felt herself gazing upon his stomach. She didn't know why she was looking but she wanted to make sure of something and having someone else do what she wanted only made things easier for her, especially since she was planning to keep her identity a secret.

'I guess it isn't him…' she thought, realizing her answer. 'For a second I thought that he was the boy I ended up meeting three years ago…then again it was three years ago and a lot can change. He probably moved away or something.'

Not realizing something, she noticed that Sai was observing her. He was glancing at her figure, which made her wonder what exactly he had in mind for her.

"Forgive this creep…." Naruto sighed. "He's an artist, so whenever he takes interest in something, he would get up close and personal. Only because he is trying to get an idea of what he can do."

Sai stopped in his tracks, and stood up, finishing his observation. Taking out a little notebook, he started scribbling some notes down. This made Sakura curious to what he had in mind.

"Okay…I guess, I've now seen everything. For I have met dickless and now I have finally met no tits, flat ass."

Sakura glared at Sai, raising a fist. The moment he decided to insult her she felt her fist going into his face, punching him. Hinata watched in shock, she never seen Sakura hit someone before, well, there was the time when they were in Grade Seven and Lee wouldn't leave Sakura alone, which caused the girl to react violently towards him.

'It hasn't been even the first day of school and I'm already being made fun of for my appearance. I lose weight and now I'm called flat ass and no tits. If I didn't lose weight I would be called fat ass and billboard-chin, is there ever a happy medium?' she thought.

Naruto chuckled a bit as he saw his friend on the ground. Smiling at Sakura, he didn't know that such a girl would have so much strength to send his friend flying. Naruto paused for a moment, skimming her. Part of him wondered if they met somewhere, but then again, Naruto moved around a lot because of circumstances and the chances of running into someone were slim to none. Shaking the thoughts, he smiled at the two girls while handing them a card.

"Sorry if this seems all the sudden, but I was told by my God father that I should start inviting more guests over and I thought by having a small amount we could have a game night. Since you two seem to be cool, I thought it'd be nice if you two were to come."

Hinata smiled, "Of course we'll be there Naruto."

"Great! You're allowed to bring a plus one…if you want to!"

Hinata nodded, turning around she heard someone calling out for her. "Sakura, I gotta go, call me later and we'll definitely catch up." Hinata made her way towards Kiba who was having a conversation with Shino.

Naruto stared at Sakura, smiling once more. "I hope to see you as well." Hearing his phone vibrate, Naruto checked his message. "I would love to continue our conversation but I have to go. I promised my Godfather that I would spend some time with him."

Sakura smiled watching Naruto leave. She didn't understand why Shikamaru called him obnoxious, sure he had his moments but maybe he wasn't that bad of a guy or it could just be the fact he was on his best behavior because he had two girls in front of him. Hearing a bag un-zip, Sakura turned towards her right seeing that Sai was still around. Sai went to grab the latest book Sakura had in her bag which was Icha Icha Chase.

"My…I didn't know that you were a closeted prevent," he admitted taking a look at the book. "I mean wow, you even have things highlighted in ther – OW!"

Sakura smacked the boy once again, irritated that someone would have the nerve to go through her stuff. Taking the book back, she felt her face burn as she shifted her head back in forth, hoping nobody would notice the book. Luckily, everyone was caught up in their conversations to even care. As she placed the book back in her bag, she decided to continue her tour of Konoha High.

She was surprised at the amount of people she met just within one night, she didn't even have an idea that there would be so many interesting characters if familiar faces who managed to eat up the lie. Part of her knew that she needed to explain to Hinata about why she decided to lie, but that was easier said than done. Deep down, her conscience knew Hinata wouldn't approve of what Sakura was planning to do. Hinata always took the higher route when it came to bullies or anyone harassing her. Her best friend figured it was just best to let them get their highs for a moment because in the end, going after them wasn't even worth it.

The girl shifted her weight between her toes as she glanced at the memorial which sat in the middle of the school yard. It was a statue dedicated to one of the founding scholars of Konoha High. Taking a few steps towards the statue, Sakura allowed her fingers to trace the words.

'Hiruzen Sarutobi…'

The only thing Sakura knew about him from her own grandmother was that he was one of the ones who allowed funding for Konoha to add more academics in the first place. He also broke down the barriers in lower income parts of Konoha, allowing students to find ways to attend the school whether it be through transportation, scholarships, etc. Hiruzen believed everyone had the right to deserve a true and proper education, no matter how different they were. During the time in which Hiruzen reigned as Superintendent was during when one of the strongest Yakuza organizations lead by Kurama, who had his sights on wiping out most of the other gang who dominated the south and west parts of Konoha, known as the Akatsuki. It was evident that the two organizations didn't like sharing power between one another, so they often fought, sometimes with civilians as part of their crossfire.

Hiruzen one day, along with some of the greatest law enforcement known as ANBU went into both sides, demanding for peace. They believed every student, regardless of affiliation had the right to get an education, to make something of themselves, to prevent war. Hiruzen managed to work alongside Minato in making sure Kurama and Akatsuki left Konoha, thus keeping the peace. However, Sakura knew her grandfather would always mention about how they were back and that another gang war is coming. Before she could get lost in her thoughts any further, Sakura heard a voice of an older woman trying to communicate with her.

"Beautiful…isn't it?"

Sakura turned around, seeing a dark-haired woman with red eyes smile at her. Her hair was medium length, but her hair started to go past her shoulders. Sakura recognized the woman on the plaque of the school, she was none other than Kurenai Yuhi. She was one of the homeroom teachers who was honored Teacher of the Year last year.

"Hiruzen believed just because one was to be born into a bad situation that didn't mean they meant any malice or harm towards anyone. They just did anything needed to survive, a basic human instinct. It was interesting to see how he managed to touch so many people, some who work here are former Yakuza members from both sides."

Sakura nodded, not knowing what to really add. Part of her began to wonder if the boy she met three years ago had any connection to any of the gang members, especially because of the tattoo he had on his stomach represented that of a Nine-Tailed Fox.

"You're Sakura, right?"

Sakura nodded, wondering what Kurenai heard of knew about her.

"I saw the scores you have gotten in your entrance exam, pretty impressive for someone who hasn't been in public education in the last three years."

Sakura nodded, "Yeah…my grandparents always made sure that I stood focus when it came to my education."

Kurenai smiled, "I know. Your grandmother Cho is very good friends with my mother. They often like playing Bingo on Friday nights. So…I know a lot about you because your grandmother goes on about you quite a bit."

Sakura wondered what she meant by knowing a lot about her. Part of Sakura wondered if Kurenai would blow her cover, she didn't know that the plan would be exposed this fast.

"I decided to introduce myself to make sure that you're okay. I understand there had been some events in the past that you probably don't want to relive. So, I'm just saying if you're ever in trouble and need someone to talk to…I'm here," Kurenai turned around, making her way towards one of the security guards.

"By the way Sakura, your secret is safe with me."

Hearing that, Sakura sighed, she was relieved that Kurenai understood what she wanted to go, which was keep a low profile.

Making her way towards the security guard, she smirked, "You know smoking isn't allowed on school grounds."

The security guard moaned as he stroked his beard. "Oh, come on, it's been a long day. I had to chase some blond hair boy around from trying to fight the star player."

Kurenai rolled her eyes playfully, "Oh Asuma, some things never change," she muttered as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Meanwhile…

Naruto was at home sitting across the dining table, glancing at a man with dark-red hair and blood red eyes. Even though Naruto owed everything to this man, part of him knew he didn't like doing what he had to do to please him. He felt the sound of his fingers tapping on the table, smirking at the boy.

"Did you manage to pass out the game night cards your so Godfather decided to give you?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, but my question is, how the hell am I going to even allow guests here? Especially when you're around."

The man grinned, "Oh Naruto, so naive. I managed to find a great deal on one of the neighboring mansions up in the mountains near a lake. It's a beautiful sight, especially in the mornings. That is where I'll be staying in the meantime. So…your next assignment is simple, it's to make sure nobody knows of my existence here. I'm pretty sure you know how to clean a place, do you?"

"Are you seriously questioning my cleaning skills?" growled Naruto, ready to throw down.

"Now, now son, you owe it to your father to at least do this one thing for me. I've been hearing that someone is recreating the Akatsuki and I need to be on top of it, to prevent this from happening. After all, I worked hard in making most of Konoha mine."

Naruto felt himself boiling man, this man wasn't his father. He knew from his mother, his father managed to sacrifice himself to save his family from an all-out gang war. The only reason Kurama decided to take Naruto and his mother in was because he felt sorry for the boy, especially since he had no part in murdering his father, it was the Akatsuki. Kurama was only doing as advised, trying to sign a peace treaty as part of Hiruzen's plan to establish a new order.

"Fine, I'll do it."

Kurama smiled, "Atta boy. Now, did you manage to meet anyone interesting?" he asked. Kurama may have his moments of being a brutal leader, but that didn't mean he was heartless. Kurama took a liking towards Naruto and Kushina – so he considered themselves to be part of his family.

"Maybe…well I met some girl with pink hair. Her name is Sakura."

"Sakura? What a pretty name. I'm sure she is beautiful as well."

Naruto nodded, he took an interest in her but he didn't know why. Part of him felt like he met her years ago, but then again, if he did meet her he would have known instantly.

"Then that idiot Sai, decided to lift my shirt up…I'm glad you gave me some concealer and tattoo cover up or else I would have been known."

Kurama nodded, getting up he made his way towards Naruto, patting the boy on the head. "Now, now, go get some rest. I'm sure you'll have plenty to talk about once school starts. Besides, I'm sure no one will find out easily…maybe except that Uchiha boy you bitch so much about. Maybe you need to cool it with him, otherwise our cover might be blown. They'll go after you to bring me out of hiding and I wouldn't want anything to happen…got it?"

"Yeah…"

"Good…now get some rest. Tomorrow is the start of a brand-new day…and a brand-new design of his place. I hope you enjoy furniture shopping."

With that, Kurama walked outside, heading towards the limousine which was waiting for him to escort him to his new location.

Naruto watched as the man who was one of the father figures in his life left. He knew from then on he needed to be careful, especially considering with the amount of new students coming to Konoha, some were bound to be new Akatsuki members.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Like I said, I decided to add a bit more as to why Naruto is here. Since this is an AU rp, I decided to do some twists on Kurama, by making him one of the big organized crime leaders as well as the Akatsuki. I also wanted to give Kurama a bit more of a human side, which will be explained in flashbacks later.

For those who sent me private questions, I shall answer them.

1) Will there be an inner Sakura?

- Yes there shall be!

2) I would like to explore more of Sakura's past a bit, since I felt like there should be more. Can you do flashbacks?

- I'm glad for this question. I agree, I apologize, but the first chapter was to get into the main plot. However, with Sakura still fighting her demons there will be plenty of flashbacks.

3) With the Akatsuki, does this mean we'll also be exploring Sasuke a bit more because of his connection with Itachi.

- Yes! I am actually brainstorming that process fight now!

Once again thanks to all that are reading this! I love you all! :)

- Jax