Sakura sat next to Ino's grave, staring out across the vast expanse of the cemetery. She had passed Shikamaru on her way in and they exchanged brief pleasantries before he went on his way. She glanced over at the two new sets of flowers propped up against the plain, gray headstone. One bouquet was from her. They were lilies, Ino's favorite. She always claimed she loved the simple beauty of them. The other bouquet was a mix of brightly colored daisies.

Sakura knew the daisies were from Shikamaru. She had see him carrying them through town in this direction on a few occasions. He would leave one set for Ino, one for Choji and the last for Asuma. After Ino's death, Sakura spent many quiet evenings after work and missions here in the cemetery with Shikamaru. They silently grieved together and then would go their separate ways. His presence was a comfort, especially because she knew he felt the same emptiness inside of him that she did. Maybe even more so, having lost both teammates and his sensei. However, when he was done visiting the cemetery he would head home to his family. A family which now included Temari, as they had gotten engaged about a year and a half ago. Through all of Shikamaru's loss, at least he had Temari to lean on.

She sighed and stretched, standing to leave. Bending over, she ran her fingers across Ino's name, deeply engraved upon the cold gray stone. 'Watch over me, Ino-pig,' she thought to herself sadly. She would have stayed longer if it wasn't for her having to prepare for her upcoming mission. She thought back on how her conversation with Tsunade had gone after Kakashi and Naruto left.

"Lady Tsunade, I will not let you down," Sakura said as the door shut behind her two teammates. Turning to leave herself, Tsunade called out to her.

"Sakura, stay for a minute. I'd like to have a word with you," Tsunade said sternly.

Sakura bowed and stepped closer to her mentor's desk. Tsunade stared at her over clasped hands for some time before finally speaking.

"I'm sorry to drop this mission on you. I know it has been a while since you went out on one," Tsunade stated.

Sakura winced at this and Tsunade held up a hand.

"I know how you feel about having to stay within the village all the time. Once again, I'm sorry. Your skills are extremely valuable here. We can't afford to send you away all the time. That, however, does not mean you are less capable of handling missions. On the contrary, your skills make you an equal to Naruto and Kakashi, even if your rank doesn't say so," Tsunade said. She closed her eyes and turned to face the window. "I care about you deeply, Sakura. You are like a daughter to me. I know your feelings for Uchiha have changed. Am I correct in saying you no longer feel the attachments to Sasuke that Naruto does?"

Sakura nodded at this. She knew that she didn't exactly keep it a secret how she felt about Sasuke. She felt guilty for betraying her vow to Naruto but her feelings for him were stronger than anything she felt for Sasuke now. If killing Sasuke would save Naruto in the long run, she would do it.

"However," Tsunade said looking directly into Sakura's eyes, "if there is any way you can save Sasuke, you must do it. No matter the hatred you feel for him now, he still has information valuable to this village. As you know, the Akatsuki is still after Naruto. Sasuke may have information of their actions and whereabouts. If we could even get information on the location of one member, we could possibly stop them from collecting any more jinchuriki."

Sakura clenched her teeth together. She wanted to make Sasuke pay for the pain he caused but deep down she knew her sensei was right. They needed to take care of the Akatsuki problem if Naruto was ever going to be safe. She nodded with a frown.

"My lady," Sakura said tentatively, "if we are to bring Sasuke back alive, I would like to make a request."

Tsunade looked up at her student, intrigued. After a moment, she motioned for her to continue.

Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes, "I would like to be the one to interrogate him."

At first Tsunade's eyes widened, just for a second, and then her face returned to normal. The room was silent for a moment as Tsunade contemplated her student's request. There was no doubt in Tsunade's mind that Sakura could handle it. She had proven herself plenty of times, especially when it came to interrogations. 'However, I wonder how it would affect her relationship with Naruto…" Tsunade wondered silently.

After a few moments, Tsunade nodded her approval. Sakura bowed as thanks and then addressed her mentor again, "also, my lady, speaking of interrogations, before I go I would like to brief you on the progress I have had with the young shonobi that nearly blinded one of our jounin the other day."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair folding her hands in her lap, nodding for Sakura to continue.

"The only substantial information I could get out of him was that he was, in fact, sent here from the village hidden in the frost to gather information. However, I couldn't get him to reveal what type of information he was looking for," Sakura explained.

Tsunade nodded, they had already figured as much.

Sakura continued, "I also found out his name is Daisuke Hiruko. He belongs to a small clan that resides within the village hidden in the frost. However, I wasn't able to obtain much information about them either."

Tsunade sighed, "This boy sounds like he isn't going to break very easily."

Sakura shook her head, agreeing with the hogake. She hesitated before asking Tsunade what really had been bothering her.

Tsunade, sensing Sakura's hesitation, leaned back in her chair, "What is it, Sakura? Is there something else I should know?"

Sakura sighed, "Well… not exactly. You see, I know I've already asked you before, but you don't know where my biological mother is really from, do you?"

Tsunade shook her head, "Everything that we have on file you already know about. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Sakura said, "have you seen this boy?"

