It's been one year since Naruto started his special training.

Four years since Kakashi took office as Rokudaime Hokage.

Eight years since Sakura disappeared without a word.

Kakashi spun his chair around and looked out the window of his office as he rubbed his masked face. How he stepped up to the position of Hokage was beyond him, but he'd being doing it without fail for nearly five years now. Tsunade had declared one day that she'd be stepping down and selecting a jounin or ANBU to take her place. Unsurprisingly enough, she first sought out Naruto and asked him if he would take it.

He refused, saying that hadn't matured enough.

Everyone who was there to witness was astonished at how much Naruto changed in those short couple of years, but it was common knowledge that Sakura's death was a major contributor to him finally growing up. He was still cheerful and short-tempered as ever, but now he knew when to keep quiet or refrain from voicing his own, very loud opinion. He listened more, thank god, and decided to make more rational decisions.

Then there was Sai. He finally learned about the wide spectrum of emotions some years back and was a fully functioning human being with quite a great sense of humor. He still had the nerve to use those insulting nicknames, but they were all in good faith. Still, he referenced to Sakura as "Ugly" for old time's sake whenever she was brought up in a conversation.

Sasuke was also doing rather well himself. He was slowly learning to forget about Itachi with the help of Naruto and Sai, but still felt some guilt at being a key cause in Sakura's death. Though all evidence pointed to her being killed by an Akatsuki, he still couldn't help but feel that he had some part in it.

He sighed. The tiniest part of him still couldn't believe that his student had died at such an early age with them left in the dark with her true intention of leaving. There was still debate over if were her or Deidara who killed Asuma eight years ago, but the case ran cold with no clear declaration of the assailant.

And speaking of the Akatsuki...

Kakashi swiveled his chair back around and gazed at the world map spread out on his desk, focusing particularly on Ta no Kuni. It expanded about four times its original size many years ago, but no one paid very close attention to it. The country was very mysterious in itself with no rumors surrounding it other than it was built up to a strong shinobi nation that could even rival the Great Five. No one outside the population knew who the leader was, an Otogakure's outside clients never dared to reveal what the knew because of the leader's request to remain anonymous.

Konoha tried their hand at trying to unravel the secret, but none of their spies—not even Jiraiya and his frogs—could infiltrate the village or live to tell the tale. But there was one kunoichi who was a mere kilometer away from Otogakure before she was confronted by none other Hoshigaki Kisame with a sharp grin and a burnished Sound hitai-ate. The kunoichi who recounted her tale could recall the exact thing he said to her before forcing her retreat.

"Y'know, it's getting kinda annoying—all these spies comin' around and causing shit. Haven't you guys learned your lesson already? If Jiraiya-sama can fail, so can you. Get the hell out of here before I cut you to ribbons!"

His appearance could mean one of two things. One, he defected from the Akatsuki and joined up with another village by some odd miracle. Highly unlikely. Two, all active members had relocated to that village and began working under another leader. Quite possibly, considering that if they were spotted, it would be in that area. Kakashi didn't know why and how they'd do something like this, but they had been absolutely silent for the past six years and he wasn't complaining.

They had even returned the tailed beasts they'd taken, or someone stole them and was kind enough to give them back to their respective villages, before falling off the radar completely. Did something happen? Were their objectives changed? He didn't know.

But he left them and the village alone for the time being. Otogakure and its shinobi caused no trouble whatsoever and didn't do anything to any country that would call for action. Because of this, Tsunade and later himself didn't dawdle too much on it. But years had passed...

... Maybe it was finally time to start piecing together the puzzle.

::

"I don't know why you're still mad. We've been the same height for a long time."

Deidara pressed his lips together and crossed his arms. "Now you're taller because you're wearing goddamn heels, un. Being taller than Danna is one thing. Well, one normal thing because everyone's taller than that as—-"

"Excuse me?"

"—but now I just think you're doing this to mock me, hm."

Sakura laughed as Sasori elbowed him in the solar plexus, not really concerned that Deidara had turned into a coughing, cussing mess. She walked over to her file cabinet and stashed away their mission report. "C'mon, you two. Are you really going to stand in my office and argue, or are you going to train your teams like the good sensei you should be?"

Saying that didn't really help, but changed the tide of the argument completely. Luckily, it got them out of the building to fulfill their duties. Sakura sat in her chair just in time for another pair to stumble into her office engaged in a heated discussion.

