Title: The Saints Are Coming.
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura. NaruSasuSaku
Summary: They'd been called Saints, they'd been called Sinners, truthfully they just got rid of people who hurt others. Bounty Hunters or maybe just vigilantes, all they knew was... something had seriously gone wrong on that last mission.
Rating: M
Note: I've had this fic for awhile, since... Dec 2008? I couldn't get it to the point where I liked the chapter finished (damn this things was supposed to be a oneshot DX). But finally -sigh- here you go. I don't know if it'll ever end, there's a lot too this type of fic. The NaruSasuSaku won't be for awhile, a lot has to develop before that, cause they don't have the bonds that normal Naruto has, so it won't be ZOMGANDTHEYHASSEX straight away, things have gotta be earned first. Its a side thing anyway, was written as Gen to begin with anyway. This fic is designed to be fun, so enjoy. EDIT: I am fixing up some weird tensing and other fiddly bits, as well as adding somethings (like line breaks! omg no wonder you were all so confused! Fanfic deleted all my line breaks! Arrrgh! I also labelled where scenes are to clear that up as well.)
standard disclaimer applies.

Sakura's apartment.

"You fucking tool." Sasuke glared at Naruto and spat out the words. Sakura hit the arrogant bastard over the head.

"It wasn't his fucking fault." She snapped, not looking at him, instead focused on the wound on his shoulder. Punctuating her words by pulling out a piece of glass, causing Sasuke to hiss. She smirked at him, holding the glass in front of his face with tweezers.

"Oh, he so didn't shove me out of the way into a window though." Sasuke muttered.

"If you hadn't gotten caught up in killing the bastard, you would have seen the fucking bullet! So yes, it is your fault, you prick, so next time pay attention. That way, maybe, just maybe, you won't end up dead next time, alright?" She pulled another piece of glass out, less gently than she should of, watching him groan in pain.

Kakashi and Naruto were looking the other way as she said this, careful of her rage. It was past experience that she was sadistic when she had been worried, viable to take it out on anyone. That and, respectively, they had been in Sasuke's position before and knew that none of them would ever listen to her. Hell, she didn't even listen to herself - but it showed how she cared, so they withstood, cause sometimes it was kind of hard to tell with her...

"And you knew that it was circumstance that you couldn't be un-watchful on this mission," She tapped the last piece of glass into the container, applied antiseptic and began wrapping his shoulder and armin a bandage that she had pulled from her side tray. "There, you are done."

She stood up, brushing her bloody fingers onto the front of her apron, then reached for a washcloth to remove the dried stains. Sakura frowned at him. "Don't do anything strenuous with that arm for a couple of days at least, or maybe twenty four hours? Or am I hoping for too much?" She didn't really want an answer, she was in rant mode. Sakura turned away from him, picking up the tray of her tools, muttering to herself. "I'll have white hair by the time I am done, fucking swear it… someone get me a Scotch…" Carefully tools were put back into order in her apartment - which served as their emergency ward. They watched her tottering around, evidently exhausted.

A draw slammed shut and she emerged out of her bedroom, leaning on the door frame, arms crossed. "Well."

"Yeah," Naruto replied from where he was on her windowsill. "That didn't go quite…"

"As planned?" Kakashi finished.

"Yeah… that." Naruto murmured lamely.

It was a rough sort of assignment, they all were - but these ones, this particular group of back street enemies, they'd been smarter, almost waiting for them.

"Do you think we were sold out?"

"Not a chance." Sasuke replied. "I got the info from Dad's left over files, no middle man-bullshit, no-half assed-could-of-been-seen-spy crap either. I didn't talk to anyone to find the goods on this."

Naruto frowned. "Then how did he- ?"

"I don't know" Sasuke snarled back.

"I wasn't expecting you to, I was just asking how. In fact I didn't say anything, you didn't even let me get the fucking sentence out."

"Maybe because you normally are so full of shit, there's no point."

"Wanna say that-"

"The pair of you shut the hell up!" Sakura snarled. They stopped, turned back to her, and sank back down, turning their eyes away from each other. "Look", she continued, "We all got scared tonight alright? But can we please, please calm down and do this logically? If you two need to go and chill first, get a drink. However you think it is best, because if your male posturing gets any worse, everyone's going to think your gay for each other-"

They screwed their faces up in disgust.

