Chapter Two

Days grew into weeks and weeks grew into months. Not much had happened since Sakura's encounter with Sasuke. They would meet up a couple times a month to talk and hang out but that was it. They were only friends. Not close friends or best friends, just plain friends. At the mean time, Sakura trained with Takeshi, the one who recruited her into Akatsuki.

She had become strong- strong enough to defeat her own sister. It had only been a year and she had made an incredible improvement. She was physically faster, and stronger. Her flexibility was no joke either. Takeshi had taught her to think fast and to make the best decisions. She could create a clever plan under pressure in a couple of seconds and she was mentally prepared for anything. However, the nights of drinking and smoking still continued and Sakura made sure that she rid of the smell before returning home, not wanting another scene. She became close friends with Takeshi and she even met his girlfriend, Yuki. The three were close and proved to be excellent working in a three-man cell. In spite of this, the leader of Akatsuki saw Sakura's improvement and deemed that she would do solo missions because he saw that she was powerful enough to handle things herself. Although Sakura's power was incredible and her knowledge of medicine had made her formidable, her life back at Konoha stayed the same.

Literally nothing had changed. She had the same routine of receiving horrible comments, did work, trained, and went back to sleep. On her 17th birthday, she snuck out and watched the village, trying to see if anyone would remember. Sakura remembered that day so well.

She sat atop on the Hokage Mountain. She meditated and tried to hear if anyone didn't forget about her but they did. She could hear people all over talk about Saki and not a word about her. She scowled and the ice around her heart had turned colder. Her Inner had lost hope and had turned dark.

'Che. They don't know what they're missing. Just one more year…'

However, Takeshi and Yuki had found her and together, they celebrated her birthday on the mountain. They laughed, drank, and told each other jokes and stories. It was around 8 that Sakura came back to an empty house. Sakura let out a dark chuckle and was about to walk inside before she noticed a presence.

"Sasuke. What are you doing here?" She stated tonelessly. Sasuke came out of the dark and motioned that he wanted to go inside. Sakura turned to open her door and let him in. She got him some water before sitting down next to him on the couch.

"Hn. You think I forgot?" Sasuke asked and gave her a long box.

"Maybe, but the others do." Sakura let out an empty chuckle and Sasuke gave her a look.

"Well I didn't and the others are stupid. Tch, go open it." He muttered and laid back. However, he sniffed lightly and cringed softly. She smelled of alcohol again.

Sakura, who was busy opening her gift, saw his actions but gave a small smile when she held the gift in her hand. It was a chokuto, also known as a Japanese straight sword. It had a black hilt and casing but she noticed that on the hilt it had a cherry blossom and an Uchiha fan. Sakura looked at him curiously, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Well, your sister is going to be marrying Itachi soon enough, and you're one of my few friends I can tolerate." He said a bit awkwardly before letting out a small chuckle.

"Thank you." Sakura said quietly and giving him a small smile before talking once again.

"I was out with a couple friends who are much older than I am. They got carried away and had to leave soon. I smell a bit huh?" she asked. "They drank too much."

'I'm surprised we're still sober.' her Inner laughed.

Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"Where are they?" Sakura asked, talking about her parents and her sister.

"Hn. They're all out at some party your mom organized. Too much people so I left. I was looking for you earlier." Sasuke stated.

"Che. Of course they would forget me." Sakura laughed and Sasuke noticed the emptiness. He gave her a look.

"…I'm here. I'll always be here if you need me." Sasuke said quietly- so quiet that Sakura almost didn't hear it. She gave him a sad smile.

"Thank you, but it's too late." She replied but whispered the end part. He gave her a questioning glance.

"What's too late?"

"Nothing. What have you been up to?" Sakura changed the topic once again but this time Sasuke let it go. If she didn't want to talk about it, then he wouldn't push it. He talked about his week and asked about hers. The two talked until it was 10 and she told him that she was tired.

"It's late, you should probably go back so the others don't get worried." Sakrua said.

"Hn." Sasuke got up and said before leaving, "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow." She gave him a smile and both waved goodbye.

When he left, Sakura went upstairs to her bed, clutching the sword to her chest. She got ready for bed and thought for a while before going back to sleep.

'I'm sorry, but I'm still leaving. If anything, the problem isn't not you, it's me.'

Sakura never caught the wistful glance her gave her nor did she notice that he snuck back into her room to check if she was safe. He had fallen deep, and if he had done something sooner, things would have been completely different.

'6 more months and then I'll be able to leave.' Sakura thought as she walked around the village, looking towards the gray sky. The past 6 months have been the same routine; eat, sleep, train. Her relationship with Sasuke was labeled friends, nothing more and nothing less.

