Author's Note: Whoo, sorry for the late update. I've just finished up with finals and I'm kind of going through a story updating spree. And now it's time for this one. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Words: 2,433

Sakura tilts her head slightly when she comes across the last brother and final member of her entourage. While she can easily believe the first two, Sasuke and Itachi, to be brothers, this one was starkly different. The only similarity between him and the two brothers is his all black clothing, cloak, boots, pants, tight sleeveless muscle shirt and gloves. That and the scowl on his face, directed at Lady Tsunade. Well, that's similar to the younger brother.

"Greetings," Sakura says regardless to the blond haired, blue eyed man.

He turns to look at her, and his scowl shifts and the most charming, friendly smile splits his face. He takes her offered hand, his skin darker from the sun and a believable natural tan then her own, and kisses the back.

"I'm Naruto."

Sakura smiles at his politeness. It was certainly courteous of him to treat her like that. She wanted to make sure he knew she appreciated it with a smile. "I'm Sakura, it's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto."

Sasuke rolls his eyes, turning to give Itachi a steady look. The older brother shrugs looking back to Lady Tsunade and Kakashi.

"Is there anything else you think we need to know before we head out?"

"No," Kakashi says. "I believe that's everything. Please, take good care of her. You must understand that she is very precious cargo and it's killing me not to be with her on this journey."

Itachi nods. "Priestess Sakura is safe in our care. We will get her to the Hidden Cloud village as soon as possible."

"Good, thank you."

Tsunade steps up to Sakura and takes her hands in hers, gripping them tightly. The older woman's knuckles whiten at the strain but Sakura doesn't flinch, seemingly used to this sort of treatment.

"Sakura," Tsunade says, her voice raspy. "I need you to promise me that when the time comes, you will do what is right. For the sake of this world. You must not let him get ahold of you, do you understand? He must never get the power you posses."

The pink haired priestess nods solemnly. "I understand. The power of the old family is mine to protect. Thank you for everything, my lady."

In a moment of affection, Tsunade holds the young girl tightly to her volupuous bossom. "Just know, Sakura, that I love you very much. I loved you from the moment I found you crying on the temple steps. And I will continue to love you until the end of time."

Sakura nods, rubbing her cheek roughly to rid herself of those pesky tears that built up in her eyes. "I love you too, Lady Tsunade. You mean an awful lot to me. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Tsunade crushes the thin pink haired girl in a tight embrace. She kisses the petal soft hair and then pulls away and turns. Briskly making her way back toward the temple, hiding the tears building up in her eyes.

"Oh, sorry," Sakura turns to the three brothers. "This is my handmaiden, Hinata. She will be accompanying me, um us, on this journey."

Hinata bows, her long purple hair falling over her shoulders. "I would be honored to be able to accompany my lady on her journey, should it be permitted. It would be greatly appreciated." She straightens from her bow, lilac eyes shining in the sunlight.

"Welcome," Itachi says, politely.

"Whoa," Naruto says, looking down into Hinata's eyes. "You're eyes are weird."

Sasuke scoffs, glaring at Naruto. "Moron, she's probably a Hyuuga. Or at least somewhere in her family she has a Hyuuga ancestor."

Hinata lowers her eyes but says nothing, a far away look clouding her face. Sakura touches her shoulder and looks at the three boys. "Hinata is a loyal and faithful friend. She was left here a long time ago and has been living as my handmaiden for almost ten years."

Hinata smiles and touches Sakura's sleeve with just her fingertips. "Thank you, Lady Sakura."

Sasuke and Itachi both share similar looks. Itachi's eyes lower lightly in silent message. Sasuke nods minutely. Naruto twists his head around to look at them over his shoulder and shrugs.

"Should be fine," Naruto says.

Hinata nods. "Thank you, sirs."

"You know that you will not travel in luxury, my lady," Naruto says to Sakura, then as an after thought, to Hinata, "ladies."

