Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, otherwise, GaaSaku would be endgame (hehe)

Fascination

Genre: Romance, Angst, Action

Date last revised: January 21, 2019

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"Are you listening?"

Sakura wondered what was wrong with her that made people think it was alright to leave her, to give her away, to throw her away. Was she really that weak? Was she really not good enough? Is she not worthy?

Grounded, she thought as her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms. I have to stay grounded.

"Yes, shishou," she finally said once she felt that her voice would not waver. "I understand." Tsunade sighed and gave her a sidelong glance.

"I don't think you do," Tsunade grumbled before motioning her student to sit down across the table from her. Sakura reluctantly sat down, and out of habit, poured her mentor a cup of sake from the bottle that was ever present on her desk. Tsunade gave her student a grateful look and took a measured sip. "This is bigger than you and me. Sunagakure is in a dangerous position and they are relying on us, their only allies, to help them. You're the only one I can trust."

"But why do I have to stay in Suna for a year?" Sakura blurted out, hurt colouring her voice and finally making them crack. "I asked to be your apprentice, not to be a diplomat. I've only been your student for a year, I still have so much to learn-" Tsunade held up a hand and Sakura halted. She didn't realise that tears were already rolling down her cheeks and she wiped them away angrily.

I'm not strong enough to bring him back was left unsaid but understood by both.

"I know," Tsunade agreed. "I know that I still have much to teach you, and asking you to leave for a year is probably unwise. But this mission is something I can entrust only to you. A mere diplomat would not survive in Suna in their current political state and a mere shinobi would not understand the subtleties in political warfare." Sakura searched her mentor's face for any insincerity, but found none. There would be no way out of this one.

"What about Shikamaru?" Sakura asked, grasping at straws. "He's smarter than me and he's already Chuunin." Tsunade merely shook her head.

"Sakura, I can't fully brief you on the mission unless you accept it," she said. "But trust me when I say that it can't be Shikamaru. It has to be you. The year that we spent together, it truly felt like I had a daughter of my own-" Tsunade cleared her throat, and Sakura realised for the first time that maybe she was not the only one affected by this. "But the things and skills that I taught you, they will be vital for this mission. I need you to understand that as Hokage, the reason why I'm assigning this to you is because I believe that you have the highest possible chance of success." Sakura sighed deeply and looked out of the open window. What choice did she have, really?

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If she knew that the client would be Gaara himself, she would never in a million years accept the mission. He frightened her, if she was being honest with herself. Even though it was over a year ago, she still shivered when she recalled the way his eyes had looked at her - cold, calculating and so inexplicably evil. Even when Naruto had assured her that he had changed his ways, it was hard to reconcile the image in her head to the person that Naruto talked about. It seemed like two completely different people.

"The mission is simple enough," Tsunade said as her eyes read through the scroll. "Gaara will become Kazekage in a weeks' time, and he wants protection." Sakura frowned at the word 'protection'. He was a monster - if anything, it was everyone within a ten-mile radius of him that should be protected.

"Wait," she said, the full weight of her mentor's sentence finally hitting her. "Gaara will become the Kazekage? But why?" The Gaara she was familiar with was still a Gennin. Surely, there were better candidates for the position.

"Sakura," Tsunade said, resting her chin on her hand and looking at her apprentice coolly. "Who do you think suffered the most casualties during the attack in the Chuunin exams? Suna is in a very bad position at the moment. They lost a lot of manpower the day they decided to attack Konoha, and they also lost their Fourth Kazekage." Sakura chewed on her lip as she thought over her mentor's words.

"But why him?" she asked, confused. "He's unstable, he hasn't even passed the Chuunin exam - I mean, he has Shukaku sealed inside of him for Kami's sake-" She gasped as the realisation hit her. "They're making him Kazekage because he possesses Shukaku?" Tsunade nodded.

"That they did," she said, leaning back in her chair. "And in doing so, they have created a double-edged sword. By having a jinchuuriki as the Kazekage, they are stating to the other villages that they shouldn't be underestimated even at their weakened state. They're using him and the title he will have as a shield for potential attacks to Suna. On the other hand…"

"They won't be able to control him," Sakura finished, recalling the chaos that ensued during the Chuunin exams. Tsunade nodded approvingly.

"That's where we come in," she said, glancing at the mission scroll once again. "Gaara wants someone to help him control Shukaku during the first year of his reign. He seems to think that most of the Suna council are plotting for his resignation once the threat of attacks from the other villages are gone. They'll be waiting for him to slip up with his control on the bijuu and use it as evidence that he is unfit to rule."

"Why should we help him?" Sakura asked. "Wouldn't it benefit Konoha more to not accept this mission?" Her mentor shook her head.

"Konoha has suffered losses as well," she reminded her student. "Gaara has promised us the continued alliance of Sand should he pass the first year of his ascension as Kazekage. However, he can't promise where the alliance of the Suna Council lies should they successfully get him off the position." She snorted. "I've got to hand it to the kid, he seems to know how to play the game." Sakura silently agreed. Framing the mission in that way, it seemed almost impossible to decline what he presented them with.

"I still don't see how this mission best suits me, shishou," she said, her patience wearing thin.

"He's interested in finding a way to sleep without wakening Shukaku," Tsunade said hesitantly, smiling apologetically at her student. Sakura stared at her mentor, shocked.

"Shishou, how long have you known about this?" Sakura asked slowly through gritted teeth. Tsunade held up her hands in surrender.

"I've received the mission a few weeks ago," she admitted. Sakura fumed.

"So that's why you've had me read on insomnia and research sleeping pills these past few weeks!" she said, eyes narrowing into slits as she pointed an accusing finger at her mentor. Tsunade laughed at her student's antics.

"But you can't deny that you would be perfect for this mission, no?" her mentor said, giving her a cheeky smile before turning serious once more.

"There is another reason why I want you to take this mission," Tsunade said, glancing at the closed door before rummaging under her desk and taking out a scroll to give to her student. Sakura glanced at the name of the scroll and looked up, confused.

"Shishou?" she asked. "Why are you-?" Tsunade held up a finger to her lips.

"I want you to read the scroll and update it with relevant information during your stay in Suna," she said grimly. Sakura glanced at the scroll in her hands and quickly pocketed it. "Get your affairs in order. We will be leaving for Sunagakure in a week's time for Gaara's Kazekage Ascension Opening Ceremony." Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It all felt too real now.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

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Author's Notes: Feels good to be back. I've always wanted to write a multi-chaptered GaaSaku fic and I finally decided to do it! I badly need a beta, please message me if you're interested.

Reviews would make my day.