Very short chapter this week.

I had a longer chapter planned but everything I wrote just felt bleh :T

Even though the chapter is short, it's NOT unimportant.

A person in this chapter is going to lose control of themselves over Sakura's betrayal in the semi-near future.

All of them will experience it rather harshly but only one is going to lose it.

Can you guess which one?

I would really like to hear from those who read but don't comment!

-Anii

Chapter 10: "A far cry from a picture perfect calm. Or can you see it?"

— Get Back by Nine Lashes

A light breeze rolled through the open window. Tsunade turned her face away from the world the window displayed to meet Kakashi's singular gaze.

"Are you sure the information is accurate?" Kakashi asked.

The Hokage cocked an eyebrow. "Do you think Chiyo is unreliable?"

"She didn't seem entirely sane when we first met her and when she wrote that note she could have been delusional from exhaustion," Kakashi noted.

"She heard straight from Kankuro before he slipped into his own delusions that a pink-haired girl was with the Akatsuki group that attack him."

"Is hair color really enough to go on?"

"Why are you so skeptical?" Tsunade asked rather harshly. "What are you afraid to admit?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he adverted his gaze. Chiding herself for losing her temper so quickly, Tsunade tried a different route, "You didn't see her then?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Don't you think I would have done something if I had?"

Tsunade sighed and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what to make of the information Chiyo had given her.

"Are you worried about her?"

Tsunade looked sideways at the silver-haired jonin. "Are you asking if I think she's capable, Kakashi?"

Kakashi leaned back against his pillows, letting out a heavy sigh riddled with bitter laughter. "Truthfully, I'm not sure what I'm asking."

Silence stretched between the two as Tsunade considered her answer and Kakashi considered his question. The two looked at each other awkwardly as neither found clarity on their respective tasks. Tsunade wondered what was going through Kakashi's mind. He'd been Sakura's teacher long before Tsunade had come into the picture. With the added fact that another of his students—Sasuke—had also defected, the Jonin must be swimming in growing guilt.

Tsunade couldn't deny that similar logic had infected her thoughts. She was Sakura's master. How could things have gotten so rotten? She halted that thought process, however, and bowed her head. Negative thoughts wouldn't solve the problem. The Hokage's heels clicked against the tiles of the hospital floor as she crossed the distance to Kakashi's bedside. Her words were directed at herself as much as they were toward Kakashi, "Things haven't completely unfolded. We'll deal with them accordingly when they come to pass."

Kakashi stared absently down at his lap but didn't continue further with the conversation. Tsunade put a hand on her hip and glanced back out of the hospital window. A storm was brewing in the distance. It wouldn't be long before it reached the village.

"Concentrate on healing for now. Let me handle the rest," she whispered firmly as she her hawk eyes locked on the rolling black storm clouds.

••••••••

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. He refused to admit that he was pouting. He was unhappily standing off to the side of his teammates with a slightly protruding lip. There was a difference between that and pouting.

"Are you done pouting?" Sai asked.

"I'm not pouting, Sai!" Naruto hissed with vehemence.

The pasty jerk sighed with contempt. "Whatever."

"You're a real bastard, you know that?!"

"Enough!" Yamato barked. The captain had been playing referee since he'd met his charges. "We're going to behave like ninja and finish the mission at hand."

Naruto rolled his eyes but chose not to press on the subject.

"Are you upset over the fact that you still can't go to find your lover?" Sai blurted.

"For the love of—" Naruto seized Sai by the front of his shirt. "Are you asking for a beating!?"

Yamato groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm only going to say it one more time. Stop fight—"

Naruto blatantly ignored the man. "Come on, Sai! Say something shitty again! I dare you!"

"You're awfully testy for someone of your status. Are you overcompensating for something?" Sai replied with a fake smile.

"You. Son. Of. A—"

The ground trembled beneath Naruto's feet and a shadow fell over the boys. The spikey-haired blond lifted his head to stare up at an enormous wooden box that stood stoically behind Yamato like a looming square mountain.

"Act like adults or I'll throw you both in here!" Yamato threatened.

"Put a muzzle on him and we wouldn't have any problems," the blond muttered as he released Sai. He refused to admit it but the box was pretty intimidating.

"Are you afraid of being in there with me, Naruto?" Sai prodded. "Are you afraid I'll win against you?"

