Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto
Devil's Advocate
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"You are merely a slave of a yearning heart"
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ONE: Rest In Me
"Hey, forehead…Sakura-chan arranged flowers for your birthday. See?" Ino smiled, the midnight breeze blew a little harsh against her face . A chuckled escaped her lips and knelt down on earth placing the bouquet of white roses with daffodils at the top of the cenotaph.
The stars twinkled lightly as the clouds cleared from the indigo sky on the 28th of March, the moon shone bright with it's perfect round shape and luminous veil of the night made everything shimmer in shades of silver. The blonde woman in her purple dress stood in front of the dark stone memorial where names of heroes of the village were written in their memory.
"I know she still does a lousy job with flower arrangement, but it's the thought that counts right?" She spoke while wiping the dust that accumulated on top of the cold stone and scanned the name that rests on top of it.
Today was her birthday, today she should've been twenty three and today Ino's daughter Nara Sakurako turned six. Moist found its way at the corners of her eyes, trying her best to hold them from falling Ino darted her gaze above the looming night sky to defy gravity in it's pursuit to make her cry.
"Sakurako-chan has outstanding grades at the Academy, she said she wanted to be just like Sakura-neesan, and you promised her you'd train her so she'll be less like me and more like you? and I think…I'd love that. I want her to be just like her Godmother, just like you." Ino choked a sob, palming her face while her attempt of restraining herself from crying failed miserably, although it's been a year since her bestfriend died Ino found it hard to stop weeping for the rosette whom she shared a somewhat platonic bestfriendship with while nobody held her poor coping skills against her and the fact that Ino wasn't dumb about the possibilities given their the career they have chosen as soldiers of their country, she never thought she'd live to see the day Sakura's name decorates the cold granite memorial stone.
The villagers might have gotten over it in what? A week, the hospital personnel? Maybe a month or two,Sakura eased their workloads quite a lot and not having her around anymore meant they'd have to work double time and there's no one left to protect them from the wrath of an angry Hokage.
While everyone gets a piece of Sakura in some way, Ino had shared most of her childhood and her present life with Sakura, the latter played a major role in her life more than anyone else. The woman literally looked out for her, back when Ino still goes on dating spree up until her pregnancy in which Sakura made it her task to make sure she eats the right food, gets proper vaccination, keeping her away from contagious people and assisted during labor.
They yell, bitch out, and have cat fights. It's what they do. Their friendship goes to normal to pathological and yet no matter how they despise each other at times- it's like a common rule that they do it with endearment.
"Geez, I can tell you're laughing at me right now and you better be thankful I can't see you, you ingrate! Turning my daughter against me then leaving her like that. She even wants you to attend her Gennin Graduation." Ino slumped at the grass beneath her as she kept wiping her tears from her face miserably.
The ANBU who went back said that they couldn't find her body or rather failed to identify them. There was mass genocide at the site far away from Sakura's mission location and yet they have received an intelligence that a group of Jounin have been spotted which fit the identity of Sakura and her team. The corpses were burnt beyond identification and so was the site and the ANBU only returned what seemed to be bits and pieces of remains of other civilians from different countries.
"Tell you a secret, Naruto is planning to propose to Hinata. You better keep your mouth shut okay? don't go barging into her dreams and give her signs or something like that…you'd freak her out." Ino muttered again and sighed.
Nobody even tried to convince themselves that Haruno Sakura belonged to the casualty, so long as there's no evidence. The thought that maybe she managed to survive and fled somewhere else, thought piled after thought, assumptions per assumptions. Five retrieval operations more and all hope is lost when they managed to find her hitai-ate drenched in crusted blood and a severely unrecognized burnt corpse along with it, the blood tested positive of Haruno Sakura's DNA. Then there's no denying it.
All hope is lost, and nobody spoke a word about it. The grief of people for her loss was evident, she had always been a good friend to everyone. She's that force you can count on when you're in dire need and you need not ask for her of it. Haruno Sakura is an asset to the village, for more ways than just her medical prowess. She was a big piece of the village and her loss is massively felt.
The Hokage said it was an A-class mission, it supposed to last for at least a month or two but she never came back, it has been two years since she's gone and only almost a year since she was pronounced dead in line of duty.
Ino glanced at her wrist watch and stood up, it's about time to tuck her daughter to bed.
"Happy Birthday Sakura…"
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"This time I'm assigning Tenzo as your partner." Tsunade spoke sternly as she examined her red polished nails then tapping it rhythmically on her desk.
"I do not need a partner." Removing his dark cloak and detaching his ANBU mask, Kakashi took out a scroll from his side pocket and handed it to the Hokage.
"Hatake, I've been easy on you. Since you went back to ANBU you've been running solo, I gave you time to grieve for your loss now it's time you do your job."
