A/N got a lot of hell for that last chapter, this will be a naru x saku x ino pairing but it ain't gonna be all sunshines and rainbows along the way, it's gonna be a bit darker and they will have to work for it.
CHAPTER 2 Peepers and Demons
It was late afternoon as Sakura walked back from the main gate on one of her normal duties as Tsunade's apprentice. 'why do I have to run these simple errands isn't this why she has a secretary?' she sighed to her self
"Hey just be happy she isn't pounding you into the ground with her strength training" Inner said
'Yeah I guess your right it's been three years since I started training with her and it's been a grueling time since I mastered the basics of being a medic. Ever since then it's been body hardening and strength training.' She sighed again as she approached the entry desk and took the days sign in sheet.
As she walked into the Hokakage's office she saw her master taking another drink. She set the papers on the desk and looked at her master. "you know master you shouldn't be drinking on the job."
"Hey drinking helps reduce stress, stress causes fatigue, fatigue causes you to miss stuff, so one or two drinks actually help." Tsunade says with a smile.
"You say drinks and mean bottles?" Sakura asked as she pulled two bottles of sake out of the garbage can.
"Never said the measurements of those drinks did I?" Tsunade says with a grin
"Whatever shisho, I brought today's log in sheet is there anything else you need?" Sakura asked
"No you can have the rest of today off relax a bit." Tsunade said waving her off
"Thank you shisho." Sakura said with a bow and walked out the door.
Sakura walked to her best friends flower shop to see the pony tailed blond.
"Hey Ino" she said as she walked through the door.
"Oh hi Sakura what you up to today?" Ino asked with a smile
"Oh not much just got done with Lady Tsunade and she gave me the rest of the day off." Sakura said.
"Alright that's great let's go to the hot springs." Ino shouted with a smile
"What? Don't you have to work here?" Sakura asked
"Oh we're almost closed for the day and mom can handle the last hour." Ino said as she took off her apron and hung it up then shouted to the back of the store "hey mom I'm heading out with Sakura"
"Alright you two have fun." Came her mom's voice and she drug Sakura out of the shop and down the road.
Sakura laid back and soaked in the hot springs "alright Ino you were right this is just what I needed."
"See never doubt me alright." Ino said with a grin.
"Got it." She sighed as she sunk down to her chin in the hot water.
"So then how have things been going with you Sakura?" Ino asked getting the pinkette to sit up a bit so she could talk.
"You know good considering Lady Tsunade has been running me into the dirt with strength training on top of the medical training" Sakura sighed
"Well that's all well and good but I was more interested in your personal life, like found someone you like yet?" Ino teased
"I told you Sasuke-kun is the only one for me." Sakura said
"And like I have told you before just because he is the one doesn't mean you can't play the field a bit." Ino said with a mischievous grin
"If so then who do you like?" Sakura said trying to turn the tables
"Ah ah I asked first." Ino wagged her finger at her getting Sakura to sigh "any way how long has it been since Naruto left?" she asked looking for a reaction
"About three years now. Why do you ask?" Sakura asked innocently
"Well I am just wondering what he will be like when he gets back. He was always a child but three years of hard training with a Sanin hopefully has matured him." Ino said
"I have been training with one for just as long." Sakura said
"Yeah but you were able to go home and get away from it from time to time. He was never able to go home to get away from it." Ino said
"Well guess that's true." Sakura admitted
"And I can't wait to see what he looks like when he gets back." Ino said with a sly grin looking at her friend
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked a bit confused
"Oh don't tell me you haven't thought about it?" Ino asked
"Thought about what?" Sakura replied still confused
"About how hot he must be by now, seriously when we were younger he may not have been much to look at. But with his training mindset and his stamina he must be working out that body harder than ever and the muscles must be forming in nicely." Ino said with a bit drool as she thinks about it
"What?!" Sakura asks in shock as an image of Naruto with no shirt on showing off a hard chest of muscles and six pack enter her mind
"Oh yeah that's what I'm talking about come to mama." Inner drooled over the image as Sakura shook her head to get it out of her mind
'I'm surrounded by perverts.' Sakura said to herself when she remembered something. "besides he has been with Lord Jiraiya. Granted he is an awesome ninja and Sanin but he is also a self anointed super pervert. The old saying goes 'The student and master aren't so different' or something like that Sakura says with a wave of her hand.
