Amegakure…..

"You called, Pein?" Kisame asked as he and Itachi stood at ready in front of the leader. Pein gave a curt nod from his chair. "I have a mission for you two. You are to search for a temple in the given country and retrieve a Kuchiyose scroll." Pein explained as he leaned back in his chair. "What country are we being sent to?" Itachi asked after a short silence.

"Uzu no Kuni,"

Amegakure Training Grounds….

Ducking under the punch, Sakura aimed for an upper cut. Naruto moved out of the way, using a backflip to avoid the hit. Gaara quickly took advantage of this and made a leg swipe as soon as Naruto landed on his feet. However, before he could rotate his body completely, Sakura's heel was aimed at his shoulder. Gaara got flat on his back, grabbing Sakura's ankle and throwing her off. Naruto jumped over to her, tackling her to the ground. Sakura slid away from his grasp before they hit the ground, only to have Gaara aim a punch at her side. She ducked, making a roundhouse kick to his side in the air.

Gaara blocked the kick with both arms before grabbing her ankle again and throwing her towards Naruto. The blonde grinned, seeing his victory but stumbled back once Sakura landed softly on his chest and pushed off him to go back to Gaara. The redhead gritted his teeth as he landed a few feet away from them. He rolled to avoid Sakura's incoming fist and jumped back to evade Naruto's kick.

Gaara leaned against a tree nearby, panting. Sakura landed far from them while Naruto stayed where he had attacked Gaara. They've been going at it for an hour now, only using Taijutsu. Naruto was the only one who had been able to land a hit on any of the two but it was only twice and it was on Gaara.

"You two got better," Naruto complimented as he tried to catch his breath. He used to beat them like ragdolls because of his stamina. They improved greatly but Sakura still looked more tired than the Jinchuuriki. Gaara nodded at the compliment, only to fall on his ass, his legs not able to take any more of the strain. Sakura huffed, her knees failing her and making her fall forward. She dropped onto her hands and knees, trying to catch as much air in her lungs as possible.

Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head. He was out of breath and his legs were burning but he could go on for a few more minutes. He dropped his grin and snapped his head towards the entrance of the training ground.

Konan was standing there, watching them. Her calculating eyes were taking on their exhausted forms before she spoke. "You're wanted at the office." She said before vanishing in an instant. Sakura huffed again and Gaara groaned, Naruto snickering at their reactions.

Not ten minutes later, they were standing in front of Pein. He looked over them before standing up. "Konoha asks of your help." Pein said while looking at Naruto and Sakura. He paused, waiting for their reactions.

"What for?" Sakura asked her tone flat yet hinting her curiosity and something else.

"The Goikenban has sent for you two." Pein explained as he looked at them with narrowed eyes, especially at Sakura. "I expect you to behave. I do not want a repeat of last time."

The three newly-promoted Chunin shuddered. When Pein found out about their little plan with the Hokage behind his back, they were tortured for hours inside Itachi's Tsukyomi. To top it off, they were forced to exhaust their chakra beforehand by fighting the rest of the Akatsuki altogether. Even Pein and Konan had joined in the 'fun', as Kisame had put it. So, by the time they did enter the Genjutsu, they were already tired and running on empty. That's not the worst part. Because Itachi and Pein had had a brief talk about it beforehand, their torture techniques had been combined. They didn't eat dinner or breakfast the day after. It's a miracle they're able to even train only a few days later.

Amused at their reactions, Pein continued with his explanation. "You're expected there tomorrow noon. I suggest you leave now. The Goikenban doesn't accept tardiness. As for Gaara," Pein turned to the redhead, who immediately straightened up. "You are to go to Sunagakure with Sasori and Deidara for the remainder of the month and the next. Some papers will be sorted out there and I want you to train in your natural surroundings. "

"Hai, Pein-sama,"

"Good. You're all dismissed."

