Author's Notes:
I have been utterly floored by the number of incredibly thoughtful and inspiring reviews I've received. Naruto fans rock! I'm able to do review responses, so they will be at the end of this chapter. Thanks everyone!
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Italics represent personal thoughts and flashbacks.
***
Someone was pounding on her door.
Letting a low groan escape her lips, Sakura rolled gracelessly onto her other side to check the clock on her nightstand.
11:00 am
The angry red digits glared back at her sleep-filled eyes, combining with the morning hangover effects to create the mother of all headaches for a certain kunoichi. She had trouble deciding what was more irritating: the pounding from outside, or the internal one going on inside her skull.
Or maybe I'm just so out of it that the noise from outside just feels like it's being amplified a million times in my head.
Burrowing under the protective shelter of her fluffy white pillow, Sakura wondered if she could just wait for the annoyance to disappear. The banging ensued, proving that there definitely was someone outside her door, someone who was going to get a shuriken in the neck if they didn't go away. Said person was obviously more persistent than Sakura hoped they would be, since the agony continued for another five minutes.
With murder on her mind, Sakura heaved her groggy self off the comfy haven of her bed, and attempted a full body stretch to awaken her muscles. Only then did she notice that instead of her usual satin pajamas, she was clothed in the same outfit she had worn last night. And on top of that, she had spent the entire night lying on her bed instead of snuggled under warm blankets. Her shoes had been taken off and were placed neatly at the foot of the bed.
Eying her wrinkled clothes in dismay, the coral-haired ANBU member tried to recollect how she had gotten home. Her last lucid memories were of playing rock—paper—scissors with shots involving Kiba and Chouji. She had also sung on stage, and before that there was the talk with Kakashi-sensei…
I spoke with Kakashi-sensei!
His name triggered the distinct replay of their conversation, and well as several disconnected images of her stumbling around the pub area until a silver-haired figure had collected her into his arms. Sakura groaned in humiliation when she realized that Kakashi may have been the one responsible for lugging her inebriated body home.
God, what did I do…what if I said something?
She really didn't know if she could ever bring herself to look him in the eye again.
With any luck, I won't have to.
Her ANBU duties would keep her busy and all over the place, and with any luck by the next time they met, he would have forgotten all about the little episode. That would be very likely, considering their latest separation had lasted five years.
It truly was a shock to see him again though, and Sakura didn't know if she had fully accepted his reemergence into her life. After the absence of his steadfast presence for so long, the independent part of her wondered what role her former-sensei would play in her life now.
Nothing will change, you're still you and he's still an active Jounin on duty. So he shows up for one night…you're not thinking it'll last, are you?
The voice of reason told her to remember the encounter, but move on. The days when she could have derived a measure of comfort from Kakashi's company had long since ended, and now she had her own path to walk as a newly commissioned ANBU member. Not to mention that she had to keep her own personal goals in sight.
Grabbing a bottle of painkillers to pop on her way, Sakura marched rather unsteadily towards the front door. The persistent knocking had stopped and instead a note had been slipped under the door, now lying on white ceramic floor tiles.
The kunoichi picked up the folded yellow piece of paper, and debated whether to crumple and toss it out her window just to spite its author. Deciding that such action would just sink her to their level, she opened the note and read its contents.
Sakura,
It is now 11:08 am. Given the fact that I've been pounding on your door for TWENTY straight minutes without you answering, I'm going to assume one of the following:
A) You never made it home last night.
B) You have one abnormally gorgeous guy locked up in there, in that case I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO IT IS.
C) You are ignoring me. If this is the case, I'll make sure our next trip to the pub is a repeat of last night so you can suffer the painful aftereffects again. You deserve it.
I know you're probably all right, but it was Kakashi-sensei who asked me to check on you, and I don't feel like explaining your questionable whereabouts should I run into him. So do me a favor and drop by my place later today, just to confirm you're alive.
