Mission Impossible

Chapter Two


Mikoto didn't know what to think of the entire situation. On one hand, it was the perfect opportunity to make her son finally look at Sakura-chan as more than just a teammate and vice versa. On the other hand, it was incredibly unfortunate that clan traditions had pushed her to take such drastic measures.

When she'd proposed the idea to her husband, he hadn't objected, but he hadn't exactly approved of it either. Despite Fugaku being well aware of her feelings towards their son's childhood friend, Mikoto didn't know how he himself felt about her. But Fugaku was the kind of person that immediately made it known when he wasn't taking a liking to someone, and he'd never said a single word against the pink-haired kunoichi. Although, that may or may not have had something to do with the fact that he knew his wife would defend the girl as if one of her own– as she well intended to make her.

"I would make a decent one if I actually liked the girl."

Mikoto almost – almost – slammed her head against the table.

Dear Kami, my baby is going to die alone.

Itachi, however, knew his brother better than most people and knew exactly what to look for. He didn't miss his red-tinted ears nor the barely-there-but-still-present-if-you-looked-hard-enough defensive tone.

"Well too bad for you, I'm the one you're stuck with," came Sakura-chan's reply.

He had to hand it to her, she's come a long way from tearing up at Sasuke's slightest insult to looking him in the eye and telling him to shove up his a –

"But unfortunately, I have no choice but to accept the mission." Sakura sighed. "Very few people are as desensitized to your insensitive ass as I am, and I think I might be saving a poor unfortunate soul from being stuck with you for the rest of their life."

Shisui and Naruto's choked out laughter was expected.


The walk to Sakura's apartment was silent. Normally, team Kakashi would walk her home, but it was decided that from now on it was Sasuke's job as her suitor to escort her. Yes, it was Itachi who suggested that.

Leave it to him to be completely old fashioned.

There was no way anyone would be stupid enough to attack Sakura within the village. It was a well-known fact that the woman could destroy buildings and deform the earth with nothing but her fists. There was a reason why Naruto – single-handedly the most knuckleheaded and reckless ninja in all the Shinobi Nations – was scared of her. Not scared enough to actually stop him from pushing her buttons every now and again, but certainly scared enough to make hi blanch when that vein on her forehead starts throbbing.

It wasn't lost on him though, that had this been genin Sakura, there would be a lot of squealing involved.

His eyes wandered to her at the thought.

Her pink hair, her petite frame, the fact that the top of her head barely reached his chin – for all the power and strength she was renowned for, Sakura was, for a lack of better words, small.

He knew that if he dared say that out loud, he'd be limping home.

But it was true, and Sasuke knew that if he were the physically affectionate type, he could easily use her as an elbow rest. Thankfully, he wasn't. He'd seen what happened to Sai when he said she could pass off as a prepubescent girl. The Uchiha-look-a-like had been in the hospital for a week, and it was only due to the fact that Sakura had refused to heal him herself.

I'm pretty sure that goes against some principle of being a doctor. A small shiver ran down his spine.

It was getting harder to associate the naïve, lovestruck, weak genin with the terrifying jonin by his side. He was just grateful that she had long outgrown her stalker-ish ways. He didn't like the thought of what she would do to him had she still been a fangirl with the skills she has now.

"We should have lunch together tomorrow," he said, breaking the silence.

Sakura faced him, head tilted in that cute way she did.

Yes, he thinks Haruno Sakura is cute. So what? Last time he checked, there was no law against it. It's perfectly normal to think your friend is cute. Especially when they had such unique features and a giggled that sounded like wind chimes in –

"Is that your way of asking me on a lunch date, Sasuke-kun?" Heat rose to the back of his neck and he desperately hoped it would stay there and not to go his face because Uchiha Sasuke does not blush.

Sakura giggled, and Sasuke turned away, not trusting the veil of night to hide the growing color on his face, damn it.

"You're really going to be a horrible boyfriend, aren't you?" she teased, poking his side.

"You're being annoying again," Sasuke growled, mainly to compensate for the fact that he couldn't glare at her right now.

Sakura laughed, and he felt more than saw her shake her head.

"We're falling back into an old pattern, Sasuke-kun."

"Why are you calling me that again?" this time, he did look at her just so he can give her his infamous unimpressed raised eyebrow. "I thought we agreed you'd stop calling me that."

He'd asked her to stop giving him a suffix because it reminded him too much of fangirls screaming, and even though he knew for a fact that Sakura had long since let go og her feelings for him, he could still remember her popping up out of nowhere and asking him if he wanted to go on dinner dates with him.

It may also have something to do with that fact that after spending way too much time with Itachi and Izumi, the couple had somehow managed to condition him into thinking that it was an affectionate suffix instead of the annoying one he always thought it to be.

"What?" she returned his raised eyebrow. "You're going to be asking me to be your, albeit fake, girlfriend. I think it's necessary."