Tsunade shook her head.

Sakura brought her hands up to rub her temples. She wasn't sure why she was bringing it up, it was probably just a strange coincidence. "The boy has the same color hair as me," Sakura said after a minute.

Tsunade raised her eyebrows. 'That is interesting,' Tsunade thought. "You think he may possibly be related to you?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura shrugged, "I really don't know. I mean, it could just be a coincidence. We have different eye colors, his are dark green. Well, I think so, I was avoiding looking into his eyes. That's what his file said based on what the jounin who was injured reported. I just couldn't help but bring it up."

Tsunade nodded and folded her hands under her chin, "I understand your curiosity, Sakura, but it will have to wait to be looked in to. I will assign Ibiki to his interrogation now. You must focus on your mission. However, I would like you to stop back there tonight before you prepare. Tell Ibiki what I have decided about the boy and run him through everything you have told me already. Also, it wouldn't hurt to try some more interrogation tactics on the boy with Ibiki present."

Sakura bowed and turned to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing," Tsunade said, her brow creasing with worry, "Please, be careful."

Sakura began walking through the dark streets toward the interrogation headquarters. She looked down at her feet, something catching her eye. She stopped. She hadn't realized she'd been wearing her blood stained lab coat through the village the whole day. That was probably why the villagers were all avoiding her and giving her strange looks. She shrugged out of the jacket and carried it over her arm, the blood splatters hidden from view. Not that it mattered now anyway, it was getting dark.

As much as she wanted to prepare for this mission, she was equally as anxious to get information out of the boy. He was a mystery and it was driving her nuts that she couldn't solve it. Especially now that he was going to be transferred to Ibiki. As she neared the building, she had a thought. A small smirk appeared on her face as she pushed the door open.

The main area was deserted. She went straight down the hallway toward Ibiki's office. Before she could knock, however, she heard voices coming from the door. Then the door opened to reveal Anko and Ibiki. They stopped when they spotted Sakura. Anko nodded at her in greeting and then turned and said goodbye to Ibiki, hurrying down the hall where Sakura just came from. Mentally, Sakura laughed, Anko had a thing for Ibiki and he was clueless.

Once Anko was gone Ibiki turned to her, motioning for her to step into his office. She obliged, stepped around him and sitting in one of his beat up armchairs. He shut the door and took his place at his desk. "What can I do for you, Haruno?" He asked, leaning back and putting his feet up. He seemed so casual but Sakura knew better. She'd seem him mad too many times to know that one second he would be relaxed, the next biting someone's head off. Luckily, it was rarely her. She had a way of avoiding that side of him.

Sakura sighed, tapping her finger on the armrest of the chair. 'Where to begin,' she thought to herself.

"Well, to begin with, the Hokage sent me over here to deliver a message," She said. "You are to finish interrogating the prisoner that had been assigned to me."

Ibiki scoffed, "The Hokage's little apprentice couldn't handle the job. I don't believe it." He chuckled a low laugh.

Sakura smirked, "You know that has never been the case with me Ibiki. I handle whatever you throw my way and efficiently too." Ibiki smirked and Sakura continued, "actually, I've been assigned to a mission."

This time Ibiki didn't laugh. He sat up straighter, a frown slightly appearing on his scared face, "This isn't about that Uchiha kid again, is it? I thought your team had finally given up on that traitor."

Sakura's face stayed emotionless. She knew Ibiki hated Sasuke. Most people did, he was a traitor to the village, after all, helping Orochimaru for a long time. Most shinobi would love to be the one to bring a dead Sasuke back. Ibiki, however, preferred people come back alive, then he got to use his skills. Usually by the time he was done, people wished they were dead.

"The details for this mission are highly classified," Sakura said, keeping her voice even. Ibiki was not convinced. "Right. Well, if you manage to catch him this time, be sure to bring him back to me." He said, eyes flashing.

Sakura wanted to tell him that if by some chance Sasuke did come back alive, she would be the one to interrogate him. But instead she continued on, "As I was saying, you will be required to finish interrogating the boy. As a matter of fact, the Hokage suggested that we both continue the interrogation tonight before I leave, so as to get information quickly, and not block up your schedule."

Ibiki's eyes narrowed, "Oh, the Hokage said that, did she? How generous of her. She's never been concerned of my schedule before."

Sakura met his gaze, "Are you suggesting that you don't want to follow the Hokage's orders Ibiki? I'm sure she wouldn't be pleased to hear we hadn't gotten any farther with the boy."

Ibiki stood, "No, no. Let's go. Better to not make the Hokage angry. Besides," he looked at her with a sly smile, "I've been meaning to evaluate your skills anyway."

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was one of the best he had, if not the best. She stood and they started down the hallway toward the room holding the boy. Mentally, Sakura smirked, 'he fell for it.'

They reached the room in no time and she briefed him on what she had accomplished earlier, before the entered. They both stepped through the door and it closed with a soft click behind them. The boy was slumped forward in the chair, blood covering the front of his clothing. Sakura had ended up breaking his nose when he wouldn't answer her questions. The genjutsu didn't work and force did very little. But she had an idea and that's why Ibiki was here.