Ino
Snorting at her friend's apparent confidence in her survival skills, Sakura dropped the note onto a nearby table, and headed back to her room to change. She had promised to meet her mother back home for lunch today and share the good news of her advancement. Afterwards, she needed to meet with Tsunade to change her ninja registration. With her day mapped out in its entirety, the ANBU member hastily made her way to the bathroom and began washing away all telltale signs of the previous night's liquor fest.
***
"That Lee boy came looking for you this morning,"
Sakura stared across the polished wooden surface of the kitchen table and met with the older, but still beautiful face of her mother. Swallowing a mouthful of rice, she attempted to remain aloof about the discovery by asking casually, "What did you tell him?"
Able to read her daughter like a book, Mrs. Haruno gazed fondly at the figure of her only child and smiled cheerfully.
"Well, it was nine in the morning so naturally I told him you were at your apartment. But he said he'd already been there to check and you weren't in. I suppose he went back to your place after I told him you weren't here either. The poor boy…he was sweating buckets like he had just run a marathon after fighting for his life!"
In hindsight, Sakura was lucky she had gotten rid of the food in her mouth. Or her mother would most likely have had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on her at this point.
The sad part of it was though…she could picture a red-faced Lee giving timid little feather-light raps on her door, and then hanging his head in dejection when no one answered. Someone needed to tell the guy that most people lived in an alternate universe before 9 am.
"He was so polite too," her mother continued, only vaguely aware that Sakura was no longer listening, "and that cute little bowl-cut head of his! Hm, if only his fashion sense were a little better—his mother really should be told that bright green does nothing for his eyes…"
Digging into her food with relish, the roseate-haired kunoichi tried unsuccessfully to drown out the other's musings. Unlike most of her peers, Sakura was one of the few ranking shinobi in the village whose family had no traceable shinobi lineage. Neither of her parents were ninjas by profession; her father had graduated from the Academy, but failed to move on to become a Genin. Deciding that he had no talent as shinobi, the man had schooled himself in finances, and currently helped the village council in managing the village's economy. Her mother was not even originally from Konoha, but the daughter of a merchant who settled here after marrying her father.
Hence it wasn't surprising that Mrs. Haruno would rather talk about her daughter's love prospects instead of her upcoming ANBU career. And Sakura doubted that telling the doting woman her darling child was likely to be assigned an assassination mission next week would impress her.
"Really, Sakura dear, I don't see why you aren't interested in these wonderful young men that come flocking to you. Youth is short-lived you know, and before you realize it, everyone around you has settled down and built their nests of—"
"Mother," Sakura interrupted, silently clamping down on her urge to upchuck, "I'm only turning eighteen in a month. And don't go on about how you were married at my age, because things are different now. As a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf, I have high-priority duties and responsibilities."
"Yes, yes." Mrs. Haruno waved her daughter's points away. "But that doesn't mean you can't open yourself and give those who pursue you a little hope for their efforts."
Hope…
How could she afford to give hope to others, when she herself was clinging to hers by barely an inch?
There were others who had risked their lives to protect her, vowing to place her welfare above their own. But why then, why could her heart only respond to thoughts of a certain boy with sleek ebony hair and frigidly determined eyes?
Sasuke…is it because you were the first?
The memory of his unhesitating charge, placing himself protectively in front of her before the gleaming blades of the Demon Brothers, resurfaced in her mind. That was her first experience of someone defending her with his life.
It may have only been a sense of duty on Sasuke's behalf, but she loved him for it all the same.
Staring at the back of her mother, who had risen to collect the used dishes, Sakura realized that she had never told anyone in her family about her emotional ties to the Uchiha. They had their suspicions, but for the most part, merely assumed that their daughter was at a confused stage in her life that would soon pass.
"What if I'm saving my love for someone," she suddenly blurted out, "someone that I'm sure is out there only the time maybe isn't right yet?"
Mrs. Haruno paused in her actions, and stared into a bright set of jade eyes so very much like her own. All traces of laughter and nagging disappeared from her face, only genuine motherly compassion remaining as she fixed her gaze on Sakura and spoke.
"Then Sakura dear, I'll only tell you this. Honest, unselfish love and those tender affections that you are capable of sharing …save them for someone who really loves you. Because at least you'll know then, that no matter what trials the future may bring, you won't have to face them alone."
