After The Rain

Chapter One- The Gift

It was cold today, Sakura thought as she stood outside; very cold. It was only the late middle of November and already snow clouds were gathered overhead. By tomorrow morning there would probably be a slick layer of frost on everything. She hoped to get inside soon and warm her freezing hands and feet by a fire.

She treaded through a forest silently, listening attentively to all the sounds around her. She almost jumped at the sound of her feet crunching on something. She looked down to find a pile of dead leaves. Sakura's brow rose suspiciously, and then she carefully began to dig through the pile.

A few handfuls of leaves later, and she was suddenly staring into the lifeless eyes of a body. She retracted back, but then leaned forward and pushed aside the leaves covering the rest of the corpse. She set to work, making sure he was dead, and looking to see what it was that killed him. She came across a single entry wound in his neck.

"Yep…." Sakura muttered to herself, standing up. "Looks like I've found the trail." She crouched down one more time, closed the man's eyes, and then took off.

She ran stealthily, creeping swiftly from tree to tree and always stopping briefly to check her surroundings. At one point she came to a complete halt as she took in the sight before her. It was a small cottage house, probably only one room, and while from a distance it looked uninhabited, her ninja senses couldn't mistake the chakra of a human coming from the house. She crept forward.

When she reached the door to the house, she hesitated, considering strategies. She could pull off what she planned to do in a number of different ways. She could kick the door in, sneak around and come in through a window, wait until he came out; instead, she raised her hand, and knocked on the door.

It took a moment, but the door opened and she was then face-to-face with a man over a head taller than her. Sakura looked up at him with an innocent smile on her face. This seemed to catch him, and he raised a perplexed brow. "What do you want?"

"There's a body in the forest," she suddenly declared, "and I was wondering if you knew about it."

The man seemed surprised. "A body? I had no idea."

"Really?" She pressed, and then her eyes narrowed as she looked beyond him. "Then why does that thin blade on the bed seem like it could fit right into that dead man's neck wound?"

A tense silence fell between the two. Neither one of them moved a muscle. Sakura's innocent smile never wavered.

The next few moves happened in a flash. The man lunged at her, thinking he could easily overpower her and break her neck. Sakura used this false sense he had to her advantage when she grabbed his arm, twisted it till she heard a snap, whirled him around, and slammed him against the outside wall of the cottage. He gasped in pain just before she grabbed the back of his neck and rammed him face first up against the wall again before he could move. Her other hand firmly gripped his good arm and twisted it behind his back before he could react.

The man panted heavily, shocked that he was overpowered by Sakura so easily. Sakura's grip on the back of his neck tightened as she spoke; emanating the threat that she could break it effortlessly. "Wasn't expecting that, were you Akira? The escaped prisoner for murder in the Land of Tea, who operates his killings using a thin knife which he jams into his victims' jugular for a quick kill before he robs them."

"How did you know?" He questioned.

"How could I not? Such a distinct way of killing…finding that body so close to the cottage…leaving your weapon just lying out in the open. You were practically begging to get caught. I'd think a rogue ninja would know how to operate more covertly than that…especially considering those you've been hired to kill."

Akira frowned. "So now what are you going to do? Send me back to that prison just to break out again?"

A smirk formed on Sakura's lips. "You think we're that stupid? Granted, we could easily throw you into one of our Konoha Maximum Security prisons, but after what you've done…no one really wants to deal with that. No, you," Sakura twisted his wrist till it broke, making Akira cry out in pain as she reached down into her cloak and pulled out a kunai, "you, sir, are going to die right where you stand."

"You think so, huh?" Akira mused.

Sakura's brow creased at his statement, but then she understood what he meant. She released Akira and quickly jumped away as a knife came whizzing past her. She held up her kunai defensively as she saw another man appear from the bushes.

"You missed." Akira declared as he looked down at his broken limbs.

The new man had a smile like a fox. "So? You got your arms broken. Pretty bad day for you."

Akira shot his counterpart a glare, and then a conceited smile reached his face as he saw the flicker of confusion on Sakura's face. "You said I was lacking when it comes to a ninja's subtleness…well, here it is. Of course he seems to be a little off today."

Akira's partner frowned. "It's not my fault she sensed me coming. She's a Leaf Ninja."

