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Dawn had broken casting a halo of fiery shades across the sky above Konoha. Orange and gold reflected of the newly sculpted Hokage Mountain, basking the stone faces in warmth – almost as if the sun could touch their skin once more.
But they were long dead.
Just like everyone else.
Sakura sighed softly as she sat on top of Tsunade's stone locks. Another mission completed. Another target dead. All that was left to do was to submit the mission report to Naruto, receive payment and then be briefed on the next mission.
It was a vicious circle.
A deadly, bloody vicious circle of infiltrating, killing and reporting that had now become her life. But wasn't that the life of all Ninja? To take on missions for the sake of the Village. Her eyes glinted dangerously from beneath her snow fox cowl dangerously at that thought.
Sakura let out a dark short laugh which sounded so strange against the oppressive silence around her.
What Village? Konoha was nothing like how it used to be.
Sighing she crossed her legs more comfortably and closed her eyes, letting her senses spread out across the village.
She used to do this training with Kakashi before the war. Quiet meditation used to expand their range of chakra sensing. He used to meet her on this very mountain with a familiar eye crinkling smile and a casual wave. Then when they were done he used to pat her on the head affectionately just like when she was twelve.
Her heart gave a painful pang and Sakura screwed her eyes even more tightly shut.
Kakashi...
Kami...how she missed her old Sensei.
The woman mentally slapped herself and forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. She was an ANBU operative, not some mewling child anymore. Emotions got in the way of missions. They made her weak.
She exhaled softly and felt the morning sun warm up her cold skin and melt the light snow around. She could sense every living thing in the background of her mind. Soft flickering chakra signatures like stars in the sky, some were dim and barely noticeable, others were bright beacons of light and some were hidden in the darkness, like hers, masking their chakra out of habit from the war.
Naruto's was by far the brightest. A fireball of light encased in the Hokage's tower, bright and flickering which meant he was awake and alert.
Sakura smiled to herself. She didn't know what she would do if it wasn't for Naruto.
She swept the village once more, noticing a rather large gathering of signatures at the main gate out of the village but Sakura dismissed it as a goodbye party to a team leaving on a mission.
She reined her mind in and slowly opened her emerald eyes to survey the village with her own eyes. The quiet streets seemed a little fuller than before and peaceful atmosphere of the village seemed to be broken.
Just then she felt Naruto's chakra spike dangerously high.
And in a swirl of cherry blossoms Sakura was instantly outside his office door.
As she raised a pale hand to rap on the wooden door she heard Naruto shouting in anger and distress.
Something was very wrong.
Snapping her ANBU wolf mask on her face properly in case of enemy infiltration, who in that case had masked their chakra expertly; Sakura drained all emotion from her mind and was instantly the efficient and cold assassin Konoha sent on missions.
Striding quickly and forcefully into the room she stopped dead at the wooden desk, frozen to the spot.
To any other ninja she was completely unrecognizable. Under her long white cloak with the snow fox cowl the only parts of her body that could be seen were her black gloved hands, black boots and her iconic wolf's mask which bared its red painted teeth in a menacing snarl.
Her trained face drained of colour behind the safety of her mask emerald orbs met the scene of her best friend stood up right next to his fallen chair with his fists clenched and eyes wide staring to her left.
Sakura's heart clenched and something in her dropped voiding her of all emotion. She knew exactly who was besides her, yet she dare not look. Her eyes hardened as she stared intently at her Hokage.
Naruto seemed to be frozen mid-shout too, cerulean eyes snapping to the ANBU in worry, watching her every move as if she was an unpredictable animal ready to lash out with any sudden movement.
Very slowly, the woman reached inside her cloak and pulled out a small scroll with a red ribbon, placing it gently on the Hokage's desk.
"Mission Report: Mission Success." She spoke in a deep cold voice, staring at the Hokage intently as she tried and failed to stop a trickle of intense killing intent seep into the room.
There was a tense pause in the office as everyone seemed to assess the other for the first move.
Naruto's mouth hung open but no words seemed to come out, still staring wide eyed at the only woman in the room. Their eyes met for a brief second and ever so slightly Sakura nodded her hooded head.
Sakura hardened her resolve with one last hard look at Naruto, before mustering all her inner strength and courage to tear her eyes away from cerulean to lock with obsidian.
Her heart clenched so hard it must have exploded.
Because there, stood beside her was Sasuke Uchiha.