Chapter 1: The Sun's hime
Haruno Sakura was born in the Sun village, the community itself is perched between two peaks of the highest mountains in the land. Though it possesses great heights, the view only consist of endless planes of grey hills, rock mountains and deadly cliffs for miles. For Sakura however, it remains the best place in the whole world, sure they might lack in greenery, but they do have the most beautiful flowers that could be envied by all the larger lands, of course same can be said by the women who lived in this small town. They where bright and colourful, no pastel shade or anything tamed, with exception of herself of course, her hair was pale pink, her eyes were pale green and her skin was also pale. It was rather ironic to be the princess of everyone who were all incredibly vivid.
But this wasn't the reason why she was leaving, the people loved her and and she too love them back. But there are dire situations going on in her world at the moment... unexplainable things and it hurts to leave, but it also hurts to stay.
Sakura-hime... do you have to be the one to go" The voice sounded rather weak. Despite all those years of telling him to just call her by her name, like when they were kids, the man was simply too stubborn, it had taken a great deal to stick with honorifics and so it stayed there.
"Tsubaki... you know very well that I'm the only one capable to do it" Sakura sighed. "That is.. at the moment, I'm the village's only option.."
"..Cant you just wait a while.. maybe Tengo's team will come back early"
The pinkette looked at the pleading man " ... my mother is dying..., I don't want to take that risk" She reached up to touch his face. " Please understand, waiting here and watching her suffer makes me sick, like you cant imagine" She grimaced. " I will not stand here and wait, not if I can do something about it."
"... Forgive me Hime-sam- uhmm.. Sakura-hime..." He looked down. "it's just... all of this seems to be some kind of terrible play..." He started pacing about. "all of a sudden the trader or even the travelers stopped coming... and then for every ninja to be deployed leaving the village vulnerable, and now your mother falling ill with some kind of incurable disease... " he exasperated.
Sakura looked at him, his indigo hair and deep orange eyes, his expression the most sullen she has ever seen in a long time.
"... this village maybe lush in the beauty of its flowers, but we can't grow anything edible here that's bigger than a child's fist, if i was a trader i wouldn't risk my life over them, considering how dangerous the path is to travel here" The lady explained while tying her long and silky pink hair into a high pony tail and using her trademark red ribbon which stuck out like slim bunny ears. " and about the deployed shinobis... It was an emergency... the village would starve to death, its understandable, the more people go, the more food they could bring back." She patted down her attire of short black shorts, worn out black boots, that has turned a darker grey and a white long sleeved crop top which hugged her waist but flared with light materials on her flat stomach.
" as for my mother.." She continued forlornly while gazing at the mirror "...I'm only praying that Shishou can help me "
The young man sighed in resignation, there was nothing left he could do to keep her from going. He reached up and gently held the ends of her hair which reached down to her waist and took it upon his lips. "... I pray for your safe return". Not soon after that, he was met with a pool of teal orbs, looking straight at him, determined, strong and ever so beautiful.
She nodded and simply smiled "you can count on me"
The track to the gate was a short one, shorter than the way to actually get to her house which was located at the highest ground that overlooked the whole village. She simply had to jump from her balcony using her chakra powered legs and directly hurl herself diagonally and she would already be half way there. The village was vertically spread more than horizontally, houses, shops, and government facilities where either perched on top of steep hills, or beneath them in valley spaces. Like a missile descending she was airborne and full of speed, it was at this space in time where she feels more alive than ever, her pastel pink hair pelted behind her and with the ground getting nearer, she released both of her arms to the side and moved them accordingly for her whole body to spin around completely, and at her second turn she maneuvered moving her legs up to a graceful butterfly somersault until she finally landed.
" Show off!" a voice she knew shouted from below her. "seriously, must you land on my roof every damn time pinky"
" ahaha Good morning to you too Kobato" She said while clapping her hands together as if to dust them off. "You know that I am royalty , I could very much jail you for being rude to me"
"sure, sure your excellency, its not like we've been inseparable since the day we were born, you'll probably join me in my cell just to hang out with me" she mused pocking her tongue out. "So what shall it be, breakfast or second breakfast?"
