The Truth Untold
Chapter 1:
"Uchiha Sasuke? What brings that brat back to Konoha? After seven years of unsuccessful and relentless attempts of pursuing him the bastard finally decides to show up at our doorstep. Surely he isn't here to pay pleasantries to the village he deserted."
Golden locks framed her immaculate face haphazardly as wrinkles appeared on her forehead, threatening to reveal a glimpse of her true age. Knelt down before her, the masked ANBU simply remained calm and stoic, waiting for the moment Tsunade would descend into one of her infamous bouts of rage and lose her temper. The ANBU was well aware of the Hokage's resentment towards the missing-nin, as were most of the shinobi who were close to her. Arms crossed under her ample bosom, masses of killer intent radiated from her as she could only harbor her fury towards the youngest Uchiha.
"Hai Hokage-sama. We found him incapacitated on the outskirts of the forest bordering Fire Country during our patrol. Uchiha was unconscious, leaning against a tree and had nearly depleted chakra reserves at the time we encountered him. It was quite evident that he was recently involved in a battle. Whomever he fought must have purposely spared his life. He's currently being guarded by two ANBU squads while Ibiki and Inoichi are busy conducting their interrogation. I have yet to hear of their results Hokage-sama."
"Very well, you are dismissed. You are to report to me directly upon any updates concerning Uchiha Sasuke. Is that clear?" she demanded sternly.
"Hai Hokage-sama."
Tsunade watched as the young ANBU bowed her head down obediently with a hint of reverence for the Sannin. Her strict demeanor softened slightly at the sight, the corner of her lips forming the faintest trace of a smile. She couldn't help but be reminded of her pink haired apprentice, now her equal as a formidable medic and kunoichi. The days when her Sakura reveled in awe and astonishment at as a young girl determined to become well versed as a medic-nin felt like a distant memory. Clearing her thoughts, the ANBU brought her back from her wistful thinking as she was about to exit.
Sensing the Hokage's hesitancy, the ANBU lingered at the door, waiting a few moments to provide her with adequate time to voice her unspoken thoughts.
As if on cue, she asked softly, "Before you leave, I kindly ask this information remain confidential between the two of us for the time being. Misaki must not be informed, I will brief her personally in regards to this matter."
Raising her right hand with a swift salute of acknowledgement, the ANBU vanished into thin air leaving no trace of her presence behind. Completely alone now, Tsunade's hands traveled underneath the worn wooden desk to open a cabinet. Reaching inside, her slender fingers wrapped around the porcelain bottle of sake. Eagerly pouring herself a generous amount of alcohol, her thoughts drifted once more to Sakura as she stared blankly at the clear liquid, swirling it around in her overused cup. Downing the contents of her drink instantly, she let the pleasant taste of alcohol run down her throat, savoring the all too familiar burn.
Within the seven years of tireless wait for the return of Uchiha Sasuke, she was forced to watch her beloved apprentice adopt the hard and calculating persona she became notorious for within the ranks of the ANBU. As weeks turned into months, months into years, her heart slowly broke into pieces watching her cherry blossom wither from her former beauty.
Admittedly, Tsunade doubted that her short-tempered, bubblegum haired student would be fit to join the village's cold blooded, elite assassination squad even if she passed the exam. She was quickly proven wrong however, upon learning that Sakura surpassed the ANBU ranks at an alarmingly fast rate, earning the title of captain within her first month of being admitted. Since her admittance into ANBU, the weary Sannin longed to see her apprentice once more. She desperately held onto the belief that the Sakura she knew still resided behind the masked façade known as Misaki.
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Sakura soundlessly raised herself onto the lone window sill with the natural grace of a kunoichi and an assassin. From her dorm within ANBU headquarters, she observed Konoha indifferently. The fluorescent neon lights and smiling civilian and shinobi population lining the streets of the village did nothing to brighten her mood on the 28th of March. In an alternate universe, Sakura would have been celebrating her 21st birthday, but once more she found herself locked inside her room as she spent her birthdays for the past 3 years.
