"I see you decided to stay in tonight," Kakashi commented as he walked into the holding room of the ANBU station.
The single occupant of the room said nothing.
"ANBU didn't even notice you were gone, so I don't see why you would come back here," Kakashi went on. "It can't be because of the accommodations."
"What do you want?"
This was the response Kakashi had been expecting from Sasuke. The young man was angry and with no one else in the room Sasuke was directing that anger at his old teacher.
"I want to know why choose to come back to this holding cell rather than leave Konoha."
Again, Sasuke said nothing.
"That's fine, you don't have to answer. I already know why," Kakashi said, and this time he had Sasuke's attention. "There's still some part of you – however small – that still wants this life. You could have broken out of here at any time, yet you've chosen to stay."
"I will leave," Sasuke stated.
"I'm sure you will. Though Sakura and Naruto seem to believe you'll stay, I don't have the heart to tell them otherwise."
"If you're trying to make me regret the decision I made three years ago, it's not going to work," Sasuke responded.
"I know that," said Kakashi, sounding like he was the one who was regretful. "It's just that it's never easy for a teacher to see his student fail, and by continuing to stay on the path you're on now, you will do nothing but keep failing."
"You don't know me – you never did," Sasuke said, growing angry.
"I don't need to know you in order to tell you that revenge will leave you empty. You've given up everything and yet somehow you think that's the key to killing Itachi, when all its down is made your existence miserable and lonely."
Irritated, Sasuke said, "are you done?"
"Just one more thing," Kakashi added, opening the cell door. "Betray Konoha and I wouldn't hesitate to kill you."
Kakashi stepped out into the barren corridor, the feeling of anger that should have accompanied those words was nowhere to be found. In fact, the only thing he felt was sadness and regret. Sasuke was his failure the same way Sakura was a success that he couldn't claim he'd had any part of. He supposed that spoke volumes about his abilities as a teacher.
Lee wiped away the sweat falling down his forehead and kept running. By his calculations, he still had another twenty-five out of his one hundred laps around Konoha to go. If he kept at his current pace he would likely be finished by nightfall.
He was running through one of the residential areas, when he saw her sitting on a bench, as if she had been waiting for him to show up.
Sakura smiled when she saw him. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
"I've been training," he said, giving no hint that he was tiring from running.
She frowned when she realized he was about to run past her. Something wasn't right. "Lee-san, what's wrong?"
"I still have twenty-five laps to do. I don't have time to talk."
Something was definitely wrong. Lee never acted like this. "If this is about what happened last night – "
"It doesn't matter anymore," he said, coming to a halt several meters in front of her. "I finally understand."
She was confused. "Understand what?"
He faced her, saying, "that to win your heart, it doesn't take kindness or friendship, or even love. He has to be cold and dark and cause you pain. Is that what it takes for you to fall in love with someone?"
Sakura could only stand there in a numb state, listening to the hurt and anguish in Lee's voice. When she could finally find her voice, she said shakily, "No, that's not true."
"It's been true since the day I met you," he said, looking anywhere but at her. "And it's still true now. Even after Sasuke-kun tried to hurt you, you still couldn't hate him, despite everything he put you through."
"I still care for him, yes. I can't help that, but my feelings aren't like that anymore. It's the truth."
"Is it also the truth you'll never want me the same way you wanted him?" He asked. When she hesitated, that was all the answer Lee needed. He turned his back on her and went to leave.
"Lee-san, wait!" She pleaded with him to stay.
"I now have fifty laps to run because I stopped here. Please let me finish them," he said in a strained voice without turning around.
When he ran off, Sakura went to go after him but clutched her side in pain. She cursed that her ribs still weren't fully healed from the incident with Neji the day before. She could only watch as Lee got farther and farther away from her.
Neji marched towards the Hokage's office, having been summoned there by one of her Chuunin messengers.
The door was open, so he walked right in. Lady Hokage was not inside, but Haruno Sakura was seated in one of the chairs in front of the massive desk. He took the seat farthest from her.
"Did Lady Hokage summon our whole team?" He asked her.
Sakura gave a shrug of her shoulders as a response.
He studied her carefully, looking for signs of her showing any ill effects from their sparring session the previous day. Visibly, she looked fine. He did not use his Byakugan to confirm that, however. That would have been far too obvious and unnecessary. If she was still injured she should have go to the hospital. It was not his job to take care of her. Though it left him unsettled that she had rattled him so much in the first place to cause that kind of behaviour in him. He was trying to ignore the strange sensation of guilt he felt for attacking her like that. What unnerved him the most was the guilt he felt towards her was different from what he had experienced afterwards with Tenten.
Fortunately, he was spared any impending awkwardness when the Hokage herself walked in, trailed by Lee and Tenten.
Neji found it interesting how Lee sat beside him and did not even glance at Sakura. He had been correct to assume there had been a reason behind Lee's sudden reluctance to train with them.
"Now that you're all here I can give you your new mission," said Tsunade, taking a seat behind her desk. "I apologize for the short notice but the other team we had assigned to this won't be back from their mission in the Earth County in time."
"So we're second best then?" Said Lee in a sullen voice.
"No, more like a second choice. It's an A rank undercover mission, which is why you weren't considered first. You guys don't really have any experience with covert operations."
"What's the mission?" Neji asked. He wasn't concerned with why they had not been selected first.
"The Snow Country will be holding its annual winter gala, where representatives from all the other countries and their hidden villages have been invited to attend. Each village is allowed to send up to three representatives. Tenten, since the first stage of your medic-nin exams are in four days, you won't be going with them. Neji, Lee, and Sakura, you will each be provided with passports and identification for your assigned aliases. Please memorize your assigned roles by tomorrow," she said, handing them each a paper with their respective aliases.
"Typically, the winter gala is to keep up the prestige of the Snow Country and offer feudal lords the chance to build trade and other alliances. Based on the reports we've received, some kind of a deal is going to take place between the Sound and the Snow. We're not exactly sure what the deal will consist of, but we have a feeling it will have something to do with medical research. As you know, the Snow Country is by far the leading nation in medicinal research and practice. Many of the most successful medic-nin in the last century have come from there.
"Your job will be to monitor the Sound ninja in attendance and to meet with one of our contacts that has been undercover in the Snow Country for some time now. He will give you the information he has collected and you will report back to Konoha with it. Remember, this is strictly an information gathering mission. Anything more and you risk exposing your true identity." Tsunade opened the first file on her desk and looked at Sakura. "Since there will also be a medical conference going on in the days before the gala, Sakura you will participate as a student who is studying at the university here in Konoha." She leafed through the next folder on her desk and turned to Neji. "As there will be many trade opportunities, Neji you will go in as the son of a wealthy family looking to increase their standing in Konoha. Your status as a Hyuuga means you will know all the protocol required of someone in your position." Tsunade opened the last file on her desk and turned to Lee. "It's customary for at least one of the representatives to be a shinobi. Typically it's a prodigy of the village or someone with a very unique skill. Lee you will be our Taijutsu specialist."
Tsunade folded her palms on the table and looked at the assembled teens. "You'll leave tomorrow morning. All your papers will be completed by then. To keep up appearances, you'll ride the train from the station on the outskirts of Konoha to the Snow Country. It's a three-day trip. Questions?"
"Is Orochimaru involved?" Sakura asked the Hokage.
"That's yet to be determined," Tsunade answered. "But if his own village, the Sound is involved, the chances are high. Remember, your purpose is to find out what the agreement between the Sound and Snow will be, and if possible, collect as much information as you can without exposing yourselves.
"Is there anything else?" Neji said, impatient to be out of there.
Tsunade shook her head. "Your train leaves at nine. Come by here before than to pick up your passports and identification. Shizune will make sure you have everything you need."
Tsunade dismissed them after that and the four teens filed out of the Hokage's office.
"I almost wish I didn't have my medic nin exam," Tenten was saying. "I've heard the Snow Country is beautiful this time of year. Sakura, you'll have to give me all the details when you come back." Gently tugging the other girl's arm to pull her back from the others, she said in a hushed voice, "do you know what's wrong with Lee? I haven't seen him act like this before."
Sakura opened her mouth and then quickly shut it again. She really didn't know how to explain what had happened with Lee, but judging by the look on Tenten's face she had already figured it out for herself.
Sakura was already starting to dread this mission as much as she had the Sand one. With Lee not speaking to her, it meant she would have no one else but Neji for companionship during the three-day journey. Maybe she could convince Tsunade to let her stay and help Tenten prepare for her medic-nin exam.
The train ride from Konoha was so uneventful, Sakura found it hard not to drift off to sleep. If there was one thing she had learned from Kakashi over the years it was to get sleep wherever you could, because you never knew when your next opportunity to rest might be.
Lee was restless and had left their compartment to wander the rest of the train, leaving Sakura alone with Neji. Since the two of them never had many words that needed to be exchanged, sleep seemed like the best alternative.
Sakura managed to drift into a deep sleep until a dull ache in her side forced her awake. Unconsciously, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and looked around. Lee was still gone and the cart was now bathed in the gloomy glare of the overcast sky.
She caught Neji staring at her and frowned. "What?"
"You're still injured," he remarked.
"It's nothing," she said dismissively. "I just moved the wrong way when I was sleeping."
"You should not conceal injuries from your teammates."
She had already been irritated enough from waking up and finding his scrutinizing glare on her, now she was getting close to losing her temper. "If you're worried I'm going to jeopardize the mission, don't. If I wasn't able to fully contribute I would tell you and Lee."
"Perhaps I was a bit over-enthusiastic during our sparring," he said to her.
She blinked. "A bit? I felt like you were trying to kill me."
"I did not mean to give you that impression."
"Then what did you mean?" She had known Neji was never one to go easy but that had been beyond over-kill what he had tried with her.
For Neji, this line of conversation was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, so he moved onto a new topic. The topic that had left him unsettled so much in the first place. "I saw what happened that night after you left the pub with Lee."
"You were spying on me?" She cried, both outraged and confused. Since when did Hyuuga Neji take an interest in anything she did? On missions, he only communicated with her as much as was necessary, preventing her from developing the same closeness with him as she had with Tenten and Lee. She had learned quickly though, that was the person Neji was. He was like that with everyone, except for maybe Tenten. She seemed to be the only one capable of bringing him out of the secluded shell he had made for himself.
"I was on my way home and heard the fight between Lee and Sasuke," he clarified. "Gaara showed up so there was no need for me to step in. It's also not difficult to see why Lee isn't speaking to you."
Sakura glared openly at him. How dare he try and say he knew Lee better than her!
"You're angry," Neji stated, amused.
"It seems odd that you think you can read other people so well when you cut yourself off from all emotions most of the time."
"Emotions can be unnecessary baggage when it comes to a shinobi's duty," he said to her. "But it does not mean I can't understand what's right in front of my face."
"Which is?"
"That Lee spent these last three years growing close to you, helping you get over Uchiha Sasuke and now suddenly he's back in your life."
"I've already told Lee I'm over Sasuke."
"Perhaps it would be more convincing if you weren't moping around so much. Uchiha is back but he still doesn't want you."
Sakura stood up, shaking with anger. "You arrogant bastard. Don't make assumptions about my life when you don't know anything about me. You're just a Hyuuga living a self-loathing existence because you know no matter what you do with your life your first duty will always be to the Head Family. You're nothing more than a tool."
She stormed out of the compartment, missing the look of barely restrained fury inside those white eyes.