Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Sin and Sin Again**

Before you read this, I have changed multiple things around. It DOES follow the Naruto story line BEFORE "Madara" and Kabuto/Orochimaru start the war.

I've stretched it out two years time, so that Sakura and Naruto (etc) are 18.

The manga and episodes have kept them 15/16 for so many years now. .

This is post war, and before many know the truth about the Uchiha Massacre.

This next part might be a spoiler to some, so don't read if you know don't know who Tobi is.

I know Tobi is Obito, but I'm making sure no one knows that yet. So everyone will falsely accuse him of being the wrong person.

This chapter went kind of fast and not very detailed, but I'm more concerned about the later story plot. The next chapter will be good, though. Enjoy. Please review, for suggestions and comments.

**Chapter One; Uneasy Hearts Deceive**

_ "I've found a way to rid this world Uchiha Madara._

_ "We can cleanse Sasuke's heart."_

* * *

The words hung heavy around the two women. Her emerald eyes stared intensely at her shishou. The fifth Hokage knew her prized apprentice, Haruno Sakura, would do anything for peace; anything for the infamous Uchiha Sasuke. She also knew Sakura wasn't impulsive and hot-headed, but that she was cunning, intelligent, and rational.

"I thought Naruto was going to-"

"If Naruto fights Sasuke, there's a good chance he'd die right alongside with Sasuke. You should know this."

It was true, Sakura knew this was the most possible outcome. She always pushed that thought away and continued to dream of peace. Sakura bit her lower lip softly before focusing her attention on her mentor.

"How can we kill two birds with one stone, then?" Sakura finally managed to ask.

A small smile played on Tsunade's face. "That's where you come in, Sakura."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"I've done quite a bit of snooping lately. Last night I came across something rather interesting." Tsunade stopped and examined her student. Sakura nodded for her go on. "It seems I've stumbled upon something _very _dangerous. But used correctly, it could save our world.

"It's a forbidden jutsu. No one's really used it, considering how much chakra control is needed. That's why I need you, Sakura."

Sakura's body stiffened. "What...is this forbidden jutsu?"

Tsunade's golden eyes studied the pinkette once more before answering. "It enables someone to go into the past."

Sakura's emerald eyes widened with disbelief. "That's impossible..."

"But it isn't." Tsunade sighed, then continued. "This is real. You can change the past and save the future."

"This is absurd, shishou!" Sakura protested angrily; her hands balling into fists.

Tsunade stood up abruptly, a small scroll slid from her sleeve. She walked towards her tempermental apprentice. "This is the scroll." Tsunade said, handing it to Sakura. She took the scroll with mild curiosity.

Sakura's emerald eyes read each word carefully. She re-read the scroll over and over, trying to convince herself that it wasn't real.

"Do you finally believe me?" Tsunade finally asked; breaking the long silence. Sakura shook her head in response. "Good. Now I bet you're wondering what this will accomplish."

"Yes." Sakura replied sheepishly.

"The Uchiha Massacre is the reason Sasuke is so twisted. His brother, Uchiha Itachi, was in alliance with Madara.

"So Sakura, what if someone stopped the Uchiha Massacre? Sasuke's whole family would be alive, and Konoha would be strong against the Akatsuki and Madara."

"Are you saying _I _could stop _Itachi _from murdering his whole clan?" Sakura asked with bewilderment.

"I'm saying you're the best one to try."

Images of Itachi flashed through Sakura's mind like a broken record player. His crimson eyes that carried the blood of many that looked into them. "How am I supposed to convince Itachi to not kill his clan?" Sakura finally asked aloud, bitterness hanging on every word.

"Warn the Hokage and the Uchiha clan. They can stop Itachi. He was a loyal Anbu before he killed his clan. Maybe he can side with reasoning."

"Itachi isn't the type to lis-"

"Sakura, please." Tsunade pleaded. "This is our last hope."

"Then I'll fully accept this mission."

* * *

Sakura walked home silently, the cold winter breeze numbed her skin mercilessly. It wasn't like it mattered to her, anyways. The weight of the world was on her shoulders. She'd always burdened the world's fate on Naruto, but now it was her burden. If she succeeded, life would be wonderful; if she didn't... Itachi would figure her out and kill her with the rest of his clan. It was ironic how happy Sakura had been when Itachi's death reached Konoha... and now, she would be attempting to stop him from mass murder. It almost wasn't fair. Sakura wasn't selfish, nor had she wanted to be. She knew she'd be saving Naruto's life as well.

"Hey, Bill-Board Brow!" A familiar female voice called after the pinkette. She turned to see Ino's smiling face.

"Hey, Pig." Sakura said, giving a smile in return. "You haven't called me that since we were kids."

Ino's face softened and her blue eyes shifted to her stomach. "Might as well pass your nick-name on to my kid." Ino chuckled lightly. "Aunt Bill-Board Brow."

"I just hope your kid looks more like Shikamaru."

Ino lifted an eyebrow playfully. "And why's that, Forehead?"

"Well you don't want it to look like a pig do you?" Sakura retorted. Ino gave her a cold glare, which Sakura returned easily. The two stared at eachother competitively until they both broke out in laughter.

"Hey, Sakura. Do you remember when I came to the hospital crying?" Ino asked suddenly.

"Yeah. You asked me to check if you were pregnant or not. Why?"

Ino smiled again, then touched her stomach happily. "I just remember how we both cried and freaked out when you said I was. We were worried sick what my parents would say. What Shikamaru would say. And with Konoha on the brink of war...

"But eight months with this little kicker, and I'm happier than I ever could be. It's weird how much hope I have now."

Sakura looked at her friend thoughtfully. Tears welled up in her eyes, then a hoarse laugh escaped her weak lips. "I remember when we told your dad. Inoichi threatened to kill Shikaku for raising such a playboy son. Your mother was trying to calm him down, but it barely helped at that point."

"I'm not scared anymore, Sakura. I'm not scared of Sasuke, Madara, or the rest of the Akatsuki." Ino told Sakura seriously.

"Why?" Sakura asked, but it only came as a whisper.

"Like you said, there will be peace. And I believe that full-heartedly."

xxx

Sakura walked Ino home; the whole time they reminiscent over their past together. It was sad, yet helpful. The mention of Sasuke used to kill Sakura from the inside out, but now it made her stronger. He was an enemy for now, and he hadn't loved her or Naruto.