Konohagakure…

As they reached the Front Gates, the couple gave the guards their Ninja IDs. Because they were promoted to Amegakure Chunin when they came back home, they were forced to wear Chunin vests. Of course, they had it custom made to fit their outfits. Naruto's Chunin vest was orange. He had changed his clothes, opting for a black long sleeve ninja shirt and combat boots. The traveling pouches had been replaced by the pockets on the vest. He now only supported both of his katana on his back and only his weapon pouch on his belt. Sakura's Chunin vest was a deep blood red. She changed her tank top for a black short sleeve ninja shirt. She kept her fishnet. Similar to Naruto's change, her traveling packs were now scrolls inside her vest pockets. With only the weapon pouch and her two katana on her belt, it was easier to move around. Gaara's vest has been black but it didn't make him change his attire.

The guards nodded for them to pass through as he handed their IDs back to them. "The Goikenban is waiting for you on the academy roof." One of the guards said. They nodded and jumped off towards the Ninja Gakko. It only took a few minutes. The immediately recognized the two. The male had short, spiky grey hair and green oval glasses. The woman had grey hair and seemed aged.

The two Ame ninja landed in front of them silently then straightened up. "You called for us?" Sakura asked with narrowed eyes. Naruto grounded his teeth as he stared at them. They were the ones who made their sensei's life a living hell. They were the deeper cause of Sasuke's agonizing pain and hatred. They were also the reason why their childhoods had been miserable.

"Yes. As you know, Sarutobi was killed by Orochimaru two weeks ago in an attempt to stop him from continuing with the invasion. It was a noble cause but it hurt us even more so than the invasion itself, not only emotionally but in power and strength as well." The man started, only to have Sakura hiss and Naruto growl lowly in anger.

"We are without a Kage at the moment," The woman continued, ignoring their reactions. "We asked the only Sanin completely loyal to us to become the next Hokage. However, he refuses and insists that there's a more suitable candidate. Her presence is not in Konoha and the man needs to go find her elsewhere. He has asked of your presence in his trip."

"What's in it for us?" Naruto asked rather rudely. The elders glared at him but he remained impassive. Sakura stepped forward.

"What he means is why we should do even more for you when this village has treated us like dirt? We already saved you from Orochimaru's clutches by informing you and preparing you in the best way possible. To be honest, we would've let the village burn if it had been another person leading the attack. However, we ourselves have grudges against that bastard of a snake and we know that we can't defeat him by ourselves. He targeting you guys was just a coincidence. We would've reacted the same way with any other Hidden Village. Now, onto the most important question: Why in the seven gates of Hell should we work for you when you've done nothing but make our lives complete bullshit?"

The two elders were left stunned in their places. No one had ever talked to them like that. They were higher ups, respected by every other Shinobi out there. These kids had some nerve…

"Because," A voice boomed over them, making the two Chunin look over their shoulders at the new comer, "I requested for your assistance myself." The man landed by them. His long white hair was rustled by the air when he landed. "You two are, after all, the reason why Konoha is still alive and well."

"Jiraiya-sama of the Sanin," Sakura muttered before scoffing and looking away. "Why would you want to have anything to do with us?" She then asked while crossing her arms over her chest.

Jiraiya chuckled then patted Naruto's head, earning him a low growl. "I'm interested in you two, that's all. So, I'll give you two hours to rest from your trip. We'll meet at the Front Gates then." With that said, Jiraiya left the roof in a puff of smoke. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other and frowned. They jumped off, taking his leave as a dismissal. Besides, they didn't see a reason for staying there with the old farts.

As they landed on the road of the market place, something came out from under Sakura's vest and fishnets. She grabbed a hold of the necklace and looked at it, looking over the design. It was a silver dragon outline with a small chain. Behind the dragon was an engraving of 'Akatsuki' in Kanji. Both things were made from white gold. Sakura looked up just as she heard Naruto move closer to her. He was holding something in his hand. It was an identical to the necklace she held but instead of a dragon, it was a fox with nine tails. Gaara had gotten one of a Shukaku. They were all made of white gold and, according to Kakuzu's negative remarks; it had cost a lot of money.

