Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.
Chapter Six
Show Me That Miracle Once More
"For the most part, our records were identical to Kirigakure's. This scroll contains the files we did not have. I will personally make sure it's all inputted into our system at ANBU Headquarters, Hokage-sama."
Tsunade gestured for Sakura to come forward with the scroll. "What about the journey home? You were delayed by a few hours."
A tense atmosphere blanketed the office almost instantly. No one was willing to bring upon them the legendary wrath of the Godaime. Heaving a sigh, Sakura leaned against the large desk and placed the scroll in Tsunade's manicured-hand. Taking the initiative as captain, she began to explain.
"A team of six Oto-nin, including Yakushi Kabuto, intercepted us just outside our border. We engaged and Kabuto led me from my squad, presumably to fight. However, he passed on a message from Orochimaru."
Outwardly keeping her mask of control, Tsunade internally grew worried and anxious, the color draining from her cheeks. Sakura was the only person to catch it due to her being accustomed with her past mentor's expressions and moods.
"What did he say?" the blonde-haired woman whispered, tightly clasping her hands in front of her mouth, knuckles turning white from the force she exerted.
"Sasuke will become the container for Orochimaru—I think we have a year before he does so. If I remember correctly, the three years will be up from when he took his last body." Sakura stated plainly, keeping her voice steady and devoid of emotion.
"That bastard…" Tsunade muttered under her breath. Addressing the room entirely, she inquired, "Were there any injuries?"
Sakura nodded and returned to her previously occupied space at the head of her squad. "Kabuto's team focused on harming only a single member—they were not interested in fighting a lengthy battle. They attacked Fox and were able to injure her chest. I arrived in time to treat the wound and we continued home."
"Is that all?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama," Squad 2 answered in unison.
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, no longer paying attention as her thoughts raced. "Everyone, go home and get some sleep. Crow, I need you to stay behind."
When the three ANBU vacated the building, Sakura unhurriedly approached the desk, lowering her voice considerably. "What is it, Tsunade-sama?"
"Why did Orochimaru have Kabuto purposely seek you out? Do you have any ideas on how they knew of your ANBU status?"
Sakura paused, hesitating to give a truthful response. She was grateful for the mask that concealed her eyes. The pinkette's chest tightened as she gazed at her surrogate mother, it was never a pleasant experience for Sakura to lie to the woman who had given her so much. "Kabuto…said Sasuke still mentions Team Seven. If that was just a ruse, then I might be wrong. But, I think because Naruto would be harder to track down and they know where I am—I'm the most convenient. For whatever reason, Orochimaru wants us to chase after Sasuke. I can't begin to understand why, though."
Pausing to draw in a breath, the younger woman chose her next words carefully. Sakura could not, under any circumstances, allow Tsunade to suspect her of knowing more than what she should. "As for how they knew that it was me, I have a few theories. It's been reported that Orochimaru has a few sensory-type ninja in his ranks. He might have had one of them track my chakra signature. Kabuto is more than acquainted with my chakra."
Tsunade bit her thumbnail in contemplation, her brows drawing together. Orochimaru had been her teammate for years and yet, she could not decipher him at all. As Hokage, Tsunade needed answers and a way to eradicate Orochimaru as a threat, permanently. Currently, however, she had neither.
"Kabuto was also acting strangely," Sakura added. "He tried to goad me into a fight. But, he wasn't fighting to kill—he was analyzing my attacks and jutsu. Orochimaru's plans weren't the only thing he was there for."
Frowning at the implications, Tsunade responded, "You're exactly right. That man never does anything without a reason—even if we cannot understand it. I'm concerned that he's targeting you for something we aren't aware of. Orochimaru has spies in Konoha and we've failed to discover them," she said matter-of-factly.
Tsunade's expression then became pleading, her honey orbs conveying sincerity. "Sakura…be on guard. I'm going to speak with a few senior ANBU Operatives about Kabuto's claims. You should be expecting a mission this next week, once I've determined our best option. Until then, please, stay safe." The Godaime deliberately left out the details of the mission—it would not be prudent to get Sakura riled up now.
"I will, Tsunade-sama." Sakura opened the window and braced her foot onto the ledge. With one last glance, the pinkette jumped and disappeared into the night.
