A/N: Day fourteen. Now subtly, hastily edited and re-uploaded.
Because she's too lazy and too used to her own ANBU attire, she simply slaps some concealer over her shoulder tattoo and decides that's good enough for pretending to be a genin. Although, she's been told that even if her chakra's hidden she still has an intimidating air that's most reminiscent of older and more experienced ninja.
That's just too bad, but then again her temporary genin team isn't exactly unfamiliar with her. She doubts they would care if she looks like a genin or not, what with their individual opinions being varying degrees of positive.
"This greatly displeases me." Sai comments, with that transparent smile of his as they sit together at the table. "I do not approve of this at all."
Neji is stabbing at his rice, his general irritability mixed with both morning irritability and the 'new team' irritability. The bowl cracks, as expected, though she almost expects the rice to burst into flames what with that surprisingly impressive glare of his.
"You're not being replaced." she placates them, patting Kakashi's arm when he greets with her a morning hug from behind. "This is just a long term mission where I'll be added security to Naruto and Sasuke, since they're both rather important to the village. As I'm both qualified and their friend, it only makes sense that they arrange for me to be the obligatory third teammate."
Kakashi's unbelievably ecstatic with the arrangement, his movements light and airy like he's about to float away at any second. Of course, this brings the ire of her brothers as they aren't particularly pleased about this development.
"They are unworthy." Sai states without remorse, his smile starting to become a little discomforting now. "They do not deserve to be on the same team as Sakura-neesama."
Neji nods, somehow managing to eat in a dignified manner despite how savage his anger appears to be. It's really quite a talent, like the way his room is nearly entirely littered with stray strands of hair. Perhaps they've influenced his inability to keep his room clean, since the house is rather cluttered.
"You're overqualified and it sickens me to think that others will misjudge your skill because of your outlandish appearance." which is actually a compliment from her little Hyuuga brother, despite how much it sounds like a scathing insult.
Honestly, Sakura finds this all adorable. "Aren't you both being slotted into genin teams as added security yourselves?" she queries, because this year is where a large amount of heirs and heiresses are graduating into genin. The Hokage wants some added insurance, though perhaps he should have rethought his arrangement of teams if so.
Neji's supposed to be in the team with the heiress presumptive to Takeshi's Buki and the heir to Lee clan, though that clan is rather small and of less importance than the heiress on the team. They've been active for about a year, but the third team member has resigned from active duty due to a mission gone wrong, which has called for the inclusion of an appropriate ANBU replacement. Apparently, Might Gai is the jounin teacher and Sakura expects to use this to her advantage soon.
It's about time she met Kakashi's friends, though he's been diligent in making sure they haven't. She's also been lax with him, since it's not that important in comparison to other things.
Sai is in a team with jounin teacher Nara Ensui, and two orphaned genin that may or may not have some connections to Father's business associate and perhaps Orochimaru. They're the kind of team that's created with genin graduates from other class groups, due to various reasons. He's been slotted into the team since it's been confirmed that the sole female is actually related to Naruto, if distantly. Therefore, she's important.
Naruto still hasn't met his distant relative yet, but she wonders how he will react since he has some strong beliefs about family.
"They're splitting us up." Neji hisses, another crack appearing on his rice bowl. He's going to have to clean up the mess if he breaks it. "It feels wrong."
Sai nods his head in agreement, his fingers twitching when Kakashi sits down with his happy puppy mood spewing everywhere. "We are not suited for this type of work. We are a team of sabotage and assault, not bodyguards."
"Well, at least they're all high-tier genin teams. We're meant to protect them, help them grow and make sure they achieve chuunin within the year. Then they'll be separated off into apprenticeships and our mission will be over. We'll still probably go on our usual ANBU missions inbetween, if the Hokage demands we do so." she explains, stretching before taking a seat at the table.
She glances at the empty seat where Father should be, and hopes that he's eating well enough at work.
Her brothers' shoulders relax, just the slightest but they remain tense. They're precious when they're sulking, she thinks with a smile.
She and Kakashi wait on the roof of the academy for the rest of the team, though she wonders how they'll react when they see the scene of a full grown man with a puppy aura hugging her. Kakashi leans forward, attempting to curl himself around her or something.