Sasuke frowned. Looks like he's going to have to get used to the old suffix's return.

"It's too early," he told her, ignoring her confused frown. "Maybe you should start calling me that again when we're actually dating. Not while I'm still trying to court you."

He tried not to let her laugh insult him.


Sakura couldn't help herself. Uchiha Sasuke was talking to her about starting a relationship with him and how they were going to go about it.

True, it was because of a mission and the fact that he was literally going to be married off within a year if they didn't do this, but it was just so comical she'd have to be insane not to laugh!

It wasn't lost on her that this was her genin dream come true, and part of her cringed at the thought. Had she really been so vain and naïve to have her dream and entire future set of becoming this guy's wife?

It was ironic how it took her throwing all of that away and focusing on herself and her shinobi career outside of Team Seven for her teammates, especially Sasuke, to see her as a kunoichi and not just some liability they had to protect.

Naruto had gone and trained with Jairaya-sama just in case Sasuke needed his help with Orochimaru, leaving Sakura alone for two years! Sure, she had Ino around and her friendship with the rest of Konoha 12 had improved because of it, but it still hurt to be left behind by both teammates. It just highlighted how far behind she was compared to them. So she stopped sulking and demanded, begged, and pleaded with Tsunade-sama to train her.

And here she was – one of the youngest jonin in the village, hailed as the best medic ninja in the Shinobi Nations, second only to her Master, and a neo-sannin in the works. She tried not to let it get to her head, but sometimes she couldn't help the swell of pride that ran through her whenever she remembered how far she'd gotten.

During the first year of her teammates' departure, she'd gotten occasional visits from Shisui and Itachi, and by the second year, she had been the Uchiha main family's favorite medic. It reached a point where neither Itachi nor Shisui would go to the hospital or agree to be healed or get a check-up if she wasn't the one doing it.

She thinks that was one of the reasons why Fugaku-san hadn't objected to her being Sasuke's fake girlfriend.

It certainly wouldn't hurt their family name for his youngest son to be dating the Godaime's apprentice.

"Unless you haven't noticed," Sasuke started, "I've never asked a girl out before."

She marveled at the fact that he managed to make it sound indifferent. She knew for a fact that had anyone else admitted that, they'd be blushing like a tomato. But no this is Uchiha Sasuke. Of course, he wouldn't be even slightly embarrassed.

"No, you haven't," she agreed. "Last time I checked girls were asking you out." She laughed at the thought.

She refused to call it giggling. Giggling was cute and one of her favorite flirtation tactics when on more feminine missions requiring a kunoichi. No. She didn't giggle when around her friends – especially not her male friends. It was just wrong.

"I think it's too early in our relationship for you to get jealous, Sakura."

She choked on her own spit.

She managed to glare at the Uchiha while he rubbed circles around her back and if she weren't too busy clearing her throat of misplaced water, she would have clobbered that smirk off his face.

"You okay?" his concern would have been more believable if he wasn't physically holding back a chuckle. Yes, a chuckle because Kami forbid Uchiha Sasuke laugh.

"So we up for lunch tomorrow?" he asked once she straightened herself, choosing to ignore the glare that would have made lesser men pee their pants. She supposed he'd had too much exposure to it that it lost its edge.

Sasuke would never admit – even to himself – that he actually found the menacing glare endearing.

The three of them were easily Sannin level and had a flee-on-sight warrant in over three countries, but Naruto was too much of a people's person to use his intimidation factor. In fact, he thinks his best friend might even dislike the fact that people are initially wary of him. Sakura, on the other hand, used it as a weapon whenever she wanted to end conversations and win arguments. Not very fair on to the other parties, he had to admit, but as long as he wasn't on the receiving end of it, he'll keep his mouth shut. He himself wore it like a badge of honor. He never liked people and it helped keep them away from him. It would be such a waste to let a gift like that go to waste.

"Well I don't really have a choice, do I?" she raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I can pass on the chance to make Uchiha Sasuke pay for my meal."

"I offer to pay for your meal all the time," Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You just won't let me."

The two of them had gotten into fights over the bill more times than Naruto argued with Sai over his Dickless nickname. Mikoto had drilled it into him since he was a child that as a gentleman, he should always take care of the bill when eating out with a female. Sakura, on the other hand, called him misogynistic for thinking she couldn't pay for her own meal.


"Sasuke, you do know they pay me at the hospital, right?" the rosette asked, giving her raven-haired teammate one of her infamous glares.

Naruto had had the good sense to take several steps back, dragging his girlfriend with him. He wasn't going to let her get within the line of fire whenever those two got at it.

"Could you stop making such a big deal out of this? It's just me paying for you stupid meal!" Sasuke's already thin patience was wearing even thinner. "If you hate it so much don't eat with us!"