'Oh, I can't wait.' her Inner replied, rubbing her hands together somewhat evilly. 'We'll show them what they've missed. Shannaro!'

An Anbu poofed behind Sakura and she turned around.

"The Hokage requests your immediate presence in office." he drawled out before poofing away.

'Hmm, could it be…' Sakura thought as she walked to the tower.

'That she found out? Maybe.' her Inner replied. 'Let's hope not. She can set back our plans.'

'True, but I'll find something out.'

When she reached the doors of her office, she saw that there were two Anbu guarding the doors. She smirked at first but hid it.

'She definitely knows.'

'We'll see how this goes.'

'We should go easy on her, she's the only one who acknowledges us.'

'True, but we need to be careful.'

The Anbu let her in and Tsunade mentioned for Sakura to sit down.

"Now, Sakura. This room is soundproofed. The Anbu outside will come in once I press this button here." She pointed on her table.

"What is going on, shishou?" Sakura asked innocently. Tsunade glared at her.

"Now I know you know that there have been Akatsuki members sighted near Konoha. I personally followed them only to find you with them. You were not even fighting them. You were drinking and laughing with them." Tsunade strictly said and Sakura let her bitter self come out.

"Well, it seems like I've been caught." she smirked at Tsunade. "Gee, I wonder what's going to happen to me."

Tsunade glared at her and pounded her fists on the desk. Sakura didn't even flinch; she just looked at her expectedly.

"Have you been relaying information to them?"

"Tch, no."

"Then why are you with them?"

"Well that's my business and not yours."

"They might attack the village, and I won't let that happen. Even if I have to… kill you." Tsunade said angrily but faltering a bit at the end. Sakura smirked at her.

"Oh, don't bother. This petty village isn't a target." Tsunade gave her a death glare.

"Petty village? Why I oughta- Do you even realize that you are a Konoha shinobi and your loyalty is to this village?" Tsunade was fuming.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you guys will get minimal damage."

"Tch, think I'll let you off so easily?" Sakura laughed at that.

"What do you want? For me to be a spy for you? For me to not join them?"

"No. First, I want you to tell me why you're doing this." Tsunade calmed down and Sakura saw a softness in her eyes before they hardened. "Why did you change?"

Sakura's scowled and her voice was cynical.

"Have you seen the way your people treat me? Even you. All of you ignore me and look at Saki. I want someone to care and none of you care here. Those two in Akatsuki care about me. They have seen me struggle and-"

"Sakura! People do care. You're the youngest doctor here and that's quite a feat-"

"No one cares, shishou. It's all about shinobi and techniques and S-ranked missions." Sakura interrupted.

"I care."

"Then you should care enough to let me leave."

"I'm not letting you walk away from this Sakura."

"Then what will you do with me?"

Tsunade thought hard. She knew how people treated Sakura and she couldn't help but feel remorse. She had always like Sakura better than Saki when she trained them. She felt like Sakura was more like her, she went into the medical field and even seemed to get her horrible drinking habit.

"One year. I will give you one year to do what you want with them once you join them." Tsunade said slowly. "Then I want you to eliminate them. All of them. If not, I will send the best to retrieve you constantly until you are weak enough. You can kill them off one by one but I want you back here in 4 years time."

Sakura froze.

'What about Takeshi and Yuki?'

'From what I know, they were picked up from Akatsuki. They'll understand if I tell them.'

'Will they join us?'

'Most likely. They hate that they have to constantly change and their history isn't that bad.'

'They haven't killed a lot of people… Well, not enough to create grudges with strangers. All they do is get information.'

'But they're strong enough to take the Hokage themselves.'

'All of Akatsuki is.'

Sakura willed herself to relax. She looked at Tsunade straight in the eyes.

"May I spare two members?"

"May I ask why?" Tsunade gave her a tough look.

"Don't worry, you can trust them. I trust them."

"Who are they?"

"Takeshi and Yuki."

"I've heard about them but they don't have much activity in Akatsuki. Why is that?"

"They're jobs is finding information, the rest do the dirty work."

Tsunade glared at her for a moment before nodding her head.

"You know what to do Sakura, don't betray me." Sakura let her eyes soften at that statement.

"I won't, shishou." Sakura gave her a sad smile.

"When are you leaving?"

"Six months."

Tsunade kept her gaze on Sakura, watching her actions.

"Are you not troubled by your relationship with Sasuke? I know you love him."

Sakura tensed. "I will not let that get in the way. We can't ever be close, not in a situation like this."

Tsunade noticed the sadness and the tension so she let the topic slide.

"Remember, Sakura. You have until you are 21 to eliminate the Akatsuki. When you are halfway becoming 20, I will show the village the truth and at that time, the Akatsuki will for sure find out and fight back. I see the power within you, and I know you can do this."

