Someday You Will be Loved

A/N: Repost.

Also, it came to my attention through a wonderful message from one of the people that reviews, like, every story I write (that’s so neat!!) that the timeline on this was kind of confusing. So I’m making a small timeline at the bottom of the chapter for anyone who needs to refer to it. She also pointed out a few things that she thought were plotholes, but I promise, everything is there for a reason…

Blanket Disclaimer in the first chapter…

And we’re off!

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“Someday You Will Be Loved: Chapter 3”


“What would you do to save your country?”

Danzou had asked himself this question repeatedly, hoping for some sort of final answer to his philosophical pondering. But no answer ever came. He had betrayed Hokage, killed clans, even murdered the men he looked at as his own children, all for his country. And now, his country was persecuting him, bringing him to trial for something they didn’t even understand, couldn’t possibly hope to shed light on.

This was deeper than a few council members, and they would never see that if all they had was Jiraiya doing their dirty work.

Soon, he would see the benefits of his work. Hopefully. With the current situation, he might not make it long enough to see the sunset before his throat was cut. He would deserve it, most likely, at least from their point of view. They had never understood, and he didn’t expect them to start now.

The council chamber loomed, dreary before his eyes. But he noticed that four seats were empty, and Sasami was sitting with the missing members, at the table in front of the dais. So, Tsunade had truly done her homework, it seemed. Perhaps he had finally met his match, and in a woman no less.

How ironic.

The group looked at him as he sat, ANBU standing behind them, and their fear shined on their faces. Even Sasami, the woman he had trained from birth, seemed to have shed her emotionless mask.

He would not be the same.

He was willing to give it all to further the village, and his death was only one small sacrifice in the greater picture. He was meaningless compared to the future generations.

“I assume that you all realize why you are here?” No one spoke, and Tsunade’s glower became that much more severe. “I really did not want to have to replace so many people, but apparently I have been remiss in my duties. I should have flushed you out long before this, and for that I apologize.”

“Hokage-sama, what is the meaning of this meeting?”

She looked at the Hyuuga clan head, his eyes glaring holes into her own.

“You six are to be tried for treason and willful negligent acts against Konohagakure, of Hi no Kuni. Do you understand the charges, or should I validate each separately?” The six heads nodded, and she continued. “Good. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time in this matter.”

She shuffled some papers around, passing packets to the remaining council members on the dais.

“Here you will find a list of each of the traitorous acts committed against Konohagakure that each suspect is accused of. The information, received from a reliable source in the form of a fellow shinobi, is all the proof we have at this moment. It should be enough to get them processed and held for indeterminate lengths of time, at least until Jiraiya can return to act as witness to all he has gathered.”

“Hokage-sama?” Inoichi’s voice shook as he perused the file, shock evident on his face from the pictures of the slaughtered ANBU.

“All the information needed for you to make your vote is included in your file, Yamanaka-sama. I would like to get this vote over quickly, as I have some questions for our suspects that cannot be asked until the verdict has been rendered in the manner I hope for.”

The council’s heads nodded quickly, and soon a unanimous vote for the detainment of the six suspects had been reached. Hiashi looked sick, most likely due to the fact that one of his clansmen had been in the ANBU group subject to Sasami’s sword.

Good. Tsunade wanted her head as a paperweight.

“Have it noted that a vote in favor of their detainment has been issued, considered, and accepted. Now, as is customary for such a trial, which could involve a possible sentence of execution for each of you, statements are allowed. If any of you would wish to render you statement of guilt, a general statement, or a plea for public trial, you may do so now.”

Danzou shook his head, remaining as silent as possible. This was no real surprise. So did the next man, a councilman with very few marks against him when compared to many of the others.

Sanosuke, a man in his mid-forties who had only been on the council for a few years, nodded his head in acceptance of the trial before speaking.

“I wish to make a statement, as is allowed by the bylaws of the statute that governs treasonous acts or those of espionage.”

“You may speak.”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama. I wish to make no admission of guilt, yet I also wish to make a statement that I have not, willfully, acted against my village. I have never, nor do I plan to, act against Konohagakure in a manner that may be construed as such. If I, or any of my actions, are being perceived as treasonous, then perhaps it is not I who need to be sitting in this seat at present.”

Understandably, there were some harsh reactions to his statement, and one of the ANBU stepped up behind him.

“You would say such a thing to me, Kuro Sanosuke?”

“I merely say what I believe I am allowed to, Hokage-sama.”

“Then, you will no longer be allowed to speak.”

