Knock-knock

"Sasuke, can you get the door?" said a still half-asleep Sakura. She and Sasuke had reunited with a passionate night together and they were now apparently going to pay the price with an early visitor.

"Why would someone be knocking at the door so early?" asked a tired Sasuke in a rhetorical fashion.

"I don't know," said Sakura burying her head in her pillow.

Sasuke didn't move.

Knock-knock

Sasuke was thinking that maybe if no one were to answer the door, perhaps whoever was there would go away.

I guess not…

He slithered out of bed and put on a pair of boxers to get the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see a messenger, obviously from Mist.

"I have a summons from the Mizukage," the messenger said. He handed Sasuke a note and sped off.

We're not even in Konoha and this still happens…

"What is it?" asked Sakura from the bedroom.

"Mei wants to see me this morning," said Sasuke.

"Is a full day alone together too much to ask at this point?" asked Sakura, a little annoyed that it seemed that duty was calling Sasuke from her once again.

"Well, she is letting us stay here for free," said Sasuke. "Besides, the original mission from Tsunade was to run a few missions for the Mizukage to earn back her trust. You're just happen to be here because of what happened."

"I guess so," said Sakura. "Hopefully the missions she sends you on aren't too long and you can still spend the nights with me. That way I'll still get to see you."

"I guess I'll go find out," said Sasuke, holding up his summons.

Sasuke and Sakura got up, showered, ate breakfast, and did all the things any normal couple would do to get ready in the morning.

"What are you going to do today?" asked Sasuke.

"I'm probably going visit the twins in the hospital," said Sakura. "After all, I'm a medical shinobi. Taking care of our own as much as I can is the least I can do."

"I'm surprised that…," started Sasuke, before he was interrupted by Kakashi landing in the bedroom window that happened to be open.

"Great," said Sasuke to know one in particular. "Even less privacy."

"What?" asked Kakashi in his normal innocent tone. After all, him suddenly appearing in a teammates flat wasn't exactly a new thing.

"Don't worry about him, Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura. "He's just in a bad mood this morning. The Mizukage has already summoned him and he doesn't really feel like going."

"Ah, that explains it," said Kakashi. "Sounds like a pretty good reason to be in a bad mood…though Sasuke generally doesn't need an excuse to be in a bad mood."

Sasuke stormed out before he heard anymore.

"See you tonight," said Sakura, calling after him. She turned back to Kakashi. "Is there something you wanted sensei?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wanted to tell you two that Naruto, Sai and I are going to head back to Konoha this morning. There is no reason for us to stay here now that we've found Sasuke and the twins."

"Oh, should I come to? Nevermind," Sakura interrupted herself right away. "I think it's best if I stay here for the time being."

"I agree," said Kakashi. "I'd like you to keep an eye on the twins during their recovery…and keeping an eye on Sasuke might not be a bad idea either."

"Oh, he's fine, sensei," said Sakura. "Everyone gets moody now and again."

Kakashi thought about that statement for second and smiled to himself. Some more than others… "Just keep him in line if you can. He needs to earn back the trust of Hidden Mist."

OlOlOlOlOlO

"You summoned me?" Sasuke asked the Mizukage after he had been invited into her office.

"Are you back to full strength?" Mei Terumi asked.

"Yes, I believe so," answered Sasuke.

"Good," Mei replied. "Based on what I've seen and heard thus far, you are now officially back in the good graces of the Hidden Mist."

"Great, so I can…?" Sasuke started to ask if he could leave Mist.

"Not so fast," she interrupted. "There is one mission I would like you to run for me while you are here. It is a short mission and shouldn't be too difficult for you. It will require only one day of your time and then you are free to stay in the village as long as you like with no other interference from me…though I imagine you will want your comrades to fully recover and perhaps complete their portion of the mission before you go."

"One day, eh?" repeated Sasuke. "That doesn't sound too bad. What's the mission?"

"Just report to the main gate this afternoon at four. All the details are not quite known yet, so you'll find out then," replied Mei.

"Understood," said Sasuke. "Four o'clock, main gate. I'll be there."

Sasuke returned to the flat that he and Sakura were allowed to stay at while in the Hidden Mist. Sakura was about to leave to go to the hospital to check on the twins when Sasuke opened the front door and walked in.

"That was quick," she noted. "What happened?"

"One mission here and I'm done," he replied.

"What is it?" she asked.

"They didn't tell me...sounded like they were still putting it together. I'll find out when I report for the mission today at four," Sasuke replied.

"Hm. That sounds kind of weird. They already knew they wanted you do complete this mission, but less than eight hours before they don't have all the details?" noted Sakura.

"That's what the Mizukage told me. I'm just happy I don't have to bust my ass for the next two weeks after everything else that's happened...so whatever they want done, I'm ok not knowing yet," said Sasuke.

Sakura grabbed a few things from her travel bag and put them in her pocket.

"I really should get going...I was just on my way out the door towards the hospital when you came back. Any ideas as to what are you going to do until your mission begins?" asked Sakura.

"Probably a bit of training…at least until lunchtime. If it's ok, I'll drop by the hospital to have lunch with you when I'm done," he said.

"Uhhhh," said Sakura hesitantly.

"What?" asked Sasuke.

"I'll meet you outside the hospital at one o'clock," said Sakura. "You are kind of dirty after you train and I don't want to cause any problems with the staff."