Opting to take the long way home, Sakura ran along the rooftops and basked in the warmth of Konoha. Two weeks in Kirigakure had made her appreciate the fresh air of her village. The moon shone brilliantly in the sky and illuminated her path to the apartment she had lived in since turning fourteen. Becoming independent had been a forced priority when her parents were killed during the Otogakure invasion.
Disabling her traps, Sakura slipped through her bedroom window and immediately removed her ANBU gear, tossing the uniform in her closet. She placed her kunai, shuriken and katana onto her mahogany dresser and headed straight for the shower. Sakura was eager to unwind in her own bed after days of little sleep while in Kiri.
The welcoming, hot water beat against her sore muscles and she groaned out loud. She lathered her hair with shampoo and then ran a decent amount of conditioner through the strands. Washing the rest of her body, Sakura stepped out and changed into a clean pair of underwear and an overly large shirt she borrowed from Neji on a previous mission.
After rolling the long sleeves up to her elbows, she opened the bathroom door and sauntered to the bed while lazily rubbing a towel through her mass of pink hair. Guilt slammed into her unexpectedly as Sakura recalled the little tidbit of information that she chose to not give Tsunade.
"What is it?" Sai landed to her right, picking up on her unease.
Sakura did not budge; her entire body was tensed like a spring, ready to lash out. Sai thought that she either did not hear him or she was purposely disregarding the question. He figured it was the latter. Moments later she replied, "It was nothing. Let's continue."
She had omitted the small occurrence purposely. There had been something—someone—trailing behind them. She had not recognized the chakra signature and, therefore, wanted to avoid raising suspicions. The longer the person hovered around her and Sai, the better chance she had to figure out their identity.
Using her sensing abilities, it had been ruled out that the interloper was a passing civilian—due to the precise control of their cloaked chakra. If the ninja was simply observing, then Sakura would not initiate a fight. She had decided to not worry about the stranger's appearance until later.
As expected, the elusive presence had moved in closer during the battle with the Otogakure ninja, Kazuhiro. Thinking it best, the pinkette limited her jutsu and utilized basic moves. It would have blown her cover—with the possibility of them being an enemy shinobi—if her signature attacks had been recognized.
Afterward, while in the secured Mizukage building, Sai had questioned her cryptic actions and Sakura smugly informed him of the unknown person. The artist initially accused her of lying, for he would not have missed such a thing.
"You're getting rusty Sai. I'd be more than happy to help you brush up on academy techniques." She hummed thoughtfully, her arrogance increasing tenfold. "Sakura-sensei…I like the sound of that."
Sakura never claimed to be a modest or humble ANBU Captain.
Her light-hearted mood vanished completely when her instincts reacted to the foreign chakra inside the apartment, sending a burst of adrenaline pounding through Sakura's veins.
The towel lay forgotten on the ground as she clutched a kunai to her chest and quietly entered the hallway leading to her living room. Hearing no sounds or rustling of clothing, she presumed the individual was a half-decent shinobi. Or, she considered, they're waiting for me to initiate the first move.
She pressed her body further into the shadows and lowered her heart rate. Flash-stepping to the chakra signature, Sakura aimed her kunai with deadly intent.
Cerulean clashed with jade.
It could not be real; it had to be a genjutsu.
He had not possessed the speed—or the time—to dodge her attack when he caught sight of the lethal blade. In his haste to block the kunai, he inadvertently tangled his limbs with hers, effectively taking them both to the ground.
Shock rushed through Sakura like wildfire, all she could feel was a creeping numbness that followed shortly after. This all but halted her in mid-air and in a flurry of movement—pink tresses flying in every direction—she realized his body was beneath hers.
"Naruto..?" she trailed off in a disbelieving and astonished tone.
Grinning sheepishly, Naruto chuckled. "That's one way to welcome someone home. I've missed you too, Sakura-chan."
"Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan! Do you wanna get ramen with me?" a familiar shriek sounded behind her.
"I'm sorry, Naruto-san. What did you say?" her thoughts had wandered elsewhere after meeting her newly assigned genin team. Hatake Kakashi had been a strange personality and her teammates were equally bizarre. She would have her hands full just with babysitting the two pigheaded boys.
"You can just call me Naruto! Ah…do you want to go get ramen with me? I know this place that serves the best ramen ever! It'll be like team bonding," Naruto scratched his head and beamed.