"I don't see you paying for Hinata-chan's lunch! Is it because you know she can cover it because she's from a noble clan too?!"

"Don't bring Hinata-chan into one of your stupid fights!" Naruto barked, glaring at his teammates. They can rip each other's heads off for all he cares but like hell is he going to let them drag his girlfriend into it. And over something so stupid!

Sasuke felt his eye twitch. The vein throbbing on his temple was getting louder and louder and he didn't even think –

"It has nothing to do with that you annoying eyesore!"

He woke up in the hospital a couple of hours later with an annoyed Naruto and a concerned Hyuga as guardians.

"I-I don't think you should ever call S-sakura-chan that ever again," the Hyuga advised from her position beside Naruto.

Even rolling his eyes hurt.

Goddamn monster woman and her stupid chakra-enhanced strength.


"You had no reason to do it before," Sakura shrugged. "And I really don't want to owe you anything."

"Tch," Sasuke couldn't help but roll his eyes. "We're friends, Sakura. It's normal."

"I've never seen you offer to pay Naruto's bill," she teased.

"You've seen him eat. I'd go bankrupt and lose my inheritance just on a single meal."

Sakura didn't even try to stop the laugh that rose from her.


It was a relatively dull day in the hospital. Sakura knew it was a good thing that they've gotten less and less critical cases in the last week, but she was starting to get bored! Maybe she could get out of work early and go train with Tsunade-sama if she wasn't neck-deep in paperwork.

Or shitfaced drunk in her office again.

The rosette shook her head. Partly in amusement and partly in exasperation. Sometimes she would ask herself how on Earth could an all-powerful shinobi be as irresponsible as her shishou but then her eyes would land on the photo framed on her table and immediately forget about it.

Kakashi-sensei was easily one of the most terrifying shinobi she's met, even in her earlier career, and he would shamelessly read porn books in front of children out in the street! Naruto wasn't that much of an exception either. She was under no illusion that she was on the same level as the future-Hokage, but man did he make her want to rip her own hair out sometimes! He was loud, he was reckless, he was lazy, Kami knows he's going to have a heart attack sooner or later with the amount of ramen he eats – and of course, she's going to have to deal with it! – and he was overall a pain in the ass on some days.

She loves him like a brother, and everyone knows she would kill for him, but sometimes she's not that far off from being the one to kill him. Sasuke was probably the most normal one in their team. Well, as normal as an emotionally constipated ice cube can get, but relatively normal.

"You look like you're about to break that table in half using your head." She nearly jumped at the intrusion but saved face by glaring at the newcomer. It didn't help that he looked too smug than he had any right to be.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. It was obvious her scare tactics were losing their touch.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the question. Leave it to Sakura to forget plans while at work. Instead of answering, he pushed himself off the doorframe and sat on the seat directly in front of her desk.

"Do I really have to set an appointment before I can get some of your time?" he asked. When she didn't answer, the raven-haired jonin simply sighed and stood up.

"I believe we agreed to have lunch together today," he reminded her.

Sasuke caught the realization that flashed through the rosette's eyes and internally smirked.

Hn, cute.

He'd long since stopped denying the fact that he was starting to find his teammate attractive. It was simply a fact that he had to live with. Kakashi's a pervert. The dobe's the personification of a headache. Shisui's annoying. Itachi's strong. Sakura's cute.

"Come on, my break's only an hour long." Sometime between his inner musing, she'd shrugged off her lab coat and walked towards the door. Shaking his head to clear his mind, he followed her out the door.


Ino couldn't believe her eyes. Her hands formed the kai symbol beneath the table.

Nothing happened.

She repeated it at least three times just to make sure.

Still nothing.

"What are you looking at?" Shikamaru drawled.

Over the years, her teammate never really got over his lazy phase – or at least, what Ino had desperately hoped was just a phase. Anything not even remotely related to a mission or his team was deemed too much work for the local genius.

Well, that's not necessarily true. There was an exception for that Temari girl from Suna, which she knew he liked and just refused to admit. She also noticed how he's gotten closer to Hyuga Neji and her own best friend, Haruno Sakura, which is why she knew he would at least care about what she was seeing.

"I think I just saw Sakura and Sasuke go into Emerald Dining.*"

True enough, the normally laid back Nara turned around with an urgency Ino only saw during missions.

Emerald Dining was one of the few dating restaurants in Konoha, and it was very popular among couples. What would Sasuke and Sakura be doing there?

"You think Chouji would mind if we canceled the usual barbeque and did a little recon?" the blonde kunoichi asked her teammate, who, for once, indulged her gossipy nature.

"I'm pretty sure he's fine with anything as long as he can eat."


"You really pulled out all the stops, didn't you?" Sakura asked, watching in awe as Sasuke pulled out her seat for her.

"Aah," he shrugged, settling in his own seat once he was sure she was comfortable in hers. "I didn't know where else to take you. It's not like Ichikaru's is exactly date-worthy."

