Disclaimer: I do not own…as much as I wish, Naruto. Yeah if you've read any of our other stories you know I'm not very creative with disclaimers.
Summery: After a long weekend of training, Team Kakashi gets another A-ranked mission to protect a high class family member's son. Along the way the young man seems to well…fall in love with Sakura. WHAT?!?!?! Poor Sakura
Slight spoilers from book 39 I believe. Also known as Chapter 356.
A/N: Sorry guys just fixing some stuff no new chapters
She didn't know why most stories started off with what the weather was like, but for some reason she couldn't help but think of the weather first off when she thought back on what happened.
It was just a regular, ordinary, sunny day in Konoha. Same as any other day. The sun was shinning bright like always in the heated climate area she lived in. The clouds that were there where very puffy, mostly white but few speckled in grey. She knew not to put up much hope for rain knowing there wasn't much precipitation in the air for it but yet there was always a little bit of hope. Nothing to make her feel something or anything would be different.
Sakura was walking down the main street on this regular day. Her red top that she always wore was slightly sticking to her skin from that morning's practice at the training grounds. Her biker shorts were clinging tighter than usually and her medic pouch sagging. She, Naruto and newly returned Sasuke, as well as their new teammates Sai and Yamato and their old teacher Kakashi decided on an all out training exercise just for fun on the weekend. Now that it was over Sakura demanded a nice long shower.
Naruto whined at the fact that she pretty much ended the session with those words but lightened up when Yamato and Kakashi promised they'd all meet up at Ichiraku's for lunch.
"Typical Naruto," Sakura mumbled to herself as she reached her cozy apartment.
Though she did miss her parents and old room, something she'd never say aloud in fear of getting mocked by Sai, she had been living on her own since she turned 16. She decided on getting an apartment close to the hospital and the Hokage tower just to make it easier on her when called for her medic duties or for her shishou Tsunade.
Entering her little abode she quickly gathered a new set of clothes and hopped quickly into the shower. She turned the knob to the point where the water would be warm but not uncomfortably warm in her already warm and sweaty state.
"I love love love showers," Sakura sang to herself while stepping into the cascading water flow. As a relaxed sigh escaped her slightly chapped lips, she could feel the warm water slipping down her back relaxing sore muscles.
"The next time we have one of these little rendezvous," Sakura said to herself, "I need to remember to ask for it to be shorter." She laughed at the thought knowing fully well what would happened if she asked such a thing. Naruto would agree with her, probably, if she promised ramen. Sasuke would probably call her weak. Sai as well, that or make a comment on how she only wanted a little extra time to make herself uglier if even possible. Kakashi of course would be to busy reading his Icha Icha Paradise novels. Yamato….she wasn't so sure about.
"Him and his twisting moods in all," She thought aloud since nobody was there to hear her. She poured a small amount of strawberry smelling shampoo into her hand and started massaging her scalp.
"Seriously," Inner Sakura mentioned, "first time we met him he went from kind and caring to just plain scary to overall leader and back to kind a caring talk about weird."
"But he did get better," Sakura reflected back on the time when he tried to save her from Sasuke's attack and the encounter with the Sanbii. She then added her conditioner in her procedure of washing her cherry blossom color hair.
"Yeah whatever," Inner Sakura commented before hiding in the back traces of Sakura's mind.
She had gotten a lot better at keeping her inner voice locked away instead of pestering her like it used to do in her genin days. This made her feel very proud of herself, which allowed her even more strength to wedge the inner kunoichi in the back of her mind.
After about 3 more minutes of soaking Sakura finally decided it was time to get out of the haven which was her shower. She wrapped her self in her pale blue towel and left the little room. When she walked back into her bedroom she ungracefully fell to her mattress and sighed a sigh of relief.
"So much has happened since the genin days," She pondered to herself, "The Chuunin Exams, Sasuke leaving, that two year interval when all we did was train, Sasuke defeated Orochimaru, Sasuke…overcoming Itachi, Naruto bringing him back. Though I mean some other things happened besides Sasuke. I mean, Naruto has gotten so strong. He has been on so many missions that are A or S ranked it almost makes me feel useless again. Then of course there's Sai. He's made so many breakthroughs on emotion. Thought not all good ones."
Sakura smiled at the time when Sai had tried to be more considerate to people and went an entire day without accidentally insulting someone. Though it was hard to do it around her. But he tried none of the less.
Yamato…well Yamato hadn't changed much but he too was a little more open. Again only a little but anything is an improvement.