Sakura stopped by her old home. She watched her mother and father enjoy their lives without her, and she walked towards her own house. The salary she earned from the hospital was extraordinary. She could afford almost anything without participating in missions, but it was a lonely way of living. She always worked. Not that it bothered her. She loved saving innocents lives; it was her duty to the village.

Sakura was almost forced to leave her parent's house at seventeen, they always bickered and yelled at her for coming home late. She never did the chores they had asked, and worst of all, she didn't quit her dream to become head of the hospital and a respectable jounin.

When she became both, her parents were dissapointed. Ino's parents were happier for Sakura then her actual parents could've been. Sakura took pride in her role for the village. She could hold her own weight in the battlefield, as well as keep the others alive. But all that would change when she would go back in time and save everyone.

_'How much will the future change?' _She thought to herself as she pushed her front door open.

Tsunade told her that Gaara recieved word of Madara's plan for war, and that the time was running out. Pein's attack on Konoha had been bad enough, two years of recovery. Everything the shinobi and villagers worked for would be ruined if Madara attacked. Who would he attack first? Would he go after Killer Bee or Naruto? Or would he attack every hidden village?

Question after question raced through her mind. Before she realized it, the scroll was open and ready to activate on her bedroom floor. Her eyes scanned the words over and over once more. They never changed. To her, this jutsu would be easy to accomplish. It was basically a reversed transportation jutsu, but with a lot more chakra control. Performing this wasn't what made Sakura nervous. It was what she would see in the past. What if she couldn't stop Itachi?

_'No. No time for negative thoughts.'_ Sakura told herself stubbornly. She pulled her hospital uniform off and quickly replaced them with a black medic skirt and a white slender top with a "fish-net" shirt underneath. She put her jounin vest over that, and pulled her knee-high boots on. She pulled her long pink hair into a messy bun before packing numerous things into a small backpack. _'Only the essentials'. _

Once everything was finished and packed, she turned her attention back to the open scroll. It was finally time to leave her world, and into the dangerous realm of the past. She sighed and walked towards the scroll. "This better be worth it..."

Sakura bit her thumb until blood started forming. She sat down beside the scroll and wrote '10 years' with her blood. She put both of her palms on the scroll and closed her emerald eyes. Thoughts of her eight year old self passed through her mind. Thoughts of the young Itachi, and thoughts of saving the past filled her mind. Thoughts of the Uchiha alive and well. "Ten years ago." Sakura whispered to herself. In that moment, her body seemed to be dragged forcefully through air.

* * *

Sakura woke up quickly, as if she had a horrible, realistic nightmare that she wanted to escape.

"So, you've finally awakened." A deep male voice said, startling the pinkette. She searched her surroundings and realized she was laying on a fairly large bed, and the male who had spoken to her was Uchiha Itachi. He wasn't the Itachi she had known in her time. He wasn't wearing an Akatsuki robe, nor was his menacing Sharingan in use. He was younger looking. His voice was gentle. But he still put fear in the depth of Sakura's mind. This thirteen year old Itachi single-handedly killed his whole clan.

"How did I get here?" Sakura managed to ask the young Itachi.

"I found you lying unconscious in the middle of the Uchiha compound. Very unsual. We'll discuss why later." Itachi said calmly. He stood up and gave her a gentle half smile. "I've prepared some tea. I'll be back in a moment."

Itachi walked out from the room, sliding the door gently behind him. Sakura was in awe. He wasn't anything like the Akatsuki Itachi...

Sakura examined the room she was in. It had navy blue walls, the flooring was clean-cut wood. There wasa small wooden desk across from the bed she was on. There was an unscathed hitai-ate ontop of it. Konoha's symbol in the middle proudly.

"So he is still good..." Sakura muttered to herself. She didn't hear Itachi come back into the room.

"Excuse me?" He asked, obviously confused. Sakura looked at him quickly and was taken aback by his expression. He seemed weary of her, but held a tray holding both steaming cups of tea gracefully.

"Oh, nothing! Don't mind me." She dismissed as innocent as she could.

He set down the tray on the desk that had the hitai-ate on it. He picked it up and held it out to her. "Were you referring to this?"

"I.. uh, yes." She admitted embarrassed.

"It is called a hitai-ate, or a forehead protector. For the Hidden Leaf Village. It is my symbol as a shinobi. But you..." Itachi paused, examining her, "are not a shinobi."

Sakura almost scoffed at that prediction, but decided to play it off. Maybe it was best to keep him thinking she was a civillian, and when her chakra returned, she'd surpress it.

"Although you dress like you are." He noted aloud.

"Well, you see, I'm not from here. I like to travel, and I buy clothes that seem to suit the village I'm in." She lied quickly.

"Oddly enough, you do not seem foreign." He said, making her nervous. "What is your name?"

"Sakura."

"No last name?" He questioned further.

"Not that I know of. My parents... died when I was young."

"How unfortunate." He said dryly.

"I assume you have parents." Sakura stated hopefully.

"Yes." Was his reply, which relieved her. "Now, let's discuss why you were in the Uchiha Compound."

"I was just roaming around the village and this was a place I came across. I didn't know it was... off limits." She bit her lower lip. "I guess I passed out from exhaustion. My apologies."

"It is fine. You're just lucky I found you, and not my father."

Sakura recalled Sasuke and Itachi's father, Uchiha Fugaku, as being a cruel man. And the head of the Uchiha Clan. "Does he know I'm here?" She asked quietly.

"Yes. He and my mother both know. He said you are my responsibility, until you are strong enough to leave."

"Itachi-Nii-san!" A small male voice called out. Itachi looked up, and a small smile replaced the cold expression he had previously. The door slid open clumsily, and an eight year old Sasuke walked in excitedly.

"Come train with me, Nii-san!" He demanded playfully.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I'm busy right now."

"No. Go play with him." Sakura said suddenly, surprising both males. Sasuke had just taken notice of her, and gave her a triumphant smile.

"What she said! Please, Itachi-Nii-san!"

Itachi looked at Sakura to make sure she was really okay with him leaving. She shook her head. "I'll be okay. It's just fatigue."