Mentally going through her schedule for the remainder of the day, she nodded. "I'd like that. Shouldn't we invite Sasuke-san too?"
His features twisted into a scowl, the eager look in his blue eyes turned sulking. "Che, I asked, but he ignored me. Who needs that guy, anyway? We'll have fun without him-dattebayo!"
Naruto shifted from each mood rather spontaneously, making the pink-haired genin a little uneasy. Was he acting in such a way to gain something from her? Or was he truly an idiot?
He's probably just an idiot, mentally answering her unspoken question.
She arched an eyebrow. "You don't like Sasuke-san?"
"Are you kidding me? The guy is so boring! He thinks he's better than everyone and he's such a jerk! Don't you think so too, Sakura-chan?"
She pursed her lips, wondering exactly how she felt about the Uchiha. "I guess, since I don't know much about him, he seems okay. He keeps to himself but, he's intense. All things considered, I wouldn't blame him for being standoffish."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Naruto's never heard about it, she thought with surprise. Knowing that she might have crossed a line into Sasuke's personal and highly private life, Sakura decided to guide the conversation away from the topic.
"I was talking about all the fans that follow him around—who would be friendly with girls ambushing you at every corner?"
Snickering, Naruto agreed. "You're right! That's probably the worst. I never thought of it that way," he burst into peals of laughter. Sakura decided that she liked how genuine his laugh was.
"Lead the way then, Naruto," she smiled encouragingly, prompting the boy.
He took the hint. As they headed toward the ramen stand, Naruto was determined to learn more about Sakura. "So…you didn't grow up in Konoha, right? You came really late into the academy. I thought it was pretty weird!"
Sakura had to contain the urge to pummel the boy strolling beside her. "You're right. I moved to the village when I was nine."
There was a limit to the information she openly shared. She never went into detail of how she was actually found outside of Konoha with a nasty case of amnesia. Children at her age latched onto any gossip and Sakura did not want to draw that attention to herself.
"That's cool. I've lived in the village my whole life. I love it here and that's why I want to become Hokage!" His voice increased in passion, Sakura could practically feel confidence radiating off him. "Everyone will know my name and see how strong I am-dattebayo!"
Unexpectedly, Sakura stopped and whirled to face the blond. "Do you really think you could become the Hokage?"
Thrown off by her serious tone, he faltered. "Ah…ah…Yeah, of course I do! It's my dream."
"I'll help you become Hokage then," she replied, a small smile warming her usually calm exterior. "I think you could be a great shinobi, Naruto. But, you need to train more." With her last words, she began walking to the ramen stand just up ahead of them.
Naruto did not move at first—an emotion had overwhelmed him. Unsure of what it was, he rubbed his palms into his eyes to wipe away the unshed tears before the pinkette could see. Maybe—he hoped with everything in him—Sakura would be his first, real friend.
"Wait up, Sakura-chan! Don't leave me behind!"
"Sakura-chan, are you alright? Oi! Sakura-chan!"
The scene from her past came out of nowhere, seemingly triggered by Naruto's presence. Shaking her head, Sakura sat up and gazed down at the man underneath her. The reality of the situation hit her like a colossal brick wall. Naruto—Naruto—was finally home and inside her apartment. Technically speaking, he was laying in her apartment and she was straddling his hips—
"Not that I don't like this position but, could you let me up?" he smiled wickedly.
She was up and across the room before he could blink. "Naruto…is it really you? You've been gone all this time…I had no idea when or if you were going to come back."
Naruto had changed so drastically and yet, had remained the same. He was tall, much taller than her. The orange and blue jumpsuit had been abandoned for a uniform-like black jacket with an orange zipper and orange pants. His spiky blond hair had grown longer, framing his strong features with his bangs brushing into his sparkling blue eyes. The twelve-year-old boy had become a man.
His grin wavered as he closed the distance between them. Naruto reached out and took her hand, interlocking their fingers. "It's really me, Sakura-chan. I'm here now. I'm here and I'm sorry for not coming back sooner. I've wanted to come home for years. I knew I couldn't until I was strong enough, though."
His cerulean gaze locked with hers—that was one thing that had not changed, his eyes were just as bright and beautiful as she remembered.
"It's pretty late and I know you just got back from a mission but…wanna go grab ramen?" he questioned softly, a hint of amusement in his voice. The phrase tugged at her memory once more.
