"Can I help you Kakashi?" Tsunade looked up from her desk. As impossible as it seemed war seemed to require even more paperwork than peace did. Perhaps they could find some way to simply drop all the forms on Orochimaru's secret headquarters. The bastard would either be killed or hopelessly buried.

The copy nin looked a bit embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you for seeing me Hokage-sama."

"Not a problem but I am rather busy these days. How can I help you?"

"Well… it sort of involves Anko."

Tsunade frowned. "What about her? She hasn't been hurt has she?" Tsunade felt disgusted with herself that she was worried whether or not Anko was well enough to go on a suicide mission.

"Oh no, in fact I'd say I've never seen her more… energetic." He paused a bit.

"Yes? Is there point here Kakashi?"

He took a deep breath. "Hokage-sama is it true she is being sent on a suicide mission?"

Tsunade jumped top her feet. I strangle her with my bare hands! "That is highly classified information! Just what exactly did she tell you?"

"Nothing!' He waved his hands about defensively. "All she told me was that she was going on a suicide mission. She didn't say a word about what it involved."

"Even that was too much. Forget what she said understood?"

He nodded. "Of course Hokage-sama." He lowered his head. "I guess I have to."

"What was that?"

Though she couldn't see it beneath the mask he gave her a sheepish grin. "Oh it's just that she asked me to do… something and when I refused she told me it was a last request. I just wanted to see if she was telling the truth or not."

Tsunade frowned. "I'm afraid she was."

"I understand." Bowing he left. Well I guess I can't refuse. But where in Konoha can I get leather pants and a whip?

XXXXXXXXXX

Gaara stood in the Hokage's office again. This time Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Baki were all present.

"Hokage-san may I personally thank you for the logistical support you are providing our troops." Baki stated.

Tsunade graciously nodded. "We are quite happy to take care of your supplies. It is enough that you have joined us."

"Though there might be an even more important way that you can assist us." Jiraiya mentioned.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable Baki tried to hide it. "If you are hoping for a larger commitment I am afraid that is quite impossible. The fifty shinobi we are providing are all Jonin and Chunin, they are the elite of our fighting forces. They are also the maximum that we can spare."

Tsunade held out her hand. "General, believe me when I say that we are more than delighted by the size and quality of your troop commitment. That was not the assistance Jiraiya was referring to." She looked from Baki to Gaara. "Gaara, you said that you would relish the chance to face Orochimaru."

"I did."

"Still feel that way?"

"Yes."

Tsunade nodded. "I am going to share a high level secret with both of you and ask for the sake of our alliance you keep what I am about to tell you confidential."

"Whatever you tell me I am honor bound to share with my government." Baki put in quickly.

"Of course, but no one else." At their nods she revealed to them the plan to strike Orochimaru's headquarters at the very outbreak of the war. She also shared the details of Hiashi's arrest.

"So as you can see, we are currently one member short. There are many fine Leaf Jonins who could serve this role. However I want the strike force to be as powerful as I can possibly make it. We have no idea what traps or reserve troops may be there when we arrive. This is an extremely dangerous mission, as I have already said it is S plus ranked. The risks are tremendous but so are the potential rewards should we succeed."

"And you want Gaara to join your squadron?" Baki asked.

"Yes that's right." Tsunade replied.

"I am sorry Hokage-san, but I am afraid…"

"I will do it." Gaara spoke cutting off his sensei.

"Gaara consider the risks! No matter how powerful the squads you will be walking into a heavily armed enemy camp hundreds of miles into enemy territory. Even if surprise is achieved it will be extremely dangerous. If surprise is lost it will become a suicide mission." Baki pleaded.

"I owe Uzuamki Naruto a debt that I can never fully repay. If I can destroy the one who killed him or the one who caused him to be killed I will do so whatever the risks." Gaara said flatly.

Baki looked to his student and saw that Gaara had made his choice. Sighing he knew he would not be able to stop him. "Very well."

XXXXXXXXXX

Anko went into her favorite bar whistling a cheerful tune. She checked her watch. It was just after midnight she would be leaving in a little less than six hours. This had already been the perfect last night for her. She'd had her fill of all the things she'd liked best. Namely; sake, dango, and Kakashi. She laughed. At the moment Kakashi was passed out on her bed back in her apartment. If the poor guy thought he was done giving her that, 'last request,' he was sooooo wrong. She had decided to go hit her favorite bar one last time, swing by the all night grocer to get some more dango and then head home to lover boy.

