I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.

"Well, Sakura we must take our leave now," Neji murmured, rising from his seat. "We have been informed that you are safe, and we have completed our mission."

Sakura looked at him quizzically. "I thought you were going to force me back," she laughed.

"Oddly enough, our mission did not entail that," Shikamaru breathed. "Now, last minute bathroom break, and we're out of here."

"I think we're good," Ino said, her voice agitated.

"All right, well, see you, Sakura," Shikamaru said, saluting her.

"Take care of yourself, Ugly," Sai said, smiling at her. Sakura reciprocated it.

"Bye, guys."

Then they ran off, back to Konoha.

Exhaling, Sakura sauntered back to her room lazily, her hips swaying from side to side.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru rasped, calling for the young man. "This body grows weak. When will you be strong enough for the transfer?"

"I am still healing," Sasuke said dangerously, eyes glowing red.

Orochimaru's new pawn, Rudy Fallenhaust, nodded his head vigorously. "It's true. I checked yesterday; the wounds are still pink and overly sensitive. It'll be a while before he'll have the strength to live through the transfer."

Orochimaru sighed wearily. With a wave of his hand, he flippantly said, "Fine. In the meantime, Sasuke, go find out if our informant from Konoha is dead. We have heard nothing from him for weeks so I suspect it is so."

Not casting Orochimaru a second glance, Sasuke nodded and walked out of the room.

Smiling maliciously, Orochimaru beckoned Rudy over. "What is it?"

"I need you to go find Haruno Sakura and Kenji and to bring them here."

"Kisame-san, how do you cast the hook?"

"Well, Kenji-kun, you throw it back like this and voila!"

Sakura shook her head at the sight. It was absolutely adorable how Kenji had taken an interest in fishing, claiming that he wanted to be just like Uncle Itachi, except Itachi hardly caught any fish. Seriously, he sucked at fishing. Sakura suspected that he was doing underground missions but did not want to pry.

"He's getting so big," Jin sighed, rubbing her shoulders. "I can't bear the thought of him as a teenager."

"Oh, hush," Haruna laughed, nursing Takara. "Like you're one to talk." Jin just grumbled underneath her breath while Saobi laughed boisterously, slapping her on the back.

"I think we all remember those years," he snorted, eliciting a scowl from the Mizukage.

Sakura shivered in horror. "Oh, the sweet agony," she drawled, sipping some water. "I just want him to live to adulthood."

"Oh, sooo selfish," Jin said sarcastically.

"Sorry," Sakura shot back snippily before smiling and resuming her laid back child-watching.

Itachi took Kenji's hand in his and showed him the bait. "Now, you hook this on the -" he paused abruptly.

Sakura then felt it and saw Haruna, Jin, and Kisame jerk up.

"Damn," Saobi swore. "We should get out of here."

"Indeed," Itachi said, his voice filled with worry. "Haruna, I'll go get our emergency kit. Take care of the weapons, please." His wife nodded and began to strap Takara to her back.

"Kisame-san," she said. "Please take care of the rest."

"Of course," he stated, nodding his head before trotting off.

"What is it, Mommy?" Kenji asked.

Sakura gulped. "There are four people coming near us. They're very, very strong. They have some help, too. A bunch of Chuunin." She stood up quickly. "Come on baby." She took his hand. "Let's get our stuff."

They quickly did so, and she heard Jin cursing in the hallway, telling Saobi to hurry his ass up followed by a sigh from the tall man.

The groups met back at the exit of the house, all of them having their things. "Everybody out?" Haruna asked. She was met with a chorus of "yes."

She then took out a scroll and performed some hand seals. Next thing the groups knew, the house was gone and was sealed in the scroll.

"Efficient," Sakura complimented.

"Quite," Haruna said frantically. "We've had to move many times."

They all turned to each other. "Well," Sakura said. "I suppose this is where we all go our separate ways."

"I suppose it is," Itachi replied. Swallowing, he choked out, "Good luck, Kenji, Sakura. Remember, we are your family. You can come to us for help."

Kenji nodded boldly, saluting his uncle. Sakura swore that Itachi could have cried.

"Come on, Sakura. Let's go," Jin commanded. "Kenji, hop on to Saobi's back. He's fast." He opened his mouth to protest, but Jin bonked him on the head.

Grumbling, he murmured, "Fine, Auntie Jin" and complied with her wishes.

The two groups went off running.

The group of four men and their lesser minions stopped, sensing that the chakra signatures were going opposite directions.

"Rudy, what do we do?" One man asked. Rudy sighed.

"Sakura and Kenji's chakra signatures are headed...that way!" He pointed to the west. "Follow them."