The boy chuckled as he lifted his head, taking in the two shinobi in front of him. "Sakura, you're back so soon. And you even brought a friend."

Ibiki stepped forward, drawing the boy's attention to him. As he was focused on Ibiki, Sakura disappeared into the shadows, closer to the wall. When there, she began to set up her genjutsu while the boy was distracted. It was something she had developed while working with Ibiki on other hard to break prisoners. Surprisingly, they worked well together. This technique had never failed before.

Sakura worked quickly, setting her jutsu into place. Slowly, Ibiki's skin began to sag. The boy watched him, confused. Ibiki stopped, his face shocked. He lifted up his head as if confused as to why his skin was sagging. Then he started screaming. His skin started bubbling and popping, slowly all melting off, leaving only bones to be seen. The boy was confused, he looked around but couldn't see Sakura where she was hidden.

The boy looked horrified as the puddle that was once Ibiki started to leak toward him on the floor. Sakura cackled a high pitched laugh from when she was hidden. The boy looked toward the laugh. "What the… What did you do?" He asked, staring into the darkness.

Then he looked down at his own hands. The skin started to sag. He screamed. The skin started to bubble and pop just like Ibiki's. The boy screamed and screamed. Sakura slowly walked up to him. Reaching out she grabbed his hand. The screams carried on and on.

Sakura smiled sweetly at him and then snapped a finger. The boy's eyes rolled back into his head with the pain. Even though his skin was only an illusion, he still felt it as if it were real. It was a powerful genjutsu. It made even nerve in the body feel as though you were burning. The key is distracting the prisoner long enough to set it up. That's where Ibiki comes in, making the whole process seem real.

Ibiki was standing beside her, watching as the boy screamed. She let it go on for about ten minuites before withdrawing the genjutsu. It took a lot of chakra control to keep it up for long periods of time. Which was how she mastered it, she had some of the best chakra control in the whole village.

The boy was sweating. His hung limply in the chair, only held up by the restraints tying him to the chair. Then they began questioning him. Another great aspect of the genjutsu is that the pain lingers in the nervous system of the victim for a bit after it's over. Every breath he took sent shooting pain through his body. It was really as though he had been set on fire.

Everytime he didn't answer Sakura would break a finger. Once all of his fingers were broken, Sakura healed them and started over. It took a lot of chakra.

Finally, after about an hour, they had enough information to call it for the night. Sakura was exhausted but feeling much happier now that they had more information on the boy. They only used that technique in very time pressured situations because it is so effective yet exhausting. Sakura knew she would be at her limit when it was all over and that the Hokage would have never of approved of such measures right before her mission. But she had to know more about the boy. She was glad Ibiki went along with it and didn't ask too many questions.

They went back to his office, where he dismissed Sakura, telling her he would write the report and that she should get rest before the mission. She didn't deny she would need it and gratefully accepted his offer.

On her way home, she thought about everything the boy had told them. It wasn't anything extremely substantial but it was enough. They had gotten out of him what information he had been searching for. It hadn't made much sense to Ibiki but it made Sakura's heart skip a beat. He had revealed he was looking for information on a woman who had escaped his village 20 years earlier. She was his clan's prisoner and had escaped. They received a lead that brought them searching our village. And that was it. They couldn't get out of him what the lead was or who gave it to him. The boy was at his limit as well. He was nearly unconscious by the end of the interrogation. They couldn't get much more out of him than that, but Sakura felt sure the woman was her real mother.

Sakura yawned, coming out of her thoughts. She looked up at the building in front of her. It was her apartment complex. She had walked all the way here without even realizing it. Sighing, she took the stairs up to her apartment.

Once inside, she got to work packing her bag. They were to leave first thing in the morning. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It has been a long time since she was on a mission, probably close to when they last went out to search for Sasuke. They came up absolutely nothing that time. They had spent ten days searching along the border between the land of fire and the land of rivers to come up with nothing. She hoped with everything in her that this mission actually brought them to their lost teammate once and for all.

She went into her bedroom to retrieve her backpack from her closet. After looking for a minute, she pulled it out from under a large pile of clothing. She began filling it with the essentials such as her canteen, important scrolls, medicinal herbs, a map, food pills, and clothes. She paused when she came across a picture of her and Naruto from about the time that they both made jounin. It was a crude snapshot that they clearly weren't ready for. He was mid-bite of his ramen and she was laughing. Sai was in the background drawing. 'I think Ino took this,' Sakura thought to herself. She didn't see much of Sai anymore. Once team Kakashi went their separate ways, he also began taking ANBU missions again. However, when Sakura asked Naruto if he was usually part of his and Kakashi's team, Naruto said no. He said that Sai was hardly ever assigned to the same team as them. Occasionally, she would run into him at the library or the hospital, but that was rare.