The ANBU quickly paralyzed the councilman, avoiding any further issues from him during the hearing.

Honestly, who called out the Hokage in the middle of a council hearing?

“Any other remarks of such a nature, or may we proceed?”

There were no reactions.

Then Koharu, who Danzou had always considered the weakest link in their plans, stood.

“Council, I would like to make a statement of my guilt, in hope of leniency.”

“You wish for leniency in a matter of treason?”

“Hai, Hokage-sama.” The Aburame in residence stared at her, and Koharu began to sweat. “I will enter my sworn statement of guilt in return for leniency in the form of a lesser sentence. I do not wish for execution.”

When no one objected, Tsunade assented to the plea.

“Very well.”

“Thank you, Hokage-sama. This is my sworn statement of guilt, marking my actions of treason and willful negligence against my village in return for a sentence less than execution. Hereforth, I will cooperate in any form acceptable to the council, as is signified by my admission.”

Two of the ANBU stepped forward, grabbing hold of the older woman’s arms and ushering her out of the room. Koharu could only look forward to spending the rest of her life in interrogation and jail, but she would live the rest of short life, at least.

“And the rest of you?”

An older man, known as Hiro-ji-ji to the village’s population, also stood up.

“I will enter my plea as well, Hokage-sama. I have never been accused of not knowing when I was defeated.”

His smile was bitter.

Tsunade could accept a man who at least went down with some life intact. And it killed her to know that he was one of the many conspiring against her. She had trusted him, found comfort in his wisdom so many times.

It was truly a shame, in her opinion.

“This is my sworn statement of guilt, marking my actions of treason and willful negligence against my village in return for a sentence less than execution. Hereforth, I will cooperate in any form acceptable to the council, as is signified by my admission.”

“Very well.”

Another ANBU moved forward, and Hiro was ushered from the room in the same manner as Koharu.

“Any others?”

“I, lady Hokage-sama.”

Tsunade’s face grew red, as did Inoichi’s and Hiashi’s. They glared at the female standing before them.

“I reject this plea, Hokage-sama, as is allowed due to my status as council member. If she is truly the murderer of one of my family, then I wish for her trial, not an easy acceptance of her guilt and a few years spent in a cell.”

Tsunade nodded, and Sasami looked like she was about to faint.

“But, I am allowed to enter my plea of guilty if I—“

“You are allowed your plea, yes, but we do not have to accept an allowance of a lesser sentence or the abolition of your trial. You will do well to remember that we make the rules here, and we are, truthfully, the law. I suggest you at least try for a trial, as anything less, well…it will only make your death come swiftly.”

“But, Hokage-sama—“

“Do you question me? I, who will decide your fate?!”

Sasami looked at the table, and Tsunade could almost see the tears forming in the woman’s eyes. How old was she? 20? 22? So young, yet already corrupt.

She hardened her heart. This woman had murdered her teammates. She had chased Sakura, the girl who was like family to her, all around the country trying to kill her. She deserved no sympathy. It was her fault for believing whatever Danzou pumped into her warped mind.

“You, Tachi Sasami, ANBU shinobi of Konohagakure, are being accused of three counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder with the conspiracy to commit said offences, five different acts of treason against Konohagakure, and over 50 acts of willful negligence against Konohagakure. Yet, you expect us to allow you a lesser sentence? You, who would live through your sentence and be released? You are not a previous council member, nor do you have the benefits the previous two did.”

“But, I—“

“You what, Tachi Sasami? You have the most accusations against you at this point in time. You were the one carrying out what was ordered by others. They are conspirators while you are the perpetrator.”

“I do have information you would want, Hokage-sama.”

Well, that just changed everything, didn’t it?

And Danzou felt the world tip on its axis, spelling out his death sentence as surely as if the Shinigami themselves were in the room. If Sasami told the Hokage even the small amount of information she had, he was dead.

Unless she was dead first.


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Niigata was definitely different from Aisen, that was for sure. They had slunk around for a few days, scouting their surroundings and finding out who ran which areas, before coming home home last night to rest and relax. Today was the big day. Now bathed, rested, and fed, they set out for the place that Hisadachi had told her about. Their phone conversation the night before had been short because they never knew who was listening, but it was worth it.

She now had a cover for the mess in Aisen.

Hayashi Ame had been disposed of, a fake body produced for the right amount of money conveniently place into Hiasdachi’s account. She would remember to thank Jiraiya for that, someday. Money was something she had little of right now, considering she had left everything in Aisen that wasn’t strictly necessary. The accounts would be there later, but she would probably never retrieve the stuff.