Sakura sat still, gawking at her parent figure as the minutes ticked away. Since when had her mother become so, so philosophical?
But Mrs. Haruno broke the moment, by abruptly exclaiming, "Now dear, don't you think this will impress your father when he gets home? I've color coordinated the placemats with our chopstick holders!"
***
Moving swiftly under the cover of nightfall, Sakura made her way unseen to the barbed wire fences surrounding her usual choice of training grounds. With the occasional updraft tousling flyaway coral strands, the young woman pulled up the collar of her navy blue shirt. She was still wearing her Chuunin uniform, since it was prohibited for ANBU members to wear their standard uniforms unless on active duty.
The hoary glow of moonlight was sufficient lighting on a clear night, and Sakura breathed in the cool, untainted air while delighting in the feel of carpeting grass beneath her sandaled feet. Her attitude was lighthearted as she fairly skipped her way across the open field. As she looked up to admire the beauty of the heavens, Sakura felt a jolt when she remembered that somewhere, sharing the same night sky with her, was Sasuke.
Becoming part of ANBU sounded like something that he would have approved of, for Sakura recalled that Sasuke showed a healthy disdain for all things weak. She felt certain that their destinies would cross again, because fate couldn't be so cruel as to separate them forever, right?
For years, she had played out in her mind the imaginary scenario of Sasuke returning to Konoha, fulfilled and content to remain in the village for good. She kept some constant inkling of hope that Tsunade would call her any day now to her office, and declare that they had information on Sasuke's whereabouts. But until that happened, she could only continue along her own life's path, serving the village that she owed her allegiance to.
On her nightly returns to this particular training area, Sakura also couldn't help but hope that she'd run into him again, the strange shinobi who had appeared and disappeared with all the swiftness of a wayward breeze. After all, the advice and tips he gave did guide her through her training these past few years.
Hence she returned faithfully, only to be disappointed time and again. Eventually, she began to doubt that she'd ever see the man again. Only tonight, as she emerged from the ring of trees surrounding her favored clearing, Sakura noticed that someone had beaten her to the punch.
A solitary figure stood in the open field, with their head raised in silent contemplation.
Sakura recognized the figure instantly and felt her excitement surge. Oddly, the man was wearing the exact same outfit as he had upon their last chance encounter. Looking at him now, Sakura felt as though she'd returned to that night when he had with a few choice words, opened up a realm of possibilities for her own techniques that she never knew existed. Grinning to herself, the kunoichi considered sneaking up on the man to prove that she had improved substantially since their last encounter.
When she looked up once more to pinpoint his last location, Sakura noticed belatedly that her target had disappeared. Her high-strung nerves were the only indication that she had not been hallucinating.
Fuck, fuck, FUCK!
She felt more than heard the indicative sound of an object cutting through the surrounding air, and reacted. With cat-like agility, the kunoichi twisted to her left and barrel-rolled twice before hitting the hard ground, but not before feeling the featherlike kiss of steel against the side of her neck.
Getting up on her knees, Sakura knew at once that he was behind her.
"Any slower, and you would be dead."
She rubbed her fingers along the place on her neck where the kunai had grazed her, and felt the tiniest of cuts, shallow enough to have not broken through the second layer of skin. Secretly relieved that the cut may not scar, she then rounded on the culprit.
"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! What if I hadn't been a shinobi, huh? Then you'd be talking to a corpse, mister!"
The man glanced over at her, and then tucked the kunai back within the dark folds of his cloak.
"I see…you are the brat from a few years back."
Still scowling at her recent attacker, Sakura resisted the urge to scream at him. "And I see three years hasn't dislodged that stick from your ass," she muttered instead.
The other paid her no heed, and instead questioned emotionlessly, "Why are you here?"
The ANBU member deflated, feeling all traces of anger leaving her, and looked almost sheepish as she lowered her head. She then began shuffling her feet like an uncertain preadolescent.