"... actually, I'm going to ask for a favor". She eyed her for a minute with one violet eyebrow raised. "I'm going to need Rurupo..." At this she double take-d.
"...Sakura... are you going to leave the village...now?!, of all the time that we need you stay ,I cant believe-"
"Grandfather is going to take charge" Leaping forward Sakura came down to face her long time friend and looked at her pleadingly. "... My mother is in a terrible state, and for a long time now I have been trying to figure out what made or is making her sick, and I'm still at a dead end"
"...Where are you planning to go?" her best friend whimpered.
"... Konoha"
"Kono-!, You have never traveled that far!" The violate haired girl raged.
"I know, I know- that's why I'm going to need your fastest messenger" Sakura replied quickly. " I know I have my responsibilities here, and I want to know whats going on, even when I'm away..."
"... I'll go with you" She looked at her seriously.
Sakura only shook her head. "It's going to be dangerous Kobato, I don't know what I'll encounter along the way and I'm not confident that I'll be able to protect you if something happens"
Kobato with her crimson eyes search her own green ones, when Sakura decided to learn the way's of the ninja she almost killed her for thinking something so ridiculous, a princess roughing it out and going to dangerous missions was unheard of. Her parents disagreed with her decision of course, but the head strong pinkette was as stubborn as a mule, eventually they enrolled her to the academy thinking that the training will eventually wear her out and she'll give up. But she never did, years go by and she proved to everyone that she was there for the long run, she topped her classes and her grades were second to none. It dawned on her parents that soon she will be taking missions that could endanger her life, and so they forbid her from taking anything above a B-rank or she will have to quit completely. It devastated her to the point that she didn't talk to anyone.
Sighing in resignation Kobato hugged her best friend "I got it... you better return safely or I'll kill you"
The pinkette giggled at her long-time friends antics.
"You want me to walk you to the gate?"
"no its okay, I'll be running at full pelt from here on out"
Kobato simply nodded and headed straight to the green house in which houses her top messenger birds. As she opened the door, she took out a black whistle with a silver tip, she blew at it and within seconds a small black sparrow landed at the whistles body. "morning Rurupo, our princess needs you" she said while giving the bird a small treat. Heading out with the sparrow on her shoulder she grabbed a small black bag in which nestled a small cage, she trained the birds to be able to stay still and feel relax in these bags making them convenient and portable. With in sight of Sakura, the sparrow glided to the pinkette's shoulder.
Sakura smiled "It's nice to see you Rurupo"
Jogging towards the two Kobato handed her the black bag and tied the chained with black whistle to her neck "I'm assuming you have everything you need.." She looked at her best friend and took in her form, she was beautiful, strong and intelligent, and she was going to be one heck of a queen someday.
"... I'm going to miss you Kobato"
"Bakaa, we'll see each other again soon enough" she sighed " you better get back here quickly, and find a husband while your at it"
Sakura poked her tongue out " I will if you tell Tengo how you really feel about him!"
"wha-!" Before she could finish her sentence, Sakura leaped away with a smirk.
"geez... that idiot" Kobato murmured while trying to hide a growing blush.
"neeeeeeeeee... neeeeeeee Obaaa-chan Tebaa~"
A vein popped on Tsunade's forehead "NA RU TO... LEAVE ME ALO-"
"mohhh! its not fair" Naruto slumped on the floor, with both arms and legs crossed "How come team seven still doesn't have a kunoichi!"
"Tsk, It cant be helped... i thought this has been explained to you, there was simply not enough kunoichi that have grad-"
"I knowwww that already Baa-chan, ... like 6 years ago, all that I'm asking is for you to assign us one right now!"
Shaking her head, Tsunade knows that discussions will not end until the brat gets what he wants.
"...I've been asking for a long time now ya know.." the blonde grumbled.
"... tell me about it" the lady could only sigh.
"sooooo, what's with the delay!" Naruto screech.
"Its not that EASY!" Tsunade burst.