" -- but get whatever the hell it is out of your system then come back and do this rationally. We all stared death a few times tonight in the face. More than a few, and that's not normal for us, so just stop. We'll get nowhere by snapping at each other. Now, who wants a drink?"

They looked at each other awkwardly. The all had different ways of dealing with these situations, Sakura's was getting angry at their stupidity (and making insane suggestions)... Well maybe that wasn't so different in retrospect.

When they blinked at her confused, she sighed and went to her kitchen again, appearing with a bottle of Whiskey.

"Glasses?" Kakashi said hopefully. She unscrewed the lid and flicked it at his head, then proceeded to take three large gulps, wincing when the after burn hit. Kakashi shrugged, finding no fault with it, and took the bottle from her, and took a gulp. And another. And another.

A few minutes later he pulled it away and have one of his one eye smiles that was slightly more glazed and lazy then usual.

Naruto took the bottle away. "Oi, oi, oi, Kakashi, there's only half of the bottle left!"

Kakashi nodded, leaning back against the wall again. Naruto took a swig and then Sasuke. The bottle returned to Sakura, who screwed the cap (having found retrieved from the floor) back on, muttering about 'perverts who drank all her alcohol'.

"This is ridiculous. So what do we know? Think of anything, anything at all."

"I told my boss I would need a day off work…" Naruto piped up.

"Huh? Anyone else." Sasuke looked at him sidelong.

Naruto shook his head. "I made a joke about having a big party, but that was it really."

Sasuke groaned, leaning forward on the chair he was in. "This isn't going to be easy, is it."

Kakashi frowned. "The only person…"

They perked up and looked at him.

"I mentioned to my flat mate, that I would be out late -- but that's Genma."

"Could he have told someone?"

"Possibly. He gets drunk frequently. But no details, he thought I was going out to get laid."

They nodded. "So it literally, could have been anyone." Sakura mumbled. "We aren't going to get any further than this are we?"

"No." Sasuke muttered.

"Maybe we should stay here for tonight? Just in case they attack us or something, better to be all together." Naruto suggested, casting glances awkwardly. Sakura didn't like tangling her real life and her… other activities.

Sakura nodded, Sasuke and Kakashi offered no objection so she set off to find some sheets.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and let his head fall back against the glass with a thunk.

What a fucking night.

Two Years Ago.

--destroy all that which is evil, so that is which is good may flourish--

"Punk! Are you trying to jack my car?!"

"…No, I was just looking. Nice interior and uh,"

The stony silence made Naruto grin wider. He raised a hand to put it behind his head, making the peace sign with the other hand. "Oi, oi, oi, I wasn't going to keep it! Just take for a… fun run! Yeah that's it"

More angry silence. The angry boss and his gang of cronies encroached. Naruto sighed.

"I wasn't going- look you caught me and-"

"Shut up." The boss-man snarled. Naruto winced.

"Alright, if you insist." Naruto pulled his arm back from behind him, now holding a MAC-10. He fired a shot at the ground, near their feet. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me -" He turned tail and bolted -- to crash into a trash can and fall flat on his face, the gun sliding out of his hand.

"Oww."

The men started laughing. "All right punk, you've had your fun, now for some serious payback."

Naruto rubbed his head and he stood back up. "Could you guys be anymore generic? And- oh shit!" He turned around. The boss-man who stood closest grabbed him by the back of the neck and slammed him face first into the alley wall. "Owwwww…"

There was raucous laughter and calls, begging for more. He felt the boss getting ready to take another hit and Naruto began counting backwards from ten, and making a will because Kiba totally wanted his radio --

"One against five, that's pretty unfair odds."

Naruto unstuck his face from the wall to look at who had spoken. The figure was silhouetted against the streetlights -- but was that his hair sticking up behind him? Well whatever, he was holding Naruto's gun and a wooden pole. Bastards got my gun!

The boss-man slammed his face against the wall again and Naruto slumped to the ground.

"Look kid, whatever your business is, it's not here alright?"

The figure chuckled. "The kid said he was sorry, leave him alone."

"Listen pu -- "

"Do you call everyone that gets in your way that, or are you really just that dumb?"

The boss-man snarled, forgetting all about Naruto on the ground and charged at the shadowed assailant -- however he didn't get very far, Naruto dragged himself to his knees and then feet, ran forward and -- bam -- drove his elbow into the back of the boss's neck, sending him down to the ground. Naruto scrambled over and off him, going to the figure. It irked him that he still couldn't see his face.

