CHAPTER 25

Kakashi was an experienced ninja. He was only 28 years old, but he'd already been an ANBU captain and had fought in the last war. He had seen almost everything that was to be seen by shinobi; the weirdest abilities, the most dangerous criminals and missions, the shameless corruption of the leaders. However, he had never come across something like this.

He had noticed something off about Sakura ever since she became his student. He'd read her file from the academy teachers and had later thought it was strange that none of them had noticed her abilities as a fighter and as a medic. He had also been quite surprised by how quick she'd improved ever since, given that she didn't have a sharingan to copy techniques nor did she have a tailed beast sealed inside her. She'd been even better than her two teammates.

It had always been nagging him unconsciously and he had known that there was something up. He'd done as he had always said; look underneath the underneath. However, this time he had simply decided to trust her because he instinctively trusted Sakura.

While he was watching Hiruzen resign as Hokage and nominate Danzo as the next one – something that he'd been dreading ever since he met the shady man – he decided to look around and gauge the reactions of his fellow shinobi. While he was at it, his eyes came upon Sakura and he saw her shaking and tensing up as she watched Danzo enter the platform. He'd immediately known that there was something up between her and said man. When he saw that she wasn't getting a grip on herself he approached her before a root ANBU could. He was expecting her to say that Danzo had done something to her family, that she had some connections with root or something along those lines.

What he didn't expect was for her to be a twenty year old time-traveler. When she first told him he'd almost snorted at her – thinking it was a joke – but she convinced him to listen to the whole story. And so, Kakashi sat there for almost two hours listening as she told him about her previous life.

Kakashi half-believed her story as she spoke. Everything had been believable; Sasuke leaving the village, Naruto leaving with Jiraiya, her training with Tsunade – the Fifth Hokage – the truth about the Uchiha massacre and Itachi, the Akatsuki and the tailed beasts, Kabuto and his army of dead shinobi.

The story had made complete sense, but it was still a crazy story and he was not going to believe such a thing that easily. However, when she told him about Obito he had been finally convinced that she'd been speaking the truth. There was no way that she could've possibly known about Obito and Rin – no one knew but Kakashi himself.

Sakura had a hand on intel that no shinobi – no matter what rank – could've ever had. She had detailed info on the abilities of every Akatsuki member, even those whose abilities were still unknown. She'd displayed abilities that couldn't be explained and she had known stuff about him that he'd never told her. She knew what his favorite Icha-Icha was and why he was so afraid of hospitals – which wasn't really relevant but gave glimpses of how much she actually knew him.

He had been shocked and quiet the whole time and he could only imagine how stunned his expression must've looked like. The whole thing had been so much for Kakashi that he had to tell her to wait a couple days until he processed it all. He'd been struggling with everything she'd said – especially the truth about Obito – for all of the next day. Thankfully it'd been their day off so he wasn't expected to meet anyone. He'd sat in his living-room and had forced his mind to digest all of that in one go. It had taken a real toll on him and he'd felt his whole sense of security had been shattered. What was he even supposed to do now? Was he to go find Obito and bring him back to his senses? Stay in Konoha and support Danzo of all people? Was that man truly and consciously appointed as Hokage or had he blackmailed Hiruzen?

Sakura's narration of Pein's attack on Konoha and the fourth war had been horribly accurate. He heard her voice tremble and her hands shake as she told him about the deaths she'd seen firsthand. It had reminded Kakashi of his own experience at war. It had brought chills on his skin and a heavy knot in his throat. Sakura's experience had been even worse than his own; every shinobi nation had been wiped out in her time, after all.

When Monday came, Kakashi was sadly forced to leave his house and head to the training grounds where he would meet Sasuke, Sakura and Anko as usual. He was secretly nervous about meeting Sakura; he'd always envisioned her as a child with no real experience as a shinobi, but he was now conscious of the fact that she was as seasoned as he was. Furthermore, what would he do with Sasuke? He'd been training the young man to be the best kind of shinobi until now, but was that a wise thing to do? If Sasuke ever found out about Danzo, would he not become a criminal and use all those abilities against Konoha?

Kakashi slowly approached the training grounds and suddenly felt movement behind him. He unconsciously tensed, but didn't act upon it because he recognized the chakra signature immediately. He felt on arm sneaking around his neck and a warm breath on the skin of his cheek.

