(A/N: First thing I'd like to say is thank you for the review. I appreciate them. Also, each chapter is going to be longer than the last, you can count on that. I'll try to update every weekend. Chapter Three is already half way there. There's nothing else to say so enjoy.)

Karasu, Kitsune, Ryuu…..Later That Night

Itachi led them out of the Inn at one in the morning. He grabbed them by the back of their shirts' collars and jumped onto the roofs. The kids, having gotten used to that the past week, followed him as he made his way through the roof of a pub. He stopped them a few feet away from the edge and looked down. He needed to make sure they were there because he had been later than usual. A few Anbu had been in the town and he had to take cover and watch them until they left. He was half an hour late but he was relieved when a man walked into the alley he was looking into with an underage girl over his shoulders.

He looked over his shoulder at the kids, who waited patiently for his next orders. He waved them over then told them to be quiet when they were standing by him. He pointed down at the man. They both looked down, getting on their knees as to not be seen.

The man threw the girl on the ground on her back. He ripped open her shirt and bra. Sakura's eyes widened as she watched the man run his hands over the girl's chest. She knew that was one place where men were not supposed to touch girls. Her stomach turned as the man covered the girl's mouth when she started screaming. Naruto seemed confused but his eyes widened when the man slapped the girl in the face. Itachi watched their reactions carefully, making sure neither of them tried to leave or look away.

The man proceeded to take the girl's skirt off and rub her underwear. Sakura's breathing became laboured, something Itachi noticed right away. Naruto turned his head away when he saw the man unbutton his jeans and lower his boxers. Itachi forced Naruto's head back to look into the alley but Naruto closed his eyes shut. "Naruto, look." Itachi's command seemed harsh but Naruto wouldn't listen. A scream broke through the silence as the man slammed into the girl hard and fast. Naruto inhaled and held his breath. Itachi's hand was still on his head.

Naruto felt a fist connect with his stomach but Itachi held him in place. "I said look, Naruto." Itachi repeated, his voice colder than ice. Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes fearing another punch in the gut. He glanced at Sakura. She was trembling as she watched the man thrust into the girl as hard as he could. The sound of flesh hitting flesh, the man's groans and the girl's whimpers were the only thing they heard in the dead silence of the town. Itachi forced Naruto to look in the alley instead of at Sakura. The blonde watched as the man went faster even as the girl told him to stop.

The man let out a grunt and started slowing down. When the man separated from her, all the kids could see was blood. Sakura's stomach turned again as she gripped the edge of the roof. The man pulled up his boxers and pants then took out a switchblade. Naruto's eyes widened as the man got closer to the girl and grabbed her hair. He whispered something into her ear before smirking and slitting her throat.

Itachi decided he had enough and took out a kunai, throwing it at the man's head. The man fell down on the floor, blood spilling out from the wound. Naruto's heart stopped at that moment. Itachi could've done that earlier. He could've killed that man before he killed her. He could've prevented whatever just happened if he had just thrown that kunai when it all started.

Itachi was watching Sakura throw up her dinner onto the alley when he sensed an evil chakra. Sakura stopped throwing up when she sensed that evil feeling then started throwing up again when it was too much for her. Itachi turned to Naruto, who was standing up. He was looking down, his hair covering his face. "You could've stopped this…" Naruto muttered without looking at him. His voice had taken a deeper tone, almost demonic. Itachi nodded but Naruto saw it. He looked up at him, his eyes red with slits. He had claws and fangs, and his hair was wilder. "Why didn't you, then?" Naruto growled at him, rage consuming his every thought. Itachi smirked under his Akatsuki cloak. 'This is the chakra I felt six years ago. It's the Kyuubi's all right.' He thought as Naruto glared at him. "I have my reasons. In the meantime, why don't we get back to the Inn before Sakura starts throwing up her intestines?" It wasn't a question but more like a command. Naruto growled at him, something Itachi wouldn't have around here. He activated his Sharingan. Moments later, Naruto fell unconscious to the ground. Sighing, Itachi picked him up and threw him over his shoulder as if he was a sack of dirt. "Let's go, Sakura." Said girl wiped the vomit off the corner of her mouth and followed him.

Itachi helped her off the roof and they proceeded towards the Inn. When they were all in their room and Naruto awake but strapped to his bed by a rope, Itachi decided to explain his actions. "Ninja will encounter these things during missions. There are things far worse than this. There will be betrayal, death, unimaginable things. I wanted you guys to know this from the beginning." Itachi explained as Naruto struggled to get out of the bindings. "Why didn't you stop it from the moment it started? He hurt her!" Naruto yelled at him then flinched when Itachi looked at him.

"That's why I killed him after he was done. He won't do that to anyone else." Itachi told him with a glare. Naruto gritted his teeth then looked away. "But why did you wait until after he killed her? Why didn't you kill him before he did?" Sakura asked from her bed. Her voice sounded weak from all the throwing up she did. "Because she was a criminal, too." Itachi said, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair. Naruto perked up at this. "What do you mean?" He asked looking back at him.