It had been a present from the Akatsuki members on their making of Chunin. Of course, the ranking wouldn't have been something special but, because they've been in Akatsuki for most of their life, it also served as their membership. Because they didn't want rings when they joined like the rest of them had, this just proves their loyalty to them. More so, today was Sakura's birthday and they gave it to her as a gift the day before. They had also given Naruto and Gaara's, saying it was an early birthday gift. Either way, the trio had loved it and they couldn't have been any happier.

"You know I wanted to take you out for your birthday today," Naruto started then sighed. "But now we're stuck in this 'mission'. I'm sorry." He apologized, only to receive a peck on the cheek. Sakura shrugged it off then started looking around for something to eat.

"Pein-sama forced us to go. I do not want to be tortured again." Sakura said as her eyes landed on a dango shop. Naruto chuckled when he looked in the direction she was staring. He grabbed her hand and started leading her into the store. As they sat down on a small booth and a waiter took their orders, they began to contemplate on why Jiraiya wanted them to go with him.

"He's my godfather, I think it was about time he noticed me." Naruto stated his opinion as he leaned back in the seat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Sakura frowned then sighed. "I get that part and I've no doubt about your reasoning. But what does he want with me? He's a Sanin. He doesn't need another Chunin if he's going to spend time with his godson or if he's going to look for another candidate for the Hokage seat."

"Who knows? But, if the rumours about him being a complete and utter pervert, he better watch out. If I catch him even glancing your way, I'll rip him to shreds." Naruto threatened, growling out the last word. Sakura snickered at him then grinned when two plates of dango were placed in front of her. Naruto chuckled then reached for his own plate.

At that moment, a group of people entered the restaurant. Sakura was too busy enjoying herself with the dango to notice their chakra signatures. Naruto smelled them right away and looked over his shoulder. He leaned out of the booth, calling over someone. "Hey, Uchiha!"

Sakura looked up at the surname. True enough, Sasuke, Amaya, Keiko and Hitomi were entering the shop. They turned to them once Sasuke's name was called. "What are you two doing here?" Sasuke asked once he had neared the two. The three Haruno girls followed him.

"Having lunch, duh. Geez, Sasuke, for Rookie of the Year, you're pretty idiotic." Naruto mocked as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. Sakura kicked Naruto in his shin under the table, earning a high-pitched yelp from him. Sasuke thanked her and she winked back at him before leaned back in her seat.

"I think Sasuke-kun meant, what are you two doing in Konoha? I thought you left right after Sandaime's funeral." Amaya said and the aura around Sakura immediately changed from neutral to dark. She pushed her plate away and hung her head low. Naruto flinched at the change of demeanour. He sent Amaya a look before reaching over and cupping Sakura's chin.

"Hey, it's not your fault-." Sakura shoved his hand away and stood up, walking off without a word. Naruto sighed in frustration and ran a hand down his face. "Sakura-chan's still sore about the old man's death. She blames herself because she made a miscalculation in our plans and we weren't there to help him out." Naruto said while looking at the other four.

"Go after her, then."

The blonde shook his head at Sasuke's suggestion. "No, you saw she rejected me. It'd be better if I let her blow out some steam first. She knows where to find me." He said shrugging and reaching over for another stick of dango. Before he put it in his mouth, he spoke again. "You can sit down. I'm not going anywhere any time soon."

Half an Hour Later…

Naruto raised his head off the table when he sensed someone familiar come in. He looked over just as Sakura came into sight. She blinked when she saw everyone at the table then slid onto the booth by Naruto. She leaned back, her eyes scanning the group before sighing and looking away. She mumbled an apology for running off but they dismissed it, understanding why she reacted the way she did.

