Author's notes: Hello, if you happen to fancy my story a review would be lovely!

HINTS

Chapter three

"I have to act like a kid, huh?" Sakura stared at the night sky, the brightest star catching her eye.

There were lore that people, when they died emerged from their bodies and rise into the sky to form stars. The one she was looking at, Sirius, if she was correct, reminded her of someone. A friend, a parent, a sibling? She couldn't remember but she knew one thing - that star reminded her of what she had to do - survive.

This taste of freedom, she was in a ruse that made herself as some adopted orphan of Danzo whose 'parent' had been abusive who just happened to die the moment there was an opening in a team. She knew that for this ruse a man who was most likely a homeless person of no consequence (but certainly not deserving) had died. She'd listened to the entire story - memorized everything out of pure habit and she was sure there had to be something more.

But tonight, she thinks no more.

Today,Tonight, she acts like a rebellious child who ought to show more respect to a man who had in goodwill taken her in - ironic really, and then not really. Her mind was jumbled but she would be fine.

The boy should arrive at dawn. I should probably go and lie down now - look like a hobo and harmless and everything.

Patting the soft grass, Sakura lulled herself to sleep.

Itachi found himself a ridiculous situation.

There was a child, probably no more than a year or so older than himself asleep in the meadow, a few moments to his family's forests.

He was alert and had scanned the perimeter for anything then proceeded to prod outwards then slowly inwards to where the girl lay for any enchantments or tricks. He found none, he was perplexed too.

On the girl's head lay a mop that resembled cherry blossom petals, her skin littered with a few cuts and bruises most likely from her trek into the forests, and earth-muddled clothing on her back. This was the exact girl they were looking for.

This was team 12's lost person.

His old genin team's lost person. A person they couldn't find within the span of a day. Itachi snapped a little at his line of thought. He didn't take tabs on his old teammates' affairs nor did he track their progress, he just happened on their misplaced folder files.

It was bordering preposterous on how they misplaced such an vital element and if they misplaced their mission files, what more hope did they have to find a small child so far from where they were searching day till night?

It was no wonder his father had urged after a few missions his replacement into another team - but if he had been a normal child, like this one, the boy's eyes found it's way to the petal haired girl, he would have stayed with his team for years, much like every single one of his peers.

Mentally sighing, as his thoughts caught darker tones.

This would not do, he supposed a small hint to his former teammates would not hurt.

Team 12 for all their efforts, was never truly a complete team.

The original members, Hitachin Samo, Inuzuka Hana and her three Haimaru brothers (which everyone else insisted didn't count, he thought so too but they might as well be included),so from the very start of their conception Team 12 lacked one human member. Two genin (and three puppies) to one jounin instructor.

Their first 'filler member' as they had dubbed them (there were quite a lot) had gone and dropped his ninja career for a civilian one. The second had gone and made himself a career in mail delivery. The third one had gone and gotten himself a promotion. The fourth was absolutely mad and had himself tucked into an asylum. The current one, was with an injury and was holed into the hospital.

They had faith in this one, he just might stay.

But then, hours after release he knocked himself flat with stones. So maybe not after all.

So now, team 12's original members which mainly meant himself, Inuzuka Hana and her dogs (their instructor was somewhere , anywhere, he really couldn't track off. The lazy sod. Besides if he counted them off, they made an entire team with an extra person or rather pup) were on their knees (and paws) calling out for a lost child.

They'd been at it for at least a day too.

This wasn't going well, was it?

Had he mentioned the dogs misplaced their mission files? (It was the dogs, honest!)

Itachi found himself lobbed with rock after rock, it didn't hit him but they were fast - too fast for a civilian child's.

He understood why the child was doing so, he would have too, albeit with a different arsenal, attack a stranger approaching him as he slept. He had no choice though, he tried calling out ("Excuse me?") but she wouldn't bulge so he took steps towards her.

"Will you hold still?", she asked as she proceeded to lob more stones, each one with more accuracy than the other.

"Stop trying to hit me then" Itachi raised his voice a little, just enough to carry to the girl.

"Run over there first," she pointed a little shy of too far before continuing, "-and shout why and what are you doing!"

Itachi jumped backwards until she seemed to have dropped her stones.

"Well?" the girl yelled over.

"You're lost" he said, and as if he only confirmed her darkest suspicions she proceeded to knit her brows before throwing a handful of stones scooped in a heartbeat.

He really were perplexed.

[Chapter end]

TBC.

A/N: I'm not sure whether or not Itachi had a genin team or if he was directly assigned into ANBU at age 2 (just joking), so I took the liberty of having him assigned to a team for a short while before getting bumped up into another more appropriate one and I'm quite sure he'd have to be the youngest of them since he graduated early. I also seem to have this head cannon that Hana Inuzuka was at some point in time Itachi's teammate? But I think not, must be one of my favorite author's influence.

And finally, they meet - meet! Its not much, but it's progress.

So I hope you enjoyed what little I've written and tell me what you think? Yes? No?

R&R!