Hi everyone. So today at last ( took me long enough ) I am presenting you new chapter of my story. I am staring to write new chapter today.

My special thanks to all people who reviewed my story. Please keep reading.

This chapter is dedicated to my fantastic and amazing beta. Please thank Danielle Rise in your reviews, because if it wasn't her, I wouldn't be able to present this chapter.

I don't not own Naruto.

Chapter 4

Running wasn't the easiest thing when you are doing it from the most dangerous member of the infamous Akatsuki. In fact it seemed that it was one of the most dangerous and, to tell the truth, the most exciting things in my life. Yes, you heard me right, the most exciting thing ever. I could feel his breath on the base of my neck and the next thing I felt were his fingers that brushed my garment. In that moment I seemed to find new strength and ran even faster than ever before, passing the trees, trying to avoid the branches that could hit me in the head and make my escape unsuccessful.

So when you run like a madman, besides running, you have to do a second thing. Think, and to tell the truth, it isn't easy thing. How to make him lose my track? Seriously, for the first time in my life, I really, really didn't have any idea. I was desperately trying to think of ANYTHING. Then, something like a miracle happened. I saw in front of me, in the far distance, a group of people with Konoha headbands on their foreheads.

I felt so much relief that it almost took me out of my footing, but the second thing that came to me was anger. There was one thing that I disliked more than running from the fight; it was being saved. I really couldn't think of anything that I hated more. Maybe team 7, but it isn't for sure.

One thing was for sure, it was too much even for Itachi, because when I turned my head slightly to look at him, he wasn't there anymore. I stopped my movements and waited for the troop to come closer to me, but when they did all of positive feeling went away. They were there with them. All of the team 7 that I despised more than anything.

In a few seconds, in the front, beside, and behind me was a group of people, to be more precise. From what I saw and counted, there were two squads of ANBU and five members of team 7. I gave each member of ANBU small nod of acknowledgment and ignored Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, Sai and Yamato. To me they didn't exist.

The ANBU captain come nearer.

"We were ordered to look for you, Haruno-san, and bring you back to Konoha. As we assumed your disappearance was connected with Uchiha Itachi." I looked closer at the person that was speaking to me. I knew that voice. If I guessed right, right in front of me was none other than Hyuuga Neji. "It is better to move to Konoha as soon as possible. Do you need help or treatment Haruno-san?"

"No, I don't need anything. Lets get moving." And with that, I started dashing towards Konoha.

I started from the very beginning with my top speed. I wanted to get soon to my village and talk to Tsunade, because the things changed. What Itachi asked meant that Akatsuki knew something, or even if they didn't have information, they sure as hell have a hint to the truth. I can't let them get what they wanted.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the ANBU and team 7 catch up with me. Naruto looked like he wanted talk to me, but Kakashi stopped him "Later Naruto, now isn't the right time."

"Later, now isn't the right time". HAHAHAHA. If you think, Kakashi, that there will be ever the right time, you are deadly wrong. The only thing that I will do with you or either of you is bite you to a bloody plump. You told me enough a few years ago. You, Naruto, and Sasuke are on my black list. I DO NOT talk to people that are on that list.

After a few hours of running, we came to gates of Konoha. We didn't stop or even slow down till we got to the Hokage tower. In a flash we appeared in front of the Hokage, who was at that exact moment, taking a sip of her precious sake. For a few seconds she didn't seem to notice us and her eyes were completely clouded with the desire for more sake, but when Tsunade did notice us, she glared till she saw me with them. In one moment, she forgot about her sake and glaring.

"Hokage-sama, we completed the mission. The missing-nin, Haruno-san, was found and as you see we brought her back. Are there any more orders?"Captain of the ANBU asked.

"No, you are dismissed. I want your reports in 2 hours. Team 7 is dismissed too. Sakura, you stay, we have to talk."

"Hai, Hokage-sama" In a moment, all of the people disappeared from the office except for me and the Hokage.

