"During out mission we found out that Kumogakure have a training camp in the North. They also keep their weapons stock there," Shisui explained to Yondaime showing on the map. "If I am right then they might also keep the war prisoners there. As far as I know most of their shinobi are there training the new generations so it would be safer to keep them there." Kumogakure managed to take some shinobi prisoners from Konoha but they could be dead by now. It might be pointless to try saving them but they might get some of those prisoners and interrogate them about their countries.
"Good work. I will send Kakashi with a team to investigate the place," Yondaime said relaxing in his armchair. That was the best news he got so far since the beginning of the last month. Since Kyubi attacked the world fell into another war. He tried speaking with the Kages but they are all obsessed with having Kyubi and their clans with kekkei genkai. Since nobody is willing to work towards peace he has to make sure that they survive this war.
"I think we should move fast. They most likely know that we have found out so it is only a matter of time before they move everything," Shisui interfered seeing Yondaime so relaxed out of the sudden.
Yondaime sighed and got up. "I will make a team right away and send them to Kumo no Kuni. Otsukaresama!"
Shisui bowed and walked outside the office. He is aware that Yondaime is tired and wants some time with his family but the whole village depends on him. Shisui can only follow the orders given by him. But he has to admit that he is also tired and a break would be nice. The past years were terrible. He lost his genin team mates and his sensei three years ago and ever since then people dear to him keep dropping like dead birds. He cannot understand why Kumogakure and Sunagakure declared war. It is clear that they have no chance of winning as long as people like him, Kakashi and Itachi are there. They will do anything and sacrifice everything they have for the village if they have to. He smiled to himself. Well, that might sound arrogant. Anything can happen and as Sakura told him everyone is human. They could lose one day…
Sakura was waiting for Shisui outside the tower. She was resting her back over the tower and looking at the beautiful night sky. They somehow managed to get back to Konoha without making a stop. That really exhausted everyone. She is still surprised that they managed. He climbed down the stairs to her. He did not expect her to be there. It is three in the morning after all. Sakura looked at Shisui approaching him. He waved his hand at her and she walked to the bottom of the stairs. "You should go home and sleep," he said.
"Um, I wanted to write my report. But I am too tired to do this so I thought I could wait for you." She was actually worried about him. He was really angry for losing his friend that day and she feels guilty. She came up with the plan promising Shisui that nobody will die. But he did and now she has to carry that with her for a long period of time.
They started walking down the road to their homes. "Shisui I…"
"It is fine," he cut her off abruptly. "I am fine," he looked at her trying to make her feel better but his eyes are sad. "I promised him that he will go home…to his new born daughter but I failed them," he admitted looking down. He made a promise he could not keep and because of that he has to face the consequences. He really regrets promising him that he will take the man back home to see his child. Shisui clenched his fists and ground his teeth annoyed. When did he become so stupid? Since when does he make promises he is well aware that might be broken easily. He is human, just like those who do not survive. He cannot possibly take care of everyone! He wants to but…
Sakura noticed how he suddenly grew cold and annoyed. She has no fault but she feels like she is the reason for all his pain. "He was going to die anyway," she said trying to make him feel better. He looked surprised at her and grabbed her elbow to stop her. "He was sick. I looked at his body and his eyeballs were yellow. He most likely had a problem with alcohol and that got his liver sick." He wouldn't have lived more than a week and she felt better that he died like that. "Constantly drunk people abuse their families," she stated and walked away. Sakura nodded to herself. Since she found out she had no regret for not being able to save that man. He was not worth it.
"But he had a daughter. He wanted to see her," she shouted.
Sakura stopped and turned to face her team leader. "So what?" she asked emotionless. He was a dirt bag but Shisui doesn't need to hear such compliments about his so called friend. "You really knew nothing about him. You call him friend but in reality he was somebody you didn't know."
