Warning: Contains blood, violence, and spoilers
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Dear Readers,
I would like to start off by thanking everyone for reviewing, following, and favoriting. I appreciate the concerns that some of you have expressed. I have the next few chapters already written out(roughly) so I know where things are headed but it's nice to be reminded that the reader does not have the same luxury. Your frustrations are completely justified and I do not hold it against you one bit. :) Your input makes me a better writer so keep it coming!
All of these chapters tie together and build off the last one, which may seem obvious but this is a little different from reading an actual complete fic all at once. You have to wait in between events and plot developments. And I hope the chapters that I am writing are worth it.
It probably will not make sense why last chapter and this chapter are so important until later on it the story. And hopefully you all will be sticking around until then. I'm leaving little hints in the chapters of what is to come, so look out for those.
I think I have come up with a good compromise. At the end of the new chapters I will be adding a small preview for the next chapter. That way you'll have something to sink your teeth into if you feel that the story is not moving fast enough.
But I can put one fear to rest. This is a SakuraXMinato fanfiction. I have not lost sight of that pairing, although it may seem like it at times. They will end up together. I can promise you that with a 100% certainty. I already have the epilogue planned out but it is way down the road. There are about twelve more chapters of this fic to go. So you know the ending couple and read on to find out how it all plays out.
Anyways, that's enough from me. Until next time!
~L.H.
Chapter Twenty-One: Child's Play
Flashback:
She heard familiar footfalls.
The kunoichi and medic-in-training buried her face further into her pillow. A weak groan escaped her lips. The sounds of the steps were getting progressively closer and louder. The floorboards of the stairs creaked weakly. Her head was pounding and her body was aching. But the resounding noises outside of her cocoon of blankets carried on unsympathetically, unforgiving.
Her throat felt dry and her nose was clogged. She peeled open her eyes but she had to close them again almost instantly. Her head was filled with a searing pain. Her stomach was burning inside her abdomen. She gnashed her teeth together and curled her fists under her pillow.The creaky floorboards had stopped screaming. A tentative knock seemed to be amplified by the four walls of her room. 'Leave me alone,' she wanted to utter but even opening her mouth was too much for her.
A sudden wave of nausea hit her. She was filled with adrenaline from fear. Fear that she would not be able to make it in time. Sakura untangled herself from her fortress and took shaky steps to the hallway bathroom. In her haste she had pushed aside her startled mother. The medic sank to her knees and vomited what she had for dinner last night.
Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. She felt awful. She felt weak. She felt nauseous. She felt breakable. She was in the process of dry heaving when she felt soothing circular motions on her back. She looked over her shoulder at the concerned expression on her mother's face.
"Sakura," her voice was not above a whisper but it rang loudly in her head. The medic closed her eyes and leaned her head against the side of the sink vanity. She vaguely registered the sound of the flushing toilet. "Honey, you're burning up."
If she could have, she would have scoffed. Of course she was burning up. She felt like she was dying. She felt like something was trying to tear out of her. She felt like something evil was trying to claw its way through her.
Her mother hauled the pasty girl to her feet and helped her rinse the violate taste from her mouth. Sakura splashed the cool water on her burning face. She allowed her mother to lead her back into the warm sheets on her bed. She did not even protest when the oldest Haruno woman layered yet another blanket over her. Her body may be burning but she was experiencing a bone chilling cold. Her teeth were now chattering.
Sakura looked at her mother with a matching set of orbs. "I need to train with Tsunade-shishou." Her voice was hoarse but her message was delivered with little effort. The lines around her mother's mouth became more pronounced. She was frowning at her only child.
"Sakura you are in no condition to train. I'll send for someone to let the Hokage know." Her piercing jade gaze softened when she took in her daughter's defeated frame. "She'll understand."
Her hand felt cool against Sakura's burning forehead. The medic had to begrudgingly agree with her mother. They were so similar in so many ways. Her father credited that as the reason why the butted headed so often. They were both Alpha females trying to live in harmony under one roof. Rarely did that feat go smoothly.
"I'll go make you some miso soup." Sakura watched through heavy eyelids as her mother headed towards the door. She could not explain it but she felt a sudden surge of panic through her. She reached out with a clammy hand and grabbed her mother's elbow.
Mebuki's blonde eye brows knotted together. She opened her mouth to question her daughter but Sakura beat her to it. "Please don't go, stay with me. Please." Maybe it was the fever talking or the deliriousness that her daughter must have been experiencing, but Mebuki did not have the heart to deny Sakura.
Her daughter looked so fragile and scared that it tugged at her heartstrings. Mebuki had only seen Sakura this vulnerable a handful of times. The first time had been when Sakura was bullied about her appearance. The second time had been when Sasuke had defected from the village. The third time had been when the Uzumaki boy had come back half dead from trying to honor a promise that he had made her daughter.
The blonde woman eased herself into the bed. Sakura's arms wrapped around her waist and her head rested on Mebuki's shoulder. Her mother brushed the sticky strands of pink from Sakura's forehead.
She hummed a soft tune under her breath. It was the same melody that she used to hum to Sakura when she was just a baby. The lullaby had come in handy for those countless nights that Sakura was straddled with a burning fever.
If she closed her eyes, she could picture herself rocking a restless baby in her arms. It was as if Sakura was a newborn all over again. Once a year for the past sixteen years, her daughter had one of these episodes. Some years Sakura could continue to function without missing any time and other years is was similar to what she was experiencing now. It had gotten to the point that the blonde had a system down.
Sakura had been a sickly child from birth and while it used to terrify Mebuki that she would lose her daughter, it no longer did- to this anyway. Sakura was a fighter, just like her and her husband. They had gone through so much pain and heartache just to have an opportunity to be called parents.
Sakura was their God send. She had survived in Mebuki's womb. And the second that she had filled her tiny lungs with enough breath to let out a wail, Mebuki knew that her daughter would not only survive but thrive as well.
She placed a kiss on her daughter's damp forehead. "Happy sixteenth birthday, Sakura." The teen in her arms had fallen asleep just moments ago.
End of Flashback.
She grunted.
A series of soft knocks jolted her awake. It took a moment for her to gather her bearings and remember exactly where she was. Sakura groaned loudly when she recognized the cheerful tones of the knocks. "Go away." The sound came out muffled being that her head was firmly in a pillow. The knocking only got louder and cheerier the longer she lay in silence.
With a defeated sigh, Sakura picked herself out of bed and padded over to the door. "What?" She asked rudely to her smiling greeter. His eyes were focused on her unruly hair. It resembled a bird's nest more than human hair. She could almost see the words waiting at the tip of his tongue. But he had enough sense to not comment. He must have gotten the hint about her mood.
He pushed a brown paper bag to her face. Sakura took it out of reflex. It smelt greasy, sweet and absolutely delicious. Her mouth began to water as she opened the flap. She would put up with him, if he kept bringing her unbelievable good food. Anything would be worth it for Kaori's cuisine. This village certainly knew how to make a kunoichi happy.
"How did you sleep?" He asked her pleasantly as he made himself comfortable on the foot of her bed. Sakura could not bring herself to be too angry since the man had brought her breakfast. Its aroma was too much for her to overcome. She tore at the contents with vigor.
"Like a baby." Sakura said in between mouthfuls of dorayaki. The sweet-filled pancakes melted on her tongue. She melted in her spot. She made a series of content sounds as she devoured another few bites. Her eyes closed in pure bliss. She could defiantly get used to this.
She sat next to Masaki, he was smiling at her. There was something unreadable in his eyes. It was too early to try to decipher his cryptic facial expressions, so she did not give it another thought. She nudged him with her elbow. She did not even think anything of the gesture or the physical contact. It was out of mere habit. She usually got Naruto's attention in a similar manner.
She could reach out to Masaki, without fearing what she might do. She did not have to worry about threatening anyone's future by interacting with him. Things were simpler with him. She could just let her walls down. She no longer had to read into every one of her actions and consider all the fallout of her decisions. She could finally trust herself in his presence.