"Of course. I've packed for such a journey. The only clothes that have anything truly fancy about them is the clothes that we were now," Hinata says, her voice light and airy.

Naruto stares at her for a moment before he takes a step forward and tilts his ear toward her and cups it with his hand. "Huh? Did you say something? I watched your lips move but I didn't hear anything."

Hianta's face colors in embarrassment. She roughly clears her throat, folding her hands neatly onto her lap and repeats herself. Her face is flushed red. "I've packed accordingly for our trip. The clothes we wear now are the most fancy of them all. We will change before we depart, sirs."

Naruto stares at her with big blue eyes. "I think I heard something that time."

Sasuke jabs Naruto in the gut. "Shut up, idiot. I heard her the first time. Your hearing is horrible." To that, Itachi makes a face of agreement.

"Let us change, then," Sakura turns to Hinata and the two depart back to Sakura's room.

Kakashi closes his one eye, praying to the Juubi for safe travels for all of them, but mostly Sakura. He has given fair warning to the three of the possible dangers on the road for her. He would give anything to take Sakura on this journey himself, but he couldn't. The town would fall if Kakashi and his men were not there to protect it and he swore to Lady Tsunade that he would defend it. But over the years, his loyalty has shifted slightly from the town to person.

And that person, being the young girl that would smile lightly at him from behind namesake trees, peddles swirling around her. The same girl that would mend his wounds all those few times he would get hurt defending the temple, town and her. The same girl that would bring out food and drink to her silent guard that would sit outside her chambers or prayer room. Ever the loyal protector.

When the girls return Hinata is dressed men's brown slacks, rolled up at the ankles and rolled down at the waist. Her boots are brown and sturdy and her long sleeved shirt is pristine and white. It is overly large on her small frame with a cut from the neckline down between her small breasts. Smooth, unblemished skin can be seen from beneath. The cut stops just three inches above her belly button. Her hair, still filled with braids and beads, is pulled up into a high ponytail with only her bangs across her forehead and two pin straight chunks an inch thick on each side remain down.

While Sakura's slacks, while still men's, is black and rolled up, much like Hinata's. Her boots are finer but just as sturdy and black. Her long sleeved shirt is also stark white with the neckline cut straight through the entire shirt severing it in half. Carved holes on both sides has a black ribbon laced through them, tying at the top by her clavicle. A strip of pale white flesh can be seen all the way to her waist to which the shirt tucks under the waistband of the pants. Her hair is an elaborate series of braids leading into one big one that goes down the center of her back leaving a fringe of hair around her face. A single piece of jewelry sits undisturbed between her tiny breasts, a hideous small statuette of the Juubi. All ten hands spread out, creating a circle around it's body like a fan.

All three boys look from one lady to the other. Back and forth, trying to absorb the sight unbashfully. Beneath those bulky, thick kimonos are thin, strong young women.

Kakashi clears his throat, uncomfortable. This is the most skin he has ever seen on his lady and it's not something he had hoped would become habit of her. She was a lady of standards after all. Hopefully such a style will not follow her when she returns to her duties here at the temple. Unfortunately, Kakashi hates to admit it but there would probably be a ton more people coming to the temple should she keep this dress code up. Many of her younger male worshipers come to see the pretty young priestess and her pretty handmaiden.

"Well," Sakura turns to her long time guardian and friend, unaware of the salivating boys beside her, "I guess this is goodbye for now."

Kakashi bows respectfully. "Yes, for now only. Until you return, my lady."

Sakura pulls him into a tight hug, whispering into his ear, "I'll miss you, Kakashi."

Just as quietly, he responds, "And I you, Lady Sakura."

"Take care of everything here."

"I will."

Sakura pulls away, turning away hastily, sure that if she waits a moment longer she will lock herself in her room and never leave. Similar to Tsunade, but going the opposite direction, Sakura makes her way down the long staircase in a hasty exit.

