Sakura No Yousei: Chapter 4- Sakura Revealed
The air slowly became more humid as the group of five traveled down the worn road, the dark clouds overhead shadowing them in a dull gray. Dreary was the atmosphere as the three teenagers walked together, talking about home and missions, laughing once in awhile at something being said. Small drops of cool water drizzled from the gloomy sky overhead, slowly drenching the travelers below, but they continued to carry on, all grumbling at the lousy weather.
" It just had to rain, didn't it," Sakura said as she patted down her slightly frizzy hair. She had lost her cheerfulness and now trudged unhappily on the open road, the water dousing her. Normally she liked the rain, but she hadn't expected it this soon. She had desired at least a couple weeks of warm sunshine before she was ready to enjoy the rain.
Looking to her right, she noticed Sasuke looking equally as glum, his black hair slicked to his face, getting in the way of his eyes. Frustrated, he brushed his hair sloppily out of his face, only to have it fall wetly back in his eyes. Mumbling grouchily, he let his hair stay in his face, small drops of water dripping from his wet, black locks.
Turning to Naruto, she couldn't help but laugh as she watched him stare at the sky, his mouth open, the water gathering in his mouth. Sasuke looked over to see what was funny and chuckled as Naruto started choking on the water. Laughing and sputtering, he glanced at Sakura and smiled before returning to watching the sand crunch beneath his feet. Sakura was cheered a bit by Naruto's strange behavior, but the sullenness of the day made her weary and ready to change into her dry clothes in her pack.
Sakura watched Kakashi-Sensai talked with the bridge-builder about things that didn't interest her. She was tired of seeing the same stretched of road. Something had to happen or she would go out of her mind. Even training sounded appealing to her. She was eager to show her new jutsu skills to her teammates, the thought of how impressed they'd be made her slightly more bright.
Suddenly Sasuke and Naruto stopped at her sides and both grabbed her arms. ' Finally,' she thought. Sakura looked side to side to find aggressive looks on their faces. They were both looking ahead, but Sakura couldn't see what they obviously did. Frustrated they weren't clueing her in, she stepped forward, breaking each of their holds on her arms.
From out of the dry tree line, three young ninja stepped out into the rain to face them, separating them from Kakashi and the bridge-builder. Kakashi had sensed their presence earlier but felt his team needed some exercise after a few days on travel, so he had said nothing and let them walk on.
Sensing trouble, Sakura stepped back behind her teammates who closed in front of her, both ready to attack. Sakura wasn't afraid though. ' These ninja look about as old as us,' she thought, staring at each face. There were two boys and one girl, much like her team, except the girl was far less muscular then she was. She was stringy and unattractive with black hair tied in a ponytail and a slight body lacking the curves Sakura obviously had. Sakura sort of felt sorry for her, feeling she would have to battle with the girl, and considering the new jutsus she learned, she figured it would be easy.
The other two looked apt matches for her teammates, a tall boy with black, long hair and an average boy with brown, short hair. Both were attractive, but she ignored their eyes as they stared at her, knowing her lack of clothing was appealing them.
They looked from Sakura to the others at her sides, looking intently at Sasuke and Naruto. They seemed to know what they were getting into, but knowing how strong Sasuke and Naruto were, she doubted this would take long. Kakashi-Sensai turned around, slightly amused at the scene playing out. Sakura pushed her way out in front of Sasuke and Naruto, determined not to be protected this time. She had new found strength and she would no longer allow to stand on the side lines and let Sasuke and Naruto do all the work. Naruto and Sasuke were surprised at Sakura's actions.
She usually stayed back at let them fight. But she was sick of thinking she was weak and ineffective to the team. She was ready to reveal what all her hard, secretive training was for. This wasn't like when she was a trainee, she was ten times stronger than she had been and was even a worthy opponent when fighting Sasuke. She had beaten him once, so she considered herself prepared to handle her own battles.
The three opponents laughed as she stepped forward calmly, the boys still staring at her, admiring her body. Sasuke noticed their stares and stepped up beside her, their eyes meeting his and they immediately new she was with him. Slightly disappointed, they returned their eyes to Sakura as their plain teammate spoke.
" So you must be the leader. Funny, such a pretty face, it's a shame it won't be when we're done. You should let the boys protect you, I doubt you even know how to fight," said the simple girl, laughing hauntily as Sakura stood smiling. She looked Sakura head to feet, noticing her shiny pink hair, pretty face, curvy body and long slender legs and felt jealousy sweep over her. She took in the sight of her pink haired opponent's dress, the form-fitting red shirt, the small black bottoms and her black boots.