"Why did you want to switch rooms?" She slowly asked him the question that had been bothering since last night. She licked the sugar off her fingers. Her meal had been amazing. She made a mental note to have it again a few more times before they left.
The brunette shrugged carelessly. "It had more windows. I can't fall asleep with having a few of them cracked open." Sakura regarded him briefly before she shrugged. Who was she to judge someone's sleeping habits? Back at home, she slept in short tank tops and boy short panties, regardless of the weather. When it got too cold, she just slept with numerous blankets.
"What now?" Sakura asked him finishing the rest of her delicious breakfast. She was sad that she had consumed it so fast.
"Well we begin the intel gathering process." He turned his head so that his undivided attention was on her. Sakura tired her best not to fidget under the scrutiny.
The pinkette scrunched her nose. Her only experience with intel gathering was limited to torture and what she had witness Jiraiya do. "Isn't it a bit early for that? Are the brothels even open at this time?" She asked him with displeasure evident in her features.
Masaki furrowed his brow before his eyes widened in realization. "What? No! What did you think I was going to do? What are you implying?" Sakura looked on in silence as his face went from pink to magenta before finally settling on red.
She bit her lip to contain her giggles. She knew that men had sensitive egos. They did not take well to being laughed at. Her shoulders lurched with the effort. "Stop laughing at me." He muttered with a pout on his lips. The tips of his ears were crimson and he was stubbornly glaring at his shoes.
"Kami, you're so cute!" Sakura said with a laugh before she could stop herself. She resisted the sudden desire to pinch his cheeks. She settled for bumping him gently with her shoulder. "I wasn't implying anything." She said seriously once she had recovered. "It's just how Jiraiya gathers his intel. He once told me that brothels were lousy with secrets and get a man drunk enough and he'll spill his guts." Sakura shrugged her shoulders at his offended expression.
"There's more than one way to gather intel." She fixed him with a pointed glare. "I'm not talking about torture. Geez, why so quick to judge?" He added almost offhandedly. His eyes were dark with something unreadable again. She decided that she liked the air of mystery about him.
"I'm a shinobi, I was raised to judge. Judging someone keeps me alive." She threw back at him with an easy smile. "I am very eager to learn of your charming ways, Masaki-sempi." Sakura said in mock seriousness. It was easy to tease him.
Masaki set his jaw and nodded. "I'll come pick you up in half an hour, be ready." The door closed with a soft click behind him.
"Why does everything sound like a date, with this guy?" Sakura asked herself out loud before entered the bathroom to shower.
The blonde smiled easily at his childhood friend. The Nara narrowed his eyes in a suspicious manner. Something about Inoichi's smile had a sinister undertone to it. "No," Shikaku crossed his arms over his chest. The guarded expression on his face only served to widen the Yamanaka's grin. A lump formed in the pit of his stomach.
"I didn't even say anything, Shika." He arched his eyebrows in amused fashion. He looked at the Shogi board that was between them. He fingered the stubble on his chin in a thoughtful manner. He feigned indecisiveness about his next move. They both knew what piece he was going to play. In the game, the Yamanaka's moves were easy to see, predict, and counter against. The same could not be said for reality.
"You didn't have to. I've thought of seventy-nine scenarios and all of them end the same way. I don't want to get involved." If he had another three minutes he would have thought of at least a hundred more scenarios. The Nara rubbed his face in a tired manner. He should never have taken Inoichi up on his offer to play a round of Shogi. He knew how much the blonde hated the game. He did not have the patience for it.
He should have suspected him from the beginning. But he had overlooked the anomaly and now he had to pay the price for his carelessness. "Don't want to get involved in what?" His whole frame froze in place. He closed his eyes in frustration. He was off today and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of that fact. After all, it was not everyday that Shikaku was bested more than once.
Inoichi smiled warmly at Yoshiro as she stood in the doorway wiping her damp hands on her apron. "We were just discussing the mission that Sakura is on." The Yamanaka saw the interest fleet across the woman's eyes. He inwardly applauded his whole plan. Everything was fitting together nicely, which was more than he could say for his pieces on the wooden board.
"Sakura's on a mission?" The surprise in the woman's voice was as genuine as Shikaku's dread. The Yamanaka picked up a wooden piece and placed it on the board. He nodded his head in a casual manner. The Nara woman had not interacted with Sakura since Kushina's accident. But the lack of communication did not mean that she no longer cared about the medic. "Do you know of the details?"
She sat next to her husband and fixed Inoichi with a pointed look. She even ignored the deep sigh from Shikaku. Inoichi shrugged. "It's just an intel gathering week long mission in Kaori. She's on it with Masaki-kun." He knew that the name would mean something to Yoshiro.
And it did. His dark blue eyes picked up on the relaxed posture of her shoulders. The Nara woman smirked. "That's good. Kami knows that she needed a break." The blonde nodded at her words. They all knew how hard the woman had been pushing herself for the past two and a half months.
"Isn't that right, Shikaku?" The raven haired woman looked at her husband expectantly. He flickered his gaze from her expression to the mirth dancing in the Yamanaka's eyes. This was all his fault. He had gotten careless and the supposed people that cared about him were hell bent on making him miserable.
"Troublesome," he said dryly. He picked up a Shogi piece and set it down. He had won the game but the smirking faces of his wife and best friend made it clear that he had lost the battle. All he wanted to do was play a game a Shogi but he had not looked underneath the underneath.
He had played the game but they played him.
Sakura watched from a safe distance as Masaki worked his magic. And work his magic, he did. Within minutes he had a cute-faced blonde woman in a giggling mess. He was all smiles and charm, and she was rendered as malleable as wet clay in his hands. She would have been more offended and horrified had it been the first time she had witnessed it. But sadly this was try number four and the three previous attempts had ended the same way, with a love sick woman staring longingly after Masaki.
They all wore the same far way expression on their faces. They all pressed a hand to their probably frantically beating heart. And they all looked after him with large, silly smiles on their faces. It made her sicker than it should have. It angered her more than it should have.
His intel gathering process was not so different than Jiraiya's after all. The only difference was that Masaki spoke and chose to flirt with a younger, more talkative age group. And he had boundaries that he was not willing to cross, that she knew of. He spoke to woman from wealthy families that had loose lips when it came to providing a cute stranger with whatever he asked for. She watched as the blonde clung to him desperately.
He was getting close to finishing, she could tell from the way his body language shifted. He was starting to close himself off from her. That only made her share more. She saw the panic flash in the blonde's coral colored eyes. Her lips were moving rapidly now and from the interested gleam in Masaki's eyes, she was telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. The blonde was trying to make him stay longer by giving him what he wanted. But the irony of the situation was the more the blonde shared, the quicker she was pushing him away.
The sight made her stomach turn. She had been the way too not too long ago. But she liked to think that with her things had been different. She did not imagine the mutually attraction and excitement. She was probably kidding herself. Masaki was turning up the charm and flirting shamelessly now just like he had been then. Naruto always did tell her that she had lousy taste in men. Maybe he was right?
Sakura grounded the wooden skewer that had held her sweet treat together with the heel of her boot, angrily. How could she have been so stupid? Why would someone like Masaki, who could clearly have any woman he wanted, show remotely any interest in someone like her? She was a plank compared to most women. She was more stubborn, loud, violent, mean, and more demanding than most women too.
At her age most women were polished and refined but Sakura was still rough around the edges-really rough. The awning she had been standing under had once provided her with cool relief but her blood was boiling the longer she looked at the scene in front of her. The Hokage had given this mission to help her relax but it was having the opposite effect. It was giving her anxiety.
Sakura shot the googly-eyed pair one last rueful glance before she headed away from the hustle-bustle of the city. She really did not know where she was going but the air around the countryside finally let her breathe easily again. The breeze flitted through her hair. Sakura undid her braid and allowed her waist length hair to twist in the air freely. She made her way to a welcoming grassy hill that had a tree on its peak. The massive branches would provide her with abundant shade from the harsh sun.