Naruto and Sasuke both look at Hinata for hopes of an explanation. The shortest of their little group of merry men smiles lightly. "They've spent an awful lot of time together. It shows, doesn't it?"

Without waiting for either of the two to answer, Hinata swiftly and gracefully follows after her. Itachi was the second to depart, careful to stay close to Sakura. He can hardly suspect that someone from the town would attack her, but the last thing they want is for her to get captured five minutes into their job. Sasuke and Naruto share looks of exasperation before following.

The lilac eyed girl stops long enough at the top of the stairs to pick up three small packs placed there neatly, carrying the weight as if it were nothing.

"I'm only going to say this once," Itachi says at Sakura's shoulder. The pink haired girl looks over at him curiously. "You must have one of us with you at all times. DO you understand that your life is in danger?"

Sakura raises an eyebrow at him. "My apologies, sir."

"Itachi."

"Pardon?"

"My name. I was born with it so people would have something to call me by. Please use it."

Sakura's expression turns thoughtful. She pauses walking and stares at the eldest of her new guard. He's taller then her and skinnier, but there was something there. She could sense something firy about him. But also something smooth, like water. Calming and protective. Fire and water? Complete polar opposites. All wrapped up in one single person.

Interesting.

Maybe there was a reason why these boys were considered the best. If the other two are anything like the elder of them. Which begs the question on where exactly these boys came from. And how they can protect her from someone like him. Sakura shutters at the thought of some man that she never met. She's seen glimpses of him in her dreams, dreams induced by the Juubi.

Hinata, Sasuke and Naruto catch up with them and the group begins moving in silence. The three brothers pull up their hoods, almost instinctual. After a slight pause, Hinata pulls two brown cloaks from one of her packs and she and Sakura don them. Sakura takes one of the packs from Hinata and slings it across one shoulder under the cloak.

"Lady Sakura, please, let me carry that," Hinata says, putting one of the two packs she carries over her shoulder too. The other held in her left hand.

"Hinata, I must insist that you not only let me carry my own pack, but also my own name. Much like Itachi, in the time that we have together it should be less formal," Sakura says, not even looking at her long time handmaiden and friend.

"Please, Lady-er... I mean, Sakura. I must persist that you allow me to carry that," Hinata says, chasing after Sakura with her shorter legs.

Sakura shakes her head. "No. I have to carry my own weight on this journey, don't I?"

"Yes," Sasuke says before Hinata can deny it. "The sooner you figure that out, the better."

Naruto glares at Sasuke, Itachi gives him a look that clearly says, "back off now" and the look Hinata gives is positively chilling. But it quickly disappears as she turns back to Sakura.

"If... if you insist on carrying one of the bags then... I insist that you allow me to carry it the moment you get tired. Please, Lady Sakura?"

Sakura nods, smiling at her friend and touches her shoulder lightly. "You have always been there for me, Hinata. Thank you for everything."

Hinata blushes, dipping her head down. She pulls up her hood, as if just trying to do something to busy her hands. Then, briskly and all business, she pulls up Sakura's hood too. The two girls are nestled safely in the center of a circle of boys. But even if Hinata didn't doubt Kakashi's ability to protect Lady Sakura from the dangers of the world. She certainly didn't trust these guys to. Kakashi was trained to protect, these boys are just hired mercenaries. Boys at that. Two are barely old enough to be away from their mothers, in Hinata's opinion.

Sakura seems comfortable, which worries Hinata more. She's too trusting. Even if her life is in danger, she's still too naive.

These boys may be here to make sure Sakura gets to the hidden Cloud village safely, but Hinata's here to make sure she's protected until she gets there.

Hinata bows her head and holds her hands neatly in front of her. Back straight and eyes half lidded. But even though her eyes were mostly closed, there was very little in the general vicinity that she didn't see. And with the hood covering the upper half of her face, no one could see the gentle pulsing of veins that lead to pretty lilac eyes.