He nodded and exited the room with the grateful Sasuke.

Once she was alone, she began looking for the backpack she had carried with her.

To her relief, it was beside the bed. She snatched it up and looked through her things, and thankfully, they hadn't been touched. Itachi hadn't gone through her things. If he had, she would've been found out and caught in a lie. She knew that Sasuke barely had brotherly time with Itachi, so she'd said that impulsively.

If she succeeded with this mission, Sasuke would be at his happiest.

Sakura started to hear distant voices. She tried to listen in, and she didn't recognize it as Itachi or Sasuke's voice. From the sound of it, it was a hushed conversation. Something she shouldn't hear. But this was the past, and she had to learn everything she could.

Sakura slid the door open and crept through it quietly. She closed it behind her and silently followed the voices that beckoned her. She finally reached a door that contained the hushed voices and listened in.

"The Uchiha's are dominant over this stupid village."

"It's about time we take back control, eh, Fugaku?"

A male voice spoke up. "It is, indeed."

"Good thing we have your Anbu son on our side! We can finally be on top."

"It's decided, then. The Uchiha's with rebel against Konoha, with the aid of Shisui and Itachi."

Sakura let the words sink in. An attack against Konoha, led by the Uchiha clan? That was never mentioned before...

Sakura ran away from the room as fast as she could. Not caring if she caused noise, and not caring if she used the chakra she had recently gained.

"Just what is going on?" She asked herself through gritted teeth. She had to inform the Hokage of this time.

Something slammed into Sakura, hard enough for the air to be taken from her lungs. Her green eyes widened when she realized she bumbed into Itachi, and he had hit a pressure point. His eyes were blood red, and just as scary as they had been ten years in the future.

"Shit..." She cursed, then fell into darkness.


	2. 2 Dark Comes To Light

**Sin and Sin Again**

**Dark Comes To Light**

She saw black and red. Almost like an abyss without any traces of escape. She was stuck; trapped. There was nowhere to run and nothing to see but the two colours.

"I have to get out of here..." Sakura told herself aloud.

"That won't be possible, my dear." A cold, male voice replied. The very voice put chills down her spine. It was familiar, and she knew exactly who it was. She used to have multiple nightmares about him three years ago, which is when he died by her hands.

She forced herself to turn around and face the monster who should've been long dead. Her emerald eyes witnessed his devilish smirk once more. His red hair was neatly placed above his burnt sienna eyes. His eyes locked with hers, not once blinking.

"This isn't a dream." He told her with an amused voice; almost as if he could hear her thoughts. "You're stuck in _Hell _with me, Sakura." Each word he spoke was smoothe and clear, as if he was reassuring her. As if he was happy to be stuck with the person who helped end his 'ever-lasting' life.

Sakura ignored his cocky words. "Am I dead?" She asked him, dreading the answer he might give.

Sasori walked towards her slowly. The closer he got, the more her body started shaking.

_'He isn't real._

_ He isn't real._

_**He's not real**__.' _

Sasori was finally touching distance away from her.

"You're not real." She stated in a hushed whisper. Sasori smirked again and took another footstep closer to the girl. She was terrified, and he knew. He hadn't been this close to her, not enough to _feel _the fear she held for him. Her eyes widened when Sasori leaned his head close to hers. Their foreheads were touching, as well as their noses. Sakura couldn't move. She couldn't advert her eyes away from the puppet master from Hell. "I'll always be real." He finally said coolly.

"Get away from me." Sakura hissed.

"Why are you so scared of me, my dear?"

Sakura could of swore she heard remourse in his voice. But dismissed it. "Get away from me." Sakura demanded again. This time, he backed away slowly. His brown eyes studied her sadly.

"I let you kill me, Sakura."

Before Sakura could reply, she noticed the red tint in Sasori's eyes. The pattern that was hidden behind his irises. The sharingan.

"Genjutsu." Sakura stated triumphantly. Sasori _wasn't _real.

The whole scene crashed infront of her. Sasori's face was long gone. His words, his actions, gone.

* * *

Sakura's eyes opened quickly. Her breath was caught in her throat. Her body ached and her head was throbbing like crazy.

"Kunoichi." Sakura's eyes trailed over to find Itachi looking at her. The same scenario as before. But now, he knew everything. He used his deadly genjutsu on her, and had succeeded. "Or should I say Haruno Sakura."

"Listen-"

"I understand why you lied about being a shinobi. However, you know about me. I do not know how much you know." Itachi explained. " But you have linked me with the Akatsuki."

Then, he asked, "Who are you, exactly?"

Sakura's mind reeled with different explanations. She couldn't tell him the truth. He'd kill her for sure.

"I'm not from here." She admitted silently. "I'm not from this...time."

Itachi's charcoal eyes stared at her, looking for any signs of dishonesty on her porcelain face. "I'm not quite sure what that means." Itachi said with a sigh. He pulled an Anbu mask from god-knows-where and placed it over his young but worn face. "I have to worry about my duties right now. Meet me at Hokage mountain tonight." Sakura nodded as she watched him turn from her and exit his room.

Once he was gone, Sakura finally let the breath she'd been holding in escape. It was sad that a thirteen-year-old could intimidate her _that _much. She had faced Itachi many times before, never physically, but enough to know his tricks. She shouldn't be scared of him. Especially his younger self.

The door to Itach's room slid open. Instead of it being Itachi to come back and interrogate her, it was a beautiful woman with dark eyes and hair. Despite her similarities to Itachi, she _was _gorgeous. Mikoto Uchiha. Itachi and Sasuke's oh-so-loving mother.

"Miss Sakura-san?" Mikoto addressed Sakura with a soft and nurturing voice.

"Yes?" Sakura replied, just as nicely. Sakura's reply put a small smile on Mikoto's face.

"I'm Mikoto. Itachi's mother." She introduced. "Would you like to make snacks with me?"

Sakura was taken aback by her question. _Snacks? _Sakura just gave a smile and said, "Sure."

"You can follow me to the kitchen." Mikoto offered sweetly. Sakura nodded in agreement, considering she had no idea where the kitchen even was. Sakura stumbled out of Itachi's large bed and followed Mikoto through the winding halls of the Uchiha house.