That's when Naruto noticed her bloody knuckles. "Sakura-chan, are you all right?" He asked in concern, reaching for her hand. She let him grab it and examine her knuckles. She nodded in response, licking her free thumb and wiping the blood off, showing them that she had already healed the wounds. Naruto smiled and leaned over to her, licking her cheek. Sakura blushed and pushed him away. "There are kids in here," Naruto only chuckled and leaned away.

Amaya frowned at the exchange, slightly jealous that her sister got someone before she did. Sasuke rolled his eyes and popped another dango in his mouth. Keiko watched the exchange carefully meanwhile Hitomi never took her eyes off the Ame Kunoichi sitting right across form her.

"So, seriously, why are you two here?" Sasuke asked once more. The two looked at him before looking back at each other. As if in a silent agreement, the blonde one shrugged.

"We were called over for a mission on Konoha's part. According to the one who hired us, we're the 'heroes' of the invasion, those fucking ass-kissers." Naruto responded then flinched when Sakura glared at him. He glanced at Hitomi and muttered a small apology for his language.

Keiko's chest swelled a little with pride. The way her youngest daughters kept glancing at each other every now and then was an event she had wanted to see from day one. She was also glad that a fight hasn't broken out between Amaya and Sakura. She guessed it was Sakura's way to apologize for her behaviour in the streets a few months ago, or she was probably being neutral. She hasn't gotten a chance to get to know this new Sakura (Yes, new Sakura. She hadn't been kidding when she had said she wasn't that six year old civilian girl), yet.

Keiko snapped out of her thoughts when Sakura spoke. "We're leaving in an hour so we should probably get going." Sakura said as she stood up but not before placing a few bills of money on the table. Naruto's bills followed suit, sitting right on top of hers. "I hope that covers for our expenses. Maybe we'll see you later." Sakura spoke up again then paused when her eyes landed on Hitomi. A small smile graced her lips. It seemed contagious because Naruto smiled at Hitomi, too. "We'll talk later, Imōto." With that the two left the restaurant with a small wave directed at Sasuke.

"Sakura isn't the same anymore, huh?" Keiko asked herself as she watched the two leave.

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's not. She's grown up a lot." 'But just you wait, Imōto. I'm not taking a backseat to you. I'm going to show you off. Just wait until the time is right.' Amaya concluded in thought, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

Hitomi looked after her older sister with big green eyes. Her small hands fisted her dress lightly. 'Nee-chan...Who are you? And why are you so nice to me when I don't know a thing about you?'

A Month Later…..

"You do know Naruto has enhanced senses, right?"

All of the noise in the room stopped. Naruto was lying down on the Inn bed with his back resting against the head board. He was leaning to the side, supporting some of his weight with his elbow. Sakura was sitting on his crotch drinking from a water bottle. Jiraiya was on the other bed, for once not going out to the pubs to gather information on the Hokage candidate they were tracking down. He was going over the information he had gathered so far from his investigating. However, when the kunoichi had uttered those words….

"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked, looking up from his work. He narrowed his eyes at the way Naruto allowed her to sit on his pelvis while being relatively calm, despite being a teenage boy. Sakura seemed even more comfortable than he.

Sakura rolled her eyes, tossing the bottle over to the trash can in the corner of the room. "When Naruto learned how to control Kyuubi's first tail, the first tail's chakra merged with his. That way he can control it better. With this came a few benefits. His sense of smell and hearing were amplified to a point where they can rival that of an Inuzuka's. You could've given him something with this person's smell and he probably would've found them a long while ago."

Jiraiya stared at the two blankly after processing the information in. After all this time...They could've been home by now and he could've kept attending that of his research. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

It was the blonde's turn to speak. "We thought you knew but didn't have anything for me to go by. We kept quiet about it, seeing as you were so determined to go into pubs to gather information." He finished with a shrug, earning a frown. Jiraiya turned away, scratching the back of his head. He didn't really have anything that could lead them to Tsunade by smell. It was futile, anyway.