"Hey there, big boy." Anko said and he could hear the smirk in her voice. Her free hand snuck down his chest and took a firm hold of his hip. "I missed you yesterday."

"Anko." Kakashi said and felt a small smile on his lips. Anko softly released him and walked around him in a circle.

"Hey." She frowned in worry when she came to a stop in front of him. Her observant eyes obviously caught up on his uneasiness, no matter how good he was at hiding it. "You seem… perturbed by something."

"Oh." Kakashi quickly forced his body to relax and he pushed all of his thoughts under a mental carpet. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I just had a nightmare last night… it was very realistic."

"Are they coming back to you?" Anko held his wrist softy, but her eyes were steady as she looked inquisitively into Kakashi's. She knew that he'd been plagued by nightmares after stepping down from ANBU, but they'd stopped a long time ago.

"It was just this one time. Let's just hope it doesn't happen again."

"OK. If you're scared you can always come and snuggle in my bed. You know how good I am when it comes to distracting you." Anko's tone was lewd and smug with an almost mocking undertone, but he could read the real concern behind it all. She smirked playfully and caressed the skin behind his ear.

"Ah." Kakashi shuddered and felt a blush on his cheek. He couldn't believe what this woman did to him; he felt like a thirteen year old. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Come, let's find those brats." Anko said and led the way.

Kakashi followed close behind her and exhaled deeply. Anko always managed to take the weight off his shoulders with her carefree attitude. He could now clearly see that this whole issue would certainly have to be dealt with, but he still had time. He didn't need to rush things and act impulsively. He had to be careful and think ahead – just like Sakura had been doing, but not take two goddamn years to take action.

"Hey!" Sakura's voice caught his attention and he looked up.

She had been sitting next to Sasuke on the grass and was now standing up. A toothy grin was displayed on her face as she greeted Anko. When she locked eyes with him, her smiled became smaller and there was a tentative look on her face. She was silently wondering about his approach to her now that he knew everything. Kakashi looked into her eyes and found that… there was no change in the way he felt about her. She still felt like his student, a teenage girl that he'd been training for over a year and someone he actually cared about. The only difference was that he now knew her to be more mature. Kakashi's lone eye crinkled as a smile stretched on his lips.

"Yo." He waved.

Sakura's smile widened and then looked to the side when Sasuke stood up. He nodded once at the jonin and motioned towards the grounds, irritation at their teachers' tardiness clear in his body language. They all followed and started training as usual.

Kakashi and Anko talked for a bit about what they would do for training that day. They had barely come to a decision when a sudden presence appeared and interrupted them.

"Haruno Sakura." A masked ANBU spoke looking at her. He then turned his head to look at Sasuke, who was standing not far from her. "Uchiha Sasuke. You're both being summoned by the Danzo-sama. Report to the Hokage office immediately."

Sakura forced a smile and nodded at the ANBU. When he received a confirmation from Sasuke too, he left in a flash. Sakura immediately locked eyes with Kakashi, her face hidden from the rest of the group. Her forehead was scrunched up and she was biting her lip, worry written all over her face. Kakashi moved so that Anko wouldn't see him – her mind was as sharp as her mouth – and reassuringly nodded at Sakura. There was no use in trying to walk around this. It was either go to the Hokage when summoned or become suspicious.

"Come on." Sasuke said from behind her and Kakashi's fists tightened when the two started walking away.

Hopefully they would only be summoned for a mission and nothing more. Still, he couldn't shake the uneasiness from spreading through his gut once again. Anko's unusual silence did nothing to help him; her sharp instincts and knowledge of Danzo's ways probably making her feel weary about this whole situation too.

-x-

Her life was slowly starting to become more and more complicated. She wished to be back in the days when team 7 was together and they would keep on completing simple D-ranked missions. Where there was no dead Tsunade, no missing pages from Orochimaru's report and no Danzo as Hokage.

