It is a series of events that shapes the person we will be; there is not one event that can truly be a ‘turning point’ in one’s life.

The truth is that it is a build up that changes us. It is that one moment in our lives that tips the balance of who we are and who we will become.

The tipping point for Sakura, the series of events that lead up to this very moment in her life when the only thing that mattered was survival, when all her reason was crushed, when all her innocence and virtue meant absolutely nothing...

The very moment Sakura became a shinobi was not her first kill, was not her induction into a world darker then the place under the bed where monsters hid at night nor was it the crashing of thunder in the sky that brought back bad memories or the blood that dripped from the gash on her chin or the bodies scattered around the forest floor.

When she touched her hands to the wooden chest of the man she loved like a father and looked up to him with devotion and attachment and pure love, her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

The very moment Sakura stopped being a child was when her hands curled around the circular container containing Sasori’s heart and with his eyes watching her every movement, she removed the heart from his chest and the destroyed body of the puppet she had always thought of as human.

Sakura removed his heart, and he stopped being.

Sakura removed his heart and her childhood stopped dead.

Xoxoxoxoxox

Chapter 10: Childhood’s End Part I

Hear the destruction of childhood through the sound of cries and fear and the fall of sweat and blood.

Xoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

Sakura had never run so fast in her entire life, it was multiple times that she had slipped and had to catch herself on the branch again and again until finally she convinced herself to slow down.

The thirteen-year-old Sakura carried Sasori’s heart with her, pressed to her chest in its container, pressed to her heart as she ran.

Knuckles turning white with her grip, baby fat long gone with the years and eyes concentrating hard on the path ahead.

Sakura pushed herself on through the onslaught of emotions and duty that strangled her.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Earlier that week…

It had never been like Sasori to come home late from a mission. In fact, the puppet master had always been unduly prompt, even early on many occasions.

Sakura knew her otou-san always hated to be left waiting; so in return he did not keep others wondering where he was.

This time was different.

Sakura paced the length of her room irritably, Deidara had been sent out on a solo mission as well. In fact, the entire Akatsuki excluding herself was out of the base.

It had taken awhile but Tobi had been inducted to the Akatsuki by Pein (even though Deidara had protested vehemently.)

Sakura stopped in her tracks.

Even Tobi had left her.

Feeling suddenly crushingly alone Sakura looked around her room, the shelves that lined the wall with familiar things and the canopied bed that sat at the far end of the room, centered against the wall offered her no comfort.

The feeling only grew as she looked at the little bear, bunny and doll she had received over the years and in a completely childish gesture she raced forward and scooped the tiny bear up and squeezed it to her chest, amazingly after all the years she had kept it, the bear still felt new.

The chakra infused clay keeping the shape and mold of the teddy bear she had first received long ago during days that she could hardly remember now.

Squeezing the bear tightly to her Sakura turned and left her room, she couldn’t be in there right then, it just made her too lonely.

Xoxoxoxoxo

If Kakashi was expecting something other then what he had found after he had tracked down the pink-haired girl, he was sorely mistaken.

Somehow he had managed to completely and totally bypass any and all of the current shinobi staying at the hidden base wither it was luck or something completely separate he just thankful.

Pakkun had followed Sakura’s scent from the village; it was obvious they’d taken her in a hurry.

The only thing was, he couldn’t tell what in the world the situation was...

Was she a captive? Maybe she was a daughter, sister or something completely and totally off his radar?

He knew one thing for certain, he couldn’t just up and leave, seeing as this might be his only chance to get at the kid, friend or foe, he made his move.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

The first one back to the base had been Kakuzu, and in his entirely grumpy manner he had grudgingly walked down the hallway past his own room to the little pinkette’s room.

He had sworn up and down he’d check on her when Deidara had been forced to leave before anyone else had gotten back from a mission, thus being forced to leave Sakura alone in the base.

So true to his word, grudgingly so, Kakuzu knocked on Sakura’s door…

Only to find it empty.

So with an annoyed sigh Kakuzu began his search.

He did not like what he found.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

It was just a coincidence when Deidara, Itachi and Kisame all returned to the base at the same time, and as they passed through the halls they all came to a stop at the kitchen, where Kakuzu sat.

The beady eyes of the teddy bear stared at him as he turned it in his wired hands.

The blood rushed from Deidara’s face at the strange, contemplating expression on Kakuzu’s face.

“Sakura’s gone.”

The statement was received in relative silence, “She’s been taken to Konoha.”

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sakura woke up in a place she didn’t recognize, with people she didn’t recognize, the faces of men that were hidden by masks surrounded her, and Sakura became scared.

“What-?”

“Haruno Sakura.”

Sakura’s eyes nervously swung to the man standing in the middle of the other two ANBU, “H-hai?”

She replied, the nervous feeling in her gut wrenched, what was going on?

Xoxoxoxoxo

Kakashi sat in a chair outside the Hokage’s office where the Elders had taken to conference eons ago.

With the Hokage’s death the village had been thrown into mass turmoil, Orochimaru had disappeared and all traces of Sound had practically vanished.

Kakashi, despite knowing the village was the first priority, couldn’t help but be silently outraged that ANBU had immediately seized the opportunity and taken the small pinkette to the ANBU headquarters.

He knew that everyone entering or leaving the village at this point would be under surveillance until further notice but this was wrong.

They had no idea if she had been kidnapped.

They had no idea if she was an enemy.

They had no idea that when he had entered the massive underground base he had found the little girl crying into her teddy bear, huddled in a room that obviously no child lived in and shaking like a leaf.

They had no god damned idea.

So standing, Hatake Kakashi once again pushed his case to be seen by the Elders to the young Jounin trying to keep things in order in the Tower.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sakura didn’t answer, she couldn’t, she didn’t understand the question.

“W-what?”

The ANBU rephrased the question, “What is your relationship with the Sound Village?”

Sakura shook her head, distressed, “I-I don’t know, I guess I don’t really like the Oto-nin…they-they’re-not-very-nice….” The little girl finished in a rushed, hushed whisper, pressing her back to the chair she was sitting in, fighting the fear and confusion and the exhaustion that pulled at her.

She was tired and scared and uncomfortable and she wanted to go home, she wanted to go home so badly she thought she was going to curl up and die.

Sakura hated this, she hated it!

She couldn’t stop herself; she started to cry, tears coming freely now, “I want my Otou-sans!”

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

The elders glanced at each other; they understood the situation thoroughly, however…

“An enemy is an enemy, wither or not this is the case must be determined first and foremost.”

Hatake Kakashi fought back an exasperated sigh, “I understand that, what I’m saying is that maybe it shouldn’t be handled by ANBU.”

“She was a participant of the Chunnin Exams, think of this as an extension, any Chunnin would be able to handle a few questions.”

Yeah. Right.

Xoxoxoxoxo

Sakura was livid, positively and completely livid, tears fell down her cheeks as she sniffed and glared daggers at the ANBU.

They were going to use a truth serum on her, they were going to hypnotize her, they were going to hold her down here until her intentions were clear.

They were talking about her right in front of her, they were thinking of ways to make a little kid talk. Sakura’s hands fisted on the seat she was sitting rigidly in.

She didn’t have enough strength to break out the room with the three men inside. It had been only a day since she had been found unconscious on the forest floor.

And now, here she sat, barefooted, no identifying accessories (the ring she had been given sat on her bed stand), shorts and a shirt.

Sakura ground her teeth together; she disliked these people greatly, they wanted her to tell them about her families’ secrets. Though they didn’t quite know that’s what they were asking.

So Sakura did something she had never done before, and in very simple terms… Sakura stopped her own heart with a jolt of chakra, she focused her mind and overwhelmed it with a rapid burst of energy.

And not knowing what would happen to her, only that this act would, undoubtedly, cause her to pass out…

Sakura put herself into a coma.

Suddenly falling out of the chair and landing motionless on the ground, three stunned ANBU staring at her in surprise.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The chunin standing guard, spread thin around the village wearily rubbed the backs of their necks as chills ran down their spins.

It would be easy to get lost in their imaginations with the evening quickly approaching, shadows sprawling around them, but they had to stand guard, they couldn’t have people sneaking around the village…now could they?

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Sasori arrived at the base with a weary, slowed stride, he was a little low on chakra after the last mission, he hadn’t been expecting the chaos he had run into during his last run. It certainly hadn’t been life threatening for the puppet master but it had been draining.

Stepping down the hall of the almost eerily silent Akatsuki hideout Sasori began suspiciously searching around the base for any signs of chakra signatures.

There was only one.

Stepping swiftly down the hall and entering Sakura’s room he paused.

“What are you doing here?”

The blue haired woman didn’t smile, just a slight upturn of lips as she gave her head a little bob, “I have a message for you.”

It just wouldn’t do for chichi-sasori-no-dono to not know about his favorite doll, now would it?

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Kakashi rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hands, pressing to relieve the pressure in his head; he pulled his hands away and saw spots. He heaved another sigh and shifted in the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair.

He hated hospitals, he really did.

That smell of antiseptic, the quiet echoing all around them amplifying anything that shifted, moaned or cried out. He rubbed his face again, looking impatiently at the two ANBU positioned at either side of the door.

He once again shifted, he couldn’t sit still, there was no way he could stop moving now, his mind wouldn’t let him, so imagine his relief when two elders and a medical professional stepped out of the room and the ANBU’s were dismissed with a nod of the elder’s head.

Kakashi stood up and walked up the small distance to the trio, just a few feet from the door where he had been sitting, pausing before the elders.

“I can’t be sure what caused this, I’ve only seen this sort of reaction in captured shinobi when their captor places what you’d call a rhetorical ‘time bomb’ in their subconscious,” the Medic paused to adjust his glasses before continuing, “Whatever it may be that triggered the black out, the questioning for example,” The medic examiner motioned with his hand to the closed door, “could have very well been the cause of her current state.”

Kakashi sighed, “What is her current state?”

The medic, who had been looking thoughtfully at the door turned a slightly startled look on Kakashi before answering, “Oh well, its undetermined but it seems like she’s stable…we will just have to wait and see if she’s able to wake up.”

Kakashi turned a sharp look on the medic, the man felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, “If that is the case,” Mitokado-sama interrupted, his voice calm, “We would like to be informed of any changes in the young ladies conditions.”

The medic bowed, “H-hai, sir.”

“Utatane-sama,” the elderly woman looked over at Kakashi, “Hai, Hatake-san?”

“What’s going to happen to Sakura?”

xoxoxoxoxoxxo

Naruto sat on the ground, legs sprawled out in front of him and hands on either side of him, Sasuke was in the hospital after the attack, he himself had been released a few hours earlier and now that he was free from the hospital it seemed that Kakashi had disappeared.

Where the heck did everyone go?

The blonde let out a throaty growl and jumped up, he couldn’t believe he was about to do this… but….

He… was about to go visit Sasuke.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Kakashi sighed as he walked down the hall of the hospital towards his student’s room. He had given up rubbing his face for fear of bruising himself with the near constant action.

We’ll just wait and see, they said.

Since it seemed like she was a “victim” the possibility that she was just an innocent “pawn” would be taken into consideration. They would just… wait and see.

Wait and see his ass, though it wasn’t as if he had a choice in the matter.

Sentries were posted all over the hospital, it was the most secure facility in Konoha at this point. He wasn’t concerned at the moment about the likelihood of someone getting past half of the ANBU Black Ops. However, he was concerned…

Just…

…concerned.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

“AHHH!” The shrill cry of disbelief echoed through the lobby of the hospital, “What do you mean I can’t see Sasuke-kun!?”

A certain blonde kunoichi growled out in annoyance, “What the heck kind of hospital is this?”

The woman at the front desk didn’t even feign a look of apology, “No one that isn’t formerly on the list of visitors may visit anyone in the hospital at this time-“

“Don’t go and drone that at me! Forget it, I’m outta here!”

Ino turned and in a huff she stalked from the hospital, flower clutched in her hand, normally she would have been very respectful towards authority figures however…. How dare she bar her from seeing Sasuke-kun, that, that-

“Ino…”

Ino paused at the door mid-stride, Naruto stood in front of her, an odd look on his face, Ino mirrored the look, not exactly sure if she was happy to see him or not.

“Are you here to see Sasuke-kun?”

xoxoxoxoxoxxo

Silent…

It was so quiet here…

She wasn’t dreaming but she wasn’t awake, it was a semi-consciousness that she lingered in, able to hear what was going on around her but not being able to react to her surroundings.

She wondered, quietly, if she could break herself out of this but…

Where was she exactly?

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

“What’dya mean we can’t get in to see Teme!?”

Ino’s eye twitched at the other blonde’s use of pet names for her love but she choose to completely ignore the insult. She was just thankful that they were in an alleyway beside the hospital where the blondes boys shout wouldn’t draw attention.

“Only family, Jounin-sensei, or people who are on the quote-unquote “list” can visit him.”

The blonde boy gave her a withering look, “Well…”

Ino sniffed, “Well what?”

Naruto grinned at her, “What’s stopping you from seeing Sasuke-kun?”

Ino paused. That was…

That was a good question…

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo

The falling sun had cast shadows all across Konoha, after a long day of rebuilding and cleaning up, the hustle and bustle had calmed down to the point where no one was out and about.

Sentries were posted all over the village, their shifts about to end and relief units about to come through. It was simple enough to pass by these tired and unaware individuals.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Ino could not believe she was doing this…

“We are so gonna get caught-“ she hissed through clenched teeth at the blonde boy crawling in front of her, she had long ago given up trying to stay clean, “We will if you don’t shut-up, trust me I’ve done this a million times!”

Ino wouldn’t doubt it, the blonde boy was so adapt at causing chaos she had no doubt he had to have taken to the air-ducts to escape angry adults trying to catch him. (or break-in and enter… either way…)

Ino couldn’t help but let out a little shiver at the feeling of claustrophobia the vents were giving her, crawling through air-ducts to see Sasuke… this might be going to far.

Might be…nah.

Xoxoxoxoxox

“Gaara, are you coming or not?”

The silent redhead stood at the gates of the village, shadows casting themselves from the large gates, dominatining the area at the moment. Nightfall would come soon and the shadows would blend and disappear into darkness.

Jade eyes stared back at the quiet village, clearance had finally been given for them to leave after a slight hostage situation between Suna and Konoha, all shinobi of the sand were released now after a two-day hold.

Temari watched her brother wearily, she didn’t push the red head, even if he had been more…. Quiet… the past two days.

“Go on ahead,” his quiet voice droned out, and before Temari or anyone present in their little group could comment, Gaara disappeared.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

Kakashi just sighed as he left Sasuke’s room, shutting the door behind him; the Uchiha was even more melancholy than usual.

Kakashi began to walk forward finally able to leave the hospital when suddenly a crash alerted him to something very odd…

Two slight chakra signatures emerged from the corner of his mind as he turned around on his heel and opened the door to Sasuke’s room, frowning, his shoulders drooped.

A gray eye met the startled eyes of coal, sky blue and the nervous laughing of Naruto.

“Naruto…”

“Ehhe…”

Kakashi couldn’t help the strangled little sigh that slid from his masks lips as his shoulders dropped further.

It wasn’t a matter of disobeying the rules and breaking into Sasuke’s room, it wasn’t even a matter of destroying hospital property; it was a matter of security…

How the hell did two genin shinobi get past half of ANBU to the third floor of a completely secure hospital building?

It was the strangest phenomena this…

He never realized how closed off he made himself in the hospital, trying to drown out the smells and sounds and even the madly fluctuating chakra around him.

“Umm… Kakashi-sensei… are you okay?”

It had been the blonde female, (Yamanaka was it?) that had asked him that, Sasuke was giving him a contemplating look; trying to figure out what in the world he was so tense about.

It seemed to hit Sasuke the same millisecond the words, “Don’t leave this room.” Came from Kakashi’s mouth.

Kakashi turned and walked a second time from the room, shutting it firmly behind him, praying Sasuke would have the good sense NOT to follow and that Ino and Naruto would just heed his order.

Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate and exposed his sharingan eye.

This was not going to end well.

Xoxoxoxox

Naruto’s nose wrinkled as the door shut and his sensei disappeared from his line of sight, “What the heck was that about? He didn’t even get mad at us for bustin’ in!”

Ino, now that she was where she had intended on being, wasn’t quite sure what to do now that she was there.

Sasuke shoved the covers off him and hopped out of the bed, ripping the IV from his arm, Ino let out a little shout, “Sasuke-kun wh-“

“Shut it, something’s going on, Dobe, lend me a kunai.”

Naruto’s arms dropped to his sides and he paused, something deep in him gave a stir and his hand twitched, “Something’s seriously not right.” Naruto watched Sasuke for a moment before giving a swift nod and tossing him a kunai.

Ino, confused by the sudden change in everyone went quiet, what was with them?

“Let’s go.”

Sasuke nodded as the two went forward, “W-wait just a second!”

Ino jumped up from the ground, hands out in front of her, “Hold it, didn’t Kakashi-sensei just tell us to stay here?!”

Sasuke turned a dark look on the girl, her breath catching her throat, her heart skipping a beat, “Do what you want, just don’t get in our way.”

Ino’s heart thudded in her chest and she wasn’t sure if it was from love or fear, Sasuke and Naruto were out of the room before she could protest again, but slowly, steadily she stepped out behind them, before hurrying after the two boys.

Xoxoxoxoxoxo

The feeling of foreboding building in Kakashi’s chest was increasing madly at this point. He had yet to run into one single person in the hall, it seemed that most of the patients were still in their rooms, heartbeats pumping and chakra fluctuating softly behind closed doors, but there was no masked figures in the hallway, there was no ANBU to be seen, felt or smelled out.

It was… empty of guards.

A sound to his left alerted him to movement behind one of the doors, bracing himself he stopped before it, sharingan eyes open and swirling.

And here behind door number one…

The beginning to the end…

A/N: Sorry guys, I lied, this is not the final chapter, I just went ahead and split it into two chapters since it was kinda… long XD Haha, I didn’t think posting some thirty plus pages would work out well, so here’s the “Final Chapter Part I” :D

Until the finale…