"I was looking around the village earlier and went into one of the gambling houses. I saw her stealing from a few machines but I also saw that the man that just raped her was watching her. I knew this was going to happen. If I hadn't interrupted, he would've gone to her room and stole all of the things she had stolen earlier in the day." Itachi explained as he stood up and walked over to the window. He looked out at the town then closed the drapes. "We have to get rid of criminals before they do worse. Who knows what they would have done with that money. Rob, kill, or worse." Itachi looked back at them as he took out a kunai and threw it. It cut the ropes around Naruto. The blonde sat up, rubbing his arms. "You must see underneath the underneath. That's something the Yondaime Hokage taught Konoha." Itachi told them, remembering the last advice the Yondaime gave them.

"I will be showing you more of this kind of evil so be ready in the future." Itachi said turning back to them. The kids were glad for a change of subject. "Now get some rest. I'm going to teach you how to travel at faster speeds first thing tomorrow."

Haruno Clan Residence- Month After Disappearance

Haiiro walked into his house with a frown on his face. He had just finished his search for Sakura with a successful find. He walked into the kitchen, where Keiko was making dinner. "I have some news," he muttered as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. "What is it?" Keiko asked without turning to him. "She didn't leave. Itachi took her and the Jinchuuriki." Haiiro answered after a gulp of water.

Unsure of what to say, Keiko just nodded. Haiiro frowned at her then put the bottle back. Keiko finally turned to him with a frown. "Haiiro, I'm expecting." She told him, placing a hand on her stomach. Haiiro's frown turned into a smile as he walked over to his wife and hugged her. "That's great, Keiko. Amaya won't have to worry about a helper anymore." Haiiro said as he kissed her cheek. "Yeah, helper." Keiko muttered, letting her forehead fall on his shoulder.

Karasu, Kitsune, Ryuu…..A Year Later

Itachi, Naruto and Sakura walked in the desert on their way to Sunagakure. They were wearing their Akatsuki cloaks. They were black with red clouds on it. Naruto and Sakura were wearing hoodies while Itachi had a straw hat on. It's been a year since they all left their village. Naruto and Sakura had learned various things at an amazing speed. Itachi had guessed that they were both supposed to be legends; people just didn't bother unlocking their true abilities. But Itachi had taken it upon himself to unlock those strengths and make them legends.

The two had learned everything a Shinobi will face during their careers except true betrayal. Itachi wanted them to face it themselves, not pull a few strings so it can happen. He had also taught them a lot about jutsu and their abilities. Sakura didn't seem to want to be like her clan, even if she was really good at Genjutsu. She had said something about being a Medic so that she could help Naruto, who seemed to always be in danger or in the process of getting hurt. Naruto, on the other hand, likes to rush into things. Itachi had taught him the Kage Bushin no jutsu so he wasn't the one rushing in but rather the Kage Bushin.

Itachi now was on the search of some Futon jutsu in Kaze no Kuni. He found out that they were both Futon users. However, their second nature element was different. Naruto's was Suiton while Sakura's was Katon. Also, Itachi was right about Sakura being the brains. She absorbs everything she hears or sees like a sponge. She's come in handy in plenty of situations. Then Naruto comes in and outdoes everyone in his battle skills. Itachi had figured out a long time ago that what the Sandaime had said about Heaven and Earth was right.

However, their skills weren't the only thing that had changed. Now that they were both seven and had money to buy whatever they wanted, they took more care of themselves. Sakura's pink hair had grown a little passed her shoulders and she was taller than Naruto now. She wore a red tank top with a short-sleeve mesh shirt under. She had black shorts with black leggings under them. Naruto's hair was a little longer; it covered most of his forehead. He had a black short-sleeve shirt with a muscle shirt that had sleeves that reached down to his elbows under it. He had long orange ninja pants, something Itachi didn't like but it was his style. They were both wearing black boots because of the desert. Itachi still had his Anbu uniform under his Akatsuki cloak because he thought it was more useful rather than having your own style.

As they neared Sunagakure's gates, Itachi used a Henge to transform into an old man. Naruto and Sakura used a Henge to change into two four-year-olds. When they got to the gates, which were huge walls of sand, the guards stopped them. Itachi gave them an ID, saying that he was just a traveller. The guards checked the ID and asked about the kids. Itachi explained to them that they were just grandchildren wanting to travel with their grandfather. The guards let them through. Since it was nearing dinner time, Itachi sent the kids to get a room in one of the Inns. That left him alone to wonder around the village, looking for any sign of Konoha-nin. When he didn't see anything, he went to look for dinner. He bought ramen, rewarding Naruto for learning the Kage Bushin.

When he went into the room, Itachi found Naruto meditating with three Kage Bushin and Sakura reading a physics book. He locked the door and looked around the room. He saw the curtains closed and the light on at minimum power. "All right, listen up. We'll rest today because of the journey here. Tomorrow, we'll go and find some Futon for you. Here, dinner's ready."