Once she was finished packing, she went out to straighten up her apartment a bit. Naruto and Kakashi were going to stop by soon to discuss the mission details with her. Also, she didn't know how long it would be before she would be back and didn't want to come home to a mess. Before long, there was a knock at her door. She went to answer it, propping the broom she'd been sweeping with up against the wall. Kakashi was standing on the other side with a beaming Naruto right behind him.

"Sakura-chan, it's been a while since I was here last, huh?!" Naruto exclaimed as he made himself comfortable on her couch.

Sakura nodded in agreement and motioned for Kakashi to join him. She then went into the kitchen to retrieve cups of coffee for them. She handed Naruto his orange cup. Naruto froze when he saw it. Taking it from her gingerly, he stared sadly into its depths.

"Sakura," Naruto said sadly, "I'm sorry that we haven't been able to bring him back after all this time." He said, not looking up from his drink.

She sighed, "Don't apologize, Naruto. You tried so hard. Besides, this time we're going to do it for sure."

Naruto gave a small smile and turned away to look out of the window. Sakura kneeled in front of her small coffee table and unrolled the scroll containing the contents of their mission.

"Lady Tsunade said that Sasuke was spotted somewhere around here," Sakura said pointing to the map. "We will have to travel through the land of frost to get there. As the name implies, it can get very cold, especially during this time of year. Make sure to pack accordingly."

Naruto and Kakashi nodded. Sakura continued, "It should take us about three days to reach the area where Sasuke was reportedly spotted. That is, if we take minimal breaks and travel quickly. It could possibly take up to five days, so that is what we should prepare for."

Over the next half hour, Sakura highlighted the exact route they were to take. She analyzed and memorized every area of the map to ensure they knew where they needed to go. Once she was satisfied, she told the boys that they could go.

However, Kakashi hung back a minute so that he could talk to Sakura alone.

Sakura waved from the kitchen as Naruto left and turned to face Kakashi. He sat down at the kitchen table and put his head in his hand. Sakura sat down opposite him and waited.

Kakashi watched Sakura intently. He noted how exhausted she looked and guessed she had been overworking herself. She never was one to know when to take a break. He looked her in the eye and sighed. "Sakura, do you plan to kill Sasuke on this mission?" He asked.

She ran a hand through her hair and thought about how she should answer him. She knew this was coming sooner or later. She looked at him and shook her head, deciding to be honest with him as much as possible.

"I don't plan to kill him unless it's absolutely necessary," she said.

Kakashi nodded seriously, "I know that you have lost faith in him. You despise him for what he has done to Naruto and yourself, correct?"

Sakura nodded slowly, taking in his words. "Yes. And I would have no problem giving him what he deserves, but Tsunade asked me to bring him back if there is any possible way. She thinks he may have valuable information on the Akatsuki."

Kakashi took a sip of his still half full cup of coffee through his mask. He figured as much. The Hogake would like to see Sasuke suffer just as much as Sakura would, if not more. She has a soft spot for Sakura and Naruto. Seeing someone hurt them this long has probably left her bitter. 'Not that I don't feel the same,' he thought to himself. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he didn't know what he would do without Naruto and Sakura in his life. They have become precious to him throughout the years. However, he wasn't quite as ready as Sakura to give up on Sasuke just yet. He did, after all, blame himself for Sasuke leaving in the first place. If he had just done more to help him train, he felt as though he could have helped him stay. He felt it was his duty to make it up to Naruto and Sakura by finally bringing him back to the village he betrayed, no matter how hard it was for everyone in the end.

"I don't doubt that if he really is in the area that was reported, it is because he is trying to seek out information on the Akatsuki. The fact that he was reported to be hurt only solidifies that idea," Kakashi said and finished up his coffee.

Sakura nodded in agreement, "I was thinking the same thing. In any case, we should be prepared to run into them."

Kakashi nodded and stood, satisfied knowing that Sakura wasn't going to try and kill Sasuke the first chance she got. He thanked her for the coffee and placed his cup in the sink. That's when he noticed the dried blood in basin.

He turned to look at Sakura, his eyebrows raised. "Were you hurt?" He said, motioning into the sink.

Sakura stood and took a look. She sighed and nodded, "yes, I cut my hand this morning on accident, but don't worry, I'm fine."

There was a long moment of silence as Kakashi stared at her. He was worried about her. He knew she could take care of herself but he also knew of her history of depression. She seemed ok, but he worried that maybe she just got good at hiding it. After all, he had to deal with loss himself before.

Surprising her, Kakashi reached forward and pulled her into a hug. She stumbled forward into his arms, awkwardly. When he pulled away, he noticed that her face had tuned from it's normal porcelain white to a deep, cherry red. He smiled, she may not be used to affection, but sometimes people just need to know others care.

Coughing, Sakura looked away, embarrassed. The only one who ever hugged her was Naruto and even that wasn't often. She didn't take Kakashi for the affectionate type, but damn, it felt nice to be hugged. She really needed it, although she would never admit it out loud.

"Well, I think I'll be going now," Kakashi said as he turned to leave, "see you bright and early, Sakura." And with a wave he opened her door and left.

Sakura sat down and rubbed her temples for what felt like the hundredth time that day. It was definitely one of the most interesting days she had in a very long time.

Finally realizing how tired she was, she decided to go to bed.

Sakura ran, stumbling through the tangled brush of the forest floor. Jumping up into the trees, she chanced looking back.

There wasn't anyone in sight, but she could feel their chakra approaching.

It was pressing into her senses like knives. It definitely was not a friendly presence.

She pushed chakra through her legs but it wasn't coming fast enough, she could feel she was almost out.

Panic began to rise up through her chest as the menacing chakra pressed closer. She could feel it starting to close around her throat, making it hard to breath.

She tripped, tumbling down close to the forest floor. Catching her balance before she hit she tried to regain her pace.

It was too late. The chakra sizzled around her, making it impossible to breath. Like a hand, it squeezed around her throat causing her the gasp and sputter.

She began to fall to the ground, struggling to breathe.

Sakura woke up as her body hit the ground. She had rolled out of bed as she struggled within her dream.

Rubbing the back of her head, she stood up. 'Damn it, is this fucking dream ever going to stop?' She thought to herself as she made her way out into her living room. Looking at the clock she realized she only had an hour until she had to get up anyway. She decided to check her bag and go back through her mission strategy before she had to meet her team.

After about a half hour, her mind wandered back to her dream. That's when it struck her. Her dreams have been getting clearer. At first, they started out blurry, as if she was partially blind, running through the forest. The past few nights it had been crystal clear. That's why it felt so real. Not really understanding what it meant, but happy she finally figured out what was different about them she decided to start her morning pot of coffee. With her lack of sleep lately, she didn't know how she'd be able to function without it. She sighed, thinking about how she'd have to manage while out on this mission.

For the rest of her morning, she leisurely got ready. She took a shower, got dressed in her usual clothing, and blow dried her hair. Before she knew it, it was time to leave for the mission. Shouldering her pack, she went to her door. She turned back to look over her apartment before finally walking out the door into the hallway.

She locked her door and made her way down the stairs. She casually walked through the village, knowing she had to go but not really in any rush either. 'Who knows, next time I see this place Sasuke could be with us.' She couldn't help but think. It was almost surreal, going back out on a mission to find him. She thought for sure he was dead, having not picked up on his trail for so long.

"Sakura!" A voice yelled from behind her. She turned, surprised, as Kiba came walking up to her. She smiled warmly, a rare sight. She had a brief fling with Kiba about two years ago. She had always liked his attitude. It didn't work out as they had begun to lead very different lives. To be honest, Sakura broke it off when she started working at the hospital more. There was hardly any time she could take to see the boy and didn't think it was fair to him. He was upset but she was glad they had stayed on friendly terms. She even got the vibe Kiba still had feelings for her.

"Akamaru thought he smelled your scent. How have you been, Sakura?" Kiba asked with a huge smile.

"I've been well. It's been a while, hasn't it? You're both looking well." Sakura stated, leaning forward to pat Akamaru on the head. He barked and licked her hand.

Kiba laughed, "Yea, it's been a little bit since we've ran into one another. I was actually wondering if you'd like to go out some time?"

Sakura raised her eyebrows, surprised. She knew he still had feelings for her, but asking her out? She hadn't been asked out in a long time. She got the feeling people were intimidated by her. Honestly, the only time she really talked to any man was when she was treating patients or giving orders at the hospital.

She looked at his hopeful expression and sighed, "I'm sorry, Kiba. I'm actually going out on a mission at the moment. I'm due to leave now, actually. I was just on my way to meet Naruto and Kakashi."

Kiba rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh ok, it's no problem. Well.. Good luck on your mission!"

Sakura waved as she hurried away. 'That was awkward,' she thought to herself, trying to get away quickly. It wasn't that she didn't like Kiba, it's just that she didn't like him that way. He was a nice guy but she wasn't looking for a relationship right now. In fact, she couldn't see herself ever settling down. She didn't think her lifestyle would allow for it. Being a shinobi meant you had to put your life on the line at a moment's notice. You couldn't do that with children and a family to look after.

She finally rounded the last corner, bringing her up to the main gate of the village. Neither of her teammates were there yet, thankfully. She didn't want them to see how red her face was after her encounter with Kiba.

After ten minutes or so, she saw Naruto coming from a distance. He reached the gate with a wave and let out a yawn. He leaned against the post to the gate and put his hands in his pockets. "No Kakashi yet?" He asked casually.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Of course not. You know being on time isn't exactly his style."

Just as she said that, Kakashi landed nearly soundlessly in front of her. She lazily looked up at her former sensei. He met her gaze and said, "what were you saying, Sakura?" He asked sweetly.

She grunted, standing from her sitting position. Choosing to not answer his question, she got ready to start their journey. She met eyes with Naruto and he nodded. She smirked, "Alright then, let's go."

The three of them took off into the trees. They had to be fast if they wanted to make it there within three days. They didn't know how long Sasuke would stay in one place so it was important that they get there as quickly as possible.