Too much…this is too much for me to handle right now. I can't believe Tsunade didn't tell me! She mentally roared, already doubting any explanation Tsunade might possibly concoct.
Naruto was standing too close; she could feel the warmth of his body surrounding her. A wave of dizziness rushed through her as the nostalgia became overpowering. Sakura forced her rapidly beating heart to calm and she hardened her resolve. He could not magically reappear in her life and expect to pick up where they left off. Time—she needed time and she unquestionably needed it now.
Sakura straightened and willed her emotions to recede, drawing upon Sai's thorough lessons. She released his hand and stepped away. "Naruto, I think you need to leave."
Blanching at her statement, he reeled back as if physically burned. "Wha-what are you saying, Sakura-chan? You don't want to see me?" Confusion, then hurt, clouded his eyes as he waited for her to deny the accusation.
Breathing deeply, she murmured, "I'm tired, Naruto. I'll find you tomorrow but, right now—I need to be alone. I'm sorry."
He was visibly upset. The pinkette could see it in every line of his body—his sadness and pain at her blatant dismissal. Never had it been her intention to cause him suffering and, now, she was rejecting him deliberately.
"N-no, I get it. Showing up like this probably freaked you out. I didn't mean—I was just excited to see you. But, I'll go. See you later, Sakura-chan."
The second his chakra was out of range, she crashed to the floor, her legs refusing to hold her up any longer. Laying on her back with the ceiling in full view, Sakura did her best to clear her mind. Nothing, it seemed, could steal her thoughts away from Naruto's unexpected visit. His presence was the catalyst for all the memories that were bombarding her now. Her heart had not been prepared for the onslaught.
Her entire soul rebelled against the action of turning him away. In truth, she had wanted to put her arms around Naruto tightly and cry for days. Her pride had stopped her—Haruno Sakura was not a weak-willed woman ruled by impulse. She would not allow herself to be pulled under a current of irrationality.
Sakura believed that she had moved on—that the pain from four years ago had subsided. Apparently though, the pain never disappeared or even lessened. It had only slept beneath her skin, waiting to rear its ugly head again. The loss of her parents, Sasuke abandoning them and the village, Naruto finding his own path and finally, her sensei leaving—it was attacking all at once. Emotions were raging war inside her body, she would go from sadness to guilt, then anger and circle all the way back. She could not think properly.
When Naruto left with Jiraiya, Sakura had experienced similar turmoil. Sadness at being left behind, guilt at wanting to force Naruto to stay and anger at herself for not having the strength to protect her friends. Presently, however, her anger was focused more on the blond jinchūriki.
Four years and he did not bother to send an update about his well-being? Did he truly think she would accept that without complaint? Sakura had worried for months over Naruto. Ultimately, she had detached herself from those feelings in his absence. There was no point in fretting over a person who was no longer present and could possibly never return. Forgetting the pain and loneliness was easier than suffering in isolation.
"How long have you been like this, Ugly?"
Sakura knew Sai had entered her home although, made no move to actually look at him. Instead, she closed her eyes in defeat and exhaled noisily.
"I have no clue. Can you quit it with the nickname, Sai? I'm going to start calling you 'Piece of Shit' if you don't."
He hummed in consideration, mulling over her words. "That would be suitable. Nicknames are supposed to represent a trait you once had. Yamanaka-san calls you 'Forehead'."
"Sai, for the love of Kami—"
He continued on as if he had not been interrupted. "Although, your forehead is no longer gigantic as it was when you were a child. Likewise, I call you 'Ugly' because you used to be a very angry, ugly girl. However, like your forehead, you grew into beauty with age."
"Okay Sai, save your ass at the last second," Sakura grumbled, only a little stunned that he willingly admitted such a thing.
"I'm merely stating my observation. The nickname is an endearment—is that not what friends do?"
Not bothering to answer, Sakura let silence descend once again. Her thoughts were still jumbled and the attempts to organize them were too exhausting. The urge to curl into a ball and hide in bed for days was growing more and more tempting.
"Naruto-san stopped by." It was not a question.
Sakura did not question how Sai knew. Nor did she feel the need to ask him why he had shown up. The dark-haired artist always could sense, unfailingly, when she was in emotional chaos. It was not the first time he had materialized in her apartment under similar circumstances.