"I don't care if Misaki's pregnant!" Kabuto seethed. "She deserved to get cheated on!"

"What, because she's a bitch who doesn't know how to close her legs? At least its his fucking baby and she didn't lie about it like Ayako did!" Kisame hissed. Sakura opened a folder on her desk and took a sip of her water.

"Last night's episode of Kunoichi Diaries?"

Kabuto scowled. "Yes and he's in denial over—"

"Denial? DENIAL?! Tell that denial to Shin's broken heart, homewrecker!"

She smiled as she flipped through the documents in the folder.

It was unimaginable at how her life turned into something she never fathomed it turning into. The Akatsuki, the village, being a Kage... Who would've thought that this would've become of her? She had faithful shinobi—strong ones—at her back and people who understood her situation and didn't breathe a word of her identity. With what she had so far, she could proudly say that she wouldn't change a single thing.

Tap. Tap.

Sakura opened her window.

"Good morning, Itachi-san!" she grinned. "What can I do for you?"

Itachi looked at the commotion before slipping into the room and handing her an envelope. "Sakura-sama. A hawk was sent to the aviary tower earlier. We've run all the tests and everything's cleared," he said. As she took it, she saw the silver Konohagakure symbol emblazoned on the back.

... Ah.

Itachi eyed her blank face when she read through the letter.

Leader of Otogakure:

Greetings from the Konohagakure. It's come to my attention that your village, country even, has flourished over the past eight years. Yet after all this time, I find the lack of communication and understanding between the two villages unsettling. I propose that we try to better relations.

I've heard of how grand the medical and genjutsu reputation is in Otogakure. There's a new program: a medical exchange system. For two weeks, we swap hospital specialists to learn new processes and methods.

I'd be more than happy to meet and discuss terms if you agree.

Yours Truly,

Hatake Kakashi

Rokudaime Hokage

"... Thank you, Itachi-san. You can send the hawk back because I'll have someone go to Konoha for me," she said. Itachi nodded and slipped back out the window and returned to the intelligence sector. Kisame and Kabuto had quit their arguing and were now waiting patiently for Sakura's orders. "Kisame, get Marisu-san for me please."

He bobbed his head. "Ma'am."

After his departure, she read over the letter one more time before looking over at her assistant. "I'll be sending you to talk about this. Once we sort everything out with Marisu-san today, you'll head out tomorrow. I'll send someone along with you... hm... I don't know who yet, but they'll meet you at the gates at 0700 hours."

"Yes ma'am."

::

"You can refuse this mission and I can have Kakuzu-san take your place."

"No, I'll... I'll do it. I think it's finally time I explain myself to him. He deserves that much."

Sakura peered at him for a few seconds before relenting. "I understand. But do keep in mind that I'm not requiring you to keep your real self a secret. If you want to reveal your true name and bloodline, I will fully support you."

Tobi smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-sama."

The gates still looked the same from when he was a boy. They were brown with that same chipped red paint in the center of the wood. The trees were towering and bright green, like they were from his memories. Tobi sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets and trailed a bit behind Kabuto. At their arrival, the guards—Akimichi Chouji and Inuzuka Kiba—immediately sprung from their seats and poised themselves for battle.

"My, what a unique welcome," Kabuto mused. Akamaru growled.

"What are you doing here?" Kiba sneered. "And make it quick before we arrest you and bring you into interrogation."

"How rude," he replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the letter, showing the two the Hokage's seal. "When we were invited by Hatake-sama too."

::

This wasn't what he was expecting. At all. And it wasn't a pleasant surprise either.

Kabuto and an eerily familiar man stood in his office, their presence keeping a tense air in the room. Kurenai, his assistant, went rigid at her Hokage's side. The both of them were clearly dangerous, Kabuto especially.

"We're here on behalf of the Otokage," Kabuto said, unlatching scrolls from his belt and placing them on the desk. "They apologize for not coming themselves."

Kakashi reached for them. "And they are...?"

"Undisclosed. For now," he smiled, "but that isn't what we agreed to discuss. This is about the medical exchange program. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Ah, of course, of course. My mistake."

Kakashi spread the scrolls in front of him and ran down the list of the names provided for the exchange. He paused at the names Hidan and Uchiha Itachi that appeared in the middle of the ones he didn't recognize. He kept his mouth shut and approved the people for the program.