Kakashi led the formation as he could use his sharingan if needed. Sakura took the middle and Naurto the rear. She had to admit, it was nice being on a mission with her old teammates again. It was almost refreshing. A change of pace from her normally busy lifestyle in the village.

They ran until late that night, well after the sun went down. They came across a clearing next to a river and decided to make camp for the night. Sakura was grateful, as the lack of sleep from the past few nights was starting to catch up with her.

It was very dark, as the moon was hidden behind think clouds. It felt like a storm may pass, so they prepared for the worst. Sakura got firewood and started a fire. They all sat around it, their faces illuminated as they ate their dinner. Naruto and Kakashi had set up the tent while she was building the fire. It was unusually cold that night, so Sakura was thankful when she finally got to climb into her sleeping bag. Naurto offered to take first watch so she let him. She didn't want to let them know how tired she really was.

She got changed and climbed into her sleeping bag. When she was done, Kakashi came in and got into his own. Before long, she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

Kakashi awoke her sometime later, for what she assumed was to take over watch. However, she was surprised to find that it was morning and that their fire was nearly out. 'I didn't have that dream last night…' she thought to herself, puzzled. She'd been having it so long she'd come to expect it.

Feeling unusually rested, she stretched and went about cleaning up camp. Before setting off, she filled her canteen in the river and washed her face. Naruto and Kakashi followed her lead and did the same and then they were off, flying through the trees once again.

Sakura glanced up at the dark gray sky. They'd been lucky so far, the storm had stayed at bay. However, it didn't look like their luck would hold out much longer. She wasn't worried about running in a little rain, but she had a feeling from the look of the approaching clouds and the quickening of the wind that this would be no ordinary shower.

"Kakashi," she said over the rush of the wind, "we may need to find shelter if this storm turns out to be a bad one."

He nodded, "Right. What should we do?"

She thought back to the map she had memorized. She knew there was a small village slightly off track of their route, about a half a day's journey from here. She knew they were to pass through the land of hot water and the land of frost. However, she didn't want to appear in any of the hidden villages. It was better they stayed discreet in case they were stopped by the Ataksuki or someone associated with Sasuke.

"There's a small village north-west of here. If we start to head that way now, it should only take us until tonight to reach it." Sakura said. "However, if we don't our chances of getting caught in the forest during this storm are likely. Judging by how it looks, this is going to be a bad one."

Naruto groaned impatiently, "That's going to set us back, though. What if Sasuke moves on by then?"

Sakura sighed. She knew that this was a possibility, but what other choice did they have? She couldn't afford for her team to get sick or harmed during this storm. It might set them back a day, but at least they'd be healthy. It was important that this mission was completed efficiently. For that to happen, she needed Naruto and Kakashi at their best.

"Naruto," Sakura said sternly, "the well-being of our team is more important. We won't have a shot at capturing Sasuke if we are weakened at all."

Naruto looked disappointed, but after a minute he nodded his approval.

"Alright then," Sakura said. "Kakashi, I'll take over the lead from this point. I know the way."

Kakashi fell back, allowing her to take the lead. She started off in the direction she knew to be the right way. She didn't want to tell Naruto, but there was another reason she wanted to visit this village. If it were the Akatsuki that Sasuke was after, he may have stopped by this town looking for them. Even if one person had seen him or talked with him, they may be able to get a better idea of where he was heading.

The temperature was steadily dropping as they got nearer to the town. It was the storm that was making it cold. They were still about an hour outside of the town when the rain started. It was light at first but then began to steadily increase as they moved along. Now it was raining so hard they could barely see two feet in front of them.

Sakura cursed. They had to slow down substantially to even make it through the forest. They were close now, thankfully. They were soaked through and exhausted from trying to navigate through the wind and rain. It had also started to thunderstorm a short time ago.

Gritting her teeth, she quickened her pace a bit. She was ready to get her team out of the rainstorm and into a warm bed. Just as she was thinking this, she spotted a light a short ways ahead. Approaching it, she realized it was coming from a house. They had finally made it.

Passing through the small gates to the town, they slowed to a walk. They followed the main road until they came across a medium size building with a sign that read "Inn" above the door. They hurried inside, quickly shutting the door behind them. It was very late, the storm having slowed them down from reaching the town by nightfall.

Sakura looked around the lobby. It wasn't too shabby or fancy. It was well maintained but the furniture and décor were old fashioned. She walked up to the counter, ready to call out for the owner when a door to her left swung open. A tiny old man made his way out and looked at them, startled.

She managed the politest face she could and bowed. "Sir, we would like a room for the night if it isn't too much trouble. We got caught in the storm and require a place to stay."

The man smiled at her warmly, "Of course, of course. Let me see what we have available."

He slowly made his way behind the counter and looked in his book. He frowned and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, we only have one room available. Many travelers have come tonight seeking shelter in this storm, much like yourselves," he said.

Sakura gave him a small smile, "that will be fine, thank you."

Sakura took out her wallet and paid for the room. The man produced a key and gestured for them to follow him. They followed him up the stairs all the way down the hallway to the last door on the right. He unlocked it and handed them the key. Wishing them a good night, he turned and made his way back down the stairs.