"You're going to have to teach them properly instead of drowning me in your affection, you know?" she comments with a small smile. She understands that it's been quite a while since they've managed to spend a significant amount of time together, so it's unsurprising to see how excited he is for this mission.
"Not yet…" he sighs, starting to sway. "I need more affection… I've been feeling neglected and I haven't had enough hug therapy…" he hums, clearly pleased as he gains energy from hugging her.
She wonders why he's not bothered by her scroll being jammed into his stomach with this position. "You might wither away and die if you neglect your hug therapy." she replies with an amused smile, snorting with he makes a strange sound of agreement. "I suppose I'll have to make sure that both you and the other two don't die, then."
The door to the roof squeaks, her eyes sliding towards it to see her two temporary teammates enter. It's been a while since she's seen them, since the rest of last year was hellish. Shion seems to know what's between Shisui and Tsunade, but apparently it's a secret and Sakura will be punished if she knows.
It sounds scandalous, more than anything.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto blinks, his bangs now hanging in his eyes and really emphasising how much he looks like his father. His attire consists of a jacket, a t-shirt and long pants tucked into shin-high ninja sandals, with his hitai-ate tied around his neck. Its colour scheme is orange and black, so he looks both practical and stylish. He probably looks more stylish and cooler because of that unnatural charisma, so it's no wonder he's so popular even though she knows he's a dork in reality.
She smiles. "Hey, Naruto." she greets him, sliding her eyes over to the Uchiha heir and finding herself pleasantly surprised. Though his expression is neutral, it's much more peaceful than the harsh blankness he used to have. His eyes also reflect the change, as they're softer and she doesn't feel like he's going to stare her to death with his intensity. His bangs are even longer than Naruto's, with locks framing his face and making her curious if it's a specific hair trend. The back of his hair still tufts up like the fluffy behind of a duck, which is always amusing.
As expected, his clothes are dark with his shirt being high-collared. From his biceps, black bandages are wrapped all the way down to his fingers with strange bands she assumes is used to secure them. His pants are long and black, and like Naruto's, tucked into his ninja sandals. She has to admit, they look like quite the dazzling pair.
Then Sasuke approaches her with unexpected speed in his steps and envelops her in a hug, thereby ripping her away from the dog of a man. She tenses for a moment, before relaxing and meeting Naruto's amused gaze. With a little hesitance, she returns the Uchiha's hug. She feels an aura of gloom from behind her.
"She stills smells nice." Sasuke murmurs, making her flinch when she feels the tip of his nose on her cheek. "I missed it."
Naruto steps forward, grabbing the back of his best friend's collar and pulling him off of her. "Yeah, okay weirdo. Just remember that she's still with Shikamaru, 'kay? He's already made a point about this and an angry Nara is a scary Nara."
Sakura blinks, tilting her head in thought. She's seen Shikamaru irritated, but it's not what she would call intimidating. Although, last year when he occasionally came to visit he had an irritable aura about him. He also complained a lot about annoying classmates and had to hug her for a full five minutes before he calmed down.
Nara Shikamaru is nothing but cute and fuzzy, although that might hurt his pride a little.
Sasuke frowns, removing himself from Naruto's grip. "It's a dalliance, Naruto. Soon, it'll end and I'll be there to become her one true husband. We'll then create our legacy together and ̶ " he's cut off when a hand covers his mouth, Naruto's expression morphed into one of exasperation.
"We talked about this, dammit. They've been a thing for six years now, dude! That's some serious dedication, you know? They're both intelligent and mature that I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually married, so you need to chill with this stuff!" Naruto exclaims, having a rather heated staring contest with his best friend.
"They look like a nice couple…" Kakashi murmurs near her ear, eliciting a surprised fit of laughter to overcome her. "Very cute… I'm sure the hospital will have created a way for same sex couples to have children together by the time they're of age…"
The 'couple' look over to their new teacher, with the Uchiha's expression far too blank and the Uzumaki's both disgusted and somewhat irritated. He's squinting, leaning back and staring at Kakashi like he's the scum of the Earth.
"What are you, some kind of paedophile interested in underage homoerotica?" the blonde sneers, prompting yet another wave of laughter from Sakura.
Kakashi wraps his arms around her, resting his cheek on her head. "I'm no such thing…" he denies with perfect serenity. "I just thought that you two are quite cute… and perhaps a little intense…"
The two boys don't look very appeased, in fact they look like they've been personally affronted. Sakura feels rather light, though she wonders how her brothers are faring with their own teams. It's probably not that great, as they both aren't very kind to strangers.
"Hey, let go of Sakura-chan you pervert." Naruto demands, having finally removed his hand from Sasuke's mouth who nods in agreement.
Her puppy-like captor tightens his hug. "No… Never…" then he picks her up and jumps into the distance.
Sasuke and Naruto are quick to follow with aggravated expressions contorting their faces.
Thinking today to be a success, she returns home to find herself assaulted. Surprisingly, even Neji appears to be one of the two assaulters. They hold onto her with a sort of annoyed desperation, trying to use her as a way to calm themselves. Since when has she had that effect on people?
"I abhor them." Sai chuckles, releasing her and showing a smile that looks almost painful. "Ensui-sensei is… adequate, but the other two are unworthy."
Neji surprises her once more when he doesn't let go, which means that he must be quite displeased with his team. "Two of them are the ugliest things I've ever laid eyes on and it personally offends me." he growls, his growling lessening when she pats his head in consolation. "They're obnoxiously exuberant, always yelling something about youth and one-sided rivalries. The girl is… fine. She appears to be offended by me, though I can't see why."
It's probably the hair and its immense beauty, along with effeminate features. The female of his team must be threatened as a woman when Neji's so pretty.
"Oh, my poor brothers." she teases, somehow managing to remove her shoes with one of them still attached to her. "Perhaps we should get our teams to meet and watch the chaos ensue." she suggests, because that sounds like lots of fun.
Her brothers appear to be pleased by this suggestion. "Perhaps they will kill each other." Sai smiles, before frowning. "But then we will have failed our mission."
"Then Shisui would call for a re-education period because of how disappointed he'll be, so we'll have to make sure they don't kill each other." Sakura sighs, gently pushing Neji away since it'd be quite awkward trying to walk when he's attached to her. "It's only for a little while."
"It's been less than a day and I'm done." Neji states, folding his arms as if that will change anything. Her brothers follow her to the kitchen, where she has to start making dinner.
Kakashi's been summoned by the Hokage, so she doesn't know when he'll come back. He'll come seeking for her comfort though, she's sure. She wonders how the others from the group are faring with their own teams.
Shikamaru's with Chouji and Ino, she remembers. Apparently the Yamanaka heiress is still as boisterous and demanding as ever, unfortunately. Hinata should be with the Inuzuka heir and the Aburame heir. Since the mission is a little lax than her usual missions and the dual-training with Tsunade and Shisui is over, they can meet up.
"Datsuji-san has purposefully blind-folded himself and adamantly believes that he can 'kick my ass' as he says." Sai reveals, understandably sounding a little ruffled simply because it's an insult for a newbie genin to think they can defeat an experienced ANBU operative. Even if that's not common knowledge. "I believe that Karin-san might be schizophrenic, as her demeanour has fluctuated multiple times during our meeting."
Sakura prepares the cooking utensils, shooing Sai out of the kitchen and employing the help of Neji who can actually cook. "Well, you two already know my teammates. They've both gotten prettier, although Sasuke more so because of the Uchiha genes. He's improved, although still touchy and has the same cold and blank look whenever he's looking at a stranger. It's a little disconcerting, because he has a fluffiness to his gaze when he looks at me." it makes her uncomfortable, because she keeps remembering how creepy his eyes used to be and the change is strange.
"I do not like how you attract such nuisances." Sai comments, sitting at the edge of the dining table. "It is as though you are a magnet for weirdos."
She releases a huff of amusement, because that sounds about accurate. "There's not much I can do about that, unless you want me to change my appearance." she replies. Although she's not exactly inconspicuous, she's comfortable in her own skin and has managed to become a successful ninja regardless. Changing herself now would feel like she's ashamed of who she is.
"No." Neji snaps, prompting her to blink at him in mild bemusement. "Don't change your appearance. Ever." he's looking away, but she sees the red in his ears.