Naruto and Sakura nodded as they stood up and grabbed their respective bowls of food. Naruto couldn't help but grin when he laid eyes on his dinner. "Have I ever told you that I love you, Itachi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he dove into his food. "No, and I don't want to hear it." Itachi mumbled, eating his own dinner. Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's manners as she ate hers at a fair pace. "Sensei, can we go look around the village when night falls? We've never been in Suna." Naruto asked after finishing his bowl. "Sure but I'm going with you. I don't want a repeat of happened last time." Itachi answered with a glare sent his way.

Naruto nodded and went to his bed, laying down to look at the ceiling. Itachi finished his bowl next and laid down on the other bed, taking out his katana and kunai to sharpen it. Sakura finished and laid down by Naruto, continuing to read her book. Naruto sometimes glanced at the pages and writing but then went back to thinking about what he'll do when he learned the Fuiton jutsus.

Nightfall

Sakura nudged Naruto's side to wake him up. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up. "Come on, we're leaving." Sakura told him as she stood up and grabbed her cloak. Naruto shook his head to get the sleep out of his brain and stood up, putting on his boots and cloak. Itachi was waiting for them at the door. He transformed into a sandy blond man with dark eyes and told them to follow him. They went out of the Inn and started walking around, looking at the place. They stopped when they realized that a boy a little younger than the two was standing in a front door. Naruto got curious and, before Sakura or Itachi could stop him, got closer to listen into the conversation.

"I'm very sorry for what I did earlier. Here, this might help." The boy had wild red hair. His eyes were green but a lot lighter than Sakura's. He was offering the boy behind the door a small bottle. The boy behind the door snarled. "Leave me alone, Bakemono." The door slammed in the boy's face. His eyes fell to the ground as did the ointment. He turned around to walk away. The scene seemed familiar to Naruto so it touched a string in the blonde's heart. Naruto was about to talk to him but Itachi held him back. Putting a finger to his mouth, Itachi started following the boy. Naruto and Sakura followed after their Sensei, knowing he was onto something.

They followed the boy onto the top of the tallest building in the village. The boy was looking at his hands. 'Why? Why does everyone treat me this way? What am I? Why do they hate me so much?' He thought as tears started to form at the corner of his eyes. Naruto was about to step out to help but Itachi grabbed his shoulder. Naruto was about to yell at him when Itachi pointed towards the little boy. Naruto looked, his eyes getting wide.

A Suna Shinobi guided about ten kunai up into the air and towards the boy's back. A wall of sand came up behind the boy, surprising everyone present. The boy stood up and turned around, shocked to see the Shinobi there. His eyes narrowed as sand shot out to grab the ninja. The sand surrounded the ninja as the boy raised his hand and stretched it in front of him, facing the trapped Shinobi. The boy closed his hand into a fist, the sand squeezing around the man until the boy let his hand fall to his side. The sand let go of the man, letting him fall down to the floor.

The boy's eyes widened in horror as he ran to the ninja's side. With shaky hands, he grabbed the cloth covering the ninja's face and pulled it, revealing his face. His eyes widened as he took a few steps back. "Yashamaru?" The boy stuttered, his whole body shaking with fear and insecurity. "Yes, Gaara, it's me." Yashamaru answered, coughing up a little bit of blood. "Why? Why'd you do this?" Gaara asked, grabbing his head. "The Kazekage ordered me to kill you. You're too dangerous," Yashamaru said, closing his eyes. "Father, he told you to do this? But you didn't have a choice, right? You had to do it; you didn't want to do it. Right?" Gaara asked, smiling a little. Yashamaru smiled, looking up at the stars. "No, I had a choice."

The confession fell on Gaara like a ton of bricks. He thought his heart stopped at that moment, causing it pain. He grabbed his chest, the pain gripping too much at him. "My sister died because she gave birth to you. I guess I still held a rage inside of my heart towards you. I despise you, Gaara. I despise you because you killed my sister. She brought you into this world to damn the people of this village by the Shukaku spirit you have inside of you. She named you Gaara because it means 'monster that will never be loved, nor will it ever love anyone'. She wants everyone to pay for what they did to her." Yashamaru said while unbuttoning the vest he was wearing. Gaara stood still, absorbing everything in. His eyes narrowed on his uncle when he opened his vest. Sakura was the first one to see the paper bombs and pulled both Itachi and Naruto to the ground with her on top of them. "Now, let's go see her." Yashamaru uttered his last words as the paper bombs caught on fire.

The explosion would've woken up the ninja of the village but everyone knew that the Kazekage was getting rid of Gaara tonight. When the smoke cleared, Gaara was standing there, unharmed. A wall of sand was covering half of him while he glared at the place where his uncle used to lay. The sand dropped to the ground as Gaara panted away his anger and sorrow. Tears were running down his eyes. Suddenly, the sand shot up and started hitting Gaara in the forehead. The three watched as the sand hit his forehead until it stopped. When it did stop, Gaara had blood running down his forehead. The sand dropped to the ground again, as if nothing happened.