Sakura noticed how long Mikotos hair was and envied the length. Sakura's pink hair fell a little past her shoulders. To her, it was much easier to put in a bun or pony-tail. Short hair never suited her much, anyways. Ino had pointed out that Sakura needed to be a girl, as well as a shinobi.

Sakura almost bumped into the older woman due to her carelessness. They were in a large and spacious kitchen. Unlike the rest of the house, the walls were a soft cream colour. Mikoto noticed the pinkette admiring the kitchen and laughed softly. "I decorated the kitchen the way I wanted." She explained, which caught Sakura's attention. "Fugaku hates it... but I think it's nice."

"It really is." Sakura agreed. Sakura noticed that in the middle of the large kitchen, there was a fairly big island with fruits and utensils adorning it. "Amazing." She breathed in awe. Itachi and Sasuke's mother was better than any Sakura had seen. Mikoto could be considered a shinobi if put to the test, but she acted like a mother who _truly _cared for the ones around her. Sakura envied Itachi. He had the perfect life. Sakura was witnessing it first hand; Itachi had everything any person or shinobi could ever hope to have. Sakura had to admit the older men of the Uchiha clan seemed to be a little mad, but they were harmless, right?

"I really adore your hair, Sakura-san."

A blush spread across Sakura's face. Not many people complimented her odd coloured hair, especially not someone like Mikoto. Once, Ino had suggested dying Sakura's hair a normal colour.

"I bet Itachi-kun likes it, too." Mikoto mentioned thoughtfully. "You know, his favourite flower is the Cherry Blossom."

Sakura tried so hard not to scoff. Itachi Uchiha liking flowers that were delicate and beautiful? The _mass murderer _Itachi Uchiha liking _any _flower seemed so absurd to Sakura. Itachi's room was a dull blue and his clothes were all black, so why on earth would he pick a flower that was pink to be his favourite? This time, Sakura had to fight down the laughter to thinking that Itachi was secretely a feminist.

"I wish it was you he was engaged to." Mikoto mused playfully. But it surprised Sakura to no end. Itachi even had a fiancee? "Itachi isn't too fond of her either."

"Then why is he with her?" Sakura asked, her curiosity peaked.

"Since we're the head family of the clan, we have to marry off our sons. Fugaku picked the strongest kunoichi in the clan to be with my Itachi..."

"What's she like?"

Mikoto's face turned into a sour expression. It was obvious she disliked this girl, whoever she was. Mikoto picked up a strawberry and examined it, even though her thoughts weren't focused on the bright red fruit. "She's cocky and arrogant." Mikoto replied after a long silence. "She is rude and cruel. Her missions are mostly... seductive ones." Mikoto's voice when she described this girl made it clear that she wasn't any good. And that she was a high-class slut. Sakura wondered with mild interest if she could win a fight against this girl. Not for Itachi's love, or anything.

"My mother-in-law sure is rude." A females voice chimed in from the doorless entrance to the kitchen.

Sakura _was _impressed by this girl's beauty, but it was nothing compared to Mikoto. She had long, curly black hair and her Sharingan was activated. Only, her Sharingan was weak. Sakura could tell that the genjutsu it would cause wouldn't be very effective. That must be why she does seductive missions, to catch whoever she was whoring with off-guard.

"Stop looking at my eyes." The girl demanded with a disgusted tone. As if someone un-Uchiha wasn't worthy enough to look at her eyes, if it wasn't for killing, that is. The girl glared at Mikoto. "Is this the girl who snuck into the Uchiha Compound and forced _my_ Itachi to take care of her?"

Before Mikoto could answer, Sakura did. "No, I'm the girl who was weak and stumbled into the Uchiha Compound by mistake and Itachi _willingly _took care of me."

Sakura could feel Mikoto's happiness radiating from behind her. Someone who finally stood up for her.

"Do you have any room to talk to me like that? From what I hear, you're just a civillian traveler." The girl stated with a wild smirk. "I could kill you right here, right now."

Sakura knew fighting this girl might blow her cover and everythng she hoped to accomplish in the future. But Itachi knew she was a kunoichi now anyways, so there wasn't any point in hiding it. And after this little brawl, she could finally tell the present Hokage about her findings and the future. Then her mission would be done.

Sakura stood up and cracked her knuckles. "I dare you to try."

The girl rolled her blood-red eyes and stared at Sakura with the intent to kill. Sakura could hear Mikoto gasp. She thought Sakura would actually die. Sakura could feel the genjutsu forming around her. Itachi's fiancee had truly thought she had won, and would kill the pink-haired brat.

It took little effort to break the genjutsu. The girl had used every ounce of chakra she had, and failed. Her now-black eyes widended in fear and disbelief.

"You _broke _my genjutsu?!"

Sakura grinned. "My name's Sakura Haruno. And don't you dare forget it." Sakura turned on her heel and walked past the shocked Mikoto. At this point, Sakura didn't care what people in the past thought about her. They'd all be thanking her for their lives in the future. But first, she needed to see the Third Hokage. She led herself out of the Uchiha house and recieved many looks from random Uchiha's. She ignored the queer glances and took off running as fast as she possibly could. She hadn't regained all her chakra just yet, but a good bit was back. It was enough to stop anyone from stopping her.

The adrenaline in her body had her at the Hokage tower within minutes. There were two unfamiliar Leaf Shinobi guarding the entrance.

"Who are you and what is your business?" One of them addressed.

"I've come to speak to the Hokage." Sakura told them truthfully.

"The Hokage is very busy. Please check in some other time." The other said.

_'Geez..' _Sakura sighed heavily. She was acting way too wild in her situation. But the faster she saved the world, the faster she could return to her time peacefully. She walked up to the two men and before they knew it, she pressed her thumbs against a pressure point in their necks. She used her medic chakra to knock them out safely. Treason or not, this wasn't her time, this wasn't her fight. Sakura pushed open the large doors and ran upstairs towards the Hokage office. If he was busy, she'd make him talk to her, somehow. Before Orochimaru killed him, he'd been a kind and understanding man. She could warn him about that, too.