"Yeah, he did. A little while ago," she deadpanned—Sai heard the edge of something deeper, regardless.
Trying to tread lightly due to her fragile state, Sai picked his next words carefully—as carefully as he was able.
"It's the past, Ugly. Naruto-san may have deserted you when you were pathetic and weak, but you've trained to improve yourself. Cry it out tonight; don't let it affect you any longer than that. It would be shameful if it did."
No one would deny that Sai was a blunt individual—almost to the point of cruelty. Sakura found this particular trait irksome. Occasionally, however, his brazen personality acted as a balance for hers. This was why she connected with him as a friend and as a partner on the battlefield.
Sai's arms engulfed her and lifted her body off the cold, unforgiving ground. Sakura raised her hands to wrap around his neck as he strode to her bedroom. Depositing her on the mattress, he moved to remove his gear and shoes. He climbed under the sheets next to her and offered a brief yet, reassuring smile.
"Like I said, cry tonight. You can't afford the luxury of wallowing in pity tomorrow or any day after that. Konoha needs the intelligent ANBU Captain, not a useless, weeping girl."
"Will you shut it?" Sakura smacked his shoulder lightly. Conceding to his words, she adjusted her position so she could lay her head against his chest. "Going with your nickname explanation, are you saying you aren't a piece of shit anymore? Because I beg to differ."
"I think I liked it better when you weren't speaking very much," he commented dryly.
Sakura quietly laughed—the mess she had been minutes before dissipated in the wake of Sai's unique, comforting presence.
Sai closed his lids and Sakura could not help but admire his features. He had certainly filled out and gained muscle mass since the first time they had met. He kept his hair about the same length—shaggy enough to fall right past his ears. The strands were as dark as ink. It amazed the pinkette how much his looks resembled Sasuke's, although, different at the same time. Sai had a paler complexion and his bone structure was not as angular as the Uchiha's.
The movement of his hand went unnoticed by Sakura, until a finger gently poked her cheekbone. "Staring is rude, even if the person is sleeping."
Rolling her eyes at his antics she muttered, "Just go to sleep, already. Damn, I'm supposed to be pouring my heart out. You shouldn't be talking at all."
"That may be so—it doesn't change the fact that staring is rude."
Further curling her body into his, she kissed his cheek and whispered, "Thank you."
She began to drift into a dreamless slumber when Sai chose to destroy her peaceful moment with one sentence, raising her anxiety once again.
"The two of us have to give our report tomorrow. Don't forget."
She stiffened. Hatred swelled inside her as she gritted her teeth at the connotation of the reminder. "I know. Trust me; I don't forget our reports to him."
Awakening to the sounds of feet shuffling around her room, Sakura groggily sat up and roughly shoved tangled, pink strands out of her eyes. "What is it?" she rasped, her voice hoarse.
A body flopped down beside her a little too enthusiastically. "Get your ass out of bed, Sakura! If I can't sleep in, then you sure as hell can't!"
The sheets rustled and Sakura pinned her gaze on the woman smirking up at her.
"Who said you couldn't? We don't have a mission today. You could have slept in," the pinkette argued.
"Che, tell that to Neji. He woke me up at the ass crack of dawn for training. I'm never one to suffer alone, so I suggested we get our wonderful Taichou to join us. Luckily, Sai was here too and he's making breakfast."
Tenten rolled over and buried her head in a pillow with a content expression. "I don't care what anyone says, you have the comfiest bed known to man. I don't blame you for not wanting to leave."
Sakura placed her feet on the floor and stretch languidly. She, remarkably, did not feel drained or weary. Her limbs felt light, her heart was no longer weighed down with anger or guilt. Sai truly had become her rock and the pink-haired kunoichi was eternally grateful to him.
Wandering slowly to the bathroom, Sakura quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then made her way to the walk-in closet. She routinely bounded her large chest and slipped on a dark red, kimono-style dress that reached just above her knees with a slit on either side. She put on a pair of short, black spandex and tied a deep violet obi tightly around her waist with practiced ease. Strapping on her heeled sandals and tying her hair into a high ponytail, Sakura reemerged from the depths of her closet.
"It's a mystery how fast you can get ready. Well, let's not keep the boys waiting! I'm starving."
They were greeted by the sight of Sai stirring a pot of miso soup and Neji—as expected—was complaining about the setting of the table.