Turning back to the information in front of him, the Sanin sighed. "In any case, I already found her. According to her debts timeline, she's hitting Tanzaku Gai next. It's only five miles north of here. We should get going before she reaches it." Jiraiya suggested then turned to look at them. Sakura was now lying down on the blonde's chest, watching him. Naruto was listening but was staring at the ceiling.

"What if whoever you're trying to contact isn't coming willingly? We've already wasted one month just looking for her. If she wanted to be caught, she would've made this easier for us." Naruto considered, turning his head to look at the older Shinobi. Jiraiya nodded and leaned back on his bed.

"You're right. But don't worry about that right now. We'll get to that when we find her." Jiraiya stood up and grabbed his backpack. The Chunin looked at each other before standing up and grabbing their own possessions.

Tanzaku Gai….Next Day

"Ugh, it reeks of too much sake in here." Naruto commented as he waved his hand in front of his nose to try to get rid of the awful smell. Sakura rolled her eyes as the three entered a tavern. Jiraiya chuckled at his reaction just as they reached a table and a waiter greeted them. After ordering water and a bottle of sake, the waiter left them.

Jiraiya then started a small chat with Naruto about training while Sakura looked around. Her eyes landed on a couple of women in the booth further up. One of the women had her head on the table. Her gaze seemed troubled. The other one was looking pitifully at the blonde one. Wait! Blonde, pigtails, hazel eyes and a diamond in the middle of the forehead?

'That's the woman Jiraiya-sama is looking for!'

"Jiraiya-sama, I found her." Sakura told the two guys at the table, interrupting their conversation. "What?" Jiraiya asked, tensing up. Sakura nodded, pointing over to the booth with the two women. Jiraiya looked over and his widened.

"Tsunade?"

The blonde woman looked up at the mention of her name. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw her old teammate. "Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, raising her head off the table to properly look at him. Grinning, Jiraiya stood up and walked over to their booth, the two Chunin following.

Tsunade's eyes wandered over to the two Chunin, her eyes widening even more when she looked at Naruto. 'Minato? No, he's dead, has been for the past thirteen and a half years. This has to be another kid trying to imitate him. Tch, I've ran into too many of them.'

"It's been a while," Jiraiya greeted as he slid into the booth. Tsunade turned back to him, about to protest but sighed when the other two took a seat by him. "What are you doing here, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked as Jiraiya's waiter brought them their drinks. The teens ordered their meals then the waiter left.

Knowing that the following conversation was of no importance to them, they decided to talk strategy. "What are we going to do about that snake? We can't just let him get away with what he did to the old man." Naruto asked while leaning back. Sakura sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. He immediately placed his chin on top of her head.

"For once, Naruto, I'm not so sure." She raised her head to look at him. "I think we should wait until this mission blows over. Maybe we can think of something with Itachi-sensei." Naruto nodded at her words, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Tsunade watched the small interaction before scoffing, succeeding in getting everyone's attention in the table. Sakura narrowed her eyes before closing them, deciding to just ignore her. Naruto looked away after a short while, shifting to get more comfortable against his girlfriend.

"Who are these kids, Jiraiya? They're love-struck with each other, and they'll get killed because of that." Tsunade commented, her eyes landing on her former teammate. Jiraiya glanced at his two charges, chuckling nervously when they glanced at him.

Sakura stood up just as the waiter brought them their orders. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to a rundown old woman insult me. If you need anything, I'll be training outside of the town." She was about to ask Naruto to move so she could get out when Tsunade stood up.

"Listen here, Gaki. I'm a Sanin so you better respect me." Tsunade hissed, a glare manifesting itself in her eyes. Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"You're a Sanin, huh? You sure don't act like it. So far, the only one who has shown his worth as a Sanin is Orochimaru and I detest that corrupted, worthless piece of a snake. I'll call you a Sanin once you get that stick out of your ass and start using your powers for good. While you drown your self-inflicted misery in sake and debts, you're not worth the title of Sanin in my eyes."