"Adorable." Sakura sighs, placing down the frying pan and enveloping her Hyuuga brother in a hug. "I love you too, otouto."
Neji just huffs, accepting the affection without complaint. Then Sai joins in and their brother immediately retaliates.
She blinks up at the giant toad Sannin, feeling like he's leering at her. That's rather perturbing, considering the vast differences in their age. Naruto as well, thinks this disturbing and promptly puts himself in front of her like a barrier.
"Can you not, Hentai-sensei?" the blonde sighs, scratching his head. "Seriously, what the hell's up with you and underage girls?"
Jiraiya recoils, insincerely offended as he presses a hand to his chest. "That hurts, Naruto-chan! Is it my fault that I just wanted to appreciate your cute little teammate, whom bears an uncanny resemblance to your aunt? I was too busy watching little Sasuke-chan be high last time." he giggles, and it's sort of gross.
Sasuke's lack of expression is almost an art form, because now she can see that it's because he's unimpressed. His former blank expression was simply because he didn't know how to function and act like a human. Oh, how far he's come.
"If you weren't one of the Sannin, my clan would have demanded you be thrown in jail." he intones with his usual monotone. It was funny though, she has to admit.
That comment is duly ignored as Jiraiya returns his attention to her, leaning to the side to look around Naruto. "So, Sakura-chan! You like porn and sexual innuendos?" he queries, rummaging through his haori.
Sakura blinks, trying to digest that he's really just asked her that. "I don't mind sexual innuendos, but pornography isn't really my thing." she answers after a moment, deciding to be honest. Sexual innuendos are always fun jokes, but the only one who seems to be interested in porn at the moment is Kakashi. It's a little surprising, but she doesn't really care all that much since everyone in her household have strange hobbies anyway.
Neji and Sai might become interested, although the former would surely deny being interested if asked. It might happen soon with the whole puberty thing. Though she's already stepped into the first stages of puberty a while ago, she still hasn't really gotten used to the gradual changes in her body yet. She will enjoy hearing her brothers' voices crack though, so she's looking forward to that.
Jiraiya nods, in a somewhat grave manner. "Well, that's one out of two I suppose. Oh, the day where we could sit down and enjoy the magnificence of porn together! Such memorable times that I miss dearly!" he exclaims, apparently having forgotten whatever he's looking for to hug himself. It's disturbing.
"You watched porn with Shion-nee…?" Naruto questions him, with a horrified sneer. "What?"
The toad Sannin coughs, settling down. "You see, Naruto-chan, Shion and I often argued about the pros and cons of porn. I would advocate the beauty and emotion of each shot and she would spit at me, telling me I knew nothing of artistry. She was the type to focus on the plot, the acting and whatnot so porn was something she always laughed at." he explains, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "Maybe it was because she was an asexual and psychopathic virgin that she couldn't appreciate the wonder of porn."
Naruto scoffs, folding his arms and leaning back in a show of displeasure. "The porn you watch is pretty crap, you know? I'm sure Shion-nee would have liked some of them if you had just shown her the good ones." he responds, with such a firm tone that she blinks at him.
"Do you watch porn, Naruto?" Sasuke queries for her, sounding more curious than anything else. His best friend whips around, with a smirk.
Jiraiya's begun muttering to himself and she can hear something about annoying kids and their stupid valid points. She does agree with Naruto though, since Shion could appreciate porn if it was actually good. The type that she assumes the toad Sannin to be interested in is that cheesy and unrealistic type, like the books Kakashi reads from time to time.
"Of course I have." he laughs, as if that's an accomplishment. "I can show you some." then he wiggles his brows at both her and Sasuke.
Sakura snorts. "No, another time. You're supposed to be training, not watching porn." because if Naruto fails to become a chuunin due to slacking off, she's fairly sure Sai and Neji will ruin the poor blonde.
Naruto's talented, but he'd die against two experienced ANBU operatives whose captain is Shunshin no Shisui.
Chapter Word Count: 3,351
Total Word Count: 45,913
Targeted Word Count: 1,667
A/N: So I had less than five minutes to upload this. It's been a little stressful, but I'm having fun somewhere. Your continued support really helps, so thank you for that. Sorry if the chapter's confusing, I actually barely remember what I've written. See you tomorrow.
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