She reached the heavy door to his office. She could feel extreme chakra, which usually meant the room was sound proof. Which means whatevers going on in there is important. Luckily for her, Naruto and her had found a loophole in the sound proof jutsu. _Every _jutsu has a weak spot. Sakura leaned her ear against the wooden door and sent chakra to her ear. The key was to modify how much the ear could hear. It was a pain in the ass, but it had always been worth it. Tsunade knew her and Naruto listened in, but paid it no mind. She wanted them to know what was going on in the village. The Council/Elders, however, do not. They're almost as twisted as the Akatsuki, or so she had been told.

_'Aha!' _Sakura cheered in her mind when she could finally hear the words being spoken.

She could hear a male voice say, "What you are asking me to do is murder." It was Itachi's voice.

An older male's voice replied, "Either you murder a few people or they murder our whole village."

"You're asking me to kill innocent lives!" Itachi yelled back. "Not everyone in the Clan is bad."

A voice Sakura recognized as the Third Hokage's spoke up. "Itachi, this is our only choice. You're loyal to Konoha, correct?"

"Correct."

"Then do you, Uchiha Itachi, accept the mission to assasinate the Uchiha Clan?"

"On one condition."

An elderly voice replied, "Cocky boy. What is your 'condition'?"

Itachi's voice was dangerous. "Protect my brother. And do not tell him about _any _of this. Do not tell anyone the truth about tonight's events."

The third Hokage agreed. "We will keep your brother safe. Now, do you accept the mission?"

"Yes." Was Itachi's reply.

"This mission will be burnt from existence after you've completed it. You will become a missing-nin. You will have Leaf Shinobi out for your arrest, and maybe even death."

"I know."

Sakura backed away from the door, horrifed. She felt as if she was going to vomit. Her whole world was crashing down before her. The Hokage and the Council assigned the death of each and every Uchiha member?! They forced Itachi to kill them, using his pure loyalty to the village.

Sakura ran away from the Hokage's office. She ran towards the Uchiha Compound. She had to save Mikoto. And maybe Mikoto could save all the innocent children and clan members. This doesn't have to happen.

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks as realization crept over her. The closer she got to the Uchiha's, the more she could feel an eerie presence.

Tsunade's words from the future suddenly came back to Sakura, crushing every hope she had.

_ "...His brother, Uchiha Itachi, was in alliance with Madara."_

Sakura knew she'd felt this presence before somewhere. It was Madara. He knew what would happen, what Itachi would be forced to do, and was waiting to see bloodshed. Sakura turned around to see the Hokage mountain. The faces of the former Hokage's stared at her. This was all on her. Itachi had told her to meet him there tonight. Maybe she could stop him; maybe she could knock some sense into the Council.

"Fuck it." She cursed. She drew chakra to her hands and made several hand signs. "Transportation jutsu." She whispered, desperately hoping it would take her to the Hokage mountain. She closed her eyes tight and hoped.

When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the calm face of Itachi. So it had brought her to the right place.

Sakura was never impulsive, but the time was running out. "Madara's waiting for you at the Uchiha Compound."

"What do you know about Madara?"

"I know he's going to help you kill every last member of your clan, excluding your brother. I know you're forced to kill them. I know that you'll join the Akatsuki and die by your brothers hands."

Itachi's eyes flashed with red angrily. "How would you know _any _of that? Are you a spy?"

Sakura shood her head 'no' hastily. "I'm a Leaf Shinobi, just like you are. I'm from the future. Konoha's on the brink of war because your brother allied with Madara."

"What?..." The red is Itachi's eyes faded.

Tears welled up in Sakura's emerald eyes. "Sasuke was my team mate. He is completely evil, Itachi. There's no saving him..." A single tear fell from her face and she continued, "I was assigned a secret mission to come to the past and stop you from killing your clan. To save Sasuke. To stop Madara."

"Sakura, I do not wish to murder my clan. They are planning an uprising against Konoha. For complete control. It will cause a civil war. I'm assigned with the mission to murder them. I am faithful to my country and can not go against the horrible orders given."

The words sank into Sakura. Itachi wasn't the one to hate. No, it was the Konoha government. There were other means of stopping a war, but the Council was arrogant.

Itachi was just a victim. Come to think of it, Itachi hadn't ever harmed anyone from Konoha, nor had he kidnapped Naruto when he had the chance. Itachi was genuine. His love and loyalty for the village ran deep.

"Meet me outside of the village tonight." Itachi told her suddenly. Sakura nodded in agreement. He turned his back to her and was about to leave her behind to cause blood shed. The moonlight cascaded his figure.

"Itachi, wait." She called after him, her voice weak.

Itachi turned his head to see the sobbing Sakura. "Don't make Sasuke hate you. Please." He turned his head away and leapt off into the night. Sakura wiped the tears away and a brilliant idea popped into her head.

_'Just because I can't stop the massacre, doesn't mean I can't stop Madara.'_

* * *

Several hours passed. She was sitting on the forest ground waiting for Itachi to show up from his dirty work. All this time, Sakura had been terrified of him. She had hated him so much she greeted his death joyously. Guilt swept over her quickly. All this time, Itachi Uchiha was a _hero. _He saved Konoha from civil war. It cost him his life, his home, and his loved ones. Konoha stripped him of everything he held near and dear. At least Sakura could say she met Mikoto, and she deserves to be recognized as an amazing person.

"Deep in thought I see." Itachi's voice rang silently through the forest, hardly startling the pinkette.

Sakura looked Itachi dead in the eye. "Do you like to ally yourself with Madara?"

"No." Itachi replied honestly. "He helped on his own terms. He promised we'd go seperate ways."

"You will." Sakura confirmed. "But after the death of Sasori, he'll join the Akatsuki as 'Tobi'. We can't let that happen. So, you and I will both join."

Itachi gave her a strange look. "Aren't you loyal to Konoha?"

"I'm loyal to the future Konoha. The one that has _nothing _to do with this. Even if people in the future knew I was in Akatsuki, you and I will come to light as heroes." Sakura explained triumphantly. "The world will be a much better place."

"It's strange, kunoichi." Itachi said with a sad smile. "I trust you completely."

"Then I have a proposition for you."

* * *

So, Sakura finds out the truth! And decides to stay in the past. I wonder what her proposition is. c;

Oh, and you'll understand soon why Sakura dreamnt about Sasori so vividly.

Please Review. For comments and suggestions.

Love, K.