Money was worth nothing in a hell full of it already.

Her contact in Niigata, though, promised to be difficult. She hadn’t spoken to the man in fifteen years, and he knew of her situation now, she was sure. Still, he had made no effort to contact her since she had ‘defected’, so she had to assume he didn’t want to have her around.

Such love.

Jiraiya had immediately went his own way in town, going to see his own contacts and get whatever he could, while she and Reno had done some reconnaissance work and later headed towards a casino-hotel in downtown Niigata, right on the water. The tall building had loomed before them six blocks back, but now it was right in her face, the bright lights mocking her.

Welcome home, eh?

She already had papers for the both of them, thankfully, that would allow them access to the floor. Reno’s were his own, helpful due to his reputation in these seedy circles. But hers couldn’t just blare her name; for now, she was becoming her second favorite alias: Takashi Rika, a beautiful bodyguard.

Takashi Rika was known for her cutthroat policy and her skill when it came to murder. It made her cringe, sometimes, that she had to take on such personas. Still, if it was needed, she had no problem doing it.

Her hair was dyed black, but her eyes were without the contacts she had become so used to changing so that her uncle would recognize her.

And indeed, it was that easy. She had been allowed entrance, given five minutes on the floor, and then she was immediately ushered up to a private suite where her uncle did his business.

This was what her mother had worked so hard to escape, and here she was, entering the family business willingly.

What would you do to save your country?

Apparently, a whole fucking lot.

She could feel the curse squeezing the life out of her, draining all her energy already.

When she finally entered the living area of the suite, her eyes fell on her uncle for the first time in over a decade. His hair had grayed, some lines were noticeable on his face, but he was still the man she remembered. Severe, deadly manipulation rested under a disguise of the charming businessman, staring her down as if she was the newest lamb he would place on his plate this evening.

“My beautiful girl. To what do I owe such a…pleasure? It has been so long, as you well realize, since one of your family has…deigned to greet me, or any of my recognized relations.”

“Matsu-san, it is, as always, good to see you again.”

He looked at her, gauging her reaction to his presence in her life.

“I’m sure, Sa…what is your name now? I should always be careful and considerate, even if no one here would ever tell of your whereabouts. As if your eventual betrayal wasn’t anticipated and, truly, hoped for in my circle…”

She cut him off.

“Takashi Rika, if you would be so courteous.”

He laughed, a dry brittle throaty thing that sent chills down her spine and memories flying about the corners of her mind.

“Of course. Hayashi Ame is dead, long gone, even though your bodyguard there looks suspiciously like a certain young man constantly in her presence.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Haruno Sakura, I presume, is dead and buried as well? Afraid of recognization of your skills, my niece, or of the price on your head by your beloved village?”

“Merely taking precautions, Matsu-san. I do have some sense when it comes to the…business of my ansectors.”

“Indeed.”

He took a long drink, glancing at one of his many guards, who soon left the room. She always had a dislike for silent communication, unless she was using it.

“And such a fitting name. Rika. You look exceptionally like her, you understand, with your hair that midnight black. She always favored the mysterious, your mother. Different was not suitable for her, and the red was always dyed to the lustrous color you bear now. The last name have any particular meaning as well, or is just for kicks? I remember no Takashi in your lineage…or in your past.”

“No, sir.”

He stirred his drink, watching as his niece fiddled with the hem of her skirt. She had grown to be beautiful, and brilliant, if the stories were to be believed. How he would relish having her under his control.

“Blood always wins out in the end, you see. I knew this day would come. It is unavoidable. Underneath that Haruno exterior, that shinobi honor and morality, you are still a member of the Kazedama family—“

“I would wish, at least for the present time, that certain…family matters be put aside. Payment in such terms can be considered later. I will owe you too much to argue with any payment you set. For now, though, let us talk information, and financial interest.”

He nodded, gesturing to the chairs across from him.

“Sit, and tell me what you are here for. I imagined I would not see a Haruno in my casino for many more years, but here you are. I see that fate works in mysterious ways, always twisting our lives into an unrecognizable mess. Don’t you agree? Feel the superstition abound, dear girl?”

He chuckled.

“Well, let us speak of your ‘information,’ and then we can catch up on the family gossip, hm?”

She felt her throat begin to close up.

“Yes, Matsu-san—“

“Ojii-sama, Sakura-chan. You are my niece, after all.”

She tried to swallor the lump in her throat but couldn’t. The noose tightened.