"Did you ever learn the proper etiquette for being a host?" the Hyūga grumbled over his shoulder, directing a glare at his male teammate. "This is not how a proper meal is served. It's disgraceful, Sai."
"This isn't my home, it's Ugly's. Therefore, I do not need to, nor do I really care how her table is set," Sai shot back immediately in an uninterested tone.
Sakura laughed aloud, attempting to stifle the noise with her hand. Neji's head snapped up as he noticed the two women approached. His eyes warmed, losing the icy air he usually carried.
"Good morning, Sakura. Did you sleep well?"
She nodded in response. "I take it everyone knows?"
Tenten gently touched her shoulder. "Yeah, Sai told us that Naruto came home earlier this week. Are you going to try and talk with him today?"
"I'm not sure if he wants to see me right now. I wasn't all that thrilled to see him yesterday."
Embarrassment flooded Sakura when she recalled the way she had acted last night. She could never excuse her behavior—Naruto would not be able to either. She had been cold and dismissive towards the boy who had once been her best friend—who had been there for her the same way Sai was now.
Friendship came naturally to Naruto and Sakura—they bonded almost instantaneously after they were placed in Team Seven. Sakura understood the boy to be irritating and aggravating at his worst, but Naruto's spirit was so kind and sincere that she was unable to help loving him. He was her brother and they relied on each other—regardless of the circumstances. However, Sakura had failed Naruto and tossed their friendship to the winds. She was unsure if she could face the spiky-haired male after her harsh actions.
Clenching her fists, Sakura exhaled shakily. "We haven't seen each other in years, both of us are different people. I don't know him anymore; I wouldn't know what to say."
"Naruto will always be Naruto. You have nothing to worry about, Sakura. Offer him a bowl of ramen and he'll forget the whole thing. If he's anything like I remember, which I have no doubt, he won't hesitate in accepting your apology." Neji flicked a stray piece of chocolate brown hair behind his shoulder, his expression confident.
"Neji has a point, Ugly. If he's anything like you've told us, he'll want to fix the problem and rekindle your friendship."
Sakura locked eyes with Sai, processing his words. The feeling of inadequacy gradually ebbed away with that one glance. Never could she convey how essential Sai was to her sanity—he still knew though, without her having to put the feelings in to words.
"Thanks, guys. Somehow, your poor Taichou will handle this. Let's eat breakfast; I'm ready to kick your asses during practice." She wagged her eyebrows in challenge and took a seat at the rearranged table—courtesy of Neji and his 'proper' upbringing.
Following Sakura's lead, the rest of her squad sat down as Sai finished placing the dishes out. Digging in hurriedly, they polished off the meal and cleaned the kitchen. When Sakura was satisfied that her dining area was back to its previous state, she ushered them out the door to the training grounds.
Planning to locate Naruto later that day, Sakura steeled her determination. She would try to undo the damage she had done and get her brother back at last.
As usual, they met at his apartment. He lived in a more isolated area—there was a lesser chance for inquisitive eyes and even nosier shinobi to pick up on their chakra signatures.
It was a routine the duo had grown accustomed to over the years. The woman would soundlessly come in through the window and wait for him in the living room; he would then make his appearance seconds after her arrival, if he was not already home. The man would take her hand and pull her close so that they were mere inches from each other, reminiscent of an embrace between lovers.
They had to mingle their chakra together for his teleportation to work—he had the seal that identified him as a loyal member of the organization. The woman, however, did not. It was of no consequence, for they discovered that as long as she had a sliver of his chakra, the teleportation jutsu recognized her as an extension of the male performing the hand signs.
She encircled her arms around his waist and felt the ground give out beneath them before they once again landed—this time on thick concrete.
Disentangling their limbs, the woman stepped back and walked beside him. Moving deeper into the underground base, they entered the main area and stood attentive, their faces impassive.
"Did you accomplish your task?" the gruff man intentionally stalked out of the shadows and lingered on the elevated platform, reaffirming dominance over his subordinates.
Both ninja fell down to one knee, bowing their heads in reluctant respect.
"Unfortunately, we didn't encounter Uchiha Sasuke as predicted. Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru's right hand, approached us as we returned to Konoha. I battled him alone. He hinted of the plan to make Uchiha Sasuke's body the container for Orochimaru, but didn't give specifics on when." The woman calmly explained, her icy and brusque tone never wavering.