Sakura, Kakashi and Naruto made their way into the room. It was a decent sized room with one large bed in the middle and a couch off to the side in the corner. Sakura immediately went to the couch and sat down, taking off her soaked sandals. She opened her pack and pulled out a dry set of clothes. Naruto and Kakashi did the same.

Naruto and Kakashi started undressing themselves right there. Sakura raised her eyebrows. It wasn't like she had never seen naked men before, she worked in the hospital after all. It was just that these were her teammates. She had healed them enough times herself, but to completely undress just like that, was strange to her. Naruto pulled off his shirt, revealing a strong, muscled chest and toned abs. She blinked once and stared. She couldn't help it. 'When did Naruto get so…. So buff?' She asked herself mentally. She tore her eyes away only to meet the sight of Kakashi, also shirtless with his mask still covering his face. This time she had to keep her jaw from hitting the floor. He was just as muscled as Naruto, only slimmer. The part that had her so surprised was the massive amount of scars he had covering his entire body. The biggest of which stretched diagonal from his right shoulder to the bottom of his ribs on the left side of his body.

She couldn't imagine what had happened to make that big of a wound. Naruto caught her eye again when he moved to take off his pants. His eyes met hers and he grinned.

"Like what you see, Sakura-chan?" He asked.

She snorted, cleared her throat, and stood. She gathered her clothes in her arms and made her way to the bathroom. She looked back at Naruto. "You wish," she said was a smirk.

Naruto sweat dropped and Kakashi laughed as she closed the door behind her.

'Just because they have no modesty, doesn't mean I can't,' she thought to herself. She peeled off her clothes and turned on the shower. She sat on the edge until it was hot enough to get in.

She washed her body methodically. When she was done she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She brushed her hair and then got dressed. She decided to put on black spandex pants and a matching black cut-off shirt. Finally stepping out of the bathroom, she took in the scene in front of her and gave a genuine smile.

Naruto was already asleep and snoring on the couch. Kakashi was lying on the bed reading his favorite orange book. This was what their old missions were always like. In a way she missed that life. In another way, she didn't. She had learned so much and grew in so many ways since then.

Kakashi looked up at her and smiled. He patted the bed next to him and she raised her eyebrows.

"We're sharing the bed?" She asked, glancing over at Naruto. "I assumed I'd be taking the couch, being the only girl."

Kakashi laughed, "You really think I'd share a bed with him? Besides, the bed is more comfortable."

She raised her eyebrows once again and went over to her bag. She rummaged through it until she found her jacket. She pulled it on and went to find her sandals. They were next to Naruto by the couch. Once she slipped them on she turned to Kakashi. "I'm going out. There's a bar a few doors down. I want to see if anyone has seen or talked to Sasuke. He may have come through here."

Kakashi looked at her over his book and gave her a single nod. With that she slipped through the door and made her way back out into the storm.

The pub was smoky and smelled like sour milk. Sakura made her way up to the bar and sat down. She kept her hood up, not wanting to draw attention to her pink hair. There were only a few men inside. Two were sitting at the bar and there were four more spread out among the tables throughout.

She motioned for the bartender. He came over and raised his eyebrows upon seeing her face. She hadn't worn her headband, since most people would be hesitant to talk to a shinobi. A civilian woman, however, was a different story.

The bartender looked her up and down, pausing at the bare skin of her stomach not hidden by her jacket. "What can I get for you, babe?" He asked, leaning in toward her.

She resisted the urge to lean back. He smelled like sweat and liquor. She leaned forward and gave him a sweet smile. "I'll take some sake, please."

He smiled crookedly and went off to make her drink. She looked around at the greasy men in the bar and mentally sighed. 'This is going to be a long night.'

Making her way out of the bar, she wobbled a little. She had a little too much to drink through asking around about Sasuke. No one had seen him or even heard of him. 'Well, it was worth a shot,' she thought to herself.

She made her way back up the stairs and unlocked the door to the room. She walked in to find Kakashi still wide awake. He, of course, was still reading his beloved novel.

Sakura sighed and climbed up to her spot. It's not that she minded sleeping by Kakashi, she just preferred sleeping alone. Besides, now maybe she could ask Kakashi about that scar. She rolled over onto her side and looked at him. He didn't acknowledge it but she knew he knew she was staring at him. Maybe it was because she was so young at the time or didn't care but she never noticed how truly handsome Kakashi was. Well, what you could see of him anyway.

If she could guess, the face under his mask was stunning. She assumed he only wore it to keep people guessing at what he looked like. Without thinking about it, she reached up and touched the edge of his mask. His reaction was quick and automatic. He grabbed her hand and pulled it away. He raised an eyebrow and turned to her.

She smirked, "Thought I might get your attention that way."

He sighed and went back to looking at his book, "Don't make me regret choosing you over Naruto to share the bed with."

She rolled her eyes, bringing her arm back to rest at her side.

"Any luck?" He asked, turning back to his book.

"No, didn't learn a thing," she said with a small frown.

