Sakura

The Akatsuki met at the border between Amegakure and Konohagakure, a storm was rolling in and we all knew it would be useless to run for cover because of the fact no one –NO one- live within fifty miles of this place -unless you count the traveler's stop nearby, the one with the hot springs. But that was what I thought until I was pushed over to a tree by Kisame and shown a private chamber underground. Filled with supplies, maps, scrolls and my waiting parents.

"It's about time, un!" Deidara snapped, only to receive a death glare from Pein.

After going over the events of the past month and a half Pein had been ready to move me out of Konoha and back into hiding –back to the dark Tower and long days of isolation-, but I objected, begged and pleaded to go back.

And the next day I was delivered back, Tobi, appointed as my new bodyguard until Itachi's wounds were healed. Then it was Saku's turn to scream and whine and urge me to beg for Sasori to take me back instead. When I'd asked her why she'd fallen back into her silence, not to answer until we were safely back behind the village gates.

~X~

The Hokage's funeral was held two days later.

I stifled my tears as the Elder's speech ended and placed a white rose on the table and bowed to the Hokage's picture like Nala and Konohamaru had done before me, then walked back from the line and stood with them, offering a hug and a few comforting words to Konohamaru, and waited for the ceremony to end so we could leave.

These tears weren't fake, I knew that much. The Hokage was nice to me when I first came to Konoha; he took me into his village and home without question and accepted me –though he let the ANBU have their questioning time-, made me apart of his family. Naruto and I were devastated about the Hokage's death, almost as much as the others. And I couldn't get over Gaara's betrayal. Though we were told that it was under the Kazakage's orders and the Kazakage was dead -Orochimaru had pretended to be him. So everyone was just going to pin the blame on Snake-Man.

Well, I wasn't and Gaara had to come and formally apologize to me, Naruto, Hinata and just about everyone else that I'd finally forgiven him –also the promising of have him do anything I wanted helped me feel a little better which included some target practice once I was up to it.

Naruto, Sasuke and I walked close together after the funeral. The plan being to go to Naruto's apartment to have some instant ramen and waste away the day –well, Sasuke 'politely' refused the offer and said he was just going home.

At the top of the staircase, leading down from the Hokage's Tower, I caught sight of the old perv, Jiraiya, sitting on top of a fence, seeming to be waiting for someone. I grabbed Naruto's long sleeve and pointed him out. Glancing at each other, in mutual agreement, we said good-bye to Kakashi and Sasuke before jumping onto the roof and door the stairs."Pervy Sage! What are you doing here?" Naruto called loudly, as we approached.

The man's face looked tired and smirked dully at us. "Hello, Naruto, Sakura," Jiraiya said. "I was looking for you, actually. I have a mission for us."

"Huh?" I asked. "Why us?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "Well, since you and Naruto seem to be joined at the hip I might as well bring the pink haired terror along for the ride." I growled and began to roll up my sleeves and Naruto put an arm out in front of me.

"What's it for?" Jiraiya leaned toward us, withdrawing a picture from his robe.

"We need to find this woman." I scanned the picture. A blond woman with brown eyes and a youthful face stared back emotionlessly.

"Hey, I've seen her before." I said.

"Really? Where?"

"Um, about a week ago. When you were peeking in the girl's hot springs she was in a tavern across the street." Jiraiya pocked the picture and turned towards the gate.

"She could have covered miles by now…Go to your houses, pack your things. This is an S-ranked mission, top-secret. I'll fill you in later." And like that he was gone in a puff of smoke.

~X~

"…so she's not a criminal, or has done anything wrong, but we have to basically kidnap her and bring her back to the village, correct?" Naruto recited and Jiraiya nodded.

"You're not telling us everything." I stated the obvious, jumping to another tree limb to keep up with them. And Kisame complains that I run too fast! Ha!

He'll just complain to complain.

True.

"The less you know the safer you'll be. I brought you along as a peace offering; Tsunade will like you, a little medic-nin for her to compare herself with." My eyes narrowed.

"'Peace offering'?"

"Something like that."