"Look thanks," Naruto called over his shoulder as he turned, now facing off at the remaining four men. "But I don't need your help." He glared, at... whoever it was.

The man snorted and Naruto caught a glimpse of a fine aristocratic face and a smirk as he flicked his head to glance. "Fine, you take care of all of them."

"I will" Naruto pulled his attention back to the boss -- who was being helped up by his mates -- and his gang. "Alright boys! Lets do this proper! My name is Naruto Uzumaki and you are going to get it!" The shadow figure threw the pole at him, which Naruto caught like they had been doing this for years. He swung it up like he was matter up. He smiled, all teeth and took at aim at the closest face. There was a crack, a shout of pain and a blood splatter on the wall. Naruto's grin hadn't dropped off his face.

A few minutes later, there were some not-dead but very unconscious men in the alleyway. The man who had helped him was leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"You're still here?" Naruto jibbed.

"You were light on them…" he motioned to bodies, completely ignoring what Naruto asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I did try to take his car, if only for a little while." He grinned. "I still didn't want to keep it... though I'm kinda tempted to now." He looped his fingers behind his head.

"You did a dumb thing…" The man murmured.

Naruto squinted at him. "Eh?"

"You told them your name, idiot."

"Does it really matter?"

"Yes."

Naruto grunted. "What do you want me to do, kill them?"

"That would be the wise thing." the man muttered.

Naruto gaped. "I'm not gunna! The cops can charge me if they want, but I'll say its self-defense, they did attack me when I had tried to run away and apologized. Hey what's your name anyway? And why the hell did you have a wooden pole with you? Who carries around that kind of shit?"

"Idiot, you are leaving yourself open... and its Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha." He frowned. "And I do."

"U-Uchiha…? Oh shit! You're a cop!" Naruto began backing up, hands raised to bar him off.

Sasuke stepped away from the wall into decent light and Naruto saw him roll his eyes. "No I am not a cop, though I do…" He stopped, stared at Naruto and then jerked his head over his shoulder to where the men were "They'd be praying on girls around here. That's why I think you should kill them." Sasuke took a look around the empty streets, as if to check no one was looking, and gave Naruto back his gun.

"Wait, what?"

"I said, I think we should kill them."

"What?! Your family is supposed to be the paragon of law and order and shit! I see your brother's face everywhere! He is the poster boy for the police dep! Do you realize what you are saying?"

"It doesn't matter what my family is," He turned away, his face hiding behind his hair. "…Least of all who my brother is…" Naruto could hear a no-go-zone when it smacked him in the face and did a dance. "What matters is your going to help me get rid of these guys. If not kill them, turn them in." Sasuke crossed his arms.

"…I can't kill someone in cold blood, so lets turn them in." Naruto muttered.

After they had dropped the men in and told their story- omitting the details of Naruto trying to steal the car - they walked back out, Sasuke with his hands in his pockets, Naruto with his hands behind his head again.

"Do you think some people should die for what they have done?"

Naruto blinked and looked sidelong at Sasuke. "Eh?"

"What those men did, they weren't as bad as some, but do you think bad people should die?"

Naruto shrugged, "…I mean, I'm an orphan, my dad died defending someone, dunno the details, but, I dunno, maybe they should. It kinda sucks, that all those bad people destroy all the chances for the good people. Like this one guy I saw, he completely stole this other guys job because he bribed the boss of the company." He frowned. "Now that I think about it, yeah, I would, I would stop bad people. You mean people like those guys right? But you know, worse, not just petty bribery, but like big stuff- rapists and murders and drug dealers and shit, right?"

Sasuke nodded, stopped and stood in front of Naruto. "Would you help me do it?"

"You seriously want to?" Naruto stared at him, in wonder, mostly and a little bit in fear.

"Yes, I seriously 'want to'. Don't you ever get sick of it? Watching innocent people get hurt or killed? And then, then you see the person that did it, that everyone knows did it, get off scott free? Drug lords that are selling all sorts of that kinda shit to children? Rapists that are allowed to walk away? Doesn't it piss you off?"

Naruto rubbed his face. If he had ever felt fate have a strong grip on him, it was in that moment. He could put it all to that second, when he replied that yes, it did piss him off. That yes, he couldn't actually bear to think about the people that got away with it. He put his current predicament on that single moment of time and space and fate and opportunity. All to that moment when he had said 'yes'. In retrospect, he knew he had been far too casual about it, accepting without what truly knowing what he doing.