Sakura had already made up her mind about Danzo becoming Hokage; she was certain that he had somehow forced Hiruzen. Not only were the Third's ideals completely opposite from Danzo's, but he had already refused to make him Hokage once. Why would he accept now? There was also the subject of his speech. He was most definitely still capable of leading the village, unlike what he had stated. Also, he had mentioned the Will of Fire as the most important trait of a leader, but he had not mentioned it as one of Danzo's traits. The Third was a wise and smart man and there was no way he would make such a mistake; he had definitely presented Danzo's appointment as a contradiction on purpose. It all meant one thing; Hiruzen had been fully conscious about what he was doing that day, which meant that he'd not been controlled by Danzo's sharingan. However, what methods could've actually coerced Hiruzen into giving in?

Sakura intuitively had the notion that all of that was somehow connected to Tsunade's death – there had been a written warning about the council on her – and Orochimaru's report torn page. Was someone trying to warn Tsunade about Danzo plotting against Hiruzen? Had the council been responsible for Tsunade's death? Had Danzo stolen the intel about Orochimaru's corpse? If he did, what would he use it for? It somehow felt like the pieces of a puzzle, but Sakura could still not clearly understand how everything was connected.

Apart from that and the nearing war, Sakura realized that there was the issue of Itachi now. She hadn't fully shown him the images that she needed in order to let him know what she knew. He had broken out of it too soon and the look he'd thrown at her had been unsettling. Did he want to kill her for showing him images about Sasuke? Could he be worried that her innuendo about the truth about his actions was actually a threat? If he attacked her for real, what would she do?

"Sakura."

"Huh?" Sakura jerked and look at the raven haired teen next to her. "What?"

"I've asked you twice already. Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah." Sakura forced a smile. "I was just… wondering how you were doing ever since we met your brother. We haven't had much time to talk anyways."

"Fine, considering the circumstances." Sasuke said simply.

"Oh." Sakura said and looked at her feet. She'd honestly expected him to speak a bit more. Not only was angst building at a fast rate inside of her due to Danzo summoning them, but she was also honestly interested in knowing how he was dealing with that. A couple seconds passed and Sasuke sighed, seemingly noticing what she had expected.

"I've been a bit on edge and my patience is slightly shortened. But no nightmares or anything else."

"That's good." Sakura smiled, truly glad that at least he wasn't feeling too troubled.

As they walked into the Hokage Tower they became quiet. Sasuke probably due to having nothing else to say and Sakura due to apprehension. Sakura could only hope that Danzo would not be calling her up there because he was suspicious. If she noticed anything, she'd have to try her best to escape, which was not a good option at all. As she watched the office's door come into view, she forced herself to relax; Kakashi already knew of her time-travel. If anything happened and she had to leave, she could count on him.

Knock knock.

"Enter." A deep voice said from inside the room and Sasuke slowly opened the door.

Sakura walked inside after him, forcing herself to stay calm and collected. She positioned herself next to Sasuke and looked up towards the desk. Danzo was sitting there with his elbows propped on the table, his hands crossed in front of his face. His eyes were sharp as he scrutinized the two teenagers in front of him. Sakura felt the urge not to squirm uncomfortably under his stare as she'd suspected, but to punch the jerk square in the face. Oh, how she'd enjoy kicking his ass if she cou-

"I will make this quick, since I can't be wasting my time. I've called the two of you over for different issues." he spoke seriously and turned to look at Sasuke. "Uchiha Sasuke. You are aware that you're the last Uchiha who can clear up the Clan's name in the village and the last person with a fully capable sharingan."

"Hai."

"Your training has been under the tutelage of Hatake Kakashi until now, but given how much your abilities are needed I've decided that he will no longer be training you." Danzo's voice held the steel of a ruthless upper military. "Your training will be supervised by be from now on, so that I can make sure that you can reach you potential."

Sakura felt Sasuke tense next to her and she cursed. Danzo couldn't possibly be trying to get his claws on Sasuke, could he? He hated the Uchiha Clan… why not simply send Sasuke off to his death instead of-

"Haruno Sakura." Sakura jerked up and the sound of her name spoken by Danzo sent shivers down her spine. "It has come to my attention that you are a medic nin that's said to be a genius." Sakura felt like lashing out at his belittling tone when he mentioned her profession, but remained calm and nodded. "You also seem to have offered Hiruzen to give some advice about how to improve the healthcare system in Suna."

"Hai."

"Good. I've decided that the peace treaty with Suna was rushed. I need to be certain about their real intentions regarding this issue, so I will send you as an undercover spy to watch their movements." Sakura's arms tensed at his words, but remained still. "You will be going as a delegate to improve their hospital and improve the expertise of the health professionals. I have decided that the mission's duration is to be 24 months, which should be enough for you to believably improve their system and find out what they're after."

