She glanced at her hands. Red. Red was all she saw around her. How…? She didn't understand, she was tied not even a minute ago and the next thing she knows, she's up and free. But the people around her are all dead. Did she do this? Impossible. She couldn't have done something like this. It wasn't her. Sakura had never killed anyone. She… She couldn't have-

"You surpass my expectations Sakura-chan"

She didn't look away from her hands. They were still red. Oh god, it was a nightmare, it had to be- But it wasn't. There were corpses lying around her. It was her doing. And Orochimaru was enjoying it all.

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

16th January

"Genma?" He stopped on the same branch as his partner and glanced down, looking for what had caught his teammate's attention and froze at the sight. It was… ugly to say at least. Three bodies were on the ground, one of them missing a head and all lying in their own blood but what made him froze was the sight of the masks they were wearing. Kirigakure's ANBU. He frowned, trying to decipher as to why they were in the country of Fire. Unless there was one of their missing-nin roaming around, they had no business on their lands.

Small traces of blood going northwest caught his attention and he shared a glance with his teammate before they both stormed off in the direction. There was a chance that the responsible was still around since it looked like he was injured and for him to manage to kill three ANBU alone was an exploit, meaning that he must be quite strong.

But what they stumbled across wasn't a missing-nin, it wasn't even a shinobi.

It was a little girl.

With pink hair.

Genma would have made a comment about it if it wasn't for the state she was in: a bloody mess. He couldn't even see a single square of skin that wasn't covered by blood. He didn't know what happened but there was clearly something that didn't add up. What was she doing here in such a state and why there were three Kiri's ANBU lying dead some meters away from said girl who herself was in such a state that he could only assume she was dead.

A theory suddenly went through his head and he nearly snorted. Ridiculous. Impossible. It couldn't be.

"She's alive" He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his partner's voice. "We should get her back to Konoha" He watched as Boar carefully took the body in his arm before turning toward him "Dispose of the bodies and catch up" With that, he was gone.

The senbon user shook his head. Who would have thought that they would, one day, find Kakashi's missing -supposed dead- student?

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

4th March

Sakura wakes up to the steady sound of the monitor. There was an IV drip in her arm. Two to be precise. Still faking her sleep, she checks her surroundings and when she's sure there's no one around, she slowly opens her eyes to find herself in a completely bare room. And it was so white and that smell, the smell of antiseptic and oh god, was she back in the laboratory? Nononono- She was out, she had gotten out thanks to-

Feeling the panic rise, she yanked the needles out of her arm (she couldn't stand the sight of needles anymore) and stood up, or at least, tried to stand up but her body refused to move. By now, the monitor's beep wasn't as regular as when she had woken up and it was going to alert someone at some point. Finding the electrodes stuck on her chest, she easily got rid of them too and the sound immediately stopped.

Just as when she thought that she could keep up, her legs gave up and she found herself sprawled out on the floor. What was happening to her!? Why couldn't she move? What did Orochimaru do to her this time?

The window was right there.

Out. She had to get out.

Using her arms, she lifted herself to the window, now all she had to do was open it.

The door opened. She froze.

"Oh my! You shouldn't be up so soon miss Haruno!"

Bewildered, Sakura turned her head to see an old lady with white hair in which looked to be like a nurse uniform. "My, my, let's get you back to the bed and then I'll go alert Tsunade-sama"

Tsunade…same? As in… The legendary sannin?

As soon as the nurse left after making sure Sakura would stay in bed, the pink haired kunoichi realized three things: She wasn't in the laboratory, she had gotten out and she was in a hospital. Turning her head toward the window, she froze.

Clenching her fists, she let out a shaky breath. She was in Konoha. She was back. So why was she like this? Because they hadn't looked for her, because they had left her, because no one cared about little Sakura, because she didn't matter, because-

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

Tsunade's hand twitched. First, she had been forced to pass the night on some documents. Second : Her precious sake had been hidden by Shizune because 'she spent too much time drinking and there was so much paperwork pilling up' or something along those lines and just when she thought that she was going to flee to a nearby bar because she had a fcking headache and she absolutely needed something to relieve her stress before she murdered someone, she had been noticed of Haruno Sakura. That girl had finally woken up after two months and it was high time she got some answers and maybe Orochimaru's hideout localization.

So of course she had directly gone to the hospital to check on her and interrogate her but when she found the room empty and the window open, she nearly punched the wall beside her.

Her hand twitched again.

"That brat…."

Shizune nervously backed away from the blond woman. It was a miracle she hadn't already destroyed something.

"FIND HER!"

And of course, no one questioned the hole in the wall. After all, they had seen their Hokage pass in a fury and whoever was on the receiving end of her anger…. They wished him luck.

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

Another injection. Another seal. Pain. Again and again.

"Fufufufu! Who'd have thought that you'd be so… surprising! All those skills! A shame they never recognized the potential in you."

She didn't look at him, too focused on the body in front of her. She had just came back to her senses minutes ago but unlike the previous times, she remembered what she had done. She had killed that boy - No, she had tortured him for hours before he died. He was younger than her, probably around six and she had… She…

Monster. That's what she had become. That's what Orochimaru had turned her into.

She didn't dare go back to her parents. She didn't have the right to go back to them after all she had done and if they were to find it out… She didn't know how they would react. She didn't want them to be afraid of her.

Digging her nails even more in her arm, she stared at the nocturne view of Konoha below her. Perched on the top of the mountain, she could take in the whole view. The village was actually busing with life, some were out with their family, others drinking in a bar with some friends, children playing and running in the streets and Sakura realized that she wouldn't fit in the image, not anymore. She should leave. Leave Konoha.

Clenching her teeth, she stood up on her shaky legs -how long was she out for her body to be like that- and would have fallen if it wasn't for a hand that caught her.