Her red striped mask laid face up on her bedside desk, a testament to her vow to grow stronger both physically and mentally. Weakness would never define the young woman again.
Since the day of his defection, Sakura's hope flickered with each passing month of waiting until it died like a lightbulb no longer suitable for use. If Naruto could not even convince Sasuke to return, she bitterly accepted that her love would only come back to the village when hell froze over. It was only mature of her to face reality. The last Uchiha only seemed to bring her misery and pain the more she thought about him. Sleepless nights spent crying and pleading for Sasuke's return left the joke of a kunoichi an emotional mess. What kind of shinobi was she if she could not conceal her emotions?
Her friends' concerns as she spiraled into a depressive state did nothing but irritate her further. She expected herself to overcome her feelings, however love was a concept beyond her; it was too complicated. Her heart shredded into microscopic pieces, Sakura was often seen with a permanent frown and slumped shoulders as she walked throughout Konoha. She managed to plaster a fake smile reminiscent of Sai at the constant prodding of "Are you okay?" from those around her. Those three words sickened her in every possible way. There was no one capable of understanding her endless grief and sorrow.
In dire need of an efficient distraction, Sakura devoted her time to treating patients at the hospital, the once place in the village that did not make her feel worthless. It proved to be an efficient mean of clearing the miserable thoughts that plagued her mind. As the Hokage's apprentice, she busied herself with keeping the hospital organized and under control as the assistant director. Performing chakra intensive surgeries along with overseeing simple checkups brought her a sense of satisfaction, however she struggled to ignore the gaping hole in her heart. Despite her efforts to conceal her emotions, a sliver of sadness would always escape through her carefully practiced face of indifference.
Some of the more intuitive patients caught onto Sakura's odd behavior, previously associating the young medic with the sparkling emerald eyes and blinding smile as she used to walk around the white hallways filled with antiseptic with. Recently, they have only seen a frail woman, guarding her emotions so closely. The more her patients openly voiced their worries for her, her stoic mask began to crack. The one place she though she could seek comfort from quickly burdened her with more grief as her emotions began to prod at her again. Deeming the hospital unfit to work at, she concluded a lengthy solo mission would provide greater relief.
Sakura approached her shishou at the Hokage tower immediately to request the solo mission she desperately thought she needed. Much to her disappointment, Tsunade outright declined her request.
"Tsunade-shishou, I would like to request a solo mission, preferably one that will keep me out of the village for some time," Sakura said as she determinedly met her mentor's hazel eyes.
"I will have to decline your request, Sakura. You are simply unprepared to tackle the solo missions I currently have available at the moment. If you would like, I can send you on a rather lengthy partner mission with Kakashi" Tsunade replied firmly.
A mission with her uncannily intuitive former sensei would only lead to more distress. She did not need another person seeking to repair her broken state of mind.
"Shishou, I am in desperate need of a solo mission. The duration is no longer important, please just give me a solo mission…" her voice beginning to break as she finished her request. Well-kept tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes as it was becoming impossibly hard to bear the pain Sasuke had caused her. Each day spent in the village reminded her of the sickening happiness she once thought she could have.
"Sakura, the only solo missions available at the moment are ANBU exclusive. I am not dispatching my apprentice on a mission that will more or less endanger her life," Tsunade said in a tone that clearly indicated the topic was no longer up for discussion. She loved the girl like a daughter and could not take the evident agony that clouded her bright eyes. The Sannin believed that sending off her grief-stricken student on a mission would lead to her death.
The pink haired kunoichi dropped her head in defeat as warm tears began to silently trickle down her pale cheeks. In a hushed voice, she barely whispered to her teacher, "I will return to you, Shishou, more than fit to receive a solo mission" before she departed the tower in a furious sprint.
Since her confrontation with her mentor, Sakura rigorously worked to build her stamina and endurance, training from sunrise to sunset in true Maito Gai fashion as she equipped ankle weights wherever she went. In addition to her training regime, she sought to add more ninjutsu and genjutsu techniques to her arsenal. It would not hurt to brush up on her taijutsu as well, even if she could easily obliterate an enemy with the flick a finger. Target practice was the last skill she decided to add to her training agenda, noting the danger a well-aimed kunai, shuriken, or senbon posed. The young apprentice worked for three years honing her abilities. ANBU only accepted the best and nothing less.