"It doesn't matter." Akira proclaimed, taking a step towards the house. "Let's just finish her off and be done with it."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as Akira's partner pulled out an arsenal of knives and prepared to throw them. She worked quickly, making hand signs in a flash. When she stopped, she spoke. "Well then, if there's a second part to this murder case…" she began.

Akira's partner let out a gagging noise. He fell to the ground to reveal a kunai sticking out from where his spinal cord was. Akira's eyes widened in shock as he saw Sakura's clone emerge from the trees. Akira's head whipped back towards the kunoichi, and he gasped as he found himself abruptly face-to-face with her.

"Then I guess I'll just have to kill you both." Sakura finished, and then lashed out at his throat with her kunai, hitting the mark. He spluttered for a moment, and then slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Sakura glanced between the two corpses momentarily, and then entered the cottage. She found a lot of things. Maps of buildings she didn't recognize, weapons, survival gear. Obviously the pair had been well prepared for the prison break they most probably coordinated together, and had packed enough to get them a long way. Either that or they had stolen enough for it to seem that way. Her thoughts briefly went towards the body in the woods. She'd have to tell the nearby village to pick up that body, too, and to scour the forest for any more of their victims.

She packed together the maps and a few other things she found in the cottage, planning to take them to the village so they could find out exactly who or where the two had been plotting to strike next, and then she exited the house.

When she stepped outside, a slight chill ran up her back from the cold, and she rubbed her hands together. She looked down at her hands for a moment, a slight smile reaching her face, and then she was gone.

'"'"'"'"

It took two days of traveling to get back to the Leaf Village. When she got there she immediately went to the Hokage's building. She relayed the mission to Lady Tsunade, and left the maps with her to examine, and then she dismissed herself to go home.

"I wonder if he's there." Sakura thought as she left the Hokage's building.

Sakura walked for a while, finding the trek back home relaxing as she could wind back down out of her assassination mission mode. She stopped in front of the Haruno household, and gazed up at it for a moment.

"I wonder if I should let Mom and Dad know I'm back…." Sakura wondered aloud as she looked at the house, but then a thought struck her and she continued on down the road. "Not yet."

She looked over her shoulder momentarily back at the Haruno household, and then looked forward again.

"It's been two years already…huh?" She thought.

Her trek continued for a while longer, and then she came to a stop in front of an apartment. She walked over to the door, twisted it to find it was locked, and then fished around in her backpack for her keys.

She unlocked the door, opened it, and walked in. She took in a deep breath as she dropped her bag and took off her ninja cloak. She looked down at herself and then at the clean couch nearby. She scooped up her bag and threw her cloak over her shoulder, walking into a hallway. She'd shower before she sat down on anything.

Sakura entered a room and looked around. Nothing appeared to be touched. The two dressers, the big bed, even the door to the bathroom was shut and untouched. Sakura heaved a big sigh as she put down her bag and cloak, picked through a dresser for some clean clothes, and entered the bathroom.

"It's been two years…since I first moved in with Sasuke." Sakura frowned slightly as she saw the stack of clean towels sitting on the counter. "And it looks like I beat him home, too. He's still not back from his own mission."

Sakura turned on the shower and began to undress herself. She looked into a mirror and through its reflection she saw one of Sasuke's shirts draped over a chair with the Uchiha symbol facing up. Sakura turned to the shirt and smiled at it.

"Well…he should be home soon."

'"'"'"'"

An hour later Sakura walked out of the apartment, bundled up in warm clothing. The chill she faced in the Land of Tea had crept down to Konoha while she was gone. She took off down the road at a leisurely pace, her feet knowing automatically where they were headed.

As Sakura walked, she took in the little details around her. The sky was clouded over, completely blocking out the sun, there was s light but cold wind blowing towards her, and the streets were practically deserted. It didn't seem like many people wanted to be out on such a day.

Then, up ahead, she saw someone come out of a building. She smiled as she realized the person she saw was none other than Hinata.

Hinata turned her head as she noticed someone walking down the road, and she gave a surprised smile back as she realized it was Sakura. Sakura came to a stop in front of Hinata.

"Hey there." She greeted.

"Hello." Hinata responded. "I see you're back."

Sakura nodded. "Yep. I just got back a couple hours ago."