"Sir, with all due respect, that amount of time-"

"Are you refusing an order, Haruno?" Danzo raised his voice to interrupt her.

"No, sir." Sakura lowered her head in submission. She knew how vicious Danzo could be when it came to securing his authority, so she decided to play by his rules.

"Good." He spoke slowly, and Sakura swore that there had been a vicious glint in his eye when he mentioned the amount of time she would be spending in Suna. "The risk of your journey to Suna is low enough for you to travel on your own. Pack your stuff, say good-bye to your family and leave as soon as possible."

"Hai." Sakura stood straight as she fought the shaking that her anger was threatening to unleash throughout her whole body.

"You're dismissed. The Uchiha and I need to plan out a schedule."

"Thank you, sir." She successfully managed to mask her feelings and bowed lowly. She turned to look at Sasuke briefly and noticed that he was looking straight ahead. He was smart and had probably noticed that he needed to act as a dutiful soldier and not look at her.

Sakura turned around and walked out of the office. She walked down the stairs, turned around the corner and immediately walked into a public bathroom that was inside the Tower. She entered a cubicle and closed the door behind her softly. As soon as she was sure that she was on her own and no one was watching her, she dropped to her knees. Sakura held the closed toilet seat in a death grip as she felt her hands tremble.

That bastard.

Sakura was not sure if her assumptions were wrong. But just thinking about them made her stomach churn in concern. Sasuke. According to her, there was only one probable reason to why Danzo had decided to oversee Sasuke's training. He wanted to make Sasuke his protégée and teach him his ways. Since it was Danzo, he probably wouldn't to it out of good-will and concern for the boy. After everything the bastard had done to him, he wanted to use Sasuke for his own goals.

If Danzo wanted Sasuke dead, he could simply send him off to a difficult mission, or use his sharingan to manipulate him into having an accident. And no matter what he did, Itachi would see through his actions and spoil his highlight as Hokage with the truth about the massacre. After all, his only condition for deserting and becoming a criminal was for Sasuke to remain safe in Konoha.

Sakura wondered for a moment if it had been actually a good turn of events for Sasuke to stay in the village. However, she immediately brushed the thought off. If Sasuke were to be a rogue nin, Danzo would certainly send every available ANBU to bring his head back. Sasuke needed to stay in the village, he needed to believe that Itachi had been the one truly responsible for the Uchiha massacre. If he found out… Sakura didn't even want to think about that.

Then, there was the issue of her long term mission. Two fucking years. Sakura wondered if her assumption about Danzo made her see things… but she thought that she'd seen his eyes glinting when he mentioned the length of her mission. It did make sense for him to send her away to Suna because of suspicions about their intentions – she expected him to believe that everyone was as deceptive as he was – but two years was definitely too much. Sakura was sure that six months would be more than enough to do what he asked her to do. Why would he want to send her away for such a long time?

Could it be that he wanted to isolate Sasuke? After all, it wouldn't be a stretch to state that she was Sasuke's only friend now that Naruto was gone. If she were to leave, Sasuke would much more easily give in to whatever Danzo was planning. Would Sasuke become cold-hearted once again? Would he shut everyone out and build up his emotional walls once again? Would he become Danzo's right hand and agree with everything he did?

If she left, not only would she have to miss her precious people – her family, Ino, Sasuke, Kakashi, Anko – but she would also be worried sick about Sasuke. Sakura wanted to stay so badly. She wanted to stay here with her loved ones, she wanted to stay here and make sure Danzo didn't brainwash Sasuke. However, Sakura knew that it wasn't an option. If she were to refuse the mission, he would be suspicious and probably have her interrogated. Who knows, maybe he'd even execute her for treason. If she were to tell Sasuke everything and convince him to leave, he would certainly be hunted by the strongest shinobi in the village. If that were to happen he would die, because he didn't have the protection or Orochimaru this time around. Also, Sakura didn't want him to become hate-ridden once again.