Kakashi, her dear old sensei, had actually been able to get to some place on time…So long as they told them to be there an hour before hand. Though he was more open, only a little but hey it's an improvement Sakura thought, more to the little group that became more and more like a family. Yep the group had really gotten closer. They had even gotten together to make a surprise party for Sakura's 17th birthday party. Thought the event in itself was a horrible mess. They had secretly placed themselves in Sakura's apartment, and as an exhausted Sakura walked in (after working a three day shift at the hospital) not sensing their presences being so tired was surprised when four out of five ninja jumped up and shouted "SURPRISE." Well after much healing on Sakura's part the party continued well underway with a visit from more of their friends.
This became a slight continued tradition for whosever birthday it was or just for whenever. In fact everyone had a key to Sakura's apartment for it seemed to be the meeting point of everything.
"Yeah…family," Sakura murmured again, almost drifting to sleep from the hot air leaking into the building. Though remembering the promise to meet up later for ramen she knew she had to stay awake. So she opted for brushing out the tangles that were in her hair.
"Come to think of it I should have done that first," she muttered when she got caught in a nasty knot.
The smell of Ichiraku's ramen flooded the streets even when you where a block away. The smells drifted up to Sakura's nose calling her to come.
"You'd think with all the times we go here I'd get tired of it," Sakura thought to herself. Smiling then laughing at how it probably has something to do with Naruto.
As she lifted the banner to inter the tiny shop she realized most of the family was there. Naruto, of course, Sasuke and Sai where already eating. Well Sasuke and Sai where eating while Naruto was excitingly explaining in every single possible detail to old man Teuchi.
"And then I was like WHOOSHH!!! And then I was like SHWISH!!! And then teme was like AHHHH!!!! And I was like MAUAHAHAHA!!!" Naruto was shouting keeping his title as the number one knuckled headed loudmouth.
"I did no such thing, dobe," Sasuke mutters while he was blowing on his spoonful of the broth.
"Oh yeah you did!" Naruto shouted back, "Sai, you know what I'm talkin' about. YOU SAW! YOU SAW!!!"
"I don't remember the traitor ever screaming like a girl," Sai replied with a fake smile. Something, Sakura realized, that was a little hard to give up on.
"Force of habit," Sakura had told him once.
"Maybe whimpering like a girl," Sai continued, "but not screaming." The Uchiha's eyes started to bleed crimson. Sakura decided she better intervene now.
"Well at least you didn't blow up the shop yet," Sakura said as she finally made her presence known, "I'd be starving if you did that."
"SAKURA-CHAN!!" Naruto shouted, "Here come sit next to me!" Naruto practically dragged her into the seat on his left away from Sasuke and Sai.
"Naruto," Sakura began to ask, "You didn't invite Hinata-chan."
Naruto's face turned a sheepish pink at the mention of his girlfriend. "Yeah I did," he said, "But she had business with her prick of a father to deal with."
"You know baka," Sasuke said, "if you keep calling him a prick he might not let you marry his daughter."
"UH WHAT WHO SAID…I MEAN…MARRIAGE…WAIT WHAT!!!" Naruto sputtered out. Sakura laughed at Naruto's face that was almost as red as the tomatoes Sasuke likes so much.
"I don't see what she sees in a dickless…I mean…um…" Sai continued to try to fine nicer words to sound better. Another habit that seemed hard to get rid of was the nicknames.
"But they're your nicknames," Sai had said, "don't they stay with you forever."
"Not one's that hurt peoples feelings," Sakura had told him.
"But it's only the truth," Sai and said with a fake smile. Sakura almost let Inner Sakura unleash her fury onto the emotionally challenged boy until he finished his sentenced.
"But yours doesn't fit you all that well." Sakura smiled.
"Nah," Sai continued, "yours should be Ugly-sama." With this Sakura couldn't help but hit him across the head. But both laughed when a real smile had actually appeared on Sai's face.
Finally after everyone had eaten at least through half of there bowl, not including Naruto who was on his fifth, Kakashi and Yamato finally came.
"Sorry we're late," Kakashi started to narrate one of his many excuses, "but you see, coming back from the road of life I met this small little girl who asked with tiny beady eyes for help…"
"CUT THE CRAP KAKASHI!!!" Naruto shouted.
"No it's all true," Kakashi explained, "Yamato will vouch for me, right."
Yamato just silently shook his head gently. Though trying to keep down a laugh at the same time. "Don't get me involved in this senpai. I didn't meet you until we ran into each other up ahead."
"Ha you were lying," Sakura accused in a sly tone.
"HA YOU LIAR!" Naruto yelled. They both started to laugh at Kakashi who knowingly knew he was caught embarrassingly stroke the back of his neck.
"Well anyways," Yamato intervene, "We've been called to Lady Hokage's office."
"WHAT?!?!?" Naruto shouted, "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN WHEN WE'RE AT ICHIRAKU'S!!!"
"Just fate I guess," Sakura relied, "Come on boys. Don't want to make shishou wait now do we." One by one Sai, Sasuke and then Naruto got up to go. They were just about to leave when old man Teuchi shouted, "HEY YOU DIDN'T PAY YOUR BILL!!" and all of a sudden none of the students where there. Leaving Yamato and Kakashi to sigh in their misery of the bill.