	3. 3 Ice In A Flame

**Sin And Sin Again**

**Ice In A Flame**

"_Could you check my pulse for me, to see if I'm alive?" **- Sleeping With Sirens**_

* * *

"We've been running for days." Sakura complained with a loud groan. "Anbu just don't let up."

Itachi side-glanced the older pinkette and sighed. "I killed a whole clan, did you think they would just let me go?"

Sakura frowned at his comment. It was a huge burden for him to live forever as the murderer who killed his own clan. In the future, though, his name will be cleared.

"When are we going to meet this guy from Akatsuki?" Sakura asked Itachi, secretly hoping the answer would be 'now' or 'soon'.

"Soon." Was his answer, much to her delight. Sakura mildly wondered who they would be meeting. Pein? Zetsu? Or...

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "Sasori."

Itachi stopped exactly when she did, noticing exactly what she did. A few feet ahead of them stood a teenage looking boy with blood-red hair and brown eyes. Itachi recognized him from Sakura's nightmares, and when she spoke of him before.

The kid smirked when he heard the pinkette say his name. "You've heard of me?" He cooed happily. Such a delicate little girl knowing him, well it was his lucky day.

When Sakura didn't reply, Sasori turned his attention to Itachi. "Itachi, it seems you've brought me a little girl to play with."

Sasori was unknowingly mocking her the way he had before. He had underestimated her and called her weak. It infuriated her. "I'm eighteen. I'm _not _little." She growled back at him. Even when she _was _little, she managed to defeat him. Both Sasori and Itachi seemed shocked that she was eighteen.

Sasori shook his tauntingly. "Itachi, she sure is fiesty." He said. "But I doubt Leader will let her come near the Akatsuki."

"She's the strongest kunoichi I know." Itachi lied coolly. In actuality, he had no idea what Sakura was capable of. She was good at running, though.

"Alright." Sasori replied. "I'll be the judge of that."

A scroll slid from Sasori's sleeve and into his wooden hand. Sakura knew from experience what he was doing. As she thought, the Third Kazekage appeared from the scroll.

Itachi's eyes widened. "The Third Kazekage's corpse."

Sakura let a smirk fall on her lips. "It's just a puppet." She informed the Uchiha. "Oh, and don't get near the Iron Sand." Sakura prepared herself for the fight waiting ahead of her.

"Stupid woman." The puppet master mused.

He made the puppet charge towards Sakura. Like before, the speed was incredible. Senbon was released from the Third Kazekage's hands. Sakura didn't have Chiyo to help her this time nor did she have the poison antidote. She had to dodge every poison-tipped seonbon.

Sakura's slim body curved and ducked with every senbon. Not one touched her.

While Sasori was momentarily surprised, Sakura went around the kazekage puppet. If she broke his puppet, Sasori wouldn't recommend her to join Akatsuki. Rather, he'd recommend her join his collection. Sakura ran towards him as fast as she could. His eyes widened when her small fist smashed into the side of his face. Due to impact, his body flew backwards and hit a tree yards away.

"Why you!" Sasori hissed at her angrily. He flung his arms and Sakura knew what was coming next. When she turned, she saw large amounts of Iron Sand coming straight towards her. She barely managed to block the odd looking sand. Out of anger, and fear, Sakura found the Kazekage puppet and swung her fist back. Instead of using her fist to break the stupid puppet, she used her index finger. She could hear Sasori laugh at her 'useless attempt' to hurt his favourite puppet with just a finger. But when her finger reached the puppet, it shattered into pieces.

Sakura stepped back from the broken puppet and looked at Itachi. To her dissapointment, he didn't look surprised or proud. He didn't 'look' anything. His face was expressionless and his eyes were fixated past her.

The sound of slow clapping broke the newfound silence. Sakura turned around to stare into the Rinnegan eyes of Pein. "Well done." His deep voice complimented Sakura. It took all of Sakura's willpower to remember that Pein was looking for peace in all the wrong place and was actually Nagato behind-the-scenes.

"Itachi, it seems you've brought someone useful." Pein looked back at Sakura. "What else can you do?"

Sakura found it funny that they were more interested in her than Itachi himself. "I'm a medic." She replied, which brought a smile to Pein's face.

"How skilled of a medic are you?"

Sakura decided to be completely honest. "The best." It was true, afterall. She long surpassed Tsunade and Shizune.

"Certainly not better than the Sannin Tsunade." Pein shot back.

Sakura took a dangerous step closer to Pein. "Wanna bet?"

Pein smiled again. She was so taken aback, she almost didn't notice Sasori walk behind her.

"Brat." She heard him say. "You're lucky I can fix him."

"What's your name?" Pein asked her.

"Sakura Haruno." She stated proudly.

"Itachi and Sakura, welcome to the Akatsuki." Never in Sakura's life would she ever think she'd hear those words. Nor would she be happy to hear them. If Naruto knew about all of this, he'd kill her. As would Tsunade...

Sakura looked back at Sasori. His eyes were watching her dangerously. Sakura didn't see any intent to kill or harm, just wild fascination.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, when is Sakura going to get back from her mission?" Naruto whined. His cerulean eyes were filled with sadness and he was really growing impatient. It was four days in counting, and no word from his best friend. Usually she'd send some kind of message saying she was okay.

Tsunade kept her calm facade, but on the inside her stomach was in knots. By now, Sakura should be home and the world should be safer. The threat that Madara held was still amongst the shadows, ready to attack anytime. "Yes, she's fine Naruto." Tsunade told the blonde Jounin reassuringly.

"Ba-chan, next time let me go on a mission with her! She's fragile even if she does throw a mean punch."

Tsunade shot the blonde a glare with her honey eyes. This was another reason she had sent Sakura specifically on this mission. No one had faith in Sakura. She was head at the hospital at such a young age. Tsunade even knew Sakura secretly trained by herself until she passed out on several occasions. It was true Sakura didn't have any special Kekkei Genkai or a clan. Sakura was born a civillian, and now surpassed any Kunoichi in the village. No one seemed to acknowledge that.