Sakura sat on the soft, lush grass. She kicked off her boots and let them fall haphazardly beside her. The grass felt pleasantly cool in between her toes. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin in her arms. She closed her eyes and allowed the stress in her being just melt away. It was nice to have a moment to get out of her own head every once and a while.
Kushina hummed happily as she moved in her small kitchen. Today she was going to cook all of Minato's favorites. Today she would impress him with her homemade dishes. Today she was going to have him fall completely in love with her, like she was with him.
She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. She looked at the clock, it was the early afternoon. She had a solid six hours before Minato was expected to arrive.
She had woken up at the crack of dawn just for him. She was going to spend every second of the day cooking for him. He would have a meal fit for a Daiymo waiting. Her mother had taught her that a quickest way to man's heart was his stomach and she intended to prove that right.
She looked at the bubbling pots with rising hope and happiness. Today was the day that Namikaze Minato fell in love with Uzumaki Kushina.
Time had gotten away from her. She was startled awake by the sounds of anguished sobs. Sakura sprung to her feet and followed the broken wails. She was not thinking but in times such as these, thinking only got in the way. The pitiful noises led her to a small shack not even two hundred meters from her hilly perch.
Sakura threw open the doors of the broken down shelter that was better suited for animals than humans. Her heart stopped at the sight before her. A woman who was obviously pregnant was holding onto her swollen belly and crying loudly. An elderly woman was trying to comfort the woman with soft mutterings in her ear and gently stroking her sweaty forehead.
The woman was in labor but it was all wrong. She was bleeding too much for it to be natural. Sakura released in a split second that the woman was going to suffer from a miscarriage late into her term. Without missing a beat, Sakura pulled her locks into a tight ponytail. She wordlessly stepped over to the small sink and began to wash her hands.
The elderly woman looked at her with disbelief in her eyes but Sakura ignored her. Her bare feet were being cut and scrapped by the gravel floor of the barn. She filled a basin with water and gestured the old woman to press a wet wash cloth against the woman's forehead.
The old lady hesitated at first but when the two women exchanged looks the woman complied. "I'm going to help you. I'll help you and your baby." Sakura smiled reassuringly at the teary eyed woman. Her face was contorted in a look of pain. Fat tears streaked down her dirty cheeks.
"Please," she reached out a weak arm towards Sakura. "She's all I have left of him." Sakura nodded her head and determination. Her hands were coated in green within seconds. She did not even think about the Hokage's orders as she set about opening the woman's stomach to retrieve the baby.
"You will not believe what I just heard." The Nara woman looked at her nails in a bored manner. The Inzuka raised her eye brows in interest. Her eyes flickered from her daughter playing with some of the clan's ninken to the raven haired harpy.
Tsume hummed under her breath. Hana was in the process of ridding Kuromaru like a horse. The giant beast did not seem to mind. He would need to get accustomed to having yippy things on his back. He and his mate were expecting their first litter in a few days time. Hana would soon have her own ninken to look after.
"Sakura is on a mission." Tsume shot Yoshiro an irritated look. The displeasure was clearly plastered on her features. The news that Yoshiro had shared was underwhelming and quite frankly, boring. Tsume had a hard time believing that the woman had come all this way for just that.
The Nara held up an index finger and grinned. Tsume tiled her head to the side in a silent question. "One week alone with Masaki." Her brown eyebrows darted up into her hairline.
After a few stunned seconds of silence, the ninken user spoke. "You know what I don't believe?" The raven haired kunoichi tilted her head to the side. "Why am I only hearing of this now?" The two women exchanged knowing looks. It appeared that they would have their work cut out for them when the pinkette returned.
The barn was swallowed by silence. The mother had been knocked out by Sakura, to spare the woman from any more pain. Her abdomen had sealed up nicely and Sakura was certain that she would not suffer from an infection.
The grey haired woman and pinkette exchanged heavy glances. The baby girl in Sakura's arms had yet to cry, move, and draw a breath. Sakura looked at the tiny newborn's blue lips. She was dead on arrival. "I promised your mother, little-one." Sakura's right index and middle finger cackled with electricity. She pressed them on the baby's fragile chest and held her breath.
The baby's body convulsed but the girl did not move. She was completely motionless in Sakura's arms. She felt her heart breaking. Her fingers sparked with blue-white light briefly as she pressed her fingers against her heart repeatedly. The old woman stared at the shaking medic with sad eyes. "It's over child, this babe was never meant to be." The woman's voice called out to her, it was full of pity. It angered Sakura.
"No! I promised her mother, and I will keep it, damn it!" She snapped, unfairly, at the elderly woman. It was not her fault that Sakura had failed. The old woman hung her head in understanding. She did not hold it against Sakura. But the pinkette still felt guilty. She had broken too many promises in the past. She was starting over and she would be damned if she fell in that habit again.
She stared at the blue, unmoving girl in her hands. She was premature. She could fit in Sakura's hands. She had pulsed enough electrify to fry a child of her size. Even if she somehow drew a breath with the help of equipment, she would be brain dead.
Sakura looked over the sleeping woman. She had lost her child before she ever even got the chance to meet her. She took in the woman's hair was a dark pink-almost red. It slightly reminded her of her father's hair, when he had been younger. And the woman's eyes were green. She had seen them through her tears. She could not be much older than her mother was when she had finally had Sakura. They shared so many similarities. She was in her early thirties.
'No, I promised her,' newfound determination flowed through her. She had one option and if she executed perfectly she could save the baby. Sakura gathered blue chakra into her hands and held them over the still newborn. She was going to revive her with a forbidden jutsu she had learned from watching Chiyo perform it on Gaara, only her version had a slight variation. She was not sure if she would succeed. She had only seen the jutsu once but there was no time like the present.
If her theory was sound, which she hoped it was, she would not die. The person she was feeding her chakra into was a baby. And that baby was not dead. In order for a person to be considered dead they had to be alive at one point and she had never even drawn a breath. She was not dead, she just was not alive.
Another fact that worked in Sakura's favor was that the baby's chakra network was almost nonexistent so it would not take all her life force to revive her. At the best Sakura would be nearly drained of her chakra coils for a few hours and at worst she would be completely drained for a few days. She set her face in a grim line and began to pulse her chakra through the baby.
The mission was the furthest thing from her mind.
Masaki followed the path he had last seen a flash of pink on. He held her boots firmly in his hands and looked at the fast paced and spread out indentations in the grass. She had run away and judging from the single set of footprint, she had run towards something.
He fingered the cool metal in his pocket. She had run off and he could only hope that she was not in any immediate danger.
She was beginning to feel weak and lightheaded but she still needed to keep up the jutsu. The baby's skin had gone from a deathly blue to a soft pink. The girl's raven hair had shine and luster to it. It would only take a little more and the girl's heart would start beating. She would be perfect, the picture of healthy premature baby. Sakura's eyelids closed. She registered the sounds of a newborn's wails before she went under.
He took the familiar stairs two at a time. A brunette kunoichi smiled at him kindly. Minato did not even bother to acknowledge the gesture. He continued to climb up the steps at a fast pace. His heart rate was accelerated but it had nothing to do with his near sprint.
"Everything okay, Minato-san?" The Hokage's blurry assistant asked him with an upturned lip. Minato stepped until he was directly in front of the man's desk. He leaned his weight on his open palms. The wood creaked under the weigh he was exerting on it. The dark brown haired man leaned back as Minato leaned forward. His scared, wide, orange eyes searched Minato's face frantically.
"Everything is fine, everything is just peachy. Everything is as good as can be. Now is the Hokage busy?" Minato asked him with large, forced smile on his face. If he had his way, he would have burst through the doors but Sarutobi had made it clear that would not be tolerated. He tired of ignoring the villagers' not so subtle gossip about him. He was tired of the hushed voices and the skeptical looks. He was tired of it all.
He could handle it but it was not himself that he was worried about. The things people were saying would completely devastate Sakura. He needed to put an end to all this madness before she took it to heart. She was too fragile to survive another direct blow to that organ.