As Kakashi and Kabuto conferred on the conditions, Tobi noticed the eye that would flicker in his direction more times than he found comfortable. He kept his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes glued to a spot on one of the walls. Tobi didn't think it would be this hard to look at an old friend after being "dead" for so long.

"Kurenai-san, could you take Yakushi-san and his associate to see Tsunade-sama? I'm sure she'd want the full explanation from Otogakure's representatives," Kakashi chirped after an hour of organizing the program. "And... maybe control her temper if things escalate that far."

"Yes, sir," she complied, glancing at Kabuto with bright red eyes. "Follow me."

Tobi went to trail after them, but stopped halfway out the door. "Um... Kabuto-san? I'll catch up with you in a minute. There's something I have to... you know..."

Kabuto waved him off with a small smile. "I know. Take your time," he said. Kurenai cast him a curious stare before continuing down the hall. Tobi back-tracked into the office and closed the door in front of him.

"... Is there something you need from me?"

Tobi flinched and turned around. "I kind of noticed that you were looking at me during the meeting and I was wondering why."

A lie. Mostly. But he had to break the ice somehow. Kakashi gave a sheepish laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry. It's just that you remind me of someone I know way back then. Maa, what am I talking about? I'm making myself sound like an old man," he sighed. Tobi bit his lip and lowered his head. There was an image in his mind of a young jounin with an ever-present scowl behind his mask and hard eyes that would glare at him for being late. That person never once smiled or let himself act so carelessly in front of others.

"You've changed," he whispered. Kakashi cocked his head to the side.

"I'm sorry?"

Tobi pulled the eye patch off his face. "I said you've changed, Bakakashi."

::

Tsunade glowered darkly at the man stood before her, discontent flaring from every inch of her being. It didn't help that he was also regarding her with an open smile.

"Tsunade-sama."

"Yakushi."

Kabuto reduced the urge to laugh and handed over the names of the people who'd be working in her hospital near the end of the month. She looked too angry to be digesting the information, something he found to be very pleasing. Honey brown eyes raised up to meet his gaze.

"Orochimaru's dead. I can't imagine you operating under someone else," she stated bluntly. "What can you say about someone who's able to put the names of not one, but two Akatsuki members on this list?"

His smile widened. "Nothing. I'm not allowed to breathe a word about them. Even if I did, I wouldn't. Not to you, anyways."

Tsunade grit her teeth. Kabuto then pushed forward to explain the future happenings of the program before smiling that smile she was starting to hate and being escorted out of the building. After his departure, the previous Hokage let the anger settle in her features.

"I don't like it," she hissed.

"What are we going to do about Naruto?" Shizune asked worriedly. "Are they still after him? Should he be put into hiding during the duration of their stay?"

Even if the Akatsuki had been absolutely silent for the past six years, Konoha still wasn't sure of their intentions. But, Otogakure had a formidable medical community. If Hidan and Uchiha Itachi had been practically removed from active duty and had been placed into such a line of work—both in pediatrics—then there was something they were missing.

"Organizations like the Akatsuki don't just go down without a word, much less integrating into a village that pops out of nowhere. Something must've happened that no one knows about." She looked to the side. "They wouldn't just kill Sakura and leave it at that. There's an ulterior motive somewhere... I just don't know what it is."

::

"Only if you're positive that you can take the consequences," Kakuzu warned. "Doing this will no doubt life the cloud of secrecy over Oto, but it will make the other nations more aware of us. You, more specifically."

"That's true, but we can work freely if this is no longer an issue. Six years is a long time, and Otogakure deserves to grow to its fullest potential. If that means I'll have to sacrifice this much, then it's well worth it," Sakura replied. She beckoned Kisame forward and gave him a mischievous look. "Do you think I can indulge in your incomparable gossiping skills?"

He grinned. "Any day. Whatcha' got?"

"I need you to spread rumors."

Unconsciously, her mind drifted to the old team photo she kept in her drawer. It was untouched for a long time. Not that she forgot about it, but that it still hurt to see the faces of the people she knew she let down. Inner wasn't here to make matters worse, but it didn't matter. She had to make it right one way or another for her, them, and the village.

"Rumors that suggest I'm still alive."

::

EDITED 2.19.18

::

Picture Found On: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/363384263658552201/