She knew her teammates was staring her down, but she noticed the dark handsome boy at her side move forward protectively and knew she was his girlfriend. This made her even angrier, feeling this girl was simply ninja for the perks and would be a simple defeat with all her attractive attributes, then she heard her speak.
" Funny, I figured you'd be the first one your team would throw into battle, perhaps a kunai would do you're face some good," said Sakura in a biting tone, watching as the girl clenched her fist angrily. Her team chuckled, trying hard to suppress it as she grinded her teeth. Sasuke just stood amazed that Sakura had a dark side to her. She was witty and proud and she wasn't about to allow a loud-mouthed girl to make a fool of her. Reaching into her satchel at her thigh, she pulled her favorite kunai out, letting it gleam in the rain. " So what should I fix first?"
Naruto laughed loudly, even Kakashi showed amusement at Sakura's defensive nature. She wasn't letting this girl off easy. ' You mess with Sakura and you have a fight on you're hands,' thought Kakashi as he watched Sakura stand strongly, showing much more strength then she had even let on. The girl stood motionless as Sakura glared at her menacingly, her chakra blazing a bright pink around her fist holding the kunai. " Well come on then, you still think you want to fight me?" said Sakura threateningly, tightening her grip on her kunai and leaned slightly to one side with her hand on her hip.
The girl let her words sink in before rushing forward at Sakura. Sakura lunged at the girl, her sleek form meeting her opponent swiftly. Her fingers turned the blade smoothly as she cut the girl across her cheek. The girl stopped, holding the side of her face as blood ran from the gash, while Sakura rose behind her, letting the rain clean the scarlet liquid from the smooth kunai blade. The slight girl's teammates watched as Sakura looked up at them, her eyes a brilliant green, her hair falling in her face. The girl turned to face Sakura's backside while wiping the blood from her cheek. She knew the pink haired girl wasn't playing around. She expected the girl to have no idea how to fight, but she was a lot stronger than she let on.
Grinning at her equal, she formed hand signs, the ground beneath Sakura moving unsteadily. Sakura felt the earth beneath her feet shake and recognizing the jutsu, she leapt backwards into the air as the ground beneath her crumbled. Soaring upside-down above the girl, she pulled shurikin from her satchel and flung them quickly at the girl before landing behind her.
Sasuke stood amazed at Sakura's speed and skill as she landed feet in front of him in a crouching position, her hands placed carefully on the ground to steady herself, her hair falling over her shoulders, her gaze focused on the girl before her. She wasn't the helpless child anymore, she was powerful. The two other boys stared at how dominant a fighter the pink haired konoichi was. Naruto just stood, jaw slack, his eyes watching Sakura's backside.
The four boys watched as Sakura reached a hand forward, catching the shuriken that flew past the girl's face as she barely dodged having her face cut open again. Strands of her long black hair fell to the ground around her feet. Sakura grinned, but quickly concentrated an attack. Her hands moved quickly into a fire no jutsu. The girl's eyes grew wide as an immense flame erupted from Sakura's hand, singeing her hair as she rolled out of the way just in time. Sakura was fast to notice the girl roll away and produced another deadly fire jutsu.
Sakura's hands raised above her head as a massive fireball grew in her open palms. Before the girl could react, Sakura threw the flaming sphere at her, engulfing the girl in the intense flames. Her teammates stood astonished at the konoichi's power. Slightly afraid, the brown haired boy stepped forward as the black haired boy retrieved the girl's scorched body. Sakura smiled, her eyes a bright green, a focused blaze in her glare.
" Well?" she said as the boy stood, his body posed in hand-to-hand combat style. She rose from the crouching position, watching as he debated whether he really wanted to fight her. But Sakura wasn't about to let him back down. She readied her body appropriately and waited for him to make his move. He hesitated then ran at her, striking at her with all his might. Sakura blocked him quickly, then lowered herself to a crouch and swung her leg behind him. Her foot caught him and he fell to the ground. Shocked at how quickly she had countered his attack, he fell back, his body hitting the sand.
She swung her leg over his chest, pinning him to the ground, pulling his arms under her knees and holding his legs down with her ankles. The boy blushed furiously as he looked up at Sakura who sat comfortably on his chest, shocked at her startling position over him. She glared down at him before lowering her face to his. Feeling her lips brush his cheek, he heard her softly whisper in his ear.
" Next time you come after me, intend to kill me," she murmured lightly in his ear before knocking him out with a stroke of her hand. She rose off his unconscious body, looking over at the last remaining teammate. He stood there, his expression blank as he looked from his unconscious friend to her. He didn't expect the girl to know how to fight at all, and here she was, taking down his teammates in less than a few minutes. He stared at her uncertainly, waiting to see if she would come after him next. But she smiled over at him, letting him know she wouldn't harm him.