"Then that would make you a drunk who has no luck?" Ino shot back getting Sakura to slump in defeat
"Alright maybe that philosophy doesn't hold true." Sakura sighs getting Ino to grin in victory
"Besides would it be so bad if he came back a little perverted. With a body as I image the knowledge of the greatest adult book writer and the stamina that has no end, I don't see any down sides there." Ino says with a far off look in her eyes.
"Great I got a pervert for a best friend." Sakura sighs
"I'm just kidding." Ino says with a giggle "besides he should be coming home soon anyway and you'll see I'm wrong."
"Yeah I hope so." Sakura replies
"No you don't you hope she is right on the money, well I do anyway." Inner replies with a perverted grin
'Shut it inner.' Sakura sighs as she slides further into the water, after a few minutes she fells the water ripple as Ino gets out. She looks over to see Ino getting out of the water and wrapping herself in a towel but instead of going to the exit she starts heading toward the fence.
"Huh Ino where are you going." Sakura asked
"Thought I saw something." Ino says as she gets to the fence and squats down and starts to inspect the fence. Just then she begins to hear giggling coming from the fence.
"Damn't Ino what are you doing over there." Sakura said as she got up and wrapped herself in a towel then headed over to her friend.
" ." Ino shushed her friend as Sakura saw a little bit of blood dripping from her nose. Then pointed at the hole in the fence "I think I found the perfect man." she whispers as Sakura squats done and looks through the hole.
As she looks through the hole, all she can see is the back of a man's head and his arms lying across the edge of the hot springs. He had blood red hair fading into blond tips; she then notices an ANBU tattoo on his right bicep. As she looks him over she begins to feel a blush spread across her face. Just then he started to stand up and she got a glimpse at his toned back side and his well developed back muscles then her eyes made their way up to his shoulders and to her horror she saw the word 'demon' carved into his back from shoulder to shoulder. The man reached for his towel and just as he wrapped it around his waist she barely caught a glimpse of something heading straight at her she jumped back from the hole just as the tip of a kunai plugged it up.
"Jeez! That was close." Sakura said in shock as she stares at the point of the kunai that was deep enough through the hole it could have poked out her eye.
"Well guess guys don't like being peeked on any more than we do." Ino said "but it was totally worth it to see that. Guess I know why they do it now." She said with a grin.
"Can you be any more perverted?" Sakura asked as Ino got up
"Hey maybe if we hurry we can catch him in the lobby." Ino said as she got up and almost sprinted off to the exit.
"Ino wait up." Sakura whined as she chased after her friend
They quickly got dressed and headed out to the main lobby, and looked around. Ino then went to the front desk and asked "has anyone come out of the male bath?"
"No, nobody has come out of there." the clerk replied
"Alright so we didn't miss him." Ino said as Sakura sighed
"Was there ever anyone in there?" Sakura asked the clerk
"No, no one has been in or out of the males bath since you two have gotten here. Why was someone spying on you from there?" the clerk asked with a bit of anger looking at the male bath door.
"No no we just had a bad feeling that was all." Sakura said 'more like the other way around' she said to herself as she grabbed Ino's arm and drug her away from the bath house.
"Ok that's weird I know we saw him how did he get in and out without the clerk seeing anything?" ino asked
"Did you not see the ANBU tattoo on his arm?" Sakura asked
"What?" Ino asked confused
"There was ANBU tattoo on his right bicep. So he could have easily snuck in and gotten out without anyone noticing either that or he told the clerk to not let anyone know he was there that is what they do." Sakura said
"Well looks like little miss 'I'm not a pervert' was looking closely at that body of his now weren't you." Ino replied in a teasing tone
"Oh shut up you were the one how tricked me into looking." Sakura said as Ino began to walk off and Sakura followed her.