"I would like you to stop stinging me like this!" he said annoyed and walked to her with his hands in his pockets. "I'm your senpai." Sakura glared annoyed at him. Out of the sudden he is her senpai? He always tells her to speak freely with him as the age gap is not that big.
"Well then senpai, I will be leaving," she said bowing with respect.
"Don't mind me," he said patting her head. He feels bad for being mean to her when she had no fault. "I had a rough day, just like you."
"I know," she admits and jumps to the closest roof.
Sakura used to be a really annoying child. She had no idea about what a shinobi should be and she enrolled just because her friend, Yamanaka Ino, did that. It was not hard to study but after she finished the Academy she had to face the reality: it was war. Everybody was expecting her and her colleagues to give their all for Konoha. She was assigned in a team with Uchiha Sasuke and Namikaze Naruto and she somehow managed to survive mission after mission for a while but when the Chunin exam came and she realized that in reality everyone fights alone she panicked. She had no special powers unlike her friends and that struck her really hard. For a long period of time she was depressed and gave up being part of team 7. She couldn't do anything anyway so she left her spot for someone more suited to team up with Kakashi. Sakura spend a long period of time thinking that she lost many years pursuing an impossible dream and now she had no idea what to do anymore. She didn't want to work in a library or somewhere in the village. She liked traveling and the taste of adrenaline so she wanted to have a job which kept her active.
Her parents were worried about her. They loved having their daughter home and safe but they knew just how much she was suffering because she couldn't find a place to be. Her place. They were weak shinobi so they blamed themselves for passing on their genes to her. But Sakura never blamed them but herself. Everybody was worried about her. She stopped meeting up with them and completely secluded herself inside her room. Some months after she gave up Kakashi came by to see how she was. He used the window to get inside her room and avoid meeting her annoying parents who probably were annoying and depressing by then. He violated her privacy but for her own good or so he tried to convince himself after realizing that entering your female student's room without warning might be wrongly interpreted by those who happen to see him. Sakura had no reaction at all. She looked at her teacher with unimpressed eyes, lying on her back on the floor. She then averted her eyes at the door as if that were more interesting. 'Sakura-kun, being weak is not a weakness but running away is shameful.' She then looked at him for a second as if begging him to fucking leave her alone in her misery. 'So man up and go do some training on your own if you have no idea what you want but if you have some thoughts then don't waste them, got it?' He watched his pitiful student lazily roll on her belly and he couldn't believe that Sakura would become like that. She hated losing more than anything and facing the cruelty of war put her down before she could even realize what kind of shinobi she wanted to become. Naruto and Sasuke were trained by their fathers from a young age so they knew exactly what they wanted but she...she only started learning at the Academy. 'Sakura-kun, I've heard that Tsunade-sama is looking for a deshini: a woman with strong will and good chakra control.' He looked at Sakura one more time before leaving the room. And Sakura... Her eyes were sparkling when he left. He knew she will be fine. And she was fine.
Thanks to her sensei she found a new path. She never thought about becoming a medic until then. She didn't even know who this Tsunade was but hell, she liked her the first second she saw her. And she did her best next to her master for the following three years. Thanks to Tsunade she is now capable to fight and protect herself. "I did well," she thought remembering today's mission.
Shisui woke up the following morning with a terrible headache. His body was also burning so the conclusion was that he somehow managed to get a cold. He sighed and sheepishly walked to the kitchen. His father keeps some medicine there so maybe he is lucky and finds something. But he was more than lucky: he found some miso soup, rice and a fried fish. He smiled to himself thinking how much his father cares for him even when he is this old. He heated up the soup and ate it warm in place of medicine after which he properly washed his clothes and his father's. Since his mother died his father took the responsibility and surprisingly he did a damn good job raising Shisui on his own. Uchiha Kagami went on missions but always left Shisui money and food, and he made sure his son was properly educated by making him read books brought from the countries where he had missions. Shisui knows thousands of things thanks to his dad and he is really proud of him. His father took care of the house, meals and chores by himself so when Shisui grew up he tried to take some of the responsibility but it seems like his father is still trying to do everything alone.
