Hello! Well here is the revised Chapter 1! Please review! I enjoy the feedback, and also it lets me know I'm not just wasting my time writing all this, that some actually like it!
Italics- Thoughts
" " -Speaking
Chapter 1: New Home
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Sakura ran, narrowly dodging everything that was being thrown her way. She had gotten much faster, at dodging which really came in hand, especially now. She retaliated by throwing kunai, senbon, and shuriken with incredible speed and precision back at her attackers.
She rolled her eyes as her opponent dodged them, sloppily, and then yelled at her for being so foolish. Honestly? She wondered. Hell, it was time to just end this, now. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, and a second later she appeared behind the male, and she broke his neck. Simple, yet effective.
Yawning as she reached down into his pack, and got the scroll he had hidden. All this for a scroll. She sighed and disposed of him quickly. She then began her journey back to Konoha.
It had been 4 years since her encounter with Sasuke in the forest. And still it felt as if it were only yesterday. She had a scar on her side, where he had stabbed her. It was a foot in length, starting from just under her breast, down to her hipbone. Afterward he had stabbed her Naruto showed up, nearly knocking him out. But team Hebi showed up, and took the injured Sasuke with them. Before Naruto could stop them. After that day things changed. Sakura was... different after that. She grew depressed, and rarely came out of her home. But months later came out of it, as if it had been her mourning period and she just needed time. A whole new Sakura. She began to train, constantly, never giving up. She would be at the training grounds early in the morning at 6AM all the way until 9PM. She did take a few breaks to eat and what not of course, but for Sakura... that was very different.
So then a new Sakura was born. She was top medic of all the villages. And she was now head ANBU. She too had changed in appearances. Her hair was much longer, going to her waist. Her body had matured, her curves forming perfectly, as well as her breasts. She was a little bit taller, and her muscles toned. Her face no longer showed that of a child, but of a grown woman. And she was now working her way up to being a Sanin.
As Sakura neared the gates of Konoha she frowned lgihtly. Her mission had been a measly B-Ranked one, but she had just wanted to get out. She had been bored and tired of the same scenery. She walked through the gates, greeting its guards with a nod and smile. Normally she would stop to chat a little but she wanted to hand over this scroll to Lady Tsunade as soon as possible so she could go home and shower. She made her way to the Hokage Tower to report back, and couldn't help but wonder what was in this scroll. She knew not what it held inside, but maybe she would find out when she gave it to Tsunade.
"Enter!" Tsunades voice boomed from behind the door after she had arrived and knocked on it.
Sakura opened the door and walked through shutting it behind her. "I have recovered the scroll, and successfully killed the ninja." She reported, setting the scroll on her desk.
Tsunade beamed and she grabbed the scroll. "Why Sakura, I was expecting you to at least take a week to get it, not a few days." She said as she examined it. Something was off about her. She sounded almost... sarcastic. Sakura ignored it, it had been a long day and she was most likely imagining things.
Sakura wanted to know. No, she had to know what she had just recovered. "Lady Tsunade, what, may I ask, is in the scroll?" She said, voice steady as curiosity crept over the rose-haired ninja.
Tsunade laughed and put on what seemed like a... fake smile. "Sakura, it's contents are of most importance." She began, as she looked around as if she wanted to keep what was hidden inside the scroll a complete secret. "They hold.. my secret recipe for the strongest sake in the lands!" She said happily.
Sakura's swore her jaw hit the floor as she stared. Then it turned into an angry glare. "DAMMIT! You made me waste my time for a damned sake recipe!?" She yelled, steaming with rage. Tsunade smiled nervously.
"Heh...heh... Sakura it was my great grandmothers! Plus you are the one who wanted out of the village." She said in defense. "Now, run along, I have stuff to do." She continued, ignoring her outburst.
Sakura only glared at how she blew her off so easily and told her to leave. Whipped around on her heel, she slammed the door behind her hard enough to rattle the walls.
Tsunade's guilty facade disappeared immediately as she let out a relieved sigh. Her assistant, Shizune walked out from the door that lead to her's and Tsunades rooms. A look of concern written on her face.
"You didn't tell her? And why were you acting... weird?" Shizune asked, quirking a brow.
Tsunade looked at the scroll in her hands. It had remained unopened for many, many years. She shook her head. "No, I cannot. It is not the time. Sakura cannot know yet. As for the weird part... I panicked a bit. I thought she would see right through me." She replied truthfully, a bit of nervousness coating her words.
Shizune frowned. "But Lady Tsunade, she had a right to know! It will change her entire life!" She replied.
"It will in time, but not now. Wrong timing would change everything...And then it would be chaos." She whispered.
With Sakura~
Sakura grumbled curses as she walked home. The nerve of that woman! Sakura could have spent all that precious time training! Sure she had asked for a mission to get out, but not for some worthless recipe! She huffed indignantly. When the pink-haired medic made it to her apartment she headed to her bedroom upstairs. She walekd into her room grabbing clothes and such for a nice hot shower.
After she was clean and dressed, she lay on her bed and looked to her nightstand with a solemn gaze. There lay the necklace. She sighed as she moved to pick it up and admire it. The necklace had once belonged to her sensei Yanna.
Not long after her encounter with Sasuke four years ago, she had disappeared. Of course she was not marked a missing nin. She had permission. But only the higher ups knew about it. She had left with Yanna to train. Yanna was an incredibly powerful ninja, she could have been considered a Sannin. But no one ever knew what had become of her afterwards.
They trained for years. It started out just being with her, but not long after traveling it grew to be with other classified nin as well. A few asked her to be blindfolded while training, which it did help her grow incredibly but also to protect their identity. They had also disguised themselves, using masks and changing their voices. Others did not care as long as she kept it to herself. She had only recently returned earlier that year. She learned of her kekkei genkai. Among handfuls of other powerful jutsu.
She set it back on the table as she went and showered. She changed out of her ANBU outfit, into her new ninja outfit. She wore red fishnet leggings, a black cropped tank-top, with one red fishnet half-sleeve starting at her wrist, and stopping right before her elbow, and a black skirt, and the usual white bandage wrappings around her left thigh, and right shoulder.
Sakura closed the door of her apartment, locking it. She loved her apartment, though she missed her house. During the time she had left to train with Yanna, when the village was attacked by Orochimaru, he had killed her family, amoung many other civillians. She had plotted to find and kill him, but then she learned that Sasuke had beat her to it. Sighing as she pushed the memories back, walking. Where was she headed? No idea. Naruto was gone, training with Jiraiya. Ino was on a mission with her team. She was alone. She had no one.
She walked around for hours. Going to get groceries and what not. She even did a bit of shopping. She bought some undergarments and shirts and jeans. All in all she had a good time.
As she headed home she spotted Ichiraku's up ahead, and she was growing hungry so she decided to stop by and grab some. But as she walked by Naruto's favorite ramen shop she heard laughter. Then she saw them. Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, all of them. Laughing and having what it looked like to her; a good old time.
"Naruto so now that you have been back for almost a week, and have been able to rest, tell us what your training was like!" Kiba's voice was pitched in excitement as he gazed towards the blonde ninja in admiration.
Naruto laughed heartily. And did as told, of course he didn't go into great detail of what he learned. "That's about it really. Ok Ino tell us about your mission yesterday. Did you really finish in just a few hours?" He asked as he stared in awe at Ino and her team. He was leaning towards the group, his chin in the palm of his hand, and eyes glued to Ino, making sure to pick up every tiny detail of the mission that she was describing.
Sakura stared. Her throat tightening and the sting of hot tears coming to her eyes. They... Have been back all this time? Naruto has been back for a week? Ino had only been gone for a few hours after their B-Ranked mission? Sakura had been gone for only days on an S-Ranked, one that could have gotten her killed and they didn't care? I mean sure it's not like they couldn't go see her since she had been gone but she had been back for a couple hours already. And Naruto had been here for a week? There were so many opportunities for him to come see her...
"Hey lets all go back to your place Tenten! Now that we're all back, we can party! I missed my friends so much! We have so much to catch up on!" Ino said smiling.
"W-wait! Isn't one of us m-missing?" Hinata stuttered out.
"Oh yeah! Of course!" Ino said laughed, and everyone joined. Sakura smiled, she had over-reacted. She was about to walk in and say something but their next words made her freeze.
"We'll search for Choji, while you go get snacks for tonight! As soon as you get Choiji, the entire gang will be back together!" Naruto's voice was chock-full of happiness.
Tears blinded her as she wheeled around abruptly and ran off, uncaring of where she went. Before anyone noticed her. How could they just forget? They don't even notice.. they don't care anymore... It hurt knowing they weren't caring of her anymore. A twinge of pain gripped her chest and she brought her hands up to quell the ache.
Maybe they just forgot...She thought and nodded. "Yes, thats it." She smiled hopefully. Naruto is a dobe after all! She thought in deep denial and headed towards the Hokage Tower. Maybe Tsunade wasn't busy and she wanted to go get something to eat.