A knock was heard by the door. Oh great, finally a chance for this goon to disappear "Come in"
"...ah!, Sasuke!".
Tsunade could only grumble in defeat. "Don't tell me your going to ask for a kunoichi too.."
Sasuke was taken a back, looking at the idiot on the floor the dark haired shinobi could only sigh, "Naruto don't you have anything else to do than hang out in the Hokage's office... every damn day"
"Teme!, didn't you say that it would be convenient to have a kunoichi too!"
Sasuke was only silent, Tsunade stared at the young Uchiha for a response, he looked at her once and turned his head away rather quickly.
"... it wouldn't be unwelcome" he mumbled.
"I can't believe it... you were really going to ask for one" Tsunade nearly fainted. She leaned back to her chair with a thump to slightly placate her anger, however it was short lived when a face of one Kakashi Hatake stared at her by the window.
At this her eyebrows twitched. "Kami almighty..."
Sakura was travelling at neck breaking speed, her journey would probably span for 4 days, and this estimation was only accurate if she doesn't encounter any problems along the way. She was nearing the end of the forest and soon enough she could hear the strong gushing of the river which signalled that she was really leaving her home. Across that river it will not be the sun province anymore, this is only her fourth time crossing it, and now that she thought about it all four occasions was a secret. She made her chakra flow to her feet before stepping in the raging surface of the river, with quick steps she enabled her legs to forcefully get across before she lost control due to the unpredictable waves.
She was across in a matter of moments but before speeding off in the distance she glanced back at the two tallest peak of the mountains were her village laid, the sun was rising between them. Sakura imagined those yellow rays penetrating through her window, and colouring her room with warm yellow light, she imagined the flowers as they blossom and welcomed the sun, she wont see that view again for a good amount of time.
For a split second her resolved was swayed, but with a snap of her head forward she dashed away before her legs betray her and turn to embrace that warmth once again.
"Team seven..." Tsunade's voice strained. "Why is it that you want a kunoichi so badly"
"because Baa-"
"Sasuke, you first"
"...So that Naruto will finally shut up Hokage-sama"
"!? Teme you-!"
"understood..." Tsunade sighed "Jah, Kakashi"
Kakashi cleared his throat and looked seriously at Tsunade, this made the fifth sit straighter, she contemplated, maybe it really is affecting their performance to a certain degree.
"... as a team I'm confident that we are the strongest, however during dire situations there are some holes in our performance, and due to these, circumstances do happen in which we would have to stretch our limits ..." Kakashi slouched "it is both mentally and physically taxing".
Tsunade crossed her fingers together and thought hard, its true that most of the time team seven would be barely alive when they get back home, and they usually take a long time to recover from the top ranked missions.
"hmm" Tsunade grumbled. "looks like there is some strategical advantage to your whining Naruto"
It was Naruto's turn to double take, "I've been telling you that for ages now!"
"annoying Tsunade-sama every day doesn't exactly explain anything Naruto" Sasuke exclaimed.
Before an annoying fight breaks out Tsunade yelled out "I've got a preposition" At this the three shinobis looked towards the fifth. "Once I give you a Kunoichi, i would require you to finish more A-rank to S-rank mission"
"Oh~!, you can count on us!" Naruto beamed.
"Yos" Tsunade smiled " What kind of Kunoichi would you require?"
"We can actually choose Baa-chan!?"
"well i want you on a mission quickly... so i want to give you someone who will solve all your worries...so shoot me with what you need"
At this the electrified Blondie reeled, if he was going to be able to choose a kunoichi then he wont hold back. At the thought of the perfect comrade his mind wandered off to a certain mission not too long ago...
Sitting 3 tables from him was the most beautiful shinobi he had ever seen, in the eyes of a normal civilian she would seem like a normal individual like everybody else, however it was her well concealed shuriken that a normal eye would miss that caught his eyes.
"Heyyy, missy why don't you have some fun with us for a while huh.. whaddya sayyyy"
To Naruto's disdain a couple of drank bastard approached his angel. He was about to get up and give them a piece of his mind when the center of his attention smiled at HIM, smiled at him.