"Well when you found out you didn't look away did you?" Ino asked as Sakura blushed realizing she was right, and just followed in silence thinking about what was carved into his back
'Who are you and why did someone do that to you?' she thought as she followed Ino and headed home.
But unknown to them there was an ANBU sitting in a tree above them in silence merely shaking his head before jumping off into the night.
The next day Sakura was called into the Hokage's office. When she walked in she was confronted by Kakashi, Temari and Ino.
"Ah Kakashi sensei haven't seen you in awhile." Sakura said seeing her old sensei
"Yeah I have been helping train up some new ANBU." Kakashi replied rubbing the back of his head as he lowered his book.
"Ah good you're here we can begin this briefing." Tsunade said as Sakura walked up to the desk "This morning we received word that the sand village was attacked." At this Ino and Sakura went wide eyed. "And the fifth Kazekage has been captured."
"What? Why? How?" Sakura asked in shock
"We believe it was a group known as the Akatsuki, who are hunting down the tailed beasts." Tsunade explained "The sand has requested assistance from us and you are the only ones available to go"
"I would have left as soon as I had heard but Lady Tsunade said she would gather a team to assist so I waited." Temari added.
"Yes now your mission is to go and assist in the search for Gaara, also Kankuro the Kazekage and Temari's brother has been severely poisoned and needs you to heal him." Temari said
"Yes Shisho when do we leave?" Sakura asked
"Once this briefing is done go gather what you will need for this mission and head out immediately." Tsunade said she then looked at Temari "I wish I could send more support but we just have everyone that would be of use already on mission, but as soon as a team becomes available I will send them."
"Thank you Lady Hokage sama." Temari replied
"Alright get to it then." Tsunade said as they all left the room.
After a few moments she saw a shadow began to fidget and she sighed and merely nodded as it disappeared.
Sakura and the team had been going full speed to make it to the Sand by nightfall and she began treatment on Kankuro. After making a few antidotes for the poison and getting an hours' rest from the run and surgery they were off again in search of Gaara along with the elder Lady Chiyo.
They were currently following Pakun through the woods. After a while they came to a canyon with a river and a cave covered by a huge stone. Just then four more people jumped down next to them.
"Ah Sakura chan it's so good to see you!" one called out in an excited tone. Getting everyone to see team Guy standing along with them.
"Oh hi there Lee." Sakura said with a friendly smile and wave along with a sweat drop.
"Ah the most beautiful Sakura chan will you go on a date with me?" Lee calls out as he drops to a knee holding out his hand to her.
"Lee we have more important thing at hand right now." Sakura said getting a tick mark above her eye.
"Yes we have a five part seal hear and all five need to be removed at the same time the first is there." Kakashi said pointing at the giant rock "the others should be close by."
"Right I have all four in sight." Said Neji
"Yosh I'll be the first to get to mine in the name of my love for Sakura, if I do not I'll do a three hundred laps around the village while doing squat thrusts." Lee said excitedly as he shot up and ran off.
"Oh he does realize you didn't tell him where it was right?" Lady Chiyo asked as everyone just shook their heads and headed out as well.
After a few minutes everyone was in position and signaled to remove the seal. Once Kakashi removed it he jumped out of the way as Sakura ran and jumped punching the massive boulder pulverizing it into little bits. As the boulder fell apart the team jumped into the cave and were faced with a hunchback and a blonde who was sitting on Gaara's body.
"Ah Granny Chiyo." The hunchback said
"Sasori." Chiyo said with venom "what have you done? That is the Kage of your home."
"Not my home anymore." Sasori said then turned toward the blonde "Deidra take the body out of here and I'll meet up with you when I'm finished here."