Sasuke knew. Sasuke probably always knew, and maybe Naruto should have been angry for not explaining it properly to him, not warning him enough. But it was after their first big hit -- two mobsters, just soldiers by any means, but smart -- and Naruto had nearly died that it became very very clear what he was truly doing. It was about the same time Sasuke put it to him that they needed more help. Two wasn't enough. That was how they found (unexpectedly) Kakashi.

Naruto and Sasuke had patched each other up after another hit and another man tied up to the front of a police station with the necessary incriminating evidence taped to said man. It was near Christmas and things were a little chillier than normal. The cold shifting through their bones now that they had worn off the adrenaline, they hit the bars. Naruto could remember the place was less than good; it was just slightly better than a rat hole but not by much. At least the glasses were clean, thank god for small mercies. Naruto had picked a booth at the back from which the rest of the bar could be seen but close to the emergency exit.

They were on their third drink when they'd spotted the classic trouble scene, Naruto mused. Pretty Girl sitting there with A Friend, spied upon by the rest of the Male Inhabitants, which was probably what she wanted.

Friend goes to bathroom, Pretty Girl smiles a winning smile to The Man she had been looking at all night, but Creepy Lecher thinks it aimed at him and he sidles on over. Pretty Girl is flat out obvious she isn't interested, but he still put his arm around her. She shrugs him off but it didn't do anything, he just put his arm around her again. By this point her back ramrod straight, fingers tight around the neck of her beer bottle.

Naruto nudged Sasuke and jerked his head in the direction of the girl. Sasuke nodded and got ready, this was the kind of thing they were out to stop after all.

Pretty Girl gave a screech; Creepy Lecher had just openly molested her breast. Sasuke and Naruto shot up, Naruto more than ready to punch the bastards face in.

But they were too late - well at least in 'punching face' sense.

And that was the first time they saw Kakashi, he moved forward faster than they could really detect. He grabbed Creepy Lecher's offending arm and twisted it behind his back. The man struggled free but only because Kakashi had let him.

"Tha' lady 'nd I were just having a friendly chat-"

"No, she obviously didn't want you to touch her." Kakashi replied smoothly and if Kakashi could ever be classed into a single word, it'd be that, 'smooth'... and lazy. At least Naruto thought so.

"Alright, I get it" the man replied sullenly.

"No, you think you do, which isn't the same as actually getting it, so lets say this nice and clear. She really doesn't like you." Kakashi might of been commenting on the weather.

The drunken man snarled and lunged. But Kakashi ducked and rolled the man off his back, then grabbed him by the back of the head, grip firm in his hand and smashed his head against the bar: one - two - three times and the man collapsed.

Kakashi smiled and turned to the girl who was staring at him with so much adoration, Naruto guessed that he was definitely getting laid tonight.

Naruto and Sasuke were stunned and after that they had watched him leave with the adoring girl and her friend- who was wrapped around another man in a bandana and a took pick in his mouth. After they had left, Naruto and Sasuke asked the bartender finding out his name- Kakashi Hatake.

The next night they had returned to stalk him -- and stalk him they did, all the way back to his apartment. Where he stopped and turned around outside his front door and ask them exactly what they wanted and what they were up to. Naruto and Sasuke hung back on the edges of the light, not wanting to be seen completely, in case they were sold out.

Naruto cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well you see, we kinda need you help."

Kakashi crossed his arms and leant back on his front door. "With what, exactly?"

Sasuke took a step forward. "We…" he glanced at Naruto "Catch people."

"Ah, what kind of people?" Kakashi raised the visible eyebrow.

"Bad people." Naruto was sure there was a better way of saying it, but that was just it.

"You two wouldn't happen to be the ones that have underground whispering with worry do you?"

Naruto grinned, just a wee bit proud. "Depends. Are you going to help us?"

Kakashi gave them both look and Naruto felt just a tiny little bit intimidated- he'd seen first hand how fast this man worked. "If I was a moral man, I'd knock you both out and drag you to the police station." Kakashi mused out loud. "But if I was truly moral man, I'd help you."

"And are you a moral man?" Sasuke said sharply, Naruto knew the edge in his voice; they didn't have time for this.

"No, but I am a man that can see things need changing - which is what you two are doing."

"So you'll help us?" Sasuke asked. This was definite now.

"Yes. If only because that was the most pitiful attempt of stealth I have ever seen in all my years of service."

Kakashi had the subtlety that Sasuke and Naruto didn't, he was also better at lying in tight situations, the skill seemed to be perfected through practise it seemed.

It was through him that they had met Sakura four months later. Naruto had been checked into the hospital ward for a nasty bullet wound to the shoulder. Sakura was - and still is - the head of the west Konoha hospital and Kakashi knew her mentor, Tsunade. He got them past no questions asked.

Sakura had been the one to see to their injuries, and she had screamed out that she wouldn't take their lying bullshit, but she was an interesting mix, cold towards Naruto's flirting, but stuttering towards Sasuke and cynical with Kakashi.

She bandaged up Naruto's wound finally, her fingers small but not gentle as she tied the knot. "I don't want to know and for all purposes you were never here -- alright?"

Naruto groaned and gingerly poked his arm. Sakura knocked his hand away "Don't touch it or the wound won't heal." She pointed to the door "Now all of you get out and I don't want to see you again."

They ended up seeing her twice more that week. The next time was for Sasuke's leg wound, the one after was the catalyst to her recruitment to their cause.

They'd be going in the back way, through the emergency doors and Kakashi flirting with the nurse to let them, at least that's what they had done the previous two times, but this time, they found Sakura outside --

-- restrained by two muggers.

Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi looked at each other. This time Kakashi was the severely wounded one and Sasuke not much better. Naruto stepped forward and he heard Sakura give a tiny whimper. Naruto cleared his throat, getting the attention of the attackers who were to busy shoving their hands up Sakura's shirt.

"Let her - "

"Ergh!" The man that had Sakura around the neck was beginning to double over in pain. Naruto stared. Sakura swung her leg back hard again, aiming high --

"Oooo" Naruto winced, for his part the attacker gave a high-pitched squeal and curled up on the ground.

Naruto was about to go after the second guy, but she beat him to it, she launched herself across -- the man had been trying to run away -- latched onto his back, knocking him onto the ground, arm around his neck, effectively choking him. When he started to thrash around, Sakura straddled his back, fisting her hand in his hair to smash his face into the ground.

"You don't -- " smash " -- attack women -- " smash " -- assuming -- " smash " -- they can't -- " smash " -- defend themselves! -- " smashsmash " -- Asshole! -- " smashsmashsmash.

She pulled herself up, stretching her legs out and wiping her hands off, the blood smeared on her white jacket and then she spat on him. Naruto stared. Sakura turned, still tense, fists clenched. "What do you want?"

Kakashi raised a hand from where he was slung over Sasuke's shoulder and gave a feeble wave.

She frowned and pursed her lips. "I'm never going to get rid of you, am I?"

Naruto beamed big and wide. "Can I marry you? Cause that was just fucking hot."

He might have been mistaken but he thought he saw a smile pulled at the edges of her lips.

She'd been the hardest of all to recruit.

"Wait, so you guys just go around killing or maiming anyone you think is bad? How does that even work?" she snapped. They were in her apartment now; she'd invited them back because they had wanted to have a 'serious conversation' with her. She had sighed and so they ended up here.

"Well police can't do anything, these bast'rds run rings around the law."

Sakura coughed. "So you think that just gives you the reason to go and fucking kill them?!" she yelled.

Sasuke jumped up and put a hand to her mouth. "These walls are paper thin - watch what you say." he hissed. Sakura turned pink and Naruto chuckled, she was cute like that.

"Drug Dealers, Rapists, Murderers - let out on insufficient evidence. Doesn't that annoy you? Just a little bit, just that, not what we do, but how do you feel about that? That there are bad people getting off free." Kakashi said evenly. Sasuke removed his hand and all their eyes were trained on her.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well… its bad. It's not fair. That's not justice…" she then turned her eyes back on them, just as sharp. "I can see where you are going with this, it doesn't matter if I think that, it doesn't matter if it's not fair, and it's not my place to - "

"You're a doctor! You must have seen the injuries caused by drive by shootings, that's organized by gang lords, people like - "

"So you kill one gang lord? What then? For every faceless evil bastard there is ten more to take his place! What do you get then? It doesn't end, this kind of shit never does. What do you actually accomplish?!" She stood up -- to do what, Naruto didn't know -- she was angry and had to be stopped before she tossed them out. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket.

"Sakura what are you doing?" Naruto stood, inching closer, as was Sasuke. If she called the police…

"Organising three MRI scans, because you are obviously insane!" She snarled. In reply, Sasuke pulled the phone off her and threw it at the wall. She gaped and glared furiously at all three of them.

"Sakura… you know those kids in the terminal ward, would you stop trying to save them just because you knew they were going to die?" Kakashi stood directly in front of her, touching his hand to her wrist.

She stopped, her fists clenching at her side. "No I would still - I'd still - " her voice cracked. Her hand rose to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'd still do it, because it's what I was born to do -- and I hate it when I have to help those bastards who attacked and killed and you know, you just know it… I… still think this is going to make something so much worse but…"

"But?" Naruto prodded, hoping.

"But I'll do it, I'll help you…"

Naruto jumped up and clapped her across the back, pulling her close in half embrace. "You are doing a good thing."

She nodded, wiping away her idle tear. "But if I die, I'm coming back to haunt you bastards."

Warehouse belonging to Uchiha.

Much like Kakashi, Sakura came with a few surprises, the first of which was her briefly displayed skill in hand to hand combat (which needed further training because she left far too wide openings), the second of which was her father's Type 38 bolt-action Ariska rifle.

More surprising than that was her apparent skill with it.

She loaded it quickly with minimum fuss and despite its length held, balanced it against her comfortably. She fired once, hitting her mark on the dummy - right in the middle of the neck.

"Its very old fashioned." Sasuke commented, admiring the weapon from where he lent on the wall, arms crossed and braced on his chest.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah it's a World War One model, but my father had it commissioned in honour of my grandfather, who fought in the war. Its kind of a heirloom, I never did anything with it…never thought I would need to…"

Naruto shrugged. "Its kind of useless in close fighting, you gotta load it, so slow and stuff."

Sakura glared and hugged her rifle close. "I know that, but from far away, I could… you know…" she coughed and looked away.

"Blow someone's brains to the wall?" Naruto ended brightly.

"Yeah… that." Sakura mumbled.

Sasuke cuffed Naruto around the back of the head.

"Bastard" Naruto sneered and Sasuke - as always - ignored him, turned to Sakura instead.

"This is good, we never really had a option for long distant attacks. Now we do," There was the barest hint of thanks in his voice that Naruto picked up and Sakura must have caught it also because she smiled widely and her cheeks turned pink.

Sasuke lifted his hand for the weapon and Sakura handed it over like it was her child, she bit her lip and watched.

"How do you guys…" she tore her eyes away from Sasuke checking over the weapon to stare at her gloved fingers that where twisting the hem of her dress.

"How do we what?" Kakashi prompted.

"Howdoyoupicksomeone?"

"Geh? Wanna say that any faster?" Naruto turned away from greedily eyeing the rifle.

Sakura glared and Kakashi sighed. "No there's no real system, we tend to pick at random…"

"Okay well…it's just…"

"You have someone in mind?"

She turned pink again. "Well yes,"

Naruto marvelled at her reaction of blushing whilst suggesting someone to kill but it was still damn cute.

"And?" Sasuke glared at Naruto who had reached for the weapon.

"He's this guy the nurses talk about, he keeps coming in for STD checks, total pervert and I'm pretty sure he runs a underground prostitution ring, well its more like he buys the girls from whereever and…"

Naruto made a disgusted face. "Sounds like fair game."

"I wanna check though - don't want to -- to kill someone just because they are a pervert and have poor sex partners…" she fumbled and mumbled the words around, glancing here there and everywhere, but completely avoiding eye contact.

"Yeah otherwise you'd of killed dead last already…" Sasuke muttered.

Naruto sneered; Sakura and Kakashi rolled their eyes.

"Well anyway" Sakura cut across before Naruto could retort. "Can we check him out?"

"Sure why not, if we can't get the dirt to throw him in jail, he might even be your first kill." Naruto smiled but Sakura didn't smile back, in fact she paled and politely asked Sasuke for her rifle. Naruto stared for a second as it clinked. "I - I mean, Sakura-chan…"

"No, leave it Naruto," she muttered, strapping the binds around the gun in the case.

Sasuke backhanded him, frowning and Kakashi was looking away. "Sakura, you don't have to--"

"No Naruto, it doesn't matter, I said I would do this, and I'll do it all, if I have to k - " she gulped, " - kill, I will, it's just… well I've watched people die before on tables, but I'd been trying to save them, not deliberately…" she took a long breath.

"Sakura-chan…" he touched her shoulder. She gave a half smile. "Naruto, it's alright."

"But - "

"Naruto drop it." she said firmly, picking up her case. "I've gotta go, my shift at the hospital starts in twenty minutes…" She headed toward the exit of the firing range. "Call me later, guys." She left.

They waited till her steps had finally faded. "Naruto you idiot!" Sasuke glared.

"What?"

"She obviously not adjusted to this yet, don't remind her she's killing people, she's a doctor."

"Yeah but - "

"She's got to have a little bit of breathing space," Kakashi commented. "If we press her too hard she'll baulk."

"Baulk? She wouldn't back out on us…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head, confused and a little hurt at the idea.

"If you keep saying shit like that she might," Sasuke snapped.

Naruto raised his hands in defence. "Alright lay off, I get it!"

"We've got to be very careful how we handle her." Kakashi continued as if he hadn't heard a single thing they'd said.

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "She's too jumpy at the moment."

"I get it, I won't make comments like that again…" Naruto mumbled.

"Not just that, don't press her for anything, we all chose to be here and she is choosing too right now… we have to be honest here, but don't make it inhumane." Kakashi finished.

"Inhumane? What?" Naruto stared.

"You and Sasuke have a tendency, both of you to make this into a game, its how you cope, Sakura isn't like that, these are peoples lives to her, she never had a choice on good or bad before, lives just needed saving. It's not like it is for you two, not just dead counting matches."

Sasuke looked away, and Naruto liked to pretend it was just a bit from shame.

"We… but…"

"Naruto," Kakashi said in his I-spent-ten-years-in-the-army voice "You're a young man and maybe this is just a game in your mind - "

"Its not" he hissed. It'd never been, not after he'd narely died and heck he'd even written a will, he got it, he really did.

" - but just remember when your dealing with her that she'll take it all very personally."

Naruto nodded. "We get it, Kakashi." Because it wasn't just addressed to him, he said it to Sasuke as well, who didn't see it as a game, but was cruel and scorned the fear of killing as a weakness, between them if they pushed her too much…

"Good" Kakashi finished, flicking out his book, the scolding over.

Warehouse, next day.

Naruto let loose a round into the dummy. Sasuke was sitting next to him.

"I thought about what Sakura said."

Naruto turned his head, narrowed his eyes and nodded, then let loose another round.

"Well, I investigated the guy she mentioned, he is a sleaze."

"Sasuke where are you going with this?"

Sasuke looked away. "I've been thinking a bit,"

"Oh gee, you're an Uchiha, do you ever not think?"

"Tch." he glanced at Naruto, whilst still trying not to. "But not so much for background checks, we should start doing surveillance not just…"

"Running and killing everyone hoping we get the right guy?" Naruto loaded the weapon.

Sasuke nodded.

"So what, how are we going to do that? Trail them, find out their hobbies?"

Sasuke nodded. "Something like that, just so we know for sure, we've been pretty lucky so far."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded, tilted his head to the side. "But sometimes that could be sorta…"

Sasuke frowned at him.

"Maybe if we start taking this serious, then it might get…"

"Our luck is going to run out some time soon."

"But we might… jinx it. If we plan it out, we might, ya know," --du-du-du-du-du-du-- another round went into the dummy. "Leave a trail or something."

Sasuke stared. "I see what you mean."

Naruto lifted up his safety goggles. "But at the same time she's got a point, one of these days we are going to end up killing someone who doesn't deserve it."

"Ah,"

"Damn it bastard! Do you ever say anything more articulate than that?"

"Ah."

Naruto snarled and twisted his finger around the trigger, it was still pointed away. Sasuke looked back at him with a half smirk. Naruto glared. Sasuke still did nothing. Pulling away from the temptation, Naruto fired another round into the dummy.

"We've got to be careful how we do this, otherwise someone is going to pick us up…" Naruto muttered after the echoes from the bullets had died.

Sasuke nodded and then shrugged. "It's one or the other."

Naruto shrugged, still half glaring at Sasuke.

"I can't believe I am going to do this." Sakura whispered shaking.

"Sakura, relax." Sasuke snapped.

"I'm breaking the oath and -- oh my god." She was boarding on hysterical, but not there quiet yet as they sat in the car.

"Sakura! Stop! You saw what this guy does, he forces little girls to touch each other in front of audiences! This is him and the five men he works with." Naruto reminded her.

"Yes but -- but --" Her hands were fisted on her legs.

Naruto leant across to her seat in the back of the van Kakashi was driving, grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "This is for the good of everyone."

"I save lives -- I'm a doctor! I don't kill people, I don't."

"Sakura." Sasuke said calmly, cutting across the rumble of the engine. "You are a doctor are you not?"

"Y-yes."

"You have spent your life saving peoples lives, you spent your life for the good of everyone else. Am I correct?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Then this is exactly the same, for the good of all people, you are taking lives, to prevent them harming others, so if you want to think about it a certain way, you are still saving lives."

"…Yes."

"So stop acting like this is any worse then it is. If you can't do this, we'll get someone else." His words were harsh, even though Naruto was quiet sure that he was down playing the fact that as a doctor she would be killing, the tone was enough to stop her shaking.

Her mouth thinned and she clenched her fingers again -- in anger this time, from her rigid shoulders and sharp tilt of her chin up. "You don't need anybody else. I always keep my word. I said I would do this -- for the good… of everyone else, to do what I can to… protect them."

The van stopped, Kakashi climbed over the seat to join them in the back.

Kakashi whispered to them to think smart about what they did as the scrambled across the roof, the room they wanted to get into was one story down. One by one the went down to the balcony, Kakashi last.

Quietly they pulled their guns out of holsters, Naruto picked the door that led onto the balcony.

Then, just as these things did, the world blurred past in a mass of blood and silenced gunshots.

Naruto went in first, he boomed loudly, hating to slink around "I'm Uzumaki Naruto! It's time to meet your maker!" And then there was a and the first man went back with a hole in his head. It was a bit of a blurr after that, these things always where, he ran out of bullets, so he jumped the next guy and smashed his face in with the butt of the gun, blood splattering his face, and Naruto could always get a little crazy when he got in to dirty hand to hand combat.

Once the guy was down for the count completely, he assisted Sasuke in a weedy looking man with too thick glass by holding his arms behind him as Sasuke beat the shit out of him. Naruto let go when he didn't feel the laboured breathing against his chest anymore. The body slumped to ground.

Efficient as always, Kakashi had finished up the other two single handed. When he saw Naruto and Sasuke his nose screwed up. "Must you two always get so… bloody?"

Sasuke smirked and Naruto beamed, teeth far too white against the red of the splatter.

Naruto frowned glancing around frowning. "Where's Sakura?"

"I'm… not sure." Kakashi muttered.

Sasuke was the first to move, he'd always had the best hearing. Into the bathroom, quietly and quickly on the expensive white hotel carpet now dirty and stained.

Sakura was in the bathroom and neither Kakashi, Sasuke or Naruto knew quiet how to deal with the way Sakura shook and fired her gun repeatedly, even though she'd obviously emptied her barrel. The empty click click click echoed over her harsh breathing. The man had been shot to pieces, and from what Naruto could tell of what was left of his face -- he'd been the main target.

There was on blow to his heart dead on target, the rest to the face. A broken off towel rack showed that he had at tried to attack Sakura, and by the blooming bruise on her cheek, he'd hit her at least once. Naruto stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder, she turned much to fast, panic so damn obvious in everyway she moved. He caught the hand that had been aiming for his face.

"Sakura, chill, chill."

She was breathing heavy, if it wasn't so serious he would have been watching her chest.

Kakashi tapped Sasuke's shoulder. "We've got to get out of here, we've lingered too long."

Sasuke nodded, a grabbed Sakura's shoulders away from Naruto and gave her a hard shake, she blink very slowly and her breathing slowed just fractionally. "Sakura, you can have your freak out later, we've got to get out of here now."

She seemed to be coming back together in her head. She gulped, Naruto watched the muscles in her throat move as swallowed and nodded, her breathing still too fast and ragged.

Normal clean up commenced, blood was sprayed with ammonia, contaminating so no samples could be taken. They headed back to the roof and then out, watching the police cars race in as they peered over the roof to check they'd left no mark of entry and exit.

Naruto smiled. Flawless, as usual.

He glanced at Sakura, so obviously on auto pilot and on edge, her hands were shaking still, but then Naruto remember how he'd been after his first kill -- Sasuke had to fight him back out of it -- Ah!

But it'd have to wait, till after this, till they were safe again. He wasn't even sure it'd work, but something had to be done… panicked and afraid didn't suit her.

fin chapter

notes: I hope everyone likes it, the ending's lame but I couldn't possibly shove anymore into the chapter without some issue for the next one. D:

afterahardday