"I'm doing my job, I even have a report right here." Tsunade glared at him with her fiery hazel eyes, all she got was a droopy stare and a sigh from the silver haired Copy-Ninja as she took the scroll from him with a rather harsh tug.
"Take the mission with Tenzo or no more missions, don't you try me because I mean what I say." The blonde finished her verdict as she turned her chair back from facing him to facing the wide window behind her and looked up at the Hokage Mountain.
"I'd rather stay in the village for a while." Kakashi spoke idly as he dismissed himself with a puff of thick smoke leaving the Hokage's Office.
"Stubborn man for his age really…" She muttered to herself as she shook her head in disbelief. Glancing at the scroll in her hand, she sighed.
Hatake kakashi had changed in a subtle way that no one would notice until you come to a full understanding of his personality, to start off with submitting his field reports on time though he's still magnanimously late with anything that's time-bound. She figured it's his way to keep his mind busy from thinking, he went back to ANBU since his partner's death and he was with the squad that found her remains. Tsunade could almost remember how bad he looked, like he had lost the will to walk this earth.
It had been the hardest for her to be the one to make the announcement to her colleagues, despite the severity of the Bonfire incident as the Hokage of the village Tsunade couldn't afford to create panic to the industry so she classified it as A-rank due to confidentiality. Civilians are not aware of it-nor will they be until further investigation confirms the details. In the eyes of the public-Haruno Sakura along with Hinobu Sachiko and Genburo Kira died because of ambush.
Her heart just couldn't find the courage and strength to accept the fact that indeed her most promising student is gone, to Tsunade…she wasn't just someone to pass down her skills to. Sakura had been a daughter, very stubborn and manipulative one that is.
Someone whose eyes glistens as she bleeds during training, as if assuring the blond that the time she provides to train her weren't going to waste. Sakura never fails to make proud, her ego to swell. From varying countries where she assigned her protégé, Tsunade receives a very promising review. Sakura's always ever so willing to go for the extra mile on everything she does. Even with clerical duties for her and attending meetings on Tsunade's behalf (in some that doesn't require Tsunade's presence) and keeping the Hokage from slacking off in her non-descript ways like challenging her to a Sake contest to get her to attend some conferences or simply gambling her way through it. It's just too bad for Tsunade that Sakura has better luck than she does and about the Sake contest Tsunade's fairly sure she did Sakura a favor there- it's an alcohol tolerance thing which might come in handy but the Hokage concluded it's starting to get a really annoying when the pinkette finally learns the tolerance and it backfires on her mentor instead, still Tsunade estimated Sakura would still need three more years to par with her on that note.
Kakashi wasn't exaggerating when he said Sakura will no doubt surpass her sooner than she expects it. If it were someone else, she'd snort at the idiosyncrasy of it all but Sakura wouldn't just surpass her- she'll definitely make her proud.
The manipulative girl whom Tsunade gets to pin her hopes and dreams, and Sakura seemed okay with that. So when the facts of her fate have presented itself one her table, Tsunade felt like she's gone crazy as shit. The sting in her heart is very constricting that after Jiraiya's death, Tsunade never got drunk so hard she couldn't sober up for days. After that day, she assembled two squads of ANBU to investigate and she swore to whatever punishment the council has to throw on her will be damned for so long as she found who killed Haruno Sakura.
And nobody can tell her to stop feeling responsible, to stop being blue.
Sakura may not be her biological daughter, but they have formed a bond stronger than blood and as such she's entitled to grieve for her loss.
"Otanjobi omedetto…" She muttered under her breath as she played with Sakura's favorite fountain pen.
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It irked him staying here in the village at spring season, he had long avoided staying during spring time. People are noisy during spring, too much festivities.
The time of the year he would rather spend on another mission, and yet deprived of it.
Pulling down his mask to his neck as he discarded his ANBU garments on the sofa and he pulled down the blinds of his apartment which Naruto described as 'Chicks dig this Kakashi!' Well, going to S-class missions earlier in his ANBU days has its perks, perhaps acceptable amount of bank account? That and you get laid easily. Oh! How easy it would've been if everything could be all that shallow, but being unpredictably Hatake Kakashi… you must think simpler than that.
Too simple that made Sakura come knocking on his door and on with her killing spree- simple reason that he just pissed her off by buying the apartment she's pining for. No, he didn't really mean that intentionally offending her it's just well… He found this awesome bath tub and it won't fit the bathroom in his old apartment, the bathtub has Jacuzzi in it! And he saw it in the verge of summer heat, and the bath tub is calling him in his dreams! He has to have that bath tub for whatever price! The following morning, he took his shining shimmering golden magic wand (a.k.a ATM) and bought the apartment right then and there, with the bath tub in tow.