"Yes sir!"

"Fuck!" Jin cried out loud. "One of them is gaining on us!"

"Maybe if you weren't wearing high heels-"

"Oh, shut up, you two!" Sakura snapped. "What should we do?"

Saobi's mouth twisted into a frown. He stopped abruptly on a tree branch, letting Kenji down. "Go," he said. "I'll stay here and keep them back. Jin, go with them."

"No fucking way," she hissed, and Saobi glowered at the Mizukage.

Sakura grimaced. "I can't-"

"Just go!" he yelled, but Sakura shook her head. "You'll die."

"That's okay. I can hold them off at least for a little while." He paused and turned to Jin. "I have one lousy job, and it's to protect you."

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you here, motherfucker!" she screamed at him. Whipping around, she pointed her finger to the sun. "There's no time. Didn't you hear him? Go!"

"But-"

"GO, SAKURA!"

With that, Sakura threw Kenji over her shoulder and ran like the wind.

As they drew closer, Jin felt her heart beat more and more quickly.

Saobi slowly grabbed her hand, and Jin squeezed his.

When they came into sight, her eyes widened.

"You're-"

That was the beginning of a battle that would end in blood and tears.

Sakura ran like the wind, tears stinging at her eyes. Why? This was so unfair. When she had finally begun to settle down again, her life was disrupted. This was no life for Kenji. He deserved to have a stable environment to grow in, not some living hell.

"Mommy!" Kenji screamed, and Sakura felt something crash against her head.

Everything was white.

When she woke up, Sakura was bound in chains, and Kenji was screaming her name.

"Mommy, wake up!" he cried, tears trailing down his face. He was shaking her shoulder, and Sakura could barely mutter something coherent. She could smell vomit and urine, and it immediately woke her up.

"I'm up," she muttered. "Baby, I'm up." She had to be strong.

Sitting up, she smiled at her son. There were chunks of vomit sticking to his chin, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"What happened?"

"My chest feels funny," he admitted, and Sakura inhaled sharply. "I puked."

"Honey, come here." He did as she asked and she called all the chakra she could muster into her hands. " Bend over." She placed her hands on his chest and healed the damage that his heart was doing to him. It would be temporary, but it would be better than nothing. "Better?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm."

Studying their surroundings, she came to the conclusion that they were in a little shack made of metal walls; evidently they had been captured. She barely had any chakra left, so she wouldn't be able to punch a hole through the wall.

"Mommy?"

"One sec, Kenji."

Was there any way to escape? She looked for a light source. A tiny sliver sunlight caught her eye, and it lead her vision to a window, just three and a half feet above her head. With a sinking heart, she realized that she wouldn't fit in there and would not be able to pull herself up with the chains.

But Kenji would.

"Kenji," she whispered. "You're going to go out that window and find help, okay?"

His expression was crestfallen. "But what about you?"

"I won't fit," Sakura admitted, and Kenji immediately shook his head.

"I won't do it!"

"KENJI!" Sakura bit out, and her son shut up. "Baby, you can do it. You'll find someone who can help me, and until then, I'll be okay."

"But-"

"No buts!" Sakura hissed sternly. "Do it, or you're grounded."

"But-"

"Now, honey." She bent down. "Get on my shoulders."

Kenji hoisted himself onto her shoulders and straightened his legs. Then Sakura began to stretch, already on her tippytoes.

"Damn!" she cursed as the chains tried to restrain her, grimacing at the pain. Kenji got on her hands and found that he could, in fact, reach the ledge. Just barely. However, he needed to get just a little closer.

"More, Mommy!"

Sakura, trying to break through the weight of her chains, cringed at the sudden pain of lifting her son. Only a few more inches! Kenji clawed at the exit, trying to get a firm grip on the window ledge. His fingers were becoming raw and bloody, but Sakura knew this was the only way her son could be safe. Kenji finally got a grasp of the ledge and hoisted himself up with a grunt. "Mommy, are you going to be okay? I don't want to leave you, I don't!" he sniffled.

Sakura, with tears in her eyes, smiled as warmly as she could, trying to reassure her son. "Yeah, Mommy's going to be okay. You just find someone who can help you, okay?" A tear trickled down her cheek, and a violent sob tore its way out of her lungs." She stroked her son's cheek as best as she could. "I love you, baby," she whispered. "I love you so much."

Kenji's cheeks reddened, and he began to cry. "I love you too, Mommy." Sakura smiled at her son once more. "Now go! Run!" Kenji nodded and did as he was told.

Even after her son was long gone, Sakura had not moved her hand. She could still feel his soft cheek there.

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