"I-I was hoping to run into you again. You never gave me a chance to thank you last time for your help…and I've been following your advice ever since,"
She glanced up to see that the man had turned away and taken a seat on the lush field of grass, appearing perfectly at ease with one leg folded up casually. It vaguely upset her that he seemed to have disregarded her presence, and was giving her the persona non grata treatment.
"Well, why are you here then," she demanded rather sullenly, "this area is restricted to Leaf shinobi."
"It holds a certain charm," he responded tonelessly, as though that statement alone should be enough explanation.
During the ensuing silence, Sakura found herself staring intently at the man's shadowed profile while gently tilting her own head to one side in thoughtful contemplation.
"Really, who are you," she questioned softly, all her attention focused on the other's reaction.
The strange shinobi inclined his head her way to pause ever so briefly, and looked away once again.
"Did no one ever tell you that questions are dangerous…because they have answers?"
His voice was as cold as ever, but Sakura could detect an almost teasing trace of admonishment within the deceptively strung words. Unperturbed, she strolled forward boldly, and sat herself beside the other shinobi with less than a meter between them.
"Looks like you still don't want to tell me," she began conversationally, "but that's okay. I think I already have a good idea."
She deliberately gauged her neighbor's reaction from a peripheral perspective before continuing.
"You conceal your face at all times, obviously not wanting to be identified or recognized. What's more, unlike regular shinobi who are only too eager to show off their origins, you bear no indication of your native village. These two points alone are enough to label you as some type of exile."
The ANBU member watched with haughty satisfaction as the figure beside her visibly stiffened. Apparently her suspicions were right on the mark, and as expected, the man did not take well to her insight.
"Don't worry though," she reassured with a hurried wave of her hand, "I won't be telling anyone about this and I'll continue to abide by your wishes. I do my research, and from the patterning of your cloak, I don't care to know your affiliation with Akatsuki either, nor will I be turning you in."
With an almost careless shrug, the kunoichi hugged her knees tightly in towards her torso.
"I don't think I have any right meddling in your business, especially since all you've done really is help me. But—"
She jumped to her feet and waggled her eyebrows in what she hoped was a credible attempt at menace.
"—if I so much as hear about a cloaked, straw hat-wearing figure wreaking havoc in Konoha, I'll make you regret having ever met me."
Her threat was greeted with chilly silence from the other. In all honesty, the last thing Sakura wanted was to make an enemy out of this particular person, and she was about to tell him that when he spoke.
"You are rather clever," the shinobi noted plainly, "but what if I told you that I don't particularly like people who think themselves clever?"
Sakura watched in wide-eyed panic as the man lunged at her, his body moving as a swirling mass of darkness. His arm reached for her throat, thumb and middle finger shaped into a hard grip that would crush her windpipe.
That he would suddenly attack her with such murderous intent was not something Sakura had been expecting.
Damn his speed!
Acting quickly, the kunoichi raised her right arm to shield her upper body while she began performing the seal sequence for a temporary chakra shield. The sizzling energy would gather about her arm, and provide her with a momentary block against the oncoming strike.
Unbeknownst to her, the other shinobi had prepared for the defensive maneuver, and using his unoccupied hand, readied a ninjutsu attack targeting Sakura's lower body.
"Katon Karyuu Endan!"
The burning trail of fire flew at her with merciless intensity, giving the ANBU member no time to expand her shield. Besides, it was doubtful that the minimal amount of chakra would hold under the blazing inferno.
Her mind numb from fear, Sakura felt her mind begin to shut down, while her body continued to move instinctually, gathering chakra for her shield. She felt a sudden surge of chakra ebb at the fingertips of her left hand, and without thinking, she responded.
"Water Cannon no Jutsu!"
A massive jet of indigo burst from her hand to counter the fiery onslaught; fire met water in an explosive eruption that canceled out both attacks, leaving only a smoldering path of vegetation and wispy trails of smoke as evidence of combat.
The cloaked shinobi stood paces from his opponent, looking entirely unsurprised by the results of their little clash. He regarded the young woman before him, who was staring down dumbly at her hands, transfixed by what had occurred.
"It appears that my assumption was correct," he noted, more to himself than her.
Startled out of her daze, Sakura raised her head, a clear question mark reflected in her eyes.