"G-go ahead." The blonde spared the nervous man a small smile. Killing them with kindness seemed to have its benefits. It was a nice change of pace from intimidation. He turned the handle of the door, knocking would be for show only. The Hokage would have sensed his chakra presence by now, the man was kage for a reason and Minato had not bothered to mask it.
"Minato-kun, what can I do for you?" The Hokage put down his brush and gave his visitor his full attention. The blonde looked harried, restless, but most of all frantic. He had an indication of what the blonde was here for. He was starting to become painfully predictable. Sarutobi leaned his chin against his interlocked fingers. It would not do for the future Hokage to look so haphazardly put together. He looked close to coming unhinged.
He remembered feeling exactly what Minato was going through, it had been many years back. Back when he was yet to hit his prime. But he could not give the blonde all the answers to life. He had to figure out what he wanted on his own. Minato would thank him for it, one day in the rapidly approaching future.
"I haven't felt Sakura's presence in the village for a few days now. Did you send her on a mission?" Accusation crept into his tone. His cobalt eyes studied the old man intently, for the slightest of movements, clues, and giveaways. He needed information. He needed to be in control of the situation, the unknown was eating away at him.
The Hokage took his time to formulate a response. Each second ticked by excruciatingly slow for Minato. He rolled his neck until he heard satisfying pops. The Hokage's dark eyes followed his moments, from his rolling neck, shoulders, to the slight twitch of his fingers. Sleep deprivation was finally catching up with the untouchable Namikaze Minato.
"Keeping tabs on Sakura-chan, Minato? How does Kushina-chan feel about that?" He raised his brow with practiced ease. The blonde's eyes narrowed for a split second before he was smiling easily again. He was using his sunny façade to combat the Hokage's words. It was a refreshing tactic, but the question was how long the Namikaze could keep it up.
"Not at all, Hokage-sama. I was just curious. She's a bit accident prone as you know." His bright eyes and large smile did not fool the Hokage. "I just wanted to know if I should stay ready to head out and save her again." But he would play along with Minato, for now.
"She is but I'm sure that Masaki-kun will look after her well. They seem to get along, swimmingly." The Hokage returned Minato's large grin with one of his own. He pretended to not notice the fleeting jealously that flicked in Minato's eyes. "If they complete this mission successfully, I will give some serious consideration to pair them up more often." His gaze lowered to Minato's tighter than necessary fist.
"That's good. I'm sure they'll be fine." Minato directed a strained smiled at Sarutobi. "The timing of the mission is a bit off, isn't it? Iwa coordinated an attack on Konoha and you let her out of the village." He sat on the arm of chair facing the kage. To anyone that did not know the blonde, he was the epitome of clam and composed. Sarutobi found his effort to appear detached and nonchalant admirable.
"Worried, Minato-kun?" He asked him lightly but it was a loaded question. Minato knew as much. The blonde shrugged in a careless manner. His ability to deflect the question was promising. He would need those skills when dealing with hardnosed politicians.
"Not worried, just curious. You're known as the Professor for a reason and I just want to pick your brain. Figure out how you think." He smiled easily again, the more times he threw the gesture the more convincing it became. The kage hid his smile behind his pipe. Minato would make a fine Hokage. But he had always suspected as much.
"It was for her own good. She was just moving in circles. She needed a change in scenery." Blue clashed with dark brown. The electricity in room was almost visible. The challenge was officially issued and now it was Minato's move. "A breath of fresh air can do wonders."
The blonde closed his eyes and was slow to open them. The cheeriness and bright smiles were absent from his visage. "Change of scenery?" A wry smile crossed his lips. The blonde rose from his half seated position. He regarded the Hokage with unyielding determination. "A new location may seem nice at first but it's only a matter of time before a person becomes homesick. Then there comes a point that the new is measured by the standards of the old. Change is not necessarily always a good thing."
The Hokage chuckled lightly. "That is a possibility but there's also a possibility that the new place might better suit a person's needs. Maybe the new is better than the old." He said in a tongue-in-cheek manner. "After all, our little Sakura-chan excels in adjusting to changing circumstances, locations, and people."
Minato looked at the Hokage with a locked jaw. He forced his lips to stretch across his face. His almost navy eyes fixed Sarutobi with an austere look. "She does, but she also has trouble letting go." It was true. She still missed and valued the lives of those she's lost.
"The way I see things, she is not the one who has trouble letting go. But I'm just a senile old man, what do I know?" The playfulness in the Hokage's face was far from convincing. "Had your fill, Minato-kun?" The blonde nodded his head. He closed the door soundlessly behind him. The Hokage had only served to confuse him even more than he originally was.
Kushina stared at the beautifully set table with a throbbing heart. She had spent hours upon hours, making sure that everything was perfect. She had painstakingly focused on the slightest of details because she knew just how observant Minato was.
She pulled a chair for herself and sat down. With quivering arms, she filled her plate. The spices that she had carefully measured and used just tasted bland to her. The food had long grown cold. He was over five hours late.
At first she had every intention of marching over to his apartment and dragging him here but that plan had one glaring flaw. She did not know where he lived. She hardly knew anything about him.
He knew so much about her, from her favorite color to her favorite jutsu. Aside from what he liked to eat and his chakra nature, she knew nothing. They had been together for nearly three months and she knew as much about him now as she did as a genin.
But she was certain about one thing. If Minato wanted something, if he truly wanted something, nothing could keep him from it.
She looked at the numerous dishes that lined the table. She had spent hours doing this all for him but he had never shown up to appreciate it.
She was falling.
She prayed that someone would catch her. She grasped around for something to grab, anything to grab. She was plummeting further and further down. Her pink hair fluttered around her almost like a halo. She was beginning to panic, she would hit the ground with so much force that there would be nothing left of her to bury.
She needed help. Why was there no one help her? Why did she not hit the ground yet? Why was she always alone? Why did she have to shoulder so much? Why was there no one around to hear her scream? Why was she in this situation? Why her?
All around her was just emptiness. The sky was cloudless, the air was tasteless. She turned her body so she was facing the ground. Even the ground was bland. The panic had been replaced by acceptance. If someone was going to catch her, she would have been saved by now. No one was coming. She had to save herself, be her own hero.
She was falling but the ground was not getting any closer, it kept extending further and further away from her. It was getting really boring. She was just falling with no fear of dying anymore. The wind hitting her face almost felt good. She closed her eyes and let the sensation take over, she could get used to it if she really made an effort. She was essentially hovering.
She spun head over heels until she was facing the sky once more. She was surprised to find that the once bare expanse was suddenly stormy and the fear was back. It had her heart in a vice grip. 'Help!' She thought desperately. She tried to scream but the pressure of the air around her was too much to overcome. Her speed increased. Gravity was pulling her down with twice the amount of its usual force. The ground was now getting closer, rapidly so.
She was falling and she did not know how much longer she would do so. She was bound to hit the ground at some point and she just hoped that it would be merciful.
Flashback:
His dark eyes roamed.
This was his office. This was his village. This was his responsibility. Sarutobi Hiruzen still could not grasp the implications of his thoughts. He was Hokage. He had achieved his goal. He was living his dream. He had accomplished something in his life.
The fresh faced, newly minted Hokage grinned. He was not dreaming. He was truly sitting in the straight back chair. He was finally seated behind the mahogany desk that he had spent his childhood admiring. The smile slipped off his face.
It was bittersweet. He was Hokage but his sensei, his teacher, was dead. Tobirama's funeral was held but a few weeks ago. The village was still in a state of morning and he could not fault the villagers. They had lost a fine shinobi, man, and leader.
Hiruzen closed his eyes and leaned back against the plush, purple chair. A slow sigh escaped his lips. Light danced in front of his lids. The glow in the room was so bright, that it bled through the darkness behind his palpebra.
His eyes flew open. His hand was already clenching at the kunai holster strapped to his thigh. His mind was working rigorously to assess the situation. His eyes widened at the sight before him. There stood a woman, not much older than him, clad in a white dress. She was the source of the light. She was the reason why it was almost unbearably bright.