That's when Itachi finally let go of Naruto. The blonde came running out from their hiding spot, stopping right in front of the traumatized boy. Gaara looked at him with narrowed eyes. Naruto looked down, a frown adorning his face. Sakura soon came out with Itachi, looking at the red head. Gaara looked at each of them carefully; as if afraid they were going to hurt him, too. Naruto looked up then offered his hand, smirking. "Uzumaki Naruto,"

Sakura placed a hand over his afterwards. "Haruno Sakura," She smirked, too, something Gaara would remember for the rest of his life. "Uchiha Itachi," Itachi introduced, putting his hands on either of their shoulders. Gaara looked at their hands then at their faces. Itachi's was impassive but the kids seemed pleased. Grasping Naruto's hand and placing his thumb on Sakura's, Gaara introduced himself. "Sabaku no Gaara,"

"Come on, let's get out of here." Naruto said, letting go of his hand and turning around, walking away with Itachi and Sakura. Gaara watched them leave, his hand still in the air. He thought they were about to leave when Sakura looked over her shoulder and called him. "Are you coming?" She asked as the boys turned to him. Gaara looked at the place where his uncle used to be then back at them. He took slow steps at first but then went into a quick pace when the kids grinned at him.

Konohagakure Ninja Gakko

Haiiro sighed as he exited the building with Amaya on tow. He had just learned that Amaya's grades were one of the worst in the class. Amaya was already one year behind because she didn't pass last year. Last year, she said that the teacher wasn't very good. Now she claims that the thing distracting her is her sitting partner. He had just finished talking to her teacher. She had said that Amaya was only interested in a boy in her class and would always space out looking at him.

Haiiro scowled, he wouldn't have any of that. It was embarrassing enough that she flunked once; she wasn't going to go down again. When they got home, Haiiro was going to start teaching Amaya himself. He didn't care if it went against the rules; he was going to teach Amaya to be a leader, to be just like him.

An Anbu landed by them, stopping them in their tracks. "Haruno Haiiro, Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you privately." The Anbu said, bowing his head in respect. Haiiro nodded and the Anbu disappeared. "Go home and tell your mother I'll be late for dinner." Haiiro told Amaya then headed off to the Hokage Tower.

After being invited in, Haiiro stood in front of the Hokage. "My Anbu spotted Itachi in a town outside of the Hi no Kuni border last week. He was alone, no kids with him. I would send a tracker team after him but I'm wary. He killed his entire clan in just a few hours. If I send ninja out when he has no children with him, it can become a problem." Hiruzen explained, getting right to the point. "I understand, Hokage-sama. However, you mustn't worry about finding Sakura anymore. We have a new daughter, someone who is going to replace that girl. I'm not interested in Sakura anymore." Haiiro said, turning around to leave. "You might not care about her well-being but I do. She's a Konoha citizen. I just hope she's still alive and with Itachi, instead of just starving and having to beg for food." Hiruzen replied, getting tired of the man's attitude.

"That's good for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a family to tend to." Haiiro opened the door but not before hearing Sarutobi's last words. "I guess my suspicions were right. Sakura didn't get kidnapped but rather left because of your treatment towards her." Sarutobi muttered, glaring at Haiiro's back as the man ignored him and left. The Hokage clicked his tongue against his teeth as he looked out of the window. 'Itachi…What have you gotten yourself into now?'

As Haiiro entered the clan residence, his younger brother in-law approached him. He had dark brown hair and sky blue eyes. "Hey, Nii-san, how are Amaya's grades?" He asked as they both resumed their walk to Haiiro's house. "It's not good, Sho. Amaya has one of the worst grades in the whole academy." Haiiro muttered, shaking his head. "Especially now that she has her eyes on Uchiha Sasuke."

"That's good. I mean, she's already looking for a future husband. Wouldn't you want your kid's kids to have the Sharingan and be Genjutsumasters?" Sho asked, raising his brow at his sister's husband. "No because if Amaya gets married with Sasuke, then she'll belong to the Uchiha clan. She won't be leading the Haruno clan and that leaves Hitomi to take charge. And she's only three months old." Haiiro said, heaving a large sigh.

"What about Sakura? What if the Hokage finds her? Surely, you haven't forgotten about her." Sho asked as they stopped in front of Haiiro's house. "Of course I haven't forgotten her. That traitor owes me and I plan on getting her back. If she wasn't treated badly enough, I'll make sure everyone absolutely despises her when she gets back." Haiiro scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. Sho frowned then sighed. "Listen, if Amaya is having trouble concentrating in class send her over. I'll help her study. I'll see you around." Sho waved then started walking away. Haiiro nodded and opened the door to his house. He plopped down on the couch and leaned back, running a hand through his hair.

"What's wrong, honey?" Keiko asked as she came out of the kitchen with a baby in her arms. The baby girl had brown hair and green eyes like Sakura. She was wrapped around in a blue blanket as Keiko fed her. "Sho just offered to teach Amaya outside of school." Haiiro told her, hiding what was really bothering him. "That's great. Sho's the best teacher the Haruno clan has to offer. You should take on his offer." Keiko supported, walking back into the kitchen.

"Yes, I should."

Amegakure…..A Week Later

Pein looked over the new team. Gaara shifted under the man's stare but Naruto and Sakura stood at ready. "I see," Pein glanced up at Itachi. They had told him everything that had happened in Sunagakure. After getting Gaara, they had gone to the Inn and packed up everything. In the morning, Itachi had bought a cart and some items to be able to put Gaara in there. They had left the same way they had gone in, the exception of the cart. Now they were here to report back to Pein.

