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Chapter 5
Today made day five since Sakura was asked to join ANBU and she was still debating on what to tell Tsunade.
After everything Jiraiya said, I know I need to join but…I just don't know if I'm ready for this. I know I'll have to make tough calls and healing would not be the priority. Not to mention, I would be working with the most powerful team Konoha has. That in itself is terrifying! The only one who hasn't managed to piss me off yet is Itachi and from what I've heard from Sasuke, he'll piss me off when we go on missions because he is such a perfectionist.
Sakura was lost in thought when she bumped into a hard body. Her face smacked a book and she looked up, releasing a frustrated sigh at her own clumsiness.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan. I haven't seen you in a while," Kakashi's eye crinkled and Sakura slumped in relief.
"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei! I need your help with a decision and I need a good spar! Are you available?"
He laughed at her bluntness and bonked her on the head with his book.
"Sakura, I am not your sensei anymore. You are Jonin level just like me. Are you asking for a spar now or later?"
She pouted a little at his reprimand but quickly grinned when he did not outright reject her sparring idea.
"Now, of course!" Sakura linked arms with the older male and briskly walked to a more private training ground.
She was purposefully oblivious to the stares some of the civilians gave the two. Kakashi sighed and then chuckled at his former student's carefree attitude when concerning the rumor mill of Konoha.
"What are the rules this time, Sakura?" Kakashi asked as he put his book away and walked a short distance from her.
She hummed as she thought for a moment, "Taijutsu only, is that alright with you?"
He nodded and asked, "Are you enhancing your strength with chakra? If you do, that means I can use my Sharingan."
She immediately shook her head, "I think I should work on my strength without chakra right now." He nodded as she pulled on her gloves.
She made the first move and charged at full speed. He dodged the quick jab and followed through with a kick aimed at her ribs.
She barely moved away in time, doing two backflips to create distance. However, Kakashi was not allowing that and flash stepped behind her, aiming a kick at her hip. She caught his leg and countered with a spinning elbow headed for his ribs. He blocked and used her momentum to rip his leg free and threw her towards a tree.
Flipping in the air, she launched several shuriken towards him before landing feet first on the trunk. He was hit with the projectiles and she cringed slightly but then growled angrily as the clone disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
She pushed off the trunk just in time to escape the perfectly aimed kunai. Creating a clone, she moved towards the real Kakashi. They exchanged blows so quick that, to the untrained eye, they seemed to be blurs.
The spar went on for about an hour before Sakura collapsed on the ground with a groan and Kakashi flopped down next to her with a quiet laugh.
"What the hell are you laughing about, Hatake?"
He looked over at her and asked, "Sakura, what was it you needed my advice on? You seem to have gotten your frustration out, so now we talk."
Rolling her eyes at him, she sat up. Glowing hands ran over her cuts and bruises and then proceeded to do the same for him.
"Well, I've been asked to join ANBU," she paused and looked up to observe his reaction.
Much to her disappointment he gave no outward signs to his thoughts.
"I was asked to join for a very specific reason that I obviously cannot talk about but the mission objective is only part of the problem. I just don't know if I'm good enough, Kakashi-sensei. What if I screw it up for the team? What if I can't handle the pressure?"
He leaned back on his hands and continued to listen.
"And the team. THE TEAM! That is probably what worries me the most! How am I supposed to cut it with the elite shinobi of Konoha? I know I've gotten stronger but…I'm not able to just shut myself down like that!"
Kakashi surprised her as he put a hand on her head and genuinely smiled at her under his mask.
"Sakura, you will be the team medic, right?"
She nodded her assent and he continued, "That gives you more flexibility than any other type of subordinate on an ANBU team. You would be allowed to make calls that are medically pertinent without having to get your captain's permission."
She sat up straighter at this revelation as he persisted.
"Also, the Hokage would not have asked you to join such a team if you were not the best fit. You would not technically be in the front lines on your squad, either. It would be their job to make sure you stay safe so that you could heal any wounds they acquire and also complete your separate objective. Now before you say you don't want to have to be protected, it would be for the good of the squad not because you are weak."
He watched a variety of emotions play out on her face as everything he said sunk in.
"Well, when you put it that way I guess I don't really have too much to worry about."
Kakashi looked up at the sky as he replied, "I'm not saying it will be easy or that you will love it but I can say that you are capable. Stop selling yourself short just because of how you were as a Genin. Things change, you've changed and I'm proud to say I had the opportunity to teach you. I could have done much better with your training and Tsunade is the one who really helped you become the kunoichi you are today."