Hiruzen bit the inside of his cheek as a painful reminder to keep his guard up. The woman, who ever she was, had made it into the village without anyone detecting her. She was powerful and deceptive. He could not afford to fall for her soft, feminine features.
"Who are you?" He barely recognized his voice. It sounded too protective, too defensive to be his. He furrowed his brows and pinched his features together. His eyes were starting to water from keeping his gaze trained on her. "Answer me!" He snarled once he realized that she had no intention of responding to his inquisition.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, I am not here to hurt you." Her voice was as regal as her appearance. The brunette narrowed his eyes. The action served to both express his disbelief and alleviate the pressure build up behind his retina.
"Who hired you? Who do you work for?" The churning of his gut became painful. She was smirking at him. She held up her hands in a sign of good faith. The brightness in the room dimmed to a merciful level. Sarutobi blinked his eyes rapidly.
"Uzumaki Mito," his stomach knotted. His heart dropped at her words. A small part of him was aware of the fact that he was openly gaping at her. "Now will you put that kunai away, child?" His shocked gaze moved to the projectile in his hand. It was lying limply against his side.
"What did you say?" He cleared his throat. The woman bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. His effort to appear unfazed and collected was truly admirable. He brought the weapon in a manner that made it more useful. His eyes darted over her shoulder. 'Where is my ANBU?'
"You're the only one who can see me." She said in a flat tone. She had read his mind, or it seemed like it. She had answered his own question. He struggled to remain in the moment. He had no idea of knowing if this woman operated alone or had accomplices. It took ever fiber of his self control to not look over his own shoulder, towards the village. His sensei had taught him to never present his back to his enemy. And this woman was his enemy. She had trespassed in Konoha, his Konoha. He would never forgive her for that alone.
"I am not asking that you believe me. That is not of my concern." Her voice was so coaxing and assuring that he almost believed her, almost. "My words might not mean much to you now, but the words written by my master certainly mean a great deal."The maiden looked at him with a less than amused expression on her face. "I' m running out of time, Hiruzen. The Second gave you a scroll after naming you his successor, did he not?"
His eye widened in surprise. "H-how?" The woman flicked her hand at his question. She had effectively dismissed it. Sarutobi felt something akin to dread coursing through him. They had been alone when Tobirama had entrusted it to him. He was certain of the fact.
"You've seen it in its entirety, correct?" He nodded his head numbly. Tobirama had told him to commit the contents to memory as his first official act as Hokage. "Burn it." His eyes flickered to her golden irises. He licked his parched mouth. She squelched any options for protest. "You will be the last Hokage to know of it. I trust that you are aware of your role?" Her golden gaze fixed him in place.
Hiruzen nodded his head. He placed the kunai on his desk. She followed the movement closely. "How will I know when the time is right? How will I know it's her?" The smile that tugged at her lips put him at ease, some. She brought an index finger and tapped her forehead.
"She bares the mark of my master." He sank to his chair. His head was spinning from everything she had told him. He had expected this from the minute he had read the scroll but he never had expected it to be so soon. "You will witness her being raised decades from now. Horrific events will unfold before your eyes but you will be powerless to stop them. We all are," her eyes hardened. "But everything is fluid and it can still be changed, after the fact. She will be brought back when she is ready. And when she returns to her time, she will have a grave task. See to it that the road is as forgiving and trusting as possible."
He looked up at her. His hand rubbed his goatee, absentmindedly. His mind was already looking far ahead. "What's her name?" His voice came out in a whisper. The sound of her bell like laughter reached his ears. It took the edge of his fast forming migraine.
"Mito didn't include that information in the scroll?" The expression that he wore on his face told her all she needed to know. Her eyes softened. The young man before her had lost so much so soon. "Sakura, her name is Sakura." He nodded his head in thanks. "The legends have been kind to me, Hiruzen."
A look of surprise plastered on his face. "They remember me as a hero who sacrificed herself for village. Stories get altered as they get passed down." The melancholy in her voice was heartbreaking and breathtaking. "I resented my father. I never saw leaving my village as a sacrifice. I saw it as an escape. I feared that I would grow to be like him. I feared that being selfish and greedy ran in my blood. I feared that becoming like him was inevitable the longer I stayed with him."
She donned a bitter expression on her once emotionless face. "Mito-sama offered me an alternative. She offered me a life of excitement and promise. She offered to make me a hero. She took me in, made me her most trusted confidant. I can only hope to offer little Sakura the possibility of the same."
The wry smile on her rose lips made his heart flutter. Despite the fact that she was a deity, she was still a woman, a woman that he found to be very attractive. "I will hold up my end." His voice was clear and unwavering. Gratitude flashed in her gold orbs.
"I have no doubt that you will, child." His heart stammered loudly in his chest as she flickered out of existence. He pulled open the drawer that held the scroll. He unfurled it with a flick of his wrist. The blank expanse greeted his hungry eyes. Sarutobi bit his thumb and smeared it across the length of the document. Dark characters appeared under the crimson but his eyes were focused on the crudely drawn portrait. It was the first time that he was seeing it, truly seeing it.
The black and white ink did not provide him with insight as to what her hair or eye color was. It did not even provide him with concrete facial structure. What it did provide him with though, was the perfect rhombus that sat in the middle of her forehead and the two small spheres that flanked it.
He traced the kanji of her name, Akemi. That was the other individual that Mito had trusted more than anything. He snapped his fingers. A small scarlet flame danced on his finger tips. He watched the scroll burn before his eyes. The faint, lingering smell of burnt parchment was the only reminiscent of what had just transpired.
End of Flashback
The Hokage took a long drag of his pipe. It had been difficult. Watching her grow up completely unaware of how much rested on her shoulders. It had been difficult to pretend that she was just like her peers. It had been difficult to not show her any favoritism or affection. It had been difficult, or at least he imagined that it must have been. He could only begin to imagine what his older counterpart must have gone through.
But all of that was over now. She was here and the events of her past were just that, the past. She was their chance at change. She was their chance at progress. She was their chance at redemption.
He had promised Akemi that he would see to it that the road was as kind as it could be, given the circumstances. But even he had not accounted for certain things. He had not accounted for Minato developing feelings for her. He had not accounted for Sakura's stubbornness. He had not accounted for Kushina's accident. He had not accounted for Sakura's guilt.
But even if he had not accounted for all those factors, there was one thing that he could account on: jealously. Sarutobi bit the end of his pipe. The smile that formed on his lips was purely genuine. When Akemi had appeared before him, he had been green. He was new to the job. That was certainly not the case now.
He understood that the responsibilities of a kage extended beyond what was written in fine print. He was responsible for ensuring that his shinobi were in peak physical, mental, and emotional health. And that was not the scenario for the village's next Hokage and the shinobi world's savior.
Minato's inquiry about Sakura spoke volumes. The blondes' relationship with Kushina was more one-sided than he had originally concluded. Minato taught that he was being sly and careful but he could not be further from the truth. The blonde was getting messy. It was only a matter of time before he trapped himself in the web of deception that he had so intricately woven. If he continued to be careless he would lose them both.
So that is where jealously came into play. If everything went according to plan, Sakura would come back slightly less miserable and that would be instrumental in helping her regain some of her lost confidence. And one blonde would become slightly more miserable.
Kushina deserved better than a hollow shell of a relationship. She would be in pain in the short run and she would get hurt but everything would play out in the end. She was emotionally strong. She would be able to overcome heartbreak, he was sure of it. She would suffer less the sooner this foolishness ends.
Minato needed to realize that he gave up Sakura too soon, too easily, and too cleanly. He needed to realize that all she wanted him to do was fight for her. But he had done the opposite, he had given in. He had taken the easy way out. He needed to realize that some things were worth the heartache, the struggle, and the pain. He needed to realize that Sakura was worth fighting for.
Jealously had been the motivating factor that had propelled him to propose to Biwoka. Seeing her with another man had finally caused everything to fit into place. It had taken losing her to another to make him realize that he loved her. And they have been married for over a decade now.
