Chapter One

Two Years Ago

"Do you understand your mission?" The words of the woman sitting at the desk were barely more than a whisper in the silent room, her honey brown eyes locked on the petite kunoichi standing in the center of her round office. The girl stared back, stoically, little emotion to be found on her adolescent face aside from a flicker of determination within her jade-green eyes. The girl nodded.

"Yes, shishou."

"Good," the Hokage nodded stiffly, reaching down and sliding a manila folder across her desk, "keep this somewhere safe. No one, and I mean no one outside of this office can know what you will be doing." The girl nodded once more, picking up the folder and sliding it beneath her arm, her eyes never leaving the honey brown of the Hokage- her mentor- sitting before her. "This is a matter of war, Sakura," she whispered once more, a slip of emotion coating the dangerous words, "I trust you, more than anyone else."

The kunoichi nodded once, forcing herself to choke down the rise of pride, of love, of relief that threatened to slip. Her fingers curled at her side and she bit her cheek, focusing on the stinging pain. Behind the Hokage, Konoha's Head of the Torture and Interrogation Force leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed over his wide chest. He watched the girl closely, calculatingly, studying her in the way that had the hairs rising on the back of her neck, threateningly.

"You will be spending the next twelve weeks working directly with Ibiki," Tsunade continued, folding her fingers beneath her chin once more, "he will be keeping me updated regularly with your progress. I expect you to give him the respect and dedication that you give me."

"Of course, shishou." The woman eyed her silently once more, the air in the room tense and heavy. Releasing a heavy breath, Tsunade shut her eyes, and nodded once more.

"You will be mobilizing the minute that Ibiki gives his approval." Her eyes flashed open, "learn quickly, Sakura-chan." Haruno Sakura nodded once and allowed her eyes to finally drift towards the tall, imposing, terrifying figure over her mentors shoulder. At the movement, Ibiki pushed himself off the wall, nodding with his chin towards the door. Sakura needed no further direction. Without another glance to her mentor, her Hokage, she turned on her heel, leading her new sensei out of the office, the door shutting behind them with a snick of finality.

Left alone in her office, Tsunade swiveled in her high-back chair, turning to stare out the window to the darkness beyond that had cloaked her village in darkness several hours ago, and wondered if she had made the correct decision.

Wind whistled as a figure flickered through the trees, leaping from branch to branch. Night had fallen some hours ago, leaving the ninja to rely on instinct and training as they hurried towards the rising stone walls of the Village Hidden in the Leaves that grew closer with each leap. The shadows were doing well to play tricks on her eyes that moonless night, shadow people rising up in the corners of her vision, reaching out with dark, outstretched hands.

The kunoichi leapt to another branch, and then another, her breath escaping her in sharp, shallow pants beneath the porcelain mask. She cursed, her eyes focused on the red gates that grew closer and closer, the weight of the scroll at her hip bouncing with each jump. She needed to cross those gates. If she could reach the gates, she could be home free-

A kunai whistled past her ear as she tipped her head to the side at the last second, barely feeling the brush of air against the curve of her ear. Another curse slipped from her lips, her fingers automatically moving for the set of shuriken in the pouch on her thigh. Another kunai embedded itself into the trunk inches from her right shoulder.

Twisting slightly, she launched the shuriken into the leaves, leaping off the branch once more, rising higher into the trees. Behind her, three sets of chakra flared, growing closer and closer each moment. She was tired, and nearly completely out of chakra, leaving her unable to accelerate towards the looming gates of Konoha.

"Give us back the scroll." The voice came from her left. The kunoichi cursed, her kunai barely missing the ninja as he disappeared in a flicker. Her eyes snapped back to the gates, to the ninja who had now noticed her nearing presence, and the threat at her back, that lined the wall. A shallow sense of relief flooded through her as she launched herself forward once more.

A little further, she urged herself, gritting her teeth at the pain shooting up the backs of her legs, just a little further.

She didn't pay attention to the muttered curses behind her as she flew through the red gates, the ninja at her back nearly skidding to a halt, left with no other choice but to let her go. Breathing heavily, she paused on the rooftop of a shop just within the walls, turning her masked gaze down to the guards who had moved to stand before the opening of the city. Their heads turned up towards her, and with a silent nod, she turned, continuing into the city towards the rising tower sitting beneath the mountain.

It didn't take long for her to arrive, even after slowing her pace as she made her away over the rooftops towards the Hokage tower, her eyes set on the yellow light glowing from the upper most window, somewhat surprised that the Hokage had remained in her office this late at night. Absolutely refusing to climb the horrendous amount of steps leading up to the office, the ninja appeared on the open windowsill, her dark cloak fluttering around her being enough to catch the attention of the older woman sitting at the desk.

"You're late." She grumbled, not looking up from the paperwork she scribbled upon. The masked ninja tilted her head, smirking beneath, and carefully slipped off the window and into the office.