Kakashi sighed but said nothing. He could tell she had too much to drink in her time there. She smelled mildly of smoke and sake. Plus, it wasn't like her to try and pull what she just did. He thought she'd given up on trying to see his face ages ago.

"Kakashi," she said tentatively, keeping her voice low to not wake Naruto "I have a question."

He didn't look at her, only "hmmed" and flipped the page.

"How did you get that scar across your chest? It looks new." She asked finally.

"Oh, you noticed that?" He asked, finally looking her direction.

She nodded. He sighed and thought to himself, 'I guess it would be easier to just tell her.'

"On a mission a few months ago, we were ambushed. It was just simple thieves. However, we were not expecting an attack. The enemy ninja got to close and sliced me with a sword," he said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Did you have someone heal it?" She asked.

"Well…. No." He admitted. "I cleaned and bandaged it the best I could until we got back to the village. By then, it was mostly healed but it scarred badly."

Sakura sighed, knowing Kakashi's dislike of the hospital. If he had gone there immediately, it probably wouldn't have turned into that bad of a scar.

She sat up and turned her body so it was facing him. His eyes widened as she reached out and pulled his shirt all the way up to his chin. He didn't stop her but was glad that his mask hid most of the shock on his face. It's not that he minded, Sakura was one of the closest people to him and had healed him plenty of times. She just never made physical contact unless it was absolutely necessary.

She leaned down and ran her fingers down the length of the jagged, pink scar. Kakashi closed his eyes. Her hands felt good on him, they were so soft for her being a ninja.

"Kakashi, do you mind if I put some of chakra in to examine it? I might be able to reduce some of the scar tissue." She stated.

Keeping his eyes closed he nodded his head, putting his hands behind it, out of her way. Not a moment later, he felt the cool chakra seep into his skin. He felt her slowly work it along the path that his scar followed. In some ways it was soothing, and it other ways it was chilling. The unnatural temperature caused by having someone else's chakra enter him gave him the chills.

Checking to make sure his eyes were still closed, she let her eyes wander down the length of his chest. He really was an attractive man. She was surprised he stayed single for as long as he did. Surely there were women who had tried to claim him. She had never thought about it much, but Kakashi was a puzzle. She knew he had lost his teammates in the past but that was about it.

Suddenly, she felt very sad. She wished she had spent more time getting to know him better. He was, after all, one of the closest people to her. He just didn't seem like the type of person to open up about himself.

Kakashi opened his eyes to watch her. Her long pink hair was covering her face as she worked. It tumbled down, all the way to the small of her back. He couldn't help but let his eyes travel over her body. He couldn't believe how much she had matured. She definitely wasn't his little student anymore. She was wearing skin tight spandex that clung to her body perfectly. Her mid-drift was bare, due to her wearing a small, cut-off shirt. She was thin, yet perfectly muscled. His eyes traveled up to her chest and he swallowed. What was he thinking, she used to be his student. Not to mention, he's so much older than her. It was wrong. He averted his eyes to the ceiling. 'I'm going to hell,' he thought to himself as he felt her chakra withdraw.

She finished up, reducing the amount of scar tissue and sat back to admire her work. The scar was still visible as a jagged, white line but was no longer raised or pink. Reluctant to take her hands away from the warmth of his chest, she looked up at his face. His eye met hers, eyebrow slightly raised.

She felt her cheeks get warm but didn't move. She just continued to gaze at him and sighed. She reached up, slowly with her one hand. Kakashi tensed beneath her, surely thinking about her stunt from earlier. She moved slowly so he could see she wasn't going to try anything like that. Her hand moved up past his mask and landed on his headband. She slowly pushed it up, revealing the eye with his sharingan. Now he was really perplexed. He watched her carefully but didn't dare stop her. He was curious as to what she was thinking.

She stared down at his mismatched eyes. His eyes had witnessed many hardships, she knew. She leaned forward slightly, reaching up run her hair through his spikey, silver hair.

He knew she must be drunk. She'd never do any of this if she weren't. He couldn't stop her though. He didn't want to. There was something about her touch that was holding him there. Rarely did anyone ever touch him so gently.

She took her other hand off of his chest and turned to face him, reaching up to put both hands into his hair. He closed his eyes peacefully. She gently combed her fingers through his hair repeatedly. She watched his face relax and his breathing start to become even. Before she knew what she was doing, she leaned down, sliding her hands around his neck and gently placed her lips on his through the mask.

Kakashi's eyes flew open. His body tensed but he didn't dare move. 'Shit…,' he thought to himself as he felt her soft lips pressed against his. Her thumbs gently rubbed his neck and he closed his eyes. 'How the hell did I let this happen?' He thought.

Sakura leaned in more, deepening the kiss. Kakashi's hands twitched but he didn't respond. He wanted so badly to wrap his fingers in her hair and kiss her back, but he knew he couldn't. Soon she pulled back and smiled at him.

She unwrapped her hands from behind his neck and laid down on her pillow. In a few minutes, she was breathing evenly, deeply asleep. Kakashi didn't sleep at all that night.

Let me know what you think!

A little KakaxSaku!

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