Layderine: WOW! thank you so much for your reviews... (blush)
i'll try hard to keep writting interesting chapters... actually i had completed up to 11 chapters so far... and i uploaded 6 of them already...
i was going to do it one by one... but it looks like you guys like it alot so heres the next few chapters
i hope they're as good as you expected .
Disclaimer: As always i don't own NARUTO or any of the NARUTO ideas, concepts or characters.
Original Characters: Jin and Mai are my own little creations...
anyways... here's the next chapter. I'll continue to update often ENJOY!
Act 7: Unranked, Unmasked. New Rivals.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke turned around.
"Ino, Hinata… what do you want?" He said rather coldly.
Ino and Hinata were out of breath, and were panting heavily. By the looks of it, they've been running around the entire village.
"Sasuke-kun…" Ino started. "Have you seen Sakura?"
"Sakura-san?" He looked at them once again. "No I haven't seen here since last night.
"Not even this morning?" Hinata asked. Ino was sort of in a trance.
"Since when does Sasuke call Sakura, 'Sakura-san'?" She thought watching Sasuke shake his head to Hinata's question.
"Why? I thought she'd be with you guys."
"She's not." Ino snapped.
"Then is she with Naruto?" He asked, he was starting to worry himself, but of course, he'd never show it.
Hinata shook her head. "No… Naruto-kun is on a mission with Shika-kun and Iruka-sempai."
Sasuke was silent. "What the hell? Where is she then? Fuck!" He gripped his left hand in a tight fist. "We should ask Hokage-sama. Sakura-san might be with her."
The two girls nodded and did their best to keep up with the raven-haired jounin who was already darting off in the direction of the Hokage's office.
"But Hokage-sama! She's just returned to Konoha and already you-"
"JIN!" Tsunande cut him off in the middle of his rant. He was a little startled and bowed apologizing. Sakura stood off to the side somewhat behind Tsunande's desk, her back was to them, arms crossed and she was looking out the window. Today she was wearing her usual tight black mini-skirt but instead of her usual black vest and tube top, she was wearing a white sleeveless turtleneck and of course her stiletto knee-high boots. Unlike usual, she had let her long light pink hair down and it flowed to past her thin waist line.
"Konoha is still in need of highly skilled shinobi. Sakura has decided on her own accord to accept this mission." Tsunande stated directly and clearly so that Jin would understand.
"But Hokage-sama! It's an unranked mission! That means-"
"Jin…" Once again he was cut off, this time by Sakura. "I'm not a child…" she continued back still to him. She sounded somewhat colder today. "I can do this mission."
"But Sakura!"
"Are you telling me I can't do it!"
Jin was startled "Sakura…I've never seen you like this…" Jin shook his head. "No…"
Her back was still to him when a certain raven haired boy crashed through the door.
"Hokage-sama!"
"Eh?" Jin and Tsunande looked up at the Uchiha prodigy. Sakura didn't move upon recognizing his voice.
"Sakura is!" He continued without noticing her there.
"Right there…" Jin said pointing towards the pink-haired ANBU looking out the window.
"Eh… oh…" Sasuke bowed apologizing for the sudden intrusion.
The two females arrived panting out of breath once again.
"Sakura!" they chimed in relief.
Sakura turned from the window sharply. Her long hair following in "slow motion" falling into neat strands over her shoulders. She quickly tucked a few locks behind her left ear and smiled at her friends. "Hello."
"We were worried!" Ino yelled out hugging Sakura.
"Huh? Why?" Sakura was kind of shocked.
Sasuke smiled. "She smiled…"
"UNRANKED MISSION!" Ino and Hinata yelled in total shock.
"Yup." Tsunande nodded her head. Sakura had gone back to gazing out the window.
"Sakura-chan!" Hinata cried. "Are you sure!"
"I wouldn't have accepted it if I wasn't. Besides, this mission requires both a medic and a genjitsu specialist."
"Sakura-san is both." Sasuke said. He was sitting down in front of Tsunande's desk, arms crossed, eyes closed and a serious expression on his face-the infamous Sasuke stance.
