Disclaimer: This is a fan-based adventure... I disclaim all rights for the characters of Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto is a genius and full recognition is to be paid to him.

Author's Note: This is a Non-Massacre AU (Alternate Universe). Chapter 1 & 2 will be rated T, after that it's all M. If you are under the age of 18 and do not have parental permission to be reading mature pieces please refrain from doing so and search for other fanworks. You have been warned!

**Thank you to my reviewer who pointed out I had a few mistakes. It allowed me to go back and find those little nuisances in this chapter and correct them.

Chapter One: The Set-Up

oOo

The dark shinobi turned to the distraught young kunoichi, wind sweeping his black locks in front of his penetrating gaze. They were standing mere feet from their ruined village, surrounded by the carnage that had taken place just hours ago but neither could avert their eyes from one another.

"I have never forgotten about you," the curvaceous woman whispered. "I always knew you would return to us some day."

The hardened avenger shot a rigid, unreadable look at the girl standing before him. "You were a fool to wait."

"I can't change who I am," she shot back, her pride disallowing her to be mocked, but her eyes still filled with tears as she took in the handsome, damaged façade of the man ahead of her and she sank to her knees as the strength within her limbs finally gave out. "I have never stopped caring about you," she confessed.

She received no reply but he did not move either. She'd known this boy since her youth, his habits, his faults. He might be dark and twisted inside, but he was listening.

Hope dusted a rose-colored blush over her high cheek bones. "You are free now. You've brought down the man that destroyed your clan, avenged your brother…" The kunoichi balled her fists near the ground to keep them from reaching out to him. "Will you stay this time?"

She turned her watery eyes up at the man that had helped save their village at the last crucial moment. "Will you stay… with me?"

A shadow fell over the kunoichi as the young man finally approached her kneeling form. His chest was bare, his body cut and burned in multiple places, his pants torn to ribbons and the sword at his side held on only by a string. He would have many scars from this day and she could help heal all those easily… but more importantly she wanted his trust - to help him heal his biggest wound... The wound on his heart.

"You don't understand what you're asking," his replied heavily, his voice so much deeper and more solemn than she'd ever remembered. The years had taken their toll on him though he remained attractive in her eyes.

"I do," she swore, her heart beating faster. She prayed to any god willing to listen – to keep him here, to give her a chance – to let him stay.

She watched him reach forward with the only hand he could still use and she let him cup her cheek with the ravaged appendage. He was silent for a moment before dragging her upwards, urging her petite form closer to his muscular body.

"I've attempted to destroy your village, kill the people you love … make you nothing but a memory," his hand tightened its hold, threatening but also soft around her neck.

She should have felt in mortal danger to be this close to someone so capable of malevolence but she couldn't lie to her heart. "You ended up saving this village, sparing my friends and you're here now – with me," she tried again, reaching up to hold his broad shoulders closer. She felt a tender scoff leave his lips as it brushed ear and she just knew what he was thinking. That she was infuriating and always had been.

His arm slipped down her back and he leaned the weight of his body close against her. "Will you take all of me then?" His tone held a mysterious sultry promise.

Twin lines of tears leaked out of from the corner of her eyes and she knew she'd won. "Give me everything you've got, my love," she whispered back.

The End

...

...

"What a load of shit," Sakura murmured, popping a potato-chip into her mouth and chewing loudly.

With her free hand she flipped Jiraiya's latest book closed and let out a small 'hmph', letting her toes wiggle on the desk top she was theoretically supposed to be using as a workbench. It made a nice leg rest.

Leaning back into her chair she jiggled the now empty foil bag and watched the ceiling lights flicker above.

"I would have stopped that little emo before he had the chance to leave the village," she mused sardonically, half tossing the novel onto a free space on the desk and swinging her legs down so her feet could seek out the high-heels she'd carelessly kicked off an hour or so ago.

She liked Jiraiya's work. Hell, most of the Nin in Konoha enjoyed Jiraiya's work. But sometimes he could be a little over dramatic for her tastes.