"How did your mission go?" Hinata asked.

"Good. There wasn't much trouble. It was just an assassination mission, and the guys were really weak."

"Oh…I see."

"So how are things going at the Hyuga mansion?" Sakura questioned.

"Pretty well, actually. Ever since Tenten moved in when she and Neji got married…I've had someone to talk to."

"That's great. Which reminds me…how long has it been…three…four months?"

"Four."

"Ah, so Tenten's about halfway there with her baby." Sakura giggled once. "I bet Neji's happy."

"He does seem to be in a lighter mood lately…ever since they got married, actually. I think Tenten has a good effect on him."

Sakura laughed and then glanced up at the building Hinata emerged from. A sly smile found its way onto Sakura's face. "So…just finished seeing Naruto?"

Hinata blushed at the mention of her longtime boyfriend, and nodded her head. "Y-yeah…he just got back from his own mission, too."

"I figured. Lady Tsunade's running him like a dog. No way is she going to let him be Hokage unless he gets his rate of success on missions up."

"Yeah…Naruto was just talking about that."

"What about you? Have you been on any missions lately?"

Hinata shook her head. "Not many…at least not any big ones like you guys have been getting."

"I would suppose not. Shino's been on that one mission for a month, hasn't he? You don't have your whole team."

"Yes. It's been a while since our team has gotten to go on a mission all together."

"Same here. With Tsunade running Naruto around on all these solo missions, all she has for me and Sasuke are the things she thinks we can handle, and then some."

"I see." A look of remembrance flickered across Hinata's face. "Oh yeah…a few days ago...I think Naruto mentioned it just earlier. It was…"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, a few days ago. The day I left for my mission, in fact. Though because of that mission, there's something about that day Naruto doesn't know about."

Hinata looked curious, and Sakura beckoned her closer. She leaned forward and Sakura whispered something in her ear. A light blush appeared on Hinata's cheeks as she pulled away.

"Oh! I-I didn't know." Hinata stammered. "That's…that's great! I'm happy for you."

Sakura smiled and held up a finger to her lips. "You're one of the first to know. Don't tell Naruto, though. We want to see the look on his face for ourselves."

"Okay…uh…c-congratulations!"

Sakura grinned. "Thanks."

"Um…what about Ino? Does she know?"

"No. Actually, I was just on my way to her place to tell her."

"Oh, well then…I guess I shouldn't hold you up or anything."

"Oh no, it was fine. I haven't gotten to talk to you in a bit. It was nice to get an update."

Hinata smiled as Sakura took a step to start off down the road. "Oh…um…good luck, Sakura."

Sakura stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Hinata. She smiled back. "Thanks. And good luck to you, too."

A bright blush reached Hinata's cheeks as Sakura continued down the road. Now remembering why she had been out on such a day, she walked with a renewed vigor as she took familiar shortcuts.

Eventually, Sakura turned out of a back road and stared down a main road. She could now see her destination: Yamanaka Flowers. Her pace quickened slightly as she came closer and closer to the shop, anxious to talk with her female best friend.

When she reached the storefront, Sakura stopped for a moment, staring at the door. After another minute, she stepped forward, grasped the doorknob, and entered the shop. A jingle went off over her head, signaling her arrival, and a couple minutes later Ino emerged from the upstairs living quarters to greet who she believed to be a customer.

Ino's face brightened as she realized that the person at the door was Sakura. She waved her farther in. "Sakura! You're back!"

Sakura smiled. "Yep, I'm back." She echoed as she took a seat in a chair reserved usually for her when she visited.

Ino sat down in her own chair on the other side of the counter and grinned. "So how'd the mission go?"

Sakura shrugged. "Oh, you know. A little bit of investigating, tracking, fighting, and then killing the target. A typical assassination run."

Ino shivered. "Out in this weather?"

"Actually, I was in the Land of Tea…and it was colder."

"Ugh, glad I didn't get your job."

"Well, you know how it is."

"Yeah, you actually pay for stuff like rent now. I'm only still living with my parents because I still have to run the shop, and it's easier than having to wake up earlier than I already do and walk all the way down here from wherever I live."

"Yeah…must be nice still not having to pay for things."

"Kinda…but this just means I have a second job. When I'm not out escorting some client or chasing down a criminal I'm here running a flower shop. What happened to my me time?"