"Did you get any jutsu at all, Itachi?" Pein asked looking back up at the fourteen-year-old. "Hai, I sneaked into some training grounds and copied a few jutsu." Itachi explained with a nod. He saw Naruto and Sakura beam out of the corner of his eye. Pein looked back at Gaara and turned around, locking his hands behind his back. "Fine, I will let Gaara stay. You two, show your new teammate around the village. Itachi, you're staying. You're dismissed." The kids left and Pein turned to a corner of the room. "Konan, watch over them." Pein ordered as a woman with blue short hair came out of the shadows. Konan bowed then disappeared in a swirl of paper.

"Itachi, I want them in shape now. They're a Three-Man Squad now; I want them to start taking missions soon." Pein said turning back to the teenager. "Hai, Pein-sama, I tested Gaara's skills on our way here; he can control sand at his will and has a shell of sand protecting his body at all times. His only weaknesses are emotional pain and water." Itachi explained as he closed his eyes. He would have Naruto and Gaara spar only using Suiton and Doton. However, Gaara only uses sand, not earth and Naruto only knows about one Suiton jutsu but hasn't gotten the hang of it yet. There are multiple of combinations with the kids' chakra natures, combinations that could catch the opponents off guard.

"Work with him on those weaknesses. When you think they're ready, bring them here. Dismissed." Pein disappeared, leaving Itachi to his thoughts. He left the office and to his house. When he entered, he found Sakura talking with Konan in her room. They turned to him when he knocked on the open door. "Where are Naruto and Gaara?" He asked as Konan pointed into Naruto's room. Itachi knocked on Naruto's door then opened it. He found Gaara and Naruto talking on his bed. They looked at him as soon as they heard the door open. "Naruto, you don't mind sharing a bed with Gaara tonight, right?" Itachi asked after they sent him questioning looks.

"No, don't worry. Itachi-sensei, what did Kami-sama wanted this time?" Naruto asked as he stood up. Itachi called for Sakura. As soon as she was standing by the boys, Itachi spoke. "Pein-sama wants me to train you guys harder so you can become Genin faster. He said that now that you have a Three-Man Squad, you can go on missions. However, that'll only happen when you become Genin."

"Let's start training, then." Naruto said grinning at Itachi. "I'm afraid not now. You see, we need to travel to Konoha." Itachi announced, awaiting their answers. Sakura's stare hardened while Naruto clenched his teeth. "Why would we go back to that rotten place?" Sakura asked her voice colder than ice as she glared at Itachi. Konan watched them, slightly amused at their actions. To think two kids would hate their homes so much that at the mention of it they'd go from excited to cold-hearted in less than a second. Gaara frowned at their reaction, wondering what was so bad that had them change their attitude so fast. Though the more he thought about it, the more he questioned. Why were they with an S-rank Nukenin? And why did they treat him like an older brother instead of a criminal?

Then his eyes softened. Itachi had saved him from the hell he was living in Suna. He had offered him a home along with his friendship. He cared about them, even if he didn't show it. That's why Gaara was grateful and would do anything to make Itachi happy. He had saved him from his father; maybe he had done something similar with Naruto and Sakura. Gaara looked at them, carefully watching their reactions.

"The weapon shop there has the best weapons in all of Hi no Kuni. The three of you are Futon users. They have specific weaponry for you because of your nature. We're going to stock up there then we'll come back to a year worth of training and missions. Got it?" Itachi explained, his eyes narrowing on their reactions. Sakura still glared at him and Naruto's feature had changed. The marks on his face were thicker and four fangs were visible under his closed lips. He had his hands in his pockets so they weren't visible. There was a tint of red in his eyes as the pupil changed to a slit.

"No." Naruto spoke, his voice raspy and deep. "Got it?" Itachi asked again, this time as a demand. He activated his Sharingan, his eyes turning red with three commas surrounding the pupil. Sakura exhaled through her nose as she nodded slowly. Her fists clenched as she answered for all of them. "Hai, we got it, Itachi-sensei." Her voice hinted rage and hatred as the words were forced out of her mouth. "Good, now get to bed. We're leaving first thing in the morning." Itachi turned around and left the room. Naruto stared at the floor before turning around and jumping out of the window of his room. Sakura lowered her head to the ground before following Naruto's example.

Gaara watched them leave, confusion gripping onto his every thought. "Konan-san?" He asked turning to the woman. She nodded in acknowledgement. "Why do they hate Konoha so much?" Gaara asked sitting down on the bed. Konan looked at the window as it started raining. She looked for the right words to explain to him then she remembered that he went through the same thing they had gone through over a year ago.

"Like you, Naruto and Sakura were mistreated in Konoha. The villagers in Konoha treated Naruto the same way the villagers in Suna treated you. He's a Jinchuuriki, just like you. He has the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed inside of him and because of that, people hated him. The kids in Konoha didn't know because it was forbidden talking about it but that didn't stop parents from telling their kids not to be around him. Naruto himself didn't know. He was alone, no parents, no friends, and no family. He began playing pranks on the people but that only made them hate him even more."