Slightly surprised Sakura turned to face him; her face was blank as she has now become a master at hiding her feelings during her time at ANBU headquarters.
"Hokage-sama" Jin started to speak, he looked at Sakura who now glanced at him. "This mission requires 4 party members. So far you only have Uzumaki-kun who will be returning tomorrow and Sakura. I volunteer."
Ino and Hinata's eyes widend and Ino looked at Sakura who was expressionless; she had turned her back once again and gazed out the window.
"I'm not surprised" Sakura thought.
"Jin…." Tsunande was surprised. She blinked a few times, an indication that she was thinking about it. She then smiled and nodded. "Ok."
"So, this guy is Jin…" Sasuke thought. "I volunteer too." He said, eyes still closed. He could feel Sakura's gaze at him, but he couldn't' bring himself to open his eyes at look at her.
"I'm glad you agreed Uchiha, I was going to propose this position to you anyway." Tsunande chuckled. "You leave in 3 days."
The 5 shinobi left the Hokage's office.
"Well, well, team 7 is finally going on a mission together!" Ino beamed. "It's like a reunion! We should have a party!"
Sakura was walking rather quickly ahead of them, "Kakashi isn't coming… so it isn't really team 7. Besides; team 7 died a long time ago." The 3 Konoha jounins were surprised; they expected a remark like that from Sasuke, but not from Sakura. She had said it rather cold and bluntly. But Jin was not surprised.
"Sounds like you're feeling better neh Sakura?" He said catching up with her. She didn't look at him. "Heh, that's the Sakura I know and love." Again she didn't say anything. Behind them Sasuke was cringing with a mixture of anger and jealousy.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Sasuke screamed in his head.
Jin put his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. "Did you like the kimono?" Ino and Hinata blushed, Sasuke could hear them whispering how cute and romantic Jin was.
"Yes, it was beautiful." She said passionless.
"But?"
She was silent again.
"You're rejecting me again aren't you?"
Silence.
"I understand… My feelings haven't changed for you. I'm willing to wait."
She stopped walking and Jin stepped in front of her. He smiled as he grasped her shoulders and smiled. The two girls were looking on in anticipation blushing and overflowing with feminine emotions, a sort of fluttery feeling. Jin lifted her chin up to face him and looked into her eyes. She blushed, slightly confused of what to do. He leaned in slowly, she had to think fast.
"If I let him Kiss me, then, Sasuke… Sasuke…" Her mind drifted off, in memories of her days with Sasuke in Konoha. Jin was close now, she could feel his warm sweet breath caress her lips, and he was so close now, tilting her chin up more so that their lips could meet. "Sasuke!" That was the only thing on her mind. She turned her cheek and Jin stopped. She pulled away slightly.
"Sakura?" Jin looked at her confused. She needed an excuse. She could feel Sasuke watching her from behind. He was so intense, she felt as if his gaze was burning a hole right through her back.
"Umm… there are people." She said lamely her eyes finding a new obsession with the ground beneath her. Jin smiled. Sakura didn't know if he got it or not, she was more focused on Sasuke's reaction.
"I see… Don't worry I understand." He pulled her close again and whispered in her ear. "You're still in love with him." She pulled away and gave him that "How did you know?" look. Jin just smiled again and looked at Sasuke.
"What the hell?" Sasuke thought returning his glare.
"Meh, Uchiha Sasuke… from now on, we're rivals!"
"Huh?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow pretending not to know what he was talking about, but in reality Sasuke knew very well.
Sakura's jade orbs were jumping back and forth from Sasuke to Jin and from Jin to Sasuke.
Jin grinned, "So guys, see you in 3 days." He turned to Sakura and kissed her forehead causing her to blush. He looked back at Sasuke as if mocking him, Sasuke glared at him. "Heh, looks like I'm in the lead so far Uchiha Sasuke." He winked at Sakura then disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Sakura was in shock once again. "What…What just happened?" She thought, she looked at Sasuke for the first time today trying to read him, he looked at her blankly, then blinked, she knew he was thinking, planning, but what? She was really no good at reading the Uchiha.