Sarutobi ran his hand across his face. Perhaps he was reading too much into it. Perhaps Minato was just curious for Sakura's wellbeing, like any good friend would be. He pressed his lips in a firm line. That was not the case. Minato had displayed more in his passive aggressive tactics. He was more invested than a mere friend, teammate, or colleague. He had seen the anger in his iris when they spoke in allegory.
Maybe he was reading too much into them. Maybe they were different from Tsunade and Jiraiya. Maybe Kushina and Minato would fall in love, eventually. Maybe Sakura might find happiness with another. Maybe there was a way that everyone could be happy.
But thinking that way was just foolish and naive. Believing that everyone would have a happy ending was just wistful thinking and a fool's dream.
He hoped that despite everything that he had not accounted for that things would work out. After all, they did not call him the Professor for naught.
He was putting his reputation on the line for those two.
Her head was throbbing painfully. Sakura grabbed hold on it and let out a groan. She was surprised when her fingers came into contact with something damp. She bolted upright and opened her eyes frantically. "The baby!" She pushed she unsteady frame out of the thin mattress she was lying on.
"Sakura you need to calm down." Masaki tired to ease her back to the thin blanket that separated her from the gravel of the ground. She gripped his shoulders desperately. She was feeling incredibly lightheaded from her sudden movement. The vertigo threatened to empty the contents of her stomach. And she would have, if there was anything to empty.
"Masaki how's the baby?" Her eyes were so wide with fear and desperation that Masaki could not bring himself to scold her just yet. She was scared and she was shaking. He needed to put her panic to an end before she started hyperventilating.
"She's fine, Sakura. Her mother's nursing her in the other room." Masaki pointed to the curtain divider that separated the room in half. They must have set it up once Masaki arrived to give the new mother privacy with her daughter. "She's fine, Sakura." He assured her once more.
She let herself relax her hold on his shoulders. "I was so scared." She looked down at her hands. Someone had washed the blood off of them. "I was so scared that I couldn't save her. I was scared to fail again. I was scared of not being able to help her."
"But you did," both nin turned to look at the new mother enter the room with the baby in her arms. The raven head of hair peaked from through the white sheets. Sakura saw a tiny arm dart out and grab the air. She exhaled the breath that she was unknowingly holding. The baby was alive and well. She had no reason to doubt her teammate but it was relieving to see the evidence with her own eyes.
"You shouldn't be up so soon! You just had the baby!" Sakura made a movement to get up but Masaki anchored her to the ground and to him. The brunette and magenta haired woman exchanged long glances. "What?" Sakura snapped irritably. They were treating her like a child.
"Sakura you've been out of it for four days now." Sakura turned to look at the woman for conformation. She nodded her head sadly. Masaki shot her a look and the woman disappeared behind the curtain. They were alone once again.
"What about the mission?" Sakura turned to look at Masaki with a horrified expression. "Masaki the mission!" She searched his face desperately.
"Sakura, its fine. The blonde that I was talking to, before you vanished, was the daughter of one of the most influential men in the village. He's entertained high ranking officers from both Kiri and Kumo. I was able to gather more information then we could ever have hoped to in the last few days."
Masaki said in a low voice. He kept his eyes trained to the spot the woman had disappeared. His lilac orbs almost seemed black. For the first time she noticed his tense posture. He looked like a caged animal, ready to strike without a moment's notice.
At his words Sakura let herself relax, slightly. She had not jeopardized the mission. She was ruining everything she touched lately. "When do we head back to Konoha?" She asked him with solemn eyes. He visibly stiffened at her question. She felt dread lodge in her throat. "You didn't tell the Hokage did you?" He was going to kill her if he found out. "Did you?" She shook him gently. She was setting all her hopes on him now.
"No," Masaki set his jaw and glared heatedly at Sakura. She could tell how hard it was for him to withhold the information from a man that he respected greatly. "But after what you did, I have no choice but too. What in Kami's name were you thinking?" Sakura inwardly sighed. She was getting asked that question a lot lately. "You were willing to throw away your life for an infant and a woman you don't even know? How can you justify any of this?"
She could tell that he was holding back. She could tell that he wanted to say more. She could tell that because his eyes were doing most of the talking. He was furious with her. And had it not been for the thin sheet divider, he would have torn into her. He was controlling himself not to spare her, but because they had an audience within hearing range.
"She reminded me of my mother. She was desperate and scared. I had to help her. She reminded me of my mom, I had to do something." She smiled sadly at him. His heart clenched at the clear heartbreak on her face. "I'm sorry but you can't tell the Hokage. He'll never trust me." She grabbed both of his hands in hers. "Please for me," that line had worked on Minato and she hoped it would come in equally handy now.
His eyes looked at her disbelievingly. He had assumed that she was doing this out of some misplaced need to show him up. He had assumed that she had done it to be some sort of hero. He had assumed that she was doing it to show off and feed her own ego. He had assumed wrong.
Her desperate gaze stared back at him. They stared at each other for what had to be an eternity. Her stomach bunched in a painful knot in her abdomen. She was terrified that he would tell Sarutobi, despite her protests and pleads.
She watched with a held breath as ice defrosted from his eyes. She exhaled slowly at the relaxed set of his shoulders. He would not deny her. He would not go against her request. He would not turn on her. She could trust him. She had no choice but to trust him. He was in on her little secret. She did not know how many more lies and acts of deception she could keep from everyone. They were bound to catch up with her eventually.
Masaki sighed in defeat. "Fine but we leave tomorrow. The Hokage won't suspect anything if we're only a day late." Sakura shook her head. Masaki let out a frustrated growl. "Sakura you just woke up from a coma-"
"No I didn't. I know when I'm in a comatose state. This wasn't one. I was merely recovering. I was in limbo, Masaki. I'm fine. We should head out soon. We both have jobs to do back in Konoha."
He stared at her with disbelief. Her explanation did nothing to calm his worry, if anything it only added to it. "Come on, we better get going." She said in loud voice so that the woman would hear them through the thin fabric.
The flap of the current open to reveal her, "you can't leave Sakura-sama. I haven't had the chance to properly thank you." Sakura swallowed thickly at the woman came near her. She was looking at Sakura with so much respect that it unnerved her.
"My grandmother used to tell me stories about a great and powerful healer in the Land of Fire. She had hate growing inside of her but her heart was pure enough to overcome the despair. She could heal anything they used to say. I used to think that was stuff of legend but now I realize just how foolish I have been. You bear her mark, Sakura-sama. Are you her descendent?" Her green eyes looked at her with hope.
Sakura shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry but I don't know who you're talking about." She did not. She really did not know what the magenta haired woman was referring too. Her mind was still swimming with a thousand incoherent thoughts.
The back of her mind registered that Masaki had put himself in between the woman and herself. His arm was curled protectively around her waist. She did not mind the contact. She found it comforting in a way. She needed his to help keep her upright.
"Oh," the disappointment was clear as day in her features. "Well regardless, thank you Sakura-sama for saving me and my daughter Tukiko-chan." The woman bowed deeply at Sakura. The pinkette blinked at the crown of her head. She looked at Masaki pleadingly.
"Kohana-san that's quite enough." Masaki helped the unsteady Sakura to her feet. His hand was clasped firmly around hers. "Thank you for your hospitality. We'll be taking our leave now." Masaki smiled at the woman with tightness that Sakura could not bring herself to explain. She just figured that Masaki was still angry with her.
"Of course Masaki-san," Kohana stepped aside and allowed Masaki to lead Sakura to the door. The pinkette needed his help to slip on her shoes. Someone had cleaned and wrapped them in bandages with a careful hand. It had to Masaki. The wrappings were too neat to have been done by a civilian. Only an experienced hand of a shinobi could be responsible for them.
"Take care of Tukiko," Sakura glanced at the raven haired and raven eyed baby in her grandmother's arms. The old woman was standing by the threshold of the small home. She smiled at Sakura.
Sakura made to look at the baby better but Masaki pulled her arm harshly. She felt her arm pop in its socket from the pressure that he had applied. She was about to voice her disapproval of him manhandling her but his expression quieted her protest. He had promised to keep her secret. The least she could do was to stay quiet and follow his lead. He continued to drag her as subtly as he could. Sakura trusted him enough to play along.
