Sakura frowned as she helped her mother and father from the hallway and into the maternity ward. Anko had left earlier to deal with a few low-level rogues trying to get into Konoha. Her mother was going for another checkup that they absolutely could not miss.

The hospital had prioritized shinobi over civilians in the aftermath of the Forest of Death and many civilians had to wait for months afterwards like Sakura's parents before they could get any type of non emergency related checkups.

How dare they! Inner yelled in anger.

Sakura only hummed sympathetically under her breath. She was mad about it too, but now that Sakura had a position in the hospital, she was able to push her mother's appointment ahead of schedule.

It had taken some work, but here they were. Sakura would have to step out as this wasn't in her field yet. It wasn't because she wasn't skilled enough-quite the opposite, in fact. Months at the hospital, many evenings pouring over medical texts, and experience on the field had rendered her the best medic in training in the hospital, not to mention her chakra control. Combining all those factors made her an even more impressive medical figure than Haku!

Something that really surprised her though was the multitude of tests they would be running on the baby today. Tests for diseases, genetic illnesses, chakra content,and even bloodline limits, although the testing for bloodline limits varied greatly because unless a bloodline limit was firmly established and confirmed in older living members, it was very hard to spot and look for unless it was prominent-like the veins in the Hyuga eyes.

Sakura sighed as inner murmured in the background of her mind. She stared at the main gate where Haruhi-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, Sasuke, Tenten, and the Toad Sage vanished hours previously. She was confused as to why Tenten left with them, as she wasn't a part of team seven and wasn't originally ordained to go. She wondered how far along they were now, and how different they would be when they got back. It was lonely without them. She also wasn't sure where Haku was.

Might as well go talk to Ino then. She should still be here.

Sakura was normally home by now, so it would be a surprise visit to Ino at this hour of the afternoon. Ino Only went home on weekends. Otherwise she stayed the week at the hospital in the most luxurious wards with food made special by the Akimichi clan and Konoha's best medic nin's at her beck and call.

As Sakura wandered the stairs and wandered the hall towards her best friend/sister-figure, she couldn't help the spark of annoyance at the privilege and amazing care Ino was provided for while her mother had to wait months in order to come in for a checkup-and that was with Sakura working from the inside of the hospital to hurry it along.

Guilt then settled in the pit of her stomach. It was her fault Ino was in here in the first place. Sakura didn't have the skill to save her face or the strength to prevent her injuries to the girl she viewed as a sister in the first place.

Sister.

That reminded Sakura of the reason she was in the hospital at this time. In a few months, she was going to be a big sister.

She bounced down the hallway towards Ino's room at the end, in the throes of another rapid mood change swirling through her. Before their parting of ways, she and Ino had spoken of their extreme want for another baby sibling to play with. It was one of the first things they bonded over.

And then the nostalgia hit her. Hard. She remembered playing with Ino as a kid, then hanging out before the disastrous Chunin exams. Doing each others makeup-which they would not never be able to do again. Going through their periods together.

Speaking of which, her period was probably coming up with all these rapid mood changes.

No shit, genius.

Sakura knocked on Ino's door.

"Come in!" Ino called.

Sakura took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Sakura! What are you doing here!" Ino laughed, surprised and delighted. "You're normally gone by now."

Sakura smiled, and carefully hugged her sister in everything but blood.

"Yeah, but I'm here for something special." Sakura giggled, excitement running through her. She couldn't wait to see Ino's reaction to hearing her mother was pregnant.

Ino is gonna freak out! Cha!

"What is it, Sakura? C'mon, tell me!" Ino whined impatiently. Her speech had improved much, the physical therapy and reconstructive surgeries doing their jobs. Her face was still mostly covered with a mask, much of her mouth and parts of her cheek and her eyes were visible. She was smiling a huge happy smile.

"Well…" Sakura said.

"Tell me! What is it?"

Sakura took a deep breath.