OlOlOlOlOlO

"Sakura!" shouted Sumato. Kanja just sat there in her bed quietly. She didn't say anything, but she did let herself smile.

"Hi Sumato," said Sakura. "Are you getting better?"

"Yes, definitely," he replied. "I wasn't nearly as bad off as Kanja was though."

"I know," Sakura acknowledged. She turned to Kanja. "But I see even she has made leaps and bounds since the last time I saw her only a day ago. Kanja, my name is Sakura Haruno. I'm a medical nin from Konoha. How are you doing?"

"I'm feeling a lot better," she answered.

"I'm really surprised that she is recovering so quickly," noted Sumato. "We were in that cave for days and she was out-cold most of the time."

"It's amazing what a controlled environment filled with experienced medical staff can do for an injured shinobi," noted Sakura. "Gigantic steps in recovery can be made even in 24 hours."

"Thank you," said Kanja. "Sumato tells me you were the first medical nin to show up to the cave and that you treated me."

"You should save your thanks for your brother. He's the one who kept you alive all those days when there was no medical nin at all. You have survived quite a harrowing experience…one that even took the life of your sensei," said Sakura.

Kanja suddenly looked sad.

"Oh! I'm sorry. She passed away a while ago, but for you it is probably new news," said Sakura.

"It's ok," Kanja said, wiping away a tear or two. "It's just not completely real yet…that she's gone."

Sakura walked over to Kanja's bedside and hugged her. "It's rough, I know," she said. "I hate to say this, but the life of a shinobi isn't an easy one. You are sure to lose even more friends and comrades as time moves on."

A light knock was heard. Sakura turned to see a Mist medical nin at the door.

"Are you Sakura Haruno?" asked the nin.

"Hai, I'm am," she replied.

"I've come to update you on all the twins' progress since they were brought in."

Sakura got up and followed the Mist nin out the door.

OlOlOlOlOlO

Sasuke wiped the sweat off of his brow as he sat on a nearby wall waiting for Sakura to emerge from the hospital. He briefly sniffed himself. I don't blame her for not wanting me to go inside, he thought to himself. I stink!

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted. She shuffled towards him carrying two boxes.

"When did you get those?" he asked upon noticing she had their lunch already prepared.

"Just now," she replied. "The twins are doing just fine so I left a little early to buy these at the stand down the street before meeting you."

"How are the they? Are they ok?" Sasuke repeated, wanting a few more details.

"Amazingly enough, yes," Sakura answered. "Sumato was more exhaustion than anything else. It took quite a lot out of him to be the sole provider for his team for all those days."

"And Kanja?" he asked.

"Her whole experience is a little harder to explain, but she's also recovering quickly. It was almost like she got knocked out, and her mind went into some sort of chakra conservation mode…almost like a coma. But when external chakra was forced back into her body by the medical nins, it allowed her mind to 'wake-up' once again. It was almost like she has a self-preservation mode to her. It's just part of who she is."

"More like a 'playing possum' mode. I wouldn't want that to happen to me," said Sasuke.

"You're right, it can be good or bad depending on the exact circumstances," agreed Sakura. "But it is what it is...there's no sense in debating if it is good or bad. I'm glad she at least knows about it now. Perhaps it is some sort of trait that runs through her family." She paused while starting to open the box full of food. "So…how was training?"

"The usual," he answered. She already knew his routine, so just explaining it to her wasn't very exciting.

"Did you find a place to go?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "There is a small park just down the street from where we are staying. I kept my training simple since I was in the middle of a public place."

"You could have asked one of the Mist shinobi you know. I'm sure they have training areas just like we do," scolded Sakura.

"Bothersome," he replied.

"Wait, I didn't know Shikamaru had arrived from Konoha," she answered sarcastically. After all, it was one of his favorite sayings.

"Ha, ha," he replied flatly.

"Depending on how this mission of yours goes, we could be out of here in only a few days. Sumato and Kanja should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow…that is, if they promise not to get too rowdy," said Sakura.

"They should only be taking tours and talking with shinobi with sensory gifts similar to theirs," noted Sasuke. "I don't think massive amounts of taijutsu are in the plans in their near future."

"I know," said Sakura. "That's why I agreed to it. So hurry up and complete this mission so we can spend a few days together." Sakura paused again. "I wonder…"

"Don't even think about it," said Sasuke.

"But Sasuke…it'll be easier with two of us than just one," whined Sakura.

"You don't even know what it is, so don't ask. I've worked really hard to gain back my reputation in all these villages and I don't want to be accused of cheating by bringing you with me."

"Oh, alright," Sakura said defeated. "But please be careful. I've got a nagging bad feeling about this one."

OlOlOlOlOlO

Sasuke arrived at the Hidden Mist main gate just before four o'clock in the afternoon. Just like Konoha, there were Mist shinobi who were taking care to inspect each and every visitor who exited and entered the village. When Sasuke first arrived, it wasn't inherently obvious who he should be reporting to, so he approached the gate keepers to see if they knew anything.

As he approached, one of the Mist shinobi greeted him. "Are you Sasuke Uchiha?" It was probably pretty obvious considering the hitai-ate he wore.

"Hai," Sasuke answered. But before he could say anything more, a Mist black ops shinobi swooped in and appeared near them.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I have been sent by the Mizukage with the details of your mission.