Within a split second the two goons were punched to oblivion, a gaping hole at the roof was the only sign of them being ultimately there.
"I want someone super strong and super pretty!"
"tsk, how childish" Sasuke groaned.
"so.. a taijutsu specialist huh" Tsunade contemplated " Sasuke what about you?"
Unbeknownst to the people in the room, Sasuke's own mind too wondered at another place in time,...
There he was exhausted and running at full pelt away from other shinobis that was pursuing him. To his doom, there it was, a massive river flowing with forceful unrelenting waves, crossing it would be a pain and will definitely rid him of all his chakra. But with his foes closing in on him, he took a gamble and summoned all his chakra remains at his feet and leap, he managed to land at the middle of the moving water.
"Watch out!" a voice shouted from a distance.
A bigger gush of water forced him out of his stance and concentration, without warning he submerged and was quickly carried by the angry liquid. He forced his head to resurface, but only managed to get his eyes above water level. And in that moment he saw her, long pink locks swaying as she ran towards him. Shock was an understatement, how could she even run in these conditions... unless.
"... perfect chakra control" Tsunade's brows rised. "she has to have perfect chakra control"
Sasuke declared. "... and long hair.." he further mumbled but turned away as soon as his team mates looked at him.
"...man you really do have a fetish for long hair.." Naruto jeered.
Without missing a beat he hit the blue-eyed's head. "shut it.."
"okay... " Tsunade leaned back, while poising a hand on her aching forehead "A beautiful woman with long hair who is not only an expert on taijutsu but also has perfect chakra control" she tilted her head to the copy-nin who still had eyes on his pillow books. "and you Hatake.. ..care to enlighten me on another impossible request?"
At this point Kakashi planned to retort something witty or rather something irrelevant and un-important, but at the mention of an 'impossible request' his mind couldn't help but remember those stray pink locks that danced on his cheeks the night she claimed his lips.
Kakashi was paralysed, at least that's the only way he could describe his situation, and that was less based on the fact that he was exhausted chakra wise and probably weakened due to the gaping wound at his side, no... it was largely due to the nymph that stood right before his eyes, glowing with all her charm under the moonlight.
"... can you hear me?" She kneeled down beside him carefully as to not touch him anywhere " I only want to help you, I'm a medic-nin..." she slowly spoke.
Usually, there should have been alarm bells ringing in his head right about now, that fight or flight response should have kicked in, but for some unknown reason it didn't happen hence he just nodded faintly.
The pinkette didn't waste anytime, at his affirmation she gathered her chakra on her hands and pressed them firmly on the man's chest. Deep cut to his side, depleted chakra, muscle stress, low oxygen in the blood and a few cuts and bruises, she examined.
".. we would need to replenish your chakra and get the oxygen levels in your cells back up."
"... really" he inhaled sharply " what about that hole in my side... tape it shut I supposed?" Kakashi remarked sarcastically.
"... I could if you prefer it that way" the lady giggled.
Kami, i could get addicted to that sound he mused.
"but I'm sorry to say that i don't have tape with me...you would have to settle with the usual way"
It was his turn to smirk "... that's really too bad"
Within a few moments, the wound was sealed, it was still feeling a bit tender and sore, but Kakashi himself could tell that all the tissues have been mended perfectly.
"... thank you"
She looked at him straight, green orbs penetrating through his obsidian one. " your welcome"
"did you ran out of soldier pills?"
"mn" he grunted.
"... I have some here but, they're tougher to chew and they work slightly slower" she said while reaching some from her pastel green kimono. "can you chew?"
"I could try" Kakashi replied while trying to sit up. Gentle but firm hands soon assisted him.
"wait here, I'll just get some water" the pinkette declared ".. and try not to move too much"
Kakashi only bowed his head as an answer.