"But I made it." The Hokage snarled, still not lifting her gaze as the kunoichi reached up, pulling off the porcelain mask and pushing back her hood. Bright pink hair fluttered down around her shoulders, and she reached beneath the dark cloak, pulling out the scroll and placing it on her mentors desk. "Mission completed, Hokage-shisou." Tsunade looked up then, eyeing the scroll sitting before her, and then slowly nodded.

"I want your mission statement on my desk first thing tomorrow," she stated, "Ill hold onto the scroll until then. Go home and get some rest."

"Yes, shishou," nodding her head, Haruno Sakura turned, leaving the office nearly as silently as she had arrived. As the door shut behind her, she suddenly felt her shoulders sag, exhaustion hitting her like a train. Sighing heavily, she resigned herself to make the final trek back to her apartment, eager to finally sleep in her own bed after a long two weeks away. She needed a shower, and then a long, long nap wrapped within her fluffy down comforter.

It didn't take long for her to arrive at her apartment, located not far from either the Hokage tower or the ANBU headquarters, and reached into the pouch on her thigh for the key. Streaming her chakra out on habit as she quietly unlocked the front door, Sakura wasn't at all surprised to find her apartment cold and empty within and slipped inside, locking the door behind her once more. She didn't even bother to turn on any lights, walking quickly down the dark hallway to the last door on her right and entered her bedroom, removing the mask and placing it gently upon her desk.

And then froze.

Her eyes landed on the small shadow on her desk and narrowed. Threading her chakra outwards again, she confirmed that no one else hid within her apartment before slowly reaching up towards the light switch and flicked it on. A picture frame lay face down on her desk, knocked over, it seemed. Not daring to move, Sakura eyed the rest of her desk, snagging on the draw that barely remained open, and the corner of a piece of paper hanging out of it. Her upper lip curled back.

Turning to the rest of her room, she studied each and every item and piece of furniture within the room. Her bed remained perfectly made, seemingly undisturbed. Her nightstand too, remained closed as it had been when she left. Her dresser, seemingly left alone. The door to her bathroom remained open, as it always did, but her closet…

Her closet was cracked.

Despite not sensing any chakra within her apartment, a kunai slipped into her hand. Adrenaline shot through her as she slipped towards the closet door, back pressed against the wall. She could hear nothing. Sense nothing…

But that didn't mean… nothing.

Breathing harshly out her nose, Sakura shoved open the door to the closet as she launched herself inside, kunai raised and green eyes flashing, coming face to face with the pathetic excuse that she called a wardrobe. Her shoulders fell, the weapon falling. Turning towards her room once more, she glanced around again and made her way through the rest of the apartment, searching every room, every corner, every desk, drawer and cabinet for any other signs that her belongings had been gone through.

When she was satisfied that nothing had been taken, and more importantly, nothing had been left, she returned to her bedroom and shut the door behind her, slumping back against it. "Im not going to get any sleep tonight."

Running a hand down her face, Sakura glanced out the window to the sliver of dawn beginning to glow beyond the tree line. She sighed heavily, feeling as if she would collapse onto her bed at any moment and not wake for days. She had spent the entire night up and monitoring her apartment, checking the seals of her doors and windows, and going through everything that she had noticed had been touched since the last time she had been in her apartment. Her desk, her bookshelf, her closet, just to name a few. She had mentally checked off everything, confirming that nothing had been tampered with or removed from her residence, and had only relaxed enough to shower once she was satisfied. The shower hadnt been long, not like the one she had been so eager to take prior to arriving home. It had been short and cold, enough to scrub the dirt and grime from her skin, and soak her hair before she was out of the bathroom once more, the door and window always within her sight.

And now, as dawn approached, Sakura leaned back against her bedroom wall, wondering if it was worth being on the receiving end of Tsunade's wrath just to get a few hours of sleep.

No, she reminded herself, begrudgingly, it was not.

Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that night, she forced herself up, making her way across the small bedroom to the walk in closet, and the few articles of clothing within. She didnt bother to riffle through them, grabbing a set of standard-issue ANBU uniform and pulled it on, lacing up her boots, and quickly headed out the door.

Sakura's life had changed drastically over the last three years, ever since Team Seven had effectively disintegrated. It was strange to think about, at times, and often embarrassing to consider just how weak and attention seeking she had been, especially when it came to her teammates. Sasuke, in particular, had been the center of her attention, and affection, but she had even been desperate for the attention, the acknowledgement, of Naruto and their sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

Things... hadnt gone as she wished.

The boys had been gone for three years now. After passing the entrance exam into ANBU, Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi had been made into their own ANBU unit and sent off on a mission that had no end date, effectively leaving her in Konoha. Alone.

Sakura shook her head, clearing her thoughts as she made her way through the waking streets towards ANBU headquarters. While Tsunade would still be asleep, and not arrive to her office for several hours yet, there was someone else that she need to speak to prior to beginning her daily tasks as an ANBU medic.

