Full Summary: Sayako Sanni is a ninja of the Sand, an ANBU at that. She was a lot like Sasuke Uchiha except she's not after revenge… Well it's not her main goal in life. Yet she was also kind of like Itachi Uchiha in the parts of her intelligence. She graduated ninja academy at a young age, was Genin for two years before going to the Chuunin Exams and passing, becoming a Chuunin. One month passed before her sensei, who is also the Kazekage, decided to make her an ANBU. His personal guard whenever he left the village. The villagers and fellow shinobi of Sunagakure hate her for an event she doesn't know, it doesn't help that they believe she became an ANBU just because she is the Kazekage's student. Sayako was known to work alone, never have the help of comrades. What will happen when she's put on a mission with the Leaf's Team Seven? Will she continue to keep her distance? Or will she learn to allow people into her life? (AU, Sasuke stays in Leaf)
I - Suna Meets Konoha
"She's not going to like this, you know that right?" Kankuro said to his brother, looking at the red head who was sitting at his desk and looking out the window. His light blue eyes look away from the sky to his older brother.
"I know, but you know as well as I do that she's pushing everyone away since that happened. She won't let anyone in to become her friend. I know a certain blond can break her barriers, well at least one or two barriers, to become her friend. I know she's from the Sanni clan and that it's been known for them to go on missions alone, but she's the last of the clan and she doesn't need to follow traditions. That ANBU has been disbanded 11 years ago." Gaara said. The barriers he talked about was the barriers to his student's heart that she blocked off months ago. "Besides, once she finds out this involves him then she'll want to go." The Kazekage stops talking as he heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" He watches as the masked silver haired kunoichi enters the room. "You can take your mask off, Sayako."
"Yes, sir." She said, her voice sounding sweet and innocent when she's the opposite during battle. Sayako takes the cat-looking mask off her head, revealing purple eyes and her pale face. Her Sand hitai-ate tied around her neck. "Hey Kankuro." She greeted the Kazekage's brother. He and Gaara were the only ones she considered as friends. Kankuro nods as a greeting, leaning against the wall. She then turns her attention back to Gaara. "You needed me sensei?"
"I have a mission for you. You will be heading to the Leaf Village. You'll be joining Team Seven and going on their mission with them. Details will be given when you're there." Gaara said. Sayako looked at him like he was crazy.
"What? You know I don't work well in groups, Gaara-sensei." She said and was about to say something else when Gaara interrupted her.
"No, you can work well in groups. You just don't because you don't want to get close to anybody. This will be good for you, Sayako. I know it will. Besides, I can tell you for sure that this mission involves Orochimaru." Gaara said. Sayako tensed at the name and stared at the ground. "There's no need for your ANBU mask in this mission."
"Very well. I'll pack and leave as soon as possible." She said, a swirl of Gold Dust surrounds her and she disappears in it. Sayako returns to her home to grab her bag. She had already packed it earlier, knowing that Gaara usually only called her into his office for a mission. Reaching her home, she looks around at the damaged home. If she could call it home that is. To her this was just a place she slept at and ate food. It was also the place she witnessed the first bloodshed of many. "Won't be here for a while. I'm sure they will be happy about that." She muttered harshly to herself. Grabbing her bag she had left on the floor beside the table, she puts it onto her shoulder and walks out of the house.
As she walked to the exit of the village she could hear the villagers and fellow comrades' whisper to one another. "The traitor is leaving again", "Tch she shouldn't have been allowed back in anyway", "Hope she dies in this mission", "She only caused trouble for us since she was born so why does Lord Kazekage let her stay". It was all the same, every time she left to go on a mission there would be one who'd wish she would die during it, another wondering why her sensei allowed her to stay in the village, everyone calling her a traitor. The whispers were never that loud before she joined the ANBU four months ago. Ignoring them, she hurries out of the village. She was known for travelling with no breaks, not for sleep or even food. Especially to places she's been to before, Konoha was one she knew of very well since she had travelled there and back multiple times with Gaara for meetings and such. Sometimes just to watch the Chuunin Exams take place. Sayako ran the entire way there and it only took a day and a half. If Guy or even Rock Lee had known about her time they would surely try to break that record. Just thinking about those two really made her want to just turn around and return to Suna. It's been almost eight months since she's been in Konohagakure.
Sayako walks through the village, looking around the area. "Nothing has changed at all in the past eight months." She commented though she didn't smile. It's been a long time since she had. To her, she believed it would be a miracle to smile again. Reaching the Hokage mansion, she enters only to be greeted by the few Konoha shinobi who knew of her. Konoha treated her differently than her home but that was because they didn't know what she did to have earned the title "traitor" from her village. Her thoughts came to a stop as she walked up to the door of the Hokage's office. She knocked on it once before she was able to hear a muffled "come in" from the other side. Opening the door, she takes four steps in before bowing to the Fifth Hokage. "Lady Hokage, I have been told to come here by Lord Kazekage. He mentioned I will be working with Team Seven on a mission."