"Oh I was hoping to have a show." Deidra sighed as a ball of clay fell out of his hand and it was enveloped by a cloud of smoke and a giant bird was in its place. He jumped on its back as the bird picked up Gaara's body and took off out the enterance.
"Go after him I'll take care of this." Chiyo said as Kakashi nodded and he and Ino jumped after him, while Sakura stayed with Chiyo. "I said go after him." She repeated
"I heard, but what kind of girl would I be if I left an old lady here to fight this guy all alone." Sakura said with a smirk and cracked her knuckles getting the old lady to smile
Sakura quickly jumped toward Sasori and his tail leapt out at her but before it made contact a kunai intercepted it and then it was ripped backward by an invisible force. That gave Sakura the opening she needed to land a hit on the hunch backs back. As she jumped away Sasori began to break apart and revealed a young man with red hair begin to stand up out of the husk.
"Using a chakra string attached to the kunai, and then attaching it to my tail to give her an opening very clever granny. I'll congratulate you on being the first to get past Hiruko's defense." The red head said "But I have plenty to replace him." He sighed as he pulled away his cloak to reveal he had turned himself into a puppet. Getting the two women to gasp at what they were looking at. "Since you got through my defense so well I guess a reward is in order."
"We don't want anything from you." Sakura shot back
"Than I guess you don't want to know the spy I have in Orochimaru's organization?" Sasori replied "Or is my intel incorrect about you still wanting to get that Uchiha back?"
'What he knows about Sasuke?' Sakura asks herself "Tell me, what do you know about him? Where is he?" she screams
"If you are able to defeat me I will tell you where you can meet my spy and he will tell you everything you need to know." Sasori replied
"Then we will defeat you, and put an end to this once and for all." Chiyo said as she pulled out a scroll and then in a puff of smoke ten puppets appeared. "This is my ultimate puppet technique the mastery of setting one puppet per finger." She said with a bit of pride
"How pathetic." Sasori spat "I've far surpassed you a long time ago old lady." He said as he pulled out a scroll and in another puff of smoke there where a hundred puppets appeared. Causing both women to go wide eyed. Just then the puppets descended upon the two kunoichi.
The battle lasted for awhile only leaving Chiyo with one puppet remaining and Sakura gasping for air and Sasori had ten puppets left.
"Well guess this is the end for you." Sasori said as he sent all of his remaining puppets toward Sakura with their swords drawn.
"Sakura!" Chiyo yelled as she sent her remaining puppet to intercept but it was dispatched with ease. All Sakura could do was stand there and watch as the swords descended upon her and she closed her eyes waiting for the swords to skewer her but they never came. When she opened her eyes she saw the back of a red haired blonde tipped ANBU with multiple blades sticking out from his back.
"Ah so the nine tailed Jinchuuriki decided to come along as well." Sasori said with a smirk as Sakura just stared wide eyed at the ninja in front of her "well looks like we will get two tailed beasts out of this trip." he smirked
As Sasori gloated the ANBU reached up to the sword on his back pulling it out and swung it down breaking the swords stabbing him and the puppets jumped back.
"Your tough." Sasori smirked "But that won't help you now that my poison is in your blood." At that Sakura snapped out of her shock and jumped to his side and looked up to see a fox mask on his face.
"Here take this it's an antidote for his poison." Sakura said as the ANBU pulled out the blades that where in him and she braced herself as a burst of orange chakra shot out of him and began to surround him and black stuff began to ooze out of his cuts as they healed themselves
"Ah using your own chakra to force out the poison." Sasori said "impressive but even with your demon chakra it will completely drain you to get it all out." He said as he sent his puppets after him again. Once the puppets got close the ANBU bolted with his sword at the ready and cut down the puppets faster than Sakura could keep up with. One minute he was standing next to her next he was gone and the puppets were cut in half.
"Oh no you don't I still have one trick up my sleeve" Sasori said as he pulled out a scroll. But before he could open it, it was hit with a kunai knocking it out of his hands. Just then he felt something impact him. He looked down and saw the ANBU's sword sticking out of his chest where his heart should be.
