Petals of a Flower
By: Do-what-thou-wilt
Early one morning in Konohagakure a pink haired kunoichi stirred from her sleep. Sakura Haruno rubbed her eyes trying to get adjusted to the light of the rising sun shining into her window trying to remember what had woken her.
Tap. Tap.
"Tapping?" she thought, "What's making that sound?" Looking around, she spotted the outline of something on her windowsill.
Warily, Sakura walked over to the window. Outside she spotted one of the Fifth Hokage's messenger hawks. She opened the window and took the message from the hawk.
"Oh a message from Tsunade-sama. What does she want from me this early on my day off?" Sakura muttered as she closed her window and started opening the letter. With a sigh she started reading, "Dear Sakura, your presence is requested in the Hokage's office as soon as possible. You have been assigned a mission. From, Tsunade."
" I guess I should get ready then." Sakura thought to her self as she made her way to her bathroom. As she got there she closed the door and sighed. She had worked the entire week. Between apprenticing with Tsunade and leading D and C rank missions with genin squads, she had no time to her self. She walked over to her shower and turned on the water. While she was waiting for the water to warm up she looked around her bathroom. As she looked she saw all of the bubbles, incense, and flowers that she had bought so she could take a nice relaxing bath.
"I really deserved this day off too." Sakura whined, "O.k. I'll just tell Tsunade-sama that she promised me today off and try to get out of this mission. Yeah, that'll work." With that, Sakura took off her nightgown and started her shower.
When she was done with her shower she stepped out to dry off. She wrapped her towel around her body and proceeded to comb her hair. After the first stroke she stopped and looked at her short hair in the mirror. She remembered when she was in the Forest of Death as a genin in the second exam of the Chunin Exams. She was defending her sleeping teammates and had been caught by her hair from behind by a Sound ninja. In a desperate attempt to get free she cut off a fair portion of her hair. After freeing herself, her hair no longer flowed to the middle of her back, but ended in the middle of her neck. This thought triggered others of her first, and only love, Sasuke Uchiha. Thoughts of her and Sasuke's time in the Academy, being assigned to the same team, completing missions together, participating in the Chunin Exams, and his eventual defection from Konoha. The last one always stirred up her emotions and made her want to cry. She had even tried to stop him the day he left, and failed. Since Sasuke had left, Sakura had never felt the same emotions she had for him for any other guy in all of Konoha. "Sasuke-kun." Sakura said in a quiet, sad voice with a hint of longing.
When she was finished flashing back to her memories as a child, she continued combing her hair and went into her room to get dressed. She wore her black shorts with a beige skirt, and a red top and then tied her Konoha forehead protector to the top of her head to keep her hair back. Once she was finished, she stood in front of her full-length mirror to examine her self. As always, she looked good. Sakura had grown in the two and a half years since Sasuke left. She was taller, smarter, and stronger. She could create holes in the ground just from a single punch. She had also grown into a real woman. Not only had she lost her baby fat, but she had also filled out in the right places. She was no longer the little girl entering puberty that she once was, but a woman that caught the eye of almost every guy in Konoha. The only thing that had not changed was her stunning green eyes that people couldn't help but get lost in.
When she was finally finished looking at her self in the mirror, she left for the Hokage's office. She decided to walk there instead of jump from the rooftop to rooftop. She didn't feel like wasting her energy jumping about on what should be her day off. "Wow, I'm beginning to act like Shikamaru, not wanting to jump because its, 'troublesome'." Sakura giggled to her self.
As Sakura arrived at the Hokage's office, she looked at the giant kanji on the front of the building that said, "Fire" and gave a final sigh. As she was about to enter the door she heard someone behind her.
"Ohayou Gozaimasu Sakura-san!" yelled someone. As Sakura turned she saw that it was her friend and fellow apprentice to Tsunade, Shizune.
"Ohayou." replied Sakura.
"What are you doing here today?" questioned Shizune, "I thought today was your day off."
"It is, but I was told that I had a mission that required me to be here early. I Guess Tsunaade-sama must have forgotten."
"That's unlike her, but I guess that could happen." Shizune said.
As they made their way up the stairs of the building to Tsunade's office, Sakura started feeling a knot in her stomach. Her pace started to slow. Shizune took notice of this and asked, "What's wrong Sakura-san?"
"Well, I don't really want to do this mission because today is my day off. I don't want to get Tsunade-sama upset"
"Don't worry Sakura-san you'll be fine, it's like you said, Tsunade must have forgotten. Nothing to worry about."
As they finished their walk upstairs they arrived to the waiting room, just outside of Tsunade's office. Looking around, Sakura noticed that no one else was there. "Looks like the genin squad I'm supposed to lead today isn't here yet. I'll just wait out here until they arrive." Said Sakura.
"But don't you want to tell Tsunade-sama that today is your day off?" asked Shizune.
"Not now. Before she gives us our mission briefing I'll tell her."
"O.k." replied Shizune, "I will let her know that you have arrived and will be waiting."
Shizune opened the door to Tsunade's office and greeted her and told that Sakura had arrived and was waiting for her genin squad to arrive. Quickly, Shizune turned around to Sakura and said, "Tsunade-sama wants you now."
Upon hearing the urgency in Shizune's voice, Sakura walked to the door and entered. As Sakura entered the office she said. "Tsunade-sama I'm sorry but today is my day off and…" she stopped and looked. There were many people in the room looking at her. "Hinata, Shikamaru, Kiba, what are you doing here?" asked Sakura.
"Probably the same thing as you." replied Shikamaru.
After greeting her friends, Sakura turned to face Tsunade ready to continue about her day off when out of the corner of her eye she spotted someone wearing orange and black. "Oh, Naruto, I didn't notice you were here. Ohayou." said Sakura making a mental note that Naruto looked serious for some reason. For all the years she had known him, He had never been unhappy to see her, and was always the first one to greet her, unlike today.
"Ohayou Sakura-chan." Naruto replied to his fellow teammate from team seven in a stoic voice.
Mood aside, Naruto looked the same as he always had to Sakura. He had spiky blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and the three whisker marks on his face. Of course he was taller now, a fact that Sakura noticed every time she saw him. He was also stronger. Although not visible stronger, anyone who knew Naruto like Sakura did could tell he was. The most obvious change had not been in Naruto him self, but what he wore. He didn't wear the same orange and blue outfit he wore as a kid, but he now wore an orange and black outfit that made him look manlier. At least, Sakura thought he looked manlier.
"Are we done with the formalities?" asked Tsunade in an irritated tone. Everyone stopped talking and turned to face Tsunade. She continued, "First, Sakura, I know that today is supposed to be your day off, but you have been chosen for this mission because of your talent and history working with Naruto. Listen to the mission briefing. If you don't want to participate, you may leave and go off and enjoy your day."
"O.k." Sakura said with a nod.
"Alright then" continued Tsunade, "Here is your mission…"
Author's note: Ok well that is my attempt at the first chapter of my first Fanfic. I think we all know where this story is gonna' go with the mission and all, but I'm not really a visionary, but at least I'm trying. I'll take any reviews. If you are gonna' yell at me and tell me I suck and should stop writing, at least give me some positive feedback so I can improve. The next chapter should be up soon. ---Thanks. Do-what-thou-wilt.