"Now, Sakura has a different story. She has a family, she has parents and she has siblings. She was part of one of Konohagakure's strongest clans. However, the Haruno clan had problems in choosing a leader in older times, before the Five Great Countries existed. They chose the first born because he would have more experience in battle and strategies while the second one was chosen to be its replacement if something were to happen to their leader. Once in history, when Konoha was founded, the Haruno clan had a small problem. The second born was stronger and way more experienced than the first born, thus leading him to become the next leader after their father died or retired. The clan didn't like that and somehow got rid of the second born and the parents gave birth to a third child. From that moment on, the second or third born were to be of servants to the first. They weren't allowed to go to the Ninja Gakko. Since then, the clan has despised the second child. Unfortunately, Sakura was born second to her older sister. She got tired of their bad treatment towards her and fled with Naruto. Itachi found out about their plans and helped them escape, making it look like he kidnapped them. They've been here for a year now and Itachi has been helping them train. For what reason, they won't tell anybody but they're determined and Pein-sama respects them for that."

"You mean he does like them?" Gaara asked doubting her last words. Earlier, he looked as if he thought they were pests. "Yes. He holds great respect for them, now for you. If it weren't for you and Naruto, your villages would probably be just ashes right now. You've been keeping people safe from the Shukaku your entire life while Naruto had stopped the destruction the Kyuubi could have made when he was born. He specially holds respect for Sakura because she accepted you and Naruto for yourselves, not the monster, without even flinching. Villagers fail to see that you two are heroes and they also failed to see that the three of you were born to be legends. You weren't given this power to misuse it but rather to help. Naruto and Sakura have accepted their paths and plan on taking revenge on their village."

Gaara thought about it for a while. He looked at the window then at his hands. He looked up at Konan's smirk. She nodded her head at the window. Nodding at her and thanking her for the information, Gaara jumped out of the window. As he looked around for Naruto and Sakura under the heavy rain, he finally got the meaning behind Konan's words and the feelings of his two new teammates. He doubled his resolve as he increased his speed and search.

He found them on the roof of the tallest building in Amegakure. As he walked towards them, he couldn't help but feel relaxed as the two welcomed him at their side. When he reached them, he stood on Sakura's left with his arms crossed. Sakura was sitting on the edge on Naruto's left with one leg over the edge and the other bent by her side. She was resting her left arm on her bent knee as she looked over the muddy and wet village. Naruto was crouching down on Sakura's right. He was using the balls of his feet to support himself. He used his knees to rest his stretched out arms. Their hair clung to their faces and necks as they looked down on Amegakure. Pein and Konan watched from behind them as they uttered nothing but just relaxed on the roof under the late evening rain. Konan smirked their way as she thought back to what she just explained to Gaara. 'They're definite legends.'

Konohagakure Local Park….Two Days Later

Amaya walked at a slow pace from the academy to her house. She wore a red short-sleeve shirt with a white skirt that reached right above her knees. Blue ninja sandals and a white hair clip holding her left bang completed her look. The Haruno clan symbol was embedded on the back of her shirt, reminding everyone who she was. It was a white circle surrounded by the red of her shirt. She had her chin up high and walked with the grace of a model. Too bad she wasn't one but rather a ninja in-training.

Amaya let her façade drop as she sighed, a frown overtaking her face. 'How am I ever going to get Sasuke-kun to notice me? He never looks my way.' She thought as she stopped to think about it. She was in the middle of thinking up a plan to get the Uchiha prodigy to notice her when a girl a year younger than her approached her. She had short blonde hair and sky blue eyes. She wore a light purple shirt with bright yellow pants. A purple hair clip kept her right bang in place.

"Hey there, Hime, got lost on your way home?" The blonde teased, smirking when Amaya glared at her. "Not now, Oni, I'm busy." Amaya told her, getting back to her thinking pose. "Who are you calling ogre, Flunky?" The blonde shot back, something she knew would rile the Haruno up. "Listen, Ino, if you don't leave this instant, I'm going to…" Amaya trailed off as she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked over her shoulder to make sure nobody was watching them. She turned back to Ino with a frown. "Did you feel that?" She asked, confusing the blonde. "Feel what…" A chill ran down Ino's back as she trailed off. They looked at each other then started searching for what caused the chills.

In the trees, Sakura, Naruto and Gaara smirked as the boys released a massive amount of killer instinct towards the two girls. After getting three more chills, the two girls left running to tell their parents. Sakura chuckled as she watched her sister run away. "Come on, they'll find us if we stay here." She told them as she put on a Henge and jumped out of the tree. The boys followed her example and followed her to the main street, where most of the markets and stands were at.