"I'm here at the hospital for a wellness check for my mom. She's Pregnant! Oh Ino, I'm going to be a big sister!" Sakura shrieked with joy, feet kicking back and forth as she eagerly awaited Ino's reaction.

To Sakura's surprise and worry, Ino's snike sunk off her face, to be replaced by a horrified one.

"...What? I thought you'd be happy to hear this."

Ino paled further.

"Sakura, close the door. I-I need to tell you something."

Stomach twisting into knots, Sakura closed the door and activated the privacy seals in the wall.

Ino swallowed roughly.

"Do you...do you remember the chunin exams?"

Sakura shuddered. How could she not ? Flashes of the horrifying events raced through her minds eyes, Inner swatting at them to try and calm Sakura down. Karin's arrival on Sasuke's back, Ino's injury, Karin refusing to heal Ino, even though she could have.

"During the written exams, I tried to cheat off you, because I know you're smart, and something stopped me from possessing you."

Cha! I sure did!

"It was like another version of you, an alter ego, emerged from your mind and beat me back. It was incredible. I have one of the strongest mind possession jutsu in my clan. The fact that you, or whatever was in you repelled it so effortlessly...well, it's remarkable. And dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

Ino craned her neck to make sure no one was listening.

"Sakura, I think you have a bloodline."

Sakura froze.

"B-but I'm just a civilian-borne. I don't even come from a clan." No, Karin was the one with all the bloodlines Sakura had read from the scroll about Uzumaki Naruto had pilfered from the library. Sakura was just...Sakura.

Inner was silent.

"I'm almost certain of it. Maybe it could be a split personality, but whatever it is, this second semi-consciousness makes you extremely well protected against mind attacks. It's incredible. It bolsters your Mind chakra, which is probably why you're so good at genjutsu, and also plays a role in your amazing chakra control. I didn't want to say anything at first, because if you didn't know about it there would be no way for a mind probe to pick up on you hiding something, but if your sibling turns out like you then you need to know."

Sakura's heart beat rapidly in her chest. A bloodline? Her? She wished Tenten was here so she could ask what to do!

"You know Koharu Utatane, The village elder?"

How could Sakura not? She had almost sentenced her to death during her trial.

"Utatane is trying to scope out fresh blood for the academy. There were a lot of casualties, and she's trying to fill the ranks by recruiting civilian kids. It a part of the reason why they added all these affinity and bloodline tests. If your mom is getting her check right now they will be testing for that."

Sakura stood up so fast the blankets fell off the bed. She needed to stop those tests! Her baby sibling could be forced to go through a lot of crap if they found something!

"Wait! I don't think they'll find anything!"

"How do you know they won't !?" If they did, they her little siblings, not even born yet, will be forced to become a ninja like her father. People with bloodline limits were often thrown to the front lines to use their abilities, and pushed hard to use them.

"When I tried the body possession jutsu on you when you were six, it was barely there. It seems to strengthen with age. Your unborn sibling probably won't present any indicators until they're much older."

"Yeah, y-yeah, you're right." They sat in silence for a bit.

"...How do you think this appeared?" Ino asked

Sakura thought for a bit. Bloodlines were genetic, and were passed down through families. However, neither of her parents exhibited the symptoms indicating their own inner. Neither had good chakra control, or an affinity for genjutsu.

It wasn't common, and it was getting rarer by the day, but bloodlines were known to pop up from time to time. Chakra would mutate the DNA of the person and alter something, and bam! A new bloodline.

Certain ethnicities were more prone to randomly developing bloodlines, specifically the people of Kiri, the place Haku used to fight in a civil war for. Kiri used to have the highest number of bloodlines before the purges began during the second shinobi war.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"Ino, that's it! My paternal grandparents came from Kiri as refugees during the second shinobi war! It's why my dad was forced to be a ninja, immigrants have to sign up their firstborns for the academy!"

Ino gasped.