"Thank you Kakashi-sensei! Don't give me that look! You will always be my sensei!" Sakura stood as she spoke.
After bidding one another goodbye, Sakura headed to the Hokage's office to tell Tsunade of her decision.
Shizune was seated at a desk outside of the Hokage's office doing paperwork when Sakura walked through the doors.
"Hello Sakura-chan, I haven't seen you in a while. It must be nice to be off duty," Sakura smiled in return and looked at the paperwork guiltily.
"I'm sorry Shizune-san! Do you want any help with the paperwork? I know some of it is from the hospital."
The tired woman smiled appreciatively, "Sure! You can help while you wait for Tsunade-sama to finish up. She is talking to someone right now."
Sakura sat down and immediately grabbed half of the hospital paperwork. She read through about 15 pages of medical jargon before the Hokage's door opened silently.
An ANBU member came out wearing a mask that resembled a crow and Sakura blushed in recognition. The messy-haired ninja looked in her direction and chuckled.
He walked towards her and crouched next to her chair, "Nice to see you again Haruno-san. How is the party planning coming?"
Sakura cleared her throat before speaking, "It's going fine on my end since all I had to do was tell Naruto what to buy. The group will probably have all the decorations finished before I'm done with all my errand running."
As she spoke he gently caught a loose strand of hair between his thumb and pointer finger. She blushed furiously as he tucked it behind her ear and before she could react he stood up and nodded at the flabbergasted Shizune.
"Crow, one more thing," hollered Tsunade before he could make a quick escape.
She loomed in the door and looked between him and her student, "I hold you personally accountable for this mission's success. Do what you must to make it a success but if the…clients are…dissatisfied I will not hesitate to put you on D Rank missions for a month!"
He nodded briskly and glanced at Sakura one more time before leaving.
Sakura followed Tsunade into her office and stood at attention.
"What can I do for you Sakura? I know from the look on your stubborn face that this is not a social visit."
"Shishou, I have made up my mind on whether or not I will join this ANBU task force. However, before I give you my answer I would like to ask you a few questions," when nothing was said she continued.
"Firstly, what type of training am I going to receive and why?"
Tsunade snorted before answering, "I may have molded you into the kunoichi you are but you are weak in certain areas because I was not able to train you in them. In other words, you need to be a little more rounded before you go into the field with the Uchiha team. You currently do not have the stamina to keep up with those brats."
Sakura nodded, "I suspected that was the case. Secondly, what would my objective be? I know you need me for something specific and I want to know what it is before I accept."
Tsunade smiled at her, "I would expect nothing less of you Sakura. Your objective is simple. Gather data on all of the subjects you come across such as: observations, blood samples, tissue samples, and any other…strange information that you can find. You also need to be prepared for poisons. Every time the team has come back a new poison has been used on at least one of them. You have analyzed all of them for me but never knew on whom they were used."
Sakura's hands fisted at her sides, knuckles turning white.
Tsunade continued without any indication that she noticed, "We are not sure what Orochimaru is getting at but I cannot allow my best team to die. You are a poison expert and have a level head in tough situations. Also, you will come across Kabuto on these missions and I want that bastard back alive. His knowledge would be a great asset. You would be able to keep him alive if he was apprehended."
Sakura nodded, "Hokage-sama I, Haruno Sakura, agree to be on ANBU Team 1. I accept full responsibility as the team medic and I accept each of my personal objectives."
Tsunade's eyes were hard and her face looked grim. "Sakura, be careful on these missions. If you die I will have no choice as your teacher but to kill whoever is stupid enough to touch you. Don't make me have to abandon my duties as Hokage because you die."
Sakura smiled at her teacher's terrible show of caring and left to find her two knuckleheads.
As she exited the building someone fell in step with her.
"Good afternoon, Sakura-san," Hamaki said, smiling widely at her. She smiled in return and spoke with the man until they reached the market square.
"Ah, I apologize Hamaki-san but this is where we part ways. I am actually headed to a friend's house!"
He nodded and scratched the back of his head before blurting out, "I am very grateful for the healing, Sakura-san! Can I please take you out to lunch sometime to thank you?"
She paused mid stride in shock and laughed.
"Hamaki-san, there is no need to thank me! I was just doing my duty as a medic-nin."