Naruto's stomach rumbled, stopping all of them in their tracks. "Guess its lunch time." Naruto mumbled, rubbing his stomach. He looked around, frowning when he saw every place full of customers. "Let's go look somewhere else." Gaara offered, sensing their discomfort at being around so many people that hated their guts. Nodding, the trio kept walking until they found a ramen stand only half full. Naruto grinned as he started walking towards it. "While traveling with us, you're going to encounter many quirks and mishaps about us…." Sakura said as Gaara and she lagged behind. "Naruto's undying love for ramen is one of them." She finished as she glanced at her partner. "Just like yours with dango?" Gaara asked turning to her. Sakura glared at the back of Naruto's head as he entered the stand. "Today, the Baka finally dies." Gaara rolled his eyes as they followed Naruto into the stand. When they went through the drapes, Sakura wasn't surprised when she saw Naruto already ordering. They sat down by him as the old man behind the counter took their orders.

The family by them finished their food, paid then left. A few minutes later, Haiiro, Ino, Amaya and an older man came into the stand. "You're kidding me," Sakura muttered rubbing her temples. The man looked a lot like Ino except he had long hair in a high ponytail. "There are no such things as ghosts, Ino." The man said as they sat down on the stools. "But Tou-san, we felt it. It suddenly got cold but it was still warm. You should've been there to feel it." Ino whined as they sat down on the stools. "Inoichi is right, girls. Ghosts don't exist. Drop it." Haiiro muttered, the subject boring him to the core. Amaya crossed her arms then looked away. Finally noticing where she was, she turned to her father. "Why are we here? I hate ramen." Amaya asked with a glare.

"Your mother wants ramen tonight. If you don't like it, why don't you go buy something else?" Haiiro answered looking away from her. Amaya scoffed, grabbed Ino's arm and left the stand. Sakura relaxed her shoulders as soon as her sister left but tensed up when she remembered her father being there. "Any news on Sakura?" Inoichi asked after ordering. "Anbu spotted Itachi in a village inside Hi nu Kuni. She wasn't with him neither was that Jinchuuriki."

"The Hokage didn't send anyone after him?" Inoichi asked with a frown. He had met Sakura before; she had seemed like a nice girl. He had even tried to convince Haiiro to drop the servant treatment but Haiiro rejected that thought. "No. I told him not to send anyone. I don't need Sakura anymore, I have Hitomi now." Haiiro answered shaking his head. Sakura's eyes widened and her heart stopped. He replaced her? This cannot be good. They'll only treat the girl worse than they ever treated her.

"Hitomi is three months old and Amaya is eight. Are you sure she'll be old enough to help Amaya when she graduates the academy?" Inoichi asked as their dinner was placed in front of them. "She'll be fine. No worries." Haiiro muttered as he paid for the food then left with Inoichi. Pushing his half empty bowl away, Naruto leaned back. "I lost my appetite." Gaara nodded in agreement, placing his chopsticks by the bowl. Sakura leaned her elbows on the counter, putting her face in her hands. Naruto ordered a few bowls to go and paid. They walked out of the ramen stand with Sakura hanging her head.

She suddenly sprinted as if her life depended on it. "Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled as they started running after her. To the villagers, they looked like blurs as they ran across the market street and onto the clans' residence. Sakura went into the one with the walls red and white circles adorning it. Naruto and Gaara ran after her, Gaara lagging behind by a few feet. Sakura stopped in front of a house and jumped into the tree by it. The boys followed her example as they landed on the tree branch by her.

They looked into the window as Keiko fed Hitomi. Sakura looked around the nursery as she realized they had kept some of her stuff. Her eyes landed on her mother again as Keiko put down the bottle and put Hitomi on her shoulder, patting her back gently afterwards. Her heart tightened as she thought about how the clan was going to treat her when she became old enough to walk.

Getting fed up with the emotions gripping at her chest, Sakura undid the Henge and jumped onto the balcony when her mother had her back to her. She opened the glass doors slightly, glad that it was unlocked. In the tree, Naruto and Gaara gave her signals to drop out and come back into the tree. Shaking her head, she made eye contact with each of them. They stopped moving as their eyes softened. They understood what she was doing. They decided to help as they undid the jutsu, too, and jumped down to her side. Sakura silently opened the door even more and stepped into the room.

"Kaa-san…" Keiko's eyes widened as she turned around. "Sakura?" Keiko screamed in shock and excitement. Sakura put a finger to her lips, indicating her to be quiet. Keiko nodded as she kept patting Hitomi on the back. "I didn't come here to stay. I'm leaving the village again tomorrow. I'm just here to run some errands. But I'm here because I ran into Tou-san at the ramen stand. He didn't know it was me, I was in a Henge. Anyway, I heard him talking to Inoichi about Hitomi and I wanted to see for myself if I really had a little sister." Sakura explained as she entered the room completely. Naruto and Gaara went in after her, standing at each of her sides. Keiko nodded as tears filled her eyes.

"Kaa-san, I want to ask you for a favour. Can you make sure the clan doesn't treat her the same way they treated me?" Sakura asked, frowning when Keiko looked at the ground. "Please, I don't want her to go through the hell I did. I want her to be happy, I don't want her to follow in no one's footsteps but rather make her own. I know it's a lot to ask of because of the 'tradition' of the clan but please, Kaa-san, help me out here. Encourage her when she needs it, give her a shoulder to cry on whenever she's down, and help her out if she wants to become a ninja. Please, it'll be the only thing I'll ask of you. I can't look after her because I'm literally considered as dead and who knows what punishment I'll get if they catch me. Please, Kaa-san, I don't want her living the life I did, she deserves better."