"Well looks like I lost our little wager." Sasori said with a cough "I'm supposed to meet my spy in Orochimaru's organization at the Tenchi bridge in ten days." He coughed out as he faded away. The ANBU pulled out his sword and let the body slump to the ground and then swung his blade flicking the poison that had remained on it off and sheathed the sword.
"Thank you." Sakura said as she walked up to him only for him to look down at her. She looked up and saw red slit eye's behind his mask and a pang of fear coursed through her body.
"Maybe next time you won't freeze up and I won't have to save your ass." The ANBU said in a cold tone, as he walked past her toward the exit leaving a shocked and stunned Sakura where she was.
'He is right if I hadn't frozen up he wouldn't have had to save me.' She said to her self
"Forget him even if he is hot as hell he is just a dick." Inner replied "come on we'll show him we are a force to be reckoned with. We were trained by a Sanin right." Inner said
"You just gonna stand there or are we going to catch up with the rest of your team?" the ANBU asked getting ready to head out.
"Oh right." Sakura said as she ran over to him and Lady Chiyo and they jumped away heading down the river.
After awhile Sakura looked over toward the ANBU and asked "ah…" but didn't know what to call him.
"It's Fox." Fox said answering her unasked question.
"Yeah Fox how do you know we are going the right way?" Sakura asked
"I can smell them." Fox replied
"What are you an Inuzuka?" she asked
"You're not supposed to ask an ANBU who they are especially in front of non village ninja's." Fox said annoyed.
"Oh right sorry." Sakura replied
"I can smell the smoke from the explosives that guy has used, if you focus you can smell the smoke left behind by them as well." He said getting her to sniff and she could smell the faint scent of burning smoke.
"Oh yeah." She said with realization.
"And those craters and burn marks are also pretty good indications." Fox said pointing to the small craters scatted across the walls of the canyon they were running through.
"Oh right." She said under her breath. Just then they heard an explosion in the distance.
"Good were close. Hurry up" he called back as he quickened his pace leaving the two kunoichi in his dust.
"Damn't wait up." Sakura called out to him but he didn't listen. "damn't why won't he listen." She cursed
"Because he is an ANBU." Chiyo said getting Sakura to look over at her "if yours are anything like ours they live by their own standards and if you can't keep up you get left behind. They don't like working with those that are not at their level. That is why they only accept the best within their ranks."
"I know but we are a team and should stick together." Sakura said as they jumped into a clearing and saw Fox standing next to Kakashi in a fighting position looking toward the blonde haired man that they had been after now he only had one arm.
"Sakura!" came Ino's voice getting Sakura to look over at her "oh thank god you're ok." She said running over to her.
"Well since those two are here I'm guessing Sasori is dead." Deidra said
"Yes Sasori of the red sand is dead." Chiyo said
"Well I'm surrounded and severely out numbered and running low on clay guess there is only one thing left to do." Deidra said
"Surrender?" Sakura asked
"No to do one last piece of art." Deidra said with a smile and pulled out the rest of his clay and ate it. His body began to bulge and expand.
"Shit he's going to blow." Kakashi yelled and began to use his Mangekyo Sharingan. Just then there was an explosion, and Kakashi was breathing heavily slumped on one knee. "ah ha I tried to get it all but it was just too much."
"You got enough we are alright." Fox said to him as he offered him a hand
"And should of known you would have come on this mission" Kakashi said as Sakura and Ino walked up to them.
"Wait Kakashi sensei you know him?" Sakura asked
But before she could get an answer Fox walked past her. She looked and watched as he walked toward Lady Chiyo who was kneeling over Gaara's body with her hands on him looking like she was trying to heal him. Fox walked up to her and she was out of breath gasping for air.
'Damn't I don't have enough chakra to do this.' She cursed herself as she looked up and saw Fox standing over them "and what do you want?" she spat as he got down on his knees and put his hand over hers and began to put his chakra into her jutsu and it began to work.