"What was that all about back there?" Sakura finally deemed it safe enough to ask Masaki what had been plaguing her mind ever since they left Kaori. He had been old quiet and impatient with her. He was displaying a completely different side of him and she did not care for it.
"They knew too much about Konoha," Masaki did not bother to turn back to look at her. He was pushing the pace and it was becoming hard for Sakura to follow but she would never voice that fact. She was the one who had insisted on leaving today anyway. They should make it to Konoha before day's end. "They managed to figure out we were from there but I didn't give them any reason to believe so. They know too much about the village for it to be coincidence."
"So? She was just talking about some far off legend." She really did not see what had Masaki so riled up. The brunette stopped abruptly and Sakura nearly ran into him. The expression in his eyes caused fear to spike in her.
He was scaring her. The rational part of her brain was telling her that he was doing that for good reason. If he was suspicious of them, it was supported by evidence. He was an interrogator. He must have interacted with Kohana while she was still under the effects of the jutsu. He must know something that she did not.
"It's not a legend, Sakura, she was talking about the kyuubi's first jinchuurikki. She was talking about Tsunade-hime's grandmother." Sakura's eyes widened. She stared at Masaki in confusion. Her name was a recurring presence in Sakura's life.
"Uzumaki Mito wasn't a medic. There's no know records of her healing minor ailments, let alone what Kohana described." She covered her mouth in horror. The sudden realization threatened to make her sick. She gripped her belly as a means to will everything to remain where it was.
"Exactly, only Konoha shinobi should know about her abilities. Those two know too much. They could have even purposely forced Kohana to go into premature labor once one of them recognized you in town. It could have been a trap, Sakura. They probably assumed that you would be willing to sacrifice your own wellbeing to help another. I don't know what they're after but they almost succeeded." He looked at her with pity in his eyes. He could only imagine what was racing through her head.
She pressed her palm against the trunk of a tree and tried to regain her balance. Her whole world was spinning. What Masaki said made so much sense, it made too much sense. She had nearly thrown away her life for a complete stranger. A complete stranger that went out of her way to trap Sakura, a complete stranger that nearly succeeded in killing her and had Masaki not shown up when he had, she would have been as good as dead.
"I think, I think I need to sit down." Sakura slumped against the rough bark of the tree. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them to her. "What grudge could they possibly have against Mito?" She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Masaki frowned as he took in her question. It had been bothering him too. He crouched so that he was eye level with her. She appreciated the gesture. He did not want to make it seem that he was talking down to her.
"Maybe they thought that you were the jinchuuriki. They could have mistaken you for Kushina. It's possible that they intended to make the girl the new bijuu for the fox." Her heart sank. Everyone was after a bijuu. Everyone wanted a tailed-beast. What would Kaori be any different? A jinchuuriki, especially one of the strongest buijuu, would make the village and land relevant again. Or they could always sell it to the highest bidder.
"I think it would be wise to keep you in the village for a while." Sakura nodded her head miserably. "And Kushina too," he added after sparing her a glance. "You think you can make it to Konoha? It's only a few hours more." Sakura nodded again and pushed to her feet. He followed suit. His arms were held out. He was ready to catch her if she fell. Her feet were incredibly sore but she soldered on without a complaint.
"The blonde gave me this, does it mean anything to you?" She reached out for the folded parchment with shaking fingers. She opened the crease and nearly cried out in shock. Her emerald eyes snapped up to Masaki's. The black and white sketch of a dreadfully familiar ring was seared in her brain. 'Sasori,' her whole body was a tight as a spring.
"How long?" Her voice quivered and sounded shrill and close to hysterical even to her own ears. She folded the sketch and put it in her hip pouch. His eyes followed her the whole way. His lips were brought together in a tight line. It was clear that he wanted to answer her question with a question but the graveness in her gaze forced him to reconsider.
"We missed them by ten days." Sakura closed her eyes. They had missed Akatsuki by a mere ten days. They had been in Kaori ten days ago. They had missed them by ten days! "The blonde's hobby is to draw. She took down the design while the men were having a meeting with her father. She only was able to take down one of their rings. They were meeting with Iwa officials."
She was only half listening to his explanation. It was all started to finally make sense. She would need to conduct a few tests in Konoha to confirm but the knot in her gut told her all she needed to know. Sasori had created the seal. He was the only one apt enough to do it. He specialized in both poisons and sealing. He was the only one capable of creating something so devastating and effective. But she had to be sure. She did not want to force Konoha's hand and have them go after Akatsuki while the war had reached a delicate stage. Konoha could not afford to send out resources without valid reason. She needed more to go on than a simple sketch. "We need to leave this out of the report." She took in his look of disbelief. "Just until I figure everything out, you need to trust me on this. If these men are involved the war might not be over as soon as everyone would like to believe."
His eyes widened for a split second. "What aren't you telling me?" She could not keep the wry smile from her face. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from answering truthfully. She was not telling him a whole lot. He had no idea just how long of a response his simple question warranted. He knew nothing about her. She was as good as a stranger to him.
"It's just a hunch and hopefully it's a wrong one." She grabbed the trunk of the massive tree. She was having trouble processing everything. She hoped that Akatsuki was not involved to the extent that she feared they were. If they were, she had no idea what to expect.
The organization was supposed to be dormant for another decade, at least. Sasori should not be this advanced in his poisons. Akatsuki should not be taking sides in the war. But that was her timeline. Things were different here, things moved faster and adapted quicker. It was only a matter of time that she would not even recognize events.
Things were changing because she was making them change. The deaths of Orochimaru and Danzo would have repercussions that realistically she could never have predicted. Things were changing and that was not always a good thing.
She swayed dangerously. Masaki sighed before he bent down. "Hop on," he said in the most patient voice he could. Sakura glumly climbed on his back. Only after she had wrapped her arms around his neck did Masaki strengthen. "I'll take your word for it but once you figure it out, I want in." She remained silent. She could not promise that to him.
"Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to assume the worst." He stared back at her with mild surprise. Sakura fought the hesitation that was growing in her. "Their emotions were so genuine it would be hard to fake something like that. And besides there was no guarantee that Konoha's jinchuuriki would come here. I don't think that they were bad people."
She wanted to deal with one thing at a time. Akatsuki could wait until she was back in Konoha. Akatsuki could wait until she was absolutely sure that they were involved in all of this slowly met his eyes and was surprised to see the emotions flicker across them. The mysteriousness was back.
"Old man Hokage was right. You really are a bleeding heart." He laughed a deep belly laugh. It appalled her that he was so carefree given what they had just been through. She waited patiently for him to regain his composure. The laughter was gone but a large smile still adorned his face. "Once we get back to the village, I'm going to take you out on that date I promised."
Sakura rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder playfully. "Honestly, you men only think about one thing." She realized that he was trying to pull her attention away from her very foolish mistake. And she was beyond thankful for that. She lowered her head against his shoulder blades.
She inhaled deeply. He smelled like a crackling fire. While Minato had smelled cool and soothing, Masaki smelled of warmth and comfort. She detected the hint of cinnamon coming from his hair. He smelled different than Minato, but it was certainly not in a bad way.
"So nothing was out of the ordinary?" The Hokage looked over the top of the report at the two jonin. Masaki's face was an impassive mask. He had spent nearly his whole life perfecting it and it showed. Sakura on the other hand, looked as guilty as could be. She jumped at the slightest movement or noise, and had her eyes trained to her feet. She was also chewing her bottom lip frantically.
Masaki spared Sakura an unimpressed look and returned his gaze to Sarutobi. "Nothing, Hokage-sama." The kage took a long drag of his pipe and regarded the two. Masaki's firm and unwavering response did not surprise him, he was in the I&T Department, after all. And to make matters even worse he was Ibiki's partner of choice. Those two had a legendary reputation amongst enemy nin and even Konoha nin.