Sakura laughed through her nose. It was honestly so sad how no one even knew Sasuke had a sense of humor.

"Don't let Naruto hear you," she told him, accepting the menu the waiter gave her. "He and Hinata had their first date there."

Sasuke snorted – actually snorted – at that.

Of course, that's where the dobe would take her.

But then again, the Hyuga probably wouldn't even mind. She was always painfully, obviously head over heels for his idiot of a best friend for some reason.

"I think it's cute," Sakura added. He raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

"I think it's cute how Hinata-chan never gave up on Naruto," she explained. "That idiot can be dense as hell, but I'm really happy he's finally found her."

She smiled at him, and Sasuke had to look back at his menu to try and cover up the heat rising to his face.

"Aah."


Ino chose a table far enough so they wouldn't immediately get noticed, yet near enough to still see them. She didn't think it was a good idea to actually eavesdrop on the couple in case Sasuke wasn't feeling merciful if he ever found out.

It was normal for Team Kakashi to eat lunch together, they were weirdly inseparable like that, and had the two of them eaten at somewhere like Ichiraku's or Yakiniku Q, Ino would have let it slide, but Emerald Dining was a dating statement.

Or, her eyes narrowed at the couple, as much of a statement as the emotionally constipated Uchiha and the ever-dense Forehead can make.

Anyone would have to be blind not to see the faint blushes Sasuke got whenever he talked to the rosette. True, they were not on par with Hinata's in intensity, but having an incredibly pale complexion worked to the Uchiha's disadvantage. It didn't help that Sakura was the only person he talked to in complete sentences – wait, there's also Naruto, but she's almost a hundred percent sure that that's because he just annoys him to no end.

"You could put those paparazzi to shame," Shikamaru commented, smirking over his menu at his teammate's antics. He just hoped Chouji would arrive sooner or later.

Unlike his former teammate, he actually thought about what it might seem like if someone caught them at Emerald Dining alone. He just didn't want to deal with Ino's endless rant about how he was an old man at heart and he should take a chill pill and actually act his age for once blah blah blah – no matter how troublesome he found the blonde's antics, he always found the repercussions of calling her out on them a hundred times more of a drag.

I need to get more laid back friends.

His eyes wandered over to the pink-haired medic they were currently stalking – because there was no way to sugarcoat what they were doing – and desperately wished for a mission with her and Neji.

I need a break from all these troublesome people.


All in all, lunch was okay. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura was blind to the fact that team 10 had followed them, but decided not to comment on it.

It would be better, they agreed, if someone like Ino were to start asking questions.

Knowing her best friend, she would consult with Shikamaru or Hinata and Tenten first. Hinata, would bring it up to Naruto, and they could only hope that he could pull off lying to his girlfriend even just a smidge. Tenten would inevitably bring it up on one of their training sessions, prompting Lee to storm through the Village asking if it were true.

Normally, Sasuke wouldn't expect Hyuga Neji to care about gossip, but over the years – especially during the ones without him and Naruto – he and Sakura had developed a close enough friendship for him to care about her personal life. In fact, if he and Naruto were too busy and when certain missions demand it, he and Nara Shikamaru were her secondary default team.

They just needed to catch Konoha 12's attention, and so far it was proving to be painfully easy.

Sakura refused to call it manipulation. Sasuke, however, had no qualms calling it what it was. As long as it worked in their favor, he wouldn't mind it.

He walked her back to her office, keeping his hands stuffed in his pockets all the way. They passed by a couple of nurses who shot him shy smiles. His presence in the hospital when he wasn't a patient was normal. Everyone knew how protective his team was of their kunoichi, and it was a known fact that at least one of them was always by her side when missions were slow and times were peaceful.

They stopped in front of her office. He had to report to the police station in a few minutes and perhaps he'd seek out the dobe later for a spar.

"Thanks for lunch, Sasuke," Sakura smiled.

He felt the edges of his own lips quirk up in a smirk.

"Aah." He leaned against the doorframe. "Just glad you finally let me get the cheque this time."

He expected the eye roll he received.

"Whatever. I'll see you later."

He waited for her to enter her office before turning to take his leave. He had to get out of there before Yamaka inevitably stormed in and demanded answers.

Shaking his head, Sasuke didn't know whether to be amused or concerned.

For a group of competent shinobi, they're painfully easy to predict.


I'm actually writing this on two hours of sleep - because you know, college - so the proof reading may not be my best work. I'll come back and do a proper job at it later.

I'm a sucker for InoSaku's friendship and ShikaNejiSaku's dynamic was always one of my favorites (in fanfics, anyway).

I may or may not be making sense in this author's note, but I blame it on the lack of sleep.

Anyway, I hope you liked it, and pls don't hesitate to tell me what you think in the reviews. Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter!