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Haruno Sakura sighed.

It had been three years since Uchiha Sasuke had left Konohagakure.

Three years since he joined Orochimaru.

Three... long... years...

She sighed again, idly poking her ramen.

"Oi, Sakura-chan!! Are you going to finish that?" Sakura turned to look at the boy whom she promised to help, the boy who failed to stop Sasuke in the first place. Uzumaki Naruto. He currently was smiling happily beside her, sporting his new less-orange outfit. Sakura gave him a weak smile and pushed her bowl towards him.

"I'm not that hungry, Naruto. You can have it." The boy's face lit up even more as he began to inhale the food. Sakura couldn't hate him. He was too honest, too optimistic to hate. Sakura's smile once again began to slip. A gentle hand laid itself on her shoulder.

She looked up to her sensei, Kakashi, who gave her a gentle smile. Sakura smiled back, feeling a little guilty for worrying the man. For a few moments, nothing could be heard except for the sound of Naruto slurping up his noodles.

Suddenly, Maito Gai came bursting through, panting hard. Kakashi frowned through his mask and walked up to the green-clad man. Gai stepped close and whispered something into his ear that Sakura couldn't hear. Kakashi's face was first astonished then darkened.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked timidly. "What's wrong?" Kakashi turned his gaze to her. Gai stepped to the side, leaving Kakashi to decide what to tell his student. Kakashi put his hand on Sakura's head, his expression still grim.

"...Once I have the whole story, I'll tell you." There was a sudden puff of smoke as both Kakashi and Gai disappeared.

"...What was that about?" Naruto asked.

Inside, Sakura was asking the same.


Kakashi and Gai appeared in front of the Hokage's office doors. Gai stepped forward and grasped the handles but glanced back at Kakashi as if asking him for permission. Kakashi grimly nodded. Gai nodded back and threw open the doors. Familiar coal black eyes met startled grey. A single word slipped from Kakashi's lips.

"Sasuke..."