Disclaimer: unfortunately, I do not own Naruto, but a girl can dream, ne?
Hindrance Prologue - Tension
"It always rains when we're sent on a mission," came a grunt from the left of her.
Sakura swiveled her sea green eyes over to a thoroughly disgruntled Naruto. He trudged along the dirt track which was now speckled with water droplets, arms folded tightly across his chest. She gazed absent-mindedly at him with understanding. She couldn't blame him for sulking; there was only so much rain one could put up with, and she too was forgetting how satisfying it felt to be properly dry.
Turning her head to the right, she noted with a hint of annoyance that her highly respected ex-sensei: Hatake Kakashi, was still pouring over his 'Icha Icha' book, walking level set on cruise control. Inner Sakura expressed an urge to teach him a violent lesson for reading those cursed books in front of her.
Then again...when did he ever listen?
She sighed, scowling and looking disdainfully up at the heavens, when the rain started to come down harder. Her body screamed for a rest and a steaming bath to sooth her aching limbs, but she would be damned if she was going to show weakness in front of the lads. In fact, Sakura Haruno had not shown signs of weakness to anyone, since the night Sasuke Uchiha walked away from the Hidden Leaf Village. That was exactly six year ago to the day, and in those long years, Sakura had not once cried.
Soon after that painful night, she swore to herself that she would no longer be a hindrance to anyone. She trained daily with the Hokage Tsunade, pushing herself to the limits of her mental and physical capacity. Her skin still bore the faint scars, tracing the contours of her hands; a personal reminder of what she had been through.
These long hours of pain and dedication, wrought a shocking change to the bright but weak Sakura, who was constantly being shoved to the sidelines of battle. She now stood tall, taller than most shinobi, with strength that no one could have apprehended. Now, chief medic and ANBU squad captain, she was considered to be the strongest kunoichi in Konoha.
However, this new-found strength came at a price. Her eyes now attained a cold glaze, and she hid beneath an emotional mask to even the closest of friends. Heck, even Naruto couldn't make her confess her true feelings. She had permanently lost her young, innocent sparkle, for the sake of her stubborn pride.
'DAMN PRIDE!' Inner Sakura wined.
That was the second time today that her feisty inner personality had appeared. It was never a good sign, usually meaning that she was irritated or nervous about something. Sakura didn't have to search hard to realize the problem. Her current mission had become a mental itch on her brain ever since Tsunade had issued it two days ago:
Team Sakura was standing patiently outside of the Hokage's tower. Well, all but Konoha's number one, knuckle-head ninja, who was constantly pacing up and down the narrow wooden hallway. Each step on the oak planks was emitting a high-pitched creak. A vein popped in Sakura's temple as Naruto Uzumaki continued to pace.
'So much for keeping a low profile in front of the Hokage, I'm gonna STRANGLE him if he keeps this up!'
Naruto was however rescued from a premature death, when the double doors to the left of them swung inward.
Shizune greeted them with a smile and motioned for them to enter. Sakura bowed her head and returned a small, fake smile, before lining up with her team mates. Her attention then turned to the stern looking woman sitting behind her desk in front of them. Tsunade's hands were clasped, fingers interlocking with enough force for the knuckles to turn white. Sakura grimaced mentally. Her master was not drunk for once, meaning she wasn't exactly in the mood to start handing out cookies. Fantastic.
"I'm glad to see you have all made it here on time", The Hokage stated, hazel eyes flicking briefly over to Kakashi as she spoke. If he noted her gaze, he continued to remain indifferent, eye crinkled into a smile.
Sakura also gave her ex-sensei a knowing look; Kakashi made it his trait to be late, for as long as she could remember. Looking smug, she mentally applauded herself for telling him the designated time of the meeting was two hours earlier than the scheduled.
"As you have probably realized, I will be sending you three out on an A-Class mission, which is to be treated with the up most confidentiality."
Naruto shifted on his feet, bristling with anticipation for the nature of the mission. Sakura also tensed with excitement; it had also been a while since she had been able to let loose.
"From previous missions, I know that you as an ANBU squad have flawless teamwork skills, which will be necessary for this task." Tsunade looked at each member in turn before lingering on Naruto, who was clearly struggling not to interrupt.
"Jiriah has informed me his resources are whispering…Akatsuki is on the move once again"
An image of an intimidating puppet master and his clay-molding partner flashed within their memories. Akatsuki were trouble, that was certain, and the struggle to retrieve Gaara's body was proof of that.
"Are they after Naruto again?" Sakura voiced aloud.
Waves of concern washed over her for her best friend, as she glanced to the left of her. Naruto's hand was shaking slightly until he curled his digits into a tight fist, his own knuckles paling. Wide eyes met Naruto's and she almost gasped. Anger was radiating off of him, cerulean eyes sparking to scarlet with slits for pupils. Hesitantly, Sakura reached a hand to reassuringly touch his shoulder. Growling, he snapped his head to look down at her petite hand. Not until she could feel his muscles release tension, did she relax.
Tsunade ruffled the pages on the table in front of her before sighing.
"It seems that Akatsuki have a new priority for the moment," She hesitated, "Not that they wouldn't seize a chance to capture you," She added vaguely in Naruto's direction.
He nodded sharply, gazing out of the window of the tower. Sakura released her breath slowly, unaware that she was holding it in the first place. If Akatsuki weren't actively looking for Naruto, they could let down their guard…slightly.
"What is their current goal then?" Kakashi asked quietly, almost hesitantly.
"That is your mission ANBU squad 3. Haruno, you are squad captain, and Kakashi, second in command." Hatake nodded sharply. "Follow your targets under-cover, retrieve information on what they are planning, and then report back to Konoha. No fighting allowed, unless in emergency." She added staring pointedly at an aggravated Naruto. He 'tsked' and rolled his eyes. "Understood?" Tsunade questioned, not that anyone would dare to query.
Sakura nodded briefly, reaching forward to collect the mission scrolls. Naruto exclaimed in approval. Kakashi however stepped forward, eying the Hokage curiously.
"Who is our target?"
The blunt statement changed the mood of the room immediately. Tension rose to the point where it could be sliced, and Shizune swallowed loudly. The seemingly innocent question would have been perfectly understandable in any other circumstance. This was Akatsuki though; any other circumstance would wither before it.
The two younger ANBU tuned their attention to a sharp point, waiting for names.
"Your targets for the upcoming mission have been involved within the group's most recent schemes, therefore spying on them should produce reliable information. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi are two of the most feared shinobi in existence, so be on your guard at all times.
Nobody moved. The shock was still being registered.
"This mission has no time-limit, therefore, until a significant amount of information is gathered, you will remain on duty. You will leave at 9:AM tomorrow. Dismissed."