Sakura

I bit my lip nervously and smiled up at the Konaha Junin and Hokage staring down at me. He was a tall young man with sun dark skin and dark brown hair pulled up into a ponytail. He wore the standard ninja clothing, along with the forest green vest and headband with a Leaf symbol. And the Hokage was old, wearing white robes trimmed with red. It was said he was the Third Hokage but after the Fourth died he took over again.

Konan stood next to me. Her image altered by her chakra so her piercings on her face consisted only of her snake bites and her short blue hair became a long, blazing red. Her skin looked paler and sudden changes were made to her face so no one would recognize her.

"Our clan was attacked a few days ago..." she trailed off with my warped background story to the teacher as she had done for the Hokage yesterday. "And my husband wants his only heir to be safe until we can catch whoever did it."

"We understand, so will you be staying with your daughter?" Iruka asked.

"She'll be living with my daughter's family. My young grandson, Konohamaru, will be glad to have someone to finally have some to train with." Mom smiled, dazzlingly at him.

"Thank you for doing this for us, Lord Hokage." She bowed and her scarlet hair fell over her shoulders, momentarily it flashed blue. She must have noticed because she then pulled me into hug and kissed my forehead before quickly being 'escorted' from the building by the masked Tobi. I watched them leave and wanted nothing more than to run after them.

I didn't want to be here. It was too different from Amegakure where we were under constant cover of clouds and rain. This place looked forever casted into spring, but the weather was cooler than it was in Suna…

"Are you ready to start school, Sakura?" Iruka asked and I nodded. We'd pulled him out of his lesson so I could be introduced to him and my new classmates. "I trust you haven't gone to proper district schooling yet, have you?"

"No, everything I've ever learned was from my parents." He nodded.

"You are to call me 'Iruka-sensei' from now on, alright?"

"Yes," I said then quickly added. "Iruka-sensei." He smiled and strode into the classroom.

"Class," the kids became quite and I watched from the slightly open door with the Hokage still behind me. "We have a new student today." The Hokage nudged me forward then. His old, wrinkled hand rested on my shoulder, almost like he was using me as a guide into the room.

"Introduce yourself," Iruka-sensei said smiling. I bit my lip then turned to face the class. Scoping the room and suddenly felt out of place: my pink hair, pale skin, blue eyes; foreign features. But I knew they were all staring at the long, ugly gash on the side of my face.

"My name is Kurosu Sakura, I'm twelve-years-old." I said, my voice sounded stronger then I'd realized as I recited the last name my mother had thought up, she said it meant 'dark master' and since I was Akatsuki it would suit me.

The Hokage stepped forward. "Any questions for our new student?" Lean arms shot up in the air, waving calling for the Hokage's attention as I silently cursed his words. "Ino…"

The pretty blond stood from her chair, her icy blue eyes fixed on me. "What village do you come from?" She demanded

"I never lived in one of the Hidden Villages." I answered smoothly. The blond slunk back into her seat and the Hokage called on someone else.

"Hinata,"

"Um, what abilities do you, um, have?" The shy bluenette, Hinata, asked.

I pursed my lips and smiled. I decided I liked this girl. "My mother said I was a very skilled healer, so I think I might have a future as a medic-nin."

"Sasuke," Everyone turned in their seats to see the one named Sasuke. I followed their gazes to a quiet boy with dark hair and eyes in the corner of the room. His eyes met mine as he lowered his raised hand.

"What clan do you come from?" He asked his voice slightly deeper than expected. On the inside I could feel myself screaming and wondering what the hell I was going to say next. But on the outside I smiled warmly at Sasuke, and I swear to this day that he had blushed.

"That I cannot tell you," I said, secretly. The Hokage was about to say something, but then all hell broke loose in the classroom. All the girls, save Hinata, stood from their seats and glared at me.

"How could you not answer Sasuke-sempai's question!" Ino yelled, almost sounding happy to have a reason to yell at me.