She nodded at him as he ran forward to retrieve his teammate. She was disappointed at how quickly she had finished the fight. She knew the last teammate wouldn't fight her after what he had just witnessed. He was probably just the Chouji of the group. The sudden thought of her friends back home made her sad. Watching as the boy hoisted his friend over his shoulder, she reached out and lightly placed her hand on his back as he walked away. He turned, his eyes wide in fear that she might attack him and take him down like she did his friends. But she was smiling apologetically.
" The girl will wake soon, she'll be fine. And you're friend here should recover in an hour or so, but other than that, the two are okay. But I do have a question to ask of you. Why did you attack us?" Sakura asked as the boy turned, slightly embarrassed at the reason.
" Well, Koiri," he nodded to the unconscious girl," heard of a group of traveling ninja coming to our village and when she found out that three of them were young like us, she thought it would be a good idea to challenge them, but we had no idea how powerful you were. We're really sorry to bother you," he said abashedly. Sakura just smiled at his courage to fight strangers. " Well perhaps you should tell her picking fights its no way to improve your skills," she said before turning to Sasuke and Naruto, both still standing behind her, amazed at Sakura.
They walked forward to join her. " These are my teammates, Sasuke and Naruto and I'm Sakura," she said beaming as Naruto grinned widely and Sasuke rolled his eyes. Sakura didn't wait for him to speak, but turned from the boy and walked toward Kakashi-Sensai who was positively pleased with Sakura's gracious attitude and amazing fights with the two foolish ninja. Sasuke and Naruto nodded politely before running to join her. " It was nice to meet you three," he yelled after them as they disappeared in the distance.
" Wow, Sakura where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Naruto, still stunned at Sakura's performance. She just smiled, but he nagged. Sighing, she turned to him.
" Well if you have to know… I assume you all already knew I've been training a couple extra hours everyday by myself for the last few months. Well before all that, I had been cleaning my house one day and I was clearing the attic and I found these ancient scrolls my grandfather had left me before he died. I remember my father had said something about him being the last ninja, hunter-nin, in the family, so I thought they might be jutsu scrolls. Well, after reading them, they turned out to be shadow jutsu scrolls. I figured if my grandfather had been able to use shadow jutsus, then maybe I could. I decided that I would train to master the scrolls and… well, here I am now," she said, taking in a long breath of air before turning to notice everyone had stopped. She turned, slightly confused at what she had said to get the reaction she was now. All of them stood with their mouths agape, hardly believing what she had said. Kakashi was the first to speak after a long silence.
" So Sakura, what you're saying is you were using shadow jutsus in that fight," he said calmly, yet slightly bemused. Sasuke still stood stunned while Naruto had more of a confused look on his face. " What's a shadow jutsu?" he asked. Sasuke sighed and leaned to whisper to him. " A shadow jutsu is a form of jutsu that uses no chakra yet could demolish even the most formidable of adversaries. Its said to be nearly impossible to perform and even harder to master. Some that have experienced it's attacks say it's more powerful than the Kekai Genki Sharingan," he said as Naruto's face took the same look his had earlier.
" Um yeah… look I know its powerful and all, but I got it down perfect. Oh, umm… you remember what happened to the waterfall before we left, right," she said, smiling weakly. He simply gawked at her. Before they had left, an enormous hole had been blown right through the mountainside, temporarily clogging the waterfall Sakura practiced near. " Yeah I kind of used my chakra, just to see what it would do… ooppps." She nodded and frowned as Sasuke stood in awe at his Sakura. ' I had no idea Sakura was this powerful… I hope she doesn't get mad at me one day and blow me away," he thought, slightly amused at the last thought, yet somewhat frightened.
He knew his Sharingan wouldn't even matter if he were to battle Sakura. If she had been using chakra in the fight earlier, she could have easily killed her opponents in seconds. " Boy, I'm sure glad Sakura is on our team," said Naruto meekly. Sakura smiled nervously, not feeling like the little girl who needed protection anymore. She knew that when the time came, she could handle everything by herself. Kakashi laughed heartily. " I'm extremely impressed Sakura. I remember it took your grandfather years before he could perform the shadow jutsus properly. He was one of the best hunter-nin that we had ever had. Unfortunately, he had been in the fight against the nine-tailed fox and had been forced to use all his chakra to weaken the creature before the forth Hokage was able to trap it. He was immortalized along with the forth Hokage in the mountain. You should be honored to be related to such an amazing man."