Brushing potato crumbs off of her white lab coat she stretched her hands to the ceiling and let out a bored grunt. Reading was one of the many ways she passed her time down here in the Konoha's underground labs.

The Toxin Unit, a small, modest, unknown group of ninja who analyzed and brewed chemicals for the village's more active shinobi. Sakura could claim she was a part of this crowd, though, as she looked around at the empty room she could admit it wasn't really a crowd. Save for herself and the lab equipment that dotted the room she was the only one here.

She puffed out a breath and reached for the stack of messy documents on top of the desk sent from the Hospital above.

Analyze,

Analyze,

Re-fill,

Re-make…

She'd gotten this position because five years ago there had been an attack on the Sandaime during Konoha's hosting of the Chuunin Exams. If it hadn't been for the quick actions of Konoha's elite shinobi and the Uchiha Police Force – the attack might have succeeded and she might be living a completely different lifestyle right now, however, the Sandaime had lived after the attempted assault and an order to re-call the Slug-Princess Tsunade had been issued so the Third could retire.

Her first memory of the big-busted blonde was from standing atop Konoha's walls near the gates while an impressive contingent of elite ANBU guard escorted the regal kunoichi and her entourage into the village. Like everyone else she had been completely enamored with the strength and grace this woman represented. One of the Legendary Sannin, beautiful, powerful, respected, everything Sakura could ever hope to be.

Someone should have just shot her in the foot that day – to make it easier on her.

Once the woman had taken up the mantle of leadership she demanded a lot, and suddenly what Sakura wanted seemed unreachable. Her team mates went on to become chuunin without her the year following and her genin-instructor was re-listed into ANBU without leaving a replacement sensei for her.

It had been trifling but she'd had dreamy visions of the future and applied herself to the arts of medical ninjitsu, hoping to catch-up with her separated team and impress the Hokage enough to petition for an apprenticeship.

She'd been turned down.

. . .

Five times. . .

Sakura scowled at the memory, letting a frown line mar the space between her pink brows.

She knew she wasn't powerful but she was smart god-damnit, and resourceful! And she would have been great if given the chance.

It had been after the second rejection that the Hokage's first apprentice Shizune – a quiet, kind woman with a tendency to over worry about things – stepped in and asked Sakura to join her Toxin Unit.

She was grateful for Shizune's kindness. With her, she was never belittled for not being strong enough or fast enough, just encouraged to learn more and make-do with her skills. Sakura had absorbed everything the dark haired woman was willing to teach her. But sometimes it just wasn't enough.

Now five years later she was a faceless chuunin who worked for Konoha down in a basement.

She was still in contact with a few of her academy peers but rarely saw her genin-team. Sasuke had always been too busy training to become his clan's next Police Force Captain to ever bother with her affectionate visits and Naruto had left immediately after the Chuunin Exams with Jiraiya on a top-secret mission that brought him back three years later. He was now one of the most active shinobi on the mission rosters and she rarely saw him.

By word of mouth she'd heard those two had graduated to jounin status recently. She tried to hold back an eye-roll but it got away from her anyway.

Good for them.

She meandered over to a burner slowly fermenting a foul smelling substance in steel pot and crossed off something on a document. It seemed like Naruto and Sasuke were living their dreams and she – she watched a bubble slowly rise and belch out a pocket of air – she had god-awful smelling poison and enough free time to watch mold grow. Making a face at the lethal brew she fetched an empty vial from nearby and spooned some of the goop inside – the brown liquid gurgled at her from its small confines.

Senbon poison, she corked the stuff and pocketed the vial; it was Shizune-senpai's favorite and a high request item for her division.

Speaking of Shizune, she might have returned by now. Switching off the burner she grabbed a set of keys off of her desk and headed to the only door that led to and from this floor. One neat thing about her job was the high security clearance that came with it. No one but the Hokage, Shizune, and herself had keys to this place and the door was always locked. It could be a jail or sanctuary depending on the day.

She found Shizune on the third floor giving a run down to the nurse on duty. "No fatal damages, minor abrasions healed on-route..." she overheard the voice of her mentor articulate.

Sakura stopped a few feet away, leaning against the wall. Shizune was always polite with people, even during her more wigged out moments.

The pair parted and Shizune caught sight of her. "Sakura," the black haired woman called out with a smile.

"Senpai," Sakura nodded back at the older woman. "How'd the mission go?" Try as she might, Sakura couldn't quite hide the excitement laced into the question.

Shizune gave her a soft-eyed upside down smile and started removing the jounin vest and the medic gear she had yet to unpack.

"It just ended this morning."

Sakura felt a little chastised for asking but it had been years since she'd been out in the field and thinking about her genin-days made her a bit nostalgic today.

"I know better than to ask for details. Though," she pulled the small item out of her lab coat, "I did come up here with a purpose." Sakura tossed the vial to the other woman.

Shizune's eyes went wide before her shinobi reflexes kicked-in and quickly caught the airborne item. She gave Sakura a disapproving frown before looking down at the tube in her hand, rolling it in her palm. "It's still warm," she hummed offhandedly.

Sakura smirked a bit. "Fresh this morning," she crossing her arms over her torso and cocked a foot to one side.

Shizune's eyes took on a humored cast. "Well done, I'll have to remember to teach you a harder recipe next time I get a free moment."

Which Shizune rarely had these days. Sakura moved a couple feet to stand next to one of the hallway windows. A vision of Naruto, Sasuke, and a younger version of herself skipping merrily out of the hospital towards village market across the street crossed her mind's eye. She exhaled slowly. Yeah, definitely nostalgic today.

"Sakura."

Her eyes never left the sunny view but she cocked her head towards her some-times mentor to let her know she was listening.

"Why don't you try working up here," Shizune tried, "It would get you out of that windowless lab and maybe Tsunade-sama…"

"No thanks Shizune-senpai," Sakura interrupted gently. "If I couldn't be down in the labs I'd want to be out there in the trenches." She meant it as a light joke but the truth of the matter was she was still smarting from the Hokage's last rejection – which was approximately 2 weeks ago – and she didn't feel like facing that reality just yet.

Shizune squeezed the young woman's slim shoulders before letting her hand drop and heading for the door, "Keep trying Sakura. One day it'll happen."

Sakura turned and scrunched her nose. "Yeah, like when I'm really old or ready to retire."

Shizune laughed on her way out. "There are other option's out there. You can do anything you set your mind to, Sakura," she called.

Sakura let the wrinkle on the bridge of her nose soften out and she smiled at the empty doorway. That was Shizune for you, she never pushed an issue enough to make you uncomfortable. It's no wonder she was such a highly sought after medic, and entirely off the market for anyone who thought to try. Shizune was currently being courted by a one Uchiha Shisui. He was nice enough guy, especially for an Uchiha, though entirely encourageable and an incurable flirt. He was also completely head over heels for the woman.

She navigated the floors and hallways until she stood at the lobby's front desk. The lobby was moderately busy and she could hear the late afternoon summer cicadas chirping outside over the noises of the nurses, random civilians, and shinobi coming in and out of the glass doors. She was about to sign out when a heavy weight plowed into her upper body.

"Sa-ku-ra!" The familiar voice sing-songed in a totally inappropriate volume for a hospital.

She pushed the long blonde hair obscuring the sign-out sheet out of the way and detangled the slender, mostly bare, arms from her shoulders, her cheek muscles ticking rapidly.

"Ino."

"Mou," the beautiful blonde pouted just as loudly, "Here I came all this way to see you down in that dark hole of yours and," she pressed her nose into the jumping cheek on Sakura's face, "Isn't it too early to be on PMS?"

This time Sakura's eyebrow twitched along with her cheek. People around them were giving them odd looks and she just knew the she-demon had done that on purpose. "Pig, outside," she ground out.

Her heels clacked heavily on the tiled floor as she half-dragged her best friend and one-time rival towards the lobby doors.

Ino, bless her pig-headed heart, had followed her on her journey in medic training but had ended up on the field due to her family's influence and her blood-line trait. They trained together and generally kept in touch whenever Ino wasn't mission bound.

"I don't know how many times, you-," Sakura cut short her rant and took a deep breath of the slightly humid air, stopping once they reached the outer brick wall. "What is it, Pig?"

Ino puffed her cheeks at the pink haired girl, unknowingly giving Sakura the exact pig-like image she was named for, but held back the retort and switched gears. "I've got good news," the hyper teen chirped.

Uh-oh. When Ino ignored insults in-lieu of gossip it meant it was about her. Sakura's arms crossed over her lower chest defensively.

"Naruto's team is back…."

She deflated a little. "Oh, well if that's all–"

Ino shook her head fervently, "Oh no, you listen to this," she berated with a foot stomp to accentuate the order, "Naruto's team is back AND he's a jounin now."

Sakura lifted an eyebrow and tapped a finger against her bicep in an expression that clearly said, "And?".

Ino rolled her eyes and started bouncing on the balls of her nin-sandals, making her lengthy pony-tail swing back and forth and her tiny purple outfit fill out to proportions that seemed indecent. "Sakura where have you been!" She rushed the surprised girl and started shoving her towards to village. "Both of your boys are jounin now!"

"They are not my boys." Sakura snapped.

Ino 'tsked' and marched Sakura through the crowded streets to a relatively empty food and beverage stand that provided shade from the bright sun. "Just put this one through your thick forehead for a moment."

Sakura glared at the blonde.

Ino quickly waved away an eager server boy and turned back to Sakura excitedly, "Jounin means privileges!"

Somewhere in the last five years she'd forgotten how to speak Ino. "Not following."

Ino gave her a flat look and leveled a finger in her direction. "I worry about you Forehead, I really do."

After this morning's trip down memory lane Sakura's fuse was wearing kinda thin and she let it show on her face.

"Okay okay," Ino relented, "I'll spell it out for you. Jounin Headquarter… after-hours… Lounge…"

Sakura guessed that Ino was very proud of herself at this moment. "What about it, Ino?"

"Duh!" she said excitedly, "We've always wanted to go!"

Pink brows lowered over bright green eyes and Sakura leveled a finger back in Ino's direction. "You've always wanted to go," she corrected. She could start to see where Ino was taking this.

"Saaa...ku-ra," Ino whined in a very undignified manner befitting a 17 year old.

The girl in question started tapping her toe against the ground. "Let me get this straight," Sakura's low ponytail fell over one shoulder as she leaned forward, "You want me to ask Naruto – who I barely see or talk to these days – to invite you to the Jounin Lounge… which, by the way, is a highly exclusive night life place who only serve jounin status or higher and/or by invite thereof."

"Us, I want him to invite us," Ino corrected her.

"Why haven't you talked with Naruto yourself?"

"He tends to escape every time I'm around," she pouted.

"And you haven't said anything about Sasuke because…"

Ino's look turned a bit peevish. "He's a cold fish."

Sakura leered at her old rival. "You mean you already asked him and he turned you down."

It was Ino's turn to glower and twitch in funny places on her face.

Sakura's mood lightened a bit. Ino's discomfort was always a good subject.

"Oh come on!" Ino finally broke, pleading. "Do this for me?"

A corner of her mouth turned down and she worried the inside of her cheek with her teeth. "I don't know Ino." Going to this hoity-toity, selective joint was definitely stretching it for her – especially under the guise of asking Naruto out. She could still talk politely with Naruto now and again but this situation had 'uncomfortable' written all over it.

Ino's baby blues grew large and Sakura was pretty sure she was saying please, please, please in the little sip-motions her bottom lip was making.

"What about Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, any of the other jounin I'm sure would be happy to take you?"

Ino sent a disgusted look in Sakura's direction. "I'm not sure if I should answer that smart aleck remark because I'd think you'd already know."

Sakura pushed her bangs out of her face and smoothed the non-existent wrinkles out of her skirt and blouse.

"Sakura if it's you and me think of the opportunities, the possibilities," Ino said with a dreamy, almost pervy, laugh.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow at that and noticed the tiny speck of drool starting to gather at the corner of her friend's mouth. Damn. This was about chasing a guy. This meant Ino would bother her for weeks if she refused her.