"Careful here"

Immediately yanking herself free from his grip, she took a step back and looked at the man in front of her. He looked vaguely familiar with his brown hair and that senbon sticking out of his mouth, she must have already seen him around Konoha a few times.

"No need to look so defensive, I'm only here to take you back to the hospital."

Seeing as the girl was still on the defensive, he sighed. "Look, the Hokage is beyond pissed and it would be best if you just came with me. It's not like you have any other choice"

Taking a step forward, he surveyed her carefully. For someone who had just woken up after being in the coma, her muscles should be pretty weak but if she had managed to not only move but even make it on top of the mountain…. It was impressing.

"Do I really have to go?"

He blinked.

"What?"

Sakura shook her head. "Nothing. Can you take me to the Hokage tower instead? I'm… not really fond of hospitals"

Genma didn't even have to think about it for more than a second before grabbing her and transporting them both to the tower. It's not like he was fan of hospitals himself.

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

Another minute passed by.

Genma wondered for a moment why he was still here. It was nearly nine in the evening and he had a somewhere to be. He glanced back to the two females. He could have sworn that Tsunade was ready to yell when they had entered the office but as soon as she had looked at the pink haired genin, she somewhat calmed down. Which was weird.

Then she had just stared at her for five minutes without saying anything. Maybe she had been testing Sakura? Who knows, but said girl had not flinched nor broke eye contact with the blonde woman.

When the Hokage asked her to recall everything from the beginning 'till now to, the younger one answered by telling how she had been going home when she heard some noise and found out Hayate and Baki fighting, how Kabuto had chased her, when she woke up in something that looked like a laboratory and Orochimaru administering her something and then she had stopped. She said she didn't remember anything else.

Tsunade finally spoke up "Then we will have a Yamanaka go through your memories"

Sakura tensed for a split second, which didn't went unnoticed. "I would rather they didn't"

"And why is that?"

"I… just don't want them poking around my mind"

Crossing her arms, the Hokage frowned "Noncooperation can be considered as treason as it would mean you have something to hide from us. Now, you either cooperate or I'll let T&I deal with you ; either way, whatever you're hiding or do not want us to see… We will find it"

Genma frowned when the pink haired girl didn't respond. Saying that she didn't remember about anything else and then refusing them to look at her memories…

"Very well, T&I is it then"

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

Yamanaka Inoichi had expected some criminal from another nation when he opened the door, not Haruno Sakura, the best friend of his own daughter, who was supposed to be dead.

Looking at Genma, then at the Hokage, he opened his mouth before closing it.

What was she doing here?

"Inoichi, just proceed with it before she wakes up"

Ask questions after.

Reluctantly, he placed his fingers on her temples and closed his eyes.

Black. Black. And black.

He couldn't see anything else. It wasn't normal. He should have access to her whole mind so why couldn't he see anything?

"Inoichi-san"

He turned around.

"Sakura-"

"It would be best if you left this place"

"Why?"

"Leave. Inoichi-san, this is my last warning"

He took a step toward her, but as soon as he did so, something caught his foot. Then his hands. He still couldn't see anyting.

Looking up, Sakura was now standing right in front of him. Something was tied around his neck.

"What's going on Sakura?"

She placed her hand on his forehead and smiled before pushing him.

The Yamanaka gasped as he came back to his own body. What was that?

"Inoichi-san?"

He wiped his head and faced Genma who was handing him some tissue. He took them and gave a questioning look to the senbon user to which he answered by pointing to his nose.

Oh.

He was bleeding. That… never happened before.

"What happened?" Tsunade was standing at his right with a glowing hand, ready to heal him and Inoichi lowered his hand which was holding the tissue to let check.

"I couldn't access to her mind"

"What do you mean?"

"I was… forced out by Sakura"

This wasn't what she had been expecting. Finishing with Inoichi, she turned her eyes toward Kakashi's student. What did Orochimaru do to her?

Passing a hand through her hair, she thought about what she should do. She couldn't let the little Haruno on her own, who knows what she might do but the problem was that it's not like she could keep her in hospital and with her parents gone… And Hatake was out on a long-term mission. If only-

She whipped her head toward the other occupant of the room.

Perfect.

Genma didn't like the look his Hokage was giving him.

/Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ/

And he was right not to. Now he was stuck babysitting that kid. Like he hadn't anything better to do. And it's not like it was his kid to begin with, it was Kakashi's but he was on a mission and there was no one else for this and since he 'needed some time off from missions to let his shoulder heal' and also he 'can think of it as a C-rank and he's going to get paid'. His shoulder was fine!

He sighed, suddenly tired, as he glanced back at the kunoichi- No, kid on his bed and resigned himself for sleeping on the couch for the night.

Joy.

Wow! I didn't expect so many reviews, favs and follows! Thanks a lot guys! And sorry for the wait.

431101134 : Thanks a lot! I'm honored that this story gripped your interest so much that you even read the same chapter twice! Hope to see you around this time too!

AltenativeFutureFan27 : Aha, the title is kind of confusing, maybe I'll change it in the future or try to give it a meaning or... Oh well, I'll find a way.

Naomipy : Thanks! Here's the chapter!

LyrahVL : Ah well, you'll have to wait to find out more, for now, it's only the beginning so hope you're going to enjoy the journey! And I know right but well, we have to admit that nobody really cared much about her since she was seen as weak and 'fangirl' and since her parents weren't even home...

Circa : In that case, I'm honored to have gripped your interest my dear! Like said in the previous answer, Sakura was, in the beginning at least, a person you wouldn't really pay attention to.

theselfproclaimedgreatest7 : Here you go buddy! But you'll have to wait a little bit more to know what really happened and how it will evolve.

'Till next time my dear readers!