Sakura felt terrified when she confirmed that her best option was to simply do as Danzo had asked of her. However, she wouldn't let him have his way. She would do her best to fight whatever he was planning with claws and teeth. With a resolved mind, Sakura wiped down the tears that had been pooling in her eyes and took a deep breath. She walked out of the cubicle, washed her face and left the tower.

Sakura's feet carried her towards the Yamanaka household. Her pace was steady and quick, so she arrived in less than ten minutes, a plan already formed in her head. She allowed her chakra to spread around her and sensed a faint presence following her. The chakra was almost perfectly hidden so it must've been an ANBU… or a root ANBU, which meant that she was being watched. Sakura frowned. Was Danzo already suspicious of her? Or was he simply making sure that she would leave as soon as possible, as he had instructed?

Sakura knocked on Ino's door and bit her lower lip, praying that her friend was home. To her relief, Ino opened the door and widened her eyes at the sight of her friend.

"Sakura?"

"I'm sorry to come unannounced. It's important." Sakura frowned.

"What are you apologizing for? Come in, Forehead."

Sakura walked into the living room and watched Ino put away some book's that she'd been reading. The blonde turned to her and put a hand on her hip.

"So, are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"I'm leaving for a long term mission." Sakura sighed. "For two years."

"What?! Two years?" Ino gaped. "But… you just made chunin and you're still fourteen."

"I know." Sakura bit her lip. "Danzo-sama expects more of us."

Ino crossed the room in two long strides and hugged Sakura tightly. Sakura took the chance and whispered into Ino's ear.

"Ino, we're being watched. I need us to communicate through our thoughts. Do the jutsu when I tell you to." At Sakura's words Ino was frozen for a moment, but soon nodded. Sakura lifted her arms in between them, so that the spy wouldn't be able to see the seals, and soundproofed the room. "Now."

"Shindenshin no Jutsu!"

Ino spoke into the pinkette's shoulder, making sure that it didn't seem as if she were speaking. Sakura dropped the soundproofing and released Ino with a smile. Ino smiled back and motioned towards the kitchen.

"Come, let us have some tea and sit in the garden for a couple minutes."

A couple minutes later they were sitting in the outdoor corridor in silence and looking at the ornamental flowers in peace. Or at least that was what it seemed like.

"What the hell is going on, forehead?"

"Ino. First, I need to tell you that I don't trust Danzo. He seems to me as sneaky, dishonest, and a fascist."

"Hmm. Shikamaru thinks the same."

"Today I was with Sasuke in his office. He sent me on a two-year long mission and decided to be in charge of Sasuke's training from now on. Not only that, he also sent an ANBU to follow me!"

"How can you tell you're being followed?"

"I've been working on sensing others with Anko. The thing is, I'm worried about Sasuke. I'm the only friend he has, and all of his family is dead. Kakashi won't be training with him anymore… he'll be alone. I don't trust Danzo. I don't think he means well."

"And you're telling me this because you want me to keep an eye on him."

"Not just that… I know it's a lot to ask. But… try to be friends with him. Don't let him be alone again. Try to talk to him… maybe he can be friends with Shikamaru and Choji too. Please."

"Sakura. Do you honestly think that he will be all right with that? You know how he is… he'll probably push us away."

"I know. I know, damn it! But please try. Please. I'll make sure to keep in touch with him, so you could use knowing about me as an excuse at first."

"All right, all right. Jeez. You worry too much. Besides, you should look after yourself too, you know? You're the one who's leaving for two years."

"I'll miss you, Pig." Sakura said aloud and Ino left her mind.

"I know. I'll miss you too."

Sakura stood up and walked with Ino towards the hall. She hugged the blonde tightly and then left towards her house. As she walked down the street, she suddenly saw Kakashi walking towards her. Her eyes locked with his and her face became serious, which immediately notified him that something important had happened.

"Sakura-chan." He greeted lazily. He was always such a good actor.

"Sensei." Sakura smiled.

"How was the meeting with Danzo-sama?"

"First of all, he will be in charge of Sasuke's training from now on." She sighed. "Also, he's sending me to Suna on a two-year long mission."

Kakashi's eye widened as he turned to look at her with shock. He soon gathered himself and chuckled. "Well, he must hold you in great esteem if he thinks you're ready for such a mission. And he will probably do a much better job than me training Sasuke."

Kakashi's answer was clearly misleading. He was ANBU-level too, so he had probably already noticed the looming presence that was watching over them. They walked together for a little while before he spoke again.

