The Girl They Never Saw [Completed]

Chapter 7 ~ Falling Leaves

      "No one is perfect. It is our flaws that make us beautiful, and our weaknesses that make us strong." -Sakura Haruno

      Sakura flipped through the file, her agitation growing with every page. Whoever they were, they knew everything about her.

Name: Sakura Haruno

Date of Birth: March 28

Hair Color: Pink

Eye Color: Green

Chakra Nature: Earth, Water

      They had her academy test results, her old Aozora identity card, all her mission scrolls from the time she was a genin. Sakura could only stare. They even had a script of her confession in the hospital way back when she was five. Sakura smiled at that. Kokushibyo. She'd had good taste, even as a kid.

      She stared for a moment at a photo tucked in with her Graduation Certificate. It was of Team 7, back when they were twelve. She traced her finger across the material. I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei. She bit her lip. I never meant for this to happen.

Third: Why are you telling us this? If what you say is true, you posses the ability to destroy us all. So why confess? Why let yourself be caught?

      Did he know? Did he know that someday I would do just that?

Haruno: *takes a moment to respond, becomes sad* Because I don't want to be a monster. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

      But I am. I am a monster. And I can never go back to who I used to be. Sorry isn't good enough.

      Sakura flung the file away from her, and the contents scattered across the office floor. Without bothering to pick them up, she fled the room. She had to get out of here. She had to escape.

      She crashed into a person, and sent them both sprawling to the ground. "Ah!" She gasped in pain as she felt her ankle twist.

      The person was wearing the same cloak that Itachi had been wearing earlier. He had longish blond hair, and a slightly dazed expression. His blue eyes met hers. "Oh, sorry about that." He muttered, rubbing his head.

      Sakura forced herself to her feet, and smiled through the pain. This was nothing. She was nothing. "No, I'm the one who wasn't looking where I was going." He must be an Akatsuki, which means Itachi brought me to them. How perfectly ironic.

      His eyes widened. "Hey, you're the girl Itachi brought in!"

      She offered him a hand. "Yeah, that's me."

      He took it, and she pulled him to his feet, trying not to wince at the flare of pain in her ankle. "Thanks." He said.

      She sidestepped. "Well, I have to go find a certain Uchiha. See you later."

      He nodded. "See you."

      The girl brushed passed him, and Deidara froze. He wasn't an expert at sensing chakra, or a medic, but he could suddenly tell that her ankle had twisted, probably from the fall. Yet she kept walking without so much as a limp, and her face showed no sign of pain. He stared at her retreating back, wondering just who in the world this strange pink-haired girl was.

      Itachi was at the training grounds, practicing his taijutsu skills. They were nearly perfect, but perfect was his minimum. He had to be better.

      He heard a noise behind him, and on instinct swung his foot up in a kick. Someone caught his foot, and he took a good look at the person.

      Sakura stood before him, pink hair drifting softly down her back. She was still in the pink and black outfit she'd been in when he found her in the woods, but it was clean and immaculate. She held his foot casually, as though it hadn't had the force to kill her. As though it were nothing to perfectly block one of Itachi Uchiha's moves.

      Itachi lowered his leg. "Kami, Sakura! Don't creep up on me like that!" He couldn't keep the relief out of his voice, and Sakura noticed.

      "Aw, was someone worried about me?" She teased.

      He glared at her, but there was no venom behind it. "Just don't pass out on me without warning again!" He exclaimed defensively.

      She hugged him, and after a moment of surprise he hugged her back. "I won't." She muttered into his chest.

      When she stepped backward there was a smirk on her face. "But you're getting sloppy. That attack was weak."

      Itachi raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh really?"

      She nodded. "Come at me for real."

      I did. He thought, but what he said was, "Are you sure? You just woke up!"

      She gave him a glare. "Don't treat me like a lady, Itachi." She warned. "You know I could pummel you."

      Itachi nodded. "Hn." He slid into an offensive stance, and her a defensive one.

      After a moment of silence, Itachi sprang forward. Sakura dodged his first strike, and his second. She blocked a punch, and dodged again. Her agility and poise reminded Itachi of a dancer. The drum of their strikes was her beat, and her hair twisted and spun around her in time with her movements.

      He didn't even realize that she had disappeared until he felt an arm close around his throat. "Don't let your opponent get behind you." She breathed in his ear.

      He stiffened, then relaxed. "Don't let your opponent escape your sight." He laughed, and dissipated in a puff of smoke.

      Sakura smirked, and twisted sharply, ducking as his kunai whizzed through the air her head had occupied. She sprang into the air, and performed a triple backflip. Itachi's eyes widened as he recognized the move. A kunai pierced the tree behind him, and Itachi felt blood run down the side of his cheek.

      He wiped it away and glared fiercely at the rosette, only to find that she had vanished again. Another kunai pressed against his throat. "I win." Sakura hissed.

      Itachi stared at her out of the corner of his eye. She had been unconscious for three days, had under average chakra levels, and yet had beaten him, Itachi Uchiha, without breaking a sweat. No, he realized, there was a light sheen on her forehead. Suddenly she screamed, and dropped to the ground, clutching at her ankle. The kunai clattered to the concrete, and she closed her eyes in pain. They flew open as a violet-colored diamond appeared on her forehead, and black marks wove down her face, neck, and arms.

      Itachi was stunned. She has a Yin Seal? Only Tsunade, the legendary sannin, can use that technique! He stood stock still, unsure of what to do.

      After a moment, Sakura sighed in relief and stretched out on her back. Her marks faded, and the diamond disappeared. She smiled at the sky, oblivious to Itachi's astonished expression.

      Itachi furrowed his brow at his former pupil. Just what exactly had she been doing the past ten years?

Author's Note ~ Starting now, I update on Tuesdays and Fridays only. I just need a schedule, this random stuff is killing me.

Fun Fact: February 19 (tomorrow) is my birthday! Yay me! As a present, I would love for you all to go read my other Naruto Fanfiction. It's called In This Lifetime, and it's sort of a love letter from Itachi to Izumi. (Shamelessly self-advertising).

Thank you everyone who read, voted, commented, or followed! You guys make my day!

This chapter is dedicated to LibbyVanDyke, because a.) she's my mom, and b.) she's fantastic. Thanks Mom! 

-Aka