Yes, Ojii-sama. If you please, I have a list of names here, that…”

Almost three hours later, the pain still hadn’t lessened; if anything, the lump had only lodged itself more securely in her throat. They arrived back at their own hotel, where Jiraiya was already waiting for them with some small tidbits of information.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was going to catch up with her here, in her family’s ancestral lands.

It didn’t matter, though. Everything had now been explained to Reno, and Jiraiya had all the pertinent information. If something happened to her, she could rest assured that Tsunade would still have everything she needed to secure Konoha. That had to be enough.

What would you do to save your country?

Would she fall to this curse? Would all this secrecy, playing the games her family had played for generations, finally catch up to her and bring about her death? She could see it now, so clearly, like a bright beacon in the night. It scared her.

She was, once again, a Kazedama.

This was the final indignity, the loss of her Haruno heritage to her mother’s idiot ancestors, the criminals. She wanted to scream, to cry out her pain. But it wouldn’t come. She had known, all those years ago in Tsunade’s office, that it would most likely come to this. That she would be sacrificed to her family for her village.

She wanted to know how Gaara knew, though. The mention of the Kazekage’s plea for her freedom in exchange for matching the yearly income of the casino had been unbelievable. She knew Suna didn’t have that kind of money to throw around, but she imagined it didn’t matter. Gaara knew her uncle wouldn’t take the bait, as did she, but it accomplished its goal.

Her uncle now knew she had friends in high places that would fight for her. So escape was no longer impossible.

And how the hell did Gaara, of all people, know about her uncle?

Ah, well, it didn’t matter, anyway.

She had known for years that it was the fate of herself or one of her descendants to die at the hands of the Kazedama family. Her mother’s betrayal had left a sour taste in their mouth, and she was beginning to wonder if she had just sold her soul to the devil only to find out that he was the one orchestrating the events that lead to her deception. Her family had never had a love of the shinobi countries, except for renegade shinobi that could be hired, and their ire wouldn’t surprise her.

But now she had her connection, and she had her name.

She couldn’t be denied entrance anywhere in Niigata now, with the Kazedama name. Her freedom was gone, as was her shinobi status. But her movement in the city had just become unlimited.

Her final goal was at hand.

She would find out where Jin was, that fucking liar. And when she did, she would find out how he knew Danzou, how he managed to fake his death, and what Konoha’s end meant for him. Because no man orchestrated the death of a sinobi nation for no reason.

Was it his former Cloud-nin status?

Was he no different than her?

Why would a small club owner care about Konoha?

She had so many questions, and while she knew more than any other playing this game, someone was still pulling her strings and she didn’t like it all.

This shadow game had gone long enough, and people were playing her for a fool now. She had learned her lesson well, tonight, and she would never make the same mistake again. She’d remember that everyone in this world had two sides, and that people weren’t dead unless you had seen the corpse yourself, preferably after you had killed them.

She thought of the others who had ‘turned’ missing-nin for her village, hiding themselves in seedy areas and dingy hotels for their country, knowing that their names would never rest on that stone in Konoha. Did they feel this same sense of hopelessness?

Were her happy feelings in Suna really just a week in the past?

“Babe? We’re due downtown again tomorrow mornin’. Are ya gonna be prepared for this?”

Jiraiya looked up from the small table in the corner, pity shining in his eyes. Exactly how many people knew of her family, anyway?

“As ready as ever, Reno.”

She shifted on the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling.

“You want to hear a story, Reno?”

“Eh, why not, right?”

She smiled, closing her eyes and drifting into her memory. Jiraiya closed his file, fixing his gaze on the young woman on the lone bed in the room. He could see lines in her forehead, so grave on such a young woman. It saddened him to see the true formation of another Tsunade.

He hadn’t known her family well, other than the fact that her father was from a small, mediocre shinobi clan, much like himself. But her mother, well, he remembered that story. No one could forget the day the Kazedama heiress came to Konoha. Such stories had been written into legend, now, with their deaths, but this girl would always relive it and remember.

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl. Her name was Kazedama Rika, and she broke the cardinal rule of her family: she fell in love. You see, she had always been a flighty girl, more interested in philosophy and life and love than the realistic aspects of life. And a shinobi, well, that was the type of hero she lived for. She married Haruno Souta, a shinobi and therefore her family’s enemy, in secret, running off in the middle of the night with her young husband. It would be almost a decade before they found her and the full consequence of her actions finally hit her…”


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Elsewhere in the village, ignorant to the power struggle threatening to rip his beloved Konoha apart, was Naruto.

His rival from Suna had finally written like he had promised, and his news had been more than the standard ‘my-nephew-is-going-to-die-painfully-if-he-doesn’t-stop-moving-my-paperwork’ crap that the redhead usually sent him.

“Sasuke, you gotta read this letter, man.”

The Uchiha looked up from polishing his sword, staring at his idiot of a friend. What did he care about Gaara’s letter? The two never said anything of importance to each other, and he didn’t see what would interest him.

“Now, you can’t tell anyone, because people would get upset about this. Only a few still think this is all bullshit, and man, Kakashi would kill us for knowing this. He still isn’t right about the whole thing—“

“Get on with it, Naruto.”

“Yeah, but really, you can’t say anything, because I know you know that I know you’re smart enough to have picked up on the fact that it’s, like, a huge secret or mystery or something and that no one is supposed to even mention—“

“Naruto, now. You’re giving me a headache.”

The blonde had the decency to look chagrinned, before the tirade started up again.

“Gaara said he saw Sakura, in Suna. That Ero-sennin is with her right now, and she’s safe. He said she had brown hair, though, and had blue eyes at one point—“

“Let me see that, moron.”

Sasuke read through the Kazekage’s illegible scrawl quickly, picking up at the point where Gaara began describing his encounter with their former teammate. He felt some unknown sensation, one he had tried to describe for the past week and a half, build in his chest.

Was this hope?

“So she’s alive. What does that mean?”

“That she’s alive out there somewhere, at least. Duh, asshole. Don’t you ever worry about her?”

“I could’ve told you she was alive.”

“Yeah, well sorry if I don’t trust your instincts, teme. Your mind’s pretty fucked up, in my opinion. And my opinion counts.”

“Hn.”

“Don’t start with me, asshole.”

Sasuke glared at him, making his dislike of the conversation known. Unfortunately, though, he couldn’t just tell Naruto that he had been sent on a mission to kill her just a short time ago.

He settled for the norm: annoyance.

“Whatever, dobe.”

Naruto shot him a dirty look, whipping out of his chair and heading for the door. His wife would be wondering where he had gotten off to soon, and if her father came home to find out he had left her alone, well, it wouldn’t be pretty.

Just what was Hiashi-otou-sama doing today, anways?

“I just…” Naruto looked out the windows in the Uchiha’s kitchen, contemplating his missing teammate. “I just like to know she’s safe.”

“She’s alive, not safe, dimwit.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Hn.”

“Well, you don’t.”

“I’m not continuing this conversation, baka.”

“You don’t know that, asshole.”

“It’s inferred, moron.”

“Wha-? Where the hell’d you get that from?”

“Why would Jiraiya-san be with her if she was safe?”

Naruto couldn’t answer that question.


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So, there’s the third chapter! I’m predicting, according to my outline, maybe three or four more. It wasn’t even supposed to be this long! Jiraiya was thrown in mainly so I didn’t have to create a new character or pull a character from Konoha that didn’t need to be involved. Plus, he’s one shady old man. He knows everything in the series, and he is constantly in other people’s business. He fits perfectly. A lot more about him will be explained in the next chapter, detailing why he is so important in Niigata.

I’m also assuming that Akatsuki has been defeated. There is no way Naruto would have safely made it to his twenties with them still around. And no, Sakura’s not some superhuman person who can do anything. There’s been very little fighting. As a matter of fact, all she’s doing is being sneaky sneaky. There will be some fighting, but she won’t be wonderwoman, I promise.

As for the so-called club-name plothole, you have to remember Sasmi’s position. Everything she has done has been to throw them off the truth, so she does tend to alter facts. That won’t change as she tries to save her ass, either.

Timeline: 3 years ago Sakura leaves, then Sasuke returns. A month in Sand, then about four months in Moon, and she disappears into smaller cities, making her way to Aisen after building up her contacts and credibility (not covered). She drops off the radar about a year and a half afterward; she appears in Aisen while dropping off the radar of the nin informants. 8 months later, and before the present time, the first group with Sasami is sent after her and slaughtered by their teammate. Then 8 months later, at present, you have the story.

I hope this helps any who were having problems with it!

Next Chapter: Reno appears in Konoha bearing a message for Tsunade. Sakura and Jiraiya, caught in a web of lies in Niigata, draw closer to the shadowy figure really planning Tsunade’s, and Konoha’s, demise. Everything is finally on the table, showing who is really behind the plot, but what will this mean for Sakura?