He bowed low and said, "Please, Sakura-san. I just want to thank you!"
She waved off his bow and chuckled nervously, "Alright, alright! How about the day after tomorrow at Masa?"
He nodded his agreement and they parted ways.
He was oddly persistent. Maybe I should have been sterner with him. I wonder if Shisui would be jealous…
She shook her head violently to clear it of such thoughts, causing many civilians to look at her with concern.
When Sakura arrived at Shisui's place Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Ino, Lee, Shino, and Kiba were almost finished decorating.
They all turned around at her entrance because she comically tripped over a pair of shoes as she took hers off.
"Hey, Forehead! Don't mess anything up with your clumsiness!"
Sakura snorted, "Hey, Ino-Pig! What can I do to help?"
Before anyone could reply Kakashi, Itachi, and Shisui all walked inside from a back door wearing common Jonin gear.
An awkward silence was quickly broken by Naruto hollering, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE?"
Shisui's eyebrows rose and he calmly walked up to Naruto.
"It's my house," his impressive height allowed him to loom over Naruto as he spoke, "and you are the guest. It would be wise for you to remember that, Naruto."
Naruto gulped and Sasuke quickly pulled him away from the larger man.
"Chill out Dobe and be happy he let us use his place."
The air grew more tense until Hinata managed to fall off a ladder and Naruto, trying to catch her, tripped over Sasuke's leg and broke her fall with his back instead.
Sakura and Ino laughed noisily together and managed to cling to one another for support. Everyone joined in except for Hinata who was as red as a tomato and tried to apologize to Naruto until Kiba stole her back before she fainted.
Once everything calmed down Kiba brought up the most important question, "Hey guys, how're we splitting up the booze buying?"
While the guys talked about what to do about the dilemma, the girls went about finding bowls and plates to put the food in.
"Shikamaru and Choji are out buying the snacks," Ino stated.
"So billboard brow, what had you all flustered when you came in? Don't you dare say it was nothing because I'm your best friend and you can't hide things from me!"
"Well…one of the patients I healed recently talked me into going to lunch with him as thanks," she whispered.
However, being in a room full of shinobi meant that everyone heard her quiet conversation.
"Reeeeaaaaaally, Sakura? You are going on a date with a patient?! Who would have thought you had it in you?"
Sakura bristled at Ino and retorted, "It is NOT a date! I'm not interested in him!"
Naruto and Sasuke appeared on each side of her as she growled at her frenemy.
She jumped as Sasuke spoke, "So who was it that asked you to lunch?"
Naruto folded his arms and looked at her as she glanced between them.
Sakura, being used to how overprotective her teammates were, quickly avoided the question.
"Naruto, if you don't finish decorating Neji won't have a party to come to!"
Naruto scrambled around comically and started to yell instructions at everyone. Sasuke however, was not as easily deterred and gave her a look, letting her know the conversation wasn't over.
She slumped against the fridge as Sasuke went to help the yelling blond.
The door being opened jostled her out of her thoughts and she looked up in time to lock eyes with Shisui.
It's like this guy is everywhere! How the hell does he keep sneaking up on me?!
"Haruno-san, you look distressed. Are you alright?" Shisui offered her a cold bottle of water, placing his hand on her forehead after she took it.
Turning crimson, Sakura sputtered trying to respond to his question.
"I'm f-fine, Uchiha-san! Just tired of everyone sticking their nose in my business."
Leaning against the counter directly in front of her, he nodded slowly. He took a swig from his bottle, eyes never moving from hers.
"So, you're upset that Naruto and Sasuke were asking about your upcoming date."
Sakura nodded quickly before realizing what he said.
"Yes. Wait! I mean no! No, it's not a date! At least to me it's not and I plan on making that very clear when I go to lunch with… my… patient. He said he just wanted… to… thank me…"
Shisui stared at her intensely, allowing the silence to stretch on between them.
"Haruno-san, you do realize that usually when a man takes you out to eat that it is considered a date."
Sakura's face scrunched up in embarrassment and she once again spoke without thinking.
"Then that would mean that we have technically gone on a date."
Ino's face instantly popped up over his shoulder, clearly listening to the conversation.
Leaning into her personal space, he whispered lowly, "That does not count as our first date. That was just me making it very clear that I am interested in you. I will not leave anything up for debate when I do start truly pursuing you, Haruno-san."
With that, he walked away, leaving Sakura to stare at a stupefied Ino.