Tears ran down Keiko's eyes as she nodded her head, making Sakura smile a little. Keiko slowly put Hitomi in her crib then walked over to Sakura, kneeling down and wrapping her arms around the girl. Sakura tensed, feeling very uncomfortable about the hug. Her mother had never hugged her, or at least she doesn't remember Keiko ever hugging her.

Keiko pulled back as she wiped the tears from her eyes, a smile on her face. "I'm just glad you're okay." She said as her smile grew. Sakura nodded as she walked over to the crib. She looked in, grinning when Hitomi looked at her. Sakura reached in and ran a hand over Hitomi's head, making the baby giggle. Naruto smiled at the giggle and walked over to the crib, looking inside. Sakura waved Gaara to go over so he did and looked into the crib. Keiko smiled as the kids grinned at the baby girl. 'Who knew you'd grow up to be this amazing, Sakura?' Keiko thought as she finished wiping her tears away.

"Our kids are going to be as beautiful as this one." Naruto said looking at Sakura. Keiko's eyes widened at those words. "Baka, who said I would ever marry you?" Sakura asked slapping his chest playfully. "Sensei did," Naruto answered, looking back at the baby. Sakura rolled her eyes as she turned to her mother. "Don't tell Tou-san I was here. You're the only one that can know. I'll confront him when the time comes."

Naruto's head suddenly perked up. He face twisted into a snarl as he looked out the window. "They're here." He turned to mother and daughter. "We need to get out of here, Sakura-chan." Naruto said as his pupils became slits and fangs appeared. Sakura nodded at him and he and Gaara went to look out the balcony. Sakura looked at her mother then walked over to Hitomi. 'I'll come back for you, don't worry.' She then looked at her mother again, nodded and smirked. Turning around, she ran over to the edge of the balcony and jumped into the tree with Naruto and Gaara. At that moment, the door to the nursery opened to reveal Haiiro.

"Keiko, food's here." Haiiro was about to turn around and walk away when he noticed tears running down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" he asked walking over to her. "Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking." Keiko snapped out of her daydream as she looked at her husband. "Thinking about Sakura again, huh? Forget her; she's nothing but a nuisance." Haiiro told her harshly as he walked out of the room. "You're wrong. She's amazing, even better than Amaya will ever be." Keiko whispered to herself as she walked out of the room.

Two Hours Later

Naruto, Gaara and Sakura stood in front of Itachi at ready. He had come back from shopping and told them to stand in front of him. He took out three packages. He gave each of them one and told them to unpack them. When they did, Naruto and Sakura grinned at him as they held their own katana. Gaara stared questioningly at the medium sized pouch covering both of his hands.

"Those represent your elements. I was thinking that maybe having all of you master your first element rather than having you just learning Futon would be better. Naruto, Sakura, those katana are special. You focus your chakra in it and it becomes stronger. You can make your own jutsu with those katana. You won't start training with them now; you're going to wait until we get back to Ame so I could teach you Kenjutsu. After you learn Kenjutsu, you will focus on learning precise chakra control. Then and only then will I start teaching you how to use these. Gaara, I got you a traveling pack. However, this is a special pack. It has a special Fuinjutsu that allows you to store anything without it ever growing size or weighing more than it already does. I was thinking about you channelling chakra into the sand in that bag and making it stronger and faster. If it does work, you'll be able to store as much sand as you want in there and surprise foes with it."

The kids nodded then looked at their perspective weapons. They put them away and proceeded to get to bed as Itachi left the room to watch out for any ninja. After all, they were in Konoha; people were probably on the lookout after the massacre only a year ago. However, Sakura wasn't able to sleep as she thought about Hitomi the whole time. Naruto could sense her discomfort and went over to lay down with her. Gaara could never sleep because of the Shukaku so he joined them on the bed. They stayed there until Naruto and Sakura fell asleep with Naruto leaning against Sakura and her leaning against the still awake Gaara. Gaara placed a blanket over all of them as he leaned back slowly against the headboard, enjoying the way the position finally made him feel like home.

(A/N: The time skip will be next chapter. It's small but here's the Glossary for this chapter:

Baka- Idiot
Bakemono- Monster
Bushin- Clone
Doton- Earth Style
Fuinjutsu- Sealing Techniques
Futon- Wind Style
Genjutsu- Illusion techniques
Hime- Princess
Kaa-san- Mom, mother
Kage Bushin no Jutsu- Shadow Clone Jutsu
Katana- Small Sword
Katon- Fire Style
Kenjutsu- Mastery or use of a katana
-Kun- Honorific for males when in friendly terms
Nii-san (Older Brother)- Can be used alone or after name.
-San- Form of showing respect towards others.
Suiton- Water Style
Tou-san- Dad, father

Thanks again for reading and I'll update next weekend. Thanks,

7th Creature