The lady returned with a wooden water container, she once again sat down beside his still seated form and handed him the pill and looked away. How thoughtful of her Kakashi thought as he took it and with fast movements, he then tried to bite the stone-like pill but failed miserably. He heard her sigh, "... still weak huh... I'm sorry... they were the first batch I made, so they're slightly dodgy"
"its okay... you have been a great help" Kakashi smiled and petted the young woman's hair, an action he deemed to be naturally ingraved in him. it was styled in a bun but, the elastic seemed to be barely holding her locks together. Kakashi's mind was quickly snap back as his saviour leaned too close for his heart to remain functioning normally.
"this might be messy... but i doubt you'll let me take off that mask" With that, she bit the pill that was meant for him and chewed on it daintily while squinting slightly. she drank some water and without warning her warm lips landed on his...
"Today Kakashi..." Tsunade mouthed as she stared at the silver headed jounin. She watched him scratch his head and finally look up. "...it would be great if she has some sort of training as a medic-nin"
"...yos... I know who you need" Tsunade closed her eyes as she spoke "...me..."
At this the three shinobi's in front of her did a comical reaction, clearly she wasn't welcomed to be their kunoichi.
"mah mah... its impossible anyway" She laughed.
"...Yeaaah, of course it is, we want someone younger obaa-chan" Naruto snickered. It wasn't long before he was smashed into a wall.
Tsunade cleared her throat and sighed " well... i do know of someone who fits all your description... provided she followed all the regimens that i gave her" At this point her gaze became serious "however... her whole village has been missing for three months now and of course so is she..."
"hmm... the sun village?" Kakashi mumbled.
Tsunade nodded sternly. "I've been sending Anbus to their normal location but there is not a single sign of the village itself, or a village being their in the first place"
"Whhhatt!, how is that possible?" Naruto gasped "a whole village can't just disappear"
" maybe...a seal... and to shadow a whole village, it must be a pretty powerful one"
"Exactly right Sasuke..." Tsunade affirmed.
"hmmm, well cant you just break the seal then?" Naruto butted "Surely one of the Anbu specialist can"
"That may not necessarily where the problem lies Naruto"
"what do you mean Kakashi-sensei?"
"... we cant find it" Tsunade interjected. "the place where the seal is being kept..."
Sakura has been travelling for five days now and according to the civilians that she has asked for direction, she still has around 5 hours of tree leaping to go.
"OhhhhhHHHH" A voice leered.
At this sound Sakura paused and landed on a branch. "Suchhh beauty" She looked back at the assailant of the annoying cooing. One thing she didn't expect is to get hit on while she was up on a tree, let alone by some guy on a bright green spandex and an impressive set of bushy eyebrows.
"Fair Maiden, you have captured my youthful heart! ohhHH" the man beemed. "With your lush pink hair swaying in the wind, my love for you has reached the ends that i did not know i fathom"
"...excuse me?" Sakura could only gape. Not long after another person appeared.
"...by your trajectory you seem to be heading to the Leaf village" A man clad in white, with long hair asked. "what business do you have-"
"Neji!... there is only one purpose this flower has to visit Konoha and that is.." The man in spandex threw his arms forward " TO MARRY ME" he declared with sparkling eyes.
Sakura looked at the man and squinted, as he caught her gaze he actually started firing hearts in her direction. To her panic she leaped from her branch and tried to avoid the attack, more than once she used her shuriken to literally destroy them for fear of her life. "what in the world was that.." she grumbled.
As the hearts stopped she manage to look at the bushy brows companion who was without a doubt embarrassed to the point of no tomorrow. He could only face palm at the scene.
"..I am one of Tsunade-shishous students" She declared "I came to Konoha to seek her and ask for her help"
"what?... the Hokage's?" Neji diverted his attention back to her. "Where did you come from?"
"I came from the Sun village" She replied instantaneously.
At her response the two leaf shinobis gaped, it didn't escape Sakura's gaze, sure there were only a few ninja's from the Sun who goes to these parts, but she didn't think they were a particularly rare occurrence.
"... impossible"
The pink-haired shinobi glanced at their disbelieving faces "What do you mean...?" she asked, a tinge of worry surfacing and tugging at her heart.