"Now, tell me what the fuck is happening. Why in the hell did Uchiha Itachi kidnap you? There has to be a reason and I want to know now."

Sakura sighed and began to talk. "It will take some time Shisou. The reason why he is interested, sorry why all the Akatsuki is after me, is my teacher. When I left Konoha, I didn't have a plan of how to start training or where to begin, so I was wandering across the lands and one day I went to the mountains. However, it wasn't the best idea ever, because I didn't watch the weather, so the storm that day took me completely unprepared. I didn't have the strength to wander long and I couldn't find any safety place. After an hour or so I started to lose my consciousness. When I woke up, and to tell the truth I didn't expect to wake up , I was in an unfamiliar place, on a bed covered with duvet and sitting near me was a rather old man who was drinking sake."

" That was your teacher, wasn't he?"

" Yes, it was him. He told me that I am stupid to go into the mountains without proper equipment and checking the weather. I couldn't really say anything to him , because I knew he was right from the very beginning to the very end. Soon, after he gave me food, I went to sleep. The next morning, when I woke up again, the storm didn't end and it didn't look like it would end soon. So after breakfast we started talking about everything and to tell the truth that was one of the most interesting conversations I ever had. However after few hours of discussion, he went straight to the point and asked me what is a girl like me doing alone in the mountains."

" To tell the truth, for a moment I didn't want to tell him anything about what I am doing and why I was doing what I was doing. But when he looked me straight in my eyes with his kind ones filled with the wisdom, I couldn't tell him that it wasn't his business, so I told him everything from the moment that I become genin to the point that my teammates betrayed me. I explained to him everything, that I wanted to be strong and have power so that no one ever thought of me lower that I was. "

"After that, for long time, neither me nor he spoke anything. The next day he came to me and said that he will teach me if I want but for the price of two promises that I had to fulfill no matter what. I agreed, but before I did it, I asked him one question. Whether those promises would make harm come to anyone and what was more important to Konoha. He said no and I believed him . From that day, I become his student. To be honest, it was one of the most painful and exhausting times in my life. Two and a half years of training with him showed me that he was un-ordinarily powerful and had knowledge that was out of my imagination. He passed his knowledge on me. To tell the truth, there are some things that I know now that I wouldn't use even if I would be close to dieing. There are jutsus too powerful, too hard to control."

"And what about the promises?"

"I got to know what he wanted from me only the day I ended my tuition. First was easy to keep and I promised myself earlier that I would do it. He wanted me to keep my knowledge to myself, to protect it from other people who could use it for themselves and to use it wisely and pass it only to the person that you trust completely. The second promise was much more harder …" In that moment, my voice stopped.

"What did he want from you?" Tsunade could see that my eyes lost the gleam that once I was talking about my training, instead they shone with regret and something more… it was pain and mourning.

"He wanted one more thing after he passed the knowledge. He wanted peace. For many years he was hiding from the Akatsuki, who wanted him for two things: Knowledge and the demon that was in him. He wanted me to kill him with the power that I had." And in that moment, I held my head in my hands. "I told him that it doesn't have to be like this. That Naruto is fighting the Akatsuki and one day they will be destroyed, but… he didn't want to listen to me. He said he was too old and wanted peace and quiet that death gives us. He looked straight into my eyes without saying anything and I knew that I had to fulfill my promise. So I did. In the moment I killed him, he whispered to me to protect Naruto even if I hate him now, because even he doesn't deserve this kind of life and to kill all Akatsuki." For a while the office was completely quiet and after a while Sakura spoke again. "And even if he didn't know he made me promise him 3 things, I will kill all Akatsuki and protect Naruto, no matter what. "

"It won't be easy Sakura, even with the power you have, taking out all of the Akatsuki will be hard."

"I know. But this is my ninja way, I won't back down from this, even if I have to sacrifice my life I will do it, I just have to find a way how to destroy them all, and some ideas are forming in my mind."

"What ideas?"

"It is too early to talk about it, I have think it through."