Naruto had to stop me from knocking him out of the tree.

The rest of the day was committed to stopping at taverns and gambling bars asking people if they'd seen Tsunade, until someone actually had. "Yeah, she was here. Got quite a bit of money off of her too." I shuffled a deck of cards and divided them among a drunken man and me.

"Hn, you're pretty good. No tricks." He said wagging his finger, I smiled.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Glancing at my hand I tossed in a few chips. Jiraiya sighed heavily, Naruto only watched wordlessly as I talked up my opponent, baiting him into adding more and more chips to the ever growing pile and building up his friend's anticipation.

"Three tens and a seven." He threw his cards down and smirked.

"Oh, that's good…but sadly, just not good enough." I smirked and turned my deck towards him and I swear his eyes almost bugged out of his head. "Royal Flush." I clawed the chips over to me and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.

~X~

For the next week Naruto and I ate like kings in a hotel room of our choice while 'Pervy Sage' –as I was beginning to call him- sat at the window writing his latest novel, or 'taking notes' on the girls in the building across from us.

"Ah, that was good." Naruto rolled over on his belly then swiftly stood. "Well, I'm going to get back to my training." I frowned as he withdrew a balloon from his bag and weighed it in his palm.

Jiraiya had been unfair about teaching Naruto a new technique and not me. Call me selfish, but I wanted to learn something too –on this mission I didn't know what was for- instead of being the main income of money and washing the dishes and pack our belongs before we left for the next town.

"I'm going for a walk." I announced to unlistening ears and slammed the door loudly.

The streets outside were cold and dark, the only light coming from hotels, taverns and a gambling club. Patting my kunai pouch I knew I had my wallet with me, so I entered and asked to be set up with a few chips. It was starting to become an addiction.

"Well, you look a little young to be here." I turned to protest to the woman who sat down next to me and met a pair of brown eyes. The woman's long blond hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she wore a mini kimono as a shirt, which was very lousy done to show off her large chest. A necklace, with a light blue gem hung around her neck. Then she wore a jacket over the shirt and regular dark blue pants.

This was Tsunade, the woman we were after and the one I met at the hot springs almost a month ago.

"Didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon." I smirked and fixed my deck of cards. "I'd be careful, these men are tricky."

"Eh, I've been cleaning them out." I glanced at my cards and tossed in a handful of chips, so did the man across from me. "I'm Sakura; by the way, I didn't have time to introduce myself last time we met. What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I presume, trying to pass the time…" Tsunade broke the deck and passed out a few cards, taking a glass of sake from a passing waiter.

"Actually I'm here on a mission…" I tossed in a few more chips. "Jiraiya and Naruto are looking for you. Any idea why?" She froze and glared at me for a moment.

"Where are they?"

"In a hotel down the street being lazy. Naruto's preoccupied with his training and Pervy Saga is helping him. I swear they think I'm their maid." Tsunade's eyes softened and her eyes shown with a plan forming in her mind. After a minute or two she spoke again.

"Sakura, I have a proposition for you. I think you have great potential, if you had the proper training. I wanted to know if you'd let me train you."

I was silent for a moment, and so shocked I'd dropped my cards, not even noticing the person in front of me scream and start crying about his life's savings. "Yes, I'd like that, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smirked. "And I think I could get a little training out of you. How'd you win that hand?" I smirked and tauntingly asked if the sobbing man wanted to play again.

~X~

That night I snuck back into the hotel room. Packed my things and left a note that I was going back to the village and met Tsunade at the town's entrance.

Omigoddess, how low has it been? A week? Two? A year? Sorry for the long wait when it obviously states in te summary that this story will be frequently updated, but I edit this story so many times its hilarious. Seriously.
Oh, and as of November 11th I, QueenVamp -a.k.a. Bree-, have gone insane and thrown into a long angsty depression for no apparent reasoning. I've decided their need to be more tragic stories (Reads and Reviewers beware) and I shall start that with MadaSaku...as soon as I get an idea?

Do you have any? Love to hear them.

Please reveiw or I'll find you,

~QueenVamp