"I have a really hard time understanding Sasuke," Itachi revealed his true feelings to Shisui. They haven't seen each other in three months so they decided to catch up. They went to Yakiniku Q to enjoy a good meal and some sake.
"How about leaving him alone? He is going just fine," Shisui said while chewing some meat.
"That is not an option. Everything is a competition for him so he takes dangerous missions to prove me he is better. I don't want him to get hurt."
"On the other hand he is doing good services for Konoha and I can rest more," he nodded feeling really happy about the situation. He doesn't want Sasuke to get hurt but he likes the idea of staying home, far from the battle field. Shisui admitted a long time ago to his father that he hates fighting and he would much rather waste his time under a tree with a good book in his hands. But the boy has to get money and on top of that he cannot leave the village in danger when he knows that innocent children might be hurt because of him selfish desires. "But you know," he started seeing Itachi glaring at him, "he tries to prove his father that he can be reliable. It has really nothing to do with you."
Itachi sighed and grabbed his sake cup. "I know it is nothing personal but he should go out from time to time with girls or something and enjoy his youth."
Shisui snorted at Itachi finding his dream more than funny. Even Itachi doesn't go out with girls and he is older than his brother. "Speaking about youth: Might Guy and his pupil passed my house today. They were shouting about the green light of eternal youth and crap like that. We should make a rule: no non-Uchiha can come to our compound."
"We cannot do that. It took us a lot of work to regain trust from Konoha. You know we were accused to trying to speak Kyubi." Itachi sighed thinking that his clan was about to attack Konoha unless they stop accusing them for something they didn't do.
Shisui nodded. "I like Sakura," Shisui said out of nowhere without being asked anything. Itachi almost chocked himself with a mushroom. Shisui did not drink much but he felt the need to admit it to somebody. He cannot tell her but at least he can tell his cousin about it and hopefully he will feel better.
Itachi had some water to clear his throat. That came as a shock although he knew that his cousin saw in her more than just an occasional team mate. "I…" He has no idea how to tell him that he is sure that Sakura likes Sasuke. "Isn't she kind of…" he stopped thinking for the right word, "…young?" Shisui shook his head trying to convince himself that age does not matter but he has no courage to say it out loud. He cannot even convince himself about this. "Then…does she…like someone else?"
Shisui glared at Itachi making him feel sorry for even trying to bring up his brother. "That damn precious brother of yours," he almost vomited those words. Itachi felt his back growing sweaty. So he knew about her feelings. "Is there something wrong with me?" Shisui drunk his cup and filled it again. He is not ugly, is he? He is strong and hardworking so he is a good man! Why can't she look at him? Shisui emptied again his cup annoyed. Here he is drinking his sadness when all he wanted was to relax with his cousin. Damn it! "We need another bottle of sake," he shouted shaking his empty bottle.
"Now, now Shisui…"
Shisui glared at Itachi. Itachi looked at the grill pretending to want some more meat. "You know, that prick is not even close to me," he said referring to Sasuke. Somebody came and replaced Shisui's empty bottle cutting him off. He does not want people to hear his bitter sad story. Shisui filled his cup and drunk it with one gulp. "He has no idea how to treat a woman." And neither does Shisui. "He cannot even treat them gently." Shisui clearly failed being like this that morning when she got angry with Sakura. He sighed getting depressed again. "Women don't really seem to notice me," he sadly admitted.
"Maybe you don't notice them," Itachi corrected him knowing very well that women turn their heads after Shisui. He probably doesn't notice because all he wants is for Sakura to do that. Itachi cleared his throat remembering what his mother told him often. "You could've asked her out after the mission." Shisui looked at Itachi a little bit surprised but interested in hearing more. "It is a good excuse: 'let's talk about the mission' or 'let's write our reports together so the statements fit well together'." He is no expert but his mother is really worried about him so she keeps on telling him to make sure that his female colleague write the same things in their reports or go out and talk about their mission; maybe she is sad or feels bad about something. It was clear that his mother was desperately trying to pair him up with someone, anyone!