"Okay, I won't ask now, but I want to know BEFORE you decide something. Is that clear Sakura?" In response Sakura nodded and smirked a little. "Good. Now I have few orders for you. First in one week time you will pass the exam for Jonin and I am sure from what I heard that will be easy enough for you. Second you will, in a month's time, pass ANBU exam. And don't you dare quarrel with me. It will help you to know few things. You know our ANBU is quite good with getting information. You could use it. Third you will work with your old team and…"

"WHAT?!?!?!?! Why should I work with them? I don't want to get near them at all!!!!!!!"

"Listen to me Sakura. You want to protect Naruto, so you have to be near him. To protect him you have to get to know him more. He changed especially after you left. And don't you dare shout at me in my office!!!" The desk of the Hokage flew out of the window. "If you don't want to end like that desk, do NOT shout and disagree with me. Is that understood?" Nod. "Good. The last order is that you are going to your apartment NOW and go to sleep, because you look like shit. You are dismissed."

Sakura dragged her self o her apartment and fell to the bed with no energy to do anything else than turn around to lay on her back. She glared at the ceiling as if this particular ceiling was guilty of the all the misfortune.

"Sorry Shisou. But I can't tell you everything that is to tell, because there is one more thing… one more thing." And when she spoke that words she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"It has complicated a lot of things, don't you agree?" Tsunade spoke to the person who stood in deep shadow, nearly invisible.

"Yes. The mission will be even harder than before. Are you sure you can trust her?"

"Maybe yes, maybe not. She is keeping something to herself. I am sure of it. She told nearly everything, but she didn't tell the most important thing."For a few seconds, the Hokage was quiet, deep in thoughts. " I want you to get to know what she is hiding from and do this discreetly. Is that clear?"

"Yes. What about the second mission?"

"Keep me informed about every single thing. Something is about to happen and we have to be prepared as much as we can, but to do that I need information."

"Yes, Hokage-sama"

"And try to survive this missions. After that end I want you for a few more missions that you will need."

"This mission from the very beginning when it started a few years ago , was a suicidal mission." And with that the room was empty except for Tsunade Herself.

"I really need a drink tonight" She mumbled to herself and bend down to take her sake from under the desk.

The next morning, Sakura got up from her bed, she started doing her morning routine and thought out loud.

"This is going to be fucked. Training with them, being with them, try to not to kill them, I probably will have to even talk to them… grrr… This is really fucked."

In the time of 20 minutes she was sitting on the bridge's railing and waiting for her old teammates to show themselves for training session. She was pissed off to the maximum . "To the hell with it. I will NOT talk to them at all. We can work together, we can train, but I will not forgive them. Any of them."

In few minutes she saw Sasuke walking, but not looking at the bridge. The moment he come to the bridge Sakura closed her eyes to not look at him. There was no movement at all from him. She knew that he was standing there and looking at her, but decided to ignore him.

"Hm."

She didn't even move one muscle. After next few seconds she felt that he leaned on the railing just next to her sitting form. Minutes passed neither of them moved. Then out of nowhere, Sasuke moved with the speed of the light and made her fall from the railing, and what was more he took strong hold on her hands and blocked her legs with his. There was no way out of the cage that he made of his body.

The situation forced her to stop ignoring him and open her eyes which were burning with neither anger, nor fire, and not even rage. It was fury. And this particular emotion was directed on the man before her.

"Hm."

"Let me go now, you bastard!!!!!"

"No."

"What do you mean fucking no?!!! You have no right to hold me."

"It doesn't matter if I have right or not. I will let you go, only when I end what I want."

"And what does a fucking bastard like you want form me?!?!?!?!"

"Calm down, stop screaming in my ears and stop struggling, because you have no chance right now to get away from me. I want this fucking thing between us."

"There is nothing between us. Nothing do you hear me Uchiha? Nothing."

"We are teammates, and do not try to deny it. We are, and we won't stop being teammates just because of the few stupid words said a few years ago by me, Naruto and Kakashi."