"You knew I could do that?"
The man moved further away from the ANBU member, walking at a relaxed pace though his voice still carried back to her.
"A rare ability, but those with near perfect chakra control can be capable of manipulating their chakra output so as to perform two jutsus simultaneously."
Sakura looked down again at her hands with disbelief. The maneuver had just saved her life, but she had no idea what she was doing. She had merely followed the instinctual pull of her body and reacted accordingly. It would be something else to repeat that with conscious awareness. But still…he had known that she could divide her chakra like that…
"Hey you, stop right there!"
The shinobi stopped his progression long enough to glance back at the roseate-haired shinobi. She was grinning at him so brilliantly that it was a wonder her face didn't crack. Before he knew it, the girl was jogging up to him, her face flushed more from excitement than physical exertion.
"Looks like I'm stronger than I was last time we met, right?"
The brightness of her face dimmed somewhat when he offered no comment. Too elated to let his indifference affect her, Sakura twirled in a little circle, appearing ridiculous considering she wore a uniform that should have relayed maturity and responsibility to others.
"I'll have you know that I just made one of the most elite divisions in our village,"
"ANBU," the other shinobi commented quietly.
Sakura whirled around to gape at him in shock.
"Wha…how did you know that?"
"The assassination squad of this village is known as ANBU, is it not?"
He responded almost uninterestedly.
"And they tattoo an insignia onto the left arms of all members. With the way you are moving your arm in obvious discomfort, one would assume that you have either recently sustained injury to that limb, or some other purposely inflicted cause. Since the fit of your clothes reveals no bandaging, I'll assume that it is not injury, but rather a tattoo."
He almost reacted to the way the roseate-haired kunoichi was gawking at him. Surprising how she could be intelligent one moment, and so incredibly dense another. But it was past time for him to be leaving, this little encounter though interesting, had taken too long.
"I wouldn't call you strong yet," he finally commented, before disappearing into the concealing shadows of the surrounding trees. It would not do to keep his partner waiting in light of recent events. They had a schedule to adhere to, after all.
Sakura stood rooted to the same place, looking on as the strange shinobi left her once more, blending in seamlessly with their dark surroundings. The open field seemed so much emptier now that she was alone. A last thought occurred to her before she decided to begin her training.
I never did find out his name.
***
Tap. Tap. Tappity. Tap.
The steady sound of Lee drumming his bandaged fingers against the wall outside Tsunade's office was beginning to grate on her nerves. Sakura was ready to tell him to stop, but suddenly remembered that this was a vast improvement from the dizzying pacing he'd been doing earlier.
Glancing listlessly over at her other companion, Sakura wondered how Neji could remain so cool and collected even after forty long minutes of just waiting. But then again, this was Mr. Emotionally Repressed they were talking about. Whereas she had never been partnered with Lee, Sakura had actually been assigned to work on missions with Neji during her Chuunin days. The two were able to understand each other and collaborate decently. Mainly because over the years, they had come to an unspoken agreement: I'll stay out of your hair if you stay the hell out of mine.
But it was still fun for Sakura to bait the Hyuga and try to get a rise out of him.
From his side of the spacious hallway, Lee stifled a tired yawn and sighed instead. "I wish Hokage-sama would keep true to her word. I've wasted so much valuable training time already."
"I'm sure you can make up the five hundred handstand push-ups later," Neji commented acerbically, while leaning nonchalantly against the opposite wall with his arms crossed and head lowered. Though he was loath to admit it, the wait annoyed him as well, but it would be an insult to his person to start whining like a child.
Sakura looked away from the stoic figure on her left, and resumed her previous task of counting cracks in the ceiling.
Unaffected, Lee grinned at his former teammate, showing off sparkling white teeth that were the product of years of immaculate dental hygiene. "But this sure does remind you of old times, doesn't it Neji? Only we lack Gai-sensei's inspiring guidance, and Sakura-san joins us instead of Tenten."
At Neji's lack of response, Sakura couldn't help but join in on the fun.