"You better watch your words, kid. I'll-"

"You'll what?" Sakura interrupting her as a snarl made its way onto her face. By now, the whole tavern had looked over to their table. "You'll beat me to a pulp? You'll strangle me to death? I'd like to see you try. Believe it or not, you're still part of Konoha's military army, no matter if you're retired or not. I'm part of Amegakure's army. You surely don't want a Fourth War because a supposed Sanin didn't keep her temper in check."

Tsunade's glare hardened even more, if possible. The air around the table was so thick that it was probably visible to the Hyuga eye. Shizune cowered in fear of her master while Jiraiya watched on, slightly amused. Naruto leaned back in his chair, nodding every once in a while as if agreeing with Sakura's words. Tsunade finally broke eye contact to look up at the girl's Hitaiate. She looked over to Naruto's before sneering.

"Who do you think you are, you brat?" Tsunade said, her eyes narrowing back on Sakura.

"Haruno Sakura, proud Chunin of Amegakure, part of the group Akatsuki and leader of Akuma no Buntai." Sakura growled out, showing her fangs for emphasis. Shizune gasped and her eyes widened, an action that didn't went unnoticed. All eyes landed on her just as Naruto stood to back Sakura up.

"These kids…." Shizune's eyes trailed from Sakura to Naruto, "They're legends already. They're feared in all of Hi no Kuni, Kaze no Kuni and Ta no Kuni. But I thought there were three: Ryu, Kitsune-"

"And Tanuki. He's off on another mission." Naruto interrupted and Shizune nodded at his words. She then turned to Tsunade.

"They led Konoha and Ame's counterattack on the Oto and Suna invasion on Konoha just almost two months ago. Some people say that if it hadn't been for them, Konoha probably wouldn't exist right now. They also got rid of Gato, which led to Nami regaining its glory in shipping and fishing." Tsunade frowned at her apprentice's words before looking at the two teens in front of her. She turned to Jiraiya, deciding to just ignore the two.

"So, it's true. Orochimaru attacked Konoha. And took the Hokage's life, too? Oh well, the fool was too old for the job anyway." Tsunade sighed in disappointment, shaking her head in shame. Naruto's anger flared at that and slammed his fists on his table.

"Don't you dare talk about the old man like that! You wouldn't know what he gave up for us! He's no piece of trash for you to be talking about him like this!" Naruto bellowed, his voice cracking in his fury. Tsunade merely just looked at him before waving him off.

"That old fart had it coming. He was a fool to be playing Hokage at such an age." Tsunade murmured with a flat tone. Naruto started growling then blinked when he realized he wasn't the only one who was doing so. Sakura had her head down, her bangs hiding her face completely. He turned back to the blonde in front of him, gritting his teeth.

"Take that back," He threatened with his voice low and profound. Tsunade only rolled her eyes at the threat.

"He was like the rest of them. All of the Hokage met a quick death in the end. It's a condemned position. I pity the one who'll take the seat next."

Naruto's eyes suddenly changed colour and his pupil turned into a slit. His whisker marks became thicker. "Making fun of the Hokage position is one thing but mocking the Kage themselves is another! You dare insult my father again and I'll rip ya' to shreds! I don't care how many civilians are watching! Nor do I care about our villages' alliance! My father sacrificed himself for the good of the village and its people, and I will not stand for you to insult his sacrifice!"

"And here I thought you two wanted revenge against Konoha." Jiraiya mused after having been silent for such a long time. All eyes turned to him. He was staring at the teens by him with a raised brow.

"No, not Konoha entirely," Sakura shook her head slightly before looking up into his eyes, "It's the Goikenban we're mostly after. They influence the civilians and the clan heads. Besides, they were the ones who told everyone about Naruto being Konoha's Jinchuuriki. They were also the ones who accepted the treatment between the Haruno clan's main household and made our childhoods a living hell. The citizens can only be blamed up to an extent. "

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. These kids kept giving him surprise after surprise. "What about what you said to Koharu and Homura? That you would've let the village burn if it had been anyone else than Orochimaru?"