She entered the, Copper Cellar; it was one of the cheapest and dirtiest of dives in Konoha. In other words her sort of place. Strolling in she saw it was pretty full. She recognized most of the regulars of course and a few people greeted her. As she slipped over to the bar she saw someone who definitely didn't fit in. She poked the little pink haired girl who was slumped over the bar with half a dozen empty beer bottles surrounding her.

"You're in my seat little girl."

"Huh?" The girl opened her eyes and lifted her head off the bar a few inches.

"Do mommy and daddy know where you are sweetheart?"

"Leave me alone." The girl put her head back down.

Without ceremony Anko shoved her off the bar stool. She fell onto the dirty floor to a loud round of laughter. "Go home girly. Jowa get me a bottle of sake and make it the good stuff you cheap bastard."

The bartender smiled at her. "If you want good you need to go somewhere else. What I got is cheap and strong."

"That'll have to do."

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" The pink haired girl had gotten up.

Anko sent her an amused smile. "You better run home now kid or dad's going to ground you."

There was laughter and the girl began to blush. "I'm not a kid, I'm an adult and I can stay out as long as I want."

"I can see your hitai-ite. That means you're legally an adult. Doesn't have squat to do with staying out and drinking. You're obviously new to this. Let me guess, you got your army assignment and your scared spitless."

"Ninjas don't get scared!"

Anko shook her head. "Of course we do, we just don't show it."

The pink haired girl frowned. "That's not the reason I'm here. I'm here because I'm staying in the Home Guard."

"Good! You may actually live long enough to see who wins."

"I can't stay here! I have to go out and fight!"

Anko took a long sip of her sake. Jowa wasn't kidding about cheap and strong. "And why's that sweetheart? Do you have some stupid dream about getting a whole stack of medals?"

"I have to avenge someone." The girl said in a serious tone.

That got Anko's attention. It definitely wasn't the answer she'd been expecting. "And just who are you avenging?"

"My teammate, Uzumaki Naruto."

Her hand stopped halfway to her lips. She took another look at the disheveled little kunoichi. "I'll be damned, I remember you now from the forest of death. You were his teammate weren't you? You and the Uchiha traitor."

The girl looked down and seemed to shrink. "Sasuke." She whispered "He's the one I have to kill."

Anko swallowed her drink and poured out another. "So, I see. It was Sasuke who killed Naruto huh? Funny they didn't mention that in all the announcements they had."

The pink haired girl looked up at her with familiar pain. "I guess no one really wants to think about that. Except me, I can't stop thinking about it." She paused. "I loved him, I think I still love him but I have to kill him I swore to Naruto I would."

Anko looked at the girl with more sympathy than she wanted to. "Needing to kill someone you once loved is a very hard thing. What's your name?"

"Sakura."

"Well cherry blossom girl let me tell you a little something about vengeance from someone who knows about it. It consumes everything. It's actually sort of like love in a way I guess. Once you have vengeance in your heart there's no room for anything else."

Sakura shut her eyes and hurt. "He always said…"

"Hmmm?" Anko downed another shot.

"Sasuke he always said that being an avenger was the only thing that mattered to him. He always said there was no price he wouldn't pay to get his vengeance."

Anko nodded. "It is like love then, you can't go at it half ass or part way. You have to commit yourself with your whole heart. Otherwise it's better to not get involved with it at all."

"I think I understand now." Sakura said slowly.

"Do you?"

She nodded. "I was upset that I was supposed to stay with the Home Guard instead of going with the army. But that doesn't matter does it? If I am really committed to this I have to be ready to do whatever I have to."

"That's right. So tell me cherry blossom girl you ready to die to avenge your teammate and kill your other teammate?"

"Yes."

For some reason she could not explain Anko believed her. "Are you really ready to give your life for this? You're very young don't you want to live and see what life has to offer?"

"Naruto didn't get to live. He died because of a promise he made to me. I made him a promise that Sasuke would pay. I won't let Sasuke get away with what he did, even if I have to die."

"I see." Anko finished the last of the sake and dropped far more ryu then she needed to. As she got up she leaned close to Sakura. "Let me tell you something I shouldn't." She leaned in and whispered in the girl's ear.

Sakura's eyebrows shot up. When Anko was done she looked at her. "Why, why did you tell me that?"

Anko smiled and waved a cheery good bye. "Because I'm about to do the same damn thing with someone I once loved with all my heart. Good bye cherry blossom girl and good luck."

Anko walked out into the cold night air and headed to the all night grocer. She had just committed treason and probably helped to end the life of a young kunoichi's very prematurely.

As she walked down the darkened street she whistled a happy tune.