"Oh, I'm sure that Neji's only a little upset that Tenten is away on another assignment, so he has to put up with me instead. B-but…I thought you liked working with me, Neji-kun…"
Neji only raised his eyebrows at Sakura's attempt to look teary-eyed and hurt. Really, and these two made it into ANBU how? Abilities aside, he concluded, one was abnormally excitable and the other tended to be rather dementedly aggravating at times. But then again, he grudgingly admitted that he too was prone to occasional bouts of irrationality.
Only because of prolonged exposure to weirdoes like them.
"I find most company to be lacking," he finally retorted, "though some markedly more than others."
Both Sakura and Lee feigned hurt expressions now, as the kunoichi walked up to the Hyuga and gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. The other glared at her with piercing eyes, but for the most part tolerated the act.
"Aw, come on and admit it, Neji. Your life's just been filled with joy and sunshine since I started working with you."
"Oh, it's been full of something alright…"
While Sakura snickered softly to herself, the door to Tsunade's office swung open, revealing Kotetsu who, decked in his administrative outfit, waved them in.
Passing by Tsunade's assistant, Sakura felt a weird sense of deja vu come over her. True, Kotetsu had been the one to inform her several days ago of her acceptance into ANBU, but the way he was looking at her suggested that they were almost friends.
Did he just wink at me?
Tossing such inutile thoughts aside, the roseate-haired ANBU operative went to take a seat in between Lee and Neji. Suddenly, she noticed that instead of sitting down, both of them were staring directly ahead to the front of the spacious room, their bodies tense with what could be alarm.
Following their gaze, Sakura saw that there standing beside Tsunade, his stance rigid with authority, was Morino Ibiki. It was no wonder her companions had suddenly become wary. Tsunade's summons had made no mention of Ibiki, and Sakura could only wonder what reason the Head of Interrogation and Torture had for being present.
She shuddered involuntarily.
What if there's some twisted initiation rite involved for new ANBU members?
Meanwhile, Tsunade had noticed the rise in tension within the room, along with the suspicious looks her assembled ANBU team kept firing her way. Clearing her throat loudly, the governing Hokage called for their attention.
"Have a seat, I promise that Ibiki won't be laying a finger on you."
Looking visibly more relaxed, the trio sank into their chairs as Tsunade proceeded to explain the forthcoming mission.
"As you are all aware, Konoha has been recovering by increments since the Sound/Sand Invasion five years ago. However, our position on the political field has yet to stabilize; the majority of missions assigned over this period have been to reassert our presence in the minds of other countries and their hidden villages."
Sakura nodded, recalling how at least half of the village's higher-ranking shinobi's could always be found abroad on assignments.
"After their attempted incursion," Tsunade continued, "the Village of the Sand was significantly weakened and in turmoil due to the Kazekage not having named a successor. In recent years though, the Sand Village has shown a remarkably fast recovery, so much that it seems to be exerting its influence in the area more aggressively lately."
The room remained silent as Tsunade pulled a letter out from one of her long, draping sleeves.
"This," she explained, "I received from the Tsuchikage of Hidden Stone several weeks ago. It is a request for us to intervene should the Sand Village act unpredictably, since it has been showing 'evident signs of hostile aggression'. The Stone Village evidently feels threatened by the current actions of their neighbor."
At the skeptical glance Neji shot her, Tsunade paused.
"Do you have a question, Neji?"
"Yes," the other replied in an almost bored tone of voice, "what proof can Stone offer that indicates there are hostile intentions on the part of Sand deserving of our attention?"
It may have been her imagination, but Sakura could have sworn she saw the corner of Tsunade's mouth curve upwards. To the others, their Hokage remained impassive as she answered.
"According to the Tsuchikage and our own sources, Sand's shinobi numbers appear to have grown exponentially over this last year. The rest…I'll let Ibiki take over from here."
The Division Leader stepped forward, his face set in stern lines as he swept over the assembled ANBU with a critical eye. Though he was not particularly well liked by the majority of Leaf shinobis, Ibiki's presence still commanded respect from those who knew of his experiences. Granted, they had also heard rumors about his 'methods' that could make anyone's skin crawl.