"When are you leaving?"

"I guess in about an hour I'll be at the gates."

"I have something to do now. I don't know if I'll manage to get to the gates in time. So, if that's the case." Kakashi stepped closer and hugged Sakura shortly. He tilted his head and whispered into her ear. "I'll look after Sasuke. And I'll try to do something about the Akatsuki too."

"I'll miss you too, sensei." Sakura said as she let go and waved him goodbye.

Akatsuki. Sakura cursed. She'd completely forgotten about them. She'd been so worried about Sasuke and Danzo, that she'd suddenly forgotten everything about her real mission. How was she even supposed to do anything from Suna? How could she try to find Obito or Itachi if she was trapped there?

Sakura cursed her luck, but at the same time was relieved to know that she could at least count on Kakashi. He already knew everything about the Akatsuki, their members, their abilities and weaknesses. He would be able to do something about them. He better, because he was Sakura's only viable option for now.

-x-

Sasuke had always wanted to become stronger. Ever since his clan had been murdered it had been the only think in his mind so that he could kill Itachi. Of course he had known that in order to achieve such a thing he would have to find a strong mentor or teacher. When he became a genin, he would've probably trained under anyone with enough power, no matter what impression they gave him. He was willing to become a monster in order to achieve his goal.

But Sasuke was not who he used to be one and a half years ago. He had been put in team 7, and both Sakura and Naruto had changed the way he looked at things..., especially Sakura. The change had been slow but steady. He still wanted to get revenge; it was still his main goal in life, but it was not his only goal. He also wanted to belong to his village, to his team. He wanted to do things in a way that didn't make him regret his life. He wanted to become strong and kill Itachi without losing himself and without ruining his life.

However, his life had always been a paradox. When he'd started noticing something off about his family, they'd been killed. When he finally became a ninja and had the chance to become much stronger, he was put into team 7 and changed his way of thinking. He'd become closer to Naruto, and he had left. He had become closer to Sakura, and she was leaving now for two whole years. He had finally decided that he wanted to become stronger in a way that was honorable, and then Danzo had decided to train him.

Sasuke would've been thrilled to be trained under a Kage. He had to be pretty strong and he also seemed like someone with experience. But it wasn't the case; he wasn't glad at all. Sasuke had noticed something off about Sakura the moment they took off towards the Hokage Tower. And when he entered the office he knew why she'd been so nervous.

Shimura Danzo seemed ruthless, corrupt, dishonest, and a tyrant. The way he held himself and the way he treated others showed with great clarity that he expected absolute loyalty. The way he observed others spoke of how much he looked down on them. However, he didn't particularly seem like a self-centered selfish person which made Sasuke consider that he might truly want the best for their village. Sasuke wasn't exactly sure if he agreed with his ways or not – he didn't have much of an opinion on politics – but he was certain the Sakura didn't agree with him. He knew her enough to be sure that she was the complete opposite and that she was much more into Hiruzen's kind of leadership. He could also tell by the way she'd acted around Danzo that she didn't like him one bit, but thankfully he'd been able to tell only because he knew her well. He hoped that no one else had noticed her antagonistic demeanor during the meeting.

Sasuke was a bit bothered by the fact that Danzo had not asked him if he wanted to be trained by him and had simply commanded him to. Nonetheless, he was much more upset about the way he had treated Sakura. Of course she would feel a bit apprehensive about leaving her home for two years on an undercover mission at the age of fourteen. Sasuke would've obeyed just like she had, but he definitely would've been uncertain about it as well.

As soon as Sakura had left the Hokage's office, Sasuke had planned a schedule with Danzo – which seemed impossibly difficult to him, which was good for his improvement as a shinobi – and then left. He immediately went home, knowing that when Sakura had time she would find him. He waited for a good thirty minutes in his living room until there was a soft knock on the door. He stood up and walked to the door, opening up without asking because he already knew who it was.

"Sakura."

"Hey." She smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. Sasuke sighed.

"Come in." Sasuke led her towards his living room and turned around to face her. She had her travelling pack over her shoulder and she was dressed for a journey. "So… you're actually leaving."

"Yeah." Sakura looked at the ground beneath her feet and slowly placed her backpack on the ground next to the couch. "I already said goodbye to everyone else. I… wanted to see you before I left."