Arriving and going up to the Hokage Office, as she was about to knock on the door, she heard voices. She quickly masked her chakra so they would know she was listening and pressed her ear to the door.
"I'm going to assign a some missions soon Shizune, but have you noticed something about Sakura lately?" Tsunade asked.
She listened more closely. "She has been... well a simple mission took her a few days to get. Sure the deadline was a week, but I figure Sakura being Head ANBU and what not would take hours. Being as Ino and her team took hours when the deadline was weeks, and much more dangerous. They are all strong and... I don't know but Sakura has really been...slacking." Tsunade delivered the blow. Sakura's heart shattered into a million pieces at this revelation. She couldn't believe that Tsunade would say something like that! Especially behind her back! Sakura had thought she received enough pain today but this one topped the cake.
Sakura couldn't take anymore. She ran. Tears streaming down her face. Why? Why was this happening? Why is everyone turning on me? She couldn't believe this. It was… She felt as if it were all one big nightmare. She had been betrayed first by Sasuke, and now by everyone she loved. She had only worked hard. Earning her keep. All she did was constantly train. She just didn't get it.
While deep in her thoughts, she had ended up at Team 7's old training ground. She smiled weakly. How she missed those days. When everything was normal. When everyone still cared about her.
She heard a sound behind her, making her jumped and look around for the source. "Who is there? Show yourself?" She demanded. Drying up her tears quickly and mentally cursing herself for letting her guard down. Then two hooded figures, with red clouds decorating their cloaks stepped out of the abysmal shadows of the forest.
"Why what seems to be the matter, Pinky?" The tallest one asked with mock concern lacing his voice. But his voice was thick with...venomous humor. She gulped a little nervously but refused to let it show. She was a ninja of The Hidden Leaf. Sakura had been trained for things like this.
"Akatsuki.." She whispered getting in a fighting stance and bringing her senses on hyperdrive. The tall one laughed, as he removed his hood, revealing his face.
"Zetsu.." She glared, tensing her muscles for a fight.
"You act like you could beat us both. You know that is impossible." The shorter one said, removing his hood.
"Hidan.. What do you two want?" She glared. She knew fully well that she had no chance against both of them. Her body still hadn't recovered fully from her journey. Sure she could take on one at a time, but if she knew anything about them, they wouldn't fight fairly. Not now, not ever.
"We have been sent to ... retrieve you." Zetsu's voice was dark as he groped for the right words..
"Me? Why?" She asked staring at them her pretty cerulean eyes wide in skepticism.
"Pein wants you to join us. We have been watching you for a long time now." Hidan spoke up, rolling his eyes at her like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Sakura gave them a look of disbelief. What was their actual goal behind this all?
"Me join? Ha! And become a missing nin? I would never betray my village!" She replied with a sarcastic laugh.
"Why not? Everyone else seems to have betrayed you." Zetsu said smirking, knowing he would hit a nerve.
Sakura froze, casting her gaze to the ground. He was... right. They had. Tsunade said it herself. She was no longer strong enough to compare to the others. Hell she was probably going to rip her titles from her. Lifting her hand, Sakura roughly wiped away the salty tears forming in her eyes. She didn't belong here anymore. She was no longer wanted. The pain of the betrayal was slowly subsiding. And being replaced with anger.
She took a few steps towards them. "Then lets go." She said taking off her Leaf headband, and grabbing a kunai knife. She stared at it for a moment, before carving a line through the middle to signify her new allegiance. They headed towards the gates of Konoha. She wanted to make her... betrayal noticed. The guards instantly recognized the cloaks and they got ready for a fight. But then one of them noticed Sakura.
"Sakura hurry get-" One started to speak but then...they saw her headband. And then as quick as they had come, the three Akatsuki members were gone. The guards were bewildered for a moment and they glanced around unsure of whether they would be attacked or not.
Tsunade stood in the office with the Rookie 9, minus Sakura and Sasuke, including Neji's team. She was assigning missions. "Your mission is to assassinate the leaders of this cult. The leader-" She was suddenly interrupted with the two guards bursting in the door.
"Lady Tsunade!" One huffed out, breathing heavily. "It's Sakura..." He reported dutifully between gulps of much needed air.
They all tensed as the two soldiers caught their breath. "She has...She has left with the Akatsuki." The other one finished for him, regaining composure the quickest.
"Sakura Haruno is now Akatsuki." The guard's voice rang out in the silence.
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HEY! I hope you are enjoying it! I just remember at first it will kind of be the same, but you gotta have patience! But I would love if you would help me out with anything I have gotten wrong! Please review! :)