* * *

The four Akatsuki members walked through the forrest without saying a single word. The silence was unnerving to Sakura. She _was _in the presence of three S-Rank Criminals, afterall. Her emerald eyes wandered over to the Uchiha. His face was placid as always. Taking her eyes off Itachi, she lifted her head and watched the stars above her. She vaguely wondered if Naruto was staring at the same stars. What would he think of her predicament? He would probably disagee; saying he could bring Sasuke back and defeat Madara. He could, but not without his body being buried beside Sasuke's. The very thought of Naruto's untimely death made Sakura shudder lightly.

"We're here." Pein's deep voice announced. Sakura tore her attention away from the stars and looked for their destination. It was the same dark forrest as before. Pein muttered a few words and made hand signs that Sakura didn't recognize. Within seconds, a gaping hole formed from the ground. Pein advanced towards said gaping hole and dissapeared with the darkness. Sasori followed after him, then Itachi and Sakura. There were wooden stairs leding down further into the ground. Sakura had to adjust her eyes to see anything in the pitch black. A few more steps and light filled their vision. They walked into a bright room with white walls, an old looking couch, and other various household items. Which surprised Sakura. The Akatsuki base had _normal _things. There wasn't any dirt or traces of earth. It looked like any regular house, excluding windows.

"Now let's discuss teams." Sakura's heart dropped. She had assumed she'd be paired with Itachi, but what if Pein had other plans?

"Sakura." Pein addressed. The girl looked up, hoping and wishing she'd be paired with Itachi. "You're a close distance fighter. It also seems that you're very impulsive and witty."

Sakura shood her head in agreement, not sure if it was a compliment or an insult. Pein continued, "You let emotions control your actions. Therefore, I have picked the perfect partner for you."

Sakura knew then it wouldn't be Itachi. In the end, she'd be paired with some cruel murderer as a partner. Her next prayer was that it wouldn't be Sasori. "You'll have to retrieve him and force him to join the Akatsuki, however. He's a very important key to our goal. His name is Deidara of Iwagakure."

Sakura's eyes widended with recognition. He was the one who ruthlessly toyed with Gaara's hollow body. He was the one who almost managed to defeat Sasuke. Sakura regretted joining the Akatsuki and not returning to her own time. It was too late to turn back now.

"You'll leave tomorrow evening to recruit him. I will not take 'No' for an answer." Pein demanded the three of them. "Sasori and Itachi, you two will be partners for the time being."

Itachi nodded nonchalantly. Sasori scoffed and went his own seperate way.

"I'll leave Konan to show you two to your rooms." He said, directed at Itachi and Sakura. They nodded in reply. Sakura remembered Konan as being a beautiful woman who followed Pein (Nagato) in everything he did. She died fighting for Naruto's beliefs and the safety of Hidden Rain.

On que, Konan appeared from a small tornado of paper. Like many others, Sakura envied her beauty. Her dark hair and clothing matched her bright eyes. "I'm Konan." She introduced herself, then gave a small smile. "Haruno-san, Itachi-san, please follow me to your rooms."

Konan led them down a winding hallway. At the end of the hallway, there were four doors. Konan pointed at the doors closest to the wall. "Those rooms are yours. Sakura, left. Itachi, right." Then she pointed at the door beside Itachi's room. "That is the bathroom. Feel free to use it however you choose."

She bowed respectively. "I will be back later with your robes and food." Just as she appeared in paper earlier, she dissapeared the same way.

_'I guess walking isn't her thing...' _Sakura thought to herself playfully.

"I will take my leave now." Itachi informed the pinkette as he walked into the room he was assigned. Sakura stared after him, wondering if he was happy with his current arrangment. Kisame Hoshigaki had been Itachi's partner in the future. From what Sakura had experienced (which wasn't much) Kisame and Itachi tended to work well with eachother. Itachi and Sasori were both quiet and mysterious. Would the two of them really make a good subordinate? They rarely spoke, so how in the world would they come up with ideas and plans? Pein was pairing them up with people who were very similar to eachother. His only mistake was thinking that Deidara and Sakura were the same.

"Totally different people..." Sakura muttered to herself before walking into her assigned room. Sakura hadn't been sure who she directed that at. Her and Deidara? Or her and Itachi. Ever since Itachi confessed to trusting her, he had become cold towards her. Did he take his trust back?

Sakura shut the door behind her and made sure to lock it. She examined her room and _much _to her surprisement, it wasn't a dull colour or scheme. There was a katana hanging above Sakura's cream coloured (king size) bed. There were colourful senbon on a small desk/drawer beside the bed. The thing that surprised Sakura most, was the colour of the walls. It wasn't black or any morbid colour, it was a soft peach. Sakura secretly hoped they wouldn't be moving bases anytime soon. She reluctantly ran to her bed and savoured the comfort. She had been on her feet nonstop for days. It was like she was laying on a cloud...

Sakura shut her eyes and let her thoughts drift off. So far, the Akatsuki hadn't been so bad. The organization's goal was peace, but in the wrong way _completely. _The only 'bad' ones in this group were Hidan, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Sasori, and Tobi. Oh, and probably Deidara. Pein, Konan, Kisame, and Itachi all truly wanted peace. Maybe this time around, Sakura could convince them about the real peace without death being involved...

**xxx**

Many light tappings from wherever-the-hell-it-was woke the groggy pinkette up. She didn't even know that she had fallen asleep. "Haruno-san?" Konan's voice rang from behind the door. Sakura realized it had been Konan knocking on her door the whole time. Sakura sprung out of bed to greet the woman at the door. She unlocked it and held the door open for Konan. She had a large tray of food in one hand; an Akatsuki cloak folded neatly in the other. Sakura took both eagerly.

"Thank you!" She thanked happily. It had been ages since Sakura had eaten something solid. Konan bowed again, then shut the door gently. Sakura sat the tray down on the floor and started devouring the delicious food. There was warm bread, a large bowl of ramen, a variety of fruits, and a large cup of water. Another series of knocking came from behind her door. This time, instead of answering it polietly, she said, "Come in," with a mouthful of food.

Sakura expected to see Konan, or maybe even Pein. Rather, it was Itachi. He was already in his Akatsuki cloak, which reminded Sakura of the future him. Itachi didn't look young anymore. The cloak reflected his sins and drained any sort of innocence that he held. He was certainly playing the part of the mass-murderer Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi shut the door tightly, then locked it. His charcoal eyes stared at her with some hidden emotion behind them.