"I know." Sasuke nodded, he also wanted to see her before she departed for Suna.

Sakura frowned for a moment and it seemed like she was struggling with something. Sasuke wondered what she wanted to say, but waited patiently. Suddenly, Sakura took a step forward and put her arms around Sasuke's neck in a tight hug. Sasuke almost choked on his spit at the sudden gesture, his whole body tensing at the unexpected contact. He was about to ask her about it, but she spoke before he could.

"Sasuke, someone's tailing me." She whispered. "Play along."

Sasuke's eyes widened for a second, but he immediately recovered and tentatively put his own arms around her. He was forced to fight his unconscious reaction of pulling away before tilting his head towards Sakura's ear. "What's going on?"

"Sasuke. I don't trust Danzo. I don't think he means well… I…" Sakura gulped and fisted he collar of Sasuke's shirt.

"What?" he frowned.

"He's not being truthful, I just know it. He even sent someone to follow me now… he's spying on his own people, Sasuke."

"I don't know…"

"Sasuke. Please be careful. Don't let him fool you, don't let him manipulate you. Don't let his twisted ways get to you. Stay the way you are and don't turn into what he wants to make you into." Sakura took a deep breath and the knot in her throat become audibly heavier. She then breathed out shakily and continued speaking into Sasuke's neck. "Don't let him know you're weary of him; he's smart and sharp. Pretend that you're all right with whatever he does, but never drop your guard."

"…" Sakura felt Sasuke's uneasiness in the way he unconsciously tapped his fingers on her back. She knew that his gesture would've normally sent shivers down her spine, but she sadly was in no condition to enjoy it.

"Promise me that you'll take good care of yourself. Promise me that you'll try to let other people in. Don't let him isolate you… don't-" her voice broke and a couple tears trailed down her cheeks. "Don't be alone. Let other people in. It will be so much easier for him if you're on your own. I know it's not easy for you… but you have to try."

"Sakura…" Sasuke frowned. He was partly worried about her reaction to everything, because he trusted her instincts and doubted that she was wrong. On the other hand, he was almost… glad to see that someone cared enough about him to have such a powerful emotional reaction. That Sakura actually cared that much about his wellbeing. It seemed selfish to feel good when she was looking so desperate. Sasuke could feel the moisture of her tears on his shoulder and it made the anxious knot in his throat come with a warm feeling in his chest.

"Promise me, please." Sakura hissed and crushed him into her body.

"I promise." He said, suddenly filled with determination. Sasuke trusted her. And he was also a bit weary of the Fifth. He would make sure to watch his back around Danzo and mask his suspicions about him.

"Sasuke, if you're ever in trouble, you can count on Kakashi. If no one's available, then write to me using the word "excellent" and I'll drop my mission to come and give you a hand." Sakura finished and he nodded in agreement. Sasuke however knew that he would probably never call out to her for help, because she would be in great trouble if she disobeyed Danzo's orders.

Sakura slowly released her tight hold on him, and Sasuke was surprised to find that he actually missed her warmth. When was the last time that he had actually been comfortable with physical contact – apart from training – with anyone ? Now that he thought about it, why hadn't he pushed her away when she hugged him? Why was he even hugging her back? He could've just allowed her to hug him and kept there still.

Sakura genuinely smiled at him and he couldn't help but give a small smile back. A couple more seconds passed and Sasuke noticed how she sent fleeting glances behind her. Apparently, whoever was tailing her was there, but Sasuke couldn't feel a thing. It wasn't too much of a surprise though; Sakura was one of the best when it came to chakra control. She was even a proficient medic nin at fourteen. It wasn't unexpected for her to have better sensing abilities.

"So." Sakura spoke in a normal tone, but it was still slightly broken due to her previous tears. "Make sure to write regularly. I'll write to you once a week. Please, let's not lose contact."

"Sakura." Sasuke spoke firmly and looked at her straight in the eye. He saw her eyebrows shoot up in surprise at his tone, but he simply put his hand on her shoulder. He saw her general distraught demeanor and wanted to ease her a bit. "Don't be reckless. Take good care of yourself. Don't let your guard down and make sure to not make anyone suspicious. You have to know that this will be dangerous for you." –too.