Sakura beamed. She had never known her grandfather had fought along side the greatest Hokage. She felt tears sting her eyes as she thought of the day her parents had told her of him. She had been an infant when he had left to subdue the nine-tailed fox. She remembered all the wonderful things her father had told her about him. How he had once stopped the most powerful missing-nin from killing innocent people in the Cloud Village, how he had saved their village from destruction, how he had been the first person to see her when she was born.
She still remembered his face from when she was an infant. She remembered the way he had laughed when she had smiled her first time and then the sorrow that followed when he left. She felt the wet tears streak down her face as she thought of how brave he must have been to give his life for his family and village.
She heard her father's word echo in her mind. ' He wanted you to be the next ninja in the family, Sakura, and I remember he left some scrolls for you… somewhere.' Sakura felt Sasuke's fingers wipe the tears gently from her cheek as he pulled her into him. She cried silent tears as he held her. She felt closer to her grandfather than she ever had. Sharing the amazing power of the shadow jutsu drew her to him and she knew he was smiling down on her. Sakura pulled back from Sasuke, smiling as she wiped her eyes.
" Sorry, it's just, now I know why my grandfather had told my parents to give the scrolls to me. He knew I would become a ninja, he knew I would learn the scrolls. Now I have something to remember him by," she said as the tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back, knowing she had to be strong. Sasuke smiled down at her. ' Her grandfather must have meant a lot to her,' he thought as she struggled to hold back her tears.
Sakura grinned wiping her eyes again and stepped back from him. She straightened up, looking down the road that would bring them to The Land Hidden In The Mist. " We should go," she said before taking Sasuke's hand. The group continued on the road before Kakashi suddenly stopped and disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Sakura looked around, wondering where Kakashi went.
" That's weird," she said, peering in the treetops, Sasuke and Naruto nodding in agreement. She wasn't worried, if they had to take the bridge-builder home by themselves, they would do so. But Kakashi returned in a puff of smoke, turning to the others. Two dark forms sat in the branches above them, their faces hidden with masks, the ANBU tattoo upon their upper arms. They watched as Kakashi spoke to the three.
" Apparently, some hunter-nin from our village saw Sakura battle and were highly impressed with the immense strength that came from her attacks. But that's not the reason they're here. I tipped off some hunter-nins a couple days ago of the man, Gato, and apparently he's in the bingo book, so ANBU is planning a highly advanced attack on his organization. So this means when we arrive in the village, we may have to help with the attack, but hopefully they'll be done by the time we get there. Would you all be willing to lend a hand if the need arises?" he asked quickly.
" Of course, sensai," Sakura said positively. Since the recent fights she had, she was anxious to fight again. She was energized and hoped there would be something for them to do when they arrived. Kakashi turned to the hunter-nin and nodded. They vanished quickly, their dark figures moving swiftly through the trees. Sakura watched in awe at their mysterious departure. ' Someday,' she thought as the figures disappeared. Turning to the others, she began to walk.
" Come on, hopefully they have need for us when we get there," she said restlessly, pulling Sasuke and Naruto down the path at a run. They looked at each other, wondering what had gotten into her. She was excited about fighting? Sasuke was happy that Sakura was finally comfortable fighting, but some of him regretted her incredible skills. She no longer needed him to protect her. She was capable of rescuing herself. He frowned slightly, looking at Sakura who drug him and Naruto up the road. ' She seems so happy, why aren't I," he thought, thinking there was something wrong with him.
He should be happy for her. She deserved to be a powerful fighter. She had always worked hard and now it was paying off. But some part of him missed the weak Sakura, the one who needed him to keep her safe. He dismissed the pitying thoughts and focused on the fight they may get involved in. If it was important enough for ANBU to step in, it could be very dangerous. He didn't know how strong he'd have to be to stand up to the top ninja Gato had if he sent them out. He figured they would be just thugs, though. He doubted Gato worked with ninja, assuming he was a paranoid man who didn't trust ninja incase they decided to turn on him.
Sasuke was snapped out of his thoughts when Sakura stopped short, causing him and Naruto to nearly knock her down. Regaining her balance, she turned, smiling. " Sorry about that," she said apologetically. They just smiled back, then looked around them. They had reached the edge of a great body of water. The vast blue liquid seemed to stretch to the horizon. Sasuke and Naruto looked out on the placid water while Sakura seemed to search for something. Watching her pace back and forth, her eyes scanning the water line, Sasuke figured he would have to ask to know what she was doing.
" Umm… Sakura, what are you doing?" he said as she pushed aside bushes and plants, her eyes roving the area. Turning to face him, she sighed at his clueless-ness. " I'm looking for a boat, want to help me?" she said hastily before returning to her search. Sasuke was a bit hesitant at her ask for help, but figured if he didn't assist her, she'd be a bit upset at him. He began searching himself as Kakashi-Sensai and the bridge-builder approached them. " What are you two doing?" he asked, amused at their thorough hunt for a boat.
" We're looking for a boat," Sasuke mumbled, slightly ashamed at the pointless effort they were putting into finding something that was obviously gone already. Kakashi chuckled and grabbed Sakura's arm as she passed him, still tearing up the terrain at the water's edge. She looked up at him, her face determined and impatient.
He nodded out to the water and she turned to see what he was directing her to. A small boat made its way slowly over the water's glassy surface, hardly disturbing it as he neared the shore. She exhaled angrily, frustrated she made herself look like a complete idiot. Pulling her arm lightly from his grip, she walked up beside Sasuke and looked at him, her cheeks a bright pink.
" Ooopps," she said embarrassed, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. She put her arm round his back and hugged him affectionately as she watched the boat push up onto the land. The small boatman nodded at the bridge-builder who climbed into the boat and directed the others to do the same. Sakura stepped into the boat behind Naruto and sat at the front of the boat, swirling her fingers in the cool water.
Feeling Sasuke's hands run up her sides, she sat up and leaned into him as he pulled her into him. Lifting her head, she looked up at him, his onyx eyes exploring her emerald ones. Sakura reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face, smiling at him as the boat pushed off from the shore and glided along the water rather quickly.
Naruto held his face above the water as he leaned over the boat. His eyes watched the water move along the sides of the boat, the clear water splashing his face. Small raindrops disturbed the surface as the rain started again. Sakura huddled against Sasuke as the warm rain fell onto her bare legs. Sasuke reached his hand forward and rubbed her cool skin tenderly, attempting to warm her.
She took his hands and brought it to her face, feeling his warm skin on her cheek. Kissing the back of his hand gently, she wrapped it around her, pulling him tight to her body. Sasuke looked out on the water, the small drops making rippling circles in the water.
The wooded path they emerged from had disappeared and they were surrounded by blue sparkling sea, nothing but gray clouds and sapphire water all around them. Sasuke thought it was beautiful. Nothing but the smell of the rain, the feel of the warm water falling on his skin, the sound of the rain hitting the surface of the water.
Sasuke enjoyed the rain, but never realized how peaceful it was. Sakura sat up in his arms and reached over the boat, letting her fingertips leave trails in the smooth water. She loved when it rained and being out on the sea was even better. She turned to face Sasuke and smiled as they shared the brief sprinkle of rain upon them.
Looking around Sasuke, she saw the approach of land, the lush green trees from the Land Hidden In The Mist rising from the grassy earth. It was captivating. The land was a rich green, all shades of it. It was thick with plants and large, vibrant flowers. Sakura thought she had reached paradise. It was like a tropical rain forest. The humid air, the soft rain, the lush jungle, it was more than she had thought it would be.
As the boat grounded on the soft sand, Sakura lifted herself off Sasuke's lap and stepped into the cool water. Turning to face the immense trees that grew along the waters edge, she stood amazed as the pristine water lapped at her feet. Her toes grew cold as the water washed over her half exposed foot and she stepped up the sandy beach toward the dark forest.
Sasuke stepped out of the boat and stood beside her, taking her hand in his. She turned, breaking her gaze at the trees to face Sasuke. She smiled at him as the others walked up the beach. Sakura regained her eagerness and pulled Sasuke behind her as she ran to catch up with the others. Sasuke forgot how excited she had been to arrive for a possible mission with ANBU. Little did they know she would get her chance.
" Sakura, will you slow down," said Sasuke in between breathing, running behind Sakura and Naruto along the wooded trail. Sakura looked over her shoulder at the raven-haired boy who began to slow, weary from running. Slowing to a stop, she waited for Sasuke to catch up. Naruto stopped a little ways ahead as Sasuke halted beside Sakura, bent over to catch his breath. Rising, he met her smile as she grabbed his hand and pulled him along as she broke out in a run, passing Naruto as he turned to follow.
Kakashi-Sensai and the bridge-builder were still a ways behind, but Sakura was careful to stay within sight of their sensai. Weaving down the path, she drug Sasuke by his hand through the path that interlaced through the trees. Sakura slowed as she noticed a paved road meet the dirt ahead. She came to a walk with Sasuke gasping for air behind her, along with Naruto who was doubled over, but he had managed to maintain pace with her.
Sakura turned to check where Kakashi-Sensai was. She spotted his silver hair in the distance and sighed. Allowing herself to steady her breath, she leaned against a tree and sank to the ground. Sasuke joined her and sat down at the trunk of the large tree she sat against. She smiled over at him, the anticipation shining in her eyes. He smiled faintly before looking at the ground.
" Sakura, why are you so excited about a possible mission?" he asked, looking back up at her. She looked up into the high branches of the tree, spotting the sun stretching its rays forth in the evening sky. Returning her eyes to him, she just smiled happily.
" I guess its because now I have a purpose, I can fight on my own. I just want to know what it feels like, I guess, to have a responsibility to a reason. This mission will teach me so much about what a ninja really is. It's something where you have a duty to people who depend on you, and… well, I guess I've never had that sort of obligation to anything before," she said thoughtfully. It was important to prove this to herself. If she failed, it would shatter all she worked for as a ninja and she had to take that risk if she was to confirm anything. She wanted to know she had the will power and skill to accomplish her goals.
Bookwork had always been easy in that aspect, but actions were what mattered now. If she contributed to this attack on Gato, she would know there was a reason she was a ninja, there was a reason she mastered the shadow jutsus and pushed herself everyday to become better. Not only for herself though, but for her family and more importantly, her grandfather. She had to know that, all her life, everything she did, wasn't a waste of time.
She saw how far Naruto and Sasuke had come in their goals. Naruto was no longer the punk who misbehaved to get any sort of attention whether it was bad or good, he was known as the boy who did whatever it took to prove he was better than anyone had expected. He was powerful and although he was still a long way from Hokage, he wouldn't stop till he was there.
And Sasuke, he overcame a lot of the anger and hatred he had for his brother and turned it into power and focus. Instead of being bitter, he did something about it. He worked hard to improve his fighting so that when he came face to face with the man who destroyed his life, he could destroy him. Then there was her. What was it that drove her, what were her goals? For along time she asked herself that, but upon finding the scrolls, she found a new purpose for her life.
The ninja inside her was bursting forth, desiring to become her and that's what she wanted. She was sick of poor Sakura who couldn't save herself, the Sakura who had to have Sasuke or Naruto fight her battles. She was tired of being defenseless, she was ready to know she had potential to protect not just herself, but her friends and her family, even her village. She wanted to follow the same life her grandfather had chosen for himself. She wouldn't stand by any longer if there was any threat to what she loved or had an obligation to. Now she would rise up and fight.
She felt a tear slide down her cheek and drop onto her exposed collarbone. She wasn't sure whether she was crying out of strength or fear. Her feelings were colliding and she felt herself being torn. Could she really handle the pressures of being a ninja? She began to doubt whether she could become the ninja that struggled within her. She wouldn't give up though, she had to push through the doubt and confusion. She reached up to wipe the tear that ran down her face, letting the tear smear onto the back of her hand before wrapping her hand around her knees. She had a goal and nothing would get in the way, not even her tears.
Sasuke watched as the tiny drops of water slipped down Sakura's face. He frowned as he watched her reach up and wipe them away indignantly, her face showing no expression of sorrow whatsoever, yet the tears continued to form at the corners of her shining green eyes before sliding down her skin, only to wiped away in vain. He was concerned about her, she seemed to be hurting somehow. He knew the attention and responsibility of her new power would affect her sooner or later. He knew what she was experiencing. He had felt the same way after using the Sharingan.
The expectations for himself had changed, he had realized that he would have to have different responsibilities that came with the influence of his Sharingan, and it wasn't easy. He felt sometimes he wouldn't be strong enough to save his own life or to destroy Itachi. He knew if he failed avenging his family, he would never forgive himself. He came to find doubt as his friend along with fear and pain. But he had learned that in order to be a true ninja, he had to forget about self-doubt or it would destroy his purpose.
He reached out and placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder. She looked at him, ashamed her tears were her only visible weakness. Ninja didn't have weaknesses, she was failing herself already. She angrily wiped her eyes, the tears only increasing. Sasuke grabbed her hand as she reached up to repeat her attack on the tears that flowed from her eyes. She stared at him, slightly surprised he didn't wipe them away himself, but let them run freely down her face. He smiled at her and she realized he must have felt the same way when he had unleashed the Sharingan. She let her face fall slightly, her expression faintly sad yet still full of wonder. Sasuke entwined his fingers with hers as she closed her eyes to force the tears out of hiding.
She understood what it was to cry when Sasuke looked at her. She found it as strength to be able to cry about things that hurt her. Sasuke wasn't able to cry, he had lost all emotion to hatred and pain. She knew he respected she had such a pure way of expressing all the sadness and hurt that she locked within her heart. She found she cried more and more lately, but she knew it was okay to do so now.
Opening her eyes, she smiled at Sasuke as she let her tears gather at her chin before they fell. He leaned forward and kissed her wet cheeks softly. She loved the way he knew her. He could take away all the sorrow and replace it with joy and hope. She needed him and he needed her. She taught him how to feel again, not just the pain and hatred he had for so many years, but love and compassion, hope and happiness, and most of all, sadness. He had never once shown remorse or tears until he had met Sakura. She taught him that tears were healing and rejuvenating.
He had experienced tears twice in his life. Once when he had found Itachi standing over his dead parents holding the sword covered in their blood and when Sakura had confronted him about his sadness, only for him to relive his dream. He felt grateful to her for releasing all the fear he had about showing his emotions to anyone. With her, he felt safe, like he could cry endlessly and she would never leave him.
She leaned forward, her lips brushing his softly in a gentle kiss. She knew she could never leave Sasuke. He knew all the secrets of her heart and she didn't want to lose the one person who understood her best of all. She left his lips and looked into his onyx eyes before collapsing into his arms, the tears falling strongly. He held her close as Naruto watched them.
He knew everything that had just happened. He knew the confusion Sakura had and the comfort Sasuke provided.
They were perfect for each other and he was happy that they had found each other in all the madness of life. He smiled as Sakura pulled away from Sasuke, beaming as he wiped away the last tear that fled down her cheek. She looked over at Naruto and beckoned him to her, holding out her hand. He walked over to her and reached down to grab her hand. She lifted herself off the ground and embraced Naruto tightly. He reached around to hold her as she hugged him. She leaned back and smiled at him. Sasuke stood and stepped up to the two as Kakashi-Sensai approached with the bridge-builder.
" Sharing a moment, I suppose," he said smiling as he walked past them. Sakura smiled and released Naruto, still wiping stray tears away from her eyes. Turning, she followed Kakashi-Sensai silently leaving Sasuke and Naruto to stand and watch her walk away.
" Do you think she can handle a mission right now?" Naruto asked as he gazed worriedly at Sakura. " I don't know, but I do know she's going to do one whether she's okay or not. I don't think it's an option anymore for her," Sasuke said, looking over at Naruto to share a nervous glance. The two walked in silence, lagging behind a bit to give Sakura her space, knowing she needed time to think before they reached the village. Sakura looked ahead, observing the large trees and ferns, the small scampering squirrels, the forms of sleek deer running through the underbrush.
She was ready. All doubt had been washed away, she knew there was a reason. It was her team, herself, her friends. Without all those things there was no reason, no purpose. She was happy to have two great boys in her life. Sasuke, the love she would never lose and the best friend since childhood, Naruto. She smiled knowing they would be there for her no matter what. She dismissed the thoughts of pain and worry and replaced them with excitement and confidence. Stopping she turned to Sasuke and Naruto, beaming widely. They both shared a comforted look before quickening their pace to catch up with her. Sakura linked arms with both and turned to walk.
" So what do you think they'll have us do," Naruto asked curiously. Sakura thought of the possible missions ANBU could have for them. Perhaps guarding another important person or maybe infiltration. She smiled at the last option. She would be overjoyed if she could act as a spy. " I don't know Naruto, but I bet whatever it is, it'll be fun," she said enthusiastically. Naruto laughed loudly. " You really are something, Sakura. I would have never thought you would enjoy danger," he said, grinning over at her. She shrugged and returned his grin.
She did like danger, especially taking risks and getting the pay off. Sasuke looked over at her, her smile widening. He ran his hand down her arm and held her hand tightly, giving her a happy smile. She leaned up and kissed his cheek causing his face to redden as they walked down a steep slope that overlooked small rooftops. Sakura looked down on the small village. The small, thatched roofs, the tiny people walking to and fro, and an enormous building, reaching into the sky. It was a ways off in the forests, but it was clearly visible from where they stood. At the very top of the building in enormous gold letters, the word "Gato" could be read. Sakura scowled. She turned to find her teammates looking at the same ominous building.
" That must be where ANBU is said to attack. I can't wait to demolish that atrocity," she said angrily, her grip tightening on Sasuke's hand. Sasuke winced slightly, but returned the squeeze on her hand. She turned to him, her eyes blazing with hatred.
Sasuke knew Sakura despised this man for ruining lives. He was scum and she would stop at nothing to bring an end to his power over the village. They made their way down the path, passing houses and market venders. People stopped to watch the strangers enter their village. Some cheered when they saw the bridge-builder. Some scowled at his presence, knowing his return would only bring more death. Small children hid behind their mothers as they passed, the mothers holding protectively to their little ones.
Sakura was broken hearted at the sight of the poor people. The children begged for food and money, the men and women were malnourished and unhealthy. Sakura was disgusted at what person would reduce a village to for money. Tazuna stopped and cleared his throat. " This is where you leave me. If I require you, I know where to find you, Kakashi. Thank you soo much," he said before turning away and disappearing into the crowd. Sakura watched him go, the sight of the suffering people causing her dismay.
" Oh Sasuke, this is horrible," she said, talking in the sight of the starving town. Sasuke nodded, knowing that their part in helping this village would come soon. They walked through the streets, weaving in and out of the houses until they reached a large cottage beside a river. They walked up the wooded steps and stood in front of a large oak door. Kakashi-Sensai reached out and knocked on the door.
The door creaked open and a man poked his face out to observe the group on his doorstep. Smiling, he flung the door open and embraced Kakashi, who laughed loudly, recognizing his companion. Sakura acknowledged the man from their village. He was tall and built with the traditional ANBU tattoo and uniform. His eyes were dark as with his hair and his smile was friendly. He stepped forward to shake her hand. She reached forward and met his strong grasp.
" So who's all this, Kakashi," he said laughing heartily as Sakura winced at his hard grip on her hand. Sakura pulled her hand away as he grabbed Sasuke's hand, meeting the same wince on his face.
" These are my students, Gai," he said as Naruto grinned widely upon receiving the bone-breaking handshake. " The girl is Sakura, you're shaking Naruto's hand and that leaves Sasuke." They all smiled at being addressed. Leaning over to Kakashi, he whispered.
" I think the girl will have a big role in this mission, Kakashi. She's just the right age plus she's a beauty. She wouldn't mind helping us out, would she?" he asked, looking over at Sakura who blushed. Kakashi nodded at Sakura and she stepped forward. " Looks like you'll have a mission after all Sakura, but what it is, I have no idea," he said as Sakura's face broke into a brilliant smile.
" Well hasty are we, lets get inside then," he said, directing them all to come inside. Sakura entered the house behind Kakashi-Sensai, followed by Sasuke and Naruto. The house was wooded and roomy and smelled of pine. Gai led them into a large room to their left. The room's walls were covered in maps and information about the large building they had seen earlier. A great table was placed in the center of the room with many chairs surrounding it.
" Have a seat," he said, pulling a chair out for Sakura. She nodded and sat as he pushed her chair up to the table. Many numerous others sat at the table, some sensais from their village and some unfamiliar faces she didn't recognize. Sasuke sat beside her and grabbed her hand under the table, smiling over at her. She smiled back, letting their hands rest on her thigh. Gai took a seat at the head of the table and pulled a large map from under the piles of papers that littered the table. Clearing his thought, he stood.
" As you know, we have planned to infiltrate Gato's head building on the east side of the village. Luckily, we've had inside intelligence map most of the building. Unfortunately, we still have yet to locate where Gato is hiding himself. We have to bring him out of hiding. Our plan is to lure him out by kidnapping his son, Gentai. Gentai is about the age of these three, but he's training to become a hunter-nin, so he's dangerous. He also never leaves the building. In order to abduct him, we have to have someone get close enough to Gentai to lead him away from the building so we may capture him. Its been reported Gato is looking for a girl for his son to marry soon, but only the most beautiful girls in the village have been chosen. So far none have pleased his son, and Gato is growing impatient. Sakura, this is a mission for you. We need you to move in on his son and lure him away from Gato's sight by any means necessary. We will supply you with direct safety, but for most of this mission, you'll be on your own. We'll send hunter-nin to watch you as well as numerous others, in case he finds out you're with ANBU. If that happens, you'll have to get out immediately. Are you up for this, Sakura?" he asked, watching her think about what he explained.
Sakura wasn't too sure about seducing another boy. It would be like betraying Sasuke, she just couldn't do that. But she had to help ANBU. This mission was important to saving the village and she had to help. She felt Sasuke squeezed her hand and she looked into his onyx eyes. He nodded, knowing that, although she would be with another boy, it was for the good of the village. Sakura smiled and turned to Gai.
" I'll do it."
GASP! oh Sakura you bad bad girl. Gosh i love to make her all kick ass what not. She is totally my fave outta the three, duh SAkura fanfic-ness, but yes she rox my sox. I constantly draw her and blah blah blah
So anways she kicks some booty and gets to be all ANBU-ness. Too bad Sasuke's not all into it though. Rock on Sakura, rock on. On to the next chapter!