My eyes scanned over them all for a moment then smirked and looked up at Iruka. "My mother says it's the ones who chase the boys that are the weakest." Iruka-sensei and the Hokage cracked up and I snickered, careful not to let the fan-girls see.

The girls sat in their seats. Their pride bruised.

After the big scene in class Iruka assigned me to sit next to a blond haired, blue eyed boy in the back of the classroom. Iruka-sensei had smiled at him and the boy shot him the death glare.

What was worse, we didn't talk, not a word- although I wanted to say something. I had just stared ahead, hoping he'd try to strike up a conversation. Though I knew I had to at least try to pay attention to the lesson but my mind kept wandering back to my parents and the Akatsuki.

My mission here was to gain trust and friends...

RING!

I nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sound of the loud noise. The boy stared at me for a moment.

"What was that?"

"Um, it's the lunch bell." Ino said, flipping back her blond ponytail. "Don't you know anything?"

"I never went to a school before." I muttered as Ino walked away. "Hope you fall into a snake pit." I stood from my chair and descended the staircase to the front of the room. On the way I found the blue haired the girl from earlier.

Before she could exit the room I darted off towards her. "Your name is Hinata, right?" I asked.

"Um, yes..." She looked a little shocked to see me.

"Do you mind showing me around the school? Please?" I hoped she'd show mercy on me.

Then Hinata smiled. "Sure." I looped arms with her and walked out like we've been best friends since birth.

~X~

After Hinata and I left the Academy we started walking to the Hyuuga estate. I had to find the Chuunin that was going to take me home and tell him that I'd be leaving with a friend. He'd been ready to protest but then Hinata walked up and he almost bowed in submission.

Suddenly someone rounded the corner and smashed into me. Hinata gasped in shock and I fell to the ground and the other person landed on top of me.

I sat up and was about to yell then I saw it was a boy, the one I sat next to in class. We were nose-to-nose and staring confused into each other's eyes. In a way his looks reminded me of Deidara, but I doubted he rode a giant clay bird and blew things up.

"Oh, um, sorry Sakura, I didn't see you…Hey Hinata." Hinata helped him to his feet and I stood too.

"Why were you running?" I yelled. Naruto -was that his name? - cringed at my tone.

"Well, I may have insulted Sasuke, threw something at him and..." Brushing the dirt from my dress I got ready to scold Naruto again. Then a raven haired boy rounded the corner as well. Stopping short when the saw his prey had found friends.

My eyes widened at the sight of Sasuke. I hadn't gotten a good enough look at him during class, but it wasn't his boyish good looks that shocked me. He was an Uchiha.

Itachi has some explaining to do. Saku softly taunted. The entire Uchiha clan was slaughtered only a few years ago…I resisted the urge to tell her to shut up.

Oh, yes he does.

"What are you staring at, pinkie?" He grumbled regaining his calm composure. I narrowed my midnight colored eyes and put my hands on my hips.

"Nothing good, you just look a lot like your brother. Itachi Uchiha, wasn't it?" Sasuke froze and stared at me. "Hmm, you're the one staring now aren't you?" I turned to Naruto and Hinata, "Let's go."

Pein

I lowered the letter and looked back at Konan standing beside me, half-reading over my shoulder.

"Itachi says she's doing fine. She's living undetected in the Hokage's house and is excelling in all her classes."

"Undetected...that means we've taught her how to lie. That's going to come back to haunt us later." I chuckled. "Is she making friends?" I handed her the letter and she scanned over the coded three paragraphs the Uchiha had taken the liberty of writing.

"She was spotted around the Hyuuga heiress and the Kyuubi container..." That same protective motherly look came over Konan's face again and I touched her shoulder. "She'll be fine. Itachi won't let anything happen to her and Sakura knows not to get in any trouble."

"It says here that she got a detention for fighting." Konan sighed and dropped the letter back on my desk for me to read the detailed injuries of the two boys. "This can only end badly, Nagato, I know it."