"I know." The unspoken word was immediately caught by Sakura. She grinned in real happiness.

Sasuke knew that she had caught on to his genuine worry about her, but for some reason he didn't mind. Maybe he had gotten used to showing more emotion around her or the circumstances didn't allow him to be self-conscious, it didn't really matter. His eyes looked into her emerald eyes for what would be the last time in years, and he unexpectedly felt sadness envelop him. After spending so much time together with her, he had truly gotten used to her company. He honestly didn't want her to leave. But they didn't have a choice on the matter.

"I'll see you in two years. And I'll write to you as soon as I get there."

"Aa. Have a safe journey."

Sakura walked towards the front door and stopped before opening it. As she cast a finale glance at him, he swore that she was crying again, but she quickly turned around and left without another word. The silence in his apartment suddenly became almost unbearable and he bit his lower lip. It had nothing to do with the fact that he lived alone; he had become used to that years ago. It was due to the knowledge that from now on, he would truly be on his own. He had for so long wanted to be alone, to be left alone so that he could focus on training. However, at that moment, the only thing he wanted was to not be on his own. He shook his head. At least he would be living in a familiar place and surrounded by familiar people.

Sasuke's heart dropped to his stomach at the thought of what Sakura would have to go through in Suna. Undercover missions were pretty risky, and Sasuke gauged that her mission must've been at least A-ranked. He cursed Danzo for sending someone like her – though having potential, Sakura was still young – on such a difficult mission. And it was not just difficult… Sakura would have to endure everything on her own. The strain of living a double life, of keeping her emotions and thoughts hidden. The strain of forcing herself to lie to people who she would probably become close to. The hardships that came when bearing everything without anyone to speak to, because she certainly would not have the chance to even write to him about her real mission. And do all of that for years.

If only Sasuke had known at the moment the real extent of his thoughts.

-x-

As the village became barely recognizable in the distance, Sakura forced her eyes to stay on the dirt road ahead to keep her mind clear. Nonetheless, she was still plagued with distressing thoughts.

It was all so damn fucked up. Sakura wondered for a moment if her intervention in this time line would make everything even worse. Could things be truly worse? Worse than the Ten-Tails practically wiping out humanity?

Would she be able to do something – anything – about the Akatsuki or Obito while stuck in Suna?

Would she even be able to keep herself alive in that place? She cursed the moment that she'd walked in on Hiruzen and Jiraiya's meeting without an excuse. She cursed herself for coming up with that particular excuse, though she honestly couldn't have possibly imagined the repercussions.

Was Danzo aware of who she truly was, of what she knew? Was he sending her away so that she wouldn't stop whatever he was planning? Had he announced his tutoring of Sasuke in front of her as a form of threat or had it just been coincidence?

What would happen with Sasuke while she was away? Would she come home to find the same person that she'd just hugged good-bye? How deep would Danzo get into him? Sasuke was smart, but so was Danzo. And Danzo was ruthless, manipulative, and Hokage.

What would happen to Konoha while she was away? What kind of village would she encounter when she came back? Would she come back to find a slightly more conservative society? Would she come back to a tyranny ruling over terrified inhabitants?

Sakura honestly didn't have the heart to wonder. Because every single scenario that went through her mind was terrifying.

A/N: OMG OK. I'm betting none of you even imagined this one.

I know it's a big thing. But there are three reasons for this.

Frist of all, I can't honestly write two years' worth of plot that barely moves forward regarding the Akatsuki and the war.

Second, my age is nearing the third decade too fast for me to be writing romance between thirteen year olds, so I need them to grow up a bit. (Yes, romance is not far anymore.)

Lastly, Sasuke needs time to become a person of his own. He also has to become stronger – I know a weak Sasuke could make an interesting plot, but not this time – and some other stuff that I can't spoil for you right now.

I'd love to know your thought on this plot twist.

Also, let me know what you thought of the different POVs? Kakashi? Sasuke? Were they OOC? What about Ino and Danzo?

I'm especially interested in what you guys think of Sasuke's thoughts. I don't know if it may seemed rushed – god I was never sure when he should start figuring that Sakura was important to him – or if it was good.

As, always: I love to read your feedback and support!

Special thanks to my beta MonochromeAce, who read this chapter real quick. She always manages to put up with my insane writing schedule!