His dark eyes traveled to the jittery medic. She was hiding something, they were hiding something. But he knew that it would all become clear in due time. Sakura was never good about keeping secrets from people she respected. He trusted her to tell him when she was ready. He owed her that much.
"I must say," both of the jonin looked at him intently. His tone of voice had transitioned from authoritative and demanding to light and casual. "You have gathered more intel then I could ever have hoped. Well done you two, you make quite a team."
He grinned at them. Sakura's stomach tightened at the amused look dancing in Sarutobi's eye. Their Hokage was a closet pervert if there ever was one. Who knew what was going through his head. But she knew that she did not want to stay long enough to find out. "Thank you Hokage-sama." She bowed before she existed his office quickly. Masaki looked at the closing door with raised eyebrows.
"What was that all about?" Masaki turned to fix the Hokage with a confused expression. Sarutobi chuckled softly at the pinkette's actions. He was beginning to find her very entertaining.
The Hokage shrugged but the amusement never left his face. "You know women. They always make a mountain out of a mole hole." The two men exchanged knowing looks.
"Why did you get married Hokage-sama?" Masaki asked his leader in a skeptical voice. If women were really as bad as Sarutobi occasionally made them out to be, it was a mystery why he married one. It was one of the strange occurrences in life. Another one was why the Nara men always fell in love with women that were the epitome of troublesome.
Instead of being offended, the Hokage's eyes lit up. "Ah you pose a very good question, Masaki-kun. But by asking such a question you have just made it painfully obvious that you've never been in love."
Masaki locked his jaw. It was true he had never fallen in love but the Hokage did not have to tease him about it. Finding love was hard enough but given their profession it was nearly impossible. "Give it some time. You will be answering your own question, soon enough." The kage's eye took on a faraway glint and Masaki took that as a dismissal. He bowed to the kage but Sarutobi was too far gone in his thoughts to notice.
'Senile old man,' the brunette thought to himself dryly. The Konoha skyline was painted in deep, rich shades of pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows.
He was too busy admiring the beauty that he collided with a solid frame. "Excuse me," the twenty-five year old's sheepish smile slipped off his face as he recognized the man staring at him. "Sorry about that Namikaze-san." He smiled politely but the gesture did not reach his eyes.
Minato looked at the brunette coolly. He looked a bit tired but otherwise was fine, which was probably a good indication that the mission went smoothly. "Where's Sakura?" Masaki set his lips in a hard and looked at the slightly shorter man. His blue eyes were blazing with strong emotions. He recognized the possessiveness in them instantly.
Masaki shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive manner. "Have you tried the hospital?" He offered helpfully. Minato's eyes narrowed at the brunette's innocent tone. "Is she's not there maybe you could try her apartment." A wry smile morphed at his lips at Minato's tight jaw.
The blonde looked away from the lightening user. Ever since her reaction to learning about his seal, Minato had made it a principle not to use his seal to find her. He felt as if it was cheating and he could only imagine her reacting to seeing him again. He was not ready to face her yet but he needed to see her with his own eyes to be convinced that she was unharmed. He wanted to see her without her seeing him.
"Oh, she didn't tell you where she lives?" Minato squared his shoulder at the blonde's astonished voice. "I mean that's surprising to hear, since you are so close and all." He was laying it on really thickly. Minato did not buy his kind, innocent act for a second. He did not trust the brunette. But it always was not this way.
"If this is about the past-"
"This isn't about you and me, it's about Sakura." Masaki interrupted the blonde with a hard tone. His violet eyes challenged Minato to contradict him, to fight him, to coerce him into confrontation. Minato say years worth of frustration threatening to spill out of the brunette.
"Stop playing games. Where is she?" He finally forced himself to meet the man's piercing violet eyes. To his surprise Masaki was wearing a similar expression to him. The brunette looked rattled for the first time in a long time. Minato blinked as the brunette's carefully constructed mask fell from his face.
"You're the one playing games. You already have one, you can't stake claim to both." Masaki's eyes narrowed into slits as he pointed an accusing finger at Minato. "The village may see you as a hero but you're no better than scum."
Minato stared flabbergasted at Masaki. He felt his anger threaten to consume him. "You have no right to pass judgment on my actions." Minato took an aggressive step towards the unwavering brunette. He seemed to have grown a backbone since he last saw him.
"You're right, Namikaze-san. You're a smart man, probably second to only Shikaku. I can't control your actions but I can offer you advice. You need to stop these games. You'll just end up hurting everyone you care about. Learn to be satisfied with what you have." He moved past the stunned blonde.
He took five measured steps before he called back to him. "She's been through enough already. I won't let you hurt her anymore." He squared his shoulder and continued his way home.
The blonde stared at his back until it was gone from sight. "Who gave you the right to make that call?" He muttered under his breath. Masaki was acting as if her wellbeing was his responsibility and that was not the case. Her wellbeing was his problem and he did not appreciate the brunette's comments. Minato stared up at the sky. The colors that blended together angered him.
He was terrified of the blonde but enough was enough. Minato could not juggle as much as he thought he could. And he would be damned if he let Sakura become a casualty in Minato's mind games. He cared about her too much to let that happen. He pocketed his trembling hands and returned his attention to the now pink and purple sky.
He would definitely take her on that date now, even if it was for the less than noble reason of spiting one Namikaze Minato.
Preview of Chapter Twenty-Two: Nerves and Jealously
Sakura adjusted her pack and bit down on another ration pill. Her lack of sleep was starting to affect her movements. Her brain was not as decisive or quick. Her muscles felt heavy and stiff. The pain in her abdomen was only second to the throbbing in her head. But her own aches and pains were the furthest from her mind. She had more pressing matters that required her immediate attention.
She felt his eyes. They were burning right through her, skin and bone. He was watching her. She felt like prey. He was the hunter. She was playing by his rules. She was at his mercy, or so he thought. There came a time that the hunter became the hunted and he had just given her an opening. He had set himself up for this moment. She had given him ample time to back out, to back down, and to walk away. He had brought this on himself.
Sakura looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows at him. She could not take any more of this. She was at her wit's end and the longer this remained unresolved the longer it would eat way at her. She did not need her thoughts to be divided. She had one enemy and despite what it seemed at times, he was not it. "Are you going to tell me what you're thinking or not?" She snapped.
The way he was looking at her, gave her the impression that he was silently trying to convey his displeasure. He was trying to impose his will on her with just a well placed gaze. He had abandoned words for the sake of silence. His anger ran deeper than what words could ever disclose. He was past words. He was relying on physical cues to make her bend, to make her submit, to make her give in, to make her see the error in her ways.
But that was not going as quickly as he would have liked. She much rather preferred him to tell her off with words. She watched him with wariness in her features. He was unpredictable. He was close to coming apart. He was unraveling and it was all her fault. She was the one who did this to him. She was the reason why. He scowled at her before vanishing.
Sakura came to an abrupt halt to avoid colliding with his chest. "Really Minato?" She asked him with her hands firmly planted on her hips. He seemed to love to summon himself right in front of her. They had barely set foot outside of Konoha for half an hour and he was already driving her insane. She was thankful that they at least had Jiraiya with them. The presence of the sannin was reminding her of the mission objective. He was reminding her that things were bigger than her and Minato.
He was frowning at her but that was nothing new. She met his icy eyes with fire in hers. If he was going to be cold and distant then she would be fiery and demanding. She would melt the frostiness off of him. They both registered that Jiraiya had stopped as well as was staring back at them with blatant interest. He could not keep the smirk from his features and Sakura was too preoccupied with the brooding blonde in front of her to much about it. "What's your deal?"
Emerald met cobalt. She licked her lips. She could taste the electricity in the air. Her heart stammered in her ears. He was the only one who could make her feel like this. He was the only one who could make her this angry with just a look. He was the only one who could make her melt just as easily. He was the only one that could make her feel so much, so strongly. He was the only one that could make her come unhinged with little to no effort. He was the only one that mattered right now.
This was the first time she had spoken to him in months.
Let me know what's going on in your head. :)
I'm a big girl, I can handle your constructive criticism.