"We need to talk." Itachi explained, then gave her a queer look when she looked up him with her mouth full of ramen. It was like _she _was the child, and not him. Ignoring her childish eating habits, he asked, "What's your relation to Sasori?"

Sakura's eyes widened and she almost spit out her food. "My... relation to him?"

"I saw him in your thoughts. You two seem like you have tension. You're rather intrigued with him, as he with you."

Sakura pushed away her tray full of food, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach. "You've misunderstood my thoughts, Itachi." Sakura replied quietly.

"I hardly make mistakes." He replied blatantly.

"Well, you're human, aren't you?" Sakura asked harshly. "Humans make mistakes."

"I can hardly call myself human."

Sakura pulled herself to her feet. She was almost taller than Itachi now, which would help her intimidation. "Look, _Uchiha. _You're cocky just like your damned brother. You're a human. Just because you killed a few people doesn't make you a monster."

Sakura jabbed her index finger into his muscular chest. "Your Sharingan doesn't work too well on me. So, you _don't _know every little thing about me, got that?" She pulled her finger away from him. "If you must know, I fought against Sasori when I was fifteen. I almost lost my life, but thanks to his grandmother, I survived and kicked his ass.

"The _only _reason he was in my mind is because he's the worst person I've ever met in my life. He sickens me to no end. When you used your dear Sharingan on me, it induced another nightmare. Now will you kindly, _get the fuck _out of my room?" Itachi didn't looked phased whatsoever, which only angered the pinkette further. He was _just _like Sasuke. As soon as you got close to him, he backs away and acts like a know-it-all. Itachi turned his back to her and exited the room. Before he could close the door, Sakura slammed it as hard as she could without using chakra.

It was ironic how Sakura used to fear him and anyone who wore the black robe with red clouds. And now, she was being bitchy towards them. It was almost like she didn't want her life. Sakura honestly had no clue if she could win against any of them alone. But she sure as hell wasn't weak and below their 'standards'.

She exhaled a long sigh and wandered towards her bed. The thing Sakura wanted most was a nice, long shower. She noticed the small drawer and desperately hoped to find clean clothes. She leaned down and opened the small drawer. Thankfully, it was filled with clothes. It was obvious that Konan (hopefully) had given her necessary clothes. There were simple, but lacey, bras and panties. There were mesh long sleeves and tights, various coloured (mostly black) crop-tops, and comfortable looking shorts that seemed flexible. It was obvious Konan didn't know Sakura's style, but the effort was nice. It _would _be easy to move around in these clothes...

Sakura grabbed a light pink crop-top shirt, both sets of mesh clothing, a black pair of shorts, and the appropriate underclothing. She then ventured off happily towards the bathroom. When she reached the bathroom door, her sixth sense kicked in. Someone was watching her.

"Taking a shower, I see." Sasori's voice mused from somewhere behind her. She turned around sharply but this time she averted her eyes away from his.

"What do you want?" She asked with a disgusted tone.

Sasori leaned against the hallway and smirked. "I just wanted to talk to my cherry blossom."

Sakura felt sick for those words to escape his artificial mouth. Sasori pushed himself off the wall and closed the distance between himself and Sakura. He put his arms on both sides of Sakura's frame, which pinned her against the door. It was her recent nightmare coming true.

What scared her the most, was that heat was radiating from Sasori's body. Body heat. He wasn't a puppet. He was still a human. Which meant he still had human emotions and needs...

Sasori's nose was touching hers. His lips were so close to hers. Dread was overwhelming her. Her first kiss _couldn't _be with a psychotic puppet master. Especially with one that almost killed her.

"Get away from her." Itachi's voice demanded. It wasn't calm and collected like it always was. It was harsh, threatening. Sasori pulled away slowly and glared at the Uchiha watching.

Sasori didn't even make a sound, but made his departure. Sakura let out the breath she'd been holding; her body shaking with pent up anxiety. She could've easily kicked his ass, but the shock that he was _human. _He was making human advances. He didn't deserve to be human.

"I was right about his interest in you." Itachi said suddenly. It _almost _sounded like an apology, but with a hint of smart-ass. "But I was wrong about the feelings being mutual. I can see your fear."

"Thank you." Sakura apologized and thanked at the same time. "But I can handle things myself."

_'There I go again...'_

Itachi looked at her seriously. His black eyes were mocking her, somewhere in his mind he was thinking she was weak; useless. This prick is the one who taught Sasuke so much arrogance.

"I hate Uchiha's." Sakura groaned. She ignored whatever look he gave her and hid within the safety of the bathroom. She locked the door and set her clothes on the counter that held the ordinary looking sink. It was a small bathroom. Just the essentials, really. A sink, toilet, a fair-sized shower, and clean towels on a a rack.

Sakura stripped her clothes off and hurried for the shower. She found the 'hot' knob, then turned it until she couldn't withstand anymore heat. It felt wonderful for the dirt and filth to be washed away. She slid against the slick shower wall, enjoying every second. Sakura found shampoo and soap and lathered herself thoroughly. It was feeling she had experienced in days. In a matter of days, Sakura had experienced the Uchiha massacre _plus _she joined the Akatsuki with Itachi.

Sakura laughed darkly to herself. "What have I seriously gotten myself into?" She cupped her face in her small hands. The tears threatened to spill over. "How can I possibly do this by myself?... Naruto..." At the mention of his name, the tears no longer became a threat. She sat in the steaming shower, tears mixed in.

* * *

The trio left the base, cloaks and all. The tension between all three of them was like fog. Thick, thick fog.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "How far is Iwagakure?"

After five minutes of complete silence, Sakura tried again. "I hope it's not far."

"..."

Not even the obsessive Sasori spared a glance at her. Sakura scoffed to herself.

_'This is going to be a looooong mission...'_

* * *

** Hey Guys! :3 I know, late update haha. I've been re-watching Sailor Moon. :o**

**Anyhoos, I've noticed in my previous chapters (and possibly this one) there are slight spelling issues. I'm sorry if you've noticed that and hate my work because of it. I'm actually dyslexic, in all honesty. So I'm really trying my best. My plots all over the place right now, too. But it'll be good that I can assure. I want mine to be as good as CynChick's. She's my inspiration. Check her old work out sometimes. :)**


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Naruto, Hurt-Comfort, Romance