Shisui rested his chin over the table. That might actually be a good idea but… "What about the prick?" Itachi raised a questioning eyebrow. "Does he like Sakura or anything?"
Itachi shrugged his shoulders. "We never spoke about this so I have no idea."
Shisui leaned over his cheek and looked at his cup. It was empty again but he felt no power to refill it. He is growing old and he hasn't had a real girlfriend yet. He is wasting his youth. His father was around his age when he had him and he was happily married. On the other hand Shisui has no idea how to get a girl to like him. He once had this mission to go undercover and get some information from a Sand kunoichi. Shisui started blushing remembering his pitiful experience with that woman. She took the lead in everything and before he knew it she was already stripping him in a hotel room. Losing your virginity with your mission is beyond pitiful and shameful. He doesn't even want to admit ever having such a mission!
He suddenly got up and started to panic. Did Sakura have such a mission? Was she touched by some disgusting shinobi from another country? Itachi looked at his friend losing his mind but asked nothing. Shisui sat down and looked at his cold food. Damn, he has no idea what kind of missions she has. Shisui got angry and started eating his food as fast as he could.
"S-Shisui?" Itachi tried to have his attention but she shinobi ate everything at a monstrous speed. "You know, your father left this morning and he will be back in two weeks."
"Great," Shisui said getting up. Now that he has finished his food he can go look for Sakura and make sure that she never had another man touch her. He grabbed his bottle of sake and stepped into his shoes. "I leave the bill to you," Shisui said turning to Itachi. "Tomorrow I get my money and I will pay you back. Now, if you excuse me," he bowed his head.
"W-wait!" Itachi grabbed his shirt. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Sakura."
Itachi sighed with desperation. "Please don't do this in your state. What will she think seeing a drunk man questioning her for god knows what reasons you have? She will be frightened by you!" the man tried to beat some reason in his cousin. Shisui pouted at the man who clearly had a point but he shook off Itachi's hand and walked away with the bottle of sake in his hand. He could hear Itachi sighing behind him as he walked away. He will not scare her away. Shisui is sure that she should be home today so she cannot run away from her own home, right?
He took a short cut to her home by soundlessly jumping from roof to roof. His heart is beating fast at the thought that Sakura might have had another man in her life. Sasuke is only an obsession and as far as he knows she never confessed to him. On top of that his stupid little cousin clearly has no intention of being with Sakura since he is interested only in taking missions. And he hardly ever spends time alone with her. He needs to calm down a little. Unless he asks her he will never know the truth. Shisui almost slipped and broke a leg on his journey but nothing can keep him away from the truth. He will fight the slippery rooftops, the dizziness and sometimes bad calculations to the next roof just to interrogate his sweetheart.
Shisui stopped on her roof top and looked at his bottle. It would not be nice invading her room with a bottle of sake in his hands. But he cannot leave it on the roof, it might fall and hurt somebody. On the other hand he needs something to drink to get the courage to ask her. After all, Sakura is a lady before anything. He has to be careful how he addresses her such inappropriate questions. Without more though Shisui put the bottle to his lips and started drinking the content. He rested over the chimney as he started feeling dizzier than before. After finishing the content he looked at the bottle. Damn it, he still has the bottle. Somehow he thought that he can drink the bottle together with the liquid. He hiccupped and turned without balance to the chimney. "Damn…" He hiccupped again and took some involuntary steps behind. Shisui fell on his ass in his desperate attempts to keep balance. "So sick…" he admits.