"You think that I will forgive you or them? You have to be kidding me. I will not. Is that understood?" There was silence for a while and then Sakura heard two words whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry. Please forgive me for being a fool." And in that moment, Sakura was actually speechless. She was looking in the face of Sasuke and even in her fury, she knew that those words where actually said from the bottom of his heart. But in one moment, his face returned to his usual cold, emotionless self. She knew he took her silence for the refusal. "If you don't forgive me, I will tie you up and lock in The Uchiha compound till you say you do. So you better do it now."

She looked at him for the few second with her mouth agape. And then out of nowhere, she started giggling, the giggle transformed into a laugh. She knew that this man in front of her for the first time in his life probably apologized, and she knew that she could forgive him. In moment she was quiet once again and then spoke.

"I forgive you. But that doesn't mean that we will start where we left off. I will never be like that again. I will never, ever love you like that again. But we can be friends."

"It is alright with me. What about the dope and Kakashi?"

"They did much worse than you. There is no forgiveness in my heart for them… even if they "tie and lock me up."

"They are ashamed for what they did Sakura."

"They should have thought earlier, before they said those words. Their words meant that they didn't care about me at all. So they never were true friends and teammates to me."

Sasuke didn't say anything more and let go of Sakura, once more leaning on the railing, but before he knew what was happening he was knocked out from the bridge in to cold water.

"You are forgiven, but for holding me against my will and treating me like that, you had to be punished." Said Sakura who looked down on Sasuke lying in the water with a scowl on his face.

About the half hour later Naruto showed up, equally surprised as Sasuke who he was seeing and Sakura treat him with the same cold shoulder that she gave Sasuke in the beginning. As soon as he showed up she turned around and looked into the river, just to not to look at him. She just couldn't stand the sight of him, because he brought back all the pain that she felt for so long. The wound that he and Kakashi gave her, was the kind of injury that time can't heal.

After some time, she heard familiar shout.

"Sasuke why are you soaked wet from the water?" Yes… this part clearly didn't change. He was still a… dope.

"Hm."

"I see some things do not change, I can give away all of my money that they will fight in few minutes." Sakura thought with small smile, but in moment her face turned once again to unreadable.

But her prediction didn't come true at all, because behind her was total silence. She knew that in that moment everything could happen, so she put her guard up again and waited quietly, ready for anything. But once more nothing happened. There was silence for two full hours until she heard a familiar voice.

"Yo." Guess who came.

To tell the truth something was happening today. Because for the one more time there was total silence in team 7.

"Sakura-chan … please turn around and talk with us." She heard the pleading voice of Naruto with so much pain that she nearly did it. "No! Not this time!!! I will not forgive them. I could accept an apology from Sasuke.. but even if those two admit their guilt, I can't let go of what they did to me. Not this time. Not ever. She still stood turned back to them, but after a while she did turn around, but the moment she faced them her face was gleaming with every negative emotion she had for those two.

It seemed that the look of her face froze both of them and even Sasuke flinched.

"I am here, because I was ordered by the Hokage-sama. I was told to train with you and nothing more. That does not contain talking."

"But Sakura-chan.."

"For you I am not Sakura-chan… for you I am Haruno. We are not in any sort of relationship."

After another silence moment the Kakashi spoke.

"Sakura, let's talk. It doesn't have to be like that. We are sorry for what we did. We know that those words were unacceptable, but we will do anything to show you that you are an important person that belongs to this team and we will do anything for you that will make you forgive us."

"There is nothing you can do. You two are strangers to me. Anything you do and say won't change this fact. There is no turning back to what you did and I will never forgive you, ever. You two just do not exist to me." She sighed. "Will there be any training here, because if not, I am going. I have more important things than you. And as I said before, call me Haruno."

I hope you liked this chapter.

Please review and do not forget to thank Danielle Rise. She is really amazing!!!!

Love

Lady Azaria