Naruto shrugged, his anger diminishing only slightly. "They needed to be scared shitless." The blonde then let a shit-eating grin take over his face, his fangs showing. "Their reactions were quite satisfying."

The male Sanin shook his head, face-palming his face. Sakura only grinned in return then she looked over at Tsunade, a frown replacing that grin. "Sarutobi's death is not only Orochimaru's fault, but mine as well. I underestimated Orochimaru's powers and made a slipup. It rendered me, along with Naruto and our other teammate, vulnerable for a long while. Because of this, Orochimaru wasn't able to be stopped." She looked down at the table, her fists clenching shut.

"If only we had gotten there ten minutes sooner…."

Sakura took in a deep breath before looking back up to face the older woman. "I really don't care if you accept the position of Kage or not. However, if you decline, it'll just prove how right I am to think of you as lower than scum." Sakura grabbed the bottle of water then turned to Naruto. They exchanged nods and started leaving the booth.

"We'll be in the hotel room if you need anything." Naruto announced before they left the restaurant. Jiraiya looked on after them before looking down at the untouched plates of food.

'They left me the bill…And they didn't even touch their food.'

Nightfall….

Light green eyes watched the stars with held back emotions. Sakura sighed as she lay back, crossing a leg over the other. She watched as one star in particular blinked and shined brighter than the others.

A sudden pain in her lower stomach made her recoil. She grabbed her abdomen, a hiss escaping her lips. She took in a deep, shaky breath to try to calm down her now erratic breathing. Her other hand went to the roof below her, scratching at the material. Her teeth came together in pain. Her eyes shut tightly as another wave of agony passed through her.

Sakura snapped her head to the right when she heard approaching footsteps. Despite the pain she was in, a growl escaped her throat. "What are you doing here?"

Tsunade sighed and knelt down by her. "Where does it hurt?" Sakura narrowed her eyes at her before hissing when another wave hit. Tsunade immediately knew it was some kind of internal damage. Her hands glowed blue as she placed them over Sakura's abdomen. Her eyes quickly widened when she got a picture of the damage.

"Kid, we have to get you to Konoha now. You're badly injured."

"What?"

Tsunade nodded and tried to help Sakura up but the younger girl only winced when she tried to sit up. Tsunade picked Sakura in her arms and jumped off the roof, landing on the windowsill by her room. She kicked the window open, startling Shizune.

"Go wake up Jiraiya and the brat! This girl is poisoned and it's eating away at her organs. I need to get her to Konohagakure! I'll go on ahead. Just wake those two up!" Tsunade ordered then jumped off before Shizune could reply. Quickly snapping out of her surprise, Shizune went to find the other two.

(A/N: It's longer than the last one, that's for sure. Anyway, you're all probably wondering how or why Sakura got poisoned. Well then, this is where the canon-like timeline ends. Everything from here on out will be my sole imagination. Maybe there'll be some pointers towards the original canon story but this is where it all begins.

Also, I had been thinking about Orochimaru being the one that poisoned her but then it would follow the canon timeline. But then I think, "Wait a minute. Why would Orochimaru need to look for Tsunade when all he has to do is wait for Sasuke to go to him, or send the Sound Four earlier than planned?" Yeah, I know the fight on the roof top of the hospital between Naruto and Sasuke is important as to encourage Sasuke to go with the Sound Four, blah, blah, blah. But Naruto and Sasuke are friends (Well, up to a certain point) so me showing that fight won't do shit. Besides, the Juin is sealed away so there's no reason for Sasuke to go to Orochimaru. And we all know that he was mostly influenced by that damned Juin.

Glossary:

Imōto- Little Sister

Ta no Kuni- Land of Rice Patties

Uzu no Kuni- Land of Whirlpool

Anyway, I updated lot sooner than I anticipated. And, to be honest, this chapter isn't just one. It's actually a whole chapter divided into a few pieces. I'm not sure how many yet but I guess we'll find out soon enough.

In any case, thank you for reading, 7th Creature)