Upon her placement into ANBU, Sakura had immediately taken on the responsibilities as lead medic within the Black-Ops division. Headquarters, itself, had its own hospital wing, keeping the often disturbing injuries of it's members away from the public eyes within the other hospitals within the village. It was there that Sakura, and her team of ANBU medics performed the physical and psychological evaluations of their members, stitched them up after missions, and even performed extensive surgeries when needed- which tended to be more often than not. On top of this, due to her status as the Hokage's apprentice, Sakura was also sent on her own missions, like the one that she had just come back from. Occasionally she would be placed on a team, if the job required it, but it was often that she was sent out on her own, to perform the tasks required of an ANBU team member, that most certainly did not involve healing.

She had been active duty ANBU for nearly two years now, had been the Hokage's apprentice for three, and now...

Now she was a member of the Hokage's inner circle. One of her closest allies. One of her strongest allies.

One of her most entrusted allies.

If only they could see her now...

Sakura shook her head, sighing deeply as she approached the imposing doors of the ANBU headquarters, nodding her head to each of the two ninja guarding it's doors. They nodded in return, recognizing her easily, allowing her pass without issue. Slipping inside, Sakura followed the dark and silent hallways, allowing herself to move on autopilot, and made her way to the familiar office deep beneath the ground.

Sakura knew that the man was inside long before she had arrived. She could feel his familiar chakra pulsing behind the door, and raised her fist to knock twice and waited. A grunt was the only response, and she stepped inside. "Ibiki-sensei," she greeted, nodding her head respectfully towards the older shinobi. The Head of the Torture and Interrogation Unit glanced up at her voice, a flicker in his dark eyes the only acknowledgement that he was glad she had come home alive.

"Haruno-san," he grunted, his gaze falling back down to the paperwork laying on the desk before him. Sakura didnt react, having grown used to his off-putting nature for quite a while now, and stood before his desk, hands clasped behind her back.

"Has there been any contact during my absence?" She asked him, carefully, her eyes locked on the dark fabric that covered the burn scars marring his bald head. Ibiki didnt look up, simply motion with his pen towards the folder sitting on the edge of his desk. Sakura nodded, reaching forward and opening it, stepping back to read it quietly. Her lips tilted downward into a frown, a low hum escaping her. Ibiki grunted once more.

"That is disappointing," she muttered, snapping the folder closed. The interrogator nodded once, still not raising his gaze to her. With nothing further to speak of, she took a step back, bowing her exit, "Ibiki-sensei."

"Haruno-san." She turned, pushing open the door and nearly colliding with three figures standing in her path. She bit down a gasp, taking a half-step backwards as she stared up into a familiar set of dark eyes set within a stoic face. Uchiha Itachi stared down at her, expressionless, his dark eyes roving over her from head to toe, pausing on the folder within her grasp. He towered over her, one hand shoved into his pocket while the other had dropped, previously raised to knock upon Ibiki's office door. Flanking him were his cousin, Uchiha Shisui, and Izumo Tenma, the first of which smirked down at her from over his cousins shoulder.

"Haruno-san," he purred lightly, dark eyes glittering, "you're looking well." Sakura blinked her features settling into a mask of boredom whenever it came to the specific Uchiha.

"Uchiha-san," she sighed, "pleasure as always." Turning her attention back to the man standing before her, she eyed him cautiously, her eyes hardening as she met his once more. Itachi watched her silently, a single brow raised in silent question. "Excuse me, Uchiha-san," she clipped, her eyes falling slightly in silent motion to the hallway behind him. The Uchiha heir didnt move for a moment, studying the young kunoichi before him before a pointed cough echoed from within the office. His eyes rose above her to where the ANBU Chief shot him a withering glare from his desk. Itachi nodded once, stepping to the side, his companions doing the same.

It was as he moved that Sakura's eyes snapped towards, noticing the barely perceptible flinch as he shifted, and immediately catching the stain of red beneath his ANBU armor. Her brows shot downward, her body immediately turning to his once more as she studied his torso.

"You're injured." His teammates watched, amused, and Shisui glanced into the office to shoot Ibiki a knowing look. The ANBU Chief sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his scarred face.

"It's nothing," Itachi insisted in a level voice, cringing inwardly as her green eyes snapped back up to his.

"It's not nothing," she barked, "I can feel it, you know. Dont lie to me again." Itachi sketched a brow at her statement, unsure entirely what she meant, but remained silent.

"Haruno," Ibiki snapped, "you can poke him like a lab rat later. You three, get in here." Shooting the Uchiha a warning glare, Sakura turned on her booted heel and started down the hallway.

"I expect you in my office immediately after this, Uchiha," she demanded, not bothering to look over her shoulder. As expected, she didnt receive an answer, and turned the corner, making her way towards her office on the upper level of the compound, turning her focus to the more important situation at hand.

If her apartment had been searched... what about her office?