"That damn snake is moving faster than anticipated. We must destroy the Uchiha before Orochimaru gains access to the Sharingan. I will not allow such a thing to occur right under our noses. I will push for Tsunade to send your team to Orochimaru's current hideout. Your mission is to locate the Uchiha and eliminate him. His death will be your responsibility, Haruno."
"Hai, Danzō-sama," Sakura nodded her head in acquiescence.
Said man grinned in triumph. Having the once-apprentice to the Godaime under his command was wholly ironic. He was still cautious though, for he knew of the hatred the spitfire, pink-haired woman had for him. However, he was completely aware that Sakura was in too deep and could not make a move against him or Root unless she wanted to incriminate herself as well.
Besides, Danzō had promised her the chance to kill Uchiha Sasuke—she took his bait readily enough.
"Continue your day then, I have no need for you until the mission is assigned."
Not needing further prodding, Sakura grabbed Sai and teleported them back to his living room. Flying through seals to create a sound-proof barrier around his apartment, she let her fury take over.
"Fuck him. He's such a slimy bastard. While he's using Orochimaru's research, he's plotting the destruction of the snake's greatest asset. Does he think Orochimaru will take well to the death of his beloved vessel? Kami, Danzō's going to cause an all-out war with Otogakure at this rate." Sakura paced the length of the room, her hands tugging at her pink locks in frustration.
"We have to go to the border today. Are you prepared if we run into…anyone?" She vaguely remembered the question Sai had asked before they had traveled to the outskirts of Kiri and captured Kazuhiro. She would have had to be extremely dense to not realize that he had been referring to Sasuke.
Hours prior to their departure for Kirigakure, Danzō had summoned them both and gave them separate instructions for the mission. Apparently, Kabuto had been a busy little errand boy for Orochimaru due to the numerous reports of his whereabouts on the Land of Fire's borders.
They were told to capture Kabuto if the opportunity arose. Sasuke was an entirely different matter—he was to be returned to Konoha with no questions asked and at any cost. The Root Commander had declared that the Sharingan eyes were too valuable to be wasted on an 'unworthy' Uchiha such as Sasuke. Sakura understood his actual meaning—Danzō longed for the Uchiha kekkei genkai for his particular 'experimentation'.
She vowed that Danzō would never get his hands on Sasuke or his eyes, at least, while she was still breathing.
Sai had more or less figured out on his own that Sakura had no intention of killing the youngest Uchiha. She had assumed the role of a disgruntled, vengeful teammate to reinforce her allegiance to Root. When, in reality, it was a façade to get closer to Danzō and uncover his schemes. Due to Sai being the only person aware of it, she had no qualms discussing the current topic with him; Sakura had the utmost trust in. He wanted to bring the old fool down as well.
"I agree. For now though, we have to carry out his orders. He may be a 'slimy bastard' but, he has influence over the council. Something that we must take in to consideration," Sai reasoned, attempting to calm the raging storm growing inside her.
"It doesn't make me feel better knowing that, Sai."
"We cannot do much right now," he pointed out.
Growling under her breath, Sakura shoved the window open. "I know," she muttered dejectedly. "I'll see you later."
Sai watched the pinkette go, wishing her luck on her hunt for Uzumaki Naruto.
A/N: Hey guys! How has everyone been?
Finally, Naruto and Sakura have had their reunion. Even though it wasn't as emotional or heart-felt D: I felt bad putting the characters through even more trauma but I had to do it, I swear. A little side-note, Naruto's outfit that I described is the one he's wearing from Naruto: The Last the Movie.
How do you like Naruto's character so far? I justified him being slightly more perverted because he's been with Jiraiya for 4 years. And, let's face it, Naruto has always had that perversion to him!
And the first reveal of the story! Did anyone see that coming? I know I didn't when I was writing it haha.
God damn, I hate Danzo with a fiery passion, but he's such a good villain, very scheme-y and brutal. Just the way I like my villains.
Please let me know your thoughts on the chapter with a review, I would appreciate it very much! I want to know what you guys are thinking and if you're liking the story! Or if anyone has a question or is confused on something within my story, feel free to pm me :)
Thank you to everyone who left a review and followed/favorited the story. Knowing that you guys are enjoying it makes me want to write more! :3 Have a good rest of the week!
-Shiromikki