When Sakura found out, she was furious. Well, that was an understatement because Sakura was ready to murder him mercilessly and they had to settle it with a lot of punching,kicking, ninjutsu, genjutsu and bargaining, for Kami's sake…He didn't think that dibs applies to everything! Apartment included. Sakura hadn't talked to him for a month! And he had to bargain for her forgiveness.
Also the fact that she's desperate to move into a bigger apartment but given a Jounin rank, its paycheck would still give her a year tops to get the apartment she adores- he proposed her a loan which Sakura downright rejected. Out of the call of her neediness she conned him into recommending her to ANBU in which she got an irrevocable 'No' for an answer- ha! Kakashi still has the veto power over her after all…not until she came knocking into Yamato's door which earned her one recommendation until Kakashi threatened Yamato. One thing led to another, Sakura truly hated him that day. It's not that he didn't think she can make it, of course she can! And that's what he's afraid of!
Sakura can be slightly arrogant, she promised that she'll quit once she bought the apartment but Kakashi knew better- he'd been there. There's no way she'd quit like she promised, it will become a habit. There's just something about Black Ops one can get addicted to it- the adrenaline rush and the thought of defying limits feels so good in an awkward and morbid way to say the least. Sakura being herself, Kakashi knew she might even love it knowing her annoying fascination of change and adventure.
They had been really great partners, convenient at the most. If it wasn't for them being partners he wouldn't know how much of her growth he missed, after all he focused too much of Naruto and Sasuke that he misjudged Sakura's need for supervision. He missed out on her quite a lot, and the next thing he knew Tsunade started calling her own apprentice some new pet names which are quite endearing in a sick and convoluted way like 'shadow Hokage' and even 'bitchy mommy', apparently Sakura's whipping her to do her job as Hokage.
He learned ways around her through time, little facts that he found out that not every knows about here were a lot.
Like her ambidexterity, while she uses her right hand normally for writing and both for throwing knives and writing BUT! The left hand is superior that he labeled it as The Godly Left Hand, all must hail the hand that forgesTsunade's signature! It's a little secret only four people knew, Tsunade,Sakura,Shizune and himself. Only then he found out that his former student was the one signing his paychecks. That day he learned that Konoha has two Hokages, behold the power of the Shadow Hokage so before you suck up to the boss suck up to the boss' boss first that is if you want a raise.
Sakura warned him a lot about sleeping around with random women, when they celebrated Genma's birthday at the pub Sakura might've noticed how the blonde pole dancer leers at him like shooting hormones from her crotch and noticed that if you'd rate her she'd be a straight ten that Sakura assumed he'll get laid tonight and a fore warning is needed when she said: "I'd do her too you know? She's hot and all..but you better watch out Kakashi, she screams STD's too." Because that's her way of stressing a point, not that she's a lesbian which would be hot because he once conned her into trying it but the rosette almost got him castrated he swore to never do it again though he loved his jewels very much-then again it's every man's dream to witness a live G on G!
Kakashi being meticulous about missions usually does missions on solo. Unless, he'd be paired up with people who are very few that met his standards, and Sakura had grown to be one of them. He wouldn't doubt about trusting her with his life, and somehow her company is something he grew accustomed to. Sakura had grown in him, less student and more of a friend. They need no labels to know what they are to each other, she's like Sasuke to a Naruto, Akamaru to a Kiba some sort of thing.
They weren't technically best of friends just somewhere along trusted companion or something. Kakashi was never good with those kinds of things anyway so it didn't matter much.
So when they brought back her remains, something shattered so hard that he didn't know how to describe or feel it. It felt like the world stopped, and his chest felt so very heavy and he's in need of emotions to express it but for the longest time he seemed to forgot where those emotions were, and all he could do was blame himself and punch innocent trees, take on mission after mission, kill enemies after enemies ever since then he never stopped. Finding the one responsible for it turned out to be his only goal as he went back to ANBU black ops.
Nobody knew how to comfort a Hatake Kakashi because the situations of him needing them were quite rare, and sometimes a little quality time at the pub will do it's trick. Until the opportunity presented itself nobody knew what to do. When Genma, Raido, and Gai drags him off his shell the next thing he knew he'd find himself on a barstool getting himself drunk, it had been their routine that whenever everyone is in the village the night would go something like this. So before Genma comes knocking on his door, Kakashi took his black long sleeved sweatshirt and prepared to leave.
But of course he would visit the memorial for the second time today (the first was when the afternoon he got back), he didn't miss his digital clock flash today's date.
10:30PM March 28th.
It hurt that he found himself more reason to visit the place and at some point he hated her for that.