"That makes sense! In that case, it probably is a new bloodline, and your sibling has a chance of getting it too!"

Sakura bit her lip.

"Ino..I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can to protect you and your family. I can even work with some clan jutsu's to help disguise your inner."

Sakura's heart swelled with love and appreciation for her best friend, and then guilt. Ino was protecting her, doing so much for her! Ino was a great person and she couldn't help heal her face.

Inner whined at having to be hidden.

Aw, but I wanna be awesome!

Too bad. They needed to keep their family safe.

Inner grumbled, but agreed.

They were at their front doorstep, her father holding the door open for her mother, when Haku appeared behind her. Sakura hadn't seen her since Hinata had fetched her and...Karin off to something after Jiriaya groped Haruhi-sensei in Naruto's apartment.

"Sakura, we need your help." Haku said calmly, in that smooth beautiful voice Sakura was always jealous of. Her head tilted briefly towards the trees for some reason before turning back to her.

Sakura signaled to her parents that she would be out for awhile and fell in step behind Haku, sneering slightly at Karin.

"What do you need me for?"

Haku hummed as they dashed across rooftops.

"Your medical expertise and accuracy is something we need to deal with this situation. Hinata will explain."

Karin wisely said nothing.

Haku led them over some rooftops and into a thicket of overhanging trees where she then strangely stopped, signaling for them to follow her lead, and they turned around to face a boy as pale as milk, painting brush and scroll hanging from his side.

"So glad to see you again. We will help you, all of us, but you need to give us time." Haku said.

The boy stood stock still, before nodding robotically. Sakura thought it strange how he didn't say a single word. Haku and Karin seemed like they knew this kid from somewhere.

He jumped and left, but not after sending Sakura a glance.

Sakura shivered. How long had he been following them.

"...Can we trust him to keep quiet?" Sakura asked.

Haku nodded, radiating an air of bitterly amused irony.

"He'll stay quiet alright." Karin muttered, flinching at Sakura's sharp look.

If Karin didn't want Sakura to hate her, she should have helped heal Ino.

They dashed across rooftops, past shops and houses, even beyond Tenten's shop where she lived with Emi, the blacksmith and Tenten's older sister figure. Sakura smiled as she remembered Emi helping them clean up the Uchiha district and refurbishing some of the antique weapons and metal work the Uchiha had. As they dashed past, Sakura could make out Emi hammering a huge metal battle Uchiwa. Sakura realized they were heading to Naruto's apartment, shared with Haku and Karin. It was funny to think she was just here this morning, and Jiriaya had made a fool of himself.

They entered, and Sakura blinked at the surprising people in the apartment.

Hinata, but most importantly, Neji, and Hanabi were all here. Didn't Hinata not get along with her sister? Why were they holding hands?

The strangest thing however, was probably Neji. He was laying down on the couch, a vulnerable look to him. His forehead was bare of a headband, the skin a few shades paler, and more notably, was the caged bird seal.

It stood out in a poisonous green shade, ink etched into his skin and sinking deeper like roots. He almost seemed naked.

Hinata stepped forward.

"Sakura. Can w-we trust you not to reveal this information to anyone outside of this group, besides Tenten?"

"I promise not to."

They all exchanged glances.

"What were trying to do here is extremely dangerous-but it needs to be done." Hanabi said confidently. "We need you to examine Neji's caged bird seal, and see how far down it goes and what the damage is."

Sakura's heart beat in her chest.

Were they…

Hanabi saw her expression, and her strong face softened.

"Yes. We are trying to figure out how to remove the caged bird seal."

Sakura gasped.

The Hyuga were famous throughout the elemental nations for their harsh treatment of their branch family, and the infamously strict way they protected their bloodline. A stringent treatment that got worse after the Hyuga affair where Hinata was almost kidnapped when she was a toddler.

They put a binding seal on the foreheads of the branch family, one that would make it impossible to steal the eyes without the Hyuga activating them. But it also was capable of causing immense pain to the victims, and even of melting their brains from the inside out.

It was cruel, barbaric, and inhumane. Even the most savage of ninja's thought it was terrible.

It's awful! inner agreed, speaking for the first time in hours.

Due to this extreme situation, there was a sharp penalty for trying to remove the seal, it was equated with bloodline theft, which was considered Hygua had their own medic nin's to reveal as little of the bloodline and the seal as possible. Sakura could very well be one of the first non Hygua medic nin's to treat a Hyuga's head area -besides Haku, of course.

"We understand if you want no part of this, and we will let you go as long as you do not reveal anything you learned in this room today." Hanabi spoke softly.

Sakura thought she sounded entirely too tired for one so young.

"Is that why Tenten left?" Sakura blurted.

They blinked at her.

"Didn't she leave, to uh, find out more about seals? Since Jiraiya is a seals master?"

Hanabi nodded.

"The seal information we were able to access through Karin has been a great help, but ultimately we need more information. Tenten was able to go in your place to speak with Jiriaya about seals. "

Sakura frowned. Of course Karin had hidden information about seals. It must be nice coming from a clan and getting all that information for free.

"If you're getting information about seals, and already have a medic nin here, why am I needed?"

Haku stepped forward.

"I am good, but not as good as you."

Sakura flushed at the praise.

"You can run a better diagnostic scan than me, and with your control, you can better analyze the paths of the chakra threads from the seal. You can better map it. And it's always best to have a second opinion."

Sakur thought of this bloodline. How the branch family was oppressed and suffered for it. Her thoughts went to inner, her own potential bloodline, and to her little sibling.

Would something similar happen to them for their bloodline?

Her heart ached for Neji and the rest of the Branch family. No one deserved to suffer for their bloodline.

She took a deep breath.

"Okay. I'll do it."

The figure hiding in the rafters shifted his weight. Not enough to alert the girls in the room below, but enough to reflect the thoughts rapidly swirling through his head.

A new bloodline was something Konoha sorely needed. Their ninja forces had been stagnating for awhile now, civilians not signing their kids up to the academy for fear of another war.

A bloodline that could protect against mind attacks and genjutsu sounded extremely promising.

Lord Danzo would find this of use if the rouge Uchiha ever showed his face.

Mole continued to observe one Sakura Haruno as she walked her parents home. He stiffened as Haku and Karin jumped down from the rooftops before Sakura and they started running towards a disclosed location. If Haku's head tilt was any indication, she knew he was there.

Just like the time during the written exams and when he had followed Haku and Karin initially, he couldn't suppress his chakra enough to escape her.

When it came to being a sensor, Karin had more raw power and range, but Haku had the expertise and accuracy.

After following them over some rooftops they landed in a thicket of trees, and The three girls turned to face him.

"So glad to see you again. We will help you, all of us, but you need to give us time." Haku said.

Sai nodded and left as quickly as possible, but not before glancing at Sakura. He would keep her secret, and not tell on her. All she wanted to do was protect her little sibling.

A strange feeling arose in Sai at that thought. Her protectiveness reminded him of his own older brother, before Danzo had him killed in a graduation fight. Sai's older brother had done that for him. Sneaking him extra food, taking the harder missions, accepting punishments in Sai's place when Danzo caught Sai drawing too much.

The feeling grew stronger as he thought of the stranger, Haruhi. Listening in from his position outside the Hokage's office, he had right away noticed her deviant personality, and how she seemed to make the room pop with life and interest. As he followed her under Danzo's orders to gather more intel, he noticed many things about her. Mainly the fact that another traitor spy named Kabuto was also following her, and so was a mysterious non-hostile third presence Sai couldn't get a read on.

Haurhi, he noticed, was also like his brother. Her protectiveness over team seven like an older sibling/mother figure, her boldness, her willingness to sacrifice comfort to help…

Sai would keep their secrets. He wouldn't reveal the potential Haruno bloodline. Not just because these people could help him escape Danzo, but because he saw his older brother in almost everything they did.

Anko grunted as she hauled the rouge over her shoulder, her ears still ringing from the brat's after effects of her bell genjutsu.

"Let me go!" Kin moaned pitfully, only resisting for the sake of resisting. She knew she had no other option.

Anko dropped her to the grass, and got to work on making a fire for the night.

Kin had been spotted wandering around the fringes of fire country, and since she was a former member of Orochimaru's hideouts, Anko was sent to retrieve her.

Orochimaru was hated by pretty much everyone. He had kidnapped, experimented on, and murdered from pretty much every single country on the continent. Kin, by being associated with him, would be hunted to the ends of the Earth.

Either Kin went with her back to Konoha where she would be put on parole like Haku and maybe live, or she could try her hand with professional missing-nin bounty hunters.

And while Kin was good, especially for her age, these bounty hunters had taken down S-ranked criminals and lived to tell the tale.

Or go back to Orochimaru.

Over the crackling fire, Anko peered at Kin's heartbroken face. She had failed Orochimaru, and she would be humiliated and killed for it, and she knew it. That wasn't an option anymore.

Anko's heart clenched at the kid's broken expression. She knew all too well what she was feeling.

"We're a day out from Konoha." She began conversationally.

Kin stiffened up.

"Yay. One day away from death."

It was 50/50 whether or not Kin would be executed now that Danzo was temporarily out of power. Which was certainly better than the 100% chance of death out here. The situation with Haruhi, Sakura, Karin, and Tenten probably wouldn't happen. She was manipulated by someone much older and more powerful than her, which could grant her a stay of execution.

"Not necessarily."

Kin snorted, tears dripping down her face.

"Look, kid, I'm doing everything I can to help you. You are strong, but you won't make it out here. Your two teammates are already dead, and you're next, unless I get you to Konoha."

The girl turned her face into the dirt in order not to look at Anko, her tears turning the dirt into mud. When Anko tried to get her face out of the dirt so she could breathe the girl snarled, and tried to bite her.

"I know how you feel. I know what it's like to be abandoned. To be associated with him. To think someone care for you, but they really don't. To be tossed aside, judged, mocked, ridiculed, and sabotaged, I get it."

Kin kicked at her.

Anko sat back and sighed. So much was going on. Mebuki was probably finishing up her pregnancy appointment by now. Maybe Jiriaya already left to search for a new Hokage. Maybe something else was going on she was unaware of.

"They'll come for me." Kin croaked.

"Who will?"

"The sound four. Tayuya. She'll help!" Ako's heart clenched at the mention of another girl who was taken in by Orochimaru. She wouldn't be coming.

"Kin." her voice was almost soft. "They are not coming for you. And if they did, it would be to kill you."

Kin sobbed. She knew Anko was right.

"I can help you." Anko repeated. "I have been exactly where you are right now, and I made it out with people who love me. It was hard, but I am happy now. You can be to. But you gotta let me help you."

Anko held out her hand, open palm face up.

Slowly, Kin took it.

Wow! So much has happened here! what do you think it all means?

Chicwowwow made a recommendation to me awhile ago about a song they said reminded them of Haruhi and Kakashi's relationship. Its called "Trust" By Olivera and its really good. Like really good. It actually fits perfectly to how I view Kakashi's and haruhi's relationship! Give it a listen!

ShivaLiszt wrote a oc naruto fanfic called "How Strange, Innocence" and while reading it, I noticed how great, but also underappreciated it was. It reminds me a lot of Objectivity, so if you enjoy reading this fic, You'll certainly love this one!

Imiross so incredibly volunteered to translate Objectivity into Russian! I think that's just awesome of them to do, to let even more people enjoy this story who other wise couldn't, honestly I'm honored and in awe of their amazingness! Here is the link on Ficbook!

: / ficbook readfic / 8346784 / 21254331

See you!