CHAPTER 2

It had been two years now; two long years since they had seen each other. Team 7 had split up a long time ago when everyone parted to do their own thing. And that wasn't the first time, the first time one of the members left for revenge, and now, he would be forced back to Konoha by a certain pinkette.

He wouldn't decline her offer. She knew he couldn't. It was too tempting for him. She knew it.

About a month ago she had been on a very similar mission - though it was with her team – to retrieve a certain someone.

He was also the key to bring Sasuke back.

This person had been forced out of his village because the third and Konoha's elders had come up with a mission to this prodigy. The Uchihas was planning a coup d'état and had to be stopped and this was the obvious solution.

Nimrods. She thought, nothing of this would have happened if they could come to an arrangement or something. Sasuke wouldn't have left and she wouldn't be on this stupid mission to retrieve someone she didn't even like anymore.

From love to hate. That's pretty good.

You're in denial. You want him, admit it!A small growl escaped from the bubblegum haired girl, not that you could see her exotic hair from under her cloak. And you couldn't recognize her if you didn't know how her voice sounded because of the mask she was wearing. Her cloak had been switched with the usual white one, and she was instead wearing a black one. She always did that on solo missions, and it was an order from the Hokage as well. She didn't want one of her squad leaders killed. She didn't want her precious apprentice to die. She also had on the normal ANBU attire.

"Sakura." A stern voice said and her emerald eyes were on the woman behind the desk within a second. The Hokage still looked too young for her age. She was one of the most beautiful women in the village with the young looks.

"It's no room for failure, and I want you to be careful with the information. We don't want him to attack Konoha only to get to him. I – Naruto – want to tell him the truth in Konoha. So don't tell Uchiha Sasuke about the mission."

Sakura nodded and was just waiting for the Hokage to speak again. She knew her Shisou had more to say, she could easily see it, but the woman hesitated. How often did that happen? Oh. That's right, never. Not with her, not anymore..

"If he refuses and decides to attack Konoha.." The blonde began and bit down in her bottom lip. "He is to be killed." With those words said, honey met emerald and a single nod from the ANBU operative made the blonde say one more word before the girl put the porcelain mask back on over her face and left.

"Dismissed!"

A sight escaped the blonde's lips and her eyes closed when the young girl left.

"Please, don't get killed, Sakura."

Those words were whispered before Shizune came in with some files she had to read and sign.

"That girl has really changed."

Another small growl escaped Sakura's lips when she could feel the distant chakra level to one of the members on team Taka or Hebi.. or whatever they called themselves now.

It was the member known as Karin and Sakura knew about her abilities. She wasn't a very good fighter she had heard, but her tracking/seeking abilities were amazing. The redhead could sense someone's chakra miles away… This also made it harder for her to sneak up on her.

An annoyed sight went through the girls lips at the thought of it.

Her mission was to find and retrieve Sasuke Uchiha to Konoha.

Even though she was very strong now, she wouldn't stand a chance if he used susanoo or his curse seal. If they battled normal, she could win. But she knew he wouldn't do that unless she tricked him or something. She had brain, and more than him.

She just had to trick him. Use her new strength. She was strong, and she wanted to prove it to him.

oOo

She'd been surprised when Tsunade had told her that the redhead was back in Sasuke's team, and that she actually wanted to after he almost killed her.

Her eyes were fixed on the redhead as she moved through the crowd towards the woods with a bag in her hand.

She was probably the one running errands since she wasn't too known amongst shinobi and the villagers.

She didn't have a big bounty on her head either, so it was safer for her or something.

A cruel smile adorned Sakura's features as she quickly followed the redhead into the woods until Karin stopped.

She had probably known she was there all the time and just ignored her, or she was trying to bring her into a trap.

Not that, that little seeker could land a blow on her.

"Why don't you come out? We know you're there." The redhead said and Sakura obliged.

In a matter of seconds Karin was suddenly not the main attraction of her eyes anymore, but at the Uchiha who stood with his head slightly cocked.

"ANBU –" He begun, but Sakura held her hand up, stopping him, before it moved up to her mask.

And in one swift movement the mask was gone, and the hood of the cloak did not hide her pink hair.

A smirk was slowly making its way to Sakura's lips as she saw the look on – not only Karin – Sasuke's face.

He'd never thought she would make it to the ANBU?

"Sakura."

"Uchiha Sasuke, I have orders from my Hokage to bring you back to Konoha." She paused. "Or kill you."

Laughter erupted from the single girl in their team and she pushed her glasses a little bit up.

"Do you really think you can take on all of us? We're strong." She paused and waited until Sakura's big, emerald orbs settled on her own eyes again. "And if I remember correctly; you were pretty weak back then, you cried in front of me. Cried."

"They're strong, you're not." She corrected and could see a faint smile tugging on Suigetsu's lips.

"And if I remember correctly, you almost died. By the hand of your beloved Sasuke." She answered and let her eyes meet Sasuke's red. She could faintly hear Karin snort.

She knew it was stupid to stare into the sharingan like that, but she had prepared herself from his attack.

She didn't quite know what she had done, but one day while training with Kakashi – with sharingan – she had pushed chakra into her eyes to make some kind of a barrier, and it worked. It would be perfect if it didn't take that much chakra, and if you could hold it as long as you wanted.

The limit was 5 minutes; at least that's how long she could hold the chakra barrier up.

"Anyway, I didn't come to speak with you." She said, not taking her eyes off Sasuke's emotionless face as she spoke to Karin.

"I have something back in our village that I'm sure you cannot resist." She said softly, her face devoid of emotion.

She would prove to him that she wasn't that weak little girl anymore. No. She was strong now. She was an ANBU captain and she had earned her power and status.

"Hn." He urged her to go on.

"Do you really want your lackeys to hear what I have to say?." She said as if it was nothing and heard a small growl coming from the white haired male.

"Hn."

"Itachi."

Sasuke immediately narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw as thoughts swirled up in his head. What did that simple word mean? He would not come back to Konoha. When he killed his brother he would consider it, no sooner than that.

"Go on."

"I have orders Uchiha. I'm not to inform you about his current situation or whereabouts. That you will know if you come back to Konoha and-"

"He will never go back with you! Y-you tramp!" A certain redhead screeched before lunging forward. Kunai in hand.

The girl was fast, Sakura had to admit, but not fast enough. She easily dodged her attack and grabbed her wrist before snapping it like it was a toothpick. She never let go of her wrist and simply let Karin wrestle against her. The poor girl struggled to get free from her grip so her blood could heal her broken wrist. The rest of team Taka simply watched the one sided fight, if it could even be called that. "I've had enough"

Sakura flash-stepped behind Karin and pressed a point on her neck and the redhead fell limp against the cold forest floor.

Like nothing had happened she turned to Sasuke once more, never shoving off one single emotion.

"You will have a choice in Konoha. If our proposal does not suit you, you can say no and leave. But then you will be considered a missing nin and hunter nin will be sent out to kill you. We will also allow other countries to send out teams and hunter nin to execute you." She began with a faint tug on her lips. It was just to show him she was over him, and that she really didn't care if he got executed. At least that's what she told herself.

His eyes bled into red and he stared her down, wondering if he should put her in a genjutsu or not.

"Sakura."

A faint tug on her lips could be seen before she put the mask back on.

"Have that redhead found Itachi yet? Isn't she a sensor nin? You are very close to him, and yet she has not led you to your revenge."

Sakura could see his fleeting glance at his teammate, had she blinked she would've missed it. So he didn't trust her.

"Explain."

"And why would I? I've become fairly attached to him as of today." The tugging on her lips grew when she saw the narrowing of his eyes, even though they couldn't see it. Oh, how she had been waiting for this.

"Don't test my patience." He calmly said, as always.

She had grown up with that face, full of anger and hate. Nothing else. Sometimes she asked herself what she had seen in him. Why she had loved him. And even though that question had been stuck in her thoughts for so many years, she never had an full answer. All she came up with was 'he was different. He was Sasuke'.

"Go to Konoha, Uchiha. If you agree now, I'll tell you a little bit halfway there. If not, we'll fight until one of us dies."

Is was a long pause before he slowly glanced at Suigetsu, and then meeting her eyes again. He was curious and when she had mentioned his brother's name the anger had flared up inside of him. She had become attached to him? How? She probably said it to get under his skin, but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling. What had Kakashi always told his team? 'Look underneath the underneath.'

"We'll go"

A/N:
sorrysorrysorry!
I have an excuse though!
My computer was on reperation for a couple of weeks, and ALL my work was gone when I got it back.. SO I had to rewrite chapter 2, and I haven't rewritten 3-7 yet because I've lost motivation completely..
But I'm back and I'm going to write as often I can.

Sorry for errors in grammar and so on, it's not edited. (I need a Beta reader D: )

Pleas review.