"Ah, so he sent you, Sayako Sanni." Tsunade stated. Sayako nodded her head, even though she didn't need to. "Very well, we have a place set up for you to rest in. Come back here in the morning, you'll meet you teammates and will be heading off then."
"Understood." Sayako said, bowing once more before following Shizune out of the office. The raven haired lady shows her to her temporary home before returning to the Hokage's side. Sayako looks at the building and was about to open the door when she heard a familiar voice not too far off from her.
"Hm? Sayako, what are you doing here?" She turns to look at the one known as the lazy genius. She's seen him around with Temari a couple of times and they got along pretty well. Shikamaru walks up to her, his hands in his pockets. There were two others with him, a blond kunoichi and a brunette shinobi. She guessed they were a part of Shikamaru's team.
"Hello Shikamaru. I'm here for a mission that I will be going on tomorrow with Team Seven of Konoha." She answered, releasing the doorknob to show Shikamaru that he had her full attention.
"As straightforward as usual I see." Shikamaru said, scratching the back of his head. "Team seven huh? Good luck. That team has guts but I highly doubt you'll be able to keep your cool with them." Sayako looks at him then at the other two. "Oh, these two are my teammates, Ino Yamanaka and Chouji Akimichi." Both just smile and say hello to the Suna kunoichi.
"Would you like to come in? I'd like to hear more about the team I will be accompanying." She said, pointing to the door that she was beside. She only knew very few shinobi that were close to her age, not surprised at all that she was still the only one she knew of that is ANBU. She knew Lee only because they had fought which only led to Lee's defeat. Shikamaru because he was in charge of multiple things such as the Chuunin Exams, and Kiba Inuzuka who just happened to be there while her and Lee sparred and wanted to try and defeat her next after Lee. Anyone could guess how that went. Shikamaru nods and the four walk into the building. Sayako knew this building inside and out since this was where she and Gaara would stay every time they travelled here. She walks into the kitchen and makes tea for everyone.
Everyone gathered around at the table with tea in hand. "I guess we'll start off with the Genin in that team. The kunoichi on the team, her name's Sakura Haruno. She's rivals with Ino. I'll just put it as simple as I can. She's a troublesome girl that is obsessed with Sasuke Uchiha who is also on the team. Sasuke, there's not much I could say other than he keeps his distance from everyone. Kind of like you except he hardly talks to any of us. The last genin is Naruto Uzumaki" Shikamaru said though he didn't get far before Sayako interrupted.
"Naruto Uzumaki? Sensei spoke a lot about him. He said he was hyperactive but can easily make friends with everybody he interacts with." She said, remembering what Gaara had once told her about the man that had saved him.
"Yeah, I see Gaara filled you in on him. Well, put it this way. He acts without thinking." Shikamaru said. Sayako looks around at the others, noticing them nod in agreement. "Then there's the Jounin, Kakashi Hatake. I'm sure you heard about him as well." The silver haired teen nodded her head in response.
"Kakashi Hatake, also known as the Copycat Ninja of Konohagakure. I've heard a lot about him." She said, taking a sip of her tea.
"So, why were you, an ANBU of Sunagakure, sent to help out a team of genin? Some S ranked mission?" Shikamaru asked, his elbow was propped on the table with his head resting on his hand. Ino and Chouji looked curious too.
"Wait, you're an ANBU?!" Ino exclaimed, she must have been thinking she was a genin or chuunin. Sayako looks at the blond and nods her head. "But you look like you're our age."
"She's actually younger than us. She graduated from the Academy at age 8, two years later she took the exams and passed and she became ANBU. Well, more of Gaara's personal guard. It's been a year since she took the exams." Shikamaru explained, having forgotten this was the first time Ino and Chouji met Sayako.
"You're eleven and already an ANBU… We haven't even seen you smile once since we met you. You must have went through hell." Chouji said with a frown, he couldn't even imagine what she could have went through.
"Anyway, to answer to your question Shikamaru-san, I don't know what this mission is about or what rank it is. I was told not to bring my mask so it's not an ANBU mission. That's all I know. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a shower and get some rest. I hope I do not have to show you to the door." Sayako said as she stood up. She nods to Ino and Chouji as a goodbye before walking off to the bathroom. The three leave the Suna ninja's temporary home and returned to walking to their destination.
"I've never seen her smile. Not even a hint of one." Shikamaru said, his hands in his pockets. Ino and Chouji look at their teammate with slight curiosity. "But if anyone could change that, it's Naruto."
A/N: Hope you like it. As said before, this is AU. I have a modern-day version of this except that Sayako's personality is different.