Ino blinked out of her fantasy and pulled her most winning puppy-eyed expression, "One favor, just one teensy little ol'favor and I promise to never yell in your hospital again, or steal anymore of your shoes, or put nail polish messages on your mirror-"

"Fine. Wait what!" Sakura was about to ask what in the hell Ino meant by that when the teen sped past her, taking her along for the ride.

"All we have to do is get you out of these lab-smocks and put you in the right place," she said breathlessly, zipping in and out of dirt roads and narrowly missing civilians at breakneck speed with the pinkette in tow.

Sakura tried to disengage Ino's hand from her person. "What's wrong with my lab coat and stop already! Where are you-?"

"Ah-ha!" Ino put on the brakes and Sakura was forced to slide to a stop. When she caught her breath she reached over and punched Ino in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's for the nail polish on the mirror," Sakura said looking around. They were in front of Ichiraku's Ramen Stand but no one was there.

Ino's sputtering ended with a shrewd look around the shop. "He'll be here eventually," she muttered petulantly, rubbing at her shoulder, "It's the most predictable place to look when he's in town."

That was something that hadn't changed since they were genin apparently. Sakura felt on guard in places like this. If it wasn't for Ino she would have probably avoided it all together. She had the sensation of being watched and her arms came up reflexively when she caught Ino eyeballing her up and down.

"Not that this is a competition or anything but I'm so gonna win this." Ino raised waggling fingers and gave Sakura a nano-second warning before wrenching off clothing items and rearranging folds in the other chuunin's outfit.

"Whew…," she wiped a strand of her blond hair behind her ear, "There, now you look hot."

Sakura felt manhandled. "You're right, this isn't a competition," she said, yanking her white coat out of her friend's arms. "And if it was you'd still lose."

Ino wasn't listening, she was nodding to herself approvingly. "Now about that hair…"

"Pig, leave the hair alone," Sakura snarled, one hand moving protectively over her glossy tresses.

Ino backed off with a skip to her step. "When we go out Ms. Lab-Rat, you have to let me dress you… but for right now, you are the perfect Naruto bait."

Sakura shook her head sharply. She was unable to define all the feelings that came with being called bait but sucked it in and moved towards the ramen stand anyway. "You'll be returning all of my shoes after this," she threatened. No wonder Shikamaru headed for the hills whenever Ino started brewing plans.

Ino refrained from making a statement, predictably, and followed behind until the two procured seats at the booth.

"I'm only here until dinner rush, then I'm outta here." The sun was already starting to decline, leaving a lingering summer heat with a cool breeze tickling the uncovered skin of her legs. Damn she felt naked without her coat.

The gleam in Ino's eyes told her all she needed to know. Sakura was stuck until they found Naruto tonight and procured a guaranteed entry to that lounge. She had to admit, … when the blonde wanted something bad enough, she was rabid.

She was twiddling with the menu and about to ask Ino the intricate details of her plan to fill the empty awkward atmosphere when a voice stopped her mid-thought.

"S-Sakura-chan?"

Her head felt just the tiniest bit uncoordinated and chalky at the almost baritone behind her.

"Naruto!" Ino exclaimed with false shock, clapping her hands together animatedly, "What a pleasant surprise."

Sakura smiled tentatively and squinted at the large man-shaped shadow the sun cast behind them. "…Hi Naruto-kun." She swallowed a lump in her throat, "It's been awhile, ne?"

The mass of golden-blonde hair was the first thing that came in to focus. Next was the grin that stretched from ear to ear that she remembered so well... except this time it belonged to a face much more leaner and chiseled. A lot has changed since we were young, she guessed.

"Wow Sakura-chan, it has been a while. You look great!" he whistled appreciatively.

Ino's grin couldn't have been any eviler.

Author's Note: Back from the great beyond. I am very rusty and haven't written a piece in YEARS. Installments will come fairly regularly and will be rated M pretty quickly from here on out. Review if you love it. Cheers!