The man also had a voice to match his appearance, one that boomed commandingly across the generous expanse of the room.
"We unfortunately lost contact with our undercover contact in Sand a week ago. But prior to that, he reported the village being overridden with rumors claiming that Sand has future plans to annex the hidden villages of Rain and Grass. Our current operatives in those two villages have confirmed that there are growing feelings of unease and insecurity amongst the Rain and Grass populace."
He stopped briefly, letting the implications of the findings set in with his audience.
"Two days ago, several ANBU units found an injured Sand Jounin on the outskirts of our village. After extensive interrogation, we discovered that Sand is currently amassing forces to execute their plans of invading the Rain and Grass villages in the near future."
Both Lee and Sakura cringed at the mention of the word "interrogation", understanding that the unfortunate victim must have underwent several phases of proverbial hell before he was willing to release such information. Neji, for the most part, continued to appear unimpressed as Ibiki motioned for Tsunade to finish with the mission briefing.
"We are sending a delegation to meet with the current Kazekage," Tsunade declared, locking eyes with each of the ANBU, "to first confirm these claims while getting a feel for his intentions. Also, the group will serve as representatives of the Leaf's interests, and see if they can negotiate with Sand for a desired outcome."
With her last statement, it was as though a bomb had been dropped on the assembled trio. The realization that their Hokage had summoned them to play ambassadors had the same effects as a blizzard in the middle of July: it made no fucking sense.
"You mean," questioned Neji through clenched teeth, "that you're preparing to send members of an assassination squad to engage in diplomacy?"
"It makes little sense," added Lee, whose eyes were wide with bewilderment, "we don't have the experience. Why not get someone who's specialized in tactics like Shikamaru?"
Tsunade resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and chose to answer in all seriousness.
"Because…the negotiation is merely an act of goodwill. I've gone over your Academy records and all of you, especially Sakura, show an in-depth understanding of the currently established treaties and regulations between the hidden villages. But should the situation call for it, I want ANBU present to do what they do best."
Silence settled over the previously volatile group, though from their expressions, the Godaime could tell that her shinobi were still not entirely comfortable with the idea.
"Your mission—"
"And we have no choice but to accept it," muttered the taijutsu specialist under his breath, until Neji glared at him.
"—is therefore laid out. Meet with the Kazekage, learn of his intentions, and negotiate an agreement that is favorable to the neighboring hidden villages and us. You will return and personally report all your findings to me. Now normally I would be assigning a squad captain to your group, but in this case an exception will be made."
The prospect of not having someone rule over them was pleasant, but Sakura also dreaded the possibility of having to answer to one of the guys beside her. Well, she really didn't mind Lee, but Neji…yeah.
"So which of us gets to go on a power-trip," she asked cautiously.
"No one."
At their confused expressions, Tsunade really did smile.
"You didn't think that I'd be sending the three of you alone for such a crucial mission, did you? You're lucky, since your leader for this assignment has been in and out of the Wind Country numerous times over the last few years, so is pretty familiar with the situation there. Not to mention he's also a former member of ANBU."
At this point, Tsunade walked over to the door that lead to her attached office. After opening it, she addressed whoever must have been waiting inside.
"I'm done with the mission briefing, you can come in now."
While Neji and Lee exchanged puzzled, but curious glances, Sakura felt a growing anxiety within her that was quickly blossoming into outright disbelief.
No way…
Tsunade stepped away from the door, admitting the entrance of one familiarly masked, silver-haired Jounin. Kakashi waved to the group.
"Hey guys."
***
Author's Notes:
Ack, as I'm sure you've all noticed the lack of Kakashi in this chapter, all it means is that the next chapter is where the ball really gets rolling. Once again, all reviews from readers will be mucho appreciated. The responses to previous reviews are below.
Responses to Reviews
Cookie6: Thanks for the compliment! You can bet there'll be loads more coming…
Lady Light: I'm so glad you liked this so far! Hope that you're laughing with the fic ;)
kel-chan1: *basking in the afterglow of your comment* You really know how to cheer someone on. Hope you enjoy the coming chapters!