The damn bottle was still there, in his hand. He clenches it harder and harder as if that could keep him in balance. Shisui walked on his kneed to the chimney and hugged it. "You know… this never happened before," he said starting talking with it. "Normally I drink…hiccup… only one bottle… hiccup… with Itachi and then go…hiccup…home…hiccup…home…" He stared at the reddish brick. "Don't judge me…hiccup…" he tried to argue with the chimney. "What did you say?" Shisui got on his feet feeling insulted by its statement. He hiccupped again. "Now listen here," he threatened covering his mouth when he felt he was about to throw up. "I fight!" He pointed at the chimney annoyed. "I give my fucking life for…hiccup…" he looked at his feet, "…something. Hiccup!" He felt once again offended. "I'm no trash!" He got angry and threw the bottle in the chimney's hole. "There! You trash!" He clapped his hands victoriously and started walking down the wall to Sakura's window, which was not far. Sakura stays at the last floor.
Shisui felt invited inside since the window was open. He took off his shoes, neatly putting them on the frame and tripped himself inside her room. Sakura's bed is situated right under the window. Shisui fell right over the sleeping girl waking her terrified for her life. Sakura tried to get up but a heavy pressure was keeping her down. "No!" she screamed terrified.
"Shhh," Shisui covered her moth with his palm. "Hiccup!" Sakura looked at the man who she thought would rape her in her own house. She calmed down a little put she was still worried. Her friend was clearly drunk and he was stinking terribly of alcohol. She tried to calm down a little as she was trapped underneath the blanket and Shisui was restraining her.
"What the…" she tried to speak but Shisui covered her mouth again and motioned her not to be loud. But she was barely whispering but to him it seemed like she was yelling inside his ear. It hit Shisui that he was actually on top of a lady, his lady, and she must look good for her. He released her mouth and travelled his fingers through his raven hair. "Why are you here?" she finally managed to ask.
"I…hiccup…have sex… you…hiccup." It sounded terrible and all he wanted was to ask if she ever had sex but now he seems to be harassing her for no reason.
Sakura looked at him not believing her ears. Was he really in her room, this late, asking her to have sex with him? A nerve started pulsing on her forehead. Shisui started shaking his head in negation.
He got on his rear and Sakura manage to support herself on her elbows. He is clearly drunk and maybe he wanted to say something else. "No," he said and she felt relieved. "Sex…hiccup…you…" he tried to explain himself but said the same thing.
"You want to have sex with me?" she asked slightly blushing. She gulped seeing the man on top of her grabbing his collar. She did not expect him to be so direct about this. He is drunk but drunk people tell the truth so maybe he wants to do it with her. Sakura looked away before ordering her words in a clear sentence.
"I guess we…" But before she could say more Shisui threw up over her chest and blanket. Sakura remained there, not believing what just happened. She was feeling sick from the sight but the doctor inside her told her to do something about the poor man. "God, what a night!"
Sakura threw Shisui aside and hurried to the bathroom. She washed herself and changed her clothes with her mother's robe before going back to her room, tiptoeing not to wake her family. Shisui was still there, trying to understand why his muse just left him. Sakura threw the dirty blanket aside and turned Shisui on his back. "Come on. You will suffocate like this." Sakura could not get angry although she admits that she really wants to slap the life out of him. If it were another man she would've killed him but…it was Shisui, her life savior. She brushed away his hair from his face and looked at the completely wasted man. Maybe he was drinking because her words really hurt him.
"Sakura," he said closing his eyes and covering them with his hands. "Have you ever had a man in your life?" he finally managed to ask. As she said nothing for a few moments he decided to take a pick at her. Her face was red and her lips were trembling.
"Of course not," she finally said looking down. "Never…"
"Not even for…missions?" Sakura shook her head and that was all he needed to know. He can rest assured because he can still hope to have her. Sakura, on the other hand, was completely embarrassed. She watched Shisui slowly falling asleep in her bedroom. For a reason she felt disappointed. She really believed that he wanted much more from her…
"Baka Shisui-senpai…"
The next morning, her parents found in their living room glass from Shisui's bottle. They looked up the chimney making sure that a man was not stuck there but what they did not know was that he was soundlessly sleeping in their daughter's bed.