"What's the difference from when you were younger? You seemed to have a lot of 'me time' back then."

"Only because my parents were more willing to take a shift. You know, that's basically all they do now. Pay for what they need to and then just drop the whole business into my hands. It's nuts!"

"I thought you liked working with flowers though."

Ino sighed. "I do…but you know how it is when you spend the whole day in here and you don't sell a single flower…makes you kinda want to run out just to get away from them."

"That sounds more like dealing with a clingy boyfriend." Sakura commented. This made the two of them laugh. "Kiba's not clingy, is he?"

Ino shook her head. "Just the opposite. I don't see him all that much."

"And yet you guys are still holding a relationship?"

"Oh, you know how it is." Ino sighed. "We see each other for a bit, it's romantic, we don't see each other for a while because of all these reasons, we see each other again, might get in a fight about why the other's been so busy, break up, don't see each other for a bit again, run into each other, get back together, and start the whole thing all over again."

"How the hell do you deal with that? That's just insane."

Ino shrugged, and then her eyes brightened. "Ooh, speaking of boyfriends." She grinned. "How's yours?"

Sakura looked down at her hands. "I dunno. I haven't seen him in about a week. I had my own mission, but then two days later he had to leave for his. It doesn't look like he's back yet."

"Oh." Ino sounded sympathetic, but then her smile returned. "Oh! That reminds me! Wasn't it you and Sasuke's like…a hundred-year-a-versary a few days ago? You guys have been together forever! I swear!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino's exaggeration. "It's five years, thank you, and actually it was the day I had left for my mission."

"Aw, well that blows!"

"Tell me about it…. Though I didn't have to leave till two, so we still got to spend the morning together."

"I see." A sly grin found its way onto Ino's face. "And how did that go? Did you guys go do something or did you stay inside to have a little hot, private time before you left?"

Sakura's cheeks flared slightly, and she looked back down at her hands. "We stayed home…hung out together…you know."

"Seriously? That's it? No action?"

"And what do you mean by action?"

Ino grinned suggestively. Sakura's cheeks grew darker.

"I can't believe where your mind is." Sakura huffed.

"Come on! You've got to have done something!"

"Not on the level your thinking is heading towards." Sakura retorted.

Ino waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, whatever. What did you get him?"

"I didn't get him anything."

Ino gawked. "Why not? You guys have been together for five solid straight years! Not a single fight, not a single break-up then make-up scene, hell, the anniversary gift he gave you two years ago was moving in together. Why didn't you get him something?"

"Because he said the only gift he wanted was to spend the day with me. That's one reason we didn't leave the house, he didn't want any distractions."

Ino shot a look at Sakura. "And yet you guys haven't even—"

"Ino." Sakura interjected threateningly.

"Oh, whatever. Tell me he at least got you something. Unless his gift to you was the same thing."

Sakura's eyes flickered. "Well, he did get me something."

Ino leaned forward. "Aaaand?"

Sakura stared at Ino for a moment, looked down at her hands, and then casually began to take off the glove on her right hand.

"Come on, Sakura!" Ino whined. "What did Sasuke get you?"

"Oh, nothing much." Sakura drawled as she removed her other glove, propped her left elbow on the table, and put her cheek in her hand.

Ino's gaze followed Sakura's hand, and a moment later her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. On Sakura's finger was an engagement ring.

Sooooo much better than my first version! The first version was a total bore. Only Leaf Village blah. No mission prior. Made the chapter much more exciting putting in the mission. Well, if anyone noticed, the preview in TTL for this chapter is gone…I had to remove it. Sure, in the end I kept to the general idea of what I had in the preview, but many of the little factors had changed, so it didn't match up, and thusly, I had to delete it. Same concept though. "Sakura goes to visit Ino and reveals her engagement to Sasuke." Just with the extra stuff of talking with Hinata (which got us up-to-date on some of the things that happened over the five years like that she and Naruto are still together and Neji and Tenten are married and expecting, and also gave those who didn't get to read the preview the hints that something happened between Sasuke and Sakura) and the mission. (Showing off Sakura's ninja skills.) Well then, here's to a more exciting opening! And here's to the first chapter of the sequel to "The Turning Leaf"! Till the next chapter!