Sakura nodded and looked to her left. The plant seemed suspicious as Sakura could detect a very faint chakra source from it. It was very well hidden and if she hadn't had the training she had with Takeshi and Yuki, she probably wouldn't have noticed it at all.

"Can he come out now?"

Tsunade was surprised. He had a very complicated genjutsu on and if she hadn't placed him there, she wouldn't have detected him.

"Heh, seems like my student knows her sensei well." and Kakashi poofed from his genjutsu, his visible eye crinkling in amusement. "Seems like you've gotten stronger."

Sakura smirked at this. "We're not a team anymore but I guess old habits do die hard."

Kakashi chuckled at that while Tsunade wrote on a scroll.

"You know, if you had any troubles-" Kakashi started.

"Sensei, you had enough troubles. My problems would weigh you down." Sakura stated. She knew about his old team and saw him grieve everyday at the graveyard. "So don't tell me to go to you. Life has hit you hard enough."

Kakashi ruffled her hair and she looked at his eye. It revealed his appreciation and a silent message. 'Thank you.'

"Aha! Done." Sakura looked at Tsunade questioningly. Tsunade gave her the scroll.

"Sign it. Kakashi, you are a witness to this classified S-ranked mission I'm going to give to Sakura."

Sakura signed it and looked at her two mentors.

"Thank you, shishou."

"Not a problem, Sakura. Now go on, I'm sure you need to talk to some people."

Sakura waved goodbye before leaving, not noticing the pained look her two mentors shared.

"She's too young."

"Kakashi, she can handle it."

"The only thing we can do is hope that you're right."

That night, Sakura went up her usual route to the Hokage Mountain and she waited for her friends. There would be no alcohol this night. Shortly after, she heard a poof and someone try to tackle her from her meditation position. She smirked before dodging, earning a giggle from a girl.

She opened her eyes to see Takeshi, now 22 years old, with his ruffled brown hair and green eyes and Yuki, also 22, with her long black hair reaching to her waist and her hazel eyes. Takeshi had a scar over his left eye and a slightly big build while Yuki had a tribal tattoo wrapped around her right arm. Sakura leapt up and gave the two a hug, laughing in the process.

The three talked and told stories like they usually did until Yuki broke the happy atmosphere. She was observant of other people's actions and could tell if they were troubled or not.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Yuki asked. "You're happy but it seems like you want to tell us something."

Sakura laughed nervously before looking at the two people she trusted the most.

"Listen, you guys were followed and-"

"What?! Where are they?" Takeshi jumped from his seat and searched around with a kunai in his hand.

'You know, for teaching us how to make smarter decisions in a small amount of time, he's such an idiot sometimes.'

"Not right now you baka!" and with that, Sakura bonked him on the head and forced him to sit down. "Now let me finish."

"My teacher, Tsunade who is also the Hokage, followed you guys. She made me talk with her and we came to a compromise; when I leave to join Akatsuki, she gives me a year to do whatever I want but when that year is done, I have 2 years to eliminate the rest of the Akatsuki." Sakura said wearily. Her future suddenly looked so tiring.

"What about us?" Yuki asked.

"She let me spare you guys. So now the question is will you kill me, tell the others, or join me?" Sakura looked at them sadly, thinking that she would be out of Akatsuki for sure. However, she wasn't prepared for Takeshi's reaction.

"Hell yeah we're with you! It's fun and all killing people and getting good money but it's tiring to change all the time and Yuki hates giving information knowing that the children won't be spared." Takeshi was being dramatic as always. He got up during his small speech and made wide gesticulations. Yuki and Sakura laughed at this and Yuki looked at Sakura and nodded in agreement.

"They picked us up when we were young, knowing the power we have within. Even if we lived under their wing, I had to train to not grimace or flinch when one died. It's such a tiring lifestyle, knowing that someone is out for your head all the time." Yuki replied. Sakura nodded her head before looking at them.

"So you will join me in the elimination of Akatsuki?"

The two nodded and they all smiled at each other. Takeshi then changed the subject, not wanting the tension to not last any longer and the girls were once again immersed in his escapades back when he younger.

Sakura snuck back home and she was drained of energy. Takeshi talked so much for an Akatsuki member and it was a good thing Yuki was there to keep him in line. It was midnight once again and her parents assumed that she was in her bed after her shifts at the hospital because she locked her room. As she climbed up the window and got ready for bed, she thought of what would happen to her life. She smiled at the thought of showing up those who thought she was weak, of her two best friends living with her, of finally being acknowledged. And with those thoughts, she fell into a blissful dream not knowing of the protective obsidian eyes watching over her as it always had every night.