"So who is he?" Sakura asked.
"You know I can't tell you that Sakura." Kakashi said
"I know but there is just something about him that is nagging at me I just can't quite place it." Sakura said as they began to walk over to them and Chiyo's hands stopped glowing and she fell to the ground.
Sakura ran over to and began to try to heal her but she quickly found out she was dead. That was when Gaara began to stir and sit up.
"Wha… what happened?" Gaara said as he looked around confused
"Lady Chiyo gave her life so you could live on." Fox said as he held out his hand to help him up
"She will be remembered and honored." Gaara said as he stood all the way up.
"Gaara sama." Came two high pitched voices as two girls jumped and hugged him. That was when they noticed the group of sand ninja's standing in front of them.
"Kazakage sama you're alright." They all said as they ran to him and began to through him up into the air with joy as the leaf ninja watched
"Hey Sakura isn't that the guy we were spying on in the hot springs?" Ino whispered to Sakura getting her to tense up as she looked over at him from the back and realized it was the same hair and tattoo.
'Oh my god it is him.' Sakura said to herself
"Well maybe this means we'll get to see him more often." Inner said with an evil grin "and even if he does have a demon inside him he isn't too bad especially on the eyes." At this her eyes bulged in realization at remembering that Sasori had called him the nine tailed Jinchuuriki.
As she was having this conversation with herself Ino was on the outside trying to talk to her but was getting no response. She then looked over and saw Fox was walking over to Kakashi and she decided to see if she could find out anything more about this mysterious man.
"Hi there." Ino said as she walked up to the two only for Fox to look at her for a second then back to Kakashi.
"I'll be heading back to the village then." Fox said to the silver haired Jonin
'Did I just get ignored?' Ino asked herself
"Hey I'm talking to you." Ino shouted
"No you're interrupting our conversation." Fox said looking at her with a glare.
"Now now Fox calm down she is just curious not everyday an ANBU comes along on a mission." Kakashi said
"Very well" Fox sighed as he dropped the glare "like I said I'll head back to the village and give the Hokage my report."
"It may take us awhile I had to use that technique to many times and feel really weak." Kakashi said
"Yeah I feel a bit drained as well had to use a lot up myself." Fox said as he pulled out a solider pill and put it in his mouth under his mask
"You know those are for just quick fixes not to be too heavily relied on." Kakashi said
"It's enough to get me back, so I'll see you later Kakashi sensei." He said as he jumped away.
At hearing that Sakura broke out of her little argument and went over to Kakashi "did he just call you sensei.
"Yes that is why you haven't seen me around lately is because he is one of the new up and coming ANBU and they wanted me to train him." Kakashi said
"Oh alright that makes sense." Sakura said "Never knew you were such a big shot within the ANBU they would call you back to train a new one."
"Well I was one of the best ANBU captains in the village till the third made me your Jonin instructor." Kakashi said getting the two girls to look at him in shock. "and you never truly leave the ANBU they can always call you back if you're needed."
"And is that why you where chosen to train our villages Jinchuuriki." Sakura asked getting Kakashi to look at her in shock
"How do you know about that?" Kakashi asked with shock
"Sasori called him the nine tailed Jinchuuriki during our fight." Sakura said
"Wait Jinchuuriki are those people you and lady Chiyo were talking about, earlier, who have a tailed beast in them like Gaara right?" Ino asked
"Yes." Kakashi said "but don't hold that against him he is really a good guy at heart."
"I wasn't going too; he saved my life against Sasori I would just like to see him again to thank him for saving me." Sakura said
"Yeah that sounds like him." Kakashi said with a bit of a smirk as Guy's team landed not too far from them.
"And don't mention that to anyone but the Hokage it's an S-rank secret." Kakashi whispered getting the two kunoichi to nod their heads as Guy's team walked up to them.
'I need to find out who he is.' Sakura said to herself as they all headed back to the hidden sand village.
END CHAPTER 2