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Her bright green eyes scanned the pub, the smoke accumulated the place like fog every morning. The lights beamed like lasers in different colors,floor lights clashed with her eyes as it twisted and turned, shinobis flocked the place more than civilians the beats rebounds in her ears as the place was maintained with sound proofing and the stereos were big. Tall tables and colorful stools scattered all over the place which she casually evaded as she made way to the bar and made herself comfortable as she propped herself over the chair slightly twisted and turned from left to right to scan the area thoroughly.
"What can I get you?" The bartender asked her with a smile, as her bright green orbs met his brown ones. He suddenly averted her gaze when she smiled slightly, she chuckled.
It's just then she realized how the air condition isn't serving its purpose well enough and her large dark red sweat shirt isn't making things easier, removing it over her head by dragging the hood from behind almost took her white tank top with it that she has to push herself to the bar table to use it as leverage, her corduroy shorts exposed much of her legs as he skin sticks to the plastic chair making funny noise as she moved the sole of her brown low-cut boots clanged against the metal foot rest of the stool while she slightly struggled to removed her clothing.
Her layered long black hair fell freely on her back, a little bangs were left cropped on her forehead that made her look paler in contrast to its dark shade, beads of sweat fell from her temples as she glanced at the bartender and sighed.
"Is this place really this hot?" Her voice almost felt exhausted than complaining.
"One of the AC's under maintenance, sumimasen."
"Oh well…it's may bad after all, it's tolerable. I'll have Tequila."
She answered smartly as she felt slight chill from the ventilation after removing her extra clothing, a brown haired man is slowly approaching the bar table as she glanced up whatever kind of man wields a senbon in his mouth, she snickered while looking away.
"Got it." the bartender sped up his way to the other end of the bar table.
"This seat taken?" The brown haired man asked giddily as he smiled at her with a protruding senbon in his mouth.
"Nope." She palmed her face as she glanced at the stage a few steps away from her.
She blew stray of her long black hair away from her face playfully, she could feel the man's eyes all over her. It wasn't unbeknownst to her that he's checking her out from head to toe.
"Are you new here?" He asked again.
She sighed as she rolled her eyes slightly.
"Men, they don't care about proper introductions as long as they get laid don't they?" She spoke sternly as she faced him with a sarcastic smile on her face as her other hand caught the shot of tequila she ordered from the bartender.
"Are new girls supposed to be this feisty? I'm Shiranui Genma." He spoke with such confidence in his smirk, as he called for the bartender.
"Unohara Kasura, new girls aren't supposed to be picked on." with that she downed her shot and raised her hand to call for another, she gave out a sigh as the vile liquid burns through her throat.
Genma looked turned his seat so his both of his arms rests on the bar table while looking beside him as his eyes met her bright green eyes, something inside of him flinched.
"Have I met you before?"
"No, never seen you before."
Kasura muttered as she caught another shot of tequila and looked at the man beside her. And saw him shrug a little and shut his eyes for a moment and took a gulp of his sake.
"So what's your business here in Konoha?" He asked as he turned his chair again to face the bar table with that flirtatious smirk on his face as kept a fix stare at her.
She opened her mouth and looked up at him in disbelief, the conversation they're having might sound like beating around the bush kind of thing but she has no interest in explaining her motives and obviously she has no interest in leaving as of yet until she's done with her purpose and it seemed like this man isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"How about a deal? You can play me twenty questions if you beat me for a drink." She proposed as she sighed and shoved her shot of tequila aside.
Kasura watched him raise a brow as he straightened up his seat and analyzed her face as if making sure she's not bluffing.
"Twenty questions and you're coming with me."
Her dark brows furrowed, as she looked at the doorway every time it opens confirming the people who goes in and starts analyzing the place again.
"That's dirty, and If I win you'll be my slave until my business here is done."
"I promise I'll make it satisfying, you're on. Ladies gets to choose the poison."
"Good, coz I'm a very very fragile girl. I like it classic. Sake." Kasura feigned a demure voice as she
downed her last shot of tequila and waited for the bottles of warm rice wine to arrive.
AZN: So, how was it? I know if some of the readers of my Sasu Saku fics find out about this they'd certainly kill me. Please don't I can't help it if plot bunnies keep on hopping around me like Easter Sunday or something. :) anyway! this one isn't beta-ed so! i'd appreciate if you'd rate my need for a beta reader on scale of 1-10 (10 being STRONGLY NEEDS) and your comment too. Truth to be told? I'm already writing Chapter Seven of this. What do you think? Also! please be aware that this is my FIRST time to write a Kaka Saku and a RATED M content. Lemons are possible here which by the way...i'm not actually confident to write but if you could put in some words and suggestions I would highly appreciate it.