Licht Sieger: Um…couldn't it be Kisame? *cough* Not likely *cough* Itachi seems to be everyone's guess ^^
Mikazuki1: Ya, so happy you like empowered Sakura! I'll try to keep the chapters long, and hopefully they'll come out faster too. That should happen once summer break hits!
DancingMonkeyLikeBanana: Thanks for the compliment! I'm continuing this for sure, and I hope you liked this chapter!
panuru4u: I can't tell you enough how moved I am that you've read through this fic so far, even though you may not like the intended pairing. I hope you'll at least enjoy some aspects of the fic, as I'm trying to not let the pairing define the flow or direction of the story. Thanks for the inspirational review!
cuito: Thanks for the yummy review! I'll be going off and doing a happy dance now…but I think writing the next few chapters would make you happier, ne? ;)
random EdwarD: Woohoo, a KakaSaku fan! Your review still has me giggling with glee. It's great to know that people like the direction I'm taking with Sakura so far. You are not snooty by any sense of the word, and dude, I LUV long reviews ^^!
QuasiAngel: That review just made my day, and it's awesome knowing that the KakaSaku pairing is getting some loveable support! I know I'd love to update each day, and I'll be trying my best to get chapters out as fast as possible for ya!
EmptySanity: You've seriously bowled me over by not reviewing once, but twice! Thank you for both flattering reviews. I need to take a cue from you and get to work on finishing this fic then!
bishonen_no_miko: Thank you muchly for the great reviews! Yes, our little Sakura is all grown up *sniffle*. I think all she needed was a nudge in the right direction and the realization that she needed to become stronger. Having Sasuke out of the picture temporarily also helps ^^. "Another Wolf" is one of my favorite KakaSaku fics, now if only Larkspur would update already! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
ph34R tH3 CuT3 0N3s: Okay, now that was one glomp-worthy review! What an incredibly inspiring review. I'm insanely happy knowing I've kept them somewhat in character. It's kind of tricky juggling a more mature Sakura with Kakashi, who will just never grow up…but the interaction between the two promises to be interesting ;) Hopefully you'll enjoy the upcoming chapters as well!
Nocturine: Another KakaSaku supporter! This truly makes my day/year. I'm a minor in music, and I wrote the lyrics to go along with a composition for one of our semester end projects. Hope you liked it, cuz for the weirdest reason Sakura's situation was all I could think about when I wrote the thing.
Hisaki Shiraha Kei: Thanks for that huggable review! I've got such a soft spot for KakSaku as well, but SasuSaku is enjoyable as well. Wait, you've got one written?! I must check it out as soon as time allows, since finals are just the scariest two weeks of the whole year…hope you liked this chapter, and yes, there will be more coming!
oOoshortayoOo: Awww, thanks for starting another onslaught of gleeful laughter! There will be romance coming, only it's taking a bit because Kakashi and Sakura need to reacquaint themselves with each other. And unfortunately, Sakura is still just a bit too unwilling to forget Sasuke. But give them some time…and we'll see what happens ^^
Jewel Song: Yay, you love it! I hope you liked this chapter, and I can promise that there will be oodles to come, hehehe…
randomness: Glad you liked the ending! Yeah, a drunk Sakura does present a very…interesting picture. I'm sure Kakashi would agree with you once his arms recover ;) Hope you liked this chapter!
Nanie: Thanks for the review! Yes, this story has a mind of its own, but it's pretty much planned out and just waiting to be created. And oh boy, am I writing… Hope you enjoy the coming chapters!
Katsuhito Sage: Okay…if I smile any more from your review, my face is gonna break. It had me bouncing in front of the computer for quite the while! Lol, great to know that the story doesn't seem saturated in angst, although if Sakura had her way, that may be the case o.0 There will be references to the three years in between through future flashbacks or conversations. Genma and Sakura just make for really bizarre, but hilarious encounters. Genma seems like the eternal bachelor, and I mean, there's gotta be something keeping the guy from settling down. There's something fishy between them…or maybe Genma's just like that with most females? Let's ask him ~_^ Thanks a ton for reviewing, and I hope you like the future chapters!
