When they had finally stepped foot in the desert, little Sakura knew that somehow, someway, their crossing would be extremely hard. How she knew, she did not know. That would be a mystery forever unsolved for many ages to come. "How Haruno Sakura knew that their crossing of the desert would be horrible" would be the title of the great epic.

And it seemed that the little five-year-old's fears were not unfounded because not even thirty minutes after the rocky terrain changed into golden sandy endless dunes, her self-proclaimed older sister stopped and set down her backpack. Sakura, always patient and silently curious, watched calmly as the white haired girl pulled the scroll that she had bought from the previous village after they left the inn. When they had stopped by the ninja store, she didn't think to question the yellow eyed girl's actions, instead occupying herself but looking at the various types of Shinobi sandals. And when the older youth noticed her interest, she bought her five pairs of her favorite in different sizes, so that when she was older, she could also have some! Now she was wearing the blue sandal with white laces going up the front and forming a bow at the top. The sandals reached a bit above her ankles and Sakura thought they were very comfy! Now the little girl knew why shinobi wore shoes like these all the time!

Once the scroll was unsealed, the older girl crouched down and stared at the emerald eyed girl critically. When satisfied, she beckoned the pink haired girl closer, and obedient as always, Sakura did as told.

"Hold out your arm for me Sakura," she commanded in her mentor voice. The pastel pink haired girl already knew that there was a thick line between "kind onee-san" and "serious onee-san". Now was serious onee-san. And she knew that serious onee-san did not joke around. Hurriedly, she did as she was told, holding a pale skinny arm put. Humming to herself, Sakura watched as the older girl picked something sleeve like from the scroll and slid it on her arm.

The effect was immediate and the pink haired girl's arm dropped down, extremely heavy all of a sudden.

"These are weights Sakura," the white haired said asked whilst putting one on her other arm, rendering both of them useless. "And you will be training with them on from now on. Your set is about five kilos and you will be wearing them on your arms, midriff and legs. You are not allowed to take them off unless you are washing. As you get used to them, I will gradually increase the weight. We are going to run to Suna with them on. If you cannot keep up with me, you will be left behind and possibly be lost to the giant desert of the Wind unless you are found or killed by bandits. You will also be carrying a one kilo block in your pack. Do you understand?"

Sakura was silently scared that she wouldn't be able to do it, and possibly disappoint her onee-san. And if she disappointed her onee-san, she might leave her alone and she would have no one left. Plus if she were useful to her onee, then maybe she could possibly show how grateful she was for everything the older girl had done for her! So at that moment, Sakura decided once again, that she would never be useless and disappoint her onee-san!

"Hai!" She said with a burning conviction that even the sunshine eyed girl could hear.

Nodding in acceptance, she lifted Sakura's shirt and clipped the midriff weight on her, instantly seeing the slouch which the younger girl sported. But she was surprised to note that the pinkette did not fall backwards like expected and she smirked in approval. Once again, she silently patted herself on the back for making such a good choice for taking on this child. She lifted up the girl's right leg and slipped on the leg warmer on, noticing that it reached her thighs. She did the same with the other leg and once satisfied, placed the heavy block in the younger girls backpack and slipped it on her shoulders. She was impressed to see that all though her legs were shaking and bent, and she was literally hunched over, the five year old still did not topple over.

"You still have you water bottle don't you?" Luna asked her while putting on her own set of weights.

"Yes, onee-san! And I also have that blanket you gave me! It's all in my pack!" Sakura declared, albeit a little less cheerful than normal.

The white haired girl nodded and stood still for a moment, trying to get used to the additional weight on her body. Once satisfied, she straightened up, and put on her backpack again, trying to control her shaking arm. "Good. Let us head out then." And then she took off running. She ran at a civilians pace because she knew that she had to pace herself before doing anything serious.

Little Sakura watched with growing horror as her sensei slowly but surely became a dot in the distance. What in the world was she going to do?! She couldn't even take one step without toppling over and she was expected to run?! All too soon for her tastes the white haired girl disappeared into the horizon and she was left alone.

Panicking, she tried to run forward, only so keel over and land with a soft thump on the ground.

This time she really couldn't move.

What was she going to do?

And judging by the sun's position it was nearing mid afternoon, and with the way the desert's sun hit you…well there wasn't much more to say.

So Sakura did the only this a five year old in her situation would do.

She started crying.

Itachi had one more day before he was to leave for the training camp, so he decided to make it productive.

What the white haired girl had told him (he still did not know her real name) had roused many questions from him. Firstly, what was she talking about when she said that what Konoha was doing to the Uchiha clan was not fair? And secondly, she had meant something when she indirectly said that they were power hungry. But what exactly did she mean? And most importantly, she had said that the village would perish.

Did that mean war was on the horizon?

If so, with who and why? He knew very well that Konoha was in no shape for a war at the moment. At least not so soon after that disastrous Kyuubi attack they had faced not even six years ago. The village had taken a major hit to their forces and was still recovering. In all honestly, if Iwa still wanted to gain control of the village, now was the best time to try.

He was practicing his aim when it happened.

And it happened.

One second, he was throwing a kunai at the target and the next he was dropping to the ground in order to dodge a razor sharp blade which was seconds away from beheading him. Rolling away quickly, he got up and quickly got into a position to defend and parry any other attacks sent his way. He was on edge now, because he realized that if his Sharingan wasn't on, that would have been his head on the floor.

"Hmm…Not bad. Not bad at all. Though what can I expect from the famed clan prodigy." A voice said from behind him and startled, he jumped around only to be greeted with the sight of a kunai to his jugular.

He was scared. He was terrified. How could he not have noticed this stranger move behind him? And he knew that if this person really wanted to kill him, he would be long gone.

"Hello there, little grandchild of mine. My, am I proud to see that our blasted family hasn't been slacking off in their duties. It seems that you at least are worthy of out noble name." The man said, sarcasm evident in his voice. Itachi watched with apprehension, carefully not to make any movements, not forgetting that the kunai was still there.

But what in the world was this man talking about? Grandchild? He only had one set of grandparents that he knew about and they were currently six feet underground. He discreetly gave the man a quick once-over. The stranger was wearing a long black coat with red clouds on it and a high collar. He was also wearing a swirly orange mask with only one eye hole.

Really, Itachi thought he looked like a street performer.

Belatedly, he realized that the man had stepped away and relaxed just a teeny weeny bit.

"Who are you?" He asked finally getting the courage to ask what had been on his mind since the beginning.

"Me? No one important. Just someone who you will eventually join in the future, that is all." That was the second time someone had told Itachi that, and he honestly had to wonder if these people were crazy. He was serious about being loyal to no one but Konoha.

"You said that I'm your grandchild earlier on," Itachi asked. "What did you mean by that?" He got the oddest feeling that the man in the mask was smirking at him.

"All you should know is that we are family. Isn't this fun Itachi-kun? Meeting another relative? I sure am excited." The masked man exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

Itachi only raised an eyebrow in question and the unnamed man stranger seemed to take it as a hint to continue.

"Never mind that. Onto more important things!" He said, his voice turning serious. "I have a proposition for you."

Itachi was interested now. What could a stranger possibly want from him?

"I hear that you've been invited to join the Black Ops," the man said cryptically. "My, what an amazing feat for one as young as you. Anyway, if you somehow manage to make it in, you'll become part of the Hokage's personal army. And then you'll be sent on missions that deal with the much darker side of the village."

"What do you mean darker side of the village?" Itachi asked, slightly confused.

"Why, Itachi-kun, you surely did not think that this village was as perfect as it appears to be. Every village has its secrets. Goody-two-shoes Konoha included. This brings me to my point exactly. Soon you'll discover a whole group of dark truths that this village has hidden for many years."

"Hn?" Itachi grunted, his silent question clear in the air.

"Join my organization," was the simple statement spoken surely.

"I am loyal to no one but Konoha," Itachi replied without missing a beat. To his surprise, the masked man chuckled heartily.

"Of course it wouldn't be that simple. And this brings me to my most important point. I'm sure you've wondered why our clan is being ostracized so much." In all honesty, the ten year old had not even noticed until the previous day.

The masked man continued. "And I'm sure you've been seeking answers for a while haven't you?" And in truth, Itachi was only going to start today.

"Well I can provide you with your long awaited answers," the man said.

Itachi was suddenly ten times more interested after that simple declaration, and the masked man knew it, judging by the way his body language shifted slightly into a more comfortable position. It meant he was smug.

"How?" Itachi asked.

"Go to the Naka shrine and in the main hall, beneath the seventh tatami mat from the far right, is a secret meeting place of the Uchiha clan. There stands a stone monument which contains our clan's secrets and can only be read with a specific dojutsu. Obviously, it's ours and there you'll find all you need to know. Go read it, and I'll meet you again in five months once your training is over."

And then the masked man disappeared before Itachi could reply.

Not long after, he heard a voice calling out his name but didn't bother to turn.

"Hey there baby cousin! What're you to out here all alone? Oh! Your training! Of course! Why am I not surprised? You need to have a little fun!" It was Shisui and Itachi really wasn't in the mood to deal with his carefree cousin.

So he walked away from him.

"Hey Itachi, are you alright?" He called out slightly worried.

"I'm fine." Itachi replied bluntly and carried on walking without a glance.

Shisui could only watch in confusion as his younger cousin walked away wondering what got his knickers in a twist.

It had already been a day since she had been lost in this vast desert and Sakura was getting scared. What if she never found her onee again? What if she was lost in this desert forever and no one came to find her? Then what would she do? The sun was setting and soon it would be night time. The first night she had spent alone was terrible and she didn't want to have to go through it again. But now she knew it would be slightly better because she had gotten a bit used to the weights and she was currently sitting under a palm tree by an oasis.

She had to stay calm and think about her current predicament. She had plenty water, a warm blanket and lots of shade but she knew that she couldn't stay there forever. And young as she was, even she knew that she couldn't be found by ninja or anyone. And if she could not find Luna, that was a big problem.

What she could do for now was focus on her chakra exercising techniques that her onee had taught her the previous week. The white haired girl had told her that if she tried really hard, she could sense other people. Or course her range wasn't more than a few meters but she had to try.

So getting into a cross-legged position and closing her eyes, she tried to focus on the little ball of blue light in her tummy and tried to expand it around her. It was hard. It was very hard especially for a five year old girl like her but she couldn't stop. Not if she wanted to ever see her onee-san again..

Little by little she expanded it around her, until finally she came across a chakra which was green in color. She perked up and concentrated on it. But to her immense disappointment, it wasn't her onee. Well, she supposed she shouldn't even have gotten her hopes up because her onee's chakra was white, but still.

Just as she was about to draw back, she caught something at the edge of her senses and strained to concentrate on it.

It was her onee's!

Sakura gasped in excitement and immediately drew back her inner radar. She had found her sister! How happy the little girl was.

Opening her eyes, she saw that it was dark out and the stars were out. She also realized how cold it was and reached into her pack for the heavy blanket that she had on hand. It seemed that she had been searching for several hours.

No matter. At least she had found her onee.

So after Sakura took a large swig of cold water, she crawled into her self-made cocoon deciding that first thing the next day she would head into the direction she had sensed the other girl.

Luna smirked when she felt Sakura's chakra nudge her.

It seemed that the little girl had found her after a day's separation.

'Not bad,' she thought. She expected that it would at least take two days to find her. It seemed that the pink haired girl's chakra control was extremely precise. To be able to sense someone else at the age of five was almost unheard of.

Well, if Sakura found her, it meant she had found Suna.

Yes, the white haired girl had made it to the Village Hidden in the Sand only a few hours ago and was currently walking around, observing. The city was empty at night, she remarked. Almost as if it's citizens were scared. And the few people she had met were Sand shinobi who had all given her suspicious looks, but otherwise said nothing.

She had planned to try and arrange a meeting with the Kazekage when Sakura had arrived, that way they could both meet him. Well Luna had already met him, two years previous when she had gone on that diplomatic mission with her father before he passed on. She wanted to discuss where he stood and if he was willing to be an ally. At the moment, she knew that Suna desperately needed one. Especially now when they were facing such a drastic recession. The fact that their own Daimyo was putting in mission requests with other Shinobi nations showed how badly they needed help.

Luna was about to turn the corner when she heard a shrill scream sound from one of the alleys and, being the overly curious person she was, decided to investigate. She quickly jogged in the direction she heard the sound and was confronted with a most gruesome sight.

Three Sand shinobi were being crushed to death in what looked to be coffins made of sand, and there was blood dripping everywhere.

But it wasn't the blood that had the white haired girl disturbed. It was the crying red-headed boy who stood in front of them. He was sobbing so hard that he couldn't even wipe away the tears without another flood coming. She quickly gathered that he was the Jinchuriki of the Sand. The holder of the Ichibi. Deciding now was the best time to make her move because somehow she knew that if she didn't do it now, then the opportunity would never arrive again.

By now, the men were long dead and the sand had already deposited their bodies on the floor. Slowly, cautiously, she made her way closer to the crying boy and pasted on the most comforting look she could. She stepped on a stray kidney and it made a sickening squelch under her sandal, drawing the little boy's attention. He tensed visibly, probably thinking that she was another shinobi trying to kill him. The white haired girl put her hands up in a way to show that she wasn't there to harm him but he still didn't relax. She supposed it was understandable, how many people did that to him on a daily basis just to turn around and stab him in the back?

So she did the only thing she knew would work.

She stopped perhaps a meter away from him and held her hand out like she would a puppy.

Of course she didn't expect him to actually sniff it, but to her immense surprise he did!

Slowly, he came closer, sniffing a little more and she supposed it was most probably the Bijuu in him testing to see if there was any ill intent.

Once satisfied, he relaxed visibly but was still crying. The yellow-eyed girl held her arms open invitingly, and he seemed to take the hint because he slowly but surely came closer until he was not even a hairs breadth away. He achingly slowly wrapped his own small arms around her and broke down crying even more. She held him there for what seemed for hours, just stroking his shaggy red hair and listening to his anguished tears and sniffles until they finally subsided.

"Are you done now, little one?" She asked softly. She could hear his soft sniffle but felt him nod his head against her stomach.

"Good, now what's your name?" She asked gently pushing him away so she could see his tear streaked face. He sniffled a bit more and she smiled, softly wiping away his tears.

"M-my name is Gaara," he said softly, looking at the ground gloomily.

So that was his name eh? Finally she knew it.

"Now, listen to me Gaara, I have a nice warm cup of chai teas as well as a soft comfy bed waiting for you at the inn. It's very cold out here, you know? Maybe below zero degrees, even! Would you like to come with me?" She asked him kindly. He seemed to be suspicious but she could see some hope in his eyes and knew that yes, this cute little boy was now on her side.

"R-really?" He asked hesitantly. She smiled wider and nodded and she could see that he had already accepted.

"Y-yes. I do want to come." He agreed happily, albeit a little softly.

"Well then, let's go."

It was now around two in the morning. Little Gaara was currently sitting in bed in front of the fire place drawing contently, his teddy bear obediently by his side. The white-haired girl had booked a very nice inn. It was warm, neat and very comfortable.

As she had promised, she had brought him back with her and given him a cup of tea and a few cookies that had been in the mini kitchenette that they had. He had also taken a nice warm bath in order to wash off all the sand and excess blood that had remained on him

After she had gently asked him what was going on in the alley earlier, he had hesitantly explained that his uncle, the only person he thought truly cared about him had just tried to kill him and had told him that he had always despised the green eyed boy. Heartbroken, the little boy was taking a walk when three Shinobi attacked him, trying to finish off his uncle's failed job. He killed them, and that's when Luna had come along. After he told the story, he had broken down crying again continuously, asking why he was such a monster and why everyone hated him.

It was enough to tug at Luna's heartstrings and she had comforted him by telling him that no, he was not a monster and not everyone hated him because she cared. Slowly he calmed down and then Luna gave him a piece of paper and the box of complimentary crayons to draw with since he couldn't sleep. Since then she had taken a shower, and ordered late night room service for the two of them. She was currently contemplating going to bed but didn't want to leave Gaara alone when a knock sounded on the window. Both she and Gaara looked up to see a masked Sand shinobi outside.

Gaara looked terrified, but she smiled reassuringly at him, calming him down a little. She quickly opened the window for the masked nin and she stood back expectantly waiting for him to deliver his message.

"Kazekage-sama wishes to see you. I am here to escort you to his office. You are to leave behind his son." Was the simple order. She looked at him intently and then nodded.

Turning back to the nervous panda-eyed boy she smiled at him and said that she would be back soon.

He looked reluctant to see her go but nodded anyways.

They took the sandy roofs of the village and arrived at the tower in less than ten minutes.

He escorted her up the stairs and through the empty hallways until they reached a big wooden door which he tapped three times. They heard a muffled "Come in" and entered.

Luna was greeted with the sight of an older looking version of the young boy currently back at the inn hunched over his desk with mountains of paperwork surrounding him. She figured he would have a lot of work with the way the village was going.

"Ah, you have brought her. You may leave now." He ordered the ninja who did as told without hesitation and left the two of them in peace.

As soon as he left she bowed low, and greeted him with an "Honorable Kazekage-sama."

He grunted in acknowledgement and got straight to business.

"Might I ask what you are doing with my son?" He asked coldly, leaning forward and crossing his arms on the desk.

"Your son? Ah, Gaara! What a sweet child he is!" She said in a way one would discuss the weather. "Tragic the way he is treated don't you think?" In a flash, the leader of the village was in front of her with a kunai at her neck. She smirked at him, masking her inward fear with a mask of indifference.

"Do not play games with me," he growled down at her. "I am in no mood for it. Answer my question to my satisfaction and your life might be spared. You have five seconds."

Sometimes she forgot what it was like to be a child, considering most of the time she didn't act like one. But now she remembered that yes, she was only ten years old, and the height difference between her and a grown man was so big that the Kazekage was crouching but still had to look down at her. She was slightly scared, as she was no match for a Kage, but she knew that if she played her cards right, there was almost nothing to be afraid of.

"Your son was in danger," she stated bluntly. He raised an eyebrow in question at her and she took it as her cue to continue.

"I was walking past when I heard a scream and saw him being attacked by three of your own shinobi," she explained. "He quickly dispatched of them but was crying something fierce. Seeing a little child crying, I did the only logical thing in that situation. I went to help him. He took a liking to me and I brought him back to my room at the inn, bathed him and fed him. End of story. Though it seems that his uncle had just betrayed him. Sad really. And no, I'm not an enemy, nor did I poison him."

He thought over her story for a moment before coming to the conclusion that no, she was not lying and slowly lowered his weapon and stood before her.

"What is your name child?" He asked curious as to who this little girl was. Never had he been spoken to like this before, not even by the elders.

"Luna," she replied simply.

"No family name?"

"I do not see how it is relevant to our conversation," was the white haired girl's response. He almost scolded her for her lack of respect but decided against it. He would let it slide.

"You seem familiar…Luna," he added as more of an afterthought.

"I met you two years ago on a diplomatic mission with my father," she answered. He hummed a reply and went back to his seat.

"I remember. You are Byakuya's daughter," he asked, mostly to be polite. "You have grown. How is you father by the way?"

"He's dead," she stated bluntly.

"Shame. Was the only competent leader out there. Who now holds his title?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. Luna watched him intently before answering.

"My oldest brother, Kazekage-sama."

"I see. Tell me, what is your purpose here in Suna?" He scoffed, sarcasm evident in his voice. "Obviously you are not here for the sights."

She smirked wider. "I have a proposition for you." She declared.

"Oh? What deal can I make with a child not even half my age?" He asked clearly amused at the prospect.

"Looks are deceiving Kazekage-sama. Do not underestimate me. But I find it quite tiresome to discuss business this late at night, or should I say early in the morning? I have only just arrived and haven't had the chance to rest yet. Might we not be able to continue this conversation later? At a more convenient time?" She asked fake yawning. She felt him watching her but made no indication that she was uncomfortable.

Soon he nodded.

"Fine. Later at one 'o clock. Do not be late." He declared, and all of a sudden a masked Nin was next to her again.

"Escort her back to the inn. And leave Gaara with her for as long as he likes." And then he was back to his paperwork, visibly dismissing them.

She was a tad bit surprised at what he said about Gaara but let it slide. She was being honest when she said she was tired.

Itachi couldn't sleep. Not after all he had read earlier that day.

He couldn't even begin to describe the horror that he felt after what he discovered. The Uchiha clan was not noble at all!

No, they were ruthless power hungry sharks that deserved to be treated the way they did by the Hokage. He didn't even know how he would be able to accept another mission without bowing his head in shame.

He would never help them. Even if they were his family.

And he certainly wouldn't join that masked man's organization.

But the white haired girl...he had to hear what she had to say first.

Because at the moment, he wasn't too sure where his loyalties lay.

Well, I updated early, despite the fact that I said I wouldn't.

Thanks to my awesome Beta Reader Operaghost11235 for making this chapter so much better!

Love her!

Please Review!

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