The more she trained, Sakura found herself adopting a hard and analytical persona that reflected the true intelligence stored in her brain. Emotions and feelings had no place in the ANBU. She realized then that joining the assassination squad was the best medicine to cure her grief. In a place devoid of all emotion, Sakura could finally regain control over her life. How foolish she often mused, to have been blinded by a fruitless love that never would have resulted in anything.
A few months after her 18th birthday, she registered for the ANBU exam after deeming herself more than ready to join the assassination squad. The kunoichi exuded confidence, her shoulders no longer slouched but set straight along with her chin held high. Each step she took demanded attention, emitting a kind of power she had never been aware of. Sakura's pink hair remained shoulder length, her hitai-ate glimmering atop her parted bangs. For all her poise, her emotion was sacrificed in the process. Her once warm demeanor was replaced by ice, effectively freezing her feelings and charming personality from the world.
Unsurprisingly, Sakura passed the ANBU exam with flying colors, accumulating the highest score amongst the other applicants. Even if she was the Hokage's apprentice, her performance left the judges impressed and nonetheless stunned. No one would have anticipated that a love smitten girl born from a civilian family would find herself being the most capable candidate to join the village's assassination squad. Soon enough, she would be instated after a formal declaration from the Hokage.
"Hokage-sama, I have returned," Sakura confronted her teacher with a hard tone after three years of training. From the time she was 16, she had blossomed into her full potential at 19, now equipped to join the ANBU.
"Yes indeed, I have seen the results of the exam. You will undoubtedly join the ANBU force, and will also assume the position as one of my personal ANBU confidants," Tsunade replied in a voice strictly for the sake of professionalism.
"Thank you, shishou, it is an honor. If possible, I would like to take on the alias Misaki. I wish not to be called 'Sakura' in my time in ANBU. I am aware that it is common knowledge that I am your apprentice, but I wish to be treated as an equal and not as your student."
Sighing in her chair, Tsunade stared longingly into her apprentice's eyes. Sending Sakura into the ANBU was the last of places she wanted to bring her to. The emotionless expression standing before her saddened her. The kunoichi before her was only a sliver of her former self. As her mentor, she had failed to protect her student she loved dearly.
"Very well, Misaki. Your initiation into ANBU is effective immediately," she said as she rose from her cushioned seat behind her desk. Walking over to Sakura, she affectionately placed her hand onto her right bicep, marking her with the signature swirled, red tattoo that indicated her status as a member of the assassination squad. It burned into her skin, the mark to remain imprinted forever.
Quickly after, an ANBU appeared by Tsunade's side, gently handing the newest member the standard uniform set, including the patterned mask and personal katana.
After musing long enough on the window sill, Sakura decided she needed some sake to accompany her 21st birthday. She swiftly jumped off and landed next to her shabby bed. Gently putting the striped mask over her face, a sense of comfort and familiarity rushed through her at the simple action. She then grabbed her hooded, black cloak letting it drape around her body. She raised the heavy hood over her head to conceal the unmistakably pink hair that identified her as Sakura.
If her friends were to see her now, she would practically be unrecognizable with the exception of her bubblegum locks. Her red knee length top she used to wear throughout her academy days were carefully stored under her bed. She now dressed in a long-sleeved black tank and form fitting shinobi trousers, also black. The only article of clothing that donned another color other than black was the grey guard all ANBU wore over their uniform.
Satisfied with her appearance, she returned back to the window sill and opened the window in her room and leapt onto the rooftops of Konoha. Piercing emerald eyes peeked from behind the porcelain mask, blending into the darkness of the night.
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A/N: Hello there! I'm truthfully no fanfiction writer, I just wrote this on a whim feeling inspired all of a sudden. I know my writing is shit, but I tried. I don't think I've ever written something this long. This is a first for me, so thank you so much if you even took the time to read through this!
-tofu :)