Naruto's fists clenched at his sides but Yamato howled another warning and Naruto's rising anger came to a jarring halt.

"Enough playing around! Have you forgotten where we are and where we're headed! Stop putting your dislike for each other before the mission!" Yamato shouted.

Yamato's harsh reminder was enough to make Naruto feel like an idiot-unfortunately, it wasn't the first time. Before dying, Chiyo had feverently worked on a letter that she refused to let anyone see but Tsuande. Despite his many attempts, Naruto had never been able to get a glimpse of the writing on the parchment. Chiyo had apparently spilled all of the details to Tsunade in this letter and relayed Sasori's dying words. Because of this, Naruto was stuck traveling with Captain Stoneface and Douche of the Year to some bridge to capture a spy. This mission was the fruit of Chiyo's labor and Naruto was too busy letting Sai get under his skin. Defeated, Naruto merely sighed.

"Put away the time-out box," the blond insisted as he rubbed the back of his head with impatience. "We'll behave."

Yamato shifted, watching the boys cautiously as if he didn't trust the sudden calm. Naruto held up his hands innocently and offered the captain a smile. Yamato's suspicions weren't quenched but he did turn his back on the pair. Seizing the opportunity, Naruto smashed his fist into the back of Sai's skull and the pale boy stumbled forward. Naruto raced forward to catch up to the captain with a cocky grin.

••••••••

The silence was maddening.

Even the fire in the center of the campsite hardly made any noise. The dying embers just quietly ate away at the darkened logs in its pit. Meanwhile, Naruto was sure he felt his sanity slipping away. Sai just sat scribbling in his sketchpad while Yamato sat across the fire with a wide-eyed deadpan stare. Naruto threw his hands above his head and fell back against his bed roll.

"You guys are the absolute worst," he complained. "I'm going to bed."

Yamato grunted and stood up. "I'll go get more wood for the fire."

The captain cast a scathing glare Naruto's way before vanishing into the woods. "Behave yourself."

Naruto waved his hand dismissively and rolled on to his side so he didn't have to stare into Yamato's creepy face; he didn't want to be haunted by Captain Stoneface in his sleep. Surprisingly, sleep didn't seem too far out of reach. Naruto felt its slow embrace tug away his consciousness within minutes of laying down. It didn't take long for that to be shattered.

"You're upset," Sai remarked.

"No shit."

"Because of Sakura?"

"Because of you."

"Me bringing up Sakura?"

"Why do you care about why I'm upset?" Naruto snapped.

"I'm simply trying to understand."

"There's nothing to understand."

"There's a lot to understand."

Naruto puffed out an annoyed sigh. "Mind telling me what there is to understand that I'm just not seeing?"

"Sakura's a traitor"—Naruto promptly rolled over, nostrils flaring like a mad bull, and Sai pointed blankly—"but every time I mention it, you get that look on your face. Why does that statement bring out that face?"

"It's not a statement, it's your opinion."

"My opinion is supported by more fact than yours."

"Why can't you lay off the Sakura topic?" Naruto hissed.

"Why can't you accept the truth?"

Naruto sat up and jabbed a finger Sai's way. "Listen up. Sakura is not a traitor. There's no way a heartless asshole like you could comprehend how I know this, but I know Sakura! And anyone who knew her like me would know that she is as loyal as they come!"

"Are you two fighting!?" Yamato shouted from within the forest.

Naruto's eyes widened as the ground beneath him rumbled. The blond only had time to gulp nervously before the Time-Out box swallowed both he and Sai.

Rant:

One of my main goals is to show that, with some careful molding, Sakura could be an excellent character.

Which is why I'm very upset by the fact that everyone seems to dislike her in the show. She has SO much potential. Unfortunately, most of the girls in Naruto are pretty underused and, well, pathetic. The reason I chose to write about Sakura was because of this glaring issue. I saw what I wanted to see in her because there was so much left to interpret. With the proper guidance, many of the characters could be badass and even though this story involves love, it doesn't mean that love is the only factor to shape her transformation like in so many other stories I see on here. Don't be fooled! Sakura is a great character that even Kishimoto fell in love with.

Okay. Sorry. Go on.

Note:

This week, I'm going to hunt down some inspiration! I'm sorry about this chapter but I just wasn't comfortable posting scenes that I didn't feel confident about. I would rather post nothing than post crap I don't like. That's what I did with the old story and that didn't turn out too well -Anii