"I think they've gotten smarter on us Yamato," Kakashi mutters as he digs through his pockets for some sort of currency to pay the monstrous bill.
"They all do senpai," Yamato sighed, "they always do."
As soon as they entered the Hokage's office, the sweet smelling aroma of sake enter their noses…well actually penetrated their senses.
"Ugh! Shishou what on earth," Sakura gasped. It was more sake than usual in the room than what the Hokage usually drank. Although just off hand you couldn't exactly tell that she was drunk except for the extra little flush in her cheeks.
"Uh? Who? Oh Sakura there you guys are," the drunken Tsunade slightly slurred out, "What took you so long. Do you know how long I was waiting?"
Grabbing the nearest bottle of sake Naruto examined it and looked around to see at least seven more empty. "Long enough to empty eight bottles worth of sake," Naruto points out, "And these bottles are HUUUGGEE!!"
"Actually I think there more than that empty," Sai said while pointing to more empty bottles under the desk.
"Honestly shishou," Sakura sighed, "you know this can't be good for your health."
"You'll drink yourself into an early grave," Sasuke put his point in.
"For you information," Tsunade said while stumbling around her desk to talk to them better, "this is just…an incentive. It's apart of the payment for your mission."
"WHAT!!" Naruto shouted, "SO WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID IN REAL MONEY!!! I NEED MORE MONEY FOR RAMEN!!!!"
"PIPE DOWN YOU PIPSQUEK!!" Tsunade yelled back but then clutched her head that felt like it was shattering into thousands of pieces.
"What do you mean by…incentive?" Sakura asked for everyone.
"I'll tell you when…" Tsunade started to say when Kakashi and Yamato came into the room, "Never miss a cue do you boys, alright now that we're all here. Your mission is being asked to escort the son of a wealthy and powerful lord who is in charge of many of the breweries in the Land of Sake." There was a pause as Team Kakashi let the information soak in when Naruto being the idiot he is said, "There's a Land of Sake?" A huge sweat drop fell from everyone's head, yes everyone even Sasuke and Sai even though they wouldn't show it.
"Baka!" Sakura muttered, "How did you ever make it out of the academy?"
"'Cause I'm just that good DATTEBAYO!!!!" Naruto shouted and was thus punched by Tsunade for shouting and Sakura for just being and idiot.
"OW! Sakura why'd you hit me," Naruto whined.
"Shishou was going to anyway," Sakura simply explained.
"Anyways," Kakashi butted in, "could you please continue the explanation of the mission."
"Right," Tsunade answered, "As you know larger scale groups tend to be wrong for an escort mission…"
"Which is lame," Naruto mumbled.
"Would you like me to continue or place you in only D-ranked missions for the rest of your life!" Tsunade shouted. Naruto cringed and simply shook his head.
"ANYWAYS!" Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh of annoyance remembering again why the heck she ever took this demanding job continued, "This mission will be an escort and a reconnaissance mission. We've heard of strange goings happening around the Land of Sake."
"Who could it be though?" Sakura voiced her question.
"We don't know," Tsunade answered, "we don't think it could be Akatsuki, they have no reason to be there. And since Orochimaru has been long dead we don't know."
"Has anyone tracked Kabuto's moves?" Yamato asked. Sasuke looked over to him in a slightly confused manner. Yamato also confused pondered this look and let out an understanding "oh" when he realized.
"No one told you we ran into him one day." Sasuke shook his head still slightly confused.
"Well," Yamato said recalling the memory, "We ran into him while searching for Itachi and you. We found him before you're battle with Deidara…or during…whichever."
"So…Kabuto is still alive," Sasuke muttered to no one in particular.
"We just want to be sure," Tsunade explained, "and because of just how important this young man is. That is why this mission is A-ranked."
"What ever you say baa-chan," Naruto mutters.
"WHAT WAS THAT NARUTO!" Tsunade yelled.
"NOTHING!" Naruto shouted back.
"Fine then," Tsunade answered, "Now your charge should be coming in just a second. You and he can decide on when exactly you want to leave." Just then a knock came to the door.
"Come in," Tsunade shouts. With that the squeaky old door slowly began to open. In the doorway stood a young man just about 19 years old and about the same size as Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai. His hair was a dark wooden brown that went to his shoulders and spiked out. His eyes showed an unfaltering power and confidents in the creamy brown. And with a breath he spoke.
"Konichiwa, I am Sashimoto Shinji," he said.
Yep so that's how it is so far.
I know it'll probably won't turn out how I like it but I'm going to try.
Reviews are a nice thing they keep me going and as I said at the top if you have ideas or helpful hints please give them.
